One Hundred and Seventy-Fourth Subject. Remedies against Lukewarmness

Brother Philippe, Subjects for Particular Examen, 1870, p. 277

Do the first works.—APOC. ii. 15.
If men cannot suffer a lazy and negligent servant, who scarcely does anything of that which he ought, or who does it with growing indifference, much less will God suffer a lukewarm religious, who wearies of His service, a religious whose conduct dishonors Him, by leading others to believe that his yoke is harsh and his burden heavy. It is then very important to prevent such a defect or to correct ourselves of it promptly, if we have been so unhappy as to contract it.
In order to escape from the state of lukewarmness, we must first examine carefully our conduct, to bring ourselves to a very exact account of it, see how we act, how we pray, what the motives are which determine us, what good we omit, what evil we do; then we must make a review, and even a general confession, if the confessor judges it necessary.
To escape from the state of lukewarmness, we must become more faithful to little things; above all, to those for which we might feel a repugnance; pray much, for of ourselves we can do nothing; be very frank and very sincere in our manifestation and in our confessions; watch carefully over our senses, and especially over our tongue and our eyes; frequent the Sacraments with punctuality on the days appointed; and apply ourselves to draw from them a real profit. We must endeavor to offer to God all our actions, to do them in His presence and in union with Jesus when He was on the earth; never deliberately per-