Page:HalfHoursWithTheSaints.djvu/80

 In 1806  the  Grand  Duke  Ferdinand  III. engaged this  learned ecclesiastic to  educate  his  son,  but  he  did  not  long  enjoy  his  deserved promotion, for  he  died  on  the  4th  of  October  1811,  aged  fifty-nine. His discourses,  called  "Discorsi  Apologetici,"  consisting  of  four volumes, are  well  known  and  appreciated.]

Some holy  Fathers,  in  speaking  of  that  passage,  "  And God  created  man  according  to  His  own  image  and  likeness," say  that  man  has  two  kinds  of  resemblance  to  God — the first,  signified  by  the  name  of  image,  consists  in  that man by  nature  is  endowed  with  an  understanding  and  a will  like  unto  God,  capable  of  knowing  Him  and  of  loving Him; the  second,  expressed  by  the  name  of  likeness,  consists in  that  man  was  created  in  the  grace  of  God,  and  this gives him  a  perfect  resemblance  to  His  Creator,  which  he had  not  in  his  natural  being.

From thence  it  follows,  that  since  God  is  the  essential and unbegotten  beauty,  sanctifying  grace  is  the  most perfect, the  most  noble  participator  of  that  beauty;  the soul which  is  endowed  and  adorned  with  it  is  infinitely pleasing in  the  eyes  of  God. So much  so  that  a  great  saint, to whom  was  revealed  the  wondrous  beauty  of  a  soul  in  a state  of  grace,  used  to  say  that  she  no  longer  was  astonished that  God  had  willed  to  shed  the  last  drop  of  His precious Blood  in  order  to  cleanse  it,  and  by  His  redemption, renew  every  trace  of  beauty  which  sin  had  entirely effaced.

But if  God,  who  cannot  deceive,  is  charmed  with  the beauty of  a  soul  in  a  state  of  grace,  how  is  it  that  we  are so careless  in  enriching  our  souls  by  the  practice  of  every virtue? Is it  not  lamentable  that  we  should  prefer  to please  a  wretched  being — uncomely  though  we  be — rather than try  to  please  the  Divine  Majesty  by  that  true  beauty which He  is  ever  willing  to  give  to  those  who  seek  Him?

We daily  witness  the  pains  that  worldly-minded  people take in  dressing  and  decking  out  their  bodies,  merely  for