5  This  seems  to  be  the  task  also  of  the  relapsing  sinner,  who
often  tries  to  climb  the  mountain  of  God,  but,  losing  his
foothold,   slips   back   and   never  reaches   its  summit.     Oh,
what  a  wretched  existence  must  he  drag  wearily  out  in  this
unhappy  world  !     He  is  ever  promising,  and  never  perform
ing  ;  ever  making  plans,  and  never  carrying  them  into  execu
tion  ;  ever  feeling  the  pangs  of  penance,  and  never  tasting  of
its  ecstatic  joys.     If,  then,  any  boy  should  find  himself  in
this  unhappy  state,  he  must  without  delay  search  out  the
causes  of  it,  and  endeavour  to  remove  them.
What  are  these  causes  ?  They  are  usually  of  two  kinds  :
first,  there  are  internal  causes,  which  spring  from  the  boy's
own  heart ;  secondly,  there  are  external  causes,  which  come
from  the  persons  and  the  things  by  which  he  is  surrounded.
Under  the  first  head  we  may  place  that  presumptuous  con
fidence  in  his  own  strength— a  confidence  which  springs  up
in  his  heart  after  a  good  retreat  or  a  general  confession.
The  natural  effect  of  this  presumption  is  to  make  him  care
less  about  keeping  out  of  harm's  way ;  he  goes  into  danger,
and  perishes  in  it.  Again,  there  is  in  all  his  religious  duties  a
lukewarmness,  which  draws  down  upon  him  the  displeasure


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  LENT  65

of  God,  Who  withholds  from  him  that  special  protection
which  He  grants  to  the  fervent.  Lastly,  there  is  human
respect,  which  makes  him  fearful  of  incurring  the  ridicule  of
the  world.
