A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [3]
lightly and
without hindrance.
If your desire for Jesus still continues and grows stronger, so that
you go on your way courageously, they will then tell you that you may become
ill, and perhaps with such a disease as will bring frightful dreads into
your mind; or perhaps you will become very poor and you will find no
charitable person to help you. Do not heed what they say, but if you should
happen to fall into sickness or poverty, still have faith in Jesus and say,
"I am naught, I have naught, I care for naught in this world, and I desire
naught but the love of Jesus, that I may see Him at peace in Jerusalem."
If it should ever happen that through some of these temptations and
your own weakness, you waver and perhaps fall into sin, and thus lose the
way for a time, return as soon as possible to the right path by using such
remedies as the Church ordains. Do not think of your past sins, for that
will harm you and favour your enemies; but make haste to go on your way as
if nothing happened. Think only of Jesus, and of your desire to gain His
love, and nothing will harm you.
Finally, when your enemies see that you are so determined that neither
sickness, fancies, poverty, life, death, nor sins discourage you, but that
you will continue to seek the love of Jesus and nothing else, by continuing
your prayer and other spiritual works, they will grow enraged and will not
spare you the most cruel abuse. They will make their most dangerous assault
by bringing before you all your good deeds and virtues, showing that all men
praise, love, and honour you for your sanctity. This they will do to make
you vain and proud. But if you offer your life to Jesus you will consider
all this flattery and falsehood as deadly poison to your soul, and will cast
it from you.
In order to shun such temptations renounce all vain thoughts and think
of Jesus only, resolving to know and love Him. After you have accustomed
yourself to think of Him alone, any thoughts not relating to Him will be
unwelcome and painful to you.
If there is any work you are obliged to do for yourself or neighbour
fail not to do it as soon and as well as you can, lest by delay it may
distract your thoughts from Jesus. If it is unnecessary work do not think
about it, but dismiss it from your thoughts saying, "I am naught, I can do
naught, I have naught, and I desire naught but Jesus and His love."
It will be necessary for you, as for all other pilgrims, to take, on
the way, sleep and refreshments and sometimes innocent recreation; but if
you use discretion in these things, although they seem to delay you, they
will give you strength and courage to continue on your journey.
To conclude, remember that your principal aim, and indeed only
business, is to give your thoughts to the desire of Jesus, and to strengthen
this desire by daily prayer and other spiritual works. And whatever you find
suitable to increase that desire, be it praying or reading, speaking or
being silent, working or resting, make use of it as long as your soul finds
delight in it, and as long as it increases the desire of having and enjoying
nothing but the love of Jesus and the blessed sight of Jesus in true peace
in Jerusalem. Be assured that this good desire, thus cherished and
continually increased, will bring you safely to the end of your pilgrimage.
Observing these instructions, you are in the right path to Jerusalem.
To proceed on this journey, it is necessary to do, inwardly and outwardly,
such works as are suitable to your condition, and such as will help to
increase in you the gracious desire that you have to love Jesus only. No
matter what your works are, whether thinking, reading, preaching, labouring,
etc., if you find that they draw your mind from worldly vanity and
strengthen your heart and will more to the love of Jesus, it is good and
profitable for you to pursue them. But if through custom, you find such
works in time lose their power and virtue to increase this love, cast them
aside and try some other
without hindrance.
If your desire for Jesus still continues and grows stronger, so that
you go on your way courageously, they will then tell you that you may become
ill, and perhaps with such a disease as will bring frightful dreads into
your mind; or perhaps you will become very poor and you will find no
charitable person to help you. Do not heed what they say, but if you should
happen to fall into sickness or poverty, still have faith in Jesus and say,
"I am naught, I have naught, I care for naught in this world, and I desire
naught but the love of Jesus, that I may see Him at peace in Jerusalem."
If it should ever happen that through some of these temptations and
your own weakness, you waver and perhaps fall into sin, and thus lose the
way for a time, return as soon as possible to the right path by using such
remedies as the Church ordains. Do not think of your past sins, for that
will harm you and favour your enemies; but make haste to go on your way as
if nothing happened. Think only of Jesus, and of your desire to gain His
love, and nothing will harm you.
Finally, when your enemies see that you are so determined that neither
sickness, fancies, poverty, life, death, nor sins discourage you, but that
you will continue to seek the love of Jesus and nothing else, by continuing
your prayer and other spiritual works, they will grow enraged and will not
spare you the most cruel abuse. They will make their most dangerous assault
by bringing before you all your good deeds and virtues, showing that all men
praise, love, and honour you for your sanctity. This they will do to make
you vain and proud. But if you offer your life to Jesus you will consider
all this flattery and falsehood as deadly poison to your soul, and will cast
it from you.
In order to shun such temptations renounce all vain thoughts and think
of Jesus only, resolving to know and love Him. After you have accustomed
yourself to think of Him alone, any thoughts not relating to Him will be
unwelcome and painful to you.
If there is any work you are obliged to do for yourself or neighbour
fail not to do it as soon and as well as you can, lest by delay it may
distract your thoughts from Jesus. If it is unnecessary work do not think
about it, but dismiss it from your thoughts saying, "I am naught, I can do
naught, I have naught, and I desire naught but Jesus and His love."
It will be necessary for you, as for all other pilgrims, to take, on
the way, sleep and refreshments and sometimes innocent recreation; but if
you use discretion in these things, although they seem to delay you, they
will give you strength and courage to continue on your journey.
To conclude, remember that your principal aim, and indeed only
business, is to give your thoughts to the desire of Jesus, and to strengthen
this desire by daily prayer and other spiritual works. And whatever you find
suitable to increase that desire, be it praying or reading, speaking or
being silent, working or resting, make use of it as long as your soul finds
delight in it, and as long as it increases the desire of having and enjoying
nothing but the love of Jesus and the blessed sight of Jesus in true peace
in Jerusalem. Be assured that this good desire, thus cherished and
continually increased, will bring you safely to the end of your pilgrimage.
Observing these instructions, you are in the right path to Jerusalem.
To proceed on this journey, it is necessary to do, inwardly and outwardly,
such works as are suitable to your condition, and such as will help to
increase in you the gracious desire that you have to love Jesus only. No
matter what your works are, whether thinking, reading, preaching, labouring,
etc., if you find that they draw your mind from worldly vanity and
strengthen your heart and will more to the love of Jesus, it is good and
profitable for you to pursue them. But if through custom, you find such
works in time lose their power and virtue to increase this love, cast them
aside and try some other