MAN SHOULD NOT SCRUTINIZE THIS SACRAMENT IN
CURIOSITY, BUT HUMBLY IMITATE CHRIST AND SUBMIT REASON TO HOLY FAITH
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
BEWARE of curious and vain examination of this most profound
Sacrament, if you do not wish to be plunged into the depths of doubt.
He who scrutinizes its majesty too closely will be overwhelmed by its
glory.
God can do more than man can understand. A pious and humble
search for truth He will allow, a search that is ever ready to learn
and that seeks to walk in the reasonable doctrine of the fathers.
Blest is the simplicity that leaves the difficult way of
dispute and goes forward on the level, firm path of God's
commandments. Many have lost devotion because they wished to search
into things beyond them.
Faith is required of you, and a sincere life, not a lofty
intellect nor a delving into the mysteries of God. If you neither know
nor understand things beneath you, how can you comprehend what is
above you? Submit yourself to God and humble reason to faith, and the
light of understanding will be given you so far as it is good and
necessary for you. Some are gravely tempted concerning faith and the
Sacrament but this disturbance is not laid to them but to the enemy.
Be not disturbed, dispute not in your mind, answer not the
doubts sent by the devil, but believe the words of God, believe His
saints and prophets and the evil enemy will flee from you. It is often
very profitable for the servant of God to suffer such things. For
Satan does not tempt unbelievers and sinners whom he already holds
securely, but in many ways he does tempt and trouble the faithful
servant.
Go forward, then, with sincere and unflinching faith, and with
humble reverence approach this Sacrament. Whatever you cannot
understand commit to the security of the all-powerful God, Who does
not deceive you. The man, however, who trusts in himself is deceived.
God walks with sincere men, reveals Himself to humble men, enlightens
the understanding of pure minds, and hides His grace from the curious
and the proud.
Human reason is weak and can be deceived. True faith, however,
cannot be deceived. All reason and natural science ought to come after
faith, not go before it, nor oppose it. For in this most holy and
supremely excellent Sacrament, faith and love take precedence and work
in a hidden manner.
God, eternal, incomprehensible, and infinitely powerful, does
great and inscrutable things in heaven and on earth, and there is no
searching into His marvelous works. If all the works of God were such
that human reason could easily grasp them, they would not be called
wonderful or beyond the power of words to tell. |
That a man should not be a curious searcher of the
Sacrament, but a humble imitator of Christ, submitting his sense to
holy faith
The Voice of the Beloved
Thou must take heed of curious and useless
searching into this most profound Sacrament, if thou wilt not be
plunged into the abyss of doubt. He that is a searcher of Majesty
shall be oppressed by the glory thereof.(1) God is able to do more
than man can understand. A pious and humble search after truth is to
be allowed, when it is always ready to be taught, and striving to walk
after the wholesome opinions of the fathers.
2. Blessed is the simplicity which leaveth alone
the difficult paths of questionings, and followeth the plain and firm
steps of God's commandments. Many have lost devotion whilst they
sought to search into deeper things. Faith is required of thee, and a
sincere life, not loftiness of intellect, nor deepness in the
mysteries of God. If thou understandest not nor comprehendest the
things which are beneath thee, how shalt thou comprehend those which
are above thee? Submit thyself unto God, and humble thy sense to
faith, and the light of knowledge shall be given thee, as shall be
profitable and necessary unto thee.
3. There are some who are grievously tempted
concerning faith and the Sacrament; but this is not to be imputed to
themselves but rather to the enemy. Care not then for this, dispute
not with thine own thoughts, nor make answer to the doubts which are
cast into thee by the devil; but believe the words of God, believe His
Saints and Prophets, and the wicked enemy shall flee from thee. Often
it profiteth much, that the servant of God endureth such things. For
the enemy tempteth not unbelievers and sinners, because he already
hath secure possession of them; but he tempteth and harasseth the
faithful and devout by various means.
4. Go forward therefore with simple and
undoubting faith, and draw nigh unto the Sacrament with supplicating
reverence. And whatsoever thou art not enabled to understand, that
commit without anxiety to Almighty God. God deceiveth thee not; he is
deceived who believeth too much in himself. God walketh with the
simple, revealeth Himself to the humble, giveth understanding to
babes, openeth the sense to pure minds, and hideth grace from the
curious and proud. Human reason is weak and may be deceived; but true
faith cannot be deceived.
5. All reason and natural investigation ought to
follow faith, not to precede, nor to break it. For faith and love do
here especially take the highest place, and work in hidden ways in
this most holy and exceeding excellent Sacrament. God who is eternal
and incomprehensible, and of infinite power, doth great and
inscrutable things in heaven and in earth, and His wonderful works are
past finding out. If the works of God were of such sort that they
might easily be comprehended by human reason, they should no longer be
called wonderful or unspeakable. |