Let me guard you against a dangerous error. Some professedly religious persons, wishing not to seem uncivil to the world by not complying with its customs and fashions, or unduly influenced by a care for their own case, reputation with their neighbours, emolument, or advancement in life, thus easily find a kind of side door, so to speak, to slip out into the world, mingle with it, and share in many of its questionable ways and wrong spirit. Though keeping up some regular service of Christ, in the exercise of some duties of religion, and avoiding such vices, as even men of the world brand with their condemnation, and considering themselves as having those characters which they learn from books or sermons to be marks of God's children; yet their case really is that spoken of by Saint John: They are of the world; therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them. They are trying that impossible thing: to serve two masters. The world and the grace of God cannot lodge together, and form and shape out two districts in the soul of man. That grace, like a strong and living fire within us, will consume the whole body of death out of the affections and will, and bring into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ. Like leaven, it will ferment the whole mass in which it is wrapped up, while that aim to keep well with the world, of which I would guard you, as a little leaven corrupteth the whole lump of the Christianity of those who. do not resolutely watch and pray to keep fast that advice of the apostle: Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.
- text taken from Daily Bread - Bring a Few Morning Meditations for the Use of Catholic Christians by Father Richard Waldo Sibthorp