Behold, if all should be said against thee which the malice of men can invent, what hurt could it do thee, if thou wouldst let it pass, and make no account of it? Could it even so much as pluck one hair from thee?
But he who has not his heart within, nor God before his eyes, is easily moved with a word of dispraise. Whereas he that trusts in Me, and desires not to stand by his own judgement, will be free from the fear of men. For I am the judge and discerner of all secrets; I know how matters are; I know him that offers the injury and him that suffers it. From Me this word went forth; by My permission it happened; that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed (Luke ii, 35).
-Bk. III, ch. xlvi.
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"When I am corrected," I said to her one day, "I prefer to have deserved it, rather than be unjustly accused."
"I would rather be unjustly reproved," she answered, "because having a good conscience I can then offer it joyfully to God; but afterwards I humble myself with the thought that I am quite capable of committing the fault in question. As you advance in the spiritual life you will not have to struggle so much, or rather, you will overcome difficulties more easily, as you will approach them in the right way."
"Your soul will have been lifted above creatures. I no longer care what is said to me, because I know how faulty human judgement can be, What is the use of justifying ourselves when we are misunderstood or misjudged? Say nothing, let the matter drop, one can even rejoice in being misjudged. The Gospel does not say that St Mary Magdalen defended herself, when accused by her sister of neglecting her duty as she sat at Our Lord's feet. She did not say: "Oh! Martha, if you only knew what happiness there is in listening to the words of the Master, you too would leave all to share in my joy and rest!" St Mary Magdalen, however, preferred to say nothing...O blessed silence, that brings such peace to the soul."
-Conseils et Souvenirs.
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For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
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