Let us be careful not to give way to sadness; still more, as some very sincere Christians are apt to, not to cherish it. A child of God, sheltered in the bosom of His eternal love, under the care of Jesus, ever full of tenderest sympathy, and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, should have much abiding comfort, and be thankfully cheerful. We should reject, as temptations of the enemy of our souls, gloomy and desponding suggestions and thoughts, for he stirs up such within us, to harass, perplex, and weary. Rejoice in the Lord always, writes Saint Paul to the Philippian believers, and again I say, rejoice, and repeatedly so in the same words. But, observe, that no grace tends more to keep us cheerful than humility, joined with gentleness, and recollection of our own sinfulness and unprofitableness. These are great fruits of the Holy Spirit in God's children, and which He fails not to bless us in the cultivation of, and when we fail in them, as, alas, we do very, very often, let us not then be cast down and dejected in spirit, and give way to sadness, but rise up again, in simple faith, and go on in our proper callings and Christian duties, as regards God and our neighbour. This will aid us to keep up a blessed sanctifying union with our dear Lord through the day. Go forth, then, now, keeping this in mind - The Lord of peace himself give you everlasting peace in every place. It is a good rule for avoiding sadness ourselves, to set about some endeavour to make a fellow Christian happier in Christ, even more comfortable as to this life.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp