Reflection #32
On Solitude of Heart
On Solitude of Heart
Saint Gregory wrote: "What does the solitude of the body profit if the solitude of the heart is not there?" In the preceding reflection we have seen how much solitude assists recollection of mind, but St. Gregory says that it profits us little or nothing to be with the body in a solitary place, while we still keep the heart full of worldly thoughts and affections. That a soul may be wholly given to God, two things are necessary: the first is to detach one's self from the love of every created thing; the second is to consecrate all one's love to God. And this is what true solitude of heart means.
We must in the first place, then, detach our hearts from every earthly affection. St. Francis de Sales used to say: "If I knew that I had a single fiber in my heart which was not given to God, I would instantly pluck it out." If we do not purify and strip the heart of everything earthly, the love of God cannot enter in and possess it entirely. God would reign by His love in our hearts, but He would reign there alone; He will have no companions to rob Him of a portion of that affection which He justly claims to have entirely for Himself.
Some souls complain that in all their devout exercises, meditations, Communions, spiritual readings, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, they do not find God and know not what means to adopt in order to find Him. St. Teresa gives them the right means when she says: "Detach thy heart from all created things, and then seek God, and thou shalt find Him."
Many persons cannot, in order to separate themselves from creatures and converse with God alone, go and live in a desert, as they would wish; but we must understand that deserts and caves are not necessary in order to enjoy solitude of heart. Those who from necessity are obliged to converse with the world--provided that their hearts are free from worldly attachments--can, even in the streets, in places of resort and in public assemblies, possess solitude of heart and remain united with God. All those occupations which are undertaken to fulfill the Divine Will do not prevent the solitude of the heart. St. Catherine of Sienna was able to find God in the midst of household labors in which her parents kept her employed in order to withdraw her from devotional exercises; but in the midst of these affairs she remained retired within her heart, which she called her cell, and there ceased not to converse alone with God.
"Be still and see that I am God," says the Psalmist. (Psalms 45:11). To possess that divine light which enables us to know the goodness of God, which when known, is well able to draw to itself all the affections of our heart, we must be still, that is, disentangle ourselves from the earthly attachments which hinder us from knowing God. As a crystal vase when it is filled with sand cannot receive the light of the sun, so a heart that is attached to riches, to worldly honors, or to sensual pleasures, cannot receive the divine light; and not knowing God, it does not love Him. In every state in which a man finds himself placed by God, he must indeed give attention to perform his duties according to the pleasure of God; but to prevent creatures from drawing him away from God, he must in everything else act as if there were no one else in the world except him and God.
We must detach ourselves from everything, and especially from ourselves, by continually thwarting our selflove. For example, a certain thing pleases us; we must leave it for the very reason that it pleases us. A certain person has injured us; we must do him good just because he has injured us. In a word, we must will and not will, exactly as God wills or does not will, without wishing for anything whatever until we know that it is the will of God that we should desire it.
Oh, how easily does God let Himself be found by everyone who detaches himself from creatures in order to find Him! "The Lord is good . . . to the soul that seeketh Him." (Lamentations 3:25). St. Francis de Sales says: "The pure love of God consumes everything which is not God, in order to convert everything into itself." We must therefore make ourselves an enclosed garden, as the holy spouse in the Canticles is called by God, "My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed." (Canticle of Canticles 4:12). The soul which keeps the door shut against earthly affections is called an enclose garden. God has given us everything that we have, and it is reasonable that He should require of us all our love. When, the, any creature would enter and take for itself a portion of our love, we must altogether deny it any entrance, and turning to our Sovereign Good, we must say with all our affection: "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee what do I desire on earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever." (Psalms 72:25-26). "O my God, what but Thyself can satisfy my soul? No, I desire nothing but Thee, either in Heaven or on earth; Thou alone art sufficient for me, O God of my heart and my Portion forever."
Oh, happy is he who can say: "The kingdom of the earth and all worldly pomp I have despised for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ." Truly, that great servant of God, sister Margaret of the Cross, the daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II, could say this when at her profession she stripped herself of her rich garments and jewels to clothe herself in the poor woolen habit of the barefooted nuns of the strict rule of St. Clare and when, as the author of her life relates, she cast them away with a contempt which moved to tears of devotion all who assisted at the function.
O my Jesus, for my part I do not desire that creatures should have any share in my heart; Thou must be its only Lord, by possessing it entirely. Let others seek the delights and grandeurs of this earth; Thou alone, both in the present and the future life, must be my only Portion, my only Good, my only Love. And, since Thou hast loved me, as I see by the proofs Thou givest me, help me to detach myself from everything which can divert me from Thy love. Grant that my soul may be entirely taken up with pleasing Thee, as the only object of all my affections. Take possession of all my heart; I will be no longer my own. Do Thou rule me and make me prompt to execute Thy will.
O Mary, Mother of God, in thee I trust; thy prayers have to make me belong wholly to Jesus.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
We must in the first place, then, detach our hearts from every earthly affection. St. Francis de Sales used to say: "If I knew that I had a single fiber in my heart which was not given to God, I would instantly pluck it out." If we do not purify and strip the heart of everything earthly, the love of God cannot enter in and possess it entirely. God would reign by His love in our hearts, but He would reign there alone; He will have no companions to rob Him of a portion of that affection which He justly claims to have entirely for Himself.
Some souls complain that in all their devout exercises, meditations, Communions, spiritual readings, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, they do not find God and know not what means to adopt in order to find Him. St. Teresa gives them the right means when she says: "Detach thy heart from all created things, and then seek God, and thou shalt find Him."
Many persons cannot, in order to separate themselves from creatures and converse with God alone, go and live in a desert, as they would wish; but we must understand that deserts and caves are not necessary in order to enjoy solitude of heart. Those who from necessity are obliged to converse with the world--provided that their hearts are free from worldly attachments--can, even in the streets, in places of resort and in public assemblies, possess solitude of heart and remain united with God. All those occupations which are undertaken to fulfill the Divine Will do not prevent the solitude of the heart. St. Catherine of Sienna was able to find God in the midst of household labors in which her parents kept her employed in order to withdraw her from devotional exercises; but in the midst of these affairs she remained retired within her heart, which she called her cell, and there ceased not to converse alone with God.
"Be still and see that I am God," says the Psalmist. (Psalms 45:11). To possess that divine light which enables us to know the goodness of God, which when known, is well able to draw to itself all the affections of our heart, we must be still, that is, disentangle ourselves from the earthly attachments which hinder us from knowing God. As a crystal vase when it is filled with sand cannot receive the light of the sun, so a heart that is attached to riches, to worldly honors, or to sensual pleasures, cannot receive the divine light; and not knowing God, it does not love Him. In every state in which a man finds himself placed by God, he must indeed give attention to perform his duties according to the pleasure of God; but to prevent creatures from drawing him away from God, he must in everything else act as if there were no one else in the world except him and God.
We must detach ourselves from everything, and especially from ourselves, by continually thwarting our selflove. For example, a certain thing pleases us; we must leave it for the very reason that it pleases us. A certain person has injured us; we must do him good just because he has injured us. In a word, we must will and not will, exactly as God wills or does not will, without wishing for anything whatever until we know that it is the will of God that we should desire it.
Oh, how easily does God let Himself be found by everyone who detaches himself from creatures in order to find Him! "The Lord is good . . . to the soul that seeketh Him." (Lamentations 3:25). St. Francis de Sales says: "The pure love of God consumes everything which is not God, in order to convert everything into itself." We must therefore make ourselves an enclosed garden, as the holy spouse in the Canticles is called by God, "My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed." (Canticle of Canticles 4:12). The soul which keeps the door shut against earthly affections is called an enclose garden. God has given us everything that we have, and it is reasonable that He should require of us all our love. When, the, any creature would enter and take for itself a portion of our love, we must altogether deny it any entrance, and turning to our Sovereign Good, we must say with all our affection: "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee what do I desire on earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever." (Psalms 72:25-26). "O my God, what but Thyself can satisfy my soul? No, I desire nothing but Thee, either in Heaven or on earth; Thou alone art sufficient for me, O God of my heart and my Portion forever."
Oh, happy is he who can say: "The kingdom of the earth and all worldly pomp I have despised for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ." Truly, that great servant of God, sister Margaret of the Cross, the daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II, could say this when at her profession she stripped herself of her rich garments and jewels to clothe herself in the poor woolen habit of the barefooted nuns of the strict rule of St. Clare and when, as the author of her life relates, she cast them away with a contempt which moved to tears of devotion all who assisted at the function.
O my Jesus, for my part I do not desire that creatures should have any share in my heart; Thou must be its only Lord, by possessing it entirely. Let others seek the delights and grandeurs of this earth; Thou alone, both in the present and the future life, must be my only Portion, my only Good, my only Love. And, since Thou hast loved me, as I see by the proofs Thou givest me, help me to detach myself from everything which can divert me from Thy love. Grant that my soul may be entirely taken up with pleasing Thee, as the only object of all my affections. Take possession of all my heart; I will be no longer my own. Do Thou rule me and make me prompt to execute Thy will.
O Mary, Mother of God, in thee I trust; thy prayers have to make me belong wholly to Jesus.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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