. Peter Chrysologus,[1]
"makes a soul courageous and undaunted; it even finds nothing hard,
nothing bitter, nothing grievous; it braves dangers, smiles at death,
conquers all things." If we ask our own hearts, if we examine our lives
by this test, whether we have yet begun to love God, we shall have
reason to be confounded, and to tremble at our remissness and sloth. We
suffer much for the world, and we count labor light, that we may attain
to the gratification of our avarice, ambition, or other passion in its
service, yet we have not fervor to undertake any thing to save our
souls, or to crucify our passions. Here penance, watchfulness over
ourselves, or the least restraint, seems intolerable. Let us begin
sincerely to study to die to ourselves, to disengage our hearts from all
inordinate love of creatures, to raise ourselves above the slavery of
the senses, above the appetites of the flesh and all temporal interest;
and in order to excite ourselves to love God with fervor, let us
seriously consider what God, infinite in goodness and in all
perfections, and whose love for us is eternal and immense, deserves at
our hands; what the joys of heaven are, how much we ought to do for such
a bliss, and what Christ has done to purchase it for us, and to testify
the excess of his love; also what the martyrs have suffered for his
sake, and to attain to the happiness of reigning eternally with him. Let
us animate ourselves with their fervor: "Let us love Christ as they
did," said St. Jerom to the virgin Eustochium, "and every thing that now
appears difficult, will become easy to us." To find this {497} hidden
treasure of divine love we must seek it earnestly; we must sell all
things, that is, renounce in spirit all earthly objects; we must dig a
deep foundation of sincere humility in the very centre of our
nothingness, and must without ceasing beg this most precious of all
gifts, crying out to God in the vehement desire of our hearts. Lord,
when shall I love thee!

Footnotes:
1. St. Peter Chrysol. Serm. 4.

ST. CEADA OR CHAD, B.C.

HE was brother to St. Cedd, bishop of London, and the two holy priests
Celin and Cymbel, and had his education in the monastery of Lindisfarne,
under St. Aidan. For his greater improvement in sacred letters and
divine contemplation he passed into Ireland, and spent a considerable
time in the company of St. Egbert, till he was called back by his
brother St. Cedd to assist him in settling the monaste