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THE interior life is for all the one thing necessary. It ought to
be constantly developing in our souls; more so than what we call
our intellectual life, more so than our scientific, artistic or
literary life. The interior life is lived in the depths of the
soul; it is the life of the whole man, not merely of one or other
of his faculties. And our intellectual life would gain
immeasurably by appreciating this; it would receive an inestimable
advantage if, instead of attempting to supplant the spiritual
life, it recognized its necessity and importance, and welcomed its
beneficial influence -- the influence of the theological virtues
and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. How deeply important our subject
is may be seen in the very words we have used: Intellectuality and
Spirituality. And it is important to us not only as individuals,
but also in our social relations, for it is evident that we can
exert no real or profound influence upon our fellow-men unless we
live a truly interior life ourselves.
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