Abandonment To Divine Providence

 BOOK I ON THE VIRTUE OF ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE ITS NATURE AND EXCELLENCE.

 CHAPTER I. SANCTITY CONSISTS IN FIDELITY TO THE ORDER ESTABLISHED BY GOD, AND IN SUBMISSION TO ALL HIS OPERATIONS.

 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 I.—The Divine Action.

 Section II. By Faith the Operation of God is recognised. 17 SECTION II.—By Faith the Operation of God is recognised.

 Section III. How to Discover what is the Will of God. SECTION III.—How to Discover what is the Will of God.

 Section IV. The Revelations of God. SECTION IV.—The Revelations of God.

 Section V. The action of Jesus Christ in the Souls of Men. SECTION V.—The action of Jesus Christ in the Souls of Men.

 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 IX. The Will of God in the Present Moment is the Source of Sanctity. SECTION IX.—The Will of God in the Present Moment is the Source of Sancti

 Section X. God Makes Known His Will Through Creatures. SECTION X.—God Makes Known His Will Through Creatures.

 Section XI. Everything is Supernaturalised by the Divine Action. SECTION XI.—Everything is Supernaturalised by the Divine Action.

 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 III. Abandonment a Pledge of Predestination. SECTION III.—Abandonment a Pledge of Predestination.

 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 II. The Pains and Consolations of Abandonment. SECTION II.—The Pains and Consolations of Abandonment.

 Section III. The Different Duties of Abandonment. SECTION III.—The Different Duties of Abandonment. 52

 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 VI. The Duty of the Present Moment the Only Rule. 57 SECTION VI.—The Duty of the Present Moment the Only Rule.

 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.

 CHAPTER IV. CONCERNING THE ASSISTANCE RENDERED BY THE FATHERLY PROVIDENCE OF GOD TO THOSE SOULS WHO HAVE ABANDONED THEMSELVES TO HIM.

 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 IV. The Most Ordinary Things are Channels of Grace. SECTION IV.—The Most Ordinary Things are Channels of Grace.

 Section V. Nature and Grace the Instruments of God. SECTION V.—Nature and Grace the Instruments 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 IX. Divine Love, the Principle of All Good. SECTION IX.—Divine Love, the Principle of All Good.

 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.

Section V. The Great Merit of Pure Faith. SECTION V.—The Great Merit of Pure Faith.

By the state of abandonment and of pure faith the soul gains more merit than by the most eminent good works.

Whatever we find extraordinary in the lives of the saints, such as revelations, visions and interior locutions, is but a glimpse of that excellence of their state which is contained and hidden in the exercise of faith; because faith possesses all this by knowing how to see and hear God in that which happens from moment to moment. When these favours are manifested visibly it does not mean that by faith they have not been already possessed, but in order to make the excellence of faith visible for the purpose of attracting souls to the practice of it; just as the glory of Thabor, and the miracles of Jesus Christ were not from any increase of His intrinsic excellence, but from the light which from time to time escaped from the dark cloud of His humanity to make it an object of veneration and love to others.

That which is wonderful in the saints is the constancy of their faith under every circumstance; without this there would be no sanctity. In the loving faith which makes them rejoice in God for everything, their sanctity has no need of any extraordinary manifestation; this could only prove useful to others who might require the testimony of such signs; but the soul in this state, happy in its obscurity, does in no way rely on these brilliant manifestations; it allows them to show outwardly for the profit of others, but keeps for itself what all have in common, the will of God, and His good pleasure. Its faith is proved in hiding, and not in manifesting itself, and those who require more proof have less faith.

Those who live by faith receive proofs, not as such, but as favours from the hand of God, and in this sense things that are extraordinary are not in contradiction to the state of pure faith.

But there are many saints whom God sets up for the salvation of souls, and from whose faces He causes rays of glory to stream 42for the enlightenment of the most blind. Of such were the Prophets and the Apostles and all those saints chosen by God to be set in the candlestick of the Church. There will ever be such, as there ever have been.

There is also an infinity of others who, having been created to shine in the heavens give no light in this world, but live and die in profound obscurity.