Of those who allege that
the Path of Virtue is too Difficult...part 2
(Venerable Louis de Granada, 1504-1588)
No, doubt not, but be assured that in addition to all this He will give
you the necessary strength to overcome the passions which torment you.
This
is one of the principal benefits purchased for us by the Blood of Our
Saviour, one of the most precious fruits of the tree of life. "Our old man
is crucified with Jesus Christ, that the body of sin may be destroyed, and
that we may serve sin no longer." (Romans 6:6)
By the "old man" and the "body of sin" the Apostle designates our
sensual
appetite with it's evil inclinations. He tells us that it was crucified
with
Jesus Christ, because the sacrifice of the cross obtained for us grace and
strength to overcome it. This is the victory which God promises us by
Isaias, who says, "Fear not, for I am with thee; turn not aside, for I am
thy God; I have strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right
hand
of My just one--Jesus Christ--hath upheld thee. Behold all that fight
against thee shall be confounded and ashamed; they shall be as nothing,
and
the men shall perish that strive against thee.
Thou shalt seek them, and shall not find the men that resist thee. They
shall be as nothing, and the men that war against thee shall be as a thing
consumed. For I am the Lord thy God, who take thee by the hand and say to
thee: Fear not, for I have helped thee." (Isaias 41:10-13). With such
assistance who will yield to discouragement? Who will be daunted by fear
of
his evil inclinations, over which grace obtains such a glorious victory?
You will urge, perhaps, that the just are not without their secret
failings, which, as Job says (Cf. Job 16:9), bear witness against them. To
this I reply, in the words of Isaias, that "they shall be as if they never
had been."(Isaias 41:12). If they remain, it is only to exercise our
virtue,
not to overcome us; to stimulate us, not to master us: to serve as an
occasion of merit, not of sin; for our triumph, not for our downfall; in a
word, to try us, to humble us, to make us acknowledge our own weakness and
render to God the glory and thanksgiving which are due Him. They are a
source of real profit to us. For as wild animals, when domesticated, can
be
made most serviceable to man, so our passions, when moderated and
controlled, aid us in the practice of virtue.
"If God be for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:31). "The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my
life; of whom shall I be afraid? If armies in camp should stand together
against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against
me,
in this will I be confident." (Ps. 26:1-4)
Surely, my dear Christian, if such promises do not encourage you, to
serve God, your cowardice is very great. If you have no confidence in them
your faith is very weak. God assures you that He will give you a new
spirit,
that He will change your heart of stone into a heart of flesh, that He
will
mortify your passions to such a degree that you will not know yourself.
You
will seek in vain for the evil inclinations that warred against you; they
will be as a thing consumed, for He will weaken all their forces . What
more
can you desire? Have, then, a lively faith and firm hope, and cast
yourself
into the arms of God.
But perhaps, you will still object that your sins are so numerous that
God must refuse you His grace. Away with such a thought! It is one of the
greatest insults you could offer to God. By it you virtually say either
that
God cannot or will not assist His creatures when they implore His aid. Do
not yield to such a blasphemy. Rather let your prayer be, with St.
Augustine, "Give me grace, Lord, to do what Thou commandest, and command
what Thou pleasest." (Conf. L. 10,31)
This prayer will always be answered, for God is ever ready to cooperate
with man in doing good. God is the principal cause, man is the secondary.
God aids man, as a painter aids a pupil whose hand he guides, that he may
produce a perfect work. Both concur in the labor, but equal honor is not
due
to both. Thus does God deal with man, without prejudice to his free will.
When the work, therefore, is accomplished, he glorifies God, and not
himself, saying with the prophet, "Thou, Lord, hast wrought all our works
for us." (Isaias 26:12).
Lean, then, on the power of God, and you will ever fulfill His will. Be
mindful of the words He addresses to you through Moses: "This commandment
that I command thee this day is not above thee nor far off from thee. Nor
is
it in heaven, that thou shouldst say: Which of us can go up to heaven to
bring it to us, that we may hear and fulfill it in work? Nor is it beyond
the sea, that thou mayest excuse thyself, saying: Which of us can cross
the
sea and bring it unto us, that we may hear and do that which is commanded?
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that
thou mayest do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
Let these words assure you that however difficult God's commandments
may
appear, His grace will render their observance very easy, and if faithful
to
them, you will soon experience that His yoke is sweet and His burden
light.
Moreover, call to mind the assistance which charity affords us in the
pursuit of virtue. Charity, or the love of God, renders the law sweet and
delightful; for, as St. Augustine says, love knows no fatigue. How
willingly
men fond of hunting, riding, or fi****ng bear the labor of these s****ts!
What
makes a mother insensible to the fatigue she endures for her child?
What keeps a devoted wife day and night at the bedside of her sick
husband? What excites even in animals the solicitude, the self-denial,
with
which they care for their young, and the courage with which they defend
them? I answer that it is the great power of love. Strong by this power
was
St. Paul when he exclaimed, "Who, then, shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or ****dness, or
danger,
or persecution, or the sword?" (Romans 8:35)
Taken from: The Sinner's Guide (pp 220-223)
Authored by: Venerable Louis de Granada
Imprimatur: John J. Williams, D.D., Archiep. Boston
Published by: www.TanBooks.com
Copyright: Original November 22, 1883
--
Jesse Gomez Jr
In Beautiful Norway
|
