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Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence: The Secret of Peace and Happiness
To trust in God’s will is the “secret of happiness and content,” the one sure-fire way to attain serenity in this world and salvation in the next. Trustful Surrender simply and clearly answers questions that many Christians have regarding God’s will, the existence of evil, and the practice of trustful surrender, such as:
How can God will or allow evil? (pg. 11)
Why does God allow bad things to happen to innocent people? (pg. 23)
Why does God appear not to answer our prayers? (pg. 107)
What is Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence? (pg. 85) and many more…
This enriching classic will lay to rest many doubts and fears, and open the door to peace and acceptance of God’s will. TAN’s pocket-sized edition helps you to carry it wherever you go, to constantly remind yourself that God is guarding you, and He does not send you any joy too great to bear or any trial too difficult to overcome.
(144 pgs, PB.)
How can God will or allow evil? (pg. 11)
Why does God allow bad things to happen to innocent people? (pg. 23)
Why does God appear not to answer our prayers? (pg. 107)
What is Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence? (pg. 85) and many more…
This enriching classic will lay to rest many doubts and fears, and open the door to peace and acceptance of God’s will. TAN’s pocket-sized edition helps you to carry it wherever you go, to constantly remind yourself that God is guarding you, and He does not send you any joy too great to bear or any trial too difficult to overcome.
(144 pgs, PB.)
129 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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1112 people want to read
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January 22, 2015
This is one of my favorite books on how to live out the Gospel message. It consists of extracts from larger works of Jesuits Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure (1588-1657) and St. Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682). Saint-Jure was the companion of the saintly Curé of Ars. De la Colombiere was the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the visionary who received the message of devotion to the Sacred Heart.
My favorite part of the entire book is the very last where part De la Colombiere insists on what he calls ‘Obstinate Trust’. Here he tells us that the refusal we meet with to our prayers is ‘God’s stratagem to increase our fervor.’ We are reminded of how Our Lord treated the Canaanite woman, his seeming irritability with her importunity, which in reality was His admiration and delight for her trust and humility. De la Colombiere writes: ‘With what tenderness does he repulse those whom he most wishes to be indulgent to, hiding His clemency under a mask of cruelty! Take care not to be deceived by it. The more He seems to be unwilling, the more you must insist. Do as the woman of Canaan, use against him the very arguments He may have for refusing you.’ He suggests we pray much as she did, ‘I do not deserve the grace I ask, but I do not ask You to give me what I deserve, I ask it through the merits of my Redeemer. You ought to think more of Your Promises than of my unworthiness, and you will be unjust to Yourself if you give me only what I deserve. If I were worthier of Your benefits if would be less to Your glory to give me them. It is unjust to grant favors to a sinner, but I do not appeal to Your justice but to Your mercy.’
What cheek?! Telling God what His responsibilities are! Can you imagine doing that? But actually it isn’t telling God anything. It’s letting God know that I know who He is in relation to me. I can never really tell God anything as He knows everything. This prayer simply affirms God as God and me as His creature, utterly dependent on Him for everything. And He loves that trust I have in Him above all else. Obstinate Trust!
Trustful Surrender.
Read this back in 1998 and again 2008. This is one of those books which I will read over and over again and never get rid of.
My favorite part of the entire book is the very last where part De la Colombiere insists on what he calls ‘Obstinate Trust’. Here he tells us that the refusal we meet with to our prayers is ‘God’s stratagem to increase our fervor.’ We are reminded of how Our Lord treated the Canaanite woman, his seeming irritability with her importunity, which in reality was His admiration and delight for her trust and humility. De la Colombiere writes: ‘With what tenderness does he repulse those whom he most wishes to be indulgent to, hiding His clemency under a mask of cruelty! Take care not to be deceived by it. The more He seems to be unwilling, the more you must insist. Do as the woman of Canaan, use against him the very arguments He may have for refusing you.’ He suggests we pray much as she did, ‘I do not deserve the grace I ask, but I do not ask You to give me what I deserve, I ask it through the merits of my Redeemer. You ought to think more of Your Promises than of my unworthiness, and you will be unjust to Yourself if you give me only what I deserve. If I were worthier of Your benefits if would be less to Your glory to give me them. It is unjust to grant favors to a sinner, but I do not appeal to Your justice but to Your mercy.’
What cheek?! Telling God what His responsibilities are! Can you imagine doing that? But actually it isn’t telling God anything. It’s letting God know that I know who He is in relation to me. I can never really tell God anything as He knows everything. This prayer simply affirms God as God and me as His creature, utterly dependent on Him for everything. And He loves that trust I have in Him above all else. Obstinate Trust!
Trustful Surrender.
Read this back in 1998 and again 2008. This is one of those books which I will read over and over again and never get rid of.
May 24, 2019
I was expecting to love this book because I have a fondness for the author of the second portion of the book: Saint Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.
This book will always remind me of my dear sister-in-law as I read it to her while she was in hospice. Hopefully, she didn't mind as she had no ability to tell me to stop if she did mind. Thankfully, each portion that I read gave me ideas of graces to pray for for her as well as for myself.
In the end, my favorite portion of the book was Part II by Saint Claude which is where the title of the book, "Trustful Surrender," comes from. I especially found helpful the reminder that lovingly accepting everyday trials helps us accept more difficult trials when they come our way. The instruction to pray for what we don't want as well as we want was insightful as well. For example, "Say to Him earnestly, 'Either give me so much money that my heart will be satisfied, or inspire me with such contempt for it that I no longer want it.'" This section particularly warmed my heart with insistence on trust in God and perseverance in prayer.
The first section of the book I found thought-provoking and very challenging. In a nutshell, we are to see everything that happens to us as planned by God specifically for each one of us. Each trial or suffering that I have is specifically designed for me. I can accept this in my own life for the most part - still some struggle even there. However, what about child abuse, human trafficking, the poor Muslim women disfigured by acid throwing, and the young people abused by priests. Could God actually specifically choose this for someone? It is hard to accept. I can see these as the unfortunate outcome of free will used to harm others, but that allows me to imagine God with his hands behind his back but very sad about our plight. I won't say that Father Jean Baptiste Saint Jure, S.J. is wrong, but I would probably need to read this part of the book three of four more times to really understand the point he is making.
I recommend this for those who need inspiration and reminders on how to submit to God's Will and Divine Providence and why it is importance even in very difficult times.
This book will always remind me of my dear sister-in-law as I read it to her while she was in hospice. Hopefully, she didn't mind as she had no ability to tell me to stop if she did mind. Thankfully, each portion that I read gave me ideas of graces to pray for for her as well as for myself.
In the end, my favorite portion of the book was Part II by Saint Claude which is where the title of the book, "Trustful Surrender," comes from. I especially found helpful the reminder that lovingly accepting everyday trials helps us accept more difficult trials when they come our way. The instruction to pray for what we don't want as well as we want was insightful as well. For example, "Say to Him earnestly, 'Either give me so much money that my heart will be satisfied, or inspire me with such contempt for it that I no longer want it.'" This section particularly warmed my heart with insistence on trust in God and perseverance in prayer.
The first section of the book I found thought-provoking and very challenging. In a nutshell, we are to see everything that happens to us as planned by God specifically for each one of us. Each trial or suffering that I have is specifically designed for me. I can accept this in my own life for the most part - still some struggle even there. However, what about child abuse, human trafficking, the poor Muslim women disfigured by acid throwing, and the young people abused by priests. Could God actually specifically choose this for someone? It is hard to accept. I can see these as the unfortunate outcome of free will used to harm others, but that allows me to imagine God with his hands behind his back but very sad about our plight. I won't say that Father Jean Baptiste Saint Jure, S.J. is wrong, but I would probably need to read this part of the book three of four more times to really understand the point he is making.
I recommend this for those who need inspiration and reminders on how to submit to God's Will and Divine Providence and why it is importance even in very difficult times.
June 21, 2016
I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially if you're going through a period of spiritual difficulty or intense suffering. Excerpt (from part 2, written by Bl. Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.):
"We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful to him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake--a mistake which may cost us our life--and protest when God sets to work on us."
"We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful to him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake--a mistake which may cost us our life--and protest when God sets to work on us."
March 21, 2018
This is a difficult book to “rate.” I have serious issues with some of the theology, and at one point was going to set it aside, feeling unable to read any more. But I did read more, and I have to say that although I disagree with parts, there are also parts that were very helpful, especially at this point in my life. I can see how a book like this (well, any book, really) would be more or less appreciated depending on one's life circumstances. In any case, it's a little book, and I've been carrying it around in my purse, reading and rereading sections, and I most likely will do that for some time to come.
Some quotes:
“We must consider it the action of a Providence unceasingly attentive to the welfare of His children, who feigns to abandon them in order to rouse them from slumber or increase their humility, self-distrust and self-renouncement, their confidence in God, submission to His will, and perseverance in prayer. Hence instead of allowing ourselves to become discouraged and fainthearted under trials which may seem to overwhelm us, let us act in the same way we do when our bodies are sick, consult a good doctor—a good spiritual director—and applying the remedies he advises, patiently await the effects that it pleases God to give. Everything is meant for our good, and such trials ought to be counted as special graces from God.”
“For if He assigns to His creatures the end that He wills, and chooses the means which seem good to Him to lead them to it, the end He assigns them must be good and wise, nor can He direct them toward their end other than by good and wise means.”
This is a quote that I will be thinking about for quite some time:
“But Jesus said to him: Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” In fact He attributed the suffering and ignominy of His Passion not to the Jews who accused Him, not to Judas who betrayed Him, nor to Pilate who condemned Him, nor to the soldiers who ill-treated and crucified Him, nor to the devil who incited them all, though they were the immediate causes of His sufferings, but to God, and to God not considered as a strict judge but as a loving and beloved Father.
Let us never then attribute our losses, our disappointments, our afflictions, our humiliations to the devil or to men, but to God as their real source. 'To act otherwise,' says St. Dorothy, 'would be to do the same as a dog who vents his anger on the stone instead of putting the blame on the hand that threw it at him.' So let us be careful not to say 'So-in-so is the cause of my misfortune.' Your misfortunes are the work not of this or that person but of God. And what should give you reassurance is that God, the Sovereign Good, is guided in all His actions by His most profound wisdom for holy and supernatural purposes.”
And finally, what may be my favorite quote from the book:
“To obtain the help of Providence it should be your aim to cooperate, as it were, with the Fatherhood of God and bring up you children as He would wish them brought up, especially by showing them good example. Have the courage to lay aside all other ambition and let this be the only object of your care and desire. Then, whatever the number of your children, you can rest assured that their Heavenly Father will provide for them. He will watch over them and dispose all things for their happiness and welfare, and the more unreservedly you entrust their future to His hands, the greater will be His loving care for them.
Avoid worrying, then, about anything else for your children except whatever may contribute to bringing them up virtuously. For the rest, having entrusted them to God try to see what His will for them is, to help them along the path in life He has chosen for them. Never be afraid of relying too much on Him, but rather seek always to increase your trust more and more, for this is the most pleasing homage you can pay Him and it will be the measure of the graces you will receive.”
Some quotes:
“We must consider it the action of a Providence unceasingly attentive to the welfare of His children, who feigns to abandon them in order to rouse them from slumber or increase their humility, self-distrust and self-renouncement, their confidence in God, submission to His will, and perseverance in prayer. Hence instead of allowing ourselves to become discouraged and fainthearted under trials which may seem to overwhelm us, let us act in the same way we do when our bodies are sick, consult a good doctor—a good spiritual director—and applying the remedies he advises, patiently await the effects that it pleases God to give. Everything is meant for our good, and such trials ought to be counted as special graces from God.”
“For if He assigns to His creatures the end that He wills, and chooses the means which seem good to Him to lead them to it, the end He assigns them must be good and wise, nor can He direct them toward their end other than by good and wise means.”
This is a quote that I will be thinking about for quite some time:
“But Jesus said to him: Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” In fact He attributed the suffering and ignominy of His Passion not to the Jews who accused Him, not to Judas who betrayed Him, nor to Pilate who condemned Him, nor to the soldiers who ill-treated and crucified Him, nor to the devil who incited them all, though they were the immediate causes of His sufferings, but to God, and to God not considered as a strict judge but as a loving and beloved Father.
Let us never then attribute our losses, our disappointments, our afflictions, our humiliations to the devil or to men, but to God as their real source. 'To act otherwise,' says St. Dorothy, 'would be to do the same as a dog who vents his anger on the stone instead of putting the blame on the hand that threw it at him.' So let us be careful not to say 'So-in-so is the cause of my misfortune.' Your misfortunes are the work not of this or that person but of God. And what should give you reassurance is that God, the Sovereign Good, is guided in all His actions by His most profound wisdom for holy and supernatural purposes.”
And finally, what may be my favorite quote from the book:
“To obtain the help of Providence it should be your aim to cooperate, as it were, with the Fatherhood of God and bring up you children as He would wish them brought up, especially by showing them good example. Have the courage to lay aside all other ambition and let this be the only object of your care and desire. Then, whatever the number of your children, you can rest assured that their Heavenly Father will provide for them. He will watch over them and dispose all things for their happiness and welfare, and the more unreservedly you entrust their future to His hands, the greater will be His loving care for them.
Avoid worrying, then, about anything else for your children except whatever may contribute to bringing them up virtuously. For the rest, having entrusted them to God try to see what His will for them is, to help them along the path in life He has chosen for them. Never be afraid of relying too much on Him, but rather seek always to increase your trust more and more, for this is the most pleasing homage you can pay Him and it will be the measure of the graces you will receive.”
January 27, 2018
This is one of the best spiritual books I've ever read, but requires a huge amount of context to understand. The theme is that everything happens for a reason and we should give thanks to God in every circumstance (even through darkness, persecution, suffering). But it takes years of surrender, and the transforming love of his Holy Spirit, to see his providence at work through every circumstance of your life. I certainly struggled with this for a long time, but my current trust is based on seeing what he has done, what my past sufferings have prepared me for. I don't question his goodness, I ask only that my heart will always be open to it. This book sums up so many sentiments in my heart right now.
September 22, 2022
This little booklet by St. Claude La Colombière was given to me by my spiritual confessor as a form of penance a few weeks back, and since having read such a work my spiritual life has—not to play with exaggerations nor give myself over to applauding any supposed virtues of mine—changed my prayer life and response to little inconveniences in my day to day routine. You see, one profits most by reading this book in the context of some great frustration at the aridity or lack of sincere progression in the acquisition of virtues; a lamentable but unfortunately all too common phenomena amongst modern Christians. For very often the causes of our own misfortune or lack of cheerfulness in trials is a consequence of the culture in which we have been steeped for however many years. Christians today, having to live in a society which can be most charitably described as somewhat condescending towards the faith, oftentimes adopt the mannerisms and intellectual fantasies of their contemporaries. Nor should we expect any less whatsoever, for although we might be pilgrims in this life, we are still called to take up occupations in order to better care for our families. However, when we allow the practices of our contemporaries to begin to poison our spiritual life, we must turn to spiritual manuals such as St. Claude La Colombière's in order to liberate ourselves from the oppressiveness of social expectations.
What St. Claude La Colombière advocates in this booklet is nothing sort of revolutionary: surrendering ourselves and our entire lives to the Divine Providence of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This sounds easier in theory than in practice, which is precisely why St. Claude La Colombière spends so much time establishing that not only will we be more amply looked after following our deployment of his methods, we will similarly be perfected more within the image of Christ. It is a common consequence of reading this book to derive a viewpoint which is not too dissimilar to Calvinism. After all, hearing that we must renounce our will and trust in God providing for us sounds vaguely Calvinist in nature. No! This book is written for those who, having been led into the belief that they produce good and bad from their own hands, must learn how to accept that it is ultimately God who orders every gift within our lives. Moreover, when we learn to truly internalize this fact within our heart of hearts, that is to say—when we learn how to stop asking God for superfluous things or things that we like, rather turning towards him and professing "Thy will be done," then we shall be rewarded more generously than before. I can say personally that this doctrine is very hard to perfect. After all, abandoning our ability to pursue something and allowing God to provide what you may want, like a job is quite difficult. And after all, still pursuing something after this renunciation is quite hard to, for it would seem that we must fall into a kind of quietism (a pre-eminent heresy in St. Claude La Colombière's day.) Yet, when we read this book and truly pray upon its teachings, asking God to make us thank every little pain and blessing we get today, we shall find ourselves the more peaceful. And then after we become more peaceful, we become more charitable and pleasant, less liable to avenge injustices. And then suppose that after all these spiritual works, we shall see that "thousands around you will be saved" by our peaceful souls as St. Seraphim of Sarov wisely tells. Please, do read this book at once if you struggle with trusting God and pride! God bless you, and may His Mother and the angels surround and protect you!
What St. Claude La Colombière advocates in this booklet is nothing sort of revolutionary: surrendering ourselves and our entire lives to the Divine Providence of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This sounds easier in theory than in practice, which is precisely why St. Claude La Colombière spends so much time establishing that not only will we be more amply looked after following our deployment of his methods, we will similarly be perfected more within the image of Christ. It is a common consequence of reading this book to derive a viewpoint which is not too dissimilar to Calvinism. After all, hearing that we must renounce our will and trust in God providing for us sounds vaguely Calvinist in nature. No! This book is written for those who, having been led into the belief that they produce good and bad from their own hands, must learn how to accept that it is ultimately God who orders every gift within our lives. Moreover, when we learn to truly internalize this fact within our heart of hearts, that is to say—when we learn how to stop asking God for superfluous things or things that we like, rather turning towards him and professing "Thy will be done," then we shall be rewarded more generously than before. I can say personally that this doctrine is very hard to perfect. After all, abandoning our ability to pursue something and allowing God to provide what you may want, like a job is quite difficult. And after all, still pursuing something after this renunciation is quite hard to, for it would seem that we must fall into a kind of quietism (a pre-eminent heresy in St. Claude La Colombière's day.) Yet, when we read this book and truly pray upon its teachings, asking God to make us thank every little pain and blessing we get today, we shall find ourselves the more peaceful. And then after we become more peaceful, we become more charitable and pleasant, less liable to avenge injustices. And then suppose that after all these spiritual works, we shall see that "thousands around you will be saved" by our peaceful souls as St. Seraphim of Sarov wisely tells. Please, do read this book at once if you struggle with trusting God and pride! God bless you, and may His Mother and the angels surround and protect you!
December 30, 2013
An interesting read, but one that I don’t totally agree with. The basic concept is that God causes all things to happen to us so we should accept all things with trustful surrender knowing that all things will work for the good. This is too fatalistic to my sensibilities. This is almost Calvinistic in the way it presents predestination. The bullet that strikes you was predestined to strike you so that you could be drawn closer to God. My understanding is a little different. It is how we respond to the events of life that living in a world that supports free will that we live the will of God. By responding to those events with the heart of God we are transformed into Saints. In my understanding God uses these events, but is not the causation of these events; an important difference.
October 12, 2021
My parish gave this book away during lent and my priest recommended it to me after 2 or 3 of my confessions and I finally sat down to read it and I’m so glad I did! If you struggle with fear and anxiety over the future or you like to think you have control over things, this is a great read! Well..it’s a great read for anyone, but especially if you struggle with some of the same things I do. I passed it on to family and they agreed that it’s a wonderful little booklet. It’s pretty short and easy to grasp and gives you suggestions on ways to implement trustful surrender to Gods plan in your daily life.
September 26, 2023
I finished this beautiful and uplifting little book while recuperating from my painful gall bladder removal surgery. God's timing on reading this was Providential. Highly recommend, especially for those going through trials of all sorts.
February 25, 2022
The cutiest cutie pie book ever… it melted my heart. My only grievance is that it’s too short
March 22, 2023
This one is what we call in the business: a game changer.
December 5, 2023
Wow. I wasn’t expecting how incredibly useful this book was. Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence explained what it means and what it looks like to trust in any kind of situation. An easy read, that understands the struggle of human nature to Trust the Lord. Gotta actually put it into practice now, but would recommend this book to literally anyone and everyone. Loved it.
May 5, 2017
Excellent book about accepting and doing God's will in every aspect of your life. It's similar to St. Alphonso Liguori's Uniformity with God's Will but I think this was even better and offered a lot of practical insight and suggestions.
The main theme of the book is the idea that everything that happens, joys, sorrows, trials, sufferings, punishments, come from God. Now God obviously doesn't will for evil to occur, but nothing in the world happens without him allowing it so he allows it for own good. A related quote from the book, "There is no tribulation or temptation whose limits God has not appointed so as to serve not for our destruction but for our salvation."
Another good quote, "Let us imagine our confusion when we appear before God and understand the reasons why He sent us the crosses we accept so unwillingly. The death of a child will then be seen as its rescue from some great evil had it lived, separation from the woman you love the means of saving you from an unhappy marriage, a severe illness the reason for many years of life afterwards, loss of money the means of saving your soul from eternal loss. So what are we worried about? God is looking after us and yet we are full of anxiety! We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful to him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake—a mistake which may cost us our life—and protest when God sets to work on us."
One more good one, "If we could see all He sees we would unhesitatingly wish all He wishes. We would beg Him on bended knees for those afflictions we now ask Him to spare us."
This is one of the best books I've read and I would recommend it to all Christians. I plan to read it again in the near future.
The main theme of the book is the idea that everything that happens, joys, sorrows, trials, sufferings, punishments, come from God. Now God obviously doesn't will for evil to occur, but nothing in the world happens without him allowing it so he allows it for own good. A related quote from the book, "There is no tribulation or temptation whose limits God has not appointed so as to serve not for our destruction but for our salvation."
Another good quote, "Let us imagine our confusion when we appear before God and understand the reasons why He sent us the crosses we accept so unwillingly. The death of a child will then be seen as its rescue from some great evil had it lived, separation from the woman you love the means of saving you from an unhappy marriage, a severe illness the reason for many years of life afterwards, loss of money the means of saving your soul from eternal loss. So what are we worried about? God is looking after us and yet we are full of anxiety! We trust ourselves to a doctor because we suppose he knows his business. He orders an operation which involves cutting away part of our body and we accept it. We are grateful to him and pay him a large fee because we judge he would not act as he does unless the remedy were necessary, and we must rely on his skill. Yet we are unwilling to treat God in the same way! It looks as if we do not trust His wisdom and are afraid He cannot do His job properly. We allow ourselves to be operated on by a man who may easily make a mistake—a mistake which may cost us our life—and protest when God sets to work on us."
One more good one, "If we could see all He sees we would unhesitatingly wish all He wishes. We would beg Him on bended knees for those afflictions we now ask Him to spare us."
This is one of the best books I've read and I would recommend it to all Christians. I plan to read it again in the near future.
November 15, 2023
A very good book for people from all walks of life who believe in God. Delves into the problems of evil, sin, etc. Very wonderful and concise.
September 15, 2023
if i could give this book another star i would. 100% changed my perspective on the way in which i ought to be conforming myself to the will of God in all things—specifically the following
- gratitude towards God for all things, including adversity
- God will never give us a cross that is too heavy for us to carry. He knows the strength of our souls and the weaknesses. and when the cross he so lovingly allows us to bear feels too heavy, it’s because He wants us to confide in Him and ask for the graces to help carry it.
- spiritual dryness is a gift. persistence and perseverance during these times help us to die to ourselves and trustfully surrender ourselves to God and His will. even Jesus felt abandoned on the cross and felt deep loneliness in the agony in the garden. it is in the dryness that we learn to persevere in prayer and gratefully accept our state, uniting ourselves with Christ and his agony.
- emotion or feeling does not add anything to prayer. prayer is always profitable, even if it doesn’t “feel” like it. so pray without ceasing.
- it is the will of God for us to attain eternal life with Him. trust in His works and trust in His plans for us. for He knows all things. His wisdom surpasses far beyond what we will ever be capable of knowing or understanding. He constantly gives us the chances to mortify and sanctify ourselves but we are far too prideful and tend to trust in our own plans. we must submit to His will for us if we want to attaint obtain eternal life.
- gratitude towards God for all things, including adversity
- God will never give us a cross that is too heavy for us to carry. He knows the strength of our souls and the weaknesses. and when the cross he so lovingly allows us to bear feels too heavy, it’s because He wants us to confide in Him and ask for the graces to help carry it.
- spiritual dryness is a gift. persistence and perseverance during these times help us to die to ourselves and trustfully surrender ourselves to God and His will. even Jesus felt abandoned on the cross and felt deep loneliness in the agony in the garden. it is in the dryness that we learn to persevere in prayer and gratefully accept our state, uniting ourselves with Christ and his agony.
- emotion or feeling does not add anything to prayer. prayer is always profitable, even if it doesn’t “feel” like it. so pray without ceasing.
- it is the will of God for us to attain eternal life with Him. trust in His works and trust in His plans for us. for He knows all things. His wisdom surpasses far beyond what we will ever be capable of knowing or understanding. He constantly gives us the chances to mortify and sanctify ourselves but we are far too prideful and tend to trust in our own plans. we must submit to His will for us if we want to attaint obtain eternal life.
April 4, 2019
The last paragraph of the book says it all.
“Let us then trust ourselves entirely to God and His Providence and leave Him complete power to order our lives, turning to Him lovingly in every need and awaiting His help without anxiety. Leave everything to Him and He will provide us with everything, at the time and in the place and in the manner best suited. He will lead us on our way to that happiness and peace of mind for which we are destined in this life as a foretaste of the everlasting happiness we have been promised.”
“Let us then trust ourselves entirely to God and His Providence and leave Him complete power to order our lives, turning to Him lovingly in every need and awaiting His help without anxiety. Leave everything to Him and He will provide us with everything, at the time and in the place and in the manner best suited. He will lead us on our way to that happiness and peace of mind for which we are destined in this life as a foretaste of the everlasting happiness we have been promised.”
March 12, 2017
I loved this book. Only that I read it sooner!
September 3, 2019
It isn’t enough to read this little book just once; it is something that must be returned to and meditated on constantly.
August 21, 2025
Very good treatise of obedience, being in His providence, and above all trusting him!
March 5, 2024
Really awesome book, this is my favorite quote from it
“The chalice He offers you is a bitter one. But remember that it is your Redeemer who offers it. Loving you as He does, could He bring Himself to treat you so severely if the need were not urgent, the gain not worthwhile? Can we dare to refuse the chalice He has prepared for us Himself?”
“The chalice He offers you is a bitter one. But remember that it is your Redeemer who offers it. Loving you as He does, could He bring Himself to treat you so severely if the need were not urgent, the gain not worthwhile? Can we dare to refuse the chalice He has prepared for us Himself?”
December 29, 2023
this book makes you rethink every decision you've ever made and will change how you act in the future.
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May 15, 2024Excellent reflection, especially for anxious souls who struggle with trust in divine providence.
January 2, 2024
Reading this felt like hitting the factory reset button.
I think I will be revisiting this time and time again. I’ll probably even reread for Lent this year to recalibrate.
I think I will be revisiting this time and time again. I’ll probably even reread for Lent this year to recalibrate.
December 24, 2022
Nowadays, when something bad happens, a lot of modern Christians would comfortably explain it similar to the way an atheist does (intentionally take God out of the equation completely) they say that a person's free will caused it/ it's a natural consequence of an action/ it's someone's weakness or mistake that caused it/ it's a simple coincidence. They are ready to explain things in secular materialist terms but they would shy away from using the term "this was God's will" because, funnily enough, they want to protect the reputation of God.
This book dares to speak with boldness that yes, both good and bad things come from God. It brings back the ancient worldview that everything happening in your life is divinely orchestrated for your salvation: the good and the bad, including the things that happen through your own free will, mistakes of others or random chain of events. It doesn't negate free will or personal responsibility or action, but it goes deeper with spiritual eyes to show how God acts through these.
The book expounds on why this is what Christianity teaches and backs up its statements with scriptural references and church fathers' sayings and even logical arguments in a really convincing way that challenges the "Christian" contrary contemporary opinion.
A doctor orders leeches to be applied. While these small creatures are drawing blood from the patient, their only aim is to gorge themselves and suck up as much of it as they can. The doctor's only intention is to have the impure blood drawn from the patient and to cure him in this manner. There is therefore no relation between the insatiable greed of the leeches and the intelligent purpose of the doctor in using them. The patient himself does not protest at their use... God makes use of [evil] men [or evil circumstances] as the doctor does of leeches...whatever their particular views may be, in regard to us they are only instruments of well-being, guided by the hand of an all-good, all-wise, all-powerful God who will allow them to act on us only insofar as is of use to us..not one of them could act upon us unless the power were given it from above.
Moreover, it provides spiritual practical advice on how to grow our trust in God's Providence, how to pray as we ought to purify our desires and obtain what we want after unifying our will with God's.
If you submit to Him everything will turn out for your happiness and advantage, even the things that may seem quite the opposite.. say how highly you esteem all His intentions, however hidden they may be, in the knowledge that they spring from an infinite wisdom which cannot make a mistake and supreme goodness which can wish only the perfection of His creatures
I think this is one of the best spiritual books I've ever read. It is short but it is definitely a challenge of a whole lifetime.
This book dares to speak with boldness that yes, both good and bad things come from God. It brings back the ancient worldview that everything happening in your life is divinely orchestrated for your salvation: the good and the bad, including the things that happen through your own free will, mistakes of others or random chain of events. It doesn't negate free will or personal responsibility or action, but it goes deeper with spiritual eyes to show how God acts through these.
The book expounds on why this is what Christianity teaches and backs up its statements with scriptural references and church fathers' sayings and even logical arguments in a really convincing way that challenges the "Christian" contrary contemporary opinion.
A doctor orders leeches to be applied. While these small creatures are drawing blood from the patient, their only aim is to gorge themselves and suck up as much of it as they can. The doctor's only intention is to have the impure blood drawn from the patient and to cure him in this manner. There is therefore no relation between the insatiable greed of the leeches and the intelligent purpose of the doctor in using them. The patient himself does not protest at their use... God makes use of [evil] men [or evil circumstances] as the doctor does of leeches...whatever their particular views may be, in regard to us they are only instruments of well-being, guided by the hand of an all-good, all-wise, all-powerful God who will allow them to act on us only insofar as is of use to us..not one of them could act upon us unless the power were given it from above.
Moreover, it provides spiritual practical advice on how to grow our trust in God's Providence, how to pray as we ought to purify our desires and obtain what we want after unifying our will with God's.
If you submit to Him everything will turn out for your happiness and advantage, even the things that may seem quite the opposite.. say how highly you esteem all His intentions, however hidden they may be, in the knowledge that they spring from an infinite wisdom which cannot make a mistake and supreme goodness which can wish only the perfection of His creatures
I think this is one of the best spiritual books I've ever read. It is short but it is definitely a challenge of a whole lifetime.
June 30, 2017
I found this book very distressing and incompatible with the concept of "Free will" as well as an all loving, merciful God. For example:
P. 13 “When God co-operates with the person who attacks or robs you, He doubtless intends to deprive you of health or goods because you are making a wrong use of them and they will be harmful to your soul” So… a person who is robbed is murdered (attacked) or robbed is receiving a just punishment from God, because the person has been doing something wrong? Sounds like a vengeful God.
P. 19 – “Let us never then attribute our losses, our disappointments, our afflictions, our humiliations to the devil or to men, but to God as their real source….. Your misfortunes are the work not of this or that person but of God.” So how does free will and the responsibility thereof play into this? This seems in conflict with Catechism 311: “ God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil."
P. 81 “ and just as for the love of God we have forbidden our will to use its freedom of choice, for the same reason we ought to deny our mind the freedom of discussion and judgment”. So, how are we to know what to do if we deny our mind freedom of judgment?
P. 13 “When God co-operates with the person who attacks or robs you, He doubtless intends to deprive you of health or goods because you are making a wrong use of them and they will be harmful to your soul” So… a person who is robbed is murdered (attacked) or robbed is receiving a just punishment from God, because the person has been doing something wrong? Sounds like a vengeful God.
P. 19 – “Let us never then attribute our losses, our disappointments, our afflictions, our humiliations to the devil or to men, but to God as their real source….. Your misfortunes are the work not of this or that person but of God.” So how does free will and the responsibility thereof play into this? This seems in conflict with Catechism 311: “ God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil."
P. 81 “ and just as for the love of God we have forbidden our will to use its freedom of choice, for the same reason we ought to deny our mind the freedom of discussion and judgment”. So, how are we to know what to do if we deny our mind freedom of judgment?
March 7, 2024
Questionable theology that I am not sure is universally accepted by the Catholic Church. I personally thought this book painted God as a wrathful figure rather than a loving Father. There are few helpful lines and nuggets of wisdom here and there, but overall, this was not my cup of tea.
June 16, 2012
A wonderful little book. To be honest. Some of the things said in this book are hard for a fallen nature to swallow, yet all is challenging, comforting, and undeniably true. God is good. We must trust him in everything and all.
December 25, 2012
Absolutely the best book I have ever read on how to cope with a terrible situation in the darkest depths of despair. I recommend this book to ANYONE trying to find answers to help them understand pain better.
April 18, 2008
This book changed my life. Taught me how to trust God, and to realize His Will in EVERYTHING. Helped me to get through a very, very difficult (maybe THE most difficult) time in my life.
June 14, 2013
There is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason.
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