"Four Things That Bring Much Peace"

Years ago I got a copy of Thomas a' Kempis's "The Imitation of Christ". It may have even been my first exposure to spiritual reading. Every once in awhile I go back to it and read some of it's wisdom. Last week I opened at random to a page. It was Book III, Chapter 23 titled "Four Things That Bring Much Peace". Jesus tells us that He would teach us the way of peace and true liberty. Here are the four things:

"Endeavor, My son, rather to do the will of another than thy own."
"Ever choose rather to have less than more."
"Always seek the lowest place and to be inferior to every one."
"Always wish and pray that the will of God may be entirely fulfilled in thee."

I spent some time meditating on each of these four in light of them being offered as the way of peace, liberty and rest. These four things describe St. Francis perfectly! In my mind's eye I could picture scenes from Francis's life that fit one or more of the above. Give it a try. Think of your favorite story about our beloved saint and see how many of them reflect the four lessons.

Now comes the hard part. Think about some of the personal events in your own life. How many of these four reflect your actions? I found that these can be very convicting. As you move into Lent 2013 use these lessons as a measure of your spiritual progress. It can also serve as a form of examination of conscience for confession. POC. Bob, OFS