Four Things Which Bring Much Peace

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Book 3, Chapter 23 of the Imitation of Christ, in the public domain:
The Twenty-Third Chapter

MY CHILD, I will teach you now the way of peace and true liberty.

Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.
Always choose to have less rather than more.
Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out in you.

Behold, such will enter into the realm of peace and rest.
 
Some may say ah, yes: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I reply: Read them throughout the night and commit them all to thy memory as Saint Dominic did. Then the four Gospels in a sense become one.

For the first thing from the Imitation of Christ: “the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)

the second: “every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:33)

the third: “But when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place” (Lk 14:10)

the fourth: "when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me’”(Heb 10:5)
 
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We know very well as little children, that when we receive the body of Christ in most holy communion we give the Father thanks for the sacrifice of his Son.

We give the Son thanks when we visit him in adoration during the day: “And they should not forget about paying a visit during the day to the Most Blessed Sacrament in the very special place of honor where it is reserved in churches in keeping with the liturgical laws, since this is a proof of gratitude and a pledge of love and a display of the adoration that is owed to Christ the Lord who is present there.” (Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, 66)

And by this two-fold observance, we give thanks to the Holy Spirit, also knowing and struggling against the six modes of refusing the regeneration of repentance (six kinds of sin against the Holy Spirit): despair, presumption, resistance of the known truth, envy of a brother’s spiritual good, impenitence, and obstinacy. (cf. Summa Theologica II-ii, q. 14, a. 2, c.)
 
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hymin said:
the second: “every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:33)
Click to expand...
That is a thought one. And not just in material terms. Renouncing the will of the ego. Surrendering. Just think of you biggest fear or fears. Could you accept the reality?
 
Ven. Fulton Sheen preached much in regard to our response to God and our ego. He explained the ego as the false self. I would say my biggest fear is face to face with a group of men who all appear somewhat prosperous but idle standing around on the city street - “idleness hath taught much evil” (Sir 33:29). In the same conditions in the past when I was homeless it did not haunt me as much.
 
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These are very good items to read through…‘presumption’…interesting sin against the spirit.
Never considered that one 😐

But I did want to chime in about the human ego…esp. when ambitious…
I work with two guys in their 30’s …huge egos…also liars…
and I’ve always considered themselves, as terribly untrue to themselves -

"He explained the ego as the false self. "
 
Those sins against the spirit are very much rooted in ego. Self-knowledge gained by subjection of the intellect to order , a will made stable by a rule of life, and the silence of the senses are assets found in good religious orders. “The more fervently, then, they are joined to Christ by this total life-long gift of themselves, the richer the life of the Church becomes and the more lively and successful its apostolate.” (Second Vatican Council, Perfectae caritatis, 1) A total true gift of self is very much what the Holy Spirit is to all of us. “It can be said that in the Holy Spirit the intimate life of the Triune God becomes totally gift, an exchange of mutual love between the divine Persons and that through the Holy Spirit God exists in the mode of gift.” (Dominum et vivificantem, 10) The heroic fruits of the Holy Spirit, peace of which, present the soul to others as a true gift.
 
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Again. Interesting. That " Peace " is something we are suppose to give others -
a will - made stable - by a rule of life - ah , sweet discipline.
And of course, silencing of the senses - not easy -
" the more lively " - that caught my eye 😇
 
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Well peace, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is beyond ourselves - it involves duties and our responsiblity to them, such as the virtue of justice: “the peace of all things lies in the tranquility of order; and order is the disposition of equal and unequal things in such a way as to give to each its proper place” (S. Augustine, City of God; XIX.13) This requires an intellect, our response to the First mind, Who wisely sets the proper goods to avail for the good of the Kingdom. “To love is to will the good of another.” (CCC 1766). Augustine says “wisdom is the charity of God” (Letter 120) and Thomas Aquinas replied to that in his Summa: “Augustine is speaking of wisdom as to its cause, whence also wisdom [sapientia] takes its name, in so far as it denotes a certain sweetness [saporem].” (STh II-II, q. 45, a. 2, rep. 1) And so, God out of his will to give us good things, gives us sweetness from crosses, and it is wisdom, his own charity for the salvation of soul.

Discipline is sweet when well-ordered and fervent. “Wisdom is the cross, and the cross is wisdom” (St. Louis de Montfort, Love of Eternal WIsdom, End of Ch. 14) “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” (Heb 12:11-13) By sweetness of wisdom.

Silence provides an environment where are interior sheds off the toil of the sensual world and reaches out in poverty of spirit, begging for the sweetness it once had from the senses. And God fills the soul with good things inasmuch as the soul trusts in Him. “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. Who satisfieth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s.” (Ps 103:4-5, vulg.)
 
Please pardon me, for downplaying your statement. I could of replied in a better form.
 
What’s your take on " presumption " , as to sinning against the Holy Spirit ?
 
Both presumption and despair are offenses against the virtue of Hope as well as against the Holy Spirit, as abovementioned. Presumption by excess, despair by defect. Hope resides in the desire, and its the noblest of them because its virtue has it object to God (thereby is it called a theological virtue). Hope involves what is arduous, but its buoys the soul above the world we see and relies on the power to prevail to the unseen from promises unseen.

Presumption does not involve the soul in the arduous intention. We know by faith, that we are to do penance. Two fruits of the Spirit that come from this are faithfulness and self-control, By faith we completely submit to the whole revelation revealed by God as a persuasive friend. Presumption relies on our flesh, food, the world. Hope expects God’s help to do penance and be faithful in testimony despite the difficulties. Presumption takes it upon him or self to pursue the good. Hope gives alms in sacrifice, fasts to discomfort, and prays as a begger.
 
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