Abandonment; or, Absolute Surrender to Divine ProvidenceCaussade, Jean Pierre de
Religion
Abandonment; or, Absolute Surrender to Divine Providence
Caussade, Jean Pierre de
Mysticism -- Catholic Church; Spiritual life -- Catholic Church
If whatsoever comes to a soul thus self-abandoned is her one essential,
we see clearly that she lacks nothing, and therefore should never
complain; that if she murmur she lacks faith, and lives by reason and
the senses alone, which, failing to recognize this sufficiency of
grace, are ever discontented.
To bless the name of God according to the expression of the Scriptures
is to love Him, adore Him, and recognize His holiness in all things.
In fact, all things like words proceed from the mouth of God. The
events of each moment are divine thoughts expressed by created objects;
thus all things which intimate His will to us are so many names, so
many words, by which He manifests His desires. This will is one in
itself; it bears but one incomprehensible, ineffable name; but it is
multiplied infinitely in its effects, and assumes their names. To
sanctify the name of God is to study, adore, and love the ineffable
Being whom this name represents. It is also to study, adore, and love
His blessed will at all times, in all its effects; regarding all things
as so many veils, shadows, names of this eternally holy will. It is
holy in all its works, holy in all its words, holy in all its forms of
manifestation, holy in all the names it bears.
It was thus Job blessed the name of God. The holy man blessed his
terrible desolation which expressed the will of God: he called it
not ruin, but a name of the Lord; and blessing it he declared that
this divine will expressed by the most terrible afflictions was ever
holy, whatever form, whatever name it bore. David also blessed it
at all times and in all places. Therefore it is by this continual
manifestation, this revelation of the will of God in all things that
His kingdom is within us that His will is done upon earth as it is in
heaven, that He gives us our daily bread.
Abandonment to the divine will contains the substance of that
incomparable prayer which Christ Himself has taught us. We repeat it
vocally many times a day according to the order of God and His holy
Church; but we utter it in the depth of our hearts each moment that we
lovingly receive or suffer whatever is ordained by this adorable will.
What the lips need words and time to express, the heart effectively
utters with each pulsation, and thus simple souls unceasingly bless
Him in the depth of their hearts. They sigh nevertheless over their
inability to praise Him as they desire: so true it is that God gives
His graces and favors to such souls by the very means which seem to
deprive them of these blessings. This is the secret of the divine
wisdom--to impoverish the senses while it enriches the heart, and to
fill the heart in proportion to the aching void in the senses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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