Conformity to the will of God - 08

VIII. SPECIAL PRACTICES OF THIS VIRTUE

I. Let us come to the practice of this virtue of conformity to God's will, and consider in what we have to bring ourselves into conformity with the will of God.

In the first place, we must have this conformity as regards those things that come to us from without, such as great heat, great cold, rain, scarcity, pestilence, and the like. We must take care not to say: What intolerable heat! What terrible cold! What a misfortune! How unlucky! What wretched weather! or other words expressive of disagreement with the will of God. We ought to will everything to be as it is, since God it is Who wills it so. St. Francis Borgia, on going one night to a house of the Society when the snow was falling, knocked at the door several times; but, the Fathers being asleep, the door was not opened. They made great lamentations in the morning for having kept him so long waiting in the open air, but the Saint said that during the time he had been greatly consoled by the thought that it was God Who was casting the snowflakes down upon him.

In the second place, we must have this conformity as regards things that happen to us from within, as in the sufferings consequent on hunger, thirst, poverty, desolation, or disgrace. In all things, let us ever say: "Lord, Thine it is to make and to unmake; I am content, I will only what Thou dost will." And thus, too, we ought, as F. Rodriguez says, to reply to those imaginary cases which the devil occasionally suggests to the mind, in order at least to dishearten us. If such a person were to say so-and-so to you, or if he were to do so-and-so to you, what would you say? What would you do? Let your answer always be: "I would say and do that which God wills." And by this means we shall keep ourselves free from all fault and be at peace.

In the third place, if we have any natural defect either of mind or body — a bad memory, slowness of apprehension, mean abilities, a crippled limb, or weak health — let us not, therefore, make lamentation. What were our deserts, and what obligation was God under to bestow upon us a mind more richly endowed, or a body more perfectly framed? Could He not have created us mere brute animals? or have left us in our own nothingness? Who is there that ever receives a gift and tries to make bargains about it? Let us, then, return God thanks for what, through a pure act of His goodness, He has bestowed upon us; and let us rest content with the manner in which He has treated us. Who can tell whether, if we had had better abilities, more robust health, or greater personal attractions, we should not have possessed them to our destruction? How many there are whose ruin has been occasioned by their talents and learning, of which they have grown proud, and in consequence of which they have looked upon others with contempt — a danger which is easily incurred by those who excel others in learning and ability! How many others there are whose personal beauty or bodily strength have furnished the occasions of plunging them into innumerable acts of wickedness! And, on the contrary, how many there are who, in consequence of their poverty, infirmity, or ugliness, have sanctified themselves and been saved, who, had they been rich, strong, or handsome, might have been damned! And thus let us rest content ourselves with that which God has given us: But one thing is necessary (Luke x. 42). Beauty is not necessary, nor health, nor keenness of intellect; that which alone is necessary is the salvation of our soul.