311 part i: sunday meditations for the entire year zealously offered so many hours and days of the week to the necessity of the body and the salvation of your neighbor. God rightly claims this day for Himself. Rest, therefore, put aside all works that conflict with devotion. Enter into your room (cf. Mt 6:6), that is, into your heart. Immerse yourself in sleep; namely, a spiritual one, which is prayer and recollection. Distraction is always harmful indeed, but on the day of Holy Communion it is also sinful. 2. “But Jesus, aware of their malice” (Mt 22:18). Today’s hypocrites also know that there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed; and yet they try to attack secretly and to deceive the Heavenly [f.89v] Wisdom, before whom all hearts lie open. O human foolishness! O we, the miserable ones, who hide ourselves when we want to sin as if God were not everywhere, as if He did not see our thoughts and our deeds. You, my soul, do not hide the gift granted to you this day. Do not conceal the graces received at the sacred table. But you will conceal them if you will be silent about them, if you cover them by a veil of ingratitude, if you give no thanks for them. Appreciate the goods offered to you and use this knowledge, not for puffing yourself up, but for humbling yourself, realizing that you have received tremendous gifts and repaid them by committing countless sins against God. 3. “[Show] me the coin of the tribute” (Mt 22:19) [DRB]. Just as the rulers of this world mark the coins with their likeness, so God marked your soul with His own image, both when He created it and when He marked it with the seal of grace at your holy Baptism. Today He also placed a seal upon your heart. What kind of seal? Himself. Hence, endeavor to make sure that the very cunning evil spirit does not break this heavenly seal by his evil suggestions and does not imprint his likeness on your soul instead. Guard it continuously; contemplate, examine, and watch it carefully.
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