Pride, vanity, self-indulgence, covetousness, envy, and other corrupt dispositions of the like nature, call for more watchfulness, self-denial, and restraint, than the appetites of hunger and thirst; therefore, till we make our self-denial as universal as our corruptions; till we deny ourselves all degrees of folly and vanity as we deny ourselves all excess as to drink; till we reject pride and envy as we reject gluttony; till we are as exact in being truly humble and charitable, as we are in being temperate; till we watch against all evil tempers, as we avoid all sorts of sensual indulgence, we can no more be said to practice Christian self-denial, than he can be said to be just and honest, who only denies himself the liberty of cheating and stealing. And till we do thus seek to carry into effect in our own daily lives, our Lord's admonition, If any one will be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, we shall make no progress in true piety, but our Christian profession will be a mixture of no one knows what; circumspect in eternal things, regular in our forms of devotion, but careless and negligent of our tempers and hearts, the chief credentials of true piety. Thus it will be, unless we lay the axe to the root of the tree; till we deny and fight against the whole corruption of our fallen nature, and of the world around us, and give ourselves up to the Holy Spirit of God, to think, and speak, and act, in accordance with that wisdom and purity of which He is the author, and will be the supporter and perfecter in us. If you live according to the flesh, you shall die, but if by the Spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live; for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp