Faith is God Himself.
Just as material food gives life to the body so that it may not die...
Faith gives life to the soul.
Without Faith...
the soul is dead.
Faith vivifies, Faith sanctifies, Faith spiritualizes man, and makes him keep his eyes fixed on a Supreme Being, in such a way that he learns nothing of the things of down here. And if he learns them, he learns them in God.
O, the happiness of a soul who lives of Faith!—her flight is always toward Heaven. In everything that happens to her she always looks at herself in God. And so, just as in tribulation [bij moeilijkheden], Faith raises her in God and she does not afflict [kwellen] herself, not even with a lament, knowing that she is not to form her contentment here, but in Heaven.
In the same way, if joy, riches and pleasures surround her, Faith raises her in God, and she says to herself: “O, how much more content and rich I will be in Heaven!” So, she feels bothered by these earthly things, she despises them, and tramples them underfoot.
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It seems to me that to a soul who lives of Faith, it happens as to a person who possessed millions upon millions of coins, and even entire kingdoms, and someone else wanted to offer him a cent. What would he say? Would he not disdain it? Would he not throw it in his face?
I add: and what if that cent were all muddy, just as earthly things are? Even more: what if that cent were only lent to him? This person would say: “I enjoy and possess immense riches, and you dared to offer me this miserable cent, so muddy, and only for a short time?” I believe he would quickly remove his gaze from it, and would not accept the gift.
So does the soul who lives of Faith with regard to earthy things.
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