Mortifying the Earthly

83. ‘Put to death therefore whatever is earthly in you: unchastity, uncleanliness, passion, evil desire and greed’ (Col. 3:5). Earth is the name St Paul gives to the will of the flesh. Unchastity is his word for the actual committing of sin. Uncleanness is how he designates assent to sin. Passion is his term for impassioned thoughts. By evil desire he means the simple act of accepting the thought and the desire. And greed is his name for what generates and promotes passion. All these St Paul ordered us to mortify as ‘aspects’ expressing the will of the flesh.

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #83

Maximus the Confessor interprets St. Paul’s instruction to mortify the earthly aspects of ourselves. He explains that unchastity, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greed must be eradicated. These terms represent various stages and expressions of the will of the flesh, which must be subdued.

Imagine a gardener weeding a garden. Each weed, if left unchecked, can choke the life out of the flowers and plants. The gardener must diligently remove each weed to ensure the garden’s health and beauty. In the same way, we must identify and eliminate the different forms of sin that arise from our earthly desires.

By mortifying these aspects, we align our will with God’s and create a spiritual environment where virtues can flourish. This process of purification leads us closer to holiness and enables us to live in harmony with God’s will.