Lest You Remain

13 “No man can serve two masters” (Mt 6:24). Contemplate that there are two masters: God and the world, spiritual and carnal desires, love for the self and love for God. By joining the Congregation, you have given yourself to the Better Master. Thus, you should proclaim and declare war on the other. Be certain that you will receive Heavenly assistance to conduct this war, under the condition that you will be fighting properly. God blesses the combatants whom He called to fight. Attack whatever is worldly, what comes from wrong desires, whatever self-love you pos- sess or what tries to force itself back to the heart once devoted to the other Master: uproot it or categorically put it aside. You should be convinced that you need to possess such desires which are in accordance with your vocation, which lead you to self-contempt, to spreading God’s glory and to religious zeal. Then you should put out in yourself any spark of self-love. Frequently, it happens that a once extinguished fire, burns up again with a hidden flame. Similarly, any spark of self-love, will start a greater fire than before. Thus, ask your Lord to smother and put out these fires completely with an abundant stream of tears in Holy Communion. ( Inspectio Cordis ) 14 Therefore, whether you are praying, or reading, or writing, or saying good things, meditating, working, eating, drinking, worthily refreshing your spirit, or whatever you do that is virtuous, devout, holy, useful or praiseworthy, do it all out of the love of God, to the glory of God in such a way, that a particular intention always precedes what you do, or at least follows close after it. For it is both more fruitful and noble to consecrate oneself and all one has to God (as we have taught), not only in the morning and evening, but also more frequently in the course of the day, especially at the beginning of each action, adding everyday at least some gen- eral protestation (as it was shown) with the resolve not to think, speak or act, I do not say evil things, but those that are vain, prompted by mere curiosity, useless and to avoid imperfections. For so it will be that our loving and merciful God, consid- ering our sincere will, will sanctify all our works, thoughts and actions, will pre- serve us from sins, and if by chance we should fall because of weakness, He will at once lift us up and mercifully pardon the effects of our ignorance, and finally will grant that we love Him most perfectly with all our heart, spirit, mind, will and L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 144