Know yourself as someone unworthy of divine consolation, and more worthy of much tribulation. When a man feels the sting of his own sins, then all the world is burdensome and bitter to him. A good man will find plenty of reason for mourning and weeping, for no matter whether he thinks of himself or his neighbor, he knows that no man alive is without troubles. And the more thoroughly he considers himself, the more thoroughly he grieves. The most justified reason we have for grief and sorrow are our sins and vices, which have us so tangled up that it is rare for heavenly things to fill our minds.
If you thought more of your death than of stretching the length of your life, without a doubt you would put your heart into improving yourself. And if you seriously thought about hell or even purgatory, I believe you would willingly endure pain and hard work in this world, and would not be turned aside by hardship. But because these things do not reach the heart, and we still love flattery, we remain spiritually cold and lazy.
Often it is because we lack strength of spirit that the poor body complains so easily. Pray, then, humbly to the Lord that he give you a contrite spirit. Say with the prophet, "Feed me, O Lord, with bread of tears, and give me tears to drink in great measure."
Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis, 1.21 (second part).
Translation focused on contemporary English and preservation of rhetorical force and art
2 comments:
" The most justified reason we have for grief and sorrow are our sins and vices, which have us so tangled up that it is rare for heavenly things to fill our minds."
Thank you for the encouragement!
Take care & God bless
Anne / WF
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