THE 5 BASIC TRUTHS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE ( Fr Nicolus Grou SJ)
Truth-1: Free will, given to man, and consecrated back to God, allows the individual to renounce all desires to guide himself willingly. Through this consecration, a man throws himself at the feet of the creator, relying entirely on God’s providence. This is a selfless act of abandonment; it reflects the lack of trust in ourselves and the eternal hope we have in God, whose providence is always directed towards our eternal salvation (Grou, 1905).
Truth-2:
The complete peace in man’s heart is achieved by the total gift of himself to God. The more complete, generous, and irrevocable the gift is, the more uninterrupted peace will become (Grou, 1905).
Truth-3:
Be content to achieve little things with great love rather than great things with no love. Let this be the mantra of our daily lives. And so, should it happen that we become renowned, let our interior desires aspire to become hidden once again (Grou, 1905).
Truth-4:
There is but one enemy to the love of God, and that is the love of self. This truth contrasts significantly with the empowerment theme that has been so widely promoted over the last four decades (Grou, 1905).
Truth-5:
Become selfless, posing no obstacles that interfere with God’s ways and operations. Be water, to quote Bruce-Lee from his televised interview with Pierre Burton in the 1970s, easily manipulated by God’s will (Grou, 1905).
Truth-6:
We are all blind to our spiritual needs. It is a difficult pill to swallow, especially in this information age. We can look anything up on the internet and quickly find the answer to our queries. Yet, the paradox is that we cannot uncover our spiritual needs through an iPhone. That we are blind is visible in our ability to uncover the faults of others and yet see ourselves as flawless. In the end, we must admit that we know not God nor ourselves very well. The danger is that we remain obstinate in believing that we can see and so persist in blindness until there is no escape from it (Grou, 1905).