2.20.2010

who is truly great

oh, how quickly passes away the glory of the world!
he is truly great who has great charity
he is truly great who is little in his own eyes
he is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as dung 
that he may gain Christ
and he truly is well learned who does the will of G-d 
and renounces his own will
blessed are the single-hearted, 
for they shall have much peace
we are too much taken up with our own passions, 
and too anxious about transitory things
and seldom do we perfectly overcome so much as one vice, 
nor are we inflamed with the desire to improve every day ; 
and therefore we remain cold and lukewarm
if we were perfectly dead to ourselves, 
and no wise entangled in our inner hearts, 
then might we be able to relish things divine, 
and experience something of heavenly contemplation.


-thomas à kempis

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