August 29
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeSixth Thursday after Trinity
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. Romans 6:12. TELL Jesus, then, your trials, and ask for grace in some such simple words as these:—
O good Jesus, my Saviour and my God; Thou Who didst make me, knowest how weak I am. Thou knowest, good Lord, that I am tempted to [then name the temptations to sin, and the ways in which you sin, as well as you know them]. But, good Lord, for love of Thee, I would this day keep wholly from all [naming the sin]; and be very [naming the opposite grace]. I will not, by Thy grace, do one [...] act, or speak one [...] word, or give one [...] look, or harbour one [...] thought in my soul. If Thou allowest any of these temptations to come upon me this day, I desire to think, speak, and do only what Thou willest. Lord, without Thee I can do nothing; with Thee I can do all. Accept, good Lord, this, or if I fall, bring me back quickly to Thee, and grant me to love Thee better, for Thy tender mercy's sake.
It will help thee much in thy warfare if thou first set before thy soul thy Lord as He showed forth that grace which thou wouldest copy. If the grace be humility, think of Him washing the disciples' feet; if meekness, think of His receiving the traitor's kiss, and how thou hast betrayed Him by thy sins; if it be patience under injuries, behold Him standing meekly while they buffeted, reviled, mocked, spat on Him; if it be love of thy brother who offends thee, think of Him stretching out His Hands upon the Cross and embracing the whole world, and thee too with thy brother, in His love. There is no thought which has such power over the soul and over sin as the thought of Jesus. Behold Him in thy soul as thou hast seen Him on the Cross. Gaze on His meek Countenance, His Eye full of love resting on thee, the suffering of His Brow pierced for thee, and so ask Him for His love's sake that thou mayest love Him, and be less unlike Him. And then be very watchful; watch with thy Lord for a short time, summon thy whole strength to keep thyself wholly from every form of thy beset- ting sin.