The Sermons of Johannes Tauler · 66 of 124

First Sermon for the Third Sunday after Trinity

Be ye humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of visitation. Casting all your care upon Him, for He hath a care of you. Be sober and watch; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same afflliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you. and confirm you, and establish you. To Him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen. — I Pet. v, 6-11.

Dear children, this is the teaching of St. Peter’s very instructive epistle, giving us a perfect doctrine, by means of which we can complete all that holy Church has done for us the entire year past, with which, if we, take it seriously, we shall find it to coincide perfectly.

“Be humbled,” he says, “under the mighty hand of God,” in which we see the essence, life and work that a man must have in all his devout practices. It consists in three things, all most essential, so that if any one of them be lacking, the essence, life and work of our piety comes to naught. The first is that we must be humble. Humility is the solid foundation on which the whole structure is to be built, if it is going to be worth anything in the sight of God. Whatever a man builds without this foundation falls down. The second thing

Dear children, God has by His grace implanted in us the beautiful virtue of humility, knowing how greatly we stand in need of it. In this he does us a great favor, for He thereby places in our souls a divine spark much closer to our nature than we may imagine. If humility seems an alien thing to us that is to be blamed on pride. If human nature be rightly ordered, we find matter for humility within us without fail. We cannot expel it from its place there, for as we look into ourselves we find two great causes for it. One is our natural frailty. Every man can see how miserably needy he is, how many things he lacks, and how all that he gets fails to satisfy him. Nothing is better known than the inborn deficiencies of the natural man, and that just as every man comes from nothing, so all ends in nothingness— all of which furnishes material for humility. The other reason for humility is our sinful frailty, something perfectly plain to anyone who searches his interior. He finds in himself a bottomless depth of natural depravity. Unless God guarded him constantly by his merciful graces, how unspeakably ready would he not be to commit sin, even to fall into mortal sin, and to be condemned therefor to eternally suffer in hell among all the devils. Tell me, dear children, is not this a great cause for true humility? Thus our own nature inclines us to the practice of this holy virtue. Looking inward, looking outward, we find there is nothing good in us, nor of ourselves can we do any good.

Insight

Tauler grounds humility in two ordinary facts about yourself, neither requiring any special revelation to notice. The first is the obvious one: you are needy at every level, never satisfied for long, born from nothing and ending in nothing. The second is what he calls sinful frailty — searching your own interior you find a bottomless readiness to go wrong, kept in check more by grace than by your own decency. Notice how disarming this framing is. It isn’t a guilt trip; it’s a description. The Stoics work the first half steadily (Marcus Aurelius on impermanence, on how little of what we crave can hold us). The Christian half is the part about the readiness — a recognition that the project of becoming good is not yours alone, and that knowing this is the foundation on which everything else gets built.

The second virtue is true love of God, and this has God rooted in our nature; for by a law of our nature every man must love. Even humility is not an interior growth} but comes from without, whereas love is inborn, as Venerable Bede teaches: “As it is impossible to live without a .soul, so it is impossible to live without love.” If a man, therefore, is naturally rightly ordered he must love God more than htmaoif or all creatures. It is a pitiful thing that man should pervert so noble a trait, turning deliberately away from God, his creator and the creator of all things, and inclining towards creatures.

The third virtue is prudence or discretion, which belongs to reason itself. Mark well, children, that every act of man that is not guided by discretion comes to naught, and is not pleasing to God. Therefore does St. Peter say in this epistle: “Be sober and watch.” This means that discretion should soberly guide our whole life, our words and

In all states of life in all their conduct

Dear children, let us return to the first virtue, humility: “Be ye humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of visitation.” Ah, dear children, when the time of visitation comes and God does not find us humble, it will be an evil thing for us without doubt; for “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (James iv: 6). Therefore, the greater our humility, the greater the grace of God. If He finds us proud, He will crush us down; if He finds us lowly minded, He will undoubtedly raise us up. The mighty hand of God is wise and good, aye, it is kindly and loving: “Casting all your care upon God, for He careth for you.” If this loving watch of God over us were his only favor. His daily care for all our spiritual and bodily needs the only gift he were to give us; if His loving intervention against our heartache and all misery were His single benefit to us, it alone ought to be enough in our eyes to inspire a return of love. It should cause us ceaselessly to adore His Providence, to direct all our longings towards Him alone, and to enkindle in our hearts a deep love of His holy will in ordering our life.

Again, dear children, does St. Peter speak: “Be sober and watch, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith.” Now when the lion roars, all the beasts of the forest fall to the ground with terror, and he comes and tears them to pieces. And in like manner, when the evil spirit comes roaring upon poor, weak men, they instantly fall down helpless, and he comes and tears them to pieces. But St. Peter bids us be bold and vigilant, and bravely to withstand the assaults of the demon with the weapons of holy faith. One should act like the garrison of a beleaguered city which knows that the enemy** army is superior in number. On whatever side the ramparts are weakest, there is concentrated the strongest defense — or the city and its defenders and treasures are lost. So must each one of us carefully mark the weakest side of his character, for there without doubt the evil one will deliver his fiercest attack — that 1b to say, where he finds the greatest tendency to vice.

Sometimes the devil’s readiest temptation is to despondency. He shows a man his native frailty and his sinfulness, and tries to make him heavy-hearted on that account. And then he, as it were, roan

Almighty Qod will give thee time for penance at the end of life. Have thy own will, enjoy creatures whilst thou art young and strong; when old age comes, then shalt thou become pious and serve God. Ah, dear children, what treacherous counsel is this. Be on your guard. Diligently watch while it is day, for soon eternal darkness will enshroud you. Begulate your life by no such false confidence, but rather by a wise understanding of what is a really God-guided life. And let there be no turning back. See to it that God alone shall rule you. For it is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who says: “Every plant which Hy heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matt, xv: 13)

Look into this matter, dear children, very carefully, for the evil one lays many a snare for you. One will say in time of temptation: O God, would that I had a father confessor in this my great distress; 1 wish I knew how I now stand with our dear Lord. Now, children, I know about this case, and I say to you, do not annoy your father confessor. Keep up good courage. Evil thoughts have come? Then let them come and let them go. Be at peace; think no more about it, but turn thy heart straight to God. Make no parley with thy temptation, but just let it alone. By debating about it in thy mind, thou shalt suffer more misery than the demon himself has caused thee. All this trouble comes from excessive despondency, which may end by his suggesting despair, and saying: Everything thou dost is vain and useless — thou art lost forever.

The thing to do in such a case is to cast “all care upon God” and rest in Him. Turn to the eternal God with unshaken trust in His goodness and mercy. Do as mariners do when threatened with shipwreck— cast thy anchor deep down to the bottom of God’s love and grace. Place thy confidence firmly in God our Lord. If it comes even to the end of life, and a man in deep distress shall but anchor all his hopes in God and die in that mind, it is truly a happy and a holy death.

Children, be well assured that a really godly man must dwell in the practice of divine hope just as much as in any other of the divine virtues; and that is a great help to him when at last he comes to meet death. But this must not be a false and deceitful confidence in God, trusting in which a man presumes to lead a sinful life; for whosoever trusts in God and on the strength of that lives wickedly, sins against

Shalt thou not trust Him who has already done thee so many favors? Before thou wast created God foresaw thy weakness; knew that thou wouldst sin, foresaw in His divine wisdom how it was that he would redeem all mankind from sin, namely, by the bitter death of our beloved, innocent Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, dear children, turn away from sin with all earnestness. I say to you that any man under temptation, who does not courageously resist, but stands halting and hesitating, not turning from sin with his whole heart for the sake of God, such a man the evil one pursues with the object of dragging him down into everlasting damnation. Dost thou really wish to overcome the demon? Then do thy part manfully, fly from sin, and say in thy inmost soul: O Eternal God, come to my help with Thy divine grace, for I am firmly resolved never to commit mortal sin. Thus by thy good will and by thy resolute purpose, thou shalt overcome the evil spirit and put him shamefully to flight.

Children, you should know what a disgraceful thing it is for a man endowed with reason to allow himself to be vanquished by the devil, to be led into greivions sin and to forfeit the grace of God. A man gifted with reason who gives up to the evil one, is like a well-armed soldier who runs away from a fly. Think of the powerful weapons with which we can withstand the devil— our holy faith, the blessed Sacrament, God’s holy word, the glorious example of the saints and of all good men, the prayers of holy Church, and more besides — all strong weapons against the demon. He has no greater force against these arms than a fly has against a big bear. Let but a man bravely resist, and he never can be overcome. Therefore turn away from thy sins and cheerfully and manfully fight thy battle. See to it carefully that thou goest not into the next world without having fought and conquered the devil, nor without having sincerely repented of thy sins; for then thou shalt be the scoff of all those evil spirits, who will eternally torment thee. It will be a deeper pain to thee then that thou hast followed the devil than any other misery connected with thy sins.

Futhermore, a man must examine his inmost soul, lest there should be aught there but just simply God and His eternal glory. For, alas, there are many men in all states of life who make a show of a good life, as if fancying that they can deceive the eternal God. No, not so; but in reality thou deceivest thyself, and thou losest the precious time of grace. Thou art so guilty before God that He permits the evil spirits to have power over thee, so that they will not let thee do any good work. Take heed, dear children, whilst it is day, lest the time of darkness overtake you, and the grace of God be withdrawn from you. Search deep into your hearts; have God there and only God, making him your only aim in life, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Such is not the way of men who follow not after God. Creatures are their object in life. And if they find sorrow for sin beginning to stir their hearts, they ran away from it; they go into another country or city, they start new ways of wickedness, and thus they leap into everlasting death. Or acting otherwise, such a one is caught in a panic and adopts a life of poverty, or enters a monastery. Others, again, obtain a securer refuge by entering an approved order, even one strictly enclosed.

Now it may happen that some have entered an order from motives not divine; but finding themselves there they say: Dear Lord, I thank Thee eternally that I am here, and I will ever remain here, to love Thee and serve Thee. Blessed are all those who persevere in this holy state till death, for without doubt they will be saved. The least little work there done in holy obedience, is nobler in God’s eyes and more worthy of reward than many great works performed by one’s own will. I declare to you in all truth, that no lovelier offering can be made to the Almighty God than a truly humble and obedient heart. In a single instant a man can, by means of obedience and giving up of his own will to God, be made bo humble that he will be led directly to God — more directly than if he spent ten years in practicing high devotions. Take an example: suppose a man so full of God’s grace that God constantly dwelt with him, and was as personally present as He will be in heaven; and suppose him now to be required to pay a real obedience to God by some external act of charity. Such a one would humbly say to God: O beloved God, let me go out of Thy presence and follow Thy holy will in obedience; and this would please God more than to see that man enter eternal life surrounded by all the angels of heaven.

Children, this example is straight against all the religions men who go by their own will, and who do not quickly respond to God’s will manifested to them in obedience. There are Buch men in communities; they lay out their devotions and other good works for themselves. When obedience would draw them out to the active labors of their order, then is shown how little liberty of spirit they have — selfconceited men, with a god to rule them who is a divinity of their own appointment. A man truly obedient is always obedient, cheerfully dropping everything, even prayers and meditations, at the voice of lawful authority. If God is really in his heart, then does he offer himself in all meekness to the disposal of his superiors. It is this that leads him to union with God; without this he will lack God’s favor. Obedience is that very noble virtue which is more pleasing to God than any of the others, even when we obey in matters which are in themselves of little moment. The eternal Bon of God was for our sake* made obedient to His heavenly Father, in His coming down from the Godhead to our poor human nature, and then in the embracing of His holy cross; finally in His cruel and bitter death. Therefore must we (me and all be obedient men, in all divine things and human things, interiorly and exteriorly, without murmuring or contradiction — if God shall do His work of love unhindered and continuously within our souls.

Yet thiB doctrine iB directly opposed to the practice of those pious men who obey unwillingly. These make interpretations and excuses in order to avoid this beloved virtue, and they cleave to their own customary opinions. They insist on having their own way. I declare to you that such conduct separates you from God, from His graces, from the sweetness of His love — all this you will lack as long as you persist in a self-willed course.

Therefore, child, when thou beginnest a good work, humbly approach the fountain of divine grace, and crave that thou mayst begin and end it wholly to the praise and honor of God, sinking deep within thy soul till thou art fully conscious of thy own nothingness when without God’s grace. In the quiet of that interior life, search out very humbly what is God’s all lovely will — rest upon that without further running abont for motives. This is a better way than taking the whole world into thy counsel with a dissipated spirit. Any man who is conscious of having true humility of heart and real love of God, together with discretion, in such a man’s soul God does a work greater than words can describe.

St. Peter teaches us that we suffer the same as do our brethren in the world. And, children, I saj to you that we must suffer, whether we turn this side to escape or that side — we must suffer. We must be willing to suffer or go straight against Ood. Now there are man y young people who risk life and limb in the service of the world, and whose whole reward is to pamper their wretched bodies, food for worms as they are, and commit their souls to the devil. Such are the only wages the world pays to its hirelings. How different with yon. You gladly serve God and suffer for His sake, and He will give you as your wages His own very self, together with the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life. O how gladly should you, His chosen friends, suffer for Him, since for your sake He suffered shame, poverty, and all misery. Since the head of the human race, God’s eternal Son Jesus Christ, has thus suffered, surely we His members ought to blush for shame that we are not always glad to suffer. Who in this world has ever endured the blasphemy, disgrace and shame that befell Jesus Christ God’s eternal Son? He, indeed, would continue thus to suffer for us were it now possible for Him to do so. Daily and often in the day is He crucified in spirit by men’s curses; constantly is He rejected and cast out, His wounds opened again and His innocent and precious blood poured out by every mortal sin that is committed. Think of the sacrilege, the blasphemy that is done Him by unworthy Communions, foul sinners taking Him into their filthy souls, all full of deadly sensuality. Could such a wretch feel the wickedness of that profanation of God, his horror would be worse than that of Judas. For these men confess the Godhead of Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him to be their God and their creator, whereas this divinity of our Savior was not known to Judas. If God’s true friends could feel a pain equal to the guilt of this sacrilege, a pain of a bodily kind as well as the spiritual grief of a loving heart, their very bones would be pierced to the marrow, and their souls would be wounded to their very depths. If they could turn away from God this foul indignity by offering up their own lives, then death would be to them far more joyous than life.

Such then, dear children, is St. Peter’s teaching of the right and the sure way: humility must be the foundation within us and without. Upon that, again, we build the house of the love of God, and we adorn it with the virtue of discretion. And all this God brings about

Googleby His days of visitation. Hence I declare to yon, children, that those who set out toward perfection by ways of high reasoning — not traveling by this hnmble road of St. Peter — every one of them will fall into the pit of hell: for the higher the mountain the deeper the valley. May God grant that we shall be found resting on the right foundation. May God grant us to go forward by the threefold virtues of humility, love of God and discretion. Amen.

things — Their ways described — How timid confessors may be involved in their guilt — The second class are hypocrites — These are often self-deluded — Our Lord’s anathema on this class — The third doss are spiritual sluggards — These ever seek the easiest way, and never escape, falling sooner or later — They sin against the light, and by ingratitude — They are formalists in religious things, and excessively resent correction — The fourth class are penitent sinners— Marks of the validity of this happy and lovely state — Rules for their guidance.

Now the publicans and sinners drew nigh unto Him to bear Him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This Man recelveth sinners, and enteth with them. And He spoke to them this parable, saying: What man of you that hath a hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine In the desert, and go after that which was lost till he find It? And when he hath found It, lay It upon his shoulders, rejoicing; and coming home, call together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost — Luke zv, 1-6.

Dear children, we are sinners and sinfully inclined, and, as Bt John teaches: “If we say that we have no Bin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John i: 8).

And I will speak of four kinds of sinners. The first are coarse, worldly men, who lead a frivolous and proud life, forgetful of Ood, without the fear of God, regardless of divine things, a cause of sin to others. They neither seek nor love God, nor will they hear or learn anything of Him, for they are Bunk in mortal sin all their days. If they happen to be present at mass, they are ready to spring up and be away — It is all too long for them. As to the divine honor, they are wholly unconcerned about it, or about the practice of virtue. They

Dear children, if we fully knew the peril in which such a man stands, it would wither up our very souls. If he knew it himself — the torment and horror, the awful doom and the dreadful agony that awaits him in his eternal punishment, his reason could not endure the thought Some of them, as they reach the end of their days, and become aware of this misery, fall into despair, and they die distrusting God, being lost eternally. When such a one on his death-bed speaks out the anguish and horror of his soul, his friends say: He is raving. And hereby, in God’s mercy, others may be warned against a bad life. How much better had it been if these sinners had had faithful father confessors, who, knowing how badly disposed they were, had refused to allow them to go to Communion, and had warned them of their danger: courageous teachers and confessors are most necessary for these stony-hearted sinners.

The second class are also great sinners. But they keep up an appearance of piety. They practice devout exercises, do good works and set a good example. But they are hypocrites, and they have the spirit of Pharisees. They are full of self-will and self-love, proud, unmortified and quarrelsome. These are secretly great sinners, quite unrestrained in their vices; they care for God and love God not at all — they are absorbed in Belf-love. Their road is a perilous one, indeed, for they are enemies of God. By the very good things they do with the delusion that these practices are leading them to God, they are really led only the farther away from Him. Their works have a show of virtue indeed, and are accompanied by outward signs and professions of humility, but they gain their authors great harm. But such men are corrupted by self-love and their motive is pride. We cannot be without uneasiness concerning them, for they are self-flatterers. Meanwhile they are harsh in their judgment of others, and our Lord’s condemnation of the Pharisees falls upon them. They have no patience with those who will not adopt their ways, being tainted with spiritual pride, full of self-love — sins that of old thrust the highest

The third class of sinners are the cold-hearted and slothful. Holy baptism was given them by God that they might have grace to avoid mortal sin, according to His laws in holy Church. But they have rejected this grace. They have no earnestness for God or divine things. They may sing hymns and recite prayers with their fellow Christians, but it is only like turning over the leaves of the book; they have neither savor nor grace in these devotions — but much love and pleasure in creatures. To the utmost of their ability they seek for the enjoyment of created things, exciting all their energies to that end, gladly, habitually. This is seen in their manners, words, deeds clothes, and in the letters they write. Their conduct is without restraint, their conversation is idle chatter. Yet they fancy that they would not willingly commit mortal sin, especially of the grosser kind. God knows full well the state of these souls — would that they feared Him. They are like men with foul stomachs, belching forth offensive odors, incapable of digesting good food, or knowing the taste of it. Such souls find good actions bitter to their taste; they are like preg* nant women craving unwholesome food. Their souls are surfeited with the joys of creatures, spoiled for the taste of divine food.

Spiritual teachers say: “The raw material of nature hungers and thirsts after its proper form.” At first there is the mere unformed .matter, then an animal form, finally the human form. This hungers and thirsts after an immortal, reasonable and godlike form, which can never know rest till it is made over again with that form which perfects all others, namely, the uncreated and everlasting Word of the heavenly Father. Every soul has a spark of light within it, or rather a thirst within it, which even God, who can do all things, cannot quench except by giving the soul Himself — if He gave the soul all that earth and heaven contains, it would not be content without Himself; and that thirst for God is implanted in the soul’s very nature. It is this longing for God that these perverse men destroy in their souls. They gape with wide-open mouths after transitory things, as if

You know, children, that all that we have has been received from Qod — the goods of nature and of grace and of Providence, all inner gifts and outer ones. And all are bestowed on us that we might offer them again to God with gratitude, love and praise. Now a soul that thus pays God His due, with difficulty accounts for the favors of a single day. What then of the incalculable debt of a whole life? Look into it, calculate the last farthing that we owe God: how much, think you, would it all amount to? See to it that your fate shall not be that of the foolish virgins, of whom it is not certain that they were guilty of greivous sin, but only that they were found unready for the coming of the bridegroom. Indeed, they would have made ready, for they had some sort of good will, but it was too late. And so they were shut out, and they heard the words: “Amen, I say to you, I know you not” (Matt, xxv: 12). Alas, it was not as they had hoped. No, no. Men are blind who fancy that they can trifle with the sacred passion of our Lord Jesus Christ with impunity, and with His precious blood. No, children, such cannot be the case.

They may say that they are in a holy order, are surrounded with decent companions, and are occupied with prayers and pious reading. Yes; but it is all without love, devoid of the true devotional spirit, with distracted hearts, cold and blind. They also go to confession, but only with words, lacking hearty good will; and in the same state they receive holy Communion. It is like inviting a king into one’s house, and then lodging him in a filthy pig sty — it were a thousand times better not to go to Communion at all in such a state. And if any friends warn them of their danger, they laugh at them, and call them teachers of novelties. Such is their treatment of men who are pained at their evil course, and would set them on the right road — they treat them worse than Jews and pagans. Be sure that if they persevere wilfully and knowingly in their wickednesses, they will never see the face of God. They say that they would not wilfully commit sin. But (I answer) dost thou think it no sin that thou givest only

His flock. Perhaps God will give thee the grace of repentance on thy death-bed, though this cannot be counted on. But even so, thou shalt have merited a terrible purgatory, lasting, perhaps, till the day of judgment. And then, finally, thou shalt be placed in an obscure corner of heaven, far distant from the special friends of God. Now such men rate themselves anything but sinners. Outwardly blameless, they would come close to our Lord; and inwardly their hearts are alien to Him.

The fourth class are happy and lovely sinners, for they are penitentB. It is true that in former times they fell deeply, more deeply, perhaps, and into greater mortal sins than all the other sinners of whom we have been discoursing. I care not for that, for now they have with utmost sincerity come close in to our Lord. They have turned away absolutely from all that is not simply God. Him alone they love, and above all things. To Him they yield instantly in all happenings of life, no matter what. God will never reckon with these men’s sins, He will never know their offenses again: they are wholly turned away from them, and so is God. Now what is the method and the mark of such men? It is that of a man who with absolute sincerity and in his inmost heart loves God and Him alone, and holds Him in view in all His life and work. He is conscious of a will most ready to do or not to do everything just as God wills. He searches the way God would lead him, whether directly or by His representatives, and that way he gladly takes, wholly detached from self-will.

The gospel tells us that the Lord went in search of the lost sheep. How are we to understand this search? It is thus: God seeks and searches for a humble, gentle and poor-minded bouI, one that is detached from earthly things and rests indifferent — though that does not mean a sluggard who sits down idly with his mantle over his head. I bid you prepare for God’s seeking by learning humility, by suffering every kind of oppression. Now if anybody seeks anything earnestly, it is not in one little corner only, but in every comer and. place till he finds it And so God seeks thee — let Him find thee everywhere He may look, in all circumstances of thy life. Whatever shame comes on thee, know that that is the place in which God is looking trodden under foot, until thou hast well learned thy lesson of meekness. God is looking for a poor man; therefore if anyone will take from thee thy money, thy property or thy friends, let him do so, that thou mayst be found poor by God, who is looking for thee in just such a state. Let thy inner life answer true to God’s searching, in purity and in poverty, in all enlightenment and detachment of spirit, after no matter what struggles and combats. In every occurrence of life God seeks thee. What happens thee from friends or from foes, nay from thy very mother or Bister — no matter how it comes or from whom, all whatsoever that comes to thee prepares thee for God’s searching and finding.

Dear children, if one had a putrified wound, he would allow himself to be cut very cruelly and would suffer much pain, so that greater pain should not befall him — he would not spare himself until the corruption were cut away, so that he might recover his health. So must you suffer what God inflicts upon you, in order that your soul be heafled eternally. When unforseen adversity comes upon you, say: Welcome, dear and trusted friend; welcome even though thy coming is all unexpected. Let us bow humbly down to such visitations. Be sure that God, who would make thee a self-denying man, will try thee in everything. God does not Beek men exercised in great and peculiar devotions, any more than He lookB for large horses or strong oxen. Nor does He look for men of mighty outward activity. No, He seeks only humble, gentle-minded and mortified men, men who are glad to be sought by God, and whom God finds as a shepherd finds peaceful sheep.

Wilt thou become the Lord’s sheep? Then cultivate a peaceful spirit, no matter what may happen to thee. Do thy best, and then rest without anxiety as to how things will turn out Remain quiet in mind, and recommend all to God our Lord. Place thyself in His hands in a heavenly spirit, even in thy imperfections, as long as thou art displeased with thyself and turned away from danger. Be not over-distressed at thy faults, argue not with thyself about them, for that is a serious obstacle to thy progress. And let this peaceful condition extend over God’s gifts. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Let thy mind be equal and balanced towards God in joy and in sorrow, in things sweet and bitter, in true and perfect peace.

Children, such is the lovely sheep, sought after and found by the Lord. He is very different from that proud-hearted sheep that says: We are the ones who have gained such and such a prize, who have travelled to this place and to that; but who and what are you? What can you do? And other such proud words they speak, striking about them right and left like an unbroken colt. Ah, children, beware of striking about your neighbors with an unbridled tongue. The Lord left ninety-nine sheep; aye, and He would leave ninety-nine hundred arrogant and self-willed men in the wilderness, where there is little pasture, that is to say, little fruit of a good life; because such is the state of these men.

But when He had found the lost sheep, He laid it on His shoulders, and coming home He said to His friends and neighbors: “Rejoice with Me, because I have found My sheep which was lost.” Friends and neighbors, that means the whole company of the angels and saints in heaven, and all His friends on earth, and their joy is exceeding great. But the joy of this sheep himself is inexpressibly great, for it sinks down into Qod’s inmost being. And when the Divine Shepherd takes the beloved sheep on His shoulders, it is thereby placed between the Shepherd’s head and body — that is to say, it is brought into touch with both our Lord’s all-holy humanity and His eternal divinity. The holy humanity is the soul’s stepping place, whereby it goes into the Lord’s divinity. The Lord’s humanity is united and blended with His sheep, and leads it on in all its works. Heretofore the soul did all its work with itself and by itself; and now God draws it so close to Him, that He works in all and by all its activities — speaking and eating and going is all done in God. This soul lives and moves in God. This sheep of God goes forth from the humanity to the divinity, and back again from the divinity to the humanity, always finding good pasture. Its joy and its content, even in this life, is unspeakably great, and above all joy of all creatures put together. This is the one penitent sinner, over whom the Lord said that the angels rejoiced more than over many just ones; for, in fact, God’s honor is greatly advanced by his repentance. He is the sinner who has in very truth come nigh unto God. May God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost grant us the grace thus to be sought after, and as God’s true sheep thus to be found. Amen.

virtues compared — The inner confusion that sometimes besets beginners and the good effects of it — Self-abasement and resignation to Qod’s will overcome all inner troubles and outward afflictions — How cleansing and elevation of motives leads the soul to contemplative joys.