Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/94

 because wasting  her  time,  and  taking  complacency  in them,  she  will  neglect  the  means  necessary  fur  the  perfection of  her  state,  and  for  the  attainment  of  eternal life.

"I do  not,"  says  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  "approve  of  the conduct  of  those  who,  while  bound  by  an  obligation,  or placed  in  any  state,  spend  their  time  in  wishing  for another  manner  of  life,  inconsistent  with  their  duties; or  for  exercises  incompatible  with  their  present  state. For  these  desires  dissipate  the  heart,  and  make  it  languish in  the  necessary  exercises." ' It  is,  then,  the  duty of a  religious  to  aspire  only  after  that  perfection  which is suitable  to  her  present  state  and  to  her  actual  obligations; and  whether  a  Superior,  or  a  subject,  whether  in sickness  or  in  health,  the  vigor  of  youth  or  the  imbecility of  old  age,  to  adopt,  resolutely,  the  means  of sanctity  suitable  to  her  condition  in  life. "The devil," says St.  Teresa,  "sometimes  persuades  us  that  we  have acquired  the  virtue,  for  example,  of  patience;  because we  determine  to  suffer  a  great  deal  for  God.  We  feel really  convinced  that  we  are  ready  to  accept  any  cross, however  great,  for  his  sake;  and  this  conviction  makes us  quite  content,  for  the  devil  assists  us  to  believe  that we  are  willing  to  bear  all  things  for  God.  I  advise  you not  to  trust  much  to  such  virtue,  nor  to  think  that  you even  know  it,  except  in  name,  until  you  see  it  tried.  It will  probably  happen  that  on  the  first  occasion  of  contradiction all  this  patience  will  fall  to  the  ground."'

Let us  now  come  to  what  is  most  important — the means to  be  adopted  for  acquiring  perfection.

The first  means  is  mental  prayer,  and  particularly the meditation  of  the  claims  which  God  has  to  our  love, and of  the  love  which  he  has  borne  us,  especially  in  the great work  of  redemption. To redeem  us,  a  God  has