BOOK ONE
THOUGHTS HELPFUL
IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL
1. Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of
Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly
enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort,
therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints,
and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many
who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the
spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ
must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking
humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man
holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather
feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know
the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live
without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except
to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt
of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish.
It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to
follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment
later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a
well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to
make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and
not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear
filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things
visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own
evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
2. Having a Humble Opinion of Self
EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without
fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud
intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who
knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by
men.
If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit
me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and
delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there
are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and
he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is
very unwise.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a
clean conscience inspires great trust in God.
The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you
be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore,
because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you.
If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at
the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom,
but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more
learned, more cultured than you?
If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be
unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best
and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think
well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you
see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself
better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are
frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.
3. The Doctrine of Truth
HAPPY is he to whom truth manifests itself, not in signs and words that fade,
but as it actually is. Our opinions, our senses often deceive us and we discern
very little.
What good is much discussion of involved and obscure matters when our
ignorance of them will not be held against us on Judgment Day? Neglect of things
which are profitable and necessary and undue concern with those which are
irrelevant and harmful, are great folly.
We have eyes and do not see.
What, therefore, have we to do with questions of philosophy? He to whom the
Eternal Word speaks is free from theorizing. For from this Word are all things
and of Him all things speak -- the Beginning Who also speaks to us. Without this
Word no man understands or judges aright. He to whom it becomes everything, who
traces all things to it and who sees all things in it, may ease his heart and
remain at peace with God.
O God, You Who are the truth, make me one with You in love everlasting. I am
often wearied by the many things I hear and read, but in You is all that I long
for. Let the learned be still, let all creatures be silent before You; You alone
speak to me.
The more recollected a man is, and the more simple of heart he becomes, the
easier he understands sublime things, for he receives the light of knowledge
from above. The pure, simple, and steadfast spirit is not distracted by many
labors, for he does them all for the honor of God. And since he enjoys interior
peace he seeks no selfish end in anything. What, indeed, gives more trouble and
affliction than uncontrolled desires of the heart?
A good and devout man arranges in his mind the things he has to do, not
according to the whims of evil inclination but according to the dictates of
right reason. Who is forced to struggle more than he who tries to master
himself? This ought to be our purpose, then: to conquer self, to become stronger
each day, to advance in virtue.
Every perfection in this life has some imperfection mixed with it and no
learning of ours is without some darkness. Humble knowledge of self is a surer
path to God than the ardent pursuit of learning. Not that learning is to be
considered evil, or knowledge, which is good in itself and so ordained by God;
but a clean conscience and virtuous life ought always to be preferred. Many
often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned
rather than to live well.
If men used as much care in uprooting vices and implanting virtues as they do
in discussing problems, there would not be so much evil and scandal in the
world, or such laxity in religious organizations. On the day of judgment,
surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how
well we have spoken but how well we have lived.
Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so well in
life and who were famous for their learning? Others have already taken their
places and I know not whether they ever think of their predecessors. During life
they seemed to be something; now they are seldom remembered. How quickly the
glory of the world passes away! If only their lives had kept pace with their
learning, then their study and reading would have been worth while.
How many there are who perish because of vain worldly knowledge and too
little care for serving God. They became vain in their own conceits because they
chose to be great rather than humble.
He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in
his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks
upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God's will
and renounces his own is truly very learned.
4. Prudence in Action
DO NOT yield to every impulse and suggestion but consider things carefully
and patiently in the light of God's will. For very often, sad to say, we are so
weak that we believe and speak evil of others rather than good. Perfect men,
however, do not readily believe every talebearer, because they know that human
frailty is prone to evil and is likely to appear in speech.
Not to act rashly or to cling obstinately to one's opinion, not to believe
everything people say or to spread abroad the gossip one has heard, is great
wisdom.
Take counsel with a wise and conscientious man. Seek the advice of your
betters in preference to following your own inclinations.
A good life makes a man wise according to God and gives him experience in
many things, for the more humble he is and the more subject to God, the wiser
and the more at peace he will be in all things.
5. Reading the Holy Scripture
TRUTH, not eloquence, is to be sought in reading the Holy Scriptures; and
every part must be read in the spirit in which it was written. For in the
Scriptures we ought to seek profit rather than polished diction.
Likewise we ought to read simple and devout books as willingly as learned and
profound ones. We ought not to be swayed by the authority of the writer, whether
he be a great literary light or an insignificant person, but by the love of
simple truth. We ought not to ask who is speaking, but mark what is said. Men
pass away, but the truth of the Lord remains forever. God speaks to us in many
ways without regard for persons.
Our curiosity often impedes our reading of the Scriptures, when we wish to
understand and mull over what we ought simply to read and pass by.
If you would profit from it, therefore, read with humility, simplicity, and
faith, and never seek a reputation for being learned. Seek willingly and listen
attentively to the words of the saints; do not be displeased with the sayings of
the ancients, for they were not made without purpose.
6. Unbridled Affections
WHEN a man desires a thing too much, he at once becomes ill at ease. A proud
and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives
in a world of peace. An unmortified man is quickly tempted and overcome in
small, trifling evils; his spirit is weak, in a measure carnal and inclined to
sensual things; he can hardly abstain from earthly desires. Hence it makes him
sad to forego them; he is quick to anger if reproved. Yet if he satisfies his
desires, remorse of conscience overwhelms him because he followed his passions
and they did not lead to the peace he sought.
True peace of heart, then, is found in resisting passions, not in satisfying
them. There is no peace in the carnal man, in the man given to vain attractions,
but there is peace in the fervent and spiritual man.
7. Avoiding False Hope and Pride
VAIN is the man who puts his trust in men, in created things.
Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem
poor in this world. Do not be self-sufficient but place your trust in God. Do
what lies in your power and God will aid your good will. Put no trust in your
own learning nor in the cunning of any man, but rather in the grace of God Who
helps the humble and humbles the proud.
If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends because they are
powerful, but in God Who gives all things and Who desires above all to give
Himself. Do not boast of personal stature or of physical beauty, qualities which
are marred and destroyed by a little sickness. Do not take pride in your talent
or ability, lest you displease God to Whom belongs all the natural gifts that
you have.
Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted
worse before God Who knows what is in man. Do not take pride in your good deeds,
for God's judgments differ from those of men and what pleases them often
displeases Him. If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you
may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but
it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in
continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent
anger.
8. Shunning Over-Familiarity
DO NOT open your heart to every man, but discuss your affairs with one who is
wise and who fears God. Do not keep company with young people and strangers. Do
not fawn upon the rich, and do not be fond of mingling with the great. Associate
with the humble and the simple, with the devout and virtuous, and with them
speak of edifying things. Be not intimate with any woman, but generally commend
all good women to God. Seek only the intimacy of God and of His angels, and
avoid the notice of men.
We ought to have charity for all men but familiarity with all is not
expedient. Sometimes it happens that a person enjoys a good reputation among
those who do not know him, but at the same time is held in slight regard by
those who do. Frequently we think we are pleasing others by our presence and we
begin rather to displease them by the faults they find in us.
9. Obedience and Subjection
IT IS a very great thing to obey, to live under a superior and not to be
one's own master, for it is much safer to be subject than it is to command. Many
live in obedience more from necessity than from love. Such become discontented
and dejected on the slightest pretext; they will never gain peace of mind unless
they subject themselves wholeheartedly for the love of God.
Go where you may, you will find no rest except in humble obedience to the
rule of authority. Dreams of happiness expected from change and different places
have deceived many.
Everyone, it is true, wishes to do as he pleases and is attracted to those
who agree with him. But if God be among us, we must at times give up our
opinions for the blessings of peace.
Furthermore, who is so wise that he can have full knowledge of everything? Do
not trust too much in your own opinions, but be willing to listen to those of
others. If, though your own be good, you accept another's opinion for love of
God, you will gain much more merit; for I have often heard that it is safer to
listen to advice and take it than to give it. It may happen, too, that while
one's own opinion may be good, refusal to agree with others when reason and
occasion demand it, is a sign of pride and obstinacy.
10. Avoiding Idle Talk
SHUN the gossip of men as much as possible, for discussion of worldly
affairs, even though sincere, is a great distraction inasmuch as we are quickly
ensnared and captivated by vanity.
Many a time I wish that I had held my peace and had not associated with men.
Why, indeed, do we converse and gossip among ourselves when we so seldom part
without a troubled conscience? We do so because we seek comfort from one
another's conversation and wish to ease the mind wearied by diverse thoughts.
Hence, we talk and think quite fondly of things we like very much or of things
we dislike intensely. But, sad to say, we often talk vainly and to no purpose;
for this external pleasure effectively bars inward and divine consolation.
Therefore we must watch and pray lest time pass idly.
When the right and opportune moment comes for speaking, say something that
will edify.
Bad habits and indifference to spiritual progress do much to remove the guard
from the tongue. Devout conversation on spiritual matters, on the contrary, is a
great aid to spiritual progress, especially when persons of the same mind and
spirit associate together in God.
11. Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection
WE SHOULD enjoy much peace if we did not concern ourselves with what others
say and do, for these are no concern of ours. How can a man who meddles in
affairs not his own, who seeks strange distractions, and who is little or seldom
inwardly recollected, live long in peace?
Blessed are the simple of heart for they shall enjoy peace in abundance.
Why were some of the saints so perfect and so given to contemplation? Because
they tried to mortify entirely in themselves all earthly desires, and thus they
were able to attach themselves to God with all their heart and freely to
concentrate their innermost thoughts.
We are too occupied with our own whims and fancies, too taken up with passing
things. Rarely do we completely conquer even one vice, and we are not inflamed
with the desire to improve ourselves day by day; hence, we remain cold and
indifferent. If we mortified our bodies perfectly and allowed no distractions to
enter our minds, we could appreciate divine things and experience something of
heavenly contemplation.
The greatest obstacle, indeed, the only obstacle, is that we are not free
from passions and lusts, that we do not try to follow the perfect way of the
saints. Thus when we encounter some slight difficulty, we are too easily
dejected and turn to human consolations. If we tried, however, to stand as brave
men in battle, the help of the Lord from heaven would surely sustain us. For He
Who gives us the opportunity of fighting for victory, is ready to help those who
carry on and trust in His grace.
If we let our progress in religious life depend on the observance of its
externals alone, our devotion will quickly come to an end. Let us, then, lay the
ax to the root that we may be freed from our passions and thus have peace of
mind.
If we were to uproot only one vice each year, we should soon become perfect.
The contrary, however, is often the case -- we feel that we were better and
purer in the first fervor of our conversion than we are after many years in the
practice of our faith. Our fervor and progress ought to increase day by day; yet
it is now considered noteworthy if a man can retain even a part of his first
fervor.
If we did a little violence to ourselves at the start, we should afterwards
be able to do all things with ease and joy. It is hard to break old habits, but
harder still to go against our will.
If you do not overcome small, trifling things, how will you overcome the more
difficult? Resist temptations in the beginning, and unlearn the evil habit lest
perhaps, little by little, it lead to a more evil one.
If you but consider what peace a good life will bring to yourself and what
joy it will give to others, I think you will be more concerned about your
spiritual progress.
12. The Value of Adversity
IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind
us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is
good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even
though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us
from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they
do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our
hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not
need the consolations of men.
When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil
thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can
do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He
wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be
with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace
cannot be found on earth.
13. Resisting Temptation
SO LONG as we live in this world we cannot escape suffering and temptation.
Whence it is written in Job: "The life of man upon earth is a warfare."
Everyone, therefore, must guard against temptation and must watch in prayer lest
the devil, who never sleeps but goes about seeking whom he may devour, find
occasion to deceive him. No one is so perfect or so holy but he is sometimes
tempted; man cannot be altogether free from temptation.
Yet temptations, though troublesome and severe, are often useful to a man,
for in them he is humbled, purified, and instructed. The saints all passed
through many temptations and trials to profit by them, while those who could not
resist became reprobate and fell away. There is no state so holy, no place so
secret that temptations and trials will not come. Man is never safe from them as
long as he lives, for they come from within us -- in sin we were born. When one
temptation or trial passes, another comes; we shall always have something to
suffer because we have lost the state of original blessedness.
Many people try to escape temptations, only to fall more deeply. We cannot
conquer simply by fleeing, but by patience and true humility we become stronger
than all our enemies. The man who only shuns temptations outwardly and does not
uproot them will make little progress; indeed they will quickly return, more
violent than before.
Little by little, in patience and long-suffering you will overcome them, by
the help of God rather than by severity and your own rash ways. Often take
counsel when tempted; and do not be harsh with others who are tempted, but
console them as you yourself would wish to be consoled.
The beginning of all temptation lies in a wavering mind and little trust in
God, for as a rudderless ship is driven hither and yon by waves, so a careless
and irresolute man is tempted in many ways. Fire tempers iron and temptation
steels the just. Often we do not know what we can stand, but temptation shows us
what we are.
Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation,
for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind
and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.
Someone has said very aptly: "Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late,
when by long delay the evil has gained strength." First, a mere thought comes to
mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent.
Thus, because he is not resisted in the beginning, Satan gains full entry. And
the longer a man delays in resisting, so much the weaker does he become each
day, while the strength of the enemy grows against him.
Some suffer great temptations in the beginning of their conversion, others
toward the end, while some are troubled almost constantly throughout their life.
Others, again, are tempted but lightly according to the wisdom and justice of
Divine Providence Who weighs the status and merit of each and prepares all for
the salvation of His elect.
We should not despair, therefore, when we are tempted, but pray to God the
more fervently that He may see fit to help us, for according to the word of
Paul, He will make issue with temptation that we may be able to bear it. Let us
humble our souls under the hand of God in every trial and temptation for He will
save and exalt the humble in spirit.
In temptations and trials the progress of a man is measured; in them
opportunity for merit and virtue is made more manifest.
When a man is not troubled it is not hard for him to be fervent and devout,
but if he bears up patiently in time of adversity, there is hope for great
progress.
Some, guarded against great temptations, are frequently overcome by small
ones in order that, humbled by their weakness in small trials, they may not
presume on their own strength in great ones.
14. Avoiding Rash Judgment
TURN your attention upon yourself and beware of judging the deeds of other
men, for in judging others a man labors vainly, often makes mistakes, and easily
sins; whereas, in judging and taking stock of himself he does something that is
always profitable.
We frequently judge that things are as we wish them to be, for through
personal feeling true perspective is easily lost.
If God were the sole object of our desire, we should not be disturbed so
easily by opposition to our opinions. But often something lurks within or
happens from without to draw us along with it.
Many, unawares, seek themselves in the things they do. They seem even to
enjoy peace of mind when things happen according to their wish and liking, but
if otherwise than they desire, they are soon disturbed and saddened. Differences
of feeling and opinion often divide friends and acquaintances, even those who
are religious and devout.
An old habit is hard to break, and no one is willing to be led farther than
he can see.
If you rely more upon your intelligence or industry than upon the virtue of
submission to Jesus Christ, you will hardly, and in any case slowly, become an
enlightened man. God wants us to be completely subject to Him and, through
ardent love, to rise above all human wisdom.
15. Works Done in Charity
NEVER do evil for anything in the world, or for the love of any man. For one
who is in need, however, a good work may at times be purposely left undone or
changed for a better one. This is not the omission of a good deed but rather its
improvement.
Without charity external work is of no value, but anything done in charity,
be it ever so small and trivial, is entirely fruitful inasmuch as God weighs the
love with which a man acts rather than the deed itself.
He does much who loves much. He does much who does a thing well. He does well
who serves the common good rather than his own interests.
Now, that which seems to be charity is oftentimes really sensuality, for
man's own inclination, his own will, his hope of reward, and his self-interest,
are motives seldom absent. On the contrary, he who has true and perfect charity
seeks self in nothing, but searches all things for the glory of God. Moreover,
he envies no man, because he desires no personal pleasure nor does he wish to
rejoice in himself; rather he desires the greater glory of God above all things.
He ascribes to man nothing that is good but attributes it wholly to God from
Whom all things proceed as from a fountain, and in Whom all the blessed shall
rest as their last end and fruition.
If man had but a spark of true charity he would surely sense that all the
things of earth are full of vanity!
16. Bearing with the Faults of Others
UNTIL God ordains otherwise, a man ought to bear patiently whatever he cannot
correct in himself and in others. Consider it better thus -- perhaps to try your
patience and to test you, for without such patience and trial your merits are of
little account. Nevertheless, under such difficulties you should pray that God
will consent to help you bear them calmly.
If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not
argue with him but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be
furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good. Try
to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may
be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.
If you cannot make yourself what you would wish to be, how can you bend
others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own
faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct
ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we
ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be
restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do
of ourselves.
If all were perfect, what should we have to suffer from others for God's
sake? But God has so ordained, that we may learn to bear with one another's
burdens, for there is no man without fault, no man without burden, no man
sufficient to himself nor wise enough. Hence we must support one another,
console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise, for the measure of
every man's virtue is best revealed in time of adversity -- adversity that does
not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.
17. Monastic Life
IF YOU wish peace and concord with others, you must learn to break your will
in many things. To live in monasteries or religious communities, to remain there
without complaint, and to persevere faithfully till death is no small matter.
Blessed indeed is he who there lives a good life and there ends his days in
happiness.
If you would persevere in seeking perfection, you must consider yourself a
pilgrim, an exile on earth. If you would become a religious, you must be content
to seem a fool for the sake of Christ. Habit and tonsure change a man but
little; it is the change of life, the complete mortification of passions that
endow a true religious.
He who seeks anything but God alone and the salvation of his soul will find
only trouble and grief, and he who does not try to become the least, the servant
of all, cannot remain at peace for long.
You have come to serve, not to rule. You must understand, too, that you have
been called to suffer and to work, not to idle and gossip away your time. Here
men are tried as gold in a furnace. Here no man can remain unless he desires
with all his heart to humble himself before God.
18. The Example Set Us by the Holy Fathers
CONSIDER the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of
true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing,
we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? The saints and friends of
Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and
fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions
and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered -- the
Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in
the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have
life in eternity.
How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert!
What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the
enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts
they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How
brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and
straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night
they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from
mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short
for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even
their bodily needs.
They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates. They
desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities
of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them.
They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue. Outwardly
destitute, inwardly they were full of grace and divine consolation. Strangers to
the world, they were close and intimate friends of God. To themselves they
seemed as nothing, and they were despised by the world, but in the eyes of God
they were precious and beloved. They lived in true humility and simple
obedience; they walked in charity and patience, making progress daily on the
pathway of spiritual life and obtaining great favor with God.
They were given as an example for all religious, and their power to stimulate
us to perfection ought to be greater than that of the lukewarm to tempt us to
laxity.
How great was the fervor of all religious in the beginning of their holy
institution! How great their devotion in prayer and their rivalry for virtue!
What splendid discipline flourished among them! What great reverence and
obedience in all things under the rule of a superior! The footsteps they left
behind still bear witness that they indeed were holy and perfect men who fought
bravely and conquered the world.
Today, he who is not a transgressor and who can bear patiently the duties
which he has taken upon himself is considered great. How lukewarm and negligent
we are! We lose our original fervor very quickly and we even become weary of
life from laziness! Do not you, who have seen so many examples of the devout,
fall asleep in the pursuit of virtue!
19. The Practices of a Good Religious
THE life of a good religious ought to abound in every virtue so that he is
interiorly what to others he appears to be. With good reason there ought to be
much more within than appears on the outside, for He who sees within is God,
Whom we ought to reverence most highly wherever we are and in Whose sight we
ought to walk pure as the angels.
Each day we ought to renew our resolutions and arouse ourselves to fervor as
though it were the first day of our religious life. We ought to say: "Help me, O
Lord God, in my good resolution and in Your holy service. Grant me now, this
very day, to begin perfectly, for thus far I have done nothing."
As our intention is, so will be our progress; and he who desires perfection
must be very diligent. If the strong-willed man fails frequently, what of the
man who makes up his mind seldom or half-heartedly? Many are the ways of failing
in our resolutions; even a slight omission of religious practice entails a loss
of some kind.
Just men depend on the grace of God rather than on their own wisdom in
keeping their resolutions. In Him they confide every undertaking, for man,
indeed, proposes but God disposes, and God's way is not man's. If a habitual
exercise is sometimes omitted out of piety or in the interests of another, it
can easily be resumed later. But if it be abandoned carelessly, through
weariness or neglect, then the fault is great and will prove hurtful. Much as we
try, we still fail too easily in many things. Yet we must always have some fixed
purpose, especially against things which beset us the most. Our outward and
inward lives alike must be closely watched and well ordered, for both are
important to perfection.
If you cannot recollect yourself continuously, do so once a day at least, in
the morning or in the evening. In the morning make a resolution and in the
evening examine yourself on what you have said this day, what you have done and
thought, for in these things perhaps you have often offended God and those about
you.
Arm yourself like a man against the devil's assaults. Curb your appetite and
you will more easily curb every inclination of the flesh. Never be completely
unoccupied, but read or write or pray or meditate or do something for the common
good. Bodily discipline, however, must be undertaken with discretion and is not
to be practiced indiscriminately by everyone.
Devotions not common to all are not to be displayed in public, for such
personal things are better performed in private. Furthermore, beware of
indifference to community prayer through love of your own devotions. If,
however, after doing completely and faithfully all you are bound and commanded
to do, you then have leisure, use it as personal piety suggests.
Not everyone can have the same devotion. One exactly suits this person,
another that. Different exercises, likewise, are suitable for different times,
some for feast days and some again for weekdays. In time of temptation we need
certain devotions. For days of rest and peace we need others. Some are suitable
when we are sad, others when we are joyful in the Lord.
About the time of the principal feasts good devotions ought to be renewed and
the intercession of the saints more fervently implored. From one feast day to
the next we ought to fix our purpose as though we were then to pass from this
world and come to the eternal holyday.
During holy seasons, finally, we ought to prepare ourselves carefully, to
live holier lives, and to observe each rule more strictly, as though we were
soon to receive from God the reward of our labors. If this end be deferred, let
us believe that we are not well prepared and that we are not yet worthy of the
great glory that shall in due time be revealed to us. Let us try, meanwhile, to
prepare ourselves better for death.
"Blessed is the servant," says Christ, "whom his master, when he cometh,
shall find watching. Amen I say to you: he shall make him ruler over all his
goods."
20. The Love of Solitude and Silence
SEEK a suitable time for leisure and meditate often on the favors of God.
Leave curiosities alone. Read such matters as bring sorrow to the heart rather
than occupation to the mind. If you withdraw yourself from unnecessary talking
and idle running about, from listening to gossip and rumors, you will find
enough time that is suitable for holy meditation.
Very many great saints avoided the company of men wherever possible and chose
to serve God in retirement. "As often as I have been among men," said one
writer, "I have returned less a man." We often find this to be true when we take
part in long conversations. It is easier to be silent altogether than not to
speak too much. To stay at home is easier than to be sufficiently on guard while
away. Anyone, then, who aims to live the inner and spiritual life must go apart,
with Jesus, from the crowd.
No man appears in safety before the public eye unless he first relishes
obscurity. No man is safe in speaking unless he loves to be silent. No man rules
safely unless he is willing to be ruled. No man commands safely unless he has
learned well how to obey. No man rejoices safely unless he has within him the
testimony of a good conscience.
More than this, the security of the saints was always enveloped in the fear
of God, nor were they less cautious and humble because they were conspicuous for
great virtues and graces. The security of the wicked, on the contrary, springs
from pride and presumption, and will end in their own deception.
Never promise yourself security in this life, even though you seem to be a
good religious, or a devout hermit. It happens very often that those whom men
esteem highly are more seriously endangered by their own excessive confidence.
Hence, for many it is better not to be too free from temptations, but often to
be tried lest they become too secure, too filled with pride, or even too eager
to fall back upon external comforts.
If only a man would never seek passing joys or entangle himself with worldly
affairs, what a good conscience he would have. What great peace and tranquillity
would be his, if he cut himself off from all empty care and thought only of
things divine, things helpful to his soul, and put all his trust in God.
No man deserves the consolation of heaven unless he persistently arouses
himself to holy contrition. If you desire true sorrow of heart, seek the privacy
of your cell and shut out the uproar of the world, as it is written: "In your
chamber bewail your sins." There you will find what too often you lose
abroad.
Your cell will become dear to you if you remain in it, but if you do not, it
will become wearisome. If in the beginning of your religious life, you live
within your cell and keep to it, it will soon become a special friend and a very
great comfort.
In silence and quiet the devout soul advances in virtue and learns the hidden
truths of Scripture. There she finds a flood of tears with which to bathe and
cleanse herself nightly, that she may become the more intimate with her Creator
the farther she withdraws from all the tumult of the world. For God and His holy
angels will draw near to him who withdraws from friends and acquaintances.
It is better for a man to be obscure and to attend to his salvation than to
neglect it and work miracles. It is praiseworthy for a religious seldom to go
abroad, to flee the sight of men and have no wish to see them.
Why wish to see what you are not permitted to have? "The world passes away
and the concupiscence thereof." Sensual craving sometimes entices you to wander
around, but when the moment is past, what do you bring back with you save a
disturbed conscience and heavy heart? A happy going often leads to a sad return,
a merry evening to a mournful dawn. Thus, all carnal joy begins sweetly but in
the end brings remorse and death.
What can you find elsewhere that you cannot find here in your cell? Behold
heaven and earth and all the elements, for of these all things are made. What
can you see anywhere under the sun that will remain long? Perhaps you think you
will completely satisfy yourself, but you cannot do so, for if you should see
all existing things, what would they be but an empty vision?
Raise your eyes to God in heaven and pray because of your sins and
shortcomings. Leave vanity to the vain. Set yourself to the things which God has
commanded you to do. Close the door upon yourself and call to you Jesus, your
Beloved. Remain with Him in your cell, for nowhere else will you find such
peace. If you had not left it, and had not listened to idle gossip, you would
have remained in greater peace. But since you love, sometimes, to hear news, it
is only right that you should suffer sorrow of heart from it.
21. Sorrow of Heart
IF YOU wish to make progress in virtue, live in the fear of the Lord, do not
look for too much freedom, discipline your senses, and shun inane silliness.
Sorrow opens the door to many a blessing which dissoluteness usually
destroys.
It is a wonder that any man who considers and meditates on his exiled state
and the many dangers to his soul, can ever be perfectly happy in this life.
Lighthearted and heedless of our defects, we do not feel the real sorrows of our
souls, but often indulge in empty laughter when we have good reason to weep. No
liberty is true and no joy is genuine unless it is founded in the fear of the
Lord and a good conscience.
Happy is the man who can throw off the weight of every care and recollect
himself in holy contrition. Happy is the man who casts from him all that can
stain or burden his conscience.
Fight like a man. Habit is overcome by habit. If you leave men alone, they
will leave you alone to do what you have to do. Do not busy yourself about the
affairs of others and do not become entangled in the business of your superiors.
Keep an eye primarily on yourself and admonish yourself instead of your
friends.
If you do not enjoy the favor of men, do not let it sadden you; but consider
it a serious matter if you do not conduct yourself as well or as carefully as is
becoming for a servant of God and a devout religious.
It is often better and safer for us to have few consolations in this life,
especially comforts of the body. Yet if we do not have divine consolation or
experience it rarely, it is our own fault because we seek no sorrow of heart and
do not forsake vain outward satisfaction.
Consider yourself unworthy of divine solace and deserving rather of much
tribulation. When a man is perfectly contrite, the whole world is bitter and
wearisome to him.
A good man always finds enough over which to mourn and weep; whether he
thinks of himself or of his neighbor he knows that no one lives here without
suffering, and the closer he examines himself the more he grieves.
The sins and vices in which we are so entangled that we can rarely apply
ourselves to the contemplation of heaven are matters for just sorrow and inner
remorse.
I do not doubt that you would correct yourself more earnestly if you would
think more of an early death than of a long life. And if you pondered in your
heart the future pains of hell or of purgatory, I believe you would willingly
endure labor and trouble and would fear no hardship. But since these thoughts
never pierce the heart and since we are enamored of flattering pleasure, we
remain very cold and indifferent. Our wretched body complains so easily because
our soul is altogether too lifeless.
Pray humbly to the Lord, therefore, that He may give you the spirit of
contrition and say with the Prophet: "Feed me, Lord, with the bread of mourning
and give me to drink of tears in full measure."
22. Thoughts on the Misery of Man
WHEREVER you are, wherever you go, you are miserable unless you turn to God.
So why be dismayed when things do not happen as you wish and desire? Is there
anyone who has everything as he wishes? No -- neither I, nor you, nor any man on
earth. There is no one in the world, be he Pope or king, who does not suffer
trial and anguish.
Who is the better off then? Surely, it is the man who will suffer something
for God. Many unstable and weak-minded people say: "See how well that man lives,
how rich, how great he is, how powerful and mighty." But you must lift up your
eyes to the riches of heaven and realize that the material goods of which they
speak are nothing. These things are uncertain and very burdensome because they
are never possessed without anxiety and fear. Man's happiness does not consist
in the possession of abundant goods; a very little is enough.
Living on earth is truly a misery. The more a man desires spiritual life, the
more bitter the present becomes to him, because he understands better and sees
more clearly the defects, the corruption of human nature. To eat and drink, to
watch and sleep, to rest, to labor, and to be bound by other human necessities
is certainly a great misery and affliction to the devout man, who would gladly
be released from them and be free from all sin. Truly, the inner man is greatly
burdened in this world by the necessities of the body, and for this reason the
Prophet prayed that he might be as free from them as possible, when he said:
"From my necessities, O Lord, deliver me."
But woe to those who know not their own misery, and greater woe to those who
love this miserable and corruptible life. Some, indeed, can scarcely procure its
necessities either by work or by begging; yet they love it so much that, if they
could live here always, they would care nothing for the kingdom of God.
How foolish and faithless of heart are those who are so engrossed in earthly
things as to relish nothing but what is carnal! Miserable men indeed, for in the
end they will see to their sorrow how cheap and worthless was the thing they
loved.
The saints of God and all devout friends of Christ did not look to what
pleases the body nor to the things that are popular from time to time. Their
whole hope and aim centered on the everlasting good. Their whole desire pointed
upward to the lasting and invisible realm, lest the love of what is visible drag
them down to lower things.
Do not lose heart, then, my brother, in pursuing your spiritual life. There
is yet time, and your hour is not past. Why delay your purpose? Arise! Begin at
once and say: "Now is the time to act, now is the time to fight, now is the
proper time to amend."
When you are troubled and afflicted, that is the time to gain merit. You must
pass through water and fire before coming to rest. Unless you do violence to
yourself you will not overcome vice.
So long as we live in this fragile body, we can neither be free from sin nor
live without weariness and sorrow. Gladly would we rest from all misery, but in
losing innocence through sin we also lost true blessedness. Therefore, we must
have patience and await the mercy of God until this iniquity passes, until
mortality is swallowed up in life.
How great is the frailty of human nature which is ever prone to evil! Today
you confess your sins and tomorrow you again commit the sins which you
confessed. One moment you resolve to be careful, and yet after an hour you act
as though you had made no resolution.
We have cause, therefore, because of our frailty and feebleness, to humble
ourselves and never think anything great of ourselves. Through neglect we may
quickly lose that which by God's grace we have acquired only through long, hard
labor. What, eventually, will become of us who so quickly grow lukewarm? Woe to
us if we presume to rest in peace and security when actually there is no true
holiness in our lives. It would be beneficial for us, like good novices, to be
instructed once more in the principles of a good life, to see if there be hope
of amendment and greater spiritual progress in the future.
23. Thoughts on Death
VERY soon your life here will end; consider, then, what may be in store for
you elsewhere. Today we live; tomorrow we die and are quickly forgotten. Oh, the
dullness and hardness of a heart which looks only to the present instead of
preparing for that which is to come!
Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die
this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much.
It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how
will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you
will have a tomorrow?
What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so little?
Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the contrary, frequently
adds to our guilt. Would that in this world we had lived well throughout one
single day. Many count up the years they have spent in religion but find their
lives made little holier. If it is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless
possible that to live longer is more dangerous. Blessed is he who keeps the
moment of death ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day.
If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must go the same
way. In the morning consider that you may not live till evening, and when
evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the dawn. Be always ready,
therefore, and so live that death will never take you unprepared. Many die
suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the unexpected hour the Son of God will come.
When that last moment arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion
of the life that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you
were so careless and remiss.
How happy and prudent is he who tries now in life to be what he wants to be
found in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively desire to advance in
virtue, a love for discipline, the works of penance, readiness to obey,
self-denial, and the endurance of every hardship for the love of Christ, these
will give a man great expectations of a happy death.
You can do many good works when in good health; what can you do when you are
ill? Few are made better by sickness. Likewise they who undertake many
pilgrimages seldom become holy.
Do not put your trust in friends and relatives, and do not put off the care
of your soul till later, for men will forget you more quickly than you think. It
is better to provide now, in time, and send some good account ahead of you than
to rely on the help of others. If you do not care for your own welfare now, who
will care when you are gone?
The present is very precious; these are the days of salvation; now is the
acceptable time. How sad that you do not spend the time in which you might
purchase everlasting life in a better way. The time will come when you will want
just one day, just one hour in which to make amends, and do you know whether you
will obtain it?
See, then, dearly beloved, the great danger from which you can free yourself
and the great fear from which you can be saved, if only you will always be wary
and mindful of death. Try to live now in such a manner that at the moment of
death you may be glad rather than fearful. Learn to die to the world now, that
then you may begin to live with Christ. Learn to spurn all things now, that then
you may freely go to Him. Chastise your body in penance now, that then you may
have the confidence born of certainty.
Ah, foolish man, why do you plan to live long when you are not sure of living
even a day? How many have been deceived and suddenly snatched away! How often
have you heard of persons being killed by drownings, by fatal falls from high
places, of persons dying at meals, at play, in fires, by the sword, in
pestilence, or at the hands of robbers! Death is the end of everyone and the
life of man quickly passes away like a shadow.
Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you? Do now,
beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will die, nor what your
fate will be after death. Gather for yourself the riches of immortality while
you have time. Think of nothing but your salvation. Care only for the things of
God. Make friends for yourself now by honoring the saints of God, by imitating
their actions, so that when you depart this life they may receive you into
everlasting dwellings.
Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its affairs do not
concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to God, for you have not
here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily prayers, your sighs and tears,
that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness to the Lord.
24. Judgment and the Punishment of Sin
IN ALL things consider the end; how you shall stand before the strict Judge
from Whom nothing is hidden and Who will pronounce judgment in all justice,
accepting neither bribes nor excuses. And you, miserable and wretched sinner,
who fear even the countenance of an angry man, what answer will you make to the
God Who knows all your sins? Why do you not provide for yourself against the day
of judgment when no man can be excused or defended by another because each will
have enough to do to answer for himself? In this life your work is profitable,
your tears acceptable, your sighs audible, your sorrow satisfying and
purifying.
The patient man goes through a great and salutary purgatory when he grieves
more over the malice of one who harms him than for his own injury; when he prays
readily for his enemies and forgives offenses from his heart; when he does not
hesitate to ask pardon of others; when he is more easily moved to pity than to
anger; when he does frequent violence to himself and tries to bring the body
into complete subjection to the spirit.
It is better to atone for sin now and to cut away vices than to keep them for
purgation in the hereafter. In truth, we deceive ourselves by our ill-advised
love of the flesh. What will that fire feed upon but our sins? The more we spare
ourselves now and the more we satisfy the flesh, the harder will the reckoning
be and the more we keep for the burning.
For a man will be more grievously punished in the things in which he has
sinned. There the lazy will be driven with burning prongs, and gluttons
tormented with unspeakable hunger and thirst; the wanton and lust-loving will be
bathed in burning pitch and foul brimstone; the envious will howl in their grief
like mad dogs.
Every vice will have its own proper punishment. The proud will be faced with
every confusion and the avaricious pinched with the most abject want. One hour
of suffering there will be more bitter than a hundred years of the most severe
penance here. In this life men sometimes rest from work and enjoy the comfort of
friends, but the damned have no rest or consolation.
You must, therefore, take care and repent of your sins now so that on the day
of judgment you may rest secure with the blessed. For on that day the just will
stand firm against those who tortured and oppressed them, and he who now submits
humbly to the judgment of men will arise to pass judgment upon them. The poor
and humble will have great confidence, while the proud will be struck with fear.
He who learned to be a fool in this world and to be scorned for Christ will then
appear to have been wise.
In that day every trial borne in patience will be pleasing and the voice of
iniquity will be stilled; the devout will be glad; the irreligious will mourn;
and the mortified body will rejoice far more than if it had been pampered with
every pleasure. Then the cheap garment will shine with splendor and the rich one
become faded and worn; the poor cottage will be more praised than the gilded
palace. In that day persevering patience will count more than all the power in
this world; simple obedience will be exalted above all worldly cleverness; a
good and clean conscience will gladden the heart of man far more than the
philosophy of the learned; and contempt for riches will be of more weight than
every treasure on earth.
Then you will find more consolation in having prayed devoutly than in having
fared daintily; you will be happy that you preferred silence to prolonged
gossip.
Then holy works will be of greater value than many fair words; strictness of
life and hard penances will be more pleasing than all earthly delights.
Learn, then, to suffer little things now that you may not have to suffer
greater ones in eternity. Prove here what you can bear hereafter. If you can
suffer only a little now, how will you be able to endure eternal torment? If a
little suffering makes you impatient now, what will hell fire do? In truth, you
cannot have two joys: you cannot taste the pleasures of this world and afterward
reign with Christ.
If your life to this moment had been full of honors and pleasures, what good
would it do if at this instant you should die? All is vanity, therefore, except
to love God and to serve Him alone.
He who loves God with all his heart does not fear death or punishment or
judgment or hell, because perfect love assures access to God.
It is no wonder that he who still delights in sin fears death and
judgment.
It is good, however, that even if love does not as yet restrain you from
evil, at least the fear of hell does. The man who casts aside the fear of God
cannot continue long in goodness but will quickly fall into the snares of the
devil.
25. Zeal in Amending our Lives
BE WATCHFUL and diligent in God's service and often think of why you left the
world and came here. Was it not that you might live for God and become a
spiritual man? Strive earnestly for perfection, then, because in a short time
you will receive the reward of your labor, and neither fear nor sorrow shall
come upon you at the hour of death.
Labor a little now, and soon you shall find great rest, in truth, eternal
joy; for if you continue faithful and diligent in doing, God will undoubtedly be
faithful and generous in rewarding. Continue to have reasonable hope of gaining
salvation, but do not act as though you were certain of it lest you grow
indolent and proud.
One day when a certain man who wavered often and anxiously between hope and
fear was struck with sadness, he knelt in humble prayer before the altar of a
church. While meditating on these things, he said: "Oh if I but knew whether I
should persevere to the end!" Instantly he heard within the divine answer: "If
you knew this, what would you do? Do now what you would do then and you will be
quite secure." Immediately consoled and comforted, he resigned himself to the
divine will and the anxious uncertainty ceased. His curiosity no longer sought
to know what the future held for him, and he tried instead to find the perfect,
the acceptable will of God in the beginning and end of every good work.
"Trust thou in the Lord and do good," says the Prophet; "dwell in the land
and thou shalt feed on its riches."
There is one thing that keeps many from zealously improving their lives, that
is, dread of the difficulty, the toil of battle. Certainly they who try bravely
to overcome the most difficult and unpleasant obstacles far outstrip others in
the pursuit of virtue. A man makes the most progress and merits the most grace
precisely in those matters wherein he gains the greatest victories over self and
most mortifies his will. True, each one has his own difficulties to meet and
conquer, but a diligent and sincere man will make greater progress even though
he have more passions than one who is more even-tempered but less concerned
about virtue.
Two things particularly further improvement -- to withdraw oneself forcibly
from those vices to which nature is viciously inclined, and to work fervently
for those graces which are most needed.
Study also to guard against and to overcome the faults which in others very
frequently displease you. Make the best of every opportunity, so that if you see
or hear good example you may be moved to imitate it. On the other hand, take
care lest you be guilty of those things which you consider reprehensible, or if
you have ever been guilty of them, try to correct yourself as soon as possible.
As you see others, so they see you.
How pleasant and sweet to behold brethren fervent and devout, well mannered
and disciplined! How sad and painful to see them wandering in dissolution, not
practicing the things to which they are called! How hurtful it is to neglect the
purpose of their vocation and to attend to what is not their business!
Remember the purpose you have undertaken, and keep in mind the image of the
Crucified. Even though you may have walked for many years on the pathway to God,
you may well be ashamed if, with the image of Christ before you, you do not try
to make yourself still more like Him.
The religious who concerns himself intently and devoutly with our Lord's most
holy life and passion will find there an abundance of all things useful and
necessary for him. He need not seek for anything better than Jesus.
If the Crucified should come to our hearts, how quickly and abundantly we
would learn!
A fervent religious accepts all the things that are commanded him and does
them well, but a negligent and lukewarm religious has trial upon trial, and
suffers anguish from every side because he has no consolation within and is
forbidden to seek it from without. The religious who does not live up to his
rule exposes himself to dreadful ruin, and he who wishes to be more free and
untrammeled will always be in trouble, for something or other will always
displease him.
How do so many other religious who are confined in cloistered discipline get
along? They seldom go out, they live in contemplation, their food is poor, their
clothing coarse, they work hard, they speak but little, keep long vigils, rise
early, pray much, read frequently, and subject themselves to all sorts of
discipline. Think of the Carthusians and the Cistercians, the monks and nuns of
different orders, how every night they rise to sing praise to the Lord. It would
be a shame if you should grow lazy in such holy service when so many religious
have already begun to rejoice in God.
If there were nothing else to do but praise the Lord God with all your heart
and voice, if you had never to eat, or drink, or sleep, but could praise God
always and occupy yourself solely with spiritual pursuits, how much happier you
would be than you are now, a slave to every necessity of the body! Would that
there were no such needs, but only the spiritual refreshments of the soul which,
sad to say, we taste too seldom!
When a man reaches a point where he seeks no solace from any creature, then
he begins to relish God perfectly. Then also he will be content no matter what
may happen to him. He will neither rejoice over great things nor grieve over
small ones, but will place himself entirely and confidently in the hands of God,
Who for him is all in all, to Whom nothing ever perishes or dies, for Whom all
things live, and Whom they serve as He desires.
Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns.
Without care and diligence you will never acquire virtue. When you begin to grow
lukewarm, you are falling into the beginning of evil; but if you give yourself
to fervor, you will find peace and will experience less hardship because of
God's grace and the love of virtue.
A fervent and diligent man is ready for all things. It is greater work to
resist vices and passions than to sweat in physical toil. He who does not
overcome small faults, shall fall little by little into greater ones.
If you have spent the day profitably, you will always be happy at eventide.
Watch over yourself, arouse yourself, warn yourself, and regardless of what
becomes of others, do not neglect yourself. The more violence you do to
yourself, the more progress you will make.
BOOK 2. THE INTERIOR LIFE
1. Meditation
THE kingdom of God is within you," says the Lord.
Turn, then, to God with all your heart. Forsake this wretched world and your
soul shall find rest. Learn to despise external things, to devote yourself to
those that are within, and you will see the kingdom of God come unto you, that
kingdom which is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, gifts not given to the
impious.
Christ will come to you offering His consolation, if you prepare a fit
dwelling for Him in your heart, whose beauty and glory, wherein He takes
delight, are all from within. His visits with the inward man are frequent, His
communion sweet and full of consolation, His peace great, and His intimacy
wonderful indeed.
Therefore, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom that He may
come and dwell within you; He Himself says: "If any one love Me, he will keep My
word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our
abode with him."
Give place, then, to Christ, but deny entrance to all others, for when you
have Christ you are rich and He is sufficient for you. He will provide for you.
He will supply your every want, so that you need not trust in frail, changeable
men. Christ remains forever, standing firmly with us to the end.
Do not place much confidence in weak and mortal man, helpful and friendly
though he be; and do not grieve too much if he sometimes opposes and contradicts
you. Those who are with us today may be against us tomorrow, and vice versa, for
men change with the wind. Place all your trust in God; let Him be your fear and
your love. He will answer for you; He will do what is best for you.
You have here no lasting home. You are a stranger and a pilgrim wherever you
may be, and you shall have no rest until you are wholly united with Christ.
Why do you look about here when this is not the place of your repose? Dwell
rather upon heaven and give but a passing glance to all earthly things. They all
pass away, and you together with them. Take care, then, that you do not cling to
them lest you be entrapped and perish. Fix your mind on the Most High, and pray
unceasingly to Christ.
If you do not know how to meditate on heavenly things, direct your thoughts
to Christ's passion and willingly behold His sacred wounds. If you turn devoutly
to the wounds and precious stigmata of Christ, you will find great comfort in
suffering, you will mind but little the scorn of men, and you will easily bear
their slanderous talk.
When Christ was in the world, He was despised by men; in the hour of need He
was forsaken by acquaintances and left by friends to the depths of scorn. He was
willing to suffer and to be despised; do you dare to complain of anything? He
had enemies and defamers; do you want everyone to be your friend, your
benefactor? How can your patience be rewarded if no adversity test it? How can
you be a friend of Christ if you are not willing to suffer any hardship? Suffer
with Christ and for Christ if you wish to reign with Him.
Had you but once entered into perfect communion with Jesus or tasted a little
of His ardent love, you would care nothing at all for your own comfort or
discomfort but would rejoice in the reproach you suffer; for love of Him makes a
man despise himself.
A man who is a lover of Jesus and of truth, a truly interior man who is free
from uncontrolled affections, can turn to God at will and rise above himself to
enjoy spiritual peace.
He who tastes life as it really is, not as men say or think it is, is indeed
wise with the wisdom of God rather than of men.
He who learns to live the interior life and to take little account of outward
things, does not seek special places or times to perform devout exercises. A
spiritual man quickly recollects himself because he has never wasted his
attention upon externals. No outside work, no business that cannot wait stands
in his way. He adjusts himself to things as they happen. He whose disposition is
well ordered cares nothing about the strange, perverse behavior of others, for a
man is upset and distracted only in proportion as he engrosses himself in
externals.
If all were well with you, therefore, and if you were purified from all sin,
everything would tend to your good and be to your profit. But because you are as
yet neither entirely dead to self nor free from all earthly affection, there is
much that often displeases and disturbs you. Nothing so mars and defiles the
heart of man as impure attachment to created things. But if you refuse external
consolation, you will be able to contemplate heavenly things and often to
experience interior joy.
2. Humility
BE NOT troubled about those who are with you or against you, but take care
that God be with you in everything you do. Keep your conscience clear and God
will protect you, for the malice of man cannot harm one whom God wishes to help.
If you know how to suffer in silence, you will undoubtedly experience God's
help. He knows when and how to deliver you; therefore, place yourself in His
hands, for it is a divine prerogative to help men and free them from all
distress.
It is often good for us to have others know our faults and rebuke them, for
it gives us greater humility. When a man humbles himself because of his faults,
he easily placates those about him and readily appeases those who are angry with
him.
It is the humble man whom God protects and liberates; it is the humble whom
He loves and consoles. To the humble He turns and upon them bestows great grace,
that after their humiliation He may raise them up to glory. He reveals His
secrets to the humble, and with kind invitation bids them come to Him. Thus, the
humble man enjoys peace in the midst of many vexations, because his trust is in
God, not in the world. Hence, you must not think that you have made any progress
until you look upon yourself as inferior to all others.
3. Goodness and Peace in Man
FIRST keep peace with yourself; then you will be able to bring peace to
others. A peaceful man does more good than a learned man. Whereas a passionate
man turns even good to evil and is quick to believe evil, the peaceful man,
being good himself, turns all things to good.
The man who is at perfect ease is never suspicious, but the disturbed and
discontented spirit is upset by many a suspicion. He neither rests himself nor
permits others to do so. He often says what ought not to be said and leaves
undone what ought to be done. He is concerned with the duties of others but
neglects his own.
Direct your zeal, therefore, first upon yourself; then you may with justice
exercise it upon those about you. You are well versed in coloring your own
actions with excuses which you will not accept from others, though it would be
more just to accuse yourself and excuse your brother. If you wish men to bear
with you, you must bear with them. Behold, how far you are from true charity and
humility which does not know how to be angry with anyone, or to be indignant
save only against self!
It is no great thing to associate with the good and gentle, for such
association is naturally pleasing. Everyone enjoys a peaceful life and prefers
persons of congenial habits. But to be able to live at peace with harsh and
perverse men, or with the undisciplined and those who irritate us, is a great
grace, a praiseworthy and manly thing.
Some people live at peace with themselves and with their fellow men, but
others are never at peace with themselves nor do they bring it to anyone else.
These latter are a burden to everyone, but they are more of a burden to
themselves. A few, finally, live at peace with themselves and try to restore it
to others.
Now, all our peace in this miserable life is found in humbly enduring
suffering rather than in being free from it. He who knows best how to suffer
will enjoy the greater peace, because he is the conqueror of himself, the master
of the world, a friend of Christ, and an heir of heaven.
4. Purity of Mind and Unity of Purpose
A MAN is raised up from the earth by two wings -- simplicity and purity.
There must be simplicity in his intention and purity in his desires. Simplicity
leads to God, purity embraces and enjoys Him.
If your heart is free from ill-ordered affection, no good deed will be
difficult for you. If you aim at and seek after nothing but the pleasure of God
and the welfare of your neighbor, you will enjoy freedom within.
If your heart were right, then every created thing would be a mirror of life
for you and a book of holy teaching, for there is no creature so small and
worthless that it does not show forth the goodness of God. If inwardly you were
good and pure, you would see all things clearly and understand them rightly, for
a pure heart penetrates to heaven and hell, and as a man is within, so he judges
what is without. If there be joy in the world, the pure of heart certainly
possess it; and if there be anguish and affliction anywhere, an evil conscience
knows it too well.
As iron cast into fire loses its rust and becomes glowing white, so he who
turns completely to God is stripped of his sluggishness and changed into a new
man. When a man begins to grow lax, he fears a little toil and welcomes external
comfort, but when he begins perfectly to conquer himself and to walk bravely in
the ways of God, then he thinks those things less difficult which he thought so
hard before.
5. Ourselves
WE MUST not rely too much upon ourselves, for grace and understanding are
often lacking in us. We have but little inborn light, and this we quickly lose
through negligence. Often we are not aware that we are so blind in heart.
Meanwhile we do wrong, and then do worse in excusing it. At times we are moved
by passion, and we think it zeal. We take others to task for small mistakes, and
overlook greater ones in ourselves. We are quick enough to feel and brood over
the things we suffer from others, but we think nothing of how much others suffer
from us. If a man would weigh his own deeds fully and rightly, he would find
little cause to pass severe judgment on others.
The interior man puts the care of himself before all other concerns, and he
who attends to himself carefully does not find it hard to hold his tongue about
others. You will never be devout of heart unless you are thus silent about the
affairs of others and pay particular attention to yourself. If you attend wholly
to God and yourself, you will be little disturbed by what you see about you.
Where are your thoughts when they are not upon yourself? And after attending
to various things, what have you gained if you have neglected self? If you wish
to have true peace of mind and unity of purpose, you must cast all else aside
and keep only yourself before your eyes.
You will make great progress if you keep yourself free from all temporal
cares, for to value anything that is temporal is a great mistake. Consider
nothing great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable, except God
Himself or that which is of God. Consider the consolations of creatures as
vanity, for the soul that loves God scorns all things that are inferior to Him.
God alone, the eternal and infinite, satisfies all, bringing comfort to the soul
and true joy to the body.
6. The Joy of a Good Conscience
THE glory of a good man is the testimony of a good conscience. Therefore,
keep your conscience good and you will always enjoy happiness, for a good
conscience can bear a great deal and can bring joy even in the midst of
adversity. But an evil conscience is ever restive and fearful.
Sweet shall be your rest if your heart does not reproach you.
Do not rejoice unless you have done well. Sinners never experience true
interior joy or peace, for "there is no peace to the wicked," says the Lord.
Even if they say: "We are at peace, no evil shall befall us and no one dares to
hurt us," do not believe them; for the wrath of God will arise quickly, and
their deeds will be brought to naught and their thoughts will perish.
To glory in adversity is not hard for the man who loves, for this is to glory
in the cross of the Lord. But the glory given or received of men is short lived,
and the glory of the world is ever companioned by sorrow. The glory of the good,
however, is in their conscience and not in the lips of men, for the joy of the
just is from God and in God, and their gladness is founded on truth.
The man who longs for the true, eternal glory does not care for that of time;
and he who seeks passing fame or does not in his heart despise it, undoubtedly
cares little for the glory of heaven.
He who minds neither praise nor blame possesses great peace of heart and, if
his conscience is good, he will easily be contented and at peace.
Praise adds nothing to your holiness, nor does blame take anything from it.
You are what you are, and you cannot be said to be better than you are in God's
sight. If you consider well what you are within, you will not care what men say
about you. They look to appearances but God looks to the heart. They consider
the deed but God weighs the motive.
It is characteristic of a humble soul always to do good and to think little
of itself. It is a mark of great purity and deep faith to look for no
consolation in created things. The man who desires no justification from without
has clearly entrusted himself to God: "For not he who commendeth himself is
approved," says St. Paul, "but he whom God commendeth."
To walk with God interiorly, to be free from any external affection -- this
is the state of the inward man.
7. Loving Jesus Above All Things
BLESSED is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises
himself for the sake of Jesus. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes
to be loved alone above all things.
Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant, but the love of Jesus is
true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty, but
he who gives himself to Jesus will ever be strengthened.
Love Him, then; keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or
let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have
to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust
yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail.
Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another -- He
wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein as King in His own
right. If you but knew how to free yourself entirely from all creatures, Jesus
would gladly dwell within you.
You will find, apart from Him, that nearly all the trust you place in men is
a total loss. Therefore, neither confide in nor depend upon a wind-shaken reed,
for "all flesh is grass" and all its glory, like the flower of grass, will fade
away.
You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of
men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek comfort and gain in them.
If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. Likewise,
if you seek yourself, you will find yourself -- to your own ruin. For the man
who does not seek Jesus does himself much greater harm than the whole world and
all his enemies could ever do.
8. The Intimate Friendship of Jesus
WHEN Jesus is near, all is well and nothing seems difficult. When He is
absent, all is hard. When Jesus does not speak within, all other comfort is
empty, but if He says only a word, it brings great consolation.
Did not Mary Magdalen rise at once from her weeping when Martha said to her:
"The Master is come, and calleth for thee"? Happy is the hour when Jesus calls
one from tears to joy of spirit.
How dry and hard you are without Jesus! How foolish and vain if you desire
anything but Him! Is it not a greater loss than losing the whole world? For
what, without Jesus, can the world give you? Life without Him is a relentless
hell, but living with Him is a sweet paradise. If Jesus be with you, no enemy
can harm you.
He who finds Jesus finds a rare treasure, indeed, a good above every good,
whereas he who loses Him loses more than the whole world. The man who lives
without Jesus is the poorest of the poor, whereas no one is so rich as the man
who lives in His grace.
It is a great art to know how to converse with Jesus, and great wisdom to
know how to keep Him. Be humble and peaceful, and Jesus will be with you. Be
devout and calm, and He will remain with you. You may quickly drive Him away and
lose His grace, if you turn back to the outside world. And, if you drive Him
away and lose Him, to whom will you go and whom will you then seek as a friend?
You cannot live well without a friend, and if Jesus be not your friend above all
else, you will be very sad and desolate. Thus, you are acting foolishly if you
trust or rejoice in any other. Choose the opposition of the whole world rather
than offend Jesus. Of all those who are dear to you, let Him be your special
love. Let all things be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own
sake.
Jesus Christ must be loved alone with a special love for He alone, of all
friends, is good and faithful. For Him and in Him you must love friends and foes
alike, and pray to Him that all may know and love Him.
Never desire special praise or love, for that belongs to God alone Who has no
equal. Never wish that anyone's affection be centered in you, nor let yourself
be taken up with the love of anyone, but let Jesus be in you and in every good
man. Be pure and free within, unentangled with any creature.
You must bring to God a clean and open heart if you wish to attend and see
how sweet the Lord is. Truly you will never attain this happiness unless His
grace prepares you and draws you on so that you may forsake all things to be
united with Him alone.
When the grace of God comes to a man he can do all things, but when it leaves
him he becomes poor and weak, abandoned, as it were, to affliction. Yet, in this
condition he should not become dejected or despair. On the contrary, he should
calmly await the will of God and bear whatever befalls him in praise of Jesus
Christ, for after winter comes summer, after night, the day, and after the
storm, a great calm.
9. Wanting No Share in Comfort
IT IS not hard to spurn human consolation when we have the divine. It is,
however, a very great thing indeed to be able to live without either divine or
human comforting and for the honor of God willingly to endure this exile of
heart, not to seek oneself in anything, and to think nothing of one's own
merit.
Does it matter much, if at the coming of grace, you are cheerful and devout?
This is an hour desired by all, for he whom the grace of God sustains travels
easily enough. What wonder if he feel no burden when borne up by the Almighty
and led on by the Supreme Guide! For we are always glad to have something to
comfort us, and only with difficulty does a man divest himself of self.
The holy martyr, Lawrence, with his priest, conquered the world because he
despised everything in it that seemed pleasing to him, and for love of Christ
patiently suffered the great high priest of God, Sixtus, whom he loved dearly,
to be taken from him. Thus, by his love for the Creator he overcame the love of
man, and chose instead of human consolation the good pleasure of God. So you,
too, must learn to part with an intimate and much-needed friend for the love of
God. Do not take it to heart when you are deserted by a friend, knowing that in
the end we must all be parted from one another.
A man must fight long and bravely against himself before he learns to master
himself fully and to direct all his affections toward God. When he trusts in
himself, he easily takes to human consolation. The true lover of Christ,
however, who sincerely pursues virtue, does not fall back upon consolations nor
seek such pleasures of sense, but prefers severe trials and hard labors for the
sake of Christ.
When, therefore, spiritual consolation is given by God, receive it
gratefully, but understand that it is His gift and not your meriting. Do not
exult, do not be overjoyed, do not be presumptuous, but be the humbler for the
gift, more careful and wary in all your actions, for this hour will pass and
temptation will come in its wake.
When consolation is taken away, do not at once despair but wait humbly and
patiently for the heavenly visit, since God can restore to you more abundant
solace.
This is neither new nor strange to one who knows God's ways, for such change
of fortune often visited the great saints and prophets of old. Thus there was
one who, when grace was with him, declared: "In my prosperity I said: 'I shall
never be moved.'" But when grace was taken away, he adds what he experienced in
himself: "Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled." Meanwhile he does not
despair; rather he prays more earnestly to the Lord, saying: "To Thee, O Lord,
will I cry; and I will make supplication to my God." At length, he receives the
fruit of his prayer, and testifying that he was heard, says "The Lord hath
heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper." And how was he
helped? "Thou hast turned," he says, "my mourning into joy, and hast surrounded
me with gladness."
If this is the case with great saints, we who are weak and poor ought not to
despair because we are fervent at times and at other times cold, for the spirit
comes and goes according to His will. Of this the blessed Job declared: "Thou
visitest him early in the morning, and Thou provest him suddenly."
In what can I hope, then, or in whom ought I trust, save only in the great
mercy of God and the hope of heavenly grace? For though I have with me good men,
devout brethren, faithful friends, holy books, beautiful treatises, sweet songs
and hymns, all these help and please but little when I am abandoned by grace and
left to my poverty. At such times there is no better remedy than patience and
resignation of self to the will of God.
I have never met a man so religious and devout that he has not experienced at
some time a withdrawal of grace and felt a lessening of fervor. No saint was so
sublimely rapt and enlightened as not to be tempted before and after. He,
indeed, is not worthy of the sublime contemplation of God who has not been tried
by some tribulation for the sake of God. For temptation is usually the sign
preceding the consolation that is to follow, and heavenly consolation is
promised to all those proved by temptation. "To him that overcometh," says
Christ, "I will give to eat of the Tree of Life." Divine consolation, then, is
given in order to make a man braver in enduring adversity, and temptation
follows in order that he may not pride himself on the good he has done.
The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must
never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and on the left
are enemies who never rest.
10. Appreciating God's Grace
WHY do you look for rest when you were born to work? Resign yourself to
patience rather than to comfort, to carrying your cross rather than to
enjoyment.
What man in the world, if he could always have them, would not readily accept
consolation and spiritual joy, benefits which excel all earthly delights and
pleasures of the body? The latter, indeed, are either vain or base, while
spiritual joys, born of virtue and infused by God into pure minds, are alone
truly pleasant and noble.
Now, since the moment of temptation is always nigh, since false freedom of
mind and overconfidence in self are serious obstacles to these visitations from
heaven, a man can never enjoy them just as he wishes.
God does well in giving the grace of consolation, but man does evil in not
returning everything gratefully to God. Thus, the gifts of grace cannot flow in
us when we are ungrateful to the Giver, when we do not return them to the
Fountainhead. Grace is always given to him who is duly grateful, and what is
wont to be given the humble will be taken away from the proud.
I do not desire consolation that robs me of contrition, nor do I care for
contemplation that leads to pride, for not all that is high is holy, nor is all
that is sweet good, nor every desire pure, nor all that is dear to us pleasing
to God. I accept willingly the grace whereby I become more humble and contrite,
more willing to renounce self.
The man who has been taught by the gift of grace, and who learns by the lash
of its withdrawal, will never dare to attribute any good to himself, but will
rather admit his poverty and emptiness. Give to God what is God's and ascribe to
yourself what is yours. Give Him thanks, then, for His grace, but place upon
yourself alone the blame and the punishment your fault deserves.
Always take the lowest place and the highest will be given you, for the
highest cannot exist apart from the lowest. The saints who are greatest before
God are those who consider themselves the least, and the more humble they are
within themselves, so much the more glorious they are. Since they do not desire
vainglory, they are full of truth and heavenly glory. Being established and
strengthened in God, they can by no means be proud. They attribute to God
whatever good they have received; they seek no glory from one another but only
that which comes from God alone. They desire above all things that He be praised
in themselves and in all His saints -- this is their constant purpose.
Be grateful, therefore, for the least gift and you will be worthy to receive
a greater. Consider the least gift as the greatest, the most contemptible as
something special. And, if you but look to the dignity of the Giver, no gift
will appear too small or worthless. Even though He give punishments and
scourges, accept them, because He acts for our welfare in whatever He allows to
befall us.
He who desires to keep the grace of God ought to be grateful when it is given
and patient when it is withdrawn. Let him pray that it return; let him be
cautious and humble lest he lose it.
11. Few Love the Cross of Jesus
JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His
cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds
many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be
happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the
breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many
revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long
as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive
some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while,
they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary,
who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in
all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if
He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and
wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus --
love that is flee from all self-interest and self-love!
Do not those who always seek consolation deserve to be called mercenaries? Do
not those who always think of their own profit and gain prove that they love
themselves rather than Christ? Where can a man be found who desires to serve God
for nothing? Rarely indeed is a man so spiritual as to strip himself of all
things. And who shall find a man so truly poor in spirit as to be free from
every creature? His value is like that of things brought from the most distant
lands.
If a man give all his wealth, it is nothing; if he do great penance, it is
little; if he gain all knowledge, he is still far afield; if he have great
virtue and much ardent devotion, he still lacks a great deal, and especially,
the one thing that is most necessary to him. What is this one thing? That
leaving all, he forsake himself, completely renounce himself, and give up all
private affections. Then, when he has done all that he knows ought to be done,
let him consider it as nothing, let him make little of what may be considered
great; let him in all honesty call himself an unprofitable servant. For truth
itself has said: "When you shall have done all these things that are commanded
you, say: 'we are unprofitable servants.'"
Then he will be truly poor and stripped in spirit, and with the prophet may
say: "I am alone and poor." No one, however, is more wealthy than such a man; no
one is more powerful, no one freer than he who knows how to leave all things and
think of himself as the least of all.
12. The Royal Road of the Holy Cross
TO MANY the saying, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me," seems
hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: "Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire." Those who hear the word of the cross and follow
it willingly now, need not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the
day of judgment. This sign of the cross will be in the heavens when the Lord
comes to judge. Then all the servants of the cross, who during life made
themselves one with the Crucified, will draw near with great trust to Christ,
the judge.
Why, then, do you fear to take up the cross when through it you can win a
kingdom? In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is
protection from enemies, in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the
cross is strength of mind, in the cross is joy of spirit, in the cross is
highest virtue, in the cross is perfect holiness. There is no salvation of soul
nor hope of everlasting life but in the cross.
Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and you shall enter eternal
life. He Himself opened the way before you in carrying His cross, and upon it He
died for you, that you, too, might take up your cross and long to die upon it.
If you die with Him, you shall also live with Him, and if you share His
suffering, you shall also share His glory.
Behold, in the cross is everything, and upon your dying on the cross
everything depends. There is no other way to life and to true inward peace than
the way of the holy cross and daily mortification. Go where you will, seek what
you will, you will not find a higher way, nor a less exalted but safer way, than
the way of the holy cross. Arrange and order everything to suit your will and
judgment, and still you will find that some suffering must always be borne,
willingly or unwillingly, and thus you will always find the cross.
Either you will experience bodily pain or you will undergo tribulation of
spirit in your soul. At times you will be forsaken by God, at times troubled by
those about you and, what is worse, you will often grow weary of yourself. You
cannot escape, you cannot be relieved by any remedy or comfort but must bear
with it as long as God wills. For He wishes you to learn to bear trial without
consolation, to submit yourself wholly to Him that you may become more humble
through suffering. No one understands the passion of Christ so thoroughly or
heartily as the man whose lot it is to suffer the like himself.
The cross, therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter
where you may go, you cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself
with you and shall always find yourself. Turn where you will -- above, below,
without, or within -- you will find a cross in everything, and everywhere you
must have patience if you would have peace within and merit an eternal
crown.
If you carry the cross willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired
goal where indeed there shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be. If
you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself and increase the
load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one cross, you will
find another and perhaps a heavier one. Do you expect to escape what no mortal
man can ever avoid? Which of the saints was without a cross or trial on this
earth? Not even Jesus Christ, our Lord, Whose every hour on earth knew the pain
of His passion. "It behooveth Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead,
. . . and so enter into his glory." How is it that you look for another way than
this, the royal way of the holy cross?
The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and do you seek rest
and enjoyment for yourself? You deceive yourself, you are mistaken if you seek
anything but to suffer, for this mortal life is full of miseries and marked with
crosses on all sides. Indeed, the more spiritual progress a person makes, so
much heavier will he frequently find the cross, because as his love increases,
the pain of his exile also increases.
Yet such a man, though afflicted in many ways, is not without hope of
consolation, because he knows that great reward is coming to him for bearing his
cross. And when he carries it willingly, every pang of tribulation is changed
into hope of solace from God. Besides, the more the flesh is distressed by
affliction, so much the more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace. Not
infrequently a man is so strengthened by his love of trials and hardship in his
desire to conform to the cross of Christ, that he does not wish to be without
sorrow or pain, since he believes he will be the more acceptable to God if he is
able to endure more and more grievous things for His sake.
It is the grace of Christ, and not the virtue of man, which can and does
bring it about that through fervor of spirit frail flesh learns to love and to
gain what it naturally hates and shuns.
To carry the cross, to love the cross, to chastise the body and bring it to
subjection, to flee honors, to endure contempt gladly, to despise self and wish
to be despised, to suffer any adversity and loss, to desire no prosperous days
on earth -- this is not man's way. If you rely upon yourself, you can do none of
these things, but if you trust in the Lord, strength will be given you from
heaven and the world and the flesh will be made subject to your word. You will
not even fear your enemy, the devil, if you are armed with faith and signed with
the cross of Christ.
Set yourself, then, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to bear
bravely the cross of your Lord, Who out of love was crucified for you. Be ready
to suffer many adversities and many kinds of trouble in this miserable life, for
troublesome and miserable life will always be, no matter where you are; and so
you will find it wherever you may hide. Thus it must be; and there is no way to
evade the trials and sorrows of life but to bear them.
Drink the chalice of the Lord with affection it you wish to be His friend and
to have part with Him. Leave consolation to God; let Him do as most pleases Him.
On your part, be ready to bear sufferings and consider them the greatest
consolation, for even though you alone were to undergo them all, the sufferings
of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.
When you shall have come to the point where suffering is sweet and acceptable
for the sake of Christ, then consider yourself fortunate, for you have found
paradise on earth. But as long as suffering irks you and you seek to escape, so
long will you be unfortunate, and the tribulation you seek to evade will follow
you everywhere. If you put your mind to the things you ought to consider, that
is, to suffering and death, you would soon be in a better state and would find
peace.
Although you were taken to the third heaven with Paul, you were not thereby
insured against suffering. Jesus said: "I will show him how great things he must
suffer for My name's sake." To suffer, then, remains your lot, if you mean to
love Jesus and serve Him forever.
If you were but worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus, what great
glory would be in store for you, what great joy to all the saints of God, what
great edification to those about you! For all men praise patience though there
are few who wish to practice it.
With good reason, then, ought you to be willing to suffer a little for Christ
since many suffer much more for the world.
Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies to himself, the
more he begins to live unto God.
No man is fit to enjoy heaven unless he has resigned himself to suffer
hardship for Christ. Nothing is more acceptable to God, nothing more helpful for
you on this earth than to suffer willingly for Christ. If you had to make a
choice, you ought to wish rather to suffer for Christ than to enjoy many
consolations, for thus you would be more like Christ and more like all the
saints. Our merit and progress consist not in many pleasures and comforts but
rather in enduring great afflictions and sufferings.
If, indeed, there were anything better or more useful for man's salvation
than suffering, Christ would have shown it by word and example. But He clearly
exhorts the disciples who follow Him and all who wish to follow Him to carry the
cross, saying: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow Me."
When, therefore, we have read and searched all that has been written, let
this be the final conclusion -- that through much suffering we must enter into
the kingdom of God.
BOOK 3. INTERNAL CONSOLATION
1. The Inward Conversation of Christ with the Faithful Soul
I WILL hear what the Lord God will speak in me."
Blessed is the soul who hears the Lord speaking within her, who receives the
word of consolation from His lips. Blessed are the ears that catch the accents
of divine whispering, and pay no heed to the murmurings of this world. Blessed
indeed are the ears that listen, not to the voice which sounds without, but to
the truth which teaches within. Blessed are the eyes which are closed to
exterior things and are fixed upon those which are interior. Blessed are they
who penetrate inwardly, who try daily to prepare themselves more and more to
understand mysteries. Blessed are they who long to give their time to God, and
who cut themselves off from the hindrances of the world.
Consider these things, my soul, and close the door of your senses, so that
you can hear what the Lord your God speaks within you. "I am your salvation,"
says your Beloved. "I am your peace and your life. Remain with Me and you will
find peace. Dismiss all passing things and seek the eternal. What are all
temporal things but snares? And what help will all creatures be able to give you
if you are deserted by the Creator?" Leave all these things, therefore, and make
yourself pleasing and faithful to your Creator so that you may attain to true
happiness.
2. Truth Speaks Inwardly Without the Sound of Words
The Disciple
SPEAK, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." "I am Thy servant. Give me
understanding that I may know Thine ordinances . . . Incline my heart to Thine
ordinances . . . Let Thy speech distil as the dew."
The children of Israel once said to Moses: "Speak thou to us and we will hear
thee: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die."
Not so, Lord, not so do I pray. Rather with Samuel the prophet I entreat
humbly and earnestly: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." Do not let Moses
or any of the prophets speak to me; but You speak, O Lord God, Who inspired and
enlightened all the prophets; for You alone, without them, can instruct me
perfectly, whereas they, without You, can do nothing. They, indeed, utter fine
words, but they cannot impart the spirit. They do indeed speak beautifully, but
if You remain silent they cannot inflame the heart. They deliver the message;
You lay bare the sense. They place before us mysteries, but You unlock their
meaning. They proclaim commandments; You help us to keep them. They point out
the way; You give strength for the journey. They work only outwardly; You
instruct and enlighten our hearts. They water on the outside; You give the
increase.
They cry out words; You give understanding to the hearer.
Let not Moses speak to me, therefore, but You, the Lord my God, everlasting
truth, speak lest I die and prove barren if I am merely given outward advice and
am not inflamed within; lest the word heard and not kept, known and not loved,
believed and not obeyed, rise up in judgment against me.
Speak, therefore, Lord, for Your servant listens. "Thou hast the words of
eternal life." Speak to me for the comfort of my soul and for the amendment of
my life, for Your praise, Your glory, and Your everlasting honor.
3. Listen Humbly to the Words of God.
Many Do Not Heed Them
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, hear My words, words of greatest sweetness surpassing all the
knowledge of the philosophers and wise men of earth. My words are spirit and
life, and they are not to be weighed by man's understanding. They are not to be
invoked in vanity but are to be heard in silence, and accepted with all humility
and with great affection.
The Disciple
"Happy is the man whom Thou admonishest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law,
to give him peace from the days of evil," and that he be not desolate on
earth.
The Voice of Christ
I taught the prophets from the beginning, and even to this day I continue to
speak to all men. But many are hardened. Many are deaf to My voice. Most men
listen more willingly to the world than to God. They are more ready to follow
the appetite of their flesh than the good pleasure of God. The world, which
promises small and passing things, is served with great eagerness: I promise
great and eternal things and the hearts of men grow dull. Who is there that
serves and obeys Me in all things with as great care as that with which the
world and its masters are served?
"Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea speaketh." And if you ask why, listen
to the cause: for a small gain they travel far; for eternal life many will
scarcely lift a foot from the ground. They seek a petty reward, and sometimes
fight shamefully in law courts for a single piece of money. They are not afraid
to work day and night for a trifle or an empty promise. But, for an unchanging
good, for a reward beyond estimate, for the greatest honor and for glory
everlasting, it must be said to their shame that men begrudge even the least
fatigue. Be ashamed, then, lazy and complaining servant, that they should be
found more eager for perdition than you are for life, that they rejoice more in
vanity than you in truth.
Sometimes indeed their expectations fail them, but My promise never deceives,
nor does it send away empty-handed him who trusts in Me. What I have promised I
will give. What I have said I will fulfill, if only a man remain faithful in My
love to the end. I am the rewarder of all the good, the strong approver of all
who are devoted to Me.
Write My words in your heart and meditate on them earnestly, for in time of
temptation they will be very necessary. What you do not understand when you
read, you will learn in the day of visitation. I am wont to visit My elect in
two ways -- by temptation and by consolation. To them I read two lessons daily
-- one reproving their vices, the other exhorting them to progress in virtue. He
who has My words and despises them has that which shall condemn him on the last
day.
A Prayer for the Grace of Devotion
O Lord my God, You are all my good. And who am I that I should dare to speak
to You? I am Your poorest and meanest servant, a vile worm, much more poor and
contemptible than I know or dare to say. Yet remember me, Lord, because I am
nothing, I have nothing, and I can do nothing. You alone are good, just, and
holy. You can do all things, You give all things, You fill all things: only the
sinner do You leave empty-handed. Remember Your tender mercies and fill my heart
with Your grace, You Who will not allow Your works to be in vain. How can I bear
this life of misery unless You comfort me with Your mercy and grace? Do not turn
Your face from me. Do not delay Your visitation. Do not withdraw Your
consolation, lest in Your sight my soul become as desert land. Teach me, Lord,
to do Your will. Teach me to live worthily and humbly in Your sight, for You are
my wisdom Who know me truly, and Who knew me even before the world was made and
before I was born into it.
4. We Must Walk Before God in Humility and Truth
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, walk before Me in truth, and seek Me always in the simplicity of
your heart. He who walks before Me in truth shall be defended from the attacks
of evil, and the truth shall free him from seducers and from the slanders of
wicked men. For if the truth has made you free, then you shall be free indeed,
and you shall not care for the vain words of men.
The Disciple
O Lord, it is true. I ask that it be with me as You say. Let your truth teach
me. Let it guard me, and keep me safe to the end. Let it free me from all evil
affection and badly ordered love, and I shall walk with You in great freedom of
heart.
The Voice of Christ
I shall teach you those things which are right and pleasing to Me. Consider
your sins with great displeasure and sorrow, and never think yourself to be
someone because of your good works. You are truly a sinner. You are subject to
many passions and entangled in them. Of yourself you always tend to nothing. You
fall quickly, are quickly overcome, quickly troubled, and quickly undone. You
have nothing in which you can glory, but you have many things for which you
should think yourself vile, for you are much weaker than you can comprehend.
Hence, let none of the things you do seem great to you. Let nothing seem
important or precious or desirable except that which is everlasting. Let the
eternal truth please you above all things, and let your extreme unworthiness
always displease you. Fear nothing, abhor nothing, and fly nothing as you do
your own vices and sins; these should be more unpleasant for you than any
material losses.
Some men walk before Me without sincerity. Led on by a certain curiosity and
arrogance, they wish to know My secrets and to understand the high things of
God, to the neglect of themselves and their own salvation. Through their own
pride and curiosity, and because I am against them, such men often fall into
great temptations and sins.
Fear the judgments of God! Dread the wrath of the Almighty! Do not discuss
the works of the Most High, but examine your sins -- in what serious things you
have offended and how many good things you have neglected.
Some carry their devotion only in books, some in pictures, some in outward
signs and figures. Some have Me on their lips when there is little of Me in
their hearts. Others, indeed, with enlightened understanding and purified
affections, constantly long for everlasting things; they are unwilling to hear
of earthly affairs and only with reluctance do they serve the necessities of
nature. These sense what the Spirit of truth speaks within them: for He teaches
them to despise earthly things and to love those of heaven, to neglect the
world, and each day and night to desire heaven.
5. The Wonderful Effect of Divine Love
The Disciple
I BLESS You, O heavenly Father, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, for having
condescended to remember me, a poor creature. Thanks to You, O Father of
mercies, God of all consolation, Who with Your comfort sometimes refresh me, who
am not worthy of it. I bless You always and glorify You with Your only-begotten
Son and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, forever and ever.
Ah, Lord God, my holy Lover, when You come into my heart, all that is within
me will rejoice. You are my glory and the exultation of my heart. You are my
hope and refuge in the day of my tribulation. But because my love is as yet weak
and my virtue imperfect, I must be strengthened and comforted by You. Visit me
often, therefore, and teach me Your holy discipline. Free me from evil passions
and cleanse my heart of all disorderly affection so that, healed and purified
within, I may be fit to love, strong to suffer, and firm to persevere.
Love is an excellent thing, a very great blessing, indeed. It makes every
difficulty easy, and bears all wrongs with equanimity. For it bears a burden
without being weighted and renders sweet all that is bitter. The noble love of
Jesus spurs to great deeds and excites longing for that which is more perfect.
Love tends upward; it will not be held down by anything low. Love wishes to be
free and estranged from all worldly affections, lest its inward sight be
obstructed, lest it be entangled in any temporal interest and overcome by
adversity.
Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger or higher or wider; nothing is
more pleasant, nothing fuller, and nothing better in heaven or on earth, for
love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created
things.
One who is in love flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free, not bound. He gives
all for all and possesses all in all, because he rests in the one sovereign
Good, Who is above all things, and from Whom every good flows and proceeds. He
does not look to the gift but turns himself above all gifts to the Giver.
Love often knows no limits but overflows all bounds. Love feels no burden,
thinks nothing of troubles, attempts more than it is able, and does not plead
impossibility, because it believes that it may and can do all things. For this
reason, it is able to do all, performing and effecting much where he who does
not love fails and falls.
Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired.
Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but like a living
flame, a burning torch, it forces its way upward and passes unharmed through
every obstacle.
If a man loves, he will know the sound of this voice. For this warm affection
of soul is a loud voice crying in the ears of God, and it says: "My God, my
love, You are all mine and I am all Yours. Give me an increase of love, that I
may learn to taste with the inward lips of my heart how sweet it is to love, how
sweet to be dissolved in love and bathe in it. Let me be rapt in love. Let me
rise above self in great fervor and wonder. Let me sing the hymn of love, and
let me follow You, my Love, to the heights. Let my soul exhaust itself in
praising You, rejoicing out of love. Let me love You more than myself, and let
me not love myself except for Your sake. In You let me love all those who truly
love You, as the law of love, which shines forth from You, commands."
Love is swift, sincere, kind, pleasant, and delightful. Love is strong,
patient and faithful, prudent, long-suffering, and manly. Love is never
self-seeking, for in whatever a person seeks himself there he falls from love.
Love is circumspect, humble, and upright. It is neither soft nor light, nor
intent upon vain things. It is sober and chaste, firm and quiet, guarded in all
the senses. Love is subject and obedient to superiors. It is mean and
contemptible in its own eyes, devoted and thankful to God; always trusting and
hoping in Him even when He is distasteful to it, for there is no living in love
without sorrow. He who is not ready to suffer all things and to stand resigned
to the will of the Beloved is not worthy to be called a lover. A lover must
embrace willingly all that is difficult and bitter for the sake of the Beloved,
and he should not turn away from Him because of adversities.
6. The Proving of a True Lover
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, you are not yet a brave and wise lover.
The Disciple
Why, Lord?
The Voice of Christ
Because, on account of a slight difficulty you give up what you have
undertaken and are too eager to seek consolation.
The brave lover stands firm in temptations and pays no heed to the crafty
persuasions of the enemy. As I please him in prosperity, so in adversity I am
not displeasing to him. The wise lover regards not so much the gift of Him Who
loves as the love of Him Who gives. He regards the affection of the Giver rather
than the value of the gift, and sets his Beloved above all gifts. The noble
lover does not rest in the gift but in Me Who am above every gift.
All is not lost, then, if you sometimes feel less devout than you wish toward
Me or My saints. That good and sweet feeling which you sometimes have is the
effect of present grace and a certain foretaste of your heavenly home. You must
not lean upon it too much, because it comes and goes. But to fight against evil
thoughts which attack you is a sign of virtue and great merit. Do not,
therefore, let strange fantasies disturb you, no matter what they concern. Hold
strongly to your resolution and keep a right intention toward God.
It is not an illusion that you are sometimes rapt in ecstasy and then quickly
returned to the usual follies of your heart. For these are evils which you
suffer rather than commit; and so long as they displease you and you struggle
against them, it is a matter of merit and not a loss.
You must know that the old enemy tries by all means in his power to hinder
your desire for good and to turn you from every devotional practice, especially
from the veneration of the saints, from devout meditation on My passion, and
from your firm purpose of advancing in virtue. He suggests many evil thoughts
that he may cause you weariness and horror, and thus draw you away from prayer
and holy reading. A humble confession displeases him and, if he could, he would
make you omit Holy Communion.
Do not believe him or heed him, even though he often sets traps to deceive
you. When he suggests evil, unclean things, accuse him. Say to him: "Away,
unclean spirit! Shame, miserable creature! You are but filth to bring such
things to my ears. Begone, most wretched seducer! You shall have no part in me,
for Jesus will be my strength, and you shall be confounded. I would rather die
and suffer all torments than consent to you. Be still! Be silent! Though you
bring many troubles upon me I will have none of you. The Lord is my light, my
salvation. Whom shall I fear? Though armies unite against me, my heart will not
fear, for the Lord is my Helper, my Redeemer."
Fight like a good soldier and if you sometimes fall through weakness, rise
again with greater strength than before, trusting in My most abundant grace. But
beware of vain complacency and pride. For many are led into error through these
faults and sometimes fall into almost perpetual blindness. Let the fall of
these, who proudly presume on self, be a warning to you and a constant incentive
to humility.
7. Grace Must Be Hidden Under the Mantle of Humility
The Voice of Christ
IT IS better and safer for you to conceal the grace of devotion, not to be
elated by it, not to speak or think much of it, and instead to humble yourself
and fear lest it is being given to one unworthy of it. Do not cling too closely
to this affection, for it may quickly be changed to its opposite. When you are
in grace, think how miserable and needy you are without it. Your progress in
spiritual life does not consist in having the grace of consolation, but in
enduring its withdrawal with humility, resignation, and patience, so that you
neither become listless in prayer nor neglect your other duties in the least;
but on the contrary do what you can do as well as you know how, and do not
neglect yourself completely because of your dryness or anxiety of mind.
There are many, indeed, who immediately become impatient and lazy when things
do not go well with them. The way of man, however, does not always lie in his
own power. It is God's prerogative to give grace and to console when He wishes,
as much as He wishes, and whom He wishes, as it shall please Him and no
more.
Some careless persons, misusing the grace of devotion, have destroyed
themselves because they wished to do more than they were able. They failed to
take account of their own weakness, and followed the desire of their heart
rather than the judgment of their reason. Then, because they presumed to greater
things than pleased God they quickly lost His grace. They who had built their
homes in heaven became helpless, vile outcasts, humbled and impoverished, that
they might learn not to fly with their own wings but to trust in Mine.
They who are still new and inexperienced in the way of the Lord may easily be
deceived and overthrown unless they guide themselves by the advice of discreet
persons. But if they wish to follow their own notions rather than to trust in
others who are more experienced, they will be in danger of a sorry end, at least
if they are unwilling to be drawn from their vanity. Seldom do they who are wise
in their own conceits bear humbly the guidance of others. Yet a little knowledge
humbly and meekly pursued is better than great treasures of learning sought in
vain complacency. It is better for you to have little than to have much which
may become the source of pride.
He who gives himself up entirely to enjoyment acts very unwisely, for he
forgets his former helplessness and that chastened fear of the Lord which dreads
to lose a proffered grace. Nor is he very brave or wise who becomes too
despondent in times of adversity and difficulty and thinks less confidently of
Me than he should. He who wishes to be too secure in time of peace will often
become too dejected and fearful in time of trial.
If you were wise enough to remain always humble and small in your own eyes,
and to restrain and rule your spirit well, you would not fall so quickly into
danger and offense.
When a spirit of fervor is enkindled within you, you may well meditate on how
you will feel when the fervor leaves. Then, when this happens, remember that the
light which I have withdrawn for a time as a warning to you and for My own glory
may again return. Such trials are often more beneficial than if you had things
always as you wish. For a man's merits are not measured by many visions or
consolations, or by knowledge of the Scriptures, or by his being in a higher
position than others, but by the truth of his humility, by his capacity for
divine charity, by his constancy in seeking purely and entirely the honor of
God, by his disregard and positive contempt of self, and more, by preferring to
be despised and humiliated rather than honored by others.
8. Self-Abasement in the Sight of God
The Disciple
I WILL speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. If I consider myself
anything more than this, behold You stand against me, and my sins bear witness
to the truth which I cannot contradict. If I abase myself, however, if I humble
myself to nothingness, if I shrink from all self-esteem and account myself as
the dust which I am, Your grace will favor me, Your light will enshroud my
heart, and all self-esteem, no matter how little, will sink in the depths of my
nothingness to perish forever.
It is there You show me to myself -- what I am, what I have been, and what I
am coming to; for I am nothing and I did not know it. Left to myself, I am
nothing but total weakness. But if You look upon me for an instant, I am at once
made strong and filled with new joy. Great wonder it is that I, who of my own
weight always sink to the depths, am so suddenly lifted up, and so graciously
embraced by You.
It is Your love that does this, graciously upholding me, supporting me in so
many necessities, guarding me from so many grave dangers, and snatching me, as I
may truly say, from evils without number. Indeed, by loving myself badly I lost
myself; by seeking only You and by truly loving You I have found both myself and
You, and by that love I have reduced myself more profoundly to nothing. For You,
O sweetest Lord, deal with me above all my merits and above all that I dare to
hope or ask.
May You be blessed, my God, for although I am unworthy of any benefits, yet
Your nobility and infinite goodness never cease to do good even for those who
are ungrateful and far from You. Convert us to You, that we may be thankful,
humble, and devout, for You are our salvation, our courage, and our
strength.
9. All Things should be Referred to God as their Last
End
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, I must be your supreme and last end, if you truly desire to be
blessed. With this intention your affections, which are too often perversely
inclined to self and to creatures, will be purified. For if you seek yourself in
anything, you immediately fail interiorly and become dry of heart.
Refer all things principally to Me, therefore, for it is I Who have given
them all. Consider each thing as flowing from the highest good, and therefore to
Me, as to their highest source, must all things be brought back.
From Me the small and the great, the poor and the rich draw the water of life
as from a living fountain, and they who serve Me willingly and freely shall
receive grace upon grace. He who wishes to glory in things apart from Me,
however, or to delight in some good as his own, shall not be grounded in true
joy or gladdened in his heart, but shall be burdened and distressed in many
ways. Hence you ought not to attribute any good to yourself or ascribe virtue to
any man, but give all to God without Whom man has nothing.
I have given all things. I will that all be returned to Me again, and I exact
most strictly a return of thanks. This is the truth by which vainglory is put to
flight.
Where heavenly grace and true charity enter in, there neither envy nor
narrowness of heart nor self-love will have place. Divine love conquers all and
enlarges the powers of the soul.
If you are truly wise, you will rejoice only in Me, because no one is good
except God alone, Who is to be praised above all things and above all to be
blessed.
10. To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet
The Disciple
NOW again I will speak, Lord, and will not be silent. I will speak to the
hearing of my God, my Lord, and my King Who is in heaven. How great, O Lord, is
the multitude of Your mercies which You have stored up for those who love You.
But what are You to those who love You? What are You to those who serve You with
their whole heart?
Truly beyond the power of words is the sweetness of contemplation You give to
those who love You. To me You have shown the sweetness of Your charity,
especially in having made me when I did not exist, in having brought me back to
serve You when I had gone far astray from You, in having commanded me to love
You.
O Fountain of unceasing love, what shall I say of You? How can I forget You,
Who have been pleased to remember me even after I had wasted away and perished?
You have shown mercy to Your servant beyond all hope, and have exhibited grace
and friendship beyond his deserving.
What return shall I make to You for this grace? For it is not given every man
to forsake all things, to renounce the world, and undertake the religious life.
Is it anything great that I should serve You Whom every creature is bound to
serve? It should not seem much to me; instead it should appear great and
wonderful that You condescend to receive into Your service one who is so poor
and unworthy. Behold, all things are Yours, even those which I have and by which
I serve You. Behold, heaven and earth which You created for the service of man,
stand ready, and each day they do whatever You command. But even this is little,
for You have appointed angels also to minister to man -- yea more than all this
-- You Yourself have condescended to serve man and have promised to give him
Yourself.
What return shall I make for all these thousands of benefits? Would that I
could serve You all the days of my life! Would that for but one day I could
serve You worthily! Truly You are worthy of all service, all honor, and
everlasting praise. Truly You are my Lord, and I am Your poor servant, bound to
serve You with all my powers, praising You without ever becoming weary. I wish
to do this -- this is my desire. Do You supply whatever is wanting in me.
It is a great honor, a great glory to serve You and to despise all things for
Your sake. They who give themselves gladly to Your most holy service will
possess great grace. They who cast aside all carnal delights for Your love will
find the most sweet consolation of the Holy Ghost. They who enter upon the
narrow way for Your name and cast aside all worldly care will attain great
freedom of mind.
O sweet and joyful service of God, which makes man truly free and holy! O
sacred state of religious bondage which makes man equal to the angels, pleasing
to God, terrible to the demons, and worthy of the commendation of all the
faithful! O service to be embraced and always desired, in which the highest good
is offered and joy is won which shall remain forever!
11. The Longings of our Hearts Must Be Examined And
Moderated
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, it is necessary for you to learn many things which you have not yet
learned well.
The Disciple
What are they, Lord?
The Voice of Christ
That you conform your desires entirely according to My good pleasure, and be
not a lover of self but an earnest doer of My will. Desires very often inflame
you and drive you madly on, but consider whether you act for My honor, or for
your own advantage. If I am the cause, you will be well content with whatever I
ordain. If, on the other hand, any self-seeking lurk in you, it troubles you and
weighs you down. Take care, then, that you do not rely too much on preconceived
desire that has no reference to Me, lest you repent later on and be displeased
with what at first pleased you and which you desired as being for the best. Not
every desire which seems good should be followed immediately, nor, on the other
hand, should every contrary affection be at once rejected.
It is sometimes well to use a little restraint even in good desires and
inclinations, lest through too much eagerness you bring upon yourself
distraction of mind; lest through your lack of discipline you create scandal for
others; or lest you be suddenly upset and fall because of resistance from
others. Sometimes, however, you must use violence and resist your sensual
appetite bravely. You must pay no attention to what the flesh does or does not
desire, taking pains that it be subjected, even by force, to the spirit. And it
should be chastised and forced to remain in subjection until it is prepared for
anything and is taught to be satisfied with little, to take pleasure in simple
things, and not to murmur against inconveniences.
12. Acquiring Patience in the Fight Against
Concupiscence
The Disciple
PATIENCE, O Lord God, is very necessary for me, I see, because there are many
adversities in this life. No matter what plans I make for my own peace, my life
cannot be free from struggle and sorrow.
The Voice of Christ
My child, you are right, yet My wish is not that you seek that peace which is
free from temptations or meets with no opposition, but rather that you consider
yourself as having found peace when you have been tormented with many
tribulations and tried with many adversities.
If you say that you cannot suffer much, how will you endure the fire of
purgatory? Of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen. Therefore, in order
that you may escape the everlasting punishments to come, try to bear present
evils patiently for the sake of God.
Do you think that men of the world have no suffering, or perhaps but little?
Ask even those who enjoy the most delights and you will learn otherwise. "But,"
you will say, "they enjoy many pleasures and follow their own wishes; therefore
they do not feel their troubles very much." Granted that they do have whatever
they wish, how long do you think it will last? Behold, they who prosper in the
world shall perish as smoke, and there shall be no memory of their past joys.
Even in this life they do not find rest in these pleasures without bitterness,
weariness, and fear. For they often receive the penalty of sorrow from the very
thing whence they believe their happiness comes. And it is just. Since they seek
and follow after pleasures without reason, they should not enjoy them without
shame and bitterness.
How brief, how false, how unreasonable and shameful all these pleasures are!
Yet in their drunken blindness men do not understand this, but like brute beasts
incur death of soul for the miserly enjoyment of a corruptible life.
Therefore, My child, do not pursue your lusts, but turn away from your own
will. "Seek thy pleasure in the Lord and He will give thee thy heart's desires."
If you wish to be truly delighted and more abundantly comforted by Me, behold,
in contempt of all worldly things and in the cutting off of all base pleasures
shall your blessing be, and great consolation shall be given you. Further, the
more you withdraw yourself from any solace of creatures, the sweeter and
stronger comfort will you find in Me.
At first you will not gain these blessings without sadness and toil and
conflict. Habit already formed will resist you, but it shall be overcome by a
better habit. The flesh will murmur against you, but it will be bridled by
fervor of spirit. The old serpent will sting and trouble you, but prayer will
put him to flight and by steadfast, useful toil the way will be closed to
him.
The Thirteenth Chapter
The Obedience of One Humbly Subject to the Example of Jesus
Christ
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, he who attempts to escape obeying withdraws himself from grace.
Likewise he who seeks private benefits for himself loses those which are common
to all. He who does not submit himself freely and willingly to his superior,
shows that his flesh is not yet perfectly obedient but that it often rebels and
murmurs against him.
Learn quickly, then, to submit yourself to your superior if you wish to
conquer your own flesh. For the exterior enemy is more quickly overcome if the
inner man is not laid waste. There is no more troublesome, no worse enemy of the
soul than you yourself, if you are not in harmony with the spirit. It is
absolutely necessary that you conceive a true contempt for yourself if you wish
to be victorious over flesh and blood.
Because you still love yourself too inordinately, you are afraid to resign
yourself wholly to the will of others. Is it such a great matter if you, who are
but dust and nothingness, subject yourself to man for the sake of God, when I,
the All-Powerful, the Most High, Who created all things out of nothing, humbly
subjected Myself to man for your sake? I became the most humble and the lowest
of all men that you might overcome your pride with My humility.
Learn to obey, you who are but dust! Learn to humble yourself, you who are
but earth and clay, and bow down under the foot of every man! Learn to break
your own will, to submit to all subjection! Be zealous against yourself! Allow
no pride to dwell in you, but prove yourself so humble and lowly that all may
walk over you and trample upon you as dust in the streets!
What have you, vain man, to complain of? What answer can you make, vile
sinner, to those who accuse you, you who have so often offended God and so many
times deserved hell? But My eye has spared you because your soul was precious in
My sight, so that you might know My love and always be thankful for My benefits,
so that you might give yourself continually to true subjection and humility, and
might patiently endure contempt.
14. Consider the Hidden Judgments of God
Lest You Become Proud of Your Own Good Deeds
The Disciple
YOU thunder forth Your judgments over me, Lord. You shake all my bones with
fear and trembling, and my soul is very much afraid. I stand in awe as I
consider that the heavens are not pure in Your sight. If You found wickedness in
the angels and did not spare them, what will become of me? Stars have fallen
from heaven, and I -- I who am but dust -- how can I be presumptuous? They whose
deeds seemed worthy of praise have fallen into the depths, and I have seen those
who ate the bread of angels delighting themselves with the husks of swine.
There is no holiness, then, if You withdraw Your hand, Lord. There is no
wisdom if You cease to guide, no courage if You cease to defend. No chastity is
secure if You do not guard it. Our vigilance avails nothing if Your holy
watchfulness does not protect us. Left to ourselves we sink and perish, but
visited by You we are lifted up and live. We are truly unstable, but You make us
strong. We grow lukewarm, but You inflame us. Oh, how humbly and lowly should I
consider myself! How very little should I esteem anything that seems good in me!
How profoundly should I submit to Your unfathomable judgments, Lord, where I
find myself to be but nothing!
O immeasurable weight! O impassable sea, where I find myself to be nothing
but bare nothingness! Where, then, is glory's hiding place? Where can there be
any trust in my own virtue? All vainglory is swallowed up in the depths of Your
judgments upon me.
What is all flesh in Your sight? Shall the clay glory against Him that formed
it? How can he whose heart is truly subject to God be lifted up by vainglory?
The whole world will not make him proud whom truth has subjected to itself. Nor
shall he who has placed all his hope in God be moved by the tongues of
flatterers. For behold, even they who speak are nothing; they will pass away
with the sound of their words, but the truth of the Lord remains forever.
15. How One Should Feel and Speak on Every Desirable
Thing
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, this is the way you must speak on every occasion: "Lord, if it be
pleasing to You, so be it. If it be to Your honor, Lord, be it done in Your
name. Lord, if You see that it is expedient and profitable for me, then grant
that I may use it to Your honor. But if You know that it will be harmful to me,
and of no good benefit to the welfare of my soul, then take this desire away
from me."
Not every desire is from the Holy Spirit, even though it may seem right and
good. It is difficult to be certain whether it is a good spirit or a bad one
that prompts one to this or that, and even to know whether you are being moved
by your own spirit. Many who seemed at first to be led by a good spirit have
been deceived in the end.
Whatever the mind sees as good, ask and desire in fear of God and humility of
heart. Above all, commit the whole matter to Me with true resignation, and say:
"Lord, You know what is better for me; let this be done or that be done as You
please. Grant what You will, as much as You will, when You will. Do with me as
You know best, as will most please You, and will be for Your greater honor.
Place me where You will and deal with me freely in all things. I am in Your
hand; turn me about whichever way You will. Behold, I am Your servant, ready to
obey in all things. Not for myself do I desire to live, but for You -- would
that I could do this worthily and perfectly!"
A Prayer that the Will of God Be Done
Grant me Your grace, O most merciful Jesus, that it may be with me, and work
with me, and remain with me to the very end. Grant that I may always desire and
will that which is most acceptable and pleasing to You. Let Your will be mine.
Let my will always follow Yours and agree perfectly with it. Let my will be one
with Yours in willing and in not willing, and let me be unable to will or not
will anything but what You will or do not will. Grant that I may die to all
things in this world, and for Your sake love to be despised and unknown in this
life. Give me above all desires the desire to rest in You, and in You let my
heart have peace. You are true peace of heart. You alone are its rest. Without
You all things are difficult and troubled. In this peace, the selfsame that is
in You, the Most High, the everlasting Good, I will sleep and take my rest.
Amen.
16. True Comfort Is to Be Sought in God Alone
The Disciple
WHATEVER I can desire or imagine for my own comfort I look for not here but
hereafter. For if I alone should have all the world's comforts and could enjoy
all its delights, it is certain that they could not long endure. Therefore, my
soul, you cannot enjoy full consolation or perfect delight except in God, the
Consoler of the poor and the Helper of the humble. Wait a little, my soul, wait
for the divine promise and you will have an abundance of all good things in
heaven. If you desire these present things too much, you will lose those which
are everlasting and heavenly. Use temporal things but desire eternal things. You
cannot be satisfied with any temporal goods because you were not created to
enjoy them.
Even if you possessed all created things you could not be happy and blessed;
for in God, Who created all these things, your whole blessedness and happiness
consists -- not indeed such happiness as is seen and praised by lovers of the
world, but such as that for which the good and faithful servants of Christ wait,
and of which the spiritual and pure of heart, whose conversation is in heaven,
sometime have a foretaste.
Vain and brief is all human consolation. But that which is received inwardly
from the Truth is blessed and true. The devout man carries his Consoler, Jesus,
everywhere with him, and he says to Him: "Be with me, Lord Jesus, in every place
and at all times. Let this be my consolation, to be willing to forego all human
comforting. And if Your consolation be wanting to me, let Your will and just
trial of me be my greatest comfort. For You will not always be angry, nor will
You threaten forever."
17. All Our Care is to Be Placed in God
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, allow me to do what I will with you. I know what is best for you.
You think as a man; you feel in many things as human affection persuades.
The Disciple
Lord, what You say is true. Your care for me is greater than all the care I
can take of myself. For he who does not cast all his care upon You stands very
unsafely. If only my will remain right and firm toward You, Lord, do with me
whatever pleases You. For whatever You shall do with me can only be good.
If You wish me to be in darkness, I shall bless You. And if You wish me to be
in light, again I shall bless You. If You stoop down to comfort me, I shall
bless You, and if You wish me to be afflicted, I shall bless You forever.
The Voice of Christ
My child, this is the disposition which you should have if you wish to walk
with Me. You should be as ready to suffer as to enjoy. You should as willingly
be destitute and poor as rich and satisfied.
The Disciple
O Lord, I shall suffer willingly for Your sake whatever You wish to send me.
I am ready to accept from Your hand both good and evil alike, the sweet and the
bitter together, sorrow with joy; and for all that happens to me I am grateful.
Keep me from all sin and I will fear neither death nor hell. Do not cast me out
forever nor blot me out of the Book of Life, and whatever tribulation befalls
will not harm me.
18. Temporal Sufferings Should Be Borne Patiently,
After the Example of Christ
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, I came down from heaven for your salvation and took upon Myself
your miseries, not out of necessity but out of love, that you might learn to be
patient and bear the sufferings of this life without repining. From the moment
of My birth to My death on the cross, suffering did not leave Me. I suffered
great want of temporal goods. Often I heard many complaints against Me. Disgrace
and reviling I bore with patience. For My blessings I received ingratitude, for
My miracles blasphemies, and for My teaching scorn.
The Disciple
O Lord, because You were patient in life, especially in fulfilling the design
of the Father, it is fitting that I, a most miserable sinner, should live
patiently according to Your will, and, as long as You shall wish, bear the
burden of this corruptible body for the welfare of my soul. For though this
present life seems burdensome, yet by Your grace it becomes meritorious, and it
is made brighter and more endurable for the weak by Your example and the
pathways of the saints. But it has also more consolation than formerly under the
old law when the gates of heaven were closed, when the way thereto seemed darker
than now, and when so few cared to seek the eternal kingdom. The just, the
elect, could not enter heaven before Your sufferings and sacred death had paid
the debt.
Oh, what great thanks I owe You, Who have shown me and all the faithful the
good and right way to Your everlasting kingdom! Your life is our way and in Your
holy patience we come nearer to You Who are our crown. Had You not gone before
and taught us, who would have cared to follow? Alas, how many would have
remained far behind, had they not before their eyes Your holy example! Behold,
even we who have heard of Your many miracles and teachings are still lukewarm;
what would happen if we did not have such light by which to follow You?
19. True Patience in Suffering
The Voice of Christ
WHAT are you saying, My child? Think of My suffering and that of the saints,
and cease complaining. You have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood. What
you suffer is very little compared with the great things they suffered who were
so strongly tempted, so severely troubled, so tried and tormented in many ways.
Well may you remember, therefore, the very painful woes of others, that you may
bear your own little ones the more easily. And if they do not seem so small to
you, examine if perhaps your impatience is not the cause of their apparent
greatness; and whether they are great or small, try to bear them all patiently.
The better you dispose yourself to suffer, the more wisely you act and the
greater is the reward promised you. Thus you will suffer more easily if your
mind and habits are diligently trained to it.
Do not say: "I cannot bear this from such a man, nor should I suffer things
of this kind, for he has done me a great wrong. He has accused me of many things
of which I never thought. However, from someone else I will gladly suffer as
much as I think I should."
Such a thought is foolish, for it does not consider the virtue of patience or
the One Who will reward it, but rather weighs the person and the offense
committed. The man who will suffer only as much as seems good to him, who will
accept suffering only from those from whom he is pleased to accept it, is not
truly patient. For the truly patient man does not consider from whom the
suffering comes, whether from a superior, an equal, or an inferior, whether from
a good and holy person or from a perverse and unworthy one; but no matter how
great an adversity befalls him, no matter how often it comes or from whom it
comes, he accepts it gratefully from the hand of God, and counts it a great
gain. For with God nothing that is suffered for His sake, no matter how small,
can pass without reward. Be prepared for the fight, then, if you wish to gain
the victory. Without struggle you cannot obtain the crown of patience, and if
you refuse to suffer you are refusing the crown. But if you desire to be
crowned, fight bravely and bear up patiently. Without labor there is no rest,
and without fighting, no victory.
The Disciple
O Lord, let that which seems naturally impossible to me become possible
through Your grace. You know that I can suffer very little, and that I am
quickly discouraged when any small adversity arises. Let the torment of
tribulation suffered for Your name be pleasant and desirable to me, since to
suffer and be troubled for Your sake is very beneficial for my soul.
20. Confessing Our Weakness in the Miseries of Life
The Disciple
I WILL bring witness against myself to my injustice, and to You, O Lord, I
will confess my weakness.
Often it is a small thing that makes me downcast and sad. I propose to act
bravely, but when even a small temptation comes I find myself in great straits.
Sometimes it is the merest trifle which gives rise to grievous temptations. When
I think myself somewhat safe and when I am not expecting it, I frequently find
myself almost overcome by a slight wind. Look, therefore, Lord, at my lowliness
and frailty which You know so well. Have mercy on me and snatch me out of the
mire that I may not be caught in it and may not remain forever utterly
despondent.
That I am so prone to fall and so weak in resisting my passions oppresses me
frequently and confounds me in Your sight. While I do not fully consent to them,
still their assault is very troublesome and grievous to me, and it wearies me
exceedingly thus to live in daily strife. Yet from the fact that abominable
fancies rush in upon me much more easily than they leave, my weakness becomes
clear to me.
Oh that You, most mighty God of Israel, zealous Lover of faithful souls,
would consider the labor and sorrow of Your servant, and assist him in all his
undertakings! Strengthen me with heavenly courage lest the outer man, the
miserable flesh, against which I shall be obliged to fight so long as I draw a
breath in this wretched life and which is not yet subjected to the spirit,
prevail and dominate me.
Alas! What sort of life is this, from which troubles and miseries are never
absent, where all things are full of snares and enemies? For when one trouble or
temptation leaves, another comes. Indeed, even while the first conflict is still
raging, many others begin unexpectedly. How is it possible to love a life that
has such great bitterness, that is subject to so many calamities and miseries?
Indeed, how can it even be called life when it begets so many deaths and
plagues? And yet, it is loved, and many seek their delight in it.
Many persons often blame the world for being false and vain, yet do not
readily give it up because the desires of the flesh have such great power. Some
things draw them to love the world, others make them despise it. The lust of the
flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life lead to love, while the
pains and miseries, which are the just consequences of those things, beget
hatred and weariness of the world.
Vicious pleasure overcomes the soul that is given to the world. She thinks
that there are delights beneath these thorns, because she has never seen or
tasted the sweetness of God or the internal delight of virtue. They, on the
other hand, who entirely despise the world and seek to live for God under the
rule of holy discipline, are not ignorant of the divine sweetness promised to
those who truly renounce the world. They see clearly how gravely the world errs,
and in how many ways it deceives.
21. Above All Goods and All Gifts We Must Rest in God
The Disciple
ABOVE all things and in all things, O my soul, rest always in God, for He is
the everlasting rest of the saints.
Grant, most sweet and loving Jesus, that I may seek my repose in You above
every creature; above all health and beauty; above every honor and glory; every
power and dignity; above all knowledge and cleverness, all riches and arts, all
joy and gladness; above all fame and praise, all sweetness and consolation;
above every hope and promise, every merit and desire; above all the gifts and
favors that You can give or pour down upon me; above all the joy and exultation
that the mind can receive and feel; and finally, above the angels and archangels
and all the heavenly host; above all things visible and invisible; and may I
seek my repose in You above everything that is not You, my God.
For You, O Lord my God, are above all things the best. You alone are most
high, You alone most powerful. You alone are most sufficient and most
satisfying, You alone most sweet and consoling. You alone are most beautiful and
loving, You alone most noble and glorious above all things. In You is every
perfection that has been or ever will be. Therefore, whatever You give me
besides Yourself, whatever You reveal to me concerning Yourself, and whatever
You promise, is too small and insufficient when I do not see and fully enjoy You
alone. For my heart cannot rest or be fully content until, rising above all
gifts and every created thing, it rests in You.
Who, O most beloved Spouse, Jesus Christ, most pure Lover, Lord of all
creation, who shall give me the wings of true liberty that I may fly to rest in
You? When shall freedom be fully given me to see how sweet You are, O Lord, my
God? When shall I recollect myself entirely in You, so that because of Your love
I may feel, not myself, but You alone above all sense and measure, in a manner
known to none? But now I often lament and grieve over my unhappiness, for many
evils befall me in this vale of miseries, often disturbing me, making me sad and
overshadowing me, often hindering and distracting me, alluring and entangling me
so that I neither have free access to You nor enjoy the sweet embraces which are
ever ready for blessed souls. Let my sighs and the manifold desolation here on
earth move You.
O Jesus, Splendor of eternal glory, Consolation of the pilgrim soul, with You
my lips utter no sound and to You my silence speaks. How long will my Lord delay
His coming? Let Him come to His poor servant and make him happy. Let Him put
forth His hand and take this miserable creature from his anguish. Come, O come,
for without You there will be no happy day or hour, because You are my happiness
and without You my table is empty. I am wretched, as it were imprisoned and
weighted down with fetters, until You fill me with the light of Your presence,
restore me to liberty, and show me a friendly countenance. Let others seek
instead of You whatever they will, but nothing pleases me or will please me but
You, my God, my Hope, my everlasting Salvation. I will not be silent, I will not
cease praying until Your grace returns to me and You speak inwardly to me,
saying: "Behold, I am here. Lo, I have come to you because you have called Me.
Your tears and the desire of your soul, your humility and contrition of heart
have inclined Me and brought Me to you."
Lord, I have called You, and have desired You, and have been ready to spurn
all things for Your sake. For You first spurred me on to seek You. May You be
blessed, therefore, O Lord, for having shown this goodness to Your servant
according to the multitude of Your mercies.
What more is there for Your servant to say to You unless, with his iniquity
and vileness always in mind, he humbles himself before You? Nothing among all
the wonders of heaven and earth is like to You. Your works are exceedingly good,
Your judgments true, and Your providence rules the whole universe. May You be
praised and glorified, therefore, O Wisdom of the Father. Let my lips and my
soul and all created things unite to praise and bless You.
22. Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God
The Disciple
OPEN my heart, O Lord, to Your law and teach me to walk in the way of Your
commandments. Let me understand Your will. Let me remember Your blessings -- all
of them and each single one of them -- with great reverence and care so that
henceforth I may return worthy thanks for them. I know that I am unable to give
due thanks for even the least of Your gifts. I am unworthy of the benefits You
have given me, and when I consider Your generosity my spirit faints away before
its greatness. All that we have of soul and body, whatever we possess interiorly
or exteriorly, by nature or by grace, are Your gifts and they proclaim Your
goodness and mercy from which we have received all good things.
If one receives more and another less, yet all are Yours and without You
nothing can be received. He who receives greater things cannot glory in his own
merit or consider himself above others or behave insolently toward those who
receive less. He who attributes less to himself and is the more humble and
devout in returning thanks is indeed the greater and the better, while he who
considers himself lower than all men and judges himself to be the least worthy,
is the more fit to receive the greater blessing.
He, on the other hand, who has received fewer gifts should not be sad or
impatient or envious of the richer man. Instead he should turn his mind to You
and offer You the greatest praise because You give so bountifully, so freely and
willingly, without regard to persons. All things come from You; therefore, You
are to be praised in all things. You know what is good for each of us; and why
one should receive less and another more is not for us to judge, but for You Who
have marked every man's merits.
Therefore, O Lord God, I consider it a great blessing not to have many things
which human judgment holds praiseworthy and glorious, for one who realizes his
own poverty and vileness should not be sad or downcast at it, but rather
consoled and happy because You, O God, have chosen the poor, the humble, and the
despised in this world to be Your friends and servants. The truth of this is
witnessed by Your Apostles, whom You made princes over all the world. Yet they
lived in this world without complaining, so humble and simple, so free from
malice and deceit, that they were happy even to suffer reproach for Your name
and to embrace with great affection that which the world abhors.
A man who loves You and recognizes Your benefits, therefore, should be
gladdened by nothing so much as by Your will, by the good pleasure of Your
eternal decree. With this he should be so contented and consoled that he would
wish to be the least as others wish to be the greatest; that he would be as
peaceful and satisfied in the last place as in the first, and as willing to be
despised, unknown and forgotten, as to be honored by others and to have more
fame than they. He should prefer Your will and the love of Your honor to all
else, and it should comfort him more than all the benefits which have been, or
will be, given him.
24. Four Things Which Bring Great Peace
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, I will teach you now the way of peace and true liberty.
Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.
Always choose to have less rather than more.
Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all others.
Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out in you.
Behold, such will enter into the realm of peace and rest.
The Disciple
O Lord, this brief discourse of Yours contains much perfection. It is short
in words but full of meaning and abounding in fruit. Certainly if I could only
keep it faithfully, I should not be so easily disturbed. For as often as I find
myself troubled and dejected, I find that I have departed from this teaching.
But You Who can do all things, and Who always love what is for my soul's
welfare, give me increase of grace that I may keep Your words and accomplish my
salvation.
A Prayer Against Bad Thoughts
O Lord my God, be not far from me. O my God, hasten to help me, for varied
thoughts and great fears have risen up within me, afflicting my soul. How shall
I escape them unharmed? How shall I dispel them?
"I will go before you," says the Lord, "and will humble the great ones of
earth. I will open the doors of the prison, and will reveal to you hidden
secrets."
Do as You say, Lord, and let all evil thoughts fly from Your face. This is my
hope and my only comfort -- to fly to You in all tribulation, to confide in You,
and to call on You from the depths of my heart and to await patiently for Your
consolation.
A Prayer for Enlightening the Mind
Enlighten me, good Jesus, with the brightness of internal light, and take
away all darkness from the habitation of my heart. Restrain my wandering
thoughts and suppress the temptations which attack me so violently. Fight
strongly for me, and vanquish these evil beasts -- the alluring desires of the
flesh -- so that peace may come through Your power and the fullness of Your
praise resound in the holy courts, which is a pure conscience. Command the winds
and the tempests; say to the sea: "Be still," and to the north wind, "Do not
blow," and there will be a great calm.
Send forth Your light and Your truth to shine on the earth, for I am as
earth, empty and formless until You illumine me. Pour out Your grace from above.
Shower my heart with heavenly dew. Open the springs of devotion to water the
earth, that it may produce the best of good fruits. Lift up my heart pressed
down by the weight of sins, and direct all my desires to heavenly things, that
having tasted the sweetness of supernal happiness, I may find no pleasure in
thinking of earthly things.
Snatch me up and deliver me from all the passing comfort of creatures, for no
created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my desires. Join me to Yourself in an
inseparable bond of love; because You alone can satisfy him who loves You, and
without You all things are worthless.
24. Avoiding Curious Inquiry About the Lives of
Others
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not be curious. Do not trouble yourself with idle cares. What
matters this or that to you? Follow Me. What is it to you if a man is such and
such, if another does or says this or that? You will not have to answer for
others, but you will have to give an account of yourself. Why, then, do you
meddle in their affairs?
Behold, I know all men. I see everything that is done under the sun, and I
know how matters stand with each -- what is in his mind and what in his heart
and the end to which his intention is directed. Commit all things to Me,
therefore, and keep yourself in good peace. Let him who is disturbed be as
restless as he will. Whatever he has said or done will fall upon himself, for he
cannot deceive Me.
Do not be anxious for the shadow of a great name, for the close friendship of
many, or for the particular affection of men. These things cause distraction and
cast great darkness about the heart. I would willingly speak My word and reveal
My secrets to you, if you would watch diligently for My coming and open your
heart to Me. Be prudent, then. Watch in prayer, and in all things humble
yourself.
25. The Basis of Firm Peace of Heart and True
Progress
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, I have said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not
as the world giveth, do I give unto you."
All men desire peace but all do not care for the things that go to make true
peace. My peace is with the humble and meek of heart: your peace will be in much
patience. If you hear Me and follow My voice, you will be able to enjoy much
peace.
The Disciple
What, then, shall I do, Lord?
The Voice of Christ
Watch yourself in all things, in what you do and what you say. Direct your
every intention toward pleasing Me alone, and desire nothing outside of Me. Do
not be rash in judging the deeds and words of others, and do not entangle
yourself in affairs that are not your own. Thus, it will come about that you
will be disturbed little and seldom.
Yet, never to experience any disturbance or to suffer any hurt in heart or
body does not belong to this present life, but rather to the state of eternal
rest. Do not think, therefore, that you have found true peace if you feel no
depression, or that all is well because you suffer no opposition. Do not think
that all is perfect if everything happens just as you wish. And do not imagine
yourself great or consider yourself especially beloved if you are filled with
great devotion and sweetness. For the true lover of virtue is not known by these
things, nor do the progress and perfection of a man consist in them.
The Disciple
In what do they consist, Lord?
The Voice of Christ
They consist in offering yourself with all your heart to the divine will, not
seeking what is yours either in small matters or great ones, either in temporal
or eternal things, so that you will preserve equanimity and give thanks in both
prosperity and adversity, seeing all things in their proper light.
If you become so brave and long-suffering in hope that you can prepare your
heart to suffer still more even when all inward consolation is withdrawn, and if
you do not justify yourself as though you ought not be made to suffer such great
things, but acknowledge Me to be just in all My works and praise My holy name --
then you will walk in the true and right path of peace, then you may have sure
hope of seeing My face again in joy. If you attain to complete contempt of self,
then know that you will enjoy an abundance of peace, as much as is possible in
this earthly life.
26. The Excellence of a Free Mind, Gained Through Prayer Rather Than
By Study
The Disciple
IT IS the mark of a perfect man, Lord, never to let his mind relax in
attention to heavenly things, and to pass through many cares as though he had
none; not as an indolent man does, but having by the certain prerogative of a
free mind no disorderly affection for any created being.
Keep me, I beg You, most merciful God, from the cares of this life, lest I be
too much entangled in them. Keep me from many necessities of the body, lest I be
ensnared by pleasure. Keep me from all darkness of mind, lest I be broken by
troubles and overcome. I do not ask deliverance from those things which worldly
vanity desires so eagerly, but from those miseries which, by the common curse of
humankind, oppress the soul of Your servant in punishment and keep him from
entering into the liberty of spirit as often as he would.
My God, Sweetness beyond words, make bitter all the carnal comfort that draws
me from love of the eternal and lures me to its evil self by the sight of some
delightful good in the present. Let it not overcome me, my God. Let not flesh
and blood conquer me. Let not the world and its brief glory deceive me, nor the
devil trip me by his craftiness. Give me courage to resist, patience to endure,
and constancy to persevere. Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit rather
than all the consolations of the world, and in place of carnal love, infuse into
me the love of Your name.
Behold, eating, drinking, clothing, and other necessities that sustain the
body are burdensome to the fervent soul. Grant me the grace to use such comforts
temperately and not to become entangled in too great a desire for them. It is
not lawful to cast them aside completely, for nature must be sustained, but Your
holy law forbids us to demand superfluous things and things that are simply for
pleasure, else the flesh would rebel against the spirit. In these matters, I
beg, let Your hand guide and direct me, so that I may not overstep the law in
any way.
27. Self-Love is the Greatest Hindrance to the Highest
Good
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, you should give all for all, and in no way belong to yourself. You
must know that self-love is more harmful to you than anything else in the world.
In proportion to the love and affection you have for a thing, it will cling to
you more or less. If your love is pure, simple, and well ordered, you will not
be a slave to anything. Do not covet what you may not have. Do not possess
anything that can hinder you or rob you of freedom.
It is strange that you do not commit yourself to Me with your whole heart,
together with all that you can desire or possess. Why are you consumed with
foolish sorrow? Why are you wearied with unnecessary care? Be resigned to My
will and you will suffer no loss.
If you seek this or that, if you wish to be in this place or that place, to
have more ease and pleasure, you will never rest or be free from care, for some
defect is found in everything and everywhere someone will vex you. To obtain and
multiply earthly goods, then, will not help you, but to despise them and root
them out of your heart will aid. This, understand, is true not only of money and
wealth, but also of ambition for honor and desire for empty praise, all of which
will pass away with this world.
The place matters little if the spirit of fervor is not there; nor will peace
be lasting if it is sought from the outside; if your heart has no true
foundation, that is, if you are not founded in Me, you may change, but you will
not better yourself. For when occasion arises and is accepted, you will find
that from which you fled and worse.
A Prayer for Cleansing the Heart and Obtaining Heavenly Wisdom
Strengthen me by the grace of Your holy spirit, O God. Give me the power to
be strengthened inwardly and to empty my heart of all vain care and anxiety, so
that I may not be drawn away by many desires, whether for precious things or
mean ones. Let me look upon everything as passing, and upon myself as soon to
pass away with them, because there is nothing lasting under the sun, where all
is vanity and affliction of spirit. How wise is he who thinks thus!
Give me, Lord, heavenly wisdom to learn above all else to seek and find You,
to enjoy and love You more than anything, and to consider other things as they
are, as Your wisdom has ordered them. Grant me prudence to avoid the flatterer
and to bear patiently with him who disagrees with me. For it is great wisdom not
to be moved by the sound of words, nor to give ear to the wicked, flattering
siren. Then, I shall walk safely in the way I have begun.
28. Strength Against Slander
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not take it to heart if some people think badly of you and say
unpleasant things about you. You ought to think worse things of yourself and to
believe that no one is weaker than yourself. Moreover, if you walk in the spirit
you will pay little heed to fleeting words. It is no small prudence to remain
silent in evil times, to turn inwardly to Me, and not to be disturbed by human
opinions. Do not let your peace depend on the words of men. Their thinking well
or badly of you does not make you different from what you are. Where are true
peace and glory? Are they not in Me? He who neither cares to please men nor
fears to displease them will enjoy great peace, for all unrest and distraction
of the senses arise out of disorderly love and vain fear.
29. How We Must Call Upon and Bless the Lord When Trouble
Presses
The Disciple
BLESSED be Your name forever, O Lord, Who have willed that this temptation
and trouble come upon me. I cannot escape it, yet I must fly to You that You may
help me and turn it to my good. Now I am troubled, Lord, and my heart is not at
rest, for I am greatly afflicted by this present suffering.
Beloved Father, what shall I say? I am straitened in harsh ways. Save me from
this hour to which, however, I am come that You may be glorified when I am
deeply humbled and freed by You. May it please You, then, to deliver me, Lord,
for what can I, poor wretch that I am, do or where can I go without You? Give me
patience, Lord, even now. Help me, my God, and I will not be afraid however much
I may be distressed.
But here, in the midst of these troubles, what shall I say? Your will be
done, Lord. I have richly deserved to be troubled and distressed. But I must
bear it. Would that I could do so patiently, until the storm passes and calm
returns! Yet Your almighty hand can take this temptation from me, or lighten its
attack so that I do not altogether sink beneath it, as You, my God, my Mercy,
have very often done for me before. And the more difficult my plight, the easier
for You is this change of the right hand of the Most High.
30. The Quest of Divine Help and Confidence in Regaining
Grace
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, I am the Lord Who gives strength in the day of trouble. Come to Me
when all is not well with you. Your tardiness in turning to prayer is the
greatest obstacle to heavenly consolation, for before you pray earnestly to Me
you first seek many comforts and take pleasure in outward things. Thus, all
things are of little profit to you until you realize that I am the one Who saves
those who trust in Me, and that outside of Me there is no worth-while help, or
any useful counsel or lasting remedy.
But now, after the tempest, take courage, grow strong once more in the light
of My mercies; for I am near, says the Lord, to restore all things not only to
the full but with abundance and above measure. Is anything difficult for Me? Or
shall I be as one who promises and does not act? Where is your faith? Stand firm
and persevere. Be a man of endurance and courage, and consolation will come to
you in due time. Wait for Me; wait -- and I will come to heal you.
It is only a temptation that troubles you, a vain fear that terrifies
you.
Of what use is anxiety about the future? Does it bring you anything but
trouble upon trouble? Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. It is foolish
and useless to be either grieved or happy about future things which perhaps may
never happen. But it is human to be deluded by such imaginations, and the sign
of a weak soul to be led on by suggestions of the enemy. For he does not care
whether he overcomes you by love of the present or fear of the future.
Let not your heart be troubled, therefore, nor let it be afraid. Believe in
Me and trust in My mercy. When you think you are far from Me, then often I am
very near you. When you judge that almost all is lost, then very often you are
in the way of gaining great merit.
All is not lost when things go contrary to your wishes. You ought not judge
according to present feelings, nor give in to any trouble whenever it comes, or
take it as though all hope of escape were lost. And do not consider yourself
forsaken if I send some temporary hardship, or withdraw the consolation you
desire. For this is the way to the kingdom of heaven, and without doubt it is
better for you and the rest of My servants to be tried in adversities than to
have all things as you wish. I know your secret thoughts, and I know that it is
profitable for your salvation to be left sometimes in despondency lest perhaps
you be puffed up by success and fancy yourself to be what you are not.
What I have given, I can take away and restore when it pleases Me. What I
give remains Mine, and thus when I take it away I take nothing that is yours,
for every good gift and every perfect gift is Mine.
If I send you trouble and adversity, do not fret or let your heart be
downcast. I can raise you quickly up again and turn all your sorrow into joy. I
am no less just and worthy of great praise when I deal with you in this way.
If you think aright and view things in their true light, you should never be
so dejected and saddened by adversity, but rather rejoice and give thanks,
considering it a matter of special joy that I afflict you with sorrow and do not
spare you. "As the Father hath loved Me, so also I love you," I said to My
disciples, and I certainly did not send them out to temporal joys but rather to
great struggles, not to honors but to contempt, not to idleness, but to labors,
not to rest but to bring forth much fruit in patience. Do you, My child,
remember these words.
31. To Find the Creator, Forsake All Creatures
The Disciple
O LORD, I am in sore need still of greater grace if I am to arrive at the
point where no man and no created thing can be an obstacle to me. For as long as
anything holds me back, I cannot freely fly to You. He that said "Oh that I had
wings like a dove, that I might fly away and be at rest!" desired to fly freely
to You. Who is more at rest than he who aims at nothing but God? And who more
free than the man who desires nothing on earth?
It is well, then, to pass over all creation, perfectly to abandon self, and
to see in ecstasy of mind that You, the Creator of all, have no likeness among
all Your creatures, and that unless a man be freed from all creatures, he cannot
attend freely to the Divine. The reason why so few contemplative persons are
found, is that so few know how to separate themselves entirely from what is
transitory and created.
For this, indeed, great grace is needed, grace that will raise the soul and
lift it up above itself. Unless a man be elevated in spirit, free from all
creatures, and completely united to God, all his knowledge and possessions are
of little moment. He who considers anything great except the one, immense,
eternal good will long be little and lie groveling on the earth. Whatever is not
God is nothing and must be accounted as nothing.
There is great difference between the wisdom of an enlightened and devout man
and the learning of a well-read and brilliant scholar, for the knowledge which
flows down from divine sources is much nobler than that laboriously acquired by
human industry.
Many there are who desire contemplation, but who do not care to do the things
which contemplation requires. It is also a great obstacle to be satisfied with
externals and sensible things, and to have so little of perfect mortification. I
know not what it is, or by what spirit we are led, or to what we pretend -- we
who wish to be called spiritual -- that we spend so much labor and even more
anxiety on things that are transitory and mean, while we seldom or never advert
with full consciousness to our interior concerns.
Alas, after very little recollection we falter, not weighing our deeds by
strict examination. We pay no attention to where our affections lie, nor do we
deplore the fact that our actions are impure.
Remember that because all flesh had corrupted its course, the great deluge
followed. Since, then, our interior affection is corrupt, it must be that the
action which follows from it, the index as it were of our lack of inward
strength, is also corrupt. Out of a pure heart come the fruits of a good
life.
People are wont to ask how much a man has done, but they think little of the
virtue with which he acts. They ask: Is he strong? rich? handsome? a good
writer? a good singer? or a good worker? They say little, however, about how
poor he is in spirit, how patient and meek, how devout and spiritual. Nature
looks to his outward appearance; grace turns to his inward being. The one often
errs, the other trusts in God and is not deceived.
32. Self-Denial and the Renunciation of Evil
Appetites
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, you can never be perfectly free unless you completely renounce
self, for all who seek their own interest and who love themselves are bound in
fetters. They are unsettled by covetousness and curiosity, always searching for
ease and not for the things of Christ, often devising and framing that which
will not last, for anything that is not of God will fail completely.
Hold to this short and perfect advice, therefore: give up your desires and
you will find rest. Think upon it in your heart, and when you have put it
into practice you will understand all things.
The Disciple
But this, Lord, is not the work of one day, nor is it mere child's play;
indeed, in this brief sentence is included all the perfection of holy
persons.
The Voice of Christ
My child, you should not turn away or be downcast when you hear the way of
the perfect. Rather you ought to be spurred on the more toward their sublime
heights, or at least be moved to seek perfection.
I would this were the case with you -- that you had progressed to the point
where you no longer loved self but simply awaited My bidding and his whom I have
placed as father over you. Then you would please Me very much, and your whole
life would pass in peace and joy. But you have yet many things which you must
give up, and unless you resign them entirely to Me you will not obtain that
which you ask.
"I counsel thee to buy of me gold, fire-tried, that thou mayest be made rich"
-- rich in heavenly wisdom which treads underfoot all that is low. Put aside
earthly wisdom, all human self-complacency.
I have said: exchange what is precious and valued among men for that which is
considered contemptible. For true heavenly wisdom -- not to think highly of self
and not to seek glory on earth -- does indeed seem mean and small and is
well-nigh forgotten, as many men praise it with their mouths but shy far away
from it in their lives. Yet this heavenly wisdom is a pearl of great price,
which is hidden from many.
33. Restlessness of Soul -- Directing Our Final Intention Toward
God
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not trust in your present feeling, for it will soon give way to
another. As long as you live you will be subject to changeableness in spite of
yourself. You will become merry at one time and sad at another, now peaceful but
again disturbed, at one moment devout and the next indevout, sometimes diligent
while at other times lazy, now grave and again flippant.
But the man who is wise and whose spirit is well instructed stands superior
to these changes. He pays no attention to what he feels in himself or from what
quarter the wind of fickleness blows, so long as the whole intention of his mind
is conducive to his proper and desired end. For thus he can stand undivided,
unchanged, and unshaken, with the singleness of his intention directed
unwaveringly toward Me, even in the midst of so many changing events. And the
purer this singleness of intention is, with so much the more constancy does he
pass through many storms.
But in many ways the eye of pure intention grows dim, because it is attracted
to any delightful thing that it meets. Indeed, it is rare to find one who is
entirely free from all taint of self-seeking. The Jews of old, for example, came
to Bethany to Martha and Mary, not for Jesus' sake alone, but in order to see
Lazarus.
The eye of your intention, therefore, must be cleansed so that it is single
and right. It must be directed toward Me, despite all the objects which may
interfere.
34. God is Sweet Above All Things and in All Things to Those Who
Love Him
The Disciple
BEHOLD, my God and my all! What more do I wish for; what greater happiness
can I desire? O sweet and delicious word! But sweet only to him who loves it,
and not to the world or the things that are in the world.
My God and my all! These words are enough for him who understands, and for
him who loves it is a joy to repeat them often. For when You are present, all
things are delightful; when You are absent, all things become loathsome. It is
You Who give a heart tranquillity, great peace and festive joy. It is You Who
make us think well of all things, and praise You in all things. Without You
nothing can give pleasure for very long, for if it is to be pleasing and
tasteful, Your grace and the seasoning of Your wisdom must be in it. What is
there that can displease him whose happiness is in You? And, on the contrary,
what can satisfy him whose delight is not in You?
The wise men of the world, the men who lust for the flesh, are wanting in
Your wisdom, because in the world is found the utmost vanity, and in the flesh
is death. But they who follow You by disdaining worldly things and mortifying
the flesh are known to be truly wise, for they are transported from vanity to
truth, from flesh to spirit. By such as these God is relished, and whatever good
is found in creatures they turn to praise of the Creator. But great -- yes, very
great, indeed -- is the difference between delight in the Creator and in the
creature, in eternity and in time, in Light uncreated and in the light that is
reflected.
O Light eternal, surpassing all created brightness, flash forth the lightning
from above and enlighten the inmost recesses of my heart. Cleanse, cheer,
enlighten, and vivify my spirit with all its powers, that it may cleave to You
in ecstasies of joy. Oh, when will that happy and wished-for hour come, that You
may fill me with Your presence and become all in all to me? So long as this is
not given me, my joy will not be complete.
The old man, alas, yet lives within me. He has not yet been entirely
crucified; he is not yet entirely dead. He still lusts strongly against the
spirit, and he will not leave the kingdom of my soul in peace. But You, Who can
command the power of the sea and calm the tumult of its waves, arise and help
me. Scatter the nations that delight in war; crush them in Your sight. Show
forth I beg, Your wonderful works and let Your right hand be glorified, because
for me there is no other hope or refuge except in You, O Lord, my God.
35. There is No Security from Temptation in This Life
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, in this life you are never safe, and as long as you live the
weapons of the spirit will ever be necessary to you. You dwell among enemies.
You are subject to attack from the right and the left. If, therefore, you do not
guard yourself from every quarter with the shield of patience, you will not
remain long unscathed.
Moreover, if you do not steadily set your heart on Me, with a firm will to
suffer everything for My sake, you will not be able to bear the heat of this
battle or to win the crown of the blessed. You ought, therefore, to pass through
all these things bravely and to oppose a strong hand to whatever stands in your
way. For to him who triumphs heavenly bread is given, while for him who is too
lazy to fight there remains much misery.
If you look for rest in this life, how will you attain to everlasting rest?
Dispose yourself, then, not for much rest but for great patience. Seek true
peace, not on earth but in heaven; not in men or in other creatures but in God
alone. For love of God you should undergo all things cheerfully, all labors and
sorrows, temptations and trials, anxieties, weaknesses, necessities, injuries,
slanders, rebukes, humiliations, confusions, corrections, and contempt. For
these are helps to virtue. These are the trials of Christ's recruit. These form
the heavenly crown. For a little brief labor I will give an everlasting crown,
and for passing confusion, glory that is eternal.
Do you think that you will always have spiritual consolations as you desire?
My saints did not always have them. Instead, they had many afflictions,
temptations of various kinds, and great desolation. Yet they bore them all
patiently. They placed their confidence in God rather than in themselves,
knowing that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the
glory that is to come. And you -- do you wish to have at once that which others
have scarcely obtained after many tears and great labors?
Wait for the Lord, act bravely, and have courage. Do not lose trust. Do not
turn back but devote your body and soul constantly to God's glory. I will reward
you most plentifully. I will be with you in every tribulation.
36. The Vain Judgments of Men
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, trust firmly in the Lord, and do not fear the judgment of men when
conscience tells you that you are upright and innocent. For it is good and
blessed to suffer such things, and they will not weigh heavily on the humble
heart that trusts in God rather than in itself. Many men say many things, and
therefore little faith is to be put in them.
Likewise, it is impossible to satisfy all men. Although Paul tried to please
all in the Lord, and became all things to all men, yet he made little of their
opinions. He labored abundantly for the edification and salvation of others, as
much as lay in him and as much as he could, but he could not escape being
sometimes judged and despised by others. Therefore, he committed all to God Who
knows all things, and defended himself by his patience and humility against the
tongues of those who spoke unjustly or thought foolish things and lies, or made
accusations against him. Sometimes, indeed, he did answer them, but only lest
his silence scandalize the weak.
Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of mortal man? Today he is here,
tomorrow he is not seen. Fear God and you will not be afraid of the terrors of
men. What can anyone do to you by word or injury? He hurts himself rather than
you, and no matter who he may be he cannot escape the judgment of God. Keep God
before your eyes, therefore, and do not quarrel with peevish words.
If it seems, then, that you are worsted and that you suffer undeserved shame,
do not repine over it and do not lessen your crown by impatience. Look instead
to heaven, to Me, Who have power to deliver you from all disgrace and injury,
and to render to everyone according to his works.
37. Pure and Entire Resignation of Self to Obtain Freedom of
Heart
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, renounce self and you shall find Me. Give up your own self-will,
your possessions, and you shall always gain. For once you resign yourself
irrevocably, greater grace will be given you.
The Disciple
How often, Lord, shall I resign myself? And in what shall I forsake
myself?
The Voice of Christ
Always, at every hour, in small matters as well as great -- I except nothing.
In all things I wish you to be stripped of self. How otherwise can you be mine
or I yours unless you be despoiled of your own will both inwardly and outwardly?
The sooner you do this the better it will be for you, and the more fully and
sincerely you do it the more you will please Me and the greater gain you will
merit.
Some there are who resign themselves, but with certain reservation; they do
not trust fully in God and therefore they try to provide for themselves. Others,
again, at first offer all, but afterward are assailed by temptation and return
to what they have renounced, thereby making no progress in virtue. These will
not reach the true liberty of a pure heart nor the grace of happy friendship
with Me unless they first make a full resignation and a daily sacrifice of
themselves. Without this no fruitful union lasts nor will last.
I have said to you very often, and now I say again: forsake yourself,
renounce yourself and you shall enjoy great inward peace. Give all for all. Ask
nothing, demand nothing in return. Trust purely and without hesitation in Me,
and you shall possess Me. You will be free of heart and darkness will not
overwhelm you.
Strive for this, pray for this, desire this -- to be stripped of all
selfishness and naked to follow the naked Jesus, to die to self and live forever
for Me. Then all vain imaginations, all wicked disturbances and superfluous
cares will vanish. Then also immoderate fear will leave you and inordinate love
will die.
39. The Right Ordering of External Affairs; Recourse to God in
Dangers
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, you must strive diligently to be inwardly free, to have mastery
over yourself everywhere, in every external act and occupation, that all things
be subject to you and not you to them, that you be the master and director of
your actions, not a slave or a mere hired servant. You should be rather a free
man and a true Hebrew, arising to the status and freedom of the children of God
who stand above present things to contemplate those which are eternal; who look
upon passing affairs with the left eye and upon those of heaven with the right;
whom temporal things do not so attract that they cling to them, but who rather
put these things to such proper service as is ordained and instituted by God,
the great Workmaster, Who leaves nothing unordered in His creation.
If, likewise, in every happening you are not content simply with outward
appearances, if you do not regard with carnal eyes things which you see and
hear, but whatever be the affair, enter with Moses into the tabernacle to ask
advice of the Lord, you will sometimes hear the divine answer and return
instructed in many things present and to come. For Moses always had recourse to
the tabernacle for the solution of doubts and questions, and fled to prayer for
support in dangers and the evil deeds of men. So you also should take refuge in
the secret chamber of your heart, begging earnestly for divine aid.
For this reason, as we read, Joshua and the children of Israel were deceived
by the Gibeonites because they did not first seek counsel of the Lord, but
trusted too much in fair words and hence were deceived by false piety.
39. A Man Should Not Be Unduly Solicitous About His
Affairs
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, always commit your cause to Me. I will dispose of it rightly in
good time. Await My ordering of it and it will be to your advantage.
The Disciple
Lord, I willingly commit all things to You, for my anxiety can profit me
little. But I would that I were not so concerned about the future, and instead
offered myself without hesitation to Your good pleasure.
The Voice of Christ
My child, it often happens that a man seeks ardently after something he
desires and then when he has attained it he begins to think that it is not at
all desirable; for affections do not remain fixed on the same thing, but rather
flit from one to another. It is no very small matter, therefore, for a man to
forsake himself even in things that are very small.
A man's true progress consists in denying himself, and the man who has denied
himself is truly free and secure. The old enemy, however, setting himself
against all good, never ceases to tempt them, but day and night plots dangerous
snares to cast the unwary into the net of deceit. "Watch ye and pray," says the
Lord, "that ye enter not into temptation."
40. Man Has No Good in Himself and Can Glory in
Nothing
The Disciple
LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You
visit him? What has man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause
have I, Lord, to complain if You desert me, or what objection can I have if You
do not do what I ask? This I may think and say in all truth: "Lord, I am
nothing, of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things, and
I am ever tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly
strengthened by You, I become quite lukewarm and lax."
But You, Lord, are always the same. You remain forever, always good, just,
and holy; doing all things rightly, justly, and holily, disposing them wisely.
I, however, who am more ready to go backward than forward, do not remain always
in one state, for I change with the seasons. Yet my condition quickly improves
when it pleases You and when You reach forth Your helping hand. For You alone,
without human aid, can help me and strengthen me so greatly that my heart shall
no more change but be converted and rest solely in You. Hence, if I knew well
how to cast aside all earthly consolation, either to attain devotion or because
of the necessity which, in the absence of human solace, compels me to seek You
alone, then I could deservedly hope for Your grace and rejoice in the gift of
new consolation.
Thanks be to You from Whom all things come, whenever it is well with me. In
Your sight I am vanity and nothingness, a weak, unstable man. In what,
therefore, can I glory, and how can I wish to be highly regarded? Is it because
I am nothing? This, too, is utterly vain. Indeed, the greatest vanity is the
evil plague of empty self-glory, because it draws one away from true glory and
robs one of heavenly grace. For when a man is pleased with himself he displeases
You, when he pants after human praise he is deprived of true virtue. But it is
true glory and holy exultation to glory in You and not in self, to rejoice in
Your name rather than in one's own virtue, and not to delight in any creature
except for Your sake.
Let Your name, not mine, be praised. Let Your work, not mine, be magnified.
Let Your holy name be blessed, but let no human praise be given to me. You are
my glory. You are the joy of my heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the
day, and for myself I will glory in nothing but my infirmities.
Let the Jews seek the glory that comes from another. I will seek that which
comes from God alone. All human glory, all temporal honor, all worldly position
is truly vanity and foolishness compared to Your everlasting glory. O my Truth,
my Mercy, my God, O Blessed Trinity, to You alone be praise and honor, power and
glory, throughout all the endless ages of ages.
41. Contempt for All Earthly Honor
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not take it to heart if you see others honored and advanced,
while you yourself are despised and humbled. Lift up your heart to Me in heaven
and the contempt of men on earth will not grieve you.
The Disciple
Lord, we are blinded and quickly misled by vanity. If I examine myself
rightly, no injury has ever been done me by any creature; hence I have nothing
for which to make just complaint to You. But I have sinned often and gravely
against You; therefore is every creature in arms against me. Confusion and
contempt should in justice come upon me, but to You due praise, honor, and
glory. And unless I prepare myself to be willingly despised and forsaken by
every creature, to be considered absolutely nothing, I cannot have interior
peace and strength, nor can I be enlightened spiritually or completely united
with You.
Peace is Not to Be Placed in Men
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, if you place your peace in any creature because of your own feeling
or for the sake of his company, you will be unsettled and entangled. But if you
have recourse to the ever-living and abiding Truth, you will not grieve if a
friend should die or forsake you. Your love for your friend should be grounded
in Me, and for My sake you should love whoever seems to be good and is very dear
to you in this life. Without Me friendship has no strength and cannot endure.
Love which I do not bind is neither true nor pure.
You ought, therefore, to be so dead to such human affections as to wish as
far as lies within you to be without the fellowship of men. Man draws nearer to
God in proportion as he withdraws farther from all earthly comfort. And he
ascends higher to God as he descends lower into himself and grows more vile in
his own eyes. He who attributes any good to himself hinders God's grace from
coming into his heart, for the grace of the Holy Spirit seeks always the humble
heart.
If you knew how to annihilate yourself completely and empty yourself of all
created love, then I should overflow in you with great grace. When you look to
creatures, the sight of the Creator is taken from you. Learn, therefore, to
conquer yourself in all things for the sake of your Maker. Then will you be able
to attain to divine knowledge. But anything, no matter how small, that is loved
and regarded inordinately keeps you back from the highest good and corrupts the
soul.
43. Beware Vain and Worldly Knowledge
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not let the fine-sounding and subtle words of men deceive you.
For the kingdom of heaven consists not in talk but in virtue. Attend, rather, to
My words which enkindle the heart and enlighten the mind, which excite
contrition and abound in manifold consolations. Never read them for the purpose
of appearing more learned or more wise. Apply yourself to mortifying your vices,
for this will benefit you more than your understanding of many difficult
questions.
Though you shall have read and learned many things, it will always be
necessary for you to return to this one principle: I am He who teaches man
knowledge, and to the little ones I give a clearer understanding than can be
taught by man. He to whom I speak will soon be wise and his soul will profit.
But woe to those who inquire of men about many curious things, and care very
little about the way they serve Me.
The time will come when Christ, the Teacher of teachers, the Lord of angels,
will appear to hear the lessons of all -- that is, to examine the conscience of
everyone. Then He will search Jerusalem with lamps and the hidden things of
darkness will be brought to light and the arguings of men's tongues be
silenced.
I am He Who in one moment so enlightens the humble mind that it comprehends
more of eternal truth than could be learned by ten years in the schools. I teach
without noise of words or clash of opinions, without ambition for honor or
confusion of argument.
I am He Who teaches man to despise earthly possessions and to loathe present
things, to ask after the eternal, to hunger for heaven, to fly honors and to
bear with scandals, to place all hope in Me, to desire nothing apart from Me,
and to love Me ardently above all things. For a certain man by loving Me
intimately learned divine truths and spoke wonders. He profited more by leaving
all things than by studying subtle questions.
To some I speak of common things, to others of special matters. To some I
appear with sweetness in signs and figures, and to others I appear in great
light and reveal mysteries. The voice of books is but a single voice, yet it
does not teach all men alike, because I within them am the Teacher and the
Truth, the Examiner of hearts, the Understander of thoughts, the Promoter of
acts, distributing to each as I see fit.
44. Do Not Be Concerned About Outward Things
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, there are many matters of which it is well for you to be ignorant,
and to consider yourself as one who is dead upon the earth and to whom the whole
world is crucified. There are many things, too, which it is well to pass by with
a deaf ear, thinking, instead, of what is more to your peace. It is more
profitable to turn away from things which displease you and to leave to every
man his own opinion than to take part in quarrelsome talk. If you stand well
with God and look to His judgment, you will more easily bear being worsted.
The Disciple
To what have we come, Lord? Behold, we bewail a temporal loss. We labor and
fret for a small gain, while loss of the soul is forgotten and scarcely ever
returns to mind. That which is of little or no value claims our attention,
whereas that which is of highest necessity is neglected -- all because man gives
himself wholly to outward things. And unless he withdraws himself quickly, he
willingly lies immersed in externals.
45. All Men Are Not to Be Believed, for It Is Easy to Err in
Speech
The Disciple
GRANT me help in my needs, O Lord, for the aid of man is useless. How often
have I failed to find faithfulness in places where I thought I possessed it! And
how many times I have found it where I least expected it! Vain, therefore, is
hope in men, but the salvation of the just is in You, O God. Blessed be Your
name, O Lord my God, in everything that befalls us.
We are weak and unstable, quickly deceived and changed. Who is the man that
is able to guard himself with such caution and care as not sometimes to fall
into deception or perplexity? He who confides in You, O Lord, and seeks You with
a simple heart does not fall so easily. And if some trouble should come upon
him, no matter how entangled in it he may be, he will be more quickly delivered
and comforted by You. For You will not forsake him who trusts in You to the very
end.
Rare is the friend who remains faithful through all his friend's distress.
But You, Lord, and You alone, are entirely faithful in all things; other than
You, there is none so faithful.
Oh, how wise is that holy soul who said: "My mind is firmly settled and
founded in Christ." If that were true of me, human fear would not so easily
cause me anxiety, nor would the darts of words disturb. But who can foresee all
things and provide against all evils? And if things foreseen have often hurt,
can those which are unlooked for do otherwise than wound us gravely? Why,
indeed, have I not provided better for my wretched self? Why, too, have I so
easily kept faith in others? We are but men, however, nothing more than weak
men, although we are thought by many to be, and are called, angels.
In whom shall I put my faith, Lord? In whom but You? You are the truth which
does not deceive and cannot be deceived. Every man, on the other hand, is a
liar, weak, unstable, and likely to err, especially in words, so that one ought
not to be too quick to believe even that which seems, on the face of it, to
sound true. How wise was Your warning to beware of men; that a man's enemies are
those of his own household; that we should not believe if anyone says: "Behold
he is here, or behold he is there."
I have been taught to my own cost, and I hope it has given me greater
caution, not greater folly. "Beware," they say, "beware and keep to yourself
what I tell you!" Then while I keep silent, believing that the matter is secret,
he who asks me to be silent cannot remain silent himself, but immediately
betrays both me and himself, and goes his way. From tales of this kind and from
such careless men protect me, O Lord, lest I fall into their hands and into
their ways. Put in my mouth words that are true and steadfast and keep far from
me the crafty tongue, because what I am not willing to suffer I ought by all
means to shun.
Oh, how good and how peaceful it is to be silent about others, not to believe
without discrimination all that is said, not easily to report it further, to
reveal oneself to few, always to seek You as the discerner of hearts, and not to
be blown away by every wind of words, but to wish that all things, within and
beyond us, be done according to the pleasure of Thy will.
How conducive it is for the keeping of heavenly grace to fly the gaze of men,
not to seek abroad things which seem to cause admiration, but to follow with
utmost diligence those which give fervor and amendment of life! How many have
been harmed by having their virtue known and praised too hastily! And how truly
profitable it has been when grace remained hidden during this frail life, which
is all temptation and warfare!
46. Trust in God Against Slander
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, stand firm and trust in Me. For what are words but words? They fly
through the air but hurt not a stone. If you are guilty, consider how you would
gladly amend. If you are not conscious of any fault, think that you wish to bear
this for the sake of God. It is little enough for you occasionally to endure
words, since you are not yet strong enough to bear hard blows.
And why do such small matters pierce you to the heart, unless because you are
still carnal and pay more heed to men than you ought? You do not wish to be
reproved for your faults and you seek shelter in excuses because you are afraid
of being despised. But look into yourself more thoroughly and you will learn
that the world is still alive in you, in a vain desire to please men. For when
you shrink from being abased and confounded for your failings, it is plain
indeed that you are not truly humble or truly dead to the world, and that the
world is not crucified in you.
Listen to My word, and you will not value ten thousand words of men. Behold,
if every malicious thing that could possibly be invented were uttered against
you, what harm could it do if you ignored it all and gave it no more thought
than you would a blade of grass? Could it so much as pluck one hair from your
head?
He who does not keep his heart within him, and who does not have God before
his eyes is easily moved by a word of disparagement. He who trusts in Me, on the
other hand, and who has no desire to stand by his own judgment, will be free
from the fear of men. For I am the judge and discerner of all secrets. I know
how all things happen. I know who causes injury and who suffers it. From Me that
word proceeded, and with My permission it happened, that out of many hearts
thoughts may be revealed. I shall judge the guilty and the innocent; but I have
wished beforehand to try them both by secret judgment.
The testimony of man is often deceiving, but My judgment is true -- it will
stand and not be overthrown. It is hidden from many and made known to but a few.
Yet it is never mistaken and cannot be mistaken even though it does not seem
right in the eyes of the unwise.
To Me, therefore, you ought to come in every decision, not depending on your
own judgment. For the just man will not be disturbed, no matter what may befall
him from God. Even if an unjust charge be made against him he will not be much
troubled. Neither will he exult vainly if through others he is justly acquitted.
He considers that it is I Who search the hearts and inmost thoughts of men, that
I do not judge according to the face of things or human appearances. For what
the judgment of men considers praiseworthy is often worthy of blame in My
sight.
The Disciple
O Lord God, just Judge, strong and patient, You Who know the weakness and
depravity of men, be my strength and all my confidence, for my own conscience is
not sufficient for me. You know what I do not know, and, therefore, I ought to
humble myself whenever I am accused and bear it meekly. Forgive me, then, in
Your mercy for my every failure in this regard, and give me once more the grace
of greater endurance. Better to me is Your abundant mercy in obtaining pardon
than the justice which I imagine in defending the secrets of my conscience. And
though I am not conscious to myself of any fault, yet I cannot thereby justify
myself, because without Your mercy no man living will be justified in Your
sight.
47. Every Trial Must Be Borne for the Sake of Eternal
Life
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, do not let the labors which you have taken up for My sake break
you, and do not let troubles, from whatever source, cast you down; but in
everything let My promise strengthen and console you. I am able to reward you
beyond all means and measure.
You will not labor here long, nor will you always be oppressed by sorrows.
Wait a little while and you will see a speedy end of evils. The hour will come
when all labor and trouble shall be no more. All that passes away with time is
trivial.
What you do, do well. Work faithfully in My vineyard. I will be your reward.
Write, read, sing, mourn, keep silence, pray, and bear hardships like a man.
Eternal life is worth all these and greater battles. Peace will come on a day
which is known to the Lord, and then there shall be no day or night as at
present but perpetual light, infinite brightness, lasting peace, and safe
repose. Then you will not say: "Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?" nor will you cry: "Woe is me, because my sojourn is prolonged." For then
death will be banished, and there will be health unfailing. There will be no
anxiety then, but blessed joy and sweet, noble companionship.
If you could see the everlasting crowns of the saints in heaven, and the
great glory wherein they now rejoice -- they who were once considered
contemptible in this world and, as it were, unworthy of life itself -- you would
certainly humble yourself at once to the very earth, and seek to be subject to
all rather than to command even one. Nor would you desire the pleasant days of
this life, but rather be glad to suffer for God, considering it your greatest
gain to be counted as nothing among men.
Oh, if these things appealed to you and penetrated deeply into your heart,
how could you dare to complain even once? Ought not all trials be borne for the
sake of everlasting life? In truth, the loss or gain of God's kingdom is no
small matter.
Lift up your countenance to heaven, then. Behold Me, and with Me all My
saints. They had great trials in this life, but now they rejoice. They are
consoled. Now they are safe and at rest. And they shall abide with Me for all
eternity in the kingdom of My Father.
48. The Day of Eternity and the Distresses of This
Life
The Disciple
O MOST happy mansion of the city above! O most bright day of eternity, which
night does not darken, but which the highest truth ever enlightens! O day, ever
joyful and ever secure, which never changes its state to the opposite! Oh, that
this day shine forth, that all these temporal things come to an end! It envelops
the saints all resplendent with heavenly brightness, but it appears far off as
through a glass to us wanderers on the earth. The citizens of heaven know how
joyful that day is, but the exiled sons of Eve mourn that this one is bitter and
tedious.
The days of this life are short and evil, full of grief and distress. Here
man is defiled by many sins, ensnared in many passions, enslaved by many fears,
and burdened with many cares. He is distracted by many curiosities and entangled
in many vanities, surrounded by many errors and worn by many labors, oppressed
by temptations, weakened by pleasures, and tortured by want.
Oh, when will these evils end? When shall I be freed from the miserable
slavery of vice? When, Lord, shall I think of You alone? When shall I fully
rejoice in You? When shall I be without hindrance, in true liberty, free from
every grievance of mind and body? When will there be solid peace, undisturbed
and secure, inward peace and outward peace, peace secured on every side? O good
Jesus, when shall I stand to gaze upon You? When shall I contemplate the glory
of Your kingdom? When will You be all in all to me? Oh, when shall I be with You
in that kingdom of Yours, which You have prepared for Your beloved from all
eternity?
I am left poor and exiled in a hostile land, where every day sees wars and
very great misfortunes. Console my banishment, assuage my sorrow. My whole
desire is for You. Whatever solace this world offers is a burden to me. I desire
to enjoy You intimately, but I cannot attain to it. I wish to cling fast to
heavenly things, but temporal affairs and unmortified passions bear me down. I
wish in mind to be above all things, but I am forced by the flesh to be
unwillingly subject to them. Thus, I fight with myself, unhappy that I am, and
am become a burden to myself, while my spirit seeks to rise upward and my flesh
to sink downward. Oh, what inward suffering I undergo when I consider heavenly
things; when I pray, a multitude of carnal thoughts rush upon me!
O my God, do not remove Yourself far from me, and depart not in anger from
Your servant. Dart forth Your lightning and disperse them; send forth Your
arrows and let the phantoms of the enemy be put to flight. Draw my senses toward
You and make me forget all worldly things. Grant me the grace to cast away
quickly all vicious imaginings and to scorn them. Aid me, O heavenly Truth, that
no vanity may move me. Come, heavenly Sweetness, and let all impurity fly from
before Your face.
Pardon me also, and deal mercifully with me, as often as I think of anything
besides You in prayer. For I confess truly that I am accustomed to be very much
distracted. Very often I am not where bodily I stand or sit; rather, I am where
my thoughts carry me. Where my thoughts are, there am I; and frequently my
thoughts are where my love is. That which naturally delights, or is by habit
pleasing, comes to me quickly. Hence You Who are Truth itself, have plainly
said: "For where your treasure is, there is your heart also." If I love heaven,
I think willingly of heavenly things. If I love the world, I rejoice at the
happiness of the world and grieve at its troubles. If I love the flesh, I often
imagine things that are carnal. If I love the spirit, I delight in thinking of
spiritual matters. For whatever I love, I am willing to speak and hear
about.
Blessed is the man who for Your sake, O Lord, dismisses all creatures, does
violence to nature, crucifies the desires of the flesh in fervor of spirit, so
that with serene conscience he can offer You a pure prayer and, having excluded
all earthly things inwardly and outwardly, becomes worthy to enter into the
heavenly choirs.
49. The Desire of Eternal Life; the Great Rewards Promised to Those
Who Struggle
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, when you feel the desire for everlasting happiness poured out upon
you from above, and when you long to depart out of the tabernacle of the body
that you may contemplate My glory without threat of change, open wide your heart
and receive this holy inspiration with all eagerness. Give deepest thanks to the
heavenly Goodness which deals with you so understandingly, visits you so
mercifully, stirs you so fervently, and sustains you so powerfully lest under
your own weight you sink down to earthly things. For you obtain this not by your
own thought or effort, but simply by the condescension of heavenly grace and
divine regard. And the purpose of it is that you may advance in virtue and in
greater humility, that you may prepare yourself for future trials, that you may
strive to cling to Me with all the affection of your heart, and may serve Me
with a fervent will.
My child, often, when the fire is burning the flame does not ascend without
smoke. Likewise, the desires of some burn toward heavenly things, and yet they
are not free from temptations of carnal affection. Therefore, it is not
altogether for the pure honor of God that they act when they petition Him so
earnestly. Such, too, is often your desire which you profess to be so strong.
For that which is alloyed with self-interest is not pure and perfect.
Ask, therefore, not for what is pleasing and convenient to yourself, but for
what is acceptable to Me and is for My honor, because if you judge rightly, you
ought to prefer and follow My will, not your own desire or whatever things you
wish.
I know your longings and I have heard your frequent sighs. Already you wish
to be in the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. Already you desire the
delights of the eternal home, the heavenly land that is full of joy. But that
hour is not yet come. There remains yet another hour, a time of war, of labor,
and of trial. You long to be filled with the highest good, but you cannot attain
it now. I am that sovereign Good. Await Me, until the kingdom of God shall
come.
You must still be tried on earth, and exercised in many things. Consolation
will sometimes be given you, but the complete fullness of it is not granted.
Take courage, therefore, and be strong both to do and to suffer what is contrary
to nature.
You must put on the new man. You must be changed into another man. You must
often do the things you do not wish to do and forego those you do wish. What
pleases others will succeed; what pleases you will not. The words of others will
be heard; what you say will be accounted as nothing. Others will ask and
receive; you will ask and not receive. Others will gain great fame among men;
about you nothing will be said. To others the doing of this or that will be
entrusted; you will be judged useless. At all this nature will sometimes be sad,
and it will be a great thing if you bear this sadness in silence. For in these
and many similar ways the faithful servant of the Lord is wont to be tried, to
see how far he can deny himself and break himself in all things.
There is scarcely anything in which you so need to die to self as in seeing
and suffering things that are against your will, especially when things that are
commanded seem inconvenient or useless. Then, because you are under authority,
and dare not resist the higher power, it seems hard to submit to the will of
another and give up your own opinion entirely.
But consider, my child, the fruit of these labors, how soon they will end and
how greatly they will be rewarded, and you will not be saddened by them, but
your patience will receive the strongest consolation. For instead of the little
will that you now readily give up, you shall always have your will in heaven.
There, indeed, you shall find all that you could desire. There you shall have
possession of every good without fear of losing it. There shall your will be
forever one with Mine. It shall desire nothing outside of Me and nothing for
itself. There no one shall oppose you, no one shall complain of you, no one
hinder you, and nothing stand in your way. All that you desire will be present
there, replenishing your affection and satisfying it to the full. There I shall
render you glory for the reproach you have suffered here; for your sorrow I
shall give you a garment of praise, and for the lowest place a seat of power
forever. There the fruit of glory will appear, the labor of penance rejoice, and
humble subjection be gloriously crowned.
Bow humbly, therefore, under the will of all, and do not heed who said this
or commanded that. But let it be your special care when something is commanded,
or even hinted at, whether by a superior or an inferior or an equal, that you
take it in good part and try honestly to perform it. Let one person seek one
thing and another something else. Let one glory in this, another in that, and
both be praised a thousand times over. But as for you, rejoice neither in one or
the other, but only in contempt of yourself and in My pleasure and honor. Let
this be your wish: That whether in life or in death God may be glorified in
you.
50. How a Desolate Person Ought to Commit Himself Into the Hands of
God
The Disciple
LORD God, Holy Father, may You be blessed now and in eternity. For as You
will, so is it done; and what You do is good. Let Your servant rejoice in You --
not in himself or in any other, for You alone are true joy. You are my hope and
my crown. You, O Lord, are my joy and my honor.
What does Your servant possess that he has not received from You, and that
without any merit of his own? Yours are all the things which You have given, all
the things which You have made.
I am poor and in labors since my youth, and my soul is sorrowful sometimes
even to the point of tears. At times, also, my spirit is troubled because of
impending sufferings. I long for the joy of peace. Earnestly I beg for the peace
of Your children who are fed by You in the light of consolation. If You give
peace, if You infuse holy joy, the soul of Your servant shall be filled with
holy song and be devout in praising You. But if You withdraw Yourself, as You so
very often do, he will not be able to follow the way of Your commandments, but
will rather be obliged to strike his breast and bend the knee, because his today
is different from yesterday and the day before when Your light shone upon his
head and he was protected in the shadow of Your wings from the temptations
rushing upon him.
Just Father, ever to be praised, the hour is come for Your servant to be
tried. Beloved Father, it is right that in this hour Your servant should suffer
something for You. O Father, forever to be honored, the hour which You knew from
all eternity is at hand, when for a short time Your servant should be outwardly
oppressed, but inwardly should ever live with You.
Let him be a little slighted, let him be humbled, let him fail in the sight
of men, let him be afflicted with sufferings and pains, so that he may rise
again with You in the dawn of the new light and be glorified in heaven.
Holy Father, You have so appointed and wished it. What has happened is what
You commanded. For this is a favor to Your friend, to suffer and be troubled in
the world for Your love, no matter how often and by whom You permit it to happen
to him.
Nothing happens in the world without Your design and providence, and without
cause. It is well for me, O Lord, that You have humbled me, that I may learn the
justice of Your judgments and cast away all presumption and haughtiness of
heart. It is profitable for me that shame has covered my face that I may look to
You rather than to men for consolation. Hereby I have learned also to fear Your
inscrutable judgment falling alike upon the just and unjust yet not without
equity and justice.
Thanks to You that You have not spared me evils but have bruised me with
bitter blows, inflicting sorrows, sending distress without and within. Under
heaven there is none to console me except You, my Lord God, the heavenly
Physician of souls, Who wound and heal, Who cast down to hell and raise up
again. Your discipline is upon me and Your very rod shall instruct me.
Behold, beloved Father, I am in Your hands. I bow myself under Your
correcting chastisement. Strike my back and my neck, that I may bend my
crookedness to Your will. Make of me a pious and humble follower, as in Your
goodness You are wont to do, that I may walk according to Your every nod. Myself
and all that is mine I commit to You to be corrected, for it is better to be
punished here than hereafter.
You know all things without exception, and nothing in man's conscience is
hidden from You. Coming events You know before they happen, and there is no need
for anyone to teach or admonish You of what is being done on earth. You know
what will promote my progress, and how much tribulation will serve to cleanse
away the rust of vice. Deal with me according to Your good pleasure and do not
despise my sinful life, which is known to none so well or so clearly as to You
alone.
Grant me, O Lord, the grace to know what should be known, to praise what is
most pleasing to You, to esteem that which appears most precious to You, and to
abhor what is unclean in Your sight.
Do not allow me to judge according to the light of my bodily eyes, nor to
give sentence according to the hearing of ignorant men's ears. But let me
distinguish with true judgment between things visible and spiritual, and always
seek above all things Your good pleasure. The senses of men often err in their
judgments, and the lovers of this world also err in loving only visible things.
How is a man the better for being thought greater by men? The deceiver deceives
the deceitful, the vain man deceives the vain, the blind deceives the blind, the
weak deceives the weak as often as he extols them, and in truth his foolish
praise shames them the more. For, as the humble St. Francis says, whatever
anyone is in Your sight, that he is and nothing more.
51. When We Cannot Attain to the Highest, We Must Practice the
Humble Works
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, you cannot always continue in the more fervent desire of virtue, or
remain in the higher stage of contemplation, but because of humanity's sin you
must sometimes descend to lower things and bear the burden of this corruptible
life, albeit unwillingly and wearily. As long as you wear a mortal body you will
suffer weariness and heaviness of heart. You ought, therefore, to bewail in the
flesh the burden of the flesh which keeps you from giving yourself unceasingly
to spiritual exercises and divine contemplation.
In such condition, it is well for you to apply yourself to humble, outward
works and to refresh yourself in good deeds, to await with unshaken confidence
My heavenly visitation, patiently to bear your exile and dryness of mind until
you are again visited by Me and freed of all anxieties. For I will cause you to
forget your labors and to enjoy inward quiet. I will spread before you the open
fields of the Scriptures, so that with an open heart you may begin to advance in
the way of My commandments. And you will say: the sufferings of this time are
not worthy to be compared with the future glory which shall be revealed to
us.
52. A Man Ought Not to Consider Himself Worthy of Consolation, But
Rather Deserving of Chastisement
The Disciple
LORD, I am not worthy of Your consolation or of any spiritual visitation.
Therefore, You treat me justly when You leave me poor and desolate. For though I
could shed a sea of tears, yet I should not be worthy of Your consolation.
Hence, I deserve only to be scourged and punished because I have offended You
often and grievously, and have sinned greatly in many things. In all justice,
therefore, I am not worthy of any consolation.
But You, O gracious and merciful God, Who do not will that Your works should
perish, deign to console Your servant beyond all his merit and above human
measure, to show the riches of Your goodness toward the vessels of mercy. For
Your consolations are not like the words of men.
What have I done, Lord, that You should confer on me any heavenly comfort? I
remember that I have done nothing good, but that I have always been prone to sin
and slow to amend. That is true. I cannot deny it. If I said otherwise You would
stand against me, and there would be no one to defend me. What have I deserved
for my sins except hell and everlasting fire?
In truth, I confess that I am deserving of all scorn and contempt. Neither is
it fitting that I should be remembered among Your devoted servants. And although
it is hard for me to hear this, yet for truth's sake I will allege my sins
against myself, so that I may more easily deserve to beg Your mercy. What shall
I say, guilty as I am and full of all confusion? My tongue can say nothing but
this alone: "I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned; have mercy on me and pardon
me. Suffer me a little that I may pour out my grief, before I go to that dark
land that is covered with the shadow of death."
What do you especially demand of a guilty and wretched sinner, except that he
be contrite and humble himself for his sins? In true sorrow and humility of
heart hope of forgiveness is born, the troubled conscience is reconciled, grace
is found, man is preserved from the wrath to come, and God and the penitent meet
with a holy kiss.
To You, O Lord, humble sorrow for sins is an acceptable sacrifice, a
sacrifice far sweeter than the perfume of incense. This is also the pleasing
ointment which You would have poured upon Your sacred feet, for a contrite and
humble heart You have never despised. Here is a place of refuge from the force
of the enemy's anger. Here is amended and washed away whatever defilement has
been contracted elsewhere.
53. God's Grace Is Not Given to the Earthly Minded
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, my grace is precious. It does not allow itself to be mixed with
external things or with earthly consolations. Cast away all obstacles to grace,
therefore, if you wish to receive its infusion.
Seek to retire within yourself. Love to dwell alone with yourself. Seek no
man's conversation, but rather pour forth devout prayer to God that you may keep
your mind contrite and your heart pure.
Consider the whole world as nothing. Prefer attendance upon God to all
outward occupation, for you cannot attend upon Me and at the same time take
delight in external things. You must remove yourself from acquaintances and from
dear friends, and keep your mind free of all temporal consolation. Thus the
blessed Apostle St. Peter begs the faithful of Christ to keep themselves as
strangers and pilgrims in the world.
What great confidence at the hour of death shall be his who is not attached
to this world by any affection. But the sickly soul does not know what it is to
have a heart thus separated from all things, nor does the natural man know the
liberty of the spiritual man. Yet, if he truly wishes to be spiritual, he must
renounce both strangers and friends, and must beware of no one more than
himself.
If you completely conquer yourself, you will more easily subdue all other
things. The perfect victory is to triumph over self. For he who holds himself in
such subjection that sensuality obeys reason and reason obeys Me in all matters,
is truly his own conqueror and master of the world.
Now, if you wish to climb to this high position you must begin like a man,
and lay the ax to the root, in order to tear out and destroy any hidden unruly
love of self or of earthly goods. From this vice of too much self-love comes
almost every other vice that must be uprooted. And when this evil is vanquished,
and brought under control, great peace and quiet will follow at once.
But because few labor to die entirely to self, or tend completely away from
self, therefore they remain entangled in self, and cannot be lifted in spirit
above themselves. But he who desires to walk freely with Me must mortify all his
low and inordinate affections, and must not cling with selfish love or desire to
any creature.
54. The Different Motions of Nature and Grace
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, pay careful attention to the movements of nature and of grace, for
they move in very contrary and subtle ways, and can scarcely be distinguished by
anyone except a man who is spiritual and inwardly enlightened. All men, indeed,
desire what is good, and strive for what is good in their words and deeds. For
this reason the appearance of good deceives many.
Nature is crafty and attracts many, ensnaring and deceiving them while ever
seeking itself. But grace walks in simplicity, turns away from all appearance of
evil, offers no deceits, and does all purely for God in whom she rests as her
last end.
Nature is not willing to die, or to be kept down, or to be overcome. Nor will
it subdue itself or be made subject. Grace, on the contrary, strives for
mortification of self. She resists sensuality, seeks to be in subjection, longs
to be conquered, has no wish to use her own liberty, loves to be held under
discipline, and does not desire to rule over anyone, but wishes rather to live,
to stand, and to be always under God for Whose sake she is willing to bow humbly
to every human creature.
Nature works for its own interest and looks to the profit it can reap from
another. Grace does not consider what is useful and advantageous to herself, but
rather what is profitable to many. Nature likes to receive honor and reverence,
but grace faithfully attributes all honor and glory to God. Nature fears shame
and contempt, but grace is happy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.
Nature loves ease and physical rest. Grace, however, cannot bear to be idle and
embraces labor willingly. Nature seeks to possess what is rare and beautiful,
abhorring things that are cheap and coarse. Grace, on the contrary, delights in
simple, humble things, not despising those that are rough, nor refusing to be
clothed in old garments.
Nature has regard for temporal wealth and rejoices in earthly gains. It is
sad over a loss and irritated by a slight, injurious word. But grace looks to
eternal things and does not cling to those which are temporal, being neither
disturbed at loss nor angered by hard words, because she has placed her treasure
and joy in heaven where nothing is lost.
Nature is covetous, and receives more willingly than it gives. It loves to
have its own private possessions. Grace, however, is kind and openhearted. Grace
shuns private interest, is contented with little, and judges it more blessed to
give than to receive.
Nature is inclined toward creatures, toward its own flesh, toward vanities,
and toward running about. But grace draws near to God and to virtue, renounces
creatures, hates the desires of the flesh, restrains her wanderings and blushes
at being seen in public.
Nature likes to have some external comfort in which it can take sensual
delight, but grace seeks consolation only in God, to find her delight in the
highest Good, above all visible things.
Nature does everything for its own gain and interest. It can do nothing
without pay and hopes for its good deeds to receive their equal or better, or
else praise and favor. It is very desirous of having its deeds and gifts highly
regarded. Grace, however, seeks nothing temporal, nor does she ask any
recompense but God alone. Of temporal necessities she asks no more than will
serve to obtain eternity.
Nature rejoices in many friends and kinsfolk, glories in noble position and
birth, fawns on the powerful, flatters the rich, and applauds those who are like
itself. But grace loves even her enemies and is not puffed up at having many
friends. She does not think highly of either position or birth unless there is
also virtue there. She favors the poor in preference to the rich. She
sympathizes with the innocent rather than with the powerful. She rejoices with
the true man rather than with the deceitful, and is always exhorting the good to
strive for better gifts, to become like the Son of God by practicing the
virtues.
Nature is quick to complain of need and trouble; grace is stanch in suffering
want. Nature turns all things back to self. It fights and argues for self. Grace
brings all things back to God in Whom they have their source. To herself she
ascribes no good, nor is she arrogant or presumptuous. She is not contentious.
She does not prefer her own opinion to the opinion of others, but in every
matter of sense and thought submits herself to eternal wisdom and the divine
judgment.
Nature has a relish for knowing secrets and hearing news. It wishes to appear
abroad and to have many sense experiences. It wishes to be known and to do
things for which it will be praised and admired. But grace does not care to hear
news or curious matters, because all this arises from the old corruption of man,
since there is nothing new, nothing lasting on earth. Grace teaches, therefore,
restraint of the senses, avoidance of vain self-satisfaction and show, the
humble hiding of deeds worthy of praise and admiration, and the seeking in every
thing and in every knowledge the fruit of usefulness, the praise and honor of
God. She will not have herself or hers exalted, but desires that God Who bestows
all simply out of love should be blessed in His gifts.
This grace is a supernatural light, a certain special gift of God, the proper
mark of the elect and the pledge of everlasting salvation. It raises man up from
earthly things to love the things of heaven. It makes a spiritual man of a
carnal one. The more, then, nature is held in check and conquered, the more
grace is given. Every day the interior man is reformed by new visitations
according to the image of God.
55. The Corruption of Nature and the Efficacy of Divine
Grace
The Disciple
O LORD, my God, Who created me to Your own image and likeness, grant me this
grace which You have shown to be so great and necessary for salvation, that I
may overcome my very evil nature that is drawing me to sin and perdition. For I
feel in my flesh the law of sin contradicting the law of my mind and leading me
captive to serve sensuality in many things. I cannot resist the passions thereof
unless Your most holy grace warmly infused into my heart assist me.
There is need of Your grace, and of great grace, in order to overcome a
nature prone to evil from youth. For through the first man, Adam, nature is
fallen and weakened by sin, and the punishment of that stain has fallen upon all
mankind. Thus nature itself, which You created good and right, is considered a
symbol of vice and the weakness of corrupted nature, because when left to itself
it tends toward evil and to baser things. The little strength remaining in it is
like a spark hidden in ashes. That strength is natural reason which, surrounded
by thick darkness, still has the power of judging good and evil, of seeing the
difference between true and false, though it is not able to fulfill all that it
approves and does not enjoy the full light of truth or soundness of
affection.
Hence it is, my God, that according to the inward man I delight in Your law,
knowing that Your command is good, just, and holy, and that it proves the
necessity of shunning all evil and sin. But in the flesh I keep the law of sin,
obeying sensuality rather than reason. Hence, also, it is that the will to good
is present in me, but how to accomplish it I know not. Hence, too, I often
propose many good things, but because the grace to help my weakness is lacking,
I recoil and give up at the slightest resistance. Thus it is that I know the way
of perfection and see clearly enough how I ought to act, but because I am
pressed down by the weight of my own corruption I do not rise to more perfect
things.
How extremely necessary to me, O Lord, Your grace is to begin any good deed,
to carry it on and bring it to completion! For without grace I can do nothing,
but with its strength I can do all things in You. O Grace truly heavenly,
without which our merits are nothing and no gifts of nature are to be
esteemed!
Before You, O Lord, no arts or riches, no beauty or strength, no wit or
intelligence avail without grace. For the gifts of nature are common to good and
bad alike, but the peculiar gift of Your elect is grace or love, and those who
are signed with it are held worthy of everlasting life. So excellent is this
grace that without it no gift of prophecy or of miracles, no meditation be it
ever so exalted, can be considered anything. Not even faith or hope or other
virtues are acceptable to You without charity and grace.
O most blessed grace, which makes the poor in spirit rich in virtues, which
renders him who is rich in many good things humble of heart, come, descend upon
me, fill me quickly with your consolation lest my soul faint with weariness and
dryness of mind.
Let me find grace in Your sight, I beg, Lord, for Your grace is enough for
me, even though I obtain none of the things which nature desires. If I am
tempted and afflicted with many tribulations, I will fear no evils while Your
grace is with me. This is my strength. This will give me counsel and help. This
is more powerful than all my enemies and wiser than all the wise. This is the
mistress of truth, the teacher of discipline, the light of the heart, the
consoler in anguish, the banisher of sorrow, the expeller of fear, the nourisher
of devotion, the producer of tears. What am I without grace, but dead wood, a
useless branch, fit only to be cast away?
Let Your grace, therefore, go before me and follow me, O Lord, and make me
always intent upon good works, through Jesus Christ, Your Son.
56. We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing
the Cross
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will be able to
enter into Me. As the giving up of exterior things brings interior peace, so the
forsaking of self unites you to God. I will have you learn perfect surrender to
My will, without contradiction or complaint.
Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is
no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no
living. I am the Way which you must follow, the Truth which you must believe,
the Life for which you must hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth,
the unending Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the Life
that is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in My Way you shall
know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall attain life
everlasting.
If you wish to enter into life, keep My commandments. If you will know the
truth, believe in Me. If you will be perfect, sell all. If you will be My
disciple, deny yourself. If you will possess the blessed life, despise this
present life. If you will be exalted in heaven, humble yourself on earth. If you
wish to reign with Me, carry the Cross with Me. For only the servants of the
Cross find the life of blessedness and of true light.
The Disciple
Lord Jesus, because Your way is narrow and despised by the world, grant that
I may despise the world and imitate You. For the servant is not greater than his
Lord, nor the disciple above the Master. Let Your servant be trained in Your
life, for there is my salvation and true holiness. Whatever else I read or hear
does not fully refresh or delight me.
The Voice of Christ
My child, now that you know these things and have read them all, happy will
you be if you do them. He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that
loves Me. And I will love him and will show Myself to him, and will bring it
about that he will sit down with Me in My Father's Kingdom.
The Disciple
Lord Jesus, as You have said, so be it, and what You have promised, let it be
my lot to win. I have received the cross, from Your hand I have received it. I
will carry it, carry it even unto death as You have laid it upon me. Truly, the
life of a good religious man is a cross, but it leads to paradise. We have begun
-- we may not go back, nor may we leave off.
Take courage, brethren, let us go forward together and Jesus will be with us.
For Jesus' sake we have taken this cross. For Jesus' sake let us persevere with
it. He will be our help as He is also our leader and guide. Behold, our King
goes before us and will fight for us. Let us follow like men. Let no man fear
any terrors. Let us be prepared to meet death valiantly in battle. Let us not
suffer our glory to be blemished by fleeing from the Cross.
57. A Man Should Not Be Too Downcast When He Falls Into
Defects
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, patience and humility in adversity are more pleasing to Me than
much consolation and devotion when things are going well.
Why are you saddened by some little thing said against you? Even if it had
been more you ought not to have been affected. But now let it pass. It is not
the first, nor is it anything new, and if you live long it will not be the
last.
You are manly enough so long as you meet no opposition. You give good advice
to others, and you know how to strengthen them with words, but when unexpected
tribulation comes to your door, you fail both in counsel and in strength.
Consider your great weakness, then, which you experience so often in small
matters. Yet when these and like trials happen, they happen for your good.
Put it out of your heart as best you know how, and if it has touched you,
still do not let it cast you down or confuse you for long. Bear it patiently at
least, if you cannot bear it cheerfully. Even though you bear it unwillingly,
and are indignant at it, restrain yourself and let no ill-ordered words pass
your lips at which the weak might be scandalized. The storm that is now aroused
will soon be quieted and your inward grief will be sweetened by returning grace.
"I yet live," says the Lord, "ready to help you and to console you more and
more, if you trust in Me and call devoutly upon Me."
Remain tranquil and prepare to bear still greater trials. All is not lost
even though you be troubled oftener or tempted more grievously. You are a man,
not God. You are flesh, not an angel. How can you possibly expect to remain
always in the same state of virtue when the angels in heaven and the first man
in paradise failed to do so? I am He Who rescues the afflicted and brings to My
divinity those who know their own weakness.
The Disciple
Blessed be Your words, O Lord, sweeter to my mouth than honey and the
honeycomb. What would I do in such great trials and anxieties, if You did not
strengthen me with Your holy words? If I may but attain to the haven of
salvation, what does it matter what or how much I suffer? Grant me a good end.
Grant me a happy passage out of this world. Remember me, my God, and lead me by
the right way into Your kingdom.
58. High Matters and the Hidden Judgments of God Are Not to Be
Scrutinized
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, beware of discussing high matters and God's hidden judgments -- why
this person is so forsaken and why that one is favored with so great a grace, or
why one man is so afflicted and another so highly exalted. Such things are
beyond all human understanding and no reason or disputation can fathom the
judgments of God.
When the enemy puts such suggestions in your mind, therefore, or when some
curious persons raise questions about them, answer with the prophet: "Thou art
just, O Lord, and righteous are Thy judgments"; and this: "The judgments of the
Lord are true and wholly righteous." My judgments are to be feared, not
discussed, because they are incomprehensible to the understanding of men.
In like manner, do not inquire or dispute about the merits of the saints, as
to which is more holy, or which shall be greater in the kingdom of heaven. Such
things often breed strife and useless contentions. They nourish pride and
vainglory, whence arise envy and quarrels, when one proudly tries to exalt one
saint and the other another. A desire to know and pry into such matters brings
forth no fruit. On the contrary, it displeases the saints, because I am the God,
not of dissension, but of peace -- of that peace which consists in true humility
rather than in self-exaltation.
Some are drawn by the ardor of their love with greater affection to these
saints or to those, but this affection is human and not divine. I am He who made
all the saints. I gave them grace: I brought them to glory. I know the merits of
each of them. I came before them in the blessings of My sweetness. I knew My
beloved ones before the ages. I chose them out of the world -- they did not
choose Me. I called them by grace, I drew them on by mercy. I led them safely
through various temptations. I poured into them glorious consolations. I gave
them perseverance and I crowned their patience. I know the first and the last. I
embrace them all with love inestimable. I am to be praised in all My saints. I
am to be blessed above all things, and honored in each of those whom I have
exalted and predestined so gloriously without any previous merits of their
own.
He who despises one of the least of mine, therefore, does no honor to the
greatest, for both the small and the great I made. And he who disparages one of
the saints disparages Me also and all others in the kingdom of heaven. They are
all one through the bond of charity. They have the same thought and the same
will, and they mutually love one another; but, what is a much greater thing,
they love Me more than themselves or their own merits. Rapt above themselves,
and drawn beyond love of self, they are entirely absorbed in love of Me, in Whom
they rest. There is nothing that can draw them away or depress them, for they
who are filled with eternal truth burn with the fire of unquenchable love.
Therefore, let carnal and sensual men, who know only how to love their own
selfish joys, forbear to dispute about the state of God's saints. Such men take
away and add according to their own inclinations and not as it pleases the
Eternal Truth. In many this is sheer ignorance, especially in those who are but
little enlightened and can rarely love anyone with a purely spiritual love. They
are still strongly drawn by natural affection and human friendship to one person
or another, and on their behavior in such things here below are based their
imaginings of heavenly things. But there is an incomparable distance between the
things which the imperfect imagine and those which enlightened men contemplate
through revelation from above.
Be careful, then, My child, of treating matters beyond your knowledge out of
curiosity. Let it rather be your business and aim to be found, even though the
least, in the kingdom of God. For though one were to know who is more holy than
another, or who is greater in the kingdom of heaven, of what value would this
knowledge be to him unless out of it he should humble himself before Me and
should rise up in greater praise of My name?
The man who thinks of the greatness of his own sins and the littleness of his
virtues, and of the distance between himself and the perfection of the saints,
acts much more acceptably to God than the one who argues about who is greater or
who is less. It is better to invoke the saints with devout prayers and tears,
and with a humble mind to beg their glorious aid, than to search with vain
inquisitiveness into their secrets.
The saints are well and perfectly contented if men know how to content
themselves and cease their useless discussions. They do not glory in their own
merits, for they attribute no good to themselves but all to Me, because out of
My infinite charity I gave all to them. They are filled with such love of God
and with such overflowing joy, that no glory is wanting to them and they can
lack no happiness. All the saints are so much higher in glory as they are more
humble in themselves; nearer to Me, and more beloved by Me. Therefore, you find
it written that they cast their crowns before God, and fell down upon their
faces before the Lamb, and adored Him Who lives forever.
Many ask who is the greater in the kingdom of heaven when they do not know
whether they themselves shall be worthy of being numbered among its least. It is
a great thing to be even the least in heaven where all are great because all
shall be called, and shall be, the children of God. The least shall be as a
thousand, and the sinner of a hundred years shall die. For when the disciples
asked who should be greater in the kingdom of heaven they heard this response:
"Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whosoever shall humble himself as this little
child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven."
Woe to those, therefore, who disdain to humble themselves willingly with the
little children, for the low gate of the heavenly kingdom will not permit them
to enter. Woe also to the rich who have their consolations here, for when the
poor enter into God's kingdom, they will stand outside lamenting. Rejoice, you
humble, and exult, you poor, for the kingdom of God is yours, if only you walk
in the truth.
59. All Hope and Trust Are to Be Fixed In God Alone
The Disciple
WHAT, Lord, is the trust which I have in this life, or what is my greatest
comfort among all the things that appear under heaven? Is it not You, O Lord, my
God, Whose mercies are without number? Where have I ever fared well but for You?
Or how could things go badly when You were present? I had rather be poor for
Your sake than rich without You. I prefer rather to wander on the earth with You
than to possess heaven without You. Where You are there is heaven, and where You
are not are death and hell. You are my desire and therefore I must cry after You
and sigh and pray. In none can I fully trust to help me in my necessities, but
in You alone, my God. You are my hope. You are my confidence. You are my
consoler, most faithful in every need.
All seek their own interests. You, however, place my salvation and my profit
first, and turn all things to my good. Even though exposing me to various
temptations and hardships, You Who are accustomed to prove Your loved ones in a
thousand ways, order all this for my good. You ought not to be loved or praised
less in this trial than if You had filled me with heavenly consolations.
In You, therefore, O Lord God, I place all my hope and my refuge. On You I
cast all my troubles and anguish, because whatever I have outside of You I find
to be weak and unstable. It will not serve me to have many friends, nor will
powerful helpers be able to assist me, nor prudent advisers to give useful
answers, nor the books of learned men to console, nor any precious substance to
win my freedom, nor any place, secret and beautiful though it be, to shelter me,
if You Yourself do not assist, comfort, console, instruct, and guard me. For all
things which seem to be for our peace and happiness are nothing when You are
absent, and truly confer no happiness.
You, indeed, are the fountain of all good, the height of life, the depth of
all that can be spoken. To trust in You above all things is the strongest
comfort of Your servants.
My God, the Father of mercies, to You I look, in You I trust. Bless and
sanctify my soul with heavenly benediction, so that it may become Your holy
dwelling and the seat of Your eternal glory. And in this temple of Your dignity
let nothing be found that might offend Your majesty. In Your great goodness, and
in the multitude of Your mercies, look upon me and listen to the prayer of Your
poor servant exiled from You in the region of the shadow of death. Protect and
preserve the soul of Your poor servant among the many dangers of this
corruptible life, and direct him by Your accompanying grace, through the ways of
peace, to the land of everlasting light.
BOOK 4 . AN INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
The Voice of Christ
COME to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. The
bread which I will give is My Flesh, for the life of the world. Take you and
eat: this is My Body, which shall be delivered for you. Do this for the
commemoration of Me. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in
Me, and I in him. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
1. The Great Reverence With Which We Should Receive
Christ
The Disciple
THESE are all Your words, O Christ, eternal Truth, though they were not all
spoken at one time nor written together in one place. And because they are Yours
and true, I must accept them all with faith and gratitude. They are Yours and
You have spoken them; they are mine also because You have spoken them for my
salvation. Gladly I accept them from Your lips that they may be the more deeply
impressed in my heart.
Words of such tenderness, so full of sweetness and love, encourage me; but my
sins frighten me and an unclean conscience thunders at me when approaching such
great mysteries as these. The sweetness of Your words invites me, but the
multitude of my vices oppresses me.
You command me to approach You confidently if I wish to have part with You,
and to receive the food of immortality if I desire to obtain life and glory
everlasting.
"Come to me," You say, "all you that labor and are burdened, and I will
refresh you."
Oh, how sweet and kind to the ear of the sinner is the word by which You, my
Lord God, invite the poor and needy to receive Your most holy Body! Who am I,
Lord, that I should presume to approach You? Behold, the heaven of heavens
cannot contain You, and yet You say: "Come, all of you, to Me."
What means this most gracious honor and this friendly invitation? How shall I
dare to come, I who am conscious of no good on which to presume? How shall I
lead You into my house, I who have so often offended in Your most kindly sight?
Angels and archangels revere You, the holy and the just fear You, and You say:
"Come to Me: all of you!" If You, Lord, had not said it, who would have believed
it to be true? And if You had not commanded, who would dare approach?
Behold, Noah, a just man, worked a hundred years building the ark that he and
a few others might be saved; how, then, can I prepare myself in one hour to
receive with reverence the Maker of the world?
Moses, Your great servant and special friend, made an ark of incorruptible
wood which he covered with purest gold wherein to place the tables of Your law;
shall I, a creature of corruption, dare so easily to receive You, the Maker of
law and the Giver of life?
Solomon, the wisest of the kings of Israel, spent seven years building a
magnificent temple in praise of Your name, and celebrated its dedication with a
feast of eight days. He offered a thousand victims in Your honor and solemnly
bore the Ark of the Covenant with trumpeting and jubilation to the place
prepared for it; and I, unhappy and poorest of men, how shall I lead You into my
house, I who scarcely can spend a half-hour devoutly -- would that I could spend
even that as I ought!
O my God, how hard these men tried to please You! Alas, how little is all
that I do! How short the time I spend in preparing for Communion! I am seldom
wholly recollected, and very seldom, indeed, entirely free from distraction. Yet
surely in the presence of Your life-giving Godhead no unbecoming thought should
arise and no creature possess my heart, for I am about to receive as my guest,
not an angel, but the very Lord of angels.
Very great, too, is the difference between the Ark of the Covenant with its
treasures and Your most pure Body with its ineffable virtues, between these
sacrifices of the law which were but figures of things to come and the true
offering of Your Body which was the fulfillment of all ancient sacrifices.
Why, then, do I not long more ardently for Your adorable presence? Why do I
not prepare myself with greater care to receive Your sacred gifts, since those
holy patriarchs and prophets of old, as well as kings and princes with all their
people, have shown such affectionate devotion for the worship of God?
The most devout King David danced before the ark of God with all his strength
as he recalled the benefits once bestowed upon his fathers. He made musical
instruments of many kinds. He composed psalms and ordered them sung with joy. He
himself often played upon the harp when moved by the grace of the Holy Ghost. He
taught the people of Israel to praise God with all their hearts and to raise
their voices every day to bless and glorify Him. If such great devotion
flourished in those days and such ceremony in praise of God before the Ark of
the Covenant, what great devotion ought not I and all Christian people now show
in the presence of this Sacrament; what reverence in receiving the most
excellent Body of Christ!
Many people travel far to honor the relics of the saints, marveling at their
wonderful deeds and at the building of magnificent shrines. They gaze upon and
kiss the sacred relics encased in silk and gold; and behold, You are here
present before me on the altar, my God, Saint of saints, Creator of men, and
Lord of angels!
Often in looking at such things, men are moved by curiosity, by the novelty
of the unseen, and they bear away little fruit for the amendment of their lives,
especially when they go from place to place lightly and without true contrition.
But here in the Sacrament of the altar You are wholly present, my God, the man
Christ Jesus, whence is obtained the full realization of eternal salvation, as
often as You are worthily and devoutly received. To this, indeed, we are not
drawn by levity, or curiosity, or sensuality, but by firm faith, devout hope,
and sincere love.
O God, hidden Creator of the world, how wonderfully You deal with us! How
sweetly and graciously You dispose of things with Your elect to whom You offer
Yourself to be received in this Sacrament! This, indeed, surpasses all
understanding. This in a special manner attracts the hearts of the devout and
inflames their love. Your truly faithful servants, who give their whole life to
amendment, often receive in Holy Communion the great grace of devotion and love
of virtue.
Oh, the wonderful and hidden grace of this Sacrament which only the faithful
of Christ understand, which unbelievers and slaves of sin cannot experience! In
it spiritual grace is conferred, lost virtue restored, and the beauty, marred by
sin, repaired. At times, indeed, its grace is so great that, from the fullness
of the devotion, not only the mind but also the frail body feels filled with
greater strength.
Nevertheless, our neglect and coldness is much to be deplored and pitied,
when we are not moved to receive with greater fervor Christ in Whom is the hope
and merit of all who will be saved. He is our sanctification and redemption. He
is our consolation in this life and the eternal joy of the blessed in heaven.
This being true, it is lamentable that many pay so little heed to the salutary
Mystery which fills the heavens with joy and maintains the whole universe in
being.
Oh, the blindness and the hardness of the heart of man that does not show
more regard for so wonderful a gift, but rather falls into carelessness from its
daily use! If this most holy Sacrament were celebrated in only one place and
consecrated by only one priest in the whole world, with what great desire, do
you think, would men be attracted to that place, to that priest of God, in order
to witness the celebration of the divine Mysteries! But now there are many
priests and Mass is offered in many places, that God's grace and love for men
may appear the more clearly as the Sacred Communion is spread more widely
through the world.
Thanks be to You, Jesus, everlasting Good Shepherd, Who have seen fit to feed
us poor exiled people with Your precious Body and Blood, and to invite us with
words from Your own lips to partake of these sacred Mysteries: "Come to Me, all
you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you."
2. God's Great Goodness and Love is Shown to Man in This
Sacrament
The Disciple
TRUSTING in Your goodness and great mercy, O Lord, I come as one sick to the
Healer, as one hungry and thirsty to the Fountain of life, as one in need to the
King of heaven, a servant to his Lord, a creature to his Creator, a soul in
desolation to my gentle Comforter.
But whence is this to me, that You should come to me? Who am I that You
should offer Yourself to me? How dares the sinner to appear in Your presence,
and You, how do You condescend to come to the sinner? You know Your servant, and
You know that he has nothing good in him that You should grant him this.
I confess, therefore, my unworthiness. I acknowledge Your goodness. I praise
Your mercy, and give thanks for Your immense love. For it is because of Yourself
that You do it, not for any merit of mine; so that Your goodness may be better
known to me, that greater love may be aroused and more perfect humility born in
me. Since, then, this pleases You and You have so willed it, Your graciousness
pleases me also. Oh, that my sinfulness may not stand in the way!
O most sweet and merciful Jesus, what great reverence, thanks, and
never-ending praise are due to You for our taking of Your sacred body, whose
dignity no man can express!
But on what shall I think in this Communion, this approach to my Lord, Whom I
can never reverence as I ought, and yet Whom I desire devoutly to receive? What
thought better, more helpful to me than to humble myself entirely in Your
presence and exalt Your infinite goodness above myself?
I praise You, my God, and extol You forever! I despise myself and cast myself
before You in the depths of my unworthiness. Behold, You are the Holy of holies,
and I the scum of sinners! Behold, You bow down to me who am not worthy to look
up to You! Behold, You come to me! You will to be with me! You invite me to Your
banquet! You desire to give me heavenly food, the Bread of Angels to eat, none
other than Yourself, the living Bread Who are come down from heaven and give
life to the world.
Behold, whence love proceeds! What condescension shines forth! What great
thanks and praise are due You for these gifts! Oh, how salutary and profitable
was Your design in this institution! How sweet and pleasant the banquet when You
gave Yourself as food!
How admirable is Your work, O Lord! How great Your power! How infallible Your
truth! For You spoke and all things were made, and this, which You commanded,
was done. It is a wonderful thing, worthy of faith, overpowering human
understanding, that You, O Lord, my God, true God and man, are contained whole
and entire under the appearance of a little bread and wine, and without being
consumed are eaten by him who receives You!
You, the Lord of the universe, Who have need of nothing, have willed to dwell
in us by means of Your Sacrament. Keep my heart and body clean, so that with a
joyous and spotless conscience I may be able often to celebrate Your Mysteries
and to receive for my eternal salvation what You have ordained and instituted
for Your special honor and as an everlasting memorial.
Rejoice, my soul, and give thanks to God for having left you so noble a gift
and so special a consolation in this valley of tears. As often as you renew this
Mystery and receive the Body of Christ, so often do you enact the work of
redemption and become a sharer in all the merits of Christ, for the love of
Christ never grows less and the wealth of His mercy is never exhausted.
Therefore, you should prepare yourself for it by constantly renewing your
heart and pondering deeply the great mystery of salvation. As often as you
celebrate or hear Mass, it should seem as great, as new, as sweet to you as if
on that very day Christ became man in the womb of the Virgin, or, hanging on the
Cross, suffered and died for the salvation of man.
3. It Is Profitable to Receive Communion Often
The Disciple
BEHOLD, I come to You, Lord, that I may prosper by Your gift and be delighted
at Your holy banquet which You, O God, in Your sweetness have prepared for Your
poor. Behold, all that I can or ought to desire is in You. You are my salvation
and my redemption, my hope and strength, my honor and glory.
Gladden, then, this day the soul of Your servant because I have raised my
heart to You, O Lord Jesus. I long to receive You now, devoutly and reverently.
I desire to bring You into my house that, with Zacheus, I may merit Your
blessing and be numbered among the children of Abraham.
My soul longs for Your Body; my heart desires to be united with You. Give me
Yourself -- it is enough; for without You there is no consolation. Without You I
cannot exist, without Your visitation I cannot live. I must often come to You,
therefore, and receive the strength of my salvation lest, deprived of this
heavenly food, I grow weak on the way. Once, most merciful Jesus, while
preaching to the people and healing their many ills, You said: "I will not send
them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." Deal with me likewise, You Who
have left Yourself in this Sacrament for the consolation of the faithful. You
are sweet refreshment to the soul, and he who eats You worthily will be a sharer
in, and an heir to, eternal glory.
It is indeed necessary for me, who fall and sin so often, who so quickly
become lax and weak, to renew, cleanse, and inflame myself through frequent
prayer, confession, and the holy reception of Your Body, lest perhaps by
abstaining too long, I fall away from my holy purpose. For from the days of his
youth the senses of man are prone to evil, and unless divine aid strengthens
him, he quickly falls deeper. But Holy Communion removes him from evil and
confirms him in good.
If I am so often careless and lax when I celebrate or communicate, what would
happen if I did not receive this remedy and seek so great a help? Although I am
neither fit nor properly disposed to celebrate every day, yet I will do my best
at proper times to receive the divine Mysteries and share in this great grace.
This, indeed, is the one chief consolation of the faithful soul when separated
from You by mortality, that often mindful of her God, she receives her Beloved
with devout recollection.
Oh, wonderful condescension of Your affection toward us, that You, the Lord
God, Creator and Giver of life to all, should see fit to come to a poor soul and
to appease her hunger with all Your divinity and humanity! O happy mind and
blessed soul which deserves to receive You, her Lord God, and in receiving You,
is filled with spiritual joy! How great a Master she entertains, what a beloved
guest she receives, how sweet a companion she welcomes, how true a friend she
gains, how beautiful and noble is the spouse she embraces, beloved and desired
above all things that can be loved and desired! Let heaven and earth and all
their treasures stand silent before Your face, most sweetly Beloved, for
whatever glory and beauty they have is of Your condescending bounty, and they
cannot approach the beauty of Your name, Whose wisdom is untold.
4. Many Blessings Are Given Those Who Receive Communion
Worthily
The Disciple
O LORD my God, favor Your servant with the blessings of Your sweetness that I
may merit to approach Your magnificent Sacrament worthily and devoutly. Lift up
my heart to You and take away from me this heavy indolence. Visit me with Your
saving grace that I may in spirit taste Your sweetness which lies hidden in this
Sacrament like water in the depths of a spring. Enlighten my eyes to behold this
great Mystery, and give me strength to believe in it with firm faith.
For it is Your work, not the power of man, Your sacred institution, not his
invention. No man is able of himself to comprehend and understand these things
which surpass even the keen vision of angels. How, then, shall I, an unworthy
sinner who am but dust and ashes, be able to fathom and understand so great a
mystery?
O Lord, I come to You at Your command in simplicity of heart, in good, firm
faith, with hope and reverence, and I truly believe that You are present here in
this Sacrament, God and man. It is Your will that I receive You and unite myself
to You in love. Wherefore, I beg Your mercy and ask that special grace be given
me, that I may be wholly dissolved in You and filled with Your love, no longer
to concern myself with exterior consolations. For this, the highest and most
worthy Sacrament, is the health of soul and body, the cure of every spiritual
weakness. In it my defects are remedied, my passions restrained, and temptations
overcome or allayed. In it greater grace is infused, growing virtue is
nourished, faith confirmed, hope strengthened, and charity fanned into
flame.
You, my God, the protector of my soul, the strength of human weakness, and
the giver of every interior consolation, have given and still do often give in
this Sacrament great gifts to Your loved ones who communicate devoutly.
Moreover, You give them many consolations amid their numerous troubles and lift
them from the depths of dejection to the hope of Your protection. With new
graces You cheer and lighten them within, so that they who are full of anxiety
and without affection before Communion may find themselves changed for the
better after partaking of this heavenly food and drink.
Likewise, You so deal with Your elect that they may truly acknowledge and
plainly experience how weak they are in themselves and what goodness and grace
they obtain from You. For though in themselves they are cold, obdurate, and
wanting in devotion, through You they become fervent, cheerful, and devout.
Who, indeed, can humbly approach the fountain of sweetness and not carry away
a little of it? Or who, standing before a blazing fire does not feel some of its
heat? You are a fountain always filled with superabundance! You are a fire, ever
burning, that never fails!
Therefore, while I may not exhaust the fullness of the fountain or drink to
satiety, yet will I put my lips to the mouth of this heavenly stream that from
it I may receive at least some small drop to refresh my thirst and not wither
away. And if I cannot as yet be all heavenly or as full of fire as the cherubim
and seraphim, yet I will try to become more devout and prepare my heart so that
I may gather some small spark of divine fire from the humble reception of this
life-giving Sacrament.
Whatever is wanting in me, good Jesus, Savior most holy, do You in Your
kindness and grace supply for me, You Who have been pleased to call all unto
You, saying: "Come to Me all you that labor and are burdened and I will refresh
you."
I, indeed, labor in the sweat of my brow. I am torn with sorrow of heart. I
am laden with sin, troubled with temptations, enmeshed and oppressed by many
evil passions, and there is none to help me, none to deliver and save me but
You, my Lord God and Savior, to Whom I entrust myself and all I have, that You
may protect me and lead me to eternal life. For the honor and glory of Your name
receive me, You Who have prepared Your Body and Blood as food and drink for me.
Grant, O Lord, my God and Savior, that by approaching Your Mysteries frequently,
the zeal of my devotion may increase.
5. The Dignity of the Sacrament and of the
Priesthood
The Voice of Christ
HAD you the purity of an angel and the sanctity of St. John the Baptist, you
would not be worthy to receive or administer this Sacrament. It is not because
of any human meriting that a man consecrates and administers the Sacrament of
Christ, and receives the Bread of Angels for his food. Great is the Mystery and
great the dignity of priests to whom is given that which has not been granted
the angels. For priests alone, rightly ordained in the Church, have power to
celebrate Mass and consecrate the Body of Christ.
The priest, indeed, is the minister of God, using the word of God according
to His command and appointment. God, moreover, is there -- the chief Author and
invisible Worker to Whom all is subject as He wills, to Whom all are obedient as
He commands.
In this most excellent Sacrament, therefore, you ought to believe in God
rather than in your own senses or in any visible sign, and thus, with fear and
reverence draw near to such a work as this. Look to yourself and see whose
ministry has been given you through the imposition of the bishop's hands.
Behold, you have been made a priest, consecrated to celebrate Mass! See to it
now that you offer sacrifice to God faithfully and devoutly at proper times, and
that you conduct yourself blamelessly. You have not made your burden lighter.
Instead, you are now bound by stricter discipline and held to more perfect
sanctity.
A priest ought to be adorned with all virtues and show the example of a good
life to others. His way lies not among the vulgar and common habits of men but
with the angels in heaven and the perfect men on earth. A priest clad in the
sacred vestments acts in Christ's place, that he may pray to God both for
himself and for all people in a suppliant and humble manner. He has before and
behind him the sign of the Lord's cross that he may always remember the Passion
of Christ. It is before him, on the chasuble, that he may look closely upon the
footsteps of Christ and try to follow them fervently. It is behind him -- he is
signed with it -- that he may gladly suffer for God any adversities inflicted by
others.
He wears the cross before him that he may mourn his own sins, behind him,
that in pity he may mourn the sins of others, and know that he is appointed to
stand between God and the sinner, never to become weary of prayer and the holy
offering until it is granted him to obtain grace and mercy.
When the priest celebrates Mass, he honors God, gladdens the angels,
strengthens the Church, helps the living, brings rest to the departed, and wins
for himself a share in all good things.
6. An Inquiry on the Proper Thing to Do Before
Communion
The Disciple
WHEN I consider Your dignity, O Lord, and my own meanness, I become very much
frightened and confused. For if I do not receive, I fly from Life, and if I
intrude unworthily, I incur Your displeasure. What, then, shall I do, my God, my
Helper and Adviser in necessity? Teach me the right way. Place before me some
short exercise suitable for Holy Communion, for it is good to know in what
manner I ought to make my heart ready devoutly and fervently for You, to receive
Your Sacrament for the good of my soul, or even to celebrate so great and divine
a sacrifice.
7. The Examination of Conscience and the Resolution to
Amend
The Voice of Christ
ABOVE all, God's priest should approach the celebration and reception of this
Sacrament with the deepest humility of heart and suppliant reverence, with
complete faith and the pious intention of giving honor to God.
Carefully examine your conscience, then. Cleanse and purify it to the best of
your power by true contrition and humble confession, that you may have no
burden, know of no remorse, and thus be free to come near. Let the memory of all
your sins grieve you, and especially lament and bewail your daily
transgressions. Then if time permits, confess to God in the secret depths of
your heart all the miseries your passions have caused.
Lament and grieve because you are still so worldly, so carnal, so passionate
and unmortified, so full of roving lust, so careless in guarding the external
senses, so often occupied in many vain fancies, so inclined to exterior things
and so heedless of what lies within, so prone to laughter and dissipation and so
indisposed to sorrow and tears, so inclined to ease and the pleasures of the
flesh and so cool to austerity and zeal, so curious to hear what is new and to
see the beautiful and so slow to embrace humiliation and dejection, so covetous
of abundance, so niggardly in giving and so tenacious in keeping, so
inconsiderate in speech, so reluctant in silence, so undisciplined in character,
so disordered in action, so greedy at meals, so deaf to the Word of God, so
prompt to rest and so slow to labor, so awake to empty conversation, so sleepy
in keeping sacred vigils and so eager to end them, so wandering in your
attention, so careless in saying the office, so lukewarm in celebrating, so
heartless in receiving, so quickly distracted, so seldom fully recollected, so
quickly moved to anger, so apt to take offense at others, so prone to judge, so
severe in condemning, so happy in prosperity and so weak in adversity, so often
making good resolutions and carrying so few of them into action.
When you have confessed and deplored these and other faults with sorrow and
great displeasure because of your weakness, be firmly determined to amend your
life day by day and to advance in goodness. Then, with complete resignation and
with your entire will offer yourself upon the altar of your heart as an
everlasting sacrifice to the honor of My name, by entrusting with faith both
body and soul to My care, that thus you may be considered worthy to draw near
and offer sacrifice to God and profitably receive the Sacrament of My Body. For
there is no more worthy offering, no greater satisfaction for washing away sin
than to offer yourself purely and entirely to God with the offering of the Body
of Christ in Mass and Communion.
If a man does what he can and is truly penitent, however often he comes to Me
for grace and pardon, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of
the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live"; I will no longer
remember his sins, but all will be forgiven him.
8. The Offering of Christ on the Cross; Our Offering
The Voice of Christ
AS I offered Myself willingly to God the Father for your sins with hands
outstretched and body naked on the cross, so that nothing remained in Me that
had not become a complete sacrifice to appease the divine wrath, so ought you to
be willing to offer yourself to Me day by day in the Mass as a pure and holy
oblation, together with all your faculties and affections, with as much inward
devotion as you can.
What more do I ask than that you give yourself entirely to Me? I care not for
anything else you may give Me, for I seek not your gift but you. Just as it
would not be enough for you to have everything if you did not have Me, so
whatever you give cannot please Me if you do not give yourself.
Offer yourself to Me, therefore, and give yourself entirely for God -- your
offering will be accepted. Behold, I offered Myself wholly to the Father for
you, I even gave My whole Body and Blood for food that I might be all yours, and
you Mine forever.
But if you rely upon self, and do not offer your free will to Mine, your
offering will be incomplete and the union between us imperfect. Hence, if you
desire to attain grace and freedom of heart, let the free offering of yourself
into the hands of God precede your every action. This is why so few are inwardly
free and enlightened -- they know not how to renounce themselves entirely.
My word stands: "Everyone of you that doth not renounce all that he
possesseth, cannot be My disciple."
If, therefore, you wish to be My disciple, offer yourself to Me with all your
heart.
9. We Should Offer Ourselves and All That We Have to God, Praying
for All
The Disciple
ALL things in heaven and on earth, O Lord, are Yours. I long to give myself
to You as a voluntary offering to remain forever Yours. With a sincere heart I
offer myself this day to You, O Lord, to Your eternal service, to Your homage,
and as a sacrifice of everlasting praise. Receive me with this holy offering of
Your precious Body which also I make to You this day, in the presence of angels
invisibly attending, for my salvation and that of all Your people.
O Lord, upon Your altar of expiation, I offer You all the sins and offenses I
have committed in Your presence and in the presence of Your holy angels, from
the day when I first could sin until this hour, that You may burn and consume
them all in the fire of Your love, that You may wipe away their every stain,
cleanse my conscience of every fault, and restore to me Your grace which I lost
in sin by granting full pardon for all and receiving me mercifully with the kiss
of peace.
What can I do for all my sins but humbly confess and lament them, and implore
Your mercy without ceasing? In Your mercy, I implore You, hear me when I stand
before You, my God. All my sins are most displeasing to me. I wish never to
commit them again. I am sorry for them and will be sorry as long as I live. I am
ready to do penance and make satisfaction to the utmost of my power.
Forgive me, O God, forgive me my sins for Your Holy Name. Save my soul which
You have redeemed by Your most precious Blood. See, I place myself at Your
mercy. I commit myself to Your hands. Deal with me according to Your goodness,
not according to my malicious and evil ways.
I offer to You also all the good I have, small and imperfect though it be,
that You may make it more pure and more holy, that You may be pleased with it,
render it acceptable to Yourself, and perfect it more and more, and finally that
You may lead me, an indolent and worthless creature, to a good and happy
end.
I offer You also all the holy desires of Your devoted servants, the needs of
my parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and all who are dear to me; of all who
for Your sake have been kind to me or to others; of all who have wished and
asked my prayers and Masses for them and theirs, whether they yet live in the
flesh or are now departed from this world, that they may all experience the help
of Your grace, the strength of Your consolation, protection from dangers,
deliverance from punishment to come, and that, free from all evils, they may
gladly give abundant thanks to You.
I offer You also these prayers and the Sacrifice of Propitiation for those
especially who have in any way injured, saddened, or slandered me, inflicted
loss or pain upon me, and also for all those whom I have at any time saddened,
disturbed, offended, and abused by word or deed, willfully or in ignorance. May
it please You to forgive us all alike our sins and offenses against one
another.
Take away from our hearts, O Lord, all suspicion, anger, wrath, contention,
and whatever may injure charity and lessen brotherly love. Have mercy, O Lord,
have mercy on those who ask Your mercy, give grace to those who need it, and
make us such that we may be worthy to enjoy Your favor and gain eternal
life.
10. Do Not Lightly Forego Holy Communion
The Voice of Christ
YOU must often return to the source of grace and divine mercy, to the
fountain of goodness and perfect purity, if you wish to be free from passion and
vice, if you desire to be made stronger and more watchful against all the
temptations and deceits of the devil.
The enemy, knowing the great good and the healing power of Holy Communion,
tries as much as he can by every manner and means to hinder and keep away the
faithful and the devout. Indeed, there are some who suffer the worst assaults of
Satan when disposing themselves to prepare for Holy Communion. As it is written
in Job, this wicked spirit comes among the sons of God to trouble them by his
wonted malice, to make them unduly fearful and perplexed, that thus he may
lessen their devotion or attack their faith to such an extent that they perhaps
either forego Communion altogether or receive with little fervor.
No attention, however, must be paid to his cunning wiles, no matter how base
and horrible -- all his suggestions must be cast back upon his head. The wretch
is to be despised and scorned. Holy Communion must not be passed by because of
any assaults from him or because of the commotion he may arouse.
Oftentimes, also, too great solicitude for devotion and anxiety about
confession hinder a person. Do as wise men do. Cast off anxiety and scruple, for
it impedes the grace of God and destroys devotion of the mind.
Do not remain away from Holy Communion because of a small trouble or vexation
but go at once to confession and willingly forgive all others their offenses. If
you have offended anyone, humbly seek pardon and God will readily forgive
you.
What good is it to delay confession for a long time or to put off Holy
Communion? Cleanse yourself at once, spit out the poison quickly. Make haste to
apply the remedy and you will find it better than if you had waited a long time.
If you put it off today because of one thing, perhaps tomorrow a greater will
occur to you, and thus you will stay away from Communion for a long time and
become even more unfit.
Shake off this heaviness and sloth as quickly as you can, for there is no
gain in much anxiety, in enduring long hours of trouble, and in depriving
yourself of the divine Mysteries because of these daily disturbances. Yes, it is
very hurtful to defer Holy Communion long, for it usually brings on a lazy
spiritual sleep.
How sad that some dissolute and lax persons are willing to postpone
confession and likewise wish to defer Holy Communion, lest they be forced to
keep a stricter watch over themselves! Alas, how little love and devotion have
they who so easily put off Holy Communion!
How happy and acceptable to God is he who so lives, and keeps his conscience
so pure, as to be ready and well disposed to communicate, even every day if he
were permitted, and if he could do so unnoticed.
If, now and then, a man abstains by the grace of humility or for a legitimate
reason, his reverence is commendable, but if laziness takes hold of him, he must
arouse himself and do everything in his power, for the Lord will quicken his
desire because of the good intention to which He particularly looks. When he is
indeed unable to come, he will always have the good will and pious intention to
communicate and thus he will not lose the fruit of the Sacrament.
Any devout person may at any hour on any day receive Christ in spiritual
communion profitably and without hindrance. Yet on certain days and times
appointed he ought to receive with affectionate reverence the Body of his
Redeemer in this Sacrament, seeking the praise and honor of God rather than his
own consolation.
For as often as he devoutly calls to mind the mystery and passion of the
Incarnate Christ, and is inflamed with love for Him, he communicates mystically
and is invisibly refreshed.
He who prepares himself only when festivals approach or custom demands, will
often find himself unprepared. Blessed is he who offers himself a sacrifice to
the Lord as often as he celebrates or communicates.
Be neither too slow nor too fast in celebrating but follow the good custom
common to those among whom you are. You ought not to cause others inconvenience
or trouble, but observe the accepted rule as laid down by superiors, and look to
the benefit of others rather than to your own devotion or inclination.
11. The Body of Christ and Sacred Scripture Are Most Necessary to a
Faithful Soul
The Disciple
O MOST sweet Lord Jesus, how great is the happiness of the devout soul that
feasts upon You at Your banquet, where there is set before her to be eaten no
other food but Yourself alone, her only Lover, most desired of all that her
heart can desire!
To me it would be happiness, indeed, to shed tears in Your presence from the
innermost depths of love, and like the pious Magdalen to wash Your feet with
them. But where now is this devotion, this copious shedding of holy tears?
Certainly in Your sight, before Your holy angels, my whole heart ought to be
inflamed and weep for joy. For, hidden though You are beneath another form, I
have You truly present in the Sacrament.
My eyes could not bear to behold You in Your own divine brightness, nor could
the whole world stand in the splendor of the glory of Your majesty. In veiling
Yourself in the Sacrament, therefore, You have regard for my weakness.
In truth, I possess and adore Him Whom the angels adore in heaven -- I as yet
by faith, they face to face unveiled. I must be content with the light of the
true faith and walk in it until the day of eternal brightness dawns and the
shadow of figures passes away. When, moreover, that which is perfect shall have
come, the need of sacraments shall cease, for the blessed in heavenly glory need
no healing sacrament. Rejoicing endlessly in the presence of God, beholding His
glory face to face, transformed from their own brightness to the brightness of
the ineffable Deity, they taste the Word of God made flesh, as He was in the
beginning and will remain in eternity.
Though mindful of these wonderful things, every spiritual solace becomes
wearisome to me because so long as I do not plainly see the Lord in His glory, I
consider everything I hear and see on earth of little account.
You are my witness, O God, that nothing can comfort me, no creature give me
rest but You, my God, Whom I desire to contemplate forever. But this is not
possible while I remain in mortal life, and, therefore, I must be very patient
and submit myself to You in every desire.
Even Your saints, O Lord, who now rejoice with You in the kingdom of heaven,
awaited the coming of Your glory with faith and great patience while they lived.
What they believed, I believe. What they hoped for, I hope for, and whither they
arrived, I trust I shall come by Your grace. Meanwhile I will walk in faith,
strengthened by the example of the saints. I shall have, besides, for comfort
and for the guidance of my life, the holy Books, and above all these, Your most
holy Body for my special haven and refuge.
I feel there are especially necessary for me in this life two things without
which its miseries would be unbearable. Confined here in this prison of the body
I confess I need these two, food and light. Therefore, You have given me in my
weakness Your sacred Flesh to refresh my soul and body, and You have set Your
word as the guiding light for my feet. Without them I could not live aright, for
the word of God is the light of my soul and Your Sacrament is the Bread of
Life.
These also may be called the two tables, one here, one there, in the treasure
house of holy Church. One is the table of the holy altar, having the holy Bread
that is the precious Body of Christ. The other is the table of divine law,
containing holy doctrine that teaches all the true faith and firmly leads them
within the veil, the Holy of holies.
Thanks to You, Lord Jesus, Light of eternal light, for the table of Your holy
teaching which You have prepared for us by Your servants, the prophets and
Apostles and other learned men.
Thanks to You, Creator and Redeemer of men, Who, to declare Your love to all
the world, have prepared a great supper in which You have placed before us as
food not the lamb, the type of Yourself, but Your own most precious Body and
Blood, making all the faithful glad in Your sacred banquet, intoxicating them
with the chalice of salvation in which are all the delights of paradise; and the
holy angels feast with us but with more happiness and sweetness.
Oh, how great and honorable is the office of the priest, to whom is given the
consecration of the Lord of majesty in sacred words, whose lips bless Him, whose
hands hold Him, whose tongue receives Him, and whose ministry it is to bring Him
to others!
Oh, how clean those hands should be, how pure the lips, how sanctified the
body, how immaculate the heart of the priest to whom the Author of all purity so
often comes. No word but what is holy, none but what is good and profitable
ought to come from the lips of the priest who so often receives the Sacrament of
Christ. Single and modest should be the eyes accustomed to looking upon the Body
of Christ. Pure and lifted up to heaven the hands accustomed to handle the
Creator of heaven and earth. To priests above all it is written in the law: "Be
ye holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy."
Let Your grace, almighty God, assist us, that we who have undertaken the
office of the priesthood may serve You worthily and devoutly in all purity and
with a good conscience. And if we cannot live as innocently as we ought, grant
us at least to lament duly the wrongs we have committed and in the spirit of
humility and the purpose of a good will to serve You more fervently in the
future.
12. The Communicant Should Prepare Himself for Christ with Great
Care
The Voice of Christ
I AM the Lover of purity, the Giver of all holiness. I seek a pure heart and
there is the place of My rest.
Prepare for Me a large room furnished and I with My disciples will keep the
Pasch with you.
If you wish that I come to you and remain with you, purge out the old leaven
and make clean the dwelling of your heart. Shut out the whole world with all the
din of its vices. Sit as the sparrow lonely on the housetop, and think on your
transgressions in bitterness of soul.
Everyone who loves prepares the best and most beautiful home for his beloved,
because the love of the one receiving his lover is recognized thereby.
But understand that you cannot by any merit of your own make this preparation
well enough, though you spend a year in doing it and think of nothing else. It
is only by My goodness and grace that you are allowed to approach My table, as
though a beggar were invited to dinner by a rich man and he had nothing to offer
in return for the gift but to humble himself and give thanks.
Do what you can and do that carefully. Receive the Body of the Lord, your
beloved God Who deigns to come to you, not out of habit or necessity, but with
fear, with reverence, and with love.
I am He that called you. I ordered it done. I will supply what you lack. Come
and receive Me.
When I grant the grace of devotion, give thanks to God, not because you are
worthy but because I have had mercy upon you. If you have it not and feel rather
dry instead, continue in prayer, sigh and knock, and do not give up until you
receive some crumb of saving grace.
You have need of Me. I do not need you. You do not come to sanctify Me but I
come to sanctify you and make you better. You come to be sanctified and united
with Me, to receive new grace and to be aroused anew to amend. Do not neglect
this grace, but prepare your heart with all care, and bring into it your
Beloved.
Not only should you prepare devoutly before Communion, but you should also
carefully keep yourself in devotion after receiving the Sacrament. The careful
custody of yourself afterward is no less necessary than the devout preparation
before, for a careful afterwatch is the best preparation for obtaining greater
grace. If a person lets his mind wander to external comforts, he becomes quite
indisposed.
Beware of much talking. Remain in seclusion and enjoy your God, for you have
Him Whom all the world cannot take from you.
I am He to Whom you should give yourself entirely, that from now on you may
live, not in yourself, but in Me, with all cares cast away.
13. With All Her Heart the Devout Soul Should Desire Union with
Christ in the Sacrament
The Disciple
LET it be granted me to find You alone, O Christ, to open to You my whole
heart, to enjoy You as my soul desires, to be disturbed by no one, to be moved
and troubled by no creature, that You may speak to me and I to You alone, as a
lover speaks to his loved one, and friend converses with friend.
I pray for this, I desire this, that I may be completely united to You and
may withdraw my heart from all created things, learning to relish the celestial
and the eternal through Holy Communion and the frequent celebration of Mass.
Ah Lord God, when shall I be completely united to You and absorbed by You,
with self utterly forgotten? You in me and I in You? Grant that we may remain so
together. You in truth are my Beloved, chosen from thousands, in Whom my soul is
happy to dwell all the days of her life. You are in truth my pledge of peace, in
Whom is the greatest peace and true rest, without Whom there is toil and sorrow
and infinite misery.
You truly are the hidden God. Your counsel is not with the wicked, and Your
conversation is rather with the humble and the simple.
O how kind is Your spirit, Lord, Who in order to show Your sweetness toward
Your children, deign to feed them with the sweetest of bread, bread come down
from heaven! Surely there is no other people so fortunate as to have their god
near them, as You, our God, are present everywhere to the faithful, to whom You
give Yourself to be eaten and enjoyed for their daily solace and the raising of
their hearts to heaven.
Indeed, what other nation is so renowned as the Christian peoples? What
creature under heaven is so favored as the devout soul to whom God comes, to
feed her with His glorious Flesh? O unspeakable grace! O wonderful
condescension! O love beyond measure, singularly bestowed upon man!
What return shall I make to the Lord for this love, this grace so boundless?
There is nothing I can give more pleasing than to offer my heart completely to
my God, uniting it closely with His. Then shall all my inner self be glad when
my soul is perfectly united with God. Then will He say to me: "If you will be
with Me, I will be with you." And I will answer Him: "Deign, O Lord, to remain
with me. I will gladly be with You. This is my one desire, that my heart may be
united with You."
14. The Ardent Longing of Devout Men for the Body of
Christ
The Disciple
HOW great is the abundance of Your kindness, O Lord, which You have hidden
from those who fear You!
When I think how some devout persons come to Your Sacrament with the greatest
devotion and love, I am frequently ashamed and confused that I approach Your
altar and the table of Holy Communion so coldly and indifferently; that I remain
so dry and devoid of heartfelt affection; that I am not completely inflamed in
Your presence, O my God, nor so strongly drawn and attracted as many devout
persons who, in their great desire for Communion and intense heart love, could
not restrain their tears but longed from the depths of their souls and bodies to
embrace You, the Fountain of Life. These were able to appease and allay their
hunger in no other way than by receiving Your Body with all joy and spiritual
eagerness. The faith of these men was true and ardent -- convincing proof of
Your sacred presence. They whose hearts burn so ardently within them when Jesus
lives with them truly know their Lord in the breaking of bread.
Such affection and devotion, such mighty love and zeal are often far beyond
me. Be merciful to me, O sweet, good, kind Jesus, and grant me, Your poor
suppliant, sometimes at least to feel in Holy Communion a little of the
tenderness of Your love, that my faith may grow stronger, that my hope in Your
goodness may increase, and that charity, once perfectly kindled within me by
tasting heavenly manna, may never fail.
Your mercy can give me the grace I long for and can visit me most graciously
with fervor of soul according to Your good pleasure. For although I am not now
inflamed with as great desire as those who are singularly devoted to You, yet by
Your grace I long for this same great flame, praying and seeking a place among
all such ardent lovers that I may be numbered among their holy company.
15. The Grace of Devotion is Acquired Through Humility and
Self-Denial
The Voice of Christ
YOU must seek earnestly the grace of devotion, ask for it fervently, await it
patiently and hopefully, receive it gratefully, guard it humbly, cooperate with
it carefully and leave to God, when it comes, the length and manner of the
heavenly visitation.
When you feel little or no inward devotion, you should especially humiliate
yourself, but do not become too dejected or unreasonably sad. In one short
moment God often gives what He has long denied. At times He grants at the end
what He has denied from the beginning of prayer. If grace were always given at
once, or were present at our beck and call, it would not be well taken by weak
humankind. Therefore, with good hope and humble patience await the grace of
devotion.
When it is not given, or for some unknown reason is taken away, blame
yourself and your sins. Sometimes it is a small matter that hinders grace and
hides it, if, indeed, that which prevents so great a good may be called little
rather than great. But if you remove this hindrance, be it great or small, and
if you conquer it perfectly, you shall have what you ask. As soon as you have
given yourself to God with all your heart and seek neither this nor that for
your own pleasure and purpose, but place yourself completely in His charge, you
shall find yourself at peace, united with Him, because nothing will be so sweet,
nothing will please you so much as the good pleasure of His will.
Anyone, therefore, who shall with simplicity of heart direct his intention to
God and free himself from all inordinate love or dislike for any creature will
be most fit to receive grace and will be worthy of the gift of devotion. For
where the Lord finds the vessel empty He pours down His blessing.
So also the more perfectly a man renounces things of this world, and the more
completely he dies to himself through contempt of self, the more quickly this
great grace comes to him, the more plentifully it enters in, and the higher it
uplifts the free heart.
Then shall he see and abound, then shall his heart marvel and be enlarged
within him, because the Hand of the Lord is with him and in the hollow of that
Hand he has placed himself forever. Thus shall the man be blessed who seeks God
with all his heart and has not regarded his soul in vain. Such a one, receiving
the Holy Eucharist, merits the grace of divine union because he looks not on his
own thoughts, nor to his own comfort, but above all devotion and consolation to
the glory and honor of God.
16. We Should Show Our Needs to Christ and Ask His
Grace
The Disciple
O MOST kind, most loving Lord, Whom I now desire to receive with devotion,
You know the weakness and the necessity which I suffer, in what great evils and
vices I am involved, how often I am depressed, tempted, defiled, and
troubled.
To You I come for help, to You I pray for comfort and relief. I speak to Him
Who knows all things, to Whom my whole inner life is manifest, and Who alone can
perfectly comfort and help me.
You know what good things I am most in need of and how poor I am in virtue.
Behold I stand before You, poor and naked, asking Your grace and imploring Your
mercy.
Feed Your hungry beggar. Inflame my coldness with the fire of Your love.
Enlighten my blindness with the brightness of Your presence. Turn all earthly
things to bitterness for me, all grievance and adversity to patience, all lowly
creation to contempt and oblivion. Raise my heart to You in heaven and suffer me
not to wander on earth. From this moment to all eternity do You alone grow sweet
to me, for You alone are my food and drink, my love and my joy, my sweetness and
my total good.
Let Your presence wholly inflame me, consume and transform me into Yourself,
that I may become one spirit with You by the grace of inward union and by the
melting power of Your ardent love.
Suffer me not to go from You fasting and thirsty, but deal with me mercifully
as You have so often and so wonderfully dealt with Your saints.
What wonder if I were completely inflamed by You to die to myself, since You
are the fire ever burning and never dying, a love purifying the heart and
enlightening the understanding.
17. The Burning Love and Strong Desire to Receive
Christ
The Disciple
WITH greatest devotion and ardent love, with all affection and fervor of
heart I wish to receive You, O Lord, as many saints and devout persons, most
pleasing to You in their holiness of life and most fervent in devotion, desired
You in Holy Communion.
O my God, everlasting love, my final good, my happiness unending, I long to
receive You with as strong a desire and as worthy a reverence as any of the
saints ever had or could have felt, and though I am not worthy to have all these
sentiments of devotion, still I offer You the full affection of my heart as if I
alone had all those most pleasing and ardent desires.
Yet, whatever a God-fearing mind can conceive and desire, I offer in its
entirety to You with the greatest reverence and inward affection. I wish to keep
nothing for self but to offer to You, willingly and most freely, myself and all
that is mine.
O Lord God, my Creator and my Redeemer, I long to receive You this day with
such reverence, praise, and honor, with such gratitude, worthiness and love,
with such faith, hope, and purity as that with which Your most holy Mother, the
glorious Virgin Mary, longed for and received You when she humbly and devoutly
answered the angel who announced to her the mystery of the Incarnation: "Behold
the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word."
Likewise as Your blessed precursor, the most excellent of saints, John the
Baptist, gladdened by Your presence, exulted in the Holy Ghost while yet
enclosed in the womb of his mother, and afterward seeing Jesus walking among
men, humbled himself and with devout love declared: "The friend of the
bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the
bridegroom's voice," even so I long to be inflamed with great and holy desires
and to give myself to You with all my heart.
Therefore I offer and present to You the gladness of all devout hearts, their
ardent affection, their mental raptures, their supernatural illuminations and
heavenly visions together with all the virtues and praises which have been or
shall be celebrated by all creatures in heaven and on earth, for myself and all
commended to my prayers, that You may be worthily praised and glorified
forever.
Accept, O Lord my God, my promises and desires of giving You infinite praise
and boundless benediction, which in the vastness of Your ineffable greatness are
justly due You. This I render and desire to render every day and every moment of
time, and in my loving prayers I invite and entreat all celestial spirits and
all the faithful to join me in giving You praise and thanks.
Let all people, races, and tongues praise You and with the greatest joy and
most ardent devotion magnify Your sweet and holy name. And let all who
reverently and devoutly celebrate this most great Sacrament and receive it in
the fullness of faith, find kindness and mercy in You and humbly pray for me, a
sinner. And when they have received the longed-for devotion and blissful union,
and, well consoled and wonderfully refreshed, have retired from Your holy, Your
celestial table, may they deign to remember my poor soul.
18. Man Should Not Scrutinize This Sacrament in Curiosity, But
Humbly Imitate Christ and Submit Reason to Holy Faith
The Voice of Christ
BEWARE of curious and vain examination of this most profound Sacrament, if
you do not wish to be plunged into the depths of doubt. He who scrutinizes its
majesty too closely will be overwhelmed by its glory.
God can do more than man can understand. A pious and humble search for truth
He will allow, a search that is ever ready to learn and that seeks to walk in
the reasonable doctrine of the fathers.
Blest is the simplicity that leaves the difficult way of dispute and goes
forward on the level, firm path of God's commandments. Many have lost devotion
because they wished to search into things beyond them.
Faith is required of you, and a sincere life, not a lofty intellect nor a
delving into the mysteries of God. If you neither know nor understand things
beneath you, how can you comprehend what is above you? Submit yourself to God
and humble reason to faith, and the light of understanding will be given you so
far as it is good and necessary for you. Some are gravely tempted concerning
faith and the Sacrament but this disturbance is not laid to them but to the
enemy.
Be not disturbed, dispute not in your mind, answer not the doubts sent by the
devil, but believe the words of God, believe His saints and prophets and the
evil enemy will flee from you. It is often very profitable for the servant of
God to suffer such things. For Satan does not tempt unbelievers and sinners whom
he already holds securely, but in many ways he does tempt and trouble the
faithful servant.
Go forward, then, with sincere and unflinching faith, and with humble
reverence approach this Sacrament. Whatever you cannot understand commit to the
security of the all-powerful God, Who does not deceive you. The man, however,
who trusts in himself is deceived. God walks with sincere men, reveals Himself
to humble men, enlightens the understanding of pure minds, and hides His grace
from the curious and the proud.
Human reason is weak and can be deceived. True faith, however, cannot be
deceived. All reason and natural science ought to come after faith, not go
before it, nor oppose it. For in this most holy and supremely excellent
Sacrament, faith and love take precedence and work in a hidden manner.
God, eternal, incomprehensible, and infinitely powerful, does great and
inscrutable things in heaven and on earth, and there is no searching into His
marvelous works. If all the works of God were such that human reason could
easily grasp them, they would not be called wonderful or beyond the power of
words to tell.
|