June 22
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeSaturday of the Fourth Week after Easter
Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30.
ONLY take, by His help, the first step. "To-day, if ye will hear His voice!" To-day, if in the one next thing you break off some evil or do some good, is a "day of salvation" to you. Pray to persevere, and you will persevere to that day for which He has sealed you, the day of perfect redemption. "Oh, let not that, His seal upon you, the gift of His Spirit, mark you as a deserter. Oh, would that we were worthy, that God should give us tongues of fire," says a holy man, "that we could tell you something fitting, something kindling of that infinite love and loving-kindness of our God! But God alone can teach you how He loves you; He alone can say with power to thy inmost soul, 'I am thy God.' Thy Teacher is within thee, pray Him, listen to Him with a hushed heart, and He in His own time will teach thee. O Holy Creator Spirit, come down once more into our souls in Thine own thrilling fire of life and light and heat, kindling our senses with Thy light, our hearts with Thy love; wash away our stains, bedew our dryness, heal our wounds, bend our stubbornness, guide our wanderings, that Thou being the Inmate of our hearts, the Instructor of our reason, the Strength of our will, we may see by Thy light, Whom as yet we see not, and know Him Who passeth knowledge, and through God may love God, now as wayfarers, and in the day of perfect redemption, in the beatific vision of our God, to Whom, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour, power, might, majesty, thanksgiving, and praise for ever and ever. Amen."