A Rule of Life
"He that shall persevere to the end, he shall he saved"
1. DAILY Conduct. — Have a fixed hour for rising in the morning; bless yourself with holy water, and as soon as possible recite devoutly your morning prayers. During the day make at least a short meditation or a spiritual reading. It is commendable to read daily from the Lives of the Saints. Hear Mass; make a visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. If you can not go to church, make your visit and adoration at home, turning toward the nearest tabernacle and receiving holy communion spiritually. Recite the Angelus; say the beads. In the evening, examine your conscience and recite your evening prayers.
2. Confession and Communion. — Receive the holy sacraments frequently. Go as often as you can to holy communion, with the advice of your confessor; consult him and submit to his direction in all affairs of importance. When you commit any sin, make an act of contrition immediately and resolve to amend; if it is a mortal sin, confess it as soon as possible.
3. Occasions of Sin. — Avoid idleness, bad companions, low theaters and public balls, round dances, immoral books, sensational newspapers, salacious literature, foolish novels and romances, games of chance, and every occasion of sin. In temptations, bless yourself, invoke the most holy names of Jesus and Mary, and think of death. "He that loveth danger shall perish in it."
4. Sundays. — "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day." Be not satisfied with hearing a Low Mass on Sundays. Hear sermons as often as possible, and listen attentively to the word of God. No matter how poor an orator a priest may be, no matter how plain his language or how unattractive his delivery, remember that he is the representative of Christ, and that you can always find in every sermon sufficient matter for reflection and application to your own life and circumstances. Never absent
