Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/101

 escaping death? consider what  will  be  the  despair  of a  soul  when  it  shall  be  condemned  to  hell,  as  it  says: Is there,  then,  no  longer  any  means  for  my  escaping from eternal  ruin?

When thine  eye  rests  on  scenes  in  the  country  or along  the  shore,  on  flowers  or  fruits,  and  thou  art delighted by  the  sight  and  scent  of  all,  say:  Behold, how many  are  the  beautiful  creatures  which  God  has created for  me  in  this  world,  in  order  that  I  may love Him;  and  what  further  enjoyments  does  He  not keep prepared  for  me  in  paradise! St. Teresa  used to say,  that  when  she  saw  any  beautiful  hills  or slopes,  they  seemed  to  reproach  her  for  her  own  ingratitude to  God. And the  Abbot  de  Ranee,  founder of La  Trappe,  said  that  the  beautiful  creatures around him  reminded  him  of  his  own  obligation  to love  God. St. Augustine  also  said  the  same,  crying out aloud:  "  Heaven  and  earth  and  all  things  tell  me to  love  Thee." It is  related  of  a  certain  holy  man, that in  passing  through  the  fields  he  would  strike with a  little  stick  the  flowers  and  plants  which  he found,  saying:  "  Be  silent;  do  not  reproach  me  any longer  for  my  ingratitude  to  God;  I  have  understood you:  be  silent;  say  no  more." When St.  Mary Magdalene of  Pazzi  held  in  her  hand  any  beautiful fruit or  flower,  she  used  to  feel  herself  smitten  by  it with  Divine  love,  saying  to  herself:  "  Behold,  my God  has  thought  from  all  eternity  of  creating  this fruit,  this  flower,  in  order  to  give  it  me  as  a  token of  the  love  which  He  bears  towards  me."

When thou  seest  rivers  or  brooks,  reflect  that  as the  water  which  thou  beholdest  keeps  running  on, without ever  stopping,  to  the  ocean,  so  ought  thou to be  ever  hasting  on  to  God,  Who  is  thy  only  good. When thou  happenest  to  be  in  a  vehicle  that  is drawn  by  beasts  of  burden,  say:  See  what  labor  these innocent animals  go  through  for  my  service;  and how much  pains  do  I  take  myself  in  order  to  serve