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
In this peaceful, humble way we advance in purity of divine love, and
in the extermination of our bad habits more rapidly in a week than we
would in a year of unquiet vigilance. Very little experience of God’s
way will convince us of this. For self-love is the motive and end of
those who yield to disquiet, while those who proceed with the calmness
of which we have spoken rely on Jesus Christ. Now, it is most evident
that seeking only God’s interest always gives strength, and that
egotism, even spiritual egotism, being a disorder, is weakening.
5th. The perfection of order is to be found in the complete fusion of
our interests with those of God. Therefore he who remains faithful to
this sweet habit is not astonished to see himself assailed by every
form of temptation; he bears the weary burden of them as the natural
fruit of his misery, maintains in the depth of his heart a resigned
acquiescence, and courageously drags this weary chain of his past
without permitting himself to be troubled or cast down by the memory
of his iniquities. When this thought assails him, he loses no time
examining whence it came, nor how long it has lasted, for such an
examination would be in itself a new distraction, more voluntary and
injurious than the first; he is satisfied with humbling himself at
sight of this infidelity, which, wholly involuntary as it is, proves,
nevertheless, that his heart is not wholly fixed upon God. Disquietude
in this case being a mark of self-love, we must return to God and seek
peace in love of our own abjection.
6th. We must follow the same rule in our relations with our neighbor,
and cause him to feel the truth of these words of our Saviour: “My yoke
is sweet, and My burden light.” No one who takes this yoke upon himself
can fail to realize these words, for they are the utterance of eternal
Truth. The practice of which we have just spoken will inevitably cause
us to taste its sweetness.
7th. When this feeling of disquiet has passed, and peace of mind
is restored, it is well then to recall our past faults in order to
humble and reprove ourselves. There is no one who should not feel the
need of doing this, so great is the depth of our pride and self-love
which never die, and never cease alas! to produce new fruits. If we
neglect this very important point, the foundation of our virtues will
inevitably lose its solidity. When, on the contrary, we persevere in
this habit, we always conceive a greater esteem for our neighbor;
unfavorable appearances no longer lead us to judge rashly, and we only
condemn ourselves, for, recognizing our nothingness and sinfulness, we
place ourselves under the feet of all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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