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Chapter 11Imit.1.11

De pace quærenda, et zelo proficiendi.

The Peace of a Simple Heart

True peace comes from withdrawing from others' affairs and embracing interior simplicity.

We can have great peace, if we choose not to involve ourselves with the words and deeds of others that don't concern us. How can that person remain long in peace who entangles himself with others' concerns, who looks for occasions from outside, who seldom or rarely gathers himself within?1 Blessed are the simple, for they will have great peace.✦2

Why the Saints Grew in Contemplation

The saints attained perfection by dying to earthly desires, whereas we remain lukewarm because we cling to passions and neglect daily progress.

Why were certain of the saints so perfect and so contemplative? Because they worked to die entirely to every earthly desire, and so with the whole marrow of their heart they were able to cling to God and freely have leisure for themselves.3 We are too much caught up in our own passions and too anxious about passing things. For we rarely conquer one vice completely, and we don't pay attention to daily progress; that's why we stay cold and lukewarm.✦4

The Obstacle Within and the Call to Battle

Only freedom from disordered passions opens the way to divine contemplation; we must struggle manfully, trust God's help, and strike at the root of vice.

If we were perfectly focused within ourselves and not at all entangled in outward things, then we could also taste what is divine and experience something of heavenly contemplation.5 The whole and greatest obstacle is that we are not free from passions and disordered desires, nor do we strive to enter upon the perfect way of the saints.6 When even a small adversity arises, we are cast down too quickly and turn to human consolations. If we would struggle like strong men to stand firm in battle, we would surely see the Lord's help coming down upon us from heaven. For he himself is ready to help those who struggle and who hope in his grace — and it is he who provides us with the occasions for striving, so that we may overcome.7 If we place the progress of our religious life only in these outward observances, our devotion will soon come to an end.8 But let us lay the axe to the root, so that, cleansed of our passions, we may possess a peaceful mind.✦9

The Slow Work of Uprooting Vice

Steady, yearly rooting out of vice would make us whole, yet we often decline from our first fervor instead of growing.

If we were to root out one vice every year, we'd quickly become people of real integrity. But in fact we often find the opposite: we realize we were better and purer at the beginning of our conversion than after many years of professing the religious life. Our fervor and progress ought to grow day by day, but now it seems like a great accomplishment if anyone can hold on to even a fraction of their first devotion. If we had put forth even a modest effort at the start, then we'd be able to do everything with a light heart and with joy.

Overcoming Small Things for Great Peace

Resisting small inclinations at the start brings both personal peace and joy to others, urging us toward eager spiritual progress.

It's hard to let go of what you're used to, and it's harder still to go against your own will. But if you don't overcome small and trivial things, when will you overcome the harder ones? Resist your inclination at the start, and abandon the bad habit, so that it doesn't gradually lead you into greater difficulty. Oh, if you could see how much peace for yourself and joy for others you'd bring about by managing yourself well, I think you'd be more eager for spiritual progress.

Read the original Latin

Multam possumus pacem habere, si volumus nos cum aliorum dictis et factis quæ ad nostram curam non spectant non occupare. Quomodo potest ille in pace diu permanere, qui alienis curis se intermiscet, qui occasiones forinsecus quærit, qui parum vel raro se intrinsecur colligit? Beati simplices, quoniam multam pacem habebunt.

Quare quidam Sanctorum tam perfecti et contemplativi fuerunt? quia mortificari omnino ab omnibus terrenis desideriis studuerunt, et ideo totis medullis cordis Deo inhærere, atque sibi libere vacare potuerunt. Nos nimium propriis occupamur passionibus, et de transitoriis nimis sollicitamur. Raro nam vitium unum perfecte vincimus, et ad quotidianum profectum non attendimus, ideo frigidi et tepidi remanemus.

Si essemus nobismetipsis perfecte intenti, et exterius minime implicati, tunc possemus etiam divina sapere, et de cælesti contemplatione aliquid experiri. Totum et maximum impedimentum est, quia non sumus a passionibus, et concupiscentiis liberi, nec perfectam viam Sanctorum conamur ingredi. Quando etiam modicum adversitatis occurit, nimis cito dejicimur, et ad humanas consolationes convertimur.

Si niteremur sicut viri fortes stare in proelio, profecto auxilium Dominii super nos videremus de cælo. Ipse nam certantes, et de sua gratia sperantes paratus est adjuvare, qui nobis certandi occasiones procurat, ut vincamus. Si tantum in istis exterioribus observantiis profectum religionis ponimus, cito finem habebit devotio nostra. Sed ad radicem securim ponamus, ut purgati a passionibus pacificam mentem possideamus.

Si omni anno unum vitium extirparemus, cito viri perfecti efficeremur. Sed modo contrario sæpe sentimus ut meliores, et puriores in initio conversionis nos fuisse inveniamus quam post multos annos professionis. Fervor et profectus noster quotidie deberet crescere, sed nunc pro magno videtur si quis primi fervoris partem possit retinere. Si modicam violentiam faceremus in principio, tunc omnia possemus facere cum levitate et gaudio.

Grave est assueta dimittere, et gravius est contra propriam voluntatem ire. Sed si non vincis parva et levia, quando superabis difficiliora? Resiste in principio inclinationi tuæ, et malum desere consuetudinem, ne forte paulatim ad majorem te ducat difficultatem. O si adverteres quantum tibi pacem et aliis lætitiam faceres, temetipsum bene habendo, puto quod sollicitior esses ad spiritualem profectum.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.5.3-Matt.5.12 — Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt.5.4 — Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matt.5.5 — Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matt.5.6 — Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt.5.7 — Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matt.5.8 — Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matt.5.9 — Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matt.5.10 — Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt.5.11 — Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and say every kind of evil against you falsely on my account. Matt.5.12 — Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in the heavens; for in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
  2. ↩Rev.3.15-Rev.3.16 — I know your works—that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! Rev.3.16 — So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
  3. ↩Matt.3.10 — So already the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩intrinsecur is a likely scribal error for intrinsecus; translated as 'within' on the basis of the intended sense.
  2. 2 ↩Echoes the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12); 'Blessed are the simple' may reflect a wisdom tradition rather than a direct quotation. Awaiting Moses resolution.
  3. 3 ↩medullis cordis rendered as 'marrow of their heart' to preserve the vivid interiority of the Latin; 'marrow' conveys the depth of inner being Thomas intends.
  4. 4 ↩frigidi et tepidi ('cold and lukewarm') echoes Revelation 3:15–16; treated as a candidate scripture allusion pending Moses resolution.
  5. 5 ↩divina sapere — 'taste what is divine': sapere carries the spiritual sense of tasting or savoring divine realities, not merely intellectual knowledge.
  6. 6 ↩concupiscentiis — rendered 'disordered desires' to convey the theological weight of concupiscence as disordered appetite, not merely neutral wanting.
  7. 7 ↩nam rendered as 'For' to preserve the explanatory connective linking back to the conditional promise in s1.
  8. 8 ↩religionis rendered as 'religious life' per lexeme policy for religio in the context of ordered devotional practice.
  9. 9 ↩The image of laying the axe to the root echoes Matthew 3:10 / Luke 3:7–9 (John the Baptist's preaching). Status: candidate, pending Moses resolution.