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 esteemed happy  in  this  life,  wisely  answered:  "He  who abandons  himself  entirely  to  the  divine  will  of  God." And, in  reality,  does  not  all  our  inquietude  arise  from this cause — that  things  do  not  happen  according  to  our wishes, and  that  we  resist  the  divine  will? St. Bernard says: "God  justly  ordains  that  they  who  refuse  to  be governed  by  him  in  peace  should  rule  themselves  amid difficulties  and  troubles." But, on  the  other  hand,  they who wish  only  what  God  wills,  always  find  their  wishes accomplished, and  therefore  are  always  in  peace,  as  well in prosperity  as  in  adversity. When, then,  you  see  a person  in  sadnesss,  tell  her  that  she  is  sad  because  she  is not  resigned  to  the  will  of  God. The saints,  even  in  the midst of  persecutions  the  most  severe  and  torments  the most painful,  knew  not  what  it  was  to  be  sad. And why? Because they  were  united  to  the  divine  will. Whatsoever shall  befall  the  just  man,  it  shall  not  make  him sad."  Hence,  Cardinal  Petrucci  has  wisely  said  that  this frail  and  fleeting  world  is  but  a  scene  of  woes.  Its  most pleasing  amusements  and  pleasures  have  the  appearance of  joys,  and  they  are  torments.  But  to  follow  Christ suffering  appears  painful  and  gives  true  joy.

Speaking of  the  saints,  Salvian  says:  "If  they  are humbled,  they  desire  their  humiliations;  if  they  are poor,  they  delight  in  their  poverty:  hence  in  every misfortune  which  befalls  them  they  are  content,  and therefore  they  begin  even  in  this  life  to  enjoy  beatitude." Crosses will  certainly  be  painful  to  the  senses, but this  pain  is  in  the  inferior  part:  in  the  superior  part of the  soul  peace  shall  reign. The saints,  says  Father Rodriguez, are  like  Mount  Olympus:  at  the  base  there  are