Ninth meditation. Religious poverty

First point.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; cursed, therefore, are the rich in spirit^ who are attached to the things of this world, for the misery of hell is their portion. Tou have vowed poverty. O how happy you are if you observe it faithfully, and how honored should you not regard yourself to belong to so blessed a company! Our Lord, Our Lady, St. Joseph, were poor; love, then, this holy virtue as the dear friend of Jesus Christ, who lived and died in poverty.

Second point.

Eeflect that to be poor means to be in need, to want many things. Behold the example of the poor and divine Jesus: "The foxes," says He, "have their dens in the forest; and the birds of the air, nests; but the Son of man has no place whereon to rest His head." O Religious! who have vowed to be poor with Jesus Christ, do you not blush with shame for wishing at all times to have your desires gratified and to want for nothing? You should desire and rejoice to want even the necessaries of life. You should, I repeat, be delighted, if like your Spouse you have not whereon to rest your head.

Third point.

Weigh seriously the obligation of your vow. You should live not only in perfect abnegation of the things that you use, but still more in poverty, entirely despoiled of all things, according to your Constitutions.

By which you should remember that a Religious injures herself, and is not poor, who is attached to time, to places, to creatures, to esteem, to consolations. All these things constitute her riches; and, as a matter of fact, she is not possessed of that nudity of heart and poverty of spirit of which she makes profession.

'Affections.

I return thanks to Thee, O Lord, since Thy goodness has placed me in this abode where, among Thy spouses, the words thine and mine are not heard except on this one occasion, in which the loving soul is permitted to exclaim: "My Beloved is all mine! " Ah, Lord! give me a true love for this much esteemed poverty with all its wants and inconveniences. Defend me from the ambition that too frequently desires the honor of being considered poor, while at the same time enjoying all the conveniences of wealth.

O my God! I should humble myself profoundly at seeing Thee, the King of all things, having not even a place whereon to rest Thy head, and myself, miserable worm of the earth, so well provided with all necessaries. My ingratitude attains to this degree, that in a convent, the holy house of the pbor, I look for superfluities and all the conveniences appertaining to wprldlings, although, perhaps, I did not enjoy them when in the world. O Lord! who embraced poverty for love of me, I throw myself at Thy feet in order to repent of this disorder.

Yes, O Lord, I wish to observe my vow with great fidelity. I shall cherish and conceal between Thee and myself the small privations that may befall me. I shall love vile and coarse things, as truly appertaining to me. In short, I beg of Thee this grace, that during the remainder of my life I may be poor in my employments, at work, in food, in clothing, in sickness, in health, and in everything.

God of all goodness, who said in ancient times: " I do not wish that they who serve in My temple should possess an inheritance; for I desire to be their portion." O my Lord! why is it that so many Keligious do not possess Thee, if not because they wish to possess something else? Come, then, my soul, let us strip ourselves of everything. Depart from me, possessions and conveniences of the body; begone, vain consolations; depart, superfluous affections; henceforth I desire to live in total privation of all things. I wish to render my vows to God, who is my portion, my heritage, my eternal possession, and whom I shall enjoy the less the more I enjoy anything but Him.

OBEDIENCE.