My child you will never face a greater battle than the battle against your unreasoning feelings and desires. These are your passions. They are your most stubborn and most dangerous enemies. This blind and lower self within you is so close to you that it is almost invisible to you. It tries to make you think and feel its way instead of My way. Treat this lower self as an enemy. Acts of mortification will help you to advance in self control. I will strengthen your efforts with My grace.

The fight for self control is harder than bodily or mental labors. Your lower self is more determined in pursuing what it wants than your will is, in seeking Me.

JMJ

Mortification means “putting to death”. The person who wants to live more for God, must live less for his blind natural appetite and unreasoning desires. He will look to God’s holy will and follow it ever better each day. His likes and dislikes, his feelings and moods will react whenever he tries to do what is unpleasant or difficult, but he seeks to follow his intelligence regardless of feelings and moods.

Words from ‘My Daily Bread’ by Anthony Paone, S.J. of the Confraternity of the Precious Blood. The most powerful daily meditation book I have encountered.