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The rays of the sun enlighten while heating and heat
while enlightening. Inspiration is a heavenly ray
which brings into our hearts a light full of heat, by
which it makes us see the good and inflames us with a
desire to pursue it.
All that lives upon the face of the earth is
dulled by the cold of winter, but, upon the return of
the vital heat of spring, it all takes up its
movement again. The animals run more swiftly, birds
fly more quickly and sing more merrily, and plants
put forth their leaves and flowers most gladsomely.
Without inspiration our souls would lead an idle,
sluggish and fruitless life, but on receiving the
divine rays of inspiration we are sensible of a light
mingled with a quickening heat, which illuminates our
understanding, and which excites and animates our
will, giving it the strength to will and effect the
good which is necessary for eternal salvation.
God having formed man's body of the slime of the
earth, as Moses says, breathed into his face the
breath of life, and man became a living soul, that
is, a soul which gave life, motion and operation to
the body; and the same eternal God breathes and
infuses into our souls the inspirations of the
supernatural life, to the end that, as says the great
Apostle, they may become a quickening spirit,(1) that
is, a spirit which makes us live, move, feel, and
work according to the movements of grace, so that he
who gave us being gives us also operation.
The breath of man warms the things it enters into;
witness the child of the Sunamitess(2), to whose
mouth the prophet Eliseus having laid his, and
breathed upon him, his flesh grew warm; and
experience makes it evident. But with regard to the
breath of God, it not only warms, but also gives a
perfect light, his Spirit being an infinite light,
whose vital breath is called inspiration, because by
it the divine goodness breathes upon us and inspires
us with the desires and intentions of his heart.
Now it uses countless means of inspiring. S. Antony,
S. Francis, S. Anselm, and a thousand others, had
frequent inspirations by the sight of creatures. The
ordinary means is preaching, but sometimes those whom
the word does not help are taught by tribulation,
according to that of the Prophet: And vexation alone
shall make you understand what you hear:(3) that is,
such as by hearing the heavenly menaces against the
wicked do not amend, shall be taught the truth by the
event and effects, and feeling affliction shall
become wise.
S. Mary of Egypt was inspired by the sight of a
picture of Our Lady; S. Anthony, by hearing the
Gospel read at Mass; S. Augustine, by hearing the
history of S. Anthony's life; the Duke of Gandia (S.
Francis Borgia), by looking upon the dead empress; S.
Pachomius, by seeing an example of charity; the
Blessed (S.) Ignatius of Loyola, by reading the lives
of the Saints; S. Cyprian (not the great Bishop of
Carthage but a layman, yet a glorious martyr) was
moved by hearing the devil confess his impotence
against those that trust in God.
When I was a youth at Paris, two scholars, one of
whom was a heretic, passing the night in the Faubourg
S. Jacques in debauchery, heard the Carthusians ring
to Matins, and the heretic asking the other why they
rang, he described to him with what devotion they
celebrated the Divine office in that holy monastery:
O God, quoth he, how different is the practice of
those religious from ours! They perform the office of
angels, and we that of brute beasts: and desiring the
day after to see by experience what he had learnt by
his companion's relation, he found the fathers in
their stalls, standing like a row of marble statues
in their niches, motionless except for the chanting
of the Psalms, which they performed with a truly
angelic attention and devotion, according to the
custom of this holy Order; so that this poor youth,
wholly ravished with admiration, was taken with the
exceeding consolation which he found in seeing God so
well worshipped amongst Catholics, and resolved, what
afterwards he effected, to put himself into the bosom
of the Church, the true and only spouse of him who
had visited him with his inspiration, in the infamous
litter of abomination in which he had been.
Oh how happy are they who keep their hearts open to
holy inspirations! For these are never wanting to
any, in so far as they are necessary for living well
and devoutly, according to each one's condition of
life, or for fulfilling holily the duties of his
profession. For as God, by the ministry of nature,
furnishes every animal with the instincts which are
necessary for its preservation and the exercise of
its natural powers, so if we resist not God's grace,
he bestows on every one of us the inspirations
necessary to live, to work, and to preserve our
spiritual life.
O Lord, said the faithful Eliezer, the God of my
master, Abraham, meet me to-day, I beseech thee, and
show kindness to my master, Abraham! Behold, I stand
nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of the
inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water:
now, therefore, the maid to whom I shall say: let
down thy pitcher that I may drink: and she shall
answer, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:
let it be the same whom thou hast provided for thy
servant Isaac.(4)
Theotimus Eliezer does not express any desire of
water except for himself, but the fair Rebecca,
obeying the inspiration which God and her kindness
gave her, offers withal to water his camels; whence
she became holy Isaac's wife, daughter-in-law to the
great Abraham, and a grandmother to our Saviour.
Truly, the souls which are not contented with
doing what the heavenly beloved requires at their
hands by his commandments and counsels, but also
promptly comply with sacred inspirations, are they
whom the Eternal Father has destined to be the
spouses of his well-beloved son. And, as regards
Eliezer, since he cannot otherwise distinguish
amongst the daughters of Haran (the town of Nachor)
which of them was destined for his master's son, God
reveals it unto him by inspiration.
When we are at a loss, and human help fails us in
our perplexities, God then inspires us, nor will he
permit us to err, as long as we are humbly obedient.
But I will say no more of these necessary
inspirations, having often spoken of them in this
work, as also in the Introduction to the Devout Life.
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