10-16-2026, 08:19 AM
Chapter XXIX. Of the Various Properties of Love
In order to understand how the aforesaid wisdom ruleth the love of God, ye must know that love hath various properties. Firstly, it maketh tender; secondly, it maketh sick; and thirdly, it maketh strong.
When the soul feeleth divine love it crieth aloud and maketh a noise like unto a stone which is placed in a furnace to be turned into lime. If the stone be touched by the fire it cracketh noisily, but if it be baked it maketh no noise. Thus the soul doth in the beginning seek divine consolation, but when it hath been overwhelmed thereby, it groweth weak and crieth out against God, lamenting and saying, "Lord, why hast Thou sent this weakness upon me?"
Great audacity, however, is born of that assurance which the soul hath of God. It knoweth of a certainty that God loveth it deeply and doth sometimes favour it by giving it marvellous and ineffable consolations; but these must not be demanded with importunity. Nevertheless, if God giveth them they are not to be refused, for they draw the soul nigh unto the beloved, they are its food, they do cure its weariness, and through them is it uplifted and drawn unto seeking, loving, and being united with its beloved.
In this state is the soul contented with consolations, but through the deprivation thereof doth love increase and begin to seek for the beloved. And when it findeth him not it falleth sick and is no more contented with consolations, because it seeketh its beloved alone. And the more consolation, knowledge, and other such things that it hath, the more doth love increase, and the more sick and weary doth it become if it be not in the presence of its beloved.
But when the soul is united and placed in the seat of truth, which truth is the seat of the soul, it crieth no more, neither doth it murmur against God; it groweth no more weak, nor falleth sick, but is filled with marvellous wisdom and ripeness and becometh stable and orderly, and is so strengthened that for love of its beloved would it go even unto death, inasmuch as it possesseth in abundance the qualities needful for that union.
And God Himself maketh the soul to grow, in order that it may hold all that which He desireth to put into it. And the soul beholdeth this thing, and perceiveth that all other things are as nothing if they come not from this.
Then the soul esteemeth as nothing all that it had been heretofore in comparison with what it is now; it regardeth not anything created, it careth neither for death nor infirmity, neither for honour nor disgrace, and so peaceful and full of comfort is it that nothing can rouse it; it hath lost all desire and it cannot work, for when it seeth the aforesaid visions it can do nothing whatever.
Thus it appeareth that God doeth all things according to His wisdom and in an orderly and seemly manner; for we fall not sick even when He is absent, and thus do we conform unto His will. Although He be absent we seek Him not, but are satisfied with what He hath ordained and trust wholly in Him.
But when these visions are withdrawn from the soul (because none are allowed in this present life to continue therein), there is given and doth remain unto it a new and ardent desire to perform without trouble the works of penitence more vigorously than heretofore, and assuredly this state is more sublime than was the other.
And the love now kindled is perfect and causeth the loving soul to imitate its Beloved, Christ crucified, whose sufferings did endure all the time that He lived this mortal life. Thus He began, continued, and ended; He was ever upon the Cross of poverty, grief, contempt, and obedience, and all the other hard deeds of penitence. Whosoever loveth another perfectly useth all his endeavour to make himself one with that person, following his example and doing those things which please him. Likewise whosoever loveth Jesus, God and Man, will endeavour to transform himself in Him, following His example and doing that which he believeth will please Him, and in his manner of life seeking to be as like unto Him as possible.
In order to understand how the aforesaid wisdom ruleth the love of God, ye must know that love hath various properties. Firstly, it maketh tender; secondly, it maketh sick; and thirdly, it maketh strong.
When the soul feeleth divine love it crieth aloud and maketh a noise like unto a stone which is placed in a furnace to be turned into lime. If the stone be touched by the fire it cracketh noisily, but if it be baked it maketh no noise. Thus the soul doth in the beginning seek divine consolation, but when it hath been overwhelmed thereby, it groweth weak and crieth out against God, lamenting and saying, "Lord, why hast Thou sent this weakness upon me?"
Great audacity, however, is born of that assurance which the soul hath of God. It knoweth of a certainty that God loveth it deeply and doth sometimes favour it by giving it marvellous and ineffable consolations; but these must not be demanded with importunity. Nevertheless, if God giveth them they are not to be refused, for they draw the soul nigh unto the beloved, they are its food, they do cure its weariness, and through them is it uplifted and drawn unto seeking, loving, and being united with its beloved.
In this state is the soul contented with consolations, but through the deprivation thereof doth love increase and begin to seek for the beloved. And when it findeth him not it falleth sick and is no more contented with consolations, because it seeketh its beloved alone. And the more consolation, knowledge, and other such things that it hath, the more doth love increase, and the more sick and weary doth it become if it be not in the presence of its beloved.
But when the soul is united and placed in the seat of truth, which truth is the seat of the soul, it crieth no more, neither doth it murmur against God; it groweth no more weak, nor falleth sick, but is filled with marvellous wisdom and ripeness and becometh stable and orderly, and is so strengthened that for love of its beloved would it go even unto death, inasmuch as it possesseth in abundance the qualities needful for that union.
And God Himself maketh the soul to grow, in order that it may hold all that which He desireth to put into it. And the soul beholdeth this thing, and perceiveth that all other things are as nothing if they come not from this.
Then the soul esteemeth as nothing all that it had been heretofore in comparison with what it is now; it regardeth not anything created, it careth neither for death nor infirmity, neither for honour nor disgrace, and so peaceful and full of comfort is it that nothing can rouse it; it hath lost all desire and it cannot work, for when it seeth the aforesaid visions it can do nothing whatever.
Thus it appeareth that God doeth all things according to His wisdom and in an orderly and seemly manner; for we fall not sick even when He is absent, and thus do we conform unto His will. Although He be absent we seek Him not, but are satisfied with what He hath ordained and trust wholly in Him.
But when these visions are withdrawn from the soul (because none are allowed in this present life to continue therein), there is given and doth remain unto it a new and ardent desire to perform without trouble the works of penitence more vigorously than heretofore, and assuredly this state is more sublime than was the other.
And the love now kindled is perfect and causeth the loving soul to imitate its Beloved, Christ crucified, whose sufferings did endure all the time that He lived this mortal life. Thus He began, continued, and ended; He was ever upon the Cross of poverty, grief, contempt, and obedience, and all the other hard deeds of penitence. Whosoever loveth another perfectly useth all his endeavour to make himself one with that person, following his example and doing those things which please him. Likewise whosoever loveth Jesus, God and Man, will endeavour to transform himself in Him, following His example and doing that which he believeth will please Him, and in his manner of life seeking to be as like unto Him as possible.
"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