Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/487

 the hour  of  death,  what  would  she  give  for  a  day,  or even  for  one  of  the  many  hours  that  she  now  loses! A certain religious  said  at  the  end  of  her  life:  "Oh  that  I had  more  time  I  would  give  it  all  to  God!" But the unhappy soul  desired  time  when  for  her  time  was  no more.

Besides, I  say  to  you,  dear  sister,  God  in  his  goodness has rescued  you  from  the  dangers  of  the  world,  and  has given you  the  courage  to  forsake  it;  why,  then,  should you expose  yourself  to  the  same  dangers  by  again  holding intercourse  with  the  world? Tertullian says  that " we  have  escaped  once  from  the  waves  of  the  world  (in which  so  many  perish);  let  us  not  voluntarily  cast  ourselves again  into  the  midst  of  them,"  and  expose  our souls to  the  danger  of  perdition. The religious  who wishes to  become  a  saint  should  seek  neither  to  know nor be  known  by  the  world;  she  should  endeavor  to  the utmost of  her  ability  neither  to  see  nor  to  be  seen  by seculars. Blessed Clare  of  Montefalco  spoke  even  to  her brother with  the  veil  drawn  down;  the  abbess  said  that in conversing  with  her  brother  she  might  raise  the  veil. She answered:  "Mother,  since  I  speak  only  with  the tongue,  allow  me  to  remain  covered." The words  of  the Venerable Sister  Frances  Farnese  are  also  very  remarkable. " My  sisters,"  said  she,  "  we  are  shut  up  within these  walls,  not  to  see  and  to  be  seen,  but  to  hide  ourselves from  creatures.  The  more  we  hide  ourselves  from them,  the  more  Jesus  Christ  will  unveil  himself  to  us."

Worldlings shun  solitude,  and  with  good  reason;  for in solitude  they  feel  more  acutely  the  remorse  of  conscience, and  therefore  they  go  in  search  of  the  conversations and  tumults  of  the  world,  that  the  noise  of  these occupations may  stifle  the  stings  of  remorse. The religious, then,  who   flies   from    solitude   shows    that    she,