<<<home page index>>>

 

Brookline Carmel Bulletin                         J M J T

March 27, 1960

 

 

Cogitatio Sancta

(Holy Meditation)

 

Purity of Intention

(concluded)

 

 

There are two ways to offer our daily actions to Almighty God.  The first is to make the morning offering, in which we tell God that every action we perform that day will be done for His greater honor and glory.  There are various formulas that we might use, but they are not necessary.  All we need do is to tell Him in our own words.  The other way is to offer each action to God before we perform it.   Since this is rather difficult, and there is the possibility we might forget to do it, the best way is to offer all our actions to God in the morning, and then occasionally during the day to remind Him (and ourselves) of our intention.  It only takes a few seconds, and it is well worth the little effort it might require in the beginning.

 

The principle of offering all our actions to God is based on the very words of Christ Himself:  “Whoever gives a refreshing drink to one of these little ones, doing so because he is a disciple, will not, I tell you truly, go without his reward.”  We can surely apply this to any action we have to perform during the day.  Everything we do can be turned into merit for eternity provided we have offered our work to God and are performing it for His honor and glory.

 

If we examine the lives of some of the saints, we can readily see that it was their purity of intention, which enabled them to reach the heights of sanctity.  The Little Flower never performed any astonishing actions in her lifetime.  She did the common, ordinary tasks in the community, such as sweeping floors and washing dishes, but she did say it was possible to convert a soul by simply picking up a straw for the love of God.  Carmelite Tertiaries perform many of the same actions, as did the Little Flower.  If they perform them with purity of intention, as she did, they also can become saints.

 

When you look at it from a very practical viewpoint, it seems a pity that Tertiaries do not always act with a certain purity of intention.  You have to perform certain routine actions every day, for they are a necessity.  It is not that you are asked to take on any new devotions or perform any special actions.  It is merely the sanctification of the various actions that your state of life imposes upon you.  It is the same with the sufferings and crosses and little disappointments you have to bear.  It is just impossible to escape them, so as long as they are present, common sense tells us to try to sanctify them.  Your pleasures in life are by no means diminished when you always try to act with purity of intention.  St. Charles Borromeo was once playing a game of chess and someone asked him what he would do if he were suddenly informed that he was to die within the hour.  He replied that he would continue the game, because he was doing it for God’s glory and he desired nothing better than to be called to God in the midst of an action that he had begun for the glory of God.  Tertiaries, too would never fear death at any time, or worry about what they might be doing at the hour of death, if they performed all their actions for the greater honor and glory of God.

 

* * *

 

“More pleasing to God is one good work, howsoever small it be, that is done in secret with no desire that it shall be known than a thousand that are done with the desire that they may be known by men. For he that with purest love does such works for God’s sake not only cares nothing if men see him, but does them not even that God Himself may know it.  Such a man, even though God were never to know it, would not cease to do Him the same services with the same joy and purity of love.”  (St. John of the Cross, Maxims)

 

“Think not that pleasing God lies so much in performing numerous good works as in performing them with good will, and without attachment and human respect.”  (ibid.)

 

“What profit is it that thou give one thing to God if He asks of thee another?  Consider that which will please God and do it; in this way shalt thou better satisfy thy heart than with that to which thou thyself inclinest.”  (ibid.)

 

“O my God, if I go everywhere with Thee, everything will go well with me…”  (ibid.)

 

 

 

<<<home page index>>>

* * * * * * * * * *

MISSION STATEMENT: This web site was created for the purpose of completing the work of Fr. Bruno Cocuzzi, O.C.D These conferences may be reproduced for private use only. Publication of this material is forbidden without permission of the Father Provincial for the Discalced Carmelites, Holy Hill, 1525 Carmel Rd., Hubertus, WI 53033-9770.