Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/57

 conforming our  will  to  God,  we  must  recommend  a  conformity which leaves  us  no  will  but  that  of  the  Almighty,  which  resigns our will  entirely  to  his,  and  which  establishes  all  its  content  and joy in  the  accomplishment  of  the  divine  will. In fine,  with respect to  all  the  virtues,  we  must  convey  of  them  the  noblest  idea, and elevate  them  to  the  highest  point  possible. But why,  it  will be said,  recommend  the  highest  degree  of  virtue  to  weak  persons who are  as  yet  but  novices  in  spiritual  matters? If you  propose to them  things  proportionate  to  their  strength,  and  such  as  are easily reduced  to  practice,  and  within  their  reach,  they  will  very probably embrace  them;  but  this  sublime  perfection,  you  propose, ravishes men  to  the  third  heaven,  and  is  proper  only  for  a  St.  Paul, and for  some  other  few  saints  whom  God  has  particularly  chosen in order  to  raise  them  to  the  highest  degree  of  glory  and  perfection. But you  are  exceedingly  mistaken  in  this  point;  for  an  exhortation of this  nature  is  better  adapted  to  you  than  to  them,  and  ought  to  be addressed  to  you  for  the  very  reason  you  allege  against  it:  you  say you are  weak,  and  that  I  ought  not  propose  to  you  such  high things as  you  are  not  yet  able  to  attain. I answer,  because  you are weak,  I  must  propose  to  you  the  most  perfect  kind  of  virtue and devotion,  that  by  your  aiming  at  what  is  best,  you  may  be  able to perform  at  least  what  is  of  strict  obligation. For this  purpose, it would  be  much  to  your  advantage  to  read  the  lives  of  saints,  and to observe  the  most  distinguished  virtues  wherein  they  excelled; for, without  doubt,  the  intention  of  holy  Church  in  proposing  to  us their  heroic  actions  is  to  invite  us  by  their  example  to  rouse  ourselves, and  at  least  to  shake  off  the  sloth  and  stupid  lethargy  which have seized  us,  if  we  have  not  sufficient  courage  and  resolution  to imitate  them  in  their  austere  and  holy  life. There is  also  another advantage derived  from  reading  the  lives  of  saints,  which  is,  that considering their  great  purity,  and  how  far  we  come  short  of  it,  we may  feel  confusion,  and  have  just  reason  for  humbling  ourselves. This is  the  opinion  of  the  great  St.  Gregory,  who,  explaining  those words of  Job,  "  He  will  look  upon  other  men,  and  then  will  say, I  have  sinned"  (Job,  xxxiii.  27),  says,  that  as  a  poor  man  is  much more sensible  of  his  own  poverty,  when  he  considers  the  immense treasures of  rich  men;  so  the  soul  humbles  herself  more  lowly, acknowledges her  own  indigence  with  more  reason,  when  she  reflects upon  the  great  examples  set  us  by  the  saints,  and  the  glorious actions they  have  performed. St. Jerom reports  that  St.  Anthony went to  visit  St.  Paul  the  first  hermit,  and  admiring  the  holiness of his  life,  at  his  return,  being  asked  by  his  disciples  where  he  had