OUR LORD HAS MADE IT VERY EASY FOR US TO GROW IN LOVE
Theotimus, see that glass of water or that little piece of bread which a holy person gives to one who is poor for God’s sake. It is a trivial matter, hardly worth a thought according to human judgment. Yet the Lord rewards it. He immediately repays it with some increase of charity (Mk 9:41). The goat’s hair offered in ancient times for the Tabernacle was well accepted and set apart among the sacred gifts (Ex 35: 23 and 26). So the little deeds that flow from charity please God and find a place among meritorious actions. In southern Arabia not merely the naturally aromatic plants, but all other plants as well, are sweet-scented. It is because they share the same quality of the soil. So too it is in a person possessing charity. Not only extraordinary actions, but little deeds too feel the effects of charity’s influence. They are in good odour before God’s Majesty, and in consideration of them he increases charity. I say that God does this. Charity does not increase itself like a tree that by its own power puts forth branches and causes their growth one from another. Just as faith, hope and charity are virtues which have their origin in God’s goodness, so also he is the source of their increase and perfection. They are like bees which are not only born and bred in honey but even take their nourishment from it.
Pearls in the same way take not only their birth but also nourishment from the dew. The oysters open their shells towards the sky as though begging for dew drops rained down by the fresh air at the dawn.[1] So also we have received faith, hope and charity, from God. We ought to turn our hearts always towards heaven and focus on it so as to obtain a continous, ever-growing supply of those virtues. Holy mother church teaches us to pray. “Lord, grant us increase of faith, hope and charity."[2] This is in imitation of those who said to our Saviour: Lord, increase our faith in us (Lk 17: 5, Mk 9: 24). St. Paul counsels and assures us that only God is able to provide us with every blessing in abundance (2 Cor 9:8).
Therefore it is God who gives this increase in consideration of the use we make of his grace. As it is written: for he who has that is he who makes good use of the favours received - more will be given and he will have an abundance (Mt 13:12). Thus the Lord’s exhortation is practised: Store up [for yourselves] treasures in heaven (Mt 6: 20). It is as if he were saying: Always keep adding new good works to those you have already done. For these are coins out of which your treasures should be formed: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. The two mites of the poor widow were highly esteemed at the Temple treasury (Lk 21:24). In fact by addition of tiny coins treasures grow and gain value. In the same way, the least of good deeds is pleasing to God. They have their value before him. This is so although they are done with some laxity and without the full powers of the charity we have, yet they are pleasing to God and he values them. Still they are unable in themselves to add to the love from which they come, because they lack love’s strength. However, divine Providence credits us with them. His goodness sets value upon them, instantly rewards them with increase of charity in the present life and assigns still greater glory in Heaven in the future.
Theotimus, bees make delicious honey and it is their most valuable product. But the wax which they make also does not cease to have some value. Hence it makes their work commendable. A loving heart should strive more fervently to produce works of high value and quality in order to increase powerfully its charity. But even if it sometimes produces works of lesser value it will not lose its reward. God will be pleased with them. He will love the person a little more because of them. God never shows additional love to a soul already having charity without giving further charity to it. Our love for God is the appropriate and particular effect of his love for us.
The more keenly we look at ourselves in a mirror, the more carefully our reflection looks back. The more lovingly God looks at a soul who is made in his image and likeness, the more carefully and more ardently the soul in turn looks back at the divine goodness. It responds in its own little way to all the increase of that divine love bestowed on it by God’s supreme kindness. In fact the Council of Trent puts it thus: “If any one says that the justice received is not preserved, even that it is not increased in God’s sight by good works, but that the works are only the results and signs of justification received and not the cause of its increase, let him be anathema." As you see, Theotimus, justification, which is the effect of charity, is increased by good works. And it must be noted, by good works without exception. As St Bernard says so very well on a different subject: “no exception is made where no distinction is made." The Council speaks of good works without making any distinction or reservation. Thus it tells us that not only great and zealous deeds but also little and feeble ones increase charity. The great ones do so a great deal, the little ones much less.
Such is the love that God has for us. Such is his desire to see us grow in the love we owe to him. His divine sweetness makes everything beneficial. It puts all things in our favour. It puts to our advantage all our tasks, no matter how low and insignificant they may be. With regard to the practice of moral virtues, little deeds are never the source of an increase of the virtue from which they proceed. If they are very little, they even weaken it. Great generosity dies if things given are of insignificant value and the generosity becomes miserly. But in the practice of the virtues that come from divine mercy, especially charity, every action gives increase. No wonder in the balsam, prince of aromatic trees, there is neither bark nor leaf that is not sweet-smelling. Similarly divine love, supreme among the virtues, has nothing small or great which is not lovable. What could love produce that would be unworthy of love and would not tend to love?
------------------------------------
[1] St Francis de Sales follows the natural science of his time.
[2] Prayer on Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.