{"id":1566,"asset_id":1874,"title":"THE IMITATION OF CHRIST  By THOMAS \u00c0 KEMPIS  BOOK ONE  THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL  THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER  THE PRACTICES OF A GOOD RELIGIOUS","alias":"the-imitation-of-christ-by-thomas-a-kempis-book-one-thoughts-helpful-in-the-life-of-the-soul-the-nineteenth-chapter-the-practices-of-a-good-religious","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 NINETEENTH CHAPTER<\/i><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>THE PRACTICES OF A GOOD RELIGIOUS<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n","fulltext":"\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">THE life of a good religious ought to abound in every virtue so that he is interiorly what to others he appears to be. With good reason there ought to be much more within than appears on the outside, for He who sees within is God, Whom we ought to reverence most highly wherever we are and in Whose sight we ought to walk pure as the angels.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Each day we ought to renew our resolutions and arouse ourselves to fervor as though it were the first day of our religious life. We ought to say: \"Help me, O Lord God, in my good resolution and in Your holy service. Grant me now, this very day, to begin perfectly, for thus far I have done nothing.\"<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">As our intention is, so will be our progress; and he who desires perfection must be very diligent. If the strong-willed man fails frequently, what of the man who makes up his mind seldom or half-heartedly? Many are the ways of failing in our resolutions; even a slight omission of religious practice entails a loss of some kind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Just men depend on the grace of God rather than on their own wisdom in keeping their resolutions. In Him they confide every undertaking, for man, indeed, proposes but God disposes, and God's way is not man's. If a habitual exercise is sometimes omitted out of piety or in the interests of another, it can easily be resumed later. But if it be abandoned carelessly, through weariness or neglect, then the fault is great and will prove hurtful. Much as we try, we still fail too easily in many things. Yet we must always have some fixed purpose, especially against things which beset us the most. Our outward and inward lives alike must be closely watched and well ordered, for both are important to perfection.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">If you cannot recollect yourself continuously, do so once a day at least, in the morning or in the evening. In the morning make a resolution and in the evening examine yourself on what you have said this day, what you have done and thought, for in these things perhaps you have often offended God and those about you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Arm yourself like a man against the devil's assaults. Curb your appetite and you will more easily curb every inclination of the flesh. Never be completely unoccupied, but read or write or pray or meditate or do something for the common good. Bodily discipline, however, must be undertaken with discretion and is not to be practiced indiscriminately by everyone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Devotions not common to all are not to be displayed in public, for such personal things are better performed in private. Furthermore, beware of indifference to community prayer through love of your own devotions. If, however, after doing completely and faithfully all you are bound and commanded to do, you then have leisure, use it as personal piety suggests.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Not everyone can have the same devotion. One exactly suits this person, another that. Different exercises, likewise, are suitable for different times, some for feast days and some again for weekdays. In time of temptation we need certain devotions. For days of rest and peace we need others. Some are suitable when we are sad, others when we are joyful in the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">About the time of the principal feasts good devotions ought to be renewed and the intercession of the saints more fervently implored. From one feast day to the next we ought to fix our purpose as though we were then to pass from this world and come to the eternal holyday.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">During holy seasons, finally, we ought to prepare ourselves carefully, to live holier lives, and to observe each rule more strictly, as though we were soon to receive from God the reward of our labors. If this end be deferred, let us believe that we are not well prepared and that we are not yet worthy of the great glory that shall in due time be revealed to us. Let us try, meanwhile, to prepare ourselves better for death.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\"Blessed is the servant,\" says Christ, \"whom his master, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you: he shall make him ruler over all his goods.\"&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoldtimegospel.com\/book\/imitate1_20.html\">Continue &gt;&gt;&gt;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","state":1,"catid":"8","created":"2023-04-23 13:21:45","created_by":"873","created_by_alias":"","modified":"2023-04-23 13:21:45","modified_by":null,"checked_out":null,"checked_out_time":null,"publish_up":"2023-04-23 13:21:45","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":""}