To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Week 3, Day 5 - Discipline Makes Us Ready to Begin Again Every Time We Fall

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

The discipline of the Catholic Faith can sometimes feel like a heavy burden, something that stifles our pleasure and fun. Yet those who endure the correction of our heavenly Father come to see its true worth in time. The fruit of self-control and steadfast, uncompromising faith is a peace that surpasses all our understanding (Phil 4:7) and removes anxiety from our lives. It gives us perspective to see failures in light of the overall journey to heaven. When we have this peace, we can see our falls not as deal-breakers but as bumps along the road. This does not mean we make light of our sin, however. On the contrary, we put sin in its place by recognizing its danger to our souls while understanding that in Christ it no longer has the victory in our lives.

Salvation is more than just a declaration of righteousness. In Christ we are set free from the power of sin. We no longer have to submit to temptation because we have been transformed by the cross. Consider the words of Saint Paul: “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).

Jesus has remade us in his image. We are members of his Mystical Body, branches of the heavenly vine who draw our strength from him. He stumbled on his way to crucifixion and rose victorious from the dead so that we could have the power to overcome sin and begin anew each day in him.

Questions for Reflection

What victories over sin have you seen in your life? Have you given Christ the credit for those victories?

Where do you need help in overcoming sin so that you can begin again?

How can you connect with other Catholic men in order to walk in victory?

Praying with Scripture

Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. (Rev 3:19)

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