Do you know how it happens that many who have lived long in religion, and practiced daily so many acts of obedience, have by no means succeeded in acquiring a habit of this virtue? Because, not every time they obey, do they do it because such is the will of God [which is the formal reason of obedience]; but they obey, now for one cause, now for another, so that their actions, being destitute of mutual similarity, cannot unite to form a habit of this virtue. - Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez
Saint Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi never regarded the person who was her Superior, or who gave her orders, whoever she might be, but recognized in her the person of God; nor did she obey for any other reason than because she believed it to be the will of God. She considered whatever was imposed on her as ordered by Divine authority, and so she obeyed the cook as willingly as the prioress, and experienced equal joy and satisfaction in doing so.
The same is narrated of the monks of Egypt, who performed promptly, without any discussion or objection, whatever duty was laid upon them, as if the order had come directly from God, whose will they were accustomed to recognize in that of the Superior.
- 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