July 1st
St Chantal on Prayer
Keep Your Eyes Upon God
Faith without works is never enough. It is not a feeling of faith or of hope which will save us, but rather what we do supported by the mercy of God. Now in actual fact you do possess these precious theological virtues, and your works make this plain by the faithfulness with which you observe the law of God and our laws. To conduct oneself in this fashion is to have faith of the right kind, because feelings of affection for the virtues are not within our power, but we can always work at them. At the moment this is what God asks of you, while He holds you in this state of general interior suffering and in a privation of every sort of enlightenment and knowledge. But throughout all this it lies within our power to work away at the virtues. It is to this task that you are giving yourself at present. God is pleased with you because you are accomplishing His holy will. In the general interior martyrdom which God is making you endure, what you are doing is quite enough. So, give no thought any further to your troubles nor to your confusion of mind, nor to the fears and anxieties which all these efforts are causing, however violent and frightening they may seem. In place of this, hold your gaze upon God in patience and let Him do what He wills. This is the instruction of our blessed father, and a great piece of teaching it is.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
June 30th
St Chantal on Prayer
Keep Your Eyes Upon God
You have so often given yourself to God, and assured Him that He might take away from you anything that was not of Him. Now He has done so, He has at last taken you at your word. Well, what are we to say? He withdraws His sensible gifts; He has removed these consolations so that there might remain in your soul nothing but Himself alone. So you must bless Him for what He has accomplished and remain patient and submissive, without a look at what you have done, at what your are doing, nor at what you may do in the future. In place of all such thinking, try to practice the lesson of our blessed father who told us: "Keep your eyes upon God and let Him do His will."
As the much-loved spouse of our Lord then, be of good heart, find your consolation in the will of God and rest assured that your faith, your hope and your love of Him are greater and more perfect than they have ever been. But this love is one of suffering, and in general quite devoid of any satisfaction. So hold fast in the assurance that I am giving you upon the part of God and of our blessed father, that father who so often told us that a way lined with crosses is always the better way. Therefore, do not trouble yourself any more because you have no feeling.
St Chantal on Prayer
Keep Your Eyes Upon God
You have so often given yourself to God, and assured Him that He might take away from you anything that was not of Him. Now He has done so, He has at last taken you at your word. Well, what are we to say? He withdraws His sensible gifts; He has removed these consolations so that there might remain in your soul nothing but Himself alone. So you must bless Him for what He has accomplished and remain patient and submissive, without a look at what you have done, at what your are doing, nor at what you may do in the future. In place of all such thinking, try to practice the lesson of our blessed father who told us: "Keep your eyes upon God and let Him do His will."
As the much-loved spouse of our Lord then, be of good heart, find your consolation in the will of God and rest assured that your faith, your hope and your love of Him are greater and more perfect than they have ever been. But this love is one of suffering, and in general quite devoid of any satisfaction. So hold fast in the assurance that I am giving you upon the part of God and of our blessed father, that father who so often told us that a way lined with crosses is always the better way. Therefore, do not trouble yourself any more because you have no feeling.
June 29th
St Chantal on Prayer
Giving Without Counting the Cost
Do not seek your own contentment, nor make any act of reflection, nor do anything to learn what is going on in yourself, no matter how it may seem, though in your eyes what is happening appears frightful and though you feel it most vividly and painfully. Turn your mind back in all gentleness upon God without mentioning to Him your trouble, and there remain as best you can, patient and enduring, without making any interior act nor anything else of the sort, for any reason whatever, not even during metal prayer or as a way of preparing for mental prayer. Find your contentment in thus resting in God, near God, or under His eye, whatever seems possible, pretending that you are not aware of your own trouble. Above all be faithful to this: never to attempt to get rid of your trial, not to wish to know it well enough so as to be able to speak of it; let it be enough for you to know that this cross is from God. Leave the care of your interior life entirely to God. Concern yourself with it no longer. Simply be patient and submissive; distract yourself by some sort of external occupation; think of the resolutions which you have made and do not allow yourself to be upset by all the racket that is going on in the lower part of your soul. Do not even appear as if you were aware of these revolts and resign yourself to spend your old age in this condition of suffering if it be God's good pleasure. Let me assure you that He is sheltering you in His arms.. So, even though you feel nothing of this, remain content with your discontent. To hold oneself in patience when suffering is already a high state of prayer, you may be sure, so do not force yourself to conscious acts. To gaze upon God while suffering with gentleness and submission is quite enough. Virtuous feelings do not lie within our power, but virtuous conduct does indeed lie within our power, and this it is that God requires of you at the moment, while He holds you on the cross. The way of generous suffering is the way to heaven. Stand fast, and bear your cross without thinking about it. Our Isaac must be sacrificed over and over again by the giving of ourselves to God without counting the cost.
St Chantal on Prayer
Giving Without Counting the Cost
Do not seek your own contentment, nor make any act of reflection, nor do anything to learn what is going on in yourself, no matter how it may seem, though in your eyes what is happening appears frightful and though you feel it most vividly and painfully. Turn your mind back in all gentleness upon God without mentioning to Him your trouble, and there remain as best you can, patient and enduring, without making any interior act nor anything else of the sort, for any reason whatever, not even during metal prayer or as a way of preparing for mental prayer. Find your contentment in thus resting in God, near God, or under His eye, whatever seems possible, pretending that you are not aware of your own trouble. Above all be faithful to this: never to attempt to get rid of your trial, not to wish to know it well enough so as to be able to speak of it; let it be enough for you to know that this cross is from God. Leave the care of your interior life entirely to God. Concern yourself with it no longer. Simply be patient and submissive; distract yourself by some sort of external occupation; think of the resolutions which you have made and do not allow yourself to be upset by all the racket that is going on in the lower part of your soul. Do not even appear as if you were aware of these revolts and resign yourself to spend your old age in this condition of suffering if it be God's good pleasure. Let me assure you that He is sheltering you in His arms.. So, even though you feel nothing of this, remain content with your discontent. To hold oneself in patience when suffering is already a high state of prayer, you may be sure, so do not force yourself to conscious acts. To gaze upon God while suffering with gentleness and submission is quite enough. Virtuous feelings do not lie within our power, but virtuous conduct does indeed lie within our power, and this it is that God requires of you at the moment, while He holds you on the cross. The way of generous suffering is the way to heaven. Stand fast, and bear your cross without thinking about it. Our Isaac must be sacrificed over and over again by the giving of ourselves to God without counting the cost.
Friday, June 28, 2013
June 28th
St Chantal on Prayer
Rise Above Self
Make no response then nor so much as pretend to see or to feel either temptations or troubles, no matter how they show themselves. Give no heed to anything which goes on within your conscience, no matter how agonizing it may be. Look at God. Do this and nothing more. Or remain in Him, or near Him, in peace of mind and utter trust, completely given over to His care, without a deliberate act and without seeking a deliberate act, for God means you to hold yourself in a thoroughly passive state. So, all you have to do is to calm yourself, set yourself at peace, and establish yourself in tranquility. Be sure that you never fail in your resolution which is not to desire to be delivered from this cross which has been given you by God. Submit yourself humbly and with a good heart to this holy intention of His. Make not the slightest effort to escape it nor to find your way out of it, nor even to know what sort of thing it is. In short, endure with humble gentle patience the weaknesses, the sense of being crushed, and any sort of grief, fear, trouble, desolation, with anything else which may happen to you, without alarm nor so much as a deliberate reflection to determine what you are doing, nor what may come upon you. I beg you again, gaze upon God simple and straightforwardly, and let Him do as He pleases. Since you have confided to Him and placed in His hands all that you are, having rid yourself of everything let Him now take charge, for you have made exception of nothing, but have handed over everything to His faithful love, and now you must work out your salvation on this cross, though it means that never again in your life you enjoy a bright or happy day.
St Chantal on Prayer
Rise Above Self
Make no response then nor so much as pretend to see or to feel either temptations or troubles, no matter how they show themselves. Give no heed to anything which goes on within your conscience, no matter how agonizing it may be. Look at God. Do this and nothing more. Or remain in Him, or near Him, in peace of mind and utter trust, completely given over to His care, without a deliberate act and without seeking a deliberate act, for God means you to hold yourself in a thoroughly passive state. So, all you have to do is to calm yourself, set yourself at peace, and establish yourself in tranquility. Be sure that you never fail in your resolution which is not to desire to be delivered from this cross which has been given you by God. Submit yourself humbly and with a good heart to this holy intention of His. Make not the slightest effort to escape it nor to find your way out of it, nor even to know what sort of thing it is. In short, endure with humble gentle patience the weaknesses, the sense of being crushed, and any sort of grief, fear, trouble, desolation, with anything else which may happen to you, without alarm nor so much as a deliberate reflection to determine what you are doing, nor what may come upon you. I beg you again, gaze upon God simple and straightforwardly, and let Him do as He pleases. Since you have confided to Him and placed in His hands all that you are, having rid yourself of everything let Him now take charge, for you have made exception of nothing, but have handed over everything to His faithful love, and now you must work out your salvation on this cross, though it means that never again in your life you enjoy a bright or happy day.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
June 27th
St Chantal on Prayer
Rise Above Self
To rise above self -- this is what must be done -- above all feelings, all opinions and dislikes, so that we gaze upon God and bind ourselves to Him by a simple assent. We must march on as if blind, following His providence with confidence, even in the midst of temptation, feelings of abandonment, fears and every sort of trouble, if it be God's good pleasure that we serve Him in this wise. For what have we done if not to strip ourselves and abandon ourselves without recourse into His blessed hands. To Him we have confided the care of all that concerns us without exception. So we must not give any of this a single thought, but rather hold fast to the directions and the last resolutions of our blessed father which teach us never to rest our minds voluntarily in anything but God, not asking ourselves what our soul is doing, or what it has done or will do.
St Chantal on Prayer
Rise Above Self
To rise above self -- this is what must be done -- above all feelings, all opinions and dislikes, so that we gaze upon God and bind ourselves to Him by a simple assent. We must march on as if blind, following His providence with confidence, even in the midst of temptation, feelings of abandonment, fears and every sort of trouble, if it be God's good pleasure that we serve Him in this wise. For what have we done if not to strip ourselves and abandon ourselves without recourse into His blessed hands. To Him we have confided the care of all that concerns us without exception. So we must not give any of this a single thought, but rather hold fast to the directions and the last resolutions of our blessed father which teach us never to rest our minds voluntarily in anything but God, not asking ourselves what our soul is doing, or what it has done or will do.
June 26th
St Chantal on Prayer
Abandonment and Trust
I may add that it is this that our blessed father [St Francis de Sales] would always order me to practice, holding the mind in all simplicity and directness, without act or effort, in that simple gaze upon God and contemplation of God, in total surrender to His will; without a wish to see, or feel, or carry out any work, but merely content to remain in His presence -- relaxed, at peace, confident, patient, never inspecting self to see how things are going, nor what one is doing, feeling or enduring. No, you must not inquire what your soul is doing, has done, or will do, nor what may happen to it in any future event or contingency. From this position you must not budge because this sole and single gaze upon God embraces all our duty, especially in a state of suffering.
Of course, all this you know already and I am simply assuring you now of the truth of it. So hold fast to this simple state, and at the instant that you notice your mind drifting away from it, draw yourself back gently, without strain, or looking about, or self-dissection, concerning anything whatever. One thing alone is necessary: it is to have God. In short, then, no matter what is going on, we must hold both our attention and our love on God, not wasting our time in studying what is happening to ourselves, nor what is its cause. Our Lord asks this of us.
Carry on with your holy Communions and other spiritual duties as usual, without asking yourself how you are discharging them, and leave to God Himself all care for your salavtion and spiritual life, along with everything else which concerns you. To Him you have sacrificed all, to Him given up all: so let Him take charge. Amen. May God be blessed.
St Chantal on Prayer
Abandonment and Trust
I may add that it is this that our blessed father [St Francis de Sales] would always order me to practice, holding the mind in all simplicity and directness, without act or effort, in that simple gaze upon God and contemplation of God, in total surrender to His will; without a wish to see, or feel, or carry out any work, but merely content to remain in His presence -- relaxed, at peace, confident, patient, never inspecting self to see how things are going, nor what one is doing, feeling or enduring. No, you must not inquire what your soul is doing, has done, or will do, nor what may happen to it in any future event or contingency. From this position you must not budge because this sole and single gaze upon God embraces all our duty, especially in a state of suffering.
Of course, all this you know already and I am simply assuring you now of the truth of it. So hold fast to this simple state, and at the instant that you notice your mind drifting away from it, draw yourself back gently, without strain, or looking about, or self-dissection, concerning anything whatever. One thing alone is necessary: it is to have God. In short, then, no matter what is going on, we must hold both our attention and our love on God, not wasting our time in studying what is happening to ourselves, nor what is its cause. Our Lord asks this of us.
Carry on with your holy Communions and other spiritual duties as usual, without asking yourself how you are discharging them, and leave to God Himself all care for your salavtion and spiritual life, along with everything else which concerns you. To Him you have sacrificed all, to Him given up all: so let Him take charge. Amen. May God be blessed.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
June 25th
St Chantal on Prayer
Abandonment and Trust
Make no effort to work your way out, nor to overcome your trial, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, periods of darkness, anxieties, frustrations, wild thoughts, nor anything of the like, no matter what they may be or how they may be going on in your heart, no matter how painful a martyrdom they may bring. Never be startled nor frightened at such things, nor make any reflection upon them other than this, which is to take them only as grievous temptations. Hold yourself far above them, pretending that they simply are not there, even though you feel them all so keenly. Hide your distress from your very self, and say nothing about it neither to God nor to yourself. Do not examine it even for so long as to imagine how you might find words to tell someone else what it is, and never make it the subject of an examen. Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about, and the only activity which God asks of you and towards which it is He alone who is drawing you.
St Chantal on Prayer
Abandonment and Trust
Make no effort to work your way out, nor to overcome your trial, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, periods of darkness, anxieties, frustrations, wild thoughts, nor anything of the like, no matter what they may be or how they may be going on in your heart, no matter how painful a martyrdom they may bring. Never be startled nor frightened at such things, nor make any reflection upon them other than this, which is to take them only as grievous temptations. Hold yourself far above them, pretending that they simply are not there, even though you feel them all so keenly. Hide your distress from your very self, and say nothing about it neither to God nor to yourself. Do not examine it even for so long as to imagine how you might find words to tell someone else what it is, and never make it the subject of an examen. Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about, and the only activity which God asks of you and towards which it is He alone who is drawing you.
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