“The practice of virtue became sweet and natural to me; to begin with, my struggle often showed in my face, but little by little this disappeared and renunciation became easy to me even at the first moment. Jesus said this: “To everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance“. For one grace that I received faithfully, he granted me a host of other…” (Autobiography, Manuscript A, folio 48).
St. Therese gives us here a great insight into the practice of virtue.
Just as it becomes – as most of us known – easier and more pleasant “little by little” the more we exercise and eat healthier food, so it becomes easier and more pleasant “little by little” the more we practice other virtuous acts.
Far too often, we forgot this little rule when we come face to face with our biggest weakness in the spiritual life.
As Jacques Philippe says, “each act of fidelity to an inspiration [from the Holy Spirit] is rewarded by more abundant graces, especially by more frequent and stronger inspirations” (In The School of the Holy Spirit pg. 22).
Tip: Find the area of virtue you struggle in. Practice little acts of virtue. Slowly, you’ll be able to practice more and more with greater love.
Some examples: deny yourself condiments at a meal, say 1 compliment each day, wake up 5 minutes earlier, …
Feel free to add your own in the comment box below.
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