10-15-2026, 09:19 AM
Chapter XXVIII. The Soul Is United with God in Three Several Ways, Whereby It Is Furnished with a Weapon to Control the Love of God and of Its Neighbour
If the love of God be not directed with discretion and protected by its weapons, it turneth unto evil. The weapons wherewith the good love of God and one's neighbour may be controlled are given unto man in the transformation of the soul.
Now this transformation is a threefold one: sometimes the soul is transformed in the will of God, sometimes with God, and sometimes within God and God within it.
The first transformation is when the soul useth all its endeavour to imitate the life of Christ crucified, for herein is made manifest the will of God Himself.
The second is when the soul is united unto God and loveth God; not only because it so willeth, but because it hath great knowledge and joy of God, the which, however, it is able to explain and set forth in words.
The third is when the soul is so entirely made one with God and God with it, that it knoweth and enjoyeth with God the most high things, the which cannot possibly be set forth in words, nor imagined save by him who feeleth them.
Therefore, the first doth not control the love of lovers as perfectly as it should (albeit it hath much control), because it can still be deceived. The second, if it be very alert, is sufficient to control love. But the third is supreme in the ruling of love, because this third, together with the second, is perfectly instilled into the soul and is given unto it by grace. And this third and the second (albeit not perfect), do nevertheless produce certain wisdom by means of which the soul is enabled to control both the love of God and of the soul. For the knowledge and the sweetness and the fervour which came of the grace of God do so rule the soul and fill it with this wisdom that love endureth and doth continue as it began, and doth not show itself forth as an example with laughter and dancing or other like gestures.
In like manner doth it behave wisely and soberly in the love of neighbour or penitent, showing when and how we must condescend unto our neighbour and when not.
It is assuredly in its union with God that the soul doth acquire the aforesaid knowledge with a certain maturity and gravity of wisdom, with fair discretion and enlightenment, so that with these things the soul is enabled so to control the love of God and its neighbour, that it can neither be deceived nor can it fall.
Whosoever doth not feel himself to be filled with this wisdom should never unite himself in cordial and singular love with any person whatsoever, however much he might do it for God's sake, and with good intentions of avoiding those perils which do proceed from such love. Neither should any man ally himself with any one for love's sake, unless he hath first learnt those things whereby he is enabled to separate himself easily from any person whenever he shall choose.
If the love of God be not directed with discretion and protected by its weapons, it turneth unto evil. The weapons wherewith the good love of God and one's neighbour may be controlled are given unto man in the transformation of the soul.
Now this transformation is a threefold one: sometimes the soul is transformed in the will of God, sometimes with God, and sometimes within God and God within it.
The first transformation is when the soul useth all its endeavour to imitate the life of Christ crucified, for herein is made manifest the will of God Himself.
The second is when the soul is united unto God and loveth God; not only because it so willeth, but because it hath great knowledge and joy of God, the which, however, it is able to explain and set forth in words.
The third is when the soul is so entirely made one with God and God with it, that it knoweth and enjoyeth with God the most high things, the which cannot possibly be set forth in words, nor imagined save by him who feeleth them.
Therefore, the first doth not control the love of lovers as perfectly as it should (albeit it hath much control), because it can still be deceived. The second, if it be very alert, is sufficient to control love. But the third is supreme in the ruling of love, because this third, together with the second, is perfectly instilled into the soul and is given unto it by grace. And this third and the second (albeit not perfect), do nevertheless produce certain wisdom by means of which the soul is enabled to control both the love of God and of the soul. For the knowledge and the sweetness and the fervour which came of the grace of God do so rule the soul and fill it with this wisdom that love endureth and doth continue as it began, and doth not show itself forth as an example with laughter and dancing or other like gestures.
In like manner doth it behave wisely and soberly in the love of neighbour or penitent, showing when and how we must condescend unto our neighbour and when not.
It is assuredly in its union with God that the soul doth acquire the aforesaid knowledge with a certain maturity and gravity of wisdom, with fair discretion and enlightenment, so that with these things the soul is enabled so to control the love of God and its neighbour, that it can neither be deceived nor can it fall.
Whosoever doth not feel himself to be filled with this wisdom should never unite himself in cordial and singular love with any person whatsoever, however much he might do it for God's sake, and with good intentions of avoiding those perils which do proceed from such love. Neither should any man ally himself with any one for love's sake, unless he hath first learnt those things whereby he is enabled to separate himself easily from any person whenever he shall choose.
"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