On charity
Source: Berthaumier 1863
“Charity is the greatest of all virtues. Blessed is the man who is never satisfied with the things he should always desire.”
Brother Giles said to a religious man for whom he had a singular affection: “Do you believe that I love you? - Yes, certainly, replied the religious man. - Well then, continued the brother, believe nothing of it; the Creator alone truly loves his creature, and our love is nothing compared to the love of the Creator.”
Another brother said to Giles: “What does this word of the prophet mean: ‘Each of my friends has dealt fraudulently with me’?” He replied: “I am a fraudulent friend to you whenever I do not consider your good as my own; the more I regard your good as mine, the less I act fraudulently toward you. The more a man rejoices in his neighbor’s good, the more he participates in that good; the more he rejoices in his neighbor’s evil, the more he shares in that evil. If therefore you wish to have a part in everyone’s goods, rejoice in everyone’s good. You make others’ good your own if that good pleases you, and others’ evil becomes a safeguard for you if that evil displeases you. The way of salvation consists in rejoicing in your neighbor’s good and being saddened by his misfortune; in believing good of others and evil of yourself; in honoring others and despising yourself; he who will not honor others will not be honored himself; he who will not know them will remain unknown; he who wishes to avoid labor will not taste rest. It is a work above all work to apply oneself to piety and kindness; but all that is done without love and affection cannot please either God or his saints.
“Whoever becomes poor in his own goods becomes rich in God’s goods; therefore man must choose heavenly riches and despise his own. What is greater than knowing how to exalt divine benefits and reproach oneself for one’s own faults? I would have liked to have studied in such a school from the beginning of the world, and to study there until the end, if I had to and if I were to live there, occupied in considering and praising the Lord’s benefits, in considering and blaming my faults; and if I were mistaken in reproaching myself for my disorders, I would not at least want to be mistaken in considering my God’s favors. You see that men of the lowest rank praise extraordinarily those who give them only a small gift - what then should we do for the Lord our God? We must be of unshakeable fidelity in the love of Him who wishes to deliver us from all evil and enrich us with all good.”