Unseen Mortifications

A quote from Catherine McAuley:

Little unseen mortifications practiced habitually, being unknown save to God, have a great advantage over those which excite vanity by their very arduousness.


This is a quote that seems to resonate with me very easily. I am of the mind that perfection is not found in doing everything so perfectly-all the virtues- and then some, but rather in doing what you can with great love. Let God perfect it!

By doing little things, little mortifications we begin to detach ourselves from all sorts of things that can get in the way of growing in relationship with God. I don't think God is really concerned about how many time you have been impatient. I think God is more interested in how you have been patient and how you are growing in love for the other through patience. It's just a bit of a different mindset, but one with which we can connect, without guilt.

Catherine was way ahead of her time. She saw that doing the little thing was of greater benefit than the larger showy thing. Of course the showier it is, the more people notice. That in itself is a red flag that there are other motivations involved.

So today I will look at how I just do the little deprivations for a greater love-like using lukewarm water to wash my face instead of letting the water run until it is perfectly hot, or drinking the water from the tap even it if is not ice cold. There are numerous ways you could act on this if you are creative.

What can you do today to practice small mortification without being noticed? Beware, though of trying to practice them to escape people's notice only to chalk them up in some sort of competition. There is no competition, only love's higher motive.

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