The Peace of Self-Abandonment

Jean-Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751), Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, translated by Algar Thorold and revised by Father John Joyce, S.J. (Glasgow: Collins/Fontana, 1977), p.55.

"How delightful the peace one enjoys when one has learned by faith to see God in this way through all creatures as through a transparent veil! Darkness becomes light and bitterness sweet. Faith by showing us the truth of things changes their ugliness into beauty and their malice into goodness: faith is the mother of gentleness, confidence and joy; she can have only tenderness and compassion towards her enemies who enrich her so greatly at their own cost. The more cruel the action of the creature, the more profitable does the action of God make it for the soul who endures it. While the human tool does its best to injure, the divine artificer, in whose hands it does its work, makes use of that very malice to remove from the soul what is injurious. The will of God has nothing but sweetness, favours and treasures for souls submissive to it; we cannot have too much confidence in that will, we cannot abandon ourselves too much to it. God's will desires and can always accomplish what will contribute most to our perfection on condition that we allow God to act. Faith does not doubt this. The more our senses are faithless, revolted, uncertain and in despair, the more surely faith says: 'This is God; all is well.'"