Salesian Literature

Chapter 11  :  Bewilderment due to ignorance of whether or not we are pleasing God

​

The musician I mentioned found no satisfaction in singing, after he became dear, except when he was aware that his prince was listening and enjoying it.  Blessed indeed is the heart that loves God for the sole pleasure of pleasing God!

 

Dear God, as long as I feel that you are pleased with my love song, how happy I am!  Can any pleasure equal the delight of genuinely pleasing God?  but when I am no longer aware of your gratification at my song – heaven knows, my soul is deeply troubled!  Yet I go on loving you loyally, singing continually my chosen hymn.  I don’t benefit; my song give me no pleasure; I sing it purely out of love for your will.

 

So it sometimes happens that we draw no comfort from practising charity; like deaf choristers we are unable to hear our own voices, unable to enjoy the sweetness of our song.

 

But this is not all: we are also harassed by many a fear, unsettled by the devil’s disturbing influence on our hearts.  He suggests that we do not win our Master’s approval, that our love is useless, even insincere and empty, since it yields no comfort.  Why then, not only is there no pleasure in our activity, but it becomes extremely wearisome; we see neither the good of what we do, nor the gratification of God for whom our work is done.

 

Of all times, Theotimus, it is then that we must show invincible loyalty to or saviour; it is then that we must serve him purely out of love for his will – not only without pleasure, but overwhelmed by gloom, disgust, dread, and assailed by temptations.  This is how it was with his glorious Mother and St. John on the day of the passion: in spite of all the blasphemies around them, all the anguish, all the distress of death, they stood resolute in love.

​

Back to Top

​