09-07-2026, 10:02 AM
Chapter II. How the Spiritual Man Is Deceived
There are divers ways whereby spiritual persons may be deceived. One way, and the chief one, is when the love within the soul is not pure, but is mingled with a love which is personal and selfish — that is to say, with man's own will. Then hath he certainly somewhat of the love of the world, and the world flattereth him and praiseth him. But all worldly flattery and praise on account of devotion is false, and the person whom the world doth single out and praise seemeth to be more fervent in devotion, and his tears flow more abundantly, and that sweetness and fear and trembling are increased which do come in spiritual love which is not pure. And these things are not done inwardly in the soul but outwardly in the body, neither doth pure love enter into the soul, wherefore the sweetness speedily fadeth and the man forgetteth himself; yea, he ofttimes turneth to bitterness. All these things have I proved within mine own self, and I should not be able to discern these aforesaid things save that mine own soul hath attained unto the certain knowledge of truth. For when love is pure it doth in all ways deem itself dead unto the senses; and it doth consider itself as nothing and it doth die in God and putrefy, and it doth reverence God and humble itself, neither doth it remember how that it was praised nor its own good. Yea, it doth find itself so downcast and so full of evil that it doth not believe it can be entirely saved by any saint whatsoever, only by God alone.
Yet it doth ofttimes more readily pray for assistance unto the saints rather than unto God, not daring because of its unworthiness to pray unto God Himself, albeit it imploreth help from the Holy Virgin and all the other saints. And when it is praised by any person it deemeth such praise to be a mockery and a jest. And this love is pure and cometh direct from God and is implanted within the soul, to whom hath been thereby revealed its own defects and God's goodness. Wherefore the tears which are now shed and the sweetness which is enjoyed do never occasion bitterness, but assurance and sweetness; and through this aforesaid love doth Christ enter into the soul, and the soul doth thereby know that it can suffer no deception nor yet deceive itself.
The other way wherein God permitteth spiritual persons to be deceived is this. When the spiritual and devout person feeleth himself to be greatly beloved of God and hath spiritual gifts and the works thereof, and doth openly speak of them, because he is too sure of himself and hath exceeded the right manner, God doth permit him to be in some way deceived in order that he may thereby learn better to know both God and himself.
Another way is when the spiritual man feeleth God to be very near and is filled with a perfect, pure, and excellent love; when every day he doth most heartily perform good works and hath determined that he will in no wise seek more to please the world, or to gain the fame of sanctity, but in all things to please Christ and submit himself entirely unto Him. Nevertheless the soul must needs learn to keep that which is its own and to render unto God the things which are God's; and if it faileth to do this then God permitteth deception in order to preserve it, and, because it is precious in His sight, that it should not overstep its proper limits. Moreover, the soul is not content with what hath been said, until God leadeth it unto the knowledge of Himself and the full understanding of His goodness — wherefore can there be no deception here, for the soul is so completely instructed of the truth that it doth deem itself to be as full as possible. It is first filled with the knowledge of God Himself, so that it can neither see nor remember aught else, and thereafter it cometh immediately to the understanding of His divine goodness. Then doth it see the one and the other together in a way the which cannot be described, but since even this sufficeth not, God doth excite it to yet greater zeal and permitteth tribulations.
But the sentiment wherein He doth not permit the soul to be deceived is poverty of spirit, and verily, I have heard poverty of spirit so much commended in the divine words of God (and with such great and good proofs thereof) that it doth in all ways surpass our understanding. Verily, God spake thus unto me: "If poverty had not been a most noble thing (said God) I myself would not have assumed it." Certain it is that pride can only exist in those who do possess something, or who believe themselves to have something. For this reason, because they did believe themselves to be possessed of something, came the pride and the fall of the first man and the angel; neither the angel nor the man did possess anything in themselves of themselves, for God alone hath this, and humility is found alone in those who are poor and who are persuaded that they do possess nothing. Wherefore is poverty a most excellent thing, and God Himself did cause His dearly beloved Son to be more poor than any man ever was before or will be hereafter; and albeit He is greater than can be declared, yet did God nevertheless make Him as poor as though He were naught. And unto sinners and mortal men in whom was no true light this thing did seem foolishness, but unto the wise and unto men of understanding it did seem just the contrary.
For whosoever hath poverty can never be ruined, neither can he fall through deception, and if any person were truly to perceive the benefits of poverty he would love God, and if he were but to consider the immeasurable value of it he would no longer be able to keep any worldly possessions, and whosoever were to see how greatly God loveth true poverty, would retain nothing for himself. The proof of this is the proof of divine wisdom, which first maketh us to see our faults and believe ourselves poor in all merit and goodness, and thus honestly to esteem ourselves for what we really are.
And in consequence we do make ourselves poor and do love that same poverty, and those who love it are enlightened by the gift of grace (which is given unto those who do perceive the benefits of poverty). Then doth it make us to see the divine goodness in order that we may all love God, and whosoever loveth doth esteem himself as possessing nothing. And as a man loveth so doth he work, and thus doth he lose all confidence in himself and trusteth in God alone; wherefore, because he confideth himself entirely unto God, he is enlightened by God Himself and all doubts fall away from him. Whosoever knoweth this truth cannot be deceived either by demons or by any other thing whatsoever, because in this poverty of spirit the soul receiveth a clear and perfect comprehension and hath a most enlightened understanding of all the matters of this life, so that it can never be deceived the whiles it doth possess this truth.
Wherefore do I know that poverty is the mother of all virtues and the revelation of the divine wisdom. For seeing how that the divine wisdom hath by the Incarnation taught us mortals to be blessed, it hath taught us more by poverty of spirit. Wherefore is all the wisdom of this world nothing worth if it hath not this truth in it, but turneth unto damnation; and thus likewise are all the wise men nothing whatsoever if this truth is not in them, but they fall into damnation. Finally, it must be understood that when the soul knoweth not this truth it worketh with the spirit of vainglory and the hope of reward.
There are divers ways whereby spiritual persons may be deceived. One way, and the chief one, is when the love within the soul is not pure, but is mingled with a love which is personal and selfish — that is to say, with man's own will. Then hath he certainly somewhat of the love of the world, and the world flattereth him and praiseth him. But all worldly flattery and praise on account of devotion is false, and the person whom the world doth single out and praise seemeth to be more fervent in devotion, and his tears flow more abundantly, and that sweetness and fear and trembling are increased which do come in spiritual love which is not pure. And these things are not done inwardly in the soul but outwardly in the body, neither doth pure love enter into the soul, wherefore the sweetness speedily fadeth and the man forgetteth himself; yea, he ofttimes turneth to bitterness. All these things have I proved within mine own self, and I should not be able to discern these aforesaid things save that mine own soul hath attained unto the certain knowledge of truth. For when love is pure it doth in all ways deem itself dead unto the senses; and it doth consider itself as nothing and it doth die in God and putrefy, and it doth reverence God and humble itself, neither doth it remember how that it was praised nor its own good. Yea, it doth find itself so downcast and so full of evil that it doth not believe it can be entirely saved by any saint whatsoever, only by God alone.
Yet it doth ofttimes more readily pray for assistance unto the saints rather than unto God, not daring because of its unworthiness to pray unto God Himself, albeit it imploreth help from the Holy Virgin and all the other saints. And when it is praised by any person it deemeth such praise to be a mockery and a jest. And this love is pure and cometh direct from God and is implanted within the soul, to whom hath been thereby revealed its own defects and God's goodness. Wherefore the tears which are now shed and the sweetness which is enjoyed do never occasion bitterness, but assurance and sweetness; and through this aforesaid love doth Christ enter into the soul, and the soul doth thereby know that it can suffer no deception nor yet deceive itself.
The other way wherein God permitteth spiritual persons to be deceived is this. When the spiritual and devout person feeleth himself to be greatly beloved of God and hath spiritual gifts and the works thereof, and doth openly speak of them, because he is too sure of himself and hath exceeded the right manner, God doth permit him to be in some way deceived in order that he may thereby learn better to know both God and himself.
Another way is when the spiritual man feeleth God to be very near and is filled with a perfect, pure, and excellent love; when every day he doth most heartily perform good works and hath determined that he will in no wise seek more to please the world, or to gain the fame of sanctity, but in all things to please Christ and submit himself entirely unto Him. Nevertheless the soul must needs learn to keep that which is its own and to render unto God the things which are God's; and if it faileth to do this then God permitteth deception in order to preserve it, and, because it is precious in His sight, that it should not overstep its proper limits. Moreover, the soul is not content with what hath been said, until God leadeth it unto the knowledge of Himself and the full understanding of His goodness — wherefore can there be no deception here, for the soul is so completely instructed of the truth that it doth deem itself to be as full as possible. It is first filled with the knowledge of God Himself, so that it can neither see nor remember aught else, and thereafter it cometh immediately to the understanding of His divine goodness. Then doth it see the one and the other together in a way the which cannot be described, but since even this sufficeth not, God doth excite it to yet greater zeal and permitteth tribulations.
But the sentiment wherein He doth not permit the soul to be deceived is poverty of spirit, and verily, I have heard poverty of spirit so much commended in the divine words of God (and with such great and good proofs thereof) that it doth in all ways surpass our understanding. Verily, God spake thus unto me: "If poverty had not been a most noble thing (said God) I myself would not have assumed it." Certain it is that pride can only exist in those who do possess something, or who believe themselves to have something. For this reason, because they did believe themselves to be possessed of something, came the pride and the fall of the first man and the angel; neither the angel nor the man did possess anything in themselves of themselves, for God alone hath this, and humility is found alone in those who are poor and who are persuaded that they do possess nothing. Wherefore is poverty a most excellent thing, and God Himself did cause His dearly beloved Son to be more poor than any man ever was before or will be hereafter; and albeit He is greater than can be declared, yet did God nevertheless make Him as poor as though He were naught. And unto sinners and mortal men in whom was no true light this thing did seem foolishness, but unto the wise and unto men of understanding it did seem just the contrary.
For whosoever hath poverty can never be ruined, neither can he fall through deception, and if any person were truly to perceive the benefits of poverty he would love God, and if he were but to consider the immeasurable value of it he would no longer be able to keep any worldly possessions, and whosoever were to see how greatly God loveth true poverty, would retain nothing for himself. The proof of this is the proof of divine wisdom, which first maketh us to see our faults and believe ourselves poor in all merit and goodness, and thus honestly to esteem ourselves for what we really are.
And in consequence we do make ourselves poor and do love that same poverty, and those who love it are enlightened by the gift of grace (which is given unto those who do perceive the benefits of poverty). Then doth it make us to see the divine goodness in order that we may all love God, and whosoever loveth doth esteem himself as possessing nothing. And as a man loveth so doth he work, and thus doth he lose all confidence in himself and trusteth in God alone; wherefore, because he confideth himself entirely unto God, he is enlightened by God Himself and all doubts fall away from him. Whosoever knoweth this truth cannot be deceived either by demons or by any other thing whatsoever, because in this poverty of spirit the soul receiveth a clear and perfect comprehension and hath a most enlightened understanding of all the matters of this life, so that it can never be deceived the whiles it doth possess this truth.
Wherefore do I know that poverty is the mother of all virtues and the revelation of the divine wisdom. For seeing how that the divine wisdom hath by the Incarnation taught us mortals to be blessed, it hath taught us more by poverty of spirit. Wherefore is all the wisdom of this world nothing worth if it hath not this truth in it, but turneth unto damnation; and thus likewise are all the wise men nothing whatsoever if this truth is not in them, but they fall into damnation. Finally, it must be understood that when the soul knoweth not this truth it worketh with the spirit of vainglory and the hope of reward.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre