CHAPITRE XVIII.
Responding to Faults with Humility
The author counsels against anxious self-reflection after falling into faults, urging instead a humble return to God and reliance on his guidance.
1. Regarding faults or venial sins committed at this stage. Withdraw from them toward God, without a troubling and discouraging anxiety. 2. The opposite weakens and hinders the practice of humble souls. 1. As soon as you have fallen into some fault or gone astray, you must turn inward; because this fault has turned you away from God, you must turn toward him as soon as possible and bear the penitence he himself imposes.1 It is of great consequence not to be anxious about your faults, because that anxiety comes only from a secret pride and a love of your own excellence. We find it difficult to feel what we truly are. 2. If we become discouraged, we weaken ourselves even more; the reflection we make on our faults produces a grief that is worse than the fault itself. A truly humble soul is not astonished at her weaknesses; the more she sees herself as wretched, the more she abandons herself to God and tries to stay close to him, seeing the need she has of his help. We should stick to this way of acting all the more, because God himself tells us: (a) I will make you understand what you ought to do.✦ I will teach you the way you ought to walk, and I will keep my eye on you without ceasing to lead you.✦ (a) Psalm 31 verse 8✦
Read the original French
1. Des défauts ou fautes vénielles commis en ce degré. S’en retirer vers Dieu, sans inquiétude troublante & décourageante.
2. Le contraire affoiblit, & s’oppose à la pratique des ames humbles.
1. SITÔT que l’on est tombé en quelque défaut, ou que l’on s’est égaré, il faut se tourner au-dedans : parce que cette faute ayant détourné de Dieu, on doit au plutôt se tourner vers lui, & souffrir la pénitence qu’il impose lui-même.
Il est de grande conséquence de ne se point inquiéter pour les défauts ; parce que l’inquiétude ne vient que d’un orgueil secret, & d’un amour de notre excellence. Nous avons peine à sentir ce que nous sommes.
2. Si nous nous décourageons, nous nous affoiblissons davantage ; & la réflexion que nous faisons sur nos fautes, produit un chagrin qui est pire que la faute même.
Une ame véritablement humble ne s’étonne point de ses foiblesses ; & plus elle se voit misérable, plus elle s’abandonne à Dieu, & tâche de se tenir auprès de lui, voyant le besoin qu’elle a de son secours. Nous devons d’autant plus tenir cette conduite, que Dieu nous dit lui-même. (a) Je vous ferai entendre ce que vous devez faire. Je vous enseignerai le chemin par lequel vous devez marcher, & j’aurai sans cesse l’œil sur vous pour vous conduire.
(a) Ps. 31. v. 8.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.31.8 — I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, for you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.
- ↩Ps.31.8 — I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, for you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.
- ↩Ps.32.8;Ps.33.8 — I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Ps.33.8 — Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Notes
- 1 ↩The penance here is imposed by God himself; the soul is told to turn back to him and bear it.
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