Beware of taking too narrow a view of what is meant by the world. It is not confined to any actual intercourse with society. We carry it about us: into our retirements, our houses, our retreats, our churches. Being in us, it fastens on spiritual things, and will manifest itself through them as an inner spirit. It comes out in the love of rule, in self-pleasing and in self-complacency, in jealousies, in desire of praise and love of notoriety, and esteem from others. And it may thus transform outward piety into what is only another shape of worldiness. Remember Lot's wife; though holding on to the skirts of her husband, too conscious of danger and evil to remain in the wicked, voluptuous city, yet too inert of soul and irresolute in heart to hate it and forsake it utterly, looking back upon it with a lingering fondness, she was turned into a statue of salt. It is a marvellous illustration of the difference of a life, ever on the watch and striving against the world, and one carelessly yielding inwardly to it and its various allurements. Oh! the great grace of that faith which hesitates not to struggle and keep down the strongest tendencies of our nature that are adverse to God's will as set before us in Holy Scripture. Such self-denying, world renouncing faith sanctities what is pleasing and joyous when it ministers to the glory of God, or endures crosses, despising the shame, in view of a closer conformity by them to the image of Christ.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp