"Glory to God in the highest, On earth peace, good will toward men."
Fix your hair and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Especially this week do not be ashamed to be glad. You need not think it a wicked thing to be happy. Doing penance and whipping oneself, and other terrible things those in false religions do, are not virtuous things. The damned are miserable; let the saved be happy. Why should you hold fellowship with the lost by feelings of perpetual mourning? Rather, why not anticipate the joys of heaven, and begin to sing on earth that song which you will never need to end? The first emotion then that we ought to cherish in our hearts is the emotion of "joy and gladness."
