Practice Three Trivial Mortifications Every Day

“Because our needs are limited, but our wants are unlimited, a virtue is necessary to restrain our inordinate appetites and desires—and that virtue is called temperance. It has for its objective the regulation of the sensible appetites by reason. If we want to save our soul for eternity, we must discipline our body in time. And we do this not with sadness but with gladness, after the example of Jesus ‘Who having joy set before Him endured the Cross.’ For those who wish to cultivate the virtue of temperance…each day practice at least three trivial mortifications, for example, holding back the sarcastic word or returning a kindly answer to a sneer. Second, the magnitude of the mortification is not as important as the love of God for which it is done…It is the motive that matters – do them out of love of God.”

– Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen | The Seven Virtues