the heart's reasons

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:1-2). As we read this text of Peter, we ask if there is in us, in our hearts, a disposition for the holy life. There should be, for that is what this Apostle recommends. We know that we already live devotion to God through reflection on the Word, prayer, communion with brothers and sisters, cultic celebrations in the temple. All of this is very good, desirable and even pleasurable. But the search for the holy life, in the depths, constitutes another area of the spiritual life, marked by the renunciation of sin, which involves a certain personal effort, sacrifice and even suffering. To do so means to imitate Christ in his renunciation of sin. It is a fact that we live a very different life from the one...