353 part ii: meditations for more solemn feasts made a profession upon an apostolic rule, strive to imitate the life of Christ the Lord exactly. If, therefore, the subjects rejoice greatly about having such a king, under whose temporal sovereignty they enjoy peace and prosperity to the full, would you not rejoice about having that Lord who has prepared for you the eternal Kingdom, if you do not shake off His yoke? Now, lastly, you hear that the heavenly Kingdom shall have no end; make sure that you do not fear approaching it aggressively with great force and seizing it with violence (cf. Mt 11:12), just as people undertake so many hardships, expose themselves to so many dangers, and wage so many wars for kingdoms that are going to perish! FOR THE FEAST OF ST. ADALBERT, ARCHBISHOP AND MARTYR Before Holy Communion 1. “because he is a hireling” (Jn 10:13). Examine the intention with which you serve God in the religious life: is it that of a son led by filial love or of a hireling wanting some temporal reward, namely: honors, knowledge, benefits, and other similar transient goods. Moreover, you would be a hireling if you performed your duties carelessly and halfheartedly and only outwardly acted as a religious. If, however, the only reward that you expect for your labors (which you should undertake only out of love for the crucified God) is the one about which the Lord says: “My reward is exceedingly great” (cf. Gen 15:1),165 then you are truly a servant of God, and not a hireling. Such a reward was not taken away from the man to whom (when he presented his writings before God) it was asked: what reward would he like for them, since through them he gave the 165 From the context, it is understood that God Himself is this “exceedingly great reward.”
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