The instinct to selfishness is universal and vibrant in all of us. It is this instinct that urges us to put personal happiness as a priority on our life agenda, compelling us to grasp rather than give, to possess rather than share. It is this instinct that destroys justice and equality, the foundations of peace. To prevent this instinct from destroying us, Jesus challenges us to renounce the self. True spiritual renunciation of the self holds us in bounds, not in bonds, for its effect is to reach out to others. We are made for love, justice and peace, and self-renunciation makes room for these virtues to flourish in our lives.