must also perform your work in a state of sanctifying grace; you must take care that your conscience is not burdened by any serious sin. By means of a good intention alone, your work does indeed possess something of a supernatural nature, and tends to prepare you for an amendment of life; but while you remain in the state of mortal sin, it can not earn for you a reward in heaven.
If, therefore, an eternal reward is to be paid you for your work from the treasury of God, it must bear, besides the imprint of a good intention, the stamp of sanctifying grace.
4. And yet one thing more is needful; you must perform your work with patience. He who, while at work, grows impatient, murmurs and complains, is false to the good intention with which he began; his work is no longer done for the honor of God, and therefore loses all claim to an eternal reward.
Wherefore murmur riot, do- not complain, much less utter words of cursing. Even if you look at the matter from a purely natural point of view, does your work get on any better if you yield to impatience? Can you finish it more quickly if you break out' into oaths and imprecations? Most certainly not!
On the contrary, if you are patient about your work, and perform it for the love of God, you will certainly do it with zeal and industry; you will not grow morose and indifferent if you can not complete your task as speedily as you hoped to do. You will not allow yourself to be hindered in your work by useless chatter; no, you will perform it as well as you can - cheerfully and faithfully. You will perform every action as if it were your last, and as if, immediately thereafter, you were to be summoned to appear before God, and give a strict account to Him.
