Author: Cardinal Desire Mercier (1851-1926)
1 - In the matter of food, restrict yourself as far as possible to simple necessity. Consider these words which Saint Augustine addressed to God: "O my God, Thou hast taught me to take food only as a remedy. Ah! Lord, who is there among us who does not sometimes exceed the limit here? If there is such a one I say that man is great, and must give great glory to Thy name." (Confessions, book X, ch. 31)
2 - Pray to God often, pray to God daily to help you by His grace so that you do not overstep the limits of necessity and do not permit yourself to give way to pleasure.
3 - Take nothing between meals, unless out of necessity or for the sake of convenience.
4 - Practice fasting and abstinence, but practice them only under obedience and with discretion.
5 - It is not forbidden for you to enjoy some bodily satisfaction, but do so with a pure intention, giving thanks to God.
6 - Regulate your sleep, avoiding in this all faintheartedness, all softness, especially in the morning. Set an hour, if you can, for going to bed and getting up, and keep strictly to it.
7 - In general, take your rest only in so far as it is necessary; give yourself generously to work, not sparing your labor. Take care not to exhaust your body, but guard against indulging it; as soon as you feel it even a little disposed to play the master, treat it as once as a slave.
8 - If you suffer some slight indisposition, avoid being a nuisance to others through your bad mood; leave to your companions the task of complaining for you; for yourself, be patient and silent as the Divine Lamb who has truly borne all our weaknesses.
9 - Guard against making the slightest illness a reason for dispensation or exemption from your daily schedule. "One must detest like the plague every exception when it comes to rules," wrote Saint John Berchmans.
10 - Accept with docility, endure humbly, patiently and with perseverance, the tiresome mortification called illness.