MAJOR ORDERS

Author of the “Divine Office.’’

17 South Broadway
St. Louis, Mo.

B. HERDER,
68 Great Russell Street
London, W. C.
1913

obstat:
F. G. HOLWECK,
Censor Librorum.
Sti. Ludovici, die 17. Nov., 1913.

imprimatur:
JOANNES J. GLENNON,
Archiepiscopus Sti. Ludovici.
Sti. Ludovici, die 19· Nov., 1913.

copyright,

1913,

BY
J. Bruneaü.

AUTHOR’S PREFACE.
Seminarians, it is true, have but little time for
private reading; yet we offer them this little volume
in the hope that they will make its acquaintance
and will be the better for it.
The various ordinations are capital events for
them. Those to Sacred Orders decide their future
and engage their entire life. These, above ail,
they must not receive without having given serious
reflection to them. Ordinands need to know well
what dispositions they require, what powers they
confer, what virtues they suppose or exact and
what obligations they impose. And to become thus
enlightened and to ground one’s self in these things
a short retreat cannot suffice. These matters need
to have been studied beforehand, thought upon
in the presence of God and seriously. Should the
time for this be lacking during the seminary year
one can occupy himself therewith during vacation,
and if one have not gone as thoroughly into these
matters as he could have wished before ordination,
he can come back to them afterwards. Even, it is
iii

iv

Preface.

of serious moment that one return to them often;
for there is always something to learn, some good
to be gained thereby.
Our instructions, like the meditations, are as brief
as possible. The reader is to expect of us indications
only. It is our endeavor to arouse his attention,
to direct his thoughts, to animate, enliven his faith
and fervor. But it is for him to reflect, examine,
appreciate and pray. If he desires to know the good
pleasure of God, so that he may conform to it, the
Holy Spirit will supplement our words in proportion
to the ardor and purity of his desire: Sapientia
ridetur facile ab his qui diligunt eam et invenitur ab
his qui quaerunt illam.1
Sacerdotes tui induantur justitiam, Domine, et
sancti tui exsultent.2

1 Sap., vi, 13.
* Ps., cxxxi, 7.

CONTENTS.
PART I.
Instructions on Major Orders: Tee Subdiaconate.
Page

Article I On the ordination of subdeacons................
3
Article II The obligation of chastity attached to sub­
deaconship............................ 25
PART II.
Meditations

on the

Subdiaconate.

I The excellence of chastity................................... 57
II Motives for chastity in sacred ministers........... 65
III The obligation of chastity in sacred ministers . 75
IV The Blessed Sacrament the first means to a life
of chastity............................................................ 83
V Second means to purity: devotion to the Bless­
ed Virgin..................................................... 92
VI An abhorrence of the least impurity as the third
means......................................................... 99
VII Prayer and vigilance a fourth means................ 106
VIII Avoidance of the world also an indispensable
means to chastity................................. 113

t

V

vi

Contents.
PART ΙΠ.
Instructions on the Diaconate.
Page

Article I Ordination, powers and functions of the
deacon................................... 121
Article II Preaching: The official privilege of the
deacon................................... 165

PART IV.
Meditations on the Diaconats.
I The excellence of preaching................................ 236
II The preaching office............................................. 246
III Who would preach must pray.............................. 255
IV To preaching must be joined example................ 264
V The need of being impressed with what one
preaches....................................................... 272
VI Forgetfulness of self in thepulpit........................ 283
VII Charity the soul ofpreaching................................ 292
VIII The more holy the preacher the more effective
his ministry............................................ 300

PART V.
Instructions on the Priesthood.

Article I Ordination: powers and functions of the
priest..................................... 3H
Article II Duties of a priest in the holy ministry.... 353

Contents.

vii

PART VI.
Meditation

on

Models of Priestly Perfection.
Page

I Our Lord.................................................................. 409
II Saintly priests......................................................... 418
III Saint Paul................................................................ 427
IV Saint Vincent de Paul............................................. 437
V Saint Francis de Sales............................................. 445
VI Saint Ligouri........................................................... 454
VII Saint John B. de la Salle...................................... 463
VIII The Blessed Curé of Are...................................... 473

1

PART I.
INSTRUCTIONS ON MAJOR ORDERS.
THE SUBDIACONATE.

ARTICLE I.

On

the

Ordination of Subdeacons.

I.

Subdeaconship, Deaconship and Priesthood differ
greatly from the preceding Orders, whilst among
themselves they are found to be more nearly akin.
Naturally, then, they have been classed together
and given a special designation. Thus, one often
hears them spoken of as Major Orders by which is
signified their superiority to the Minor Orders which
precede them. The more common name given them,
however, is Sacred Orders, and this for a two-fold
reason: first, because they have as their purpose to
bring those who receive them into intimate relation
3

4

Instructions.

with the most sacred objects of religion, the Body
and Blood of the Savior, or at least the sacred
vessels which contain these; secondly, because the
recipients are, at the moment of receiving them,
consecrated forever to the service of the altar.1
From this it follows of course that clerics pro­
moted to Sacred Orders acquire an increase of dig­
nities and new powers. But at the same time they
assume obligations correspondingly more grave.
Wherefore the Church is cautious most in this that
the Ordinandi give particular guarantees of maturity
in science and in virtue.2
Moreover, the canons prescribe at what age the
various Orders can be received: the Subdiaconate
may not be received until one has reached the age
of twenty-two; the Diaconate may be conferred on
those who have attained their twenty-third year,
while the canonical age for ordination to the Priest­
hood is twenty-four years. And even the very days
1 St. Thos., Suppl., q. 37, a. 3, ad 2.
’ Duo sacri ordines non eodem die etiam regularibus con­
ferantur. Conc. Trid., Sess. xxrn, 11. Hi nonnisi post
annum a susceptione postremi promoveantur, nisi necessi: - aut Ecclesiae utilitas, judicio Episcopi, aliud exposcat.
Ibid. c. 11, 13, 14.

The Subdiaconate.

5

on which these orders may be conferred are deter­
mined by canon law: they are the Saturday Ember
days, the vigil of Passion Sunday and the Saturday
of Holy Week. Nor may any of these regulations
be set aside unless by a dispensation from the Sov­
ereign Pontiff. The ordinations themselves must
take place during the offering of the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass, and, according to the rubrics, in a
cathedra] church after a convocation of the Chapter.
The practice of the Church today is such that the
first of the Major Orders is taken with a view to
the second, and the second with a view to the third,
often only a brief period intervening. It would be
well for the ordinandi therefore to keep them closely
associated in their minds so that they may the better
prepare for these successive steps.

II.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IN FIXING
SPECIAL SEASONS AND DAYS FOR THE CONFERRING
OF SACRED ORDERS?

1. In permitting these ordinations only at dis­
tant intervals during the year, she gives an addi­

6

Instructions.

tional solemnity to the ceremony and makes its
significance more deeply felt. By this she insures
also that no ordination can be given unknown to
her or without the faithful being advised of it, and
furthermore, that no ordinand can be promoted too
quickly from one order to another.
2. In appointing for ordination certain days at the
beginning of each of the four seasons and in Lent,
(that is during those times she has set apart in a par­
ticular manner for prayer and penance), she seeks to
impress upon the ordinandi, as upon the Apostles
of old, the need they have of the prayers of all the
faithful and how acceptable to Heaven in their
behalf are offerings of fastings and divers other
works of mortification, quite as in early Christian
ages.1
3. A pious liturgist of the thirteenth century attrib­
utes to the Church other and more mystical designs
which though very edifying are without doubt less
manifest or accredited. He says: “She ordains her
ministers on Saturday, the day whereon the Lord
rested from His work of creation, that thus her
ministers may understand that in giving themselves
1 Acts, i, 14; xm, 1; xiv, 22.

The Subdiaconate.

7

to God they are to renounce all servile work as well
as profane occupation, and to devote themselves
exclusively and with all their energy to the worship
of God and the eternal well-being of the souls whom
God shall commit to them. She ordains them at
each of the four seasons of the year as if to teach
them that always they must be at her service, ready
to preach the gospel in the four quarters of the earth.
More than this, each season seems to give the ordi­
nandi a particular word of instruction. Spring ex­
horts to an increase of virtue in all ways; Summer
bespeaks the need of a warm and ardent Charity,
such as filled the breasts of the Apostles after Pente­
cost; Autumn reminds them of the harvest which
for them is ever ripe, and awaits but their labors to
yield up its fruit; Winter bids them die resignedly to
self and to live henceforth in the spirit of the Master.
And lastly, Passiontide ordination is a solemn word
on the obligation of the disciple of the Savior to
carry the cross after Him and make of himself an
added immolation to the glory of the Father.”1
1 Honorius Augustod., De Gemma Animae, in, 55. Cf.
P. Surin, Oeuvres, Letter xiv.

8

Instructions.

ni.
THE TITLE TO WHICH ONE MUST BE ORDAINED.

1. Of those who were not to make a vow of pov­
erty in some religious order, the Church has long
required that all candidates for Holy Orders possess
some ecclesiastical benefice or patrimony sufficient
to maintain them, or have the right to receive mainte­
nance from a determined source: this is called a title;
and to make sure that this condition is fulfilled she
exacts that a legal proof thereof be remitted to the
bishop. This discipline which is very ancient, was
sanctioned by the Council of Trent. Its purpose is
to prevent the multiplication of needy priests who
will have no resources. That a priest be reduced to
beggary is sad, and by all means to be prevented.
Every priest has need of being independent and
respected by the faithful, in order to exercise well his
ministry; while the time spent in gaining a livelihood
would be so much taken from the service of God and
the care of souls. Nowadays the patrimonial title is
no longer required generally. In some dioceses a
minimum patrimony is fixed by statute, and all due
attention must be given to the legal observance

The Sxibdiaconate.

9

thereof, and any promise contrary to the substance
or purport of the statute or the title would be a grave
fault, liable to suspension. If the candidate for orders
had none of the titles mentioned, nec paupertatis,
nec beneficii, nec patrimonii, the bishop could ordain
him for his own diocese, taking upon himself the
burden of furnishing the ordinand with means of
suitable livelihood.
In this country, up to within a few years, clerics
were ordained ad titulum missionis and were de­
pendent upon their bishop for their living and had
a legal claim thereto. Recently, in the year 19G8. the
title for the United States was changed to ad servi­
tium ecclesiae. There was also a further legal trans­
action to be observed before admittance to orders,
it is the taking and signing of the oath, whereby a
man bound himself to work and to remain in the
diocese for which he is ordained, unless released by
the Congregation of the Propaganda. This too was
done away with when the United States ceased to
be a mission country, i.e., subject to the aforesaid
congregation. Now, as said above, the title of ordi­
nation is ad servitium ecclesiae and no vow or promise
is exacted except of those who have been trained

10

Instructions.

for the diocese at the expense of the bishop or dio­
cese; such must sign a promise to this effect: Ego,
fideliter promitto me exinde in perpe­
tuum mancipaturum Dioecesi .... (Promis­
sio ab eis qui ad Sacros Ordines promoventur pro
Dioecesi originis, quique gratuito in bonum Dioecesis
aluntur. Ex Decreto S. C. C. Postquam vi Constit.,
29 Julii, 1909.)
Over and above all this, the Council of Trent
requires documentary assurance of the legitimate
birth, age, and reliable testimony of the morals and
life of the candidate. The Council wished this
accomplished by the publishing of banns in the
native and domiciliary parish of the ordinand; how­
ever both the fact of proclamations and the number
of them has been left to the discretion of the diocesan
authorities.
IV.
WHAT IS THE SUBDIACONATE AND WHAT ARE THE
FUNCTIONS OF A SUBDEACON?

1. The subdiaconate is an Order which gives the
privilege of ascending to the altar after the priest
and deacon to take part with them in the celebra­
tion of the Divine Sacrifice.

The Subdiaconate.

11

2. According to the Pontifical, liturgical writers,
and the practice of the Church, the functions of the
subdeacon are:
First, to prepare the material to be consecrated;
secondly, to bring the sacred vessels to the altar,
thirdly, to chant solemnly the Epistle of the Mass;
fourthly, to pour into the chalice the water that
must be mixed with wine for the Offertory; fifthly,
to serve the deacon at the altar and to be thereby
a second witness of, and a second cooperator in the
Divine Sacrifice; sixthly, to receive the offerings of
the faithful; seventhly, to see to the good condition,
neatness, and cleanliness of the sacred vessels, purificators, and corporals; eightly, to bear the Cross in
processions; and lastly, to teach catechism or give
familiar instruction to grown people, though with­
out ascending the pulpit.
V.
AT WHAT MOMENT AND IN WHAT MANNER IS THE ORDI­
NATION TO THE SUBDIACONATE EFFECTED?

The privileges and graces of the subdiaconate
are conferred at the moment when the bishop,

12

Instructions.

making the ordinand touch the chalice and paten
says: “Videte cujus ministerium vobis traditur: ideo
vos admoneo ut ita vos exhibeatis ut Deo placere pos­
sitis.” Hence it is the touching of the sacred vessels
that is the matter of the Order while the words of
the prelate are the form thereof.
Some theologians see a second matter and form
in the touching of the book of Epistles and the words
of the pontiff which reveal the meaning of the rite:
“Accipite librum Epistolarum, et habete potestatem
legendi eas in Ecclesia Sancti Dei, tam pro vivis
quam pro defunctis. In nomine Patris et Filii et
Spiritus Sancti. Arnen.”
Those who do not regard the Subdiaconate as
a sacrament attach but little importance to these
rites. They have, as they say, no divine virtue
since they have not always been in use in the Church
and are even of quite recent usage in one part of the
Church.’ To these it is sufficient to answer that for
the production of grace and the constitution of a
1 It appears, however, that the subdiaconate is of very
remote antiquity. Pope Cornelius (251) counts seven subdescons in his catalogue of clerics of the Roman Church,
and St. Cyprian (258) makes mention of this Order more
than ten times in his Epistles.

The Subdiaconate.

13

sacrament it is not necessary that this or that
precise matter and form have been in use from the
beginning, much less have been designated in the
institution of the Sacrament of Orders. Could not
Our Lord have been content with establishing for
the consecration of His ministers an especial Sacra­
ment having such an effect and producing suitable
grace, and have left to the Church the power of
determining the matter and form or the acts neces­
sary on the part of the ministers and subjects for
conferring the grace and the dignity?
Besides it is certain that the usage of saying to a
deacon, priest, and bishop at ordination, “Accipe
Spiritum Sanctum,’’ is not so very ancient. Yet
who will presume to doubt or question the efficacy
of these words, since the canon of Trent says: “Si
quis dixerit per sacram ordinationem non dari Spiri­
tum Sanctum ac proinde frustra episcopum dicere:
Accipe Spiritum Sanctum, anathema sit?1 Wherefore
if the Church can and did provide an element of the
Sacrament of Orders, if she can validly establish and
introduce this particular form, the conclusion is,
perforce, that she can equally as well provide and
1 Conc. Trid., Sess. xxm, De reform., 4.

14

Instructions.

introduce the matter of a sacrament. The argu­
ment is even “a majori:” she has used this power in
regard to the Diaconate; why may she not exercise
it in regard to an inferior Order?
VI.
WHY DO THE ORDINANDI FOR THE SUBDIACONATE

PROSTRATE THEMSELVES BEFORE THE ALTAR TO­
GETHER WITH THE DEACONS AND PRIESTS-TO-BE,

WHILE THE BISHOP AND CLERGY CHANT THE LITANY
OF THE SAINTS?

1. The intention of the Clergy, in chanting the
Litany, is to obtain of Heaven for the ordinandi
the graces necessary for a worthy reception of
Sacred Orders and a becoming exercise of their holy
functions: “Ut hos electos benedicere, sanctificare,
et consecrare digneris," the bishop will pray at the
end. During this solemn and earnest supplication
one seems to behold the Church triumphant in
Heaven turning with sympathetic gaze and succor­
ing hand to the Church in labor on earth. Could
anything be better calculated to impress the ordi­
nandi with a right understanding of the importance

The Subdiaconate.

15

which attaches to such a reception of the Order as
w-21 insure its full effect and the production of its
fruits.
2. The prostration of the ordinandi is a striking
expression of the sentiments of humility and devo­
tion with which they should consecrate themselves
to Our Lord. When God manifested Himself to
Abraham and declared that he was to be the father
of the chosen people, the great patriarch humbly
fell upon his face to the earth in acknowledgment
of his nothingness and in protestation of his unwor­
thiness. So at the moment when about to contract
with God an indissoluble alliance and receive from
Him a gauge of the dignity to which he is destined,
the future priest seeks, as it were, to annihilate
himself at the feet of the Lord in sincere confession
of his utter impotence to respond to His designs.
To this adoration and humility the ordinand joins
self-immolation and a promise of unreserved devo­
tion. Alive to the necessity of becoming a new man,
since he must live in the angelic virtue for the days
he has yet to spend on earth, he begs of Our Lord
the grace to die to self, to break the yoke of flesh
and sin, to bury without hope of resurrection every­

16

Instructions.

thing that might still remain in him of the corrup­
tion of the old man. For this it is that the body of
flesh lies stretched and lifeless, as it were, upon the
pavement, while the new creation of grace, the spirit­
ual sacerdotal man makes offering to God of service,
in purity and fervor of soul, unto death.1

VII.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE ORDINATION AND FUNCTIONS
OF THE SUBDEACON.

1. The ceremonies of the ordination of a sub­
deacon are very suggestive of the powers and graces
conferred therein. Of this we shall treat more at
length when speaking of the insignia and conferring
of the Order.
2. The functions of the office are equally signifi­
cant. The chief of which, pertaining to the Divine
Sacrifice, consists in the preparation of the materials
for consecration, the mixing of water with wine in
1 Adhaesit pavimento anima mea: vivifica me secundum
verbum tuum. Ps. cxvni; Auferes spiritum eorum et
deficient, et in pulverem suum revertentur. Emitte spiri­
tum tuum et creabuntur; et renovabis faciem terrae. Ps.
cni, 29.

The Subdiaconate.

17

the chalice, and the holding of veiled paten before
the eyes even through the second elevation. These
three acts are suggestive to the Subdeacon of three
things: First, a reminder; of the Savior all through
His life holding himself in readiness to sacrifice, on
the altar prepared by the Father, His body and
blood; secondly, a worthy purpose; of offering and
immolating himself in the holy sacrifice together
with Jesus Christ, our divine head; thirdly, a hope;
that it will one day be granted him to see the Divine
Mctim beyond the veil and know Him in His glory.1
The Subdeacon cannot better occupy himself
during the holy mysteries than with these thoughts
so thoroughly in keeping with the spirit of his office
and unfailingly prolific of heartfelt aspirations.

1 (1) Ingrediens mundum dicit: Hostiam et oblationem
noluisti, corpus autem aptasti mihi. Tunc dixi: Ecce
venio ut faciam, Deus, voluntatem tuam. Hebr., x, 5-7.
(2) Sacerdotium sanctum offere hostias spirituales Deo per
Jesum Christum, i Pet., ii, 5. Qui Passionis dominicae
mysteria celebramus, debemus imitari quod agimus. Tunc
enim pro nobis hostia erit, cum nosmetipsos Deo Patri
hostiam fecerimus. S. Greg., M. Dial. iv. (3) Videbimus,
amabimus, laudabimus. S. Aug., De civ. Dei, Cap. ult.
I

18

Instructions.

VIII.
Di CONFIDING TO THE SUBDEACON THE CARE OF THE
SACRED LINENS DOES THE BISHOP ATTACH TO THEM
ANY MYSTICAL SIGNIFICANCE?

Yes, and the more thoroughly to impress this sig­
nificance upon the Subdeacons he even insists upon
it, as he had done in conferring Minor Orders, while
declaring to them their functions and duties. His
point is this, that if they exercise great care, as they
ought, that the Body of the Savior be always sur­
rounded with whatever is becoming and neat,
they should be not a whit less attentive to the purity
of their own souls and should regard it as their
foremost obligation to bestow all pains in order to
keep pure from sin and to keep their souls, like the
linens, without soil or blemish. “For,” he says,
“the true altar of the divine majesty is the Man-God,
or rather the Person of the Word elevating His
human nature to infinite dignity and with it making
acceptable to His Father all that belongs to Himself
and what or whomsoever He has been pleased to
unite with Himself in His Sacrifice.”1 But what is
1 Altare quidem Ecclesiae est Christus, cujus altaris
pallae et corporalia sunt membra Christi, seu fideles Dei.
Pontif., de Subd.j

The Subdiaconate.

19

there more intimately in union with His humanity,
or what that He could be more pleased to offer to
Ξ - Father than the pure and earnest souls who
partake of His life and are of His Spirit. For,
■wherein is the glory and joy of the Savior if not, in
part at least, in being surrounded with such and in
seeing the fairest of His own virtues showing forth
in them. They are, as it were, His fair mantle or
comely vesture; whence follows the duty of His
ministers, to suffer nothing on the body of the
Savior or in His members that befits not with the
holiness thereof. Bring these thoughts to mind
when giving care to the neatness of the linens or the
decoration of the altar.1

WHAT SIGNIFICANCE ATTACHES TO THE VARIOUS PARTS
OF THE INSIGNIA WITH WHICH THE SUBDEACON
IS VESTED AT THE ALTAR?

1. The Amice, a linen cloth which covers the
head and neck of the sacred minister, serves as a
’ Beatus Joannes vidit Filium hominis praecinctum
zona aurea, id est sanctorum caterva. Pontif.—Spiritus
est Deus, et eos qui adorant eum in spiritu et veritate
oportet adorare. Joan., iv, 24.

20

Instructions.

protection to the voice. Many writers holding this
view, see in the amice a memorial of the veil with
which the Savior was blindfolded in the pretorium,1
or of the napkin that was wrapped about His head
while in the sepulchre.2 They would make of it a
reminder, to the person receiving it, of the obliga­
tion never more to be ruled by merely natural senti­
ments, least of all by pride which finds expression of
its aspirations in the head and through it : they counsel
humble and earnest petition of God for a generous
share in the graces merited by His Son’s death
and burial. Furthermore by way of supplement to
the words of the bishop in giving this vestment,
“Accipe amictum, per quem designatur castigatio
vocis” they add: “If you are to care for your voice
and protect it against the eager air it follows by
greater urgency that you have regard to the words
you utter that they may be without reproach and
altogether such as befit one in Sacred Orders.”
Advice that cannot safely be disregarded; for the
faults against which it is directed, slander, raillery,
1 Coeperunt velare caput ejus et colaphis eum caedere.
Matt., xxv, 65.
’ Petrus vidit linteamina posita et sudarium quod fuerat
super caput ejus. John., xx, 6.

The Subdiaconate.

21

■m'entiousness, indiscretion, or impropriety are
■relied in conversation only by circumspection.
■S·. guis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus est vir.1
I Other writers, impressed by the words of the
tayer, said while putting on the amice, “Impone,
~ine capite meo, galeam salutis," etc., make it
symbolize the helmet of salvation, the gift of a
■rely faith, which of all things is the most necesdefence against the devil.2
2. The Alb—“Alba”—is by its whiteness mysti­
cally significant of the innocence required of him
who performs sacred functions.3 The Cincture which
bolds up the alb or keeps it in its folds around the
body bespeaks the strength and resolution with
which the wearer ought to restrain the flesh against
depravity and hold it in subjection.4 This is the
1 Jac., in, 2.
1 In omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, in quo possitis
omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere; et galeam salutis
assumite. Eph., vi, 17.
* Albis induti insistunt ut coelestem vitam habeant can­
didique ad hostias accedant, mundi scilicet corpore et
incorrupti corde. S. Isid., De Eccl. off., n, 8.
4 Alba cingulo stringitur ut omnis voluptas carnalis
astricta intclligatur, dicenti Domino: Sint lumbi vestri
praecincti. Durand., De off. divin., ni, 3. Lumbos enim
praecingimus cum carnis luxuriam per continentiam coarctamus. S. Greo., M., Horn., xin, in Evang.

22

Instructions.

idea embodied in the prayer to be recited while
girding oneself.1 The surplice, though of the same
color as the alb, is but half its length, and covers but
half the body; while the alb clothes the wearer
entirely. The meaning of this is that whatever of
carnal mindedness or human failing remained after
Tonsure, has now disappeared and the virtue of the
Sacred minister should at last have attained its
perfectness.2 It may further be noted that the
Tonsured receives his Surplice from the bishop at
ordination, while the Subdeacon dons the alb before
being ordained. This gives us to understand that
the Sacred Orders demand a virtue already acquired,
though for Tonsure it suffices merely to have a sin­
cere purpose to work for its acquisition.®
3. The maniple was originally, perhaps, a simple
cloth or towel used for wiping the face and was
1 Praecinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis, et extingue in
lumbis meis humorem libidinis, ut maneat in me virtus
continentiae et castitatis. Cf. Ex., xn, 11.
2 Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum, ut in sanguine
Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruar sempiternis. Ut tota
pristinorum peccatorum turpitudo celetur. Rupert, De
div. off., 29.
* Nemo ad Sacrum ordinem accedere permittatur, nisi
aut virgo aut probatae sit castitatis. Dist. xxxn, Cap.
Nemo.

The Subdiaconate.

23

Benied on the left arm during ceremonies. This
■n its seeming etymology, ‘‘Manus mappula.”
the expression as used by Hildebert, we
Bfcmr that it is a distinctive badge of the members
I a me Lord’s household. But the word “maniple”
■ sself and the custom of carrying it on the arm seem
I tamer to be expressive of the sheafs of goodly works
I mît each of these elect is expected to present to
I the Lord of the harvest when the crops are gathered
F in. Allusion to this significance is made by the
I bishop in his words to the Subdeacon: “Accipe
f manipulum per quem designatur fructus bonorum
F operum,” as if he were to say: “Your time for labor, ing at the harvest is now arrived. Till this moment
you scarce have taken thought but for yourself;
I yet now the hour is in which you are to have concern
for your brethren and to labor for their sanctifica­
tion. For know well that you are called to labor,
not repose.” The Church seeks to bring this les­
son home by having us repeat the prayer: “Merear,
Domine, portare manipulum fletus et doloris, ut cum
exultatione recipiam mercedem laboris.” If one would
reap he must first plough, sow, and till. Labor may
not be dispensed with, and to sustain and cheer us

24

Instructions.

in our toil we have only to remember that we are
in the service of the Savior, for Whom no labor is
ever vain, Who rewards each according to his effort.1
The maniple then, with its injunction to austerity is
still to be taken with joy and its cross to be kissed
with love.
4. The Tunic given to the Subdeacon is a festive
garment: “Tunica jucunditatis et indumento justitiae
induat te Dominus,” is the prayer of the bishop. As
if to say: “May God give you a generous share in
the consolations He is wont to heap upon those who
proffer Him loving service.” Or in other words:
“May His reign be firmly established in your soul,
for its fruit is joy of heart and the peace of His
Holy Spirit.”
Though originally and for some time the subdea­
con had no distinctive vestment, his “tunica alba”
was gradually made more and more ornamental and
altered in length until in the twelfth century it
was given as a distinctive garment, a “ Tunicella,”
to be worn over another plain and longer tunic.
'Apostolus non dixit: Plus omnibus profui; sed: Plus
omnibus laboravi. Deus enim mercedem laborum sancto­
rum, non ex proventu laboris, sed ex labore metitur. Pet.
Blés., Serrn.

25

The Subdiaconate.

In course of time it has become very like to the
deacon’s dalmatic and today is hardly to be distin­
guished from it.
ARTICLE IL

The Obligation of Chastity Attached
Subdeaconship.

to

X.
IS THIS OBLIGATION OF LONG STANDING?

The Fathers of the second council of Carthage
(390) trace this obligation, for all sacred ministers,
back even to the Apostles. They allege the teach­
ing and practice of the very earliest Christian times
in favor of this discipline.1 For, they say, by observ­
ing this obligation we shall conform to the teach­
ings of the Apostles and to the most ancient practice
of the Church.”2
1 Placuit sacros Antistites et Dei sacerdotes, necnon et
Levitas vel qui sacramentis divinis inserviunt, continentes
esse in omnibus, ut quod Apostoli docuerunt et ipsa ser­
vavit antiquitas, nos quoque custodiamus. Conc., Carthag., ii. Cf. S. Pet., D., Cont. cler. incont.
’ Christus virgo, virgo Maria, utriusque sexus dedicavere
principia. Apostoli vel virgines vel post nuptias conti­
nentes. S. Hieron., Contr. Jovin.

26

Instructions.

Nevertheless, there was for a considerable time
some difference of opinion and hesitation about
extending this law of continence to Subdeacons;
just as theologians were not unanimous in counting
the Subdiaconate among the Sacred Orders. St.
Leo sought to establish this discipline,1 and St.
Gregory the Great settled it definitely by forbidding
the ordination of any to the Subdiaconate who would
not promise to abide by this law.2 From his time
the practice became uniform and constant in the
Latin Church. Proof of this is found in the Roman
Pontifical which certainly is of more recent date.
Therein the bishop frankly declares to the candidates
for the Subdiaconate that they must once and for
all renounce the secular life and the right to marry.
Other testimonies are to be had in the Councils and
Fathers who, in this respect, make no distinction
between the major orders. “The Fathers have
always insisted,” says St. Isidor of Seville (seventh
century) in speaking of the Subdeacons, “that they
who approach so closely to the holy mysteries ought
themselves to be holy, to live in celibacy and to
preserve themselves from stain of carnal lust.”3
1 Epist ad Anastas., cap. Omnium, 1 : dist. 33.
* S. Greg., M., Epist. xliv, lib., Ind. ix.
’ De divinis officiis.

The Subdiaconate.

27

And today among us it can be said that the law
of celibacy affects every member of the clergy, not
that the merely Tonsured, or those only in minor
orders may not reenter the secular state, but in the
sense that the clerical and married states are held
to be incompatible, and, in consequence, he who
will not be a celibate foregoes thereby the ecclesiasti­
cal profession and its privileges and prerogatives.
XI.
DO THESE SACRED MINISTERS OBLIGE THEMSELVES
MERELY TO A LIFE OF CELIBACY, OR ARE THEY

HELD TO THE PRACTISE OF CHASTITY EVEN AS
THOSE WHO HAVE THE RELIGIOUS VOW?

The effect of the ordination to the Subdiaconate
is not merely to forbid the marrying of sacred minis­
ters or to place a perpetual impediment thereto;
it constrains them rather to the observance of
absolute chastity throughout life, so that any sin
committed by them against this virtue takes on
a twofold malice and is a sacrilege.1
1 Praecinge me Domine cingulo puritatis, ut maneat in
me virtus continentiae et castitatis. Missal. Major est
castitas quam virginitas. Si non vis mori, aut castitatem

28

Instructions.

Whether this obligation rest on the vow of chas­
tity implied in the voluntary reception of the Sub­
diaconate, or be directly imposed upon the Sub­
deacon by ecclesiastical law, is of little consequence.
It is for the honor of God and out of regard for the
holy mysteries that he is bound to be chaste. To
fulfil the functions of Angels, one has need of the
purity of Angels. The sacred minister cannot fail
in this except to the detriment of religion, thereby
rendering himself guilty, in some degree, of sacri­
lege.
Some theologians, following the opinion that the
Subdeacon does not make or take a vow properly
so-called and that the Church does not extend her
legislative power to internal acts, have thought
that the character of sacrilege should not be attrib­
uted to the purely mental sins of thought or com­
placence. But this opinion is without authority.
The general and received teaching is that in accept­
ing the subdiaconate the minister of the Church is
bound to make, and equivalently does make, in an
implicit manner, a vow of chastity, and that in vircustodias aut ad altare non accedas. Virginitas in uno
membro, castitas in omnibus membris. Sicut igitur lin­
gua dicetur casta et cor, ita oculi, aures, manus, pedes et
caetera membra dicuntur. S. Bruno, De Cast., 9.

The Subdiaconate.

29

tue of this vow he is consecrated to God, soul as
•well as body; moreover, if from that moment he
should once give up his mind to impure thoughts or
carnal desires he fails in the obligation of his state
and profanes, in himself, an holy thing.1 The con­
sequence of this is, it seems, that to confess entirely
a sin of this kind, a sacred minister ought to declare
his rank and condition in the Church, just as though
a religious.
XII.
THE REASONS FOR THE LAW OF CELIBACY AND THE
VIRTUE OF CHASTITY BINDING UPON ALL SACRED
MINISTERS.

The law is of the extremest gravity; having for
its fundamental purpose the glory of God, the honor
of the holy altar, and the interests of souls.
1. What God expects of His ministers is not an
external service or appearance merely, but a wor­
ship, interior, spiritual, and sincere. He is a Spirit
and wishes to be honored in spirit and in truth.2
1 Cf. Cap. I, De Voto, in Sexto; Extrav. Joan., xxii, Cap.
1, et Bened., xiv, Inter praeteritos, § I (December, 1747).
* Spiritus est Deus, et eos qui adorant eum in spiritu et
veritate oportet adorare. Nam et Pater tales quaerit qui
adorent eum. Joan., iv, 24, 25.

30

Instructions.

He will have it that His ministers belong to Him
unreservedly, that they love Him with all their
heart, that they serve Him with all their soul and
with all their strength. But, to serve and love God
thus, the heart may not be divided, nor retain any
unworthy or unbecoming attachment; at the dis­
position of the Sovereign Master all must be placed;
life as well as strength. It is desirable and even
necessary then that the minister be without other
alliance or human engagement. "Qui cum uxore
est, sollicitus est quae sunt mundi," says the Apostle,
"et divisus est. Qui sine uxore est, sollicitus est
quae Domini sunt, quomodo placeat Deo.”1 For all
the more reason should he be a stranger to carnal
affections and the vice of impurity. Nothing is
more opposed to the love of God than impurity;
nothing degrades, blinds, and dulls the soul so sadly
as the gratified lusts of the flesh.2 Wherefore even
Cor., vu, 32-33. Amo Deum; nullum praeter eum
amatorem admittam. S. Agnes. Brev., January 21.
’ Usus Venereorum retrahit animam a perfecta intentione
tendendi ad Deum. Et hoc quod S. Augustinus dicit in
libro I, Soliloquiorum, Cap. x : Nihil esse sentio, quod magis
ex arce dejiciat animum virilem quam blandimenta feminea,
corporumque contactus. Alio etiam modo, propter sol­
licitudinem quam ingerit, homini gubernatione uxoris et

The Svbdiaconate.

31

er the Old Law, and in the figurative worship,
priests were obliged to live continently all during
time in which they were in service at the temple.1
2. The Eucharistic Victim, Whom the sacred
w^isters adore at the altar is the Man-God, the
Word made Flesh. But the Word made Flesh, the
Man-God is Holiness Itself and Purity by essence.
He has truly a horror of the least sin. He will not
suffer any defilement in or near Him: “Discedite a
■u omnes qui operamini iniquitatem.”2 And what is
more hateful to Him than all else, and revolting in
the extreme to His holiness, is impurity or whatever
savors of it. He can scarce bear to see around Him
any one or anything that bears traces of this vice or
suggests the idea of it. Is any limit, then, to be
placed to the innocence and purity of His sacred
ministers who are permitted to approach so near to
•he holy altar, who consecrate Him, who offer Him
to the Eternal Majesty of the Father, who distribute
filiorum et rerum temporalium quae ad eorum sustenta­
tionem sufficiant, 2» 2“«, qu. 186, a. 4.—Vitia carnalia in
tautum extinguunt judicium rationis, in quantum longe
abducunt a ratione. 2» 2“, qu. 53, q. 6. ad 3.
1 Levit., xxi, 6. Cf. i Con., vn, 5. Incorruptio facit
esse proximum Deo. Sap., vi, 20.
1 Is., vi. 9.

32

Instructions.

Him to the faithful.1 What more could He be made
to suffer than to see these chosen and consecrated
ones neath the degrading yoke of nature’s lusts or
soiled with impurity?
If, says a holy Doctor, during His life, He gathered
round His person none but virgins or men of exem­
plary purity; if He provided that at His death as
at His birth none but pure and innocent hands should
touch His sacred body, can it be that now, when
gloriously risen and in Heaven, He is indifferent as
to resting between impure hands or finds any pleas­
ure in descending into hearts He knows to be given
up to indulgence of the flesh? The faithful, accord­
ing to the Apostle, who receive Him into their hearts
and thereby become temples of the Incarnate God,
are under rigorous obligation to lead a chaste life.
But the sacred minister is the very tabernacle, the
Holy of holies; he is, in a sense, one person with
Him, for before God and man, he is a Christ.2
1 0 quam mundae debent esse manus illae! Sacerdotibus
specialiter dictum est : Sancti estote, quoniam ego sanctus
sum. Imit., iv, 11.
’ Si Redemptor noster tantopere diligit floridi pudoris
integritatem, ut non modo de virgineo utero nasceretur,
sed etiam a nutritio virgine tractaretur, et hoc cum adhuc
parvulus vagiret in cibum in cunis, a quibus nunc obsecro

The Subdiaconate.

33

3 The faithful see in the sacred minister and the

r especially, another Jesus Christ. From him
- learn the way to heaven, and he must teach
n by example as well as by word; he must inter• for them before God, he must aid them in their
tification, administer to them the sacraments,
dn grace and other means necessary for their
ation, even at the cost of his own life. But do
not see that to be able to live up to these duties
accomplish such eternal good the priest must be,
his Master, a spiritual man, his eye fixed on eter«ity, unattracted by carnal pleasures, unattached to
creatures, looking only to the interests of God and
the welfare of souls? Do you not feel how pure you
must be in order to purify others, how unswerving
and steadfast you must be that you may be able to
ground in solid virtue weak and wavering souls,
what absolute tyranny you must have over yourself
to keep your senses in constant and ready control,
never to give occasion for censure or even suspicion,
to do honor to your ministry and see it fruitful even
in the midst of corruption and despite many dangers?
tractari vult corpus suum, cum jam immensus regnat in
coelis? S. Pet. Dam., De Coelib., C. ni. Cf. I Cor., vi,
15. 19, 20.

34

Instructions.

You are of those who know what the world thinks
of the priest who falls from the virtue of his calling.
You have seen the scandal that comes upon and is
suffered by the Church through a cleric’s unfaithful­
ness to his solemn profession; and you have felt
indignation or some kindred feeling stir your soul
on beholding some such faithless disciple wearing
the insignia of a sanctity which he lacks utterly,
or on hearing such a one preach truths that con­
demn him as he speaks.
These considerations are sufficient to show the
wisdom of the laws imposed upon sacred ministers
by Holy Church, and to make one appreciate the
responsibility they incur who make to God a solemn
promise of perpetual chastity.

XIII.
THAT THE SUBDIACONATE MAY BE RECEIVED WITH­

OUT FEAR OF RASHNESS WILL IT SUFFICE EVEN
TO BE FULLY RESOLVED TO LIVE UP TO THE VOW

OF CHASTITY AND NEVER TO EXPOSE ONESELF
IMPRUDENTLY?

Even such a resolution is not sufficient. The
Council of Trent expressly exacts that the candidate

The Subdiaconate.

35

man of solid and tried virtue. “Subjects,”
ys. are not to be admitted indiscriminately;
only those whose conduct guarantees their
trity; “quorum probata vita senectus sit;” and
have good ground for to hope that they will
be found faithful to their engagement. “Qui
nt, Deo auctore, se continere posse.”1 Otherordination would be one’s undoing: a scandal
others and damnation to one’s self.
.And it may be of some value to realize that not
.desiastical law alone, but natural and divine law
rbid anyone to accept Holy Orders and their
gagements unless he have well grounded hope of
being able to live up to them. The glory of God and
the interests of the Church are seriously involved
in the candidates’ regard for this rule, and it is clear
that, should the case arise, the duty of the confessor
is simply to see that it is observed strictly. If a
confessor knew his penitent to be the subject of
bad habits and, despite good desires, not likely to
* Trent, Sess. xxin, De reform., 12, 13. Let these also
first be proved: and so let them minister, having no crime.
I Tim., 3. Not a neophyte. Ibid. It is one thing readily to
obtain pardon of one’s sins, but quite another hastily to be
invested with insignia of sanctity. St. Bern., Epist. vm.

36

Instructions.

rid himself of them, he could absolve him from his
sins, but he should not permit him to make a vow of
chastity—nor even a simple and secret vow. It
would better rather that the penitent be dispensed,
should he have so inconsiderately made one. For
all the more reason would it be wrong to let such
an one make a solemn and irrevocable vow thus
engaging himself in a holy profession, wherein, if
lacking courage or strength, he would be exposed to
all manner of profanation and to the giving of grave
scandal; in all of which he would be most blame­
worthy.
If one then ask how an ordinand may be morally
sure of keeping chaste, faithful to his vow, there
seems but one answer whereby one may form his
conscience on the matter; it is simply this: To make
known to a wise and disinterested director all that
he may have need to know of your past doings, all
your present dispositions whatsoever touching the
question to be settled; having done this with all
candor and sincerity, abide by his decision. Such is
the one rule given by masters, and the only one fol­
lowed by worthy ecclesiastics.
As for the director, he will consult the principles

The Subdiaconate.

37

^■Boral theology, such authors as treat of clerical
■e. and his own experience, and will examine not
Brik rhe behavior, past and present, of the penitent,
Bt also the work done by grace in his soul, and, as
■bL the character, the faith, the sincerity of the
Bevidual and his regard for the holy mysteries.
Bfe :ught, too, take into account the environment in
■kich the ordinand has lived, and of that wherein
k is to live, and the sort of ministry to which he
Bay be assigned.
I Without going further into the details of this
■ft'ter, we think it well to add the words of two
ç.· doctors, whose wisdom and virtue vouch for
■e worth of their advice: St. Gregory the Great
warns directors of ordinandi: “Examine well
to whether the subjects proposed have lived chaste
for years.” An eorum vita in annis plurimis con­
tinens fuerit.’’1
• Lest ever an ordinand perish, it should be known before­
hand of what sort the subjects are, whether they have lived
chaste during many years together, and if they are given to
study and almsgiving. And since St. Paul forbade that a
aeophyte be admitted to Holy Orders, we are to consider
as neophytes they who are as yet young in their converMon from sin. St. Greg. Great, Letter xxvi.

38

Instructions.

“Would to God,” exclaims St. Bernard, “that
those who pretend to that perfection, would consider
if they have the strength to attain thereto. Would
to God, too, that those who cannot answer for them­
selves would not engage themselves in a life which
is not within their strength : for all are not made for
a state so holy, and not everyone may aspire to it.
Better live married than burn as a celibate. Better
save one’s soul in the humbler rank of a layman,
than be lost and damned in the ranks of the clergy—
be they ever so exalted or honorable.”
XIV.
THE SUBDEACON, BY REASON OF HIS VOW, OUGHT BE
MUCH GIVEN TO PRAYER.

This is but a consequence of the engagement he
has made as a sacred minister. “ Quis potest facere
mundum de immundo conceptum semine?” said Job to
the Lord. “Nonne tu qui solus es.” It is not natu­
ral to man to live the life of an angel, and it is not
easy to persevere in a life so perfect. For if concu­
piscence has not destroyed our liberty altogether,
it certainly has lessened it, and so hampered the

The Subdiaconate.

39

le=-·..-e thereof that one feels it an effort to perseΗβέ in well doing. So much so, that if left to ourfctves, he cannot but lapse into sin before long.
enim et cogitatio cordis humani ad malum
Urena sunt ab adolescentia,” says the Lord Himself.
To make good his promise and to lead a pure life
the subdeacon has then need of a great grace, or
bether, of a very special series of graces quite to the
eid of his life. This need is a real one, a want, and
the best of good will cannot supply it.
But the subdeacon must be assured against ever
fading from grace somehow. By what means then
shall he obtain the much needed help? By no other
means than by prayer—unceasing—continual prayer.
Prayer in season and odt of season. Ut scivi
quoniam non possum esse continens nisi Deus det,
adii Dominum et deprecatus sum,” says the sage.
The Christian knows that prayer only can relieve
his helplessness. True enough, God, in giving a
vocation thereby engages Himself to give all graces
that it may be well lived up to, since faith teaches
that He can ask the impossible of no one. And yet
withal, it is no less His will that those needing His
assistance should have recourse to His goodness and

40

Instructions.

ask His grace.1 It is to all His disciples, whether
in orders or not, that Christ says “Ask and you
shall receive.” And you—if you pray as you should,
will surely obtain all that is necessary, and any­
thing of which you feel the want. “Everyone
whosever asketh, receiveth." But if you do not pray,
you are not likely to receive, and sure it is, at least,
that you will have no guarantee of receiving the help
you will sorely need; that help which God has sin­
cerely pledged Himself to accord you. So, too, if
you give up praying you are like to see dry up
(for you at least) the source or fount of grace, how­
soever bounteous it may have been for you at first.

1 Caritas Dei, accende me. Continentiam jubes: da quod
jubes, et jube quod vis. S. Aug., Conf, xx, 29. God
requires no impossibilities; but in requiring He gives us
to understand that we are to do what we can and pray for
that which is beyond us. S. Aug., De bono persev. n.
We believe indeed that no one comes to salvation unless
invited thereto by God; that no one even though invited
works out his salvation unless aided by God, and that none
merit His aid except the prayerful. S. Aug., De Eccl. dogm.

The Svbdiaconate.

41

XV.
THIS THE REASON WHY THE CHURCH IMPOSES THE
OBLIGATION OF THE BREVIARY ON THE SUBDEACON?

Not the principal reason. The church in imposing
those in Holy Orders the recitation of the Office
irposes above all to offer through them to God
e tribute of prayer and praise He requires of
r, and to get in return the abundance of graces
favor of her children which she desires. What
ings her to charge all who receive the subdiaeonate with this duty, is that, in consecrating them­
selves to God in ordination, and in engaging them­
selves to live a life in a sense truly angelic, they make
themselves worthy of the rôle of an angel and of
serving their brethren as pleaders before the throne
of Grace.
But these are not the only reasons, for it would
seem that the Church, taking into consideration the
needs as well as the merits of the young subdeacons,
seeks to fortify them in their weakness while honor­
ing them in their virtue. In fact the office is for
them a powerful aid. Over and above the fruits
of their prayer which are theirs by first right, untold

42

Instructions.

valuable graces cannot but be gained them by reason
of the application the office requires. A subdeacon,
obliged to converse with God during the principal
hours of the day, can and ought to be ever in the
presence of God, always under the impression of the
truths of religion, imbued with sentiments of faith
and be a man of desires and petitions. His life
then can easily be, cannot easily be other (if prop­
erly lived) than a continual prayer and a series—an
uninterrupted flow of graces.
XVI.
DOES IT MATTER MUCH THAT THE BREVIARY BE

RECITED WELL AND SHOULD ONE APPLY HIMSELF
THERETO WITH CARE?

To begin with : the breviary ought not be a source
of scruples or anxiety. Such dispositions do harm
to the soul, and come always from a wrong notion
of God and of the obligation He imposes. Yet one
should have a true esteem for his charge and an
honest desire to acquit himself of it well. One
cannot have too much regard or love for the breviary.
The ends which the Church has in view in giving us

The Subdiaconate.

43

office to say, are too holy, the time it requires is
considerable, and the fruits that can be derived
refrom are too precious for it to be said withapplication or fervor1 or for such a proceeding
t to be disorderly.
Here, it would seem, is what a young subdeacon
should do, who would fulfil his duty well and derive
profit therefrom.
1. He should ask of God a right notion of this
public prayer of which he is constituted the minis­
ter. Let him conceive a high esteem of the breviary
and of the elements of which it is composed: Holy
Scripture, the writings of the Fathers, the lives of
the Saints, hymns, responses, collects; nothing there­
in that is not eminently proper whereby to honor
the Divine Majesty and sanctify one’s soul—nothing
which has not every title to our regard and affection.
Unfortunately, these are not always one’s actual
sentiments. Ecclesiastics there are who see in the
breviary nothing but an ordinary book of ordinary
piety—and regard its recitation as an official act
to be gotten through almost any way at all, saving
integrity.
1 The divine Office considered from a devotional point of
: tew, from the French of M. l'abbé Bacquez, London, 1885.

44

Instructions.

2. He should never commence the office without
first having stirred up faith and elicited a sincere
desire to glorify God and to draw down His graces
upon Holy Church. Thus he gives himself to the
Holy Spirit of Our Lord when reciting the “Aperi,
Domine,” and will recite the office becomingly—
“digne, attente et devote, ac reverenter.” Otherwise,
how can he enter into the sentiments of faith, of
thanksgiving, repentance, admiration, petition, and
love of which the Psalms and Canticles are the ex­
pression?1
3. He should form the habit of arousing his at­
tention, his piety and his spirit of union with Our
Lord each time he says: “Deus in adjutorium
meum; Gloria Patri; Oremus; Per Dominum nos­
trum Jesum Christum"—or at any other word he
may find particularly impressive or touching.
For the rest, he will do well to recall that in matters
of law the purpose of a precept does not fall under
the precept, and that in every function, as in every
virtue, there is room for distinction between what is
1 Cantantes et psallentes in cordibus vestris Deo. Eph.,
v. 19. Audiant hoc adolescentuli : audiant ii quibus psal­
lendi in ecclesia est officium : Deo, non voce sed corde can­
tandum. Dist. 90, c. 1.

The Subdiaconate.

45

·:: counsel and what is of obligation. That which is
rigorously required in order to satisfy the obligacon of the breviary is easily accomplished; and this
f*ct in itself constitutes a good reason for not being
content with the mere fulfilment of that obligation,
but for striving to follow as best one can the examples
and recommendations of holy priests. He who
would neglect this counsel and do but what is abso­
lutely required of him has scarcely the spirit of the
ministry he has undertaken, and is but little short
of indifferent to the honor of God, and has a poor
eye to his own interests.1
XVII.
THE VOW OF CHASTITY MEANS HUMILITY.

So teach all spiritual writers. They, one and all,
give as incontestable these two maxims: (a) One
has need of great graces to lead a chaste life;
1 St Ligouri says: “One does not conceive what acts of
virtue one performs, what merits one acquires, what graces
one obtains when one recites the Breviary with interior
spirit, when one produces from the heart the very senti­
ments that one gives expression to, when one enters with his
whole soul into the words that one pronounces. De officio
divino.

46

Instructions.

(b) One may not count on these graces unless he
be humble of heart. “ Ut castitas detur humilitas
meretur, quia Deva humilibus dat gratiam.”1 And
why does God reserve to the humble His most
precious graces? Because such, having no mistaken
notions of their nothingness, are phased by a sense
of their wretchedness, know what it is to be in want
of God’s help, and are aware too of their unworthi­
ness to claim help: because such, having had re­
course to divine goodness never lack in thanks nor
fail to give the honor thereof where the honor is
due. It is then of course to His glory that God be
prodigal of grace to the humble. It is quite other­
wise with shallow, conceited souls who are pleased
mainly with themselves. It does not occur to them
that they are really lacking in anything—much less
do they ever feel impressed by their nothingness.
That which they receive they put to their own credit
quite. Because no danger is apprehended or heeded
by them they neither take precaution nor think to
ask any aid. Worse still, they brave and court
danger and unwisely expose themselves. Risk is
* S. Bernard, De off. Episc. Custos virginitatis cari­
tas, locus autem hujus custodis, humilitas. S. Avo., De
virgin., 51.

The Subdiaconate.

il

*n unmeaning word to them. Small wonder then
that God is in no hurry to forewarn or forearm them
with His graces—or that to such souls he is niggard
of His graces and aloof. For, to be bountiful of
His favors to these would be but to confirm them in
their presumptuous conceit. He would rather leave
them to themselves that they may come to know their
weakness. Often it is His pleasure to effect their
confusion and humiliation by the gravity and igno­
miny of the failures He suffers to befall them; uOccul­
tam superbiam punit aperta luxuria.”1 He treats
them as, according to Saint Paul, He treated the
conceited sages of old: “Evanuerunt in cogitationi­
bus suis .... propter quod tradidit illos
Deus in desideria cordis, in immunditiam, in pas­
siones ignominiae.2 Know, then, that God’s graces
are reserved “to” the humble: but they are reserved
“from” the proud and conceited of heart.
The Subdeacon must be chaste, which is to say,
he must also be humble. And for other reasons too
he should have regard to humility. Without hu1 Multis saepe seminarium luxuriae fuit superbia. S.
Greo., Μ. in Job, xxxv, 17.
’ Rom., I, 21, 24, 26. Mulieres apostatare faciunt. Eccl.,
XIX.

48

Instructions.

mility there can scarce abide any other true virtue:
neither religion nor patience, modesty nor sincerity
—nor charity itself: but only self seeking, human
respect, ambition, envy, jealousy, cunning, and
whatever ill becomes the Christian and is the con­
trary of what God and man look to find in those
sacred to the ministry of souls.
XVIII.
WHAT OUGHT A SUBDEACON DO THAT HE MAY BECOME
HUMBLE AND REMAIN SO?

1. Let him be keenly sensible of the need he has
of the virtue of humility, of the folly and malice of
pride, of the nothingness of man as a creature, of
the untold number of his failings, and of the malice
of his faults before God.1 This sentiment, though it
be not humility, yet disposes the heart to be humble
—to humble itself, to accept humiliation, slights,
obscurity—and to be willing to be forgotten, over­
looked or even disparaged and despised: it inspires
little by little a wholesome aversion to vanity, pre1 “Melius ego me novi quam ceteri, sed melius Deus quam
ego,” says St. Augustine. And St. Francis de Sales: “My
conscience and my confessor know what is to be thought
of me.”

The Subdiaconate.

49

teitiousness, ambition, and all the other dispositions
doings that humility reproves.
2. Let him profit by all occasions to exercise himseh' in the practice of that virtue. Such occasions are
frequent enough in the ministry of the subdeacon­
ship, and it would seem, too, that the Church has
multiplied them of a purpose in her ceremonial.
Each and every function of the subdeacon at the
altar is significant of subordination and respect.
Never may he seat himself or cover his head until
the deacon does so. Whenever the deacon is on
his feet the subdeacon must also be standing. He
may never deal with the celebrant except through
the deacon. It is, in reality, the deacon whom the
subdeacon serves: carrying for him the book of
Gospels, walking, or taking up his position generally
behind him, farther removed from the altar or at
the left and on the lowest level.1
He shows the deacons on all occasions marks of
respect, as an inferior to his superior. Thus St.
Isidore says, he is in the Church what the Nathineans were among the people of old “serving the
1 Humiliatio est via ad humilitatem, sicut lectio ad scien­
tiam. S. Bernard, Ep. 87.

50

Instructions.

Lord in humility.”1 Even the name of sw&deacon
is a token of his inferiority and a reminder that he
is not to overreach it. God grant that he be ever
of humble mind! And, please heaven may he be
able to the end of his days sincerely to say, “Elegi
abjectus esse in domo Dei mei!”
3. Let him not seek preferment, nor love to be
noticed, esteemed or honored: rather let him have
a wholesome distrust of distinctions and of the lime­
light—for they may well be feared as the stones that
go before a fall: “Nec primos recubitus in coenis,
nec primas cathedras in synagogis, nec salutationes
in foro, nec vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.”2
4. Let him never be heard sounding his own
praise or telling his own merit, or giving himself
preference over his fellows. Rather than disparage
them in any manner soever, or gainsay their talent
or worth or belittle their virtue, he should readily
and generously seek to gain them appreciation for
their qualities and to render due honor to their merit.
1 Subdiaconi in Esdra appelantur Nathinaei, id est in
humilitate servientes.
2 Caveant qui primas cathedras amant, ne contingat
carere secundis, et qui primos recubitus eligunt incipiant
cum rubore locum tenere novissimum! S. Bern., Spur.
Vae nobis miseris ad quos Pharisaeorum vitia transierunt.
S. Jerome, in Matt., xxxiii, 6.

The Subdiaconate.

51

XIX.
AFTER THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER AND HUMILITY WHAT
MAY BEST BE RECOMMENDED TO THE SUBDEACON

WHO WOULD BE FAITHFUL TO HIS VOW AND LEAD
A PURE LIFE?

Three things not only may, but must be recom­
mended: a love of work, mortification, and unworld­
liness.
1. An ecclesiastic who is given to idling and who
habitually loses his time through profane occupation,
in reading for pastime, in frivolous doings, in need­
less visiting, will yet become profane and no less
frivolous in his thoughts and notions, and then his
insipid, vapid and otherwise worldly mind will
shortly be subjected to all manner of temptation:
“Multam malitiam docuit otiositas." An idle mind
is ever open to the suggestions of the devil. For
the one devil attacking the busy soul there are a
hundred busying themselves with the idler. Should
then a subdeacon wish not to expose his virtue,
but seriously to hold to his promises to God, and to
the Church, he has no alternative but to apply
himself to work, and say with the Master Laborer,

52

Instructions.

“Pater meus usquemodo operatur, et ego operor.”
Every serious occupation furnishes the mind with
serious and wholesome thoughts. Application to
study and to duty put the life of the cleric on a
plane higher than that of the senses and withdraw
him from things merely of the flesh. Saint Jerome
urges the study of Holy Writ. “Learn to love the
divine word and you will never fall through love of
sensual pleasure.” In truth, the Word of God
unites the soul to God. It teaches one to desire
the things of heaven and inspires pure and holy
affections.
2. A pure life means triumph of spirit over flesh;
it presupposes, therefore, the practice of mortifica­
tion. Whatever weakens the empire of the senses,
restrains, or represses them, the same, in so far,
protects and strengthens chastity. But, of all the
senses two especially need be mortified; namely,
sight and taste.
Only too often a mere look or a yielding to indis­
creet curiosity has worked the loss of a soul or
exposed it to the last evil straw. We note that
Job was ever careful to guard over his eyes. “Pepigi
foedus cum oculis meis,” says he, “ne unquam cogi-

The Subdiaconate.

53

tarem de virgine.” And “why did he make this pact
with his eye, rather than with his mind or heartî”
asks St. Gregory. Because it is altogether natural
to think upon what one has seen, and because one
thinks mostly upon things that have caught the
eye: “Visum sequitur cogitatio.” Our mind is as
a mirror that receives through the senses, and
through the eyes particularly, the images of things ex­
ternal. The memory conserves these images and the
intellect considers and ruminates on them: where­
fore if one would have nought but good thoughts, let
him see to it that no evil or dangerous image enters
his brain. Modesty will be his safeguard in this
matter, and let it be remarked here that the afore­
said virtue cannot be lacking to any degree in an
ecclesiastic. It is best characterized as delicacy
and circumspection.
Nor is it of a whit less importance that the sense
of taste be mortified; for intemperance also is dan­
gerous, more dangerous perhaps to innocence than
curiosity. “Qui delicate nutrit servum suum, sen­
tiet eum contumacem,” says the Scripture. Can
there be any doubt as to who is the slave alluded to,
of whom the Spirit warns us, bidding us anticipate

54

Instructions.

its revolts and recommending us make it obedient
and docile by privation? It is the body, it is the
flesh, destined to be under the rule of reason, but
which does little else than prompt us to shirk, to
shake off the yoke, and to rid itself of all restraint
or dependence: “Video legem in membris meis repug­
nantem legi mentis meae," says the Apostle, “Quoniam
legi Dei non est subjecta, nec enim potest. And he
recommends sobriety to the ministers of the church
in the same breath in which he urges chastity:
“Oportet esse sobrium, pudicum. Diaconos similiter
pudicos, non multo vino deditos;” in the ordination
allocution, the pontiff improves the opportunity to
bring home this advice to the subdeacon, “Si usque
nunc inhonesti, amodo casti, amodo sobrii.” And
after all, it is natural enough that intemperateness
should do harm to soul and body. We have God’s
word for it that there is passion in wine, and expe­
rience teaches that it is in almost any nourishment
not taken with moderation.
If St. Jerome is to be believed, it would be little
short of a miracle were a man chaste and not tem­
perate. Dicat quisque quod volet. Ego loquor con­
scientiam meam. Scio mihi abstinentiam et nocuisse
intermissam et profuisse repetitam. Qui castus esse

The Subdiaconate.

55

desiderat, studeat sobrietati. Neminem novi castum
msi sobrium: numquam ego ebrium castum putabo.
Loth quem Sodoma non vicerat, vina vicerunt. This
points one lesson for clerics at least; they should
not be lovers of good cheer nor frequenters of ban­
quets, but rather declining when possible, or, if it
be a duty to attend, let them not be unmindful of
the duty to give good example; for sobriety and
moderation are expected of them: “Convivium tibi
fugiendum est saecularium. Facile contemnitur cleri­
cus qui saepe vocatus ad prandium, ire non recusati”
3. For all the more reason ought they keep
away from gatherings and resorts altogether secular.
Why? Simply because the atmosphere of such
places is not that in which chastity thrives. On the
contrary, what does flourish therein is sensuality,
engendering unseemly desires, covetousness, and
voluptuousness: “Omne quod est in mundo est con­
cupiscentia camis, concupiscentia oculorum, et super­
bia vitae.” Pleasure: that is the sole attraction
thereto, and that is the only good that can be sought
therein or be derived therefrom. Much though
there be to see and hear, yet the whole parade and
show is calculated to pamper the senses and effectu­
ally enervates the spirit. Love not the world, says

56

Instructions.

St. John; but above all don’t seek the society that
the world has to offer. Those who do can read you
a lesson with a moral. He who does not know
enough to avoid the danger will too late learn the
magnitude of it. Give the world a wide berth;
have as little as possible familiar dealing with it,
and you will be the better and wiser for your wari­
ness. Worldliness has been the beginning of the
end for nearly every subdeacon who has dishonored
his character and brought shame to the Church.
“ Prima tentamina sunt feminarum frequentes acces­
sus. Quam multos etiam fortes illecebra decepit!
Quanti dederunt errori locum et dederunt suspicioni!
Hospitiolum tuum aut raro aut numquam mulierum
pedes terant. Omnes puellas et virgines Christi aut
aequaliter ignora, aut aequaliter dilige. Solus cum
sola absque arbitro vel teste ne sedeas. Ne in praeterita
castitate confidas. Nec sanctior David, nec Samsone
fortior, nec Salomone potes esse sapientior. Memento
semper quod Paradisi colonum de possesione sua mulier
ejecerit.”1 Each of these bits of wisdom repays
meditation. And what is more, one may never
disregard them unless to his sorrow.
1 S. Ambrose, De Officiis Min., 1, 87. S. Jerome, Epist.,
52.

PART II.
MEDITATIONS ON MAJOR ORDERS.
THE ORDER OF SUBDEACON.

MEDITATION I.
THE EXCELLENCE OF CHASTITY.

First Point. Adore the Spirit of God, the
author of all good thoughts and chaste desires:
Seminator casti consilii.1 He abides in honest souls
with His divine grace that He may inspire and foster
in them an esteem and a relish, as well as the practice
of a pure and holy life. “Happy those whose way
is without blame and whose heart is without taint
or blemish.” Beati immaculati in via! Beati mundo
cordi P Nothing here below is worthy to be compared
to a chaste soul. All else that is treasured loses its
worth if placed in the balance against it: Omnis pon1 Bkbv., Off. S. Caeciliae, 22 nov.
1 Ps., cxvin, 1; Matt., v, 8.
57

58

Meditation.

deratio non est digna continentis animae. (Eccli.,
xxvi, 20.) The Church can scarce give utterance
to her regard for purity of heart. She thinks of the
Mother of Our Savior and confesses herself at a
loss how worthily to praise Her: Sancta et immacu­
lata virginitas, quibus te laudibus efferam nescio.1
So, too, the saints esteemed it more than life; and to
the world, the flesh, and the devil, have ever the
one reply, the same that the martyr gave to the
tyrant who would seduce her, Potius mori quam
foedari. “I had better, and would sooner die than
stain my soul.” (St. Bibiana.)
Second Point. To conceive an esteem of this
virtue such as it deserves, you may consider two
things : what it supposes, and what it merits.
1. Chastity supposes a great and strong soul.
(a) A pure soul cannot but be great, noble, and lofty.
For what is it that makes for greatness of soul, or
for pettiness? What is it that raises it in merit or
degrades it? The tastes, the aspirations, the loves
it has and cherishes; are not these what make or mar?
Haec sunt animae pedes,2 says St. Augustine. If it
1 Bbev., Off. Annunciat., 25 mart.
5 S. Aug., In Joan., xlviii.

The Excellence of Chastity.

59

be borne towards heaven, toward the things of God,
it cannot but rise above grovellings and grovelling
things. If it seek the satisfaction of the senses and
the goods of this world’s making, then it falls below
even its own level; it degrades itself. More than
this, not only does the soul lower or uplift itself
according to the object of its affection, for every at­
tachment is not only an union with the object, but
also an identification therewith. Wherefore St. Au­
gustine says: Talis quisque est qualis ejus est delectio.1
If the object is gross and material, then the soul grows
heavy, sluggish, and coarse: if sensual, then naturally
it is ruled by the flesh, and is scarcely to be considered
as spirit but as flesh, in the odious meaning of the
word “caro,” as the victims of the deluge of old.
Whereas, if the object of its desires be supernatural
and of the world to come, the soul becomes itself
supernatural and, in the truest sense, spiritual:
Habet aliquid jam non camis in carne.2 (St. Aug.)
Non permanebit Spiritus meus in homine quia caro
est. (Gen., vi, 3.) If its object be divine, then
itself becomes divine in some sort. Qui adhaeret
1 S. Aug., In I Joan., n, 3.
2 S. Aug., De sancta virgin., 12.

60

Meditation.

Domino unus spiritus est.1 Such is the effect of
purity. “It is to the soul as the chariot of Elias; it
carries it on high to a place among the angels,” says
St. Ephrem.2
(b) The strength of a chaste soul corresponds to
its nobility. The same is to be said of it as of its
reward, the kingdom of heaven: Violenti rapiunt
illud.3 How disengage the senses, how rise above
prone nature, how rein the instincts of the flesh,
unless one be sturdy of heart and of generous
ardor? It is not enough that one strive to over­
come vice: struggle, persevering struggle must be
made: struggle against all manner of enemies;
against one’s self and one’s evil inclinations: Sensus
enim et cogitatio humani cordis ad malum prona sunt
ab adolescentia sua? against the world and concu­
piscence: Quoniam omne quod est in mundo concupis­
centia camis est;6 against the devil who uses all his
power and cunning to work our ruin: Adversus rec­
tores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiae;6
1 I Cor., vi, 12.
* S. Ephrem., In Encom. de
castitate.
4 Matt., xii, 12.

4 Gbn., viii, 21.
51 Joan., ii, 16.
· Eph., vi, 12.

The Excellence of Chastity.

61

a chaste man, then, is ever an energetic man for
that he triumphs over truly great obstacles. Well
may Tertullian avow: Fortius est in castitate vivere
quam pro ea mori.
2. To those who live in the practice of this virtue
is promised the predilection of our Savior in this life
and His eternal glory in the next.
(a) Qui diligit cordis munditiam habebit amicum
regem.1 They who have kept their hearts pure,
says St. John, are, like himself, the well beloved
of the Master. They have a privileged share in
His communications: Quanto mundior corde, tanto
capacior Christi. Being the best fitted to enter into
His designs and to become the instruments of the
Holy Spirit, He naturally prefers to use them for
the accomplishment of His most high purposes. He
gives to them a choice vocation. He makes use of
their example, of their ministry, of their word to
multiply the number of pure souls, to put to shame
those who have denied Him, to recall the seduced
from their weakly and disorderly ways. ’Tis among
them He seeks those whom He would call into the
1 Prov., xii, 11.

62

Meditation.

sanctuary and to the ministry of His altar: Quis
ascendet in montem Domini, aut quis stabit in loco
sancto ejus? Innocens manibus et mundo corde.1
And His ministers who are conspicuous by their
labors and by their successes, who contribute most
to the glory of the Church, who are sought after as
preachers, as confessors, as directors of souls, who
perpetuate here on earth the generation of Apostles
and Doctors, are they not those whose virtue is
fairest before their fellow men: and may not one say
of them what the High-Priest said to Judith, con­
gratulating her on her victory over the enemy of
the people of God: Eo quod castitatem amaveris,
ideo manus Domini confortavit te, et eris benedicta in
aeternum.2
(&) One may safely say, too, that this virtue is
the gauge of glory in heaven. Heaven is the
reward of courage, and the abode of purity.
Nothing defiled can enter therein, says St. John.3
But pure souls, who on earth have lived the life of
angels will live to enjoy their triumph forever.
1 Ps., xxiii, 4.
’Judith, xv, 11.
• Apoc., xxi, 27.

The Excellence of Chastity.

63

Virgins alone make up the court of the Lamb; they
are with Him wherever He goes and they chant a
canticle that other lips know not how to sing. It is
not that impurity is the sole vice that excludes from
heaven; but that there are few souls in hell that are
not tainted by it, and furthermore, he who has learned
to deaden the flesh and to sober the senses, has but
little trouble in dealing effectively with his other
enemies. It was an angel that brought this truth
home to a certain soul called by God to lead on earth
the risen life. The soul needed encouragement,
and the angel appearing addressed her directly,
repeating the promises made by Our Lord Himself
through the mouth of St. John to the pastors of the
seveù churches of Asia at the approach of persecution.
“Take heart,” said he, “for I wish to be magnified in
thee, and I give to each according to his deserts:
Vincenti dabo edere de ligno vitae. Vincenti ddbo
manna absconditum et nomen novum, quod nemo scit
nisi qui accipit. Dabo illi potestatem super gentes et
faciam illum columnam in templo Dei mei. Qui
vicerit, non laedetur a morte secunda. Dabo illi sedere
in throno meo sicut Ego vici et sedeo cum Patre meo in
regno ejus, etc.”

64

Meditation.

Third Point. Enter into yourself and consider
well the preciousness of this virtue of purity which
the Church requires of her ministers; understand
how you should honor it especially in holy priests,
and with what earnestness you must desire it for
yourself. Ordinarily, God gives the chosen soul
a sensible appreciation of the preciousness of purity,
even while yet in tender years; and to those destined
for the priesthood He imparts His own great love
for it, and aids them in a special manner to observe
the rules thereof. They indeed can say what Sol­
omon said of Wisdom: Hanc amavi et exquisivi a
juventute mea. Praeposui illam regnis et sedibus,
et divitias nihil esse duxi in comparatione illius.
Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa,
et innumerabilis honestas per manus illius. Quoniam
ipsa dignos se circuit quaerens, et in providentia occur­
ret illis. Ask yourself if you have had always, and
at present have the esteem you now know it deserves
and if you pray God often and with earnestness to
give you, or preserve in you the proper disposition
of heart. Be the answer to this self questioning
what it may, beg humbly of God that He preserve
your virtue in its integrity, and resolve honestly and

Motives for Chastity.

65

firmly to accept any alternative, to pray even for
death, sooner than be defiled by any voluntary im­
purity.
Potius mori quam foedari.
Jesu, amator castitatis, fac cor meum secundum
cor tuum.
MEDITATION II.

MOTIVES FOR CHASTITY IN SACRED MINISTERS.

First Point. God wills, says St. Peter, that
Christians be a people apart; that is, a holy nation,
and that they exercise on earth a manner of priest­
hood by showing forth to the observation of all the
virtues and life of Him who has called them to live
in the light of His grace: Vos genus electum, gens
sancta, regale sacerdotium, ut virtutes annuntietis
ejus qui de tenebris vos vocavit in admirabile lumen
suum.1 For what the Church is in the world, the
clergy, and above all the priesthood must be in the
Church; there should be as marked a contrast be­
tween the virtue of a cleric, as there should be
between a Christian and a man as yet unregenerated
1 Pet., 11, 9.

66

Meditation.

by baptism, or unenlightened by teachings of faith.
God’s ordained representatives are naturally bound
to be not only a reminder to the faithful and to
others of His purity, but to be also a counterpart of
it. They must take unto themselves, and as pri­
marily addressed to themselves the words, luceat
lux vestra coram hominibus ut videant opera vestra
bona et glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in coelis est.1
Through them, through their life and personality
must the Spouse of Christ reveal Her sanctity with­
out spot or blemish; non habens maculam aid rugam
aut aliquid hujusmodi, ut sit sancta et immaculata.2
They are under obligation to be models of modesty,
of purity, of chastity, and of innocence: Exemplum
fidelium in castitate, in integritate, in gravitate.3 To
be without sin is in itself not enough; their life must
bespeak their virtue, if it is to be a model to others
aiming at like perfection, in order that they may be
inspired with a love of what is becoming in a Chris­
tian, the love of decency and of purity: Oportet
esse ornatum, pudicum, filios habentem subditos cum
omni castitate.4 Blessed be Our Lord for having
1 Matt., v, 16.
* Eph., v, 27.

’ I Tim., iv, 12; Tit., ii, 7.
41 Tim., in, 2, 8.

Motives for Chastity.

67

called His ministers to such perfection and for His
eager and ready willingness to raise them thereto
by His grace: Ut sint sicut luminaria in mundo.1
Pray Him to deepen in your soul the nobility of
sentiment, the courage, the detachment, the fidelity
and constancy so sorely needed to keep you in virtue
all the days of your life.
Second Point. Think well upon the three mo­
tives the Church has for requiring of her sacred
ministers a life of perfect chastity: they are, the
glory of God, the spirit of Our Savior, and the inter­
ests of souls.
1. The glory of God. A man consecrated to the
ministry, in devoting himself to the service of the
altar, gives up himself, ceases to belong to himself.
He is become a man of God, and it is for God that
he now must live. To God’s service and glory
ought to be referred all he has and is; his time,
strength, understanding, inclinations, and love. All
these he consecrated to God when taking Him for
his portion. But to make good this promise, that
is, to really have no other portion than God, to
live for Him alone, must one not live his days in
1 Phil., ii, 15; Pontif., De Acolylh.

68

Meditation.

all chastity, in perfect chastity? Whoever contracts
an alliance with another, who attaches himself legiti­
mately to some one other than God, engages his
time and solicitude; he thereby shares his heart
with another: Qui cum uxore est, sollicitus est quae
sunt mundi, et divisus est.1 On the contrary, he who
remains free and unattached can belong wholly to
God. If he loves Him, then he will love Him with a
whole heart, with undivided affection; his pre­
occupations will be of God; God’s service will be
his occupation, God’s good pleasure will be his con­
cern and guiding principle, and he will scarce have
any other care than the accomplishment of God’s
will: Qui sine uxore est, sollicitus est quae Domini
sunt, quomodo placeat Deo.2 Having renounced for
God both family and other temporal prospects,
there should be little that he is not ready to do for
the kingdom of heaven: propter regnum coelorum.3
Nothing withholds or daunts him; nothing thwarts
his purpose to be an apostle. He knows that he
can count on the aid and the blessing of heaven. It
may not be said of him, “He is without posterity,
11 Cor., vii, 33.
* I Cor., vii, 32.

* Matt., xix, 12.

Motives for Chastity.

69

therefore what of good hath he done on earth.”
“ For if he is faithful to the alliance,” saith the Lord,
“I will make compensation for his sacrifices; I will
give him a name of greater worth than that of son
or daughter. I will lead him to the holy mountain;
I will show him into My house which is for all a
house of prayer and I will be pleased with the obla­
tions and the holocausts he shall offer on My altars :”
Haec dicit eunuchis; Qui tenuerint foedus meum,
dabo eis in domo mea locum et nomen melius a filiis
et filiabus. Adducam eos in montem sanctum meum.
Holocaustum eorum et victima eorum placebunt mihi
super altari meo.1
2. The spirit of our Savior. It is the antithesis of
the spirit of the flesh and sensual inclinations : Con­
cupiscit contra carnem.2 Indeed He had about Him
disciples who were not perfection; He said He was
come for the sake of sinners, but it is easy to see His
attitude towards impurity. Among His following,
none but the chaste and pure of heart: we can note
other failings in His chosen companions, but never
anything that savors of impurity. Far from that,
1 Isai., lvi, 3-7; cf. Sap., in, 14.
2 Gal., v, 17.

70

Meditation.

says St. Jerome, He would have constantly about
Him, in the place of angels, the most pure, whose
virtue was without blemish; Mary, first of all; then
Joseph, his foster father and thereafter the Apos­
tles, virgins all or else become equivalently such for
His sake; His sojourn then amongst men was, in
this respect, a counterpart of His court in heaven:
Ut qui ab angelis adorabatur in coelis, haberet angelos
adoratores in terra.1 But He wills to remain with
us still in the Holy Eucharist, to abide there until
the end of time; ought He not, then, continue to
have a like circle of intimates; to be served by minis­
ters animated with the same love of purity, strangers
to sensuality as were the Apostles, accustomed to
live the life of angels, that there may be nothing
in them that would give offence to His divine purity?
And is not this delicate honor due Him in a special
sense in His Sacrament, since He there abides not
as at Nazareth, in the infirmity of the flesh like to
ourselves, but as the spirits, as a man transformed
and spiritualized through His resurrection? The
Church has always thought so; that is why she for­
bids to touch not only His sacred body, but even the
1 S. Jerome, Let. xxn.

Motives for Chastity.

71

sacred vessels whereon His sacred body rests, any
hands but the pure, and those only if vowed to
purity. Remark too, that by her rites, by her
prayers, by her instructions, she seeks untiringly to
instill into the minds and hearts of her minsters
the sentiment so well expressed by the author of the
Imitation: 0 quam mundae debent esse manus illae,
quam purum os, quam sanctum corpus, quam immacu­
latum cor erit sacerdotis, ad quem toties ingreditur
auctor ipse puritatis! Oculi ejus simplices et pudici,
qui corpus Christi solent intueri. Manus purae et
ad caelum elevatae, quae creatorem coeli et terrae
solent contrectare.1
3. The welfare of souls. If the ministry of the
priest is to be right and fruitful, there must be on
his part, zeal and authority, and on the part of the
faithful, confidence and docility. And if these dis­
positions be lacking, wholly or in part, the priest may
be to blame: undoubtedly so if his life seem not to
be perfectly chaste. Any suspicion of defection on
his part will weaken the good dispositions of his
people. Furthermore, how could he possibly have
any desire, much less any zeal for the safety of the
1 Fol. of Christ, iv, 11.

72

Meditation.

souls of others, if he so jeopardize his own? A want
of generosity to make the required sacrifice means
that he can never be possessed of zeal enough to
even ask complete abnegation of others. It would
come with poor grace from him, and would meet with
no response. If unable to forego or dispose of his
rights and goods in favor of his ministry without
regretting or failing to live up to his engagement,
knowing that thereby he will injure souls and do
harm to what ought to be nearest and dearest to a
priest’s heart, can such a one expose himself and
sacrifice his life even for souls? Clearly he cannot
expect to be zealous or even interested in the work
of caring for souls.
So too would he lack authority. To have the
right to urge others to make sacrifices, or to recom­
mend a virtue, one must first urge by example. He
even thereby imposes a sense of obligation on others.
With what sort of grace can one ask or counsel
others to bear or to accept privations that he finds
are beyond his own strength, or how can one imbue
them with a truth by which apparently he himself
is not impressed? What ascendancy could the Apostle himself have had, if he had not been able to

Motives for Chastity.

73

say to his disciples when preaching virginity to
them: Volo vos esse sicut meipsum.1 Imitatores mei
estote?2 Certain it is that the faithful can have but
little confidence, and consequently less docility to­
wards those whom they know or believe to have
other interests at heart than the honor and glory of
God and the welfare of their souls. To the virgin
priest, who has no other family than the children of
God, who can be all things to all, they trust them­
selves without misgiving, submit without reluctance
and open their hearts without reserve: while towards
the father of a family, or a man of the world, be he
ever so honorable, they bear nothing like the same
respect, nor do they act with the same abandon, nor
do they feel the same security.
Third Point. How befitting, then, that God
has given His Church in the keeping of a clergy
holy and generous enough to impose on themselves
a life of such detachment! And oh! what reason
the Church has to watch jealously and carefully over
the purity of her ministers! 0 quam pulchra est
casta generatio cum claritate, quoniam apud Deum
nota est et apud homines!3 Nothing does more honor
11 Cob., vii, 7. 11 Cor., iv, 16.
* Sap., iv, 1.

74

Meditation.

or is more advantageous to her. Her enemies envy
her that glory. It makes the devil gnash his teeth;
he desires nothing better than to besmirch it, and
never wearies of working and planning the undoing
of virtue in clerics. Nature itself suggests that it
is too much to attempt, and the world has ever
ready some sort of inducement to weaken the high
purpose and to insinuate a taste for its vanities.
You must ask of Our Savior that He will not let you
fail yourself and Him. Beg of Him the grace to be
found ever faithful, to grow in the love of your holy
engagements and to bear witness all the days of your
pure and chaste life, to the power of His grace and the
reality of your vocation.
Resolve to ask often of God purity without blem­
ish; ask it through the intercession of the most pure
Virgin Mary: Ure renes nostros et cor nostrum, Do­
mine, ut tibi casto corpore serviamus et mundo corde
placeamus.1

1 Oral. Eccl.

The Obligation of Chastity.

75

MEDITATION ΙΠ.

THE OBLIGATION OF CHASTITY IN SACRED
MINISTERS.

First Point. To the love of innocence Our
Lord joins an ardent zeal for the honor of His sanc­
tuary; and these two dispositions bring Him to
ask of His Church that she give Him ministers of
exemplary modesty and chastity: pudicos, sobrios,
castos, continentes.1 Therefore she prepares for the
altar only those young men whom she believes to be
of sturdy integrity: and the education that she gives
them is calculated primarily to preserve them against
the contagion of vice and to strengthen them in
virtue. She does not call to Orders any who have
not fulfilled her hopes, whose conduct has given any
ground for suspicion, or whose wisdom or immatur­
ity causes any concern or misgiving: quorum probata
vita senectus sit qui sperent Deo auctore se continere
posse.2 Even, she does not admit them to ordina­
tion until after the bishop has addressed them in her
name, giving them her most serious and precise
instructions. She warns them that the engagement
> I Tim., hi, 8: Tit., i, 8.
2 Con. Trid., Sess. XXIII, De Reform., 12, 13.

76

Meditation.

they are about to make is irrevocable and sacred;
that it involves obligations that may well inspire
fear, that they do wrong to all concerned in assum­
ing them if they have any reason to doubt either
the worth of their resolution or their perseverance:
Iterum atque iterum attendere debetis attente quod
onus ultro appetitis.1 Words that may soon be
addressed to you, if not already so. You will do
well to meditate them. You understand that the
obligation, which the Church does not impose with­
out your consent, and upon which she so earnestly
asks that you reflect well, that you consult first of all
and lastly your own heart, and that you test your
strength beforehand—you understand that such an
obligation is of exceptional gravity. Promise Our
Lord that you will not let these warnings go un­
heeded, but that you will act with all the prudence
He can desire and that the safety of your soul and
the honor of His holy altar demands.
Second Point. Dwell upon the extent of the
law of chastity and the rigor of it in the life of a
sacred minister.
1. Just how far it extends, (a) It reaches not
1 Poxtif., De Sub.

The Obligation of Chastity.

77

only to external acts or to such as may give scandal,
but even to the most secret workings of the mind
and heart; to one’s sentiments, thoughts, imagina­
tions, pleasures and desires, be they ever so hidden
or fugitive. The person of the priest must be as
the Ark of the Covenant, vestita auro purissimo, intus
et foris.1 And it is not alone by the general law of
chastity that all these acts are forbidden to the
subdeacon as to everybody else, but by a further
law, altogether particular, as well : because the cleric,
in consecrating himself to God in subdeaconship,
dedicates to divine purposes his entire person, that
is, not only his body, but his soul with all its facul­
ties; mind, heart, imagination; so that every impure
act, even if mental, is on his part a violation of
a sacred engagement and a profanation of a holy
object, belonging to God. Thus is seen why the
Church demands a chastity without blemish : Estote
nitidi, mundi, puri, casti.2 Like to the angels, says
St. Bonaventure, the subdeacon should be: Conformes esse debent archangelis, ut scilicet eorum
mens et conscientia ab imaginatione et appetitione
camalitatis sit remota, sicut natura angelica ab omni
1 Exod., xxxvii, 1.

’ Pontif., De. Diae.

78

Meditation.

tali conditione esse dignoscitur aliena.1 (b) And by
the fact that every impure act, internal or external,
is forbidden because of your state, so for the same
reason must you avoid, as far as is morally possi­
ble, any occasion that would expose you to sins of
this sort: Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatum.2 Nec
nominetur in vobis sicut decet sanctos.3 Here particu­
larly does one see the extent of the law of chastity,
i.e., in the obligation of avoiding occasions: in fact,
the said obligation is found to be very extensive and
manifold for a priest; see how often he is exposed to
bad thoughts, to suggestions, etc. These multiply
the precautions to be taken, provided of course, it be
his purpose to render harmless the use he is obliged
to make of his faculties, his eyes, his imagination,
etc., in the matter of reading, visiting, and other
intercourse he must have with people by reason of
his ministry. He ought, according to the Pontifical,
to be quite beyond the stage when these things are
an occasion of sin to him, and the inclinations of the
flesh should be under control and mortified: Estote
ergo assumpti a carnalibus desideriis et terrenis con1 S. Bonavent., De Eccl.
Hierasch.

1 Eccl., xxi, 2.

’ Eph., v, 3.

The Obligation of Chastity.

79

cupiscentiis quae militant adversus animam.1 (c) The
perfection of purity and the perfection of fidelity
are to endure till death. For the ordinary faithful
there are in this matter some obligations that are
also absolute and never cease to bind; but there is
also a limit as to time and quality of their restric­
tions. The law of marriage is quite different from
that of celibacy. The obligation of those in Holy
Orders is absolute and irrevocable: it does not admit
of mitigation or derogation. It is not chaste priests
that Christ wants to see at His altar, but virgin
priests or those who are vowed to perpetual and vir­
ginal purity: Qui digni habebuntur saeculo illo, neque
nubent, neque ducent uxores, sed erunt sicut angeli
Dei in coelos.2 The obligation which the Church
imposes upon the subdeacon should not be less
enduring than the character which he receives or
the powers conferred. And this is one of the first
of the words of warning that come from the mouth
of the bishop: Hactenus liberi estis, licetque vobis
pro arbitrio ad saecularia vota transire. Quod si
hunc ordinem susceperitis, amplius non licebit a
proposito resilire, sed perpetuo castitatem, Deo adju­
vante, servare oportebit.3
1 De. Diac. Conf.

3 Luke., xx, 35.

’ Pontif., De. Sub.

80

Meditation.

2. The rigor of the law of chastity to which the subdeacon is held. It is certain that it is considerably
more rigorous for him than for a lay person, and
that in violating it he is correspondingly more culpa­
ble. There can be no question of these truths: The
Church, by her instructions addressed to the clergy
as well as by her vigilance in watching over the
morals of her ministers and the severity with which
she reproves the least delinquencies, and the lay
folk, too, even the least exacting and least religious
minded of them, are of one accord on the matter
of priestly virtue. Howsoever indulgent the latter
may be towards their own disorderly doings, they
have no mercy on the unfaithful priest, and hence
in addition to the other penalties incurred, there are
the infamy and dishonor in the eyes of the people.
And why this rigorous censure? For two causes,
principally, which give to the infidelity of a sacred
minister the character of sacrilege and perjury,
(a) Perjury, because his fall from virtue is in viola­
tion of a most sacred engagement, of his word given
to God solemnly, before the holy altar, and before
rhe whole Church. The habit he wears, the func­
tions he fulfils, the confidence he enjoys, the respect

The Obligation of Chastity.

81

shown him, all these are reminders of his engagement
and witnesses to it. And yet he goes back on it;
he fails his word, breaks his promise. If his sin be
public, he outrages the Church as well as dishonors
himself; if secret, he covers his unworthiness by the
most hateful hypocrisy. Nothing to be wondered
at, then, if he be judged severely, or that his conduct
inspire so much disgust and abhorrence, (h) The
violation of a sacred promise is at the same time a
sacrilege, a wretched profanation of what has been
vowed by the subdeacon himself to the worship of
God. It is not a mere offence to God in His sanctu­
ary or disrespectful treatment of the vessels wherein
He reposes; it is the dishonor of a sacred person,
and of the sort most injurious to his character: one
can fitly apply to him in their most rigorous sense
the words of St. Paul to the sinful Corinthians:
An nescitis quoniam membra vestra templum stmt
Spiritus Sancti, quem habetis a Deo et non estis vestri?1
Templum enim Dei sanctum est quod estis vos. Si quis
templum Domini violaverit, disperdit illum Deus.2
The holier the object profaned, the more crying the
profanation. The sanctity of the subdeacon sur11 Cor.,

vi,

19.

21 Cor., in, 16.

82

Meditation.

passes that of material temples or of vases wherein
God reposes, does it not? Wherefore is not the sin
of impurity that which most hurts the honor and
respect due to the Lamb without spot?
Third Point. Acknowledge before God how great
is the obligation that the law of chastity lays upon
His ministers, and also the vigilance and fidelity
one has need of to be ever what the sacred ministry
demands. Abundet in eis, says the bishop, pudor
constans, innocentiae puritas et spiritualis observantia
disciplinae.1 Ordinary purity will not be enough:
Quomodo mansuetudo, patientia, sobrietas, etc., debent
esse in eis eminentia, sic et castitas propria, et ut
ita dixerim, pudicitia sacerdotalis, ut non solum ab
opere se immundo abstineant, sed etiam a jactu oculi
et cogitationis errore mens Christi corpus confectura
sit libera.2 Before assuming so great an obligation
to perfection one must be able to count on receiving
great graces, and consequently be assured of having
a true vocation. Grant, Lord, that I may neglect
nothing that may serve to enlighten me as to your
holy will in my regard. I would seek to know noth­
ing but your good pleasure, and would do so with all
1 Pontif., De. Presb.

’ 8. Jerome, In Tit., 1.

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

83

my heart; not only would I know it, but I would
embrace it with all fidelity. I would that I may
say with the same sincerity as St. Peter; Si tu es,
Domine, jube me venire ad Te super aquas.1 If it
be really Thou that callest me to this, then I have
nothing to fear, being near to Thee. Nevertheless,
I say to Thee as before, and I will never cease to say
with the humility and generosity of one of thy
saints: Da, Domine, quod jubes et jube quod vis.2
Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum, ut in
sanguine Agni dealbatus, gaudiis perfruar sempiternis.2
MEDITATION IV.

IF YOU WOULD BE PURE, LOVE AND FREQUENT
THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.

First Point. Adore Our Lord as the model and
source of all purity. His humanity is not as ours,
the fruit of flesh and blood. The Man-God has
been formed miraculously by the Holy Spirit in the
womb of the Blessed Virgin, and His Mother gave
Him to the world without prejudice to her virginity.
Thus He is pure and holy in every fiber of His being;
1 Matt., xiv, 28.
* Confess., L. x. C.

3 Orat. Sacerdotis ante Missam.

Meditation.

84

in His body as well as in His soul. Nothing in Him
bears even a trace of sin: nor is anything in Him
that could be an allurement thereto, either for Him­
self or for others. More innocent and more pure
than our first parents coming from the hands of the
Creator, His sacred flesh inspires only chaste thoughts
and pure affections. His very environment, His glori­
ous mother, His foster father, His first disciples,
give the impression of angelic innocence. Such was
Our Savior during His mortal life. Without really
increasing His purity, His resurrection rendered it
still more beautiful and dazzling. He reassumes His
first body, the same which He received from Mary,
but reassumes it transformed, spiritualized, glorified,
leaving in the tomb whatever it had of mortality or
susceptibility to pain. Prius quod animale, deinde
quod est spirituale,1 says the Apostle. Dominus enim
spiritus est.2 Now this same purity which seemed
to make of Him a pure spirit, He wishes to share
with the members of His mystical body, in so far as
is compatible with their actual state. His spirit is
vivifying and seeks to pervade and indue with its
life and action its every member: Factus est in
11 Cob.,

xv,

46.

* II Cor.,

hi,

17.

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

85

tpirihtm vivificantem.1 The union of the soul with
Him in the Blessed Sacrament signifies the change
rhat should be effected thereby in the soul: it ought
become like Him, altogether spiritual and heavenly
in its life. Qui adhaeret Domino, unus spiritus est.
Beg this Divine Savior to do for you by virtue of
His Body and Blood, that which He has deigned to
do for so many others; to purify your heart and your
senses, to give you the modesty and innocence that
will render you less rmworthy to live at His side and
to take part in His mysteries; 0 fons puritatis, Jesu
Domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine!2
Second Point. In order to judge of the help to
a pure life offered us by the Holy Eucharist, consider
three things: the nature of Holy Communion, the
testimony of the saints, and the evidence of facts.
1. What Holy Communion is. (a) It is a mys­
tery of union. Could any union be more intimate
than that realized at the holy table, where Our
Savior enters into us really and substantially, as
He entered into the bosom of His Divine Mother?
Certainly He could not so unite Himself to us, or
take up His abode with us, and not will that we con11 Cor., xv, 35.

2 S. Thom., Off. SS. Sac.

Meditation.

86

form our spirit to His, that we share His life, that we
partake of His dispositions, in loving that which
He loves, and in hating what He hates. But, to so
live in accord with Him, what is more necessary
than a love of purity and a detachment from sensual
affections. He has love for pure hearts only: Diligit
cordis munditiam. He is holy, innocent, without
spot : Sanctus, innocens, impollutus. He cannot suf­
fer the least stain: Quae enim participatio justitiae
cum iniquitate? Quae autem conventio Christi cum
Belial?1 It is to express His sovereign purity, no
less than to represent the reality of immolation on
the altar that the Church, after St. John, gives
Him the name of Lamb of God. Conceive then,
how great is our obligation to be pure if we would
be united to Him, and judge if He could have devised
a more potent means of inducing us to become such
than to give Himself so unreservedly to us and to
invite us to Him so frequently. Can it be possible
that we assist at the Holy Sacrifice, approach the
Holy Table, visit Him in His tabernacle abode,
and not hear Him say to us as to the ministers of the
Old Law: Qui maculam habet, contaminare non debet
1II Cor., vi, 14.

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

87

mnctuarium meumf and not sayto ourselves with the
author of the Imitation: 0 quam mundae debent
esse manus, quam purum os, quam sanctum corpus,
quam immaculatum cor, ad quod toties ingreditur
auctor ipse puritatis!2
(6) It is a mystery of soul nourishment; a com­
munication of supernatural life. Our Savior did
more than wish that our hearts be united to His
through His real presence in the Blessed Eucharist.
To more surely effect the much desired union, He
made of His Body and Blood a veritable Sacrament.
The Sacraments effect what they signify. The Holy
Eucharist, then, has all that is needed to really
impart to us His spirit and virtues: and this result
takes effect infallibly in those hearts that receive
Him worthily. Sicut ego vivo propter Patrem, et
qui manducat me et ipse vivet propter me.3 During
His mortal life there went forth from Him virtue
that healed the sick and drove out demons. In like
manner, and more potently and surely, there comes
from the Eucharist a grace which purifies souls and
strengthens them in well-doing. It works in the
1 Levit., xxi, 23.
* I Mit., iv, 11.

· John.,

vi,

48.

88

Meditation.

heart quite the same as did the coals of fire on the
lips of the prophet Isaias: Non enim simplex lignum
fuit, sed igni unitum: ita et panis communionis non
est simplex panis, sed unitus divinitati.1 Si angelus
ille exterminator, cum linitos postes Israelitarum
pervideret, transjecit gressus et non est ausus intrare,
quanto magis diabolus se substrahit, cum viderit Christi
sanguinem dominici templi postibus dedicatum!2
2. No end of witnesses corroborate all this. There
is the Church, who applies to the Eucharistic bread
and wine the words of the prophet Zachary: Quid
bonum ejus, et quid pulchrum ejus nisi frumentum
electorum et vinum germinans virgines?3 Herein she
gives to the consecrated host the name of frumentum
electum and panis angelorum, because it has the
virtue to vivify those who are nourished by it and to
enable them to live after the manner of the angels
and the blessed in heaven. But it is to the doctors
and holy priests in particular that we turn for instruc­
tion on this matter. “When one has once known
the relish of the flesh of the Son of God,” says St.
Gregory of Nyssa, “one has no longer any desire for
1 S. John Dam., De. fid. Orth, lv, 13.
* S. Chrysostom, In Joan., Hom. 84.
’ Zach., ix, 27.

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

89

other things that once pleased.” Qui amat hanc
carnem non est amicus camis suae, et qui amat hunc
sanguinem erit mundus a sensuali sanguine.1 “This
food quiets the passions,” says St. Cyril of Alexan­
dria, “it deadens concupiscence and frees us from
the tyranny of the senses.” Sedat, dum in nobis est
Christus, saevientum in nobis legem, perturbationes
animi extinguit, aegrotos sanat.2 Thus we see why
the Fathers of the Church have no hesitation in
ascribing to the Eucharist the virtue they behold
increasing and thriving in the holiest souls. “Si
quis vestrum,” says the Abbot of Clairvaux to his
disciples, “non tam saepe modo, non tam acerbos sentit
iracundiae, invidiae, luxuriae motus aut caeterorum
hujusmodi, gratias agat Corpori et Sanguini Domini
quia virtus sacramenti operatus est in eo.”3 And St.
Francis de Sales: “For the twenty-five years I
have spent in the service of souls, experience has
made me feel more and more deeply the all-powerful
virtue of the Eucharist for preserving from evil,
strengthening in grace, and, as it were, making souls
to share in the divine life. By reason of uniting
1 S. Greg. Nyss., In Cant.
2 S. Cyril Alex., In Joan., 11.
• S. Ber., In cant. Dorn., 1.

90

Meditation.

itself to the Lamb without spot, and nourishing itself
with innocence, purity, and sanctity, the faithful
soul soon becomes all fair, innocent, holy, and pure.”1
3. History bears out all this in a really striking
manner. No one can pretend that purity had any
true, established place in, or hold on society until the
advent of Christianity and through Christiantity;
and furthermore, it was not propagated in the world
except with, and by Christianity. The generation of
virgins dates back to the Savior. It was the Blood
of Calvary that germinated them, and that does so
still; for it is the Blood of our altars that gives the
increase and perpetuates the throng. Virginity and
perfect chastity thrive only within the Church,
among the members of the Church. Only those vow
their lives to chastity who make of the Holy Eucha­
rist a fervent and assiduous use. Hence do a great
number of Doctors behold in vision at the altar the
reality of the symbol shown to us by St. John in
the Apocalypse; the Lamb on the Mount of Sion,
surrounded by the purest and fairest of his disciples.
Ecce Agnus stabat supra montem Sion, et cum eo
cantum quadraginta quatuor millia. Hi empti sunt
1 Introduci, to the Devout Life.

The Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

91

primitiae Deo et Agno. Hi sequuntur Agnum quo­
cumque ierit. Virgines enim sunt.1
Third Point. Soon we shall be priests; we shall
consecrate and receive each day the Body and Blood
of the Savior: Panem caelestem accipiam, et nomen
Domini invocabo.2 We shall be able to say then,
as St. Agnes to her tempter : Mecum habeo custodem
corporis mei. Corpus ejus corpori meo sociatum est
et sanguis ejus ornavit genas meas, cujus mater virgo est.
Ipsi soli servo fidem, Ipsi me tota devotione committo.3
Let us guard against our becoming the recipients of
so great a favor in vain; let us have a care to profit
by the special intimacy we enjoy with Jesus in the
Sacrament of the altar. Let us strengthen our faith
in the real presence of our Divine Savior, and grow
from day to day in earnestness of desire to be united
to Him. He ascribed the purity of His apostles to
the instructions He had given them and to the care
they had taken to put those instructions into prac­
tice: Jam vos mundi estis, propter sermonem quem
locutus sum vobis.4 Beyond a doubt, we can derive
greater fruit still from His precious Body and Blood,
1 Apoc., xiv, 1, 5.
2 Missal.

’ Bbev., OS· of St. Agnes.
4 John, xv, 3.

92

Meditation.

if we are but wise and men of faith enough to nourish
ourselves with It regularly and with the becoming
dispositions.
In our thanksgivings and visits to the Blessed
Sacrament, let us learn and love to pray in these
meaningful words: Anima Christi sanctissima, sanc­
tifica me.
MEDITATION V.

IF ONE WOULD BE VERY PURE, HE MUST HAVE
GREAT DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED
VIRGIN MARY.

First Point. Offer your homages to the Blessed
Mother of God, the Virgin Queen of the Church.
Tender Her your heartfelt love, confidence, and
respect, acknowledging these to be Her due. For is
it not because of Her dignity as Mother of God that
She is Queen of the Church, and that the clergy vene­
rate Her as their patron. But it is by Her virgin­
ity or rather by Her purity without fleck or stain
that She has merited to be chosen the Mother of
the Word Made Flesh. “Virginitate placuit,’’1 says
St. Bernard. What esteem then, should you have
1 Super Missus est.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

93

for this virtue, and with what ardor ought you
pray and work that it may rule in you, quite as it
should! After the Holy Virgin Mary, there is no
one that is so intimately united to Christ than His
priests. Your vocation destines you to bring Him
forth invisibly on the altar, as Mary once bore Him
visibly to the world. Each day you will hold Him
in your hands and receive. Him into your heart,
as She received Him into Her bosom and carried Him
about in her arms. Towards Him in the Blessed
Sacrament, you will have quite the same functions
to perform as Mary at Bethlehem and at Nazareth.
We know well that it was His pleasure to be with and
near Her: it will also be His pleasure to have you
near Him if He finds in you those same virtues, that
purity, that innocence, religion, and holiness which
so pleased Him in Her. Humbly avow to Mary
how far removed you are from Her in perfection,
and even from the perfection that should adorn
your soul even at this moment, and pray Her to
obtain for you the virtue that befits your dignity, in
the measure at least that is indispensable to the right
fulfilment of your sacred functions:

94

Meditation.

Virgo singularis,
Inter omnes mitis,
Nos culpis solutos,
Mites fac et castos.
Second Point. Consider the motives a sub­
deacon has for being devoted to the Blessed Virgin.
First, devotion to Her is a gauge of innocence; sec­
ondly, it is a sure means of obtaining the very virtue
most needed.
1. This devotion is a gauge of innocence and a
guarantee against vice. To explain. Purity is the
peculiar characteristic of the most Blessed Virgin.
It is the idea of this virtue that first presents itself
when we think of the Divine Mother. Her other
qualities, her humility, her modesty, her spirit of
religion, her detachment from self and the world,
seem to be secondary, having a bond of connection
therewith, indeed, but as conditions or consequences
thereof. Whenever we think of Mary is it not as
the purest of creatures first of all, and then by con­
sequence, the humblest, the most modest, the most
devout, that is or ever can be. Whence it follows
that one cannot love, venerate, or admire the Blessed
Virgin and not admire, venerate, and love in the same

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

95

proportion the purity which is her chief character­
istic, and with it all the other virtues forming as
it were its cortege. Therefore, the greater devotion
one has for Mary, the greater esteem will he conceive
for holy purity: the more will he seek to make it
rule his heart : the more ardently will he pray for it
and the more careful will he be to observe its rules.
Nothing is surer than that he who cherishes a devo­
tion to the Mother of God is as far removed as he
can well be from the vice of impurity and sensual
inclination. It is equally certain that to raise a
soul above the senses, to inspire it with uplifting
thoughts and pious sentiments, it is necessary only
to instill a loving regard for the Queen of Virgins.
That one may be ever mindful of this, or at least
to recall it often to mind, one cannot do better
than observe the wholesome advice of the Apostle:
Quaecumque sunt vera, quaecumque pudica, quaecumque justa, quaecumque sancta, quaecumque amabi­
lia, quaecumque bonae famae, si qua virtus, si qua
laus disciplinae, haec cogitate.1
2. It is for the clergy and faithful, and for the former
in particular, an unfailing means of obtaining from
1 Phil., iv, 8.

Medztatzon.

96

God perfect purity of mind and heart, (a) The Virgin
Mother has more influence with the Sacred Heart
than all the rest of the blessed together, and we may
not doubt of Her incomparable zeal in our behalf
that we may share richly in the communication of
Her Son’s spirit and gifts. “Wherefore, whosoever
we be,” says St. Bernard, “let us ask heaven’s graces
through Her.”1 Quaeramus gratiam et per Mariam
quaeramus.” And of course, “let us ask above all
the grace of purity. This it is She desires most to
obtain for hearts devoted to Her; and this also is the
grace that God most readily leaves to Her dispensa­
tion. For is it not the teaching of the Doctors, that
to honor His saints, God is pleased to propagate
through them the virtues they have practised and
exemplified most? Thus, as by preference we ask
zeal of the Apostles, fortitude and constancy of the
martyrs, mortification of the penitents, and the
spirit of prayer of the religious and hermits, so too,
should we ask of the virgins the virtue of purity,
and especially of the Queen of Virgins should we
ask it, for we are the more likely to get it through Her
who has drawn so many to holy purity as well by
1 Super Missus est.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

97

Her aid as by Her example: Adducentur regi virgines
post eam; proximae ejus afferentur tibi.1 (&) But if
there be any in the Church who may claim Her
intercession with greater confidence and who have
more urgent reason than others to claim it, are they
not the clergy, the ministers of Her Son; they whom
He has given to Her as sons in the person of St.
John, and whose virtue is of much more import to
both the Son and to the Mother? She knows well,
and is ever mindful that if they lead a pure life and
if their virtue is without reproach, they will propa­
gate and promote devotion to Her; that they will
give glory to Our Savior, because they will be holy
priests. While on the contrary, if they lack purity
they will lack everything, and instead of honoring
their ministry, they will dishonor it; they will defile
souls rather than sanctify them. Know then that
Mary’s love for Her Son and for the Church is the
measure of Her zeal in procuring for those in Holy
Orders the grace of exemplary chastity.
Third Point. Perhaps you already know by
experience what a help to leading a Christian life
is devotion to the Mother of God, and how unfailing
1 Ps., xLiv, 15.

98

Meditation.

is recourse to Her in weakness, doubt, temptation,
and when the devil plies us most. Perhaps even it
is to Her that you can attribute your boyhood’s
attraction to the holy priesthood and the love of
holy purity. Have you thought to thank God that
He put this devotion so early into your heart; and
do you pray Him that He may preserve it in you, and
that it may bear fruit to your soul ? It is one of the
surest and most precious marks of vocation and of
perseverance: Ego mater pulchrae dilectionis et timoris
et agnitionis et sanctae spei.1 Qui me invenerit inveniet
vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino.2 See if you esteem
this devotion enough, and if you do anything to
strengthen and increase it in your heart. Are you
conscious of a real desire to do honor to the Blessed
Virgin, to please Her, to imitate Her and to deserve
favors of Her? The fear of giving offence to Her, of
hurting Her loving heart, of lacking in the gratitude
you owe Her; does any of these thoughts help or
decide you to make the sacrifices asked of you or to
remain faithful and loyal when sore tried and tempt­
ed? What desire have you to merit Her protec­
tion all through your life, and to put to better and
1 Eccli., xxiv, 24.

’ Pkov.,

viii,

35.

Horror of the Least Impurity.

99

better account all Her favors? Let your resolutions
be made accordingly, and pray Mary to give strength
to them.
Virgo singularis,
Inter omnes mitis,
Nos culpis solutos
Mites fac et castos.
MEDITATION VI.
TO KEEP YOUR HEART PURE YOU MUST NEEDS
HAVE NOTHING LESS THAN A HORROR
OF THE LEAST IMPURITY.

First Point. Adore the Lamb of God, The Word
Made Flesh, seeking to instil into the hearts of His
disciples an abhorrence of vice. He wishes them to
fear sin more than any ill that can befall them;
that they will suffer trial of any sort, wrongs, and
all manner of anguish, rather than draw upon them­
selves the rigors of divine justice: Ostendam vobis
quem timetis, He says to them. Nolite timere eos
qui occident corpus, animam autem non possunt
occidere, sed potius timete eum qui potest et animam
et corpus perdere in gehennam.1 That impurity is
1 Luke, xii, 5; Matt.,

x, 28.

100

Meditation.

the vice He most loathed and abhorred there can be
no doubt. He bids them take special care in order
to avoid it. Those strong words to be read in St.
Matthew are to be applied directly to this vice:
Si oculus tuus scandalizat te, erue eum et projice abs
te. Et si dextera manus tua scandalizat te, abscide
eam et projice abs te. Expedit enim tibi ut pereat
unum ex membris tuis quam totum corpus tuum mit­
tatur in gehennam.1 And again, according to Doc­
tors of the Church, this stern and awful sentence:
Qui scandalizaverit unum de pusillis, expedit ei ut
suspendatur mola asinaria in collo ejus, et demergatur
in profundum maris.2 Pray Our Lord to burn into
your heart these maxims and to give you to know
and feel the motives and heart stirrings that made
Him utter them. For sure it is the more you shrink
in thought from impurity, the longer and the further
removed will you keep from its contagion.
Second Point. There are three leading considera­
tions which are certain, if well pondered, to give
you a sovereign and healthy aversion to whatever
savors of impurity.
First, in doings of this kind there is no such thing
1 Matt., v, 29.

5 Matt.,

xviii,

6.

Horror of the Least Impurity.

101

as trivial or venial matter, that is, no Parvitas materiae.
Impurity as such is absolutely incompatible with
sanctifying grace. And the only cases in which it
can possibly be a light fault are when the occasion
to which one exposes himself is remote, or when
there is lack of consent or of reflection. Hence if
even an impure thought be knowingly and willingly
entertained, then mortal sin is committed, whatso­
ever be the thought itself: whether purely mental,
or a simple imagination, or a mere desire, it matters
not at all, the sin is grave beyond a doubt. By
that impure pleasure, sought after or only yielded
to, positively adhered to or merely indulged, the
soul has broken with God, forfeited His grace, and
deserved rebuke, shame, and punishment for all
eternity. This is sound theology, and questioned by
none: “Qui luxuriatur, vivens mortuus est,” says St.
Jerome. (Epistle lxix, 9.)
2. Secondly, a motive quite peculiar to us, is
that the sin of impurity in a sacred minister has an
unusual character which aggravates its malice fear­
fully. The subdeacon having given himself to God
is consecrated to the service of the altar. Therefore,
as the sacred vessels, he is bound over, made sacred

102

Meditation.

to the worship of God; ’tisfor this thathe is respected
and honored as they are : and like them he may not
be profaned or violated without sin more or less
grave against religion. To lend himself to impurity,
to be soiled by a deed of lust, whether in mind or
body, is to do a sacrilegious thing, and sacrilegious,
too, in the most hateful sense and manner. For
there are degrees even in profanation of sacred things.
To commit a sin in a holy place is a profanation
thereof; to steal a sacred vessel is a sin against the
virtue of religion; to put it to profane or vulgar uses
is a worse sin of the same order: yet none of these,
though all sacrileges, can equal in malice and hate­
fulness the sin that lowers a sacred person to the
meanest condition of being, and makes him sub­
serve the ignoblest and uncleanest of ends. And
this is what comes to pass if a minister in Sacred
Orders yields at all to the passion of impurity. Tol­
lens membra Christi faceret membra meretricis.1 A
sacred vessel is handed over to the unclean spirit,
and a divine sanctuary is opened to his abomina­
tions. Yet the subdeacon had promised all the
contrary on the day of his ordination. Needless
1 T Cor., vi, 15.

Horror of the Least Impurity.

103

it is to dwell on the wretchedness of one who adds
treachery and perjury to his impurity and sacrilege:
reflect a moment on the import of these words of
the Holy Spirit; Cur tentavit Satanas cor tuum men­
tiri te Spiritui Sancto? Quare posuisti in corde tuo
hanc rem? Non es mentitus hominibus, sed Deo.1
(Acts, v, 4-5.)
3. A third motive is this, that a sin of impurity
is very often the beginning of the end for one already
in Holy Orders; and this for several reasons: (a)
Because he is most likely to keep such a sin on his
conscience for some length of time. Having had
the weakness to commit the sin, he lacks the courage
to avow it in confession; the confession is put off as
long as can be, because he is too mortified to acknowl­
edge the shame: Erubescit reus videri quia nonnisi
judex esse debuerat.2 And if, meanwhile, the occasion
arises of performing some sacred function, it is
greatly to be feared that he will not have the grace
or the courage to abstain. (6) Because further­
more sins of this sort leave in the soul a deep and
strong impress that weakens it notably and induces
an easy relapse when occasion again offers. Maxi1 Acts, v, 4, 5.

2 S. Chrysostom, Opus imperf.

104

Meditation.

mae sunt adhaerentiae et difficile est db eo vitio eripi,
say the Theologians, (c) Because sins of impurity
tend speedily to beget others of their kind and can
and do lead easily to greater disorders: Cogitatio
parva delectationem parit, delectatio consensum, con­
sensus actionem, actio consuetudinem, consuetudo ne­
cessitatem.1 (Cf. Imit. I, xiii, 5.) (d) Because, the
habit once contracted, one is likely to despair of
return to God: and then there are but two alterna­
tives, either to complete dishonor by braving the ana­
themas and censures, as did those wretches of whom
the Apostle speaks, qui tenebris obscuratum habentes
intellectum, desperantes semetipsos tradiderunt im­
pudicitiae, in operationem immunditiae omnis;2 or
to hide their ignoble doings under the veil of hy­
pocrisy, to be as the whitened sepulchres of which
Our Lord spoke, all rotteness and infectious filth
within: Similes sepulchris dealbatis, quae a foris
parent hominibus speciosa, intus vero plena sunt
ossibus mortuorum et omni spurcitia.3 Whatever is
done, it is to be feared that the purpose of saving
one’s soul will be given up, remorse become vexatious
and then stifled, followed by obstinacy or despair; the
1 Imit., 1, xiii, 5.

’Era., iv, 19.

’Matt.,

xxiii,

27.

Horror of the Least Impurity.

105

sequel, hell for all eternity: Non dabunt cogitationes
ut revertantur ad Deum suum, quia spiritus fornica­
tionis est in medio eorum. (Osee, v, 1.)
Third Point. My God, when I think upon the
danger, the shame, and the enormity of the vice of
sensuality, it seems to me impossible that I could
ever abandon myself to it. I say to myself, in the
same frame of mind as Joseph, Quomodo possum
hoc malum facere et peccare in Deum meum?1
You have called upon me to struggle with this
vice, to bring it to nought; You wish me to serve
You, and to make use of me to reclaim those poor
unfortunates whom the devil has made to fall
through concupiscence. To this end You proffer
me Your Spirit and all Your graces. Give me, 0
God, to be faithful to my vocation that I may con­
tribute and help, in so far as I may, by my prayers,
by my example, by my ministry, to lessen the
number of victims to impurity. But I know some­
thing of my own weakness. I do not forget that
we have all a common nature, and that there is
not a fault committed by one sinner that may not
as readily be committed by every one else and Your
1 Gen., xxxix, 9.

106

Meditation.

grace be not at hand to preserve therefrom. I would
ask then, my God, the help of Your grace for all
the days of my life, and I purpose to merit it by my
prayers, by my heedfulness and vigilance, and by
my faithfulness; keep me always, lest I be of the
number of those unfortunate and wretched ones
whom Your Angel must shut out forever from Your
holy home. Dicit Angélus: Foris canes et impudici
ei idolis servientes! (Apoc. xxii, 15.) Non intrabit
in eam aliquid coinquinatum aut abominationem fac­
iens. (Apoc., xxi, 27.)
MEDITATION VII.

LEST YE ENTER INTO TEMPTATION, WATCH AND
PRAY.

First Point. When the Savior said to His disci­
ples on the eve of His passion; Watch and pray, He
bethought Himself of their condition or position and
the peculiar dangers to which they were exposed
just then. Nevertheless it was a recommendation
meaningful to all men that He addressed them; the
means of perseverance indicated to them are recom­
mended equally to all His disciples, whatever be the

Watch and Pray

107

trials or straits in which they find themselves or
the dangers that seem to menace. Quod dico vobis,
omnibus dico: Vigilale. (Mark, xin, 27.) Vigi­
late et orate. Opertet semper orare et non deficere.
i Luke, xvin, 1.) We have good reason, then, to
apply to ourselves these words, since purity is ever
liable to dangerous temptation. We ought to watch
and pray, the more that our virtue is weak and our
enemies are many, wily, and unrelenting: Vigilate
et orate, Our Lord bids us, ut non intretis in tentationern. He does not say, watch and pray that we
may not be tempted, for it is His purpose that our
virtue be tried and be strengthened by such trial;
but that we may not give way under temptation,
and succumb thereto. It is as if He said, “If you
do not keep guard over yourselves, and if you are
not prompt in having recourse to God, you will come
to know your weakness through bitter experience;
you will walk into the traps prepared for you.”
Thank Our Lord for this monition, and take it to
heart with docility and submissiveness. Don’t
merely take His word for this as truth, but take
Him at His word; that is, put His warning to profit.
Offer Him a sincere desire to watch and pray

108

Meditation.

always as He would have you do, in order to merit
His help and to come off safe in all the dangers
your virtue may have to run.
Second Point. Think over the reason and im­
portance of this two-fold recommendation.
1. Necessity of vigilance: Vigilate. Why must one
always watch? Because one has always some danger
to fear, because one is ever in the midst of enemies;
and if one be not on his guard it is more than likely
that he will walk into a well-laid trap or fall by
a blow delivered from an unsuspected quarter. It
augurs ill if advance is made onto the enemy’s
premises or into his neighborhood without wariness
and reconnoitering. You know the hackneyed anal­
ogies of the scouts and sentinels and armies, and of
the vessel on stormy seas, midst shoals and reefs
and divers other menaces to its safety. Well, you
perhaps have heard them so often that they scarce
impress you. Be that as it may, you must not
let go unheeded the warning and lesson they are
intended to convey. It is all important that you
be impressed by the need you have of being alive
to the reality and imminence of your danger. Purity
is more to you than a vessel or an army is to any­

Watch and Pray.

109

body, and it is threatened by enemies and dangers
as no army or vessel ever was; and, it should be
added that the safety thereof is of as great concern
to you and to the world. Know this, then, that
without great vigilance the ruin and loss of purity is
inevitable. The Doctors of the Church give you
some idea as to how numerous and redoutable are
the enemies and dangers to purity. There is idleness
first of all, the lazy workless life. Midlam malitiam
docuit otiositas. Haec fuit iniquitas Sodomae, otium
illius et filiarum ejus. (Ecc., xxxm, 29, and Ezek.,
xvi, 41.) Then, there is love of sensual pleasures,
of good cheer, and feasting; Venter mero aestuans cito
despumat in libidines. (S. Jer. Epist. iv, 9.) Next
pride, presumption, forgetfulness of the continual
need one has of divine grace. Occuliam superbiam
punit aperta luxuria. (Rom., 1, 24—25.) There is,
too, curiosity, the concupiscence of the eyes and of
the imagination and of the thoughts. Ne dicatis vos
habere animos pudicos si habueritis oculos impudicos.
Ejusdem libidinis est videri et videre; and again, there
are reading, amusements, and various other secular
dissipations ; Inter tantas voluptatum illecebras, ferreas
etiam mentes libido domat, says St. Jerome. (Epist.,

110

Meditation.

rv. i Who will believe himself safe, without cause for
fear and trembling as the Apostle says, in the midst
of so many foes? Itaque qui se existimat se stare
videat ne cadat. (I Cor., x, 12.)
2. Necessity of prayer: Orate. The carnal instinct
of man is the most depraved of all. Concupiscence
has so made it keen and so perverted it that, at the
very least, without a particular grace from heaven
we could not brave its attacks with impunity, nor
long resist its solicitations ; Nisi Dominus custodierit
civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam. This is
a fact that the writer of the Book of Wisdom1 learned
by experience, and it seems to be confirmed by Our
Savior in these words: Non omnes capiunt verbum
istud, sed quibus datum est.
It follows then, says St. Augustine, that chastity
is at once a virtue and a gift: a virtue, because God
requires it of us and we are to employ our utmost
strength to practise it fully; a gift, because to acquire
it and to preserve it when acquired we have need of
a special helping grace: Jubet ergo Deus continentiam,
et dat continentiam: jubet per litteram et dat per spir1 Ut scivi quoniam non possum esse continens nisi Deus
det, adii Dominum et deprecatus sum. Sap., viii, 21, and
Matt., xix, 11.

Watch and Pray

111

itum. S. Aug., Epist., clvii, 9.) But how make sure
of the grace of God? There is but one means given
to man whereby he may obtain it: prayer. God
desires to give us this grace but He promises it to
those only who ask for it. We must ask it then.
We must repeat often in our hearts the prayer He
has taught us to say to His Father: Et ne nos inducat
in tentalionem. Chrysostom has expressed all this
very pithily: In tentationem vadit, qui ad orationem
non vadit: also St. Augustine: Ut castitas detur, hu­
militas meretur. (S. Chrys., On Prayer.) Briefly then
it is in humbling one’s self before God, in asking of
Him the virtue of purity, in acknowledging one’s
inability to acquire it and helplessness to preserve
it by one’s unaided efforts, that one obtains this
great mercy.
Third Point. Thus we may apply to this virtue
in particular what the Apostle said of sanctification
and salvation in general: Non est volentis, neque
currentis, sed miserentis Dei. (Rom. ix, 16.) Of course
purity demands on our part good will and effort,
vigilance and carefulness; but these will not suffice.
Our unaided efforts can no more render us pure and
chaste than by our own striving we can become

112

Meditation.

saints. The grace of God must second us and lead
us on to our goal, and help us until it is reached;
Qu is potest facere mundum de immundo conceptum
semine? Nonne Tu qui solus es? (Job,xiv, 4.) How
we should esteem prayer then! With what care and
manly purpose we are to prepare our hearts for the
spirit of prayer, with what earnestness and sincerity
we are to ask it of God, and with what fidelity we are
to foster it in us! Can one exaggerate the readiness
with which we ought have recourse to God in prayer
when we foresee any danger or when any difficulty
tries us? No one wall ever lack needed strength or
yield to temptation if he is faithful to ask help of
Heaven and to say humbly, as did the Apostles:
Salva nos, Domine; perimus. Fidelis est Deus, qui
non patietur vos tentari supra id quod potestis, sed
faciet etiam cum tentatione proventum ut possitis sus­
tinere. (I Cor., x, 13.) Repeat often and earnestly
the favorite prayer of St. Philip Neri: Cor mundum
crea in me, Deus. Also that of St. Augustine: Da
quod jubes et jube quod vis. (Confessions, x, 29.)

Shun Familiarity with the World.

113

MEDITATION VIII.
TO SAFEGUARD YOUR REPUTATION AND YOUR
VIRTUE, SHUN FAMILIARITY WITH THE WORLD
AND WITH PERSONS OF THE WORLD.

First Point. Our Savior offers in His own per­
son the truest model of holy purity. His appear­
ance, His deportment, His converse with those about
Him, all convey the impression of a “man from
heaven, heavenly,” living in the flesh, but not of
the flesh; as detached from sensuality as the pure
spirits in heaven; not only above the solicitations
of corporal nature, but a stranger to its unworthy
instincts. What He said of His Father, Spiritus
est Deus (John, iv, 24), the Apostle does not hesitate
to say of Him, Etenim Dominus Spiritus est. (h Cor.,
in, 17.) Certainly He showed Himself such while
amongst us, in His relations with whomsoever came
to Him to receive instruction or to ask a favor.
The women flocked around Him as well as the men ;
mothers brought their children, too, that He might
lay hands upon them. He received everybody with
kindness; yet, one remarks that He was reserved
with all. When He speaks to men and women it
is as to souls, seeking to withdraw them from sin

114

Meditation.

and death and to turn them into surer ways. We
call to mind particularly the Magdalen, the Samari­
um woman, the poor unfortunate taken in adultery.
His conduct never failed to evoke admiration of
His virtue. Pray Our Savior to give you the wis­
dom, the detachment, the prudence, and the courage
needful to imitate His example. Ask of Him to see
to it that your relations with souls may be such
as He will commend: never aught of familiarity or
mere natural affection, but rather that your ministry
be the gauge of all dealing with souls so that all
who may behold will be inspired with respect for
your virtue and esteem for your wisdom.
Second Point. Two motives there are that should
bring you to avoid as far as may be the society of
the laity; they are the welfare of your soul and the
honor of the ministry.
1. The welfare of your soul. The Scriptures are
replete with maxims and examples showing the dan­
ger incurred to chastity by frequenting the company
of persons of the world, and of women especially.
Remember who it was that committed the first sin
on earth and brought sin into the world and death
upon us all : A muliere initium factum est peccati et per

Shun Familiarity with the World.

115

illam morimur omnes. (Ecclüs., xxv, 33.) Melior
est iniquitas viri quam mulier benfadens. (Ecclus.,
xxlii, 12.) The Doctors and Councils of the Church
insistently recall to clerics these maxims and warn
them not to expose their reputation and virtue by
worldly, secular associations. There certainly is dan­
ger therein and qui amat periculum in illo peribit,
says the Holy Spirit. Avoid especially familiarity:
which of course should be out of the question with
women. Follow St. Paul’s and St. Jerome’s advice
and that given by the Imitation of Christ: Omnes
puellae et virgines Christi aut aequaliter ignora aut
aequaliter dilige. (S. JER.,Epist. xxvm.) “Keep not
much company with young people and strangers.
Be not familiar with any woman; but recommend
all good women in general to God. Desire to be
familiar only with God and fly the acquaintance of
man. We must have charity for all : but familiarity
is not expedient.” Do not permit needless visiting
on their part, and make no exceptions. No presents,
no tokens of regard or other such souvenirs. You
may observe conventionalities with them, but any­
thing further by way of contact is dangerous. And,
you may not allege experience, wisdom, or age:

116

Meditation.

Nec in praeterita castitate confidas. Nec David sanc­
tior, nec Samsone fortior, nec Salomone potes esse
sapientior. (S. Jeb., Epist. lii, 5.)
2. The honor of your ministry. There are of course
things that in se are right enough, but which must
be given up on account of interests jeopardized,
the edification of others, or in order not to give
scandal. Omnia mihi licent, says St. Paul, sed non
omnia expediunt. Omnia mihi licent sed non omnia
aedificant. Such certainly are, for example, con­
siderable or intimate association of a priest with
lay folks. Non decet clericum vel fabulari vel domum
frequentare. (S. Aug.). The priest, then, ought to
renounce these things whatever be the effort it cost
him; and note, too, that the more of a sacrifice it
is for him to give up these, the more is his duty to
do so urgent. St. Chrysostom insists on this duty.
“If you are weak, then your weakness forbids you
these things; if you are sturdy enough of virtue,
then the interests of others make the renunciation
imperative. But are you really so sturdy if you
balk or hesitate at this sacrifice? Are you stronger
■han St. Paul, than Job, than the holy hermits and
monks?” Nor may you say: It matters little what

Shun Familiarity with the World.

117

is thought of me, if only I be innocent and my con­
science can in nothing reproach me. No, it matters
very much that nothing but good be thought of
you : Caveto omnes suspiciones, et quidquid probabiliter
fingi potest, ne fingatur ante devita. (S. Jer., Epist.
lii, ad Nepot.) If we had but to consider ourselves
it might be all very well; we might solace ourselves
with the testimony of our own conscience. But we
have to give thought to others and we are held to
instruct and to edify them; hence we must say with
the Apostle: “Being a minister of Jesus Christ, I will
do honor to my ministry.” Ego ministerium meum
honorificabo. I would sooner that my life be given
up than that, through my fault, my priestly ministry
lose the respect that is its due. Bonum est mihi
magis mori quam ut gloriam quis evacuet. (I Cor.,
ix, 15.)
Third Point. It is clear then, that whatever
way you turn the need or even the duty of avoiding
secular gatherings and undue familiarity with secu­
lar persons confronts you. Though you have no
cause whatever for concern as to your own virtue
or that of others on this account, still in the interest
of your reputation or your ministry you must re­

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Meditation.

nounce such needless intercourse. You have nothing
in common as a priest with the world and worldli­
ness. Do not count too much on the esteem of lay
folks. Non-catholics are often distrustful, and those
of our own flock who are sensual and corrupt readily
believe insinuations, and not only are quick to re­
mark anything that may give color to them or
ground, even remotely, for suspicion, but too readily
interpret the same unfavorably: “Charity thinketh
no evil, and all is pure to the pure-minded:” remem­
ber, however, that the reverse is too often true.
When worldlings and folks with no real religion in
them see priests allowing themselves the same liber­
ties and diversions as they themselves enjoy, they
judge that he has the same instincts, that he is but
following the same impulses, and has the same pur­
poses. This is but natural and perhaps they are
not far wrong. At all events why give cause for
such hurtful suspicions? Quid necesse est ut demus
saecularibus obtrectandi locum, asks St. Jerome? It
is senseless to imagine that one does not expose
his reputation. Does anyone think that the world
would be so severe in judging those who permit
themselves the familiarity of which we have spoken,

Shun Familiarity with the World

119

if it did not know from its own experience how dan­
gerous this is, and if familiarity did not savor of
impropriety in innumerable ways, if it had not given
rise to the saddest scandals many and many a time,
and if they who are or were given to it have not
been seen to blush with confusion and regret sooner
or later. No; that which the sturdiest of our Chris­
tian manhood have believed dangerous for thenvirtue and innocence cannot be indifferent for us
that are weak. “I have seen the cedars of Lebanon
fall,” says Augustine, and from experience he could
account adequately for the disaster. Crede mihi:
Episcopus sum, in Christo loquor, non mentior. Cedros
Libani (magnos Ecclesiae'), corruisse vidi, de quorum
casu non magis metuebam quam Hieronymi et Ambro­
sii. (S. Aug., apud S. Bonav.~) Be diffident, then, of
your strength. Familiarity, worldliness is the begin­
ning of the “dry rot” process; it is only a matter of
time till the tree falls; then all is plain as day. Follow
the advice of holy priests, not of the merely good
priests. Observe the rules of discipline such as they
may be laid down for you. Avoid dealing with
women especially in any way that is not priestly or
sacramental: the cleric who resolutely shuns occa­

120

Meditation.

sions or familiarity wears a halo in the eyes of all.
But he who is known to be without reserve or famil­
iar is avoided by those whose acquaintance would
do him good, and is sought after by such as he had
better not known. This matter requires constant
vigilance. In particular, be severe with your imagi­
nation and your affections, be they ever so secret
or unlikely ever to be expressed in word or act. The
priest should know human nature, and should realize
that when mere human affection arises (whether on
his part or not, or whether it be mutual or other­
wise matters little) this much is certain: his useful­
ness to that soul is at an end. Expedit magis timere
quam male fidere, et utilius est ut infirmum se homo
cognoscat et fortis existât quam ut fortis videri velit
ei infirmus emergat. (S. Cyprian, De Sing. Cleri.)

PART III.
INSTRUCTIONS ON MAJOR ORDERS.
THE DIACONATE.

ARTICLE I.

On The Ordination, the Powers, the Functions
of the Deacon.

I.
WHAT IS DEACONSHIP AND HOW IT IS CONFERRED?

Deaconship is the Sacred Order nearest in dig­
nity to the Priesthood. It confers the right to
ascend to the altar with the priest, to assist him
in the capacity of principal cooperator in the cele­
bration of the Holy Sacrifice, to chant solemnly the
Gospel and perform other functions of most sacred
character, especially in relation to the Most Blessed
Sacrament. It imparts also the grace needed to
fulfil these offices well.
The ordination takes effect when the bishop, im­
posing hands on the head of the ordinand, says:
121

122

Instructions.

Accipe Spiritum Sanctum ad robur, ad resistendum
diabolo et tentationibus ejus. In nomine Domini. The
imposition of hands is the matter of the Sacrament
and these words are the form. According to some
theologians1 there is a second matter and form in
the acceptance of the book of the Gospels by the
deacon from the hands of the bishop who, in proffer­
ing it says: Accipe potestatem legendi Evangelium in
ecclesia Dei, tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis. Innomine
Domini. Hence, this ceremony may not be omitted.
Besides all this, the deacons in the early days of
the Church enjoyed still greater functions or priv­
ileges. They preached and baptized even as the
priests. They gave communion to the faithful under
the species of wine and, when no priest was to be
had, under the species of bread. They aided and
represented the bishop in practically all public or
temporal affairs. They administered the temporal
goods of the Church and distributed the revenues
coming therefrom to those entitled to them: the
clergy, the confessors of the faith, the virgins and
the widows, the poor and the strangers. Today
1 Diaconatus per libri evangeliorum dationem confertur.
Ere., iv, Decret ad Armen.

The Diaconate.

123

they do not preach except by special permission,
and in order to supply the lack of priests or to help
in need; and they are not permitted to baptize sol­
emnly or to give communion to the faithful, without
a special delegation and a real necessity.
II.
THE DIACONATE IS A HIGH DIGNITY IN THE CHURCH.

From the beginning it has been esteemed such,1
and with reason.
1. The Order of Deaconship is superior to all
those we have thus far considered. Yet, they one
and all are, as we have seen, deserving of the esteem
and veneration of Christians.
' Cogitate magnopere ad quantum gradum Ecclesiæ
ascenditis. Pontif. Ad Diacon. Abbas Theodorus cum
factus esset Diaconus, non acquiescebat ministrare, sed
huc atque illuc fugiebat. Et iterum senes adducebant
eum, dicentes: Non derelinquas ministerium tuum. Dixit
autem eis abbas Theodorus: Dimittite me et deprecar
Deum; et, si ostenderit mihi quia debeo stare in loco
ministerii hujus, faciam. Et ostensa est ei columna ignis,
de terra usque ad coelum, et vox sonuit dicens: Si potes
fieri sicut columna hæc, vade; ministra. Ille autem hæc
audiendo, statuit apud se nullatenus ministrare. Bibi. Pat.
c. xvi. Cf. St. Martin., Vila.

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Instructions.

2. The Council of Trent has defined that there
exists in the Church a holy hierarchy (that is to say,
an order of persons subordinated one to another, so
ordained for the government of the Church), that
God Himself is the Author of this hierarchy, and
that it is composed of bishops, priests and ministers.
Now, it is certain that in the first rank of the min­
isters must be placed the deacons, since, after the
priests, it is they who have the principal part or rôle
in directing the faithful.
3. A very considerable number of Doctors doubt
whether the preceding Orders impress a character
on the soul and constitute a sacrament properly
speaking,· but as regards Deaconship none have ques­
tioned its Sacramental reality. That Deaconship is
a Holy Order cannot be doubted, even though this
may not be expressly affirmed in Holy Writ.
4. Deacons are, as it were, the Levites of the New
Law. This name of Levite is most fittingly given
to them, as the Pontifical observes; for they ought
to be, as the word signifies, assumpti, detached from
the world, and lifted up in their affections above the
level.of created things; and additi, aggregated, affil­
iated with the priests in the service of God at the

The Diaconate.

125

altar and in His temple. Their functions correspond
to those of the levites of old. When the latter car­
ried the Ark of the Covenant and the vessels of the
Tabernacle, when they assisted in the immolation
of the victims and in acts of worship, when they
blessed the people on the part of God, they but pre­
figured or were a prelude to the Deaconship of the
New Law. They anticipated the deacons carrying
the Holy Eucharist, distributing it to the faithful,
assisting the bishops or the priests in the celebration
of the Divine Sacrifice and in the administration of
the sacraments, or invoking upon the people the
blessings of Heaven through these words which are
their official salutation: Dominus vobiscum.
And let us not forget that the deacons are superior
to the levites no less by their excellence through
grace than by the dignity of their offices, and that
they ought, in like proportion, surpass them in merit
and holiness.

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Instructions.

III.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DEACON ARE SUCH AS TO
RECALL TO HIS MIND INSPIRING SCENES AND TO
AWAKEN IN HIM HIGH PURPOSES.

1. They ought to remind him of Our Savior who
was the first to do these self-same things, the preach­
ing of the Gospel to the people or distributing the
Holy Eucharist to His Apostles at the Last Supper.
Hoc officio usus est Dominus quando propriis ma­
nibus sacramenta dispensavit et quando Apostolos ad
orationem invitavit, dicens: Vigilate et orate.1
2. They ought to beget in the soul noble and holy
purposes: that of charity such as made Our Lord
to give His Blood as the price of our redemption
and the nourishment of our souls,2 and of supernat­
ural fortitude and readiness for suffering or martyr­
dom such as Jesus made to characterize the first
deacons and now wishes to communicate to all
others associated with them in Orders,3 that of gain1 Yvo Carnut.
5 Propter nimiam caritatem qua dilexit nos. Eph., ii, 4.
’ Si quis mihi ministraverit, me sequatur, et ubi ego sum,
illic et minister meus erit. John, xii, 26. Qui vicerit, dabo
illi sedere mecum in throno meo, sicut et ego vici et sedeo in
throno cum Patre meo. Apoc., hi, 21.

The Diaconate.

127

ing the crown He reserves to those who will have
borne the brunt of His conflict and come off with
honor to His cause. The deacon may well ponder
these things while going about the exercise of his
ministry.
IV.
IS IT ALTOGETHER CERTAIN THAT THE DEACON BY
ORDINATION RECEIVES THE SACRAMENT OF ORDERS?

That he does so receive the Sacrament is incon­
testable, even though the point be not defined by
the Church. One cannot but recognize in the ordi­
nation of the first deacons all the requisites of a
Sacrament:
1. There was a sensible sign, the imposition of
hands by the bishop and the words accompanying;
hence the matter and form of the Sacrament of the
Order.
2. Divine Institution, for one sees the imposition
of hands used without hesitation by the Apostles
for the ordination of deacons the same as for the
ordination of priests. Why this act, symbolic cer­
tainly, and done here by all, if Our Lord had not

128

Instructions.

taught them so to do and the meaning thereof? As
regards the form, that undoubtedly could and may
have varied, but even if at that first ordination was
not said that which is said today: Accipe Spiritum
Sanctum, at least they must have used words or
expressions equivalent. Et orantes imposuerunt eis
manus. They offered prayers, says Saint Luke.
3. Efficacy of the rite to produce the grace it sig­
nifies. The Council of Trent anathematizes who­
ever would pretend that the form of ordination ac­
tually in use is pronounced in vain, without effect;
and St. Luke tells of the effects of grace in the
first deacons ordained by the Apostles: Stephanus
autem, plenus gratia et fortitudine, faciebat signa et
prodigia magna in populo, et non poterant resistere
sapientiae et spiritui qui loquebatur. It is to no purpose
to object, misusing the words of St. Jerome, that the
only reason or intention in ordaining those first dea­
cons was that they might serve the poor and preside
over the common repasts. One should remember
that the Agapes of the early Christians ended, as did
the Last Supper, with the distribution of the Body
and Blood of the Savior. It suffices only to read the
tenth chapter of the First Corinthians to be con­

The Diacmate.

129

vinced of this; therein the Apostle reproaches certain
of the faithful with having been lacking in respect
for the Holy Eucharist: Jam non est dominicam
caenam manducare. Who does not understand, be­
sides, that if it had been merely a matter of ordinary
public service, there would not have been required
for the exercise thereof supernatural qualities quite
as eminent as for the episcopate: Considerate viros
plenos Spiritu Sancto et sapientia; and furthermore, .
the deacons would not have been entrusted so readily,
one might say immediately, with the ministry of
preaching the Gospel and of baptizing the cate­
chumens.1
V.
IN THE ORDINATION OF A DEACON THE BISHOP IMPOSES HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF THE 0RDINAND.
WHAT DOES THIS SIGNIFY?

This rite expresses in the most sensible manner
the gift, the transmission, the communication of
1 Thus the deacons have always enjoyed a place in the
hierarchy. They have always been looked upon as marked
with an indelible character and that they can be ordained
by bishops only. Episcopum sequamini ul Christus Patrem,
presbyterum ut Apostolos, Diaconos ut Dei mandatum. St.
Ignat., Ad Smyrn.

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Instructions.

spiritual powers and of graces peculiar to the Order
received1 that the bishop makes to the ordinand.
This is attested to by the accompanying words of
the prelate: Accipe Spiritum Sanctum. It is to be
remarked that at this moment he opens and extends
but one hand, because he communicates in this
ordination only a part of what he might give. In
the ordination to the priesthood he will impart all,
make no reserve, he will open and extend both hands
at the same moment
By that extended hand also the bishop, represent­
ing God, seems to appropriate the ordinand and to
take possession of him. The deacon kneeling be­
fore the altar is like to the victim that was offered
in olden times in the temple, or is as the host pre­
pared for the Eucharistic Sacrifice over which the
priest extends his hand before consecrating it. God
accepts him through His representative: He appro­
priates him to Himself, He consecrates him specially
1 Obumbrante velut Deo teguntur. St. Isid.; Dc Off.
Episcopi manus est communicativa donationis divini sac­
erdotii et imitatur omnipotentem et omnia operantem, pro­
tegentem et moderantem Dei dexteram. Simeon Thess.
BAliolh. Pat., xxu, p. 776-778. Impositio manuum in saramentis Ecclesiæ fit ad significandum aliquem copiosum
gratiæ effectum. St. Th., p. 3, q. 48, a. 4.

The Diaconaie.

131

to His service and to His glory. The deacon then
ought to regard himself as a victim belonging to the
Lord, never in any way to belie this dependence
and to expect, to look for all things from His good
pleasure, trials as well as reward.

VI.
HOW CAN THE ARCHDEACON SAY THAT THE WHOLE
church, Ecclesia Catholica, asks that he impose
HIS HAND SO UPON THE ORDINAND?

It is in consequence of the unity of the Church,
which, making of her one moral person, makes her
to have also the same interests and the same spirit
everywhere and in everything. As Spouse of the
Savior and as His only Spouse, she looks upon all
Christians as her children and upon all the ministers
of Jesus Christ as her own ministers. By the same
title all are hers and all are equally dear to her. It
is, then, just to say that wherever an ordination is
desirable or necessary, the Church asks that it be
given and that she is much concerned in that it be
given.

132

Instructions.

More than this, the Church has other good
reasons to wish that mention be made of her here,
and that all be reminded of the concern she feels
at every ordination. She expects or calculates that
the bishop, reminded that he is the one who gives
and ought to give ministers to the Catholic Church,
will choose subjects who are truly catholic, who
will serve her in their respective countries, not be­
cause she is of their country, but because she is of
Jesus Christ and, through Him, of every country.
She wishes that her ministers may have a large,
catholic heart as had the Apostles and the Divine
Master Himself, and if they must restrict or confine
the field of their ministry, that they will never so
limit their charity, that they will not be insensible
to her needs in whatsoever quarter they be felt, and
that they be able to say with the Apostle truthfully
Quis infirmatur et ego non infirmor? Quis scandali­
zatur et ego non uror?1

1 II Cor.,

xi,

29.

The Diaconats.

133

VII.
THE ENQUIRY MADE OF THE ARCHDEACON AND OF THE
FAITHFUL AS TO THE MERITS OF THE ORDINANDS.
WHAT DOES IT SIGNIFY?

It shows the excellence of the Order about to be
received and the perfection required for its recep­
tion. Already, even before admitting the candidates
to the preceding ordinations, the bishop should have
informed himself as to their deportment and reas­
sured himself as to their virtue. But at this moment
when it is a question of conferring higher Orders, he
feels the need of making a new enquiry and of obtain­
ing still more certain guarantees. Wherefore, in
this regard he seeks a testimony quite particular.
Nemini cito manus imposueris, the Apostle warns
him.1 Hi autem probentur simul, et sic ministrent
nullum crimen habentes.2
The bishop addresses his enquiry first to the arch­
deacon because it was he who, for a long time, was
entrusted with the education of aspirants to the
priesthood and was expected to know most about
their deportment. The bishop next addresses his
*ITim., v, 21.

1 I Tim., hi, 10.

134

Instructions.

query to the clergy and to the people; and although
the faithful have been advised in their parish churches
< f their obligation to oppose the ordination of un­
worthy clerics, the prelate now recalls them to a
sense of their duty and exhorts them not to fail
what is required of them.
We shall hear another such appeal, more solemn
still, before the ordination of priests. To be sure,
the Church authorities scarcely expect to receive new
information at this late hour; yet the enquiry has
its raison d’être, and it cannot be said that it is with­
out effect. It makes clear the obligation and the
constant custom of bishops to take pains to obtain
what information they can of the merits of the ordinands, and it recalls to these latter the need they
have of the esteem of the faithful. Oportet illum
et testimonium habere bonum ab iis qui foris sunt, ut
non in opprobrium incidat et in laqueum diaboli.1
Then, too, the accord of this practise with that of
early times, of the first ages of Christianity evinces
the faithful purpose of the Church to follow the
instructions of her Founder and the examples of
the Apostles.
11 Tim., in, 7.-

The Diaconate.

135

VIII.
FROM THE BEGINNING WHAT WERE THE CONDITIONS
REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION TO DEACONSHIP?

The Book of the Acts indicates, for the most part,
the principal requisites. In the account given by
St. Luke of the ordination of the first deacons we
read these words of the Apostles to the faithful:
“Seek out seven men of acknowledged virtue.”
Considerate viros boni testimonii septem, plenos Spiritu
Sancto et sapientia.'· Each of these words contains
much that is instructive.
Considerate: Consider; seek out. Two things are
taught by this recommendation:
1. That no one of those ordained at that first
ordination presented liimself for promotion. All of
them could say that they were chosen and that
their elevation was not the doing of their will, but
of divine disposition.2
2. That time was taken to reflect and that no
subject was chosen who was not well known.
1 Acts, vi, 3.
2 Non volentes neque currentes assumito, sed cunctantes,
sed renuentes. Etiam coge illos et compelle intrare. In
talibus ut opinor, requiescit Spiritus. St. Bern., De consid., iv, 4.

136

Instructions.

Viros. This word excludes, together with women
and children, two sorts of persons:
1. Individuals who are sluggish and weak-hearted,
who lack strength of character and enthusiastic
fervor, who would be incapable of supporting the
burden.
2. Men lacking maturity and discretion, and who
are frivolous; for it is certain that the ordinary
employments of the deacon, the distribution of
ecclesiastical revenues, the care of the poor, the
preaching of the Gospel, cooperation in the Divine
Sacrifice, the administering of the Holy Eucharist,
the control of the faithful require manly men, full
of discernment, of tact and of wisdom.
Septem. The small number to which the calls
are limited, shows that the needs of the Church or
the prospect of advantage to her are the only reasons
for the ordination of deacons, and that no one should
be raised to the diaconate or to any Order, who has
not the talent and the dispositions necessary for
one to be truly of service to the Church.1
1 Tales ad ministerium eligantur clerici, qui digne pos­
sint dominica tractare mysteria. Melius est enim paucos
habere ministros, <jui possint opus Dei bene exercere, quam
ni altos inutiles qui onus grave ordinatori adducant. Dist.
23, Cap. Tales.

The Diaconate.

137

Boni testimonii. For the edification of the people
and the consolation of the faithful, it would be
wrong to choose for the ministry of the Church
other than men of serious and solid worth and of
unquestioned reputation. The word of the Apostle
amounts to this: Hi autem probentur primum, et sic
ministrent milium crimen habentes.1
Plenos Spiritu Sancto. The merely natural en­
dowments or qualifications, talents, science, good
name, fortune would not suffice for ordination. In
addition, in order to be fit for promotion to this
Order, a measure of grace quite above the ordinary
is needful. The Apostles do not ask for men who
have some share in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but
subjects who are filled therewith. Where is such
fulness of Spirit to be found if not in those generous
souls who have mortified themselves and whose
heart is not in things of this world?
Et sapientia. Wisdom implies intelligence and a
love of divine truths. It supposes two things in
the ordinands:
1. That they have successfully made the studies
required by ecclesiastical law and that they are
11 Tim.,

hi.

10.

13S

Instructions.

actually in possession of knowledge necessary to in­
struct the faithful and to fulfil the offices of their
Order.1
2. That they have a heart and mind impressed
with the truths of faith or, in other words, that
their virtue and zeal be in proportion at least to the
knowledge they have acquired.
May God deign to make every deacon feel and
know the meaning of these words and may He give
him a just appreciation of the dignity and of the
sanctity of his Order!
IX.
IS IT IN THE ACTS ONLY THAT THE APOSTLES MAKE
KNOWN THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR DEACON­

SHIP?

We find these requirements set forth with even
more precision and detail in the first Epistle of
St. Paul to Timothy. The Apostle, after having
told of the perfection to be looked for in those to
1 Necesse est ut qui ad officium praedicationis excubant
i sacrae lectionis studio non recedant. St. Greg. M., De
cura past., π, 2.

The Diaconale.

139

be raised to the highest order, the episcopacy or the
priesthood which have the care of souls, speaks of
deacons. Here is his mind on the subject: Di­
aconos esse oportet similiter pudicos, non bilingues,
non multo vino deditos, non turpe lucrum sectantes,
habentes mysterium fidei in conscientia pura. Hi
autem probentur primum et sic ministrent nullum
crimen habentes.1
1. Oportet primum esse pudicos, aepvous. Chas­
tity is the first virtue looked for in a candidate for
Sacred Orders. The honor of God and the edifica­
tion of our neighbor equally urge it. St. Paul wishes
that this virtue adorn the deacon no less than the
priest and the bishop: similiter. He seems even to
desire something more than chastity: pudicitiam, a
modesty unqualified, a virginal modesty, at once the
token and the safeguard of innocence: pudor con­
stans et innocentiae puritas, as the Pontifical says,
ut suae caritatis exemplo imitationem sanctam plebs
acquirat.2
11 Tim., in, 8-10.
2 Et quia comministri et cooperatores estis corporis et
sanguinis Domini, estote ab omni illecebra carnis alieni.
Cogitate Beatum Stephanum merito præcipuæ castitatis
ad officium istud electum. Estote ergo assumpti a carna-

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Instructions.

2. Non bilingues. They should be without du­
ri i-ity. without disguise or artifice, but as having
no malice, no trickery, no unworthy purpose to
dissimulate. In speech they should be simple, un­
affected, without equivocation, open and straight­
forward. St. Bernard addresses this word of moni­
tion to those in Major Orders: Consecrasti os tuum
evangelio; talibus aperire nunc illicitum est, assuescere
sacrilegum.1
3. Non multo vino deditos. These words are the
natural sequel to pudicos. The Old Law forbade
the use of wine to the children of Aaron during their
term of service in the temple: Vinum et omne quod
inebriare potest non bibetis, quando intrabitis in ta­
bernaculum testimonii.2 The Holy Spirit recommends
moderation at least to the ministers of the New Law.
Non multo vino dediti, as St. Paul here says, and as
he will advise Timothy himself, sick as he was,
later on: Modico vino utere.3
'.ibus desideriis quæ militant adversus animam. Estote
nitidi, puri, casti, sicut decet ministros Christi et dispensatores mysteriorum Dei. Pontif., De conf. Diacon.
■ St. Ber., De consid., I, n, 13.
’ Levit., x, 9.
• I Tim., v, 23.

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141

4. Non turpe lucrum sectantes. After the love of
the pleasures of the senses what is more out of
keeping with the spirit and the dignity of a minister
of God than cupidity or desire for money getting?
St. Paul does not say furtum but lucrum. It is not
enough to be merely honest; where one’s treasure
is there must one’s whole heart be.
5. Habentes mysterium fidei in conscientia pura.
The deacon is expected to be a man who, by his
purity of heart and innocence of life, does honor to
the religion of Christ of which he would be a min­
ister, and in particular to the mystery of faith, that
is, the Holy Eucharist, as is seen from the acceptation
of this expression in the consecration of the Chalice,
of which the deacon is the minister and the dispenser.
6. Probentur primum. Assurance of their virtue
and of its worth from the way in which they have
behaved as ministers in the lesser Orders: Et sic
ministrent, nullum crimen habentes. If they be with­
out reproach, and have given no cause for complaint
or misgiving, let them be promoted to deaconship,
that is, let them become ministers or servitors of
the Church and of the altar of Christ: Διάκονοι.
Thus is seen how in the judgment of the Apostles

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Instructions.

it was of real moment that this Order be conferred
on those subjects only whose virtue and merit are
known to be real and more than ordinary.

X.
HOW TO ARRIVE AT A PRUDENT JUDGMENT AS TO
WHETHER A YOUNG MAN HAS ALL THESE QUALITIES

OR NOT.

To be sure, these can be possessed in various
degrees; and be it said that there is no one to be found
who has them in their perfection, or even in the
degree that could be desired for the glory of God
and the good of His Church. Yet, if one would
make sure that he has enough for ordination, let
him use the same means as for deciding his vocation
to the clerical state and to the subdiaconate and
to the priesthood. Let him take counsel with an
enlightened, prudent and virtuous director; let him
give to the director all details and indications needed
to enable the latter to judge competently. Wisdom,
the Spirit of God,1 dictates that no man decide such
a question of himself. One too often lacks the ex■ Eccli., xxxii, 24.

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143

perience, the enlightenment and the disinterested­
ness to give a just verdict. If the director decide
that one should go on for ordination, then one
should prepare without delay, humbly and gener­
ously. The more perfect the dispositions with which
the Sacrament is received the greater, of course,
and more abundant will be the graces accruing to
the ordinand. Furthermore, let no one neglect to
invoke the Saints of the Diaconate, St. Stephen
especially, whose prayers did so much for St. Paul.1
XI.
WHAT ARE THE CEREMONIES TO BE OBSERVED BY THE
DEACON IN CHANTING THE GOSPEL?

Several there are, the sense and meaning of which
he should know and the spirit of which he ought to
feel; but to see well the reasons for this, he must
first grasp the underlying principle, that what is done
at the altar is the memorial or the representation
of what was done for our salvation when the Church
was born, and that at the altar the priest imperson1 Si Stephanus non orasset, Ecclesia Paulum non haberet.
St. Aug., Serm. vi, de St. Steph.

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Instructions.

ares Our Lord, and the deacon the Apostles, as it
were. This understood, let us proceed to the cer­
emonial.
After the celebrant has read the Gospel in a low
voice at the corner of the altar, the deacon kneels
in prayer at the middle, to ask, as did the Apostles
in the cenacle, that the fervor of the Holy Spirit
may produce in his soul an effect like to that worked
by the coal of fire on the lips of Isaias; then, having
received the Book of the Gospels within his hands,
as the Apostles received the word of Christ into
their hearts, and having asked of the priest the
commission needed by a preacher,1 he proceeds to
chant it aloud in the hearing of all the faithful
assembled. Upon the page of the Gospel the deacon
makes the sign of the cross, and then signs himself
in like manner thrice in token of his desire that God
may make him to believe with all his mind, profess
with his lips, and love with all his heart the truths
which the Evangelists have transmitted to us.
The sign of the cross traced upon the book sig­
nifies that the doctrine of the Gospel is the same as
1 Mea doctrina non est mea, sod cj us qui misit me. Joan.
vu, 16.

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145

that of the cross; that of which the cross is the sym­
bol and the knowledge of which has been merited
for us by the crucifixion of the Savior.
The cross which the deacon makes upon his fore­
head is in token of his desire that the Father, through
the cross of His Son, may engrave on his mind the
truths He has been pleased to reveal.
The cross upon the Ups is made to obtain of Our
Lord the grace to profess and proclaim worthily
His divine maxims. It is to this the Church seems
to exhort the deacon in recommending that he chant
the Gospel in a loud and clear voice, alla et clara
voce, as the Apostles were required to announce it,
in lumine et super tecta.1
The last sign of the cross, made upon the breast,
purposes to obtain of the Holy Ghost, through the
merits of Christ crucified, a heartfelt love of the
Gospel teaching, that is to say, the practice of humil­
ity, of poverty, and of mortification.
It is with the hand and in sight of all that the
deacon makes these signs of the cross because his
doings ought to be a corroboration of his teaching
1 Matt.,

x,

27.

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Instructions.

and he ought to preach as much, or rather more by
example than by word.
.Alter this he shows his veneration for the book
of the Gospels by a profound inclination; then he
incenses it three times, to the middle, to the right
and to the left, as an earnest of his desire to spread
abroad everywhere the knowledge and grateful odor
of Jesus Christ.
Lastly, the preliminaries being done with, the
deacon chants the Gospel. In singing it, he should
endeavor to have something of the dispositions and
sentiments of the Master, Whose organ he is, and
he should ask of the Holy Ghost to so inspire all
the faithful.1
XII.
WHY IS THE GRACE PECULIAR TO DEACONSHIP THE
GRACE OF FORTITUDE?2

Because of the difficulties to be met with in the
ministry, and because firmness of purpose and con­
stancy are needed for the right fulfilment of the
1 Disce cor Dei in verbis Dei. St. Gkeq. M., In Ezec.,
Hom. x.
’ Accipe Spiritum Sanctum ad robur. PontiJ.

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147

duties of the diaconate. It was the first of deacons
who began the illustrious line of martyrs, and he
has been followed by many others, St. Lawrence,
St. Vincent, etc.
The deacons were not ordained, as the subdeacons,
and the other inferior ministers, merely to assist at
the altar and to help the Church by their prayers:
they are entrusted with looking after her needs and
with tending to her interests in external matters,
and they are expected to defend her and help her
to spread throughout the world.1 In officio levitico
eligimini, the bishop says to them. “You are ex­
pected to do for the Church what the Levites did
for the Holy Ark amid the people of old. As they
bore it upon their shoulders during the long march,
as they cared for it and prepared for it suitably in
the midst of the camp, as they defended it even in
close conflict, you also must be ready to sustain the
Church by your example and your speech, to defend
her even at extraordinary risk, if occasion require,
and to honor her by the degree of virtue becoming
in a deacon; Quam Ecclesiam, velut tabernaculum por­
tare et munire debetis ornatu sancto, praedicatu divino,
1 In defensionem Evangelii positi. Ph:l., i, 16.

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Instructions.

exemplo perfecto.”1 Though she be not exposed in
these days to the rigors of idolatrous emperors, she
is nevertheless, quite as pitifully the butt of intrigue
and petty persecution: Quae semper in procinctu po­
sita, incessabili pugna dimicat. Unde dicit Apostolus:
Non est colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed
adversus principes et potestates, adversus rectores mun­
di tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiae in
coelestibus.2 Hence the Church is essentially mili­
tant. She has need to muster a sturdy militia;
wherefore, what she desires most is to see, at the
head of her defenders, ministers who are really
devoted, ready for anything, full of enterprise,
shirking nothing, and fearing no suffering that may
be incurred in the defence of her interests, and who,
like St. Paul, dread no danger save one; they dread
failing in their trust, in their vocation, being found
wanting in the accomplishment, in any degree, of the
work of zeal and of upbuilding confided to their
willing charge.3
1 Ponlif.
* Si non saeviunt homines, saevit diabolus; et si Chris­
tiani facti sunt imperatores, numquid Christianus diabolus
factus est? St. Aug., In Psalm., xcm, 19. et Ponlif.
• Vado in Jerusalem, quae in ea ventura sunt mihi ig­
norans, nisi quod Spiritus sanctus per omnes civitates mihi

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149

XIII.
JUST WHAT IS THE VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE AND WHY
IS IT OF IMPORTANCE THAT A PREACHER OF THE
GOSPEL HAVE IT?

1. Fortitude is not a virtue that consists in op­
posing violence to violence and in ill-considered
combating all such as show themselves unfriendly
towards us. It consists, rather, in not allowing
ourselves to be shaken, or weakened in our good
purposes; in accepting, in putting up with anything
and everything sooner than offend God or wittingly
thwart His good will. It is in this wise that the
martyrs and confessors have evinced their fortitude
and triumphed over the world. A deacon cannot
too well think prayerfully upon their example and
learn their spirit.1
The deacon Stephen was not in the least unnerved
protestatur, dicens quoniam vincula et tribulationes Jerosolymis me manent. Sed nihil horum vereor, nec facio
animam meam pretiosiorem quam me, dummodo consum­
mem cursum meum, et ministerium verbi quod accepi a
Domino Jesu. Act., xx, 22-24.
1 Exemplo sancti Laurentii provocamur ad martyrium,
accendimur ad fidem, incalescimus ad devotionem. St.
Aug. Anp. Serm. ccvi, de S. Laurent.

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Instructions.

by the fury of the crowd, though they wrathfully
cursed him as a blasphemer and hurried him outside
the city to stone him. He only let them work their
will upon him and in dying steadfastly confessed
to his Master: Video coelos apertos et Jesum stantem
a dextris virtutis Dei.1 “Whither are you going,
Father,” asked St. Lawrence on seeing Pope Xystus
led to his martyrdom? “ Whither can you be going
without your deacon? Never were you wont to go
to the altar and offer the Blood of the Savior but
that I offered It with you. Would you today shed
your own blood and not have me at your side?”2
The venerable pontiff consoled his devoted minis­
ter with the assurance that the day of his oblation
was only deferred; and but a few days afterward the
deacon saw the gridiron prepared for himself ; it was
his honor to die upon that bed of fire, praying for
the conversion of Rome: Segnior fuit ignis qui foris
ussit quam qui intus accendit.3 St. Vincent of Sar1 Acts, vii, 59.
1 Cum altaris ministerio deputantur, in quo Christi
passio sub sacramento repræsentatur, admonentur esse
parati ad proprii sanguinis effusionem pro Christo atque
justitia. Dion. Carth., De vit. eccles., 5.
1 St. Aus., Serm., ccciv.

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151

ragossa, grandson of a consul, showed himself no
less constant in confessing Jesus Christ, and his
example has been in like measure the source of
graces and blessings: Invictus Vincentii animus, Jesu
Christi fide et spe munitus, omnia vicit.1 If we pass
from the martyrs to the confessors, what evidences
of fortitude and generosity we see in the lives of
the Fathers and Pastors of the early days! St.
Basil, unable to yield to the exactions of the Arian
emperor, Valens, brought upon himself the threats
of despoliation and of exile, and all he had to say
in reply was : “ When one happens to possess nothing
confiscation is hardly to be (beaded; as for exile,
well, Heaven is my fatherland and tire emperor can­
not banish me from that; while as to death, my
body is so undone that a blow will let me free of
your hands.” Those who tried to intimidate Chrys­
ostom had little better success: “He is afraid of
nothing, save one thing,” said the royal officers;
“and that is sin.” “Don’t grieve over what befalls
me,” said he himself to his people. ‘ The Church did
not begin with me, nor will it end through my death.”
St. Ambrose, required to give over a church to
1 Breviar., 22 Jan., lect. 5.

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Instructions.

heretics, resisted and went to guard it in person.
Have a care,” said the envoy of the empress, “that
I don’t relieve you of your head.” “May it please
Clod to accord me that grace,” answered the unper­
turbed Doctor. “If you think it well so to act as
a eunuch, you will find that I know how to die as a
bishop.” But if one were to relate here all the in­
stances of the generosity of ministers in those days,
it would be a story without end.
2. Every virtue involves fortitude; for no one can
practice a virtue or be virtuous except he put forth
effort and restrain the instincts of nature. Without
very considerable energy perfection will never be
reached.1
What, then, is to be expected of those who pro­
pose to bring the people to an understanding of
what holiness is by means of their example; what
ought they have of courage and fortitude? They
undertake to combat not only their own passions,
their personal inclinations, but those also of the mul­
titude; they are believed to be desirous of lifting
1 Qui observaret dicta hominum, nunquam aliquid
boni faceret. Qui observat ventos, non seminat? St. Th.,
It. Maith., n. Qui multum metuit homines, grande ali­
quid pro Deo nunquam conficiet. St. Ignat. Loy.

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153

souls out of vice and of uplifting them to virtue.
For this is the work of preachers; in other words,
of those who give others to understand what God
wills and what He expects.1
If they are timid, if they mind being dispar­
aged or sneered at, if threats can shake their pur­
pose, if they hesitate or give up in the face of
difficulties, they need not expect to face manfully
the resentment of the affluential nor the ill-natured
fault-finding or the disheartening irresponsiveness
of the unthinking, the ignorant, and the uncouth.
Instead of speaking out boldly, preaching in sea­
son and out of season, and with all the more
boldness and insistence according as the opposition
or the seeming futility of their ministry increases,
they will either withdraw, as it were, into their shell
and keep the truth they should speak out shut up
in their own breasts, or else they will so temper and
dilute it, so evade straight issues, or, Protestant
preacher fashion, they will so alter and denature
the wholesome truth that the sinful, who are to be
1 Ferveat in nobis zelus sancti Præcursoris, ferveat amor
justitiæ, odium iniquitatis. Nemo vitia palpet, nemo dis­
simulet. Est enim consentire, silere cum arguere possis!
St. Bern., In verb. Non licet.

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Instructions.

roundly blamed and brought to task, will find in the
preacher’s words a fair apology of their conduct and
even a justification of their disorderly doings. It
will be quite otherwise, however, if the ministers of
the Word of God have a stout heart and the courage
of their convictions and of their state of life; if
they but have some share in the firmness of the
Prophets and in the vigorous determination that in­
spired the Apostles: obstacles will but stimulate
their ardor.1 They will say with the Apostle:
“Nothing do I leave undone that may serve the
interests of the Gospel. Nothing is there that I do
not suffer in order that I may lead the chosen of the
Savior to salvation. Woe is me if I be found want­
ing in the duty of preaching! I am hard pressed
by tribulation, but my spirit is unfettered. We
are persecuted, yet not undone; trampled upon,
yet not crushed. That which really matters is that
1 Non sumus sicut plurimi, adulterantes verbum Dei,
sed ex sinceritate, sed sicut ex Deo, in Christo loquentes. π Cor., n, 17. Non in sermone adulationis. IThess.,
ii, 5. Non idcirco nobis relinquenda est nobis ecclesiastica
doctrina, quoniam conviciis insectamur, aut erroribus qua­
timur. Sacerdos Dei, evangelium tenens et Christi præcepta custodiens, occidi potest, vinci non potest. St.
Ctp., Epist. ni, ad Comm.

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153

oui’ ministry be not dishonored, and that we prove
ourselves worthy ambassadors of God amidst all these
trials: Per gloriam et ignominiam, per infamiam et
bonam famam, ut seductores et veraces; quasi monentes
et ecce vivimus, quasi tristes semper autem gaudentes,
tamquam nihil habentes et omnia possidentes.1
The deacon cannot overesteem this virtue of for­
titude, of which the Holy Spirit is the author. Let
him carefully develop this virtue by prayer, by
thinking often of the early deacons, his models, and
by application to the other virtues that are the
foundation of this; faith, the fear of God, the hope
of heaven, confidence in divine providence, and the
charity of Christ. Let him not be afraid to heed
its inspirations or to act upon them as occasion
requires.

1 I Cor., ix, 21; II Tim., ii, 10; I Cor., ix, 16; II,
Cor., vi, 6-9. Ego non solum capite privari et in mare
projici, sed etiam infinitos cruciatus pro Christo meo sus­
tinere paratus sum. St. Basil., Episc. Amas., 26 apr.

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Instructions.

~X1N.
HOW CAN FAITH BE A SOURCE OF SUPERNATURAL
STRENGTH TO THE SOUL?

1. That fortitude of soul is given by faith, the
writings of the Apostles leave no room for doubt.
“It is by faith that we overcome the world,” says
St. John. It is through faith, according to St.
Peter, that we resist the devil. Faith, declares St.
Paul, has made the saints to conquer unbelieving
peoples, to shut the ravenous jaws of lions, to ex­
tinguish the fierce ardor of flames, and in war to do
deeds of prodigious valor. Faith is a strong pro­
tection against any assault; and the word of God,
to which it makes us adhere, is a weapon that can
foil the devil at his worst.1
2. Faith does not work in all souls either in the
same manner or with the same vigor. In pure and
simple souls its action is, as it were, instinctive and
spontaneous. It turns them from evil and prompts
them to good almost without reflection. Thus has
it been remarked and explained, that in times when
1 Cf., Acts, vu, 1, 8; I John,
Pet., v, 9; Eph., v, 16, 17.

v,

4; Heb.,

xi,

35-38; I

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157

heresy and schism are abroad in the land, simple
honest folk, uninstructed in the controversial points
of religion, turn from false teachers at the very first
encounter, as sheep turn and flee at the approach
of the wolf. They will undergo torment, they will
even give life itself for their beliefs, be they ever so
incapable of arguing for, or of showing the truth of
them. The grace of their baptism it is that enlight­
ens them and inspires their conduct. However, with
the ordinary Christian, faith, to have any such
strength, must needs be reasoned, reflected upon,
meditated prayerfully; for the every-day Christian
must consider the reasons for the faith that is in
him and see for himself the solidity of his position.
If this be done, then there is no trial his faith will
not give him the strength to withstand; no tempta­
tion it will not give the fortitude that means tri­
umph : Haec est victoria quae vincit mundum fides
nostra.2 This is a fact of experience, witnessed to
by conscience and repeating itself at every instant.
A soul, for example, is solicited to sin through pleas­
ure; its faith withholds it by reminding it that, as
St. Paul has so well expressed it, to live to pleasure
21 John, v, 4, 6.

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Instructions.

is to die to God.1 If tempted to cupidity, then its
faith represents to it that greed is an idolatry and
can lead to all manner of crimes.2 If it be pride
that tries to work upon the soul, faith recalls what
the Scripture says; that God resists the proud and
that what is of account in the eyes of the world is
an abomination in His sight.’ Should resentment
or a desire for retaliation arise in a wronged or out­
raged soul, faith brings up the thought that God
pardons us only on the condition that we forgive
others.4 It was to teach us how to put to profit
these lessons of faith and to oppose them to the
suggestions of the devil that Our Savior, in the des­
ert, designedly opposed a maxim from Holy Scripture
to each of the temptations of the demon. Pray the
Holy Spirit to enable you to profit by this example,
to ensure that you do so ; to enliven your faith through
the grace of fidelity to mental prayer and that of
the faithful by frequent salutary instructions. Non
vocamur rationales, sed fideles.6
1 Quae in deliciis est, vivens mortua est. I Tim., v, 6.
’ Col., in, 5; Eccli., x, 9.
• Jas., iv, 6; I Pet., v, 5; Amos, vi, 8; Luke, xvi, 16.
‘ Matt., vi, 14.
• St. Aug., Serm., 36, De verbis Domini.

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159

XV.
HOW IS IT THAT THE FAITHFUL FIND IN THE FEAR

OF GOD, IN THE HOPE OF HEAVEN, IN THE EXPEC­
TANCY OF DIVINE GRACE, AND IN CHARITY ABOVE
ALL, A SOURCE OF SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH?

1. It is easy enough to conceive what effect the
thought of eternal punishment will have on the
mind and will of a man of faith. There is scarce
anyone who will not prefer to undergo trivial hard­
ships if thereby he will surely escape long and bitter
sufferings. An operation, be it what it may, will
readily be borne to ward off death or to bring effec­
tual or even partial relief from an infirmity. And it
is just this that the real Christian does when he
imposes upon himself any mortification, when he
accepts a sacrifice or an humiliation in order to fulfil
his duty and remain faithful to his God. He simply
has sense enough to submit to a passing, compara­
tively inconsiderable inconvenience or pain so that
he may with certainty preclude the otherwise inev­
itable alternative of self-incurred anguish without
end. Wherefore Our Savior is much concerned that
His disciples never in their trials and sore straits lose

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Instructions.

thought of the reality of hell : And I say to you, my
friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do. But
I will shew you whom ye shall fear: fear ye him
who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into
hell; Yea, I say to you, fear him.1 Who fears God
as he ought is, by reason of the same, above all
other fear.
2. The same is to be said of hope.2 If prizes of
mean value suffice to induce men to compete against
each other and to work with earnestness worthy of
a better cause, why should not men of faith be
urged to effort by the thought of the eternal good
things God has pledged Himself to give those who
worst the enemies of their souls and of His glory?3
You may note that Our Savior always reminds His
disciples of His promises to them whenever He asks
any self-denial of them. He repeats those promises
to the Pastors of the Church, seven times even, and
in the most magnificent terms, at the beginning of
the Apocalypse: Vincenti dabo edere de ligno vitae.
1 Luke, xii, 4, 5.
5 Si vis sustinere laborem, attende mercedem. St.
Aug., In Ps., lvi.
’ I Cob., ix, 25.

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Dabo manna absconditum et nomen novum ....
Qui vicerit, vestietur vestimentis albis, et non delebo
Uomen ejus de libro vitae, et confitebor nomen ejus
eoram Patre meo, etc.1 St. Francis of Assisi was of
the persuasion that it is enough for a religious to
be convinced of and to reflect upon these promises
το remain unshaken in his resolutions. “My broth­
ers, said he to his companions, we have promised
great things to Our Lord; but He has promised us
things still greater. Let us be true to the former,
and let us look forward hopefully to the latter.
Each will be rewarded according to his merits.
Pleasure here is shortlived; the suffering is little
enough; the glory will be infinite.”
3. An enlightened and generous soul has not the
same need of thinking upon the future in order to
help it over difficulties and to keep it firm and unshak­
able in its resolutions. It is enough that it think
of the providence of God, of the care He takes, even
in this life, of those who serve Him, of the aid He
is wont to give them in their needs, and of the graces
of all kinds He bestows even unasked. “The Lord
is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”
1 Apoc., ii, 7, 17, 36; in, 5, 12, 21, etc.

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Instructions.

says the Psalmist. “If armies should stand together
against me, my heart shall not fear.”1 “I can do
all things in Him that strengtheneth me, says St.
Paul. If the Lord is with us who shall be against
us?”2 “Here I am ready to enter into the kingdom
of Japan, wrote St. Francis Xavier. My heart is
full of confidence and I trust that, having God as
guide, we shall triumph over all our enemies. What
is there to be feared when one has in view nought
but the glory of God, the honor of His Son, the good
of His Church, and the salvation of souls? Were
we in the midst, I do not say of savages or among
barbarians, but with the very demons, what harm
could their rage do us, and God not permit them?”
4. However, it is the love of God, pure and sov­
ereign love, that gives to the soul greatest energy
and inspires courage most. Love casts out fear,
says St. John.3 It reaches beyond every human con­
sideration. Does not this explain what we see on
Pentecost day in the changed spirit of the Apostles?
Scarcely had the Holy Spirit descended upon them,
1 Ps., xxvi, 1-3.
’ Phil., iv, 13.
• I John, iv, 18. Nothing can separate me from the
love of God, Rom., viii, 39.

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hardly had He kindled their souls with tongues of
fire than they felt themselves transformed and knew
ïhemselves to have become quite other men. They,
till then such weaklings, pusillanimous and faint­
hearted, were now found indued with supernatural
strength and virtue; showing a firmness, a con­
stancy, an intrepidity equal to any trial.1 This,
too, one may remark in St. Mary Magdalen. At
the hour of the Passion her love brought her to
the foot of the Savior’s cross, taking no heed of dan­
gers whatever. For sure, there was something to be
feared from the malice of the Jews and from the
rudeness of the executors. She gave this no thought.
She followed after her Master, guided by the traces
of His blood. She thought only of showing Him
her compassion and her devotedness. She was there
at His feet even to His last breath; nor did she go
away until, with St. John, she had done for Him the
last duties love could suggest. And what else is it
that we so much admire in St. Stephen, the first
of deacons and of martyrs? He beholds Jesus in
heaven and henceforth thinks only of Him. He sees
Him at the right of His Father, and the vision rav1 Luke,

xxiv,

49; Acts,

iv,

8, 33.

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Instructions.

i'hes him. He gathers his fast ebbing strength to
declare His divinity. Heedless of blows as well as
of wrongs, he wants, he yearns for nothing but the
glory of Jesus and to be reunited with Him: Lapides
torrentis illi dulces fuerunt; beatus homo cui coeli pate­
bant.1 Stephen had no weapon save charity, yet
with this he ever came off the victor. Through
charity he withstood the onslaught of the Jews.
Through charity he interceded for those in labor.
Well grounded in charity, he overcame Paul as yet
breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the
Christians. And through charity him, whom once
he had as persecutor on earth, in heaven he now
has as comrade and sharer of his joys and glories.2

1 Acts, vii, 59.
5 St. Fulgentius, Sermon on St. Stephen.

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ARTICLE IL

On Preaching—The Official Privilege or
Function of the Deacon.
XVI.
IS it not to priests and TO BISHOPS; rather than
TO DEACONS, THAT THE PREACHING OF THE WORD
OF GOD PROPERLY BELONGS?

In truth, preaching is the honor and the especial
duty of bishops and of priests, and this becomes a
most rigorous duty when the care of souls is added
to the dignity and character of Orders: Praecipuum
episcoporum munus est praedicare, says the Council
of Trent; and the Pontifical: Sacerdotem oportet
praedicare; conformably to the very words of Our
Lord to the Apostles: Praedicate evangelium omni
creaturae.1 Nevertheless deacons have always en­
joyed a share in this honor and charge. They were
ordained as assistants to the priests, to help out in
this ministry of preaching as well as to be auxiliaries
in the administration of Baptism and of the Eucha1 Session v, De Reform, 2; Mark, xvi, 15; Matt., xxviii,
19.

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rist. Yet, they are not the ordinary ministers of the
Word of God nor should they of themselves under­
take to preach; it is for their ecclesiastical superiors
to delegate them to fulfil this office.1 Such was the
practice of the Church from the very beginning, and
a semblance of it is still to be found in mission
countries where there is ever a dearth of preachers.
We may remark, too, that St. Ambrose gives the
name of evangelist to all deacons, quite as the early
Christians spoke of St. Philip, and that the bishop
now tells the ordinandi of their duty to help the
Church thus : Praedicatu divino, exemplo perfecto.
The conclusion is that a deacon is under a veri­
table obligation to acquire both the knowledge and
the qualities needed for preaching. The Council of
Trent permits the elevation of no one to the priest­
hood who has not previously given satisfactory evi­
dence that he possesses these both.2 It is the very
rule followed by Our Lord in regard to the Apostles.
Before conferring on them the Priesthood, He had
them a long time under His instruction, saw to it
1 St. Thom., p. 3, q. 61, a. 1, ad. 1, and St. Gregory,
De cura past., n, 4.
s Session xxm, De Reform, 44.

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that meanwhile they exercised themselves in preach­
ing by imitating His method both in announcing
His coming and in exhorting the people to prepare
■or it by doing penance; Misit illos binos ante faciem
tuam in omnem civitatem et locum quo erat ipse ven­
turus.1
XVII.
THAT IS TO BE THOUGHT OF PREACHING IN COMPARI­
SON WITH OTHER SACRED FUNCTIONS?

There are but few of equal excellence, of equal
benefit to the Church, of equal worth to sacred min­
isters themselves.
1. To appreciate this excellence it would seem to
be enough to reflect upon the fact that the Son of
God was the first to take up this ministry and that
He consecrated to it three whole years, in other
words, His whole public ministry. He began, says
St. Luke, by going to the synagogue of Nazareth,
and there, taking up the Scriptures, He opened to this
passage of Isaias and read : Spiritus Domini super me:
propter quod unxit me: evangelizare pauperibus misit
me.2 Then, having folded the book, He declared that
1 Luke, x, 1.
2 Isaias, lvi, 1.

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Instructions.

He Himself is the one spoken of in the prophecy and
that the oracle of Isaias was about to be accom­
plished. After that, says St. Matthew, He went
about through the hamlets and towns preaching
everywhere and announcing to all that the kingdom
of God was already come upon them: Et circuibat
Jesus totam Galilaeam, docens in synagogis eorum et
praedicans evangelium Dei.1 With such zeal did He
give Himself to this ministry that often He would
forego taking food, endure fatigue, spend the whole
day at this work and then take from the time of
rest at night the hours needed for prayer and inter­
course with His Father.2 There we have the example
which He gave to His Apostles; and we know the
commission He gave when about to leave them:
Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos. Euntes ergo,
docete omnes gentes, docentes eos servare omnia, quae­
cumque mandavi vobis.3
2. No function is really as essential to the pros­
perity of the Church. Preaching it was, of course,
that spread the faith throughout the world, and
1 Matt., iv, 23.
- John, iv, 6, 31; Mark, vi, 31; Luke, vi, 12.
’ Matt., xxvih, 19.

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169

aching it is that continues to propagate and conre it: Fides ex auditu, says the Apostle, Quomodo
lent ei quern non audierunt? Quomodo autem
tudieni sine praedicante?1 It is true that the written
Word of God could be studied, but the Holy Books
are not always at the disposal of all and, further­
more, reading is not the true means, the effective
means, the means chosen by God to lead the millions
to the faith. To enlighten, to convert, and to sanc­
tify men there is need, not of the cold bare truth,
inert as it is and even hidden under signs and figures
the sense of which does not readily appear, but the
living truth, presented in winged words, capable of
moving the heart, of striking the senses, and of
reaching the understanding and commanding a hear­
ing. After having incarnated, as it were, the spoken
truth in His divine Person and made use of it as
the means of His ministry all His fife, the Master
has willed that it pass to His representatives and
that it continue to be aimounced from their lips,
to be affirmed through their testimony, to be ren­
dered sensible, effective, lovable and convincing by
their evident conviction, charity, and zeal. Such,
1 Rom., x, 14.

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ructions.

as a matter of fact, has been from the beginning, the
preaching of the Gospel, the true preaching, the
sovereign means, employed by God, says St. Paul,
to save souls in bringing them into submission of
faith: Virtus Dei in salutem omni credenti.1 Scrip­
tura divina aedificat et lecta; sed multo plus prodest, si
de litteris vertatur ad vocem. Magnam siquidem vim
habet viva vox.2 Nothing, then, is of more impor­
tance in the Church, and nothing more essential.
3. Nor is there anything of more practical and
solid advantage to those ministers entrusted with
this charge, whether because this ministry in requir­
ing considerable and attentive care and in imposing
many sacrifices, makes them practise real virtue and
gives occasion for the acquiring of much merit, or
whether because one can do nothing excelling this,
nothing more pleasing to God, more helpful to one’s
neighbor; for, to devote one’s self to this ministry,
after the .example of Our Savior, is to combat vice
and to propagate virtue. And again, it would seem
impossible that a man occupied in bringing his fellows
to an understanding of, and to a relish for the maxims
1 Rom., 16.
* St. Jerome, Tn Gal., iv, 20.

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171

of Christianity, to take off their hearts and affections
from idle things and fix them upon things of eternity
that are worth while, it seems impossible, does it
not, that such a man should ever lose sight of the
truths of faith in ordering his own doings, or not
tend to and live for God with all the sincerity of his
soul.
Hence it follows that a cleric cannot too highly
esteem the office of preaching, nor have too much
at heart the desire to acquit himself well of it.
Sollicite cura teipsum probabilem exhibere Deo, opera­
rium inconfusibilem recte tractantem verbum veritatis.1
Many a soul, full of love for God yet confined to the
cloister or to solitude, has envied priests this means
of propagating the faith and of making it beloved.
St. Theresa wrote to Father Louis de Granada con­
gratulating him on the talents with which he was
endowed for the instruction, conversion, and sancti­
fication of souls. It was her persuasion that if there
were but a goodly number of worthy preachers
among the clergy the conversion of the world would
be assured. “To be entrusted with such a ministry,”
said she, “there is nothing I would not give.” Like1II Tim.,

iv,

15.

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Instructions.

wise thought the foundress of the Ursulines in Can­
ada, Mother Mary of the Incarnation: “From my
childhood,” said she, “having always heard that God
speaks to men through the mouth of preachers, I
have had such veneration for them that whenever
I met one in the street I wanted to follow after him.
I could have kissed the very traces of his feet, con­
ceiving nothing greater or grander given to men than
to announce the Word of God.”1
XVIII.
ARE ALL ECCLESIASTICS CAPABLE OF SUCH A MINISTRY?

Every cleric who has received the priestly charac­
ter and is entrusted with the care of souls is held in
conscience to give himself to this ministry. He has
then, or may have, if he but will it, all that is needed
for a worthy fulfilment of this duty. God asks the
impossible of no one, and His grace always makes
possible and even easy the doing of whatsoever He
requires of one.2 For how conceive such incapacity
1 Her autobiography, cf. the meditations on preaching.
1 The doctrine of a priest need be nothing than his life
itself : Etsi imperitus sermone, sed non scientia. St. Prosp. ,
De vita contempt., I, 23.

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173

in a pastor of souls who has been truly called to the
priesthood and legitimately ordained, duly instructed
in the knowledge needful in his state, and animated
with the spirit thereof from on high? There are
those who seem to think that to preach the word of
God one has need of unusual qualities and talents,
of extraordinary knowledge, of power of imagination,
literary erudition and proficiency, vocal culture, and
what not. This is a mistake. We all know of
worthy pastors who have but few, if any of these
qualities or advantages, and yet who are very able
leaders of their flocks in the way of Christian life,
who instruct their people well, and make virtue
lovable and loved among the souls confided to their
care. Was there ever anyone more destitute of the
qualities afore-mentioned than the good Curé of
Ars, who, though so little of the orator, was no less
remarkable and effective as preacher and catechist
than as confessor? Certainly the abilities and gifts
of an orator are of no inconsiderable worth in the
ministry, and if one have them he can put them to
very great profit; even he is expected to do so. But
the point is this; that such qualities or talents are
by no means necessary, and one would be altogether

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Instructions.

wrong to conclude that because he lacks these he is
thereby unfit for the ministry of preaching and hence
should not accept the office.
What is really needed in order to preach effectively
and to do good to souls through one’s words is the
heart of an apostle. Now an apostle is one whose
main interest in life is priestly, who is preoccupied
with the concerns of Jesus Christ, and is animated
with His spirit. If one be such, he will be a good
priest, a good pastor, and a good preacher. For
such an one will have the feelings, the convictions,
the virtues that he seeks to inspire in the faithful;
while to communicate them to his flock he has but
to speak that which is the secret and explanation of
his own life, that is, he needs but to open his heart
and soul to them and lay bare the workings of grace
within him.
It has been said; Speech reveals the man. Can
not one say with no less truth: Preaching reveals
the priest; for, it is the inner life of the priest ex­
pressed, manifested, and communicated. It is the
language that is spontaneous and personal, the nat­
ural expression of the soul. In order to speak of the
things of God and to awaken the spirit of faith in

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175

the souls of his fellow-men what else has a good
priest to do but to consult his own faith and follow
the inspiration of his heart? “From the fulness of
the heart the mouth speaketh.”
The real difficulty of preaching, then, is not so
much in the work of composition, or in the delivery
of instructions and sermons; it is rather, and above
all in the formation of the preacher himself, in the
work of his sanctification, in the acquisition of the
virtues with which his life should be filled, and ani­
mated. We shall do well to consider and emulate
St. Paul in this regard.
XIX.
ON THE THINGS THAT ARE TO BE PREACHED.

Whatever is needful or useful to the faithful, all
those things that will bring them to a Christian
manner of life, the entire contents of the Gospels,
everything that Holy Church proposes to our belief
or as a rule of conduct: these form the object matter
of preaching.
Praedica verbum, said St. Paul to his disciple.
Praedica Evangelium, said our Lord to the Apostles.

Instructions.

176

Now, to preach the Gospel is to preach Jesus Christ:
and to preach Jesus Christ is to preach all that per­
tains to Him; His divinity, double nature, mysteries,
Incarnation, nativity, life, miracles, passion, death,
glorious state, the establishment of the Church; it is
to teach the Church’s dogmas, sacraments, Sacrifice,
virtues, laws and counsels; it is to make known the
work of the Redemption, our adoption as sons of
God, the good fortune of belonging to the kingdom
of the Savior; in a word, it is to preach Christianity,
that is to say, a subject the most profound, the
most sublime and vast, and, withal, the most touch­
ing and inspiring and appealing that mind can con­
ceive.’ And the preacher has therein matter inex­
haustible for study and subjects for instructions
without end.
Among the truths of our religion, those which are
the more essential to salvation, which all must
know and put into practise, are naturally the ones
that it is of importance to preach and to teach and
often to recall in sermons to the faithful. And quite
of equal importance is it to preach well such truths
as one’s hearers may have especial need to know,
1 John,

xvii,

3; I Cor., i, 23. St. Aug., Enchi., 53.

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177

whether because of their environment or whether
because of false doctrine that is being diffused about
them, or because of other baneful influences that
must be thus neutralized.
Apropos of this, the following observations will
commend themselves:
1. It is scarcely ever proper to treat of scientific
questions in the pulpit, or to treat of things of the
purely natural order, or of pure reason. As they are
apart from Christianity as such, we are given no
grace to treat of them. We must content ourselves
with merely giving them such mention or consider­
ation as may be warranted or needful by reason of
some connection with the revealed truth.
2. One would make a mistake to choose as matter
for ordinary or common instruction the more sub­
lime truths of religion. Subjects of this sort are
beyond the grasp or appreciation of the average
mind, and are more apt to satisfy and exercise the
intellect than lead to virtue.
3. One may always be certain of doing some good
to the faithful in speaking to them of Our Savior,
of His Incarnation, Passion, presence in the Eucha­
rist, of His goodness, and of His purposes in our

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Instructions.

regard: likewise, if one apply himself to teaching
them to perform well the principal acts of a Christian
life, Holy Communion, prayer, mental and vocal,
confession, visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament,
assistance at Holy Mass, the Way of the Cross, etc.,
and to exhorting them to attend well to the duties
of their state of life, to avoid resolutely both sin and
its occasions, and to seek to be some help to one’s
neighbor in the affair of his salvation
XX.
THE SORT OF HEARERS THAT A PREACHER MUST

ADDRESS.

St. Paul considered himself beholden to all and
therefore sought to adapt his preaching to the dispo­
sitions and minds of all those with whom he had
dealings. Such ought to be the mind and purpose
of every preacher; but, when under the necessity of
accommodating one’s preaching to the needs of one
class only, that is, when obliged to make such a
choice, then let the interests of God be consulted,
preferring the greater number of hearers to the lesser,
those in greater need or better disposed and more

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179

docile to those of contrary dispositions or whose need
of instruction or exhortation is not so urgent.
Our Lord declared that He was sent especially for
the poor or to the poor1 and for the most part of
His time it was to the poor, the humble souls, to
the simple dwellers in the villages and in country
places that He addressed Himself. If He was seen
to confer at times with the doctors in the Temple of
Jerusalem, note that it was but rarely and at distant
intervals. For the most part He was to be found
in Galilee, with the fishermen on the shores of the
lake of Tiberias, or in the fields with the laborers and
the shepherds. After His example the preacher of His
Word will prefer to instruct and exhort the little ones
and the poor; he will be the friend and apostle of the
children, the sick, and the unattractive and unpre­
tending souls. As all souls are equally dear to God
and since these just mentioned are the better disposed
and of the greater number, would it not be ill-advised
and hardly charitable to go out of one’s way, quite
aside, as it were, to devote one’s attentions to cer­
tain individuals or class of individuals who, though
1 Evangelizare pauperibus misit me. Luke, iv, 18.
.......................... Hi sunt thesauri Ecclesiae. St. Ambrose.

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Instructions.

of more account in the eyes of the world, no doubt,
and perhaps more enlightened, yet are too often,
and even generally, overbearing, inconsiderate and
presumptuous, small-minded and little inclined or
likely to profit by any instruction, or to give them­
selves generously to Almighty God? Howsoever
frivolous or unthinking children may be, or be the
poor ever so ignorant, they are yet the ones who
least often turn a deaf ear to the instructions of
Heaven. If one but show them real affection and
evince some zeal in their behalf, one will accomplish
more through teaching of the catechism and familiar
instruction than by carefully prepared discourses of
the more solemn kind or by sermons that are char­
acterized rather by their rhetoric and erudition or
scholarship than by earnest piety and simple dic­
tion.
As a iule, however, the preacher does not choose
his audience. Generally it is composed of all classes,
conditions, ages, and of types of mind differing
greatly. Naturally, then, the only thing to do is to
strive so to speak as to be understood by all, to
interest, and to be of help to all, cum brevitate et
facilitate sermonis, according to the recommendation

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181

of the Council of Trent. No long drawn out dis­
courses that try the patience of the congregation,
and of which the beginning is forgotten ere the end
is reached. Avoid idle remarks, repetitions, and
superfluous words, especially adjectives: also techni­
cal terms, theological or otherwise, new expressions
or phrases that have no vogue except in a particular
circle. Aim at clearness and simplicity; that is per­
fection. Then it will be seen and understood that
he who speaks was formed in the school of the
Divine Master; for the children themselves will be
seen to understand and to learn. It is the learned
and judicious especially who approve of such lan­
guage, while the less educated, whose judgment is
no less correct in this regard, are always ready and
pleased to listen to instructions that are wholly
within their comprehension and are prepared by one
who keeps in mind their limitations.
For the rest, one should do his best for whatever
congregation he may have to address, be it ever so
small. When one speaks to a small gathering he is
the better listened to; that is, if one really addresses
himself to the souls before him, saying things that
their needs suggest or that their dispositions are

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Instructions.

likely to render fruitful; for it is only an interested
listener that puts to profit what he hears. “ It is the
experience of some thirty years,” says St. Francis de
Sales, “that prompts me to speak thus: I have always
done more good when preaching to small rather
than to great assemblies.”1 Of course, he always
preached as best he could and from the inspiration
of his heart and made himself all things to all,
whether at the court chapel or in a village church:
“I am so much at my ease when preaching in this
little parish church,” he wrote, “and everything I
have to say these good people grasp so well that
they all but comment aloud upon what I tell them
even while I speak.”2

XXI.
THE INTENTION A PREACHER SHOULD HAVE.

It ill becomes one who utters the word of God to
have any other intention in so doing than to procure
the glory of God by making faith and charity to
reign in the souls of men. St. Francis de Sales would
have preachers say to themselves when entering the
1 His letter on preaching.

2 Letter xcv, Suppl.

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183

pulpit, what Our Lord said of Himself when com­
ing into this world: Ego veni ut vitam habeant et
abundantius habeant.1 To restore to them the life of
grace which they have lost, or to increase it in such
as have retained it, to bring both the one and the
other class to the practice of a more and more per­
fect Christian life, all these aims are what the preacher
should propose to himself and to the realization of
these he ought to work with earnestness and per­
severance.
This is so evident as a first principle that it were
useless to dwell upon it further. Nevertheless it
matters a great deal whether one reflect upon it and
take pains that he be well grounded on it. All the
fruit and merit of preaching depend upon the fidelity
with which it is reduced to practice. For, it is
only on this condition, that the intention of seeking
God’s glory be pure and living in the heart, the
preacher will be without shortcoming or blame.
The merit of a preacher depends upon his inten­
tion, for God will recompense only the work that is
done for His service. When one has preached for
himself, in order to gain esteem, praise, etc., what
1 John, x, 10.

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Instructions.

can one expect from Him? If one has obtained that
for which he worked, then he has already received
his reward: Vani vanam. Whereas, if one has failed
therein, rather than make up to man the loss, ought
not God to punish him for the misuse of the ministry
entrusted to him? Without real merit, preaching
will likewise be without fruit; for, to produce whole­
some results, to turn, to get souls away from vice
and bring them to a mind for virtue, the aid of grace
is needed, and grace is not at the disposal of those
who want it only in the interest of their selfishness
and love of vanity. Besides, how will a preacher
bring souls to God, if he have not God in view, or
if he have the same desire for his own glory as for
the glory of God? Lastly, remember that to reach
the hearts of men and to change them, sincerity and
conviction and fervor must characterize one’s utter­
ances. But this sincerity will always be lacking in
the same measure that one’s heart is divided, as
one’s intention is imperfect, according as one gives
his attention to other things than the truths which
one preaches or to the extent that one has other
things at heart than the concerns of Christ and the
triumph of His grace.

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185

Faulty preaching is due in great part to the inten­
tion which one has. For, why is it that there is
noticed a want of naturalness in the preacher’s man­
ner, tone and style; that they are bombastic, pre­
tentious, labored, and affected; that he rants, recites,
declaims or talks at the people instead of talking to
his hearers? The trouble is that he has no real
desire to convince, to persuade, to uplift, or to con­
vert souls. His heart is not in his work; he but
half gives himself to it; often he does not do even
that much. Sermons may be preached on the need
of saving one’s soul, on the importance of growth in
virtue, on the obligation of being humble, patient
and charitable; but, if it seem that the preacher’s
heart is not in what he says, of what use are they?
Why speak of hell, judgment, eternity, if the thought
of these truths do not move us who preach these
things? Men can speak unfeelingly of these things
because they don’t reflect, meditate upon them;
because their minds are really taken up with other
things. Expression, accent, gesture, and bearing
are all given due consideration. They are careful
to modulate the voice and to measure their peri­
ods. What they preach is not what they really

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Instructions.

see or feel; it is too often only what they have
read somewhere or what they think is the proper
thing to say. Conventionality, platitudes, and
stock phrases are their resource and only inspira­
tion when composing. That they make little or no
impression in the pulpit is not surprising. They can
not be other than thought or found dry, unfeeling,
affected, and wearying when listeners have no rea­
son to believe in their sincerity. Their words carry
no persuasion, nor does what they say create any
interest. The preacher is thinking of himself and
the hearers think only of him, too. The agreeable
or disagreeable manner of preaching, the appearance
of the preacher, his voice and language, these engross
the congregation. Perhaps, knowing the man, his
sermons on the great truths and mysteries may be
something of a scandal, a stumbling block to them
since they cannot but involuntarily contrast the man
and his utterances.
Would to God, that all who are called to the min­
istry of preaching would learn to set aside all such
silly and hurtful and even sinful preoccupations, to
forget themselves that they may think only of God
and of the souls in their presence, to give themselves

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187

wholly to their subject and to their congregation, to
work thoroughly to the very end with all their energy
and strength: then they would be quite other men.
Their words, their voice, their bearing, their very
features, would, all at once, become animated with
earnestness; then all would be consistent; all would
be thorough and to the purpose. They would then
speak from an apostle’s heart and not only from a
brain unschooled in the ways of charity. Then
would they really minister the word of God and be
the organs and instruments of the Holy Spirit. They
would carry conviction to the minds of men and per­
suasion to their hearts; they would then lead, direct,
minister to their flock. Their accent would ring
true and the attention of men would be arrested;
their words would carry weight, be given credence;
and, when they should see fit to give advice, it would
be listened to and acted upon. Or rather, and better
still, listeners would scarcely give a thought to the
preacher himself nor even to themselves, but will
think only of Him whom the priest represents and
of the truths vouchsafed them. Then one’s dis­
courses would be listened to and attended by the
faithful and others for the sake of their souls’ good,

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Instructions.

because men will have come to understand that the
priest is in the pulpit for no other purpose. Such
is preaching in truth.

XXII.
AFTER THIS THE QUALITY MOST TO BE DESIRED IN A

PREACHER IS HOLINESS.

Assuredly nothing is to be compared with it or to
be preferred to it; experience vouches for the truth
of this. All ecclesiastics that have produced great
things in the way of conversion and of sanctification,
have been holy men; and we note too that the good
they accomplished was in proportion to their holi­
ness. Consult if you will, even cursorily, the story
of the Church in ages past. Reflect a moment upon
the Apostles and what they accomplished. Call to
mind the more famous men of apostolic calibre,
Saints Boniface, Norbert, Francis of Assisi, Dominic,
Antony of Padua, Vincent Ferrer, Francis Regis, and
Francis Xavier. And what of our own day? A
mere glance about is enough to show that it is the
same in our own very midst. The more priestly are
the more effective. Those of little virtue do but

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little good, are of but little service to souls. The
mysterious wand that worked such wonders in the
hand of Eliseus, had nought of virtue in the hand
of Giezi. The explanation is easy.
1. The function of the preacher is as supernatural
as is the salvation of the souls which he strives
to ensure. But the means thereto are and must
be, as we well know, like the end to be attained.
So, too, the qualities required in the workman will
be according to the work to be achieved. It is but
a matter of sheer logic that priestly piety, holiness
and supernatural merit have much more to do with
effective preaching than natural talents, instruction
or painstaking in the matter of style, bearing, voice,
etc.
2. The one who really does or accomplishes the
good in men’s souls, converts and sanctifies them is
the Holy Ghost the source of all grace: Spiritus est
qui vivificat. The more, therefore, that a preacher
is filled with the Spirit of God, the more will he do
among men; that is, his work will be according to the
measure in which he allows that Spirit to prompt,
to direct, and to enter into his efforts. We scarcely
need question who they are who have a care to keep

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Instructions.

themselves under the influence of the Holy Ghost
whose minds are always left open to His suggestions,
and whose hearts are ever ready to answer to His
urgings. Of course they are the holy priests, men
of God, who have no ear open to selfish promptings
of any sort, who rely upon nothing but their hope
and trust in God and His divine grace, who call
upon Him with all the earnestness of their soul, who
hold themselves ever at the bidding of His good and
adorable will and in unreserved dependence upon it.
It is only natural, is it not, that the divine Spirit
will make use of such preferably in the accomplish­
ment of miracles of grace. Nor need we wonder
r.hat often a word from such a soul reaches deeper
into our hearts than many a long and carefully
worked out discourse. For I mil give you a tongue
and wisdom that your adversaries all shall not be able
to resist or gainsay.1 What is really affecting in great
preachers is not so much what they say, for the same
things uttered by others would touch or move no
one; it is rather their holiness or, truer still, the
Spirit of God that possesses their being and animates
1 Luke,

xxi,

15.

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191

it. Do you seek proof of Christ that speaketh in me?
asked St. Paul.1
3. According as a preacher is united in intention
with God, he will find always that charity arouses
him and faith enlightens his mind. The truer his
virtue, the more is he impressed with the meaning
of the truths of faith upon which he meditates in
order to preach them, the more zeal will he have to
impress others with them, the more telling and
powerful will be his words. If he be a holy priest
who preaches, then he cannot but preach as such;
that is, as a man of God who speaks of God and
knows whereof he speaks, and who speaks under
impulse from the Holy Spirit. Everything about
him, his voice, manner, and mannerisms even, will
evince his sincerity and earnestness and zeal. That
such an one should have weight with men, that he
should be listened to, that his words should inspire
confidence, that people should not find it irksome to
be lectured and instructed by him, and, what is
more, that they should be truly converted and
guided by him, need not at all cause wonderment or
1II Cor., xin, 3.

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Instructions.

comment. Were it otherwise, had he but mediocre
virtue, or were scarcely priestly at all, then such
phenomena would nonplus us all. To be sure, all
can and must strive to purify their intention and to
arouse their faith when about to go into the pulpit,
but it is not easy in a moment to stir up in one’s
self the dispositions of a whole-souled servant of God.
And there is nothing that begets more diffidence and
regrettable indocility on the part of one’s hearers,
or is more readily and surely perceived by them than
an unreal emotion or a pretended conviction.
4. In a word, when a preacher is also a worthy
priest, it is known to all that his life is exemplary
and that he teaches nothing that has not a place
in his own life. His behavior reveals his conviction
quite as well as his words or his features. He can
say, and, in truth, whether he utter it or no, his
whole life and being are ever saying to others: Imi­
tatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi. Sancti estote,
quoniam ego sanctus sum.1 This mute exhortation
seconds and makes effective all the others. And oh,
the difference, if men know that he leadiAt tepid,
11 Cob., xr, I; Levit.,

xi,

44.

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193

routine, all but aimless life; that with the voice of
Jacob he has the hands of Esau! For, of the faithful
few there are, says St. Francis de Sales, that are
sturdy enough in virtue to put in practice the bidding
of Our Savior, “Do as they bid you, but not what they
do.”
To conclude. If you purpose to preach well and
to do good by your ministry in the pulpit, then begin
aright by changing your life, mending your ways, if
need be, working in your heart and will that change
which you say you intend and hope to work in
others. Settle and ground your mind and heart
upon God, thus making your life and your interests
in life priestly and holy, that is, apart and aloof from
preoccupations and matters that are not in some way
priestly; making the concern of souls your “capital”
interest, or, as St. Paul says: Hoc sentite in vobis quod
et in Jesu Christo. This is the Sacred Heart living
in the priest. Then you may preach and bid men
do what you will and they will heed your voice: it
will be to them as that of the Good Shepherd whom
they know.

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Instructions.

XXIII.
WHAT ARE THE VIRTUES MOST HELPFUL, OR EVEN
MOST NEEDFUL IN PREACHING?

Holiness of course includes or comprises all; yet,
five may well be spoken of as particularly necessary :
Faith, Zeal, Humility, Prudence, and Meekness;
which last is better expressed as a combination of
mildness, firmness, patience and absence of resent­
ment.
1. Faiih. From it comes all apostolic endeavor.
Credidi, propter quod loculus sum. Without doubt,
all can say with the Apostle: Et nos credimus, prop­
ter quod et loquimur. One will scarcely preach if he
have not the faith; yet to preach well, or rather,
that one may not preach in vain, any sort of faith
will not do. Faith must be living, giving warmth
and light to one’s own life; a faith like to that of
Moses, seeming to see even while believing; a faith
that overflows into the senses, and that makes one,
as St. Paul says, Sentire cum Christo·, a faith that
makes all as real to man as if he beheld with the
eye, and touched with hands, the things of God.1
1 Hebrews, xi, 27.

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195

When the Apostles told the world of Jesus Christ,
when they spoke of His miracles, of His death and
resurrection, it was with a compelling conviction;
such that none could doubt as to their belief in the
things whereof they spoke: Vidimus et audivimus,
they said. Vidimus oculis nostris et manus nostrae
contrectaverunt. Non possumus quae vidimus et au­
divimus non loqui.1 To reach the heart and to con­
vince the mind, the preacher must first have seen
and felt also that of which he would tell others; he
must have seen it in the light of God, thought upon it
in prayer, and have been struck, impressed, and even
changed by it, in such wise that his hearers may
share in his experience through him, seeing it all,
as it were, through his eyes: Ex plenitudine con­
templationis derivatur omnis praedicatio, says St.
Thomas.2
2. Zeal is the very soul of preaching. As preach­
ing can rightly have no other purpose than the
glory of God and the saving of men’s souls, it ought,
and in like wise, have no other prompting than
charity. But zeal is charity, of the sovereign kind;
11 John, i, 3; Acts, iv, 20.
2 2a-2ae, g. 186, a. 6.

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Instructions.

it is the love of God, active as fire and flame in the
heart of the priest. Do you recall that the Spirit
of God, designing to make of the Twelve fit, that
is, zealous preachers of His Word, descended upon
them in the form of tongues of fire: Apparuerunt
linguae tamquam ignis. ’Twas hard upon that mo­
ment they began their ministry of teaching and
preaching, says St. Luke, and from that out spoke
ever under the inspiration of the Spirit of God:
Repleti sunt Spiritu Sancto et coeperunt loqui.'
Preaching was their lifework, and they had the con­
solation of seeing their faith shared by multitudes of
the converted throughout the known world. Yet
who are to take up and carry on their ministry, but
they who share their zeal and to whom their spirit
is imparted? Qui non ardet, non incendit. The eter­
nal truths, coming from a breast aglow with the
charity of Christ, make such an impression as never
can be wrought by utterances, be they ever so sub­
lime, coming from the lips only, or spoken with a
langour that true zeal can never abide. They who
would be the mouth-pieces of the Word of God,
1 Acts, ii, 3.

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197

ought to be as ardent as the words they speak : Facit
ministros suos flammam ignis.1
3. The preacher then, is to be a man of zeal and
of faith; yet, he must also be humble. It ill becomes
the organ, the instrument, or the right hand of the
Spirit to be anything else: Numquid gloriatur securis
contra eum qui secat in ea? It augurs badly for a
priest who has not the measure of humility that
becomes his office, if he is attracted to the pulpit
through anything savoring of vanity, pretension, a
desire to please, to gain prestige or the human satis­
faction that may be gained by hearing the appre­
ciative remarks of the faithful. He is sure to lose
all merit before God; his ill-doing will close to him
the source of grace; his labors will be sterile and of
no avail to himself or to others. Vae iis qui bene
de Deo sentire et eloqui acceperunt, si convertant ad
inanem gloriam quod ad lucrum Dei acceperant ero­
gandum, alta sapientes, humilibus non consentientes.2
1 Hebrews, i, 7. “Why are they not more numerous
whose sermons warn off and withdraw soul from sin and
disorder? Because preachers have overmuch of human
prudence: nor does it disappear from among them as it did
from among the Apostles in that wondrous great flame of
divine love. St. Teresa, Her Life.
! St. Bernard, In Cant., xli, 6.

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Instructions.

Montes Gelboe, nec ros ncc pluvia veniant super vos:
• ·. e sint agri primitiarum.1 Of necessity, such an
one’s utterances will be marred by many a defect,
and the priest himself will very often be culpable
therefor. His petty vanity is bound to appear in
his discourses. He will not deign to be simple.
Instead of trying to be clear and direct, he is almost
certain to talk over the heads of the many who
humbly and hungrily look for something from him
that they can understand and take to heart; he
will affect superiority, brilliancy, preaching in the
• grand style.” He will seek to be original, odd or
new in his use and choice of words or in their pronunciation, singular in the ideas he gives utterance
to. and objectionably unconventional in the subjects
he chooses for sermons. Such as he always fear to
be thought ordinary, common, or vulgar; hence he
is apt to become stiff, unnatural, formal, stilted and
prone to mannerisms. Or it may be even that his
conceitedness will simply paralyze his talent; for
vanity oft makes one timid, and timidity, if it do
not keep one from speaking publicly altogether, it
will hinder one from giving full play to his powers.
* III Reg., i, 21.

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199

And, in the chair of truth itself, he vnll refrain from
saying many a wholesome word because his vanity
has put the seal of human respect upon his lips. In
the sermons of such a preacher there will hardly be
anything of interest or of profit to God or man.
Rather they will be displeasing to the faithful and
doubly displeasing to God; for, if the love of honest
hearts goes out readily to the priest who bears, in
his language above all, the humility and charity of
the Savior, they can, on the other hand feel only
dislike and even resentment towards the pretentious
one who, as they know, has no thought but for him­
self, who wants only to show himself off, to be in
the limelight, to be noticed, and to be thought more
of than he honestly knows he deserves. Of what use
is it to speak, if one’s listeners cannot follow the
discourse. There is but une reason ever for speaking
and that is to convey ideas to others; to be under­
stood, says St. Augustine. Qui ergo docet vitabit
omnia verba quae non docent.1
4. Humility is but rarely unattended by prudence:
who has the one, is like to possess the other. Impru­
dences come, for the most part, from presumption,
1 St. Auo.. De doct. christ., iv, 24.

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Instructions.

excessive assurance, disregard for rule and counsels,
inconsiderateness. A modicum of humility often pre­
serves from these faults. Nowhere is imprudence
more to be guarded against than in the pulpit, for in
preaching it is easy thus to slip; while the conse­
quences can as easily be more regrettable still. One
needs to take forethought, and to be self-possessed in
the pulpit, lest he say things ill-considered, or offend
against propriety. One needs to be careful, also, to
say nothing that will be misconstrued. It is when
going into the pulpit, more, perhaps, than when ap­
proaching the altar, that one should earnestly pray :
Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo.1 St. Charles advises
young priests to leave the speaking of abuses to their
elders. So, too, with other questions, which best
come from those having experience together with
authority. Imprudence in the pulpit can do much
harm in a parish; and it can happen that even one
indiscreet utterance will discredit an ecclesiastic and
his ministry.
5. But the one who would preach to the faithful
must be more than all this. Goodness of heart
and meekness must characterize him. The latter is
1 Psalms, cxl, 3.

yr

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201

but the manifestation of the former. In sermons
they are most remarkable. People tell of a priest
who speaks with unction; they mean that there is
piety in the tone, that there is firmness yet moder­
ation; nothing unmeasured or unkind. The priest’s
words may be of correction or even of rebuke, but
they are never harsh nor do they hurt the feelings
or embitter the minds of those to whom they are
directed. Whatever he has to say, he can say out
without mincing words but also without overdoing.
His sermons are always attractive because he in­
spires confidence and docility in all that hear him.
The faithful like especially moral discourses and are
ready to be told of their shortcomings by the priest;
they expect to be corrected by him and think it
strange if they hear no word from the altar on
Christian right-living, or if disorders among them
are not signalized and rebuked, and that firmly. But
there is a way of doing it. The priest that has
trained himself to charity and meekness knows that
way. Remember, too, that the faithful resent its
being done any other way, for they know that it
does them harm to be reprimanded immoderately.
Was it not that accent of charity, called meekness,

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Instructions.

which, above all, brought the multitudes again and
again to the feet of the Divine Master? Was it
not this that gathered around Him the poor and the
little ones? And what else was it that made, or
helped Francis of Sales undo the determination of
men who were bitterly set against him, and made
for him of his listeners as many friends? He told
priests to preach thus. “ I always prefer the sort of
preaching that has something of kindliness and of
love of men in it, rather than that which is full of
indignation for their faults and failings,” said he.
There was neither softness, nor pampering, nor flat­
tery in what he had to say; nor was he a man of
excessive sensitiveness, that he could not bear to
reprimand. He knew hpw to reprehend and to
rebuke and to blame; he did it as a father worthy
of the name: not forgetting why he did it, and re­
minding himself that he was not speaking to relieve,
or to give vent to his own indignation or displeasure.
That is a form of selfishness. Reproaches are
prompted by charity, they come from a desire to
turn others to better ways, to do them thus a real
kindness; hence, that concern, that love for those we
correct, to whom and of whom we complain, should

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203

appear in our words and manner. Fénelon urged
priests to be kindly, to be tender of the feelings of
others. “You will help or save no one, if you know
only how to give commands and to scold.” You
may think with profit upon these words. The priest
who has no piety, who is without kindliness in his
nature, who is not careful to take thought for others,
who has not learned to be considerate and forbear­
ing, will at length become a common scold. His
utterances from the pulpit will not be sermons or
discourses, neither will they be instructive or correc­
tive, or in any way helpful: they will be simply a
continual nagging and fault-finding. The priest
himself will become, or will have become a cynic;
soured, and selfish; his talking to the people will have
no good effect. The better disposed will be dis­
gusted, the indifferent will be bored, and the lax and
reprehensible, at whom chiefly it is all aimed, will
make jest of it all. It concerns us to know, too,
that thoughtful and experienced priests say that in
our day the faithful are more sensitive and critical;
that, not having the rugged faith of the older gen­
erations, they are not likely to overlook such things
in the priest.

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Instructions.

In conclusion, we give here some observations that
it behooves one to bear in mind. Be careful not
impute wrong-doings to your hearers, unless positive
of their being blame-worthy. Seek to encourage
good dispositions, wherever and whenever you find
them, particularly when they are seen to be weak.
The weaker, the more they are to be fostered. Speak
kindly and pityingly of sinners. Never seem to be
as one who is vindicated or gratified at the realiza­
tion of miseries or misfortunes that you may have
foretold or warned against; nor ever appear to be
satisfied, with the air of “I told you so,” when
chastisement of God has come to a delinquent.
Intercede rather in his behalf, after the example of
Moses. TFori in meekness of wisdom. For if you
have bitter zeal, this is not wisdom, descending from
above; but earthly, sensual, devilish.1 You have not
only to instruct and to admonish ; you have to save
and to gain souls. Deus chantas est; be you, then,
sympathetic, kind, and compassionate. Expectat ut
misereatur nostri.2
1 James, hi, 14-15.
1I. John, iv, 16; Isaias, xxx, 18.

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XXIV.
SCIENCE, ALSO, IS NEEDED FOR THE MINISTRY OF

PREACHING.

It is to a certain extent indispensable. One will
never teach anything that he does not already know
well. But preaching the Gospel is teaching. To
instruct others in Christian doctrine, that is, to do
it as it needs to be done, if done at all, such as the
priest is expected to do it, means a study and a
knowledge of Christianity, its mysteries, its dogmas,
its precepts, its virtues, its rule of life and its sacra­
ments, and all other means of sanctification. Unless
these be sufficiently understood by the priest he is
unfit for the ministry of preaching.
1. According to St. Thomas, whoever wishes to
teach or preach to the faithful, must be qualified to
teach the following: The things to be believed, or
the articles of our creed, without the knowledge of
which one cannot be saved, and to which one must
adhere explicitly. The things to be done, or not
done; the commandments of God and of the Church.
That which one must avoid; sin, its nature, kinds

Instructions.

206

and occasions. The things to be hoped for; the
future life and the good things it has in store. The
thing most to be dreaded; the consequence of sin,
hell, its torments and its eternity.
It is needless to insist that one’s knowledge on
these matters ought to be exact, precise, as well as
adequate. For, as said above, one will teach accord­
ing to his knowledge; nothing, if ignorant; badly,
if poorly informed. And it is worse to have taught
a wrong notion of Christianity than to have left
men in their ignorance. Wherefore St. Paul, when
speaking of preaching, said to Titus, that it should
be according to true doctrine.1
No one can pretend to expound the things, all
mentioned above, who has not made serious studies.
Much less can anyone give solid and convincing
reasons therefor, if he has not mastered, in a fair
way, the theological sciences. The most simple
truths touch upon, are allied with, and involve an
infinity of others; to treat of one mystery, one must
understand Christianity itself; likewise, to go into
the nature and essence of any one virtue requires a
1 Titus,

ii,

7-8.

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207

grasp of all the doctrine relative to Christian mo­
rality and asceticism and the supernatural order.
2. Besides the science that one must have acquired
for the fulfillment of pastoral duty, a good priest has
at heart to acquire further knowledge and infor­
mation, such as may help him in doing greater good
to souls. It is a broad field that is open to such a
student; a field that knows no limit, for Christianity,
its dogma and its moral, is for the rarest mind a
vein inexhaustible. Study and research make for
clear, solid, and wholesome instruction. The dis­
courses of a learned, well-informed priest are sub­
stantial, luminous, and forceful; like the man’s mind
and character. Each word is expressive and pro­
gressive, adding some idea to what has just been
said; and each new idea reveals or suggests a host
of others. The allusions, the vistas of thought
opened up, the memories evoked are without number.
Compared to these, the discourses of a brilliant and
superficial preacher seem idle and empty and trite.
The latter may be agreeable, but they have no
depth; they are ordinary, they lack the sap and
savor that belong to Christianity alone: they glitter
with generalities that cost no thought, abound in

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Instructions.

platitudes and banalities, idle descriptions, rhetoric
and inconsequential observations of all kinds. It
will be painfully evident to the congregation that
such a one does not speak to them out of the abun­
dance of his mind and heart, eager to communicate
to them the ideas and sentiments which fill his
thoughts and occupy his life; but that he is quite
lost for ideas, that he is searching for words, or that
he says whatever comes to his mind, in whatever
words come readiest to his lips: it will be plain that
he is embarrassed and that he talks on lest he should
lose the thread of his discourse. He won’t take much
interest in what he has to say, neither will others.
And, knowing but little whereof he speaks, his
hearers will carry away less. His deficiency in
learning will be all the more apparent as he is with­
out humility, or as he affects language and style
that are stilted, pompous, and otherwise lacking in
simplicity and directness and naturalness.
Again, it is not only the matter to be preached
that a priest must understand well; but also, he
should know well his audience, their ideas, needs,
mentality, ways, life, and attitude towards religion,
etc.; hence he should study life and conditions in

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209

his parish, in the country, and even in the world of
his day. The influence and authority of a priest
is often greatly increased by his acquaintance with
those with whom he has to deal, and his intimate
knowledge and appreciation of them and their con­
cerns. It were well that they be able to say of him
what was said of Our Savior: Non opus est ut quis
testimonium perhibeat de homine; ipse scit quid est in
homine.1 This knowledge of men and things supposes
the habit and faculty of observation, and a continual
application of them to men and to things.
One other sort of knowledge there is, which, though
too little sought after, is quite as desirable as any
so far mentioned: it is ascetic theology; an acquaint­
ance with the ways of God with men; an under­
standing of the soul’s growth in piety and holiness;
an insight into the supernatural life and the workings
of the Sanctifier in the hearts of His chosen ones.
The earnest, pious priest acquires this chiefly by his
own personal and practical experience, by the habits
of prayer and recollection, by the fidelity with which
he attends to his duties of piety: to his examen,
spiritual reading, and other such exercises of devo1 John, ii, 25.

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Instructions.

tion; but this same knowledge is generally wanting
to - hose whose life, though regular and, to all appear­
ance, without reproach, is taken up with external
activity.
XXV.
THE WAY TO ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY

FOR THE MINISTRY OF PREACHING.

1. The first means of all is, naturally, to follow a
full course in dogmatic and moral theology. “ Give
•. ourself assiduously to scholastic theology, for it is
indispensable to anyone who would have an accurate
knowledge of the Scriptures,” was the advice of St.
Charles.1 One who has followed attentively such a
course possesses Christian doctrine well enough not
to make any notable mistake in teaching others. He
is able to expose dogmatic matters with clearness and
precision, and can substantiate his statements as
he goes along. Whereas, it is just as certain that,
on the contrary, if a theological course has not been
made fully and well, there will be many a question
upon which the delinquent will do wrong to venture;
for there are things in plenty that must be preached,
1 Letter to Bailor.

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211

yet that can only with difficulty and care be pre­
sented without inexactitude, and a host of others
against which difficulties from the Fathers and from
the Scriptures are urged which the half-informed or
uninitiated will be incapable of answering.
However, the learning acquired in the seminary is
necessarily incomplete and, if study be not kept up,
much of it will, even at that, be lost. In the min­
istry one must still keep to his books, for memory
needs to be refreshed, knowledge already acquired
needs to be developed. Permane in iis quae didi­
cisti.1 A review of the treatises seen in the seminary
simply must be a matter of duty, from time to time,
especially in moral theology and in such dogmatic
questions as one may have occasion to preach upon.
This may be done by the reading of controversial
works, apologetic writings, reviews, and conferences,
as well as by the study of theologies and casuistic
publications. The elementary notions stick in the
mind fairly well, and reading of this sort supplies in
great part the obligation to keep up one’s consulta­
tion of theologies. Bear in mind, too, that ignor­
ance, forgetfulness, and inadvertence are excusable
1II Tim., in, 4.

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Instructions.

only in so far as a reasonable and prudent effort is
made to preclude against them. The “morali adhibira diligentia” spoken of by the theologians is relative:
each must decide the measure for himself.
2. It is important to have studied also the Scrip­
tures, especially the New Testament: Fons sapientiae
verbum Domini in excelsis.1 Because the preacher
must speak in the name of God, as His representative
and the mouthpiece of His Spirit, he ought, then, to
know well His Word and should be filled with His
maxims. Comede volumen et vadens loquere filiis
Israel, said God to the prophet Ezechiel. Besides
this, the priest should try to make the language of
the sacred writers his own, and to learn their accent.
Childhood has its own peculiar language or tongue,
and there is another that belongs to old age; but all
words lose their beauty when they do not beseem
the mouth that uttera them. There is, too, a lan­
guage peculiar to menwho are inspired endowed with
authority from on high. This last is the language
of the sacred authors. It is also the one that belongs
in the mouths of the ministers of God; they acquire
it; it comes to them; they make it their own, quite
1 Eccl., i, 5.

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213

as they imbibe their doctrine; by study, by appli­
cation of minds and hearts to the fragments of their
utterances that God has vouchsafed to preserve unto
us, by pondering these in our hearts that we may be
penetrated with them. Amplectentem eum qui secun­
dum doctrinam est, fidelem sermonem.1 In this way
did the great and holy doctors form themselves,
they who, real teachers all, have done great, good
and abiding service to our holy Church : Chrysostom,
Basil, Augustine, and Pope Gregory. They were
disciples of the Holy Spirit and of those who had so
well spoken in His stead, and in their turn became
His instruments. They studied above all, the
Master, the Word made Flesh, Our Lord Jesus
Christ. In His school it was that their minds took
in that learning and knowledge, pure and sublime:
that power of words, grave, simple, touching, that
open the mind’s eye and feel to the heart, that
humble and console, that subdue and disarm, con­
vert and give heart, that hold equally fast under
the seeing presence of God both him that speaks
and them that hear. This is the language that
1 St. Aug., De doctr. christ., iv; Tit., i, 9

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Instructions.

befits the preacher; that may be his if he will have
it : the only one that works good to men’s souls.

XXVI.
CANNOT TALENT AND LEARNING MAKE UP FOR THE
WANT OF HOLINESS IN THE PREACHER?

1. If in one there be nothing holy or priestly but
the character of Orders, that is, if he have no appre­
ciable degree of merit or virtue, then, these things
simply cannot supply. There is no compensation
for this deficiency. He that has not the grace of
God, says St. Paul, is nothing. “ If I speak with the
tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cym­
bal. And if I should have prophecy and know all
mysteries, and all knowledge, and have not charity,
I am nothing.” If a man be not persuaded himself,
he will hardly try to persuade| others. Of course,
one can dissimulate and feign sentiments that one
has not; but there is an accent of sincerity that is
not easily assumed, and again, a priest is fairly well
known by his parishioners and they know what they

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215

can expect from him, and on what subjects he is
qualified to speak. When the priest ventures upon
anything beyond that range, they feel that there is
inconsistency; they lose their respect for one who
can preach a doctrine that he must know in his
heart is a reproach to his own life. To see an ambi­
tious, a selfish, a worldly, a sensual, or a proud man
in the pulpit preaching on Christian virtues, is a
scandal; and the greater so according as the man has
talent and learning. The thoughts in the minds of
the faithful are the same as those of Isaac, Jerome,
Gregory, and Aquinas: the voice indeed of Jacob,
yet the hands of Esau.1 Doctores humilitatis duces
superbiae.2 Non confundant opera tua sermonem
tuum, ne forte cum in ecclesia loqueris, tacitus quilibet
respondeat: Cur ergo haec quae tu dicis, ipse non facis.3
Cujus vita despicitur, restat ut ejus praedicatio con­
temnatur. Or what God Almighty Himself says to
such : Quare tu enarras justitias meas et assumis testa­
mentum meum per os tuum? Tu vero odisti discipli­
nam et projecisti sermones meos retrorsum.* The
faithful let the preacher rant on, but when they
1 Gen., xxviii.
’ Hom. in Job.

5 Epist. ad Nepot., χ,π.
‘ Ps., xux, 16.

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Instructions.

leave the church, they do as before; that is, they
d as he does, not as he bids them. But the end
is not yet. Knowing one such priest, they cannot
but have some furtive notion that he is not alone
: his kind; that, though there be exceptions, he is
the type; that the generality of preachers are like
himself; that with the majority it is all a matter
of rhetoric, of conventionality; that anyone would
make a mistake to believe in their good faith, or
that they mean all they say; that they are not to
- taken at their word, nor should anybody let
anything they may say give him cause for concern
:i tactical inconvenience. Should this seem over-i. then just reflect a moment on the want of
readiness on the part of the human will to take
correction and to effectively amend, and, on the
other hand, that unfailing willingness or tendency
to relieve or salve one’s conscience and escape the
annoyance of self reproach, by listening to and
believing suggestions of the insincerity and disin­
genuousness of others, especially of those whose
office or rôle in one’s regard is that of mentor or
monitor.

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217

2. If the preacher be one who at least keeps ever
in the grace of God, and have piety and virtue that
can be considered sufficient, though mediocre, ail
this unfortunate turn of affairs is less to be feared.
For even such an one can do good work in his minis­
try and put to profit what he has learned from books
or experience. He will never be really capable of
exhorting souls to strive for perfection, much less of
leading them to an approach to it: yet, he will be
able really to teach and to instruct. Souls will listen
to him with profit, for teaching is a work of the
mind and intellect, rather than of the heart; where­
fore, he that can learn or has learned for himself,
who has taken the trouble to enlighten himself, is
qualified and capable to teach others. Thus it can
be that superiority of mental qualities can in a meas­
ure make up for mediocrity of virtue.
3. But, on the other hand, a degree of holiness
above the ordinary will more easily make up for
inferiority of talent; and, with a measure of learning
or of knowledge of the more common sort, it will
work more good to souls than an extraordinary
amount of learning joined with mediocre piety. A
holy pastor, whose piety makes him to be a true

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Instructions.

shepherd, will be the more readily seconded in his
endeavors by the power of Heaven; he will reach
hearts quicker and more surely; he will produce
impressions more wholesome and deeper than a
learned theologian who, though exact and judicious,
is yet without zeal and unction, and is cold and
unfeeling. One speaks of truths that one has come
to love and practise quite otherwise than of those
one has come to know only through scientific study,
be they ever so well learned. St. Francis of Sales
says that a preacher needs to be a well instructed
man; but that this is not the same as saying that
a pastor can never fulfil his duty in the pulpit unless
he be a man of eminent learning. St. Francis of
Assisi was not a learned man: he was a rare preacher,
nevertheless. Learning never is wanting to a man
who does not seek to appear more learned than he
is or who does not attempt to speak on things beyond
his knowledge. Why speak much of difficult
subjects and subtle questions when there are sub­
jects in plenty that it is more to our purpose to
preach. The preaching of Jonas, it would seem, was
scarce other than an unceasing repetition of the
words: “Yet forty days and Ninive will be de­

The Diaconate.

219

stroyed!” Words of salvation are always good
tidings, even if they be repeated a hundred times.1
Minus de scientia, plus de virtute, was the oft-repeated
utterance of St. Ignatius.
4. All things considered, however, it would be
the more perfect thing to possess a thorough-going
knowledge of Christian truths and a proportionate
degree of holiness. These two qualities sustain one
another and each makes the other truly and thor­
oughly efficient. Holiness, or sanctity, because of
the charity whence it proceeds, is the very soul of
the preacher. It puts into play all his faculties, his
intelligence, imagination, and his various senses. In
applying them to God, in holding them under His
influence and action, it ennobles them, supernatural­
izes them, and, in some sense, makes them divine.
While learning, joined with sanctity and put at the
service of zeal, is like the talent doubled in its worth,
and increased in fruit tenfold. Having only virtue,
a priest could not treat rightly of the most simple
subjects. Ho would scarcely be able to interest, or
hold the attention of the least instructed, intelligent,
or exacting. And there are Christian truths and
1 St. Fra nc.

de

Sales, Leiter to the Arch, of Bourges.

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Instructions.

maxims that he could not expose or inculcate at all.

But talent, learning, and piety joined in the priest
make him respected and listened to, and his instruc­
tions all that they should be. He will simply radi­
ate the enlightenment and warmth that fill his own
1 ife and soul. The fervent will profit by his erudition
and the tepid by his fervor. As the wholesome sun­
shine brings with it light and warmth, so is such
a priest to all the Church a giver of the knowledge
of God and of a love of eternal good things; he
brings forth everywhere fruits of grace and salvation:
A jrnnmo coelo egressio ejus, nec est qui se abscondat a
calore ejus.1
XXXII.
DOES PREACHING REQUIRE LONG PREPARATION?

It is needful to distinguish in answering this ques­
tion.
1. One should never attempt to preach, not even
to give a simple allocution, without first giving some
moments to recollection and to some sort of prepa­
ration. It is always needful to determine well what
it is that one wishes to say, of what one seeks to
* Ps., xviii, 7.

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221

convince his hearers, what it is one wants to impart,
to what one hopes to persuade one’s listeners, and
to see for one’s self the reasons that may be adduced
and the order in which they will best be presented,
and, therefore, to sketch a little plan of one’s dis­
course beforehand. One never will speak off-hand
without regretting it later and, too late; for, it will
presently appear how much more neatly, urgently,
fully, and cogently one would have spoken had one
but taken time to reflect and to prepare, at least in
so far as circumstances would have allowed. But
what we have now to say will be interpreted accord­
ing as the preparation can be made in a few moments,
mentally by merely revolving in the mind a few
thoughts, or as it may require careful work, and to
be done at one’s leisure and by writing.
2. Evidently, the time necessary for the prep­
aration and manner in which it should be made
depends on a variety of conditions; on the nature of
the subject, the importance that attaches to the
discourse, the audience, and, above all, upon the
dispositions and limitations of the preacher.
If it be only a word of edification, a word of
counsel, or a brief allocution to be made to hearers

tyey>

~

Instructions.

already well disposed, then, the preparation may
well be short; but, of course, it must be quite other­
wise should one wish or be expected to treat at
length and deeply of a subject of considerable impor­
tance, or if one be called upon to address a gathering
that is, in a way, peculiar, exacting, or biassed.
In such cases, the average speaker will take con­
siderable time to prepare. He will study his subject
carefully; that is, first of all, make clear to himself
what it is that he has to treat of and the precise
aspect of the question that is to be his concern; he
will then ponder well upon it, read if necessary and,
according as he finds it then needful or advisable,
take his notes, questioning himself always as to
their pertinence or relevancy to his subject, and
finally compose at his leisure, committing to memory
all the while. They who are more gifted or more
experienced may not dispense themselves from similar preparation, although they need not bestow upon
it the same time and care. They will, one and all,
do best to compose their discourses, learn them by
heart, and, in so far as they are able and see fit so
to do, give them as they have written them. This
was the wont of Bossuet, when any unusual occasion
required him to speak; so, too Bourdaloue, Massillon,

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The Diaconate.

and the greater number of those who have published
their discourses. It was the practice of Newman to
write and compose carefully, though he then read
. his sermons. It is the exception that can prudently
dispense with writing. Fénelon did it; so, too, Bos­
suet at times; there are missionaries who can do it;
but they often have no choice in the matter, for
they lack the time, though seldom the inclination to
write, and, besides, God assists them in an especial
manner. Those who think themselves qualified to
imitate such, and have neither talent nor grace above
the ordinary measure, rarely do even fairly. Their
discourses, if they can be called such, leave much
to be desired: they are vague, verbose, full of gen­
eralities and unskilful repetition, void of ideas,
lacking in interest, without substance and of little
profit to anyone. Nolo te esse declamatorem et rabu­
lam, garrulumque sine ratione, says St. Jerome, sed
mysteriorum peritum et sacramentorum Dei eruditissi­
mum. Venerationi mihi semper fuit non verbosa
rusticitas, sed sancta simplicitas. Qui in sermone
imitari dicit Apostolos, prius imitetur virtutes in vita
illorum.1 If the clouds be full, they will pour out
rain upon the earth, says Ecclesiastes.2
1 Letters, lii, 8;

lvii.

2 Eccl.,

xi,

2.

Instructions.

The more intelligent, then, have need themselves,
in order to give a good sermon, to prepare carefully,
an i with labor.1 Ideas and thoughts are conceived
and born but with the pains of parturition; labor
and pains-taking effort are the condition of all
achievement. “Composition,” says Père de Ravignan, “is a kind of martyrdom. Yet when one works,
as he ought, under the eye of God, with a view to
the welfare of souls, and in the spirit of prayer, the
labor or travail is real prayer; the most efficacious
of all prayers in bringing down the blessings of
Heaven upon the preacher and his work. As a
matter of fact, those sermons are worth most that
have cost most effort in preparation, and their
intrinsic worth is the measure of the fruit they
yield.”2
1 Council of Trent, Session xxiv, De Reform. 7.
1 It is told of Mother Seton, that, one day on hearing a
voung priest excuse the poor discourse he had just delivered
by saying that he was hardly prepared to preach, she readily
spoke out her feelings. “Father,” said she, “that is one
thing I cannot bear. Do you realize that the honor of God
is on the lips of the priest? Do you think that you should
take no pains to spread that fire which His Son has come
on earth to enkindle? If now you are careless as to how
you preach, what will you be later in life? Take my words,
I t ray you, as the advice of a mother.” Life of Mother
Seton.

The Diaconate.

225

And there is no exception, to this need of prep­
aration, by reason of one’s congregation or parish.
Consider and emulate the example of the Curé of
Ars. In the first years of his ministry he gave him­
self much hard work in order to do well in the pulpit.
He counted no cost provided he was able to get up
a sermon that would interest his parishioners and
bring home to them the truths of faith. He did not
wait until the last days of the week to give thought
to his homily or to his instruction. He began to
occupy his mind with it as soon as he could. He
lived with it, pondering it over in his mind and
heart, and would then give whole days to the com­
position of it. When he had done writing, he would
go into the pulpit and deliver it to empty benches,
which he peopled with his imagination, picturing his
hearers, whom he knew, even as he had done when
writing it. By virtue of this practice he came at
last to be able to preach worthily and effectively
without much preparation.
“The ‘dabitur vobis’· is the conceit of those who
think they preach as the Apostles did, and hence
dispense with special preparation. I beg them to
consider this, that the simple discourses of men of

Instructions.

V

pm ment virtue are productive of good only because
these men make up by their fidelity to meditation
what others arrive at by study. These friends of
God reflect much upon the practical truths of reli­
gion; they strive at producing in their own hearts
sensible affections, and endeavor to live in the pres­
ence of God, so that when called upon to speak to
souls they have no need of especial immediate prep­
aration, being always ready, occupied always with
truths of faith and their hearts ever full of affections
towards God and the things of God, such as they
would wish to teach to or to excite in others. They
need not turn their mind to the subject to be treated,
because it is already upon that very thing.”1
In the more solemn discourses, and those which
require most careful preparation, it is always of im­
portance that one be simple and keep within the
understanding of every listener. Incorrectness or
negligence is simply intolerable and offensive: the
faithful suppose that a priest will know how to use
better language and grammar than themselves, and
expect, too, that in fact he will do so. However,
nothing technical or academic: the scientific words
1 Life of Brother Solano, Franciscan.

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227

and phrases of the lecture hall and the text-book
are to be translated into homely and every-day
English of the people: otherwise they cannot under­
stand. Again, have a care not to be pompous or
pretentious; artificiality or eccentricity are equally
out of place, and vulgar. Such things are not
prompted by a true Christian spirit, nor are they in
keeping with the rules of eloquence which consists in
ideas and sentiments, and not in idle expressions.
Do not try to imitate the great preachers. What
was natural and becoming in them will be otherwise
in you. Know your limitations and respect them.
The needs of the faithful about you are urgent and
their wants are simple enough. Let the priest imi­
tate Our Savior, telling the people of things most
sublime, yet in the simplest and most unaffected
speech. Let him imitate St. Augustine, giving famil­
iar and wholesome instruction with all charity to the
faithful of Hippo, and seeking to show to the minds
of these poor and lowly fisher-folk the deepest mys­
teries and truths. There is a way of speaking from
the heart and to the heart, without being sonorous
or brilliant, or aiming at striking utterances, but
with firmness, impressiveness, mildness, directness,

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Instructions.

and unction. This sort of preaching really enlight­
ens; it reaches souls and leaves its impression; it
helps the listeners to enter into the dispositions of
him who speaks, and does more lasting good than
discourses of any other sort, be their merits in other
respects what they will.1
3. In general, the immediate preparation of a
sermon is the more easy as the remote preparation
has been more perfect, or as the preacher himself
has been better formed to, and has exercised better
his ministr.·.
When some one remarked to Père Lacordaire that
he was fortunate to be able to improvise and to speak
so with fluent eloquence and without preparation,
he replied: “Who has that idea, little realizes what
those Conferences cost me. They are my constant
preoccupation throughout the year. They are never
out of my mind.” And he added: “You are not
aware that before going into the pulpit of Notre
1 “The Son of God could have ravished men with an elo­
quence all-divine: He would not do so. Rather, in teach­
ing His Gospel and its virtues, He always made use of
ordinary and familiar words and phrases. Why should any­
one wish to do otherwise? The representative or inter­
preter should not use language different from the Master’s.”
St. Vincent de Paul.)

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229

Dame, I have worked and toiled unceasingly with
all seriousness for fifteen years, and that during that
time I have preached the Word of God in divers
places and circumstances. No one will ever come to
speak or preach as is becoming except by a deal of
study and practice.”
Therefore, it should be clear that if one wishes
to make of himself a good and helpful preacher,
he has but one course; to labor much, to apply
himself to study, and to develop one’s mind, that
is, one’s thinking faculty, which by the way, is
not the same as an aptitude for study: ponder­
ing over a subject is not the same always as
studying it. Besides these, one must develop, per­
fect his soul, and beget the heart of an apostle.
How? By what means? By prayer, by meditation
above all, and by all the practices of piety and of
Christian perfection, the acquaintance and use of
which one learned at the seminary; by living in
retirement, in so far as is compatible with one’s
position, in recollection, in humility, and in purity
of heart. Lectio inquirit, oratio postulat, meditatio
invenit, contemplatio degustat, says St. Bernard, in
his treatise on How to Pray. It is in this way only

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Instructions.

•hat the Spirit of God is attracted to our souls, that
the science of the saints is acquired, and the zeal of
apostles imbibed and fostered. The wise man shall
give his heart to resort early to the Lord, and he shall
pray in the sight of the Most High. The Lord will
fill him with the spirit of understanding, and as showers
will he pour forth the wisdom he has learned. A nd he
shall direct his counsel, and in His secrets shall he
meditate. He shall show forth the discipline he hath
Larned.1 Flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquae vivae.2
Holy priests are always eloquent, or they soon be­
come such. They preach divinely, as the Pontifical
asks of them: Praedicatu divino. They convince;
they touch; they persuade; they produce fruit unto
grace and salvation.3
There is a saying that every man is eloquent in his
own cause. Statesmen, advocates, poets, savants,
soldiers, and business men are always willing to
speak when their interests are at stake. Why, then,
should not the priest be able to speak as they;
1 Ecclus., xxxix, 6-10.
1 John, vn, 38.
* “I would much prefer,” said Fénelon in his Dialogue on
Eloquence, “that sermons be so prepared as not to require
too much pains-taking. The homilies of the Fathers were
far from being the labored things that our panegyrics seem.”

The Diaconate.

231

easily, with the same readiness and willingness, when
the honor of God, His kingdom, and His laws are
the issue? Certainly, if we were as full of our
priestly work as they are of theirs, if we were as
alive to the things and interests of faith and if we
had it as much at heart to teach, to share these
things with others, would we not find therein our
most congenial occupation? There are then, two
things that withhold us and make us dumb or reti­
cent: (1) We are habitually occupied with other
things; our minds are given over, for the most part
of our waking hours, to thoughts wherein God has
no share or place. It is only from time to time, and
then by a sort of compulsion, that we think upon
the things of Heaven, the truths of revelation, the
mysteries and virtues of Our Savior. Wherefore, do
we lack thoughts upon these things, and utterance
fails us or comes but with effort when occasion re­
quires that we speak of them. (2) We are of the
persuasion that to be a successful peacher, it is
necessarj’’ also to be an orator, to speak with rhetori­
cal finish, to get up sermons like to those literary
masterpieces we find in books. The sooner and more
completely we get rid of these notions the better.

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Instructions.

We must learn to forget ourselves in our subject;
--·· believe that we shall speak and preach well when
we shall have learned to tell, as St. Paul did, of that
grace which works in our own hearts and of which
we feel the helpfulness and usefulness unto the work
of instructing and purifying and making holy the
hearts and souls of men.

XXVIII.
AN ONE HAVE RECOURSE TO BOOKS OF SERMONS AND
DERTTE PROFIT FROM THE USE OF THEM?

There are some that can be read with advantage,
and, furthermore, it is always well to read some such
on the subject that one is about to treat. Reading
of this sort can open up vistas of thought and be
suggestive of ideas. But, one should never think of
appropriating these sermons, or of borrowing from
any, be it what it may, a considerable portion. A
sermon written at one epoch, or in other circum­
stances, prompted or inspired by other conditions
and for another congregation, howsoever fine that
sermon be, will not be fitting on our lips and in

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233

our position. The quality most essential to a ser­
mon, and its chiefest merit, will be fitness; a perfect
fitness, both to persons and to circumstances. Sermo
opportunus est optimus, says Proverbs.1
In imitating set sermons of the classical type, one
runs the risk of being formal, stiff and cold, lacking
life and naturalness, and of being ponderous. A
style of speaking that is less solemn and more com­
municative is worth far more: a manner that is easy,
a style that is animated, direct, and with a smart
progression of ideas, is what is desirable. It is
preferable that one should study or read spiritual
writers rather than great preachers. Though less
practical, perhaps, they will be found to contain
more doctrine; the very meat of a sermon. They go
deeper into a subject, and it is much easier to draw
from them ideas that in themselves will prove pro­
lific. Take from them what you find to be best
adapted to your purpose; then, after reflection and
prayer, take the pen and write your sermon, more
or less fully, but always with a mind to your hearers.

1 xv, 23; cf. Roman Cal. Proem., 2.

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Instructions.

XXIX.
THE MANNER OF DELIVERY, AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN

PREACHING.

It has its importance, indeed, yet it is far from
easy to trace precise rules; it is more difficult still
to reduce them to practice. Beyond a doubt, each
one should try to profit by any advice or instruction
that he may receive in regard to this matter, and,
above all, to overcome any faults to which he may
be subject. But art is not a great factor in the mak­
ing of effective preachers, either as regards their
address, gestures, or delivery proper. The great
principle, which can never be disregarded.is this:
Be natural. In articulation, in tone of voice, and
in gestures, this is the “bone rule.” Then, too, give
attention to clearness and distinctness of articulation,
to justness and sincerity of tone, so that it may
ring true; and finally, make no gesture for the sake
of a gesture, but only when prompted thereto by
feeling or with the same purpose that prompts the
tone and the words. Let the priest keep in touch
with his listeners by thought and look, observing

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235

them and reminding himself that the only purpose
he had in addressing them was to tell them some­
thing, to communicate some idea to them, to share
with them some sentiment, and to convince them,
to touch and persuade them, to lead them to the
purposes he has: then he will have done all that goes
to make the externals of a preacher. He is sure, then,
to be listened to, and with interest. Sympathy,
variety, and effectiveness are thus realized in a ser­
mon. The voice may not be particularly pleasing;
but the tone will never be false or unreal. The
gestures made may be awkward, abrupt, or crude;
but they will not be meaningless, affected, limp,
dainty, pretentious, or, in a word, distracting or
annoying.
Provided that in the preacher be realized the one
thing necessary, that men see in him the soul and
purpose of a priest, evinced in conviction, sincerity,
and well meaning towards them, the defects of
oratory will be no hindrance to his ministry of the
Word of God. He will enlighten; he will touch their
hearts; he will sanctify their souls. “To believe and
to love; herein lies the secret and the means of
speaking unto men.”

PART IV.
MEDITATIONS ON MAJOR ORDERS.
THE ORDER OF DEACON.

MEDITATION I.
THE EXCELLENCE OF PREACHING.

First Point. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the model
of all preachers and the source of all preaching.
Before His day there were prophets who spoke to
men in the name of God; but these appeared among
men only at intervals long distant, addressed them■·/■·- only to the people of Israel, and, in speaking
of the Messias, they did scarce more than to foretell
His coming and His reign and to make them desired.
It was through the Messias Himself that God wished
to reveal Himself to the world. It is by His Incar­
nate Son, says the Apostle, that He has taught us
tvhat we have need to know: His perfections, pur­
poses, laws; At sundry times and in divers manners,
God spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets;
last of all in these days He hath spoken tous by His
Son.1 Henceforth no troublous questionings to re1 Heb., i, 1.
236

The Excellence of Preaching.

237

solve, no further revelation to be awaited with long­
ing. There only remains that His gospel be preached
and explained that it may be accepted and put into
practical life everywhere and by all. To the Apos­
tles and the ministry that succeeds them in the
government of the Church He entrusted this mission
and laid it upon them as a charge. He made of
them His interpreters and organs of communication.
Who hears them hears Him; ’tis His teaching that
is listened to and received. Thus is He the light
of the world, its supernatural and divine light, that
is vouchsafed to every man that cometh into this
world, to show him the way and guide him to his
final end. Adore, then, the Spirit of this Divine
Master, full of truth as of grace, and tender Him
your admiring homage for that gospel of His preach­
ing that has not ceased to re-echo in all places the
oracles of His wisdom. He hath dwelt amongst us,
full of grace and truth, and of His fulness have we
all received.1 Thank Him as best you may that He
has invited you to draw at this source, not only, as
do all His followers, the mere knowledge needful for
your guidance, considerable though it be, but yet
1 John, i, 14-16.

23S

Meditation.

more as His minister that deeper, fuller knowledge
necessary to those who must enlighten their brethren
and be of help to them in the ordering of their own
lives. Ask of Him the grace to correspond gener­
ously to His designs upon you.
Second Point. In order to appreciate the excel­
lence of the ministry of preaching the Gospel, it
will be enough to consider three things: what it is
that one preaches, the purpose of preaching, and the
fruits thereof.
1. The subject matter of preaching. It is no human
s :·■:.■·. or anything of the sort that man can acquire
by the exercise of his native faculties; it is revelation;
tha: supernatural communication that God has been
.· ased to make us of His thoughts, His will, and
His purposes, in order to associate us with Him in
• his life, to impart to us His very life while we are
yet upon earth, and to enable us to merit a share
in His glory for all eternity. Hence can there be
no comparison, whether by reason of the sublimity
of these truths or by reason of certitude of teaching,
between the word uttered by the priest in the pulpit
and the utterances of the most learned in their chairs
of science. (1) As regards loftiness, sublimity of

The Excellence of Preaching.

239

ideas. It is not that revelation may not concern
itself with truths of the purely rational order, nor
that God has not judged suitable to give, by means
of revelation, to a certain number of matters of
human science an absolute certitude; but this was
not His primary purpose. He sought, first of all
to make up for the impotence of our reason by
revealing to us some truths of a higher order; truths
to the knowledge of which our minds could never
have attained; which knowledge, however, we must
needs have if we are to correspond to His designs.
The Trinity, creation, man’s fall and restoration, the
Incarnation of the Word, redemption, the love of
Our Lord for our souls, the union He deigns to have
with us through His Spirit, the graces He is desirous
of giving us, the glory to which He destines us, the
means necessary to meriting His gifts and to entering
into the possession of His kingdom; all these God
has willed to teach us, first of all through His Son,
and all this He makes to be repeated and taught in
His Church continually through His ministers. No
one can fail to be struck by the sublimity of these
things so revealed, or to realize in some measure the
heights to which the contemplation of these ideas

240

Meditation.

üns our minds and hearts. For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord
God: for as the heavens are lifted above the earth, so
are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts
above your thoughts.1 Omnia magna sunt quae dici­
mus. De re grandi eloquentia nostra.2 The genius of
mind could not have discovered these truths: they
had never been known to us, had not the Spirit of
God given them to us. Thou hast hid these from
the wise and revealed them to little ones.3 These the
learned Plato knew not, and of the same the eloquent
Demosthenes knew nothing.4 (2) As regards certitude
preaching surpasses all mere human teaching. It is
absolute, evident, and unquestionable in its author­
ity, because it rests upon Truth itself, the Word of
God. The preacher has not to establish, make good
his assertions by reasoning. It is enough that, like
Our Savior, he tell in whose name he speaks, and
show his credentials: My doctrine is not mine, but
His that sent Me.3 You believe in God, believe also
* Isaias, lv, 8.
’ Matt.,, xi, 25.
» St. Aug., De doclr. christ., 4 St. Jerome, Let.,
it, 18.
s John, vii, 16.

lui,

4.

The Excellence of Preaching.

241

in Me.1 He cannot err but in preaching his own
notions or in taking issue with the whole Church.
2. The purpose of preaching. It is supernatural.
The preacher does not content himself with teaching
others how to live an honorable life here on earth.
Nor does he aim merely at forming the minds of
his hearers, developing their intelligence, or bringing
their moral faculties to the perfection of which they
are capable; he aspires to giving them a new spirit,
rousing them to a new life, inspiring them with
thoughts, sentiments, yearnings, such as befit chil­
dren of God who are called to live in the glory of
heaven for all eternity. Every preacher ought to
say to himself, when entering the pulpit, that which
the Son of Man said when entering the world : I am
come that men may have life, and have it more abun­
dantly.2 I must aid, excite, arouse, urge these souls
to a life worthy of heaven, to the life to which Our
Lord has called us all, to the life that has God for
its source and end: That denying, foregoing worldly
desires, we should live soberly, justly, and godly in
this world, looking forward to the blessed hope and the
1 John, xiv, 1.

2 John, x, 10.

242

Meditation.

earning of the great God and Our Savior Jesus.1 Of
a truth, the child receives at Baptism, together with
sanctifying grace, the very principle of supernatural
life, the germ of virtues, theological and others.
But, if a person has a certain number of years to
spend upon earth, it will not be enough that he
have this germ, this principle of life in his heart and
soul: he must yet develop that germ, make that
principle of life functional, bring that germ to the
fulness of virtues by the exercise of a Christian life,
by observance of the law of God, by resistance to
temptations, and by the acquisition of merits. But
it is just to teach this duty and to bring souls to
the will to fulfil it, that Holy Church wants the
revealed truths preached to them, and that her min­
isters cease not to repeat to men the exhortations,
the threats, and the promises of the Savior: Faith,
then, cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of
Christ.2
3. The results of preaching. They are the self­
same fruits of the Redemption and the very same
good things that the Savior has acquired for us
through His sacrifice. Were it not for the preaching
1 Titus,

ii,

13.

s

Rom., x, 17.

The Excellence of Preaching.

243

of the Gospel what would the Incarnation of God’s
Son and His death upon the cross have profited us?
Preaching it is that has converted the world, broken
the empire of sin, established the Church everywhere,
and filled heaven with saints: destroyed death, and
hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel.1
God filled with light the souls of the Apostles, and
by them enlightened all peoples: For God who com­
manded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus.2 And if you
will but consider the effects that the Word of God
still works in the Church and in the souls of men,
you will remark that they are ever the same. It
enlightens men, it brings them to think, it converts
them. Never should I have returned to God, says
St. Augustine, had I not heard Ambrose.2 Where
preaching is neglected, or poorly done, there piety
and faith languish, vice takes deep root, and scandal
dares to lift its head. But wherever the Gospel is
preached with sincere and unflagging zeal, there you
will find that faith is strongly dominant, that religion
1II Tim., i, 10.
2II Cob., iv, 6,

• Conf., vi, Contr. Jul., i, 10.

244

Meditation.

is respected, and virtue practised. The word of God
is as seed to be sown. If the grain is to be grown,
the seed must be put in the ground, then the land
must be tilled, the plant cultivated, and the grain
harvested: He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap
sparingly; and he who soweth in blessings shall also
reap blessings.1 ‘‘I just come from a visit to one
of my parishes way up in the Alps, wrote a bishop
some time ago to a colleague in France, and it did
my heart good to see and think upon the evidence
of religious instruction, the purity of morals, and the
solidity of piety that I found there. I have seen
what the zeal of a good pastor can accomplish.”2
Is it not this that the Holy Spirit would give us to
understand, when He announces to the people of
Israel that, as a reward for their fidelity, He will give
them pastors after His own heart, who will nourish
them with knowledge and doctrine: Dabo vobis pas­
tores juxta cor meum, et pascent vos scientia et doc­
trina?3
Third Point. Ask yourself if you have the es­
teem for preaching that it deserves; if you are wont
1II Cor., ix, 6.
* Life of Bishop Mathieu.

’ Jer., in, 15.

The Excellence of Preaching.

245

to consider it, not as the word of man, more or less
potent according to the talent of him who proclaims
it, but as God’s word, having its own peculiar effi­
cacy and a potency all divine to enlighten, touch,
and sanctify the souls of men : Virtus Dei ad salutem.1
The Master has said: My words are spirit and life?
Is not every preacher authorised to say after Him
the same thing? Since his words do not differ from
those of the Savior, they ought to have from their
first source a superhuman virtue, that can do won­
drous things in the hearts of men: The voice of the
Lord is in power : the voice of the Lordbreaketh the cedars;
yea, the cedars of Libanus.3 And you, if you have
this regard for preaching, if you look upon it as a
holy function, of chiefest importance, then you will
greatly desire to acquit yourself of it well, and, to
that end, to acquire much knowledge and virtue.
You are going to be a preacher of the teachings of
Jesus Christ, of His maxims, of His virtues: to do this
well, worthily, sincerely, and with fruit, should you
not be another Jesus Christ, in that you have within
you His spirit and His heart? And if you be other
than this, what accent of conviction or of authority
1 Rom., I, 6.

2 John, vi, 64.

’ Ps., xxvm, 5.

246

Meditation.

can there possibly be to your words? Will you not
feel that you are only playing a rôle, and should you
not fear that others will be as well aware of that
as yourself, and that they will blame you and think
the less of you and your ministry for it?
Think of the confusion felt by the prophets when
they reflected upon the ministry entrusted to or
imposed upon them: Ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot
speak, for I am but a child.1 Woe is me, because I
am a man of unclean lips.2 Learn to say over and
over before God the prayer made by the deacon at
the altar before he chants the Gospel: 0 Almighty
God. Thou who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet
Isalas with a burning coal, cleanse my lips and my
heart, that I may be able worthily to proclaim the
holy Gospel.
MEDITATION II.
THE PREACHING OFFICE.

First Point. Consider what were the sentiments
and thoughts of Our Lord at the commencement of
His preaching: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me;
1 Jeb., i, 6.

1 Is., vi, 5.

The Preaching Office.

247

wherefore He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel
to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the contrite of
heart, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the
day of reward. Herein we see what the minister of
the Gospel should say to himself, for that he is
called upon to carry on the work of the Divine
Master. He may not take up this mission alto­
gether of His own volition or initiative. The Spirit
of God must be in him. He should have received
the grace of the Spirit in its fulness, that he may be
able to communicate it to others without impover­
ishing himself therein: it should be that the Pontiff
will say to him in God’s stead: Oportet praedicare.
How can one preach, asks St. Paul, if he have received
no mission?1 Learn from these considerations what
is the dignity of such a function as preaching: and,
as best you can, judge of the duties it imposes and
the application of mind and heart it calls for. Ask
Our Lord to give you whatever may be lacking in
you now to a worthy fulfillment of this office. Pray
Him to animate you with His Spirit, to be the very
soul of your soul, in order that your words, like
1 Rom., x, 15.

24S

Meditation.

His own, may be to all the faithful words of life
and salvation.
Second Point. The preacher can consider his
office under three aspects: as an honor, as a duty,
as a responsibility.
1. An honor. What more honorable than to exer­
cise the same ministry as the Son of God, to engage
in the same work and with the self-same means!
What more noble than to be associated with the
Apostles, to continue their labors, and to have a
share in their merits! What more glorious than to
shed around one the light of truth, sicut luminaria
in mundo,1 to make God known, to tell men of His
grandeurs, His perfections, His works; to inform
souls of their origin, their destiny, their duties!
What more holy than to teach the faithful the prac­
tise of virtue, to help them to self-sanctification, to
the leading of a life truly Christian and to the merit­
ing of glory in heaven for all eternity! And is it
not all this that one does in preaching the doctrine
of our faith? Haec proponens, bonus eris minister
Christi Jesu, enutritus verbis fidei et bonae doctrinae,
■■ays the Apostle.2 Nor is it a passing honor, of a
1 Phil., ii, 15.

* I Tim., iv, 6.

The Preaching Office.

249

mere moment, like the honors of the world: they
who shall have exercised worthily their functions in
this ministry upon earth will have part in the glory
of the Son of God in His kingdom. As the elect
will chant eternally the praise of the Savior Who has
brought them safe from darkness and death and
ushered them into His abode of life and light, so
the souls that a preacher shall have reached by his
ministry, converted and sanctified, will never cease
to bless him and tell him of their gratitude for the
great and good service he has done them. Unend­
ingly his praise will be upon their lips for the use
he made in their behalf of the graces and talent
God has vouchsafed him. And through all eternity
God also will make recompense to him and wall
share with him the glory He Himself will have
derived from the labors of His good and faithful
minister : Qui ad justitiam erudiunt multos fulgebunt
in perpetuas eternitates.1 This thought ravished the
soul of St. Theresa and made her to exclaim: "I
would give my very life could I but be entrusted
with such a ministry.”
1 Dan., xn, 3.

250

Meditation.

2. .4 duty, a grave obligation. It is not for them­
selves that the ministers of the Church receive the
power and the grace to preach, but rather for the
glory of God and for the salvation of their brethren.
What God Our Lord said to the Apostles, Praedicate
Evangelium; Docete omnes gentes, the Church says to
ihose whom she associates with them in the same
ministry: Sit doctrina vestra spiritualis medicina po­
pulo Dei. If they do not profitably employ the talent
God has given them, they are not dispensers of the
grace of God, but wasters of His gifts; they are of
the number of idle and unprofitable servants. And
no one may say that he is but a priest in the Church
having no care of souls. Why, then, has he given
himself to His Lord, if not to cooperate in His work
amongst souls, and to employ in His service the
talents he holds from Him? There are divers ways,
indeed, whereby one can serve Him, and there are
manifold functions to be fulfilled. But the good
rule, the law of charity is to do all the good one
can and to render, make return to God in the pro­
portion that one has received from Him. Will it
not be the wish of our hearts on the last day to have
so conducted ourselves. Unhappy those whom the

The Preaching Office.

251

sovereign Judge will have to reproach with being
unworthy servants; who will have no worthy excuse
to offer in their own behalf! Woe is me if I preach
not the Gospel, says St. Paul.1 He that could have
come to the succor of one of his fellows, and who,
for sloth, not willing to incommode himself, left him
to die in his wretchedness, can he flatter himself,
asks St. John, that he has anything of the charity
of Christ in his heart? He that hath the substance of
this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall
shut up his bowels from him, how doth the charity
of God abide in him?2
3. A responsibility. Not to preach the word .of
God, when one is held to it, or to preach it with
negligence, is not only to fail in a serious obligation
and to bring loss to one’s self, but it is, besides, to
expose at the same time a considerable number of
souls to perdition. Why? Because preaching is one
of the most effective means whereby to convert and
to sanctify the souls of others. To neglect it is to
take upon one’s self the blame for those disorders
and infidelities that one could and should remedy;
it is to take the blame for losses or irregularities of
1 I Cor.,

ix,

16.

* I John, in, 16.

252

Meditation.

such souls as it was one’s duty to sanctify and make
holy to God. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: and thou shdlt hear the
ward out of My mouth, and shall tell it to them from
Me. If, when I say to the wicked, Thou shall surely
die: thou declare it not to him, that he may be converted
from his wicked way and live: the same wicked man
shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood
at thy hand. Moreover, if the just man shall turn
from justice and do iniquity, because thou hast not given
him learning, he shall die in his sin; but I will require
his blood at thy hand.1 These words apply to the
preacher of the Gospel as rigorously as to the prophet
of the Old Law; for the ministers of Jesus Christ
are not the less obliged to serve as organs, spokes­
men of the Lord in order to teach virtue and to
combat vice: For Christ we are ambassadors, God as
it were beseeching you through us.2 This should suf­
fice to make us feel something of the responsibility
of the preacher, to understand how great is the peril
to which he exposes himself if he neglects to instruct
and to exhort the souls whom Christ has confided
to his care. To him can be applied in all its sever1 Ezechiel, hi, 17-21.

2II Cor

v,

20.

The Preaching Office.

253

ity that word spoken by Our Lord to all the faithful :
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy
words shalt thou be condemned.1
Thikd Point. Return thanks to God for the
honor He does you in associating you with the Apos­
tles in their ministry, and in requiring of you that
you preach the doctrine of His Son; but, at the same
time, consider well the burden that He places upon
you, and arouse in your heart a wholesome fear of
not fulfilling duly the obligations that are part of
this ministry. Men there are, who acquit them­
selves of this mission miserably enough, under divers
pretexts. Some of them sin therein through sloth.
It requires much labor if one would give solid
instruction or preach exhortations that reach the
hearts of men. The slothful shrink from effort such
as this; they lose their time in idleness or in occupa­
tions that are no business of theirs. Others again
are too timid. Fearing to undertake too much or
to be unsuccessful, they find it more to their liking
to attempt nothing at all, or to speak as little as
possible. With many failure is due to discourage­
ment. They have essayed it often, and their ef1 Matt., xii, 37.

254

Meditation.

forts have seemed to them fruitless: they have per­
suaded themselves that preaching for them is a
hopeless endeavor, and that their field, till it as they
may, will yield naught but brambles and thorns.
These reasons, one and all, are idle and foolish. One
need not be an orator in order to preach well : Vivus
sermo Dei et efficax. If one cannot speak as an
orator, let him speak as a man of God, as a good
pastor, as a priest that has fervor and zeal, for all
these at least one should be. St. Paul required
nothing more of Timothy: Preach the word: be in­
stant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke
in all patience and doctrine.1 One does not dread or
fear contempt when one is not seeking honor. And
besides, is it not nearly always enough to exhort
Christians to live worthily and to save their souls,
to recall, in all modesty and sincerity, to their minds
their beliefs and their obligations in order to gain a
hearing, to command their respect and even win
their obedience? Good souls, disposed to hear God’s
word and to profit by it, are to be found every­
where. Of course all is not accomplished in a day;
one must have patience and perseverance. But in
1 II Tim., iv, 2.

Who Would Preach Must Pray.

255

what work are these not needful? Take my breth­
ren, for an example of labor and patience, the prophets,
who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we ac­
count them blessed who have endured. Behold the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth:
patiently bearing until he receive the early and latter
rain.1
Retain this word of Zachary to his son:
And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most
High:
For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare
His ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to His people,
Unto the remission of their sins.2
MEDITATION III.

WHO WOULD PREACH MUST PRAY.

First Point. The Divine Master always com­
bined prayer with preaching. Before He would ad­
dress Himself to men (and after He had done so),
He would first address Himself to His Father and
ask of Him grace for those to whom He was about
1 James, v, 10, 7.

* Luke, i, 76.

256

Meditation.

to preach. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him
at the Jordan and gave Him the mission of preach­
ing to the poor; but, previous to this, He had spent
forty days and forty nights at prayer and penance
in the wilderness. And always while giving instruc­
tion to those gathered about Him, He lived still in
the presence of the Father and invoked Him un­
ceasingly: I confess ίο Thee, Father, for that Thou
hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent
and hast revealed them to little ones. After a dis­
course He would return thanks to Him, recommend
to Him those whom He had just instructed or ex­
honed: Father, I give Thee thanks that Thou hearest
Me always. Father, I pray for them, that Thou
may est keep them from evil, that they may be sanctified
in truth. Often in the course of His labors would
He pause, recollect Himself, or withdraw, go apart
to some lonely hilltop, there to pray undisturbed.
“Was it that He had need so much of prayer, so to
interest His Father in His labors and to obtain His
graces,” asks St. Ambrose? “No; He sought rather
to give example to His ministers, and to show them,
to give them to understand that alone they could
not effectively carry on His work: You are given there

Who Would Preach Must Pray.

257

an object lesson, an exemplar, the way is marked out
that you must tread.1 Hence, the esteem the Apostles
had for prayer, and their own application to this
holy exercise: We will give ourselves continually to
prayer and to the ministry of the word.2 We cease
not to pray for you.3 These examples should bring
you to a conviction of your own obligation to seek
of Heaven its blessing on your preaching. Ask Our
Lord to make you feel the importance of prayer in
the ministry you would undertake for His sake,
and to help you to see the reasons therefor.
Second Point. Why should prayer be so neces­
sary in the ministry of preaching? For two reasons:
in order to insure the blessing of Heaven upon one’s
labors and to conserve in them ever the supernatural
spirit that should inspire and animate them.
1. The preacher can accomplish nothing without
the grace of God; for the work he undertakes is not
a human task. It is de fide that the efforts of man
do not suffice to preach with effect. If man is
unable to convert and sanctify himself by his own
unaided endeavor, how can he think so to be able
1 St. Amb., In Luc., v 43.
’..Acts, vii, 4.

• Col., i, 9.

258

Meditation.

to convert and sanctify others? Sufficientia nostra
ex Deo est, says the Apostle.1 God indeed wills to
make use of men in the accomplishment of this
work; but men are only His instruments thereto. He
lends them His understanding, as it were, and com­
municates to them His virtue. It is He that puts
on their lips the words that feel to the souls of
men, move, and sanctify them. He alone can give
to their listeners an attentive mind and a docile
heart, make them comprehend and relish the truths
that are announced to them, and engrave upon their
hearts deep convictions and arouse them to gener­
ous resolutions. For God it is who worketh in you,
both to will and to accomplish.2 For, this is a grace,
or rather an abundance of graces that He owes to
no one, and concerning which He is altogether free
to place the conditions. And what, then, is the
condition that it has pleased Him to set, and which
we must fulfil or meet if we would obtain such
grace? We know it well enough already: prayer.
The means whereby to obtain His help, is to ask
for it in the name of Our Lord, to ask it in His
spirit and for His glory: Ask and you shall receive.
1II Cob., in, 5.

’ Phil.,

ii,

13.

Who Would Preach Must Pray.

259

Amen, I say unto you, whatsoever you ask the Father
in My name He will give it to you. And who are
the ones to ask it? They who have need of it or
are interested in the obtaining of it; the preachers
of the Gospel, therefore, first of all: I have chosen
you, says He, that you may bring forth fruit, fruit
unto salvation and life eternal: Ego elegi vos et posui
vos ut eatis et fructus vester maneat.1 Do, then, in
this regard what the glory of God requires of you.
Ask His succour. Solicit His graces. You will
never ask in vain. All that you shall ask in the
interest of your ministry, He will accord you liber­
ally: Ut quodcumque petieritis Patrem in nomine meo
det vobis. Cease not, then, to pray, if you would
not cease to receive. The spirit of prayer is the
spirit of grace: Spiritus gratiae et precum.2 “One
will effect more conversions in prayer at the foot
of the altar than in preaching from the raised pulpit
or in traversing vast provinces,” says St. Francis
Xavier. St. Chrysostom was persuaded that St.
Paul did more to convert souls by his praying than
by his preaching.
1 John, xv, 16.

5 Zac., xii, 10.

260

Meditation.

2. Needful as prayer is to the preacher, that his
labors may be fruitful, it is quite as necessary for
his own sake in order to conserve in him the con­
victions, the sentiments, and the fervor that his
ministry requires. To announce the word of God
with becoming readiness and forcefulness, to preach
with zeal the dogmas of faith and the maxims of
the Gospel, to inspire in the faithful a due respect
for holy things, a love of the Church, à true regard
for perfection, a desire of heaven, it will not be
enough to have some sort of notion of these great
things : one must, as it were, feed his mind upon them,
ponder them in his heart; they should recur readily
and habitually to his thoughts, one should have an
adequate concept, a real sense of their excellence,
their grandeur, their needfulness, and be impressed,
penetrated, preoccupied therewith. And how may
one arrive at this? What is there that can bring us
to such a knowledge and sense of the truths of faith,
what is there that will bring home to us the impor­
tance and certainty, and unfold to us the beauty
of divine things, if not the habit of prayer and the
practice of meditation. Accedite ad eum et illumi­
namini,1 says the Psalmist. Why was it that St. Paul

1 Pe. 1, xxiii, 6.

Who Would Preach Must Pray.

261

was ravished to the third heaven, to behold and to
hear of wonders unspeakable? It was, according to
St. Maxim, to make of him a worthy Doctor of the
entire Church: That, as future Doctor of the Churches,
he might learn of the things he should preach unto
men.1 And on the other hand, what is that touches
the heart, softens and warms it, and fills it with
pious affections and desires that make for holi­
ness? Is it not, again, prayer and meditation? In
meditatione mea exardescet ignis, says the Psalmist;
and St. Thomas: From the womb of contemplation is
preaching brought forth.2 Wherefore, pray, meditate,
lift your soul to God, you who would announce the
word of God and would impart His Spirit to the
souls of men. Go thou up on the heights of the moun­
tain, thou who wouldst bring good tidings to Sion.3
When you shall be filled with His light and His
love, you will have only to communicate to the
faithful the knowledge you shall have received and
the sentiments you shall have been given to feel.
It was not to the Apostles alone that it was said:
Dabitur vobis quid loquamini, says St. Gregory. It
is not to them alone that Our Divine Master wills
1 Hom.il.

2 2a-2ae, q. 188, a. 6.

’ Isaias,

xl,

9.

262

Meditation.

to give unworldly wisdom, lips of knowledge, and a
tongue of fire. Quos de se replet, ardentes simul et
loquentes facit.1
Third Point. Think always of the office of the
preacher as a supernatural ministry, and of his word
as the instrument of divine grace for the instruction
and sanctification of souls. Have a care never to
lower, in your estimation, the representative of the
Divine Master to the level of a profane orator, who
uses his talent to win, to attach an audience to him­
self, to propagate his own views, and to bend his
hearers to his own purposes. Think, rather, of Our
Lord whose place the preacher holds, whose utter­
ances he does but repeat. Reflect that he can and
does say to you, as did the Apostles: As from God,
before God, in Christ I speak.2 And for me, that
speech may be given me to make known the Gospel, for
which I am an ambassador.3 When you yourself
shall be called to exercise this ministry, believe that
it is infinitely beyond your talents, as it is above
your merits, and that you are in need unqualified
of the grace of God to fulfil it well. Prepare your1 In Ev., Homil., xxx.
’ II Cor., ii, 7.

3 Eph. vi, 20.

Who Would Preach Must Pray.

263

self thereto, then, with religiousness and piety, as
you would to the conferring of a sacrament or to
approaching the altar. Ask of the Holy Spirit to
enlighten you, to inspire you, and to make you holy.
Know well that all you may attempt without Him
will be labor in vain: that your voice can but strike,
fall upon unheeding ears, for He alone can speak to
the heart. Unite in purpose with Him each time
you have to announce His word; strive to become
more and more attentive to His inspirations and
ever more docile to His leading: Deus qui corda
fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti, da
nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere et de ejus semper
consolatione gaudere.
Recall often to mind this anecdote in the life of
Père Lejeune, the great Oratorian missionary of the
seventeenth century. Being asked what is required
of one to become a good preacher, he replied: “One
must pray well.” “And besides that?” “One must
pray well, and pray always. The priest who has
the gift of prayer has what he needs to become a
good preacher. Knowing how to speak to God, he
cannot but speak usefully to men.”

264

Meditation.
MEDITATION IV.

TO PREACHING MUST BE JOINED EXAMPLE.

First Point. Our Lord characterized in one word
the Pharisees who were teachers of the Law of Moses.
Their doctrine was by no means bad; but their con­
duct did not tally with it. They behaved quite
otherwise than they taught: They say and do not.
For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and
lay them upon men’s shoulders; yet with their own
finger will they not so much as move them.' The Son
of God trod a very different road. He began by
doing first what He wished to teach: Coepit facere et
docere. Far from exempting Himself from the rules
He traced for His disciples, He ordered His conduct
thereby in a measure and with a degree of perfec­
tion that was vastly superior to what He asked of
them. What virtue can you think of that He was
not seen to practise in a way altogether heroic and
even superhuman? Thus is shown you the method
to follow if you, too, would persuade: Verba movent;
exempla trahunt. It is also the one the Master pre­
scribed for His disciples. You are the light of the
1 Matt., xxiii, 3.

To Preaching Must Be Joined Example.

265

world. Your calling exposes you to the gaze and
scrutiny of all men. So behave that none may ever
see in you aught but holiness of conduct that will
do honor to God and make Him honored of others:
So let your light shine among men that they may
behold your good works and give honor to your Father
who is in heaven.1 And this is what they did after
Him. Their deeds have been no less admirable than
their doctrine; and, it is doubtless more by their
virtues than by their doctrine that they converted
the world. Such, too, is the method, naturally, that
the Church recommends, and that she cannot but
wish to see her ministers follow, one and all: And
the things to be done, let them speak out, and let them
complement their words in works; that in both they
may build up the Holy Church. Praedicatu divino,
exemplo perfecto.2 Pray Our Lord that you may
begin in this way. Offer Him a sincere desire of
practising always first the doctrine you have to
teach and of preaching His virtues by your example
thereof still more than by your words.
Second Point. The preacher who joins example
to counsel, gives to his discourse the surest sort of
1 Matt., v, 16.

2 Pontifical, De led.; De Diac.

266

Meditation.

basis. He that will not accord his life with his
teaching can effect no good whatever: he will hurt
souls rather than be of help to them.
1. That voice more readily penetrates the hearts of
listeners, which the life of the speaker commends, says
St. Gregory. To take to themselves practically the
maxims of the Gospel and to live as worthy Chris­
tians, the faithful must needs make efforts and im­
pose sacrifices upon themselves. When a preacher
shows them the necessity of these things, when he
urges them thereto, the less fervent seek to excuse
themselves and, as it were, to discount, to defend
themselves against, his exhortations. They protest
that he exaggerates, that he is over-exacting, that
he does not appreciate the difficulty of what he asks.
But these excuses lose their force when he himself
practises faithfully that which he preaches. They
do not have weight even with the minds of those
who utter them, for: (a) It is clear to them that he
does not speak off-hand, but that he has considered
and weighed well all that he says. For how can he
be ignorant, unaware of the difficulty of such a vir­
tue when he gives the example himself? How can
r e not appreciate the hardship of such sacrifice when

To Preaching Must Be Joined Example.

267

he imposes it upon himself, first? Is it possible that
he should be ignorant of what it costs to be faithful
to grace, when he himself walks so resolutely and
constantly in the way of perfection? (6) It is im­
possible to doubt his sincerity. For, were he not
convinced of what he says, did he not believe thor­
oughly in the truths he teaches, he himsel would
be the very first to set them aside, discount them.
Nor would he ever take such pains to conform his
conduct thereto, (c) Finally, how can anyone gain­
say his right to teach the moral that he does teach?
Even had he no divine mission to instruct and to
exhort, one would yet do wrong to despise or ignore
his words. In matters of virtue, anyone is author­
ized to counsel what he practises, and no one need
be surprised that he recommends in words the prin­
ciples he deems needful to observe in his conduct.
Qui fecerit et docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno
coelorum, the divine Master has said.1 But if the
preacher take no account to himself of the truths
he seeks to inculcate, if he think it a trivial matter
to give the lie to his words by his conduct, then one
can understand that people make a by-word of his
1 Matt., v, 19.

26S

Meditation.

sermons, and that, as by retort, they return him his
exhortation or recommendation in the words of the
Gospel: Medice, cura teipsum.1 Who will take heed
of an unscrupulous selfseeker preaching disinterested­
ness, asks St. Jerome? While, on the other hand, if
the priest is the first to observe his maxims, if he
observes them perfectly, it is but just that he be
given a hearing, that his advice be deferred to, and
that his example be followed. Stout and honest
hearts do not hesitate when they have a leader who
says to them: Follow me; I will show you the way
of duty and of honor: Venite post me. Si quis vult
rentre post me, sequatur me?2
2. The preacher who has no care to conform his life
to his teachings, does harm to souls rather than good.
As a matter of fact : (a) How will he persuade them
to the practice of virtue? He is contradicting him­
self even while he speaks. His tongue declares one
thing and his doings the opposite. His lips exhort
to perfection and his example induces to lukewarm­
ness, indifference. Unus aedificans et unus destruens,
quid prodest nisi labor? says the Holy Spirit.3 And,
1 Luke, iv, 23.
* Matt., iv, 19; xxiv, 14.

’ Eccli.,

xxxiv,

28.

To Preaching Must Be Joined Example.

269

more than this, example generally prevails, for it is
a testimony that is more striking and seems the
more sincere: Of more avail is the voice of our works
than the voice of our mouths. Men credit rather their
eyes than their ears.1 (b) He who recommends to
others a virtue and is known not to practise it him­
self, or whose practice is known to give the lie to
his theory, loses all influence and credit with the
faithful. They look upon him as one who really has
no conviction or sincerity, who does not take his
ministry seriously; an idle talker who dishonors Him
in whose name he speaks: If you mil preach that the
world is to be disparaged and disdained then disdain
it yourself first. Annon confusio est Jesum Christum
pauperem atque esurientem fartis praedicare corpor­
ibus, jejuniorumque doctrinam rubentes buccas tumen­
tiaque ora proferre?'1 Such a preacher not only dis­
credits himself with the faithful, but he scandalizes
them so, that he discredits in their minds most other
preachers, too. For, they that learn of, or know
his way of life "are prone to believe that others are
like him. Hence they come to regard most all
1 St. Bernard, In Cant., lix, 3.
’ St. Ber., In Syn., 8.

270

Meditation.

preaching as conventional talk, more or less, as for­
mality, done for the sake of form, or as mere pul­
pit oratory, and naturally reduce the Gospel maxims
to the level of their own notions. It is easy thus to
understand how the misdoings of preachers, their
unbecoming and negligent behavior are a scandal in
the Church, and why the Holy Spirit rebukes them
so sharply for their disorderly and imperfect life:
Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my cove­
nant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hast hated discipline:
and cast my words behind thee.1
Third Point. My God, I realize now the burden
I assume in accepting to preach thy Gospel. And
I see that, Thou, in imposing upon me the obligation
of exhorting souls to virtue, dost impose therewith
the obligation of practising the same: Who by neces­
sity of his position must counsel great things, is by
the same necessity compelled to the same great things.2
It is to the ministers of Thy word that thou hast
given command through Thy prophet, to reach up
to the heights of perfection and to keep ever above
the level of the multitudes: Get thee up on the moun-3
1 Ps., xlix 16.

3 St. Greg., Epist.,

lii,

7.

To Preaching Must Be Joined Example.

271

tains, thou who dost announce the good tidings to Sion.1
There can be no doubt that to preach the Gospel, it
is not required that one be altogether without defects
and have reached to perfect holiness; yet, at least,
one should really aspire to perfection, which is quite
the same as saying that one should have and cherish
a sincere esteem of Christian perfection, that one
should love and desire the virtues that one preaches
and seriously purpose to practise them. For, if it
be otherwise with you, what else do you do in the
pulpit but speak against your conscience and therein
condemn yourself? It follows, in all honesty, that
if one truly have the sentiments one preaches he
cannot but feel obliged to put them into practice.
The same convictions, the same language, the same
dispositions, the same spirit, are all to be had and
evinced the same everywhere. Truthfulness and
consistency demand this much. It should not be
that men distinguish in you several men, the man
of the pulpit, the man of the ministry, the man
of society, etc.; that you seem to be a man of con­
tradictions, with the hands of Esau and the voice of
Jacob. Assuesce unicus esse, says St. Ambrose.2 It
1 St. Greg. Episl., xxv, ad Joan.
* De off. min.

272

Meditation.

should be, rather, that from whatever side or aspect
men behold you, they see in you only Jesus Christ
having no language but His, and, therefore, but one
■ ioctrine and one way of life.
Let not your deeds give the lie to your words, lest
men hearing you silently reply within themselves: Why
do you not do yourself what you counsel us? Even the
dishonest can condemn avarice and unjust selfseeking.
Let hands and heart of the priest approve his words.1
MEDITATION V.
THE PREACHER CANNOT BE TOO DEEPLY IM­
PRESSED WITH THE TRUTHS HE PREACHES.

Fibst Point. Consider the divine Master during
His days of preaching. What is His own preoccu­
pation and with what does He seek to occupy the
minds of His disciples? He thinks only of His Gos­
pel, of the truths He has come to teach. As He
goes on His way through town and country-side,
He meets with no end of interesting things, magnifi­
cent panoramas, ancient monuments, and newer
constructions. On all sides men are absorbed in
1 St. Jerome, Epist., in, 7.

273

Be Deeply Impressed.

the happenings of the times, in the edicts of the
emperor, with the ministers in favor, the movements
of armies, and the questions of taxation. It does
not appear that the Savior gives them a thought.
If He happens to speak of Caesar, it is because
He has been brought to it by others and it serves
His ulterior purpose of teaching His doctrine. What
really fixes His attention, is the mission with which
He is charged, the Church He is come to found,
the Kingdom of God, to which He seeks to give form
and of which He is busy gathering the subjects.
His discourses are filled with the truths which men
have need to know and to put in practice. Every­
where, even as in the temple, the Son of God seems
to say to us: In his quae Patris mei sunt oportet me
esse.1 It is the same with the Apostles, especially
with St. Paul whom of them we know best. Jesus
Christ is the sum and substance of his preaching,
quite as He is the sum of his knowledge and the
very substance of his life. It is in the light of His
grace and Gospel that he acts always: In fide vivo
Filii Dei.2 He forgets all else to think only of Him.
It is under His influence, in His presence, and as the
1 Luke,

ii,

49.

1 Gal.,

ii,

16.

274

Meditation.

organ of Christ that he speaks ever: As from God,
before God, in Christ we speak. And is not this what
the preacher should do, if he has pledged his life to
the ministry of the word; and herein has he not the
model to be studied, to which he must make some
approach, even though it be only at intervals that
he is called upon to preach, to exercise his office?
If he seeks to impress souls and to produce some
fruit, he must have a real grasp of the doctrine of
Christ which he teaches, and he needs to be, not
only convinced of, but sensibly penetrated with it
all, and to have no other purpose than to convince
others and to make them feel as he does, at least,
and to allow neither his mind nor his heart to wander
to strange things. Haec meditare; in his esto, is
Paul’s counsel to Timothy.1 Ask the Master, then,
to so penetrate you with His teachings, which you
must hand on to others, that they may absorb your
mind and fill your life, and that you may preach
them with all your heart and with all your strength.
Second Point. Consider the need of having this
disposition and the means at your disposal where­
with to establish it in you.
11 Tim., iv, 15.

Be Deeply Impressed.

275

1. If you lack it, you cannot speak either inter­
estingly or with effect, (a) How will any speaker,
much less a preacher, interest an audience in a sub­
ject in which he himself seems to take no interest,
to which he but half gives his attention, and of
which he appears to be impressed neither with the
importance, the certainty, nor the sublimity. A
truth can be preached in various ways: it can be put
vividly and strikingly, or expressed coldly and dully,
without conviction or earnestness. Then, too, a
truth, if well studied and reflected upon for some
length of time and with application, being grasped
clearly and its principles, proofs, and consequences
seen with thoroughness, can be set forth with pre­
cision, its importance easily can be shown, and ap­
plication of it can aptly be made to persons, places
and times. One will, by such preparation, find just
expression much easier, and a facility for natural
comparison. A speaker’s language will thus be
vivid, animated, personal; of a nature to touch, to
move, and to bend souls to one’s purpose. On the
contrary, a truth little thought upon, superficially
grasped, has not reached one’s own soul and will be
treated of vaguely, superficially, in a way that is

276

Meditation.

insipid, conveying nothing whatever: the more so,
if the reason for speaking at all be merely that the
times or the place obliges one so to do. Language
in such a case can scarcely be other than unfeeling,
dull, lifeless, and aimless. Listeners, of course, will
be wearied, displeased, and even scandalized. You
have to fear this, because your ministry, if thus
exercised, can have no other effect. The fruit you
should have produced, the bringing of souls to honor
and love God, is not realized. This were bad enough,
but you may have done worse; you may have made
the hearing of the word of God distasteful to souls,
or even brought the preaching of it into contempt.
(&) And even should instructions be of the best,
and exhortations be really affecting, still, they do
lose something of their value if the preacher is not
sensibly penetrated with them, and this because of
the manner in which he will inevitably deliver them.
All know or appreciate the worth of action in ora­
tory. Of all the qualities of a preacher, it is the
one that listeners appreciate most, and that most
conduces to making an impression upon the greater
number of one’s audience. It is by this that men

λ

Be Deeply Impressed.

277

judge of the conviction of him who speaks, and be­
cause of this it is most often that they allow them­
selves to be convinced. If natural and agreeable, it
very often covers up real defects in the discourse
itself. While if in itself imperfect and faulty, it will
render the best instruction displeasing or ineffectual.
But on what do the qualities of action, in a preacher,
depend? On his inner dispositions, simply; on the
conviction of his own mind and on the emotions of
his heart. If the truths he utters scarcely affect
him, if he be not penetrated with them, then he
surely will lack action, or at least be faulty in his
action, by way of affectation in his movements, by
want of true accent in his tone and of fitness of
expression, even. He will declaim, instead of speak­
ing with real emotion, and in place of pleasing and
persuading, he will only grate on the sensibilities of
his hearers. But, if he have the right sentiments, if
his mind and heart be as they should be, then all
will appear in his exterior. All in his bearing, looks,
and language will be natural, just and indicative of
earnest conviction and purpose. His sincerity can­
not but impress men and inspire their confidence:
they will even try to enter into his sentiments and

Meditation.
t<j share in his emotions and feelings. They will not
only be attracted to him by his words, but they
will be stirred and prevailed upon by them. All who
have written on the subject agree upon these things,
and, doubtless, one’s own experience and good sense
attest the truth thereof. You have heard preachers
enough; so, ask yourself which of them have influ­
enced you, and why. Does not your answer bear
out what we have said? You have found the best
preachers to be men of conviction, of sincere, evident
emotion, and even passionate; and all this you
recognized, when? Was it not at the moment when
you saw that they were filled with their subject,
forgetful of all else, thinking only of making you to
share their sentiments and of communicating their
thoughts to you? The truths of faith make a very
different impression, says St. Ligouri, when they, as
it were, burst forth from a heart that is stirred by
them, than when they merely fall from lips that
respond only to sheer will and memory.
2. The next consideration is: How will the minis­
ter of the Gospel become so penetrated with the word
he must preach, as to reach the hearts of his congre­
gation and make the desired impression upon them?

Be Deeply Impressed.

279

Ordinarily, there is need for this of careful, active,
and sufficiently long preparation, (a) To begin with,
one ought to study the truth to be treated of; con­
sider it from its various points of view, and form a
right notion of its importance, its extent, its reasons,
and its practical applications. To the ideas that
one’s own reflection may beget, it is always wise to
join what can be gathered from the studies and writ­
ings of others; and, apropos of this, read only the
best. Learn well what you are to teach: learn of such
as have written or spoken in accord with true doctrine,
so that you may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and
to make answer to those who try to gainsay you therein.1
(i>) But study will not be enough. To it must be
joined meditation; one must consider the subject
prayerfully, before God; view it from the standpoint
of a living faith, in a truly Christian light. One
must strive to grasp well the principal ideas involved,
to discern and realize whatever is calculated to make
them appreciated, acceptable, and appealing as prac­
ticable and to be put into practice. Of course, this
is not a recommendation to make of that study a
substitute for our meditation which is an exercise of
1 Jerome, Let., lii, 7.

280

Meditation.

piety. What is meant is, that these truths are to
be thought upon in a spirit of prayer, and, as far as
possible, contemplated in the light of God. (c) And
while thinking upon these truths in order to master
them, one should seek to have the sentiments for
them they deserve; to venerate and to love them, for
they are of God. Thus the heart will feel and appre­
ciate what the intellect understands or grasps. And
this requires no great effort, for the heart is naturally
moved in proportion as the mind is enlightened: Ex
claro intellectu, nascitur non tardus effectus, says St.
Thomas.1
Third Point. Thus you understand the first con- Λ
dition. and the one most essential to a fruitful min­
istry in the pulpit. Congregations can be impressed
only in so far as the preacher himself is impressed;
that is, full of his subject. And this should be
enough to make one understand what work, what
labor is required in order to become a good preacher.
Study and meditation are obligatory upon all. Apart
from the Apostles and a few men whom God saw
fit to enlighten in a miraculous manner, in order to
give a striking assurance of His having authorized
1 2a-2ae, q. 188, a. 6.

Be Deeply Impressed.

281

their ministry, you will not find a single priest who
has accomplished good work in the Church by his
preaching and who has not studied much, meditated
much, labored much. For, is there any other con­
ceivable way in which to possess one’s self of Chris­
tian learning, or to understand the laws of Christian
life which one must preach, if he is to preach at all?
Dogmatic theology, a working knowledge of Moral
truths and principles (without a sure knowledge of
which it is simply impossible to instruct the faithful
correctly and to treat with competence the ordinary
and practical matters of Catholic concern) how else
are these to be mastered except by the means already
mentioned? The priest ought, every Sunday, give
his people some instruction according to their needs,
something that may be of help to them during the
week; and that means that he must give thought to
his sermon during the week previous, that he can
judge what he had best say, and how he shall say
it. This is the way Chrysostom always occupied
himself in the interval between the sermons he
preached, and this, he says, kept him occupied and
obliged him to forego intercourse with the world. It
is the rule the Curé of Ars made for himself during

2S2

Meditation.

the first years of his priesthood, for he would spend
whole days in his sacristy that he might think of
wholesome things to say to his little flock, and find
the words and the way of making these thoughts
understandable and appealing. No wonder that they
were as much affected and won by his words as
if he had been a preacher of grand discourses.
Happy the faithful to whom God has vouchsafed
such a pastor: Qui pascet eos scientia et doctrina.1
But happy, also, the pastors who thus prepare
their sermons, who take them to heart themselves
and give themselves the pains and trouble to
be able to pronounce them well, and who neglect
nothing that will render their utterances in the
pulpit solidly profitable. Their instructions are
worth all that they cost them, and the value thereof
is for this life and for the next. In this life, the
people are the gainers by the preacher’s labors; in
the other life, God will make the worthy minister of
His word a magnificent and surpassing recompense.
Labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist.2
ΙΓ/ιο sows sparingly, shall also reap sparingly.3 But
'■ St. Jerome, in, 15.
1 III Tim., iv, 5.

’ II Cor., ix, 6.

283

Be Forgetful of Self.

they that shall have learned, shall shine as the brightness
of the firmament: and they that shall instruct many
unto justice, as stars for all eternity.1
MEDITATION VI.

THE PREACHER MUST LEARN TO BE FORGETFUL
OF SELF IN THE PULPIT.

First Point. Adore Our Lord in His preaching
as the model of self-effacement and of purity of inten­
tion. He does not consult His own likes or dislikes.
He seeks neither His own honor, nor His own satis­
faction, nor His own interests. The glory of His
Father is the aim of all His discourses. To Him He
refers all the homage, all the praise, all the admiring
wonder that His words inspire. My doctrine is not
y^jne, He says, but His that sent Me. “To seek
human glory, to take to myself alone, apart from my
Father, the esteem, the regard, the veneration of
men, that would be injustice and vanity:” If I seek
my own glory, my glory is nothing.2 These senti­
ments of the Son of God towards His Father are the
very same that the Apostles cherished towards Him­
self : It is not myself that I preach, said St. Paul, but
1 Dan.,

xii, 3.

2 John,

viii, 54.

284

Méditation.

Jesus Christ crucified. “I do not aspire to being
esteemed, nor do I seek after those empty, idle ad­
vantages that I might have according to the way of
this world. Far from proposing myself as one per­
fect, and as having attained my goal, I tremble with
fear lest, in preaching to others, I lose my own soul;
and unceasingly I strive to make new progress along
the way God has pointed out to me.” And such
should be the mind of every minister of the Gospel.
For, if he be animated with the Spirit of God, He
will not labor selfishly; nor will he trust in or count
upon himself; there will be no self-complacency in
him; but he will forget self, obscure his own per­
sonality, forego his own seeming private interest, his
reputation even, so that he may think only of the
glory of God and the welfare of His children. Beg
Our Savior to put this disposition into your heart,
and to so work in you by His spirit that you may
be able to say after Him: The words which I speak,
I do not speak of myself.1 As I hear, I judge.2 Who
speaks of himself, seeks his own glory.3 I seek not my
own glory.4
1 John, vi, 64.
* John, v, 30.

3 John, vn, 18.
‘ John viii, 53.

Be Forgetful of Self.

285

Second Point. Two good reasons can be given
why the preacher should endeavor to efface self in
his ministry and to have God alone in view: first,
his own interests; secondly, the interests of others.
1. The chief interests of a preacher are: not to
lose the reward of his labors, and to be aided powerfully by divine grace. The means to assure and
secure this double advantage cannot be other than
to be forgetful of self in order to think only of God
and to work for Him alone, (a) God has promised
to reward in heaven all that is done for His sake
here below. A mere glass of water, given by a
Christian to anyone soever, can bring reward in eter­
nal glory: for all the more reason the gift of God,
the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the life of grace, the
hope of heaven, given by a preacher to unbelieving
or sinful souls. They who instruct others unto justice,
shall shine as stars for all eternity, says the Prophet
Daniel. This recompense is assured us; but on the
condition laid down by the Savior: that, in the
accomplishment of this good work, we act for God
and not for self, that we intend the glory of the
sovereign Master and not our personal satisfaction
or gratification. Heaven is given to merit, and the

28ό

Meditation,

only merit before God is labor done for His sake.
It follows, then, that the greatest and best of works
will gain us but little or no reward, if, in the doing
of them, there is more thought of self than of God;
and most certainly, reward there will be none at all,
if in our ministry God has had no place in our
thoughts for that they were wholly taken up with
ourselves. It is to works of this latter sort that St.
Augustine has applied these words: Magni passus
sed extra viam. Amen dico vobis: receperunt mercedem suam, vani vanam.1 (b) If this mindfulness of
God and forgetfulness of self are necessary to a cer­
tain degree in order to merit future rewards, the
same condition holds quite as truly and as essentially
for the obtaining of the assistance of divine grace
while now we are laboring. Our Lord has promised
His aid to His ministers: For He Himself hath said:
I will not desert you, nor leave you to yourselves.2 I
have chosen you, and have appointed you that you may
bring forth fruit, and that your fruit may endure.3
There can be no doubt of His faithfulness to His
word. But why, for what end has he promised us
1 In Psi, cxvii, Serm. 12.
» Heb., xiii, 5.

’ John,

xiii,

16.

Be Forgetful of Self.

287

the aid of His grace? For this reason and end alone,
that we, as the Apostles, may continue His work
and promote His glory. If we have other aims, if
we labor for our own gain and not for His, then He
owes us nothing and we have nothing whatever to
expect of Him. He says: Who shall have glorified
Me, him will I glorify.1 And He has also said, in
quite as plain words: I will not give My glory to
another.2
2. The interests of souls, no less than our own,
demand that we be entirely forgetful of self in our
preaching; for if we have not for our only purpose
the glory of God and the sanctification of the faith­
ful, we shall inevitably fall into various defects,
either in the imposition itself of our discourses or
in the delivery of them, which defects will prevent
our hearers from deriving much if anjr real good from
our utterances. Even, it is scarcely too much to say
that the defects of preachers, with but few excep­
tions, come from this one cause; and yet, they can
all be precluded against simply by a pure and right
intention. Thus, for example: (a) Timidity, human
respect. There are such as seem to be somewhat
11 Reg., ii, 30.

3 Isai., xlii, 8.

Meditation.

ashamed of the Gospel they preach, who hardly dare
to preach the great mysteries of religion, who think
they must temper the utterances of the Savior in
offering them to the faithful. What is it that keeps
them silent, or makes them afraid? Personal con­
siderations. They fear to be taxed with exaggera­
tion, with ill-considered zeal, fanaticism. They give
more thought to themselves than to Jesus Christ and
His members. (δ) Pretentiousness. Not a few preach
with affectation and pompously. They declaim
rather than speak as one announcing the Gospel.
They affect unusual subjects, a solemn style, lofti­
ness of thought. And men declare them stilted,
stiff, pretentious. Why all this? Because they do
not wish to be thought ordinary, preachers of the
commoner sort; they want to be spoken of as elo­
quent, and they want to impress people with their
talent: Non appetunt erudire, sed ostendere.1 (c) IU
temper. This it is that moves a pastor to invective,
vehement and ill-advised, against some disorderly
doing in the parish, or against a scandal that he
cannot better. It is not so much that his love of
God makes him feel keenly the offense, as that he
1 St. Greg., In Job. xxix, 2.

Be Forgetful of Self.

289

rankles with resentment because his ministry or
rather his personal authority has been set at naught.
Vae nubibus pluentibus hujusmodi imbres, quae
lutum faciunt, fructum non afferunt.1 (d) Personali­
ties. The same explains why a preacher seeks to
assert his own personality, to speak of himself, and
to make himself talked of commendably. It is the
same also that brings to his lips words of censure,
fault-finding, malicious and spiteful allusions to
others and, often enough, against his colleagues and
superiors. It is ever selfishness, personal interest,
an unacknowledged feeling of jealousy, petty rivalry,
or even revenge. And the remedy of these faults,
is? Detachment from self, renouncing the esteem
of others, willingness to forego domineering, con­
scious superiority of any kind. In a word, forget­
fulness of self that one may think of God and of the
souls of men. With such a disposition one will never
think to harm, to censure, offensively signal out any­
one at all. One will speak with simplicity, with
sincerity, and with piety; having nothing in thought
or word but what is becoming and natural ; gestures
and style of speech will then be consistent with
1 St. Bek., In Cant., xxn.

290

Meditation.

these, and, even though one may not deliver him­
self of wonderful utterances, still he will know how
to speak the truths of God, to convey them to men,
to tell the faithful things that are wholesome for
them to hear and are calculated to edify, to do good
unto the Church, the mystical body of Christ Our
Lord. He will thus help to make God known and
will win souls to His service.
Third Point. 0 my God, I begin to feel the need
of my dying to self and of ridding myself of wilful
inclination to self-seeking, if I am to preach worthily
Your word. But how am I to undo what is so natu­
ral in me, and relieve my soul of the encumbrances
of selfishness. Nolumus expoliari, sed supervestiri,
saj’s the Apostle.1 Your graces, Your virtue, and
Your gifts of life and light I would readily accept;
but to renounce self, suppress humor, forego and
mortify inclinations, I am not so ready to do these.
How shall I ever yield to You, unless You do it in
me and for me, Lord Jesus, You who alone can work
this prodigy. Not I, but the grace of my God within
me.2 Do then, Christ Jesus, for me, and for all
called to this ministry of preaching, what You have
1II Cor., v, 4.

21 Cor., xv, 10.

Be Forgetful of Self.

291

been pleased to do for the Apostles. Deliver us
from the spirit of selfishness; from our self-assertion,
from our own will and way. Auferes spiritum eorum
et deficient, et in pulverem suum revertentur, says Your
prophet. You will give them Your own spirit to ani­
mate them, to be the soul and inspiration of their
labors ; Emittes spiritum tuum et creabuntur. You will
make of them new creatures wholly spiritual, men
after Your own heart, and through them You will
renew the face of the earth; Creabuntur, et renovabis
faciem terrae. And we, my God, shall cease to be
always thinking of self and to act only for self.
When we shall speak from Your altar, Your Spirit
will speak by our lips, and He will speak through
us as He spoke through Your Apostles and through
Your Son, with the same purity of word and of inten­
tion, with the same accent of truth, with the same
power. Si guis loquitur, quasi sermones Dei, ut in
omnibus honorificetur Deus per Jesum Christum Domi­
num nostrum.'
Purpose that henceforth you will mortify, in so
far as you may, both self-seeking and human respect.
Recite with attention always the Veni Sancte Spi1 Pet. iv, 11.

292

Meditation.

rüus, that you may obtain of The Spirit of God, that
He will possess your heart and establish His rule
over it for time to come.
MEDITATION VII.
CHARITY IS THE SOUL OF PREACHING.

First Point. Our Lord, like His Father, is charity
itself. His mysteries and His works are witnesses to
us of His tender love; but it is His preaching, more
than all these, that makes us understand it: through
mercy He became like us, and through love He entered

into communion with men and became our teacher.
Though infinitely holy and possessing in His soul
all the light of Heaven, He did not disdain to treat
with us sinners. Our weaknesses and our waywardness
moved Him to pity and He calls all to Him, sinners
and sinless, that He may instruct and sanctify us.
“Come to Me, He bids us, come ye all to Me and I will
refresh ye. Be My disciples and keep My counsels. You
will then come to know that I am meek and humble
of heart, and that I desire only your happiness. Do I
not know well enough that justice is not of this world
and that no one can be justified but through Me?
Wherefore, do I deal with the worst of sinners as a

Chanty is the Soul of Preaching.

293

good father with an unruly child, and as the most
devoted of shepherds with the strayed sheep of his
flock. 0 Jerusalem, didst thou but know the things
that are to thy peace! Didst thou but understand
wherein thy true well-being lies! How often have I
called thy children to Me, that I might nestle them
in warmth and safety, close to My Sacred Heart. And
they would not; they would not come to Me that they
might have life.” Thus Our Savior speaks, in words
that He alone can utter. And the whole Gospel
breathes the same spirit 0/ tender love and mercy. So,
too, the writings of all the Apostles. In reading them
one feels that the first ministers of the Gospel had but
one heart with the divine Master. Study St. Paul,
the most energetic and the most ardent of all. There
is no expression, no comparison, no figure of speech
he can find that seems adequate to tell of the love he
has for those he has begotten in Christ. He calls upon
Jesus to witness the solicitude he feels and the prayers
and supplications he makes for their growth in perfec­
tion. He calls them his joy, his glory, his crown, his
very life. His affection for them is more tender than
a father’s: As a nurse should cherish her children.1 My
11 Thess., ii, 7.

294

Meditation.

little ch ildren, of whom I am in labor again.1 No matter
what the grief they caused him, nor what the reproof
he felt obliged to administer them, he always spoke
kindly, and never did he show his indignation, unless
t o the obstinate enemies of His Master. Ask Our Lord
to give you something of this spirit of tenderness and
charity. Without this how can you ever be a repre­
sentative of the Savior and a minister of His word?
You would not even be truly one of His disciples:
B j this will men know that you are my disciples, that
you have love one for another.2
Second Point. Charity is the soul of preaching.
I: is the most effective means, the indispensable condi­
tion of doing good.
1. The most efficacious ?neans. The Savior’s yoke is
imposed on no one. Each one must decide to take it
upon himself, it is to be assumed and borne freely.
Tollite jugum meum super vos, is the Master’s invita­
tion.3 And how shall the priest persuade the faithful
to accept it? By showing them that it is the better
part, that their perfection and their welfare depend
upon it, and that, in acting otherwise, they but do
harm to themselves and heap up regrets unto a later
1 Gal., iv, 19.

* John, xii, 35.

3 Mat., xi, 29.

Charity is the Soul of Preaching.

295

day. Preaching has no pin-pose but to bring souls to
accept the yoke of Christ; and a preacher has done
all that is of most importance to do when he has in­
stilled into the hearts of the faithful a conviction of
the wisdom of heeding Christ’s invitation. But what
is there can give to his words of persuasion the author­
ity needed to dissipate their doubts, to put an end to
their hesitation and misgivings, and to constrain them,
as it were, to make up their minds efficaciously and
irrevocably upon this question that all are inclined, it
would seem by nature, ever to leave to indecision?
Above all, to help him there is the confidence that he
may inspire in their hearts, the assurance they may
have that he really desires to promote their well-being,
that he exhorts them only through zeal and affection,
through devotion to the interests of their souls. If
they come to realize that it is the charity of Christ
that inspires him, they can hardly turn a deaf ear to
the Gospel he preaches or to the counsels he gives them.
Would you, then, gain the confidence of those to whom
you must preach, and make sure of bringing them to
accept the doctrine you preach them? If so, show
them, make it clear to them that you have love for
their souls, that it is charity that speaks in you, that

296

Meditation.

you are as sincerely desirous of their welfare and hap­
piness as of your own. Let everything about you witness to the sincerity of this sentiment. Your language,
above all, let it be the language of a father and of a
friend, rather than that of a teacher or a task-master.
So doing you will find the way to men’s hearts and fill
them with the sentiments of your own heart. One
does not withstand long him whom one loves, or him
by whom one is loved. St. Augustine knew the truth
of this. “What won me at first, was the affection
Ambrose showed me. I had never been his disciple at
all. had he not first been to me a father and a friend.
I '■ e-ran to love him, not as a teacher of the truth, but
as a man kind to me.”1
2. A priest that has not charity in his heart, or, even,
that cannot make it appear in his words, will never
do great good by his ministry of preaching. Though
he have extraordinary talent, be he ever so well in­
structed or eloquent beyond his fellows; having an
understanding of the mysteries of God together with
a faith that can withstand all trial, he will still lack,
none the less, the most essential means whereby to
reach the hearts of men and win them to God: If I
1 Confess., v, 13.

Charity is the Soul of Preaching.

297

speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and if I
should know all mysteries and have all knowledge and
all faith, and have not charity, it profdeth me nothing.'
The young and inexperienced are apt to imagine that
what does good in the pulpit is eloquence, or learning,
or talent, beauty of style, fine qualities of voice and
even the bearing and manner of the speaker. But this
illusion does not last for long, because one is not slow
to realize that a preacher may well have all these
qualities, estimable as they are, and yet accomplish no
great good for God or man. Cultured minds admire
talent, they praise rhetorical finish, and they will
applaud eloquence; but they give their confidence only
to charity. Before undertaking to amend their lives,
to turn to God, to humble and humiliate themselves,
they want a priest that is humble, compassionate, sym­
pathetic, charitable; who loves his fellows for God’s
sake and who seeks only to lead them to God. A
sinner finds it well and good that his conversion should
give joy to a priest’s heart; but he doesn’t like that
one should make a trophy of him. A truly pious soul is
glad to have a director who -will help it to the practice
of a truly Christian life, but, it does not want to find
11 Cor., xiii, 1.

298

Meditation.

in him a master who is domineering and who would
use it to his own purposes. There sat in the chair
of Moses, during the days of Christ, Doctors of the
Law who delivered fine discourses and preached excel­
lent maxims. But it was not to them that they went
who felt an earnest and sincere desire to give them­
selves to God; Zachaeus, Magdalen, the young rich
man, all solicited by grace. It was to Jesus: to Jesus,
meek and humble, the friend of penitent sinners. He
would be found always the same. No good is ever
done to sinners except by merciful compassion, by
encouragement, by affection. Yes, and even the most
re-rfs-:·* souls have this weakness, that they yield and
bend only to kindness and confide only in affection.
L -d, rebuke me not in Thy wrath,1 prayed St. Vincent
de Paul; and St. Francis de Sales: “I love rather the
preaching that is full of tender pity for the sinner
than of indignation against sinfulness.”
Third Point. My God, if You will that I be, as
a priest, of some use to the souls of my fellow-men,
a preacher of Your Gospel who will reach, convert, and
sanctify them, put then, I pray You, into my heart
that sincere, supernatural charity of which Your Apostle
1 Psl., vi, 2.

Charity is the Soul of Preaching.

299

Paul has told us so beautifully; that charity which is
kind, patient, is not puffed up, that seeketh not its
own, that envieth not, that thinketh no evil. Let it
animate all my words as well as my deeds. Let me
never forget the goodly advice of one of Your holy
Doctors: We can no more reach the hearts of men with­
out kindness, than the heart of God withoutfaith. Divine
Savior, You Whose Sacred Heart was so tender and
Whose discourses were ever so touching and appealing,
pour into my soul the unction of Yom· Spirit, that my
words may be somewhat like to Your own. I would
wish to be able to say with You: I have compassion on
the multitude. Teach me to speak Your language, the
language of charity and of zeal, the accent of com­
passion and kindliness. For then, I can hope to draw
souls to You, and not fear estrange them; I shall help
those fallen by the wayside, instead of being a stum­
bling block to any by my fault. Then, I shall bring
them to love Yom· yoke and Your service and teach
them to go forward right contentedly in the way of
Your virtues.
Take for your model of charity, says St. Augustine,
the divine Master Himself, as you know Him in the
Gospels: and, with this divine model, you will do well

300

Meditation.

to take also St. Francis of Sales, in whom He has
been pleased to give us so especial a likeness of His
own meekness of heart. You can read and study with
profit to your soul and to your ministry, his life, his
sermons, his writings; for they will prompt you to
emulation.
MEDITATION VIII.

THE MORE HOLY THE PREACHER THE MORE
EFFECTIVE HIS MINISTRY.

First Point. Adore Our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Saint of saints and the preacher par excellence. To
preach His Gospel and to exhort His disciples to virtue,
He had not to change at all His usual dispositions:
He had only to manifest the thoughts that ever occu­
pied His mind and the sentiments that were always
in His Sacred Heart. Thus are His discourses so nat­
ural. We understand thereby the simplicity and the
aptness in His language. And all were in admiration
at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth.1
And all the people were very attentive to hear Him.2 And
they said: Never did man speak as this man.3 The
Apostles, called to continue His ministry, conformed
1 Luke, iv, 22.

2 Luke, xix, 48.

3 John, vii, 46.

The More Holy, the More Effective.

301

their way of life to His and the fruit of their labors cor­
responded to their faithfulness and exactness therein;
that is, to their sanctity. They felt at a loss how
to return thanks to their Master for the blessings He
bestowed upon their labors: Benedictus Deus, qui nos
benedixit in omni benedictione spirituali! says St. Paul.'
For I dare not speak of any of those things that Christ
worketh not by me for the obedience of the Gentiles by
word and deed.2 If you look into the story of holy
priests who have, since the Apostles, exercised most
worthily and gloriously the same ministry, you will
remark that all combined work with virtue, and that
their success has been according to the perfection of
their lives. They have worked conversions and brought
souls to holiness in the measure that they were void of
selfishness and full of the Spirit of their divine Master.
Their example should be enough to convince you that
those who accept the ministry of preaching ought to
make their fives holy, first of all, and that they should
apply to themselves especially the words of Our Savior
to His Apostles at the Last Supper: Abide in Me. Who
abides in Me, the same beareth much fruit. If anyone
1 Eph., i, 3.

2 Rom.,

xv,

18.

302

Meditation.

abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and
shall wither.1
Second Point. Why is it that the priests who are
holy in life, as well as in character, accomplish most
good? It is simply because they combine in a consid­
erable degree those things that contribute to effective
preaching: zeal, true eloquence, and the assistance of
God’s grace.
1. Zeal, the very soul of the apostolate and of preach­
ing. One cannot be anything of the true apostle nor
a real preacher, if one be not simply full of zeal; but
:.·■ i* filled with it only if he is a true priest, a man of
God. devoted to His Lord. For, what is zeal, super­
natural zeal, I mean, a priest’s zeal? It is the love of
God in a surpassing degree, it is the sort of charity
that is ardens. But charity and holiness are insepa­
rable. The more a priest is holy, the more is his heart
wanned and fired by charity, the more does he resem­
ble the Apostles, and the more capable does he become
of carrying on their work. You recall under what form
the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of
Pentecost: In cloven tongues of fire. “These tongues
of fire indicated, says St. Gregory the Great, the mar* John, xv, 4.
4

The More Holy, the More Effective.

303

velous effects that divine grace was going to produce
through the Apostles. By the tongues is shown to us
that those whom the Holy Spirit has filled He hath
made at once ardent and eloquent.” As a matter of
fact, they did begin to preach immediately, and mar­
velously, and they communicated to souls forthwith
the same light and fervor with which they had just
been endued: Coeperunt loqui magnalia Dei. And all
apostolic men are formed in quite the same way. There
is no other way whereby to become apostolic. To
communicate the Spirit of God, one needs to have It
himself first and in abundance: Qui non ardet non
incendit. He who has but natural reason as the source
of his inspiration, never is zealous, he remains cold
and soon loses heart and interest, and his language,
likewise, is never ardent, impetuous, nor has it ever
anything of the ardor of an apostle. “ Why is it,” says
St. Theresa, “that so many priests do so little good by
their preaching? It is this, that human wisdom does
not disappear in them as it disappeared from among
the Apostles in that great flame of divine love that
found its way to their hearts.” If they would but
become saintly and men of God, they would speak
with the tongues of saints and of men of God. The

304

Meditation.

Spirit of God would animate them. He would en­
lighten their minds and warm their hearts within them :
Facit ministros suos flammam ignis.1
2. A zealous man, a priest after God’s own heart,
has all that can make his words touch and persuade.
Nor has he any need to strive after eloquence: it comes
to him, it is, as it were, second nature or natural to
him to be eloquent. He can not well be otherwise. For
nothing is more natural, on the one hand, than to set
forth in a vivid manner that which one grasps clearly,
or to impart to, or inspire in others a sentiment that
has deeply penetrated one’s own being: and, on the
other hand, there is no one who has a more perfect
or truer understanding of revealed truths and who is
more affected by them, than men of God; they who
are habitually in union of thought and affection with
the Spirit of God, who are enlightened by His under­
standing and animated with His charity. Who believeth in Me, says the Master, from within him shall
flow rivers of living water.2 Faith, without doubt, can
be of various degrees, and the priest who scarcely does
more than adhere to Christian truths in general, with­
out giving them study in detail or trying to let or to
1 Heb., i, 7.

2 John,

vit,

38.

The More Holy, the More Effective.

305

make them penetrate his soul, will of course be able
to talk on them, even at length; but, he will not pre­
sent them in such wise that they will make any sort
of deep or lasting impression on anyone. It will, as
necessarily, be quite otherwise with the priest whose
belief in the truths of faith is lively and strong, who
feels what he believes, who has that degree of faith
which Jesus asks of His Apostles when He says to
them: Have the faith of God.1 You believe in God, be­
lieve also in Me.2 Such an one beholds and realizes
the truths of faith. They are for him present, living
realities. He is touched, convinced, compelled by
them. He is not of those who seem to speak of things
that it has not entered into their hearts to conceive,
or who have learned what they utter by hearsay. He
does not have to search for words, he is never lost for
expression; words come naturally to his lips out of the
abundance of his heart. And the words that come
from the heart are winged and make upon the heart
of one’s hearers an impression quite other than that
made by words taken from books and spoken only
from the Ups: for they awake always an echo in the
hearts of listeners. And let no one think that the lay
1 Mark,

xi,

21.

’ John,

xiv,

1.

306

Meditation.

folk do not discern the difference. They recognize it
at the very outset. The lamb bom but today knows the
bleating of its dame, says a pious writer: and the merest
child of God knows the accent of the Spirit of God;
he will never mistake for His word the voice of human
wisdom : Qui ex Deo est verba Deia udit.1 And it is
to the voice of the Spirit he lends a willing ear, to its
counselings he submits, to its suggestions he yields,
abandons himself. All others leave him insensible or
inspire distrust: Non novit vocem alienorum.2
3. Assuredly, everyone can implore grace, and all
prayer is of avail before the throne of God; but who
are they who ordinarily pray the best, and whom God
hears more readily? Are they not His more worthy
ministers, they who, laboring to fulfil His purposes with
humility and fervor, represent to Him the need they
have of His help in the very accomplishment of His
will: But if a man be a server of God, and doth His will,
him He heareth? And are not these the very ones that
are most given to prayer? Ordinary souls, but little
advanced on the way of perfection, pray indeed occa­
sionally, when they feel themselves in need. The
1 John, viii, 47.

1 John,

x,

5.

· John,

ix,

31.

The More Holy, the More Effective.

307

saints never have done with praying; because they
never cease to feel their helplessness and the thought
of divine mercy is always with them. And, further­
more, they can rest their pleas to God upon the merits
of their lives, on their sacrifices, on their works of
penance, on their labors. The efficacy of their prayer
is as assured as their assiduity therein. Yet, this is
not saying enough. We must recall that the earnest,
holy priest is never alone, and, that while he spends
himself in labor for God, the Holy Spirit works to­
gether with him. Our Savior abides in him quite
otherwise than in the ordinary faithful soul. He reigns
there truly, He lives there, and His action upon and
in that soul is sensible. A holy cleric is not merely
the abode, or the throne of the Savior: he is His organ,
and a most active one: Do you seek a proof that Christ
speaketh in met asked St. Paul of the Corinthians.1
There are some priests whose very presence is a re­
minder of God, and one cannot approach them without
feeling a sentiment of veneration. There is something
that surrounds them, that radiates from them, as
supernatural and as sensible as the halo set by the
artist on the brow of a saint. This explains why, in
1II Cor., xiii, 3.

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Meditation.

hearing them, one seems to be listening to the Spirit
Himself, and that one never thinks or has even a
notion of resisting them. This explains, too, the extra­
ordinary impressions and the prodigies of grace pro­
duced by certain preachers, St. Francis, for example,
St. Dominic, St. Vincent Ferrer. They had no pecul­
iar doctrine to preach. Often, they said but little,
and with little art; they changed stout and stubborn
hearts, nevertheless; they made hearts burn within the
bosoms of men, they worked untold conversions. The
Biessed de Montfort had only to look upon the faithful
assembled before him and show them the crucifix, to
move mem even to tears. And we priests, if we but
had a goodly share of their virtue, of their priestliness, not only would we speak otherwise than we
do now, but even the self-same words we now utter
would have so different, so new a power! Let them,
then, be our models henceforth. We shall study
their lives, and shall take to heart their maxims.
That will be well done; but let us, more than all,
let us get their spirit, practise their virtues, purify
our lives and become holy as they : then all will be
quite different; for us and for Holy Church.
Third Point. First be sanctified and then sane-

The More Holy, the More Effective.

309

tify, become enlightened and thereafter enlighten others;1
here is the right method of procedure, the only one
that leads anywhere. Those who follow any other,
little realize the wrong they do themselves and
others. For they make it more their study to know,
than to live well, so that many often err and do
but little or no good.2 Priests, for the most part,
will know only in the life to come, the amount of
good they might have accomplished if they but had
confidence in divine grace and if only they had been
generous in the service of Christ. Lord Jesus, pene­
trate me with the conviction that preaching is no
profane occupation, nor a work of mere man, but
a supernatural function and a work of grace; that,
to acquit myself well of it, I must live in union with
You and under the influence of Your Spirit, and
that they who exercise it with most fruit are the
same who love You most and who are most truly
Yours. Give me grace also, Lord Jesus, to prepare
myself for my ministry by applying myself to mak­
ing the much needed advance in the way of per­
fection, and to grow in virtue and knowledge, learn1 St. Greg. Naz., De Sacerd.
* Imit. I, 3, iv.

310

Meditation.

ing the language of Your Spirit the while. In be­
coming a holy priest, I am sure to become one of
Your worthy organs and prophets, and I shall
glorify You wherever I may be; in the pulpit as
at the altar or in the sacred tribunal: Idoneos facit
ministros Novi Testamenti non littera sed spiritus.1
“Of far more worth is what renders the instru­
ment supple and docile to the action of God, as
humility, contempt of the world, purity of intention,
than what disposes it to act of itself, as learning or
eloquence. A man of ordinary learning yet of great
virtue is a better workman in the service of the
Savior than a man of much learning but of ordinary
virtue?

1 II Cor., hi, 6.
* St. Ignatius Loyola, Thoughts.

PART V.
INSTRUCTIONS ON MAJOR ORDERS.
THE PRIESTHOOD.
ARTICLE I.

Ordination, Powers and Functions of the
Priesthood.
I.
WHAT THE PRIESTHOOD IS.

The priesthood is the first and most excellent of
Orders, the episcopate excepted. With the power
to offer the divine Sacrifice, and to confer all the
sacraments except that of the Orders, it gives to
those who receive it, the graces of which they have
need for the worthy exercise of their holy functions.
The inferior Orders are so many steps one must
take to arrive at the priesthood. The powers and
the graces received with these various dignities are
a sharing in, or are of the elements of the power and
grace of the priesthood; in this wise that, if one were
311

312

Instructions.

ordained to the priesthood all at once, without hav­
ing led up to it by the several degrees of the lesser
Orders, he would still enjoy all the powers of the in­
ferior ministers; and, in the supposition that he had
placed no obstacle to the efficacy of the sacrament
in so violating the law which requires that Orders be
received distinctly and gradually, he could have also
the very same graces.
There is no power given to man that approaches
that of the priesthood. It is a considerable thing,
assuredly, to expel the demon or to partake as ex­
orcist in the dominion of the Savior over His enemies.
It is a grand thing to be the light of souls and to im­
part knowledge to the faithful, as Acolytes do when
they begin upon the duties of their office. Yet, it is
a thing infinitely more grand, a marvel that eclipses
all others, to remit sins, to bring grace to the souls
of the faithful, to offer to the divine Majesty the
Body and Blood of the Man-God.1 It is to hold in
one's hands the salvation of the entire world; it is
to have in one’s possession the treasure of Heaven;
it is to render to the infinite Sovereignty of God a
1 Consecrandi, filii dilectissimi, in presbyteratus officium,
illud digne suscipere ac susceptum laudabiliter exequi
studeatis. Sacerdotem enim oportet offerre, benedicere,
præesse, prædicare et baptizare. Pontif., De Presbyt.

The Priesthood.

313

homage more glorious than the adoration of all angels
and saints.
And what else was the great dignity and function
of the Son of Man, but the priesthood? When His
Father willed to honor Him according to His merit
and to bestow upon Him a title in keeping with His
grandeur, He did not say: “Thou art a king; rule
over the universe;” He said to Him: “Thou art a
priest, and forever.” Jesus Christ could exercise no
more glorious function, nor have a dignity more high,
for none there is having an object more august or a
purpose more sublime. Now the priesthood that is
conferred upon us by ordination is the very priest­
hood of Jesus Christ. Between His powers and ours,
His functions and ours, there is not merely a simili­
tude : there is identity. It is the same victim Who
is immolated by Himself and by ourselves; it is the
same sacrifice; ’tis the same grace that comes of it:
Sacerdos alter Christus. Hence it is that the priest
does not speak in his own name during the divine
oblation, nor in the conferring of the sacraments,
but in the name of the Savior, forming, as it were,
with Him but one person: Ego te baptizo; Ego te
absolvo; Hoc est corpus meum; Hic est sanguis meus.

314

Instructions.

Were the Son of God still on earth fulfilling the
functions of the priest in a visible manner, He
would speak no differently.1
The episcopate has indeed a real superiority over
the priesthood and the power of a bishop is much
more extensive than that of the simple priest. Our
Lord would have it so. It was His will that there be
hierarchical subordination among His ministers,
and that, both as regards character and jurisdiction,
the priesthood be inferior to the episcopate. Never­
theless. if we limit ourselves to the consideration of
the power of Orders only, we shall see that in this,
which is the principal thing, that of bishops differs
but Little from that of priests and that the latter have
what the former possess in a more excellent way.
- Dominus noster Jesus Christus e terris ascensurus in
ccelos, sacerdotes sui operis vicarios reliquit. Cone. Trid.,
Sess. xiv, 5. Quid nobilius quam assimilari Filio Dei! St.
Bern., Stimul. amoris, n, 6. Quantam dignitatem contulit
eis Deus! Sicut enim non Angelos sed semen Abrahæ
apprehendit ad faciendam redemptionem, sic non angelis
sed hominibus, solisque sacerdotibus corporis ac sanguinis
sui commisit consecrationem. In Synod. Absit ut de his
quidquam sinistrum loquar qui, apostolico gradui succe­
dentes, Christi corpus sacro ore conficiunt, per quos et nos
christiani sumus, qui claves regni coelorum habentes quo­
dammodo ante judicis diem judicant, qui sponsam Domini
-obria castitate conservant. St. Hieron., Epist. xiv, 8.

The Priesthood.

315

“What is there that bishops do,” says St. Jerome,
“that priests cannot also do, save the ordaining
of sacred ministers?” They have above the priest
scarcely more than the power of communicating
their priesthood: a sublime power no doubt, but one
which derives all its grandeur from the priesthood
itself.
II.
MUST NOT THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIEST BE SUS­
TAINED BY HOLINESS OF LIFE?

Of this there can be no question; for, the character
of the priest being itself holy, eminently so, demands
of him that is honored with it a corresponding sanc­
tity. To exercise worthily this office, one needs to
have a degree of virtue such as it would not be right
to require on the same terms from the simple faith­
ful or inferior ministers.
1. It is of course, out of the question to think of
adducing here the multitude of texts from the Scrip­
ture and instances in tradition that inculcate the con­
viction that priests are under obligation of being
men of holy lives. Such attestations are without

316

Instructions.

number. If anyone wish to see an abridged collec­
tion of them, let him read any of the better known
works either of the holy Doctors or of other spiritual
writers on the priesthood : The treatise of St. Chrys­
ostom, De Sacerdotio; that of Molina, on the same
subject; the compilation by Horstius, entitled:
Septem tubae sacerdotales; Regula Cleri, by Tronson;
etc. Let us here make only a few observations, (a)
There is no point in all Moral on which one can find
so unanimous a teaching, more energetic convictions
or more striking considerations. (6) One would do
wrong to challenge the assertions of worthy men on
this point or to cry exaggeration. For, over and
above the fact that their teaching is well founded
in the Scriptures and the constant practice of the
Church, one must never forget that they who gave
us this doctrine, have been raised up by God for our
instruction in the truths of salvation, that the
greater number of them, being privileged with the
honor of the priesthood, have reflected maturely on
its duties and been careful not to overstate or to be
rigorists, and finally, that the reputation they enjoy
is founded on the merits of their writings as much as

The Priesthood.

317

on the greatness of their virtues.1 (c) They are not
more exacting with regard to us than are the simple
faithful. People of the world themselves are of the
persuasion that priests are obliged to set the example
of virtue, and that the life of the ministers of God
ought to be much more perfect than their own.
Hence the respect they have for us, the confidence
they place in us, their readiness and even eagerness
to defend us against any disparaging or dishonorable
imputation, and, in fine, the scandal occasioned when
a priest is known to be subject to the same weak­
ness as ordinary men, to take the same licenses, and
to be guilty of the same falls.2
2. Were authority lacking, reason would suffice
to convince us that God must exact of His priests a
life more holy according as their relations with Him
1 An volumus docere doctorem? An sapientiores illo
sumus et Spiritu carnis inflamur adversus eum quêm æterni
Dei testem nobilis eruor et clarissimæ passionis corona pro­
duxit? Quid tot annosi Episcopi, tot martyres, tot con­
fessores? St. Paciax., Epist. m.
’ A region, says Blanc de St. Bonnet, is always a degree
lower in virtue than its clergy. A saintly clergy brings up
a virtuous people; a virtuous clergy produces but a fair con­
gregation; a clergy made up of merely honorable men would
turn out an impious people.

318

Instructions.

are more intimate and as the sanctification of their
fellow men depends the more on theirs.
(a) What intimacy of dealing could be greater
than that of the priest with the three divine Persons?
—With the Father. The priest is the chief minister
of sacred worship. His ordinary occupation is to
show honor to God and to make Him honored of the
faithful. Each hour he offers the divine Majesty
new homage and new supplications. If his heart be
not pure, if his soul be not a sanctuary to God, of
what avail are these praises and prayers? Non est
speciosa laus in ore peccatoris.1 Sanctify thyself; be
sei apart as the sacred phials andasthe thurible reserved
to the uses of the temple and the worship of God.2 “The
soul of a priest should be in his body,” says Father
Olier, “as the perfume that lingers in an empty
censer.”*—With the Son. In the Sacrament of the
Altar, the priest is not only His adorer; he is His
guardian and all but His master. He possesses Him
as his treasure. He disposes of the Blessed Sacrament
as having a certain right of jurisdiction. He offers
and immolates Him therein in sacrifice both for him1 Eccli., xv, 9.
’ Obig., In Levit., Hom. xi.

’ Holy Orders.

The Priesthood.

319

self and for his brethren. He receives Him as his very
nourishment, and proffers or dispenses Him as food
to such as he deems worthy. What union, think you,
can be more close, and, by consequence, what obli­
gation more strict of living in the friendship of the
Savior?—With the Holy Ghost. It is by the lips of the
priest that the Spirit of God instructs the children
of the faith, exhorts them, justifies them. It is by
his hands that He blesses them, distributes to them
His graces, works unto their salvation. The priest
is His official organ in the governing of souls. And
ought not the instrument be the exclusive belong­
ing of Him that must always use it, and be wholly
devoted to the function for which it was made and
is employed? Thus each of the Three Persons, by vir­
tue of the relations they deign to have with the priest,
imposes upon him the obligation of being a holy
man.
(6) The perfection of the faithful depends essen­
tially on that of the priest. Why? Because it is
through the priest that the Almighty has chosen to
make the members of the Church holy and pleasing
to Him, and because the priest can contribute to
this work only in so far as he is what God wants him

320

Instructions.

to be. “The priest,” says St. Bernard, “owes three
things to the soul entrusted to his care: instruction,
example and prayer. Instruction first; he is to
teach them the law of God, show them the reasons
they have for keeping from sin, for practising virtue
and for doing something by way of advance in per­
fection. It follows from this that he must give them
the example, that he lead the way, that he encour­
age and sustain their faltering and diffident foot­
steps, that he reassure them of the safety and easi­
ness of the road by showing them how difficulties
may be surmounted. Their weakness in virtue means
he must be strong therein, if he is to be their aid.
And he must help them, too, by asking God’s
assistance, not only at the Altar, in the recitation of
the breviary and in the administration of the Sacra­
ments, but even at all times and moments by a con­
tinual and interior supplication, asking for the
succor they must needs have to overcome tempta­
tion, to triumph over themselves and to respond to
the inspirations of heaven. Now, if these things are
duties for the priest, if zeal is needed to address
himself to them and if grace in no ordinary measure
must initiate and second his efforts to fulfil his duty,

The Priesthood.

321

what other conviction can be borne in upon us than
that a priest must be holy of life, united to God and
docile to His Holy Spirit? A priest of layman’s
faults and failings ought to be ashamed to preach
the virtues he himself neglects; and if he preach them
out of necessity, conviction, ardor and enlightenment
will scarcely appear in his utterances. It is sadder
still to contemplate the effect his words will have if
men recognize that they give the lie to his own example. It is a fact of experience that men give ear
to or take to heart what is said by those whom they
think to be sincere, and they hold to be sincere only
such as live the maxims they teach others.1 Lastly,
it is certain that the prayers of a priest, his personal
prayers, weigh with God only in proportion as he
personally is pleasing to God, that is, according
as he is priestly in mind and heart, virtuous and fer­
vent. The sound of his voice or the moving of
lips count for nothing of themselves. It is the heart
1 Such it behooves ministers of God to be; serious, pru­
dent, pious, above reproach, without stain, so that whoso­
ever sha.ll observe them may be impressed, and declare in
admiration: “These men are indeed of God whose conversa­
tion and life and behavior is such.” St. Augustine, De vita
Christ., 9.

322

Instructions.

alone that God considers. If the heart is His, if it is
full of faith, of charity, of trust, God answers its sup­
plications with all the goodness of a Father; but if he
find it cold to Him, insensible and indifferent, how
or why should he be touched by mere words or be
pleased to grant desires so ill or so undesiringly ex­
pressed? The priest, then, must understand that he
will be useful to souls only if he is virtuous, and in
the proportion that he is virtuous. To make souls
pure and holy, as to do honor to God, it simply must
be that one have the sanctity of his calling, or at
least be zealous for it.
III.
DOES A FIRM RESOLVE TO SET ABOUT ONE’S SANC­
TIFICATION SUFFICE TO WARRANT ONE’S TAKING
THE PRIESTHOOD UPON HIMSELF, AS IT DOES FOR
ENTERING THE MONASTIC LIFE?

No one pretends that it is necessary to be abso­
lutely perfect before becoming a priest. Absolute
perfection is not for creatures; and besides, no one
knows what is the highest degree to which man can
attain. On the other hand, the desire or purpose
to become better and the will to sanctify self more

The Priesthood.

323

and more are in every state the essential elements
of all holiness of life. Nevertheless, it cannot be
said that these suffice to make one fit for the priest­
ly character. Together with this desire and this will
which look to the future, there is needed in the pres­
ent, actually, a certain well determined measure of
virtue; of virtue already acquired. Herein is one
of the differences, indicated by writers on the spirit­
ual life, between the priestly and the religious state.
As one becomes a religious in order to sanctify him­
self, and as this state has as its peculiar purpose to
make more holy such as embrace it, it is enough on
entering a religious order to have a firm resolve to
abide there, working the while at one’s sanctifica­
tion with the means that the community affords and
prescribes its subjects. But it is not merely to
sanctify self, it is also to sanctify others and to pro­
mote the glory of God, that men become priests. In
receiving the sacerdotal character, one assumes the
obligation of exercising the most holy of functions, of
celebrating the most august mysteries, of teaching
the faithful the practice of every Christian virtue, of
giving them the example and of procuring the grace
of the same. And for this a firm purpose or a mo-

324

Instructions.

ment of fervor is not enough; solid virtue above the
ordinary is necessary. All are agreed on this, theo­
logians as well as spiritual writers.1
And what is the degree of perfection required of
one who would be promoted to priesthood, and when
can one know that he has attained to it? To this
question we can make no other answer than that we
we have already given for the preceding Orders. It
is impossible to determine the degree with precision.
For one sees so many great servants of God who
deemed themselves unfit for this honor, and therefore it would seem little in keeping with modesty
an i prudence to make a pretence of meriting it,
be one’s condition what it may. Wherefore, we
must content ourselves with urging those who have
a true vocation simply to follow these rules: 1. Leave
nothing undone to profit by the graces that are
proffered you, and never relax in your efforts to
advance in virtue, retaining ever the persuasion
that you will never have enough of holiness to grace
* Ad sacramentum altaris major sanctitas requiritur
quam requirat etiam religionis status. St. Th., 2“ 2«, q. 184,
a. 8. Illi qui divinis mysteriis applicantur perfecti in vir­
tute esse debent. In 4, diet. 24, q. 3. Sacerdos est in ordine
perficientium, non perficiendorum. Id.

The Priesthood.

325

your ministry as it deserves, and that the more vir­
tue is yours the more honor will you do to God and
the more good to your fellow-men. 2. To ascer­
tain when you ought or when you may present your­
self for ordination, consult the appreciation of your
superiors and particularly the judgment of the di­
rector of your conscience. Provided you act frank­
ly and honestly and have revealed yourself in di­
rection as you really have been and are, or as you
honestly believe yourself, you can lay aside all
doubt and fear and follow with humble confidence
the way indicated you.

IV.
WHAT, ACCORDING TO THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, ARB
THE QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR THE PRIESTHOOD?

1. The Council of Trent (Session 23, ch. 14) lays
down five conditions for admission to the priesthood :
That all candidates have fulfilled with piety and
fidelity their ministry in the preceding Orders;
That testimony unquestionable of their proper con­
duct be had; That they have passed an entire year
in deaconship, or at least that the Bishop ordain none

326

Instructions.

otherwise save in the interests of the Church; That
it be made clear, in a serious examination, that they
are capable of teaching the faithful the truths neces­
sary to salvation and of administering them the
Sacraments; Finally, that their piety and the purity
of their morals give assurance that they will never
cease to lead their brethren to virtue as well by their
example as by their discourses. It will not do to
pass lightly over these conditions.
(a) To be fit for advancement to the priesthood,
the deacon must have given proof of his piety in the
preceding Orders. Herein the Council confirms the
teaching of ecclesiastical writers, that the applica­
tion one can give to the fulfilling of the functions of
any Order and the fervent practice of the virtues it
calls for are the best possible way in which to prepare
for higher Orders. For they that have ministered
well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and much
confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.1
Whence it is reasonable to conclude that whoever
ceases to think of his promotion to an Order as soon
as he has received it may well be feared for, particu­
larly if such an one take no trouble to acquit himself
11 Tim., hi, 13.

The Priesthood.

327

well of the offices of his Order, to learn and conserve
its spirit, to tend to its duties.
(b) It is necessary that good testimony be given of
the Ordinand and, by consequence, assurance that
he has led an edifying life. Such cannot have been
his life if, since his last ordination, he has been lax
or indifferent to making progress in the spirit of his
vocation, if at the seminary he has been remarked
for dissipation, if during vacation time he showed no
relish for anything much but idling away his time in
such things as ill become one who is supposed to
be of serious, not to say spiritual turn of mind, and,
for all the more reason, if he abandoned altogether
his practices of piety and could not keep himself in
the state of grace.
(c) He must have passed the required time in Dea­
con’s Order, unless dispensed by the Bishop. Apropos
of which it is good to remark: That the law of inter­
stices, wisely made by the Church, ought to apply
or be applied with greater exactness to deacons for
that the priesthood requires a more perfect prepar­
ation: That such dispensation is to be accorded,
so says the Council, but for the good of the Church ;
and that, consequently, it would be wrongful and

328

Instruction».

an abuse to solicit it out of human motives or to seek
it for private interest.
(d) It is required that the ordinand have been ad­
judged capable of teaching the elements of the faith, of
administering the Sacraments and of performing the
other functions of the holy ministry. Nothing can be
more essential. And yet, does it not seem, says an
ecclesiastical writer, that not enough thought is giv­
en to this? Some there are who are less struck by
the need of ecclesiastical science for the attending
to the duties of a priest than by the need of medical
science for the practice of medicine. Whence is
this? May it not be that such give thought chiefly
to the present, and little or nothing to the future?
Looking at matters in that light, but in that light
only, it does matter less that a priest be poorly
versed in the things that pertain to his ministry than
that a physician lack the knowledge and skill re­
quired in his practice. A doctor ignorant and un­
skilled will very soon lose the confidence of his
patients; but a priest may often be the better ac­
cepted and the more sought after and may have
the more success, of a sort, in his ministry in the
very measure that he is less careful about the proper

The Priesthood.

329

fulfillment of its duties. Saint Ligouri submitted
all who came to him for ordination to a thorough
examination in all theology. He based his practice
on this rule of the Council of Trent, which decrees
that all priests be capable of preaching and of ad­
ministering the Sacraments.
(e) Finally, the ordinand must have such piety
as will warrant the trust that he will edify the faith­
ful and that he will never cease to lead them to vir­
tue as well by his example as by his discourses.
Note that in her allocutions to those whom she
makes her ministers, the Church always joins holi­
ness with science, and example with teaching. She
is anxious that it may always be said of her ministers
what Our Savior said of His Precursor, that he was
lucerna ardens et lucens: ardent by the fervor of his
charity; shining by the brilliance of his knowledge
of the things of God and the purity of his teachings
and of his example. Men of this stamp do great
good to souls and all the friends of God rejoice to
see themselves entrusted to the guidance of such.
2. The Pontifical is yet more express than the
Council: Cum magno timore ad tantum gradum
ascendendum est; ac providendum ut coelestis sapien-

330

Instructions.

tia, probi mores et diuturna justitiae observantia ad
id electos commendent. This to those who are about
to present themselves for promotion to the priest­
hood.
(a) Cum magno timore. No one should ascend
without fear and trembling to the most sublime and
the most perilous of all the Orders. You recall the
the words of St. Vincent de Paul: “Had I known
what it is to be a priest, never would I have con­
sented that a bishop impose hands upon me. ” Also
what was said to St. Francis of Assisi, when debating
whether he would present himself or not for ordina­
tion to the priesthood: “Francis, to be a priest, one
must have a soul pure and shining as this crystal.”
When one beholds such holy men as these tremble
at the thought of ordination, or withhold themselves
from it for fear, must not one lament the heedless
and unthinking eagerness of those who have no
thought or desire or impulse but to be ordained just
as soon as they can possibly be admitted to Orders,
never paying heed to that which is exacted by the
sanctity of God and by the laws of the Church?
i'i>) Coelestis sapientia. Before raising her deaeons to sacerdotal dignity, the Church would see in
them a wisdom supernatural and altogether heavenly.

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331

Such wisdom as is to be drawn from the Gospel,
of which they are the preachers and with which they
must nourish their own souls. Yet, are they few
who have received the Order of Deaconship and
have never thought well on this and who have ex­
ercised their ministry without ever trying to learn
or imbibe its spirit?
(c) Probi mores. Furthermore, the distinctive
mark of one who is fit to be advanced the last step,
great purity of morals and long practice of justice,
that is, of the truly Christian virtues.1
God wills to give all these qualities and all these
dispositions to every one of His priests, for the honor
of Mother Church and for the consolation of saintly
souls He so much loves! Sacerdotes tui induantur
justitiam, Domine, et sancti tui exsultent?
1 St. Ligouri, a man of long experience, deep learning and
great zeal insists on the necessity of these dispositions. Si
quis adolescens vult suscipere statum presbyteri sæcularis,
confessarius non sit facilis ad annuendum sine longa et pro­
bata experientia recti finis et scientiæ vel sufficientis capaci­
tatis. Sacerdotes enim saeculares habent eamdem, imo
majorem obligationem quam religiosi, et remanent in saeculi
periculis. Unde ut quis bonus evadat sacerdos in sæculo,
oportet ut prius egerit vitam valde exemplarem, remotam
a ludis, ab otio, a pravis sociis et deditam orationi et sacra­
mentorum frequentia, alioquin se ponet in statu quasi certæ
damnationis. Praxis, 93.
2 Ps., cxxxi, 9.

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Instruction».

V.
WHY DOES THE BISHOP, EVEN AFTER HAVING RE­

CEIVED THE GOOD TESTIMONY OF HIS ARCHDEACON

CONCERNING THE ORDINANDS, ASK STILL FURTHER

OF HIS CLERGY AND OF THE FAITHFUL THEIR
SENTIMENTS?

The Bishop himself gives the reason for so doing,
which is only what has been done since the earliest
days of the Church.
1. Since the priesthood is the first and holiest of
Orders, one cannot take too great precaution lest
any but those of true merit be raised to it, and on
whose virtue reliance can be placed. Were the
Bishop content with the assurance of but one party,
or if he were to refer to the advice of but a few, there
could be reason to fear that he might be led into
error or yield to partiality.1
2. The faithful are much concerned that none but
saintly men be ordained priests. Nothing is of more
importance to them than that they have worthy
clerics as their pastors, such as God wishes alone to
1 What is sometimes unknown to many, is known to a few.
De presbyt.

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333

have and as are fit for the ministry. As the Pontifi­
cal says, if the vessel is wrongly steered it is not only
the helmsman who is lost; all those on board perish
with him.1
3. As priests must govern, instruct, exhort and
sanctify the children of God, they need to enjoy
their confidence and must often make appeal to,
and rely on their docility. Now experience teaches
that confidence is given by the faithful to such as
are according to their own hearts, and they obey
the more readily when they have come to know the
good qualities of those who command them.’

VI.
THE MATTER AND FORM OF THE PRIESTHOOD.

There is some difference of opinion on this ques­
tion among theologians.
1. The majority regard the imposition of hands
' Omnes in navi sumus, in qua omnes periclitamur.
Alii operantur et alii portantur. Simul tamen omnes et in
tempestate periclitantur et in portu salvantur. Qui sedent
ad gubernacula et qui fideliter navem amant, sentiunt quod
dico. St. Aug., In Ps. cvr, 12.
’ Facilius ei quis obedientiam exhibet ordinato, cui assen­
sum praebuerit ordinando. Pontif. De preib.

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Instructions.

by the Bishop upon each ordinand in particular and
on all the ordinands reunited after the monition
given them concerning the functions and duties of
the priesthood, as the matter of the Sacrament;
and as for the form, they hold it is the prayer which
follows: Oremus, fratres carissimi, Deum Patrem
omnipotentem.........................This is the most prob­
able opinion, says St. Ligouri.
2. A goodly number, however, invoking the author­
ity of the Council of Florence, give as the matter,
the tradition of the chalice to the ordinands, and, as
the form, the words of the Bishop which accompany
this rite: Accipe potestatem offerre sacrificium Deo,
missasque celebrare tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis.
3. Some unite these two opinions and look upon
as essential both ‘matters’ and both ‘forms.’
4. There are those besides, who add to these two
‘matters’ the imposition of hands made by the
Bishop at the end of the ordination Mass, and to
the ‘forms’ the words which he then pronounces:
Accipe Spiritum Sanctum. Quorum remiseris pec­
cata remittuntur eis, et quorum retinueris retenta sunt.
For the discussion of these opinions one can refer
to the theologians. It suffices to say here that all

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335

these rites are rigorously prescribed and that care­
ful attention and watch must be kept lest any of
them be omitted or questionably executed.
VII.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAYING

OF

HANDS BY THE BISHOP AND PRIESTS ON THE HEAD
OF EACH OF THOSE TO BE ORDAINED?

1. In so far as this is common to the ordination of
deacons, its significance is identical. It indicates:
(a) That a particular grace is conferred to the new
priest to render him worthy of his ministry and capa­
ble of fulfilling it well; (i>) That God is pleased with
the offering that each makes of his person, and that
He accepts him as priest and as victim. The ordinanation implies a mutual offering, an exchange of
gifts, and this rite affords the expression of both the
one and the other.
2. As for that which is peculiar to this ordination,
namely, that priests join therein with the Bishop
and that both hands are extended together upon
each candidate, such an imposition of hands gives
us to understand: (a) That in communicating or

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Instructions.

conferring the priestly character, the Bishop bestows
the highest of the Orders, and, that there be received
Therewith all the graces as well as the powers there­
of, he gives to the ordinands all that he can give.1
1b) That the spirit of the priesthood is one, and that
all priests cannot but be gladdened at the sight of
this increase to their numbers and of this communi­
cation of grace constantly going on yet never ex­
hausted.
This ceremony is accomplished in silence, as it
were through fear lest human words should perturb
the working of the Spirit of God.
VIII.
WHAT IS SYMBOLIZED BY THE PLACING OF THE STOLE
OVER THE SHOULDERS OF THE PRIEST AND CROSS­
ING IT ON HIS BREAST?

The stole is the symbol of spiritual authority and
of sacerdotal power as regards the Sacraments.
1 Impositio manuum in sacramento fit ad significandum
copiosum gratiæ effectum. Et ideo fit in sacramento Con­
firmationis in quo confertur plenitudo Spiritus sancti; et in
Sacramento Ordinis in quo confertur quaedam excellentia
potestatis in divina mysteria. St. Th., p. 3, q. 48, a. 4.

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337

1. In placing it over the shoulders of the young
priest, the Bishop makes it clear, says St. Thomas,
that he confers such authority, and that he is to use
it in his everyday ministry.1 Up to now he has worn
the stole transversely, over one shoulder only, be­
cause, being but a deacon, he had not received the
fulness of power, and could exercise such as he had
only in dependence on the priest.
2. Placed as it is at this moment, the stole is for
him at the same time a yoke and a cross, a yoke upon
his shoulders and a cross upon his heart.2 To this
the Bishop alludes in the words: Accipe jugum
Domini : jugum enim ejus suave est et onus ejus leve.
May the priest never cease to bear the newly re­
ceived yoke on his shoulders and the cross upon his
bosom; may he never put off the one or the other:
1 The stole is put on both shoulders of the priest to show
that to him is given full power of dispensing the sacra­
ments, and not as it were to be a minister to another.—
Supplem., q. xi, a. 7.
2 Stola longa super albam et usque ad pedes dependens
signat obedientiam Christi et voluntariam servitutem pro
nobis. Ipse enim pro salute nostra factus est obediens
usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis. Et hoc significat
cancellata stola in pectore ad modum crucie. Designat etiam
crux in pectore Christi passionem quam circumferre pervigili
meditatione debemus in corde, et in corpore per mortifica­
tionem terrenæ delectationis. St. Bonav., Opusc. de exposit. Misses.

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Instructions.

they are inseparable; and one day, as for the
Apostles and all fervent priests, they will be to him
rhe source of comforts and consolations, though at
first he seemed like to find them but burdens or
sufferings. Sicut abundant passiones Christi in
nobis, ita et abundat consolatio nostra. . . Ita
Pater, quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te.
IX.
WHAT DOES THE LAST VESTMENT, THE CHASUBLE,
SIGNIFY?

It signifies the charity with which the priest
ought to be animated and clothed. Accipe vestem
sacerdotalem per quam caritas intelligitur, says the
Bishop to him. Potens autem est Deus ut augeat
tibi caritatem et opus perfectum. These words ad­
monish us to ask unceasingly the increase of this
virtue in our hearts. It is as if the Bishop said to
the young priest: “Beg of God to increase from
day to day charity in your soul; His charity, with­
out which this symbolic vestment would be a lie
and would be unto your damnation. Recall often
that without charity you are nothing before God.
Though you work miracles, and have all graces and

The Priesthood.

339

virtues, if this one be lacking you then you have
not the spirit of your priesthood and it would not
be right for you to ascend to the altar.”1 If one
ask why this symbol of charity is reserved to the
priest and why he ought to be vested with it at the
altar, it is, says St. Thomas, that the priest is min­
ister of the Sacrament of love and it is at the altar
and in the oblation of the divine Sacrifice that he
celebrates the Mystery of love.2
It is without doubt, also, because, being charged
with the care of souls and owing service to all who
have need of it, to him is addressed to-day the
question put of old to the first of pastors : Diligis me?
Diligis me plus his? Charity comprises love of neigh­
bor and love of God, and the two parts of the chasu­
ble correspond to the twofold object of the virtue.3
1 Attendat sacerdos ut signum sine significato non ferat
et vestem sine virtute non portet, ne forte similis sit sefulchro deforis dealbato, intus autem omni pleno spurcitia.
NN. in, De sac. Miss., i, 64.
2 Habet casulam quæ significat caritatem, quia ipse cari­
tatis conficit sacramentum. St. Thom., Suppi., q. 11, a. 7.
Omnibus indumentis superponitur casula, quæ quia com­
munis est vestis, caritatem significat quæ universis virtuti­
bus superponitur, quia cæteræ virtutes nihil eine ea utile
operantur. Yvo Carnut., De sign, indum. Sacerd.
3 See Bacuez, The Divine Sacrifice and the Priest who cele­
brates it, Part ii, sec. n, ch. I.

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Instructions.
X.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ANOINTING OF THE
PRIEST’S HANDS IN THE FORM OF A CROSS BY

the bishop while the

Veni Creator

is being

CHANTED.

This ceremony is of manifold significance:
1. The anointing of the hands of the priest signinifies that, by virtue of his ordination, his soul re­
ceives an indelible character that will forever mark
him off from the simple faithful, and an unction of
special grace that enables him to fulfil all his duties
and bear all trials and hardships with ease, with con­
solation and with love.
2. It is done with oil, symbol both of meekness
and of strength, because the priest has need equally
of strength to overcome difficulties and of meekness
to reach hearts, to console and to heal them. He
must know how to work as God does: fortiter et
suaviter.
3. It is done in the form of a cross, because it is to
the cross of the Savior and to His Sacrifice that are
due all the graces with which the priest is blessed
and which he must dispense to the faithful.

The Priesthood.

341

4. It is made upon the hands, because those hands
are destined to do many holy and supernatural deeds,
to bless the people, to administer sacraments, to bear
the Lamb without spot,1 “Oh! how pure should be the
hands, that are to be worthy of such a function,”
says the Imitation. Undoubtedly they had long
ago, and have preserved still the purity that is
essential. The Church takes this for granted al­
ready at tonsure; but by today that purity ought
to be made perfect; wherefore is invoked the grace
of the Holy Spirit, spiritalis unctio.
Let the priest be animated, imbued with these
sentiments, and let him pray Our Savior to effect
in his soul that work of grace of which the anoint­
ing is the symbol! Beholding his hands thus traced
with the cross in holy oil, let him beg God so to ease
and lighten the crosses He may be pleased to send
him ; let him not fail to promise that he will receive
them with a love like that which moves God to send
them. Let him ask himself if after this can he not
but cherish a religious respect for his anointed
hands? The very thought that they have been con1 Unctio solis sacerdotibus fit, quia propriis manibus
corpus Christi tangunt. St. Thomas, In iv, 9, d. 20.

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Instructions.

secrated for the divine mysteries must withhold him
from making, I do not say culpable, but even un­
becoming use of them, such as would be little worthy
of their sacerdotal character.1

XI.
WHY THE NEW PRIESTS COME WITH ALL THE OTHER

ORDINANDS TO THE FEET OF THE BISHOP, WITH
LIGHTED CANDLE AND MAKE AN OFFERING OF IT
TO HIM, THE WHILE KISSING HIS RING AND RECEIV­
ING HIS BLESSING.

If they come to the altar thus, at the moment of
the offertory, it is to express sensibly the offering
they have made and will ever make of all they have
and are to God, that so they may give him a gener­
ous service in His Church. They unite this obla­
tion with that of the body and blood of the divine
Victim which they are about to offer in union with the
bishop. The lighted candles which they bear in their
hands are emblems of that which each ought ever to
be: lucerna ardens et lucens; men who, after the
1 Indignum est ut manus quae sacramenta consumant
aleas tractent. St. Cyprian, De aleat.

The Priesthood.

343

example of the Baptist, enkindle hearts with the fire
of charity and enlighten minds with the bright and
piercing light of their saving doctrine. In this
ceremony, let them ask of God that they will be
faithful to consume their lives in His service and for
His glory. The thought may come to them that
already at Baptism they have held a like candle in
their hands, symbol of the Christian faith in the
light of which they were called to walk. ’Tis now
the moment to ratify, to confirm with all their hearts
that first engagement.

XII.
WHY DO THE NEWLY ORDAINED PRIESTS SAY THE

MASS WITH THE BISHOP AND RECEIVE THE HOLY
EUCHARIST FROM HIS HANDS?

This is a striking and sensible expression of the
unity of the priesthood and of the union that should
always exist between those who exercise it. Be­
longing one and all to the same Master, toiling at
the same work and having but one and the same pur­
pose, they ought to have and share the one spirit,
the one concern and interest, the one will. Unus

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Instructions.

Dominus, unum templum; unum sit etiam ministe­
rium, says St. Jerome.1
Note that each newly ordained priest celebrates
the holy Sacrifice as well as the bishop. Their
wills form but one, even if some lead or if some are
behind in the recitation of the prayers. However,
the rubrics direct that the priests be careful to pro­
nounce word for word with the bishop.
XIII.
WHY DOES THE BISHOP ADDRESS TO THE PRIESTS

ESPECIALLY THESE WORDS OF THE DISCOURSE AF­
TER the last supper:

Jam non dicam vos servos?

He seeks thereby to make the priests feel the emi­
nence of their newly received dignity, the change
that their promotion ought to effect in their lives,
and the spirit that should fill their souls. Hearing
these words their thoughts should be such as these:
1. That they have now become sharers of the voca­
tion of the Apostles. Though they do not succeed
them in the episcopate, nor receive the same charac­
ter, nor reach to the same high Order, they do never1 Epist. 52 ad Nepot.

The Priesthood.

345

theless participate with them in the priesthood of
Our Savior. And it is for this reason that Jesus
honors them with the name of friends. A privilege
indeed, to be numbered among the friends and rep­
resentatives of the Man-God! Happy they, says
the Holy Spirit, who have found a true friend! The
faithful friend is a treasure without price.1 But
Your friendship, Lord, is it not, too, the most glo­
rious of honors as well as the most precious of treas­
ures? Nimis honorati sunt amici tui; Deus. Nimis
confortatus est principatus eorum.2 0 wonderful con­
descension of divine goodness: we are not even
worthy servants, yet we are called friends.3
2. That they ought to be, after their ordination,
as Saul after his anointing: Dixit Samuel: Insiliet
in te Spiritus Domini et mutaberis in virum alium,·4
or rather, as the Apostles after the descent of the
Holy Ghost, quite new men. Folks were astonish­
ed on beholding and hearing them, says St. Luke.
Each one asked himself: “Are these the Galilaeans
we knew and with whom we were wont to live?”
To signify the change that is made in themselves,
1 Eccli., vi 15, xxv, 12.
2 Ps., cxxxvni, 37.

a St.

Greg.

41 Reg. x, 6.

346

Instructions.

the bishops, who are the chiefs of the clergy, change
their name before men at the same time that they
are changed in rank and quality before God. They
no longer sign with their family name, but with that
of their Baptism and of their church or see.
3. That the spirit of the priesthood is not a spirit
of servile fear, but of filial love; that priests should
give thought less to the menaces of Our Savior than
to His goodness and kindliness; that they should
consult less their interests tlian His. “We have
not received a spirit of fear, says the Apostle, but a
spirit of generosity and of trustfulness.”1 St. Paul
does not disparage ail fear; he adjudges such a mo­
tive of life as not being noble enough for the heart
of a priest; and since God is pleased to act with such
goodness with regard to His priests, He feels that
they cannot have in return either too great zeal or
too loving a trust.

1 τι Tim., i, 7.

The Priesthood.

347

XIV.
WHY DO THE NEWLY ORDAINED PRIESTS RECITE ALOUD
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BISHOP, AND AT THE END
OF THE MASS, THE APOSTLES CREED?

It is not only to testify that they are one in belief
with the Church and with the Apostles, her founders;
it is also, and above all, to protest solemnly their
will to teach all the truths of faith, and their readi­
ness to forgo life even, rather than deny a single one
of them: Profitentur fidem quam praedicaturi sunt,
says the Pontifical. It was in this wise and in this
self-same disposition, according to a tradition, that
the Apostles made their profession of faith before
separating for their missions in the various parts of
the world. Nothing is there more imposing or im­
pressive than this venerable Credo, the abridgment
of the revelations of God and of the beliefs of His
children. May these new priests ever be able to
say the Creed at holy Mass with the same spirit of
religion and with the same fervent devotion.

348

Instructions.

XV.
'ΛΉΪ DOES THE BISHOP SAY TO EACH PRIEST AT THE

end of the mass:

Accipe Spiritum sanctum?

The bishop does for them at this moment, what
Our Lord did for His Apostles the evening of His
resurrection: He breathed upon them and said unto
them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins ye shall
forgive, they are forgiven them', and whose sins ye shall
retain, they are retained.1 This breathing of Our
Savior upon His chosen ones recalls the vivifying,
life-giving breath of the Creator upon the body of
Adam, at the moment when He made of him a living
being. Thus the divine Master would seem to have
the Apostles and ourselves understand that by nature
man is as far removed from the priesthood as that
body, formed from the slime of the earth, was from
the being endowed with a living soul; and that, as an
act of creation and a new soul were needed to pro­
duce, to make up real man, even after the formation
of the body, in like manner there must be a new
spirit, a new creature, as it were, whatsoever may
1 John, xx, 22, 23.

The Priesthood.

349

have been all the preparation, to form the priest
ready for the exercise of his functions.
The remission of sins and the justification of souls
was the most wondrous work the Apostles had to
accomplish, after the celebration of the divine Mys­
teries; it was becoming then, that, in conferring these
powers upon them, the Son of God should use or
give them some sensible token of this communica­
tion of His spirit, in order that they might ever be
reminded, and that they should have a care to re­
call to the faithful how, as priests, they are but the
simple organs of the Spirit of God, and not them­
selves the source of graces nor the sovereign masters
of heavenly gifts.
The words of the bishop suggest the same thought.
The newly ordained priests must understand that
the ministry of the holy Tribunal is truly and wholly
supernatural, that they by their own power or vir­
tue can do nothing therein and that the Holy Ghost
must be with them to there effect any good to souls.

350

Instructions.
XVI.

WHY DOES THE BISHOP UNFOLD AT THIS MOMENT THE
CHASUBLE OF EACH NEW PRIEST?

The bishop thus gives them to understand two
things:
1. That the power to remit sins, the earnest of
which he has just given them, crowns all they have
received and completes their priesthood, in this that,
being thorough priests, endowed with all power and
grace needed to fulfil any priestly function, it is but
just that they be known and acknowledged as such
and should wear the insignia thereof, quite as they
who are gone before them in the ministry.
2. That the ministry of the confessional requires
an increase of grace and of virtue. This is the mean­
ing of the words of the bishop while performing this
ceremony: Stola innocentiae induat te Dominus! As
if he were to say: “May the Lord purify your soul
yet more that you may be able to cleanse the souls
of others.” Or again: “May God keep guard over
your innocence! May He preserve it from all stain!
The water that is most clear and pure at its source
is defiled in the cleansing of our cities; so there are

The Priesthood.

351

priests who have lost purity of soul while pretending
to purify other souls. The demon, driven from the
heart of a penitent by the virtue of the sacrament,
oft seeks to enter into the heart of the confessor. It
needs only an imprudence or an indiscretion to give
him entrance. Trust not to your own virtue or
strength, nor think that you are able even for an
instant to dispense with the succor of God. You
will fall infallibly, if you cease to lean on Him. But
if you are faithful to invoke His Spirit, if you take
always the precautions that the Church has pre­
scribed you, that your honor and your safety exact,
He will never suffer that your ministry bring you
aught of regret. The horror of sin that you now
cherish will grow according as you observe the
more its sad effects, and grace will make up whatso­
ever may be wanting to you of experience and matur­
ity: Aetas senectutis, vita immaculata.1

1 Sap., iv, 9. Fidelis est qui vocavit vos, qui etiam
faciet, i Thess., v, 24.

352

Instructions.
XVII.

«ΉΪ DOES THE NEW PRIEST PLACE HIS HANDS IN
THOSE OF THE BISHOP WHILE PROMISING OBEDI­
ENCE?

In order to testify in a sensible manner that he
places himself at the disposal of his bishop in regard
to all that concerns his ministry, that he purposes
to live in dependence upon him and to be guided by
him. This is what vassals of old did when pledg­
ing homage to a suzerain or liege lord. We all do
the like when we join our hands in adoring prayer to
God, as to our sovereign Master.
On his part the bishop gives the priest the kiss of
peace to assure him of his kindly regard and good
will, and to give token that he will use his authority
over him as a friend and father.

The Priesthood.

353

ARTICLE II.

The Duties of a Priest in the Holy
Ministry.

XVIII.
ΉΉΑΤ IS ORDINARILY THE PRINCIPAL PREOCCUPA­
TION OF A PRIEST DURING THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW
HIS ORDINATION?

It is the change that has come over him and the
realization that he has now to begin a new life.
Whether he be assigned to regular parish work, or be
given some particular function to fulfil, as teacher, in­
structor, or chaplain to some religious community,
his manner of life will of necessity be very different
from what it has hitherto been.
At the seminary his days were passed in retirement,
with earnest and pious companions, under a common
rule. He had only to watch over himself, and the
care of his own soul cost him but little effort. All
that he had to do was already marked out for him.
He knew or was told what to do, at what hour and
in what manner to do it; and, as all were required to

354

Instructions.

do the same as himself, he had but to fall in with or
to be carried along with the general movement. To
be orderly and regular, to fulfil his duties, it was
quite enough that he go counter to no rule wittingly
and willingly.
In the work of the ministry, or of education, it is
quite otherwise. Spiritual exercises, being made in
private, have no fixed hours. Save but for a few of
these, it depends upon the priest himself to decide
whether they shall be accomplished or omitted,
shortened or changed, according to caprice or con­
venience. Nothing but continual attention and un­
failing good will can keep up the habits formed at the
seminary, such as exactness at mental prayer, dili­
gence in the recitation of the divine office, fervor in
the matter of one’s visit to the most blessed Sacra­
ment, the saying of the beads, spiritual reading, ex­
amen, confession : this, whether one be curate, chap­
lain, or professor. And if the resolutions taken by
the young priest be not solid, as any real resolve
must be, if he lack firmness and decision in the
practice of them, then he runs the risk of soon for­
getting them altogether, of abandoning one part of
those exercises and of neglectfully acquitting the

The Priesthood.

355

other; of losing, in consequence, the very spirit of
fervor and of compromising more or less the inter­
ests of his soul.
Besides, an ecclesiastic, invested with the sacer­
dotal character, may no longer think only of him­
self; he ought to occupy himself more or less, accord­
ing to his position, with bettering spiritually his
fellow-men. It is for them as well that he has
received of heaven so many powers and so many
graces. If he is employed in parish work, he should
offer the holy Mass for his people, celebrate for them
the sacred offices, administer them the sacraments.
The conversion of those in sin is a work he must con­
sider his to accomplish ; so, too, the reconciliation of
penitents, the teaching of catechism to the children,
the visiting of the sick and the bringing to the dying
all the helps of our faith that are theirs by every
title. Each of these things is of capital impor­
tance, since each matters for eternity and since the
manner in which each is fulfilled is often the decid­
ing of the awful alternative of salvation or damna­
tion for a soul. Hence, the sense of gravity of these
obligations that should feel to his heart and make
him careful and concerned that he accomplish them

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Instructions.

as perfectly as possible. And yet, what often is
more difficult! And what prospect is more likely
to make him feel the need he has of God’s assistance
and the necessity he is under of putting it to profit!
Grace will not be lacking him: God has pledged
Himself to give it. But the priest can be more or
less faithful in cooperating with it. He can apply
himself with more or less generosity to the work that
is given him to do, and can exercise his ministry
with varying degrees of perfection. The question
is; what must he do to assure his perserverance?
Two things are simply indispensable:
1. He must have at heart the keeping of two firm,
well thought-out, precise resolutions concerning the
two sorts of exercises that are going to fill up his
life as a priest: the practices essential to a sacerdo­
tal life, and the functions peculiar to his condition.
These resolutions are to be taken to heart, deeprooted therein, if they are to affect his conduct; and
they need to be engraved upon it or become such
that his heart is set upon them that they may not
easily be effaced or allowed to go by default unre­
gretted, without remorse or self-reproach; they
should be like that of Our Lord, as He came into this

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357

world; He said to His Father: Deus 'meus volui, et
legem tuam in medio cordis mei.1 Ecce venio ut faciam,
Deus, voluntatem tuam.2 To this end they must be
written out, formulated neatly and with precision,
submitted to some one who is authorized to see to it
that they are put to practice. Ordinarily it is at
the seminary, before ordination, that one attends to
this duty. Should anyone have neglected this care,
it is not to be further deferred. From the very be­
ginning one has urgent need to know what it is he
wants to do and how he is to do it.
Evidently this rule cannot have the rigidity or
the precision of the seminary rule. One may not be
able to fix more than the hour of rising; yet, one
ought to foresee hindrances and irregularities. Like
the vacation rule, one should determine what are
the exercises to be done; the morning meditation,
thanksgiving after Mass, spiritual reading, visit to the
blessed Sacrament, the examen, confession, monthly
retreat; together with the length of each exercise
and the dispositions in which each is to be performed.
As regards the ordinary functions of the ministry,
1 Ps., xxxix, 9.
2 Heb., xi, 5.

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Instructions.

such as preaching, catechising, confessions, visita­
tion of the sick, administration of the last Sacraments,
it is needful to have concerning each settled, well
formulated principles, clean cut resolutions, sanc­
tioned and unchangeably fixed. One should consider
within himself beforehand, with what mind, with
what thoughts, with what views and purposes he
ought and really wishes to approach the altar,
ascend the pulpit, enter the confessional, catechise
children or visit the people; so that it will suffice to
recall each time what he has resolved in order to
put himself in the right frame of mind and to have
a right intention. It is essential that nothing be
left unprovided for, but all should be regulated
aforetime, under the eye of God and according to the
inspirations of His grace.
2. Another thing also of capital import to the new
priest, is to begin well the exercise of his priesthood
and of the sacred ministry; that is to say, to begin
from the very day of his ordination to use well his
time, to be faithful to his exercises and to meet his
duties in fervent accordance with the rules he felt it
needful to lay down for himself. No deferring, no
hesitation, no dissimulation with anyone. Let it

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350

be understood from the first day that your resolu­
tion and intention is to be a regular and an exem­
plary priest, to meet duty without regard to human
respect, to follow conscience and one’s rule of life
in everything and everywhere; abroad, in the rec­
tory, in the church, before relatives and when with
confrères, in regard to or with employees as well as
with the faithful or with the children entrusted to
one’s care.
Our welfare as well as the glory of God demands
this of us. It is well said that a good beginning is
half the work. The commencement always has a
considerable influence over the rest of the under­
taking. If one begins with fervor, he gains for him­
self a greater measure of grace; he is already engaged
in the good work and has made the right step in the
right direction; he acquires strength in well-doing
from day to day. This is not, of course, a positive
assurance that he will persevere in this regular
earnest life; but it gives solid ground for hope and
confidence. And we should state here what, as a
matter of fact, is necessary to live always as a holy
priest and to run a successful career in the ministry :
To remain faithful to five or six daily practices; to

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Instructions.

acquit with faith and zeal the five or six duties that
invariably present themselves. And, with the grace
of God and the facility that habit brings, these
ought not to cost too much effort. But it must be
plainly understood that one will find this sort of life
the more difficult and trying, according as one be­
gins poorly, badly, half-heartedly; negligence and
tepidity in the beginning mean irksomeness and
hardship later on. Perhaps all will not be lost; one
may not begin too late; but the violence one must
sooner or later do himself to again become regular
and orderly will be all the greater for the lack of
courage and fidelity at the outset.

XIX.
IS THE PRIEST REALLY IN NEED OF DAILY MEDITATION,
AS IT IS COMMONLY ASSERTED?

Consider the authorities that declare its necessity.
Without the least dissension or the least hesitation,
all who are competent to judge of the matter and
who deserve our confidence, the Fathers of the
Church, the holy Doctors, the spiritual writers, the
saintly priests and religious of every age and clime

The Priesthood.

361

teach in the most express manner that meditation,
mental prayer is indispensable to the acquiring and
conserving of a decent priestly spirit, and that
without fidelity to this exercise, no ecclesiastic can
either do good or fulfil his duties in the sacred
ministry. Such testimony may not be set aside or
ignored. Nor can anyone reasonably question or dis­
parage the assertion of men who are so enlightened,
so competent and so disinterested, so serious and
withal so keenly sensitive to the interests of souls and
the honor of the priesthood.1
On the other hand, what need is there even of such
testimony when besides, the truth of the assertion
can be so readily demonstrated? A priest has two
things to do in the Church: to honor God and to
save souls. He is a traitor to his trust and mission
if he fails in one or the other of these duties. His
merit as a priest is the higher according as he fulfils
both in a more perfect way. Now mental prayer is
necessary to accomplish them; if he neglects it, he
neglects them also and in the same proportion.
To be sure, just because he neglects mental prayer,
a priest will not leave off rendering to God the pre1 Exhortation of Pius X to the Catholic Clergy.

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Instructions.

scribed offices of worship, or give over the offer­
ing of holy Mass, or the exercise of his sacred func­
tions, the services of the Church or the recitation of
public prayers. Yet, the question remains: How
shall he do these things that are duties? In what
sentiments? With what spirit of religion or piety?
God cares little, says Our Savior, for what appears
outwardly.1 The most magnificent ceremonies are
worth nothing in his eyes if not accompanied or
prompted by the dispositions they express. Being
Himself a spirit, it is the spirit He looks to: He will
be honored in spirit and in truth. The hour cometh
and now is, says He, when the true adorers of the
Father will adore Him in spirit and in truth. God is a
spirit and they who adore Him must adore in spirit
and truth.2 The priest, if he would be pleasing to
God and make acceptable to Him his acts of homage,
must be animated with the very spirit of Our Savior,
the spirit of adoration, of religion, of supplication.
But how be this, if he have not like Jesus the spirit
of prayer, if he be not accustomed to recollection, if
he know not what it is to enter into himself, to keep
1 Populus hic labiis me honorat: cor autem eorum longe
est a me. Matth., xv, 8.
’ John, iv, 23-24.

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363

alive in himself a sense of the presence of God, to
feed his mind with thoughts upon God’s divine per­
fections, and upon the mysteries and virtues of Our
Lord? A priest who does not meditate, who has not
a prayerful mind does not, cannot appreciate the
things of God: he does not understand them; he has
no relish for them. Though he hold in his hands or
have before his eyes, the divine mysteries of which
he is the minister and dispenser, yet he sees nothing
beyond the externals, and is no more touched by
them than are the ordinary faithful. Though he
pass all his life in a round of the most sacred func­
tions, amidst holy objects, he will render but little
homage to God; he will be but little given to the
practice of virtue; he will acquire but little merit.
And this is not saying all. It is further to be feared
that his negligence will render him the more blame­
worthy in that his ministry is the more august; and
that, instead of being to him a source of much merit,
his vocation may be yet to him an occasion of many
faults and the subject of reproach and reprobation.
But will a priest, not given to mental prayer, at
least be of some use to souls? Will he do any more
for the sanctification of souls than he has done for

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Instructions.

the glory of God? No, unfortunately; in this as in
the other he will be found wanting, in all his works
he will fail in some essential, he will be lacking in
that which ought to be the very soul of his endeavor,
in that which alone can give it real worth; the inte­
rior spirit, the inspiration of faith and the ardor of
charity; because he neglects that which alone will
ground him or establish him in these dispositions.
To reach souls and to give them or to inspire in
them confidence, to speak to them worthily of holy
things, to induce them to work for their own per­
fection by fervent, telling exhortation, what must
the priest have? The spirit and the heart of a friend,
of an intimate of God; the view of the things of faith
that such an one has; the power to speak of them as
such an one does. Have you never observed the
works of grace that such a priest accomplishes wher­
ever he may happen to labor? He is a saint: he
sanctifies others; he diffuses the spirit of sanctity;
a word from his lips has more virtue than a hundred
discourses that are not the breath of a living faith.
Yet there is no other way to become such a man of
God, to think, to feel, to speak as such, if one will
not choose to apply himself, as a holy man does, to

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365

the things of God; if one will not be imbued with
them by the aid of enlightening mental prayer and
the ardor of contemplation.
Without such prayer, no holiness, says St. Ligouri :
Omnes sancti per orationem sancti facti sunt.1 For
like reason, without mental prayer, no interior en­
lightenment, no fervor, no intense, earnest, Christian,
priestly life. Faith languishes and is insipid; hope
is dormant; zeal is without ardor or compelling force.
How can any priest in such a state be pleasing to God?
How should he inspire any soul to what he does not
care to aspire? Can he even so much as give them
any notion of what whole-souled Christian life is?
The right appreciation, the love, the practice of
meditation, these are the dispositions most neces­
sary to a priest.2 To practice this spiritual exercise
in the ministry as at the seminary, such should be
the very first article of his rule. He owes it to him­
self and to all concerned in his priestly life to impose
it upon himself, as a law, that he will remain faith­
ful, cost what it may. Of course, meditation can be
1 Praxis, n.

8 Contemplatio Domini in cæteris hominibus quæritur
per consilium, in sacerdotibus vero exigitur per præceptum.
Rupert., In Levit., π, 40.

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Instructions.

made at almost any hour besides in the morning,
when convenience suits, and not necessarily at ris­
ing time; one might make meditation less regularly
than at the seminary, according to occasions or
attraction. The hermits gave themselves this lib­
erty. But secular priests may not. In the sacred
ministry, if meditation is not a daily exercise, if one
is not exact in consecrating to it the first hour of wak­
ing, it will not be made; it will be too difficult to find
the time required for it later on; or the inclination
will not be had: it will either be given up or made in
a fashion that takes the good out of it. Besides,
if there be no meditation made, at least in part, be­
fore going to the altar, how will holy Mass be said?
And what sort of a thanksgiving will follow? He
that is not recollected and absorbed in or penetrated
with the thought of God before the holy Mysteries
is likely to celebrate without heart and without at­
tention.
To be faithful to meditation, many find it neces­
sary to do violence to self. Some pretend they
have not the time: others, experiencing no liking
for it, but only dryness, imagine they but waste time
at it. Let everyone be determined and persevere

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367

doggedly, no matter what the obstacles.1 Medita­
tion becomes more and more unattractive and hard
the longer it is omitted. It has its agreeable fea­
tures, its consolations, or, at least, it is readily and
easily made, when one is exact and careful to pre­
pare it the evening before and to attend to it every
morning.
XX.
DOES IT VERT MUCH MATTER THAT ONE CELEBRATE
HOLY MASS WELL?

It matters essentially from the viewpoint of sanc­
tification : nothing more so. If it be of so great ad­
vantage to the faithful to assist daily at the holy
Mass, says St. Francis de Sales, this divine Sacri­
fice being to all else what the sun is to the stars;
if Our Lord has willed, according to the same saint,
that the Mass be in His Church the very center of
religion and the source of true piety, what must it
mean to the priest to celebrate each morning, and
of what consequence is it not for himself that he
1 Universum bellum quod inter nos et dæmones confla­
tur non est de alia re quam de oratione. Est enim illis vere
adversa et odiosa, nobis autem salutaris et benigna. St.
Nilus, abb. De oral., 47.

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Instructions.

have a care to gather in their fulness all the graces it
affords? The share of them that may be his is in
keeping with his privileged function therein. He
has not merely, as the simple faithful, the liberty to
approach the altar, to unite in spirit with the divine
Victim or to receive Him into his bosom: it is his
to consecrate the Victim, to offer Him to the heaven­
ly Father, to nourish his soul with the sacred Host
and to dispense this divine Food to the faithful. Be­
sides being the witness and the adorer of divine Mys­
teries, he is also the minister thereof; he cooperates
in the sacrifice as well as in the Sacrament, and ’tis
he who applies both to himself. Before all others,
consequently, and more than all others, he is called
to enjoy their fruits. Inebriabo animam sacerdotum
pinguedine, et populus meus bonis meis adimplebitur.1
The offering of the divine Sacrifice is the priest’s
chiefest function. All other works are subordinate
to that. Not only are they inferior to it in dignity,
but they are dependent upon it, or they subserve
and bear upon it in some way. All that the priest
does before Mass, the prayers he recites, his medita­
tion, the hours of the breviary dispose him for the
1 Jer., xxxi, 14.

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369

approach to the altar. And all that he does after­
wards is to be a thanksgiving for the favor he has
just received, and a gathering up of the fruits it
brings or a distribution of them to others. All his
actions, even the most profane, should come within
its influence. The memory of the altar he ascended
in the early morning, of the Sacrifice he there offered,
of the Victim that nourished his soul, ought to be
with him throughout the day, everywhere. Thus
the manner in which the priest spends his day, as
regards his sanctification, corresponds to the way in
which he has celebrated the holy Mysteries. A
Mass said with fervor—worthily, attentively and
devoutly—has naturally its result in many acts
done with piety and edification. And, as life in the
ministry is but a series of days differing but little
one from the other, one can easily understand and
should realize that such a life will be more or less
holy and priestly according as one forms the habit
of bringing to the altar dispositions more or less
perfect.
How could one imagine things otherwise? It is in­
conceivable that, after having of a morning worthily
celebrated, one should spend badly the rest of the

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Instructions.

day; that, on descending the altar steps and leaving
the place where he has immolated himself with the
divine Victim, a priest can allow himself to idle away
the day; that, after having received with a vivid
faith the sacred Host and fed on the precious Body
and Blood, one can dismiss all this from his thoughts
and assume a language, a spirit, and sentiments
utterly different therefrom. He, who but just now
made to God an offering more precious than all the
world, who has protested so earnestly, in the name of
His Son, that heaven and earth are not worthy to be
immolated to His glory, could he let himself be se­
duced by such things as the world has to proffer, be
drawn away after its vanities, and so be prevailed
upon as to set his pleasure in the favor, in the en­
joyment, in the affection of creatures? After having
offered to God, for the salvation of souls, the Body
and Blood of Jesus, could he rest unconcerned as to
the salvation of the faithful about him, could he
neglect to be of help to them, could there be any­
thing of reluctance in his service, or aught of self­
seeking or self-love? That would be morally im­
possible. If the holy Mass is offered with the truly
priestly dispositions of lively faith and of fervor, such

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371

as it demands of all who ascend the altar, the day
of the priest will be holy, and into each of the works of
his day he will carry the spirit and heart of the first.
But, let it be observed here, to celebrate decently
and holily, it is not enough to protest to God, while
going to the Church or when stepping to the altar:
“I desire to say Mass well; I wish to celebrate piously
and fervently.” If the fervor such words imply
be not in the heart already to prompt them, no mere
such wish can put it there. Whatever this desire
may be, if we are habitually negligent and dissipated
of mind, we will remain negligent and dissipated
during the celebration of our Mass. And do not
say that at least, you will attend to your exterior,
for the sake of the faithful and their edification
by putting on an air of recollection and of devo­
tion. In affairs of devotion, whatever does not come
naturally and from the heart is affectation, and
nothing is more readily recognized as such, nor is
anything more offensive or disgusting than affected
piety. He alone edifies who gives no thought to
edification as such, and who is quite oblivious of
self for that he is occupied with God.
What is needed theji to celebrate well, to be at

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Instructions.

the altar what a priest there should be? Cherish,
with regard to the divine Sacrifice, a vivid faith
and a deep sense of religion; but have that faith and
that religion in your very heart of hearts. Where­
fore, strive to acquire them in good time, neglect­
ing nothing that will help to instill, to imbue your
heart and soul with these sentiments; love to medi­
tate upon the holy Eucharist, on the Real Presence,
on the holy Sacrifice; seek to behold with the mind’s
eye Our Savior in His perfections, in His virtues,
and in His mysteries; be found often in adoration
before His tabernacle, there to ask the grace to
know Him better, to love Him the more, to offer
Him and to receive Him ever more and more wor­
thily; never deem that you celebrate with suffi­
cient fervor but desire always greater faith, deeper
confidence, and more love; aspire to make better
each day the preparation and thanksgiving; read
what you can thereon, that the spirit of pious
thoughts may find an echo in or bestir the soul, and
fill it with holy affections and inspire it with appeal­
ing examples; these are the things to which a min­
ister who is fervent at the altar applies himself
constantly.

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373

A priest who is faithful to this rule cannot fail to
grow in virtue and enjoy a priesthood blessed with
abundant fruit. He honors the majesty of God,
he provides for the needs of Mother Church, he sus­
tains the faith, he is the soul of the fervor among
the faithful around him. He renders more service
by the ardor of his prayer and by the evidence of his
piety than a multitude of others can ever do by
their studied discourses. To him do the words of
the Imitation apply: When he celebrates, he honors
God, he rejoices the angels, he edifies the Church, he
helps the living, he obtains rest for the dead, and makes
himself partaker of all that is good.1
XXI.
OUGHT A PRIEST DESIRE AND PURPOSE TO BECOME A
GOOD CONFESSOR?

He should desire this keenly, if he really purposes
to fulfil his mission and to be of help to souls. The
faithful have sore need of making their confes­
sions well, not only at the hour of death, but as well
at every period of their lives and in a multitude of
1 Imit.,

iv,

5.

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Instructions.

particular circumstances. 1 It is practically on this
condition alone that they are admitted to the sacra­
ments, and the good they get from them depends
essentially on the worth of their confession previous­
ly made. And yet, who can say? If they have no
good confessor, in whom they trust and can come to
easily, without hesitation, who will do them good and
assist them in their very confessions, it is to be feared,
it is quite certain that more than one will not come
to confession at all when he ought, or will make a
poor useless confession, even an unworthy one.
The welfare of the faithful demands, then, that
there be a plenty of good confessors and the inter­
est of every priest ought to make him desire equally
to be of this number. In those countries wherever
the faith endures with all its vigor, a goodly part of
the priest's time is taken up with his hours in the
confessional. Over and above the number of the
faithful who are brought to their confessions by
reason of circumstances, in order to reconcile them­
selves with their God or to prepare for the recep­
tion of some unusual grace, there is always a certain
1 Erit fons patens domui Jacob et habitantibus Jerusalem
in ablutionem peccatorum. Zac., χπι, 1.

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375

number of real earnest souls who make it a rule to
approach the sacred Tribunal often, that they may
keep the purity of their souls or make them purer
still and share more fully in the holy Eucharist:
nowadays, especially among us. Then, there are
the young who have just made their first holy Com­
munion, or who are preparing for It; and the chil­
dren, still in their beginnings of catechism-learning,
whom one should be at pains to teach how to make
their confessions, to give them the habit of regular
confession, and who can be taught the leading of a
good Christian life only by having them come to
the priest occasionally to receive from him such
special admonition as each may need; finally, there
are the sick who must set their conscience in order,
whom the priest must not let die without first hav­
ing prepared them well. Thus, this ministry is con­
tinual in the life of a priest in a parish, and each
should want to fulfil it well, with all possible fruit;
that is to say, in such a manner that his penitents
shall make their confessions with the sincerity, the
penitence and the purpose of amendment necessary
for deriving any profit therefrom and to give the
absolution opportunity to do all the good to their

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Instructions.

souls which it is capable of effecting. The priest,
then, should leave little undone that can assure the
help of God’s grace in this ministry and can help
him to acquire the qualities that make for a good
confessor.
It is enough to read the life of any holy priest to
understand how truly a good confessor can be of
help to souls that come to him, and what advantage
it is to the Church that the ministry of the holy
Tribunal be thus effective. In fact, the highest
authorities unhesitatingly attribute to it, for the
most part, whatever of religion and piety is to be
found among Catholics. It is the persuasion of all,
says the Catechism of the Council of Trent, that
whatever of sanctity and of true religion, by the great
goodness of God, has been preserved in the Church,
must, in great part, be attributed to the confessional.1

1 Catech. of Council of Trent, n, de paen., 45. Let there
be suitable confessors; then will there be thorough reforma­
tion of all Christians. St. Pius V. Cf. St. Ligouri.Praxis;
Gaume, Confessors' Manual.

The Priesthood.

377

XXII.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD CONFESSOR?

To administer worthily and fruitfully the sacra­
ment of Penance to all the faithful, a priest has need
of much light and virtue.
1. He must be enlightened and well instructed.
Why? Because a confessor has not only to guide
himself, to order his own life, to judge of his own
soul’s condition and of his obligations, and to pick
his own way to safety; he has, besides, to lead all
those who address themselves to him, that is to say,
a crowd of persons varying in character, convictions,
age and capacity; it is incumbent upon him to direct
each along his peculiar way, to tell each what he
must do and what it would be advisable for him to
do, what he has to accomplish and what he must
avoid in order to please God and arrive safely in
heaven. How can such a charge be fulfilled, if one
has neither great lights nor is thoroughly in­
structed?
There are three things particularly that a con­
fessor has to know, (a) Moral Theology, that is, not
merely the fundamental treatises, Human Acts, Con-

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Instructions.

science, Laws, Sins, but as well the special treatises
of the Decalogue and of the Commandments of the
Church, those on duties of States of Life, on Justice
and Contracts, and on the practical side of the sac­
raments, especially of Matrimony and Penance. If
one be ignorant of the obligations of one’s penitents
he can neither discern their faults nor appreciate the
gravity of them. If he cannot distinguish between
precepts and counsels, between justice and charity,
nullity and prohibition, necessity of precept and
necessity of means, what sort of rule of conduct will
he trace out for them? And if he does not know
the limitation of his power of jurisdiction, how ac­
quired and how lost, on whom dependent and over
whom to be exercised, with what assurance can he
exercise it?1 (6) Those things that can serve to in­
spire in penitents supernatural contrition for their
faults and a firm purpose of amendment: the sort
of knowledge which, according to many, is not less
necessary than the first, for the undoing of bad habits
of life and to make sure of the actual remission of
1 Considera sacerdotis esse officium de lege interrogatum
respondere. Si sacerdos est, sciat legem Domini, si igno­
rat legem, ipse se arguit non esses aceraotem. S. Hieron.,
In Agg., ii, 12.

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379

sins, (c) The maxims of the holy Gospel, or the
doctrine of Christian perfection; in order to be able
to teach souls of good will what it is that God would
have of them or the surest and straightest way to
Him. And is not this that it is of much importance
to teach the greater number of penitents, such as are
seen to come frequently and regularly to confession?
This simple exposé, incomplete as it is, is yet suffi­
cient to make clear how rash it would be of anyone to
undertake the work of the Confessional having noth­
ing but the elements of natural law and even an abun­
dance of ‘common sense’, or without first taking
much trouble to retain and increase the compara­
tively elementary knowledge acquired in the semi­
nary.1 One can see, in studying the Theology of St.
Ligouri, to what studies this holy Doctor believed
it his duty to apply himself in order to be a worthy
and able confessor and to give to his religious the
means to become enlightened and helpful priests in
the confessional.
1 Affirmo in statu damnationis esse confessarium qui
sine sufficienti scientia ad confessiones excipiendas se ex­
ponit. Deus ipse his verbis eum reprobat: Quia tu scien­
tiam repulisti, repellam te ne sacerdotio fungaris mihi.
S. Lia., Praxis, n. 18.

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2. A confessor has a still greater need of holiness
than of science. Two virtues at least, are necessary
to him; zeal and prudence. They are indispensable
and continually put to practice.
(a) He has need of zeal, that is, of vivid charity,
or a sensible, ardent desire for the procuring of the
honor of God and the purifying of souls. This is
the soul of the ministry; but nowhere is it more essen­
tial than in the tribunal of Penance.1 It is only
zeal, pure, constant, patient, generous zeal that can
make one love for any length of time a duty that is
so monotonous, so obscure, so difficult and trying,
so disheartening and so repulsive at times, and in­
spire the ardor and constancy required of one to
attend to it well. It alone can make dear to us the
many, many souls whom we know not, of whom we
have nothing to hope or expect for ourselves, who
come to us only because they have need of our
charity and of our services. It alone can put into
our hearts the sentiments that are calculated to
touch other hearts, and bring to our lips the words
1 Ad audiendas confessiones, non inani gloria, non lucri
cupiditate, non denique ullo humano affectu ductus, sed
salutis fidelium procurandæ studio inflammatus accedat.
S. Carol., Inst, ad Conf.

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381

that sinners have need to hear, that will make them
break with sin, resolve upon sacrifice and mortifica­
tion, and purpose a life of virtue. If the priest
has no ardor for the purifying and sanctifying of
souls, if this ardor is not supernatural and equal to
any trial, he will soon lose all lilting for the work of
the confessional; he will, before very long, come to
look upon it as a regrettable constraint that he must
therein spend the best hours of his day; he will seek
to get rid of the burden; or he will begin to discrimi­
nate between penitents. He will be annoyed by the
poor, the little ones, the ignorant, and the infirm who
come to him, or require him, or any such as Our Lord
preferably called unto Himself; and those whose
return he will look for or to whom he will go eager­
ly and with a sort of longing, to whom he will be def­
erential and kindly, will be such as have least need
of his assistance and whose communications will be
to him the least wholesome or salutary. Soon con­
fessions will have become for him mere routine and
for his penitents mere formality. He will no longer
find in his heart words of encouragement or exhor­
tation; and, if his ministry still continue, the spirit
of it will have left him : the fruits of it shall be sought
for in vain.

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Instructions.

(6) If it is necessary that zeal be sincere and en­
during, it must also be prudent. Prudence is needed
in a confessor for his own sake as well as for the sake
of his penitents. To guard againt detriment to his
own soul, he must be unceasingly watchful; he must
be diffident of himself, invoking constantly the aid of
divine grace; he must know how to resist the in­
stincts of nature and the inclinations of his heart.
He cannot but meet with, one day or another, in the
holy Tribunal simple, guileless, affectionate souls,
who readily become attached to whoever shows in­
terest in their welfare or who does them a good serv­
ice; yet, whatever be their guilelessness or their
virtue, they are dangerous; they can be hurtful to
the confessor, by weakening and alloying his zeal
for their salvation and inspiring a return of affec­
tionate regard that is wholly natural. If he is
prudent he will never be taken unawares. He will
watch over his thoughts, his sentiments, his sight,
his words, and his external behavior. He will so
bear himself that no one will observe in him the
mere man, but the representative of God, one of
those of the resurrection who have died to nature
and who live of the life of angels.1 Posside pru1 Luke xx, 35, 36.

The Priesthood.

383

dentiam, et custodiet te, says Wisdom.1 Necessary
for the safety of one’s own soul, prudence is quite
as indispensable to the confessor for the guid­
ance of his penitents. It is prudence that will tell
him how he is to direct each of them, what account
he is to take of their position, condition, character,
habits. Prudence will bring him to recognize their
vocation, the degree of perfection to which they can
attain, the advice it is well to give them, when it is
opportune to stir up, to sustain, to moderate their
ardor. It is prudence, in fine, that will restrain
every indiscreet word that may rise to his lips, that
will prevent his speaking idly or without need, even
with his fellow-priests, of many a thing that selflove would like to utter, but is better left unsaid,
concerning penitents heard, parishes, houses or
circumstances in which one has exercised ministry,
etc.
This practical wisdom can hardly be acquired by
studious effort; but is obtained of Heaven through
prayer; and is developed by vigilance over one’s
self and by grace. It can, besides, be possessed in
varying degrees. And though, in order to rise to
1 Prov., iv, 5, Cf. Olier, Esprit d’un directeur des âmes.

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Instructions.

a certain degree of perfection, there are required
special favors and privileged gifts of prudence, there
is not an ecclesiastic who cannot by good will, appli­
cation and constancy, acquire them in a measure
sufficient to enable him to do much honor to God
and many a precious service to souls.
XXIII.
WHAT SHOULD BE THE BEHAVIOR OF A PRIEST WITH
REGARD TO THE SICK?

Upon hearing that one of his people is sick or
suffering, he ought, if he is the one to deal with the
individual, to inquire concerning the condition and
dispositions of the sufferer and to lose little time in
visiting him. “Let not the shepherd of souls wait
until he is summoned by the sick, but rather let him
go to him of his own accord, ” says St. Charles.1 And,
for all the more reason, let him have a care not to
put off calling, if he has been asked to call.
Were he not in danger of death, and had he no
immediate reason to think of the last sacraments, it
1 Inst. ad past.

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385

would still be an act of charity, meritorious before
God and much appreciated by the faithful, to visit
him. Besides, however little reason there be for
concern or disquietude, regarding his physical condi­
tion, it is needful to profit by the first invitation or
intimation, in order to make sure of the welfare of
the soul in question. Have a care, of course, to give
no unwarranted alarm; but also be on guard against
illusion, human respect, pusillanimity; speak out
frankly when the danger is certain.
Ingoing to visit the sick, recall the example of Our
Lord, how eager and prompt He was to go to the in­
firm, the poor especially,1 for the sake of their souls,
more even than for the well-being of their bodies.
Strive to be animated with His spirit and ask that
His grace may help you to gain the hearts of those to
whom you are about to minister. While on the way,
go modestly, in the presence of God, thinking prayer­
fully what you can say that will be of consolation
and of pious inspiration to the sick one or to his
anxious, troubled ones. The visit may well be brief ;
but it should be the occasion of a word of sympathy,
1 Matt,

viii, 7,14.

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Instructions.

of encouragement, of edification, of an evincing of
interest, and, at times, of giving some help.1
From the very beginning one should beg of God
in behalf of one’s dying penitents the grace of a good
confession, of sincere repentance, and of a firm re­
solve to amend. The priest should think seriously
of the importance of this grace; the salvation of the
sick one depends on it: if given the happiness of
confessing well, there will be another chosen soul
in heaven.
AVhile carrying Holy Viaticum to the dying, offer
to Our Lord earnest, religious homage, thankfulness
and love. See to it, as far as you can, that He be re­
ceived becomingly in the abode wherein He deigns to
enter. Pray to Jesus in behalf of the poor afflicted
soul that perhaps cannot now well pray for himself
and is unable in his illness to have all that liberty
and power of mind desirable, and ask, too, for your­
self the grace to receive also the Holy Viaticum be­
fore death.
* Oportet suscipere infirmos ac meminisse verbi Domini
Jesu, quoniam ipse dixit: Beatius est magis dare quam acci­
pere. Act., xx, 35. Egentis mentem doctrinæ sermo non
penetrat, si hunc apud ejus animum manus misericordia
non commendat. Tunc autem verbi semen facile germinat,
quando hoc in audientis pectore pietas prædicantis rigat.
S. Greo., M. De cura past., π, 7.

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387

When anointing the infirm reflect admiringly upon
the mercy of God towards His chosen ones in their
extremity; look upon them, at this moment, as suffer­
ing members of the Man-God; desire keenly to fill
them with the Spirit of the Savior and to prepare
them well ere they are ushered into the presence of
God.1
XXIV.
HAS NOT THE PRIEST OBLIGATIONS TOWARDS THE DE­
PARTED ALSO?

A priest should faithfully nourish in his heart the
memory of the dead, and with faith and piety do all
that his faith commands of him for the honor of their
bodies and for the relief of their souls.
Religion and charity alike demand that their bodies
be interred with honor. The saints of the Old Dis­
pensation, who believed in the resurrection, were
ever careful to perform this duty and God, more than
once, praised and rewarded them for it.2 Christians,
1 Infirmus fui et visitastis me. Matth., xxv, 36. Cum
ipso sum in tribulatione. Ps., xc, 15.
2 Quando sepeliebas mortuos et derelinquebas prandium
tuum et mortuos abscondebas per diem in domo tua et
nocte sepeliebas eos, ego obtuli orationem tuam Domino.
Tob., xii, 12.

388

Instructions.

and priests above all, more enlightened because of
their faith, must not neglect the bodies of their
brethren, for they were sanctified by the sacraments
and by the Holy Eucharist in particular, and were
the temples of the Holy Ghost and organs of divine
grace. And the very offices of religion that are to
be observed with regard to them, had they no other
purpose than to do honor to these remains, deserve
to be performed in a pious manner and with a sincere
affection.
Those things, however, that the priest is called upon
to do for their departed souls should be yet more dear
to his heart. The priest has received power to offer
the holy Sacrifice for the dead as for the living: Tam
pro vivis quam pro defunctis. Therefore, he is to give
himself to this duty diligently and piously. If he
seem not to interest himself in the prayers that he
must recite for this intention, if he appear attentive
to externals only, he will shock and give pain to
those that behold him, and he may fear that they
will suspect him of having little real or living faith
in the future life, or of lacking charity for the poor
souls that so much need his ministrations.
Thus a priest who has but little concern or thought

The Priesthood.

389

of the dead and is lacking in zeal for their deliverance
will easily be a scandal. This danger is particularly
to be dreaded in our day, when the faith of so many
is weak, indeed, and when so few prayers are said for
the dead. The priest should not be a party or con­
tributor to this, especially when by his sincerity and
devotion he can impress and convince the lukewarm
or the unbelieving in a moment when they are likely
to be most susceptible : at least, he should be loth to
neglect anything that will evince his intense faith in
the life hereafter and that can be of consolation to
the bereaved faithful who have recourse to his minis­
try in behalf of their relatives and friends to whom
they were united and dearly attached in life.
XXV.
OUGHT NOT A PRIEST DEVOTE HIMSELF SPECIALLY TO
THE HUMBLER OF THE FAITHFUL?

1. The priest is debtor to all the faithful; and,
after the example of St. Paul should strive to be all
things to all men; but that does not or should not hin­
der his being devoted to a certain class. We have
no word of blame for those who bestow their care

390

Instructions.

upon the higher classes. There are ecclesiastics who
by their birth, their education, their character, their
position, are manifestly destined for this sort of work
and accomplish great good thereat. Nevertheless,
it is to be desired that the great number of priests
should turn their attentions chiefly to the lowlier of
their flock, to the people, because it is there, among
them, that is the real body of society; there is felt
mostly the need of religious instruction and there
one can be confident of doing the most real good.
Blessed is the priest who feels this attraction and
corresponds to it.
Such a one is truly following in the footsteps of the
divine Master. Who can doubt that He had always
the most wise, as well as the most holy purposes and
views; that, in very fact, while He was among men
on earth, He always did what was for the greatest
good? But was it not to the people, to the crowd
that He ordinarily gave His attention and addressed
Himself? Were they not always the lowly, the com­
mon folks whom he sought out for instruction and
whom He strove to gain for God?1 He did not refuse
Himself to persons of rank or of means; on the con1 Cf. Mark x, 21; Luke vii, 36, 50; xix, 8, 9, etc.

The Priesthood.

391

trary, He received them cordially, even eagerly; He
made them helpers to the progress of His work; yet
He turned to the crowd habitually; He lived with the
ordinary folk; it was these He called to Himself and
they were the ones whom He labored to instruct.1
One cannot fail to note that there was no soul but
was infinitely dear to Him, and that He yearned to
lead each, even the lowliest,into the kingdom of God.
If we are of the same purpose as He, if we are labor­
ing for the same work, why should we hold to differ­
ent course? The condition of the world is not other
than it was. Today, as then, common people form
the majority; almost the whole. If we have them
not, whom shall we have? Practically no one. But
if we succeed in gaining them, then we have prac­
tically all. And is not the first step towards gaining
them, to address one’s self to them, to instruct, to
persuade, to convince them? Once upon a time, one
could look upon it as the only essential to win over
the wealthy classes, because the others were drawn
along in their wake ; but it is not that way now. Be­
sides that the wealthier classes are scarcely docile to
the maxims of the Gospel, and that they have no
1 Luke, iv, 18; John,

vh,

49.

392

Instructions.

zeal in the teaching or the spreading of them, they
have now lost the influence they so long enjoyed.
They have no longer the confidence of the people;
they have no authority that the people will accept;
their prestige is gone; the people judge for them­
selves and examine all from their own point of view.
2. On what conditions will the priest retain and
increase his influence with the people?
By evident self-denial and generous devotion to
them. This means he must voluntarily share in
their lowliness, privation, and sacrifice. He will
have to forego intellectual as well as sensible satis­
factions; things that are procured by association
with the cultured and refined, as well as those pleas­
ures that one finds in a comfortable, undisturbed
sort of life.1 He must know, like Our Savior, how to
take his pleasure with the poor, to sympathize with
the afflicted, to be a consolation and a help to them.
It is but little if he gives them his time, instructs
them in their duties, preaches to them; he will have
to show them by his example what it all means, es­
pecially the sort of virtue he urges upon them: he
1 Quo plus te operari viderit populus, magis diliget.
S. Amb., De off. min.

The Priesthood.

393

must show himself always a man of mortified life,
detached, patient, a man of simplicity in all, and of
kindness that is genuine and abiding however tried.
These virtues are not over pleasant to practice ; and
to make them habitual are required a priest’s heart
and great graces of God.
As to the different little means that one may em­
ploy, they are variety, legion, and will be chosen ac­
cording to the environment in which one finds himself,
the position one occupies, the resources at one’s com­
mand and the liberty one enjoys. But this much
may be said, which experience vouches for, that, to
make one’s ministry much desired, or even accept­
able to some, the priest must have for all a charity
that is sincere, generous and wholly supernatural,
and a heartfelt desire for the salvation of every one
of his flock; his chief and if need be, his only happi­
ness must be in doing a service to some soul, even the
most wretched and dissolute; he should feel honored
with the confidence of the poorest and meanest, have
a care to receive them with honest kindliness whether
in his house, or in the sacristy, in the holy Tribunal,
at the baptismal font, at catechism, at funeral serv­
ices; he must take an interest himself in their condi-

394

Instructions.

tion, in their family, in their affairs, readily respond
to their appeal to him, in their sickness and their
trials; he needs to have always some kindly or pleas­
ant word, that vail give them heart and be such as
they expect from a priest; in his instructions or dis­
courses he must not seem to be speaking to the elite
of the faithful, but rather to all, in simple, unaffected
language, that can be readily understood so that
all may grasp the tsuths and admonitions they have
need to know, understand and receive; nothing in
his exterior, his dress, the furnishing of his house,
should be noticeable for or indicative of fastidious­
ness or be too much above the ordinary and decent;
he should favor and foster, as far as possible, those
good works that are organized for the relief of suffer­
ing; in fine, let him give the faithful reason to know
that he is good hearted and that his heart is in the
right place, that he feels for those that suffer and
that, if he does not relieve all the wretchedness within
his vision, or if he sometimes appears to be reserved
in his giving, it is because he lacks only the means,
not that he is wanting in generous good will.
He who will hold to this manner of priestly deport­
ment will surely do great service to the Church. He

The Priesthood.

395

will make sure for himself of priest’s reward in heav­
en and will bring upon his head many a hearty and
humble blessing while still on earth.1

XXVI.
WHAT ARE THE FAULTS AGAINST WHICH A YOUNG
PRIEST NEEDS TO BE ON HIS GUARD?

Each individual has his own character and, among
his inclinations, a predominant fault that he must
watch over with special care. But there are dangers
common to all and against which every cleric really
must fortify himself, especially at the outset of
his ministry; they are: dissipation of mind, waste of
time, energy and opportunity, etc., vanity, the seek­
ing or taking of one’s comfort, worldliness.
1. Dissipation or wastefulness. If it is necessary
at the seminary to attend to one’s self lest there be
no recollection of mind, with what discretion, with
what reserve, with what good will must the priest
1 Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem! Ps.
XL, 2. Oportet meminisse verbi Domini Jesu, quoniam
ipse dixit: Beatius est magis dare quam accipere. Act., xx,
35. Qui seminat in benedictionibus, de benedictionibus et
metet. I Cor., ix, 16.

396

Instructione.

have a care to keep from unpriestly habits of mind
in the world? The first days principally, everything
makes a vivid impression upon the young priest; al­
most everything attracts his attention, and is apt to
move him to a sort of feverish activity. The func­
tions that are his, faultiness therein, the obligation to
acquit all his duties, the notion that his behavior
may give of his person, these preoccupy him to the
extent of robbing him of all peace of mind and liber­
ty of thought. Add to these the unforseen occupa­
tions and the inevitable upsetting of much that he
planned, and you can appreciate how hard he will
find it to be faithful to his exercises of piety and to
carry forthwith into his priestly life those disposi­
tions of faith, of piety, of fervor, he is convinced are
exacted of him. Here is he, then, exposed the very
first thing to omit or to abridge some of his spirit­
ual exercises and to accomplish others hastily or
negligently. If he begins by letting meditation go,
or by cutting short his thanksgiving, by omitting his
visit to the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary, spiritual
reading, if he gets the habit of reciting the office
with his lips only, of saying Mass without devotion,
more taken up with thought or consciousness of the

The Priesthood.

397

faithful beholding him than of the presence of His
Savior whom he consecrates and receives, what a
sad beginning and what a poor augury! He will
tell himself, no doubt, that this condition of things
will not be for long; and he will promise himself to be
more pious presently, more assiduous, more fervent,
as soon as he has the leisure. He is fooling himself.
The causes of dissipation will but double and the
practice of recollection will become the harder the
longer it is put off. If he does not take himself in
hand the very first days, if he lets himself be carried
along by merely natural activity, if he starts the
habit of being unmindful of God in his functions be­
cause of giving his thoughts wholly to men and of
being anxious only to save appearances, it will soon
be evident that he has practically lost real posses­
sion of himself and all sentiment of devotion. The
liking for meditation is gone with the habit of mak­
ing it. He simply cannot now enter into himself,
either when reciting the office or going to the altar,
when making his own confession or when hearing the
confessions of others. In a word, there will be noth­
ing priestly about him. Not having a priest’s heart
in his works, how can he hope to have the merit of
them or to see any good come of them?

398

Instructions.

2. Vanity. What could be more flattering to selflove than to see one’s self, all at once, at the very first
step into public life, the object of attention, of esteem
and of respect from all, speaking with authority as a
master and a teacher, having to instruct, to exhort, to
reprehend, to judge, to absolve persons of all ages and
of every condition, to exercise every moment functions
that are the holiest and the most sublime! If one be
not well grounded in humility, certain it is that in­
wardly there will be a stirring of pride and a sense
of self-complacency. Rara est humilitas honorata,
says St. Bernard: the more so if one have success,
if one is heard favorably and listened to with pleas­
ure, if one has reason to believe or to know that he is
esteemed somewhat, whether as a preacher, or as a
confessor, or for his bearing at the altar. These
things are gratifying, they are apt to be looked upon
as a proof of one’s real merit, and may be the occa­
sion of self commendation as being rather superior.
Henceforth, a priest thus affected works for himself
and thinks only of self or in relation to self. The
glory of God and the welfare of souls mean nothing
much to him any longer, at least as a motive of work;
’tis his own prestige and honor now, the good opin­

The Priesthood.

399

ion, the affection, and the acknowledgments of men.
No more relish for anything that is not taken note of
by the world and does not come to the knowledge of
men. The catechism classes, the care of and the look­
ing after the poor, the visitation of the sick, impor­
tant as these are, lose attractiveness. He reserves
all his zeal now for preaching, and particularly for
solemn discourses to be delivered on occasions or be­
fore select congregations. He keeps up his ministry
and still is found in the confessional; but by and for
persons of consideration, talent perhaps, or of posi­
tion or affluence, or whose regard and affection he
wants; not the little ones, the ordinary folk, the in­
firm, the dying: he does not want to have anything
to do with them; nor they with him. And of course,
in the confessional as in the pulpit, what he seeks
is not the turning of souls to God, to put into their
hearts a horror or fear of sin, a purpose of right living
or to become more perfect, to bring them to an un­
derstanding and to the practice of the Gospel pre­
cepts; it is to please and to show off, to ingratiate
himself and to curry favor, to make admirers, parti­
sans, patrons and helpers, to make his way to higher
places. To this end, nothing is spared. There is ar­

400

Instructions.

dor. assiduity, competency. Ah! says a holy Doctor.if the glory of God were but sought after with the
same zeal as one’s own honor; if the good of souls
and the service of Jesus Christ were the only aim in
labors, what a reward would man lay up for himself
in eternity! Minori pretio emi poterat margaritum
Christi.1 Unfortunately, one cannot pretend to
reach to these two things at one and the same time,
for to will the one is to renounce the other.
3. The love of comfort: There is nothing more out
of keeping with the spirit of Our Savior or contrary
to the instructions He gives His ministers. It is,
however, just what nature suggests, what the sight
of the world inspires, what too often gets the better
of good ecclesiastics at the very moment when they
step into their ministry and are forming their first
habits of life as priests. They know well enough
that they should carry the cross and follow their
Savior, and they do not really refuse to do so; they
consent to impose privations upon themselves and to
make certain sacrifices; but, they persuade them­
selves that they are not obliged to give up the com­
forts of life ; that even wisdom counsels them to accom1 St. Jerome, Epist. l, ad Nepot.

The Priesthood.

401

modate themselves to the tastes of the faithful and
of their brother priests. They argue that there are
precautions to be taken and care to be given, in the
interest of their ministry, too; that the life of a
priest is hardship enough as it is, and that if one
wants to lead that life for any length of time he must
moderate the rigor of it. Thus they come to regard
it a duty to cater to their senses, if they are to
guard their health; they give up such habits as re­
quire effort of them; they feel it a necessity or at
least a matter of decency that they also be as well
and comfortably housed, and attired, and nourished
as another. They want no luxury; they will have
what is comfortable and in keeping with their posi­
tion. They do not shirk labor: but they find it
right to make up for it by periods of rest and of agree­
able relaxation. In place of giving to the studies that
a priest’s life calls for the hours not occupied other­
wise, they spend them in reading merely for pleasure,
in aimless going about, and in needless visiting.
The habit of seeking diversion once formed, a priest
finds being alone or serious occupations too irksome
and boring. He goes to his books only from necessity,
to write a sermon or to pass an examination. In­

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Instructions.

sensibly he loses hold of what science and whatever
distinctly clerical virtue he had acquired and had
purposed to increase day by day.
4. The love of the world. It is not love of the world
that prompts a priest to visit lay folks for the sake of
their souls, or to have relations with them that one
believes useful or helpful to bring them back to reli­
gious duties or to induce them to some good work.
But it is love of the world to visit them and to fre­
quent their society in a way that does not become
our condition, to seek in these visits and in these
dealings advantages or satisfactions that are merely
natural, such as the agreeableness of being in refined
and amiable society, the pleasure of entertaining,
cheerful or otherwise interesting conversation, the
keeping up of an honorable or even useful friendship.
Such relations can be altogether innocent in them­
selves and even be very lawful for the laity; but they
are none the less in ill accord with the spirit of our
state; and they have many regrettable features.
Perhaps we flatter ourselves that we are of help to
those whom we thus frequent, by our amiability and
mannerliness inspiring them with a love of catholic
life and the practice of Christ’s maxims; it is an illu-

The Priesthood.

403

sion. In the church, where we appear as ministers of
Jesus Christ, where we speak to the faithful as the
representatives of the Church, in the proper hour,
these persons will listen to us with respect; they will
receive our instructions with docility, but in their
homes, at table, in conversation, we lose our advan­
tage. Instead of bringing them to our way of think­
ing and believing, we run a real risk of being influ­
enced by them and of imbibing their sentiments. And
this is not the principal thing to be feared. Besides
loss of time, and even the compromise of our priestly
character, intimate relation with the world fills the
mind with idle and profane ideas; it indisposes for
prayer; and if, as is to be dreaded, it lead to particu­
lar friendships and sensible affection, it can easily
mean detriment to our reputation and to our virtue.1
Omnia mihi licent, sed non omnia expediunt, says
the Apostle. There are many things that are not
forbidden us which we must deny ourselves all the
same. A priest never yet failed with impunity in
the proprieties of his state. For the honor of the
Church and the security of your soul, be guarded on
this point.
1 Per oculos et per aures incitamenta ad peccatum sus­
cipiuntur, et latenter ipse assuescimus. S. Basil.

Instructions.

404

XXVII.
IS MODESTY MUCH TO BE DESIRED IN THE PRIEST?

1. It is a necessary virtue. His first obligation
with regard to the faithful is to edify them, that is to
say, to lead them towards God and to inspire them
with respect for his ministry. But this he cannot do
unless he have priestly reserve. “The ministers of
God being placed at the head of the Church, says the
Council of Trent,1 are naturally observed of all the
faithful. They are looked upon as models set up
for all. If they are wanting in modesty, they give
cause for disparaging comment and, instead of edify­
ing, they give scandal. While condemning the fault
in them, the people will make of it an extenuation
of their own conduct, and if they fall into the same
they then the more easily pardon themselves. On
the other hand, if the priest be what he ought and
what they really expect him to be, if modesty,
priestly reserve mark his person, if it appear in his
countenance, in his language, in his bearing, a reflec­
tion as it were of the holy altar, a suggestion of
the presence of the Man-God, they will recognize
1 Sess.,

xxii,

1.

The Priesthood.

405

him for what he is, the representative of their Savior:
they will venerate in him the likeness of His vir­
tues, His innocence, His charity, religion and meek­
ness; and the disposition which this modesty sup­
poses in the soul of the priest will surely though
insensibly influence those about him. They witness
to his priestliness, but they also move the faithful to
profit by his example, to reproduce them in their
own lives.
The life of St. Francis de Sales shows how pre­
cious is this quality in a priest and how it does good
to the faithful when they behold it in him. Un­
doubtedly St. Francis did much good by his dis­
courses. His utterances had heavenly power to
reach hearts and bring them to God; his writings
spread abroad in the minds of men light and convic­
tion; but the very sight of him and acquaintance with
his life produced still more wholesome impressions.
The modesty that characterized his person, the tone
of his voice, the purity, of his glance, the mildness and
God-like calm of his countenance were an unceasing
sermon, the most compelling and attractive of all.
The same could be said of him as of St. Bernard, that
it was a consolation and a grace of God for anyone to

496

Instructions.

look upon him: Solo visu laetificans et aedificans intuentes.1 Those who saw him retained a blessed mem­
ory and the very memory of him made men love
virtue and resolve upon perfection.
2. The modesty in a priest that produces like effects
must have certain qualities: it must be, like that of
the saints, sincere and complete, without affectation
and never failing.
(a) The modesty of holy priests never had in it
aught of affectation or artificiality. It was simplic­
ity itself. They did not edify because they sought
to edify. They gave edification without thinking of
it, unconsciously, quite as a light illumines; because
their bearing, their language, their countenance,
their mannerisms even, reflected the dispositions
of their hearts and minds, and one knew, on be­
holding them, that in the depth of their souls was all
the virtue that their being bespoke. They reminded
men of the Savior for they were filled with His spirit
and they lived His life. The impression created
would have been very different, if their modesty had
not been spontaneous, if anyone could have thought
it put on, or if they had been suspected of having had
1 His life, in, 2.

The Priesthood.

407

need first to collect and compose themselves in order
to appear thus modest. To edify, as they did, the
priest will have to conform his mind and heart, his
inner life to theirs, and must have within him, in
reality, those things of which modesty is the much
admired expression.
(6) More than this, modesty, true to type, is com­
plete, without gaps and never found wanting. It is
not only at the altar, in public, or in the presence of
superiors that one is modest: but everywhere; for
the dispositions that engender it never vary, nor are
they put on or off. Modesty comes of keeping one’s
self always sensible of the presence of God and by
keeping alive and active the desire to please Him.
The really modest are edifying in their person, in
their manner, in their language, but also in their
abode and in its furnishing, in their associations. It
is the perfect and constant accord of everything in
them, about them, and what comes from them, that
begets the high esteem that men feel for their vir­
tue. This is what strikes one most in St. Francis de
Sales. “I have observed him often,” said M. Le
Camus, “and never remarked that he ever once de­
parted from the rules of strict modesty. When alone

408

Instructions.

such as he was wont to be in company, when in com­
pany just such as when alone ; he maintained an even­
ness of bearing, quite like that of his heart. Had
you beheld him at prayer, you would have said he
was in the presence of angels; motionless as a pillar,
with an air of deepest religion. I have observed him
when alone to see, if perhaps, he crossed his knees :
never. Always the same grave kindliness and meek­
ness that endeared him to and made him respected of
all who met him. His whole appearance told of
true piety, innocence, cleanness of heart.” He re­
marked once to St. Chantal that he never looked at
anyone to see whether he was fair or ugly. When
people were not present before him, he could never
tell what they looked like.1
Here is modesty upon which the priest will model.
It is but little that his modesty make him keep guard
over his eyes; he should be modest of countenance,
of dress, in his carriage and conversation, at table, in
his speech. Everything in him, on him, about him,
ought to give the impression of a man dead to merely
natural inclination, who acts ever in the light of
faith and in union with Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
1 St. Francis of Sales, Model of Priests and of Pastors, v,
10.

PART VI.
MEDITATIONS ON MODELS OF
PRIESTLY PERFECTION.
MEDITATION I.
PREROGATIVES OF THE PRIESTHOOD-OUR LORD.

First Point. Adore the God-made-man, as the
priest par excellence, and, in a sense, the only priest
of the divine Majesty. The functions of the priest­
hood were His sole occupation while on earth. He
lived and died but for the glory of God and for the
sanctification of souls, and His life and death have
been but one and the same sacrifice: He it is who
reconciles us to the Father, blots out our iniquities,
restores to us the life of grace, and sets our feet once
more on the road that leads to heaven. Bless the
divine Savior for having accomplished with so great
devotedness this incomparable work. Make acknowl­
edgment of the admiration, praise, and thanksgiving
that are duly His for the sacrifice He has consum­
mated: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power and divinity and wisdom and fortitude and
409

410

Meditation.

honor and glory and blessing.1 Praise Him with
all the saints of heaven and thank Him earnestly,
as a Christian and as a priest, for the honor and the
graces He has merited for you at the price of His
most precious Blood: Thou art worthy, 0 Lord,
for that Thou hast been slain and hast redeemed us to
God in Thy Blood out of every tribe and tongue and
people and nation: and Thou hast made us to our God a
kingdom and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth.2
Second Point. Consider the honor the Son of
God does you in raising you to His priesthood, the ob­
ligations He imposes upon you, and the graces He
destines for you.
1. Look first at the honor He does you. Had there
been any dignity greater than that of the priesthood,
would not God the Father have bestowed it upon His
Son? And had there been any ministry more noble,
more important, more holy, would not the Son of God
have chosen it? The Eternal Father has willed to
see only the priest in His Incarnate Son: He who
hath said to Him: Thou are my beloved Son, this day
have I begotten Thee, hath also said to Him: Thou art
a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech.3
1 Apoc., v, 12.

2 Apoc., v, 9.

* Heb., v, 5.

Prerogatives of the Priesthood—Our Lord.

411

And the Word made Flesh has not willed to exercise
any other functions here on earth than those of the
priesthood. He was offered a kingship; He set the
honor aside. They would have made Him judge
and arbiter among them; He said He was not come to
concern Himself with the tilings of earth. To do
honor to His Father, to make Him honored, to ran­
som the human race, to withdraw them from error
and sin, to adorn, clothe men in the beauty of His
grace, to give them of His life, to sacrifice Himself
unreservedly for their sanctification, these were the
things He proposed to Himself: this the work at
which He labored constantly with all the ardor of
His soul : I have a baptism wherewith 1 am to be bap­
tised: and how I am straightened until it be accom­
plished.1 But then, it is this very same end that is
assigned you, ’tis the very same work that you are
called upon to do; the self-same digpity with which
you have been invested. You are to exercise the
self-same ministry as Jesus Christ and you should
exercise it in the self-same way. Your ordination
endows you with the very same rights and gives you
the very same powers. You offer the same Victim.
* Luke, xii, 50.

I

412

Meditation.

You immolate that Victim in the same maimer
that He immolated in the Cenacle, according to the
order of Melchisedech. You are to give to souls the
same pardon, the same grace, the same nourish­
ment. You are for the Church another Christ. Re­
ceive power to offer sacrifice to God,1 she has said to
you. Sacrificium: not a sacrifice of any sort whatso­
ever, but the sacrifice par excellence, the only sacri­
fice, the sacrifice divine which has God for its object
as well as for its end. Can anyone conceive of a
dignity more grand or of an occupation more sub­
lime? God has placed you above kings and emperors,
says a holy Doctor, yes, even above Angels and Arch­
angels. For as it was not Angels but the seed of Abra­
ham that He hath taken to work His redemption, so
it is not to Angels or Archangels, but to men alone and
priests that He has committed the consecration of His
Body and Blood.2
2. But the burden corresponds to the dignity and
the obligations are as weighty as the powers are sub­
lime. For what ought to be the life of a priest, of the
representative of Christ in His Church? Should it
1 Pontifical, De presb.
* St. Ber., In Synod., I, App.

Prerogatives of the Priesthood—Our Lord.

413

not be, like that of his Master, a life of devotedness,
of unselfishness, of sacrifice? Yes, for this is the in­
struction he receives when mounting to the altar for
the first time: Agnoscite quod agitis, imitamini quod
tractatis.' He must give up self that he may be able
to live for God from this out, that is to say, he must
undo in himself not only the vices and the irregulari­
ties of passion, but as well the natural inclinations
that have nothing of grace or spiritual value in them,
and he must lead a life that is supernatural wholly,
like that of Our Lord here on earth. You see, then,
what is required of you if you are to live up to your
calling. You should say just as Christ did: I must
be about my Father’s business.2 My food is to do His
work:3 and as did the Apostle: No one of us lives for
himself, neither does anyone die to himself. For
whether we live or whether we die we are the Lord’s.*
It is of little worth to adopt these sentiments, or to
make these maxims your own, if you do not put them
in practice by conforming your life to them: Let not
our ministry be reviled, but in all things let us show
ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in
1 Pontifical, De presb.
1 Luke, ii, 49.

8 John, iv, 34.
< Rom., xiv, 7.

Meditation.

414

labors, in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowl­
edge, in long-suffering, in meekness, in the spirit of
holiness, in charity unfeigned, in the word of truth, and
in the power of God.1 All the ministers of Jesus Christ
are not subjected to the same trials as were the Apos­
tles; all have not to make the same sacrifices, but all
ought to be so disposed as to seek ever the honor of
their ministry, never, to be found wanting in any of
the duties which their vocation imposes upon them,
and to forego, to sacrifice if need be, for the glory of
God and the sanctification of their fellow-men, not
only their means, their personal likes and dislikes,
their affections and attachments, though the most
dear, but even their health, their strength and their
life: this is what St. Paul calls: immolari supra sa­
crificium, to immolate one’s self together with the
Victim of sacrifice.2 Thus should the life of the priest
be above that of the faithful, by its perfection as by
its dignity; nor is there any life that requires more
devotedness and generosity.
3. But the Savior also destines for His priest a
veiy privileged sharing of His Spirit and of His
graces.
1II Cor.,

ii,

4-8.

’ Phil.,

ii,

17.

Prerogatives of the Priesthood—Our Lord.

415

In conferring upon him the Sacrament of Orders,
Jesus gives him an assurance of having, even to his
dying day, all the helps that he can desire for the exer­
cise of his functions and for the fulfilment of the du­
ties of his priesthood. And he would be lacking in
faith, should he fear to lack the strength needful to
live in the ministry a holy priest, to be a reminder of
virtue to his people, to be able to intercede effica­
ciously in their behalf, to sanctify their souls and to
teach them how to live in the way of salvation. If any­
one say that through holy ordination the Spirit of God
is not given, and that, therefore, it is idle for the Bishop
to say, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, let him be anathema.1
The Church assures you that you can count on the
help of God, and that, if you do not render yourself
unworthy of it, His grace will most certainly be given
you in abundance until you breathe your last. And
is not this, also, what experience gives you to under­
stand? Do you not see for yourself, the fruits of such
grace in the lives of many a worthy priest? Have
you not truly felt the virtue of Jesus Christ increase
in your soul with every step forward you have made
in your progress toward the Altar? And, since the
1 Trid. conc., Sees. 23, De Ord., Can. 4.

416

Meditation.

day you received the priestly character, above all,
have you not felt a renewal, or at least the contin­
uance of the grace of God each time you ascended
to the Altar and received into your bosom the very
God who makes glad your youth? Have the fullest
confidence, then. Trust that Jesus will not be less
good towards you in the future than He has been
pleased to be in the past, or, rather, that His liberali­
ty to you will become greater and greater, accord­
ing as you are the more devoted in His service and
show Him more of love. Be assured that He wills to
save you, and to more than save you, for that He
wishes to make of you the means of sanctifying and
of leading to heaven many another soul whom, also,
He has destined to glory.
Third Point. 0 glorious Virgin, Mother of the
Savior of whom I am become a priest, to you I would
come as did the Apostles, and, like them ask your
intercession. You appreciate better than I the honor
I have received, the gratitude to which I am obliged
thereby and the zeal I must bestow if I am to acquit
myself well of the functions that are now mine.
Deign to make up for my shortcomings and to protect
my soul. Thank God for me for the favor He has

Prerogatives of the Priesthood—Our Lord.

417

done me and obtain for me of His mercy the virtues
of generosity, of faithfulness, of constancy, of detach­
ment, of penitence, of all of which I sorely feel the
need. The love you bear your Son does not suffer
you to look with indifference upon the needs of His
ministers. I propose to have recourse each day to
your protection, and to merit your interest by my
faithfulness in serving you. I will have it at heart
to make you known and loved by the faithful in so
far as I can bring them thereto. I will commend to
you all my undertakings. I will strive to imitate
your virtues and to conform to your desires. And,
above all, I will seek to be to you what Saint John
has been, while he lived with you here on earth, so
that you may be unto me what you were to him, and
that you may obtain for me in heaven the crown of
the priesthood, after having procured for me here be­
low its graces and its virtues.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power
and divinity and glory and blessing. . . . Who
loved its and made us a kingdom unto God arid His
Father, to whom be glory and empire for ever and ever.
Amen.1
1 Apoc. v, 1, 2; I, 5, 6.

418

Meditation.
MEDITATION II.

HELPFUL MODELS OF THE PRIESTHOOD—SAINTLY
PRIESTS.

First Point. Your first and most helpful model
in the priesthood is the Man-God, the priest par ex­
cellence: Appellatus a Deo Pontifex, juxta ordinem
Melchisedech.1 He is always with you in the exer­
cise of your functions, to enlighten you, to guide you
and to help you. You are to be to him no longer a
servant but a friend. You are to be united to Him
as intimately as the branch is to the vine: I am the
vine, you are the branches.2 Hereupon depends your
whole spiritual life and the fruitfulness of your
labors: Qui manet in Me, hic fert fructum multum.2
But the Savior wall not be the only one to take inter­
est in you, to watch over you, to show you your way.
You have, together with Him, for your protectors
all the saints, and, in particular, the holy priests, who
have had the same powers and the same obligations
as you. United now in the glory of the Lamb, Whom
they had immolated upon earth, they form in the
midst of the elect as it were a privileged nation:
1 Heb., v, 10.
’ John vi, 1.

’ John xv, 5.

Models of the Priesthood—Saintly Priests.

419

Gens sancta, genus electum, regale sacerdotium;1 and,
seeing you in the very character which consecrated
them to the worship of the Divine Majesty, they
regard you as one of themselves, consertus, and ask
of God that He will deign to bless and crown your
labors also. Take heart, then, and be glad in the
thought of the multitude and the prestige of the
protectors you have in heaven, ad Jerusalem coelestem
et Ecclesiam primitivorum qui conscripti sunt in
coelis.2 Promise them that you will walk in their
footsteps. Beg them ever to extend you a helping
hand and to aid you in triumphing over difficulties
and obstacles.
Second Point. You will find nothing more in­
structive than the lives of holy priests; nothing more
magnificent; nothing more encouraging.
1. Nothing more instructive. If the holy priests,
whom the Church honors or whose virtue is known
to you, have left any writings, if a collection of their
maxims or thoughts has been made, you will do
well to make a study of them. You will find there­
in a sure light that will show you the principles
which were their guide and which you, too, ought
11 Petr., ii, 9.

1 Apoc.,

xix, 10.

Meditation.

420

to follow. But, should no word of theirs have been
preserved, then their life will suffice to teach you
what was their spirit, what they thought was re­
quired of them to live up to their vocation and to
fulfil their ministry, with what fidelity they applied
themselves to their exercises of piety, to the practice
of virtues and to works of benevolence and of morti­
fication, with what reserve they dealt always with
the world, how guarded they were ever against
dissipation, their aversion to profane curiosities and
diversions, their affection for whatever could help to
nourish piety and make their souls holier and more
pleasing to God. By example I learned discipline.1
Is it needful to read the letters of Francis Xavier
in order to know what, in his eyes, was the value
of a soul, or what he thought of the worth of the
good things of this life in comparison with those
of eternity? Even had not St. Vincent de Paul
left his disciples such touching exhortations to humil­
ity, would his example not have sufficed to preach
them that virtue? Had St. Francis de Sales any
need to tell us of the charm of meekness and how it
can aid to the triumph of virtue and to the spread
1 Prov.,

xxiv,

32.

Models of the Priesthood—Saintly Priests.

421

of true devotion? Do we not see it all in the story
of his life? Lectio viva sanctorum vita, says St. Greg­
ory the Great. And it is not only the striking traits
in the lives of saints, their habitual practices, or
their character that are calculated to afford us
instruction: but their least word or action. “As
there is not a particle of their relics but should be
carefully preserved,” says St. Chrysostom, “for that it
has virtue to obtain for us some favor of Heaven, so
there is not one of their actions but should be re­
counted since it can be to us an exhortation and a
lesson. It is at once an exercise of piety and a profi­
table pastime to study before God the works He
has inscribed in His book of life. ” As regards the
lives of holy priests, in particular, besides aiding us
to the practice of perfection, they have this further
advantage of pointing out to us what we have to do
for the sanctification of our brethren.
2. Nothing more magnificent. The life of a great
man is always interesting. It is a pleasure to see
what he did to raise himself above the level of his
fellows, what it was that rendered him famous, and
what influence he exercised in the world. But for a
Christian who has the faith, for a cleric, the true

422

Meditation.

greatness of a man is not in his talents, in the extent
of his knowledge, in the boldness of his undertakings,
in the brilliant honors or renown to which he may
have attained. It is in the nobleness of his senti­
ments and in the qualities of his soul. It consists
in moral perfection, in the subjecting of his passion
to duty, in perfect fidelity to the inspirations of
virtue.
And true virtue, that is, for us, supernatural virtue,
is what pleases God and merits His rewards, which
has faith for its motives and grace for its source; that
virtue of which nature is incapable, but to which the
Spirit of Our Lord gives us the grace to lift up our­
selves; That loftiness of soul may be by the power of God
and not of ourselves.1 It is this virtue that appears
in holy priests and which makes up their worth and
merit. The Holy Spirit Himself, source of the life
of our Divine Savior, is the author of their good
works: Who worketh all things in all.2 This fact
which now we take on faith will one day be re­
vealed to us plain as day. We shall see how the Son
of God lived by His Spirit in the souls of His saints
on earth, how He lives in the hearts of the blessed
> II Cor., iv, 7.

s I Cor., xii, 6.

Models of the Priesthood—Saintly Priests.

423

in heaven; and this will be one of the joys of our
eternal happiness: Beloved we are now sons of God;
but not yet does it appear what we shall be.1 In that
day you shall know that I am in the Father and you in
Me and I in you.2 It is then we shall appreciate the
real excellence of the Christian and how truly per­
fect are the holy ones of God. We shall then under­
stand to what height an Apostle like St. Paul, a
missionary like St. Francis Xavier, a pastor like St.
Charles, a martyr like the Blessed Perboyre, have
lifted themselves above the rarest of geniuses, the
most illustrious of savants, the most famous of con­
querors. Between the one and the other, there is
the distance of earth to heaven, or of nature to grace.
3. Nothing more encouraging. If one had ever
before his eyes only the Son of God, who is the Holi­
est of holy ones, the great High Priest, one might be
tempted to believe that he is not made for the priest­
hood and that even there is no one among creatures
who may lawfully pretend thereto: one might then
say to himself with less of humility than of discour­
agement; Ad haec quis tam idoneus?3 The biography
1 John, in, 2.
2 John, xiv, 20.

3II Cor., ii, 16.

424

Meditation.

of a holy priest, the study of his life and virtue will rid
one of such an illusion. It will make clear that God
has always had here, upon earth, worthy ministers;
that the grace of Orders is real and powerful; that
there is nothing of obligation in the priesthood a
worthy priest cannot by its help fulfil ; no degree of
sanctity that it will not enable him to attain. And
this thought or assurance will not only preserve one
from discouragement, but will animate, stimulate,
incite one to personal effort towards realizing that
ideal of priestly worthiness and perfection that one
may thus conceive. When beholding all the good
that St. Vincent de Paul accomplished, all the un­
fortunates that owe to his care and zeal both their
lives and their salvation, who but will say to him­
self: “Cannot I, then, do some little thing for the
honor of God and for the welfare of my fellows?”1
When reading the account of the travels, the labors,
the perils that so many missionaries had and have
the courage to undertake and brave that they might
bring the faith to poor infidels, it is enough to bring
a blush of shame to our brow to reflect how we hesi­
tate at the least sacrifice or balk at the least discom1 St. Aug., Conf., ix, 2.

Models of the Priesthood—Saintly Priests.

425

fort required of us for the conversion of the unbe­
lievers and sinners in the midst of whom we live.
Considering what has been done for the honor of God
and the consolation of Mother Church by the humble
Curé of Ars, in other words, humanly speaking, by
the most poor and lowly pastor of the poorest parish
in all France, how may anyone pretend to believe
himself incapable of doing any good in a parish of
better promise, with means considerably more potent
and in a position incomparably better? The lives
of holy priests are, then, a prolific seed of priestly
holiness.
Third Point. Strive to stir up some aspirations
to perfection within you at the sight of so many holy
priests who have gone before you in the ministry and
who now reign in everlasting bliss. Note how nu­
merous they are. No week passes but the Church
makes you do honor to one or more of them. Attend
to the resumé of their lives which you read in the
breviary; but, more than this, cultivate a lilting for
the reading of the lives of such as have been written
more at length. Reflect, in particular, on the ex­
ample of such as have lived in these latter days, in
conditions similar to yours. And you will hear, in

426

Meditation.

the depths of your heart, the Holy Spirit speaking to
you as to St. Augustine; “Why cannot you do as
these have done; and if you can do so, why will you
not do it?” Let communion with these worthy
priests be a consolation to you in the lonesomeness,
isolation you must sometimes feel or be obliged to
keep. Their society is of a nature to more than
make up for the loss or the fore-going of that of others.
And do not content yourself merely with frequenting
them or communicating in spirit with them. Invoke
them; lay claim to their aid and their intercession
before God. These are the protectors that it is
worth your while to cultivate, to whom you can rec­
ommend yourself without hesitation, unabashed:
Make to yourself friends by venerating the holy ones of
God and by imitating their deeds. Cultivate their
friendship. The prayer of one saint in heaven is of
more worth to you than the visits of all the friends the
world can afford you.1

1 Imit., i, 23.

The Apostle St. Paul.

427

MEDITATION III.

THE APOSTLE ST. PAUL.

First Point. Honor in St. Paul one of the truest ·
models of priestly perfection and one of the most ad­
mirable prodigies of divine grace. He is the Apos­
tle par excellence, he who was chosen to crown the
work of the twelve witnesses to the Savior and to
bear His Name to the utmost bounds of the known
world. Though God did not bring him forth from
nothingness, properly speaking, He did draw him
from an abyss still more profound, from the blindest
Pharisaism, and the most violent. But in revealing
to him the divinity of His Son, He transformed him
entirely. He dispelled the darkness of his mind and
calmed the turbulent impulses of his heart: Who com­
manded the light to shine in the darknesses, He hath
made to shine in our hearts the illuminating knowledge
of Christ Jesus.1 Thus He gave to His Church a
striking assurance of the triumph that was to be hers
over Judaism and idolatry. At the same time, He
prepared for His future ministers a model whom they
cannot but admire and according to whom they may
form themselves until the end of time. So, too, has
1II Cor., iv, 6.

428

Meditation.

God seen to it that his life should be written and pre­
served in a much more perfect way than that of any
other Apostle. The Lord was not content that the pen
of an Evangelist should recount for us the principal
facts thereof; He wished that the man himself reveal
his most secret dispositions, his inmost soul and that
he leave us in his inspired letters a most faithful por­
trayal of his mind and heart; and the Church, enter­
ing into His design, obliges her ministers to read each
day some passage of them either at holy Mass or in the
Office, that they may come to know all his traits and
never lose them to mind. Thank your Divine Mas­
ter for having thus provided for the edification of His
clergy and for the spiritual welfare of your own soul.
Ask of Him the grace to profit by this help and to
learn of His Apostle what you have yet to do if you
are to share in his merits in this life and in his reward
in the life to come: Deus qui universum mundum
Beati Pauli apostoli predicatione docuisti, da nobis,
quaesumus, ut qui ejus merita colimus, per ejus ad te
exempla gradiamur.1
Second Point. There are three virtues most prom­
inent in the life of St. Paul, which three we ought
1 Oft. Convers. St. Pauli.

The Apostle St. Paul.

429

endeavor most to imitate: his devotion to Our Sav­
ior, his zeal for souls and his humility.
1. The love of our Lord is the very soul of this
Apostle. No sooner did he come to know the Divine
Master than he loved him with a perfect love and
wished to live only for Him. His every moment, all
his strength, his full ardor were consecrated to His
service, to propagating His doctrine and to extending
His reign: But when it pleased Him, who called me by
His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach
Him among the Gentiles, forthwith I condescended not
to flesh and blood. . . . But the brethren had
heard only. He who persecuted us in times past now
preacheth the faith.1
“For whom else could I live,” he adds, “what other
master could I serve, when I know that He loved me
first and that He gave Himself up to death for my
salvation. Quod ego vivo infide, infide vivo Filii Dei,
qui dilexit me et tradidit semetipsum pro me.2 Not
only for Him do I live and rule my life by his faith,
but I know that He lives in me, that He is the soul
of my soul and the life of my life: I live now not I,
but Christ liveth in me.3 Ah ! who can take from me
1 Gal., I, 16, 23.
* Gal., n, 29.

’ Ibid.

Meditation.

430

this treasure divine! What power can snatch me
from His love or break the bond which unites me to
to Him? Quis nos separabit a caritate Christi? Tri­
bulatio, an angustia, an fames, an gladius? No, I am
sure that no persecution, no trial, no sword will ever
be capable of that: For I am certain that neither
death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, neither
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any creature can separate us from the love of
God which is Christ Jesus our Lord.”1 And these
were not vain words on the part of St. Paul: his
whole history attests that his conduct corresponded
with his language, and that neither in life nor in
death did the love of his Savior ever weaken in its
complete possession of his heart. For if we live, we
live to the Lord·, and if we die, we die to the Lord.2
Thanks be to God, who makes us ever to triumph in
Christ Jesus.3 It would be easy for you to recall
here many more such attestations. But it will be
more to the purpose to see what share you have in
such sentiments. A minister of Jesus Christ like the
Apostle, you yourself have been the object of His
1 Rom.,
’Rom.,

viii,
xiv,

35-39.
8.

’ II Cor.,

ii,

14.

431

The Apostle St. Paul.

predilection. Ought you not then to be moved with
a sense of gratitude equal to his? If you have not
been brought from unbelief, like St. Paul, were you
not by the same mercy led back from wanderings
astray that were more culpable still? Gratias Deo
qui dignos nos fecit in partem sortis sanctorum I1 Woe
to him who is insensible to such great mercies! Woe
to him who will not love with a whole heart, when
he has been and is still the object of so great a love!
If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him
be anathema1.2
2. The love of the Apostle for Our Lord was, above
all, a love of devotedness and of generosity. Seeing
that the Son of God had sacrificed and suffered all
things for the salvation of his soul and for the re­
demption of the world, he wished to sacrifice all to
testify to Him his gratitude, and to undertake all to
complete His work, that is to say, to deliver souls
from the tyranny of the demon and to make of them
a trophy to his Redeemer. “ Since God has made me
an Apostle to the Gentiles, said he, I wish to honor
my ministry by making it fruitful. Woe is me, if I
preach not the Gospel! I am a debtor to ah, as I
1 Col., I, 12.

21 Cor.,

xvi,

22.

432

Meditation.

know, to the Gentiles as to the Jews, to the Barbarians as to the Greeks, to the ignorant as to the
beamed. And hence, there is nothing that I am not
readjr to fore-go if only I may spread the Gospel and
increase the number of the elect: Omnia sustineo
propter electos, ut ipsi salutem consequantur.1 Blessed
be the Father of mercies, who fills us with consola­
tions, that we may console and encourage all our
brethren! For I have no concern or ardor but for
their sanctification; and all my desire is to present to
my Savior the Churches I have formed as so many
brides worthy of His love: Aemulor enim vos Dei
aemulatione virginem castam exhibere Christo? Also,
when I think upon the future I hardly know what
most to desire; and if my fate should rest with me, I
should hesitate to choose between life and death. To
quit this world and go to heaven and be in the king­
dom of Jesus Christ would truly be a gain to me; but
is it not needful that I remain here below, to provide
for the wants of the Church and to help many souls
to sanctify themselves? I will go, then, to Jesus for
He is my end and my joy; but I will go to Him by
the way of labor and the apostolate, following all its
1II Tim., ii, 10.

1II Cor., xi, 2.

The Apostle St. Paul.

433

weary length the path He has trodden before me. I
will force myself to advance day by day, not count­
ing at all the progress I have made, considering only
that which is yet for me to do: Unum autem, quae
quidem retro sunt obliviscens, ad ea vero quae sunt
priora extendens meipsum, ad destinatum persequor,
ad bravium supernae vocationis Dei in Christo Jesu.1
Thus you see, herein, something of the sentiments of
the Apostle, of the labors he has undertaken, of the
sufferings he has endured, of the fruits he has pro­
duced. He has accomplished more than any other for
the service of the Master, but he has also suffered
more than anyone else. Such is the law of the apostolate. God wills that the ministers of Jesus Christ
purchase their success, like their Master, at the price
of weary labor and sufferings. You cannot be an ex­
ception to this rule. If you propose to do any good,
to convert souls, to make them holy, bestir yourself
to effort, take the trouble, and be zealous: Docete,
praedicate, contendite. Say with St. Paul: I will
willingly spend and be spent.2 He gathers not who
does first sow or water or reap in the sweat of his
brow.
1 Phil.,

hi,

14.

’ II Cob.,

xii,

15.

434

Meditation.

3. And is it not to be marveled at, that, ardent
as was the zeal of the Apostle, his humility was no
less sincere and deep. Loaded with merits and with
glory, wondered at for his miracles, venerated for his
virtues, blessed for his benefactions, listened to as an
oracle, obeyed as an angel from heaven, he still regards
himself as the least and last among his brethren, ab­
ortivus novissimus apostolorum, tametsi nihil sum, as
the greatest of sinners, primus peccatorum, as one who
fears lest he yet become a castaway, ne forte reprobus
efficiar. He is convinced that His Savior has, out of
pure mercy, called him to the Christian faith; that
he is incapable, Apostle and all as he is, of doing the
least good thing of himself ; that he cannot even con­
ceive one good thought, nor utter a good word; that,
whatever he may have done for the cause of Christ,
the grace of the Savior has accomplished all through
him: Non ego autem, sed gratia Dei mecum.1 And
more ! the fame of his preaching and the honor of his
name are a burden to him. He finds his pleasure
only in humiliation; He glories only in his infirmities.
He prefers to recall only those things that are calcu­
lated to lower him in the estimation of the faithful
11 Cor., xv, 10.

The Apostle St. Paul.

435

and make him be looked upon as the least and lowest
among the ministers of God. For I am not worthy to
be called an Apostle, since I persecuted the Church of
God. I who was of old a blasphemer and a persecutor
and contumelious.1 Humility, such as this, is surely
to be admired and cannot fail to leave its impression
on anyone who thinks upon it. If a saint, if an
Apostle, if St. Paul, who has such great honor and
such surpassing merit before God and men, humbled
himself thus before the whole Church, what might
be expected of ourselves; of us who have but little
either of his worth or works! We should humble
ourselves in some proportion to our shabby wretch­
edness and need, but, we know well enough that we
do only the contrary. If we bear any resemblance
to St. Paul, is it not in the first part of his life, while
he was yet imbued with the spirit of the Pharisees?
Instead of having a liking for humiliation or for ob­
scurity, are we not on the lookout for the least dis­
tinction, consideration, honor, et in primis cathedris
sedere et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi?2 Have a care
against this spirit, says Our Savior: Beware of the
1II Cor., xv, 9; I Tim., i, 13.
! Matt., xxiii, 4-6.

Meditation.

436

leaven of the Pharisees.1 Quod hominibus altum est,
abominatio est ante Deum.2
Third Point. Reflect that St. Paul is not only
the most illustrious of the Apostles, but that he is
also an admirable pattern of priestly perfection; one
of those whom it is of real importance you should
study most and invoke. Too often, one seems to see
in the saints of those early times only historic person­
ages, whose activity and influence endured only with
their life. One has no thought of invoking their spirit
or of soliciting their aid. Yet, nothing is more rea­
sonable. Since they are saints and have practised
virtue in its perfection we should not cease to honor
and imitate them: aut imitandi sunt, aut non co­
lendi. Since they are the chosen ones of our Savior
and enjoy His friendship and share in His kingship, it
is worth while to invoke them, to have recourse to
them, to ask, through their intercession, the graces
of which we have need if we are to walk in their foot­
steps. To study the language of St. Paul, his char­
acteristics, his turn of mind, to prove the genuineness
of his Epistles, to reduce to a system all his dogmatic
and moral assertions; this is all very well, but, is it not
1 Matt.,

xvi,

6, 11.

2 Luke x, 15.

437

St. Vincent de Paul.

of greater import to study his virtues, to penetrate
one’s self with his spirit, to fill one’s mind with his
thoughts? This is what his disciples Timothy and
Titus did, and this is what the bishop invites us to do
when he thus prays for those ordained to the priest­
hood: That instructed in these doctrines which Paul
gave to Timothy and to Titus, they may believe what
they shall have read, that they expound what they shall
have come to believe, and what they believe they may
practice.1
MEDITATION IV.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.

First Point. Our Savior is the model of all holi­
ness, but particularly of priestly holiness. His
priests are not holy except in so far as they bear re­
semblance to Him or in proportion to the share they
have in His Spirit and His virtues. Quos praescivit
conformes fieri imaginis Filii sui, hos et vocavit, justi­
ficavit, glorificavit.2 And this can be perceived very
sensibly in St. Vincent de Paul. He not only repre­
sented the Savior in his ministry, in the sense that,
being invested with the same priesthood, he exer1 Pontif., De Presb.

1 Rom.,

viii,

29.

438

Meditation.

cised the same functions and worked to the same end,
but he represented Him still further in his person, in
his character, in liis virtues, in his conduct: When
I name Jesus, says St. Bernard, I think of a Man
meek, humble of heart, kindly, sober of mien, chaste,
remarkable, in fine, for all manner of goodness and
holiness.”1 This is quite the idea one forms of St.
Vincent de Paul, and the very one that his historians,
his works, and his discourses give of him. For Our
Savior was the constant object of his thoughts and
of his love. The saint was ever pondering in his mind
His example and His maxims. He was by habit al­
ways in union with Jesus, and kept alive in his heart
a sense of complete dependence upon Him. He was
indeed the branch growing from the vine, drawing
from it all its sap and vigor. Passing no judgment,
uttering no word, placing no act but in Him and
through Him, he could say with St. Paul that Jesus
Christ was his very life: Mihi vivere Christus est.2
Also, could he rightfully say with St. Paul: Be ye
imitators of me as I am of Christ. Take his advice in
this, and, in order to conform thereto, ask the Holy
Spirit to give you the knowledge of what most con1 In Cant., xxv.

2 Gal.,

ii,

20.

St. Vincent de Paid.

439

tributed to develop in him so true an image of the
Savior.
Second Point. Three virtues have contributed
more than all else to make St. Vincent strikingly like
Our Lord : they are his self-denial, his spirit of faith
and his charity towards his neighbor.
1. St. Vincent was not only master of himself and
above all inclinations of mere nature: he was so mor­
tified a man, he had so effectively and completely
repressed both humors and likings that he was quite
without self-will and in him the old man seemed to
have lost all vigor and energy. Never was he seen
to make a movement or to say a word out of curiosity,
love of comfort, or natural instinct. Nor did he ever
take a single step or move a hand in order to procure
for himself any consideration, favor, or esteem what­
soever. At no time did he either give counsel, or take
a side with a view to his own personal interest. His
person, his interests, his likes and dislikes counted
for nothing with him. The same can be said of
him as of Our Savior: Non sibi placuit. Sed
semetipsum exinanivit. The things that mattered
with him, as with Jesus, were the interests, the
glory, the good pleasure of the Divine Majesty:

440

Meditation.

Quae placita sunt ei. He, therefore, fulfilled, in the
most complete manner, the condition which the
Master lays down for those who would walk in His
footsteps: If anyone will come after me let him deny
himselfI
2. Anyone that will conduct himself wisely, be­
comingly, according to the dignity of man, must con­
sult and follow reason. He must not allow himself
to be actuated, as a child, by blind instincts or by un­
reflecting impulse. But the Christian cannot be con­
tent with merely doing what reason or the world
would approve and with avoiding all irregularity of
conduct. Since he is become through Baptism an
enlightened child of God, having a share in His spirit,
he must live a life that is superhuman and, in some
sense, divine. He has the power to do it; for it de­
pends upon himself whether he shall live as a child
of God, conformably to the views and good pleasure
of God: My just man lives by faith, says the Lord.2
Such was the life of St. Vincent de Paul. When he
gave a decision, accomplished any deed, spoke any
word, it was only after consulting his faith and with
1 Matt., xvi, 24.
* Rom., i, 17; Gal., in, 10; Heb., x, 38.

St. Vincent de Paul.

441

the assurance that he was observing its maxims. And
whenever he had to take any new measure or give
an important bit of advice, he was always seen to
recollect himself in the presence of God, to ask him­
self what God would prefer, or what would Our Savior
do in his place. Then, signing himself with the cross,
he gave his advice or set about the thing to be done,
in nomine Domini. Thus, thanks to this spirit of
faith, his life was altogether supernatural, altogether
Christian, abundantly full of merits for heaven.
And Oui1 Lord, concurring ever by His light and by
the motion of His grace in whatsoever the saint did,
became the very principle of his activity even more
than was His servant himself.
3. But, among all the actions that faith can inspire
in a Christian, which are the most perfect? Are
they not acts of charity, that is to say, acts of love
of God considered in Himself or in His adopted
children? And these are what continually preoccu­
pied the mind and filled the life of St. Vincent. You
can read in his life in what manner he was charitable,
whether as regards God, through the divine Sacri­
fice, the divine Office and the practices of piety, or
with regard to his neighbor, towards whosoever had

442

Meditation.

recourse to him and, in particular, towards the
poor. Nothing could alter his purity of intention
or divide his affection. He loved nothing unless in
God and for God. He undertook nothing except
with Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ. Such
was his charity, that, no matter what he did to satisfy
it, it always seemed to him all too little and he always
desired to do a hundred times as much. There was
no sacrifice for which he was not ready; no trouble
or annoyance that he did not cheerfully accept if so
he might be of assistance to his brethren. It is a
marvel, the numbers of unfortunates to whom he
had the consolation of rendering a service, even in
regions far distant. For he scarce made any dis­
tinction between fellow-countrymen and strangers:
he saw in all, the creatures of God, souls redeemed by
the precious Blood of his Savior. And never did the
pity which the wretched inspired in him remain an
idle sentiment. He impoverished himself to get
them nourishment; despoiled himself to clothe others;
he had himself fastened in irons in the place of cap­
tives; and was eager to give his life to save martyrs.
He did not think that too much could ever be done
for these whom God calls His own and gives the in­

St. Vincent de Paul.

443

heritance of heaven. And if he could refuse them
nothing that would relieve their bodies, what could he
begrudge them or did he not seek to do for their souls’
sake? This, too, was the spirit with which he in­
spired all his own missionaries whom he sent into the
provinces made desolate by war or into the heathen
lands, the religious whom he banded together and
formed, after his own heart, to the care of the sick
and the orphans, for the instruction of children, and
for the reclamation of those fallen into vice. Oh!
what devotedness there was in that heart, and how
many are the holy works of which it has been the
source ! Oh ! what good a priest can do, if he but be a
man of God, if he live only for His service and love.
Third Point. Thank God for having given to
the Church, so perfect an examplar of what a priest
should be. No one has rendered more honor and
glory to God in these latter days. No one has better
served the Church. No one has left to his own a
more glorious or a more dear memory. Ask Our
Lord to inspire you with true devotion to this holy
priest; ask Him to impress upon your heart and mind
his maxims and example. Though his sanctity is
eminent, it is yet one of the most encouraging models

Meditation.

444

and the most practical that a priest can choose. His
life was spent in conditions very like to those of the
average ecclesiastic, and God has been pleased to
sanctify him by the very means that are within the
easy reach of all, rather than by revelations and mir­
acles. The very things he possessed in the highest
degree, are the self-same things that are most needed
today, or rather, today more than ever, for accom­
plishing good: the virtues of faith, detachment,
humility, compassion, and of devotedness to all the
bodily and spiritual needs of our neighbor. Pray
Our Savior to give you a share in these virtues and
offer yourself sincerely to His Spirit to practise them:
Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and be­
loved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty,
patience. But above all these things have charity,
which is the bond of perfection: and let the peace of
Christ rejoice in your hearts.1
0 God, Who unto Blessed Vincent didst give apos­
tolic virtue for the preaching of the Gospel to the poor
and for promoting the honor of the priestly order,
graciously grant, that we, who venerate his piety and
merits, may gain instruction by the example of his
virtues, through Christ our Lord.2
1 Col.,

hi, 12-15.

2 Brev.

St. Vincent de Paul.

445

MEDITATION V.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.

First Point. Adore the Son of God-made-Man,
as the supreme head of the Church, as the One Who
calls and Who prepares, for the government of His
faithful, the ministers necessary to their sanctifica­
tion, quosdam quidem apostolos, quosdam autem pro­
phetas, alios vero pastores et doctores ad consumma­
tionem sanctorum, ad aedifioationem corporis Christi.1
The needs of the Church and of souls being varied,
those who are destined to see to them do not all
receive the same gifts: Alii quidem datur sermo sapi­
entiae, alii sermo scientiae, alteri fides aut operatio
virtutum.2 Each one has grace in accord with his
vocation. Hence it is that a certain number receive
more, or share more abundantly in the riches of the
Savior. St. Francis de Sales is one of those who have
had a larger share. He was not only a holy priest
and a devoted pastor: he was, besides, a learned Doc­
tor and a writer of the first order. Admired as a
preacher and as a controversialist, he was still more
esteemed and sought afteras a confessor and a director
1 Eph., iv, 12.

* I Cob., xh, 6,10.

446

Meditation.

of souls. He loved the poor and God gave him to feel
much consolation in the ministry he exercised to­
wards them; but he labored mostly, with the bless­
ing of Heaven, among the rich and the great. The
highest of them were under his benign influence.
Princes themselves admired his wisdom and praised
his sanctity. He was truly the ideal priest. Where­
fore has St. Vincent de Paul proposed him as a living
image of the Savior, and his memory still is enshrined
in admiration, love and veneration universal. Offer
him your heart-felt homage, and rejoice with him
in the faithful consecration he made of all his facul­
ties and strength to the service of Our Lord. May
he obtain for you the grace to serve the Master with
a like devotion and with the same blessings!
Second Point. You will do well to imitate St.
Francis in everything, but particularly in his zeal for
the conversion of sinners, in his preaching of the
faith and in the direction of souls.
1. The first years of his ministry were consecrated
to the conversion of heretics. Of all sinners, they
were the hardest to lead back to God. Deprived of
the light of faith, brought up in the hatred of the
Church and her ministers, obstinate in their errors,

St. Francis de Sales.

447

they saw in him, at first, only a seducer who sought
to bring them under the ancient yoke. They were
determined, not only not to yield to his words, but to
treat him as a foe and to discourage his zeal. And,
indeed, his many friends adjudged his efforts as at­
tempts at the impossible and even he was thought
more to compromise religion than to convert here­
tics. St. Francis thought otherwise. He reflected
that God willed their salvation and would not refuse
them the grace of which they had need in order to
know the truth and to return to Him. He recalled
to himself the reply of the Apostle of the Gentiles
when he was reproached with purposing to be their
evangelist: Fides ex auditu. Quomodo credent sine
praedicante^ He knew that God can make docile
children of the most hardened sinners, and, even if
he were not worthy that God should renew in his fa­
vor the prodigies of the Apostles, at least he would
have the merit of having walked in their footsteps
and of having imitated them. He had need of great
constancy, for he was obliged to wait long for the
fruits of his zeal to appear; yet, far from being dis­
couraged, he redoubled his charity, mildness, and con1 Rom., x, 4.

448

Meditation.

descension. To preaching he added much prayer and
mortification, till finally it pleased God to grant his
desires and to touch the heart of that poor people.
From that time on, hindrances vanished, dispositions
changed; and the number of conversions surpassed
all hopes. Happy the people whose pastors do not
content themselves with mere watching over the fold,
but are eager always to go seek after the sheep that
are gone astray! Happy the pastors who labor at
the conversion of sinners -with such purity of purpose
and the same generosity and who deserve to obtain
of heaven by their prayers that which they feel them­
selves incapable of effecting by their own strength !
2. St. Francis de Sales had a not a whit less zeal
for the sancification of the pious faithful than he
evinced for the conversion of sinners. If he loved
to prove to unbelievers the truth of the Catholic
faith, he loved still more to explain its mysteries to
docile souls and to bring them to a fuller practice of
its maxims. No one ever dispensed the word of God
with more liberality and no one was ever listened to
with more relish when in the pulpit than he. One can
see in his biography the almost incredible number
of sermons, exhortations, allocutions of every sort

St. Francis de Sales.

449

which he delivered in France as well as in Savoy,
and the eagerness of people to hear him in Paris as in
Annecy. But what is more remarkable still, is the
concept he had of preaching, the dispositions of his
mind and heart when preaching, and the end he
proposed to himself, the simplicity, the piety, and
the charity with which he spoke to the faithful.
There is, on this subject, a long letter written by
himself to the Archbishop of Dijon, who had asked
counsel of him. One doesn’t know, in reading it,
which to admire the most: the finesse of his mind,
the solidity of his judgment, the ardor of his zeal,
or the perfection of his virtue. True pastor, still
more than preacher, he had wished to preach with­
out ceasing, not for the sake of being listened to,
but to make God loved and virtue practised. Al­
most every year, he preached the Lenten and Ad­
vent discourses in some parish, and scarce a day
went by that he did not ascend the pulpit. “I
am marvellously listened to here,” he wrote to St.
Chantal during one of his missions; “but, indeed, I
am preaching with all my heart.” And, addressing
a young priest, who had neither the same love of
preaching, nor the same facility: “Begin,” said he,

450

Meditation.

“begin soon to do that which you will always have
to do. The sooner you commence, the sooner you
will succeed. Preach often: for there is no other
secret of becoming a preacher. Seek the glory of
God without bothering about yourself. But don’t
be over-solicitous: if we forget ourselves to think of
God, God will be mindful of us and will bless our
efforts.” He recommended, above all else, a right
intention. He wished that, in going into the pul­
pit, every priest would say to himself as did Our
Lord: Ego veni ut vitam habeant et abundantius
habeant. “And, after that, let them beware of
long periods, of grand gesticulation, and all oddities
or singularities of movement or bearing; this is the
plague of preaching. The tongue wags in vain when
it is not moved by charity. I love the preaching
that breathes charity rather than indignation. I
love it better when it is brief. The more you say,
the less is retained. It is better to return to the
matter later and renew the good remarks or ob­
servations: Nunquam satis dicitur quod nunquam
satis discitur.” Reflect upon these wise sayings.
See if they are not still today the wisest you have
heard. What if all preachers were animated with

St, Francis de Sales.

451

this spirit and conformed their utterances to these
rules?
3. But it is in the direction of souls that St.
Francis is incomparable. God Himself pointed him
out to St. Chantal as the most excellent master of the
perfect Christian life. She had long asked of Heav­
en a spiritual guide, who would be truly holy and
who would help her to become holy herself. Of a
sudden one day, she saw, at some distance in front
of her, an ecclesiastic vested in soutane and rochet,
just as she beheld at Dijon, shortly afterward, the
Bishop of Geneva. And while she looked admiringly
she heard a voice that said to her: “Here is the
guide well-beloved of God and of men, to whose
hands you ought to trust your soul.” Before very
long the saint knew by experience he was indeed
such as she had long wished for and had been prom­
ised her, a man of true holiness, who had no other
concern but to make her to know and to accomplish
the will of God. And the regard which she bore
him only increased as she came to know him better.
“I saw that God dwelt in his soul,” she says, “insuch
plenitude, that I never looked upon him without
feeling the presence of God. I would have held it

452

Meditation.

a happiness to abandon all the things of this world,
and to do the least and lowest duties of his house, if
I might but refresh my soul with the words of life
that were ever falling from his lips.” It was in the
same spirit and with the same purity of intention
that St. Francis de Sales directed all that had re­
course to him. Never did he show the least eager­
ness to undertake the direction of anyone soever;
and he never suffered anyone to come to him with
any other purpose than to sanctify himself in doing
the will of God. In lais dealings with lay folk, and
in the advice he gave them, one can note even
greater wisdom and discretion. Natural inclina­
tion, curiosity, self-seeking had no place in his
heart.
With mildness he combined so much dignity and
with simplicity such loftiness of mind, together
such respect for others and for himself that he
was regarded as an angel of God. “I believe,”
said St. Chantal, “that it is impossible to find a
man more wise, more kind and more modest in his
language as well as in his conduct.” God alone
knows how many souls he has gained to heaven, what
acts of virtue he made them to accomplish and

St. Francis de Sales.

453

what help he has been to them in the work of their
sanctification.
Third Point. Since you are honored with the
same priesthood as St. Francis de Sales, arouse a
desire to use as he did the powers you have received.
Take the resolution to preach the Gospel for the
sole glory of God, with such zeal, simplicity and
charity as you are capable of. Love sinners as he
did, that you may gain them to God : desire to ren­
der yourself, like him, useful to the just by teaching
them the practice of virtue and the ways of per­
fection. Have this saint as your counsellor and
model in the holy Tribunal and in the pulpit, as
well as in all the various relations of your ministry.
And study him well: try to conceive a just notion
of his doctrine and of his virtues. Be not of those
superficial, narrow minds, who see only meekness in
him and think that they resemble him when they
are but minimizing principles and tolerating abuses.
St. Francis was meek and mild, but he was strong,
too; he knew how to say: Non licet; he did not hesi­
tate to expose his life on occasion, or to require
sacrifices. If he spoke most to souls of the love of
God, and of the consolations of piety, he did not

Meditation.

454

ask the less (like all the saints) the crucifixion of the
old man and the death of all his concupiscences.
0 God, Who for the salvation of souls, wert pleased
that Blessed Francis Thy confessor and pontiff should
become all things to all men: grant mercifully, that we,
filled by the sweetness of Thy love, may, by following
his counsels and by the help of his merits, attain unto
joys everlasting. Through Christ Our Lord.1
MEDITATION VI.
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGOURI.

First Point. Like St. Francis de Sales and like
many others, St. Ligouri seemed to have a place
clearly marked out for him in the world. The con­
dition of his family, the designs of his parents, the
education he had received, the qualities with which
he was naturally endowed, seemed to fix his duty
there and not in the Church. Fortune, honors and
success were to be his. But God had offered him
these advantages only to show him what futile
things they are and to give him the merit of making
the sacrifice of them all. He made it in good time,
i Breviary, Jan. 29.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

455

quite as soon as he was in a position to dispose of
affairs himself; then he did it with perfect generosity.
And though everything combined to make the
forming of his determination and the execution of it
painful for him, still all the obstacles had only this
effect: to bestir his ardor and to increase his virtue.
He resolved to belong to God only and without
reserve. To give up a fortune and to fore-go the
comforts of life cost him but little; but he had, at the
same time, to suffer estrangement from his family.
He made this last sacrifice, nevertheless, and made it
more generously than all the rest. He renounced the
affection of his parents together with their society.
And to ensure faithfulness to grace, he embraced a
life of poverty and devoted himself to the practice
of heroic humility and mortification. This meant,
of course, the giving of himself over to censure and
contempt. He was an object of suspicion to his
friends as well as to those among whom he lived.
He was held by them an indiscreet man, lacking
wisdom and shaping poorly for the future; who would
bring dishonor to his name by his imprudence and
his strong-headedness. The saint put up with it
all, content to be found faithful to his Master and to

456

Meditation.

walk like Him in the way of suffering. In the end,
trials of this sort ceased; hindrances fell away. Men
began to realize that he was being led by the Spirit
of God, and that, in quitting the world, he had
taken the better course : they came to comment on
his virtue. In other words, there came to pass
what we behold every day. When a young man
makes a great sacrifice for God, the first fruit he is
sure to reap from it is unkindly or unfavorable crit­
icism and belittling remarks; but let him have pa­
tience and persevere, and the judgment of men will
not be slow to change; for, what at first they dis­
paraged, they will at length admire and praise. Ac­
knowledge in this the wisdom of God, Who will
have all His chosen ones pass this same way, that
they may die to themselves by humility and mor­
tification, before they can serve to His glory and
the good of His Church. Pray that He may be
pleased to deal so with you and ask of Him to give
you an understanding and a relish of these words of
Holy Writ: Son, when thou earnest to the service of
God, prepare thy soul for temptation. Join thyself
to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in
the latter day.1
1 Eccli., ii, 1, 3.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

457

Second Point. In the life of St. Alphonsus there
are three things that are most to be remarked: his
love for Our Lord and for the Blessed Virgin, his
devotion to souls, and his application to clerical
studies. And these are so many examples that you
must imitate.
1. The love this saint bore his Redeemer was
the great inspiration and motif of his life. The
books he has "written in honor of the God-madeMan, on the mysteries of His life, on His passion,
on the divine Sacrifice, on the most blessed Sacra­
ment, breathe a piety so sincere and a devotion so
ardent, they evince so earnest a desire to make his
divine Savior known, honored and loved, that one
can feel how truly the heart of the author was
aflame with that love. And one is not surprised to
read in the story of his life that he was never hap­
pier than when preaching his Redeemer’s sublime life
and virtues, or that his zeal for the worship of the
Cross was so untiring. One can understand the fer­
vor with which he celebrated the holy Sacrifice, and
all that he undertook for the establishment and
propagation of devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
“My dear brethren,” said he in a discourse to the

458

Meditation.

religious of the Order he founded, “the first thing I
recommend to you, is the love of Our Divine Savior.
Let us never forget the motives that oblige us to
that love. It was to place us in a position to fulfil
perfectly this duty that from all eternity He has
chosen us for the priesthood and led us into this
community. And He has thereby made it of ob­
ligation for us to love Him with our full heart and
to labor at making Him so loved by others.” And
in closing, he said: “I must make an end; yet I
would wish never to end, so keen is the desire I feel
to see inflamed with love of Jesus each and every
one of you, and to be able to think that you will
make up to Him the ingratitude He so much knows
in these unhappy times.” His devotion to the
Blessed Mother of God was like to that he cherished
for her Son. The special favors he had received
from the Blessed Virgin inspired deep gratefulness
in his soul. He sought to engrave her name on every
heart. He made a vow that he would preach in her
honor every Saturday, and each of his retreats he
brought to a close with a like discourse. It was
through Mary that he offered all his prayers to
God; to her he referred the honor of all his works;

St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

459

and it was through her intercession that he hoped
to enter into the possession of heaven.
2. The love of St. Ligouri towards Our Lord
prompted him to neglect nothing that would make
His merits and graces fruitful in souls. He felt that
he never could do too much for those whom the
Son of God had purchased with His Blood; and,
like the beloved Apostle, it was by his deeds, still
more than by his words, that he believed he must
show his love. All Christians were equally dear to
him, for he beheld in all the likeness of the Son of
God; but those who interested him most were the
unfortunate, the neglected, and the abandoned.
From the beginning of his priesthood he tended to
the poor and the beggars; and then to the dwellers
in the country. The abandonment in which he
found so many of these wretched folk and his utter
helplessness to effectually relieve their condition,
inspired him to found in their behalf a new Order;
whence the Congregation of the Most Holy Re­
deemer. One must read his biography and a con­
siderable part of his correspondence in order to have
any adequate idea of what it cost him to establish
his society, to get it recognized, to give it rules, to

460

Meditation.

govern its members, to direct and bring its first
labors to a happy issue. And one will see therein
what courage he put into his work, what self-denial,
what prudence, firmness and zeal he displayed, and
what other manifold gifts God had vouchsafed him
for the accomplishment of this great undertaking,
and all the fruits of grace and salvation that it is
has been given him to produce. By this example,
also, one can learn at what cost good is done upon
earth. For nothing is accomplished without the
pain of toil, without generosity, without confidence
in God, without perseverance; but, on these condi­
tions, every work, of which grace is the source or
principle, is at length firmly established and gives
forth fruit in due season.
3. A third quality to be admired in St. Ligouri, is
his application to clerical studies. Early in life he
had made a vow to employ his time wholly in the
service of God and never to lose deliberately an in­
stant of it. Up to the age of eighty-nine he was
faithful to his engagement. He took neither repose
nor recreation nor any reading for the sake of mere
pleasure. From the beginning of the day till its
close he was always occupied. When he had not to

St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

461

preach, to prepare a mission, to hear confessions or
to perform some other function of his ministry, he
still found work to do. Holy Scripture, the Fathers
and theologians, the spiritual writers, one after
another, were in his hands. While in the course of
his reading, he took notes and composed treatises.
Until his last years, when he was obliged to keep to
his bed, he read, dictated, composed scientific and
pious treatises for the instruction of the faithful and
for the edification of the clergy. It will afford as­
tonishment to anyone to run over the list of works
theological, ascetical, historical, apologetic, that he
published in the intervals between his preachings
and his sicknesses. And what is the more surprising,
is the erudition and the research that the greater
part of his books must have required; for example,
particularly, his Moral Theology, composed for his
own instruction and for that of his religious, but
soon happily spread broadcast throughout the Church.
Herein is indeed a beautiful example of the appli­
cation one can give to study and of the good that
can come of study in one’s ministry, be it ever so
busy or laborious.

462

Meditation.

Third Point. Here again hast Thou given me
the grace, O my God, to contemplate the example
of one of Thy priests, whose name I shall often
meet with, the thought of whom must often come
to my mind, whose books many a time I shall need to
turn to and whose teachings I shall have to hand on
to others. I pray that his memory may be to me
always an exhortation and an example: that his
Moral Theology and his Practice of the Confessional
may be an incentive to study and a reminder to
me of the importance of applying myself to it.
May his works of piety, Visits to the Blessed Sacra­
ment, On the Passion, On all the Mysteries, nourish
my devotion towards Our Lord and induce me to
do something also for His glory. May his beautiful
tributes to the Virgin Mother increase my trust in
her. In fine, may the intercession of the saintly
Bishop obtain of Thee for me all the many helps I
need if I am to imitate him and arrive at the glory
he now enjoys. I wish to retain these two maxims
of his, which have always made a deep impression
upon me:
1. A priest who has the spirit of his calling should
be disposed to suffer anything, even to allow himself

The Blessed de la Salle.

463

to be mangled to death, rather than deliberately
commit a single venial sin, be it ever so trivial.1
2. Affirmo in statu damnationis esse confessarium
qui sine sufficienti scientia ad confessiones excipien­
das se exponit.2
MEDITATION VII.
THE BLESSED DE LA SALLE.

First Point. Admire the unity and the variety
of the gifts of God in the order of grace as well as
of nature. The Church is a moral body that has
its life and its organization, quite as the human
body: It is one body and hath many members.3 As
our soul gives life to all our members and employs
each of them at its proper functions, so the Holy
Spirit animates all the faithful and makes them con­
tribute to the common good, in having each to do
that which is according to his endowment: To each
is given a manifestation of the Spirit unto useful­
ness.4 Each working unto the profit of all, and all
profiting by the labor of each, no one has reason to
1 Opera spiritualia.
2 Praxis Confess., n, 18.

3 Cor., xii, 12.
41 Cor., xii, 7.

464

Meditation.

be jealous of the function of another, nor to be
vain-glorious of that which allotted to him. The
eye may not say to the hand; “I have no need of
thy services.” Nor may the head say to the feet;
“I can well do without you.” Without the eye
how will the feet know the path it is to follow?
And without the feet how will the eye go in search
of what it needs? Far from being useless, the
weakest members are often the most essential : What
seem to be the inferior, are the more necessary.1
And this is just what may be observed as to the
members of the Church. Some are set in high
places, others in low. This one here considers, that
one acts. This one speaks, that one listens. All
this must be to make up a body. Were there no
variety, no proportion, no sympathy between the
members, the body could neither function nor live.
What is the conclusion? This: that the one who has
the greatest merit and does the most good, is not
he that holds the highest position or figures and
shines the most, but rather he that fulfils best the
work he was made to do or who is most faithful to
the vocation he has received. Let this thought of
11 Cor., xii, 22.

The Blessed de la Salle.

465

an Apostle sink into your inind. It is the thought
of the Apostle. It is the maxim that guided and
inspired the Blessed de la Salle and helped him to
make of his life an employment both meritorious
and fruitful.
Second Point. Three considerations will help
to give one a just esteem of his virtue: 1. He ac­
cepted, with all good will and cheerfulness, a part
in the service of Our Lord that was most humble
and disagreeable. 2. He never asked of anyone a
sacrifice of which he had not given the example.
3. He opposed only patience to hostility.
1. Everywhere the need of establishing schools
for children of the people was felt and priests, who
had any zeal and some acquaintance with souls,
were disconsolate at beholding in the lower classes
their great ignorance of the truths of faith and of
the Gospel teachings. They prayed God to raise
up a man or men who would provide for this sore
need. For so far, scarce anyone had dared to at­
tempt it, and those that had essayed the task yielded
the undertaking because of its difficulties. De la
Salle resolved to consecrate himself to the work.
He freely resolved upon it, through spontaneous zeal

466

Meditation.

and even in the face of much urging to the contrary.
But, to give himself to the enterprise, he had to re­
linquish an honorable position and turn his back
upon a future most flattering in prospect. He saw
that it meant the embracing of an austere mode of
life, the fore-going of the companionship of relatives
and friends, the donning of the meaner vesture of
the class among which he was to work, and the pass­
ing of his days in the midst of and with men of a
social condition inferior to his own, of crude, uncouth
ways and mentality and of very imperfect education.
These sacrifices did not daunt him. He was willing
and prepared to yield any human advantage, com­
fort, consideration, or the free disposal of his time
and strength, should they be required of him in
order to train the children of the poor to virtue, to
bring them up as children of God and members of
Jesus Christ. He wanted only one thing in life,
and that was to see these little ones being taught
the Christlike way of life, the path to heaven. And
for more than forty years he led this life of unflinching
self-denial, poverty and mortification. It would be
impossible to tell of all that he had to do and to
suffer and to bear with in order to found his insti­

The Blessed de la Salle.

467

tute, to train his novices, and to habituate them to
the regular and common life, to maintain them in
the practice of obedience, poverty, humility and
devotedness which is the very soul of his society.
And even a detailed history of his life can indi­
cate but a part of his labors and trials. Few can
apply to themselves with as much truth as he these
words of the Apostle Paul: For whereas I was free
as to all, I made myself the servant of all.1 And
thus, you see, how men arrive at sanctity. You be­
gin to understand, now, at what cost signal services
are rendered to God and to His Church. Do you
at all imagine that you can serve your brethren and
arrive at the holiness to which you are bound to at­
tain on any other conditions? Si quis vult venire
post me, abneget semetipsum. If you will be God’s,
then give over living for yourself. However, if any­
one purpose to live in unalloyed happiness, lacking
nothing that man can have here on earth, in the
enjoyment of affection and favor, and to make his
way in the world or in the ecclesiastical career,
perhaps he will succeed; but, in such case, let him
not pretend to any of the merits or to any of the
11 Cor., ix, 19.

468

Meditation.

blessings and consolations and good things that are
the rewards of the holy ones of God.
2. In the life of the Blessed de la Salle, what is
most astonishing, is not that he practised the vir­
tues of humility, poverty and mortification in an
heroic degree, but that he was able to find or inspire
so great a number of imitators, that he gained such
an ascendency over their minds and hearts as to
prevail upon them to embrace a mode of life, even
unto death, so contrary to all the inclinations of
nature. How did he work this prodigy? By what
means did he effect it? By sheer force of example;
by practising first, and in a perfect manner, that
which he asked of them in God’s name and for
His love: Exemplo, non verbo. His example was
enough to draw others on. When they beheld such
a priest, a man of the nobility, abandon his position
and fortune to live in the same indigence as them­
selves, these men, bom in a lower social condition
and without affluence at all, would have been quite
ashamed to think their nourishment too austere, or
their clothing too poor and mean, their exercises
too laborious or too confining. In presence of a dig­
nitary of the Church who had renounced his bene­

The Blessed de la Salle.

469

fice, who came asking to share their society as the
least and last among them, who submitted to all the
prescriptions of their rule, hardly could they dare
to think of lightening the yoke, of desiring more lib­
erty, or coveting any distinction or any authority.
Reflecting that he had nothing at heart except the
spread of Christ’s teaching and sought only to in­
stil it into the hearts and minds of the little ones,
without asking or accepting any recompense but the
friendship of God in this world and the possession
of Him hereafter, how could they think of looking
for the esteem or appreciation from men or lay claim
to rest and retirement in ease as a reward of their
service? All marched in step along the road to per­
fection, because their chief led the way; they could
not falter or fall by the wayside. In fact, there is
no secret, or rather none other than this, of lead­
ing souls to Christ, of making them ready and willing
to undergo sacrifice or of inducing them to strive
for perfection. It is the method Our Savior used:
Coepit facere.1 It is the one you must adopt, it is
the only one you can use with effect if you wish to
obtain of those whom you will direct any serious
1 Acts i, 1.

470

Meditation.

effort towards a true Christian life. You will tell
them that they must be humble, generous, mortified.
They know that as well as you. What they lack
is the light, the ardor, the courage, the confidence.
They hesitate in the face of hardship. Show you
them that their apprehensiveness is vain; that is,
do you first and perfectly what they have not the
heart or the grit and generosity to undertake of
their own initiative. Like your divine Master say
to them: Come, follow me; or as St. Paul: What ye
have observed in me, that do ye.1 Herein you have
the means of making them docile and of giving
them a relish of whatever you recommend.
3. The work of the Blessed de la Salle aroused
opposition quite in the proportion of its importance
to the glory of God and its benefit to Society. At
certain times, all the world seemed against him. He
was reproached with being an innovator, with having
the presumption to act of his unaided initiative, with
being a trouble maker in the parishes and with­
drawing children from the influence of their pastors.
His friends charged him with rashness, exaggera­
tion, stubbornness. When hindrances or annoyances
1 Phil.,

iv, 9.

The Blessed de la Salle.

471

ceased in one place, they presently began in another.
The holy man did not let these things either stay or
trouble him. He had the assurance that his purposes
and designs were of God, and his resolution only
waxed the stronger in proportion to the attempts
that were made to dishearten or thwart him. His
patience never failed him. Without showing indigna­
tion, without causing irritation, without even utter­
ing a complaint, he went on with his work as humbly
as determinedly, dissipating the spirit of opposition
by his forbearance and by his equanimity. Again
note that you may take lesson by all this, so that
you may be able to.accomplish something when you
set out to achieve good. If you be zealous, having
a desire to toil for God, expect trials and disapproval
and opposition. Lay up a store of patience. Christus
non vicit ferro, sed ligno, says St. Leo. ’Tis thus you
are sure to prevail. Of course, the good you do will
make others chafe; they will seek to make you suffer
for it; but keep your peace; accept the trial and
humiliation, be humble, and persevere: Cleave to God,
and endure.1 Be not overcome by evil, but overcome
evil by good·.2 It is nothing to have undertaken a
good work, if one leave it unachieved.
1 Eccli., ii, 3.

2 Rom.,

xii, 21.

m

Meditation.

Third Point. May the example and experience
of the Blessed de la Salle forewarn and forearm you
against the illusions that your zeal can occasion.
Let his life preserve you from discouragement. Just
think upon what that good priest would have lost
or forfeited, had he yielded to opposition or recoiled
before difficulty or winced at or shrunk from hard­
ship. Think what a loss it would have been for
the Church and for souls. The thing that is really
of importance, when about to initiate any seeming
good work, is to make sure of the will of God.
When that is ascertained, it is scarce worth while
to be disquieted about the attitude men may take,
for then one can count upon the assistance of Heav­
en, and can say with St. Paul: Omnia possum in eo
qui me confortat.1 This does not mean that one
may rest inactive; that one has no need to toil, to
give one’s self trouble, to use all the resources one
may have. No. God wills that His works be
achieved; but he wills to have them achieved by
and through us. We must, then, prove to be good
workmen. Let us exert ourselves, without sparing.
Since the issue is our own sanctification and the
1 Phil., tv, 13.

The Blessed Vianney, Curé d'Ars.

473

eternal benefit of our neighbor, let us put our whole
heart into our work; humbling ourselves; mortify­
ing ourselves; making real sacrifices. The kingdom
of God suffers violence. But, let us do all with
confidence and cheerfulness, ungrudgingly, for we
are assured of a happy issue; because we have need
only to struggle, to fight, in order to come off with
triumph : Labor as a good soldier of Christ.1 He who
hath begun the good work, will perfect it.2 After you
shall have suffered a little, He will perfect you, and
confirm you, and establish you.3
MEDITATION VIII.

THE BLESSED VIANNEY, CURÉ D’ARS.

First Point. Adore Our Most Holy Savior en­
deavoring to impart to His Church the spirit of holi­
ness with which His heart is filled. In order to
make her pure and without stain, as becomes His
Spouse, He has drawn her, says the Apostle, from
the mire of sin, and has cleansed her in His Blood.
And to perpetuate this holiness among her members,
1II Tim., ii, 3.
1 Phil., i, 6.

81 Pet., v, 10.

474

Meditation.

He has left with her means of sanctification all­
divine; His words, His sacraments, His mysteries.
And that He might make it clear that she is always
in union with Him and that she has always the
virtue of sanctifying, He has never ceased to raise
up saints within her, men of heroic virtue, whose
sanctity He makes manifest by supernatural gifts,
by prophecy and by miracles: To one is given the
grace of healing, to another that of working miracles;
to this one prophecy, to that divers kinds of tongues.1
And this in every rank of society and in all condi­
tions of life. Among the members of the priesthood
especially, there has been a great number, that is to
say, among those who are destined to train others
to virtuous living and to give the example of per­
fect Christian conduct. The Blessed Vianney was
of this Order, he whose worth and merit are so sig­
nal and whose memory is so much venerated, as it
deserves to be, among us of the clergy. Thank
and bless Our Lord for the zeal He cherishes for the
holiness of His priests and for the edification He
affords through them in all His Church. Thank
Him for having associated you with them by be11 Cor., xii, 8-10.

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475

stowing on you the priestly character which en­
titles you to a share in those choice graces which
He is pleased to heap upon them. Offer Him a
sincere desire of corresponding with His holy pur­
poses, and, after the example of this saintly priest
who was so faithful to Him, promise that you will
make every effort to profit by His helps and to
promote His honor.
Second Point. In regard to the Curé of Ars, there
are three things that compel our deepest admiration:
1. How sanctity elevates and ennobles a minister
of God: 2. What blessings it draws down upon his
endeavors: 3. What honor it does to God and to
the Church.
1. Folks have exaggerated the lack of instruc­
tion in the Curé of Ars, and also his inaptitude for
things of the mind. It is a fact that he had sound
judgment and a mind that was solid and not without
finesse. But his faculties had scarcely at all been
cultivated by study; he had received only a part,
and that imperfectly, of the instruction that it was
possible to give in seminaries during those first
years following the restoration of religious worship.
If he had had but ordinary virtue, he would have

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Meditation.

merely vegetated in a poor parish as an obscure
ecclesiastic; and no one would have dreamed of go­
ing to consult with him. But this man was a saint.
Knowing wherein he was lacking, he strove to
supply the deficiency of his studies by prayer, by
reflection, by good reading and by assiduous appli­
cation to the things that pertained to his vocation.
Preaching cost him much; but he regarded it his
duty to preach well, and he worked with all his
heart. A part of his week was devoted to the prepa­
ration of his Sunday instruction; he wrote with care,
in his sacristy, in the presence of Our Lord. He did
not feel that he had either the wisdom or the knowl­
edge necessary to be a confessor; but, since God had
imposed this ministry on him, he set himself to
the study of such books of theology as he had at
hand and prayed earnestly to his Master to vouch­
safe him help and enlightenment. Jesus did for him
what He has been pleased to do for a great number
of holy priests who lacked the means of instruction.
Besides the sudden inspirations that He often gave
his humble servant while dealing with penitents, re­
garding their condition of soul, their needs, the
counsel that suited their case, He enlightened his

The Blessed Vianney, Curé d’Ars.

477

mind and developed it most remarkably. In a short
time this priest’s mind and heart and memory were
treasures of knowledge, dogmatic, moral, ascetic,
whatever his needs required ; while his memory, par­
ticularly, was replete with edifying anecdotes culled
from the lives of saints or from his own personal
experience. Little by little, the exercise of his duties
became easy to him. In the first years, the prepa­
ration of his instruction took long hours and even
long days; later on, when his crowded confessional
left him scarcely breathing time, he still found in
his recollections and his inspirations something
that would instruct, interest and edify, not only
his parishioners, but as well the strangers more or
less well instructed, who came from a distance to
hear him. “From whom did you learn what you
have just now told us?” he was asked by one of
them. “From the Same One who instructed St.
Peter,” was his reply. Is there not herein a lesson
for every priest of God? The knowledge acquired
before ordination is but elementary and will quickly
fail us. If we will to retain it, to make use of it or
to make it of any use, to honor our dignity as priests,
we simply must, each and every one of us, cultivate

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Meditation.

our minds, continue our studies and enlarge our
knowledge. The principles of theology must be
seen and re-seen; so, too, must the principles of
spirituality; they must be meditated upon in the
presence of God; they must be well fixed in our
hearts and minds. In this matter of studies, there
are ecclesiastics who neglect the necessary, to occupy
themselves with things superfluous; they apply
themselves to profane things and in a profane spirit.
They should be doing just the contrary. They must
look after the essentials; study the things that mat­
ter in the care of their own souls and of those souls
they are bound to care for; in other words, they
must go deeper into the things they studied in the
seminary, and of which they received only the ele­
ments then. They should study to understand the
spirit of mental prayer, till the conviction that it is
of all things the most needful and the most help­
ful grip their souls firmly and sensibly. And even
though one have but ordinary talent, he can readily
acquire a remarkable amount of priestly learning
and knowledge and a command of the things he
ought to know, superior by far to that of many a
cleric who, though having greater facility for ac­

The Blessed Vianney, Curé d’Ars.

479

quiring knowledge, has less of wisdom in regard to
the things that pertain to his own soul’s welfare and
to the bettering of his mind and the right ordering
of his studies.
2. To what did the Blessed Vianney owe the
happiness of having done in his poor parish of Ars
incomparably more good than a multitude of priests,
intelligent, distinguished, titled, in positions much
higher and with parishes vastly more populous?
To his holiness of life. Without that, he had done
nothing worthy of note. With it, he worked prodi­
gies; things quite unbelievable, were there not still
living witnesses to tell of what they have seen. He
set out from the beginning to instruct and to sanc­
tify his parish. And anyone that ever visited Ars
during his lifetime, was as much struck with the
religion of the parishioners as with the virtue of the
venerable pastor. He had not only prevailed upon
them to rid the place of occasions of sin and brought
them to faithfulness in the matter of their chief
duties, such as Easter Communion, Sunday ob­
servance, daily prayer; he had further established
among them the adoration of the Most Blessed Sac­
rament, the fréquentation of the sacraments, daily

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Meditation.

assistance at Holy Mass, evening prayer at the
church. A certain number he had inspired to strive
for higher spirituality. And this was only the be­
ginning. His labor and activity were not slow to
increase, for, as soon as his parish began to realize
that they were blessed with a saint in their midst,
the good folk noised it abroad and before long the
whole diocese knew of it. Then began the flocking
of the faithful from all sides to see and to hear him.
And few there were, who, having heard him, but
wanted to open to him their hearts, to ask his counsel
and to recommend themselves to his prayers. Be­
fore long, all his days were spent in the holy Tri­
bunal: He was a fountain open to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem: for the washing of sinners:1 Pil­
grims were many; twenty thousand of them in a
single year. All who came to him did not become
saints; yet all but the exception made a thoroughly
good confession, set their souls in order and in se­
curity, and left with good resolutions engraven
on their hearts. Many then resolved to give up
the world and to embrace the perfect life. No one
can pretend to say all the good that came of the
1 Zach., xiii, 1.

!

The Blessed Vianney, Curé d’Ars.

481

pilgrimages to Ars during twenty long year’s. But,
think you upon it. Does not the very contempla­
tion of it bestir you; and, if this does not incite to
the practice of a perfect priestly life, what conceiv­
able can? If it costs a great deal to become perfect,
is it not true that they who have had the courage to
essay it, have been well rewarded for their pains, even
in this life? One can hardly conceive a life more
poor, more laborious, more mortified than that of
the priest of Ars: but can you conceive of a hap­
pier one, or one more rich in fruits in blessings and
in consolations? In the proportion that you share
his worth or virtue, you shall have equally a part
in his contentment and happiness. Think of the
consolation you can have at death, if you have con­
verted, sanctified and placed safe in the hands of
God before you a number of precious souls. And
ponder over this: the good that you will do in life
will never be undone, it will live long after you.
Those whom you have made holy will sanctify
others, and these others again, and so from genera­
tion unto generation!
3. If it is the glory of God to have saints with
Him in heaven, it is the honor of Mother Church to

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Meditation.

count saints among her members; for, it is the wit­
ness to her union with Our Savior, to the purity
of her teaching, to the efficacy of her prayers and
of her sacraments. This honor is the greater for
her in that it belongs to her alone, and that no heret­
ical sect dare claim the like. But who are they
that do her the most honor and gain her the most
respect and prestige among men? Of all the saints,
they are the saintly priests; for she is most often
judged by those who represent her, who speak in
her name, who are the preachers of her teachings,
the dispensers of her mysteries and the ministers of
her worship. The thousands of pilgrims who wended
their way to Ars, returned thanks to God for the
example of perfection the good Curé had given
them. They retold with admiration in their own
home of the prodigies and of the virtue that they
had beheld. They were heard to repeat, in emula­
tion of the cry of St. Anthony on the banks of the
Nile: “I have seen Elias in the desert; I have seen
Paul in Paradise.” And when a holy death had
crowned that holy life, and to all the world had been
made known the story of so many wonderful works,
of superhuman virtues, of inspired words and of

The Blessed Vianney, Curé d’Ars.

483

heavenly favors, there went up from all parts a
cry of admiration, a chorus of praise, and a holy
impatience to invoke publicly him whom all be­
lieved they beheld reigning with Jesus Christ in
the glory of heaven.
Third Point. Would you, then, do honor to
God while yet here below, help the Church, sanctify
souls and enjoy ineffable consolations? You see what
you are to do. Begin with yourself: take the reso­
lution to become a holy priest. But note this: to
be a holy priest, is not merely to avoid, sin, to lead a
regular life, to have the confidence of the faithful
and the good opinion of superiors. It is to live the
life of Saints, to follow them in their practices gen­
erally. For all who arrived at sanctity did not
trace the same way nor observe the same practices;
nor had all the same character. There are, without
doubt, those who were as perfect as the Curé of
Ars, and never lived in so poor a dwelling as he nor
led so austere a life. But all had the Savior’s spirit;
all shaped their sentiments according to His max­
ims, and their conduct, too. Who is there who did
not begin by renouncing his own will and by making
to God the sacrifice of himself; who has not worked

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Meditation.

with all earnestness to do unto death the old man
within him and to crucify his flesh.1 This is what
all have done before you, and this you must resolve
to do, and thus you must begin. According as you
do yourself violence, you will make progress in the
work which you have set yourself; perfection. Pray
to those whose example invites you on, that they
will help you by their influence with God; that you,
having emulated their lives while it was given you,
may merit one day to share with them the eternal
reward of a holy priest in heaven: And so I beseech
you in the Lord that you walk worthy of the vocation
in which you are called.2 Quae sursum sunt quaerite,
quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram.3 Sit
gressus ad superiora. Woe to him that goeth down into
Egypt! Who goeth thither, goeth down; who goeth
down, falleth*

■ Gal., v, 24.
2 Ephes., iv, 1.
3 Col., in, 1, 2.
4 St. Ambrose, Leiter xxvin.