Summary of the Morrow's Meditation
We will continue tomorrow to meditate upon the world, and we shall see: 1st, how entirely opposed is the spirit of the world to the spirit of Jesus Christ; 2nd, that we can only be Christians in so far as we renounce the spirit of the world and embrace the spirit of Jesus Christ. We will then make the resolution: 1st, to regulate the whole of our external conduct as well as our internal sentiments upon the spirit of Jesus Christ, often asking Him what He would think in our place; 2nd, not to take any notice of the opinions of the world, and to take as our motto: "Do what is right and let people talk." Our spiritual nosegay shall be the words of St. Paul: "Be not conformed to this world" (Rom. xii. 2).
Meditation for the Morning
Let us adore Our Lord teaching us by His apostle that we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit of God (I. Cor. ii. 12). He reveals to us thereby the great opposition which exists between these two spirits, and how we ought to empty ourselves of the spirit of the world, if we wish to be filled with the spirit of God. Let us thank our divine Saviour for such useful advice.
FIRST POINT
The Opposition which Exists between the Spirit of the World and the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The spirit of the world leads us to esteem gold and silver, splendor and magnificence, luxury in clothing and furniture, profane amusements, public assemblies, theatres, and the thousand things which amuse the children of men. The spirit of Jesus Christ, on the contrary, leads us to fly from splendor and grandeur, to love simplicity and poverty, to keep at a distance, as far as we can, from everything that tends to dissipation, to despise what the world esteems, to esteem what it despises, to flee what it seeks after and to seek what it flees from, to love what it hates and to hate what it loves.
The spirit of the world, placing our happiness here below, leads us to do and suffer anything to gain possession of the false goods of this world; and dominated by this passion, neither lying nor vice stops us, nor the sacrifice of our repose and of our health which is required of us. The spirit of Jesus Christ, on the contrary, placing our happiness in heaven, leads us to despise, as a vanity unworthy of an immortal soul, all that does not tend to it, and to esteem, to seek, and do all we can to render the possession of it surer and more complete.
The spirit of the world, counting sin as little provided that amusement is secured, precipitates itself unscrupulously into every occasion of sin. The spirit of Jesus Christ, on the contrary, placing duty and innocence before everything, leads us to flee from danger, to pray, to watch over little occasions as well as great ones, in order to be equally faithful in all things.
The spirit of the world is only pride, independence, and love of domination; it commands arrogantly, it strives to supplant every rival and to revenge every affront. The spirit of Jesus Christ, on the contrary, is nothing but humility, gentleness, obedience, patience, forgiveness of injuries and outrages. Let us judge ourselves by these considerations and see what spirit animates us.
SECOND POINT
We can only be Christians in Proportion as we Renounce the Spirit of the World and Embrace the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Ghost has said so in formal terms: "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. viii. 9). "We have received not the spirit of this world, but the spirit that is of God" (I. Cor. ii. 12). "Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world" (I. John ii. 15). "Whosoever will be a friend of this world becometh an enemy of God" (James iv. 4). The world is incapable of receiving the spirit of God, and Jesus Christ excludes it from His prayers (John xiv. 17; xvii. 9). If, then, we cannot quit the world, we ought at least to live in it as though we were not of it, to be on our guard against its spirit, its prejudices, its errors, its vices, and prefer to all these pleasures a good conscience, a wise mediocrity, virtuous frugality, evangelical simplicity, Christian modesty, fervent piety, lively faith, a sweet confidence in Providence, and the love of God, one act of which is worth more than a thousand worlds.
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.