Lest You Remain

God; God born of the Father before all ages, with no mother, Man in time created in the Mother, with no father, through the Holy Spirit. Truly, there is no other such great mystery which we should glorify, admire and wonder about more. Among the deeds of God, nothing is more noble! You are dust and mud. See, what God has done for you! How He humiliated Himself at birth! How far the almighty power of the Father has reached! Could you not love Him for it? ( Inspectio Cordis ) 9 “Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country” (Luke 1:39). The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God offers you two complementary ways of approaching perfection. One, is to scorn deep valleys and enter the hill country, which is to always strive for a higher level of perfection and to try to reach it. The other, is to work in haste for the salvation of yourself and your brother, not allow- ing yourself, as is the habit of a lazy man, to waste very precious time, but to devote it to praiseworthy deeds. ( Inspectio Cordis ) 10 “It was of her that Jesus was born” (Matthew 1:16). Congratulate the Most Holy Virgin on this privilege: while not spoiling the blossom of virginity, she became the Mother of God-the Savior. In the spirit of thorough submission and confidence, entrust to her all your needs, without a doubt, that finally you will receive everything in your favor. Learn also to run to her in all your doubts, anxi- eties, and difficulties, and to constantly give thanks to the Lord, that He chose Her and made Her his Mother and our Intercessor. ( Inspectio Cordis ) 11 “Blest is the womb that bore you” (Luke 11:27). It is not only the opinion of this woman enlightened by God, but also all of Christian theology confirms, that the Most Holy Virgin was adorned with greater holiness, and even more graces, after the incarnation of the Son of God than before. Be careful therefore, not to Fr. Founder’s Selected Thoughts on the Religious Life 119