On Co-operation with Providence

God does not wish that our abandonment to
His Providence should be idle. He desires that
we should give Him our concurrence, that we
should be His helps and His arms (I. Cor. iii. 9).

In what has respect to us personally. He desires

that we should do everything which depends

upon us, awaiting success not from our own

efforts, but from His goodness, which alone can

enable us to succeed; and as regards our neighbor,

He desires us to be good, charitable, compassionate,

the worthy agents of His love in doing good to men.

Happy are those who, entering into these designs

of God, endeavor to do their neighbor

all the good they can, and to show

themselves in everything like to Jesus Christ, full

of compassion for human misery, full of kindness

towards all to whom they can render any service!

They will at the last day enjoy the happiness

of hearing from the mouth of the Judge

these sweet words, "Come, ye blessed of My

Father. . . . I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat,

I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink" (Matt.

xxv. 34, 35).

Do we thus co-operate with Divine

Providence, whether as regards ourselves or our

neighbor? What reproaches have we not to

address to ourselves on this subject!

(MEDITATIONS, Rev. M. Hamon, S.S.; Benziger Brothers; 1894)