Greatest Conquest, Conquest of Self

The many sages of the past have said so. For this we need God’s help and grace (see Mt. 19:26). We might think fulfillment is in making money, winning in games, or politics and getting a famous name, but what can bring us to peace inside and in the final eventuality is really the conquest of self in the direction of fulfilling God’s will every time, anywhere. The saints were always happy even when they were left unattended, unknown or neglected, for their trust was always in God.

So Jesus had reminded us—“What will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?” The very finalities of man can be reduced to four last things, as taught in Christian catechesis: Death, Judgment, Hell or Heaven. At the very last you either end in Heaven or in Hell. Jesus clearly talks about this as He discussed on the narrow and hard road to Heaven and the spacious and wide road to Hell in Mt. 7:11-12, and about the decisive question that will be required of you for entrance to eternal bliss in Paradise or eternal damnation with the devils in Hell. Read that in Mt. 25:31-48. “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it for me” (Mt. 25:40-46). On that will depend your ultimate destiny. Don’t be too late on reading such important reminder in that short but important chapter. It asks to be not so selfish and greedy but always considerate on others’ needs, rights and feelings. Why did the Lord God Almighty in sharing man’s lot by taking up our humanity in His Son, Jesus, chose always the line of humility in word and the example of His life? “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted (Lk. 14:11, Lk. 18:14, Mt. 23:12). “I honor my Father but you want to dishonor me. Not that I care for my own glory, there is someone who takes care of that and is the judge of it” (Jn. 8:50). For all our efforts to reach salvation we must remember how much we are in need of God’s grace. But God’s infallible word will not fail in His promises. “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him”: (Mt. 7:7).