Religion and Devotion
1. St. Thomas concisely expresses the nature of religion in these
words: "The object of religion is to give honour to the One God because
He is the first principle of creation and order in the universe."
(Summa, II-II, q. 81, a. 3)
We know that everything is the work
of God. Everything depends on Him both for its being and for its
continued existence. This is so from man
down to the minutest insect, from the stars in the sky to the invisible
atom. It is true that man and the other creatures also work. In fact,
the universe is a gigantic workshop. But God is the one and only cause
of man and of the whole of nature. We are only instruments of the divine
omnipotence. Now, justice demands that we give everyone his due.
Everything belongs to God. Therefore, man ought to humble himself before
God in an act of adoration and loving obedience. From the highest
mountains to the depths of the valley, from the stars of the firmament
to the tiny flowers of the fields, all creation unconsciously sings of
the glory of God. In the same way man, a creature of intelligence and
free will, should offer himself and all his faculties in an act of
complete homage to his Creator and Lord. But there is more to it than
that. God is not only our Creator and Lord, He is also our Redeemer. The
eternal Word of God became man out of love for us. He gave us His
teaching and commandments. He redeemed us with His precious blood and
left us the Church as our mother and our infallible teacher of truth.
So, if religion is to be complete, it will oblige us to be obedient to
whatever God has revealed and to whatever the Church which He founded
commands and teaches us.
2. Religion, however, should not be a
cold, mechanical practice of obedience to the commandments of God and
the precepts of the Church. Deep spiritual devotion and supernatural
charity are necessary as well as religion. In other words, religion
should not be merely external, but should spring from the mind and
heart; this is devotion, which is the spirit of religion. "Devotion,"
writes Aquinas, "seems to be the determination to give one's self
readily to the service of God." (Summa, II-II, q. 82, a.2, ad 1) But
this determination should be loving and effective because, as St. Thomas
also observes, "charity generates devotion." (Summa, II-II, q. 82, a.
2, ad. 2)
St. Francis de Sales analysed and expanded these
ideas. "True and living devotion," he writes, "presupposes the love of
God; indeed, it really is a true love of God... but a love... which has
reached that height of perfection at which it not only causes us to act,
but to act zealously, frequently and promptly…" (Filotea, Bk. I, C. 1)
He continues: "Since devotion consists in an unique degree of charity,
it not only makes us prompt, active and zealous in the observance of all
the divine commands, but incites us furthermore to perform readily and
lovingly as many good works as we can... even if they are only
recommended or suggested." (Ibid.) From this solid and sincere devotion
flows that taste for divine things, that inner gentleness and peace of
spirit which the Saints enjoyed even in the midst of sorrow and
disillusionment.
3. We must not be satisfied simply to carry
out the acts of religion, however exactly. We must fulfil them with
love. It is the spontaneous homage of the mind and heart that God wants
most of all. The body must also pay its tribute of subjection to its
creator, but if the mind and heart are cold and distracted, this tribute
is worthless. There is no religion without devotion. “This people
honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Mt. 15:8;
Mark 7:6) Consider this complaint of Our Lord. Let us earnestly examine
our conduct. Religion is useless if it is not fed by the active fire of
charity. Anyone who is content to go to Mass on feast-days and stand in
the church silently and indifferently, like a candlestick without a
candle, is not a true and sincere Christian. Religion must be deeply
felt. It must be penetrated by devotion and charity. Only then will it
inspire real Christian activity.
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