A Year with the Saints - 23 January

When one is going on really well, he feels in himself a continual desire to advance; and the more he grows in perfection, the more this desire grows. Since his light is increasing every day, it always seems to him that he has no virtue and is doing no good; or if, perhaps, he sees that he has and is doing some good, it yet appears to him very imperfect, and he makes little account of it. And so it comes to pass that he always goes on laboring for the acquisition of virtue without ever being weary. - Saint Lawrence Justinian

Saint Fulgentius was so enamored of perfection that whatever he did towards it always seemed to him little, and he was always desiring to do better.

Saint Vincent de Paul every day saw more of his own faults, yet he continually applied anew all his zeal to amend and perfect himself.

Saint Ignatius constantly compared one day with another, and the gain on one day with the gain on another. Thus he advanced daily and entertained a constant desire of advancing still more, that he might reach the summit of perfection to which God called him.

Saint James the Apostle received great praise because he went on advancing daily in the Divine service.

- text taken from A Year with the Saints, composed by an unknown Italian, translated by a member of the Order of Mercy; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan, Archdiocese of New York, New York, 21 January 1891