Untitled - Saints' Books

44 2 Appendix.
7. DESIRE FOR DEATH.
The priest should often desire paradise, and conse
quently death itself, in order promptly to go to heaven,
where he may love Jesus Christ with all his strength
and during all eternity, without fear of ever losing him.
In the mean time he should conduct himself towards
God without reserve, not refusing him anything that he
knows will be more agreeable to him; and he should be
continually attentive to banish from his heart all that is
not God or for God.
8. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
He should endeavor to conceive a great confidence
and a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. All the
saints are always fond of nourishing in their hearts a
filial piety towards this divine Mother. He should take
care to make every day a spiritual reading out of a book
that treats of the great confidence that we should have
in her powerful protection. He should never fail as
well as he is able to fast on Saturdays in her honor; and
in all her novenas he should at least practise some ab
stinence and some other mortification. He should never
omit to pay her a visit once or several times a day be
fore some devout image. He should speak to others as
much as he can of the confidence that we should have
in the protection of Mary, and should endeavor on
Saturdays to address in the church a little instruction
to the faithful, so as to excite their devotion towards
this charitable Queen; at least he should speak of her
in a special manner in every one of his sermons, and
recommend the same devotion to all his penitents and
to all persons. The more one loves Mary, the more one
loves God; for Mary draws to God all that love her.
St. Bonaventure says: "Because she was inflamed with