FEW LOVE THE CROSS OF JESUS
JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few
who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who
care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part
in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer
anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to
the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles;
few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they
encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they
receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves
them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep
dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and
not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish
of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should
never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and
wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for
Jesus -- love that is flee from all self-interest and self-love!
Do not those who always seek consolation deserve to be called
mercenaries? Do not those who always think of their own profit and
gain prove that they love themselves rather than Christ? Where can a
man be found who desires to serve God for nothing? Rarely indeed is a
man so spiritual as to strip himself of all things. And who shall find
a man so truly poor in spirit as to be free from every creature? His
value is like that of things brought from the most distant lands.
If a man give all his wealth, it is nothing; if he do great
penance, it is little; if he gain all knowledge, he is still far
afield; if he have great virtue and much ardent devotion, he still
lacks a great deal, and especially, the one thing that is most
necessary to him. What is this one thing? That leaving all, he forsake
himself, completely renounce himself, and give up all private
affections. Then, when he has done all that he knows ought to be done,
let him consider it as nothing, let him make little of what may be
considered great; let him in all honesty call himself an unprofitable
servant. For truth itself has said: "When you shall have done all
these things that are commanded you, say: 'we are unprofitable
servants.'"[17]
Then he will be truly poor and stripped in spirit, and with the
prophet may say: "I am alone and poor."[18] No one, however, is more
wealthy than such a man; no one is more powerful, no one freer than he
who knows how to leave all things and think of himself as the least of
all. |
Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of Jesus
Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom,
but few bearers of His Cross. He hath many seekers of comfort, but
few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of His table, but few
of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to
undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of
His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His passion.
Many are astonished at His Miracles, few follow after the shame of His
Cross. Many love Jesus so long as no adversities happen to them.
Many praise Him and bless Him, so long as they receive any comforts
from Him. But if Jesus hide Himself and withdraw from them a little
while, they fall either into complaining or into too great dejection
of mind.
2. But they who love Jesus for Jesus' sake, and
not for any consolation of their own, bless Him in all tribulation and
anguish of heart as in the highest consolation. And if He should
never give them consolation, nevertheless they would always praise Him
and always give Him thanks.
3. Oh what power hath the pure love of Jesus,
unmixed with any gain or love of self! Should not all they be called
mercenary who are always seeking consolations? Do they not prove
themselves lovers of self more than of Christ who are always seeking
their own gain and advantage? Where shall be found one who is willing
to serve God altogether for nought?
4. Rarely is any one found so spiritual as to be
stripped of all selfish thoughts, for who shall find a man truly poor
in spirit and free of all created things? "His value is from afar,
yea from the ends of the earth." A man may give away all his goods,
yet that is nothing; and if he do many deeds of penitence, yet that is
a small thing; and though he understand all knowledge, yet that is
afar off; and if he have great virtue and zealous devotion, yet much
is lacking unto him, yea, one thing which is the most necessary to him
of all. What is it then? That having given up all things besides, he
give up himself and go forth from himself utterly, and retain nothing
of self-love; and having done all things which he knoweth to be his
duty to do, that he feel that he hath done nothing. Let him not
reckon that much which might be much esteemed, but let him pronounce
himself to be in truth an unprofitable servant, as the Truth Himself
saith, When ye have done all things that are commanded you, say, we
are unprofitable servants.(1) Then may he be truly poor and naked in
spirit, and be able to say with the Prophet, As for me, I am poor and
needy.(2) Nevertheless, no man is richer than he, no man stronger, no
man freer. For he knoweth both how to give up himself and all things,
and how to be lowly in his own eyes. |