Part V, Chapter XI

Second Consideration: Of the Excellence of Virtue

Consider that nothing but virtue and devotion can satisfy your soul in this world. Behold how beautiful they are, and draw a comparison between the virtues and their contrary vices. How amiable is patience, when compared with revenge! Meekness, compared with anger and vexation! Humility, compared with arrogance and ambition! Liberality, compared with covetousness! Charity, in comparison with envy! Sobriety, compared with revellings! For virtues have this admirable quality, that they delight the soul with an incomparable sweetness and satisfaction after we have practised them; whereas vices leave the soul exceedingly fatigued and disordered. Why, then, do we not endeavor to acquire this satisfaction?

With respect to vices, he that has but little of them is uneasy, and he that has more of them is more discontented; but as for virtues, he that has but a little has already some contentment, which increases as the virtues themselves increase.

O devout life! how fair, how lovely, how sweet and delightful art thou! thou alleviatest our tribulations, and addest sweetness to our consolations; without thee good is evil, and pleasures are full of restlessness, trouble, and deceits. Ah! he who would know thee well might exclaim, with the Samaritan woman, “Lord! give me this water!”— an aspiration frequently used by the holy mother Theresa, and St. Catherine of Genoa, although upon different occasions.

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