More About Almsgiving
1. The description of the Last Judgment in the twenty-fifth chapter of
St. Matthew's Gospel would shock many people if they were to read it.
The principles in accordance with which Christ will pronounce sentence
are inescapably clear. Did you feed and clothe the poor for My sake, He
will ask, because you recognised Me in them? If you have done so, you
will certainly be saved. If you have
neglected to do so, you will be condemned for all eternity. Christ does
not ask about anything else, because everything else is subordinate to
the precept of charity. Where there is charity, everything else follows.
Where charity is lacking there is nothing else, because Christianity is
synonymous with charity. Charity, says St. Paul, “is the bond of
perfection.” (Col. 3:14)
“If I should speak with the tongues of
men and of angels,” St. Paul says elsewhere, “but do not have charity, I
have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal ... and if I have
all faith so as to move mountains yet do not have charity, I am nothing.
And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor ... yet do not have
charity, it profits me nothing.” (Cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-3)
So our
eternal salvation depends on our charity. But it must be charity in
action, not merely in words. “He who has the goods of this world,” says
St. John, “and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how
does the love of God abide in him?” (1st Epistle of St. John, 3:17)
Charity must be expressed in almsgiving and good works, for otherwise it
would be a matter of idle talk which would be powerless to save us.
Our almsgiving should not be dictated simply by natural feelings of
compassion, however, nor by mere philanthropy. It should be
pre-eminently a religious act, springing from supernatural motives.
Because we see the person of Christ in the poor man, we should love and
help him as we should our Divine Redeemer, of Whose Mystical Body he is a
suffering member. This is real Christian charity.
A proud man
may also be liberal in giving away money in order to draw attention to
himself. But this is not Christian almsgiving, which is never the
product of self-love but of the love of God. Let us be more generous in
giving, therefore, but let us always give from the supernatural motive
of Christian charity.
2. We should often read and contemplate
passages in praise of charity and almsgiving which are contained in the
Sacred Scriptures. “Give that which remains as alms, and behold, all
things are clean to you.” (Luke 11:41) “Alms delivereth from death; and
the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and
life everlasting.” (Tob. 12:9) “Redeem thou thy sins with alms and thy
iniquities with works of mercy to the poor.” (Dan. 4:24) “My son, rob
not the poor man of his livelihood: force not the eyes of the needy to
turn away.” (Ecclus. 4:1) “Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone
for sins.” (Ecclus. 3:29) “Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father
is merciful ... Give, and it shall be given to you ... For with what
measure you measure, it shall be measured to you.” (Luke 6:36-38) “For
judgment is without mercy to him who has not shown mercy ... And if a
brother or a sister be naked and in want of daily food, and one of you
say to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ yet you do not give
them what is necessary for the body, what does it profit? So faith too,
unless it has works, is dead in itself.” (James 2:13-17)
3. Let
us give away as much as we can in charity, therefore. It does not
matter whether we can afford to give a large sum or a very small amount;
the important thing is to give. God knows our inmost thoughts; He can
judge how detached we are from worldly goods, and if He sees that we are
prepared to share them willingly with the unfortunate poor for His
sake, He will reward us one day. But if we are avaricious and
indifferent to the sufferings of others, He will condemn us to
everlasting punishment.
There is one act of charity which we
can all perform, even if we are poor. We can pray for those who never
pray, for hardened sinners, for heretics, for those who persecute the
Church, for the Missions, for the sick and dying, and for the souls in
Purgatory. This is a spiritual almsgiving of which we are all capable.
Besides prayer, there are all the other spiritual works of mercy from
which to choose.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Judging ourselves - St Philip Neri
"Let every one stay at home, that is, within himself, and sit in judgment on
his own actions, without going abroad to investigate and criticise those of
others."
Thursday, 7 August 2014
Almsgiving - Cardinal Bacci
Almsgiving
1. The view has been expressed that almsgiving is useless and degrading. It is useless, it has been said, because the implementation of social justice should be sufficient to provide for the needs of everybody; and it is degrading, it has been held, because it places the poor man in a position of inferiority to the rich man, and makes him beg for that which is really his right.
This is a false line of reasoning. Social justice can and should do a great deal to achieve a more equal distribution of wealth among men. But social justice cannot do everything.
Until the end of the world the weak will always succumb in the battle of life before the energy and enterprise of the strong. There will always be unfortunates who by reason of some tragic accident are unable to fend for themselves. No matter what form it takes, the State will not be able to provide fully for the disabled and infirm.
There will always be plenty of scope for Christian charity, which does not proceed with the measured stride of justice but with the swift wings of the love of God. It seeks out sorrows which need to be assuaged and wants which need to be relieved. There will always be suffering and want upon earth. “The poor you have always with you,” (Mt. 26:11) Jesus has told us.
It cannot be said that almsgiving is degrading because it makes the receiver inferior to the giver. This may be so if alms are given from motives of mere philanthropy. But when almsgiving is accompanied by charity and understanding and the donor sees in the poor man the person of Jesus Christ, there is no difference of status between the two individuals. They are brothers who wish to love and help one another, since both are members of the mystical Body of Christ. In this case it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Christian almsgiving is the fulfilment of an obligation and is a source of merit for the giver. As for the receiver, not only are his wants relieved, but he is the means by which his wealthier brother can acquire merit and fulfil his obligations.
2. Even if it is not very great, wealth is a dangerous thing. It is a burden which hampers us spiritually unless it is enriched by charity. Of itself, wealth is opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. In the Church of God, therefore, the only fitting role which rich men can assume is to place their abundance at the service of charity and become the servants of the poor.
St. Thomas Aquinas says that wealth can be an instrument of virtue and that it is only in this sense that it can be called good. If it impedes the practice of virtue, then it is evil. (Contra Gentes, 111:134) Let us make good use of our assets, therefore, and give generously to those who are in need without allowing our motives to become tainted with self-interest.
“Sell what you have and give alms,” said Christ. “Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in heaven where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33) It is the possession of this kind of treasure that will comfort us at the hour of death.
3. We must be detached from the goods of this world because they are corruptible and cause us to forget God. Even if we have been placed in easy circumstances, let us be poor in spirit. We can be poor in spirit by giving alms from motives of Christian charity. We need the mercy of God, and Our Lord has told us that He will be merciful only to those who show mercy to others.
We need God's forgiveness for all our sins, and the Holy Spirit assures us that our iniquities are redeemed by almsgiving. “Redeem thou thy sins with alms and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor.” (Dan. 4:24) Almsgiving is a means to our personal sanctification.
1. The view has been expressed that almsgiving is useless and degrading. It is useless, it has been said, because the implementation of social justice should be sufficient to provide for the needs of everybody; and it is degrading, it has been held, because it places the poor man in a position of inferiority to the rich man, and makes him beg for that which is really his right.
This is a false line of reasoning. Social justice can and should do a great deal to achieve a more equal distribution of wealth among men. But social justice cannot do everything.
Until the end of the world the weak will always succumb in the battle of life before the energy and enterprise of the strong. There will always be unfortunates who by reason of some tragic accident are unable to fend for themselves. No matter what form it takes, the State will not be able to provide fully for the disabled and infirm.
There will always be plenty of scope for Christian charity, which does not proceed with the measured stride of justice but with the swift wings of the love of God. It seeks out sorrows which need to be assuaged and wants which need to be relieved. There will always be suffering and want upon earth. “The poor you have always with you,” (Mt. 26:11) Jesus has told us.
It cannot be said that almsgiving is degrading because it makes the receiver inferior to the giver. This may be so if alms are given from motives of mere philanthropy. But when almsgiving is accompanied by charity and understanding and the donor sees in the poor man the person of Jesus Christ, there is no difference of status between the two individuals. They are brothers who wish to love and help one another, since both are members of the mystical Body of Christ. In this case it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Christian almsgiving is the fulfilment of an obligation and is a source of merit for the giver. As for the receiver, not only are his wants relieved, but he is the means by which his wealthier brother can acquire merit and fulfil his obligations.
2. Even if it is not very great, wealth is a dangerous thing. It is a burden which hampers us spiritually unless it is enriched by charity. Of itself, wealth is opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. In the Church of God, therefore, the only fitting role which rich men can assume is to place their abundance at the service of charity and become the servants of the poor.
St. Thomas Aquinas says that wealth can be an instrument of virtue and that it is only in this sense that it can be called good. If it impedes the practice of virtue, then it is evil. (Contra Gentes, 111:134) Let us make good use of our assets, therefore, and give generously to those who are in need without allowing our motives to become tainted with self-interest.
“Sell what you have and give alms,” said Christ. “Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in heaven where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33) It is the possession of this kind of treasure that will comfort us at the hour of death.
3. We must be detached from the goods of this world because they are corruptible and cause us to forget God. Even if we have been placed in easy circumstances, let us be poor in spirit. We can be poor in spirit by giving alms from motives of Christian charity. We need the mercy of God, and Our Lord has told us that He will be merciful only to those who show mercy to others.
We need God's forgiveness for all our sins, and the Holy Spirit assures us that our iniquities are redeemed by almsgiving. “Redeem thou thy sins with alms and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor.” (Dan. 4:24) Almsgiving is a means to our personal sanctification.
Riches and Poverty - Cardinal Bacci
Riches and Poverty
1. There is a striking contrast between the luxurious living of wealthy people who waste their money on pleasure and amusement and the abject poverty of those who are without food, clothing and shelter. This is in complete contradiction of the Gospel message which has proclaimed that we are all brothers.
Extravagance is always self-centred, whereas Christianity is the creed of love. Sumptuous living cannot be justified by an appeal to the right to own private property, for it is a shameless betrayal of the Gospel spirit of fraternal charity. When St. Thomas is defending the right to private property, he adds at once: "In regard to the use of it, however, a man should not regard material goods as belonging entirely to himself, but... should be ready to share them with others in their necessity." (Summa, II-II, q. 66, a. 2.) If such maxims which derive their inspiration from the Gospel were put into practice, there would be neither excessive wealth nor excessive poverty in the world today.
It is true that there would still be poverty, but destitution would disappear.
Poverty is good in that it makes us detached from worldly things and helps us to think more about the next life. But destitution is really a social crime, for it is the result of human egoism and can breed hatred and spiritual degradation.
"Poverty," writes Péguy, "is decent. It does not dress in rags... Its dwelling is tidy, healthy, and affords a welcome. It can have a change of linen once a week. It is not emaciated nor hungry... It is not good for anyone to live in easy circumstances; on the contrary, it is much better always to feel the goad of necessity..." (La guerre et la paix, p. 338)
It was in this sense that Jesus blessed the poor and condemned the rich. He is referring to the poor man who has enough to supply his needs, is detached from worldly possessions, uses his poverty to assist him in his journey towards Heaven, and is happy or at any rate content. But He condemns the rich man who squanders his wealth on selfish amusement and is deaf to the entreaties of those in need.
After twenty centuries of Christianity the violent contrast still exists in modern society. If we have any reason to reproach ourselves, let us try now to make up for our deficiencies.
2. We must face this unfortunate fact. One half of the world is living in luxury while the other half lives in squalor. Worse still, both the inanity and arrogance of the wealthy and the degradation and abjectness of the destitute extinguish the light of the Gospel and drown the voice of conscience.
Who is at fault? We must all share the blame, for nobody has ever fully implemented the Gospel teaching, which alone contains a complete solution for the problems of the human race. A great deal of want and misery would disappear if all those whose assets exceed what they need for themselves remembered that they are obliged to love their neighbour as themselves. They would then take heed of the precept: “Give that which remains as alms.” (Luke 11:41) We should all examine ourselves rigidly on this point, because we could all do far more to help the needy, whom we do not love, unfortunately, as much as we love ourselves.
3. In this matter as in all others, we have a great deal to learn from the Saints. Not only did they give to the poor whatever was superfluous to themselves, but they deprived themselves even of the necessaries of life because they saw in their destitute fellow-men the person of Jesus Christ. They really loved their neighbour as themselves, and more than themselves, in fact, for the sake of the love of God. For this reason they enjoyed clothing the naked and feeding the hungry whenever it was in their power to do so.
We may not be capable of doing exactly the same because we have not reached the same height of perfection. But we must remember that the precept to "give that which remains as alms" applies also to us. If there is somebody in grave need whom we have the means of helping, we are obliged to do so by the command of the Gospel. It is the same Gospel which warns us that if we fail to do so, the Divine Judge will one day condemn us.
1. There is a striking contrast between the luxurious living of wealthy people who waste their money on pleasure and amusement and the abject poverty of those who are without food, clothing and shelter. This is in complete contradiction of the Gospel message which has proclaimed that we are all brothers.
Extravagance is always self-centred, whereas Christianity is the creed of love. Sumptuous living cannot be justified by an appeal to the right to own private property, for it is a shameless betrayal of the Gospel spirit of fraternal charity. When St. Thomas is defending the right to private property, he adds at once: "In regard to the use of it, however, a man should not regard material goods as belonging entirely to himself, but... should be ready to share them with others in their necessity." (Summa, II-II, q. 66, a. 2.) If such maxims which derive their inspiration from the Gospel were put into practice, there would be neither excessive wealth nor excessive poverty in the world today.
It is true that there would still be poverty, but destitution would disappear.
Poverty is good in that it makes us detached from worldly things and helps us to think more about the next life. But destitution is really a social crime, for it is the result of human egoism and can breed hatred and spiritual degradation.
"Poverty," writes Péguy, "is decent. It does not dress in rags... Its dwelling is tidy, healthy, and affords a welcome. It can have a change of linen once a week. It is not emaciated nor hungry... It is not good for anyone to live in easy circumstances; on the contrary, it is much better always to feel the goad of necessity..." (La guerre et la paix, p. 338)
It was in this sense that Jesus blessed the poor and condemned the rich. He is referring to the poor man who has enough to supply his needs, is detached from worldly possessions, uses his poverty to assist him in his journey towards Heaven, and is happy or at any rate content. But He condemns the rich man who squanders his wealth on selfish amusement and is deaf to the entreaties of those in need.
After twenty centuries of Christianity the violent contrast still exists in modern society. If we have any reason to reproach ourselves, let us try now to make up for our deficiencies.
2. We must face this unfortunate fact. One half of the world is living in luxury while the other half lives in squalor. Worse still, both the inanity and arrogance of the wealthy and the degradation and abjectness of the destitute extinguish the light of the Gospel and drown the voice of conscience.
Who is at fault? We must all share the blame, for nobody has ever fully implemented the Gospel teaching, which alone contains a complete solution for the problems of the human race. A great deal of want and misery would disappear if all those whose assets exceed what they need for themselves remembered that they are obliged to love their neighbour as themselves. They would then take heed of the precept: “Give that which remains as alms.” (Luke 11:41) We should all examine ourselves rigidly on this point, because we could all do far more to help the needy, whom we do not love, unfortunately, as much as we love ourselves.
3. In this matter as in all others, we have a great deal to learn from the Saints. Not only did they give to the poor whatever was superfluous to themselves, but they deprived themselves even of the necessaries of life because they saw in their destitute fellow-men the person of Jesus Christ. They really loved their neighbour as themselves, and more than themselves, in fact, for the sake of the love of God. For this reason they enjoyed clothing the naked and feeding the hungry whenever it was in their power to do so.
We may not be capable of doing exactly the same because we have not reached the same height of perfection. But we must remember that the precept to "give that which remains as alms" applies also to us. If there is somebody in grave need whom we have the means of helping, we are obliged to do so by the command of the Gospel. It is the same Gospel which warns us that if we fail to do so, the Divine Judge will one day condemn us.
Monday, 4 August 2014
Catholic Commonwealth Games gold medallist seeks Olympic sponsorship!
From Carmel Books blog:
Catholic champion Charlie Flynn made sure his brown scapular was prominently on show to millions of BBC and YouTube viewers on Saturday night after winning a boxing gold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
[For shameless plug for Carmel Books' scapulars go to the link above! - Clare]
The Catholic Champ needs sponsorship to help him prepare towards selection for the next Olympic Games. So if there are any Catholic businessmen out there who read this appeal and could possibly help sponsor Charlie - either in large part or in small part - please get in touch with Carmel Books and we'll put you in touch with Team Charlie.
Imagine a Catholic gold medallist in two years' time standing on top of a podium on a world stage with his scapular (and rosary beads? - small hint there, Charlie) and publicly thanking Our Lord for all the blessings given him. Let's help make it happen.
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.
Friday, 1 August 2014
The Awareness of the Presence of God - Cardinal Bacci
The Awareness of the Presence of God
1. The cultivation of a continual awareness of the presence of God is such a useful practice that many writers regard it as the fundamental principle of the spiritual life. As St. Alphonsus de' Liguori points out, it obliges us to do three things: (1) To preserve ourselves completely free from sin; (2) To practise virtue in every possible way, and (3) To seek a closer and more loving contact with God. (Al. Div. Servizio, III, 1, 3)
The realisation of the presence of God is a particularly good way of subduing our passions and conquering temptation. “If we were always aware of God's presence within us,” writes St. Thomas, “we should never, or hardly ever, sin.” (Opusc. 58, c. 2)
It is unlikely that a man who is committing sin adverts to the fact that God is watching him and could intervene to punish him at any moment. He has forgotten the presence of God, his Creator and Redeemer, Who has been so good to him and Who will one day be his judge. His mind has been darkened and his heart led astray by the deceptive pleasures of this world.
God is far from the sinner because the sinner ignores His inspirations and advice and has, in short, rejected Him. The unhappy man will never find peace in this world and is doomed to eternal unhappiness in the next.
“If we remained always in the presence of God,” wrote St. John Chrysostom, “we should neither conceive nor do anything evil.” (Homil. 8, ad Phil., 2.)
2. The presence of God, moreover, encourages us to do our best to acquire all the virtues. When He is always before our eyes we have no difficulty in recognising that He is the supreme Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
Let us seek to please God, therefore, by obeying His commandments and inspirations. If we wish to be worthy of His presence, let us seek to adorn our souls with His grace, which is ours for the asking. Our awareness of God's presence should not be a passive state. It should enliven our faith and increase our love for Him.
Do we realise how poor and pitiful we are in the sight of God? Let us ask Him to make us holy. If we are troubled by temptations, let us ask Him for the strength to conquer them. If we are worn out by suffering, let us ask Him to help and console us.
3. If we remind ourselves constantly of the presence of God, we shall always be closely united to Him. Union with God should be the result of our love for Him, for it is an unfailing rule of love that it increases with the nearness of the beloved. If we live in the presence of God and contemplate Him as the perfection of beauty, truth and goodness, we shall be moved to love Him more and more. Our love, moreover, will generate in us the ardent desire of an even closer intimacy with Him.
This sacred union will bring us great peace and tranquility in all the vicissitudes of life, a serenity which will be reflected in our personality and in our conduct for the edification of our fellow-men.
1. The cultivation of a continual awareness of the presence of God is such a useful practice that many writers regard it as the fundamental principle of the spiritual life. As St. Alphonsus de' Liguori points out, it obliges us to do three things: (1) To preserve ourselves completely free from sin; (2) To practise virtue in every possible way, and (3) To seek a closer and more loving contact with God. (Al. Div. Servizio, III, 1, 3)
The realisation of the presence of God is a particularly good way of subduing our passions and conquering temptation. “If we were always aware of God's presence within us,” writes St. Thomas, “we should never, or hardly ever, sin.” (Opusc. 58, c. 2)
It is unlikely that a man who is committing sin adverts to the fact that God is watching him and could intervene to punish him at any moment. He has forgotten the presence of God, his Creator and Redeemer, Who has been so good to him and Who will one day be his judge. His mind has been darkened and his heart led astray by the deceptive pleasures of this world.
God is far from the sinner because the sinner ignores His inspirations and advice and has, in short, rejected Him. The unhappy man will never find peace in this world and is doomed to eternal unhappiness in the next.
“If we remained always in the presence of God,” wrote St. John Chrysostom, “we should neither conceive nor do anything evil.” (Homil. 8, ad Phil., 2.)
2. The presence of God, moreover, encourages us to do our best to acquire all the virtues. When He is always before our eyes we have no difficulty in recognising that He is the supreme Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
Let us seek to please God, therefore, by obeying His commandments and inspirations. If we wish to be worthy of His presence, let us seek to adorn our souls with His grace, which is ours for the asking. Our awareness of God's presence should not be a passive state. It should enliven our faith and increase our love for Him.
Do we realise how poor and pitiful we are in the sight of God? Let us ask Him to make us holy. If we are troubled by temptations, let us ask Him for the strength to conquer them. If we are worn out by suffering, let us ask Him to help and console us.
3. If we remind ourselves constantly of the presence of God, we shall always be closely united to Him. Union with God should be the result of our love for Him, for it is an unfailing rule of love that it increases with the nearness of the beloved. If we live in the presence of God and contemplate Him as the perfection of beauty, truth and goodness, we shall be moved to love Him more and more. Our love, moreover, will generate in us the ardent desire of an even closer intimacy with Him.
This sacred union will bring us great peace and tranquility in all the vicissitudes of life, a serenity which will be reflected in our personality and in our conduct for the edification of our fellow-men.
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