The Ave Maria, Vol. 12
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| Hersteller: | Forgotten Books (Author, Unknown) |
| Stand: | 2015-08-04 03:50:33 |
Produktbeschreibung
Excerpt from The Ave Maria, Vol. 12: July 1, 1876 If the battle is a hard one, yet in one respect it is cheering, for its victories are visible. In most spiritual acquirements we are working in the dark, and can never tell if we have made much progress. We cannot be at all certain that we are advancing even in love of God; but in love of our neighbor every degree gained is openly manifest. Thus, for instance, Mrs. A - is very zealous in works of mercy. She lives only for the poor and the suffering. Her alms are nourishing her own soul meanwhile, for she is plainly more tender-hearted to all, more generous in helping other peoples charitable enterprises, more joyous over their success, more grieved by their failures, than she used to be. We can remember when she was rather cold and hard to all beyond her set sphere, ready to see the defects in the good plans of other ladies, chary of helping or praising them, lavish in predictions of failure. She vexed people by her narrow-mindedness. Now she annoys them by her hopefulness, seeing good everywhere. But this is only a proof that she has been increasing in divine charity all this while. Mr. B - is devoted to intellectual good works. He would press all the talent of earth into the service of the Church. Formerly he was arrogant, dictatorial and censorious in his zeal. Now he is much more tolerant of little deficiences and imperfections among his co-workers; sees their merits, and rejoices in every new undertaking of the kind. His zeal sprang from love of God and of souls, and it is constantly developing this love in his heart. On the other hand, we see numbers whom we cannot, by any stretch of charity, class with Mr. B - or Mrs. A: literary folks, who are more captious and critical to-day than when they first undertook to do religion a service, and alms-givers who are growing more hopelessly narrow and selfish in their good works. In them the battle is going against charity, self is winning the day. That love of ourselves which is a branch of divine charity also calls for a continual struggle against the baser inclinations of nature. In proportion to our love of our neighbor will be our laudable love of ourselves. Here again the struggle which seems most severe is also most inspiring. Perseverance in any good work is very hard to our fickle nature. We have to be charitable and lenient to ourselves as regards our slow progress and tiresome mistakes, else we shall inevitably throw up the good work in sheer disgust or despair of success. If, then, we are striving to regard the good projects and enterprises of others in a large, hopeful. Christian spirit, we shall find these efforts react upon ourselves in a most blessed manner. So long as we rejoice over the amount of service others are rendering to God, so long shall we be joyous and persevering in our own efforts to please Him. While we put a mild construction on their faults and blunders, we learn to bear with our own. Our hopefulness for them makes us equally sanguine of our own success. This law of our nature is most beautifully illustrated in our Blessed Mother. She seemed to doubt the great promises of Gabriel. She asks, how can this be done? In proof that all things are possible with God, the Archangel tells her that her cousin Elizabeth has conceived in her old age. Mary then yields her consent, the Incarnation is immediately accomplished, and she goes in haste to congratulate her cousin. Alas, how little we, who boast of being her children, study her example! Mary had become the Mother of the Desired of Nations; the part she was to act in the great work of Redemption was so vast that even her intellect could not fathom it. Yet she turns from the contemplation of this to the marvel which God had wrought for St. Elizabeth. She goes to rejoice with her, to be of service to her. She shows not only her charity but her exceeding humility in so doing, and thus humility is the third characterist
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