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
ELEVENTH DAY.
An excellent means to exercise ourselves in the love of Jesus Christ is to accustom ourselves to have Him always present to our mind. Here are three ways of doing it: first, when you are about to perform any action, represent to yourself the manner in which Our Lord Jesus Christ lived when He was on the earth visibly; endeavor to have the same intentions He had, and to enter into His dispositions, with a desire to imitate Him; second, think that He sees you from on high, and that He pours on you the abundance of His graces; third, with all persons with whom you may find yourself, let your faith see in them Jesus Christ Himself. In doing this we perform every action with much more facility and more perfection, we avoid any faults, such as inquietude and impatience; still more, in doing a service to our neighbor we will have as much merit as if we did the same service to Our Lord. — St. Vincent de Paul.
The saint practiced the counsel he gave. He undertook nothing, did nothing without first thinking of Jesus Christ, endeavoring to imitate the manner in which He spoke and acted; consequently, he edified all who saw him. During the time he lived with M. de Gondi, he honored Our Saviour in his person, the Blessed Virgin in his wife, the apostles in the priests whom he met there, and the disciples in all other persons. This practice, he said, was of much benefit to him.
A person who wished to think unceasingly of Jesus Christ formed the habit of seeing Jesus Christ in those who had authority over him. Jesus Christ priest in the priest, Jesus Christ poor in the poor, Jesus Christ suffering in those who were afflicted, Jesus Christ an infant in children. In fine, everything recalled to him Jesus Christ. On beholding the sun, he would say, “Jesus Christ is the sun of justices”; on seeing a lighted torch, “Jesus Christ is the light of the world”; a lamb, “Jesus Christ is the lamb of God, Who effaces sin”; on seeing bread, “Jesus Christ is the living bread descended from heaven”; a book, “Jesus Christ is the book of the just”.
Prayer.
O my Saviour, be forever in my thoughts by the recollection of Thy perfections, of Thy mysteries, and of thy love. Be always in my heart by holy affections, and by a desire to please Thee. Let me speak Thy language, live Thy life.