Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/496

 that manual  employment  contributes  greatly  to  the preservation of  health,  and  this  is  the  reason  why  lay-sisters  ordinarily  enjoy  better  health  than  the  choir  nuns. Ah! it is  frequently  not  so  much  the  danger  of  health, as the  desire  of  escaping  the  pain  attendant  on  labor, that makes  us  excuse  ourselves  from  manual  work. But the religious  who  looks  at  the  crucifix  will  not  endeavor to shun  labor. Sister Frances  of  St.  Angelo  of  the  Carmelite Order  complained  one  day  to  Jesus  on  the  cross, that by  severity  of  labor  she  had  injured  her  hands. Jesus answered:  "  Frances,  look  at  my  hands,  and  then complain."

Besides, manual  work  contributes  greatly  to  relieve the tediousness  of  solitude,  and  also  to  overcome  temptations, which  are  very  frequent  in  solitude. St. Anthony found himself  one  day  so  molested  with  immodest thoughts and  so  weary  of  solitude  that  he  knew  not what to  do. An angel  appeared  and  conducted  the saint to  a  little  garden. There he  took  the  mattock and began  to  dig,  and  afterwards  to  pray;  he  next  resumed the  work,  and  again  returned  to  prayer. From the conduct  of  the  angel  the  saint  learned  that  he  was to live  in  solitude,  and  at  the  same  time  defend  himself against temptations  by  passing  from  prayer  to  work and from  work  to  prayer. A person  should  not  be always  employed  at  work;  but  it  is  impossible  for  a  religious to  be  always  at  prayer  without  affecting  her brain, and  rendering  herself  utterly  unfit  for  all  spiritual exercises. Hence St.  Teresa  after  death  appeared  to Sister  Paula  Mary  of  Jesus,  and  exhorted  her  not  to fail  to  exercise  herself  in  corporal  works  under  the delusive pretext  of  devoting  herself  more  to  holy  occupations; and  the  saint  added  that  these  manual  exercises are  a  great  help  to  eternal  salvation.

Besides, manual  works  when  performed  without  solitude and  passion  do  not  hinder  us  from  praying. Sister