Untitled - Saints' Books

370 Material for Instructions. [PART n.
image of the Blessed Virgin, on which he kept his eyes
constantly fixed for several hours, lest they might fall
on a woman. From the moment we awake in the morn
ing, let us pray with David: Turn away my eyes, that they
may not behold vanity. 1
Oh! how profitable is it to us ecclesiastics, and how
edifying to others, to keep the eyes cast down! St.
Francis once said to his companion, that he wished to
go out in order to preach a sermon: he went out and
walked through the village with his eyes fixed on the
ground. After they had returned, his companion asked
when he intended to preach the sermon. The saint re
plied: We have already preached by the modesty with
which we walked before the people. A certain author
remarks that the Evangelists, in order to show that he
ordinarily kept them cast down, mention in several
places that our Redeemer raised his eyes: Lifting His
iip
eyes on His disciples? When Jesus had lifted up His eyes?
Hence St. Paul has praised the modesty of Jesus Christ,
saying: I beseech you by the mildness and mode sty of Christ?
St. Basil says that we should keep the eyes cast down
upon the earth and the soul raised 5
up to heaven. And
St. Jerome has written, that the countenance is the mir
ror of the soul, and that chaste eyes indicate a chaste
heart." But, on the other hand, St. Augustine says:
"The
immodesty of the eyes betrays the vices of the
heart." 7 St. Ambrose adds, that the motions of the body
" 1
2 "
Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem." Ps. cxviii. 37.
Elevatis oculis in discipulos suos." Lttke, vi. 20.
3 "Cum sublevasset ergo oculos Jesus." John., vi. 5.
4
Obsecro vos "
per mansuetudinem et modestiam Christi." 2 Cor.
x. i.
5 "
Oportet oculos habere ad terram dejectas, animam vero ad ccelum
erectam." Scrm. de A seesi.
6 "
Ep
.
Speculum mentis est fades, et taciti oculi cordis fatentur arcana."
ad Fu riam .
" 1
Impudicus oculus irnpudici cordis est nuntius." J?eg. ad serv.
D. n. 6.