POINT III. Let me consider in detail some principal objects to which a man is not naturally indifferent, but he may with God’s grace make himself so.

1. A long life or a short life. For all I know, my eternal salvation may be much better secured if I should die soon than if I live yet many years. It was so with many persons, who were holy in their youth and were afterwards perverted. Therefore the Book of Wisdom says: “He pleased God and was beloved, and living among sinners he was translated. He was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding and deceit beguile his soul” (iv, 10, 11). What a blessing it would have been for a Luther or a Henry VIII to have died young. As I do not know what is best for me, I ought in all reason to leave it all to God’s disposal, and make myself indifferent to a long life or a short life.

2. Health or sickness. In comparison with the salvation of my soul the enjoyment of health during this life is of slight importance; and common sense would bid me readily to resign the latter to secure the former. Now God alone knows when this is necessary. We read of a virtuous man in England, who made a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas a’ Becket to be cured from blindness. He was heard, and returned rejoicing to his home. But he found soon after that the free use of his sight led him into many new temptations. So he returned to the same shrine and begged the Saint that, if it were for his greater spiritual good to be deprived of sight, this might be done rather than that he should fall into mortal sin. The Lord worked this second miracle to show what was really best for him.

3. Riches or poverty. The young man whom the Saviour invited to sell all and give to the poor and then follow Him had not the courage to answer the call, because he was very rich. And Jesus remarked it was difficult for a rich man to save his soul. It is then very wise not to care for riches, but to make one’s self indifferent on this point.

4. Honor rather than dishonor. History is full of examples of men who were virtuous while in an humble station, and who, after being raised to honors, became proud; now a proud man is odious in the sight of God.

5. And so of all other things. Let me ask myself whether there is any point on which I am not indifferent, and then consider how I may bend my mind in the opposite direction; then pray earnestly to our Lord and His Holy Mother to gain indifference to all created things.

POINT IV. Let me consider what will be the good effects of attaining such indifference. They will be:

1. Considerable increase in virtue; for thus my will becomes conformable to the will of God: I thus practise faith in His providence, and confidence in His paternal care of me.

2. Security from many dangers of sin, to which I should have been exposed if I had persisted in controlling my own fortunes.

3. Quiet of mind in the happy thought that God, to whom I abandon myself entirely, will dispose all for the best: “For we know that to them that love God all things work together unto good” (Rom. viii, 28). “Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Ps. 54). “My children, behold the generations of men, and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded” (Ecclus. ii, 11).