THE CORRUPTION OF NATURE AND THE EFFICACY OF DIVINE
GRACE
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. |
Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of
Divine Grace
O Lord my God, who hast created me after thine
own image and similitude, grant me this grace, which Thou hast shown
to be so great and so necessary for salvation, that I may conquer my
wicked nature, which draweth me to sin and to perdition. For I feel
in my flesh the law of sin, contradicting the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the obedience of sensuality in many
things; nor can I resist its passions, unless Thy most holy grace
assist me, fervently poured into my heart.
2. There is need of Thy grace, yea, and of a
great measure thereof, that my nature may be conquered, which hath
alway been prone to evil from my youth. For being fallen through the
first man Adam, and corrupted through sin, the punishment of this
stain descended upon all men; so that Nature itself, which was framed
good and right by Thee, is now used to express the vice and infirmity
of corrupted Nature; because its motion left unto itself draweth men
away to evil and to lower things. For the little power which
remaineth is as it were one spark lying hid in the ashes. This is
Natural reason itself, encompassed with thick clouds, having yet a
discernment of good and evil, a distinction of the true and the false,
though it be powerless to fulfil all that it approveth, and possess
not yet the full light of truth, nor healthfulness of its affections.
3. Hence it is, O my God, that I delight in Thy
law after the inward man,(1) knowing that Thy commandment is holy and
just and good; reproving also all evil, and the sin that is to be
avoided: yet with the flesh I serve the law of sin, whilst I obey
sensuality rather than reason. Hence it is that to will to do good is
present with me, but how to perform it I find not.(2) Hence I ofttimes
purpose many good things; but because grace is lacking to help mine
infirmities, I fall back before a little resistance and fail. Hence
it cometh to pass that I recognize the way of perfectness, and see
very clearly what things I ought to do; but pressed down by the weight
of my own corruption, I rise not to the things which are more perfect.
4. Oh how entirely necessary is Thy grace to me,
O Lord, for a good beginning, for progress, and for bringing to
perfection. For without it I can do nothing, but I can do all things
through Thy grace which strengtheneth me.(3) O truly heavenly grace,
without which our own merits are nought, and no gifts of Nature at all
are to be esteemed. Arts, riches, beauty, strength, wit, eloquence,
they all avail nothing before Thee, O Lord, without Thy grace. For
the gifts of Nature belong to good and evil alike; but the proper gift
of the elect is grace--that is, love-- and they who bear the mark
thereof are held worthy of everlasting life. So mighty is this grace,
that without it neither the gift of prophecy nor the working of
miracles, nor any speculation, howsoever lofty, is of any value at
all. But neither faith, nor hope, nor any other virtue is accepted
with Thee without love and grace.
5. O most blessed grace that makest the poor in
spirit rich in virtues, and renderest him who is rich in many things
humble in spirit, come Thou, descend upon me, fill me early with Thy
consolation, lest my soul fail through weariness and drought of mind.
I beseech thee, O Lord, that I may find grace in Thy sight, for Thy
grace is sufficient for me,(4) when I obtain not those things which
Nature longeth for. If I be tempted and vexed with many tribulations,
I will fear no evil, while Thy grace remaineth with me. This alone is
my strength, this bringeth me counsel and help. It is more powerful
than all enemies, and wiser than all the wise men in the world.
6. It is the mistress of truth, the teacher of
discipline, the light of the heart, the solace of anxiety, the
banisher of sorrow, the deliverer from fear, the nurse of devotion,
the drawer forth of tears. What am I without it, save a dry tree, a
useless branch, worthy to be cast away! "Let Thy grace, therefore, O
Lord, always prevent and follow me, and make me continually given to
all good works, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen." |