Reflection #19
On Perfect Resignation to the
Divine Will
"My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." (John 4:34). So said Jesus Christ, speaking of Himself. In this mortal life, meat is that which preserves our life, and therefore Our Lord said that it was His meat to do the will of the Father. This also ought to be the meat of our souls: "Life is in His good will." (Psalms 29:6). Our life consists in doing the Divine Will; he that does not fulfill it is dead.
The wise man says: "They that are faithful in love shall rest in Him," (Wisdom 3:9), that is to say, "shall acquiesce and submit to His will." They who are little faithful in loving God will desire that He should acquiesce with them, that He should conform Himself to their pleasure and do whatever they desire; but they who love God unite themselves to His Will and acquiesce in everything that God does with them and with all that concerns them. In every adversity which afflicts them, whether sickness, dishonor, annoyances, loss of property, or of relations, they have ever on their lips and in their hearts: "Thy will be done," which is the usual aspiration of the Saints.
God desires only that which is best for us, namely, our sanctification. "This is the will of God," says the Apostle, "your sanctification." (I Thessalonians 4:3). Let us take care, therefore, to subdue our own wills, uniting them always to the will of God; and thus also let us endeavor to control our minds, reflecting that everything God does is best for us. Whoever does not act thus will never find true peace. All the perfection which can be attained in this world, which is a place of purifications and consequently a p;ace of troubles and afflictions, consists in suffering patiently those things which are opposed to our self-love; and in order to suffer them with patience, there is no means more efficacious than a willingness to suffer them in order to do the will of God. "Submit thyself then to Him, and be at peace." (Job 22:21). He that acquiesces to the Divine Will in everything is always at peace, and nothing of all that happens to him can make him unhappy. "Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad." (Proverbs 12:21). But why is the just man never miserable in any circumstances? Because he knows well that whatever happens in the world happens through the will of God.
The Divine Will (so to say) blunts the point of the thorns and takes away the bitterness of the tribulations which come upon us in this world.
In the hymn on the Will of God, we say:
Behold the excellent counsel which St. Peter gives, that we may find perfect peace in the midst of the many trials of this present life: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He has care of you." (I Peter 5:7). But if it is God who thus takes on Himself all thought for our welfare, why should we fret ourselves with so many anxieties, as if our welfare depended on our own efforts, and not rather abandon ourselves into the hands of God, upon whom all depends? "Cast thy care upon the Lord," says David, "and He shall sustain thee." (Psalms 54:23). Let us be attentive to obey God in everything He commands and counsels us, and then let us leave to Him the care of our salvation, and He will remember to give us all the means which are necessary, in order that we may be saved. Whosoever places his whole confidence in God is sure of eternal salvation.
In a word, whoever does the Will of God enters into Paradise; and he that does it not, enters not. Some people trust their eternal salvation to certain devotions, or to certain outward works of piety and yet will not do the Will of God. But Jesus Christ says: "Not everyone that saith to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 7:21).
Thus, if we desire to be saved and to acquire a perfect union with God, we should endeavor always to address to Him the prayer of David: "Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God." (Psalms 142:10). And meanwhile, let us strip ourselves of our own will and give it wholly to God without reserve. When we give to God our goods by alms, our food by fasting, our blood by scourging, we give Him what we possess; but when we give Him our will, we give Him ourselves altogether. Wherefore he that gives to God his entire will is able to say: "Lord, having given Thee all my will, I have nothing more to give Thee." The sacrifice of our own will is the most acceptable sacrifice we can make to God; and God pours His graces abundantly upon him that makes it.
This sacrifice, however, in order to be perfect, must have two conditions: it must be without reserve, and it must be constant. Some persons give to God their will, but with a certain reserve; and this gift pleases God but little. Others give Him their will, but they afterwards take it back again; and such persons place themselves in great peril of being abandoned by God. Therefore, it is necessary that all our efforts and desires and prayers should be directed to obtain from God perseverance in not willing anything but what He wills. Let us then, day by day, renew the total renunciation of our own will to God and constantly take care to seek and wish for nothing which is not according to the Will of God. And thus will cease within us our passions, desires and fears, and all our disordered affections. Sister Margaret of the Cross, a daughter of the Emperor Maximilian and a barefooted Poor Clare, when she became quite blind, was accustomed to say: "How can I desire to see, when God wills it not?"
Receive, O God of my soul, receive the sacrifice of my entire will and of all my liberty. I see that I deserve that Thou shouldst turn Thy back upon me and refuse this gift of mine, so often have I been unfaithful to Thee; but I hear Thee once more command me to love Thee with all my heart, and therefore I am sure that Thou dost accept it. I resign myself, then, wholly to Thy will; make me know what Thou dost will for me, for I resolve to accomplish it all. Make me love Thee, and then dispose of me and all that is mine as it pleases Thee. I am in Thy hands; do what Thou knowest to be most expedient for my eternal salvation; meanwhile, I declare that I desire Thee alone and nothing more.
O Mother of God, do thou obtain for me holy perseverance.
The wise man says: "They that are faithful in love shall rest in Him," (Wisdom 3:9), that is to say, "shall acquiesce and submit to His will." They who are little faithful in loving God will desire that He should acquiesce with them, that He should conform Himself to their pleasure and do whatever they desire; but they who love God unite themselves to His Will and acquiesce in everything that God does with them and with all that concerns them. In every adversity which afflicts them, whether sickness, dishonor, annoyances, loss of property, or of relations, they have ever on their lips and in their hearts: "Thy will be done," which is the usual aspiration of the Saints.
God desires only that which is best for us, namely, our sanctification. "This is the will of God," says the Apostle, "your sanctification." (I Thessalonians 4:3). Let us take care, therefore, to subdue our own wills, uniting them always to the will of God; and thus also let us endeavor to control our minds, reflecting that everything God does is best for us. Whoever does not act thus will never find true peace. All the perfection which can be attained in this world, which is a place of purifications and consequently a p;ace of troubles and afflictions, consists in suffering patiently those things which are opposed to our self-love; and in order to suffer them with patience, there is no means more efficacious than a willingness to suffer them in order to do the will of God. "Submit thyself then to Him, and be at peace." (Job 22:21). He that acquiesces to the Divine Will in everything is always at peace, and nothing of all that happens to him can make him unhappy. "Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad." (Proverbs 12:21). But why is the just man never miserable in any circumstances? Because he knows well that whatever happens in the world happens through the will of God.
The Divine Will (so to say) blunts the point of the thorns and takes away the bitterness of the tribulations which come upon us in this world.
In the hymn on the Will of God, we say:
Thou makest crosses soft and light,
And death itself seem sweet and bright;
No cross nor fear that soul dismays
Whose will to Thee united stays.
O Will of God! O Will Divine!
All, all our love be ever Thine!
Behold the excellent counsel which St. Peter gives, that we may find perfect peace in the midst of the many trials of this present life: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He has care of you." (I Peter 5:7). But if it is God who thus takes on Himself all thought for our welfare, why should we fret ourselves with so many anxieties, as if our welfare depended on our own efforts, and not rather abandon ourselves into the hands of God, upon whom all depends? "Cast thy care upon the Lord," says David, "and He shall sustain thee." (Psalms 54:23). Let us be attentive to obey God in everything He commands and counsels us, and then let us leave to Him the care of our salvation, and He will remember to give us all the means which are necessary, in order that we may be saved. Whosoever places his whole confidence in God is sure of eternal salvation.
In a word, whoever does the Will of God enters into Paradise; and he that does it not, enters not. Some people trust their eternal salvation to certain devotions, or to certain outward works of piety and yet will not do the Will of God. But Jesus Christ says: "Not everyone that saith to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 7:21).
Thus, if we desire to be saved and to acquire a perfect union with God, we should endeavor always to address to Him the prayer of David: "Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God." (Psalms 142:10). And meanwhile, let us strip ourselves of our own will and give it wholly to God without reserve. When we give to God our goods by alms, our food by fasting, our blood by scourging, we give Him what we possess; but when we give Him our will, we give Him ourselves altogether. Wherefore he that gives to God his entire will is able to say: "Lord, having given Thee all my will, I have nothing more to give Thee." The sacrifice of our own will is the most acceptable sacrifice we can make to God; and God pours His graces abundantly upon him that makes it.
This sacrifice, however, in order to be perfect, must have two conditions: it must be without reserve, and it must be constant. Some persons give to God their will, but with a certain reserve; and this gift pleases God but little. Others give Him their will, but they afterwards take it back again; and such persons place themselves in great peril of being abandoned by God. Therefore, it is necessary that all our efforts and desires and prayers should be directed to obtain from God perseverance in not willing anything but what He wills. Let us then, day by day, renew the total renunciation of our own will to God and constantly take care to seek and wish for nothing which is not according to the Will of God. And thus will cease within us our passions, desires and fears, and all our disordered affections. Sister Margaret of the Cross, a daughter of the Emperor Maximilian and a barefooted Poor Clare, when she became quite blind, was accustomed to say: "How can I desire to see, when God wills it not?"
Receive, O God of my soul, receive the sacrifice of my entire will and of all my liberty. I see that I deserve that Thou shouldst turn Thy back upon me and refuse this gift of mine, so often have I been unfaithful to Thee; but I hear Thee once more command me to love Thee with all my heart, and therefore I am sure that Thou dost accept it. I resign myself, then, wholly to Thy will; make me know what Thou dost will for me, for I resolve to accomplish it all. Make me love Thee, and then dispose of me and all that is mine as it pleases Thee. I am in Thy hands; do what Thou knowest to be most expedient for my eternal salvation; meanwhile, I declare that I desire Thee alone and nothing more.
O Mother of God, do thou obtain for me holy perseverance.
O Jesus, my beloved Lord,
I seek for nought but Thee!
My God, to Thee I give myself,
Do what Thou wilt with me.[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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