Let your passion die within

“It is not enough, I say, to guard one’s tongue from these and similar kinds of nastiness [public insult and abuse, venomous slander in secret]; even slight offenses must be avoided, if anything may be termed slight that is directed against a brother for the purpose of hurting him, since merely to be angry with one’s brother makes one liable to the judgment of God.

So when an offence is committed against you, a thing hard to avoid at times…, do not immediately rush, as a worldly person may do, to retaliate dishonorably against your brother; nor, under the guise of administering correction, should you dare to pierce with sharp and searing words one for whom Christ was pleased to be crucified; nor make grunting, resentful noises at him, nor mutter and murmur complaints, nor adopt a sneering air, nor indulge the loud laugh of contempt, nor knit the brow in menacing anger. Let your passion die within, where it was born; a carrier of death, it must be allowed no exit or it will cause destruction, and then you can say with the Prophet: ‘I was troubled and I spoke not.’”

-- On the Song of Songs by St Bernard of Clairvaux

Do you have 15 minutes as a gift to scriptural reading?

"To regularly read the Bible takes time, and time is a scarce commodity. So we think! Human beings have an unusual capacity always to find time for nonessential things but not for what will give them true happiness. We leave the most important to the last. Intentions can be good. When we have washed the dishes and cleaned the house, when everything in its place and the whole house is in order, then we can devote ourselves to prayer and reading in peace. But a house is never completely in order, new things constantly emerge that should and could be done.

We find time for most things. But we lack the time intended to devote to Bible-reading, just ten or fifteen minutes. The days is precisely fifteen minutes too short! Would it help if the day were somewhat longer? Not at all. At least once a year we get an extra hour, when we leave summer time in October and return to normal time. Do we then find more time to pray?

How often does it not happen that we suddenly gain one or two hours because something we intended to do was unexpectedly done by another or because an invited guest sent regrets? All at once, there was an entire afternoon unexpectedly at our disposal. But immediately masses of new things to do offer themselves to fill the vacant time. Just imagine if we gave all the time we get in this was as a gift to prayer or scriptural reading? The words of Christ would really live in us in all riches and with all his wisdom (Col 3:16).

John Crysostom (c 345-407) speaks hard words to those who don't think that Bible-reading is so important:

All of you perhaps say: 'I'm not a monk.' But you're mistaken when you believe that the Scriptures only concern monks while you, ordinary believers, need it much more. There is something which is more serious and sinful than not to read the Scriptures, namely to believe that scriptural reading is unnecessary and serves no purpose.'"

-- Nourished by the Word: Reading the Bible Contemplatively by Fr Wilfrid Stinissen, ocd


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The "I don't have time" or "I have too much to do" problem is also endemic to religious life, from the active to the cloistered. Sad, but true. It is so easy to get all caught up in "I need to do this", "I should do that"... That Scripture reading, and even prayer at times, can be neglected. This is more so for lay persons, particularly those married with children (in my opinion). There will always be things to be done. Is there anything at all that can be pushed back for 15 minutes without there being a catastrophe? Then try to do so, and offer those minutes to God, to listen to His word speak to YOU.

Make God happy: voluntarily sacrifice some time to listen to his word

"With prayer and reading the Bible, it like all else is healthy and desirable: it goes more easily when it is done with a certain regularity. Regularity is a concrete expression for the faith which is an essential element in love. It is something other than iron-hard discipline but also something other than carelessness. Faithfulness causes me to pray or read not only when it feels good, and it means also that one can make an exception when there is reason for it. God doesn't want us to ask the impossible of ourselves, but he becomes happy when we voluntarily sacrifice some of our time to listen to his word, even if we just now don't feel any special desire to do it.
There are periods and situations when we lack the strength or quite simply the possibility to pray or read. But we often have more strength than we think. There is truly nothing wrong in making a little more order in our ife. It is very fruitful to make an extra effort to get over the threshold to try to overcome a certain adversity or apathy.

Love does not consist only of spontaneous movements and events; it means also hard work with yourself. Those who endeavor to discipline themselves will, it is true, often fail - those who don't try never fail! - and accuse themselves for this, often with justice. But why should we be afraid to fail? There is no progress without many failed attempts. And to the extent that our failure is dependet on fault on our part, there is forgiveness. Our failures create a greater need for forgiveness and can in this way lead us nearer to God. Nor is it so bad to undervalue oneself a as Christian. Haven't all the saints done it? It is part of love that that it never loves enough, and always wants to love more. You are never a complete Christian; at best you will become one."

-- Nourished by the Word: Reading the Bible Contemplatively by Fr Wilfrid Stinissen, ocd

Remain open to the unexpected

"God doesn't always send long-term solutions in response to our needs but often only little boosts, 'just for today.' That is enough for us to go on, provided we have confidence in God.

Following the small flame of faith, hope, and love that burns in the heart, the soul feels as secure as if it walked in broad daylight. Let us follow the indications arising from the humble acts of faith, hope, and love the Holy Spirit inspires us to make daily. We cannot go wrong in believing, hoping, and loving. God speaks today for today. We can't know what we will be called to do five or ten years from now. Knowing what we should do today is enough.

Someone with this attitude possesses flexibility and detachment. It is not good to want always to be in charge of one's life and to be rigid in scheduling as a result. To be sure, it's desirable to have an organized life and an orderly agenda, but only while remaining open to the unexpected. If we are too locked into our plans, we are in danger of missing God's calls."

-- Called to Life by Jacques Philippe

Dispose yourself to receive the crown of victory

"Think of [Christ's] suffering and that of the saints, and cease complaining. You have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood. What you suffer is very little compared with the great things they suffered who were so strongly tempted, so severely troubled, so tried and tormented in many ways. Well may you remember, therefore, the very painful woes of others, that you may bear your own little ones the more easily. And if they do not seem so small to you, examine if perhaps your impatience is not the cause of their apparent greatness; and whether they are great or small, try to bear them all patiently. The better you dispose yourself to suffer, the more wisely you act and the greater is the reward promised you. Thus you will suffer more easily if your mind and habits are diligently trained to it.

Do not say: 'I cannot bear this from such a man, nor should I suffer things of this kind, for he has done me a great wrong. He has accused me of many things of which I never thought. However, from someone else I will gladly suffer as much as I think I should.'

Such a thought is foolish, for it does not consider the virtue of patience or the One Who will reward it, but rather weighs the person and the offense committed. The man who will suffer only as much as seems good to him, who will accept suffering only from those from whom he is pleased to accept it, is not truly patient. For the truly patient man does not consider from whom the suffering comes, whether from a superior, an equal, or an inferior, whether from a good and holy person or from a perverse and unworthy one; but no matter how great an adversity befalls him, no matter how often it comes or from whom it comes, he accepts it gratefully from the hand of God, and counts it a great gain. For with God nothing that is suffered for His sake, no matter how small, can pass without reward. Be prepared for the fight, then, if you wish to gain the victory. Without struggle you cannot obtain the crown of patience, and if you refuse to suffer you are refusing the crown. But if you desire to be crowned, fight bravely and bear up patiently. Without labor there is no rest, and without fighting, no victory."

-- Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis

On patience

“Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the promise,” says Saint Paul; and the Saviour said, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” The greatest happiness of any one is “to possess his soul;” and the more perfect our patience, the more fully we do so possess our souls. Call often to mind that our Saviour redeemed us by bearing and suffering, and in like manner we must seek our own salvation amid sufferings and afflictions; bearing insults, contradictions and troubles with all the gentleness we can possibly command.

Do not limit your patience to this or that kind of trial, but extend it universally to whatever God may send, or allow to befall you. Some people will only bear patiently with trials which carry their own salve of dignity,—such as being wounded in battle, becoming a prisoner of war, being ill-used for the sake of their religion, being impoverished by some strife out of which they came triumphant. Now these persons do not love tribulation, but only the honour which attends it. A really patient servant of God is as ready to bear inglorious troubles as those which are honourable. A brave man can easily bear with contempt, slander and false accusation from an evil world; but to bear such injustice at the hands of good men, of friends and relations, is a great test of patience. I have a greater respect for the gentleness with which the great S. Charles Borromeo long endured the public reproaches which a celebrated preacher of a reformed Order used to pour out upon him, than for all the other attacks he bore with. For, just as the sting of a bee hurts far more than that of a fly, so the injuries or contradictions we endure from good people are much harder to bear than any others. But it is a thing which very often happens, and sometimes two worthy men, who are both highly well-intentioned after their own fashion, annoy and even persecute one another grievously.

Be patient, not only with respect to the main trials which beset you, but also under the accidental and accessory annoyances which arise out of them. We often find people who imagine themselves ready to accept a trial in itself who are impatient of its consequences. We hear one man say, “I should not mind poverty, were it not that I am unable to bring up my children and receive my friends as handsomely as I desire.” And another says, “I should not mind, were it not that the world will suppose it is my own fault;” while another would patiently bear to be the subject of slander provided nobody believed it. Others, again, accept one side of a trouble but fret against the rest—as, for instance, believing themselves to be patient under sickness, only fretting against their inability to obtain the best advice, or at the inconvenience they are to their friends. But, dear child, be sure that we must patiently accept, not sickness only, but such sickness as God chooses to send, in the place, among the people, and subject to the circumstances which He ordains;—and so with all other troubles. If any trouble comes upon you, use the remedies with which God supplies you. Not to do this is to tempt Him; but having done so, wait whatever result He wills with perfect resignation. If He pleases to let the evil be remedied, thank Him humbly; but if it be His will that the evil grow greater than the remedies, patiently bless His Holy Name.

Complain as little as possible of your wrongs, for as a general rule you may be sure that complaining is sin; “Qui se plaint, peche.” the rather that self-love always magnifies our injuries: above all, do not complain to people who are easily angered and excited. If it is needful to complain to some one, either as seeking a remedy for your injury, or in order to soothe your mind, let it be to some calm, gentle spirit, greatly filled with the Love of God; for otherwise, instead of relieving your heart, your confidants will only provoke it to still greater disturbance; instead of taking out the thorn which pricks you, they will drive it further into your foot.

As to the trials which you will encounter in devotion (and they are certain to arise), bear in mind our dear Lord’s words: “A woman, when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.” You, too, have conceived in your soul the most gracious of children, even Jesus Christ, and before He can be brought forth you must inevitably travail with pain; but be of good cheer, for when these pangs are over, you will possess an abiding joy, having brought such a man into the world. And He will be really born for you, when He is perfected in your heart by love, and in your actions by imitating His life.

When you are sick, offer all your pains and weakness to our Dear Lord, and ask Him to unite them to the sufferings which He bore for you. Obey your physician, and take all medicines, remedies and nourishment, for the Love of God, remembering the vinegar and gall He tasted for love of us; desire your recovery that you may serve Him; do not shrink from languor and weakness out of obedience to Him, and be ready to die if He wills it, to His Glory, and that you may enter into His Presence.

Gaze often inwardly upon Jesus Christ crucified, naked, blasphemed, falsely accused, forsaken, overwhelmed with every possible grief and sorrow, and remember that none of your sufferings can ever be compared to His, either in kind or degree, and that you can never suffer anything for Him worthy to be weighed against what He has borne for you.

Consider the pains which martyrs have endured, and think how even now many people are bearing afflictions beyond all measure greater than yours, and say, “Of a truth my trouble is comfort, my torments are but roses as compared to those whose life is a continual death, without solace, or aid or consolation, borne down with a weight of grief tenfold greater than mine.”

-- Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales