Saturday, August 22, 2009

Principles and Practices - August 23

To Please God

If the fear of displeasing the Beloved can thus draw away the soul from all evil, the desire of pleasing Him can excite her to the practice of every good which He expects from her.

She seeks out occasions of pleasing Him, but always quietly and peacefully, only desiring to do His Will; she joyfully seizes all those that are presented to her: labours, sufferings, sacrifices cost her nothing. Provided only she can please God, she is content; and her greatest grief would be to have to reproach herself with any negligence or cowardice in this respect.

As she knows that the greatest enemy God can have is herself, her corrupt nature, her self-love, she hates herself as God hates all that is corrupt in her: she struggles against herself, will not live at peace with one bad inclination, mortifies herself in everything; and because she feels that of herself she cannot thoroughly succeed in overcoming natu!e she offers herself to God in all simplicity, that He may strike where He will, and do with her just as it pleases Him.

Father Jean Grou.
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From Principles and Practices
Compiled by Rev. J. Hogan of The Catholic Missionary Society
Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd., Publishers To The Holy See
Nihil Obstat; Eduardus J. Mahoney, S.T.D. Censor deputatus.
Imprimatur; Edm. Can. Surmont, Vicarius generalis.
First printed in 1930

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