the glory of the saints surpass all oar ideas of it, but also that there is such a difference of degree in that glory that she would purchase even the least increase of it by suffering all the torments of the world if necessary; and if she had to bear all the tortures of the martyrs till the last day for the sake of ascending but one step higher in heaven, she would bear them with gladness. And, my dear brethren, that is what we can gain so easily if we are in the state of grace, by a good thought, a sigh directed to God, by our daily labor, nay, by eating and drinking; every moment we can make our glory greater and greater. Oh, fools that we are, how little we esteem the great fortune that has fallen to our lot! If the blessed in heaven were capable of regret, they would be sorry for only one thing, and that is that they did not do more good, or suffer more while on earth, in order to gain more glory in heaven. If they could feel envy they would be jealous of us mortals, because we can still add constantly to our glory in heaven; and if they were permitted to interrupt their happiness they would readily return to earth in order to do more good and suffer more, so as to return to heaven laden with a richer cargo of merits. Father Barry, of our Society, writes of a pious lady who died after a long and painful illness; she appeared to him after death and told him that she was happy, but that she would without hesitation, if the chance were offered her, return to earth and suffer the same illness till the end of the world in order (mark this, my dear brethren) to merit as much additional glory as would correspond to what one might gain by the devout recital of one Hail Mary. O my God! to suffer so much for so little! Ah, but it is not a little thing that can increase the joys of heaven even in the least degree; it is not a little thing that lasts forever. That illness would have come to an end with this world; but the increase of glory would have lasted for all eternity.
We are at liberty always to add to our future glory: but most people neglect that.
Now, my dear brethren, the good God allows us to do what is not permitted the saints in heaven. Although the heavenly citizens are incessantly occupied in acts of the most ardent love of God, they shall never on that account ascend a finger’s breadth higher in heaven for all eternity, because death has deprived them of all power of meriting. But we, as long as we are on the way to eternity, that is, while we are in this mortal life, have the power and opportunity by zeal in doing good, and by patiently bearing adversity, of adding every moment a new de-