我們談過有關亞道夫.鄧奎利神父提出的內在成聖方法：「渴求全德」和「認識天主和自己」。今次讓我們探討他的第三個方法—-「承行主旨」。
聖女大德蘭宣稱：「至尊的成全不在於心靈的神恩、超拔、神視、或預言，而是在於以我們的意志來順從天主的旨意。每當我們知道天主所願意的事，無論為我們是苦是甜，我們都全力渴求。」
聖女小德蘭說道：「越在主旨內喜樂，越臻全德之峰。」
洞悉天主聖意的三種途徑有三個「C」 ；就是誡命 Commandments、勸諭 Counsels和際遇 Circumstances of life。
誡命
天主的聖意，在祂的十誡、聖教會的規範，和我們的本份中顯示出來。
教宗本篤十五世教導：「在現實生活中盡忠職守，無疑是遵行主旨的方法，亦是成聖的不二之門。」聖衣會會士佳播. 聖瑪大肋納神父解亦寫道：「成聖不在於成就奇特的大業，卻只需善盡本份。為我來說是可行的。」
勸諭
根據現代天主教字典，「勸諭」是作誡律所未要求的善行，而這善行在道德上超越相關的規範，就如守齋高於節制。
有關勸諭，例如有：當守瞻禮日外仍參與彌撒、沒有大罪而去告解、每日誦唸玫瑰經、參加聖經研習或祈禱會等。
盡心的教友，會感受到天主的召叫去實踐勸諭。至於如何洞察那些是天主的聖意，亞道夫.鄧奎利神父指稱：「假如感到被召喚去作的善行是一般和我們有類似生活環境的熱心教友所普遍實行的，我們大可放心去做，後來才報告給神師；相反，如果踫上鮮見又非一般熱心教友常做的事情，務必要先請教神師。」
際遇
每一件事都是在天主的指令或准許下發生，是為了我們靈魂的益處。我們應在每天生命的際遇中，順從天主的旨意。
亞道夫.鄧奎利神父指出：身處痛苦考驗的時刻，我們可循積極和消極兩方面處理，以舒緩苦果。
在消極方面，我們要避免加重自己的痛苦。我們不必專注舊患新傷，徒添煩惱；因為舊患已過，棄作陳蹟，新傷亦未必一如所料發生，奈何庸人自擾？即使如料壓頂，要依賴天主那時要賜予的聖寵，定能導出困局。現在困難未到，我們仍未有聖寵，只靠自己的能力，我們只會屈服於恐懼之下。
在積極方面，我們應該明白痛苦的價值。須知道，痛苦是光照、力量和功德的泉源。痛苦光照我們，領悟到人性的軟弱，生命的短暫，世事的虛幻。痛苦讓我們從磨練中作出反應，激發勇力，遜守諸德。當我們以愛德把痛苦與基督的苦難聖死結合，便能使之成為分施聖寵與人靈的工具。
In the last two weeks, we looked at two interior means of perfection, desire for perfection and knowledge of God and of self. This week, we are looking at the third interior means, conformity to the divine will.
St. Teresa of Avila declared, “The highest perfection consists not in interior favours, nor in great raptures, nor in visions, nor in the spirit of prophesy, but in the bringing of our wills so closely into conformity with the will of God that, as soon as we realize He wills anything, we desire it ourselves with all our might, and take the bitter with the sweet.”
St. Therese of the Child Jesus said, “The more joyfully [souls] do His will, the grater is their perfection.”
We discover the will of God in the 3 C’s: commandments, counsels, and circumstances of life.
Commandments
The will of God is signified in the Commandments of God, the Precepts of the Church, and the duties of our state.
Pope Benedict XV said, “Sanctity properly consists only in conformity to God’s will, expressed in a constant and exact fulfillment of the duties of our state in life.” Commenting on this statement, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen pointed out that “sanctity does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but is essentially reduced to the fulfillment of duty; therefore, it is possible for me.”
Counsels
According to the Modern Catholic Dictionary, counsels are “good actions that are not prescribed by any law. They are morally better than the corresponding precepts, as fasting is higher than temperance.”
Examples of counsels are: going to Mass or confession when not obliged, praying the rosary daily, and attending Bible study class or prayer group.
Good Catholics often feel inspired to practise the counsels. Father Adolphe Tanquerey gave the following rules for discernment: “If it be question of customary things generally done by fervent persons living under the same circumstances as we do, of things that do not trouble the soul, we may do them without hesitation and later on mention them to our director; but if it is question, on the contrary, of things extraordinary, even in the least degree, of things not usually done by devout souls, let us wait till we have consulted our spiritual adviser and, in the meantime, fulfill with all generosity our duties of state.”
Circumstances of life
We should submit to the will of God in all the events of life. These events are either ordered or permitted by God for the good of our souls.
Father Tanquerey taught that in times of trial, we can ease our sufferings by negative and positive remedies. Negatively, we should avoid aggravating sufferings by thinking too much about past wounds, and about possible sufferings in the future. Possible future sufferings may never come to pass; if they do come, then will be the time to bear them with the help of grace which will be given us for that purpose. “Just now, we have not such grace, and left to our own forces, we shall surely succumb under the weight of a self-imposed burden.”
Positively, we should reflect on the value of suffering. Suffering is a source of light, power, and merit. As a source of light, it reminds us of the shortness of life and the emptiness of worldly things. As a source of power, it produces reaction in us that helps to reinforce courage in the practice of virtues.
Suffering becomes a source of merit when it is borne in union with Christ’s sufferings. It is an instrument to apply the saving grace of Christ to souls.
