CHAPTER VII: CONSOLATION FOR THE IMPERFECT WHO ARE OF GOOD WILL.
CONSOLATION FOR THE IMPERFECT WHO ARE OF GOOD WILL.
§ 1. There is some imperfection in all men.
§ 2. Good will.
§ 3. Mortification.
§ 4. Union of our works with the merits of Christ. __________________________________________________________________
§ 1. The Perfection consisting in Good Will.
IF them canst not be as perfect as thou wishest to be, humble thyself and be resigned. Congratulate in thy heart those who are perfect, glorifying God, and giving thanks to Him for their perfection. God often permits some fault or imperfection to adhere to His elect, who are most dear to Him, by means of which they may become vile in their own eyes, and remain humble. There are some who have acquired health and vigour of soul, and have risen to such a degree of virtue, that they would be ready to undergo death rather than offend God of their own will and knowledge; and yet, not being aware that they are strong, they are ever in fear and anxiety, and are fully persuaded that they are weak and ailing.
Our most wise and gracious Creator, out of His great faithfulness and the love He bears them, leaves them in this ignorance and fear as long as they live. For He clearly perceives them to be so frail that if they had ascertained that they were sound, they would immediately look upon themselves with vain complacency. It is good for them to endure this misery, under which they resign themselves humbly to God. However, the merciful Lord usually delivers them at the hour of death from this ignorance and this long darkness; giving them a firm confidence in Him, in which they depart happily out of this life. __________________________________________________________________
§ 2. The Value of a Good Will.
Thou must on no account lose confidence, because thou art imperfect; for God cannot reject a man of good will. He intimately knows thy weakness, and mercifully consoles thee in the Gospel, where the holy Angels are related to have sung at the Birth of Christ those words most ardently longed for: "Peace to men of good will" (St. Luke, ii. 14). They said not, Peace to men of great or of perfect holiness, (although if they had said this, they would have said what is most true); but in order that the weak and the little ones who are of good will might receive consolation, they joyfully said, "Peace to men of good will."
If thou dost reasonably what is in thy power, and truly desirest to please God, He will, doubtless, at length exceedingly reward thy endeavours, thy labours and desires, and thy good will, even though there be much inequality in thy pious works, exercises and prayers, and many defects be mingled with them. For so long as thou withdrawest not thy will from God, and often grievest for thy imperfections and thy multiplied offences, God. in His unspeakable goodness, accounts thy works worthy of an eternal reward. So long, I say, as thou retainest a good will, and, carefully abstaining from sin, devotest thyself to humility and the other true virtues, thou wilt be pleasing to God, and thou mayest dwell with joy in thy good conscience as in a delightful paradise.
Assuredly, all good things depend upon the will; and when thou earnestly desirest with thy whole heart, and doest all that lies in thy power to possess humility, charity, or any other virtues, without doubt thou possessest them in the sight of God. In like manner, when thou desirest from thy heart to do any good work, but art not able, God receives thy good will for the deed. And God accounts thy desire to be as great as thou with thy whole heart wishest it to be. It is, therefore, exceedingly profitable to pray thus: "Would that I might, O my Lord, for the honour of Thy name, have as much love and affection for Thee as any creature ever had! O most gracious Jesus, I earnestly beseech Thee, that I may at all times rise to Thee with my whole will and eager desire, according to Thy good pleasure. I seek and desire with my whole heart to please Thee perfectly in all virtue and holiness, by Thy merciful will." __________________________________________________________________
3. Mortification.
Thou must not be pusillanimous, nor imagine thyself to be remote from God, because, perchance, thou canst not practise great austerity of life, or because thou dost not feel thyself inwardly impelled and attracted towards it. For it is not in this that true perfection and true holiness consist; they consist in the mortification of self-will and of evil inclinations, and in true humility and charity. We do not read that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, led so hard a life as did the holy widow Judith; and yet she was by far more perfect than Judith. All the elect walk not outwardly in the same path; but all must surely follow inwardly the same path, namely, the path of humility, and true charity or holy love. For St. John Baptist followed one mode of life, and St. John the Evangelist another; and yet, because both were truly humble, and truly loved God and their neighbour, both were very pleasing to God.
Rejoice and praise God, that many, being assisted by His grace, lead and have led austere lives; for thus, by pious congratulation and sincere love, thou wilt make their merits in a manner thine own, and thou wilt receive from God reward and glory for the virtues which thou purely lovest in others.
Moreover, thou mayest offer to God the Father, in stead of the austerity in which thou art wanting, the fasts, the vigils, the tribulations, and the most bitter Passion of Christ. And if, with the help of God, thou shalt embrace a somewhat more austere manner of life, do it simply for the glory of God, and make not much account of this austerity, nor put trust in thy merits, but rather rest all thy hopes on the Passion of Christ, and on His satisfaction, expiation, and merits.
Although the imperfect must never lay aside the holy fear of God, they have not much reason to fear, providing they are always striving to be better; they have not, I say, reason to be inordinately fearful. For Christ loves, in His mystical body, not only the eyes, that is to say, the perfect; He loves also the hands and the feet, He loves the lowest of His members, He loves the minute vessels of mercy which He purchased with His Blood and Precious Death. The great sons of God quickly walk and run; but the little ones learn to walk slowly and with difficulty. Happy wilt thou be if thou be found in the number even of the little children; for they also shall all be heirs of the heavenly kingdom. He who created the great ones created also the little ones; and Christ is the Saviour of both. He shed His Blood for all. He willed to redeem all by His Death; and no one is excluded from so great a benefit, unless he unhappily deprive himself of it by his own fault. __________________________________________________________________
§ 4. Union of our Works with Christ.
Believe me, he who is truly humble and of good will, possesses in Christ--because of the devout and sincere desire of his heart--whatever may be wanting in himself; he possesses in Him all holiness and perfection. For, without doubt, it was for this that Christ came into the world, for this he became incarnate and suffered, that He might save sinners who humble themselves, raising them to eternal bliss; that He might satisfy for them, making good and supplying for their deficiencies, and enriching them with His merits. Like a faithful parent, He laid up treasure for His children, whom he loved from all eternity.
Beseech Him, therefore, that He will fully answer, satisfy, and supply for thee; pray Him to adorn thy needy soul with His merits and virtues. And while them thus prayest, hope and believe with certainty that He will of His immense goodness grant what thou humbly askest. If thou remainest doubtful and fearful, thou art like one who having taken off mean and dirty clothing, and suddenly put on royal apparel, knows not how to carry himself composedly as befits those royal garments, but behaves foolishly and rudely, with the roughness of manner to which he is accustomed. Offer to God the Father His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, in full satisfaction for thy sins, and in supply of the merits which are lacking to thee; offer all that He did and suffered for thee; offer the Incarnation, the Life, the labours, the Passion and Agony, the Blood and Death of thy Redeemer. The dignity of this oblation and its profitableness to man are utterly beyond our comprehension. No crimes can be so grave and so enormous that they may not be effaced in a man of good will by the merits of Christ and His Precious Blood.
Thou mayest also say to God the Father: "O most merciful Father, I beseech thee by Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, to have pity on me, and to grant me such or such a thing to the eternal praise of thy Name." For whensoever we ask for anything piously and holily in the Name of the Son, or through the Son, that petition is well pleasing to God the Father, since nothing is more dear to Him than His Son. [5]
Commend thy good works and exercises to the most sacred and sweet Heart of Jesus Christ, to be amended and perfected; for this is what the same most loving Heart greatly desires, and it is ever ready excellently to complete thy imperfect works. Rejoice and exult, because how poor soever thou mayest be in thyself, thou art exceedingly rich in thy Redeemer, who has willed thee to be partaker of His merits, who for thee was made man, for thee fasted, laboured, endured torments, shed His Blood and laid down His life. In Him is laid up for thee a truly immense treasure, if thou art really humble and of good will. __________________________________________________________________
[5] St. Matth. vii. 7. and xxi. 22; St. Mark, xi. 24; St. John, xiv. 13. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________