St. Teresa of Avila declared, “The highest perfection consists not in interior favours, nor in great raptures, nor in visions, nor in the spirit of prophesy, but in the bringing of our wills so closely into conformity with the will of God that, as soon as we realize he wills anything, we desire it ourselves with all our might, and take the bitter with the sweet.”

St. Therese of the Child Jesus said, “The more joyfully [souls] do his will, the greater is their perfection.”

Father Patrick J. Gearon wrote, “In treating of God’s will it is necessary at once to bear in mind the distinction between what is called … (a) God’s ‘Signified Will’ and (b) God’s will of ‘Good Pleasure’. God’s ‘Signified Will’ includes four things … (1) His Commandments and the Precepts of the Church, (2) His Counsels, (3) His inspirations of grace, and, for Religious, (4) the Constitutions and the Rules. God’s will of ‘good pleasure’ is made known to us by things happening to us and around us, i.e. by sickness which comes upon us; by our failures; by harsh treatment and calumny; by temporal misfortunes: by bad weather, etc.”

We conform to God’s “Signified Will” through the fulfillment of daily duties. Pope Benedict XV said, “Sanctity properly consists only in conformity to God’s will, expressed in a constant and exact fulfillment of the duties of our state in life.”

Commenting on this statement, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen pointed out that “sanctity does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but is essentially reduced to the fulfillment of duty; therefore, it is possible for me.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote, “Ask yourself many times during the day: Am I doing at this moment what I ought to be doing?”

According to the Modern Catholic Dictionary, counsels are “good actions that are not prescribed by any law. They are morally better than the corresponding precepts, as fasting is higher than temperance.”

Examples of counsels are: going to Mass or confession when not obliged, praying the Rosary daily, and attending Bible study class or prayer group.

Good Catholics often feel inspired to practise the counsels. Father Adolphe Tanquerey gave the following rules for discernment: “If it be question of customary things generally done by fervent persons living under the same circumstances as we do, of things that do not trouble the soul, we may do them without hesitation and later on mention them to our director; but if it is question, on the contrary, of things extraordinary, even in the least degree, of things not usually done by devout souls, let us wait till we have consulted our spiritual adviser and, in the meantime, fulfill with all generosity our duties of state.”

Regarding God’s will of “good pleasure,” Father Gearon stated: “Nothing happens without God’s order or permission.”

He explained: “Seeing that God is so good to us and loves us so intensely, he must have some reason in sending us our crosses. And it is this: They are for our spiritual good. We appreciate what another does for our body, but a benefit conferred upon the soul is of far greater value.” 

St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote, “Steps: to be resigned to the will of God; to conform to the will of God; to want the will of God; to love the will of God.”

The saint gave this practical advice: “Are you suffering some great tribulation? Do you have reverses? Say very slowly, as if savoring the words, this powerful and manly prayer: ‘May the most just and most lovable will of God be done, be fulfilled, be praised and eternally exalted above all things. Amen. Amen.’ I assure you that you’ll find peace.”


遵從天主旨意

聖女大德蘭稱：『最高的完美包括的不在內在的恩賜，亦不在盛大的超拔，不在神視，不在先知的神能，卻在把我們的意願緊緊的迎合天主的聖意，一當我們明白祂旨意，無論是甜是苦都當是我全力所期望的。』聖女小德蘭說：『（靈魂）越是喜悅地遵從祂的旨意，便越是成全。』

Patrick J. Gearon神父指出：要了解天主的旨意，我們需要知道這區別—-（a）天主「明示的旨意」(God’s Signified Will) 和（b）天主「喜歡」的旨意 (God’s will of Good Pleasure)。天主「明示的旨意」包括四件事…（1）祂的誡命和教會規誡，（2）祂的勸諭，（3）恩寵的啟示，（4）為修會會士的憲章和法律。天主「喜歡」的旨意是祂以在我們身上或身邊所發生的事啟示給我們，就是我們面對的疾病；我們的失敗；以嚴酷的待遇和誹謗；以短暫的不幸：壞的天氣等等。』

我們以滿全每天的責任去遵從天主「明示的旨意」。教宗本篤十五世說：『聖德只在於迎合天主的旨意，這表達在恆久的和準確地滿全我們身份上的責任。』聖衣會會士佳播. 聖瑪大肋納神父解亦寫道：『成聖不在於成就奇特的大業，卻只需善盡本份。為我來說是可行的。』聖施禮華寫道：『每天要很多次問自己：我現在此刻是否在作我應該做的事？』

根據現代天主教字典，『勸諭』是作誡律所未要求的善行，而這善行在道德上超越相關的規範，就如守齋高於節制。

有關勸諭，例如有：當守瞻禮日外仍參與彌撒、沒有大罪而去告解、每日誦唸玫瑰經、參加聖經研習或祈禱會等。

盡心的教友，會感受到天主的召叫去實踐勸諭。至於如何洞察那些是天主的聖意，亞道夫.鄧奎利神父指稱：『假如感到被召喚去作的善行是一般和我們有類似生活環境的熱心教友所普遍實行的，我們大可放心去做，後來才報告給神師；相反，如果踫上鮮見又非一般熱心教友常做的事情，務必要先請教神師。』

有關天主旨意的『喜歡』，Gearon神父稱：『沒有天主的命令或準許，沒有什麼可以發生。』他解釋：『見到天主對我們是這樣的好和愛我們的深，祂有一定的理由來給我們十字架。這是：它們都是為我們靈魂上好處的。我們感謝別人為我們肉身所作的事情，但給予靈魂的恩惠的價值是更大的。』聖施禮華寫道：『步驟：忍受天主的旨意；順從天主的旨意；渴求天主的旨意；熱愛天主的聖意。』

這聖人給了我們這實用的勸告：『這次大的打擊令你受罪嗎？你有不合乎心意的事嗎？念，慢慢地誦念，細細體會這段有力的禱文：「在一切事上，願至公、至聖、至愛的天主聖意，永遠得到奉行，受到讚美，受到舉揚。阿們。阿們。」我保證你一定會找到平安的。』