CONTEMPT FOR ALL EARTHLY HONOR
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, do not take it to heart if you see others honored and
advanced, while you yourself are despised and humbled. Lift up your
heart to Me in heaven and the contempt of men on earth will not grieve
you.
THE DISCIPLE
Lord, we are blinded and quickly misled by vanity. If I examine
myself rightly, no injury has ever been done me by any creature; hence
I have nothing for which to make just complaint to You. But I have
sinned often and gravely against You; therefore is every creature in
arms against me. Confusion and contempt should in justice come upon
me, but to You due praise, honor, and glory. And unless I prepare
myself to be willingly despised and forsaken by every creature, to be
considered absolutely nothing, I cannot have interior peace and
strength, nor can I be enlightened spiritually or completely united
with You. |
Of contempt of all temporal honour
"My Son, make it no matter of thine, if thou see
others honoured and exalted, and thyself despised and humbled. Lift
up thine heart to Me in heaven, and then the contempt of men upon
earth will not make thee sad."
2. O Lord, we are in blindness, and are quickly
seduced by vanity. If I look rightly within myself, never was injury
done unto me by any creature, and therefore I have nought whereof to
complain before Thee. But because I have many times and grievously
sinned against Thee, all creatures do justly take arms against me.
Therefore to me confusion and contempt are justly due, but to Thee
praise and honour and glory. And except I dispose myself for this,
namely, to be willing that every creature should despise and desert
me, and that I should be esteemed altogether as nothing, I cannot be
inwardly filled with peace and strength, nor spiritually enlightened,
nor fully united to Thee. |