Evening Snow at Kanbara (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

“GOD hath given to thee a very noble heart, made only to love Him, and, by His love, to be melted and consumed. Through love of Him thou shalt readily accomplish whatsoever thou wilt; and any difficulty shall be soon overcome through desire of virtue; whereas, if by thy own forces, thou attempt anything, thou wilt effect nothing. Let the intention of thy heart be well grounded, in such sort that thy outward working do spring from within.

“And though penance and penal exercises be praiseworthy, when moderated with a discretion answerable to the condition of the persons by whom they are wrought, yet very often the best part of them do evaporate into vain complaisance, without any profit, and the toil is all lost, unless they be ruled and governed from within.

“Man’s life on earth is a continual warfare, as holy Job witnesseth. In this warfare thou must watch, and thy watching must consist in purifying and quieting thy spirit in all its motions. When any sudden storm of passions and sensual unquietness ariseth in thy soul, be always ready with speed to settle and pacify the same, in not granting it too much liberty to start or wander out of the right way.

“Do after this sort so often as unquietness shall assault thee, either in prayer or out of prayer. Then shalt thou be able to pray well, when in this manner thou knowest how to work well. And note that thou do this ever, not with force or violence, but with great mildness; for thy principal exercise must be to quiet thy soul and heart, not suffering that they stray or be disordered, but that always they be at rest.”

— The Quiet Of The Soul, Fr. John de Bovilla

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