Magnificat January 2023

Magnificat Vol. LVIII, No. 1 13 suffer with Christ means to comfort Him, means the completion of His Passion, a more perfect love for Him here on earth, and a preparation for the further enjoyment of His love throughout all eternity: “Gladly therefore I will glory in my infirmities, that the strength of Christ may dwell in me... I overflow with joy in all our troubles.”5 This leads to the third degree of patience: the desire and the love of suffering for the sake of God whom one wishes to glorify, and for the sake of souls, for whose sanctification one wants to labor. This is the degree proper to perfect souls and especially apostolic souls: religious, priests, and devout men and women. Such was the disposition that animated Our Blessed Lord when He offered Himself as a victim upon His entrance into this world, and which He expressed in proclaiming His desire to suffer the baptism of His Passion: “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”6 Perfect souls enter into the same sentiments, out of love for Him and in order to become more like Him. In the words of Saint Ignatius, “Just as men of the world, who are attached to earthly things, very eagerly love and seek honors, a good reputation and prominence among men..., so do those who make progress in the ways of the spirit, and earnestly follow Jesus Christ, love and ardently desire whatever is opposed to the spirit of the world... So that if it were possible, with no offense to God and scandal to their neighbor, they would want to suffer affronts, slander and insults, and be reckoned as fools even if they had given no occasion for it, such is their intense desire to be likened in some way to Our Lord Jesus Christ... and that with the help of His grace we strive to imitate Him as far as we can, and to follow Him in all things, since He is the true way which leads men to life.”7 Evidently, it is only love 5. St. Paul, II Corinthians 12:9 and 7:4. 6. St. Luke 12:50. 7. St. Ignatius Loyola, Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, “General Examination”, ch. 4, no. 44. for God and for the Crucified Christ that can inspire such a love for the Cross and humiliations. Must a soul go further and offer itself to God as a victim, and formally ask God for extraordinary sufferings in order to offer reparation to God or obtain some noteworthy favor? No doubt some of the Saints have done so, and in our day there are still generous souls who are moved to do likewise. However, generally speaking, such requests cannot be prudently counseled. They may easily lead to illusions and are often the outcome of some ill-considered impulse of generosity which has its origin in presumption. Father de Smedt says: “Such requests are made in moments of emotional fervor, and once this is gone..., a person realizes his weakness to accomplish the heroic acts of submission and resignation so energetically made in his imagination. From this come violent temptations to discouragement and even complaints against Divine Providence... It is a source of great annoyance and perplexity to the spiritual directors of such souls.”8 Therefore, we must not take it upon ourselves to ask for extraordinary sufferings or trials. If someone feels himself drawn to them, he must take counsel with a judicious director of souls and do nothing without his approval. Source: Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey, p.s.s. (1854-1932), The Spiritual Life: A Treatise of Ascetical and Mystical Theology (Society of St. John the Evangelist, Desclée: Tournai, 1930), pp. 511-514, Nos 1088-1092. 8. Fr. Pierre-Jean de Smedt, S.J., in Notre vie surnaturelle (Our Supernatural Life), Vol. II, p. 260.

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