The Cross Walk: Self-Sacrifice Part 3
Going Deeper into Self-Sacrifice
Self-sacrifice reveals our relationship to created goods and seeks to restore the right ordering of created goods and our relationship to them. I think Saint Ignatius of Loyola best explains what this means in the Principle and Foundation his Spiritual Exercises:
“Human beings are created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by means of doing this to save their souls. The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings to help them in the pursuit of the end for which they are created. From this it follows that we ought to use these things to the extent that they help us toward our end, and free ourselves from them to the extent that they hinder us from it. To attain this, it is necessary to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, in regard to everything which is left to our free will and is not forbidden. Consequently, on our own part we ought not to seek health rather than sickness, wealth rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, a long life rather than a short one, and so on in all other matters. Rather, we ought to desire and choose only that which is more conducive to the end for which we are created.”
Saint Francis de Sales fully understands the great challenge that self-sacrifice presents - especially in this area. The Saint advises and encourages us “It may well turn out that this change in your way of life will cause you many problems. You have bid a great, general farewell to the world’s follies and vanities and this may bring on a feeling of sadness and discouragement. If this should be the case, have a little patience, I beg of you, of rot will come to nothing. Things will seem a little strange because they are new, but when such feelings pass you will receive countless blessings.”
Self-sacrifice purifies our intentions and motivations towards God and others. This dimension of Jesus’ Cross Walk is very expressive of the ongoing purgation as we deepen growth towards the Illuminative Way via Self-Sacrifice. It is about death to self-love and self-preference.
Sacrifice evaluates our “why” and also the degree or level of our commitment and devotion. Jesus remarks how those of wealth were providing their offerings from their surplus. We can make the likely inference that Jesus saw the intentions or the “why” of their giving. Were they giving to fulfill some external expectation or sense of duty? Were they giving to maintain a certain reputation or esteem? Were they giving out of ego? And Jesus is also making an observation about the degree of their commitment and devotion. They gave out of surplus; that is to ask the question, “What did their offering really cost them?” Self-sacrifice draws from the motivation of love and love does not count the cost or keeps a ledger of “how much”. Why is this important? The Saints agree that turning away from those impediments and attachments that keep us from a personal, intimate relationship with Christ is not enough. We must have a even greater love - a more intense and better love - for Christ which compels and draws us forth.
Self-sacrifice is a stark reminder that all that we are and possess is from God. Sacrifice reveals our true poverty.
Self-sacrifice directs us to be living offerings to God for the sake of His Kingdom (Romans 12:1).
Next, we’ll explore those Virtues that support us in following Jesus in Self-sacrifice and being conformed to this dimension of His Cross Walk.
