Healthy organic eating, fitness centers, taking various vitamin supplements, vacation getaways to exotic hotels, and many others are all attempts to maintain good body health.
Without a doubt, all this can be good for one simple reason: our body is the temple of the holy spirit. Therefore, we must be responsible guardians and custodians of the gift of our body that God in his generosity gave us sound bath training.
However, there is often this error: we put the needs of our body above that of our soul and this is an erroneous hierarchy of values.
The word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ teaches us the following truth:
“For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world if he ruins his life? For what can a man give in exchange for his life?”
Avoid damage
On a human and natural level, we must make a common effort to avoid what could harm our body. Good parents have taught their children this from the beginning: don’t play with fire, look twice before crossing the street, don’t keep bad company, eat your vegetables, go to sleep early, clean your teeth before bed, wash your hands before eating, clean your room.
In short, cleanliness is close to holiness.
All of the above are common advice that parents have given their children for years. We must elevate this to a higher supernatural plane and give advice on how to avoid what can harm our immortal soul, which has more value than the entire created universe.
Indeed, we can sin through thought, word, deed and omission; by not doing what God requires us to do.
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Avoiding occasions close to sin is an indispensable quality in our pursuit of holiness and the acquisition of our crown of glory that we call eternal life.
1.- Avoid gossip and gossipers
Jesus clearly said that we will be judged by every word that comes out of our mouth, and He also said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
If we have the habit of hanging out with individuals who are incorrigible gossipers, then we should make a change and not hang out with them anymore.
Read chapter 3 of the Letter to the Apostle James, it is an excellent chapter in the scriptures about the sins of the tongue.
2.- Dress appropriately
We must not be an occasion for sin for others. Our body is a sacred temple from baptism.
Saint Paul reminds us that we are ambassadors of Christ, that means representatives of the lord of lords and king of kings. We must dress accordingly.
When we say dressing appropriately it is not only in church, as if this were the only place to dress with decorum and modesty, we must do it at all times and in all places. We must never forget that we are Christians 24/7 and that means always.
3.- Avoid bad company
Saint Paul said that bad company corrupts morals. This proverb concisely expresses the following truth:
“Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are”.
We don’t have to be geniuses to know that we tend to imitate our friends and colleagues.
Let us pray for the grace to find one or two friends who are truly noble, honest, pure, hard-working Christians and you will have discovered a true treasure. Old Testament wisdom teaches us that to find a good friend is to find a treasure.
4.- Take care of your eyes
Another proverb is appropriate for this concept: “Curiosity killed the cat.” Worse still, King David’s mischievous look resulted in her adultery with Bathsheba, and eventually the murder of her husband, the brave and honest Hittite soldier Uriah (2 Samuel 11).
The holy man Job stated:
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look at any young woman” (Job 31:1)
Finally, Jesus leaves it for granted in one of his Beatitudes:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8)
In a world filled with impure images, human and digital, more than ever we need to have strict custody of our senses, especially our sight.
5.- Avoid being impulsive
Another attitude or disposition that we must avoid is giving in to our impulsiveness, in every way, but especially when speaking.
A good proverb states: “Think before you speak.” Another proverb that somehow makes those who talk and then think take notice is the following: “Don’t say something you might regret.”
At a higher spiritual level, James warns us:
“We must be ready to listen and slow to speak.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas offers this interesting perspective:
“God has given us two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Think about this before you speak!
6.- Electronic media
Of utmost importance to all of us who now live in this electronic universe is the extreme need to pay attention regarding the use of today’s electronic media.
As the Venerable Fulton Sheen said:
“Obviously we will never open our mouths to dig through the trash.”
He also stated that: we can easily be imbibed and absorbed by moral garbage with our eyes.
A good vomit can free us from the physical garbage consumed. However, it can take years to delete or delete an image that we have seen from one of the many sources in the modern world of electronic media.
Our mind is a large archive that stores all our experiences, everything we have done, as well as everything we have seen. Consequently, we must be strict with ourselves and our children about what we bring to our minds and hearts through what we see.
7.- Couch addict syndrome
Idleness is the devil’s workshop, is another proverb to take into account. In other words, if we have nothing to do, then the devil will give us many things to do.
Saint John Bosco was mortally afraid of the holiday season for youth and teenagers.
Work is good for all of us. Work hones our character and helps cultivate our talents. Work serves as a means to help others. Work was what God commanded Adam after original sin:
“In the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken.” (Genesis 3,19)
8.- Mental laziness
To follow up on point seven, the couch potato syndrome, there is mental laziness. Another youth slogan is: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
God has gifted us all with a mind that he wants us to cultivate. A garden that is not cultivated well quickly grows weeds. An uncultivated mind allows weeds to grow in the brain.
This mental laziness can be prevented or corrected through the excellent habit of good reading.
We have never lived in a world with so much confusion. However, we have never lived in a world with such good literature. It is up to us to find good literature and form the habit of reading.
Some of our best friends can be good books. Saint Ignatius received the grace of conversion from him through reading good books: The Lives of the Saints.
9.- Avoid eating too much
Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. The definition of gluttony is: An inordinate desire to eat and drink. Many health problems are the result of poor eating habits.
Also gluttony, lust and laziness often work together as a team to lead us into sin. What is the remedy? Here you have it: Pray for an authentic hunger for Jesus, the bread of life (Read John, chapter 6:22-71, the word of the bread of life).
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” This can be interpreted in a sacramental way, the habit of going to mass and receiving Jesus in holy communion, the true bread of life. This will help us subordinate the desires of the body to the dominion of the will.
10.- Avoid opinions contrary to our mother María
Many Protestants vehemently reject the power of Mary’s intercession, to their own spiritual detriment.
Mary never, and I mean never, distances us from Jesus. On the contrary, as Saint Louis de Montfort states:
“Mary is the quickest, safest and shortest way to Jesus.”
Mary is the SHORT SHORT to Union with Jesus, if you like to see it that way. Mary’s last words recorded in Holy Scripture were spoken at the wedding feast at Cana:
“Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5)
Without a doubt, the best advice in the entire world! Our Lady serves as a bridge to union with Jesus.
Below are the words of the Curé of Ars, Saint John Mary Vianney:
“Everything that the Son asks of the Father is granted. Everything that the Mother asks of the Son is equally granted.”
Saint Ephrem, with his mysticism and poetic flash, exclaims:
“The incomparable Mother of God is the purest golden censer. In her prayers she offers herself to the eternal God.”
Finally, meditate in prayer on the words of Saint Maximilian Kolbe:
“Place yourselves in the hands of Mary; she will think of everything and provide for the needs of your body and soul. Therefore, be at peace, in total peace, with unlimited trust in her.”
CONCLUSION
It is very true that we must avoid all the dangers that can so easily compromise the health of our body, that which belongs to our natural life. However, we must make a firmer decision on our part, and for the benefit of those who have entrusted us to our care, to avoid all the moral poison that can possibly kill the spiritual life in our souls.