Chapter 10:
Maxims of indifference, abandonment and conformity to God's will


Maxim 10:1
To attain to
the perfection
of these excellent virtues,
desire little in this world and
be not over-eager
for what you may desire.


Maxim 10:2
Learn above all to distrust any desire
that is too eager
and which can disturb your peace of mind and
distract you from duties
which are necessary or are required of you.


Maxim 10:3
Do not ask for anything
or refuse anything unless
after recommending the matter to God
you judge it necessary to do so.
Even in this case,
let it be done by a simple proposal
made in a spirit of complete indifference as to whether
your request is granted or refused.


Maxim 10:4
Never think of the future
except in connection with the present, but
refer all to the Providence of God.


Maxim 10:5
Be disposed to receive with perfect submission,
and with serenity and freedom, anything not contrary to God:
- to be well or ill;
- to be happy or unhappy;
- to be loved or persecuted;
- to do one thing or another;
- to live or die;
in a word, anything that God wishes you to do.


Maxim 10:6
Have only one desire throughout your life:
to be, and to become, what God wants you to be
in nature, in grace, and in glory,
for time and eternity.


Maxim 10:7
To summarize briefly the thought of these six Maxims:
Make once and for all such a sacrifice of your will
that you will no longer let yourself
desire anything other than that God's holy will
be always fulfilled in you and by you.


Maxim 10:8
Acknowledge and tenderly cherish the most holy will of God
in all the events of your life,
no matter how disagreeable
they may be, and
in all the orders of your superiors,
unless something manifestly sinful is commanded.


Maxim 10:9
Finally, be filled with attitudes of
- indifference and resignation to God's will;
- abandonment into God's hands;
- perfect acquiescence in all the dispositions of God's divine providence;
- tender love for these dispositions;
- complete willingness to fulfill all that God desires of you,
doing and accepting constantly,
as best you can,
whatever God wishes and in the way God wishes.
Such acts comprise and express the entire conformity
of your will with the divine will,
and they constitute the perfection of love
and the essence of holiness.