Book III, Chapter V

Where shall one be found who is willing to serve God for nought ? B. ii. c. 2 Ill

(On these words) — “Where shall one be found who is willing to serve God for nought l” B. iL c. 2.

Question. — Wherein consists this free and disinterested service that should be done to God?

Answer. — In a fixed intention to do those things which God requires of us, solely through the desire of pleasing Him, without any consideration of our own interests. Our Author speaks of this disinterestedness as very rare; for, although many people profess to serve God, they may be divided into three classes. Those who belong to the first do all with a view to their own good, their salvation, and their everlasting happiness. The second are gained by the loveliness of virtue, and by reason, which teaches them that the creature ought to obey the Creator. The third and last are actuated solely by the desire of pleasing God, of Whom they have so lofty a conception, that nothing but the consideration of His infinite greatness can move them. This consideration so animates, inflames, and strengthens them, that they need no other incitement to well doing than to know that there is a God infinitely good and infinitely gracious, and that His kindnesses to men proceed from unmixed love.

Saint Catherine of Genoa says, that the most perfect love is that which acts for God, without any thought of self: like that of God, Who loves us without expecting any thing from us. Thus a soul which has a pure love for God, like that of the blessed in heaven, has no thought of what she is to receive for serving Him; she does all* that lies in her power, l 2

112 WHEREIN CONSISTS THE FREE AND thinking of the great reward promised; and in this there are, as it were, three degrees.

1. The first is, when a man has no attachment to health, life, honour, or repose, and leaves all to the disposal of Providence, without caring what may happen, or even seeking or desiring any thing but the honour of God. In this sense Saint Francis Xavier explained the Saviour’s words He that loseth his life for My sake, shall find it. Matt. x. 39. He considered that we should expose ourselves to all sorts of dangers, to shipwreck, torture, death itself, without once reflecting that we hazard all.

2. The second degree is, when he appears to neglect even the gifts of grace and the merit of his good works; that is, when he throws himself entirely on the goodness of God, and thinks not at all of them; not through contempt, but because being resolved to think henceforth of God Alone, and to forget himself, his mind does not dwell on the rewards of God’s service, nor does he make this either a subject of rejoicing or a ground of obedience. It is not, however, to be imagined that these spiritual advantages are really neglected on the contrary, he is careful of them, and omits nothing to preserve and increase them; but not for his private interest; he has no other object than to please the Lord; and the soul which regards him as her spouse, loves Him with a love at once so tender and so noble, that all the desires and emotions of her heart are only directed to please Him; and she finds this the most powerful motive to all her good works.

3. The highest degree is when he leaves in the hands of God even his everlasting salvation; troubled about nothing; neither seeking nor desiring to know any thing more than God is pleased to reveal; because he loves Him Alone, and disinterestedly. This is not a blameworthy and presumptuous sentiment, failing

DISINTERESTED SERVICE TO GOD? 113 in conformity with those of the greatest saints who dreaded the judgments of God, or opposed to the saying of the Saviour I will forewarn you Whom ye shall fear, Luke xii. 5. All that it seeks is to fulfil the first and great commandment, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, Luke x. 27. Perfect love, says Saint John, casteth out fear. For he who fears thinks of himself, and of the evils which menace him. Such thoughts are not useless; they are good, and must be made use of in time of need; because man, being frail by nature, must make use of all that can aid in guarding him from sin. But when the soul is perfectly free, she desires God Alone; and the love with which she burns inspires her with so much confidence, that nothing is capable of causing her fear.

This has led many Saints to say surprising things. St. Theresa declared that she had no fear of death, because she knew that in dying she should fall into the hands of Him Whom she loved the best. Another Saint, carrying in one hand a torch, and in the other a pitcher of water, said that she desired with the one to burn Heaven, and with the other to extinguish the flames of hell, that she might think no more but of love, and that henceforth she might serve God for His goodness only. St. Ignatius, the founder of the company of Jesus, once said, that if he saw heaven opened, and it depended only on himself to enter, and God proposed to him to remain still on earth to render some considerable service to His Divine Majesty, at the risk of perishing himself, he would not hesitate an instant to take this latter portion, and to hazard all, rather than to lose so good an opportunity of giving glory to God.

For myself, I am fully persuaded that one who loved our Lord perfectly would willingly renounce all

114 HOW TO 8BRVB OOD DISINTERESTEDLY.

the glories of paradise, for a time at least, for the smallest interest of Him to Whom he owes all. Those who burn with the pure and ardent fire of divine love, leave to God the decision of their everlasting happiness or misery; they leave their lot to Him; and so repose on Him, that they take thought for nothing but how to do His most Holy Will. But where shall we find these men dead to themselves, attached only to Heaven, and having continually in view “ the greater service of God,” as St. Ignatius i says? We may venture to say that they are rare; for there are few sufficiently mortified to prefer the glory of God in all things to their own honour, their own life, and all perishing things.

The true way to reach this lofty state is to forget ourselves, and at the same time to forget all that concerns our comfort, our reputation, and our repose; that, whatever happens, we may sanctify all things by referring them to God through simple love. This cannot be done but by a long habit of renouncing self, by protesting to God frequently that we desire nothing besides Him, and never suffering ourselves to be carried away by delight, for all the praises of man, nor for all the prosperity and wealth of the earth.

Some who pass for spiritual persons, and who make a profession of being so, both think and speak like perfect men; but their intentions are not pure, and human nature mingles largely in them. If they are going, for instance, to some place to labour for the salvation of souls, they begin directly to think that they are known there; that they have made friends; that they are esteemed, and apparently will meet with success there. This thought rejoices and encourages them; whereas they should love only the Cross, humiliation, and contempt, attach themselves solely to God, rejoice only in seeing Him glorified; and if praise is offered to them, they should return it

WHAT IS IT TO FIND OURSELVES? 115 to Him without taking any share, without desiring to enjoy the gratification found in it, which so delights the proud spirit.