examination of the heart 502 associations, Congregations and Orders join together and live deeply united in one spirit and in the love of the one God. You must consider that this virtue discourages rebellions, averts wars, begets peace, loves laws, highly esteems the neighbor, embraces the enemy, wishes well and does good to all. Therefore, meditate on how you should practice this virtue with such great zeal, steadiness, perseverance, and courage. Examine yourself and demand from your hands the works of charity, which are: — loving God above all things; — avoiding sin and any imperfections above all evils; — helping your neighbor as you can; working for the common good; — responding to your vocation; always exerting yourself to live more perfectly; — resolving not to harm, [f.165v] nor vitiate, corrupt, or bring to moral ruin anybody by thought, word, deed, suspicion, bad example; — loving the good and the righteous; praying to God for those who fall and for evil people; visiting the sick; teaching the illiterate; rebuking the perverse; providing help and counsel to those in need and those deprived of human assistance; freeing the captives; visiting the prisoners; consoling the afflicted; restraining the excessively and wickedly joyful; doing to others what we wish to be done to us; and not wishing nor imposing upon others what we truly detest and avoid. How many are these most excellent deeds of charity! How rarely have you sought them and done them! 2. Consider the defects of charity, which is contrary to the love of God: — tepidly proceeding on the way of perfection, which you entered out of love for God; — not spreading the glory of God; — weakening your religious community;
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