Let us feed upon the honey left us in the teaching of so many holy men of old
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However much we may admire and crave for light, it is apt to dazzle our eyes when they have been long accustomed to darkness; and on first visiting a foreign country, we are sure to feel strange among its inhabitants, however kindly or courteous they may be. Even so, my child, your changed life may be attended with some inward discomfort, and you may feel some reaction of discouragement and weariness after you have taken a final farewell of the world and its follies. Should it be so, I pray you take it patiently, for it will not last,–it is merely the disturbance caused by novelty; and when it is gone by, you will abound in consolations. At first you may suffer somewhat under the loss what you enjoyed among your vain, frivolous companions; but would you forfeit the eternal gifts of God for such things as these?
The empty amusements which have engrossed you hitherto may rise up attractively before your imagination, and strive to win you back to rest in them; but are you bold enough to give up a blessed eternity for such deceitful snares? Believe me, if you will but persevere you will not fail to enjoy a sweetness so real and satisfying, that you will be constrained to confess that the world has only gall to give as compared with this honey, and that one single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.
But you see before you the mountain of Christian perfection, which is very high, and you exclaim in fearfulness that you can never ascend it. Be of good cheer, my child. When the young bees first begin to live they are mere grubs, unable to hover over flowers, or to fly to the mountains, or even to the little hills where they might gather honey; but they are fed for a time with the honey laid up by their predecessors, and by degrees the grubs put forth their wings and grow strong, until they fly abroad and gather their harvest from all the country round.
Now we are yet but as grubs in devotion, unable to fly at will, and attain the desired aim of Christian perfection; but if we begin to take shape through our desires and resolutions, our wings will gradually grow, and we may hope one day to become spiritual bees, able to fly. Meanwhile let us feed upon the honey left us in the teaching of so many holy men of old, praying God that He would grant us doves’ wings, so that we may not only fly during this life, but find an abiding resting-place in Eternity.
Questions to Ponder:
- Perhaps you are familiar with the expression “Standing on the shoulders of giants,” which is a fitting way to summarize Saint Francis’ expression. Why do you think it is so important to take this humble approach to the spiritual/devout life?
- There is a concept of memory from ancient Judiasm that essentially means “making present the past.” The idea was that something from the past could be made real and effective in the present moment. For example, we as Christians live this with the Eucharist: we have ‘remembrance’ of the Last Supper. While each Mass is a memory of that past event, it makes real the event in the present moment. How might this concept of memory/remembrance connect with the above reflection by Saint Francis?
- Someday we will be part of the past. What can we do to leave a spiritual legacy/heritage for people to look back to and learn from and grow from?
- Do you sometimes think you are a “grub in devotion,” unable to fly, as St. Francis says? Or are you soaring to the mountains, at times?
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