O JESUS, how can we find words in which to express the tenderness awakened in Thine Heart, by a word of love from one of Thy little ones! That Heart, so tender, gentle, sensitive, and loving! A sentence of Faber's may sound unnatural to us, so little spiritually minded: he says, "GOD sometimes draws us to Him, and fills us with love for Him, not that He may love us, _that_ He always does, but in order to make us _feel_ how He loves us!" An Act of Love demands but a few moments. The whole of the day, even in the midst of labor, we can multiply it infinitely, and what wonders are wrought by each Act! JESUS Himself is glorified, and He sheds abundant grace upon the earth. Our Guardian Angel, beholding us, listens, draws nearer, and makes us feel we have done right. The Angels above experience a sudden joy, and look upon us tenderly. Evil spirits feel their power diminished, and there is a moment of rest from the temptation that surrounds us. The choir of saints above renew their songs of praise. Each soul on earth feels the peace Divine. Ah! which of us each day would not renew these Acts of Love to GOD! Ah! all who read these lines, pause for one moment, and from the bottom of your heart exclaim, "My GOD, I love Thee! My GOD, I love Thee!" XIV. BE SERIOUS A statesman retiring from public life occupied himself in his latter days with serious thoughts. The friends who came to visit him, reproached him with being melancholy. "No," he replied; "I am only _serious_. All around me is serious, and I feel the need that heart and mind should be in unison with my surroundings." "For," he added, with such solemnity as to impress all present, "GOD is _serious_ as He watches us. JESUS is _serious_ when He intercedes for us. The HOLY SPIRIT is _serious_ when He guides us. Satan is _serious_ when he tempts us. The wicked in hell are _serious_ now, because they neglected to be so when on earth; all is _serious_ in that world whither we are wending." Oh, my friends! believe me, it is all true; let us at least at times be _serious_ in our thoughts and in our actions. XV. CONSOLATION You distress yourself sometimes, poor thing! because amongst those who surround you, there are one or two who worry and annoy you. They do not like you, find fault with everything you do, they meet you with a severe countenance and austere manner, you think they do you harm, you look upon them as obstacles to your doing good. Your life passes away saddened and faded, and gradually you become disheartened. Courage! instead of vexing yourself, thank GOD; these very persons are the means of preserving you from humiliating faults, perhaps even greater sins. It is like the blister the doctor applies, to draw out the inflammation that would kill.