A Short Road to Perfection

"If you ask me what you are to do in order to be perfect, I say, first-
Do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising,
give your first thoughts to God;
make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament;
say the Angelus devoutly;
eat and drink to God's glory;
say the Rosary well;
be recollected;
keep out bad thoughts;
make your evening meditation well;
examine yourself daily;
go to bed in good time,
and you are already perfect."
-John Henry Cardinal Newman

I have a prayer card with this saying on it, I've had it for months or years, I'm not really sure. Most likely, I just found it on one of our bookshelves and it struck my fancy. I've never really tried to follow the guidelines. Right now, I'm just focusing on a few of these things. And I just want to say, the simple lines on the card seem easy. But in practice they are really difficult to do. It isn't the tasks that are difficult but the self-control it takes to perform them. It is all about submitting my will to His Will.
Once again, as I started writing I didn't know where I was taking this topic. But after writing that line, about submitting my will, it made me think of something in the Bible, Matthew 25:23:
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
(NOTE: I didn't have this verse memorized.. I love the ability to google two words and find the bible passage I'm thinking about!)
If I can't add these simple tasks of self-denial to my life now, how will I be able to live the evangelical counsels and community life? The journey to wherever I am called starts now, has started already.

Pax Christi!