09-09-2026, 07:06 AM
Chapter IV. How That Our Perfection Doth Consist in Knowing Our Own Wretchedness and God's Mercy
Our perfection doth certainly consist in knowing God and ourselves; there is nothing in the whole world whereof I do still delight to write or speak save these two things, namely, the knowledge of God and of ourselves. For this must a man lie ever within the prison of his own self; and if he obtaineth no profit from this, he must seek another prison.
Oh my beloved sons, every vision, every revelation, all sweetness and emotion, all knowledge, all contemplation availeth nothing if man knoweth not God and himself; for which reason I tell ye truly that without this knowledge all those other things will profit you nothing whatsoever. Wherefore do I marvel that ye desire to have letters from me; I perceive not in what manner my words can bring you comfort, seeing that I write of naught else save of this knowledge, for I take no more delight in speaking of other things — yea, I have even imposed upon myself silence concerning any other matters. I do beseech you, therefore, that ye pray unto God that He will grant this light unto all generations and that it may remain unto you for ever.
That the knowledge of God is necessary unto us can be proved and made manifest, because that which we strive after is the Kingdom of Heaven. And since we cannot nor ever should strive after it save in the same manner in which the Son of God did attain unto it, it is necessary to know the Son of God and His life and works and those things for the which He did obtain grace, in order that through the imitation of His works and the transforming of ourselves in Him, we may finally follow Him by virtue of His merits and grace, and with Him possess the Kingdom of Heaven. I say unto you that before all things it is necessary to know Christ, how that He was crucified for us and did suffer the Passion, thereby pointing out unto us the right way of life. For herein hath His infinite charity and His inestimable love been revealed unto us more clearly than in any other of the benefits He hath conferred upon us. For this reason, therefore, and in order that we may not be ungrateful, it is necessary that we should transform ourselves in His love, that is, that we should love Him as He hath loved us, and should love our neighbours; and likewise that we should lament for the Passion of this our Beloved, seeing how that He was crucified for love of us.
Considering, moreover, how many things God hath done for us (and especially for our redemption), we are required, led, and instructed to reflect upon our condition; that is to say, to reflect that our condition is most noble, being so beloved of the most high God that He was willing to die for our sake, which He would not have done if man had not been a most noble creature and of great worth. We are further required by this consideration of Christ crucified to work out our own salvation; for God Himself, so exalted (and so far removed and strange unto us), did use such diligence in obtaining our redemption and salvation that it is our bounden duty to take heed for ourselves and our salvation and to further the will of God, showing penitence for our sins.
The knowledge, therefore, doth afford us infinite profit in many ways, but chiefly in that we are saved through His Passion and are filled with His great love.
Our perfection doth certainly consist in knowing God and ourselves; there is nothing in the whole world whereof I do still delight to write or speak save these two things, namely, the knowledge of God and of ourselves. For this must a man lie ever within the prison of his own self; and if he obtaineth no profit from this, he must seek another prison.
Oh my beloved sons, every vision, every revelation, all sweetness and emotion, all knowledge, all contemplation availeth nothing if man knoweth not God and himself; for which reason I tell ye truly that without this knowledge all those other things will profit you nothing whatsoever. Wherefore do I marvel that ye desire to have letters from me; I perceive not in what manner my words can bring you comfort, seeing that I write of naught else save of this knowledge, for I take no more delight in speaking of other things — yea, I have even imposed upon myself silence concerning any other matters. I do beseech you, therefore, that ye pray unto God that He will grant this light unto all generations and that it may remain unto you for ever.
That the knowledge of God is necessary unto us can be proved and made manifest, because that which we strive after is the Kingdom of Heaven. And since we cannot nor ever should strive after it save in the same manner in which the Son of God did attain unto it, it is necessary to know the Son of God and His life and works and those things for the which He did obtain grace, in order that through the imitation of His works and the transforming of ourselves in Him, we may finally follow Him by virtue of His merits and grace, and with Him possess the Kingdom of Heaven. I say unto you that before all things it is necessary to know Christ, how that He was crucified for us and did suffer the Passion, thereby pointing out unto us the right way of life. For herein hath His infinite charity and His inestimable love been revealed unto us more clearly than in any other of the benefits He hath conferred upon us. For this reason, therefore, and in order that we may not be ungrateful, it is necessary that we should transform ourselves in His love, that is, that we should love Him as He hath loved us, and should love our neighbours; and likewise that we should lament for the Passion of this our Beloved, seeing how that He was crucified for love of us.
Considering, moreover, how many things God hath done for us (and especially for our redemption), we are required, led, and instructed to reflect upon our condition; that is to say, to reflect that our condition is most noble, being so beloved of the most high God that He was willing to die for our sake, which He would not have done if man had not been a most noble creature and of great worth. We are further required by this consideration of Christ crucified to work out our own salvation; for God Himself, so exalted (and so far removed and strange unto us), did use such diligence in obtaining our redemption and salvation that it is our bounden duty to take heed for ourselves and our salvation and to further the will of God, showing penitence for our sins.
The knowledge, therefore, doth afford us infinite profit in many ways, but chiefly in that we are saved through His Passion and are filled with His great love.
"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