Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/355

 disgrace. To preserve  charity  and  the  common  peace you must  sacrifice  all  self-interest. When some  of  the bishops wished  to  have  St.  Gregory  Nazianzen  for patriarch while  others  refused  to  submit  to  his  authority, the  saint,  to  heal  their  dissensions,  exclaimed:  "  My brothers,  I  wish  to  see  you  in  peace,  and  if  the  renunciation of  my  patriarchal  dignity  be  necessary  to  preserve harmony  among  you,  I  am  ready  to  renounce  my see." He then  gave  up  the  bishopric  of  Constantinople, and retired  into  solitude.

But. let us  speak  in  particular  of  the  means  that  a nun  should  adopt  for  the  maintenance  of  charity  among her sisters  in  religion. She must  follow  the  advice  of the  Apostle  to  his  disciples:  Put  ye  on,  therefore,  as  the elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  the  bowels  of  mercy.  As  a  religious always  wears  her  habit,  and  as  her  whole  body is covered  by  it,  so  in  all  her  actions  she  must  be  clothed and encompassed  around  with  charity. Put on  the bowels  of  mercy.  A  religious  should  be  clothed  not  only with charity,  but  with  the  bowels  of  charity;  that  is, she should  love  each  of  her  sisters  as  if  for  each  she  had the tenderest  affections. When a  person  entertains  for others a  strong  attachment  he  rejoices  at  their  prosperity and  grieves  at  their  misfortunes  as  at  his  own. He continually  seeks  to  promote  their  happiness,  to vindicate  their  character  from  any  imputation  that  may be cast  upon  it,  to  excuse  any  fault  that  they  may  commit, and  to  extol  every  good  act  that  they  may  perform. Now what  is  the  effect  of  passion  in  worldlings  should be the  fruit  of  holy  charity  in  religious.

I. To  practise  charity  in   thought  you   must,  in    the first place,  endeavor  to  banish  all  rash  judgments,  sus-