Providence: God's loving care for men and the need for confidence in Almighty God

by Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange

Rev. Garrigou-Lagrange; O.P. shows how God\'s Providence works in the Gospel; and he explains how Providence relates to prayer; to the duty of the present moment; to faithfulness in little things; to charity toward our neighbor; to the grace of a happy death; etc. Impr. 389 pgs; PB

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Spirituality, Catholic, Christianity, Religion

389 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (February 21, 1877, Auch, France – February 15, 1964, Rome) was a Catholic theologian and, among Thomists of the scholastic tradition, is generally thought to be the greatest Catholic Thomist of the 20th century. He taught at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, commonly known as the Angelicum, in Rome from 1909 to 1960.

Father Garrigou-Lagrange initially attracted attention when he wrote against the theological movement later called Modernism. He is also said to be the drafter or "ghostwriter" of Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical Humani Generis, subtitled "Concerning Some False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine."

He is best known for his spiritual theology. His magnum opus in the field is The Three Ages of the Interior Life, in which he propounded the thesis that infused contemplation and the resulting mystical life are in the normal way of holiness of Christian perfection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald...

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Providence is a sort of extension of God’s wisdom, which “reaches from end to end mightily and orders all things sweetly." (Wis 8:1;14:3)

Providence by Fr. Reginald Garrigou‑Lagrange is a theological study of Divine Providence. The tone is very scholarly, and yet remains pastoral. I read this one slowly, one chapter at a time, with slow reflection.

What sets this book apart from others of the same topic is that Lagrange starts by laying down the philosophical and theological foundations for the existence of God, then expounds upon the attributes of God and how they relate to Providence.

It is only after setting down this foundation that he then explains our practical response, which is primarily our self‑abandonment to Providence. He talks about why and in what manner we should abandon ourselves, what is God's attitude towards those who completely abandon themselves, the duty of the present moment, fidelity in small duties, the role of prayer, etc.

Lagrange constantly quotes Scripture, refers to the Summa on almost every page, and explains how the truth is found in the middle by showing what heresies fall on the extremes (and thus helping us avoid falling into them!)

The benefits of reading this book:
-A greater understanding of the goodness of God and thus a greater love for Him.
-A greater abandonment to Providence and acceptance of sufferings as coming from a Supremely Good Source who wants only our Good, and He either wills or permits all things for our eternal welfare.
-The notion and characteristics of Divine Providence (universal and infallible)
-An understanding of the distinction between the Divine will of expression and the Divine will of good pleasure, which elicit different responses from us: one of obedience and the other of surrender. ("Once we have done our utmost to accomplish the will of God day after day, we can and we must abandon ourselves to Him in all else.")
-A greater understanding of the role of prayer in our life and an increased desire to persevere in prayer.
-Greater hope in God's mercy.
-Greater desire to give aid to other men in our progress toward our common goal: eternal life.

"We should have complete confidence in God and abandon ourselves to Him wholeheartedly, surrendering ourselves to Him in times of trial with perfect conformity to His divine will: then he will direct all things to our sanctification and salvation." - Lagrange.

"Providence extends to the smallest details, to the least of our actions, every one of which must be directed to our final end." - Lagrange

"Abandonment to the divine will is one of the fairest expressions of hope combined with charity. It involves the exercise, to an eminent degree, of all the theological virtues, because perfect self-abandonment to providence is pervaded with a deep spirit of faith, confidence, and love for God. And when this self-abandonment, far from inducing us to fold our arms and do nothing, is accompanied with a humble, generous fulfillment of our daily duties, it is one of the surest ways of arriving at union with God and of preserving it unbroken even in the severest trials." - Lagrange.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a wealth of knowledge presented in this masterpiece by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. Before reading the book I assumed that the text would mostly be about our need to trust in divine providence and citations from the various spiritual masters on the question, while the book does contain this it also provides a strong theological foundation to build these later ideas upon by starting with a exploration of who God is, His Characteristics, the (Thomastic) proofs for his existence and a defense against many modern misconceptions of God (for example refutations of bad ideas like if God loves Himself that means He is selfish etc).

This strong foundation the author lays down, (especially on how God moves us) makes the other part of the book dealing explicitly with trust in divine providence in our own spiritual life unfold easily. Those who desire examples from scripture will not be disappointed as he draws from both the Old and New Testament, those looking for citations from other great works on trusting in providence will find those works (and refutations of errors like quietism) woven into the text masterfully. If you are looking for practical advice in how to grow in the trust of divine providence or criticisms of modern banalities like the flippant "why worry" attitude he will not disappoint either.

All of this is presented in Father Reginald delightful kind and learned tone, although in this book he offers some rather firm and stinging critiques of those erroneous theories of God and His creation that wreck havoc upon modern minds. The book comes with a great index, making the book very useful for writing articles, homilies and the such like who need a reliable source to instruct others.

This is a wonderful book, and one that can greatly help restore peace to ones soul by foster loving confidence in God in the midst of this chaotic world. I give it my Highest possible recommendation.

[Trae Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I've started to read two or three times and, for whatever reason, didn't finish. I recently started it again and finished the book. Which I am very glad I did. The first two parts address the philosophical/theological foundations necessary for and to the exercise and achievement of God's Providence. Parts 3, 4, and 5 is more application and were the most enjoyable and enriching.

While the subject matter is deeply theological, it is presented in a very clear manner. Lagrange doesn't just explain theological truths, he relates them to life, and does so in a real and profound way (e.g., Ch. 18 "Providence And Prayer", Ch. 21. "Providence and the Duty of the Present Moment", Ch. 28 "Providence And Charity Toward Our Neighbor" etc.).

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding God's Providence, how it relates to man, and particularly how it relates to man's daily salvation and final end.

[Badgenes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange is like listening to your favorite orchestral composition. Beautifully written and masterful exposition of Thomistic principles on, in this work, Providence.

[Gloria Gna · Rating 4 out of 5]

La primera parte y como hasta la mitad fue muy interesante e instructivo, pero luego se volvió repetitivo en los argumentos y citas y confuso en la exposición.

[Ray Ciervo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garrigou-Lagrange is MY favorite Thomist commentator. His perspective is normally theological first, which I prefer. I read this book during a class on soteriology (salvation). His view of eternity and God's choice coinciding with our choice was insightful.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal book on God's Providence. The author sets up the book in such a way as to discuss God's existence and providence first through reason, then moves into Sacred Scripture, which is important especially in our time showcasing tgevfact that Faith and Reason work together to show the whole picture. Each chapter seems to also answer questions and criticisms as it relates to chapter in question, while also explaining in both apophatic and cataphatic terms the ways of God. This veritable spiritual master also does a superb job in each chapter taking us up the speculative theology down to its practical applications for daily Christian living. I recommend reading this book first before going into Predestination, his other book.