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
FOURTH DAY.
It suffices for a soul that loves God as it ought to love Him to know that a thing is right, is for God’s glory, to do it immediately, without hesitation, with a desire to please God, and to show Him its love. O my God, how easy Thou makest the most difficult things to those who love Thee ardently, and who abandon all for Thy love! — St. Teresa.
This saint ardently desired a reform in her rule in order to be more detached from all things and to follow more perfectly her vocation. Nevertheless, she desired it in such a spirit that if the Lord had made her understand that He wished her to abandon the undertaking entirely, she would have done so instantly without any pain. It was to put in execution this great desire which burned within her, namely, to do only what is most pleasing to God, that impelled her to make a vow to do always that which she knew to be the most perfect. For many it might be rash to make such a vow; but in doing this, St. Teresa felt that God asked it of her. She never failed in one point to keep her vow.
The Church, in the prayers in which she invokes St Ignatius Loyola, makes us understand that the true and distinctive character of this saint was to do all for the greater glory of God, and that God chose him to propagate this grand design.
What excess of humiliations and austerities, what fatigues and dangers did not St. Joseph Labre undergo to please God, because he know that God asked it of him! This thought, God wills it, smoothed all difficulties, and made easy to him what would otherwise have been most painful. He encouraged himself by frequently pronouncing these words, God wills it, which became his motto.
Prayer.
My God, I will do for Thy love that which will be most perfect, all that I know will be most agreeable to Thee. I will do nothing but for Thy glory.