THE PARABLE OF THE PILGRIM
A certain man had a great desire to go to
Jerusalem. Not knowing the right way, he inquired of one he hoped could direct
him, and asked by what path he could reach there in safety. The other said,
"The journey there is long and full of difficulties. There are several roads
that appear and promise to lead there, but their dangers are too great.
However, I know one way which, if you will faithfully follow according to the
mark's and directions that I shall give you, will certainly lead you there. I
cannot, however, promise you security from many frights, beatings, and other
ill-usages and temptations of all kinds, yet if you only have courage and
patience enough to suffer them without quarreling, or resisting, or troubling
yourself about them, but pass on quietly, having this only in your mind, and
sometimes on you tongue, `I have naught, I am naught, I desire naught but to be
in Jerusalem,' my life for yours, in due time you will get there in safety."
The pilgrim, full of joy at the news said, "If
only I arrive at length in safety at the place I desire so much, I care not
what miseries I suffer on the way; therefore, only let me know the course I am
to take, and, God willing, I shall not fail carefully to observe all your
directions."--"Since you have so good a will," said the guide, "though I myself
was never so happy as to be in Jerusalem, yet be assured that if you follow the
instructions I shall give, you will arrive safe at the end of your journey."
The advice is briefly this: Before taking the
first step on the highway that leads there you must be firmly grounded in the
truths of the Catholic faith. Moreover, whatever sins you find sullying your
conscience you must cleanse by hearty penance and absolution according to the
laws of the Church. Having done so begin your journey in God's name; but be
sure to have with you two necessary instruments, Humility and Charity. These
are contained in the words above mentioned, which must always be present to
your mind, "I am naught, I have naught, I desire only one thing and that is our
Lord Jesus, and to be with Him at peace in Jerusalem." The meaning and power of
these words you must have continually, at least in your thoughts either
expressly or virtually. Humility says, "I am nothing, I have nothing." Charity
says, "I desire nothing but Jesus." You must never lose these two companions,
neither will they consent to be separated from each other, for they agree
lovingly together, and the deeper you establish yourself in humility the higher
you will advance in charity, for the more you see and feel yourself to be
nothing the more ardently you will see and love Jesus, that by Him who is All
you may become something.
This humility is to be exercised not so much in
considering your own vileness and sinfulness, though in the beginning this
consideration is good and beneficial, but rather in a quiet consideration of
the infinite being and goodness of Jesus. You are to behold Him either through
grace in sensible devotional knowledge of Him, or, at least, in a full and firm
faith in Him. And such a contemplation of the infinite sanctity and goodness of
Jesus will operate in your mind a much more pure, spiritual, solid and perfect
humility, than the reflecting on your own nothingness, which produces a
humility much more gross, boisterous and imperfect. In this mirror of sanctity
you will behold yourself to be not only the most wretched, filthy creature in
the world, but also, in the very substance of your soul, setting aside the
foulness of sin, to be a mere nothing; for really, in comparison with Jesus who
is All, you are nothing. And until you have and feel that you have the love of
Jesus, although you think you have done ever so many good deeds, spiritually
and worldly, you have nothing, for nothing but the love of Jesus will abide in
and fill your soul. Therefore cast aside and forget all other things in order
that you may have that which is the best of all. If you do this you will become
a true pilgrim, who leaves behind him house, wife, children, friends, and
goods, and denies himself all things in order that he may go on his journey
lightly and without hindrance.
If your desire for Jesus still continues and
grows stronger, so that you go on your way courageously, they will then tell
you that you may become ill, and perhaps with such a disease as will bring
frightful dreads into your mind; or perhaps you will become very poor and you
will find no charitable person to help you. Do not heed what they say, but if
you should happen to fall into sickness or poverty, still have faith in Jesus
and say, "I am naught, I have naught, I care for naught in this world, and I
desire naught but the love of Jesus, that I may see Him at peace in
Jerusalem."
If it should ever happen that through some of
these temptations and your own weakness, you waver and perhaps fall into sin,
and thus lose the way for a time, return as soon as possible to the right path
by using such remedies as the Church ordains. Do not think of your past sins,
for that will harm you and favour your enemies; but make haste to go on your
way as if nothing happened. Think only of Jesus, and of your desire to gain His
love, and nothing will harm you.
Finally, when your enemies see that you are so
determined that neither sickness, fancies, poverty, life, death, nor sins
discourage you, but that you will continue to seek the love of Jesus and
nothing else, by continuing your prayer and other spiritual works, they will
grow enraged and will not spare you the most cruel abuse. They will make their
most dangerous assault by bringing before you all your good deeds and virtues,
showing that all men praise, love, and honour you for your sanctity. This they
will do to make you vain and proud. But if you offer your life to Jesus you
will consider all this flattery and falsehood as deadly poison to your soul,
and will cast it from you.
In order to shun such temptations renounce all
vain thoughts and think of Jesus only, resolving to know and love Him. After
you have accustomed yourself to think of Him alone, any thoughts not relating
to Him will be unwelcome and painful to you.
If there is any work you are obliged to do for
yourself or neighbour fail not to do it as soon and as well as you can, lest by
delay it may distract your thoughts from Jesus. If it is unnecessary work do
not think about it, but dismiss it from your thoughts saying, "I am naught, I
can do naught, I have naught, and I desire naught but Jesus and His love."
It will be necessary for you, as for all other
pilgrims, to take, on the way, sleep and refreshments and sometimes innocent
recreation; but if you use discretion in these things, although they seem to
delay you, they will give you strength and courage to continue on your
journey.
To conclude, remember that your principal aim,
and indeed only business, is to give your thoughts to the desire of Jesus, and
to strengthen this desire by daily prayer and other spiritual works. And
whatever you find suitable to increase that desire, be it praying or reading,
speaking or being silent, working or resting, make use of it as long as your
soul finds delight in it, and as long as it increases the desire of having and
enjoying nothing but the love of Jesus and the blessed sight of Jesus in true
peace in Jerusalem. Be assured that this good desire, thus cherished and
continually increased, will bring you safely to the end of your pilgrimage.
Observing these instructions, you are in the
right path to Jerusalem. To proceed on this journey, it is necessary to do,
inwardly and outwardly, such works as are suitable to your condition, and such
as will help to increase in you the gracious desire that you have to love Jesus
only. No matter what your works are, whether thinking, reading, preaching,
labouring, etc., if you find that they draw your mind from worldly vanity and
strengthen your heart and will more to the love of Jesus, it is good and
profitable for you to pursue them. But if through custom, you find such works
in time lose their power and virtue to increase this love, cast them aside and
try some other works which you think will gain for you more grace and sanctity;
for, although the inclination and desire of your heart for Jesus should never
change, nevertheless the spiritual works you practice, such as prayer, reading,
etc., in order to feed and strengthen this desire, may well be changed,
according as you feel your spiritual welfare will be benefited by this change.
Therefore, lest you hinder the freedom of your heart to love Jesus, do not
think that because you have accustomed yourself to a certain form of devotion,
that you cannot change it for the better.
Before you have journeyed far, you must expect
enemies of all kinds, who will surround you and busily endeavour to hinder you
from going forward. Indeed, if they can by any means, they will, wither by
persuasions, flatteries, or violence, force you to return to your former habits
of sinfulness. For there is nothing annoys them so much as to see a resolute
desire to love Jesus and to labour to find him. Consequently, they will
conspire to drive out of your heart that good desire and love in which all
virtues are comprised. The first enemies that will assault you will be the
desires of the flesh, and vain fears of your corrupt heart. Joined with these
will be unclean spirits, which, with sights and temptations, will seek to
entice you to them, and draw you from Jesus. But do not believe anything they
say, but betake yourself to your old and only secure remedy, answering--"I am
naught, I have naught, and I desire naught but only the love of Jesus."
If they endeavour to put dreads and doubts into
your mind, and try to make you believe you have not done necessary penance to
atone for your sins, do not believe them. Neither believe them if they say you
have not sufficiently confessed your sins, and that you should return home to
do penance better, before you have the boldness to go to Jesus. You are
sufficiently acquitted of your sins, and there is no need at all that you
should delay in order to ransack your conscience, for this will now but harm
you, and either put you entirely out of your way, or at least unprofitably
delay your toil.
If they tell you that you are not worthy to have
the love of Jesus, or to see Jesus, and that on that account you ought not to
be so presumptuous as to desire and seek it, do not believe them, but go on,
saying, "It is not because I am worthy, but because I am unworthy, that I
desire to have the love of Jesus; for, once having that, I should become
worthy. Therefore, I will never cease desiring it until I have obtained it. I
was created for this love alone, and so, say and do what you will, I will
desire it continually, and never cease to pray for it, and thus endeavour to
obtain it."
If you meet with any who seem to be your friends,
and who in kindness would hinder your progress by entertaining you and seeking
to draw you to sensual mirth by vain discourses and carnal pleasures, whereby
you will be in danger of forgetting your pilgrimage, turn a deaf ear to them,
answer them not; think only of this, that you would fain be at Jerusalem. If
they offer you gifts and attractions, heed them not, but think ever of
Jerusalem.
If men despise you, lay false charges against
you, defraud and rob you, or even beat and use you cruelly, for your life take
no notice of them, but meekly content yourself with the injury received, and
proceed as if nothing had happened to hinder you. This punishment, or even
more, is as nothing if you can only arrive at Jerusalem, where you shall be
recompensed for all you have endured.
If your enemies see that you grow courageous, and
that you will neither be seduced by flatteries nor disheartened by the pains
and trials of your journey, but rather are contented with them, they will then
be afraid of you. Notwithstanding all this, they will still pursue you on your
way and seek every advantage against you, now and then endeavouring, either by
flatteries or alarms, to stop and drive you back. Fear them not, but continue
on your way thinking of nothing but Jerusalem and Jesus, whom you will find
there.