examination of the heart 368 the Bishop, while in the Martyr you shall find something to strive after. You shall find in both admirable things, at which you should marvel and which you should proclaim. Therefore, imitate the Bishop in vigilance, teaching, governing, helping your neighbors, and in practicing humility, modesty, zeal, conscientiousness, and other virtues. Strive after the Martyr in suffering, persevering, fortitude, firmness, charity, and those kinds of qualities proper to a Martyr, so that you may safely say: “I am the good shepherd,” not so much of the sheep of Christ, as of my senses; not so much feeding the flock, as imitating the Good Shepherd. 2. “The good [S]hepherd lays down [H]is life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). Note, that nothing pleases the Divine Majesty more than charity towards your neighbor, which entails that we endure all inconveniences, slanders, and even blows out of love for neighbor. Just as Christ’s greatest virtue was His willingness to suffer death on the Cross out of love for us; so, likewise, we will have no more excellent an act of virtue than to endure something for the sake of our neighbor. “Greater love has no man than this,” says the eternal Word, “that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Oh, if you would lay it down for your enemies, who definitely are your neighbors! If you could die, praying for them at this moment in the sight of Divine Majesty. [f.116v] 3. “good [S]hepherd” (Jn 10:11). Saint Stanislaus fulfilled every duty of a Good Shepherd. He refreshed his own sheep with the nourishment of the Divine Word, since he himself always preached it in a sermon. He quite often visited his sheepfold, crossing the whole diocese on foot. He zealously healed the disease of the flock, supplying the remedies for the distressed conscience: sometimes by giving admonitions, sometimes by administering the Sacraments. Next, when he saw that some sheep were so corrupted that absolutely no medicine could heal them, he used to drive them away from the sheepfold of Christ, lest they infect the whole flock, doing it so skillfully,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==