ZEAL IN AMENDING OUR LIVES
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. A
man makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in
those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and
most mortifies his will. True, each one has his own difficulties to
meet and conquer, but a diligent and sincere man will make greater
progress even though 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. 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 himself to dreadful
ruin, and he who wishes to be more free and untrammeled will always be
in trouble, for something or other will always displease him.
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 man reaches a point where 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. 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 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. |
Of the zealous amendment of our whole life
Be thou watchful and diligent in God's service,
and bethink thee often why thou hast renounced the world. Was it not
that thou mightest live to God and become a spiritual man? Be
zealous, therefore, for thy spiritual profit, for thou shalt receive
shortly the reward of thy labours, and neither fear nor sorrow shall
come any more into thy borders. Now shalt thou labour a little, and
thou shalt find great rest, yea everlasting joy. If thou shalt remain
faithful and zealous in labour, doubt not that God shall be faithful
and bountiful in rewarding thee. It is thy duty to have a good hope
that thou wilt attain the victory, but thou must not fall into
security lest thou become slothful or lifted up.
2. A certain man being in anxiety of mind,
continually tossed about between hope and fear, and being on a certain
day overwhelmed with grief, cast himself down in prayer before the
altar in a church, and meditated within himself, saying, "Oh! if I but
knew that I should still persevere," and presently heard within him a
voice from God, "And if thou didst know it, what wouldst thou do? Do
now what thou wouldst do then, and thou shalt be very secure." And
straightway being comforted and strengthened, he committed himself to
the will of God and the perturbation of spirit ceased, neither had he
a mind any more to search curiously to know what should befall him
hereafter, but studied rather to inquire what was the good and
acceptable will of God, for the beginning and perfecting of every good
work.
3. Hope in the Lord and be doing good, saith the
Prophet; dwell in the land and thou shalt be fed(1) with its riches.
One thing there is which holdeth back many from progress and fervent
amendment, even the dread of difficulty, or the labour of the
conflict. Nevertheless they advance above all others in virtue who
strive manfully to conquer those things which are most grievous and
contrary to them, for there a man profiteth most and meriteth greater
grace where he most overcometh himself and mortifieth himself in
spirit.
4. But all men have not the same passions to
conquer and to mortify, yet he who is diligent shall attain more
profit, although he have stronger passions, than another who is more
temperate of disposition, but is withal less fervent in the pursuit of
virtue. Two things specially avail unto improvement in holiness,
namely firmness to withdraw ourselves from the sin to which by nature
we are most inclined, and earnest zeal for that good in which we are
most lacking. And strive also very earnestly to guard against and
subdue those faults which displease thee most frequently in others.
5. Gather some profit to thy soul wherever thou
art, and wherever thou seest or hearest good examples, stir thyself to
follow them, but where thou seest anything which is blameworthy, take
heed that thou do not the same; or if at any time thou hast done it,
strive quickly to amend thyself. As thine eye observeth others, so
again are the eyes of others upon thee. How sweet and pleasant is it
to see zealous and godly brethren temperate and of good discipline;
and how sad is it and grievous to see them walking disorderly, not
practising the duties to which they are called. How hurtful a thing it
is to neglect the purpose of their calling, and turn their
inclinations to things which are none of their business.
6. Be mindful of the duties which thou hast
undertaken, and set always before thee the remembrance of the
Crucified. Truly oughtest thou to be ashamed as thou lookest upon the
life of Jesus Christ, because thou hast not yet endeavoured to conform
thyself more unto Him, though thou hast been a long time in the way of
God. A religious man who exercises himself seriously and devoutly in
the most holy life and passion of our Lord shall find there abundantly
all things that are profitable and necessary for him, neither is there
need that he shall seek anything better beyond Jesus. Oh! if Jesus
crucified would come into our hearts, how quickly, and completely
should we have learned all that we need to know!
7. He who is earnest receiveth and beareth well
all things that are laid upon him. He who is careless and lukewarm
hath trouble upon trouble, and suffereth anguish upon every side,
because he is without inward consolation, and is forbidden to seek
that which is outward. He who is living without discipline is exposed
to grievous ruin. He who seeketh easier and lighter discipline shall
always be in distress, because one thing or another will give him
displeasure.
8. O! if no other duty lay upon us but to praise
the Lord our God with our whole heart and voice! Oh! if thou never
hadst need to eat or drink, or sleep, but wert always able to praise
God, and to give thyself to spiritual exercises alone; then shouldst
thou be far happier than now, when for so many necessities thou must
serve the flesh. O! that these necessities were not, but only the
spiritual refreshments of the soul, which alas we taste too seldom.
9. When a man hath come to this, that he seeketh
comfort from no created thing, then doth he perfectly begin to enjoy
God, then also will he be well contented with whatsoever shall happen
unto him. Then will he neither rejoice for much nor be sorrowful for
little, but he committeth himself altogether and with full trust unto
God, who is all in all to him, to whom nothing perisheth nor dieth,
but all things live to Him and obey His every word without delay.
10. Remember always thine end, and how the time
which is lost returneth not. Without care and diligence thou shalt
never get virtue. If thou beginnest to grow cold, it shall begin to
go ill with thee, but if thou givest thyself unto zeal thou shalt find
much peace, and shalt find thy labour the lighter because of the grace
of God and the love of virtue. A zealous and diligent man is ready
for all things. It is greater labour to resist sins and passions than
to toil in bodily labours. He who shunneth not small faults falleth
little by little into greater. At eventide thou shalt always be glad
if thou spend the day profitably. Watch over thyself, stir thyself up,
admonish thyself, and howsoever it be with others, neglect not
thyself. The more violence thou dost unto thyself, the more thou shall
profit. Amen. |