It is an error, nay more, a very heresy, to seek to banish the devout life from the soldier’s
guardroom, the mechanic’s workshop, the prince’s court, or the domestic hearth. Of course
a purely contemplative devotion, such as is specially proper to the religious and monastic
life, cannot be practised in these outer vocations, but there are various other kinds of devotion
well-suited to lead those whose calling is secular, along the paths of perfection. The Old
Testament furnishes us examples in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Job, Tobias, Sarah,
Rebecca and Judith; and in the New Testament we read of St. Joseph, Lydia and Crispus,
who led a perfectly devout life in their trades:—we have S. Anne, Martha, S. Monica, Aquila
and Priscilla, as examples of household devotion, Cornelius, S. Sebastian, and S. Maurice among soldiers;—Constantine, S. Helena, S. Louis, the Blessed Amadaeus, 3
and S. Edward on the throne. And we even find instances of some who fell away in solitude,—usually so helpful to perfection,—some who had led a higher life in the world, which seems so antagonistic to it. S. Gregory dwells on how Lot, who had kept himself pure in the city, fell in his
mountain solitude. Be sure that wheresoever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the
perfect life.
and S. Edward on the throne. And we even find instances of some who fell away in solitude,—usually so helpful to perfection,—some who had led a higher life in the world, which seems so antagonistic to it. S. Gregory dwells on how Lot, who had kept himself pure in the city, fell in his
mountain solitude. Be sure that wheresoever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the
perfect life.
Read, Dear Readers and find it here. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life.pdf
“THE flowers appear on the earth,” says the Heavenly Bridegroom, and the time for
pruning and cutting is come. And what, my child, are our hearts’ flowers save our good
desires? Now, so soon as these begin to appear, we need the pruning-hook to cut off all dead
and superfluous works from our conscience. When the daughter of a strange land was about
to espouse an Israelite, the law commanded her to put off the garment of her captivity, to
pare her nails, and to shave her head; 10 even so the soul which aims at the dignity of becoming the spouse of Christ, must put off the old man, and put on the new man, forsaking sin:
moreover, it must pare and shave away every impediment which can hinder the Love of
God. The very first step towards spiritual health is to be purged from our sinful humours.
S. Paul received perfect purification instantaneously, and the like grace was conferred on S.
Magdalene, S. Catherine of Genoa, S. Pelagia, and some others, but this kind of purgation
is as miraculous and extraordinary in grace as the resurrection of the dead in nature, nor
dare we venture to aspire to it. The ordinary purification, whether of body or soul, is only
accomplished by slow degrees, step by step, gradually and painfully
“THE flowers appear on the earth,” says the Heavenly Bridegroom, and the time for
pruning and cutting is come. And what, my child, are our hearts’ flowers save our good
desires? Now, so soon as these begin to appear, we need the pruning-hook to cut off all dead
and superfluous works from our conscience. When the daughter of a strange land was about
to espouse an Israelite, the law commanded her to put off the garment of her captivity, to
pare her nails, and to shave her head; 10 even so the soul which aims at the dignity of becoming the spouse of Christ, must put off the old man, and put on the new man, forsaking sin:
moreover, it must pare and shave away every impediment which can hinder the Love of
God. The very first step towards spiritual health is to be purged from our sinful humours.
S. Paul received perfect purification instantaneously, and the like grace was conferred on S.
Magdalene, S. Catherine of Genoa, S. Pelagia, and some others, but this kind of purgation
is as miraculous and extraordinary in grace as the resurrection of the dead in nature, nor
dare we venture to aspire to it. The ordinary purification, whether of body or soul, is only
accomplished by slow degrees, step by step, gradually and painfully
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| Different Rendition |