Can Abandonment to Divine Providence Really Help Us Deal with Disappointment Like This?
We're continuing our special series of posts to help us work through this
Holy Season of Lent. Each will incorporate the advice provided by Father de
Caussade in Abandonment to Divine Providence, specifically referencing passages from the "Letters on the Practice of Abandonment to Divine Providence" that are typically included in editions of his spiritual writing.
In Letter III - titled "Peace in Turmoil" - we are advised that "Profound peace can be enjoyed in this abandonment even amidst the bustle of business matters" What could be more appropriate for us Catholic men at work? But this isn't simply Father de Caussade's advice to us. He immediately describes his own personal experience.
Father has been transferred, something he dreaded. Take some time to read his words carefully. There's no mistaking how difficult this change in Father's work has been and will be - except for his practice of abandoning himself to Divine Providence. Perhaps we can think of similarly difficult, even disturbing circumstances that have occurred, or may now be occurring in our own work life. Have we developed this practice of abandonment to Divine Providence?
"What I have always feared has come to pass. I have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary
to all my predilections and for which I do not believe myself to have any aptitude. In vain have I
groaned, prayed, implored, and offered to remain all my life in the vicariate of Toulouse: I have
been compelled to make the sacrifice—one of the greatest of my whole life. But now I see plainly
the hand of Providence. The sacrifice having been made and reiterated a hundred times God has
taken from me all my former repugnance, so that I left the mother-house, which you know how
much I loved, with a peace and liberty of spirit which astonished even myself. More still! When I
arrived at Perpignan I found a large amount of business to attend to, none of which I understood;
and many people to see, and to deal with; the Bishop, the steward, the king’s lieutenant, the
Parliament, the garrison staff. You know what horror I have always entertained for visits of any
sort, and above all for those of grand people. Well! none of these have given me any alarm; in God
I hope to find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in divine Providence which enables
me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquillity in the midst of a thousand
cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me. It is true that
what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered my soul impervious to
fear, and I desire nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when I have done all in my
power or that I felt before God that I ought to do, I leave the rest to Him, abandoning everything
entirely and with my whole heart to divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and
wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because I am convinced by faith and
by numerous personal experiences that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such
a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has
He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us?
Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us?
I entreat you, then, not to worry about me and my affairs. Do the same that I have constrained
myself to do. Directly I have taken measures before God and according to His will I leave all the
rest to Him, and look to Him for success. I wait for this success with confidence, but also in peace; and whatever takes place I accept, not for the satisfaction of my impatient desires, but keeping pace
with divine Providence, who rules and arranges all for our greater good, although generally we do
not understand any of His ways. And how can we dare to judge Him, poor ignorant creatures as
we are, and blind as the moles that burrow underground.
Let us accept all from the hand of our good Father and He will keep us in peace in the midst of
the greatest disasters of this world, which pass away like shadows. In proportion to our abandonment
and confidence in God will our lives be holy and tranquil. Also where this abandonment is neglected
there can be no virtue, nor any perfect rest."
Having read Father's story, I think it's fair to say we should all consider developing the practice abandonment to Divine Providence. Come to think of it, a holy and tranquil day at work sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
In Letter III - titled "Peace in Turmoil" - we are advised that "Profound peace can be enjoyed in this abandonment even amidst the bustle of business matters" What could be more appropriate for us Catholic men at work? But this isn't simply Father de Caussade's advice to us. He immediately describes his own personal experience.
Father has been transferred, something he dreaded. Take some time to read his words carefully. There's no mistaking how difficult this change in Father's work has been and will be - except for his practice of abandoning himself to Divine Providence. Perhaps we can think of similarly difficult, even disturbing circumstances that have occurred, or may now be occurring in our own work life. Have we developed this practice of abandonment to Divine Providence?
"What I have always feared has come to pass. I have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary
to all my predilections and for which I do not believe myself to have any aptitude. In vain have I
groaned, prayed, implored, and offered to remain all my life in the vicariate of Toulouse: I have
been compelled to make the sacrifice—one of the greatest of my whole life. But now I see plainly
the hand of Providence. The sacrifice having been made and reiterated a hundred times God has
taken from me all my former repugnance, so that I left the mother-house, which you know how
much I loved, with a peace and liberty of spirit which astonished even myself. More still! When I
arrived at Perpignan I found a large amount of business to attend to, none of which I understood;
and many people to see, and to deal with; the Bishop, the steward, the king’s lieutenant, the
Parliament, the garrison staff. You know what horror I have always entertained for visits of any
sort, and above all for those of grand people. Well! none of these have given me any alarm; in God
I hope to find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in divine Providence which enables
me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquillity in the midst of a thousand
cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me. It is true that
what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered my soul impervious to
fear, and I desire nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when I have done all in my
power or that I felt before God that I ought to do, I leave the rest to Him, abandoning everything
entirely and with my whole heart to divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and
wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because I am convinced by faith and
by numerous personal experiences that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such
a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has
He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us?
Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us?
I entreat you, then, not to worry about me and my affairs. Do the same that I have constrained
myself to do. Directly I have taken measures before God and according to His will I leave all the
rest to Him, and look to Him for success. I wait for this success with confidence, but also in peace; and whatever takes place I accept, not for the satisfaction of my impatient desires, but keeping pace
with divine Providence, who rules and arranges all for our greater good, although generally we do
not understand any of His ways. And how can we dare to judge Him, poor ignorant creatures as
we are, and blind as the moles that burrow underground.
Let us accept all from the hand of our good Father and He will keep us in peace in the midst of
the greatest disasters of this world, which pass away like shadows. In proportion to our abandonment
and confidence in God will our lives be holy and tranquil. Also where this abandonment is neglected
there can be no virtue, nor any perfect rest."
Having read Father's story, I think it's fair to say we should all consider developing the practice abandonment to Divine Providence. Come to think of it, a holy and tranquil day at work sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
We adore Thee O Christ, and we bless Thee,
Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
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