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 who do and omit nothing except what, when, how, and because God wishes them to do or omit it.

With regard to the second part of conformity with the will of God, even the chief princes of the angels are so resigned to the divine will, and so content with all that God arranges for them, that if they could perceive but the least sign of His wishing them to become gardeners here on earth and pluck up weeds, or to till the fields like a peasant, with great labor and trouble (in former times an angel really performed this office for the holy peasant St. Isidor, and guided the oxen in the plough for him while he heard Mass), or to undertake any other task, no matter how lowly, they would esteem it as the greatest honor, and make for themselves a heaven of happiness out of it, as long as only the good will and pleasure of God is fully accomplished in and by them.

If you wish to test the truth of this, then think of the holy guardian angels, and of the office to which they allow themselves to be appointed. my God! I am often struck with wonderment to think that such excellent beings as even the lowest of the angels are, that such great, beautiful, and mighty princes of heaven, many of whom in the beginning were, before they reached the place of their eternal happiness, ashamed to attend on God when He should become man, and were therefore cast out of heaven into hell as rebels my God, I think, how is it possible for these blessed courtiers of the Almighty to deign to defend and guard such mean creatures as we are! But what do I say! exclaims St. Bernard; to defend and guard? Rather to wait upon and attend us poor mortals. They are not ashamed in their own exalted persons to take that lowly office on themselves for years and years, from the first moment of life to the moment of death, and to stand day and night, in all places, at all times, by the side of a poor mortal, even of the meanest of men, of a poor beggar or swine-herd!

And what is still more astonishing, they perform this service even for the most wicked, even for infidels, heathens, Jews, Turks, and idolaters, whose mouths are filled with blasphemies against the true God. That service they perform even for wizards and witches who adore the devil! And although the angels experience the greatest disgust at those who are in mortal sin, and enemies of God, yet with the utmost patience they stand at their side day and night, to protect and guard them as children