Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/74

 olics —  who  say  many  prayers,  hear  many Masses, make  many  communions  in  honor of Our  Lord  or  His  blessed  Mother  —  hold  to their  own  will  in  many  things,  small  if  you like, which  they  know  are  not  pleasing  to one  or  the  other;  hold  to  their  own  ways against theirs;  fail  in  sweetness  of  temper, charity of  tongue,  unselfish  fidelity  to  the duties they  owe  to  others,  in  patience  and resignation when  the  cross  comes  —  who  are in some,  perhaps  in  many  ways,  unlike  them. Surely such  persons  could  not  be  called,  yet at least,  devoted,  in  the  full  meaning  of  the word, to  Jesus  and  Mary. Here, again,  the true test  of  devotion  is  the  hard  thing  — imitation. To perform  any  amount  of  lip devotion is  easy,  compared  to  the  practice of that  charity,  patience,  resignation,  obedience in  trying  circumstances  —  which  marked their holy  lives.

In this  matter  of  devotions  persons  may, and perhaps  should,  be  guided  by  their  own spiritual taste,  practising  those  which  they like best,  and  which  help  them  most  toward what should  be  the  end  of  all  devotions, namely, laboring  sincerely  to  make  themselves as like  as  possible  to  the  person  to  whom they are  or  desire  to  be  devoted. We may, however,  study  devotions,   comparing  one