Episode 28 -- Spiritual Combat c18 --Curbing Sudden Passions

How do we curb, hold back, sudden impulses of our passions?

In the Prologue of Spiritual Combat Revisited by Fr Jonathan Robinson (1929-2020), he gives wonderful descriptions of our fallen human condition:

• deep divisions in our nature

  • we are pulled to what is good

  • we lean to what is evil.

• Spiritual combat = organized effort

  • to overcome these divisions

  • to bring our lives into line with our faith in Christ

• Asceticism = spiritual combat = STRUGGLE to reorder our desires towards Christ

  • cut away sinful aspects of self

  • avoid temptations

  • positive improvements towards perfection

What is the goal of asceticism? Growing in the love of God.

How? By removing what keeps us from loving Him and making an effort to do what we must do to love Him.