Part 1, lesson 10

Of another obligation to love the cross, and particularly contempt, abjection, and dereliction, which are the first branch of the cross, proceeding from the fact that man, by himself, is a mere nothing*

Q. Besides the Spirit that we received in baptism, does what we are by ourselves oblige us to the love of the cross ?

A. Yes.

Q. And what is man by him self?

A. Alas! nothing.

Q. What was man, before God had infused into him his being?

A. He was nothing at all.

Q. What does nothing merit ?

A. Nothing merits nothing, or rather it deserves all con tempt, abjection, dereliction, and forgetfulness on the part of all creatures; nothing can not be looked at; for there is nothing in it, upon which one may cast his eyes.

Q. We should not then desire to be noticed, seen, or esteemed ?

A. No; we should, on the contrary, desire to be treated according to what we are; arid as nothing is disregarded, is despised, does not even de serve to be despised, since it is not even worth that one should trouble himself about it, to pass a judgment on it; so man, who is nothing by himself, merits nothing, not even con tempt.

Q. Alas! we are then very miserable creatures, since we do not even deserve that one should take the tnmiiLeJ:£L_de^ sj3Jse_ us. But how can you say that man is nothing, since he has a body and a soul ?

A. I say that man is nothing by himself; he has indeed some thing borrowed; but he is not the less nothing by himself, and consequently he ought not to be honored; but honor ought to re turn to him to whom the good which man has received belongs.

Q. Whence do you draw this truth ?

A. From St. Paul, who says, first, that he who thinks him self to be something, whereas he is nothing, deceiveth him self; secondly, that roan ought not to glorify himself, since the good which may be in him, he has received from another.*

Q. From whom has man re ceived all that he possesses ?

• Si quis existimat se aliquid esse, cilm nihil sit, ipse se seducit. Gal. vi, 3. Quid habes quod non accepisti ? Si autem accepisti, quid glorians, quasi non acceperis? 1. Cor. iv, 7.

A. From God alone.

Q. God alone then ought to be honored for all the good which is in man ?

A. Yes, justas a painterought to be praised for his painting, and not the piece of canvass upon which he has placed his colors.

Q. Men then ought not to receive for themselves the prai ses that are given them ?

A. No.

Q. What ought they to do, when they are praised ?

A. They ought to offer to God all the praises that are given to them, and say to him: My God, I refer to thce all these praises, because thou alone deserves! them for the blessings thou hast bestowed upon me.

Q. But when we perceive in us gifts and graces from God, what must we do ?

A. Three things.:

1. Humble ourselves before God, acknowledging that he is the author of all good in us;

2. Thank him that he has been pleased to bestow upon us what we did not merit;

3. Pray to him thajt.-he^may glorify himself for his gifts, and use them in us for his glory, since by ourselves we cannot do it well.

Q. Were these dispositions in the devils, when they receiv ed the gifts of God ?

A. No; if they had acted in this way, they would not be damned.

Q. What then did they do, to lose themselves so miserably, in receiving the gifts of God ?

A. Being charmed with the sweets of honor, they wished to be honored themselves for the gifts of God; and, drawing upon themselves the praises due to God, they endeavored to rob the Almighty of the glory which belonged to him alone.

Q. We must not then suffer any honor to be paid to us ?

A. No.