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'To practice modesty of the eyes is the duty of a religious, not only because it is necessary for her own improvement in virtue, but also because it is necessary for the edification of others. God only knows the human heart: man sees only the exterior actions, and by them he is edified or scandalized.
A man, says the Holy Ghost,
is known by his look. By the countenance the interior is known. Hence, like St. John the Baptist, a religious should be
a burning and shining light. She ought to be a torch burning with charity, and shining resplendent by her modesty, to all who behold her. To religious the following words of the Apostle are particularly applicable:
We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. And again:
Let your modesty be known to all men: the Lord is nigh. Religious are attentively observed by the angels and by men; and therefore their modesty should be made manifest before all; if they do not practice modesty, terrible shall be the account which they must render to God on the day of judgment. Oh! what devotion does a modest religious inspire, what edification does she give, by keeping her eyes always cast down! St. Francis of Assisi once said to his companion, that he was going out to preach. After walking through the town, with his eyes fixed on the ground, he returned to the convent. His companion asked him when he would preach the sermon. We have, replied the saint, by the modesty of our looks, given an excellent instruction to all who saw us. It is related of St. Aloysius, that when he walked through Rome the students would stand in the streets to observe and admire his great modesty.'
St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
'My brother, why are you weeping?' quoth St. Francis of Assisi, in the company of saints with Our Lord.
'For dear saint, if one venial sin displeases God so much that a whole life spent in weeping for it would not be sufficient to make reparation for it, how great should be my grief, I, who have sinned so much?'
St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, in a vision
'By the anxieties and worries of this life Satan tries to dull man's heart and make a dwelling for himself there.'
'Saint Paul tells us, "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life." (2 Cor 3:6) A man has been killed by the letter of the Sacred Scripture when he wants to quote it only so that people will think him to be very learned, . . . when he has no desire to follow the spirit of Sacred Scripture, but wants to know what it says only so he can explain it to others.'
'To my beloved Sister Clare, and to the other Sisters at St. Damian's, greeting in the Lord.
I, Brother Francis, poor and little, will follow the life and poverty of our most Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, and of His most holy Mother, and will persevere in the same to the end. And I beseech you all, my ladies, and counsel you to abide always in this most holy life and poverty. And take great care that you never depart: from it through the teaching or counsel of anyone. Farewell in the Lord.'
'We should all realize that no matter where or how a man dies, if he is in the state of mortal sin and does not repent, when he could have done so and did not, the Devil tears his soul from his body with such anguish and distress that only a person who has experienced it can appreciate it.'
'Those who will not taste how sweet is the Lord, and who love darkness rather than light, being unwilling to fulfill the law of God, are cursed; for the prophet, speaking of them, says: "Cursed are they that decline from Thy commandments." But, on the contrary, how blessed and happy are they who adore Him (as they ought) in spirit and in truth. Let us praise and beseech Him day and night, saying: "Our Father, Who art in heaven," etc., for we ought always to pray, and not to faint.'
'Let us have charity and humility, and give alms, for almsgiving cleanses our souls from the filth of sin. At death we lose all that we have in this world, but we take with us charity and the alms-deeds we have done, and for these we shall receive a great reward from God.'
'I desire and exhort my brethren to show all possible respect to the Divine Scriptures wherever they see them, and if they should be found in any improper place, or scattered about in a disrespectful manner, let them collect and put them in a becoming place as far as possible, in order to show reverence to the words of the Lord. For many things are sanctified by the Word of God, and the mystery of the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar is accomplished by the power of the words of Jesus Christ.'
'I also beseech in the Lord, all my brothers who are, or who shall be, or who desire to be priests of the Most High, that whenever they wish to celebrate Mass, they be pure, and offer with purity and reverence the true Sacrifice of the most holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ with a holy and perfect intention; not from any earthly motive, nor for the fear or love of any creature, as though desiring to please men; but let every will (according to the grace given) be directed solely to the most High God, and do you desire to please Him alone, for He alone works in this holy Sacrifice according to His good pleasure, as the Lord has Himself said: "Do this in remembrance of Me:" and he who does otherwise becomes a traitor like Judas. Remember, O priests, my brothers, how it is written in the law of Moses, that those who transgressed even in corporal sacrifices were condemned by God to death, without any mercy. What a far more terrible punishment will he deserve, who tramples under foot the Son of God, and treats the Blood of the New Testament by which he is sanctified as a vile thing, and offers insult to the Holy Ghost! A man stained with sin despises and tramples on the Lamb of God, when, as the Apostle says, not discerning the sacred Bread, which is Christ, from other food, he eats unworthily by being guilty of unworthy actions; for the Lord has said by His Prophet: "Cursed is the man who does the work of God with negligence or fraud." And on account of those priests who will not lay these things seriously to heart, we are condemned, when Our Lord says: "I will curse your blessings."'
'All who have not believed that Jesus Christ was really the Son of God are doomed. Also all who see the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and do not believe it is really the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord . . . these also are doomed!'
'We ought to fast, and to abstain from all vice, and from all that will lead us into sin, as well as from extravagance and superfluity. We should often visit the churches, and venerate and reverence all ecclesiastics on account of their office, and because they distribute the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ, which they offer in sacrifice, receive themselves, and administer to others. And let everyone know and hold for certain that we cannot be saved except through the sacred Words and the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which priests preach, announce, and distribute, and of which they are the sole ministers.'
St. Francis of Assisi
'A great gift it is, dearest brother, which the Lord has given you. If the Emperor were to come to Assisi and choose one from the city to be his knight or his chamberlain, many would there be who would desire to be chosen. How much greater a gift ought you to count it, that God hath chosen you and called you to His court. . . The Lord has sent us a good brother.'
St. Francis of Assisi, to Bl. Giles of Assisi upon his request to join the Order
'If you do not wish to believe we will commend your soul to God because we declare that if you die while holding to your law you will be lost; God will not accept your soul. For this reason we have come to you.'
St. Francis of Assisi & Brother Illuminato, to the Sultan al-Kamil
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