Chapter VII
I THINK, Madame, that you
should try hard now to practise
silence, so far as general courtesy will permit. Silence promotes the presence of God, prevents many harsh and proud words, and suppresses many dangers in the way of ridiculing or harshly judging our neighbor. Silence humbles the mind, and gradually weans it from the world; it makes a kind of solitude in the heart like that which you desire: it will supply all that you need under your present difficulties. If you retrenched all useless talk, you would have many available moments even in the midst of society, where you are obliged to stay against your will. You wish for freedom for prayer; while God, who knows what you need better than you do, surrounds you with restraints and hampering claims. The hindrances which beset you in the order of God's providence will profit you more than the sweetness of self-chosen prayer. You know very well that retirement is not essential to the love of God. When He gives you time, you must take it and profit by it; but meanwhile abide in faith, satisfied that what He gives you is best. Oft en lift up your heart to Him, without making any outward sign; talk only when it is necessary; and bear patiently with what crosses you. You have more need of self-denial than of light. If you are faithful in keeping silence when it is not necessary to speak, God will preserve you from evil when it is right for you to talk.
Your portion is to love, to be silent,
to suffer, to sacrifice your inclinations, in order to fulfill the will of God, by moulding yourself to that of others.
Happy indeed you are thus to bear a cross laid on you by God's own hands, in the order of His providence. The discipline which we choose for ourselves does not destroy our self-love like that which God assigns us Himself each day. All we have to do is to give ourselves up to God day by day, without looking further. He carries us in His arms as a loving mother carries her child. Let us believe, hope, love, with all the simplicity of children.
In every need let us look with love and
trust to our Heavenly Father.
LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine
eyes loft y: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother:
my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
Psalm 131
Dialogues of Fenelon vol 1 http://lamplighterpublishing.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RCDOFV1&variation=&aitem=9&mitem=15
I THINK, Madame, that you
should try hard now to practise
silence, so far as general courtesy will permit. Silence promotes the presence of God, prevents many harsh and proud words, and suppresses many dangers in the way of ridiculing or harshly judging our neighbor. Silence humbles the mind, and gradually weans it from the world; it makes a kind of solitude in the heart like that which you desire: it will supply all that you need under your present difficulties. If you retrenched all useless talk, you would have many available moments even in the midst of society, where you are obliged to stay against your will. You wish for freedom for prayer; while God, who knows what you need better than you do, surrounds you with restraints and hampering claims. The hindrances which beset you in the order of God's providence will profit you more than the sweetness of self-chosen prayer. You know very well that retirement is not essential to the love of God. When He gives you time, you must take it and profit by it; but meanwhile abide in faith, satisfied that what He gives you is best. Oft en lift up your heart to Him, without making any outward sign; talk only when it is necessary; and bear patiently with what crosses you. You have more need of self-denial than of light. If you are faithful in keeping silence when it is not necessary to speak, God will preserve you from evil when it is right for you to talk.
Your portion is to love, to be silent,
to suffer, to sacrifice your inclinations, in order to fulfill the will of God, by moulding yourself to that of others.
Happy indeed you are thus to bear a cross laid on you by God's own hands, in the order of His providence. The discipline which we choose for ourselves does not destroy our self-love like that which God assigns us Himself each day. All we have to do is to give ourselves up to God day by day, without looking further. He carries us in His arms as a loving mother carries her child. Let us believe, hope, love, with all the simplicity of children.
In every need let us look with love and
trust to our Heavenly Father.
LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine
eyes loft y: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother:
my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.
Psalm 131
Dialogues of Fenelon vol 1 http://lamplighterpublishing.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RCDOFV1&variation=&aitem=9&mitem=15
Labels: Fenelon and Psalm 131
posted by Mark Hamby | 12:42 PM
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