YOU aim at a devout life, dear child because as a Christian you know that such devotion is most acceptable to God’s Divine Majesty. But seeing that the small errors people are willing to commit

at the beginning of any undertaking are apt to wax greater as they advance, and to become

irreparable at last, it is most important that you should thoroughly understand wherein lies the grace

of true devotion and that because while there undoubtedly is such a true devotion, there are also

many spurious and idle semblances thereof; and unless you know which is real, you may mistake,

and waste your energy in pursuing an empty, profitless shadow. Arelius was wont to paint all his

pictures with the features and expression of the women he loved, and even so we all color devotion

according to our own likings and dispositions. One man sets great value on fasting and believes

himself to be leading a very devout life, so long as he fasts rigorously, although the while his heart

is full of bitterness and while he will not moisten his lips with wine, perhaps not even with water,

in his great abstinence, he does not scruple to steep them in his neighbor’s blood, through slander

and detraction. Another man reckons himself as devout because he repeats many prayers daily,

although at the same time he does not refrain from all manner of angry, irritating, conceited or

insulting speeches among his family and neighbors. This man freely opens his purse in almsgiving,

but closes his heart to all gentle and forgiving feelings towards those who are opposed to him; while

that one is ready enough to forgive his enemies, but will never pay his rightful debts to save under

pressure. Meanwhile, all these people are conventionally called religious, but nevertheless, they are

in no true sense really devout. When Saul’s servants sought to take David, Michal induced them

to suppose that the lifeless figure lying in his bed, and covered with his garments, was the man

they sought, and in like manner, many people dress up an exterior with the visible acts expressive

of earnest devotion, and the world supposes them to be really devout and spiritual-minded, while

all the time they are mere lay figures, mere phantasms of devotion.

 

But, in fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of God and indeed it is neither

more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the same kind; for that Love one

while shining on the soul we call grace, which makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty when

it strengthens us to do well, it is called Charity but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which

it not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called Devotion.

The ostrich never flies the hen rises with difficulty, and achieves but a brief and rare flight, but

the eagle, the dove, and the swallow are continually on the wing and soar high even so sinners

do not rise towards God, for all their movements are earthly and earthbound. Well-meaning people,

who have not as yet attained a true devotion, attempt a manner of flight by means of their good

actions, but rarely, slowly and heavily; while really devout men rise up to God frequently, and with

 

a swift and soaring wing. In short, devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness by means

of which Divine Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly, and just as charity

leads us to a general practice of all God’s Commandments, so devotion leads us to practice them

readily and diligently. And therefore we cannot call him who neglects to observe all God’s

Commandments either good or devout, because, in order to be good, a man must be filled with love,

and to be devout, he must further be very ready and apt to perform the deeds of love. And forasmuch

as devotion consists of a high degree of real love, it not only makes us ready, active, and diligent

in following all God’s Commands, but it also excites us to be ready and loving in performing as

many good works as possible, even such as are not enjoined upon us, but are only matters of counsel

or inspiration. Even as a man just recovering from illness, walks only so far as he is obliged to go,

with a slow and weary step, so the converted sinner journeys along as far as God commands him

but slowly and wearily, until he attains a true spirit of devotion, and then, like a sound man, he not

only gets along, but he runs and leaps in the way of God’s Commands, and hastens gladly along

the paths of heavenly counsels and inspirations. The difference between love and devotion is just

that which exists between fire and flame love being a spiritual fire which becomes devotion

when it is fanned into a flame and what devotion adds to the fire of love is that flame which

makes it eager, energetic, and diligent, not merely in obeying God’s Commandments, but in fulfilling

His Divine Counsels and inspirations.