The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-24
BOOK e-cHAPTER 8.
Of Familiar Friendship With Christ

When Jesus is present all is well
and nothing seems difficult; but wher
Jesus is absent, everything is hard.
When Jesus speaketh not within, con-
ISOLATION is little worth; but if Jesus
speak only one WORD, we feel great con-
ISOLATION.
Did not Mary Magdalen instantly rise
up from the place where she wept
when Martha said to her: THE Master
is come. and calleth for thee?"
Happy hour, when Jesus calleth thee
from tears to joy of spirit
| How dry and hard art thou without
Jesus!
How foolish and vain, if thou desire
anything out of Jesus!
| Is not this a greater loss to thee than
if thou shouldst lose the whole world ?
2. What can the world give thee with
out Jesus?
To be without Jesus is a grievous
| hell; to. be with Jesus sweet para
disc.
If Jesus be with thee no foe can
harm thee.
Whoever findeth Jesus findeth q good
treasure-yea, a good above every
good.
And he that loseth Jesus loseth much
yea, more than the whole world.
He that liveth without Jesus is in
wretched poverty; and he who is with
Jesus is most rich.
8. 1t is a great art to know how to
converse with Jesus; and to know how
to help Jesus is great wisdom.
BE humble and peaceable, and Jesus
will be with thee.
Be devout and calm, and Jesus will
abide with thee
Thou mayst soon drive away Jesus,
and lose His grace if thou wilt turn
aside after outward things.
And if thee drive Him from thee and
lose Him, to whom wilt thout fly? and
whom, then, wilt thou seek for thy
friend?
Without friend, thou canst not be
happily; and if Jesus be ut friend to
thee above all. thou wilt indeed be
sad and desolate.
Thou dost foolishly, therefore, to trust
in any other, or to rejoice in any other.
We ought rather to choose to have the
whole world against us than TO offend
Jesus.
OF all. therefore, that are dear TO thee
let Jesus be thy special beloved.
4. Let all beloved for Jesus sake, but
Jesus for His own sake.
Jesus Christ alone is sfnglY to be
loved for He alone is found good and
faithful above all friends.
For His sake, and in Him, let enemies
as we'll as friends be dear 20 thee; and
for all these thou must pray to Him,
that all may know and love Him.
Never desire to be singly praised or
beloved; for this belongeth to God
alone, who hath none like unto Him
self.
Neither desire that anyone's heart
should be much taken up with thee;
nor do thou be much taken up with
the love Of any one; but let Jesus be in
thee, and in every good man.
s. Be pure and free interiorily, with
out being entangled by any creature.
Thou must be naked and bear n pure
heart toward God, if thou wilt he free,
and experience how sweet the Lord is.
And, indeed, thou wilt never attain
to this, unless thou be prevented and
drawn by His grace that so thou mayst
be united to Him alone, When thou
hast cast out and dismissed all 9TH
ers.
For when the grace of God cometh to
a man, then is he powerful for all
and when it departeth, then is
he poor and weak, and left only, as it
were, to scourgings.
In these circumstances he must not
be detected nor despair; but calmly
remain, awaiting the will of God, and
bear for the glory of Jesus Christ what
ever shall befall him. because, after
the winter cometh summer; after the
night the day returneth; after the
storm cometh great calm.