George Matulaitis Journal

wholehearted dedication. What good is it if a person gains the whole world, but allows his soul to suffer the slightest damage or harm? 1 Lord, help me to keep this always in mind. October 23 Taking into due consideration individual talent, the needs of the Church, the work at hand, and the institutions we have, we must educate and train our members, regardless of cost and effort. Progress and perfection must be the principle not only of our spiritual life but of our work as well. Our Congregation should never begrudge funds, effort, or personnel when the problem at hand is the spiritual training of our members or of their preparation to work for the good of the Church and the glory of God. We must educate capable people for ourselves. The Congregregation always needs to be concerned with its own progress, with the develop- ment of its inner organization, order, and discipline, with nurturing its spirit. These should not only be maintained, but continually improved. Just as each individual, so too the entire Congregation must constantly seek greater perfection and growth in the spiritual training and formation of its members, in their education and preparation for work for the good of the Church, and also in the progress of its apostolate and its institutions so that as a living organism its internal organization and development constantly improve. If the Congregation is willing to devote people, funds, and effort for all kinds of institutions, it should not begrudge the effort or the money for its own improvement so that like an organism it may nurture its spirit, discipline, order, and structure. Nothing should be spared to achieve a sound internal ordering of the Congregation, for in this lies our strength. With this purpose in mind, why not visit other institutions and observe their way of life, their structure and organization, their work? And then, why not adopt the good things that others have achieved in long years of experience and prayer, guided by God’s special graces and 35 1 Cf., Mt 16:26.