Man gives himself wholly by love, and gives himself as much as he loves. He is therefore in a sovereign manner given to God when he loves the divine goodness sovereignly; and having once made this donation of himself, he is to love nothing that can remove his heart from God. Now, never does any love take our heart from God, save that which is contrary unto Him. […]
In Heaven, Theotimus, God will truly give Himself to us wholly, and not in parts, since He is a whole that has no parts, yet He will give Himself in different ways, and in as many different ways as there are blessed souls. This will so happen because while giving Himself all to all and all to each, He will never give Himself wholly either to one in particular, or to all in general. […]
All true lovers are equal in this, that all give all their heart to God, and with all their strength, but they are unequal in this, that they give it diversely and in different manners, whence some give all their heart, with all their strength, less perfectly than others. This one gives it all by martyrdom, this, all by virginity, this, all by poverty, this, all by action, this, all by contemplation, this, all by the pastoral office; and whilst all give it all by the observance of the Commandments, yet some give it with less perfection than others.
So that our love to God, Theotimus, takes its worth from the eminence and excellence of the motive for which, and according to which, we love Him; in that we love Him for His sovereign infinite goodness, as God and because He is God.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.
Treatise on the Love of God. 3.ed. Rockford IL:
TAN, 1997, p.415-417
