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says that  all  the  perfection  of the  love  of  God  consists  in  resignation  to  the  divine will. As hatred  divides  the  wills  of  enemies,  so  love unites the  wills  of  lovers,  so  that  each  wishes  only  what the other  desires. " True  friendship  of  persons  consists in  wishing  and  not  wishing  the  same  thing,"  says St. Jerome to  Demetriades. Hence the  Wise  Man  says: They that  are  faithful  in  love  shall  rest  in  him.  Souls  that are faithful  in  loving  God  acquiesce  in  all  that  he  wills.

Since nothing  is  more  dear  to  us  than  self-will,  the sacrifice of  it  is  the  most  acceptable  offering  we  can present to  the  Lord. This is  the  sacrifice  that  God himself continually  asks  of  us  with  so  much  earnestness. My son,  give  me  thy  heart.  Son,  give  me  your  heart,  that is, your  will. Nothing else  that  we  offer  to  God  can content him  as  long  as  we  reserve  our  own  will. I explain myself  by  this  example:  If  you  had  two  servants, one of  whom  labored  continually,  but  always  according to his  own  will;  the  other  performed  less  work,  but  was obedient to  all  your  directions, —you  would  certainly  entertain a  great  regard  for  the  latter,  and  little  or  no  esteem for  the  former. Oh! how often  do  we  deceive ourselves by  desiring  to  engage  in  certain  undertakings