Lest You Remain

of penance, cleans them of the dirt of sins. Nobody indulges in rest, all work in shifts and through various deeds of love, approach perfection and desire only for it to bear plentiful fruit for the Lord, the fruit which would rejoice and please Him. And you, would you not be ashamed, if among such a multitude of workers, you would lay idle? Would you eat the heavenly bread which belongs to the heav- enly Lord in vain? ( Inspectio Cordis ) 4 “The fruitful one He trims clean to increase their yield” (John 15:2). Consider, how desirable are the grape-vines which bring fruit! How worthy of love are those servants, who work in the Lord’s vineyard! How precious in God’s eyes are those who cooperate in the work of saving souls. Despite the fact that they themselves fall and defile themselves, out of their frailty, their imperfections, and due to their frequent contacts with imperfect people in working for their salvation, He purifies them “to increase their yield.” May you be one of these, who, as far as you can, toil for the Lord, so that the grape-vines in His vineyard could bear fruit. ( Inspectio Cordis ) 5 “I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:20) Contemplate that the Savior, when he was leaving for Heaven, could not give us any other, more graceful, excellent and gratifying token of remembrance, than his truest Body which for our salvation was tormented and hurt. As in Heaven, there is nothing more precious and greater than God, just so, here on earth, there is nothing more worthy and excellent than this most valuable treasure, which contains the veiled God-Man. The Church triumphant takes pride in the delightful vision of the Holy Trinity. The Church militant boasts of participation in the gifts of God which it receives from the treasury of the Most Holy Body. From this, comes perfect love, from this, derives patience, from this. one receives the strengthening of hope, from this, shines faith, from this, we draw mildness, humility, obedience and other virtues typical of Christians. From this treasury, we receive the forgiveness of sins, the remission of punishment, the correction of our lives, the enlightenment of the mind L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 122