Death is a Door
Week Four | The Purgative Way
Crucifixion, death to self, and mortification are only half the story. “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life,” wrote St. Francis of Assisi.
When Jesus used the cross as his mortification metaphor, he knew that resurrection was the gift of giving his life away.
And this is what I want us to see about mortification — it’s a vehicle to a new kind of life, a virtuous life, a resurrection life. Not just when we pass from this world to the next, but right here and right now.
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” was only possible for St. Paul because he participated in “the fellowship of His sufferings”
(Phil. 3:10, NASB)
Practicing crucifixion daily is the way we kill the vices and cultivate virtue — it’s Jesus’ invitation to wholeness.
Room to Reflect
What does “resurrection life” look like in my day-to-day routines?
How might practicing “daily crucifixion” reshape the way I interact with others — with humility, patience, or love?
Are there vices I’ve been trying to overcome in my own strength? What would it look like to bring those to the cross instead?