The Mercy of God/Our Desires

Pride

Putting Christianity into Practice

1. Imagine what the world would be like if the Gospel of Christ were practised in its entirety everywhere and by everybody. It would not, of course, become another earthly Paradise, because suffering and death are the legacy of sin and Our Lord did not remove these when He redeemed us but made them a necessary element in our purification and spiritual elevation. Nevertheless, the full practice of Christianity would transform the world. A little reflection will convince us of this. Men would love God above all things and their neighbour as themselves, The sincere and ardent love of God would cause wickedness, brutality and every kind of immorality to disappear. Love of their neighbour would make men brothers in reality, so that there would be no more wars nor threats of conflict. The enormous wealth which is squandered on weapons of destruction could then be diverted to good works. There would be no more poverty, because if men loved one another those who had more than enough would give to those in want. There would be no more prisons, because there would be no more criminals. There would be no need for a police force because everyone would do his duty of his own accord. The reign of love, which is the reign of Jesus Christ, would triumph upon earth. Excessive wealth and the selfish love of case and pleasure would disappear on one hand, while on the other the extreme need of those who can never be sure of a meal, nor of a roof over their heads, would be palliated until they had been raised to a standard of living consistent with the laws of God and with the dignity of men. The love of our neighbour as ourselves would solve every individual and social problem in this life. Men would grow into a vast community of brothers devoid of all barriers of hate, selfishness, and greed. This is not an Utopian dream, because it is the clear teaching of the Gospel. Jesus did not preach the impossible. He taught us the standards of the perfect life which we are all obliged to try and lead.

2. It was something like this which took place in the early years of the Church, when the love of God and of their neighbour was a transforming leaven in the lives of the faithful. Give that which remains as alms, Christ has said, and behold, all things are clean to you (Luke 11:41). This precept was not, at this time, a dead letter, nor was it interpreted in a selfish and quibbling manner. It was a lofty reality. Now the multitude of the believers were of one heart and one soul, the Acts of the Apostles relates, and not one of them said that anything he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common . . . Nor was there anyone among them in want. For those who owned lands or houses would sell them and bring the price of what they sold and lay it at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was made to each, according as any one had need (Acts 4:32-35). This is what it really means to love one's neighbour. It could not be called Communism, for that is a system of oppression which violates the laws of nature and the most sacred rights of humanity, such as the liberty, dignity and faith of the individual. No, this is Christian charity, the charity which complements and ennobles justice. Nobody was under any obligation to sell all he had and give it to the poor, (Cf. Acts 5:4) for to do so was not a command but an evangelical counsel of perfection (Cf Mt. 19:21). Everybody believed, however, that he had an obligation to love his neighbour as if he were himself.

Do you love your neighbour as yourself? Take a look around you. How many people have no food, whereas you may have too much? How many have no home, while you have far more possessions than you need? How many live in squalor, while you may be surrounded by luxuries? Remember that you are not a sincere Christian, but only a fraud, if you do not love your neighbour as yourself. It may be true that this is only a natter of charity, not of strict justice. But, as St. Alphonsus said, it is much the same thing if a man is damned for lack of charity as for lack of justice. Meditate on this with a view to forming generous resolutions.

3. Only the universal practice of Christianity could change the world. Even after a period of twenty centuries it is true to say that for many Christians the Gospel is an unexplored book, the principles of which have yet to be fully realised in their ordinary lives. None of us can change the world on his own, but each of us can accomplish that part of the task which depends on himself. Do we really love God whole-heartedly and above all things? Do we really love our neighbour as ourselves? Let us examine ourselves earnestly and find out how far we have still to go. Our love of God may be too feeble and this may be the reason why we have not achieved spiritual perfection. Our love of our neighbour may not be as generous as it should be. If this is so, we shall have to answer for it to God when He pronounces that terrible sentence on those who have been rejected: Depart from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me (Mt. 26:41-43). Let us resolve to be charitable and generous to the poor.

The Meaning of Easter/Easter: The Herald of Peace

The Meaning of Easter

1. Today the Church adorns herself in festival array. Gone are the lengthy lamentations of Holy Saturday and the sorrowful recitations of the Passion, and in their place is the glad cry of Alleluia, the hymn of victory over death and sin. The true joy of Easter lies not merely in external celebration, however, but in the spiritual gladness of the soul. As Jesus has conquered death and sin, so we must purify ourselves of every trace of guilt by a good Confession and must be sure that it will result in a practical renovation of our lives. We should approach Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist with greater fervour and humility, and with greater trust in His goodness and mercy. When we have received Him into our hearts, we should ask Him to renew and transform us in Himself. He is everything, and we arc nothing without Him. He is strong; we are weak. We are capable only of feeble desires to do good, but He can make them effective by His grace. We should not be satisfied with forming general resolutions when we go to Confession and receive Holy Communion at Easter. We should examine the depths of our soul and discover the sin which we are most accustomed to commit and the virtue which we are principally lacking. As a result of our investigation we should form a particular resolution to combat this sin and to practise this virtue. It is only in this way that our celebration of Easter can inaugurate the beginning of a genuine self-renewal which will gain momentum daily until it becomes a true spiritual resurrection. It will be a hard battle which will necessitate a constant vigilance and a readiness to begin again every time we realise that we have fallen. It will require an unfailing spirit of prayer, but the final victory will bring us such happiness that worldly pleasures will seem empty and illusory by comparison.

2. In the course of this battle for our spiritual resurrection it is necessary for us to grow continually in Jesus. When we make a good confession at Easter He favours us anew by means of His grace. When we receive Holy Communion He comes to us and is really present in our souls. But in what way is He present: Sometimes He is silent and hidden. He may seem to be asleep, as He slept in the Apostles' boat on the sea of Galilee when the waves were raging violently all around them. Often we have Jesus within us, but do not listen to His voice. He does not live actively in us; He does not speak to us. Why is this? It is because we are distracted and indifferent, absorbed in the petty affairs of this world. We must be fervent. It is necessary to listen for His voice, to be united to Him, and above all to love Him. Then our actions will not be our own, but His. He will grow in us by His grace and we shall act in Jesus, with Jesus, and for Jesus. Then Jesus will be everything to us and we shall be able to say with St. Paul: It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). Does this goal seem too difficult to attain? Does it seem that it is not meant for us? Such a doubt is an insult to Our Lord, Who has told us to be perfect as His heavenly Father is perfect (Cf. Mt. 5:48). It is enough, however, that we should earnestly desire to reach this goal and should try with the help of God's grace to come gradually nearer to it every day.

3. This is the resurrection which should take place in us this. Easter. Think seriously. How many Easters have we spent ? Have they represented a constant improvement in our lives, or have we been static or even getting worse e In the Hebrew tongue Pasch means a passing or transit; specifically, it refers to the passing of the Lord. It will be a tragedy if Jesus passes us by without stopping to rest with us in order to claim us as His own and to make us holy. This Easter could be our last. The thought should be a warning for us. God's goodness is infinite, but there is a limit to His graces and favours. We often impose this limit ourselves by the degree of our co-operation. Our eternal salvation depends largely upon ourselves.

Easter: The Herald of Peace

1. When Jesus was born in the manger at Bethlehem, the sky became brilliant aglow and Angels descended singing: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will." When Our Lord had risen from the dead, He greeted the Apostles with the words: "Peace be to you!" Peace is a gift from God; only He can give real peace. The peace of this world has a certain value, but it is nothing like the genuine and soul-satisfying peace which God can give us. This is why Jesus said to His Apostles: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you (John 14:27). Worldly peace is external and can be disturbed or destroyed by men, but the peace of God is internal and nothing can destroy it except sin. It is possible to be persecuted and slandered and yet to preserve interior peace, as the Martyrs and the Saints did in adversity. It is this inner peace which we must aim at acquiring. We shall be truly content when we have achieved it, because, as St. Thomas says, "the fulness of joy is peace."(Summa, I-II, q. 70, a. 3) St. Thomas defined peace as "tranquillitas ordinis," (Summa, II-II, q. 29, a.1 ad. 1) i.e. "tranquillity of order"; St. Augustine called it "ordinata corcordia," (De Civitate Dei, XIX:13) i.e. "ordered harmony." It is not sufficient for this harmony and order to be established externally among men. It is necessary that this harmony and order should reign first of all in our minds and hearts, and in our actions.

2. For this interior peace to be complete it is necessary that it should exist in our relations with God, with ourselves, and with our neighbour. Peace with God is especially necessary. This involves the subjection of the intellect and will to Him, perfect obedience to His law, the avoidance of sin and the entire surrender of ourselves to Him. When we have prepared ourselves in this way, God will visit us with His grace and we shall experience the joy of inward peace. Jesus came into the world to bring us this peace, which He purchased for us with His Precious Blood, thereby erasing sin and opening the gates of Heaven. So much the worse for us if we destroy the work of God by turning back to sin. We shall no longer be at peace with God, Who hates sin so much that in order to redeem us from it He gave us His only begotten Son, nor with ourselves, because there is no peace to the wicked (Is. 48:22). Remorse and disgust are the necessary results of sin. Let us remember that those who are really content even in this world are those who lead good lives. Whoever extinguishes divine grace in himself destroys the harmony and order which reigned in his soul as a result of the subjection of his passions to right reason and of the subjection of his reason to his Creator and Redeemer. Then, because we are not at peace with God nor with ourselves, we cannot really be at peace with men. It is our faith which teaches us that they are our brothers, redeemed as we have been by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, and that therefore we should always love and assist them.

3. At the close of this meditation let us ask the risen Christ to give us His peace, which is the only true peace. My peace I give to you (John 14:27). Although it comes from Jesus, however, this peace requires an effort on our part also. We must build it up carefully within ourselves with the help of God's grace. The foundations of interior peace must be laid down by controlling our passions, by avoiding the slightest trace of sin, by living the life of prayer and of union with God, by loving God above all things, and by living and working for Him alone.

The Resurrection

* I have skipped ahead in Cardinal Bacci's book in order to commemorate today's glorious feast

1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fundamental truth of our faith. Jesus intended it to take place in such a way that nobody could reasonably deny it. There is no historical fact which can be upheld by such clear and ample evidence as the Resurrection of Our Lord. It emerges most of all from the absolute certainty of Jesus' death. After the fearful scourging, crowning with thorns, and crucifixion, His blood had poured forth for three hours from His nailed Hands and feet. Moreover, even though he saw that Christ was dead, the Roman soldier pierced His heart with a lance. His body was taken down from the cross and enclosed in the tomb until the third day. Jesus, therefore, was dead and buried. But there is still further proof. The Jews remembered that Jesus had prophesied that He would rise on the third day. For this reason they had the sepulchre sealed and they placed a guard of soldiers beside it so that the body could not be stolen. In spite of the enormous stone at the mouth of the tomb, however, Our Lord rose in glory, flinging the sentries into a state of terror and confusion. The frightened guards ran to the leaders of the Sanhedrin and related what had happened. If the Jewish authorities had believed that the soldiers were responsible, they would have punished them, and if they had believed that the body of Our Lord had been stolen, they would have searched for it. Instead, they bribed the soldiers to say that the body of Jesus had been stolen while they were asleep (Mt. 28:12). St. Augustine comments on the stupidity of the Jews in calling on the testimony of sleeping witnesses! Jesus, moreover, saw to it that St. Thomas would not be present when He appeared to the other Apostles, and that he would believe only when he had seen the wounds in His hands and feet and had placed his finger in the gash made by the lance in Our Lord's side. What further evidence could anyone expect? There is a still stronger proof, however. After the death of Jesus the Apostles were an insignificant group of discouraged and disillusioned men, without the daring or the ability to accomplish anything. It was only the Resurrection of Jesus which could have given them the supreme courage to stand up to the Jews and to convert the world. Let us fall in adoration before the risen Christ and say with St. Thomas the Apostle: My Lord and my God! (John 20:28)

2. Even as Jesus rose from the dead, so we shall rise again. This is a dogma of our faith. "I believe ... in the resurrection of the body." When Job was seated on his dunghill, his body rotting with leprosy, deserted by everybody, scorned by his wife and reproved by his friends, he found comfort in this great truth. I know that my Vindicator lives, and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust where I myself shall see, and not another-and from my flesh I shall see God: my inmost being is consumed with longing (Job 19:25-27). St. Paul described this resurrection. In the twinkling of an eye, he says, at the sound of the trumpet of the Eternal judge, our bodies will be reformed and will have life again. We shall all rise, but not all in the same manner. The body which was the companion of the soul during our mortal life will once again be its companion and share with it either the eternal glory of Heaven or the everlasting pains of Hell (Cf. I Cor. 15) We shall live forever like Jesus. "I believe in life everlasting," in everlasting happiness in Heaven or in eternal damnation in Hell. This great truth is a warning to us. If we remember it all our lives, we shall not steer our course towards evil and towards Hell, but towards goodness and towards Heaven, where one day we shall come to rest in a land of lasting happiness.

3. Our resurrection must begin in this life, however. Day by day we must work hard for our spiritual resurrection. We should give this matter our special attention during Paschal time. Our resurrection must be real and not apparent like that of many people who celebrate Easter without any sincere intention of changing their lives. It should not be imperfect like that of Lazarus,(Cf. John 11:43) who rose for a while and died again, but perfect like that of Jesus, over whom death no longer has dominion (Cf. Rom. 6:9). In other words, we must rise never again to die in sin, which is the real death of the soul. We must rise also to ascend higher and higher on the way of perfection and to carry out Our Lord's command: You therefore are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt. 5:48) Our life should be a continual resurrection, a continual ascent towards perfection which will raise us from sin to the state of grace, from the state of grace to fervour, and from fervour to sanctity.

The Agony of Jesus (April 5)/The Night of the Passion (April 6)

1. While Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, His divine mind witnessed not only the torments of His approaching passion and death, but also the hatred of His enemies, both then and in later times, the ingratitude of His Apostles, and the countless sins with which men would repay His infinite goodness throughout the ages. He realised that He would be a sign of contradiction for many. Some would hate Him; others would desecrate His precious blood and His immaculate body. Many, forgetful of the Redemption, would commit sin after sin, while others would receive special graces and would return only coldness and indifference in exchange for such great love. Faced with this gloomy scene, Jesus was utterly dejected and was overcome by a mysterious, rending agony which caused Him to perspire blood. He began to feel dread and to be exceedingly troubled (Mk.14:33). And falling into an agony he prayed the more earnestly. And his sweat became as drops of blood running down upon the ground. (Lk. 22:43-44)

At that moment Jesus could see each one of us and all our wretchedness, coldness and sinfulness. If our hearts are not made of stone, let us weep for our faults and firmly resolve to improve.

2. Jesus suffered willingly and generously for us. First of all He endured this near-fatal anguish of soul which caused blood to ooze from the pores of His body. Then He suffered the cruellest of physical tortures. What must our reaction be? If we lack the heroic generosity of the Saints and are not prepared to look for suffering by scourging ourselves or by wearing hairshirts or chains next to our flesh, let us at least accept our inevitable sorrows and trials with perfect resignation. Jesus was innocence itself, yet He suffered willingly for us. Why should we, who are unworthy sinners, be unwilling to submit to the punishments due to our sins? There are many who kiss the Crucifix and claim to love it but try as hard as possible to reject the cross which God has given them. This is an impossible state of affairs. Let us remember that if we wish to have a sincere love for the Crucifix, we must love our own cross as well, for this is the cross which God has given us.

3. While Jesus was praying and suffering in the garden of Gethsemane and the Apostles were unconcernedly sleeping, a group of hired ruffians approached, led by the traitor, Judas. Jesus went to meet them and quietly allowed Himself to be fettered by these rascals. He could have struck them to the ground in an instant or, as He said Himself, called more than twelve legions of Angels to His defence (Cf. Mt. 26:33). But this was the hour of the power of darkness. This is your hour, and the power of darkness (Lk. 22:53) When the Apostles saw Him being bound and led away like an evil-doer, they deserted Him and ran away. Then all the disciples left him and fled (Mt. 26:56). We also may have been guilty of shameful conduct on many occasions. Whenever God granted us the experience of His consoling presence by means of His grace or favours, we formed the most generous resolutions. But in the presence of difficulties or of bad example from others, we may have shamefully deserted Jesus. Let us reflect whether this is so and reinforce our good resolutions.

The Night of the Passion (April 6)

1. The night of the passion of Jesus Christ began in the garden of Gethsemane. Here the tired Apostles left Him to pray alone and to endure the agonizing prevision of the torments and death which awaited Him, as well as of the ingratitude with which men would repay His infinite love. Soon afterwards, abandoned by everybody, He was led before the Sanhedrin as a criminal and a disturber of the public peace. Not only was the accusation false, but it was, of course, a complete inversion of the truth. Jesus had, in fact, taught the noblest and most elevating of doctrines for all humanity. He had proved the truth of His teaching by His miracles. He restored sight to the blind, health to the lepers, to the lame, and to the paralysed, and life to the dead. He had stated quite clearly: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's (Mt. 22:21). Nevertheless, in the presence of His wicked judges He showed Himself to be meek and humble. But when He was confronted with an obvious falsehood, He spoke out in defence of the truth of His teaching. For this He was struck by one of the High Priest's attendants, who said: Is that the way thou dost answer the high priest? If I have spoken ill, Jesus replied quietly, bear witness to the evil; but if well, why dost thou strike me? (John 18: 19-23) Let us learn from our divine Redeemer to conquer self-love and to bear insults humbly and peacefully.

2. Caiphas, the High Priest, could not gather any solid and unconflicting evidence which would convict Jesus and further his own evil plans. At last he solemnly commanded Jesus in the name of the living God to say whether He was really the Christ, the Son of God. Thou hast said it, Jesus replied: Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming upon the clouds of heaven. At this the High Priest tore his garments. He has blasphemed, he cried. He deserves to die (Cf. Mt. 26: 63-66). The unjust sentence was met with general acclaim and Jesus was handed over to the soldiers as if He were a common criminal. For the rest of the night these ruffians humiliated and ill-treated Him in the worst possible fashion. Some spat in His face, others slapped and struck Him, and still others blindfolded Him and jeeringly asked: Prophesy to us, O Christ! Who is it that struck thee? (Cf. Mt. 26: 67-68) Jesus suffered in silence. He suffered because of the blows and insults, but most of all because of the sad spectacle of so much sin and ingratitude. He was offered as a victim of expiation for us all. When we realise the vast number of sins which are committed, what do we do about it? Do we pray that poor sinners may repent and return to console the heart of Jesus? Do we offer our pains and sorrows on their behalf? If we really love God, we should do this much.

3. Picture Jesus during this long and sorrowful night. Abandoned by everybody, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, unjustly judged worthy of death by the High Priest, buffeted and mocked by the soldiers, He suffers and prays and offers Himself as a victim of reparation, especially for all those sins which are being committed and will be committed by night all over the world. Let us bow before Him in spirit. Let us tell Him with penitent hearts that we shall never offend Him again and that we love and adore Him. Let us promise to offer the prayers and sufferings of this day in reparation for the sins which men commit under cover of darkness.

Jesus in Gethsemane

1. After the last supper, when Judas had disappeared in order to carry out his treacherous plan, Jesus walked with His other eleven Apostles among the olive trees of Gethsemane. He took aside three of the most faithful, and then went away a few paces from them and prostrated Himself on the ground in fervent prayer. Being God, Jesus had no need of prayer, but He wished to give us an example of how we ought to behave in moments of trial and danger. Three times He rose and went over to the Apostles, who were tired and had fallen asleep. He reproached them gently and exhorted them to pray. Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mk. 14:38) We often have a similar experience. Temptation assails us from within and from without, and we remain unmoved and inactive. But how can we escape from danger without the help of God? The divine help comes to us from grace, which must be sought by prayer. The electric current ceases if the switch cuts off its contact with the source from which it is derived. In the same way the divine grace of which we are in constant need is cut off if we do not remain united by prayer to God, the source of the spiritual life. Let us learn from our divine model Jesus how to watch and pray always, especially in times of temptation and of peril.

2. What was the prayer of Jesus in the moment of anguish when He saw Himself abandoned or betrayed by everyone on this earth and foresaw the terrible sufferings of His passion and death which, despite His infinite love, would prove to be in vain for so many men? Face downwards upon the earth, He implored His Heavenly Father to take away, if possible, the bitter chalice. But He added immediately: Yet not my will but thine be done. (Lk. 22:42) We should pray like Jesus, especially when we are suffering in body and tormented in mind. We should prostrate ourselves before God with an act of deep humility and of perfect confidence in His infinite goodness. We should pray first of all that His name may be glorified throughout the world as it is in Heaven. We should pray that His Kingdom may be established and may triumph over evil, and that our own souls may be saved along with those of our brothers in Christ. Then we can ask for the favours which we need in the present life and for freedom from physical and moral suffering. We can ask for all these things, certainly, but we should add with Jesus: Yet not my will but thine be done. In other words, we should be ready to offer up our sufferings as a proof of our love for Him.

3. In His sadness and loneliness Jesus is comforted by an angel. It is true that, being God, He was in no need of being consoled by angels. Moreover, He had willingly allowed Himself to be offered as a victim of expiation for our sins. He was offered because it was his own will.(Is. 53:7) But He wished to be an example to us in this I matter also. If we trustingly abandon ourselves to God's will in moments of temptation and of sorrow we shall receive comfort from our angel, too. How many times have we experienced this mysterious consolation in our souls? When we have bowed our heads in suffering and have offered ourselves as pure victims to God, we have felt an inner light and peace which only divine grace can give.

The Betrayal by Judas

I. Ingratitude is a very cruel thing. It imprints a deep wound on the human heart, and the heart of Jesus was infinitely more sensitive than ours. He had raised Judas to the high rank of the Apostolate; He had made him one of His closest friends and had entrusted him with the secrets of His infinite love. Now Judas betrays Him for the wretched sum of thirty pieces of silver. Worse is to follow, however. While Jesus is praying and perspiring blood at the thought of the ingratitude of men and of the nearness of His passion and death, the garden of Gethsemane becomes suddenly aglow with torches and reverberates with the shouting of the hired ruffians whom Judas has brought with him to arrest Jesus. The treacherous Apostle comes forward. He embraces our divine Redeemer, hails Him as his Master and greets Him with a sacrilegious kiss upon the cheek. Jesus neither repulses nor rebukes him, but with a gesture of infinite mercy He addresses him as a friend. Friend, He says, for what purpose hast thou come? (Mt. 26:50) Dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss? (Lk. 22:48) If only Judas could have heeded this last appeal and begged for forgiveness at Jesus' feet with tears of repentance ! Jesus would certainly have taken him to His heart and returned his kiss with a kiss of pardon and divine friendship. Perhaps we have also stood at times on the brink of sin and have been aware of a higher appeal to go back. But have we heeded it? If ever we are in grave danger again, let us listen to this quiet voice which speaks to our conscience. Let us fall on our knees before Jesus and earnestly implore Him: Be not silent, Lord, be not far from me! (Ps. 34:22) Let us ask Him to have pity on our weakness and to come to our assistance.

2. It is quite certain that Judas did not commit this sacrilegious act of betrayal on the spur of the moment. Evil, like goodness, is arrived at step by step. Perhaps it was some motive of self-interest rather than of pure love which led Judas to become one of Jesus' Apostles. Covetousness, the root of all evils, (Cf. I Tim. 6:10) seems to have been his dominant passion. As the Gospel tells us, he kept the money offerings which those who had been converted gave to Jesus for His support and for that of His Apostles. He did not know how to suppress his dominant passion at times. On one occasion he complained about Mary Magdalen when she anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment. The passion grew and he became a thief. He was a thief, and holding the purse used to take what was put in it. (John 12:6) In spite of the extraordinary graces he had received, he fell into sin. Finally, he was guilty of the betrayal, of the sacrilegious communion at the last supper, and of the kiss of hypocrisy in Gethesemane. The example of Judas is a lesson to us. It is disastrous to begin to yield to our passions and to fall into evil habits. The Holy Spirit warns us that anyone who makes little account of small things will fall into bigger. (Cf. Ecclus. 19:1) Let us remember that even a tiny spark can set off a conflagration. Likewise, a single mortal sin can lead us to Hell.

3. Failure to comply with the extraordinary graces which Jesus had granted him was responsible for the fall of Judas. Whoever receives a great deal must give as much. Judas had been called to the dignity of the Apostolate. At the Last Supper he received the fulness of the priesthood along with the other Apostles and received Jesus Himself into his soul under the species of the consecrated bread. In spite of all this he deserted and betrayed his Master. What about us? Let us consider how many spiritual and temporal graces God has bestowed on us throughout our lives. Have we been thankful for them? If we have not corresponded generously with all these favours, or if we have done worse and have rejected them by sin, let us repent and resolve to do better. The example of Judas should teach us this lesson.

The Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and The Last Supper

The Passion of Our Lord

The Presence of God (March 30)/Entertainment and Sport

Jesus Lost in the Temple

Conscience

Why God Created Us/The Human Soul (March 27)

Mortification and Penance

The Power of God's Love in the Christian Life

The Christian Formation of Character

Our Temperament

Charitable Works

The Patronage of St. Joseph

St. Joseph

Privation

The Consolation of Prayer

How We Should Pray

Prayer As A Necessary Means of Salvation/The Spirit of Prayer (March 14)

Prayer

Detachment from the World

The Hidden Life of Jesus (March 10)/The Growth of Jesus

The Obedience of Jesus

Knowledge and Goodness

Holy Contentment/St. Thomas Aquinas (March 7)

Our Martyrdom

The Imitation of the Saints

The Shortness of Time

Spiritual Langour

Catholic Action

The Examination of Conscience

Evening Prayer

1. We should pray all the time, because we always need the help of God. They must always pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1) There are certain times, however, when this need of God is greater than usual. This is so when we are tempted, or when we arc threatened by some evil, whether spiritual or physical. Our need is also greater when we have some important decision to make or difficult task to undertake. When we are close to death this need of God is exceptionally urgent.

Apart from these occasions, there is a time every day when we should feel a special need to kneel and pray to God. This is when we are going to bed. Before retiring, we should kneel by the bedside and say our prayers fervently. We have many reasons for praying. (1) We should thank God for His graces during the day. (2) We should ask forgiveness for our lack of co-operation with the gifts He has given us. (3) We should ask the good God to grant us new favours.

2. A page in the story of our lives is closed. For all we know it may be the last. Sleep is a symbol of death. How can we be certain that this night will not be our last? A large number off people die during their sleep. For this reason our night prayers should include an act of sincere contrition for our sins, an act of love for God, our supreme benefactor, and an act of complete resignation to His will. When we are in bed, we should repeat the words of Jesus on the cross. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46; Ps. 30:6) If this prayer is on our lips and in our heart, we can sleep in peace.

3. We must remember, moreover, that during the night we can be assailed by many dangers to soul and body. The devil stops at nothing in his efforts to seduce us. Any one who goes to bed with no ' other thought than getting a pleasant night's sleep has .neglected to ask for God's blessing and is running the risk of yielding to temptation. During these hours of necessary inactivity the devil can come with all his wiles to tempt us. I i the beginning there will be idle day-dreams, then impure image%, and finally the full-blooded onslaught of temptation. It would be disastrous if we were caught unprepared and without any help from God. But this assistance can be obtained by fervent and constant prayer. If it is always necessary to pray, it is especially necessary when we are inactive and therefore in a state of continual danger from the seductions of the devil. So let our day close with prayer, and from prayer we shall pass on to sleep. Let us offer to God this sleep, so necessary for the restoration of bodily energy. Let us make the intention of offering every breath we draw as an act of obedience and of the love of God.

Visits to the Blessed Sacrament

1. After the many plans and worries of the day, it is wonderful to visit a church in the evening and kneel before the Blessed Sacrament. There we can adore Jesus and converse lovingly with him. We have spent so many hours surrounded by the noise of the world. It is restful now to spend a quarter of an hour in silent prayer before Jesus, the prisoner of love in the Tabernacle. It is He Who invites us. Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. (Mt. 11:28) There are so many matters worrying us. We need some words of advice which will clear our doubts and strengthen us in suffering. We need words of encouragement to banish our sadness and enliven our faith. We need words of love which will light in our hearts the flame of love for God. We can find all this on our knees before the Tabernacle. Do not end the day without seeking a renewal of Christian strength at the feet of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

2. Let us consider the infinite goodness of Jesus. He became man for us, and spent thirty-three years on earth, doing good and healing all. (Acts 10:38) More than this, He chose to remain with us until the end of time, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, to be our friend and comforter and the food of our souls. In his infinite power and goodness, is there anything more He could have done for us? All day He waits there, anxious to heal our ills, to console us in our troubles, and to give us the strength to persevere in our journey towards perfection and towards Heaven. Let us listen to that loving voice. Do not be ungrateful for this miracle of infinite goodness. Let us go to Jesus as often as we can, especially in the evening when our day is nearly over. We shall find Him a true friend Who is always ready to listen; better still, He is a friend Who is able and willing to help us.

3. Taste and see how good the Lord is: happy the man who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 33:9) Many people, unfortunately, place their trust in men and in worldly things. They soon see the mistake they have made and are disillusioned and embittered. It was not so with the Saints. They spent long hours by day and night praying to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist, and carried away with them reserves of spiritual strength and tranquillity. When they could not visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, many of them would go to some place where they could see a church and remain there in adoration. Whenever duty made it impossible for St. Stanislaus Kostka to remain before the Tabernacle, He asked his Angel Guardian to adore Jesus for him. If we were on fire with love for God, as the Saints were, we should do the same.

Fervour and Tepidity

1. The only choice in the life of a Christian is between fervour and sin. The tepid or negligent soul cannot remain long in the grace of God, and when God's grace is removed, it means the death of the soul. The spiritual life resembles a steep hill. A man cannot stay still. He must keep going upwards or begin to slip downwards. Whoever struggles on up the hill is approaching perfection and Heaven; whoever slips backwards is approaching sin and Hell. There is no middle way. Those who are lukewarm are an object of disgust to their Creator, Who casts them away from Himself. Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, the Holy Spirit says, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth. (Apoc. 3:16)

So it is not enough to be mediocre Christians. The half-hearted and indifferent are already travelling along the slippery path of sin and are on the waiting-list for Hell. It is dangerous for anyone to remain thoughtlessly in this state of spiritual ineptitude. A man who never thinks of his own salvation is suffering from a serious illness. He is running a grave risk of eternal damnation.

2. Our Lord does not command us to be merely virtuous. He commands us to be perfect. You therefore are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48) He tells us to love Him with our whole heart and our whole soul. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul. (Mt. 22:37) He orders us to renounce everything rather than offend Him, (Luke 14:33) even to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand or foot if it should present an obstacle to our eternal salvation. (Mt. 18:8) How can we remain unmoved and inactive in face of these exhortations? The grade of perfection to which Our Lord calls us cannot be reached without His grace, which we can only obtain by fervent and unceasing prayer. Fervour is the animating principle of the spiritual life. It wins God's gifts for us and makes us almost immune from sin.

3. We can become fervent by eliminating the causes of tepidity. These are: (a) The lack of a living faith. The remedy is frequent meditation on the eternal truths in order to arouse our faith and make us think more constantly of Heaven. (b) The spirit of the world and inordinate attachment to worldly things, Which are like bonds restricting us in our advance towards God. Let us remember that the world passes away and cannot satisfy our souls which have been made for God. Let us seek Him, therefore and love Him above all. (c) Our lack of perseverence in doing good. It is not easy to preserve constant intimacy with God, even at times when we seem to have become spiritually dried up and deprived of all supernatural consolation. It is not easy to persevere in our resistance to the attractions of the world and of sin. It is not easy to pray constantly even when God does not seem to heed us. It is no wonder that we grow tired and discouraged. But let us remember that God rewards His faithful servants by making them fervent in prayer and in action. So let us be constant. We shall be rewarded with spiritual fervour, which will give us the joy and inner peace which conquer every obstacle and arc the prelude to unending happiness with God in Heaven.

Avarice and Ambition

1. The unscrupulous businessman and the careerist have an ugly attitude to life. The former is concerned only with securing the highest possible profits by any means whatever, licit or illicit. The accumulation of money and wealth is like a fever which torments and brutalises the mind and heart. It extinguishes all noble human sentiment; moreover, it destroys religion.

Careerism is a similar kind of viciousness. The careerist is driven by a mad desire to carve out a career for himself at all costs, even if he has to make use of lies, adulation, and bribery in the pursuit of his ambition. His ambition is to win glory and esteem and to hold the highest and most honourable positions, which naturally command the best salaries as well.

The Gospel is severe in its warning to these two classes of people. What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? (Mt. 16:25) Seek the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be given you besides. (Mt. 6:33; Lk. 12:31)

2. Although the Gospel stresses so much the necessity of being detached from the things of the world and of striving after the things of Heaven, it is a sad fact that from the early days of the Church up to to the present time greed for money and desire for honour have always been there to do great harm to the faithful.

In his first letter St. Peter exhorted priests to guide and look after their flocks not for the sake of base gain, but eagerly; nor yet as lording it over your charges, but becoming from the heart a pattern to the f lock (I Peter 5:3). He went on to urge the faithful to be humble, obedient and detached from the desires of the world. He told them to entrust their cares to God, their protector. Let us examine how well we follow this counsel and resolve to correct any deficiencies in our behaviour.

3. What is our attitude in regard to these matters? We are not forbidden, naturally, to look after our own affairs and our work. In fact, it is our duty to do so to whatever degree is demanded by the circumstances in which we live. Similarly, it is not forbidden to try and better our social position. All this must be done, however, with a due sense of proportion and by the proper means. The first concern in our life should be the service of God. This is what we were created for; this is what we must wholeheartedly aim at doing. Only in this way can we secure peace of mind and attain eternal salvation. Everything else must be secondary to our ultimate purpose in life. Otherwise God would be in a position inferior to ourselves, and this would be equivalent to robbing for ourselves the honour and glory due to our Creator and Redeemer. Think earnestly about this truth.

The Sacrament of Penance

1. Sin is the shipwreck of the soul. If the sin is serious, it is a fatal shipwreck. Confession is the only plank to which we can safely cling, if we want to be brought back to the harbour of God's grace. Admittedly, in cases of necessity we can regain God's friendship equally well by an act of perfect contrition along with the intention of going to confession. But an act of perfect contritioni demands an act of perfect love of God, which is not altogether easy. There can always be a doubt as to whether we have achieved the necessary degree of perfection. If, on the other hand, we receive the Sacrament of Penance with the proper dispositions, not only will it give us grace, but confidence and peace of mind as well. This sacrament has been very appropriately called the masterpiece of God's mercy. What would be our fate, poor sinners that we are, if God had not given the Apostles and their successors in the priesthood the sacramental power of forgiving sins? We should be very grateful to God for this great gift.

2. We should confess our sins humbly and sincerely. We are obliged to confess at least all the mortal sins which we have committed after Baptism and have never included in a previous good Confession. We should prepare for this Sacrament by making a careful examination of conscience in the presence of God. When we kneel before our confessor, we should remember that, even though he is only a man like ourselves, he is the representative of God. We should confess at least our mortal sins in a clear and exact manner. Whenever possible, we should confess deliberate venial sins in order to be sure of obtaining forgiveness for them. It is very necessary to be sincerely sorry for our sins and to be firmly resolved not to commit them again with the help of divine grace. Perfect contrition, which steins from a pure and disinterested act of love for God, is not necessary. Attrition is sufficient, that is, imperfect sorrow which springs from a lower supernatural motive, such as the fear of hell, the hideousness of sin in so far as it is an offence against God, or the loss of eternal happiness. Let us examine ourselves to ensure that we fulfil all the necessary conditions in our Confessions.

3. St. Charles Borromeo had the habit of going to Confession every day. This was not the result of scruples on his part; it was simply that he was supernaturally enlightened so as to perceive even his smallest faults and he was anxious to remove from his soul the slightest trace of sin. We do not have to follow his example, but weekly or fortnightly Confession is strongly recommended by spiritual writers. It is a great loss to neglect Confession for too long a period. We are deprived of the graces of this Sacrament, our fervour grows cold, and we slip easily from venial into mortal sin. Let us decide to make a good Confession every week whenever we find it possible.

Why Should It Happen to Me?

1. When we are overtaken by some unexpected misfortune or sorrow, or are forced to undertake an unusually difficult job, we often forget to surrender ourselves into the hands of God and pray for help and peace of mind. Instead, we feel annoyed and discouraged and give vent to our feelings in a most unchristian manner. "Why should it happen to me:" This is the reaction of many people in such cases. "It had to happen to me!" they say. They forget that sanctity involves sacrifice, self-denial and resignation to the will of God. The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force, (I Mt. 11:12) the Gospel says. In other words, if a man wants to win Heaven he must be stern with himself and establish control over any perverse tendencies in his own nature.

2. When Jesus had been scourged and crowned with thorns, He was forced to set out towards the execution-ground on Calvary, carrying the heavy wooden cross. On the way He met a Cyrenean named Simon, who was probably returning from his work in the fields outside the city. The Jews had realised that Jesus had lost so much blood that He was unable to bear the weight any longer. They felt no compassion for Him, but they were anxious to save their victim for the final punishment. With this in mind, they compelled Simon to carry Jesus' cross. The Cyrenean could have said: "Why pick on me? I am tired and must get home . . ." But his eyes met the tired gaze of Our Saviour. He saw that He was covered with wounds and streaming blood. Simon was deeply moved and willingly lifted the Cross which he carried to the place of execution .(Cf. Mt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26)

Picture Jesus, suffering and bleeding on the road to Calvary, and Simon removing the Cross from the shoulders of Our Saviour and transferring it to his own. How can we ever again rebel and complain when we meet with inconvenience or sorrow?

3. When the Saints were confronted by misfortune or suffering, they submitted and thanked God. They understood that this was the price of Heaven. I reckon that the sufferings of the present time, St. Paul writes, are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us.(Rom. 8:18)

"So great is the reward which awaits me," St. Francis of Assisi was fond of saying, "it is a joy for me to suffer." Let our attitude be the same. Then we shall find it easier to win the battles of life and our troubles will be lightened by the brightest of all hopes, the hope of Heaven.

Lord, That I May See!

1. When Jesus was approaching the gates of Jericho one day, a blind man was sitting on the ground, begging for alms. He heard the sound of a crowd on the road and asked what was happening. He was informed that Jesus was passing. Then he experienced a sudden upsurge of faith and shouted out: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on. me!" The people who were in front rebuked him and told him to be quiet. But he cried in an. even louder voice: "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" Then Jesus stopped and turned towards him. He gave orders that the man should be brought nearer to him. "What wouldst thou have me to do for thee?" He asked. "Lord," the blind man replied, "that I may see." Merciful as always, Jesus answered in a tone of command. "Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee." Immediately the blind man was able to see, and he followed Our Lord, crying out in praise of God. (Luke 18:35-43; Mark 10:46-52)

Read the simple and vivid account of this incident in the Gospel. Meditate on the infinite goodness of Jesus, Who is always ready to come to our relief. Meditate also on the lively and spontaneous faith of this poor blind man. If our faith were of the same quality as his, we could obtain everything we asked from God.

2. Spiritually, we are all blind to a greater or less extent. Do we understand the infinite truth, beauty and goodness of God, in Whom our true happiness consists? Do we understand the emptiness of the world, despite the glory of its transient beauty which can never satisfy our hearts? Do we understand our own nothingness and our dependence on God for light and grace If we understood all this, then the scales of our spiritual blindness would fall from our eyes. Our faith would be even purer and more heartfelt than that of the poor blind man of Jericho, If we do not possess this lively faith and our eyes are dazzled by the glittering vanities of the world, let us turn to Jesus and beseech Him: "Lord, that I may see! Only the light which conies from You is the true light which illumines every man who comes into this world."(John 1:9)

3. The restlessness and the intensity of living make us see things as different from what they are. But one day the veil of the temple will be rent asunder before our frightened eyes and eternal light will break upon us. Then we shall be blind no longer, but we shall see everything in the light of eternity. Let us place ourselves now in the state in which we should like to find ourselves at that moment. Let us consider ourselves and everything else in the light of eternity. Then our blindness will disappear. Since we shall see everything in God's way we shall direct all our thoughts and actions towards Him.

The Five Tribunals

1. We can distinguish five courts of justice, each of which passes sentence on us. (I) The first is the tribunal of public opinion, of which some people are so afraid. (2) Then there is our own conscience, which shows us what we are and what we ought to be. (3) The third is the tribunal of Penance and (4) the fourth is the civil court. (5) Lastly, there is the judgment deat of God before which we shall have to appear one day with all our sins and our few merits.

Public opinion can be deceived by subterfuge and hypocrisy. Conscience can be ignored, or it can become warped or deadened. The tribunal of Penance can be misused, and we can remain obdurate in our sins. Civil authority can sometimes be evaded; it is also open to deception and corruption. But the tribunal of God is different. We shall be alone before Him --- fraud and deceit will be useless. There will be no excuses, no defense. Everything will be clear, and His judgment will be just and unchangeable. Let us reflect on this while we have time. Let us adopt the necessary remedies, for soon there will be no more time.

2. The tribunal of God is the one for which we must be specially prepared, because our eternal happiness or unhappiness depends on it. Nevertheless, we should not ignore the existence of the others. We have to consider public opinion. It is not that we should be anxious to put up a good appearance before it, but we should try and give good example to our neighbours rather than become the cause of scandal. Let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Mt. 5:16)

Conscience is a court of justice to which we must pay more attention. This is the medium God often uses when He exhorts us to change our lives or to strive towards perfection. The tribunal of Penance is the only sure way for the sinner to return to the friendship of God, although in case of necessity he could obtain pardon by an act of perfect contrition. Finally, we must respect civil authority. All authority comes from God, and for this reason we must obey the civil law in the manner of good citizens.

3. In regard to civil authority, however, one thing should be made quite clear. We are only obliged to obey it when it does not infringe on the rights of God or of the Church. If it should run counter to these we should answer in the words of St. Peter and the other Apostles when they were called before the Sanhedrin: We must obey God rather than men. (Acts. 5:29)

If we had to suffer anything as a result in the cause of God and of the Church, we should count that as our good fortune. Like the Apostles, we should be able to rejoice that we have been found worthy to suffer indignity and ill-treatment for the sake of Jesus' name. (Acts. 5:41)

Good Inspirations

1. God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks in the language of nature. Sky and earth tell us of their Creator. Walk in silence beneath the night sky and contemplate the myriads of stars above. It is impossible not to sense the power and beauty of the infinite God. Look at the flowers in the meadows and the silent forests. Look out across the vast expanse of the ocean, where the waves are breaking and surging but never cross the limits imposed on them by their Creator. It is easy to repeat the words of St. Augustine: How great and good You are, O God! The voice of God can also be heard in sermon and instructions, in the example which the Saints give us, in the advice of confessors and Superiors and others whose task in life it is to enlighten and guide the faithful. Let us listen to these voices, for they represent the voice of God.

2. There is one very special way in which God communicates with us. He condescends to speak directly to us in the intimacy of our hearts. Our ears do not hear this voice, but we experience it in the depths of the spirit. When we are tempted to fall into sin, suddenly we hear its warning tones. Perhaps we have already fallen, this voice pursues us again, inviting us to return to God. Sometimes after Holy Communion we converse with God and He speaks gently, making us understand that true happiness can be found only in His love and service. These are the holy inspirations which God gives us. At such moments we should reply meekly like the prophet Samuel: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. (I Kings 3:9-10)

Moreover, we should follow Samuel's example in putting into practice the instructions of the Lord.

3. These good inspirations are a wonderful gift from God, but it can be disastrous to refuse to hear them. Are we being called to reform our lives? Let us begin immediately the hard task of changing ourselves. Are we being called to Christian perfection? Let us be generous. Remember the words of Bossuet who said that perfection is like a high mountain which must be conquered step by step. So begin the ascent right away in obedience to God's wishes. Remember that to ignore a holy inspiration is an insult to God and a deviation from the straight path of perfection. It is a proof that we do not love Jesus and are not prepared to be faithful to Him. In fact, we are risking our own eternal salvation. Remember the case of the young man in the Gospel who was asked to leave everything and follow Jesus along the way of perfection. He did not do so, and we cfannot say with certainty whether or not his soul was saved.

Interior Silence

1. Many people allow themselves to be swept away in the confusion of the world around them. Modern life has become a whirling machine which snatches men up into its enormous rotators and carries them with it. Not only has it become difficult to remain Christian, but it is even difficult to continue to be a man.

We cannot cast aside the natural gifts of intellect, free will, and personal dignity which God has given us. Still less can we renounce the dignity of being Christians. This dignity can be retained by interior recollection, which will be nourished by divine grace if we ask for it and will find its external expression in good works. A man must be able to detach himself from the din of modern life and spend an occasional moment in recollection. No matter what is going on around him he must be able to find time to raise his mind to God. Otherwise he will realise one day that life has passed him by like a cloud, or, worse still, like a lost battle. We shall not be tormented with useless regrets on our deathbed if we think about this now.

2. God speaks readily when our souls are silent. He cannot be heard in the noise of the world. But we do not have to abandon our normal way of life in order to find a little interior recollection. It is enough to pause for a moment and remember God's presence. Once we have formed the habit of doing this, it becomes quite easy at any time and in any place. We may be walking along the street or in the middle of our work. We may be in a room full of people chatting together. Wherever we are, we shall be able to pause and raise our minds to God. If we acquire this habit, we can lead peaceful lives on a completely supernatural level.

3. It is much easier to recollect ourselves in the Church in front of the altar. For this reason one could not sufficiently recommend a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every morning before going to work and every evening before going to bed.

The ideal is always daily Mass and Holy Communion. This will be tiring and my be inconvenient. But God is infinitely good and will handsomely reward us for anything we do out of love for Him or for our own spiritual welfare.

The Will

1. The coat of arms of the great city of Chicago bears the motto "I will." With this forceful approach to its programme of expansion, it was not long before it became one of the largest cities in America. It grew to be a wealthy industrial centre, in which skyscrapers, factories and churches sprang up side by side.

When it is said with sincerity and determination, this little phrase, "I will," is capable of producing amazing results both in the physical and spiritual order. St. Thomas Aquinas was once asked by a nun what were the requirements for sanctity. He replied that the chief thing necessary was a strong and decisive act of the will, which would be certain to be reinforced by divine grace. The Saints began every project by making a sincere and definite resolution to succeed. They were weak creatures like the rest of us, but they knew that if they wanted something intensely enough God would grant whatever miracles they needed. The father who asked Jesus to heal his son pleaded: If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us, to which Jesus replied: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mk. 9:16-22). The same answer could be given to any of us who say that we are anxious to beome holy. Anything is possible if we really want it, because God will do the rest.

2. St. Paul seems to contradict this idea when he writes: There is question not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God showing mercy. (Rom. 9:16)

What he says is true. Our will is inadequate to effect anything without the grace of God. But it is equally true that the grace of God is not sufficient without an act of the will on our part. God created us as intelligent beings with the marvellous gift of free will. Because He respects the liberty which He gave us He will not compel us by His grace to become holy. He only assists us. His assistance is absolutely necessary, because of ourselves we are incapable of forming a good intention, let alone performing a good action. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, St. Paul says elsewhere, to think anything, as for ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Cor. 3:5)

It is necessary, therefore, that our resolutions should be accompanied by the grace of God. We should pray fervently and make firm decisions. We must pray for divine grace, but it depends on our own will to ensure that God's grace produces results in us. This is the only way in which we can become perfect.

3. We are assured of this by St. Paul and by all the Saints. I can do all things in him who strengthens me, (Phil. 4:13) wrote the Apostle of the Gentiles. By the grace of God I am what I am, and hsi grace in me has not been fruitless --- in fact, I have laboured more than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (I Cor. 15:10)

So let us go forward. Be determined. Work hard. Above all, pray humbly and fervently for the grace of God, without which we can do nothing that is good.

The Duties of Our State

1. Everyone finds himself in a certain position in life. He may be there either through force of circumstances or through somebody else's desire or through some secret inspiration from God. In any case, each of us is in a certain sense place, and God either wills it or permits it. We should not complain about our state in life. No matter what that state is, we can either be saved or damned for all eternity. In any position we can do a great deal of good or a great deal of evil, according to the way in which we co-operate with the grace of God. We should not envy the positions of others. This would be unjust, because it would be tantamount to questioning the arrangements of Providence, which gives everyone the graces necessary in his particular state. It would also be injurious, in so far as we should be worried and disturbed instead of working peacefully and earnestly in the place assigned to us by God.

2. Some are called by God to the lofty state of the priesthood or of the religious life. This is a very great grace. We should co-operate generously and do our best to overcome any obstacles we meet. Others are called to become good Christian fathers and mothers and to rear a family. This is a most important role, because the proper education of children and the future of the Church and of society depend on it. Every position has its obligations, which each of us should work hard to fulfil in every detail. The grace appropriate to our state will be available to us. But this grace has to be balanced by a sincere determination on our part to carry out carefully the duties of our state. Let us examine ourselves in this regard. If we discover that we have been neglectful or deficient in any way, let us resolve to put things right.

3. Let us be content or at least resigned in the position in which Providence has placed us. Let us pay special attention to those things which we are obliged to do. Anything which is not necessary should be left until later, even if it is more pleasant or seems more worthwhile in itself. Let us never become involved in business which is incompatible with our state or dangerous to our eternal welfare. Let us not make light of minor offences against the duties of our station. Smaller transgressions gradually become greater. Above all, let us try and sanctify our calling. It is one thing to work conscientiously, another to work in a spirit of holiness. Even pagans can do their duty earnestly. Doing our duty is only a help to our eternal salvation if it is done with God's grace for the purpose of serving Him, for His love and glory. This should be our manner of behaviour. If it is, we can claim to have sanctified our state in life and to have made our work holy.

The Order of the Day

1. Monks and nuns can have a fixed daily rule of life, but this is not possible for everybody. However, everybody will find it useful to have a general timetable capable of being bvaried to suit different circumstances. In constructing a general rule of life for ourselves, we should keep two things in mind, namely the division of the day into periods and the way in which we shall behave during these periods.

It is hopeless to begin the day without any pre-arranged plan. Either there is going to be order or disorder. If there is disorganisation, it will produce two results. (1) There will be hurry and confusion in fulfilling those duties which have been left over until the end of the day. (2) There will be protracted periods of idleness, during which we shall persuade ourselves that there will be plenty of time to get everything done before nightfall.

To avoid such a situation, everyone should have a timetable adopted to his requirements. Naturally, it should be capable of any reasonable variations which circumstances may suggest, but in the meantime it will help us to get through our day calmly and with results.

2. Besides organising our day on the basis of a timetable, it is wise to work out in advance the way in which we shall behave during the different hours. It is easy to be taken by surprise, carried away by events, and as a result to waste time or do things badly. We should make up our minds as to how we should behave in the presence of God and in the presence of men. Concerning our relations with God, the best resolution is to begin the day by prayer and, if possible, a visit to the Church. Our ideal will be to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion. During the day, especially in moments of trial, we shall raise our minds and hearts to God by means of short ejaculations. We shall live in the presence of God; we shall live in His life. We shall end the day by making a visit, however brief, to the Blessed Sacrament, and by saying our evening prayers. When we are going to sleep we shall say certain prayers and remember the presence of God. This is a day in the life of a good Christian. How many can say they spend their day like this?

3. Once we have decided on our manner of behaviour towards God, it is necessary to determine how we shall act in regard to our neighbour. We can have quite a number of unexpected matters to which we must attend during the day, but normally we have a good idea what kind of people we shall be dealing with. There will be people who are an occasion of sin. We must ry to avoid these, but if that is not possible we must be on our guard and rely on the weapons of divine grace to protect us. There will be troublesome and annyoing people, with whom we must be patient and restrained. There will be people who are in want, either materially or spiritually, whom we must enlighten and assist. We shall meet difficulty and complicated problems, to deal with which we must ask God for insight and prudence. If we live in intimate union with Our Lord, we shall be competent to deal with all the business of the day, especially with the unexpected.

The Early Hours of the Day

1. Waking up in the morning is like being raised to life again. Sleep, which is necessary for the restoration of energy, is an image of death. During those hours of sleep it was as if you did not exist any longer. Your mind was unconscious, your limbs inactive. Now God gives you life once more and the strength to live it. Your first thoughts, therefore, should be directed towards Him. When the sun rises, all creation sings hymns of praise to God. The flowers shake the night-dew from their petals and send up their perfume to their Creator. The birds drawing their heads from beneath their warm wings, sing their morning canticles. Now, man is master of the universe. Therefore he should gather together these perfumes and these voices and offer them to God along with the homage and adoration of his whole being.

2. Unfortunately, there are many who never give the slightest thought to God when they rise in the morning. Or perhaps they think that a quick, mechanical sign of the cross satisfies all their religious obligations. A good Christian could not behave in this fashion. He kneels to say his morning prayers, and raises his mind and heart to God in acts of thanksgiving, reparation and love. Only in this way can he begin the day with peace and confidence, knowing that during it he will have continual need of God's assistance. If hitherto you have not behaved like this, make up your mind to begin every day in future by offering yourself to God along with all your work, plans, and worries. This offering will be a wonderful spiritual advantage throughout the day.

3. If possible, it is desirable to begin the day by visiting Jesus. He is always in the tabernacle waiting patiently and lovingly for us to visit Him. Why could we not spend at least one half-hour with Him? There are twenty-four hours in the day. Must we spend them in sleep, work, amusement and conversation without ever pausing to speak with Jesus? What about Mass and Holy Communion? It is true that we are not obliged to go to Mass on weekdays, nor have we a strict obligation to recieve Holy Communion except during the Paschal period. But a genuine Christian should not be satisfied with doing only what is commanded under pain of mortal sin. He should love Jesus so much that he will experience an urgent need of communication with Him. He should be ready to sacrifice a little of his early-morning sleep for the purpose of receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. There is no surer way of being able to resist the temptations of the day and of acquiring peace of spirit. The practice of daily Communion can transform a man's life.

The Causes of Discontent

1. It is hard to find anyone in this world who is really content. Some grumble about poor health, others about not having enough to live on, other about an unsuccessful career. Some complain about the lack of sympathy and the ingratitude of men; other about constant temptation, spiritual dryness and the discouragement of frequently falling into sin. Still other are confined to a bed of pain for weeks, months or even years at a time. There are some, too, who must endure mental suffering which is greater than any physical pain. Perhaps they have lost a loved one who was the centre of their own life upon earth, or perhaps they are suffering from a loss of reputation, the result of some calumny or of some moment of weakness on their own part. In short, this world can be compared, to quote St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, to an unsatisfactory hotel in which we must spend the night while we are waiting for the breaking of an eternal day in which we shall be able to see God. He is fortunate who knows how to live contentedly or at least resignedly in this poor boarding-house until the dawn of that better life which is the only object of our earthly journey.

2. There are a few people in the world however, who are always content. They walk lightly upon the earth, for their minds are already with God in Heaven and their hearts are united to Him. Have they any anxieties or disappointments? They have, and they feel them deeply. But sorrow can make them bow their heads only for a moment, and then they reaise them cheerfully again. They understand that they are suffering for God, even as they live and work only for Him. Therefore their reaction to every sorrow or humiliation is always the same: Deo Gratias! If God wants it this way, I must be satisfied, too. May His holy will be done in all things. These people are the Saints who are never lacking in the Church. The Apostles rejoiced in the insults and ill-treatment they received from the Sanhedrin. They departed from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). Do we desire to possess also the only kind of contentment it is possible to have on earth? Let us do our best to become holy. That is the only way open to us.

3. There is only one reason for our dissatisfaction. It is given by St. Augustine, profound observer that he was of the human heart: "You have made us for Yourself alone, O God, and our will always be uneasy until they rest in You." (Confessions, I, 1:1) If anyone rushes in all directions looking for happiness, he will never find it. The created things of this world cannot satisfy our hearts, which are on a far higher plane than they are. Worse still, a man may look for happiness in pleasure or in sin, but he will find only bitterness and disgust. Let us look to God alone. If we do everything for Him, a gleam of eternal happiness will brighten up our earthly pilgrimage.

Self-Love

1. By self-love we mean here an inordinate love of self. We are not forbidden to love ourselves. In fact, this is something natural to us and therefore intended by God. We should love ourselves, however, in a properly ordered manner. In the first place, we must love God above everything and therefore more than ourselves. God is our creator, and our Redeemer and our final end. Everything comes to us from Him, and for this reason everything must return to Him. We should not be self-centred, but God-centred. In other words, we must direct all our actions towards God, not towards ourselves. We cannot set our own ego in the place which belongs to God, still less above Him. To do so would be equivalent to robbing God, because everything is His and we ourselves belong to Him. If we have any intelligence at all, let us remember that God gave it to us. If we have sound health, strength or good looks, let us remember that these are His gifts. If we have amassed a great store of cultural or artistic learning as a result of our own ability and study, let us not become too attached to it nor look for praise and admiration. It is God Who gave us this ability and the energy and enthusiasm to cultivate it. Honour and glory are due to God alone.

2. "Self-love dies three days after ourselves," St. Francis de Sales was accustome to remark. What he meant was that it is very difficult to think and act only for God, without our won ego raising its head and stealing some of His glory. It is hard to be humble in the presence of God. But it is harder still to be humble before men. When anybody genuflects in front of the altar and begins to pray in the presence of God, it is not too difficult for him to bow his head and recognise his own weakness and dependence. But it is different among other men. In the presence of men we are easily tempted to display ourselves and our endowments. We feel displeased when we are not noticed nor praised. Let us steer clear of the esteem of men. Humility is the foundation of every virtue. If we are not humble, we can never become holy.

3. There are three tiny blossoms which can scarcely be seen --- those of the corn, the olive, and the vine. Nevertheless, from these we receive grain, oil and win --- three very precious commodities. These three little blossoms are almost invisible in comparison with other larger flowers, such as that of the magnolia, which do not yield any useful fruit. They should present us with a starting-point for meditation. Would we like our actions to be valuable in the sight of God and bring forth fruit? Let us be humble and suppress love of self. Then God will look on us with favour. He will give us His grace and make fertile the work which we do purely for Him. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

The Love of Our Neighbour

1. The Gospel not only commands us to love God above all things, but also to love our neighbour as ourselves (Cf. Mt. 13:35-40). The Christian love of our neighbour flows necessarily from the love of God. Our Creator loves all men as His own sons. Therefore we ought to love on another as brothers, even as Our Lord loves us. We should see in our neighbour, especially if he is in need, the person of Christ himself, our elder brother, the first-born among many brethren (Rom. 8:29).

If men sincerely loved on another, not merely as brothers, but as much as they love themselves, what problems would be solved! Who can say how many evils would be abated and how many sorrows would be assuaged? To transform the world it would be enought to put into practice the first great commandment of the Gospel, which is the commandment of charity. Admittedly, the world would not become an earthly paradise, for any such Utopia is an impossibility. But it would become a dignified dwellingplace of brothers loving and helping one another. Love is the fulfilment of the Law, (Rom. 13:10) St. Paul very truly says. Have charity, which is the bond of perfection. (Col. 3:14)

2. But who really loves his neighbour as if he were himself? Only the Saints. Jesus loved us not only as much as He loved Himself, but much more than this, because He gave His life and His own precious blood for our salvation. The Saints, who lived the life of Christ and followed His example, saw Jesus in all their fellowmen. Therefore they loved them as themselves and even more than themselves. One could cite thousands of instances of heroic charity in the lives of the Saints. The example of St. Paul will suffice, however. He said that his life was so much the life of Christ that it was not he himself who was living any longer, but Christ in him. But he also claimed to be continually driven by charity, so far as to desire even separation from Christ if that would save or help his brothers (Rom. 9:3). Do we possess this sincere and active love of our neighbour? Let us examine oursleves in this regard. Let us remember that if we are lacking in this charity towards our brothers in Jesus, we are not genuine Christians.

3. A few hundred yards from the centre of a big city one often finds groups of hovels in which large numbers of families are living, herded together in poverty. There in the winter time these poor people suffer from the cold and damp. Often their homes are badly roofed and they have not even a loaf of bread to kill the pangs of hunger. Not very far away there are luxurious mansions and expensive villas ... and up and down the stress drift splendidly upholstered cars, carrying men and women for whom the only thing in life that matters is pleasure.

"Love your neighbour as yourself," the Gospel says. How far we still are from the realisation of this command. Men would need to go to these poor hovels to do the Spiritual Exercises. They would need to live in these places for at least a month. Many ideas would be changed and many hearts transformed if this were done. The slums, cabins, caves, and other hovels in which men have to live, bear sad testimony to the fact that the Gospel has not yet been understood by man, and that Christian charity has still a long way to go. Consider before God if you are responsible, even in some small way, for this wretched state of affairs. From the resolution of contributing as far as possible to the relief of so much want and suffering.

The Love of God

1. God's law is founded on love. We read in the Gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment of the Law. Jesus replied: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as theyself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. (Mt. 22:37-40)

If a man wants to know if he is living a good Christian life, therefore, all he has to do is ask himself if he loves God above everything and his neighbour as himself. If he lacks this love, he is not a true Christian; everything else is insignificant, if not uselss. "Love God," says St. Augustine "and do what you will." Why so? Because if anyone loves God sincerely, he does not offend Him. Moreover, he serves Him diligently and promotes His honour and glory by every means in his power. Nor does he find it very difficult to do this. Love gives wings to his feet and pours enthusiasm and fervour into his heart. "He who loves does not feel tired," says St. Augustine. "Where there is love" adds St. Bernard. "there is no weariness, but a gentle pleasure instead."

2. If we really know God, we should love Him above all created things. I have loved You too little, My God, said St. Augustine in his Confessions, because I have not know You well enough. If we knew God, we should recognise that He is infinite beauty, goodness and wisdom. We should realise that the beauty of creatures is like a passing cloud, for it is a vague and distant reflection of the eternal beauty of God. We should realise that the wisdom of men is only a ray of God's light which comes from Him and must return to Him. Finally we should perceive that men are good only in so far as they do their best to respond to the inspirations of grace which God has placed in their hearts. God alone is in Himself and of Himself supremely true, beautiful, good, wise and holy. Created things are only an invitation to love God, their Creator. God alone, therefore, is supremely lovable in Himself. In the apt words of St. Bernard, "God Himself is the reason why we should love God; and the measure of our love should be measureless." Let us not allow ourselves to become entangled in the empty passing things of this world, but let us raise our minds and hearts to God.

3. We must love God not only as our Creator and Lord, but also as our Redeemer and Saviour. God's goodness in having created us is immense. Being infinite, He had no need of us. He created us in order to give us a participation in His infinite power, wisdom and beauty. The goodness of God in heaving become man and shed His blood for our salvation, however, is such a tremendous mystery that only the infinite love of God for us could provide any kind of an explanation. But this infinite love demands equal love on our part. Obviously it, cannot be equal, since we are poor, limited creatures. So we should love God, as the Gospel says, above all things and with the whole strength of ours souls. "We have come to know, and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf," (I John 4:16) says St. John. We must believe firmly and effectually to the point of charity. Charity works miracles. It has worked miracles in the Saints. It will do the same for us in the spiritual life and in our external apostolic work. There is only one thing necessary, and that is for us to have this ardent charity, which is the bond of perfection. (Col. 3:14)

The Use of Creatures

1. God has created all things for Himself, as He is the most perfect being and the final end of all things. He has made man supreme in the world, however, and has made all other creatures subject to him (Cf. Gen. 1:28). This God-given supremacy over the universe continues even after the fall of Adam. It can no longer be exercised without trouble and suffering as it was in the state of innocence, however. Now it must be acquired by hard manual labour, and by keen intellectual resarch and study.

After man's disobedience to God, even the relationship which existed between him and created things was disturbed. But these things are still a ladder which leads to God if they are properly used. They are a distant reflection of His beauty and omnipotence. The heavens, says the Psalmist, declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (Ps. 18:2)

Let us listen to the voice of creation, for it speaks to us of God. St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus wept when she beheld the fragile beauty of a flower, and said "How great is God's love for us!" St. Francis of Assisi saw the image of the common Creator everywhere around him and called all these things including fire and water, his brothers and sisters. He even conversed with them in a simple way. He looked upon death itself as the good sister who was to free him from the slavery of the body and unite him to God.

2. The Saints understood clearly what our attitude to creatures should be. Created things should be a reflection of eternal beauty which entices us to love God, the source and origin of all things. They should form a ladder which makes it easy for us to ascend towards God and to achieve unity with him. But is this what creatures really mean to us? Or do they, more often than not, lead us away from God? Perhaps we are held up too frequently by our love for creatures and tend to forget God. The passing loveliness of this earth causes us to forget the everlasting beauty for which we are destined. Worse still, the use of creatures may divert us from God altogether and cause us to disobey His law. Let us examine ourselves thoroughly on this point. Let us see if it is necessary to alter the direction of our thoughts and desires and to purify our hearts in such a way that we shall think, love and act for God alone.

3. St. Ignatius of Loyola investigates this subject in his Spiritual Exercises. He writes that we ought to use things in so far as they bring us nearer to our final end. We ought to avoid things completely, he continues, in so far as they separate or distract us from this end. The function of creatures in our regard is to lead us nearer to God, to remind us of God, and to make us love God. But if they are a source of scandal to us, we must avoid them. The Gospel is very strict on this matter when it says: If thy hand or foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut if off and cast it from thee (Mt. 5:29-30). This means that we must be ready to give up anything rather than endanger our souls and risk the loss of divine grace.