"... And well do you know, my excellent brother, how, in the midst of such offenses, we must watch lest hatred of any one gain a hold upon the heart, and so not only hinder us from praying to God with the door of our chamber closed, but also shut the door against God Himself; for hatred of another insidiously creeps upon us, while no one who is angry considers his anger to be unjust. For anger habitually cherished against any one becomes hatred, since the sweetness which is mingled with what appears to be righteous anger makes us detain it longer than we ought in the vessel, until the whole is soured, and the vessel itself is spoiled. Wherefore it is much better for us to forbear from anger, even when one has given us just occasion for it, than, beginning with what seems just anger against any one, to fall, through this occult tendency of passion, into hating him. We are wont to say that, in entertaining strangers, it is much better to bear the inconvenience of receiving a bad man than to run the risk of having a good man shut out, through our caution lest any bad man be admitted; but in the passions of the soul the opposite rule holds true. For it is incomparably more for our soul's welfare to shut the recesses of the heart against anger, even when it knocks with a just claim for admission, than to admit that which it will be most difficult to expel, and which will rapidly grow from a mere sapling to a strong tree. Anger dares to increase with boldness more suddenly than men suppose, for it does not blush in the dark, when the sun has gone down upon it..."
Showing posts with label St Augustine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St Augustine. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
St Augustine on anger
Sunday, 3 August 2014
How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God - Cardinal Bacci
How to Remain Aware of the Presence of God
1. It is useful to consider the ways in which we can develop a constant and effective awareness of the presence of God. The first way in which we can do this is by cultivating a lively faith which will help us to see God everywhere. “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?” (Jer. 23:24)
This kind of faith should deepen our sense of God's presence and inspire in us sentiments of love and gratitude which will guide us in all our actions. We cannot expect that we shall be able to remain in a state of constant contemplation of God, for this is the privilege enjoyed by the blessed in Heaven, for whom faith has been replaced by the Beatific Vision. We must be satisfied with exciting in ourselves as often as possible the active awareness of God's presence. This should be a quiet and peaceful process, not involving undue mental effort or anxiety.
We should be able to attend quite naturally to our work and other obligations, and we should be helped and consoled in this by directing our thoughts to God from time to time in order to offer ourselves to Him. This can easily be done by means of frequent ejaculatory prayer, by renewing at regular intervals our intention of doing everything for the love of God, and by being prepared to endure in complete acceptance of the Divine Will all the hardships and trials of the day. Whenever it is possible, moreover, we should escape from the care and confusion of the world into a quiet church. Here we can kneel in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist and express in intimate prayer our love for Him and our desire to serve Him.
2. Another way of increasing our sense of the presence of God is to perceive Him in all His creatures. St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus loved to contemplate the image of her Creator in the flowers of the field and in the stars of the firmament.
God has created all things for our benefit and He is present in all things. He sees what use we make of them and can judge whether we employ them to honour Him, Who is our beginning and our end. The ray of divine beauty which shines in every created thing should attract us towards its Creator and cause us to adore and serve Him. Whenever we meet a learned and holy person, moreover, the reflection of God's power and goodness is even more compelling. “Learn to love the Creator in the creature,” says St. Augustine, “lest the thing which He has made should grip you, and you should lose Him by Whom you also were created.” (In Ps., 19)
In other words, let us learn to see the Creator in all His creatures so that these may not enslave us and cause us to lose Him Who is our highest Good.
3. The third way of remaining attentive to the presence of God is to contemplate Him living in ourselves. While it is true that God is present everywhere, He dwells in a special manner in the human soul, which is the masterpiece of creation. When our souls are adorned with His grace, His delight in us is unbounded. “I will dwell and move among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (2 Cor. 6:16) “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
God dwells among us, therefore, and lives in us as in so many temples. We should recognise His presence and listen to His voice; furthermore, we should adore Him, love Him, and pray to Him. Then we can sincerely claim to belong entirely to Him.
1. It is useful to consider the ways in which we can develop a constant and effective awareness of the presence of God. The first way in which we can do this is by cultivating a lively faith which will help us to see God everywhere. “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?” (Jer. 23:24)
This kind of faith should deepen our sense of God's presence and inspire in us sentiments of love and gratitude which will guide us in all our actions. We cannot expect that we shall be able to remain in a state of constant contemplation of God, for this is the privilege enjoyed by the blessed in Heaven, for whom faith has been replaced by the Beatific Vision. We must be satisfied with exciting in ourselves as often as possible the active awareness of God's presence. This should be a quiet and peaceful process, not involving undue mental effort or anxiety.
We should be able to attend quite naturally to our work and other obligations, and we should be helped and consoled in this by directing our thoughts to God from time to time in order to offer ourselves to Him. This can easily be done by means of frequent ejaculatory prayer, by renewing at regular intervals our intention of doing everything for the love of God, and by being prepared to endure in complete acceptance of the Divine Will all the hardships and trials of the day. Whenever it is possible, moreover, we should escape from the care and confusion of the world into a quiet church. Here we can kneel in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist and express in intimate prayer our love for Him and our desire to serve Him.
2. Another way of increasing our sense of the presence of God is to perceive Him in all His creatures. St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus loved to contemplate the image of her Creator in the flowers of the field and in the stars of the firmament.
God has created all things for our benefit and He is present in all things. He sees what use we make of them and can judge whether we employ them to honour Him, Who is our beginning and our end. The ray of divine beauty which shines in every created thing should attract us towards its Creator and cause us to adore and serve Him. Whenever we meet a learned and holy person, moreover, the reflection of God's power and goodness is even more compelling. “Learn to love the Creator in the creature,” says St. Augustine, “lest the thing which He has made should grip you, and you should lose Him by Whom you also were created.” (In Ps., 19)
In other words, let us learn to see the Creator in all His creatures so that these may not enslave us and cause us to lose Him Who is our highest Good.
3. The third way of remaining attentive to the presence of God is to contemplate Him living in ourselves. While it is true that God is present everywhere, He dwells in a special manner in the human soul, which is the masterpiece of creation. When our souls are adorned with His grace, His delight in us is unbounded. “I will dwell and move among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (2 Cor. 6:16) “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
God dwells among us, therefore, and lives in us as in so many temples. We should recognise His presence and listen to His voice; furthermore, we should adore Him, love Him, and pray to Him. Then we can sincerely claim to belong entirely to Him.
Sunday, 23 March 2014
The Christian Formation of Character - Cardinal Bacci
The Christian Formation of Character
1.Our temperament is often a burden to ourselves and can at times be the source of annoyance to others. If we do nothing about it, it can be the cause of failings or of extremes of behaviour on our part which we bitterly regret afterwards. It is necessary, therefore, to form character in accordance with Christian principles. We are in no danger of losing our individuality by training our character in this way. God's grace does not change nature, but elevates and improves it. It is like a shoot which we plant in the uncultivated soil of our own being. The first fruits may be sour, but after a while they grow sweeter, while still preserving the essential taste and aroma of the mother-plant. St. Jerome was a headstrong and austere character, and he continued to be so even after the grace of God had transformed him and made him holy. But his rugged nature was at the same time softened and strengthened by divine grace. St. Augustine had a great intellect and a great heart. When he abandoned philosophical sophistry and worldly vanity in order to dedicate these gifts to the service of God, he achieved a profundity of thought never before attained by Christian wisdom. We should behave in the same manner. If we are hot-tempered, we should convert this tendency to anger into hatred for sin. If we are enthusiastic by nature, we should turn our enthusiasm into love for God and for our neighbour. If we are high-spirited and energetic, we should devote ourselves to good works for our own salvation and to the apostolate for souls. How far have we advanced in the Christian transformation of our character? Let us examine our progress and resolve to do better.
2. St. Francis de Sales writes as follows with his usual simplicity: "A way has been found of making bitter almonds sweet, by puncturing them at the bottom and squeezing out the juice. Why cannot we eject our evil inclinations in order to make ourselves better? There is nobody so good by nature that a bad habit could not altogether corrupt him. Similarly, there is nobody so bad by nature that he could not be trained in goodness by the grace of God and his own perseverance." St. Francis de Sales did not teach this in theory only, but he put his advice into practice to a heroic degree in his own life. He was endowed by nature with a vigorous and resentful disposition, and he became an angel of gentleness and affability. From his youth he was aware of the defects in his character. He himself admitted that he struggled against them for twenty-two years with God's help. He reached the point where he was able to remain silent when he was insulted and to refrain from defending himself when he was slandered, for he had acquired an inward peace and a remarkable calmness of manner. This gentleness of character enabled him to convert over seventy thousand heretics, to win back hardened sinners to Jesus Christ, and to set countless souls on fire with the love of God. We have a great deal to learn from him.
3. When Jesus offered Himself as our Divine Model, He used these words: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt. 11:29) Humility and gentleness are essential attributes of the Christian character. Whoever does not succeed in acquiring them is building upon sand. He will be a torment to others as well as to himself. Jesus indicates this also, for after He has said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He adds: “and you will find rest for your souls.” (Ibid.) In other words, He tells us that it is only on this condition that we shall find spiritual peace. When we have modelled our character on His humility and gentleness, we shall be inflamed with the love of God and of our neighbour. Only then shall we have succeeded in acquiring a character which is genuinely and deeply Christian.
1.Our temperament is often a burden to ourselves and can at times be the source of annoyance to others. If we do nothing about it, it can be the cause of failings or of extremes of behaviour on our part which we bitterly regret afterwards. It is necessary, therefore, to form character in accordance with Christian principles. We are in no danger of losing our individuality by training our character in this way. God's grace does not change nature, but elevates and improves it. It is like a shoot which we plant in the uncultivated soil of our own being. The first fruits may be sour, but after a while they grow sweeter, while still preserving the essential taste and aroma of the mother-plant. St. Jerome was a headstrong and austere character, and he continued to be so even after the grace of God had transformed him and made him holy. But his rugged nature was at the same time softened and strengthened by divine grace. St. Augustine had a great intellect and a great heart. When he abandoned philosophical sophistry and worldly vanity in order to dedicate these gifts to the service of God, he achieved a profundity of thought never before attained by Christian wisdom. We should behave in the same manner. If we are hot-tempered, we should convert this tendency to anger into hatred for sin. If we are enthusiastic by nature, we should turn our enthusiasm into love for God and for our neighbour. If we are high-spirited and energetic, we should devote ourselves to good works for our own salvation and to the apostolate for souls. How far have we advanced in the Christian transformation of our character? Let us examine our progress and resolve to do better.
2. St. Francis de Sales writes as follows with his usual simplicity: "A way has been found of making bitter almonds sweet, by puncturing them at the bottom and squeezing out the juice. Why cannot we eject our evil inclinations in order to make ourselves better? There is nobody so good by nature that a bad habit could not altogether corrupt him. Similarly, there is nobody so bad by nature that he could not be trained in goodness by the grace of God and his own perseverance." St. Francis de Sales did not teach this in theory only, but he put his advice into practice to a heroic degree in his own life. He was endowed by nature with a vigorous and resentful disposition, and he became an angel of gentleness and affability. From his youth he was aware of the defects in his character. He himself admitted that he struggled against them for twenty-two years with God's help. He reached the point where he was able to remain silent when he was insulted and to refrain from defending himself when he was slandered, for he had acquired an inward peace and a remarkable calmness of manner. This gentleness of character enabled him to convert over seventy thousand heretics, to win back hardened sinners to Jesus Christ, and to set countless souls on fire with the love of God. We have a great deal to learn from him.
3. When Jesus offered Himself as our Divine Model, He used these words: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt. 11:29) Humility and gentleness are essential attributes of the Christian character. Whoever does not succeed in acquiring them is building upon sand. He will be a torment to others as well as to himself. Jesus indicates this also, for after He has said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He adds: “and you will find rest for your souls.” (Ibid.) In other words, He tells us that it is only on this condition that we shall find spiritual peace. When we have modelled our character on His humility and gentleness, we shall be inflamed with the love of God and of our neighbour. Only then shall we have succeeded in acquiring a character which is genuinely and deeply Christian.
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Prayer as a Necessary Means of Salvation - Cardinal Bacci
Prayer as a Necessary Means of Salvation
1. St. Augustine calls prayer "the key to Heaven." We should acknowledge the infinite goodness of God in giving us such an easy means of salvation, for when He gave us prayer He gave us the key to His kingdom of Heaven. He invites us earnestly to pray. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Cf. Mt. 7:7; Luke 11:9) “If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.” (Cf. John 16:23) “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” (Cf. Mt. 26:41; Mark 14:38)
When Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His Apostles became tired and sleepy. He rebuked them gently and asked them for the second time to pray that they might not yield to temptation. He makes this request of us also. We grow weary and apathetic as the Apostles did, while the devil is busy with his evil suggestions and the dangers of the world surround us. We have constant need of the grace of God to prevent us from falling. Let us pray fervently and bear in mind the advice of St. Alphonsus: "If you give up praying, you will certainly be damned."
2. "The man who prays will be saved, the man who does not pray will be damned." This reflection occurs in much the same words in the writings of St. Theresa, of St. Alphonsus, and of other masters of the spiritual life. There is no suggestion that prayer alone without sincerity of purpose, the Sacraments and good works, is sufficient for salvation. What is meant is that anyone who does not pray cannot possibly be saved except by a miracle, because God does not normally give His grace to anyone who does not ask for it. Even though the soul has grown indifferent and submerged in sin, if it does not abandon the habit of praying it will sooner or later be overcome by remorse and will turn again to God. St. John Chrysostom teaches us that it is impossible for anyone who prays fervently and constantly to fall and remain in serious sin. Let us pray, therefore. Let prayer be our constant support in every situation and in every action. If we remain close to God, we are assured of salvation. As long as we remain united to Our Lord, His grace will pervade our souls. But if we sever this bond of prayer with God, we shall be alone and helpless and shall fall into sin. This has been the sad experience of many before us.
3. We should appreciate how necessary it is to pray with special fervour and perseverance in times of great temptation and suffering. If we neglect to do so when temptation assails us, we shall be on our own and shall certainly fall. When we encounter suffering and everything seems to be crumbling around us, let us remember that God sees us and pities us. Let us turn to Him, Who alone is able and eager to help us in our misfortunes. When we pray, our tears are precious in His sight. God's love for us is infinite. If we have recourse to Him, He will certainly answer us in the manner which He knows is best for us. He has promised this. “If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.” (Ex. 22:26)
1. St. Augustine calls prayer "the key to Heaven." We should acknowledge the infinite goodness of God in giving us such an easy means of salvation, for when He gave us prayer He gave us the key to His kingdom of Heaven. He invites us earnestly to pray. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Cf. Mt. 7:7; Luke 11:9) “If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.” (Cf. John 16:23) “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” (Cf. Mt. 26:41; Mark 14:38)
When Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His Apostles became tired and sleepy. He rebuked them gently and asked them for the second time to pray that they might not yield to temptation. He makes this request of us also. We grow weary and apathetic as the Apostles did, while the devil is busy with his evil suggestions and the dangers of the world surround us. We have constant need of the grace of God to prevent us from falling. Let us pray fervently and bear in mind the advice of St. Alphonsus: "If you give up praying, you will certainly be damned."
2. "The man who prays will be saved, the man who does not pray will be damned." This reflection occurs in much the same words in the writings of St. Theresa, of St. Alphonsus, and of other masters of the spiritual life. There is no suggestion that prayer alone without sincerity of purpose, the Sacraments and good works, is sufficient for salvation. What is meant is that anyone who does not pray cannot possibly be saved except by a miracle, because God does not normally give His grace to anyone who does not ask for it. Even though the soul has grown indifferent and submerged in sin, if it does not abandon the habit of praying it will sooner or later be overcome by remorse and will turn again to God. St. John Chrysostom teaches us that it is impossible for anyone who prays fervently and constantly to fall and remain in serious sin. Let us pray, therefore. Let prayer be our constant support in every situation and in every action. If we remain close to God, we are assured of salvation. As long as we remain united to Our Lord, His grace will pervade our souls. But if we sever this bond of prayer with God, we shall be alone and helpless and shall fall into sin. This has been the sad experience of many before us.
3. We should appreciate how necessary it is to pray with special fervour and perseverance in times of great temptation and suffering. If we neglect to do so when temptation assails us, we shall be on our own and shall certainly fall. When we encounter suffering and everything seems to be crumbling around us, let us remember that God sees us and pities us. Let us turn to Him, Who alone is able and eager to help us in our misfortunes. When we pray, our tears are precious in His sight. God's love for us is infinite. If we have recourse to Him, He will certainly answer us in the manner which He knows is best for us. He has promised this. “If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.” (Ex. 22:26)
Monday, 10 February 2014
The Love of God - Cardinal Bacci
The Love of God
1. God's law is founded on love. We read in the Gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment of the Law. Jesus replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:37-40)
If a man wants to know if he is living a good Christian life, therefore, all he has to do is ask himself if he loves God above everything and his neighbour as himself. If he lacks this love, he is not a true Christian; everything else is insignificant, if not useless. "Love God," says St. Augustine "and do what you will." Why so? Because if anyone loves God sincerely, he does not offend Him. Moreover, he serves Him diligently and promotes His honour and glory by every means in his power. Nor does he find it very difficult to do this. Love gives wings to his feet and pours enthusiasm and fervour into his heart. "He who loves does not feel tired," says St. Augustine. "Where there is love," adds St. Bernard, "there is no weariness, but a gentle pleasure instead."
2. If we really know God, we should love Him above all created things. “I have loved You too little, My God,” said St. Augustine in his Confessions, “because I have not known You well enough.” If we knew God, we should recognise that He is infinite beauty, goodness and wisdom. We should realise that the beauty of creatures is like a passing cloud, for it is a vague and distant reflection of the eternal beauty of God. We should realise that the wisdom of men is only a ray of God's light which comes from Him and must return to Him. Finally we should perceive that men are good only in so far as they do their best to respond to the inspirations of grace which God has placed in their hearts. God alone is in Himself and of Himself supremely true, beautiful, good, wise and holy. Created things are only an invitation to love God, their Creator. God alone, therefore, is supremely lovable in Himself. In the apt words of St. Bernard, "God Himself is the reason why we should love God; and the measure of our love should be measureless." Let us not allow ourselves to become entangled in the empty passing things of this world, but let us raise our minds and hearts to God.
3. We must love God not only as our Creator and Lord, but also as our Redeemer and Saviour. God's goodness in having created us is immense. Being infinite, He had no need of us. He created us in order to give us a participation in His infinite power, wisdom and beauty. The goodness of God in having become man and shedding His blood for our salvation, however, is such a tremendous mystery that only the infinite love of God for us could provide any kind of an explanation. But this infinite love demands equal love on our part. Obviously it cannot be equal, since we are poor, limited creatures. So we should love God, as the Gospel says, above all things and with the whole strength of our souls. "We have come to know, and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf," (I John 4:16) says St. John. We must believe firmly and effectually to the point of charity. Charity works miracles. It has worked miracles in the Saints. It will do the same for us in the spiritual life and in our external apostolic work. There is only one thing necessary, and that is for us to have this ardent charity, which is the bond of perfection. (Col. 3:14)
1. God's law is founded on love. We read in the Gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment of the Law. Jesus replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:37-40)
If a man wants to know if he is living a good Christian life, therefore, all he has to do is ask himself if he loves God above everything and his neighbour as himself. If he lacks this love, he is not a true Christian; everything else is insignificant, if not useless. "Love God," says St. Augustine "and do what you will." Why so? Because if anyone loves God sincerely, he does not offend Him. Moreover, he serves Him diligently and promotes His honour and glory by every means in his power. Nor does he find it very difficult to do this. Love gives wings to his feet and pours enthusiasm and fervour into his heart. "He who loves does not feel tired," says St. Augustine. "Where there is love," adds St. Bernard, "there is no weariness, but a gentle pleasure instead."
2. If we really know God, we should love Him above all created things. “I have loved You too little, My God,” said St. Augustine in his Confessions, “because I have not known You well enough.” If we knew God, we should recognise that He is infinite beauty, goodness and wisdom. We should realise that the beauty of creatures is like a passing cloud, for it is a vague and distant reflection of the eternal beauty of God. We should realise that the wisdom of men is only a ray of God's light which comes from Him and must return to Him. Finally we should perceive that men are good only in so far as they do their best to respond to the inspirations of grace which God has placed in their hearts. God alone is in Himself and of Himself supremely true, beautiful, good, wise and holy. Created things are only an invitation to love God, their Creator. God alone, therefore, is supremely lovable in Himself. In the apt words of St. Bernard, "God Himself is the reason why we should love God; and the measure of our love should be measureless." Let us not allow ourselves to become entangled in the empty passing things of this world, but let us raise our minds and hearts to God.
3. We must love God not only as our Creator and Lord, but also as our Redeemer and Saviour. God's goodness in having created us is immense. Being infinite, He had no need of us. He created us in order to give us a participation in His infinite power, wisdom and beauty. The goodness of God in having become man and shedding His blood for our salvation, however, is such a tremendous mystery that only the infinite love of God for us could provide any kind of an explanation. But this infinite love demands equal love on our part. Obviously it cannot be equal, since we are poor, limited creatures. So we should love God, as the Gospel says, above all things and with the whole strength of our souls. "We have come to know, and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf," (I John 4:16) says St. John. We must believe firmly and effectually to the point of charity. Charity works miracles. It has worked miracles in the Saints. It will do the same for us in the spiritual life and in our external apostolic work. There is only one thing necessary, and that is for us to have this ardent charity, which is the bond of perfection. (Col. 3:14)
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