Accepting the Will of God

1. Why are we so often dissatisfied and so easily unsettled by ordinary events? Why does a small measure of success, pleasure, or human praise go to our heads and disturb our peace of soul? Why does suffering failure, or humiliation, make us sad and dispirited? It is because we forget that everything comes to us from God.

The inscrutable designs of Divine Providence have ordained that our mortal lives should be interwoven with joyful and sorrowful events. There is joy so that we may realise that God is infinitely good and may experience on earth the reflection of His beauty. There is sorrow so that we may remember that here we have do permanent city, but we seek for the city that is to come. (Heb. 13:14) We should not be too elated by worldly pleasure and success, but should be grateful to God for giving them to us. On the other hand, we should not lose heart nor rebel when we experience suffering or humiliation. These also come from God and He has a reason for sending them to us. Even if we do not know the reason, we should retain our confidence that the Providence of God arranges everything for our true welfare.

2. The Saints were always calm and peaceful, because they accepted everything from God and offered everything to Him. They thanked God for pleasure and for success; they thanked Him with equal sincerity for suffering and for injuries.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21) Since we are in God's hands, we are in good hands. If it pleases God to send troubles to us this is a sign that they are good for us. If it pleases Him to humiliate us, it is a sign that we need to be humbled. If He causes us to suffer, it is a sign that we need to be purified from our sins and made more worthy of Him. In suffering and in joy may His holy will will be done.

3. Let us pray fervently to God for spiritual peace. Let us surrender ourselves to His will and accept everything from His hands, remembering that everything, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, temptation and spiritual consolation, should form a mystical ladder which will gradually bring us nearer to Heaven and finally unite us to God for evermore. Everything passes, but God is unchangeable.

Sufferings have to end, but the merit we gain remains if we have offered our afflictions to God. Let us surrender ourselves completely into the hands of God, Who in His goodness gives us some happiness on earth for our consolation and causes us to suffer so that we may be purified and made holy.

The Grace of God

1. God has endowed us with wonderful corporal and spiritual gifts, creating us after His own image with powers of intellect and of will. More than this, He has raised us to the supernatural order by communicating to us His grace, which enables us to live His own life and to share in His divine nature as His adopted sons.

Grace is the greatest gift which God has given us. It enlightens our minds and moves our will to obey His commands and to perform actions which merit an everlasting reward. It is an entirely supernatural and gratuitous gift. For this reason we cannot merit it, but we should continually pray for it because it is absolutely necessary if we are to do good and to merit Heaven. Our first ancestor, Adam, was endowed with this gift by our Creator. Unfortunately, by original sin he lost it for himself and for his descendants.

We cannot complain to God about this loss, since grace is an entirely supernatural gift which is in no way due to our human nature. For the same reason we cannot merit it on our own. But God, being infinitely good as well as infinitely just, sent His only begotten Son to redeem us from sin and to grant us His friendship once more.

We should be very grateful to God for this extraordinary favour and should unite our efforts to the divine action of grace in the performance of good works which will enable us to merit everlasting life.

2. It is astonishing to consider how much St. Paul accomplished when he had been transformed by the grace of God. Formerly a persecutor of Christians, he became the Apostle of the Gentiles. Enlightened by faith and inspired by charity, he travelled the globe spreading everywhere the religion of Jesus Christ.

He feared neither the anger of the hostile Jews nor the tribunals of the Roman judges, neither long and difficult journeys nor scourging, shipwreck and imprisonment. The love of Christ impels us, (2 Cor. 5:14) he said. It was the love of God which drove him on and on until he met his martyrdom. But what about ourselves? We also have received grace from God. Often we hear His voice appealing to us to abandon our sinful ways, to practise virtue, to love Him more ardently and to prove our love by deeds. If we co-operate, we shall be able to say with St. Paul:by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace in me has not been fruitless, (1 Cor. 15:10) and I have labored . . . yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (Ibid.)

It is wise to recall, however, that Judas also received special graces from God. He did not correspond with them and was probably damned for eternity. If we fail to correspond with God's graces, the result will be tragic for ourselves.

3. Be not silent; Lord, be not far from me. (Ps. 34:22)

It is never really God Who is silent. He is forever appealing to us to lead good lives. He is never really far from us, but is always ready to bestow His gifts on us. Even when we have sinned, we hear His voice prompting us to thoughts of remorse. Even when we stray away from Him, He follows and asks us to return to Him. It is we who must ensure that the noise of the world will not prevent us from hearing His fatherly appeal, and that sinful temptations will not destroy His influence over us.

Let us continually implore His graces because we are always in need of them. Let us use them well so that they will enable us to gain everlasting life.

The Enemies of the Soul

1. It is Christian teaching that we have three enemies which are a constant threat to our salvation. The first is the devil, an invisible but very powerful foe.

The devil was once an angel of beauty. He had gifts superior to those of men and.was in a state of happiness. But God required from him a proof of his fidelity before he could merit the everlasting reward for which he had been destined.

Lucifer was proud of his beauty-and power. Believing that he was equal to the Most High God, he rebelled against his Creator and drew with him into eternal ruin innumerable bands of disloyal angels. Their sin was greater than ours because they had been endowed with a superior intellect and their will was not subject to the pull of the sensitive appetites of a material body. This is why God did not give them time to repent but condemned them immediately to the everlasting torments of Hell. It is false to imagine, however, that they are confined as it were, in one place. Being pure spirits, they can with God's permission wander throughout the world, carrying their hell within themselves. Moreover, they can endanger in a thousand ways our eternal salvation. The Gospel often speaks of diabolical temptations and obsessions, and St. Peter warns us to be continually on our guard against the onslaughts of the enemy. Be sober, he says, be watchful! For your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same suffering befalls your brethren all over the world. (I Peter 5:8)

It is the same now as it was in the time of Jesus and His Apostles.

We do not see this infernal spirit, but we feel his presence. Let us remember what St. Augustine wrote about him. "The devil," he said, "is a mastiff in chains. He can bark, but he cannot bite unless we yield to his evil suggestions and approach him. Watch and pray."

2. The second enemy is the world. There are so many beautiful things around us, reflecting the power and the goodness of God. These should be an invitation to us to love their Creator, and a spiritual ladder which leads us towards Him. Unfortunately, we often go astray in the midst of the passing beauty of this world. Often we set our hearts upon this beauty, our hearts which should belong wholly to God and which can find peace and happiness in Him alone. Sometimes worldly objects deceive the senses and ensnare the will. Riches, pleasures, and honours attract us and we fail to remember that everything on earth passes like a shadow and that when we shall stand before the judgment seat of God, only our good works will accompany us.

3. Our most terrible enemy, however, is in ourselves-our body, which by sinning can rebel against the soul and against God. The flesh lusts against the spirit, says St. Paul, and the spirit against the flesh. (Gal. 5:17) Although he had reached the highest peak of sanctity, Paul still complained of the temptations of the flesh, which continued to buffet his soul like messengers of Satan. (2 Cor. 12:7)

We experience carnal urges far more strongly than he did. We should resist them by faith and by prayer, keeping close to Almighty God. It is fatal to lay down our arms, for the flesh with its evil designs will seize its advantage and become the relentless tyrant of the soul. Then, under the guise of satisfying our desires, it will make us unhappy in this life and will condemn us for ever in the next.

The Good Odour of Christ

1. Everyone has an attractive side to his personality which can draw others towards good or towards evil, for a man's behaviour, countenance, and conversation reflect his inner spirit. Charm is very often a mysterious and undefinable quality. Sometimes you may meet a man of the world who has forgotten that he has an immortal soul and lives purely for pleasure. Even before he speaks to you, you can read on his lips and in his eyes the kind of man he is. If you fail to resist and to do your best to remain on a higher plane, you will be overwhelmed by the charm of his personality.

You can also encounter charm, however, in a privileged soul who is in constant contact with God. You can find it in the monk who has left the world in order to meditate on God and to pray for his own salvation and for the salvation of his brothers in Christ. You can meet it in a Saint, one of those rare men who lives in the world but thinks all the time of God. When you encounter this supernatural charm, you experience a longing to be good and holy also.

You can see a reflection of Heaven in the eyes of a Saint. When he speaks to you, words which if uttered by somebody else would have no force, stir you and urge you towards all that is good. What exactly is this quality of attractiveness? It is "the sweet odour of Christ," the spiritual fragrance of virtue. Anyone who met St. Aloysius Gonzaga felt a yearning to be pure. Anyone who heard the unadorned sermons of the Cure d'Ars wept for his sins and was set on fire with the love of God and the desire of everlasting happiness. It was the same with all the Saints. Do we influence others in this way?

2. What quality of attraction do I possess? My behaviour is the mirror of my spiritual life. If I love God and am detached from the world, especially from sin, and if I practise mortification and strive to advance in the way of Christian perfection, my personality will influence others to do good. My good example rather than my words will have a spiritual appeal for others, so that I shall be a living sermon.

Words are heard, but example attracts. It is a great misfortune for me if my sins, tepidity or vices are the true reflection of my spiritual state and lead others into evil also.

3. 1 ought to examine the way in which I behave in the church, in my family, and in society. When I am in the church, my whole being should be absorbed in prayer. My mind should be occupied with God, my heart should love Him, and my lips should praise and thank Him. Anyone who sees me praying should wish to do the same.

When I am in my own home, I should promote peace and harmony by my good example. The family is like a miniature church in which everyone should exercise some priestly function in keeping with his position.

Finally, I should carry about in society `the good odour of Christ,' the fragrance of my interior holiness. I can do this if I am not ashamed of my Christian faith and if I act constantly in perfect accordance with the evangelical precepts.

When I have examined myself on these points, I should form resolutions which will help me to improve my behaviour.

Vanity

1. God was perfectly happy in Himself from all eternity and did not need any creature to add to His glory. Nevertheless, in order to diffuse His Power and goodness He created our world in' which is reflected the harmony of His Divine Essence. Even as all things have their origin in Him, they have Him as their final end. He is the eternal harbour towards which all created things flow, even as the rivers roll continually onwards until they reach the peace of the sea. In this vast world of solar systems rotating in the firmament, of mineral and vegetable wealth and of animal creation, you are only a very tiny being who has received everything from God. Nevertheless, you are often convinced that you are important. You glory in your talents as if they belonged to you and were not a gift which God has given to you.

Vanity is a form of theft. God has given us everything, including life itself, and we act as if His gifts were our rightful possession. We boast about them, show them off in the company of others, and are delighted when we receive praise or respect. Let us imagine that we are dying and shall soon be alone in the presence of God. At that supreme moment what will earthly glory matter to us? Of what account will be human flattery and transitory success? When we are alone before God, nothing will matter except humility and the merits which we have gained. These will make us worthy of God's friendship and of a heavenly reward.

2. Vanity destroys whatever is good in our actions and makes them useless in the sight of God. It robs our good actions of all merit because they should be done only for the glory of God, whereas we are performing them for our own glory. We want them to be seen by others so that we shall be honoured by men as noble and holy.

If our actions have been motivated by self-interest rather than by the desire for the glory of God, we shall hear at the judgment seat of God the terrible condemnation: You have received your reward. (Cf. Mt. 6:2) If we have sought our own satisfaction instead of God's glory during our lifetime, we shall not receive an everlasting reward.

3. What hast thou, asks St. Paul, that thou bast not received? And i f thou hast received it, why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Cor. 4:7) Whenever we are tempted to be proud or boastful, let us reflect on these words of the Apostle of the Gentiles. In spite of the miracles which he had worked and the sacrifices which he had endured for the love of Jesus, he said: I am nothing. (2 Cor. 12:11)

If we model our lives on this outstanding example we shall have peace on earth and an everlasting reward in Heaven.

Falling Into Sin

1. The just man falls seven times, (Prov. 24:16) says the Book of Proverbs. Unfortunately, we have all experienced how true this is. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. (Cf. 1 John 1:8)

We fall often in many ways-in thought, in speech, in action, and by omission. Sometimes we fall in a moment of weakness or of impatience; at other times we sin by an act of premeditated malice. Watch and pray, Our Lord warns us, that you may not enter into temptation .(Mt. 26:41)

Our Lord also said that we must always pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1) In other words, we should have a spirit of prayer which is based on the love of God and keeps us close to Him. It is only when we are united to God that temptations cannot hurt us and we are protected by His grace from falling into deliberate sin.

It is idle to protest that this would require the virtue of an anchorite, and that we are entangled in all kinds of other business. Virtue is necessary for everybody, not only for anchorites. The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force. (Mt. 11:12) In order to attain to the kingdom of God, therefore, we have to do violence to our corrupted nature. A life of solitude is not essential for prayer, however. One can be busy from morning till night and pray continuously, so that his work is offered to God and done for the love of God. In this way work becomes prayer and will save us from falling into sin.

2. When we realise that we have fallen, what should we do about it? We must avoid two extreme and opposing kinds of reaction-hardness of heart, and an excessive anxiety which might lead to discouragement and loss of confidence in God's infinite mercy. Above all, we must avoid hardness of heart, and that accompanying state of indifference which causes us to become immersed in sin. Let us hope that we shall never foolishly boast: I have sinned, yet what has befallen me? for the Lord bides his time. Of forgiveness be not over-confident, adding sin upon sin. (Ecclus. 5:4-5) When we see that we have fallen into sin, let us cry out at once like the prodigal son: I will get up and go to my Father. (Luke 15:18) How unfortunate I am if I have lost the friendship of God! But God is an infinitely merciful father and I must throw myself into His arms and implore His forgiveness. When we have sinned, a good confession will give us God's forgiveness and peace of soul.

3. The second extreme to be avoided is discouragement, which can lead us to despair as Judas did. We know that God is entirely good and merciful. We know that Jesus died on the Cross for our salvation. How can we doubt that He will welcome us if we repent and return to Him?

No matter how grave and how numerous our sins may be, let us remember that the mercy of God is infinite. Let us remember that He is waiting for us, as his father waited for the prodigal son, and that He is following us like a shepherd who is searching for his lost sheep. He allowed us to fall in order to humble us and help us to realise that we are incapable of doing anything good by ourselves. Let us go to Him humbly and penitently, trusting He will give us the kiss of peace and forgiveness.

Uncharitableness

1. It is easy, unfortunately, to abuse the gift of speech which God has given us. If anyone does not offend in word, says St. James, he is a perfect man. (James 3:2) "As often as I have been amongst men," says the Imitation o f Christ, "I have returned less a man." (Bk. I, c. 20:2) Why is this so? It is because it is easy when we are in the company of men to enter into useless and even harmful discussions. As a result we lose the purity of intention which we ought to observe in all our thoughts, words and actions. We lose the spirit of recollection which keeps us in contact with God, and when we return home we are less perfect Christians because we are dissipated in mind and in heart.

It is true that if we were really holy and were accustomed to speak with people holier than ourselves, our conversations would be spiritually beneficial to us. We should go away more perfect men and closer to God than we were before. But what kind of conversations do we normally have with others? What kind of relations have we with our friends, with our superiors and inferiors, and with everyone whom we meet a Are our conversations inspired by a love for truth and charity and by a desire for the spiritual welfare of ourselves and of our neighbour?

Let us examine ourselves in this important matter and resolve that our conversations will be a means of sanctification for ourselves and others.

2. The tendency to complain about others is a most insidious cancer which can corrode all that is good in our conversation, making it harmful and even gravely sinful. Grumbling is always more or less sinful according to the circumstances. It may be a sin against charity, which demands that we love our neighbour as ourselves and help him as much as possible by word and by deed. It may be a sin of scandal, because the person to whom we are complaining may be provoked to throw stones in his turn at the subject of our detraction. It may be a sin of theft because it takes away the reputation of the person whom we are criticising. This could carry with it the obligation to make restitution by withdrawing what we have said if it is false or doubtful or by speaking charitably of the person whom we have wronged in order to restore his good name. Uncharitableness in speech is also a sin of injustice when it involves calumny, in which case there is an obligation to repair the damage done in the best way possible.

Since criticism of others can be such an evil thing, we should take care not to form the habit of employing it as a means of making our conversations more lively and acceptable. The life of a Christian should be governed by charity, and grumbling about others is always an offence against charity.

3. It is no excuse to claim that we only speak of matters which are true and known to all. They may be true, but God alone can judge the human conscience. They may be known to all, but by our maliciousness we are spreading evil about our neighbour, whereas we ought to try and spread only what is good. Besides being opposed to Christian charity, unkind conversation ruins whatever opportunities we may have of practising the apostolate, in which everyone is obliged to play his part. If we are apostolic, we promote our neighbour's spiritual welfare, whereas uncharitable criticism spreads evil about him and gives bad example to others.

The Gift of Speech

1. One of God's greatest gifts, the spoken word, is the reflection of our thought and the expression of our will. In God the Word is something infinitely greater, for it is the substantial image of God, the Eternal Word of the Father through Whom He knows and therefore loves Himself. It is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Because we have been created in the likeness of God, our Creator has endowed us also with a limited power to express our thoughts and sentiments.

It is hard to imagine how unhappy we should be if we could not express ourselves and were unable to communicate our ideas and feelings to others. We should feel as isolated as rocks separated from one another by vast expanses of sea, for we could neither give anything of ourselves to other men nor receive anything in return, We could not even praise God and tell Him how we love Him. God could have created us without the gift of.speech. Since He has given it to us, we should show our gratitude by using it for His glory, for our welfare, and for the salvation of our neighbour.

2. Above all, the gift of speech is intended to be used in prayer. The tongue should express externally the interior language of the mind and heart, which should be principally concerned with the adoration of our Creator. Since we have received everything which we have from God, all our gifts should be used in His service. Speech was given to us not only to enable us to speak with men, but more particularly to enable us to speak with God. Let us sanctify this gift by means of prayer. Let us take care, however, that our prayers do not remain meaningless and superficial while our minds are absorbed with other matters.

Everything in us should pray. The intellect should bow in adoration of God's majesty; the will should conform itself entirely to His law; the heart should find its true and only happiness in God; and the tongue should praise Him, implore His favour and forgiveness, and offer our whole being to Him from Whom we have received everything. This should be the primary function of speech. If this gift is employed in this way, it will gain for us many other graces and favours from God.

3. Speech was never intended to be used in lying and in deceiving our neighbour, nor in giving scandal by unkind or blasphemous conversation. It was given to us so that we might help others by conversation which would reflect our own interior goodness and so lead them towards sanctity. It was intended to express sympathy and understanding, to give good advice, and to encourage others.

The tongue can do a great deal of good or a great deal of damage.

Let us examine our consciences now. If we have failed to employ the gift of speech for our own welfare and that of our neighbour, let us begin to correct this neglect. Let us resolve to use this gift in the service of God and in the work of the Christian Apostolate.

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The New Life

1. "Only a Chrsitian," wrote Tertullian, "can be wise, sincere, and lofty." (De praescript., 3.)

He had in mind, of course, the true follower of Jesus Christ who is practising the precepts of Our Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27) You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)

A man who loves God above all things can fairly be called wise. God is the supreme good and as such should be the final end towards which we direct all our thoughts and actions. If anyone adopts his own ego or some created good as his goal in life, he is not wise because he has upset the proper scale of values. It is not true to say that we should love ourselves before anything else, because we are creatures who belong to God and should refer everything to Him. Only if we love God above all things, even above ourselves, can we really be said to love ourselves. How can we love ourselves if, in the first place, we do not love our highest good, which is God ~ Since this love must be active, it makes us faithful to God's commandments and raises us above the rest of creation to a state of immediate dependence on God. A love of all mankind flows as a natural consequence from this union of love with God. If we regard all men as our brothers in Jesus Christ, we shall be perfect Christians in the manner intended by our divine Redeemer when He desired us to be like His heavenly Father. This is the new life which Jesus came to bring into the world and which- we should nurture in ourselves. (Cf. Heb. 4:23-24)

2. Anyone who takes life seriously in the Christian sense will regard it as a difficult journey towards perfecrion and towards God. This journey will be at the same time painful and joyful. On the way there will be troubles which will sadden us and vices which will impede our progress. Our falls and defeats will cause us to be disheartened. But there will also be the grace of God to enlighten and encourage us. It is our own loss if we sit down lazily on the side of the road which should lead us to Heaven. It is even more disastrous if we acknowledge defeat and lay down the spiritual weapons of prayer and renunciation in order to surrender ourselves to sin or to indifference. Every day we should say to ourselves in the presence of God: A new life is beginning.

3. All this is hard and may demand heroism. The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force. (Mt. 11:12) We have to do violence to ourselves and to our passions, but virtue has its reward not only in Heaven but even in this life. This reward is the peace of soul which God bestows on us after we have overcome our perverse inclinations. Holiness brings with it a spiritual youth which will never pass away. A new life is beginning!

The Good Shepherd

1. The Good Shepherd is the theme of two of the most moving passages of the Gospel. I am the good shepherd, Jesus says.

The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. But the hireling, who is not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep . . . I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, even as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. (John 10:11-15)

What man of you having a hundred sheep, He says elsewhere, and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it upon his shoulders rejoicing. And on coming home he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost." I say to you that, even so, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentance. (Cf. Luke 15:4-7)

These texts vividly describe God's mercy towards poor sinners.

We may often have been amongst the lost sheep which are separated from the flock of Jesus Christ. We found, perhaps, the poisoned pastures of error and vice and strayed from the path of truth and goodness. But what happened? We experienced disillusionment and remorse and knew that we had lost our only real good, which is God. How sad our fate would have been if the Good Shepherd, Jesus, had not come to look for us and to enlighten us with His grace. We should have been lost for ever in the desert of sin.

2. Now read another touching Gospel parable. A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me." And he divided his means between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered up all his wealth, and took his journey into afar country; and there he squandered his fortune in loose living. And after he had spent all, there came a grievous famine over that country, and he began himself to suffer want. And he went and joined one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his farm to feed swine. And he longed to fill himself with the pods that the swine were eating, but no one offered to give them to him.

But when he came to himself, he said, "How many hired men in my father's house have bread in abundance, while I am perishing here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am no longer worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired men." And he arose and went to his father.

But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am no longer worthy to be called thy son." But the father said to his servants, "Fetch quickly the best robe and put it on him, and give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet; and bring out the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; because this my son was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and is found." (Cf. Luke 15:11-24)

3. More than anything else in Scripture, this parable proclaims God's mercy towards sinners. Even if we have fallen, there is no need to be afraid, for the helping hand of God is stretched out to raise us up. Everything will be forgiven as long as we are sincerely repentant like the prodigal son. Remember that the mercy and justice of God are equally infinite.

The Tabernacle Lamp

1. We should find time every day to pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus Christ is present in all the churches of the world as a voluntary prisoner of love. He is waiting for us. I will not leave you orphans, (John 14:18) He promised, for He loves us with an infinite love which knows no limits of time or place. He has been there throughout the centuries in every corner of the globe, from the splendid cathedrals in the noisy cities to the humble little chapels of the lonely Missions. No matter where we go, we can find the King of Kings enthroned within the Tabernacle, waiting lovingly for us.

Since we need Him so much, why do we not go to Him? We have many things to do, but this is the first and most necessary. It will often require some little sacrifice to spend a quarter of an hour before the Tabernacle, but nothing good can ever be achieved without sacrifice.

Moreover, Jesus deserves this sacrifice, for did He not give Himself entirely for us? Does He not continue to sacrifice Himself in the Sacrament and in the Sacrifice of the altar? Let us go to Jesus every day and we shall find comfort for our souls.

When we kneel in front of the Tabernacle and speak with Jesus, we shall feel confident that He is listening to us. We shall be certain that He sympathises with our weaknesses, understands our needs, and is anxious to enrich us with His graces.

2. Look up at the lamp quietly glowing before the Tabernacle in honour of the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus. We also should be like living lamps of love.

The lamp burns night and day in the Presence of Jesus and burns itself out for Him. For what do we wear out our lives? In useless and unnecessary projects, perhaps for worldly reasons, for the satisfaction of our own ego or of our passions? We shall certainly never find peace this way, but only disillusionment and remorse.

The lamp is a light in the darkness. Our lives should be a light of good example to others.

The lamp has a flame which gives heat. We should burn with love for God, our one and only good, and for all men, whom we should regard as our brothers in Jesus Christ.

The lamp is raised above the ground and is suspended from the ceiling by three chains. We should be above earthly things and should be attached to Heaven by the three chains of faith, hope and charity. As the lamp opens out only on top, so should we be open to Heavenly inspirations and closed to worldly preoccupations. God should be the centre of our thoughts, and our lives should be dedicated to Him. In this way we shall find peace on earth and happiness hereafter.

3. The Tabernacle lamp keeps Jesus company by night and by day. We should keep Him company too. We could not remain on our knees for ever in front of the Tabernacle; neither could most of us spend as long as the Saints did in intimate conversation with Jesus. But our hearts can remain with Jesus and can burn with love for Him like the flame of the lamp. It is easy to remain in union with Jesus by doing everything, even the most unimportant actions, from the motive of love for Him. We can offer Him all our sufferings and joys, and whatever sacrifices we make in order to remain good. As the magnetic needle of the mariner's compass is fixed in the direction of the north, so our thoughts and affections should be always turned towards Jesus.

Moments of Silence

1. Such is the speed of modern life that many people forget God and do not even pause to think about themselves. Action is everything. There is no time for reflection, no time for prayer. Life has become mechanical and superficial, for nobody has the time nor the inclination to think about spiritual matters.

What is the result? Since men are not machines but living beings composed of soul and body, and are capable of feeling and of passion, their lower inclinations break loose and insist on being satisfied. In the absence of prayer and of all effort to lead a good life, grace is lacking to inspire the mind, to strengthen the will and to keep the heart pure. Rapid materialistic progress has accustomed men to accept as inevitable the most shameful falls. The absence of any kind of contact with God makes the soul the slave of sin.

Examine yourself. Perhaps you have not yet sunk to this low level of spirituality and are still capable of feeling remorse and the urge to do good. But you must listen for God's voice, and a certain amount of silence is necessary if His voice is not to be drowned in the tumult of the world. We are in real need of solitude, recollection and prayer.

2. Even though the Apostles lived in times which were very different from ours, they were asked by our divine Master to spend a little time in solitude and recollection. They had been sent by Jesus to preach in the villages of Palestine and had been successful in their mission. When they returned they told our divine Redeemer with some satisfaction what they had accomplished in His name and with His grace. They may have been inclined to boast a little, and it is quite certain that they had become spiritually dissipated as a result of their work. So Jesus said to them: Come apart into a desert place and rest a while. (Mark 6:21; Mt. 14:13; Luke9:10; John 6:1)

We must take this advice also, for a certain amount of silence and recollection is absolutely essential. We should go on retreat every year and set aside one day every month for the same purpose. We need to spend at least a quarter of an hour every day in meditation, if possible a quarter of an hour in conversation with Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist or, if we cannot do any better, an interval of prayer in some other secluded place. If we have not been doing at least this much, let us make sure to do so in future.

3. Solitude and recollection will make our lives more peaceful and more purposeful and will enable us to co-operate with God's grace by striving to become more perfect. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, says St. Paul, and put on the new man, which has been created according to God injustice and in holiness. (Eph. 4:23-24)

The turmoil of a purely external life leads to hardness of heart, tepidity and sin. Recollection and prayer place us in contact with God, Who will give us the grace to lead holy lives.

St. Paul the Apostle

1. St. Paul was by nature fiery and zealous. Once he discovered the truth, he was ready to die for it. Originally he was convinced that Judaism contained the whole truth, and for this reason he hated the Christians, whom he regarded as a sect which had corrupted the sacred Hebrew tradition. The deacon Stephen was the first victim of his persecuting zeal. As he was being stoned and beaten to death this saintly young man prayed for his persecutors. It may be that in this moment his eyes, shining with faith and love, encountered those of the man who hated him. Soon afterwards Saul (this was Paul's real name) left Jerusalem for Damascus carrying letters investing him with new powers for the persecution of the infant Church. On the way this headstrong but sincere enemy of Christianity was suddenly dazzled by a light from Heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a mysterious voice saying: Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? Terrified, he answered: Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus, the voice said, whom thou art persecuting. (Acts 9: 1-5) From that day Saul was changed completely. Under the influence of divine grace he became the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Before he set out on his missionary journeys Paul went apart into the desert of Arabia, (Cf. Gal. 1:17) where he remained some time in prayer and recollection. Then he went to Jerusalem to pay homage to the Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter (Gal. 1:18). After this he began his apostolic travels, in the course of which he encountered all kinds of hardship and danger. The Jews frequently hunted him in order to put him to death. He was often cruelly scourged and flung into prison, and several times he was shipwrecked and had miraculous escapes from death. (Cf. 2 Cor. 11: 23-27) He bore everything joyfully however, in order to prove his love for Jesus Christ. Charity was always his main incentive. The love of Christ impels us. (2 Cor. 5:14) Charity, he said himself, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (Cf. 1 Cor. 13:4-13) His charity was so great that he could truthfully say: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not inflamed? (2 Cor. 11:19)

St. Paul could make this claim because his heart had become identified with the Heart of Jesus. Therefore he could say: It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me; (Gal. 2:20) and: For me to live is Christ and to die is gain; (Phil. 1:21) and: I am hard pressed from both sides-desiring to depart and to be with Christ, a lot by far the better; yet to stay on in the flesh is necessary for your sake. (Phil. 1:23-24)

Let us meditate on this ardent love of God. Let us cast aside our coldness and indifference and ask St. Paul to set us on fire with divine charity.

2. We can learn other virtues from St. Paul besides his zealous love for God and for his fellowmen. We can also learn from him the virtues of humility and of apostolic fervour. The Apostle of the Gentiles reached such heights of sanctity as to feel himself transformed into Christ Himself and to deserve to be taken up into the third Heaven where he enjoyed a foretaste of eternal happiness. Nevertheless, he considered himself unworthy to be called an Apostle and realised that all his gifts came to him from God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Cor. 3:5) Whenever we succeed in any project we should think on the same lines, because it is only when we are humble and depend on the grace of God that the success of our actions will redound to the glory of our Creator. If the cancer of ambition or of self-love should corrupt our purity of intention, our work would not be blessed by God and would not make us worthy of everlasting life. Let us repeat often: "All for You, with You and in You, my God."

3. "Always breathe the life of Christ; place your trust in Him; and live as if every day were your last." (St. Athanasius, "Life of St. Anthony," n. 91.)

St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

1. Jesus was walking one day along the shore of the Sea of Galilee when He saw two fishermen casting their nets into the water. He approached them and said: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Mark 1:17) These two fishermen were brothers named Simon and Andrew. The divine Master won their hearts immediately, so that they left their boat and their nets and followed Jesus. Simon was later called Peter and became the leader of the Apostles.

Peter's generosity and great love for Jesus are evident in the pages of the Gospel. When our Lord foretold the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, many of His disciples were scandalised and left Him. "Do you also wish to go away?" Jesus asked His Apostles. St. Peter answered Him without delay. Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou bast words of everlasting life, and we have come to believe and to know that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. (John 6:69) On another occasion Jesus asked His disciples: Who do men say the Son of Man is ? The Apostles hesitated and began to suggest the names of various Prophets. But St. Peter was inspired to make the reply: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then our Lord appointed him Head of the Church. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jona . . . thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whrtever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. (Mt. 16: 15-19) By these words there was instituted the loftiest and most ancient of the dynasties, the Papacy. The successors of St. Peter will rule the Church to the end of time and no power, neither persecution nor heresy, neither human tyranny nor false civilisation, will ever succeed in destroying this citadel of truth and goodness.

When a band of hired ruffians arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, His-disciples were terrified and did nothing. Peter was the only one to show any courage, drawing his sword in defence of his divine Master. Later Jesus was brought in chains before the Sanhedrin and was condemned to death. Peter had not the heart to leave Him to His fate. He was too generous for that, even if he was too hasty and went on to deny Jesus three times. But he repented quickly and regretted his fault for the rest of his life. Even in his sin we can discern Peter's generosity of spirit.

Before he went to Rome, Peter had flouted the authority of the Synagogue of Jerusalem and had endured prison and undertaken long journeys in the course of his mission. Providence brought him to Rome, where he established the Roman Church which he was to sanctify by the shedding of his blood. He was crucified close to the Vatican hill from which his successors would one day govern the Christian world. His martyrdom bestowed an invincible strength upon the Church for all time.

2. It is good to admire the fidelity of St. Peter and the designs of divine Providence in making him the visible Head of the Church, but it is far better to follow his example. His love for Jesus led him to leave his family and his fisherman's trade in order to follow Our Lord. It led him to undertake long voyages, to endure imprisonment, and to face martyrdom. What can we do for the love of Jesus? Remember that if love is to be sincere it must be generous and effective.

Secondly, let us meditate on and imitate the ardent and fearless faith of St. Peter. He was not afraid to preach the teaching of Christ before the Sanhedrin. He was not afraid of Herod, who cast him into prison. He was not afraid of the Roman Emperor, who caused him to be crucified. Our faith should be steadfast and lively like his.

Finally, let us imitate Peter in his repentance. Although he loved Jesus very much and had such great faith in Him, in a moment of weakness and of imprudence he denied Him three times. All his life, however, he wept bitterly for this sin. Whenever he heard a cock crowing, it was as if an arrow had pierced his heart. He was not satisfied until he was hanging upon the cross like his divine Master and could prove his love for Jesus by a martyr's death.

3. Protect your people, 0 Lord, and keep them safe always, trusting as they do in the protection of your Apostles, Peter and Paul. Amen.

Steadfastness in Suffering

1. We are all obliged to suffer in soul and body. Suffering begins at birth and ends at death. "The whole life of a Christian is a cross," (Sermon 31) says St. Augustine. For this reason we have to develop the virtue of patience. Let patience have its perfect work, says St. James, that you may be perfect and entire.(James 1:4) If we are to be perfect, we must accept sufferings and trials from the hands of God and offer them to Him in a spirit of harmony with His holy will. In this way all our actions become valuable, for they are acts of reparation and of love which will be rewarded in Heaven. Both our joys and our sorrows are sanctified if we offer them to God, Who arranges everything for our own good. The Saints longed to suffer because they loved God and knew that suffering is the only true way in which we can prove our love. Suffering is the best medicine for the soul, for when it is endured with patience it purifies us and prepares us for Heaven. "If God does not punish you for your sins," says St. Augustine, "it is a sign that you are no longer counted among His sons." (Lib. de Pass., c. 5.) Whom the Lord loves, he chastises, St. Paul writes, and he scourges every son whom he receives.(Heb. 12:6)

Suffering is in fact a gift from God. It reminds us that we have not been created for this world, but for Heaven, in prepa­ration for which we must carry our cross with patience in the footsteps of Jesus. No matter what we do, we must suffer. Either we bear trials patiently and gain an increase of merit, or we rebel against them and gain no merit at all. When we suffer, let us think of the two thieves, both of whom were tortured in the same way. But the good thief accepted his torments with patience in reparation for his sins and was saved, while the bad thief rebelled against his sufferings and was most probably damned forever.

2. When we feel depressed, or when we are tempted to strike out angrily against human injustice and misunderstanding, there are two considerations which should help us to be patient. (1) The first is the reflection that everything comes to us from God or is at least permitted by Him. Why should we rebel against the will of God? Jesus was innocence itself, yet He willed to suffer for love of us. Are we unwilling to suffer for love of Him (2) The second is the realisation that we are sinners who have offended God many times and deserve to be punished. It is necessary to accept patiently all the sufferings which God sends us in expiation of our sins. We are receiving what our deeds deserved. (Luke 23:41) Above all, we ought to resolve never to give way to anger in word or in deed when we are offended. On these occasions we should wait until we have calmed down and have asked God for peace of mind. Before we do anything we need time for reflection and prayer. If we act in this way we shall not have to be sorry afterwards. Patience can help us to achieve anything and will eventually help us to gain Heaven.

3. Christ has suffered for you, leaving you an example that you may follow in his steps. (I Peter 2:21)

External Mortification

1. The interior mortification of self-love and of our sensual inclinations is not enough. Bodily mortification is also necessary. St. Paul provides the reason. The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. (Gal. 5:17)

Original sin disturbed the perfect harmony which existed between man's body and soul. I see another law in my members, said the Apostle Paul, warring against the law of my mind. (Rom. 7:23) Even when he was caught up to the third heaven, he experienced the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit. (2 Cor. 12:7)

There is no such struggle between the flesh and the spirit in brute animals, which are concerned only with the satisfaction of their sensible appetites. It is because he is endowed with reason and an immortal soul that man experiences this conflict. The result is that either the soul is conquered and becomes the slave of man's lower instincts or the soul is victorious and uses the body as an instrument of virtue.

We can see from this how necessary it is to mortify our bodies so that they will not rebel against the mastery of the soul. Our body will be either the faithful servant or the relentless tyrant of the soul.

Mortification and penance are the only methods of keeping the body under control. I chastise my body, says St. Paul, and bring it into subjection. (1 Cor. 9:27) He cites the example of competitors in the arena who abstain from everything which could prevent them winning. If they are prepared to do this, he adds, in order to gain a perishable crown, we should be even more prepared to abstain from anything which could interfere with us obtaining an everlasting reward. (1 Cor. 25)

Unless you repent, Our Lord had already said, you will all perish. (Luke 13:5) The Saints appreciated the severity of this warning and subjected themselves to incredible mortifications such as lengthy fasts, bloody scourgings, and privation of sleep and personal comforts.

What penances do I perform? Little or none, perhaps? If so, it is not surprising that my body rebels and causes me to fall into sin. We must follow the example of the Saints in this matter if we wish to remain in the state of grace.

2. In the first place, we must accept with resignation from the hands of Christ all the sufferings and humiliations which we encounter during life. Not only should we accept them, but we should offer them to God as a proof of our love. The Saints were happy to suffer for the sake of Jesus; we should at least suffer with resignation in expiation of our sins. This is still not enough, however. They who belong to Christ, St. Paul warns us, have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:24) Salvation is impossible without voluntary penance. (Cf. Luke 13:5) It is false piety to insist that we should not treat cruelly the body which God has given us. Such an attitude of indulgence could cause the loss of the soul, which is a far greater treasure. As St. Paul writes, the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18)

Suffering voluntarily undertaken for the sake of Jesus purifies the soul and gives us a great peace when we see the body subdued and converted into an instrument for the sanctification of ourselves and of others.

3. Principle: So great is the happiness which is in store for me that it is a pleasure for me to suffer. (St. Francis of Assisi.)

Interior Mortification

1. In the spiritual life, as in the physical order, death is the beginning of life. Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it; and he who hates his life in this world, keeps it unto life everlasting. (John 12: 24-25)

This passage of the Gospel epitomises the doctrine of Christian mortification-it is necessary to die to ourselves in order to live in God. Anyone who is full of himself and of worldly matters has no room in his heart for God. It is not possible, as St. Alphonsus points out, to fill a vase with earth and then to fill it with water. There is no room left for the water, and if a little of it enters the vase it is no longer pure water, but muddy.

We must empty ourselves of ourselves and of worldly things in order to fill ourselves with God. Jesus told us this quite clearly. If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself. (Mt. 16:24)

If anyone denies himself in order to do God's will in all things, he has achieved real interior mortification. Moreover, he has perfect peace, which consists in being established in the love of God.

This does not mean that all self-love is wrong. In fact, there are two kinds of self-love. We can love our own true good, which is God, and therefore desire to live in harmony with this supreme good in this life in order to enjoy it as our eternal reward. This kind of self love is founded on the love of God, Who is the main reason why we love ourselves. But if we prefer our own pleasure and satisfaction to God, then our selflove is disproportionate and wrong and leads us into sin.

The first thing we must do, therefore, is to mortify our inordinate self-love. In other words, we must deny ourselves in matters where self-love is keeping us apart from God, Whom we should love more than anything else in life.

2. In the process of mortifying self-love, we mortify our other passions also, because it is the origin of them all. It is as well to bear in mind, however, that no matter how much we curb our passions, they never die. We need to be always on our guard for fear that they may reassert themselves too strongly.

It is necessary for us to increase our love for God because, as St. Augustine points out, it is divine charity which conquers our passions. Constant prayer and union with God also help us to achieve interior mortification. Prayer without mortification is an illusion which does not last long, so that it is necessary to combine fervent prayer with self-denial.

We may not be capable of the extraordinary mortification which the Saints practised, because our health or the obligations of our state in life may make these impossible for us. But if we deny ourselves often in small matters, these will be so many steps in the ladder which will help us to reach Christian perfection.

3. Principles:

If you desire to love God and to become holy, mortification will be a source of joy.

Resist your evil inclinations at once so that they cannot grow in strength. Readily accept from God any difficulties which you encounter. Abandon yourself entirely to His will.

Purity of Intention

1. Purity of intention consists in doing the will of God in all things from the motive of pure love. We should not be egocentric, but theocentric; in other words, we should perform all our actions, not for our own satisfaction, but to please God. Since God is our final end, everything should be done for Him. Why are we so often agitated and discontented? It is because we are looking for success and for the approval of men. If we do not get these, we imagine that we have failed and have accomplished nothing.

Men judge the value of an enterprise by its external success and by the amount of work which went into it. It is not so with God. He judges the value of our actions from the sincerity of our desire to please Him and to prove our love for Him. This is enough for Him; success is not necessary. If we do everything for the love of God, we shall always be content as the Saints were, whether our projects succeed or fail. We shall have achieved our purpose if we have pleased God.

Purity of intention in our actions is fundamental in the Christian life. If thy eye be sound, Jesus Himself tells us, thy whole body will be full of life. But if thy eye be evil, thy whole body will he full of darkness. (Mt. 6:22) Man seeth those things that appear; but the Lord beholdeth the heart. (I Kings 16:7)

A man who works solely for the love of God will have great peace of soul in this life and an everlasting reward in the next. But if in our actions we seek our own satisfaction or the praise of men, we shall have already received our reward on earth and cannot expect to receive it in Heaven. They have received their reward. (Mt. 6:2)

Purity of intention, inspired by the love of God, transforms even our most trivial actions and makes them pleasing to God. Without it we lose all merit in the sight of God.

Do you remember the Gospel incident of the poor widow who offered her last two coins in the Temple ? Others were there offering up large sums of money, but she could not have given more. Amen I say to you, said Jesus, this poor widow has put in more than all those who have been putting money into the treasury. (Mk. 12:41-44)

2. St. Alphonsus indicates the signs by which we can judge whether our actions are performed from the pure intention of pleasing God. (1) The first sign is that you are not disturbed when your projects are unsuccessful, but retain the same composure as if you had succeeded. This will be the case when you are working for God alone, so that once you realise that God has not desired your efforts to succeed, you no longer desire it either. You know that He is not concerned with the outcome of your work, but only with whether you have undertaken it with the purpose of pleasing Him. (2) The second proof is that you are as pleased with the good which is worked by means of others as if it had been achieved through you. (3) The third sign is that you do not long for one position rather than another, but are content with whatever Providence has arranged for you, so that you seek- only to please God in everything which you do. (4) The final proof is that you do not look for approval or gratitude because of your good actions. If you are not appreciated or are ill-treated in any way, you retain your peace of mind because you have already achieved your purpose, which was to please God by working for love of Him. (Cf. Al Divino Servizio II, 7)

3. Principles:

God alone is deserving of all our love.

We should do everything which we should wish to have done at the hour of death.

We should live on earth as if nothing else existed but God and ourselves. (Ibid)

Belonging Entirely to God

1. Willing or unwilling, we belong entirely to God. God created us from nothing, and all that we have is His - soul and body, material and spiritual gifts, and the world in which we live.

God has given us everything, and at any moment He can take away the life which He gave us. It is useless, indeed senseless, to rebel against Him or to try and release ourselves from His absolute dominion. Admittedly, He has given us free will and we can disobey and offend Him, but even if we do so we still belong completely to-God and He has absolute power over us.

He has created us for Himself alone, for He is the final goal of all things. We can never escape from His authority.

Do we rebel and hurl towards God the cry of Satan: "I will not serve"? Even if we do, whether we are in sin or in the depths of hell we still belong to Him. We shall have to bear eternal witness to His infinite love and mercy, as well as to His infinite justice.

We have been created for God's glory, and God is glorified both in His goodness and in His justice. We should meditate deeply on this tremendous concept. How much better it is for us to belong wholly to God in love and in obedience than in the chastisement of His justice. How much better it is to obey and serve Him as our Sovereign Lord, to honour Him as our Father, and to love Him as the Spouse of our souls.

All our thoughts and desires should, therefore, be directed to Him and all our plans and actions should be offered to Him. If we are attached to worldly possessions and persons, if we arc vain and ambitious, and if we yield to our passionate inclinations, our hearts do not belong completely to God. We are guilty of theft if we do not offer our hearts entirely to God, because they are entirely His. Moreover, we do ourselves a grave injury, because we can find nothing but disillusionment in the love of creatures and in the satisfaction of our senses. God alone can fully satisfy our hearts, which were made for Him alone.

2. Let us reflect on the extent to which God is deserving of all our love. He is our Creator, our final end, and our Redeemer Jesus was not satisfied with giving us part of Himself, but He gave us Himself completely. Although as God He was infinite, He could not have given us more.

One drop of His blood or a solitary tear would have sufficed to redeem us from our sins. But He shed His blood to the last drop and gave His life for us. Better still, He willed to remain amongst us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as our constant spiritual nourishment.

3. What more could He have done in order to merit our love If He has loved us as much as to give us Himself completely, why are we grudging in our relations with Him? Why do we share our hearts between Him and the world, or worse still, between Him and sin 2 There is nothing to prevent us from loving creatures as well as God, but they should be loved in God and for God. They should form a ladder which enables us to climb towards God. Every disproportionate affection, whether in regard to ourselves or to others, is an injury to God. If we really belong entirely to God, we should be at peace. Since virtue is difficult, it is difficult to belong completely to God, but the effort gives us a foretaste of the happiness of Heaven. If we really love God, nothing is difficult, but everything seems simple and pleasant. Perfect union with God will give us the pure joy which the Saints experienced.

Spiritual Communion

1. Anyone who sincerely loves Jesus Christ will not be satisfied with receiving Him daily in the Blessed Eucharist. Often during the day he will feel the need of uniting himself again to the divine Spouse in an act of love. This is what is known as spiritual Communion. It is a natural and spontaneous act for a true lover of Jesus.

I am the vine, yon are the branches, Jesus has told us. He who abides in nie, and I in him, he bears much fruit ... as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. (Cf. John 15:4) Since the supernatural life flows into our souls from Jesus, we must maintain our union with Him even when He is not sacramentally present. It is true that the divine grace remains in us as long as we do not fall into mortal sin, but it grows weaker under the influence of worldly attractions and temptations. It is necessary to revive the grace that is in us when we feel that it is waning. For this purpose Spiritual Communion is very useful, for it is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (Summa Theologiae, III, q. 8, a.1 ad 3) and an outpouring of live in which we beseech Jesus to come and take complete possession of our hearts. This practice was recommended by the Council of Trent (Session XIII, c. 8) and was frequently used by the Saints in order to keep alive the fire of divine charity in their souls and to guard themselves against the onslaughts of the world, the flesh, and the devil. If we act in the same manner, Jesus will always be within us and we shall always be in Jesus. If God lives in us, who can harm use? If God is for us, who is against us? (Rom. 8:31)

2. Jesus not only desires to come to us, but He desires to remain continually present in us with His love and grace. If anyone love me, he will keep my word, He tells us, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. (John 14:23) It is enough for us to love Him and to be ready to keep His commandments. Such an act of sincere and effective love for Jesus will cause Him to enter and to remain in our hearts even after the sacramental species has been consumed. This is Spiritual Communion, which consists mainly in the yearning for Jesus. I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled? (Luke 12:49)

3. St. Thomas calls the Eucharist "the Sacrament of love." (Opusc. 38:25) When love is ardent and sincere it longs for constant contact with the beloved. Spiritual Communion can be made in a single instant, for it requires only an act of faith and an act of love. Jesus, come into my heart, for I have need of You. I love You, my Jesus; keep me close to You always.

Ejaculation: 0 Jesus, I cling to You with all my heart.

Frequent Communion

1. Even as our bodies need their daily sustenance of food to restore the energy which they have lost, so it is with our souls. The nourishment of the soul is the grace of God. There is no better way of acquiring and increasing this grace than by Holy Communion, because Communion gives us Jesus Himself, Who is the origin of grace. Spiritual perfection consists in union with God. We can achieve perfect union with God in Holy Communion, by means of which we live the life of Jesus. He who eats me, he also shall live because of me. (John 6:58)

Anyone who loves Jesus fervently receives Holy Communion every day. If a man does not do this, it is a sign that he does not love Jesus perfectly. The early Christians were continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread in their houses; (Cf. Acts 2:46) in other words they received Communion every day. It was Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist Who nourished their faith and gave them the strength to endure martyrdom. This custom prevailed in many places up to the time of St. Jerome and St. Augustine, who wrote "This is your daily bread; receive it daily in order to benefit daily from it." (De Verbo Domini, Serm. 28) To those who believed that they were unworthy to receive every day, St. Ambrose said: "A man who is unworthy to receive every day will still be unworthy in a year's time." (Bk. 5, De Sacramentis, c. 4)

We should not stay away from daily Communion because of our unworthiness nor because of our lapses into sin. "Because I am always sinning," said St. Ambrose, "I am always in need of medicine." (Ibid) Humility is the basic virtue necessary in a Christian, but it should not be a reason for abstaining from Holy Communion. St. Thomas commented that, although it may be pleasing to God to stay away from Holy Communion out of humility, He is far better pleased with the love and confidence of a soul that receives Him. (Cf. Summa Theologiae, III, q. 8, a. 10 ad. 3) The Church, like Jesus, desires us to receive Communion daily, although it only binds us under pain of sin to receive once a year during Paschaltide in accordance with the decree of Innocent III, which was confirmed by the Council of Trent. We are also required to receive the Blessed Eucharist if we are in danger of death.

2. For the practice of daily Communion, however, we should have the approval of our confessor. We should be fully determined to preserve ourselves free from every sin, especially from grave sin, for otherwise we could not approach the Eucharistic table. (If anyone receives Jesus with mortal sin on his soul, he commits a terrible sacrilege.) This practice, moreover, should help us to avoid every deliberate imperfection and venial sin, and should inspire in us a lively spirit of Christian charity. "Receive Communion everyday," said St. Augustine, "because it will help you every day ... but you must live in a manner which will entitle you to communicate daily." (De Verbo Domini, Sermon 28)

Frequent Communion, therefore, will enable us to set out upon the road to perfection without relaxing in our resolution and without any false scruples. "Two kinds of people," wrote St. Francis de Sales, "should receive Communion frequently: the perfect and the imperfect; the perfect in order to preserve their holiness, the imperfect in order to reach perfection." (Introduction to the Devout Life, c. 21) Let us ask the advice of our regular confessor. We shall be fortunate if we can approach the Sacred Banquet every day, or at least very often, for we shall be sure that we are on the path to holiness.

3. Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for You.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

1. St. Aloysius Gonzaga is one of the outstanding models of holy purity for young and old alike. We are told that when he was nine years of age and was in the city of Florence, he went to the Church of the Annunziata to pray before the picture of our Blessed Lady. It was then that he experienced the ardent desire to consecrate himself to God. He was the eldest son of Prince Ferdinand Gonzaga and, therefore, heir to his father's title. But from this moment he was determined to spend his life in the service of God. He made a vow of perpetual chastity and placed himself under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.

Now his life became a continual ascent towards perfection. His chastity, which he had offered to Our Lady, remained spotless until his death. The spirit of evil could make no headway against his angelic virtue. This was a grace which he merited as a result of his prayers and penances. He often spent three or four hours kneeling in prayer and contemplation. Even at night he rose from his bed in order to pray. His mind and heart were in Heaven rather than upon earth. His prayer was an intimate conversation with Jesus, Mary, and the Saints. Innocent though he was, he practised severe mortifications. Believing himself to be a great sinner, he scourged his body until his blood flowed freely, and deprived himself of food and sleep.

Do we wish to preserve our purity and to become saints: If so, let us remember that without prayer and mortification this is impossible. Jesus said to His disciples that they must always pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1) Pray, He said again, that yon may not enter into temptation, (Luke 22:40) and further: Unless yon repent, you will all perish . (Luke 13:5)

2. One might say that the entire life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a miracle of purity and of heroic penance. The source of his sanctity was the ardent love of God which he cherished from his childhood days. He loved God above all things and with all his strength. Therefore, long hours of prayer were a joy to him; the service of God in the Society of Jesus was his main desire; and mortification was a loving offering which he made in expiation of the sins of men.

The heart of St. Aloysius, however, was not closed to men because of its supreme love for God. His love for God overflowed into a vast love for his fellowmen. He finally fell a victim to his own heroic charity. When he was only twenty-four years of age he devoted himself so earnestly to the care of those who had been stricken down by a plague that he caught the infection and died a peaceful death. In his final moments he smiled and announced that he was happy to be leaving this world.

Do we desire to merit as peaceful and holy a death as this a Let us imitate St. Aloysius by living lives of purity henceforth, even if we have not always been as faithful as.he was in this regard. Let us imitate also his love for God and for his neighbour, his spirit of penance, and his fervour in prayer.

3. St. Aloysius, obtain for me from God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, purity of life, the spirit of penance and of prayer, and a great love for God and for my neighbour.