Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/427

 heart, who  shall  do  all  my  wills.  The  Lord  also  says:  a soul  that  is  conformed  to  my  will  shall  have  for  her name my  will. Thou shall  be  called  my  pleasure  in  it. Yes, for  in  this  happy  soul,  because  self-will  is  dead, only the  will  of  God  lives.

Ah! happy the  soul  that  can  always  say  with  the sacred Spouse:  My  soul  melted  when  he  spoke.  My  soul melted as  soon  as  my  beloved  spoke. Why does  she  say melted? Listen: what  is  rendered  liquid  no  longer  retains its  own  shape,  but  takes  the  form  of  the  vessel  in which  it  is  contained. Thus, loving  souls  do  not  retain their own  wills,  but  conform  them  to  whatever  their  beloved wills. This conformity  implies  a  will  docile  and pliant in  all  things  pleasing  to  God,  compared  with  the obdurate will  that  resists  the  divine  will. An instrument is  said  to  be  a  good  one  when  it  is  obedient  to  the person that  employs  it;  if  it  refuse  to  obey,  of  what  use  is it? For example,  were  a  pencil  to  resist  the  hand  of  the painter, — if, when  drawn  to  the  right,  it  should  turn  to the  left;  if,  when  drawn  downwards,  it  should  seek  to move  upwards, — what  would  the  painter  do? Would he not  instantly  cast  it  into  the  fire?

Some place  their  sanctity  in  works  of  penance,  others in frequent  Communion,  others  in  reciting  many  vocal prayers. But, no:  St.  Thomas  says  that  perfection  consists not  in  these  things,  but  in  submission  to  the  divine will. " The  perfection  of  the  human  soul  consists  in  its subjection  to  God." Works of  penance,  prayers,  Communions, are  good,  inasmuch  as  God  wills  them;  hence they serve  only  as  means  to  unite  us  to  the  divine  will.