“Love for worldly things, for honors, greatness, and recognition has become second nature to man. It is like mixing water with wine; only a great miracle could separate them again” (St. Joseph of Cupertino).
This great miracle can occur when love for God takes hold of a person’s heart, as it did for St. Paul. Worldly things became as rubbish to him (Phil 3:8), and from then on, he aspired only to the “things that are above” (Col 3:2).
Throughout history, there have been—and continue to be—people whose dedication to God is so intense that they manage to distance themselves from the world to the extent that it no longer poses an obstacle to them.
But this is often not the case. The human heart is so attached to worldly things that renouncing them for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven can feel like losing one’s life. For some, such renunciation carries an almost “smell of death” (cf. 2 Cor 2:16), making them shudder.
Evidently, they do not yet know enough of the Father’s love. They do not know the spiritual joys that await them when they detach their hearts from worldly things and turn to God. Much of Christendom is likely no longer aware of this. It has entered into a close relationship with the world, as today’s phrase describes, and no longer reflects on this reality. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why religious vocations are dwindling and even monasteries can become worldly.
So how can the “miracle” of separation be achieved? Only the Lord can do it! But we can ask Him for it. The saint we celebrate tomorrow, St. Nicholas of Flüe, left us a prayer to help awaken our love for our Heavenly Father, putting nothing before Him. Tomorrow, we will reflect on the first part of this prayer: “My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from You.”
NOTE: The daily meditation for September 26 could also serve to deepen this theme.