but in a more efficacious manner. He is with me to help me, to support me, to act with me, to work with me. I can do nothing without Him, but also I can do everything with Him. I cannot make the least movement, conceive the least desire, do the smallest action, unless He lends me His help and assistance, even when I would wish to offend Him. What condescension! Why ought I to abuse it? But He always accommodates Himself to my inclinations; He subjects Himself to my will. Is it not reasonable that I should subject my will to His? He concurs always with me. Is it not right and just that I should act in concert with Him?
Not only does God act within me, but He also acts with every creature for me. It is for me that He gives light and warmth to the sun, that He refreshes me with the breeze, that He cheers me with the fire; should I not be unjust if I did not make use of these creations for His glory alone? Should I not be ungrateful if I basely converted such blessings into opportunities of sinning against Him who created them for me?
We do our works in the presence of God, when we practise the presence of God while we do them. There are six ways of practising the presence of God which are given in books, and from which souls should select those which are most suited to them, but not try to practise more than one.
The first, is to try to realise God as He is in heaven; the second, to regard ourselves in Him as in His immensity; the third, is to look at each creature as if it were a sacrament having God hidden under it; the fourth, is to think of Him, and see Him by pure faith; the fifth, is to look at Him as in ourselves rather than outside of us, though He is both; and the sixth, is to gravitate towards
