Untitled - Saints' Books

"
asks
"
How
356 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
tives. 1
What a misery to see a priest who could save
numberless souls altogether occupied in transacting the
business of his family, and in attending to the manage
ment of farms, flocks of sheep, and the like ? What !
exclaims St. Jerome, must a priest abandon the service
of the Father of heaven to please an earthly parent
? 2
The saint says that when there is question of serving
God, a son (if
it be necessary) should trample on his
father: What would you do in the house of your parents,
O delicate soldier !" the saint, "where is the wall,
where the ditch ?
Yes, even if the father lay across the
threshold walk quietly over him, and hasten with unmoistened
eyes to the banner of the cross. Filial piety
in this case consists in being cruel." :
St. Augustine relates that St. Anthony having received
a letter from his relatives threw it into the fire, saying:
"I burn you lest I be burnt by you."" According to
St. Gregory, he who wishes to be united with God must
detach himself from relatives. 5
Otherwise, as Peter de
Blois says, the love of flesh and blood will soon deprive
us of the love of God. 6 It is difficult to find Jesus
Christ in the midst of relatives.
shall
I," says
St. Bonaventure, "find Thee, O Jesus
!
among my rela
tives, since Thou wert not found among Thine?" 7
When the divine mother, after having found Jesus in
1 "
c. 21.
Fugiamus illorum curam tamquam
diabolicam." Const. Alon.
2 "
Propter patrem, militiam Christ! deseram ?"
Quid facis in paterna domo, delicate miles? Ubi vallum? ubi
"
3
fossa? Licet in limine pater jaceat, per calcatum perge patrem,
siccis oculis ad vexillum Crucis evola. Solum pietatis genus est in
hac re, ess^ crudelem." Ep. ad Heliod.
5 "
4 "Comburo vos, ne comburar a vobis." Ad Fr. in er. s. 40.
Extra cognates quisque debet fieri, si vult Parenti omnium
verius jungi."
Mor. 1. 7, c. 18.
6 "
Carnalis amor extra Dei amorem cito te capiet." Ep. 134.
7 "
Quomodo te, bone Jesu, inter meos cognates inveniam, qu
inter tuos minime es invcntus?" Spec. Disc. p. i, c. 23.