Those souls who wish to thrive and progress in the way of Our Lord should at the beginning of all their actions, both interior and exterior, ask for His grace and offer to His Divine Goodness all the good they may do.
In this way they will prepare themselves to bear with peace and gentleness of mind all the hardships and mortification they may meet with therein as coming from the fatherly hand of our good God and Savior, Whose most holy purpose is to make them merit by such means, so as to reward them afterwards with the abundance of His love.
Let them not neglect this practice in little things or in those which seem of little importance, or even when they are occupied with actions which are quite agreeable and in accord with their desires and needs, such as eating, drinking, resting, playing and similar occupations, so that, according to the counsel of the Apostle (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17), all they do may be done in the name of God and for His sole pleasure.
COMMENTARY
In the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales, the Direction of Intention is the fundamental exercise. This one practice suffices to give our life a supernatural character, to unite the soul with God, to sanctify it more and more. This Third Article is the heart of the Spiritual Directory. The other Articles of the Directory tend to this point, complete and perfect it. The whole theory and practice of the supernatural life is comprised in the three acts of the Direction of Intention.
1. Ask for God's grace: Through Thee, O Jesus!
2. Offer Him all the good we may do: For Thee, O Jesus!
3. Accept in advance all the pain and mortification we may meet in our undertakings: With Thee, O Jesus, bearing Thy Cross! All through Him, All for Him, All with Him.
This Third Article is one of the greatest means of attaining to a very high degree of sanctity. Let us study it carefully and practice it faithfully. This Third Article is:
1. A Direction of Intention. First of all, we must direct all our actions to God, clearly and intelligently.
2. A Direction of Affection. Secondly, we must direct our hearts, our affections, our love to God. We must do all through love.
3. A Direction of Attention. Thirdly, we must be attentive to perform all our actions as our Blessed Savior performed His while He was on this earth.
Finally, we must be very careful to perform little, lowly, commonplace actions with great love. This is one of the most common and constant counsels of St. Francis de Sales.
"Great works lie not always in our way, but every moment we may do little ones with excellence, that is, with a great love. Behold that saint, I beg you, who bestows a cup of cold water on the thirsty traveller. He does but a small matter in outward show, but the intention, the sweetness, the love with which he animates his work is so excellent that it turns this simple water into water of life, and of eternal life.
"The bees gather honey from the lily, the iris, the rose; yet they get as ample a booty from the little minute rosemary flowers and thyme; yea, they draw not only more honey, but even better honey from these, for in these little vessels the honey, being more closely locked up, is better kept. Truly, in the low and little works of devotion, charity is not only practiced more frequently, but ordinarily more humbly too, and consequently more usefully and more holily.
"Those condescensions to the humors of others, that bearing with the clownish and troublesome actions and ways of our neighbor, those victories over our humors and passions, those renouncings of our lesser inclinations, that effort against our aversions and repugnances, that heartfelt and sweet acknowledgement of our own imperfections, that continual pain we take to keep our souls in equality, that love of our abjection, that gentle and gracious welcome we give to the contempt and censure of our condition, of our life, of our conversation and of our actions, all these things are more profitable to our souls than we can conceive, if heavenly love has the management of them."[1]
Forms of the Direction of Intention
The degree of formality in making the Direction of Intention will vary with different souls. Some will prefer short aspirations of love; others will prefer a longer form.
In this regard, it is well to keep in mind what St. Francis de Sales says (Treatise on the Love of God, XII, 9).
"The practice of continual aspirations is very useful for vivifying all our works with love, but especially does it most abundantly suffice for the small and ordinary actions of our life. However, as to heroic works and matters of consequence, it is excellent, if we intend to make any great profit, to use the following method:
1. Ask for His grace.
2. Offer to His Divine Goodness all the good we may do.
3. Prepare ourselves to bear with peace and gentleness of mind all the hardships and mortification we may meet therein, as coming from the fatherly hand of our good God and Savior, Whose most holy purpose is to make us merit by such means, so as to reward us afterwards with the abundance of His love.
"In this way we are to undertake the gravest affairs and meet the sharpest tribulations that befall us. But, if they prove to be of long continuance, we must from time to time, and very frequently, repeat this exercise, that we may more profitably continue our union with God's good will and pleasure, pronouncing this short yet wholly divine protestation of His Son, Yes, eternal Father, for so it hath seemed good in Thy sight.
"O GOD, WHAT TREASURES ARE IN THIS PRACTICE!"
The following forms may prove helpful in making the Direction of Intention on great and small occasions.
My God and Savior, grant me the help of Thy grace. Through love for Thee, I offer to Thy Divine Goodness all the good that I may do in this action. I promise to bear with interior peace and meekness of heart all the trouble and humiliation which I may meet with therein, as coming from Thy fatherly hand, for I know it is Thy holy intention to make me merit by this means so as to reward me afterwards out of the abundance of Thy love.
My God, grant me the grace to perform this action with Thee and through love for Thee.
In advance, I offer Thee all the good I may do and accept all the pain and trouble I may meet therein.
Before your actions
Jesus, grant me Your grace to perform this action with You and for love of You.
Jesus, I offer You all the good that I may do in this action. Jesus, I accept in advance all the pain and trouble I may encounter in this action. Jesus, I wish to perform this action exactly as You would perform it if You were here. Jesus, I wish to perform all my actions with Your divine dispositions and intentions.
After your actions
Jesus, repair what I have done so poorly. I Jesus, fill up what is wanting to my actions.
When you have an important decision to make
Jesus, what do You want me to do? Jesus, make known to me the way wherein I should walk.
When you suffer or are in pain
Jesus, I accept this suffering and unite it to Yours.
Jesus, I do not want to waste a bit of pain; I give it all to You.
At all times and in all places
Jesus, what would You do, what would You say, what would You think, if You were here in my place?
Jesus, give me the grace to walk with Your feet, to touch with Your hands, to see with Your eyes, to hear with Your ears, to speak with Your mouth, and to love with Your heart.
Prayer for Fidelity to the Direction of Intention
My Jesus, I want to do all for You. And, I want to do all for You with great purity of intention. I do not want to think of my own satisfaction while planning good works, while performing them nor after they are accomplished. I shall take as the theme of my life, All for Jesus with a cheerful heart.
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[1] Treatise on the Love of God, Book 12, Chapter 6.