The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis
BOOK THREE: INTERNAL CONSOLATION
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1. The Inward Conversation of Christ with the Faithful Soul
2. Truth Speaks Inwardly without the Sound of Words
3. Listen Humbly to the Words of God. Many Do Not Heed Them
4. We Must Walk Before God in Humility and Truth
5. The Wonderful Effect of Divine Love
6. The Proving of a True Lover
7. Grace Must Be Hidden Under the Mantle of Humility
8. Self-Abasement in the Sight of God
9. All Things Should be Referred to God as their Last End
10. To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet
11 The Longings of Our Hearts Must Be Examined and Moderated
12. Acquiring Patience in the Fight against Concupiscence
13. The Obedience of One Humbly Subject to the Example of Jesus Christ
14. Consider the Hidden Judgments of God Lest You Become Proud of Your Own
Good Deeds
15. How One Should Feel and Speak on Every Desirable Thing
16. True Comfort is to be Sought in God Alone
17. All Our Care is to be Placed in God
18. Temporal Sufferings Should be Borne Patiently, After the Example of
Christ
19. True Patience in Suffering
20. Confessing Our Weakness in the Miseries of Life
21. Above All Goods and All Gifts We Must Rest in God
22. Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God
23. Four Things Which Bring Great Peace
24. Avoiding Curious Inquiry About the Lives of Others
25. The Basis of Firm Peace of Heart and True Progress
26. The Excellence of a Free Mind, Gained Through Prayer Rather Than by
Study
27. Self-Love is the Greatest Hindrance to the Highest Good
28. Strength Against Slander
29. How We Must Call Upon and Bless the Lord When Trouble Presses
30. The Quest of Divine Help and Confidence in Regaining Grace
31. To Find the Creator, Forsake All Creatures
32. Self-Denial and the Renunciation of Evil Appetites
33. Restlessness of Soul -- Directing Our Final Intention Toward God
34. God is Sweet Above All Things and in All Things to Those Who Love Him
35. There is No Security from Temptation in This Life
36. The Vain Judgments of Men
37. Pure and Entire Resignation of Self to Obtain Freedom of Heart
38. The Right Ordering of External Affairs; Recourse to God in Dangers
39. A Man Should Not be Unduly Solicitous about his Affairs
40. Man Has No Good in Himself and Can Glory in Nothing
41. Contempt for All Earthly Honor
42. Peace is not to be Placed in Men
43. Beware Vain and Worldly Knowledge
44. Do Not be Concerned About Outward Things
45. All Men Are Not To Be Believed, For It is Easy To Err in Speech
46. Trust in God Against Slander
47. Every Trial Must Be Borne for the Sake of Eternal Life
48. The Day of Eternity and the Distresses of this Life
49. The Desire of Eternal Life; The Great Rewards Promised to Those Who
Struggle
50. How a Desolate Person Ought to Commit Himself into the Hands of God
51. When We Cannot Attain to the Highest, We Must Practice the Humble Works
52. A Man Ought Not to Consider Himself Worthy of Consolation, But Rather
Deserving of Chastisement
53. God's Grace Is Not Given to the Earthly Minded
54. The Different Motions of Nature and Grace
55. The Corruption of Nature and the Efficacy of Divine Grace
56. We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing the Cross
57. A Man Should Not Be Too Downcast When He Falls Into Defects
58. High Matters and the Hidden Judgments of God Are Not To Be Scrutinized
59. All Hope and Trust Are To Be Fixed in God Alone
The First Chapter
THE INWARD CONVERSATION OF CHRIST WITH THE FAITHFUL SOUL
I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me."
[Psalm
84:9]
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.
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The Second Chapter
TRUTH SPEAKS INWARDLY WITHOUT THE SOUND OF WORDS
THE VOICE of the DISCIPLE
Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth."
[Kings
3:9]
"I am Thy servant. Give me understanding that I may know Thine ordinances
[Psalm
118:125]
. . . Incline my heart to Thine ordinances [Psalm 118:36]
. . . Let Thy speech distil as the dew." [Deuteronomy 32:2]
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." [Exodus 20:19]
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." [John 6:69]
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.
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The Third Chapter
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 VOICE of 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," [Psalm 93:12]
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."
[Isaiah
23:4]
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.
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The Fourth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Fifth Chapter
THE WONDERFUL EFFECT OF DIVINE LOVE
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Sixth Chapter
THE PROVING OF A TRUE LOVER
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
My child, you are not yet a brave and wise lover.
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Seventh Chapter
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.
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The Eighth Chapter
SELF-ABASEMENT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Ninth Chapter
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.
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The Tenth Chapter
TO DESPISE THE WORLD AND SERVE GOD IS SWEET
THE VOICE of 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!
The Eleventh Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Twelfth Chapter
ACQUIRING PATIENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CONCUPISCENCE
THE VOICE of 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."
[Psalm
36:4]
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.
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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.
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The Fourteenth Chapter
CONSIDER THE HIDDEN JUDGMENTS OF GOD LEST YOU BECOME PROUD OF YOUR OWN GOOD
DEEDS
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Fifteenth Chapter
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.
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The Sixteenth Chapter
TRUE COMFORT IS TO BE SOUGHT IN GOD ALONE
THE VOICE of 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."
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The Seventeenth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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 VOICE of 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. [Psalm
51:10-12.]
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The Eighteenth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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?
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The Nineteenth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Twentieth Chapter
CONFESSING OUR WEAKNESS IN THE MISERIES OF LIFE
THE VOICE of 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.
The Twenty-first Chapter
ABOVE ALL GOODS AND ALL GIFTS WE MUST REST IN GOD
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Twenty-Second Chapter
REMEMBER THE INNUMERABLE GIFTS OF GOD
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Twenty-Third Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Twenty-Fourth Chapter
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.
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The Twenty-Fifth Chapter
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." [John 14:27]
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 VOICE of 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 VOICE of 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.
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The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
THE EXCELLENCE OF A FREE MIND, GAINED THROUGH PRAYER RATHER THAN BY STUDY
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
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.
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The Twenty-Eighth Chapter
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.
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The Twenty-Ninth Chapter
HOW WE MUST CALL UPON AND BLESS THE LORD WHEN TROUBLE PRESSES
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Thirtieth Chapter
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.
The Thirty-First Chapter
TO FIND THE CREATOR, FORSAKE ALL CREATURES
THE VOICE of 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!" [Psalm 54:7]
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.
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The Thirty-Second Chapter
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 VOICE of 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"
[Revelation
3:18]
-- 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.
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The Thirty-Third Chapter
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.
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The Thirty-Fourth Chapter
GOD IS SWEET ABOVE ALL THINGS AND IN ALL THINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Thirty-Fifth Chapter
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.
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The Thirty-Sixth Chapter
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.
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The Thirty-Seventh Chapter
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 VOICE of 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. [Matthew 16:24-25] 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.
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The Thirty-Eighth Chapter
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.
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The Thirty-Ninth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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." [Matthew 16:41]
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The Fortieth Chapter
MAN HAS NO GOOD IN HIMSELF AND CAN GLORY IN NOTHING
THE VOICE of the DISCIPLE
"LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You
visit him?" [Psalm 8:4] 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. [Jeremiah
9:23-26] 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.
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The Forty-First Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Forty-Second Chapter
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.
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The Forty-Third Chapter
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.
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The Forty-Fourth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Forty-Fifth Chapter
ALL MEN ARE NOT TO BE BELIEVED, FOR IT IS EASY TO ERR IN SPEECH
THE VOICE of 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!
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The Forty-Sixth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Forty-Seventh Chapter
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.
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The Forty-Eighth Chapter
THE DAY OF ETERNITY AND THE DISTRESSES OF THIS LIFE
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Forty-Ninth Chapter
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.
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The Fiftieth Chapter
HOW A DESOLATE PERSON OUGHT TO COMMIT HIMSELF INTO THE HANDS OF GOD
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Fifty-First Chapter
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.
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The Fifty-Second Chapter
A MAN OUGHT NOT TO CONSIDER HIMSELF WORTHY OF CONSOLATION, BUT RATHER
DESERVING OF CHASTISEMENT
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Fifty-Third Chapter
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. [See
1st Peter 2:11-12]
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.
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The Fifty-Fourth Chapter
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.
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The Fifty-Fifth Chapter
THE CORRUPTION OF NATURE AND THE EFFICACY OF DIVINE GRACE
THE VOICE of 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.
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The Fifty-Sixth Chapter
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 VOICE of 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 the BELOVED
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Fifty-Seventh Chapter
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 VOICE of 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.
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The Fifty-Eighth Chapter
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"; [Psalm 118:137]
and this: "The judgments of the Lord are true and wholly righteous."
[Psalm
18:10]
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." [Matthew 18:3-4]
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.
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The Fifty-Ninth Chapter
ALL HOPE AND TRUST ARE TO BE FIXED IN GOD ALONE
THE VOICE of 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.
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