EACH ONE OF US CAN INCREASE GOD’S LOVE MORE AND MORE IN OURSELVES
The Sacred Council of Trent assures us that the friends of God, advancing from virtue to virtue (Ps 84:7), are renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16). In other words, by their good works they grow in divine grace. Thus they become more and more justified in keeping with various heavenly admonitions. He who is just, let him be justified still, and he who is holy, let him be sanctified still more (Rev 22:11). Do not neglect to be justified until death (Sir 18:22). The path of the just is like a shining light that grows in brilliance until perfect day (Prov 4:18). To practise the truth in charity, and so grow up in all things in him who is the head, Jesus Christ (Eph 4: 15). And finally, I pray for you that your charity may grow more and more (Phil 1:9). All these are the sacred words from David, St. John, Sirach and St. Paul.
No animal, to my knowledge, has more than a limited period of growth, except the crocodile. It is very small in the beginning but continues to grow throughout its life. In this it symbolizes the human person, both the good and the wicked. For the pride of those who hate God mounts up continually (Ps 74: 23), says the great King David. The good grows ever brighter and brighter like the dawn of the day (Prov 4:18). To remain at a standstill for a long time is impossible. He who does not gain loses in this dealing. He who does not climb this ladder comes down. He who is not victor in this struggle is defeated. Our lives are beset with dangerous warfare that our enemies wage against us. If we do not fight back, we perish. But we cannot resist unless we overcome, nor can we overcome without a victory. As the glorious St. Bernard says, “It is written most specially of man that he is never in the same state (Job 14:2)." He must either go forward or else fall back. All run, but only one obtains the prize, so run that you may obtain it (1 Cor 9:24). Who is the prize if not Jesus Christ? How could you take hold of him if you do not follow him? But if you follow him you will always go forward and run continually. Never did he falter but continued the course of his love and obedience unto death and death ofthe cross (Phil 2:8).
“Go forward then," says St Bernard, and I echo his words to go forward, Theotimus. Set no other limits than those of your life. Hasten while life is left in your Saviour’s footsteps. But run ardently and swiftly. Following him is of little use unless you succeed in accompanying him. Let us listen to the prophet: I incline my heart to perform your statutes for ever, to the end (Ps 119:112). He does not say that he will keep them only for a time but forever. He desires to do good eternally. Hence he will have an eternal reward. Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord (Ps 119:1). They are cursed who are unclean and who wander from the Lord’s commandments (Ps 119:21). It is reserved to Satan alone to say that he will sit on the sides ofthe north (Isa 14:13). Detestable one, will you sit? Ah! Do you not know that you are on the way? And the way is not made for sitting but for walking. It is so made for walking that to walk on is called making one’s way. Walk before me, said God to one of his greatest friends, and be perfect (Gen 17:1).
True virtue has no limits. It goes ever forward, especially holy charity, which is the virtue of virtues. Its goal is infinite. It would be capable of becoming infinite if it found a heart capable of infinity. Nothing prevents such love from being infinite except the state of the will that receives it and that must act by it. Because of this condition, just as no one can see God to the extent that he can be seen, so also no one can love God as fully as he is worthy of love. The heart that could love God with a love equal to God’s goodness would have a will infinitely good. This can be in God alone. Hence charity, where we are concerned, can grow in perfection, but short of infinity. In other words, charity can be made more and more, and always more excellent, but it can never become infinite. The Spirit of God can raise our spirit and apply it to all the supernatural actions he pleases as long as they are not infinite. All the more so, because between little and great things, though the ones exceed the others ever so much, there is some proportion. Yes, provided the excess of the things which exceed is not an infinite excess. But between finite and infinite there is no proportion. To introduce proportion, the finite would need to be raised to the level of infinite or the infinite would need to be lowered to the level of the finite. But this cannot be done. Even our Redeemer’s charity, in so far as he is man, is great and is beyond the grasp of any intelligence, human or angelic. But it is not infinite in its being and of itself, but only as regards its dignity and its merit. It is in fact the charity of a person who is infinitely perfect, that is of a divine Person who is the eternal Son of the Father Almighty. Meanwhile, it is the greatest gift to us that without end we can grow more and more in the love of our God while this frail life shall last,
Ascending to life eternal
from virtue to virtue (Ps 84:7).