Chapter VII: Charity is not Envious

1. ST. Gregory explains this third mark of charity, and says, that it is not envious, because it feels no envy towards worldings for their earthly grandeur, which it does not desire but despise. (Moral x. 8.) Hence, we must distinguish two kinds of envy—the one good, and the other wicked. The sinful envy is afflicted, on account of the earthly goods which others possess. Holy envy has not for its object the grandeurs of the world; it looks upon them with pity. All that it desires is God, and all its desire is to love him with its whole heart. Hence it is that it envies those who love him more than itself, because it would wish to exceed the Seraphim themselves in love.

2. This is the only end which the true christian proposes to himself here below; an object which fills him with so much love for God, that he says, One of your eyes has wounded my heart, (Cant. iv. 9.) for by this eye is understood the intention which the soul has in all its thoughts and actions, which is to please God. Worldings perform their actions for many improper motives, such as to please men, to gain esteem, to amass riches, or at least to gratify themselves. But the christian has only one eye to behold God in every thing, and to please him; he cries out with David: What have I desired on earth, or in heaven, O my God! but you alone? (Ps. lxxii. 26.) Yes, you are all my treasure; you alone are the master of my heart. I do not envy the rich their wealth, nor kings their crown, said St. Paulinus; you alone, O my Jesus! are my glory, and my happiness.

3. It is not enough to do good works; they must also be well done. In order that our works should be good and perfect, they must be performed with the intention of pleasing God. This is the praise which was given to Jesus Christ: He has done all things well. There are many actions, otherwise praiseworthy, which will have none, or little merit in the sight of God, because they have not been referred solely to the glory of the Lord. St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi said, that God rewards our good works in proportion to the purity of our intention; that is, the more pure our intentions are, the greater reward we will receive from God. But, alas! how difficult it is to find an act that is done for the sole purpose of pleasing God! An aged religious, who died lately in the odour of sanctity, after great labours in the service of God, was one day glancing at his past life, and said to me with affright: Ah! my father, of all the actions of my life, I have not found one which was performed for God alone! Cursed self-love makes us lose all, or a great part of the fruit of our good works. It often happens, even in the most holy occupations, such as that of a preacher, a confessor, or a missionary, that there is much labour and little profit, because, far from labouring solely for God, worldly glory, interest, or self gratification, may be the motives.

4. Our Saviour says: Take care not to do your good works so as to be seen by men, or you will receive no reward from your heavenly Father. (Matt. vi. 15.) He who labours in order to satisfy his own taste, has already received his reward; but a reward which is reduced to a little smoke, to a momentary satisfaction, which only passes away, and leaves no benefit to the soul. The prophet Aggæus declares, that he who labours for any other end, but to please God, puts the fruit of his labour into a bottomless sack, in which he will find nothing when he opens it. (Agg. i. 6.) From hence it follows, that he is in trouble and agitation, if, after all his pains, he has not attained the object in view. This is a proof that the glory of God alone was not his object. He who labours purely for the glory of God, is not troubled, even when he does not succeed; for having acted with the righteous intention of pleasing God, he has already obtained the end which he desired.

5. The following are the marks by which you may know, whether a person engaged in spiritual matters acts purely for God:—1. If he be not troubled, even when he does not succeed, because as it is not God's will that he should succeed, he no longer desires it. 2. If he rejoices as much at the good done by others, as at that done by himself. 3. If he does not prefer one occupation to another, but devotes himself exclusively to that which his superiors have marked out for him. 4. If after his actions, he seeks neither praises nor thanks, and consequently if, being found fault with, he is not disturbed, but satisfied solely with having pleased God; if, being praised and applauded, he does not become elated, but gives vain glory the answer which the venerable John D'Avila was wont to do: Begone —thou art too late. I have already consecrated all this work to God.

6. It is thus we enter into the joy of the Lord, by rejoicing at whatever pleases God, like the faithful servant. (Matt. xxv. 23.) If we have the happiness of doing any thing that is agreeable to God, says St. Chrysostom, what more do we require? Is it not the greatest regard, the greatest happiness a creature can have, to please its creator?

7. This is what Jesus Christ desires from a soul that loves. (Can. viii. 6.) He wishes her to put him as a seal upon her heart, and her arms, that she may not undertake nor perform any thing, but for the purpose of pleasing God, and that God may always be the only object of her thoughts and actions. He who wishes to become a saint, said St. Teresa, ought to have no other desire but that of pleasing God. Every action done for God, no matter how trivial in itself, is above all price; and the reason is, because every thing done with the view of pleasing God is an act of charity, which of course unites us to God, and procures us eternal goods.

8. Purity of intention is called that heavenly alchemy which has the power of changing iron into gold; that is, of transforming into the gold of holy love the meanest actions, such as labour, repose and recreation. It was for this reason, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi thought that those who always acted with purity of intention went straight to heaven without passing through the flames of purgatory. It is related in the Spiritual Treasure, (vol. iv. c. 4.) that a holy solitary was in the habit of raising his eyes to heaven at the beginning of every action. When asked the reason, he replied, I do it in order to make sure my aim; that is, like a hunter he first took his aim, which was God, in order that he might not miss his object, which was to please God. This is what we should do also at the beginning of every action, and even during the action, by renewing from time to time, our intention of pleasing God.

9. Those who, in all their actions, seek only the will of the Lord, enjoy that holy liberty of spirit, which is possessed by the children of God, a liberty which makes them embrace every thing that is pleasing to Jesus Christ, in spite of all repugnance of self-love, or human respect. The love of God places them in an entire indifference; sweet or bitter, is all equal. They renounce their own inclinations, in order to desire only what pleases God. They engage as peacefully in trivial and disagreeable things, as in those which are agreeable and important; it is enough for them, that whatever they are doing is pleasing to God.

10. There are many persons who wish to serve God, but it is, in that employment, in that place, with those companions, and under those circumstances, that they please themselves: otherwise they either will not serve him at all, or do so with a bad grace. They have no liberty of spirit, but are the slaves of self-love; it is for this reason they have very little merit, even for the good which they do, and that they are always disturbed, because the yoke of Jesus Christ becomes a heavy one to them. Those, on the contrary, who truly love the Lord, find no pleasure but in doing what pleases him, and doing it in the time and place, and manner that he pleases; they are always as well pleased in humiliation and obscurity, as in honours and dignities. This is what constitutes the true lover of Jesus Christ, and what we should do to combat the suggestions of self-love, which makes us desire honourable employments, and those that are agreeable to our inclinations.

11. This indifference should extend ever to our spiritual exercises, so that we should be ready to abandon them as soon as the Lord should call us to perform something else. Father Alvarez finding himself one day very busy, was afraid he should lose sight of the Lord, if he did not retire to pray. But the Lord prevented him, and said: Although I do not keep you with me, it ought to be enough for you, that I make use of your services. It is an excellent advice for those who are disturbed, when obedience or charity obliges them to omit their pious practices; this inquietude does not, assuredly, come from God, but from the devil or self-love. To please God and to die, is the first maxim of the saints.