December 15, 2007

FERVOR

1. The good and holy fervor is, the fire of the Father, the splendor of the Son, and the flame of the Holy Spirit.

2. Because it is His gift, without great fervor no one will ever become great in front of God.

3. Authentic spiritual fervor consists in a vigorous and continuous reform of the mind toward good.

4. Fervor is a stimulus for any perfection, an increase of good will, a confirmation of holy resolutions and stable perseverance.

5. Fervor is in the mind’s eye, through which one concentrates exclusively on the sincere honor of God while dismissing everything else.

6. Fervor leads to the observance of all divine precepts and counsels, not only those which are known but also those which can be surmised.

7. Out of love of God, fervor makes the hate of oneself [one’s self diminish] grow beyond any measure. This is why it exterminates all passions, like a very strong army formation.

8. The Devil saw the formation of the fervent and became afraid at the sight, because he was forced, against his will, to always bring it new crowns.

9. True fervor always grows in prosperity as in adversity. It grows in consolations as in desolations.

10. Fervor does not know any way or measure, since it always believes to have done nothing. It always looks at what has to be done and the more it gains, the more it desires.

11. Fervor wants to know God through the virtues of the heart in order to advance to the order of the Seraphims.

12. The fervent are situated at the highest degree of freedom. They pity those who lack fervor.

13. Fervor leads toward an active, noble and contemplative life, without omitting those things needed for each state.

14. Those who complain because God does not give them fervor, add blasphemy to their lack of proper disposition.

15. Rid yourself of what is contrary to fervor, like distractions of the mind and pleasures of the senses. God will then ignite fervor in you.

16. When fervor becomes perfect it sometimes seems to loosen up, but actually it has not diminished, rather it has transcended into a delightful habit.

17. When goodwill and firm resolutions remain steadfast, do not be sad even though fervor seems to be dead. Although the sensible fervor may have failed, it cannot be dead.

18. Fervor starts as a gift from God, is kept through a firm resolution, and must never stop during this life.

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