Feast of St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Gabriel’s 41 resolutions: 

I will keep my rule, even the smallest thing. I will not neglect any of my spiritual exercises. I will shun idleness. 

I will be punctual. 

I will obey the sound of the bell as though it were the voice of God. 

I will receive all things from the hand of God, as being sent by Him for my own personal benefit. 

I will profit by every occasion for mortification that may occur. 

I will fulfil exactly my ordinary duties, mortifying self in whatever would prove an obstacle to perfect obedience. 

I will mortify my eyes and my tongue. 

I will not leave my cell without necessity. 

I will not inquire after anything through curiosity. 

I will check my desire to talk. 

I will increase the number of such like acts daily. 

I will not take any food outside of mealtime. 

I am poor and I should act accordingly. 

I should be willing to put up with any inconvenience gladly. 

I will not eat with avidity, but rather with reserve and with modesty, subjecting my appetite to reason. 

I will mortify myself in ordinary things and whatever I feel inclined to do, saying in my heart: “O my God, I will not do this thing through mere inclination, but because it is thy will”. 

I will be reserved toward those to whom I feel most inclined, prudently avoiding their presence and conversation. 

I will not utter a word that might, in the least, turn to my praise. 

I will not take pleasure in any praise bestowed upon me. 

I will never excuse myself when I am blamed or corrected, nor even resent it interiorly, much less put the blame upon others. 

I will never speak of the faults of others, even though they may be public, nor will I ever show want of esteem for others, whether in their presence or in their absence. 

I will not judge ill of anyone. 

I will show the good opinion I have of each one by covering up his faults. 

I will consider everyone my superior, treating all with humility and reverence. 

I will rejoice at the good done by others. 

I will not permit myself to become interested in vain and useless things. 

I will rejoice at the success of others. 

I will practice charity and kindness, assisting, serving and pleasing all. 

I will shun particular friendships, so as to offend no one. 

Every morning and evening I will practice some act of humility, and gradually increase the number. 

I will close my heart against disquiet of any kind. 

I will suppress immediately all emotions of impetuosity and all affections that might cloud my mind, even lightly. 

I will obey the voice of the Superior as if it were the voice of God himself. 

In my obedience I will neither examine the why nor the wherefore. 

I will conform my judgment to that of my Superior. 

I will not employ time in conversing about purely worldly matters. 

“Faithfulness in little things” is the motto I will always follow in my efforts to reach holiness. 

I will try to reproduce in myself whatever I see edifying and virtuous in the conduct of others. 

I will give to God the best that I have — the entire affection of my heart.

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