The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-04-07

! it a burden to thee, and loadest thyself
| the more, and nevertheless thou must
bear 1t.
If thou finng away one cross, with
out doubt thou wilt find another, and
perhaps a heavier.
6. Dost thou think to escape that
which no mortal ever could avoid
| What Saint ever was in the world with
out his cross and tribulatiOns?
Prepare myself to suffer many ad-
versities, and divers evils, in this mis-
cradle life; for so it will be with thee
wherever thou art, and SO indeed VIII
! thou find it WheresOeYer thou hide thy
SELF.
1t must be so. and there is no remedy
against tribulation and sorrow, but TO
bear them patiently.
Drink of the chalice of thy Lord low
ingly, if thou desireGt to be His friend
and to have part with Him.
Leave consultations to God, to do with
them as best pleaseth Him.
But be ready on thy part to bear
tribulations. and account them the
greatest consultations, for the sufferings
Of this life are not worthy to be COM
pared with the glory to come, although
thou alone coudat suffer them all.
I. When thou shalt arrive thus far,
that tribulation shall be sweet to thee,
and thou shalt relish it for the love OF
Christ. then think that it is we'll with
thee. for thou hast found a paradise
upon earth.
As long as suffering is grievous to
thee. and thou seekest to fly from it,
as long shall it be i'll with thee, and
The (desire of flying from tribulation
shall pursue thee everywhere.
8. If thou set myself to what thou
Oughtest, that is to suffer and to die,
oh w h hot writ nd
thou shalt find peace. Although thou
shouldst have been rapt to the heaven
with st. Paul, thou art not thereby Sc
cured that thou shalt suffer no adj
versity: 81" said Jesus, will show him
how great things he must suffer for
My name" To suffer, therefore, is
what awaits thee, if thou art resolved
to love Jesus and constantly to serve
Him.
g. Would to God thou vert worthy to
suffer something for the name of Je-
sus! how great joy would it be to all
the Saints of God; and how great edifi-
cation to thy neighbor! All recommend
patience, but, alas, how few are there
that desire to suffer!
With good reason oughtest thou will
ingly to suffer for Christ, since many
suffer greater things for the world.
10. Know for certain that thou must
lSdQ a dying lie! anu the more man
deth to himself the more doth he begin
to live unto God.
No man is fit to comprehend heaven
ly things who hath not resigned him
self to suffer Universities for Christ.
Nothing is more acceptable to God,
nothing more salutary for thee in this
world than to suffer willingly for
Christ. And if thou couldst make
choice, thou oughtest to prefer to suf-
fer adversities for Christ than 10 be de-
lighted with much consolation, because
thus thou wouldst more resemble
Christ and be more likened to all the
Saints.
For our merit. and the advancement
of our state, consists not in having
many sweetnesses and consultations,
but rather in bearing great Affections
and tribulations.
If, indeed there had been anything
better and more beneficial to mans sal
walton than suffering, Christ certainly
would have showed it by word and ex-
ample.
For he manifeetly eXhorts both His
disciples that followed Him and all that
desire to follow Him to bear the cross,
saying: IF any one will come after
Mr.. let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow Me" so that when
we have read and searched all, let this
be the final conclusion, that through
many tribulations we must enter into
the kingdom of God.