Chapter XIV: Objections Answered

“AH!” you say, “it would be very well if WE could spend our day in pious thoughts and prayer as you have laid it out for us; but if you were obliged, as we are, to work in the kitchen, or in the noisy mill, or to stand at the counter all day, you would soon see that it is much easier to give these directions than to carry them out. You would see that it is a hard thing to recollect one’s self at all.”

I can well imagine a good-hearted, well-disposed girl, whose temper is lively and somewhat impatient, and who wants to do everything at once, saying something of this kind, at least in her mind. Now, I say to her, You are mistaken. Work, and hard work too, will not interfere with the daily life I have laid down for you. I do not mean to say that you can learn to follow it out perfectly all at once, so that nothing will be left to improve upon. Nothing is done just in that way.

It took you many years to grow to your full height. First you were a little baby, and could not help yourself. Then you had to toddle about and to walk. Afterwards you were a little girl without much wit in your head, and could not work or maintain yourself, but you kept on growing little by little; you kept on eating your food and growing, though nobody could see you grow, until little by little you came to be what you are now, with the full use of body and mind.

These holy practices of prayer will be imperfect, perhaps, in the beginning, but they will grow. You may not see how they grow from day to day, it is such a gradual thing; but after some time you can look back and see very plainly that you have made progress, and that spiritual things have taken root in your soul, and the tree of your salvation is growing strong and healthy. Let me give you an example to show you that much work, and hard work, cannot prevent your raising your soul constantly to God.

St. Catherine of Siena, when very young, just verging upon the age of womanhood, was very pious, prayed a great deal, and occupied her thoughts with God and heavenly things. She had such a clear insight into the vanity of all earthly things that she determined to live only for Jesus Christ, and never to marry. This did not please her mother and the rest of the family. Her eldest married sister had died suddenly, and they were anxious that Catherine should accept a very advantageous offer, and so take her sister’s place in the family.

But she would not listen to such a proposal, and to show how fixed her resolution was she cut off her hair, which was very beautiful. The whole family felt highly displeased. They considered her much too pious. They knew they could do nothing while she prayed so much, so what did they hit upon? They concluded to load her down with work. They sent away the servant, and made her do all the work of the house.

Another person was placed in her room, so that she should never be alone at any time, and they always contrived to send for her, and break up her prayers, when she was seen to commence them. Do you think they succeeded in cooling her love for God, or lessening her prayer? Not at all. She went on quietly as before, did all her work, and prayed at the same time, in that simple, short way I have recommended, and made more progress in the love of God than ever before. She did not allow herself to be disturbed, for she built a little room for herself in her own heart, to which she retired very frequently, and there she always found the Holy Ghost waiting for her, and helping her to pray.

They drove her out of her room, it is true, but they could not drive her out of her own heart, where God has His dwelling; as the Scripture says: “The kingdom of God is within you” (St. Luke xvii. 21). And again: “All the glory of the king’s daughter is within” (Ps. xliv. 14).

That is true; all the work in the world cannot hinder you from admiring, loving, and seeking God; cannot hinder you from begging God for His grace and love. It cannot hinder you from being daughters of the heavenly King, if your beauty is within, in the soul; if you make yourselves beautiful in His sight, by keeping your hearts directed to Him in the midst of your occupations, while you are ready to give more time and attention to prayer, as soon as your leisure permits you to do so.