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The Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 2, Ch. 3

IOC 2.3GOODNESS AND PEACE IN MAN –

FIRST keep peace with yourself; then you will be able to bring peace to others. A peaceful man does more good than a learned man. Whereas a passionate man turns even good to evil and is quick to believe evil, the peaceful man, being good himself, turns all things to good.

The man who is at perfect ease is never suspicious, but the disturbed and discontented spirit is upset by many a suspicion. He neither rests himself nor permits others to do so. He often says what ought not to be said and leaves undone what ought to be done. He is concerned with the duties of others but neglects his own.

Direct your zeal, therefore, first upon yourself; then you may with justice exercise it upon those about you. You are well versed in coloring your own actions with excuses which you will not accept from others, though it would be more just to accuse yourself and excuse your brother. If you wish men to bear with you, you must bear with them. Behold, how far you are from true charity and humility which does not know how to be angry with anyone, or to be indignant save only against self!

It is no great thing to associate with the good and gentle, for such association is naturally pleasing. Everyone enjoys a peaceful life and prefers persons of congenial habits. But to be able to live at peace with harsh and perverse men, or with the undisciplined and those who irritate us, is a great grace, a praiseworthy and manly thing.

Some people live at peace with themselves and with their fellow men, but others are never at peace with themselves nor do they bring it to anyone else. These latter are a burden to everyone, but they are more of a burden to themselves. A few, finally, live at peace with themselves and try to restore it to others.

Now, all our peace in this miserable life is found in humbly enduring suffering rather than in being free from it. He who knows best how to suffer will enjoy the greater peace, because he is the conqueror of himself, the master of the world, a friend of Christ, and an heir of heaven.

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Sermon: Lent 3 RCL B – “Minimum Requirement”

25f8174f79bfb813742a07528cf598d7Boudreaux and his brother Pierre were not the most religious folks in town, in fact they really only went to church twice a year so that they could be considered “members in good standing.” As they were leaving the Church, the priest said, “Boudreaux, it sure would be nice to see you and Pierre here more than once a year!” “I know,” replied Boudreaux, “but at least we keep the Ten Commandments.” “Well I suppose that’s a start,” the priest said. “I’m glad to hear that you keep the Commandments.” “Yep,” Boudreaux said proudly, “Pierre keeps six of them and I keep the other four.”

The Ten Commandments are the beginning of the Law handed down to Moses. From there it grows to a total of 613 laws outlined in the Old Testament. Everything from the first of the Ten, “you shall have no other gods,” to laws like Leviticus 11:12, “Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you,” which means no more lobster, shrimp, crawdads, or Unagi (a tasty little morsel you can find at a sushi bar.) Breaking any of these laws comes with repercussions ranging from death by stoning to having to make a sacrifice.

By the time of Jesus the religious leaders were experts at interpreting the Law and enforcing it on the people to such an extent that it became a form of enslavement. Perhaps this was not their intent, but through their zeal for adherence to the Law, they missed the point and sent the wrong message to the people.

A story tells of a frail old man who went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old grandson watched all this in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his four-year-old son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food out of when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

Mom and Dad taught Jr. all about how to keep the china intact, the tablecloth clean, and how to maintain proper decorum at the supper table, but in the process they taught him nothing of grace, mercy, compassion, or love.

In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” The religious leaders missed the point of the Law and enslaved the people, which brings us to one of the many lessons that can be gleaned from our Gospel lesson.

There was one of those funny cartoons that made the internet rounds a short while back. You’ve heard the question: What would Jesus do? WWJD? The cartoon stated, “The next time someone asks you, ‘What would Jesus do?,’ remind them that freaking out and flipping over tables is a viable option.”

The Temple was the place of sacrifice. For this there were very specific rules on how this was to take place. Only certain money could be tendered and only animals that were considered perfect could be used. Therefore, the religious leaders allowed a marketplace to be established to accommodate all the commerce. Yet they allowed this marketplace to be setup within the Court of the Gentiles – a section within the Temple complex – which was meant to be set aside as a place of prayer for non-Jews.

The religious leaders were following the letter of the Law, not violating a single statute. Proper money was used. Proper animals were used. The sacrifices were made exactly to the specifications of the Law. Yet in their zeal to fulfill the Law, they missed the point. It’s not about the blood of animals. It’s about prayer and a relationship with the One True God.

Long before Jesus, King David understood this. In the 40th Psalm, he wrote:

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
Then I said, “Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”

Jesus, through his words and actions demonstrates that it is not through the fulfilling of the Law that we are made righteous. Instead it comes in allowing the Word of God to transform our hearts. What did we say after we read each of the Commandments in the Decalogue? “Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.” Incline our hearts to keep this law. What does that look like?

The Law says, “You shall not murder.” Yes, it means don’t kill, but written upon our hearts it also means that we should not destroy another person though lies and gossip. It means we shouldn’t neglect those in need, allowing them to suffer. It means we aren’t to tear one another down, but as Paul teaches we are to “encourage one another and build each other up.”

The Law says, “You shall not commit adultery.” In our hearts it means that we are not to see the other person as an object or a means, but to recognize every human being as a child of God, worthy of His love and ours. It means that we love a person, not for what they can do for us, but for who they are in Christ Jesus.

The Law says, “You shall not covet” and in our hearts we need to recognize that there is a point when enough is enough. Written on our hearts that law declares we do not need every new toy advertised on the TV. It asks you to “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”

Do you see how that works? With Jesus, the Law is the minimum requirement. A starting place, but as the great Anglican poet George Herbert states, “he shoots higher that threatens the moon, than he that aims at a tree.”

What Jesus expects and teaches takes the Law to an entirely different level. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. … For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

When considering the Law or even just the Ten Commandments, don’t say to yourself, “Well, I didn’t kill anybody today, so I must still be right with God.” We must remember that fulfilling the Law as Jesus calls us to is much more difficult than simply not eating shrimp. It involves a transforming of our hearts and a renewing of our minds. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher so that you can more fully understand God’s law as it is written upon your heart.

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Sermon: Perpetua and Her Companions

taking-a-stand_t_nv-687x515On the coast of the Mediterranean in northern Africa, a young woman and her companions were put to death because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Their murderers were barbaric and their deaths are too brutal to describe. Sound familiar? Sound like something you may have read in the papers or seen on the news? Unfortunately, the answer is “yes,” but these murders that I’m referring to took place 1,700 years ago. It is the martyrdom of Perpetua and her companions.

At the time, Emperor Septimius Severus ruled and he decreed that all living in the empire should make sacrifices to the divinity of the emperor. This was not something that a Christian could do without denying their faith and Perpetua and her companions were among them.

Following their arrest Perpetua had a dream where she realized that she was not battling the evils of this world, but was instead battling the devil. She wrote, “And I awoke, understanding that I should fight, not with beasts, but with the Devil.”

He father came and pleaded with her to renounce the faith. Her response to him and others was quite simple, but carried the wait of her convictions, “I am a Christian.” I am a Christian. Soon afterward she was thrown in the pit with the wild beasts. She cried out to her companions, “Stand fast in the faith and love one another. And do not let what we suffer be a stumbling block to you.”

I made the mistake of watching one of the videos showing the atrocities that are taking place in the same part of the world where Perpetua and her companions were put to death. It has haunted me ever since. I can assure you I won’t be making that mistake again. However, I wondered ever since then, as I’m sure many others have, how would I respond? Could I have stood alongside Perpetua – or those today – or would I have fallen?

What Jesus said has proven to be true time and time again: “They will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.”

Then many will fall away… Could we stand or would we fall?

The answer is, “Yes,” we can stand firm; however, we must be prepared, and the day of preparation is not then, but now. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Hear that last part again, “…put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…”

My favorite 14th century monk and one you will hear me speak of quite often, Thomas à Kempis, said, “The present is very precious; these are the days of salvation; now is the acceptable time.”

Could you stand with Perpetua and her companions? Yes you can, but to face that day of trial – that day of evil – you must prepare today. We may never have to face something so horrible, but by being prepared in Christ Jesus, we will have no fear. We will stand with Perpetua and say, “I am a Christian.”

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Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 2, Ch. 2

IOC 2.2HUMILITY –

BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you, but take care that God be with you in everything you do. Keep your conscience clear and God will protect you, for the malice of man cannot harm one whom God wishes to help. If you know how to suffer in silence, you will undoubtedly experience God’s help. He knows when and how to deliver you; therefore, place yourself in His hands, for it is a divine prerogative to help men and free them from all distress.

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

It is the humble man whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble whom He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them bestows great grace, that after their humiliation He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation bids them come to Him. Thus, the humble man enjoys peace in the midst of many vexations, because his trust is in God, not in the world. Hence, you must not think that you have made any progress until you look upon yourself as inferior to all others.

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Sermon: Lent 2 RCL B – “Discover”

BB6259-001Athanasius, newly consecrated bishop of Alexandria, was determined to visit all the churches in his see, to make certain the orthodox faith was being proclaimed. On his journey he learned of three, old monks who lived alone on an island. Like the devoted bishop he was, Athanasius set sail to the island to shepherd, even if briefly, this small flock. He was greeted with great warmth and reverence by the monks. “Tell me,” Athanasius said to them after awhile, “how it is that you pray.” “Father, we are not learned men,” the monks replied. “We simply lift our hands to God and say, ‘We are three and you are three: Have mercy upon us.’”

“Ah, dear Fathers, this will never do,” said Athanasius. “I must teach you to pray as the church prays.” And for the next several days – the monks were slow learners – the new bishop taught the old monks the Lord’s Prayer. Satisfied at last that the monks knew how to pray properly, Athanasius set sail for Alexandria. That very night aboard his ship he noticed a glow in the distance, a glow getting brighter and rapidly approaching the ship. He looked and saw the three old monks running toward him on the water. When they reached the ship they simply stood on the water as on dry ground with holy light encompassing them. “Father Athanasius,” they said, “forgive our slowness, but we have forgotten again the words of the prayer you taught us. Please pray with us again.” “No, my fathers,” Athanasius said. “It is you who must pray for me.”

Being right all the time and always knowing what is best for others is quite the burden, but it is a burden that I bear with great humility.

I suppose there are times when we all know what is best for others and we don’t mind telling them. In some cases we may be right, but I suspect that much of the time we fall far short of the mark in the “advice” department.

Athanasius believed that because these three monks did not know the Lord’s Prayer, they couldn’t possibly be praying correctly; therefore, in his great wisdom and innocence proceeded to teach them how to pray “properly” – “Our Father, who art in Heaven…” As it turns out the three monks were ignorant of the Lord’s Prayer, but they were in no way ignorant of the Lord, so much so that they radiated the glory of God, while walking on the water.

So often, what we want others to do is more directly related to what we want, instead of being what they need.

Take Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. At the third temptation we read, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’”

That’s a fairly easy one given the two main characters, Jesus and the Devil. The Devil wants Jesus to renounce God’s will and follow his. He wanted Jesus to do what he – the Devil – wanted him to do and not what God had called him to.

A similar situation occurred in our Gospel reading today. Jesus was teaching his disciples about what was to come: the rejection, the suffering, and his eventual death. Peter refused to believe what he was hearing. It tore through him. “This will not be,” and he rebukes Jesus. And Jesus turns and rebukes him, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Once again, the Devil wants Jesus to renounce the Father’s will and follow his, and once again Jesus rebukes him.

There is a right and a wrong, good and evil. Believe it or not, we know the difference. After Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit the Lord said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” And as Paul teaches in his Letter to the Hebrews, we can train ourselves “to distinguish good from evil.” However, even though we know and can distinguish good from evil, we are not always certain because of sin. Because of our own sin, there will always be this gray area, so when it comes to instructing others and even discerning for ourselves, we must remember that there are two sides that stand in complete contrast of one another. There is what the world wants and what God wants. Darkness and Light. Yet, in the middle – where we reside – there is often confusion. The etymology of the word confusion is to pour-together..

Most folks know that if you pour yellow and blue together you get green, but the confusion that comes from pouring good and evil together is not so simple and that is what the Devil is very good at. Blatant evil – darkness – is easy to spot, but this gray area, this confusion can be quite murky. Harry Truman said it best, “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” The Devil is a master of this. So how are we to respond? How will we be able to separate the good from evil, the darkness from light, the way of God and the way of the Devil? It is never simple but there is a wonderful story in First Kings about the Prophet Elijah that will assist us in beginning to clear the murkiness.

Elijah is being pursued by those who will not tolerate his words. They seek to kill him, so he flees to the mountains. While there the Lord comes and speaks to him and asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah pours out all his problems. In his voice you can hear the confusion, the anxiety, the lack of peace in his soul. So the Lord tells him, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

Then the Lord asked him the exact same question He had asked him before, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Surprisingly, Elijah answers him with the exact same word, but this time you can hear the calmness in his voice and the lack of anxiety. You can hear the peace as he speaks with our God. Elijah could not understand the words of God while in the whirlwind or the earthquake or the fire. He couldn’t understand the voice of the Lord while in the confusion. It was only in the peace of that “gentle whisper” that he heard God, and it was then that God spoke very specific instructions to Elijah on how to proceed.

How will we be able to separate the good from evil, the darkness from light, to be able to come out of the confusion of those gray areas? Ultimately, how will we know the direction that will lead us to God?

This is what the Lord says, from Jeremiah 6, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

How will we know? The answer lies in the peace. In the gentle whisper, the still small voice.

You may think, “We have a priest now. Like Athanasius with the three monks, he will tell us what to do.” I hope you won’t be disappointed, but that is not my job. Instead, I pray that we will find that peace, that we will hear that gentle whisper, and that together we will stand at the crossroads and discover the ancient path – the good way – and together will walk in it.

What will we discover on that path? It won’t be the secrets to the universe or a formula for world peace or some narrowly defined agenda or any other grandly conceived scheme. No. Instead, we will discover love, but not the kind of love expressed in a Hallmark card. We will discover the kind of love that hangs upon a cross. A kind of love that unites us one to another and a kind of love that unites us all to our God.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

If, together, we discover nothing else along the way, this will be more than enough.

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The Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 2, Ch. 1

IOC 2.1MEDITATION –

THE kingdom of God is within you,” says the Lord.

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

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

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

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

Do not place much confidence in weak and mortal man, helpful and friendly though he be; and do not grieve too much if he sometimes opposes and contradicts you. Those who are with us today may be against us tomorrow, and vice versa, for men change with the wind. Place all your trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you; He will do what is best for you.

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

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

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

When Christ was in the world, He was despised by men; in the hour of need He was forsaken by acquaintances and left by friends to the depths of scorn. He was willing to suffer and to be despised; do you dare to complain of anything? He had enemies and defamers; do you want everyone to be your friend, your benefactor? How can your patience be rewarded if no adversity test it? How can you be a friend of Christ if you are not willing to suffer any hardship? Suffer with Christ and for Christ if you wish to reign with Him.

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

A man who is a lover of Jesus and of truth, a truly interior man who is free from uncontrolled affections, can turn to God at will and rise above himself to enjoy spiritual peace.

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

He who learns to live the interior life and to take little account of outward things, does not seek special places or times to perform devout exercises. A spiritual man quickly recollects himself because he has never wasted his attention upon externals. No outside work, no business that cannot wait stands in his way. He adjusts himself to things as they happen. He whose disposition is well ordered cares nothing about the strange, perverse behavior of others, for a man is upset and distracted only in proportion as he engrosses himself in externals.

If all were well with you, therefore, and if you were purified from all sin, everything would tend to your good and be to your profit. But because you are as yet neither entirely dead to self nor free from all earthly affection, there is much that often displeases and disturbs you. Nothing so mars and defiles the heart of man as impure attachment to created things. But if you refuse external consolation, you will be able to contemplate heavenly things and often to experience interior joy.

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The Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 1, Ch. 25

IOC 1.25ZEAL IN AMENDING OUR LIVES –

BE WATCHFUL and diligent in God’s service and often think of why you left the world and came here. Was it not that you might live for God and become a spiritual man? Strive earnestly for perfection, then, because in a short time you will receive the reward of your labor, and neither fear nor sorrow shall come upon you at the hour of death.

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

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

“Trust thou in the Lord and do good,” says the Prophet; “dwell in the land and thou shalt feed on its riches.”

There is one thing that keeps many from zealously improving their lives, that is, dread of the difficulty, the toil of battle. Certainly they who try bravely to overcome the most difficult and unpleasant obstacles far outstrip others in the pursuit of virtue. A man makes the most progress and merits the most grace precisely in those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and most mortifies his will. True, each one has his own difficulties to meet and conquer, but a diligent and sincere man will make greater progress even though he have more passions than one who is more even-tempered but less concerned about virtue.

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

Study also to guard against and to overcome the faults which in others very frequently displease you. Make the best of every opportunity, so that if you see or hear good example you may be moved to imitate it. On the other hand, take care lest you be guilty of those things which you consider reprehensible, or if you have ever been guilty of them, try to correct yourself as soon as possible. As you see others, so they see you.

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

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

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

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

A fervent religious accepts all the things that are commanded him and does them well, but a negligent and lukewarm religious has trial upon trial, and suffers anguish from every side because he has no consolation within and is forbidden to seek it from without. The religious who does not live up to his rule exposes himself to dreadful ruin, and he who wishes to be more free and untrammeled will always be in trouble, for something or other will always displease him.

How do so many other religious who are confined in cloistered discipline get along? They seldom go out, they live in contemplation, their food is poor, their clothing coarse, they work hard, they speak but little, keep long vigils, rise early, pray much, read frequently, and subject themselves to all sorts of discipline. Think of the Carthusians and the Cistercians, the monks and nuns of different orders, how every night they rise to sing praise to the Lord. It would be a shame if you should grow lazy in such holy service when so many religious have already begun to rejoice in God.

If there were nothing else to do but praise the Lord God with all your heart and voice, if you had never to eat, or drink, or sleep, but could praise God always and occupy yourself solely with spiritual pursuits, how much happier you would be than you are now, a slave to every necessity of the body! Would that there were no such needs, but only the spiritual refreshments of the soul which, sad to say, we taste too seldom!

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

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

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

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

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The Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 1, Ch. 24

IOC 1.24JUDGMENT AND THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN –

IN ALL things consider the end; how you shall stand before the strict Judge from Whom nothing is hidden and Who will pronounce judgment in all justice, accepting neither bribes nor excuses. And you, miserable and wretched sinner, who fear even the countenance of an angry man, what answer will you make to the God Who knows all your sins? Why do you not provide for yourself against the day of judgment when no man can be excused or defended by another because each will have enough to do to answer for himself? In this life your work is profitable, your tears acceptable, your sighs audible, your sorrow satisfying and purifying.

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

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

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

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

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

In that day every trial borne in patience will be pleasing and the voice of iniquity will be stilled; the devout will be glad; the irreligious will mourn; and the mortified body will rejoice far more than if it had been pampered with every pleasure. Then the cheap garment will shine with splendor and the rich one become faded and worn; the poor cottage will be more praised than the gilded palace. In that day persevering patience will count more than all the power in this world; simple obedience will be exalted above all worldly cleverness; a good and clean conscience will gladden the heart of man far more than the philosophy of the learned; and contempt for riches will be of more weight than every treasure on earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Imitation of Christ Project: Bk. 1, Ch. 23

IOC 1.23THOUGHTS ON DEATH –

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

Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much. It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a tomorrow?

What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so little? Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the contrary, frequently adds to our guilt. Would that in this world we had lived well throughout one single day. Many count up the years they have spent in religion but find their lives made little holier. If it is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless possible that to live longer is more dangerous. Blessed is he who keeps the moment of death ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day.

If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must go the same way. In the morning consider that you may not live till evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will never take you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you were so careless and remiss.

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

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

Do not put your trust in friends and relatives, and do not put off the care of your soul till later, for men will forget you more quickly than you think. It is better to provide now, in time, and send some good account ahead of you than to rely on the help of others. If you do not care for your own welfare now, who will care when you are gone?

The present is very precious; these are the days of salvation; now is the acceptable time. How sad that you do not spend the time in which you might purchase everlasting life in a better way. The time will come when you will want just one day, just one hour in which to make amends, and do you know whether you will obtain it?

See, then, dearly beloved, the great danger from which you can free yourself and the great fear from which you can be saved, if only you will always be wary and mindful of death. Try to live now in such a manner that at the moment of death you may be glad rather than fearful. Learn to die to the world now, that then you may begin to live with Christ. Learn to spurn all things now, that then you may freely go to Him. Chastise your body in penance now, that then you may have the confidence born of certainty.

Ah, foolish man, why do you plan to live long when you are not sure of living even a day? How many have been deceived and suddenly snatched away! How often have you heard of persons being killed by drownings, by fatal falls from high places, of persons dying at meals, at play, in fires, by the sword, in pestilence, or at the hands of robbers! Death is the end of everyone and the life of man quickly passes away like a shadow.

Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you? Do now, beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will die, nor what your fate will be after death. Gather for yourself the riches of immortality while you have time. Think of nothing but your salvation. Care only for the things of God. Make friends for yourself now by honoring the saints of God, by imitating their actions, so that when you depart this life they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.

Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to God, for you have not here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily prayers, your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness to the Lord.

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