Chapter XXVI. On Zeal for Souls.

Chapter XXVI.

On Zeal for Souls.

A. True and perfect zeal for souls exists when someone labors for the salvation of souls by holy meditations, fervent desires, tears, prayers, vigils, fasts, preachings, confessions, counsels, teachings, and other good works. How great this grace is, Bede describes thus: "What grace can be more sublime, and what manner of life more pleasing to God, than that of those who by daily exercise strive to convert others to the grace of their author, and by the frequent acquisition of faithful souls always to increase the joy of the heavenly fatherland?" Likewise St. Gregory says: "Indeed there is no sacrifice so great to almighty God as zeal for souls ¹." And this is because of the image of the Trinity impressed upon souls.

B. The example of Jesus Christ ought to induce us to zeal for souls. In his whole life he thirsted with such great fervor for the conversion of sinners and the perfection of the good that for the recovery of souls sold away he offered each of his members to a particular punishment, and at last his soul to a most shameful death. As St. Bernard testifies: "So great was his zeal for human reconciliation that he did not attend to his own pay while he gained the wandering one." O how great is the dignity of souls, and how great God's zeal for souls, for whose redemption the Son of God offered all his precious blood to God the Father, although one drop of such precious blood would have sufficed to redeem the whole human race, as St. Ambrose says; and especially since nothing of blessedness would increase or decrease for him. The wisdom of God knew this nobility of souls, which is unknown to us. St. Bernard laments this, saying: "Alas, how little we attend to the nobility of the soul, in whose presence the body lives, whose absence proves what its presence contributed; which God valued so greatly that he gave his only-begotten for it; which the devil reckoned so greatly that he offered the whole world for it."

C. He has the proof of true fervor who cares for neither his own life nor his body, so that he may win more souls for Christ. David had this zeal when he said: Who will grant me that I may die for you, Absalom my son! my son Absalom ². And the Apostle, when he says: But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls ³. And again: Daily I die by your glory, brothers ⁴, that is, I endure dangers of death. And blessed Dominic had it when he wished to sell himself for a certain captive whom the Saracens were holding, and again for another who remained among heretics because of sustenance; yet wise God kept him unsold for the salvation of many souls.

D. He has the proof of false fervor who is more solicitous about spiritual works for gifts than for souls. Such a one is not the devil, who is figured in the king of the Sodomites, who said to Abraham: Give me the souls, take the rest for yourself ⁵. And he who labors more for the friendship or favor of human beings than for their holiness and perfection cannot say with the Apostle: I do not seek what is yours, but you ⁶.

It must be noted, moreover, that wherever two things move one to some work, namely God and something else, it is difficult to know which moves more. For example, someone is moved to hearing confessions, or to some spiritual thing, by the salvation of souls and by hope of gain, or favor, or pleasingness, or freedom, or some other delight: here it is difficult to discern which of these affects more the mind of the laborer. Yet it is an evident proof that one of the aforesaid things moves more than God or the salvation of souls when someone more gladly hears the rich, the noble, the young, and the beautiful, than the poor, the ignoble, the old, and the deformed. And when he is more often and for a longer time delighted to be with these than with those, and perhaps with less fruit, although those have consciences as holy as these, or holier; and obey counsels as much as these, or more; and strive for perfection as much as these, or more; and please God as much as these, or more. James testifies: Has not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to those loving him? But you have dishonored the poor person ⁷, namely by not caring for him, in whom nevertheless Christ is chiefly honored, as is said in the homily on that saying: Honor all.

Likewise, it is a sufficiently evident proof when in our works we seek the part of God more than our own part. For for those works which have labor and some consolation, such as preaching, confession, prelacy, and similar things, although there is great danger in them, nevertheless anyone is ready for them. But from those works which contain only labor and not consolation, such as fasts, vigils, disciplines, and similar things, although there is no danger in them, nevertheless each person abstains from them as much as he can.