Lest You Remain

helpful in keeping this angelic virtue, would be custody of the eyes, and frequent- ly turning one’s soul to God; avoiding idleness, chats, useless readings; wisely refraining from dangerous relations, cherishing one’s cell and respecting the clois- ter; zealously invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, your Guardian Angel, Saint Joseph and the holy virgins. Superiors should make every effort not to expose anyone to a danger, which would threaten this great virtue or to neglect anyone who found himself in such a posi- tion, because they would have to account to God for all the persons entrusted to them. ( Inspectio Cordis ) P OVERTY 1 You can see that God feeds the entire world and don’t you admire this? He feeds innumerable crowds of the poor, the religious and other mortals, and even the entire world. He leads and supports it, and don’t you wonder and praise Him for that? He is the One who ensures food and clothing even to His most careless ser- vants; He cares for the house you live in, protects the good name of His servants and elevates them, endows them with authority, and provides them with love and respect: He bestows upon them limitless supernatural goods, gives them health and helps in every need. Can you not appreciate this? Won’t you admire and praise Him? Will you keep silent and not repay Him with due thankfulness? ( Inspectio Cordis ) 2 “Blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs” (Mt 5:3). Contemplate, that the Lord considers blessed, not the poor who live in destitution, but the poor in spirit. One who, having nothing, carries in one’s heart, a desire to possess every- Fr. Founder’s Selected Thoughts on the Religious Life 149