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Do you see, Theotimus, that glass of water or that
piece of bread which a holy soul gives to a poor body
for God's sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and
in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration:
God, notwithstanding, recompenses it, and forthwith
gives for it some increase of charity.
The goat's-hair which was anciently presented to
the Tabernacle was received in good part, and had
place amongst the holy offerings; and the little
actions which proceed from charity are agreeable to
God, and have their place among merits. For as in
Araby the Blest, not only the plants which are by
nature aromatic, but even all the others, are sweet,
gaining a share in the felicity of that soil; so in a
charitable soul not only the works which are
excellent of their own nature, but also the little
actions, smell of the virtue of holy love, and have a
good odour before the majesty of God, who in
consideration of them increases charity.
And I say God does it, because Charity does not
produce her own increase as a tree does, which by its
own virtue produces and throws out, one from another,
its boughs: but as Faith, Hope and Charity are
virtues which have their origin from the divine
goodness, so thence also they draw their increase and
perfection, not unlike bees, which, having their
extraction from honey, have also their food from it.
Wherefore, as pearls are not only bred of dew but fed
also with it, the mother-pearls to this end opening
their shells towards heaven to beg, as it were, the
drops which the freshness of the air makes fall at
the break of days so we, having received Faith, Hope
and Charity from the heavenly bounty, ought always to
turn our hears and keep them turned towards it,
thence to obtain the continuation and augmentation of
the same virtues. "O, Lord," does holy Church our
mother teach us to say, "give us the increase of
faith, hope and charity." And this is in imitation of
those that said to Our Saviour: Lord increase our
faith,(1) and following the counsel of S. Paul, who
assures us that: God alone is able to make all grace
abound in us.(2)
It is God therefore that gives this increase, in
consideration of the use we make of his grace, as it
is written; For he that hath, that is, who uses well
the favours received, to him shall be given, and he
shall abound. (3) Thus is Our Saviour's exhortation
practised: Lay up to yourselves treasures in
heaven:(4) as though he said: add ever new good works
to the former ones; for fasting, prayer and
alms-deeds are the coins whereof your treasures are
to consist.
Now as amongst the treasures of the temple, the
poor widow's mite was much esteemed, and as indeed,
by the addition of many little pieces treasures
become great, and their value increases, so the least
little good works, even though performed somewhat
coldly, and not according to the whole extent of the
charity which is in us, are agreeable to God, and
esteemed by him; in such sort that though of
themselves they cannot cause any increase in the
existing love, being of less force than it, yet the
divine Providence, counting, and out of his goodness,
valuing them, forthwith rewards them with increase of
charity for the present, and assigns to them a
greater heavenly glory for the future.
Theotimus, bees make the delicious honey which is
their chief work; but the wax, which they also make,
does not therefore cease to be of some worth, or to
make their labour valuable. The loving heart ought to
endeavour to bring forth works full of fervour, and
of high value, that it may powerfully augment
charity: yet if it bring forth some of lesser value,
it shall not lose its recompense; for God will be
pleased by these, that is to say he will love us ever
a little more for them. Now God never loves a soul
more without bestowing also upon her more charity,
our love towards him being the proper, and special
effect, of his love towards us.
The more attentively we regard our image in a
looking-glass, the more attentively it regards us
again; and the more lovingly God casts his gracious
eyes upon our soul, which is made to his image and
likeness, our soul in return, with so much the more
attention and fervour is fixed upon the divine
goodness, answering, according to her littleness,
every increase which this sovereign sweetness makes
of his divine love towards her. The Council of Trent
says thus: " If any say that justice received is not
preserved, yea that it is not augmented, by good
works in the sight of God, but that works are only
the fruits and signs of justification acquired, and
not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema."
Do you see, Theotimus, the justification wrought
by charity is augmented by good works, and, which is
to be noted, by good works without exception: for, as
S. Bernard says excellently well on another subject,
nothing is excepted where nothing is distinguished.
The Council speaks of good works indifferently, and
without reservation, giving us to understand, that
not only the great and fervent, but also the little
and feeble works cause the increase of holy Charity,
but the great ones greatly, and the little much less.
Such is the love which God bears to our souls, such
his desire to make us increase in the love which we
owe to him. The divine sweetness renders all things
profitable to us, takes all to our advantage, and
turns all our endeavours, though never so lowly and
feeble, to our gain.
In the action of moral virtues little works bring
no increase to the virtue whence they proceed, yea,
if they be very little, they impair it: for a great
liberality perishes if it occupies itself in
bestowing things of small value, and of liberality
becomes niggardliness. But in the actions of those
virtues which issue from God's mercy, and especially
of charity, every work gives increase. Nor is it
strange that sacred love, as King of virtues, has
nothing either great or small which is not loveable,
since the balm tree, prince of aromatic trees, has
neither bark nor leaf that is not odoriferous: and
what could love bring forth that were not worthy of
love, or did not tend to love?
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