What Keeps Me From Achieving The Highest Good in God’s Eyes?
Our Lord commands a certain kind of love. “I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you, so you also should love one another (Jn 13:34).” So when we love one another as He loves us, this is necessarily a self-less love; a sacrificial love. Thomas grasps this concept by pointing out that self-love hinders us from progressing toward a clean heart and inward consolation. It’s ok to love yourself! It’s ok to love each other! But self-love is a different matter altogether.
Chapter 27, in short:
- If your love is pure, sincere, and well-regulated, you shall not be captive to anything.
- Why are you so consumed with vain sorrow?
- The gaining of material things does not help you, but rejecting such things is what matters.
- Strengthen me, O God, by the grace of Your Holy Spirit.
- Give me, O Lord, heavenly wisdom.
Scripture Memory Prayer: A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit (Ps 51:12).
Key Quote: It does not matter where you are located if your spirit of devotion is lacking.
Book 3, Chapter 27.
Self-Love Hinders Us From The Highest Good
Christ: “My Child, you must give all for all, and keep nothing of your own.
Know that self-love is more hurtful to you than anything in the world. In this state, everything more or less cleaves to you according to the love and inclination which you have for it. If your love is pure, sincere, and well-regulated, you shall not be captive to anything (Matt 6:22).
Do not covet what you do not have; do not possess what hinders you and robs you of inward liberty. With all the things that you desire and possess, it is strange that you will not commit yourself wholly to Me from the very bottom of your heart.
2. “Why are you so consumed with vain sorrow? Why are you wearied with needless cares? Stand by My good pleasure, and you shall not suffer loss.
If you seek after this or that and will be here or there, according to your own advantage or the fulfilling of your own interest, you shall never be at peace, nor carefree, because something will always be found to be defective, and everywhere there will be somebody who crosses you.
3. “Therefore the gaining or multiplying of this material thing or that one does not help you, but rather it is in rejecting such things and cutting down of these in the root of your heart which matters. Understand that this applies not only to money and riches but also with regard to the pursuing after honor and vain praise: things which all pass away with the world.
It does not matter where you are located if your spirit of devotion is lacking. If your heart does not abide in Me, if the state of your heart is without a true foundation, the peace you seek after will not remain long with you. Accordingly, you may change, but you cannot better yourself. When the occasion arises and is accepted you will discover that which you have been running away from, and even more.”
A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING OF THE HEART AND FOR 
HEAVENLY WISDOM
4. Strengthen me, O God, by the grace of Your Holy Spirit.
Give me virtue to be strengthened with might in the inner self, and to cast out of my heart all fruitless cares and troubles, and let me not be drawn away by various desires after anything whatsoever, whether of little or great value, but teach me to look upon all things as passing away, and myself as passing away with them; because there is no profit under the sun, and all is vanity and vexation of spirit( Ecc 2:11). Oh, how wise is the disciple who considers things in such a manner!
5. Give me, O Lord, heavenly wisdom, that I may learn to seek You above all things and to find You (Wis 9:10-11); to relish You above all things and to love You; and to understand all other things, even as they are, according to the order of Your wisdom.
Grant that I may prudently avoid the flatterer, and patiently to bear with those who oppose me. For this is great wisdom, not to be carried by every wind of words, nor to give ear to the wicked flattering Siren; for thus do we go safely on in the way we have begun.