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Brookline Carmel Bulletin                         J M J T

March 6, 1960

 

 

Cogitatio Sancta

(Holy Meditation)

 

Imitation of Christ

 

(Each year during Lent the Imitation of Christ of Thomas a` Kempis is read in Carmelite refectories.  We devote this first issue of Lent to a few quotations from that perennial masterpiece.)

 

“‘He that followeth me, walketh not in darkness,’ saith our Lord.  (John 8:12).  These are the words of Christ, by which we are admonished, that we must imitate his life and manners, if we would be truly enlightened, and delivered from all blindness of heart.  Let it then be our chief study to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.”  (Cf. St. John of the Cross, Ascent I, xiii:  “Let him have an habitual desire to imitate Christ in everything that he does, conforming himself to His life; upon which life he must meditate so that he may know how to imitate it, and to behave in all things as Christ would behave.”)

 

“The doctrine of Christ surpasseth all the doctrines of the saints; and whosoever hath His spirit will find therein a hidden manna.  (Apoc. 2:17).  But it happeneth that many, by frequent hearing of the Gospel, are very little affected:  because they have not the spirit of Christ.  But he who would fully and feelingly understand the words of Christ, must study to make his whole life conformable to that of Christ.”

 

“What doth it avail thee to discourse profoundly of the Trinity if thou be void of humility, and consequently, displeasing to the Trinity?  In truth, sublime words make not a man holy and just:  but a virtuous life maketh him dear to God.  I would rather feel compunction than know its definition.  If thou didst know the whole Bible by heart, and the sayings of all the philosophers, what would it all profit thee without the love of God and His grace?  ‘Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity’ (Eccles. 1:2), except to love God and serve Him alone.  This is the highest wisdom, by despising the world to tend to heavenly kingdoms.  It is vanity, therefore, to seek after riches which must perish and to trust in them.  It is vanity also to be ambitious of honors, and to raise one’s self to a high station.  It is vanity to follow the lusts of the flesh and to desire that for which thou must afterwards be grievously punished.  It is vanity to wish for a long life and to take little care of leading a good life.  It is vanity also to mind this present life and not to look forward unto those things which are to come.  It is vanity to love that which passeth with all speed and not to hasten thither where everlasting joy remaineth.”

 

“Study to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to things invisible.  For they that follow their sensuality defile their conscience and lose the grace of God… The more a man is united within himself, the interiorly simple, the more and higher things doth he understand without labor, because he receiveth the light of understanding from above.  A pure, simple, and steady spirit is not dissipated by a multitude of affairs, because he performs them all to the honor of God, and endeavors to be at rest within himself and free from all self-seeking.  What is a greater hindrance and trouble to thee than thine own unmortified affection of heart?  A good and devout man first disposes his works inwardly which he is to do outwardly.  Neither do they draw him to the desires of an inordinate inclination, but he bends them to the rule of right reason.  Who hath a stronger conflict than he who striveth to overcome himself?  And this must be our business, to strive to overcome ourselves, and daily to gain strength to overcome ourselves, and to grow better and better.”  (Cf. St. John of the Cross, Ascent I, xiii:  “In order that he may be able to imitate Christ well, every pleasure that presents itself to the senses, if it be not for the honor and glory of God, must be renounced and completely rejected for the love of Jesus Christ, Who in this life had no other pleasure, neither desired such, than to do the will of His Father, which He called His meat and food.”)

 

“Verily, when the day of judgment comes, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how learnedly we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived… He is truly great who is great in charity… He is truly prudent who looks upon all earthly things as nothing that he may gain Christ.  (Phil. 3:8).  And he is very learned indeed who does the will of God and renounces his own will.”

 

 

 

 

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