Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/103

 stable of  Bethlehem  be  present  to  thy  recollection. When thou  seest  saws,  hammers,  planes,  or  axes,  remember how  Jesus  worked,  like  a  mere  lad,  in  the shop at  Nazareth. Then, if  thou  seest  ropes,  thorns, nails, or  pieces  of  wood,  reflect  on  the  Passion  and Death of  our  Redeemer. St. Francis  of  Assisi,  on seeing  a  lamb,  would  begin  to  weep,  saying:  '  My Lord  like  a  lamb  was  led  to  death  for  me.'  Again: when thou  seest  altars,  chalices,  or  patens,  recall  to mind  the  greatness  of  the  love  which  Jesus  Christ has borne  us. in giving  us  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament of the  Eucharist.

Frequently during  the  day  make  an  offering  of thyself  to  God,  as  St.  Teresa  used  to  do,  saying: "Lord, here  am  I:  do  with  me  that  which  pleaseth Thee:  declare  to  me  Thy  will,  that  I  may  do  it  for Thee:  I  wish  to  do  it  thoroughly." Then repeat,  as often  as  you  can,  acts  of  love  towards  God. St. Teresa used  also  to  say,  that  acts  of  love  are  the  fuel by which  holy  love  is  to  be  kept  on  fire  within  the heart. When the  Venerable  Sister  Seraphine  of  Carpi was one  day  considering  that  the  mule  belonging  to the  convent  had  not  the  power  of  loving  God,  she expressed her  compassion  for  it  thus:  "  Poor  brute; thou  neither  knowest  nor  canst  love  thy  God;"  and the mule  set  her  weeping  so  that  the  tears  fell  in streams  from  her  eyes: — so  likewise  do  thou,  when beholding any  animal  which  has  not  the  capacity  for knowing or  loving  God,  animate  thyself,  who  canst love Him,  to  make  the  more  abundant  acts  of  love. Whenever thou  fallest  into  any  fault,  humble  thyself for it  immediately;  and,  with  an  act  of  more  fervent love, endeavor  to  rise  again. When anything  adverse happens, immediately  make  an  offering  to  God  of what  thou  hast  to  sutler,  bringing  thy  will  into  uniformity with  His  own;  and  ever  accustom  thyself under all  adverse  circumstances  to  repeat  these words: "  Thus  God  wills;  thus  I  will  too." Acts of