Saturday, June 14, 2014

An Act of Abandonment to Divine Providence

How many of us would truly dare to pray this prayer? If you really think about what the words mean, it's not an easy prayer to make, given our human nature. Basically it means giving up our "right" to live as we wish, to do whatever we want every moment of each day. Yet this is exactly what we need to be truly free: to voluntarily enslave ourselves to God. The world cannot understand this. Yet this is exactly what we need: an army of Catholics willing to make this their prayer each day. God could work wonders for the renewal of our culture and civilization with such an army.
0 sovereign goodness of the sovereign Providence of my God!
I abandon myself forever to Thy arms.
Whether gentle or severe,
lead me henceforth whither Thou wilt;
I will not regard the way through which Thou wilt have me pass,
but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee,
my God, who guidest me.
My soul finds no rest without the arms
and the bosom of this heavenly Providence,
my true Mother, my strength and my rampart.

Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance,
0 my Saviour,
to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances,
without regarding or examining why Thou dost this rather than that;
but I will blindly follow Thee
according to Thy Divine will,
without seeking my own inclinations.

Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee,
taking no part therein save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms,
desiring nothing except as Thou incitest me to desire,
to will, to wish.
I offer Thee this desire, 0 my God,
beseeching Thee to bless it;
I undertake all it includes,
relying on Thy goodness,
liberality, and mercy,
with entire confidence in Thee,
distrust of myself,
and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity.

Amen!

By Saint Jane Frances De Chantal

3 comments:

Lynne said...

Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Who would dare NOT to pray this prayer.
This is the better question.
Then, I would further ask - why the initial question. this is the real problem

Pertinacious Papist said...

Anonymous,

Indeed, your response would represent the spiritual equivalent of the moral high ground, where we should all be.

Of course it's a real problem that the initial question has to be asked. But what I address here is the human condition, that amply illustrated in the life of St. Augustine before his conversion, when he prayed, famously, "Lord, give me chastity, but not yet."

It may be that one or another of us has overcome this or that vice, abandoned himself to God in this or that corner of his life, even thinks that he's pretty well abandoned his entire self to God.

But really? Have we "resisted unto blood" already? (Hebrews 12:4) St. Paul warns "anyone who thinks that he stands" to "take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10:12).

I think where Protestants (at least of most varieties, following Lutheranism) depart from Catholicism is in denying the possibility of perfectability this side of heaven. Yet Catholics are also unique in warning (as Protestants generally do not) against presumption (where Protestants like to emphasize personal "assurance" of salvation).

Good, provocative thoughts. Thank you.