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J. P. De Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence
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Abandonment To Divine Providence
BOOK I ON THE VIRTUE OF ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE ITS NATURE AND EXCELLENCE.
SECTION I.—Hidden Operations of God.
SECTION II.—The Duties of Each Moment.
SECTION III.—The Work of our Sanctification.
SECTION IV.—In what Perfection Consists. 6
SECTION V.—The Divine Influence alone can Sanctify Us.
SECTION VI.—On the Use of Mental Faculties.
SECTION VII.—On the Attainment of Peace.
SECTION VIII.—To Estimate Degrees of Excellence.
SECTION IX.—Sanctity Made Easy.
CHAPTER II. THE DIVINE ACTION WORKS UNCEASINGLY FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF SOULS.
Section IV. The Revelations of God. SECTION IV.—The Revelations of God.
Section VI. The Treatment of the Divine Action. SECTION VI.—The Treatment of the Divine Action.
Section VII. The Hidden Work of Divine Love. SECTION VII.—The Hidden Work of Divine Love. 26
Section VIII. Experimental Science. 27 SECTION VIII.—Experimental Science.
Section XII. The Divine Word our Model. SECTION XII.—The Divine Word our Model. 34
BOOK II ON THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT.
CHAPTER I. ON THE NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT.
Section I. The life of God in the soul. SECTION I.—The life of God in the soul.
Section II. The most perfect way. SECTION II.—The most perfect way.
Section IV. Abandonment as a Source of Joy. SECTION IV.—Abandonment a Source of Joy.
Section V. The Great Merit of Pure Faith. SECTION V.—The Great Merit of Pure Faith.
Section VI. Submission a Free Gift to God. SECTION VI.—Submission a Free Gift to God.
Section VII. Divine Favours Offered to All. SECTION VII.—Submission a Free Gift to God.
Section VIII. God Reigns in a Pure Heart. SECTION VIII.—God Reigns in a Pure Heart.
CHAPTER II. THE DUTIES OF THOSE SOULS CALLED BY GOD TO THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT.
Section I. Sacrifice, the Foundation of Sanctity. SECTION I.—Sacrifice, the Foundation of Sanctity.
Section IV. God Does All for a Soul of Goodwill. SECTION IV.—God Does All for a Soul of Goodwill.
Section V. The Common Way of all Souls. SECTION V.—The Common Way of all Souls.
Section VII. Trust in the guidance of God. SECTION VII.—Trust in the guidance of God.
Section VIII. Great Faith is Necessary. SECTION VIII.—Great Faith is Necessary.
CHAPTER III. THE TRIALS CONNECTED WITH THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT.
Section I. Unwise Interference. SECTION I.—Unwise Interference.
Section II. Unjust Judgments. SECTION II.—Unjust Judgments.
Section III. Self-Contempt. SECTION III.—Self-Contempt.
Section IV. Distrust of Self. SECTION IV.—Distrust of Self. 68
Section VI. The Life of Faith. SECTION V.—The Life of Faith.
Section I. Confidence in God. SECTION I.—Confidence in God.
Section II. Diversity of Grace. SECTION II.—Diversity of Grace.
Section III. The Generosity of God. 78 SECTION III.—The Generosity of God.
Section VI. Supernatural Prudence. SECTION VI.—Supernatural Prudence.
Section VII. Conviction of Weakness. SECTION VII.—Conviction of Weakness.
Section VIII. Self-guidance a Mistake. SECTION VIII.—Self-guidance a Mistake.
Section X. We Must see God in all His Creatures. SECTION X.—We Must see God in all His Creatures.
Section XI. The Strength of Simplicity. SECTION XI.—The Strength of Simplicity.
Section XII. The Triumph of Humility. SECTION XII.—The Triumph of Humility.
The divine love is communicated to us through every creature under veils, like the Eucharistic species.
What great truths are hidden even from Christians who imagine themselves most enlightened! How many are there amongst them who understand that every cross, every action, every attraction according to the designs of God, give God to us in a way that nothing can better explain than a comparison with the most august mystery? Nevertheless there is nothing more certain. Does not reason as well as faith reveal to us the real presence of divine love in all creatures, and in all the events of life, as indubitably as the words of Jesus Christ and of the Church reveal the real presence of the sacred flesh of our Saviour under the Eucharistic species? Do we not know that by all creatures, and by every event the divine love desires to unite us to Himself, that He has ordained, arranged, or permitted everything about us, everything that happens to us with a view to this union? This is the ultimate object of all His designs to attain which He makes use of the worst of His creatures as well as of the best, and of the most distressing events as well as of those which are pleasant and agreeable. Our communion with Him is even more meritorious when the means that serve to make it closer are repugnant to nature. If this be true, every moment of our lives may be a kind of communion with the divine love, and this communion of every moment may produce as much fruit in our souls as that which we receive in the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Son of God. This latter, it is true, is efficacious sacramentally which the former cannot be, but on the other hand, how much more frequently can it not be renewed, and what great increase of merit it can acquire by the more perfect dispositions with which it may be accomplished. Consequently how true it is that the more holy the life the more mysterious it becomes by its apparent simplicity and littleness. O great feast! O perpetual festival! God! given and received under all that is most feeble, foolish and worthless upon earth! God chooses that which nature abhors, and human prudence rejects. Of these He makes mysteries, sacraments of love, and by that which seems as if it would do most harm to souls, He gives Himself to them as often and as much as they desire to possess Him.