I. Our good Jesus understood how difficult a thing He

had promised on our behalf, for we are frail by nature,
and often succeed in persuading ourselves that we do
not know what is the will of God. We are weak and He
is merciful ; thus He saw that some remedy was needed,
for by no means ought we to desist from giving what He
offered for us, since in this consists our highest good,
although it is a most difficult task for us to fulfil. For
instance, if a rich man is told that he ought to moderate
his table, so that those who are dying of hunger may
have bread to eat, he will find a thousand excuses for not
understanding this better than he chooses. If you say
to a scandal-monger that he is bound to love his neigh-
bour as himself, he will lose all patience, and nothing
will convince him of the truth.

2. Declare to a religious, who is accustomed to liberty
' Valladolid edition, ch. xxxv. ; Escorial, ch. Ivii.

CHAP. XXXIII.] DAILY BREAD. 2ig

and self-indulgence, that he ought to give a good example ;
that when he says, “ Thy will be done,” it is his duty to
observe these words, not only by tongue but by deed ;
that he has sworn and promised to do the will of God,
and God’s will is that he should perform his vows :
represent to such a person that if he gives scandal,
although he may not absolutely break his vows, yet he
infringes on them greatly — that he has taken a vow of
poverty which he must in no way evade, for this is the
will of God — yet you will never be able to bring such a
man even to wish to do what is right. What, then, would
have happened if our Lord had not done the principal
part of our work for us, by means of the remedy He has
given us ? Surely there would have been very few who
would have fulfilled the promise He made in our name,
when He said to the Father, “ Thy will be done.” May
He vouchsafe to grant that many may do so, even now !

3. Seeing our needs, the good Jesus found a most
wonderful way by which to prove His excessive love
for us — in His own, and in His brethren’s name He
made this petition : “ Give us this day our daily bread,
O Lord.” ^ For the love of God, daughters, let us
realise the meaning of these words : our spiritual life
depends on our not disregarding them.

2 Escorial edition, ch. Iviii. Treats of the great mercy shown
us by the eternal Father in allowing His Son to remain with
us in the most holy Sacrament,

220 THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XXXIII.

4. Reckon as of little value whatever you may have
given to God in comparison with this rich reward. It
appears to me, although I submit my opinion to a higher
judgment, that though the good Jesus knew what an
advantage it would be for us to yield to His Father
what He had offered on our behalf, yet He recognised
the obstacles to our keeping our promise that come from
our human nature, its tendency to degradation, and
our want of love and courage. He saw that there was
need to aid and encourage us, and this, not once for all,
but day by day, therefore He determined to remain
among us.

This being an immense grace. He wished it to come
from the hand of His eternal Father, although. They
both being One, He knew that whatever He did on earth
God would hold good and ratify in heaven, since His
will and His Father’s are identical. Yet such is the
humility of the good Jesus as man, that He appeared to
ask leave for this favour although He realised how His
Father loved and delighted in Him. Our Lord under-
stood that we ask far more in this petition than in the^
rest, because He foresaw the death to which men
would put Him, and the shame and insults He would
suffer.

5. O my God ! what father could be found who,
having given us his son, and such a son, would, after we
had so ill-used Him, have allowed him to remain among

CHAP. XXXIII.]

PRAYER.

221

US to endure fresh wrongs ? No such father could be
found, save Thy Father, O Lord ! Well didst Thou
know of Whom Thou wast asking this boon. Ah !
what excess of love in both the Father and the Son !
I am not so amazed at the good Jesus ; having already
said, “ Thy will be done,” for the sake of His word He
was bound to accomplish it. I know that He is not
like us, but as He recognised that He fulfilled His Father’s
will by loving us as Himself, He sought how, although
at His own cost. He might do this most perfectly. But,
why, O eternal Father, didst Thou consent to this ?
How couldst Thou see Thy Son daily in such wicked
hands, after Thou hadst already permitted it once ?
Thou didst witness how they treated Him : how couldst
Thou have the heart to see Him thus affronted day
by day ? ^ How many insults are being offered Him

^ “I went to say Mass at her convent [at Medina del Campo]
and was given a strongly perfumed towel when I washed my
fingers. I thoughtlessly took offence at it, and told the holy
Mother afterwards that she should order such an abuse to be
stopped in her communities, for though I thought the corporals
and altar-linen ought to be scented, it did not seem right to me
that towels for toilet purposes should be so. She answered me
with charming grace, saying ; ‘ Now, you must not be annoyed,
for the nuns learnt this defect from me. When I remember
how our Lord reproached the Pharisee who had invited Him
as a guest for not showing Him more attentions, I wish every-
thing, from the threshold of the church-door, to be saturated with
orange flower-water.’ I was ashamed of my hastiness and set
myself to look closely at everything relating nearly or remotely
to the Blessed Sacrament. For this reason, her friars and nuns

222

THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XXXIII.

this very day in this most holy Sacrament ! How often
must His Father watch Him in the hands of His foes !
What profanations are committed by the heretics ! *

6. O eternal Sovereign ! How canst Thou then consent
to such a request ? How canst Thou permit such a
thing ? Yield not to His love, which for the sake of
fulfilling Thy will and of succouring us, would lead Him
to endure being hacked into a thousand pieces every
day. It is for Thee to look to it, my God, since Thy
Son is reckless what He suffers. Why must every good
thing come to us only at His cost ? How is it that
He is mute, and knows not how to speak for Himself,
but only pleads for us ? Shall no one intercede for
this most meek and loving Lamb ? Give me the right,
Lord, to be His advocate, since Thou hast deigned to
leave Him in our power, and He submits His will
to Thee thus utterly and gives Himself so lovingly
to us.

7. In this petition alone does Christ repeat His own

words : first He prays : “ Give us our daily bread,”

and then He says, ” Give us it this day, O Lord.” ®

have grown so careful in the matter that the altars in their
churches are kept more cleanly than in any part of the world
of which I know.” (From a letter of Yepes to Fr. Luis de Leon.
Fuente, vol. vi. 139, n. 53-54.)

^ Escorial, ch. lix. A petition to the Father.

® The wording of the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish is : “El pan
nuestro de cada dia danosle hoy ” — literally, ” Our daily bread,
give us it to-day.”

CHAP. XXXIII.]

APPEAL TO GOD.

223

He puts us in the first place when appealing to His
Father, as much as to say that now, having once for
all given us this gift, it is our own, and He will not take
it away from us until the end of the world, but will
leave it for our succour every day. Let this win your
hearts, my daughters, to love your Spouse, for no
slave in the world would willingly call Himself by
this name, yet the good Jesus seems to take it for an
honour.

8. O eternal Father, how unspeakable is this hu-
mility ! What treasure will suffice to purchase Thy
Son for us ? How to sell Him we know — that was
done for thirty pieces of silver, but no riches will enable
us to buy Him. Being made one with us by that portion
of His nature which He had assumed, and being Master
of His own will. He reminds His Father that, since His
manhood is His own. He has the right to bestow it
upon us. Therefore He says : “ Our bread ” ; making
no distinction between Himself and us, but ranking us
with Himself, so that, as He daily joins His prayer
with ours, we may obtain from God that for which
we ask.

224

THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XXXIV.