TRUE COMFORT IS TO BE SOUGHT IN GOD ALONE
THE DISCIPLE
WHATEVER I can desire or imagine for my own comfort I look for
not here but hereafter. For if I alone should have all the world's
comforts and could enjoy all its delights, it is certain that they
could not long endure. Therefore, my soul, you cannot enjoy full
consolation or perfect delight except in God, the Consoler of the poor
and the Helper of the humble. Wait a little, my soul, wait for the
divine promise and you will have an abundance of all good things in
heaven. If you desire these present things too much, you will lose
those which are everlasting and heavenly. Use temporal things but
desire eternal things. You cannot be satisfied with any temporal goods
because you were not created to enjoy them.
Even if you possessed all created things you could not be happy
and blessed; for in God, Who created all these things, your whole
blessedness and happiness consists -- not indeed such happiness as is
seen and praised by lovers of the world, but such as that for which
the good and faithful servants of Christ wait, and of which the
spiritual and pure of heart, whose conversation is in heaven, sometime
have a foretaste.
Vain and brief is all human consolation. But that which is
received inwardly from the Truth is blessed and true. The devout man
carries his Consoler, Jesus, everywhere with him, and he says to Him:
"Be with me, Lord Jesus, in every place and at all times. Let this be
my consolation, to be willing to forego all human comforting. And if
Your consolation be wanting to me, let Your will and just trial of me
be my greatest comfort. For You will not always be angry, nor will You
threaten forever." |
That true solace is to be sought in God alone
Whatsoever I am able to desire or to think of for
my solace, I look for it not here, but hereafter. For if I alone had
all the solaces of this world, and were able to enjoy all its
delights, it is certain that they could not endure long. Wherefore, O
my soul, thou canst be fully comforted and perfectly refreshed, only
in God, the Comforter of the poor, and the lifter up of the humble.
Wait but a little while, my soul, wait for the Divine promise, and
thou shalt have abundance of all good things in heaven. If thou
longest too inordinately for the things which are now, thou shalt lose
those which are eternal and heavenly. Let temporal things be in the
use, eternal things in the desire. Thou canst not be satisfied with
any temporal good, for thou wast not created for the enjoyment of
these.
2. Although thou hadst all the good things which
ever were created, yet couldst not thou be happy and blessed; all thy
blessedness and thy felicity lieth in God who created all things; not
such felicity as seemeth good to the foolish lover of the world, but
such as Christ's good and faithful servants wait for, and as the
spiritual and pure in heart sometimes taste, whose conversation is in
heaven.(1) All human solace is empty and short-lived; blessed and
true is that solace which is felt inwardly, springing from the truth.
The godly man everywhere beareth about with him his own Comforter,
Jesus, and saith unto Him: "Be with me, Lord Jesus, always and
everywhere. Let it be my comfort to be able to give up cheerfully all
human comfort. And if Thy consolation fail me, let Thy will and
righteous approval be alway with me for the highest comfort. For Thou
wilt not always be chiding, neither keepest Thou Thine anger for
ever."(2) |