Second Day

"My soul is always in my hands." J This was the song of my Master's soul, and that is why, in the midst of all His anguish, He remained calm and strong. " My soul is always in my hands." What does that mean except perfect self-control in the presence of the Prince of Peace ?

"I will keep my strength to thee,"¹ is another song of Christ's in which I desire to join incessantly. My Rule tells me : " In silence shall be your strength." To " keep our strength " for the Lord is to keep our whole being in unity by interior silence ; to collect all our powers, to occupy them in the one work of love, to have the " simple eye " which allows the light of God to enlighten us.

A soul which listens to self, which is preoccupied with its sensibilities, which indulges in useless thoughts or desires, scatters its forces. It is not completely under God's sway. Its lyre is not in

% Ps. cxviii. 109. § Ibid., lviii. 10.

tune, so that when the Divine Master strikes it, He cannot draw forth celestial harmony ; it is too human and discordant.

The soul which reserves anything for self in its interior kingdom, whose powers are not all " enclosed " in God, cannot be a perfect "praise of glory"; it is unfit to sing the canticum magnum continually, because it is not in unity. So that, instead of persevering in praise, in simplicity, whatever may happen, it is often obliged to tune the chords of its instrument which have lost their tone.

How necessary is this blessed unity for the soul that craves to live here below the life of the blessed — that is, of simple beings, of spirits ! Did not the Divine Master mean to teach this to St. Mary Magdalen when He spoke of the unum necessarium t How well that great saint realized it ! She had recognized her God by the light of faith under the veil of His humanity, and in the silence, the unity of her powers, "she heard His word,"* and could sing : " My soul is always in my hands," and also the little word " Nescivi /"

Yes ! she knew nothing but Him : whatever noise and bustle there was around her : "Nescivi /" She might be blamed : <( Nescivi /" Neither care for honour nor exterior things could draw her from her sacred silence.

Thus it is with the soul dwelling in the fortress of holy recollection. By the light of faith she sees her God present, dwelling within her ; and He, on His part, is so present to her in her beautiful simplicity that He guards her with a jealous care. Then, whatever turmoil there may be outside or * St. Luke x. 39.

tempests within, however her honour may be assailed : " Nescivi /" God may hide Himself, withdraw His sensible grace : " Nescivi /" ..." For Him I have suffered the loss of all things !"* she exclaims. Henceforth the Master has full liberty — liberty to infuse Himself within her, to give Himself in His own measure^ and the soul, thus simplified, unified, becomes the throne of Him Who changes not, because unity is the throne of the Blessed Trinity.

Footnotes

1. Eph. iii. 4. f Col. i. 15. ↩