Untitled - Saints' Books

"
INSTR. viii.] Interior Mortification. 343
leave everything, you must count yourself among those
things that you must leave." Unless, adds the saint,
you deny yourself, you shall never be able to be a fol
lower of Jesus Christ. 2 Our Redeemer hath rejoiced as a
giant to run the way. 3
But, says the holy Doctor, he who
carries the weight of his passions and of earthly affec
tions, and wishes to follow the Saviour, shall not be able
to keep within view of Jesus running the way.
It is necessary, above all, to attend to the subjugation
of the predominant passion. Some are careful to mortify
themselves in many things, but make little effort to con
quer the passion to which they are most inclined; such
persons can never advance in the way of God. He who
allows any irregular passion to rule over him, is in great
danger of being lost. But, on the other hand, he who
subdues the predominant passion will easily conquer all
his other passions. When the strongest enemy
is van
quished, it is easy to defeat less powerful foes. The value
and merit of the victory
is
greatest when the greatest
valor is required: for example, some are not avaricious
of money, but are full of self-esteem; others are not
ambitious of honors, but feel a great thirst for riches.
Unless the former are careful to practise mortification,
when treated with contempt, their disregard for riches
will profit them but little. Unless the latter labor to
mortify the desire of wealth, their contempt for honors
will be but of little
advantage to them. In a word, a
person gains most merit and makes the greatest prog
ress when he uses the greatest violence to conquer
himself. "So much will you advance in virtue," says
"
Qui relinquere disponis omnia, te quoque inter relinquenda
numerare memento." Declam. n. 3.
2
"Sane, nisi abnegaverit semetipsum, sequi eum (Christum) non
potest." Ib. n. 48.
3 "
Exsultavit ut gigas ad currendam viam" (Ps, xviii, 6);
poteras oneratus." Declam. n. 2.
nee sequi