CDXXIII – Rules for Catholics to Grow in Self Mastery (Pt 2)

On revisiting my previous article suggesting Rules for Self Mastery, I found the general theme to be focused on interior mastery, mastery of mind. One of the things I am working on right now is mastery of body. The previous version, if you follow it, will help you to be virtuous, thoughtful, and giving. Here, I hope to suggest rules for self mastery which will help you (and help me) to be mentally, spiritually, and physically tough. Please let me know what you think.

1.) Master the Fundamentals

I. Keep A Routine. Get into the rhythm of life. Have something to occupy every moment of your day. Examine your day and consider how you spend your time. Fill your day with good work and a smaller dose of healthy recreation. And keep this routine.

II. Keep Your Commitments. Do the things you say you will do. Become reliable and dependable. Be careful in what commitments you make, so you can be sure to keep them. Treat your commitments seriously, even (especially) the commitments you make to yourself.

III. Challenge Yourself. When you are making a routine and choosing commitments, Challenge yourself to do things that are outside your comfort zone, that stretch your capabilities, that push you to be more to more people. Make Christ your example, and push yourself prayerfully.

2.) Deny Yourself

IV. Endure Suffering. Suffering is sanctifying. Suffering is purifying. Suffering is growing. Your routine should include some productive suffering. Endure it, persevere, prove to yourself that suffering is not greater than you are.

V. Choose Suffering. Do not look at suffering as something that happens to you; look at suffering as something you choose. If you are working out, choose suffering until your work out is complete. If you are studying, choose to suffer through your studies until you have accomplished your goal. Choose to suffer, and choose it joyfully.

VI. Offer Your Suffering. Suffering is meaningful–if you choose frequent or intense suffering, offer it to God for reparation for your sins, or the sins of others; offer it to God as thanksgiving. Offer it to God to relieve the suffering of another. Suffering can help save you and can help save others.

3.) Humble Yourself

VII. You Deserve Suffering. Do not avoid suffering because you think it is beneath you. Do not avoid suffering because you feel you do not deserve it. Call to mind your many sins, and remind yourself that you do deserve to suffer. God willing, you can do some share of suffering now to shorten your wait in Purgatory before achieving the Beatific Vision. Consider suffering in this life as a foreshortening of purgative suffering in the next. You are not exempt–you will suffer the exact amount you are supposed to. Choose to endure it now, rather than then.

VIII. To Suffer Is Glorious. Suffering is an imitation of Christ, and that is a glorious thing. To be called to suffer, even in small ways, is to be called to the Cross by Christ Himself. Do not fear it, do not avoid it–embrace it, and see it as glorious. Christ endured everything that we might gain Heaven. Can you not endure this little suffering to gain a better future?

IX. To Suffer Is Helpful. Suffering makes us grow. It can make us stronger, tougher, better, more disciplined. Choose a routine, choose commitments, choose challenges which give you more opportunities to become stronger, tougher, better, and more disciplined. Know that while you suffer, you grow both spiritually and physically.

4.) Stay Grounded

X. God Sustains You Through Suffering And Through Consolation. Whatever you are enduring–be it good times or bad, suffering or joy–it comes from God. God sustains you through everything. Do not despair when suffering finds you. God is with you, and is doing the heavy lifting of your suffering. Give thanks to God when you are suffering, because it means He is closer to you. Give thanks to God when you are experiencing consolation, because it means He has blessed you.

AMDG

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Scoot

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5 thoughts on “CDXXIII – Rules for Catholics to Grow in Self Mastery (Pt 2)”

  4. They are both fascinating blogs, and interestingly to me firmly rooted in reality. Edan is unique in that it simulates a monarchy without really anything but the will to monarchy. I would describe this as “monarchy for it’s own sake”–there’s good reasons to prefer a monarchy and Edan is saying “why not start something new?”

    The Mad Monarchist is very serious about real monarchy. We had royal families for a reason and we ought to prefer the original monarchs to propping up new ones. There’s very good reasons for this too, and it looks like he has thoroughly researched monarchical lines and histories–I was intrigued that he roots for locally traditional monarchies, like the Emperor of Japan, etc. This would be “restorative monarchy”–it’s not good enough to have merely a monarch, it must be one that traces it’s roots back to the antiquity of the given nation-state.

    The challenge both of these blogs are trying to tackle is one I have explicitly avoided on this blog–that is, how to get from A to B, how to effectuate a restoration of a monarchy. That is a much deeper topic and I am hesitant to write about it because I don’t want it to become a political manifesto. I am much more comfortable enduring the present and hoping for the future. When I start planning I start hoping, which in this case I can see leading to disappointment.

    In any case, these are excellent takes and I will enjoy exploring them! The constitution in particular looks cool. I am intrigued by it because I started walking in that direction with my brief series on “Scootland” but I didn’t follow it to this level of detail.

    Thank you again for sharing these blogs! There is more to come on these topics, for sure!

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