Book 3, Chapter 31: Disregarding all Created Thing, Such That the Creator May be Found.
Chapter Focus:
Answer: Nothing.
Question: What, beyond the eternal, is worth your full affection?
In the scheme of things, we are only guaranteed eternal love by Almighty God. This is not to diminish the love we have for our spouse, our children, our friends. But all you have to do is put eternal love in context with earthly love, and it all makes sense.
Therefore we should work to prefer God’s will overworking to satisfy all other demands on us. Because of this preference, we should likewise always seek to please God. And this leads to receiving whatever He casts our way. All of which should cause us to constantly meditate and think on Him in all things, in every situation. My friend, Donald, likes to call this “Going before the Throne of God,” or “Entering into His Holy Presence.” I agree.
To do otherwise is to enter into the banality of silliness. Finding God’s will means finding a purposeful activity. After all, it’s for His glory. However, when we take God out of the center of what we do, what remains is vanity: we end up thinking only of ourselves and the effects of what others are doing upon us.
Here our Lord is expecting homage and dedication, and what He gets is neglect and indifference. Try offering your whole day to Him with the Morning Offering (see below after the text of the Chapter).
This is why we need more grace – to rise above our self. We have to go beyond the “want to” in pursuing contemplation, we have to practice the contemplative disciplines. It’s not a race. It’s not a New Year’s Resolution. It’s a lifestyle. Call it an eternal lifestyle.
Chapter 31, In Short.
1. Lord, I need more grace to fly to You.
2. Much grace is necessary in order to lift up the soul and raise it above itself.
3. Many desire contemplation, but few practice what is necessary to achieve contemplation.
4. Many do not subject their actions to a strict examination.
5. Others demand to know how much you have done but rarely consider how much virtue you enacted.
Scripture Memory Prayer: “Out of a pure heart proceeds the fruit of good living.”(1 Tim 1:5)
Question: What, beyond the eternal, is worth your full affection?
Key Quote: Out of a pure heart proceeds the fruit of good living.
The Text of Chapter 31: Of the Neglect of Every Creature, Such That the Creator May be Found.
Disciple: O Lord, I still need more grace if I am to arrive where no human nor any other creature may hinder me. As long as anyone holds me back, I am not free to fly to You. It was that person who desired so eagerly to fly to You, who cried out to You, saying, “Oh if only I had wings like a dove, for then I would fly away and be at rest (Ps 55:7).
What is more peaceful than the single eye that maintains its simple focus on God? And what can be freer than a disciple who desires nothing upon earth? Therefore a disciple must rise above every creature, and leave notions of self-importance behind perfectly, and with an observant mind confront and recognize that You, the Creator of all things, have among Your creatures nothing like Yourself. And except when a person is freed from all creatures, there is no way to reach freely after Divine things. Therefore few are found who give themselves to contemplation because few know how to separate themselves entirely from perishing and created things.
2. For this a great grace is necessary which may lift up the soul and raise her above herself. And only when you are lifted up in the spirit, and freed from all creatures, and altogether united to God, do you realize that whatever you know, and whatever you possess, matters little.
Whoever values anything great beyond the one incomprehensible, eternal, good, shall be little and lie low for a long while. For whatever is not God is nothing, and ought to be counted for nothing. There is a great difference between those who are godly, illuminated with wisdom, and those who are scholars, learned in knowledge, and given to books. Far nobler is that doctrine which flows down from the divine fullness above, than that which is acquired laboriously by human study.
3. Many are found who desire contemplation, but they do not strive to practice those things which they are required to attain. It is also a great impediment that much is made of symbols and external signs, and too little of perfect mortification. I do not know how it is, and by what spirit we are led, and what we who would be deemed spiritual are aiming at, that we give so great labor and so eager solicitude for transitory and worthless things, and scarcely ever gather our senses together to think at all of our own inward condition.
4. Ah, me! Abruptly, after a little recollection, we rush out of ourselves again and do not subject our actions to a strict examination. We take no heed where our affections lie, nor do we weep over how the things belonging to us are defiled. For because all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth, the great deluge came (Gn 6:12). Since, therefore, our inmost affections are highly corrupt, it necessarily follows that our actions also are corrupt, being the testimony of a deficient inward strength. Out of a pure heart proceeds the fruit of good living (1 Tim 1:5).
5. We ask how much you have done, but with how much virtue you acted you have done it is barely considered. We ask if you are strong, rich, handsome, clever, whether a good writer, good singer, good
workman; but we don’t ask how poor you may be in spirit, how patient and gentle, how devout and meditative, on these things many are silent. Nature looks upon your outward appearance, grace turns its thought to the heart. Nature frequently judges amiss; the latter trusts in God, that it may not be deceived.
***
The Morning Offering (one of many variations).
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day.
In union with the whole Church, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
In reparation for my sins, and those of my associates. For the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this day.
Amen.