28. March 21節制－白孟德神父（Fr. Charles Belmonte Lopez）語錄-譯者:林豪

Temperance. No one is cured or cleansed from the stains of the body except the one who tries to bring it about. For God’s favors are not granted to those who sleep but to those who watch. We must respond to divine grace, which means staying alert, and being quick to reject anything that might turn us away from God.

沒有人能從身體上的污穢中獲得治癒或淨化，除非是那些企圖實踐的人。因為天主的恩惠不會賜給那些睡著的人，而是賜給那些警醒的人。我們必須要回應天主的恩典，這意思是要保持警醒，並迅速地拒絕任何可能使我們遠離天主的事務。

Our senses are like the doors of the soul. Our spiritual powers are fed by what the senses give them. Therefore, we must guard our senses, so as not to admit into our soul anything harmful.

我們的感官就像靈魂之門，我們屬靈的力量是由感官所給予的事務餵養的。因此，我們必須保護我們的感官，以免我們的靈魂接受任何有害的事務。

Temperance is self-mastery. Not everything we experience in our bodies and souls should be given free rein. Nor should we to do everything we can do. It is easier to let ourselves be carried away by so-called natural impulses, but this road ends up in sadness and isolation in our own misery.

「節制」是自我控制。並非我們在身體和靈魂中，所經歷的一切都應該自由放任，我們也不應該竭盡所能。我們更容易被所謂的「本性衝動」沖昏了頭腦，但是這條路，最終會在我們自己的痛苦中陷入悲傷和孤立。

To achieve happiness, you need a heart which is in love, not an easy life. If we appeal lovingly to our Lady, as her children, we will grow strong in temperance; and our heart, our senses, our whole life, will be filled with God.

要獲得幸福，你需要一顆「有愛的心」，而不是輕鬆地生活。如果我們以子女的熱愛來呼求聖母，我們將在節制方面變得堅強；並且我們的心、我們的感官、我們的整個生命，都將被天主所充滿。