Holy Abandonment

by Vitalis Lehodey

Holy Abandonment is a profound, soul-stirring restatement of the theology of self-abandonment to Divine Providence. Key to this powerful devotional practice as Dom Vitalis Lehodey points out is the realization that all whatsoever happens to us in this life either has been allowed to happen by Almighty God, or He has sent to us directly as some kind of special cross or lesson or chastisement.

The author—who also wrote the comprehensive The Ways of Mental Prayer —cites many famous Catholic writers in what is probably the most thorough study of "holy abandonment," or "conformity to God's Holy Will," that has yet appeared in English. Point after point is covered by numerous poignant examples from the lives of the Saints and from passages from noted writers on the subject. He distinguishes between the Signified Will of God and His Will of Good Pleasure. The Abbot of Bricquebec also discusses the meaning of abandonment, the role of prudence on our part, how our desires and petitions and efforts fir into the picture, the role of suffering and self-oblation, the nature of detachment, faith and confidence in Divine Providence, abandonment in temporal things, abandonment in external things, health and sickness, reputation, humiliations, persecutions, failures, darkness of mind, insensibility, disgust, impotence of will, spiritual poverty, peace, fear of God, simplicity and liberty, constancy, joy and a number of other similar topics. Holy abandonment has nothing to do with fatalism or personal inertia, he says, but entails our constant, intelligent, loving union with God s Holy Will.

Do you see how we ought to measure our humility? he quotes St. Francis de Sales. By obedience. If you obey with promptitude, sincerity and joy, you are truly humble. For without humility, it is impossible to have true obedience. Obedience requires us to be submissive, and he that is truly humble renders himself inferior and subject to every creature for the love of Jesus Christ. Such is the caliber of Dom Vitalis Lehodey s Holy Abandonment —a work of the first order, one that makes life-long devotees, and a book that will form the reader as a true follower of Jesus Christ and His holy Mother, who as our principal Father s Holy Will in all things, which is the main lesson in life we all need to learn.

Genres: Catholic, Spirituality, Theology

504 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Rt. Reverend Dom Vitalis Lehodey, O.C.R. was ordained priest on Dec. 18, 1880 in Coutances; he began monastic life on July 28, 1890 in Bricquebec. He was elected elected abbot of Bricquebec on July 8, 1895. He died on May 6 1948.

He admitted in his preface to Holy Abandonment that many other books on the subject have already been written. He went on to say, however, that every author who wrote on the spiritual life naturally discussed the topic of Conformity to God's Will. His intent with Holy Abandonment was to provide a work both theoretic and practical to offer a solution to the problems of our times. Dom Lehodey also expressed his mission to contribute something, even if it were little, to the ineffable glory of God. The book was originally published in 1934 and received the Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur and Imprimi Potest from Fathers Daly and Smets as well as from the Bishop of Waterford in the 1930s.

Reviews

[Santiago Vieto Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infaltable en la formación de todo católico. Resume siglos de espiritualidad llevada a su mas alta cumbre en el Santo Abandono y que es la práctica de la confianza heróica.
De forma metódica y concisa describe como el alma debe de conformarse totalmente con la voluntad Divina para alcanzar la perfección.
Citando con puntualidad exacta los clásicos de la espiritualidad y modelos de estas virtudes, como San Francisco de Sales, Santa Juana Chantal, San Bernardo, Santa Teresa la Grande y Teresita, San Alfonso María del Ligorio, entre otros... abre un panorama grandioso en que la simplicidad de la "pequeña vía" nos hará alcanzar la paz profunda y perfecta alegría de aquellos que entran por las vías del amor de Dios.

[Dawn Axelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this a sixth star, I would do so. Lehodey speaks the hard truths of the spiritual life, but he does it in such a way that you don’t want to curl up in the fetal position from the verbal evisceration. He’s a very kind teacher. It seems to me that the effects of all of the disciplines of his order shine through in the gentleness and the order in which he writes. And yet he does so without sugar coating things.

I have read a lot of books on the spiritual life. I have never had the experience that C. S. Lewis described: “Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another ‘What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…'” to such a degree as I had whilst reading Lehodey. He has such a gift for putting his finger on the ways of spirituality and then to direct the “now what?” question.

It’s not an easy read. It took me more than two years to finish, taking in just a couple of pages at a time. It’s not a binge worthy book, more like how you take in a fine wine slowly. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Pablo Galiana]

El autor, monje cisterciense, describe los caminos hacia la plena conformidad con la voluntad de Dios. Al hablar de los fundamentos del abandono en Dios, trata temas como el alcance de la Voluntad divina, la prudencia, el sufrimiento aceptado con alegría, etc. Gran parte del libro versa sobre el “ejercicio del santo abandono”, con ejemplos de la vida monástica que, sin embargo, pueden aplicarse en bastantes casos a la situación de los cristianos corrientes en medio del mundo.

[Pablo Sotelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Cómo adecuar nuestra voluntad con la divina? ¿Cómo gozarse de las disposiciones internas y externas que Dios providencialmente permita en mi vida espiritual, familiar, laboral, eclesial? ¿Cómo imitar a Cristo que siempre busco hacer la voluntad del Padre?

[Carlos Carrasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin duda, uno de los mejores libros de espíritualidad que he leído. Una invitación al despojo total de todo lo que no sea Dios y a la vez una invitación a abandonarse totalmente en su divina voluntad.

[Eduardo Da Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom para leitura espiritual e para suporte nos momentos de oração. Deus cuida de nós, e para nós, o melhor e nos abandonarmos nEle.

[Enrique Bonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una actitud muy interesante con muchos matices a redescubrir

[Margabasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy inspirador, aunque resulta un poco repetitivo.

[Salvador · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro de una profundidad espiritual notable. Este famoso abad, tomando elementos de la experiencia mística de varios santos, principalmente de San Francisco de Sales y de San Alfonso María de Ligorio, profundiza y medita la noción de abandono a la voluntad de Dios: paz, conformidad espiritual, confianza y Esperanza plena en Dios. Muy recomendable.

[Susan Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book -- long, but worth it. The author covers all aspects of holy abandonment (or "abandonment to divine providence") as a spiritual path, illustrating his points with many excellent stories and passages from the lives of the numerous saints and blesseds who have followed this path to holiness.

[Javier G.-Verdugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran libro! Solo tengo dos peros que ponerle: la perspectiva está muy centrada en la vida religiosa, y resulta un poco largo. En cualquier caso, muy útil, y proporciona mucho tema para la oración.