Imitation of Christ: meditation of the day...

The Fifty-Third Chapter
God’s Grace Is Not Given to the Earthly Minded (part one)

The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, my grace is precious. It does not allow itself to be mixed with external things or with earthly consolations. Cast away all obstacles to grace, therefore, if you wish to receive its infusion.

Seek to retire within yourself. Love to dwell alone with yourself. Seek no man’s conversation, but rather pour forth devout prayer to God that you may keep your mind contrite and your heart pure.

Consider the whole world as nothing. Prefer attendance upon God to all outward occupation, for you cannot attend upon Me and at the same time take delight in external things. You must remove yourself from acquaintances and from dear friends, and keep your mind free of all temporal consolation. Thus the blessed Apostle St. Peter begs the faithful of Christ to keep themselves as strangers and pilgrims in the world. 1 Peter 2:11.

What great confidence at the hour of death shall be his who is not attached to this world by any affection. But the sickly soul does not know what it is to have a heart thus separated from all things, nor does the natural man know the liberty of the spiritual man. Yet, if he truly wishes to be spiritual, he must renounce both strangers and friends, and must beware of no one more than himself.

This is another tough one for me...being a sanguine and all I love to be around people and socialize. It is those quiet times when I am with our Lord that I get so many consolations and lights. If only I could be better about listening to the Lord I would be much stronger in my faith.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+