Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. ix.i Exterior Mortification. 381
tise mortification God gives that sweetness and peace
that are hidden from the unmortified, and that surpass
all sensual pleasures: The peace of God, which surpasseth
all under st~nding} Hence they who live dead to earthly
delights are pronounced happy: Blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord? Worldlings regard as miserable the life
of those who live at a distance from sensual gratifica
tions. They see the Cross, but not its interior unction? says
St. Bernard; they see the mortifications of the saints, but
not the interior consolations with which God caresses
them, even in this life. The promises of God cannot
fail: Take up My yoke upon you, and . . you shall find rest
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to souls."
your Ah! the soul that loves God suffers not
in her mortifications. He who loves, finds nothing diffi
cult, says St. Augustine/ Love," says a certain author,
blushes at the word difficulty."
As nothing resists
death, so nothing resists love: Love is as strong as death?
If we wish to acquire eternal delights, we must de
prive ourselves of temporal pleasures: He that will save
his life shall lose it? Hence St. Augustine says: Be
ware of enjoying yourself in this life, lest you suffer
eternally."
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St. John saw all the saints with palms in
their hands. 10 To be saved, we must all be martyrs,
either by the sword of the tyrant or by voluntary
mortification. Let us reflect that all we suffer is
nothing
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Pax Dei, quse exsuperat omnem sensum." Phil. iv. 7.
Beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur." Apoc. xiv. 13.
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Crucem videntes, sed non etiam unctionem." In Dedic. s. I.
Tollite jugum meum super vos,
. . . et invenietis requiem
animabus vestris." Matth. xi. 29.
5
"Qui amat, non laborat." In Jo. tr. 48.
6
"Amor, difficultatis nomen erubescit."
Lign. v. de Char. c. 4.
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xvi. 25.
Fortis est ut mors dilectio." Cant. viii. 6.
Qui enim voluerit animam salvam facere, perdet
earn." Matth.
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Noli amare in hac vita, ne perdas in aeterna vita." In Jo. tr. 51.
10 "
Stantes ante thronum, . . . et palrrue
in manibus eorum."
Apoc. vii. 9.