Self-Conquest
Once a day, at least, recall very earnestly that
I Cor. iii. 15Ꚛ First Day of December
Jesus is thy true Friend. He hath loved thee with an everlasting love. He left His kingdom of heaven and clothed Himself with human flesh because He loved thee. To woo thee and win thee He trembled with the cold of Bethlehem’s cave. For thy sake He toiled in the little village shop. The world might have rung with His praises as a great orator, or leader of men, but to teach thee the hard lesson of humility, He hid Himself in the hamlet of Nazareth, content to be known as the carpenter’s son.
He thought of thee as weary and footsore, He journeyed from town to town in search of souls. When in the hush of evening He ascended the mountain to commune with His heavenly Father, He prayed for thee; when the storm swept over Peter’s boat, He pleaded for light and grace and strength for thy soul; for thou too, He knew, wouldst cry to Him, when winds were high, and the waves, lashed to fury, threatened to engulf thee. He loved thee to the end, and bequeathed to thee His very flesh and blood as a memorial of His love.
Beneath the shade of the olives in Gethsemane, when His Divine Heart sickened with fear and the sorrow of unrequited love, thy soul was present to Him; for thy sake He drank to the dregs the chalice of suffering, hoping that when once thou didst come to know all that He had done for thee, thou wouldst return Him love for love.
His garments were dyed with His sacred blood, that thy soul might be clothed with the white robe of innocence; He was silent when accused, that thou mightest learn of Him to be meek and humble of heart.
To win for thee the grace of patience in suffering, the crown of thorns pressed upon His brow, and when the thirty-three years were run and the dread agony of the crucifixion was consummated, in the glory of His risen life He went to prepare a place for thee in His Father’s Home.
Ask yourself: how does this matter affect me personally, what lesson does it convey to me, what suggestion for a better life, how can I improve my conduct; resolve to become a saint at any cost; think upon the eternal years; pray to the Holy Ghost that He may lead you in the way of perfection; finally recite attentively and devotedly the following Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit:
Oh Holy Spirit, divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to Thee my understanding, heart, and will, my whole being for time and for eternity. May my understanding be always submissive to Thy heavenly inspirations, and to the teaching of the Church, of which Thou art the infallible guide; may my heart be ever inflamed with love of God and of my neighbor; may my will be ever conformed to the divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life and virtue of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to Whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory forever. Amen.
Self-Conquest. Rev. F. X. Lasance. 1936. 
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