The only self-denial
worth practising is the self-denial that one admires, and that
seems to one to be fine and beautiful.
For we must emphatically remember that the saint is one who lives
life with high enjoyment, and with a vital zest; he chooses
holiness because of its irresistible beauty, and because of the
appeal it makes to his mind. He does not creep through life
ashamed, depressed, anxious, letting ordinary delights slip through
his nerveless fingers; and if he denies himself common pleasures,
it is because, if indulged, they thwart and mar his purer and more
lively joys.
The fear of life, the frame of mind which says, "This attractive
and charming thing captivates me, but I will mistrust it and keep
it at arm's length, because if I lose it, I shall experience
discomfort," seems to me a poor and timid handling of life. I would
rather say, "I will use it generously and freely, knowing that it
may not endure; but it is a sign to me of God's care for me, that
He gives me the desire and the gratification; and even if He means
me to learn that it is only a small thing, I can learn that only by
using it and trying its sweetness.
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