Meg Funk

Imitation: Humility

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:40:20 EST

Not troubled

The Second Chapter

HUMILITY

Meg: Humility is best when we don't compare ourselves to others, either up or down. Humility just is the way it is. No commentary. God is the judge and we are in the midst of other with our same tendencies. Notice how much peace of heart this right thinking, right acting and right relationship is!

BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you, but take care that God be with you in everything you do.

Keep your conscience clear and God will protect you, for the malice of others cannot harm one whom God wishes to help.

If you know how to suffer in silence, you will undoubtedly experience God's help. He knows when and how to deliver you; therefore, place yourself in His hands, for it is a divine prerogative to help and free us from all distress.

It is often good for us to have others know our faults and rebuke them, for it gives us greater humility. When a one humbles him/herself because of his/her faults, s/he easily placates and readily appeases those who are angry with her/him.

It is the humble one whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble whom He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them bestows great grace, that after their humiliation He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation bids them come to Him.

Thus, the humble one enjoys peace in the midst of many vexations, because his trust is in God, not in the world. Hence, you must not think that you have made any progress until you look upon yourself as inferior to all others.

Imitation: Meditation

(Thomas A Kempis) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:55:34 EST

which is peace and joy

BOOK TWO

THE INTERIOR LIFE

The First Chapter

MEDITATION

Meg: Again the worldview is not shared. We would say today that we must renounce all else to go wholeheartedly toward God. This is rewarded in this lifetime with peace and joy.

THE kingdom of God is within you," says the Lord.[8]

Turn, then, to God with all your heart. Forsake this wretched world and your soul shall find rest. Learn to despise external things, to devote yourself to those that are within, and you will see the kingdom of God come unto you, that kingdom which is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, gifts not given to the impious.

Christ will come to you offering His consolation, if you prepare a fit dwelling for Him in your heart, whose beauty and glory, wherein He takes delight, are all from within. His visits with the inward man are frequent, His communion sweet and full of consolation, His peace great, and His intimacy wonderful indeed.

Therefore, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom that He may come and dwell within you; He Himself says: "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him."[9]

Give place, then, to Christ, but deny entrance to all others, for when you have Christ you are rich and He is sufficient for you. He will provide for you. He will supply your every want, so that you need not trust in frail, changeable men. Christ remains forever, standing firmly with us to the end.

Do not place much confidence in weak and mortal man, helpful and friendly though he be; and do not grieve too much if he sometimes opposes and contradicts you.

Those who are with us today may be against us tomorrow, and vice versa, for men change with the wind. Place all your trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you; He will do what is best for you.

You have here no lasting home. You are a stranger and a pilgrim wherever you may be, and you shall have no rest until you are wholly united with Christ.

Why do you look about here when this is not the place of your repose? Dwell rather upon heaven and give but a passing glance to all earthly things. They all pass away, and you together with them. Take care, then, that you do not cling to them lest you be entrapped and perish. Fix your mind on the Most High, and pray unceasingly to Christ.

If you do not know how to meditate on heavenly things, direct your thoughts to Christ's passion and willingly behold His sacred wounds. If you turn devoutly to the wounds and precious stigmata of Christ, you will find great comfort in suffering, you will mind but little the scorn of men, and you will easily bear their slanderous talk.

When Christ was in the world, He was despised by men; in the hour of need He was forsaken by acquaintances and left by friends to the depths of scorn. He was willing to suffer and to be despised; do you dare to complain of anything?

He had enemies and defamers; do you want everyone to be your friend, your benefactor? How can your patience be rewarded if no adversity test it? How can you be a friend of Christ if you are not willing to suffer any hardship? Suffer with Christ and for Christ if you wish to reign with Him.

Had you but once entered into perfect communion with Jesus or tasted a little of His ardent love, you would care nothing at all for your own comfort or discomfort but would rejoice in the reproach you suffer; for love of Him makes a man despise himself.

One who is a lover of Jesus and of truth, a truly interior person who is free from uncontrolled affections, can turn to God at will and rise above him/herself to enjoy spiritual peace.

He who tastes life as it really is, not as men say or think it is, is indeed wise with the wisdom of God rather than of humans.

S/He who learns to live the interior life and to take little account of outward things, does not seek special places or times to perform devout exercises.

A spiritual person quickly recollects him/herself because s/he has never wasted attention upon externals. No outside work, no business that cannot wait stands in his/her way.

S/ He adjusts himself to things as they happen. S/ He whose disposition is well ordered cares nothing about the strange, perverse behavior of others, for one is upset and distracted only in proportion as s/he engrosses him/herself in externals.

If all were well with you, therefore, and if you were purified from all sin, everything would tend to your good and be to your profit. But because you are as yet neither entirely dead to self nor free from all earthly affection, there is much that often displeases and disturbs you.

Nothing so mars and defiles the heart of a person as impure attachment to created things. But if you refuse external consolation, you will be able to contemplate heavenly things and often to experience interior joy.

Book Two: Imitation of Christ

(Thomas A Kempis) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:50:09 EST

Interior life

Book Two. The Interior Life

Meg: We have been posting the Imitation of Christ for a few weeks. We have completed Book One of the Four Books. I fully intended to move on after the posting of Book One, but the topics of Book Two pose an invitation I cannot resist. These topics are a great introduction into the season of lent.
I will keep my commentary short. As you notice I am trying to bring forward the teachings and to mute the negative worldview that was so much of that culture post the Black Plaque where so many died a very painful death. Towns were lost not just individuals of families.

1. Meditation
2. Humility
3. Goodness and Peace in Man
4. Purity of Mind and Unity of Purpose
5. Ourselves
6. The Joy of a Good Conscience
7. Loving Jesus Above All Things
8. The Intimate Friendship of Jesus
9. Wanting No Share in Comfort
10. Appreciating God's Grace
11. Few Love the Cross of Jesus
12. The Royal Road of the Holy Cross

Update on Lectio Matters before the burning bush

(Meg Funk) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:41:04 EST

London

Lectio Matters Before the Burning Bush

Meg: The book is at Continuum Publishers in London. I will receive a proofing copy before the final publication. The schedule is for this to be a 2010 spring edition. So, it is still in process.

In the meantime I am continuing my own lectio using the process of Lectio Continuae. This method is to slowly and prayerfully read the whole bible from cover to cover. I am only on the Book of Deutronomy Chapter 32. I've been slowly reading the Hebrew Testament since July. At this rate I'll be doing this for the next two or three years.

The long, lingering, sustained lectio is very comforting and anchors my day. It fits nicely with Divine Office and daily mass. It is easier for a monastic to do lectio divina, but can be adapted to any one's time and circumstances. It is a treasure not exclusively for religious, but an opportunity for all seekers.

About Lent

(Meg Funk) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:52:00 EST

In training for lent

About Lent

In two weeks we will be having Ash Wednesday and have the opportunity to face our mortality. We are confronted with the need for renunciation. We shift from self to God.

We are also in the season of the winter olympics. We watch the best athletes train and preform at the top of their game.

What if we trained for lent, that is, before lent starts? What would it take to get ourselves ready for lent these next couple of weeks?

What might it look like?

Perhaps we'd start now with a moderate fasting diet.

Or, perhaps we'd get that book from the library. As St. Benedict recommends we start a slow go through lectio from cover to cover. I'm doing lectio continuae with the NSRV Bible. I'm only on the Book of Deuteronomy Ch. 28. even though I started last July.

Or, perhaps we'd follow the three directives of the bona opera: prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

For Prayer: The Sabbath observance.

For Fasting: My tongue.

For Almsgiving: Donate time, talent and resources to some one in need. (I actually know who this is, but can't say here)....the point is to be particular, actual and move beyond 'just a generous heart'.

More about all this on another post.

Sister Meg

Imitation: Zeal in amending our lives

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:06:12 EST

zeal

The Twenty-Fifth Chapter

ZEAL IN AMENDING OUR LIVES
Meg: This teaching is about seeing oneself as an individual and taking the responsibility of action on behalf of one's salvation. These are old concepts that need a hearing today. The zeal we need is to be ready to follow the little impulse of grace that shifts the ego toward the other and toward the explicit Christ consciousness.

BE WATCHFUL and diligent in God's service and often think of why you left the world and came here.

Was it not that you might live for God and become a spiritual man? Strive earnestly for perfection, then, because in a short time you will receive the reward of your labor, and neither fear nor sorrow shall come upon you at the hour of death.

Labor a little now, and soon you shall find great rest, in truth, eternal joy; for if you continue faithful and diligent in doing, God will undoubtedly be faithful and generous in rewarding. Continue to have reasonable hope of gaining salvation, but do not act as though you were certain of it lest you grow indolent and proud.

One day when a certain man who wavered often and anxiously between hope and fear was struck with sadness, he knelt in humble prayer before the altar of a church. While meditating on these things, he said: "Oh if I but knew whether I should persevere to the end!" Instantly he heard within the divine answer: "If you knew this, what would you do? Do now what you would do then and you will be quite secure." Immediately consoled and comforted, he resigned himself to the divine will and the anxious uncertainty ceased. His curiosity no longer sought to know what the future held for him, and he tried instead to find the perfect, the acceptable will of God in the beginning and end of every good work.

"Trust thou in the Lord and do good," says the Prophet; "dwell in the land and thou shalt feed on its riches."[7]

There is one thing that keeps many from zealously improving their lives, that is, dread of the difficulty, the toil of battle. Certainly they who try bravely to overcome the most difficult and unpleasant obstacles far outstrip others in the pursuit of virtue.

One makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in those matters wherein s/he gains the greatest victories over self and most mortifies his/her will. True, each one has his own difficulties to meet and conquer, but a diligent and sincere one will make greater progress even though s/he have more passions than one who is more even-tempered but less concerned about virtue.

Two things particularly further improvement -- to withdraw oneself forcibly from those vices to which nature is viciously inclined, and to work fervently for those graces which are most needed.

Study also to guard against and to overcome the faults which in others very frequently displease you. Make the best of every opportunity, so that if you see or hear good example you may be moved to imitate it.

On the other hand, take care lest you be guilty of those things which you consider reprehensible, or if you have ever been guilty of them, try to correct yourself as soon as possible. As you see others, so they see you.

How pleasant and sweet to behold brethren fervent and devout, well mannered and disciplined! How sad and painful to see them wandering in dissolution, not practicing the things to which they are called! How hurtful it is to neglect the purpose of their vocation and to attend to what is not their business!

Remember the purpose you have undertaken, and keep in mind the image of the Crucified. Even though you may have walked for many years on the pathway to God, you may well be ashamed if, with the image of Christ before you, you do not try to make yourself still more like Him.

The religious who concerns himself intently and devoutly with our Lord's most holy life and passion will find there an abundance of all things useful and necessary for him. S/He need not seek for anything better than Jesus.

If the Crucified should come to our hearts, how quickly and abundantly we would learn!

A fervent religious accepts all the things that are commanded him and does them well, but a negligent and lukewarm religious has trial upon trial, and suffers anguish from every side because he has no consolation within and is forbidden to seek it from without.

The religious who does not live up to his rule exposes him/herself to dreadful ruin, and s/ he who wishes to be more free and untrammeled will always be in trouble, for something or other will always displease him/her.

How do so many other religious who are confined in cloistered discipline get along? They seldom go out, they live in contemplation, their food is poor, their clothing coarse, they work hard, they speak but little, keep long vigils, rise early, pray much, read frequently, and subject themselves to all sorts of discipline. Think of the Carthusians and the Cistercians, the monks and nuns of different orders, how every night they rise to sing praise to the Lord.

It would be a shame if you should grow lazy in such holy service when so many religious have already begun to rejoice in God.

If there were nothing else to do but praise the Lord God with all your heart and voice, if you had never to eat, or drink, or sleep, but could praise God always and occupy yourself solely with spiritual pursuits, how much happier you would be than you are now, a slave to every necessity of the body!

Would that there were no such needs, but only the spiritual refreshments of the soul which, sad to say, we taste too seldom!

When a one reaches a point where s/he seeks no solace from any creature, then he begins to relish God perfectly. Then also he will be content no matter what may happen to him. S/He will neither rejoice over great things nor grieve over small ones, but will place himself entirely and confidently in the hands of God, Who for him/her is all in all, to Whom nothing ever perishes or dies, for Whom all things live, and Whom they serve as He desires.

Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns. Without care and diligence you will never acquire virtue. When you begin to grow lukewarm, you are falling into the beginning of evil; but if you give yourself to fervor, you will find peace and will experience less hardship because of God's grace and the love of virtue.

A fervent and diligent man is ready for all things. It is greater work to resist vices and passions than to sweat in physical toil. He who does not overcome small faults, shall fall little by little into greater ones.

If you have spent the day profitably, you will always be happy at eventide. Watch over yourself, arouse yourself, warn yourself, and regardless of what becomes of others, do not neglect yourself. The more violence you do to yourself, the more progress you will make.

Imitation: Judgment and Sin

(Thomas A Kempis) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:39:55 EST

wholesome fear

The Twenty-Fourth Chapter

JUDGMENT AND THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN

Meg: Fear of hell has little weight today. Hell seems like a teaching that doesn't fit the post modern worldview. We might need new language about training toward death and having our mind's eye on the next Life. One thing is certain: this lifetime is an opportunity to live in faith what we will know soon by realization of God's Presence.

IN ALL things consider the end; how you shall stand before the strict Judge from Whom nothing is hidden and Who will pronounce judgment in all justice, accepting neither bribes nor excuses. And you, miserable and wretched sinner, who fear even the countenance of an angry man, what answer will you make to the God Who knows all your sins?

Why do you not provide for yourself against the day of judgment when no one can be excused or defended by another because each will have enough to do to answer for her/himself? In this life your work is profitable, your tears acceptable, your sighs audible, your sorrow satisfying and purifying.

The patient one goes through a great and salutary purgatory whens/ he grieves more over the malice of one who harms him/her than for his own injury; when s/he prays readily for his/her enemies and forgives offenses from her/ his heart; when s/he does not hesitate to ask pardon of others; when he is more easily moved to pity than to anger; when s/he does frequent violence to himself and tries to bring the body into complete subjection to the spirit.

It is better to atone for sin now and to cut away vices than to keep them for purgation in the hereafter. In truth, we deceive ourselves by our ill-advised love of the flesh. What will that fire feed upon but our sins? The more we spare ourselves now and the more we satisfy the flesh, the harder will the reckoning be and the more we keep for the burning.

For we will be more grievously punished in the things in which we have sinned. There the lazy will be driven with burning prongs, and gluttons tormented with unspeakable hunger and thirst; the wanton and lust-loving will be bathed in burning pitch and foul brimstone; the envious will howl in their grief like mad dogs.

Every vice will have its own proper punishment. The proud will be faced with every confusion and the avaricious pinched with the most abject want. One hour of suffering there will be more bitter than a hundred years of the most severe penance here. In this life men sometimes rest from work and enjoy the comfort of friends, but the damned have no rest or consolation.

You must, therefore, take care and repent of your sins now so that on the day of judgment you may rest secure with the blessed. For on that day the just will stand firm against those who tortured and oppressed them, and s/he who now submits humbly to the judgment of men will arise to pass judgment upon them. The poor and humble will have great confidence, while the proud will be struck with fear. He who learned to be a fool in this world and to be scorned for Christ will then appear to have been wise.

In that day every trial borne in patience will be pleasing and the voice of iniquity will be stilled; the devout will be glad; the irreligious will mourn; and the mortified body will rejoice far more than if it had been pampered with every pleasure.

Then the cheap garment will shine with splendor and the rich one become faded and worn; the poor cottage will be more praised than the gilded palace. In that day persevering patience will count more than all the power in this world; simple obedience will be exalted above all worldly cleverness; a good and clean conscience will gladden the heart of us far more than the philosophy of the learned; and contempt for riches will be of more weight than every treasure on earth.

Then you will find more consolation in having prayed devoutly than in having fared daintily; you will be happy that you preferred silence to prolonged gossip.

Then holy works will be of greater value than many fair words; strictness of life and hard penances will be more pleasing than all earthly delights.

Learn, then, to suffer little things now that you may not have to suffer greater ones in eternity. Prove here what you can bear hereafter. If you can suffer only a little now, how will you be able to endure eternal torment? If a little suffering makes you impatient now, what will hell fire do? In truth, you cannot have two joys: you cannot taste the pleasures of this world and afterward reign with Christ.

If your life to this moment had been full of honors and pleasures, what good would it do if at this instant you should die? All is vanity, therefore, except to love God and to serve Him alone.

S/He who loves God with all his/her heart does not fear death or punishment or judgment or hell, because perfect love assures access to God.

It is no wonder that s/he who still delights in sin fears death and judgment.

It is good, however, that even if love does not as yet restrain you from evil, at least the fear of hell does. The man who casts aside the fear of God cannot continue long in goodness but will quickly fall into the snares of the devil.

Imitation: Death

(Thomas A Kempis) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:32:34 EST

consider death

The Twenty-Third Chapter

THOUGHTS ON DEATH

Meg: This teaching is great preparation for Ash Wednesday. The fear of pain, the fear of suffering, the fear of taking leave of what is familiar, the fear of going to the next Life is real. Even though I live in a house where death is a natural round of healthy old nuns dying it is difficult to think that it will soon happen to Meg.

VERY soon your life here will end; consider, then, what may be in store for you elsewhere. Today we live; tomorrow we die and are quickly forgotten. Oh, the dullness and hardness of a heart which looks only to the present instead of preparing for that which is to come!

Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much.

It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a tomorrow?

What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so little? Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the contrary, frequently adds to our guilt.

Would that in this world we had lived well throughout one single day. Many count up the years they have spent in religion but find their lives made little holier. If it is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless possible that to live longer is more dangerous. Blessed is s/he who keeps the moment of death ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day.

If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must go the same way. In the morning consider that you may not live till evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will never take you unprepared.

Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you were so careless and remiss.

How happy and prudent is s/he who tries now in life to be what s/he wants to be found in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively desire to advance in virtue, a love for discipline, the works of penance, readiness to obey, self-denial, and the endurance of every hardship for the love of Christ, these will give a man great expectations of a happy death.

You can do many good works when in good health; what can you do when you are ill? Few are made better by sickness. Likewise they who undertake many pilgrimages seldom become holy.

Do not put your trust in friends and relatives, and do not put off the care of your soul till later, for men will forget you more quickly than you think.

It is better to provide now, in time, and send some good account ahead of you than to rely on the help of others. If you do not care for your own welfare now, who will care when you are gone?

The present is very precious; these are the days of salvation; now is the acceptable time. How sad that you do not spend the time in which you might purchase everlasting life in a better way.

The time will come when you will want just one day, just one hour in which to make amends, and do you know whether you will obtain it?

See, then, dearly beloved, the great danger from which you can free yourself and the great fear from which you can be saved, if only you will always be wary and mindful of death. Try to live now in such a manner that at the moment of death you may be glad rather than fearful.

Learn to die to the world now, that then you may begin to live with Christ. Learn to spurn all things now, that then you may freely go to Him. Chastise your body in penance now, that then you may have the confidence born of certainty.

Ah, foolish one, why do you plan to live long when you are not sure of living even a day? How many have been deceived and suddenly snatched away!

How often have you heard of persons being killed by drownings, by fatal falls from high places, of persons dying at meals, at play, in fires, by the sword, in pestilence, or at the hands of robbers! Death is the end of everyone and the life of a human quickly passes away like a shadow.

Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you? Do now, beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will die, nor what your fate will be after death.

Gather for yourself the riches of immortality while you have time. Think of nothing but your salvation. Care only for the things of God. Make friends for yourself now by honoring the saints of God, by imitating their actions, so that when you depart this life they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.

Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to God, for you have not here a lasting home.

To Him direct your daily prayers, your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness to the Lord.

Imitation: Thoughts on Misery

(Thomas A Kempis) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:35:15 EST

faith overcomes misery

The Twenty-Second Chapter

THOUGHTS ON MISERY

Meg: This cut on the sad side of the human condition has good reminders. 1) we all have the burden of this realm. 2) no one finds it easy who also is awake and not in denial. 3) faith provides the clean energy to quicken the good and refrain from missing the mark.

WHEREVER you are, wherever you go, you are miserable unless you turn to God. So why be dismayed when things do not happen as you wish and desire? Is there anyone who has everything as he wishes? No -- neither I, nor you, nor anyone on earth. There is no one in the world, be he Pope or king, who does not suffer trial and anguish.

Who is the better off then? Surely, it is the one who will suffer something for God. Many unstable and weak-minded people say: "See how well that one lives, how rich, how great s/he is, how powerful and mighty."

But you must lift up your eyes to the riches of heaven and realize that the material goods of which they speak are nothing. These things are uncertain and very burdensome because they are never possessed without anxiety and fear. Happiness does not consist in the possession of abundant goods; a very little is enough.

Living on earth is truly a misery. The more one desires spiritual life, the more bitter the present becomes because s/he understands better and sees more clearly the defects, the corruption of human nature.

To eat and drink, to watch and sleep, to rest, to labor, and to be bound by other human necessities is certainly a great misery and affliction to the devout who would gladly be released from them and be free from all sin.

Truly, the inner we are greatly burdened in this world by the necessities of the body, and for this reason the Prophet prayed that s/he might be as free from them as possible, when s/he said: "From my necessities, O Lord, deliver me."[6]

But woe to those who know not their own misery, and greater woe to those who love this miserable and corruptible life. Some, indeed, can scarcely procure its necessities either by work or by begging; yet they love it so much that, if they could live here always, they would care nothing for the kingdom of God.

How foolish and faithless of heart are those who are so engrossed in earthly things as to relish nothing but what is carnal! Miserable men indeed, for in the end they will see to their sorrow how cheap and worthless was the thing they loved.

The saints of God and all devout friends of Christ did not look to what pleases the body nor to the things that are popular from time to time. Their whole hope and aim centered on the everlasting good. Their whole desire pointed upward to the lasting and invisible realm, lest the love of what is visible drag them down to lower things.

Do not lose heart, then, my brother, in pursuing your spiritual life. There is yet time, and your hour is not past. Why delay your purpose? Arise! Begin at once and say: "Now is the time to act, now is the time to fight, now is the proper time to amend."

When you are troubled and afflicted, that is the time to gain merit. You must pass through water and fire before coming to rest. Unless you do violence to yourself you will not overcome vice.

So long as we live in this fragile body, we can neither be free from sin nor live without weariness and sorrow.

Gladly would we rest from all misery, but in losing innocence through sin we also lost true blessedness. Therefore, we must have patience and await the mercy of God until this iniquity passes, until mortality is swallowed up in life.

How great is the frailty of human nature which is ever prone to evil! Today you confess your sins and tomorrow you again commit the sins which you confessed. One moment you resolve to be careful, and yet after an hour you act as though you had made no resolution.

We have cause, therefore, because of our frailty and feebleness, to humble ourselves and never think anything great of ourselves. Through neglect we may quickly lose that which by God's grace we have acquired only through long, hard labor.

What, eventually, will become of us who so quickly grow lukewarm? Woe to us if we presume to rest in peace and security when actually there is no true holiness in our lives. It would be beneficial for us, like good novices, to be instructed once more in the principles of a good life, to see if there be hope of amendment and greater spiritual progress in the future.

Imitation: Sorrow of Heart

(Thomas A Kempis) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:26:20 EST

Sorrow of heart

The Twenty-First Chapter

SORROW OF HEART

Meg: This is a stark teaching. Again, the worldview is negative, but the point is without question. In my own words, I'd say: "When the heart is pierced (not if) kneel with head bowed to the ground. Descend your mind into your heart and remain before the Lord. This respectful sorrow takes seriously the need for mercy and the willingness to change habits that go up the chain of arrogance and forgetfulness rather than descend to the inner cell of adoration and praise to our Creator.

IF YOU wish to make progress in virtue, live in the fear of the Lord, do not look for too much freedom, discipline your senses, and shun inane silliness.

Sorrow opens the door to many a blessing which dissoluteness usually destroys.

It is a wonder that anyone who considers and meditates on his/her exiled state and the many dangers to his /her soul, can ever be perfectly happy in this life. Lighthearted and heedless of our defects, we do not feel the real sorrows of our souls, but often indulge in empty laughter when we have good reason to weep.

No liberty is true and no joy is genuine unless it is founded in the fear of the Lord and a good conscience.

Happy is the one who can throw off the weight of every care and recollect him/herself in holy contrition. Happy is the one who casts off all that can stain or burden his/her conscience.

Fight like an athlete. Habit is overcome by habit. If you leave others alone, they will leave you alone to do what you have to do. Do not busy yourself about the affairs of others and do not become entangled in the business of your superiors. Keep an eye primarily on yourself and admonish yourself instead of your friends.

If you do not enjoy the favor of others, do not let it sadden you; but consider it a serious matter if you do not conduct yourself as well or as carefully as is becoming for a servant of God and a devout religious.

It is often better and safer for us to have few consolations in this life, especially comforts of the body. Yet if we do not have divine consolation or experience it rarely, it is our own fault because we seek no sorrow of heart and do not forsake vain outward satisfaction.

Consider yourself unworthy of divine solace and deserving rather of much tribulation. When one is perfectly contrite, the whole world is bitter and wearisome.

A good person always finds enough over which to mourn and weep; whether he thinks of him/herself or of his/her neighbor s/he knows that no one lives here without suffering, and the closer s/he examines him/herself the more s/he grieves.

The sins and vices in which we are so entangled that we can rarely apply ourselves to the contemplation of heaven are matters for just sorrow and inner remorse.

I do not doubt that you would correct yourself more earnestly if you would think more of an early death than of a long life.

And if you pondered in your heart the future pains of hell or of purgatory, I believe you would willingly endure labor and trouble and would fear no hardship.

But since these thoughts never pierce the heart and since we are enamored of flattering pleasure, we remain very cold and indifferent. Our wretched body complains so easily because our soul is altogether too lifeless.

Pray humbly to the Lord, therefore, that He may give you the spirit of contrition and say with the Prophet: "Feed me, Lord, with the bread of mourning and give me to drink of tears in full measure."[5]

Imitation: Love of Solitude and Silence

(Thomas A Kempis) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:23:49 EST

passing things

The Twentieth Chapter

THE LOVE OF SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

Meg: This chapter is great teachings for a desert day. Why solitude and why of silence in the solitary cell! The photo is last week's trip on the train from Indianapolis to Chicago. Many, many miles of this beautiful hue and non-color with the winter dormant trees, snow covered cornfields. We have what we need to pray and to pray always, we just need to stay awake!

SEEK a suitable time for leisure and meditate often on the favors of God. Leave curiosities alone.

Read such matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather than occupation to the mind.

If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.

Very many great saints avoided the company of men wherever possible and chose to serve God in retirement. "As often as I have been among others" said one writer, "I have returned less a person."

We often find this to be true when we take part in long conversations. It is easier to be silent altogether than not to speak too much.

To stay at home is easier than to be sufficiently on guard while away. Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner and spiritual life must go apart, with Jesus, from the crowd.

No man appears in safety before the public eye unless he first relishes obscurity. No one is safe in speaking unless s/ he loves to be silent.

No man rules safely unless s/he is willing to be ruled. No one commands safely unless s/he has learned well how to obey. No one rejoices safely unless s/he has within him the testimony of a good conscience.

More than this, the security of the saints was always enveloped in the fear of God, nor were they less cautious and humble because they were conspicuous for great virtues and graces.

The security of the wicked, on the contrary, springs from pride and presumption, and will end in their own deception.

Never promise yourself security in this life, even though you seem to be a good religious, or a devout hermit. It happens very often that those whom we esteem highly are more seriously endangered by their own excessive confidence.

Hence, for many it is better not to be too free from temptations, but often to be tried lest they become too secure, too filled with pride, or even too eager to fall back upon external comforts.

If only a one would never seek passing joys or entangle oneself with worldly affairs, what a good conscience s/he would have.

What great peace and tranquillity would be his/hers, if s/he cut him/herself off from all empty care and thought only of things divine, things helpful to his soul, and put all his trust in God.

No one deserves the consolation of heaven unless s/he persistently arouses him/herself to holy contrition.

If you desire true sorrow of heart, seek the privacy of your cell and shut out the uproar of the world, as it is written: "In your chamber bewail your sins." There you will find what too often you lose abroad.

Your cell will become dear to you if you remain in it, but if you do not, it will become wearisome. If in the beginning of your religious life, you live within your cell and keep to it, it will soon become a special friend and a very great comfort.

In silence and quiet the devout soul advances in virtue and learns the hidden truths of Scripture.

There she finds a flood of tears with which to bathe and cleanse herself nightly, that she may become the more intimate with her Creator the farther she withdraws from all the tumult of the world. For God and the holy angels will draw near to him/her who withdraws from friends and acquaintances.

It is better for a one to be obscure and to attend to his/her salvation than to neglect it and work miracles. It is praiseworthy for a religious seldom to go abroad, to flee the sight of others and have no wish to see them.

Why wish to see what you are not permitted to have? "The world passes away and the concupiscence thereof."

Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back with you save a disturbed conscience and heavy heart?

A happy going often leads to a sad return, a merry evening to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in the end brings remorse and death.

What can you find elsewhere that you cannot find here in your cell?

Behold heaven and earth and all the elements, for of these all things are made. What can you see anywhere under the sun that will remain long?

Perhaps you think you will completely satisfy yourself, but you cannot do so, for if you should see all existing things, what would they be but an empty vision?

Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain.

Set yourself to the things which God has commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your Beloved.

Remain with Him in your cell, for nowhere else will you find such peace. If you had not left it, and had not listened to idle gossip, you would have remained in greater peace.

But since you love, sometimes, to hear news, it is only right that you should suffer sorrow of heart from it.

Imitation: Practice of a Good Religious

(Thomas A Kempis) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:02:35 EST

Found Waiting

The Nineteenth Chapter

THE PRACTICES OF A GOOD RELIGIOUS

Meg: Inside and outside ought to be same character. This is more difficult than meets the eye. Often religious, so attuned to inside work, rationalize that the above the river labor is not as necessary. All must be same purity of heart.

THE life of a good religious ought to abound in every virtue so that s/he is interiorly what to others s/he appears to be.

With good reason there ought to be much more within than appears on the outside, for the One who sees within is God, Whom we ought to reverence most highly wherever we are and in Whose sight we ought to walk pure as the angels.

Each day we ought to renew our resolutions and arouse ourselves to fervor as though it were the first day of our religious life.

We ought to say: "Help me, O Lord God, in my good resolution and in Your holy service. Grant me now, this very day, to begin perfectly, for thus far I have done nothing."

As our intention is, so will be our progress; and he who desires perfection must be very diligent. If the strong-willed one fails frequently, what of the one who makes up his/her mind seldom or half-heartedly? Many are the ways of failing in our resolutions; even a slight omission of religious practice entails a loss of some kind.

Just ones depend on the grace of God rather than on their own wisdom in keeping their resolutions. In Him they confide every undertaking, for we, indeed, propose but God disposes, and God's way is not ours If a habitual exercise is sometimes omitted out of piety or in the interests of another, it can easily be resumed later.

But if it be abandoned carelessly, through weariness or neglect, then the fault is great and will prove hurtful.

Much as we try, we still fail too easily in many things. Yet we must always have some fixed purpose, especially against things which beset us the most.

Our outward and inward lives alike must be closely watched and well ordered, for both are important to perfection.

If you cannot recollect yourself continuously, do so once a day at least, in the morning or in the evening. In the morning make a resolution and in the evening examine yourself on what you have said this day, what you have done and thought, for in these things perhaps you have often offended God and those about you.

Arm yourself like one against the devil's assaults. Curb your appetite and you will more easily curb every inclination of the flesh.

Never be completely unoccupied, but read or write or pray or meditate or do something for the common good. Bodily discipline, however, must be undertaken with discretion and is not to be practiced indiscriminately by everyone.

Devotions not common to all are not to be displayed in public, for such personal things are better performed in private.

Furthermore, beware of indifference to community prayer through love of your own devotions. If, however, after doing completely and faithfully all you are bound and commanded to do, you then have leisure, use it as personal piety suggests.

Not everyone can have the same devotion. One exactly suits this person, another that. Different exercises, likewise, are suitable for different times, some for feast days and some again for weekdays.

In time of temptation we need certain devotions. For days of rest and peace we need others. Some are suitable when we are sad, others when we are joyful in the Lord.

About the time of the principal feasts good devotions ought to be renewed and the intercession of the saints more fervently implored. From one feast day to the next we ought to fix our purpose as though we were then to pass from this world and come to the eternal holyday.

During holy seasons, finally, we ought to prepare ourselves carefully, to live holier lives, and to observe each rule more strictly, as though we were soon to receive from God the reward of our labors.

If this end be deferred, let us believe that we are not well prepared and that we are not yet worthy of the great glory that shall in due time be revealed to us. Let us try, meanwhile, to prepare ourselves better for death.

"Blessed is the servant," says Christ, "whom his master, when he cometh, shall find watching.

Amen I say to you: he shall make you ruler over all his goods."[4]

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 18

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:18:40 EST

passion

The Eighteenth Chapter

THE EXAMPLE SET US BY THE HOLY FATHERS and Mothers

Meg: This reads like a cheer. Yesterday afternoon I went with Funk Family to the Colts game against the New York Jets. The loud boasting energy that pushes the agenda is the same as this chapter out of the Imitation. In our day there is no talk of "saints" except the New Orleans football team. I read this twice before posting. It is no accident that today is also the Conversion of St. Paul. He had this kind of passion. It can be ours, too.

CONSIDER the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do.

What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs?

The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions.

How many and severe were the trials they suffered -- the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.

How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert!

What long and grave temptations they suffered!

How often were they beset by the enemy!

What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God!

What rigorous fasts they observed!

How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits!

What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God!

By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs.

They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates.

They desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them.

They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue.

Outwardly destitute, inwardly they were full of grace and divine consolation. Strangers to the world, they were close and intimate friends of God.

To themselves they seemed as nothing, and they were despised by the world, but in the eyes of God they were precious and beloved.

They lived in true humility and simple obedience; they walked in charity and patience, making progress daily on the pathway of spiritual life and obtaining great favor with God.

They were given as an example for all religious, and their power to stimulate us to perfection ought to be greater than that of the lukewarm to tempt us to laxity.

How great was the fervor of all religious in the beginning of their holy institution!

How great their devotion in prayer and their rivalry for virtue!

What splendid discipline flourished among them! What great reverence and obedience in all things under the rule of a superior!

The footsteps they left behind still bear witness that they indeed were holy and perfect men who fought bravely and conquered the world.

Today, he who is not a transgressor and who can bear patiently the duties which he has taken upon himself is considered great. How lukewarm and negligent we are!

We lose our original fervor very quickly and we even become weary of life from laziness!

Do not you, who have seen so many examples of the devout, fall asleep in the pursuit of virtue!

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 17

(Thomas A Kempis) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:40:48 EST

willingness

The Seventeenth Chapter

MONASTIC LIFE
Meg: Again the world view is negative, but the teachings are timeless. We strive to give other's of our very own self.

IF YOU wish peace and concord with others, you must learn to break your will in many things. To live in monasteries or religious communities, to remain there without complaint, and to persevere faithfully till death is no small matter. Blessed indeed is s/he who there lives a good life and there ends his/her days in happiness.

If you would persevere in seeking perfection, you must consider yourself a pilgrim, an exile on earth.

If you would become a religious, you must be content to seem a fool for the sake of Christ. Habit and/or tonsure change a person but little; it is the change of life, the complete mortification of passions that endow a true religious.

S/He who seeks /her soul will find only trouble and grief, and s/ he who does not try to become the least, the servant of all, cannot remain at peace for long.

You have come to serve, not to rule. You must understand, too, that you have been called to suffer and to work, not to idle and gossip away your time. Here we are tried as gold in a furnace. Here no one can remain unless s/he desires with all his/her heart to humble him/herself before God.

Imitation of Christ Book One Chapter 16

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:45:30 EST

Bearing With

The Sixteenth Chapter

BEARING WITH THE FAULTS OF OTHERS

Meg: Our house is undergoing an outbreak of the flu. At least 20 of us have had it last week or this week. It calls for switching jobs, stepping back or stepping up when you don't feel like it. Benedict's line is to bear one another's burdens whether of body or of character.

UNTIL God ordains otherwise, a we ought to bear patiently whatever we cannot correct in ourselves and in others.

Consider it better thus -- perhaps to try your patience and to test you, for without such patience and trial your merits are of little account. Nevertheless, under such difficulties you should pray that God will consent to help you bear them calmly.

If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not argue but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good. Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.

If you cannot make yourself what you would wish to be, how can you bend others to your will?

We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask.

We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.

If all were perfect, what should we have to suffer from others for God's sake?

But God has so ordained, that we may learn to bear with one another's burdens, for there is no one without fault, no one without burden, no one sufficient to him/herself nor wise enough.

Hence we must support one another, console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise, for the measure of every one's virtue is best revealed in time of adversity -- adversity that does not weaken a us but rather shows what we are.

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 15

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:04:23 EST

Preferred

The Fifteenth Chapter

WORKS DONE IN CHARITY

Meg:This chapter is practical training in doing the better thing. Always for the good of another and check the subtle tendency to prefer the self over the other. Charity is always to be preferred.

NEVER do evil for anything in the world, or for the love of anyone. For one who is in need, however, a good work may at times be purposely left undone or changed for a better one. This is not the omission of a good deed but rather its improvement.

Without charity external work is of no value, but anything done in charity, be it ever so small and trivial, is entirely fruitful inasmuch as God weighs the love done rather than the deed itself.

S/He does much who loves much. S/He does much who does a thing well. S/He does well who serves the common good rather than his own interests.

Now, that which seems to be charity is oftentimes really sensuality, for one's own inclination, will, hope of reward, and self-interest, are motives seldom absent.

On the contrary, one who has true and perfect charity seeks self in nothing, but searches all things for the glory of God. Moreover, s/he envies no one, because s/he desires no personal pleasure nor does s/he wish to rejoice in him/herself; rather s/he desires the greater glory of God above all things.

S/He ascribes nothing that is good but attributes it wholly to God from Whom all things proceed as from a fountain, and in Whom all the blessed shall rest as their last end and fruition.

If we have but a spark of true charity we would surely sense that all the things of earth are full of vanity!

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 14

(Thomas A Kempis) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:54:20 EST

Old habits

The Fourteenth Chapter

AVOIDING RASH JUDGMENT
Meg: habits are hard to break. We see things from our point of view. The desire for God can actually dismantle habitual judgment. We refrain from commentary, all comments good or bad. It just is.

TURN your attention upon yourself and beware of judging the deeds of others, for in judging others we labor vainly, often make mistakes, and easily sins; whereas, in judging and taking stock of ourselves we do something that is always profitable.

We frequently judge that things are as we wish them to be, for through personal feeling true perspective is easily lost.

If God were the sole object of our desire, we should not be disturbed so easily by opposition to our opinions. But often something lurks within or happens from without to draw us along with it.

Many, unawares, seek themselves in the things they do. They seem even to enjoy peace of mind when things happen according to their wish and liking, but if otherwise than they desire, they are soon disturbed and saddened. Differences of feeling and opinion often divide friends and acquaintances, even those who are religious and devout.

An old habit is hard to break, and no one is willing to be led farther than s/he can see.

If you rely more upon your intelligence or industry than upon the virtue of submission to Jesus Christ, you will hardly, and in any case slowly, become an enlightened person. God wants us to be completely subject to Him and, through ardent love, to rise above all human wisdom.

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 13

(Thomas A Kempis) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:44:45 EST

Early

The Thirteenth Chapter

RESISTING TEMPTATION

Meg: Notice temptations rise often, subtle at first and then fierce. It is best to watch and take action to restrain free-fall thoughts.

SO LONG as we live in this world we cannot escape suffering and temptation. Whence it is written in Job: "The life upon earth is a warfare."[3]

Everyone, therefore, must guard against temptation and must watch in prayer lest the devil, who never sleeps but goes about seeking whom s/he may devour, find occasion to deceive him/her. No one is so perfect or so holy but s/he is sometimes tempted; man cannot be altogether free from temptation.

Yet temptations, though troublesome and severe, are often useful, for in them we are humbled, purified, and instructed. The saints all passed through many temptations and trials to profit by them, while those who could not resist became reprobate and fell away.

There is no state so holy, no place so secret that temptations and trials will not come. We are never safe from them as long as we live, for they come from within us -- in sin we were born. When one temptation or trial passes, another comes; we shall always have something to suffer because we have lost the state of original blessedness.

Many people try to escape temptations, only to fall more deeply. We cannot conquer simply by fleeing, but by patience and true humility we become stronger than all our enemies. The one who only shuns temptations outwardly and does not uproot them will make little progress; indeed they will quickly return, more violent than before.

Little by little, in patience and long-suffering you will overcome them, by the help of God rather than by severity and your own rash ways. Often take counsel when tempted; and do not be harsh with others who are tempted, but console them as you yourself would wish to be consoled.

The beginning of all temptation lies in a wavering mind and little trust in God, for as a rudderless ship is driven hither and yon by waves, so a careless and irresolute one is tempted in many ways. Fire tempers iron and temptation steels the just. Often we do not know what we can stand, but temptation shows us what we are.

Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if s/he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.

Someone has said very aptly: "Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength."

First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent. Thus, because s/he is not resisted in the beginning, Satan gains full entry. And the longer a one delays in resisting, so much the weaker does s/he become each day, while the strength of the enemy grows against us.

Some suffer great temptations in the beginning of their conversion, others toward the end, while some are troubled almost constantly throughout their life. Others, again, are tempted but lightly according to the wisdom and justice of Divine Providence Who weighs the status and merit of each and prepares all for the salvation of God's elect.

We should not despair, therefore, when we are tempted, but pray to God the more fervently that God may see fit to help us, for according to the word of Paul, We will make issue with temptation that we may be able to bear it. Let us humble our souls under the hand of God in every trial and temptation for God will save and exalt the humble in spirit.

In temptations and trials the progress is measured; in them opportunity for merit and virtue is made more manifest.

When we is not troubled it is not hard for us to be fervent and devout, but if we bear up patiently in time of adversity, there is hope for great progress.

Some, guarded against great temptations, are frequently overcome by small ones in order that, humbled by their weakness in small trials, they may not presume on their own strength in great ones.

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 12

(Thomas A Kempis) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:35:55 EST

adversity

The Twelfth Chapter

THE VALUE OF ADVERSITY
This teaching is important and reminds us to keep perspective on our life right now in the light of the next realm after death, but if one is depressed or has negative afflictions this concept can be dangerous and self-destructive.

So, the teaching is to live closer to Our Lord and less fixated on our little life these years. The perspective is healthy if we do not put down the human condition, but see it as an advantage to live life with more right effort and zeal.

IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing.

It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well.

These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts.

Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

When one of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, s/he realizes clearly that his/her greatest need is God, without Whom s/he can do no good. Saddened by his/hers miseries and sufferings, s/he laments and prays.

S/He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that s/he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then s/he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

Imitation of Christ Book One Ch. 11

(Thomas A Kempis) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:38:27 EST

Perfection requires discipline

The Eleventh Chapter

ACQUIRING PEACE AND ZEAL FOR PERFECTION

Meg: zeal cycles high and low for most of us. To steady our resolve we start with our thoughts. Discipline of the mind requires renouncing free-fall of thoughts. We direct them to our heart's desire.

WE SHOULD enjoy much peace if we did not concern ourselves with what others say and do, for these are no concern of ours. How can one who meddles in affairs, who seeks strange distractions, and who is little or seldom inwardly recollected, live long in peace?

Blessed are the simple of heart for they shall enjoy peace in abundance.

Why were some of the saints so perfect and so given to contemplation?

Because they tried to mortify entirely in themselves all earthly desires, and thus they were able to attach themselves to God with all their heart and freely to concentrate their innermost thoughts.

We are too occupied with our own whims and fancies, too taken up with passing things. Rarely do we completely conquer even one vice, and we are not inflamed with the desire to improve ourselves day by day; hence, we remain cold and indifferent.

If we mortified our bodies perfectly and allowed no distractions to enter our minds, we could appreciate divine things and experience something of heavenly contemplation.

The greatest obstacle, indeed, the only obstacle, is that we are not free from passions and lusts, that we do not try to follow the perfect way of the saints.

Thus when we encounter some slight difficulty, we are too easily dejected and turn to human consolations

. If we tried, however, to stand as brave men in battle, the help of the Lord from heaven would surely sustain us. For He Who gives us the opportunity of fighting for victory, is ready to help those who carry on and trust in His grace.

If we let our progress in religious life depend on the observance of its externals alone, our devotion will quickly come to an end. Let us, then, lay the ax to the root that we may be freed from our passions and thus have peace of mind.

If we were to uproot only one vice each year, we should soon become perfect.

The contrary, however, is often the case -- we feel that we were better and purer in the first fervor of our conversion than we are after many years in the practice of our faith.

Our fervor and progress ought to increase day by day; yet it is now considered noteworthy if a man can retain even a part of his first fervor.

If we did a little violence to ourselves at the start, we should afterwards be able to do all things with ease and joy. It is hard to break old habits, but harder still to go against our will.

If you do not overcome small, trifling things, how will you overcome the more difficult? Resist temptations in the beginning, and unlearn the evil habit lest perhaps, little by little, it lead to a more evil one.

If you but consider what peace a good life will bring to yourself and what joy it will give to others, I think you will be more concerned about your spiritual progress.