I was reminded earlier this week, at Confession actually, that in order to prepare for the coming of baby Jesus at Christmas we need to practice detachment. When I think of things one could possibly be attached to, I usually think of material things like money, shiny cars, clothing, shoes, etc. But we can also be attached to ideas. For example, my husband and I are in our late thirties. We have been married for over 6 years and are still waiting for children. Now children are a beautiful part of marriage, and one of the fruits of marriage. Having children is wonderful, but when we place emphasis on these desires, it can cause us to shift our focus away from the Lord. This week, in particular, I found myself longing for my future baby instead of longing for the coming of baby Jesus at Christmas. Fr. Quan Tran in The Imitation of Mary describes three types of attachments: to sin, to the world, and to oneself. “People who are attached to sin have their minds and hearts darkened. They are not open to the light of faith, but rather live in darkness” (Father Quan Tran, The Imitation of Mary, p. 58). When we live in darkness, we cannot see. The darkness blinds us from seeing and knowing who God truly is. In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus says,
“I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(St. John 8:12)
Those who are attached to the world are attached to worldly things such as wealth, power, position, status, and possessions. When we are attached to these worldly things, we idolize them thinking they will bring us happiness. Jesus says,
“No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other. Or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
(St. Matthew 6:24)
Finally, the third attachment is the attachment to ourselves: to our thoughts, ideas, and preferences. This is exactly what I was experiencing earlier this week. I had my own idea of conceiving my first born during the month of December. But my ways are not always His ways. I need to place complete trust in God in His plans and not my own. There is the old saying, “When we make plans, God laughs.” God loves us and He only wants the best for us. In all these types of attachment: to sin, to the world, and to ourselves, there is a common theme which is pride. Pride is idolatry of ourselves. Those living in darkness in sin are prideful because they think if they continue to live in the darkness then they do not have to face the light and, therefore, do not have to change their ways. Those who are attached to the world are prideful because they think these worldly things will bring them infinite love and happiness. Those who are attached to themselves are also prideful because they want their ideas, their thoughts and their preferences and not God’s. They think their way is better than God’s way.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
Here are three practical ways to combat pride so that we can detach ourselves from sin, to the world and to ourselves. The first is to combat it with the virtue of humility. As Saint Augustine said, “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” Below is a beautiful Catholic prayer, the Litany of Humility.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being love, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Amen.
The second way to combat pride is to serve others, for in serving others, we are truly serving God in them. When we serve others, it shifts the focus from us onto God. Fr. Quan Tran explains in The Imitation of Mary, “As a culture, we tend to be consumed with ourselves, our wants, and our needs. However, the saints, who have given themselves to the Lord out of love, tend to forget about themselves and instead are willing to sacrifice their interests in the service of the Lord” (Father Quan Tran, The Imitation of Mary, Pg. 87). This is the “think outward not inward” mentality. The third is to receive the Eucharist frequently, so that the humble Jesus present in the Eucharist under the mere appearance of bread and wine will give you His humility and peace. Many of the saints emphasize the importance of the Eucharist. In getting rid of our pride and becoming more humble, and thus serving the Lord, we open ourselves to receiving more of God’s love in the Eucharist. As Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati says,
“With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind.”
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
We should receive the Eucharist not just at Christmas, but frequently, at the very minimum, weekly on Sunday.
When we allow ourselves to be detached from sin, the world, and ourselves and rid ourselves of pride, we allow God to fill us. By focusing on the Lord through receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, serving others, and growing in humility, we make more room in our hearts for God. There was no room for the baby Jesus in the inn, but may it never be said that there is no room for the baby Jesus in our hearts. Merry Christmas!
