Catholic Caucus: Treatise on Peace of Soul and Inner Happiness Ch 7

Catholictradition.org ^ | Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

[GonzoII]

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE NECESSITY OF DIVESTING OUR SOULS ENTIRELY OF THEIR OWN WILL,
THAT THEY MAY BE PRESENTED TO GOD

"COME TO ME all ye that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you . . . all you that thirst, come to the fountain." Such are the words of Christ in the Scriptures; let us follow this Divine summons, without impulsiveness or clamor, in peace and mildness, referring ourselves respectfully and confidently to our loving and omnipotent God.

Let us wait calmly for the coming of that spirit which brings peace; let us, entirely resigned and obedient to the decrees of His holy will, think of nothing but the means by which He may be desired, loved and glorified.

Let these acts be performed without using force or violence on our hearts, lest by an unwise use of these instruments, our souls be rendered incapable of that sweet repose, which on this earth is
their glory.

Rather let us gradually accustom our souls to contemplate nothing but the love and goodness of God; let them be ever mindful of the Heavenly manna with which they shall be nourished in ineffable sweetness, once they accustom themselves to frequent meditation on these sublime truths. Avoid shedding useless tears or striving to excite within yourself an emotional display of devotion; but abide quietly in interior solitude until the will of God is accomplished in you. And when He gives you tears, they shall be sweet and effortless; accept them with gentleness and serenity, and above all with humility. By these indications shall you ascertain the source from which they spring, receiving them as dew from Heaven itself.

Let us not presume to know, have, or desire particular things, for the very cornerstone of the spiritual edifice is not dependent on our knowledge, possessions, or desires in the slightest degree. Rather should we remain in a state of perfect self-denial like Mary at the feet of Jesus, instead of busying ourselves with many things like Martha.

When you seek God by the light of your human understanding, you must avoid purely human concepts, or comparisons which limit, or inadvertently circumscribe His unbounded greatness. For He is beyond all comparison; He is beyond all division, He is omnipresent, containing all things in Himself.

Try to visualize a limitless immensity, a unity which really defies human comprehension, and a power which has created and sustains all things in the entire universe in a feat of inimitable grandeur. Then say humbly within your soul: "Behold thy God."

Contemplate and admire Him unceasingly in all times and in all places, for as He is everywhere, He is in your soul, and in it He rejoices as He has said. And although the Almighty stands in not the slightest need of your soul, He is pleased to make it a worthy habitation of Himself.

In your intellectual pursuit of these sublime truths, be sure to retain a calm and peaceful will. Strive not to limit yourself to so many prayers, meditations, or readings, neither neglect nor limit your customary devotions. Rather let your heart be at liberty to stop where it finds its God, having no misgivings about unfinished exercises if He is pleased to communicate Himself to you in the midst of them. Have no scruples in this regard, for the end of your devotion is to enjoy God, and as the end is accomplished, the means have no significance for the present.

God leads us by the path that He has chosen, and if we oblige ourselves to precise execution of exercises which we fancy, we are imposing imaginary obligations on ourselves; and far from finding God, we are actually running away from Him, pretending to please Him, yet not conforming to His holy will.

If you really desire to advance successfully on this path, and attain the end to which it leads, seek and desire God alone; and whenever and wherever you find Him, there stop, go no farther. While God dwells with you enjoy His company with the celestial peace of Saints; and when His Divine majesty pleases to retire, then turn again to the quest of your God in your devout exercises.

This advice is of the greatest importance and well merits our attention. For frequently we see many clerics who exhaust themselves in the fatiguing execution of their dutIes without deriving any advantages for themselves, or finding peace. For they imagine they have done nothing if they leave their task unfinished, believing perfection to consist in constant adherence to the minutest prescriptions of their own wills. Thus their lives are spent in weariness and toil as one who labors fruitlessly through the years; never do they obtain that true repose and interior peace in which the Lord truly dwells, for it is the peaceful soul that is a sanctuary of Jesus Christ.

[GonzoII]