St. Francis de Sales taught that self-abandonment or self-surrender into God’s hands is to be attained by perfect submission and conformity of our will to God’s will, whether it be signified to us, or whether we simply wait for its indication. In the former we unite our will to his by resignation or holy indifference; in the latter, by quiet expectation.
The saint said that there was a difference between resignation and holy indifference. He said that resignation “is exercised by means of an effort of submission. One would rather live than die. Nevertheless, since it is God’s purpose that one should die, one submits. One may wish that it had pleased God to have one live; however, one accepts death willingly, but would rather more willingly live. This is resignation.”
“Now holy indifference goes a step higher. It loves nothing except what is God’s will, and hence nothing can stir the heart from its quiet and peaceful attitude in the presence of that will. One sees, then, that both resignation and holy indifference, though they differ, refer to God’s will as indicated by some happening or circumstance. They differ in that resignation submits with an effort, whereas holy indifference submits without an effort.”
“But a still higher thing is simple waiting on God’s will, for it willingly awaits and accepts a will which has not yet been revealed. It brings one to peace and tranquillity beforehand in all that God may will, no matter how secret and hidden it may be to one.”
For a long time, St. Faustina was waiting on the will of God with quiet expectation. God called her to promote devotion to Divine Mercy and to found a religious community to implore mercy for mankind. The saint would help to lay the foundation of those works but would not see their completion in her lifetime.
The will of God was the daily spiritual food of St. Faustina. One day Our Lady told the saint: “My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God’s will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts.”
In 1619, while visiting Paris, St. Francis de Sales visited a sick man who endured illness with real courage but continued to worry over little insignificant matters. Bishop Jean Pierre Camus described: “He was willing to be ill, and even die; but he found it difficult to die away from home. He insisted on his family physician, he wanted his wife and children, he did not want to be buried in Paris, and he became unduly precise about the details of his funeral, his tombstone and so forth …
“This sick man then complained of the water and air of Paris, of his nurses and physicians, of his rooms, his bed, in fact, of everything. It was almost impossible for him to die in peace because he was not where he wished to be at the hour of death. Finally, having received the Sacraments and surrendering himself in a measure to the will of God, he passed away.”
St. Francis de Sales said, “It is not sufficient to accept God’s will generally. We must accept it in every detail and circumstance. Not only must we be prepared to be ill, if that God’s will, but we must be prepared to accept the particular kind of illness, in the time and place, and with those people, which He shall choose for us. Blessed indeed is the man who can say from his deepest heart: ‘As Thou wilt and how Thou wilt.’”
St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote, “Don’t be afraid of death. Accept it from this day on, generously … when God wills it, how God wills it, where God wills it. Believe me, it will come at the time, in the place, and in the way that are best – sent by your Father God. May our sister death be welcome!”
完全交託於天主聖意
聖方濟各、沙雷氏教導我們自我棄絕或交託於天主手中，是要能夠自己意願地完全服從和遵行天主的旨意，無論是意味到的或只是簡單地等待著它的指示。前者是，以順從及神聖的不顧慮去讓我們的意願和祂的意願結合；後者以靜默的期待。
這位聖人說，在順從和神聖的不顧慮之間是有一定分別的。他說，順從『是以服從的努力去履行。人願意生存多於死亡。但因為這是天主的目的，人必需死亡，人只有服從。人也許希望去生存是為悅樂天主；不管怎樣，人是願意接納死亡，但更願意的是生存。這便是順從。』
『現在，神聖的不顧慮是踏上更高的一步。它除了天主旨意外，什麼也不愛，所以在天主的旨意中，沒有任何事物能攪亂歸他內心中的寧靜和平安。然後我們看見，順從和神聖的不顧慮兩者，有關於天主旨意在一些發生時或光景下，是有所不同。它們不同在於順從是要付出努力，而神聖的不顧慮是不需要付出努力的。』
『但是再高一步的是簡單地等待天主的旨意，因為它意願地等待並接納一個仍未見啟示的旨意。在天主的旨意之前無論它會是怎樣秘密和隱蔽，它都為人帶來平安和寧靜。』
聖女傅天娜曾有好一段長時間，靜寂地期待等待天主的旨意。天主召叫她去推廣神聖慈悲敬禮並成立一個修道團體去為人類懇求慈悲。這聖人願意幫助為這工程的基礎工作，但在她生命中不會見到工程的完成。
天主的旨意是聖女傅天娜每天的靈性食糧。一天，聖母告訴這位聖人說：『我的女兒,我極力囑咐妳:要忠實地履行天主所有的旨意,因為這會使祂的聖心非常喜悅。我熱切盼望,妳在忠心耿耿地完成天主的旨意上,與眾不同,超凡入聖。要視天主聖意比所有的犧牲和全燔祭,更為重要。』
在1619年，聖方濟各、沙雷氏往巴黎時探訪一位病人，他以真實的勇氣，承受著病痛，可是卻不停為不重要的事擔憂。加繆主教描述說：『他接納病苦甚至死亡；但他不能在家中去世感到困惑。他堅持要他的家庭醫生，要他的子女和妻子，他不願埋藏在巴黎，他變得過份的憂慮自己的殯儀，墓碑等的一切細節…這位病人其後埋怨巴黎的水和空氣，他的護士和醫生，他的病房，床，其實是所有的事物。他是沒有可能死於平安之中，因為他沒有到達他所希望的臨終前境界。最後他接受了聖事，把自己在一定程度上交託於天主旨意，然後去世。』
聖方濟各、沙雷氏說：『一般接納天主的旨意都不是足夠的。我們要接納它所有的細節和在所有的境界中。如果這是天主的旨意，不單我們要準備好去接納病痛，我們也要準備祂為我們選擇的，在那時候，那地點，跟那些人去接納那特有的病痛。那些人，他們能夠從他們心最深處說：「如袮所願並依照袮所願」是最蒙祝福的。』
聖若瑟瑪利亞、施禮華寫道：『不要害怕死亡，由今天起接納它，慷慨地…天主意願它的時候，天主意願它如何，天主意願它在那處。相信我，它會依時，依地為我們最好的時間而來—由你天父送來。讓我們姊妹的死亡受歡迎！』
