THE HIGH VALUE WHICH SACRED LOVE GIVES TO THE ACTIONS ISSUING FROM ITSELF AND TO THOSE WHICH PROCEED FROM THE OTHER VIRTUES
You will ask me, “what is this value, I pray you, which sacred love gives to our actions?" Truly, Theotimus, I would not have the confidence to answer. However, the Holy Spirit has himself made it known very clearly through the great Apostle, St. Paul, who says: this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure (2 Cor. 4:17). For God’s sake, let us consider these words carefully. Our afflictions are so light that they pass in a moment. But they prepare for us the solid, stable weight of glory. Look at these wonders, I beg of you: affliction produces glory, lightness gives weight and moments make eternity.
But what can give such power to these fleeting moments and to these light afflictions? Cloth of scarlet or purple is a very precious and royal fabric not because of the wool but because of the colour. The actions of good Christians are of such great value that heaven is given to us for them. However, Theotimus, it is not because they come from us and are the wool of our hearts. Rather, it is because they are dyed with the blood of the Son of God. I mean that the Saviour sanctifies our actions by the merits of his blood. A branch of the vine, united and joined to the stock, produces fruit not by its own power but empowered by the stock. Now we are united by charity to our Redeemer as members to the head (Eph 4: 15-16). That is why our fruits and good works, drawing their value from him, merit life everlasting.
Aaron’s rod was dry, not able to produce fruit by itself. But when the name of the High Priest was written on it, in a single night it put forth its leaves, its flowers and its fruits (Num.17:8). We are of ourselves branches that are dry, unprofitable and unfruitful. We are not competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers (2Cor.3:5-6), and able to do his will. Therefore, as soon as sacred love engraves on our hearts the name of our Saviour, our great Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25), we begin to bear delicious fruits for life everlasting.
Melon seeds would produce by themselves only insipid melons. But if the seeds were soaked in sugared or musked water we would get sugared or musked melons. So also our hearts are not able to produce one single good thought for God’s service. But when they are soaked in sacred love by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (Rom. 5:5; 8:11), they produce actions that are holy, which tend towards and carry us to immortal glory. Our actions as proceeding from ourselves are only frail reeds. But these reeds become golden by charity and with them we measure the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21: 15), which is given to us by that measure. Indeed, to humans as well as to Angels, glory is distributed according to charity and its actions. And so, the measure of the Angel is the same as that of the human (Rev. 21:17). God has given and will give to everyone according to one’s work (Rev. 22:12). This the whole of Sacred Scripture teaches us, assigning to us the eternal happiness and joy of Heaven as reward for the labours and good deeds we have done on earth.
A magnificent reward is this, and one that reveals the greatness of the Master we serve. Indeed, Theotimus, he could, if he had so wished, most justly demand from us our obedience and service without offering us any wage or reward. This is because we belong to him by a thousand most lawful titles. Also because we cannot do anything worthwhile unless it is done through him, by him, for him and from him. Nevertheless, his goodness has not made such an arrangement of service without salary but in consideration of his Son, our Saviour, he has willed to deal with us according to a definite contract. He receives us for hire, and commits himself by promise to us, to pay us according to our actions eternal wages. Nor is it that our service can be either necessary or profitable for him. When we have done all that he ordered us to do we have to acknowledge with most humble truth or most true humility that indeed we are most unprofitable servants (Lk 17:10) and utterly useless to our Master. Because of his essential superabundance of riches, he can have no profit from us. Rather, he converts all our actions to our advantage and good. He ordains that we serve him without any benefit to himself but with great profit to ourselves. And by such small labours we gain such immense rewards.
Hence, he was not bound to pay us for our service if he had not promised to do so. But, Theotimus, do not think that by this promise he would show his goodness in such a way as to forget to glorify his wisdom. On the contrary, he observed most exactly the rules of equity, blending wonderfully propriety with generosity. Our actions are, of course, extremely small and in no way comparable to glory by their quantity. But with regard to their quality they are very proportionate to it. This is because of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in our hearts by charity (Rom. 5:5; 8:11), and does these actions in us, through us and for us with an art so exquisite that these same works which are wholly ours are still more wholly his. Indeed, as he produces them in us, we produce them reciprocally in him. As he does them for us, we do them for him. And as he works them with us, we work them with him.
The Holy Spirit dwells in us if we are living members of Jesus Christ. That is why he said to his disciples: He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit (Jn 15:5). This is because, Theotimus, whoever abides in him partakes of his Divine Spirit who is in the midst of the human heart like a living spring of water gushing up and pouring its waters even unto life everlasting (Jn 4:14). So also the oil of blessing poured upon the Saviour, as upon the head of the Church militant and triumphant, spreads itself over the society of the Blessed who, as the sacred beard of the Divine Master, are constantly attached to his glorious face. Moreover, the oil runs down upon the company of the faithful, who as garments are joined and united by love to his Divine Majesty. Both companies being composed of brothers of the same family have reason at this time to cry out: How very good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. It is like the ointment running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down to the edge of his garment (Ps 133:1-2).
Hence, our actions, like a little grain of mustard seed (Mt 13:31-32), are in no way comparable in greatness to the tree of glory they produce. Yet they have the vigour and the power to produce it, because they proceed from the Holy Spirit. By a wonderful infusion of his grace into our hearts he makes our actions his own, while leaving them at the same time our own. This is because we are members of a Head of which he is the Spirit, and grafted on to a tree of which he is the divine sap. And as he in this way works in our actions and we in a certain manner work or cooperate in his action, he leaves to us for our part all the merit and profit of our services and good actions. And, we leave to him also all the honour and all the praise for them. We acknowledge that the beginning, the progress and the end of all the good we do depends on his mercy. By his mercy he has come to us and preceded us, has come into us and helped us, has come with us and guided us, completing what he had begun (Phil.1:6). Praised be God, Theotimus, how merciful is this goodness to us in this sharing. We give him the glory of our praise, yes, and he gives us the glory of possessing him. In short, by these light and passing labours we obtain blessings which last for all eternity. So be it.