The love we owe to God will not move hearts that dwell upon the earth

February 9, 2022 • 2 min

From The Sinner’s Guide, page 16
By Venerable Louis of Granada

Though of all motives this is the most powerful, yet it has least influence on the imperfect. The reason of this is because, on the one hand, they are more moved by self-interest, self-love having deep root in their hearts; and on the other, being still ignorant, and novices in the ways of God, they are unable to appreciate His grandeur and beauty.

Had they a better knowledge of His perfections, His beauty would enrapture their souls and cause them to love Him above all things. Therefore we shall furnish some considerations from the mystical theology of St. Denis which will help them to apprehend the perfections of the Master they serve.

To lead us to a knowledge of God, St. Denis teaches us first to turn our eyes from the qualities or perfections of creatures, lest we be tempted to measure by them the perfections of the Creator.

Then, turning from the things of earth, he raises our souls to the contemplation of a Being above all beings, a Substance above all substances, a Light above all lights—or rather a Light before which all light is darkness—a Beauty above all beauties and before which all other beauty is but deformity.

This is what we are taught by the cloud into which Moses entered to converse with God, and which shut out from his senses all that was not God. [Exod. xxiv. 16, 18.]

And the action of Elias, covering his face with his cloak when he saw the glory of God passing before him, is a lively expression of the same sentiment. [3 Kings xix. 13.]

Therefore, to contemplate the glory of God, man must close his eyes to earthly things, which bear no proportion to this supreme Being.