XXX.
Little Worries
There is not a day in our lives that we are not distressed by some one of those numberless little worries that meet us at every step, and which are inevitable.
The wound made may not be deep; but the constant pricks, each day [pg 058] renewed, imbitter the character, destroy peace, create anxiety, and make the family life, that otherwise would be so sweet and peaceful, almost unendurable.
Life is full of these little miseries. Each hour brings with it its own trouble.
Here are some of the little worries: An impatient word escapes our lips in the presence of some one in whose estimation we would stand well.
A servant does his work badly, fidgets us by his slowness, irritates us by his thoughtlessness, and his awkward blunders make us blush.
A giddy child in its clumsiness breaks something of value, or that we treasure on account of its associations; we are charged with a message of importance, and our forgetfulness makes us appear uncourteous, perhaps ungrateful; some one we live with is constantly finding fault, nothing pleases [pg 059] them. If, when night comes, we find we have not experienced these little worries, then we ought to be grateful to God. Each of these, and many more, are liable to befall us every day of our life.
How to Bear Little Worries
In the first place, expect them. Make them the subject of our morning prayers, and say to ourselves, Here is my daily cross, do I accept willingly? Surely! for it is God Who sends it. After all ... these little troubles, looked at calmly, what are they? Ah, if there were never any worse!
Secondly, we must be prepared for them. You know, if you wish to break the force of a blow falling on you, you naturally bend the body; so let us act with regard to our souls.
Accustom yourself, wrote a pious [pg 060] author, to stoop with sweet condescension, not only to exigencies (that is your duty), but to the simple wishes of those who surround you—the accidents which may intervene; you will find yourself seldom, if ever, crushed.
To bend is better than to bear; to bear is often a little hard; to bend implies a certain external sweetness that yields all constraint, sacrificing the wishes, even in holy things, when they tend to cause disagreements in the family circle.
Submission often implies an entire resignation to all that God permits. The soul that endures feels the weight of its trouble. The soul that yields scarcely perceives it.
Blessed are those docile ones; they are those whom God selects to work for Him.
XXXI.
To Obtain Peace
Approach the Blessed Sacrament, O restless soul, in search of peace, and, humbly kneeling there, pour forth bravely, slowly, and with earnest desire, the following prayer:—
O Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, hear me!
From the desire of being esteemed,
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire to be sought,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire to be mourned,
From the desire of praise,
From the desire of preference,
From the desire of influence,
From the desire of approval,
From the desire of authority,
From the fear of humiliation,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of repulse,
From the fear of calumny,
From the fear of oblivion,
From the fear of ridicule,
From the fear of injury,
From the fear of suspicion,
Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than myself. Jesus grant this desire.
That others may be more highly esteemed.
That others may grow and increase in honor, and I decrease. Jesus, grant me to desire it.
That others may be employed, and I set aside. Jesus, grant me to desire this.
That others may attract the praise, and myself be forgotten.
That others may be preferred in all.
Grant me the utmost holiness of which I am capable, then let others be holier than myself. Jesus, grant me to desire it!
Oh, if God hearkens,—and hearken He surely will, if your prayer has been sincere,—what joy in your heart, what peace on your countenance, what sweetness will pervade your whole life!
More than half one's troubles arise from an exaggerated idea of one's own importance, and the efforts we make to increase our position in the world. Lacordaire says, that the sweetest thing on earth is to be forgotten by all, with the exception of those who love us. All else brings more trouble than joy; and as soon as we have completed our task here, and fulfilled our mission, the best thing for us to do is to disappear altogether.
Let us each cultivate carefully and joyously the portion of soil Providence has committed to our care. Let us never be hindered or distracted by [pg 064] ambitious thoughts, that we could do better, or a false zeal tempting us to forsake our daily task with the vain desire to surpass our neighbors.... Let this one thought occupy our minds. To do well what is given us to do, for this is all that God requires at our hands. It may be summed up in four words,—simply, zealously, cheerfully, completely.
Then if we are slighted, misunderstood, maligned, or persecuted, what does it matter? These injuries will pass away; but the peace and love of God will remain with us forever, the reward of our faith and patience. The love of God! Who can describe all the joy, strength, and consolation it reveals?
Never has human love, in its brightest dreams, been able to form any idea of all the sweetness the love of God [pg 065] imparts to the soul, and which is brought still nearer to us in the Blessed Sacrament.
I can well understand the words of a loving soul: "With heaven so near, and daily communion with our God, how can we ever repine!"
XXXII.
After Holy Communion
OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN
O Jesus! it is Thou Who biddest me say, Father! My Father! Oh how that Name rejoices my heart! My Father! I can no longer feel alone; and whatever may happen to me this day, I feel I am protected, comforted, beloved.
Jesus! let me dwell on the sweetness of those words: My Father! I need not lift my eyes to heaven, Thou [pg 066] art within me, and where Thou dwellest heaven must be.
Yes! heaven is within me! heaven with all its peace and love; and if I keep free from guile this day, my day will be one of heavenly joy, and in addition, the privilege of suffering for Thee.
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
To hallow Thy Name, O Lord, is to pronounce it with reverence and awe.
To-day I will pray more fervently, try to realize Thy Presence, Thy Goodness, Thy Love; and my heart shall be a sanctuary into which nothing shall penetrate that could be displeasing unto Thee.
To hallow Thy Name is to call upon it fervently, to have it constantly upon my lips; above all, before taking an important step, when there are difficulties to be overcome, I will softly whisper the Invocation, which is the secret [pg 067] of all holy living! "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have pity upon me."
THY KINGDOM COME
O Jesus, Thy kingdom is within my heart, reign there in all Thy sovereignty and power, reign there absolutely!
My King! what dost Thou require of me to-day? Thy commandments, my rule of life, my daily duties,—these are Thy commands that I will promise to obey; more than that, I will regard all in authority over me as Thine Ambassadors, speaking to me in Thy Name. What matters the tone or the harshness of the order?
What does it signify if some unexpected command upsets all my previous plans? It is Thy Voice I hear, Thou Lord, Whom I will obey always, and in all things.
Thy kingdom is also in the hearts of [pg 068] others; and there would I see Thee reigning. Then to whom can I speak of Thee this day? What counsels can I give? What moments may I seize, in which, without wounding the feelings, or parading my zeal, I may be allowed to speak a few words of piety? Lord, let me have the opportunity to help another to love Thee!
THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
Yes, yes! Thy Will be done! Thy sweet all-perfect Will!
What wilt Thou send me to-day?
Humiliation? Provocation? Sufferings? A fresh rending of the heart? A disappointment? Shall I see myself misjudged, falsely suspected, despised? I accept beforehand all that Thou sendest me; and if through weakness I weep, suffer it to be so; if I murmur, check me; if I am vexed, correct me; if hopeless, encourage me.
Yes, yes! Let Thy sweet and holy Will be done!
Even, O Lord, if to glorify Thee, I must be humiliated, suffering, useless, and forsaken, still, Lord, stay not Thine Hand, I am wholly Thine.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
How blessed, O Lord, to depend only upon Thee ... behold me, Thy child, waiting with outstretched hand to receive Thy benefits.
Grant me my temporal blessings,—clothing, nourishment, shelter ... but not too much of anything; and let me have the happiness of sharing my blessings with those poorer than myself to-day. Grant me the blessing of intelligence, that I may read, or hear one of those golden counsels that elevate the soul, and lend wings to the thoughts.
Grant me the loving heart, O my [pg 070] Father! that I may feel for a moment how I love Thee, and Thy love towards me; let me sacrifice myself for the welfare of another. Give me the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist! I have just received it, Lord! Grant me again ere long that great blessing.
And then, give all these blessings to those I love, and who love me!
FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS AGAINST US
When I pronounce the word of pardon, what a weight seems lifted from my heart.
I will not only banish every feeling of hatred, I will efface every painful remembrance. O God, if Thou forgivest me, as I forgive others, what mercy for me!
Thou seest I bear no malice, that I forget all injuries....
I have been offended by words; I forget them; by actions, I forget them; by omissions, thoughts, desires; they are all forgotten.
Ah! in all these ways I have offended Thee, and Thou wilt forget, even as I have forgotten.
I will be very merciful, so that Thou mayst have mercy upon me.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
Now, as I leave Thine altar, I go to encounter temptation.
O Saviour! help me, keep me, and warn me of my danger!
Let me shun all occasions of evil, and if by weakness or allurements I am led into paths of sin, if I fall, oh! rescue me speedily, that I may fall upon my knees, confessing my sin, and imploring pardon.
Sin! this is the evil from which I beseech Thee to deliver me; other [pg 072] troubles that may happen, I accept; they are sent to try me and to purify, and come from Thee; but sin, I have no pleasure in it! Oh! when in the hour of temptation I fall away, Lord, hearken to the cry that I now raise to Thee in all sincerity; I will it not! it is not wilful! I go from Thy Presence, but, Jesus, Thou art with me! In work, in prayer, in suffering, let all be done in Thee!