Charity.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart. This is the greatest and the first commandment,
and the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” — St. Matt. 22:38
SEVENTH DAY.
The perfect love of God does not consist in those sentiments of devotion, which we sometimes so much desire, but in a strong determination to avoid the least sin, and to take every means for this, with an ardent desire to please God in all things and to procure His glory. — St. Teresa.
St. Jane Frances wrote to the Superior of a religious whom every one regarded as a soul full of the love of God because she experienced extraordinary spiritual consolations: “This good girl ought to be undeceived; she persuades herself that she is much elevated in the love of God, and it is thought she is sublimely virtuous. I am of the opinion that these heats, these attacks she feels are from nature and self-love. You must tell her that the solidity of the love of God does not consist in tasting divine consolations, but in being very exact in observing her rule, in practicing faithfully true virtues; namely, to be humble, to love to be despised, to be detached from self, and to love God in such a manner as to desire to be known to none but God alone. These are the infallible marks of true love. God preserve us from that sensible love which makes us think of ourselves alone, because it leads to death.”
It is said of St. Thomas Aquinas that he preserved his soul as pure and clean as a child of five years — he possessed perfect love.
Prayer.
My God, I love Thee. It is because I love Thee that I will do nothing to displease Thee, and do all things to please Thee and to cause others to love Thee.