Lest You Remain

5 If you want to see Christ transfigured in Heaven, apart from the lessons from the Gospels, you should also pay attention to keeping the laws and trying to reach the stage of contemplation. It was not for no reason that Moses and Elijah appeared to Christ’s apostles when they were talking to Christ. Christ turned their attention to the counsels, Moses to God’s commandments, while Elijah stressed contempla- tion. Thus, you should learn to keep obedience, poverty and chastity, which Christ taught with His word and example. Moreover, observance of God’s command- ments, was also brought to your attention. Yet, you will not reach sufficient perfection, if you do not add to this, an active pursuit of contemplation, and add to your active life, the life of the Spirit. Where there is Christ, there should also be Moses and Elijah. When you say you follow Christ, because you keep the evangelical counsels, you do not really perform any- thing , if you simultaneously do not keep God’s commandments, and do not devote yourself to contemplation. ( Inspectio Cordis ) 6 “Welcomed him to her home” (Luke 10:38). The same with you, my soul, although you are distracted by many worries and concerns, and do not devote your- self seriously to contemplation, do not be afraid to welcome and host Jesus your- self. He bestows the same love on those who give themselves to contemplation, as on those who lead an active life, if only the first as well as the second adore him with the same disposition through their service and performed functions. He rewards with the same blessings, the souls who devote themselves to ceaseless prayers, as those who serve their brothers. He granted the same blessful vision to the hermits immersed in contemplation, as to the busy workers in His vineyard. If you do not have a quantity of the myrrh of love, if you do not have the pre- cious oils of prayer, if do not have tears to wash His feet with Magdalene, then with Martha, offer Him your house chores and services, which you perform for your brothers, taking care of their salvation. And if you do not have even this opportuni- ty, He will be content with your good will. ( Inspectio Cordis ) L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 108