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Writings on Faith

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In spite of his 83 years, Father Chaminade went every week to the novitiate of Sainte-Anne, two kilometers from the Madeleine. He was zealous to contribute to the good formation of the novices by a series of conferences given between May 4 and August 27. His secretary, M. P. Bonnefous, accompanied him and conscientiously took notes of his conferences. . . .

Conference of July 2, 1843
on the visitation of Mary
(NR vol. 3, §§ 67-68, p. 563).

1098.   Why does Elizabeth praise the Blessed Virgin for her faith? Because the faith of the Blessed Virgin was not overshadowed by the least doubt, was full of hope and of charity. Faith itself must be an intimate conviction; secondly, there must be true hope; thirdly, there must be the love of God. How can Elizabeth say, “And blessed is she” [Lk 1:45]? Was she aware of the accomplishment of the mystery of the Incarnation? The Holy Spirit had revealed it to her. How was Elizabeth immediately filled with the Holy Spirit? By the sanctification of the fruit she bore in her womb.

Conference of July 1843
on God who gives us his Son
(NR vol. 3, § 70, p. 564).

1099.   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life” [Jn 3:16]. Jesus Christ tells us that his Father has given him to all people. When something is given, what is the proper thing to do? Nothing else but to accept it. How do we receive Jesus Christ? By the faith we have in him, the faith and the hope, those two arms of the soul. Our Lord gives himself to us via the sacraments. The first time, it is by Baptism.

Conferences of August 9
In  the evening, on the life of faith
(NR vol. 3, §§ 83-85, p. 567). The entire text is given here.

1100.   The one who is righteous will live by faith” [Rom 1:17]. What is the meaning of being just? We say that something is just when it has all it needs, and no more. When an object has all it needs to register a one-pound weight and there is no extra material, we say that it weighs just one pound. We are just when we have in ourselves all that God demands of us. As soon as we transgress a virtue, we cease being perfectly just, entirely just; if by transgressing this virtue we committed not a venial sin but a mortal sin, we would no longer be just. When we diminish the weight of something and always subtract a bit from it, is it not to be feared that the counterweight on the other side of the balance will tumble completely? What must we do that our souls have a just weight, which is agreeable to God? “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”

1103.      In the first place, God is pleased when we perform all our duties because then we are just. We become saints when we persevere in being just. Now, what must we do to persevere in this kind of life? There is the activity of the soul to practice the virtues. What is the principle of life which sets the soul into motion? The principle is faith. If a body abstains from all food, it will finally die. And so it is with the soul; there is a spiritual bread. If you wish to preserve justice—that is, the love of God, the performance of all the virtues—then eat. What is the meaning of eating spiritually? It is to make acts of faith. God said to Abraham, “Walk before me, and be blameless” [Gen 17:1]. So, turn to God in all your actions.

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