Living in today’s world, its difficult to remain detached from material possessions, more commonly known as “stuff.” We all have too much stuff in our lives, most of the time because we like to hold on to it and not because we need it.
This was the plight of the rich young man who approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do.
“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:21-22)
If you have difficulty letting things go, turn to St. John the Baptist! He was someone who lived this passage to the extreme. While most people are not called by God to go that far, we are all challenged to look at our own live and see what is necessary and what is not.
Here is a short prayer to St. John the Baptist that shares this theme and asks him for help to be detached from “stuff.”
O glorious Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman (Luke 7, 28), although thou wast sanctified in thy mother’s womb and didst lead a most innocent life, nevertheless it was thy will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and penance; obtain for us of thy Lord the grace to be wholly detached, at least in our hearts, from earthly goods, and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer.
Read more:
The spiritual symbolism of John the Baptist’s unusual clothing
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How St. John the Baptist was the first hipster
And today we celebrate...