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Thursday 3 July 2014

Attributes continued...


Attributes Continued….

Simplicity must be sought. For some, it comes “naturally,” or at least, it seems like that. Saints like St. John Vianney or Our Lady Mary seem to have “natural” simplicity. But, this focus on God is a great grace. It is not only the grace of humility but the grace of focusing on love.

Love is the answer, as both Julian of Norwich and T. S. Eliot, who repeats her ideas, note. Love is the answer to all pride and negativity. Those who complain focus only on themselves and their own grievances. They have fallen into habits of selfishness, either repeating past hurts or dwelling on a lack of forgiveness. Love forgives and forgets.

Sometimes such negativity is a sign of depression, or some mental illness, but mostly, it is a sign of a lack of understanding of the love of God.

Garrigou-Lagrange states something important: “In us temperament is determined in one particular direction inclining us either to indulgence or to severity, to a broad and comprehensive view of things, or to practical details, but never both ways at once. If, then, the soul with perfect simplicity practices at one and the same time virtues that are apparently extreme opposites, it is because almighty God is very intimately present in the soul, impressing His likeness upon it.”

I pray for these graces.

I think of St. Paul’s verse on knowing how to enjoy plenty and how to be peaceful in want. The real peace which passes all understanding causes this in the open soul. We have the greatest example of such self-possession in Christ.

Can we all desire this gift of freedom, of simplicity in Christ?  Simplicity is one of the Attributes of God, which is most difficult to understand. Sometimes it is easier to understand something by looking at the opposite. See my attribute series.

When I am really old, I want to be peaceful with whatever comes: greater poverty, illness, weakness, loneliness, whatever.

One does not wait until old age to practice peace. One finds it early so that it can become a habit, a way of life, the life of being humble.

To be continued…