glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the soul no longer lives or acts of itself "When we speak of the godlike change or transformation which perfect love bring about in this life, we do not mean that there is established between the soul and God a union of identity, of which our Redeemer spoke when He said: "I and the Father are one" and "You, Father. in Me, and I in You." It would be an evident contradiction to say that the creature can become God by nature. The transformation and union which we speak presupposes that love which, by reason of its sweetness and the vehemence of its wonderous delight, seems to melt the affective portion of the soul and to absorb all its strength and the light of its intellect. Without effort of its own, the soul becomes dead to self and all things and is reduced to a state of passivity by a flaming and subtle love which penetrates the soul. The transformation is one which affects the will so that as regards its affections the soul is not in itself but in God. The soul no longer lives or acts of itself, but as if animated by God's own life. It is not that the soul does not act, but the divine touch in a wondrous manner takes from it all consciousness of its own activity. The principle of its knowledge is not so much its own understanding as it is God in its understanding; the principle of its love is not so much its own will as it is God in its will. An experimental love causes in it something similar to that which beatific love and the light of glory cause in the blessed. . ." Louis Chardon, O.P. 3:31 p.m. - 2024-03-07 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||