Book V, Chapter XII

Endeavour to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to the invisible. B. i c. 1 213 OF THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD

(On these words) — “ Endeavour to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to the invisible.” B. i. c. 1.

Question. — Wherein consists the perfect use of faith?

Answer. — In the effort we make to apply our whole mind, not to the things that strike our senses, but to those which God has been pleased to reveal to us. It is natural for man to turn to sensible objects, to dwell on them, and take pleasure in them; but to do this, is to act according to nature, not according to faith, which presents to our minds objects to which the senses cannot attain. Spiritual men attach themselves only to the things which God reveals to them by His instruments, the Apostles and Prophets, that is, to heavenly and eternal things; to the mysteries of the Life of Christ, and to His teaching. This is continually before their eyes; to this their affections are given; this occupies them no less than temporal affairs occupy those who are governed by the senses.

A worldly man, who follows the guidance of nature, or of human reason, thinks only of what regards the present life, of establishing his family, providing advantageously for his children, obtaining some important office; all his care, all his labours, are directed to these things. But one who is led by the spirit of faith tries only to know and to enjoy the good things of eternity, and the precepts of the Gospel. To these things he gives all the attention, the affection, and 214 HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. ^ ardour, that others can bestow on perishing things. An instance will serve to make this truth clear.

Consider the life that St. Joseph lived on the earth. He was almost the only person to whom God had discovered the greatest and most sublime of all the mysteries. He had always in his house, and almost always before his eyes, a Virgin Mother of a Child, Who was God, and the only Son of the Everlasting Father, Who possessed all the treasures of the Divine 1 Wisdom, and Who alone was able to teach men the way of salvation, and to save them from death. His I knowledge of this mystery was certain, for he had received it by revelation. The thought of it had become to him very familiar and very sweet for in him God had made the care of outward things accord so well with the consideration of things spiritual, that without much effort all the powers of his soul were inseparably attached to a Man-God and a Virgin [ Mother. Yet he was diligent at his work, and was not obliged to interrupt it, because however he was outwardly occupied, he was always inwardly attracted by the only Object of his love, Who was always pre- i sent with him. j

Thus those who practise the perfect use of faith, so give themselves up to the inward life, that they make all other things bear a relation to it and do it service. In consequence, they take but little interest in the concerns of the present life, and in what re- gards the satisfaction of the senses. Loss of pro- I perty, the death of those whom they most esteem!

and cherish, and a thousand other such occurrences, J I move them but little in comparison with the work of salvation, because they give all the application pos- sible to that important affair, and are very mode- rately careful for those of this world, according to I the Apostle’s precept It remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; — and j

HOW TO LOYE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY. 215

they that use this world, as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away. 1 Cor. vii. 29. 31.

Question. — What must we do to arrive at this entire detachment from all things?

Answer. — We must exercise ourselves early, and long continue to employ all the powers of our soul, above all, our understanding and our will, to comprehend and to hold fast those things which we know by faith; we must repress the unregulated emotions of the heart, if it too eagerly and passionately desires present things. There is this difference between the just in general and St. Joseph, whom we have proposed as an example, that this great Saint found no difficulty in applying his mind to those objects of which all should think continually, but which are quickly effaced from our memory. He rarely lost sight of the two persons in this world most deserving of love, Mary his wife, and Jesus, Who passed among the people for his son; Jesus, Whom he loved with all the tenderness with which natural love can inspire a true father, or a true mother; happy in finding so much facility where others find so much difficulty. I say so much difficulty; for, without doing ourselves much violence, we cannot continually apply our minds to these objects, lovely and full of delight though they are, and we must strive much before the mind becomes thoroughly imbued with them.

For this there is no means more efficacious than the exercise of prayer and meditation; to which may be joined many things of which I have elsewhere spoken, and which are taught by religious books. But the feebleness of the human spirit is like a weight which drags it almost against its will to material things; so that it needs great firmness to support itself, and to rise ever higher towards the contemplation of the loftiest mysteries of the faith.

216 HOW TO LOVE THINGS UNSEEN ONLY.

It is true, that among those who serve God, there are two sorts of persons. The first have received special graces, which serve extremely to strengthen their faith, and which make them in some sort partakers of the privilege which we have said St. Joseph enjoyed for in these heavenly visitations they find themselves so enlightened, and so far above visible creatures, that they often feel within them the presence of Christ a, which gives them marvellous openings to understand the truths of religion. The others have not this abundant light; they have only that which is common; and it is always with difficulty that spiritual things are impressed on their minds. What they have to do is, to study the precepts of the Gospel, and to labour with all their might for the acquirement of Christian virtues, according to the knowledge which they possess, without attempting to rise to God otherwise than by constant fidelity. At length, either He will open their minds, and make them understand supernatural and Divine things, according to His promise to the Disciples, that He will manifest Himself to them, (John xiv. 21,) or without any other assistance than that of ordinary faith, they will obtain perfect repose of mind, and will grow day by day in the knowledge and love of our Lord. For if they make so much progress as to be resolved to do all that God shall demand of them, He will undoubtedly give them what the Saviour has promised to those who keep His Word, a hundredfold in this life, (Matt. xix. 29,) so that growing in faith and in charity, their conversation will be in heaven b, and at last they will enjoy God even here, in a manner in which, as the Saints testify, the just find a paradise on earth.

I THOUGHTS ON CHRIST^ PASSION SOURCE OP LOVE. 217

OF THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD.