CHAPTER 20 - Describes how, in one way or another, we never lack consolation on the road of prayer. - Counsels the sisters to include this subject continually in their conversation. . |
In this last chapter
I seem to have been contradicting
what I had previously said,
as, in consoling those
who had not reached
the contemplative state,
I told them
that the Lord had different roads
by which they might come to Him,
just as He also had many mansions. [71]
I now repeat this:
His Majesty,
- being Who He is and
- understanding our weakness,
has provided for us.
But He did not say:
"Some must come
by this way and
others
by that."
His mercy is so great
that He has forbidden none
to strive to come and drink
of this fountain of life.
Blessed be He for ever!
What good reasons
there would have been
for His forbidding me!
But as He
did not order me to cease from drinking
when I had begun to do so,
but caused me to be plunged
into the depths of the water,
it is certain
that He will forbid no one to come:
indeed, He calls us
publicly, and
in a loud voice,
to do so. [72]
Yet, as He is so good,
He does
not force us to drink,
but enable those
who wish to follow Him
to drink in many ways
so that none may
- lack comfort or
- die of thirst.
For from this rich spring
flow many streams
-- some large,
others small, and also
little pools for children,
which they find quite large enough,
for the sight of a great deal of water
would frighten them:
by children, I mean those
who are in the early stages. [73]
Therefore, sisters, have no fear
that you will die of thirst on this road;
you will never lack so much
of the water of comfort
that your thirst will be intolerable;
so take my advice and
- do not tarry on the way,
- but strive like strong men
until you die in the attempt,
for you are here for nothing else
than to strive.
If you always pursue this determination
to die
rather than
fail to reach the end of the road,
the Lord may bring you
through this life
with a certain degree of thirst,
but in the life which never ends,
He will give you
great abundance to drink and
you will have no fear
of its failing you.
May the Lord grant us
never to fail Him.
never to fail Him.
Amen.
Now, in order to set out
upon this aforementioned road
so that we do not go astray at the very start,
let us consider for a moment
how the first stage of our journey
is to be begun,
for that is the most important thing--
or rather, every part of the journey
is of importance to the whole.
I do not mean to say
that no one who has not the resolution
that I am going to describe
should set out upon the road,
for the Lord will gradually bring her
nearer to perfection.
And even if she did no more
than take one step,
this alone has such virtue
that there is no fear
of her losing it or
of failing to be very well rewarded.
We might compare her to someone
who has a rosary with a bead
specially indulgenced: [74]
one prayer in itself
will bring her something,
and
the more she uses the bead
the more she will gain;
but if she
left it in a box and
never took it out
it would be better for her
not to have it.
So, although she may never go
any farther along the same road,
the short distance she has progressed
will give her light
and thus
help her to go along other roads,
and
the farther she goes
the more light she will gain.
In fact, she may be sure
that she will do herself
no kind of harm
through having started on the road,
even if she leaves it,
for good never leads to evil.
So, daughters,
whenever you
meet people and
find them
well-disposed
and even
attracted to the life of prayer,
try to remove from them
all fear of beginning a course
which may bring them
such great blessings. [75]
For the love of God,
I beg you always to see to it
that your conversation is benefiting those
with whom you speak.
For your prayers must be
for the profit of their souls;
and,
since you must always pray to the Lord
for them, sisters,
you would seem to be doing ill
if you did not strive to benefit them
in every possible way.
If you would be a good kinswoman,
this is true friendship;
if you would be a good friend,
you may be sure
that this is the only possible way.
Let the truth be in your hearts,
as it will be,
if you practise meditation,
and
you will see clearly
what love we are bound to have
for our neighbours.
This is no time for child's play, sisters,
and
these worldly friendships,
good though they may be,
seem no more than that.
Neither with your relatives
nor with anyone else
must you use such phrases as
"If you love me", or
"Don't you love me?"
unless you have in view
- some noble end and
- the profit of the person
to whom you are speaking.
It may be necessary,
in order to get a relative
--a brother
or some such person--
to listen to the truth and
to accept it,
to prepare him for it
by using such phrases
and
showing him signs of love,
which are always pleasing to sense.
He may possibly be
more affected, and influenced,
by one kind word,
as such phrases are called,
than by a great deal
which you might say about God,
and then there would be
plenty of opportunities for you
to talk to him about God afterwards.
I do not forbid such phrases, therefore,
provided you use them
in order to bring someone profit.
But for no other reason
can there be any good in them and
they may even do harm
without your being aware of it.
Everybody knows
that you are nuns and
that your business is prayer.
Do not say to yourselves:
"I have no wish to be considered good,"
for what people see in you
is bound to bring them
either profit
or harm.
People, like nuns,
on whom is laid the obligation
to speak of nothing
save in the spirit of God, [76]
act very wrongly
if they dissemble in this way,
except occasionally for the purpose
of doing greater good.
Your intercourse and conversation
must be like this:
let any who wish to talk to you
learn your language;
and, if they will not,
be careful never to learn theirs:
it might lead you to hell.
It matters
little if you are considered ill-bred and
still less if you are taken for hypocrites:
indeed, you will gain by this,
because only those
who understand your language
will come to see you.
If one knows no Arabic,
one has no desire to talk a great deal
with a person who knows no other language.
So worldly people will
neither weary you
nor do you harm--
and it would do you no small harm
to have to begin
to learn and talk a new language;
you would spend all your time
learning it.
You cannot know as well as I do,
for I have found it out by experience,
how very bad this is for the soul;
no sooner does it learn one thing
then it has to forget another and
it never has any rest.
This you must at all costs avoid
for peace and quiet in the soul
are of great importance
on the road
which we are about to tread.
If those with whom you converse
wish to learn your language,
it is not for you
to teach it to them,
but you can tell them
what wealth they will gain
by learning it.
Never grow tried of this,
but do it piously, lovingly and prayerfully,
with a view to helping them;
they
will then realize
what great gain it brings, and
will go and seek a master
to teach it them.
Our Lord would be doing you
no light favour
if through your agency
He were to arouse some soul
to obtain this blessing.
When once one begins
to describe this road,
what a large number of things
there are to be said about it,
even by those who have trodden it
as unsuccessfully as I have!
I only wish I could write
with both hands,
so as not to forget one thing
while I am saying another.
May it please the Lord, sisters,
that you may be enabled
to speak of it
better than I have done.
to speak of it
better than I have done.
___________________
Foot Notes: [71] There is a reference here to St. John xiv, 2. [72] St. John vii, 37. [73] Lit.: "these are they who are, etc." [74] Cuenta de perdones: a bead larger in size than the remainder in the rosary and carrying special indulgences for the souls in purgatory. [75] Lit.: "of beginning so great a good." [76] Lit.: "save in God" --i.e., save as those whose life is centred in God: not necessarily, I think, only of God. |
_____________________________
End of Chapter 20 The Way of Perfection . |
