Thursday, August 4 (July 22), 2022

1Cor. 10:28-11:7; Mt. 16:24-28

From those who wish to follow Him the Lord demands earnest self-denial: “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” [Mt. 16:24].  In other words, renounce your own interests and pursue only the interests of the Lord, which is the same as doing what is right in His eyes and not doing what is wrong.

How can it be achieved?  Watch your inner condition and circumstances around you, think carefully and determine what the Lord would require from you in every situation, internal or external, and make sure to do just that, with no concern for your personal preferences, with complete self-denial. 

You might say: that’s very hard to determine!  No, it’s not hard.  We have Lord’s commandments, very clear and definite; they express everything which the Lord is expecting from us.  Your job is simply applying them to any practical case, and that’s relatively easy.  Basically, your common sense is quite enough.  If you have a problem, ask a priest ─ your spiritual counselor ─ or anyone else whom you trust, and follow their advice.  Yet it is preferable to sharpen your own mind by reading the Holy Scripture and Patristic writings; then your personal counselor will always be next to you.