Vigils Reading

Faith, Hope and Charity Operating in the Soul

by William of St Thierry

A man begins at faith. During the time while we pilgrimage far from the Lord, the Apostle who says that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith does not deceive us. Yet hope is also necessary for our journey. This it is that consoles us along the way. Take away from a traveler the hope of arriving, and his courage to go on is broken. When we have arrived at where we are headed, faith will no longer exist. Will anyone ask us: do you believe? No, indeed! For we will see God and contemplate him. Nor will hope be necessary when this comes about. For when someone sees, what does he hope for? Yet faith and hope will not vanish but will pass over into their objects when what was believed will be seen and what was hoped for will be possessed. Charity will not only be present, it will be perfected, since what we love in this present life by believing in and hoping for it we will then love by seeing and possessing it. In the meanwhile, it is easy to see how really necessary are these powers for the person who desires to move toward that uncircumscribed light.

…For if one does not believe that he will see what cannot as yet be shown to a sick soul (for only a healthy soul can see) he will make no effort to recover. But what if one believes he possesses this faith…and is able to see what can be seen, and still despairs of being able himself to be healed? Is he not utterly casting himself out and contemning himself? Does he not especially follow the doctor’s ordersbecause as a sick man he feels these prescriptions are necessarily harsh? Consequently, hope must be added to faith.

What if one believes that he has all things and hopes that he can be healed, yet does not love, that light which is promised him? And what if he meanwhile believes he ought to be content with the darkness which is now, because of its familiarity, usually agreeable for him? Isn’t he still spurning the physician?Therefore, a third thing is necessary: charity – and there is nothing so necessary!

Without these three, no soul is so healed it can see, which means ‘understand’, God. Therefore, when one shall finally have healthy eyes, he has only to gaze; as reason is the soul’s gaze…That gaze cannot as yet, although it would like to, turn healthy eyes to the light unless these three remain: faith whereby the gaze must be turned toward the reality which one believes he shall possess, which once seen, will make him happy; hope whereby, when one has looked hard, he assumes that he will be able to see; charity whereby one desires to see and enjoy forever.

The vision of God follows upon this gaze. The purpose of the gaze is this: not that it cease to exist but that it no longer need anything to orient itself in this direction. This is truly perfect power: reason attaining its purpose, which attends the happy life.

This vision is that very understanding, which is in the soul, since it was the soul’s function to understand…to see God. Since the upright man lives by faith, then, these three [powers] remain to form the life of the faithful…

Perfection in this life is nothing other than forgetting entirely, by means of faith, hope and charity, those things that are behind and pushing on to those that are ahead. For the Apostle says: May as many as are perfect know this. Anyone who truly seeks the Triune God therefore must strive to have the trinity of these powers in himself and must eagerly study to conform himself to their teaching.