Doing God's will, your sanctification - 4

Speaking of the Saints, Salvian says: "If they are humbled, they wish their humiliation; if they are poor, they delight in their poverty; hence in every misfortune that befalls they are content, and so they begin even in this life to enjoy beatitude."

I. Speaking of the Saints, Salvian says: "If they are humbled, they wish their humiliation; if they are poor, they delight in their poverty: hence in every misfortune which befalls them they are content, and therefore they begin even in this life to enjoy beatitude." Crosses will certainly be painful to the senses, but this pain is in the inferior part: in the superior part of the soul peace shall reign. The Saints, says Father Rodriguez, are like Mount Olympus: at the base there are storms of rain and thunder, but at the summit, which is raised above the middle region of the atmosphere, there is perpetual calm and sunshine. In a word, they are, like Jesus our Saviour, Who, in the midst of all the sorrows and ignominies of His Passion, suffered no diminution of His peace. The more the Saints suffer, the more they rejoice in spirit, knowing that in accepting their sufferings they please their Lord, Whom alone they love. This David experienced when he said: Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me (Ps. xxii. 4). St. Teresa says: "And what greater good can we acquire than a testimony that we please God?" The Blessed Father Avila has Written "One Blessed be God! in adversity is of greater value than a thousand acts of thanksgiving in prosperity."

O my Jesus, Thy will shall henceforth be my only love. Make known to me what I must do in order to please Thee: I wish to do it. I wish to love Thee with a true love, and therefore I embrace all the tribulations Thou wilt send me. Chastise me in this life, that I may be able to love Thee for eternity. My God, give me strength to be faithful to Thee.

Mary, my Mother, to thee I recommend myself; do not cease to pray to Jesus for me.

II. But some person says: "I accept all the crosses that come to me from God, such as losses, pains, and infirmities; but how can I bear so much ill-treatment and such unjust persecution? They that thus persecute me are certainly guilty of sin, and God does not will sin. But, I answer, do you not know that all comes from God? Good things and evil, life and death... are from God (Ecclus. xi. 14). Prosperity and adversity, life and, death, come from the Lord. It is necessary to know that in every action there is a physical entity which belongs to the material part of the action, and a moral entity that appertains to reason; the moral entity of the action, or the sin of the person who persecutes you, belongs to his malice, but the physical entity appertains to the Divine concurrence; so that God wills not the sin, but He wills that you suffer the persecution, and it is He that sends it. When his cattle were taken away from Job, God did not will the sin of the plunderers, but He willed that Job should suffer the loss. Hence, Job said: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job i. 21). St. Augustine remarks that Job did not say: The Lord gave, and the devil has taken away; but, the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. The Lord did not wish the sin of the Jews who crucified Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ said to St. Peter: The chalice which my Father hath given me, shall not drink it? (Jo. xviii. 11). By these words Jesus showed that His death was caused by the hands of the Jews, but that it was sent to Him by His Eternal Father. St. Dorotheus says that they who, when they are ill-treated, seek revenge upon the man who ill-treats them, imitate the dog that bites the stone which struck him, not minding the hand by which it was thrown. In all the injuries that we receive from others we should recognize the hand of God, that sends the evil to us, and thus resign ourselves to His holy will.

My beloved Saviour, Thou hast suffered so many sorrows and reproaches for my sake, and I, on account of the miseries of this life, have so often turned my back on Thee. I thank Thee or having waited for me until now. Had I died in my sins, I could never more love Thee. Since I am now able to love Thee, I wish to love Thee with my whole heart. Accept me, O my Love, now that I return to Thee, full of sorrow for the offences I have given Thee, and full of affection and gratitude. But if, when I despised Thy love, Thou didst not cease to seek after me, how can I fear that Thou wilt cast me off, now that I desire nothing but Thy love. Thou hast borne with me so long in order that I might love Thee. Yes, I wish to love Thee. I love Thee, my God, with my whole heart, and I feel greater sorrow for having hitherto offended Thee than if I had suffered every evil in the world. O Love of my soul! I wish never more to give Thee any deliberate displeasure; and I wish to do all Thou dost wish me to do.