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(Page 204)
I. Devotion, or more correctly devotedness, is one of the first effects of the virtue of Religion. It is the desire to render God His due, it is a promptitude of the will to serve God, to endure all things in His service, and to avoid all that is hostile to Him; it is a fervent consecration of self to God, and a certain supernatural enthusiasm for Him. Hence Devotion is not to be considered as a mere tenderness residing in the sensitive nature, nor as an attachment to external practices. These two things may exist simultaneously with considerable carelessness about the divine law, or even with attachment to sin; they may be merely the expression of natural temperament, or the clinging to custom and habit. Real devotion or devotedness has a much larger range, and penetrates much more deeply; it is grounded on intellectual considerations, and operates upon the will as an incitement to practical action. Hence its scope is not limited to prayer and the worship of God, but extends to our whole life, and enters into all our virtues, giving us fervour, vigour and perseverance, elevating our hearts to God, and making our service of Him a reality. Take care that your service of God be not a matter of routine, perfunctory, languid, lifeless, ineffectual. Take care lest your good works be merely an outlet for natural energies. If your devotion be real, you will be equally ready to serve God in every capacity; but if your fervour extends only to those functions which are agreeable or honourable, you may know that the force which stimulates you is not devotion but human nature.
II. Consider the sources of Devotion. It does not depend on any peculiarities of natural character such as are present in some men and absent in others. It proceeds chiefly from God who infuses the supernatural virtues of Justice and Religion; but it depends in a secondary degree on us, and on our realizing to ourselves by deep consideration the great truths of faith. The thought of God, His perfections (Page 205) and His works, and His claims on us; the thought of Jesus Our Lord, His life, His love, His death; the thought of our lowliness, and the service we owe to God; the thought also of the miseries of the world on account of its aversion from God, of the good that each of us can do, of the work that God assigns to us in counteracting these miseries, of the strength that He will give us for that work, of the power contained in prayer and good example all this should be enough to move any one who is not utterly selfish and useless, to labour for God with thorough devotedness. Let the truths of religion be a reality to you, and a reality that leads to energetic action. Pray ardently for the gift of devotion, and it will be with you as with the wise man: "I wished and understanding was given me; and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me" (Wisd. vii. 7).
III. The effects of Devotion may be summed up as peace, joy and delight in the service of God, great hopefulness and trust in Him, alacrity and facility in all good works. Devotion also stimulates the natural energies, and engenders an enthusiasm which makes us ready for all things. It is true that devotion makes us more sensitive to the evils prevailing in the world, the horrible offences against God, and our own shortcomings; and that it will not allow us to enjoy the tranquillity of those who are contented with all the evils of life, so long as they affect only other people. But this sadness is that which God promises to turn into joy (John xvi. 20); and of which David spoke: "My soul refused to be comforted; I remembered God and was delighted" (Ps. Ixxvi. 3, 4). The supernatural vigour of devotion will bear you up against all depressing and enervating influences. The absence of it is the cause of much of the weariness, discouragement, disillusion, disgust, that prevail in the world. Serve God fervently and obey the command: "Rejoice in the Lord always ; again I say rejoice" (Phil. iv. 4).
