We, too, frequently have illnesses of the soul, with defects and shortcomings which we have not yet managed to uproot. Our Lord hopes we will be humble and docile to the indications and advice we receive from those whom God has placed to help us in the search for holiness in the midst of our work and family life. We cannot have our own way when Our Lord points to a solution which goes contrary to our own notions. In matters of the soul, we are not our own best advisers, as we are not our own good doctors. Normally, Our Lord makes use of other people.
And then, more hard words:
Without docility, spiritual guidance remains fruitless. And one cannot be docile if he insists on being stubborn, obstinate, incapable of assimilating an idea different from those he already holds, or which he has got into his head as a result of some negative experience when he has not counted on the help of grace. Pride makes one incapable of docility: for in order to understand one has to be convinced that there are still things which are outside our experience, and that we need someone to point them out to us. To achieve spiritual improvement, we have to realise that we are not as good as God expects us to be.
------------In Conversation with God Third Week of Lent, Monday
Whoa. That takes a lot of thinking on, doesn't it?
