{"id":1555,"asset_id":1863,"title":"THE IMITATION OF CHRIST  By THOMAS \u00c0 KEMPIS  BOOK ONE  THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL  THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER  THE EXAMPLE SET US BY THE HOLY FATHERS","alias":"the-imitation-of-christ-by-thomas-a-kempis-book-one-thoughts-helpful-in-the-life-of-the-soul-the-eighteenth-chapter-the-example-set-us-by-the-holy-fathers","introtext":"<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><b>THE IMITATION OF CHRIST<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">By THOMAS \u00c0 KEMPIS<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b><i>BOOK ONE<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER<\/i><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>THE EXAMPLE SET US BY THE HOLY FATHERS<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n","fulltext":"\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">CONSIDER the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered -- the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert! What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates. They desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them. They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue. Outwardly destitute, inwardly they were full of grace and divine consolation. Strangers to the world, they were close and intimate friends of God. To themselves they seemed as nothing, and they were despised by the world, but in the eyes of God they were precious and beloved. They lived in true humility and simple obedience; they walked in charity and patience, making progress daily on the pathway of spiritual life and obtaining great favor with God.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">They were given as an example for all religious, and their power to stimulate us to perfection ought to be greater than that of the lukewarm to tempt us to laxity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">How great was the fervor of all religious in the beginning of their holy institution! How great their devotion in prayer and their rivalry for virtue! What splendid discipline flourished among them! What great reverence and obedience in all things under the rule of a superior! The footsteps they left behind still bear witness that they indeed were holy and perfect men who fought bravely and conquered the world.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Today, he who is not a transgressor and who can bear patiently the duties which he has taken upon himself is considered great. How lukewarm and negligent we are! We lose our original fervor very quickly and we even become weary of life from laziness! Do not you, who have seen so many examples of the devout, fall asleep in the pursuit of virtue!<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"right\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoldtimegospel.com\/book\/imitate1_19.html\">Continue&nbsp;<img src=\"https:\/\/www.theoldtimegospel.com\/images\/button_fwd.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"10\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>","state":1,"catid":"8","created":"2023-04-15 11:01:34","created_by":"873","created_by_alias":"","modified":"2023-04-15 11:01:34","modified_by":null,"checked_out":null,"checked_out_time":null,"publish_up":"2023-04-17 11:44:56","publish_down":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","images":"{\"image_intro\":\"\",\"float_intro\":\"\",\"image_intro_alt\":\"\",\"image_intro_caption\":\"\",\"image_fulltext\":\"\",\"float_fulltext\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_alt\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_caption\":\"\"}","urls":"{\"urla\":false,\"urlatext\":\"\",\"targeta\":\"\",\"urlb\":false,\"urlbtext\":\"\",\"targetb\":\"\",\"urlc\":false,\"urlctext\":\"\",\"targetc\":\"\"}","attribs":"{\"article_layout\":\"\",\"show_title\":\"\",\"link_titles\":\"\",\"show_tags\":\"\",\"show_intro\":\"\",\"info_block_position\":\"\",\"info_block_show_title\":\"\",\"show_category\":\"\",\"link_category\":\"\",\"show_parent_category\":\"\",\"link_parent_category\":\"\",\"show_associations\":\"\",\"show_author\":\"\",\"link_author\":\"\",\"show_create_date\":\"\",\"show_modify_date\":\"\",\"show_publish_date\":\"\",\"show_item_navigation\":\"\",\"show_icons\":\"\",\"show_print_icon\":\"\",\"show_email_icon\":\"\",\"show_vote\":\"\",\"show_hits\":\"\",\"show_noauth\":\"\",\"urls_position\":\"\",\"alternative_readmore\":\"\",\"article_page_title\":\"\",\"show_publishing_options\":\"\",\"show_article_options\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_backend\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_frontend\":\"\"}","version":1,"ordering":null,"metakey":"","metadesc":"","access":"1","hits":null,"metadata":"{\"robots\":\"\",\"author\":\"\",\"rights\":\"\",\"xreference\":\"\"}","featured":"1","language":"*","xreference":"","note":""}