Mortification Produces True Apostles
They will be in the Congregation … [who] are perfectly detached from the world, live always in perfect imitation of Jesus, and cooperate in the works for the glory of God and the sanctification of souls. (OOCC, II, p. 57)
According to St. Vincent Pallotti, a life of mortification lived in imitation of Jesus, besides making Christians grow in the life of God, can also make them into apostolic men and women who are fit to work for the glory of God and the salvation of God’s people. In living a life of mortification, a Christian learns to prefer the good of others and that of God rather than his own. In other words, a mortified person does not seek himself, but rather God and others. Thus, he is God-centered and other-centered rather than self-centered. The qualities of other-centeredness and God- centeredness that is characteristic of a person deeply rooted in mortified living would make him full of the desire to make God known and loved to every human person in the world. Hence, he would constantly think of ways and means through which God may be made known to others and others could be helped to come into communion with God. Thus, a mortified life nurtures in a person genuine apostolic spirit, which gives dynamism to all that a person does. In this manner, genuine mortification can make a person an effective apostle. St. Vincent Pallotti’s life of mortification filled him with the apostolic dynamism that marked his life on a permanent basis.
Do I recognize the power of the mortified life to make me a true apostle? Does my life of mortification free me from all forms of selfishness and help me to seek the glory of God and salvation of God’s people? What are some of the concrete measures I plan to do in order to make God known and loved? Do I nurture the apostolic spirit in me by living a truly mortified life?
For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (II Cor. 4: 11)