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Section 4 - The Most Ordinary Things are Channels of Grace.
In the state of abandonment God guides the soul more safely the
more completely He seems to blind it.
It is most especially with regard to souls
that abandon themselves entirely to God that the words of St. John
are applicable: "You have no need that any man teach you, as His
unction teacheth you of all things" (I Eph., St. John, ii, 20). To
know what God demands of them they need only probe their own
hearts, and listen to the inspirations of this unction, which
interpret the will of God according to circumstances.
The divine action, concealed though it is, reveals its designs,
not through ideas, but intuitively. It shows them to the soul
either necessarily, by not permitting any other thing to be chosen
but what is actually present, or else by a sudden impulse, a sort
of supernatural feeling that impels the soul to act without
premeditation; or, in fine, by some kind of inclination or
aversion which, while leaving it complete liberty, yet none the
less leads it to take or refuse what is presented to it.
If one were to judge by appearances, it
seems as if it would be a great want of virtue to be swayed and
influenced in this manner; and if one were to
judge by ordinary rules, there appears a want of regulation and
method in such conduct; but in reality it is the highest degree of
virtue, and only after having practised it for a long time does
one succeed.
The virtue in this state is pure virtue; it is, in
fact, perfection itself. One is like a musician, who combines a
perfect knowledge of music with technical skill: he would be so
full of his art that, without thinking, all that he performed
within its compass would be perfect; and if his compositions were
examined afterwards, they would be found in perfect conformity
with prescribed rules. One would then become convinced that he
would never succeed better than when, free from the rules that
keep genius in fetters when too scrupulously followed, he acted
without constraint; and that his impromptus would be admired as
chef d'oeuvres by all connoisseurs.
Thus the soul, trained for a
long time in the science and practice of perfection under the
influence of reasonings and methods of which it made use to assist
grace, forms for itself a habit of acting in all things by the
instincts implanted by God. It then knows that it can do nothing
better than what first presents itself, without all those
arguments of which it had need formerly. The only thing to be done
is to act at random when unable to trust in anything but the
workings of grace which cannot mislead it. The effects of grace,
visible to watchful eyes, and intelligent minds, are nothing short
of marvellous.
Without method, yet most exact; without rule, yet most orderly;
without reflexion, yet most profound; without skill, yet
thoroughly well constructed; without effort, yet everything
accomplished; and without foresight, yet nothing better suited to
unexpected events. Spiritual reading with the divine action, often
contains a meaning that the author never thought of. God makes use
of the words and actions of others to infuse truths which might
otherwise have remained hidden. If He wishes to impart light in
this way, it is for the submissive soul to avail itself of this
light. Every expedient of the divine action has an efficacy which
always surpasses its apparent and natural virtue.
It is the nature of abandonment always to lead a mysterious life,
and to receive great and miraculous gifts from God by means of the
most ordinary things, things that may be natural, accidental, or
that seem to happen by chance, and in which there seems no other
agency than the ordinary course of the ways of the world, or of
the elements.
In this way the simplest sermons, the most
commonplace conversations, and the least high-toned books, become
to these souls, by the virtue of God's will, sources of knowledge
and wisdom. This is why they carefully gather up the crumbs that
sceptics trample underfoot. Everything is precious in their eyes,
everything enriches them. They are inexpressibly indifferent
towards all things, and yet neglect nothing, having a respect for,
and making use of all things. As God is everywhere, the use made
of things by His will is not so much the use of creatures, as the
enjoyment of the divine action which transmits His gifts by
different channels.
They cannot sanctify of themselves, but
only as instruments of the divine action, which has power to
communicate His grace, and often does communicate it to simple
souls in ways and by means which seem opposed to the end intended.
It enlightens through mud as well as through glass, and the
instrument of which it makes use is always singular. To it
everything is alike.
Faith always believes that nothing is
wanting to it, and never complains of the privation of means which
might prove useful for its increase, because the Workman, who
employs them efficaciously, supplies what is wanting by His
action. The divine action is the whole virtue of the creature.
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