Confidence.
“Have confidence.” — St. Mark 6:50.
FOURTEENTH DAY.
When one proposes to undertake something belonging to the service of God, having invoked His light, certain that it is His will, we must make use of the human means which are necessary and proper to execute the orders of Divine Providence; nevertheless it is not upon these mean we must rely, but solely upon the divine assistance; from this we must expect success, being well persuaded that whatever may happen will be for our advantage. — St. Vincent de Paul.
A person recommending himself to the prayers of the saint, he replied: “I have been all the morning so occupied with business that I have had little or no time for prayer, and even during that prayer I was much distracted; however, I am no discouraged. I am certain that the throne of the goodness and mercy of God is built upon the foundation of our miseries.”
St. Ignatius, in all his undertakings, labored as if all depended upon himself, and he placed all his confidence in God, as if all depended upon God.
Prayer.
My God, I place my confidence in Thee alone. If Thou dost not assist me, nothing will prosper; if Thou dost assist me, all will succeed. I ask first the kingdom of heaven, persuaded that all else will be added.