This prayer reveals to us the rules of living and their relation to the spiritual life.
February 7, 1914
FOR him who is integrally united with Thee, and therefore constantly conscious of what most perfectly expresses Thee in act under given circumstances, no external rule is necessary. The principles of life are in sum nothing but makeshifts meant to diminish in the measure of the possible the ignorance of those who do not yet know Thee, and to remedy, as well as one can, the moments of blindness and obscurity of those who have only an intermittent contact with Thee.
To make rules for oneself and to make them as general, that is to say, as supple as possible, is good, but on condition that they are considered as no more than artificial lights which should be employed only when the full and natural light of the communion with Thee is lacking. Moreover, a constant revision of these rules is imperative; for they can only be the expression of a present knowledge and must necessarily gain by every increase, every improvement of knowledge.
That is why when meditating on the attitude which one should have towards all who approach us, so as not only to abstain from doing them any harm, but above all to strive to do them the greatest good possible — and that means to help them best in making the supreme discovery, the discovery of Thee in them — it seemed to me that no rule was vast and supple enough to adapt itself to Thy law; the sole true way was to be always in communion with Thee, so that any solution might be perfectly adapted to the infinite diversity of circumstances.”
The text above is quoted from the Third Edition, 1954 (translation by Rishabhchand Samsukha)
This book is freely available at https://www.auro-ebooks.com/prayers-and-meditations-1954-edition/
