In this morning's Gospel Jesus instructs his
Apostles to go forth trusting only that their heavenly Father will supply their
needs along the way. We were reminded of these words said to be written by the
18th century French Jesuit, Jean-Pierre de Caussade:
To escape the distress caused by regret for the
past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to
the infinite mercy of God, the future to His good Providence, give the present
wholly to His love by being faithful to His grace… In the state of abandonment
the only rule is the duty of the present moment. In this the soul is light as a
feather, liquid as water, simple as a child, active as a ball in receiving and
following all the inspirations of grace… In a word, their disposition resembles
the atmosphere, which is affected by every breeze; or water, which flows into
any shaped vessel exactly filling every crevice. They are before God like a
perfectly woven fabric with a clear surface; and neither think, nor seek to
know what God will be pleased to trace thereon, because they have confidence in
Him, they abandon themselves to Him, and, entirely absorbed by their duty, they
think not of themselves, nor of what may be necessary for them, nor of how to
obtain it.
Photograph by father Emmanuel.
Photograph by father Emmanuel.
