SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE

SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE

Christ the only Master of all, teaches you by word and by example that you should entertain a spirit of obedient surrender to God's will; a spirit of love towards your neighbour, and a spirit of humility in all you do.  No one belongs to Christ unless one has the spirit of Christ.                  

Beware of pride.  Pride is the cause of all harm.  Pride is deception, as St. Paul teaches, "For if who are nothing think that are something, they deceive themselves" (Gal.6;3).  We are dust and ashes, so there is no reason why we should be proud.        

There is the natural intention, with which we can never give glory to God, and there is the right intention, with which alone we give Him glory.  Every time God is left out of our intention, that intention is a natural one.  No one ever does anything without an aim or intention in mind.                    

Do not think that you are observing God's law when you are motivated to action by some worldly intent.  If you refrain from stealing because you fear your good name, you are obeying your own will and not the will of God.  You are a servant of yourself, not God's.        

You are not bound to correct your neighbour in matters of venial sins, but only in those of mortal ones.  Never correct anyone if you are not sure about one's sin, or when you cannot hope to obtain a good result, or when you do not know that person's character well enough.             

Whenever you correct anyone, always consider yourself.  In order to correct others well always use love, so that you make them understand that you only want their welfare.  Make sure that you correct others not merely by word of mouth, but also by giving a good example, otherwise your neighbour will tell you. "Doctor heal yourself".                  

Human laws never bind when they demand a grave inconvenience; not even charity, which should start with yourself.  This is so, however, as long as there is no circumstance of contempt or of scandal.                  Heroism is demanded only where God's law is involved.                

You can never be guilty of anything which you have not foreseen, at least in a confused manner.  For wherever the will is not involved, there can never be any sin or any merit.  For an action to be really human, the will must want it, and one cannot want anything unless one knows about it beforehand.                   

Never mix a scruple with rectitude.  One should despise scruples, but one should praise rectitude.  A scruple occurs when one thinks that something is sinful, whereas it is not, or when one holds something which is venially sinful to be a mortal sin.  We should say yes to accuracy, but no to scuples.         

It is wrong to feel sad when you hear someone praise somebody else. Jealousy is to be dreaded.  So, as soon as you become aware of this wickedness, condemn it quickly, and say to yourself that it is God who distributes His gifts in the way He wants.          

From the Writings of St.George Preca, the Maltese  Saint.