The Dialogue

Of the excellence of obedience, and of the advantages which it brings to him who truly lays hold of it.

4 i THIS is the true remedy, possessed by the really obedient man, who renews it every day, increasing the virtue of obedience with the light of faith, longing for insults and mockery, that heavy labours should be imposed on him by his superior for the virtue of obedience, and of her sister patience not to grow rusty. So that when the time comes

346 THE DIALOGUE OF ST. CATHERINE

that they are needed, they never fail or become difficult to exercise, wherefore the obedient man is continually sounding the instrument of his desire, and lets no opportunity pass, so great is his appetite for obedience. Obedience is an eager spouse who does not wish to remain idle. Oh ! delightful obedience ! Oh ! pleasant ! Oh ! sweet ! Oh t illuminative ! For thou hast scattered the darkness of self-love. Thou, oh ! vivifying obedience, givest the life of grace to the soul, who has chosen thee for spouse, slaying his own will, which brings war and death to the soul. Thou art so generous that thou subjectest thyself to every rational creature. Thou art benignant and kind, and meekly bearest the greatest weights, for thou art accom panied by fortitude and true patience. Thou art crowned with true perseverance, thou dost not fail through the importunity of thy superior on account of the heavy loads which he indis creetly may impose upon thee, but with the light of faith endurest everything. Thou art so closely bound to humility that no creature can snatch thee from the hand of the soul (which is holy desire) who possesses thee.

"What more can we say, dearest and beloved daughter, of this most excellent virtue ? We will say that it is a good without any admixture of evil — that it remains hidden in the ship — so that no contrary wind may hurt it, that it causes the soul to advance leaning on the arms of the order and of her superior, and not on her own, because the truly obedient man has not to give an account of himself to Me — his superior has that responsibility.

" Become enamoured, oh beloved daughter, of this glorious virtue. Dost thou wish to show gratitude for the benefits which thou hast received from Me, thy Eternal Father? Be obedient, for obedience proceeding from charity shows gratitude. It will prove to thee thy own gratitude, if thou art not ignorant, because it proceeds from knowledge of My truth. It is a good which can be seen in the example of the word, who as your model taught you the way of obedience, being obedient Himself unto the shameful death of the Cross, with which obedience He unlocked the Gate of Heaven, and established both general obedience and the

A TREATISE OF OBEDIENCE 347

particular obedience of religion, as I related to thee at the beginning of this treatise of obedience. This obedience gives a light in the soul, which shows whether she is faithful to Me and her order and superior, in which light of holy faith she forgets herself; for, by the obedience which she has acquired through the light of faith, she shows that her will is dead to its own feeling, and seeks the advantage of others and not her own. Just as the disobedient man who examines the will of his superior, and judges it accord ing to his own low opinion and darkened knowledge instead of judging his own perverse will, which gives him death, the truly obedient man, illuminated by faith, judges the will of his superior to be good, and therefore does not examine it, but inclines his head and nourishes his soul with the odour of true and holy obedience. And this virtue increases in the soul in proportion to the shining of the light of faith, with which the soul knows herself, and Me, whom she loves, and humbles herself ; and the more she loves Me and humbles herself, the more obedient she becomes, for obedience and her sister patience prove whether the soul is in truth clothed with the nuptial garment of charity, which is necessary to enter into eternal life. In this way their obedience opens the door of Heaven, while Charity, who gave this key to the soul, enters with the fruit of obedience. I have told thee that Charity alone enters, while every other virtue remains without. But obedience is rightly the key which opens the door, because the disobedience of the first man closed it, and it was the obedience of the humble, faithful, immaculate Lamb, My only-begotten Son, that opened the door of eternal life, which had so long remained closed.

348 THE DIALOGUE OF ST. CATHERINE