In Which It Is Confirmed by Examples How Pleasing to God Is This Exercise of Conformity to His Will, and the Great Perfection There Is in It

CAESARIUS relates how there dwelt in a monastery a monk to whom God had given such a grace of working miracles that by the mere touch of his clothes or of the cincture which he wore, he healed the sick. His abbot, attentively considering this and not seeing in that monk any special effulgence of sanctity, called him apart and asked him to tell the reason why God worked such miracles through him. He answered that he did not know; “For,” said he, “I do not fast more than the others or take more disciplines or penances, nor spend more time in prayer nor watch more. All I can say is that prosperity does not elate nor adversity discourage me; nothing that happens troubles or disturbs me; my soul is in the same peace and quiet under all circumstances, how various soever they he, whether they touch me or my neighbor.” The abbot said to him: “Were you not somewhat troubled and upset that other day, when that knight our enemy set fire to our granary and burned it?” “No,” he said, “I felt no trouble in my soul, since I have already left all that in the hands of God, as well prosperity as adversity, as well little as great; I take all with equal thanksgiving as coming from His hand.” Then the abbot understood what was the cause of this power of working miracles.

Blosius relates that a poor beggarman of very perfect life, being asked by a theologian how he had attained to perfection, answered in this manner. “I have determined to give myself over to God’s will alone, to which I have so conformed my own that whatever God wills, I will also. When hunger exhausts me, when cold pinches me, I praise God. Be the weather fair, or foul and stormy, I likewise praise God. Whatever lot He gives me or permits to come upon me—hbe it prosperous or unfortunate; be it sweet, or bitter and disagreeable—I receive it at His hand with great alacrity as a very good thing, resigning myself to it in all humility. Never have I been able to find repose in anything that was not God; and now I have found unto myself God, in Whom I enjoy repose and peace everlasting.”

The same author tells of a holy virgin who, being asked how she had attained perfection, replied: ‘All troubles and mishaps I took with great conformity as coming from the hand of God; and anyone who did me any wrong or gave me any annoyance, I took care to pay off by doing him some spcial service. I never complained to anyone of my troub’es, but had recourse only to God, of Whom I received new strength and consolation.” Of another virgin of great sanctity he says that, being asked on what practices she had gained such great perfection, she answered with much humility: “I never had pains and afflictions so great but that I desired to suffer more for love of God, taking them for great gifts of His and judging myself unworthy of them.”

Tauler tells of a servant of God, wholly resigned into His hands, whom different persons asked to pray for certain affairs. She said she would, and sometimes forgot, yet all that they commended to her succeeded just as they had asked. They came back to return thanks to her, considering that the success was due to her prayers, and she was ashamed and told them to thank God, as she had had no part in the matter. Many came to her on this errand. She made a loving complaint to God, that all the intentions which they commended to her He accomplished in such sort that they came to her to return thanks to her when she had had nothing to do with it. The Lord answered: ‘See, daughter, the day that thou gavest thy will to Me, I gave thee Mine; and, though thou asked Me nothing in particular, as I understand what thy wishes are, I accomplish them as thou desirest.”

In the lives of the Fathers there is told of a farmer whose fields and vineyards always bore better crops than those of his neighbors. His neighbors asking him how that was, he answered that he was not astonished at having better crops than they had, seeing that he had always the weather he wanted. At that they were still more surprised and asked how that could be. He replied: “I never wish for any other weather but what God wishes; and as I wish what God wishes, He gives me crops as I wish.”

Sulpicius Severus relates in his Life of the blessed St. Martin, bishop, that in all his intercourse with him he never saw him out of humor or sad, but always in great peace and cheerfulness. And the reason of that he says was because, whatever happened to him, he took it as sent from the hand of God and so conformed himself in all things to God’s will with great equanimity and alacrity.