Our Lord descending into Limbo and freeing souls

The Sanctification of Our Actions – Fifteenth Day of August

The Sanctification of Our Actions.
“He hath done all things well.” — St. Matt. 7:37.

FIFTEENTH DAY. 

Be careful lest you think the time lost that you give to acquit yourself perfectly of your employment. It is very agreeable to God to leave our exercises of piety which are not of obligation, when duty calls us elsewhere. — St. Teresa.

There was in the monastery of which St. Bernard was abbot a religious who was remarkable for his fidelity to every point of the Rule. During the time of a spiritual reading upon obedience, St. Bernard told this religious to leave the exercise and go to assist someone who then required his aid. The religious showed some repugnance to do so. “The Rule,” he said, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all, “demands that we make the spiritual reading, and that it be done now. Must we not observe the Rule?” The saint only said in reply: “My Brother, is it not to teach you to obey that you have had a reading upon obedience?”

A young lady who was in a convent desired ardently to become a religious. She acquainted her parents with her wishes. Instead of consenting, they compelled her to return to her home. Her piety was truly solid. “I will be a religious in the world, since I cannot be one in the convent,” she said. She followed as closely as possible all the exercises of a person consecrated to God. A certain part of the time she gave to work, but she had a part reserved for meditation, another for reciting the Divine Office, the beads, the spiritual reading, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Her mother, seeing her only more confirmed in her resolution instead of growing indifferent, gave her so many occupations each day that she no longer found time for her exercises.  This is how this servant of God conducted herself: to obey her mother constantly as if it were God; to do all in a spirit of faith and love; to make at certain times a number of aspiration. Within her own heart was an oratory, where she was always in prayer even in the time of most distracting occupations. In this manner was every virtue so deeply implanted in her heart that in time, when she had permission to enter religion, she performed miracles, and after her death the Church placed her in the ranks of those she honors as saints.

Prayer.

My God, grant me grace to perform all my actions with a spirit of love and faith, to make without ceasing aspirations, to make of my heart an oratory where I will be in perpetual adoration.

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