Our Dominant Passions

1. Among the passions which disturb us, there is one pre­dominant tendency which is our particular weakness. Perhaps we are not aware what it is, but those who have to live with us know it well. It is essential for us to know it also in order to make it a special objective in our spiritual combat.

This information may be obtained by praying earnestly to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to know ourselves, by making a daily examination of conscience, and by seeking the advice of our confessor, of our spiritual director, and of any sincere friend. It is our predominant passion which most often leads us into sin. It recurs in all our confessions and we have great difficulty in overcoming it. The predominant passion of Cain was envy, which he failed to combat in time, so that eventually it caused him to commit fratricide. Lust was the predominant passion of Mary Magdalen and of St. Augustine and until they managed to control it, it led them into many grave errors. It was because the Apostle Judas neglected to struggle against his own avarice that he became a traitor. There are others who are inordinately proud and ambitious, and still others who are governed by a craving for pleasure.

What is your predominant passion? You must know what it is in order to combat it determinedly, for otherwise it will lead you into one sin after another until you are eternally ruined.

2. Holy and God-fearing people know their own particular weakness. They accept it as a cross and will not rest until they have conquered it with God's help. The battle cannot be won in a day, but in most cases takes a great many years. Often the ultimate victory is not gained until the hour of death.

It has been said that self-love dies three days after ourselves. We are enormously attached to our own ego, and humility is a very difficult virtue to acquire. Sometimes we have struggled for years to gain it and, quite suddenly, we meet with another disastrous fall. It would be easy to be overcome by discourage­ment at this stage, but this should not be allowed to happen. When we fall we should say to God in our repentance: "It is good for me to be humbled." To ourselves we should say immediately: "Let us begin all over again!"

St. Francis de Sales was endowed by nature with a sharp and hasty temperament, against which he fought for many years with great determination and reliance on God's help. Finally, he conquered and came to be regarded as an angel of peace. Nevertheless, even in the later years of his life, he still experienced inward tendencies towards anger, so that his exterior gentleness was really a supreme act of virtue.

3. We can conquer our predominant passion by the following means

(a) Fervent prayer.

(b) A daily examination of conscience, in the course of which we shall discover whether we have made any progress in the way of perfection, and shall renew our good resolutions.

(c) Weekly or at least fortnightly confession.

(d) Daily or at least frequent communion.

(e) Avoidance of the occasions of sin and employment of the necessary means to overcome sin.

(f) The performance of good actions which are opposed to our predominant passion.

(g) Determination to fight and to conquer, because we are

convinced that it is absolutely necessary to do so.

There can be no half-measures, for the only alternative to victory is defeat. If we are conquered, we shall be slaves of passion in this life and shall be everlastingly unhappy in the next.

Our Passions

1. Our passions are not essentially sinful. They can open the way to evil, but they can also lead us towards perfection. Every­thing depends on how we control and direct them. They are impulses which are at the same time valuable and dangerous.

Human nature was wounded as a result of original sin. The soul was disobedient to God, and the lower faculties rebelled against right reason. Hence the disturbance of our passions. What should our attitude be in regard to this problem? Should we suppress or obliterate our passions, as some of the Stoics would have done a It is, in fact, impossible to do this, for our passions are innate natural forces which cannot be destroyed. What we should do is guide and control them. If the dykes are burst, a strongly flowing river can cause havoc, but if its course is wisely directed it irrigates the soil and makes it fertile. It is the same with our natural inclinations, which "can be used to form a saint, but can also make a brigand." (Cordovani, Breviario Spirituale, p. 66)

A man with a fiery and aggressive temperament can use his natural impulses under God's guidance to combat vice in himself and in others. One who is haughty and ambitious by nature can convert his ambition into a quest for the true and lasting glory of Heaven. Finally, a passionate man who feels the need to love and to be loved can find a partial remedy in Christian friendship. Most of all, however, he can find repose in the love of God.

2. It is a hard thing to control and to direct our natural inclinations. It requires perseverance, sacrifice, and the grace of God, for which we should always pray.

Often this struggle will last a lifetime, and we can still fall even after many years of combat. It is important, however, never to give up. If a man accepts defeat and quietly submits to the tyranny of sinful passion, he is lost for ever. It is a poor outlook also for a Christian who ends up by being satisfied with a life of worthless mediocrity. We must fight hard, pray fervently, and value nothing higher than the love of Christ. When we are finally victorious, our joy will be greater than any happiness which the world can give.

3. Let us be vigilant in the control of our passions. As soon as they tempt us to do anything contrary to right reason and the divine law, let us renew our resolutions and implore the help of God. "O God," let us pray, "I wish to love You above all things. I wish neither to contemplate nor intend nor do any­thing which could offend You in any way." This is the only way in which we shall find peace and an easy conscience for, as The Imitation of Christ says, "whenever a man desireth any thing inordinately, straightaway he is disquieted within himself." (Imit. of Christ, Bk. 1, c. 6) "It is by resisting the passions," it continues, "and not by serving them, that true peace of heart is to be found." (Ibid.)

The Voice of God

1. God speaks to us in many ways by means of created things. We see his glory in the stars of the firmament, (Cf. Ps. 13:2) in the seas, mountains and valleys, and in the trees and flowers. St. Therese was once examining the petals of a flower when she exclaimed: "How good thou art,O God!"

God also speaks within us. Sometimes He sees how absorbed we are in worldly affairs and He stirs up in us a restlessness and a longing for Heaven. When we fall into sin, He pricks us with remorse and appeals to us to rise again, making us realise that everything else is empty and futile if we have lost Him. He speaks to us still more clearly by means of Revelation, which is contained in Sacred Scripture as officially interpreted by the Church.

The revealed Word of God has always been with us to answer the searchings of the human heart and to allay its anxieties. The Gospel is as new and as illuminating today as yesterday. It is a book which we should study reverently and diligently in order to solve our personal problems and the problems of mankind.

Let us listen to God when He speaks to us in these diverse ways. Let us respond to His appeals and carry out whatever He requires of us in our daily lives.

2. God also speaks to us through His Saints.

The Saints are men in whom God dwells in such a special way that their entire personalities reflect Him. They live the Gospel perfectly. They have renounced themselves in order to belong completely to God. Not only have they overcome their evil inclinations, but they have conquered themselves in the process of that Christian annihilation which sublimates human nature rather than destroys it. They have enthroned God in the place of their own will and of their own ego, so that like St. Paul they can claim: "It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me."

God still speaks to us through His Saints, for even in this troubled and mechanical age there are pure and humble souls dedicated to God and the service of their fellow-men. Whenever we encounter one of these privileged beings, whether in the pages of a book or in our actual surroundings, let us pay attention to him and do our best to imitate his virtues.

3. It will go hard with the man who refuses to listen to God. He has reason to be afraid when he lets God's inspirations and graces pass him by. Anyone who is deaf to God's appeals cannot be saved.

God spoke many times in the heart of His apostle Judas, but he did not listen. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss, Jesus spoke to him and called him His friend, giving him the kiss of peace and forgive­ness. But the traitor spurned this last appeal and went his way. May this never be our fate. Be not silent, let us plead. Lord, be not far from me! (Ps. 34:22) Above all, let us listen obediently to His voice from whatever source it comes, and let us do what He advises us.

Entrusting Ourselves to God

1. If a boat is running with the stream, it has little need of the pull of the oars nor of the guidance of the helm. Its passage is smooth and peaceful.

The same applies to those who place absolute confidence in God in their journey through life. God knows that I love Him, they reason; He knows the dangers to which I am exposed and knows how weak I am. He will not allow me to be tempted beyond my strength. God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also give you a way out that you may be able to bear it. (1 Cor. 10:13)

Why should I worry when I know that whatever God has in store for me is for my own good? Do I suffer from poor health: Let the will of God be done, for this is for my spiritual welfare. Am I strong and able to work for His glory a Let me thank God for making me the instrument of His goodness.

Am I calumniated or misunderstood? This humiliation is good for me. Am I esteemed and honoured a Let me accept this also from God's hands and make the best possible use of the gifts which He has given me, for my responsibility is all the greater because of them. It would be a sad loss if these gifts were to make me vain and proud, for they do not belong to me but to God. There is no need to be disturbed. Everything must be accomplished for God, with God and in God, and with complete abandonment to His will.

2. Sometimes the cross seems too heavy. Physical or moral sufferings may give rise to a feeling of rebellion, or temptations may grow so strong that I feel overwhelmed and unable to experience the supernatural influence of God's grace.

At such times I should remember the words of Jesus: Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon You, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Mt. 11:28)

If I leave myself entirely in God's hands, my cross will become lighter. My worries and woes will be easier to bear, and I shall not be excessively elated by worldly pleasure.

3. All the Saints had this perfect trust in God. Therefore they were always content. St. Joseph is only one example. He had the joy of seeing the Son of God born of his immaculate spouse, but he also saw Him being born on a cold, dark night in the most squalid conditions. He heard the choir of Angels praising God above the lowly manger and saw the shepherds and the Magi adoring the Divine Child. But soon afterwards he heard from a heavenly messenger that Herod was seeking to put Jesus to death and that it would be necessary to flee into exile in Egypt.

The holy Patriarch was as resigned to the poverty of the manger and the discomforts of exile as he was grateful to God for the wonderful gifts and joys which he had been granted. He knew that God could have solved by a single act of His divine will all the problems which he encountered throughout life. But he never asked for such a favour. His only desire was to do God's Will perfectly. Let this be our desire also, and let us never cease to ask God for this grace.

A Life of Fervour

1. " To pray is to love," wrote St. Augustine. The man who loves God prays continually and with fervour, whereas the man who has little love for his Creator prays rarely and apathetically. Prayer does not consist primarily in verbal expression, but in the elevation of the mind to God in adoration, thanksgiving, propitiation, and supplication. Love should be the inspiration of our communication with God, for where there is no love there can be no prayer.

Jesus tells us that we must always pray and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1) We may be working, walking, talking, eating or sleeping, but whatever we are doing, the love of God can transform it into a prayer. This is so if we are engaged in our work, but have offered it to God in advance. If we are in trouble, our sufferings will be pleasing to God. If we are walking about, everything will speak to us of God and cause us to make acts of gratitude and of love. We shall have dealings with men of the world, but they will perceive and appreciate that we are spiritually united to God. We shall sleep because sleep is necessary, but what appear to be hours of fruitless inactivity will be dedicated to our Creator. Fervour in prayer and in action should be the constant ideal of the good Christian, because it makes his entire life pleasing to God.

2. God is our Creator and absolute Master, Whom the Angels adore and irrational creatures obey. His greatness demands that we should offer all our activity to Him in a spirit of fervent and loving dedication. Since we have received everything from Him, we have many reasons for loving Him. By the work of redemption God became our friend and brother, and the victim of expiation for our sins. How could we remain indifferent and ungrateful when we remember the favours which we have received? Love desires love in return, and God loved us so much that He became man and shed His blood for us. Moreover, He immolates Himself continually on our behalf in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist. Finally, our fervour should be increased by the reflection that God has reserved for us as an everlasting reward His own Beatific Vision.

All these considerations should help to increase the fervour of our love. Then our actions will form a ladder of ascent to God by means of which we shall become intimately united to Him.

3. The fervent Christian will never miss an opportunity of advancing in perfection. When he feels that he is growing negligent, he combats the signs of spiritual retrogression and makes a new beginning by telling God that he wishes to belong entirely to Him. It is his motto that no day must ever pass without a further step towards perfection. To decide to stand still is fatal, for it leads inevitably to a decline. It is true that the constant effort to advance costs great sacrifices, but sanctity cannot be achieved without sacrifice and everlasting happiness cannot be gained without perseverance in virtue. Moreover, difficult though the ascent towards perfection may be, it eases the heaviness of our hearts and brings us that fundamental peace which God alone can give.

Everlasting Salvation

1. Let us consider again the man on the endless, and apparently aimless, journey into land after land. He walked for a long time through valleys and over mountains, in the heat of the summer and in the sharp cold of the winter months. It made no difference to him whether the sun gave him encouragement or the rain and snow impeded him, he forged ahead just the same. He crossed rivers, floods, mountains and hillocks, and came down into the valleys again. But at last, when he had travelled for years, he felt himself tiring.

He turned around and saw another man looking at him with compassion in his eyes. He approached the stranger, who said to him: "My friend, you look tired. Have you been walking for a long time?" "For a very long time," he replied, "and I am very tired." "But where are you going?" the other man asked. "What is your destination?" The traveller sighed as if he had just awakened from a deep sleep and murmured: "Where am I going? I don't know! I have been walking for a long time, but I have no idea where I am going." At this his new friend stared even more pityingly at the traveller, eyeing him as if he were an unfortunate simpleton.

When we reflect a little, do we not feel that we are rather like this poor traveller? Our journey has lasted a good many hard and weary years. Have we seriously thought about where we are going? Have we solved the fundamental problem of our earthly journey-the goal and purpose of our lives? What does it profit a man, Jesus has said to us, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? (Mt. 16:26) Our eternal welfare is the great question which we should ponder continually.

2. More than anything else, it is necessary to look after our eternal salvation. In comparison with this, all other business is unimportant. Our personal salvation is the only thing which is absolutely essential in our lives. Let us meditate on this momentous fact, which has converted so many sinners and filled Heaven with Saints.

If I lose my soul, what use will money or success be to me? What good will be human learning or worldly pleasure? All this will pass away, whereas only my good actions will weigh the balance of divine justice in my favour.

Let us think of our sins, which are unfortunately so numerous, and of our good actions, which are probably far fewer in number. It will be tragic for us if the weight of our sins should carry us towards damnation. It is still in our power to guard against this by leading lives of penance and sanctity. Strive ... by good works to make your calling and election sure. (2 Peter 1:10)

3. We should not be discouraged because our salvation requires so many sacrifices on our part. Jesus warned us that it would have to be so. How narrow the gate and close the way that leads to life. (Mt. 7:14) The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force. (Mt. 11:12) If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23) All this is required for salvation, and anyone who is not prepared to meet these demands cannot gain everlasting happiness. Nevertheless, there is no need for despondency. What is difficult for man is easy for God. If we ask God for His grace and co-operate generously with it, we shall be saved. Let us resolve to play our part well.

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.

..

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)