opportunities of doing good that I gave you in a Catholic town or country every day of your life, in preference to so many others? What use have you made of all these? What have you gained during all the years of your life? How much alms have you given to My poor who represent My own Person? What other works of Christian charity and mercy have you performed? How many virtuous acts of faith, hope, humility, meekness, patience, mortification, and self-denial can you point to? With what prayers or works of devotion have you implored My mercy, blessed My name, promoted My honor and glory? How have you profited by the frequent reception of the holy sacraments, the hearing of sermons, the reading of spiritual books? “Why then didst thou not give My money into the bank, that at My coming I might have exacted it with usury?”[1] Why? Has My help or time or opportunity been wanting to you? Now you wish to enter heaven, to share in My glory with My faithful servants; why? what is your title? what claim have you on Me? Perhaps because you have served your body, your senses, the world, better than Me? Why should I give you an eternal reward? Because you have hardly thought of Me once in the day? Because you have ordered your day so directly in opposition to the Christian laws and fundamental truths? You rose in the morning at seven or eight o’clock; you said your morning prayer while dressing, or before the looking-glass, if you even thought that much of Me, and that with as little reverence as if you were talking to a servant; and it was no better in the evening. Afterwards you sometimes heard Mass with the same amount of devotion, and then you spent your time in eating, drinking, walking, paying visits, gambling, in order to amuse yourself. All your other cares and anxieties were devoted to temporal things; not the fortieth part of your time was given to Me. So the days, months, years, have passed without fruit or profit for your soul, without merit. And you think that such a life is like My poor, humble, laborious, crucified life! And you now ask heaven as a reward for it!
The tepid shall be upbraided by the saints, who had to Hear ye this, My holy servants, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins! This man wishes to go to heaven to be a sharer of your joy and glory! What do you think of him? Did you get heaven so cheaply, when in your innocence you crucified your flesh
- ↑ Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam, ut ego veniens cum usuris utique exegissem illam?—Luke xix. 23.
