As far as thou canst, fix the eye of thy soul steadfastly, with unobscured gaze, upon the uncreated light.
Then will thy soul, purified from the clouds of earth, be like an Angel in a human body, no longer troubled by the flesh, or disturbed by vain thoughts.
Arm thyself against temptations, persecutions, injuries, so that in adversity as in prosperity, thou mayest still cleave to God in unbroken peace.
When trouble, discouragement, confusion of mind assail thee, do not lose patience or be cast down. Do not betake thee to vocal prayers or other consolations, but endeavour by an act of the will and reason to lift up thy soul and unite it to God, whether thy sensual nature will or no.
The devout soul should be so united to God, should so form and preserve her will in conformity to the Divine will, that she is no more occupied or allured by any creature than before it was created, but lives as though there existed but God and herself.[39]
She will receive in unvarying peace all that comes to her from the hand of Divine Providence. In all things she will hope in the Lord, without losing patience, peace, or silence.
Behold, therefore, of how great value it is in the spiritual life to be detached from all things, that thou mayest be interiorly united to God and conformed to Him.
Moreover, there will then be no longer anything to intervene between thy soul and God. Whence could it come? Not from without, for the vow of voluntary poverty has despoiled thee of all earthly goods, that of chastity has taken thy body. Nor could it come from within, for obedience has taken from thee thy very will and soul. There is now nothing left which could come between God and thyself.
That thou art a religious, thy profession, thy state, thy habit and tonsure, and the other marks of the religious life declare. See to it whether thou art a religious in truth or only one in name.
Consider how thou art fallen and how thou sinnest against the Lord thy God and against His justice if thy deeds do not correspond with thy holy state, if by will or desire thou clingest to the creature rather than to the Creator, or preferrest the creature to the Creator.