“By this sign, thou shall conquer.” Seemingly heared by Emperor Constantine, he eventually conquered and became a Christian. By the Cross, we shall conquer… well.. didn’t Christ conquer death through the cross?
The cross as a Christian symbol consist of a “way of life” that consists in three things: voluntary act of poverty, chastity and obedience. That is the symbolism of the cross which all must carry and, if possible, be crucified. Many have the idea that these three, often called, religious vows or the Evangelical Counsels are for religious, only. No! It is for everyone; not the vows but the spirit of it. If Charity is needed to enter the kingdom of heaven, Charity had always been defined as obedience to the commands of Christ: “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” But obedience can only be done if we train ourselves, first, in poverty and chastity. Didn’t you notice the world had been trying to abolish poverty? That would be the work of the devil to prevent us from being chaste and obedient. No wonder St. Francis of Assisi preached it and every religious is vowing it. Of course, we must alleviate physical or economic poverty but we must practice evangelical poverty.
Some priests, part of the problem of the Church, are unable to keep their chastity because they failed to practice poverty. If they practiced poverty there won’t be any homosexuality or sexual abuses. And if Charity, today, have waxed cold, it is because Christians have no spirit of poverty and chastity. Briefly, the spirit of poverty consists in believing that we need nothing except the basic essentials, like food, clothing and shelter, to attain the kingdom of heaven. It is a spirit of detachment from the things of this world.
Chastity is detachment from the pleasures of the body or flesh. Isn’t the Sacrament of matrimony for the populating of heaven and not for the pleasure of the flesh? And Charity, the love of God, is detachment from one’s own will. Or putting it positively, attachment to God’s will.
Through poverty, chastity and obedience, a soul can conquer all… even the kingdom of God. “By this Sign….”