Jul 9, 2010

Attaining Lasting Peace ~ Jean-Pierre de Cassade (d. 1751)


"The soul who is not committed solely to the will of God will find neither its satisfaction nor sanctification in the various methods--not even in the most excellent devotional exercises. If that which God Himself chooses for you does not satisfy you, from whom do you expect to receive what you desire? If you turn from the food prepared for you by God's own will, what food could satisfy a taste so depraved? A soul can only be nourished, strengthened, purified, enriched, and sanctified by the fullness of the present moment. What more would you have? Since you can find all that is good here, why seek it anywhere else? Do you know better than God? Since He ordains it this way, why do you want it to be different? Can His wisdom and goodness be deceived? When you find that something is in accord with His divine wisdom and goodness, should you not conclude that it must be the best that could happen? Do you think you will find peace in struggling with the Almighty? Is it not, rather, this resistance, this struggle, too often continued without admitting it even to ourselves, that is the cause of all our inward agitations? It is only just, therefore, that the soul which is not satisfied with the divine fullness of each present moment should be punished by being unable to find happiness in anything else."

Taken from The Joy of Full Surrender pp. 94-95.

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