A Profound Reform of Heart in the School of Mary
My Temperament
THE SOUL: In order to reform my heart I must study it intimately as it is, my good Mother. I look at it and I seem to see there a mass of confusion which doesn’t allow me to see it clearly. How full I am of darkness! You tell me what my temperament is, that is the fundamental character of my heart.
MARY: The temperament is the sum of the constant tendencies of the heart which propel it to act in the same way. You know your temperament from the defects into which you most often fall, from the spontaneous acts of your heart, from your habits …
Are you very easily given to anger, … do you get disturbed over nothing, do you react, show yourself offended? … Are you closed, taciturn, leaden; do you build so many castles in the air? … Are you insensitive, hard, egotistical, obstinate in your judgments? … Are you lazy, indolent, slow, negligent, pessimistic? … Do you see everything black and think that everyone is against you? Do you give too much weight to a word that innocently escapes from another and construe it to be an insinuation, an injury, a resentment? Do you easily hold a grudge, show resentment in small ways, react violently, backbite, grumble and even lie and calumniate? … Are you proud, full of yourself, vain, desirous of being admired, praised, given special consideration? … Are you greedy, attached to earthly things? Are you always looking for entertainment, ruminating about worldly ideals, hankering after your satisfactions, seeking after your tastes, complaining about your food, drink and clothing? … Examine yourself and where you perceive major lacks there you will discover your temperament and there is the field where you must exert more effort. It isn’t difficult to amend your ways; start a little at a time; begin to conquer yourself at least a few times every day and you will see that your temperament will be modified and your heart will be changed.
ASPIRATION: O Mary, deliver me from the wretchedness of my character … from anger, from impatience …
LITTLE WORK: If it seems that a person who has offended you deserves to be reproved, don’t do it when you are still in a fit of anger, but wait until tomorrow to correct him.
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