Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/474



468 CHRIST OUR REDEEMER.

nature has been restored by the sacrifice of Our Redeemer, yet there remains in every one a certain debility, weakness and corruption.

Various appetites drag a man hither and thither, and the allurements of external things impel the soul to follow its own pleasure in place of Christ's command. But yet we must struggle and fight against our desires "unto the obedience of Christ"; and, unless they are subservient to reason, they become our masters, and separating us from Christ make us body and soul their slaves. "Men cor- rupt in mind, reprobate concerning the Faith, do not deliver themselves from slavery ... for they are slaves to three sorts of desire, that of pleasure, or pride of place, or display of worldly pomp.". * In this contest every one ought to be so disposed as to feel bound to take upon himself trouble and inconvenience for the sake of Christ. It is difficult to refuse things which so strongly attract and charm ; it is hard to despise qualities of body and earthly possessions, in submission to the will and command of Christ our Lord, but a Christian must be always brave and strong to endure, if he would pass his time of life like a Christian. Have we forgotten what is the body of which we are members, and who is our Head? He having joy set before Him endured the cross, and He has given us His precept to deny ourselves. The very dignity of human nature depends on this disposition of mind of which we speak. For, as even the ancient philosophy often perceived, it is not at all meanness of spirit to n,ile oneself and to make the lower part of nature obey the higher, but it is rather a noble kind of virtue and is mar- vellously consistent with reason and human dignity.

Besides, to suffer and to bear is the lot of humanity. Man can no more construct for himself a life free from pain and replete with every happiness than he can annul the counsels of his divine Creator, who has willed that the consequences of our fault should remain in perpetuity.

1 St. Aug. De Vera nl. 37.