Although one might think that this book is only for nuns and
sisters, that is women religious, but it is not. Many lay people
find much useful advice in this holy work. It should be noted that
this is only the first sixteen chapters of the work. In the Preface
we read: "For, as St. Denis the Areogapite says, 'Divine love
consists in the affections of the heart more than in the knowledge
of the understanding.' In human sciences, knowledge excites love;
but in the science of the saints, love produces knowledge. He that
loves God most knows Him best. Besides, it is not lofty and
fruitless conceptions, but works, that unite the soul to God, and
make it rich in merits before the Lord." Saint Alphonsus says: "The
principal means of acquiring an ardent love of Christ are mental
prayer, Communion, mortification, retirement. Although each of
these means is fully discussed in another part of this work, still
a brief notice of them in this place will not be irrelevant. "The
first means to love Jesus Christ is mental prayer. Mental prayer is
that blessed furnace in which the soul is inflamed with divine
love. 'And', says holy David, 'in my meditation a fire shall flame
out. In temptations against purity, the immediate invocation of the
divine aid is absolutely necessary. The Venerable Sister Cecilia
Gastelli used to say, that without prayer, chastity cannot be
preserved. 'As I knew', says Solomon, 'that I otherwise could not
be continent, except God gave it, I went to the Lord and besought
Him with my whole heart.'" And let us consider that living in the
world requires continence and restraint, "The second means is the
holy Communion. This, says St. Bonaventure, is the cellar of wine
into which the King of heaven brings his spouses" to set in order
charity" in their hearts, teaching them to love God above all
things, and their neighbors as themselves. "The third means is
mortification. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among
the daughters. As the lily blooms among the thorns, so virginity is
preserved only in the midst of mortification. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi used to say that" chastity flourishes only among thorns."
..." "The fourth means is retirement. 'Thy cheeks are beautiful as
the turtle dove's.' The spouse in the canticle is compared to the
turtle, because the turtle avoids the company of other birds, and
delights in solitude. ..." Saint Alphonsus relates the following
story: "St. Francis of Assisi once said to his companion, that he
was going out to preach. After walking through the town, with his
eyes fixed on the ground, he returned to the convent. His companion
asked him when he would preach the sermon. We have, replied the
saint, by the modesty of our looks, given an excellent instruction
to all who saw us." Do our lives preach a sermon or do they
scandalize people and lead them into sin? This is why we need to
study pious books, so that our life is a living sermon. This is
true Catholic Action
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