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JMJ
"It is my desire to be worthy of you, that has made me so severe on myself. If I am constantly preserved from the excesses common to my age, and which the world so readily excuses, it is not because I have not had the chance to sin; but rather, it is that the thought of you constantly perseveres me. Thus, I have kept myself intact, thanks to you, the sole treasures I can offer you on the day of marriage; a pure body and virginal heart."
(Victor Hugo, writing to his fiancee)One who has found his beloved is driven to demonstrate his devotion by numerous acts of thoughtfulness. Yet even more so, he is motivated to slough off old habits in order to be more deserving of his noble love. His desire for reform emanates from intense admiration and an understanding that his worthiness depends on a true conversion. As Fulton Sheen once wrote:
"A passion dethroned is not a virtue enthroned. . . Something must be loved; it is not enough to hate evil."It is not enough to detach from the temporal forces that drag one down or to recognize but simply shrug at the situations/amusements that perhaps polite society "readily excuses." Rather, it is imperative to actively and zealously pursue the virtues that will prevent former vices from returning. Spouses, friends, and family members can encourage one another in this striving for nobility of character by their patient and selfless example. A peaceful home with an atmosphere of joyful service is a fertile ground for the cultivation of ardent spirits, eager to labor industriously, and so be found worthy of the one they so dearly love and cherish.
