Why Deny Yourself?

Why does Christ ask us to “deny ourselves?” Within Catholicism, there is a fair amount of emphasis on penance and giving things up. Using wisdom from St. John of the Cross, Dr. Sri explains why we must “deny ourselves” in order to gain what we truly desire.

Snippet from the Show
We are made for God, and so, he is the soul’s deepest desire.

“Deny Yourself”

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” In the Catholic faith, there is a lot of emphasis on penance, sacrifice, and fasting. Why is this? Is it wrong to desire things?

Quotation from St. John of the Cross

“In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything, desire to have pleasure in nothing. In order to arrive at the possession of everything, desire to possess nothing. In order to arrive at being all, desire to be nothing. To come to knowledge of all, desire to know nothing.”

Desire Is Good

Desire is good. Our soul’s deepest desire is God. Why there is so much emphasis on denial and fasting is so that we can empty ourselves in order to be filled by God. Denying ourselves is about creating space in our souls.

Practical Advice

Practice self-denial. In order to accomplish true denial, we must practice. Maybe, it is about denying yourself some sort of comfort: a sweet, a glass of wine, etc. Perhaps, you can practice denial by limiting your use of electronics. There are many ways to practice self-denial, find one that fits your life.