who died for love of us to bring us to eternal life with him. Imitating Christ is not always easy, but it is the only way to live and become the people God created us to be. With confidence, we can repeat the words of Saint Peter, who in the face of confusion, doubt, and exhaustion — and given the opportunity to abandon Jesus — said to Christ, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life” (Jn 6:68).
Book I
Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the Soul
Chapter One
Imitating Christ and Despising All Earthly Vanities
“He who follows me will not walk in darkness,” says the Lord (Jn 8:12). By these words of Christ, we are advised to imitate his life and habits if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and the person who has Christ’s spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often, but care little for it because they do not have the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on Christ’s life.
What good does it do to speak well about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed, it is not learning that makes us holy and just, but a virtuous life makes us pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers, if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to seek honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things that will merit severe punishment later. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecc 1:8). Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For those who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
Chapter Two
Having a Humble Opinion of Self
Everyone naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed, a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. The person who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.
If I knew all things in the world and did not have charity, what would it profit me before God, who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things that do little or no good to the soul when we have knowledge of them, and it is very unwise to concern ourselves with things other than those which lead to salvation.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind, and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.
The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely you will be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. So do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are better educated and more cultured than you?
If you wish to learn and appreciate something worthwhile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Therefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in a good state. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than you.
Chapter Three
The Doctrine of Truth
Happy is the person to whom truth manifests itself, not in signs and words that fade, but as it actually is. Our opinions, our senses often deceive us, and we discern very little.
What good is it to speak much about involved and obscure matters when our ignorance of them will not be held against us on Judgment Day? It is great folly to neglect things that are profitable and necessary, while having undue concern for those that are irrelevant and harmful.
We have eyes and do not see.
What, therefore, do we have to do with questions of philosophy? The person to whom the Eternal Word speaks is free from theorizing. For all things are from this Word, and all things speak of him — the Beginning, who also speaks to us. Without this Word no one understands or judges correctly. The person to whom the Word becomes everything, who traces all things to it and sees all things in it, may ease his heart and remain at peace with God.
O God, you who are the truth, make me one with you in love everlasting. I am often wearied by the many things I hear and read, but in you is everything I long for. Let the learned be still, let all creatures be silent before you; you alone speak to me.
The more recollected one is, and the simpler of heart he becomes, the more easily he understands sublime things, for he receives the light of knowledge from above. The pure, simple, and steadfast spirit is not distracted by many labors, for he does them all for the honor of God. And since he enjoys interior peace, he seeks no selfish end in anything. What, indeed, gives more trouble and affliction than uncontrolled desires of the heart?
A good and devout man arranges in his mind the things he has to do, not according to the whims of evil inclination, but according to the dictates of right reason. Who is forced to struggle more than he who tries to master himself? This ought to be our purpose, then: to conquer self, to become stronger each day, to advance in virtue.
Every perfection in this life has some imperfection mixed with it, and no learning of ours is without some darkness. Humble knowledge of self is a surer path to God than the ardent pursuit of learning. Not that learning is to be considered evil, or knowledge, which is good in itself and so ordained by God; but a clean conscience and virtuous life should always be preferred. Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well.
If people used as much care in uprooting vices and implanting virtues as they do in discussing problems, there would not be so much evil and scandal in the world, or such laxity in religious organizations. On the day of judgment, surely, we will not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived.
Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so well in life and who were famous for their learning?
