cheerfully; and to serve Thee joyfully all the days of my life, submitting myself in all things to Thy Holy Will.
CHAPTER XVI
☙ Of the holy and hidden life of the lowly Jesus
BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee,
O Lord Jesus Christ, for the surpassing holiness of that hidden life, which
Thou didst for so long time lead in the
house of Thy parents at Nazareth, where Thou
didst dwell with them in great poverty, lowliness,
and subjection, from the twelfth to the thirtieth
year of Thy age,
I most heartily praise and magnify Thee for Thy condescension in veiling Thy Majesty from those among whom Thou didst dwell, in that Thou didst deign to be called, and to be believed to be, the son of a carpenter; and openly didst nothing from which Thy Godhead might be known.
O the humility of Christ! O my God, how dost Thou confound by it my foolish self-conceit; how, by Thy bright example, dost Thou bid me avoid all outward show, turn aside from men of the world, choose to lead a secluded life, seek to be known to God alone, make the salvation of my soul my chief aim, not put myself forward, even for the sake of edification; but rather strive to lay diligently to heart the Word of Life, until such time as the heavenly call shall come to bring forth fruit!
Help me, sweet Jesus, Thou gracious Master, to understand, by diligent meditation upon it, the character of Thy hidden life; to dedicate my own inner self to Thee; ever to love a humble and se-
