When left unaided by grace, impulses can take over quickly. Reminiscent of a runaway train, collapsing to urges easily leads to an out-of-control moment when tracks are jumped and all that remains at the end of it all is a twisted mess.
Mom and dad labored to teach us the art of SELF-CONTROL. Their explanation to us as kids still makes sense today. Animals live by instincts while God gave us esteemed gifts of intellect and will we rightly apply to desire so to do the right thing.
Later I learned it as the cardinal virute of TEMPERANCE. According to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, this gift of God ensures the will’s mastery over insticts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable (1809).
Be it self-control or temperance, it always begins with small actions that moderate our desires so that they are directed toward our final goal – heaven.
