ADVICE FOR LOVING SUBMISSION WHICH WE OWE TO THE DECREES OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Let us then, Theotimus, love and adore in a spirit of humility this depth of God’s judgments, which as St. Augustine says, the holy Apostle [St. Paul] did not discover but rather admired when he exclaimed, O the depth of God’s judgments! St. Gregory Nazianzen, a man of great wisdom, says: “Who can count the sands of the sea and the raindrops, or measure the depth of the abyss? Who can sound the depth of the divine wisdom by which it has created all things and governs them as it wills and considers fit?" For in truth it is enough that, after the example of the Apostle, we admire it without stopping at its difficulty and obscurity. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how inaccessible his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? (Rom 11:33-34). Theotimus, the motives of God’s will cannot be penetrated by our mind until we see the face of Him who reaches from end to end mightily and orders all things gently (Wis 8:12), doing all that he does in number, weight and measure (Wis 11:20), and to whom the Psalmist says, Lord, you have made everything in wisdom (Ps 104:24).
How often it happens that we do not know how and why even the works of men are made? Hence, the same holy Bishop of Nazianzus says, “The craftsman is not without knowledge of his art, even though we are ignorant of it. Even so the things of this world are certainly not made carelessly and thoughtlessly, though we do not know their reasons." If we enter a clockmaker’s shop we sometimes find a clock no bigger than an orange which yet has in it a hundred or two hundred parts. Of these, some serve to show the time, others to strike the hours and to set off the morning alarm. We shall see in it little wheels, some going to the right and others to the left, some turning at the top and others below. We shall see the pendulum which with measured beats moves evenly from side to side. We wonder how art was able to join such a great number of very small parts one to the other with a correspondence so exact. We do not know what each part does, nor why it is made as it is, unless the craftsman tells us. We know only in general that all the parts help to show the time or to strike the hour. It is said that the good Indians will spend whole days near a clock to hear it strike the hours at the fixed times. Not being able to guess how this is done, they do not therefore say it is without art and reason. Rather, they are filled with love and respect towards those who regulate the clocks, admiring them as people more than human. Theotimus, we see in this way the universe, and specially human nature, as a clock made up of such a great variety of actions and movements that we cannot prevent ourselves from being astonished. We know in general that these parts, varied in so many kinds, all serve either to show as on a watch the most holy justice of God or to make known the triumphant mercy of his goodness by a symphony of praise. But we cannot understand in detail the function of each part, how it is ordered to the common purpose or why it is made in a particular way, unless the supreme craftsman makes it known to us. He does not disclose to us his art so that we admire it with greater reverence until in Heaven he can delight us with the sweetness of his wisdom. There in the fullness of his love He will reveal to us the reasons, means and motives of all that has taken place in this world for the benefit of our eternal salvation.
The great Nazianzen says again: “We are like those who are troubled by giddiness. It seems to them that everything around them is turning upside down, though it is their brain and imagination which turn and not the things. In the same way, meeting with certain events whose causes are unknown to us, it seems to us that the things of this world are governed without purpose because we do not know about it. Let us believe then that since God is the maker and Father of all things, he also takes care of everything by his providence which embraces and sustains the entire mechanism of creation. Let us believe especially that he watches over the affairs of those of us who know him, though our life is disturbed by so many conflicting accidents. We do not know the reason for these, in order that, perhaps, not being able to obtain this knowledge we may admire God’s sovereign purpose which surpasses all things. With us, what is easily known is easily despised. But that which surpasses the highest powers of our spirit, the more difficult it is to be understood, the more also it arouses a great admiration in us." In truth, the reasons of divine providence would be placed at quite a low level if our small minds could reach them. If they were at a lesser distance from our ability, they would be less lovable in their gentleness and less admirable in their majesty.
Theotimus, therefore, whatever happens, let us exclaim, but let us exclaim with a heart full of love towards the most wise, the most powerful and most kind providence of our eternal Father: O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and ofthe knowledge of God ! O Lord Jesus, Theotimus, how abundant are the riches of the divine goodness! His love towards us is an incomprehensible abyss, that is why he has provided for us a rich sufficiency, or rather a rich abundance of means proper for our salvation. To apply them to us gently he makes use of a supreme wisdom, having by his infinite knowledge foreseen and known all that was needed to this effect. Ah, what can we fear, or rather what should we not hope for, being the children of a Father so rich in goodness? In order to love us and to will to save us he is so skillful as to prepare suitable means. He is so wise as to apply them, so good as to decide, so far-seeing in making arrangements and so prudent in carrying them out.
Let us never allow our minds to flutter with curiosity around God’s judgments, because like little butterflies we shall there burn our wings and perish in this sacred flame. These judgments are incomprehensible or as St. Gregory Nazianzen says, they are inscrutable, that is, we cannot know and fully understand their motives. The ways and means by which he executes and brings them to perfection cannot be discerned and recognized.
And, intelligent though we may be, we shall find ourselves off the track at every turn and lose the scent. For who can understand God’s meaning, mind and purpose? Who has been his counselor, to know his plans and their motives? Or who was ever the first to do him a service? On the contrary, is it not he who is the first to give us the blessings (Ps 21:3) of his grace in order to crown us with the happiness of his glory? Ah, Theotimus, all things are from him for he is their creator, all things are by him for he is their governor, all things are in him for he is their protector, to him be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen.” (Rom 11:33-36). Let us go in peace, Theotimus, on the way of most holy love. He who has divine love in dying, after death shall enjoy love eternally.