But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6 (cf. Proverbs 3:34, 29:23; Matthew 23:12; 1 Peter 5:5)
“If we think the Lord has given us a certain grace, we must understand that it is a blessing which we have received but which He may take away from us again, as indeed, in the great providence of God, often happens. Have you never observed this yourselves, sisters? I certainly have: sometimes I think I am extremely detached, and, in fact, when it comes to the test, I am; yet at other times I find I have such attachment to things which the day before I should perhaps have scoffed at that I hardly know myself…
That being so, who can say that he possesses any virtue, or that he is rich, if at the time when he most needs this virtue he finds himself devoid of it? No, sisters: let us rather think of ourselves as lacking it and not run into debt without having the means of repayment…
If others, thinking we are good, bestow favors and honours upon us, both they and we shall look foolish when, as I say, it becomes clear that our virtues are only lent us. The truth is that, if we serve the Lord with humility, He will sooner or later succour us in our needs. But, if we are not strong in this virtue, the Lord will leave us to ourselves, as they say, at every step. This is a great favor on His part, for it helps us to realize fully that we have nothing which has not been given us.”
Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) helped people find inward peace with God during times that were outwardly troubled linked to the Spanish Inquisition. Her most famous work is Interior Castle, and this except comes from The Way of Perfection, and Conceptions of Divine Love.
The Way of Perfection, and Conceptions of Divine Love provides a sampling of Teresa’s contribution to the Counter-Reformation happening in the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation. While Luther (in Germany) and Calvin (in Switzerland) were fighting the battle for the Christian mind and establishing separate Christian movements outside of the Catholic Church, Teresa (in Spain) was fighting the battle for people to love God deeply in their hearts, and urging for change within the Catholic Church. As an agent of reform, Teresa founded the order of Discalced Carmelites with John of the Cross, whom we will hear from tomorrow.
Scholars note that her inspiration for writing this book came from reading the classic work, The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis. The Way of Perfection, and Conceptions of Divine Love contains 42 chapters. The first 18 chapters or so deal with life in the order, while the remaining chapters focus on aspects and approaches to growth in the spiritual life. Today’s reading gave me deeper insight to the oft quoted statement in Scripture: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
God is generous and gives us grace at every turn. He gives us grace to attach to that which is good and detach from that which is unhealthy or harmful for us. He gives us grace to serve, grace to love, grace to give, grace for every aspect of the Christian life. We must not, however, in modern terms, think “we have arrived” lest pride overtake us. The idea that virtues are only “lent us” helped me realize that that the inner posture of the generous person must focus on humility if there be any generosity in outward living.
Think about it. She concludes by helping the sisters (and us) understand that the reason the Lord wants us to take a perpetual posture of humility is so that our own pride does not destroy us: “This is a great favour on His part, for it helps us to realize fully that we have nothing which has not been given us.” Teresa generously blessed others because she fixed her heart on humility before the Lord, and in so doing, God made her a conduit of blessing. Make it so, Lord, in each of our lives!