Yesterday, 07:42 AM
Chapter XXXVII. How the Tribulations Which Lie in Poverty, Contempt, and Suffering Are in Many Ways Most Profitable
I hold that the tribulations which lie in poverty, contempt, and suffering are very profitable for us and meet for our endurance.
The reason thereof is this: it is needful that man should know himself and God. Now the knowledge of God pre-supposeth a knowledge of self, and therefore man must consider and diligently observe Him who is offended and who it is who giveth offence. Through this consideration is granted grace upon grace, light upon light, and vision upon vision, and hereby cometh he unto a more ample knowledge of God. The better he knoweth the more doth he love, the more he loveth the more powerfully doth he work, and this work is the sign and measure of love. For herein is it shown if the love be pure, true, and upright, that is to say, if he loveth and worketh with due effect and endureth those three things which Christ who loved him did endure and practise all the days of His life.
Therefore, he who loveth Christ must love and practise those things; for inasmuch as He who was all wisdom did choose them for Himself, He did thereby show them to be meet for us.
I hold that the tribulations which lie in poverty, contempt, and suffering are very profitable for us and meet for our endurance.
The reason thereof is this: it is needful that man should know himself and God. Now the knowledge of God pre-supposeth a knowledge of self, and therefore man must consider and diligently observe Him who is offended and who it is who giveth offence. Through this consideration is granted grace upon grace, light upon light, and vision upon vision, and hereby cometh he unto a more ample knowledge of God. The better he knoweth the more doth he love, the more he loveth the more powerfully doth he work, and this work is the sign and measure of love. For herein is it shown if the love be pure, true, and upright, that is to say, if he loveth and worketh with due effect and endureth those three things which Christ who loved him did endure and practise all the days of His life.
Therefore, he who loveth Christ must love and practise those things; for inasmuch as He who was all wisdom did choose them for Himself, He did thereby show them to be meet for us.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre