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When Tobias was bidden to go to Rages, he was willing to obey his
father, but he objected that he knew not the way;--to which Tobit
answered, "Seek thee a man which may go with thee:" (1) and even
so, daughter, I say to you, If you would really tread the paths of
the devout life, seek some holy man to guide and conduct you.
This is the precept of precepts, says the devout Avila,--seek
as you will you can never so surely discover God's Will as through
the channel of humble obedience so universally taught and
practised by all the Saints of olden time. When the blessed Teresa
read of the great penances performed by Catherine of Cordova, she
desired exceedingly to imitate them, contrary to the mind of her
Confessor, who forbade her to do the like, and she was tempted to
disobey him therein. Then God spoke to Teresa, saying, "My child,
thou art on a good and safe road:-- true, thou seest all this
penance, but verily I esteem thy obedience as a yet greater
virtue:" --and thenceforth S. Teresa so greatly loved the virtue
of obedience, that in addition to that due to her superiors, she
took a vow of special obedience to a pious ecclesiastic, pledging
herself to follow his direction and guidance, which proved an
inexpressible help to her. And even so before and after her many
pious souls have subjected their will to God's ministers in order
the better to submit themselves to Him, a practice much commended
by S. Catherine of Sienna in her Dialogues.
The devout Princess S. Elisabeth gave an unlimited obedience to
the venerable Conrad; and one of the parting counsels given by S.
Louis to his son ere he died was, "Confess thyself often,--choose
a single-minded, worthy confessor, who is able wisely to teach
thee how to do that which is needful for thee." (2) "A faithful
friend," we are told in Holy Scripture, "is a strong defence, and
he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure;" (3) and
again: "A faithful friend is the medicine of life; and they that
fear the Lord shall find him." (4) These sacred words have chiefly
reference, as you see, to the immortal life, with a view to which
we specially need a faithful friend, who will guide us by his
counsel and advice, thereby guarding us against the deceits and
snares of the Evil One:--he will be as a storehouse of wisdom to
us in our sorrows, trials and falls; he will be as a healing balm
to stay and soothe our heart in the time of spiritual
sickness,--he will shield us from evil, and confirm that which is
good in us, and when we fall through infirmity, he will avert the
deadly nature of the evil, and raise us up again.
But who can find such a friend? The Wise Man answers:--"He that
feareth the Lord:" (5) that is to say, the truly humble soul which
earnestly desires to advance in the spiritual life. So, daughter,
inasmuch as it concerns you so closely to set forth on this devout
journey under good guidance, do you pray most earnestly to God to
supply you with a guide after His Own Heart, and never doubt but
that He will grant you one who is wise and faithful, even should
He send you an angel from Heaven, as He sent to Tobias.
In truth, your spiritual guide should always be as a
heaven-sent angel to you;--by which I mean that when you have
found him, you are not to look upon him, or trust in him or his
wisdom as an ordinary man; but you must look to God, Who will help
you and speak to you through this man, putting into his heart and
mouth that which is needful to you; so that you ought to hearken
as though he were an angel come down from Heaven to lead you
thither.
Deal with him in all sincerity and faithfulness, and with open
heart; manifesting alike your good and your evil, without pretence
or dissimulation. Thus your good will be examined and confirmed,
and your evil corrected and remedied; --you will be soothed and
strengthened in trouble, moderated and regulated in prosperity.
Give your guide a hearty confidence mingled with sacred reverence,
so that reverence in no way shall hinder your confidence, and
confidence nowise lessen your reverence: trust him with the
respect of a daughter for her father; respect him with the
confidence of a son in his mother.
In a word, such a friendship should be strong and sweet;
altogether holy, sacred, divine and spiritual. And with such an
aim, choose one among a thousand, Avila says;--and I say among ten
thousand, for there are fewer than one would think capable of this
office. He must needs be full of love, of wisdom and of
discretion; for if either of these three be wanting there is
danger. But once more I say, ask such help of God, and when you
have found it, bless His Holy Name; be stedfast, seek no more, but
go on simply, humbly and trustfully, for you are safe to make a
prosperous journey.
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