Today's Devotion: Be Patient

Outward patience. What do you say about a person who, for any adversity, breaks out in words of anger, vivacity, quarrels, insults to others? Your own reason condemns anger, impatience, as something unworthy of a reasonable soul, as a useless thing to overcome opposition, as a bad example for those who see us. But Jesus condemns it, moreover, as a sin! Learn to be meek ... And how many impatiences do you fall into?

2. Inner patience. This gives us dominion over our heart and represses the turmoil that arises within us; difficult virtue, yes, but not impossible. With it we hear the injury, we see our right; but we endure and keep silent; nothing is said, but the sacrifice made for the love of God does not suffer less: how meritorious it is in his eyes! Jesus commanded her: In patience you will possess your souls. And you muttering, getting angry, what do you get out of it?

3. Degrees of patience. This virtue leads to perfection, says St. James; it confers on us the dominion over us, which is the basis of one's spiritual formation. The 1st degree of patience consists in receiving evils with resignation, because we are and we consider ourselves sinners; the 2nd in receiving them willingly, because they come from the hand of God; the 3rd in longing for them, for love of the patient Jesus Christ. To what degree have you already ascended? Maybe not even the first!

PRACTICE. - Repress impatience motions; recites three Pater to Jesus.