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Author Topic: Sure signs by which we may know whether we have the divine love in us  (Read 308 times)

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Offline Maria Dolorosa

Sure signs by which we may know whether we have the divine love in us
« on: April 20, 2026, 05:28:14 PM »
From St. Alphonsus Liguori's book "The Way of Salvation and of Perfection", p. 492-498

https://archive.org/details/wayofsalvationof0000unse/page/492/mode/2up


Divine love is compared in the Scriptures to fire.

Our Lord, in declaring to us in the Gospel that he had come on earth to bring down the divine love, expresses himself by saying that he had come on earth to bring fire: I am come to cast fire on the earth. And God himself, in the Apocalypse, counsels a soul to provide itself with burnt gold: I counsel thee, O soul, to buy of Me gold fire-tried; that is, divine love.

Now, fire has these two properties, it resists what is contrary to itself — I mean to say, that instead of being put out by winds and gusts, it is thereby augmented — and it is operative; if it is fire it will act. Here are therefore, two sure signs by which we may find out if we have ourselves the holy love of God — works and patience.

Do we always work for our God, at least by means of a pure right intention of doing his divine will in all things, of finding his divine good pleasure in all things? Do we voluntarily suffer for his sake everything that is against our inclination, — poverty, tribulations, sickness, and everything else? And instead of such things making us go far from him, do they bring us nearer to him? If they do, then we have the holy love of God. Our love is a fire which acts, which opposes what is contrary to itself, otherwise we have it not; our love towards God will be not true, but false; it will be a love of the lips, but not of the heart. St. John also warns us against this: My little children (see how he makes use of the very expressions of love), let us not love in word and in tongue , but in deed and in truth.

St. Gregory says, "If there is no work, there is no love." And Jesus Christ: He that hath My commandments and keepeth them (he who keeps my commandments and observes them faithfully), he it is that loveth Me. And St. Augustine adds, "The bitterest and most disagreeable things are rendered comparatively easy, and almost of no account, by love." So that if we always act in the manner laid down above, — that is, for our God, — if we keep his divine commandments, if we observe them faithfully (and with the divine commandments come also those of the holy Church, the obligations of our state, and each one’s own duty), if we overcome with generosity and even with cheerfulness, for our God, everything that is contrary to our nature, though it be most distasteful to us, we have in us the holy love of God. Our love is then a fire which acts, which resists what is contrary to itself; otherwise we have it not: our love towards God will certainly not be true, but false; it will be a love of the lips, not a love of the heart: "My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

Let us give some more practical example. Suppose you have an opportunity of making such and such profit, but it is dishonest to do so; or an opportunity occurs for you to indulge yourself in some pleasure, but that pleasure is unlawful; the duties of your state trouble you, or the labors of your employment weary you; and for the sake of your God you do not care to make that profit, you renounce that pleasure, do your duty, and continue your work,— then you have the holy love of God, your love is a fire which operates; otherwise you have it not, your love towards God will not be true love, but false; it will be a love of the lips, and not a love of the heart: "My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

Further, suppose some tribulation comes upon you suddenly, that an action is brought against you unexpectedly, on which all you have depends, that you suddenly lose some person in whom were all your hopes, and who was your whole support. Do you with promptness offer it all to our Lord; do you even bear all with joy? If so, you have the holy love of God. Your love is a fire which resists what is contrary to itself; otherwise you have it not: your love will not be true, it will be false — a love of the lips, not a love of the heart: "My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

But it is a still surer sign of love to suffer than to act; because in acting, a person employs himself in favor of the person beloved, and so far gives a sign of love; but in suffering, a person has no care for himself, and thinks of nothing but the person beloved, and therefore gives a sign of greater love. And by this mark God was pleased singularly to try the great love of holy Job towards him.

The holy man Job was certainly a great lover of God; but when did he show himself most truly to be so? Was it when he was surrounded by a numerous family? When he was in the enjoyment of an abundance of earthly goods? When he was in perfect health? Yes, even then; for even then he acknowledged that all came from God; he thanked him for all these things, offered sacrifices, and fulfilled his duty; giving good advice to his sons, and by continually praying for them, that they might never sin and offend their Lord: 'Lest, perhaps, my sons have sinned.'

But his love of God showed itself really great, when God, on purpose to try his great love for him, despoiled him of all his possessions at once; caused all his sons to die at the same time; deprived him entirely, in one moment, of his health; so that he was reduced to such a state, that, covered with ulcers from head to foot, he sat on a dunghill, and scraped with a potsherd the corrupt matter from all his members; — with all these horrible misfortunes, and in the midst of all these unheard-of afflictions, he did nothing but repeat continually, with invincible and more than wonderful patience, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, as it hath pleased the Lord, so be it done; blessed be the name of the Lord.

But why speak of the holy Job? Jesus Christ himself said to his apostles, as he was going to his Passion, That the world may know that I love the Father , etc. . . . Arise, let us go hence. Here, then, we have the surest and most incontestable proof of the true love of God — patience, patience; the voluntary suffering of anything for him.

The sayings and doings of the saints on this matter are also known to all.

St. Teresa said, "either to suffer or to die;" St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, "to suffer, and not to die;" St. John of the Cross, "to suffer, and be silent."

The holy martyrs invited their executioners to torment them, and the wild beasts to devour them. St. Lidwine willingly suffered a painful illness for thirty-three years.

St. Frances of Rome willingly suffered the unjust banishment of her husband, and the confiscation of all their property; and St. John of the Cross already named willingly endured a cruel imprisonment for nine months, with numberless other inconveniences and hardships.

See, see, the surest and most incontestable mark of the true love of God, patience, patience; suffering, willingly suffering everything for him.

And oh, happy and blessed is he who by these two sure marks of works and patience, of acting and suffering for our great God, discovers in himself the holy love of God!

All the gold in the world, when compared with the smallest degree of the holy love of God, is nothing but a handful of sand: All gold in comparison of her is as a little sand. All the riches even of the world, compared with the least degree of the holy love of God, are as nought, as the Wise Man says in the Scripture: I esteemed riches nothing, in comparison of her.

But why talk about all the gold or all the riches of the world, while all the greatest of the supernatural gifts are worth nothing without the holy love of God? This is the language of the holy Apostle Paul, who possessed the holy love of God in such abundance, and who therefore so well knew its value.

If, said he, I had the gift of all tongues, and could speak not only in all the languages of men, but also in that wonderful language with which the angels speak to one another: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels; and had not the holy love of God, and have not charity, I should be no better than a cymbal that was out of tune: I am become as sounding brass or as a tinkling cymbal.

If I had the highest gift of prophecy, so that I could penetrate the depths of the most abstruse mysteries, "And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries;" if I had the gift of all sciences, and such a great faith that I could remove mountains, from one place to another; "if I should have all knowledge, and all faith, so that I could remove mountains," and had not the holy love of God: "And have not charity;" I am good for nothing: I "am nothing."

This beautiful virtue of charity, or holy love of God, is the queen of all the other virtues, and reigns, and will reign, for all eternity.

After death faith will have its reward, because it will see that in which it has believed; but the virtue of faith will have no place in Paradise.

After death hope will have its reward, because it will possess that which it hoped in; but there will be no virtue of hope in heaven. 

After death, charity or love towards God will have its reward, and will reign eternally, because with infinite beatitude it will continue to love throughout all eternity that same God whom it loved here on earth.

Therefore, oh, how happy, oh, how blessed is he who, by these two most certain marks of works and patience, voluntarily acting and suffering for his God, is able to recognize in himself the holy and true love of God!

Let us, then, all love our God, and let us all love him in the manner and according to the rule here given.

In all our works let us have God before our eyes, in everything fulfilling always his divine will, his divine good pleasure; and let us bear not only patiently but also joyfully all that is contrary to our self-love and to our human sensibilities.

It is for this one only end, that of loving our God, that we have been created and put into this world by him.

To the accomplishment of this one only end let us turn all our care, all our solicitude.

On his love alone let us set any value, let us often ask him to give us his holy love alone: "Thy holy love alone" (let all and each of us say constantly); "give us Thy holy love alone, O Lord, together with Thy holy grace, and I am rich enough; nor will I ask anything else of Thee;" as that great saint who was so filled with the love of God, the great St. Ignatius, continually prayed.

A Short Act of Perfect Love towards God, to be repeated very often.

My God, I love Thee above all things, and in all things, with my whole soul, because Thou art worthy of all love!
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Offline Maria Dolorosa

Re: Sure signs by which we may know whether we have the divine love in us
« Reply #1 on: Today at 01:22:41 PM »
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Offline russianpropagandapurveyor

Re: Sure signs by which we may know whether we have the divine love in us
« Reply #2 on: Today at 02:08:56 PM »
But then I sigh; and, with a piece of scripture,
Tell them that God bids us do good for evil:
And thus I clothe my naked villany
With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.
~William Shakespeare, Richard III
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Offline Maria Dolorosa

Re: Sure signs by which we may know whether we have the divine love in us
« Reply #3 on: Today at 02:20:35 PM »
Quote from: russianpropagandapurveyor on Today at 02:08:56 PM
But then I sigh; and, with a piece of scripture,
Tell them that God bids us do good for evil:
And thus I clothe my naked villany
With old odd ends stolen out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.
~William Shakespeare, Richard III
:pray:
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