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ordinary degree of virtue. How could
self-love which causes such warfare
within us and infects with its poison
even the most perfect of our works,
die in us without suffering? Spiritual
consolations serve to detach us from
the world, but they never sufficiently
detach us from ourselves.
O blessed tribulations, you bring
a remedy to all our disorders.
Instead of flying from you as an
enemy, we should press you to
our bosoms! Sufferings are like darts to wound the
soul. They are the “glittering spears”
which both show us the way and give
us the strength to walk in it. He who
has not been tried by tribulation, does
not know himself. Woe to those souls
that are ever in the state of contentment,
especially as to what concerns
their Eternal Salvation! Not until the
soul has been led along the royal Way
of the Cross, by which all great and
holy souls have passed and been
deprived of all human consolation and
found themselves abandoned, despised
and persecuted, can it know God.
In the midst of tribulation, we can do
the greatest good possible. Just as souls
cannot attain the beatific vision until
they have passed through the flames
of Purgatory and left behind all they
had of earthliness; so until we have
passed through suffering, we will not
have the grace to know ourselves. It is
only then will we ask to be allowed to
share in the carrying of His Cross.
Suffering perfects the soul. All our
works of charity, almsgiving and the
true worship of God, could not lead
to perfection without suffering. It is
patience that perfects us and, together
with suffering, gives the final touch to
that holiness of which the mere outlines
are seen in times of consolation. There
are two kinds of virtue: one which
consists principally in doing good works,
the other in suffering. In works and in
action, human nature can very easily
enter in but, in suffering, nature cannot
find a congenial place, for it is rather
her undoing and death. When a cross
comes to us and seems about to crush
both body and soul with its weight, and
nevertheless we bear it with resignation
and peace, we may well believe that it
is grace that is strengthening us; and if
we allow ourselves to be guided by it,
we will be led to the pure Love of God.
Divine Love has this special property:
Love born in Consolation becomes
P erfect in Suffering!
When we are no longer able to labor,
our suffering becomes a perfect work
for God. This is precisely the good work
that God is asking from us. Suffering like
this, borne with so much peace and
such great conformity to the Will of God,
is of more value than any amount of
work we can do in the state of health. It
will lead us to a state of perfection which
could not be reached by any other
r oad.
“O Almighty God, in a single moment
Thou canst strengthen all our weakness
and give us hearts like unto Thine
own Heart. One drop of that Sacred
Blood which was shed so copiously
for us and trodden underfoot by the
very ones for whom it was shed, can
give us invincible constancy which we
so much desire and need. Bind us to
Thy sacred pillar. Scourge and afflict
us as it pleases Thee. Heed not the
rebellion of our senses, but look only
to our good and to Thy Divine Glory.
Obtain for us this Grace of which we
are not worthy. Amen.”