Author JEAN-PIERRE de CAUSSADE
Publisher PARACLETE PRESS
ISBN 1-55725-609-6
This is a French devotional classic. Jean-Pierre de Caussade lived in the late 17th and into the 18th centuries (He died in 1751). He was a French Jesuit priest. It was almost a century later that the notes, discussions and letters he left behind were assembled into this book by Fr. Henri Ramire. He also added some of his own thoughts and the result known, as L’ABANDON A LA PROVIDENCE DIVINE became one of the best-known books on the spiritual life available in France. The main thrust of these one hundred and fifty pages can be divided into three elements, firstly, nothing is done, nothing happens, either in the material or in the moral world, that God has not foreseen from all eternity, and that He has not willed, or at least permitted. The second principle (also set forth by Caussade) is that God can will nothing, He can permit nothing, but in view of the end He proposed to Himself in creating the world, that is, in view of His glory and the glory of Jesus Christ, His only Son. Another theme constantly present in these pages is the fact that God’s glory and the glory of His Son is inseparable from His people becoming holy and happy in His will. So, God’s will is always good and His will is at back of everything that occurs, even the enemies serve His overall will and He purposes to bring His people to glory. The book is about faith, the faithful response of a believing heart towards God in the face of all things. From reading these few sentences we could be forgiven for thinking that this book advocates a soft passivity and a limp abandonment to a kind of fatalistic acceptance of whatever happens, but, in fact, the abandonment he advocates, the full surrender he teaches is an active living of a life the hallmark of which is “not what I want but what You want Lord”. Perhaps the words of Mary the mother of Jesus say it best “Let it be unto me according to Your word.” To see beyond circumstances and see that it is God at work in them of whatever sort they may be, sufferings and tragedies and triumphs too. As far as Caussade is concerned holiness means faithfulness to God’s will and nothing occurs to us that is not either His purposive or permissive will. Submission to Him in all things turns those all things unto our good. God is revealed in ordinary circumstances, in the common duties of life faithfulness to God is holiness and so this is not something confined to the unusual and extra special events of life. We must undergo a great shift of understanding so that we do not disregard God’s action and accord honor and blame to other agencies. I understand that there are some, perhaps more Roman Catholic groups who use this book for various kinds of twelve step programs. Certainly it is not so much a book to read through but, to consider section by section and to do so prayerfully and thoughtfully. There is living doctrine here; in these pages we are led to an appreciation of the operation of God’s providence and the vital necessity that we become utterly yielded to Him in all things.
