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.[39]
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. |
That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those
who mind earthly things
"My Son, precious is My grace, it suffereth not
itself to be joined with outward things, nor with earthly
consolations. Therefore thou oughtest to cast away all things which
hinder grace, if thou longest to receive the inpouring thereof. Seek
a secret place for thyself, love to dwell alone with thyself, desire
the conversation of no one; but rather pour out thy devout prayer to
God, that thou mayest possess a contrite mind and a pure conscience.
Count the whole world as nought; seek to be alone with God before all
outward things. For thou canst not be alone with Me, and at the same
time be delighted with transitory things. Thou oughtest to be
separated from thy acquaintances and dear friends, and keep thy mind
free from all worldly comfort. So the blessed Apostle Peter beseecheth,
that Christ's faithful ones bear themselves in this world as strangers
and pilgrims.(1)
2. "Oh how great a confidence shall there be to
the dying man whom no affection to anything detaineth in the world?
But to have a heart so separated from all things, a sickly soul doth
not yet comprehend, nor doth the carnal man know the liberty of the
spiritual man. But if indeed he desire to be spiritually minded, he
must renounce both those who are far off, and those who are near, and
to beware of no man more than himself. If thou perfectly conquer
thyself, very easily shalt thou subdue all things besides. Perfect
victory is the triumph over oneself. For whoso keepeth himself in
subjection, in such manner that the sensual affections obey the
reason, and the reason in all things obeyeth Me, he truly is conqueror
of himself, and lord of the world.
3. "If thou desire to climb to this height, thou
oughtest to start bravely, and to lay the axe to the root, to the end
that thou mayest pull up and destroy the hidden inordinate inclination
towards thyself, and towards all selfish and earthly good. From this
sin, that a man loveth himself too inordinately, almost everything
hangeth which needeth to be utterly overcome: when that evil is
conquered and put under foot, there shall be great peace and
tranquillity continually. But because few strive earnestly to die
perfectly to themselves, and do not heartily go forth from themselves,
therefore do they remain entangled in themselves, and cannot be raised
in spirit above themselves. But he who desireth to walk at liberty
with Me, must of necessity mortify all his evil and inordinate
affections, and must cling to no creature with selfish love." |