Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/225

 never to  fix  them  upon  any  one."  Father  Manareo,  when taking  leave  of  St.  Ignatius  for  a  distant  place,  looked steadfastly  in  his  face:  for  this  look  he  was  corrected by  the  saint.  From  the  conduct  of  St.  Ignatius  on  this occasion,  we  learn  that  it  was  not  becoming  in  religious to  fix  their  eyes  on  the  countenance  of  a  person  even  of the  same  sex,  particularly  if  the  person  is  young.  But I  do  not  see  how  looks  at  young  persons  of  a  different sex  can  be  excused  from  the  guilt  of  a  venial  fault,  or even  from  mortal  sin,  when  there  is  proximate  danger  of criminal  consent. "It  is  not  lawful,"  says  St.  Gregory,  "to behold what  it  is  not  lawful  to  covet."  The  evil  thought that  proceeds  from  looks,  though  it  should  be  rejected, never  fails  to  leave  a  stain  upon  the  soul.  Brother Roger,  a  Franciscan  of  singular  purity,  being  once  asked why  he  was  so  reserved  in  his  intercourse  with  women, replied,  that  when  men  avoid  the  occasions  of  sin,  God preserves  them;  but  when  they  expose  themselves  to danger,  they  are  justly  abandoned  by  the  Lord,  and easily  fall  into  some  grievous  transgressions.

The indulgence  of  the  eyes,  if  not  productive  of  any other evil,  at  least  destroys  recollection  during  the  time of prayer. For, the  images  and  impressions  caused  by the  objects  seen  before,  or  by  the  wandering  of  the  eyes, during prayer,  will  occasion  a  thousand  distractions, and banish  all  recollection  from  the  soul. It is  certain that without  recollection  a  religious  can  pay  but  little attention to  the  practice  of  humility,  patience,  mortification, or  of  the  other  virtues. Hence it  is  her  duty  to abstain  from  all  looks  of  curiosity,  which  distract  her mind from  holy  thoughts. Let her  eyes  be  directed only to  objects  which   raise  the  soul  to  God. St. Ber-