WE ARE TO CONFORM OURSELVES TO THE DIVINE WILL PROMPTED BY INSPIRATIONS. FIRST THE VARIETY OF MEANS BY WHICH GOD INSPIRES US
The rays of the sun illuminate while warming and gives warmth while giving light. Inspiration is a heavenly ray which sheds in our hearts a warm light. It makes us see the good and inflames us to seek it eagerly. All that has life on earth becomes benumbed by the cold of winter. At the return of the vital warmth of spring, all come to life again. The land animals run faster, the birds fly higher and sing more joyfully. The plants pleasantly put forth their leaves and their flowers.
Without inspiration our souls will live an idle, withdrawn and useless life. However, at the arrival of the divine rays of inspiration, we experience a light mixed with life giving warmth. The inspiration enlightens our understanding awakens and arouses our will. It gives the will strength to decide and do the good leading to eternal salvation. God, after forming the human body from the lime of the earth, as says Moses, breathed into it the breath oflife and it was made into a living soul (Gen 2:7). It means into a soul which gives life, movement and activity to the body. The same eternal God breathes and sends forth his inspirations of supernatural life into our souls. Thus says the great Apostle [St. Paul] they were made into a living spirit (1 Cor 15:45). It means that we become living souls that make us live, move, feel and do the works of grace. Thus he who gave us being gives us also the power to act. The breath of humans warms the things into which it enters. Here is an example. The child of the Sunamitess on whose mouth as the prophet Elisha places his mouth breathed on him, his flesh became warm (2 Kings.4:34). This experience is quite evident. But the breath of God not only warms but also enlightens perfectly. The divine Spirit is an infinite light whose vital breath is called inspiration. By it the supreme Goodness, breathes and inspires in us the desires and intentions of his heart.
The means of inspiration God uses are infinite. St. Anthony [of the desert], St. Francis [of Assisi], St. Anselm and thousands of others often received inspirations at the sight of creatures. The usual means of inspiration is preaching. Sometimes there are those whom the word of God does not touch. They are taught by trials, as says the prophet Isaiah: The trials will give understanding to the hearing (Isa 28:19). It means: there are those who do not correct themselves on hearing God’s threats to the wicked. They will learn the truth through the events and consequences. They will become wise by experiencing trials.
St. Mary of Egypt was inspired by the sight of a picture of our Lady; St. Anthony [of desert] as he heard the Gospel read at Mass; St. Augustine by listening to the life of St. Anthony [of the desert]; the Duke of Gandia[1] at the sight of the dead empress; St. Pachomius impressed by the example of charity; Blessed [St.] Ignatius of Loyola by reading the lives of saints; St. Cyprian (not the great Bishop of Carthage but another who was a layman, a glorious martyr) was touched when he saw the devil confess his powerlessness against those who trust in God.
When I was a young man studying in Paris, two students, of whom one was a heretic, were passing the night in debauchery on the outskirts of St. James. They heard the bell of the Monastery of Chartreuse ringing for matins. The heretic asked the other student for what was the bell rung? He told him about the devotion with which the monks celebrated the Divine Office in this holy monastery. “O God," he said, “How different are the practices of these religious from ours! They live like angels and we like brute beasts." On the following day, he wanted to experience what he had learned from the narration of his companion. He found these Fathers in their stalls, standing like marble statues in order in their niches, motionless, except for the action of singing Psalms. They did it with an attention and devotion truly angelic following the custom of this holy order. Seeing it, this poor young man was lost in admiration. He was overwhelmed with consolation seeing God adored so well among Catholics. He decided, as he did soon after, to enter into the bosom of the Catholic church, the true and unique spouse of him who visited him with his inspiration in the infamous bed of abomination in which he was.
Oh, how happy are those who keep their hearts open to holy inspirations! For they will never be lacking in those which are necessary for them to live well and devoutly their state of life and to fulfill the duties of their professions. God gives to each animal by the medium of nature the instincts necessary for its preservation and for exercising its natural qualities. Similarly if we do not resist the grace of God, he gives to each one of us the inspirations necessary for living, working and preserving spiritual life.
O Lord, said the faithful Eliezer, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and showsteadfast love to my master Abraham. I am standing here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. Let the girl to whom I shall say, “Please offer your jar that I may drink, and who shall say, ‘Drink and I shall water your camels’ - let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac.” (Gen 24:12 14). Theotimus, Eliezer desires water only for himself. But the beautiful Rebecca responding to the inspiration which God in his kindness gave her, offers herself to do more, to water the camels (Gen 24:17- 19). For such response she became the spouse of the saintly Isaac, daughter in law of the great Abraham and ancestor of the Saviour.
There are, certainly, souls who are not satisfied with doing only what the divine Spouse demands from them through the commandments and counsels. They are also ready to follow the sacred inspirations. These are the ones whom the Eternal Father has prepared to become the spouses of his Beloved Son. As regards the good Eliezer, he had no other way of discerning from among the girls of Haran, the town of Nachor, the one who was destined for the son of his master. So God made it known to him through inspiration. When we do not know what to do and we have no human assistance in our dilemmas, then God inspires. If we are humbly obedient, he will not allow us to go astray. I do not say anything more about such necessary inspirations. I have often spoken about them in this book and also in the Introduction to the devout life.[2]
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[1] St. Francis Borgia
[2] Introduction Pt I: Ch. 18.