The truths of our holy religion are not to be trifled with. They are an odour of life unto life, or of death unto death. It is to be feared that not a few listen to pious instructions, and sound improvements of the Gospel of Christ, who go away from church not only without any love to God and His truths, but to renew a life of disobedience to His commandments, and to form and execute even guilty purposes. As the Pharisees, after hearing Jesus, and his life-giving words, went away to take council against Him, so it is with some now, who keep up a profession of the Catholic faith. What a proof this is of the evil and deceitfulness of the heart of man! Well might David say: Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts; and how seasonable is our Lord's warning: Take heed how ye hear. The advice of the wise man is very applicable: Keep thy foot when thou goest into the House of God, and draw nigh to hear, for much better is obedience than the victims of God, who know not what evil they do. Mary who sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word, chose the good path, not to be taken from her, and showed afterwards the constancy and increase of her love and wise devotion, when in the house of Simon the leper, she anointed, with precious ointment, the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair. Let the profession of faith be proved by works of loving obedience in the daily life.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp