I Am Not Able
1. Often, when the violence of our passions threatens to overcome all
our powers of resistance, we are tempted to say: “Lord, I am not able; I
cannot go any further. Why are You not helping me? Why have you
abandoned me?” This is a trick of the devil to make us give up the
fight, to make us believe that God has deserted us and that we must
inevitably give in to temptation.
This is the last stratagem of the devil when he sees that he cannot
persuade us in any other manner. But the Lord addresses to us the
reproof which he addressed to St. Peter who, while walking on the water,
doubted for an instant, and then felt himself going under. “O thou of
little faith, why didst thou doubt?” (Mt. 14:31) In such a situation, we
must strengthen our faith, our love, and our dedication to Jesus
Christ. Then the Lord will extend His helping hand to us as He did to
Peter. He will give us the spiritual tranquility which only grace and
Christian fortitude can offer.
Let us recall how this has
happened in the temptations of our past life. When we were strong and
generous with Jesus, we implored His help with faith and perseverance
and emerged victorious from the fray. Then we experienced the heavenly
joy which only God can give. Why can we not always do the same? We must
never say: “I am not able!” We are poor and weak, but with the grace of
God we can overcome all obstacles. As St. Paul says, “I can do all
things in him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
2. Whenever we
feel called upon to make some sacrifice for Jesus or to form some good
resolution, how often do we cry: “I am not able!” It may be a question
of praying more fervently, of performing some mortification, or of
helping our neighbour spiritually or materially. Or perhaps it is a
matter of saying a few words of apology or of encouragement to our
neighbour, whom we have previously treated with coldness and
selfishness. Or it may be something entirely more generous which is
demanded; it may be that God is inviting us to renounce ourselves
completely and to dedicate ourselves to Him. Naturally this requires
sacrifice, and great generosity of heart. But we say to Jesus when He
calls us: “I cannot, it is too difficult!” And yet the Lord says: “You
shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44;
19:2) “You therefore, are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is
perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) We must not refuse God, Who became man for us and
shed His blood for our redemption.
3. When the crosses sent to
us by God have seemed too heavy, we have often uttered these words of
refusal in a mood of weariness or even in a spirit of revolt. If only we
had taken our sorrow to the foot of the Crucifix! Then we should not
have had the audacity to have spoken these selfish and unchristian
words.
We would have remembered that Jesus, the innocent Lamb,
suffered for love of us, and we could not then have told Him that our
cross was too heavy. We would have embraced it with resignation and
walked towards Heaven in the footsteps of Christ.
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Holy Indifference - Cardinal Bacci
Holy Indifference
1. That is not indifference towards what is good or towards God. That kind of indifference is the apathy and negligence which distracts us from striving to reach our final end by advancing in sanctity.
The holy indifference which we should all have, or endeavour to have, is described by St. Ignatius in his book on the Spiritual Exercises. It is a virtue which renders us indifferent towards all creatures because we see them only as means which will help or hinder us on the path to sanctity. Therefore we must be indifferent towards sickness and health.
“Grant to me, O Lord,” we should pray, “that which pleases You most. Perhaps you know that health could be a grave danger to me, that it could lead me into offending You, or that at least it could make me too attached to the things of this world. If this is so, send me whatever illness You will. I will accept them from Your hands as a gift of Your mercy and goodness and I will try to sanctify myself by means of them. Nature rebels at this thought; yet I must not listen to the prompting of nature, but to the inspirations of grace.
On the other hand, You may see that my good health would add to Your glory, and help me to grow in sanctity and to be useful in the Apostolate. Grant health to me if it is Your will to do so. I will accept it from Your hands and I will use it solely for Your glory.”
A man who is capable of such high spirituality will not be shaken by the fury of human passion, but will remain always calm and attentive to the demands of grace. He will surrender himself completely to the will of God in all the circumstances of his life.
2. We may wonder whether we are to have a long or a short life. Nature would choose the first alternative, because the will to live and the fear of death are among the strongest of our basic instincts. To obtain a long life we are prepared to promise God that we shall dedicate it to His glory, and spend it in doing good works. But if God sees that a long life would prove to be an occasion of sin for us, and that we should become too deeply attached to this world and forgetful of Heaven, then we should be resigned to, and indeed content with, a short life.
How many young people like St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Dominic Savio, and St. Maria Goretti, have reached the peak of sanctity while still in the flower of their youth! If this were the will of God for us, surely we should welcome the advent of an early death?
There is another question which often bothers those who look into the future. Shall I be rich or poor? It is natural to desire wealth and to want to avoid poverty. Yet Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor; and woe to the rich!” It is clear then that wealth is likely to be a greater spiritual danger than poverty, for it can cause us to become more attached to worldly possessions. We can save our souls whether we are rich or poor as long as we make right use of whatever we have. So let the will of God be done.
3. The last question which we must ask ourselves is the most difficult. Should we choose honour or humiliation? It is very hard in this case to say to God: “Thy will be done.” Yet say it we must. If honour, high position, and success redound to the glory of God and to our spiritual advantage, then let us accept them with humble gratitude. But if Divine Providence ordains that it is better for us to be humiliated and forgotten, we must accept this with cheerful resignation. “Do with me what You will, O Lord,” we should pray.
“Grant me whatever pleases You, sickness or health, poverty or riches, honour or disgrace.” We must always accept the will of God simply because we love Him and wish to serve Him more faithfully. Let us perform all our actions for His glory, for our eternal salvation, and for the salvation of all mankind.
1. That is not indifference towards what is good or towards God. That kind of indifference is the apathy and negligence which distracts us from striving to reach our final end by advancing in sanctity.
The holy indifference which we should all have, or endeavour to have, is described by St. Ignatius in his book on the Spiritual Exercises. It is a virtue which renders us indifferent towards all creatures because we see them only as means which will help or hinder us on the path to sanctity. Therefore we must be indifferent towards sickness and health.
“Grant to me, O Lord,” we should pray, “that which pleases You most. Perhaps you know that health could be a grave danger to me, that it could lead me into offending You, or that at least it could make me too attached to the things of this world. If this is so, send me whatever illness You will. I will accept them from Your hands as a gift of Your mercy and goodness and I will try to sanctify myself by means of them. Nature rebels at this thought; yet I must not listen to the prompting of nature, but to the inspirations of grace.
On the other hand, You may see that my good health would add to Your glory, and help me to grow in sanctity and to be useful in the Apostolate. Grant health to me if it is Your will to do so. I will accept it from Your hands and I will use it solely for Your glory.”
A man who is capable of such high spirituality will not be shaken by the fury of human passion, but will remain always calm and attentive to the demands of grace. He will surrender himself completely to the will of God in all the circumstances of his life.
2. We may wonder whether we are to have a long or a short life. Nature would choose the first alternative, because the will to live and the fear of death are among the strongest of our basic instincts. To obtain a long life we are prepared to promise God that we shall dedicate it to His glory, and spend it in doing good works. But if God sees that a long life would prove to be an occasion of sin for us, and that we should become too deeply attached to this world and forgetful of Heaven, then we should be resigned to, and indeed content with, a short life.
How many young people like St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Dominic Savio, and St. Maria Goretti, have reached the peak of sanctity while still in the flower of their youth! If this were the will of God for us, surely we should welcome the advent of an early death?
There is another question which often bothers those who look into the future. Shall I be rich or poor? It is natural to desire wealth and to want to avoid poverty. Yet Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor; and woe to the rich!” It is clear then that wealth is likely to be a greater spiritual danger than poverty, for it can cause us to become more attached to worldly possessions. We can save our souls whether we are rich or poor as long as we make right use of whatever we have. So let the will of God be done.
3. The last question which we must ask ourselves is the most difficult. Should we choose honour or humiliation? It is very hard in this case to say to God: “Thy will be done.” Yet say it we must. If honour, high position, and success redound to the glory of God and to our spiritual advantage, then let us accept them with humble gratitude. But if Divine Providence ordains that it is better for us to be humiliated and forgotten, we must accept this with cheerful resignation. “Do with me what You will, O Lord,” we should pray.
“Grant me whatever pleases You, sickness or health, poverty or riches, honour or disgrace.” We must always accept the will of God simply because we love Him and wish to serve Him more faithfully. Let us perform all our actions for His glory, for our eternal salvation, and for the salvation of all mankind.
Intimacy with Jesus - Cardinal Bacci
Intimacy with Jesus
1. In his memoirs written while in exile, Napoleon says: “Many have desired and endeavoured to be obeyed, revered and honoured by all; only Jesus Christ has demanded this, because He is God.”
“As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you,” we read in the Gospel of St. John. “Abide in my love.” (John 15:9) Jesus therefore asks each of us not only to love Him but to remain intimately united with Him in love. He has a perfect right to demand this, because as God He is our Creator, and as God-Man He is our Redeemer, Who out of love for us has given Himself entirely.
2. The union of love which should exist between Jesus and us is modelled on the mysterious union between Him and His heavenly Father. (1) This intimacy between us and Jesus should be first of all in the mind. Our thoughts will be good when we think like God, and with the mind of Jesus, Who is “the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world.” (John 1:9) If we stray away from that light, darkness overwhelms us even as it pervaded the earth during the agony of Jesus Christ. Our intelligence is a ray of light which comes from God; we should take care not to allow this ray to be separated from its divine source. This heavenly ray always shone on the faces of the saints, because they were clean of heart and close to God. That is how we should all be. (2) In the second place, we should be united intimately with Jesus in our sentiments. “Have this mind in you which was also in Jesus Christ,” (Phil. 2:5) says St. Paul. Our love must not be abstract or partial, but must be all-absorbing. Jesus calls us friends, and friendship unites two hearts as one. We must give ourselves completely to Jesus without reserving anything for ourselves. True holiness is found when God and man are united like two faithful, constant friends. (3) In the third place, there must be intimacy in action. It is not possible for a man who truly loves God to do anything which would offend Him. Jesus compares the love which we should have for Him with the love which He has for His Heavenly Father, so we should model our lives continuously on the life of Jesus. Jesus must work in us, as He did in St. Paul and in all the Saints.
St. Francis de Sales writes that Jesus should always be in our minds, in our hearts, in our eyes, and on our tongue. We should be living images of Jesus; and we must therefore live and act for Him, with Him, and in Him.
3. Do not imagine that this intimate union of the human heart with that of Jesus is the privilege and vocation of a few, that is, something reserved for priests, religious, mystics, and saints. Do we think that this privilege is only for saints? But we must all be saints. “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) “You therefore are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) This does not mean that we all have the same vocation and that we should all be priests or religious. Sanctity is nothing other than this intimate, loving, and active union with Jesus. It must be practised in different ways in accordance with the positions which men occupy. For one it will be the sanctity of the workman, for another the sanctity of the student or of the clerk, of the professor or of the statesman, because the duties of each differ. But all must renounce their evil inclinations and their personal egoism. They must also, as the Gospel insists, renounce themselves in order to have the life of Jesus. They must love God above all things and also more than themselves, and they must love their neighbour as themselves. The goal is certainly hard and difficult; but if at present we are not able to reach it, we must at least have the strong and active desire to strive for it.
1. In his memoirs written while in exile, Napoleon says: “Many have desired and endeavoured to be obeyed, revered and honoured by all; only Jesus Christ has demanded this, because He is God.”
“As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you,” we read in the Gospel of St. John. “Abide in my love.” (John 15:9) Jesus therefore asks each of us not only to love Him but to remain intimately united with Him in love. He has a perfect right to demand this, because as God He is our Creator, and as God-Man He is our Redeemer, Who out of love for us has given Himself entirely.
2. The union of love which should exist between Jesus and us is modelled on the mysterious union between Him and His heavenly Father. (1) This intimacy between us and Jesus should be first of all in the mind. Our thoughts will be good when we think like God, and with the mind of Jesus, Who is “the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world.” (John 1:9) If we stray away from that light, darkness overwhelms us even as it pervaded the earth during the agony of Jesus Christ. Our intelligence is a ray of light which comes from God; we should take care not to allow this ray to be separated from its divine source. This heavenly ray always shone on the faces of the saints, because they were clean of heart and close to God. That is how we should all be. (2) In the second place, we should be united intimately with Jesus in our sentiments. “Have this mind in you which was also in Jesus Christ,” (Phil. 2:5) says St. Paul. Our love must not be abstract or partial, but must be all-absorbing. Jesus calls us friends, and friendship unites two hearts as one. We must give ourselves completely to Jesus without reserving anything for ourselves. True holiness is found when God and man are united like two faithful, constant friends. (3) In the third place, there must be intimacy in action. It is not possible for a man who truly loves God to do anything which would offend Him. Jesus compares the love which we should have for Him with the love which He has for His Heavenly Father, so we should model our lives continuously on the life of Jesus. Jesus must work in us, as He did in St. Paul and in all the Saints.
St. Francis de Sales writes that Jesus should always be in our minds, in our hearts, in our eyes, and on our tongue. We should be living images of Jesus; and we must therefore live and act for Him, with Him, and in Him.
3. Do not imagine that this intimate union of the human heart with that of Jesus is the privilege and vocation of a few, that is, something reserved for priests, religious, mystics, and saints. Do we think that this privilege is only for saints? But we must all be saints. “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) “You therefore are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) This does not mean that we all have the same vocation and that we should all be priests or religious. Sanctity is nothing other than this intimate, loving, and active union with Jesus. It must be practised in different ways in accordance with the positions which men occupy. For one it will be the sanctity of the workman, for another the sanctity of the student or of the clerk, of the professor or of the statesman, because the duties of each differ. But all must renounce their evil inclinations and their personal egoism. They must also, as the Gospel insists, renounce themselves in order to have the life of Jesus. They must love God above all things and also more than themselves, and they must love their neighbour as themselves. The goal is certainly hard and difficult; but if at present we are not able to reach it, we must at least have the strong and active desire to strive for it.
The Problem of Evil - Cardinal Bacci
The Problem of Evil
1. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Anti-Christ, “the man of sin… the son of perdition, who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God…” “Already,” he says, “the mystery of iniquity is at work.” (Cf. 2 Thess. 2:3-7) From the beginning of the Church’s history until the present time it has always been the same.
There always have been and always will be men who do evil not from human weakness, but from motives of malice so diabolical as to present something of a mystery to us. These can be called Anti-Christ because they seem to be incarnations of the devil, the spirit of iniquity. They delight in spreading error, in corrupting minds, and in persecuting the Church. They are steeped in all kinds of baseness and nothing pleases them better than to succeed in inducing the young and the innocent to follow them in their sinful ways. For this purpose they employ all the advantages which modern technical progress has to offer – the press, the cinema, the radio, and television. In short, they use God’s gifts in their commercialisation of sin in order to draw souls away from Him.
The realisation of this terrifying fact provokes two questions. (1) How can such evil be permitted by God, Who made man for Himself and redeemed him with the Blood of His only-begotten Son? (2) What steps can we take to control this alarming and universal deluge of evil?
2. St. Augustine answers the first question by pointing out that the infinite and good God created us without any assistance from ourselves, but does not will to save us without our cooperation since He has endowed us with the gift of liberty. Moreover, He prefers to draw good from evil rather than to prevent the evil itself. We must answer the second question ourselves, remembering that we have a serious obligation to combat evil in ourselves and in our fellow-men. What have we done up to now and what do we propose to do in the future?
3. According to St. Augustine, great good can come from the evil which God permits. In the first place, God displays His infinite goodness and mercy. Even though He permits us to offend Him out of respect for our human liberty, He is always ready to forgive us, even as He forgave the penitent thief. In the second place, by permitting evil God gives the good an opportunity of practicing virtue, especially the virtue of patience. If there were no persecutors, there would be no martyrs and the Church would be deprived of the glory which makes her most like her founder, Jesus Christ. Finally, each of us has a particular duty to fulfil in resisting the onslaught of evil. As followers and soldiers of Christ, we cannot remain passive. The invasion by the forces of evil demands a counter-attack by the forces of good in defense of the faith and of the Church. As Christians, we are the sons of martyrs. We must not refuse, therefore, to make our lives a continuous martyrdom for the triumph of goodness in ourselves and in others. The faithful exercise of virtue and of the apostolate is often a form of martyrdom.
1. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Anti-Christ, “the man of sin… the son of perdition, who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God…” “Already,” he says, “the mystery of iniquity is at work.” (Cf. 2 Thess. 2:3-7) From the beginning of the Church’s history until the present time it has always been the same.
There always have been and always will be men who do evil not from human weakness, but from motives of malice so diabolical as to present something of a mystery to us. These can be called Anti-Christ because they seem to be incarnations of the devil, the spirit of iniquity. They delight in spreading error, in corrupting minds, and in persecuting the Church. They are steeped in all kinds of baseness and nothing pleases them better than to succeed in inducing the young and the innocent to follow them in their sinful ways. For this purpose they employ all the advantages which modern technical progress has to offer – the press, the cinema, the radio, and television. In short, they use God’s gifts in their commercialisation of sin in order to draw souls away from Him.
The realisation of this terrifying fact provokes two questions. (1) How can such evil be permitted by God, Who made man for Himself and redeemed him with the Blood of His only-begotten Son? (2) What steps can we take to control this alarming and universal deluge of evil?
2. St. Augustine answers the first question by pointing out that the infinite and good God created us without any assistance from ourselves, but does not will to save us without our cooperation since He has endowed us with the gift of liberty. Moreover, He prefers to draw good from evil rather than to prevent the evil itself. We must answer the second question ourselves, remembering that we have a serious obligation to combat evil in ourselves and in our fellow-men. What have we done up to now and what do we propose to do in the future?
3. According to St. Augustine, great good can come from the evil which God permits. In the first place, God displays His infinite goodness and mercy. Even though He permits us to offend Him out of respect for our human liberty, He is always ready to forgive us, even as He forgave the penitent thief. In the second place, by permitting evil God gives the good an opportunity of practicing virtue, especially the virtue of patience. If there were no persecutors, there would be no martyrs and the Church would be deprived of the glory which makes her most like her founder, Jesus Christ. Finally, each of us has a particular duty to fulfil in resisting the onslaught of evil. As followers and soldiers of Christ, we cannot remain passive. The invasion by the forces of evil demands a counter-attack by the forces of good in defense of the faith and of the Church. As Christians, we are the sons of martyrs. We must not refuse, therefore, to make our lives a continuous martyrdom for the triumph of goodness in ourselves and in others. The faithful exercise of virtue and of the apostolate is often a form of martyrdom.
Patience - Cardinal Bacci
Patience
1. Patience may be external or internal. Both are necessary aspects of the same virtue. External patience consists in refraining from outbursts of anger and from sarcastic comments – in short, from all words and actions which might give offence to others. It is easy to be patient when our affairs are running smoothly and everybody is being nice to us. It is quite another matter when we come up against difficulties or find that we are being slighted or insulted. It is hard to remain silent when our pride has been wounded, and it requires the virtue of a saint to be able to smile at our tormentors. It took St. Francis de Sales years of spiritual conflict before he achieved this kind of perfection.
How far can we claim to have succeeded in acquiring this virtue? We should always remember that temperamental explosions are unworthy of a rational being. The only proper course when we have been offended is to state our case clearly and calmly, though generally speaking it is more heroic to remain silent. Impatience is futile because it cannot remedy the situation, and often harmful because it upsets us and only produces bitterness. Acts of impatience, moreover, are a source of bad example to others. “The quick-tempered man,” says Sacred Scripture, “makes a fool of himself.” (Prov. 14:17) “The patient man,” it adds, “shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height.” (Id. 14:19)
If we live in the presence of God, we shall learn to be calm and self-controlled in all circumstances.
2. An outward show of patience will hardly avail us much in God’s eyes unless it is accompanied by interior patience, which consists in the possession of complete mastery over all our faculties. We should be able to control our feelings as well as our actions. This is a difficult virtue, but it is the duty of every sincere Christian to try and acquire it. Only the grace of God and constant effort will enable us to succeed, but when we have at last mastered our unruly and selfish impulses we shall have arrived at a state of peace and perfection. “By your patience you will win your souls.” (Luke 21:19)
3. If we are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His sight. There are three grades of perfection in this virtue. (1) The first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins. (2) The second consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes because they come from God. (3) The third stage is reached when we actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.
Which grade have we attained? If we wish to please God, it is essential that we should have made the first grade at least. “A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.” (Prov. 16:32)
1. Patience may be external or internal. Both are necessary aspects of the same virtue. External patience consists in refraining from outbursts of anger and from sarcastic comments – in short, from all words and actions which might give offence to others. It is easy to be patient when our affairs are running smoothly and everybody is being nice to us. It is quite another matter when we come up against difficulties or find that we are being slighted or insulted. It is hard to remain silent when our pride has been wounded, and it requires the virtue of a saint to be able to smile at our tormentors. It took St. Francis de Sales years of spiritual conflict before he achieved this kind of perfection.
How far can we claim to have succeeded in acquiring this virtue? We should always remember that temperamental explosions are unworthy of a rational being. The only proper course when we have been offended is to state our case clearly and calmly, though generally speaking it is more heroic to remain silent. Impatience is futile because it cannot remedy the situation, and often harmful because it upsets us and only produces bitterness. Acts of impatience, moreover, are a source of bad example to others. “The quick-tempered man,” says Sacred Scripture, “makes a fool of himself.” (Prov. 14:17) “The patient man,” it adds, “shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height.” (Id. 14:19)
If we live in the presence of God, we shall learn to be calm and self-controlled in all circumstances.
2. An outward show of patience will hardly avail us much in God’s eyes unless it is accompanied by interior patience, which consists in the possession of complete mastery over all our faculties. We should be able to control our feelings as well as our actions. This is a difficult virtue, but it is the duty of every sincere Christian to try and acquire it. Only the grace of God and constant effort will enable us to succeed, but when we have at last mastered our unruly and selfish impulses we shall have arrived at a state of peace and perfection. “By your patience you will win your souls.” (Luke 21:19)
3. If we are patient from the motive of the love of God, we can gain merit in His sight. There are three grades of perfection in this virtue. (1) The first is the acceptance, with Christian resignation, of every kind of misfortune, offering it in expiation of our sins. (2) The second consists in a cheerful and willing acceptance of these misfortunes because they come from God. (3) The third stage is reached when we actually desire them out of our love for Jesus Christ.
Which grade have we attained? If we wish to please God, it is essential that we should have made the first grade at least. “A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.” (Prov. 16:32)
Perseverance - Cardinal Bacci
Perseverance
1. “He who has persevered to the end,” Jesus tells us, “will be saved.” (Mt. 10:22; 24:13) Elsewhere He says that “no one, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Cf. Luke 9:62) It is necessary, therefore, to persevere in goodness if we wish to be saved.
It is easy to begin, but it is difficult to continue. In a moment of fervour, perhaps, you promised to be holy. Maybe some misfortune came your way, such as the loss of someone very dear to you, and you were moved to meditate upon the vanity of earthly things and promised to dedicate yourself entirely to God. In that moment you experienced the truth of the words of Ecclesiastes, summarised in the “Imitation of Christ:” “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity, but to love God and serve Him alone.” (Bk. 1, Ch. 1:4)
Unfortunately, your good resolutions wore away with time. You may have been swept away once more by the deceptive pleasures of this world. Or perhaps your charity grew cold and in your tepidity you gave in to the violent onslaught of temptation.
Christian perseverance has three main enemies. (1) Firstly, there is time, which slowly consumes this virtue. You must conquer time by resolving to begin the battle anew every morning of your life. (2) Then there is the devil, who goes about, as St. Peter warns us, like a lion in search of his prey. (Cf. 1 Peter 5:8) You must resist him by the strength of your faith. (3) Finally, there is spiritual sloth which easily invades the soul. You must take your cue from St. Paul’s exhortation: “My beloved brethren, be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58)
2. Perseverance may be a difficult virtue, but nothing is really difficult to a man of strong resolution. When the sister of St. Thomas Aquinas asked him how to become holy, he replied that it needed only one thing – a firm act of the will, for God will certainly supply the necessary grace. Think of how much work and sacrifice is required to achieve worldly success. Cicero wrote that it required constant and tireless labour in order to become a great orator. (Cf. De Orat., 1:39) St. Paul cited the examples of athletes who are prepared to make such great sacrifices in order to train themselves to win. If they are prepared to do so much to gain a perishable crown, he comments, we should be prepared to do much more to gain an imperishable one. (Cf. 1 Cor. 9:25)
3. The grace of God is the principal weapon upon which we must depend in order to gain our victory. We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly. There will be victors and losers in the battle for Heaven as well as in earthly contests. We must make sure that we are on the winning side. For this purpose we should combine fervent and constant prayer with generous cooperation with the grace of God.
1. “He who has persevered to the end,” Jesus tells us, “will be saved.” (Mt. 10:22; 24:13) Elsewhere He says that “no one, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Cf. Luke 9:62) It is necessary, therefore, to persevere in goodness if we wish to be saved.
It is easy to begin, but it is difficult to continue. In a moment of fervour, perhaps, you promised to be holy. Maybe some misfortune came your way, such as the loss of someone very dear to you, and you were moved to meditate upon the vanity of earthly things and promised to dedicate yourself entirely to God. In that moment you experienced the truth of the words of Ecclesiastes, summarised in the “Imitation of Christ:” “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity, but to love God and serve Him alone.” (Bk. 1, Ch. 1:4)
Unfortunately, your good resolutions wore away with time. You may have been swept away once more by the deceptive pleasures of this world. Or perhaps your charity grew cold and in your tepidity you gave in to the violent onslaught of temptation.
Christian perseverance has three main enemies. (1) Firstly, there is time, which slowly consumes this virtue. You must conquer time by resolving to begin the battle anew every morning of your life. (2) Then there is the devil, who goes about, as St. Peter warns us, like a lion in search of his prey. (Cf. 1 Peter 5:8) You must resist him by the strength of your faith. (3) Finally, there is spiritual sloth which easily invades the soul. You must take your cue from St. Paul’s exhortation: “My beloved brethren, be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58)
2. Perseverance may be a difficult virtue, but nothing is really difficult to a man of strong resolution. When the sister of St. Thomas Aquinas asked him how to become holy, he replied that it needed only one thing – a firm act of the will, for God will certainly supply the necessary grace. Think of how much work and sacrifice is required to achieve worldly success. Cicero wrote that it required constant and tireless labour in order to become a great orator. (Cf. De Orat., 1:39) St. Paul cited the examples of athletes who are prepared to make such great sacrifices in order to train themselves to win. If they are prepared to do so much to gain a perishable crown, he comments, we should be prepared to do much more to gain an imperishable one. (Cf. 1 Cor. 9:25)
3. The grace of God is the principal weapon upon which we must depend in order to gain our victory. We should pray for it humbly and perseveringly. There will be victors and losers in the battle for Heaven as well as in earthly contests. We must make sure that we are on the winning side. For this purpose we should combine fervent and constant prayer with generous cooperation with the grace of God.
The Interior Life - Cardinal Bacci
The Interior Life
1. Human life is threefold. First, there is the physical life, that is, the life of the body animated by the soul. Then there is the intellectual life, through which the soul searches for truth and controls the powers of the body. Finally, there is the supernatural life, which leads us towards Christian perfection and unites us to God, the source of goodness and happiness.
These three levels of life are all good in themselves, but form a hierarchy in which the primacy is held by the spiritual life. Physical life is a gift from God, but must remain subordinate to the spiritual life. If it were given precedence over reason and over the natural and divine law, our proper scale of values would be upset and we should fall prey to a host of sinful inclinations. The same applies to the intellectual life. God endowed us with intelligence to enable us to know the truth, explore the secrets of the universe, and use them for our own welfare. If the intellect fails to ascend to the knowledge of God from its knowledge of worldly objects and ceases to be inspired by a high regard for virtue, its achievements can lead eventually to death and destruction.
The supernatural life, which is nourished by divine grace, perfects man. All our physical powers and spiritual faculties should be dominated by this life, which Jesus Christ came into the world to bring to us. We can have this life if we obey His commands, control our passions, pray fervently, resign ourselves to His will, and perform all our actions for love of Him.
2. The daily struggle for existence gradually wears down both the physical and the intellectual life. The same can happen to the supernatural life. The long process of self-denial, acceptance of crosses, and efforts to achieve perfection, can be very difficult and very tiring. Often we feel weary and discouraged, but on these occasions we must recall the words of Jesus. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28)
3. Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left. Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no farther along the stony path to perfection. He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of grace, which is the source of the spiritual life.
It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection. If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the voice of God. We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to conform more completely to His designs for us. Then we shall find peace and contentment in the interior life such as the world can neither know nor communicate.
1. Human life is threefold. First, there is the physical life, that is, the life of the body animated by the soul. Then there is the intellectual life, through which the soul searches for truth and controls the powers of the body. Finally, there is the supernatural life, which leads us towards Christian perfection and unites us to God, the source of goodness and happiness.
These three levels of life are all good in themselves, but form a hierarchy in which the primacy is held by the spiritual life. Physical life is a gift from God, but must remain subordinate to the spiritual life. If it were given precedence over reason and over the natural and divine law, our proper scale of values would be upset and we should fall prey to a host of sinful inclinations. The same applies to the intellectual life. God endowed us with intelligence to enable us to know the truth, explore the secrets of the universe, and use them for our own welfare. If the intellect fails to ascend to the knowledge of God from its knowledge of worldly objects and ceases to be inspired by a high regard for virtue, its achievements can lead eventually to death and destruction.
The supernatural life, which is nourished by divine grace, perfects man. All our physical powers and spiritual faculties should be dominated by this life, which Jesus Christ came into the world to bring to us. We can have this life if we obey His commands, control our passions, pray fervently, resign ourselves to His will, and perform all our actions for love of Him.
2. The daily struggle for existence gradually wears down both the physical and the intellectual life. The same can happen to the supernatural life. The long process of self-denial, acceptance of crosses, and efforts to achieve perfection, can be very difficult and very tiring. Often we feel weary and discouraged, but on these occasions we must recall the words of Jesus. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28)
3. Let us go to Jesus when we are worn out by conflict and have no strength left. Let us go to Him when we feel that we can walk no farther along the stony path to perfection. He will help us and restore our courage; He will grant us an increase of grace, which is the source of the spiritual life.
It is essential, however, that we should have a spirit of recollection. If we are dissipated, we shall be unable to hear the voice of God. We must speak with God and open our hearts to Him; we must tell Him that we love Him and wish to learn to love Him more and to conform more completely to His designs for us. Then we shall find peace and contentment in the interior life such as the world can neither know nor communicate.
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