Doing God's Will out of Love and not out of Fear

Introduction to the Devout Life

Part Third

9 December 2013

English speaking group: Carlo, Elzabeth, Roshita and Ruwantha

The Evangelical Counsels

Charity alone can bring us to perfection, but obedience, chastity and poverty are the principal means to attain it. Obedience consecrates our heart, chastity consecrates our body, and poverty is the means
we take to God's love and service

Obedience

Necessary obedience

• “Obey meekly and without arguing, quickly and without delay, cheerfully and without complaining. Above all, obey lovingly out of love of Him.”

Voluntary obedience

• It is voluntary "when we obligate ourselves by our own choice and when this choice is not imposed on us by someone else". Example: We choose our own confessor and spiritual director.

Necessity of Chastity

As a rule it is never licit to desire pleasure from our bodies in any way whatsoever except in lawful marriage. Advice for the different states of life:

• Widows: they need to practice extraordinary devotion, for they are more susceptible to impure allurements.
• Virgins: they must be on their guard and never doubt that chastity is finer than anything incompatible with it.
• Married: they need two kinds of chastity - absolute abstinence when separated and moderation when together.

 “Human bodies are like glass vessels that cannot be carried about while touching one another without risk of breakage.”

Poverty of Spirit

Have a great care for material things, and at the same time a great contempt.
A great care: Our possessions are not our own. God has given them to us to cultivate. We perform a service to God by taking good care of them.

Friendship

Requirements for love to become friendship:
1.The love must be mutual. 2. It must be mutually known.3. It must be fostered by communications.

Reflections:

• Will of the superior is not always the will of God but following the will of the superior always the will of God 
• Follow the will of God not because of fear but because of love.
• Crisis in the community life in the present day due to frailer in obedience. 
• Every human being is under authority not just vowed religious and very often there is less choice and greater need of sacrifice in the secular professions than in religious life
• As a member of a financially secure institution, with good housing, above average levels of food, medical care leisure, educational opportunity and social influence, are we poor. What does this vow mean today in our context.
• From the understanding of friendship by St. Francis de Sales we understand that true friendship is perhaps the only relations that survives the trials and tribulations of time and remains unconditional. A unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect, trust and loads of fun is perhaps what describes the true meaning of friendship.
• The world which is filled with materialism and consumerism, friendship too can be looked like another commodity. Friendship could lead us to base on money and power. But St. Francis de Sales makes us think what is true and genuine friendship and how it can help us to grow as better human persons towards the other and towards God.

Summary by Ruwantha
Photography by Joe