Chapter 1
What is the principal effect of love?
Are sacrifices, even mass and prayer, always pleasing to God?
What is the greatest glory we can give to God?
We can give God “our goods in alms, [our] blood in scourgings, our food in fasting,” but how do we give God everything we are?
What is the difference between Uniformity and Conformity?
This will seem perhaps repetitive and even disconcerting. Are we not allowed to desire things? I think the answer to this is yes. The difference between a saint and us, is that a saint isn’t disappointed when what they want doesn’t come to pass. The first step in perfection is to become accepting of God’s will, to not desire our will above His (desiring our will above His would seem to be a basic definition of sin). Is disappointment normal? Yes. But it is something we should get over. We aren’t stoics, feeling nothing. But we must accept disappointment as a gift from God, as much as we do success. Both are good for us, if we let them be. In this way, both are gifts from God and we should desire them as such.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 2
How are we to approach suffering?
How is God’s will active when bad things happen to us?
What was the single difference between the saintly monk and all the other monks?
God does not will bad things to happen to us in that He actively (active will) causes bad things to happen to us. He does permit (permissive will) bad things to happen to us. The saints use adverse situations to grow in humility and trust/reliance on God, for that is why God permits them to happen to us. God uses it as a purgation, if we work with Him, to purge out our bad habits, our sins. But we must unite our will to His. We must accept and be grateful for whatever comes our way, the good and the bad. This means fighting against our irritation, our short temper, when things don’t go our way. This means being more happy with God than with His gifts, when they do go our way.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 3
What must one do to be happy?
How does sun make us changeable? How does Uniformity with God’s Will make us constant?
Will putting this teaching into practice make us immune to irritations?
In my own life, I’ve found that my own hobbies can make me anxious. I’m stressed by waiting to do things that I enjoy. My wife will often ask me in the evenings after supper, “What would you like to do?” How often is that the guiding principle of our lives? We’re constantly trying to fulfill some desire, to relieve the boredom, instead of seeking God in the silence of prayer, instead of seeking His Will. The only way we can unite our wills to God is if we can hear Him in the silence. We won’t be able to unless we turn off the TV, the computer, our phone, the radio. The saints recommend a minimum of a half hour a day. Start with 15, or 10, or even 5. Just start.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 4
Is there any way to escape hardship?
Why does God allow hardship?
Why should we abandon ourselves to divine providence?
Desiring to suffer for God’s sake is good, but what is better?
To what should our prayers be directed?
The “prosperity gospel” (where God will only give you success, particularly financially, if you obey Him) is a lie. God does allow those He loves, those trying to be holy, to suffer, as He did with His Son. It is part of the process to becoming a Saint. It’s how we learn to love God for his own sake and not for the gifts He sends. Moreover, to complain about these sufferings is sinful. God’s desires for us are even better than our own. But they won’t come to fruition unless we unite our wills to His.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 5
How is complaining against the Uniformity with God’s Will?
What should we do when the devil tempts us with hypothetical situations?
What does he say about gaining “greater talent, better health, a more personable appearance” etc.?
How are we to approach physical suffering and illness?
While this may be the first time he really addresses it, complaining seems to really be the antithesis to what St. Alphonsus is talking about. We are not to complain. I suspect even jovially. Seeing as it is January now, we are apt to say “Phew! Sure is chilly today,” or as my family tends to, “Cold enough out there for you?” We should stop this. God has sent the weather for our benefit. If we’re quiet and accepting of it, we might find out what that benefit is and acquire it, even if it is simply to thank Him. Personally, I dread the coming of winter. But I love cold starry nights. It’s as if the whole world is listening. It lacks the beautiful chattering at night of summer. But it’s as if I could stand outside and stare at the sky praying for hours. God feels nearer with all of His creation quieted. It seems St. Francis Borgia experienced something similar.
St. Alphonsus hits upon a point that I have pondered myself. Maybe God withholds certain blessings from us for our own good. With the impending sale of St. Mary’s I bought lottery tickets on a regular basis so that I could rescue the church. I never won enough to do anything with it, despite wanting it for a good cause and praying about it. But then I think being wealthy might ruin me. Similarly would being better talented as I would become even more arrogant than I already am. The same would likely be for being handsome.
Similarly that sickness is given to us as a means for our sanctification. That is, it is a gift for our salvation.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 6
When and why does God send us spiritual consolations? Of desolation?
Do the saints always experience pleasure in prayer?
What are we to do in times of aridity (dry prayer)?
How should we approach our manner of death?
What shall we do when we fail?
St. Alphonsus touches on the loss of people in our lives. While perhaps not the main point he was getting at, I can’t help but think of the many Knights of Columbus at our parish who have lost their wives or siblings. Death of a loved one may be the hardest cross to bear, especially if they did not take their faith seriously and their salvation was more in question. People wishing to comfort us may say that “We know they’re in Heaven now.” As Catholics, we don’t know that. That’s why we pray and have funerals for them, to pray for their souls, and have masses said. But even with the pain and fear for their souls, God is drawing us closer to Him if we let Him. Calling us to rely and trust in Him more. Resigning our wills to God’s in this death is hard to say the least. But it is what we are called to do.
How will you apply this?
Chapter 7
What is the the one end that everything we do should be directed towards?
What does he have to say about daydreaming?
In closing, let us follow his advice. Let us approach everything with submission to God’s will, whether pleasurable or painful. Let us gratefully accept His gifts, whether good or bad. Let nothing stop us from praising Him and we will be saints.
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