THE

COMPLETE

WORKS

OF

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
Doctor of the Church,
Eiihof> of Saint Agathay and Founder of the Congregation of the Mott
Holy Redeemer,
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN.
EDITED BY

REV.

G- ZR I M

F^iest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

THE ASCETICAL WORKS.
Volumes X and XI in One

The True Spouse

of

Jesus Christ

SECOND EDITION REVISED

THE COMPLETE ASCETICAL WORKS
OF

ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI.
Each book is completo in /‘Self, and any volume will be sold separately.

Volume I. Preparation for Death ; or, Considerations on the
Eternal Truths. Maxims of Eternity—Rule of Life.
“
IL Way of Salvation and of Perfection : Meditations.
Pious Reflections. Spiritual Treatises.
«♦ III. Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection;
Prayer. Mental Prayer. The Exercises of a Re.
treat. Choice of a State of Life, and the Vocation
to the Religious State and to the Priesthood.
*· IV. The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy of Jesus
Christ ; or, The Mysteries of Faith.
··
λ7 The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ.
** VI. The Holy Eucharist. The Sacrifice, the Sacrament,
and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. Practice of
Love of Jesus Christ. Novena to the Holy Ghost.
* VIL, VIII. Glories of Mary: i. Explanation of the Salve
Regina, or, Hail, Holy Queen. Discourses on th·
Feasts of Mary. 2. Her Dolors. Her Virtues. Prac­
tices. Examples. Answers to Critics.—Devotion to the
Holy Angels. Devotion to St. Joseph. Novena to St.
Teresa. Novena for the Repose of the Souls in Pur­
gatory.
** IX. Victories of the Martyrs ; or, the Lives of the Most
Celebrated Martyrs of the Church.
··
X., XI. The True Spouse of Jesus Christ : i. The first
sixteen Chapters. 2. The last eight Chapters. Appen­
dix and various small Works. Spiritual Letters.
·· XII. Dignity and Duties of the Priest; or, Selva, a
collection of Material for Ecclesiastical Retreats.
Rule of Life and Spiritual Rules.
0 XIII. The Holy Mass : Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ceremo­
nies of the Mass. Preparation and Thanksgiving.
The Mass and the Office that are hurriedly said.
0 XIV. The Divine Office. Explanation of the Psalms and
Canticles.
M XV. Preaching : The Exercises of the Missions. Various
Counsels. Instructions on the Commandments and
Sacraments.
0 XVI. Sermons for Sundays.
“XVII. Miscellany. Historical Sketch of the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer. Rules and Constitutions
of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. In­
structions about the Religious State. Lives of two
Fathers and of a Lay Brother, C.SS. R. Discourses on
Calamities. Reflections useful for Bishops. Rules
for Seminaries.
"XVIH-XXl. Letters. 4 vols.
"XXII. Le.ters and General Alphabetical Index.

The True
Spouse of Jesus Christ.
St. ALPHONSUS

de

LIGUORI,

Doctor of the Church.

EDITED BY

REV. EUGENE GRIMM,
Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Two Volumes in One
SECOND EDITION REVISED

REDEMPTORIST FATHERS
BROOKLYN

ST. LOUIS

TORONTO

Niljil nhstat.
Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,
Censor Librorum.

Smprimatur.
f Patritius Cardinalis Hayes,
Archiepiscopus Neo-Eboracensis
*
N

o-Eboraci

Die 22 Julii, 1929

APPROBATION.
By virtue of the authority granted me by the Most Rev.
Patrick Murray, Superior General of the Congregation of the
Most Holy Redeemer, I hereby sanction the publication of the
work entitled ‘‘THE TRUE SPOUSE OF JESUS CHRIST”,
which is Volume X and XI in one of the complete edition of
the works of St. Alphonsus de Liguori.

James Barron, C.SS.R.,
Provincial
Brooklyn, N. Yej April 19, 1929.

Copyright by
VERY REV. JAMES BARRON, C.SS.R.

1929

CONTENTS.

PAGI

Approbation,...................................................................... .....

The Author’s Preface,.................................................. 12
NOTICE,

Ch. I.

·«········■·

13

The Merit

of Virgins who Consecrate them­
selves to God................ · .
.17

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

They become like the angels, and are the
spouses of Jesus Christ, 17.
How much more happy are virgins than mar­
ried women even in this life, 21.
Excellence of virginity, 26.
Means to preserve virginal purity, 28.
The spouse of Jesus Christ should be entirely
his, 33.

II. The Advantages of the Religious State, . 39
1. The religious state is like the promised land;
it is paradise on earth ; it is a great grace. 39.
2. Advantages of the religious state according to
St. Bernard, 41.
III. The Religious should belong entirely to
God,
···.····· bi
I. She should renounce everything, and love
only God, 61.

Contents.

6

PAGB

CHAP

2.

We must overcome ourselves and courageously
strive for perfection :—Means to be adopted
for this purpose. 71.

IV.

The Desire of Perfection,
.... 80
1. How holy desires are useful, and even neces­
sary, 80.
2. Means for acquiring perfection, 90.

V.

The Danger to which an Imperfect Relig­
ious, who is but little afraid of the
Consequences of her Imperfections, ex­
poses her Salvation,...................................... 99
1.
One can and should avoid all venial sins plainly
voluntary', 99.
2.
Venial sins injure above all the religious, who
are most especially called to perfection, 107.

VI. Continuation of the Same Subject,
.
.113
1.
A religious has especially to fear being lost
when she sins by attachment to some pas­
sion, or when she lives in tepidity, 113.
2.
Means to extricate one’s self from tepidity,
121.
VII. Interior Mortification, or Abnegation of
Sele-love:—Obedience,
.
.
.
.129
I. Necessity of combating self-love.—Practical
rules, 129.
II. Detachment from self-will, 142.
III. The merit of obedience, 154.
IV. The obedience due to the Superiors, 160.
V. Obedience due to the Rule, 172.
VI. The four degrees of perfect obedience, 190.
VIII.

Exterior Mortification.......................................... 205
I. Its necessity and advantages, 20ζ.

Contents.
CHAP.

7
pagf

III. The mortification of the appetite, 229.
IV. The mortification of the sense of hearing, of
smell, and of touch, 243.

IX.

Religious Poverty...................................................... 249
I. The vow of poverty, the perfection of poverty,
and Community life, 249.
11. The degrees and the practice of perfect pov­
erty, 263.

X.

Detachment from Relatives and other
Persons,
.............................................................. 277
I. Detachment from relatives, 277.
II. Detachment from seculars, and even from the
sisters, 287.

XI.

Holy Humility............................................................. 299
I. The advantages of humility, 299.
II. The humility of the intellect or of the judg­
ment, 308.
III. Humility of the heart or of the will, 318.
IV. Continuation of the same subject, and espe­
cially patience in bearing contempt, 331

XII.

Fraternal Charity.................................................... 346
I. The necessity of this virtue, and its practice
in our thoughts and sentiments, 346.
II. The charity to be practised in words, 355.
III. The charity to be practised in works, and to­
wards whom it is to be practised, 366.

XIII.

Patience, ....................................................................... 379
I. Patience in general, 379.
II. Patience in sickness, poverty, contempt, per­
secution, and spiritual desolation, 395.
ill. Patience in temptation, 408.

Contents,

8
CHAP.

PAGW

Resignatiojî to the Will of God .... 421
I. The merit of resignation to the divine will,
421.
II. In what things we ought, in a special
manner, to resign ourselves, 430.
XV. Mental Prayer................................................... 441
I. Moral necessity of mental prayer for
religious, 441.
II. The practice of mental prayer, 453.
XVI. Silence, Solitude, and the Presence of God, 467
I. Silence, 467.
II. The love of solitude, and the avoiding of
idleness, 480.
III. The presence of God, 495.
XVII. Spiritual Reading,
.......................................... 513
XVIII. The Fréquentation of the Sacraments,
. 525
I. Confession, 525.
Utility of frequent confession, 525. Ex­
amination of conscience, sorrow or
contrition, and purpose of amend­
ment, 527. False shame, 532. Doubts,
536. Sincerity, respect, and wise re­
serve in confession, 539. Need and
choice of a director, 541.
II. Scruples, 545.
What are real scruples, and how they
are hurtful, 545. Obedience to the
director is the great remedy against
scruples, 548. Practical application,
554.
III. Communion, Spiritual Communion, and vis­
iting of the Blessed Sacrament, 563.
1. Excellence of the Holy Eucharist;
Effect of Holy Communion, 563. 2.
Teaching of the Church in regaid to
frequent Communion, 566. 3. De­
cree of Pius X on frequent Com­
munion, 568. 4. Preparation for
Communion, 574. 5. Thanksgiving
after Communion, 576. 6. Excuses
brought forward by certain religious

XIV.

Contents.

9
PAGH

CHAP.

for not communicating frequently,
578. 7. Exhortation to receive Com­
munion frequently, 584. 8. Spiritual
Communion, 586. 9. The visits to the
Most Holy Sacrament, 588.
XIX. Purity of Intention,.......................................... 597
XX. Prayer,................................................................... 609
XXI. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, . . 624
1. A true servant of Mary cannot be lost. 624
2. What are the true servants of Mary, 634
XXII. The Love for Jesus Christ,
641
I. The obligation of a religious to love Jesus
Christ, 641.
IT. The means of acquiring divine love, and
the acts of love that a religious should
practice towards Jesus Christ, 652.
XXIII. Particular Admonitions,................................ 668
For the Superior, 668. For the Aricar or
Assistant, 682. For the Mistress of
Novices. 682. For the Bursar, 684. For
the sacristan, 685. For the attendant
at the turn, and for the nortress. 686.
For the Tnfirmarian. 687. For the Coun­
sellors, 690. For the lay-sisters, 690.
XXIV. Rule of Life for a Religious that Desires
to Become a Saint,
........................... 694
Rising in the morning, 694. Mental prayer,
695. The divine office, 695. The hearing
of Mass. 702. The refectory. 705. Re­
creation, 706. The examination of con­
science, with other instructions, 709.
The necessity of banishing melancholy,
and what ought a person to do who
finds that she has become a nun against
her inclinations, 712.
APPENDIX.
Summary of the virtues which the religious who wishes
to become a saint should practice........................... 719
Spiritual maxims for a religious......................................... 723
Aspirations of love to Jesus Christ,.................................726
J

The True Spouse of Jesus Christ;
OR,

THE NUN SANCTIFIED BY THE VIRTUES
OF HER STATE.

THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE.

This work, as appears from the title, is intended par­
ticularly for Nuns. However, only a small portion of
it is directed exclusively to them; the remainder, but
especially what regards the observance of the vows of
religion, regular discipline, and the perfection of the
religious state, is equally suited to Religious of all
denominations; and what regards the Christian virtues,
will be found highly useful even for seculars.
To each chapter I have annexed prayers, replete with
pious affections, knowing that such prayers are very
acceptable to Religious who seek perfection. For, as
St. Denis the Areopagite says, “ Divine love consists
in the affections of the heart more than in the knowl­
edge of the understanding.” In human sciences, knowl­
edge excites love; but in the science of the saints, love
produces knowledge. He that loves God most, knows
him best. Besides, it is not lofty and fruitless concep­
tions, but works, that unite the soul to God, and make
it rich in merits before the Lord.

NOTICE.
Saint Alphonsus had reached the age of sixty-four years
when he published The True Spouse of Jesus Christ,
which appeared in 1760. At that time of life he joined to
the learning and sanctity that distinguished him a consummate
experience; in a word, he united in himself all that could be
desired in order to treat in a masterly manner of all the
delicate matters that are spoken of in this work. This he has
done in a superior manner, which has been justly appreciated
not only in Italy, but in the whole Catholic world, as is
proved by the numerous translations of his book, and by the
success that they have met with.
We have endeavored to give to our labor all the care that
is due to the work and its venerated author, as well as to
those persons that will be able to profit by it. To this new
Edition of the True Spouse of Christ which numbers
twenty-four chapters, we have added some important foot­
notes which contain in substance the various Canons of the
New Code on the obligations and privileges of cloistered
Nuns and Religious relative to Confessors both ordinary and
extraordinary. This legislation in favor of Nuns and Relig­
ious had not been promulgated in the time of St. Alphonsus,
and hence the necessity of modifying some of his statements,
and harmonizing them with the Church’s recent legislation.
A few important changes have also been made in parts of
the chapter dealing with fréquentation of Holy Communion,
(pp. 568-574). In the time of our Saint various con­
flicting opinions were taught by Theologians of repute on
the practice of frequent Communion, and on the dispositions
requisite for Its frequent reception. The majority of these
opinions were far from being in agreement with the present
canonical legislation. That no Saint or Doctor of the
Church was more desirous of adapting his teachings in all
things to ecclesiastical decrees and pronouncements than our
holy Doctor, we know from his writings, his life and spirit.

14

Notice

Who more loved the Church, who was more devoted to the
Holy Eucharist, who so successfully championed Its cause
against Jansenism as Alphonsus de Liguori? For these
reasons it was judged expedient to substitute for the few
pages in his book discussing the opinions of Theologians in
regard to the dispositions requisite for frequent Communion,
the Decree of Pope Pius X. on Frequent and Daily Com­
munion, which sets forth the mind of the Church and lays
to rest forever all discussion on the matter.
Another point to be noted : In the Centenary Edition of
St. Liguori’s ascetical writings, brought out by Fr. Grimm,
C.SS.R. in 1888, the “True Spouse of Christ’’ was published
in two volumes. To the work proper, the scholarly and de­
vout Editor added various small works of the Saint which
have reference to Religious, and 150 Spiritual Letters to
Religious. As these small works and Letters do not belong
properly to the “True Spouse’’, and have all appeared in
other ascetical -works of the holy Doctor, they have been
eliminated from this Edition, thus making it feasible to
compress the two volumes of the Grimm edition into one.
(Editor).
The Saint himself tells us that his book is suitable not only
to nuns, but also to all members of the religious state, in
that which refers to the observance of the vows, regular
discipline, and the perfection of their state. As for the
practice of Christian virtues, the work will be found highly
useful even for seculars. We add that this volume should
with greater reason be serviceable to ecclesiastics, especially
to those that are charged with the difficult task of directing
souls in the spiritual life; they may draw therefrom lights
that may not perhaps be found as clear and as sure elsewhere.
We fear, however, that some persons may find in some
passages things that at first sight are of such a nature as to
astonish and to displease them, for the author at times
inveighs forcibly against abuses that have happily became
rare or are at the present time even unknown in our country.
Hence we think that we are obliged to ask them to consider
well the circumstances. When St. Alphonsus wrote his

Notice.

15

work many communities in Italy and elsewhere had relaxed
in spirit. Many abuses indeed existed, especially in the king­
dom of Naples, and should be ascribed to the character of
the manners of the country, and also to the excessive inter­
ference of the government in ecclesiastical affairs. This
intermeddling often hindered the action of the Superiors,
even of the Sovereign Pontiff, and favored disorder. Yet
other countries and other epochs have also their defects and
their trials. The spectacle of what occurred then in Italy
should awaken attention to what may perhaps be out of
order among ourselves.
But you will say, “Would it not be better not to know
the evil, and not to think of it?” Ah! undoubtedly, if we
were not always exposed to evil, if we had not continually
to fear it and to take precautions in order to avoid it.
Should we wait till the evil is revealed by a sad experience?
The saints did not thus understand this; they did not cease
to remind us of it by showing us the precipices yawning at
our feet and the enemies that are besieging us, and by point­
ing out to us the necessary means to escape the dangers and
to resist the assaults to which we are always exposed.
Furthermore, if this book has been written for all the
religious, it will have a twofold interest for the Superiors:
it will inspire them with zeal and with vigilance, on which
depend the maintenance of regular observances, and conse­
quently the salvation of the Community and their own sal­
vation. They should know not only the evil that exists, in
order to remedy it, but even the evil that is possible, in
order to prevent it, and hinder it from penetrating; they
should even suspect it, says our saint.1 One day he had
given utterance to very forcible language in a monastery.
He was afterwards told that the nuns believed that he had
in his address entered too much into details; this remark
made him smile, and he answered : “What should I have
told them? Should I have told them that they are saints?
'Pages 295, 352 of this volume.

16

Notice.

When one preaches, one preaches for every one, and one may
suppose things that do not exist.”1
Finally, we may say to every religious that has the happi­
ness of living in a house in which reigns exact observance:
The example of so many Communities that have fallen into
a deplorable tepidity after having begun with the greatest
fervor, should induce you to give continual thanks to God’
for the advantage that you enjoy, and to do all you can to
attain its continuance, well knowing that the least abuse
that succeeds in insinuating itself may in time bring about
great ruin.
Live Jesus, Mary, Joseph·, and St. Alphonsus!

Life of St. Alphonsus, by Cardinal Villecourt, Î. 3, ch 34

The True Spouse

of

Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER I.
THE MERIT OF VIRGINS WHO

HAVE CONSECRATED THEM­

SELVES TO GOD.

I, They become like the Angels, and are the Spouses of
Jesus Christ.

Virgins who have the happiness of dedicating them­
selves to the love of Jesus Christ by consecrating to
him the lily of their purity, are, in the first place, as dear
to God as his angels. They shall, says the Redeemer,
be like the angels of God in heaven) Such is the immediate
fruit of the virtue of chastity. Hence St. Ambrose says,
Chat “ whoever preserves this virtue is an angel, and
that whoever violates it is a demon.”2 Baronius re­
lates that when a certain virgin, called Georgia, was at
the point of death a great multitude of doves was seen
hovering about her; that when her body was brought
to the church they flew to that part of the roof which
corresponded to the place where the corpse had been
put, and remained there till after the interment. By
all who saw them, these doves were regarded as angels
paying respect and homage to the body of the virgin.
Chastity is justly styled an angelic and celestial virtue.
“ Because,” says St. Ambrose, “ this virtue has ascended
1 “ Erunt sicut Angeli Dei in coelo.”—Matt. xxii. 30.
2 “ Castitas angelos facit: qui eam servavit, angelus est; qui per­
didit, diabolus.”—De Virg· 1. 1.
2

18

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. i.

even to the heavens, and thence taken an example to be
imitated on earth; and because only in heaven, the resi­
dence of its spouse, it is practised in all its perfection.” 1
Besides, a virgin that consecrates herself to Jesus
Christ becomes his spouse. Hence, writing to his dis­
ciples, St. Paul did not hesitate to say: I have espoused
you io one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ? I have promised to present to Jesus Christ
your souls as so many chaste spouses. In the parable
of the virgins, Jesus himself wished to be called their
spouse: They went out to meet the bridegroom .... they
went in with him to marriage? The Redeemer, whenever he
speaks of virgins, calls himself their spouse; but where
he speaks of others, he calls himself master, pastor, or
father. Hence that elegant verse of St. Gregory Nazianzen, “and chaste virginity is adorned by Christ her
spouse.”1
*34*6 These espousals are perfected in faith. And
I will espouse thee to me in faith? Jesus Christ has, in a
special manner, merited for mankind the gift of virgin­
ity, and is therefore followed by virgins whithersoever
he goeth.’ The Mother of God once said to a soul, that
a spouse of Jesus Christ ought to have a great esteem
for all virtues, but that purity, by which she is princi­
pally assimilated to her divine spouse, should hold the
first place in her heart. St. Bernard assured us that all
just souls are spouses of the Lord.7 But St. Anthony
1 “ E coelo accersivit quod imitaretur in terris; vivendi sibi usum
quæsivit e cœlo, quæ sponsum sibi invenit in coelo.”—De Virg. 1. i.
- “ Despondi vos uni viro virginem castam exhibere Christo.”—2
Cor. xi. 2.
3 “ Exierunt obviam Sponso. . . . Introierunt cum eo ad nuptias.”—
Matt. xxv. r.
4 “ Castaque virginitas decoratur conjuge Christo.”—Carni. Virginit.
s “ Sponsabo te mihi in fide.”—Os. ii. 20.
6 “Sequuntur Agnum, quocunque ierit.”—Apoc. xiv. 4.
’“Sponsa nos ipsi sumus, et omnes simul una sponsa, et animæ
singulorum quasi singulæ sponsæ.”—Doni. 1. p. Epiph. s. 2.

ch.

i.]

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

19

of Padua adds that virgins consecrated to God are his
spouses in a special manner.1 Hence St. Fulgentius
calls Jesus Christ the only spouse of all consecrated
virgins.2
A young person desirous of settling in the world, will,
if she be prudent, in the first place carefully inquire
into the circumstances and dispositions of all who pre­
tend to her affections, and will diligently seek to ascer­
tain who of these is most deserving of her heart; and
from whom she may expect the greatest happiness in
this life. A religious, on the day of her profession, is
espoused to Jesus Christ; for in the ceremony of pro­
fession the bishop says to the novice about to be pro­
fessed: I espouse thee to Jesus Christ; may he preserve thee
inviolate. Receive, then, as his spouse, the ring of faith, that,
if thou serve hint with fidelity, he may give thee an eternal
crown. Let us, then, ask the spouse of the Canticles
who is this divine bridegroom. Tell me, O sacred
spouse, what are the qualities of thy beloved, the only
object of thy affection, who renders thee the happiest of
Women ? IVhat manner of one is thy beIerred of the beloved,
0 thou most beautiful among women 13 She will answer:
My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands4 My
beloved is rendered white by his innocence, and ruddy
by the ardor with which he loves his spouses. In a
word, he is so loving, so perfect in all virtues, and at
the same time so courteous and affable, that he is of all
spouses the most dear and amiable. “ There is nothing,”
says St. Eucherius, “more glorious, nothing more beau1 “ Omncs animæ sponsæ sunt Christi, specialius tamen virgines.”—
De Virg. s. 2.
9 “ Unus omnium sacrarum virginum sponsus.”—Ep. ad Prob, de
Virg. c. 4.
3 “ Qualis est Dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum?”—
Cant. v. 9.
4 “ Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus, electus ex millibus.”—Ibid.
\o.

20

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God,

[ch. i.

tiful, nothing more magnificent, than he is.”1 “These
happy virgins, then,” says St. Ignatius, Martyr, “ who
are consecrated to Jesus Christ, may be assured that
they have obtained the most beautiful, the most noble,
the most opulent, and most amiable spouse that can be
found in heaven or on earth.”3
Hence Blessed Clare of Montefalco used to say that
her virginity was so dear to her, that rather than lose
it she would be content to suffer the pains of hell dur­
ing her whole life. Hence, as we learn from St. Am­
brose, the glorious virgin St. Agnes, when to her was
offered for husband the son of the Roman Prefect, justly
answered that she had found a better spouse.3
St. Domitilla, the emperor’s niece, through a love of
virginity refused the hand of Count Aurelian; and when
it was argued that she might lawfully marry him, be­
cause, although a Gentile, he would allow her to remain
a Christian, she replied: “If to a young woman were
offered the choice of a monarch or a peasant, which
would she prefer? If I marry Aurelian, I must renounce
the nuptials of the King of heaven, and would not that
be the extreme of folly? You may, therefore, tell the
count that I cannot accede to his proposal.” Thus she
preserved her virginity, which she had consecrated to
Jesus Christ; and rather than prove unfaithful to her
divine spouse, she suffered to be burned alive by her
barbarous lover.4
The holy virgin St. Susanna made a similar reply to
the Emperor Diocletian, who offered her the title of Em­
press, on the condition that she would marry his sonin-law Maximin, whom he had created Cæsar. In pun­
1 “ Nihil illo magnificentius, nihil gloriosius, n'hiJ puHirius, nihil
munificentius.”—De Contemptu M.
' “Virgines agnoscant cui se consecrarunt.”—£p. ad Λ ntwck,
3 “ Sponsum offertis; meliorem reperi.”—De Virg. L i.
4 Croiset, Exerc., May 12.

ch.

i.]

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

2I

ishment of her refusal she was rewarded with the crown
of martyrdom.
Many other holy virgins have declined the nuptials^of
earthly monarchs to become the spouses of Jesus Christ.
Thus blessed Jane, the Infanta of Portugal, refused the
hand of Louis XI. King of France; Blessed Agnes, that
of the Emperor Ferdinand II.; and Elizabeth, the daugh­
ter and heiress of the King of Hungary, rejected the
proposal of marriage with Henry, the Archduke of Aus­
tria.
'
2. How much more Happy are Virgins than Married Women
even in this Life.

Besides, the virgin that consecrates herself to Jesus
Christ is devoted entirely to God, in body as well as in
mind.
The unmarried woman, says St. Paul, and the
virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord; that she may be
holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married
thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her
husband.' Virgins consecrated to God think only of
God, and desire only to belong to him without reserve;
but married persons, being of the world, can think of
nothing but of the things of the world. Hence the
Apostle adds: and this I speak for your profit; not to cast a
snare upon you, but for that which is decent, and which may
give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.2
Thus poor worldlings meet with insurmountable diffi­
culties in the way of virtue; and the more exalted their
rank, the greater the obstacles to their sanctification.
To become a saint in the world, it is necessary for the
1 “ Mulier innupta et virgo cogitat quæ Domini sunt, ut sit sancta
corpore et spiritu; quæ autem nupta est, cogitat quæ mundi sunt, quo­
modo placeat viro.”—i Cor. vii. 34.
’ “ Porro hoc ad utilitatem vestram dico . . . ., ad id quod hones­
tum est, et quod facultatem præbeat sine impedimento Dominum
obsecrandi.”—Ibid. iii. 35.

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[ch. i.

married woman to adopt the means of sanctification, to
frequent the sacraments, to make long and frequent
mental prayer, to practise many interior and exterior
mortifications, to love contempt, humiliations, and pov­
erty; in a word, to make every effort in her power to
please God. She must, then, be perfectly detached
from the world, and all its goods, and perfectly free
from the control and tyranny of human ties. But how
can a married person find the time, the opportunities,
and helps necessary for recollection, and continual ap­
plication to the things of God ?
She that is married thinketh on the things of the worlds how
to please her husband. The married woman must provide
for her family, educate her children, please her husband,
his parents, brothers, and relatives, who are sometimes
to her a constant source of trouble. Hence the Apostle
says, her heart must be divided, and her affections fixed
partly on her husband, partly on her children, and
partly on God. What time can she have for continual
prayer, for frequent Communion, when, with all her
efforts, she is not able to attend to the wants of the
house? The husband must be attended; if his directions
be neglected, or his commands be not immediately exe­
cuted, he breaks out into complaints and reproaches.
The servants disturb the house, at one time by their
clamor or their quarrels, at another by their impor­
tunate demands. The children, if small, are a perpetual
source of annoyance, either by their cries and screams,
or by the endless variety of their wants; if grown up,
they are an occasion of still greater inquietude, fears
and bitterness, by associating with bad companions, by
the dangers to which they are exposed, or the in­
firmities with which they are afflicted. How, in the
midst of so many difficulties and embarrassments, is it
possible for the married woman to attend to prayer, or
to preserve recollection? And, as to her Communions,

ch.

i.]

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

23

they can scarcely be as frequent as once a week. She
may indeed have strong desires of sanctification; but to
pay great and constant attention to the affairs of her
soul will be morally impossible. The very privation of
the opportunities of attending to the things of God
may be made a source of great merit by patient sub­
mission to the divine will, in the unhappy state in which
she is placed. All this is indeed possible; but to prac­
tise patience and resignation, in the midst of so many
troubles and distractions, without the aid of prayer, of
spiritual reading, or of the sacraments, will be exceed­
ingly difficult and almost impracticable.
But would to God that seculars wrere exposed to no
other evils than the obstacles to their devotions, to con­
stant prayer, and the frequent use of the sacraments.
Their greatest misfortune is to be in continual danger
of losing the grace of God and their own rmmortal
souls. They must appear like their equals, they must
employ servants, and support their rank. They must
go abroad to visit their friends, and in these visits they
must converse with a variety of characters. At home
they must hold constant intercourse with their own
families, with their relatives, and with the friends of
their husband. Oh ! how great on such occasions is
the danger of losing God ! This is not understood by
young persons, but it is well known to those who are
settled in the world, and who are daily exposed to such
dangers.
Oh ! how unhappy and miserable is the life of the
generality of married persons ! I have known the cir­
cumstances, the feelings and dispositions, of numberless
married persons, from the highest to the lowest classes
of society, and how few of them were content ! The
bad treatment of husbands, the disaffection of children,
the wants of the family, the control of relatives, the
pains of childbirth, which are always accompanied with

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. i.

danger of death, the scruples and anxiety of conscience
regarding the flight of occasions, and the education of
children, plunge poor seculars into endless troubles and
agitation, and till their souls with continual regret for
not having been called to a happier and more holy
state. God grant that, in the midst of such troubles
and agitation, many of them may not lose their immortal
souls, and that, along with passing through a hell in
this life, they may not be condemned to an eternity
of torments in the next. Such is the unhappy condi­
tion of many of those who have engaged in the married
state.
But you will ask, Are there no saints among so many
thousands of married persons ? I answer, that there are
some who sanctify themselves in the world by suffering
a continual martyrdom, by bearing, for God’s sake, all
crosses and troubles with patience and cheerfulness, and
by peacefully and lovingly offering themselves in all
things to God. There are some who attain this high
degree of perfection: but they are as rare as white flies.
And you will find that such holy souls are always em­
ployed in works of penance, and that they continually
aspire after the sanctity and disengagement of those
who have consecrated their virginity to Jesus Christ,
devoted their lives to the glory of God, and have em­
braced a state of constant happiness.
The state, then, of virgins consecrated to Jesus Christ,
and who are entirely devoted to his divine love, is of all
states the most happy and sublime. They are free from
the dangers to which married persons are necessarily
exposed. Their affections are not fixed on their families,
nor on men of the world, nor on goods of the earth, nor
on the dress and vanities of women. To appear like
their equals, and to please their husbands, married
persons must wear rich apparel and costly ornaments;
but a virgin consecrated to Jesus Christ only requires a

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i.]

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

25

garment which will cover her body. In her, vanity of
dress or the decoration of her person would be a
scandalous exhibition. Besides, consecrated virgins are
not troubled with the cares of a house, a family, and a
husband; their sole concern, the only desire of their
hearts, is to please Jesus Christ, to whom they have
dedicated their souls and bodies, and all their affections.
They are unshackled by worldly ties, by subjection to
friends or to relatives, and are far removed from the
noise and tumult of the world. Hence they have more
time and better opportunities for prayer, spiritual read­
ing, and frequent Communion. Their minds are more
free to think on the affairs of their soul, and to practise
recollection and union with God.
“ She that is a virgin,” says Theodoret, “ has her mind
free from useless thoughts.” 1 A religious, then, has no
other occupation than to hold constant and familiar
converse with God. Œcumenius, in his commentary on
the words of St. Paul, that she may be holy both in body and
in spirit, says, “ that her body is sanctified by chastity,
and her spirit by familiarity with God.” ’ St. Anselm
says that in the mere exemption from the cares of the
world, to think on the things of the Lord, virgins re­
ceive an abundant compensation for all their temporal
sacrifices.3 Hence the saint adds, that virgins conse­
crated to God not only shall receive great glory in
heaven, but shall be also rewarded beforehand by the
enjoyment of continual peace on earth.4
1 “Qui enim est virgo, ab inutilibus cogitationibus liberam habet
animam.”—In i Cor. vii. 32.
’ “ Ut sit sancta corpore et spiritu. Corpore sancta, propter casti­
tatem; spiritu sancta, propter familiaritatem cum Deo.”—In 1 Cor.
vii. 34·
3 “ Si nulla merces amplior virginem sequeretur, sufficeret ei hæc sola
piælatio: cogitare quæ Domini sunt.”
4 “ Non solum in futuro saeculo gloriam, sed et in præsenti requiem
abet virginitas.”—In i Cor. vii.

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. i

3. Excellence of Virginity.

Virgins who aspire to perfection are the beloved of
Jesus Christ, because they have consecrated to him their
bodies and their souls, and seek nothing in this life but
to do his holy will. St. John, because he was a virgin
was called the beloved disciple of Jesus: 11 whom Jesus
loved."1 Hence in the divine office we read of him
that he was chosen, a virgin. by the Lord, and of all the
apostles was the most beloved}
Virgins are called the first-fruits of God. For. says
St. John, they arc virgins. These follow the Lamb whither­
soever he goeth. These were purchased from among men. the
first-fruits to God. and to the Lamb} But why are virgins
called the first-fruits of God? Because, says Cardinal
Hugo,12345in his commentary on the preceding passage, as
first-fruits are the most delicious, so virgins consecrated
to God are most pleasing and dear to him.
The spouse in the canticles fecdeth among the lilies.'’
One of the sacred interpreters, explaining these words,
says, that “as the devil revels in the uncleanness of
lust, so Christ feeds on the lilies of chastity.” ’ Ven­
erable Bede asserts that the hymn of the virgins is
more agreeable to the Lamb than that of all the other
saints?
So great is the excellence of virginity, that the Holy
1 “Quem diligebat Jesus.”—John. xiii. 23.
2 “ Virgo est electus a Domino, atque inter cæteros magis dilectus.”
—Die 27 Dec. resp. 1.
3 “ Virgines enim sunt. Hi sequuntur Agnum, quocumque ierit. Hi
empti sunt ex hominibus primitiæ Deo et Agno.”—Apoc. xiv. 4.
4 “ Sicut primitiæ fructuum delectabiliores sunt.”
5 “ Qui pascitur inter lilia.”—Cant, ii. 16.
* “ Sicut diabolus coeno libidinis saginatur, ita Christus castimoniæ
liliis pascitur.”—Aponius. In Cant. 1. 5.
1 '‘Cantus a Virginibus modulati suaviorem Agno harmoniam effi­
ciunt, quam si omnes alii Sancti canere contenderent ”

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

27

Ghost says, no price is worthy of a continent soul) Hence
Cardinal Hugo teaches that, in the other vows, a dis­
pensation is sometimes granted, but not in the vow of
chastity; because such is the value of continence, that
its loss cannot be compensated? The price of chastity
may be estimated by the answer of Mary to the Arch­
angel Gabriel: How shall this be done, because 1 know not
*
niant
By these words she showed her readiness to
renounce the offered dignity of Mother of God rather
than forfeit her virginal integrity.
St. Cyprian says that “ virginity is the queen of all
virtues and the possession of every good.” 4 Speaking
of virginity, St. Ephrem says, “ if you have loved it, you
will be favored by the Lord in all things.” 6 St. Ber­
nardine of Sienna teaches that “virginity prepares the
soul to see her spouse Jesus by faith in this life, and by
glory in the next.” e Oh ! what an immense weight of
glory is prepared for those who dedicate their virginity
to Jesus Christ !
The Redeemer showed to that great servant of God,
Lucretia Orsini, the sublime dignity to which conse­
crated virgins are raised in heaven. In the vision she
exclaimed, “ Oh ! how dear are virgins to God and to
Mary !” Theologians teach that virgins are honored in
heaven with a special crown of glory and of joy. And
no mail, says St. John, could say the canticle, but those hun­
dred and forty-four thousand who were purchased from tbr
1 “ Omnis ponderatio non est digna continentis animæ.”—Ecclus.
xxvi. 20.
2 “ Inde est quod votum continentiae non habet dispensationem, quv,
non hal et compensationem,”—In Ecclus, xxvi. 20.
3 “ Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco?”—Luke, 1. 34.
4 “ Virginitas est regina virtutum, possessio omnium bonorum.”
δ “ Hanc (virginitatem) si amaveris, a Domino in omnibus prospera,
beris.”—De Virt. c. 9.
6 “ Virginitas præparat animam ad videndum in praesenti Jesum Spon­
sum per fidem, et in futuro per gloriam.”—T. ii. s. 48, a. 1.

28

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. r.

earth) St. /Xugustine, explaining this passage, says
that the joys of the virgins are not given to the other
saints of God.1
2
4. Means to preserve Virginal Purity.

But to be the virginal spouse of Jesus Christ it is not
sufficient to be a virgin; it is necessary to be a prudent
virgin, and to carry a lamp always filled with oil, that
is, a heart inflamed with the love of God. The foolish
virgins were indeed virgins; but, because their lamps
were extinguished, they were shut out from the mar­
riage, and were told by the bridegroom that he knew
them not.3 A virgin, then, who wishes to be a true
spouse of the Redeemer, ought to desire and seek noth­
ing but to love and please Jesus Christ. “ If,” says St.
Bernard, “ he become a spouse, he will change his lan­
guage, and say: If I am a spouse, where is my love?
God requires to be feared as a master, to be honored as
a father, and to be loved as a spouse.” 4
To be a faithful lover of Jesus Christ her spouse, and
to preserve unsullied the lily of her purity, a virgin
must adopt the necessary means. The principal means
of acquiring an ardent love of Christ are mental prayer,
Communion, mortification, retirement. Although each
of these means is fully discussed in another part of this
work, still a brief notice of them in this place will not
be irrelevant.
The first means to love
Jesus Christ is mental prayer.
♦
Mental prayer is that blessed furnace in which the soul
1 “ Et nemo poterat cantare canticum, nisi illa centum quadraginta
quatuor milia, qui empti sunt de terra.”—A/ae. xiv. 3.
2 “ Gaudia propria Virginum Christi non sunt eadem non virginum,
quamvis Christi; nam sunt aliis, sed nullis talia.”—De Virginit. c. 27.
3 “ Nescio vos."—Matt. xxv. 12.
4 “Si Sponsum se exhibeat, mutabit vocem, et dicet: Si ego sponsus,
ubi est amor meus?—Exigit ergo Deus timeri ut Dominus, honorari ut
Pater, ut Sponsus amari.”—In Cant. s. 83.
■

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

29

is inflamed with divine love. And, says holy David, in
my meditation a fire shall flame out)
In temptations
against purity, the immediate invocation of the divine
aid is absolutely necessary. The Venerable Sister
Cecilia Gastelli used to say, that without prayer, chas­
tity cannot be preserved. As I knew, says Solomon,
that J could not otherwise be continent, except God gave it, 1
went to the Lord and besought him with my whole heart?
The second means is the holy Communion. This,
says St. Bonaventure, is the cellar of wine into which
the King of heaven brings his spouses “ to set in order
charity” in their hearts, teaching them to love God
above all things, and their neighbors as themselves.
The third means is mortification. As the lily among
the thorns, so is my love among the daughters? As the lily
blooms among the thorns, so virginity is preserved only
in the midst of mortification. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi used to say that “chastity flourishes only among
thorns.” To fulfil the obligations of the religious state,
in the midst of amusements, worldly attachments, and
conversations with seculars, in the midst of sensual
gratifications, of indulgence of the palate, of the eyes,
and of the ears, is utterly impossible. Religious purity
can be preserved only among the thorns of mortifica­
tion. “A virgin,” says St. Basil, “ should be immaculate
in all things—in the tongue, the ears, the eyes, the touch,
and above all in the mind.”1*34 To be faithful to her
spouse, a virgin must be immaculate in her tongue by
the delicacy of her language, and by abstinence as much
as possible from conversations with men; she must be
1 “ In meditatione mea exardescet ignis.”—Ps. xxxviii. 4.
9 “ Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus
det . . ., adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum illum.”—Wtsd. viii. 21.
3 “Sicut lilium inter spinas.”—Cant. ii. 2.
4 “ Nulla in parte moechari convenit virginem, non lingua, non aure,
non oculo, non tactu; multoque minus animo.”—De Kera 1'irg.

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Merit of Virgins consecrated, to God.

[ch. i.

immaculate in the ears, by shunning, like death itself,
all worldly discourses; immaculate in her eyes by the
modesty of her looks, always restrained so as never to
fix them on the face of a man; immaculate in the touch,
always observing the greatest caution towards herself
and others; but, above all, immaculate in her soul,
rejecting every unchaste thought, as soon as it is pre­
sented to the mind, by invoking the assistance of Jesus
and Mary. As a queen tempted by a vile slave con­
temptuously turns away without condescending to
notice him, so the spouse of Jesus Christ should reject
with disdain and horror every immodest thought which
intrudes itself into the mind. To preserve her soul and
body free from stain, she must also chastise her flesh,
by fasting, abstinence, by disciplines and other peniten­
tial works. And if she has not health or strength to
practise such mortifications, she ought at least to bear
in peace her infirmities and pains, and to accept cheer­
fully the contempt and ill-treatment that she receives
from others. The spouse follows the Lamb whithersoever he
goeth? Jesus Christ has not walked before us in the
way of pleasures and honors; no, he has chosen the
rugged path of pains and opprobrium. Hence many
holy virgins have loved sufferings and contempt, and
have joyfully encountered torments and death.
The fourth means is retirement. Thy cheeks arc beauti­
ful as the turtle dove's? The spouse in the canticle is
compared to the turtle, because the turtle avoids the
company of other birds, and delights in solitude. A
religious appears beautiful in the eyes of Jesus Christ
only in retirement and at a distance from the society of
men. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was accustomed
to say that chastity is a plant that thrives only in
inclosed gardens and in the midst of thorns. A religi' “ Sequuntur Agnum, quocumque ierit.”—Af>oc. xiv. 4.
’ “ Pulchræ sunt genæ tuæ sicut turturis.”—Cant. i. 9.

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

31

ous should observe not only the enclosure of the con­
vent, but also that of the senses; and therefore, unless
compelled by duty or by obedience, she should never
approach the door, the grate, or the windows. “ Jesus,”
says St. Jerome, in his epistle to Eustochia, “ is a jealous
spouse: he is unwilling that your face be seen by
others.” 1 The Saviour, then, is greatly displeased with
the conduct of those who seek to appear before secu­
lars, and delight in their conversation. Virgins dis­
tinguished for sanctity always seek retirement; and
whenever it is necessary to go into the company of
men, they endeavor to deform their persons, so as to
excite feelings of aversion, rather than sentiments of
affection. Bollandus relates’ that St. Andregesina, a
virgin, besought the Almighty to change her beauty
into deformity. Her prayer was heard, and she was
instantly covered with a leprosy which made her an
object of horror to all who beheld her.
James of
Vibriaco says that St. Euphemia, to free herself from
the attention of a person who was greatly attached to
her, cut off her nose and lips, saying, “ Vain beauty, you
shall be no longer an occasion of sin to me.” Baronius1
*3
relates that St. Ebba, abbess of the convent of Collingamens, fearing an invasion of the barbarians, cut off
her nose and upper lip, and that all the other nuns,
amounting to thirty in number, followed her example.
The barbarians came, and, seeing the religious so
deformed, set fire to the convent and burned them
alive. The Church has placed all these holy virgins
in the catalogue of her martyrs. St. Antonine4 cites a
similar incident as having happened in 1291 in Palestine,
1 “Zelotypus est Jesus; non vult ab aliis videri faciem tuam.
ad Eust.
9 Vita S. A ns b. g Febr.
3 Ann. 870, n. 39.
4 //ist. p. 3, t. 24, c. 9, § ri.

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. i.

in a convent of the Clares. It would not be lawful for
others to imitate the heroic conduct of these saints:
they acted from an impulse of the Holy Ghost. But
from their example religious may learn how much
virgins inflamed with the love of Jesus Christ shun the
company and despise the esteem and affections of men.
A religious should conceal herself as much as possible
from the view of men. At her espousals with Jesus
Christ she renounced the world and all its vanities.
Such is the compact which she made with him, when,
in answer to the question/
*
Do you renounce this world
and all its vanities?”1 she answered, “I renounce
them.”5 St. Jerome, in his eighth epistle to Demetria,
says: “ Now, since you have left the world, fulfil your
solemn engagements, and do not conform to this
world.” 1*3*
In a word, if you desire to possess the purity which
becomes the spouse of Jesus, you must cut off all
dangerous occasions: you must cherish a holy ignor­
ance of all that is opposed to chastity, and abstain from
reading whatever has the slightest tendency to sully
the soul. If, at the grate, language unbecoming your
state be ever uttered, you should instantly withdraw, or
change the subject of conversation, otherwise you shall
have much to suffer from the temptations by which you
will be assailed. If fire does not always burn, it never
fails to scorch. A look, an endearing expression, or a
trifling gift often enkindles a spark which soon becomes
an infernal, a consuming fire.
In all that regards
purity, too much caution cannot be observed. Trust
not in your own strength; believe one who has known
a thousand cases in which that sublime virtue was lost
1 “ Abrenuntias huic saxulo et omnibus vanitatibus ejus?’
s “ Abrenuntio.”
3 “ Nunc autem quia saeculum reliquisti, serva foedus quod spopon­
disti.”·—Ep. ad Demctr.

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

33

by exposure to danger. If you say, I will expose myself
so far, and no farther, be assured that before you per­
ceive your danger you will be plunged into the abyss.
If in voluntary perils you have hitherto escaped ruin,
thank God for your preservation, but tremble for the
future. Saints have retired into the deserts to preserve
the virtue of chastity; and will you rush into unneces­
sary danger? It is particularly difficult for those who
are in the vigor of youth to practise immaculate purity
while they converse with young men on worldly sub­
jects, jesting with them, and smiling at expressions
which ought to cover them with shame. Fly, fly from
all such occasions. Explain to the confessor not only
your temptations, but also the occasions of them, and
ask his advice about the best means of removing them.
5. The Spouse of Jesus Christ should be entirely His.

The day on which a virgin is espoused to Jesus Christ is
to him a day of great joy. Go forth, he says in the canti­
cles,^ daughters of Sion, and see King Solomon in the diadem,
wherewith his mother crowned him on the day of his espousals,
and the day of the joy of his heart) Yes, the day on which
a religious consecrates her virginity to Jesus Christ is
to him a day of triumph and exultation, provided she
dedicates her whole being to his love and glory, and
prepares herself in a becoming manner for her espou­
sals with the God of holiness. On such days the Re­
deemer calls on all Paradise to rejoice with him. Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to him : for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath prepared herself)
The ornaments which the Lamb requires in his spouses
1 “ Egredimini et videte, filiæ Sion, regem Salomonem in diademate
quo coronavit illum mater sua, in die desponsationis illius, et in die
iætitiæ cordis ejus.”—Cant. iii. n.
“ Gaudeamus, et exultemus, et demus gloriam ei, quia venerunt
nuptiæ Agni, et uxor ejus præparavit se.”—Apoc. xix. 7.
3

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. i.

are the virtues recommended in the Gospel, but partic­
ularly charity and purity. He will make thee chains of
gold inlaid with silver.' These chains of gold, inlaid with
silver, signify the virtues of charity and chastity. These,
as we learn from St. Agnes, are the garments and jewels
with which the Lamb decorates his spouse. He sur­
rounded my right hand and my neck with precious stones.
The Lord clothed me with a garment of golden texture, and
adorned me with immense necklaces?
Seculars direct all their attention to the things of the
world ; but the spouses of Jesus Christ seek God, and
God alone. Of religious it is written, This is the gener­
ation of them that seek him? These holy virgins, whom
you see confined within their convent poor and humble,
are the generation of blessed souls who seek nothing
on this earth but God’s glory. “You then, O conse­
crated virgins,” says St. Thomas of Villanova, “should
contend with one another, not about the preeminence
of your birth, the superiority of your talents, nor the
amplitude of your fortunes; but for the first place in the
esteem and affections of Christ Jesus, and for the high­
est claim to familiarity with him, to humility and obe­
dience.” ‘ St. Jerome, in one of his letters to Eustochia,
who wished to consecrate her virginity to Jesus Christ,
writes: “ Since, my child, you come to the service of
God, the Holy Ghost admonishes you to stand in justice,
and to prepare your soul for temptation; to practise
patience in humility: for gold is tried in the fire.6 No
1 “ Murenulas aureas faciemus tibi, vermiculatas argento.”—Cant.
i. io.
9 “ Dexteram meam et collum meum cinxit lapidibus pretiosis. Induit
me Dominus cyclade auro texta et immensis monilibus ornavit me.”—
Ofpc. 21 Jan.
3 “ Hæc est generatio quarentium cum.”—Ps. xxiii. 6.
4 “In hoc ad invicem zelate, quænam huic Sponso carior, quænam
familiarior existât, quæ humilior, quæ obedientior.”—De Nat. Afar, ad
mon. tone. 2.
5 “ Fili, accedens ad servitutem Dei. sta in justitia et timore, et

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Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

35

one can serve two masters.1 You will, therefore, despise
the world, and, espoused to Christ, you will sing, The
Lord is my portion forever." Religious on the day of
profession change their names to show that on that day
they die to the world, to live to Christ, who died for
them. All Christians should, according to St. Paul, die
to themselves, and live only to Jesus Christ. And Christ
died for all : that they also, who live, may not now live to them­
selves, but unto him who died for them and rose again? But
if all do not attend to the instructions of the Apostle,
religious at least, who are the chosen spouses of the
Redeemer, should fulfil them.
The Venerable Sister Francis Farnese regarded the
remembrance of being the spouses of Jesus Christ as
the most powerful means of exciting her religious to
fervor and perfection. It is certain, she would say to
them, that since you have been raised to the dignity of
his spouses, God has chosen each one of you to be a
saint. St. Augustine, addressing a religious, says: O
happy virgin ! if you know not your dignity, endeavor
to estimate its excellence by the doctrine of the saints.
You have the most beautiful of spouses, who, by select­
ing you from among thousands, and making you his
spouse, has given you a pledge of affection, from which
you may learn how ardent should be your love for him.’
And St. Bernard, in his fortieth sermon on the Canticle
of Canticles, addressing consecrated virgins, says:
“Have nothing to do with the world: forget all things:
præpara animam tuam ad tentationem. ... In humilitate tua patien­
tiam habe, quoniam in igne probatur aurum.”—Eccltts. ii. i.
1 “ Nemo potest duobus Dominis servire.”—Matt. vi. 24.
5 ‘ ‘ Pro omnibus mortuus est Christus, ut et qui vivunt, jam non sibi
vivant, sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est.”—2 Cor. v. 15.
3 “Sponsum habes pulcherrimum. Misit pignus amoris; in ipso
munere poteris agnoscere quo affectu illum diligere debeas.”—De dii.
Deo, c. 4.

36

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch. 1.

reserve yourself for the Lord, whom, from all things,
you have chosen for your inheritance.”1 Cease, O
spouse of Jesus, to think of yourself or of the world:
you belong no longer to yourself or to the world, but to
that God to whom you are consecrated. Forget all
things, and attend to him only who has chosen you for
his spouse. “Your God,” continues the saint, “has
chosen you; and how many have been cast away who
could not obtain the grace which has been bestowed on
you ? Your Redeemer and your Spouse has preferred
you before all these; not because you were more worthy,
but because he loved you more than them.”12 You have
not chosen God, but God has first chosen you for his
spouse. How many has he left in the world who could
not obtain the dignity to which you have been raised.
He has chosen you in preference to them; he has called
you to his tabernacle, not because you had superior
claims, but because his love for you was greater than
his love for them. The saint then concludes: “Where­
fore, saith the Lord: ‘Behold, thy time is the time of
lovers.’ Reflecting, then, upon these things in your
soul, place all your hope and affection in Jesus, your
spouse, who has loved you with an everlasting love, and
in mercy has drawn you to himself.” 3
Whenever, then, O spouse of Jesns, the world solicits
your affection, answer in the words of St. Agnes: “ De­
part from me, food of death; I am already espoused to
1 “Nihil tibi et turbis; obliviscere omnium; soli serves te ipsam,
quem ex omnibus tibi elegisti.”—In Cant. s. 40.
2 “ Quot et quales abjecti sunt, qui hanc, quæ tibi data est, gratiam
consequi non potuerunt! Omnibus illis Redemptor tuus te prætulit;
elegit te Sponsus tuus, Deus tuus.”—De dii. Deo, c. 7.
3 “ Propterea dicit Dominus: Ecce tempus tuum, tempus amantium.
Hiec igitur recolens in corde tuo, in eo reponas spem tuam et dilecti­
onem tuam, qui in charitate perpetua dilexit te, et attraxit te miserans,
Jesus, Sponsus tuus.”

ch.

i.]

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

37

another lover.” * All the affections of my heart shall be
reserved for my God, who has loved me before I could
love him. A religious, when she receives the veil on the
day of profession, makes use of similar language. “ He
has placed,” she says, “ a seal on my forehead, that I
admit no lover but him.”2 My spouse has covered my
face with this veil, that not seeing, and not being seen,
I may have no lover but Jesus. St. Jerome exhorts re­
ligious to take a holy pride in this exalted dignity of
spouses of the Redeemer. “ Learn,” he says, “ O spouse
of God, a holy pride. Know that you are raised above
worldlings, and say: I have found him whom my soul
sought: I will hold him, and will not let him go.”3
Seculars glory in their nuptials with men of rank and
fortune; but you, who are the spouse of the King of
heaven, can boast of better espousals. Say, then, with
pride and with joy: I have found the object of my
affections; I will embrace him with love, and will not
permit him to depart from me. It is love that unites
the soul with God. But above all things, says St. Paul,
have charity, which is the bond of perfectioni
Sublime, indeed, is the dignity of virgins: each of them
can glory, and say, “ I am espoused to Him whom the
angels serve.”0 He to whom the celestial spirits ardently
desire to minister is my spouse; with his own ring he
has pledged me, and with a crown has adorned me as
his own spouse.’ My Creator, the Sovereign of the
1 “ Discede a me, pabulum mortis, quia jam ab alio amatore praeventa
sum.”—Offtc. 21 fan.
3 “ Posuit signum in faciem meam, ut nullum, praeter eum, amatorem
ad m ittam. ’ ’—Ibid.
3 “ Dei sponsa, disce superbiam sanctam; scito te illis esse meliorem,
et dic: Inveni quem quaerebat anima mea; tenebo eum, et non dimittam.”
—Ep. ad East.
4 “ Charitatem habete, quod est vinculum perfectionis.”—Coi. iii, 14.
5 “ Ipsi sum desponsata cui Angeli serviunt.”
6 “ Annulo tuo subarrhavit me, et tanquam sponsam decoravit me
corona.”—Oflic. 21 Jan.

38

Merit of Virgins consecrated to God.

[ch.i.

universe, has espoused me, and, conferring upon me a
crown, has raised me to the dignity of a queen. But, O
sacred virgin, remember that, while you remain on earth
this crown is not eternal, and that by your negligence
it may be lost. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man
take thy crown) Hold fast your crown, that no one may
be able to snatch it from you; disengage yourself from
all affection to creatures; unite yourself more and more
every day to Jesus Christ by love, by petitions, and by
continual supplication that he may never suffer you to
abandon him. “Jesus, my spouse, never permit me to
be separated from thee.”123 And, when creatures seek to
take possession of your heart, and to banish the Son of
God from your soul, trust in the divine aid, and say
with the Apostle, Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ ? Neither life, nor death, nor any other creature shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
fesus our Lord)
O Jesus, my Saviour and my God ! how have I mer­
ited this singular favor, that while Thou hast left in the
world so many innocent souls, Thou shouldst have
chosen me, a sinner, for Thy spouse, to live in Thy own
house here on earth, that I might afterwards receive
from Thee an eternal crown in heaven ? O Lord, since
Thou hast bestowed upon me so great a grace, grant me
light to understand its value, and strength to be always
grateful for it, and with my whole soul to correspond to
the love which Thou hast borne me. Thou hast chosen
me, in preference to many others: it is my duty to pre­
fer Thee to all. Thou hast given Thyself entirely to
me; it is but just that I present my whole being to Thee,
1 “ Tene quod habes, ut nemo accipiat coronam tuam."—Apoc. iii. II.
5 “ Jesu, mi Sponse ! ne permittas me separari a te."
3 “ Quis ergo nos separabit a charitate Christi ? Neque mors, neque
vita, . . . neque creatura alia, poterit nos separari a charitate Dei."—
Rom. viii. 35-3S.

ch.

π.]

Advantages of the Religions State.

39

and that Thou be the sole object of all my love, and of
all my affections. Yes, my Jesus, I love Thee above all
things: I desire to love Thee alone. Thou hast given
Thyself to me without reserve: I offer myself entirely to
Thee. I beseech Thee to accept this oblation, and not
to refuse the affections of a heart that once loved crea­
tures, and even preferred them before Thee, the sov­
ereign good. Accept and preserve my soul and body.
Without Thy assistance I can do nothing: without it I
shall certainly betray Thee. Since Thou hast chosen
me for Thy spouse, make me a faithful and grateful
spouse. O sacred fire, burning in the heart of Jesus, in­
flame my soul, and destroy in my heart every affection
which is not for him; make me live only to love this my
amiable spouse, who has given his life to be loved by
me.
O Mary, Mother of God, since I am the spouse of thy
Son, thou art not only my queen, but my mother. And
since it was by thy intercession that I have been de­
tached from the world, conducted into this house of
God, and made the spouse of thy Son, assist me now,
and do not abandon me forever. Grant that my life
and death may be worthy the spouse of Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER II.
THE ADVANTAGES OF THE RELIGIOUS STATE.

t. The Religious State is like the Promised Land ; it is Par,
adise on Earth ; it is a Great Grace.

Well may the words of the Canticle of Moses and of
the children of Israel, after their delivery from the
tyranny of Pharaoh and the bondage of Egypt, be ap­
plied to religious: In thy mercy thou hast been a leader to

40

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. n.

the people which thou hast redeemed', and in thy strength thou
hast carried them to thy holy habitation.' As the Hebrews
compared with the Egyptians were, in the Old Law, the
beloved peopîe of God; so religious, contrasted with
seculars, are, in the New Law, the chosen spouses of
the Saviour. As the Hebrews went forth from Egypt,
a land of labor and of slavery, where God was not
known, so religious retire from the world, which gives
to its servants no other recompense than pains and
bitterness, and in which God is but little known.
Finally, as the Hebrews in the desert were guided by a
pillar of fire to the land of promise, so the spouses of
Jesus Christ are conducted, by the light of the Holy
Ghost, into the sanctuary of religion—the bright image
of the promised land of heaven.
In heaven there is no self-will; no thirst for earthly
riches or for sensual pleasures; and from the cloister
these pernicious desires, by means of the holy vows of
obedience, poverty, and chastity, are effectually excluded.
In heaven, to praise God is the constant occupation of
the saints, and in religion every action of the Com­
munity is referred to the glory of his name. “You
praise God,” says St. Augustine, “ by the discharge of
every duty; you praise him when you eat or drink; you
praise him when you rest or sleep.”3 You, O sacred
virgin, praise the Lord by regulating the affairs of the
convent, by assisting in the sacristy, at the turn, or at
the door; you praise the Lord when you go to table;
you praise him when you retire to rest and sleep; you
praise him in every action of your life. Lastly, in
heaven the saints enjoy continual peace; because there
they find in God the source of every good; and in re1 “ Dux fuisti in misericordia tua populo quem redemisti, et portasti
eum in fortitudine tua ad habitaculum sanctum tuum.”—Exod. xv. 13.
2 “ Laudas Deum, cum agis negotium; laudas, cum cibum et potum
capis; laudas, cum requiescis et dormis.”—In Ps. exivi.

ch

ii.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

41

ligion, where God alone is sought, in him is found that
peace which surpasses all understanding, and that con­
tent which the world cannot give.
Well, then, might St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi say
that the spouse of Jesus should have a high esteem and
veneration for her holy state, since after baptism a
vocation to religion is the greatest grace which God can
bestow. You, then, who are religious should hold the
religious state in higher estimation than all the dignities
and kingdoms of the earth. In that holy state you are
preserved from sins which you would commit in the
world; there you are constantly occupied in holy ex­
ercises; there you meet every day with numberless op­
portunities of meriting an eternal crown. In this life
religion makes you the spouse of a God, and in the
next will raise you to the rank of queen in the eternal
kingdom of his glory. How did you merit to be called
to that holy state, in preference to so many others who
had stronger claims than you ? Black, indeed, must be
your ingratitude if, for the benefit of your vocation, you
do not thank God every day with all the affections of
your soul.
2. Advantages of the Religious State according to St.
Bernard.

The advantages of the religious state cannot be better
described than in the words of St. Bernard: “Is not
that a holy state in which a man lives more purely, falls
more rarely, rises more speedily, walks more cautiously,
is bedewed with the waters of grace more frequently,
rests more securely, dies more confidently, is cleansed
more quickly, and rewarded more abundantly ?” 1 Let
1 “Nonne hæc est religio sancta, in qua homo vivit purius, cadit
rarius, surgit velocius, incedit cautius, irroratur frequentius, quiescit
securius, moritur confidentius, purgatur citius, remuneratur copiosius?”
—Hom. in illud Matth. xiii.: Simile est. . .

42

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch.ii.

us examine these advantages separately, and meditate
on the great treasures which each of them contains.
Vivit purius.—“ A religious lives more purely.”

Surely all the works of religious are in themselves
most pure and acceptable before God. Purity of action
consists principally in purity of intention, or in a pure
motive of pleasing God. Hence our actions will be
agreeable to God in proportion to their conformity to
his holy will, and to their freedom from the corruption
of self-will. The actions of a secular, however holy and
fervent she may be, partake more of self-will than those
of religious. Seculars pray, communicate, hear Mass,
read, take the discipline, and recite the divine Office
when they please. But a religious performs these duties
at the time prescribed by obedience—that is, by the
holy will of God. For in her Rule and in the com­
mands of her Superior she hears his voice. Hence a
religious, by obedience to her Rule and to her Superior,
merits an eternal reward, not only by her prayers and
by the performance of her spiritual duties, but also by
her labors, her recreations, and attendance at the turn ;
by her meals, her amusements, her words, and her re­
pose. For, since the performance of all these duties is
dictated by obedience, and not by self-will, she does in
each the holy will of God, and by each she earns an
everlasting crown.
Oh ! how often doe^ self-will vitiate the most holy
actions? Alas! to how many, on the day of judgment,
when they shall ask, in the words of Isaias, the reward
of their labors, IThy have we fasted, and thou hast not re­
garded I—have we humbled our souls, and thou hast not taken
notice V"—to how many, I say, will the Almighty Judge
answer, Behold, in the day of your fast, your own will is
1 ‘'Quare jejunavimus, et non aspexisti; humiliavimus animas nos­
tras, et nescisti?’—Is. Iviii. 3.

ch.

ii.]

Advantages of the Religious State,

43

found.'

What ! he will say, do you demand a reward ?
Have you not, in doing your own will, already received
the recompense of your toils ? Have you not, in all your
duties, in all your works of penance, sought the indul­
gence of your own inclinations, rather than the fulfil­
ment of my will ?
Abbot Gilbert says that the meanest work of a re­
ligious is more meritorious in the sight of God than the
most heroic action of a secular.3 St. Bernard asserts
that if a person in the world did the fourth part of what
is ordinarily done by religious, she would be venerated
as a saint.3 And has not experience shown that the
virtues of many w’hose sanctity shone resplendent in
the world faded away before the bright examples of the
fervent souls whom, on entering religion, they found in
the cloister ? A religious, then, because in all her actions
she does the will of God, can truly say that she belongs
entirely to him. The Venerable Mother Mary of Jesus,
foundress of the convent of Toulouse, used to say that
for two reasons she entertained a high esteem for her
vocation: first, because a religious enjoys the society of
Jesus Christ, who, in the holy sacrament, dwells with
her in the same habitation; secondly, because a religious
having by the vow of obedience sacrificed her own will
and her whole being to God, she belongs unreservedly
to him.
Cadit rarius.—“ A religious falls more rarely.”

Religious are certainly less exposed to the danger of
sin than seculars. Almighty God represented the world
to St. Anthony, and before him to St. John the Evan­
gelist, as a place full of snares. Hence, the holy Apostle
1 “ Ecce in die jejunii vestri invenitur voluntas vestra.”—Is. Iviii. 3.
2 “ Quod infirmum est in vobis, fortius est saecularibus.”—In Cant.

S> 37<
3 ‘'Credo nullum hic esse qui, si quartam partem, eorum quæ facie
in sæculo actitaret, non adoraretur ut sanctus.”—Iu Ps. xc. s. 4.

44

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. ii.

said, that in the world there is nothing but the concu­
piscence of the flesh, or of carnal pleasures; the concupiscence
of the eyes, or of earthly riches; and the pride of life,1 or
worldly honors, which swell the heart with petulance
and pride. In religion, by means of the holy vows, these
poisoned sources of sin are cut oft". By the vow of
chastity all the pleasures of sense are forever abandoned;
by the vow of poverty the desire of riches is perfectly
eradicated; and by the vow of obedience the ambition
of empty honors is utterly extinguished.
It is, indeed, possible for a Christian to live in the
world without any attachment to its goods; but it is
difficult to dwell in the midst of pestilence and to escape
contagion. The whole world, says St. John, is seated in
wickedness} St. Ambrose, in his comment on this passage,
says, that they who remain in the world live under the
miserable and cruel despotism of sin. The atmosphere
of the world is noxious and pestilential, whosoever
breathes it, easily catches spiritual infection. Human
respect, bad example, and evil conversations are power­
ful incitements to earthly attachments and to estrange­
ment of the soul from God. Every one knows that the
damnation of numberless souls is attributable to the
occasions of sin so common in the world. From these
occasions religious who live in the retirement of the
cloister are far removed. Hence St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi was accustomed to embrace the walls of her
convent, saying, “O blessed walls! O blessed walls!
from how many dangers do you preserve me.” Hence,
also, Blessed Mary Magdalene of Orsini, whenever she
saw a religious laugh, used to say: “ Laugh and rejoice,
dear Sister, for you have reason to be happy, being far
away from the dangers of the world.”
1 “ Omne quod est in mundo, concupiscentia carnis est, et concupis­
centia oculorum, et superbia vitæ.”—i fohn, ii. 16.
* “Mundus totus in maligno positus est."—i John, v 19.

ch. ii.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

45

Surgit velocius.—" A religious rises more speedily.”

If a religious should be so unfortunate as to fall into
sin, she has the most efficacious helps to rise again.
Her Rule which obliges her to frequent the holy sacra­
ment of penance; her meditations, in which she is
reminded of the eternal truths; the good examples of
her saintly companions, and the reproofs of her Superi­
ors, are powerful helps to rise from her fallen state.
Woe, says the Holy Ghost, /<2 him that is alone; for when
he falleth he hath none to lift him up.1 If a secular forsake
the path of virtue, he seldom finds a friend to admonish
and correct him, and is therefore exposed to great
danger of persevering and dying in his sins. But in
religion, if one fall he shall be supported by the other? If a
religious commit a fault, her companions assist her to
correct and repair it. “ She,” says St. Thomas, “ is
assisted by her companions to rise again.”3
Incedit cautius.—“ A religious walks more cautiously.”

Religious enjoy far greater spiritual advantages than
the first princes or monarchs of the earth. Kings,
indeed, abound in riches, honors, and pleasures, but no
one will dare to correct their faults, or to point out their
duties. All abstain from mentioning to them their
defects, through fear of incurring their displeasure; and
to secure their esteem many even go so far as to applaud
their vices. But if a religious go astray, her error will
be instantly corrected; her Superiors and companions
in religion will not fail to admonish her, and to point
out her danger; and even the good example of her
Sisters will remind her continually of the transgression
into which she has fallen. Surely a Christian, who
1 “ Væ soli; quia cum ceciderit non habet sublevantem se.”—Eccles.
iv. 10.
8 “Si unus ceciderit, ab altero fulcietur.”—Ibid.
3 “Juvatur a sociis ad resurgendum.”

46

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. ii.

believes that eternal life is the one thing· necessary,
should set a higher value upon these helps for salvation
than upon all the dignities and kingdoms of the earth.
As the world presents to seculars innumerable ob­
stacles to virtue, so the cloister holds out to religious
continual preventives of sin. In religion, the great care
which is taken to prevent light faults is a strong bul­
wark against the commission of grievous transgressions.
If a religious resist temptations to venial sin, she·merits
by that resistance additional strength to conquer tempta­
tions to mortal sin; but if, through frailty, she some­
times yields to them, all is not lost—the evil is easily
repaired. Even then the enemy does not get possession
of her soul; at most he only succeeds in taking some
unimportant outpost, from which he may be easily
driven; while by such defeats she is taught the neces­
sity of greater vigilance and of stronger defences against
future attacks. She is convinced of her own weakness,
and being humbled and rendered diffident of her own
powers, she recurs more frequently, and with more con- »
fidence, to Jesus Christ and his holy Mother. Thus,
from these falls, the religious sustains no serious injury;
since, as soon as she is humbled before the Lord, he
stretches forth his all-powerful arm to raise her up.
11'7/en he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord
putteth his hand under him) On the contrary, such victo­
ries over her weakness contribute to inspire greater diffi­
dence in herself, and greater confidence in God. Blessed
Egidius, of the Order of St. Francis, used to say that one
degree of grace in religion is better than ten in the
world; because in religion it is easy to profit by grace
and hard to loose it; while in the world grace fructifies
with difficulty and is lost with facility.3
1 “ Cum ceciderit (justus), non collidetur; quia Dominus supponit
manum suam.”—Ps. xxxvi. 24.
2 Boli. 23 Apr. Vit. p. 3. c. 1.

ch.

π.]

Advantages of the Religious State,

Afj

Irroratur frequentius.—“ A religious is bedewed more frequently.”

O God, with what internal illuminations, spiritual
delights, and expressions of love does Jesus refresh his
spouses at prayer, Communion, in presence of the holy
sacrament, and in the cell before the crucifix ! Christians
in the world are like plants in a barren land, on which
but little of the dew of heaven falls, and from that little
the soil for want of proper cultivation seldom derives
fertility. Poor seculars ! They desire to devote more
time to prayer, to receive the holy Eucharist, and to hear
the word of God more frequently; they long for greater
solitude, for more recollection, and a more intimate
union of their souls with God. But temporal affairs,
human ties, visits of friends, and restraints of the world
place these means of sanctification almost beyond their
reach. But religious are like trees planted in a fruitful
soil, which is continually and abundantly watered with
the dews of heaven. In the cloister, the Lord contin­
ually comforts and animates his spouses by infusing
interior lights and consolations during the time of medi­
tation, sermons, and spiritual readings, and even by
means of the good example of their Sisters. Well, then,
might Mother Catharine of Jesus, of the holy Order of
St. Teresa, say, when reminded of the labors she had
endured in the foundation of a convent: “ God has
rewarded me abundantly, by permitting me to spend
one hour in religion, in the house of his holy mother.”
Quiescit securius.—“ A religious rests more securely.”

Worldly goods can never satisfy the cravings of the
human soul. The brute creation, being destined only
for this world, is content with the goods of the earth,
but being made for God, man can never enjoy happiness
except in the possession of the divinity. The experience
of ages proves this truth; for if the goods of this life

48

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch.il

could content the heart of man, kings and princes, who
abound in riches, honors, and carnal pleasures, should
spend their days in pure unalloyed bliss and felicity.
But history and experience attest that they are the
most unhappy and discontented of men; and that riches
and dignities are always the fertile sources of fears, of
troubles, and of bitterness. The Emperor Theodosius
entered one day, unknown, into the cell of a solitary
monk, and after some conversation said: “ Father do you
know who lam? I am the Emperor Theodosius.” He
then added: “Oh! how happy are you, who lead here
on earth a life of contentment, free from the cares and
woes of the world. I am a Sovereign of the earth, but
be assured, Father, that I never dine in peace.”
But how can the world, a place of treachery, of
jealousies, of fears and commotions, give peace to man ?
In the world, indeed, there are certain wretched pleasures
which perplex rather than content the soul; which
delight the senses for a moment, but leave lasting
anguish and remorse behind. Hence the more exalted
and honorable the rank and station a man holds in the
world, the greater is his uneasiness and the more rack­
ing his discontent; for earthly dignities, in proportion
to their elevation, are accompanied with cares and con­
tradictions. We may, then, conclude that the world, in
which the heart-rending passions of ambition, avarice,
and the love of pleasures, exercise a cruel tyranny over
the human race, must be a place not of ease and happi­
ness, but of inquietude and torture. Its goods can
never be possessed in such a way that they may be had
in the manner and at the time we desire their posses­
sion; and when enjoyed, instead of infusing content and
peace into the soul, they drench it with the bitterness of
gall. Hence, whosoever is satiated with earthly goods,
is saturated with wormwood and poison.
Happy, then, the religious who loves God, and knows

ch.

.

9

π.]

Advantages of the Religioiis State.

49

how to estimate the favor which he bestowed upon her
in calling her from the world and placing her in religion;
where conquering, by holy mortification, her rebellious
passions, and practising continual self-denial, she enjoys
that peace which, according to the Apostle, exceeds all
the delights of sensual gratification: The peace of God,
which surpasseth all understanding? Find me, if you can,
among those seculars on whom fortune has lavished her
choicest gifts, or even among the first princesses or
queens of the earth, a soul more happy or content than
a religious divested of every worldly affection, and
intent only on pleasing God ? She is not rendered
unhappy by poverty, for she preferred it before all the
riches of the earth; she has voluntarily chosen it, and
rejoices in its privations; nor by the mortification of the
senses, for she entered religion to die to the world and
to herself; nor by the restraints of obedience, for she
knows that the renunciation of self-will is the most
acceptable sacrifice she could offer to God. She is not
afflicted at her humiliations, because it was to be despised
that she came into the house of God. I have chosen to be
an abject in the house of my God, rather than dwell in the
tabernacles of sinners? The enclosure is to her rather a
source of consolation than of sorrow; because it frees
her from the cares and dangers of the world. To serve
the Community, to be treated with contempt, or to be
afflicted with infirmities, does not trouble the tranquillity
of her soul, because she knows that all these make her
more dear to Jesus Christ. Finally, the observance of
her Rule does not interrupt the joy of a religious, because
the labors and burdens which b imposes, however nu­
merous and oppressive they may be, are but the wings
of the dove which are necessary to fly towards God and
1 “ Pax Dei, quæ exsuperat omnem sensum.”—Phil. iv. 7.
5 “ Elegi abjectus esse in domo Dei mei, magis quam habitare in
tabernaculis peccatorum.”—Ps. xxxiii. 11.
4

50

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. π.

be united with him. Oh! how happy and delightful is
the state of a religious whose heart is not divided, and
who can say with St. Francis: “ My God and my all.” 1
It is true that, even in the cloister, there are some
discontented souls; for even in religion there are some
who do not live as religious ought to live. To be a
good religious and to be content are one and the same
thing; for the happiness of a religious consists in a
constant and perfect union of her will with the adorable
will of God. Whosoever is not united with him cannot
be happy; for God cannot infuse his consolations into
a soul that resists his divine will. I have been accus­
tomed to say, that a religious in her convent enjoys a
foretaste of paradise or suffers an anticipation of hell.
To endure the pains of hell is to be separated from
God; to be forced against the inclinations of nature to
do the will of others; to be distrusted, despised, re­
proved, and chastised by those with whom we live; to
be shut up in a place of confinement, from which it is
impossible to escape; in a word, it is to be in continual
torture without a moment’s peace. Such is the miserable
condition of a bad religious; and therefore she suffers
on earth an anticipation of the torments of hell. The
happiness of paradise consists in an exemption from the
cares and afflictions of the world, in the conversations
of the saints, in a perfect union with God, and the
enjoyment of continual peace in God. A perfect reli­
gious possesses all these blessings, and therefore receives
in this life a foretaste of paradise.
The perfect spouses of Jesus have, indeed, their
crosses to carry here below; for this life is a state of
merit, and consequently of suffering. The inconvenien­
ces of living in Community are burdensome; the re­
proofs of Superiors, and the refusals of permission,
galling; the mortification of the senses, painful; and the
1 “ Deus meus, et omnia.”

ch.

π.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

51

contradiction and contempt of companions, intolerable
to self-love. But to a religious who desires to belong
entirely to God all these occasions of suffering are so
many sources of consolation and delight; for she knows
that by embracing pain she offers a sweet odor to God.
St. Bonaventure says that the love of God is like honey,
which sweetens everything that is bitter. The Venerabis
Cæsar da Bustis addressed a nephew who had entered
religion in the following words: “ My dear nephew,
when you look at the heavens, think of paradise; when
you see the world, reflect on hell, where the damned
endure eternal torments without a moment’s enjoyment;
when you behold your convent, remember purgatory,
where many just souls suffer in peace and with a cer­
tainty of eternal life.” And what more delightful than
to suffer (if suffering it can be called) with a tranquil
conscience ? than to suffer in favor with God, and with
an assurance that every pain will one day become a gem
in an everlasting crown ? Ah! the brightest jewels in
the diadems of the saints are the sufferings which they
endured in this life with patience and resignation.
Our God is faithful to his promises, and grateful
beyond measure. He knows how to remunerate his
servants, even in this life, by interior sweetness, for the
pains which they patiently suffer for his sake. Expe­
rience shows that religious who seek consolation and
happiness from creatures are always discontented, while
they who practise the greatest mortifications enjoy con­
tinual peace. Let us, then, be persuaded that neither
pleasures of sense, nor honors, nor riches, nor the world
with all its goods can make us happy. God alone can
content the heart of man. Whoever finds him possesses
all things. Hence St. Scholastica said, that if men knew
the peace which religious enjoy in retirement, the entire
world would become one great convent; and St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that they would abandon

52

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. π

the delights of the world and force their way into reli­
gion. Hence, also, St. Laurence Justinian says that
“God has designedly concealed the happiness of the
religious state, because if it were known all would relin­
quish the world and fly to religion.” 1
The very solitude, silence, and tranquillity of the
cloister give to a soul that loves God a foretaste of
paradise. Father Charles of Lorraine, a Jesuit of royal
extraction, used to say that the peace which he enjoyed
during a single moment in his cell was an abundant
remuneration for the sacrifice that he had made in
quitting the world. Such was the happiness which he
occasionally experienced in his cell, that he would
sometimes exult and dance with joy. Blessed Seraphino
of Ascoli, a Capuchin, was in the habit of saying that he
would not give one foot of his cord for all the kingdoms
of the earth. Arnold, a Cistercian, comparing the
riches and honors of the court which he had left with
the consolations which he found in religion, exclaimed:
“ How faithfully fulfilled, O Jesus, is the promise which
Thou didst make of rendering a hundred-fold to him
who leaves all things for Thy sake!” St. Bernard’s
monks, who led lives of great penance and austerities,
received in their solitude such spiritual delights, that
they were afraid they should obtain in this life the
reward of their labors.
Let it be your care to unite yourself closely to God;
to embrace with peace all the crosses that he sends you;
to love what is most perfect; and, when necessary, to do
violence to yourself. And that you may be able to
accomplish all this, pray continually; pray in your
meditations, in your Communions, in your visits to the
Blessed Sacrament, and especially when you are tempted
by the devil; and you will obtain a place in the number
1 “Consulto Deus gratiam religionis hominibus occultavit; nam, si
cognosceretur illius felicitas, omnes ad eam concurrerent."—Izz7. c. 9.

ch.

π.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

53

of those fervent souls who are more happy and content
than all the princesses and queens and empresses of the
earth.
Beg of God to give you the spirit of a perfect reli­
gious; that spirit which impels the soul to act, not
according to the dictates of nature, but according to the
motions of grace, or from the sole motive of pleasing
God. Why wear the habit of a religious, if in heart and
soul you are a secular, and live according to the maxims
of the world ? Whosoever profanes the garb of religion
by a worldly spirit and a worldly life has an apostate
heart. “To maintain,” says St. Bernard, “a secular
spirit under the habit of religion, is apostasy of heart.” 1
The spirit of a religious, then, implies an exact obedience
to the rules and to the directions of the Superior, along
with a great zeal for the interests of religion. Some
religious wish to become saints, but only according to
their own caprice; that is, by long silence, prayer, and
spiritual reading, without being employed in any of the
offices of the Community. Hence, if they are sent to
the turn, to the door, or to other distracting occupations,
they become impatient; they complain and sometimes
obstinately refuse to obey, saying that such offices are
to them occasions of sin. Oh ! such is not the spirit of
a religious. Surely what is conformable to the will of
God cannot hurt the soul. The spirit of a religious
requires a total detachment from commerce with the
world; great love and affection for prayer, for silence,
and for recollection; ardent zeal for exact observance;
deep abhorrence for sensual indulgence; intense charity
towards all men; and, finally, a love of God capable of
subduing and of ruling all the passions. Such is the
spirit of a perfect religious. Whosoever does not pos­
sess this spirit should at least desire it ardently, should
1 “ Apostasia cordis, sub habitu religionis cor sæculare gerere.”—In
Ps. xc. s. 3.

54

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. n.

do violence to herself, and earnestly beg God’s assistance
to obtain it. In a word, the spirit of a religious supposes
a total disengagement of the heart from everything that
is not God, and a perfect consecration of the soul to him,
and to him alone.
Moritur confidentius.—“ A religious dies more confidently.”

Some are deterred from entering religion by the
apprehension that their abandonment of the world
might be afterwards to them a source of regret. But
in making choice of a state of life I would advise such
persons to reflect not on the pleasures of this life, but
on the hour of death, which will determine their happi­
ness or misery for all eternity. And I would ask if, in
the world, surrounded by seculars, disturbed by the
fondness of children, from whom they are about to be
separated forever, perplexed with the care of their
worldly affairs, and disturbed by a thousand scruples
of conscience, they can expect to die more contented
than in the house of God, assisted by their holy com­
panions, who continually speak of God; who pray for
them, and console and encourage them in their passage
to eternity? Imagine you see, on the one hand, a prir>
cess dying in a splendid palace, attended by a retinue
of servants, surrounded by her husband, her children,
and relatives, and represent to yourself, on the other, a
religious expiring in her convent, in a poor cell, morti­
fied, humble; far from her relatives, stripped of prop­
erty and self-will; and tell me, which of the two, the
rich princess or the poor nun, dies more contented ?
Ah ! the enjoyment of riches, of honors, and pleasures
in this life do not afford consolation at the hour of
death, but rather beget grief and diffidence of sal­
vation; while poverty, humiliations, penitential aus­
terities, and detachment from the world render death
sweet and amiable, and give to a Christian increased

ch. ii.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

55

hopes of attaining that true felicity which shall never
terminate.
Jesus Christ has promised that whosoever leaves his
house and relatives for God’s sake shall enjoy eternal
life. And every one that hath left house or brethren, or sis­
ters, or father, or mother, or lands for my sake shall receive a
hundred-fold, and shall possess life everlasting} A certain
religious, of the Society of Jesus, being observed to
smile on his death-bed, some of his brethren who were
present began to apprehend that he was not aware of
his danger, and asked him why he smiled; he answered:
“Why should I not smile, since I am sure of paradise?
Has not the Lord himself promised to give eternal life
to those who leave the world for his sake ? I have long
since abandoned all things for the love of him: he can­
not violate his own promises. I smile, then, because I
confidently expect eternal glory.” The same sentiment
was expressed long before by St. John Chrysostom,
writing to a certain religious. “ God,” says the saint,
“cannot tell a lie; but he has promised eternal life to
those who leave the goods of this world. You have left
all these things; why, then, should you doubt the fulfil­
ment of his promise ?”’
St. Bernard says that “ it is very easy to pass from
the cell to heaven; because a person who dies in the
cell scarcely ever descends into hell, since it seldom
happens that a religious perseveres in her cell till death,
unless she be predestined to happiness.”’ Hence St.
1 “ Omnis qui reliquerit domum vel fratres, aut sorores, aut patrem,
aut matrem, aut uxorem, aut filios, aut agros, propter nomen meum,
centuplum accipiet, et vitam æternam possidebit.”—Matt. xix. 29.
2 “ Impossibile est mentiri Deum; promisit autem ille vitam æter­
nam ista relinquentibus. Tu reliquisti omnia ista; quid igitur prohibet
de hujusmodi promissione esse securum?”—De Provid. 1. 1.
3 “ Morions enim vix aut nunquam a cella in infernum descendit, quia
vix unquam, nisi coelo prædestinatus, in ea usque ad mortem persistit.”
—De Vit. sol. c. 4.

56

Advantages of the Religiozts State,

[ch.ii.

Laurence Justinian says that religion is the gate of
paradise; because living in religion, and partaking of
its advantages is a great mark of election to glory.1
No wonder, then, that Gerard, the brother of St. Ber­
nard, when dying in his monastery, began to sing with
joy and gladness. God himself says: Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord? And surely religious who by
the holy vows, and especially by the vow of obedience,
or total renunciation of self-will, die to the world and
to themselves must be ranked amongst the number of
those who die in the Lord. Hence Father Suarez, re­
membering at the hour of death that all his actions in
religion were performed through obedience, was filled
with spiritual joy, and exclaimed that he could not im­
agine death could be so sweet and so full of consolation.
Purgatur citius.—“ A religious is cleansed (in purgator}·) more quickly.”

St. Thomas teaches that the perfect consecration
which a religious makes of herself to God by her solemn
profession remits the guilt and punishment of all her past
sins. “ But,” he says, “ it may reasonably be said that
a person by entering into religion obtains the remission
of all sins. For, to make satisfaction for all sins, it is
sufficient to dedicate one’s self entirely to the service of
God by entering religion, which dedication exceeds all
manner of satisfaction. Hence,” he concludes, “ we
read in the lives of the Fathers, that they who enter
religion obtain the same grace as those who receive
baptism.”·1 The faults committed after profession by
1 “ Illius coelestis civitatis iste est introitus; magnum quippe electionis
indicium est, hujus fraternitatis habere consortium.”— De Discipl. mon.
c. 7.
• “ Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur.”—Apoc. xiv. 13.
’ Rationabiliter autem dici potest quod, etiam per ingressum religi­
onis, aliquis consequatur remissionem omnium peccatorum.—In satis­
factionem pro omnibus peccatis, sufficit quod aliquis se totaliter divinis
obsequiis mancipet per religionis ingressum, quæ excedit omne genus

ch.

π.]

Advantages of the Religious State.

57

a good religious are expiated in this world by her daily
exercises of piety, by her meditations, Communions, and
mortifications. But if a religious should not make full
atonement in this life for all her sins, her purgatory will
not be of long duration. The many sacrifices of the
Mass which are offered for her after death, and the
prayers of the Community, will soon release her from
her suffering.
Rem lineratio· copiosius.—“ A religious is more abundantly rewarded.”

Worldlings are blind to the things of God; they do not
comprehend the happiness of eternal glory, in compari­
son with which the pleasures of this world are but wretch­
edness and misery. If they had just notions, and a
ively sense of the glory of paradise, they would assur­
edly abandon their possessions, even kings would abdi­
cate their crowns,—and, quitting the world, in which it
is exceedingly difficult to attend to the one thing neces­
sary, they would retire into the cloister to secure their
eternal salvation. Bless, then, dear Sister, and continu­
ally thank your God, who, by his own lights and graces,
has delivered you from the bondage of Egypt, and
brought you to his own house; prove your gratitude by
fidelity in his service, and by a faithful correspondence
to so great a grace. Compare all the goods of this
world with the eternal felicity which God has prepared
for those who leave all things for his sake, and you will
find that there is a greater disparity between the transi­
tory joys of this life and the eternal beatitude of the
saints than there is between a grain of sand and the
entire creation.
Jesus Christ has promised that whosoever shall leave
all things for his sake shall receive a hundred-fold in
satisfactionis.—Unde legitur in Vitis Patruin, quod eamdem gratiam
consequuntur religionem intrantes, quam consequuntur baptizati.”—2.
2, q. 1S9, a. 3.

58

Advantages of the Religions State,

[ch. 11

this life, and eternal glory in the next. Can you doubt
his words ? Can you imagine that he will not be faithful
to his promise? Is he not more liberal in rewarding
virtue than in punishing vice? If they who give a cup
of cold water in his name shall not be left without
abundant remuneration,1 how great and incomprehen­
sible must be the reward which a religious who aspires
to perfection shall receive for the numberless works of
piety which she performs every day ?—for so many
meditations, offices, and spiritual readings ?—for so
many acts of mortification and of divine love which she
daily refers to God’s honor? Do you not know that
these good works which are performed through obedi­
ence, and in compliance with the religious vows, merit
a far greater reward than the good works of seculars?
Brother Lacci, of the Society of Jesus, appeared after
death to a certain person, and said that he and king
Philip II. were crowned with bliss, but that his own glory
as far surpassed that of Philip as the exalted dignity of an
earthly sovereign is raised above the lowly station of an
humble religious.
The dignity of martyrdom is sublime; but the reli­
gious state appears to possess something still more ex­
cellent. The martyr suffers that he may not lose his
soul; the religious, to render herself mo_e acceptable
to God. A martyr dies for the faith; a religious for
perfection. Although the religious state has lost much
of its primitive splendor, we may still say, with truth,
that the souls who are most dear to God, who have
attained the greatest perfection, and who edify the
Church by the odor of their sanctity, are, for the most
part, to be found in religion. How few are there in the
world, even amongst the most fervent, who rise at mid­
night to pray and sing the praises of God ? How few
1 “Quisquis enim potum dederit vobis calicem aquæ in nomine meo,
. . . non perdet mercedem suam.”—Mark, ix. 40.

ch,

π.]

Advantages of the Religious State,

59

who spend five or six hours each day in these or similar
works of piety ? Who practise fasting, abstinence, and
mortification ? How few who observe silence, or accus­
tom themselves to do the will of others rather than their
own ? And, surely, all these are performed by the reli­
gious of every Order, even in convents where the disci­
pline is relaxed many are found, who, on the day of
judgment, will condemn the others who aspire to per­
fection, observe the rules, and perform, in private, many
works of supererogation. It is evident that the conduct
of the generality of pious Christians in the world can­
not be compared with that of good religious.
No wonder, then, that St. Cyprian called virgins con­
secrated to God the flower of the garden of the Church,
and the noblest portion of the flock of Jesus Christ.1 St.
Gregory Nazianzen says the religious “ are the firstfruits of the flock of the Lord, the pillars and crown of
faith, and the pearls of the Church.”1
23 I hold as cer­
tain that the greater number of the seraphic thrones
vacated by the unhappy associates of Lucifer will be
filled by religious. Out of the sixty who during the
last century were enrolled in the catalogue of saints,
or honored with the appellation of Blessed, all, with the
exception of five or six, belonged to the religious orders.
Jesus Christ once said tp St. Teresa: “ Woe to the world,
but for religious.”3 Ruffinus says: “It cannot be
doubted that the world is preserved from ruin by the
merits of religious.”4 When, then, the devil affrights
you by representing the difficulty of observing your
1 “ Flos est ille ecclesiastici generis, .... illustrior portio gregis
Christi.”—De Discipl. virg.
2 “ Sunt generis nostri orimitiæ, columnæ et coronæ fidei, margaritæ
templi.”—Orat, 9.
3 Ribera, Vit. 1. 1, c. 13.
4 “ Dubitari non debet ipsorum meritis adnuc stare mundum.”—Hist.
Mona ch. prol.

6o

Advantages of the Religious State,

[ch. n.

Rule, and practising the self-denial, and the austerities
necessary for salvation, raise your eyes to heaven, and
the hope of eternal beatitude will give you strength
and courage to suffer all things. The trials, mortifica­
tions, and all miseries of this life will soon be past, and
to them will succeed the ineffable delights of paradise,
which shall be enjoyed for eternity without fear of
failure or of diminution.
Prayer.
O God of my soul. I know that Thou dost most earnestly
desire to save me. By my sins I had incurred the sentence of
eternal condemnation ; but instead of casting me into hell, as I
deserved, Thou hast stretched forth Thy loving hand, and not
only delivered me from hell and sin, but Thou hast also drawn
me, as it were by force, from amidst the dangers of the world,
and placed me in Thy own house amongst Thy own spouses. I
hope, O my Spouse, to be admitted one day to heaven, there to
sing for eternity the great mercies Thou hast shown me. Oh!
that I had never offended Thee. O Jesus, assist me, now that I
desire to love Thee with my whole soul, and wish to do every­
thing in my power to please Thee. Thou hast spared nothing
in order to gain my love: it is but just that I devote my entire
being to Thy service. Thou hast given thyself entirely to me:
I give myself without reserve to Thee. Since my soul is im­
mortal, I desire to be eternal I *v united to Thee. And if it is
love that unites the soul to Thee, I love Thee, O my Sovereign
Good: I love Thee, my Redeemer: I love Thee, O my Spouse,
my only treasure and object of my love: I love Thee! I love
Thee ! and hope that I shall love Thee for eternity. Thy merits,
O my Redeemer, are the grounds of my hope. In Thy protec­
tion, also, O great Mother of God, my Mother Mary, do I place
unbounded confidence. Thou didst obtain pardon for me
when I was in the state of sin ; now that I hope I am in the
state of grace, and am a religious, wilt thou not obtain for me
the grace to become a saint? Such is my ardent hope, ’my
fervent desire. Amen.

ch.

in.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

61

CHAPTER III
THE RELIGIOUS SHOULD » BELONG ENTIRELY TO GOD.

I. She should Renounce everything, and Love only God.

Plutarch 1 relates that in Rome it was the duty of
a woman, on her first arrival at the house of her hus­
band, to address him in the following words: “ Wherever
you are, there also shall I be. Wheresoever your will
leads you, there likewise my desires shall carry me.’”
It is this perfect conformity of her will with his that
Jesus Christ demands of every virgin who aspires to the
dignity and glory of his spouse. My son, he says,
me thy heart} My child and my spouse, what I desire
from you is, that you give me your heart, your affections,
and your will. The Holy Ghost says that when God
created our first parents, Adam and Eve, he set his eyes upon
their hearts} He fixed his eyes not upon their hands,
but upon their hearts; because external works are of no
value before God, unless they proceed from the heart,
and be accompanied by the affections of the soul. All
the glory of the spouse of Christ consists in an entire
and a perfect union of her heart with the heart of God.
All the çlory of the Kind's daughter is within} This union
of her interior makes a religious belong entirely to the
Lord.
“ God,” says St. Bernard, “ requires to be feared as a
Sovereign, to be honored as a Father, and to be loved as
O

Ο

o

1 Quast. Pom. q. 29.
2 “ Ubi tu Caius, ego Caia.”
3 “ Præbe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi.”—Prov. xxiii. 26.
4 “ Posuit oculum suum super corda illorum.”—Ecclus. xvii. 7.
5 “Omnis gloria ejus ... ab intus.”—Ps. xliv. 14.

62

Religious should Belong wholly lo God.

[ch.iii.

a Spouse.’ 1
Hence in his virginal spouses the Re­
deemer bears more patiently with every imperfection
than with a divided heart or a want of love. Tt was to
show the necessity of a complete and unqualified dedi­
cation of themselves to his glory that he ordained by
his Church that in receiving the sacred veil on the day
of their profession his spouses should be reminded of
their obligation to reject every other lover. “ Receive,”
the bishop says, “ the veil, that you may admit no lover
but him.”' Receive this veil, that you may no longer
have regard to creatures, and that you may banish from
your heart every affection that is not for God. The
Church commands religious at their profession to change
their name, that they may forget the world, that they
may esteem themselves dead to all earthly things, and
that the dispositions of their souls may correspond to the
words which they utter on that solemn occasion: “The
empire of the world and all the grandeur of the earth
I have despised for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ,
whom I have seen, whom I have loved, in whom I have
believed, towards whom my heart inclineth.”123 I have
despised the world and all its pomps, for the sake of
Jesus, my Spouse, to whom, because he is most amiable
and most worthy of my love, I have consecrated all the
affections of my heart. Every religious should say to
the world with St. Agnes: “ Depart from me, food of
death, for I am pledged to another lover.”4 Whenever
any earthly object steals into her heart, and claims a
1 “ Exigit Deus timeri ut Dominus, honorari ut Pater, ut Sponsus
amari.”—In Cant. s. 83.
2 “ Accipe velum, ut nullum amatorem præter eum admittas.”
3 “ Regnum mundi et omnem ornatum sæculi contempsi, propter
amorem Domini mei Jesu Christi, quem vidi, quem amavi, in quem
credidi, quem dilexi.”
4 “ Discede a me, pabulum mortis, quia jam ab alio amatore praeventa
sum.”

ch.

in.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

63

share in that love which had been entirely consecrated
to her divine Spouse, she should exclaim: “Begone,
pernicious affection, you seek to poison my heart: de­
part, therefore, for another lover, more noble, more
faithful, and more acceptable than you, has loved me
before I could love him, and has taken possession of my
whole soul: you are a vile and miserable creature; but
my Spouse is the Lord, the King of heaven and earth.
I am espoused to Him whom the angels serve.”1
Without love the soul of man cannot exist. Her
affections must be fixed on God or on creatures: if she
love not creatures, she will certainly love God. Hence,
the Holy Ghost exhorts us to guard our hearts with the
utmost vigilance against all affections which have not
God for their object: With all watchfulness keep thy hearty
because life issucth out from it? While the heart loves God,
the soul shall have life; but if the heart transfer its
affections to creatures, spiritual death will be the inevi­
table consequence. In order, then, to become a saint,
the spouse of the Lamb must expel from her soul what­
soever has not God for its end and object. When any
one demanded admission into the Society of the Fathers
of the Desert, they answered him by the following ques­
tion: “ Do you bring a vacant heart, that it may be filled
by the Holy Ghost?”3 Justly did they require a soul
detached from earthly goods; for a heart in which the
world dwells cannot be replenished with the love of
God. Whoever brings to the fountain a vessel replete
with sand, will labor in vain to fill it with water unless
it be first emptied of its contents. O my God, why do
so many religious frequent the holy exercises of prayer
and Communion, and draw from them so little increase
1 " I psi desponsata sum, cui Angeli serviunt.”—Offic. 2Σ fan.
‘ “ Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.”—Prov.
iv. 23.
3 “ Affersnc cor vacuum, ut possit illud Spiritus Sanctus implere?”

64

Religious should Relong wholly to God.

lch. hi.

of divine love? It is because their hearts are so full of
the world, of self-esteem, of vanity, or of self-will, of
affection to friends, attachment to creatures. Until the
world is rooted out of their hearts, the love of God can­
not take possession of their souls. Give me a religious
who is detached from the world and the things of the
world, and T pledge myself that divine love shall abound
in her soul. To obtain this detachment from the earth,
it is necessary to call continually on the Lord, in the
language of holy David: Create in me a clean heart, O God?
Give me, O Lord, a heart free from every affection which
does not proceed from the love of Thee. Woe to them that
are of a double heart? “ Woe,” says St. Augustine, in his
comment on these words, “ to them who divide their
heart, giving it partly to God and partly to the devil.”
For, continues the saint, the anger of God is justly pro­
voked against those who treat him and his sworn enemy
with equal attention, and therefore he departs from
them, and yields to the devil the undivided possession of
their hearts. “ God is angry, because in the affections
of a double heart he is associated with the devil: he de­
parts, and the devil possesses the whole.”1
23 The holy
Doctor then concludes, that because a soul loves God
less in proportion as her affections are fixed on other
objects, a religious cannot be entirely devoted to the
love of her Spouse while she is attached to creatures.
“ He loves you less, who loves anything else with you.”4
In a word, every little attachment to created objects
impedes the perfect consecration of the soul to God.
St. Teresa, while she cherished a certain little inordinate
though not an unchaste affection for a relative, was but
1 “ Cor mundum crea in me, Deus.”—Ps. 1. 12.
2 “ Væ duplici corde.”—Ecclus. ii. 14.
3 “ Iratus Deus, quia fit ibi pars diabolo, discedit, et totum diabolus
possidet.”—In Jo. tr. 7.
4 “Minus te amat, qui tecum aliquid aliud amat.”—Conf. I. 10, c. 29.

ch. in.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God,

65

imperfectly united to God; but when she afterwards
disengaged her heart from all earthly attachments, and
consecrated her whole soul to the love of Jesus, she
merited to hear from him: “Teresa, now thou art all
mine, and I am all thine.”1 St. Joseph Calasanctius
used to say that a religious who gives not to Jesus her
whole heart gives him nothing. The assertion was most
just; for it is impossible to divide a heart too small to
love a God who deserves infinite love, and to give one
part of it to him and another to creatures. No, says
blessed Egidius, “The soul, which is one, must be en­
tirely given to Him who is one,12 who merits all our love,
and who has done and suffered so much to extort our
love. Surely, observes Father Nieremberg, it was not
necessary for our redemption that Jesus Christ should
have submitted to all the miseries and endured all the
pains of his life and death. A single drop of his blood,
a tear, a prayer, would have been sufficient to save the
whole world, and an infinite number of worlds. But the
Son of God has shed the last drop of his blood, and has
given his life, not only to redeem us, but also to compel
us to love him with our whole hearts. He could have
sent an angel to deliver us from sin: “but,
*
’ says Hugh
of St. Victor, “ lest you should divide your love between
the Creator and the redeeming angel, he who was your
Creator has chosen to become your Redeemer.”34
The Lord commands all to love him with their whole
heart. To each one he says: Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with thy whole heart.' This precept of love is
especially directed to the spouses of the Redeemer. A
brother in religion said once to the Venerable Father
John Joseph of /Vlcantara, that he had become a religious
1
3
3
4

Life, ch. 39.
“ Una uni
“ Ne amorem divideres, tibi factus est Creator et Redemptor.”
“ Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo.”—Matt. xxii. 37.
5

66

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

[ch. nr.

to save his soul. The Venerable Father replied: “My
child, do not say that you have left the world to secure
your salvation; say rather that you have entered religion
to become a saint; for the object of a religious should be
to love God in the highest degree.” O my God, if a
religious love not Jesus Christ with her whole soul, to
whom will she give the preference in her heart? Oh!
how many marks of predilection must he have shown to
you in making you his spouse in religion? He must
first have selected you for creation from among an
infinite number of possible beings. Then to make you
from your birth a child of tne Church, by the holy sac­
rament of baptism, he must have chosen you from among
so many millions who are born in infidelity and heresy.
Lastly, in bringing you into religion by his lights, his
invitations, and by his special graces, he must have pre­
ferred you before the numberless multitudes of seculars
whom he has left in the world in the midst of so many
dangers and occasions of losing their immortal souls.
Now if you do not love your God with your whole heart
and soul, if you do not consecrate your entire being to
his service, to whom will you give your heart ? This,
says the Psalmist, is the generation of them that seek the
Lord? Who can behold virgins of noble birth and
splendid fortunes despising the pomp and pleasures of
the world, which they might have enjoyed, and shutting
themselves up in a convent, to live in poverty and abjec­
tion; who, I say, can behold these holy virgins without
exclaiming, This is the generation of them that seek the Lord!
Since, then, God has called you to be his spouse, all
your thoughts and affections must be fixed on him, and
on him alone. “ Have no connection,” says St. Bernard,
‘‘with the world; forget all things; reserve yourself for
him alone whom you have chosen from among all.”’
1 “ Hæc est generatio quærentium eum.”—Ps. xxiii. 6.
- “Nihil tibi et turbis: obliviscere omnium; soli omnium serves te
ipsam, quem ex omnibus tibi elegisti.”—In Cant. s. 40.

ch. hi.]

Religious should Re long wholly to God. 67

%
Now that you are consecrated to Jesus Christ, what have
you to do with the world ? Forget all things, and en­
deavor to preserve your whole heart for that God who
has chosen you for his spouse in preference to so many
others. You must give him your whole heart; for Jesus
Christ requires that his spouse be an enclosed garden, a
sealed fountain. Aly spouse is a garden enclosed, a fountain
sealed up.' The spouse of Jesus must be an enclosed
garden admitting into her heart no lover but Jesus.
“ An enclosed garden,” says Gilbert, “ which admits none
but her beloved.” J She must be a sealed-up fountain;
for he is a jealous Spouse who will suffer no one to share
in the affections of his beloved. Put me, he says, as a seal
upon thy heart ; as a seal upon thy arm : for love is strong as
death! I desire to be placed as a seal upon your heart
and upon your arm, that you may love none but me, and
that my glory may be the sole object of all your actions.
“The Beloved,” says St. Gregory, “ is put as a seal upon
the heart and arm of his spouse; because, in a holy soul,
the intensity of her love is shown by the affections of
the will, and by the works of her hands.”4 Oh ! how
love, when it is strong, banishes from the soul every
affection which is not for God: For love is strong
o as death.
As no created power can avert the stroke of death when
the hour of dissolution arrives, so there is no obstacle
which a soul filled with divine love will not overcome.
If a man should give all the substance of h>s house for love,
he shall despise it as nothing.
*
A heart which loves God
1 “Mea sponsa, hortus conclusus, fons signatus.”—Cant. iv. 12.
2 “ Hortus conclusus, qui neminem nisi Dilectum admittit."—In Cant.
s. 35·
3 “ Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super
brachium tuum, quia fortis est ut mors dilectio.”—Cant. viii. 6.
4 “ Super cor et super brachium sponsæ Dilectus ut signaculum
ponitur, quia in sancta anima, quantum ab ea diligatur, et voluntate et
actione designatur.”
1 “ Si dederit homo omnem substantiam domus suæ pro dilectione,
quasi nihil despiciet eam.”—Cant. viii. 7.

68

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

[ch.iii.

*
despises all that the world can give, and disregards all
that is not God. “ When,” says St. Francis de Sales,
“a house takes fire, the furniture is thrown out of the
windows; and when a soul burns with divine love, she,
without the aid of sermons, or spiritual reading, or the
exhortations of directors, divests herself of all affection
for creatures, to possess and to love her only Supreme
Good—the God of Majesty and Sovereign of the uni­
verse.”
Perhaps, dear Sister, so much love is not due to your
Spouse, Jesus, who died upon the cross for your redemp­
tion; who has given you himself so often in the holy
Communion, and has enriched your soul with so many
special graces which have not been granted toothers?
Reflect, says St. John Chrysostom, that he has given you
himself entirely and without reserve. “ He has given
all to you: he has reserved nothing for himself.” * This
consideration was one of the principal means by which
St. Bernard enkindled in his soul the flame of divine
love. “ He,” says the saint, “ was given to me entirely:
he was wholly consumed for my benefit.” 123 My Saviour
has given me his adorable divinity and his sacred hu­
manity; he has become a whole-burnt offering for my
sake: can I refuse to consecrate my entire being to his
love ? My beloved to me, and I to him.
*
My beloved has
given himself entirely to me: it is but just that I dedi­
cate to him my soul, my body, my life, and all my pos­
sessions. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that
a religious being called to be the spouse of a crucified
God, should, in her whole life and in all her actions,
have in view no other object than Jesus crucified; and
should in her whole life have no other occupation than
1 “Totum tibi dedit, nihil sibi retinuit.”
- “ Totus mihi datus, totus in meos usus expensus est.”—In Circumc.
s. 3·
3 “ Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi."—Cant. ii. i6.

[ch. in.

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

69

the continual meditation of the eternal love which her
divine Spouse bore to her. When Jesus was about to
accomplish the redemption of man, he said: Now shall
the prince of this world be cast out.' Perhaps by these
words the Son of God meant that after his crucifixion
the devil was to be banished from the earth ? “ No,”
says St. Augustine, “ but from the hearts of the faithful.” ’
Now if Jesus Christ has died for all, he has suffered in
a special manner for his virginal spouses. Since, then,
a God has given himself entirely for your salvation,
would it not be enormous ingratitude in you to refuse
to him the sacrifice of your whole heart, or to love him
only with reserve ? Say, then, frequently to your Spouse:
O my Jesus, Thou hast given Thyself to me without
reserve; Thou hast given all Thy blood, all Thy labors,
all Thy merits, for my sanctification. In a word, Thy
favors were so abundant and magnificent that nothing
more remained to be conferred upon me. I therefore
give myself entirely to Thee; I offer to Thee all that I
possess or shall ever possess upon earth; I consecrate
to Thee all my pleasures, my body, my soul, my will,
my liberty. I have nothing more to present to Thee:
f I had Thou shouldst have it. I renounce all that the
world can give, and declare that Thou alone canst sat­
isfy the desires of my heart. “ Oh !” said St. Teresa,
“ what a profitable exchange to give our hearts to God,
and in return to be made the objects of his love.’”
“But,” continues the saint, “because we do not offer to
him the undivided affections of our souls, he does not
bestow upon us all the treasures of his love.” 4
The spouse of Jesus should sing no other than that
canticle of love recommended by holy David: Sing to thi
1 “ Nunc princeps hujus mundi ejicitur foras.”—John, xii. 31.
2 ** Sed extra corda credentium.”—hi i Jo. tr. 4.
3 Way of Perf. ch. 17.
4 Life, ch. It.

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Religions should Belong wholly to God.

[ch. hi.

Lord a new cantide} “What,” says St. Augustine, “is a
new canticle, but new love?”* The old canticles are
those affections to creatures and to ourselves to which
we have been subject from our birth, and which con­
tinually spring up from the inclinations to evil trans­
mitted to us by our first parents. For, says the Holy
Ghost, the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone
to evil from his youth} But the new canticle is love, by
which the soul is consecrated to God. “ The voice,”
says St. Augustine, “of this singer of canticles is the
voice of holy love: let us love him for his own sake.”4
The voice of the soul praising God is the fervor of
charity which makes her love him, because he merits her
love, and banishes from her affections whatever is not
God. Jesus crucified, commands his spouses to be cru­
cified to all earthly things. Whenever, then, the world
places before your eyes its pomps and delights, you should
exclaim with St. Paulinus: “ Let the rich enjoy their
treasures, and kings their thrones; Christ is our kingdom
and our glory.”6 His love is more valuable to us than
the sovereignty of the earth. The spouse of Jesus should
desire nothing but love; should live but for love; should
seek only to advance continually in love: she should in­
cessantly languish with love, in the choir, in the cell, the
dormitory, the garden, in all places. Such should be the
ardor of her charity, that the flames of her love would
extend to all parts of the convent, and even beyond the
boundaries of the enclosure. To this love the Apostle
1 “Cantate Domino canticum novum.”—Ps. xcv. i.
- “ Quid habet canticum novum, nisi amorem novum ?”—Serm. 336,
E. B.
3 “Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis in malum prona sunt ab
adolescentia sua.”—Gen. vi ii. 21.
4 “ Vox hujus cantoris, fervor est sancti amoris; ipsum amemus prop­
ter ipsum.”
5 “ Sibi habeant divitias suas divites, sibi regna sua reges; nobis
gloria, el possessio, et regnum, Christus est.”—Ep. ad Aprum.

ch. in.]

Religious should, Relong wholly to God.

exhorts and invites her, by the example of her beloved
Spouse. Happy the religious who can say with St.
Francis, “my God and my all.” My God, who hast
shown to me such an excess of love, why should I seek
earthly possessions ? I have found Thee, the source of
all happiness. My God and my all, I care not for
honors, for riches, or for pleasures. Thou art my glory,
my treasure, my delight, and my all. What have I in
heaven ? and besides thee, what do I desire upon earth ? Thou
art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for­
ever? Can I, O my God, find any one in heaven or on
earth who is so deserving of my affection, or who has
done so much to gain my love? Thou alone shalt be
the Lord of my heart; Thou shalt reign in its affections,
and shalt rule its motions with sovereign sway. Thee
alone shall my soul obey, seeking in all things Thy holy
will. I found him whom my soul loveth ; I held him and will
not let him go? Yes, I have found the object of all my
affections: I have found him who alone can make me
happy. Though the world, with all its pleasures, and
hell, with all its powers of darkness, should endeavor to
separate me from Thee, I will not abandon Thee, O
Jesus, my Spouse. “ I held him, and will not let him
go.” I will hold Thee fast by my love, and will never
suffer Thee to depart
from me. I desire to live and to
a»
die always, and in all things, united to Thee.
2. We must Overcome ourselves and courageously Strive fcK
Perfection—Means to be adopted for this Purpose.

To attain perfection, and to enjoy true peace of con­
science, it is necessary to die to the world and to self.
1 “ Deus meus, et omnia. Quid mihi est in coelo, et a te quid volui
super terram? .... Deus cordis mei et pars mea Deus inæternum.”
—Ps. Ixxii. 25, 26.
2 “ Inveni, quem diligit anima mea; tenui eum, nec dimittam.”—
Cant. iii. 4.

/2

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

[ch.iii.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord)
As corporal
death is necessarily accompanied with pain, so abandon­
ment of the world and detachment from its pleasures is
utterly impossible without trials and sufferings. The
kingdom of heaven is represented to us in the Holy
Scriptures under various images. It is sometimes com­
pared to a treasure which can be obtained only by sell­
ing all our possessions; sometimes to a city which, be­
cause the gate is narrow, no one can enter without fa­
tigue and industry; sometimes to a palace in which the
stones (that is, the souls of which it is composed) must
be polished with the utmost care; sometimes to a feast, to
which no one is admitted unless he abandon all other
concerns; sometimes to a prize which cannot be won
without running to the end; and, finally, to a crown, for
the acquisition of which it is necessary to fight and con­
quer. In a word, to die to the world, self-love must die
in the soul.
St. Augustine says, that the love of God increases in
proportion as self-love is diminished; and that the de­
struction of the latter is the perfection of the former.
“ The diminution of cupidity,” says the holy Doctor, “is
the nutriment of charity; but its total absence is the
perfection of charity.”’ Charity is estimated, not by its
tenderness, but by its strength. Ardent charity smooths
every asperity and surmounts every obstacle. “ There is
nothing,” says St. Augustine, “ so difficult, which the fire
of love does not conquer.”’ In another place he says:
“In what we love there is no labor; or if there be, we
love the very labor itself.”4 In a soul that loves God,
1 “ Beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur.”—A foe. xiv. 13.
8 “ Nutrimentum charitatis est imminutio cupiditatis; perfectio,
nulla cupiditas. ”—De div. quast. q. 36.
·’ “ Nihil tam durum, quod non amoris igne vincatur.”—De Mor.
eccl. cath. c. 22.
4 “ In eo quod amatur, aut non laboratur, aut et labor amatur.”—De
Bono vid. c. 21.

ch.

in.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

torments endured for his sake excite no pain; or if they
do, these pains are to her a source of happiness and de­
light. In his confessions, the saint writes, that when he
gave himself entirely to God, the very privation of sen­
sual gratifications filled his soul with joy; and that
though at first he dreaded their loss, he afterwards had
reason to rejoice at their relinquishment. “ How sweet,
on a sudden, was it become to me to be without these
joys ! and what I was before so much afraid to lose, I
now cast from me with joy.”1 To a religious who has
fixed hbr whole heart on God, the practice of poverty,
of obedience, mortification, and of all virtues is easy and
agreeable; but to her whose affections are divided be­
tween God and creatures, all the duties of religion are
an intolerable burden.
It is true that whatever good we do, comes from God,
and that without his grace we cannot, according to the
Apostle, even pronounce the name of Jesus. But not­
withstanding our absolute dependence on divine grace,
God commands us to perform our part, and to co-operate
with him in the work of our salvation. Many desire to
become saints, but wish that God would do all, and that
he would bring them to eternal glory without labor or
inconvenience to them. But this is impossible. The
law of God is said to be a yoke borne by two, to show
that the divine aid, on the one hand, and our co-opera­
tion on the other, are indispensably necessary for its
observance. And sometimes, to carry this yoke, and
merit everlasting happiness, we must do violence to the
feelings of flesh and blood. The kingdom of heaven suffer­
eth violence, and the violent bear it away.'2 And St. Paul
1 “ Suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatibus nugarum; et
quas amittere metus fuerat, jam dimittere gaudium est.”—Conf. 1. 9, c.
i.
9 “ Regnum coelorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud.”—Matt.
xi. 12.

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Religious should Belong wholly to God.

[ch.iii.

says, that the crown of life shall be given to him only
who shall combat till he overcomes the enemies of his
salvation.
O spouse of Jesus, I say to you with the same apostle,
hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.'
Since Jesus Christ has made you his spouse, do not
allow your enemies to snatch from you the eternal dig­
nity of queen which he has prepared for you in his king­
dom; but, on the contrary, hold fast your crown, by
assimilating yourself to your beloved, the predestined
model of the elect: For, whom he foreknew, he also pre­
destined to be made conformable to the image of his Son? He
has gone before you, crowned with thorns, scourged at
the pillar, loaded with the cross, and saturated with con­
tempt and reproach; and in that pitiable condition he
invites you to follow him, and to deny yourself: If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow me? He has died for you, and it is your
duty to sacrifice your life for him, and to say with the
seraphic St. Francis: “O good Jesus, may I die for the
love of thee, who hast condescended to die for the love
of me.”4 Yes, it is but just that you should die to your­
selves, and live only for that God who has died for your
salvation. 11 That they also,” says the Apostle, who live,
may not now live to themselves, but unto him who died for
them? You, indeed, are weak; but if you trust in the
goodness of your Spouse, his grace and strength will
prepare you to execute so arduous a task. When the
1 “ Tene quod habes, ut nemo accipiat coronam tuam.”—Apoc. xi.
12.
’“Quos præscivit, et prædestinavit conformes fieri imaginis Filii
sui.”—Korn. viii. 29.
’ “ Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum.”—Matt. xvi. 24,
4 “ O bone Jesu ! moriar amore amoris tui, qui amore amoris mei
dignatus es mori.”
* ·' Qui vivunt, jam non sibi vivant, sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est.”
—2 Cor. v. 15.

ch.iii.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God.

75

devil molests you, and endeavors to cast you into de­
spair, by representing to you the difficulties and miseries
of a life of continual mortification, of incessant self-denial,
and of perpetual abstinence from sensual pleasures,
answer him in the words of the Apostle: I can do all
things in him who strengtheneth me) Of myself I can do
nothing; but the Lord, who has chosen me for his spouse,
and called me to his love, will give me courage and
Strength to walk in the_ rugged
· path of his commandments. “ If,” says St. Teresa, “ we be not in fault, God
will assuredly, by his all-powerful aid, enable us to become saints.” And, O my God, upon whom, if not upon
your spouses, will the obligation of sanctity be impera­
tive? O consecrated virgins, offer yourselves frequently
to God, with a strong desire and determination to please
him in all things, and implore continually the assistance
of his holy grace. He has promised to grant whatsoever
is asked of him with confidence. All things whatsoever
you ask, when ye pray, believe that you shall receive ; and they
shall come unto you)
What then do you fear? Have courage; God has
taken you from the world ; he has delivered you from its
snares; has called you to his love; and has, if you be
faithful to him, prepared for you numberless helps and
graces. You have already left the world; you have, as
St. Teresa used to say to her spiritual children, taken
the most difficult and important step; and to become a
saint little now remains to be done. Resolve, then, at
once to dissolve every worldly attachment. Perhaps,
after having forsaken the world, and renounced all its
goods, after having voluntarily relinquished your liberty,
and bound yourself, by vow, to perpetual enclosure;
perhaps, after all these sacrifices, you are disposed, for
1 “ Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat.”—Phil. iv. 13.
2 “ Omnia quæcumque orantes petitis, credite quia accipietis, et
evenient vobis.”—Mark, xi. 24.

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Religious should Belong wholly to God.

[ch.iii.

the miserable gratifications of sense or caprice, to risk
your all—the everlasting possession of paradise and of
God—and to prefer, before the exalted glory of spous
of the Most High, the unhappy slavery of Satan, who
will render you unhappy in this life, and eternally mis­
erable in the next. Resolve, then, I say again, to burst
every earthly tie, and tremble lest the words which you
now read should be the last invitation of your Spouse.
Do not resist the voice of God any longer. If you neg­
lect his call on this occasion, he may perhaps abandon
you forever. Resolve, then, resolve ! “ The devil,” says
St. Teresa, “is afraid of resolute souls.” St. Bernard
teaches that many souls are lost through want of forti­
tude. Take courage, then, and trust in the power and
goodness of God: strong resolutions overcome all diffi­
culties. Oh ! happy, thrice happy soul, if, in obedience
to the voice of God, you give yourself entirely to your
Spouse, Jesus. When death approaches you can return
thanks to him for his favors, and address him in the
words of the glorious St. Agnes: “ O Lord, who hast
taken from me the love of the world, receive my soul.”1
• f-9 * ·
O my God, who hast disengaged my heart from crea­
tures, that all its affections might be fixed on Thee, re­
ceive, now, my soul, that I may be admitted into the
kingdom of Thy glory, to love Thee with all my strength,
without fear of being ever separated from Thee—the
Supreme and Infinite Good.
Oh, that all religious would imitate the example of
the Venerable Frances Farnese! Her life at first was
very imperfect; but happening one day to read the his­
tory of the Franciscans in Japan, she was suddenly
seized with compunction, and exclaimed: “And what,
my Sisters, will we do? We have forsaken our families
and our goods, and shall we now draw down upon our
1 “ Domine, qui abstulisti a me amorm sæculi, accipe animam meam.”
21 [an.

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77

souls the vengeance of God, and the sentence of eternal
death by attachment to the things of the world which
we do not possess ?” From that moment she resolved to
give up the world, and to consecrate herself entirely to
God. This resolution she afterwards fulfilled in the
accomplishment of that wonderful reformation of the
Order which was planned and executed by her directions.
“Men," says St. Jerome, “always seek to advance in
the knowledge of their secular profession, but are sati­
ated with the mere rudiments of the science of the
saints.
In all their worldly pursuits,” says the saint,
“ men are never satiated; but in virtue it is sufficient fc r
them to have made a beginning.” 1 Every Christian is
bound to tend to perfection. “ When I speak of a Chris­
tian,” says St. Ambrose, “ I mean a perfect man.” 3 The
precept by which all are commanded to love God with
all their strength, imposes upon all the obligation of
perfection. Besides, to discharge the duty of preserving
sanctifying grace it is necessary to struggle always to
perfect charity in the soul; for in the path of virtue he
that does not advance, recedes, and exposes himself to
the danger of sin. Now, if this is true with regard to
all Christians, how much more so must it be with regard
to religious, who are bound by a stricter obligation to
seek perfection, not only because they receive more
abundant graces and more powerful helps to sanctity,
but also because they have promised to observe the
vows and rules of religion !
But to fulfil the command by which you are obliged
to aspire to perfection, an inefficacious and fruitless de­
sire of sanctity is not sufficient. You must do violence
to yourself, and adopt the means of attaining perfection.
It will not be necessary for you to undertake very extra1 “Cum in omnibus mundi studiis non satiantur homines, hic tantum
tœpisse sufficiet.”—Ad Dernctr. De Virginii.
2 “ Christianum cum dico, perfectum dico.”—l>t Ps. cxviii. s. 12.

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Religious should Belong το ho Uy to God.

[ch.iii.

ordinary things: it will be sufficient to perform your
ordinary exercises with diligence and attention, to ob­
serve your Rule with exactness, and to practise with
fidelity the Gospel virtues. However, a religious who
desires to become a saint will not confine herself to the
mere discharge of the duties prescribed by her Rule,
which is accommodated to weak as well as to perfect
souls; she must also perform supererogatory works of
prayer, of charity, of mortification, and of the other
virtues. St. Bernard says that “ what is perfect must
be singular.”1 A religious, who barely discharges the
ordinary duties of the Community, will never attain
sublime sanctity. It is your duty, then, to do violence
to yourself, and courageously to adopt the means of
arriving at perfection.
The principal means are:
1. A strong and ardent desire to become a saint.
2. Great confidence in Jesus Christ and in his holy
Mother.
3. To avoid every deliberate sin or defect, and after a
fault not to lose courage, but to make an act of contri­
tion for it, and then resume your ordinary occupations.
4. To cut off all attachment to creatures, to self-will,
and self-esteem.
5. To resist continually your own inclinations.
6. To observe with exactness the rules of religion,
however unimportant they may appear.
7. To perform your ordinary duties with all possible
perfection.
8. To communicate often—with the permission of
your director; to make long and freauent meditations,
and to perform all the mortifications which he will per­
mit.
9. To prefer, on all occasions, those actions which are
most agreeable to God, and most opposed to self-love.
1 “ Perfectum non potest esse, nisi singulare.”

ch.iii.]

Religious should Belong wholly to God. 79

10. To receive all crosses and contradictions with joy
and gladness from the hands of God.
11. Io love and serve those who persecute you.
12. To spend every moment of your time for God.
13. To offer to God all your actions in union with the
merits of Jesus Christ.
14. To make a special oblation of yourself to God,
that he may dispose of you and of all you possess in
whatever way he pleases.
15. To protest continually before God that his pleas­
ure and love are the only objects of your wishes.
16. Lastly, and above all, to pray continually, and to
recommend yourself, with unbounded confidence, to
Jesus Christ and to his Virgin Mother, and to entertain
a special affection and tenderness towards Mary.
I conclude with the words which the Venerable Father
Anthony Torres, after an ecstasy of love, addressed to a
religious who was one of his penitents: “ My child, love,
love your Spouse, who is the only object that merits
your love.”

Prayer.

O my God ! O amiable love ! O infinite lover! and worthy
of infinite love, when shall I love Thee as Thou hast loved me?
It is not in Thy power to give me stronger proofs of love than
those Thou hast already given. Thou hast spared nothing;
Thou hast expended Thy blood and Thy life to oblige me to
love Thee; and shall I love Thee only with reserve? Pardon
me, O my Jesus, if, in my past life, I have been so ungrateful as
to prefer my accursed pleasures before the love which I owed to
Thee. Ah! my Lord and my Spouse, discover to me always,
more and more, Thy infinite loveliness that I may be daily
more enamoured of Thy perfection, and that I may continually
endeavor to please Thee as Thou dost deserve to be pleased.
Thou dost command me to love Thee, and I desire nothing but
Thy love. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.' Speak, O
1 “ Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus tuus.”—I A'ings, iii. 9.

So

The Desire of Perfection.

[CH. IV.

Lord : tell me what Thou desirest from me : my wish is to obey
Thee in all things. I will no longer resist the graces and mer­
cies Thou hast bestowed upon me. Thou hast given Thyself
entirely to me: I offer myself without reserve to Thee. For
Thy mercy’s sake accept, and do not refuse this oblation. By
my infidelities I have deserved to be cast away from Thy love:
but the desire to be Thine which Thou hast infused into my
soul assures me that Thou hast already accepted the offer. I
love Thee, O God, who art infinitely amiable: I love Thee, O
my Sovereign Good. Thou art, and shalt be forever, the only
delight of my heart, and the sole object of my affections. And
since Thou hast said, Ask, and you shall receive) and hast
promised to grant whatsoever we ask, I beg, with St. Ignatius,
that “ Thou wilt give me only Thy love along with Thy grace,
and I shall be sufficiently rich.”2 Give me Thy love and Thy
grace ; grant that I may love Thee, and be beloved by Thee, and
I shall be content, and shall desire nothing else from Thee.
O Mary, who belonged always and entirely to God, by that
love which our Lord bore thee through all eternity, obtain for
us the grace henceforth to love God, and to love him alone.

CHAPTER IV.
THE DESIRE OF PERFECTION.

I. How Holy Desires are Useful, and even Necessary.

An ardent desire of perfection is the first means that
a religious should adopt in order to acquire sanctity and
to consecrate her whole being to God. As the sports­
man, to hit a bird in flight, must take aim in advance of
his prey, so a Christian, to make progress in virtue,
should aspire to the highest degree of holiness which it
is in his power to attain. Who, says holy David, will
1 “ Petite, et accipietis.”—John, xvi. 24.
2 ' ‘ Amorem tui soluin cum gratia tua mihi dones, et dives sum satis.”

ch. iv.j

The Desire of Perfection.

81

give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest)
Who will give me the wings of the clove to fly to my
God, and, divested of all earthly affection, to repose in
the bosom of the divinity ? Holy desires are the blessed
wings with which the saints burst every worldly tie, and
fly to the mountain of perfection, where they find that
peace which the world cannot give.
But how do fervent desires make the soul fly to God ?
“They,” says St. Laurence Justinian, “supply strength,
and render pains light and tolerable.”3 On the one
hand, good desires give strength and courage, and on
the other they diminish the labor and fatigue of ascend­
ing the mountain of God. Whosoever, through diffi­
dence of attaining sanctity, does not ardently desire to
become a saint, will never arrive at perfection. A man
who is desirous of obtaining a valuable treasure which
he knows is to be found at the top of a lofty mountain'
but who, through fear of fatigue and difficulty, has no
desire of ascending, will never advance a single step
towards the wished-for object, but will remain below in
careless indifference and inactivity. And he who, be­
cause the path of virtue appears to him narrow and
rugged, and difficult to be trodden, does not desire to
climb up the mountain of the Lord, and to gain the
treasure of perfection, will always continue in a state of
tepidity, and will never make the smallest progress in
the way of God.
On the contrary, he that does not desire, and does not
strenuously endeavor, always to advance in holiness, will,
as we learn from experience and from all the masters of
the spiritual life, go backward in the path of virtue, and
will be exposed to great danger of eternal misery. The
1 “Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbæ, et volabo, et requiescam?"
—Ps. liv. 7.
*“ Vires subministrat, poenam exhibet leviorem.’’—De Disc. mon.
c. 6.
6

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The Desire of Perfection,

[CH. IV.

path of the just, says Solomon, as a shining light goeth for­
wards and increaseth even to perfect day. The way of the
wicked is darksome : they know not when they fall) As light
increases constantly from sunrise to full day, so the path
of the saints always advances; but the way of sinners
becomes continually more dark and gloomy, till they
know not where they go, and at length walk into a preci­
pice. “ Not to advance,” says St. Augustine, “ is to go
back.”2 St. Gregory3 beautifully explains this maxim
of spiritual life by comparing a Christian who seeks to
remain stationary in the path of virtue to a man who is
in a boat on a rapid river, and striving to keep the boat
always in the same position. If the boat be not con­
tinually propelled against the current, it will be car­
ried away in an opposite direction, and consequently,
without continual exertion, its station cannot be maintained. Since the fall of Adam man is naturally in­
clined to evil from his birth. For the imagination and
thought of man s heart are prone to evil from his youth) If
he do not push forward, if he do not endeavor, by in­
cessant efforts, to improve in sanctity, the very current
of passion will carry him back. “ Since you do not wish
to proceed,” says St. Bernard, addressing a tepid soul,
“you must fail.” “By no means,” she replied; “ I wish
to live, and to remain in my present state. I will not
consent to be worse; and I do not desire to be better.”
“ You, then,” rejoins the saint, “ wish what is impossi­
ble.” 5 Because, in the way of God, a Christian must
1 “ Justorum autem semita, quasi lux splendens, procedit et crescit
usque ad perfectam diem; via impiorum tenebrosa, nesciunt ubi corru­
ant.’’—Prov. iv. i8.
2 “ Non progredi, jam est reverti."—Ep. 17, E. B.
3 Past. p. 3, c. i.
4 “Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis in malum prona sunt ab
adolescentia sua.”—Gen. viii. 21.
5 “ Non vis proficere; vis ergo deficere? Nequaquam ! Quid ergo?
Inquis: Vivere volo et manere in quo perveni; nec pejor fieri patior, nec
melior cupio. Hoc ergo vis, quod esse non potest.”—Ep. 254.

CH. IV.]

The Desire of Perfection.

83

either go forward and advance in virtue, or go backward
and rush headlong into vice.
In seeking eternal salvation, we must, according to
St. Paul, never rest, but must run continually in the
way of perfection, that we may win the prize, and secure
an incorruptible crown. So run that you may obtain? If
we fail, the fault will be ours ; for God wills that all be
holy and perfect. This is the will of God—your sanctifica­
tion? He even commands us to be perfect and holy.
Be you therefore perfect, as also your Heavenly Father is per­
fect? Be holy because I am holy? He promises and gives,
as the holy Council of Trent teaches, abundant strength,
for the observance of all his commands, to those who
ask it from him. “ God does not command impossibil­
ities; but by his precepts he admonishes you to do
what you can, and to ask what you cannot do ; and
he assists you, that you may be able to do it.”5
God does not command impossibilities; but by his pre­
cepts he admonishes us to do what we can by the aid of
his ordinary grace; and when greater helps are neces­
sary, he exhorts us to seek them by humble prayer. He
will infallibly attend to our petitions, and enable us to
observe all, even the most difficult, of his command­
ments. Take courage, then, and adopt the advice of the
Venerable Father Torres to a religious, who was one of
his penitents: “ Let us, my child, put on the wings of
strong desires, that, quitting the earth, we may fly to
our Spouse and our Beloved, who expects us in the
blessed kingdom of eternity.”
1 “Sic currite ut comprehendatis.”—1 Cor. Lx. 24.
9 “ Hæc est enim voluntas Dei, sanctificatio vestra.”—I Thess. iv. 3.
3 “ Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester cœlestis perfectus
est.”—Matt. v. 48.
4 “ Sancti estote quia ego sanctus sum.”—Lev. xi. 44.
5 “ Deus impossibilia non jubet; sed jubendo monet, et facere quod
possis, et petere quod non possis; et adjuvat ut possis.”—Sess. vi. c. 11.

84

The Desire of Perfection.

[ch. iv.

St. Augustine teaches, that the life of a good Christian
is one continued longing after perfection. “ The whole
life,” says the saint, “of a good Christian is a holy de­
sire.” 1 He that cherishes not in his heart the desire of
sanctity, may be a Christian; but he will not be a good
one. If this be true of all the servants of God, how
much more so must it be of religious, who, though it is
not imperative on them to be actually perfect, are
strictly obliged to aspire after perfection. “ He that
enters the religious state,” says St. Thomas, “ is not
commanded to have perfect charity; but he is bound to
tend to it. It is not,” continues the saint, “obligatory
on him to adopt all the means by which perfection may
be attained; but it is his duty to perform the exercises
prescribed by the Rule, which at his profession he prom­
ised to observe.”123 Hence, a religious is bound not only
to fulfil her vows, but also to assist at public prayer; to
make the Communions, and to practise the mortifications
ordained by the Rule; to observe the silence, and to dis­
charge all the other duties of the Community.
You will, perhaps, say that your Rule does not bind
under pain of sin. That may be; but theologians gen­
erally maintain, that to transgress without a sufficient
cause even the rules which of themselves do not im­
pose a moral obligation, is almost always a venial fault.
Because the wilful and unnecessary violation of rule
generally proceeds from passion or from sloth, and con­
sequently must be at least a venial offence. Hence, St.
Francis de Sales, in his Entertainments, teaches that
though the Rule of the Visitation did not oblige under
1 “ Tota vita christiani boni sanctum desiderium est.”—In I Jo. tr. 4.
2 “ Qui statum religionis assumit, non tenetur habere perfectam charitatem, sed tenetur ad hoc tendere.—Non tenetur religiosus ad omnia
exercitia quibus ad perfectionem pervenitur, sed ad illa quæ determi­
nate sunt ei taxata, secundum regulam quam professus est.”—2. 2, q.
186, a. 2.

ch. iv.]

TJie Desire of Perfection.

85

the penalty of sin, still the infraction of it could not be
excused from the guilt of a venial transgression “ Be­
cause,” says the saint, “by disobedience to her Rule a
religious dishonors the things of God, violates her pro­
fession, disturbs the Community, and dissipates the
fruits of the good example which every one should give.” '
Whoever, then, breaks the Rule in the presence of
others, will, according to the saint, incur the additional
guilt of scandal. It should be observed that the breach
of rule may be even a mortal sin, when it is so frequent
as to do serious injury to regular observance in the
Community. To violate the Rule, through contempt, is
likewise a grievous transgression. And St. Thomas re­
marks, that the frequent infraction of rule practically
disposes to the contempt of it.’ This is my answer to
those tepid religious who excuse their own irregulari­
ties by saying that the Rule imposes no obligation. The
fervent spouses of Jesus Christ do not inquire whether
their rule has the force of a precept or not: it is enough
for them to know that it is approved by God, and that
he takes complacency in its observance.
As it is impossible to arrive at perfection in any art or
science, without ardent desires of its attainment, so no
one has ever yet become a saint, but by strong and fer­
vent aspirations after sanctity. “ God,” observes St.
Teresa, “ ordinarily confers his signal favors on those
only who thirst after his love.” Blessed, says the royal
prophet, is the man whose help is from thee : in his heart he
hath disposed to ascend by steps in the vale of tears. . . . They
shall go from virtue to virtueHappy the man who has
resolved in his soul to mount the ladder of perfection:
he shall receive abundant aid from God, and will ascend
1 En tret. I.
* 2. 2, q. 186, a. 9.
3 “ Beatus vir cujus est auxilium abs ste; ascensiones in corde suo dis­
posuit in valle lacrymarum; . . . ibunt de virtute in virtutem.”—Es.
Ixxxiii. 6.

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The Desire of Perfection.

[CH. iv.

from virtue to virtue. Such has been the practice of
the saints, and especially of St. Andrew Avellino, who
even bound himself by vow “ to advance continually in
the way of Christian perfection.”* St. Teresa used to
say, that “ God rewards, even in this life, every good de­
sire.” It was by good desires that the saints arrived in
a short time at a sublime degree of sanctity. Being
made perfect in a short space, he fulfilled a long time? It was
thus that St. Aloysius, who lived but twenty-five years,
acquired such perfection, that St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi, who saw him in bliss, declared that his glory ap­
peared equal to that of most of the saints. In the vis­
ion he said to her: My eminent sanctity was the fruit of
an ardent desire, which I cherished during my life, of lov­
ing God as much as he deserved to be loved: and being
unable to love him with that infinite love which he mer­
its, I suffered on earth a continual martyrdom of love,
for which I am now raised to that transcendent glory
which I enjoy.
The works of St. Teresa contain, besidefe those that
have been already adduced, many beautiful passages on
this subject. “Our thoughts,” says the saint, “should
be aspiring: from great desires all our good shall come.”
In another place she says: “We must not lower our
desires, but should trust in God, that by continual ex­
ertion we shall, by his grace, arrive at sanctity and
felicity of the saints.” Again she says: “The divine
Majesty takes complacency in generous souls who are
diffident in themselves.” This great saint asserted that
in all her experience she never knew a timid Christian
to attain as much virtue in many years as certain cour­
ageous souls acquire in a few days. The reading of the
Lives of the saints contributes greatly to infuse courage
into the soul.
1 " In via christianæ perfectionis semper ulterius progrediendi.”—
Offre. io Nov.
‘J "Consummatus in brevi, explevit temnora multa.”—Wisd. iv. 13.

ch.

iv.]

The Desire of Perfection.

87

It will be particularly useful to read the Lives of those
who, after being great sinners, became eminent saints;
such as the Lives of St. Mary Magdalene, St. Augustine,
St. Pelagia, St. Mary of Egypt, and especially of St.
Margaret of Cortona, who was for many years in a state
of damnation, but even then cherished a desire of sanc­
tity; and who, after her conversion, flew to perfection
with such rapidity, that she merited to learn by revela­
tion, even in this life, not only that she was predestined
to glory, but also that a place was prepared for her
among the seraphim.
St. Teresa says that the devil seeks to persuade us
that it would be pride in us to desire a high degree of
perfection, or to wish to imitate the saints. She adds,
that it is a great delusion to regard strong desires of
sanctity as the offspring of pride; for it is not pride in a
soul diffident of herself and trusting only in the power of
God, to resolve to walk courageously in the way of per­
fection, saying with the Apostle: I can do all things in him
who strengtheneth me) Of myself I can do nothing; but,
by his aid I shall be able to do all things, and therefore
I resolve, with his grace, to desire to love him as the
saints have loved him.
It is very profitable frequently to aspire after the most
exalted virtue, and to desire it; such as to love God
more than all the saints; to suffer for the love ol him
more than all the martyrs; to bear and to pardon all
injuries; to embrace every sort of fatigue and suffering,
for the sake of saving a single soul; and to perform
similar acts of perfect charity. Because these holy
aspirations and desires, though their object shall never
be attained, are, in the first place, very meritorious in
the sight of God, who glories in men of good will, as
he abominates a perverse heart and evil inclinations.
Secondly, because the habit of aspiring to heroic sane·
1 “ Omnia possum in eo qui me confortai.”—Phil. iv. 13.

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The Desire of Perfection.

[ch. iv.

tity animates and encourages the soul to perform acts
of ordinary and easy virtue. Hence it is of great im­
portance to propose in the morning to labor as much as
possible for God during the day; to resolve to bear
patiently all crosses and contradictions; to observe con­
stant recollection; and to make continual acts of the
love of God. Such was the practice of the seraphic St.
Francis. “He proposed,” says St. Bonaventure, “ with
the grace of Jesus Christ, to do great things.” St.
Teresa asserts that “ the Lord is as well pleased with
good desires as with their fulfilment.” Oh ! how much
better is it to serve God than to serve the world. To
acquire goods of the earth, to procure wealth, honors,
and applause of men, it is not enough to pant after
them with ardor; no, to desire and not to obtain them
only renders their absence more painful. But to merit the
riches and the favor of God, it is sufficient to desire his
grace and love. St. Augustine relates that in a convent
of hermits there were two officers of the emperor’s court,
one of whom began to read the life of St Anthony.
“He read,” says the holy Doctor, “and his heart was
stripped of the world.” 1 Turning to his companion,
he said: “What do we seek? Can we expect from the
emperor anything better than his friendship? Through
how many dangers are we to reach still greater perils?
and how long shall this last?" Fools that we have been,
shall we still continue to serve the emperor in the midst
of so many labors, fears, and troubles? We can hope for
nothing better than his favor; and should we obtain it,
we would only increase the danger of our eternal repro­
bation. It is only with difficulty that we shall ever
procure the patronage of Cæsar, but if I will it, behold
1 “ Legebat, et exuebatur mundo mens ejus.”
1 “ Quid quærimus? Majorne esse poterit spes nostra, quam ut amici
imperatoris simus? Et per quot pericula pervenitur ad grandius pericu­
lum? Et quando istuc erit?”—Conf. 1. 8, c. 5.

ch.

IV.]

The Desire of Perfection.

89

I am in a moment the friend of God.” ’ Because who­
ever wishes, with a true and resolute desire for the
friendship of God, instantly obtains it.
I say with a true and resolute, desire, for little profit is
derived from the fruitless desires of slothful souls, who
always desire to be saints, but never advance a single
step in the way of God. Of them Solomon says: The
sluggard willeth and willeth not? And again: Desires kill
the slothful? The tepid religious desires perfection, but
never resolves to adopt the means of its acquirement.
Contemplating its advantages, she desires it; but reflect­
ing on the fatigue necessary for its attainment, she
desires it not. Thus “she willeth and willeth not.”
Her desires of sanctity are not efficacious; they have
for their object means of salvation incompatible with
her state. Oh ! she exclaims, were I in the desert, all
my time should be employed in prayer and in works
of penance ! were I in another convent, I would shut
myself up in a cell to think only of God ! if my health
were good, I would practise continual mortifications.
I would wish, I would wish, she cries, to do all this;
and still the miserable soul does not fulfil the obli­
gations of her state. She makes but little mental
prayer, and is even absent from the common medita­
tions; she neglects Communion; is seldom in the choir,
and frequently at the grate and on the terrace; she
practises but little patience or resignation in her infirm­
ities; in a word, she daily commits wilful and deliberate
faults, but never labors to correct them. What, then,
will it profit her to desire what is inconsistent with the
duties of her present state, while she violates strict obli­
gations? Desires kill the slothful. Such useless desires
expose the soul to great danger of everlasting perdition;
1 “ Amicus autem Dei, si voluero, ecce nunc fio.”
3 “ Vult e-t non vult piger.”—Prov. xiii. 4.
3 “ Desideria occidunt pigrum.”—Ibid. xxi. 25.

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The Desire of Perfection,

[CH. IV.

because wasting her time, and taking complacency in
them, she will neglect the means necessary for the per­
fection of her state, and for the attainment of eternal
life.
“I do not,” says St. Francis de Sales, “approve of the
conduct of those who, while bound by an obligation, or
placed in any state, spend their time in wishing for
another manner of life, inconsistent with their duties;
or for exercises incompatible with their present state.
For these desires dissipate the heart, and make it lan­
guish in the necessary exercises.”1 It is, then, the duty
of a religious to aspire only after that perfection which
is suitable to her present state and to her actual obliga­
tions; and whether a Superior, or a subject, whether in
sickness or in health, the vigor of youth or the imbe­
cility of old age, to adopt, resolutely, the means of
sanctity suitable to her condition in life. “ The devil,”
says St. Teresa, “sometimes persuades us that we have
acquired the virtue, for example, of patience; because
we determine to suffer a great deal for God. We feel
really convinced that we are ready to accept any cross,
however great, for his sake; and this conviction makes
us quite content, for the devil assists us to believe that
we are willing to bear all things for God. I advise you
not to trust much to such virtue, nor to think that you
even know it, except in name, until you see it tried. It
will probably happen that on the first occasion of con­
tradiction all this patience will fall to the ground.”3
•
·
2. Means for Acquiring Perfection.

Let us now come to what is most important—the
means to be adopted for acquiring perfection.
The first means is mental prayer, and particularly
the meditation of the claims which God has to our love,
and of the love which he has borne us, especially in the
great work of redemption. To redeem us, a God has
1 Iniroduct. ch. ^7. 4 Wav of Perf. ch. 39.

CH. IV.]

The Desire of Perfection.

9*

even sacrificed his life in a sea of sorrows and contempt;
and to obtain our love, he has gone so far as to make
himself our food. To inflame the soul with the fire of
divine love, these truths must be frequently meditated.
In my meditation, says David, a fire shall flame out) When
I contemplate the goodness of my God, the flames of
charity fill my whole heart. St. Aloysius used to say,
that to attain eminent sanctity it is firs" necessary to
arrive at a high degree of mental prayer.
We should frequently renew our resolution of advanc­
ing in divine love. In this renewal you will be greatly
assisted by considering, each day, that it is only then
you begin to walk in the path of virtue. This was the
practice of holy David: And I said, now have I begun)
And this was the dying advice of St. Anthony to his
monks: “ My dear children, figure to yourselves that
each day is the day on which you begin to serve God."
We should search out continually and scrupulously
the defects of the soul. “ Brethren,” says St. Augustine,
“examine yourselves with rigor; be always displeased
with what you are, if you desire to become what you are
not.” 3 To arrive at that perfection which you have not
attained, you must never be satisfied with the virtue you
possess; “for,” continues the saint, “where you have
been pleased with yourself, there you have remained.” *
Wherever you are content with the degree of sanctity
which you have acquired, there you will rest, and, taking
complacency in yourself, you will lose the desire of
further perfection. Hence the holy Doctor adds, what
should terrify every tepid soul, who, content with her
present virtue, has but little desire of spiritual advance1 “ In meditatione mea exardescet ignis.”—Ps. xxxviii. 4.
8 “ Et dixi: Nunc cœpi.”—Ps. Ixxvi. 11.
3 “ Fratres mei, discutite vos sine palpatione. Semper tibi displiceat
quod es, si vis pervenire ad id quod nondum es.”
4 “ Ubi tibi placuisti, ibi remansisti.”

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The Desire of Perfection.

[CH. IV.

ment; “But if you have said it is sufficient, you have
perished.”1 If you have said that you have already
attained sufficient perfection, you are lost; for not to
advance in the way of God is to retrograde. And, as
St. Bernard says, “ Not to wish to go forward, is certainly
to fail.”2 Hence St. John Chrysostom exhorts us to
think continually on the virtues which we do not
possess, and never to reflect on the little good which
we have done; for the thought of our good works
“generates indolence and inspires arrogance,”3 and
serves only to engender sloth in the way of the Lord,
and to swell the heart with vain-glory, which exposes
the soul to the danger of losing the virtues she has
acquired. “He that runs,” continues the saint, “does
not compute the progress he has made, but the distance
he has to travel.” 4 He that aspires after perfection
does not stop to calculate the proficiency he has made,
but directs all his attention to the virtue he has still to
acquire. Fervent Christians, as they that dig a trea­
sure/ advance in virtue as they approach the end of life.
As St. Gregory says, in his comment on this passage of
Job, that the man who seeks a treasure, the deeper he
has dug the more he exerts himself in the hope of find­
ing it; so the soul that pants after holiness multiplies
its efforts to attain it in proportion to the advancement
it has made.
IV. The fourth means is that which St. Bernard em­
ployed to excite his fervor. “ He had,” says Surius,
“ this always in his heart, and frequently in his mouth:
1 “ Si autem dixeris: Sufficit;—et periisti.”—Semi. 169, E. B.
2 “ Profecto, nolle proficere, deficere est.”—Episl. 254.
• “Segniores facit et in arrogantiam extollit.”—In Phil. hom. 12.
4 “Qui currit, non reputat quantum spatii perfecerit, sed quantum
desit.”—Ibid.
4 “Quasi effodientes thesaurum.”—Job, iii. 21.

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‘ Bernard, for what purpose hast thou come ?’ ”1 Every
religious should continually ask herself the same ques­
tion: I have left the world and all its riches and pleas­
ures, to live in the cloister, and to become a saint; what
progress do I make? I do not advance in sanctity; no, but
by my tepidity I expose myself to the danger of eternal
perdition. It will be useful to introduce, in this place, the
example of the Venerable Sister Hyacinth Mariscotti,
who at first led a very tepid life, in the convent of St.
Bernardine, in Viterbo. She confessed to Father Bianchetti, a Franciscan, who came to the convent as extra­
ordinary confessor. That holy man thus addressed her:
“Are you a nun? Are you not aware that paradise is
not prepared for vain and proud religious?” “Then,”
she replied, “ have I left the world to cast myself into
hell?” “Yes,” rejoined the Father, “ that is the place
which is destined for religious who live like seculars.”
Reflecting on these words of the holy man, Sister Hya­
cinth was struck with remorse; and, bewailing her past
life, she made her confession with tearful eyes, and be­
gan from that moment to walk resolutely in the way of
perfection. Oh ! how salutary is the thought of having
abandoned the world to become a saint ! It awakens the
tepidity of the religious, and encourages her to advance
continually in holiness, and to surmount every obstacle
to her ascent up to the mountain of God. Whenever,
then, O spouse of Jesus, you meet with difficulties in the
practice of obedience, say in your heart: I have not en­
tered religion to do my own will; if I wished to follow
my own inclinations, I should have remained in the
world; but I have come here to do the will of God, by
obedience to my Superiors, and this I desire to do in
spite of all difficulties. Whenever you experience the
inconveniences of poverty, say: I have not left the
1 “ Hoc semper in corde, frequenter etiam in ore habebat: Bemarde,
ad quid venisti ?”—Suri us, Vit. 1. I, c. 4.

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world and retired into the cloister for the enjoyment of
ease and riches, but to practise poverty for the love of
my Jesus, who for my sake became poorer than I am.
When you are rebuked or treated with contempt, say: I
have become a religious only to receive, and bear with
patience, the humiliations due to my sins, and thus ren­
der myself dear to my divine Spouse, who was so much
despised on earth. By this means you will live to God
and die to the world. In conclusion, I recommend you
frequently to ask yourself this question: What will it
profit me to have abandoned the world, to have con­
fined myself in the cloister, to have given up my liberty,
if I do not become a saint; but if, on the contrary, I ex­
pose my soul to everlasting misery by a careless and
tepid and negligent life?
V. The fifth means for a religious to attain sanctity
is frequently to call to mind and to renew the senti­
ments of fervor and the desires of perfection which she
felt when she first entered religion. The Abbot Agatho
being once asked by a monk for a rule of conduct in re­
ligion, replied: " See what you were on the day you left
the world, and persevere in the dispositions you then
entertained.”1 Remember, O consecrated virgin, the
resolutions which you made on the day you retired from
the world, to seek nothing but God; to have no will but
his, and to suffer all manner of contempt and hardship
for the love of Jesus Christ. This thought, as we learn
from the Lives of the Fathers,3 brought back to his first
fervor a young monk who had fallen into tepidity.
When he first determined to retire into a mjonastery, his
mother strongly opposed his design, and endeavored by
various reasons to show that it was his bounden duty
not to abandon her. To all her arguments he replied:
1 “ Qualis primo dic ingredieris, talis etiam reliquos dies peragas.”
— Vit. Patr. 1. 3, n. ig8.
3 Lib. 3, η. 2ΐ6.

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“I am resolved to save my soul.” And in spite of her
opposition he entered religion; but after some time his
ardor cooled, and tepidity stole into his heart. His
mother died, and a little after her death he was seized
with a dangerous malady. In his sickness he thought
he saw himself before the judgment-seat of God, and his
mother reproaching him with the violation of his first res­
olution: My son, said she, you have forgotten the words,
“I am resolved to save my soul,” by which you replied to
all my entreaties. You have become a religious, and is
it thus you live ? He recovered from his infirmity, and, re­
flecting on his first fervor, he began a life of holiness, and
practised such mortifications that his companionsadvised
him to moderate his austerities. To their admonitions
he answered: “If I have not been able to bear the re­
buke of my mother, how shall I, if I abuse his graces,
support the reproaches of Jesus Christ in judgment?”
The reading of the Lives of the saints is very profitable
to us; their examples humble us, and make us know and
feel our own miseries. The poor understand their pov­
erty only when they see the treasures of the rich.
VI. The sixth means is, not to lose courage when you
perceive that you have not as yet arrived at the perfec­
tion to which you aspire. To be discouraged by the
imperfections which you desire to correct, would be to
yield to a great illusion of the devil. St. Philip Neri
used to say, that to become a saint is not the work of a
day. It is related in the Lives of the Fathers,1 that a
certain monk, after having begun his religious career
with great fervor, relaxed his zeal, and remained for
some time in a state of tepidity; but reflecting on his
unhappy condition, he began to sigh after his former
piety, and became greatly afflicted because he knew not
how to recover it. In this disposition of mind he sought
advice from an aged Father. The good Father con1 L. 5, libell. 7, n. 40.

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soled and encouraged him by relating the conduct of a
parent who commanded his son to clear a certain por­
tion of land from thorns and briars. Disheartened by
the difficulty of the task, and despairing of success, the
son neglected altogether the duty imposed upon him,
and excused himself to his father, saying that he had
not courage to undertake such labor. In answer the
father said to him: My son, I only ask you to cleanse,
every day, as much land as will be the size of your body.
The son began to work, and by degrees he removed
every useless and noxious plant. This example is well
adapted to encourage and stimulate us in our progress
to perfection. He that always cherishes an ardent desire
of advancement, and strives continually to go forward,
will, with the divine assistance, obtain the perfection
after which he aspires. St. Bernard says that to make
constant exertions to advance in virtue is the perfection
that can be attained in this life. “ Continual efforts for
perfection,” says the saint, “are reputed perfection.”1
You must be careful never to omit your usual exercises,
your meditations, Communions, or mortifications. This
rule must be particularly observed in the time of aridity.
It is then that God tries his faithful servants, and that
they prove their fidelity to him, by discharging, in spite
of their darkness, pains, and difficulties, the duties which,
amid the abundance of his celestial consolations, they
were accustomed to perform.
VII. The last and most efficacious means of perfection
is, to have continually before your eyes the examples of
the Sisters who are most distinguished for sanctity, in
order to imitate the virtues which they practise. St.
Anthony says, as the bee gathers honey from every
flower, so a religious should draw lessons of perfection
from the good examples of all her companions. She
should emulate the modesty of one, the charity and
1 “ Jugis conatus ad perfectionem, perfectio reputatur.”—Epist. 254

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affection for prayer of another, the frequent Communion
of a third, and all the other virtues practised by the rest
of the Community. Such is the holy zeal with which
a good religious should endeavor to rival, and even to
excel, all the Sisters in all virtues. Worldlings seek to
surpass one another in riches, honors, and earthly plea­
sures; but a religious ought to struggle for the superi­
ority in humility, patience, meekness, charity, love of
contempt, poverty, purity, and obedience. To outstrip
one another in loving and pleasing God should be the
object of their emulation. To succeed in this holy con­
test, a religious must perform all her ordinary actions
with an intention of pleasing God, and of edifying her
companions that thus she may sanctify herself, and give
greater glory to the Lord. So let your light shine before
men, that they may see your works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.' Hence, they who admit to the relig­
ious profession a novice whose conduct has disedified
her Sisters, incur a great responsibility; for as good ex­
ample stimulates to virtue, so the loose and irregular
lives of the tepid scandalize the Community, and lead
many of its members into the faults which they witness
every day.
Prayer.
O divine Heart of my Jesus! Heart enamoured of men!
Heart created to love them ! how is it possible that thou hast
been so much dishonored and despised by them ? Unhappy
me ! I, too, have been one of those ungrateful souls : I, too,
have lived so many years in the world and have not loved thee.
Pardon me, O my Jesus, the great fault of not having loved
Thee, who art so amiable, and who hast loved me so much,
that Thou couldst not have done more than Thou hast done
to oblige me to love Thee. In punishment of having so long
despised Thy love, I would deserve to be condemned to that
miserable state in which I could never love Thee. But no, my
1 “ Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut vidcant opera vestra
bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in coelis est.”—Matt. v. 16.

Ί

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[CH. IV.

Spouse; I cheerfully accept every chastisement except the eter­
nal privation of Thy love. Grant me the grace to love Thee, and
then dispose of me as Thou pleasest. But how can I fear such
a chastisement when Thou dost continue still to command me
to love Thee, my Lord and my God. Thou shall, thou sayest,
love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.1 It is Thy will that
I love Thee with my whole soul, and I desire nothing but to
love Thee with all my strength. O loving Heart of my Jesus,
light up in my soul that blessed fire which Thou earnest on
earth to enkindle. Destroy all the earthly attachments that
still live in my heart, and prevent me from belonging entirely
to Thee. O my beloved Saviour, do not reject the love of a
heart which has hitherto so much afflicted Thee. Ah ! since
Thou hast loved me so much, do not permit me to live for a
single moment without Thy love. O love of my Jesus, Thou art
my love. I hope that I shall always love Thee, and that Thou
wilt always love me; and that this mutual love shall never be
dissolved.
O Mary, mother of fair love ; O thou who dost desire to see
thy Son loved, bind and unite me to Jesus, so that I maybecome entirely his, as he desires me to be.
1 “ Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo.”

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CHAPTER V.
THE DANGER TO WHICH AN IMPERFECT RELIGIOUS, WHO
IS BUT LITTLE AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER
IMPERFECTIONS, EXPOSES HER SALVATION.

I. One can and should avoid all venial sins plainly voluntary.

The first step to be taken in the formation of a gar­
den is to root out all useless and noxious weeds, and to
put in their place fruitful and salutary plants. It was
in this way the Almighty commanded Jeremiah to pro­
ceed when he imposed upon him the arduous task of
cultivating the Church. Go, I have set thee this day over
the nations and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down,
and to waste, and to destroy, to build, and to plant) To be­
come a saint, then, a religious must, in the first place,
endeavor to eradicate from her soul all imperfections,
and to plant in their stead the virtues of the Gospel.
“ The first devotion,” says St. Teresa, “ is to take aw’ay
all sins.”
I do not speak of grievous sins, from which I suppose
the religious who reads this book to be exempt. I hope
that she has never lost the grace of God infused by bap­
tism, or at least that she has recovered it, and that she
is resolved to suffer a thousand deaths rather than for­
feit it again. To prevent the danger of relapse, I en­
treat her to keep always in mind the alarming doctrine
so strongly inculcated in the Holy Scriptures, and
taught by St. Basil, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and other
Fathers, that God has fixed for each person the number
of sins which he will pardon. Being ignorant of this
1 “ Eccc constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna, ut evellas et
destruas, ... et ædifices et plantes.”—;Jer. i. 10.

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

lch. v.

number, we should tremble, lest, adding another to our
past sins, we complete the measure of our iniquities, be
abandoned by God, and lost forever. This thought has
powerful efficacy in dispelling the illusion by which the
devil so often induces Christians to relapse into sin.
Holding out the hope of pardon to them, he says: You
may indulge your passions for this time; you will after­
wards confess it, and obtain forgiveness. Oh! if Chris­
tians were penetrated with the salutary fear that any
new sin should never be forgiven, would they not be
struck with horror at the very idea of relapse ? But
through a false hope of pardon, innumerable souls return
to their former crimes, until the measure of their iniqui­
ties is filled up, and they are thus irremediably lost.
Nor do I speak of venial faults of imperfect adven
tence, or of human frailty, when I say that a religious
should cleanse her soul from all sins. From such im­
perfections no one is exempt: For, says St. James, in
many things we all offendi Even the saints have fallen into
the sins of frailty. If, says St. John, we say we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in usd Our corrupt
nature is so strongly inclined to evil, that it is impossi­
ble for us, without a most special grace (which has been
given only to the Mother of God), to avoid, during our
whole lives, all venial sins—even those that are but imper­
fectly deliberate. God permits such defects even in souls
dedicated to his love, to keep them humble, and to make
them feel that, as they fall into light transgressions, in
spite of all their resolutions and promises, so but for his
divine support they should likewise be precipitated into
grievous crimes. When we are guilty of a venial fault
we must humble our souls, and, confessing our weakness,
must endeavor to multiply prayer, and to implore the
1 “ In multis enim offendimus omnes.”—James, iii. 2.
2 “ Si dixerimus, quoniam peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seduci­
mus, et veritas in nobis non est.”—1 John, i. 8.

ch. v.]

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

ιοί

aid of the protecting arm of God against more grievous
offences.
Here, then, I mean to speak only of deliberate and
fully voluntary venial sins. All these may be avoided,
and are seldom or never committed by holy souls, who
live with the firm and constant resolution rather to suf­
fer death than, with full advertence, to be guilty of a
venial violation of God’s holy law. St. Catharine of
Genoa used to say, that to a soul inflamed with the
pure love of God the smallest fault is more intolerable
than hell itself. Hence she frequently protested that,
rather than wilfully commit a venial sin, she would suf­
fer to be cast into an ocean of fire. It is no wonder that
the saints had such a horror of the smallest sin: for, il­
luminated by the light of God, they saw and felt that
the least offence against his infinite Majesty is a much
greater evil than the death and destruction of all men
and angels. “ What sin,” says St. Anselm, “ will the
sinner dare to call small? For when can it be a slight
fault to dishonor God ?” 1 Who shall ever be daring
enough to assert that such a sin, because it is venial, is
not a great evil ? Can it be ever said that an indignity
to the Lord is but of little moment ? If a subject said
to his sovereign, In other things I will obey you, but
not in this, because it is unimportant,—what censure
and chastisement would he not deserve?
Hence St. Teresa used to say: “ Would to God we had a
horror not of the devils, but of every venial sin from which
we may suffer far greater injury than from all the devils
in hell.’’1
2 She would frequently say to her spiritual chil­
dren, “ From all deliberate sins, however small, may God
deliver you.” 3 Religious should take particular care to
1 “ Peccatum peccator audebit dicere panum?
rare, quando panum est ?”—Med. 2.
2 Life, ch. 25.
3 Way of Perf. ch. 42.

Deum enim exhono­

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avoid the least offence of God. Of them St. Gregory
Nazianzen says: “ Do you know that in you a wrinkle is
a greater deformity than the greatest wounds are in sec­
ulars?” 1 If a servant, whose occupation renders cleanli­
ness impossible, appear in soiled clothes before the king,
he treats her with compassion rather than with severity.
But if he sees a stain on the garments of his spouse, the
queen, he is indignant, and bursts out into expressions
of complaint and reproach. Jesus Christ is likewise in­
dulgent to the sins of seculars, but bitterly complains of
the faults of his spouses. Unhappy the religious who is
regardless of light defects ! She shall never become a
saint, and shall never enjoy peace. St. Teresa, while she
led an imperfect life, made no progress in virtue, and
enjoying neither spiritual consolation nor sensual pleas­
ure, lived in a state of continual misery. It is because
the}7 are heedless of their imperfections that so many
nuns are always unhappy. They are, on the one hand,
far removed from the pleasures of the world, and, on the
other, never experience the joy and tranquillity of a good
conscience. For, since they are not generous to God, he
he is justly sparing in his favors to them. Let us offer
our whole being to God, and he will give himself en­
tirely to us. I to my beloved, and his turning is towards
me.1*3
But you will say, venial sins however great, though
they may prevent me from being a saint, will never de­
prive me of the grace of God, nor of eternal life; and
for me it is enough to obtain salvation. AVhosoever
speaks thus should reflect on the words of St. Augus­
tine: “ Where you have said it is sufficient, you have
perished.” 3 Do you then say that for you it is sufficient ?
1 “ Non ignores rugam tibi unam turpiorem esse, quam maxima vul­
nera iis qui in mundo vivunt.”—Adv. mul. sese orn.
’ “ Ego Dilecto meo. et ad me conversio ejus.”—Cant. vii. io.
3 “ Ubi dixisti: Suffrt;—et periisti.”—Serai. 169,
£

cH.v.]

Imperfect Religions exposed to Danger. 103

If you do, you are lost. To understand this truth, and
to see the danger of venial sins, particularly when they
are deliberate and habitual, it is necessary to consider
that the habit of light faults inclines the soul to griev­
ous transgressions. Thus the habit of slight aversions
disposes the will to mortal hatred, the habit of small
thefts to gross rapine, and the habit of sensual attach­
ments to impure affections. St. Gregory says that “ the
soul never remains where it falls;” 1 no, she always sinks
still lower. As mortal diseases frequently proceed from
slight indisposition, so grievous transgressions often
have their origin in habitual venial sins. “Trivial de­
tractions,” says Father Alvarez, “ slight aversions, cul­
pable curiosity, acts of impatience and intemperance, do
not kill the soul ; but they render her so weak, that
when assailed by any grievous temptation she has not
strength to resist it, and falls.”123
Venial sins do not indeed separate the soul from God,
but they estrange h<r affections from him, and thus ex­
pose her to great danger of losing his grace. When
Jesus was taken in the garden, St. Peter did not wish to
abandon his Master, but followed him afar offI Many,
though unwilling to be separated from Jesus Christ by
mortal sins, will follow him only at a distance, and will
make no effort to abstain from venial faults. But how
many
J of that class of Christians have imitated the conduct
of St. Peter, who three times denied that he was a dis­
ciple of the Redeemer, and to his denial added the guilt
of perjury? St. Isidore4 says, that in punishment of
their indifference, and the tepidity of their love to him,
God justly permits those who disregard venial faults to
1 " Numquam illic anima, quo ceciderit, jacet.”—Mor. 1. 31, c. 12.
2 De Perf. 1. 5, p. 2, c. 16.
3 " Petrus autem sequebatur eum a longe.”—Matt. xxvi. 58.
4 Sent. 1. 2, c. 19.

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îch. v

fall into mortal sins. Hethat contemneth small things shall
fall by little and little.'
Do not then, therefore, says St. Dorotheus, say that
the habit of venial sins is only a small evil; but reflect
on its consequences. A bad habit is an ulcer which in­
fects the soul; and as it diminishes her strength to avoid
light faults, so it gradually renders her unable to resist
grievous temptations. “ Do not,” says St. Augustine,
“contemn them because they are numerous: ruin is to
be apprehended from their multitude, though not from
their magnitude.”2 Despise not your faults because
they are venial, but tremble because they are many: for
the greatness of their number may bring upon you that
destruction which the heinousness of their malice does
not deserve. You, says the saint1 in another place,
carefully fly from the danger of being crushed by a rock;
but I caution you to shun the risk of suffocation by a
heap of sand. By a collection of sand the holy Father
means frequent habitual venial transgressions, which,
when committed with deliberation and without efforts
of amendment, destroy in the soul the fear of commit­
ting mortal sins. And whoever fears them but little,
will easily fall into them. lienee St. John Chrysostom4
has gone so far as to assert that we should, in a certain
manner have a greater dread of habitual venial sins than
of mortal sin. Because the latter naturally excites horror;
but as the habit of the former generates negligence and
contempt for small faults, so likewise it induces a dis­
regard for grievous transgressions. Hence the Holy
Ghost says: Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vinesI
1 “Qui spernit modica, paulatim decidet.”—Ecclus. xix. i.
s “ Noli illa contemnere, quia minora sunt; sed time, quia plura sunt;
timenda est ruina multitudinis, etsi non magnitudinis.”—Senn. 9, E. β.
3 Senn. 56.
4 In Matih. horn. 87.
5 ” Capite nobis Vulpes parvulas, cuæ demoliuntur vineas.”—Cant.
•·
u. 15.

■■er:

ch. v.]

Imperfect Rcligiotts exposed to Danger.

105

He does not tell us to catch the lions, or the leopards,
but the little foxes. We tremble at the approach of the
lion or of other fierce animals, and therefore we take
care to guard against their attacks; but we fear not lit­
tle foxes, and therefore through our negligence they
by their excavations dry up the root and destroy the
vine. In like manner, frequent and voluntary faults,
though small, dry up the good desires of the soul, which
are the roots of spiritual life, and thus produce decay
and ruin.
Habitual and voluntary venial sins expose the soul to
the danger of perdition: first, because, as we have already
seen, they incline the will to mortal sin, and diminish
its strength to resist temptations.
Let us consider
besides how they deprive her of numberless helps from
God, which he had prepared for her.
To incline the will to good, the understanding must
be coni .nually illuminated by the light of God; and
to becor e pliant and obedient to the motions of grace,
the wib requires the constant assistance of God. Be­
sides, tc -esist the powers of hell, we stand in need of
the con'.nual protection of the Lord. Without it, we
should all yield to the temptations of the devil, which
of ourselves we are utterly unable to overcome. It is
God that either enables us to conquer all the powers of
darkness, or prevents the devil from suggesting tempta­
tions to which we would yield. Hence Jesus Christ has
taught us the prayer, and lead us not into temptation ;l
that is, preserve us from those temptations to which we
would consent. Now, what are the effects of venial sins ?
They diminish the lights, the helps, and the protection
of God; so that the soul, being darkened, weak, and dry,
will lose all affection for the things of God, will become
attached to the things of the world, and thus exposed
to great danger of renouncing the grace of God for the
1 “ Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.”—Matt. vi. 13.

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. v.

sake of earthly goods. Besides, in punishment of ven­
ial sins Almighty God permits the soul to be assailed
with more violent temptations. Whosoever is ungener­
ous to God does not deserve liberality from him. Pie
who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly.1
Blessed
Henry Suso,’ in the vision of the rocks, described in
his life, seeing a great many on the first rock, asked
who they were. Jesus Christ answered: “ These are the
tepid who only seek to avoid mortal sin.” The holy man
then asked whether they should be saved. “ If,” replied
the Redeemer, “ they die in the state of grace, they shall
be saved; but their danger is much greater than they
imagine. They think they can serve God and the
senses; but this is scarcely possible; for it is exceedingly
difficult to persevere in the grace of God and at the
same time to indulge in sensual pleasures.”
jBe not without fear about sins forgiven} Why does the
Holy Ghost admonish us to be afraid of sin which has
been already pardoned ? Because after the guilt is re­
mitted the temporal penalties of sin still remain; and
among them we must reckon the withdrawal of God’s
graces. Hence the saints never ceased to weep for their
faults, though only venial, and even after they had
been forgiven; for they always trembled lest their past
transgressions should be punished by the subtraction of
the graces necessary to obtain eternal life. A favorite
who has offended his sovereign will not be raised to his
former rank and dignity immediately after he has ob­
tained pardon, nor until he has given strong proofs of a
determination to atone by subsequent services for his
past misconduct. And when Christians insult the Maj­
esty of their God he justly withdraws his protecting
arm and his former familiarity, until by tears of sorrow
1 “ Qui parce seminat, parce et metet.”—2 Cor. ix. 6.
’ De nov. rttp. c. 23.
* “ De propitiato peccato, noli esse sine metu.”—Ecclus. v. 5.

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v.]

Imperfect Religions exposed to Danger.

107

and other good works they have expiated their guilt.
The more frequently the soul displeases God, the more
will he retire from her. By repeated faults her weak­
ness and her inclination to evil are increased, while the
graces of God are diminished, and then she will easily
fall into eternal ruin.
2. Venial Sins injure, above all, the Religious, who are most
especially called to Perfection.

Every Christian who, because he desires to do only
what is necessary for salvation, commits habitually de­
liberate venial sins, is, as we have seen, exposed to the
danger of being lost. How much more perilous must
be the state of a religious who, with full knowledge, and
without any thought or effort of amendment, commits
light faults, saying, For me it is sufficient to be saved. The
spouse of Jesus being called to religion, is called not
only to be saved, but also to be a saint. Now St. Gregory
says that he who is called to sublime sanctity will not be
saved without it. Jesus Christ said one day to Blessed
Angela of Foligno: “ They who, after being enlightened
by me to walk in the way of perfection, will only tread in
the ordinary path, shall be abandoned by me.” It is cer­
tain that every religious is called and commanded to walk
in the way of perfection. It is to enable her to become
a saint that God has bestowed upon her so many spec­
ial lights and graces. Now if she lead a life of habitual
negligence and continual defects, withput ever seeking
to correct them, she will justly forfeit all claim to the
helps necessary for the fulfilment of her obligations, and
thus she will neither become a saint nor be saved. St.
Augustine says that God ordinarily abandons tepid
souls who, reckless of the consequences, wilfully neglect
their duties and disregard their defects. “ God is ac­
customed to desert the negligent."1
1 “ Négligentes Deus deserere consuevit.”—In Ps. cxviii. s. io.

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[ch. v.

If, says Jesus to St. Peter, I wash thee not, thou shall
have no part with we.1 Jesus Christ spoke in this place
not of the physical washing of the feet, but of the spiri­
tual cleansing of the soul from venial sins, which, unless
corrected and expiated, will make those who are called
to perfection liable to great danger of perdition. St.
Gertrude saw the devil gathering all the little tufts
of wool which she allowed to be destroyed; as if her
negligence in not preserving them were a fault against
holy poverty. To another religious who, contrary to
Rule, permitted the fragments of bread which remained
after meals to fall off the table, he showed at the hour
of death a large mass of these fragments which he had
collected, and by this representation endeavored to lead
the religious into despair. The enemy of our souls is
well aware that God will demand a much stricter ac­
count from religious than from seculars.
And here it may be remarked, that, according to the
common opinion of theologians, many violations of rule
which in subjects are but light faults will be grievous
sins in the Superior if, when they are frequent and apt
to produce general relaxation of discipline, she do not
correct them according to the best of her ability, and
insist on the reparation necessary to preserve exact ob­
servance.
To this class belong the faults regarding
silence, poverty, fasts, the grate, and all similar trans­
gressions. And Superiors are strictly obliged not only
to correct such defects, but also to examine carefully
whether they have been committed.
Let us now return to the obligation of a religious to
aim at perfection, and to avoid even venial sins. In the
time of St. Ignatius there was one of the lay-brothers
very negligent in the service of God.
One day the
saint said to him: “Tell me, Brother, for what purpose
have you entered religion ?” “ I have come,” replied the
1 ·· Si non lavero te, non habebis partem mecum."—John, xiii. 8.

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger.

109

Brother, “ to serve God.” “O Brother,” rejoined the
saint, “what have you said? If you answered that you
had come to attend a Cardinal or an earthly prince, your
conduct would be more excusable : but you say you
have come to serve the Lord; and is it thus you serve
him ?” To become a saint, the religious stands in need
of particular and abundant graces. Now how can God
be expected to bestow his favors in abundance on the
religious, who after having retired into the cloister to
serve the Lord, dishonors rather than glorifies his name ?
For by her negligence and continual defects she insinu­
ates that God does not merit to be served with greater
fervor.
By her imperfect life she declares that his
service does not content the soul or impart that felicity
which is represented in the Holy Scriptures as the por­
tion of God’s servants on earth ; in a word, she pro­
claims that his divine Majesty does not deserve to be
loved in preference to the indulgence of all caprice or
sensuality.
“It is true,” says Father Alvarez, “ that even souls
devoted to the love of God are not free from all imper­
fections. But they seek continually to amend their lives
by diminishing the number of their defects.” But how
will the tepid religious, who commits habitual faults,
and continues to commit them without remorse or
desire of amendment—how, I say, will she be ever able
to purify her soul from them, or to escape the danger of
falling into mortal sin? The Venerable Louis de Pont
used to say: “I have been guilty of many faults; but
never without scruple and uneasiness of conscience.”
Woe to the religious who sins, even venially, with full
knowledge and tranquillity of soul. As long, says St.
Bernard, as the soul detests her imperfections we may
hope for amendment; but when she commits faults
without fear or remorse, then she will always go from
bad to worse. Dying flies, says the Wise man, spoil the

i io

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. v

sweetness of the ointment) “ These dying flies,” says Denis
the Carthusian, “are the defects which remain in the
soul, and are not detested; such as habitual feelings of
dislike, inordinate affections, vanity, indulgence of the
appetite, want of modesty in looks and of delicacy in
words. These defects spoil the sweetness of the oint­
ment; they diminish devotion at Communion, at medi­
tation, and in the visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Thus the soul loses all the spiritual unction and conso­
lations of religion.”
These habitual faults, like a foul incrustation, take
away the beauty of the soul, render it an object of dis­
gust, and unworthy the embraces of the Holy Ghost.
“They are,” says St. Augustine, “as it were an erup­
tion, and destroy our comeliness so as to remove us
from the embraces of the Spouse.” a Hence, feeling no
more consolation in her exercises of devotion, the soul
will soon omit and abandon them; and neglecting the
means of salvation, she will probably be lost. If the
tepid religious should continue her Communions, medi­
tations, and visits to the Blessed Sacrament, she will
draw but little fruit from them. In her will be verified
the words of the Holy Ghost: You have sowed much
*
and
brought in little. ... A nd he that hath earned wages, fut
them into a bag with holes." 1*3 Such, precisely, is the tepid
and imperfect religious. All her spiritual exercises are
laid up in a bag with holes: for them no reward remains.
Being performed with so much tepidity, they render her
always more and more deserving of chastisement, and
deprive her of those abundant helps which God had
prepared for her, had she corresponded to his holy
1 “ Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti.”—Eccles, x. i.
* “ Sunt velut scabies, et nostrum decus ita exterminant, ut a Sponsi
amplexibus separent.”—Servi. 351, E. B.
3 “ Seminastis multum, et intulistis parum; ... et qui mercedes con­
gregavit, misit eas in sæculum pertusum.”—dgg. i. 6.

ch.

v.]

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger.

i11

inspirations. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall abound; but he that hath not, from him shall be taken
away that also which he hath) Whoever by his co-opera­
tion treasures up the fruit of the graces received from
God shall obtain an increase of grace and glory; but
from the man who buries his talent, thus rendering it
unprofitable, that which he hath shall be taken, and the
graces prepared for him shall be withheld.

Prayer.
Behold, O Lord, I am one of those unhappy souls who
deserved to be left by Thee in the miserable state of tepidity,
in which, deprived of Thy light and abandoned by Thy grace,
1 lived for so many years. But 1 now see the light which Thou
givest me ; and I hear Thy voice calling me again to Thy love.
These graces are so many proofs that Thou hast not as yet
abandoned me. And since Thou hast not cast me away in
punishment of so much ingratitude, I desire never more to be
ungrateful to Thee. Thou art ready to pardon me, if I repent
of the offences that I have committed against Thee. Pardon
me, O Jesus, for I detest and abhor my sins above all things.
Would that I had died before 1 ever offended Thee. Thou dost
wish for my love: I desire nothing more but to love Thee. I
love Thee, O my Sovereign Good : I love Thee, O my God, who
art worthy of infinite love. Increase, O Lord, in my soul Thy
own light, and the desire Thou givest me to belong entirely to
Thee. Thou art omnipotent: Thou canst easily change my
heart, and make a rebel to Thy graces become an ardent
lover of Thy goodness. Such I desire and hope to be, with the
assistance of Thy grace. Thou hast promised to hear all who
pray to Thee. I now ask Thee to make me belong entirely to
Thee, and love nothing but Thee alone. Ah’. Jesus, my
Spouse, through the merits of Thy blood, make me love Thee
as a sinner ought to love, whom Thou hast loved so much, and
whose ingratitude Thou hast borne with so much patience, and
for so many years. Trusting, then, in Thy infinite mercy, I
hope with a firm confidence to love Thee with my whole heart
1 “ Omni enim habenti dabitur, et abundabit; ei autem qui non habet,
et quoti videtur habere, auferetur ab eo.”—Matt. xxv. 29.

11 2 Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. v.

in this life, and in the next to praise for all eternity Thy
mercies to me. The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever.1
0 Mary, my Mother, I acknowledge that these graces, this
light, these desires, and this good-will, which God now gives to
me, are the fruits of thy intercession. Continue, O Mary, con­
tinue to intercede for me, and do not cease to pray for my
sanctification, until n;y whole being shall be, as thou dost
desire, consecrated without reserve to Jesus Christ. Such, 0
Mary, my firm hope : may it soon be realized. Amen.
1 “ Misericordias Lcmini in æternum cantabo.”—Ps. Ixxxvii. 2.

Imfierfeet Religio its exposed to Danger.

ch. vi.]

113

CHAPTER VI.
CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT.

I. A Religious has especially to fear being lost when she
sins by Attachment to some Passion, or when she lives
in Tepidity.

The religious whose faults spring from attachment to
any passion is exposed in a particular manner to the
danger of being lost. O God ! how many religious are
there who, because they do not disengage their hearts
from certain earthly attachments, never become saints,
and endanger their eternal salvation. To conquer her
passions, to expel from her soul all worldly affections,
and to remove every obstacle to her progress in perfec­
tion, should be the end and object of a religious, in all
her spiritual exercises, in her Communions, meditations,
spiritual readings, and in all similar duties. To this end
she should direct all her devotions and all her prayers,
begging continually of the Almighty a perfect detach­
ment from every creature, and a complete victory over
all her corrupt inclinations. To gain this victory she
ought, in the first place, to direct her attention to the
practice of exterior mortification, and particularly to
the mortification of the eyes, of the appetite, and of the
tongue. Secondly, she should endeavor to mortify and
to eradicate all the irregular affections of the heart, such
as attachment to self-esteem, to the things of the world,
or to any other object in which she takes delight.
Thirdly, she must strive to destroy self-will, by acting
continually in opposition to her own inclinations.
Lastly, she should seek to do all this with ease and
8

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

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with cheerfulness; for in this great contest with the
corruption of nature she shall always have some pas­
sion to moderate or some virtue to improve.
There are some who continue their Communions and
meditations, but in them they only seek spiritual re­
freshment and sensible devotion. Hence they remain
always bound down to the earth by worldly attach­
ments, which continually impede their advancement in
holiness, and make them recede more and more every
day from their first fervor. It frequently happens that
such persons in the end lose the grace of God.
It is necessary to impress deeply on your mind that
the artifice by which the devil seeks to draw spiritual
souls from the service of God is, not to tempt them at
first to any mortal sin. In the beginning he is, as St.
Francis says, satisfied to hold them in bondage by a
single hair; for if he attempted to bind them at once in
the bonds of Servitude they would fly from him with
horror. But fearing not the trammels of a single hair,
they are easily led into the snares prepared for their
destruction. At first they are caught by a single hair;
then they are bound by a slender thread; next by a
strong cord; and finally they are chained in the fetters
of heli and the slavery of Satan. For example, a religi­
ous, after a dispute with some of her Sisters, will at first
retain feelings of dislike, and thus is held by a single
hair. After a little time she will neither speak to them
nor salute them: she is now bound by a slender thread.
Next she will begin to injure them by words and deeds,
and is fettered by a strong cord: then on the first occa­
sion of provocation she conceives a mortal hatred to­
wards them, and thus puts on the chains of hell and the
slavery of the devil. Again, another religious will at
first entertain a human affection towards a friend; she
then cherishes this affection under the pretext of grati­
tude: mutual presents follow; they are succeeded by

■

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger.

115

words oi endearment; and by the first assault of passion
the miserable soul is bound in the chains of death. In
line, as gamblers by the loss of many small sums are
induced to risk and to lose their whole property, so the
tepid soul by frequent venial faults is rendered reckless
of God’s grace, and too weak to resist the temptations of
the enemy. Thus she loses her God and her all. To find
us addicted to any passion, is to the devil a powerful
Stimulus to exert himself for our destruction. “It is,”
says St. Ambrose, “ principally when he sees any pas­
sions generated in us that the adversary lays his snares:
it is then that he excites concupiscence, and prepares his
nets.” ‘ The enemy endeavors to discover the evil incli­
nations which predominate in our hearts, and presenting
to us opportunities of indulging these corrupt tenden­
cies, foments our passions, and prepares a snare for our
destruction.
‘‘When,” says Cassian, “we hear of the fall of a soul
consecrated to God, we are not to imagine that she fell
at once into mortal sin. No: we must suppose that she
began by light faults, and by them was led into griev­
ous transgressions.” St. John Chrysostom asserts that
he knew many persons who appeared to be adorned
with all virtues, and who, because they disregarded
venial sins, were precipitated into an abyss of crime.
The Venerable Sister Anne of the Incarnation saw in
hell a soul reputed by her and by all to be a saint. On
her countenance appeared a multitude of small ani­
mals, representing the first faults which she disregarded.
Of these animals some were heard to say to the un­
happy soul, “With us you began
others, “ By us you
continued
and the rest, “ By us you were lost.”
Hence, Mother Mary Victoria Strada used to say:
“The devil, when he cannot have much, is content
1 “ Tunc maxime insidiatur adversarius, quando videt nobis passiones
aliquas generari; tunc fomites movet, laqueos parat.”—De Ojfic. 1. i, c. 4-

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with a little ; and with that little he afterwards ac­
quires a great deal.” At first the serpent tempted
Eve not to eat, but only to behold the forbidden fruit;
he then raised doubts about the fulfilment of the divine
threats; and in the end induced her to violate the
command of God. St. Teresa observes that the enemy
is satisfied when a soul begins to open to him the
gate of her heart: he will afterwards obtain full posses­
sion of it. This is likewise the doctrine of St. Jerome.
“The devil,” says the holy Doctor, “does not contend at
once against any one by temptations to great vices, but
only to small faults, that he may by some means enter
and govern the heart of man, and that he may after­
wards impel him to more heinous crimes.”1 He does
not immediately tempt any one to mortal sin; but com­
mences by suggesting light defects, that, gaining admis­
sion into the soul, and beginning his rule, he may after­
wards draw her into grievous transgressions. “ No one,”
says St. Bernard, “is plunged at once into the depths
of turpitude:2 they who fall into the greatest enormi­
ties begin by the smallest faults.”3 An insignificant
spark will set fire to a whole forest. Behold, says St.
James, how small a fire—what a great wood it kindlethR
A single unmortified passion will precipitate the soul
into ruin.
And here it is necessary to remark most particularly,
that whenever a religious is guilty of mortal sin, her fall
will expose her to great danger of being abandoned by
God: for being committed amid the lights and graces of
God, imparted to her by means of so many sermons,
Communions, meditations, good example of companions,
1 “ Diabolus non pugnat cito contra aliquem per grandia vitia, sed pef
parva, ut possit quomodocumque intrare et dominari homini, ut postea
in majora vitia eum impellat.’
8 “ Nemo repente fit turpissimus.”—Deciam, n. 15.
3 “ A minimis incipiunt, qui in maxima proruunt.”—De Ord. Vit. c. II.
4 “ Ecce quantus ignis quam magnam silvam incendit!”—James, iii. 5

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ch. vi.]

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger.

117

admonitions of spiritual directors and of Superiors, her
trangression will not be like that of seculars, who sin in
the midst of the darkness of the world, but will be a
sin of malice. After having received so many lights,
and having in her hands so many means of obtaining
strength against the enemy of her salvation, she cannot
allege ignorance or weakness in extenuation of her guilt.
According to the doctrine of St. Thomas,' a sin of malice
is that which is committed with a full knowledge of its
enormity. Hence, because the darkness arising from
sin is proportional to the lights bestowed on its author,
the sin of malice produces great misery in the soul.
Besides, the angelic Doctor3 teaches that the griev­
ousness of sin increases in proportion to the ingrati­
tude of the sinner. Now the graces and favors which
a religious has received from God are innumerable.
He has taken her from the midst of the dangers of the
world, and because every convent is the house of God,
has given her a place in his own habitation. From a
vast multitude of his servants he has selected her for
his spouse; and to make her a saint, and fit to be a
spouse of God, he has enriched her with so many lights
and so many external and internal helps to sanctity.
He has frequently given himself to her in the Holy
Eucharist; and in her meditations, visits, and spiritual
readings has often spoken to her with the familiarity of
a friend. In a word, he has raised her up from the
depth of lowliness and placed her among the princes
of his people. And after all these favors she by sin
turns her back upon him, and deliberately determines
to become his enemy. Unhappy soul ! her fall will be
her destruction. He that falls on level ground seldom
sustains serious injury; but he that tumbles from a lofty
eminence is said not to fall, but to be dashed to ruin.
“A fall from on high,” says St. Ambrose, “ is accom1 I. 2, q. 78, a. I.

’ I. 2, q. 73» a· IO·

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. vl

panied with great destruction.”1
And the prophet
Ezechiel says: And I set thee in the holy mountain of God.
. . . And thou hast sinned: and I cast thee out from the
mountain of God and destroyed thee? Ungrateful soul, the
Almighty will say to the religious, I have placed you on
my holy mountain, and from its summit you have volun­
tarily fallen into sin. In punishment, then, of your in­
gratitude, remain in perdition, for I have banished you
forever from my face. “ God,” says Sister Mary Strozzi,
“wishes religious to be the mirror of the entire world.
Hence, because they are called to extraordinary perfec­
tion they dishonor him greatly by an imperfect life.
The sin of a religious excites the horror of paradise,
and obliges the Almighty to turn away from her ; for
he repudiates faithless spouses who violate the con­
tract made at their profession, and therefore he aban­
dons them to their irregular passions.” Oh how difcult is the conversion of a soul who, after having once
tasted the sweetness of God, becomes a rebel to his
love !
A religious, then, should tremble at the thought of
being bound to the service of Satan by any passion,
or by any, even the smallest sin. She should, I say,
tremble, because every little attachment may be the
cause of her damnation. St. Teresa used to say that
“whoever approaches ruin will be lost.” This observa­
tion is most just. For although she had never been
guilty of a mortal sin, Almighty God showed her the
place prepared for her in hell if she had not relin­
quished an irregular though not an unchaste affection
which she entertained towards a relative. A bird un­
shackled flies with ease, but when tied even by a slender
1 “Ruina quæ de alto est, graviori’casu collidetur.”—De Dignit.
Sac. c. 3.
’ “ Posui te in monte sancto Dei, ... et peccasti; et ejeci te de monte
Dei, et perdidi te.”—Dzek. xxviii. 14.

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Imperfcc I Religions exposed ίο Danger.

119

thread it remains on the earth, and, like the toad, will
continue to crawl in the mire. So a religious free from
all earthly attachments flies and will continually fly to
God. But while any affection to creatures dw’ells in her
heart she will never rise above the earth, but will fall
continually into greater defects, till at length all is lost.
In fine, you must be persuaded that the salvation of a
religious depends on the correction of light faults, par­
ticularly when frequent and habitual: for so many little
streams will form a river in which she will be over­
whelmed. Habitual faults disregarded ‘ and not cor­
rected will by degrees draw her into the state of
tepidity—that miserable state of which the Redeemer
said to the Bishop of Laodicea: I know thy works, that
thou art neither cold nor hot) Behold the state of a tepid
religious. She is not daring enough to abandon God
altogether, but she despises light faults. She commits
a great many of them every day, by impatience, lies,
murmuring, greediness, imprecations; by aversions, and
by attachments to worldly goods, to the grate, to curi­
osity, to self-esteem, and to self-will. And these imper­
fections she neither regrets nor endeavors to correct.
I would, continues the Lord, thou wert cold or hot; but
because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will
begin to vomit thee out of my mouth) I would, he says, thou
wert cold: that is, it were better for you to be altogether
deprived of my grace; for then there would be stronger
hopes of your repentance. But, remaining in a state of
tepidity, you will stand in greater danger of damnation;
because you will easily fall from that state into mortal
sin, and then there will be but little reason to hope for
your resuscitation.
Speaking of a sinner not as yet converted, St. Greg1 “ Scio opera tua, quia neque frigidus es, neque calidus.”—Af>oc. iii. 15.
• “ Utinam frigidus esses aut calidus ! sed, quia tepidus es, et nec
frigidus nec calidus, incipiam te evomere ex ore meo.”—Ibid. 15, 16.

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ory holds out hopes of repentance; but, speaking of a
tepid soul who is not afraid of her imperfections, he de­
spairs of her amendment. “Warmth which has failed
from fervor is in despair.’ 1 The Son of God says: Be­
cause thou art lukewarm, I will begin to vomit thee out of my
mouth. A draught, when cold or hot, may be taken
without repugnance; but when tepid it is nauseous.
The lukewarm Christian stands in great danger of being
vomited forth by Almighty God; that is, of being for­
saken by his grace. By the words, I will begin to vomit
thee out of my mouth, the Redeemer signified that he was
ready to abandon the tepid soul; for what is vomited is
taken back only with horror.
But how does God begin to vomit the tepid religious
out of his mouth ? He ceases to give her the vivid
lights of faith, the spiritual consolations, the holy de­
sires, and the loving calls which he was accustomed to
bestow upon her. Bereft of these blessings, she begins
to neglect her meditations, Communions, and visits to
the blessed Sacrament, or to discharge these duties with
repugnance, disgust, and distraction. She will perform
all her exercises with reluctance, dissipation, with in­
quietude, and without devotion.
Behold ! how the
Lord begins to vomit her out of his mouth. Thus the
miserable soul finding only pain and trouble, and no
comfort in any of her exercises of piety, she finally
abandons them all, and falls into grievous sins.
In a word, tepidity is a moral fever which is scarcely
felt, but irremediably leads to death. The tepid soul
never thinks of correcting her faults. She becomes so
insensible to the stings of conscience, that without per­
ceiving her fall she will be one day precipitated into
eternal misery.
1 “Tepor (qui a fenore defecit) in desperatione est.”—Past. p. 3,
adni. 35.

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vi.]

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger. 121
2. Means to extricate One’s Self from Tepidity.

Then, the tepid religious will say, for me there is no
hope of salvation. Because, she will add, it is almost im­
possible for me to arise from my miserable state. But
let her attend to the answer of Jesus Christ: The things
that are impossible with men are possible with God) What is
impossible to man is not impossible to God. Whoever
prays and adopts the necessary means obtains all graces.
What are the necessary means ?
First, as to Faults committed through Frailty.
If your faults are sins of inadvertence, or of frailty,
they do but little injury to the soul as long as you de­
test them with humility. And here it is necessary to
remark, that two sorts of humility arise from our defects
—the one holy, and the gift of God; the other perni­
cious, and the offspring of the devil. The former is
that by which the soul sees her imperfections, and is
covered with confusion before God, and filled with a
sense of her own nothingness. She is sorry for her
faults: she detests them, but without being disturbed;
and at the sight of her misery she is not discouraged
or agitated; but, trusting in God, she resolves to atone
for her imperfections by greater attention to her duties,
and by greater fervor in works of piety. The other
species of humility is that which fills the soul with agi­
tation, with inquietude, and with diffidence; thus mak­
ing her weak and almost incapable of doing any good.
“True humility,” says St Teresa, “ though it makes the
soul feel her own sinfulness, does not disturb her peace,
but, on the contrary, infuses consolation. It fills, in­
deed, the heart with grief and affliction for having
offended God, but at the same time inspires strong
hopes of mercy. By such humility the soul is enlight1 ‘ Quæ impossibilia sunt apud homines, possibilia sunt apud Deum.”
—Luke "viii 27.

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Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger.

[ch. vi.

ened to see her own misery, and to praise God for
having so long borne with her. But false humility in­
stilled by the devil brings with it no light to make the
soul do good, but represents God as a tyrant who will
destroy all by fire and sword. Of all the deceitful in­
ventions of the devil which I have known this is the
most subtle.” 1
In the imperfections, then, which human weakness
cannot avoid, as negligence is censurable, so excessive
fear is reprehensible. “ In such almost inevitable faults,”
says St. Bernard, “immoderate fear, as well as negli­
gence, is culpable.”1
*3 We should be sorry, but not lose
courage, when we commit such faults; for God readily
grants pardon when the soul detests them. For the just
man falls seven times, and shall rise again.3 He that sins
through frailty easily rises. “ He falls and will rise
again.” St. Francis de Sales says that as daily defects
are indeliberately committed, so they are indeliberately
taken away.
St. Thomas teaches that such faults are
to
cancelled “when the soul is fervently moved towards
God,” 4 that is, by acts of divine love, of resignation, of
oblation, and by similar works which spiritual souls are
accustomed to perform. The angelic Doctor adds, “ that
the sacramentals—such as to recite the Pater Noster,
the Confiteor; to strike the breast; to receive the bless­
ing of the bishop; to sprinkle one’s self with holy water;
and to pray in a consecrated Church—produce the re­
mission of such venial defects.” The sacraments, but
especially the Holy Eucharist, have particular efficacy
to remit venial sin. “The mind,” says St. Bernardine
of Sienna, “ may be so absorbed in devotion, by receiving
1 Life, ch. 30.
’ “ In hujusmodi quasi inevitabilibus (culpis), et negligentia culpa­
bilis est, et timor immoderatus.”—hi Cana Doni. s. 1.
3 “ Septie< enim cadet justus, et resurget.”—Prov. xxiv. 16.
4 “ Cum aliquis ferventer movetur in Deum.”—P. 3, q. 87, a. 3.

ch. vi.]

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

i 23

Holy Communion, that the soul will be purified from all
venial sins.” 1
,
Secondly, as to Deliberate though not Habitual Venial Sins.

If a religious should have the misfortune to commit
sometimes, but not often, a deliberate venial sin, she
should not even then lose courage, or permit the peace
of her soul to be disturbed. Let her endeavor imme­
diately to repair her fault by repentance, and by a
strong determination not to be guilty of it again.
Whenever she relapses her sorrow and resolution
should be renewed, and all her confidence placed in
God, who, if she continue to act in this way after every
fault, will finally deliver her from such deliberate sins.
St. Philip Neri used to say that to become a saint is not
the business of a day. Whoever leaves not the road of
perfection in which he began to walk ought not to de­
spond, for he will ultimately arrive at sanctity. To
convince us of our weakness, to show us that without
his aid and protection we should fall into the greatest
crimes, God sometimes permits us to commit deliberate
venial sins. Such faults, then, though voluntary, pro­
vided they be unfrequent, do not seriously injure the
soul, or at least they do not bring her to ruin.

Thirdly, as to Deliberate Venial and Habitual Sins.
But light sins which are deliberate and habitual easily
lead the soul into perdition, particularly when they are
committed through attachment to any passion, and
without sorrow or efforts of amendment; for they show
that the soul has fallen into a state of tepidity from
which, as we have already seen, it is very difficult to re­
cover. But if a religious should be so unfortunate as to
1 “ Contingere potest quod tanta devotione mens, per sumptionem
Sacramenti, in Domino absorbeatur, quod ab omnibus venialibus
expurgetur.”—De Chr. Dorn. s. 12, a. 2, c. 1.

124

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. vl

fall into such a state, let her attend to the following
means of emerging from it:
1. The first means is a true desire of being delivered
from her miserable condition. If she feel not that de­
sire, she ought at least to beg it of God, trusting in his
promises to give us whatsoever we ask. Ask, and you
shall receive}
2. She should endeavor to search out her defects,
particularly her predominant failing. If, for example,
she is full of self-esteem; if she frequently speaks in
the language and tone of authority; if she is addicted
to self-praise; if she is disturbed by every humiliation
and inattention from others—then she may conclude that
pride is her ruling passion. Self-love will predominate
in some who are afflicted at every little infirmity, who
are annoyed at every inconvenience, and who always
seek to gratify their palate, and cannot bear any food
that is not agreeable to their taste. In others anger is
the prevailing fault: they are provoked by every contra­
diction, and complain of the conduct of all who thwart
their inclinations.
Others, for every trivial cause,
neglect mental prayer, Communion, the choir, and
other similar duties: in them sloth holds the ascendancy.
3. As soon as she has discovered her predominant
passion, a religious should make a strong resolution to
free herself from it, and to contend with it till it is com­
pletely vanquished. Thou shalt, says the Lord, utterly
destroy them} “ God,” says St. Teresa, “ requires of us
only strong resolutions; he himself will do the rest.'
In another place she asserts that the devil is afraid of
resolute souls; but he fears not those who, though they
desire perfection, never desire to become saints. Again
the saint says that God cheerfully lends his aid to all,
1 “ Petite, et accipietis.”—John, xvi, 24.
2 “ Percuties eas usque ad internecionem.”—Dent. vii. 2.
3 Found, ch. 2S.

ch.

vi ]

Imperfect Rcligiozis exposed to Danger,

i 25

however great their sinfulness may be, who with a firm
resolution consecrate themselves entirely to his love.
The meditations of a religious should always be con­
cluded by strong resolutions. “ Short prayer,” says St.
Teresa, “ which produces great effects, is better than
prayer continued for many years, but devoid of holy
resolutions.” 1 And of what use, I ask, is the meditation
in which we are content with certain devout affections,
and certain general petitions made through habit, but
in which we never resolve to correct the faults we know
to be an obstacle to our spiritual advancement ?
4. One of the most necessary resolutions is to remove
as much as possible the occasions of our defects. The
devil laughs at all our resolutions and promises of
amendment as long as we expose ourselves to the occacasions of sin. He once said that of all instructions
that which treated on avoiding the occasions of sin was
the most displeasing to him. A religious, then, should
endeavor to discover the causes of her defects; she
ought to examine if they arise from familiarity with any
person within or without the monastery; from remain­
ing in such a place; from keeping up a correspondence
by letters or by presents, or from similar causes. St.
Teresa says that if a soul does not relinquish worldly
diversion she will soon begin to fall back in the way of
the Lord; and that if all sinful occasions be taken
away she will advance rapidly in the love of God. This
great saint also says that a religious should communicate
her temptations only to those who love perfection. If
she disclose them to imperfect souls she will do injury
to herself and to others.
5. A religious ought to be particularly exact in perform­
ing acts of the virtues opposed to the evil inclinations
which are most troublesome to her, and which most fre­
quently lead her into defects. For example, if she is prone
1 Life, ch. 30.

126

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. vi.

to pride, she should take particular care to humble her­
self before all, and to bear patiently all the humiliations
that she receives from others. If she is addicted to
greediness, she ought to abstain as much as possible
from the indulgence of her appetite. They that are
inclined to other defects should adopt similar means of
conquering them. It will also, as Cassian observes,1 be
very useful to represent to ourselves, in the time of
mental prayer, the occasions which may occur; as, for
example, any insult or injury that we are likely to re­
ceive, and then to resolve to humble ourselves, and to
be resigned to the divine will. Such previous resolu­
tions (except with regard to temptations against chastity)
prepare the soul for sudden and unforeseen contradic­
tions. It was by this means that the saints were always
prepared to bear with peace and joy all the derision,
injuries, stripes, and injustices that they received.
6. It is also very useful to make the particular exami­
nation on the predominant passion, and to perform
some penance as often as we yield to it. We must
never cease to combat this passion until it is completely
conquered; we must trust in the divine aid, and say with
holy David: I will pursue after my enemies^ and overtake
them ; and I will not turn again till they are consumedI I
will persecute my enemies; I will beat them down, and
will not cease to combat them till they are utterly de­
stroyed. Remember that however great your progress
in virtue may be, it would be a fatal delusion to imagine
that your passions are dead, for, although they may be
extinguished for a time, they will again spring up as
long as you remain in the body. “ Flow much soever,”
says St. Bernard, “you have advanced here below, you
err if you think your vices are not only suppressed, but
1 Collât. IO, c. 16.
5 *' Persequar inimicos meos, et comprehendam illos; et non conver­
tar. donec deficiant.”—Ps. xvii. 38.

ch. vi.]

Imperfect Retigiotis exposed to Danger,

12 7

dead.” 1 Hence Cassian observes that to prevent the
passions that you have subdued from resuming their
sway, it is necessary to watch continually; for if you
slacken your exertions they will return, and will rule
your soul with still greater despotism.
7. To overcome any defect whatever, it is necessary,
above all, to distrust altogether our own strength and
exertions, and to place entire confidence in God, saying
with David: For J will not trust in my bow; neither shall
my sword save me' If we confide in our own resolution
and exertions our labor will be lost. We must there­
fore pray without ceasing for the divine assistance, con­
tinually crying out, Have mercy on me, O Lord; assist me
0 my God. Jesus Christ has promised that he who asks
shall receive, and that he who seeks shall *
find; but to
obtain God’s gifts we must pray continually, and never
cease to pray.
ought, says the Redeemer, always to
pray and not to faint.' Whenever we give up prayer we
shall be defeated; but if we persevere in prayer, with a
true desire of receiving the graces of God, though as
yet we have not been conquerors, the victory shall,
nevertheless, ultimately belong to us.

Prayer,
0 my Jesus, look not on my ingratitude to Thee, after all
Thy mercies, but turn Thy eyes to Thy own merits, and to the
pains that Thou hast suffered for me, from the crib of Bethle­
hem to the cross of Calvary. I repent, with my whole soul, of
all the offences that I have offered to Thee. From this mo­
ment I consecrate to Thee my life, which I desire to spend in
doing all that I can to obey and to love Thee. I love Thee, O
my Redeemer, but I love Thee too little ; for Thy mercy’s sake,
1 0 Quantumlibet in hoc corpore manens profeceris, erras, si vitia
putes emortua, et non magis suppressa.”—In Cant. s. 58.
5 “ Non enim in arcu meo sperabo, et gladius meus non salvabit me."
—Ps. xliii. 7.
8 “ Petite, et dabitur vobis; quærite, et invenietis."—Luke, xl. 9.
* “ Oportet semper orare, et non deficere.”—Luke, xviii. 1.

128

Imperfect Religious exposed to Danger,

[ch. vi.

increase ir my soul Thy love. Hear my prayer O Jesus, and
make me, by Thy grace, continue to repeat this prayer. O love
of my soul, O that my neart may burn continually with Thy
love. I have offended Thee grievously ; but for the future I
desire to love Thee intensely. I desire to love Thee alone, be­
cause Thou alone deservest to be loved above all things ; and I
desire to love Thee for no other reason than because Thou art
worthy of all love.
O Mary, my mother and my hope, assist me.

CH. VIL]

Interior Mortification,

129

CHAPTER VII.
INTERIOR MORTIFICATION, OR ABNEGATION OF SELF-LOVE.—
OBEDIENCE.

I.
Necessity of combating Self-love.—Practical Rules.

There are two sorts of self-love : the one good, the
other pernicious. The former is that which makes us seek
eternal life—the end of our creation; the latter inclines
us to pursue earthly goods, and to prefer them to our
everlasting welfare, and to the holy will of God. “ The
celestial Jerusalem,” says St. Augustine, “ is built up by
loving God so as to condemn one’s self; but the earthly
city is raised by loving self so as to despise Almighty
God.” 1 Hence, Jesus Christ has said: If any man will
come after me, let him deny himselfI Christian perfection,
then, consists in self-abnegation. Whoever denies not
himself, cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ. “ The
augmentation of charity,” says St. Augustine, “ is the
diminution of cupidity: the perfection of charity is its
destruction.” 3 The less, then, a Christian desires to in­
dulge passion, the more he will love God; and if he
seeks nothing but God, he will then possess perfect
charity. But in the present state of corrupt nature it
is not possible to be altogether exempt from the moles­
tation of self-love. Jesus alone among men, and Mary
1 “ Fecerunt civitates duas amores duo: terrenam, amor sui usque ad
contemptum Dei; coelestem, amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui.”—
De Civ. D. 1. 14, c. 28.
2 “ Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum.”—Matt. xvi. 24.
3“ Nutrimentum charitatis est imminutio cupiditatis; perfectio, nulla
cupiditas.”—De div. quasi. q. 36.

130

Interior Mortification.

[CH. VII.

alone among women, have been free from its sugges­
tions. All the other saints had to combat their irregu­
lar passions. The principal and the only care of a
religious should be, to restrain the inordinate inclina­
tions of self-love. “ To regulate the motions of the soul
is,” as St. Augustine says, “ the office of interior morti­
fication.” 1
Unhappy the soul that suffers itself to be ruled by its
own inclinations. “ A domestic enemy,” says St. Ber­
nard, “ is the worst of foes.”1
*34 The devil and the world
continually seek our destruction, but self-love is a still
more dangerous enemy. “ Self-love,” says St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi, “ is like a worm which corrodes
the roots of a plant, deprives us not only of fruit, but of
life.” In another place she says, “ Self-love is the most
deceitful of all enemies: like Judas, it betrays us with
the kiss of peace. Whoever overcomes it conquers all.
He that cannot cut it off by a single stroke should at
least endeavor to destroy it by degrees.” We must
pray continually, in the language of Solomon: Give me
not over to a shameless and foolish mind} O my God, do
not abandon me to my foolish passions, that seek to de­
stroy in my soul Thy holy fear, and even to deprive me
of the use of my reason.
Our whole life must be one continued contest. The
life of a man upon earth, says Job, is a Warfare} Now he
that is placed in the front of battle must be always
prepared for an attack: as soon as he ceases to defend
himself he is conquered. And here it is necessary to
remark, that the soul should never cease to combat her
passions, however great her victories over them may
have been; for human passions, though conquered a
1 “ Regere motus animi.”—Serm. 196, E. B.
s “ Magis nocet domesticus hostis.”—Médit, c. 13.
3 “ Animæ irreverenti et infrunitæ ne tradas me.”_ Ecclus. xxiii. 6.
4 “ Militia est vita hominis super terram.”—Jobt yjj. T

sec. i.)

Neccssity of combating Self-love.

thousand times, never die. “ Believe me,” sayu $'c. Ber­
nard, “ that after being cut off they bud forth again·,
and after being put to flight they return.”1 Hence by
struggling with concupiscence we can only render its
attacks less frequent, less violent, and more easy to be
subdued. Λ certain monk complained to the Abbot
Theodore that he had contended for eight years with
his passions, and that still they were not extinguished.
“ Brother,” replied the abbot, “ you complain of this
warfare of eight years, and I have spent seventy years
in solitude, and during all that time I have not been for
a single day free from assaults of passion.”* We shall
be subject during our mortal lives to the molestation of
our passions. “ But,” as St. Gregory says, “ it is one
thing to look at these monsters, and another to shelter
them in our hearts.” 3 It is one thing to hear their roar,
and another to admit them into our souls, and suffer
them to devour us.
The human soul is a garden in which useless and nox­
ious herbs constantly spring up: we must, therefore, by
the practice of holy mortification continually hold the
mattock in our hands to root them up and banish them
from our hearts; otherwise our souls will become a wild,
uncultivated waste, covered with briers and thorns.
“ Conquer yourself,” was an expression always on the
lips of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the text of his famil­
iar discourses to his religious. Conquer self-love and
break down your own will. Few (he would say) of
those who practise mental prayer become saints, be­
cause few of them endeavor to overcome themselves.
“Of a hundred persons,” says the saint, “devoted to
’ “Credite mihi, et putata repullulant, et effugata redeunt.”—In Cant.
s. 58.
9 Vit. Patr. 1. 5, libell. 7, n. 5.
8“ Aliud est has bestias in campo operis saevientes aspicere, aliud in­
tra cordis caveam frementes tenere.”—I. 6, c. 22.

I32

Interior Mortification,

[CH. VII.

prayer, more than ninety are self-willed.” Hence he
preferred a single act of mortification of self-will to long
prayer, accompanied with many spiritual consolations.
‘•What does it avail,” says Gilbert, “ to close the gates,
if famine—the internal enemy—produce general afflic­
tion ?” 1 What does it profit us to mortify the exterior
senses and to perform exercises of devotion while at
the same time we cherish in our hearts rancor, ambi­
tion, attachment to self-will and to self-esteem, or any
other passion which brings ruin on the soul ?
St. Francis Borgia says that prayer introduces the
love of God into the soul, but mortification prepares a
place for it, by banishing from the heart earthly affec­
tions— the most powerful obstacles to charity. Whoever
goes for water to the fountain must cleanse the vessel
of the earth which it may contain; otherwise he will
bring back mire instead of water. “ Prayer without
mortification,” says Father Balthasar Alvarez, “ is either
an illusion, or lasts but for a short time.” And St. Igna­
tius asserts that a mortified Christian acquires a more
perfect union with God in a quarter of an hour’s prayer,
than an unmortified soul does by praying for several
hours. Hence, whenever he heard that any one spent a
great deal of time in mental prayer, he said: “ It is a
sign that he practises great mortification.”
There are some religious who perform a great many
exercises of devotion, who practise frequent Commun­
ion, long meditations, fasting, and other corporal aus­
terities, but make no effort to overcome certain little
passions—for example, certain resentments, aversions,
curiosity, and certain dangerous affections. They will
not submit to any contradiction; they will not give up at­
tachment to certain persons, nor subject their will to the
commands of their Superiors, or to the holy will of God.
1 “ Quid proficit clausos esse aditus, si intus hostis fames cuncta con­
tristat ?”—In Cant. s. 26.

sec. i.’

Necessity of combating Self-love,

133

What progress can they make in perfection ? Unhappy
souls! they will be always imperfect: always out of the
way of sanctity. “ They,” says St. Augustine, “ run
well, but out of the way.” They imagine that they run
well because they practise the works of piety which
their own self-will suggests; but they shall be forever
out of the way of perfection, which consists in conquer­
ing self. “ Thou shalt advance,” says the devout Thomas
à Kempis, “ in proportion to the violence thou shalt
have offered to thyself.” 1 I do not mean to censure
vocal prayer, or acts of penance, or the other spiritual
works. But, because all exercises of devotion are but
the means of practising virtue, the soul should seek in
them only the conquest of its passions. Hence, in our
Communions, meditations, visits to the Blessed Sacra­
ment, and other similar exercises, we ought always to
beseech Almighty God to give us strength to practise
humility, mortification, obedience, and conformity to
his holy will. In every Christian it is a defect to act
from a motive of self-satisfaction. But in a religious
who makes a particular profession of perfection and
mortification it is a much greater fault. “ God,” says
Lactantius, “ calls to life by labor; the devil, to death
by delights.” The Lord brings his servants to eternal
life by mortification; but the devil leads sinners to ever­
lasting death by pleasure and self-indulgence.
Even works of piety must be always undertaken with
a spirit of detachment; so that whenever our efforts are
unsuccessful we shall not be disturbed, and when our
exercises of devotion are prohibited by the Superior we
shall give them up with cheerfulness. Self-attachment
of every kind hinders a perfect union with God. We
must therefore seriously and firmly resolve to mortify
our passions, and not to submit to be their slaves. ExTantum proficies, quantum tibi ipsi vim intuleris."—huit. Chr,
1. i, c. 23.

134

In ter ior

J /ortifioa tion.

[CH. vu.

ternal as well as interior mortification is necessary for
perfection: but with this difference, that the former
should be practised with discretion; the latter without
discretion, and with fervor. What does it profit us to
mortify the body while the passions of the heart are in­
dulged ? “Of what use is it,” says St. Jerome, “ to re­
duce the body by abstinence, if the soul is swelled with
pride?—or to abstain from wine, and to be inebriated
with hatred ?” 1 It is useless to chastise the body by
fasting while pride inflates the heart to such a degree
that we cannot bear a word of contempt or the refusal
of a request. In vain do we abstain from wine while
the soul is intoxicated with anger against all who thwart
our designs or oppose our inclinations. No wonder,
then, that St. Bernard deplored the miserable state of
religious who wear the external garb of humility, and
at the same time inwardly cherish their passions.
“ They,” says the saint, “are not divested of their vices:
they only cover them by the outward sign of penance.”
By attention to the mortification of self-love we shall
become saints in a short time, and without the risk of
injury to health; for since God is the only witness of
interior acts, they will not expose us to the danger of
being puffed up with pride. Oh ! what treasures of
virtue and of merits are laid up by stifling in their very
birth those little inordinate desires and affections,
those bickerings, those suggestions of curiosity, those
bursts of wit and humor, and all similar effects of selflove ! When you are contradicted, give up your opinion
with cheerfulness, unless the glory of God require that
you maintain it. When feelings of self-esteem spring
up in your heart, make a sacrifice of them to Jesus
Christ. If you receive a letter, restrain your curiosity,
and abstain from opening it for some time. If you de’ “Quid prodest tenuari abstinentia, si animus intumescit superbia?
Quid vinum non bibere, et odio inebriari ?”—Ep. ad Celant.

SEC. I.]

Necessity of combating Self-love.

B5

sire to read the termination of an interesting narrative,
lay aside the book, and defer the reading of it to another
time. When you feel inclined to mirth, to pull a flower,
or to look at any object, suppress these inclinations for
the love of Jesus Christ, and deprive yourself for his
sake of the pleasure of indulging them. A thousand
acts of this kind may be performed in the day. Father
Leonard of Port Maurice relates that a servant of God
performed eight acts of mortification in eating an egg,
and that it was afterwards revealed to her that as the
reward of her self-denial eight degrees of grace and as
many degrees of glory were bestowed upon her. It is
also narrated of St. Dositheus, that by similar morti­
fications of the interior he arrived in a short time at a
high degree of perfection. Though unable, in conse­
quence of bodily infirmities, to fast or to discharge the
other duties of the Community, he attained so perfect
an union with God, that the other monks, struck with
wonder at his sublime sanctity, asked him what exercises
of virtue he performed. “ The exercise,” replied the
saint, “ to which I have principally attended is the
mortification of all self-will.”
Blessed Joseph Calasanctius used to say that “the
day which is spent without mortification is lost.” To
convince us of the necessity of mortification, the Re­
deemer has chosen a life of self-denial, full of pains and
ignominy, and destitute of all sensible pleasure. Hence
he is called by Isaias a man of sorrows}
He might have
saved the world, amid the enjoyment of honors and de­
lights; but he preferred to redeem it by sorrows and
contempt.
W.ho having joy set before him, endured the
cross} To give us an example, he renounced the joy
which was set before him, and embraced the cross.
“ Reflect again and again,” says St. Bernard, “ on the
1 “Virum dolorum.”—Is. liii. 3.
’ “ Proposito sibi gaudio, sustinuit crucem.”—Hebr. xii. 2.

136

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

life of Jesus, and you will find him always on the cross.” 1
The Redeemer revealed to St. Catharine of Bologna
that the sorrows of his passion began in his mother’s
womb. For his birth he selected the season, the place,
and the hour most adapted to excite pain.
During life
he chose to be poor, unknown, despised; and, dying, he
preferred the most painful, the most ignominious, and
the most desolate of all sorts of death which human
nature could suffer. St. Catharine of Sienna used to
say, that as a mother takes the bitterest medicine to
restore the health of the infant she suckles, so Jesus
Christ has assumed all the pains of life to heal the in­
firmities of his children.
Thus he invites all his followers to accompany him to
the mountain of myrrh; that is, of bitterness and of sor­
rows. I will go to the mountain of myrrh? Behold, he in­
vites us to follow him if we wish for his company. “Do
you come,” says St. Peter Damian, “ to Jesus crucified?
If you do, you must come already crucified, or to be
crucified.” 3 If, O sacred spouse, you come to embrace
your crucified Saviour, you must bring with you a heart
already crucified, or to be crucified. Speaking especi­
ally of his virginal spouses, Jesus Christ said to blessed
Baptist Varani: The crucified Bridegroom desires a cru­
cified spouse. Hence, to be the true spouses of Jesus,
religious must lead lives of continual mortification and
self-denial. Always bearing about in our body the mortifica­
tion of fesus? They must never seek their own satisfac­
tion, in any action or desire, but the pleasure of Jesus
Christ, crucifying for his sake all their inclinations.12
1 “ Volve et revolve vitam Jesu; semper eum invenies in cruce.”
3 “Vadam ad montem myrrhæ.”—Cant. iv. 6.
3 “ Venis ad Crucifixum? Crucifixus venias, aut crucifigendus.”—De
Exalt. S. Crue. s. 1.
4 “ Semper mortificationem J su in corpore nostro circumferentes.”—
2 Cor. iv. 10.

sec. i.]

Necessity of combating Self-love.

137

They that arc Christ's have crucified their flesh, With the vices
and concupiscences) Religious, if they expect to be recog­
nized as the spouses of the Redeemer, must transfix all
their passions.
Let us now see what are the means by which the spirit
of interior mortification may be acquired.
I. The first means is, to discover the passion which
predominates in our heart, and which most frequently
leads us into sin; and then to endeavor to conquer it.
St. Gregory says, that to overcome the devil we must
avail ourselves of the artifices by which he seeks our
destruction. He labors continually to increase in us the
violence of the passion to which we are most subject;
and we must direct our attention principally to the ex­
tirpation of that passion. Whoever subdues his pre­
dominant passion will easily conquer all other evil in­
clinations; but he that is under its sway can make no
progress in perfection. “ Of what advantage,” says St.
Ephrem, “ are wings to the eagie when his foot is
chained?”3 Oh! how many religious are there who,
like the royal eagle, are capable of lofty flights in the
way of God, and who, because they are bound by earthly
attachments, never fly, and never advance in holiness.
St. John of the Cross says, that a slender thread is suf­
ficient to fetter a soul that flies not with eagerness to its
God. Besides, he that submits to the tyranny of any
passion, not only does not go forward in the way of vir­
tue, but is exposed to great danger of being lost. If a
religious neglects to subdue her ruling passion, other
mortifications will be unprofitable to her. Some despise
worldly riches, but are full of self-esteem. If they do
not endeavor to bear the humiliations which they re­
ceive, their contempt of mammon will profit them but
1 “Qui sunt Christi, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et con­
cupiscentiis.”—Gal. v. 24.
9 “ Quid aquilæ prosunt alæ, capt^ oede ?”

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Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

little. Others, on the contrary, are patient and humble,
but enslaved to the love of money. If they do not mor­
tify the desire of wealth, their patience and humility in
bearing with contempt will be of little use to them.
O sacred virgin, resolve then, with a resolute will, to
subdue the evil inclination which is most predominant
in your heart. A resolute will, aided by the grace of
God (which is never wanting), conquers all difficulties.
St. Francis de Sales was very prone to anger; but by
continual violence to himself he became a model of
meekness and of sweetness. We read in his life that he
bore without murmur or complaint the injuries and
calumnies which, to try his patience, were by the divine
permission heaped upon him. As soon as one passion
is subdued we must endeavor to overcome the others;
for a single unmortified passion will be sufficient to
lead the soul to destruction. St. Joseph Calasanctius
asserts that while a single passion reigns in a heart,
though all the others should have been extirpated, the
soul shall never enjoy tranquillity. “A ship,” says St.
Cyril, “ however strong and perfect it may be, will be
unsafe while the smallest hole remains in the bottom.” 1
And St. Augustine says: “Trample under foot passions
already subdued, and combat those that still offer re­
sistance.” 2 If you wish to be a saint, I advise you to
entreat the Superior and director to point out the way
in which you ought to walk. Tell them not to spare
you, but to contradict your inclinations as often as they
shall judge it useful to you. “ Be of an upright and
perfect will,” says that great servant of God, Cardinal
Petrucci. St. Teresa3 relates that she derived more
advantage from one of her confessors, who sought on all
occasions to oppose her desires, than from all the others.
1 “ Navis, quanlumcumque integra, nihil prodest, si parvum fundo
foramen relinquat.”—Int. op. S. Aug. ep. 19, Αρρ. E. B.
’ “ Calca jacentem, conflige cum resistente.”—Serin. 156, E. B.
2 Life, ch. 26.

sec. i.]

Necessity of combating Self love.

J39

She adds, that she was frequently tempted to leave him;
and that, as often as she yielded to the suggestion of
the devil, God rebuked her severely. “ Every time,”
says the saint, “ I resolved to leave him, I felt within me
a rebuke more painful than the conduct of my confessor
towards me.’*
II. The second means to obtain the spirit of interior
mortification is, to resist the passions, and to beat them
down before they acquire strength. If one of them be­
come strong by habitual indulgence, the subjugation of
it will be exceedingly difficult. “ Lest cupidity,” says
St. Augustine, “ should gain strength, strike it to the
ground whilst it is weak.”1 Sometimes it will happen
that a religious will feel inclined to make use of an
angry expression, or to entertain an affection for a cer­
tain person. If she do not resist these desires in the be­
ginning, the slight wound, inflicted by her consent to
them, shall soon become incurable. “ Unless,” says St.
Ephrem, “you quickly take away the passions, they
produce an ulcer.”1
23 One of the ancient monks, as we
learn from St. Dorotheus,3 has beautifully illustrated
this doctrine. He commanded one of his disciples to
pluck up a young cypress. The disciple executed the
command without difficulty. The Superior then told
him to pull up another tree of greater growth: to
perform this task all the strength of the young monk
was necessary. Lastly, the venerable Father com­
manded the disciple to tear up a tree which had taken
deep root. In obedience to this precept the young reli­
gious exerted all his strength; but his efforts were fruit­
less—the tree was immovable.
Behold, said the old
man, how easily our passions are eradicated in the be­
1 “ Cum parvula est cupiditas, nequaquam parvæ consuetudinis robur
accipiat; elide illam.”—In Ps. cxxxvi.
2 “ Nisi citius passiones sustuleris, ulcus efficiunt.”—De Pcrf. mon.
3 Dodr. ii.

140

Interior Mortification.

[ch. vu.

ginning, and how difficult it is to conquer them after
they have acquired strength and vigor by evil habits.
This truth is confirmed by daily experience. A reli­
gious when she receives an insult feels within a motion
of resentment; if in the beginning she stifles the spark,
and silently offers to God the sacrifice of her feelings,
the fire is extinguished, she escapes unhurt, and even
acquires merit before the Lord. But if she yield to the
impulse of passion, if she pause to reflect on the insult
she has received, and manifest externally the feelings of
her soul—that spark of resentment will soon be kindled
into a flame of hatred. Another religious entertains a
certain little attachment towards a certain person; if in
the beginning she avoid the company of that person,
the affection will vanish; but if she encourage the at­
tachment, it will in a short time become sinful and
mortal. We must therefore abstain with the greatest
care from nourishing our passions—the monsters that
would devour us.
III. The third means is, as Cassian says,1 to endeavor
to change the object of our passions, that thus the per­
nicious and vicious desires of the heart may become
salutary and holy. Some are inclined to an inordinate
love of all from whom they receive a favor. They
should seek to change the object of this propensity, and
to turn their affections to God, whois infinitely amiable,
and who has bestowed the most inestimable blessings
upon them. Others are prone to anger against those
who are opposed to them: they ought to direct their
resentment against their own sins, which have done
them more injury than all the devils in hell could inflict
upon them. Others pant after honors and temporal
goods: they should aspire to the goods and honors of
God’s eternal kingdom.
But to practise successfully this means of conquering
1 Collât. 12, c. 5.

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sec. i.]

Necessity of combating Self-love.

141

our passions, frequent meditation on the truths of faith,
frequent spiritual readings, and frequent reflections on
the eternal maxims are indispensably necessary. And,
above all, it is necessary to impress deeply on the mind
certain fundamental spiritual maxims, such as: “ God
alone deserves to be loved. Sin is the only evil which
we ought to hate. Whatever God wills is good. All
worldly goods shall have an end. The most insignifi­
cant action, performed for God’s sake, is more profit­
able than the conversion of the whole world effected
from any other motive than the love of God. It is
necessary to do what at the hour of death we would
wish to have done. We ought to live on this earth as if
there were nothing in existence but ourselves and God.”
He whose mind is continually filled with holy maxims
suffers little molestation from earthly objects, and is
always strong enough to resist his corrupt inclinations.
The saints have kept their souls always occupied with
the truths of eternity, and thus in the time of tempta­
tion have been almost insensible to the goods or the
evils of this life. To conquer self-love, and to shake off
the tyranny of passion, we must above all things pray
without ceasing, and continually ask of God the assist­
ance of his grace. He that prays, obtains all God’s
gifts: For every one that asketh receiveth.' We ought
especially to beg the gift of divine love; for to him who
loves God, nothing is difficult. Consideration and re­
flection assist us greatly in the practice of virtue; but
in the observance of the divine commands a single
spark of the love of God affords more help than a thou­
sand reflections and considerations. Acts of virtue
which proceed from reflection are accompanied with
labor and violence; but he that loves is not fatigued by
doing what pleases his beloved. “ He that loves, labors
not ” * says St. Augustine.
1 “ Ornnis enim qui petit accipit.”—Luke, xi. io.
* “ Qui amat, non laborat.”—In Jo. tr. 48.

142

Interior Mortification,

[ch. vu.

Prayer.

O my God, after so many graces, so many Communions, and so
many good cxamplesof companions ; afterso many interior lights
and loving invitations—my whole soul should at this moment
be one flame of divine love. But notwithstanding all Thy favors
I am still as imperfect and miserable as ever. Nothing has been
wanting on Thy part; the fault is entirely mine, and is to be
ascribed to the obstacles which I have opposed to Thy grace by
obeying my passions. I see, O my Jesus, that my life has not
given glory to Thee, but has rather brought dishonor on Thy
name, by exhibiting to others one of Thy spouses so attached
to the world and to herself. Thou hast taken me from the
world, and I have loved it more than even seculars. O Lord,
have mercy upon me; do not abandon me, for I desire to
amend. I repent with my whole heart of all the insults wl.ish,
for the indulgence of my pleasures, I have offered to Thee. I
desire to begin to love Thee from this moment. I have abused
Thy patience too long, but now I love Thee with my whole
soul. From this day forward Thou shalt be the only object of
my affections. I desire to leave all, and to do everything in my
power to please Thee. Show me Thy will and assist me to exe­
cute it, I am ready to please Thee in all things. Do not per­
mit me to be any longer insensible to the excessive love by
which Thou hast obliged me to love Thee. I am willing to be
deprived of every earthly consolation, and to suffer every cross
which Thou wilt please to send me. Dispose of me as Thou
pleasest. I desire and hope to belong to Thee entirely and for­
ever. I desire Thee alone, and nothing more.
Mary, my mother, beg of thy Son to hear me; for he denies
thee nothing.
II.
Detachment from Self-will.

Nothing is more injurious to religious who have con­
secrated their will to Jesus Christ than to be guided by
the dictates of their own will and inclinations. Hence,
to guard against this enemy of the spirit—self-will—the
vow of obedience has been prescribed in every religious

sec. ii.]

Detachment from Self-will.

143

Order. Nothing but self-will can separate us from God.
Neither all the men upon earth nor all the devils in hell
can deprive us of his grace. “ Let self-will cease,” says
St. Bernard, “and there will be no hell.”1 Let men
give up their own will, and for them there shall be no
hell. It is self-will that destroys all virtues. St. Peter
Damian calls it “the great destroyer of all virtues;”3
and St. Anselm says that “the will of God is the foun­
tain of all good, and the will of man the source of all
evil.” 3 And what fruit can be expected from the dis­
ciple who chooses a master destitute of reason, that is,
his own will? “Whoever,” says St. Bernard, “ consti­
tutes himself his own master, becomes the disciple of a
fool.” ‘ St. Anthony used to say that self-love is that
wine which inebriates man so as to render him incapa­
ble of comprehending the value of virtue or the evil
of sin.
St. Augustine asserts that “the devil has been made
a devil by self-will.” 5 It is principally by self-will that
Satan seeks to effect the perdition of religious. Cassian
relates that the Abbot Achilles, being asked by his dis­
ciples with what arms the devil fights against religious,
answered, that he employs pride against the great,
avarice against merchants, intemperance against youth,
but that his principal weapon against religious are their
own will: that with this he attacks and frequently de­
feats them. The Abbot Pastor says that “ the demons
do not contend with us when we do our own will, for
1 “ Cesset voluntas propria, et infernus non erit.”—In Temp.
Pasch. s. 3.
2 “ Destructio magna virtutum.”—Hom. de S. Bened.
3 " Voluntas Dei fons est totius boni; voluntas hominis totius est
exordium mali.”—De Similit. c. 8.
4 “ Qui se sibi magistrum constituit, stulto se discipulum subdit.”—
Epist. 87.
5 “ Diabolus, perversa voluntate, ex bono angelo diabolus factus est.”
—Conf. 1. 7, c. 3.

144

Interior Mortification,

[ch.vii.

then our wills become devils.” ’ When we do our own
will, the enemy ceases to combat us; because then our
wills are devils, and more injurious to us than all the
devils in hell. St. John Climacus (quoted by Gerson)
says that he who, despising the authority of his Superi­
or, wishes to direct himself, does not require a devil to
tempt him, because he is become a devil to himself?
Go not, says the Holy Ghost, after thy lusts, but turn from
thy own will.
*
Do not follow your own desires, but fly
from the indulgence of self-will. This admonition is
directed in a particular manner to religious who have
sacrificed their will to God by promising obedience to
their Rule and to their Superior. As God should be
the only object of their love, so obedience is the only
means by which they can obtain his love. To be the
fruit of obedience is the highest perfection which the
actions of religious can attain. The Venerable Catha­
rine of Cardona, having left the Spanish court, retired
into a desert, where she lived for many years in the
practice of penitential austerities, the very recital of
which would fill the mind with horror. In her life it is
related that seeing one day a discalced Carmelite carry­
ing through obedience a bundle of wood, and knowing
by inspiration that he murmured interiorly against the
command of his Superior, she thus addressed him:
“ Brother, carry, carry with alacrity these fagots; and
be assured that by this act of obedience you will merit
a greater reward than I have deserved by all my
penances.” But as the works of religious derive from
1 “ Non pugnant nobiscum dæmones, quando voluntates nostras facù
mus; quia voluntates nostræ dæmones factæ sunt.”—Vit. Patr. 1. 5,
lib. ίο, n. 62.
’ “ Qui sibi dux esse vult, spreto duce proprio, non jam indiget dæmone tentante, quia ipse factus est dæmon sibi.”—De Lib. leg. a mon.
cons. 6.
3 “ Post concupiscentias tuas non eas, et a voluntate tua avertere.”—
Eteins, xviii. 30.

-

sec.

π.]

Detachment from Self-will.

145

obedience the highest degree of perfection, so by self­
will they are rendered most imperfect and defective.
Hence, Tritemius says that nothing is more hateful to
the devil than the practice of obedience. “The devil
detests nothing more than obedience.” 1 Speaking of
obedience, St. Teresa says that “Satan knows that it is
the remedy of the soul, and therefore he labors hard to
prevent its attainment.” 12 When St. Francis de Sales
was devising the Rule for the nuns of the Visitation a
certain person said that they ought to be barefooted.
“You,” replied the saint, “wish to begin with the feet,
but I wish to begin with the head.” St. Philip Neri
continually impressed on his penitent that sanctity con­
sists in the mortification of self-will. “You will,” says
St. Jerome, “advance in proportion as you deny your
own will.” 3 Your progress in virtue will be propor­
tional to your denial of self-will. It was because they
knew that they could not offer to God a more agreeable
sacrifice than that of their own will, by the vow of obe­
dience, that so many parish priests and bishops, who
led exemplary lives in the world, retired into the cloister
to live under obedience.
Oh ! how happy the religious who, at the hour of
death, can say, with the Abbot John, I have never done
my own will.4 St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to
say, that the only means of dying a happy death is to
submit with simplicity to the direction of a Superior.
“To crucify all her desires is,” says Cassian, “ the end of
a religious.” 5 The religious, then, who does not attend
to the mortification of self-will cannot be called a relig1 “ Nihil est quod diabolus plus oderit, quam obedientiam.”
2 Found, ch. 5.
3 “Tantum adjicies virtuti, quantum subtraxeris propriæ voluntati.”
4 Cassian, De Canob. inst. 1. 4, c. 28.
6 “ Finis coenobitæ est omnes suas crucifigere voluntates.”—Collât. 19,
c. 8
10

146

Interior Mortification.

[CH. Vir­

ions, but a sacrilegious violator of her profession. What
greater sacrilege than to take back the will that has
been once consecrated to God? “There is not,” says
St. Bernard, “a more heinous sacrilege than to resume
power over a will once offered to God.” The Holy
Ghost has declared by the mouth of Samuel, that to
violate obedience and to follow self-will in contempt of
authority is a species of idolatry. It is like the sin of
witchcraft, to rebel; and like the crime of idolatry, to refuse
to obey) St. Gregory applies this passage in a particular
manner to the disobedience of religious. “It is,” says
the saint, “like the sin of witchcraft to rebel, because
they believe the proud inventions of their own hearts,
and resist the counsels of their prelates.”12 The sin of
religious who despise the commands of Superiors, and
follow the dictates of self-love, is like the crime of idol­
atry; because they in a manner adore self-will as their
God. Hence, St. Basil3 ordained that monks who were
attached to their own will should, like lepers, be sepa­
rated from the rest of the Community, lest others might
be infected by their bad example.
Blessed Charlotte used to say that mortification of
self-will is more meritorious than the renunciation of all
the riches of the world. And here it is right to observe,
that sanctity depends on the abnegation of self-will, not
only in what is imperfect or indifferent, but also in the
exercises which have the appearance of virtue; as, for
example, prayer, alms-deeds, acts of penance, and other
works of piety. Cassian remarks that acts of virtue
performed through self-will and disobedience are pro­
ductive of the worst consequences; because sinful actions
1 “Quasi peccatum ariolandi est, repugnare; et quasi scelus idolola­
triae, nolle acquiescere.”—1 K'ings, xv. 23.
s “Quasi ergo peccatum ariolandi est, repugnare; quia cordis sui
superbis adinventionibus credunt, et præiatorum consiliis refragantur.”
3 Reg. fus. disp. ini. 28.

sec.

π.]

Detachment from Self-will.

147

which wear the appearance of holiness are corrected
only with the greatest difficulty. “Vices,” he says,
“which appear to be virtues are the most irremedi­
able.” 1 Religious who desire to attain sanctity by fol­
lowing self-will are precisely the souls who, according
to Isaias, will say to Jesus Christ on the day of judg­
ment: JVhy have we fasted and tfibu hast not regarded?
*
To
them the Judge will answer, that their works were per­
formed to please themselves rather than to do the will
of God, and that therefore they deserve no reward. Be­
hold, he will say, in the day of your fast your own will is
found? Oh ! how great, then, is the evil of self-will,
which vitiates and destroys the most perfect actions !
“Great,” says St. Bernard, “is the evil of self-will, which
renders your good works unprofitable to you.” 4 But,
on the other hand, to be the result of obedience, is an
infallible sign that an action is pleasing to God. Nicephorus relates that when the Superiors of St. Simon
Stylites wished to ascertain whether the extraordinary
and singular life which he led, remaining on a pillar in
the open air, night and day, were pleasing to God, they
commanded him to come down from his pillar and to
live with the other monks. On hearing the command,
the saint instantly stretched out his foot to descend,
but was told by his Superiors to persevere in his austeri­
ties, which he proved by his obedience to be acceptable
before God. It is necessary, then, to seek even holy
things without attachment to self-will. St. Francis de
Sales used to say: “I desire but few things, and for
these I am not solicitous.” 6 He wished for them, not
!“A remediis longinquiora sunt vitia quæ, sub specie virtutum,
ridentur emergere.”—Collât. 4, c. 20.
5 “ Quare jejunavimus et non aspexisti ?”—Is. Iviii. 3.
3 “ Ecce, in dic jejunii vestri, invenitur voluntas vestra.”—Ibid.
4 “ Grande malum propria voluntas, qua fit ut bona tua tibi bona non
sint!”—In Cant. s. 71.
5 Entret. 21.

148

IjliCYlOY Ils ut

4 IJLCUsCLUIl,

[CH. Vil.

through self-love, but to please God ; and was therefore
prepared to give them up as soon as he knew they were
not conformable to the holy will of God.
Oh ! how great is the peace of a religious whose
desires are the dictates of obedience ! St. Dositheus,
having consecrated his whole will to obedience, enjoyed
continual peace. Fearing that in this peace there was
some delusion of the enemy, he one day said to his
Superior, St. Dorotheus: “Father, tell me why it is that
I experience such tranquillity as to be free from every
other desire?” “My son,” replied the Father, “this
peace is altogether the fruit of obedience.” And what
can give more content to religious that love God, than
to know with certainty that in all their actions they do
the will of God? They can say with the prophet: We
are happy, 0 Israel, because the things that are pleasing to
God are made known to us) We enjoy constant happi­
ness; because being obedient in all things we are
certain of doing in all the will of our Spouse. “ Oh !
what sweetness,” says Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, “is
contained in this expression—the will of God ?” St.
Laurence Justinian says that “he who has rejected his
own will has thrown off a most grievous burden.”1
*3
“What tyrant,” says St. Peter Damian, “more cruel
than self-will?”3 A religious cannot be subject to a
more galling tyranny than the domination of her own
will; for her inclinations will lead her to seek after
things that cannot be had in the cloister. Fruitless
desires will keep her in perpetual misery and agitation
of mind, and she shall frequently suffer within herself a
1 “ Beati sumus, Israel; quia, quæ Deo placent, manifesta sunt nobis."
—Bar. iv. 4.
* “ Gravissimum a se onus rejecit, qui suam repulit voluntatem.”—
De Disc. mon. c 7.
3 “Quis tyrannus crudelior quam hominis voluntas?"—Hom. de
S. Ben.

Ml

sec. π.]

Detachment from Self-will.

149

little hell. “Of what use,” says St. Eucherius, “ are the
silence and repose of a habitation, if the inhabitants be
disturbed by the struggling of passions? Of what use
is external serenity, if the tempest rage within?” 1 What
will it profit a religious to live in the retirement of the
cloister, if her heart be agitated by the conflicts of her
passions? Without, indeed, there will be a calm, but
within a storm.
And from what source arise all our troubles ? Do they
not spring from attachment to our own inclinations ?
“ Whence,” says St. Bernard, “ is disturbance of mind, if
not from following self-will?”2 Cassian relates3 that
the ancient Fathers were accustomed to say that the
religious who does not conquer self-will cannot perse­
vere in religion: certainly she cannot persevere with
profit and with peace. Attachment to self-will is the
only reason why many religious lead an unhappy life.
One is unhappy because she cannot have the confessor
or Superior of her choice: another, because she desires
an office, and it is not given to her. She is so discon­
tented, that the Superiors, to put an end to her com­
plaints, accede to her wishes; and still she is not con­
tent. How can she expect to enjoy peace, when, instead
of practising obedience, she obliges her Superiors to
submit to her desires ? Others are disturbed because
an occupation opposed to their inclinations is assigned
to them; others, because they are forbidden to keep up
a certain communication or correspondence with their
friends. Others, because some disagreeable precept is
imposed upon them; they are displeased, and endeavor
1 “Quid prodest, si in loco quies et silentium sit, et in habitatoribus
colluctatio passionum; si exteriora serenitas teneat, et interiora tem­
pestas?”—Ad Mon. horn. 9.
’“Unde turbatio, nisi quod propriam sequimur voluntatem?”—De
Div. s. 26.
z De Ccen. inst. 1. 4, c. 8.

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Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

to excite against the Superior the aversion of their rela­
tives, and even of the Community, and thus produce
endless scandal and disorder.
Their crime, as is related by Surins,
*
would merit the
chastisement of two monks, who refused to receive as
their abbot a holy man named Philibert: one of them
was struck with lightning, the other suddenly attacked
with a mortal disease. “ Have peace with your prel­
ates,” says St. Bernard: “do not detract, nor wilfully
listen to others detracting them: for God punishes in­
feriors in a special manner for this vice, and even in
the present life.”2 And St. Gregory says’ that “ the
works of Superiors, though they may appear reprehen­
sible, are not to be struck with the sword of the tongue.”
Thou shalt not, says the Lord, speak ill of the gods,'
You shall not censure the conduct of your Superiors,
who hold the place of God in your regard.
Attend to what Mary M. de Pazzi, while in an ecstasy,
said of the evil done to religious by self-love: “ I see,”
says that great saint, “ a multitude of souls, among
whom there is one who, at the time of uniting herself to
you, O divine Word, is wholly recollected; but before
the lapse of an hour something occurs that is opposed
to her inclinations, and she is thrown into confusion and
agitation. I see another who, during the holy Mass,
burns with divine love; but when reminded of a fault
she will not acknowledge it; in her, pride and self-love
reign. Another appears to rival St. Anthony by the
rigor of her austerities; but if her penances be prohib1 Vit. S. Phil. 20 Aug.
2“ Habeto pacem cum praelatis tuis: non detrahas eis, nec libenter
audias alios detrahentes eis; quia specialiter Deus hoc vitium punit in
subditis, etiam in præsenti.’’—Op. Ad quid ven. c. 3.
3 “ Facta prepositorum oris gladio non sunt ferienda, etiam cum recte
reprehendenda videntur.”—Epist. 1. 12, ep. 13.
* “ Diis non detrahes.”—Exod. xxii. 28.

sec. ii.]

Detachment from Self-will.

i51

ited, she is pertinacious, and will not obey. Another is
reserved and mortified in the refectory; but she takes
complacency in her mortifications, and desires to be es­
teemed more holy than her companions. To her, dis­
cretion appears excess; but she imputes to immoderate
zeal the want of anything that she desires. Another
will appear in the parlor to surpass St. Augustine by
her wisdom; and to manifest her own perfection, will ex­
hibit in her conversation an extraordinary degree of
prudence. Others are ready to forego in the exercises
of charity every personal advantage, but wish to be
thanked for their services, and to be praised by all their
companions.” Of such religious the Lord once said to
the same saint: “ They desire my spirit, but they desire
it in a manner and at a time pleasing to themselves,
and thus they render themselves unfit to receive it.” 1
But let us return to ourselves. If you, dear Sister,
wish to become a saint, and to enjoy continual peace,
seek to overcome as much as possible your own will;
adopt the rule of religious who love perfection; never
do anything for your own satisfaction, but do all to
please God: by this means you cut off all vain desires
and all evil inclinations. Worldlings continually seek
the gratification of their own wishes; but the saints con­
stantly endeavor to mortify self-will, and to find occa­
sions of self-denial. St. Andrew Avellini, as we read in
his Office, bound himself by an express vow to resist
continually his own will. You should at least pre­
scribe to yourself to deny your own will a certain num­
ber of times in the day. Repeat often the words by
which St. Bernard was accustomed to excite his fervor
in God’s service: “ Bernard, for what purpose have you
come here?”2 Say to yourself: have I entered religion
to do my own will ? If I wish to live according to my
1 Puccinis p. 4, c. 29; p. 3, n. 1.
2“ Bernarde, ad quid venisti ?”

I-

152

Interior Mortification.

lch.vii.

own inclinations, I should have remained in the world.
At my profession I consecrated my will to God by the
vow of obedience: why should I now seek to indulge it?
Why am I disturbed when not permitted to follow my
own will ? Be not troubled, then, when your requests
are refused, and when a duty painful to self-love is im­
posed upon you; but remember that by your obedience
you will merit a greater reward, and will make greater
progress in virtue than you would by many spontane­
ous acts of penance and devotion. A great servant of
God used to say, that to perform a single act of abne­
gation of self-will is more profitable than to build a
thousand hospitals. Have continually before your eyes
the words of the Venerable Father Anthony Torres to a
religious who was one of his penitents: “ A soul entirely
consecrated to God loves nothing, wants nothing, seeks
nothing, desires nothing.”
I will conclude this chapter by an extract from a let­
ter of the same Father Torres to a religious whom he
wished to detach from herself and from all created ob­
jects, in order to love nothing but God: “ Since the
Lord gives you so many occasions of suffering and of
desolation, endeavor to improve in charity, which is said
to be as strong as death. Study to strengthen divine
love in your soul, so that it may disengage your heart
from all creatures, from all human respect, from all that
is prized by the world, from your own desires, and from
all self-love; that there may be nothing in you to pre­
vent your thoughts, your desires, and your affections
from being entirely directed to your beloved. Let the
heart sigh after the beloved; let the will rest only on
him; let the thoughts be wholly fixed on him. Let
every motion of the body, let every act of your life, be
for and with the beloved. To attain the love of your
beloved, I advise you to renounce every day before the
crucifix every object of your affections, all honors, in­

SEC. II.]

Detac ument from Self-will.

153

terests, consolations, and relatives, and to protest that
you desire no other glory than his ignominies; no riches
but his charity, no other convenience than the cross:
that you desire him only, your dear and beloved Spouse
When you walk in the garden, or look up to the heav­
ens, invite frequently and with your whole heart all
creatures to the love of your beloved. Avoid all con­
versation; give up every employment which is not pleas­
ing to him; omit every action which will not redound
to the glory of your Spouse.”

Prayer.
Ah, my God, my Lord, and my Spouse ! Thou hast loved me
so much, and hast given me a will to love Thee, and I have so
often employed this will in offending and insulting Thee. If I
were not convinced that Thou art a God of infinite mercy, I
should lose all hope of recovering Thy grace, which I have un­
fortunately lost. By my ingratitude I deserved to have been
long since abandoned by Thee. But I see that Thy light still
assists m ?, and I know that Thou dost still call me to Thy love.
Behold, O Lord, I do not wish to continue any longer in my
ingratitude, or to resist any longer Thy invitation. I offer to
Thee my whole being: receive an unfaithful soul who for so
many years has despised Thy love, but who now desires to love
Thee and to belong entirely to Thee. Assist me, O my Jesus;
give me a sorrow for my sins which will fill my soul with pain
and anguish for having outraged so good and so amiable a God.
Unhappy me, if, after the lights which Thou now givest me, I
betray Thee again. How canst Thou bear with me any longer?
The fear of again offending Thee afflicts my soul. Ah. Lord !
do not permit me to be evermore separated from Thee. Chas­
tise me as Thou pleasest, but not by permitting me to lose Thy
grace. If Thou seest that I shall ever turn my back unon Thee,
take me out of life, at this moment, in which I hope to enjoy
Thy friendship. Of what use will life be to me if by living I
continue to offend Thee ?
O Mary, my hope, obtain for me the grace of perseverance,
or of instant death.

154

Interior Mortification.

[CH. VIL

III.

The Merit of Obedience.

“Since,” as St. Bonaventure says, “all the perfection
of religious consists in the destruction of self-will,”1
obedience should, of all virtues, be the most dear to a
religious. Obedience to rule and to the commands of
Superiors is the greatest sacrifice that a Christian can
offer to God; because, as St. Thomas says, “ nothing is
more amiable in the eyes of man than the liberty of his
own will.”1
23 Hence we cannot present to God a more
acceptable gift than the consecration of our wills to his
service. “ For,” says the Holy Ghost, obedience is better
than sacrifices? Obedience is more pleasing to God than
all the sacrifices that we can offer to him. They who
give to the Lord their worldly goods by alms-deeds,
their honor by embracing contempt, and their body by
mortification, by fasts, and by works of penance, make
only a partial consecration of themselves to him. But
he that offers to God the sacrifice of his own will by the
practice of obedience consecrates all that he possesses
to God’s glory, and can say: Lord, after having given
to Thee my will, I have nothing more to present to Thee.
Besides, as St. Gregory says, “ By the other virtues we
give to God what belongs to us, but by obedience we
dedicate ourselves to him.”4 The same Father says in
another place that “obedience is a virtue that infuses
the other virtues into the mind and preserves them in
1 “ Tota religionis perfectio in voluntatis propriæ abdicatione con­
sistit.”—Spec. disc, ad novit, p. I, c. 4.
2 “ Nihil est homini amabilius libertate propriæ voluntatis.”—De
Perf. vita spir. c. 10.
3 “ Melior est enim obedientia, quam victimæ.”—I Kings, xv. 22;
Eciles. iv. 17.
4 “ Per alias virtutes, nostra Deo impendimus; per obedientiam, nosmetipsos exhibemus.”—In 1 Kings, xv.

sec.in.]

The Merit of Obedience.

155

the soul.”1 St. Teresa asserts that “from a soul re­
solved to love God he requires nothing but obedience;”
and again, that “ the devil knows well that obedience is
the remedy of the soul, and therefore he labors hard to
prevents its attainment.”’
The Venerable Father Sertorio Caputo 3 used to say
that obedience merits even the reward of martyrdom;
because as by martyrdom a Christian submits, for God’s
sake, to the loss of life, so by obedience he offers to the
Lord the sacrifice of self-will, which is, as it were, the
head of the soul.
Hence the wise man says that he
who practises obedience shall conquer every enemy.
An obedient man shall speak of victory/ Yes, says St. Greg­
ory, the obedient shall overcome all the temptations of
hell, because by obedience they subject their will to
men, and thus become superior to the devils who fell
through disobedience.
“ They who obey,” says the
saint, “are conquerors, because when they submit their
will to others, they triumph over the angels who sinned
by disobedience.” 4 Cassian observes that since all vices
proceed from self-will when the latter is destroyed the
former die in the soul. “ By mortification of the will
all vices wither and decay.” 6 God promises those who
renounce their own will that he will raise them above
the earth, and give them a celestial spirit. If, says the
Lord, thou turn away from doing thy own will ... I will
lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed
1 “ Obedientia virtus est quæ virtutes cæteras menti inserit, insertasque custodit.”—Moral. 1. 35, c. 12.
9 Found, ch. 5.
3 Barone, Vit. 1. 3, c. II.
4 “ Vir obediens loquetur victoriam.”—Prov. xxi. 28.
6 “ Victores sunt, qui obediunt; quia, dum voluntatem suam aliis
perfecte subjiciunt, ipsi lapsis per inobedientiam angelis dominantur.”—
In i Kings, 1. 4, c. 5.
" “ Mortificatione voluntatum marcescunt universa vitia.”—De Ccenob.
inst. 1. 4, c. 43.

156

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

thee with the inheritance of Jacob.1 St. Laurence Justinian
teaches that all who sacrifice their own will to God be­
come so dear to him that they shall obtain whatever
they ask. “He that has consecrated himself to God by
the immolation of self-will will receive all that he shall
demand.'”
St. Augustine says that after Adam had by his dis­
obedience entailed misery on himself and the whole
human race, the Son of God became man, principally to
teach us obedience by his own example. Jesus from
his infancy began to obey Mary and Joseph: he con­
tinued to obey them during his life; and by his obedi­
ence was in the end brought to the ignominious death
of the cross. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto
death—even to the death of the cross.3 St. Bernard says
that “ the disobedient seek to be exempted from obedi­
ence. Jesus Christ did not do so: he, indeed, gave his
life lest he should violate obedience.”4 The mother of
God once revealed to one of her servants that our Re­
deemer died with a special affection for obedient souls.
The Venerable Father de Leonardis, founder of the
Order of the Mother of God, being importuned by his
disciples to give them a rule, wrote this single word—
obedience. He wished by this act to signify what Father
Sertorio Caputo used to say, that in religion, obedience
and sanctity are identical; that to be obedient and to be
a saint are one and the same thing. St. Thomas r‘ teaches
that it is principally by the vow of obedience a Chris1 " Si averteris . . . facere voluntatem tuam, . . . sustollam te
super altitudines terræ.”—Is. Iviii. 13.
* “Sicut seipsum Deo tradidit, voluntatem propriam immolando, sic
a Deo omne quod poposcerit, consequetur.”—Lign. vit. de Obed. c. 3.
3 “ Factus obediens susque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.”—
Phil. ii. 8.
4 “ Redimunt se, ne obediant; non ita Christus: ille siquidem dedit
vitam, ne perderet obedientiam.”—De Mor. Episc. c. 19.
5 2. 2, q. 186. a. 8.

SEC. ΙΠ.]

The Merit of Obedience.

id?

tian is made a religious; and, according to St. Teresa,1
a religious who is not obedient cannot be called a re­
ligious. Of what use is a disobedient nun ? Many
are versed in the belles-lettres, in poetry, foreign lan­
guages, and in history, but are unacquainted with obedi­
ence. A religious who knows not how to obey, knows
nothing.
St. Teresa'4 used to say that obedience is the short
road to perfection. It is related in the Lives of the
Fathers,3 that one of them saw in a vision two orders
of saints: the first consisted of those who had left the
world and retired into the desert to practise continual
prayer and penance; the second, of those who for the
love of Jesus Christ lived in obedience and subjection
to the will of others. He also saw that the latter en­
joyed greater glory than the former: for although the
solitaries had pleased God in all their exercises, still
they had always done their own will; but they who
lived under obedience had given their will to God, and
thus offered to him the most acceptable of all sacrifices.
St. Dorotheus relates that his disciple St. Dositheus,
being weak in health, could not practise the exercises
performed by the other monks, but cast off self-will and
consecrated himself entirely to obedience. He died in
the space of five years. After his death the Lord re­
vealed to the abbot that this young man obtained the
same reward as St. Paul, the first hermit, and as St.
Anthony, the abbot. The monks were amazed, and
could not conceive how Dositheus, who did not perform
the ordinary duties of his state, could merit so exalted
a glory. Almighty God told them that the glory of the
young saint was the reward of the obedience which he
had practised. St. Gregory says that “ a repast of pre1 Way of Perfee. ch. 19.
5 Found, ch. 5.
3 L. 5. libell. 14, n. iq.

158

Interior Mortification»

[ch.vii.

cept deserves a greater reward than fasting voluntarily
undertaken.”' To eat through obedience is more
meritorious in the sight of God than to fast through
self-will. The same truth was revealed by the Blessed
Virgin to St. Bridget. Being prohibited by her con­
fessor to practise her accustomed penances, the saint
began to apprehend a diminution of her fervor; but the
mother of God encouraged her to obey without fear, by
saying to her that “ they who do penance deserve but
one reward, while he that omits through obedience one
act of mortification, receives a twofold remunerationone for the penance which he wished to perform, an­
other for his obedience in omitting it.”2
St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say that an obedient
religious is the precious gem of the convent. Oh ! if
all nuns were obedient, every convent would be a para­
dise. Besides, a nun faithful to obedience lays up in
every
* action an immense treasure of merit; because in
every exercise she does the will of God; and in doing
his will all merit consists. To enable us to acquire
eternal treasures, by whatsoever we do through obedi­
ence, is the principal advantage of the religious state.
Even duties agreeable to our own feelings, when per­
formed through a motive of obedience, merit a great
reward. St. Aloysius used to say that religion is a ship,
in which even he that labors not makes the voyage.
Yes; for a religious merits not only when she fasts or
meditates, or recites the Office, but also when through
obedience she takes repose or abstains from labor,
when she eats or indulges in recreation. Oh ! how profit­
able and meritorious is every act performed in obedi­
ence to the will of Superiors !
If, then, dear Sister, you desire soon to become a saint,
1 “ Majoris est meriti injuncta refectio, jejunio propria deliberatione
suscepto.”—Ih i Reg. 1. 2, c. 4.
* Rcv. I. 4, c. 26.

SEC. III.]

The Merit, of Obedience.

*59

consecrate yourself entirely to obedience; divest youtself of all self-will; and endeavor with all your might
to obey your Rule and your Superior in the external ex­
ercises, and your spiritual Father in whatever regards
the interior. It is by obedience and by the absence of
self-will that perfect religious are distinguished from
the imperfect. The latter do nothing cheerfully, but
what pleases self-love and self-will. They, indeed, de­
sire to be entrusted with some of the offices of the Com­
munity; because to be without office they deem to be
dishonorable. But they wish for those employments
that tend to their own ease and convenience, and in
everything else they seek their own will. In a word,
they desire to become saints, but only according to their
own will, and according to the dictates of self-love.
But St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say that “ he who
in serving God seeks his own convenience, serves himself, and not God.” But religious who love perfection
do not act in this manner: they never omit what obedi­
ence commands, and desire only what obedience pre­
scribes. Imitate their example, and you will soon be­
come a saint. Endeavor to perform all your actions
from a motive of obedience, and you will always walk
securely to salvation. To secure their profits, merchants
obtain an insurance of their property. Let it be your
care to make sure your eternal gain by procuring for
every work the insurance of obedience—the approbation
of your Superiors: otherwise your works may prove in­
jurious, or at least unprofitable, to you.
When St.
Anselm was made Archbishop of Canterbury he became
unhappy in consequence of being so free from the yoke of
obedience, and at his own solicitation the Pope appointed
for the saint a Superior whom he might obey. The saint
regulated his conduct by the advice of the Superior, and
undertook nothing without his consent. How much
more should you who by your profession have conse-

l6o

Interior Mortification.

(ch.vii.

crated your will to obedience—how much more, I say,
should you seek occasions of practising that sublime
virtue !
Prayer.

Ah! my Jesus, to save me Thou hast been obedient unto
death—even the death of the Cross; and I, for a vile and
wretched gratification, have been so often disrespectful and dis­
obedient to Thee. Wait, O Lord ; do not abandon me yet. I
repent with my whole soul of all the offences I have offered
Thee. I now see that I have abused Thy mercy too much, and
that therefore I am undeserving of Thy pity. But I also see
that Thou hast borne with me till now, that, entering one day
into myself, I might consecrate my whole being to Thee. I
hope the day has arrived when I shall dedicate myself entirely
to Thy love. I hear Thy voice calling me to Thy love. I shall
no longer resist Thy invitation. Behold! I offer myself to
thee; refuse not, O Lord, my oblation. Tell me what Thou
dost require of me : I am ready to do all in my power to please
Thee. I promise Thee that henceforth I shall never violate
the obedience due to my Superiors. I love Thee, my Jesus,
and because I love Thee, I desire to do all that I can to please
Thee. Assist me, O Lord ; draw and unite me more and more
every day to Thy love. Eternal Father, I offer to Thee the
Passion of Thy Son, and through his merits I beseech Thee to
give me all the graces necessary to make me a saint, such as
Thou dost wish me to be.
O Mary, my mother and my hope, beg of thy Son that I may
be no longer mine, but that I may belong to him entirely and
forever.
IV.

The Obedience Due to the Superiors.

The principal and most efficacious means of practising
the obedience due to the Superiors, and of rendering it
meritorious before God, is to consider that in obeying
them we obey God himself; and that by despising their
commands we despise the authority of our divine Mas­
ter, who has said of Superiors: He that hearethyou, hear

■ger—

sec.iv.]

Obedience due to the Superiors.

16)

eth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth met Hence St.
Paul addressed to his disciples the following words:
Not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heartt
When, then, a religious receives a precept from her prel­
ate, Superior, or confessor, she should immediately exe­
cute it, not only to please men, but principally to please
God, whose will is made known to her by their com­
mand. In obeying their directions she is more certain
of doing the will of God than if an angel came down
from heaven to manifest his will to her. Hence St.
Paul says, in his epistle to the Galatians, that though an
angel from heaven preach a gospel to you, besides that
which the apostles preach, he should not be believed.
No, says the apostle, let him be anathema.
St. Bernard says that “ God deigns to make prelates
his own equals. He takes to himself the reverence or
contempt manifested to them.” 3 Obedience shown to
Superiors is shown to God; for he has said: He that
heareth you, hcareth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth
me. Bear, then, always in mind, dear Sister, that the
obedience which you practise towards your Superiors is
paid to God himself. Now if Jesus Christ himself came
down from heaven, and imposed any duty upon you, or
gave you any particular charge, would you attempt to
decline it ? or would you dare to disobey his commands ?
“ But,” continues St. Bernard, “ whether God, or a creat­
ure who is his representative, impose a precept, they
are both to be obeyed with equal exactness.” 4 If, then,
1 “ Qui vos audit, me audit; et qui vos spernit, me spernit.”—Luke,
c 16.
* Non . . . quasi hominibus placentes, sed ut servi Christi, facientes
voluntatem Dei ex animo.”—Eph. vi. 6.
3 “ Quos (prælatos) sibi Deus æquare quodam modo dignatus, sibimet
imputat illorum et reverentiam et contemptum.”—De Prae, et Disp.
c. 9.
4 “ Sive Deus, sive homo, vicarius Dei, mandatum quodeumque tra­
diderit, pari profecto obsequendum est cura.”

102

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

you receive a command from one that holds the place
of God, you should observe it with the same diligence
as if it came from God himself. St. John Climacus
*
re­
lates that in a certain monastery the Superior, to set an
example to the Community, commanded in their pres­
ence an old man of eighty years to stand in the refec­
tory for two hours without interruption. The aged
monk being asked how he had been able to bear this
mortification, replied: “I imagined that I stood before
Jesus Christ, and that he imposed on me that humilia­
tion; and this thought made me obey without difficulty
or repugnance.”
For our greater merit the Lord wishes to lead us to
salvation by means of faith, and therefore does not
speak to us himself, but manifests his will by the com­
mands of our Superiors. When Jesus Christ appeared
to St. Paul, and transformed him into a new man, he
might in person have directed the apostle what to do,
but Jesus only said to him: Go into the city, and there it
will be told to thee what thou must do? Go into the city,
and Ananias will make known my will to you. Hence
blessed Egidius used to say that it is more meritorious
to obey man for the love of God, than to obey God
himself.
It may be added, that there is more certainty of doing
the will of God by obedience to Superiors, than by
obedience to Jesus Christ should he appear in person
and give his commands. Because should Jesus Christ
appear to a religious she would not be certain whether
it was he that spoke or an evil spirit, who under the
appearance of the Redeemer wished to deceive her.
But when her Superiors speak, she knows for certain,
from the words of Jesus Christ, that in obeying them
1 Scala parad. gr. 4.
’ “ Ingredere civitatem, et ibi dicetur tibi, quid te oporteat facere.”—
Acist ix. 7.

*crw

sec.

iv.]

Obedience dice to the Superiors,

163

she obeys him. Pic, says our Lord, that heareth you heareth me. Even when it is doubtful whether the object of
a precept is conformable to the law of God, the gener­
ality of theologians and masters of spiritual life teach
that a religious is bound to obey; and that in obeying
she is certain of not sinning, and of even pleasing God.
Attend to the doctrine of St. Bernard, which he has
taken from the Rule of St. Benedict: “ Whatever a man
holding the place of God commands, unless it be cer­
tain that it is displeasing to God, is to be received as if
commanded by God himself.” 1
Thus, on the day of judgment, religious will be
charged with every act of disobedience; but, as St.
Philip Neri ’ used to say, they shall be most certain of
not having to render an account of the actions performed
through obedience. For these the Superiors only, who
commanded them, shall be held accountable. Speaking
particularly of nuns, the Lord once said to St. Catharine
of Sienna: “ Religious will not be obliged to render an
account to me of what they do through obedience; for
that, I will demand an account from the Superiors.”
Obey, says the Apostle, your prelates, and be subject to them;
for they watch, as being to render an account of your souls :
that they may do this with joy, and not with grief.123 And, O
blessed spouse of the Lord! if you practise obedience,
when after death you shall be asked by Jesus. Christ
why you have not done greater penance, why you
have not made more mental prayer, or why you have
performed such an action, you can answer with confi­
dence, that in all this you only fulfilled his commands
1 “Quidquid, vice Dei, præcipit homo, quod non sit tamen certum
displicere Deo, haud secus omnino accipiendum est, quam si præcipiat
Deus.”—De Prœc. et Disp. c. 9.
2 Bacei, 1. 1, ch. 20.
3 ‘Obedite præpositis vestris, et subjacete eis; ipsi enim pervigilant,
quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri.”—Hebr. xiii. 17·

164

Interior Mortification,

lch.vii.

by obeying your Superiors, whom he commanded you
to obey as you would obey himself; and that if you have
done wrong, the blame is imputable to your Superiors,
whose authority you obeyed.
Attend to the words of St. Paul: That they (your prel­
ates) may do this with joy, and not with grief.' From this
passage it clearly appears that it is the duty of a re­
ligious to obey promptly, without reply, and without
thwarting her Superiors or disturbing their peace. Oh
how miserable
is
the
condition
of
a
Superior
whose
subI
jects violate obedience by excuses, by colored pretexts,
by complaints, and even by murmurings. The situation
of abbesses at the approach of the time for distributing
the offices of the Community is truly deserving of pity.
They are, on the one hand, troubled by scruples arising
from the apprehension that through human respect or
through the fear of displeasing a sister they will intrust
her with a charge for which she is unfit; and on the
other, they are afflicted to find that after the distribution one declines her office, another complains, a third
murmurs, and others refuse to accept the duties assigned
to them. This state of things sometimes compels the
Superior to dispense the offices, not according to the
rules of reason and for the good of the Community, but
according to human prudence. In acting according to
the dictates of human wisdom to prevent greater evils,
the Superior may be blameless; but whoever accepts or
discharges her duties not in the spirit of obedience, but
through caprice, will certainly be inexcusable. The
Apostle commands you to obey, and to be subject to
your Superiors, that they may discharge their duty with
joy, and not with grief. For, says St. Paul, this is not ex­
pedient for you? No, it is not expedient for you that the
Superiors be resisted and thwarted; but if they be sup1 " Ut cum gaudio hoc faciant, et non gementes.”—Hebr. xiii. 17.
2 “ Hoc enim non expedit vobis.”—Ibid.

SEC. IV.]

Obedience due to the Superiors.

165

ported and consoled in the government of the Com­
munity, good order and your spiritual progress will be
promoted.
What a scandal is it to see certain religious decline
certain offices assigned to them, and thus extort obedi­
ence from their Superiors! St. Bernard, in his comment
on the words of the Redeemer to the blind man, What
wilt thou that I do to thee? says: “ He was truly blind,
otherwise he would have exclaimed: ‘ Far be it from
me, O Lord, to ask Thee to do what I will; tell me
rather what Thou wilt have me do for Thee.’ ” ’ Let us
apply to ourselves this passage of St. Bernard. There
are some nuns whom the abbess must ask what office
they wish to have. Perfect religious do not require to
be consulted about the office they wish for: should the
Superior ask them what charge would be most agree­
able to them, they answrer that it is not for them to say
what employment they desire, but that it belongs to her
to tell them what she will have them do.
If, then, dear sister, you wish to be truly obedient and
truly religious, bear continually in mind:
I. That your Superiors hold in your regard the place
of Jesus Christ; and endeavor to show them all the
veneration and love that are due to his representatives,
not through a feeling of self-interest, not to be esteemed
by them or to avoid their censure, but from the sole
motive of pleasing God. And this obedience is due not
only to the prelate and abbess, but to all that bold office
in the convent: such as the Infirmarian, the Sacristan,
and the sister who is charged with the care of the refec­
tory. In obeying the abbess, a religious may be easily
influenced by human respect; but in obeying sisters in­
trusted with the inferior offices, she shows that she pos1 “ Quid tibi vis faciam ?”—Luke, xviii. 41.
’ “ Vere coecus, quia non exclamavit: Absit, Domine; tu magts dic
quid me facere velis.”—Ln Conv. S. Pauli, s. 1.

166

Interior Mortification.

[CH. VII.

sesses the true spirit of obedience. St. Francis of Assisi
thanked God in a particular manner for having given
him the grace to be always ready to obey the least of
the novices in all things in which they might be ap­
pointed his Superiors. The saint was accustomed to
say that the less the authority of a Superior and the
more humble his station and qualifications, the greater
is the merit of obedience; because then it proceeds from
the sole motive of pleasing God.
II. Do not seek the society of imperfect sisters, who
have little affection for obedience.
III. Receive correction with humility; beg of the
Superior to reprimand you as often as reproof may be
necessary for you. Be not of the number of those who
resent even the slightest rebuke, to whom the Superior
cannot give even the necessary admonitions without
great caution; whose correction, lest they should be
wanting in respect to her, and should disturb the Communitjq she is, perhaps, compelled to defer for several
months, till a seasonable opportunity occurs. But woe
to the religious who cannot be admonished without such
caution! she must be very imperfect indeed.
IV. When corrected receive the admonition with
humility, and without excusing your fault; and should
the Superior charge you with a defect which you had
not committed, do not speak of her mistake, unless she
commands you to state vour guilt or innocence. But I
shall hereafter treat this subject more at large.
V. Banish from your mind all thoughtsand suspicions
against the Superior, with the same promptness as if they
were thoughts opposed to chastity, and when you hear
any one attribute to her a fault which cannot be denied,
seek to excuse her as much as you can. But should the
fault of the Superior be evident and inexcusable,—for ex­
ample, were she impatient with all the sisters,—persuade
yourself that God permits this defect in her, not for your

SEC. IV.]

Obedience due to ihc Superiors.

167

injury, but for your profit. St. Gertrude once besought
the Lord to deliver the abbess from the fault of frequent
impatience. In answer, she was told that he permitted
this defect in the abbess, as well for her own advantage
as for the good of the religious: for her good, that she
might be kept humble; for the good of the religious,
that by bearing with her impatience their merit might
be increased? “ The more,” says St. Bernard, “ you are
oppressed, the more you gain.”2 The greater the bur­
den you bear the greater the merit you acquire. St.
Gregory teaches that “ the commands of Superiors
should be respected, though their life be not deserving
of praise?” And speaking of the Scribes and Phari­
sees, who blasphemed his works, Jesus Christ says: All
things whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do ; but
according to their works, do ye not.
*
With regard to the offices of the convent, observe the
excellent rule of St. Francis de Sales: “ Never to seek
and never to refuse any of them.” Prefer always that
which is least honorable, and least suited to your con­
venience. Few nuns merit the full reward of obedience
by fulfilling the duties of their office, because few accept
and discharge them in the true spirit of obedience, and
with a pure intention of pleasing God. Imperfect reli­
gious look only to the advantages and disadvantages of
office; but the perfect regard only the will of God, and
therefore seek not their own ease or convenience, but
cheerfully embrace pains and labors. Endeavor to be­
long to the number of the perfect. Do not imagine
that the refusal of office, through fear of committing
faults in the discharge of its duties, will be excusable
1 Tttsin. 1. 3, c. 84.
2 “ In quantum gravaris, in tantum lucraris.”—Efist. 73.
3 “ Majorum imperia tunc etiam veneranda sunt, cum ipsi laudabilem
non habent vitam.”—In 1 Reg. 1. 2, c. 4.
4 “ Omnia ergo quæcumque dixerint vobis, servate et facite, secundum
opera vero eorum nolite facere.”—Matt, xxiii. 3.

168

Interior Mortification,

(ch. vh

before God; but be persuaded that by becoming a reli­
gious you bound yourself to serve the convent. Could
the fear of committing faults justify you in declining a
charge, the same fear would exempt all the sisters from
the obligation of accepting office. Should they give
way to such fears, who would serve the monastery or
support the Community? Have a pure intention ot
pleasing God: fear not; he will assist you.
Accept, in the spirit of obedience, the office intrusted
to you; and in accepting it, regard not the power of
domination; look not to self-ease nor self-esteem, but
solely to the obligations of obedience. Accept it with a
holy confidence, and listen not to the devil, who will
perhaps suggest to you that the duties of such an office
are above your strength. If you be obedient, the Lord
will give you that strength which you do not possess.
Do not imagine that, because the duties of your charge
are of a distracting nature they will destroy in your
soul the spirit of fervor and recollection. Be assured
that if you comply with your duties God will bestow
upon you more graces in a quarter of an hour spent in
prayer, than, without performing them, you would re­
ceive in a retreat of ten days. In the fulfilment of your
office endeavor as much as possible to set apart some
little time to recollect yourself in prayer. Do not say
that your office requires every moment of your time.
Perfect religious who have an affection for prayer can
find abundant time for the discharge of their duties and
for recollection. Do not imitate the conduct of some
who burden themselves with such a multiplicity of occu­
pations, that they cannot find a moment’s time to recol­
lect themselves before God. In discharging the duties
of office be careful not to be partial to your friends.
Be still more careful not to abuse your office by employ­
ing it as a means of procuring for yourself advantages
which the other sisters do not enjoy.

sec.

iv.]

Obedience due to the Superiors.

169 .

Lastly, remember that neither obedience nor even
the perfection of obedience forbids a religious to make
known to her Superiors all secret disqualifications for
the duty imposed upon her. She may, for example,
without any violation of obedience, make known to
them any bodily infirmity, or whatever would render her
unfit for the office assigned to her; because her Supe­
riors are not angels, but human beings, who require to
be made acquainted with what of themselves they do
not know. But in stating your disqualifications for any
charge, you must take care, in the first place, not to
speak of those which the Superior already knows; for
these she must be supposed to have already taken into
consideration.
Secondly, after explaining your diffi­
culties, you must cheerfully acquiesce in the judgment
of the Superior; and your acquiescence must be mani­
fested externally, as well for her peace and satisfaction
as for the edification of the Community. Hence, before
they represent to the Superior their unfitness for office,
religious would do well to figure to themselves that,
notwithstanding their supposed difficulties, she insists
on the acceptance of the charge intrusted to them. By
this means they will be better disposed to receive, with­
out reply, the decision of the Superior.
It is necessary to remark in this place, that a discreet
attention to the preservation of health, with a view to
be better able to serve God, is not a defect, but an act of
virtue. But a superfluous solicitude about health is a
fault; and, aided by self-love,' makes many unnecessary
indulgences appear indispensable. St. Bernard says that
some are fitter to be the disciples of Hippocrates and
Galenus than of Jesus Christ. “ Consider,” says the saint,
“ that you are a monk and not a physician.” 1 And he
continues: “Consult for your own repose.”’ As if he
1 “ Puta te, quæso, monachum esse, non medicum.”—In Cant. s. 30.
’ “ Parce quieti tuæ.”

Interior Mortification.

i/o

[ch.vil

said, Seek to promote your own peace by living like the
rest of the Community, and by avoiding all singular and
superfluous indulgence. “ Spare the labor of those who
serve the Community.”1 Spare the labor of the attend­
ant in the refectory, and of the cook; and seek not after
deliacies withheld from others. “ Spare the burden of
the house.”12 Abstain from putting the Community to
any superfluous expense.
St. Basil3 exhorted religious to accustom themselves
as much as possible to the common fare. Oh ! how
much better is it fora religious to eat and drink like her
companions, than to fast, to take discipline, or wear hairshirts, and afterwards practise singularity in Ijer food!
In singularity has originated the relaxation of many reli­
gious orders. Be not afraid that by using the common
food you will be wanting in the care of your health;
for although it is not lawful directly to shorten life with
the intention of accelerating death, still, according to the
common opinion of theologians, it is allowable to abstain
from some indulgences, particularly those that are sin­
gular, which might prolong life for some time. Such
abstinence is even an act of virtue, when practised with
the intention of promoting our own spiritual advance­
ment, and the edification of our neighbor. When the
celebrated Chapter of Matts4 was held, St. Francis of
Assisi saw that the demons convened a Chapter, in which
they agreed that, to introduce a relaxation of discipline
into his Order, in which the spirit of fervor then
flourished, the most effectual means would be to induce
the religious to receive a great number of novices of
noble extraction and of delicate health, because such
subjects would be treated with less rigor; thus by de1
'
3
4

“ Parce labori ministrantium.”
“ Parce gravamini domus.”
Λ’, de Abdic, reruni.
Wading. Ann. Min. anno 1219, n. 19.

sec.

iv]

Obedience due to the Superiors.

171

grees discipline would be relaxed, and the spirit of
fervor banished from the Order. This reasoning was
most just. Beware, then, lest by immoderate care of
your health you put your salvation in peril, or at least
lose the crown of a saint. Remember that, had the
saints, like you, been unnecessarily solicitous [about the
preservation of health, they should never have become
saints.
Prayer.

O my oeloved Lord, Thou art beauty itself, goodness itself,
and love itself: how can I love anything but Thee ! Fool that
I have been ! In my past life I have offered numberless insults
to Thee. I have violated Thy law, but I am sorry above all
things for my sins, and desire to die of grief for having offended
Thee. O my Jesus, have mercy upon me. I desire to cry out
continually: My Jesus, mercy; O my Jesus, mercy. But if for
the past I have despised Thy love, I now prefer it to all the
goods of the earth. Thou, O my Jesus, art, and shalt be forever,
the only object of all my affections. My love, I leave all things
and desire nothing but Thee. I now say and desire to repeat
every moment of my life, that I desire Thee only, O my God,
and nothing more. Assist me, O Lord, to be faithful to Thee.
Look not on my sins, but on the love that Thou didst bear
to me when Thou wast nailed to the Cross for my salvation.
In the merits of Thy Passion 1 place all my hopes. I love
Thee, O infinite Good ! O my supreme Good ! and ask nothing
of Thee but the grace to love Thee ; to love Thee intensely,
and henceforward to love no other object but I hee. my treas­
ure and my all. My Jesus, I give Thee my will : purify its
affections. I give Thee my body : preserve it unsullied. I
give Thee my soul : make it belong entirely to Thee. Burn
with Thy own consuming fire every affection that is opposed to
the pure love of Thy divinity.
O Mary, my great advocate. I hope first in the merits of thy
Son, and afterwards in thy intercession.

I 72

Interior Μortification.

[CH. VII.

The Obedience due to the Rule.

St. Francis de Sales has asserted that “ the predesti­
nation of religious is connected with the observance of
their rules. ” And St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to
say, that the observance of Rule is the shortest way to
eternal life and to sanctity. In a word, the only way by
which a religious can become a saint and be saved, is to
observe her Rule. For her there is no other way that
leads to salvation. Hence, no matter how great her
austerities, how frequent her prayers, and how numer­
ous her other spiritual works, a religious who habitually
violates any, even the most unimportant, rule, will never
advance a single step towards perfection. She will labor,
but without fruit, verifying in herself the words of the
Holy Ghost : He that rejecteth wisdom and discipline is un­
happy ; and their fruit is vain, and their labors without fruit,
and their works unprofitable) They who despise discipline,
that is, their Rule, are miserable, and trust in vain in their
works; for their labors are without fruit. “We,” says
St. Teresa, “do not fulfil certain easy duties prescribed
by rule, such as silence, which gives no pain; and still
we go in search of works of penance; but afterwards we
neglect the former and omit the latter.”a Not to ad­
vance in perfection is but a small part of the evils that
arise from the infraction of light rules. According to
St. Bernard, the worst consequence of such transgres­
sions is, that the habit of them renders very difficult the
observance of the most important rules, and even of the
vows.
Oh! what a scandal to see certain religious, so well
instructed during their novitiate in the observance of
Disciplinam qui abjicit, infelix est; et vacua est spes illorum, et
labores sine fructu.”—Wïsd. Hi. n.

sec. v.j

Obedience dice to the Rzcle.

*73

rule, and after their profession, disregard reguiar disci­
pline, as if their solemn consecration to Jesus Christ
exempted them from all the obligations of the religious
state! Λ learned author says: “ It is better to be a
finger united to the body, than to be an eye separated
from it.’’ 1 An eye torn from the body is but rottenness;
and an action that wears the appearance of virtue, but
is not conformable to rule, will never please God;
instead of promoting, it will impede the perfection of
a religious. For, as St. Augustine says, acts of devotion
opposed to rule are but so many steps out of the way,
and so many stumbling-blocks to the soul.
But you, dear sister, have left the world to become a
saint; and do you not see, that not to conquer yourself
in small things will not only prevent you from being a
saint, but will also expose you to the danger of perdition ?
“We had,” says St. Eucherius of Lyons, “abundant
strength to relinquish the dearest affections, and we are
not strong enough to overcome negligence.” 123 We had
the courage to renounce all attachments to relatives, to
property, and to the pleasures of the world; and now we
are too weak to conquer our tendency to violate rule.
Cassian relates that to a certain monk who had aban­
doned the dignity of senator to enter religion, but after­
wards did not observe his rule, St. Basil said, in a tone of
commiseration: “ You have lost the rank of senator, and
have not become a monk.”' Unhappy man, what have
you done ? To become a monk, you have forfeited the
honorable station of senator, and have not attained the
sanctity of a religious. Tertullian says: “ If you deem
the liberty of the world to be true liberty, you have
1 “Melius est digitum esse, et esse in corpore, quam esse oculum, et
evelli de corpore.”
2 “Ad relinquendos dulces affectus, fortissimi fuimus; et nunc, ad
declinandas negligentias, infirmi sumus.”—Ad Monach. hom. S.
3 “Senatorem perdidisti, et monachum non fecisti.”

1/4

Interior Mortification,

ich.viî.

returned to servitude, and have lost the liberty of
Christ.”* As if he said: O spouse of Jesus, you have
gone forth from the slavery of the world, and have
taken possession of the liberty of Christ, by putting off
all earthly affections—the unhappy chains which hold
so many poor souls in bondage; and will you still esteem
the liberty of the world to be true liberty ? If you do,
you have miserably returned to the slavery of the world,
and have lost the freedom of the children of God, which
Jesus Christ purchased for you.
First Excuse.

Some religious excuse their negligence by saying
that the rules which they violate are of no importance.
To them I answer, in the first place, that no Rule of
religion can be deemed unimportant or undeserving
of attention. All the rules of religion should be re­
spected, because they are all ordained by Almighty God,
and approved by the Church, as means of attaining the
perfection to which every religious consecrated to God
should continually aspire; and because the neglect of
even trifling rules injures regular discipline, and dis­
turbs the whole Community. It is certain that the
spirit of fervor flourishes in the convent where attention
is paid to the smallest rules; but where they are
neglected, there piety is either lost or begins to decay
Father St. Jure2 relates that Father Oviedo, the
Superior of the college of the Jesuits in Naples, insisted
on the punctual observance of even the smallest rules.
He was opposed by Father Bobadilla, who asserted
that it was not right to oblige subjects to observe such
trifles. By thij opposition the rigor of discipline was
relaxed; the event showed the evil consequences of the
1 “Si veram putes sæculi libertatem, rediisti in servitutem hominis,
et amisisti libertatem Christi.”—De Cor. milit.
9 Knowledge and Love, book 3, ch. 17, § 1.

—-■e

sec.

v.]

Obedience dite to the Rule,

175

neglect of rule. By the habitual violation of order, a
contempt for the most important as well as for the
smallest rules was engendered in some, who afterwards
abandoned religion. Being informed of the relaxation
which had taken place, St. Ignatius ordained that the
rules should be observed with the utmost exactness,
and thus discipline was re-established.
Tepid and negligent religious disregard trifles, but
the devil sets great value on the smallest violation of
rules; he carefully marks all our transactions to charge
us with them one day before the tribunal of Jesus
Christ. St. Richard, a religious, having once got his
hair cut before the usual time, saw the devil gathering
and numbering the hairs that were scattered over the
floor.1 In like manner, St. Gertrude2 saw the enemy
collecting all the little tufts of wool which, for want of
the perfect spirit of poverty, she had allowed to be
wasted; and all the syllables of the Office that had been
omitted because it was recited with too much rapidity.
Blessed Denis the Carthusian relates that Satan ap­
peared once to a religious with a needle and a silk thread
in his hand, which she had used without permission.
Thus the enemy of mankind keeps an account of every
word uttered in the place or time of silence, of everv
look of curiosity, and of every transgression of rule into
which negligent religious fall.
It is because they are heedless of small faults that
these miserable souls experience nothing but aridity
and irksomeness in their meditations, Communions, and
in all their exercises of devotion. In punishment of
one look of curiosity, contrary to the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost not to indulge her eyes, St. Gertrude was
visited with spiritual dryness for eleven days. It is but
just that whoever sows little should gather but little
1 Surius, Sept. 15.

2 Insin. 1. 3, c. 33.

176

Interior Mortification.

(ch. vn.

fruit. He who soweth sparingly shat/ also reap sparingly.'
How can the Lord be liberal of his graces and consola­
tions to a religious who serves him with reserve and
with negligence? Had she faithfully observed such a
rule God would perhaps have bestowed upon her great
graces; but in punishment of her negligence he has
justly withheld them from her. Blessed Egidius used
to say, “ By a small neglect a great grace may be lost.”
“Many,” says St. Bonaventure, “desire to die for
Christ, and are at the same time unwilling to bear light
crosses for his sake.” 3 Many pant after the crown of
martyrdom, and will violate a small rule rather than
submit to a trifling inconvenience. If, says the Saint,
you received a command hard to be observed, and in its
fulfilment attended with serious disadvantages, there
might perhaps be some apology for its violation; but
for the infraction of rules of easy observance there can­
not be the shadow of an excuse. The more unimportant
a rule, and the more easy it is to be observed, the more
imperfect the religious who transgresses it, because the
greater is her attachment to self-will. But God grant,
as has been said above,3 that the disregard of small rules
may not lead her one day to the violation of her vow,
and to eternal perdition. He that breaketh a hedge, says
the Holy Ghost, a serpent shall bite him.' A\rhoever breaks
down the fence of the Rule stands in great danger of
being one day bitten by the infernal serpent. When you
see a religious of exemplary conduct fall into the pit of
sin, do not imagine that the devil, by the first attack,
succeeded in effecting her ruin. No, he first induced
1 “Qui parce seminat, parce et metet.”—2 Cor. ix. 6.
3 “Multi optant pro Christo mori, qui pro Christo nolunt levia pati.”
—De Prof. rei. 1. 2, c. 5.
3 Page 172.
4 “ Qui dissipat sepem, mordebit eum coluber.”—Eccles, x. 8.

sec.V.]

Obedience dite io the Ride.

her to neglect her Rule and to despise small things, and
then drew her into grievous transgressions.
Second Excuse.

Others excuse themselves by saying that the Rule
does not bind under pain of sin.
It has been already said (Chap. IV.)1 that to violate
without sufficient necessity even the Rules that are
not obligatory under the penalty of moral guilt, is, ac­
cording to the common opinion of theologians, at least a
venial transgression. Speaking of the Rule of his Order,
which has not the force of a strict precept, St. Thomas,
after stating that the violation of the vows is a mortal
sin, says that “ the transgression of the other Rules is
only a venial fault.”2 I have said that to break any
Rule without sufficient cause is at least a venial sin.
For when the violation of Rule is productive of serious
injury or of great scandal in the convent, it may be a
mortal sin. For example, to disturb habitually the
general silence, to enter the cells of your companions,
to break without leave the fasts prescribed by the Rule,
and similar irregularities, sometimes rob the soul of
sanctifying grace. But that the violation of Rule is at
least a venial sin, cannot be doubted: i. Because a
religious by transgressing her Rule neglects the means
of attaining the perfection to which she is bound to
aspire; 2. Because she is unfaithful to the promise
which at her profession she made to observe the Rules
of the Community; 3. Because by her bad example in
transgressing the Rule she disturbs the good order of
the Community; 4. And lastly (and this is the strongest
reason): Because every infraction of the Rule proceeds
from self-love, and is a departure from the will of God.
’ Page 84.
* “Transgressio obligat solum ad peccatum veniale.”—2. 2, q. 1S6,
a. 9.
12

17^

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vil

Unnecessary transgressions of rule are certainly not acts
of virtue; neither can they be said to be indifferent.
For how can we call an action indifferent that is per­
formed through self-will, that gives bad example, and
destroys the order of regular discipline? If, then, the
violation of the Rule cannot be good or indifferent, it
must be sinful. Some perhaps will say: It is enough
for me that the violation of the Rule is not a mortal sin.
To such persons I would answer, that they are in a very
dangerous state. If they are not dead, they are in the
last agony. Their unhappy souls are infected with a
slow fever which will soon bring on death. Let them
read what is said in Chapter V.1
Third Excuse.

In extenuation of their neglect of the Rule others say
that they are advanced in years, and that they cannot
bear the rigors practised by young persons.
In answer to them I say, that a religious, whether
young or old, does injury to herself and the Community
by the transgression of the Rule. St. Peter Chrysolo
gus says that “ by its shade a barren tree is pernicious
not only to itself, but also to the fertile plants by which
it is surrounded.” J Yes, every religious who gives bad
example by inattention to the Rule does an injury to
her own soul and to her fervent companions.
Besides, religious advanced in years are more strictly
bound to perfect observance than those who are young
in religion. First, because they have been longer in the
cloister: and as the more time a person has devoted
to study, the more extensive should be his learning; so
the longer a religious is engaged in the meditation of
Jesus crucified, the greater should be her progress in
the science of the saints and in Christian perfection.
* Page 102.
5 “ Infecunda arbor, dum fundit umbram, inimica, non sibi soli, sed
etiam palmitibus fit fecundis."—Sertu. io6.

SEC. Y.]

Obedience due to the Rule.

τ79

*
■ta

Secondly, because the example of the more advanced is
most efficacious in inducing the juniors to observe or to
violate the Rule. Religious of long standing are the
torches that enlighten the Community; they are the
pillars that sustain regular observance; and by their
example they engage the young in the support of
order. But if discipline be disregarded by the oldest
members of the Community, the Rule will be despised
by the novices in religion. Generally speaking, all the
irregularities that creep into convents are to be ascribed
not so much to the young as to the advanced religious,
who by their bad example lead the others to seek a
relaxation of the rigor of the Rule. As long as their
works contradict their words, all their exhortations and
entreaties to the juniors to observe the Rule will be un­
profitable. “The eyes,” says St. Ambrose, “persuade
sooner than the ears.”* Example is far more persuasive
than admonition. And how is it possible to induce
novices to observe the Rule when the conduct of
Superiors is subversive of regular observance? “Noth­
ing,” says Tertullian, “can be built up by the same
means as that by which it is pulled down.” 3
When Eleazar was tempted by the wicked Antiochus
to trangress the divine command, which forbade the
Hebrews to eat swine’s flesh, his friends through com­
passion for his old age besought him, in order to escape
death, at least’ to pretend to comply with the tyrant’s
order. But the venerable old man wisely replied, that he
would rather be sent into the other world: for it doth not become
our age to dissembled He would rather sacrifice his life than
pretend, at such an advanced age, to break the divine
precept, and thus teach his young countrymen to trans­
gress the law.
1 "Citius persuadent oculi, quam aures.”—Serm. 76.
2 “ Nemo inde strui potest, unde destruitur.”—De Prescript.
3 2 Mac. vi. 18.

—4^.

i8o

Interior Mortification.

rcH.vn

“The look of a just man,” says St. Ambrose, “is an
admonition.”1 Oh! what an affecting admonition to
novices, and how far superior to the most eloquent
exhortation, to see an aged religious observing with
punctuality all the Rules, great and small ! All the
zeal and exertions of religious who love perfection
should be directed to the support of discipline in all its
rigor. When Jesus Christ, by stretching forth his right
hand, showed St. Teresa that he was espoused to her,
he said: “ Henceforth, as my true spouse, you shall be
zealous for my honor.”’ Every spouse, then, of Jesus
should ardently seek his glory. But it is for the observ­
ance of the Rules, which are the principal support of
perfection in the Community, that religious should dis­
play all their zeal. And this zeal should be cherished
not only by Superiors, but by all, and especially by
those whose office or age gives them authority over the
other Sisters. Whenever St. Andrew Avcllini saw the
rules transgressed, he admonished with great fervor
not only his companions in religion, but also his Su­
periors. It is related in the life of Father Torres that
one of his penitents, Sister M. Teresa Spinelli, a relig­
ious of great zeal and piety, in the convent of the Most
Holy Trinity at Naples, seeing certain abuses introduced
into the Community, opposed them vehemently without
regard to any person, however great his dignity. She
had in view only God’s honor; and to uphold it by
resisting the introduction of irregularity into religion,
she endured many troubles and contradictions. When
manifest abuses and relaxation of discipline steal into a
convent, it is not pride or temerity, but an act of virtue
and zeal, to exclaim against them, and even to oppose
the Superiors themselves, should such opposition be
necessary for the correction of abuses.
1 “Justi aspectus admonitio est.”—In Ps. cxviii. s. 10.
’ “Deinceps, ut ver? sponsa, meum zelabis honorem.”—Offic. 15 Oct.

sec. v.]

Obedience dite to the Rule.

181

Fourth Excuse.

Through a pretended fear of being troublesome to
the Superior, some abstain from asking permission to do
what they are forbidden by rule to do without her leave.
This, too, is a vain excuse; for Superiors, instead of
being annoyed, are edified by the religious who ask per­
missions as often as they may be required. Besides,
how can a Superior complain of the sisters for asking
leave to do what their Rule forbids them to do, without
her permission ? Be careful, then, never to abstain from
asking any permission which your Rule commands you
to ask. And when, to support the observance of the Rule,
your Superior refuses your request, be not disturbed, but
thank her for the refusal, and keep your soul in peace.
All the passengers in a ship rejoice, and even feel grateful
to the pilot, when they see that he compels all the sailors,
without exception, to attend to their duty; for should
even one of them neglect his post the vessel might be
lost.
The rules are burdensome, but they are only the bur­
den of the wings with which we fly to the Lord. “ The
burden of Christ,” says St. Augustine, “ has wings.” 1
Yes, it has wings which assist us to rise on high. The
rules are fetters; but they are bonds of love which unite
us to the Supreme Good. When bound by rule, we
should say with holy David: The lines are fallen unto me
in goodly places? To me these cords are not a badge of
dishonor, but of nobility; they are the object of my love
because they deliver me from the chains of hell. And
when we feel pain or sorrow in consequence of being de­
prived by our Rule of any gratification which self-love
prompts us to desire, let us rejoice, and say with the
1 “ Christi sarcina pennas habet.”—In Ps. lix.
9 “ Funes ceciderunt mihi in præclaris.”—Ps. xv. 6.

4

I 82

Intcrior Mortificalion.

[CH. VIL

Apostle :Z, a prisoner in the Lordi As if he said: I see
that I am a prisoner, but I exult in those chains which
bind me to my God and merit for me an eternal crown.
“He would not,” says St. Augustine, “put a golden
necklace on you if he had not first chained you in iron
fetters.”123 The Lord would not give you the golden
necklace of eternal glory without having first bound you
with the chains of rule.
Should a sister, then, ask you to do what without per­
mission you are forbidden to do, tell her without hesita­
tion that you cannot accede to her request. You ought
not to be ashamed to refuse when there is question of
avoiding a fault, and especially the violation of the Rule.
No: should the others be negligent, it is your duty to be
singular in regular observance. Be not afraid that your
regularity will be an occasion of vainglory. That your
example may shine forth, and serve as an incentive to
others to observe the Rule and thus give glory to God,
it is certainly his will that, if the rest of the Community
be careless, you should be singular in attending even to
the smallest rules. So let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is
in heaven:' If you are not able to do great things for
God, to perform rigorous penances, or to devote much
time to prayer, strive at least to observe your Rule with
exactness; and be assured that by its sole observance you
will in a short time make rapid progress in perfection.
A great servant of God used to say that the punctual
observance of the Rule is the short way to sanctity. “ The
best perfection,” savs St. Bonaventure, “ is to fulfil all
1 “ Ego vinctus in Domino.”—Eph. iv. 1.
s “ Non tibi imponeret torquem aureum, nisi primum in compedibus
ferreis te alligasset.”—In Es. cxlix.
3 “Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut videant opera vestra
bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in coelis est.”—Matt. v. 16.

SEC. V.]

Obedience due to the I\ule.

183

things whatsoever that are prescribed.”1 t'îcX. will be
liberal to a religious in proportion to her fidelity to him.
“A religious,” says St. Teresa, “faithful to the minutest
of the rules does not walk, but flies to perfection with­
out either wings or feathers.”
St. Augustine justly calls the Rule the mirror of reli­
gious; for by its observance the character of a religious
may be known. Yes, says Hugo of Victor, commenting on
St. Augustine, the Rule is the best test by which we may
discover “ whether religious are just or unjust, whether
they advance, whether they are pleasing or displeasing
to God.”’ By seeing religious attentive to the Rule,
or careless about its observance, we ascertain at once
whether they love or do not love perfection; whether
they go forward or recede; whether they please or dis­
please God. Be assured that a religious will become a
saint not by doing a multiplicity of works, but by the
faithful observance of the Rule. At the times set apart
by the Rule for labor or for recreation a religious
should not go to prayer, to the choir, nor take the dis­
cipline. These unseasonable devotions are, says Father
Alvarez, sacrifices of rapine, which God does not ac­
cept.
A certain Capuchin was accustomed to absent himself
from the common labors for the purpose of attending to
his private devotions. On the bed of sickness Jesus
Christ, in quality of his judge, appeared to him, and
ordered all the vocal prayers and other devotions per­
formed during the time of the common exercises to be
taken from him and to be distributed among those who
had labored for the Community. By the mercy of God
’ his life was prolonged, his health was restored, and ever
1 “Optima religiosi perfectio, communia quæque servare.”—Spec,
disc. p. 2, c. 2.
9 “ Sive justi, sive injusti; utrum quisquam proficiat; utrum Deo
placeat, an displiceat.”—Expos, in Rcg. 0'. dug. c. 12.

184

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii,

after the good brother assisted most punctually at all
the common duties.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that the best
means to acquire great merit is to be present at every
assembly of the Community. It is true that in certain
circumstances, as when you labor under inurmity orare
engaged in some very important duty of office, it is not
a fault to break some small rule. But it is likewise
true that transgressions committed under pretence of
sickness or necessity frequently proceed from sloth, and
from a want of affection for the Rule. For others who
are perhaps more infirm, and not less occupied in the
offices of the convent, never violate the rules that you so
often transgress. They who love discipline find the
means of observing the Rule, and also of discharging
the duties of office. St. Teresa used to say that “some­
times the evil is small, and therefore we imagine that we
are not bound to avoid it.”1
To read your Rule frequently for the purpose of see­
ing what faults you commit and what you have to cor­
rect will contribute greatly to infuse into your soul an
affection for exact observance. The reading of the rules
is one of the best spiritual readings that you can make.
It will also be very profitable to make your particular
examination on the rules that you transgress most fre­
quently. Whenever you violate the Rule be not ashamed
to acknowledge your fault to the Superior, and to ask
penance for it. The devil once said to St. Dominic, that
in the chapter at which religious confess their defects,
and receive penance and admonition for them, he lost
all that he had gained in the refectory, in the parlor, and
in the other places of the monastery. Before you con­
fess your fault, dispose your heart to accept whatever
reproof or penance may be given to you, lest you should
be like the religious who, to show that they are humble
1 Way of Perf. ch. 11.

•ββΕΓ 'J

sec. V.]

Obedience due to the Rule.

185

and exact in the observance of the Rule, acknowledge
their defects, but are at the same time unwilling to be
reproved for their transgressions.
But to be profitable, the observance of the Rule, as St.
Ignatius has remarked, must above all be accompanied
with “ the spirit of love, and not the perturbation of
fear.”1 You should observe the rules not to escape the
rebukes of the Superior, nor to win the admiration of
the sisters, but through the spirit of love and to please
Jesus Christ. Hence the same saint has declared, that
in not annexing the penalty of sin to the violation of
the Rule of the Society of Jesus, his object was “ to
make love take the place of the fear of offending God.”’
“Count,” says St. Eucherius of Lyons, “ among the days
of your life that day only on which you have denied
self-will, and which you have spent without any viola­
tion1 of the Rule.” 3 St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi has
recommended three very efficacious means of observing
the Rule: “ 1. Prize the Rule as you esteem God himself.
2. Act as if you only were obliged to observe the Rule.
3. If the others fail in regular observance, endeavor to
supply their deficiency.”
In a word, I say again, you must be persuaded that
the perfection of a religious does not consist in great
and manifold works, but in performing all her actions
well. Great indeed was the praise of the multitude to
Jesus Christ when they said: He hath (tone ail things well
*
To achieve what is difficult and extraordinary is not
given to all; nor can extraordinary works be performed
at all times. But ordinary actions—such as the com·
1 “ In spiritu amoris, et non cum perturbatione timoris.”—Const, p.
6, c. I.
- “ Loco timoris offensæ succedat amor.”—Ibid. c. 5.
3 “ Illum tantum diem vixisse te computa, in quo voluntates proprias
abnegasti, et quem sine ulla regulæ trangressione duxisti.”—Ad Monach. hom. 9.
4 “ Bene omnia fecit.”—Mark, vii. 37.

186

Interior Mortification.

[ch. vil

mon prayer, the examination of conscience, Commun­
ion, the hearing of Mass, the recitation of the divine
Office, the fulfilment of the duties annexed to the offices
of the Community, and the other obligations imposed
by the Rule—are duties that may be discharged every
day, and by all the members of the convent. Be as
sured that though in the fulfilment of ordinary duties
you should be employed in the meanest occupations, the
faithful discharge of them will certainly make you a
saint. It is not enough to do what God wills: it is more­
over necessary to do it in the manner he wishes. It is
related in the Chronicles of the Cistercians, that St.
Bernard saw many angels noting what the monks were
doing in the choir. The works of one were written in
gold, of another in silver, of a third in ink, and of a
fourth in water, to denote the perfection or imperfection
with which each attended to prayer. Consider then how
easily, if you will, you can arrive at perfection: by the
discharge of your ordinary duties you may become a
saint. The Lord does not require of you lofty flights of
contemplation, nor formidable penances: all that he de­
mands is, that you perform all your actions well.
Many religious, on days of devotion,—for example,
during the novena of the Nativity, of the Holy Ghost,
and of the Blessed Virgin,—practise many exercises of
piety, fasts, disciplines, vocal prayers, and similar works
of penance. All these are very good; but the best de­
votion for a religious on such occasions is to perforai
her ordinary duties with extraordinary perfection. Tht
perfection of an action consists, first, in that it is done
through the sole motive of pleasing God; for it is not
the external act, but purity of intention, that constitutes
perfection. All the glory of the king's daughter is within)
The perfection of an action consists, secondly, in doing
it well; that is, with promptness, attention, and exact1 “ Omnis gloria ejus filiæ regis ab intus.”—Ps. xliv. 14.

sec. V.]

Obedience dite to the Rule.

ness. The following are the means of performing our
actions well:
1. The first means is to preserve during the discharge
of your duties a lively sense of the presence of God, that
thus every act may be worthy of his divine eyes.
2. The second means is, to perform every work as if it
were the only duty you had to fulfil. When at prayer,
let your sole care be to pray well; when you say the
divine Office, direct all your attention to the devout
recitation of it; when engaged in any employment en­
joined by obedience, your sole concern should be to dis­
charge it well. Think of nothing but the duty in which
you are occupied. To examine, during the time of
prayer, how you will execute a certain command, or how
you will direct a certain work, or to reflect on the means
of performing any other duty, is a temptation of the
enemy. “ When,” says Father M. Avila, “ any unseason­
able thought enters your mind, say: God does not will
that I think at this moment on such a subject; and
therefore it is not useful for me to reflect upon it: when
he commands me, I shall attend to it.”
3. The third means is, to perform every action as if it
were the last of your life. St. Anthony frequently
recommended this means to his disciples. “ In every
work,” says St. Bernard, “ let each one say to himself:
If I were about to die, would I do this?” 1 Would I do
it in this manner ? Were this the last Mass that I should
hear, with what devotion would I be present at it?
Were this the last Office that I should recite, with what
attention would I say it ! Were this my last Commun­
ion or my last meditation, with what fervor would I
perform it ! When, says St. Basil, you discharge the
duties of the morning, imagine that you shall not live
till evening; when night approaches, think that you
1 “ In omni opere suo, dicat sibi: Si modo moriturus esses, faceres
istud?”—Spec. Monach. η. i.

188

Interior Mortification.

[ch. vii.

shall not see the morning? It is relate^ of a certain
Dominican, who was accustomed to go to confession
every morning before he offered the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass, that, being seized with a serious malady, his
Superior commanded him to prepare for death by a good
confession. The good religious raised his hands to
heaven, and exclaimed: Blessed be God, I have confessed
every day for the last thirty years, as if I were to die
suddenly. Blessed, says the Redeemer, is that servant,
whom, when his Lord shall come, he shall find so doing}
And happy the religious whom, should death come sud­
denly upon her, Jesus Christ, her judge, shall find per­
forming the duty in which she may be engaged, as if
she knew it to be the last of her life.
4. To think each day only on the labors of the day,
is another means which greatly assists weak souls to
discharge their duties with fervor. The apprehension
of the pains to be endured, in living till death with so
much exactness, and in continually resisting self-love, is
one of the causes which make many lose courage in the
way of God. The best means of conquering this temp­
tation is, to imagine each morning that you have but one
day to live. Whoever represents to himself that only
one day of life remains, will certainly perform all the
actions of that day with great perfection. This means
is very profitable to weak souls; bùt strong and perfect
Christians do not require to conceal from themselves
the labors necessary for the attainment of sanctity;
they rejoice in suffering, and pant for opportunities of
pleasing God.
5. To religious beginning to walk in the way of perfec­
tion it will be very useful means to consider that what
is in itself difficult and painful will by habit soon be’ Admon. ad fit. spir.
- “ Beatus ille servus quem, cum venerit Dominus ejus, invenerit sic
facientem.”—Matt. xxiv. 46.

sec.

v.]

Obedience dice to the Rule.

189

come easy and agreeable. 1 will, says the Holy Ghost,
lead thee by the paths of equity ; which, when thou shalt have
entered, thy steps shall not be straitened ; and when thou run­
nest, thou shalt not meet a stumbling-block} I will, says the
Lord, first conduct you into the narrow paths of virtue;
but you shall soon walk through a broad and pleasing
way, and there you shall run without difficulties or ob­
stacles. “ At first,” says St. Bernard, writing to Pope
Eugenius, “some duty will seem intolerable; if you
accustom yourself to it, in process of time it will not
appear so difficult: afterwards you shall not feel it; and
in the end you will delight in it.” 123 Behold with your eyes,
says Ecclesiasticus, how I have labored a little, and have
found much rest to myself}

Prayer.
O my God ! I am that unhappy soul that has long since mer­
ited the curse of the barren fig-tree.4 Since I have produced no
fruit, why should I occupy a place in religion ? I have de­
served to be cut down and cast into the fire. Unhappy me ! I
have been for so many years in religion, and favored with so
many helps to sanctity, and what fruit have 1 brought forth?
But Thou dost not wish that I despair, or diffide in Thy mercy.
Thou hast said : Ask, and you shall receive. Since Thou dost
desire me to ask for Thy graces, the first favor I seek is the
pardon of all the displeasure that I have given to Thee. I have
repaid Thy love and Thy benefits by so many insults; but I re­
pent, my God, with my whole soul. The second grace I ask of
Thee is the gift of Thy love, that henceforth I may love Thee,
not with tepidity, as in my past life, but with my whole soul,
1 “ Ducam te per semitas æquitatis; quas cum ingressus fueris, non
arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.”—Prov.
iv. ii, 12.
2 “ Primum, tibi importabile videtur aliquid; processu temporis, si
assuescas, judicabis non adeo grave; paulo post, nec senties; paulo
post, etiam delectabit.”—De Consid. 1. i, c. 2.
3 “ Modicum laboravi, et inveni mihi multam requiem.”—Ecclus. Ii.
354 “Succide illam; ut quid etiam terram occupat?’—Luke, xiii. 6.

K—

I9O

Interior Mortification,

[CH. VII.

and that I may never more give Thee the least displeasure, but
that I may always do whatever I know to be pleasing to Thee.
The third grace I ask is holy perseverance in Thy love. I now
esteem Thy love more than all the kingdoms of the earth.
Thou wishest me to be entirely Thine, and I desire to belong to
Thee without reserve. On the Cross and in the Blessed Sacra­
ment Thou hast given Thyself entirely to me; I offer my whole
being to Thee. I thank Thee for enabling me by Thy grace to
make this oblation. Since Thou hast inspired, I hope thou
hast accepted it. O my Jesus, I am Thine, and I trust that
Thou wilt be mine for all eternity. I desire not that my inclina­
tions, but Thy holy will, may live henceforth in me. And I
promise from this day forward to observe all, even the small­
est, of the rules of religion; because I know that all of them are
approved by Thee. O my Love, my Love ! I will say with St.
Catharine of Genoa, no more sins. I beseech Thee to make me
always love Thee, or to take me out of life. Either love or
death, O my God !
Mary, my mother, speak to thy Son, and obtain for me the
grace to love him or to die.
VI.
The Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience.

To be perfect in obedience, a religious must obey with
promptness, exactness, cheerfulness, and simplicity.
These are the degrees of perfect obedience.
The First Degree.

The first degree, then, is to obey with promptness,
executing immediately and without reply every injunc­
tion imposed by obedience. There are some who obey
only after many entreaties of the Superior, and after
many attempts to elude her commands. Religious that
are truly obedient do not act in this manner. “A
Christian faithful to obedience,” says St. Bernard,
“ knows not delays, but prepares his ears for hearing,
and his hands and his feet for labor.”1 A religious
1 “ Fidelis obediens nescit moras; parat aures auditui, manus operi,
itineri pedes.”—De Divers, s. 41.

1
IVI.

sec. vi.j

Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience.

191

truly obedient is never slow to obey, but instantly ap­
plies her ears to hear every precept, and her hands and feet
to execute every command. She does not indulge in
slothful slumbers after the morning bell, but obeying
its sound as the call of God himself, she instantly rises.
On receiving a precept, she makes no reply, offers no
excuses, manifests no repugnance, as some do, by a
silence which often afflicts the Superior, but instantly
and with external joy shows her readiness to obey, and
immediately fulfils the command. She is not like those
who are with difficulty made to submit to authority,
and who by their reluctance to obey lose the greater
part of the merit of obedience. No; to insure her com­
pliance with every duty, neither entreaties, nor argu­
ments, nor repeated commands are necessary. She ful­
fils at once, and without reply, every obligation of
obedience.
Oh ! how meritorious in the sight of God is prompt
obedience. He has several times shown, even by super­
natural prodigies, how acceptable it is in his sight. St.
Mark, a monk, while engaged in writing, was called by
his Superior, the Abbot Silvan; the saint left unfinished
a word which he had just begun, and instantly obeyed.
On his return he found the remainder of the word writ­
ten in letters of gold. Blosius 1 relates that a nun to
whom the infant Jesus appeared, being summoned at the
moment of his appearance to a certain duty, instantly
obeyed the call. On her return she found him grown
up to the age of manhood, and was addressed by him in
the following words: “ My child, your ready obedience
has made me grow thus in your heart.” Jesus appeared
to another religious, who on hearing the bell for Vespers
left him, and went to the choir. When she returned to
her cell,’ he appeared to her again and said: “Because
1 Zust. spir. app. 4, c. 6.

192

Interior Mortification,

[ch. vu

you left me, you have found me again; had you not
obeyed the call of duty, I should have departed from
you.” To try the obedience of some of his monks who
were confined to bed by sickness, St. Columban com­
manded them to rise, and go to the barn to thrash corn.
As many as were filled with the true spirit of obedience
instantly arose, and were suddenly restored to health.
The others, because they were weak in spirit as well as
in body, remained in bed and continued in their infirmi­
ties.1
God has also sometimes shown how much he dislikes
tardy obedience. Blessed Juniper, while employed in
planting a tree in the garden, was called by St. Francis.
The brother did not obey the call immediately, but wait­
ed till he had finished the work in which he was engaged.
The saint, to show him the fault he had committed by
the tardiness of his obedience, cursed the tree, and on
the part of God, commanded it to grow no larger. The
tree obeyed, and never increased in size.
*
The narrator
of this fact states, that when he wrote his annals the
tree was preserved in the convent of the city of Carinula; that it remained green, but was as small as when
it was planted. How scandalous is it to see certain re­
ligious slow to obey, for no other reason than because
they are commanded to obey ! Were the duty of obedi­
ence not of precept, the}· should perhaps discharge it
without delay, because it would be agreeable to self-will.
Some will obey only after having frequently said to the
Superior: I cannot perform this duty. They would
speak with more truth if they said: I do not wish to do
what you command. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to
say that he who instead of saying “I will not,” say y “ I
cannot,” deceives himself, and not the Superiot.
’ Piatus, De Bono stat. rel. 1. 2, c. 5.
* Wading. Annal. Min. anno 1222, η. II.

-

sec. vi.]

Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience.

193

I

The Second Degree.

The second degree of obedience is to obey with exact­
ness; that is, with punctuality, and without interpreta­
tion.
Punctually.—You should obey with punctuality,
and not rob God of any part of your sacrifice by a mu­
tilation of the victim you offer to him. You should
carefully fulfil the whole duty imposed upon you, and
employ in its discharge all the time prescribed by obedi­
ence. Some are punctual in the presence of the Supe­
rior, but in her absence they comply so imperfectly with
the obligations of obedience, that it would be difficult to
determine whether the fulfilment of their duties is a
source of merit or demerit. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi used to say, that “ religious have consecrated their
will not to men, but to God; that they have given it to
him, not in part, but entirely and without reserve.”
Without Interpretations.—It is also necessary to
obey without interpreting in your own favor the com­
mands that you receive. A lay-brother, from another
convent, came one day to the house of the Dominicans
in Bologna. Being obliged to go out in haste on press­
ing and important business, he obtained permission
from the Superior to take for his companion the brother
whom he should first meet. Meeting, by chance, St.
Thomas, he asked the saint in the name of the Superior
to accompany him. The saint instantly obeyed, but
being corpulent, walked slowly; the lay-brother, because
his business was urgent, entreated the saint to quicken
his pace. When the brother knew who his companion
was, he frequently begged pardon of St. Thomas for
having treated him so disrespectfully; but the holy Doc­
tor bore all without the least sign of impatience.1 St.
Thomas might have interpreted the command of the
1 Surins, 7 Mart
13

194

Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii

Prior, and have reasonably inferred that it did not ex­
tend to him; but no: he wished to obey without reply
and without interpretation, and when he was told that
he might have excused himself, he answered that the
sole concern of a religious should be, to fulfil with ex­
actness the obligations of obedience.
Cassian relates that two young religious being sent
by the Abbot John with a basket of figs, as a present to
an aged monk who lived at a distance, missed their way
and wandered through a desert for many days without
food. In such necessity they might, without violating
obedience, have interpreted in their own favor the com­
mand of the Superior, and have eaten of the figs sent to
the monk; but rather than depart from even the letter
of the precept, they submitted to a painful death. They
were afterwards found dead, and the figs untouched.
I do not mean to say that it is never lawful to trans­
gress the letter of a precept; or that it is wrong to in­
terpret the will of Superiors, when circumstances justify
or render necessary an interpretation of their command.
But 1 assert that certain forced and sophistical interpre­
tations differ but little from formal acts of disobedience
Subjects should always comply even with the letter of a
precept, unless they be certain that the Superior does
not intend to oblige them to fulfil it. Some religious,
though fully acquainted with the will of the Superior,
follow the dictates of their own caprice, saying that
what they do is not forbidden. But Albert Magnus
says that “a truly obedient man never waits for a com­
mand, but performs, as if commanded, whatever he
knows or judges to be the will of his Superior.”2 It is
in the prompt fulfilment of the will of the Superior that
1 De Cœnob. inst. 1. 5, c. 40.
8 “ Verus obediens nunquam præceptum exspectat; sed, scium vol­
untatem praelati sciens vel credens, exsequitur pro praecepto.”—De
1'irtut. c. 3.

sec. vi.]

Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience.

195

perfect obedience consists. St. Thomas teaches that the
will of the Superior, in whatever way it is known, should
be regarded as a tacit precept by the religious who
aspires to perfect obedience.
*
The Third Degree.

The third degree of obedience is to obey with joy.
To obey with reluctance, and murmuring against Supe­
riors, is a defect rather than an act of virtue. “ If,” says
St. Bernard, “ murmuring in your heart, you begin to
judge the Superior, though you externally comply with
the precept, your compliance is not a virtue, but a cover­
ing of malice.” ' If you murmur interiorly against the
Superior, the fulfilment of her commands is but a cloak
thrown over your malice. For your obedience is only
external, and in your heart you disregard her authority
and violate the divine law. Oh! what a misery to see
certain religious who discharge with cheerfulness only
the duties which they themselves have asked, or which
they have been requested and entreated to perform, and
who accept without reluctance only the offices by which
their own self-love is gratified?
. ·
How can a person who importunes the Superior for a
charge agreeable to her inclinations, who is willing to
accept such a charge and no other—how, I say, can she
be called an obedient religious? St. Ignatius used to
say, that to regard as an act of obedience the fulfilment
of a command extorted from a Superior is an illusion;
and in confirmation of his assertion he adduced the fol­
lowing words of St. Bernard: “ Whosoever, either openly
or secretly, labors to obtain from his spiritual Father a
precept agreeable to self-will, deceives and vainly flatters
himself by imagining that he practises obedience; for in
* 2. 2, q. 104, a. 2.
* " Si coeperis dijudicare prælatum, si murmuras in corde, etsi ex­
terius impleas, non est virtus, sed velamentum malitiae.”—In Circumc.
D. s. 3.

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Interior Mortification.

[ch.vii.

this he does not obey his Superior, but the Superior
rather obeys him.”1 Tritemius goes so far as to call
the religious who obeys with reluctance a monster of
the devil;2 for he too obeys, but his obedience is forced.
A religious who obeys only by constraint is in a certain
sense worse than the demons; because she has promised
obedience to God by her solemn vow, but they have not.
In what, I ask, does the obedience of such a religious
consist? Is it not in doing with cheerfulness what
pleases her own caprice, and in performing what is
painful to self-love with reluctance, and with external
signs of discontent? “What room is there for obedience,” says St. Bernard, “ where the bitterness of sad­
ness is perceived ?”3
Godloveth a cheerful giverf says the Apostle. The Lord
loves the man who performs with cheerfulness whatever
he does for the love of God. Religious filled with the
true spirit of obedience execute with the greatest joy
the commands that are most opposed to their inclina­
tions; because it is in the fulfilment of such commands
that they are most certain of not doing their own will,
and of doing the will of God. And what can give
greater happiness to a Christian than in the performance
of every duty to be able to say: By this action I please
God ? If you, dear sister, desire to give great pleasure
to Jesus Christ, beg of the Superior to impose upon you
whatever precepts she pleases without any regard to
your inclinations; for thus she will be more free in pre­
scribing to you the necessary duties, and you shall have
greater merit in executing her orders. You shall then
1 “ Quisquis, vel aperte vel occulte, satagit ut, quod habet in volun­
tate, hoc ei spiritualis pater injungat, ipse se seducit, si sibi quasi de
obedientia blandiatur; neque enim in ea re ipse prælato, sed magis oi
prælatus obedit.”—De divers, s. 35.
2 “ Monstra diaboli.”
3 “ Quis locus obedientiæ, ubi tristitiæ cernitur ægritudo ?”—Ibid. s. 41.
4 ” Hilarem enim datorem diligit Peus.”—2 Cor. ix. 7.

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be certain of deserving as great a reward by works agree­
able to self-love as by the exercises opposed to the feel­
ings of flesh and blood. Never depart from the excel­
lent rule of St. Francis de Sales—neither to ask nor to
refuse any duty.
“Obedience,” says St. John Climacus, “is the sepul­
chre of self-will." ’
Some call obedience the death ot
self-will; but it is more properly denominated its sepul­
chre. For the dead, as long as they are unburied., may
be seen; but after their interment they are no longer
visible. Some destroy self-will by the practice of obedi­
ence, but still allow it to appear in their exterior. In
the perfect, self-will is not only dead, but buried; so that
in their actions it can never be perceived.
In St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi self-will was so com­
pletely extinguished that her Superiors could never
know what was agreeable or disagreeable to her. Endeavor to imitate her conduct, and to receive with per­
fect indifference all the duties, offices, and employments
that may be assigned to you; and to fulfil them with
cheerfulness and alacrity. If you desire to discharge
your obligations with true joy, you must perform them
from the pure intention of pleasing God. If you com­
ply with them to obtain the friendship of the Superior,
to induce her to grant your requests, to escape her dis­
pleasure, or the charge of disobedience, or through any
other motive of self-interest, you may indeed satisfy the
Superior, but you will not please God, and therefore you
shall suffer all the fatigue and pains of obedience with­
out enjoying the tranquillity of an obedient religious.
Moreover, if to please God be the sole end of your obe­
dience, you will cheerfully obey, not only when the tone
and manner of the Superior are sweet and agreeable,
but also when her directions are given in severe and
commanding language: in this merit consists.
’ “ Obedientia est sepulcrum propriæ voluntatis.”—Scala parad. gr. 4.

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(CH. VII.

Father Rodriguez relates that St. Gertrude besought
the Lord to deliver the abbess from her roughness of
manner and impatience towards the sisters, but in
answer Almighty God told her that he permitted these
defects in the abbess to keep her humble, and for the
greater trial and merit of the religious.
The Fourth Degree.

The fourth and last degree of perfect obedience is to
obey with simplicity. Servants, says the Apostle, be
obedient . . . in t/ie simplicity of your heartsd
To be
simple of heart you must subject your own judgment to
that of the Superior, and esteem as just and reasonable
whatever she commands. Behold how the Holy Ghost
teaches his spouse the duty of perfect obedience: Ij
thou knowest not thyselfO fairest among women, go forth, ana
follow after the steps of thy flocks.2 O fairest of women, if
you know not how to make yourself the object of my
love, come and I will teach you; go forth from thyself,
and follow after the steps of thy flocks, which, when
sent to pasture, ask not where or when or why they go?
They obey their pastor without reply: so should a re­
ligious obey without demanding the reasons why she
should obey.
That great servant of God, Father Pavone, of the
Society of Jesus, used to say that obedience, to be per­
fect, should captivate the intellect as well as the will.
The obedience of a religious whose will only obeys, and
whose understanding condemns what the Superior com­
mands, is lame and imperfect. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi says that “ perfect obedience requires a soul with­
out a will, and a will without an intellect.” Hence to
acquire the perfect spirit of obedience the saint was
1 “Obedite . . . in simplicitate cordis vestri.’’—Ephes, vi. 5.
9 “ Si ignoras te, o pulcherrima inter mulieres! egredere, et abi post
vestigia gregum.’’—Cant. i. 7.

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accustomed, first to captivate her judgment, and then to
perform the duty imposed upon her. He who does not
practise obedience of the intellect will hardly obey with
cheerfulness; his submission will be that of a slave—the
result of force, not the obedience of a child, and the
fruit of love. Hence the Apostle says: With a good will
serving as to the Lord, and not to men.' Obey with a good
will, serving God rather than men. Your obedience will
never be cheerful unless it proceed from a motive of
pleasing God, who can never err in his precepts, and
who commands only what will be profitable to us.
St. Thomas teaches that though the commands of a
Superior may appear impossible, a religious should
make an effort to fulfil them. Because subjects have
no right to decide on the possibility or impossibility of
a precept imposed upon them. “ Perfect obedience,”
says St. Bernard, “is indiscreet.” 2 In subjects perfect
obedience does not require discretion. And in another
place the saint says: “ It is impossible for a prudent
novice to persevere in religion.”3 A novice who regu­
lates her obedience by her own prudence cannot perse­
vere in the religious state.
Because, continues the
saint, to assume the office of Superior is, in a novice,
insufferable pride. “ To decide belongs to the Superior;
and to obey is the duty of the subject.”* To decide
what is to be done is the prerogative of the Superior,
and to fulfil her commands the bounden duty of sub­
jects. St. Ignatius once said that should the Pope com­
mand him to undertake a voyage by sea in a ship without a mast, without oars or sails, he would blindly obey
the precept. And when he was told that it would be
1 “Cum bona voluntate servientes, sicut Domino, et non hominibus.”
—Eph. vi. 7.
2 “ Perfecta obedient ia est indiscreta.”—De Vit. sol. c. 5.
3 “Novitium prudentem in congregatione durare, itupossibile est.”
4 " Discernere superioris est, aliorum est obedire.”

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Interior Mortification.

[ch. vii.

imprudent to expose his life to danger, he answered that
prudence is necessary in Superiors; but in subjects the
perfection of prudence is to obey without prudence.
This doctrine is conformable to Holy Scripture: Be­
hold, says the Lord, as clay is in the potter's hands.' Re­
ligious must leave themselves in the hands of the Supe­
rior to be moulded as she wills. Shall the clay say to him
that fashioneth it : What art thou making ? 9 If clay should
dare to say to the potter, Why hast thou formed me
thus?—the potter ought to answer: Be silent: it is not
your business to inquire what I do, but to obey and to
receive whatever form I please to give you. Such the
answer merited by religious who seek to know why a
precept, an office, or a duty is imposed upon them. St.
Jerome, in an epistle to Rusticus, a monk, says: “It is
your duty to obey: judge not of the decision of your
Superiors.” 3 In the lives of the monks of La Trappe
we read that a good religious called Arsenins judged to
be superfluous the expense incurred by the Superior
in making the church more commodious. But after­
wards, reflecting that his judgment was in opposition to
that of his Superior, he went immediately and with
tears accused himself of his fault as if it were a great
crime. The abbot told him that his fault was not so
grievous as he imagined; but Arsenius could not re­
strain the torrent of tears which flowed from his eyes.
To regard as good whatever Superiors command, is
the blind obedience so much praised by the saints ; and
is the duty of every religious, and this for four rea­
sons : i. Because, according to the proverb, no one is
fit to be a judge in his own cause.4 When there is
question of their own interest, self-love renders it diffi1
9
3
4

“ Quasi lutum figuli in manu ipsius.”—Ecclus. xxxiii. 13.
“ Numquid dicet lutum figulo suo: Quid facis . . . ?”—Is. xlv. 9.
“ Nec de majXrum sententia judices, cujus officium est obedire.”
“ Nemo rectus judex sui ipsius.”

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cult for all men to distinguish truth from falsehood ;
and therefore no one should be the judge of what re­
gards himself.
2. Because a Superior is acquainted
with a great many circumstances of which subjects are
ignorant; and therefore her opinion should be preferred
to theirs. 3. Because subjects only regard their own
interests; but the Superior looks to the good of the
Community. 4. Because Superiors are assisted, in a
particular manner, by Almighty God to govern the
Community; and therefore are favored with lights not
given to subjects.
Of St. Paul it is written, that after his conversion,
when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. But they leading
him by the hand, brought him to Damascus) Some religi­
ous are unwilling to obey without examining whether
the duty imposed upon them will be profitable or un­
profitable to them.
Should it appear not suited to
them, they either refuse to obey, or obey only with re­
luctance, and sometimes go so far as to charge the Su­
perior with imprudence, indiscretion, or partiality. All
this arises from a want of the spirit of blind obedience,
and from a desire to demand from the Superior the
reason why she imposes certain duties. “ To seek for
reasons is,” according to St. Bernard, “ a sign of an
imperfect heart.’” Whoever demands the reason of a
precept shows a very imperfect will. It was by asking
the reasons of the divine command that the devil
tempted Eve to eat the forbidden apple, and succeeded
in making her prevaricate.
lf7hv, said the serpent,
hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every
tree in paradise? Had Eve answered: It belongs not to
1 “ Apertisque oculis, nihil videbat ; ad manus autem illum tra­
hentes, introduxerunt Damascum.”—Acts, ix. S.
* “Imperfecti cordis indicium est, exigere de quibusque rationem.”
—De Prœc. et Disft. c. jo.
3 “ Cur præcepit vobis Deus ut non comederetis de omni ligno par­
adisi?”— Gen. iii. i.

202

Interior Mortification.

[CH. VII.

us to seek the reason of the precept: it is our duty to
obey;—she should not have fallen. But because she be­
gan to examine the reason of the command, she replied,
We can eat of the fruits of paradise. There is but one
tree which we are forbidden to touch, lest perhaps we
die) Perceiving that she began to doubt the threatened
punishment of death, he rejoined, Be not afraid, you
shall not die I and thus he persuaded her to transgress
the command of God.
Religious that are truly obedient seek not for rea­
sons; but, like St. Paul, with open eyes, they see not,
and reduce a haughty intellect to the subjection of obe­
dience, by submitting their judgment to that of their
Superior. St. John Climacus’ says that a religious
should banish thoughts opposed to obedience, as she
would reject thoughts against chastity, that is, immedi­
ately, and without reply; and that, instead of question­
ing the reasonableness of the precepts of her Superior,
she should always seek for reasons to defend their ex­
pediency. Almighty God has several times shown, in a
miraculous manner, how much he delights in the blind
obedience of religious. Sulpitius Severus relates,
*
that
to try the obedience of a young man who applied for ad­
mission into a certain monastery, the abbot commanded
him to walk into a furnace filled with burning coals.
The young man instantly plunged into the fire, but re­
ceived no injury; his clothes were not even touched.
St. Gregory6 relates that St. Benedict commanded St.
Maurus to follow the young St. Placidus, who had fallen
into a river. St. Maurus obeyed, walked on the waters,
and saved the life of the boy. These examples are not
1 “ Ne forte moriamur.”—Gen. iii. 3.
s “ Nequaquam morte moriemini.”—Ibid. 4.
8 Scat, parad. gr. 4.
4 De Virt. nt on. or. dial. I, c. 12.
1 Dial. 1. 2. c. 7.

sec. vi.]

Four Degrees of Perfect Obedience,

203

to be imitated. The precepts given by these holy men,
and their fulfilment, proceeded from extraordinary im­
pulses of the Holy Ghost, who assured the Superiors
that by their commands, and the subjects that by their
obedience, they were accomplishing the divine will.
But at the same time they show how much God is
pleased by blind unhesitating obedience.
To try the obedience of their subjects, Superiors
sometimes impose commands that are inexpedient, and
even absurd. St. Francis commanded his disciples to
plant cabbages with their roots uppermost. He obliged
Brother Matthew to continue turning round till he fell
to the ground. St. Teresa made similar trials of her
children. But you will ask, Of what use are such pre­
cepts? In answer I ask, Why are untrained horses made
sometimes to run, sometimes to stop, and sometimes to
goback? All these contribute to make them obedient
to the bridle ; and to exercise religious in what appears
extravagant and useless accustoms them to subdue the
stubbornness of their own will, and to subject their own
judgments to that of their Superiors.
St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say, that “ to follow
one’s own judgment in the practice of obedience is not
obedience.” In every act of your life, be careful, dear
sister, never to prefer your opinion to that of your Su­
periors. St. Philip Neri has remarked, that nothing is
more dangerous than to be directed by one’s own coun­
sel. Peter of Blois says that “ to trust one’s self-alone,
is the greatest of evils.” * Cassian asserts that “ it is
impossible for him who confides in his own judgment
to escape the deceits and illusions of the devil.”3
Hence St. John Chrysostom teaches that “nothing is
so destructive of the Church as a separation of disciples
1 “ Sibi solum credere, pessimum est.”
2 “ impossibile est, qui proprio fidit indicio, diaboli illusione non
decipi.”—Coli. 16, c. u.

204

Interior Mortification.

[ch. νπ.

from their masters.”1 There is nothing which does
greater injury to the Church of God than the opposi­
tion of disciples to the opinion of their masters; and
there is nothing more ruinous to a religious Commu­
nity than the disregard of the sisters for the judgment
of their Superiors.
Prayer.
O my Jesus, Thou dost never abandon a soul that seeks
Thee. Thou hast not forsaken them that love thee.'1 I have
left the world to find Thee in this holy place: but I have only
sought myself and my own pleasures, and thus I have greatly
offended Thee. Forget, O Lord, the past, and pardon the
offences which I have committed against Thee, and which I
now abhor with my whole soul. I feel a strong desire to be­
come a saint, and to please Thee in all things. I know that
this desire is Thy gift. Ah ! my Spouse, what has induced
Thee to visit with so much love a soul so ungrateful, and to
bestow upon me so many graces, after all the insults I have
offered to Thee? With an humble and a contrite heart I
thank Thee for all Thy favors : be a thousand times blessed for
them. Thou dost invite me to Thy love; and I desire to obey
Thy call. I know the value of this grace, and am resolved
never more to be unmindful of Thy benefits, as I have hitherto
been. I love Thee, O my Sovereign Good ! I love Thee, O
my God ! Thou art my only treasure, and the only object of
my love. Give me strength to correspond, by my affections,
to the love which Thou dost bear me. Grant that I may love
Thee always; that I may love Thee intensely: I ask nothing
more.
O my mother, Mary, thank thy Son for me, and obtain for
me the grace to be faithful to him during the remainder of my
life. O Mother of God, in thee I trust.
1 “ Nihil est quod Ecclesiam Dei ita destruere potest, ut quando
discipuli magistris non cohærent.”—In illud ad Rom. c. 16, Salu­
tate, etc.
9 “ Non dereliquisti quærentes te, Domine.”—Dan. xiv. 37.

CH. VIII.]

Exterior Mortification.

205

CHAPTER VIII.
EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION.

I.
Its Necessity and Advantages.

There is no alternative: we poor children of Adam
must till death live in continual warfare; For, says
the Apostle, the flesh lusteth against the spirit) The flesh
desires what the spirit dislikes; and the spirit pants for
what the flesh abhors. Now, since it is peculiar to irra­
tional creatures to place all their happiness in sensual
enjoyment, and to the angels to seek only the accom­
plishment of God’s will, surely if we attend to the ob­
servance of the divine commands, we shall, as a learned
author justly says, he transformed into angels; but if
we fix our affections on the gratifications of sense, we
shall sink to the level of the brute creation.
If the soul do not subdue the body, the flesh will
conquer the spirit. To maintain his seat on a furious
steed, and to escape danger, the horseman must hold a
tight rein; and to avoid the corruption of the flesh, we
must keep the body in perpetual restraint. We must
treat it as a physician treats a patient, to whom he pre­
scribes nauseous medicine, and to whom he refuses pal­
atable food. Cruel indeed must be the physician who
gives to a sick man noxious draughts because they are
pleasing to the taste, and who does not administer use­
ful remedies, because they are bitter and disgusting.
And great is the cruelty of the sensual, when to escape
1 “Caro enim concupiscit adversus spiritum, spiritus autem adver­
sus carnem.”—v. 17.

2O6

Ex terior Mortifica lion.

[CH. VIII.

some trifling corporal pain in this life they expose
their souls and bodies to eternal torments in the next.
“ Such charity,” says St. Bernard, “ is destructive of
charity: such mercy is full of cruelty; because it serves
the body so as to destroy the soul.”1 The false love of
the flesh destroys the true charity which we owe to
ourselves: inordinate compassion towards the body is
full of cruelty, because by indulging the flesh it kills
the soul. Speaking of sensualists who deride the mor­
tifications of the saints, the same Father says: “ If we
are cruel in crucifying the flesh, you by sparing it are
far more cruel.”2 Yes, for by the pleasures of the body
in this life you shall merit for soul and body inexpress­
ible torments forever in the next. Father Rodriguez3
tells us of a solitary who had emaciated his body by
very rigorous austerities. Being asked why he treated
his body so badly, he replied: “ I only chastise what chas­
tises me.”4 I torment the enemy who persecutes my
soul, and who seeks my destruction. The Abbot Moses
being once censured for his severity towards his body,
replied: “ Let the passion cease, and I will also cease
to mortify my flesh.”4 When the flesh ceases to molest
me, I shall cease to crucify its appetites.
If, then, we wish to be saved, and to please God, we
must take pleasure in what the flesh refuses, and must
reject what the flesh demands. Our Lord once said to
St. Francis of Assisi: “If you desire my love, accept
the things that are bitter as if they were sweet, and the
things that are sweet as if they were bitter.”
1 “ Ista charitas destruit charitatem, talis misericordia crudelitate
plena est, qua ita corpori servitur, ut anima juguletur.”—/Ifol. ad
Guill. c. 8.
2 “ Simus nos crudeles interim non parcendo, at vos parcendo cru­
deliores.”—/;/ Ps. xc. s. io.
3 Practice of Pcrfec. tr. i, ch. 4.
4 “Vexo eum qui vexat me.”
* “ Quiescant passiones, quiescam ego.”

sec.

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fis Necessity and Advantages.

207

Some will say that perfection does not consist in the
mortification of the body, but in the abnegation of the
will. To them I answer with Father Pinamonti, that
the fruit of the vineyard does not consist in the sur­
rounding hedge; but still if the hedge be taken away,
you will seek in vain for the produce of the vine.
Where there is no hedge, says the Holy Ghost, the possession
shat/ be spoiled.' So ardent was the desire of St. Aloysius
to crucify his flesh, that, although weak in health, he
sought nothing but mortifications and penitential rig­
ors; and, to a person who once said that sanctity does
not consist in corporal works of penance, but in the de­
nial of self-will, he wisely answered in the words of the
Redeemer: These things you ought to have done, and not to
leave those undone.’ He meant to say that, to keep the
flesh in subjection to reason, the mortification of the
body is necessary, as well as the denial of the will. I
chastise my body, says St. Paul, and bring it into subjection?
The flesh, when indulged, will be brought with difficulty
to obey the divine law. Hence St. John of the Cross,
speaking of certain spiritual directors who despise and
discourage external penance, says that “ he who incul­
cates loose doctrine regarding the mortification of the
flesh, should not be believed though he confirmed his
preaching by miracles.”
The world and the devil are very powerful enemies of
our eternal salvation; but our own body, because it is a
domestic enemy, is a still more dangerous antagonist.
“A domestic enemy,” says St. Bernard, “ is the worst of
foes.” 4 A town that is besieged has more to apprehend
from the enemies that are within than from those that
are without the walls; because it is far more difficult to
* “ Ubi non est sepes, diripietur possessio.”—Ecclus. xxxvi. 27.
s“ Hæc oportuit facere et illa non omittere.”—Matt, xxiii. 23.
3 “ Castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo.”—1 Cor. ix. 27.
4 “ Magis nocet domesticus hostis.”—Medit. c. 13.

2oS

Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vjii.

ward off the attacks of the former than those of the
latter. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say that“ we
should pay no more attention to the body than to the
vilest rag.” Such indeed has been the practice of the
saints. As the indulgence of the body by sensual pleas­
ures is the sole and constant study of worldlings, so the
continual mortification of the flesh is to the saints the
only object of their care and of their desires. St. Peter
of Alcantara was accustomed to say to his body: O my
body, keep your peace; I shall give you no rest here be­
low; pains and torments shall be your portion in this
life; when we shall be in paradise, you will then enjoy
that repose which shall never end. Similar was the
practice of St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, who, on the
bed of death, stated that she did not remember to have
ever taken pleasure in any other object than in God
alone. If we read the lives of the saints and see the
works of penance that they performed, we shall be
ashamed of the delicacy and of the reserve with which
we chastise the flesh. In the lives of the ancient Fath­
ers' we read of a large Community of nuns who never
tasted fruit or wine. Some of them took food only
once every day; others never ate a meal, except after
two or three days of rigorous abstinence: all were
clothed and even slept in haircloth. I do not require
such austerities from religious of the present day: but
is it too much for them to take the discipline several
times in the week ?—to wear a chain round some part of
the body till the hour of dinner?—not to approach the
fire in winter on some day in each week, and during no­
venas of devotion?—to abstain from fruit and sweet­
meats ?—and, in honor of the Mother of God, to fast
every Saturday on bread and water, or at least to be
content with one dish ?
But you will say: I am weak, and my director forbids
1 Lib. i, Vit, S, Euphros.

SEC. I.]

Its Necessity and Advantages.

209

me to practise any corporal austerity. Obey your con­
fessor, but take care to embrace with peace all the
troubles of your infirmities, and all the inconveniences
arising from the heat or cold of the seasons. If you
cannot chastise your body by positive rigors, abstain at
least from some lawful pleasures. St. Francis Borgia,
when amusing himself in hawk-hunting, used to cast
down his eyes when he saw the hawk about to spring
upon its prey. St. Aloysius always turned away his
eyes from the objects of curiosity exhibited at the festiv­
ities at which he was present. Why cannot you prac­
tise similar mortifications? If denied lawful pleasures,
the body will not dare to seek forbidden indulgence;
but if continually gratified by every innocent enjoyment,
it will soon draw the soul into sinful gratifications.
Besides, that great servant of God, Father Vincent
Carafa, of the Society of Jesus, used to say that the
Almighty has given us the goods of the earth, not only
that we may enjoy them, but also that we may have the
means of pleasing him by offering to him his own gifts,
and by voluntarily renouncing them in order to show
our love for him. It is true, indeed, that certain inno­
cent pleasures assist our weakness, and prepare us for
spiritual exercises; but it is likewise true that sensual
pleasures poison the soul, by attaching her to creatures.
Hence, like poison, they must be used sparingly. Poi­
sons, when properly prepared and taken with modera­
tion, are sometimes conducive to health; and sensual
delights, because they are poisonous remedies, must be
taken with great caution and reserve, without attach­
ment to them, only through necessity, and to be better
able to serve God.
Besides, for the recovery of bodily health you must
take care never to impair the strength of the soul, which
will be always weak as long as the flesh is not mortified.
“ I compassionate,” says St. Bernard, “ the infirmities of
the body; but

210

Exterior Mortification.

[CH. vin.

object of greater alarm.” 1 I pity the infirmities of the
body, but feel greater commiseration for the more for­
midable and dangerous maladies of the soul.' Oh! how
often is bodily weakness made the pretext for unneces­
sary indulgence. “ We leave the choir,” says St. Teresa,
“ to-day, because the head aches; on to-morrow, because
it has ached; and on the day after, lest it should ache.”
Hence on another occasion she thus addresses her dear
children: “You have entered religion not to indulge the
flesh but to die for Jesus Christ. If we do not resolve
to disregard the want of health, we shall do nothing.
What injury will death do us? How often have our
bodies molested us? Shall not we torment them in re­
turn ?” St. Joseph Calasanctius says: “ Woe to the re­
ligious who loves health more than sanctity.”
St. Bernard considered it indecent in a religious to
cake costly medicine; for them, he said, decoctions of
herbs should be sufficient. I do not require this of you;
but I say that small indeed must be the spiritual prog­
ress of the religious who is continually seeking physi­
cians and remedies; who is sometimes not content with
the prescription of the ordinary physician; and who, by
her discontent, disturbs the whole Community. “ Men,”
says Salvian, “ devoted to Christ are weak, and wish to
be so: if they were robust, they could with difficulty be
saints.” ’ All, and particularly nuns who have conse­
crated themselves to the love of Jesus Christ, are weak
in body, and desire to continue in their infirmities: were
they strong and vigorous, it would be difficult for them
to attain sanctity. The truth of this observation ap­
pears from the lives of St. Teresa, St. Rose, St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi, and other saints. The Venerable
Beatrix of the Incarnation, the first spiritual daughter
’“Compatior infirmitati corporum; sed timenda multo magis am·
pliusque cavenda infirmitas animarum.”—Epist. 345.
s “ Homines Christo dediti, et infirmi sunt, et volunt esse; si fortes
tuerint, sancti esse vix possunt.”—De Gubern. D. 1. 1.

■■er·

sec. i.]

Its Necessity and Advantages,

211

of St. Teresa, though afflicted with pains and infirmities,
was accustomed to say that she would not exchange her
condition for that of the happiest princess on earth.
Such was her patience, that in the greatest sufferings
she never uttered a word of complaint. Hence a sister
once said to her: “ You are like one of those wretched
paupers who languish for want of food, but continue
to endure the pains of hunger rather than submit to the
shame of manifesting their poverty.” 1
If bodily weakness renders us unable to practise cor­
poral austerities, let us at least learn from her example
to embrace with joy the infirmities with which Almighty
God visits us. If borne with patience, they will conduct
us to perfection better than voluntary works of penance.
St. Syncletica used to say, that “as corporal maladies
are cured by medicine, so the diseases of the soul are
healed by the infirmities of the body.”2
Oh ! how profitable to the spirit are the mortifications
of the flesh.
'
i . ·■»- · ·*. :
They detach the heart from sensual pleasures, which
wound the soul, and frequently deprive her of life.
“The wounds of charity,” says Origen, “make us in­
sensible to the wounds of the flesh.” 3
Moreover, by mortifications we atone in this life for
the pains due to our sins. He that has offended God,
though the offence may be pardoned, must either by
expiatory works in this life, or by the pains of purga­
tory in the next, make satisfaction for the temporal
punishment due to sin after remission of its guilt. His
sufferings in purgatory will be infinitely greater than
any torments that he could endure on earth. They shall
be in very great tribulation, unless they do penance from their
deeds? They who have not expiated their sins shall
1 Found, ch. 12.
9 Vit. Patr. 1. 5, libell. J.
3 “ Vulnera charitatis non faciunt sentire vulnera carnis.’*
4 “ In tribulatione maxima erunt, nisi poenitentiam ab operibus suis
egerint."-^Aftoc. ii. 22.

212

Exterior Mortification.

ch.viii.]

suffer the sharpest torments in the other world. St.
Antoninus ' relates that an angel proposed to a sick
man the choice of being confined to purgatory for three
days, or of being condemned to a continuation of his in­
firmities for two years. The sick man chose the three
days in purgatory; but scarcely had an hour elapsed in
that place of torments when he began to complain of
the angel for having condemned him to a purgation not
of three days, but of several years. “What!” replied
the angel, “ your body is still warm on the bed of death,
and you speak of having spent years in purgatory.” If,
dear Sister, you wish to suffer in peace, imagine that you
have still to live fifteen or twenty years, and say, This is
my purgatory: it is the spirit rather than the body that
I must conquer.
Mortifications raise the soul to God. St. Francis de
Sales used to say, that a soul cannot ascend to the
throne of God unless the flesh is mortified and de­
pressed. There are many beautiful remarks on this
subject in the works of St. Teresa: “It would be folly,”
says this great saint, “to think that God admits to his
familiar friendship those who seek their own ease?
Sensuality and prayer are incompatible.3 Souls who
truly love God cannot desire repose.” 4
Mortifications merit great glory in heaven. If “every
one who striveth for the mastery” abstains from what­
ever is likely to diminish uis strength, and thus endanger
the conquest of a miserable earthly crown, how much
more should we deny the flesh for the attainment of an
eternal kingdom ? And they, indeed^ says St. Paul, that
they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible
onei St. John saw all the saints with palms in their
’ P. 4, tit. 14, c. 10, § 4.
9 Way of Perf. ch. 19.
3 Ibid. ch. 4.
4 Found, ch. 5.
5 “ Illi quidem, ut corruptibilem coronam accipiant; nos autem, incor
ruptam.”—i Cor. ix. 25.

SEC. I.]

Its Necessity and Advantages.

213

hands.' From this passage we learn that all the elect
must be martyrs, either by the sword of the tyrant or
by the voluntary crucifixion of the flesh. But while we
meditate on the necessity of works of penance, we
should at the same time remember that the pains of
this life bear no proportion to the eternal glory that
awaits us in paradise. The sufferings of this life, says St
Paul, are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come,
that shall be revealed in us.1
23 The few transitory
J mortifications which we practise here below will produce com­
plete and everlasting felicity. Tor, says the Apostle,
that which is at present momentary and light of our tribula­
tion, tvorketh for us above measure exceedingly an exceeding
weight of glory2
Let us then animate our faith. Our pilgrimage on
earth will not be of long duration: our home is eternity,
where he who has practised the greatest mortifiations
during life shall enjoy the greatest glory. St. Peter4
says the saints are the living stones of which the celes­
tial Jerusalem is built. But before they are translated
to the city which is above, they must be polished by the
salutary chisel of penance.
Scalpri salubris ictibus
Many a blow the biting sculp­
ture
Et tunsione plurima
Polished well those stones
elect,
In their places now compacted
Fabri polita malleo,
By the heavenly Architect,
Who therewith hath willed forever
That his palace should be
Hanc saxa molem construunt
*
decked.
1 “ Et palmæ in manibus eorum.”—Apoc. vii. 9.
’ " Non sunt condignæ passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam,
quæ revelabitur in nobis.”—Rom. viii. 18.
3 “ Momentaneum et leve tribulationis nostræ . . . aeternum gloriae
pondus operatur in nobis.”—2 Cor. iv. 17.
4 i Pet. ii. 5.
* In Dedic. Eccl.

2ί4

Exterior Μortifica fion.

[CH. VIH.

Let us consider each act of self-denial as a work that
will prepare us for paradise. This thought will sweeten
all our pains and all our toils. How pleasing is the
fatigue of a journey to him who is assured that he shall
obtain possession of all the territory through which he
travels? It is related in the Lives of the Fathers,1 that
a certain monk was anxious to exchange his cell for
another nearer to the fountain from which he was ac­
customed to draw water, but as he was one day going
to the fountain, he heard his steps counted by a person
behind him. Turning round he saw a young man, who
said: “I am an angel: I count your steps, that none of
them may be without a reward.” The monk immediately
abandoned the intention of changing his cell; and even
wished it to be more distant from the water, that he
might be able to acquire greater merit.
Mortified religious enjoy peace and content in this
life, as well as in the next. What greater happiness can
a soul possess than to know that by her mortifications
she pleases God ? The very privation of carnal plea­
sures, and even the pains of penance, are so many
spiritual delights to a loving soul. Love cannot be at
rest. He that loves God cannot live without giving
continual proofs of his affection. Now a soul cannot give
a stronger proof of its love for God than the voluntary
renunciation of earthly pleasures for his sake, and the
oblation of its pains to him. A Christian enamoured of
Jesus Christ feels no pain in his penitential works.
“He that loves,” says St. Augustine, “labors not.”’
“Who,” says St. Teresa, “can behold his God covered
with wounds and harassed by persecutions, without
embracing and even desiring a portion of his Saviour’s
sufferings ?” ' Hence St. Paul exclaimed, that he wished
1 Vit. Pair. 1. 5, libell. y, n. 31.
8 “Qui amat, non laborat.”—In Jo. tr. 48.
3 Life, ch. 26.

sec. i.]

Its Necessity and A dvantages.

215

for no other delight or glory than the Cross of the
Redeemer. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Again he says, that the cru­
cifixion of the flesh is the test by which the true lovers
of Jesus Christ may be known. They that are Christ's
have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences?
Worldlings go in search of sensual gratifications, but
the followers of Christ seek only corporal austerities.
In conclusion, dear Sister, imagine that death is at
hand, and that cis yet you have done but little for para­
dise. Strive from this day forward to mortify yourself
as much as possible, at least by abstinence from the
pleasures that self-love seeks. Endeavor to profit by
every opportunity of mortification. Let not the part of a
good gift overpass you? Consider every occasion of self­
denial as a gift which God bestows upon you, that you
may be able to merit greater glory in another life; and
remember that what can be done to-day cannot be per­
formed to-morrow, for time that is past never returns.
To animate your fervor in the practice of mortifica­
tion, I shall here place before your eyes, in his own
words, what St. John Climacus saw in a monastery
called the Prison of Penitents. “ I saw,” says the saint,
“some of them standing the whole night in the open
air, to overcome sleep. I saw others with their eyes
fixed on heaven, and with tears begging mercy from
God. Others stood with their hands bound behind
their shoulders, and their heads bowed down, as if they
were unworthy to raise their eyes to heaven. Others
remained on ashes, with their heads between their knees,
and beat the ground with their foreheads. Others del1 “ Mihi autem absit gloriari, nisi in cruce Domini nostri Jesu
Christi.”—Gal. vi. 14.
5 “Qui autem sunt Christi, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et
concupiscentiis.”—6W. v. 24.
s “ Particula boni k>ni non te prætereat.”—Ecclcs. xiv. 14.

2ΐό

Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vin,·

uged the floor with their tears. Others stood in the
burning rays of the sun. Others, parched with thirst,
were content with taking a few drops of water to pre­
vent death. Others took a mouthful of bread, and then
threw it out, saying that he who has been guilty of
beastly actions is unworthy of the food of men. Some
had their cheeks furrowed by continual streams of tears;
and others had their eyes sunken. Others struck their
breast with such violence, that they began to spit blood.
And I saw all with faces so pallid and emaciated, that
they appeared to be so many corpses.” ’ The saint then
concludes by saying, that notwithstanding their fall, he
considered them, on account of their penitential rigors,
more happy than those who had never sinned and never
done penance. What shall be said of them who have
fallen and have never atoned for their crime by expiatory
works ?
Prayer.

O my Spouse, assist me and give me strength, that for the
future I may serve Thee better than I have done for the past.
Hitherto I have sought the gratification of my senses and of
self-love, but have been regardless of offending Thee. But for
the future I desire only to please Thee, who art so deserving of
all my love. For the love of me Thou hast chosen a life of con­
tinual pains and sorrows; Thou hast spared nothing to draw
me to Thy love, and shall I continue to be as ungrateful as I
have been for so many years ? No, my Jesus, it shall not be so :
I have sinned enough in my past life. Pardon me all my trans­
gressions ; I am sorry for them, and repent with all my whole
heart of all the displeasure I have given Thee by my irregular
life. I now love Thee with my whole soul, and desire to do all
that I can to please Thee in all things, and without reserve.
Through my director, make known to me Thy will. I now
purpose, and hope with the assistance of Thy grace, to fulfil
Thy will in all things. My beloved Redeemer, replenish my
memory with holy thoughts, that I may always remember the
1 Seal. par. gr. 5.

[sec. ii.

Mortification of the Eyes.

217

sorrows which Thou hast endured for my sake. Inflame my
will with holy affections, that I may seek only what pleases
Thee, and may desire only the accomplishment of Thy will, and
to belong entirely to Thee. Grant, O Lord, that I may love
Thee, and that I may love Thee ardently. For if I love Thee,
all pains will be sweet and agreeable to me.
Holy Virgin Mary, my mother, assist me to please God dur­
ing the remainder of my life. In thee I place all my hope.
II.

The Mortification of the Eyes, and Modesty in General.
i. Mortification of

the

Eyes.

Almost all our rebellious passions spring from un­
guarded looks; for, generally speaking, it is by the sight
that all inordinate affections and desires are excited.
Hence, holy Job made a covenant with his eyes, that he would
not so much as think upon a virgin.1 Why did he say that
he would not so much as think upon a virgin ? Should
he not have said that he made a covenant with his eyes
not to look at a virgin ? No; he very properly said that
he would not think upon a virgin; because thoughts are
so connected with looks, that the former cannot be
separated from the latter, and therefore, to escape the
molestation of evil imaginations, he resolved never to
fix his eyes on a woman.
St. Augustine says: “The thought follows the look;
delight comes after the thought; and consent after de­
light.”3 From the look proceeds the thought; from the
thought the desire; for, as St. Francis de Sales says,
what is not seen is not desired, and to the desire suc­
ceeds the consent. If Eve had not looked at the forbid­
den apple, she should not have fallen; but because she
1 “ Pepigi foedus cum oculis meis, ut ne cogitarem quidem de vir­
gine.”—Job, xxxi. i.
2 “Visum sequitur cogitatio, cogitationem delectatio, delectationem
consensus.”

218

Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vih.

saw that it was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and beautiful
to behold, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.1 The
devil first tempts us to look, then to desire, and after­
wards to consent.
St. Jerome says that Satan requires “ only a beginning
on our part.”2 If we begin, he will complete our destruc­
tion. A deliberate glance at a person of a different sex
often enkindles an infernal spark, which consumes the
soul. “Through the eyes,” says St. Bernard, “the
deadly arrows of love enters.”3 The first dart that
wounds and frequently robs chaste souls of life finds
admission through the eyes. By them David, the be­
loved of God, fell. By them was Solomon, once the in­
spired of the Holy Ghost, drawn into the greatest abom­
inations. Oh ! how many are lost by indulging their
sight!
The eyes must be carefully guarded by all who expect
not to be obliged to join in the lamentation of Jeremiah:
My eye hath wasted my soul.' By the introduction of sin­
ful affections my eyes have destroyed my soul.
Hence
St. Gregory says, that “the eyes, because they draw us
to sin, must be depressed.” 5 If not restrained, they will
become instruments of hell, to force the soul to sin
almost against its will. “ He that looks at a dangerous
object,” continues the saint, “ begins to will what he
wills not.” It was this the inspired writer intended to
express when he said of Holofernes, that the beauty of
Judith made his soul captivei
1 “ Vidit . . . quod bonum esset, ... et pulchrum oculis, aspec­
tuque delectabile, et tulit.”—Gen. iii. 6.
2 “ Nostris tantum initiis opus habet.”
3 “ Per oculos intrat ad mentem sagitta amoris.”—De modo bene viv.
s. 23.
4 “ Oculus meus deprædatus est animam meam.”—Lam. iii. 51.
5 “ Deprimendi sunt oculi, quasi quidam raptores ad culpam.”—
Mor. 1. 21, c. 2.
6 “ Pulchritudo ejus captivam fecit animam ejus.”—Judith, xvi. 11.

SEC. Π.]

Mortification of the Eyes.

219

Seneca says that “ blindness is a part of innocence.”1
And Tertullian relates 2 that a certain pagan philosopher,
to free himself from impurity, plucked out his eyes.
Such an act would be unlawful in us: but he that desires
to preserve chastity must avoid the sight of objects that
are apt to excite unchaste thoughts. Gaze not about, says
the Holy Ghost, upon another's beauty; . . . hereby lust is
enkindled as a fired Gaze not upon another’s beauty;
for from looks arise evil imaginations, by which an im­
pure fire is lighted up. Hence St. Francis de Sales used
to say, that “ they who wish to exclude an enemy from
the city must keep the gates locked.”
Hence; to avoid the sight of dangerous objects, the
saints were accustomed to keep their eyes almost con­
tinually fixed on the earth, and to abstain even from
looking at innocent objects. After being a novice for a
year, St. Bernard could not tell whether his cell was
vaulted. In consequence of never raising his eyes from
the ground, he never knew that there were but three
windows to the church of the monastery, in which he
spent his novitiate. He once, without perceiving a lake,
walked along its banks for nearly an entire day; and
hearing his companions speak about it, he asked when
they had seen it. St. Peter of Alcantara kept his eyes
constantly cast down, so that he did not know the
brothers with whom he conversed. It was by the voice,
and not by the countenance, that he was able to recog­
nize them.
The saints were particularly cautious not to look at
persons of a different sex. St. Hugh, bishop, when com­
pelled to speak with women, never looked at them in the
face. St. Clare would never fix her eyes on the face of
1 “ Pars innocentiæ, cœcitas.”—De Rented. fort.
* Apolog. c. 46.
3 “Ne circumspicias speciem alienam; ... ex hoc concupiscentia,
quasi ignis, exardescit.”—Ecclus. ix. S, 9.

ί ίο

Exterior Mortifloation.

[CH. VIII.

a man. She was greatly afflicted because, when raising
her eyes at the elevation to see the consecrated host, she
once involuntarily saw the countenance of the priest
St. Aloysius never looked at his own mother in the face.
It is related of St. Arsenius, that a noble lady went to
visit him in the desert, to beg of him to recommend her
to God. When the saint perceived that his visitor was
a woman, he turned away from her. She then said to
him: “ Arsenius, since you will neither seen or hear me,
at least remember me in your prayers.” “ No,” replied
the saint, “but 1 will beg of God to make me forget
you, and nwver more to think of you.”
From these examples may be seen the folly and temer­
ity of some religious who, though they have not the
sanctity of a St. Clare, still gaze around from the terrace,
in the parlor, and in the church, upon every object that
presents itself, even on persons of a different sex. And
notwithstanding their unguarded looks, they expect to
be free from temptations and from the danger of sin.
For having once looked deliberately at a woman who
was gathering ears of corn, the Abbot Pastor was tor­
mented for forty years by temptations against chastity.
St. Gregory1 states that the temptation, to conquer
which St. Benedict rolled himself in thorns, arose from
one incautious glance at a woman. St. Jerome,3 though
living in a cave at Bethlehem, in continual prayer and
macerations of the flesh, was terribly molested by the
remembrance of ladies whom he had long before seen in
Rome. Why should not similar molestations be the lot
of the religious who wilfully and without reserve fixes
her eyes on persons of a different sex?
“ It is not,” says St. Francis de Sales, “the seeing of
objects so much as the fixing of our eyes upon them that
proves most pernicious.” “ If,” says St. Augustine, “ our
eyes should by chance fall upon others, let us take care
1 Dial. 1. 2, c. 2.

1 Epist. ad Eustoch.

sec.π.]

Mortification ofithe Eyes.

221

never to fix them upon any one.” ' Father Manareo, when
taking leave of St. Ignatius for a distant place, looked
steadfastly in his face: for this look he was corrected
by the saint.1*3 From the conduct of St. Ignatius on this
occasion, we learn that it was not becoming in religious
to fix their eyes on the countenance of a person even of
the same sex, particularly if the person is young. But
I do not see how looks at young persons of a different
sex can be excused from the guilt of a venial fault, or
even from mortal sin, when there is proximate danger of
criminal consent. “ It is not lawful,” says St. Gregory, “ to
behold what it is not lawful to covet.” 3 The evil thought
that proceeds from looks, though it should be rejected,
never fails to leave a stain upon the soul. Brother
Roger, a Franciscan of singular purity, being once asked
why he was so reserved in his intercourse with women,
replied, that when men avoid the occasions of sin, God
preserves them; but when they expose themselves to
danger, they are justly abandoned by the Lord, and
easily fall into some grievous transgressions.
The indulgence of the eyes, if not productive of any
other eyil, at least destroys recollection during the time
of prayer. For, the images and impressions caused by
the objects seen before, or by the wandering of the eyes,
during prayer, will occasion a thousand distractions,
and banish all recollection from the soul. It is certain
that without recollection a religious can pay but little
attention to the practice of humility, patience, mortifi­
cation, or of the other virtues. Hence it is her duty to
abstain from all looks of curiosity, which distract her
mind from holy thoughts. Let her eyes be directed
only to objects which raise the soul to God. St. Ber1 “Oculi vestri, etsi jaciunlur in aliquam, figantur in nulla.”—Reg. ad
serv. D. n. 6.
' Landaus, De ext. corp. comp. n. 304.
3 “ Intueri non licet, quod non licet concupiscere.”

222

Exterior Mortification.

[ch.viil

nard used to say, that to fix the eyes upon the earth
contributes to keep the heart in heaven. “Where,” says
St. Gregory, “Christ is, there modesty is found.”
Wherever Jesus Christ dwells by love, there modesty is
practised. However, I do not mean to say that the eyes
should never be raised or never fixed on any object. No;
but they ought to be directed only to what inspires devo­
tion, to sacred images, and to the beauty of creation,
which elevate the soul to the contemplation of the di­
vinity. Except in looking at such objects, a religious
should in general keep the eyes cast down, and particulary in places where they may fall upon dangerous ob­
jects. In conversing with men, she should never roll
the eyes about to look at them, and much less to look at
them a second time.
To practise modesty of the eyes is the duty of a relig­
ious, not only because it is necessary for her own im­
provement in virtue, but also because it is necessary for
the edification of others. God only knows the human
heart: man sees only the exterior actions, and by them
he is edified or scandalized. A man, says the Holy
Ghost, is kri&ivn by his look? By the countenance the
interior is known. Hence, like St. John the Baptist, a
religious should be a burning and shining light? She
ought to be a torch burning with charity, and shining
resplendent by her modesty, to all who behold her. To
religious the following words of the Apostle are particu­
larly applicable: We are made a spectacle to the world, and
to angels, and to men? And again: Let your modesty be
known to all men: the Lord is nigh? Religious are attent’ “ Ubi Christus est, modestia est.”—Ep. ad D ioclem.
• “ Ex visu cognoscitur vir.”—Ecclus. xix. 26.
3 “ Lucerna ardens et lucens.”—John, v. 35.
4 “ Spectaculum facti sumus mundo, et Angelis et hominibus.”—!
Cor. iv. 9.
• “ Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus; Dominus prope est.”
Phil. iv. 5.

SEC. 11.]

Mortification of the Eyes.

223

ively observed by the angels and by men; and therefore
their modesty should be made manifest before all; if
they do not practise modesty, terrible shall be the ac­
count which they must render to God on the day of
judgment. Oh ! what devotion does a modest religious
inspire, what edification does she give, by keeping her
eyes always cast down ! St. Francis of Assisi once said
to his companion, that he was going out to preach.
After walking through the town, with his eyes fixed on
the ground, he returned to the convent. His companion
asked him when he would preach the sermon. We have,
replied the saint, by the modesty of our looks, given an
excellent instruction to all who saw us. It is related of
St. Aloysius, that when he walked through Rome the
students would stand in the streets to observe and admire
his great modesty.
St. Ambrose says, that to men of the world the
modesty of the saints is a powerful exhortation to
amendment of life. “The look of a just man is an
admonition to many.” 1 The saint adds: “ How delight­
ful it is to do good to others by your appearance !” ’ It
is related of St. Bernardine of Sienna, that even when a
secular, his presence was sufficient to restrain the licen­
tiousness of his young companions, who, as soon as they
saw him, were accustomed to give to one another notice
that he was coming. On his arrival they became silent
or changed the subject of their conversation. It is also
related of St. Gregory of Nyssa, and of St. E ph rem, that
their very appearance inspired piety, and that the sanc­
tity and modesty of their exterior edified and improved
all that beheld them. When Innocent II. visited St.
Bernard at Clairvaux, such was the exterior modesty of
the saint and of his monks, that the Pope and his cardi­
nals were moved to tears of devotion. Surius3 relates a
1 “ Plerisque justi aspectus admonitio est.”
’ “ Quam pulchrum ergo, si videaris, et prosis !"—In Ps. cxviii. s. ία
3 Die 7 Jan.

2 24

Exterior Mortification,

ich. vin.

very extraordinary fact of St. Lucian, a monk and martyr.
By his modesty he induced so many pagans to embrace
the faith, that the Emperor Maximian. fearing that he
should be converted to Christianity by the appearance
of the saint, would not allow the holy man to be brought
within his view, but spoke to him from behind a screen.
That our Redeemer was the first who taught, by his
example, modesty of the eyes, may, as a learned author
remarks, be inferred from the holy evangelists, who say
that on some occasion he raised his eyes. And /;<?, lift­
ing ltP tiis e)'es 0,1 tiis disciples' When Jesus therefore had
lifted up his eyes? From these passages we may conclude
that the Redeemer ordinarily kept his eyes cast down.
Hence the Apostle, praising the modesty of the Saviour,
says: I beseech you, by the mildness and modesty of Christ.3
I shall conclude this subject with what St. Basil said
to his monks: If, my children, we desire to raise the soul
towards heaven, let us direct the eyes towards the earth?
From the moment we awake in the morning, let us pray
continually in the words of holy David: Turn away my
eyes, that they may not behold vanity.6
2. Modesty

in

General.

We must practise modesty, not only in our looks, but
also in our whole deportment, and particularly in our
dress, our walk, our conversation, and all similar actions.
I. Modesty of dress is not incompatible with neatness
or cleanliness. But how disedifying is the conduct of
the religious who attends too much to the neatness of
her person and to the fineness or richness of her apparel,
who wears superfluous ornaments, whose dress is made
1 “ Et ipse elevatis oculis in discipulos . . . ”—Luke, vi. 20.
* “ Cum sublevasset ergo oculos Jesus. . . .”—-John, vi. 5.
3 “ Obsecro vos per mansuetudinem et modestiam Christi.”—2 Cor.
x. i.
4 Serm. de Ascesi.
4 “ Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem.”—Ps. cxviii. 37.

SEC. IL]

Mortification of the Eyes.

225

in a manner apt to attract notice, and whose whole
appearance exhibits worldly vanity ! Speaking of secu­
lars, St. Cyprian says that “women decorated with gold,
necklaces, and precious stones lose the ornaments of the
soul.”* What would the saint have thought of the re­
ligious who imitates worldlings in the vanity of her
dress? “The ornaments of a woman are,” says St.
Gregory Nazianzen, “to be conspicuous for probity; to
converse with the divine oracles; to seek wool and take
hold of the spindle; and to keep a restraint on her eyes
and on her lips.”12 Yes, the ornaments of holy women
are probity of life; continual conversation with God by
prayer; constant labor; and a perpetual guard over the
eyes and tongue, by modesty and by silence.
II. A religious should be modest in her walk. “ Let
your gait,” says St. Basil, “ be neither slow nor vehe­
ment.” 3 Your walk, to be modest, must be grave, neither
too quick nor too slow.
III. A religious must practise modesty in sitting. She
must avoid every slothful posture; she must abstain
from crossing her feet, and from putting one limb on the
other.
IV. She must be modest at meals, by taking her food
without avidity, and without rolling her eyes around in
all directions, as if to observe how and what the others
eat.
V. Above all, a religious must be modest in her con­
versation, by abstaining from all the words unbecoming
the religious state. She must be persuaded that all
words that savor of the world are indecorous in a
1 “Auro, margaritis, et monilibus adornatæ, ornamenta cordis per­
diderunt.’’—De Disc, et Hab. virg.
2 “Mulierum ornamentum est probitate florere, colloquium cum di­
vinis oraculis habere, fuso et lanæ operam dare, oculis et labiis vincu­
lum injicere.”—Adv. mul. se om.
3 “ Incessus sit nec segnis nec vehemens.”—Ep. 1 ad Greg.

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[CH. VIII.

religious. “If,” says St. Basil, “ a worldling make use
of scurrilous expressions, he is not noticed. But if a
man who professes to lead a perfect life appear to de
*
part in the slightest degree from his duty, he is instant­
ly remarked by all.” 1 In a secular, no one observes
indecent words, because they are common in the world;
but if religious who profess to aspire to sanctity be
guilty of the smallest impropriety, universal attention is
immediately
J directed to their conduct.
To observe modesty in words at the common recrea­
tions, you must attend to the following rules:
1. You must abstain from all murmurings, even against
manifest abuses.
2. You must never interrupt the person that is speak­
ing. And, says the Holy Ghost, interrupt not others in the
midst of their discoursed How scandalous is it to see a
religious engrossing to herself the whole conversation !
—to see her ready to stop the sisters in the middle of a
word, or of a sentence, and thus show her pride by pre­
tending to know everything, and constituting herself
mistress of all ! Such conduct is a source of great
annoyance to all that join in the conversation. How­
ever, every religious should speak occasionally during
the hours of recreation, and particularly when the others
are silent; for, should all abstain from speaking, the end
of the rule which prescribes recreation would be frus­
trated.
But modesty requires, particularly from the
young, that, after speaking as much as will be necessary
for the ends of the recreation, they show a stronger in­
clination to listen than to speak. The best rule, then, is
to speak when others are silent, and to be silent when
others are speaking.
1 “ De vulgo aliquis si scurriles voces emittat, haud facile quisquam
attenderit; at qui vitae genus perfectum profitetur, hunc, si latum un­
guem ab officio suo recedere visus sit, omnes confestim observant. ”—
Reg.fus. disfl. int. 22.
’ “ In medio sermonum, ne adjicias loqui.”—Ecclus. xi. 8.

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Modesty in General.

227

3. You must abstain from certain jests and jocose re­
marks on the real and known defects of others; for such
jokes offend the persons to whom they are applied.
4. You must never utter a word of self-praise; when
you are praised by others, you must raise your heart to
God, and change the subject of conversation; and when
you are contradicted or ridiculed, you must not be angry.
Whenever the companions of St. John Francis Regis
made him the subject of their jests at recreation, he en­
deavored with great good-humor to keep up the con­
versation, that, by being the object of their laughter, he
might contribute to their amusement.
5. You must speak always in a low tone, and never in
such a manner as to offend the ears of others. “ Let no
one,” says St. Ambrose, “offend by too loud a voice.”1
6. You must observe modesty and moderation in
laughter. St. Gregory relates, that the Mother of God
appeared once to a devout virgin called Musa, and told
her that, if she wished to please her, she must restrain
immoderate laughter. “ They who seek after piety,”
says St. Basil, “ must take care not to pour forth their
souls in laughter.” 2 All that aspire to perfection should
avoid excessive laughter. Moderate laughter, which
shows the serenity of the soul, is neither a violation of
decorum nor opposed to devotion. A religious should
always present an appearance of modesty and devotion,
but not of sadness and melancholy. By appearing sad
and afflicted she dishonors religion, and gives all who
behold her to understand that sanctity, instead of infusing peace and joy, fills the soul with sorrow and mel­
ancholy. But by a cheerful countenance she encour­
ages others to the practice of piety. Two courtiers of a
certain monarch, having witnessed the joy with which
1 “Ne cujusquam offendat aurem vox fortior.”—De Offic. 1. ix c. iS.
9 “ Cavendum est, ab iis qui pietati student, ne in risum effusi sint.’*
—Reg'f,ts’
int. 17.

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(CH. VIII.

an aged jnonk remained in solitude, renounced the
world, and remained in his retreat.
7. Lastly, you must not speak of things of the world;
such as marriages, feasts, comedies, or of splendid dresses:
you must not speak of eating, nor praise or censure the
dishes that are brought to table. St. Francis de Sales
used to say that “ well-behaved persons never think
of the table but when they sit at it.” When religious
hear unseemly discourses, they should, like St. Aloysius,
propose some useful question, or take occasion from
what is said to introduce some pious subject of con­
versation. To be able to converse with his companions
on spiritual subjects during recreation, he was accus­
tomed to spend, each day, half an hour in reading the
life of a saint, or some other book of devotion. When
among the juniors, he was the first to introduce a relig­
ious subject. When with priests, or with his seniors,
he proposed a case of conscience, as if for his own in­
formation, and thus succeeded in making the conversa­
tion turn upon holy things. In a short time his com­
panions knew that he did not relish any but pious con­
versation, and therefore they sought on every occasion
to gratify his wishes. When they happened to be dis­
coursing on any other subject, when he came among
them, they would immediately begin to speak of God.
Every one is inclined to speak continually of what he
tenderly loves. St. Ignatius of Loyola appeared not to
know how to speak of anything but God, and was there­
fore called the “ Father who speaks always of God.”

Prayer.

My Jesus, pardon me, for Thy mercy’s sake, the numberless
faults which I have committed for want of sufficient modesty,
and of which I now repent with my whole heart. All my de­
fects have arisen from my little love of Thee. 1 acknowledge
that I do not deserve mercy; but Thy wounds and Thy death
encourage and oblige me to hope. O my God ! how often have

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Mortification of the Appetite.

229

I insulted Thee ? And with what tenderness hast Thou par­
doned all my sins? I have promised to be faithful to Thee, and
still I have returned to my sins! Shall I wait till Thou abandon
me to my tepidity, and thus to eternal misery? I desire, O
Lord, to amend ; and I place all my confidence in Thee, and
purpose to seek continually Thy assistance to be faithful to Thee.
Hitherto I have trusted in my own resolutions, and have neg­
lected to recommend myself to Thee. This self-confidence and
neglect of prayer have been the cause of my past sins. Eternal
Father, through the merits of Jesus Christ, have mercy upon
me and assist me; give me grace to recommend myself to Thee
in all my wants. I love Thee, O my Sovereign Good, and de­
sire to love Thee with all my strength ; but without Thee I can
do nothing. Give me Thy love : give me holy perseverance.
I hope for all things from Thy infinite goodness.
0 Mary, Mother of God, thou knowest how much I confide in
thee; assist me; have pity on me.
III.
The Mortification of the Appetite.

St. Andrew Avellini used to say, that he who wishes
to advance in perfection should begin zealously to mor­
tify the appetite. “ It is impossible,” says St. Gregory,
“ to engage in the spiritual conflict, without the previous
subjugation of the appetite.” 1 Father Roggacci, in his
“Treatise on the one thing necessary,” asserts that the
principal part of external mortification consists in the
mortification of the palate. Since the mortification of
the taste consists in abstinence from food, must we then
abstain altogether from eating? No; it is our duty to
preserve the life of the body, that we may be able to
serve God as long as he wills us to remain on earth.
But, as Father Vincent Carafa used to say, we should
attend to the body with the same feelings of disgust as
a powerful monarch would perform by compulsion the
meanest work of a servant.
1 *’ Non ad conflictum spiritualis agonis assurgitur, si non prius
gulæ appetitus edomatur.”—Mor. 1. 30, c. 26.

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Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vin.

“ We must,” says St. Francis de Sales, “eat, in order
to live; but we should not live as if for the purpose of
eating.” Some, like beasts, appear to live only for the
gratification of the palate. “A man,” says St. Bernard,
“becomes a beast by loving what beasts love.” 1 Who­
ever, like brute animals, fixes his heart on the indulgence
of the appetite, falls from the dignity of a spiritual and
rational creature, and sinks to the level of senseless
beasts. Unhappy Adam, for the pleasure of eating an
apple, is “compared to senseless beasts, and is become
like to them.” In another place, St. Bernard says that,
on seeing Adam forget his God and his eternal salva­
tion, for the momentary gratification of his palate, the
beasts of the fields, if they could speak, would exclaim:
“Behold Adam is become one of us.”3 Hence, St.
Catharine of Sienna used to say, that “ without mortify­
ing the taste, it is impossible to preserve innocence,
since it was by the indulgence of his appetite that Adam
fell.” Ah ! how miserable is the condition of those
whose God is their belly!3
How many have lost their souls by intemperance!
In his Dialogues,4 St. Gregory relates, that in a monas­
tery of Sienna there was a monk who led a very ex­
emplary life. When he was at the point of death, the
religious, expecting to be edified by his last moments,
gathered around him. “ Brethren,” said the dying man,
“when you fasted, I ate in private, and therefore I have
been already delivered over to Satan, who now deprives
me of life, and carries away my soul.” After these
words he expired. The same saint relates 5 in another
’ “ Beluinus est homo, amando talia, qualia beluæ.”
8 “ Puto, jumenta dicerent, si loqui fas esset; Ecce Adam factus est
quasi unus ex nobis. ”—In Cant. s. 35.
3 “ Quorum deus venter est.”—Phil. iii. 19.
4 Dial. 1. 4, c. 38.
s Ibid. 1. i, c. 4.

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Mortification of the Appetite.

231

place, that a certain nun, seeing in the garden a very
fine lettuce, pulled and ate it, in opposition to her Rule.
She was instantly possessed by a devil, who tormented
her grievously. Iler companions called to her aid the
holy Abbot Equitius, at whose arrival the demon ex­
claimed: “What evil have I done ? I sat upon the lettuce;
she came and ate it.” The holy man, by his commands,
compelled the evil spirit to depart. In the Cistercian
records we read that St. Bernard, once visiting his nov­
ices, called aside a brother whose name was Acardo,
and said that a certain novice, to whom he pointed,
would on that day fly from the monastery. The saint
begged of Acardo to watch the novice, and to prevent his
escape. On the following night, Acardo saw a demon
approach the novice, and by the savoury smell of a
roasted fowl tempt him to desire forbidden food. The
unhappy young man awoke, and, yielding to the tempta­
tion, took his clothes and prepared to leave the monas­
tery. Acardo endeavored in vain to convince him of the
dangers to which he would be exposed in the world.
Overcome by gluttony, the unhappy man obstinately re­
solved to return to the world: there, the narrator adds,
he died miserably.
Let us then take care not to be conquered by this
brutal vice. St. Augustine says,' that food is necessary
for the support of life; but, like medicine, it should be
taken only through necessity. Intemperance is very in­
jurious to the body as well as to the soul. It is certain
that excess in eating is the cause of almost all the
diseases of the body. Apoplexy, diarrhoea, headaches,
complaints of the stomach and bowels, and innumerable
other maladies, spring from the immoderate use of
food. But the diseases of the body are only a small
part of the evils that flow from intemperance; its effects
on the soul are tar more disastrous.
1 Conf. 1. 10, c. 31.

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Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vm.

This vice, according to St. Thomas, in the first place,
darkens the soul, and renders it unfit for spiritual exer­
cises, but particularly for mental prayer. As fasting
prepares the mind for the contemplation of God and of
eternal goods, so intemperance diverts it from holy
thoughts. St. John Chrysostom says that the glutton,
like an overloaded ship, moves with difficulty, and that
in the first tempest of temptation he is in danger of
being lost. “ Take,” says St. Bernard, “ even bread with
moderation, lest a loaded stomach should make you
weary of prayer.”
And again he says: “ If you compel
a person who takes a heavy meal to watch, you will ex­
tort from him wailing rather than singing.”9 Hence it is
the duty of religious to eat sparingly, and particularly at
supper: for in the evening a false appetite is frequently
created by the acid that is produced by the food taken
at dinner. Whoever satisfies his appetite in the evening,
is exposed to great danger of excess; and in conse­
quence of indigestion will frequently feel his stomach
overburdened in the morning, and his head so stupid
and confused that he will not be able to say a “ Hail
Mary.” Do not imagine that the Almighty will, at the
time of prayer, infuse his consolations into the souls of
those who, like senseless beasts, seek delight in the in­
dulgence of the appetite. “ Divine consolation,” says
St. Bernard, “is not given to those that admit any other
delight.” 1
*3 Celestial consolations are not bestowed on
those that go in search of earthly pleasures.
Besides, he that gratifies the taste will readily indulge
the other senses; for, having lost the spirit of recollec­
1 “Panem ipsum cum mensura studebo sumere, ne, onerato ventre,
stare ad orandum tædeat.”—In Cant. s. 66.
• “ Si ad vigilias surgere indigestum cogis, non cantum, sed planctum
potius extorquebis.”—Αφοί. ad Guill. c. 9.
3 “ Divina consolatio non tribuitur admittentibus alienam.”—De Vit.
et Mor. cler. c. 21.

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Mortification of the Appetite.

233

tion, he will easily commit faults, by indecent words
and by unbecoming gestures. But the greatest evil of
intemperance is, that it exposes chastity to great danger.
“Repletion of the stomach,” says St. Jerome, “is the
hotbed of lust.” 1 Excess in eating is a powerful incen­
tive to incontinence. Hence, Cassian says that “it is
impossible for him who satiates his appetite not to ex­
perience conflicts.”1
23
4 The intemperate cannot expect to
be free from temptations against purity. To preserve
chastity, the saints practised the most rigorous mortifi­
cations of the appetite. “The devil,” says St. Thomas,
“vanquished by temperance, does not tempt to lust.”*
When his temptations to indulge the palate are con­
quered he ceases to provoke incontinence.
He that attends to the abnegation of the appetite
makes continual progress in virtue. That the mortifi­
cation of the palate will facilitate the conquest of the
other senses, and enable us to employ them in acts of
virtue, may be inferred from the following prayer of the
Church: “ Q God, who by this bodily fast extinguishest
our vices, elevatest our understanding, bestowest on us
virtue and its reward, etc.” * By fasting, the Lord enables
the soul to subdue her vices, to raise her affections above
the earth, to practise virtue, and to acquire merits for
eternity.
Worldlings say: God has created the goods of this
earth for our use and pleasure. Such is not the lan­
guage of the saints. The Venerable Vincent Carafa, of
the Society of Jesus, used to say, that God has given us
the goods of the earth, not only that we may enjoy
1 “ Ventris saturitas seminarium libidinis est.”—Adv. Jovin. 1. 2.
5 “ Impossibile est saturum ventrem pugnas non experiri.”—De Cœn.
inst. 1. 5, c. 13.
3 “ Diabolus, victus de gula, non tentât de libidine.”
4 “ Deus, qui corporali jejunio vitia comprimis, mentem elevas, vir­
tutem largiris et præmia.”—Preface of Lent.

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Exterior Mortification.

[CH. VIII.

them, but also that we may have the means of thanking
him, and showing him our love by the voluntary renun­
ciation of his gifts, and by the oblation of them to his
glory. To abandon, for God’s sake, all worldly enjoy­
ments, has always been the practice of holy’· souls.
The ancient monks, as St. Jerome 1 relates, thought it
a great defect to make use of food dressed with fire.
Their daily sustenance consisted of a pound of bread. St.
Aloysius, though always sickly, fasted three times in the
week on bread and water. St. Francis Xavier during
his missions was satisfied each day with a few grains of
toasted rice. St. John Francis Regis, in the great fatigues
of his missions took no other food than a little flour
steeped in water. The daily support of St. Peter of Al­
cantara was but a small quantity of broth. We read in
the life of the Venerable Brother John Joseph of the
Cross, who lived in our own days, and with whom I was
intimately acquainted, that for twenty-four years he
fasted very often on bread and water, and never ate
anything but bread and a little herbs or fruit. When
commanded, on account of his infirmities, to use warm
food, he took only bread dipped in broth. When the
physician ordered him to take a little wine, he mixed it
with his broth to increase the insipidity of his scanty
repast.
I do not mean to say, that to attain sanctity it is
necessary for nuns to imitate these examples; but I
assert that whoever is attached to the pleasures of the
table, or does not seriously attend to the mortification
of the appetite, will never make any considerable prog­
ress in perfection. In religious Communities there are
generally several meals in the day: hence, they who
neglect the mortification of the taste will daily commit
a thousand faults.
Let us now come to the practice of denying the appe1 Ad Eustoch.

sec. in.]

Mortification of the Appetite.

235

tite. In what is it to be mortified? St. Bonaventure
answers: “ In the quantity, the quality, and the manner." 1
I. In the quality, adds the saint, by seeking not what
is delicate, but what is simple.3 The saint says, in
another place, that small is the progress of the relig­
ious who is not content with what is offered to her, but
requires that it be prepared in a different manner, or
seeks more palatable food. A mortified religious is
satisfied with what is placed before her; and instead of
seeking after delicacies, she selects among all the dishes
that may be presented to her, the least palatable, pro­
vided it be not prejudicial to health. Such was the
practice of St. Aloysius, who always chose what was most
disagreeable to the taste.
“Wine and flesh,” says Clement of Alexandria, “give
strength indeed to the body, but they render the soul
languid.” 3 From the sacred Canons we learn that for­
merly monks were not permitted even to taste flesh.
“To a monk, the privilege of either taking or of tast­
ing flesh is not granted.”4 Speaking of himself, St.
Bernard says: “ I abstain from flesh, lest I should
cherish the vices of the flesh.” 5 Give not wine to kings,
says the Wise Man/ By kings, in this place, we are to
understand, not the monarchs of the earth, but the
servants of God, who rule their wicked passions and
subject them to reason. In another place Solomon
says: Who hath woe I . . . Surely they that pass their time
in wine, and study to drink off their cups} Since, then, the
1 “ In qualitate, in quantitate, et modo.”—De Prof. ret. 1. 2, c. 47.
2 “ Ut non delicata requirat, sed simplicia.”
3 “Vinum et carnium sagimen robur quidem adducunt corpori, sed
animam reddunt languidam.”—Strom. 1. 7.
4 “ Carnem monacho nec sumendi nec gustandi est concessa licentia.”
—De Consccr. d. 5, c. 32.
5 “Abstineo a carnibus, ne carnis nutriant vitia.”—In Cant. s. 66.
6 “ Noli regibus dare vinum.”—Prov. xxx',. 4.
1 “Cui vae? . . . nonne his qui commorantur in vino, et student
calicibus epotandis.”—Prov. xxiii. 29, 30.

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Exterior Mortification.

[ch. viil

the word woe, in the Sacred Scriptures, according to St.
Gregory, signifies everlasting misery, woe, eternal woe,
shall be the lot of all who are addicted to wine!
Because wine is a luxuriatis thing? and incites to inconti­
nence. “ My first advice,” says St. Jerome, in one of his
epistles to the virgin Eustochia, “ is, that the spouse of
Christ fly from wine as from poison. Wine and youth
are a twofold incentive to pleasure.”1
*3 If you desire to
preserve the chastity which becomes the spouse of Jesus,
avoid wine as poison: wine and youth are a double fire,
which kindle the desire of unlawful pleasures. From
the words of the holy Doctor we may infer that he who
has not enough of courage or of bodily strength to ab­
stain altogether from flesh and from wine, should at
least use them with great moderation: otherwise he
must be prepared for continual molestation from temp­
tations against purity.
A mortified religious would also do well to abstain
from superfluous seasonings which serve only to gratify
the palate. The seasonings used by the saints were
ashes, aloes, and wormwood. I do not require such
mortifications of you; nor do I recommend very extra­
ordinary fasts. On the contrary, it is, according to
Cassian,3 the duty of all that are not solitaries, and that
live in Community, to avoid, as a source of much vain­
glory, whatever is not conformable to the common
usages of the monastery. “ Where,” says St. Philip
Neri, “there is a common table, all should eat of what
is served up.” Hence he frequently exhorted his disci­
ples to “avoid all singularity as the origin of spiritual
pride.”4 A courageous religious finds opportunities of
1 “ Luxuriosa res vinum.”—Prov. xx. 1.
* “ Hoc primum moneo, ut sponsa Christi vinum fugiat pro veneno;
vinum et adolescentia, duplex incendium voluptatis est.”
3 De Cœtiob. inst. 1. 5, c. 23.
4 Sacci t 1. 2, ch. 14-17.

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Mortification ofi the Appetite.

237

practising mortification without allowing it to appear
to others. St. John Climacus partook of whatever was
placed before him; but his refection consisted in tasting
rather in eating what was offered to him; and thus, by
his abstemiousness, he practised continual mortification
of the appetite without the danger of vanity. St. Ber­
nard 1 used to say that he that lives in Community will
take more pleasure in fasting once, while his companions
at table take their ordinary repast, than in fasting
seven times with them.
However, religious may, without the danger of vain­
glory, occasionally perform very rigorous mortifications.
For example, by living on bread and water on days of
devotion, on Fridays and Saturdays, on the vigils of the
Blessed Virgin, and on similar occasions; for such fasts
are ordinarily practised by fervent religious. If, on
account of bodily infirmity, or through want of fervor
you do not practise rigid fasts, you should at least
not complain of the common fare; and should be con­
tent with whatever is brought to table. St. Thomas
never asked for particular food, but was always satisfied
with what was placed before him, and ate of it with
great moderation. Of St. Ignatius we read that he
never refused any dish, and never complained that the
food was not well dressed or well seasoned. It is the
duty of the Superior to provide the Community with
wholesome food, but a religious should never complain
when what is laid before her is rare or overdone; when
it is scanty, smoked, insipid, or too highly seasoned
with salt. The poor, provided they receive what is
necessary for the support of life, take what is offered to
them without conditions or complaints; and a religious
should, in like manner, accept whatever is laid before
her as an alms from Almighty God.
II. With regard to the quantity, St. Bonaventure says
1 De Grad, humid. gr. 5.

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Exterior Mortification.

[ch. νπι.

that “ food ought not to be taken too often, or in excess,
but in such a quantity that it may be a refection and not a
burden to the body.” 1 Hence the rule of all who seek
perfection is never to eat to satiety. “ Let your repast
be moderate,” says St. Jerome, “so that the stomach
will never be replete.”1
2 Some religious fast one day
and eat to excess on the next. St. Jerome says that it
is better to take always a reasonable quantity of food
than to fast sometimes, and afterwards to commit ex­
cess. The same holy Doctor remarks that satiety is to
be avoided in the use, not only of delicacies, but also of
the coarsest food.3 If a nun commit excess, it matters
not whether she eat of partridges or of vegetables: the
bad effects of her intemperance are the same in both
cases. St. Jerome’s rule for determining the quantity
of food is that a person should always rise from the
table in such a state that he may be able to apply imme­
diately to prayer or to study. “When,” says the holy
Doctor, “you eat, think that it will be your duty to
pray or to read immediately after.”45
An ancient Father wisely said, that “ he who eats a
great deal, and is still hungry, will receive a greater re­
ward than the man who eats little and is satiated.”
Cassian6 relates that to comply with the duty of hospi­
tality a certain monk was one day obliged to sit at
table many times with strangers, and to partake of the
refreshment prepared for them, and that after all he
arose the last time with an appetite. This is the best
and most difficult sort of mortification; for it is easier
1 “ Ut non nîmis et sæpius quam decet, ut sit refectio corporis, non
onus.”
s “Sit tibi moderatus cibus, et nunquam venter expletus.”
3 “ Sed et ex vilissimis cibis vitanda satietas est.”—Adv. Jovin. 1. 2.
4 “ Quando comedis, cogita quod statim tibi orandum et legendum
sit.”—Epist. ad Furiani.
5 De Cœnob. inst. 1. 5, c. 25.

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Mortification of the Appetite.

239

to abstain altogether from certain meats than, after
having tasted them, to eat but little.
He who desires to practise moderation in eating
would do well to diminish his meals gradually till, by
experience, he ascertains the quantity of food necessary
to support the body. It was in this manner that St.
Dorothy trained his disciple, St. Dositheus, to the just
practice of mortification. But the most secure means
of removing all doubts and scruples with regard to
fasts and abstinence is to follow the advice of your
director. St. Benedict1 and after him St. Bernard ’
say that mortifications that are performed without the
permission of one’s confessor are not meritorious,
because they are the fruit of a criminal presump­
tion : “What is done without the permission of the
spiritual Father will be regarded as presumption, and
shall not be rewarded.”1
*3 All, but particularly nuns,
as we have said above,4 should make it a general rule
to eat sparingly at supper, even when there is some
apparent necessity for a plentiful meal; for in the even­
ing all are subject to a false appetite, and therefore a
slight excess will occasion, on the following morning,
headaches, fulness of the stomach, and by consequence
a repugnance and incapacity for all spiritual exercises.
Abstinence from drink, except at meals, may be
safely observed by all, unless when, in particular cir­
cumstances, such as in the heats of summer, the want
of liquid might be prejudicial to health. However, St.
Laurence Justinian, even in the burning heats of sum­
mer, never drank out of meal-time; and to those who
asked how he could bear the thirst, he replied: “ How
1 Reg. ch. 49.
9 I11 Cant. s. 19.
3 “ Quod sine permissione patris spiritualis fit, præsumptioni depu­
tabitur, non mercedi.”
4 Page 232.

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Exterior Mortification.

(ch. viii.

shall I be able to bear the burning thirst of purgatory
if I cannot now abstain from drink ?” On fasting days
the ancient Christians abstained from drink till the hour
of their repast, which was always taken in the evening.
Such is the practice of the Turks at the present day
during their fasts of Lent. We should at least observe
the rule that is universally prescribed by physicians, not
to take any drink for four or five hours after dinner.
III. With regard to the manner of eating, St. Bona­
venture says that “food should not be taken unseason­
ably nor inordinately, but religiously.” 1
1. Food should not be taken unseasonably; that is,
before the hours prescribed for the Community. To a
penitent who could not abstain from eating till the hour
of meals, St. Philip Neri said: “Child, if you do not
correct this defect you will never advance in virtue.”''
Blessed, says the Holy Ghost, is the land whose princes eat
in due season.1
*3 And happy the monastery whose mem­
bers never eat out of the hours of meals. AVhen St.
Teresa heard that some of her nuns had asked permis­
sion from the Provincial to keep eatables in their cells,
she reproved them very severely: “Your request,” said
the saint, “ if granted, would lead to the destruction of
the monastery.” 4
2. To avoid the fault of taking your food inordinately,
you must be careful not to eat with avidity, with eager­
ness, or with haste. Be not greedy in your feasting? says
the Holy Ghost. Your object in eating must be to sup­
port the strength of the body, and to be able to serve
1 “ Ut non importune requiratur (cibus), nec inordinate sumatur, sed
religiose.”
3 Bacci, 1. 2, ch. 14.
3 “ Beata terra . . . cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo.”—'
Eccles. x. 17.
4 L. to F. Gratian, Febr. 27, 1581.
* “ Noli avidus esse in omni epulatione.”—Ecclus. xxxvii. 32.

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Mortification of the Appetite.

241

the Lord. To eat through mere pleasure cannot be
excused from the guilt of venial sin; for Innocent XI.1
has condemned the proposition which asserts that it is
not a sin to eat or to drink from the sole motive of sat­
isfying the palate. However, it is not a fault to feel
pleasure in eating; for it is, generally speaking, impos­
sible to eat without experiencing the delight which
food naturally produces. But it is a defect to eat like
beasts through the sole motive of sensual gratification,
and without proposing any reasonable end. Hence the
most delicious meats may be eaten without sin if the
motive be good and worthy of a rational creature; and
in taking the coarsest food through attachment to
pleasure there may be a fault. In the Lives of the
Fathers’ it is related that though the same food was
served to all the monks of a certain monastery, a holy
bishop saw some of them feasting on honey, others on
bread, and others on mire By this vision he was given
to understand that the first ate with a holy fear of vio­
lating temperance, and were accustomed at meals to
raise their souls to God by holy aspirations; that the
second felt some delight in eating, but still returned
thanks to God for his benefits; and that the third ate
for the mere gratification of the taste.
To practise temperance in the manner of eating, you
must not perform indiscreet fasts, which would rendef
you unable to serve the Community, or to observe your
Rule. Transported with a certain fervor, by which the
Almighty animates their zeal for virtue, beginners are
often very indiscreet in their fasts and other works of
penance. Their rigors sometimes bring on infirmities,
which disqualify them for the duties of the Community,
and sometimes make them give up all exercises of piety.
Discretion is necessary in all things. A master who in­
trusts a servant with the care of a horse will be equally
1 Propos. 8.

2 Vit. Patr. 1. 6, libell. I, n. 17.

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Exterior Mortification.

[ch. viii.

displeased whether the animal be rendered unfit for use
by an excess or by a want of food. St. Francis de Sales
used to say to his nuns of the Visitation, that “con­
tinual moderation is better than fits of violent absti­
nence interspersed with occasional excesses. Besides,
such abstinences make us esteem ourselves more holy
than others who do not practise them.” 1 It is certainly
the duty of all to avoid indiscretion, but it has been
justly remarked by a great spiritual master (and the
remark deserves attention), that the spirit seldom de­
ceives us by suggesting excessive mortifications; while
the flesh, under false pretences, frequently claims com­
miseration, and procures an exemption from what is
displeasing to its propensities.
The following are some of the mortifications that are
very useful:
To abstain from delicacies agreeable to the taste, and
in some measure injurious to health.
To refrain from the fruits that come first in season.
To deprive yourself throughout the year from some
particular fruit, determined by lot.
To abstain once or twice in the week from all fruit,
and every day from a portion of what is laid before you.
To deny yourself some delicacy, or merely to taste it,
and say with St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, that it is not
useful for you.
To leave, every day, according to the advice of St.
Bernard, a part of what is most pleasing to the palate.
“ Let every one,” says the saint, “ offer at table some­
thing to God.”*
To check for some time the desire of drinking or of
eating what is before you; and to abstain from wine,
spirits, and spices. Such abstinence is particularly use­
ful for young persons.
The preceding mortifications may be practised with1 Introduce p. 3, ch. 23.
< “ Unusquisque super mensam aliquid offert Deo.”—Reg. c. 49.

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Mortification of Sense of Hearing.

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out pride, or injury to health. It is not necessary to
perform all of them. Let each person observe the absti­
nences that her Superior or director permits. It is cer­
tainly better to practise small and frequent works of
penance, than to perform rare and extraordinary fasts»
and afterwards lead an unmortified life.

Prayer.

My dear Redeemer, I am so tepid and full of defects, that I
am ashamed to appear before Thee. Had I corresponded to
Thy graces, I should now be a seraph by the ardor of my love.
But 1 am more imperfect than ever. How often have I prom­
ised to become a saint, and to consecrate myself entirely to
Thee? But my promises have been so many treasons. I con­
sole myself with the reflection, that I have to deal with infinite
Goodness. Do not abandon me, O Lord ! but continue to
strengthen me, for I desired to amend, by the assistance of Thy
grace. I do not wish to resist the love that Thou bearest me;
1 see that Thou dost wish me to become a saint ; and to please
Thee, I desire to sanctify my soul. I promise to mortify my
senses, particularly by abstaining from certain pleasures. (Name
them.} Ah ! my Jesus, I know that to gain my heart Thou hast
done too much. Great, indeed, should be my ingratitude if I
denied Thee anything, or loved Thee but little. I do not wish
to be any longer ungrateful. Thou hast been infinitely good to
me; I shall not be ungenerous to Thee as I have hitherto been.
I love Thee, O my Spouse; I am sorry for all the displeasure
that I have given Thee. Pardon me, and assist me to be faith­
ful to Thee.
O Mary, thou hast always been faithful to God, obtain for me
the gift of fidelity to his graces during the remainder of my life.
IV.
The Mortification of the Sense of Hearing, of Smell, and of
Touch.

i. The sense of hearing must be mortified by not lis­
tening to indecent words, to detraction, or to worldly con­
versations, which fill the mind with a thousand thoughts

244

Exterior Mtortifloation.

[CH. VIII.

and images, that afterwards distract and disturb the
soul in prayer, and in the other exercises of devotion.
Should you ever happen to be present at such discourses,
endeavor to cut them short by proposing some useful
question. If that be not sufficient, you ought either to
retire or remain silent, and cast down your eyes, to show
how much you dislike such language.
II. To mortify the smell, you must abstain from the
use of perfumes and of scented waters: such delicacies
are unbecoming even in worldlings. Animated by the
spirit of charity and mortification, the saints felt as much
delight in the offensive odors that surround the sick and
the infected, as they would in a garden of the most frag­
rant flowers. Let it be your study to imitate their ex­
ample, and to bear patiently the disagreeable smell that
you may experience in the rooms of the sick.
III. With regard to the touch, you must take the
greatest care to avoid all, even the smallest, defects.
For every fault committed by the indulgence of that
sense exposes the soul to the danger of eternal death.
I cannot explain myself fully on this subject: I shall
only say, that to preserve the precious jewel of purity,
religious should observe all possible modesty and cau­
tion, not only towards others, but also towards them­
selves. Even in his last agony St. Peter of Alcantara
would not allow any of his brethren to touch any part
of his body. Feeling himself touched by one of them,
he exclaimed: “Withdraw, touch me not; I am still
alive, and may still offend God.” This sense of touch
must be kept under the greatest restraint by external
mortifications, of which I shall now speak. These mor­
tifications are reduced to four heads—to fasts, haircloths,
disciplines, and watchings.
1. In the preceding section enough has been said of
fasting.
2. Haircloths are of various kinds: some are made of

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Mortification of the Sense of Touch.

245

strong or coarse hair; the others are bands or chains of
brass or iron wire. The former may be injurious to
persons of a delicate constitution: for, as Father Scaramelli justly remarks,’ the\ inflame the flesh, and weaken
the stomach by drawing its natural heat to the external
surface of the body. The latter may be worn on the
arms, thighs, or shoulders without injury to the health,
but not on the breast or round the body. These are
the ordinary species of haircloths, and may be safely
used by all. Far different from them were the hair­
cloths worn by the saints. D. Sancia Carriglio, the
celebrated penitent of Father M. Avila, wore a shirt of
coarse hair which reached from the neck to the knees.
* St. Rose of Lima used a long hair-shirt interwoven with
needles, and carried a broad iron chain round her loins.
St. Peter of Alcantara wore on his shoulders a large
plate of iron, which was so rough, and covered with
sharp projections, that it kept the flesh in a state of con­
tinual laceration. Would it then be too much for you
to wear a small band of iron from morning till the hour
of dinner ?
3. Disciplines or flagellations are a species of mortifica­
tion strongly recommended by St. Francis de Sales, and
universally adopted in religious Communities of both
sexes. All the modern saints, without a single excep­
tion, have continually practised this sort of penance. It
is related of St. Aloysius that he often scourged himself
unto blood three times in the day. And at the point
of death, not having sufficient strength to use the lash,
he besought the Provincial to have him disciplined
from head to foot. Surely, then, it would not be too
much for you to take the discipline once in the day, or
at least three or four times in the week. However, the
practice of this penance should be regulated by the
confessor.
1 Direct, asc. tr. 2, a. I, c. 4.

Exterior Mortification.

[ch. vin.

4. Lastly, vigils or watchings consist in the retrench­
ment of sleep. It is related of St. Rose, that to prevent
sleep, and thus be able to spend the night in prayer,
she tied her hair to a nail fastened in the wall. When
she was overcome by sleep the inclination of the head
caused pain sufficient to awake her. Of St. Peter of
Alcantara we read that for forty years he slept but an
hour, or at the most an hour and a half, each night;
and that he might not be overcome by sleep, he lay
with his head on a piece of wood fixed in the wall of
his cell. Such austerities cannot be practised by all,
nor without a special grace. Indeed, watching is a
species of penance in which great moderation and dis­
cretion should be observed. Severe watchings generally
render us unfit for the exercise of the mental faculties,
for the recitation of the office, for prayer, and spiritual
reading.
St. Charles Borromeo, in consequence of
watching during the night, was sometimes overcome
by sleep even during public functions, and was there­
fore obliged to prolong the time for rest. However,
they that pretend to virtue should not, like brute ani­
mals, give to their body all the repose that the flesh de­
sires. It is necessary to take as much rest as is requisite,
and no more. Generally speaking, women require less
sleep than men. In general, five, or at the most six,
hours’ sleep is sufficient for women. At least, dear sis­
ter, be careful to rise at the first sound of the morning
bell, and not to remain, like the sluggard, turning about
in bed after having heard the signal for rising. St.
Teresa used to say that a religious should leap out of
bed the instant she hears the bell.
The saints have not only curtailed the time for sleep,
but have also practised various mortifications in the
manner of taking repose. St. Aloysius was accustomed
to scatter fragments of wood and of stones over his bed.
St. Rose of Lima lay on the trunks of trees, the space

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Mortification of the Sense of Touch.

247

between which was filled with broken earthenware.
The Venerable Sister Mary Crucified, of Sicily, used a
pillow of thorns. These austerities are extraordinary,
and are not adapted to all persons. But a religious
should not seek a bed of down; if a straw bed be not
injurious to her health, why should she require a mat­
tress of hair?—or, if a single mattress be sufficient for
her, why does she make use of two ?
To bear with patience the excessive heat or cold of
the seasons is a very useful mortification of the sense of
touch. St. Peter of Alcantara went barefooted and
bareheaded throughout the winter, and never wore
more than a single coat, which was generally torn. You
cannot practise such rigors; but would it be too much
for you to refrain from approaching the fire during the
winter? St. Aloysius, even when he lived in Lombardy,
where the cold is very intense, never approached the
fire. You can, at least on one day of the wTeek, bear
with patience, and accept as a penance from the hands
of God, the cold and heat of the seasons. St. Francis
Borgia, on arriving one night at a college in the country,
found the gates locked, and was therefore obliged to
remain all night exposed to the cold and the snow,
which fell heavily. In the morning the religious ex­
pressed great regret at what had happened. Be assured,
replied the saint, that though I suffered much in the
body I was greatly consoled in spirit by the reflection
that God rejoiced at my pains. It appeared to me that
God himself sent to me from heaven the flakes of snow
that fell upon me.

Prayer.
My beloved Redeemer, I blush to appear before Thee with so
many attachments to earthly pleasures. During life Thou hast
thought of nothing but of suffering for me. But, forgetful of
Thy pains, and of Thy love for me, I have hitherto attended
only to my own gratification. In my past life I have had noth-

248

Exterior Mortification.

[ch. viil

ing of the character of a religious, and of Thy spouse, except the
habit and the name. I would deserve to be banished from this
holy place, where Thou hast favored me with so many lights
and graces, which I have always repaid with ingratitude. I
have certainly made many good purposes; and though I have
frequently promised, I have not fulfilled them. O my Jesus,
give me strength : I desire to do something for Thee before I
die. If I were now to die, how unhappy should I be? Thou
dost prolong my life that I may become a saint. I desire to be
perfect: I love Thee, O my God and my Spouse; and I desire
to love Thee as becomes Thy spouse. I wish to think only of
pleasing Thee. Pardon me all the offences that I have hitherto
offered to Thee : I detest them with my whole heart. O God
of my soul, to gratify myself I have insulted Thee, my treasure
and my life, who hast loved me so much. Assist me to give
myself entirely to Thee from this day forward.
Holy Virgin Mary, my hope, come to my aid, and obtain for
me the grace to do something for God before the hour of my
death.

SEC. I.]

Perfection oj Poverty,

249

CHAPTER IX.
RELIGIOUS POVERTY

I.

The Vow of Poverty, the Perfection of Poverty, and
Community Life.1

All the views of the world are opposed to the laws
of God : in the estimation of the world riches are the basis
of greatness; but in the eyes of God poverty is the founda­
tion of sanctity. It is not certain that the rich are damned;
but the Redeemer has declared that it is easier for a camel
to pass through the eye of a n'eedle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of heaven.2 Hence the founders of evers
religious order have endeavored to establish in all the Coni'
inunities of their Institute a perfect spirit of poverty as the
basis of the common good. St. Ignatius of Loyola3 called
religious poverty the fortification by which the spirit of fer­
vor is preserved. The truth of this observation is demon­
strated by daily experience; for in the Communities in which
poverty is maintained fervor flourishes, and in which poverty
is violated irregularities soon prevail. · Hence the pow’ers
of hell labor so hard to introduce a relaxation of pov­
erty into the observant Orders. Speaking of her own re­
ligious, St. Teresa once said from heaven: “Let them
endeavor to have a great esteem for poverty; for while
it lasts fervor will be maintained.”4 Poverty is justly
styled by the holy Fathers the guardian of virtues,
’The reader’s attention is drawn to the fact that the Saint is ad­
dressing himself to nuns, i.e. to religious with solemn vows. Whereever his teachings do not apply to religious with simple vows will
be indicated in footnotes. (Editor).
2 “Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire, quam divitem
intrare regnum coelorum.”—Matt. xix. 24.
1 Const, p. 10, § 5.
4 Way of Perf. ch. 2.

250

Religious Poverty.

[ch. IX.

since in religious it preserves mortification, humility, detach­
ment from creatures, and, above all, interior recollection.

In treating of religious poverty it is necessary to distin­
guish between the perfection of poverty and that which is
the object of the religious vow.
The vow implies that a religious has no dominion over
worldly goods, and that her use of them is dependent on
the will of her Superior. But, alas! this is a rock on which
many religious are lost. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
saw many nuns in hell for the transgression of the vow of
poverty. In the Chronicles of the Capuchins it is related
that the devil once took away from among his brethren and
in their presence a religious, from whose sleeve, at the mo­
ment when he was carried off, a breviary fell, which the
unhappy man had, in violation of the vow of poverty, appro­
priated to his own use. The fact related by St. Cyril to St.
Augustine 2 is still more alarming. In Thebais there was a
convent containing two hundred nuns who did not live
according to the rules of holy poverty. St. Jerome appeared
to one of them, who was more exact than the rest and
commanded her to admonish the abbess and the other nuns
that, if they did not amend, a frightful chastisement should
be inflicted upon them. The good religious executed the
command, but her advice was received with derision. While
at prayer she was again commanded to repeat the admoni­
tion, and, should it be fruitless, to depart immediately from
the convent. She obeyed a second time; but the abbess,
instead of profiting by the advice, threatened to expel the
sister from the monastery if she said any more on the sub­
ject. “You shall not,” replied the nun, “expel me; for I
will depart instantly, that I may not be involved in the com­
mon ruin.” Scarcely had she gone out when the monastery
fell, and crushed to death all the religious.

’ Cepari. Vit. c. 59.
’ Inter np. S. Aug. E. R. App. ep. 19. c. 8.

5EC. I.]

Perfection of Poverty.

251

Woe to those that introduce into religion a relaxation of
holy poverty. Examine, dear sister, whether you keep money
or any other kind of property without leave. And remember
that the permission of the Superior is invalid, whenever its
object is not just; for she cannot permit you to retain what
cannot be lawfully kept. All the money, furniture, clothes,
and whatever species of property you possess, all that you re­
ceive from your relatives, or for the fruits of your industry,
belong not to you, but to the monastery.’ You have only
the use of what the Superior gives you. Hence, if you dis­
pose of anything without her leave, you are guilty of theft,
and of a sacrilegious theft, by violating the vow of poverty.1
2
Be persuaded that the Lord will demand a very rigorous
account. Hence, zealous Superiors are always most exact
and severe in chastising every fault against that virtue. Cassian relates’ that among the ancient Fathers, the procurator,
in consequence of allowing a few’ lentils to be wasted through
negligence, was deprived of the benefit of common prayers,
and was excluded from holy Communion till he had done
public penance. It is related of Rinald, the prior of the
Dominican convent at Bologna, that he chastised very severely
a lay-brother for having taken without permission a shred of
cloth to mend his habit, and that he caused the cloth to be
burned at Chapter, in presence of the whole Community.
What has been just said regards the vowr of poverty;
but the perfection of holy poverty requires that a relig­
ious be divested of every affection for the goods of the
earth, and that she make use of them only as far as is
necessary for the preservation of life. It was this that
the Redeemer wished to signify to the young man, w’ho
asked what he should do in order to attain perfection.
1 Religious with simple vows may acquire other goods or property,
unless forbidden by their constitutions. Whatever they receive for
their labors or by reason of their religious character, they acquire
for their Institute. (Can. 580. η. 1, 2.)
2 This is the case only if the goods belong to the community.
* De Coenob. inst. 1. 4, c. 20

252

/tcltgio us

Poverty '.

[CH. IX.

If, says Jesus, thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and
give it to the poor} The Saviour told him that he should
renounce all his possessions without a single exception.
For when, as St. Bonaventure says, the spirit is encum­
bered with the weight of any temporality, the soul can­
not rise to union with God. “ Burdened with the load
of temporal things, the spirit cannot ascend to God.”1
“ The love of terrestrial objects,” according to St. Augus­
tine, “is the birdlime of the spiritual wings,”1
*345which
impedes the flight of the soul to God. And again the
holy Doctor says: “ By the great wing of poverty a
Christian quickly flies to heaven.” ‘ Hence, St. Laurence
Justinian exclaimed: “O blessed voluntary poverty!
possessing nothing, fearing nothing; always cheerful,
always abounding, because it turns to advantage every
inconvenience.” 6
It was for our edification and instruction that Jesus
Christ wished to live in continual poverty on earth.
Hence, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi called poverty the
spouse of Jesus. “ Poverty,” says St. Bernard, “ was not
found in heaven—it abounded on earth; but man did
not know its value: therefore the Son of God, longing
after it, came down from heaven to choose it for him­
self, and to make it precious to us.” ft Being rich, says
1 “Si vis perfectus esse, vade, vende quæ habes, et da pauperibus.”
—Matt. xix. 21.
■' “Cum sarcina temporalium, spiritus ad Deum non potest ascend­
ere.”
3 “ Amor rerum terrenarum viscum est spiritualium pennarum.”
—Serin. 112, E. B.
4 “ Magna penna paupertatis, qua cito volatur in regnum coelorum.”
—De Adv. D. s. 4.
5 “ O beata paupertas voluntaria: nihil possidens, nihil formidans;
semper hilaris, semper abundans; et cum nihil habeat, omne incom­
modum suo facit profectui deservire !”—De Disc. mon. c. 2.
6 “ Paupertas non inveniebatur in cœlis; interris abundabat, et nescie­
bat homo pretium ejus; hanc itaque Dei Filius concupiscens descendit,
ut eam eligat sibi, et nobis faciat pretiosam."—In Kig. Nat. D. s. I.

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sec. i.]

Perfection of Poverty.

253

St. Paul, he became poor for your sakes, that through his
poverty you might be rich.' Our Redeemer was the Lord
of all the riches in heaven and on earth, but he wished
to be miserably poor in this life, in order to enrich us,
and to excite us by his example to the love of poverty,
which, by withdrawing our affections from temporal
goods, procures for us eternal riches. He wished to be
poor during his whole life. Poor in his birth—he was
born- not in a palace, but in a cold stable, having only a
manger for his cradle and straw for his bed. Poor in
his life and poor in all things, he dwelt in a miserable
hut containing but a single room; which served for all
the purposes of life. Poor in his garments and in his
food. St. John Chrysostom says, that the Redeemer
and his disciples ate nothing but barley-bread; and this
may be inferred from the Gospel? Poor, in fine, in his
death: leaving nothing behind him but his miserable
garments; and these, even before his death, were divided
among the soldiers. Thus for his winding-sheet and
sepulchre he depended on the bounty of the charitable.
Hence, Jesus once said to Blessed Angela of Foligno:
“If poverty were not a great blessing, I should not have
chosen it for myself, nor should I have left it as an in­
heritance to my elect.” It was because they saw Jesus
poor that the saints loved poverty so much. Father
Granada and Father M. Avila discussed one day the
reason why St. Francis of Assisi had such an affection
for poverty. Father Louis of Granada maintained that
it was because the saint wished to be freed from every
impediment to a perfect union with God. But Father
Avila asserted with more truth, that the ardent love of
St. Francis for holy poverty arose from his ardent love
of Jesus Christ. And surely a soul that loves Jesus
1 “ Propter vos egenus factus est, cum esset dives, ut illius inopia vos
divites essetis.”—2 Cor. viii. 9.
2 John, vi. 9.

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Religious Poverty.

[ch. ix.

Christ intensely cannot but exclaim with the Apostle:
Z count all things as dung, that I may gain Christi I esteem
all the goods of the earth as dung, and therefore I de­
spise them all, that I may gain Jesus Christ. Hence, St.
Francis de Sales used to say, that when a house is on
fire the furniture is thrown out of the windows; and
long before, the Holy Ghost said: If a man shouldgive
all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as
nothing.1 The ardent lover cheerfully despises all things
through the love which he bears to God.
From the Sacred Scriptures we learn that the reward
of poverty is most certain, and great beyond measure.
It is most certain; because Jesus Christ has said: Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To
the other beatitudes, heaven is promised only as a future
reward. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the IandI
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see Godi But
to the poor in spirit God’s kingdom is promised as a
present recompense: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?
Because, to those that are truly poor in spirit the
Lord gives very great helps, even in this life. Hence,
Cornelius à Lapide says, that since, by the decree of
God, the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor, they
have a full right to it.’ The reward of poverty is very
secure, and great beyond conception. “ The less we
have here,” says St. Teresa, “ the more we shall enjoy in
God’s kingdom, in which the mansion of each is pro1,1 Omnia arbitror . . . ut stercora, ut Christum lucrifaciam.”—
Phil. iii. S.
9 “ Si dederit homo omnem substantiam domus suæ pro dilectione,
quasi nihil despiciet eam.”—Cant. viii. 7.
30 Beati mites, quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram.”
4 “ Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt.”
5 “ Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum.”
Matt. v. 3, 4, 8.
8 “ Ex Dei decreto, ad pauperes pertinet regnum coelorum; ipsi, in
illud, plenum jus habent.”—In Matth. 1. c.

«

SEC. I.]

Perfection of Poverty.

255

portioned to the love with which he shall have imitated
the life of Jesus Christ.”
“O happy commerce,” ex­
claims St. Peter Damian, “ where clay is given away and
gold received.” u O happy traffic ! in which we renounce
the goods of the earth, which are but mire, and receive
in exchange the graces of God and eternal rewards;
which are more precious than the purest gold.
The poor in spirit shall also have the honor of sitting
with Jesus Christ as the judges of the world. Behold,
says St. Peter to Jesus, we have left all things and have
followed thee : what, therefore, shall we have ? 1*34* And Jesus
said to them : Amen, I say to you, thatyou who have followed me
in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the seat of
Ids Majesty, you shall also sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve
tribes of Israeli God has promised eternal glory here­
after, and a hundredfold in this life, to all who aban­
don earthly goods for his sake. And every one that hath
left house or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hun­
dredfold, and shall possess life everlasting! This promise
is fulfilled in all the poor in spirit \vho, because they de­
sire nothing on earth, possess all riches: As having
nothing and possessing all things! The Redeemer has
justly compared riches to thorns,7 for in proportion to
their abundance, riches torment the soul by cares, by
fears, and by the desires of increased possessions. Hence,
1 Found, ch. 14.
‘ “Felix tale commercium, ubi datur lutum, tollitur aurum.”—Epist.
1. 7. ep. 7·
3 “ Ecce nos reliquimus omnia, et secuti sumus te; quid .ergo erit
nobis?”—Matt. xix. 27.
4 “ Arnen dico vobis, quod vos qui secuti estis me, in regeneratione,
cum sederit Filius hominis in sede majestatis suæ, sedebitis et vos
super sedes duodecim, judicantes duodecim tribus Israel.”—Ibid. 2S.
s “ Et omnis qui reliquerit domum . . . aut agros propter nomen
meum, centuplum accipiet, et vitam aeternam possidebit.”—Ibid. 29.
* “ Nihil habentes, et omnia possidentes.”—2 Cor. vi. 10.
1 Matt. xiii. 22.

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Religious Poverty.

[ch.u

St. Bernard saj^s, that while the avaricious, because their de­
sire of riches is never satiated, like mendicants, thirst after
the goods of this world ; the poor in spirit, because they wish
for nothing upon earth, despise mammon. “The avaricious
man, like a mendicant, hungers after earthly things; the
poor man, like a lord, contemns them.”' Oh! how great
is the happiness of a religious, who desires and possesses
nothing upon earth. She enjoys true peace—a blessing more
valuable than all worldly goods, which can never content a
soul destined to be made happy only by the possession of God.
Thus the poor in spirit receive a great reward in this as
well as in the next life. But where shall we find a religious
truly poor in spirit? Let us examine in what true poverty
of spirit consists.
It consists, first, not only in the absence of all poverty,3
but also in the destruction of every desire which has not
God for its object. “A pauper meets me,” says St. Augustine,
“and still I seek a man who is poor.” 3 Yes, in the world
the number of the indigent is countless, but few of them are
poor in spirit and desire. St. Teresa used to say, that the
religious who appears to be bereft of all property, but at the
same time is not poor in spirit, deceives the world and her­
self. What will her actual poverty profit her? The poor
that desire the possession of riches suffer indeed the pains of
want, but do not practise the virtue of poverty. “He that
desires the goods of the earth,” says St. Philip Neri, “will
never become a saint.” You, dear sister, have abandoned
the world ; you have left all things, and will you, after so
many sacrifices, expose yourself to the danger of being
lost, or at least of not being a saint? Ah! be content
with humble food and raiment; seek to become a saint,

1 “Avarus terrena esurit ut mendicus, fidelis contemnit ut dominus.”
In Cant. s. 21.
‘ Property may be retained by religious with simple vows, unless
rohibited by their constitutions. (Can. 580. n. 1.)
’ “Occurrit mihi pauper, et quaero pauperem”—Serin 14, E. B.

sec.i.]

Perfection of Poverty.

257

and do not, for miserable trifles, risk your eternal inher­
itance. But, says the Apostle, haying food and wherewith
to be covered, with these we are content) For they that will
become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil,
and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which draw
men into destruction and perdition) Whoever covets world­
ly riches shall fall into the snares of the enemy, and into
numberless desires, which lead to death and to eternal
misery.
Poverty of spirit consists, secondly, in keeping the
heart detached, not only from what is valuable, but also
from what is trifling. The adhesion of the smallest
portion of earth prevents the free ascent of a feather in
the air; and the possession of a particle of worldly
goods, in opposition to the perfection of poverty, im­
pedes the perfect union of a religious with God, and the
enjoyment of true peace. Thorns (or riches), however
small, torment the traveller, and diminish the expedi­
tion of his journey. To be perfect, it is not necessary
for a religious to abandon large possessions; no, it is
sufficient to leave in effect and in affection the little
that it is in her power to relinquish. St. Peter gave up
little; but because, in affection, he left all that he pos­
sessed (behold, we have left all things), he merited to hear
from Jesus Christ that he was chosen for one of the
Redeemer’s assessors at the general judgment. You
shall sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel)
There are some religious who have an affection, not for
precious stones, nor for vessels of gold, but for certain
miserable trifles, such as some article of furniture, a
1 “ Habentes autem alimenta, et quibus tegamur, his contenti simus.”
—i Tim. vi. 8.
2 “ Qui volunt divites fieri, incidunt in tentationem et in laqueum dia­
boli, et desideria multa inutilia et nociva, quæ mergunt homines in in ­
teritum et perditionem.”—Ibid. 9.
3 Matt. xix. 27.

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Religious Poverty.

[CH. IX.

book, or the like. They have not renounced all attach­
ments to the goods of the earth, but have transferred
their affections from things of value to trifles, and their
solicitude about these trifles occasions as many imper­
fections and as much inquietude as the care of large
possessions.
If seculars are lost, they are lost for the attainment of
something great in the eyes of the world; but what a
pity, says Cassian,' to see a nun, after having left the
world, and after having renounced her inheritance and
liberty, lose the crown of a saint for trifles that are vile
and miserable even in the estimation of worldlings.
“The adversary,” says St. Eucherius, “exults when he
sees us, who contemned the most valuable goods, over­
come in matters of the smallest importance.” 3 What a
source of triumph to the devil to find a person who has
left considerable possessions shamefully conquered, by
the love of trifles. “ Some,” says Cassian, “ who despise
the most magnificent property, we see disturbed fora
needle or a pen, and thus fall into the occasions of
death.” 3 St. Eucherius asserts what appears very extra­
ordinary, that “ the love of property, unless it be perfect­
ly eradicated, is most ardent in small things.”4 Most
ardent, and therefore most criminal; for by attachment
to trifles a religious shows a greater avidity for earthly
goods than by an affection for what is valuable. Hence
Jesus Christ has said, So likewise, every one of you that doth
not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple.
*
1 Collât. 5, c. 2i.
* “ Exsultat adversarius, quando nos videt ad hoc maxima contemp.
sisse, ut in minimis vinceremur.”—AdMonach. horn. 5.
3 “ Prædiorum magnificentiam contemnentes vidimus, pro acu, pro
calamo, commoveri; et inde occasiones mortis incurrunt!”—Coli. i,c. 6.
4 “ Habendi amor, nisi ad integrum resecetur, ardentior est in parvis.
—Ad Monach. hom. 4.
4 “ Qui non renuntiat omnibus quæ possidet, non potest meus esse
discipulus.”—Luke, xiv. 33.

sec. i.)

Perfection of Poverty.

259

Thirdly, poverty of spirit consists not only in being
poor, but in loving poverty. “For,” says St. Bernard,
“it is not poverty, but the love of poverty, that is re­
puted virtue.” 1 It is not the poor man, but the lover of
poverty, that is esteemed virtuous. And to love poverty
is to love the effects of poverty, that is, hunger, cold, and,
above all, the contempt attendant upon want. For St.
Thomas teaches1
2 that the honor of judging the world
shall be given to the poor in spirit, as the reward of the
humiliations occasioned by their indigence. Many re­
ligious, says St. Vincent Ferrer, glory in the name of
poverty, but shun the sufferings and opprobrium that
are its constant companions. “ They glory in the name,
but fly from the associates of poverty.”3 St. Joseph
Calasanctius used to say, that he who feels not the in­
conveniences of want, is not poor. And Blessed Salome,
a religious of the Order of St. Clare, used to say, that
“angels and men shall laugh at the religious who desires
to be poor, and at the same time wishes to enjoy the
advantages of wealth, or complains whenever she is
deprived of them.” But, my God, what is to be said of
the poverty of the religious who, should her food be
scanty or not well seasoned, breaks out into complaints?
—who, should she not be supplied with a new habit be­
fore the old one is torn, disturbs the whole Community
by her murmuring against the Superior, and against
those who hold office in the convent? What shall T say
of the poverty of the nun who seeks finer cloth and
linen than become her state ?—who is disquieted if her
dress be not made in a neat and graceful form, so as to
give her a genteel appearance? “ They indeed,” says
1 “ Non enim paupertas virtus reputatur, sed paupertatis amor.”—
Epist. 100.
3 /n Matt. xix. 27, 28.
3 “ De paupertatis nomine gloriantur, et paupertatis sodales fugiunt,
famem, sitim, contemptum, despectionem.”—De Vita spir. c. 1.

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Religious Poverty.

[ch.ix.

St. Bernard, “wish to be poor, but only on the condition
that nothing may be wanting to them.” 1
But you will, perhaps, say that the Community life
*
not being observed in your convent, you must think of
everything, of food, of clothing, of medicines, and that
you must go to the grate to sell your work and to receive
a price for it in order to procure for yourself the things
that you need. I answer: Although your Institute, or
the present usage of your convent, permits this to you,
yet you should not show yourself like a secular who
sells her wares by directly treating with outside persons
without the modesty and gentleness that suit your state.
This kind of traffic is often the effect, not of necessity,
but of cupidity that induces certain religious to work
much at night, to neglect the duties of their office, the
choirt mental prayer, the sacraments, and even some­
times to use without permission what belongs to the
Community. Ah ! when the true love of God enters the
heart of a nun, she easily finds the means of practising
perfect poverty, even though Community life no longer
exists in the convent. Blessed Hyacinth Mariscotti,
when she had laid aside her tepidity and given herself
up entirely to God, immediately set to work to strip her
cell of all that was superfluous, and to give it to the
Superior; and she even gave up her habit to take
another that was torn and patched, that had covered
the body of a deceased nun.
Since mention has been made of the Community life, I
must make a few reflections on this point. It is certain
that all the cares and disquietudes of nuns, all the an1 “ Pauperes esse volunt, eo tamen pacto, ut nihil eis desit.”—In Adv.
D. s. 4.
* W hat is here said, as far as the end of the chapter, does not apply
to well-regulated convents, and has reference only to the abuses that had
gradually crept into convents of Italy at the time when St. Alphonsus
lived, and that could not be entirely removed.—Ed.

sec. i.]

Perfection of Poverty.

261

noyances that they frequently experience, and all the
obstacles that hinder them from advancing in perfection,
usually arise from the possession of personal property,
and from the desire of preserving and increasing it.
The necessity of providing for their own maintenance
in regard to food, clothing, furniture, medicines, is in­
deed a source of care and embarrassment for the poor
nuns, and the cause of distractions in their prayers and
Communions. It is true the vow of poverty does not
%
forbid them to keep or use things with the requisite
permission; but this must be done with such indifference
regarding these things that one is always ready to de­
prive one’s self of these should the Superior so ordain.
Unfortunately this total indifference is not found in all
nuns. There are some who are willing to deposit the
money with the Superior; but if the latter should wish
to use it for the benefit of the convent they would
excite a great commotion. I therefore say that this
depositing of money is a mere sham, is a fiction, and I
should say it is an attempt to deceive the Superiors and
God at the same time, since such nuns are in fact real
owners. All those who live a private life are exposed to
this danger. Now community life delivers and pre­
serves the nuns from all these inconveniences. Hence
St. John Climacus says: “This is community life in
which true spiritual poverty is preserved: it frees us
from worldly cares; it is a smooth road that enables us,
without any obstacle, to unite ourselves to God; it re­
moves all sadness and all disquietude.” 1
It is certain that all the holy founders of religious
Orders had in view the establishment of community
life; and as long as community life has been main­
tained, fervor has reigned in the communities. We must
here remark, that, according to the common opinion
1 “ Paupertas est abdicatio sollicitudinum saeculi, iter ad Deum sine
impedimento, expulsio omnis tristitiae."—Scala par. gr. 17.

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Religious Poverty.

[ch.ix

of theologians, such as Suarez, Navarro, Lessius, and others,
the vow of poverty obliges the religious always to be interi­
orly disposed to enter community life when the Superiors,
after having examined the circumstances, judge it opportune.
This being the case,<we must conclude that a religious would
be in a bad state as to her conscience if the Superiors wishing
to re-establish community life, she would refuse to accept it,
even though it did not exist when she entered the convent.
We should not be afraid that in community life we shall
not find the means of living; for our Lord one day said to
St. Catherine of Sienna: “While the religious Order ob­
served poverty, they did not suffer; but now, when they are
living by themselves, they suffer.” Oh! how happy you
would be if you would co-operate in the introduction into
your convent of this great good—the community life!
If, however, the community life does not exist in your
house,1 and if under present circumstances it cannot be es­
tablished, I do not wish to force you to observe it. It is there­
fore permitted to you to take a moderate care of what con­
cerns food, medicines, and other things of which you may be
in need. You may also, with the requisite permissions, sell
your work, procure for yourself what is required for your
sustenance, and retain the money necessary for your daily
wants, depositing the rest in the common fund and leaving
it at the disposal of the Superior in case she should think
fit to use it. You may also receive permission to spend or
receive money up to a certain amount. In acting in this
manner you may still merit the reward promised to the poor
in spirit.

Prayer.
My Jesus, if hitherto my heart has been attached to the goods
of the earth, Thou shalt henceforth be my only treasure. O
God of my soul ! Thou art a good infinitely greater than any

’Code prescribes community life. (Can. 594. n. 1.)
custom should be done awav with accordine to Can. 5.

Contrary

sec. π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty,

263

other, Thou dost merit infinite love ; I esteem and love Thee
above all things, and even more than myself; Thou art the only
object of all my affections. I desire nothing in this world. If
I had any desires, it would be to possess all the treasures and
kingdoms of the earth, for the purpose of renouncing them all,
and depriving myself of them for the love of Thee. Come, O
my love! come and consume in me every affection that is not
for Thee. Grant that, in future, I may regard nothing but Thee,
think only of Thee, and sigh only after Thee. The love that
made Thee die on the cross for me, makes me die to all my in­
clinations—makes me love only Thy infinite goodness, and de­
sire only Thy grace and Thy love. My dear Redeemer, when
shall I be entirely Thine, as Thou art all mine ? I am not able
even to give myself to Thee as I ought. Oh ! take me and
make me live only for Thy glory.
Trusting in the merits of Thy blood, O Jesus, and in Thy
intercession, O my mother Mary, I hope for all things.
II.

The Degrees and the Practice of Perfect Poverty.

First Degree.

The first degree of perfect religious poverty is not to
possess anything as one’s own. Hence a religious
should regard but as a loan whatever she possesses, and
should be ready to give it up at the first intimation of
the Superior’s will. She ought to be like a statue, which
when dressed is not elated, and when stripped is not de­
jected. A sister who is afflicted at being deprived of
anything by the Superior shows that she did not retain
it with the true spirit of poverty, or at least that she
had some attachment to it. A religious should remem­
ber that what she is permitted to receive or retain, be­
longs not to her, but is the property of the monastery.
She should, therefore, hold it as a deposit, and ought
not to expend it on vanity, or in superfluous presents.
Neither should she complain when the Superior applies

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Religious Poverty.

[ch. IX

it to the use of the Community, or of any of the religious.
What then are we to think of the nun who throws the
whole convent into confusion whenever the sisters, with the
permission of the Superior, use what she possesses. Search,
then, dear sister, your heart, and see if it is detached from
all you possess.
Examine how you would feel if the Superior refused to
permit you to incur a certain expense, to retain a certain
sum of money or a certain piece of furniture. And if you
feci an attachment to anything whatsoever, resolve, in imi­
tation of that great servant of God, Sister Mary of the
Cross, either to deprive yourself of it, or to bring it to tne
Superior and leave it at her disposal. In a word, you must
preserve tne heart free from all affection, even for those
things that you are permitted to retain.

Second Degree.
The second degree of poverty is, to deprive yourself of
whatever is superfluous: for the smallest superfluity will
prevent a perfect union of the soul with God. St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi went so far as to strip her little altar
of all its ornaments except the crucifix. St. Teresa relates
of herself that, knowing God to be most jealous of religious
poverty, she could not recollect herself in prayer as long as she
retained anything that she thought to be superfluous. If in
your convent there is not a perfect community of property,1
endeavor at least to imitate the poverty practised by the
most exemplary and exact among your companions, as well
in dress as in food and furniture.
But you will perhaps say that whatever you possess is
retained with the leave of the Superior. Permission to keep
superfluities may save you from the punishments inflicted on
proprietors, but will not secure to you the merit of perfect
poverty.
Again, you will perhaps say that you have no attach1 See note on community life, p. 262.

sec.

π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

265

ment to what you keep. But whether you have an at­
tachment to it or not, the possession of what is not
necessary will always prevent you from attaining the
perfection of poverty.
You may imagine that a certain sum of money or a
certain portion of property will enable you to relieve the
poor or to assist your companions. But I repeat that it
is the nun that has nothing to give, and not the relig­
ious that has the means of distributing alms, who edifies
the Church. St. Thomas says that “ it is good to give
your goods to the needy, but it is better to be poor with
Christ.” 1 It is meritorious to distribute your property
to the poor, but it is better to be like Jesus Christ, with­
out the means of giving alms. Besides, as the Venera­
ble Sister Amadea, a Visitation nun, used to say, a good
religious should desire to dispense only the goods that
she receives from God, that is, good example, prayers,
salutary advice, and the helps to spiritual life.
If, dear sister, you desire to please your Spouse, you
must renounce whatsoever you know to be superfluous.
Should you be unable to ascertain what is absolutely
necessary for your use, beg of the abbess to examine
your cell and to remove whatever is not indispensable.
If you truly desire to be with Jesus Christ, I advise you
not indeed to be singular, but not to allow any of your
companions to surpass you in poverty. And that you
may be among the poorest of your companions, you
must endeavor to be poor in all things, in your dress, in
your furniture, and in your food.
I. With regard to clothes, be careful to practise the
highest degree of poverty compatible with the usage of
the Community. Let your clothes be such as necessity
requires, and not what vanity would suggest. Of what
use are fine clothes to religious except to gratify vanity,
1 “ Bonum est facultates pauperibus erogare; sed melius est egere
cum Christo.”—2. 2. q. 32, a. 8.

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Religious Poverty,

ich. ix.

and to attract the notice and esteem of all that behold
them ? “ For,” says St. Gregory, “ no one desires to be
clothed in precious garments, when he cannot be seen
by others.”1 But the Holy Ghost has declared that
beauty does not consist in external decoration, but in
interior comeliness. All the glory of the king's daughter is
within? On the contrary, “ the exterior signs betray
what is concealed within the soul.” 123 Thus, every vain
ornament of dress shows that he who wears it is puffed
up with vanity. Hence St. John Chrysostom says that
a religious who attends to the decoration of her per­
son manifests the deformity of her soul. “ Attention
to the ornaments of the body indicates internal deform­
ity.” 45 St. Jerome observes that “ the soul is defiled in
proportion as the body is adorned.” 6 St. Mary Magda­
lene de Pazzi saw many nuns in hell for violating pov­
erty, and especially by vanity in dress.’
I do not require of you to wear a torn or sordid dress :
a torn garment is not decent in a religious; but a patched
habit is suited to all that have made a vow of poverty:
a sordid veil is not becoming, but an affected whiteness
sought after by some is not proper. What edification
is to be expected from the nun that wears wristbands of
fine linen, fastened with silver buttons; that carries a
costly ring on her finger, and beads of great value by
her side; that uses only fine veils, and casts them aside
as soon as the smallest break appears in them ? She
1 “ Nemo vult ibi pretiosis vestibus indui, ubi ab aliis non possit vi­
deri.”—In Evang. hom. 40.
2 “ Omnis gloria ejus filiæ regis ab intus.”—Ps. xliv. 14.
3“ Exteriora signa produnt quid in animo latet intus.”—Eev. 1. 4, c.
114.
4“Studium in ornando corpore internam indicat deformitatem.”—
In Genes, hom. 37.
5 “ Quanto amplius corpus foris ornatur, tanto interius anima foeda­
tur.”—De Modo bene viv. c. 9.
4 Puccini, Vit. 1. 4, c. 31; Cepari, c. 56.

sec. π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

267

may be assured that her contempt of poverty is highly
displeasing to God. To the Venerable Sister Constan­
tia of the Conception, a Carmelite nun, Jesus once ap­
peared, and, because she threw away a torn veil, said to
her: “ Is it thus you despise the badge of spouse which
I gave you ?”
Religious that love Jesus Christ do not thus disre­
gard holy poverty. When the Venerable Sister Marga­
ret of the Cross, a daughter of Maximilian II. and a
barefooted Clare, appeared before her brother Albert,
the Archduke, in a patched habit, he was struck with
astonishment, and expressed his surprise at seeing her
dressed in such a manner. “ Brother,” replied the good
religious, “ I am more happy in these rags than all the
monarchs of the earth are in their purple.” What the
world contemns is highly prized and rewarded by Al­
mighty God. Violante Palombara, a noble lady, used
only a garment of coarse linen, the poorest bedclothes,
and beads of plain wood. At the hour of death she ex­
claimed: “Oh! what do I see? My dress resplendent
with rays !—my covering made of gold !—and my beads
of diamonds ! ”
II. You must also take care to practise poverty in the
furniture of your cell. In the chronicles of St. Jerome
we read that when Superiors found curiosities in the
convent they immediately cast them into the fire, call­
ing them idols of religious. The great servant of God,
Sister Mary Magdalene Carafa, who had been duchess
of Andria, and afterwards a religious in the Sapienza of
Naples, would not keep in her cell paintings, or pres­
ents, or even many books. “ For reading,” she would
say, “a single book is sufficient, and contains more than
we can put in practice.” Her conduct should cover with
confusion certain religious who keep in their cells a
great number of spiritual books, but do not practise the
lessons that they read in any of them.

268

Religious Poverty.

[ch. ix.

St. Teresa examined every day whether there was any
superfluity in her cell; if she found any, she immedi­
ately removed it. What profit do religious draw from
paintings that are not sacred, from gilded cornices, or
splendid chests ? Ornaments of silver and crystals are
better suited to a lady in the world than to a nun in the
cloister. Remember that what now pleases the eyes
shall at the hour of death torture the soul, and in an­
other life shall be severely punished—at least in purga­
tory. The learned Palafox relates that a Superior once
appeared to a religious and told him that, with regard
to the vow of poverty, God demands a most rigorous
account of certain things that are not attended to in
this life. He also said that he himself suffered severely
in purgatory for having kept in his cell a walnut desk.
III. Some religious must have in their cells a supply
of fruits, spices, and other eatables. When the physi­
cian prescribed for the Venerable Mother Mary John of
the Annunciation a conserve of roses, she refused to
keep any of it in the cell, but made a sister bring her
every evening as much as was necessary for the night.
IV. Above all, seek to be poor in money. St. Paul com­
pares avarice to idolatry. No covetous person {which is a
serving of idols, ) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christi
The comparison is most just; for the avaricious man
desires money as his last end, and thus makes it his
God. Hence St. John Chrysostom said, “ Let us con­
temn money, lest we be contemned by Christ.”3 If we
wish not to be despised by Jesus Christ, we must de­
spise riches. Hence the first Christians, after having
sold their goods, placed the price at the feet of the
apostles,’ thus showing, as St. Jerome says,4 that money
1 “ Avarus, quod est idolorum servitus non habet hereditatem in regno
Christi.”—Eph. v. 5.
2 “ Contemnamus pecunias, ne contemnamur a Christo.”—In Eont.
hom. 7.
3 Acts, iv. 34, 35.
Epist. ad Dentetr.
*

sec. π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

269

should not find a place in the heart of man, but should
be trampled under his feet. Some religious, under the
pretext of providing for their necessities, desire the
possession of riches. St. Catharine of Sienna used to
say: “ We desire to abound in temporal goods, because,
as long as we do not possess them in abundance, we
imagine that we stand in need of them.” 1
But, religious who, love perfection seek not after
riches; they desire only what is absolutely indispensa­
ble, and therefore they look for scarcely as much as is
necessary for their support. By enabling them to in­
dulge every whim and caprice, a superfluous income
serves only to make religious more proud, more at ease,
more vain, and less mortified. What a shame, says St.
Catharine of Sienna, in one of her letters, to see some
religious, who should be mirrors of poverty, enjoy more
pleasures in the cloister than they would had they re­
mained in the world ! Surely it is a scandalous irregu­
larity in a nun to seek more indulgence in religion than
she should obtain in the world.
If you wish not to offend against poverty, you must
observe great caution in your whole expenditure. There
are some, and particularly in our own time, since the
expenses of religious have become extravagant, who
boast of their splendor and generosity, saying, While
we have the means we must spend. Such language
might be expected from a worldling, but should never
be uttered by a religious. Nor is it any justification to
say that the expenses are incurred for God’s honor, on
the solemn festivals of the monastery. Clement V.a
prohibited to religious all superfluous expenditure, even
on the divine worship.
*
Hence, St. Charles Borromeo
1 L. to the Abbess of St. Peter at Florence.
2 Clementina Exivi, § Ears us, de verb, signif.
* It is to be remarked that what St. Alphonsus says here applies to
the contemplative Orders.—Ed.

270

Religious Poverty.

[ch.ix.

ordained that on the festivals of nuns the decorations
should be decent, but not sumptuous. What think
you, says St. Bernard, “Is it penance, compunction, or
the admiration of the bystanders that is sought in these
things ?” 1 Do you think that a religious, in the sumptu­
ous celebration of a feast, seeks the honor of God by in­
spiring others with devotion, or rather the indulgence
of her own vanity, by exciting admiration of her gener­
osity and splendor? But you will perhaps say that
bishops incur great expenses in the celebration of festi­
vals. In the words of St. Bernard, who has proposed
and answered this objection, I reply that “ the condition
of bishops is different from that of religious. We,” says
the saint, “have left all that is precious in the world,
and by this means we intended to excite devotion.”2
The circumstances of bishops, and of religious who make
a profession of poverty, are very different: the latter
have left the world; even in their festivals they should
appear poor, and by their exterior poverty should en­
deavor to excite devotion in others. Oh ! how many
faults are committed by religious in celebrating their
feasts. They are not content with a great abundance
of lights and of ornaments, or with the expense of
music: no; they must also display their vanity by re­
galing all who are invited to the solemnity.
But you will say, What am I to do ? Others act in this
manner: shall I not be like them ? If you must be like
others, you ought at least not to endeavor to surpass
them, nor increase the excesses that have been already
introduced. If you indulge in any excess, the sister
who will have to celebrate the next feast will strive to
equal you in pomp and splendor. The abuses that
1 “Quid putas? in his quæritur pœnitentium compunctio, an intuentium admiratio ?”—Apol. ad Guill. c. 12.
’ “ Alia causa est Episcoporum, alia monachorum: nos, qui mundi
pretiosa reliquimus, in his devotionem excitare intendimus.”

sec.

π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

271

already exist are more than sufficient. Do not, then, I
repeat, introduce any new one; if you do, you shall have
to render a frightful account to God. For it is by re­
peated acts of extravagance that the habit of lavish ex­
penditure is established. One exceeds her companions
in magnificence and liberality; she is surpassed by an­
other, and thus a great degree of extravagance is gradu­
ally introduced. It is in this manner that many Com­
munities have lost the spirit of fervor, and have fallen
away from the habit of regular observance. How many
nuns are there who, on account of their extravagant
expenditure, lead a life of continual distraction and in­
quietude, without recollection or devotion, and full of
faults and vanities ! The Sovereign Pontiffs and the
Sacred Congregations have frequently endeavored to
correct this evil; but their exertions have in a great
measure proved abortive. On this subject I have
nothing more to say, except to exclaim: Woe to the nun
who introduces abuses and vanities into religion !
A few important remarks must here be made:
1. The sister who is charged with the management of
the affairs of the convent should be careful not to ex­
pend extravagant sums for her own convenience. By
her prodigality she might be guilty of a grievous trans­
gression of the vow of poverty.
2. Let all remember that permissions to lay out money
are not to be obtained from the confessor, but from the
Superior. For in temporals all the religious are bound
to obey her.
3. To lay out money on any object, different from
that on which you obtained permission to expend it, is
a violation of poverty.
4. Let it also be remembered that to make presents,
without just reason, and only through caprice or vanity,
to persons who do not stand in need of them, is also an
offence against poverty. “ It is a sacrilege,” says St

272

Religious Poverty.

tCiï· ιχ

Jerome, “to give the property of the poor to those that are
not poor.” ’ It is a sacrilegious violation of poverty to give
the goods of the poor—that is, of religious, who have noth­
ing of their own—to those that are not in want.
5. The decrees of the Sovereign Pontiffs forbid confessors
to receive presents from nuns: such presents, when mutual,
are particularly prohibited. “Holy love,” says St. Jerome,
“does not make frequent little presents, nor indulge in affec­
tionate letters.” * But we shall treat of this subject in the
next chapter.8

Third Degree.
The third degree of poverty requires that you do not com­
plain when you are in want even of necessaries. The Mother
of God once said to one of her devout servants, a Franciscan
nun: My child, as long as all your wants are supplied, you
are not poor; true poverty consists in having less than is
necessary. “To complain of poverty,” says St. Jane Frances
Chantal, “is displeasing to God and to men. I never feel
so happy as when I bear some of the marks of poverty.”
That great servant of God, Baptista Vernazza, a canoness
regular, used to say that she experienced great pleasure in re­
flecting that she had no provision for any future neces­
sity. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was afflicted at see­
ing her wants supplied by the abbess. She once felt so
much complacency, in not having bread at table, that
she afterwards accused herself of having entertained too
much pleasure in the privation.
Sometimes she ex­
claimed: “Oh! how happy should I be, if I went to
table and found no food, if I went to sleep and found no
“Tars sacrilegii est, rem pauperum dare non pauperibus.”—Ad
Pammach.
2 “Crebra munuscula, et sudariola, et fasciolas, ac degustatos cibos,
blandasque litterulas, sanctus amor non habet.”—Ad Nepotian.
’ Chap. X., § 2.
Since these laws are not found in the Code, they are abrogated.
Can. 6. n. 6.

sec. ii.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

273

bed, if I went to dress and had no clothes ! Oh that all
things were wanting to me ! ”
Tell me, dear sister, do you practise such perfect po\ ·
erty? Although you may have renounced all affection
for the world, and for vain and superfluous possessions
you are perhaps still attached to what you regard a>
necessary, and still anxious to be furnished with decenl
and comfortable clothes, food, and bed. It is this solici­
tude about them that disturbs you whenever they are
wanting to you. But in what way do you wish to be
poor? Do you expect to enjoy the reward of poverty,
and at the same time to want nothing? Would you not
be in want of many necessaries had you remained in the
world? And do you seek to be supplied with all neces­
saries in religion, which you embraced for the purpose
of suffering, and in which you had made a solemn vow
of poverty? “To desire to be poor,” says St. Francis
de Sales, “ and not to feel any of the inconveniences ol
want, is to wish for the honor of poverty and theadvam
tages of riches.” 1
But you will say, Had I good health, I would cheer
fully suffer all things; but I am weak and infirm, and
therefore I cannot bear to see the Superior as forgetful
of me as if I were in good health. You complain that
others are unmindful of you, and you yourself forget
that you have entered religion for the purpose of suffer­
ing. A nun should embrace sufferings in sickness as
well as in health. In the Constitutions of the TeresianS
the following admonition is given: “Our sick brethren,
if anything be wanting to them, should remember that
they have embraced the poverty of Jesus Christ, and
therefore, neither in sickness nor in health, should de­
sire to be treated like the rich.” St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi gives a very excellent advice on this subject.
“ However great your infirmities,” says the saint, “ never
take and never seek what savors not of poverty.”
Hence, St. Bernard says7 that it is not becoming in poor
1 Introd. ch. i5

5 Epist. 345.

2 74

Religious Poverty,

ich. ix.

religious to make use of costly remedies; and therefore
lie recommended his monks not to take any other medi­
cine than decoctions of herbs. Had you remained in the
world, you should not, perhaps, be able to procure the
medicine and the attendance of physicians, with which
you are provided in religion; and still you seek for other
remedies. Ah ! be content, not only to live but to die in
poverty; and rejoice that death, when it comes to take
you out of this life will find you treated as a pauper.
On every occasion in which you have to suffer from
want have before your eyes the beautiful sentiment of
St. Jane Frances Chantal, who was accustomed to say,
that as the opportunities of practising poverty are so
rare, we should, whenever they occur, accept them with
gladness.
Fourth Degree.

The fourth and last degree of poverty requires not
only that a religious be content with what is poor, but
also that she prefer and select what is poorest—the poor­
est cell, the poorest bed, the poorest clothes, and the
poorest food. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi rejoiced in
eating what was left by the other sisters. Her habit
was so threadbare that the Superior obliged her to
change it. St. Jane Frances Chantal used to say that
for the perfection of poverty it is advisable not to use
silver when tin is sufficient, nor tin when lead answers
the purpose. The nun who wishes to be a saint ob­
serves a similar rule in all other things.
It will be useful to insert in this place the beautiful
instruction of Father Anthony Torres to a nun who was
one of his penitents: “Since your Spouse esteemed pov­
erty so highly, you should love it as a treasure; you should
practise it in all things, and glory in it more than in the
n?OSt splendid ornaments. Do not allow any nun or
lay-sister in the convent to be poorer than you. You
should wear no ornaments, and no more clothes than
are absolutely necessary; you must practise poverty

«•er*

sec. π.]

Degrees and Practice of Poverty.

275

even in your veil, which should be coarse and patched,
and even in the beads that hang by your side. You
should delight in wearing a poor patched habit, and
should not cast it aside until it is no longer fit for use.
Abstain as much as possible from keeping two habits,
or more linen than the humblest of the lay-sisters. Do
not possess or seek anything, however necessary it may
appear, without first looking at your naked Spouse on
the cross, and asking his permission. Neither give nor
receive any presents, however small, without the Supe­
rior’s leave. In your cell you should have only a poor
bed, the coarsest bed-clothes, two chairs of straw, a
crucifix, four unframed pictures, the few books that
your director will prescribe for your use, and whatever
else is indispensably necessary. You should frequently
examine before the crucifix your conduct with regard to
the virtue of poverty; and if you find that you possess
any superfluity you should take it immediately to the
Superior. Never ask from your relatives anything for
your own use; you may ask something from them for
the Community, but never reserve anything whatsoever
for yourself.”
Ah ! dear sister, after having renounced the world and
all its goods, do not, I pray you, prefer emptiness and
nothingness to the Lord. When, to induce St. Cfement,
Bishop of Ancyra, to deny Jesus Christ, the Emperor
Diocletian offered him silver, gold, and precious stones,
the saint heaved a deep sigh of sorrow at seeing his God
compared with dross. And when, on condition of re­
nouncing Christianity, the dignity of first pontiff and
head of the priesthood was offered by the tribune to St.
Basil, Martyr, on the part of the Emperor Licinius, the
saint replied: “Tell the emperor that though he made
me master of all his dominions he could not give me as
much as he would take from me by robbing me of my God
to make me a slave of the devil.”1 And, dearest sister,
1 Boll. 26 Afr. Act. η. II.

!

11

2 76

Religious Poverty,

[ch. ix.

since you have left all things for God, do not, for the
sake of any miserable earthly good, expose your soul
to the danger of eternal perdition. Imagine that God
places before you himself on the one hand and creatures
on the ocher, and that he speaks to you in the language
that he once addressed to the Venerable Mary Crucified:
“Choose between me and creatures whichsoever will
make you happy.” A religious should have no treasure
but God. I conclude in the words of St. Mary Magda­
lene de Pazzi: “O happy the religious who, detached
from all things by means of holy poverty, can say, The
Lord is the portion of my inheritance.” God only is
the portion that I desire in time as well as in eternity.
Hence the saint was heard to exclaim: “ Nothing, noth­
ing but God; I desire to possess him only for his own
sake.”

My Jesus, in Thee I find all things: out of Thee I desire
nothing. Ah ! draw me entirely to Thee ; enkindle in my heart
Thy holy love, by which I desire to see myself entirely con­
sumed. My dear Redeemer, I know that Thou hast been near
to me for so many years, because thou dost wish me to belong
entirely to Thee. Since, then, Thou dost so ardently desire my
welfare, grant that henceforth I may seek only Thy love, and
the fulfilment of Thy holy will. Ah ! Lord, deliver me from all
affections that remove me from Thee. Grant that my thoughts
may be wholly employed in endeavoring to avoid every offence
against Thy majesty, and in seeking to please Thee to the best
of my power. O incarnate Word ! Thou art come upon earth
to kindle the flames of love in the hearts of men. Oh ! take
possession of my heart; fill it with Thy love; enlighten it, and
make it ready and willing to execute all Thy holy desires. Ina
word, unite my soul perfectly to Thy divinity, and possess it en­
tirely and forever. Unite Thyself to me, and me to Thee, by a
perfect love that shall n· ver be dissolved. Grant that I may be
no longer mine own, but that I may be Thine entirely and for­
ever, my treasure, my love, and my only good.
Mary, my mother, in thy intercession, my hopes are placed.

SEC. I.]

Detachment from Relatives,

27Ί

CHAPTER X.
DETACHMENT FROM RELATIVES AND OTHER PERSONS.

I.

Detachment from Relatives.

If attachment to relatives were not productive of
great mischief Jesus Christ would not have so strenu­
ously exhorted us to estrangement from them. If, he
says, any man come to me and hate not his father and mother
. . . and brethren and sisters, he cannot be my discifled And
again: I came to set a man at variance against his father, and
the daughter against her motherBut why does the Re­
deemer insist so strongly on alienation from relatives?
Why does he take so much pains to separate us from
them? He himself assigns the reason: it is because a
man's enemies shall be they of his own household. Relatives
are the worst enemies of the sanctification of Christians
and particularly of religious; because they are, accord­
ing to St. Thomas, the greatest obstacle to advancement
in virtue. “ Frequently,” says the holy Doctor, “carnal
friends oppose the progress of the spirit;3 for in the
affair of salvation the nearest akin are not friends, but
enemies.”4 The truth of this assertion is fully estab­
lished by experience. Even St. Charles Borromeo, not­
withstanding his great reserve and perfect detachment
1 “ Si quis venit ad me, et non odit patrem suum et matrem, . . .
non potest meus esse discipulus.”—Luke, xiv. 26.
* “ Veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum, et filiam
adversus matrem suam.”—Matt. x. 35.
3 “ Frequenter amici carnales adversantur profectui spirituali.”—2. 2,
q. 189, a. 10.
4 *' Propinqui carnis, in hoc proposito, amici non sunt, sed potius
inimici.”—Contra retrah. a relig. a. 9.

2?S

Detachment from Persons.

[ch.x.

from relatives, acknowledged that after returning from
among them he felt his soul tepid, and detached from
the things of God. Hence, according to all the masters
of the spiritual life, he that desires to walk in the way of
perfection must fly from relatives, must abstain from
taking part in their affairs, and when they are at a dis­
tance must not even inquire about them.
What progress can be expected from the religious
that wishes to have her relatives near the convent, who,
if she does not see them, is constantly sending letters
and messages to request a visit from them; and who, if
they yield not to her entreaties, is disturbed, and com­
plains by frequent letters of their absence and neglect?
It is impossible for a nun of this description ever to
attain a close union with God. “ Whoever,” says St.
Gregory, “wishes to be truly united to the Father of
all must be separated from relatives.” 1 Whoever aspires
to a union with God, the common Father of all men,
must fly altogether from his kindred. When the Blessed
Virgin lost the infant Jesus she sought him in vain for
three days among her kinsfolk. “ Yes,” says St. Bernard,
“Jesus is not found among kinsfolk.”2 Peter of Blois
asserts that the love of flesh and blood soon robs the
soul of the love of God. “ Carnal love will soon re­
move you from the love of God.” 1
Religious should regard the » dying words of Moses as
peculiarly applicable to themselves: Who hath said to his
father and to his mother, I do not know you; and to his breth­
ren, 1 know you not. These have kept thy word and observed
thy covenant.' The religious who tells her parents and
1 “ Extra cognatos quis jae debet fieri, si vult Parenti omnium verius
jungi.”—Mor. 1. 7, c. 13.
2 “ Jesus inter cognatos non invenitur.”—Epist. 107.
5 “ Carnalis amor extra Dei amorem cito te capiet.”—Epist. 134.
4 “Qui dixit patri suo et matri suæ: Nescio vos; et fratribus suis:
Ignoro vos; ... hi custodierunt eloquium tuum, et pactum tuum ser­
vaverant.”—Deut. xxxiii. 9.

sec.

i.]

Detachment from Relatives.

279

her brothers and her sisters that she knows them not,
is the true spouse of Jesus. She is the king’s daughter
who obeys the call of God, and fulfils the covenant made
with him at her profession, when he spoke to her in the
language that he addresses to every soul consecrated to
his love: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear,
and forget thy people and thy fathers house. And the king
shall greatly desire thy beauty.1 Hear my voice, O daughter,
and learn to understand the great blessings that you
will receive if you observe my commandments. Open,
then, your ear to my words: forget your kindred and
your father’s house, and I, your King and Spouse, shall
love your beauty. “It is,” says St. Jerome, “a great
advantage to forget your parents; for then the King
shall greatly desire your beauty.”3 Great shall be your
reward: you shall become dear to the Lord, who will
make you happy here and hereafter. Such is the rec­
ompense promised by the Redeemer when he said: And
every one that hath left house or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother . . . for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred­
fold, and shall possess life everlasting} The nun that
leaves her relatives in effect and in affection shall obtain
eternal beatitude in heaven and a hundredfold on earth;
she will leave a few and shall find many sisters in
religion; she will abandon a father and a mother, and
in return shall have God for her father and Mary for
her mother; and from them she shall experience the
kindness and affection of the fondest parent.
Hence, convinced that detachment from kindred is
1 “ Audi, filia, et vide, et inclina aurem tuam, et obliviscere populum
tuum et domum patris tui; et concupiscet Rex decorem tuum.”—Ps.
xliv. ii.
2 “ Grande praemium parentis obliti: Concupiscet Rex decorem
tuum!”—Epist. ad Furiam.
3 “ Omnis qui reliquerit domum, vel fratres, aut sorores, aut patrem,
aut matrem, . . . propter nomen meum, centuplum accipiet, et vitam
æternam possidebit.”—Matt. xix. 29.

28ο

Detachment from Persons.

[ch.x.

highly pleasing to God, the saints have sought to be
wholly removed from their relatives.
St. Francis
Xavier, when about to set out on the Indian mission,
refused to visit his mother or relatives, though they
repeatedly requested a visit from him, although he
passed near their place of residence, and although he
knew that he should never see them again. When his
sister came to see St. Pachomius he sent her the follow­
ing message: “It is enough for you to have learned that
I am alive; go, then, in peace.” Some of the saints have
gone so far as to abstain from reading the letters of
their dearest friends. St. John Climacus relates that
St. Anthony, after having spent several years in the
desert, on receiving some letters from his relatives, said
to himself: What can I expect from the perusal of these
letters, but disturbance of mind, and the loss of the peace
that I enjoy? The holy man then cast them into the fire,
saying: Begone from me, all thoughts of my country,
that I may not return to the things that I have already
left. To the flames, ye letters, that I may not be one
day burned by you.
“For my part,” says St. Teresa, “I cannot conceive
what consolation a nun can find in her relatives. By
attachment to them she displeases God, and without
being able to enjoy their amusements she shares in all
their troubles.”1 How applicable to you, dear Sister, is
this reflection of the saint? When your parents and
friends come to the grate, they certainly cannot make you
a partaker of their worldly amusements, for you cannot
go beyond the limits of the enclosure. In their visits,
then, they only recount their misfortunes, their infirmi­
ties, and their wants. Surely such narratives only serve
to fill your head and heart with so much inquietude,
with so many distractions and defects, that after each
visit you will be for several days disturbed and dis1 Way of Perf. ch. x.

SEC. I.]

Detachment from Relatives.

281

tracted in your meditations and Communions by the
remembrances of what you have heard.
How is it possible that you who have left the world
can so ardently desire the frequent visits of your rela­
tives? Is it that they may frequently rob you of your
peace and of the progress you have made? Oh ! what
an excess of folly to imagine that you cannot be happy
without frequently seeing your friends. Ah ! if you
keep aloof from them, what torrents of consolation and
happiness would your Spouse, Jesus, infuse into your
soul ! St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that an
abhorrence of the grate should be the principal fruit of
the Communions of religious. And as an evil spirit
once said to the Venerable Sister Mary Villani, there is
certainly no place where the devil does so much injury
to religious as in the parlor. Hence, St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi would not even enter the parlor; and such was
her hatred of it, that she could not bear to hear it men­
tioned. Whenever she was obliged to go to the parlor,
she would begin to weep, and would say to her novices:
“My dear children, pray to God for me; for I am called
to the grate.” When leaving them, she would beg of
them soon to call her away from the grate under some
pretext.
But you will say, What am I to do? Am I never to
see my friends? When they visit me, must I send them
away, and refuse to go to the grate? I do not require
so much from you; but if you refuse to see them, would
you do wrong?—would you do what would be inconven­
ient, or what is never done by religious? Several nuns
have resolved never to see their relatives, and have ful­
filled their resolution. In the life of Father Torres, it is
related of Gerolama Sanfelice, a religious in the convent
of St. Alvina, that so great was her attachment to her
relatives that her thoughts were continually upon them,
that she desired frequent visits from them, and sent
every day to inquire about her father. Her sister, Mary

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Detachment from Persons.

[ch.x.

Antonia, who lived in the same convent, was so fervent,
that she besought the Lord to make her suffer a great
deal in this life. Her prayer was heard, and she was
afflicted with an ulcer, which ate away her flesh, and
produced the very pangs of death. In her agony she
would exclaim: “More suffering, O my Spouse, more
suffering.” When dying she said to Gerolama, that she
hoped to obtain eternal glory, and that as soon as she
should enter into bliss she would beg of God to trans­
form her tepid sister into a saint. She died: Gerolama
changed her life, and adopted and observed for forty
years the resolution never more to see her relatives. It
once happened that two of her nephews came to visit
her, but she refused to see them; and having sent them
away, she went to the grate of the church to pray before
the Blessed Sacrament. The young men entered the
church, expecting to see her at a distance; but she in­
stantly retired behind the curtain, and such was the
effort which she made on that occasion to stifle the feel­
ings of flesh and blood that she fainted away. Who­
ever does not offer violence to herself will never become
a saint. Sister Gerolama made rapid progress in divine
love, and afterwards lived and died a saint. After death
her body was opened and a cross of flesh was found on
her heart, as a token of the great love that she had
borne to Jesus crucified. Why cannot you imitate her
example, and free yourself forever from the distractions
that are caused by going to the grate?
But you will say that the abbess or the confessor will
not permit you to observe such a resolution. On what
grounds can they refuse you permission ? Is not such a
resolution the fruit of a divine inspiration ? and if prac­
tised, would it not be a source of great edification to the
other sisters? Would it not, at least, make them see the
impropriety and the dangers of attachments to their rel­
atives and to the grate? But should the Superior com­

sec. i.]

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283

mand you to see your parents or relatives, I tell you to
obey; but at the same time I entreat you to imitate the
example of Blessed Theodore, who, when commanded
to converse with his mother, who had come to see him,
said to the abbot: “ Father, you command me to speak
with my mother, but do you assure me that from the
conversation I shall suffer no spiritual injury?” Afraid
of the consequence, the abbot released the brother from
the obligation that he had imposed upon him. It may
be useful to remind abbesses and confessors, that if,
without just cause, and only through caprice, or unrea­
sonable human respect, or self-interest, or to avoid
trouble, they hinder the greater progress of a religious,
who seeks to run to God, they will certainly have to
render to the Lord an account of their conduct. As to
you, dear Sister, when they oblige you to see your rel­
atives, obey; again I say, that I do not require of you
never more to see your friends; but whenever necessity
compels you to speak with them, I exhort you to observe
the following rules:
1. Before you go to the grate, recommend yourself to
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament or on the cross, and beg
that he may assist you an-d preserve you from every
fault in your conversation.
2. Take care not to imitate the religious who go to
the parlor to amuse themselves, or to learn what passes
in the world, and afterwards tell it to the whole Com­
munity.
3. Be careful not to make known to externs the in­
ternal affairs 01 the convent, and particularly what might
tend to the discredit of the Superior or the sisters.
4. Should externs begin to speak on useless or worldly
matters, such as marriages, balls, or fond attachments,
break off, break off at once the conversation, and intro­
duce some Christian maxim, or some fact from which
you can draw a spiritual sentiment. You are not to

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[ch.x.

learn the language of seculars, but should teach them
the language of religious, whose conversation should be
always on the things of (rod. Time spent at the grate
is not profitable to the soul; it is all lost, and for it you
shall one day have to render an account to God.
5. Never seek a visit from your relatives. When they
come, endeavor to withdraw from them as soon as pos­
sible; excuse your withdrawal by saying that you must
attend to the duties of your office; that you must assist
a person who is sick; or make some similar apology.
Whoever wishes, easily finds very just reasons for taking
leave of visitors. If you act in this manner, they will
soon feel that their conversation is not very pleasing to
you, and will come less frequently to disturb you. And
be assured that the shorter their visits, the fewer will be
your faults; and that the less frequently you see them,
the more you will be recollected, and the greater will be
the consolations that you will receive from Jesus Christ.
The Venerable Sister Catharine, a Cistercian, because
she became a nun against the consent of her parents,
was altogether abandoned by them; but such was the
joy that her Spouse poured into her soul, that she was
accustomed to say: “ I do not envy my sisters who are
visited very frequently in the year by their parents, be­
cause as often as I wish, I go to my true father, Jesus,
and to my dear mother, Mary, and they fill me with
consolations.”
6. Lastly, take care, above all things, not to implicate
yourself in the temporal concerns of your relatives; such
as marriages, contracts, expenses, or any similar affairs.
If you do, you will lose all peace and recollection, and
perhaps your immortal soul. “ How many monks,” says
St. Jerome, “by compassion towards their father and
mother have lost their own souls?”* How many relig1 “ Quanti monachorum, dum patris matrisque miserentur, suas ani­
mas perdiderunt'.'’—Reg. Monach. de laude Rclig.

sec. i.]

Detachment from

ious by compassion fortheir relatives have been lost?
In another place the saint says, that the more tender the
affection of a religious for her kindred, the greater her
impiety towards God. “ Great piety towards relatives
is impiety towards God.”* And what greater impiety
than that a nun should, for the service of her family,
give up the service of God, neglect mental prayer, the
sacraments, and expose herself to all the distractions
that necessarily arise from the care of worldly affairs.
St. Bernard exhorts his religious “ to fly from such cares,
as being diabolical.”a St. Ignatius of Loyola refused
to interfere in the marriage of one of his nieces, though
she was the heiress of the family. St. Francis Borgia
would not ask the Pope for a dispensation (which he
would have easily obtained) to have his son married to a
relative, although the acquisition of a large estate de­
pended upon the marriage. No man, said the Redeemer,
putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God?
Let us tremble, for God himself has declared that he
who has begun to serve the Lord, and looks back to the
things of the world, is unfit for paradise. When, then,
relatives seek to implicate you in worldly affairs, with­
draw at once from them. Attend to the advice of the
Redeemer to the young man who, when asked to follow
Jesus, answered, that he wished first to bury his father:
Let the dead, says Jesus, bury the dead?
Leave, then,
dear sister, worldlings (who are said to be dead) to
attend to their worldly business, and let it be your sole
care and concern to love God and to become a saint.
1 “ Grandis in suos pietas, impietas in Deum est.”—Ep. ad Paulam.
2 “ Fugiamus illorum curam tamquam diabolicam.”—Const. Mon. c.
21.
3 “ Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum et respiciens retro, aptus
est regno Dei.”—Luke. ix. 62.
4 “ Sine ut mortui sepeliant mortuos suos.”—Luke, ix 60.

286

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[ch.x.

Tell your parents that worldly business is not fit for
you, nor suited to your state. When his mother said to
Jesus: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold, thy father
and I have sought thee sorrowing, he replied: Did you not
know that I must be about my Father s business ?' Did you
not know that I should attend only to the interests of my
Father’s glory? Should your relatives complain of your
unwillingness to serve them, should they even charge
you with disaffection, with ingratitude, and even call
you the enemy of your family, answer them with firm­
ness that you are dead to the world, and that it is your
duty to attend only to the service of God and of the
monastery. I conclude this chapter with the words of
St. Joseph Calasanctius: “A religious who is attached
to her relatives has not yet left the world.”

Prayer.
O my God and my Spouse. Thee alone I desire to serve and
to love henceforth and forever. I desire to serve creatures
only, when I know that Thou dost wish me to serve them.
Ah ! Lord, make Thy will known to me ; I wish to do it in all
things. Ah' inflame my whole soul with Thy holy love, that
for the future I may seek only Thy will. Grant that nothing
may please me but what pleases Thee. Grant that I may always
say with sincerity : “ My God and my Spouse, I desire Thee
only, and nothing more.” O my King and my Spouse, Jesus,
reign alone in my whole soul; possess it without reserve; let
Thy love command and point out what I am to do, what I am
to avoid, and what I am to desire; and let my soul obey only
Thy will. Ah ! my dear Redeemer, through the merits of Thy
Passion hear my prayer.
O Queen of heaven, in thee I trust ; assist me by thy inter­
cession.
’ “ Nesciebatis quia, in hisquæ Patris mei sunt, oportet me esse?”—
Luke, ii. 49.

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287

II.
Detachment from Seculars, and even from the Sisters.
*

St. Augustine says that whoever does not shun dan­
gerous conversations will soon fall into a precipice:
“ He that will not avoid suspected familiarity soon falls
into ruin.”1 The example of the unhappy Solomon
should make us all tremble. At first he was most dear
to God, and even the inspired of the Holy Ghost, but by
the love of strange women he was in his old age led
into idolatry.3 Nor should his fall be a subject of won­
der; for, as St. Cyprian says,3 to stand in the midst of
flames and not to burn is impossible.
Be assured, O blessed spouse of the Lord, that for re­
ligious the atmosphere of the parlor, where conversa­
tions are held with seculars, is pestiferous. As in the
choir religious breathe the salubrious air of paradise,
so in the parlor they may inhale the pestilential vapors
of hell. A religious, were she in her father’s house,
would certainly not dare to spend an hour or two in
conversation with persons of every age and of both
sexes, and will she not scruple to do so in God’s own
dwelling? Is the house of the Lord to be treated with
less respect than the house of a secular?
But you will say: By the grace of God such conversa­
tions are harmless. Let those that speak thus remem­
ber, that all friendships founded on a sensible affection
for external objects, if not productive of other evils, are
at least great obstacles to perfection. They certainly
1 “ Qui familiaritatem non vult vitare suspectam, cito labitur in ruin­
am.”—Serm. 293, App. E. B.
3 3 A'ings, xi. 4.
3 De Singularii, cler.
* On this and other similar passages, see a useful remark in the No­
tice at the beginning of this volume.—Ed.

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Detachment from Persons.

[ch. x.

destroy the spirit of prayer and recollection; and the
nun that entertains such friendships will be in the
church in body, but her thoughts will be fixed on her
friends. Such friendships serve to weaken her affection
for the sacraments, and to conceal from herself and
others the source of her tepidity; and thus she daily
becomes more imperfect. She loses her peace; for
should anything be said against those for whom she has
conceived a regard, or whose conversation she seeks to
enjoy, she is at once disturbed, and censures the person
by whose language she is offended. She loses obedience;
for when admonished by the Superior to break off such
friendships, she excuses herself by various pretences,
but does not obey. In fine, she loses the love of God,
who desires to possess her whole heart, who will not
suffer any affection that is not for him; and therefore
seeing her soul attached to others, he withdraws him­
self, and deprives her of his special assistance. The
Venerable Sister Frances Farnese used to say to the re­
ligious under her care: “ We are shut up in this mon­
astery, that we may neither see nor be seen, but that we
preserve our souls spotless before God.” The more we
hide ourselves from seculars, the more God will mani­
fest himself to us by his grace in this life, and by his
glory in the next.
Affections that arise from certain external qualifica­
tions, possessed by persons of a different sex, not only
deprive the soul of great advantages, but also expose
her to very great danger. In the beginning they ap­
pear indifferent, but by degrees they become sinful, and
finally lead the soul into some mortal transgression. St.
Jerome says: “Man and woman are like fire and straw,
and the devil does not cease to blow so that there may
be a blaze.” 1 Persons of different sexes, as soon as
1 “ Homo ct mulier, ignis et palea; et diabolus nunquam insufflare
cessat, ut accendatur.”—Eusebius ad Damas. de morte Hier.

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289

there exists too much familiarity among them, are in­
flamed as easily as when straw is held near the fire; for
the devil is there trying his best to produce a conflagra­
tion. St. Teresa was once shown the place prepared
for her in hell had she not renounced a certain inordi­
nate, though not impure, affection for a relative.1
If, dear reader, you ever feel an attachment of this
kind, your only remedy is a resolute and total retreat
from the object of your affection. If you seek to with­
draw by degrees, believe me your efforts will be fruit­
less: such chains, because they are strong, are burst
only with difficulty—without a sudden and violent ef­
fort their bondage shall never be dissolved. You will
perhaps say that no impropriety can occur. Remember
that the devil never begins by suggesting the worst of
evils, but by degrees he leads negligent souls to the
brink of ruin, and then by an easy effort casts them over
the precipice. It is a common maxim of masters of the
spiritual life, that the only remedy is flight and the re­
moval of occasions. St. Philip Neri used to say that in
this warfare only cowards, that is, they that fly from the
occasions of defeat, shall be conquerors. St. Thomas
has said before: “ Whoever can resist the other vices
cannot resist this except by flight.” *
Although you have been free from such affections, you
must still guard yourself against them with all possible
care; for you too are exposed to the danger of being
caught in the snare into which, through their own negli­
gence, others have fallen. To preserve your soul free
from every dangerous attachment, I advise you, in the
language of St. Teresa, first, to prize yourself more for
the plainness than for the elegance of your manners,
the agreeableness of your conversation, or the facility of
1 Life, ch. 32.
• “ Cæteris vitiis quis potest resistere; huic tamen non potest, nisi
per fugam.”—Dc Modo confit, c. 14·

2 go

Detachment from Persons.

[ch.x.

paying compliments to seculars. “ With externs,” says
St. Catharine of Sienna in a letter to her niece, “you
should be modest; your head should be bowed down,
and your manner and conversation simple and unaf­
fected.” At the grate be careful to abstain from un­
guarded looks and indecent laughter, and never appear
in a habit affectedly neat. It would be a still greater
fault to go to the grate with any badge of worldly pomp
or vanity.
In a word, if you expect to escape every danger, re­
move yourself as much as possible from all conversation
with seculars. “Sit solitary,” says St. Bernard, “as
the turtle: have nothing to do with crowds.” 1 Remain
in solitude; love the choir and the cell, and shun the
parlor as the abode of pestilence. To consecrate your
whole being to God, you have left the world; what,
then, have you to do with seculars ? “ If,” says the
Venerable Sister Jane of St. Stephen, of the Order of St.
Francis, “you are the spouse of the King of kings, turn
not your eyes toward slaves.”2 It is a crime in a slave
to fix his eyes on the king’s spouse, and should the
queen take complacency in his attention to her, she
would be guilty of a similar transgression. Speaking of
nuns, St. Catharine of Sienna says: “We shall not be
spouses but sacrilegious violators of our engagements,
if we seek for happiness in the gratification of self-love;
if we hate the cell, and love the society of seculars.”
Should you, in conversation, ever feel a disorderly affec­
tion, stifle it at once before it acquires the strength of a
giant. “ While,” says St. Jerome, “ the enemy is small,
destroy him.”3 To kill a lion when young is an easy
task; but to conquer him when he has attained full
growth is a work of extreme and insuperable difficulty.
1 “ Sede solitarius, sicut turtur, nihil tibi et turbis.”—hi Cant. s. 4a
’ L. to the abbess of St. Peter.
3 “ Dum parvus est hostis, interfice.”—Ep. ad Eustoch.

sec. ii.]

Detachment from Scczilars and Sisters.

291

It would be still more criminal and disgraceful to per­
mit any secular to indulge in indecent jests; I do not
speak of improper familiarities, not wishing to suppose
such an excess. Should any worldling carry his sacri­
legious insolence so far as to utter such jests in your
presence, imagine not that because you only listen you
are blameless. By not retiring at once you co-operate
with him and render yourself a partaker of his guilt.
Besides, should you not instantly withdraw from such
infernal conversation you will soon become more crimi­
nal than its author; and from the dignity of the spouse
of Jesus you will fall to the degraded condition of the
slave of Satan. Besides, you might easily be the cause
of ruin to your convent; for such a religious that keeps
up so unhallowed a relationship is sufficient by her bad
example to seduce others into doing the same thing.
Be specially on your guard if your brother or another
of your relatives in visiting you brings with him one of
his friends who has taken a fancy to you; they may per­
haps call in your aunt to be present, but you will after
all be the principal person in the scene. Should you
ever perceive that such a snare has been laid, cast down
your eyes at once, keep silence, and show yourself
very grave; but the best thing for you to do would be
to go away immediately. If later on you are again
called to the parlor, knowing that the same person is
there, send word that you are busy and that you cannot
go. Be careful not to act otherwise, for if you again al­
low that person to have an interview with you, I shall
look upon you as lost.
Likewise, if you receive from any one a letter in which
you notice tender and affectionate words, tear up the
letter at once, throw it into the fire, and do not answer
it. If, however, on account of some matter of impor­
tance, an answer should be necessary, answer it briefly
and seriously, without showing that you have taken the

2Ç2

Detachment from Persons.

[CH. X.

least pleasure in the sentiments that have been expressed
to you, or that you have paid any attention to them.
And if afterwards the same person calls you to the
grate, refuse absolutely to go there; for if after his let­
ter you consent to speak to him, it will be all over with
you. You must know, besides, that you will be an ac­
complice of the same disorder if you have less fear to
displease God than to displease one of your sisters by
daring to encourage her in her unlawful attachment.
In this case you would have to expect an exemplary
chastisement, such as was inflicted upon a religious
who was sacristan. To please one of her sisters she
took upon herself the care of having a letter for­
warded to a person with whom her companion kept up
an improper correspondence. But when she gave the
letter to the porter, the latter, being in a hurry, closed
the revolving turn of the sacristy with such violence
that her hand was caught and entirely torn off. She
died a few days after, in consequence of this accident.
With religious and ecclesiastics who visit you, not for
the purpose of speaking of God, nor for your spiritual
good, but for the pleasure of your society, you should
be reserved. I would recommend you to speak with
your confessor only’· in the tribunal of penance. I ad­
vise you to abstain as much as possible from all corre­
spondence with him by little presents, or by any similar
means; and if you have to speak to him, do so at the
turn and not at the grate. It is of importance that you
use great reserve in regard to your directors, because
the confidence that you have to repose in them by re­
vealing to them the secrets of your conscience is al­
ways accompanied by a certain sympathy, which, if it is
not moderated, may degenerate into a fire of hell. This
is the reason why I counsel you to abstain as much as
possible from having any worldly business with your
confessor; do not make him presents; do not undertake

sec. π.]

Detachment from Seculars and Sisters.

293

the care of his secular affairs, of providing him with
meals, of taking care of his linen, and other similar
things. “ Oh !” says St. Teresa, “ what obstacles does
such worldly correspondence present to the spiritual
progress of religious.” Should there be an ancient cus­
tom in your convent of making presents to the confes­
sor, it will be enough for you to send him two or three
times a year some trifle as a mark of attention. Be al­
ways most watchful over your words so that nothing
may ever escape you that would express the least affec­
tion or tenderness.
Do not pretend that there is no danger because that
priest is a saint. “ Nor,” says St. Thomas, “ are they to
be less avoided because they are more holy: for the
greater their sanctity the more they excite sentiments of
affection.” 1 The Venerable Father Sertorio Caputo of
the Society of Jesus says that the devil first makes us
love a man’s virtue, then his person, and at length draws
us over the precipice. St. Thomas teaches that the
devil at first kindles an attachment which only slightly
wounds the soul: but what appeared to be pure angelic
love soon degenerates into the human affection of beings
clothed with flesh. Looks and words of tenderness fol­
low; these are succeeded by a desire of each other’s so­
ciety: thus by degrees a holy attachment will be con­
verted into a natural affection. Such is the doctrine of
St. Thomas.
St. Bonaventure2 gives five marks by which we may
ascertain whether a mutual attachment between two
friends is pure or otherwise. 1. It is not pure when it
leads to long and useless discourses; and when conver­
sations are very long they are always useless. 2. When
each delights in looking at each other and in praising
1 “ Nec quia sanctiores fuerint, ideo minus cavendæ; quo enim sanc­
tiores fuerint, eo magis alliciunt.”—De Modo confit, c. 14.
’ De Profectu Rei. 1. 2, c. 27.

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Detachment from Persons.

ich.x.

each other. 3. When either excuses the other’s defects.
4. When they manifest certain little jealousies. 5. When
either feels unhappy at being separated from the other.
The attachment is not pure when personal beauty or
gracefulness is a source of pleasure; when either desires
to be esteemed by the other, or when either is unwilling
that his friend should receive attention from others;
when one does not wish that others should observe,
hear, or speak of what is passing.
Father Peter Consolini of the Oratory has justly re­
marked that we should treat with holy persons of a dif­
ferent sex as with the souls in purgatory, that is, at a
distance, and without looking at them. Some religious
have a strong desire of conversing with their spiritual
Father because they imagine that his instructions will
stimulate their fervor. But what need is there of such
conversations, of such long and familiar discourses?
Have they not an abundant supply of spiritual books?
Have they not spiritual reading at table and at prayer?
Have they not the benefit of sermons in the church?
Without any of these the reading and observance of
their Rules and Constitutions ought to be sufficient to
make them saints.
What has been said refers to outside persons; but it is
necessary to remark that even among the religious them­
selves inordinate attachments may be found, especially
among those who are young. “ Young man,” says St.
Basil, “ avoid familiarity with your equals: how many
young persons has the devil, through their companions,
drawn into hell to be burned with eternal fire.” 1 Many
of them, continues the saint, were, in the beginning en­
ticed into a certain attachment that appeared to be
charity, but that afterwards led them to the loss of
1 “ Juvenis, æqualium tuorum consuetudinem defugito; quantos illo­
rum opera adversarius plerosque sempiterno igni cremandos addixit!”

I

1*1
sec. ii.j

Detachment from Scctdars and Sisters,

1

295

peace and of the perfection of their state.1 “ Love,”
says Blessed Angela of Foligno, “ includes every evil as
well as every good. I do not speak of criminal love,
which every one knows should be avoided, but of the
love that one friend entertains for another; and that
may degenerate into an irregular affection. Frequent
conversations along with the manifestation of mutual
regard produce too close a union of their hearts, render
their friendship noxious; and by strengthening their at­
tachment, obscure the light of reason. Each yields to
the will of the other, and thus both are led into the ne­
glect of duty.” 9
It is, moreover, to be remarked, that if the friendships
with outside persons cause more scandal, the friend­
ships that exist at home among the religious themselves
are more dangerous, either because they are more diffi­
cult to remove, or because the occasion is more proxi­
mate. Would to God that the religious in the house of
the Lord may never have the misfortune to commit a
grave fault against chastity ! Isaias regards such a
one as already lost. He says: In the land of the saints
he hath done, wicked things, and he shall not see the glory of the
*
Lord.
Hence those nuns who have charge of the edu­
cation of young pupils must always be watchful in re­
gard to their conduct, and should not scruple to suspect
the worst. When they perceive any attachment or
familiarity between two young persons they must sepa­
rate them at once, and not permit them to go together,
and they should continually keep their eyes upon them
lest any evil should happen. They should also from
time to time exhort them in general to avoid, as they
’“Spirituales primo charitatis quadam specie illectos, postea in vo­
raginem précipités deturbavit. ”—S. de Abdic, rer.
1 Arnaldt vit. c. 64.
3 “ In terra sanctorum iniqua gessit, et non videbit gloriam Domini.”
—Is. xxvi. 10.

j

.j

!

'

iI

296

Detachment from Persons.

[CH. X.

would avoid death, ever concealing through shame any
sin in confession, and for this purpose they should relate
to them the sad example of persons who had the misfor­
tune of being condemned to hell for having made sacri­
legious confessions.
St. Basil' prescribed a very severe chastisement for
the nuns of his Order who should entertain particular
friendships. St. Bernard calls such friendships “poi­
soned attachments, and the enemies of the peace of
communities.” They are a source of disturbance, of
murmurings, of irregularities, of factions, and of par­
ties; and sometimes they influence the votes at elections
to office in favor not of the most worthy, but of the
greatest favorites. Let it be your study to love all and
to serve all, so that each will regard you as a friend.
But abstain from familiarity with any; let your intimacy
be only with God. Be particularly careful to avoid
familiarity with all who manifest attachment to you.
The way through which you walk in this life is dark
and slippery: if you select an imperfect companion
who will lead you to the precipice, you are lost.
Beware of all human respect—of the accursed fear of
what others will say or think of you. “ If,” you will
say, “ I give up all intercourse with such a secular; if I
separate from such a one; if I consecrate myself to re­
tirement, to prayer, and to mortification—what will be
said of me ? I shall be an object of jest and derision to
all.” Ah ! how many religious of both sexes has this
accursed weakness of human respect brought to eter­
nal misery? “Oh!” says St. Augustine, “how many
has this infirmity precipitated into hell ?” ' St. Francis
Borgia says that he who desires to consecrate himself
to God must, in the first place, trample under his feet
all regard for what others will say of him. O my God,
1 De Instit. Mon. s. i.
* “Oh ! quot detrusit ad inferos infirmitas hæc !”

—gr*.

sec. π.]

Detachment from Seculars and Sisters.

297

why do we not ask what Jesus Christ or his holy mother
will think of our conduct? My spouse, says our Lord,
is a garden enclosed.' To be the true spouse of Jesus, the
heart of a religious must be an enclosed garden, ex­
cluding every affection that is not for God. Remember
that to cherish in the soul any strange affection is, per­
haps, of all the defects of nuns the most displeasing to
God. He requires the full and undivided possession of
the heart of his spouse. Even men cannot bear with
any division in the affections of their spouses. In con­
clusion, I exhort you to endeavor to love God as if he
and you were the only beings in existence.
But before finishing, I cannot omit to blame the folly
of certain religious who become fond of animals, such
as cats and dogs. These they wish to have always with
them at table, and even in bed. They often carry them
in their arms, kiss them, and say even affectionate words
to them. If these animals become sick they are greatly
afflicted; if they die they are inconsolable, and are an
annoyance to those who may have been the cause of
the death. If such an affection is unreasonable even in
a person of the world, how much more is it unreason­
able in a spouse of Jesus Christ !

Prayer.

My Jesus,‘I already understand Thee. Thou dost desire my
whole heart and all my love; and I desire to consecrate my
whole soul and all mv affections to Thee. After all the insults
which I have offered to Thy majesty, I deserve to be abandoned
by Thee. But I feel that Thou dost still call me to Thy love.
ThuU shaft, thou sayest, love the Lord thy God with thy whole
heart.3 I desire, O my God, to obey, and henceforth to love
Thee only. Oh that I were wholly consumed for Thee. O my
lesus. who hast been entirely consumed for my salvation ! For
my sake Thou hast given all Thy blood ; for my redemption
9

1 “ Hortus conclusus, soror mea sponsa.”—Cant. iv. 12.
2 Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo.”

2 9$

Detachment from Persons,

[ch.x.

Thou hast spent Thy life; and shall I be reserved with Thee?
Even a thousand hearts are too little to love Thee, and shall 1
give a part of this, my miserable heart, to creatures? No:
Thou dost wish for it entirely; I give it wholly to Thee. Ac­
cept my being, O my Jesus, my Love, and my Spouse. I am
Thine, and entirely Thine: dispose of me as Thou pleasest.
Mary, my hope, unite me with thy Son Jesus; make me
belong entirely to him. From thee I desire this favor; from
thee I hope for it.

SEC. l.J

A dvantages of Humility.

299

CHAPTER XI.
HOLY HUMILITY.

I.

The Advantages of Humility.

Humility has been regarded by the saints as the
basis and guardian of all virtues. Although in point
of excellence the virtue of humility does not hold the
highest rank, still, according to St. Thomas, because it
is the foundation of all virtues it has obtained the first
place among them. Hence, as in the structure of an
edifice, the foundation takes precedence of the walls,
and even of the golden ornaments, so, to expel pride,
which God resists, humility must, in the edification of
the spiritual man, precede all other virtues. “ Humil­
ity,” says the angelic Doctor, “ holds the first place, in­
asmuch as it expels pride, which God resists.” 1 Hence
St. Gregory asserts that “ he who gathers virtues with­
out humility is like the man who carries dust against
the wind.” ' His virtues shall be scattered.
There was in the desert a certain hermit who had a
high character for sanctity.’ At the hour of death he
sent for the abbot, and asked from him the Viaticum.
During the administration of the holy sacrament a
public robber ran to the cell; but seized with compunc­
tion for his sins, he esteemed himself unworthy to enter,1
23
1 “ Humilitas primum locum tenet, in quantum expellit superbiam
cui Deus resistit.”—2. 2, q. 161, a. 5.
2 “Qui sine humilitate virtutes congregat, quasi in ventum pulverem
portat.”—/h Ps. pœnit. iii.
3 Spec. Exempt, dist. 9, ex. 19Q.

300

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

or to be present at so sacred a ceremony, and in the
humility of his soul exclaimed: “Oh that I were what
you are !” The dying monk heard the words, and,
swelled with pride, said: “Happy, indeed, should you
be were you as holy as I am.” After these words he
expired: the robber immediately ran off from the place
for the purpose of going to confession; on his way he
fell over a precipice and was killed. At the death of
the hermit his companion burst into tears; but at the
fate of the robber he exulted with joy. Being asked
why he wept over the death of the former and rejoiced
at the melancholy end of the latter, he replied: Because
the robber was saved by contrition for his past sins, but
my companion is damned in punishment of his pride.
Do not imagine that the hermit yielded to pride only at
the hour of death: from his last words it is clear that
pride had long before taken root in his heart; by its
baneful influence he was brought to a miserable eternity.
“ Unless,” says St. Augustine, “ humility shall have pre­
ceded, shall be continued, and shall have followed, pride
will wrest the whole from our hands.” 1 Yes, the rapa­
cious grasp of pride shall tear from us every good work
w’hich is not preceded, accompanied, and followed by
humility.
This sublime virtue was but little known, but little
loved, and greatly abhorred on earth, where pride, the
cause of the ruin of Adam and of his posterity, enjoyed
universal sway. Therefore the Son of God came down
from heaven to teach it to men by his example as well
as by his preaching. To instruct them in humility he
came upon earth in the likeness of flesh and in the
form of a servant. He. emptied himself, says the Apostle,
taking the form of a servanti He wished to be treated
1 “ Nisi humilitas præcesserit, et comitetur, et consecuta fuerit, totum
extorquet de manu superbia.”—Epist. 118, E. B.
'J “ Semetipsum exinanivit, formam sen i accipiens.”—Phil. ii. 7.

SEC. I.]

A dva n tages of Hit m ility.

301

as the most contemptible of men. Despised, says the
Prophet Isaias, and the most abject of men) Behold him
in Bethlehem, born in a stable and laid in a manger,
in Nazareth, poor, unknown, and employed in the
humble occupation of assisting a poor artisan. Look
at him in Jerusalem, scourged as a slave, buffeted as the
vilest of men, crowned with thorns as a mock king, and
in the end suffering as a malefactor the ignominious
death of the cross. And with all his humiliations before
your eyes hearken to his advice: I have given you an ex­
ample, that as I have done so you do also) As if he said:
My children, I have embraced so much ignominy that
you may not refuse abjection. Speaking of the humili­
ations of the Son of God, St. Augustine says: “ If this
medicine cure not your pride, I know not what will heal
it.” 3 Hence in one of his epistles to Dioscorus he tells
his friends that it is principally by humility a man is
made the disciple of Jesus, and that the soul is prepared
for a union with God. “The first,” says the saint, “is
humility; the second, humility ; the third, humility, and
as often as you would ask I should answer, humility.”4
The proud are objects of hatred and abomination
before God. Every proud man, says the Holy Ghost, is
an abomination to the Lord) Yes; for the proud man is a
robber, and is blind; he is a liar, and the truth is not in
him. He is a robber, because he appropriates to himself
what belongs to God. What hast thou that thou hast not
receivedV Would it not be the extreme of folly in a
1 “ Despectum, et novissimum virorum."—Is. liii. 3.
9 “ Exemplum enim dedi vobis, ut, quemadmodum ego feci vobis, ita
et vos faciatis.”—John, xiii. 15.
3 “ Hæc medicina si superbiam non curat, quid eam curet, nescio."—
Serm. 77, E. B.
4 “ Ea est prima humilitas, secunda humilitas, tertia humilitas; et
quoties interrogares, hoc dicerem.”—Epist. 118, E. B.
5 “ Abominatio Domini est omnis arrogans.”—Prov. xvi. 5.
6 “Quid autem habes, quod non accepisti?”—1 Cor. iv. 7.

302

Holy Humility,

[CH. xi.

brute animal (were it gifted with reason) to glory in
the gilded trappings of which it knows it may be
stripped at the beck of its master ? The proud man is
blind, as we learn from the Apocalypse of St. John.
Thou sayest I am rich, and knotvest not that thou art wretched
and blind? And what has man of his own but nothing­
ness and sin ? Even the little good that he does, when
examined with rigor, will appear full of imperfection.
“ All our justice,” says St. Bernard, “if rigorously
judged, will be found to be injustice.”2 Lastly, the
proud man is a liar, and the truth is not in him. For
all his advantages, whether of nature—such as health,
talent, beauty, and the like; or of grace—such as good
desires, a docile heart, and an enlightened mind, are all
the gifts of God. By the grace of God, says St. Paul, I
am what I ami The same apostle tells us that of our­
selves we are not capable of even a good thought. Not
that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves as of our­
selves.*
Woe to the proud religious ! Into a haughty soul the
Spirit of God cannot
enter; over all its actions the devil
*
exercises the most arbitrary despotism. “With the
proud religious,” says St. Joseph Calasanctius, “Satan
sports himself as with a toy.” Cesarius relates6 that
when a demoniac was once brought to a certain monas­
tery, the abbot asked the evil spirit whether he would
depart at the command of a certain young monk who
was reputed a saint. “No,” replied the demon, “I am
not afraid of him, because he is proud.”
To preserve his servants from pride, the Lord some­
times permits them to be afflicted with the shameful
1 “ Nescis quia tu es miser ... et cæcus.”—Afioc. iii. 17.
* “Si districte judicetur, injusta invenietur omnis justitia nostra.”—
Jn fest. Omn, Sanet, s. 1.
3 “ Gratia autem Dei sum id quod sum.”—1 Cor. xv. 10.
4 “ Non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquid a nobis.”—2 Cor. iii. 5.
6 Dial. 1. 4. c. 5.

SEC. 1.1

A dv antages of Humility.

303

solicitations of the flesh; to their repeated prayers to be
delivered from the suggestions of Satan and of their
own corruption he appears deaf, and leaves them to
combat with the temptation. It was thus he treated
St. Paul; and, says the saint, lest the greatness of the
revelations should exalt me, there was given to me a sting of
the flesh, an angel of Satan to buffet me. For which thing
thrice 1 besought the Lord that it might depart from me, and
he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee' “To keep him
humble,” says St. Jerome, “the Almighty refused to
deliver the apostle from the molestation of the flesh by
which he was tormented.” Moreover, to teach them
humility, the Lord sometimes permits the elect to fall
into sin. Thus, David acknowledges that he sinned
because he had not been humble. Before I was humbled,
I offended?
“ God,” says St. Augustine, “ sits on high ; you humble
yourself, and he descends to you; you exalt yourself,
and he flies from you.” 3 The royal prophet says that
the Lord looketh at the low, and the high he knoweth afar off?
He regards the humble with an affectionate eye, but the
proud he beholds only at a distance. As we cannot
recognize a person whom we see from afar, so the Lord
appears to ted the proud, in the words of the Psalmist,
that he knows them not. There was in a certain monas­
tery a religious who had the insolence to say to one of
her companions: “You and I wear, indeed, the same
habit, and sit at the same table; but though my equal
in religion, you are not fit to be a servant in my father’s
1 “ Datus est mihi stimulus carnis meæ, angelus Satanæ, qui me cola­
phizet; propter quoti ter Dominum rogavi ut discederet a me, et dixit
mihi: Sufficit tibi gratia mea.”—2 Cor. xii. 7.
2 “ Priusquam humiliarer, ego deliqui.”—Ps. cxviii. 67.
3 “ Altus est Deus: erigis te, et fugit a te; humilias te, et descendit
ad te.”—Servi. 177, App. E. B.
4 “ Excelsus Dominus, et humilia respicit, et alta a longe cognoscit.”
—Ps. cxxxvii. 6.

304

Holy Humility.

(CH. XI.

house.” Oh, how poor and naked before the Lord was
this haughty nun !
The proud are hateful before God; he cannot bear
them. As soon as the angels yielded to pride, he
banished them from paradise and sent them into hell,
far distant from his presence. The words of God must
be fulfilled: Whosoever, says the Lord, shall exalt himself,
shall be humbled} St. Peter Damian relates2 that a cer­
tain proud man had resolved to assert his right to an
estate by single combat; before the time appointed for
the duel he went to Mass, and hearing in the church
the above-mentioned words of the Gospel: Whosoever
shall exalt himself, shall be humbled, he exclaimed: This
cannot be true: for had I humbled myself I should have
lost my property and my character. But when he came
to the combat, his sacrilegious tongue was cut across by
the sword of his antagonist, and he instantly fell dead
on the ground.
God. says St. James, resisteth the proud, and giveth grace
to the humble} The Lord has promised to hear the pray­
ers of all. Every one that asketh, receivethf The proud he
hears not; according to the Apostle, he resists their
petitions. But to the humble he is liberal beyond
measure: Pie giveth grace to the humble. To them he
opens his hands, and grants whatsoever they ask or
desire. Humble thyself to God, says the Holy Ghost, and
wait for his hands} Humble your soul before the Lord,
and expect from his hands whatever you seek from him.
“Give me, O Lord,” exclaims St. Augustine, “ the
treasure of humility.”® Humility is a treasure, be’ “Qui autem se exaltabitur, humiliabitur.”—Matt, xxiii. 12.
9 Op- 34 de Var. mir, Narrat, c. 4.
3 “ Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam.”—-James,
iv. 6.
4 “ Omnis enim qui petit, accipit.”—Luke, xi. 10.
5 “ Humiliare Deo, et exspecta manus ejus.”—Ecclus. xiii. 9.
6 “ Domine, concede mihi thesaurum humilitatis.”—Medit. c. 1.

sec. i.]

Advantages of Humility.

305

cause upon the humble the Lord pours every blessing
in abundance. Λ heart full of self cannot be replenished
with the gifts of God. To receive the divine favors, the
soul must be first emptied by the knowledge of her own
nothingness. Thou sendest forth, says David, springs in
the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall passi
God makes the waters of his graces abound in the val­
leys, that is, in humble souls; but not on the mountains;
the emblems of the proud and the haughty. In the
midst of these, his graces pass, but remain not upon
them. Because, says Mary, he hath regarded the humility
of his handmaid. . . . He that is mighty hath done great
things to me? The Lord looking upon my humility, and
my sense of nothingness, hath bestowed great favors
upon me.
St. Teresa relates of herself, that the greatest graces
that she received from God were infused into her soul
when she humbled herself most before the Lord in
prayer. The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall
pierce the clouds, and he will not depart till the Most High be­
hold? The humble obtain from God whatever they ask:
they need not be afraid of being confounded, or of being
left without consolation. Let not, says David, the humble
be turned away with confusion? Hence, St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say: “If you wish to be a saint, be
humble; if you wish to be a very great saint, be most
humble.” To St. Francis Borgia, while a secular, a holy
man once said: “ If you desire to be a saint, never let a
day pass without thinking of your miseries.” Hence
1 “Qui emittis fontes in convallibus; inter medium montium pertransibunt aquae.”—Ps. ciii. io.
9 “ Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ, . . . fecit mihi magna, qui
potens est.”—Luke, i. 48, 49.
3 “ Oratio humiliantis se nubes pertransibit; ... et non discedet, do­
nec Altissimus aspiciat.”—Eeclus. xxxv. 21.
4 “ Ne avertatur humilis, factus confusus.”—Ps. Ixxiii. 21.

306

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

the saint spent every day the first two hours of prayer in
the study of his own nothingness, and in sentiments of
self-contempt.
St. Gregory says “ that pride is the most evident
mark of the reprobate; but humility is, on the contrary,
the most evident mark of the elect.”
Seeing the world
covered with the toils of the devil, St. Anthony, with a
sigh, exclaimed: “Who can escape so many snares!”3
“Anthony,” replied a strange voice, “it is only humility
that passes through them with security: the humble
man is not in danger of being caught by them.” In a
word, unless we are like infants, not in years but in
humility, we shall never attain salvation. Unless you be­
come as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom oj
heaven? In the life of St. Palemon it is related that a
certain monk who walked on burning coals said to his
companions: Which of you can tread on red-hot fire
without being burnt. The saint reproved him for his
vanity, but the unhappy man did not amend. Puffed
up with pride, he afterwards fell into sin, and died with­
out repentance.
To the humble who are despised and persecuted on
earth is promised the glory of God’s kingdom. Blessed
are ye when they shall revile and persecute you, for your re­
ward is very great in heaven? The humble shall be happy
in this life as well as in the next. Learn of me, says
Jesus, because lam meek and humble of heart; and you shall
find rest to your souls? The proud never enjoy peace, be1 “ Evidentissimum reproborum signum superbia est; at contra, hu­
militas electorum.”—Mor. 1. 34, c. 22.
2 Vita Patr. 1. 3, n. 129.
3 “ Nisi efficiamini sicut parvuli, non intrabitis in regnum cœlorum.”
—Matt, xviii. 3.
4 “ Beati estis cum maledixerint vobis, et persecuti vos fuerint, . . .
quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in coelis.”—Matt. v. 11.
5 “ Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde, et invenietis re­
quiem animabus vestris."—Matt. xi. 29.

SEC. I.]

Advantages of Humility.

cause they never receive the respect or attention which
a vain opinion of their own greatness makes them re­
gard as their due. When loaded with honors, they are
not content; either because they see others still more
exalted; or, because they desire some unattainable dig­
nity, the absence of which is to them a source of tor­
ture, not to be removed by the gratification arising from
all the honors that they enjoy. Great, indeed, was the
glory of Aman, in the court of Assuerus, where he sat at
the monarch’s table. But, because Mardochai -would
not salute him, he was unhappy. And whereas I have all
these things, I think I have nothing so long as I see Mardochai,
the Jew, sitting before the king's gate.1 Being the result of
constraint and of human respect, the honor shown to the
great does not give true joy. “True glory,” says St.
Jerome, “ like a shadow, follows virtue: it flies from all
who grasp at it, and seeks after those who despise it.”123
The humble man is always content, because whatever
respect is paid to him he deems to be above his merits,
and whatever contempt may be offered to him he re­
gards as far short of what is due to his sins. In humili­
ation he exclaims with holy Job: I have sinned, and in­
deed I have offended, and I have not received what I have de­
*
served
Previously to a long journey which he was
obliged to make, St. Francis Borgia was advised to dis­
patch a courier, who would secure accommodation for
his master at the hotels where he intended to stop. “I
never,” replied the saint, “ fail to send my courier before
me. But do you know who he is? My courier is the
thought of hell, which my sins have merited; this
1 “ Et cum hæc omnia habeam, nihil me habere puto, quamdiu videro
Mardochæum Judaeum sedentem ante fores regias.”—Esth. v. 13.
2 “ Virtutem quasi umbra sequitur, et, appetitores sui deserens, ap­
petit contemptores.”—Ep. ad Eustoch.
3 “ Peccavi, et vere deliqui, et, ut eram dignus, non recepi.”—Job,
xxxiii. 27.

3o8

Holy Humility.

dch. xi.

thought makes every lodging appear to me a palace in
comparison of the dungeon to which I deserve to be
condemned.”
Prayer:

O my God, after having committed so many sins, how is it
possible that such an excess of pride should still reign in my
soul ? I now see that my faults have not only rendered me un­
grateful to Thee, but have also made me proud. Cast me not
away from thy facet as 1 have deserved. Have pity on me:
enlighten my soul, and make me feel what I am and what I
merit. How many, for fewer sins than I have committed, are
now in hell, and have no hope of pardon ! I know that Thou
dost offer me pardon if 1 wish for it. Yes, Lord, I desire it:
O my Redeemer, pardon me all my sins of pride, by which I
have not only despised my neighbor, but have also despised
Thee, my Sovereign Good. With St. Catharine of Genoa I
will say: “My God, no more sins! no more sins.” I have
sinned enough. I desire never more to abuse Thy patience.
I love Thee, O my God, and I desire to spend the remainder of
my life only in loving and in pleasing Thee. My Jesus, assist
me. The stronger my present desire to belong entirely to Thee,
the more violently will the powers of hell tempt me to sin.
Assist me, O Lord, and leave me not in my own hands.
Most holy Virgin Mary, thou knowest that in thee I have
placed all my hopes ; do not cease to assist me by thy prayers,
which God never rejects.
F
II.

The Humility of the Intellect or of the Judgment.

After having maturely considered the great advantages of humility, let us now examine what must be
done for its attainment.
There are two sorts of humility: the humility of the
intellect, and the humility of the will or of the heart.
Here we shall speak of the former, without which the
latter cannot be acquired.
1 “ Ne projicias me a facie tua.”

sec. ii.]

Humility of the Intellect.

309

Humility of the intellect consists in thinking lowly of
ourselves; in esteeming ourselves to be vile and miser­
able creatures, such as we really are. “ Humility,” says
St. Bernard, “ is a virtue which, by the knowledge of
himself, makes a man contemptible in his own estima­
tion.” 1 Humility is truth, as St. Teresa has well said,1
23
and therefore the Lord greatly loves the humble, be­
cause they love the truth. It is too true that we are
nothing; that we are ignorant, blind, and unable to do
any good. Of our own we have nothing but sin, which
renders us worse than nothing; and of ourselves we can
do nothing but evil. Whatever good we have or per­
form belongs to God and comes from his hands. This
truth the humble man keeps continually before his
eyes; he therefore appropriates to himself only what is
evil, deems himself worthy of all sorts of contempt, and
cannot bear to hear others attribute to him what he does
not deserve. On the contrary, he delights in seeing
himself despised and treated according to his deserts;
and thus renders his soul most pleasing to God. “ A
Christian,” says St. Gregory, “ becomes estimable before
God in proportion as he is despicable in his own eyes.” 3
Hence, speaking of nuns, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
used to say, that the two foundations of religious per­
fection are the love of God and the contempt of self.
“Because,” says the saint, “the nun who will have hum­
bled herself most upon earth shall see God most clearly
in heaven.”
It is necessary, then, to pray continually in the words
of St. Augustine: “May I know myself; may I know
Thee, O my God, that thus I may love thee and despise
1 “ Humilitas est virtus qua homo, verissima sui cognitione, sibi ipsi
vilescit.”—De Grad. hum. c. I.
2 Interior Castle, dem. 6. ch. io.
3 “ Tanto fit quisque Deo pretiosior, quanto vilior sibi.”—Mor. 1. tS,
c. 22

310

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

Make me, O Lord, understand what I am
and what Thou art. Thou art the source of every good:
I am misery itself. Of myself I have nothing, I know
nothing, I can do nothing but evil. It is only the hum­
ble that truly honor God. TA, says the Holy Ghost, Λ
honored by the humble? Yes, it is only the humble that
can give glory to the Lord, for they alone acknowledge
him to be the supreme and only good. If, then, you de­
sire to honor God, keep continually in view all your
miseries; confess in the sincerity of your soul, that of
yourself you are only nothingness and sinfulness, and
that whatsoever you possess belongs to God. And con­
vinced of your own wretchedness, consider yourself de­
serving only of contempt and punishment; and offer
yourself to accept all the chastisements with which God
will visit you.
As a sequence of these principles we give here the
following rules:
I. Be careful never to boast of anything. Far differ­
ent from yours was the conduct of the saints. It is my
continual practice to exhort all to read, for their spiritual
reading, the lives of the saints. The great labors and
exertions of the saints for God’s glory will humble our
pride, and make us ashamed of the little we do or have
done for him. But how is it possible that we should
glory in anything, when we know that all the virtues
that we possess are the gifts of God. “Who,” says St.
Bernard, “could abstain from laughing, if the clouds
boasted of having begotten rain.”3 Whoever glories in
any good action deserves to be treated with similar de­
rision. Father M. Avila relates that a certain rich
nobleman who had married a peasant, to prevent her
1 “Noverim te, noverim me.”—Solii. 1. 2, c. 1.
s “ Ab humilibus honoratur.”—Ecclus. iii. 21.
8 '* Si glorietnr nubes, quod imbres genuerint, quis non irrideat?”—
In Cant. s. 13.

sec. ii.]

Humility of the Intellect.

311

from being puffed up with pride at seeing herself at­
tended by servants and dressed in rich apparel, caused
the miserable garment which she wore before her mar­
riage to be preserved and to be kept continually before
her eyes. You should imitate his example. When you
perceive that you have performed a good work or ac­
quired any virtue, look back to your former state; re­
member what you were, and conclude that all the good
that you possess is but an alms from the Almighty.
“Whosoever,” says St. Augustine, “ reckons up to Thee,
0 Lord, his own merits, what else does he reckon up but
Thy gifts.” 1 Whenever St. Teresa performed a good
work, or saw an act of virtue performed by others, she
immediately burst out into the praises of God, and refer­
red the whole to him as to its author. Hence the saint
justly observes, that it is not incompatible with humil­
ity to acknowledge the special graces that God has given
more abundantly to us than to others. Such an acknowl­
edgment, continues the saint, is not pride; on the con­
trary, by making us feel that we are more unworthy,
and at the same time more favored, than others, it assists
our humility and stimulates our gratitude. The saint
adds, that a Christian who does not reflect with gratitude
on the sublime graces that he has received, will never
resolve to do great things for God? But in contemplat­
ing the gifts that God has bestowed upon us we must
always distinguish between what belongs to him and
what belongs to us. St. Paul scrupled not to assert
that for the glory of the Lord Jesus he had done more
than all the other apostles. I have, he says, labored more
abundantly than all they.123 But he immediately confessed
that his labors were not his own works, but the fruit of
1
era
2
3

“ Quisquis tibi enumerat merita sua, quid tibi enumerat, nisi mun­
tua?”—Conf. 1. 9, c. 13.
Life, ch. 10.
“ Abundantius illis omnibus laboravi.”—1 Cor. xv. 10.

Holy Humilily.

[CH. XI.

the divine grace by which he was assisted: Yet not find
the grace of God with me.1
II. Since without the divine aid you can do nothing,
be careful never to confide in your own strength; but
after the example of St. Philip Neri, endeavor to live in
continual and utter distrust of yourself. Like St. Peter,
who protested that not even death would induce him to
deny his master,1234 the proud man trusts in his own
courage, and therefore yields to temptation. Because he
confided in himself, the apostle had no sooner entered
the house of the high-priest than he denied Jesus Christ,
Be careful never to place confidence in your own resolu­
tions or in your present good dispositions; but put your
whole trust in God, saying with St. Paul: I can do all
things in him who strengtheneth me? If you cast away all
self-confidence, and place all your hopes in the Lord,
you may then expect to do great things for God. They
that hope in the Lord, says the prophet Isaias, shall renew
their strength? Yes, the humble, who trust in the Lord,
shall renew their strength; distrusting themselves, they
shall lay aside their own weakness and put on the
strength of God. Hence, St. Joseph Calasanctius used
to say, that “ whoever desires to be the instrument of
God in great undertakings, should seek to be the lowest
of all.” Strive to imitate the conduct of St. Catharine
of Sienna, who, when tempted to vainglory, would make
an act of humility, and when tempted to despair, would
make an act of confidence in God. Enraged at her con­
duct, the devil began one day to curse her and the per­
son who taught her this mode of resisting his tempta­
1 “ Non ego autem, sed gratia Dei mecum.”—I Cor. xv. io.
2 “ Etiamsi oportuerit me mori tecum, non te negabo.”—Matt.
xxvi. 35.
3 “ Omnia possum in eoqui me confortat.”—Phil. iv. 13.
4 “ Qui autem sperant in Domino, mutabunt fortitudinem.”—Is. xl.
31.

sec. π.]

Hzcmility of the Intellect.

313

tions; and added, that he “ knew not how to attack
her.” When, therefore, Satan tells you that you are in
no danger of falling, tremble; and reflect that, should
God abandon you for a moment, you are lost. When he
tempts you to despair, exclaim in the loving words of
David: In thee, O Lord, have 1 hoped : let me never be con­
founded) In Thee, O Lord, I have placed all my hopes;
I trust that I shall not be confounded, deprived of Thy
grace, and made the slave of hell.
III. Should you be so unfortunate as to commit a
fault, take care not to give way to diffidence, but humble
your soul; repent, and with a stronger sense of your
own weakness, throw yourself into the arms of the Lord.
To be angry with ourselves after having committed a
fault, is not an act of humility, but of pride, which
makes us wonder how we could have fallen into such a
defect. Yes, it is pride and a delusion of the devil, who
seeks to draw us away from the path of perfection, to
cast us into despair of advancing in virtue, and thus
precipitate us into more grievous sins. After a fault we
should redouble our confidence in God, and thus take
occasion from our infidelity to place still greater hopes
in his mercy. To them that love God, says St. Paul, all
things work together unto good? “Yes,” adds the Gloss,
“even sins.”3 The Lord once said to St. Gertrude:
“When a person’s hands are stained he washes them,
and they become cleaner than before they were soiled.” 4
So the soul that commits a fault, being purified by re­
pentance, is made more pleasing in the eyes of God than
she was before her transgression. To teach them to
distrust themselves, and to confide only in him, God
sometimes permits his servants, and particularly those
1
2
3
4

“ In te, Domine, speravi; non confundar in æternum.”—Ps. xxx. 2.
“ Omnia cooperantur tn bonum.”—Pom. viii. 28.
“ Etiam peccata."
Insin. 1. 3, c. 78.

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

who are not well grounded in humility, to fall into some
defect. When, then, dear sister, you commit a fault,
endeavor to repair it immediately by an act of love and
of sorrow; resolve to amend, and redouble your confi­
dence in God; say with St. Catharine of Genoa: “Lord,
this is the fruit of my garden; if Thou dost not protect
me I shall be guilty of still more grievous offences; but
I purpose to avoid this fault for the future, and with
the aid of Thy grace, I hope to keep this resolution.”
Should you ever relapse, act always in the same manner,
and never abandon the resolution of becoming a saint.
IV. Should you ever see another commit some griev­
ous sin, take care not to indulge in pride, nor to be sur­
prised at her fall; but pity her misfortune, and trem­
bling for yourself, say with holy David: Unless the Lord
had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hellI If the
Almighty had not been my protector, I should at this
moment be buried in hell. Beware of even taking vain
complacency in the exemption from faults that you
perceive in your companions; otherwise, in chastise­
ment of your pride the Lord will permit you to fall
into the sins which they have committed. Cassian re­
lates3 that a certain young monk, being for a long time
molested by a violent temptation to impurity, sought
advice and consolation from an aged Father. Instead
of receiving encouragement and comfort he was loaded
with reproaches. “What!" said the old man, “ is it
possible that a monk should be subject to so abomin­
able thoughts?" In punishment of his pride the Al­
mighty permitted the Father to be assailed by the spirit
of impurity to such a degree that he ran like a madman
through the monastery. Hearing of his miserable con­
dition, the Abbot Appollo told him that God had per1 “ Nisi quia Dominus adjuvit me, paulo minus habitasset in inferno
anima mea."—Ps. xciii. 17.
8 Collât. 2, c. 13.

sec. π.]

Humility of the Intellect.

315

mitted this temptation to punish his conduct towards
the young monk, and also to teach him compassion for
others in similar circumstances. The Apostle tells us
that in correcting sinners we should not treat them
with contempt, lest God should permit us to be assailed
by the temptation to which they yielded, and perhaps to
fall into the very sin which we were surprised to see
them commit. We should, before we reprove others,
consider that we are as miserable and as liable to sin as
our fallen brethren. Brethren^ if any man be overtaken in
a fault . . . instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, con­
sidering thyself lest thou also be tempted} The same Cassian
relates2 that a certain abbot called Machete confessed
that he himself had miserably fallen into three faults, of
which he had rashly judged his brethren.
V. Consider yourself the greatest sinner on this earth.
They who are truly humble, because they are most per­
fectly enlightened by God, possess the most perfect
knowledge, not only of the divine perfections, but also
of their own miseries and sins. Hence, notwithstanding
their extraordinary sanctity, the saints, not in the lan­
guage of exaggeration, but in the sincerity of their
souls, called themselves the greatest sinners in the
world. Thus St. Francis of Assisi called himself the
worst of sinners; St. Thomas of Villanova was kept in a
state of continual fear and trembling by the thought of
the account he was one day to render to God of his life;
which, though full of virtue, appeared to him very
wicked. St. Gertrude considered it a miracle that the
earth did not open under her feet and swallow her up
alive, in punishment of her sins. St. Paul, the first
hermit, was in the habit of exclaiming: “Woe to me,
1 “ Fratres, et si præoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, . . .
hujusmodi instruite in spiritu lenitatis, considerans teipsum, ne et tu
tentcris.”—Gal. vi. i.
a De cœnob. inst. 1. 5, c. 30.

Holy Humility,

[CH. XI.

a sinner, who am unworthy to bear the name of a
monk.” In the writings of Father M. Avila we read
of a person of great sanctity who besought the Lord to
make known to her the state of her soul. Her prayer
was heard; and so deformed and abominable was the
appearance of her soul, though stained only with the
guilt of venial sins, that, struck with horror, she cried
out: “For mercy’s sake, O Lord, take away from before
my eyes the representation of this monster!”
VI. Beware, then, of ever preferring yourself to any
one. To esteem yourself better than others, is abun­
dantly sufficient to make you worse than all. “ Others,”
says Tritemius, “ you have despised ; you have therefore
become worse than others.”1 Again to entertain a high
opinion of your own deserts, is enough to deprive you
of all merit. Humility consists principally in a sincere
conviction that we deserve only reproach and chastise­
ment. If, by preferring yourself to others, you have
abused the gifts and graces which God has conferred
upon you, they will only serve for your greater condem­
nation at the hour of judgment. But it is not enough
to abstain from preferring yourself to any one: it is,
moreover, necessary to consider yourself the last and
worst of all your sisters in religion. First, because in
yourself you see with certainty so many sins; but the sins
of others you know not, and their secret virtues, which
are hidden from your eyes, may render them very dear
in the sight of God. You ought to consider also, that by
the aid of the lights and graces which you have received
from God you should at this moment be a saint. Ah !
had they been given to an infidel, he would perhaps have
become a seraph, and you are still so miserable and full
of defects. The consideration of your ingratitude,
should be sufficient to make you always regard your­
self as a fit object of scorn to the whole Community;
1 “ Cæteros contempsisti; cæteris pejor factus es.”

SEC. II.l

Humility of the Intellect.

3*7

for, as St. 1 homas ' teaches, the malice of sin increases
in proportion to the ingratitude of the sinner. Hence
one of your sins may be more grievous in the sight of
God than a hundred sins of another less favored than
you have been. But you know that you have already
committed many sins; that your life has been one con­
tinued series of voluntary faults; and that whatever
good you may have done is so full of imperfection and
of self-love, that it is more deserving of punishment than
of remuneration.
VII. All these considerations ought to inspire you
with the sentiments of humility which St. Mary Magda­
lene de Pazzi inculcated on her spiritual children, with a
continual sense of your unworthiness to kiss the ground
on which your sisters walk. You ought to consider
that, had you received all imaginable insults, and were
you confined in the bottom of hell, under the feet of all
the damned, all this would be but little in comparison
with what you deserve. And therefore, from the bot­
tomless abyss of your own miseries you should continu­
ally cry out, with holy David: Incline unto my aid, O
God ; O Lord, make haste to help med Lord, hasten to my
assistance, otherwise I am lost, and shall offend Thee
more than ever, and more than all sinners. But this
prayer must be repeated continually—almost every mo­
ment—in the choir, in the cell, in going through the
monastery, at the grate, at table, at rising, and going to
sleep. You must cry out: “ Assist me, O Lord ! assist
me: Lord have mercy on me.” At the very moment you
cease to invoke the divine aid you may become the most
wicked monster in creation. Shun, as death itself,
every, even the most trifling, act or thought of pride. I
conclude with that great saying of St. Bernard: “ In the
1 I. 2, q. 73, a. io.
9 “ Deus, in adjutorium meum intende; Domine, ad adjuvandum me
festina.”—Ps. Ixix. i.

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Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

soul no humiliation, however great, is to be feared; but
the least elation is to be regarded with horror.”1 Yes;
for the smallest degree of arrogance may lead us into
every evil.
Prayer.

O God of my soul ! I thank Thee for making me feel that
whatever the world esteems is all folly. Give me grace to de­
tach my heart from all creatures before death separates me from
them. Unhappy me, who have been so many years in Thy
house; I have left the world to become a saint, and till now,
what progress have I made ? Alas ! how many disgusting
wounds do I see in my soul ! My Jesus, have pity on me and
heal me. Thou art able and willing to heal me if I consent to
a change of life. Yes, Lord, I desire to amend. If the sinner
repent, Thou hast promised to forget his wickedness. But ij
the wicked do penance . . . I will not remember all his iniquities}
I am sorry, O my God, above all things for having despised
Thy love : forget, then, O Lord, all the displeasure I have given
Thee. For the future I desire to lose my life sooner than give
Thee the smallest offence. My God, I desire to love Thee;
if I do not love Thee, whom shall I love ? Thou art most
worthy of my love: Thou hast called me to religion. Thou
hast loaded me with Thy grace. Thou alone, therefore, dost
merit all my love; Thee alone do I desire to love.
My Queen and my great advocate, Mary, assist me by Thy in­
tercession, that I may be no longer ungrateful to Thy Son.III.
III.

Humility of the Heart or of the Will.

Humility of the intellect consists, as we have seen, in
esteeming one’s self worthy of reproach and scorn: but
humility of the will consists in desiring to be despised
by others, and in taking pleasure in contempt. The lat1 “ In anima, non est timenda quantalibet humiliatio; horrendum au­
tem minima vel minima erectio.”—In Cant. s. 37.
9 “ Si autem impius egerit poenitentiam, . . . omnium iniquitatum
ejus . . . non recordabor.”—Ezck. xviii. 21.

sec. in.]

Humility of the Heart or Will.

319

ter is the most meritorious; because acts of the will are
more pleasing to God than acts of the intellect.
Speaking of humility of the will, St. Bernard says:
“The first degree is, not to wish for power; the second,
to wish to be in a state of subjection to authority; the
third is, in subjection to bear injuries with equanim­
ity.”' Such is the humility of the heart which Jesus
Christ wished to teach us by his own example. Learn
of me, said the Redeemer, because J am meek and humble of
heart.'1 Many have humility on their tongue, but not in
their heart. “ They, indeed,” says St. Gregory, “ con­
fess with their lips that they are most wicked and most
deserving of all sorts of chastisement; but they believe
not what they say. For, when rebuked, they give way
to disquietude, and deny that they are guilty of the
fault for which they are corrected.” To this class be­
longed a certain monk, who, as Cassian3 relates, used to
say that he was a great sinner, and unworthy to breathe
the breath of life. But when the Abbot Serapion cor­
rected him for violating the Rule by idle visits to the
cells of the other monks, he became greatly troubled.
Seeing him disturbed, the abbot said: “ Why, my son,
are you so much disquieted ? Hitherto you have called
yourself a. great sinner, and now you cannot bear from
me a charitable admonition.”
Even in convents we
sometimes find similar examples of haughty religious.
Certain nuns proclaim that they are the most wicked of
sinners, that they deserve a thousand hells. But should
the abbess or a sister in religion point out to them any
particular fault, or speak of their general tepidity, or of
the little edification which they give to the Community,
1 “ Primus profectus, nolle dominari; secundus, velle subjici; tertius,
in ipsa subjectione, quaslibet injurias illatas æquanimiter pati.”—De
Divers, s. 60.
* “ Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde.”—Matt. xi. 29.
8 Collât. 18, c. ii.

320

Holy > //m ility

[CH. XI.

they immediately begin to vindicate their conduct, and
in a tone of fretfulness exclaim: What evil or scandal
have you seen in my conduct ? You would do your
duty much better by correcting the others who are
guilty of faults that I never commit. A little before
they confessed that their sins merited a thousand hells,
and now they cannot bear a word of admonition. Such
religious possess, indeed, humility in words, but know
not the humility recommended by Jesus Christ, which
is the humility of the heart.
There is, says the Holy Ghost, one that humblcth himself
wickedly, and. his interior is full of deceit) There are some
who humble themselves, not from desire of being re­
buked and despised, but through a motive of being es­
teemed humble and of being praised for their humility
But, according to St. Bernard," to seek praise from vol­
untary humiliations is not humility, but the destruction
of humility, for it changes humility itself into an object
of pride. Speculative humility, says St. Vincent de
Paul, presents a very beautiful aspect; but practical
humility, because it is nothing else than the love of ab­
jection and contempt, is an object of horror to flesh and
blood. Hence St. John Climacus observes that the proof
of true humility consists, not in confessing our own sin­
fulness, but in rejoicing in the contempt due to sinners.
“ Self-disparagement,” says the saint, “ is good, but to
confirm the dispraise which others cast upon us, not to
resent it but to delight in it, is still better.” 3 “When,”
says St. Gregory, “ the humble man calls himself a sin­
ner, he does not contradict others who say the same of
him.” ‘ No; when reproved for his faults he reasserts
1 “ Est qui nequiter humiliat se, et interiora ejus plena sunt dolo.”—
Ecclus. xix. 23.
5 In Cant. s. 16.
3 Seal. f>ar. gr. 21.
4 “ Cum se peccatorem dicit, id de se dicenti etiam alteri non contra­
dicit ”—Mor. 1. 22, c. 14.

sEC.ni.]

Humility of the Heart or Will.

his own sinfulness. In a word, as St. Bernard says,
“The truly humble man wishes, indeed, to be held in
little estimation, but desires not to be praised for his
humility.” 1 Instead of seeking to be esteemed for his
humility he wishes to be regarded as a man deserving
of contempt and full of imperfections; and because he
deems himself worthy only of abjection, he delights in
the humiliations which are heaped upon him. Hence,
as St. Bernard Leaches, “ he converts humiliation into
humility;”·' and all the humiliations that he receives
only serve to render him more humble. St. Joseph
Calasanctius used to say that “ he who loves God seeks
not to be reputed a saint, but to attain sanctity.”
If, dear sister, you wish to acquire true humility of
heart, you must,—
i. In the first place, shun all self-praise, whether it
regards your own actions, talents, virtues; the nobility,
wealth, or connections of your family. Let another praise
thee, says the wise man, and not thy own mouth? Selfpraise never fails to earn the contempt, but seldom wins
the respect of others. What would you say or think of
a nun who would extol the respectability of her family,
or who would boast of having better claims than her sis­
ters to certain offices ? Remember that if you indulge
in empty boasting, others will say and think of you what
you would say and think of her. In speaking of your
own concerns, seek always to humble and never to ex­
alt yourself. Self-dispraise can do you no injury; but
the smallest portion of unmerited self-commendation
may be productive of great evil. “ To extol yourself
slightly above your deserts is,” says St. Bernard, “ a
1 “ Verus humilis vilis vult reputari, non humilis praedicari.”—In
Cant. s. 16.
'li> Humiliationem convertit in humilitatem.”—In Cant. s. 34.
3 “ Laudet te alienus, et non os tuum.”—Prov. xxvii. 2.

322

Holy Humility.

ich.xl

great evil.” 1 He who in passing through a door bends
his head more than 'is necessary, is free from all danger
of injury; but he who carries it too high may be se­
riously hurt. Be careful, then, to speak of yourself hum­
bly rather than boastingly, and to disclose your faults
rather than your virtues. The best rule is, never to
speak well or ill of yourself, but to regard yourself as
unworthy to be even named in conversation. It fre­
quently happens that in saying what tends to our own
confusion we indulge a secret and refined pride. For
the confusion arising from the voluntary manifestation
of our defects excites within us a desire of obtaining
the praise or reputation of being humble. This rule is
not to be observed in the tribunal of penance: on the
contrary, it will be always useful to make known to the
confessor your defects, your evil inclinations; and, gen­
erally speaking, even the evil thoughts that pass through
your mind. It is also very profitable to manifest, on
some occasions, certain circumstances that redound to
your shame. On such occasions be careful not to ab­
stain from humbling your own pride. Father Villanova,
of the Society of Jesus, was not ashamed to tell the
whole Community that his brother was a poor laborer.
Father Sacchini, likewise a Jesuit, having in a public
place met his father, who was a muleteer, instantly ran
to embrace him, and exclaimed: “ O behold my father!”
Should it ever happen that you are compelled to
listen to your own praise, endeavor to humble yourself,
at least interiorly, by casting an eye at the grounds of
self-contempt that have been already detailed. To the
proud, says St. Gregory,’ praise, however undeserved, is
delicious; but to the humble, even well-merited com­
mendation is a source of grief and of affliction. And
* “ Grande malum, si, vel modice, plus vero te ext nilas "—In Cant.
s. 37·
* Mar. 1. 22, c. 9; 1. 26, c. 30.

sec. in.]

Humility 0/ the Heart or Will.

323

being exalted, says the Royal Prophet, I have been humbled
and troubled} Like holy David, the humble man, says
St. Gregory, is troubled at hearing his own praises.
He sees that he has no claim to the virtues or to the
good qualities that are ascribed to him; and he fears
that by taking self-complacency in his good works he
may lose whatever merit he has acquired before God,
and that the Judge may say to him: Thou didst receive
good things in thy lifetime: Whoever takes pleasure in
listening to his own praise has already received his re­
ward: he has no claim to any other remuneration. As
gold, says the wise man, is tried in the furnace, so a man is
tried by the mouth of him that praisethd Yes, a man’s spirit
is tried by praise: when the commendation of his virtues
excites sentiments, not of pleasure nor of pride, but of
shame and confusion, then, indeed, his humility appears.
St. Francis Borgia and St. Aloysius were greatly afflicted
whenever they heard themselves extolled. When you
are praised or treated with respect, humble your soul
and tremble lest the honor that you receive should be to
you an occasion of sin and of perdition. Consider that
the esteem of men may prove your greatest misfortune;
by fomenting pride it may contaminate your heart, and
thus be the cause of your damnation.
Keep always before your eyes the great saying of St.
Francis of Assisi: “What I am before God, that I am,
and no more.” Are you so foolish as to think that the
esteem of men will render you more pleasing in the sight
of God ? When you are gratified and elated by the
praises bestowed upon you, and are by them induced
to think yourself better than the other religious, you may
be assured that, while men extol your virtues, God shall
1 “ Exaltatus autem, humiliatus sum et conturbatus."—Ps. l.xxxvii. 16.
8 “ Recepisti bona in vita tua."—Luke, xvi. 25.
8 “ Quomodo probatur . . . in fornace aurum, sic probatur homo ore
laudantis."—Prov. xxvii. 21.

324

Holy Humility.

(CH. XI.

cut you off. Be persuaded, then, that the praises of
others will never make you more holy in the sight of
God. St. Augustine says that as the reproach or slander
of an enemy cannot deprive a man of the merit of his
virtues, so the applause of a friend or admirer will not
make him better than he really is. “ A bad conscience,”
says St. Augustine, “ is not healed by the praise of a
flatterer, nor a good one wounded by the contumely of
the reviler.”1 Whenever, then, you hear your own
praises, say in your heart, with St. Augustine: “ I know
myself better than they do; and God knows me better
than I do myself.”12 They, indeed, praise me, but I,
who see the state of my own soul better than they do,
know that these praises are unmerited; God knows it
still better than I do; he sees that I deserve neither honor
nor respect, but all the contempt of earth and hell.
II. Secondly, as you ought carefully to refrain from
all complacency in the praises that you receive from
others, so you must abstain with still greater caution
from asking any office of rank or dignity in the convent.
“You must,” as St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi says,
“avoid with all possible care every exercise that is apt
to attract attention, for it is in such exercises that pride
delights.” It is necessary to shun, even with horror,
every honorable office in the monastery. In the con­
vent of the Most Holy Trinity, in Naples, there was a
very exemplary religious called Sister Archangela Sanfelice. The confessor said to her one day: “Sister
Archangela, the nuns wish to make you abbess.” At
first she appeared afflicted and surprised, but after­
wards expressed her readiness to accept the office.
After signifying her assent, she was suddenly seized
1 “ Nec malam conscientiam sanat laudantis præconium, nec bonam
vulnerat conviciantis opprobrium.”—Contra Petii. 1. 3, c. 7.
2 “ Melius me ego novi, quam illi; sed melius Deus, quam ego.”—In
Ps. xxxvi. s. 3.

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Humility of the Heart or Will.

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with a fit of apoplexy, which nearly deprived her of
life, and obliged the nuns to seek another abbess.
“All worldly honor,” says St. Hilary, “ is the busi­
ness of the devil.” 1 Worldly honors are the means by
which Satan gains many souls for hell. And, if the
ambition of honors occasions great ruin in a worldling,
it is productive of far greater havoc in a religious. “ The
body of the Church,” says St. Leo, “ is defiled by the
contention of the ambitious.”1
2 Speaking of nuns, St.
Teresa 3 says that “ where they attend to punctilios of
honor, fervor will never flourish.” In another place she
says, “The monastery in which points of honor and
claims of precedence are attended to, may be considered
as lost: from it the Spouse is already banished.” Ad­
dressing her own Community, she says: “Should a
Judas be ever found among you, expel her at once, as a
source of infection; and deprive forever of all hope of
success in her projects the nun who attempts to seek
superiority over her companions. I would rather see
this monastery burnt to the ground than ever see ambi­
bition enter into it.” Similar were the sentiments of St.
Jane Frances de Chantal. “I would,” says the saint,
“sooner see my monastery buried in the sea, than ambi­
tion or the desire of office enter it.”
Listen to the wise remarks of Peter de Blois on this
subject. In one of his letters4 he describes the pestif­
erous effects of ambition, and its frightful ravages in
the souls of Christians. Ambition, he says, though full
of uncharitableness, puts on the garb of charity. Charity
suffers all things for the attainment of eternal goods:
ambition, too, endures every hardship, but only for the
acquisition of the miserable honors of this world. Char1
’
1
4

“ Omnis sæculi honor diaboli negotium est.”—In Matth. c. 3, n. 5.
“ Corpus Ecclcsiæ ambientium contagione foedatur.”—Epist. 1.
Way of Perf. ch. 8, 13.
Epist. 14.

20

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

ity is kind, but particularly to the poor and the abject;
ambition, too, abounds in benevolence, but only to the
rich and powerful, who can gratify its cravings. Char­
ity bears all things to please God: ambition submits to
every wrong, but only through the vain motive of obtain­
ing honors or office. O God ! to what annoyance, in­
convenience, fatigues, fears, expenses, and even re­
proaches and insults, must the ambitious submit, for the
attainment of the dignity to which they aspire! Finally,
charity believes and hopes all that regards the glory of
eternity; but ambition believes and hopes only what re­
gards the empty
*
honors of this life.
But, in the end, what is the fruit of all the labors of
the ambitious? They’ only attain some empty dignity
which contents not the heart, and which renders them,
in the eyes of the others, objects of contempt rather
than of respect. “ By the sole desire of it,” says St.
Teresa, “ honor is lost: the greater the dignity obtained,
the more disgraceful it is to the person who has pro­
cured it. For the more he has labored for its attain­
ment, the more he has shown himself unworthy of it.”
St. Jane Frances de Chantal said that “ they’ who esteem
themselves most deserving of office are the most un­
worthy of it: because they want humility, which is the
best disposition for the fulfilment of an office.” God
grant that the dignity which the ambitious procure may
not be the cause of their eternal ruin. Father Vincent
Carafa, of the Society of Jesus, having once visited a
dying friend, to whom an office of great emolument, but
at the same time of great danger, had been given, w«s
requested by the sick man to obtain from God the res­
toration of his health.
No, my friend, replied the
Father, I shall notabuse my affection for you: desirous
of your salvation, God calls you to another life while
you are in the state of grace. I know not whether, if
restored to health, you
save your soul in the

sec. in.]

Humility of the Heart or Will.

327

office which has been offered to you. The sick man
peacefully accepted the stroke of death, and expired
with sentiments of joy and resignation. “ It is scarcely
possible,” says St. Bonaventure, “ that he who delights
in honors should not be in great danger.”* To take
complacency in any dignity, particularly in the office of
abbess, of assistant, mistress of novices, or in any other
charge to which are annexed serious obligations, exposes
a religious to great danger of perdition. But the con
dition of the nun who through ambition has procured
such an office is still more perilous. For she cannot,
without great difficulty, refuse any request to the sisters
by whom she was promoted, and thus she will probably
be lost. Besides, God is not bound to give her the aid
necessary for the discharge of the duties of an office
which she has procured by her own exertions. How,
then, can she, bereft of the divine assistance, fulfil her
obligations? Oh! how many shall we see condemned
on the day of judgment for having obtained offices by
their own efforts!
If, dear sister, you desire to preserve humility, do not
allow yourself to be seduced by any desire of worldly
glory. What shall I say of the nun who, to make a dis­
play of pomp and riches, is guilty of extravagance in
the discharge of her office ? What shall 1 say of the nun
who, though a poor religious, receives with pleasure
worldly titles? Were she truly humble, she would tell
all, even the servants of her parents, that such titles are
neither agreeable nor suited to her. It is certain that
to a nun the title of reverend is more honorable than the
appellation qî,noble; because the former is given to her
'is the spouse of Jesus, but it is only as a person of rank
in the world that she can claim the latter. St. Francis
Xavier used to say that to desire respect and honor.
1 “ Vix fieri potest quod, qui delectatur honore, in periculo magno
non sit.”—Med. vita Chr. c. 35.

|

!

I

328

Holy Humility.

[CH. XI.

or to take complacency in them, is unworthy of a Chris­
tian, who should have always before his eyes the igno­
minies of Jesus Christ. How much more unsuited must
such foolish ambition be to a religious, the consecrated
spouse of the Redeemer, who lived for so many years in
obscurity and contempt ? St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
used to say that “ the honor of a nun consists in being
the lowest of all, and in having a horror of being pre­
ferred to any.” To surpass all her sisters in humility
and in the love of Jesus should, says St. Thomas of
Villanova, be the sole object of the ambition of religious.
“ Let your ambition be to be the most humble and the
most dear to Jesus Christ.”
In entering religion you
said, with holy David: I have chosen to be an abject in the
house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles oj
sinners? Yes, you then publicly declared your determi­
nation to prefer abjection in the house of the Lord, be­
fore honor and glory in a wicked world. And why
should you be now attached to earthly vanities ? St.
Bonaventure tells you, that if you desire to be a saint,
you must endeavor to lead a life of obscurity and con­
tempt. “ Love,” says the saint, “ to be unknown and
despised,” 3 so that no attention whatever may be shown
to you in the monastery.
Envy not the religious who surpass you in talent and
understanding, or who are more highly esteemed by the
Community than you are. Envy those only who are
your superiors in charity and humility. Humiliation is
preferable to all the applause and honor which the
world can bestow. For a nun, the most useful of all
sciences is that which teaches her to humble and de1 “ In hoc ad invicem zelate, quænam huic Sponso carior existât,
quæ humilior.”—De Nat. Mar. ad mon. conc. 2.
2 “ Elegi abjectus esse in domo Dei mei, magis quam habitare in
tabernaculis peccatorum.”—Ps. Ixxxiii. n.
3 “ Ama nesciri et pro nihilo reputari.”—Alph. relig.

sec.

in.]

Humility of the Heart or Will.

spise herself, and to delight in being tempt. God has not given you grea
they might lead you to perdition.
with the little talent that you hav<
want of talent be to you an occasior
mility, which is the safest, and indeei
save your soul and to become a sai
pass you in the knowledge of govern
acquiring the esteem of the Commi
outstrip all in the practice of hi
St. Paul, let each esteem others better tha
who are invested with authority o'
posed to great danger of being puffe
losing the divine light, and of thus b
less beasts that seek only the mise
earth, and never think of the glory of
the Psalmist, when he was in honor ht
he is compared to senseless beasts, and is I
If you wish to walk in the secure ]
of honor, and embrace the most al
offices. A religious who wishes to
seek only the meanest offices of the c
fore she ought frequently to beg of 1
them that are in office, to employ he:
that others decline. The spouse of
sents at one time the character of a
of a warrior, and again of the cult
but she always appears full of love,
ligious should perform all her action
of her Spouse, and in all her occupat
as a lover of Jesus Christ, and th
not refuse any office or employment,
that the world regards as the most c
most important and exalted in reli;
1 “ Scd in humilitate superiores.”—Phil. ii.
2 " Homo, cum in honore esset, non intellc
entis insipientibus, et similis factus est illis.”—

-- J

329
·-’

330

Holy Humility,

(CH. XI.

sought after by the saints, because they are most dear
to Jesus Christ. Cassian1 relates that, to shun the re­
spect and veneration shown to him in Egypt, the Abbot
Paphnutius fled from that country and betook himself
to the monastery of St. Pachomius. Being unknown,
he was at first entrusted with the cultivation of the
garden, and enjoyed great happiness in his humble em­
ployment. As soon as he was recognized, he was re­
moved from so mean a charge. But he wept continually
for having lost the treasure that he found in his humili­
ation.
Endeavor also to practise humility by the poverty of
your furniture and of your garments. The dress of
St. Equitius was so humble, that, as St. Gregory relates,
they who had not known him would have scorned to
salute him. Oh ! what a source of edification is poverty
of dress ! Of the two Macariuses it is related that, in
passing the Nile along with certain seculars richly at­
tired, the poverty of their garments made such an im­
pression on one of the seculars, that he abandoned the
world and became a monk. To keep the eyes modestly
cast down, and to speak in a low tone of voice, helps to
preserve humility. But it must be observed that such
external acts assist humility of the heart when they are
united with it. Without it they would be acts of pride
the most abominable—of pride concealed under the garb
of humility. “ Pride,” says St. Jerome, “ is far more de­
formed when it is hidden under the outward appearance
of humility.”8
Prayer.

My Jesus, I am ashamed to appear before Thee. Thou hast
loved contempt and opprobrium, so as to die on the cross an
object of derision and of scorn ; and I cannot bear the smallest
affront! Thou, the innocent Lamb of God, hast for my sake
1 Inst. 1. 4, c. 30.
2 “ Multo deformior est superbia, quæ sub humilitatis signis latet.
'*
Ef>. ad Celant.
___

*

sec.iv.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

331

been saturated with ignominies, and I, a sinner, am so desirous
of praise and honor. Ah ! my Spouse, how unlike am I to
Thee! This makes me tremble for my eternal salvation; for
the predestined must be conformable to Thy image. But I will
not distrust Thy mercy. Il is from Thee I expect succor and
a change of life. With Thy assistance, I purpose henceforward
to suffer for the love of Thee all the contempt and all the in­
juries that shall be offered to me. Ah ! Lord, by Thy example,
Thou hast rendered ignominies agreeable and delightful to all
who love Thee. 1 love Thee, and desire to do all that I can to
please Thee. Pardon me all my sins of pride, of which I now
repent with my whole heart ; and give me strength to be faithful
to the promise that I now make, never more to resent any affront
that I may receive.
0 Mary, my mother, the model of humility ! obtain for me
grace to imitate thee as much as possible.
IV.
Continuation of the Same Subject, and especially Patience,
in bearing Contempt.

III. In the third place, to preserve humility, you must
not allow yourself to be disquieted by reproof or cor­
rection. The nun who, when rebuked, yields to dis­
quietude, shows that she has not yet acquired humility,
and therefore should beg of God that holy virtue,
which is so necessary for salvation. Father Rodriguez
says that some religious resemble the hedgehog: when
touched they become all thorns, and instantly break
out into words of impatience, of reproach, and even of
murmuring. “ We have known many,” says St. Greg­
ory, “ who, when no one accuses them, confess them­
selves sinners; but when they have been corrected for a
fault, they endeavor withall their might to defend them­
selves, and to remove the imputation of guilt.” 1 Such,
1 " Multos novimus, qui, arguente nullo, peccatores se confitentur;
cum vero de culpa fuerint correpti, defensionis patrocinium quærunt, ne
peccatores videantur.”—Mor. 1. 22, c. n.

33 2

Holy Humility.

[ch.xt.

too, is the practice of certain religious—they ought to
attend to the words of the Holy Ghost: Ide that hateth to
he reproved,walketh in the trace of a sinner.1 Whoever is
disturbed by correction, walks not in the way of the
just, but in the path of sinners—the road to hell.
St. Bernard 2 says: Some are displeased with the phy­
sician who cures them by reproof, and are not angry
with the man who wounds them by flattery. Terrible
is the threat of the wise man against all who spurn cor­
rection: Because they have despised all my reproof the pros­
perity of fools shall destroy themI The prosperity of fools
consists in the privation or in the contempt of advice,
and therefore they are miserably lost. The Venerable
Bede gives a frightful account of the fate of two nuns
who despised the admonitions of their Superior. Their
irregularity became so great that they at length fled
from the monastery. When brought back to the con­
vent, they were asked by the abbess, St. Borgontofora,
what had led them into such a crime? They answered
that it was their inattention to her admonitions. Shortly
after their return both were seized with a mortal dis­
ease, but could not be induced to confess their sins.
Even at the point of death, to those who exhorted them
to have recourse to the tribunal of penance they replied, Wait a little—wait; and turning to the religious,
they exclaimed: Do you not see the crowd of demons
who are come to carry us away? Calling for respite
from the demons, they both died miserably without the
sacraments.
St. John Chrysostom says that the just man when
discovered in a fault weeps for his fall. The sinner,
too, says the saint, if detected in a criminal act, weeps—
’ “ Qui odit correptionem, vestigium est peccatoris.”—Ecclus. xxi. 7.
5 “ Medicanti irascitur, qui non irascitur sagittanti.”—In Cant. s. 42.
3 “ Et quod detraxerint universæ correptioni, . . . prosperitas stul­
torum perdet eos.”—Prov. i. 29.

Patience in bearing Contempt.

SEC. IV.]

333

not for his transgression, but because his guilt is known;
and instead of repenting, he seeks to defend his conduct,
and pours out his indignation on the friend who corrects
him. Have you, dear sister, hitherto indulged in anger
against those from whose charity you have received cor­
rection ? And if you have, are you disposed to repeat
such conduct? “ Sister,” says St. Bernard, “give many
thanks to him who has rebuked you: be not sad when
he shall have shown you the way of salvation.” 1 Is it
not most unjust to be displeased with the sister who
points out to you the way to eternal life? Could it be
done without violating the Rule, you would do well to
procure, according to the advice of St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi, a faithful companion who would remark to
you all the faults that you do not perceive. You know
that you are full of miseries and defects. The only
remedy for them is to humble your soul when you per­
ceive them, or when others make them known to you.
Λ t

*

· * · .

··

.

A

.·

Λ· ·

· O

I

334

Holy Humility.

[ch.xi.

don will be proportioned to your humility in receiving
correction.
When corrected for a fault, be careful never to defend
or excuse yourself, an.d thus you will practise an act of
humility highly pleasing to God. St. Teresa says that
to a nun such an act is more profitable than to be pres­
ent at ten sermons. Should you, then, ever receive an
unmerited reprimand, abstain, in honor of holy humility,
from the vindication of your conduct, unless, to prevent
scandal to the Community, such vindication be neces­
sary. To a religious who requested her director—Father
Anthony Torres—to excuse her to a certain person who
had charged her with a fault, the Father replied: “I am
astonished at your request. I pity your weakness. I
suppose that the occupations in which you were engaged
for the last few days must have soon obliterated from
your mind the remembrance of the doleful narrative
which you so lately heard of the sorrows of your Spouse,
who had been called a seducer. It is impossible that
you can have remembered the calumnies and the biasphemies that were uttered against him, and at the same
time request me to vindicate your character. Filled
with sentiments of shame and confusion, and prostrate
before the crucifix, implore of your crucified Spouse the
pardon of your infidelity. Resolve neither on this nor
on any other occasion to justify or excuse your conduct,
but always acknowledge, however galling such acknowl­
edgment may be, that you have erred. For your sake
the Saviour died on a cross, saturated with opprobrium;
and it is by humiliation that you are to obtain the pos­
session of your Spouse.”
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi says that to excuse one’s
self, even under a false accusation, is to cease to be a re­
ligious. A truly humble religious not only abstains from
excusing her faults, but even seeks to make them known
to all. In the “ Prodigies of Grace” we read that a cer-

sec.

iv.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

335

tain religious of the reformed Order of La Trappe, as
soon as he committed a fault, confessed it—first to the
abbot, then to the prior, and afterwards before the whole
Chapter. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that
the nun who manifests her faults merits to be washed
from them by the blood of Jesus Christ.
IV. Fourthly, if you wish to acquire perfect humility,
accept in peace all the contempt and bad treatment
that you receive. These are easily borne by all who
truly believe that in punishment of their sins they
merit nothing but scoffs and insults. Humiliation is
the touchstone of sanctity. St. John Chrysostom 1 says
that to receive affronts with meekness is the most cer­
tain proof of virtue. In his History of Japan, Father
Crasset relates that during the last persecution, in con­
sequence of having received an insult without resenting
it, a certain Augustinian missionary, though disguised,
was instantly taken for a Christian, and cast into prison
by the idolaters, who asserted that no one but a Chris­
tian could practise such a virtue.
Some, says St. Francis of Assisi, imagine that sanc­
tity consists in the recital of many prayers or in the
performance of works of penance; but, not understand­
ing the great merit of patience under insult, they cannot
bear an injurious word. You will acquire more merit
by meekly receiving an affront than by fasting ten days
on bread and water. It will sometimes happen that a
privilege that is refused to you will be conceded to
others; that what you say will be treated with contempt,
while the words of others are heard with respectful
attention; that while the actions of others are the theme
of general praise, and they are elected to the offices of
honor, you are passed by unnoticed, and your whole
conduct is made a subject of derision. If you accept in
peace all these humiliations, and if, with a sisterly affec1 In Gen. horn. 34.

336

Holy Humility,

[CH. XI.

tion, you recommend to God those from whom you
receive the least respect, then indeed, as St. Dorotheus
says, it will be manifest that you are truly humble. To
them you are particularly indebted, since by their re­
proaches they cure your pride—the most malignant of
all diseases that lead to spiritual death. Because they
deem themselves worthy of all honors, the proud convert
their humiliations into an occasion of pride. But be­
cause the humble consider themselves deserving only of
opprobrium, their humiliations serve to increase their
humility. “That man,’’ says St. Bernard, “is truly
humble who converts humiliation into humility.” 1
Voluntary humiliations, such as to serve the sick, to
kiss the feet of those who imagine, even unjustly, that
we have offended them, and similar acts of humility, are
very profitable; but to embrace with cheerfulness, for
the love of Jesus Christ, the humiliations that come from
others, such as reproofs, accusations, insults, and deris­
ions, is still more meritorious. Gold and silver, says the
Holy Ghost, are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the
furnace of humiliationi As gold is tried in the fire, so a
man’s perfection is proved by humiliation. St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that “untried virtue is
not virtue.” He who does not suffer contempt with a
tranquil mind shall never attain the spirit of perfection.
My spikenard, says the Spouse, sent forth the odor thereofI
The spikenard is an odoriferous plant, whose scent is
drawn forth only by friction and trituration. Oh! what
an odor of sweetness does the humble religious exhale
when she embraces in peace all manner of contempt,
and delights in seeing herself maltreated and despised,
’“Est humilis, qui humiliationem convertit in humilitatem.”—In
Cant. s. 34.
2 “ In igne probatur aurum, . . . homines vero receptibiles in
camino humiliationis.”—Ecclus. ii. 5.
3 “ Nardus mea dedit odorem suum.”—Cant. i. 11.

sec.

IV.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

337

as the most contemptible among her sisters. A monk of
the name of Zachary, being asked the best means of
attaining humility, took his cowl, put it under his feet,
and, trampling on it, said: ‘‘He who takes pleasure in
being treated like this cowl is truly humble.” Ah ! how
happy the death of the religious who has lived in abjec­
tion in her monastery, and has always borne her humili­
ations in peace. Her soul shall overflow with feelings,
not of dislike, but of thanksgiving, to all who have
despised her. St. John Climacus relates1 that a good
monk called Abacyrus, who had for fifteen years been
treated contemptuously by others, at the hour of death
returned them many thanks for their charity in having
afforded him so many occasions of humiliation, and thus
expired in celestial peace.
There are some who imagine that they are humble be­
cause they feel a strong conviction of their own miseries
nad a deep sorrow for their past sins. But they will not
submit to humiliations, and cannot endure the slightest
want of respect or esteem; and therefore they shun all
humble offices, and whatever is not flattering to their
pride. They acknowledge that they are worthy of all
sorts of ignominy, but cannot bear any mark of inatten­
tion; on the contrary, they seek continually to be treated
with respect and honor. There is, says the Holy Ghost,
one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of
deceit? There are some who practise external humility,
by confessing that they are the worst of sinners, but in
their hearts they seek after honors and the esteem of
men. 1 hope, dear sister, that you do not belong to
that class of Christians. If you sincerely believe that
you are a greater sinner than any of your sisters, be
content to be treated as the lowest among them: love
1 Seal. par. gr. 4.
3 “ Est qui nequiter humiliat se, et interiora ejus plena sunt dolo.”—
Ecclus. xix. 23.

338

Holy Humility.

[ch. xi.

as your best friends all who, by despising you, assist
you to practise humility and to detach your heart from
earthly glory, and thus to unite your soul more closely
to God, and to seek nothing in this life but his holy love.
Consider yourself as only worthy of universal horror;
offer yourself to God, professing your readiness to suffer
for his sake, and in satisfaction for your offences, all
manner of opprobrium, and never permit self-love to
complain of the contempt with which you are treated.
Remember that they who have dared to despise the
Almighty merit far greater contempt; they deserve to
be the footstool of the devils for all eternity in hell.
“I know no remedy," says St. Bernard, “better able to
heal the wounds of my conscience than opprobrium and
contumely." 1 Rejoice, then, blessed spouse of the Lord,
when you are humbled, and treated as the last of your
sisters; or when you see yourself an object of derision,
and regarded by all as the most foolish and contempti­
ble member of the Community. When censured, even
without grounds, neither excuse yourself nor seek to be
excused by others, unless, as I have already said, you
see that your justification is absolutely necessary to pre­
vent scandal. Do not hinder others to disclose vour
faults to the Superior. When you receive any humilia­
tion, seek not to know the sister who was the occasion of
it; and should you discover her name, be careful not to
reprove her, not to show that you know it, nor to com­
plain of her conduct: on the contrary, in your prayers
for others, pray, in the first place, for her, and for all by
whom you have been despised or persecuted.
Be persuaded of the truth of what Father Alvarez
used to say, that the time of humiliation is the time for
putting off our own miseries and for acquiring great
merits. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that
1 “ Ego plagis conscientiae nullum judico accommodatius medica­
mentum probris et contumeliis.”—280.

—«TLi

r

sec.

iv.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

339

crosses and ignominies are the greatest favors that God
is accustomed to bestow on his beloved spouses. In con­
versing with those who are despised she experienced
great consolation from the conviction that they were
most dear to Jesus Christ. Hence she fervently ex­
horted the religious to place all their happiness in being
treated with contempt. But, above all, it is necessary to
keep before your eyes what the Redeemer has said, that
happy is he who is hated and cast out by men. Blessed
shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name
as evil for the Son of Man's sake! The apostle St. Peter
adds: If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you shall
be blessed: for that which is of the honor, glory, and power of
God, and that which is his Spirit, resteth upon you} When
you are insulted for the sake of Jesus Christ, then shall
you be happy; for then shall the true honor, the true
power, and the true Spirit of God rest upon you.
The saints have not been made saints by applause and
honor, but by injuries and insults. St. Igntitius Martyr,
a bishop, and an object of universal esteem and venera­
tion, was sent to Rome as a criminal, and on his way ex­
perienced from the soldiers who conducted him nothing
but the most barbarous insolence. In the midst of his
suffering and humiliations he joyfully exclaimed: “I
now begin to be a disciple of Christ.”3 I now begin to
be a true disciple of my Jesus, who endured so many
ignominies for my sake. St. Francis Borgia, when trav­
elling, slept one night in the same room with his com1 “Beati eritis, cum vos oderint homines, et cum separaverint vos, et
exprobraverint, et ejecerint nomen vestrum tamquam malum, propter
Filium hominis.’’—Luke, vi. 22.
2 “ Si exprobramini in nomine Christi, beati erilis; quoniam, quod est
honoris, gloriae, et virtutis Dei, et qui est ejus Spiritus, super vos re­
quiescit.”—i Pet. iv. 14.
3 “ Nunc incipio esse Christi discipulus.”—Epist. ad Po/n.

34°

Holy Humility.

[ch.xi.

panion, Father Bustamente, who, in consequence of a
severe attack of asthma, spent the whole night in cough­
ing and casting out phlegm unconsciously on the saint,
and frequently in his face. In the morning Father
Bustamente perceived his mistake, and was greatly
afflicted at having given so much cause of pain to the
saint. Father, said St. Francis, be not disturbed; for
there is no part of this room so fit for the reception of
spittle as my face.
O God ! what must become of the religious who will
not submit to an insult for the love of Jesus Christ!
The nun who cannot bear contempt shows that she has
lost sight of Jesus crucified. Standing once before the
crucifix, Blessed Mary of the Incarnation said to her
sisters in religion: Is it possible, dear sisters, that we
refuse to embrace contempt when we see Jesus Christ
reviled and scoffed ? A certain holy- religious having
been affronted, went before the Blessed Sacrament, and
said: Lord, I am very poor; I have nothing to present to
you: but I offer you the injury that I have just received.
Oh ! how lovingly does Jesus Christ embrace all that
embrace contempt for his sake !
He soon consoles
and enriches them with his graces. Father Anthony
Torres was once unjustly charged with disseminating
false doctrines, and in punishment of his supposed trans­
gression was for many years deprived of faculties to
hear confessions. But in a letter to a certain friend
he says: “Be assured that during the whole time I was
calumniated the spiritual consolations that the Lord
gave me surpassed any I ever received from him.”
To suffer contempt with a serene countenance not
only merits a great reward, but also serves to draw
others to God. “He,” says St. John Chrysostom, “who
is meek is useful to himself and to others.” 1 The man
who meekly bears affronts is useful to himself and to all
1 “Mansuetus, utilis sibi et aliis.”—In Ad. hom. 6.

sec. iv.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

341

who behold him. For nothing is more edifying to a
neighbor than the meekness of a man who receives in­
juries with a tranquil countenance. “ Nothing,” adds
the saint, “conciliates friends to the Lord so much as
to see a man agreeable by his meekness.”* Father
Maffei relates that a Jesuit, while preaching in Japan,
having been spit upon by an insolent bystander, re­
moved the spittle with his handkerchief, and continued
his sermon as if nothing had happened. One of his
auditors exclaimed, that a doctrine that teaches such
humility must be true and divine, and was instantly
converted to the faith. Thus, also, St. Francis de Sales
converted innumerable heretics by his meekness in bear­
ing the insults that he received from them.
A religious who lives in a monastery of relaxed observ­
ance, and who wishes to walk in the way of perfection,
may be assured that during her whole life she shall be
an object of continual derision and persecution. There
is no remedy: The wicked^ says the Holy Ghost, loathe
them that are in the right way.2 They who walk in the
broad road cannot but feel an abhorrence of them that
tread in the narrow way. For the lives of the saints
are a continual reproach to sinners who wish to see all
like themselves. Shunning the grates, assisting in choir,
observance of silence, detachment from particular
friendships, and almost every good work of a fervent re­
ligious will be regarded by the tepid as singularities, or
perhaps, as hypocritical acts, performed from a motive
of acquiring the reputation of a saint. Should a fervent
nun in a convent of relaxed discipline commit a fault (for
she has not ceased to be frail, and subject to defects),—
should she, for example, yield to a word of slight im­
patience, or sometimes defend herself against an unjust
1 "Nihil ita conciliat domino familiares, ut quod illum vident man­
suetudine jucundum.”—5. de Mansuet.
3 “ Abominantur impii eos qui in recta sunt via.”—Prov. xxix. 27.

342

Holy Humility.

[ch. xi.

accusation,—oh, what an outcry is raised against her!
Behold the saint ! the tepid exclaim. To impose upon
others she communicates every morning, she always ob­
serves silence, she wears hair-cloth, and remains all day
in the choir. They sometimes add falsehood to truth.
If she wishes to be a saint, she must be careful to suffer,
and to offer to God all these reproaches. Unless she
submit to them she will not continue long in the way of
perfection; she will soon lose all that she has acquired,
and will become as imperfect as the others. In speak­
ing once of a certain religious who was esteemed a
saint, St. Bernard said: He indeed is a saint, but he
wants the greatest of all blessings—the reputation of a
sinner.
Let us then be persuaded that to be persecuted in this
life confers the highest excellence on the saints. And,
says the Apostle, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution. The Redeemer says, If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you!
Some will say: I attend only to my own concerns, I
give offence to no one: why should I be persecuted ?
But all the saints have been persecuted; Jesus Christ,
the head of the saints, has been persecuted: and will
you not submit to persecution ? But what greater fa­
vor, says St. Teresa,3 can God bestow upon us than to
send us the treatment that he wished his beloved Son to
suffer on earth ’ “ Believe me,” says Father Torres, in
a letter to one of his penitents, “ that one of the greatest
graces that God can confer upon you is to make you
worthy to be calumniated by all, without being esteemed
by any.” When, then, dear sister, you see yourself dis­
regarded and despised by all men, rejoice, and thank
1 “ Omnes qui pie volunt vivere in Christo Jcsu, persecutionem pa­
tientur.”—2 Tim. iii. 12.
’ “ Si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur.”—John, xv. 20.
3 Interior Castle, d. 7, ch. 4.

SEC. IV.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

343

your Spouse, who wishes you to be treated in the same
manner in which he himself wished to be treated in this
life. And to prepare your soul to accept humiliations
when they occur, represent to yourself in the time of
meditation all the contempt, contradictions, and perse­
cutions which may happen to you, and offer yourself,
with a strong desire and resolution to suffer them all
for the sake of Jesus Christ, and thus you shall be bet­
ter prepared to accept them.
V. In the fifth place, you must not only accept hu­
miliations in peace, but must also be glad and exult un­
der them. “ A good religious,” says St. Joseph Calasanctius, “ despises the world and rejoices in its scoffs.”
The Venerable Louis de Ponte could not at first con­
ceive how a soul could delight in contempt; but when
he became more perfect he experienced the consolations
of abjection. By our own strength we certainly cannot
rejoice in humiliations, but by the aid of Jesus Christ
we can imitate the apostles, who nient from the presence oj
the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer
reproach for the name of Jesus.' There are some, as St.
Joseph Calasanctius says, who suffer reproach, but not
with joy. To teach the perfect spirit of humility to St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, St. Ignatius came down from
heaven and assured her that true humility consists in
taking pleasure in whatever inspires self-contempt.
Worldlings do not delight as much in honors as the
saints do in contempt. Brother Juniper, of the Order
of St. Francis, received insults as he would the most
costly gems. When derided by his companions, St. John
Francis Regis was not only pleased by their ridicule, but
even encouraged it. Thus from the lives of the saints
it would appear that sufferings and humiliations were
the sole objects of their wishes. With a cross on his
1 “ Ibant gaudentes a conspectu concilii, quoniam digni habiti sunt
pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati.”—z/'·'
*
v. jt.

344

Holy Humility.

[ch.xi.

shoulder and a crown of thorns on his head the Re­
deemer once appeared to St. John of the Cross and said:
“ John, ask ot me what thou wilt.” “ Lord, replied the
saint, “ I desire to suffer and to be despised for Thy
sake. ’ As if he said: Lord, seeing you oppressed with
sorrow and saturated with opprobrium for the love of
me, what can I ask from you but pains and ignominies?
The Lord once assured Blessed Angela of Foligno that
the surest means by which a soul can ascertain whether
its lights are from God is to examine if they have in­
spired and left behind a strong desire of being despised
for his sake. Jesus wishes that under injuries and per­
secutions we not only be not disquieted, but that we even
rejoice and exult in expectation of the great glory that
he has prepared for us in heaven as the reward of our
sufferings. Blessed are ye when they shall revile and perse­
cute you; ... be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very
great in heaven.1
To those who are about to enter religion it is my cus­
tom to recommend, above all things, the practice of
obedience, and of patience under contempt. I have
been anxious to treat the latter at full length. Because
I am convinced that without bearing contempt it is im­
possible for a nun to advance in perfection; and because
I hold as certain that the religious who cheerfully em­
braces humiliations shall become a saint. “ A soul
humble of heart,” says St. Paulinus, “ is the heart of
Christ.”2 The nun who is humble of heart or who de­
lights in contempt is transformed into the heart of
Jesus Christ. Be assured, then, dear sister, that if you
are to be a saint you must suffer humiliations and con­
tempt. Though all your companions were saints, you
1 “ Beati estis, cum maledixerint vobis et persecuti vos fuerint; . . .
gaudete et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in coelis.”—
Matt. v. ii, 12.
s “ Humilis corde cor Christi est.”—Ep. ad Sever.

sec.

iv.]

Patience in bearing Contempt.

345

would notwithstanding, by God’s ordinance, meet with
frequent contradictions; you will be put below others,
held in little esteem, and will frequently have to submit
to accusations and reproofs. To render you like him­
self, Jesus Christ will easily find the means of making
you an object of contempt. Hence I entreat you to
practise every day the beautiful advice of Father Torres
given to his penitents: “ Say every day an Our Father
and a Hail Mary, in honor of the life of ignominy of Je­
sus; and offer yourself to suffer not only in peace but
even with joy for the love of him all the contradictions
and reproaches that he will send you; begging always
his assistance to be faithful to him in bearing patiently
all injuries and humiliations.”
Prayer.

My Jesus, my love, how is it possible that, seeing Thee, my
God, humbled unto death, and even the ignominious death of
the cross, I should be so proud? Ah! through the merits of
Thy ignominies make me know my miseries and deformities
that I may abhor myself ; and suffer in peace for the love of
Thee all the injuries that I shall receive. Ah ! my Redeemer,
Thou hast rendered ignominies amiable to all who love Thee.
Grant that I may understand Thy goodness and Thy love, that
thus to please Thee I may love and embrace all manner of con­
tempt. Grant that I may banish from my heart all human re­
spect, and that in all my actions I may seek only Thy will and
pleasure. I love Thee, O my humbled Jesus; and I purpose
with Thy grace not to resent any injuries, nor to complain of
any affront that may be offered to me. From Thee I hope for
strength to fulfil this resolution.
Mary, my mother, assist me by thy interces;
; pray to
Jesus for me.

346

Charity towards our Neighbor,

ich.xil

CHAPTER XII.
FRATERNAL CHARITY.

I.

The Necessity of this Virtue, and its Practice in our Thoughts
and Sentiments.

To love God without at the same time loving our
neighbor is impossible. The same precept that pre­
scribes love towards God imposes a strict obligation of
fraternal charity. And this commandment we have from
God that he ίοho loveth God love also his brother I Hence
St. Thomas
*
teaches that the love of God and the
love of our neighbor proceed alike from charity. For
charity makes us love God and our neighbor, because
such is the will of God. Such too was the doctrine
of St. John the Evangelist. St. Jerome relates that
being asked by his disciples why he frequently recom­
mended fraternal love, that holy apostle replied: “Be­
cause it is the precept of the Lord, and the fulfilment of
it alone is sufficient.” 3
St. Catharine of Genoa once said to the Lord: “My
God, Thou dost command me to love my neighbor; and
I can love nothing but Thee.” “ My child,” answered
Jesus, “ he that loves me, loves whatsoever I love.” In­
deed, when we love any person we also love his relatives,
his servants, his likeness, and even his clothes, because
we know that he loves them. And why do we love our
1 “ Et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo, ut, qui diligit Deum, diligat
et fratrem suum.”—i John, iv. 21.
2 2. 2, q. 25, a. I.
8 “Quia præceptum Domini est; et si solum fiat, sufficit.”—In Ef
ad Gal. c. 6.

SEC. 1.]

Charily in our Thoughts.

347

neighbors? It is because G od loves them. Hence St.
John says that if any man say J love God andhateth his
brother> he is a liar. But as hatred towards our brethren
is incompatible with the love of God, so an act of char­
ity performed in their regard will be accepted by Jesus
Christ as if done for himself. J say to you, says the Re­
deemer, as long as you did it to one of these my brethren you
did it to me? St. Catharine of Genoa used to say that
our love of God is to be measured by our love for our
neighbor.
But holy charity—the beautiful daughter of God,
being banished from the world by the greater part of
mankind, seeks an asylum in the monasteries of reli­
gious. Oh, what then will become of the convent from
which charity is exiled ! As hell is a land of hatred, so
paradise is the kingdom of love, where all the blessed
love one another, and each one rejoices at the happiness
of the rest as at his own. Oh, what a paradise is the
convent in which charity reigns ! it is the delight of
God himself. Behold', says the Psalmist, how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.3
The Lord looks with complacency on the charity of
brethren and sisters who dwell together in unity, who
are united by one will of serving God, and who seek
only to sanctify one another that they may be all united
one day in the land of bliss. The highest praise be­
stowed by St. Luke on the first Christians was that they
had but one heart and soul. And the multitude of the be­
lievers had but one heart and one soul? This unity was the
1 “Si quis dixerit quoniam diligo Deum, et fratrem suum oderit,
mendax est.”—i John, iv. 20.
2 “ Quamdiu fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis minimis, mihi fecistis.”
—Matt. xxv. 40.
3 Eccc quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unum.”
—Ps. cxxxii. i.
4 “ Multitudinis autem credentium erat cor unum et anima una.”—
Acts, iv. 32.

34§

Charity towards oar Neighbor,

[ch. xn.

fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ, who before his Pas­
sion besought his eternal Father to make his disciples
one by holy charity as he and the Father are one. Holy
Father, keep them in thy name—that they may be one as we also
are.' This unity is one of the principal fruits of redemp­
tion, as may be inferred from the prediction of Isaias:
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb ; and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid—they shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in
all my holy mountain? Yes, the followers of Jesus, though
of different countries and of different dispositions, shall
live in peace with one another, each seeking by holy
charity to accommodate himself to the wishes and incli­
nations of the other. And as a certain author has well
remarked, what does a Community of religious mean,
but a union of many by will and desire so as to form
but one person. It is charity that maintains union: for
it is not possible that all the members of a convent
should have congenial dispositions. It is charity that
unites their hearts and makes them bear one another’s
burdens, and it is charity that makes each conform to
the will of the other.
St. John Climacus1
23 relates that in the vicinity of
Alexandria there was a celebrated monastery, where, be­
cause they loved one another so cordially in holy charity,
all the religious enjoyed the peace of paradise. In gen­
eral the first that perceived a disagreement between two
of the religious was able to restore peace by a mere
sign. But if they could not be reconciled, both were
sent as exiles to a neighboring house, and were told at
their departure that the abode of two demons in the
monastery could be no longer profitable to the Com­
1 “ Pater sancte, serva eos, ... ut sint unum, sicut et nos.”—John,
xvii. ii.
2 “ Habitabit lupus cum agno, et pardus cum hoedo; . . . non noce­
bunt, et non occident.”—Is. xi. 6.
a S*al. par. gr. 4.

sec. i.i

Charity in our Thoughts.

349

munity. Oh ! how delightful is it to see in a convent
of nuns each praise, assist, and serve the others, and all
love the others with a true sisterly affection. Nuns are
called sisters, because they are such not by blood, but
by charity, which should unite them in love more
closely than all the ties of flesh and blood. “ The nun
who has not charity,” says St. Jane Frances de Chantal,
“is a religious in name, but not in reality. She is a
sister in dress, not in affection.” Hence because they
knew that where there is no union there is no God,
almost all the founders and foundresses of religious
Orders have with their last breath recommended the
practice of holy charity to their spiritual children.
“When,” says St. Augustine, “you see the stones of
any fabric well bound to the timber, you enter with
security, and apprehend no danger.”1 But were the
stones detached from the wood, you should shudder at
the very thought of approaching the building. Happy
the religious house in which all are united by holy
charity; but miserable is the monastery in which dis­
union and party-spirit prevail. “Yes,” says St. Jerome,
“such a monastery is not the tabernacle of the Lord, but
the abode of Lucifer; it is a house not of salvation, but
of perdition.”’ Of what use are riches and magnifi­
cence, a splendid church and a beautiful garden, to a
monastery from which union and charity are banished ?
Such a monastery is a hell, where, to prevent the ad­
vancement of the rivals, each party decries the other.
Suspicions and aversions are always on the increase:
they fill the minds, are poured out in conversation, and
occupy the thoughts of the religious at mental prayer,
at Mass, and at Communion. Hence we may exclaim,
0 miserable prayers, miserable Masses, miserable Com·
1 “Quando vides in aliqua fabrica lapides et ligna bene sibi cohærere,
securus intras, ruinam non times.”—Sertu. 336, E. B.
2 “ Sine charitate, monasteria sunt tartara.”—Monach. c. 1.

35θ

Charity towards our Neighbor,

[ch.xil

munions ! In a word, where there is not charity there
is no recollection, no peace, no God.
If, dear sister, factions exist in your convent, prostrate
yourself before the Lord, and in his presence pour forth
tears of blood and fervent supplications that by his
Almighty hand he may remedy the evil. For when the
spirit of faction has crept into the cloister, it can be ex­
tinguished only by the arm of omnipotence. If it be in
your power to restore peace, endeavor with all your
might and at all hazards to accomplish so great a good;
but if the extinction of discord be beyond your reach, it
is your duty at least to remain neutral, and to shun, as
you would death itself, every act that may encourage
the fell spirit of faction.
Remember, however, that I do not mean to censure
those zealous nuns who defend the observance of Rule,
and who strenuously oppose all abuses. Whoever seeks
the good of the Community belongs to the party of
Jesus Christ. Would to God that all were of this
party ! If, dear sister, you ever see an abuse introduced
into the convent, I exhort you to unite with the fervent,
and never to abstain from vindicating the cause of God
even though you should be left alone. The Lord will
reward your efforts for the maintenance of regular
observance. To feel careless and to manifest indiffer­
ence about the relaxation and neglect of discipline is
neither virtue nor humility, but is the fruit of pusilla­
nimity, tepidity, and of a want of divine love.
The religious, then, whom I condemn are those who
maintain parties for promoting their own interests or
particular friendships, or for depressing a rival or re­
senting an insult. From such parties I exhort you to
keep aloof, though, in punishment of your neutrality,
you should be reproached with ingratitude, wrong­
headedness, or baseness of spirit, and even though you
should be deprived of office and doomed to perpetual

sec.

i.]

Charity in our Thoughts,

351

disgrace. To preserve charity and the common peace
you must sacrifice all self-interest. When some of the
bishops wished to have St. Gregory Nazianzen for
patriarch while others refused to submit to his author­
ity, the saint, to heal their dissensions, exclaimed: “ My
brothers, I wish to see you in peace, and if the renunci­
ation of my patriarchal dignity be necessary to pre­
serve harmony among you, I am ready to renounce my
see.” He then gave up the bishopric of Constantinople,
and retired into solitude.
But let us speak in particular of the means that a
nun should adopt for the maintenance of charity among
her sisters in religion. She must follow the advice of
the Apostle to his disciples: Put ye on, therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy) As a re­
ligious always wears her habit, and as her whale body
is covered by it, so in all her actions she must be clothed
and encompassed around with charity. Put on the
bowels of mercy. A religious should be clothed not only
with charity, but with the bowels of charity; that is,
she should love each of her sisters as if for each she had
the tenderest affections. When a person entertains for
others a strong attachment he rejoices at their pros­
perity and grieves at their misfortunes as at his own.
He continually seeks to promote their happiness, to
vindicate their character from any imputation that may
be cast upon it, to excuse any fault that they may com­
mit, and to extol every good act that they may perform.
Now what is the effect of passion in worldlings should
be the fruit of holy charity in religious.
Practice oe Charity

in our

Thoughts

and

Sentiments.*

I. To practise charity in thought you must, in the
first place, endeavor to banish all rash judgments, sus1 “ Induite vos ergo, sicut electi Dei, . . . viscera misericordiæ.”—
Col. iii. 12.

352

Charity tozvards our Neighbor.
I

[ch.xii.

picions, and doubts. To entertain a rash doubt regard­
ing another is a defect; to indulge a positive suspicion
is a greater fault, and to judge with certainty without
certain grounds that another has sinned, is still more
criminal before God. Whoever judges rashly of his
neighbor shall be judged with severity. Judge not, that
you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge
you shall be judged.1 But although it is sinful to judge
evil of others without certain grounds, still it is not a
violation of the divine law to suspect or even to judge
evil of them when we have certain motives for such
suspicions or judgments.
However, the safest and
most charitable rule is to think well of all, and to
banish all such judgments and suspicions.
Charity,
says the Apostle, thinketh no evil.12 But this rule is not to
be observed by the religious who hold the office of Su­
perior, or of Mistress of novices. Because, to prevent
evil, it is their duty to suspect whenever there are
grounds of suspicion. But if by your office you are not
charged with the correction of others, endeavor always
to judge favorably of all your sisters. St. Jane Frances
de Chantal used to say that “ in our neighbor we should
observe only what is good.” Should you sometimes
through mistake praise in others what is censurable, you
will never have reason to repent of your error. “ Char­
ity,” says St. Augustine, “grieves not when she erro­
neously thinks well of what is evil.”3 St. Catharine of
Bologna once said: “ I have lived for many years in re­
ligion, and have never thought ill of any of my sisters;
because I know that a person who appears to be imper­
fect may be more dear to God than another whose con1 “ Nolite judicare, ut non judicemini, in quo enim judicio judica­
veritis, judicabimini.”—Matt. vii. i.
* “Charitas . . . non cogitat malum.”—i Cor. xiii. 4.
3 “Charitas non se multum dolet errare, cum bene credit etiam de
malo.”—In Ps. cxlvii.

Charity in our Thoughts.

SEC. I.]

353

duct is much more exemplary.” Be careful, then, not
to indulge in observing the defects and concerns of
others, nor to imitate the example of those who go
about asking what others say of them, and thus fill
their minds with suspicions and their hearts with bitter­
ness and aversions. Listen not to them who tell you
that others have spoken of your defects, and ask not
from them the names of those who dispraised you. In
such tales there is, in general, a great deal of exaggera­
tion. Let your conduct be such as deserves praise from
all, but regard not what is said of you. When told that
any one has charged you with a certain fault, let your
answer be that others know you but little; and that,
were they aware of all your defects, they would say a
great deal more of you; or you may say that only God

II. When our neighbor is visited with any infirmity,
loss, or other calamity, charity obliges us to regret his
misfortune at· least with the superior will. I say with
the superior will ; for concupiscence always appears to
take a certain delight in hearing that a calamity has be­
fallen an enemy. But that delight is not culpable as
long as it is resisted by the will. Whenever the inferior
appetite solicits the will to rejoice at the misfortune of
others, pay no more attention to its criminal solicita­
tions than you would to a dog that barks without rea­
son; but endeavor to excite in the superior will senti­
ments of regret at their distress. It is indeed sometimes
lawful to rejoice at the good effects that are likely to
result from the temporal afflictions of others. For ex­
ample, it is not forbidden to be glad from a motive of
his conversion, or of the cessation of scandal, that a no­
torious and obstinate sinner has been visited with sick­
ness. However, should he have offended us, the joy
occasioned by his infirmity may be the fruit of passion
as well as of zeal.
23

I

354

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xii.

III. Charity obliges us to rejoice at a neighbor’s good,
and to banish envy, which consists in a feeling of regret
at the good of others, inasmuch as it is an obstacle to
our own.
According to St. Thomas,1 a person may grieve at the
good of others in four ways:
First, when he apprehends that their advancement
will be detrimental to himself or to others; and if the
loss sustained be unjust, his regret is not envy, and may
be blameless.” “ It may often happen,” says St. Greg­
ory, “ that without losing charity, we rejoice at the ruin
of an enemy; and that without incurring the guilt of .
envy, we feel sorrow at his exaltation, when by his down­
fall we think that others will be justly exalted, and when
we fear that by his prosperity many will be unjustly
oppressed.”1
2
Secondly, when a person grieves not because others
have been prosperous, but because he himself has not
been equally successful. This grief is not'envy, but is,
on the contrary, an act of virtue when it regards spirit­
ual goods.
Thirdly, when he regrets the success of others, because
he deems them unworthy of it; and this sorrow is not
sinful, when he believes that the advantages, dignity, or
riches that they have acquired will be injurious to their
salvation.
Fourthly, when a person regrets the prosperity of
others, because it is an obstacle to his own advance­
ment: this is envy, and should not be entertained. The
Wise Man says that the envious imitate the devil, who
instigated our first parents to sin, because he was grieved
1 2. 2, q. 36, a. 2.
2 “ Evenire plerumque solet, ut, non amissa charitate, et inimici nos
ruina lætificct, et rursum ejus gloria, sine invidiae culpa, contristet: cum
et, ruente eo, quosdam bene erigi credimus, et, proficiente illo, plerosque injuste opprimi formidamus.”—Δ/or. 1. 22, c. 11,

SEC. IL]

Charity in our Words.

355

to see them destined for that celestial kingdom from
which he himself had been expelled. But, says the Wise
Man, by the envy of the dev it death came into the world, and
they follow him that are of his side) But charity makes us
regard the happiness or misery of others as we would
our own.
Prayer.

Ah! my Redeemer, how unlike am I to Thee! Thou wast
all charity towards Thy persecutors ; I am all rancor and hatred
towards my neighbor. Thou didst pray with so much love for
those who crucified Thee ; and I immediately seek revenge
against those that offend me. Pardon me, my Jesus: I wish no
more to be what I have hitherto been ; give me strength to love
and to do good to al! who injure me. Abandon me not, O Lord
to my passions. Oh ! what a hell would it be to me, after having
received so many of Thy graces, to be again separated from
Thee, and deprived of Thy friendship. For the sake of the
blood that Thou hast shed for me, permit not such a separation.
Eternal Father, through the merits of Thy Son, suffer me not to
become Thy enemy. Shouldst Thou see that I will one day
offend Thee, take me out of life, now that I hope to be in the
state of grace. O God of love, give me Thy love! O in­
finite power, assist me ! O infinite mercy, have pity on me! O
infinite goodness, draw me entirely to Thee! I love Thee, O
Sovereign Good !
O Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me! Thy protection is
my hope.
IL
The Charity to be Practised in Words.

i. To practise fraternal charity in words, you must,
above all, abstain from every species of detraction. The
tale-bearer, says the IToly Ghost, shall defile his own soul,
and shall be hated by all) Yes; he shall be an object of
1 “ Invidia autem diaboli, mors introivit in orbem terrarum; imi­
tantur autem illum, qui sunt ex parte illius.”—IVis. ii. 24.
'l “ Susurro coinquinabit animam suam, et in omnibus odietur.”—
Ecclus. xxi. 31.

356

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[CH. XII.

hatred to God and to men, and even to those who for
their own amusement applaud and encourage his slan­
derous language. Even they shall shun him; because
they justly fear that as in their presence he has de­
tracted others, so before others he will slander them.
St. Jerome says that some who have renounced other
vices cannot abstain from detraction. “ They who have
abandoned other sins continue to fall into the sin of de­
traction.”1 Would to God that even in the cloister
there were not to be found religious whose tongues are
so sharp that they cannot speak without wounding the
character of a neighbor ! Such persons should be ban­
ished from all monasteries, or should at least be sepa­
rated from the society of their sisters. For they dis­
turb the recollection, silence, devotion, and peace of the
whole Community. In a word, they are the ruin of re­
ligious houses. God grant that such uncharitable nuns
may not meet the fate of a certain slanderer, who, ac­
cording to Thomas Cantipratensis,1
2 died in a fit of rage,
and in the act of lacerating his tongue with his teeth.
St. Bernard 3 speaks of another slanderer who attempted
to defame the character of St. Malachy ; his tongue in­
stantly swelled and became filled with worms. In this
miserable state the unhappy man died after seven days.
But how dear to God and to men is the nun who
speaks well of all! St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to
say, that if she knew any one who had never in his
whole life spoken ill of a neighbor, she would have him
canonized. Be careful never to utter a word that savors
of detraction; be particularly careful to avoid all un­
charitableness towards your sisters in religion. But,
above all, be on your guard against every expression
1 “Qui ab aliis vitiis recesserunt, in istud tamen incidunt.’’—Ep. ad
Celant.
9 De Apib. 1. 2, c. 37.
3 Vit. S. Malaeh. c. 13.
’

sec. ii.]

Charity in ozir Words,

357

that is in the slightest degree apt to depress the charac­
ter of your prelate, abbess, confessor, or any other Su­
perior. By speaking ill of them, you would destroy in
your companions the spirit of obedience, by diminishing
their respect for the judgment and authority of their
Superiors. Should your language excite a suspicion in
the mind of the sisters that the Superior is unreasonable
in her commands, it will be very difficult to induce them
to practise the obedience that is due to her. The sin of
detraction is committed, not only by imputing to others
what is not true, by exaggerating their defects, or by
making known their hidden faults, but also by repre­
senting their virtuous actions as defective, or by ascrib­
ing them to a bad motive. It is also detraction to deny
the good works of others, or to question their claims to
the just praise bestowed upon them. To render their
calumnies more credible, worldlings sometimes begin by
praise and end with slander. Such a person, they say,
has a great deal of talent, but he is proud; he is very
generous, but at the same time very vindictive.
Let it be your care always to speak well of all. Speak
of others as you would wish to be spoken of by others.
With regard to the absent, observe the excellent rule of
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi: “ Never to utter in their
absence what you would not say in their presence.”
And should you ever hear a sister speak ill of others, be
careful neither to encourage her uncharitableness nor to
appear pleased with her language; otherwise you will
partake of her guilt. You should either reprove her, or
change the subject of conversation, or withdraw from
her, or at least pay no attention to her. Hedge in thy
cars with thorns, says the Holy Ghost; hear not a wicked
tongue.1 Against detraction, hedge in your ears with
thorns, that it may not enter. Whenever, then, you hear
1 " Sepi aures tuas spinis, linguam nequam noli audire.”—Eccltis.
xxviii. 28.

35$

Charily towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xii.

a person speak ill of others, it is necessary to show, at
least by silence, by a gloomy countenance, or by down­
cast eyes, that you are not pleased with the conversation.
Conduct yourself always in such a way that no one will
in future dare attack the character of another in your
presence. And when it is in your power, charity requires
of you to take the part of the person who is detracted.
Thy lips are as a scarlet lace.' My spouse, says the Lord,
I will have thy lips as a scarlet lace; that is, according
to the explanation of St. Gregory of Nyssa,2 your words
must be full of charity, so as to cover as much as pos­
sible the defects of others, or at least to excuse their
intention, if their actions be inexcusable. “ Excuse the
intention,” says St. Bernard, “if you cannot excuse the
act.”3 The Abbot Constabile, as Surius relates, was
called “The covering of his brethren.”4 For this holy
monk, as often as he heard any one speak of the defects
of others, sought to cover and excuse them. Such, too,
was the practice of St. Teresa. Of her the nuns used
to say, that in her presence their character was secure,
because she would defend them.
II. Be careful never to mention to any sister that an­
other has spoken ill of her; for tale-bearing of this kind
sometimes occasions disputes and aversions which last
for a long time. Oh ! how frightful the account which
tale-bearers must render to God ! The sowers of discord
are objects of abomination in his sight. Six things
there are that the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul
detestethd The seventh is the man that someth discord
among *
brethren
An uncharitable word that proceeds
1 “ Sicut vitta coccinnea, labia tua.”—Cant. iv. 3.
5 In Cant. horn. ~j.
3 “ Excusa intentionem, si opus non potes.”—In Cant. s. 40.
4 “ Operimentum fratrum.”—17 Febr. Vit. c. 6.
6 “ Sex sunt, quæodit Dominus; et septimum detestatur anima ejus.”
—Prov. vi. 16.
* “ Eum qui seminat inter fratres discordias.”—Ibid. iq.

sec. π.]

Charity in our Words.

359

from passion may be excusable. But how can the Al­
mighty bear with a religious who sows discord and dis­
turbs the peace of a Community ? Listen to the advice
of the Holy Ghost: Hast thou heard a word against thy
neighbor? let it die within thee} The words that you hear
of a sister must not only be confined to yourself, but
must even die and be buried within you. You must be
careful, then, never to give the slightest intimation of
what you have heard. For a single word, a nod of the
head, a simple hint, may lead others to a knowledge or
at least to a suspicion of the faults that were mentioned
to you.
Some appear to suffer the pangs of death until they
have disclosed the secrets communicated to them; as if
these secrets were so many thorns that wound their very
heart until they are drawn out. You should never men­
tion the hidden defects of others to any one except to
the Superiors, and not even to them unless the repara­
tion of the injury done to the Community, or the good
of the sister herself who has committed the fault, require
that her neglect should be known to the Superior.
III. Moreover, in your conversation you must be care­
ful never to wound even by jests the feelings of a sister.
Jests that offend a neighbor are opposed to charity, and
to the words of Jesus Christ: All things whatsoever you
would that men should do to you, do you also to them} You
certainly would not like to be made an object of derision
and of mockery before your companions. Abstain then
from casting ridicule on others.
Endeavor also to avoid as much as possible all dis­
putes. Sometimes trifles give occasion to arguments
that end in disputes and injurious language. There are
1 “ Audisti verbum adversus proximum tuum ? commoriatur in te.”
—Ecclus. xix. 10.
9 “ Omnia ergo quæcumque vultis ut faciant vobis homines, et vos
facite illis.”—Matt. vii. 12.

j6o

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xii.

some who violate charity by proposing, through the
spirit of contradiction, certain topics of debate which
give rise to useless disputation. Strive not, says the Wise
Man, in a matter which doth not concern thee.'
But you will say that in every debate you defend the
right side of the question, and that you cannot listen in
silence to assertions utterly destitute of foundation. I
answer in the words of Cardinal Bellarmine: “ That an
ounce of charity is more valuable than a hundred car­
loads of reason.” In all debates, but particularly when
the subject is of little importance, give your opinion if
you wish to join in the conversation; but be careful
never to defend it with obstinacy. It is better to give
up your own opinion than to enter into a useless and
perhaps dangerous controversy. Blessed Egidius used
to say that in such controversies to submit is to conquer;
because submission evinces a superiority in virtue and
preserves peace. Surely the preservation of peace is of
far greater importance than the empty honor of a wordy
victory. Hence St. Ephrem used to say that to maintain
peace he always yielded to his adversary in disputation.
Hence, also, St. Joseph Calasanctius advises “all who
desire peace never to contradict any one.”
IV. If you love charity, endeavor to be affable and
meek to all. Meekness is the characteristic virtue of
the lamb; it is the beloved virtue of Jesus Christ, who
through a love of meekness took the appellation of
Lamb. In *vour
conversation and intercourse with others
*
be agreeable not only to the Superior and to those who
are in office, but to all, and particularly to the sisters
who have offended you, who oppose your wishes, or dis­
please you by their roughness of manner, or by their
forgetfulness of past favors. Charity is patient: beareth
all things.2 Whoever, then, bears not the defects of his
1 "Deeare quæ te non molestat, ne certeris.”—Ecclus. xi. 9.
2 “ Charitas patiens est.”—1 Cor. xiii. 4.

SEC. II.]

Charity in oar Words.

361

neighbor cannot have true charity. The most perfect
souls are not free from all defects. You yourself are
subject to faults; and notwithstanding your manifold
imperfections you expect to be treated with charity and
compassion. You therefore should, according to the
advice of the Apostle, compassionate the defects of
others. Bear ye one another's burdens) A mother, be­
cause she loves them, submits in patience to the inso­
lence of her children. It is by the manner in which you
bear the burdens of your sisters that you are to judge
whether you love them with true charity, which, be­
cause it is supernatural, should be stronger than natural
affection.
Oh ! with what charity did the Redeemer bear with
the rudeness and imperfections of his disciples during
the whole time that he lived with them! With what
charity did he wash the feet of the traitor Judas! With
what patience has he borne even to the present moment
with your sinfulness and ingratitude! And will you re­
fuse to bear with the defects of your sisters ? The phy­
sician while he loves a patient loathes his disease; and
if you have charity you must love your sisters and at
the same time hate their faults. But you will say:
What am I to do ? I have a natural repugnance to the
society of such a sister, and feel it painful to hold inter­
course with her. My answer is: Have more fervor and
more charity, and all such antipathies will vanish.
Let us come to the practice of meekness.
In the first place, endeavor with all your might to re­
strain every motion of anger. In the next place, you
must be careful to abstain from all disagreeable words,
and to avoid all roughness and haughtiness of manner;
for rude conduct is sometimes more offensive than in­
sulting language. Should a sister ever treat you with
contempt, suffer it in patience for the love of Jesus
1 “ Alter alterius onera portate.”—Gal. vi. 2

k

362

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xh

Christ, who for the love of you has borne with far
greater insults. My God ! what a misery to see certain
religious, who practise mental prayer and frequent the
sacraments, so sensitive to every mark of disrespect or
inattention ! Sister Mary of the Ascension, as often as
she received an affront, went immediately before the
Blessed Sacrament, and said: My Spouse, I bring you
this little present; I beg you to accept it, and to pardon
the person by whom I have been offended. Why do
you not imitate this holy religious ? To preserve char­
ity you must suffer all things. Father Alvarez used to
say that virtue is weak till it is proved by maltreatment
from others. It is by the manner in which she bears
with contempt and insult that a soul shows whether she
abounds or fails in charity.
Should any one ever address you in the language of
passion, or even of insult and reproach, answer with
sweetness, and her anger will be instantly appeased. A
wild answer breaketh wrath.' St. John Chrysostom says:
“ Fire cannot be extinguished by fire, nor wrath by an­
ger.” 3 Do you imagine that by replying with acrimony
to all who speak to you in anger you will calm passion?
On the contrary, you will provoke it, and will also vio­
late charity. Let your answer to every word of anger
be full of sweetness, and the fire of passion will be ininstantly extinguished. Sophronius relates that two
monks having missed their way on a journey, entered
by chance into a field in which seed had been just sown
The man who was intrusted with the care of the field
burst into a fit of rage and heaped upon them every epi­
thet of reproach. At first they were silent, but seeing
that their silence served only to inflame his anger, they
exclaimed: “ Brother, we have done wrong: for God's
1 “ Responsio mollis frangit iram.”—Prov. xv. 1.
* “ Igne non potest ignis extingui, nec furor furore.”—In Gen. horn.
58.

sec. ii.]

Charity in oar J Tards.

363

sake pardon us.” This humide answer calmed his pas­
sion and filled his soul with sorrow for his conduct. He
immediately asked pardon of the monks for his injuri­
ous language—he even left the world and joined them
in the cloister.
You will sometimes think it right and even necessary
to repress by a sharp answer the forwardness of a sister,
particularly if you are Superior, and she be wanting in
respect to you: be assured that such sharpness proceeds
from passion rather than from reason. I know that anger
is sometimes lawful. 2>’c angry, says the Psalmist, and sin
not.' But to be angry and not to sin is very difficult in
practice. Whoever abandons himself to anger exposes
his soul to imminent danger. Hence St. Francis de
Sales wisely teaches in his Philothea, that however just
the occasions of anger may be, its motions should be
repressed. “It is better,” says the saint, “ to have it
said of you that you are never angry, than that you
were justly angry.”2 St. Augustine says that anger
once allowed to enter the soul is banished with diffi­
culty; and therefore he strongly recommends us to stifle
it in its very origin. A certain philosopher, called
Agrippinus, having lost his property, said: “If I have
lost my goods I will not lose my peace.” Let such be
your language as often as you receive any offence. Is
it not enough for you to have received an affront ? do
you wish, moreover, to lose the peace of your soul by
yielding to anger? The disturbance of mind occasioned
by anger will be far more injurious to you than the in­
sult that you have received. St. Augustine says that he
who yields to passion on every occasion of insult is his
own chastiser. Disquiet of soul, even when it arises
from regret for a fault, is always injurious. For, as St.
Aloysius used to say, it delights the devil to fish in
troubled water.
1 “ Irascimini, et nolite peccare.”—Pa. iv. 5.

2 Introd. p. 3, ch. 8.

364

Charity towards our Neighbor,

[ch.xii

I have said that when a sister speaks to you in the
language or tone of passion or contempt you should
answer her with sweetness. But I now say, that when­
ever the soul is disturbed, it is better to be silent; for
passion will then make harsh expressions appear just
and reasonable. But when peace returns, you will see
that your language was altogether unjustifiable. St.
Bernard says that anger draws over the soul a dark
veil, which renders her incapable of distinguishing what
is right from what is wrong.1
When a sister who has offended you comes to ask
pardon, be careful not to receive her with a stern coun­
tenance, nor to show discontent or want of respect by
your words ος looks. If you give signs of dissatisfac­
tion, you will violate charity, you will confirm the sister
in her dislike towards you, and will give great scandal
to the whole Community. You must, then, receive her
with affection; and if, through humility, she fall on her
knees to ask pardon, you should likewise go on your
knees, and say to her: O my sister, why should you ask
pardon of me? You know how much I love and esteem
you. I ask pardon for having displeased you by my
ignorance and negligence, and by my want of attention
to you. Have pity, then, on me, and forgive me.
But whenever you offend or displease a sister, endeavor
at once, by all means in your power, to make satisfaction
to her, and to remove from her heart all feelings of aver­
sion towards you. St. Bernard says “ that humility
alone is the reparation of wounded charity.”3 Self­
humiliation is the most efficacious means of repairing
the violation of charity. Whenever, then, you offend
against charity, humble yourself immediately, overcome
1 “ Turbatus præ ira oculus . . . rectum non videt.”—£)e Consid. 1.
2, c. II.
5 “Sola virtus humilitatis est læsæ reparatio charitatis.”—/n Nat.
Dorn. s. 2.

sec.

it]

Charity in our Words.

365

by force your natural repugnance to humiliation: the
longer you defer the reparation of the fault you have
committed, the more your repugnance to make repara­
tion will increase. 7/, says the Redeemer, thou offer thy
gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath
anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar,
and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming,
thou shall offer thy gift} If you come to the altar to offer
your gift, to receive the Holy Eucharist, or to attend
Mass, and remember that you have offended a brother,
retire from the altar and be reconciled with him. How­
ever, if you think that by asking pardon of the sister you
have offended, you will only renew her anguish, it is
better to wait for a more convenient opportunity, or to
ask pardon through another sister. But you must, in the
mean time, show her particular attention and respect.

Prayer.

O my God, look not on my sins, but on Jesus Thy Son, who
has sacrificed his life for my salvation. For the sake of Jesus,
have pity on me, and pardon all the offences I have given Thee,
but especially those which I have committed by my want of
charity to my neighbor. Destroy in me, O Lord, whatever dis­
pleases Thee, and give me a sincere desire to please Thee in all
things. Ah! my Jesus, my greatest sorrow arises from a con­
viction that I have been so long in the world, and that I have
loved Thee so little. Ah ! give me a portion of that sorrow
which Thou didst feel for my sins in the garden of Gethsemani.
Oh ! that I had died before I offended Thee. It consoles me,
however, to know that Thou givest me time to love Thee. I
desire to spend all that remains of my life in Thy love. I love
Thee, O infinite Good! I love Thee, the only love of my soul.
Ah ! make me entirely Thine before I die. Draw all my affec­
tions to Thy love, so that I may never love any object but Thee.
1 “Si ergo offers munus tuum ad altare, et ibi recordatus fueris quia
frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te, relinque ibi munus tuum ante
altare, et vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo; et tunc veniens offeres munus
tuum.”—Matt. v. 23.

ς66
V/

Charity towards orcr Neighbor.

[CH. XII.

But while I live I am in danger of losing Thee. When shall I
be able to say, 0 my Jesus, that I can never lose Thee again!
O Jesus, unite me to Thee, so that I can never be separated
from Thee. Grant me this favor, through the love with which
Thou didst love me on the cross.
O most holy Virgin, thou art most dear to God, he denies
thee nothing; obtain for me the grace never more to offend
him, and to love him with my whole heart. I ask no other
favor of thee.
III.

The Charity to be Practised in Works, and towards Whom
it is to be Practised.

With regard to the charity which you ought to prac­
tise in works, endeavor to be always ready to assist
your sisters in all their necessities. Some religious say
that they sincerely and affectionately love all their sisters,
but they will not submit to inconvenience for the sake
of any of them. My little children, let us not love in word,
nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth} To fulfil the precept
of charity, it is not enough to love our neighbor in
words: we must love him in deed. The just are merciful?
says the Wise Man. All the saints were full of charity
and compassion to all who required their assistance. It
is related of St. Teresa, that she was accustomed to per­
form every day some act of charity towards her sisters;
and whenever she was unable to do so by day, she was
careful to do so by night, at least by showing light to
the sisters who passed in the dark before her cell.1*3
I. Give alms as often as it is in your power. Holy
Scripture says, that alms delivers a soul from death;
that it purifies her from sin, and obtains for her the divine
mercy and eternal salvation. For alms, says Tobias,
1 “ Filioli mei, non diligamus verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veri­
tate.”—i John, iii. 18.
s “ Justi autem misericordes sunt et miserantur.”—Prov. xiii. 13.
3 Ribera, Vit. 1. 4, c. 11.

SEC. III.)

Charity in Works.

367

delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth
away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting) St.
Cyprian says, that “ the Lord commands nothing more
frequently than the constant practice of aims.”3
By alms-deeds I mean not only the distribution of
money or of temporal goods, but every species of relief
given to a neighbor who stands in need of our assist­
ance. Pie that hath the substance of this world, says St.
John, and shall see his brother in need, how doth the charity
of God abide in him l 'Λ When a religious assists her
companions in their labors she performs an act of
charity very pleasing in the sight of God. St. Theo­
dora, a religious, endeavored to assist all her sisters in
performing the duties of their office, but was careful
never to seek assistance from any one in the discharge
of her own duties. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi not
only assisted her sisters in their most laborious duties,
but also offered to perform by herself alone every work
that required extraordinary labor. Hence it was a
common saying in the convent, that she labored more
than four lay-sisters. Endeavor as much as possible to
imitate her conduct, and when you are overcome by
fatigue, look on your Spouse carrying his cross, and
embrace with joy any new labor which your duties may
require. The aid that you receive from God will be
proportioned to the assistance that you give to your
companions. And with what measure you mete, says Jesus
Christ, it shall be measured to you again) Hence, St. John
Chrysostom says that the practice of charity is a power1 “Eleemosyna a morte liberat, et ipsa est quæ purgat peccata, et
facit invenire misericordiam et vitam æternam.”—Tob. xii. 9.
2 “ Dominus nil crebrius mandat, quam ut insistamus eleemosynis.”
—De O/>. et Eleem.
8 “ Qui . . . viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere, et clauserit
viscera sua ab eo, quomodo charitas Dei manet in eo?”—1 John, iii. 17
4 “ In qua mensura mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis.”—Matt. vii. 2.

368

Charily towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xii.

ful means of obtaining great graces from God. “ Alms,”
says the saint, “is the most lucrative of all arts.”* St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that she felt more
happy during the time she assisted her neighbor than
when she was rapt in contemplation. “ Because,” says
the saint, “ when I am rapt in contemplation, God assists
me; but when I relieve a neighbor, I assist God.” The
Redeemer has declared that what we do to a brother,
we do to him.2 But in assisting others you should not
expect either thanks or recompense. You should even
rejoice when you receive for your kindness no other re­
ward than inattention and reproach. For then you will
have double profit. It is an act of charity to accede to
the reasonable requests of others. But should a sister
ask you to leave your devotions in order to amuse her
by your conversation, you ought to refuse her request,
and attend to your devotions. Charity is well ordered.
He set in order charity in niei says the Spouse in the
Canticles. Hence whatever injures your own spiritual
progress, or that of a sister in religion, is not charity.
II. The most perfect charity consists in zeal for your
neighbor’s spiritual good.
To relieve the spiritual
necessities of a fellow-man, or to contribute to his spir­
itual welfare, as far excels the exercise of charity to­
wards his body as the dignity of the soul transcends the
lowly condition of the flesh. Charity towards the soul
is practised, in the first place, by correcting our neigh­
bor’s faults. St. James1 declares that he who causes a
sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall
save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of
sins. But, on the other hand, St. Augustine says that1*34
1 “Eleemosyna est ars omnium artium quæstuosissima.”—Ad pop.
Ani. hom. 33.
s Matt. xxv. 40.
3 “ Ordinavit in me charitatem.”—Cant. ii. 4.
4 James, v. 20.

SEC. HI.]

Charity in Works.

369

he who sees a brother destroying his soul, by giving
way to anger against a neighbor, or by insulting him,
and neglects to correct him, sins more grievously by his
silence than the other does by his insults and contumely.
“You,” says the saint, “see him perish, and care not;
your silence is more criminal than his reproachful lan­
guage.” 1 Do not excuse yourself by saying that you
know not how to correct him. St. John Chrysostom123
tells you that for correcting the faults of others charity
is more necessary than wisdom. Make the correction at
a seasonable time, with charity and sweetness, and it
will be profitable. If you are Superior, you are bound
by your office to correct the sisters; if not, you are
bound in charity to administer correction as often as
you expect fruit from it. Would it not be cruelty in
him who should see a blind man walking over a pre­
cipice not to admonish him of his danger, and thus
rescue him from temporal death? But it would be still
greater cruelty in you to neglect, when able, to deliver
a sister from eternal death. If you prudently judge
that your advice would be unprofitable, be careful at
least to make known the fault to the Superior, or to
some other person who will be able to apply a remedy.
Do not say, This is not my business; I will not take any
trouble about it. This was the language of Cain. Am
Z, said he, my brother's keeper.2 It is the duty of every
one, when able, to save his neighbor from ruin. And,
says Ecclesiasticus, he gave every one of them a command­
ment concerning his neighbor.'
St. Philip Neri says, that when necessary, God wishes
that we omit mental prayer in order to assist a neigh1 “Tu eum vides perire, et negligis; pejor es tacendo, quam ille con­
viciando.”—Serm. 82, E. B.
2 £)e Sacerd. 1. 2.
3 “ Num custos fratris mei sum ego?”—Gcn. iv. 9.
< “ Et mandavit ilHs unicuique de proximo suo.”—Ecclus. xvii. 12.
24

370

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[ch. xn,

bor, particularly in his spiritual necessities. St. Ger­
trude desired one day to entertain herself in prayer, but
a work of charity was to be performed, and therefore
the Lord said to her: “ Tell me, Gertrude, do you intend
that I should serve you, or that you should serve me?"
“ If,’’ says St. Gregory, “you go to God, take care not to
come alone to him.”1 And St. Augustine says, “If you
love God, draw all to the love of God.”7 If you love
God, you should take care not to be alone in loving
him, but should labor to bring to his love all your
relatives, and all those with whom you have intercourse,
but particularly your sisters in religion. Ah ! how a
holy nun can sanctify the whole Community by her
words, by her example, by performing her exercises of
devotion with a view to induce others to do the same!
Be not afraid of vainglory. Actions that have nothing
extraordinary in them, but which become every religious
that tends to perfection, according to her obligation,
ought to be performed, even with the intention of giving
good example, and of drawing the sisters nearer to God.
So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father who is in heaveni Hence, to
appear devout, mortified, observant of rule, devoted to
mental prayer and to frequent Communion, in order to
give good example to the other sisters, is not an act of
vanity, but an act of charity, very pleasing to God.
III. Endeavor, then, to assist all according to the best
of your ability, by words, by works, and particularly by
prayers. Every spouse of Jesus Christ should have zeal
for his honor, as he himself said to St. Teresa, when he1*3
1 “ Si ad Deum tenditis, curate ne ad eum soli veniatis.”—In Evang,
hom. 6.
1 “Si Deum amatis, rapite omnes ad amorem Dei.”—In Ps. xxxiii.
en. 2.
3 “Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut videant opera vestra
bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in coelis est.”—Matt. v. ιό.

SEC. Ilk.t

Charity in ICorhs.

371

called her his spouse: “ Ilenceforth, as a true spouse, you
shall be zealous for my honor.”* If the spouse of Jesus
Christ do not take his part, who will take it? Many
Doctors, along with St. Basil, teach, that by the words,
Amen f say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name,
he will give it you? Jesus Christ promises to hear our
prayers, not only for ourselves, but also for others, pro­
vided they do not place a positive obstacle in the way.
Hence, in the common prayer, in your thanksgiving after
Communion, and your visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
you should never omit to recommend to God all poor
sinners, infidels, and heretics, and all that live without
God.
How pleasing to Jesus Christ are the prayers of his
spouses for sinners! He once said to the Venerable
Sister Seraphina de Capri: “Assist me, O my daughter,
to save souls by your prayers.” To Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi he said: See, Magdalene, how Christians are in the
hands of the devil; unless my elect by their prayers
deliver them, they shall be devoured. Hence the saint
used to say to her religious: “ My sisters, God has not
separated us from the world only for our own good, but
also for the benefit of sinners.” And on another occa­
sion she said: “ My sisters, we have to render to God an
account of so many lost souls: had we recommended
them to God with fervor, perhaps they would not be
damned.” Hence we read in her life that she did not
allow an hour of the day to pass without praying for
sinners. That great servant of God, Sister Stephana de
Soncino, for forty years performed severe penances, and
offered them all for sinners. Oh ! how many souls are
sometimes converted, not so much by the sermons of
1 “Deinceps, ut vera sponsa, meum zelabis honorem.”—Offic. 15
Oct.
2 “Amen, amen, dico vt» dis; si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo,
dabit vobis.”—John, xvi. 23.

37-

Charity towards otcr Neighbor.

[ch.xil

priests, as by the prayers of religious ! It was once re­
vealed to a preacher that the fruit which he produced
was not the effect of his sermons, but of the prayers of
a brother who assisted him at the pulpit. Be careful,
also, to pray for priests, that they may labor with true
zeal for the salvation of souls.
IV. Do not neglect to pray for the souls in purgatory.
It is not only a counsel, but also (as a learned author
says) a duty of holy charity, to pray for these holy souls
who stand in great need of our prayers. St. Thomas
teaches that Christian charity extends not only to the
living, but also to all who have died in the state of grace.
Hence, as we are bound to relieve our living neighbors,
who require our aid, so we are obliged to succor these
holy prisoners. According to St. Thomas, their suffer­
ings surpass all the pains of this life. They stand in
need of our assistance, because they cannot assist them­
selves. A certain Cistercian monk appeared after death
to the sacristan of his monastery, and said to him:
“Assist me by your prayers, for I can obtain nothing
for myself.” If all the faithful ought to assist these
holy souls, how much more are religious, placed by God
in monasteries, which are so many houses of prayer,
bound to succor them by their suffrages. Be careful,
then, to recommend to God, every day, in all your pray­
ers, these spouses of the Saviour, who ask your assist­
ance. Be not unwilling to offer for them some fasts and
other mortifications. Above all, apply to them the
masses that you hear, for this affords great relief to
these holy souls who, even in their prison, cannot be
ungrateful, and will not fail to obtain great graces for
us from God, and still greater when they are admitted
into heaven.
V. From what has been already said, you see how
much you stand in need of the virtue of charity, in order
to be a saint, and even to be saved. You must practise

Charity in Works,

SEC. III.]

this charity towards all your neighbors, but particularly
towards the sisters of your monastery. If you lived in a
desert this virtue would not be so necessary. For in
order to become a saint in the solitude of a desert it
would be sufficient to attend to prayer and penance. But
if you have not great charity towards those with whom
you live in the cloister, you will commit a thousand de­
fects every day, and will perhaps be lost. Were a vessel
in the midst of the ocean tossed by a violent tempest,
surely the persons on board would think only of saving
one another from shipwreck. Imagine that God has
placed you in this monastery as in a ship, where it is
your duty to assist one another to escape the shipwreck
of eternal death, and to reach heaven, where you hope
to be united for eternity in praising God.
Be particularly careful to practise charity towards the
sick, whether they are choir nuns or lay-sisters. Father
Anthony Torres used to say: “ If you wish to know
whether the Spirit of God reigns in a Community, ask
how the sick are treated.” Hence, when Superior,
although of a most amiable disposition, he punished
with severity the person who had the care of the sick
whenever he was wanting in charity to them. Oh ! how
pleasing to God is charity towards the sick ! All relig­
ious that tend to perfection practise this charity, either
in choir or in the cells of the sick. St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi, even though not infirmarian, never omitted
(when it was in her power) to assist and serve the sick;
and she would say that she desired always to live in a
hospital in order to be always employed in an office so
pleasing to God.
Let it be remembered that the merit of serving the
sick is far greater than the merit of serving those who
are in health. First, because the sick stand in greater
need of assistance. They sometimes find themselves
abandoned by all; sometimes tormented by pains, by

•__ ·

374

Charity toivards our Neighbor,

[ch.xii.

melancholy, and by fears.
Oh, how pleasing is it to
God to labor to console them in that state of affliction !
There is greater merit also, because there are greater
inconveniences in serving them; in their rooms you find
a disagreeable smell, and the gloom of melancholy.
Be careful, then, when it is in your power, never to
omit to visit a sick companion, even though she be the
humblest lay-sister in the monastery. To the lay-sisters
you should pay special attention, for they are generally
the most abandoned, particularly when their illness is
of long duration. Console them, serve them, and even
bring them an occasional little present. Do not look for
thanks; but bear with their complaints, impatience, and
rudeness. The Lord will reward the charity you prac­
tise towards them. It is related in the Chronicles of the
Teresians, that St. Isabella of the Angels was seen as­
cending to heaven immediately after her death, carried
by angels amid great splendor. And she said to a relig­
ious to whom she appeared, that God had bestowed that
great glory on her on account of her charity towards
the sick.
VI. Lastly, I recommend you, above all, to practise
charity towards the sisters who are opposed to you. I
am grateful, such a nun says, to all who treat me with
kindness. But I cannot bear acts of ingratitude. But,
as Jesus Christ says, the infidels are grateful to their
benefactors. Christian virtue consists in wishing well
to those who hate and injure us. But I say to you, says
Jesus Christ, love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.1 What
a horrible thing must it be in a religious who makes
mental prayer every day, and communicates frequently,
to entertain aversion or rancor towards a sister ! She is
1 “ Ego autem dico vobis; Diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite his
qui oderunt vos, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos.”—
Matt. v. 44.

SEC HI.]

Charily in IVarhs.

375

even not ashamed to show it; and when she hears others
speak of the sister, she endeavors to lessen their esteem
for her whenever she can. If she meet the sister, she
does not salute her; if the sister speak to her, she turns
away. She turns away from a sister, and God turns his
back on her. Consider how the Lamb of God must re­
ward such a tiger of hell. But poor and miserable is the
nun that lives in a monastery with hatred in her heart !
She shall suffer a hell here and another hereafter; she
endures, even in this life, the punishment of the damned,
because she is constrained to live always with a person
whom she cannot bear to see.
But, Father (she replies), this sister is impertinent; it
is impossible to bear with her. But it is in bearing with
those who are unbearable that the virtue of charity con­
sists. She lessens your character; she thwarts your de­
signs; she even takes away your reputation ; but you, as
it perfectly ignorant of her conduct, should force your­
self, not to show the smallest alienation or coldness:
whenever occasion requires, speak to her with a serene
countenance. If she appear distant with you, salute her
before she salutes you, and endeavor to gain her by
sweetness. To act in this manner is not baseness, but
the most heroic action that you can perform; because it
is very pleasing to God. Do not say that her conduct
is unreasonable: listen to what St. Teresa says: “ Let
her who wishes to bear the cross only when it is reason­
able, return to the world, where such reasons are admit­
ted.” 1 The reason that ought to prevail with you is, to
practise charity in order to please God, though you
should die of pain.
If the sister goes so far as to do you a positive injury,
take revenge on her; but let it be the revenge of the
saints. What is the revenge of the saints? St. Pau­
linas answers, that “ to love an enemy is heavenly re
*
1 Way of Perf. ch. 14.

376

Charity towards our Neighbor.

lch.

xu

venge.”1 The saints have taken revenge by loving,
praising, and doing good to all that have done them
evil. St. Catharine performed for a long time the
offices of a servant for a woman confined by sickness
who had charged the saint with a sin against chastity.
St. Acaius sold his goods in order to relieve a man who
had taken away his reputation. St. Ambrose assigned
to an assassin, who made an attempt on his life, a daily
sum, sufficient to enable him to live comfortably. Venustanus, governor of Tuscany, through hatred of the
faith, ordered the hands of St. Sabinus, bishop, to be cut
off. The tyrant feeling a violent pain in one of his eyes,
prayed the saint to apply a remedy. The saint offered
a prayer to God, and raising his arm, still streaming
blood, blessed the tyrant, restored his health, and saved
his soul; for, entering into himself at the sight of the
miracle, the governor was converted to the faith. St.
John Chrysostom relates that St. Meletius, seeing the
people prepared to stone to death the governor who
conducted him to exile, stretched his arms over him,
and thus saved his life. Father Segneri7 also relates
that in Bologna there was a lady, whose only son was
murdered; the murderer came into her house in order
to escape the officers of justice. What did she do ? She
concealed him from them; and said to him: Since I have
lost my son, you shall henceforth be my son and heir:
take this sum of money, and save yourself elsewhere;
for here your life is not secure. In answer to such ex­
amples some one may say: These have been saints; I
have not strength to imitate their example. Let St.
Ambrose answer for me: If you have not strength, ask
it of God and he will give it. “ If,” says the saint, “ you
are weak, pray: you pray, and God protects you.”4
1 “ Inimicum diligere, vindicta coelestis est.”—Ep. ad Sever.
s Crist, istr. p. I, rag. 20, n. 20.
3 “ Si infirmus es, ora; oras, et Dominus te protegit.”—Enarr. in
Ps. xxxviii.

—«c..

SEC. III.]

Charity in Works.

177

He who pardons those who have offended him is
secure of forgiveness from God, who says: Forgive, and
you shall be forgiven) Blessed Baptista of Verona, a
Franciscan nun, used to say: Were I to raise the dead
to life, I would not be so certain of being loved by God
as I am when I feel inclined to do good to those who
have done me evil. Our Lord said to Blessed Angela of
Foligno: The strongest proof of a mutual love between
me and my servants is the love that they bear to the
person who has offended them. If, then, you can do
nothing else, at least pray for all who have offended and
persecuted you; and recommend them fervently to God,
that you may fulfil the command of Jesus Christ: Pray
forthem that persecute and calumniate you) Blessed Jane
of the Cross prayed continually for those who gave her
any displeasure. Hence her sisters in religion used to
say: Whoever desires the prayers of Mother Jane must
offer some insult to her. St. Elizabeth, Oueen of Hungary, after having prayed for a person who had offended
her, heard from God the following words: Know that
you never said a prayer more acceptable to me than
that which you have just offered, andon account of this
prayer I pardon all your sins. Imitate her example, and
you shall certainly obtain the pardon and affection of
your divine Spouse.

Prayer.
My Jesus, grant me the gift of Thy love, which will make me
embrace all pains and insults in order to please Thee : give me
strength to deny myself all things that are not pleasing to Thee,
and to accept all that is disagreeable to self-love—sorrows, per­
secutions, loss of relatives, of health, of self-esteem, and all the
crosses that shall come from Thee. 1 now accept all from Thy
hand : I accept all the troubles of my life, and especially the
pains of my death. Grant that I may live only to please Thee;
“ Dimittite et dimittemini.”—Luke. vi. 37.
2 “ Orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos.”—Matt. v. 44.

■■■

3/8

Charity towards our Neighbor.

[ch.xil

and that at death I may sacrifice my life to Thee, with all the
affection of my soul. My God, Thou dost command me not to
offend Thee; and I dread an offence against Thee more than
death. Thou dost command me to love Thee, and I desire
only to love Thee. But I know my weakness. Ah ! assist me
continually with Thy grace: do not leave me in my own hands,
if Thou dost, I will betray Thee again. I love Thee, 0 my
Sovereign Good, and I hope always to love Thee.
O Mary, my hope, and my mother, obtain for me the grace to
be faithful to God, and to love him as a God of infinite good­
ness deserves to be loved.

SEC. IJ

Patience in General.

379

CHAPTER XIII.
PATIENCE.

I.

Patience in General.

Patience hath a perfect work} Patience is a perfect
sacrifice that we offer to God; because in suffering trib­
ulations and contradictions we do nothing but accept
from his hands the cross that he sends us. A patient
man is better than the valiantI He who suffers with pa­
tience is better than a valiant man. Some are resolute
and courageous in promoting and supporting a pious
undertaking, but are not patient in bearing adversity:
it would be better for them to be valiant in patience
than in the works that they undertake. This earth is a
place of merits, and therefore it is not a place of repose,
but of toils and pains; for merits are acquired not by
rest, but by suffering. All those that live here below
(whether saints or sinners) must suffer. Some are in
want of one comfort, others of another; some have no­
bility, but have not property; others abound in riches,
but want nobility; others enjoy nobility and wealth, but
have not health. In a word, all, even sovereigns, have
occasion to suffer; and because they are the most ex­
alted of mortals their cares and troubles are the most
harassing and perplexing.
All our good, then, consists in bearing crosses with
patience. Hence the Holy Ghost admonishes us not to
assimilate ourselves to senseless beasts that break out
1 “ Patientia autem opus perfectum habet.”—Jantes, i. 4.
2 “ Melior est patiens viro forti.”—Prov. xvi. 32.

38°

Patience.

[CH. XIIL

into a rage when they are unable to indulge their appe­
tites. Do not become like the horse and the mule who have
not understanding.' What other advantage than to double
our misfortunes can we ever derive from giving way to
impatience in contradictions ? The good and the bad
thief both died on the cross and suffered the same pains;
but because the one embraced them with patience he
was saved, and because the other bore them with impa­
tience he was damned. St. Augustine says that the
same affliction sends the just to glory because they ac­
cept it with peace, and the wicked to fire because they
submit to it with impatience.123
It often happens that a person who flies from a cross
that God sends him meets with another far more afflict­
ing. They, says Job, that fear the hoary frost, the snow
shall fall upon them.2 They who shun the hoar-frost shall
be covered with snow. Such a nun may say: Give me
any other office, but take from me the one that I hold.
But she shall suffer much more in the second office than
in the first, and with little or no merit. Be careful not
to imitate her: embrace the fatigue and tribulation that
God sends you: for you shall thus acquire greater merit,
and shall have less to suffer: you will at least suffer
with peace, knowing that your sufferings come not from
self-will, but from the will of God. Let us be persuaded
of the truth of what St. Augustine says, that the whole
life of a Christian must be a continual cross.4 The life
of religious who wish to become saints must in a spe­
cial manner be a continued series of crosses. St. Greg­
ory Nazianzen says that these noble souls place their
1 “ Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus, quibus non est intellectus.”_ Ps.
xxxi. 9.
2 “Una eademque tunsio bonos producit ad gloriam, malos redigit in
favillam.”—Serm. 52, App. E. B.
3 “ Qui timent pruinam, irruet super eos nix.”—Job, vi. 16.
4 “ Tota vita christiani, crux est.”—Sernt. 52, App. E. B

sec.

i.]

Patience in General.

w

1

riches in poverty, their glory in contempt, and their
delights in the voluntary privation of earthly pleasures.
Hence St. John Climacus ' asks: Who is truly a relig­
ious? It is, he says, the nun that offers continual vio­
lence to herself: and when shall this violence cease?
When, answers St. Prosper, life shall have an end.’
Then shall the battle cease when the conquest of the
eternal kingdom shall be obtained. If you remember
to have hitherto offended God, and if you desire to be
saved, you should be consoled when you see that God
sends you occasions of suffering. St. John Chrysostom
writes: “ Sin is an ulcer and chastisement a medicinal
iron: therefore the sinner if left unpunished is most
miserable.’”
Sin is an abscess of the soul: if trib­
ulation do not come to extract the putrid humor the
soul is lost. Miserable the sinner who is not punished
after his sin in this life.
Be persuaded, then, says St. Augustine, that when
the Lord sends you suffering he acts as a physician; and
that the tribulation that he sends you is not the punish­
ment of your condemnation, but a remedy for your sal­
vation. “ Let man understand,” says the holy Doctor,
“ that God is a physician, and that tribulation is a med­
icine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.” *
Hence you ought to thank God when he chastises you;
for his chastisements are a proof that he loves you, and
receives you into the number of his children. Whoever
the Lord loveth, says St. Paul, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth
1 Seal. par. gr. I.
2 “ Tunc finienda pugna, quando succedit secura victoria.”—De Vita
cont. 1. i, c. i.
3 “Peccatum, sanies est; pcena, ferrum medicinale; ita peccans, si
non puniatur, miserrimus est.”—Ad pop. Ant. horn. 6.
4 “ Intelligat homo medicum esse Deum, et tribulationem medica­
mentum esse ad salutem, non pœnam ad damnationem.”—In Ps. xxi.
en. 2.

*

Patience,

[CH. XIIL

every son whom he receivethl Hence, St. Augustine says:
“ Do you enjoy consolation ? acknowledge a father who
caresses you: are you in tribulation ? recognize a parent
who corrects you.” 3 On the other hand, the same holy
Doctor says: “ Unhappy you, if after you have sinned
God exempts you from scourges in this life. It isasign
that he excludes you from the number of his children.” ’
Say not, then, for the future, when you find yourself in
tribulation, that God has forgotten you; say rather that
you have forgotten your sins. He who knows that he
has offended God must pray with St. Bonaventure:
“ Run, O Lord, run, and wound Thy servants with sa­
cred wounds, lest they be wounded with the wounds of
death.” Run, O Lord, and wound Thy servants with
the wounds of love and salvation, that they may escape
the wounds of Thy wrath and of eternal death.
Let us rest assured that God sends us crosses not for
our perdition but for our salvation; if we know not how
to turn them to our own profit it is entirely our own
fault. Explaining the words, the house of Israel is become
dross to me, all these are . . . iron and lead in the midst of
the furnacei St. Gregory says: “As if God should say,‘I
wished to purify them by the fire of tribulation, and
sought to make them gold, but in the furnace they have
become to me iron and lead.’ ” 5 I have endeavored by
the fire of tribulation to change them into gold, but they
have been converted into lead. These are the sinners
’ “Quem enim diligit, Dominus castigat; flagellat autem omnem
filium quem recipit.”—Hebr. xii. 6.
2 “Gaudes; agnosce Patrem blandientcm. Tribularis; agnosce Pa­
trem emendantem.”—In Ps. liv.
3 “Si exceptus es a passione flagellorum, exceptus es a numero filio­
rum.”—Semi. 46, c. 5.
4 “ Et ferrum et plumbum in medio fornacis . . . facti sunt."—
Ezek. xxii. 18.
5 “ Purgare eos per ignem tribulationis volui, et aurum fieri quæsivi;
sed in fornace mihi in plumbum versi sunt.”—Pastor, p. 3, adm. 14.

sec.

i.]

Patience in General.

383

who, after having several times deserved hell when
visited with any calamity, break out into impatience
and anger; they almost wish to treat God as if he were
guilty of injustice and tyranny, and even go so far as to
say: But, O Lord, I am not the only one who has of
fended Thee; it appears that I am the only person whom
Thou chastisest: I am weak, I have not strength to bear
so great a cross. Miserable man, alas ! what do you
say? You say to God, I am not the only one who has
offended you. If others have offended God, he will
punish them also in this life if he wishes to show mercy
to them; but do you not know that, according to the
words which God himself spoke by Ezekiel, My indig­
nation shall rest in thee, and my jealousy shall depart from
thee, and ... I will be angry no morel the greatest chas­
tisement that God can inflict on sinners is not to chas­
tise them on this earth ? I have no more zeal for your
soul, and therefore as long as you live you shall never
more feel my anger. But St. Bernard says, “ God’s an­
ger is greatest when he is not angry. I wish, O Father
of mercies, that Thou mayest be angry with me.”2
God’s wrath against sinners is greatest when he is not
angry with them, and abstains from chastising them.
Hence the saint prayed the Lord, saying: Lord, I wish
that Thou shouldst treat me with the mercy of the
Father of mercies, and therefore I wish that Thou
shouldst chastise me here for my sins, and thus save me
from Thy everlasting vengeance. Do you say, I have
not strength to bear this cross? But if you have not
strength why do you not ask it of God ? He has prom­
ised to give his aid to all who pray for it; Ask,and it shall
be given you I
1 "Auferetur zelus meus a te, et quiescam, nec irascar amplius.”—
Ezek. xvi. 42.
2 "Tunc magis irascitur Deus, dum non irascitur. Volo irascaris
mihi, Pater misericordiarum.”—/n Cant. s. 42.
3 “ Petite et dabitur vobis.”—Matt. vii. 7.
* 1

V. U

384

Patience.

[ch.xiij.

When you, dear sister, are visited by God with any
infirmity, or loss, or persecution, humble yourself, and
say with the good thief, We receive the due reward of our
deeds' Lord, I deserve this cross because I have of­
fended Thee. Humble yourself and be comforted: for
the chastisement that you receive is a proof that God
wishes to pardon the eternal punishment due to your
sins. Who will grant me, says Job, . . . that this may be my
comfort, that afflicting me with sorrow, he spare not? Let this
be my consolation, that the Lord may afflict me and may
not spare me here below in order to spare me hereafter.
O God ! how can he who has deserved hell complain
if the Lord send him a cross. Were the pains of hell
trifling, still, because they are eternal, we should gladly
exchange them for all temporal sufferings that have an
end. But no: in hell there are all kinds of pain—they
are all intense and everlasting. And though you should
have preserved baptismal innocence and have never de­
served hell, you have at least merited a long purgatory:
and do you know what purgatory is ? St. Thomas says123
that the souls in purgatory are tormented by the very
fire that tortures the damned. Hence St. Augustine
says that the pain of that fire surpasses every torment
that man can suffer in this life.4 Be content, then, to be
chastised in this life rather than in the next; particu­
larly since by accepting crosses with patience in this
life your sufferings will be meritorious; but hereafter
you will suffer without merit.
Console yourself also in suffering with the hope of
paradise. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say: “To
1 “ Digna factis recipimus.”—Luke, xxiii. 41.
2 “ Et hæc mihi sit consolatio, ut, affligens me dolore, non parcat.”—
fob, vi. 10.
3 In 4 sent. d. 21, q. i, a. 1.
4 “ Gravior erit ille ignis, quam quidquid potest homo pati in hac
vita.”—In Ps. xxxvii.

SEC. I.]

Patience in General.

gain heaven all labor is small.” And before him the
Apostle said: The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in ust
It would be but little to suffer all the pains of this earth
for the enjoyment of a single moment in heaven: how
much more, then, ought we to embrace the crosses that
God sends us when we know that the short sufferings
of this life shall merit for us an eternal felicity. That
which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation,
worketh for us . . . an eternal weight of glory.’ We should
feel not sadness but consolation of spirit when God
sends us sufferings here below. They who pass to eter­
nity with the greatest merits shall receive the greatest
reward. It is on this account that the Lord sends us
tribulations. Virtues, which are the fountains of mer­
its, are practised only by acts. They who have the
most frequent occasions of annoyance make the most
frequent acts of patience; they who are most frequently
insulted make most frequent acts of meekness. Hence
St. James says, Blessed is the man that en dut eth temptation ;
for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of
life.3 Blessed is he who suffers afflictions with peace;
for when he shall be thus proved he shall receive the
crown of eternal life.
This thought made St. Agapitus, martyr, a boy of fif­
teen years, say, when the tyrant ordered his head to be
encompassed with burning coals, “ It is very little to
bear the burning of my head, which shall be crowned
with glory in heaven.’ This thought made Job exclaim:
J we have received good things at the hand of God, why
1 “Non sunt condignæ passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam,
quæ revelabitur in nobis.”—Rom. viii. 18.
2 “ Momentaneum et leve tribulationis nostræ . . . aeternum gloriæ
pondus operatur in nobis.”—2 Cor. iv. 17.
3 ‘‘ Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem; quoniam, cum probatus fuerit,
accipiet coronam vitæ.”—fautes, i. 12.

386

Patience,

(CH. XiO.

should we not receive evil t1 He meant to say, if we have
gladly received good things, why should we not also re­
ceive with greater joy temporal evils, by which we shall
acquire the eternal goods of paradise ? This thought
also filled with jubilation the hermit whom a soldier
found singing in a wood, though his body was covered
with ulcers so that his flesh was falling to pieces. The
soldier said to him: Is it you that were singing ? Yes,
I sang, and I had reason to sing; for between me and
God there is nothing but the filthy wall of my body. I
now see it falling to pieces, and therefore I sing, because
I see that the time is at hand when I shall go to enjoy
my Lord.’ This thought made St. Francis of Assisi
say: “So great is the good which I expect, that to me
every pain gives delight.” In a word, the saints feel
consoled when they see themselves in tribulation, and
are afflicted when they enjoy earthly consolations. We
read in the Teresian Chronicles that in reciting these
words of the Office: IJ hen wilt thou comfort met1*3 Mother
Isabella of the Angels used to say them so fast that she
would anticipate the other sisters. Being asked why
she did so, she answered: “ I am afraid that God may
console me in this life.”
To be in tribulation in this world is a great sign of
predestination. “To be afflicted here below,” says St.
Gregory, “ belongs to the elect, for whom is reserved
the beatitude of eternity."4 Hence we find in the lives
of the saints, that all, without exception, have been
loaded with crosses. This is precisely what St. Jerome
wrote to the virgin Eustochia: “Seek," says the holy
1 “ Si bona suscepimus de manu Dei, mala quarc non suscipiamus?"
^-Job, ii. io.
’ Spec. Exempt, dist. q, c. 138.
’ ’· Quando consolaberis me?”—Ps. cxviii. 82.
4 “ Electorum est hic coQtcri, quibus servatur de ætemitate gaudere."
—Mor. I. 26, c. 18.

SEC. I.)

Patience in General.

387

Doctor, “ and you shall find that every saint has been
subject to tribulations: Solomon, alone, lived in the
midst of delights, and therefore perhaps he was lost."
*
The Apostle has said that all the predestined must be
found like to Jesus Christ: Whom he /oreknew, he also
predestined to be made conformable to the image of his Son?
But the life of Jesus Christ was a life of continual
suffering; hence the same Apostle says: Yet soif we suffer
with him, that we may be also glorified with him? If we
suffer with Jesus Christ, we shall then be glorified with
Jesus Christ.
But we shall not be glorified with him unless we suffer
with patience like our Saviour, who when he was reviled
aid not revile: when he suffered he threatened not? St.
Gregory says that as to suffer with patience is a mark
of predestination, so to suffer with impatience is a pres­
age of damnation. Hence the Lord tells us that we
shall attain salvation only by suffering with patience:
In your patience you shall possess your souls? And let us be
persuaded that God sends us tribulations only because
he seeks our welfare; by them he wishes to detach us
from earthly pleasures, which may occasion the loss of
our eternal salvation. “The world," says St. Augustine,
“ is bitter and it is loved; if it were sweet, how ardently,
think you, should it be loved.”" The world is bitter be­
cause all its delights do not content the heart of man,
and because they all ultimately terminate in bitterness
1 “Quaere, cl invenies singulos sanctos adversa perpessos; solus in
deliciis Salomon fuit, et forsitan ideo corruit.'’
’ “ Quos praescivit, et praedestinavit conformes fieri imaginis Filii
sui.”—Rom. viii. 29.
’ “ Si tamen compatimur, ut et conglorificemur.”—Ibid. 17.
4 “Qui cum malediceretur, non maledicebat; cum pateretur, noo
comminabatur.”—1 Pet. ii. 23.
5 “ In patientia vestra, possidebitis animas vestras.”—Luke, xxi. 19.
• “ Amarus est mundus, et diligitur; puta, si dulcis esset, qualiter
amaretur.”—Serm. 29S, Afp. E. B.

Patience.

ch. xiil

and remorse of conscience; but still it is loved. Imagine,
then, says the saint, were it sweet, how intensely should
we love it, and how completely would we forget the
soul, heaven, and God. To wean an infant, and to give
it a horror of taking suck, the mother puts gall on the
paps. It is thus God treats us. He makes the very
pleasures of this earth become bitter, that, detaching
our hearts from them, we may pant after the eternal
delights which he prepares in heaven for all those that
love him. It was for this end that our loving Saviour
came on earth to suffer, that we might not refuse to
imitate his example. Christ, says St. Peter, suffered for
us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps)
Behold how he invites us to follow him: If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
and follow me! As if he said. He who wishes not to
suffer and refuses the cross, let him cease to pretend to
be my disciple, or to expect to follow me to paradise.
But the desire of pleasing God is the sublime end
which a soul should have in embracing sufferings Ec­
clesiasticus says that some show friendship only in the
time of prosperity, and abandon a friend in his adversity:
There is a friend for his own occasion, and he will not abide
in the day of thy trouble! But the most certain testimony
of love is to suffer with cheerfulness for the person
loved. The sacrifice most agreeable to God consists in
embracing with patience all the crosses which he sends.
Charity is patient . . . beareth all things! Love bears all
things: external crosses, loss of health, loss of property,
1 “ Christus passus est pro nobis, vobis relinquens exemplum, ut
sequamini vestigia ejus.”—i Pet. ii. 21.
2 “Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem
suam, et sequatur me.”—Matt. xvi. 24.
3 “ Est enim amicus secundum tempus suum; et non permanebit in
die tribulationis.”—Ecclus. vi. 8.
4 " Charitas patiens est, . . . omnia suffert.”—1 Cor. xiii. 4.

SEC. I.]

Patience in General.

389

of honors, of relatives, of friends: interior crosses, an­
guish, temptations, sorrows, desolation of spirit. By
patience virtue is proved. Hence, in the lives of the
saints we usually find a description of their patience
under afflictions. It is thus the Lord proves our fidelity.
The devil tempts us, and God also tempts us. The
devil tempts us in order to bring us to perdition, God
tempts us in order to prove us: As gold in the furnace he
hath proved them} As gold is proved by fire, so God
proves the love of his lovers by the fire of tribulation.
Hence to be in tribulation is a mark that the soul is
dear to God. Because thou wast acceptable to God, said the
angel to Tobias, it was necessary that temptation should prove
thee} St. Jerome says that when God sends a person an
occasion of suffering, he confers a greater favor than if
he gave him power to raise the dead to life.3 Because,
adds the saint, when we work miracles we are debtors to
God, but when we bear afflictions with patience, God is,
in a certain manner, our debtor.·1
O God, how is it possible for him who looks at the
crucifix, and beholds a God dying in a sea of sorrows
and insults; how, I say, is it possible for him, if he loves
that God, not to bear with cheerfulness, or even not to
desire to suffer every pain for his sake ? St. Mary Mag­
dalene de Pazzi used to say: “ The sharpest pains become
sweet when we behold Jesus on the cross.” Justus Lipsius once found himself greatly afflicted with pains: a
certain person endeavored to encourage him to bear
them with'patience by placing before him the patience
of the stoics; bitt he turned to the crucifix and said:
1 “ Tamquam aurum in fornace, probavit illos.”—IVisd. iii. 6.
’ “ Quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit ut tentatio probaret te."—
Tbb. xii. 13.
3 “ Quando Deus dat alicui ut mortuos resuscitet, minus dat quam
cum dat occasionem patiendi."
4 “ Pro miraculis enim, debitor sum Deo; at pro patientia, debitorem
habeo Christum.”—In Phil. hom. A.

390

Patience.

[ch. χπι.

There is true patience. He meant to say, that the ex­
ample of a God who had suffered so much for the love
of us is sufficient to animate us to endure all pain for
the love of him. “The ignominy of the cross,” says St.
Bernard, “is grateful to him who is not ungrateful to a
crucified God.” 1 To him who loves his crucified Saviour
pains and opprobrium are agreeable. When St. Eleazar
was asked by his virgin spouse, St. Afra, how he could
submit to so many insults from the rabble without seek­
ing revenge, he said: “My spouse, think not that I am
insensible to these insults; I feel them strongly; but I
turn to Jesus on the cross, and continue to look at him
until my soul becomes tranquil.” Love, says St. Augus­
tine, makes all things easy." After being wounded with
divine love, St. Catharine of Genoa used to say that
she knew not what it was to suffer. Although she en­
dured the most grievous pains, she felt none of them,
because she regarded them as sent by him who loved
her so tenderly. Thus also a good religious of the So­
ciety of Jesus, when God visited him with any pain,
sickness, or persecution, used to say within himself : “ Tell
me, O pain, sickness, or persecution, who sends you?
Does God send you ? Welcome, welcome !” Thus he
was always in peace.
Let us conclude. Since in this life we must suffer
either cheerfully or with reluctance, let us endeavor to
suffer with merit, that is, with patience. Patience is a
shield that defends us against all the pains arising from
persecutions, infirmities, losses, and other afflictions.
He who has not this shield, has to bear all these pains.
Let us, then, in the first place, ask this patience of God;
without asking it we shall never obtain this great gift
When afflictions come upon us, let us be careful to do
1 “ Grata ignominia crucis ei qui Crucifixo ingratus non est.”—In
Cant. s. 25.
4 “ Omnia fiunt facilia charitati.”—De j\rat. et Grat. c. 69.

SEC. I.]

Patience in General.

391

violence to ourselves, and not to break out into words of
impatience or complaint. The fire that burns in a vessel
is soon extinguished when the vessel is closed. To him
that overcomethy I will give the hidden manna. When a
person does violence to conquer himself in adversity, by
instantly embracing the cross that God sends him, oh !
what sweetness does the Lord make him afterwards ex­
perience in the very tribulation that he suffers—a sweet­
ness hidden from men of the world, but well known to
souls that love God. St. Augustine used to say, that
to enjoy a good conscience in the midst of afflictions
is sweeter than to live with a guilty conscience in
the midst of delights? Speaking of herself, St. Teresa
said: “I have several times experienced that when I
generously resolve to do an act, God instantly makes
the performance of it pleasant to me. He wishes the
soul to feel these terrors in the beginning, that she may
have greater merit.”
He who resolves to suffer for God, suffers no more
pain. Let us read the lives of the saints, and see how
they have been enamoured of suffering.
St. Gertrude used to say, that so great was her enjoy­
ment in suffering, that no time was more painful than
that in which she was free from pain. St. Teresa used
to say, that she did not wish to live without suffering;
hence she would often exclaim: “ Either to suffer or to
die.” St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi went so far as to
say: “To suffer and not to die.”
When the tyrant was preparing new torments for the
martyr Procopius, the saint said to him: “Torment me
as much as you please; do you not know that to him
who loves Jesus Christ there is nothing more dear than
to suffer for Jesus Christ.” 3
1 “ Vincenti dabo manna absconditum.”—Afioc ii. 17.
2 “Jucundius gaudere de bona conscientia inter molestias, quam de
mala inter delicias.”—De caiech. rud. c. 16.
3 Surins, S Jul

392

Patience.

[CH ΧΙΠ.

St. Gordian, as St. Basil relates, being threatened
with great torments if he refused to deny Jesus Christ,
answered: “ I am sorry that I can die but once for my
Saviour, Jesus Christ.” 1 He afterwards intrepidly suf­
fered death.
To the tyrant who threatened to make her die in a
caldron of boiling pitch, St. Potamiena, virgin, said: I
entreat you to let me down into this caldron, not at once,
but by degrees, that thus I may suffer more for my
Jesus. The tyrant complied with her request: she was
let down gradually into the caldron, till the pitch having
reached her neck, took away her speech and her life.2
Baronins describes the celebrated martyrdom of three
holy virgins, called Faith, Hope, and Charity, who when
threatened with torments by the tyrant Antiochus
courageously said: Do you not know that to Christians
nothing is more desirable than to suffer for Jesus Christ ?
St. Faith was first scourged; her breasts were then cut
off, she Avas afterwards tormented with fire, and finally
beheaded. St. Hope was first beaten with the sinews of
an ox; her ribs were then torn with iron combs, and she
was afterwards thrown into a vessel of burning pitch.
St. Charity was the youngest; she was not more than
nine years old; hence the tyrant expected that she
would yield through fear of torments. He said to her,
My child, be you at least wise, unless you wish to be
tortured like your sisters. The holy child answered:
You deceive yourself, O Antiochus; all your torments
shall not make me forsake Jesus Christ. The tyrant
ordered her to be fastened to a rope, and to be cast
several times from a height to the ground, until all her
bones were dislocated. He then commanded her mem­
bers to be pierced with sharp irons, so that she died
exhausted of blood.
1 Victories of Mart., Part I. ch. xxxiii.
- Victories of Mart., Part I. ch. xlviii.

sec. i.]

Patience in General.

393

Let us come to more modern examples.
In Japan a certain married woman called Maxentia was
subjected to torments for the faith. One of the execu­
tioners wished to alleviate her pains, but she rejected the
offer Seeing her continue firm in confessing the faith,
one of her persecutors pointed a sword twice to her
cheek in order to terrify her; but she said to him: O
God, how do you expect to terrify me with that death
which I desire? The way to fill me with terror is to
promise me life. After these words she stretched her
neck to the executioner, and he cut off her head.
In Japan, also, Father John Baptist Maciado, of the
Society of Jesus, was confined in a damp prison, in
which he remained for forty days in such intense pain,
that he could not rest by night or by day. From this
prison he wrote to another religious: My Father, not­
withstanding all my pains, I would not exchange my
condition for that of the first monarch of the earth.
From a prison in which he had a great deal to suffer
Father Charles Spiniola wrote to his companions: “Oh !
how sweet is it to suffer for Jesus Christ ! I have re­
ceived the news of my condemnation. I pray you to
thank the divine goodness for the great gift bestowed
upon me.” In the same letter he added: “Charles
Spinola condemned for Jesus Christ.” Soon after he
was burnt alive on a slow fire. It is said that, in thanks­
giving to God, when he was fastened to the stake, he
intoned the Psalm, O praise the Lord, alt ye nations} Thus
he died.
But how, some one may ask with wonder, were the
holy martyrs able to suffer with so much joy? Were
they not flesh ? or did the Lord make them insensible to
pain ? No, says St. Bernard, their patience and jubila­
tion under suffering, says the saint, were the effect not
of insensibility, but of the love which they bore to Jesus
1 “ Laudate Dominum omnes gentes.”—Ps. cxvi.

/

i

394

Patience.

[CH. XIII.

Christ; they were not exempt from pain, but through
love for their Lord they conquered and despised it.1
That great servant of God, Father Hippolitus Durazzo,
of the Society of Jesus, used to say: 11 Let God cost
what he will, the price is never too great.” And St.
Joseph Calasanctius said, that he who knows not how
to suffer for Jesus Christ knows not how to gain Jesus
Christ. Ah ' souls that understand the language of
love, being convinced that by embracing crosses they
please God, know well how to find all their happiness
in suffering.

Prayer.
My crucified Jesus, Thou hast suffered so many sorrows and
insults for my sake; Thou hast died in order to gain my love,
and I have so often renounced Thy love for nothing. Have
mercy on me and pardon me. Blessed be Thy mercy which
has borne with me so long and with so much patience. During
that time I neither loved Thee nor cared to be loved by Thee.
I now love Thee with my whole soul ; and the greatest of all
my pains is that which arises from having offended Thee, who
hast loved me so tenderly. Yes, this is my greatest pain. But it
is a pain that consoles me, because it gives me confidence that
Thou hast already pardoned me. Oh ! that I had died rathef
than have ever offended Thee. My God, if I have not hitherto
loved Thee, I now give myself entirely to Thee. I wish to re­
nounce all things to love only Thee, my Saviour, who art
worthy of infinite love. I have sinned enough against Thee.
The remainder of my life I wish to spend in loving Thy heart,
which is so enamoured of me. Tell me all Thou wishest from
me : I wish to do it. Give me strength to execute this wish. I
love Thee, O infinite Goodness, I love Thee with my whole
heart; and for Thy sake I accept all the pains which Thou shalt
be pleased to send me.
Mary, my Mother, assist me by thy intercession : in thee I
trust.
1 “ Neque hoc facit stupor, sed amor; n.c deest dolor, sed superatur,
sed contemnitur.”—In Cant. s. 6i.

SEC. Π.]

Patience in Sickness.

395

II.
Patience in Sickness, Poverty, Contempt, Persecutions, and
Spiritual Desolation.
i.

Patience in Sickness.

We must practise patience in sickness. This is the
touchstone by which the spirit of a Christian is found to
be of gold or of copper. Some are cheerful, patient, and
devout as long as they enjoy health, but when visited
by sickness they commit a thousand defects: they ap­
pear to be inconsolable; they are impatient to all, even
to the person who attends them through charity; they
complain of every pain or inconvenience that they suffer;
they complain of all,—of the physician, the Superior, the
infirmarian,—saying that they are treated with neglect
and inattention. Behold, the gold is found to be copper.
But, my Father, such a person may say, I suffer so much,
and can I not even complain, or tell what I endure? I
do not forbid you to make known your pains when they
are severe, but when they are trifling it is a weakness to
complain of them to all, and to seek sympathy and com­
passion from every one who visits you. And should the
remedies prescribed not remove your pains, I wish that
you yield not to impatience under them, but that you
resign yourself in peace to the will of God.
Another may say, But where has charity gone ? Be­
hold how my very sisters forget me, and abandon me on
the bed of sickness. I pity you; noton account of your
bodily infirmities, but on account of your want of pati­
ence under them, which makes you doubly sick—in body
and soul. The sisters forget you; but you have forgot­
ten Jesus Christ, who died abandoned for your sake on
the cross. And what profit do you derive from com­
plaining of the sisters? Complain of yourself because
you have but little love for Jesus Christ, and therefore
have so little patience. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to

396

Patience,

[CH. XIII.

say: “ If the sick had patience there should be no more
complaints.” Salvian writes that there are many per­
sons who, had they good health, could not be saints.1
With regard to saintly women, we know from their
published lives that they were almost all continually
afflicted with various infirmities. For forty years St.
Teresa was not free from pain for a single day. Hence,
Salvian adds, that persons dedicated to the love of Jesus
Christ are infirm, and wish to continue in their infirmi­
ties.2
Another will perhaps say: I do not refuse sickness,
but I regret that on account of my infirmities I am not
able to be present in choir, to go to Communion, or to
make mental prayer, and that I am a burden to the
Community. Allow me to answer all these excuses one
by one. i. Tell me, why do you wish to go to the choir
in order to recite the Office ? or to the church in order to
communicate ? Is it not to please God ? Well, but if it
is God’s will and pleasure that you go neither to choir
to say the Office, nor to the church to communicate,
but that you remain in bed to suffer, why should you be
troubled ? Father M. Avila3 wrote to a priest laboring
under sickness: “ Friend, do not stop to examine what
you would do if you had health, but be content to re­
main sick as long as it shall please God. If you seek
the will of God, it matters not whether you are in sick­
ness or in health.” St. Francis de Sales has even said
that “ we serve God better by sufferings than by works.”
2. You say that in sickness you cannot make mental
prayer, and why can you not make mental prayer? I
grant that you cannot apply the mind to reflection, but
why can you not look at the crucifix, and offer to your
crucified Saviour the pains that you suffer? And what
1 “Si fortes fuerint, sancti esse non possent.”—De Gub, Dei. 1. I.
s “ Homines Christo dediti, et infirmi sunt, et esse volunt.”
3 Part 2, Ep. 51.

sec.

π.]

Patience in Sickness,

ypi

prayer can be better than to suffer, and to resign your­
self to the divine will, uniting your sufferings to those
of Jesus Christ, and presenting them to God in union
with the sufferings of his Son ? 3. You say that in sick­
ness you are useless, and a burden to the Community.
But as you conform yourself to the divine will, so you
ought to suppose that your sisters also conform to it,
when they see that you are a burden to the monastery,
not through your own fault, but by the will of God.
Ah ! such desires and complaints spring not from the
love of God, but from self-love; for we would wish to
serve the Lord not in the manner that pleases him, but
in the way that is agreeable to ourselves.
Ah ! embrace with peace all the infirmities that God
sends you, if you truly wish to please him, and wish at
the same time to give good example to your sisters.
Oh ! how great the edification given by the religious,
who, in spite of all her pains, and even in the danger of
death with which she is threatened, preserves a serene
countenance, abstains from all complaints against the
physician or the sisters, thanks all for their attendance,
whether it be much or little, and accepts in the spirit of
obedience the remedies applied, however bitter or pain­
ful they may be ! St. Lidwina, as Surius relates, lay for
thirty-eight years on a board, abandoned, covered with
sores, and tortured by pains: she never complained of
anything, but peaceably embraced all her sufferings.
Blessed Ilumiliana of Florence, a Franciscan nun, being
afflicted with several painful and violent diseases, used
to raise her hand to heaven, and say: “ Be blessed, my
love, be blessed.” St. Clare was likewise continually
sick for twenty-eight years, and the smallest complaint
never escaped her lips. St. Theodore, abbot, had a
painful ulcer during his whole life, and he would say
that the Lord sent it in order to give him occasion to
thank God unceasingly, as he was always accustomed

3Ç)S

Patience.

lch. xiil

to do. When we suffer any pain, let us cast a glance at
so many holy martyrs, whose flesh was torn in pieces
with iron hooks, or burnt with red-hot plates, and let us
at the sight of their torments take courage to offer to
God the pain by which we are afflicted.
Patience under the severity of the seasons accom­
panies patience in infirmities. When cold or heat is in­
tense, some are disturbed and complain, particularly if
they have not the clothes or other comforts that they
wish for. Be careful not to imitate their example; but
bless these creatures as ministers of the divine will, and
say with Daniel, O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord. . . . 0
ye cold and heat, bless the Lord.'
Above all, we should in the time of sickness accept
death should it come, and the death that God wills. And
what is this life but a continual tempest, in which we
are always in danger of being lost ? St. Aloysius, though
he died in the flower of youth, embraced death with joy,
saying: “ Now I find myself, as I hope, in the grace of
God: I know not what might happen to me hereafter.
I therefore gladly quit this earth, if it now pleases God
to call me to the other life.” But you will say: St.
Aloysius was a saint, and I am a sinner. But listen to
the answer of Father M. Avila: Every one who finds
himself even moderately well disposed should desire
death, in order to escape the danger of losing the grace
of God, to which he is always exposed as long as he
lives on this earth. What more desirable than, by a good
death, to be secure of being no longer able to lose God !
But, you reply, hitherto I have gained nothing for my
soul: I would wish to live in order to do something be­
fore I die. But if God calls you at present to the other
life, how do you know that for the future you will not
be worse than you were hitherto? and that you will not
fall into other sins and be lost?
1 “ Benedicite, ignis et æstus Domino; . . . benedicite, gelu et frigus,
Domino.”—Dun. iii. 66, 69.

SEC. II.]

Patience in Poverty.

399

And if we had no other motive, we ought to embrace
death with peace when it comes, because it delivers us
from the commission of new sins. In this life no one is
exempt from all sins—at least from all venial sins.
Hence, St. Bernard says: “Why do we desire life, in
which the longer we live the more we sin ?” 1 Why do
we desire to live, since we know that the greater the
number of our days, the more our sins shall be multi­
plied ? Moreover, if we love God, we should sigh to
see and to love him face to face in heaven. But, unless
death opens the gate to us, we cannot enter into that
happy country. Hence the enamoured St. Augustine
exclaimed: “ Lord take me out of life, that I may be
able to go to see Thee.”2
2. Patience

in

Poverty.

In the second place, it is necessary to practise pati­
ence in the inconveniences of poverty when we are in
want of temporal goods. “What,” says St. Augustine,
“can be sufficient for him for whom God is not suffi­
cient?”3 They who possess God, though they should
want everything else, possess all things. Hence they
can say, “ My God and my all.”4 Hence, the Apostle
says, that though the saints have nothing, they possess
all things: As having nothing, and possessing all things
*
AVhen, then, you want medicines in sickness, when you
want food, or fire in the winter, or clothes, say, My God,
Thou alone art sufficient for me; and thus console your­
self.
Embrace also the losses of creatures, such as the loss
of property, of relatives, of friends. Such a nun loses a
’ “ Cur vitam desideramus, in qua, quanto amplius vivimus, tanto
plus peccamus?”—Med. c. 2.
2 “ Eia, Domine ! moriar, ut te videam.”—Solii, an. ad D. c. I.
3 “ Quid tibi sufficit, cui Deus non sufficit?”—Serrn. 105, E. B.
4 “ Deus meus, et omnia.”
5 “ Nihil habentes et omnia possidentes.”—2 Cor. vi. 10.

400

Patience.

[CH. XIII.

trifle, a book, a wax taper, a medal, and she disturbs the
whole monastery, and cannot keep herself in peace.
Another is inconsolable at the death of a relative. She
gives up mental prayer, she abstains from Communion,
she is impatient to all her sisters, she shuts herself up in
her cell, she will not take food, and sends away those
who come to console her. To such a religious I· would
say: Is this the love that you bear to God ? Then it is
not true that God is your every good, since it is now
manifest, that because you have lost a creature, you no
longer enjoy peace, and appear almost to care no more
about God? Tell me what advantage do you derive
from thus abandoning yourself to melancholy ? Do you
imagine that you please the person who has died ? No;
you displease God, and also the deceased relative. How
much more pleasing would it be to her, if, conforming
yourself to the divine will, you endeavored to abstain
from weeping and howling, and sought to unite your­
self more closely to God, and to pray for her if she is in
purgatory. To shed an occasional tear at the death of
a relative is a pardonable weakness of nature; but im­
moderate grief proceeds from weakness of spirit and of
the love of God. Holy religious also hear of the death
of persons most dear to them; but reflecting that God
has willed their death, they instantly resign themselves,
and go in peace to pray for them. They then make
more frequent meditations and Communions, and unite
themselves more to God, hoping to go one day to enjoy
him in heaven, along with their deceased relatives.
Other nuns, who appear to be the most devout, are
not so much afflicted at the loss of relatives and friends
as at the loss of their director. They seem as if inclined
to complain of God, saying that he has abandoned them
by taking away their help and spiritual guide. Oh
what folly ! It is God and not a confessor that must
make us saints. The Lord certainly wishes that we do

sec. ii.]

Patience in Contempt and Persecutions.

401

not leave our confessor as long as we have him to point
out to us the will of God in our regard. But when God
takes him away he will take care to send another, or to
supply in some other way. Hence to be disturbed when
we are deprived of our ordinary director is not virtue,
but an imperfection, and a great imperfection; for the
inquietude arises either from earthly attachment, or at
least from a want of confidence in God. Let it be your
care, dear sister, to remain always detached from
your director, and to be prepared to lose him whenever
God wishes. And should he leave you, or should God
call him to the other life, say with Job: The Lord hath
given and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of
the Lord) You can then follow the directions that he
has given you though you should have another con­
fessor: however, regulate your conduct, generally, by
the advice of your ordinary confessor, who, commonly
speaking, may be said to be the most secure guide; be­
cause he is assigned to you by God, and the extraordi­
nary director is chosen by yourself.
3. Patience in Contempt and Persecutions.

Thirdly, it is necessary to practise patience in con­
tempt and persecutions. But, you say, I have not failed
in anything—why should I receive such an affront ? why
should I be persecuted ? This is not the will of God.
But do you not know the answer that Jesus Christ gave
to St. Peter, Martyr, who complained of being unjustly
imprisoned, saying: O Lord, what evil have I done that
I should suffer this m’ortification ? Jesus answered from
the cross, And what evil have I done that I should be
nailed to this cross?3 If, then, my dear sister, your
Redeemer has voluntarily embraced death for the love
1 “ Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit; ... sit nomen Domini bene­
dictum.”—Job, i. 21.
2 Boli. 29 Apr. Vit. c. i.

402

Patience.

[ch. χιπ.

of you, it is not too much for you to embrace this mor­
tification for the love of him. It is true that God does
not will the sin of the person who insults or persecutes
you; but he certainly wishes that you bear this contra­
diction for his sake, and also for your own welfare.
Although, says St. Augustine, we have not committed
the fault that is imputed to us, we have been guilty of
other sins that deserve the chastisement we receive, and
even far greater chastisement.1
All the saints have been persecuted in this world. St.
Basil was accused of heresy before St. Damasus, Pope.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem was condemned as a heretic by
forty bishops, and was deprived of his see. St. Atha­
nasius was charged with the crime of sorcery, and St.
John Chrysostom with sins against chastity. St. Rom­
uald, at the age of more than a hundred years, was
accused of an enormous sin, for which some said that
he deserved to be burned alive. St. Francis de Sales
was charged with an unchaste familiarity with a sec­
ular lady, and remained for three years under the
imputation till his innocence was discovered. Of St.
Lidwina it is related that one day a woman entered her
chamber, and began to insult her in the most atrocious
manner; and because the saint preserved her usual
tranquillity, the tigress becoming more furious began to
spit in her face, and seeing the saint still undisturbed,
she screamed like a madwoman.
There is no remedy: for, says the Apostle, all who will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.'1 All who
wish to follow Jesus Christ shall be persecuted. If,
says St. Augustine, you are unwilling to suffer any per­
secution, tremble lest you have not as yet begun to
1 “ Etsi non habemus peccatum quod nobis objicit inimicus, habemus
tamen alterum, quod digne in nobis flagelletur.”—In Ps. Ixviii. s. i.
2 “ Omnes qui pie volunt vivere in Christo Jesu, persecutionem pati­
entur.”—2 Tim. iii. 12.

sec. π.]

Patience in Spiritual Desolation.

403

serve Jesus Christ. Who more innocent and holy than
our Saviour ? And still he was persecuted by men until
he died on a cross, covered with wounds, and over­
whelmed with shame. Hence, to animate us to bear
persecutions with peace the Apostle exhorts us to keep
always before our mind Jesus Christ crucified. Think
diligently upon him that endured much opposition from sinners
against himself ' Let us rest secure that when we suffer
persecution in peace God will take up our defence; and
should he ever permit us to remain in dishonor here, he
will reward our patience with greater honors hereafter.
4· Patience in Spiritual Desolation.

In the fourth and last place, we ought to practise
patience in desolation of the spirit, which is the most
sensible and the sharpest pain that a soul that loves
God can experience on this earth. To a soul assisted
by divine consolations, all insults, sorrows, losses, and
persecutions are not only not an affliction, but rather a
source of consolation, because they give her occasion to
offer these pains to her Lord, and by such offerings to
unite herself more closely to her beloved. The severest
pain of a loving soul consists in seeing herself without
devotion, without fervor, without desires, and in finding
nothing but disgust and tediousness in meditation and
Communion. But, according to St. Teresa, God has
the best proof of their love, when without relish, and
even with anguish and pain, they persevere patiently in
their accustomed exercises. By aridity and tempta­
tions, says the saint, God tries his lovers.’ Blessed
Angela of Foligno, finding herself in a state of aridity,
complained to God as if he had abandoned her. No,
1 “ Recogitate enim eum qui talem sustinuit a peccatoribus adversum
semetipsum contradictionem.”—Hebr. xii. 3.
9 Life, ch. ii.

404

Patience.

[CH. ΧΙΠ.

daughter, answered our Lord, I now Iovï you more
than before, and I bring you nearer to myself.
In the beginning, some religious, finding themselves
in desolation, imagine that God has abandoned them, or
that they are not fit for the way of perfection; thus they
leave the road in which they began to walk, begin to
give liberty to the senses, and thus los-e all they have
done. Be attentive, do not allow yourself to be deceived
by the enemy: when you feel aridity, be constant, and
omit none of your ordinary exercises of devotion. Hum­
ble yourself, and say that you deserve to be treated in
this manner in punishment of your sins. Above all, re­
sign yourself to the divine will, and trust more than
ever in God; for that is the time of rendering yourself
dear to your divine Spouse. Do you imagine that the
saints were always in the enjoyment of consolations
and celestial tenderness ? Know that they have spent
the greater part of their life in desolation and darkness.
And to speak the truth, which I have learned by expe­
rience, I have but little confidence in the soul that
abounds in spiritual sweetness without having first
passed through the ordeal of internal sufferings; be­
cause it not unfrequently happens that such souls goon
well as long as the divine consolations continue, but
when tried by aridity they give up all, and abandon
themselves to a life of tepidity.
But such a nun may say: I do not refuse this cross if
it be the will of God; but what afflicts me is that this
abandonment maybe the chastisement of my infidelities.
But I answer: Let it be a chastisement, as you say; to
you in a special manner, I say, that if you have failed by
attachment to any creature, God, who is jealous of the
heart of his spouses, justly withdraws himself. Let it
then be a chastisement; is it not a just one? Is it not
the will of God that you accept it? Accept it then in
peace, and remove the cause of your desolation, take

sec. π.]

Patience in Spiritual Desolation.

405

away affections to creatures, take away dissipation of
spirit arising from excessive indulgence of the eyes, the
tongue, and the ears: give yourself again entirely to
God, and he will restore your former fervor. But seek
not to be consoled by your former tenderness; but
rather ask strength to be faithful to God. Be persuaded
that he sends desolation only for our greater profit,
and to prove our love. He said to St. Gertrude that he
tenderly loves the souls that serve him at their own ex­
pense, that is, in aridity and without sensible sweetness.
Love is not proved so much in following one that
caresses you as in seeking after him that flies from you.
But, says St. Bernard, fear not, O spouse of Jesus, fear
not if the Spouse hides his face for a little; know that
he does all for your good; he withdraws for your secur­
ity, lest, finding yourself greatly caressed, you begin to
despise your companions by esteeming yourself better
than they are; he withdraws also that you may desire
him with greater ardor, and seek after him with greater
solicitude.1 You must in the mean time persevere in
your pious exercises, though you should suffer in them
the agonies of death: far more painful was the agony
which your Spouse suffered in the garden of Gethsemani
when he was preparing for death and was praying for
you. jBeing in ayony he prayed the longer} Be constant,
then, in seeking after your Spouse; he will not delay
long to come and console you.1*3 And should he not
come to give you consolations and tenderness, be con­
tent with receiving from him courage and strength to
love him without the recompense of present delights.
1 “Ne timeas, O Sponsa, si paulisper tibi subtrahit faciem suam;
omnia ista cooperantur tibi in bonum; recedit ad cautelam, ne incipias
contemnere sodales, ... ut desideratus avidius quaeratur.”—Seal,
claust. c. 8.
8 “ Et factus in agonia prolixius orabat.”—Luke, xxii. 43.
3 “ Exspecta illum, quia veniens veniet, et non tardabit.”—Hab. ii. 3.

4o6

Patience.

[CH. XIIL

God is more pleased with a strong than with a tender
love.
5. A Few Practical Counsels.

Let us conclude with giving a few practical counsels
in order to obtain patience and to practise it under
every trial.
1. In general, St. Thomas says, that to reflect on them
before they happen is a great help to bear all tribula­
tions with fortitude. Jesus Christ said to his disciples:
In the world you shall have distress : but have confidence, I
have overcome the world} My children, know that in the
world you shall be afflicted and despised; but have con­
fidence in me, who have conquered the world. The rea­
son is, that by reflecting beforehand on tribulation, and
embracing it with patience we form to ourselves an
idea of it, not as an evil, but as a good conducive to
eternal life. Thus the premeditation takes from us the
fear of the evil that the tribulation excites. This has
been the practice of the saints: they have embraced
crosses long before they happened; and thus they have
found themselves prepared to bear them in peace when
they have come suddenly upon them. Accustom your­
self, then, in mental prayer to embrace the tribulations
which are likely to come upon you.
2. And when you imagine it to be impossible for you
to suffer such a tribulation (should it happen) pray to
the Lord to give you his aid to submit to it in case it
occurs, and have confidence in him, saying: I can do all
things in him who strengtheneth met And when you do
this, doubt not that your prayers will in that case ob­
tain the strength that you do not possess. And how have
the holy martyrs obtained courage to bear so many tor1 “ In mundo pressuram habebitis; sed confidite, ego vici mundum.”
—John. xvi. 33.
’ “ Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat.”—Phil. iv. 13.

sec. ii.]

Patience in Spiritual Desolation.

407

ments and deaths the most painful, except by prayer
and by recommending themselves to God ? When you
find yourself under the cross have recourse instantly to
prayer. Zr, says St. James, any of you sad, let him fray}
Is any of you afflicted with any tribulation or passion,
let him pray, and not cease to pray until he finds the
peace of his soul restored. Call upon me in the day of
trouble : I will deliver thee, and thou will glorify me? When
you are in tribulation invoke my aid, and I will rescue
you from difficulties, and you will give glory to me.
When a soul in trouble recommends itself to God, he
delivers it from the evil which afflicts it, or gives it
grace to bear it with patience, and thus it glorifies the
Lord. St. Ignatius of Loyola used to say that the
greatest evil that could befall him in this world would
be the destruction of the society; but he hoped that,
even should such a calamity happen, his peace of mind
would be restored by a quarter of an hour's mental
prayer.
3. Endeavor also, in the time of tribulation, to com­
municate more frequently. The ancient Christians in
the time of persecution prepared themselves for mar­
tyrdom by frequent Communion.
4. Be careful to ask advice from your director, or
from some other spiritual person; for a word of comfort
gives great help to bear the cross with patience. But
beware of explaining your trials to imperfect souls: for
they will only add to your troubles and confusion, par­
ticularly if you have received an injury, or if you
actually suffer persecution.
5. But above all, I say again, have recourse to prayer,
have recourse to Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, and
beg of him to make you in all things conformable to his
1 “ Tristatur aliquis vestrum; oret.”—[<ι>
2 “ Invoca me in die tribulationis; eruam te, ei honorificabis me.”—·

4oS

Ραίίcnee.

[CH. XIII.

holy will. He promises to comfort all who are in tribu
*
lation when they have recourse to him. Colne to me, all
you that labor and are burdened^ and / will refresh you,'
Prayer.

My God, I offer to Thee the pains of Jesus, Thy Son, in
satisfaction for my sins. He is the Lamb whom Thou didst
one day behold sacrificed for Thy glory, and for our salvation,
on the altar of the cross. For the love of that victim, so dear
to Thee, pardon me all the offences, whether grievous or venial,
which I have offered to Thee : I am sorry for them all with my
whole heart, because by them I have offended Thy infinite
goodness. Thou, O my God, dost call me to Thy love: behold
I leave all things, and I come to Thee, my treasure and my life.
For the love of Thee, I renounce all the goods and honorsand
pleasures of the world. I love Thee. O my Sovereign Good,
above ever}' other good. Ah ! my Jesus, do not permit me to
resist any longer, and to be ungrateful to the tender affection
that Thou hast shown me. Ah ! make known to me always
more and more the greatness of Thy goodness, that I may be
enamoured of Thee, who art infinitely amiable. Thou hast
shown Thyself enamoured of my soul, and shall I be able to
love anything but Thee? No, my Redeemer; for Thee only do
I wish to live, Thee only do I wish to love.
O Mary, my mother, assist me, and obtain for me grace to be
faithful to this my promise.
III.

Patience in Temptations.

Dear sister in the Lord, your past life does not con­
cent either God or yourself; if death came upon you at
present, you should certainly die discontented.
But
since, as I hope, you have resolved to serve him better
for the future, prepare yourself to combat with tempta­
tions. Behold the admonition of the Holy Ghost : Sony
1 “ Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam
vos.”—Matt. xi. 28.

sec. ni.]

Patience in Temptations.

409

when thou contest to the service of God, statui in justice and in
fear, and prepa re thy soul for temptation.1 And remember
that, as the prophet says,’ religious are the most accept­
able food to the devil. The enemy labors more to gain
one religious than a hundred seculars.
And why?
First, because by making a spouse of Jesus Christ
become one of his slaves he gains a greater triumph.
Secondly, because by bringing a nun into sin he gains
more than one, because by her bad example she will
probably draw others with her. On the other hand, the
Lord usually permits souls that are most dear to him
to be most severely tormented by temptations. While
he lived in the solitude of Palestine, in prayer and
penitential works, St. Jerome was greatly afflicted with
temptations: behold how he himself described them !—
“I was alone, and my heart was full of bitterness; my
dried and withered members were covered with a sack.
My skin became as black as that of a Moor; the hard
ground was my bed, which served rather to give pain
than rest; my food was very scanty: and still my heart
was inflamed against my will with bad desires. I had
no other refuge than to have recourse to Jesus, and to
implore his aid.” 1
234
The Lord permits us to be tempted for our greater
good. First, that we may be more humble. Ecclesiasti­
cus savs:
What doth he know that hath not been tried?
*
J
What does he who has not been tempted know? In
truth, no one is better acquainted with his own weak­
ness than the man that is tempted. St. Augustine re­
marks, that St. Peter, before he had been tempted, pre­
sumed on his own strength, boasting that he would
1 0 Fili,.accedens ad servitutem Dei, . . . præpara animam tuam ad
tentationem.”—Eteins. ii. I.
2 “ Cibus ejus electus.”—Habac. i. ιό.
3 Ep. ad Eustoch.
4 “Qui non est tentatus, quid scit?”—Ecclus. xxxiv. 9.

410

Patience.

(CH. XIII.

have constancy to embrace death rather than deny
Jesus Christ; but when tempted he miserably denied
his master, and then he became sensible of his weak­
ness.' Hence, having favored St. Paul with celestial
revelations, our Lord, in order to preserve him from
vain glory, wished him to be molested with an importu­
nate temptation against chastity, which is of all temp­
tations the most humiliating to man. And, says the
saint, lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me,
there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to
buffet met1
Secondly, the Lord permits us to be tempted in order
to make us rich in merits. Many religious are disturbed
by scruples, on account of the bad thoughts that molest
them. But they are disturbed in vain; for it is certain
that the consent to evil, but not evil thoughts, is a sin.
Temptations, however violent they may be, leave no
stain on the soul when they happen without any fault
of ours, and when we drive them away. St. Catharine
of Sienna and Blessed Angela of Foligno were strongly
tempted against chastity, but the temptations increased
rather than diminished their purity. Every time the
soul conquers a temptation she gains a degree of grace,
for which she shall be afterwards rewarded with a de­
gree of glory in heaven. Hence we shall receive as
many crowns as we resist temptations. “ As often,”
says St. Bernard, “as we conquer, we are crowned.”5
And our Lord said to St. Matilda: “ He who is tempted,
places as many gems on my head as he overcomes
temptations.” In the Cistercian Chronicles it is related
that a certain monk was one night greatly molested1
23
1 “ Petrus, qui ante tentationcm præsumpsit de se, in tentatione
didicit se.7’—In Ps. xxxvi. s. I.
2 “ Et ne magnitudo revelationum extollat me, datus est mihi stimu­
lus camis meæ, angelus Satanæ, qui me colaphizet.”—2 Cor. xii. 7.
3 “ Quoties restiteris, toties coronaberis.”—In Quadr. s. 5.

sec. in.]

Patience in Temptations,

411

with unchaste temptations, which he overcame. A laybrother had a vision, in which he saw a most beautiful
young man handing to him a crown of gems, saying,
Go to such a monk, and bring him this crown, which he
has gained this night. The lay-brother related the
vision to the abbot, who sent for the monk that had been
tempted. When the abbot heard from him the resist­
ance that he had made against the temptations, he
understood the reason why the Lord had prepared so
great a reward for him in heaven. The divine mother
revealed to St. Bridget that for the violence that the
saint had done to herself, in order to banish bad
thoughts, our Lord would give her a reward, although
the thought remained in her mind.1
And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that which you are able, but will make also with the
temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it} St. Jerome
says, that to a ship no tempest is more dangerous than
too long a calm. He meant to say, that the tempest of
temptation prevents a man from rotting in sloth, and
makes him unite himself more closely to God, by turn­
ing to him to ask his graces, by renewing good pur­
poses, by making good acts of humility, of confidence,
and of resignation. In the lives of the ancient Fathers
we read that to a certain young man who was con­
stantly and severely assailed by carnal temptations, his
spiritual Father, seeing him in great affliction, said: Son,
do you wish me to pray to God to deliver you from so
many temptations, which do not allow you to live an
hour in peace? The young man answered, No, my
Father; for though I am greatly molested by these
temptations, I derive great advantage from them, for
with the divine aid I thus make continual acts of virtue.
1 “ Tunc ille conatus reputabitur tibi pro corona.”—Rev. 1. 6, c. 94.
5 “ Fidelis autem Deus qui non patietur vos tentari supra id quod
potestis, sed faciet etiam cum tentatione proventum.”—1 Cor. x. 13.

41 2

Patience.

[CH. XII .

I now pray more than I did before, I fast more fre­
quently, I watch more, I endeavor to practise greater
mortifications of my
✓ rebellious flesh. It is better for
you to pray to God that he may assist me by his grace
to bear these temptations with patience, and thus to
advance in perfection. Such temptations, then, we
should not desire; but we ought to accept them with
resignation, believing that God permits them for our
greater good. The Apostle, when molested by similar
temptations, several times implored the Lord to deliver
him from them. But God answered: My grace is suffi­
cient for thee. For which thing thrice I besought the Lord
that it might depart from me. And he said to me : My grace
is sufficient for thee : for power is made perfect in infirmity)
You will say: But St. Paul was a saint. And St. Augus­
tine answers: By what means, think you, did the saints
resist temptations ? Was it by their own strength, or by
the power of God?12 The saints have trusted in God,
and thus have conquered.
Hence the holy Doctor
adds: Do you also abandon yourself into the hands of
God, and fear not. He who placed you in the combat
will not leave you alone, neither will he abandon you to
perdition.3
But let us come to what is practical, and see with what
arms we must fight in order to escape defeat.
I. The first, the principal, and I may say the only, and
absolutely necessary means for conquering temptations,
is to have recourse to God by prayer. Speaking of the
necessity of humility, in order to be true disciples of
Jesus Christ, St. Augustine says: ‘ If you ask what holds
1 “ Propter quod ter Dominum rogavi, ut discederet a me; et dixit
mihi: Sufficit tibi gratia mea.”—2 Cor. xii. 8.
s“ An isti in semetipsis possunt, an non in Domino?”—Conf. 1. 8,
C. II.
3“ Projice te in eum noli metuere: non se subtrahet ut cadas.”—Loco
cit.

sec. ιπ.ι

Patience in Temptations.

413

the first place in the discipline of Christ, I will answer,
Humility. What is the second? Humility. What is
the third ? Humility. And as often as you ask, so
often shall I give the same answer.” Now, were you to
ask what are the means of overcoming temptations, I
would answer, The first means is prayer; the second is
prayer; the third is prayer; and should you ask me a
thousand times, I would always repeat the same.
This means is particularly necessary for conquering
temptations against purity; these, as the Wise Man says,
are overcome only by recommending ourselves to God.
And as 1 knew that I could not otherwise be continent except
God gave it, ... I went to the Lord and besought him} As
soon as I knew that I could not obtain continence un­
less God gave it, I went to the Lord and asked it from
him. Hence, St. Jerome has written, “As soon as lust
assails us, let us instantly say: Lord, assist me; do not
permit me to offend you.”3 Thus the Abbot Isaias ex­
horted his disciples always to repeat in such tempta­
tions: Incline unto my aid, O God! 3—and he would add,
that this is a secure defence. He had just reason to say
so; for God cannot violate his promises to hear all who
pray to him: Cry to me, and I will hear thee} Call upon
me: . . . I will deliver thee} Ask, and it shall be given you ;
seek, and you shall find} For every one that asketh, recciveth}
You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you}
In the book of the Sentences of the Fathers’ it is
1 “ Ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus det,
. . . adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum illum.’’—fVisd. viii. 21.
2 “Statim ut libido titillaverit sensum, erumpamus in vocem: Domi­
nus, auxiliator meus.”—Æ/. ad Etistoch.
3 “ Deus in adjutorium meum intende.”—Ps. Ixix. 1.
4 “ Clama ad me, et exaudiam te.”—Jer. xxxiii. 3.
5 “ Invoca me in die tribulationis; eruam te.”—Ps. xlix. 15.
* “ Petite, ct dabitur vobis; quærite, et invenietis.”—Matt. vii. 7.
’ “Omnis enim qui petit, accipit.”—Luke. xi. 10.
8 “ Quodcumque volueritis, petetis, et fiet vobis.”—John, xv. 7.
9 Vit. Pair. 1. 3, η. 35.

414

Patience.

(ch. xiii.

written that St. Pachomius related to his disciples that
he once heard the devils discoursing together; one of
them said: My monk, when I tempt him, listens to nie
he does not turn to God, and therefore I make him
fall frequently. Another complained that he could do
nothing with his monk, because he instantly asked help
from God, and thus was always victorious. Hence,
brethren, concluded the holy abbot, resist temptations
by always invoking the name of Jesus. But this must
be done immediately, without listening to or arguing
with the temptation. Another monk, as we find in the
lives of the Fathers,1 complained to an aged Father of
being continually tempted to impurity; the good old
man prayed for him, and learned by revelation that the
monk did not turn away instantly from the temptation,
but used to stop to look at it. The Father corrected
him for this fault, and the monk was not molested after­
wards as much as before. “While the enemy is small,”
says St. Jerome, “kill him.”2 A lion when small is
easily killed, but not when he has become large. Un­
chaste temptations mùst be instantly shaken off, as we
shake from the hand the sparks that fty from the fire
The best means of conquering them is, as I have said, to
turn away from them, without listening to them. Were
a queen tempted by a negro slave, what would she do?
Would she not indignantly turn away without giving
him an answer? Be careful to act in this manner if the
devil should molest you; turn away without answering
him, and invoke the name of Jesus and of Mary; and if
you do this, you will be always sure of not falling into
sin. St. Francis de Sales says: “The instant you feel
any temptation, imitate children, who, when they see a
wolf, run into the arms of their father or mother, or at
1 Vit. Patr. n. 13.
« “ Dum parvus est hostis, interfice.”—Ep. ad Eustoch.

SEC. III.]

Patience in Temptations.

415

least cry out to them for assistance. Do you in like
manner run with filial confidence to Jesus and Mary.”
In temptations it is also very useful to make the sign
of the cross. St. Augustine says: “ All the machinations
of the devil are reduced to nothing by the power of the
cross.” 1 By giving his life on the cross, Jesus destroyed
the powers of hell; and therefore at the sign of that
sacred symbol all the machinations of the devil vanish.
St. Athanasius relates of St. Anthony, that when the
devils assailed him he instantly armed himself with the
sign of the cross, and, thus armed, would say to them.
Of what use is it to labor to injure me when I am
rendered secure by this sign, and by the confidence I
have in my Lord?’ St. Gregory Nazianzen relates what
is still more wonderful, that Julian the apostate, know­
ing the virtue of the sign of the cross, used, when terri­
fied by the devils, to make that holy sign, and the devils
would be put to flight.123
II. The second means of conquering temptations is to
humble yourself, and to distrust your own strength.
To make us humble, the Lord often permits us to be
assaulted with temptations, and even frequently with
temptations the most shameful. Hence, when we see
ourselves thus molested, let us humble ourselves and
say: I deserve to be thus tormented for the offences I
have hitherto offered to you. In the lives of the Fathers,
it is related that a virgin and anchoret called Sara was
cruelly persecuted in the desert by the spirit of impurity.
She never asked God to deliver her from the temptation,
but humbled herself, and constantly implored strength.
The more violently the devil tempted her, the more she
1 “ Omnia dæmonum machinamenta (virtute Crucis) ad nihilum redigit
(Christus).”—Sertn, 247, App. E. B.
2 Vit. B. Ant. c. 8.
3 “Ad Crucem confugit, eaque adversus terrores consignat.”—Zn
Julian, orat. I.

4ΐό

Patience.

[CH Kill.

labored to humble herself, and to supplicate the divine
aid. Finally, the enemy, not being able to make her
fall into sins of impurity, endeavored to tempt her to
vainglory. Hence he said with a loud voice: Sara, you
have conquered, you have conquered. The humble
servant of God answered: No, wicked spirit, I have not
conquered you, but Jesus my God has conquered you.’
Thus let us humble ourselves, and at the same time
let us have recourse with confidence to God, who pro­
tects all that hope in him. He is the protection of all thaï
trust in him? He himself has promised to deliver all
those that hope in him. Because he hoped in me, I wHl de­
liver him? When, then, we find ourselves tortured by
temptations, and fears of losing God, let us say with
great courage: In thee, O Lord, have I hoped: let me never
be confounded? In thee, O Lord, have I placed my hopes:
do not permit me ever to be confounded, or to incur thy
enmity. I saywith great courage; for, according to
St. Teresa, when the devils see themselves despised, they
remain powerless? And when the enemy represents the
great difficulty· of doing what is necessary to become
saints, let us say, with diffidence in ourselves, but with
confidence in God: I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me? I can do nothing of myself, but I can do all
things with the aid of my Lord.
III. The third means of overcoming temptations is, to
make them known to your spiritual Father. Thieves,
when discovered, take flight. Hence, St. Philip Neri
used to say, that a temptation disclosed is half com
quered. St. Antonine relates7 that Brother Ruffinus,
1 Vit. Pair. 1. 5, libell. 5, n. n.
I
2 “ Protector est omnium sperantium in se.”—Ps. xvii. 31.
3 “ Quoniam in me speravit, liberabo eum.”—Ps. xc. 14.
4 “ In te, Domine, speravi; non confundar in aeternum.”—Ps. xxx. 2.
5 Life, ch. 25.
6 “ Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat.”—Phil. iv. 13.
’ Hist. p. 3, tit. 24, c. 7. § 7.

SEC. III.]

Patience in Temptations.

1

the companion of St. Francis, was assailed by a strong
temptation to despair, and to believe that all he did was
lost. The afflicted brother concealed the temptation
from his Superior, St. Francis; it became more violent,
and one day the devil appeared to him in the form of
Jesus crucified, and said to him, Know that you and
Francis, and all your followers, are damned. Hence,
Ruffinus regarded himself as lost. This was revealed to
St. Francis, who sent for him; but Ruffinus refused to
come; at length he went to the saint and disclosed the
temptation. The saint ordered him to despise it. The
devil returned, but seeing himself treated with contempt,
he fled. And afterwards Jesus crucified appeared to
him, and assured him that he was in the state of grace.
IV. The fourth means, which is a very important one,
of relieving one’s self from temptations is to avoid the
occasions of them. St. Basil says’ that God assists the
man who is engaged in the contest against his own will;
but he who voluntarily places himself in the battle, does
not deserve compassion, and is therefore abandoned by
God. And, before him, Ecclesiasticus said: He that Itreeth
danger, shall perish in it? He that loves danger, and goes
in search of it, shall perish in it: nor is it of any use to
hope for aid from God; to trust in God, and to expose
one’s self voluntarily to the occasion of sin, is not a holy
but a rash confidence, which merits chastisement.

very important admonitions.
i. It is necessary to remark that we must conquer
some temptations by contrary acts; for example, temp­
tations to revenge must be overcome by seeking to do
good to those who have offended you; temptations to
vanity by humbling ourselves; to envy by rejoicing at
the good of others; similar temptations must be con1 Const. Mon. c. 4.
2 “Quiamat nericulum, in illo peribit.”—JEcclus. iii. 27.
27

I

41S

Patience.

[CH. XIII.

quered in the same manner. But it is better to resist
other temptations, such as those against faith, or against
chastity, or to blasphemy, by despising them, and by
making good acts indirectly opposed to the temptations,
such as acts of confidence, of contrition, of charity. St.
John Climacus relates
*
that a certain monk was greatly
tormented with blasphemous temptations. The miser­
able man was all in confusion: he went to a good Father,
and told him all the execrable blasphemies that passed
through his mind. Have confidence, said the Father,
I take on myself all these sins; do not think of them any
more. The monk followed the advice, and his peace of
mind was restored. But with regard to temptations
against chastity, it is not advisable for timorous souls
to contend directly with the bad thought, saying and
repeating, I will not do it, I will not consent to it.
For by endeavoring to make these contrary acts, the
image of the bad objects presented to the mind becomes
more vivid, and thus the struggle is longer and more
severe. It is better to renew, in general, the purpose of
dying a thousand times rather than offend God. It is
also useful to renew your vows, particularly the vow of
chastity: you must, then, instantly turn to God for help,
making acts of hope and love, as has been already said,
and frequently invoking the most holy name of Jesus
and of Mary.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to remark that the most
dangerous temptations are those that come under the
appearance of good, so that a soul, without perceiving
it, may find that she has fallen over some precipice.
This may easily happen to spiritual persons in partic­
ular. “ A good man,” says St. Bernard, “ is never de­
ceived except by the similitude of good.”2 The devil
1 Seal. far. gr. 23.
s “ Nec unquam bonus, nisi boni simulatione, deceptus est.”—In
Cant. s. 66.

•I
sec.

in.j

Patience in Temptations.

419

deceives souls that have a good intention only by the
appearance of good. St. Bonaventure relates’* that
there was a brother so attached to silence that he would
not speak even in confession, but wished to explain his
sins by signs. The minister-general, in presence of St.
Francis, bestowed great praise on the brother for his
exact observance of silence. But the saint said: My
Father, you deceive yourself: command him to confess
his sins twice a week. The minister imposed the pre­
cept, but the brother refused to obey, and became so
obstinate on this point, that on account of his disobedi­
ence he in the end abandoned the religious state.
Still more dangerous would be the temptation which
would induce a religious to entertain too great an affec­
tion for the spiritual Father or for any other person, be­
cause she considers him to be a saint. The devil per­
suades her that the relations of direction or of friend­
ship to such a one will be conducive to high perfection.
He inspires her with an ardent desire to have such,
an advantage, and she does all that she can to secure
it. After this the enemy begins by causing to arise in
her heart an affection that appears to be altogether
spiritual; then follow mutual confidence, familiarity;
then the license of tender words; and finally all ends in
allowing themselves to be seduced into base actions or
sacrilegious desires. But of this we have already
spoken.3
I conclude by repeating, that, to overcome temptations,
all the means explained in this chapter are very good,
but the first, and the one that is absolutely necessary, is
to have recourse to God by prayer that he may give us
light and strength to conquer. Without asking the
divine aid, it is impossible to overcome temptations;
and if we ask it we shall certainly be victorious. Frais1 Vit. S. Franc, c. n.

,

.

,

j

i

I |j

2 Page 293.

*

' OIM II 1

420

' Patience.

[ch. xin.

ing, I luiII call upon the Lord ; and / shall be saved from my
enemies.1

Prayer.

Ah ! my God, I will no longer resist the love that Thou dost
entertain for me. This love made Thee bear me with so much
patience when I offended Thee. Ah ! my Jesus, through Thy
merits do not permit me ever more to offend Thee. O make
me cease to be ungrateful to Thee, or make me cease to live.
I see that Thou dost wish me to be saved, and I wish to be
saved, that I may go to sing Thy mercies for eternity in heaven.
Lord, do not abandon me. I know that Thou wilt never
abandon me if I do not first abandon Thee; but past experi­
ence makes me afraid of mjr weakness. Ah ! through the pain­
ful death that Thou didst one day suffer for me on the cross,
give me strength in my temptations, and especially the grace to
have immediate recourse to Thee. I love Thee, O infinite good­
ness, and I hope to love Thee always. Ah! bind me with the
sweet chains of Thy love, that my soul may never more be sep­
arated from Thee.
O Mary, thou art called the mother of perseverance; this
great gift is dispensed through thee; thee I ask to obtain it for
me: through thy intercession I certainly hope for it.
1 “ Laudans invocabo Dominum, et de inimicis meis salvus ero.”—
Ps. xvii. 4.

SEC. 1.)

Merit of Resignation.

421

CHAPTER XIV.
resignation to the will of god.

The Merit of Resignation to the Divine Will.

St. John Chrysostom says that all the perfection of
the love of God consists in resignation to the divine
will. As hatred divides the wills of enemies, so love
unites the wills of lovers, so that each wishes only what
the other desires. “True friendship of persons con­
sists in wishing and not wishing the same thing,”1 says
St. Jerome to Demetriades. Hence the Wise Man says:
They that are faithful in love shall rest in him? Souls that
are faithful in loving God acquiesce in all that he wills.
Since nothing is more dear to us than self-will, the
sacrifice of it is the most acceptable offering we can
present to the Lord. This is the sacrifice that God
himself continually asks of us with so much earnestness.
My son, give me thy heart? Son, give me your heart, that
is, your will. Nothing else that we offer to God can
content him as long as we reserve our own will. I ex­
plain myself by this example: If you had two servants,
one of whom labored continually, but always according
to his own will; the other performed less work, but was
obedient to all your directions,-—you would certainly en­
tertain a great regard for the latter, and little or no es­
teem for the former. Oh ! how often do we deceive
ourselves by desiring to engage in certain undertakings
1 “ Eadem velle et eadem nolle, firma amicitia est.”—Ep. ad Demetr.
1 “ Fideles in dilectione acquiescent illi.”—Wisd. iii. 9.
s “Praebe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi.”—Prov. xxiii. 26.

42 2

Resignation to God's Will.

[ch.xiv.

in order to please ourselves without seeing that they are
not conformable to the divine will. How often do we
act through self-love, saying: But what I wish to do is
conducive to the glory of God. But let us be persuaded
that the greatest glory that we can give to God is to
conform ourselves to his divine will. Blessed Henry
Suso used to say: “God is not so much glorified when
we abound in lights and spiritual consolations as when
we submit to the divine will and pleasure.” Hence
Blessed Stephana of Soncino saw among the seraphim
certain souls whom she had known on earth; and she
learned by revelation that they had attained that sublime
elevation by the perfect union of their will in this life
with the win of God.
All the malice of sin consists in wishing what God
does not will; for then, says St. Anselm, we in a certain
manner endeavor to rob God of his crown.1 He who
wishes to follow his own will against the will of God
takes, as it were forcibly, from God his crown; for as
the crown belongs only to the sovereign, so to do his
own will (without dependence on others) belongs to
God only. Samuel said to Saul that to refuse to con­
form to the divine will is a species of idolatry. It is like
the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey.'1 It is called idolatry
because, in refusing to conform to the divine will, man,
instead of adoring the will of God, adores his own will.
Now, since all the malice of a creature consists in con
tradicting the Creator, so all the goodness of the crea­
ture consists in a union with the will of the Creator.
He who conforms himself to the divine will becomes, as
the Lord said of David, a man according to God’s own
heart. I have found David ... a man according to my own
1 “ Cum homo vult aliquid per propriam voluntatem, Deo aufert
quasi suam coronam; sicut enim corona soli regi competit, sic propria
«voluntas soli Deo.”—De Similit. c. 8.
’ “ Quasi scelus idololatriæ, nolle acquiescere.”—i Kïngs, xv. 23.

SEC. I.]

Merit of Resignation.

423

heart, who shall do all my wills.' The Lord also says: a
soul that is conformed to my will shall have for her
name my will.
Thou shall be called my pleasure in it?
Yes, for in this happy soul, because self-will is dead,
only the will of God lives.
Ah ! happy the soul that can always say with the
sacred Spouse: My soul melted when he spoke? My soul
melted as soon as my beloved spoke. Why does she say
melted I Listen: what is rendered liquid no longer re­
tains its own shape, but takes the form of the vessel in
which it is contained. Thus, loving souls do not retain
their own wills, but conform them to whatever their be­
loved wills. This conformity implies a will docile and
pliant in all things pleasing to God, compared with the
obdurate will that resists the divine will. An instru­
ment is said to be a good one when it is obedient to the
person that employs it; if it refuse to obey, of what use is
it? For example, were a pencil to resist the hand of the
painter,—if, when drawn to the right, it should turn to
the left; if, when drawn downwards, it should seek to
move upwards,—what would the painter do? Would he
not instantly cast it into the fire?
Some place their sanctity in works of penance, others
in frequent Communion, others in reciting many vocal
prayers. But, no: St. Thomas says that perfection con­
sists not in these things, but in submission to the divine
will. “The perfection of the human soul consists in its
subjection to God.”4 Works of penance, prayers, Com­
munions, are good, inasmuch as God wills them; hence
they serve only as means to unite us to the divine will.
1 “ Inveni David, filium Jesse, virum secundum cor meum, qui faciet
omnes voluntates meas."—Acts, xiii. 22.
2 “ Vocaberis voluntas mea in ea.”—Is. Ixii. 4.
3 “ Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est."—Cant. v. 6.
4 “ Per hoc quod Deum honoramus, mens nostra ei subjicitur; et in
hoc ejus perfectio consistit.”—2. 2, q. 8t, a. 7.

424

Resignation to Gods JI ill.

[CH. XIV.

But all perfection and sanctity consists in doing the will
of God. In a word, the divine will is the rule of all
goodness and virtue. Because it is holy, it sanctifies all,
even the most indifferent actions, when they are done to
please God. The will of God is your sanctification' says
the Apostle. The accomplishment of the divine will is
the sanctification of *vour souls.
I know well that men cheerfully conform to the will
of God in prosperity, but are afterwards unwilling to
submit to it in adversity. But this is great folly; for
they thus suffer doubly and without merit from the
evils that befall them, since, whether they wish or wish
not, the will of God shall be accomplished. My counsel
shall standy and all my will shall be done? When, then, a
person in sickness does not accept his pains with patience,
but gives way to anger, and complains of every one,
what does he do? Does he by his impatience get rid of
his pains? No: on the contrary, he increases them, be­
cause by resisting the will of God he loses his peace,
and still endures the same pains. Who hath resisted him,
and hath had peace V But were he to embrace his suffer­
ings in peace, he would feel his pains less sensibly, and
would derive consolation from the thought of pleasing
God, by accepting crosses from his divine hands.
Oh ! what pleasure does he give to the Lord, who in
the time of tribulation says with David: / was dumb, ami
I opened not my mouthy because thou hast done it.' My God,
I have shut my mouth, and have not dared to speak, be­
cause I know that Thou hast done it. No; there is no
one that is better able than God to promote our welfare,
or that loves us more than our Creator. And let us be
1 “ Voluntas Dei, sanctificatio vestra.”—I Thess. iv. 3.
- “ Consilium meum stabit, et omnis voluntas mea fiet.”—Is. xlvi. 10.
3 “ Quis restitit ei, et pacem habuit Τ'—Job, ix. 4.
4 “Obmutui, et non aperui os meum, quoniam tu fecisti.”—Ts.
xxxviii. 10.

SEC. I.]

Merit of Resignation,

425

persuaded that whatever he does, he does for our good,
and because he loves us. Many things appear to us to
be misfortunes, and we call them misfortunes; but if we
understood the end for which God sends them, we should
see that they are graces. It appeared a calamity to
King Manasses to be deprived of his kingdom, and to be
made a slave of the prince of the Assyrians: but these
misfortunes were blessings; for after his downfall he
returned to God, and did penance for the wickedness of
his life. And after that he was in distress, he prayed to the
Lord his God; and did penance exceedingly before the God of
his fathers.' We labor under a vertigo, and therefore
many things appear to us to go to ruin; and we know
not that it is our giddy head that makes them appear to
us different from what they are in reality. Such a nun
may say: How does it happen that everything goes
astray with me? No, sister, but you go astray: your
will is crooked; for all that happens comes from God.
He does all for your welfare, but you know it not.
And whom can we ever find more solicitous for our
welfare and for our salvation than God? To make us
understand this truth, he likens himself at one time to a
shepherd, going through the desert in search of his lost
sheep;' at another to a mother who cannot forget her own
child. Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity
on the son of her womb? Again, to a hen gathering and
sheltering her chickens under her wings, that they may
suffer no injury : Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . how often would
I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her
chickens under her wing, and thou wouldst not? In a word,
1 “ Qui. postquam coangustatus est, oravit Dominum Deum suum, et
egit poenitentiam valde coram Deo.”—2 Par. xxxiii. 12.
u Luke, xv. 4.
3 “ Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur
filio uteri sui?”—/$. xlix. 15.
4 “ Jerusalem, Jerusalem! . . . quoties volui congregare filios tuos,
quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti 1”—
Matt, xxiii. 37.

426

Resignation to God's Will.

[CH. XIV.

according to David, God surrounds us with his good-will,
in order to save us from all the assaults of our enemies.
Lord, thou hast crowned us with a shield of thy good will!
Why, then, do we not abandon ourselves entirely into the
hands of this good Father? Would it not be folly in a
blind man, placed in the midst of precipices, to reject
the guidance of a father who loves him, and to follow
the way suggested by his own caprice?
Happy the soul that permits itself to be conducted in
the way in which God leads it. Father St. Jure2 relates
that a certain young man, desirous of entering the So­
ciety of Jesus, was rejected because he had only one eye.
Who would not have said that the defect was a great
misfortune to the poor young man ? But that defect
was the occasion of the happiest end that he could meet;
for on account of it he was received into the Society
only on the condition that he would consent to go on
the Indian mission. He went to India, and had the
happiness of dying for the. faith. The Venerable Bal­
thazar Alvarez used to say that “ the kingdom of heaven
is the kingdom of the lame, the tempted, and the abject.”
Let us then, as if blind, permit ourselves to be guided
by God, through whatever level or steep road by which
he may be pleased to conduct us, secure of finding in it
eternal salvation. St. Teresa used to say, “Our Lord
never sends a cross without rewarding it with some
favor, when we accept it with resignation.” 3
Oh, how great the peace of the soul whose will is in
all things conformed to the will of God ! Because she
wishes only what he wills, she always obtains whatso­
ever she desires; for all that happens in the world, hap­
pens by the will of God. Panormitano relates that
King Alphonsus, called the Great, being asked whom he
1 “ Domine, ut scuto bonæ voluntatis tuæ coronasti nos.”—Fs. v. 13.
s Filles de J. ch. 5, § 11.
3 Life, ch. 30.

SEC. 1.1

Merit of Resignation.

427

esteemed happy in this life, wisely answered: “He who
abandons himself entirely to the divine will of God.”
And, in reality, does not all our inquietude arise from
this cause—that things do not happen according to our
wishes, and that we resist the divine will ? St. Bernard
says: “God justly ordains that they who refuse to be
governed by him in peace should rule themselves amid
difficulties and troubles.”1 But, on the other hand, they
who wish only what God wills, always find their wishes
accomplished, and therefore are always in peace, as well
in prosperity as in adversity. When, then, you see a
person in sadnesss, tell her that she is sad because she is
not resigned to the will of God. The saints, even in the
midst of persecutions the most severe and torments the
most painful, knew not what it was to be sad. And
why? Because they were united to the divine will.
Whatsoever shall befall the just inan> it shall not make him
sad.12 Hence, Cardinal Petrucci has wisely said that this
frail and fleeting world is but a scene of woes. Its most
pleasing amusements and pleasures have the appearance
of joys, and they are torments. But to follow Christ
suffering appears painful and gives true joy.
Speaking of the saints, Salvian says: “ If they are
humbled, they desire their humiliations; if they are
poor, they delight in their poverty: hence in every
misfortune which befalls them they are content, and
therefore they begin even in this life to enjoy beati­
tude.” 3 Crosses will certainly be painful to the senses,
but this pain is in the inferior part: in the superior part
of the soul peace shall reign. The saints, says Father
Rodriguez, are like Mount Olympus: at the base there are
1 “ Ad justam legem Dei pertinuit, ut, qui a Deo noluit suaviter regi,
pœnaliter a seipso regeretur.”—Episl. 11.
2 Non contristabit justum, quidquid ei acciderit.”—Prov. xii. 21.
3 “ Humiles sunt, hoc volunt; pauperes sunt, pauperie delectantur;
itaque, quidquid illud fuerit, beati dicendi sunt.”—De Gub. D. 1. 1, n. 2.

428

Resignation to God s Π z//.

[CH. XIV.

showers of rain and thunderstorms, but at the summit,
which is raised above the middle region of the atmos­
phere, there is a perpetual calm. In a word, they are
like Jesus our Saviour, who, in the midst of all the sor­
rows and ignominies of his Passion, suffered no diminu­
tion of his peace. The more the saints suffer, the more
they rejoice in spirit, knowing that in accepting their
sufferings they please their Lord, whom only they love.
This David experienced when he said: Thy rod and thy
staff, they have comforted met St. Teresa says: “ And what
greater good can we acquire than a testimony that we
please God ?” Father Avila has written: “One Blessed
be God, in adversity, is of greater value than a thousand
acts of thanksgiving in prosperity.” 3
But such a religious says: I accept all the crosses that
come to me from God, such as losses, pains, and in­
firmities; but how can I bear so much maltreatment
and such unjust persecutions? They that thus per­
secute me are certainly guilty of sin, and God does not
will sin. But, dear sister, do you not know that all
comes from God ? Good things and evil, life and. death,
. . . are from God?
Prosperity and adversity, life and
death, come from the Lord. It is necessary to know
that in every action there is a physical entity which be­
longs to the material part of the action, and a moral
entity that appertains to reason: the moral entity of the
action, or the sin of the person who persecutes you, be­
longs to his malice, but the physical entity appertains to
the divine concurrence; so that God wills not the sin,
but he wills that you suffer the persecution, and it is he
that sends it. When his cattle were taken away from
Job, God did not will the sin of the plunderers, but he
willed that Job should suffer the loss. Hence, Job said:
1 “ Virga tua et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.”—Λ. xxii. 4.
s Life, ch. 10.
a “ Bona et mala, vita et mors, ... a Deo sunt.”—Ecclus. xi. 14.

sec. i.]

Merit of R esigna (ion.

4 29

*
The Lordgave, and the Lord hath taken away, as it hath
pleased (he Lord, so is it done ; blessed be the name of the
Lord.' St. Augustine remarks that Job did not say: The
Lord gave and the devil has taken away; but the Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away? The Lord did not
wish the sin of the Jews who crucified Jesus Christ, but
Jesus Christ said to St. Peter, The chalice which my
Father hath given me, shall I not drink it 13 By these words
he showed that his death was caused by the hands of
the Jews, but that it was sent to him by his eternal
Father. St. Dorotheus4 says that they who when mal­
treated seek revenge against the man who maltreats
them, imitate the dog that bites the stone by which he
is struck, without attending to the hand by which it was
thrown. In all the injuries that we receive from others,
we should recognize the hand of God, that sends the
evil to us, and thus resign ourselves to his holy will.
Prayer.

My beloved Saviour, Thou hast suffered so many sorrowsand
reproaches for my sake, and I, on account of the miseries of
this life, have so often turned my back on Thee. I thank Thee
for having waited for me till the present moment. Had I died
in my sins, I could never more love Thee. Since I am now
able to love Thee, I wish to love Thee with my whole heart.
Accept me, O my love, now that I return to Thee, full of tender­
ness and sorrow for the offences 1 have given Thee. But if,
when I despised Thy love, Thy didst not cease to seek after me,
how can I fear that Thou wilt cast me off. now that I desire
nothing but Thy love. Thou hast borne with me so long that I
might love Thee. Yes, I wish to love Thee. 1 love Thee, my
' “ Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit; sicut Domino placuit, ita fac­
tum est; sit nomen Domini benedictum.”—i. 21.
9 “ Dixit: Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit. Non dixit: Dominus
dedit, diabolus abstulit.”—In Ps. xc. s. 1.
■ “Calicem quem dedit mihi Pater, non bibam illum?”—John, xviii.
II.

‘ Doctr. 7.

430

Resignation to God's Will.

[ch.xiv.

%

God, with my whole heart, and I feel greater sorrow for having
hitherto offended Thee than if I had suffered every other evil.
O love of my soul ! I wish never more to give Thee any de­
liberate displeasure ; and I wish to do all that Thou dost wish me
to do. Thy will shall henceforth be my only love. Make known
to me what I must do in order to please Thee : I wish to do it.
I wish to love Thee with a true love, and therefore I embrace
all the tribulations that Thou wilt send me. Chastise me in
this life, that I may be able to love Thee for eternity. My God,
give me strength to be faithful to Thee.
Mary, my mother, to thee I recommend myself : do not cease
to pray to Jesus for me.
II.
9

In what Things we Ought, in a Special Manner, to Resign
Ourselves.
We have already seen the great efficacy of resignation
to the divine will, to render us dear to God and to pro­
cure for us great good. Let us now come to the prac­
tice. In what things in particular must we resign our­
selves ?
I. Let it be remembered, in the first place, that it is
very useful to resign ourselves in small things; for ex­
ample, to suffer a painful word, an importunate fly, the
barking of a dog, a trip in walking, the extinguishing of
a candle, the tearing of a garment, and the like. It is
of greater importance to bear these trifles than to sub­
mit to great crosses. First, because they are more fre­
quent; secondly, because we thus more easily acquire a
habit and facility of resigning ourselves in things that
are difficult.
II. Let us be careful to practise resignation in our in­
firmities. They that desire to please God should de­
sire the occasions of pleasing him, and therefore what
the world calls misfortunes, holy souls call graces; and
graces so much the more valuable as they are painful
and burdensome. T he condition of the sick that suffer

sec. π.]

In What We Ought to be Resigned,

and are not conformed to the divine will is most piti­
able and deplorable, not so much on account of their
pains, as because they know not how to appreciate the
riches that God offers them in their sufferings. Miser­
able souls ! they convert into poison the remedy of their
evils; for bodily maladies are the most efficacious reme­
dies for the cure of spiritual diseases. The blueness of a
wound, says the Wise Man, shall wipe away evils? But
Father Balthazar Alvarez says that they who are
resigned in afflictions and pains run to a union with
God, or draw God to a union with them, as the Lord
himself revealed to St. Gertrude, saying, that when he
sees a soul in tribulation he feels himself drawn to it,
and that his delights consist in remaining with the sick
and afflicted. Of this David assures us in several places:
The Lord is nigh to them that are of a contrite heart? God
rejoices in being near to those who are in tribulation.
The Lord himself says: I am with him in tribulation? I
am united with those who are in affliction.
In the time of sickness it is lawful, and even a duty,
to take the remedies prescribed by the physician, because
this is also the will of God; but we should afterwards
resign ourselves entirely to the divine will. We may
also pray to God for health, in order to employ it in his
service; but we should leave ourselves in his hands, that
he may do with us what he pleases: and this is the best
means of obtaining the restoration of health. They that
seek in their prayers not God, but themselves, shall not
be heard; but, on the other hand, he who in his petitions
seeks God and the divine will, shall certainly obtain
what he asks, /sought the Lord and he heard me? Our
Lord appeared one day to St. Gertrude, who suffered
1
9
3
4

“ Livor vulneris absterget mala.”—Prov. xx. 30.
“Juxta est Dominus iis qui tribulato sunt corde."—Ps. xxxiii. 19.
“ Cum ipso sum in tribulatione.” Ps. xc. 15.
“ Exquisivi Dominum, et exaudivit me.”—Ps. xxxiii. 5.

..

43 2

Resignation to God's Will,

[ch.xiv.

great torture from fever, and asked if she wished for
health. She embraced his heart and said: “ This is what
I wish for; I desire nothing but Thy hoi)’’ will.” 1
Oh ' how efficacious a remedy for all infirmities is that
beautiful prayer, Thy will be done ! St. Lidwina, nailed,
as it were, to a bed, all sores and pains, used to say:
“ Lord, my pleasure is that you load me with pains; be­
cause my only consolation is to accomplish Thy will.”
A tepid soul cannot attain to this perfect spirit of resig­
nation, but loving souls easily attain it. Oh ! how con­
soling the sufferings that are borne with love .' This is
the sour sweet, so palatable to souls enamoured of that
God who rendered scourges, racks, and red-hot plates
sweet to the martyrs. When, by order of the tyrant,
the flesh of St. Epictetus was torn with hooks of iron
and his sides burned with lighted torches, the holy
martyr repeated unceasingly: “ Lord, Thy will be done
in me ! Lord, Thy will be done in me ! * Thus he en­
dured all his torments with peace. St. Bonaventure re­
lates 3 that at a time when St. Francis was greatly
afflicted with pains, a simple-minded brother said to
him: Father, ask of God to treat you with a little more
tenderness, for his hand appears to be very heavy upon
you. St. Francis answered: “ Brother, listen to me: did
I not know that what you have said comes from sim­
plicity, I would never see you more; for you wish to
censure what God does.” After these words the saint
threw himself on the ground from the bed on which he
lay, and kissing the floor, said: “ My God, I thank Thee
for these pains, and
I
beseech
Thee
to
increase
them,
if
_
·
it be pleasing to Thee; for I desire nothing else than to
do Thy will.”
III. We should practise conformity’’ to the divine will
1 Insin. 1. 3, c. 54.
2 Vit. Pair. I. 1, c. 12.
3 Vit. S. Franc, c. 14.

sec.

π.ι

In What We Ought to be Resigned.

433

with regard to our natural defects; such as want of
talent, defective memory, bad sight, bad hearing, bad
health, little abilities for the offices of the Community.
To them who upbraid us with these defects we should
say: He made ns, and not me ourselves) And thus let us
resign ourselves to the divine will. We are poor; we
should be content with the alms which the Lord gives
us. What would you think of a beggar who should
complain that the garment which you give him is not as
rich as he wishes, or that the food is not as delicious as
he desires. Let us, then, be content with what God has
given us, and seek nothing else. Could he not have
left us in our nothingness? Could he not ordain that,
instead of being men, we should be toads, flies, or
blades of grass? Oh! how often has the want of
mental acuteness, of corporal beauty, or of other natu­
ral gifts contributed to the salvation of many! For to
many the possession of such qualifications might be the
occasion of their damnation. To how many have great
talents, beauty, nobility, and wealth been the cause of
pride and haughtiness, and of running headlong into a
multitude of crime’s? Let us, then, desire only the
goods that God wishes to give us, and no more. Blessed
Henry Suso used to say: “I would rather be the vilest
animal on earth in conformity with the will of God than
be a seraph with my own will.” And though, on our
part, we ought to aspire to the highest sanctity that we
can attain, we should be content with that degree of
perfection which God gives us.
IV. We ought in a special manner to practise resig­
nation in spiritual desolations, which are the severest
trials to a soul that loves God. But be not disturbed at
them, nor say: 1 would not be troubled if I knew that I
am in desolation because God wills it; but I fear that
%

1 “ Ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos.”—lys. xeix. 3. w
28

434

Resignation to God's Will.

ten. xiv.

the Lord has withdrawn from me in punishment of my
sins. Though your desolation be a chastisement, it is
the will of God that you bear it; accept it, then, and
you shall enjoy peace.
To remove disquietude, it is necessary to know that
there are two sorts of aridity—one in the sensible part
of the soul, the removal of which does not depend on
us. This kind of aridity is not displeasing to God.
The other is in the will (this is, properly speaking, vol­
untary tepidity), and this we can remove. It is needless
to treat here of this second kind of aridity, for I have
said enough about it? But with regard to the first we
should not be disturbed, though we see ourselves unable
to raise the heart to God, to make acts of love, of con­
trition, and of conformity. It is enough to wish to
perform them with a prompt will; and though they be
made with dryness, without relish, and without feeling,
God accepts them, and is pleased with them. When in
our darkness we can do nothing else, let us at least
annihilate ourselves before God; and confessing our
miseries, let us cast ourselves into his hands as we cast
a stone from a mountain into a valley without knowing
w’here it may go, and we shall find peace. But in every
state in which we find ourselves, whether of darkness or
of light, let us pray to God, saying, Lord, conduct me in
any way Thou pleasest; make me do Thy will: I wish
for nothing else. The soul that is disturbed in aridity
shows that it has not entirely abandoned itself to the
divine will. St. Teresa used to say: “The sole end of
those who practise mental prayer should be to conform
their will to the will of God; and let them be persuaded
that in this consists the highest perfection. They who
practise it best shall receive the greatest gifts from God.”
Hence St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi has well said that
1 Chaps. V. and VI.

sec.

π.]

In What We Ought to be Resigned.

435

“the accomplishment of the divine will should be the
object of all our prayers.”
O blessed spouse of the Lord, accustom yourself in
meditation to offer yourself always to God, to suffer for
the love of him every spiritual or bodily pain, every
desolation, every sorrow, infirmity, dishonor, or perse­
cution; and beg of him always to give you strength to
do in all things his holy will. Attend to the excellent
admonition given by spiritual masters: When any seri­
ous calamity befalls you, there is no better subject for
your mental prayer than the tribulation that has come
upon you; and in your meditation be careful to make
repeated acts of conformity to the divine will. The
union of the will with God has been the continual exer­
cise of the saints. Even in going to sleep St. Peter of
Alcantara would imagine himself at the point of death,
and would repeat: “ Lord, Thy will be done in me.”
He would desire that every respiration during his re­
pose should be an act of resignation. Oh ! how pleasing
to the Lord are such oblations and acts of conformity;
not because he rejoices in our sufferings, but because he
then knows how much we love him. When God com­
manded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, he did not
wish the death of the son, but he wished to know if
Abraham was ready to do his will.
What God wishes from us all is that we keep our
will united to his. Some religious by reading books
on mystic theology become desirous of the supernatural
or passive union; I would wish that they should desire
the active union, that is, perfect conformity to the will
of God; in which, according to St. Teresa, the true
union of the soul with God consists. They, adds the
saint, who have only the active union, may have much
greater merit, because this is accompanied with labor
on their part, and the Lord conducts them as strong in
virtue: he reserves what they do not enjoy here to give

436

Resignation to God's Will.

[CH. XIV.

it to them all at once in heaven.
Cardinal Petrucci
also says that without the gift of infused contempla­
tion a soul may, only with the ordinary grace, succeed
in annihilating its own will and in transforming it
into the will of God.
Hence he concludes, that we
should neither desire nor ask of God any other favor
than the accomplishment of his will, in which all sanctity
consists. We thus die to ourselves, that is, we renounce
all our gratifications and desires in order to make only
the divine will live in us. This is what the Apostle
said: And I live now, not /, but Christ liveth in me? I live
no longer in myself, but Jesus Christ lives in me; be­
cause I wish only what he wishes.
Endeavor, then, dear sister, in every occurrence, par­
ticularly in things that are painful to the senses, to
have always in your mouth the words of our Saviour:
Yea, Father, for so hath it seemed good in thy sight? Lord,
let what has happened be done, for so it has pleased
Thee. A holy monk, as Cesarius relates/ performed
many miracles; being asked by his Superior what were
the extraordinary
y works for which God had bestowed
upon him the gift of miracles, he answered: “I do
nothing, except that I endeavor to wish only what God
wishes, and to accept everything from his hands.” But,
said the abbot, were you not disturbed at the great
injury we sustained from such an enemy a few days
ago? No, replied the monk, because I regarded it as
permitted by the divine will. From this the abbot per­
ceived why the good religious was so dear to God.
Thus, also, when tormented with the fear of any griev­
ous calamity that may befall you, say immediately:
Lord, I wish what Thou wishest; do what Thou pleasest
1
*
5
4

Way of Perf. ch. 18.
“ Vivo autem, jam non ego; vivit vero in me Christus.”—Gal. ii. 20.
“Ita, Paler, quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te.”—Matt. xi. 26.
Dial. 1. 10, c. 6.

sec. π.]

In What We Ought to be Resigned.

437

with me, and with all I possess, St. Gregory relates’
that the devil in the form of a serpent tormented
a religious for three years; the religious, though he
suffered a great deal, never lost his peace, but would
say to the enemy: Do with me what you wish if such
be the will and pleasure of God. ’ Let your continual
prayer be: “Thy will be done.” /\t rising in the morning, in going to bed at night, in meditation, at Com­
munion, at the visit to the Most Holy Sacrament, and
always, say: “Thy will be done—thy will be done.”
St. Gertrude used to say three hundred times in the
day: “ My Jesus, let not my will but Thine be done.”
Happy you if you do the same—that is, if you are
always resigned to the divine will. Truly happy shall
be your life, and still more happy your death. Blosius
says that he who, at the moment of death, makes an act
of perfect conformity to the divine will, shall be deliv­
ered not only from hell, but also from purgatory, though
he had been guilty of all the sins of the whole world.’
The reason is, that he who accepts death with perfect
resignation acquires merit similar to that of the holy
martyrs who spontaneously gave their lives for Jesus
Christ. Moreover, he who dies with perfect conformity
to the divine will dies in peace and joy, even in the
midst of pains. A Cistercian monk was seized with his
last illness; his flesh became rotten, and his pains were
so excruciating that he suffered a continual death; but
the good religious unceasingly thanked the Lord, and
enjoyed uninterrupted tranquillity and consolation.
When near his last breath, and racked with increased
torture, he began to sing. The monks that stood round
his bed were astonished to see such joy amid so many
1 Dial. 1. 3, c. i6.
2 “ Hoc si revera facere potuerit, neque infernum neque purgatorium,
subibit, etiamsi totius mundi peccata commisisset.”—Cous. />hs. c. 34,

438

Resignation to God's JVi/i.

[ch.xiv.

pains; but his cheerfulness continued to the last moment,
and thus, with joy and jubilation, he happily closed his
life.
To them that love God, all things work together unto good.1
To him who loves God all things are an occasion of
merit and consolation; for it is certain that God sends
us crosses only for our welfare. This he himself said
one day to St. Catharine of Sienna: I can wish only
what is useful to you. As I have freely created man, so
I have loved him infinitely. Hence you will infer that I
ordain tribulations for your own good, which I desire
more ardently than you yourself wish it. Another holy
woman died consumed by an ulcer, which had entirely
changed her appearance. The bishop who assisted her
in her last moments could not restrain his tears when he
saw her agony; but she smiled, and was surprised to see
the bishop weeping. The prelate, on the other hand,
was astonished to see her smiling, and said to her, Why
do you smile? She anwered, Tell me, were a princess
confined in a dungeon, informed that she could not re­
turn to her palace till the prison was destroyed, how
great should be her joy at seeing its walls falling to the
ground? Thus, because I find myself near my deliver­
ance from this prison of my body, I rejoice and smile.
I do not dilate much on the subject of conformity to
the will of God, on which I would never cease to speak,
because I have already written a little treatise on it,
*
which I pray you to procure, and to read several times:
for it is certainly in uniting ourselves to the divine will
that all our salvation, peace, and perfection consist.
And life in his good-will.2
Lastly, I entreat you to perform all that you do for
1 “ Diligentibus Deum, omnia cooperantur in bonum.”—Rom. viii. 28.
9 0 Et vita in voluntate ejus."—Ps. xxix. 6.

* See Vol. II.

sec. ii.]

In What We Ought to be Resigned.

439

the sole motive of doing the will of God, for thus you
will never be disturbed when things do not happen ac­
cording to your wishes. Thus you will be always in
peace, and will always give pleasure to God. Oh ! how
delightful a thing it is to please God ! Do you wish to
know what is meant by giving pleasure to God ? I will
tell you, in the words of the Venerable Father Anthony
Torres: “It means to please that loving heart to which
we owe so much; to gratify those divine eyes, always
solicitous for our welfare; to satisfy that will, always
employed with the love of us. To give pleasure to God
is the end for which he has created us, the goal to which
our desires should tend; the rule that ought to be the
measure of our existence. To give pleasure to God is that
which is most ardently sought by the saints; that which
moved so many holy virgins to consecrate themselves to
him in the cloister, that sent so many anchorets to the
deserts. This made the persecuted insensible to cal­
umnies and reproaches, and rendered sweet to the mar­
tyrs torments and death. To give pleasure to God is
that for which an enlightened soul offers itself to every
kind of spoliation, to all sorrows—to all, even the worst,
calumnies; to all deaths the most painful,and to hell itself.
To give pleasure to God is such, that every one should
prefer it to all self-interest, to all felicity. It is such,
that if the very blessed in paradise knew that it would
give greater pleasure to God that they should be in hell
than in heaven, they would all (and the first should be
the Most Holy Virgin) cast themselves into hell, there
to find, in the midst of these eternal torments, the greater
pleasure of God. That is what is meant by giving
greater pleasure to God.”

Prayer.
My Jesus have mercy on me, miserable that I have been !
How often, in order to follow my own will against Thine, have

44θ

Resignation ίο God's II iit.

[ch.xiv.

I voluntarily condemned myself to hell? Hadst Thou then
taken me out of life, I should now remain in that pit forever, to
curse and hate Thy will. But no; I now bless it, I love it; I
wish always to love it. My Redeemer, pardon me ; I will not
contradict Thee any more; tell me what Thou wishest from me,
and give me strength ; I wish to do Thy will. Thy will be done.
Make me do Thy will perfectly during the remainder of my life,
and I ask nothing more. Ah! my sweet love, what else dost
Thou wish but my welfare and my salvation ? Eternal Father,
for the love of Jesus Christ, who has taught me to pray to Thee
in his name, I ask this grace of Thee : Thy will be done in me!
Thy will be done in me ! Thy will be done in me ! O happy shall
I be if I live and terminate life doing Thy will.
O Mary, happy thou who hast always done the will of God
perfectly. O my mother! obtain for me by thy prayers the
grace that I may fulfil the divine will during all the remaining
moments of my life : this grace I hope for through thy interces­
sion.

Necessary for Religious.

441

CHAPTER XV.
MENTAL

PRAYER.

Moral Necessity of Mental Prayer for Religious.

The life of a religious must be a life of prayer. It is
difficult, or to speak more correctly, it is morally impos­
sible for a religious, who is not a lover of mental prayer,
to be a good religious. If you see a tepid religious, say
that she does not make mental prayer and you will say
the truth. The devil labors hard to make religious lose
the love for meditation; and should he conquer them in
this, he will gain all. .St. Philip Neri used to say, “A
religious without mental prayer is a religious without
reason.” I add: she is not a religious, but the corpse of
a religious. Let us examine what makes mental prayer
so necessary.
I. In the first place, without mental prayer a religious
is without light. They, says St. Augustine, who keep
their eyes shut, cannot see the way to their country.
The eternal truths are all spiritual things that are seen,
not with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the
mind, that is, by reflection and consideration. Now,
they who do not make mental prayer do not see these
truths, nor do they see the importance of eternal salva­
tion, and the means that they must adopt in order to
obtain it. The loss of so many souls arises from the
neglect of considering the great affair of our salvation,
and what we must do in order to be saved. With desola­
tion, says the prophet Jeremias, is all the land made deso-

442

Mental Prayer.

[cii.xv.

late: because there is none that conside reth in the heart.' On
the other hand, the Lord says, that he who keeps before
his eyes the truths of faith, that is, death, judgment, and
the happy or unhappy eternity that awaits us, shall never
fall into sin. In all thy works remember thy last end, ami
thou shalt never sin? Draw near to God, says David, and
you shall be enlightened. Come ye to him and be enlight­
ened? In another place our Saviour says: Letyour loins be
girt, and lamps burning in your hands? These lamps are,
according to St. Bonaventure, holy meditations;5 for in
prayer the Lord speaks to us, and enlightens, in order to
show us the way of salvation. Thy word is a lamp to my
feet. *
St. Bonaventure also says, that mental prayer is, as it
were, a mirror, in which we see all the stains of the soul.
In a letter to the Bishop of Osma, St. Teresa says: “Al­
though it appears to us that we have no imperfections,
still when God opens the eyes of the soul, as he usually
does in prayer, our imperfections are then clearly seen.”1
He who does not make mental prayer does not even
know his defects, and therefore, as St. Bernard says, he
does not abhor them.8 He does not even know the
dangers to which his eternal salvation is exposed, and
therefore he does not even think of avoiding them.
But he that applies himself to meditation instantly sees
his faults, and the dangers of perdition, and seeing them,
1 “ Desolatione desolata est omnis terra, quia nullus est qui recogitet
corde.”—Jer. xii. n.
4 “ Memorare novissima tua, et in æternum non peccabis.”—Ecclus.
vii. 40.
3 “ Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini.”—Ps. xxxiii. 6.
4 “ Sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris.”
—Luke, xii. 35.
5 “ Oratio est lucerna.”
6 “ Lucerna pedibus meis, verbum tuum.”—Ps. cxviii. 105.
7 Letter 8.
8 “Seipsum non exhorret, quia nec sentit.”—De Consid. 1. 1, c. 2.

sec. i.]

Necessary for Religiotts.

443

he will reflect on the remedies for them. By meditating
on eternity, David was excited to the practice of virtue,
and to sorrow and works of penance for his sins. /
thought upon the days of old, and 1 had in my mind the eternal
years, . . . and I was exercised, and I swept my spirit) The
spouse in the Canticles said: The flowers have appeared in
our land: the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is
heard in our land) When the soul, like the solitary turtle,
retires and recollects itself in meditation to converse
with God, then the flowers, that is, good desires, appear;
then comes the time of pruning, that is, the correction
of faults that are discovered in mental prayer. “Con­
sider,” says St. Bernard, “that the time of pruning is at
hand, if the time of meditation has gone before.”3 For,
says the saint in another place, meditation regulates the
affections, directs the actions, and corrects defects.4
II. Besides, without meditation there is not strength
to resist the temptations of our enemies, and to practise
the virtues of the Gospel. Meditation, says the Vener­
able Bartholomew of the Martyrs,6 is like fire with re­
gard to iron, which when cold is hard, and can be wrought
only with difficulty, but placed in the fire it becomes
soft, and the workman gives it any form he wishes. To
observe the divine precepts and counsels, it is necessary
to have a tender heart—that is, a heart docile and pre­
pared to receive the impressions of celestial inspirations,
and ready to obey them. It was this that Solomon
asked of God: Give, therefore, to thy servant an understand1 “Cogitavi dies antiquos, et annos æternos in mente habui, ... et
exercitabar, et scopebam spiritum meum.’’—Ps. Ixxvi. 6.
2 “ Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra, tempus putationis advenit; vox
turturis audita est in terra nostra.”—Cant. ii. 12.
3 “ Puta tempus putationis adesse, si meditatio praeivit.”—De Consid.
1. 2, c. 6.
4 “ Consideratio regit affectus, dirigit actus, corrigit excessus.”—Ibid.
1. i, c. 7.
* “ Faber ignitum ferrum ictibus mollire satagit.”

444

Mental Prayer.

[ch.xv.

ing heart. 1 Sin has made our heart hard and indocile;
for being altogether inclined to sensual pleasures, it re­
sists, as the Apostle complained, the laws of the spirit.
But I see another law in my members fighting against the law
of my mind? But the soul is rendered docile and tender
to the influence of grace that is communicated in men­
tal prayer. By the contemplation of the divine good­
ness, the great love which God has borne him, and the
immense benefits that God has bestowed upon him, man
is inflamed with love, his heart is softened, and made
obedient to the divine inspirations. But without men­
tal prayer his heart will remain hard and restive and
disobedient, and thus he shall be lost. A hard heart shall
fare evil at the last? Hence, St. Bernard exhorted Pope
Eugene never to omit meditation on account of ex­
ternal occupations.
“ I fear for you, O Eugene, lest
the multitude of affairs (prayer and consideration being
intermitted), may bring you to a hard heart, which
abhors not itself, because it perceives not.”1
Some may imagine that the long time which devout
souls give to prayer, and which they could spend in useful
works, is unprofitable and lost time. But such persons
know not that in mental prayer souls acquire strength
to conquer enemies and to practise virtue. “ From
this leisure,” says St. Bernard, “strength comes forth.” 1
2345
Hence the Lord commanded that his spouse should
not be disturbed. / adjure you . . . that you stir not up.
1 “ Dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile.”—3 A'ings, iii. 9.
2 “ Video autem aliam legem in membris meis, repugnantem legi
mentis meæ.”—Aoni. vii. 23.
3 “ Cor durum habebit male in novissimo; et qui amat periculum in
illo peribit.”—Ecclus. iii. 27.
4 “ Timeo tioi, Eugeni, ne multitudo negotiorum, intermissa oratione
et consideratione, te ad cor durum perducat; quod seipsum non ex­
horret, quia nec sentit.”—De Consid. 1. 1, c. 2.
5 “ Ex hoc otio vires proveniunt.”

SEC. I.]

Necessary for Religious.

445

nor awake my beloved till she please.1
He says, until she
please: for the sleep or repose which the soul takes in
mental prayer is perfectly voluntary, but is at the same
time necessary for its spiritual life. He who does not
sleep, has not strength to work, nor to walk, but goes
tottering along the way. The soul that does not repose
and require strength in meditation is not able to resist
temptations, and totters on the road. In the life of the
Venerable Sister Mary Crucified we read that while at
prayer she heard a devil boasting that he had made a nun
omit the common meditation, and that afterwards, be­
cause he continued to tempt her, she was in danger of
consenting to mortal sin. The servant of God ran to
the nun, and with the divine aid rescued her from the
criminal suggestion. Behold the danger to which one
who omits meditation exposes h soul ! St. Teresa used
to say that he who neglects mental prayer needs not a
devil to carry him to hell, but that he brings himself
there with his own hands. And the Abbot Diocles said
that “ the man who omits mental prayer soon becomes
either a beast or a devil.”
III. Without petitions on our part God does not grant
the divine helps, and without aid from God we cannot
observe the commandments; hence the Apostle exhorted
his disciples to pray always. d}ray without ceasing."1 We
are poor mendicants: I am a beggar and poor? The en­
tire revenue of the poor consists in asking alms from
the rich; and our riches also consist in prayer, that is,
in the prayer of petition; for by prayer we obtain
from God his graces. Without prayer, says St. John
Chrysostom, it is absolutely impossible to lead a good
1 “ Ne suscitetis neque evigilare faciatis Dilectam, donec ipsa velit.
Cant, ii i. 5.
1 “Sine intermissione orate.”—1 Thess. v. 17.
c “ Ego autem mendicus sum et pauper.”—Ps. xxxix. iS.

446

Mental Prayer.

[CH. xv.

life.1 And, says the learned Monsignor Abelly, what but
the neglect of mental prayer can be the cause of the great
relaxation of morals that we witness? God has an
ardent desire to enrich us with his graces, but, as St.
Gregory writes, he wishes to be entreated, and, as it
were, forced by our prayers to grant them to us. “ God,"
says the holy Doctor, “ wishes to be asked, he wishes to
be compelled, he wishes to be overcome by a certain im­
portunity.” 2 According to St. John Chrysostom, it is
impossible for him who attends to prayer to fall into
sin.3 And in another place he says that when the devils
see that we pray, they immediately cease to tempt us.4
From the absolute necessity of the prayer of petition
arises the moral necessity of mental prayer; for he who
neglects meditation, and is distracted with worldly
affairs, will not know his spiritual wants, the dangers to
which his salvation is exposed, the means which he must
adopt in order to conquer temptations, or even the
necessity of the prayer of petition for all men; thus he
will give up the practice of prayer, and by neglectingto
ask God’s graces, he will certainly be lost. The great
Bishop Palafox, in his Annotations to the letters of St.
Teresa, says:G “ How can charity last, unless God gives
perseverance ? How will the Lord give us perseverance
if we neglect to ask him for it? And how shall we ask
him without mental prayer? Without mental prayer,
there is not the communication with God which is neces­
sary for the preservation of virtue.” And Cardinal
1 “ Simpliciter impossibile est, absque precationis præsidio cum vir­
tute degere.”—De or. D. 1. i.
- “ Vult Deus rogari, vult cogi, vult quadam importunitate vinci.”—
In Ps. pccnit. vi.
3 “ Impossibile est hominem congruo precantcm studio unquam pec­
care.”—Ad fop. Ant. hom. 79.
4 “Si nos conspexerint deprecatione munitos, illico resiliunt."—De
or. D. 1. i.
5 Letter 8.

sec. i.]

Necessary for Religiotts.

447

Bellarmine says that for him who neglects meditation,
it is morally impossible to live without sin.
Some one may say, I do not make mental prayer, but
I say many vocal prayers. But it is necessary to know,
as St. Augustine remarks, that to obtain the divine
grace it is not enough to pray with the tongue: it is
necessary also to pray with the heart. On the words of
David: I cried to the Lord with my voice > the holy Doctor
says: “ Many cry not with their own voice (that is, not
with the interior voice of the soul), but with that of the
body. Your thoughts are a cry to the Lord.3 Cry with­
in, where God hears.”3 This is what the Apostle incul­
cates. Praying at all times in the spirit.4 In general,
vocal prayers are said distractedly with the voice of the
body, but not of the heart, especially when they are
long, and still more especially when said by a person
who does not make mental prayer; and therefore God
seldom hears them, and seldom grants the graces asked.
Many say the Rosary, the Office of the Blessed Virgin,
and perform other works of devotion; but they still con­
tinue in sin. But it is impossible for him who per­
severes in mental prayer to continue in sin; he will
either give up meditation or renounce sin. A great ser­
vant of God used to say that mental prayer and sin can­
not exist together. And this we see by experience: they
who make mental prayer rarely incur the enmity of God;
and should they ever have the misfortune of falling into
sin, by persevering in mental prayer, they see their mis­
ery, and return to God. Let a soul, says St. Teresa, be
ever so negligent, if she persevere in meditation, the
Lord will bring her back to the haven of salvation.5
1 “ Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi.”—Ps. cxli. 2.
9 “ Multi clamant, non voce sua, sed corporis. Cogitatio tua clamor
est ad Dominum.”—Enarr. in Ps. cxli.
3 “ Clama intus, ubi audit Deus.”—In Ps. xxx, en. 4.
6“ Orantes omni tempore in spiritu.”—Eph. vi. 18.
• Life, ch. 8.

448

Mental Prayer.

[ch.xv.

IV. All the saints have become saints by mental
prayer. Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which
souls are inflamed with the divine love. In my medita­
tion, says David, a fire shall flame out.' St. Vincent of
Paul used to say, that it would be a miracle if a sinner
who attends at the sermons in the mission, or in the
spiritual exercises, were not converted. Now, he who
preaches and speaks in the exercises is only a man; but
it is God himself that speaks to the soul in meditation.
/ will lead her into the wilderness ; and 1 will speak to her
heartd St. Catharine of Bologna used to say: “ He who
does not practise mental prayer deprives himself of the
bond that unites the soul to God; hence, finding her
alone, the devil will easily make her his own.” “ How,”
she would say, “can I conceive that the love of God is
found in the soul that cares but little to treat with God
in prayer?”
Where but in meditation have the saints been in­
flamed with divine love? By means of mental prayer
St. Peter of Alcantara was inflamed to such a degree
that in order to cool himself he ran into a frozen pool,
and the frozen water began to boil like water in a cal­
dron placed on the fire. In mental prayer St. Philip
Neri became inflamed, and trembled so that he shook
the entire room. In mental prayer St. Aloysius Gonzaga
was so inflamed with divine ardor that his very face ap­
peared to be on fire, and his heart beat as strongly as if
it wished to fly from the body.
St. Laurence Justinian says: “ By the efficacy of men­
tal prayer temptation is banished, sadness is driven
away, lost virtue is restored, fervor which has grown
cold is excited, and the lovely flame of divine love is
augmented.” 3 Hence, St. Aloysius Gonzaga has justly
1 “ In meditatione mea exardescet ignis.”—Ps. xxxviii. 4.
3 “ Ducam eam in solitudinem et loquar ad cor ejus."—Osee, ii. 14.
3 “ Ex oratione fugatur tentatio, abscedit tristitia, virtus reparatur.

SEC. I.]

Necessary for Religions.

449

said that he who does not make much mental prayer
will never attain a high degree of perfection.
A man of prayer, says David, is like a tree planted
near the current of waters, which brings forth fruit in
due time; all his actions prosper before God. Blessed is
the man . . . who shall meditate on his law day and night !
And he shall he like a tree which is planted near the running
waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season, and
his leaf shall not fall off : and all, whatsoever he shall do, shall
prosperi Mark the words,/;/ due season; that is, at the
time when he ought to bear such a pain, such an affront,
etc.
St. John Chrysostom3 compared mental prayer to a
fountain in the middle of a garden. Oh ! what an
abundance of flowers and verdant plants do we see in
the garden which is always refreshed with water from
the fountain. Such, precisely, is the soul that practises
mental prayer: you will see that she always advances
in good desires, and that she always brings forth more
abundant fruits of virtue. Whence does she receive so
many blessings? From meditation, by which she is con­
tinually irrigated. Thy plants are a paradise of pome­
granates with the fruits of the orchard, . . . the fountain of
gardens, the well of living waters, which run with a strong
stream from Libanusi But let the fountain cease to water
the garden, and, behold, the flowers, plants, and all instantly wither away; and why? Because the water has
excitatur fervor, et divini amoris flamma succrescit.”—De Casto Conn.
c. 22.
1 “ Beatus vir qui ... in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte. Et
erit tanquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursum aquarum, quod
fructum dabit in tempore suo ; et folium ejus non defluet, et omnia
quæcumque faciet, prosperabuntur."—Ps. i. 3.
2 Ad pop. Ant. horn. "]<).
3 “ Emissiones tuæ, paradisus malorum puniconim cum pomorum
fructibus. . . . Fons hortorum, puteus aquarum viventium, quæ fluunt
impetu de Libano.”—Cant. iv. 13.
29

450

Mental Prayer.

[ch.xv.

failed. You will see that as long as such a religious
makes mental prayer she is modest, humble, devout,
and mortified in all things. But let her omit medita­
tion, and you will instantly find her wantingin modesty
of the eyes, proud, resenting every word, indevout, no
longer frequenting the sacraments and the church; you
will find her attached to vanity, to useless conversations,
to pastimes, and to earthly pleasures; and why? The
water has failed, and therefore fervor has ceased. My
soul is as earth without water unto thee. . . . My spit it hath
fainted away.' The soul has neglected mental prayer,
the garden is therefore dried up, and the miserable soul
goes from bad to worse. When a soul abandons medita­
tion St. John Chrysostom regards it not only as sick, but
as dead. “ He,” says the holy Doctor, “ who prays not
to God, nor desires to enjoy assiduously his divine con­
versation, is dead. . . . The death of the soul is not to
be prostrated before God.”2
The same Father says that mental prayer is the root
of the fruitful vine.2 And St. John Climacus writes
that “prayer is a bulwark against the assault of afflic­
tions, the spring of virtues, the procurer of graces.”4
Rufinus asserts that all the spiritual progress of the soul
flows from mental prayer.5 And Gerson goes so far as
to say, that he who neglects meditation cannot, without
a miracle, lead the life of a Christian/
1 “ Anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi; . . . defecit spiritus meus.”
—Ps. cxlii. 6.
* “ Quisquis non orat Deum, nec divino ejus colloquio cupit assidue
frui, is mortuus est. . . , Animæ mors est, non provolvi coram Deo.”
—De or. D. 1. I.
3 “ Radix vitis frugiferae.”—Ibid.
4 “ Oratio est propugnaculum adversus impetum afflictionum, virtutum
scaturigo, gratiarum conciliatrix.”—Seat, par.gr. 23.
5 “Omnis profectus spiritualis ex meditatione procedit. ”—In Ps. xxxvi.
6 “Absque meditationis exercitio, nullus, secluso miraculo Dei, ad
christianæ religionis normam attingit.”—De Med. cons. 7.

sec. i.]

Necessary for Religious.

451

Speaking of mental prayer, Jeremias says: He shall sit
solitary, and hold his peace ; because he hath taken it up upon
himself.' That is, a soul cannot have a relish for God,
unless it withdraws from creatures, and sits, that is, stops
to contemplate the goodness, the love, the amiableness,
of God. But when solitary and recollected in medita­
tion, that is, when it takes away its thoughts from the
world, it is then raised above itself, and departs from
prayer very different from what it was when it began it.
St. Ignatius of Loyola used to say that mental prayer
is the short way to attain perfection. In a word, he
who advances most in meditation makes the greatest
progress in perfection. In mental prayer the soul is
filled with holy thoughts, with holy affections, desires,
and holy resolutions, and with love for God. There
man sacrifices his passions, his appetites, his earthly at­
tachments, and all the interests of self-love. Moreover,
by praying for them in mental prayer we can save
many sinners, as was done by St. Teresa, St. Mary Mag­
dalene de Pazzi, and is done by all souls enamoured of
God, who never omit in their meditations to recommend
to him all infidels, heretics, and all poor sinners; begging
him also to give zeal to priests who work in his vine­
yard, that they may convert his enemies. In mental
prayer we can also, by the sole desire of performing
them, gain the merit of many good works which we do
not perform. For as the Lord punishes bad desires, so,
on the other hand, he rewards all our good desires.
It is necessary, above all, to be careful not to go to
mental prayer in order to enjoy consolation and tender­
ness, but for the purpose of pleasing God, and of learn­
ing from him how he wishes to be loved and served by
us. Father Balthazar Alvarez used to say: “The love
of God consists not in receiving his favors, but in serving
him through the sole motive of pleasing him. And he
1 “ Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se.”—Lam. iii. 28.

452

Mental Prayer.

[ch.xv.

would say, that divine consolation is like the refresh­
ment that we take on a journey not to rest in it, but in
order to go forward with greater vigor. When you feel
aridity in meditation, be careful to persevere, in spite of
all the tediousness that you experience, and know that
you then give great pleasure to your Spouse, and acquire
great merits. Say to him then: O my Jesus, why dost
Thou treat me thus ? Thou hast stripped me of all
things, of property, of relatives, of my will, and I have
been satisfied with these privations, in order to gain
Thee; but why dost Thou now deprive me also of Thy­
self ? Say this to him with an humble affection; he will
make thee feel that he does all because he loves thee,
and for thy greater good. Father Torres used to say:
“To carry the cross with Jesus without consolation, ·
makes the soul run and fly to perfection.”

Prayer.
My Jesus, Thou hast loved me in the midst of pains ; and in
the midst of sufferings I wish to love Thee. Thou hast spared
nothing: Thou hast even given Thy blood and Thy life in
order to gain my love; and shall I continue as hitherto, to be
reserved in loving Thee?·' No, my Redeemer, it shall not be so;
the ingratitude with which I have hitherto treated Thee is suf­
ficient. To Thee I consecrate my whole heart. Thou alone
dost deserve all my love. Thee alone do I wish to love. My
God, since Thou wishest me to be entirely Thine, give me
strength to serve Thee as Thou deservcst, during the remainder
of my life. Pardon my tepidity and my past infidelities. How
often have I omitted mental prayer in order to indulge my
caprice. Alas! how often, when it was in my power to remain
with Thee in order to please Thee, have I remained with crea­
tures so as to offend Thee. Oh ! that so many lost years would
return ! But, since they will not return, the remaining days of
my life must be entirely Thine, O my beloved Lord. I love
Thee, O my Jesus! I love Thee, O my Sovereign Good ! Thou
art, and shalt be forever, the only love of my soul.
O mother of fair love, O Mary, obtain for me the grace to

/•s

Practice of Mental Prayer.

SEC. II.]

453

love thy Son, and to spend the remainder of my life in his
love. Thou dost obtain from Jesus whatsoever thou wishest;
through thy prayers I hope for this gift.
II.

The Practice of Mental Prayer.

Having seen the great necessity of mental prayer for
religious, and the great blessings that they may draw
from it, let us now consider the practice of meditation,
with regard to the place, the time, and the manner.
i.

The Place Suitable for Mental Prayer.

With regard to the place, it should be solitary. But,
said our Saviour, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy cham­
ber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret)
When you wish to pray, shut yourself up in your cham­
ber, and thus pray to your Father. St. Bernard says
that silence and the absence of all noise almost force
the soul to think of the goods of heaven.3
To make mental prayer, the best place is, as has been
said, your own room; but for religious the most appro­
priate place is the church, in presence of the Blessed
Sacrament. The Venerable Father Avila used to say
that he knew no sanctuary more desirable than a church
in which Jesus Christ remains in the holy Eucharist.
In order to make mental prayer well, it is necessary
to unite to the external silence interior silence, that is,
detachment from earthly affections. Speaking of certain
persons attached to the world, our Lord said one day to
St. Teresa: “I would wish to speak to them, but crea­
tures make such a noise in their ears that they do not
give me a moment in which I can make them listen to
1 “ Tu autem, cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et, clauso ostio,
ora Patrem tuum in abscondito.”—Matt. vi. 6.
4 “ Silentium, et a strepitu quies,cogit coelestia meditari.”—Epist. 78.

454

Ale ntal Prayer.

[CH. XV.

me.” But in the next chapter,1 on the solitude of the
heart, we shall speak at length on this point.
We have here two things to consider, namely, the time
of the day most suitable for mental prayer, and the
time that is to be spent in making it.

2. The Time

of

Making Mental Prayer.

1. With regard to the time of making mental prayer, St.
Isidore used to say, that, ordinarily speaking, the fittest
time for meditation is the morning and evening.2 But
according to St. Gregory of Nyssa, the morning is the
most seasonable time for prayer; because, says the saint,
when prayer precedes business, sin will not gain admis­
sion to the soul.3 The Venerable Father Charles Carafa,
founder of the Congregation of the Pious Workers, used
to say that a fervent act of love made in the morning
during meditation is sufficient to maintain the soul in
fervor during the entire day. Prayer, as St. Jerome has
written, is also necessary in the evening.1 Let not the
body go to rest before the soul is refreshed by mental
prayer, which is the food of the soul. But at all times
and in all places religious can pray, even at work, or at
recreation; it is enough for them then to raise the mind
to God and to make good acts, for in this consists
mental prayer
2. With regard to the time to be spent in mental prayer,
the rule of the saints was, to devote to it all the hours
that were not necessary for the occupations of human
life. St. Francis Borgia employed eight hours in the
day in meditation, because his Superiors would not al1 Chap. XVI. g II.
2 “ Mane et vespere tempus est orationis opportunum.”—Spec. disc. p.
I, c. 12.

1

β Φ

'd “Si oratio negotium præcesserit, peccatum aditum non inveniet.”—
De Or. Dom. or. i.
4 “ Non prius corpusculum requiescat, quam anima pascatur.”—/Id
Eusloch.

sec. ii.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

455

low him a longer time, and when the eight hours were
expired, he earnestly asked permission to remain a little
longer at prayer, saying, “Ah! give me another little
quarter of an hour.” St. Philip Neri was accustomed to
spend the entire night in prayer. St. Anthony the Ab­
bot remained the whole night at prayer, and when the
sun appeared, which was the time assigned for termi­
nating his prayer, he complained of it for having risen
too soon. Father Balthazar Alvarez used to say that a
soul that loves God, when not in prayer, is like a stone
out of its centre, in a violent state; for in this life we
should as much as possible imitate the life of the saints
in bliss, who are constantly employed in the contempla
*
tion of God.
It is right to observe, that with regard to the posture
the fittest one is kneeling; but when it causes pain and
distraction, a person may, as St. John of the Cross says,
make meditation sitting in a modest posture.
But let us come to the particular time which a religi­
ous who seeks perfection should devote to mental prayer.
Father Torres prescribed for religious who were his
penitents an hour’s meditation in the morning, another
during the day, and a half-hour’s meditation in the even­
ing, when they should not be hindered by sickness or by
any duty of obedience. If to you this appears too much,
I counsel you at least to give to mental prayer an hour
in addition to the time devoted to it by the Community.
Sometimes the Lord wishes you to omit prayer in
order to perform some work of fraternal charity; but it
is necessary to attend to what St. Laurence Justinian
says: “When charity requires it, the spouse of Jesus
goes to serve her neighbor; but during that time she
continually sighs to return to converse with her Spouse
in the solitude of her cell.”1 Father Vincent Carafa,
1 “ Cum charitas urget, se exponit proximo, sic tamen ut continue an­
helet ad cubile Sponsi reditum.”—De Casto Conn. c. 12.

45ό

Μoita I Prayer.

[CH. XV.

General of the Society of Jesus, stole as many little mo­
ments of time as he could, and employed them in prayer.
Mental prayer is tedious to the religious who is at­
tached to the world, but not to those who love God
only. Now, how can it be said that a religious loves
God only, when she feels no tediousness in convers­
ing for two hours with a relative or an acquaintance
at the grate, and cannot bring herself to make an hour’s
meditation, in addition to the meditations made by the
Community? Ah! conversation with God is not painful
nor tedious to those who truly love him. His conversa­
tion has no bitterness, his company produces not tediousness, bid
joy and gladness.1 Mental prayer, says St. John Climacus,
is nothing else than a familiar conversation and union
with God.3 In prayer, as St. John Chrysostom says,
the soul converses with God, and God with the soul.
No, the life of holy religious that love prayer and fly
from earthly amusements is not a life of bitterness. If
you do not believe me, Taste and see that the Lord is sweet?
Try it, and you will see how sweet the Lord is to those
who leave all things in order to converse with him only.
But the end which we ought to propose to ourselves in
going to meditation should be, as has been said several
times, not spiritual consolation, but to learn from our
Lord what he wishes from us, and to divest ourselves of
all self-love. “To prepare yourself for prayer,” says St.
John Climacus, “put off your own will.”4 To prepare
ourselves well for meditation, w
*e
must renounce self­
will, and say to God: Speak, Lord, for thy servant hearethf
1 “ Non enim habet amaritudinem conversatio illius, nec tædium con­
victus illius, sed lætitiam et gaudium.”—tVisd. viii. 16.
2 “Oratio est familiaris conversatio et conjunctio cum Deo.”—Seal,
par. gr. 28.
3 “ Gustate, et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus.”—Ps. xxxiii. 9.
4 “ Ad præparandum te ad orationem, exue voluntates tuas.”—Seal,
par. gr. 28.
‘ “ Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus tuus.”—1 Kings, iii. 19.

sec. ii.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

457

Lord, tell me what you wish me to do: I am willing to
do it. And it is necessary to say this with a resolute
will, for without this disposition the Lord will not speak
to us.
:·.!··
3. The Manner of Making Mental Prayer.

As to the manner of making mental prayer, I will sup­
pose that you are already instructed in it; but allow me
to explain briefly the principal parts of mental prayer
for any young beginner into whose hands this book may
fall.
Mental prayer contains three parts: the preparation,
the meditation, and the conclusion.
1. In the preparation there are three acts: an act of
faith, of the presence of God, and of adoration; 2, an
act• of humility and
of
sorrow
for
our
sins,
and,
3,
a
peti_
tion for light. They may be made in the following
manner:
My God, I believe Thee present within me; I adore
Thee with my whole soul.
Be careful to make this act with a lively faith, for a
lively remembrance of the divine presence contributes
greatly to remove distractions. Cardinal Carracciolo,
Bishop of Aversa, used to say that when a person is dis­
tracted in meditation there is reason to think that he
has not made a lively act of faith.
2. Lord, I should now be in hell in punishment of the
offences I have offered to Thee. I am sorry for them
from the bottom of my heart; have mercy on me.
3. Eternal Father, for the sake of Jesus and Mary, give
me light in this meditation, that I may draw fruit from
it.
We must, then, recommend ourselves to the Blessed
Virgin by saying a Hail Mary, to St. Joseph, to our
guardian angel, and to our holy patron.
These acts, says St. Francis de Sales, ought to be

45 8

Mental Prayer.

[CH. XV.

made with fervor, but should be short, that we may
pass immediately to the meditation.
II. On entering on the meditation we must take leave
of all extraneous thoughts, saying with St. Bernard, “0
my thoughts ! wait here;”* after prayer we shall speak
on other matters. Be careful not to allow the mind to
wander where it wishes; but should a distracting thought
enter, we must not be disturbed, nor seek to banish it
with a violent effort, but let us remove it calmly and re­
turn to God. Let us remember that the devil labors
hard to disturb us in the time of meditation in order to
make us abandon it. Let him, then, who omits mental
prayer on account of distractions be persuaded that he
gives delight to the devil. It is impossible, says Cassian,’
that our minds should be free from all distractions
during prayer. Let us, then, never give up meditation,
however great our distractions may be. St. Francis de
Sales 1*3 says that if in mental prayer we should do noth­
ing else than continually banish distractions and tempta­
tions, the meditation is well made. And before him St.
Thomas taught that involuntary distractions do not
take away the fruit of mental prayer.4* When we per­
ceive that we are deliberately distracted, let us desist
from the voluntary defect, and banish the distraction,
but let us be careful not to discontinue our meditation.
With regard to the subject-matter of meditation, the
best rule is to meditate on the truths or mysteries in
which the soul finds most nourishment and devotion.
But above all, for a religious who loves perfection the
most appropriate subject is the Passion of Jesus Christ.
Blosius writes that our Lord revealed to several holy
1 “ Exspectate hic.”—De cont. D. c. I.
8 Collât. 23, c. 7.
3 Lettre 629.
·· 7
4 “ Evagatio mentis, quæ fit præter propositum, orationis fructum non
tollit.”—2. 2, q. S3, a. 13.

«0U

sec. π.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

459

women, to St. Gertrude, St. Bridget, St. Mechtilde, and
St. Catharine of Sienna that they who meditate on his
Passion are very dear to him. According to St. Francis
de Sales,1 the Passion of our Redeemer should be the
ordinary subject of the meditations of every Christian;
how much more should it be the subject of the medita­
tions of the spouse of Jesus Christ ! Oh, what an ex­
cellent book is the Passion of Jesus ! There we under­
stand better than in any other book the malice of sin,
and also the mercy and love of God for man. You may
read for your meditation the devout reflections that I
have published on what the holy evangelists have writ­
ten concerning the Passion of our Saviour. To me it
appears that Jesus Christ has suffered so many different
pains, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the cru­
cifixion, etc., that having before our eyes so many pain­
ful mysteries we might have a variety of different sub­
jects for meditating on his Passion, by which we might
excite sentiments of gratitude and love.
When she is alone at meditation a religious will do
well always to make mental prayer with the aid of a
book. St. Teresa used a book for seventeen years: she
would first read a little, and then meditate for a short
.me on what she had read. It is useful to meditate in
this manner, in imitation of the pigeon, that first drinks
and then raises its eyes to heaven.
However, let it be remembered that the advantage of
mental prayer consists not so much in meditating as in
making affections, petitions, and resolutions: these are
the three principal fruits of meditation. “ The progress
of a soul says St. Teresa, “does not consist in thinking
much of God, but in loving him ardently; and this love
for K:
him.
is acquired by resolving to do a great" deal
J
~ ”*
Speaking of mental prayer, the spiritual masters say
that meditation is, as it were, the needle which when it
v Introd. p. 2, ch. 1.

2 Found, ch. 5.

460

Mental Prayer.

[ch.xv,

has passed must be succeeded by the golden thread
composed, as has been said, of affections, resolutions,
and petitions.
i. When you have reflected on the point of meditation,
and feel any pious sentiment, raise your heart to God
and offer him acts of humility, of confidence, or of
thanksgiving; but above all, repeat in mental prayer acts
of contrition and of love.
The act of love, as also the act of contrition, is the
golden chain that binds the soul to God. An act of
perfect charity is sufficient for the remission of all our
sins. Charity covereth a multitude of si/is.1 The Lord has
declared that he cannot hate the soul that loves him: 1
love them that love me? The Venerable Sister Mary Cruci­
fied once saw a globe of fire in which some straws that
had been thrown into it were instantly consumed. By
this vision she was given to understand that a soul by
making a true act of love obtains the remission of all its
faults. Besides, the Angelic Doctor teaches that by
every act of love we acquire a new degree of glory.
“ Every act of charity,” says the saint, “ merits eternal
life.” 3 Acts of love maybe made in the following manner!
My God, I esteem Thee more than all things.
I love Thee with my whole heart. I delight in Thy
felicity.
I would wish to see Thee loved by all.
I wish only what Thou wishest.
Make known to me what Thou wishest from me, and
I will do it.
Dispose as Thou pleasest of me and of all that I possess.
This last act of oblation is particularly pleasing to
God. St. Teresa was accustomed to offer herself to
God in this manner at least fifty times in the day.
1 “ Charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum.”—i Pet. iv. 8.
* “ Ego diligentes me diligo.”—Prov. viii. 17.
3 “ Quilibet actus charitatis meretur vitam æternam.”—1. 2, q. 114, a. 7.

sec. π.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

Remember that in this chapter we speak of the ordi­
nary mental prayer; for should a soul feel itself at any
time united to God by supernatural or infused recollec­
tion, without any particular thought of an eternal truth
or of any divine mystery, it should not then labor to
perform any other acts than those to which it feels itself
sweetly drawn to God. It is then enough to endeavor
with loving attention to remain united with God with­
out impeding the divine operation, or forcing one’s self
to make reflections and acts. But this is to be under­
stood when the Lord calls the soul to this supernatural
prayer; but until we receive such a call we should not
depart from the ordinary method of mental prayer, but
should, as has been said, make use of meditation and
affections. However, for persons accustomed to mental
prayer it is better to employ themselves in affections
than in considerations.
2. Moreover, in mental prayer it is very profitable, and
perhaps more useful than any other act, to repeat peti­
tions to God asking with humility and confidence his
graces; that is, his light, resignation, perseverance, and
the like; but above all, the gift of his holy love. St.
Francis de Sales used to say, that by obtaining the
divine love we obtain all graces; for a soul that truly
loves God with its whole heart will of itself, without
being admonished by others, abstain from giving him
the smallest displeasure, and will labor to please him to
the best of its ability.
When you find yourself in aridity and darkness, so
that you feel, as it were, incapable of making good acts,
it is sufficient to say: My Jesus, mercy. Lord, for the
sake of Thy mercy, assist me. And the meditation made
in this manner will be for you, perhaps, the most useful
and fruitful.
The Venerable Paul Segneri used to say that until he
studied theology he employed himself during the time

4^2

Mental Prayer.

[ch. xv.

of mental prayer in making reflections and affections;
but "God" (these are his own words) “afterwards
opened my eyes, and thenceforward I endeavored to
employ myself in petitions, and if there is any good in
me, I ascribe it to this exercise of recommending myself
to God.” Do you likewise do the same; ask of God his
graces in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall obtain
whatsoever you desire. This our Saviour has promised,
and his promise cannot fail: Amen, amen, I say to you,
if you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it
you.1
In a word, for you, religious, all your mental prayer
should consist in acts and petitions. Hence the Vener­
able Sister Mary Crucified, while in an ecstasy, declared
that mental prayer is the respiration of the soul; foras
by respiration the air is first attracted and afterwards
given back, so by petitions the soul first receives grace
from God, and then by good acts of oblation and love it
gives itself to him.
In finishing the meditation it is necessary to make a
particular resolution; as, for example, to avoid some
particular defect into which you have more frequently
fallen, or to practise some virtue, such as to suffer the
annoyance that you receive from a sister, to obey more
exactly a certain Superior, to perform some particular
act of mortification. We must repeat the same resolu­
tion several times until we find that we have got rid of
the defect or acquired the virtue. Afterwards reduce to
practice the resolutions you have made as soon as an
occasion presents itself.
You would also do well, before the conclusion of your
prayer, to renew the vows made at your profession.
This renewal is most pleasing to God, because by her
vows a religious gives herself entirely to God. Accord1 “ Amen, amen, dico vobis: si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo
dabit vobis.”—John, xvi. 23.
' M

sec. ii.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

463

ing to the doctrine of St. Thomas,1 a religious is ab­
solved from all her sins on the day of her profession, on
account of the donation that she makes of herself en­
tirely to God by means of the vows by which she conse­
crates to him all that she has—her property, her body, and
her will. The same favor appears to be obtained by the
nun who with a true spirit of self-spoliation renews her
religious vows. Hence I advise you to renew them fre­
quently, as well in the common prayer as at Communion,
in the visit to the Blessed Sacrament, at rising in the
morning, and in going to bed at ni^ght.
III. The conclusion of meditation consists of three
acts: i. In thanking God for the lights received; 2. In
making a purpose to fulfil the resolutions made; 3. In
asking of the eternal Father for the sake of Jesus and
Mary grace to be faithful to them.
Be careful never to omit at the end of meditation to
recommend to God the souls in purgatory and poor
sinners. St. John Chrysostom says that nothing more
clearly shows the love of a soul for Jesus Christ than
her zeal in recommending her brethren to him.2
St. Francis de Sales remarks that in leaving mental
prayer we should take with us a nosegay of flowers, in
order to smell them during the day; that is, we should
remember one or two points in which we felt particular
devotion in order to excite our fervor during the day.
The ejaculations that are dearest to God are those
of love, of resignation, of oblation of ourselves. Let us
endeavor not to perform any action without first offering
it to God, and not to allow at the most a quarter of an
hour to pass, in whatever occupations we may find our­
selves, without raising the heart to the Lord by some
good act. Moreover, in our leisure time, such as when
1 2. 2, q. 189, a. 3.
2 “ Nihil declarat quis sit amans Christi, quam si curam fratrum agat.”
—Contra A noni. hom. 6.

Mental Prayer.

464

[CH. xv.

we are waiting for a person, or when we walk in the
garden, or are confined to bed by sickness, let us en­
deavor to the best of our ability to unite ourselves to
God. It is also necessary by observing silence, by seek­
ing solitude as much as possible, and by remembering
the presence of God, to preserve the pious sentiments
conceived in meditation. But I shall speak more at length
on this subject in the following chapter.
I here add, that in order to be a soul of prayer, a re­
ligious must resist with fortitude all temptations to
continue mental prayer in the time of aridity. St.
Teresa has left us very excellent instructions on this
point. In one place she says: “The devil knows that
he has lost the soul that perseveringly practises mental
prayer.”1 In another place she says: “I hold for cer­
tain that the Lord will conduct to the haven of salva­
tion the soul that perseveres in mental prayer, in spite
of all the sins that the devil may oppose.”’ Again she
says: “He that does not stop in the way of mental
prayer, reaches the end of his journey, though he should
delay a little.” 3 The love of God does not consist in
experiencing tender affections, but in serving him with
courage and humility.4 Finally she concludes, saying:
“ By aridity and temptations the Lord proves his lovers.
Though aridity should last for life, let not the soul give
up prayer: the time will come when all will be well
rewarded.” 5
The Angelic Doctor says that true devotion consists
not in feeling, but in the desire and resolution to em­
brace promptly all that God wills.® Such was the prayer
that Jesus Christ made in the garden; it was all full of
aridity and tediousness, but it was the most devout and
meritorious prayer that had ever been offered in this
1 Life, ch. 19.
3 Life, ch. 19.
* Life, ch. ii.

2 Life, ch. 8.
4 Life, ch. ii.
6 2. 2, q. 82, a. I.

sec. ii.]

Practice of Mental Prayer.

465

world; it consisted of these words: Not what I will, but
what thou wilt.'
Dear sister, never give up mental prayer in the time of
aridity. Should the tediousness that assails you be very
great, divide your meditations into several parts, and
employ yourself for the most part in petitions to God,
even though you should seem to pray without confidence
and without fruit. It will be sufficient to say and re­
peat: My Jesus, mercy.
Lord, have mercy on me.
Pray, and doubt not that God will hear you and grant
your petitions.
And in going to meditation, never propose to yourself
your own pleasure and satisfaction, but only to please
God, and to learn what he wishes you to do. And for
this purpose pray always that God may make known to
you his will, and that he may give you strength to fulfil
it. All that we ought to seek in mental prayer is light
to know and strength to accomplish the will of God in
our regard.

Prayer.

Ah ! my Jesus, it appears that Thou couldst do nothing more,
in order to gain the love of men. It is enough to know that
Thou hast wished to become man ; that is, to become like us, a
worm. Thou hast wished to lead a painful life, of thirty-three
years, amid sorrow and ignominies, and in the end to die on an
infamous gibbet. Thou hast also wished to remain under the
appearance of bread, in order to become the food of our souls;
and how is it possible that Thou hast received so much ingrati­
tude, even from Christians that believe these truths, and still
love Thee so little? Unhappy me ! I have hitherto been among
those ungrateful souls; I have attended only to my pleasures,
and have been forgetful of Thee and of Thy love. 1 now know
the evil I have done ; but I repent of it with my whole heart ; my
Jesus, pardon me. I now love Thee ; I love Thee so ardently
that I choose death, and a thousand deaths, rather than cease
1 “ Non quod ego volo, sed quod tu.”—Mark, xiv. 36.
30

466

Mental Prayer.

[CH. XV.

to love Thee. I thank Thee for the light that Thou givest me.
Give me strength. O God of my soul, always to advance in Thy
love. Accept this poor heart to love Thee. It is true that it
las once despised Thee, but now it is enamoured of Thy good­
ness ; it loves Thee and desires only to love Thee.
or
n^Iotlier God, assist me ; in thy intercession I place
great confidence.
r

CHAPTER XVI.
SILENCE, SOLITUDE, AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Cassian says: “ The religious prays little who prays
only when she is on her knees in the choir or in the
cell.” 1 To fulfil the obligations of her state, a religious
should keep her soul continually united with God; but
to maintain this constant union, continual prayer is
necessary. There are three means of acquiring the
habit of continual prayer; namely, silence, solitude,
and the presence of God. These were the means that
the angel suggested to St. Arsenius when he said: “If
you wish to be saved, fly into solitude, observe silence,
and repose in God by always keeping yourself in his
presence.”2 We shall speak of each of these means
separately.
I.

Silence.

In the first place, silence is a great means of acquiring
the spirit of prayer, and of disposing the soul to con­
verse continually with God. We rarely find a spiritual
soul that speaks much. All souls of prayer are lovers of
silence that is called the guardian of innocence, the shield
against temptations, and the fountain of prayer. For
by silence devotion is preserved, and in silence good
thoughts spring up in the soul. St. Bernard says: “Si­
lence and the absence of noise in a certain manner force
the soul to think of God and of eternal goods.” 3 Hence,
1 “ Perparum orat, quisquis, illo tantum tempore quo genua flectun­
tur, orare consuevit.”—Collât, io, c. 14.
9 “ Si vis salvus esse, fuge, tace, et quiesce.”—Vit. Patr. 1. 3, n. 190.
3 ‘‘Silentium, et a strepitu quies,cogit coelestia meditari.”—Epist. 78.

468

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

the saints fled to the mountains, to caves, and to deserts,
in order to find this silence, and escape the tumults of
the world, in which, as was said to Elias, God is not found)
Theodosius the monk observed silence for thirty-five
years. St. John the Silent, who gave up his bishopric
and became a monk, observed silence for forty-seven
years before his death; and all the saints, even they who
were not solitaries, have been lovers of silence.
Oh, how great the blessings that silence brings to the
soul ! The prophet says that silence shall cultivate jus­
tice in the soul;’ for, on the one hand, it saves us from
a multitude of sins by destroying the root of disputes,
of detractions, of resentments, and of curiosity; and on
the other, it makes us acquire many virtues. How well
does the nun practise humility who when others speak
listens with modesty and in silence !
How well does
she practise mortification by not yielding to her inclina­
tion or desire to tell a certain anecdote, or to use a witty
expression suggested by the conversation ! How well
does she practise meekness by remaining silent when
unjustly censured or offended ! Hence the same holy
prophet said: In silence and in hope shall be your strength?
Your strength shall be in silence and in hope; for by
silence we shun the occasions of sin, and by hope we
obtain the divine aid to lead a holy life.
But, on the other hand, immense evils flow from speak­
ing too much. In the first place, as devotion is pre­
served by silence, so it is lost by a multitude of words.
However recollected the soul may have been in prayer,
if it afterwards indulge in long discourses it will find
the mind as distracted and dissipated as if it had not
made meditation. When the mouth of the burning fur­
nace is opened the heat soon evaporates. St. Dorotheus
* “ Non in commotione Dominus.”—3 Kings, xix. II.
9 “ Erit . . . cultus justitiæ silentium,”—Is. xxxii. 17.
3 “ In silentio et in spe erit fortitudo vestra.”—Is. xxx. 15.

SEC. I.)

Silence.

469

says: “ Beware of too much speaking, for it banishes
from the soul holy thoughts and recollection with God.” 1
Speaking of religious that cannot abstain from inquiring
after worldly news, St. Joseph Calasanctius said: “The
curious religious shows that he has forgotten himself.”
It is certain that he who speaks too much with men
converses but little with God, for the Lord says: I will
lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart '.1
If, then, the soul wishes that God speak to its heart, it
must seek after solitude; but this solitude will never
be found by religious who do not love silence. “ If,”
said the Venerable Margaret of the Cross, “ we remain
silent, we shall find solitude.” And how will the Lord
ever condescend to speak to the religious, who, by seek­
ing after the conversation of creatures, shows that the
conversation of God is not sufficient to make her happy ?
Besides, the Holy Ghost tells us that in speaking too
much we shall not fail to commit some fault. In the
multitude of words they shall not want sin.1
234 While they
speak and prolong conversation without necessity, cer­
tain persons think that they are not guilty of any defect;
but if they carefully examine themselves they will find
some fault against modesty, of detraction, of curiosity,
or at least of superfluous words. St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi used to say that a religious should speak only
through necessity. For religious are bound in a special
manner to give an account of idle words, for which,
according to our Saviour, all men shall have to render
an account. .But I say unto you, that every idle word that men
shall speak, they shall account for it in the day of judgment!
1 “Cavea multiloquio; hoc enim sanctas cogitationes extinguit.”—
Doctr. 24.
2 “ Ducam eam in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus.”—Osee, ii. 14.
3 “ In multiloquio non deerit peccatum.”—Prov. x. 19.
4 “ Dico autem vobis, quoniam omne verbum otiosum, quod locuti
fuerint homines, reddent rationem de eo, in die judicii.”—Matt. xii. 36.

47θ

Silence, Solihide, etc,

[ch. xvi

I have used the words some defect ; but when we speak
too much we shall find that we have committed a thou­
sand faults. St. James has called the tongue a universal
evil: The tongue is ... a world of iniquity*.
For, as a
learned author remarks, the greater number of sins arise
from speaking or from listening to others. Alas ! how
many nuns shall we see condemned on the day of judg­
ment, on account of having had but little regard for
silence ! And what is most to be deplored is, that the
religious that dissipates her mind by intercourse with
creatures, and by too much speaking, will never be able
to see her defects, and thus she will go from bad to
worse. A man full of tongue shall not be established in the
earth."1 The man that speaks too much shall walk with­
out a guide, and therefore he shall fall into a thousand
mistakes without the hope of ever perceiving them.
Such a religious appears as if unable to live without
speaking continually from morning till evening. She
wishes to know what happens in the monastery and in
the world; she goes about asking questions from all the
others, and afterwards says, What evil am I doing ? I
answer you, dearly beloved sister, put an end to idle
talk; endeavor to recollect yourself a little, and you will
see how many defects you have committed by the mul­
titude of your words.
St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say “ that a dissipated
religious is a source of joy to the devil.” And justly,
for by her dissipation she not only does not attend to
her own sanctification, but is also an obstacle to the
advancement of others, by going about the monastery
in search of some one to converse with her, by speaking
in a loud voice in every place, and by a want of reverence,
even in the choir and sacristy. St. Ambrose relates that
a certain priest, while at prayer, was disturbed by the
’ “ Universitas iniquitatis.”—fames, iii. 6.
* “ Vir linguosus non dirigetur in terra.”—Ps. xxxix. 12.

SEC. I.]

Silence.

471

cries of a multitude of frogs: he commanded them to
be silent, and they instantly obeyed. The holy Doctor
then took occasion to say: “Shall senseless animals,
then, be silent through respect for prayer, and shall men
not be silent ?”’ And I add, will religious refuse to prac­
tise silence, after having entered the monastery in order
to become saints, to observe their Rule, and to maintain
holy recollection; or will they perform the office of the
devil, by disturbing their sisters who wish to pray, and
to be recollected with God ? A certain author justly
calls such talkative nuns “ the home devils of monas­
teries,” who do great injury to the Community.
According to St. Ignatius of Loyola, to know if there
is fervor in a convent, it is enough to ascertain whether
silence is observed or violated. A monastery in which
the sisters speak continually is an image of hell; for
where there is not silence there must be continual dis­
putes, detractions, complaints, particular friendships,
and factions. But, on the other hand, a monastery in
which the religious love silence is an image of paradise:
it excites devotion not only in all who live in it, but also
in those who live in the world. It is related by Father
Perez, of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, that while
a secular he entered one day into a house of the Order,
and was so edified and filled with devotion by the silence
of the brethren, that he renounced the world and re­
mained in the convent. Father Natalis, of the Society
of Jesus, used to say, that to reform a religious house it
is enough to establish in it the observance of silence.
Because each of the religious would then practise recol­
lection, and would attend to his own advancement.
Hence, also, Gerson says that the holy founders of re­
ligious Orders have prescribed and earnestly recom­
mended silence to their religious, because they knew’
how important its observance is for the maintenance of
1 “ Silent igitur paludes; homines non silebunt?”—De Virgin. 1. 3.

472

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

fervor. In his rules for nuns, St. Basil insists, not once,
but frequently, on silence. St. Benedict commanded his
monks to endeavor to observe continual silence.1
And experience shows that in the monastery in which
silence is observed, discipline is maintained; and on the
other hand, where silence is neglected, but little fervor
is found. Hence few religious become saints, because
few love silence.
In many monasteries the rule of
silence is prescribed by the written rules, and is strongly
recommended; but some of the religious appear not to
know what silence is, and therefore they unhappily live
in dissipation, without fervor, and always in trouble.
But, dear sister, do not imagine that the negligence of
others will excuse or exempt you from the rule of silence.
Blessed Clare of Montefalco used to say that in the time
of silence it is difficult to speak without committing a
fault.
Some one may excuse herself, saying, that it is some­
times necessary to speak in order to get rid of mel­
ancholy; but how’ can the violation of silence free a re­
ligious from melancholy ? Let us be persuaded that all
the creatures on earth or in heaven cannot console us in
our afflictions. God alone is the author of consolation;
but will he console us at the very time we offend him?
But when there is any necessity for speaking in the time
of silence, at least ask permission. Another religious does
not seek occasions to speak, but as often as they are
presented she allows herself to be led into breaches of
silence by others who wish to speak. But her con­
descension will certainly not excuse her from the fault.
It is necessary, then, to do violence to yourself, and to
go away, or to remain silent, and sometimes by putting
the finger on the mouth to make a sign that it is a time
of silence.
And even out of the hours of silence endeavor to
1 “ Omni tempore silentio debent studere monachi.”—Reg. c. 42.

SEC. I.]

Silence,

473

practise it as much as possible if you wish to keep your­
self recollected with God and free from imperfections;
for there is no sin more easily committed than sins of
the tongue. 7Zt·, says Solomon, that keepcth his mouth
keepcth his soul.' And St. James says that he who sins
not with the tongue is a perfect man: If any man offend
not in word, the same is a perfect man! Hence it is the same
thing to be a silent religious and a holy religious; for
by observing silence she will be punctual to the rules,
she will be devoted to prayer, to spiritual reading, and
to her visits to the Holy Sacrament. Oh, how dear
to God does the religious render herself who loves
silence !—especially if by her silence on certain extraor­
dinary occasions she offers to God an act of mortifica­
tion; for example, when she feels greatly annoyed by
long solitude, or when any very adverse or prosperous
event occurs which she feels strongly impelled to relate
to others. On the other hand, the religious who indulges
in much speaking will be generally dissipated, will
easily omit her meditations and other devout exercises,
and thus will gradually lose all relish for God. St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say: “The religious
that has not a love for silence cannot find pleasure in
the things of God.” Hence the unhappy soul will
abandon itself to worldly amusements, and thus retain
nothing but the name and habit of a religious.
However, it is necessary to remark, that in monas­
teries the virtue of silence consists not in being always
silent, but in observing silence when there is no neces­
sity for speaking. Hence Solomon says that there is a
time to keep silence, and a time to speak.3 But St.
Gregory of Nyssa remarks that the time for silence is
put before the time for speaking, because, as the saint
1 “Qui custodit os suum, custodit animam suam.”—Prov. xiii. 3.
5 “ Si quis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus est vir.”—James, iii. 2.
3 “ Tempus tacendi, ct tempus loquendi.”—Eccles, iii. 7.

474

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

adds, by silence we learn to speak well.1 By silence we
learn to consider well what we shall afterwards say.
But for a religious who wishes to become a saint, what
is the time for silence and the time for speaking? The
hours of silence for her are all the hours in which there
is no necessity for speaking. The time for speaking is
when necessity or charity obliges her to speak. Behold
the excellent rule of St. John Chrysostom: “Then only
should we speak when it is more useful to speak than to
be silent.” 1
2 Hence the saint gives the following advice:
“ Either remain silent, or say what is more profitable
than silence.”3 Oh! happy he who at death can say
what the monk Pambo said: “That he did not remem
ber to have ever uttered a word which he was sorry for
having spoken.”4* St. Arsenius used to say that he
often repented of having spoken, but never of having
remained silent.6 St. Ephrem gave this excellent lesson
to religious: “ Speak a great deal with God, and little
with men.”0 St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say
the same: “The true servant of Jesus Christ bears all
things; she labors much, and speaks little.”
From all that has been said, every religious that
wishes to live in union with God may see with what
care she should shun the parlor. As the air that is
breathed in the choir or in the cell is the most salubri­
ous for religious, so the air of the grates is for them the
most pestiferous. And what is the parlor but what St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi called it, a place of distrac­
tions, inquietudes, and of temptations. The Venerable
1 “ Per silentium disci, quod postea proferatur.”
2 “ Tunc solum loquendum est, quando plus proficit quam silentium.”
—In Ps. cxl.
3 “ Aut tace, aut dic meliora silentio.”
4 Pract. of perf. p. 2, tr. 2, ch. 8.
4 “ Me sæpe poenituit dixisse, nunquam tacuisse.”—Surins, 19 Jul.
6 “ Cum Deo, multis; cum hominibus, paucis loquere.”—Encom. in Ps.

SEC. 1.]

Silence.

475

Sister Mary Villani one day compelled the devil, on the
part of God, to tell in what part of the monastery he
gained most. The tempter answered: I gain in the
choir, in the refectory, and in the dormitory: in these
places I partly gain, and partly lose. But in the parlor
I gain all, for the whole place is mine. Hence the Ven­
erable Sister Philippa Cerrina had reason to call the
parlor an infected place, in which the contagion of sin is
easily caught. St. Bernardine of Sienna relates that a
religious in consequence of having heard in the parlor
an improper word miserably fell into a grievous sin.
Truly happy was the holy virgin St. Fabronia, who
afterwards gave her life for the faith at the age of
nineteen; she would never allow herself to be seen at
the grate by an)’· secular, male or female. St. Teresa
appeared after death to one of her spiritual children, and
said to her: The religious that wishes to be a great
friend of God must be an enemy of the grate.
Would to God that in all monasteries there were
grates of perforated iron such as we find in some
observant convents ! A certain author relates that the
Superior of a monastery procured a narrow grate; but
the devil, through rage, first bent it, and afterwards
sent it rolling through the house. The good Superior
placed it, crooked as it was, in the parlor to give the
nuns to understand that as the grate was hateful to
hell so it was pleasing to God. Oh ! what an awful
account will the abbess have to give to God who intro­
duces open grates, or who neglects to make the com­
panions attend. In one of her letters St. Teresa wrote
this great sentence: “The grates when shut are the
gates of heaven; and when open they are the gates of
danger” (she did not wish to say hell). And she added:
A monastery of nuns in which there is liberty serves
to conduct them to hell rather than to cure their weak­
ness.”

4/6

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

What rapid progress in divine love does the religious
make who resolves never to go to the grate ! When
yon, dear sister, go to the parlor, be careful at least to
conduct yourself like a religious. In your intercourse
with seculars you should not only guard with great care
against all affectionate expressions, but should also be
very grave and reserved in the parlor. St. Mary Mag­
dalene de Pazzi wished her nuns to be “like the wild
deer”—these are her very words. And the Venerable
Sister Hyacinth Marescotti used to say: “ The courtesy of
nuns consists in being discourteous by cutting short all
long discourses in the parlor.” This applies, ordinarily
speaking, to long discouress even with spiritual persons.
Mother Anne of Jesus, a Discalced Carmelite, said: “A
nun acquires more fervor in the choir or in the cell than
by the longest conferences in the parlor. Show all re­
spect to directors, but you should treat with them only
through necessity; despatch your business with them in
a few words.”
Should you ever happen to hear in the parlor an in­
decent word, go away immediately; or, at least, cast
down your eyes, and change the discourse, or give no
answer. In a monastery of the Venerable Sister Seraphina de Carpi two women began to speak about a cer­
tain marriage: the attendant at the turn heard the voice
of Sister Seraphina (who was dead) saying, “Chase
away, chase away these women.” And whenever it is in
your power, endeavor to change all discourses that
savor of the world. St. Frances of Rome received a
buffet from an angel because she did not change the
conversation of certain ladies who spoke of worldly
vanities. You should be still more careful to observe
silence with your sisters in the monastery: for the occa­
sion of breaking silence with them is more continual.
Hence it is necessary to mortify curiosity. The Abbot
John used to say: “Let him who wishes to restrain the

sec. i.i

Silence.

477

tongue shut his ears by mortifying the curiosity of
hearing news.” It is also necessary to avoid the con­
versation of any religious who speaks frequently. It is,
moreover, well to fix some time each day during which
you will observe silence, remaining alone in your cell or
in some solitary place in order to avoid the occasions of
speaking.
Whenever you have to speak, be careful, in conformity
with the advice of the Holy Ghost, Make a balance for
thy words,' to examine what you ought to say. Make a
balance for your words that you may weigh them before
you give expression to them. Hence St. Bernard says
that “before your words come to the tongue, let them
pass twice under the file of examination,”3 that you
may suppress what you should not utter. The same
was said by St. Francis de Sales in other words, namely,
that to speak without sin every one should keep a lock
on his lips, that in opening his mouth to speak he might
reflect well on what he wishes to say.
Before speaking you should consider—
1. Whether what you intend to say can injure charity,
modesty, or exact observance.
2. Examine the motive that impels you to speak; for
it sometimes happens that what a person says is good,
but her intention is bad; she speaks either to appear
spiritual, or to acquire a character for talent.
3. Examine to whom you speak, whether to your
Superiors, to companions, or to inferiors: whether in
the presence of seculars, or of the postulants, who may
perhaps be scandalized at what you say.
4. Examine the time at which you speak, whether at
the time of silence or of repose.
5. The place in which you speak, whether in the choir,
1 “Verbis tuis facito stateram.”—Ecclus. xxviii. 29.
* “Bis ad limam veniant verba, quam semel ad linguam.”—Punet,
perf. η.

4/8

Silence, Solitude, etc,

[ch. xvi.

in the sacristy, or the corridors; at the door or in the
parlor.
6. Be careful to speak with simplicity, avoiding all
affection; with humility, abstaining from all words of
pride or vainglory; with sweetness, never uttering a word
that savors of impatience, or that tends to the discredit
of a neighbor; with moderation, by not being the first to
give your opinion on any question that may be proposed,
particularly if you are younger than the others; with
modesty, by not interrupting any sister while she is speak­
ing; and also by abstaining from every word that savors
of the world, from all improper gestures, and immoderate
laughter, and by speaking in a low tone of voice; for St.
Bonaventure says 1 that it is a great defect in a religious
to speak in a loud voice, particularly at night. And
should you, as Superior, be ever obliged to correct a
sister, take care not to reprimand her in a loud voice·
for otherwise she will perceive that you speak through
impatience, and then the reprimand will be unprofitable
At recreation, which is the proper time for unbending
the mind, speak when the others are silent, but endeavor
as often as you can to speak on something that has ref­
erence to God. “ Let us speak of the Lord Jesus,” says
St. Ambrose, “ let us always speak of him.” 2 And what
other enjoyment should a religious seek than to speak
of her most amiable Spouse ? He who has an ardent
love for another, appears unable to speak of anything
but of him. They who speak little of Jesus Christ, show
that they have but little love for Jesus Christ. On the
other hand, it often happens that good religious, after
speaking on divine love, feel more fervor than after men­
tal prayer. At the conversations of the servants of God,
says St. Teresa, Jesus Christ is always present. Of this,
1 Spec. disc. p. i, c. 31.
2 “ Loquamur Dominum Jesum, ipsum semper loquamur.”_ In Ps.
xxxv i.

sec. i.]

Silence.

479

Father Gisolfo, of the Congregation of the “ Pious
Workers,” relates a memorable example, in the life of
the Venerable Father Anthony de Collelis. He says
that Father Constantine Rossi, the Master of novices,
saw one day two of his young disciples, F. D. An­
thony Torres, and F. D. Philip Orilia, conversing to­
gether, and with them a young man of most beautiful
aspect. The Master of novices was surprised that two
novices, whom he regarded as most exemplary, should
speak to a stranger without permission: he therefore
asked who was the young man whom he had seen con­
versing with them. They said there was no one con­
versing with them. But he afterwards learned that they
were speaking of Jesus Christ, and understood that the
person whom he saw in their company was our divine
Saviour.
Except in the hours of recreation, and other extra­
ordinary occasions, such as in attending the sick, or in
consoling a sister in tribulation, it is always better to be
silent. A religious of the Order of St. Teresa, as we
find in the Teresian Chronicles, said that it is better to
speak with God than to speak of God. But when obedience
or charity obliges you to speak, or to have intercourse
with creatures, you must always endeavor to find inter­
vals, for at least repairing the losses caused by the dis­
tractions attendant on these external occupations; steal­
ing at least as many little moments as possible to recol­
lect yourself with God; thus following the counsel of
the Holy Ghost: Let not the part of a good gift overpass thee'
Do not allow that particle of time to pass away: give it
to God, if you can have no more to give him during the
day. But whenever you can abridge the conversation,
abridge it under some pretext. A good religious seeks
not pretexts, as some do, to prolong conversation, but
endeavors to find out some means of shortening it. Let
1 “ Particula boni doni non te praetereat.”—Ecclus. xiv. 14.

480

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

us remember that time is given us not to be spent unprofitably, but to be employed for God, and in acquiring
merits for eternity. St. Bernardine of Sienna used to
say that a moment of time is of as much value as God,
because in each moment we can gain his friendship, or
greater degrees of grace.

Prayer.
O my God, may the patience with which Thou hast borne me
be forever blessed. Thou hast given me time to love Thee,and
I have spent it in offending and displeasing Thee. Were I now
to die, with what heartfelt pain should I end my life, at the
thought of having spent so many years in the world, and of
having done nothing. Lord, I thank Thee for still giving me
time to repair my negligence, and so many lost years. 0 my
Jesus ! through the merits of Thy Passion assist me. I do not
wish to live any longer for myself, but only for Thee, and for
Thy love. I know not how much of life remains, whether it is
long or short ; but were it a hundred or a thousand years, I wish
to spend them all in loving and pleasing Thee. I love Thee,
O my Sovereign Good, and I hope to love Thee for eternity.
I do not wish to be ever again ungrateful to Thee. I will no
longer resist Thy love, which has so long called me to be en­
tirely Thine. Shall 1 wait till Thou abandon me, and call me no
more ?
Mary, my mother, assist me, pray for me, and obtain for me
perseverance in my resolution to be faithful to God.
IT.
The Love of Solitude, and the Avoiding of Idleness.
i.

The Love of Solitude.

Whosoever loves God, loves solitude; there the Lord
communicates himself more familiarly to souls, because
there he finds them less entangled in worldly affairs, and
more detached from earthly affections.
Hence, St.
Jerome exclaimed: “O solitude, in which God speaks

SEC. II.]

Love of Solitude.

481

and converses familiarly with his servants !” ’ O blessed
solitude, in which God speaks and converses with his be­
loved spouses with familiarity, with great love and con­
fidence ! God speaks not at the grates, nor in the belve­
dere, nor in any other place in which religious indulge
in useless laughter and idle talk. The Lord is not in the
earthquake? But where is he? I will lead her into the,
wilderness, and I will speak to her heart? He speaks in soli­
tude, and there he speaks to the heart in words that in­
flame it with his holy love, as the sacred spouse attests:
My soul melted when my beloved spoke? St. Eucherius re­
lates 6 that a certain man, desirous of becoming a saint,
asked a servant of God where he should find God. The
servant of God conducted him to a solitary place, and
said: “Behold where God is found!” By these words
he meant to say that God is found not amid the tumults
of the world, but in solitude.
Virtue is easily preserved in solitude; and, on the
other hand, it is easily lost by intercourse with the
world, where God is but little known, and therefore his
love, and the goods that he gives to those who leave all
things for his sake, are but little esteemed. St. Bernard
*
says
that he learned more among the trees of the forest
than from books and masters. Hence the saints, in
order to live in solitude and far from tumult, have so
ardently loved the caves, the mountains, and the woods.
The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and
the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily; it
shall bud forth and blossom. . . . They shall see the glory of
1 “ O solitudo, in qua Deus cum suis familiariter loquitur ac conver­
satur !”
2 “ Non in commotione Deus.”—3 Kings, xix. 11.
3 “ Ducam eam in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus.”—0see, ii. 14.
4 “Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est.”—Cant. v. ύ.
* Ep. ad Hilar.
6 Epist. 106.

482

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch. xvi.

the Lord and the beauty of our God) The wilderness shall
be a perennial fountain of joy and gladness to the soul
that seeks it; it shall flourish like the lily in whiteness and
innocence of life, and shall produce fruits of every virtue.
These happy souls shall in the end be raised on high to
see the glory and infinite beauty of the Lord. It is
certain that to keep the heart united with God we must
preserve in the soul the thoughts of God, and of the im­
mense goods that he prepares for those who love him;
but when we hold intercourse with the world, it pre­
sents to us earthly things that cancel spiritual impressions and pious sentiments. Hence, for a nun that de­
lights in receiving visits and letters, in reading the
newspapers, and in speaking frequently of the things
of the world, it is impossible to be a good religious.
Every time that she unnecessarily holds intercourse with
seculars, she will suffer a diminution of fervor.
There is no one more deserving of pity than a nun
who, being unable to go into the world, brings the world
to herself by spending a great part of the day in vain
amusements, in conversing with seculars at the grate, or
in diverting herself with the sisters, laughing, talking,
censuring others, and by seeking to learn what happens
in the neighborhood. Shall a spouse of Jesus Christ,
who should have no other pleasure than that of con­
versing with her God, place her consolation in a life of
distraction, and of intercourse with seculars, who by
their conversation will infect her heart with the corrupt
maxims of the world ? Shall she thus spend the time
that the Lord gives her in order to become a saint? O
God ! how can she squander that time the moments of
which the saints would have purchased even at the cost
of their blood ? Alas ! when one day she finds herself at
1 “ Laetabitur deserta et invia, et exsultabit solitudo, et florebit quasi
lilium; germinans germinabit; . . . ipsi videbunt gloriam Domini et
decorem Dei nostri.”—Is. xxxv. 1.

SEC. IL]

the hour of dead
even for one of tl
certain religious Si
had more time I would give it all to God !” But the
unhappy soul desired time when for her time was no
more.
Besides, I say to you, dear sister, God in his goodness
has rescued you from the dangers of the world, and has
given you the courage to forsake it; why, then, should
you expose yourself to the same dangers by again hold­
ing intercourse with the world ? Tertullian says1 that
“ we have escaped once from the waves of the world (in
which so many perish); let us not voluntarily cast our­
selves again into the midst of them,” and expose our
souls to the danger of perdition. The religious who
wishes to become a saint should seek neither to know
nor be known by the world; she should endeavor to the
utmost of her ability neither to see nor to be seen by
seculars. Blessed Clare of Montefalco spoke even to her
brother with the veil drawn down; the abbess said that
in conversing with her brother she might raise the veil.
She answered: “Mother, since I speak only with the
tongue, allow me to remain covered.” The words of the
Venerable Sister Frances Farnese are also very remark­
able. “My sisters,” said she, “ we are shut up within
these walls, not to see and to be seen, but to hide our­
selves from creatures. The more we hide ourselves from
them, the more Jesus Christ will unveil himself to us.”
Worldlings shun solitude, and with good reason; for
in solitude they feel more acutely the remorse of con­
science, and therefore they go in search of the conversa­
tions and tumults of the world, that the noise of these
occupations may stifle the stings of remorse. The re­
ligious, then, who flies from solitude shows that she,
1 “Evasimus semel; hactenus periculosis nos non inferamus.”—De
Pœnit. n. 7.

484

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

too, is a disorderly soul, who, in order to extinguish the
remorse caused by her irregularities, seeks after the
noise and bustle of the world. On the other hand, re­
ligious who live with a tranquil conscience cannot but
love solitude; and when they find themselves out of it,
they feel like fish out of water—they enjoy no peace,
and are, as it were, in a violent state. It is true that
man loves society; but what society preferable to the
society of God? Ah! to withdraw from creatures and
to converse in solitude with our Creator brings neither
bitterness nor tediousness. Of this the Wise Man as­
sures us: For her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her
company any tediousness, but joy and gladness) The Vener­
able Father Vincent Carafa, General of the Society of
Jesus (as has been said in another place), said that he
desired nothing in this world, and that were he to desire
anything, he would wish only for a little grotto, along
with a morsel of bread, and a spiritual book, in order to
live there always in solitude.
It is not true that a life of solitude is a life of melan­
choly: it is a foretaste and beginning of the life of the
saints in bliss, who are filled with an immense joy in the
sole occupation of loving and praising their God. Thus
St. Jerome said, that flying from Rome he went to shut
himself up in the cave of Bethlehem, in order to enjoy
solitude. Hence he afterwards wrote: “ To me solitude
is a paradise.”3 The saints in solitude appeal to be
alone, but they are not alone. St. Bernard said: “I am
never less alone than when I find myself alone;”’ for I
am then in the company of my Lord, who gives me more
content than I could derive from the conversation of all
creatures. They appear to be in sadness, but they are
1 “Non enim habet amaritudinem conversatio illius; nec tædium con­
victus illius, sed lætitiam et gaudium.”—Wisd. viii. 16.
2 “ Solitudo mihi paradisus est.’’—Ep. ad Rust.
3 “ Nunquam minus solus, quam cum solus.”—De Vita sol. c. 4.

SEC. II.]

Love of Solitude.

485

not sad. The world, seeing them far away from earthly
amusements, regard them as miserable and disconsolate;
but they are not so; they, as the Apostle attests, enjoy
an immense and continual peace. As sorrowful, yet al­
ways rejoicing} The prophet Isaias attested the same
when he said: The Lord therefore will comfort Sion, and
will comfort all the ruins thereof; and he will make her desert
as a place of pleasure, and her wilderness as the garden of the
Lord, foy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving
and the voice of praise} The Lord well knows how to
console the solitary soul, and will give a thousandfold
compensation for all the temporal pleasures which it
has forfeited: he will render its solitude a garden of his
delights. There joy and gladness shall be always found,
and nothing shall be heard but the voice of thanksgiving
and praise to the divine goodness. Hence, Cardinal
Petrucci describes the happiness of a solitary heart in
the following words: “ It appears to be sad, and it is filled
with celestial joy. Though it treads on the earth, its
dwelling is in heaven. It asks nothing for itself, because
in its bosom it contains an immense treasure. It appears
to be agitated and overwhelmed by the tempest, and it
is always in a secure harbor.”
In order to find this happy solitude, it is not necessary
for you, dear sister, to hide yourself in a cave or in a
desert; even in the monastery, you can, whenever you
wish, find the solitude which you desire. Shun the
grates, shun useless conversations and discourses; love
the choir and the cell; remain in the choir or cell when­
ever obedience or charity does not call you elsewhere;
and thus you will find the solitude that is suited to you,
1 “Quasi tristes, semper autem gaudentes.”—2 Cor. vi. 10.
2 “ Consolabitur Dominus Sion, et consolabitur omnes ruinas ejus; et
ponet desertum ejus quasi delicias, et solitudinem ejus quasi hortum
Domini; gaudium et lætitia invenietur in ea, gratiarum actio, et vox
laudis.”—Is. Ii. 3.

486

Silence, Solilttde, etc.

[CH. XVI.

and that God wishes from you. Thus David found it,
even in the midst of the great concerns of a kingdom, and
therefore he said: Lo, I have gone far off, flying away; and
I abode in the wilderness? St. Philip Neri desired to retire
into a desert, but God gave him to understand that he
should not leave Rome, but that he should live there as
in a desert. The Lord wishes the same from religious,
whom he desires to be his true spouses; he wishes them
to be enclosed in gardens, that in them he may be able
to find his delights. My sister—my spouse is a garden en­
closed? But Gilbert well remarks: “He knows not how
to be a garden that does not wish to be enclosed.”1*35
The nun who is unwilling to be enclosed, that is, careful
not to bring into her heart the thoughts and dangers of
the world by frequent intercourse with worldlings, can­
not be the garden of Jesus Christ.
“Live therefore as a solitary,” says St. Bernard, “re­
tire not merely in body, but in spirit.”4 Even when
you are with the sisters at work, or at the common rec­
reation, endeavor not to leave your solitude; be careful
to keep yourself as much as possible recollected with
God; and if you cannot withdraw in body from con­
versation, withdraw at least in affection and intention,
by intending to remain there only because it is God’s
will that you should remain. Since you must sometimes
have intercourse with creatures, you ought to act like a
• tender woman, who, being accustomed to remain always
in a close room, far from the society of men, endeavors,
when obliged to go into the street, to return as quickly
as possible in order to escape the cold and bustle. It is
thus that holy religious act when by duty or charity
1 “ Ecce elongavi fugiens, et mansi in solitudine.’’—Ps. liv. 8.
s “ Hortus conclusus soror mea sponsa.”—Cant. iv. 12.
3 “ Hortus nescit esse, qui nescit esse conclusus.”—In Cant. s. 35.
*“Sede ergo solitarius; secede, non corpore, sed intentione.”—In
Cant. s. 40.

SEC. II.]

they are forced to converse with the sisters or with
externs; they suffer a species of martyrdom, partly on
account of their repugnance to hold intercourse with
creatures, and partly through fear of committing some
fault, and therefore they seek to abridge the conversa­
tion as much as possible.
When external occupations last for a long time, it is
very difficult to escape defects. Even when they were
employed in the conversion of sinners, Jesus Christ
wished the holy apostles to retire from time to time into
a solitary place, in order to give some repose to the
spirit. Conte apart into a desert place, and rest a little)
Yes; for in external occupations, even of a spiritual
nature, the soul falls into distractions, disquietudes,
coldness of divine love, and imperfections; hence repose
is always necessary to remove the stains contracted, and
to acquire strength to walk better for the future. It is not
necessary, then, to remain always in solitude; but, as St.
Laurence Justinian has written, we ought to procure it
whenever we can, and when we cannot, we ought to love
it.2 Hence, when a religious is obliged to interrupt her
retirement in order to serve the Community, or to re­
lieve the necessity of a sister, she must do it with liberty
of soul, without disturbing herself: otherwise she will
show attachment to solitude, which is a great defect.
But in going to treat with creatures her object must
not be to amuse herself by
* their conversation,z but to
practise obedience or charity. Then, as soon as the
occupation is over, she ought instantly to retire to her
beloved solitude.
Hitherto we have spoken of the solitude of the body;
we must now say something on the solitude of the heart,
1 “ Venite seorsum in desertum locum, et requiescite pusillum.”—
Mark, vi. 31.
- “ Solitudo semper amanda est, tenenda vero non semper.”—De
Casto Conn. c. 6.

;

I {

i
|

488

Silei. ce, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

which is more necessary than the solitude of the body.
“Of what use,” says St. Gregory, “is the solitude of the
body without the solitude of the heart ? ” * That is, of
what use is it to live in the desert if the heart is attached
to the world ? A soul detached and free from earthly
affections, says St. Peter Chrysologus, finds solitude
even in the public streets and highways? On the other
hand, of what use is it to observe silence in the choir or
in the cell, if affections to creatures are entertained in
the heart, and by their noise render the soul unable to
listen to the divine inspirations? I here repeat the
words of our Lord to St. Teresa: “ Oh, how gladly
would I speak to many souls! but the world makes
such a noise in their heart that my voice cannot be
heard. Oh that they w’ould retire a little from the
world !”
Let us then understand what is meant by solitude of
the heart. It consists in expelling from the soul every
affection that is not for God, by seeking nothing in all
our actions but to please his divine eyes. It consists in
saying with David: What have I in heaven? and besides
thee, what do 1 desire upon earth ? . . . Thou art the God of
my heart, and the God that is my portion foreverI O my
God, except Thee, what is there on earth or in heaven
that can content me? Thou alone art the Lord of my
heart, and Thou shalt always be my only treasure. In
fine, solitude of the heart implies that you can say with
sincerity, My God, I wish for Thee alone, and for nothing
else.
Such a religious complains that she does not find God;
but listen to what St. Teresa says: “ Detach the heart
1 “Quid prodest solitudo corporis, si solitudo defuerit cordis?”—Mor.
I. 30, c. 23.
- “ In plateis, in triviis, suum pietas habet secretum.”—Semi. g.
3 “Quid mihi est in cœlo? et a te quid volui super terram? . . .
Deus cordis mei, et pars mea Deus in æternum.”—Ps. Ixxii. 25.

sec. π.]

Love of Solitude.

489

from all things—seek God, and then you will find him.” 1
God can neither be sought nor found if he is not first
known; but how can a soul attached to creatures com­
prehend God and his divine beauty ? The light of the
sun cannot enter a crystal vessel filled with earth; and
in a heart occupied with affections to pleasures, to wealth,
and to honors, the divine light cannot shine. Hence,
the Lord says: Be still, and see that I am God? The soul,
then, that wishes to see God must remove the world
from her heart, and keep it shut against all earthly
affections. This is precisely what Jesus Christ gave us
to understand under the figure of a closed chamber,
when he said: But when thou shalt pray, enter into thy
chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret?
That is, the soul, in order to unite itself with God in
prayer, must retire into its heart (which, according to
St. Augustine, is the chamber of which our Lord speaks),
and shut the door against all earthly affections?
This is also the meaning of the words of Jeremiah:
He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace; because he hath
taken it upon himself? The solitary soul, that is, the
soul that is free from all attachments, and in which
earthly affections are silent, will unite itself with God
in mental prayer by holy desires, by oblations of it­
self, and by acts of love: and then it will find itself
raised above all created objects, so that it will smile at
the worldling who sets so high a value on the goods of
this earth, and submits to so many toils in order to
secure their enjoyment, while it regards them as trifles,
and utterly unworthy of the love of a heart created to1
*35
1 Admonitions, 36.
3 “Vacate, et videte quoniam ego sum Deus.”—Ps. xlv. it.
3 “ Cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et, clauso ostio, ora Pa­
trem tuum in abscondito.”—Matt. vi. 6.
1 Manual, c. 30.
5 “Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se.”—Lam. iii. 28.

49°

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

love God, who is an infinite good. Hence Cardinal
Petrucci says, that the love of a heart dedicated to the
divine love is raised above all that is spread over the
theatre of the world.
2. The Avoiding of Idleness.

But remember that by solitude I do not mean pure
leisure, as if a religious were to be free from all occupa­
tions and from all care. God wishes that his spouses
be solitary, but not idle. Some nuns lead a hidden and
retired life, but in their retreat they either remain idle,
without applying themselves to any work, or spend their
time in vain reading, or in other useless occupations.
They remain silent, but of this useless silence St. Basil
says 1 they shall render an account to God. Idle soli­
tude is the solitude of beasts; solitude devoted to curi­
ous studies is worldly solitude; religious solitude is
neither idle nor useless, but is all fruitful and holy.
Religious should remain in their cells, like the bee,
which in its little cell never ceases to make honey; and
hence they should not waste their time, but should be
employed either in prayer, or in reading spiritual books,
or in manual works that will not hinder them to keep
the mind on God. St. John Chrysostom says that in
solitude the soul is not idle, but occupied in God.1
2 Ina
certain convent of St. Francis there was an idle brother
who was always going about the house—now trouble­
some to one, and again to another. The saint called
him Brother Fly. Would to God that in monasteries
there were no Sister Fly, constantly going about, observ­
ing who is at the grate or at confession; who sends or
receive presents, and the like. Such religious would
deserve, like Hies, to be expelled from the house, or at
1 “ Reddent nationem pro otioso silentio.”
2 “ Solitudinem non facit esse solum.”—In P$ cxl.

SEC. II.I

The Avoiding oJ idleness.

491

least to be shut up in a prison that they might cease to
disturb others.
It is a common saying, that idleness is the parent of
all vices, and it is founded on the oracle of the Holy
Ghost: Idleness hath taught much evil.' St. Joseph Calasanctius says: “ The devil goes in pursuit of idle relig­
ious.” And, according to St. Bonaventure/ a religious
assiduously employed is molested with one temptation,
but an idle religious shall be assailed by a thousand. It
is certain that to a nun the cell is a great help to prac­
tise recollection with God. But the same St. Joseph
Calasanctius said that a religious “ makes a bad use of
her cell when while in it she neither speaks with God
nor labors for God.” We cannot be always at prayer,
and therefore in this life it is necessary for religious to
be employed in manual occupations. She hath sought
wool ami flax, ami hath wrought by the counsel of her hands?
Hence, St. Jerome prescribed to Demetriade to have
wool always in her hands? All holy women, particu­
larly religious, have employed themselves in manual
work. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, though so infirm
and weak, took part in all the labors of the monastery,
as well for the choir nuns as for the lav-sisters.
She
worked now in the kitchen, and again in the refectory;
at one time she swept the convent, at another she car­
ried water from the well. She labored so hard in mak­
ing bread, that she distorted one of the bones of the
hand. In a word, the author of her life says that she
performed more work than four lay-sisters together.
And let it be observed, that it is an error to imagine
that labor is injurious to bodily health, for it is certain
1 “ Multam enim malitiam docuit otiositas.”—Ecclus. xxxiii. 29.
9 De Prof. rei. 1. 1, c. 39.
3 “ Quæsivit lanam et linum, et operata est consilio manuum suarum.”
■—Prov. xxxi. 13.
4 “ Habeto lanam semper in manibus.”—E/>. ad Demetr.

492

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

that manual employment contributes greatly to the
preservation of health, and this is the reason why laysisters ordinarily enjoy better health than the choir nuns.
Ah ! it is frequently not so much the danger of health,
as the desire of escaping the pain attendant on labor,
that makes us excuse ourselves from manual work. But
the religious who looks at the crucifix will not endeavor
to shun labor. Sister Frances of St. Angelo of the Car­
melite Order complained one day to Jesus on the cross,
that by severity of labor she had injured her hands.
Jesus answered: “ Frances, look at my hands, and then
complain.”
Besides, manual work contributes greatly to relieve
the tediousness of solitude, and also to overcome temp­
tations, which are very frequent in solitude. St. Anthony
found himself one day so molested with immodest
thoughts and so weary of solitude that he knew not
what to do. An angel appeared and conducted the
saint to a little garden. There he took the mattock
and began to dig, and afterwards to pray; he next re­
sumed the work, and again returned to prayer. From
the conduct of the angel the saint learned that he was
to live in solitude, and at the same time defend himself
against temptations by passing from prayer to work
and from work to prayer. A person should not be
always employed at work; but it is impossible for a re­
ligious to be always at prayer without affecting her
brain, and rendering herself utterly unfit for all spiritual
exercises. Hence St. Teresa after death appeared to
Sister Paula Mary of Jesus, and exhorted her not to
fail to exercise herself in corporal works under the
delusive pretext of devoting herself more to holy occu­
pations; and the saint added that these manual exer­
cises are a great help to eternal salvation.
Besides, manual works when performed without soli­
tude and passion do not hinder us from praying. Sister

SEC. II.]

The A voiding of Idleness.

493

Margaret of the Cross, Archduchess of Austria, a dis­
eased nun, used to perform the most laborious offices
of the monastery, and would say that labor is not only
useful but necessary for nuns, since it does not hinder
them from raising the heart to God. It is related that
St. Bernard one day saw a monk who while he worked
did not cease to pray. The saint said to him: “My
brother, continue to do always what you do at present,
and be of good cheer; for by acting in this manner you
shall after death be exempt even from purgatory.” The
saint afterwards practised the same, as we read in his
life. He did not neglect his external works, but he was
at the same time wholly recollected in God.' And thus
every religious, while she works with her hands, should
not neglect to keep her heart occupied with God; other­
wise, all her external employments shall be without
spiritual fruit, and shall be full of imperfections. Hence
the Spouse of the Canticles says to the soul: Place me as
a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm? He first tells
her to place him as a seal upon her heart, and afterwards
upon her arm; because if she has not God in the heart
she cannot have him upon the arm; that is, her external
works cannot be pleasing to him. But, on the other
hand, St. Teresa says that “works of the active life,
when they spring from divine love, are the highest per­
fection.”
Hence it is an error in a religious to wish to remain
always in solitude, or to shun all external occupations.
But it is also an error in her to undertake voluntarily such
a multiplicity of employments that she afterwards has
not time to recollect herself with God. My son, meddle
not with many matters; and if thou be rich thou shalt not be
1 “ Totus exterius laborabat, et totus interius Deo vacabat.”—Lohner,
Bibi. tit. 13, p. 2.
9 “Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super
brachium tuum.”—Cant. viii. 6.

494

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch. xvi.

free from sinI Son, says the Lord, do not burden your­
self with so many concerns; for if you wish to attend to
them all, you may indeed succeed, but not without sin.
There are others who, when they undertake any busi­
ness apply, themselves so closely to it that they render
themselves unable to think of anything else. What has
been undertaken should be done with diligence, but
with tranquillity and without passion, so that the soul
may have liberty to turn to God from time to time.
You should labor; but you who are a religious should not
work like a secular, toiling night and day in order to
accumulate money. And for what purpose? Inorder
to make presents, or to gratify vanity or caprice. It is
necessary to work, but to work like a religious: hence
attend first to the business of the soul; and afterwards
to that of the body, employing yourself in external exer­
cises, with a pure intention either of practising obedience
or of assisting the Community, or of relieving your own
pressing wants, and of avoiding idleness; but always
without avidity or solicitude, which may hinder you
from raising the heart to God. St. Antonine says that
in every external occupation, however urgent, we must
always keep a secret little corner within, in which we
may take refuge and turn to God when we find our­
selves oppressed and overwhelmed with business. Hence
it is of great importance to take care in the beginning
as well as in the progress of our work to raise the heart
several times to God by an act of love, of oblation, of
resignation, or by a petition for his graces. Why, for
example, can you not, when employed in embroidering
or in sewing, make at every moment an act of the love
of God, or of oblation of yourself? I conclude this
point. Fervent nuns in all their works are recollected
in spirit, unite themselves more closely to God, and alI'ili, ne in multis sint actus tui; et si dives fueris, non eris immu­
nis a deiicto.”—Ecclus. xi. io.

sec.

The Presence of God.

in.]

495

ways acquire merit. But the tepid and negligent fabri­
cate cobwebs; for they labor and toil through earthly
motives, and thus lose all.

Prayer.
My Jesus, grant that I may love Thee ardently during the
remainder of my life, and that I may be entirely Thine. I curse
the days in which I have loved creatures so as to displease Thee.
Henceforth I wish to love nothing but Thee. I entreat Thee
to give me strength to detach my heart from all things that
divert me from Thy love. Grant that my heart may be em­
ployed in regarding only Thee as the only object worthy of
love. O Incarnate AVord ! Thou hast come into the world to
dwell in our souls that Thou hast redeemed with Thy blood.
Let my heart, then, be all Thine. Take possession of it and
watch over all my wants; illuminate my soul, inflame me, and
make me promptly obey all Thy wishes. My Jesus, my Sov­
ereign Good, I love Thee and I esteem Thee above every good.
I give myself entirely to Thee : accept me to serve Thee forever
but to serve Thee not through fear, but through love. Thy
majesty deserves to be feared, but Thy goodness deserves still
more to be loved.
O Mary, my Mother and my refuge, obtain for me the grace
to belong entirely to Jesus.
III.

The Presence of God.
i.

Effects Produced

by this

Holy Exercise.

The practice of the presence of God is justly called
by spiritual masters the foundation of a spiritual life,
which consists in three things: the avoidance of sin, the
practice of virtue, and union with God. These three
effects the presence of God produces: it preserves the
soul from sin, leads it to the practice of virtue, and
moves it to unite itself to God by means of holy love.
I. As to the first effect, the avoidance of sin, there is
no more efficacious means of subduing the passions, of

496

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

resisting temptations, and consequently of avoiding sin,
than the remembrance of God’s presence. The angelic
Doctor says: “ If we always thought that God was look­
ing at us, we would never, or scarcely ever, do what is
displeasing in his eyes.”1 And St. Jerome has written
that the remembrance of God’s presence closes the door
against all sins. “ The remembrance of God,” says the
holy Doctor, “ shuts out all sins.” 1
2 And if men will not
dare in their presence to transgress the commands of
princes, parents, or Superiors, how could they ever vio­
late the laws of God if they thought that he was looking
at them ? St. Ambrose relates that a page of Alexander
the Great, who held in his hand a lighted torch whilst
Alexander was offering sacrifice in the temple, suffered
his hand to be burnt sooner than be guilty of irreverence
by allowing the torch to fall. The saint adds,3 that if rev­
erence to his sovereign could conquer nature in a boy,
how much more will the thought of the divine presence
make a faithful soul overcome every temptation, and
suffer every pain rather than insult the Lord before his
face !
All the sins of men flow from their losing sight of the
divine presence. “Every evil,” says St. Teresa, “hap­
pens to us because we do not reflect that God is present
with us, but imagine that he is at a distance.”45 And
before her David said the same: God is not before his eyes;
his ways are filthy at all times? Sinners forget that God sees
them, and therefore they offend him at all times. The
1 “ Si Dominum præsentem, et omnia videntem, semper cogitaremus,
aut vix aut nunquam peccaremus.”—Opusc. 58, c. 2.
2 “ Memoria Dei excludit cuncta flagitia.”—In Ezech. c. 22.
8 “ Tanta in puero fuit disciplina reverentiæ, ut naturam vinceret.”—
De Virgin. I. 3.
4 Way of Perf. ch. 29.
5 “ Non est Deus in conspectu ejus; inquinatæ sunt viæ illius in
omni tempore.”—Ps. x. 5.

sec. iii.i

The Presence of God.

497

Abbot Diodes went so far as to say 1 that “ he who dis­
tracts himself from the remembrance of the presence of
God becomes either a beast or a devil.” And justly;
for he shall be instantly assailed by carnal or diabolical
desires which he will not have strength to resist.
On the other hand, the saints by the thought that
God was looking at them have bravely repelled all the
assaults of their enemies. This thought gave courage
to holy Susanna to resist the temptations of the Elders,
and even to despise their threats against her life. Hence
she courageously said to them: It is better for me to fall
into your hands without doing it than to sin in the sight of the
Lord? It is better to fall into your hands and to die
without sin than to offend God before his face. This
thought also converted a wicked woman who dared to
tempt St. Ephrem; the saint told her that if she wished
to sin she must meet him in the middle of the city.
But, said she, how is it possible to commit sin before so
many persons ? And how, replied the saint, is it possi­
ble to sin in the presence of God, who sees us in every
place? At these words she burst into tears, and falling
prostrate on the ground asked pardon of the saint, and
besought him to point out to her the way of salvation.
St. Ephrem placed her in a monastery, where she led a
holy life, weeping over her sins till death.’ The same
happened to the abbot Paphnutius and a sinner called
Thais. She tempted him one day, saying that there was
no one to see them but God. The saint with a stern
voice said to her: “ Then you believe that God sees you,
and will you commit sin ?” Thais was thunderstruck,
and filled with horror for her sinful life: she gathered
together all her riches, clothes, and jewels which she had12
1 Pallad. Hist. laus. c. 98.
4 “Melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus vestras, quam
peccare in conspectu Domini.”—Dan. xiii. 23.
2 Metaphrast. Vit. S. Ephrem.
32

49§

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch. xvi.

earned by her infamous practices, burned them in the
public square, and retired into a monastery, where she
fasted on bread and water every day for three successive
years, always repeating this prayer: “ O Thou who hast
made me, have mercy on me ! My God, who hast created
me, have pity on me !”
After these three years she
happily ended her life by a holy death. It was after­
wards revealed to Paul, a disciple of St. Anthony, that
this happy penitent was placed among the saints on an
exalted throne of glory.·1
23
Behold the efficacy of the remembrance of the divine
presence to make us avoid sins. Let us then always
pray to the Lord, saying with Job: Set me beside thee, and
let any man's hand fight against med My God, place me in
Thy presence; that is, remind me in every place that
Thou seest me, and then let all my enemies assail me: I
shall always defeat them. Hence St. Chrysostom con­
cludes: “ If we keep ourselves always in the presence of
God, the thought that he sees all our thoughts, that he
hears all our words, and observes all our actions wiP
preserve us from thinking any evil, from speaking any
evil, and from doing any evil.” 4
II. As to the second effect, the practice of virtue, the
presence of God is also a great means. Oh, what valor
does a soldier exhibit in the presence of his sovereign !
The sole thought that his prince by whom he shall be
punished or rewarded is present inspires him with great
courage and strength. Thus also when such a religious
is in the presence of her Superior, with what exterior
recollection does she pray, with what modesty and
1 “ Qui plasmasti me, miserere mei,”
5 Vit. Pair. 1. I.
3 “Pone me juxta te, et cujusvis manus pugnet contra me.1’-Job,
xvii. 3.
4 “ Si ita nos ipsos disposuimus, nihil mali faciemus, nihil mali
dicemus, nihil mali cogitabimus.’’—In Phil. hom. S.

SEC. III.]

The Presence of (

humility does she treat the sisters; with what care does
she execute the directions that she receives ! Hence if
they reflected that God was looking at all their actions,
all religious would do all things well, with a pure inten­
tion, without seeking to please any one but God, and
without any regard to human respect. St. Basil says
that were a person to find himself in the presence of a
king and a peasant, his sole concern would be to please
the king without any regard to the wishes of the peas­
ant. Thus he that walks in the divine presence is re­
gardless of the pleasure of creatures, and seeks only to
please God, who sees him always.
III. Finally, as to the third effect of the divine pres­
ence, that is, to unite the soul to God, it is an infallible
rule that love is always increased by the presence of the
object loved. This happens even among men, although
the more they converse together, the more their defects
are discovered. How much more shall the love of a
soul for God increase if it keep him before its eyes!
for the more it converses with him, the better it com­
prehends his beauty and amiableness. The morning
and the evening meditation are not sufficient to keep
the soul united with God. St. John Chrysostom says,
that even water, if removed from the fire, soon returns
to its natural temperature; and therefore after prayer
it is necessary to preserve fervor by the presence of God,
and by renewing our affections.
St. Bernard says of himself, that in the beginning of
his conversion, when he found himself disturbed, or his
fervor cooled, peace and the ardor of divine love were
instantly restored by the remembrance of a deceased or
absent saint.1 Now, how much greater the effect which
must be produced on a soul that loves God, by remem­
bering that he is present, and that he is asking her love 1
1 “ Ad solam defuncti seu absentis memoriam, flabat spiritus, et
fluebant aquæ.”—In Cant. s. 14·

500

Silence, Soliliule, de.

[CH. XVI.

David said that by the remembrance of his God he was
filled with joy and consolation. I remembered God, and
was delighted.' However great the affliction and desola­
tion of a soul may be, if it loves God it will be consoled
and freed from its affliction by remembering its beloved
Lord. Hence, souls enamoured of God live always with
a tranquil heart and in continual peace; because, like
the sunflower that always turns its face to the sun, they
in all events and in all their actions seek always to live
and act in the presence of God. “A true lover,” says
St. Teresa, “always remembers her beloved.”3
2. Practice of the Presence of God.

Let us now come to the practice of this excellent ex­
ercise of the divine presence. This exercise consists
partly in the operation of the understanding, and partly
in the operation of the will: of the understanding, in
beholding God present; of the will, in uniting the soul
to God, by acts of humiliation, of adoration, of love, and
the like: of the latter we shall speak more particularly
hereafter.
I. With regard to the intellect, the presence of God
may be practised in four ways:
i. By imagining that our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is
present, that he is in our company, and that he sees us
in whatsoever place we may be. We can at one time
represent him in one mystery, and again in another: for
example, now an infant lying in the manger of Beth­
lehem, and again a pilgrim flying into Egypt; now a
boy working in the shop of Nazareth, and again suffer­
ing as a criminal in his Passion in Jerusalem, scourged,
or crowned with thorns, or nailed to a cross. St. Teresa’
praises this method of practising the presence of God.
1 “ Memor fui Dei, et delectatus sum.”—Ps. Ixxvi. 4.
2 Found, ch. 5.
8 Life, ch 13.

sec.

in.]

The Presence of God.

501

But it is necessary to remark, that though this method
is good, it is not the best, nor is it always profitable:
first, because it is not conformable to truth; for Jesus
Christ, as God and man together, is present with us
only after Communion, or when we are before the
Blessed Sacrament. Besides, this mode is liable to illu­
sion, or may at least injure the head by the efforts of
the imagination. Hence, should you wish to practise
it, you must do it sweetly, only when you find it use­
ful, and without laboring to represent in the mind the
peculiar features of our Saviour, his countenance, his
stature, or color. It is enough to represent him in a
confused manner, as if he were observing all we do.
2. The second method, which is more secure and more
excellent, is founded on the truth of faith, and consists
in beholding with eyes of faith God present with us
in every place, in considering that he encompasses us,
that he sees and observes whatever we do. We indeed
do not see him with the eyes of the flesh. Nor do we
see the air, yet we know for certain that it surrounds us
on every side, that we live in it; for without it we could
neither breathe nor live. We do not see God, but our
holy faith teaches that he is always present with us.
Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord V Is it not true,
says God, that I fill heaven and earth by my presence ?
And as a sponge in the midst of the ocean is encom­
passed and saturated with water, so, says the Apostle,
we live in God, we move in God, and have our being in
God? And our God, says St. Augustine, observes every
action, every word, every thought of each of us, as if he
forgot all his other creatures, and had to attend only to
us.123 Hence, observing all we do, say, and think, he
marks and registers all, in order to demand an account
1 “ Numquid non cœlum et terram ego impleo?”—Jer. xxiii. 24.
2 “ In ipso enim vivimus, et movemur, et sumus.”—Acts, xvii. 28.
3 Solii. c. 14; Conf. 1. 3, c. 11.

502

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

on the day of accounts, and to give us then the reward
or the chastisement that we have deserved.
This second mode of practising the divine presence
does not fatigue the mind; for the exercise of it we need
only enliven our faith with an affectionate act of the will,
saying: My God, I believe firmly that Thou art here
present. To this act we can easily add the acts of love,
or of resignation, or of purity of intention, and the like.
3. The third means of preserving the remembrance of
the presence of God is to recognize him in his creatures,
which have from him their being, and their power of
serving us. God is in the water to wash us, in the fire
to warm us, in the sun to enlighten us, in food to nourish
us, in clothes to cover us, and in like manner in all
other things that he has created for our use. When we
see a beautiful object, a beautiful garden, or a beautiful
flower, let us think that there we behold a ray of the in­
finite beauty of God, who has given existence to that
object. If we converse with a man of sanctity and learn­
ing, let us consider that it is God who imparts to him a
small portion of his own holiness and wisdom. Thus,
also, when we hear harmonious sounds, when we feel a
fragrant odor, or taste delicious meat or drink, let us
remember that God is the being who by his presence
imparts to us these delights, that by them we may be
induced to aspire to the eternal delights of paradise.
Let us accustom ourselves to behold in every object
God, who presents himself to us in every creature; and
let us offer him acts of thanksgiving and of love, remem­
bering that from eternity he has thought of creating so
many beautiful creatures that we might love him. St.
Augustine says:1 Learn to love your Creator in creatures;
and fix not your affection on what God has made, lest
’ “ Disce amare in creatura Creatorem, et in factura Factorem, ne
teneat te quod ab illo factum est, et amittas cum a quo et ipse factus es.’
—Enarr. in Ps. xxxix.

sec. in.]

'The Presence of God.

503

you should become attached to creatures and lose him
by whom you, too, have been created. This was the prac­
tice of the saint. At the sight of creatures he was
accustomed to raise his heart to God; hence he ex­
claimed with love: Heaven and earth and all things tell
me to love Thee? When he beheld the heavens, the
stars, the fields, the mountains, he seemed to hear them
say: Augustine, love God, for he has created you for no
other end than that you might love him.
Thus, likewise, St. Teresa, when she beheld the plains,
the sea, the rivers, or other beautiful creatures, felt
as if they'· reproached her with ingratitude to God. Thus
also St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, holding in her hand
a flower or an apple, and looking at it, became enrap­
tured with divine love, saying within herself: Then my
God has thought from eternity of creating this fruit for
my sake, and to give me a proof of the love that he bears
me! It is also related of St. Simon Salo, that when in
walking through the fields he saw flowers or herbs, he
would strike them with his staff, saying: “ Be silent ! be
silent ! you reproach me with not loving that God who
has made you so beautiful for my sake, that I might be
induced to love him: I have already heard you; cease;
reprove me no longer; be silent.”3
4. The fourth and most perfect means of remembering
the divine presence is to consider God within us. We
need not ascend to heaven to find our God; let us be
recollected within ourselves, and in ourselves we shall
find him. To treat in prayer with God as at a distance,
causes great distraction. St. Teresa used to say: “I
never knew how to make mental prayer as it ought to be
made till God taught me this manner of praying: in
this recollection within myself I have always found
great profit.”
1 “Coelum ct terra, et omnia quæ in cis sunt, mihi dicunt ut te
amern.”—Conf. 1. io, c. 6.
2 Way of Perf. ch. 2y.

I

! I1
’

504

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch. xvr

To come to what is practical: It is necessary to know
that God is present in us, in a manner different from
that in which he is present in other creatures; in us he
is present as in his own temple and his own house.
Know you not, says the Apostle, that you are the temple oj
God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you V Hence
our Saviour says, that into a soul that loves God, he
comes with the Father and Holy Ghost, not to re­
main there for a short time, but to dwell in it forever,
and there to establish an everlasting habitation. If,
any one love me, . . . my Father will love him, and we will
come to him, and will make our abode with himl
The kings of the earth, though they have their great
palaces, have, notwithstanding, their particular apart­
ments in which they generally live. God is in all places;
his presence fills heaven and earth; but he dwells in a
particular manner in our souls, and there, as he himself
tells us by the mouth of the Apostle, he delights to re­
main as in so many gardens of pleasure. I will dwell
in them, and will walk among them, and J will be their God.'
There he wishes us to love him and to pray to him: for
he remains in us full of love and mercy, to hear our sup­
plications, to receive our affections, to enlighten us, to
govern us, to bestow on us his gifts, and to assist us in
all that can contribute to our eternal salvation. Let us
then often endeavor, on the one hand, to enliven our
faith in this great truth, and annihilate ourselves at the
sight of the great majesty that condescends to dwell
within us; and on the other, let us be careful to make
acts at one time of confidence, at another of oblation,
1 “ Nescitis quia templum Dei estis, et Spiritus Dei habitat in vobis?”
—I Cor. iii. 16.
- “Siquis diligit me, . . . et Pater meus diligit eum, et ad eum
veniemus, et mansionem apud eum faciemus.”—John, xiv. 23.
“ Inhabitabo in illis, et inambulabo inter eos, et ero illorum Deus.”
—2 Cor. vi. 16.

SEC. III.]

The Presence of God.

505

and again of love of his infinite goodness; now thank­
ing him for his favors, at another time rejoicing in his
glory; and again asking counsel in our doubts; consoling
ourselves always in the possession of this Sovereign
Good within us, certain that no created power can de­
prive us of him, and that he will never depart from us
unless we first voluntarily banish him from our hearts.
This was the little cell that St. Catharine of Sienna
built within her heart, in which she lived always retired,
always engaged in loving colloquies with God; thus she
defended herself against the persecution of her parents,
who had forbidden her to retire any more to her chamber
for the purpose of praying. And in this little cell the
saint made greater progress than she did by retiring to
her room; for she was obliged to leave her chamber
several times in the day. This interior cell she never
left, but remained in it always recollected with God.
Hence St. Teresa, speaking of the divine presence in our
interior, said: “ I believe that they who are able to lock
themselves up in this little heaven in their souls, where
he who created them is always present, walk in an ex­
cellent path, because they make great progress in a
short time.” 1
In a word, by this exercise of the presence of God the
saints have succeeded in acquiring great treasures of
merits. J set the Lord always in my sight, says the royal
prophet, for he is at my right hand that I be not moved
*
I
endeavor to consider God always present, and observing
all my actions. Blessed Henry Suso applied himself
with so much attention to this holy exercise that he per­
formed all his actions in the divine presence, and thus
continually conversed with God by tender affections.
St. Gertrude acquired the habit of this exercise so per­
fectly, that our Lord said of her to St. Mechtilde: “ This
1 Way of Perf. ch. 29.
9 “ Providebam Dominum in conspectu meo semper."—ΡΛ. xv. 8.

506

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[CH. XVI.

beloved spouse always walks in my presence, seeking
always to do my will, and directing all her works to my
glory.”1 This was also the practice of St. Teresa; for
in whatever occupation she found herself she never lost
sight of her beloved Lord.
If, then, you ask me how often in the day you should
remember the presence of God, I will answer you with
St. Bernard1
234 that you ought to remember it every
moment. As there is not a moment, says the saint, in
which we do not enjoy the benefits of God, so there is
not a moment in which we should not remember God,
and prove our gratitude. If you knew that the king
was always thinking of you and of your welfare, though
he should confer no real benefit, still you could not re­
member his affection without feeling an interior love for
him. It is certain that your God is always thinking of
you, and that he incessantly confers favors on you at
one time by his lights, at another by internal helps, and
again by loving visits. Is it not ingratitude in you to
be forgetful of him for any length of time ? It is then a
duty to endeavor to remember always, or at least as often
as we can, the divine presence.
This was the advice of the Lord to Abraham: Walk
before me, and be perfect? Endeavor to walk always in
my presence, and you shall be perfect. Tobias gave the
same advice to his son: All the days of thy life have God in
thy mind? My son, during your whole life keep God
always before your eyes. The exercise of the divine
presence St. Dorotheus recommended in a most special
manner to his disciple, St. Dositheus, who besought him
to tell him what he should do in order to be a saint :
1 Insin. 1. I, c. 12.
2 De Int. Domo. c. 27.
3 *· Ambula coram me, et esto perfectus.”—Gen. xvii. i.
4 “ Omnibus autem diebus vitæ tuæ, in mente habeto Deum.”—Tob.
iv 6

■-w. ■

sec. in.]

The Presence of God.

507

“Consider that God is always present, and that he is

looking at you.” 1 St. Dorotheas relates that the good
disciple was so faithful to the advice, that in all his occupations, and even in the severe infirmities with which he
was visited, he never lost sight of God. Thus after being
a soldier, and a dissolute young man, he attained in
five years so high a degree of sanctity, that after death
he was seen in heaven seated on a throne of glory equal
to that of the most holy among the anchorets.
The great servant of God, Father Joseph Anchieta,
who by the exercise of the divine presence arrived at
such perfection, used to say that nothing else but our
inattention to it can divert us from so holy an exercise.
The prophet Micheas says: I will show thee, 0 man, what
is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee, ... to walk so­
licitous with thy God? O man, I will show you in what
your welfare consists, and what the Lord demands of
you; behold it: he wishes you to be solicitous, and that
your whole concern be to do all your actions in his pres­
ence; because then all shall be well done. Hence, St.
Gregory Nazianzen has written: “So often should we
remember God as we draw breath.” 1
*3 He adds, that by
doing this we shall do all things. Another devout
author says that meditation may in some cases be
omitted; for example, in the time of sickness, or of im­
portant business, which cannot be deferred; but the ex­
ercise of the presence of God must be always practised
by acts of purity of intention, of oblation, and the like,
as will be more fully explained hereafter.
II. Hitherto we have spoken of the operation of the in1 “ Dei tantum memor esto, eumque semper tibi præsentem con­
sidera.”—Bolland. 23 Febr.
* “ Indicabo tibi, o homo, quid sit bonum, et quid Dominus r quirat
a te: utique . . . solicitum ambulare cum Deo tuo.”—Midi. vi. S.
3 “ Nec enim tam sæpc spiritum ducere, quam Dei meminisse de­
bemus.”—De Theol. orat. I.

I

'

5o8

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch. xvi.

tellect; allow me to speak of the application of the will to
the holy exercise o/ the divine presence. And it is necessary, first, to knou that to remain always before God,
with the mind always fixed on him, is the happy lot of
the saints; but in the present state it is morally impos­
sible to keep up the presence of God without inter­
ruption. Hence we should endeavor to practise it to
the best of our ability, not with a solicitous inquietude
and indiscreet effort of the mind, but with sweetness and
tranquillity.
There are three means of facilitating the application
of the will to this exercise.
i. The first method consists in frequently raising the
heart to God, by short but fervent ejaculations, or
loving affections towards God, present with us. These
may be practised in all places and in all times, in walk­
ing, at work, at meals, and at recreation. These affec­
tions may be acts of election, of desire, of resignation,
of oblation, of love, of renunciation, of thanksgiving, of
petition, of humiliation, of confidence, and the like. In
whatever occupation you find yourself, you can very
easily turn to God from time to time and say to him:
My God, I wish only for Thee, and nothing else.
I desire nothing but to be all Thine.
Dispose as Thou pleasest of me, and of all that I pos­
sess.
I give myself entirely to Thee.
I love Thee more than myself.
I wish only what Thou wishest.
I renounce all things for the love of Thee.
I thank Thee for the great graces Thou hast be­
stowed upon me.
Assist me, have mercy on me.
Give me Thy holy love.
Lord, I should be at this moment in hell.
I delight in Thy felicity.

SEC. III.]

509

I would wish that all men loved Thee.
Do not permit me to be separated from Thee.
In Thee I place all my confidence.
When shall I see Thee and love Thee face to face.
Let all that I do and suffer be done and suffered for
Thee. May Thy holy will be always done. !
The ancient Fathers set great value on all these short
prayers, by which we can practise the presence of God
more easily than by long prayers. And St. John Chrys­
ostom used to say, that he that makes use of these short
prayers or acts shuts the door against the devil, and
prevents him from coming to molest him with bad
thoughts.1
At certain special times it is necessary more particu­
larly to enliven our faith in the divine presence. First,
in the morning when we awake, by saying: My God, I
believe that Thou art here present, and that Thou wilt
be present with me in every place to which I shall go
this day; watch over me, then, in all places, and do not
permit me to offend Thee before Thy divine eyes.
Secondly, at the beginning of all our prayers, whether
mental or vocal. The Venerable Cardinal Caracciolo,
Bishop of Aversa, used to say, that he that makes men­
tal prayer with distractions, shows that he has been
negligent in making the act of faith in the presence of
God. Thirdly, on occasion of any temptation against
patience or chastity; for example, if you are seized with
any sharp pain, or receive any grievous insult, or if any
scandalous object be presented to you, instantly arm
yourself with the divine presence, and excite your cour­
age by remembering that God is looking at you. It was
thus that David prepared himself to resist temptations.
My eyes are ever towards the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet
1 “ Si crebris precationibus te ipsum accendas, non dabis occasionem
diabolo, aut ullum ad tuas cogitationes aditum.”—De Anna. hom. 4.

510

Silence, Solitude, etc.

[ch.xvi.

out of the snare} I will keep my eyes on my God, and
he will deliver me from the snares of my enemies. You
must do the same when you have occasion to perform
any very difficult act of virtue; you must imitate the
valorous Judith, who, alter having unsheathed the sword,
and taken Holofernes, who was asleep, by the hair of
the head, turned to God before she gave the stroke, and
said: Strengthen me, O Lord, in this hour} Thus she cour­
ageously cut off his head.
2. The second method of preserving the presence of
God by acts of the will is to renewalways in distracting
employments the intention of performing them all with
the intention of pleasing God. And therefore, in the
beginning of every action or occupation, whether you
apply yourself to work, go to table, or to recreation, or
to repose, say: Lord, I do not intend in this work my
pleasure, but only the accomplishment of Thy will. In
the course of the action endeavor to renew your inten­
tion, saying: My God, may all be for Thy glory. By
these acts the presence of God is preserved without
fatiguing the mind; for the very desire of pleasing God
is a loving remembrance of his presence. It is also use­
ful to fix certain times, or particular signs, in order to
remember the divine presence; as when the clock strikes,
when you look at the crucifix, when you enter or leave
the cell. Some are accustomed to keep in their room
some particular sign, to remind them of the presence of
God.
3. The third method is, when you find yourself very
much distracted during the day, and the mind oppressed
with business, to procure leave from the Superior to re­
tire, at least for a little, to the choir or to the cell, in
order to recollect yourself with God. Were you on any
1 “Oculi mei semper ad Dominum; quoniam ipse evellet de laqueo
pedes meos. ”—Ps. xxiv. 15.
2 “Confirma me, Domine Deus, in hac hora.”—Judith, xiii. 9.

SEC. III.]

The Presence of God.

day to feel bodily weakness, arising from excess of labor
and long fasting, would you not take some refreshment
in order to be able to proceed with the work? How
much more careful should you be to treat the soul in a
similar manner, when it begins to fail in courage, and to
grow cold in divine love, in consequence of being a long
time without food; that is, without prayer and recol­
lection with God? I again repeat what Father Bal­
thasar Alvarez used to say, that a soul out of prayer is
like a fish out of water; the soul is, as it were, in a state
of violence. Hence, after being a long time engaged in
business and distracting occupations, a Christian should
retire (if I may use the expression), to take breath in
solitude, recollecting himself there with God, by affec­
tions and petitions. The life of bliss in heaven consists
in seeing and loving God, and therefore I infer that the
felicity of a soul on this earth consists also in loving and
.seeing God, not openly as in paradise, but with the eyes
of faith, by which it beholds him always present with it;
and thus acquires great reverence, confidence, and love
towards its beloved Lord. He that lives in this man­
ner, begins, even in this valley of tears, to live like the
saints in heaven, who always see God. They always see
the face of my Father? and therefore they cannot cease to
love him. Thus he that lives in the divine presence will
despise all earthly things, knowing that before God all
is misery and smoke; and will begin in this life to pos­
sess that Sovereign Good who contents the heart more
than all other goods.

My adored Jesus, Thou hast not refused to give all Thy blood
for me; and shall I refuse to give Thee all my love? No, my
beloved Redeemer, 1 offer myself entirely to Thee ; accept me
and dispose of me as Thou pleasest. But since Thou givest me
1 “ Semper vident faciem Patris.”—Matt, xviii. io.

Λ

512

Silence, Solitzede, etc.

[CH. XVI.

the desire of Thy pure love, teach me what I ought to do, and I
will do it. Grant that this heart that was once miserably de­
prived of Thy love may now neither love nor seek anything
but Thee. Grant that my will may wish only what Thou wishest. Unhappy me! I once, for the sake of my pleasures, de­
spised Thy will, and forgot Thee. Grant that from this day
forward I may forget all things, even myself, to think only of
loving and pleasing Thee. O my God, amiable above every
good, how bitterly do I regret that hitherto I have had so little
regard for Thee ! Lord, pardon me, draw me entirely to Thy­
self ; do not permit me to love Thee but little, or to love any­
thing but Thee. I hope for all things from Thy goodness, and
from Thy merits, O my Jesus !
And I place all confidence in thee, O my Queen, my advo­
cate, and my Mother, Mary. Have pity on me, and recom­
mend me to thy Son, who hears thy prayers, and refusas thee
nothing.

CHAPTER XVII.
SPIRITUAL READING

To a spiritual life the reading of holy books is perhaps
not less useful than mental prayer. St. Bernard says
reading instructs us at once in prayer, and in the prac­
tice of virtue? Hence he concluded that spiritual read­
ing and prayer are the arms by which hell is conquered
and paradise won.’ We cannot always have access to a
spiritual Father for counsel in our actions, and particu­
larly in our doubts; but reading will abundantly supply
his place by giving us lights and directions to escape
the illusions of the devil and of our own self-love, and
at the same time to submit to the divine will. Hence
St. Athanasius used to say that we find no one devoted
to the service of the Lord that did not practise spiritual
reading.1
23 Hence all the founders of religious Orders
have strongly recommended this holy exercise to their
religious.
St.
Benedict,
among
the
rest,
commanded
*
that each monk should every day make a spiritual read­
ing, and that two others should be appointed to go
about visiting the cells to see if all fulfilled the com­
1 “Lectio nos ad orationem instruit et ad operationem.”—De Modo
bene viv. c. 50.
2 “ Lectio et oratio sunt arma, quibus diabolus expugnatur, beatitudo
acquiritur.”—Ibid.
3 “ Sine legendi studio, neminem ad Deum intentum videas.”

514

Spiritual Readin

[CHAP. xvn.

mand; and should any monk be found negligent in the
observance of this rule, the saint ordered a penance to
be imposed upon him. But before all, the Apostle pre­
scribed spiritual reading to Timothy. Attend unto read­
ing' Mark the word Attend, which signifies that, al­
though Timothy, as being bishop, was greatly occupied
with the care of his flock, still the Apostle wished him
to apply to the reading of holy books, not in a passing
way and for a short time, but regularly and for a con­
siderable time.
The reading of spiritual works is as profitable as the
reading of bad books is noxious. As the former has led
to the conversion of many sinners, so the latter is every
day the ruin of many’· young persons. The first author
of pious books is the Spirit of God; but the author of
pernicious writings is the devil, who often, artfully con­
ceals from certain persons the poison that such works
contain, and makes these persons believe that the reading
of such books is necessary in order to speak well, and to
acquire a knowledge of the world for their own direc­
tion, or at least in order to pass the time agreeably.
But I say that, especially' for nuns, nothing is more per­
nicious than the reading of bad books. And by bad
books I mean not only those that are condemned by the
Holy See, either because they contain heresy, or treat of
subjects opposed to chastity, but also all books that treat
of worldly' love. What fervor can a religious have if she
reads romances, comedies, or profane poetry' ? What
recollection can she have in meditation or at Commun­
ion ? Can she be called the spouse of Jesus Christ?
Should she not rather be called the spouse of a sinful
world ? Even young women in the world that are in the
habit of reading such books are generally not virtuous
seculars.
But some one may sayr, What harm is there in reading
1 “ Attende lectioni.”—i Tim, iv. 3.

chap. XVII.]

Spiritual Reading.

515

romances and profane poetry when they contain nothing
immodest? Do yon ask what harm? Behold the
harm: the reading of such works kindles the concupis­
cence of the senses, and awakens the passions; these
easily gain the consent of the will, or at least render it
so weak that when the occasion of any dangerous affec­
tion occurs the devil finds the soul already prepared to
allow itself to be conquered. A wise author has said
that by the reading of such pernicious books heresy has
made, and makes every day, great progress; because
such reading has given and gives increased strength to
libertinism. The poison of these books enters gradually
into the soul; it first makes itself master of the under­
standing, then infects the will, and in the end kills the
soul. The devil finds no means more efficacious and
secure of sending a young person to perdition than the
reading of such poisoned works. Oh ! what desolation
will this poison produce should it be ever introduced
into any religious Community ! A single bad book will
be sufficient to cause the destruction of a monastery.
Blessed spouse of the Lord, should a work of this de­
scription ever fall into your hands, cast it at once into
the fire, that it never more may be seen. And if you are
Superior, and wish not to have a great account to render
to God, exclude all such books from the convent.
Remember also that for you certain useless books,
though not bad, will be pernicious; because they will
make you lose the time that you can employ in occupa­
tions profitable to the soul. In a letter to his disciple
Eustochium, St. Jerome stated for her instruction that
in his solitude at Bethlehem he was attached to the
works of Cicero, and frequently read them, and that he
felt a certain disgust for pious books because their style
was not polished. He was seized with a serious malady,
in which he saw himself at the tribunal of Jesus Chris-t.
The Lord said to him: “Tell me; what are you?” “ I

516

Spiritual Reading.

[chap. χνπ.

am," replied the saint, “ a Christian.” “ No,” rejoined
the Judge, ‘‘you are a Ciceronian, not a Christian.”
He then commanded him to be instantly scourged.
The saint promised to correct his fault, and having re­
turned from the vision he found his shoulders livid and
covered with wounds in consequence of the chastisement
that he had received. Thenceforward he gave up the
works of Cicero, and devoted himself to the reading of
books of piety. It is true that in the works like those
of Cicero we sometimes find useful sentiments; but the
same St. Jerome wisely said in a letter to another dis­
ciple: “What need have you of seeking for a little gold
in the midst of so much mire,” 1 when you can read pious
books in which you may find all gold without any mire?
Works on Moral Theology also are ordinarily useless,
and sometimes even injurious to a nun; because by
reading them her conscience may be disturbed, or she
may learn what it is not useful for her to know. To
some the reading of books on Mystic Theology may be
pernicious; for it may incline them to seek after super­
natural prayer, and to abandon the ordinary method of
mental prayer by considerations and affections: thus
they may be left without one or the other. For no one
should seek to attain the prayer of contemplation unless
God clearly calls him to it. Hence St. Teresa after
death appeared to one of her nuns and directed that the
Superiors should forbid the religious to read her books
of visions and revelations, saying that she had become a
saint not by visions and revelations, but by the practice
of virtue.
But let us return to the subject, and consider the great
blessings that the reading of spiritual books brings to
the soul.
In the first place, as the reading of bad books fills the
mind with worldly and poisonous sentiments; so, on the
1 “ Non necesse habes aurum in luto quaerere.”—Ep. ad Furiam.

chap, xvii.]

Spiritual Reading.

517

other hand, the reading of pious works fills the soul with
holy thoughts and good desires. How can the religious
be recollected and filled with holy thoughts that spends
a considerable part of the day in reading curious and
profane works that fill her head with a thousand worldly
ideas and a crowd of earthly affections ? How can she
keep herself in the divine presence, and offer to God
frequent acts of love, of oblation, of petition, and the
like. The mill grinds the corn that it receives; if the
wheat be bad how can the mill make good flour? The
nun that has employed a considerable time in reading
curious books will go to meditation and Communion,
and then, instead of thinking of God and of making
acts of love and confidence, she will be constantly
molested with distractions; for the representations of
all the vanities that she has read will be presented to
her mind. On the other hand, the nun that keeps the
mind filled with devout thoughts, such as spiritual
maxims, examples of the virtuous actions of the saints,
will not only during prayer, but also at other times, be
accompanied by these thoughts, and by them she will
be kept almost always united with God. St. Bernard
explains this by a beautiful similitude in his exposition
of the words seek and you shall find,' he says: “ Seek by
reading books of devotion, and in meditation you will
find what you seek; for reading puts into the mouth
the food that is afterwards masticated by medita­
tion.”3
In the second place, the soul that is imbued with holy
thoughts in reading is always prepared to.banish inter­
nal temptations. The advice that St. Jerome gave to
his disciple Salvina was: “ Endeavor to have always in
1 “ Quærite, et invenietis.”—Matt. vii. 7.
2 * ' Quærite legendo, et invenietis meditando; lectio quasi cibum ori
apponit, meditatio masticat.”—Seal, claustr. c. 2.

518

Spiritual Reading.

iCHAP, XVII.

your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may
defend yourself against bad thoughts.” 1
In the third place, spiritual reading serves to make
us see the stains that infect the soul, and helps us to
remove them. The same St. Jerome recommended De­
metriade to avail herself of spiritual reading as of a mir­
ror.’ He meant to say that as a mirror exhibits the
stains of the countenance, so holy books show us the
defects of the soul. St. Gregory, speaking of spiritual
reading, says: “ There we perceive the losses we have
sustained and the advantages we have acquired; there
we observe our falling back or our progress in the way
of God.”3
In the fourth place, in reading holy books we receive
many lights and divine calls. St. Jerome says that
when we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God
speaks to us.
*
St. Ambrose says the same: “ We ad­
dress him when we pray: we hear him when we read.”5
In prayer, God hears our petitions, but in reading we
listen to his voice. We cannot, as I have already said,
always have at hand a spiritual Father, nor can we hear
the sermons of sacred orators, to direct and give us
light to walk well in the way of God. Good books sup­
ply the place of sermons. St. Augustine writes® that
good books are, as it were, so many letters of love that
the Lord sends us; in them he warns us of our dangers,
teaches us the way of salvation, animates us to suffer
1 “ Semper in manibus tuis sit divina lectio, ut omnes cogitationum
sagittæ hujusmodi clypeo repellantur.”
2 “ Lectionem adhibeas speculi vice.”
3 “ Ibi foeda, ibi pulchra nostra cognoscimus; ibi sentimus quantum
proficimus.”—Mor. 1. 2, c. 1.
4 “Oras; loqueris ad Sponsum. Legis; ille tibi loquitur.”—Ep. ad
Eustoch.
5 “ Illum alloquimur, cum oramus; illum audimus, cum legimus.”—
De Offic. 1. i, c. 20.
6 Enarr. in Es. xc. s. 2.

CHAP. XVII.]

Spiritual Reading.

519

adversity, enlightens us, and inflames us with divine
love. Whoever, then, desires to be saved and to acquire
divine love, should often read these letters of paradise.
How many saints have, by reading a spiritual book,
been induced to forsake the world and to give them­
selves to God! It is known to all that St. Augustine,
when miserably chained by his passions and vices, was,
by reading one of the epistles of St. Paul, enlightened
with divine light, went forth from his darkness, and be­
gan to lead a life of holiness. Thus also St. Ignatius,
while a soldier, by reading a volume of the lives of the
saints which he accidentally took up, in order to get rid
of the tediousness of the bed to which he was confined
by sickness, was led to begin a life of sanctity, and be­
came the Father and Founder of the Society of Jesus—
an Order which has done so much for the Church.
Thus also by reading a pious book accidentally and al­
most against his will, St. John Colombino left the
world, became a saint, and the founder of another relig­
ious Order. St. Augustine relates1 that two courtiers
of the Emperor Theodosius entered one day into a
monastery of solitaries; one of them began to read the
life of St. Anthony, which he found in one of the cells;
so strong was the impression made upon him, that he
resolved to take leave of the world. He then addressed
his companion with so much fervor that both of them
remained in the monastery to serve God. We read in
the Chronicles of the Discalced Carmelites that a lady
in Vienna was prepared to go to a festivity, but because
it was given up she fell into a violent passion. To di­
vert her attention she began to read a spiritual book
that was at hand, and conceived such a contempt for
the world, that she abandoned it and became a Teresian
nun. The same happened to the Duchess of Montalto,
in Sicily. She began also by accident to read the works
1 Conf. 1. 8, c. 6.

520

Spiritual Reading,

[CHAP. XVII.

of St. Teresa, and afterwards continued to read them
with so much fervor, that she sought and obtained her
husband’s consent to become a religious, and entered
among the Discalced Carmelites.
But the reading of spiritual books has not only con­
tributed to the conversion of saints, but has also given
them during their whole life great aid to persevere and
to advance continually in perfection. The glorious St.
Dominic used to embrace his spiritual books, and to
press them to his bosom, saying, “ These books give me
milk.” And how, except by meditation and the use of
pious books, were the anchorets enabled to spend so
many years in the desert, at a distance from all human
society ? That great servant of God, Thomas à Kempis, could not enjoy greater consolation than in remain­
ing in a corner of his cell with a spiritual book in his
hand. It has been already mentioned in this work that
the Venerable Vincent Carafa used to say that he could
not desire a greater happiness in this world than to live
in a little grotto provided with a morsel of bread and a
spiritual book. St. Philip Neri devoted all the vacant
hours that he could procure to the reading of spiritual
books, and particularly the lives of the saints.
If you ask me what book is most useful for you who
are religious, above all I counsel you to read the books
that you find best calculated to excite your devotion,
and to move you most powerfully to unite your soul to
God. Of this character are the works of St. Francis de
Sales, of St. Teresa, of Father Granada, of Rodriguez,
of St. Jure, of Nieremberg, of Pinamonti, and other
similar books; and particularly the “Admonitions to
Religious,” by the Fathers of St. Maur, and the
“Ascetic Directory” of Father Scaramelli, a modern
work, but full of learning and unction.
*
In general, I
* We may add the ascetical works of St. Alphonsus; for many wellinstructed persons even say that they wish for no other books, since in

CHAP. XVII.]

advise you to lay aside works that are hard to be under­
stood, and to read books of devotion written in a plain
and simple stylei Be careful also to read the subjects
that you know will contribute most to your perfection.
Among the rest, read frequently the lives of the saints,
and particularly of those who have been religious; such
as the life of St. Teresa, of St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi, of St. Catharine of Sienna, of St. Jane Frances
de Chantal, of the Venerable P'rances Farnese, of the
Venerable Sister Seraphina da Capri, of St. Peter of Al­
cantara, of St. John of the Cross, of St. Francis Borgia,
of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, etc. Read frequently the lives
of the holy martyrs, particularly of so many holy young
virgins that have given their lives for Jesus Christ. You
can use the lives of the saints published by Father
Croisset.
Oh ! how profitable is the reading of the lives of the
saints ! In books of instruction we read what we are
bound to do, but in the lives of the saints we read what
so many holy men and women, who were flesh as we
are, have done. Hence, their example, if it produce no
other fruit, will at least humble us and make us sink
under the earth. In reading the great things that the
saints have done, we shall certainly be ashamed of the
little that we have done and still do for God. St. Au­
gustine said of himself: “ My God, the examples of Thy
servants, when I meditated on them, consumed my te­
pidity and inflamed me with Thy holy love.” 1 Of St.
1 “ Exempla servorum tuorum, congesta in sinum cogitation's nostræ,
urebant et absumebant gravem torporem, et accendebant nos valide.”
—Conf. 1. 9, c. 2.
them they find all that they need, and this more clearly and surely than
elsewhere. Our saint seems, in fact, to have provided for all the wants
of the soul. At the end of this volume is found a table of subjects
for spiritual reading that may be made each month on the virtue that
we propose to practise.—Ed.

522

Spiritual Reading.

[chap.xvh,

Francis, St. Bonaventure writes: “ By the remembrance
of the saints and of their virtues, as if they were so
many stones of fire, he was inflamed with new love for
God.”1
St. Gregory also relates'·1 that in Rome there was a
beggar called Servolus; he was afflicted with infirmities,
and lived on the alms that he collected: he gave a part
to the poor, and employed the remainder in purchasing
books of devotion. Servolus could not read, but he en­
gaged those whom he lodged in his little house to read
for him. St. Gregory says that by listening to these
spiritual readings Servolus acquired great patience and
a wonderful knowledge of the things of God. Finally,
the saint states that at death the poor man besought his
friends to read for him; but before breathing his last he
interrupted the reading, and said: “ Be silent, be silent,
do you not hear how all paradise resounds with canti­
cles and harmonious music ?” After these words he
sweetly expired. Immediately after his death a most
agreeable odor was diffused over the room, in testimony
of the sanctity of the beggar, who left the world poor
in earthly goods, but rich in virtue and merits.
But to draw great fruit from spiritual reading:
It is, in the first place, necessary to recommend your­
self beforehand to God, that he may enlighten the mind
while you read. It has been already said, that in spirit­
ual reading the Lord condescends to speak to us; and,
therefore, in taking up the book, we must pray to God
in the words of Samuel: Speak, Lord, for thy servant hearethl Speak, O my Lord, for I wish to obey Thee in all
that Thou wilt make known to me to be Thy will.
In the second place, you must read not in order to123
1 “ Ex recordatione Sanctorum, tamquam lapidum ignitorum, in deificum recalescebat incendium.”—Vita S. Franc, c. 9.
2 In Evang. kom. 15.
3 “ Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus tuus.”—i Kings, iii. 9.

chap,

xvii.]

Spiritual Reading.

523

acquire learning, nor to indulge curiosity, but for the
sole purpose of advancing in divine love. To read for
the sake of knowledge is not spiritual reading, but is,
at the time of spiritual reading, a study unprofitable
to the soul. It is still worse to read through curiosity,
as certain nuns do, who devour books, seeking only to
finish them in a short time, and to gratify curiosity.
What profit do they expect to draw from such reading?
All the time devoted to such reading is lost time. St.
Gregory says that many read and read a great deal,
but, because they have read only through curiosity,
they finish reading as hungry as if they had not been
reading.1 Hence the saint corrected a physician called
Theodore for reading spiritual books quickly and with­
out profit.
To derive advantage from pious books it is neces­
sary to read them slowly and with attention. “ Nourish
your soul,” says St. Augustine, “with divine lectures.’”
Now to receive nutriment from food, it must not be de­
voured, but well masticated. Remember, then, in the
third place, that to reap abundant fruit from pious read­
ing, you must masticate and ponder well what you
read; applying to yourself what is there inculcated.
And when what you have read has made a lively im­
pression on you, St. Ephrem counsels you to read it a
second time.1
*3
Besides, when you receive any special light in read­
ing, or any instruction that penetrates the heart, it will
be very useful to stop, and to raise the mind to God by
making a good resolution, or a good act, or a fervent
prayer. St. Bernard says, that it is useful then to in­
terrupt the reading, and to offer a prayer, and to con1 “ Multi legunt, et ab ipsa lectione jejuni sunt.”—In Ezech. hom. io.
5 “ Nutri animam tuam lectionibus divinis.”
3 “ Non pigeat sæpius eumdem repetere versum.”—De Patient, et
Cenis. sac.

524

Spiritual Reading.

[chap. χνπ.

tinue to pray as long as the lively impression lasts.1
Let us imitate the bees, that pass not from one flower
to another until they have gathered all the honey that
they found in the first. This we should do, although
all the time prescribed for the reading should be spent
in such acts; for thus the time is spent with greater
spiritual profit. Sometimes it may happen that you
draw more fruit from reading a single verse than from
reading an entire page.
1
Moreover, at the end of the reading you must select
some sentiment of devotion, excited by what you have
read, and carry it with you as you would carry a flower
from a garden of pleasure.

Prayer.
My Lord, I thank Thee for so many helps and lights that
Thou givest me, in order to make me a saint, and to unite me
always more closely to Thee. When will the day arrive on
which I shall see myself freed from all earthly affections, and
entirely united to Thy heart, which is so enamoured of my soul!
I hope for all things from Thy infinite mercy. My Jesus, 1 can­
not bear to see myself any longer ungrateful to Thy love, as I
have hitherto been. Create a clean heart in me, O God. Lord,
give me a new heart that will think only of pleasing Thee.
This desire that Thou givest me makes me hope for Thy grace.
My God, I believe in Thee, and for Thy faith I would give my
life a thousand times. I hope in Thee through the merits of
Jesus Christ; without them I should be lost. O Sovereign
Good, I love Thee; and for the love of Thee, I renounce all
things, and embrace every pain and every cross that Thou wishest to send me. I have offended Thee, but I feel more sorrow
for having offended Thee, than if I had suffered every other
misfortune. I now sigh only for Thy grace and love. My God,
assist me, have mercy on me.
' À*
Holy Virgin, assist me by thy prayers, which obtain from
God whatever thou askest. My Mother, recommend me to
thy Son ; do not forget me.
1 “ Oratio lectionem interrumpat ”—De Vita sol. c. ίο.

SEC. 1.]

Confession.

525

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FREQUENTATION OF THE SACRAMENTS.

I.
Confession.

not intend to treat in this place of the confessions
of those who commit mortal sins, although I shall say
something on proximate occasions and on sacrilegious
confessions; but I will principally speak of the confes­
sions of timorous souls that love perfection and endeav­
or constantly to purify their souls more and more from
the stain of venial sins.
I

do

Utility of Frequent Confession.

Cesarius relates that a good priest commanded, in
the name of God, a devil who appeared to him to tell
what was most hurtful to him. The demon answered
that nothing was more injurious or displeasing to him
than frequent confession. Jesus Christ once said to St.
Bridget, that they who wish to preserve fervor should
often purify their souls by accusing themselves in con­
fession of all their defects, and all their negligence in
his service.' Cassian says3 that he who aspires to per­
fection should aim at great purity of conscience; be­
cause from purity of conscience the soul passes to per­
fect love.
Hence, love corresponds to cleanness of
heart. It is, however, necessary to know that in the
present state this purity of soul does not consist in a
total exemption from all faults; for except our divine
Saviour and his divine Mother, there neither has been
1 Z. de Blois, Cond. p. 2, c. f.

9 Collât, i, c. 5.

526 Fréquentation of (he Sacraments, [chap.xviii.
nor will be in this world any soul free from all stain.
In many things we all offendi—But it consists in two
things: first, in a careful guard over the heart, to pre­
vent the commission of every deliberate sin, however
venial; and secondly, in instantly purifying the soul
from any fault that it may commit. Now these two are
precisely the fruits of frequent confession.
In the first place, confession cleanses the soul from
the stains which it contracts. St. John Climacus re­
lates 2 that a young man, in order to discontinue the
wicked life that he led in the world, went to a monas­
tery in order to become a religious. Before his admis­
sion the abbot told him that if he wished to be received,
he must make a public confession of all his sins. The
young man, who was sincerely resolved to give himself
to God, readily obeyed; and behold, while he confessed
his faults in the presence of the monks, a holy religious
who was among them saw a man of venerable aspect ex­
punge from a written paper that he held in his hand
every sin that had been confessed, so that at the end of
the confession all the sins of the penitent were cancelled.
Now, what then took place in a visible manner, happens
invisibly to every one that confesses his sins with the
requisite dispositions.
Confession not only washes away the stains of the
soul, but it also gives it strength against relapse. The
angelic Doctor teaches that the virtue of penance not
only destroys the fault that has been committed, but
also prevents it from budding forth again. In his life
of St. Malachy, St. Bernard relates that there was a cer­
tain woman who was so much given to impatience and
to anger that she became insupportable. Hearing from
her that she never confessed her impatience, St. Mala­
chy induced her to make a confession of all her sins of
1 “ In multis enim offendimus omnes.”—James, iii. 2.
2 Seal. -par. gr. 4.

SEC. I.]

Con fession.

anger. St. Bernard states that after her confession she
became so meek and patient that she appeared incap­
able of resenting any injury or insult that she received.
Hence, to acquire purity of conscience, many saints
confessed their sins every day. Such was the practice
of St. Catharine of Sienna, of St. Bridget, of Blessed
Colletta, of St. Charles Borromeo, of St. Ignatius of
Loyola, and of many others. St. Francis Borgia went
to confession even twice a day. If worldlings cannot
bear to appear before those whom they love with a stain
on the countenance, what wonder is it that souls that
love God should endeavor always to purify themselves
more and more, in order to render themselves more
pleasing in the eyes of their beloved Lord! But I do
not intend to require of religious who practise frequent
Communion to go to confession every time they com­
municate; but it is right that they should goto con­
fession twice or at least once a week, and also when
they have committed any deliberate fault.
Examination of Conscience, Sorrow or Contrition, and Pur­
pose of Amendment.

Every one knows that for a good confession three
things are necessary: an examination of conscience,
sorrow, and a purpose to avoid sin.
I. As to the examination of conscience, for those that
frequent the sacraments, it is not necessary to distress
the head bv
* efforts to find out all the minute circumstances of venial sins. I would rather see such persons
careful to discover the causes and roots of their attach­
ments and tepidity. I say this for certain nuns who go
to confession with their heads full of things heard at
the grate, and thus they always give the same account,
and recite the same faults without sorrow, and without
any thought of amendment.
For spiritual souls that go frequently to confession,

528 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap.xviii.

and guard against deliberate venial sins, it is not neces­
sary to spend a long time in the examination of con­
science; with regard to grievous sins, they need not
scrutinize the conscience, for had they committed any
mortal sin, they would know it without examination.
With regard to venial sins, if they have been fully de­
liberate, they, too, by the remorse that they cause,
would make themselves known to the soul. Besides,
there is no obligation of confessing all our venial
transgressions; consequently we are not obliged to make
a strict search after them, and much less after the num­
ber, the circumstance, the manner, or the causes of
them; it is enough to confess those that are most griev­
ous, and most opposed to perfection, and to tell the rest
in general terms. And when you have not certain mat­
ter for the sacrament, tell some sin of your past life for
which you have great sorrow; and say, for example: I
accuse myself in a special manner of all the faults I have
committed in my past life against charity, purity, or
obedience. How consoling is the doctrine of St. Francis
de Sales on this point. “Be not troubled, he says, if·
you do not remember all your little faults at confession;
for as you often fall imperceptibly, so you are often
raised up imperceptibly,” ' that is, by the acts of love, or
by the other good acts that devout souls are accustomed
to perform.
II. In the second place, sorrow is necessary; this is the
principal condition necessary for obtaining the pardon
of sins. The most sorrowful, not the longest confessions,
are the best. The proof of a confession is found, says
St. Gregory,2 not in the multitude of the words of the
penitent, but in the compunction that he exhibits. But
let nuns who go frequently to confession, and abhor
even venial faults, banish all doubts regarding the sin­
cerity of their sorrow. Some are troubled because they
1 Lettre 55.

5 In 1 fteg. 1. 6, c. 2.

SEC. 1.)

Confession.

529

do not feel sorrow; they wish to shed tears, and to feel
a tender sorrow every time they receive the sacrament
of penance; and, because with all their efforts they are
unable to excite this tender sorrow, they feel always un­
easy about their confessions. But you must be per­
suaded that true sorrow consists not in feeling it, but in
wishing for it. All the merit of virtue is in the will;
hence, speaking of the virtue of faith, Gerson has said
that sometimes a person who wishes to believe, has more
merit than another who believes.' Speaking of sorrow,
St. Thomas says that the essential sorrow necessary for
confession is a displeasure at having committed sin;
and this sorrow is not in the sensitive part of the soul,
but in the will; for sensible sorrow is an effect of the
displeasure of the will, which effect we are not always
able to produce, because the inferior part does not
always follow and obey the superior part of the soul.’
Whenever the will is displeased, above all things, at
having committed sin, the confession is a good one.
Be careful to abstain from forced efforts to excite
sensible sorrow. Remember that, with regard to in­
terior acts, the best are those that we perform with the
least violence, and with the greatest sweetness; for the
Holy Ghost orders all things sweetly and peacefully.3
Hence, the holy penitent Ezechias said of the sorrow
that he felt for his sins: Behold in peace is my bitterness
most bitter' He felt great sorrow, but it was accom­
panied with peace.
When you wish to receive absolution, be careful, in
1 “ Aliquando non est tam meritorium credere, sicut velle credere.”—
De Prap ad M. cons 3
a “ In contritione est duplex dolor: unus in ipsa voluntate, qu
est essentialiter ipsa contritio, quæ nihil aliud est quam displicentia
praeteriti peccati; alius dolor est in parte sensitiva, qui causatur ex pri­
mo dolore.”—Suppi. q. 3, a. 1.
3 “ Disponit omnia suaviter.”—Wisd. viii. 1.
4 “ Ecce in pace amaritudo inea amarissima.”—/s. xxxviii. 17.

530 Fréquentation oj the Sacraments, [chap, xviii.
your preparation for confession, first to ask of Jesus
Christ, and of the sorrowful Mother Mary, a true sorrow
for your sins. Make afterwards, as has been already
said, a short examination of conscience, and then as to
the sorrow, it is enough for you to say with sincerity:
My God, I love Thee above all things; I hope, through
the blood of Jesus Christ, for the pardon of all my sins,
for which I am sorry with my whole heart, because by
them I have offended and displeased Thy infinite good­
ness; I abhor them above every evil, and I unite my
abhorrence of them to the abhorrence that Jesus had for
them in the garden of Gethsemani. I purpose, with Thy
grace, never more to offend Thee.
And as often as you have sincerelyr wished to make
these acts, go in peace to receive absolution, without
fear or scruple.
St. Teresa gave another excellent
means of removing anxiety about sorrow for sins.
“ See,” said the saint, “ whether you have a sincere pur­
pose not to commit the sins that you confess; if you
have, doubt not that you also have true sorrow.”
III. In the third place, a purpose to sin no more is
necessary; and this purpose must be firm, universal, and
efficacious.
First, it must be firm. Some say: I would wish never
more to commit this sin: I would wish never more to
offend God. Alas ! this expression, I would wish, de­
notes that the purpose is not firm. In order to have a
firm purpose, you must say with a resolute will: I will
never more commit this sin: I will never more de­
liberately’’ offend God.
Secondly, it must be universal, so that the penitent will
purpose to avoid all sins without exception, that is, all
mortal sins. With regard to venial sins, it is sufficient
for the validity of the sacrament to have sorrow for one
species of them, and to have a firm purpose to avoid
it.
Spiritual souls should purpose to avoid all de-

SEC. I.]

Co

liberate venial sins; and with regard to indeliberate
venial sins, it is enough to resolve to guard against them
according to the best of their ability; for it is impossible
to avoid all indeliberate sins.
Thirdly, the purpose of avoiding sin must be efficaci­
ous ; that is, it must make the penitent adopt the means
of not relapsing into the sins that he confesses, and
must make him avoid the proximate occasions of a re­
lapse. An occasion is called proximate in which a per­
son has frequently fallen into grievous sins, or has been,
without a just cause, an occasion of sin to others. It is
not enough for penitents to purpose merely to renounce
sin: it is necessary also to resolve to remove the occa­
sion of it; otherwise all their confessions, though they
should receive a thousand absolutions, will be invalid:
for not to remove the proximate occasion of mortal sin
is in itself a mortal sin. And, as I have already sho\vn
in my Moral Theology' he that receives absolution with­
out a firm purpose of removing the proximate occasion
of mortal sin, commits a new mortal sin, and is guilty of
sacrilege.
But some one may say, If I separate from such a per­
son, if I give up such familiarity, scandal will be the
consequence, and it will be an occasion of talk to the
Community. I answer: My dear sister, you are wrong;
you will, on the contrary, give scandal by not removing
the occasion, for the religious are aware of the friend­
ship; and be assured, that although they may not speak
in your presence, they think your conduct deserving of
blame. But you will say: To separate from such a one
would be an act of incivility, and even of ingratitude,
for she assists me, serves me, and relieves me. She
assists you; yes, she helps to remove you from God, and
to make you lead an unhappy life here, and a more un­
happy life hereafter. Is it incivility or ingratitude?
1 Lib. 6, n. 454.

532 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap.xviii.

Civility and gratitude are first due to Jesus Christ, who
is a Sovereign of infinite majesty, and from whom we
have received immense benefits. You may add, But I
have pledged my word not to separate from her. But
did you not first give your word to Jesus Christ at your
profession that you would have no other lover but him ?
Did you not give your word that you wish neither to
love nor to be loved by any other than God ? Do you
not then see that it is passion that makes you speak in
this manner, and makes you seek pretexts in order to
bring you to eternal perdition ? Ah ! give no more pain
to the heart of your Spouse, who feels his heart, as it
were, wounded, at the sight of one of his spouses giving
her affections to any other than to himself. To St.
Ludgard, while she was miserably entangled in a danger­
ous friendship, Jesus appeared, and showed her his heart
grievously wounded. The saint began to weep over her
fault, and took leave of her friend, saying that she could
love no other than Jesus Christ, to whom she had been
espoused. Thenceforward she consecrated herself en­
tirely to the love of her Spouse, and became a saint.
This is said only in passing, for proximate occasions
scarcely ever occur in convents.
False Shame.

But a nun may perhaps be tempted to conceal a sin
in confession. A certain nun may have the misfortune
of falling into mortal sin; the devil endeavors to lock
her mouth, and to make her ashamed to confess her sin.
O God ! how many souls shall, on account of this ac­
cursed shame, burn, and burn forever in hell, or rather
in the bottom of hell. Some Christians, through human
respect, and through fear of losing the esteem of others,
easily continue for months and years to make sacrileg1 “ Nullum, præter cum, amatorem admittam.”

Confession.

SEC. I.]

ious confessions and Communions. In the Chronicles
of the DisCàlced Carmelites it is related that a young
girl of great virtue consented to a sin against chastity ;
she concealed the sin three times in confession, and
went to Communion; after the third Communion she
suddenly fell dead. Because she was regarded as a
saint her body was laid in a particular part of the
church of the Jesuits; but after the obsequies were
finished, and the church closed, the confessor was con­
ducted by two angels to the place of interment; she
came forth, fell on her knees, and threw from her
mouth, into a chalice prepared for them, the three con­
secrated hosts which had been sacrilegiously received,
and miraculously preserved in her breast. The angels
stripped her of the scapular; the miserable girl instantly
presented a horrible aspect, and was carried out of sight
by two devils.
But how can a Christian that has been so daring as to
sin grievously against the divine majesty, and has thus
merited hell, where he should suffer eternal shame, hud
an excuse before God for concealing a sin in confession,
in order to avoid the transient and trifling confusion
that would arise from confessing it to a priest? If he
wishes to be pardoned by God, and to deliver himself
from the hell that he has deserved, the shame caused by
the confession of his sin disposes him to receive pardon.
It is but just that the man that has despised God should
humble and confound himself. Adelaide the sinner
gave a beautiful answer to the devil: being called by
God to a change of life, she was converted, and instant­
ly resolved to make a good confession; the devil placed
before her eves the shame that she should suffer in confessing all her sins, and said to her: “Adelaide, where
are you going?” She courageously answered: “ Filthy
beast, do you ask me where I am going? I am going to
confound myself and you.”
*

534

Fréquentation oj the Sacraments,

[chap. xvni.

Along with this shame, the devil endeavors to fill the
mind of sinners with many delusions and vain fears.
1. Such a one says: My confessor will rebuke me
severely if I tell this sin. Why should he rebuke you?
Tell me, were you a confessor, would you speak harshly
to a poor penitent, who should come to manifest his
miseries to you, in the hope of being raised up from his
fallen state? How, then, can you imagine that a con­
fesso^ who is bound by his office to show charity to
those that come to the tribunal of penance, should treat
you with harshness and severity, if you confess your sin
to him ?
2. Another says: But the confessor will, at least,
be scandalized at my sin, and will conceive a dis­
like for me. All false; he will not be scandalized, but
will be edified, when he sees the good disposition that
makes a sinner confess his sins with sincerity, in spite of
the shame that he feels. And will he not have heard
from other penitents similar or perhaps more grievous
sins? Oh! would to God that you were the only sinner
in the world ! Neither is it true that he will conceive a
dislike for those who disclose their guilt to him; on the
contrary, he will entertain a greater esteem for them,
and will labor more zealously to assist them, when he
sees the confidence that they place in him, and that has
made them reveal their miseries to him.
3. Alas ! what do certain sinners say: I will go to con­
fession, but not till the extraordinary confessor comes.
And will they, for the sake of avoiding shame, live in
the mean time at enmity with God ? In danger of be­
ing lost forever, in an actual hell, caused by the remorse
of conscience that lacerates the soul, and that leaves
them without peace night or day? Father, they say, I
have unfortunately fallen into sin, but I will not despair
on that account. They say, I will confess it to an ex­
traordinary confessor. And will they remain in sin, or
add several sacrileges to the sin they have committed?

sec.

i.]

Confession.

535

Do they not know that sacrilege is a horrible sin? Will
they change into the poison of eternal death the remedy that
Jesus Christ has prepared for them by his blood, in the
sacrament of penance? I will, they say, go to confession
afterwards. But what will become of them for eternity if
they meet a sudden death which is now so frequent, that we
hear almost every day, that some one has died suddenly.
4. But, some say, I have not confidence in my confessor.
Go, then, to another. Should a nun ever have the misfor­
tune of falling into this delusion, let her ask a confessor
from the bishop. ’ But should a person not be able to pro­
cure a strange confessor, would it not be madness to conceal
his sin? Were he afflicted with an ulcer that might cause
death, would he not, if there were no other remedy, instantly
call for a surgeon, and however great his 'Wie, would he
not make known his disease? And in order to recover the
life of the soul, and to escape hell, a Christian cannot bring
himself to open his conscience to a spiritual Father. Let all
remember that it is not enough to say: I accuse myself of
all the sins that I have committed since my childhood, as
they are before God. If they do not open their conscience,
these words only serve to add to their delusion and danger
of damnation.
You, then, should have courage, and generously conquer
this shame that the devil magnifies so much in your mind.
It will be enough to begin to reveal the sin that you have
committed ; all your vain apprehensions will instantly vanish.
And you may be persuaded that after confession you will
feel more happy at having confessed your sins, than if you
were made monarch of all the earth. Recommend yourself
to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she will obtain for you
strength to overcome all repugnance. And if you have not
courage to disclose your sins at once to the confessor,
1 For her peace of conscience, a religious or novice may approach
or have summoned any confessor approved by the local Ordinary
for women’s confessions and validly and lawfully confess to him in
a prescribed place. The Superioress may not hinder this in any
way; and contrary privileges are revoked. Crf. Can. 522.

536 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap. xvin.
say to him: Father, assist me, for I stand in need of
help: I have committed a certain sin, which I cannot
bring myself to confess. The confessor will adopt an
easy means of dragging from its den the wild beast that
devours you. It will be enough for you to answer yes
or no to his interrogations. Oh ! may you do this.
Should a person be unwilling to tell his sin in words,
he may write it on paper, and show it to the confessor,
saying: I accuse myself of this sin that you have read.
And, behold, the eternal and temporal hell has dis­
appeared, the grace of God is recovered, and with it
peace of conscience. 'Fhe greater the violence a person
does himself in order to conquer shame, the greater
will be the affection with which God will embrace him.
Father Paul Segneri the younger relates that a certain
person made such an effort to confess certain sins, com­
mitted in her infancy,
that
in
disclosing
them
to
her
•*
· f
confessor she swooned away. But in return for the
violence that she had done herself, the Lord gave her
such fervent compunction, that thenceforward she gave
herself up to a life of perfection, and of great austerities,
and died with the reputation of a saint.
1

j

i

1

I

9

T

Doubts.

But I do not wish that any soul be disturbed by what
has been just said. Whàt I have said is applicable only
to those who have a consciousness of grievous and cer­
tain sins, and who, through shame, will not confess
them. With regard to doubts, which some may have
of having committed certain sins, or of having made
bad confessions, if they wish to disclose them to a con­
fessor for their greater tranquillity, they will do well,
unless they have a scrupulous conscience. For the
scrupulous, it is not advisable to confess their doubts,
as will be more fully explained hereafter. It may be
useful for the timid to know certain doctrines approved

SEC. I.]

Confession.

537

by theologians, that may save them from a great deal of
disquiet of conscience, and give them peace of mind.
First, it is a solid and very probable opinion of divines,
that there is no obligation of confessing doubtful mortal
sins, when a person doubts whether he had full advert­
ence, or whether he gave a perfect and deliberate con­
sent. The divines add, that at death there is an obliga­
tion either of making an act of perfect contrition, lest
the doubtful sin should have been really grievous, or to
tell, not the doubtful sin, but any certain sin (a venial
sin is sufficient), and to receive the sacrament of pen­
ance. But this is necessary only when a person, after the
doubtful sin, had never received sacramental absolu­
tion. Many theologians of high authority also say that
person’s that have for a long time led a spiritual life,
when doubtful whether they have consented to mortal
sin, may remain certain of not having lost the grace of
God; because it is morally impossible that a person
well confirmed in good purposes should be suddenly
changed, and yield to mortal sin, without clearly per­
ceiving that he had consented to it. For mortal sin is
a monster so horrible that it cannot enter a soul that
has for a long time abhorred it without producing on
the mind a clear knowledge of its entrance into the
soul. This is fully proved in my work on Moral
Theology.1
Secondly, when it is certain that a mortal sin has oeen
committed, and when there is a doubt whether it has
been ever confessed, then if the doubt be a negative
one, that is, if there be no reason to judge that it has
been confessed, it is certainly necessary to tell the sin in
confession. But when there is reason to believe, or a
well-founded presumption, that the sin has been once
told, then, according to the common opinion of divines,
there is no obligation of confessing it. Hence, divines
1 Lib. 6, n. 450 et 476.

538 Fréquentation of the Sacraments. {chap, xviii.
commonly teach that if a person that has made his
general or particular confessions with sufficient dili­
gence doubts whether he has forgotten in confession a
certain sin, or circumstance of sin, he is not bound to
confess it; because he can prudently judge that it has
been already sufficiently confessed.1 He need not con­
fess the sin, though he should feel a great unwillingness
to disclose the doubt that tormented him. But such a
person may say: If I were bound to tell such a thing, I
should feel great shame. But what does it matter that
you are ashamed to tell it ? As long as you are not
obliged to confess it be not troubled. The confession
of certain natural actions should also cause shame, but
you are not therefore obliged to mention them. Thus,
for example, you are not obliged to confess certain acts
of levity or immodest jests, that occurred in your child­
hood, without a knowledge of their malice. Nor is
your having done these acts in secret a certain proof of
malice; for children do certain natural actions secretly,
though these actions are not sins. Hence, we are not
bound to accuse ourselves in particular of such things,
unless we remember that we committed them with an
impression, or at least with a doubt, that they were
grievous sins. It is, then, enough for a person to say
within himself: Lord, if I really knew that I was bound
to confess these things, I would readily confess them,
though I should suffer every pain.
This is intended for the comfort of timorous souls
that feel great anxiety arising from a fear that they did
not well know how to explain all their doubts in confes­
sion. But it is useful for all, at least for their humilia­
tion, to make known to their director the doubts by
which they are troubled. I except the scrupulous, for
they should not speak of their doubts, as will be ex­
plained more fully in the following chapter. What I
‘ Lib. 6, n. 477.

—W 'I

sec.

i.]

Confession.

539

would advise is, that all would explain to their confes­
sors, their passions, attachments, ^nd the causes of their
temptations, that he may be able to cut off the roots,
which, if not extirpated, will never cease to cause temp­
tations, and will expose the soul to great danger of con­
senting to sin, when it can, but will not, remove the
cause. It will also be very profitable to some to disclose
the temptations that are most humiliating, particularly
thoughts against chastity, though there should be no
consent. St. Philip Neri used to say that a temptation
disclosed is half conquered. I have said that it is very
profitable to so?ne: for with regard to others, of tried
virtue, who are too timid on this point, and are always
afraid of having consented to sin, it is sometimes useful
to forbid them to confess such temptations, unless they
are certain of having yielded to them. For, as has been
said elsewhere, by the very examination that such per­
sons make, in order to ascertain whether they have con­
sented or not, and to think of the manner in which they
will explain the temptation, the images of the bad ob­
jects presented to the mind become more vivid, and the
soul becomes more agitated by repeated apprehensions
of consent. Obey your confessor on this point, and be
regulated by his advice.
Sincerity, Respect,

and

Wise Reserve

in

Confession.

What I recommend to you is, to be sincere and faith­
ful in disclosing to your spiritual Father, all the secrets
of your conscience, and in explaining things to him as
they really are.
I also recommend to you, in confessing your faults, to
abstain from excusing them. The soul that excuses and
covers its defects shows that it has but little sorrow for
the sins that it confesses. I know not how a person can
have sincere sorrow for a fault, for the commission of
which he thinks he had a just reason. The confession

54O l· requentation oj the Sacraments, [chap.xviil
of some consists in exaggerating the occasions that led
them to yield to impatience, or to some other defects.
But of what use, I ask, are such exaggerations? Con­
fess the fault that you have committed, and omit the
cause that led you into it.
Guard also against useless discourses at confession.
Of what use is it to relate to the confessor all the occa­
sions of displeasure that you have received from others,
or to make many complaints about your infirmities and
tribulations? Were you to omit all these complaints,
all these confessions, a quarter of an hour would be
abundantly sufficient for your confession, in which your
principal object should be to get rid of some habitual
fault, or to advance in perfection.
Some, at every confession, recite the same story, which
they have learned by heart; the recital of it lasts at least
half a quarter of an hour. I accuse myself, they say, of
the little love I have had for God, of not having fulfilled
my obligations, of not having loved my neighbor as I
ought, and the like. Of what use are such accusations?
All lost time.
St. Catharine of Bologna wished that her nuns should
speak to the confessor of nothing but of the state of
their conscience. St. Teresa says that, “ after having
told her sins, received absolution, and asked (if neces­
sary) some spiritual advice from the confessor, a nun
should retire immediately; for spiritual discourses, when
long, easily infuse an affection, which, though not bad,
is at least not holy.” St. Catharine of Sienna used to
say: “ Religious should not introduce unnecessary con­
versation with their confessor.” Thus, a religious will
always observe holy detachment, and will not be dis­
turbed when deprived of her spiritual Father. How­
ever, when the confessor speaks to you on the direction
of your conscience, be careful not to interrupt him, and
to attend to what he says without thinking of anvthing

sec.

Confession.

i.]

541

else. There are some who are very anxious to speak to
the confessor, but when he speaks they pay very little
attention to his admonitions. St. Francis de Sales used
to say,1 that great importance should be attached to the
words of a priest in the tribunal of penance, because he
then holds the place of God, who enlightens him in a
special manner to say what is conducive to our spiritual
welfare.
Need

and

Hj

|

Choice of λ Director.

Some religious wish to live without a director, and
imagine that, having the rules and the Superior, they
stand in need of no other guide. But they err, for,
along with the rules and the Superior, nuns should have
a confessor to direct the interior exercises, and to ad­
monish and guide them, even in what regards their
exterior employments. It is true, says St. Gregory,
that some saints have been directed immediately by
God himself; but, adds the saint, such examples “are
to be venerated but not imitated, lest while a person
disdains to be the disciple of a man, he may become a
teacher of error.” 2 Virtue holds the middle place. As
in the spiritual life sloth is criminal, so indiscretion is a
vice. It is the business of a director to correct and
moderate both, and therefore a guide is necessary.
When a religious has not a director that is able to
guide her soul to perfection, God supplies the defi­
ciency; but to refuse the guidance of a minister of God,
when it can be had, is an act of temerity that the Lord
will punish by permitting the soul to fall into many
errors. God could guide us all by himself, but to make
us humble he wishes that we submit to his ministers,
and depend on their directions.
1 Entret. 15.
2 “ Veneranda sunt, non imitanda, ne, dum se quisque discipulum
hominis esse despiciat, magister erroris fiat.”—Dial. 1. 1, c. 1.

·Μ| |i
|ψ

j

1III | '

__________ __________________ lii'I. P

542

Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap, xviii.

Cassian relates’ that a solitary in the desert, dying of
hunger, refused some loaves that had been offered to
him, saying that he expected from God a supply of food;
the unfortunate man died miserably. Now, I maybe
asked why did the Lord send, for many years, by means
of a crow, a loaf to St. Paul the hermit, and refuse to
provide for this solitary? The answer is evident. St.
Paul had no means of supporting life; but the solitary
refused the food that had been offered to him, and
therefore God abandoned him. Now, what is said of
corporal food is likewise true with regard to the food of
the soul. Hence, Cassian concludes, that they that re­
fuse the guidance of the wise, do not deserve to be
guided by God.
The choice of a spiritual Father should not be made
by accident, nor through predilection. You should
select the person whom you consider best qualified to
promote your spiritual progress, and who is not only a
man of learning and experience, but also a man who
practises prayer and walks in the way of perfection. A
vessel can give no other wine than that which it con­
tains. St. Teresa says, that “ if directors are not men of
prayer, their learning will be of little use.”2 When you
have chosen a guide, you should not change him with­
out a just reason. You ought not to leave your confes­
sor, but should rather adhere more closely to his direc­
tions wrhen he reproves your faults. To his son, the
heir of his kingdom, St. Louis King of France, be­
queathed the following advice: “ My son, select a con­
fessor who knows how to direct you, and wno has at the
same time courage to reprove you as often as reproof is
necessary.” There is no confessor more injurious than
the priest who seldom reproves, and treats with too
much indulgence, the faults of his penitents; for by
such indulgence he makes them think little of their de1 Coll. 2. c. 6.

2 Life, ch. 13.

SEC. I.]

Confession.

543

fects. If, then, dear sister, you find a confessor who con­
ducts you by the narrow way, and who, when he sees that
you commit voluntary faults, reproves you with severity,
have a great esteem for him, and do not ever leave him.
Obey your director and do not depart from his directions,
even when what you would wish to do in opposition, to his
advice, appears good in your eyes. In the lives of the
ancient Fathers it is related that a young man far advanced
in virtue, disregarding the advice of his spiritual Father, re­
solved to leave the monastery and to go into the desert in
order to live in solitude. But what was the result? From
the desert he went to live with his relatives, and in their
society he forgot the desert and abandoned himself to a life
of tepidity.
But, perhaps, you will tell me that you have been badly
directed by your confessor, and of this other spiritual Fathers
have assured you.1 In the first place, I answer, that you
can scarcely have erred by obedience to your director; but if
you have fallen into an error, do you know why you have
erred? It is because you have been obedient in some things
and not in others. With such imperfect obedience God is
not bound to co-operate. But place yourself entirely in the
hands of your director, with a firm determination to obey
him in all things, and then the Lord will never permit you
to err. Though your confessor should not have all the
learning that you would desire, God will take care to supply
the defect. For it is not possible that a soul desirous of be­
coming a saint, and placing all her confidence in God, should
be deluded when she faithfully obeys his minister.
From this I infer that it is impossible for a nun to err
when she regulates her conduct by the advice of the
ordinary confessor, though he may be changed from
time to time. That great servant of God, Sister Paula
Centurione used to say: “To me every confessor appears
A religious for the peace of her soul and for greater spiritual
progress may ask the Ordinary for a special confessor or spiritual
director. Cfr. Can. 520. n. 2.

544

Fréquentation of the Sacraments.

[chap.xviil

the same, because every confessor applies the blood of
Jesus Christ to cure the wounds of my soul.” When a
new confessor comes to the convent, it will be enough
for you to give him a general knowledge of your con­
science. You should then place yourself under his
direction. For the nun that sincerely desires to become
a saint, and wishes for nothing but God, every confessor
that is appointed by her bishop, is a safe guide. A re­
ligious only wants a good will and a determined resolu­
tion, to refuse to self-love every gratification, in order to
find in all things the sole pleasure of God. Hence, the
Venerable Sister Ursula Benincasa used to say to her
religious: “ My dear sisters, be persuaded that no direc­
tor can make you saints, unless you are resolved to
mortify self-will and your passions.”

Prayer.

Ah ! my Jesus, Thou hast suffered so much, Thou hast given
Thy blood and Thy life in order to place me under the neces­
sity of loving Thee, and I have repaid Thee with ingratitude.
How often have I, for a miserable gratification, turned my back
on Thee, and have lost Thy grace. I knew that in committing
sin, I gave Thee great displeasure, and with this knowledge I
have consented to sin. Ah ! my dear Redeemer, pardon me for
the sake of the blood that Thou hast shed for me. Assist, we
beseech Thee Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy
precious blood) I am sorry with my whole heart for having
offended Thy infinite goodness. Lord, increase my sorrow:
give me a sorrow for my sins, which will make me always weep
till death, over the injuries I have done Thee. Had I died in
my sins, I could never more love Thee. Since Thou givest me
time to love Thee, I wish to love Thee ardently, and to love
nothing but Thee. I love Thee, O my Sovereign Good, I love
Thee with my whole heart, and because I love Thee, I give my
entire will to Thee. Give me grace to love Thee always for the
future, and then do with me, and dispose of me as Thou pleasest.
1 “Te ergo quæsumus, tuis famulis subveni, quos pretioso sanguine
redemisti.”

Scricples.

SEC. IL]

545

I accept all Thy arrangements. Grant that in all temptations
and in all dangers of sin I may never cease to recommend my­
self to Thee.
O Mary, my Mother, obtain for me the grace that in my
temptations, I may always have recourse to God and to thee,
who art all-powerful with God.
II.

Scruples.
i.

What

are

Real Scruples,

and how they are

Hurtful.

A scruple is nothing else than a vain fear of sinning,
that arises from false and groundless apprehensions.
These scruples are useful in the beginning of con­
version. For a soul that has but a short time renounced
sin stands in need of repeated purgations. Scruples
produce this effect; they cleanse the soul, and at the
same time make it careful to avoid real sins, and they
also render it humble; so that distrusting its own opin­
ion, it places itself in the hands of its spiritual Father
to be directed as he pleases. St. Francis de Sales used
to say, that “ the fear that begets scruples in those that
have lately gone from the confines of sin, is a certain
presage of future purity of conscience.1
But, on the other hand, scruples are hurtful to those
that seek perfection, and have for a long time given
themselves to God. In such persons, says St. Teresa,
scruples produce extravagant impressions, which bring
the soul to such a state that it will not advance a single
step towards perfection. St. Francis de Sales has writ­
ten: “ Be diligent, but guard against inquietudes; for
there is no greater obstacle to advancement in perfec.tion.
·
M2
It is, however, necessary to make a distinction between
scrupulous consciences. Some nuns boast of being free,
1 Introd. ch. 2

2 Lettre 213.

546

Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap, xviii.

and are ashamed to be looked upon as scrupulous, and
therefore they give themselves up to a tepid life. They
give and receive presents as they please; they disregard
the Rule, saying that it is not binding; they give liberty
to the eyes, to the tongue, to the ears, to see, to speak,
and to hear whatever they please. They blush to appear
mortified, and censure those that practise mortification;
they call it affectation and singularity to speak in a low
tone, and to keep the eyes cast down. Hence, they are
easily led by the imperfect to join in their vain amuse­
ments. Let such nuns cease to boast of their freedom
of conscience; for they are at least tepid and imperfect
religious. Would to God that they were scrupulous;
that is, that they had, as they ought to have, a delicate
conscience. But let such religious beware lest they
should be of the number of those who, as David says,
follow like sheep the bad example of others, and find
themselves one day confined with them in hell. They
are laid in hell like sheep} To refuse to lose time in the
parlor, or on the terrace, to refuse to speak in the choir,
or in the time of silence, or to avoid telling a lie, how­
ever small, are signs, not of a scrupulous, but of a deli­
cate conscience that every religious ought to have. The
marks of a scrupulous conscience are the following:
1. To be always afraid of not having, at confession,
true sorrow, or a sincere purpose of amendment.
2. To be afraid, on frivolous grounds, of sinning in
every action; for example, of always consenting to rash
judgments, or to every bad thought that presents itself
to the mind.
3. To be inconstant, in doubts, considering an action
at one time to be lawful and at another unlawful; and
to be at the same time disturbed with great fears and
perplexities.
1 “ Sicut oves in inferno positi sunt.”—Ps. xlviii. 15

sec.

π.]

Scruples.

547

4. Not to be calmed by the decision of a confessor,
etc.
To decide whether a penitent is scrupulous or not
belongs not to the penitent but to the confessor; for all
scrupulous persons say that their scruples are not scru­
ples, but real doubts and sins. If they knew them to be
scruples, they would disregard them. They are in the
dark, and therefore they do not see the state of their
conscience. The confessor, who is free from the dark­
ness in which they are involved, understands it well.
Hence, the penitent should obey his advice; if she wish
to decide for herself, the more she labor to tranquillize
her conscience by her own opinions, the greater will be
her confusion and agitation of mind; and, as will be
hereafter shown, she will perhaps expose herself to the
danger of perdition.
With regard to those who walk in the way of perfec­
tion, the devil ordinarily fills their mind with scruples
and troubles, that, in order to get rid of them, they may
give up the practice of virtue, or abandon themselves to
despair, and voluntarily take away their own lives. And
has not this happened to several? A modern but
learned author, Father Scaramelli,1 relates that he him­
self had known two persons, one of whom was led by
scruples to inflict on his breast several wounds with a
knife, and the other shot himself and instantly fell dead.
I know a person who, on account of similar anxieties of
conscience, threw himself out of a window, but escaped
death; and at another time intended to cast himself
into a well, but was prevented by another person. We
read of several cases of scrupulous persons that have
taken away their own lives. The devil labors at least
to disturb religious by scruples, in order to render them
unable to go to Communion, to say the divine Office,
1 Dir. use. tr. 2, a. n, c. 2

548 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap. xvin.
and if possible to make them lose their reason and be­
come foolish; or to render the way of perfection hateful,
fhat thus they may give up mental prayer, the fréquenta­
tion of the sacraments, and that, by degrees, losing
the aid and love of God, they may abandon themselves
to a tepid life, and pass from scruples to real sins.
Hence, many theologians say that when directed by her
confessor to act with freedom and to conquer scruples,
a scrupulous person not only can but ought to obey his
directions; and should she act otherwise she is guilty of
sin, because she does an injury to herself by making
herself unable to advance in the way of God, and also
because she exposes herself to the danger of losing her
health, her reason, and her soul, by abandoning herself
to vice.
2. Obedience

to the

Director is the Great Remedy
Scruples.

against

The spiritual masters prescribe many remedies against
scruples, but the generality of theologians, as well as
the ascetics, say that the principal and only remedy for
a penitent is to place herself in the hands of a spiritual
Father, and to obey him blindly, distrusting entirely
her own judgment. St. Philip Neri used to say that
there is nothing more dangerous than to direct one’s
own conscience. A scrupulous person that is not obe­
dient to her director is lost.
St. John of the Cross
says that not to submit to the judgment of a confessor
is pride and a want of faith. And justly; for Jesus
Christ has declared that they that obey his priests obey
himself; and that they who despise them despise him:
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth met Hence the same St. John of the Cross,
1 “Qui vos audit, me audit; et qui vos spernit, me spernit.”—Luki>
x. ιό.

SEC. IL]

Scruples.

549

speaking in the name of our Lord to a penitent who dis­
obeys her director, says: “ Being unfaithful to your con­
fessors you are also unfaithful to me, who have said he
that despises you despises me. But, on the other hand,
they who obey the spiritual Father cannot err.” St.
Bernard teaches that “ whatever a man holding the
place of God commands, when we are not certain that
it is displeasing to God, ought to be received as if com­
manded by God himself.” 1
Hence Blessed Henry Suso used to say that God does
not demand an account of what is done through obedi­
ence. St. Philip Neri taught the same to his penitents.
Let them, he would say, who desire to advance in the
way of God, place themselves under a learned confessor,
and obey him as they would obey God. Whoever acts
thus, is certain of not having to render to God an ac­
count of his actions. Hence the saint exhorts penitents
to have confidence in thew confessor, because the Lord
will not allow him to err. Should a person become
blind, what other remedy, I ask, can he have than a
faithful guide, who will conduct him in the way in
which he has to walk? And in like manner, a soul that
finds itself in a state of darkness and confusion, on ac­
count of its scruples, should allow itself to be conducted
by the guide whom God has given it, and ought to obey
him blindly. I say, by the guide wham God has given it; for
ordinarily speaking, a penitent agitated by scruples,
would do well to speak of her doubts to her confessor
only; for others, though holy and learned, in conse­
quence of not understanding the state of her conscience,
may ask a question or drop a word not in accordance
with the sentiments of her own director. Behold, that
word will again throw her conscience into a state of
1 “ Quidquid vice Dei præcipit homo, quod non sit tamen certum dis­
plicere Deo. haud secus omnino accipiendum est, quam si præcipiat
Deus. ”—De Prae. et Disf». c. 9.

550 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xviii.
confusion, and losing her former confidence in the con­
fessor, she will be forever, or at least for a long time,
disturbed and agitated.
Obey, then, your director, dear sister, and fear not
that in obeying him you may be led astray. This was
the practice of the saints who have been often troubled
with perplexities and fears of conscience, and thus they
obtained tranquillity of conscience. St. Catharine of
Bologna was afflicted with scruples, but she followed in
all things the advice of her director. She was some­
times afraid to approach holy Communion, but in spite
of all her fears she obeyed her spiritual Father, and
communicated. Jesus Christ appeared one day to her,
and to animate her still more to obedience, told her to
have courage; because by her obedience she gave him
great pleasure. Our Saviour also appeared to Blessed
Stephana de Soncino, of the Order of St. Dominic, and
said to her: “ Since you have placed your will in the
hands of your confessor, who represents my person, ask
me for any grace and it shall be granted.”
The same advice was given by St. Augustine to his
friend St. Paulinus, by whom he was consulted about
doubts of conscience: “State your doubts,” was the re­
ply of the holy Doctor, “ to a spiritual physician, and
let me know what the Lord will say to you through
him.” 1 Hence St. Augustine held as certain that should
St. Paulinus consult a spiritual Father, God would cer­
tainly have spoken to him through his director, and
would make known to him the divine will. St. Anto­
nine relates that to a religious of the Order of St. Domi­
nic, who was harassed by scruples, a deceased religious
appeared and gave the following advice: “Consult with
the wise and acquiesce in their advice.”2 The same
1 “ Confer ea cum aliquo mansueto cordis medico: et quod per ilium
tibi loquentem Dominus aperuerit, scribe mihi.”—Ep. 95, E. B.
2 “Consule discretos, et acquiesce illis.”—P. 1, tit. 3, c. 10, § 10.

SEC. Π.]

Scruples,

551

holy archbishop relates that a disciple of St. Bernard
was reduced to such a state by scruples, that he could
no longer say Mass; but in this disturbed state he asked
advice from his holy master, and St. Bernard said to him,
without giving any reason for the counsel: “ Go and say
Mass; I take it on my conscience.” The monk obeyed,
and thenceforward was freed from all his troubles of
conscience.
It is useless to sa> had I St. Bernard for my confessor,
I, too, would obey him blindly; but my confessor is not
a St. Bernard. He is not a St. Bernard, but he is more
than a St. Bernard, for he holds the place of God. Lis­
ten to the advice of Gerson: “ Whoever you are that
speak in this manner, you err; for you have not in­
trusted your soul to the hands of a man because he is
learned, but, because he is placed over you. Wherefore
obey him, not as a man, but as God.”1 You who speak
thus, says this learned author, err; for you have not
placed yourself in the hands of a man because he is
learned or holy, but because God has given him to you
for a guide. Obey him, then, not as a man, but as God,
and you will never err. In the beginning of his conver­
sion, St, Ignatius of Loyola was so violently assailed by
scruples, and so encompassed with darkness, that he
found no peace. But because he had true faith in the
words of God, he that hcareth you hcareth me, he said with
great confidence: Lord, show me the way in which I
ought to walk, and though you should give me a dog
for my guide, I will faithfully follow him. And because
the saint was faithful in obeying his director, he was
not only delivered from his scruples, but also became an
excellent guide to others. Hence St. Teresa has well
said: “ Let a soul choose a confessor, with a determina1 “Quisquis ita dicis, erras; non enim te commisisti in manus homi­
nis, quia literatus, etc., sed quia tibi est præpositus; quamobrem, obedias illi, non ut homini, sed ut Deo.”—D' Prap. ad M. cons. 3.

552

Fréquentation oj the Sacraments,

[chap.xviii.

tion not to seek any longer an excuse for self-will, but
to trust in the words of the Lord, he that heareth you heareth me. Our Lord sets so great a value on this submis­
sion that though it may be after a thousand struggles,
and with a persuasion of the imprudence of the confes­
sor's opinion, that though it may be with or without
pain that we follow his advice, he will assist us so much
that he will certainly make us conform to his divine
will.” «
If, dear sister, Jesus Christ at judgment should de­
mand an account of what you have done in obedience
to your director, you can say in answer: Lord, I have
done this to obey Thy minister, whom Thou hast com­
manded me to hear.
Say this to him, and fear not
that he will condemn you. Father James Alvarez has
written, that though a confessor should by chance make
a mistake, the penitent in obeying him is secure, and
does not err. And are you, in order to be secure against
error, obliged to examine whether the confessor has
sufficient learning? When he has been lawfully ap
proved by the bishop, as you are bound to suppose, he
holds the place of God in your regard, and you cannot
eri in following his advice.
But, you will say, I am not scrupulous; my anxieties
are not vain but well-founded fears. I answer: no fool
esteems himself foolish, but his folly consists in being a
fool without knowing it. And, in like manner, I say to
you, that you are scrupulous, as your director considers
you to be, because you do not see the groundlessness of
your scruples. Did they appear to you to be vain ap­
prehensions you would disregard them, and would be
no longer disturbed by them. Cast off your fears, then,
and obey your confessor, who understands the state of
your conscience.
I hear you say in reply, the defect is not in the con’ Found. ch. 5.

Scrupies.

sec. 11.]

553

lessor but in me, who am not able to explain myself,
and therefore he cannot understand the miserable state
of my soul. But you yield to so many foolish scruples,
and you scruple not to charge your spiritual Father
either with ignorance or with sacrilege. When you
confess doubts that, as you say, regard mortal sins, the
confessor was obliged to make the interrogations neces­
sary, in order to form a correct judgment of your doubts.
Hence, if without just reason, or without understanding
you, as you imagine, he has commanded you to disre­
gard these doubts as vain scruples, he must have acted
either through ignorance or through malice. Then by dis­
trusting his advice, through fear that he did not sufficient­
ly understand you, you, as I have said, charge him either
with ignorance or with sacrilege: and for this very rash
judgment do you feel no scruple? To nuns that begin
to censure the decisions of their confessors, we ought to
say what the learned Monsignor Sperelli wrote to a re­
ligious who had accused her confessor of heresy, because
he had said that the sins that she confessed were not
sins. “Tell me,” said the learned bishop to her, “ in
what university have you studied theology, that you
know better than your confessor how to decide on sins?
Ah ! go and attend to your work of spinning and do not
give ear to such follies.”
I will not say the same to you, but I tell you to
acquiesce in all the directions of your spiritual Father.
When, after having once explained your doubts to him
he says that you have confessed your sins sufficiently,
that he will hear no more, or when he tells you to be
obedient, or to go to Communion, etc., obey him with­
out hesitation, and be assured that he has understood
you sufficiently. You should not entertain any doubt
about the correctness of his advice, but should obey
him blindly and without reply, not asking the grounds
of his opinion, but submitting in all things to his direc­
4

554

Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap. xvin.

tion. If you desire to understand the reason of his
advice, you will be always more perplexed, and will re­
lapse into your troubles of conscience. Obey blindly;
that is, without asking reasons. Be careful, then, never
to examine the directions of your confessor. Scruples
are, as it were, a species of pitch, which, the more it is
handled the more it adheres; the more you reflect on
them, the more you fill your mind with darkness. Keep
before your eyes the following beautiful maxims of St.
Francis de Sales: First, a soul should be satisfied when
it is told by its spiritual Father that it is going on well,
and should not seek any greater certainty. Secondly, it
is better forus to walk blindly under divine Providence,
amidst the darkness and perplexities of this life. Third­
ly, an obedient soul has never been lost. This last
maxim should calm your mind on all occasions. In a
word, keep always before your eyes this great rule, that
in obeying your confessor, you obey God; force your­
self, then, to obey him in spite of all your fears. And
be persuaded that if you are not obedient to him, it will
be impossible for you to go on well; but if you obey,
you are always secure. But, you say, if I am damned in
consequence of obeying my confessor, who will rescue
me from hell ? What you say is impossible; for, it is
not possible that obedience, which is the secure way to
heaven, should be for you the road to hell.
Practical Application.

Ordinarily speaking there are two sources of scruples,
by which the scrupulous are generally tormented. The
first regards the past; the second regards the future:
some are afraid of not having confessed their sins as
they ought; others are afraid that they commit sin in
every action.
With regard to the past, scrupulous nuns would wish
to be continually employed in making general confes­

SEC. II.]]

Scruples.

555

sions, with the hope of thus removing their fears and
troubles. But what is the result? Their perplexities
are always increased; because new apprehensions, and
scruples of having omitted, or of not having sufficiently
explained their sins, are continually excited. Hence,
the more they multiply confessions, the more their in­
quietudes are redoubled. There is no doubt, that a
general confession is most useful for those that have
never made one. It contributes greatly to humble the
soul by bringing before its view all the irregularities of
the past life. It also contributes to increase its sorrow
for its ingratitude towards God, and to make it adopt
holy resolutions for the future. It also gives the con­
fessor a better knowledge of the state of the penitent’s
conscience, of the virtues which she stands in need of,
and of the passions and vices to which she is most in­
clined: thus, he will be better able to apply remedies, and
to give advice. But, for those who have once made a
general confession, it is not useful to repeat it. Should a
doubt afterwards arise, a penitent who does not remem­
ber to have ever intentionally omitted any sin in con­
fession, is, ordinarily speaking, not obliged to confess
any sin, unless she is certain that it is a grievous sin,
and that she never mentioned it in confession.
But, you may say, if the sin be really a mortal sin, and
if I have not confessed it, shall I be saved ? Yes, you will
be saved: for the divines, along with St. Thomas,1 teach,
that if, after a diligent search, a mortal sin has been
omitted through forgetfulness, it is indirectly remitted
by the absolution. It is true, that when the penitent
remembers it, or has just reason to doubt whether it
was ever confessed, she is bound to mention it; but
when, as has been stated in the preceding paragraph,
she can prudently judge that it was told in some past
confession, she is not bound to confess it. I have said,
1 Suppl q. IO, a. 5.

556

/rcqucntation oj the Sacraments. [chap. xvni.

she is not obliged to confess it, and this holds for all: hut a
soul tortured by scruples, is, according to the divines,
not obliged to confess a past sin, unless she can swear
that it was certainly a mortal sin, and that it was never
told in any confession. For the repetition of past sins
may be productive of grievous detriment to a scrupu­
lous soul, and may drive her to despair. And when a
penitent finds herself greatly agitated and confused, in
endeavoring to decide whether she can swear or not to
the certainty of the sin, the confessor can, in such a
case, exempt her from confessing sins of her past life;
for, in a case of so much danger and evil to the peni­
tent, the obligation of providing for the integrity of the
confession ceases: since the divines commonly teach, a
less inconvenience excuses from the integrity of the
confession. Hence, to conclude this point, scrupulous
persons should understand that a general confession is
useful for others, but very dangerous and injurious to
them. Hood directors, therefore, do not permit scrupu­
lous persons to speak of past sins. The remedy for
them is not to explain, but to be silent, and to obey;
hence, when they wish to speak of past sins, the confes­
sor must not listen to them; for if he once pefmL them
to speak, they will be always disturbed when they H
not explain their doubts.
I have said so much regarding general confessions;
as to the ordinary confessions, it is not necessary for
religious that seek perfection and communicate fre­
quently, to receive absolution before each Communion;
it is enough for them to receive absolution once or twice
a week, and when they fall into any deliberate venial
sin. St. Francis de Sales, in one of his letters, says that
even when persons who walk in the way of perfection,
commit a deliberate venial fault, they ought not to omit
Communion, because they have not the opportunity of
going to confession.
For, as the Council of Trent

Scruples.

SEC. il.]

557

leaches,1 there arc other means of obtaining the remis­
sion of venial sins, such as ads of contrition, and of
love. I have read that St. Mcchtilde, not having an op­
portunity of confessing certain ads of negligent e, made
an ad of contrition, and went to Communion. After
Communion, Jesus Christ appeared to her and said that
she had acted rightly. A certain learned priest used to
say that it is sometimes more profitable to the soul to
"■o lo Communion after a venial sin without confession,
Ilian if she had gone to confession and received absolu­
tion before Communion. For the soul will then make
so many acts of contrition for the fault it has commit­
ted that it will receive holy Communion with greater
fervor and humility.
With regard to those who are afraid of committing
sin in all their actions, or of consenting to every bad
thought that starts up in the mind, it is necessary to
know two things: first, that feeling is one thing, and
consent another. The motions of sense that naturally
arise, arc never sins when the will resists them. Neither
should a person scruple having given cause to them,
when the cause has been placed for a good end, that is,
for spiritual or temporal utility. The second is, that in
order to commit mortal sin the full advertence of the
understanding, as well as the full consent of the will, is
necessary; if cither be wanting the sin is not grievous.
And in cases of doubt, timorous, and particularly scru­
pulous, souls, as has been already said elsewhere,2 ought
to feel certain that they have not sinned grievously, un
less they can affirm with certainty that they have con
seated to mortal sin.
And here it may be useful to remark, that for certain
very timid souls, that are always in doubt about having
consented to bad thoughts, it is better sometimes not to
accuse themselves of certain temptations; for example
1 Sets. 14, cap, 5·

* Page 32.

558

Fréquentation of the Sacraments.

[chap.xviil

of temptations to hatred, against faith, or purity; be­
cause, as has been already explained,1 by examining
whether they have or have not given a deliberate con­
sent, and how they may explain their temptations, the
images of bad objects are excited still more vividly in
the mind, and their agitation is increased by the fear
of having given a new consent. Such souls should be
told to accuse themselves of such thoughts only in a
general way, saying: I accuse myself of all the negli­
gences of which I have been guilty in banishing bad
thoughts.
There are two privileges then, given to the scrupulous
penitent by the generality of divines, such as St. Anto­
nine'', Navarre123, Suarez4, and many others.
The first is, that by acting with a fear or scruple, she
is not guilty of sin, as long as she acts through obedi­
ence. And it is not necessary for her to form expressly
at each act, a practical judgment of the lawfulness of
her actions, by reflecting that she is acting according to
obedience. To exempt her from all fault, it is enough
for her to make a virtual judgment; that is, it is enough
for her to act by virtue of a judgment already formed,
that such fears ought to be disregarded. Nor can it be
said that the soul then acts with a practical doubt about
the unlawfulness of an action; it is one thing to act
with a practical doubt, and another to act with a fear
of its sinfulness. Gerson justly teaches, that to act
with a doubt that arises from a formed conscience, or
after a person has examined the circumstances, and
come to the conclusion that while the doubt remains,
he cannot act without sin, would be to’act with a prac­
tical doubt, and would be sinful. But when the mind
1 Page 23.
2 P. I, tit. 3, c. 10, § 10.
8 De Pœnit. d. 7, c. 4, n. 65.
* Be Bonit, et Mal. act. hum. d. 12, sect. *]·

SEC. IL]

Scruples.

559

is perplexed, vacillating amid doubts, and not knowing
what opinion to adopt, but at the same time, resolved
not to do anything displeasing to God, such a doubt is
not according to Gerson, a practical doubt, but a vain
fear and scruple that should be, as much as possible,
rejected and despised. These are his words: “A con­
science is formed when, after inquiry and deliberation
a person judges by a definitive sentence that an act is
tu be performed or omitted. And to act against such
a conscience is a sin. A fear or scruple of conscience
consists in a vacillation of the mind between doubts;
the soul knows not whether it is bound to do or to omit
the act, but would not wish to omit what it knows to be
pleasing to the divine will; and such fear should be, as
much as possible rejected and extinguished.” 1—Hence,
when a soul has a firm purpose not to offend God, and
acts according to obedience in overcoming scruples, it
is not guilty of sin, though it acts with fear, and though
it does not actually advert to the command of its di­
rector.
The second privilege of the scrupulous is that after
having acted, they should believe that they have not
given consent to any temptation, unless they are cer­
tain of having fully adverted and consented to the mal­
ice of the sin. Hence, when they are doubtful their
very doubt is a certain sign that they either had not
full advertence or that they did give a full consent.
Hence, if the confessor tells them not to confess such
doubts, they ought to obey; and should not think of
1 “ Conscientia formata est, quando, post discussionem et delibera­
tionem, ex definitiva sententia rationis judicatur aliquid faciendum aut
vitandum; et contra eam agere est peccatum. Timor vero conscientiæ
seu scrupulus est, quando mens inter dubia vacillat, nesciens ad quid
potius teneatur; non tamen vellet omittere quidquid sciret esse placitum
divinæ voluntati; et iste limor, quantum fieri potest, abjiciendus et exlingucndus.”—Comp. theol, tr. de nat. et qual. consc.

560 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xviii.
leaving him if he persists in refusing to listen to the
explanation of their doubts.
I add, that the spiritual Father who is indulgent in
hearing the doubts of scrupulous souls, falls into a great
error: for by scrutinizing their consciences, they gene­
rally become disquieted, and are rendered more incapa­
ble of advancing in the way of God. What has been
just said does not regard so much the direction of pen­
itents, as of confessors in the guidance of souls. Pen­
itents have only to submit their judgment to their spir­
itual Father, and to obey him in all things. However,
it may be useful to certain penitents to know what has
been just said for the direction of confessors, that, when
their confessor tells them not to accuse themselves of
certain sins, nor to speak of them unless they are cer­
tain of having committed a grievous fault; or when,
after having heard them, he sends them to Communion
without absolution, they may not begin to contend with
him, but may obey blindly, without even asking a rea­
son for the command that he has imposed upon them.
But some may say: I wish to act with a certainty of
not giving displeasure to God.
I answer, that the
greatest security that you, who have a troubled con­
science, can have, is to obey your director, and to con­
quer scruples, in spite of the actual fear that molests
you. And know that, though you were at the point of
death, you would be obliged to act in this manner in
order to avoid the delusions of the devil. And here I
repeat what I have already said, that you ought to
scruple not to have done violence to yourself in order
to conquer scruples by acting against your fears in
obedience to your spiritual Father, even though you
may not be persuaded that your scruples are vain fears.
For, if you omit an act on account of the scruple, you
will not be able to make any further progress in the way
of God, and as has been said you will expose yourself

sec. ii.]

Scruples.

561

to the danger of losing your soul or your reason; and
to expose yourself to such danger is a certain sin.
Hence, the devil excites so many fears in scrupulous
persons, that they may either abandon themselves to a
tepid life, or may lose their reason; or, at least, that
they may not advance in perfection, and live always
amid troubles and confusion, in which hell always gains
something. St. Aloysius Gonzaga used to say, that in
troubled water the devil always finds fish to catch.
If, then, you wish to go on well and securely, obey
punctually all the commands and directions of your
confessor. And beg of him to prescribe, not only par­
ticular, but also general rules for your direction. I say
general rules; for example, to overcome and disregard
scruples as long as it is not evident that what you scruple
is a grievous sin; or not to confess anything unless you
can swear that it was certainly a mortal sin; and unless
you can also swear that it was never told in confession;
or to go to Communion always when you are not certain
of having committed mortal sin; or never to repeat the
divine Office, or any part of it, unless you are certain of
having omitted it; and other similar rules that are usu­
ally given to the scrupulous. For particular rules, that
is, rules given by the confessor in particular cases that
have occurred, are of little or no use for the direction of
a penitent tormented by scruples. She will always say
that the second case is not like the first on which she
had the advice of the confessor, and thus the mind will
always be full of confusion and inquietude.
I conclude by repeating always, obey, obey; and do
not treat God as a tyrant. It is true that he hates sin;
but he cannot hate a soul that detests its sin, is sorry
for it, and ready to die a thousand times rather than re­
lapse into it. Tell me if you had the love and affection
for a fellow-creature that you now have for God, would
you ever believe that that creature did not entertain a

562 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap.xviil

tender love for you ? Oh ! how good is God to a soul
that has a good will ! How good, says the royal
prophet, is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!'
The Lord cannot but receive with tenderness the soul
that seeks him. The Lord, says Jeremias, is good . . ,
to the soul that seeketh him I Our Lord said one day to St.
Margaret of Cortona: Margaret you seek me; but I
seek you with far greater ardor than you seek me.
Imagine that God says the same to you, if you love him
and seek him. Abandon yourself into his arms, as the
Psalmist exhorts you to do, and cast upon him the care
of your soul, and he will preserve you, and will deliver
you from all troubles. Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he
shall sustain thee y he shall not suffer the fust to waver for­
ever? Be obedient, and cast away so many fears. Jesus
said to the same St. Margaret that her fears impeded her
advancement in divine love. Do not imagine that as
long as you love him from the heart God is provoked to
wrath by every little fault that you commit. St. Teresa
used to say: “ My children, be assured that God does
not, as you imagine, attend to so many trifles; do not
suffer your heart to be narrowed; if you do you may
lose many blessings. Let your intention be pure, and
your will resolved never to offend him.”4
I repeat, then, and I say, obey in all things your
spiritual Father, and have confidence in obedience: for
by the practice of obedience you will always be secure;
keep always before your eyes the great lesson that St.
Philip Neri used to repeat to his penitents: “ Have con­
fidence in your confessor, for the Lord will not allow
1 “ Quam bonus Israel Deus his qui recto sunt corde!’’—Ps. Ixxii. I.
s “ Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animæ quærcnti ilium.”
—Lam. iii. 25.
3 “ Jacta super Dominum curam tuam, et ipse te enutriet; non dabit
in ætemum fluctuationem justo.”—Ps. liv. 23.
4 Way of Perf. ch. 42.

sec.

in.]

Holy Communion.

563

him to err; there is no surer way of cutting the snares
of the devil than to do the will of another, and there is
nothing more dangerous than to be directed by one’s
own opinion.” In your meditations ask this grace of
God that he may make you practise obedience to your
director. And doubt not that if you practise it you will
be saved, and will become a saint.
ji

Prayer.
My Jesus, because I love Thee all the pain arising from the
troubles of my conscience consists in the fear of displeasing
and losing Thee, who art an infinite Good. There was a time
(and oh! that it had never been) when I did not love Thee,and
cared but little to be loved by Thee. But now I desire nothing
but to love Thee, and to be loved by Thee, my dear Redeemer.
I do not wish ever more to displease Thee. Thou knowest my
wish to love Thee at any cost; do not abandon me. If I have
hitherto offended, I now feel more pain at the offences I have
offered to Thee than if I lost all things—property, relatives, and
life. Thou hast died for me ; to Thee I consign my soul ; into Thy
hands I recommend it.1 Thou lovest me, and therefore I abandon
myself entirely into Thy hands, and hope never to see myself
confounded, and in enmity with Thee. In thee, O Lord, have I
hoped ; let me never be confounded? My Jesus, I wish always to
love Thee. This I repeat, and hope to repeat during life, at
death, and for all eternity. My Jesus, I love Thee, and wish
always to love Thee.
Mary, my hope, Mother of Mercy, assist me ; have pity on me.
III.

Communion, Spiritual Communion, and Visiting of the
Blessed Sacrament.i.
i.

Excellence of

the

Holy Eucharist; Effects of Holy
Communion.

Of all the sacraments the adorable sacrament of the
altar is the most excellent. The other sacraments con1 “ In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum.”—Ps. xxx. 6.
1 “ In te Domine speravi; non confundar in æternum.”—Ibid. i.

564 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap. xvin.

tain the gifts of God, but the Holy Eucharist contains
God himself. Hence St. Thomas says’ that the other
sacraments have been instituted by Jesus Christ to pre­
pare men either to receive or to administer the Blessed
Eucharist, which, according to the holy Doctor, is the
consummation of the spiritual life; because from this
sacrament is derived all the perfection of the soul. For
all perfection consists in a union with God: and of all
the means of uniting the soul to him there is none
better than holy Communion by which, as Jesus
Christ himself has said, the soul becomes as it were
one thing with him. Jle that cateth my flesh . . . a bideth
in me and J in him? Hence St. John Chrysostom says
that Jesus has given his body to us under the species of
bread that we may become one thing with him.3 And
St. Cyril of Alexander teaches that as two pieces of wax
melted together become one, so we, by holy Communion,
are similarly united with Jesus Christ.4
Our Saviour instituted this sacrament under the form
of food to show that, as corporal food is changed into
our flesh, so this heavenly bread becomes one thing with
us; but with this difference that earthly food is converted
into our substance, while this divine bread transforms
those who eat into Jesus Christ. This is the reason why
Rupert makes our Lord say: “ Eat and you shall be by
grace what I am by nature.” 6 And this is what our Lord
deigned to say one day to St. Augustine: “ I will not be
changed into you, but you shall be changed into me.”*
’ P. 3, q. 65, a. 3; q. 73, a. 3.
2 “ Qui manducat meam carnem, ... in me manet, et ego in illo.”
—John, vi. 57.
3 “ Corpus suum in nos contemperavit, ut unum quid simus.”—Ad
fop. Ant. hom. 61.
4 “ Ut unum quid ex utrisque factum videatur.”—In Jo. 1. io, c. 13.
5 “ Comedite, et eritis vos gratia quod ego sum natura,”—In Exod.
1. 3» c· I2·
6 “ Nec tu me in te mutabis, sed tu mutaberis in me.”—ConJ. 1. 7,
c. 10.

sec.

Holy Communion.

mi

565

The principal effect of this sacrament is to preserve in
the soul the life of grace. Hence, it is called bread; for
as earthly bread supports corporal life, so this heavenly
bread preserves the life of the soul which consists in the
grace of God.
The Eucharist is, according to the Council of Trent,
the divine medicine that purifies the soul from venial,
and preserves it from mortal sins.' Like a stream of
water, this sacrament extinguishes the ardor of the passions by which we are consumed. Let him in whose
soul the flame of some particular passion is kindled
approach holy Communion, and he will find the passion
altogether, or at least in a great measure, destroyed.
“ If any of you," says St. Bernard, “ does not experience
so frequent or so violent motions of anger, of envy, or
of lust, let him give thanks to the body of the Lord that
produces fruit in his soul.’” The angelic Doctor
teaches that the Communion gives us strength to over­
come all the attacks of the devil. “ It repels every
assault of the demons.’” St. John Chrysostom asserts4
that when we receive the holy Eucharist, the devils are
put to flight, and the angels run to our assistance.
Moreover, this sacrament infuses into the soul great
interior peace, a strong inclination to virtue, and a
great willingness to practise it, and thus renders it easy
to walk in the path of perfection.
Holy Communion, as St. Thomas teaches,6 infuses
divine charity into the heart. Jesus Christ protested
that he came into the world for no other purpose than
✓

1 “ Antidotum quo liberemur a culpis quotidianis, et a peccatis mor­
talibus præservemur.”—ôVjj. 13, c. 2.
• “ Si quis vestrum, non tam sæpc, non tam acerbos sentit iracundiæ
motus, invidiæ, luxuriæ, gratias agat Corpori Domini; quoniam virtus
Sacramenti operatur in eo.”—/;/ Cam. D. s. I.
1 “ Repellit omnem dæmonum impugnationem.”—P. 3, q. 79, a. 6.
4 Ad pop. Aut. hom. 61.
5 1’· 3. q· 79» a· Σ·

■

II
II
I
II
II
II
II
II
I

1

i

I

'

l!|| ■ 1
Ifflll I

566 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap. xvih.

to kindle in our souls the holy fire of divine love. I
came to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be
kindled?1 The Venerable Father Olimpio, of the Order
of Theatines, used to say, that there is no mystery of
redemption more apt to inflame us with the love of
Jesus Christ than the sacrament of the altar in which
he gives himself entirely to us, and pours forth all his
love. Hence, speaking of the institution of this sacra­
ment, St. John says: Jesus knowing that Idis hour was come
to pass from this world to His Father, when He had loved His
friends who were in the world, Pie loved them even to the end}
He loved them to the end, that is, according to the com­
mentators, he loved them to the utmost of his power.
Hence the Council of Trent said that in this sacrament
Jesus “ poured forth, as it were, all the riches of his
divine love towards man.” 2
3 Holy Communion has been
called by St. Thomas “the sacrament of love;” 4* and by
St. Bernard “ the love of loves.”6 St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi used to call the day of Communion “ the day
of love;” and would say that a soul after Communion
might exclaim with Jesus dying on the cross, “it is
consummated.” * For after having given himself to me,
God has nothing more to give me; nor can I desire any­
thing else from him.
2. Teaching of

the

Church in

regard to

Frequent Communion.

Should not all, then, ardently desire to receive Jesus
as often as possible in holy Communion ?
We know from the Acts of the Apostles that in the
1 “ Ignem veni mittere in terram; et quid volo, nisi ut accendatur?”
—Luke, xii. 49.
“Sciens Jesus quia venit hora ejus, ut transeat ex hoc mundo ad
Patrem, cum dilexisset suos, ... in finem dilexit eos.”—John, xiii. 1.
Divitias sui erga homines amoris velut effudit.”—Sess. 13, c. 2.
“ Sacramentum charitatis.”—f)e Sacr an c 2g
5
“ Amor amorum.”—In Can. 2). s. 2
C “.Consummatum est.”—John, χίχ. ~0

sec.

in.]

Holy Communion.

567

first ages of the church, as St. Luke tells us, all the
faithful communicated everyday. Continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house)
In the Syriac version, instead of “breaking
bread,” we find the words, “ breaking blessed bread,”’
which express more clearly the blessed Eucharist. Be­
sides, the interpreters of the sacred Scripture, by the
breaking of bread, understand holy Communion. Hence,
according to St. Thomas,3 it is certain that in the early
ages all that attended Mass received Communion.
This fact is attested by St. Denis the Areopagite,4 a
contemporary of the apostles, and by St. Jerome,5 who
died 111420, in his letters to Lucina and Pammachius, in
which he states that this pious practice was preserved
in Rome and Spain, even in his own time.
By degrees the piety of the faithful began to grow
cold. Such was their lukewarmness in the time of Pope
Fabian,® that he had to command all Christians to ap­
proach holy Communion at least three times in the
year; that is, on the festivals of Easter, Pentecost, and
Christmas. In after ages, the tepidity of Christmas be­
came so great, that Innocent III., in 1215/ obliged all
the faithful, under very severe penalties, to communi­
cate at least at Easter. The decree of Innocent was af­
terwards confirmed by the Council of Trent." These
enactments of Popes and Councils do not prove that
the practice of frequent Communion is not very lauda­
ble; they only show the decay of the fervor that ani­
mated the first Christians.
1 “Quotidi· . . . frangentes circa domos Panem.”—Acts, ii. 46.
2 “ Munus benedictum.”
8 P. 3, q. So, a. 10.
4 De Hier. Reel. c. 3.
* Ep. ad Lucin.
8 Cap. Etsi de Consecr. d. 2.
1 /n Cone. Later, c. 21.
80>jj. 13, c. 9.

568

Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xviil

Among the confessors of the present day, some are favor­
able and others opposed to frequent Communion. I agree
with the former, because, as the learned Petavius has shown
in his work against the rigid Arnauld, their opinion is that
of the holy Fathers and of the Church.
This controversy, so long and bitterly carried on by The­
ologians, was settled definitely and for all time by the. fol­
lowing Decree issued by the Venerable Vicar of Christ,
Pius X.
3. Decree of the Sacred Congregation· of the Council on
Receiving Daily the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Council of Trent, having in view the unspeakable
treasures of grace which are offered to the faithful who re­
ceive the Most Holy Eucharist, makes the following declara­
tion :
“The holy Synod would desire that at every Mass the
Faithful who are present should communicate, not only
spiritually, by way of internal affection, but sacramentally,
by the actual reception of the Eucharist.” (Sess. XXII,
cap. 6) Which words declare plainly enough the wish of
the Church that all Christians should be daily nourished by
this heavenly banquet, and should derive therefrom abundant
fruit for their sanctification.
And this wish of the Council is in entire agreement with
that desire wherewith Christ our Lord was inflamed when
He instituted this Divine Sacrament. For He Himself
more than once, in no ambiguous terms, pointed out the
necessity of eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood fre­
quently, especially in these words: “This is the bread that
cometh down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat
manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live
forever.” (John VI. 59).
Now, from this comparison of the food of the angels with
bread and with manna, it was easily understood by His dis­
ciples that, as the body is daily nourished with bread, and as
the Hebrews were daily nourished with manna in the desert,
so the Christian soul might daily partake of this heavenly
bread, and be refreshed thereby. Moreover, whereas in the

SEC. III.]

Holy Communion.

569

Lord’s Prayer we are bidden to ask for “our daily bread”,
the holy Fathers of the Church all but unanimously teach
that by these words must be understood, not so much that
material bread which is the support of the body as the
Eucharistic bread which ought to be our daily food.
Moreover, the desire of Jesus Christ and of the Church
that all the faithful should daily approach the sacred banquet
is directed chiefly to this end, that the faithful being united
to God by means of the Sacrament, may thence derive
strength to resist their sensual passions, to cleanse themselves
from the stains of daily faults, and to avoid those graver
sins to which human frailty is liable ; so that its primary
purpose is not that the honor and reverence due to our Lord
may be safeguarded, or that the Sacrament may serve as a
reward of virtue bestowed on the recipients (St. Aug. Serm.
57 in St. Matth., “De Orat. Dorn.” n. 7). Hence the holy
Council of Trent calls the Eucharist “the antidote whereby
we are delivered from daily faults and preserved from deadly
sins.” (Sess. XIII., cap. 2).
The desire on the part of God was so well understood by
the first Christians that they daily flocked to the Holy Table
as to a source of life and strength. “They were persevering
in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of
the breaking of bread.” (Acts. II. 42). And that this
practice was continued into later ages, not without great
fruit of holiness and perfection, the holy Fathers and ecclesi­
astical writers bear witness.
But when in later times piety grew cold, and more especi­
ally under the plague of Jansenism, disputes began to arise
concerning the dispositions with which it was proper to re­
ceive Communion frequently or daily; and writers vied with
one another in imposing more and more stringent conditions
as necessary to be fulfilled. 1 he result of such disputes was
that very few were considered worthy to communicate daily,
and to derive from this most healing Sacrament its most
abundant fruits, the rest being content to partake of it once
a year, or once a month, or at the utmost weekly. Nay, to
such a pitch was rigorism carried that whole classes of per­

570

Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xvih.

sons were excluded from a frequent approach to the Holy
Table; for instance, those who were engaged in trade, or
even those who were living in the state of matrimony.
Others, however, went to the opposite extreme. Under
the persuasion that daily Communion was a divine precept,
and in order that no day might pass without the reception
of the Sacrament, besides other practices contrary to the ap­
proved usage of the Church, they held that the Holy
Eucharist ought to be received, and in fact administered it,
even on Good Friday.
Under these circumstances the Holy See did not fail in its
duty of vigilance, for by a decree of this Sacred Congrega­
tion, which begins with the words “Cum ad aures’’, issued
on February 12, A. D. 1679, with the approbation of Inno­
cent XI, it condemned these errors, and put a stop to such
abuses, at the same time declaring that all the faithful of
whatever class—merchants or tradesmen or married persons
not excepted—might be admitted to frequent Communion
according to the devotion of each one and the judgment of
his confessor. And on December 7, 1690, by the decree of
Pope Alexander VIII, “Sanctissimus Dominus’’, the propo­
sition of Baius postulating a perfectly pure love of God,
without any admixture of defect, as requisite on the part of
those who wished to approach the Holy Table, was con­
demned.
Yet the poison of Jansenism, which, under the pretext of
showing due honor and reverence to the Holy Eucharist,
had infected the minds of even good men, did not entirely
disappear. The controversy as to the dispositions requisite for
the lawful and laudable fréquentation of the Sacrament sur­
vived the declarations of the Holy See; so much so, indeed
that certain theologians of good repute judged that daily
Communion should be allowed to the faithful only in rare
cases, and under many conditions.
On the other hand, there were not wanting men of learn­
ing and piety who more readily granted permission for this
practice, so salutary and so pleasing to God. In accordance
with the teaching of the Fathers, they maintained that there

sec.

in.]

Holy Communion.

571

was no precept of the Church which prescribed more perfect
dispositions in the case of daily than of weekly or monthly
Communion ; while the good effects of daily Communion
would, they alleged, be far more abundant than those of
Communion received weekly or monthly.
In our own day the controversy has been carried on with
increased warmth, and not without bitterness, so that the
minds of the confessors and the consciences of the faithful
have been disturbed, to the no small detriment of Christian
piety and devotion. Accordingly, certain distinguished men,
themselves pastors of souls, have urgently besought His
Holiness Pius X, to deign to settle, by his supreme authority,
the question concerning the dispositions requisite for daily
Communion ; so that this usage so salutary and so pleasing
to God, might not only suffer no decrease among the faith­
ful, but might rather be promoted and everywhere prop 3'
gated—a thing most desirable in these days, when religion
and the Catholic faith are attacked on all sides, and the true
love of God and genuine piety are so lacking in many quart­
ers. And His Holiness, being most earnestly desirous, out
of his abundant solicitude and zeal, that the faithful should
be invited to partake of the sacred banquet as often as pos­
sible, and even daily, and should profit to the utmost by its
fruits, committed the aforesaid question to this Sacred Con­
gregation to be looked into and decided once for all (defini­
endum).

Accordingly the Sacred Congregation of the Council, in a
plenary Session, held on December 16, 1905, submitted the
whole matter to a very careful scrutiny; and after sedul­
ously examining the reasons adduced on either side, de­
termined and declared as follows:
1. Frequent and daily Communion, as a thing most earn­
estly desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church,
should be open to all the faithful of whatever rank and
condition of life; so that no one who is in the state of grace,
and who approaches the Holy Table with a right and de­
vout intention, can lawfully be hindered therefrom.

572

Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xviil

2. A right intention consists in this: that he who ap­
proaches the Holy Table should do so, not out of routine,
or vain glory, or human respect, but for the purpose of
pleasing God, of being more closely united with Him by
charity and of seeking this divine remedy for his weakness
and defects.
3. Although it is most expedient that those who com­
municate frequently or daily should be free from venial sins,
especially from such as are fully deliberate, and from any
affection thereto, nevertheless, it is sufficient that they be
free from mortal sin, with the purpose of never sinning in
future; and, if they have this sincere purpose, it is impossible
but that daily communicants should gradually emancipate
themselves even from venial sins, and from all affection
thereto.
4. But whereas the Sacraments of the New Law, though
they take effect ex opere operato, nevertheless produce a
greater effect in proportion as the dispositions of the recipient
are better; therefore, care is to be taken that Holy Commun­
ion be preceded by serious preparation, and followed by a
suitable thanksgiving, according to each one’s strength, cir­
cumstances and duties.
5. That the practice of frequent and daily Communion
may be carried out with greater prudence and more abund­
ant merit, the confessor’s advice should be asked. Confes­
sors, however, are to be careful not to dissuade any one (ne
quemquam avertant) from frequent and daily Communion,
provided that he is in the state of grace and approaches with
a right intention.
6. But since it is plain that by frequent or daily reception
of the Holy Eucharist union with Christ is fostered, the
spiritual life more abundantly sustained, the soul more richly
endowed with virtues, and an even surer pledge of everlast­
ing happiness bestowed on the recipient, therefore parish
priests, confessors, and preachers—in accordance with the
approved teaching of the Roman Catechism (Part II. cap.
4.11.60)—are frequently and with great zeal to exhort the
faithful to this devout and salutary practice.

sec.

in.]

Holy Communion,

573

7. Frequent and daily Communion is to be promoted es­
pecially in religious Orders and Congregations of all kinds;
with regard to which, however, the decree “Quemadmo­
dum”, issued on December 17, 1890, by the Sacred Congre­
gation of Bishops and Regulars, is to remain in force. It is
also to be promoted especially in ecclesiastical seminaries,
where students are preparing for the service of the altar; as
also in all Christian establishments, of whatever kind, for
the training of youth.
‘
8. In the case of religious institutes, whether of solemn
or simple vows, in whose rules, or constitutions, or calendars
Communion is assigned to certain fixed days, such regula­
tions are to be regarded as directive and not perceptive. In
such cases the appointed number of Communions should be
regarded as a minimum, and not as setting a limit to the
devotion of the religious. Therefore, freedom of access to
the Eucharistic Table, whether more frequently or daily,
must always be allowed them, according to the principles
above laid down in this decree. And in order that all re­
ligious of both sexes may clearly understand the provisions
of this decree, the Superior of each house is to see that it is
read in community, in the vernacular, every year within the
octave of the Feast of Corpus Christi.
9. Finally after the publication of this decree, all ecclesi­
astical writers are to cease from contentious controversies
concerning the dispositions requisite for frequent and daily
Communion.
All this having been reported to His Holiness Pope
Pius X, by the undersigned Secretary of the Sacred Congre­
gation in an audience held on December 17, 1905, His Holi­
ness ratified and confirmed the present decree and ordered it
to be published, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.
He further ordered that it should be sent to all local ordin­
aries and regular prelates, to be communicated by them to
their respective seminaries, parishes, religious institutes, and
priests; and that in their reports concerning the state of
their respective dioceses or institutes they should inform the

574

Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap.xviii.

Holy See concerning the execution of the matters therein
determined.

Given at Rome, the 20th day of December, 1905.
Vincent, Card. Bishop of Palestrina, Prefect.

L.S.

Cajetan De Lai, Secretary.

4. PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.

The preparation for frequent Communion is twofold:
remote and proximate.
I. The remote preparation consists in detachment from
creatures. St. Augustine says that,1 if you expected a visit
from a great personage, to whom certain objects in your
house would be offensive, would you not remove them be­
fore his arrival? When, then, you wish to receive Jesus
Christ you should remove from your heart all earthly af­
fections that you know to be displeasing to him. He that
wishes to communicate often, should empty his heart of the
things of the earth. This is precisely what our Lord once
said to St. Gertrude: “I want nothing more from you, than
that you come to receive me with a heart divested of all
self-love.”2

II. As to the immediate preparation you should begin
it the evening before Communion, by acts of love and
of desire. As soon as you awake in the morning, con­
sider that you are to receive Jesus Christ, and with a
1 In Ps. cxxxi.
s Insin. 1. 4, c. 26.

SEC. HL]

Holy Communion.

515

fervent aspiration, invite your Spouse to hasten into
your soul.
Immediately before Communion, you should, even
though you had made mental prayer, excite in your soul
lively sentiments of faith, of humility, and of desire.
First, you ought to animate your faith by reflecting
on the majesty of him whom you are to receive. If faith
did not assure us of this who could ever imagine that a
God wished to make himself the food of his own creat­
ures ? But the Church has declared, in several of her
councils, and especially in the Council of Trent,’ that
our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, is really and truly present
in the consecrated Host. How beautiful was the answer
of St. Louis, king of France, to a person inviting him to
behold Jesus Christ, who appeared in the consecrated
host, under the form of an infant! “ Let those,” said
the holy king, “ that do not believe by faith, go and see;
I believe more firmly than if I saw Jesus Christ with my
eyes.” And he remained where he was.
Secondly, you should excite sentiments of humility
by considering that in spite of your misery you are to
receive a God into your mouth and into your heart.
The Venerable Paul Segneri used to say that, for a per­
son going to Communion the most appropriate senti­
ment is one of astonishment that would make her ex­
claim: What! a God to me! a God to me! What
would be the sentiments of a shepherd, if he saw his
sovereign coming to dwell with him in his tent? What
are your sentiments when you behold the King of
heaven coming into your heart in the holy Communion ?
Will you not at least say to him with true humility:
Lord, I a ni not worthy that Thon shouldst enter under my roof?3
To humility unite an act of contrition and of hope,
1 Sw. 13, can. 1.
2 “ Domine, non sum dignus ut intros sub tectum meum.”—Matt.
viii. S.

q|

'

^~I6 Fréquentation of (he Sacraments.

[chap, xviii.

confidently expecting that Jesus Christ, when he comes
into your soul, will enrich you with his graces.
Thirdly, you must excite an ardent desire of receiving
Jesus Christ in the holy sacrament. To nourish the
soul this celestial bread must be eaten with hunger. He
that receives it with the strongest desire derives from it
the greatest graces. St. Francis de Sales 1 used to say
that he that gives himself to us only through love
should be received only through love. Our Redeemer
said once to St. Mechtilde: “When you communicate,
desire to have the greatest love that the saints have had
for me, and in return for this desire I will accept your
love in proportion to the fervor with which you wished
for it.”2
To remember these acts it will be sufficient to say to
yourself before Communion: -Who comes? to whom
does he come? why does he come? A God of infinite
majesty comes: he comes to you, a miserable sinner:
and he comes to be loved by you.
5. Thanksgiving after Communion.

After Communion remain with Jesus Christ as long
as you can. Father d’Avila said that we should set
great value on the time after Communion, because it is
a precious time for acquiring treasures of grace. St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi was accustomed to say: “ The
time after Communion is the· most precious time of
our life; it is the fittest time for negotiating with God,
and for inflaming our souls with his divine love. At
that time we have no need of masters or of books,
for Jesus Christ himself teaches us how we are to love
him.”3 St. Teresa used to say: “After Communion let
us not lose so good an opportunity of negotiation. God
’ Introd. ch. 21.
2 Bios. Con cl. an. fid. c. 6, n. 6.
3 Ccpari, ch. 4S. Boll. c. 14, n. 157.

sec. in.]

Holy Communion,

y-jj

does not repay with ingratitude the abode in which he
is well received.” 1 In another place she says that after
Communion Jesus Christ remains in the soul as on a
throne of grace, and appears to say to it what he said
when on earth to the man that was born blind: What
wilt thou that I should do to thee I '1 Beloved soul, tell me
what you want from me; I am come for the purpose of
bestowing on you the graces you ask of me.
It is the opinion of Cajetan, Suarez, Gonet, Valentia,
Lugo, and others, that as long as the sacramental species
remain the fruit of the sacrament and divine love are
increased in proportion to the efforts of the soul to unite
itself to Jesus Christ, and to the good acts that it per­
forms. For the operation of this celestial bread in the
soul is similar to that of corporal food, which gives
nourishment and strength in proportion to the time it
remains in the body. Many religious communicate fre«
quently, and draw but little fruit from their commu­
nions, because they remain but a short time with Jesus
Christ. To St. Margaret of Cortona our Lord once
said: “ I treat souls as they treat me.”
If you are not prevented by some duty of obedience
or of charity, be careful to remain with Jesus Christ at
least for half an hour after Communion. I say, “ at least
for half an hour,” for an hour is the proper time for
thanksgiving. Endeavor to employ yourself after Com­
munion in acts of recollection, of thanksgiving, of love,
of sorrow, of oblation of yourself, and of all that you
possess; but, above all, in petitions to Jesus Christ for
his graces, and particularly for the gift of final perseve­
rance and of his holy love. In these acts consists that
“negotiation” of which St. Teresa speaks; and when
you feel dryness and dissipation of mind, read a book
that contains devout affections towards God. The entire
1 Way of Perf. ch. 35.
2 “ Quid tibi vis faciam?”—Mark. x. 51.

578 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap, χνιιχ
day of Communion should be spent in more than usual
recollection. St. Aloysius Gonzaga endeavored to en­
tertain himself for three days after Communion in
thanking Jesus Christ. Nor should your recollection be
diminished because you communicate more frequently;
on the contrary, the oftener you receive the Lord the
more closely should you keep yourself united to him.
6. Excuses

brought

Certain Religious for
frequently.

forward by

Communicating

not

AVhat shall we say of the nun who, through careless­
ness, abstains from the holy Eucharist, though she has
the opportunity of frequent Communion, and has before
her eyes the example of the sisters who communicate
often ? Let us see whether her excuses are reasonable:
i. She will say: “ I do not communicate often, because
I do not think myself worthy of frequent Communion.”
My dear sister, if this excuse were satisfactory, you
ought never to communicate. For St. Ambrose says:
“ He that is not worthy to receive daily is not worthy
to receive after a year.”1 But who can be ever worthy
of the holy Communion? Jesus Christ alone, who was
God and man, communicated worthily; for only God is
worthy of receiving a God. You say you do not think
yourself worthy of frequent Communion. But do you
not know that the longer you defer Communion the
more unworthy you become ?
For the longer you
abstain from the Blessed Eucharist, the more your de­
fects are multiplied, because you are bereft of the assist­
ance that you should receive from holy Communion. A
holy Dominican nun used to say: “ For my part, because
I am sensible of my unworthiness, I would wish to com­
municate three times a day; for by more frequent Com­
munion, I should hope to render myself less unworthy.”
1 “ Qui non meretur quotidie accipere, non meretur post annum acci­
pere.”—De Sacram. I. 5, c. 4.

sec.ni]

Holy Communion.

579

Which of the two, says Cassian,’ is the more humble,
the man that communicates often or he that communi­
cates but seldom ? He answers that the person that
frequently receives Jesus Christ is the more humble;
because he knows his infirmities, and therefore seeks
more frequently the remedy of his disease. The angelic
Doctor says that though to abstain from Communion
through humility and fear is pleasing to God, still the
love and confidence that induce a soul to receive him are
more acceptable in his sight. “ However, love and
hope, to which the Scriptures constantly exhort us, are
preferable to fear.” 14
2. She will add: I do not know whether I am in the
state of grace. But I ask, do you expect that an angel
will come from heaven to assure you that you are in the
state of grace? Is it not enough for you to have the
assurance of your confessor? \rou ought to place more
confidence in the testimony of the minister of God than
in the revelations of all the angels of paradise; for in
receiving a communication from angels, there might be
an illusion, but in listening to the confessor who, in your
regard, holds the place of God, there is no danger of de­
ception. Whenever, then, your spiritual Father allows
you to communicate take care not to obey the suggestionsof the devil by abstaining from Communion through
fear and scruples. Be assured that there is no species
of disobedience more pernicious to a person, than to
omit a Communion prescribed by his confessor; for such
disobedience proceeds from a want of humility, or from
a belief that he is a better judge than his director.
3. I cannot, you will say, bring myself to communi­
cate often, because I constantly commit faults and never
amend. To this excuse an answer has been given above.3
1 Collât. 23, c. 21.
2 “Amor tamen et spes, ad quæ semper Scriptura nos provocat,
præferuntur timori.”—P. 3, q. 80, a. 10.
3 Page 66.

—«

580 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap, xviii.
If your faults are fully deliberate, and if you make no
effort to correct them, neither I nor any other spiritual
guide will advise you to communicate often. But if
you have no affection for venial sins, and do not commit
them with full deliberation—if, on the contrary, you
love prayer and desire to advance in perfection, then, I
say to you, obey your confessor and have no more un­
easiness abont your Communions. The greater you
perceive your infirmities to be, the more frequently you
ought to seek a remedy for them in holy Communion.
“ Because,” says St. Ambrose, “ I always sin, I should al­
ways use a remedy.”1 We buttress walls that are in­
clined, not to make them erect but to prevent them
from falling. You say that you perceive in yourself no
amendment; will you improve without the aid of the
holy Communion ? No, you will, on the contrary, grow
worse everyday. In his treatise on Communion, Father
Granada says that “ he that desires to be cured of his
infirmities should not abstain from this great remedy.”
The bare remembrance of having communicated in the
morning, and the thought of having to communicate the
next day, makes a person more watchful and more at­
tentive to the correction of his faults. Besides, the sac­
rament itself infuses an increase of light and strength
into the soul. Theologians generally assert that the
holy Eucharist produces more grace than all the other
sacraments, because it contains Jesus Christ himself
who is the author of grace. A present that a prince
makes with his own hand is more valuable than the
gifts that he dispenses through the hands of others.
4. You will say, I feel myself distracted, cold, and
without devotion. What, I ask, do you understand by
devotion ? If you mean sensible fervor, I say that is not
necessary: it is enough to have fervor in the will, or a
1 “Qui semper pecco, semper debeo habere medicinam.”—De Sacrant. 1. 4, c. 6.

SEC. III.]

Holy Communion.

581

determination to do what you know to be pleasing to
God. This is the true devotion and fervor that God
demands of you; and though you do not feel this fervor
of the will, you should, notwithstanding, communicate
in order to obtain it by means of the holy sacrament.
For if you abstain from Communion because you have
not sensible fervor you will, as Gerson says,' imitate
the folly of those who, when cold, refuse to approach
the fire because they do not feel warm. According to
St. Laurence Justinian,1*3 this sacrament sometimes pro­
duces its effect, though we do not perceive it. St. Bona­
venture says: “ Although you feel tepid, approach with
confidence; for the greater your infirmity the more you
stand in need of a physician.”3 Do not be deterred
from frequent Communion, because you experience more
devotion when you communicate seldom than when you
communicate often. He that eats but seldom eats with
greater eagerness but with less profit; and, if you com­
municate but seldom you may, perhaps, feel a little more
of sensible fervor, but you will also receive less fruit;
because your soul will want the food that gives strength
to avoid sins and imperfections. Seek not, then, sen­
sible devotion in your Communions. Communicate only
for the purpose of uniting your soul more closely to
God, and be assured that, as often as you communicate
with that view, your Communions will be productive of
great fruit.
5. I abstain from Communion toescape the censure of
others that see my imperfections and rebuke me for
communicating so frequently. To this pretext I an­
swer: If you communicate with the advice of your di1 De Praf. ad M. cons. 4.
9 De Discipl. mon. c. ig.
3 “ Licet tepide, tamen fiducialiter accedat; quia tanto magis æger
necesse habet requirere medicurn, quanto magis senserit se ægrotum,”
—De Prof. rei. p. 2, c. 76.

582 /fréquentation of the Sacraments. (chap, xvm
rector, and through a motive of advancing in divine
love, or of correcting your defects, be not disturbed by
the complaints or censure of others. I have already
said,1 that, according to the Venerable John d’Avila,
they who censure others for frequent Con">munion per­
form the office of the devil. Will you then pay atten
tion to their complaints? Listen to the words of St.
l· rancis de Sales: “ If,” he says, “ they ask you why you
communicate so often tell them that two classes of per­
sons should communicate frequently, the perfect, to
preserve perfection, and the imperfect, to attain perfec­
tion; the strong not to become weak, and the weak to
grow strong; the sick to be cured, and the healthy to
prevent sickness. And as to yourself, tell them that,
because you are imperfect, weak, and infirm, you stand
in need of frequent Communion. Tell them that all
that are free from worldly occupations, because they
have the opportunity, and all that are engaged in
them, because they have need of Communion, should
communicate frequently.”
In conclusion, he says:
“ Philothea communicate often, and as often as pos­
sible, with the advice of your spiritual Father; and be­
lieve me that, as the hares on our mountains become
white, because they feed only on snow, so, by eating
purity itself in this sacrament you will become all
pure.”2 To St. Frances of Rome, as she was going to
Communion, the devil said: “How can you, who are so
full of venial sins, dare receive the Immaculate Lamb.”
Perceiving that the enemy wished to deprive her of
Communion, she banished him by spitting in his face.
The Blessed Virgin immediately appeared to her, and,
after having praised her conduct, said that our defects,
instead of being an obstacle, should be an incentive to
Communion; since, in Communion we find the remedy
of all our miseries. The Roman catechism teaches/
1 Page 66.

9 Introd. ch. 21.

3 P. 2, c.

q. 40.

sec. in.]

Holy Communion.

583

that venial sins are remitted by holy Communion; and
the generality of divines agree with St. Thomas, that
the holy Eucharist excites in the soul acts of divine love,
by which venial sins are pardoned.1
6. You will perhaps say, “ I have not time to prepare
as I ought for holy Communion.” I answer: if your
time is spent in useless occupations or in idle discourses,
then your discourse is frivolous. But if it be employed
in performing the duties of your office, or of obedience,
then you may rest assured that the discharge of these
duties, with a view to please God, will be an excellent
preparation for Communion. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi was once engaged in making bread, when the bell
rang for Communion; she instantly obeyed the call, and
in an ecstacy received the holy sacrament. Hence, she
was accustomed to say to her sisters: “ Offer to God all
your actions as a preparation for Communion, perform
them with the intention of pleasing him and communi­
cate.” Whenever the want of time arises from your be­
ing employed in the service of the Community, in the
care of the sick, or in the performance of any work of
charity that cannot be deferred, you should never ab­
stain from Communion in consequence of not having
sufficient time for preparation. But be careful to avoid
as much as possible all unnecessary conversations and
amusements, and when you foresee that in the morning
you will not have time to prepare for Communion, en­
deavor on the preceding evening to make some prepara­
tion, by reading a book of piety, and by making the acts
that ought to be made in the morning; or rise a little
before the usual hour and spend whatever time may be
at your disposal in preparation for the holy sacrament.
7. My confessor, you will perhaps say, is not inclined
to allow me frequent Communion. If the confessor
does not permit you to communicate often you must
1 P· 3» q· 79. a. 4.

584 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap, xviii.
obey. But supply the want of the holy sacrament by
redoubling your spiritual Communions. Say to Jesus
Christ: Lord, I would receive Thee more frequently were
I not prevented by obedience. And he will be pleased
with your desire of Communion, and with your obedi­
ence. But why do you not ask the permission of your
confessor to communicate more frequently? To ask
leave for more frequent Communion is useful, and is by
no means opposed to the perfection of obedience. For,
in allowing more or less frequent Communion, confes­
sors are regulated by the desire of Communion that
they perceive in their penitents. To produce great
fruit this divine food must be eaten with hunger; it
fructifies but little in the souls that have not an appetite
for it. You do not ask leave for Communion, and there­
fore you show but little eagerness for the holy sacra­
ment; hence, the confessor does not permit you to com­
municate often. Why do you not imitate St. Catharine
of Sienna, who, when deprived of Communion by her
confessor, exclaimed: “ Father give my soul its food;
give my soul its food.” Had you, like her, manifested,
with humility and resignation, this holy hunger, your
confessor would have treated you in a different manner.
But, because he sees you cold and not unwilling to be
refused Communion, he prudently abstains from advis­
ing you to communicate more frequently.
7. Exhortation to

receive

Communion

frequently.

Oh ! what great and continual progress is made in
divine love by those who, with a strong desire, and
with the permission of their spiritual Father, frequent
holy Communion! Oh ! how wonderfully does the
Lord draw them to his love ! To keep them humble
and resigned, he sometimes leaves them in darkness
without any sense of their own advancement, and with­
out any of the comforts of sensible devotion. Accord-

sec.

in.)

Holy Communion.

585

ing to St. Teresa, frequent Communion is the best sup­
port of these desolate souls. Let others say what they
please, it is certain that in general the most regular
convents are those in which holy Communion is most
frequented, and that in all monasteries the religious
that communicate most frequently are the most fervent
and exemplary.
O my God ! why are so many frivolous excuses put
forward ? Let the religious that seldom communicates
speak the truth, and she must acknowledge that her re­
pugnance to frequent Communion arises from an un­
willingness to bind herself to a life of greater retire­
ment, and of greater detachment from creatures, and
from self-indulgence. She knows well, that conversa­
tions with seculars, friendships, vanity, self-esteem, and
inordinate attachment to the indulgence of the appetite,
and such imperfections, are not compatible with fre­
quent Communion, and therefore she abstains from it.
She cannot bear to be rebuked at each Communion by
Jesus Christ for her disorderly life. In a word, she re­
ceives him but seldom, because she wishes to live under
less restraint.
Are you, dear sister, animated with these sentiments ?
If you are, I say that since you love Jesus Christ but
little, and desire but little to love him, you should not
receive him frequently. But beware: this obstinate
tepidity that you can but will not correct may one day
lead you into an abyss. Ah, arise from this miserable
state; give yourself to God for the remainder of your
life; you know not how long it will last; it may be very
short. Reform your conduct according to the best of
your ability, and endeavor to communicate more fre­
quently.
When your confessor permits you, go to
Communion without fear or hesitation; and leave
others to say of you what they please. Fear not that
you will have to account, at the hour of death, for Com-

586

Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap,

xviii.

munions made with the advice of your confessor. I
say, and I assure you, that at the hour of death you
will repent not of the Communions that you made with
his permission, but of those that you could have made,
and that through negligence you omitted. St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi once saw a soul suffering in pur­
gatory for having through carelessness omitted one
Communion. And we read in her life that she several
times burst into tears because a sister abstained from
Communion through negligence. Be assured that of
all your devotions there is none more dear to Jesus
Christ than your Communions.
For all perfection
consists in a perfect union with God; and holy Com­
munion is the action that unites the soul most closely
to him, and consequently the religious can do nothing
more pleasing in his sight. Hence, the same St. Mary
Magdalene de Pazzi used to say: “ I would rather die
than omit a Communion permitted by obedience.” I
shall now speak of spiritual Communion, which has
been so much practised by the saints.
8. Spiritual Communion.

Spiritual Communion, as St. Thomas says,1 consists
in an ardent desire to receive Jesus Christ in the holy
sacrament. The holy Council of Trent3 extols the ad­
vantages of spiritual Communion, and exhorts the
faithful to practise it. And God himself has several
times given devout souls to understand how pleasing it
is to him that they receive him spiritually.
Jesus
Christ appeared one day to sister Paula Maresca, found­
ress of the convent of St. Catharine of Sienna, in Naples,
as we read in her life, and showed her two precious ves­
sels, one of gold and another of silver, and said to her,
that in the former he preserved her sacramental Com­
munions, and in the latter her spiritual Communions.
1 P. 3, q. So, a. I.

»

I3, cap, 8.

SEC. III.]

Spiritual Comm itnion.

587

On another occasion he said to the Venerable Jane of
the Cross, that as often as she communicated spiritu­
ally, she received a grace similar to that which she de­
rived from her sacramental Communions.
Father John Nider, of the Order of St. Dominic,
relates, that in a certain city a poor man of great
virtue desired to communicate often; but because the
practice of frequent Communion did not exist in the
place, he, in order to avoid singularity, contented him­
self with spiritual Communions. Hence, he would first
go to confession, and make his meditation; he would
then hear Mass, and prepare for Communion, and
would open his mouth as if he were receiving Jesus
Christ. The author relates, that in opening his mouth
the poor man used to feel the particle laid on his
tongue, and his soul filled with sweetness. One morn­
ing he put his finger into his mouth to find out whether
the consecrated particle were really placed on his
tongue; the sacred host adhered to his finger; he
placed it again in his mouth, and received it. Thus the
Lord rewarded the desire of this good servant.
Father Peter Faber, of the Society of Jesus, used to
say1 that spiritual Communions are a very powerful help
to receive the holy Eucharist, with the proper disposi­
tions. Hence the saints have been in the habit of mak­
ing frequent spiritual Communions. Blessed Angela of
the Cross, a Dominican nun, went so far as to say: “ If
my confessor had not taught me this method of com­
municating, I could scarcely live.” Hence she used to
make a hundred spiritual Communions every day, and
a hundred more every night. But how, you will ask,
could she make so many? St. Augustine answers:
“Give me a lover, and he understands what I say.”2
Give me a soul that loves nothing but Jesus Christ, and
1 Formic. 1. I, c. I.
’ “ Da amantem, et sentit quod dico.”—In. Jo. tr. 26.

6

588 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap. χνιπ.
it will not wonder at it. It is most easy to make sev­
eral spiritual Communions in the day; it is not neces­
sary to be fasting, to have a priest, or to spend, a long
time. Hence we may make a spiritual Communion as
often as we please in the day. The Venerable Jane of
the Cross used therefore to say: “ O my Lord, how ex­
cellent a mode of communicating ! without being seen
or remarked: without giving trouble to my spiritual
Father, or depending on any one but Thee, who in soli­
tude dost nourish my soul, and speak to my heart.”
Be careful, then, to make frequent spiritual Commun­
ions in your meditations, visits to the Blessed Sacra­
ment, and be particularly careful, as often as you hear
Mass, to make a spiritual Communion, during the Com­
munion of the priest. Make an act of faith, believing
firmly that Jesus Christ is present in the holy sacra­
ment; an act of love, uniting to it an act of sorrow for
your sins; and then an act of desire, inviting Jesus
Christ to come into your soul, in order to make it en­
tirely his own; and in the end thank him as if you had
received him. You can make these acts in the following
manner:
My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly ande really
present in the holy sacrament. I love Thee with my
whole heart, and because I love Thee, I am sorry for
having offended Thee. I embrace Thee, O my love,
and I give myself entirely to Thee; do not permit me to
be ever separated from Thee.
In this manner you can make as many spiritual Com­
munions as you please.
9. The Visits

to the

Most Holy S/VCrament.

The frequent visits to Jesus Christ in the sacrament
of the altar is a great help to the souls that love him.
The holy Church has instituted and celebrates the festi­
val of the adorable sacrament with so many solemnities

SEC. III.]

l/zszls to the Blessed Sacrament.

589

in honor not only of holy Communion, but also of the
loving dwelling of Jesus Christ night and day in our
churches, in this sacrament of love. Our loving Lord,
says Nieremberg, has left himself on earth under the
species of bread, principally in order to be the food of
our souls; but he has left himself also in order to remain
with us shut up in our tabernacles, and thus remind us
of the love which he bears us. “ No tongue,” says St.
Peter of Alcantara, “can express the greatness of the
love that Jesus bears to all that are in the state of
grace.” 1
Hence, that his absence from them might not be an
occasion of forgetting him, this most sweet Spouse, be­
fore his departure from this world, left, as a memorial
of his love, this most holy sacrament, in which he him­
self remained. He did not wish that between him and
his servants there should be any other pledge than him­
self to keep alive the remembrance of him.
Hence, when our dear Saviour left this world, he did
not wish to leave us alone, and therefore he devised a
means of remaining with us in the holy Eucharist to the
end of time, that even here below we may enjoy his
sweet company. This he declared to his disciples, and
through them to us all. Behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world? St. Peter of Alcan­
tara therefore adds : “ The Saviour did not wish to
leave his spouse alone at such a distance, and therefore
he has left her this sacrament, in which he himself remains, as the best companion he could leave her.”
St. Teresa says that all are not permitted to speak to
the king; the most that a vassal can expect is, to speak
to his sovereign through a third person. She then adds:
But to speak to Thee, O King of Glory, the intervention
1 De I'Or. et de la Mid. p. I, ch. 4.
9 “ Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummati­
onem sæculi.”—Matt, xxviii. 20.

590 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap,

xviii.

of a third person is not necessary; Thou art always ready
to give audience to all in the sacrament of the altar.
Every one that wishes may find Thee there always, and
may speak to Thee with confidence. Oh, how difficult
is it to obtain an audience from an earthly monarch !
Kings seldom give audience to their subjects. But
Thou, O my Redeemer, in this sacrament, dost give
audience to all, whenever they wish. Our divine king,
says the same saint, in order to animate us to approach
his feet with greater confidence, has clothed himself
with the species of bread in this sacrament, and thus
has veiled his majesty that we may not be terrified at
the sight of it.
But, O God, how many insults must Jesus Christ
have suffered from infidels, from heretics, and from sin­
ners in this sacrament, in order to remain with us.
Some have trampled on the sacred Host, others have
thrown it into the mire. He foresaw all these injuries;
but still he resolved to remain with us on the altar, that
we might not be deprived of his amiable presence.
Many pilgrims make long journeys to visit the holy
house in Loretto, where Jesus Christ once dwelt, or to
venerate the places in the holy land in which he was
born, in which he suffered and died. But Father John
d’Avila had just reason to say, that he knew no sanctu­
ary more amiable, or more apt to inspire devotion, than
a church in which the holy sacrament is preserved, for
there Jesus Christ has not only once dwelt and suffered,
but truly lives and dwells. Hence, the saints have ex­
perienced no greater delight on earth than that which
they enjoyed in the presence of the most holy sacra­
ment. St. Francis Xavier, as is related in his Life,1 af­
ter having labored all day for the sanctification of souls,
spent the night at the foot of the tabernacle; when over­
come by sleep, he threw himself on the steps of the altar
1 Bon hours, Vie, 1. 6.

sec.

in.]

Klstts to the Blessed Sacrament.

591

and, after a short repose, he began again to converse
with his dear Lord. St. John Francis Regis ’ used to do
the same; after having spent the entire day in preaching
and hearing confessions, his repose consisted in remain­
ing during the night before Jesus in the holy sacrament,
and when he found the church shut he remained outside
the door to pay homage, at least at a distance, to his
beloved Redeemer. The Venerable Father Balthasar
Alvarez, a holy man, when unable to remain in the
church, endeavored at least to keep his eyes turned to
the tabernacle, in which he knew the holy sacrament was
preserved.2 In a word, all the saints have found their
paradise on earth in this sacrament. St. Teresa said
one day from heaven to one of her religious: “We who
rejoice in heaven, and you who suffer on earth, should
be the same in purity and love. And what we do in
heaven before the divine essence you should do on earth
before the most holy sacrament.” 3 And what greater
paradise can a religious that loves Jesus Christ find on
this earth than to remain at his feet, to manifest the
love that she bears him, to offer to him herself and all
that belongs to her, to make known her desires, to see
him face to face, in order to love him with greater ardor!
But this paradise religious can enjoy in a special man­
ner. It is true that Jesus remains in the holy sacrament
for all; but he remains particularly for nuns—his spouses
who enjoy his society day and night within their own
very house. When Jesus was born, the holy Magi left
their country and their homes, and spent a long time
travelling through Palestine, inquiring for the birth­
place of the Redeemer: Saying, where is he that is born
King of the Jews'!'—To visit Jesus Christ, seculars must
1 D'Aubenton, Vie, I. 4.
9 Dupont. Vie, ch. 6.
3 Ribera, Vit. 1. 5, c. 4.
Ubi est qui natus est Rex Judæorum ?”—Matt. ii. 2.

592 Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap.

xviii.

leave their houses and go to the church, which is closed
at night, and in many places is open only in the morning.
But a nun need not leave her own dwelling in order to
enjoy the society of Jesus Christ; he remains contin­
ually in the house in which she dwells. A nun, then,
can visit him whenever she pleases, in the morning or
evening, by day or by night. She, as a spouse, is per­
mitted to dwell in the palace. How highly honored does
the vassal esteem himself to be, when he is invited to
dwell in the palace of the king ! You then, O dear sis­
ter, are one of those happy Christians that have the hon­
or of dwelling on this earth with Jesus Christ, the king
of heaven. You can visit him and remain with him day
and night, whenever you please. The Venerable Moth­
er Mary of Jesus, the foundress of a monastery in Tou­
louse, used to say, that she thanked God in a special
manner for two things: first, because by the vow of
obedience, religious belong entirely to God; secondly,
because they have the happiness of dwelling always
along with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In other churches Jesus Christ remains for all; but in
your monastery he dwells only for you and your com­
panions. Be careful to profit by his presence. O God!
in all monasteries the nuns should, like so many butter­
flies, hover night and day about their Spouse; their
hearts should remain with him to burn continually, and
with greater splendor than the lights and lamps that
decorate the altar. But alas! of the ingratitude of men
for his loving dwelling among them, our Lord com­
plained to his servant, Sister Margaret Alacoque, to
whom he showed one day his divine heart burning with
flames of love for men, and said to her: “ Behold the
heart that has loved men so tenderly, has reserved noth­
ing, but has consumed itself in order to show its love
for them. But in return I receive nothing but ingrati­
tude and contempt from the greater number of men in

SEC. III.J

Visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

593

this sacrament. But what displeases me most is, that
some of these ungrateful hearts are hearts consecrated to
me.” 1 In these last words he spoke of the religious that
set but little value on their happy lot, of dwelling in the
same house with Jesus Christ, and therefore draw but
little profit from his society. If he were to come into
your church once a year, and to remain only fora single
day, surely all would contend with one another in pay­
ing homage to him, and in remaining in his loving com­
pany; and will you leave him alone, and visit him so
seldom, because in order to see you more frequently in
his presence, he, in his goodness, remains continually
with you ?
If you have hitherto been negligent in visiting Jesus
in the tabernacle, I entreat you henceforth to avail
yourself of the great treasure that you have in the most
holy sacrament. Sister Anne of the cross, who had been
Countess of Feria, and a Spanish lady of high rank, after
being a widow for tw’enty-four years, became a nun of
the Order of St. Clare, in Montilla; she procured a cell,
from which she had a view of the altar of the Blessed
Sacrament, and there she generally remained day and
night. Being asked how she was employed during so
many hours that she spent before the sacrament, she
replied: “I would remain there for all eternity. How
am I employed before Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist?
I thank him, I love him, and I ask his graces.” Behold
an excellent means of drawing great fruit from your
visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
First,r thank
Jesus Christ. O / God, how thankful is
■/
a nun to a relative that comes from a distance to visit
her! And will you not thank Jesus Christ, who descends
from heaven, not only to visit you, but also to remain
always with you? First of all in your visit, enliven
your faith and adore your Spouse in the sacrament:
1 Her writings, p. i, § i.

594 Fréquentation of the Sacraments, [chap. xvm.
thank his great goodness in coming to remain on the
altar for the love of you.
Secondly, love him. St. Philip Neri, when he saw
the most holy Viaticum brought into his room, was all
on fire with holy love, and exclaimed, Behold my love !
behold my love! Do you say the same when you re>
main before the holy tabernacle. Consider that your
Spouse, shut up in that prison of love, is burning with
love for you. To St. Catharine of Sienna he appeared
one day in the sacrament in the form of a fiery furnace,
and the saint was astonished that the flames that issued
from it had not filled the hearts of all men with the fire
of divine love. If, when you remain in his presence,
you wish to please him, repeat acts of love, offering to
him yourself in a special manner.
Thirdly, ask his grace. Blessed Henry Suso used to
say that it is in the holy sacrament that Jesus hears
most readily the prayers of those that visit him, and
dispenses his graces most abundantly. The Venerable
Father Balthasar Alvarez once saw Jesus Christ in the
sacrament with his hands full of graces; but found no
one to whom he could impart them, because there was
no one to ask them. You say that you cannot remain
in the presence of Jesus Christ, because you know not
what to do before him, nor what to say to him. O
God! and why do you not employ yourself in asking the
graces of which you stand in need ? Beg of him to give
you strength to resist temptations, to correct the faults
into which you always relapse, to rescue you from the
passion that keeps you in chains, and hinders you from
giving yourself entirely to God. Entreat him to give
you aid to suffer all insults and contradictions in peace,
to increase in your heart his divine love, and entreat him
particularly to make you live always united with his
holy will. When you feel disturbed on account of hav­
ing committed any fault, go instantly to the holy sacra-

SEC. III.]

Visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

595

inent to ask pardon, and then calm your mind. When
you receive any offence or when you meet a heavy cross,
go and offer it to Jesus Christ and ask his aid to em­
brace it with resignation. Oh! if all religious acted in
this manner and knew how to avail themselves of the
society of their Spouse, they would all become saints.
Let it be your care to become a saint by adopting this
practice.

Prayer.
I adore Thee, O my Jesus, in the Most Holy Sacrament of
the altar. Thou didst once sacrifice Thy divine life on the
cross for my sake ; and now, because Thou lovest me, Thou
dost remain shut up in this tabernacle as a prison of love. From
among so many young persons that have offended Thee less
than I have, Thou hast, after I had committed so many sins,
chosen me to live with Thee in Thy own house; taking me
from the world and rescuing me from its dangers, Thou hast
admitted me into this'eonvent that I might remain always in
Thy company on this earth, that I might one day love and en­
joy Thee face to face in heaven, and become Thy eternal spouse
and companion in the kingdom of Thy glory. Here Thou dost
even invite me frequently to eat Thy sacred flesh in holy Com­
munion, that I mav be entirelv united with Thee, and that I
may become all Thine. My dear Redeemer, what can I say ? I
thank Thee for this great favor, and I hope one day to thank
Thee for it in heaven for all eternity. I will say with St. Teresa:
The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever. Yes, my Jesus, my
love, and my Spouse, this I expect through Thy merits. I now
declare that I feel more content at having left, for the love of
Thee, the world and the little pleasures that I could there en­
joy, than if I were queen of all the earth. I am sorry for hav­
ing hitherto, even in Thy own house, given Thee so much dis­
pleasure, for which I would deserve to be banished from it.
My Jesus, pardon me, and for Thy mercy’s sake grant that,
among so many of my good sisters that have served Thee so
well, I too. a poor sinner, may serve Thee. I do not wish ever
more to depart from Thy feet, I wish to visit Thee frequently.
Thy presence will give me strength to banish every affection
*

J

596

Fréquentation of the Sacraments,

[chap, xviii.

that is not for Thee: it will remind me of my obligation to love
Thee, and to have recourse to Thee in all my necessities. I
wish to remain alwavs near Thee ; and I wish to communicate
often in order to love Thee more ardently, and to be united
with Thee, my beloved Lord. I love Thee, O God, concealed
in the most holy sacrament. For the love of me Thou dost re­
main continually on this altar, and for the love of Thee I wish
as much as possible to remain in Thy society. Shut up in this
tabernacle Thou dost always love me ; and, shut up in this con­
vent, I will always love Thee. Then, my Jesus and my all, we
shall remain always together, as I hope, for time in this house,
and for eternity in paradise.
O Mary, my mother, pray to Jesus for me, and obtain for me
a great love for the most holy sacrament.
*

CHAP. XIX.]

Purity of Intention.

597

CHAPTER XIX.
PURITY OF INTENTION.

Purity of intention consists in performing all our
actions through the sole motive of pleasing God. It is
necessary to know that the good or bad intention with
which an act is performed makes the act good or bad
in the sight of God. 7/, said our Lord, thy eye be single,
thy whole body shall be lightsome. But if thy eye be evil, thy
whole body shall be darksome) By the^jz the holy Fathers
understand the intention, and by the body they under­
stand the action. Hence Jesus Christ tells us that if
our intention be simple, that is, if we have no other ob­
ject than to please him, our works are good, and resplen­
dent with the light of purity: but if our intention be
twofold, that is, if any vicious end enters into our ac­
tions, they are sinful. Holy simplicity admits no other
end than the pleasure of God. Hence a pure intention
is the soul of our actions: it gives them life, and makes
them pleasing in the eyes of God.
In the estimation of men, the value of an act increases
in proportion to the time spent in its performance; but
before God the value of an act increases in proportion
to the purity of intention with which it is performed.
For, as the Scripture says, men look only to the exter­
nal acts, but God regards the heart; that is, the will
with which they are performed. For man seeth those
things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart) Can
’“Sio culus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit; si
autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam, totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit.”
—Matt. vi. 22.
5 “ Homo enim videt ea quæ parent; Dominus autem intuetur cor. ”
—i Kings, xvi. 7.

598

Purity of Intention,

[CHAP. XIX.

there be any action more excellent than to suffer martyr­
dom, and give one’s life for the faith ? But St. Paul
says: If I should deliver my body lo be burned, and. have not
charily, it profiteth me nothing.' Though I should give my
body to the flames, unless I give it for God, it profits
me nothing. No, for as St. Augustine says, it is neither
torments nor death, but the cause and intention that
make a martvr?
Hence the royal prophet said: I will offer up to thee
holocausts full of marrow? Some offer to God sacrifices
without marrow, that is, without a pure intention of
pleasing him; and such oblations God does not accept.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that God re­
wards our actions in proportion to the purity of our in­
tention of pleasing him. Hence St. Augustine has writ­
ten: “ Attend not to what aman does, but to the motive
of his conduct:”4 for, adds St. Ambrose, the good that
you will do shall be proportioned to the purity of in­
tention with which you do it for the divine glory.6
Who is she, says the Holy Ghost, that goeth up by the
desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and
frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfurn er ?6 Myrrh
signifies mortification, frankincense prayer, and the
powders of the perfumer represent all other virtues.
But the spouse is praised for all; because all her virtues
form a pillar of odoriferous smoke, which ascends to
God; that is, all her actions have no other end than to
please her divine Spouse.
J

1 “ Et si tradidero corpus meum ita ut ardeam, charitatem autem non
habuero, nihil mihi prodest.”—i Cor. xiii. 3.
2 “ Martyrem non facit poena, sed causa.”—Serin. 331, E. B.
3 “ Holocaüsta medullata offeram tibi.”—Ps. Ixv. 15.
4 “ Non valde attendas quid homo faciat, sed quid, cum facit, respiciat.”—In Ps. xxxi. en. 2.
6 “Tantum facis, quantum intendis.”
8 “ Quæ est ista, quæ ascendit per desertum, sicut virgula fumi ex
aromatibus myrrhæ, et thuris, et universi pulveris pigmentarii ?”—Cant.
iii. 6.

CHAP. XIX·]

Pu yity of In ten t ion.

599

We have in the Gospels two great proofs and exam­
ples of the great value of a good intention before God.
The first example is related by St. Luke. Whilst our
Redeemer travelled through the citiesand towns preach­
ing the kingdom of God, he was one day accompanied
by a great crowd: a woman having an issue of blood made
her way through the throng until she succeeded in
touching the hem of his garment. He asked: Who is it
that touched me I Surprised at the question, the disciples
answered: Master, the multitude throng and press thee, and
dost thou say, Who touched me? But our Lord meant not
the material touch, but the faith and devotion with
which the woman had touched his garment. Hence St.
Augustine has written: ‘ Many press round Jesus Christ,
but few touch him.”’ Many nuns submit to great labor through the monastery, in order to increase the rev­
enues of the convent, in order to celebrate their festivals
with great pomp, and perform many actions that appear
to be great; but because their intention is not pure,
they press round Jesus Christ, but do not touch him;
hence they annoy rather than please him.
The other example is that of the poor widow that put
her two mites into the treasury of the temple, into
which others had cast large sums. But of her the
Saviour said: Amen, / say to you, this poor widow hath cast
in more than all they who havç east into the treasury! In his
exposition of this passage, St. Cyprian says that by
these words, our Lord meant that he regards not so
much the action that is performed, as the affection and
purity of intention with which it is performed.3
Tangit Christum fides paucorum; premit eum turba multorum.”
2 “ Arnen dico vobis, quoniam vidua hæc pauper plus omnibus misit.”
—Mark, xii. 41.
3 ‘‘Considerans, non quantum, sed ex quanto dedisset.”—De Op. et
Eleem.

600

Purity of Intention.

[chap. xix.

Let us come to what is practical. St. Mary Magdalene
de Pazzi used to say to her novices: “Never seek your­
selves in any of your exercises.” A religious that seeks
herself in her actions, by performing them in order to
be praised, or to please herself, imitates the man that
puts the wages he receives for his labor into a bag with
holes. 77?, says the Prophet Aggeus, that hath earned
wages, put them into a bag with holes.' That is, she loses
all her works. Hence, our Lord says to all: Take heed
that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by the mb Be
careful, he says, not to act through the sole motive of
being seen and praised by men; if you do, when you ask
a reward from me, I will answer: You have received
your reward, you have obtained the praise that you
sought, what can you now expect from me? In the
Life of St. Pachomius, Surius relates that a certain
monk made two mats, whilst his companions made but
one; he showed the two mats to the saint in order to re­
ceive praise, but the saint said to the other monks:
“Behold, this monk has worked till night, and has
offered his work to the devil.”
But let us examine the marks by which you may
know whether your works have been truly done for God.
The first mark is, if, w’hen your undertaking has not
been successful, you are not disturbed, but remain as
tranquil as if you had attained your object. This will
certainly be the case when you have acted only for God;
because when you see that he has not wished your
efforts to be crowned with success, neither will you wish
it; for you know that he demands an account, not of
the success or failure of your undertaking, but of the
purity of your intention.
’“Qui mercedes congregavit, misit eas in sacculum pertusum."—
Agg. i. 6.
• “ Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut vide­
amini ab eis.”—Mctt. vi. i.

chap,

xix.]

Purity of Intention.

601

The second mark is, to rejoice at the good done by
others, as if it had been done by yourself. He that
seeks nothing but the divine glory, cares not whether it
is promoted by another
or *by · · himself.·
•
__
The third mark is, not to desire one office more than
another, one occupation more than another, but to be
content with whatever is prescribed by obedience; be­
cause in everything you then seek nothing but the
pleasure of God.
The fourth sign is, in your good works not to desire
approbation nor thanks, but to remain, even when cen­
sured and maltreated, in the same tranquillity of mind,
satisfied at having succeeded in pleasing God, which
was your sole object.
And should it ever happen that any of your actions
are greatly praised by others, and that you are tempted
to vainglory, and to take complacency in the praises
bestowed upon you, you need not annoy yourself by
endeavoring to banish the temptation by contrary acts;
it is better to pay no attention to the evil suggestion,
and in conformity with the advice of Father John
d’Avila, to say: “You have come too late, for I have
already given my work to God.” When you perform
any act of virtue, such as when you observe the Rule
with exactness, when you remain in the choir to pray,
or retire to your cell, or perform an act of mortification,
or assist the lay-sisters in their work, or perform similar
acts of edification in order to give good example to
others, do not, through the fear of being seen and praised,
abstain from such acts, as long as you do all for God.
The Lord wishes that others should see our good works,
that thus they may be induced to imitate them, and give
glory to God. So let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven' All consists in doing our actions with an up1 “ Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, ut videant opera vestra
bona, et glorificent Patrem vestrum, qui in cœlis est.”—Matt. v. 16.

602

Purity of Intention.

[chap. xix.

right intention. Should vainglory assail us, let us say
with St. Bernard, who, when tempted to vanity in the
act of preaching, said: “I have not commenced my
sermon for you, neither shall I, through fear of you,
abstain from finishing it:”' in preaching I have sought
only to please God. St. Francis Xavier used to say,
that a person that has deserved hell by his sins should
regard the praises of men as insults and mockery. St.
Teresa says: “ When we seek to please God only, the
Lord will give us strength to conquer all vainglory.” 8
Our intention may be good in three ways: first, when
we perform an act in order to obtain from God temporal
goods; when, for example, a person gives alms, procures
Masses to be offered, or fasts in order to be delivered
from any infirmity, calumny, or other temporal affliction.
This intention is good, provided it is accompanied with
resignation to the divine will; but it is the least perfect,
because the object is earthly. Secondly, when we do an
act in order to make satisfaction to the divine justice for
the pains due to our sins, or to obtain from God spiri­
tual goods, such as virtue, or an increase of merits and of
glory in heaven; this intention is far more perfect than
the former. But the most perfect of all is when, in our
works, we seek only to please God and to do his holy will.
This intention is also the most meritorious; for the more
we forget ourselves in our good actions, the more God
will remember us, and the more abundantly he will pour
his graces upon us, as he himself once said to St. Cath­
arine of Sienna: “My daughter, think of me, and I will
think of you.” He meant to say, think only of pleasing
me, and I will take care of your progress in virtue, of your
victories over your enemies, of your perfection, and of
your glory in heaven. This was what the sacred spouse
1 “ Nec propter te ccepi, nec propter te desinam.”
s Life, ch. io.

CHAP. XIX.]

Purity of Intention.

603

meant when she said: 1 to niy beloved, and his turning is
towards me'
Oh ! that you had the spirit of that holy woman, who
was seen by a religious of the Order of St. Dominic
when travelling to Palestine along with St. Louis, king
of France. In one hand she carried a vessel of water,
and in the other a lighted torch. Being asked by the
religious why she carried them, she replied, With this
water I would wish to extinguish hell, and with this
torch I would wish to burn heaven, that all might serve
God, not through fear of hell nor hope of heaven, but
only through love, and in order to please him. To act
from such a motive, is to imitate the love of the saints
in bliss, who seek nothing but the pleasure of God; for,
as St. Thomas says,2 they rejoice more in the felicity of
God than in their own. It is to enter into the joy of the
Lord, into which each of the blessed is invited when he
enters heaven: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.3 Hence,
says St. Bernard/ a person acts with a perfect motive
when he acts not that he may be pleasing to God, but
because the actions that he performs are pleasing to
him; when he is so forgetful of himself that he acts not
that God may be pleased with him, but only that his
acts may be agreeable to him. Hence the saint used to
say: “May I love Thee on account of Thyself.” Lord,
grant that I may love Thee, not to please myself, but
only to gratify Thee, and to do Thy will.
St. Francis de Sales used to say: “The spouse that
loves Jesus Christ does not purify herself in order to be
pure; she does not adorn herself in order to be beauti­
ful, but only to please her Spouse.” Ί he confidence
1 “ Ego Dilecto meo, et ad me conversio ejus.”—Cant. vii. io.
2 De Beatit. c. 7.
3 *‘ Intra in gaudium Domini tui.”—Matt. xxv. 21.
4 “Quando operatur, non ut ipsa Deo placeat, sed . . . quia placeat
Deo quod operatur.”—De Divers, s. 103.

604

Purity oj Intention.

[CHAP. XIX,

that she feels in the goodness of her lover frees her from
all solicitude and fear of not being sufficiently beau­
tiful, and makes her satisfied with a calm and faithful
preparation, proceeding from a good heart. Let us imi­
tate the divine Saviour, who said: Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit. When nothing remains but to die
the death of love, living no longer to ourselves, but pro­
curing that Jesus Christ may live in us, by saying: Let
this be done, O Lord, because it is pleasing to Thee.
And here, let it be observed, that it is better and safer
to act through a motive of doing the will of God, than
with the intention of promoting his glory; because we
shall thus escape all the delusions of self-love. Under
the pretence of seeking the glory of God, we often do
our own will; but on the other hand, when we endeavor
to do the divine will, and what is most pleasing to God,
we can never err. And let us be persuaded, that the
greatest glory we can give to God consists in doing his
will. It was thus our Saviour always acted, doing as he
several times declared, all things in order to do the will
of his eternal Father: I seek not my own ίοill, but the will of
him that sent med In another place, he says: I do always
the things that please himd Hence, of Jesus it was justly
said, that he had done all things well.1*3 And, says St.
John Chrysostom,4 if we imitate his example, and suc­
ceed in pleasing God, what else need we seek ? If you
have been worthy of doing anything pleasing to God,
what better reward do you require? Does it appear to
you a small thing, that you, a miserable creature, should
be able to give pleasure to God ?
1 “ Non quæro voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit me.”
—John, v. 30.
8 “ Ego, quæ placita sunt ei, facio semper.”—John, viii. 29.
3 “ Bene omnia fecit.”—Mark, vii. 37.
4 "Si dignus fueris agere aliquid quod Deo placet, aliam, praeter id,
mercedem requiris?”—De Compunct. 1. 2.

CHAP. XIX.]

Purity of Intention.

605

Let us be persuaded, that the Lord does not demand
of us great things, but only that we present to him the
little we do, with a pure intention. St. Augustine’ says
that if, because you are poor, you have nothing to give
to God, your will affords much to give him, if you
offer him what you do through the sole motive of pleas­
ing him. To every soul the Lord says: Put me as a seat
upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm? If you wish to
please me, put me as a seal upon your heart, and upon
your arm; that is, make my pleasure the sole end of all
your desires, and of all your actions. The Lord goes so
far as to say, that a person that acts for the sole end
of pleasing him, becomes his sister and his spouse, and
wounds his heart with the wound of love, so that he can­
not but love her.
Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister,
my spouse: thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy eyes?
By one of her eyes, is signified the sole object of the
soul to do the divine will in all its exercis'es; in making·
meditation only to please God, in going to Communion
only to give pleasure to God, obeying Superiors only
to obey God, recognizing God in them, as the Apostle
says: Serving as to the Lord, and not to men? Thus the
soul does all its actions in order to give glory to God,
fulfilling the advice of the same Apostle: Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the
glory of God.6
The Venerable Beatrix of the Incarnation, once a
spiritual child of St. Teresa, used to say: “No price can
be an equivalent for the smallest action done for God.”
1 4 Si non habet arca quod donet, habet cor et voluntas.”
3 “ Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super
brachium tuum.”—Cant, viii, 6.
3 “ Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea sponsa; vulnerasti cor meum in
uno oculorum tuorum.”—Cant. iv. 9.
4 “Servientes sicut Domino, et non hominibus.”—Eph. vi. 7.
4 “ Sive ergo manducatis, sive bibitis, sive aliud quid facitis, omnia in
gloriam Dei facite.”—1 Cor. x. 31.

606

Purity of Intention.

[chap. xix.

She had just reason to say so, for all actions performed
to please God are acts of divine love that deserve an
eternal reward. Hence, Father Rodriguez has written,
that purity of intention is a celestial alchymy, that
changes iron into gold; that is, it converts into the gold
of holy charity the meanest works, such as eating,
sleeping, working, or recreation. Hence, St. Mary Mag­
dalene de Pazzi was of opinion that the person that per­
formed all his actions with a pure intention would go
straight to heaven, without passing through purgatory.
Be careful, O blessed spouse of the Lord, from the
moment you awake in the morning, to direct all the
actions of the day to God, offering them in union with
the actions that our Saviour performed during his mortal
life; thus your works will be more acceptable to God.
Endeavor to renew your intention at the beginning of
every action at least at the beginning of the principal
actions, such as your meditations, Communions, hearing
Mass, work, meals, and recreation; saying always, at
least mentally: “ Lord, in this action I intend not my
own pleasure, but only the accomplishment of Thy
will.” A holy hermit, as St. Jure relates,1 was accus­
tomed to raise his eyes to heaven, and to remain in that
posture for a little time before he began any action.
Being asked why he did so, he said: “I am endeavoring
to direct my aim.” He meant to say, that as the archer
looks towards the mark in order to direct the arrow, so
it is necessary to raise our eyes to God, that all our
actions may be holy. In the course of our employ­
ments, it is advisable to renew, from time to time, our
intention of pleasing God. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi,
when she saw a novice employed at any work, would say
to her: “ Sister, for what end do you perform that ac­
tion ?” And if the novice did not instantly answer that
she did it for God, the saint would reprove her. Should
1 Knoivl. and Love. b. 3, ch. 15, s. 3.

* 1<

CHAP. XIX.]

Purity of Intention.

607

you find yourself engaged in occupations prescribed by
obedience, be not uneasy, because you cannot spend
that time in prayer as you would wish. Father Bal­
thasar Alvarez, being one day very much occupied, ^nd
desiring to finish his work, in order to go to prayer,
heard our Lord say: “Although you are not with me,
let it be sufficient for you to be employed for me.” 1
The days of those that do all their actions for God
shall, as the Psalmist has said, be full days: And full
days shall he found in them
*
By full days he meant days
that are entirely employed in pleasing God On the
other hand, days that are not spent for God are empty
days. Hence the Psalmist says that the wicked do not
live half their days: Bloody and deceitful men shall not live
out half their days? A holy Franciscan, as we read in the
Chronicles, being asked how long he was a religious,
answered: “Ah! unhappy me, I have worn this holy
habit for seventy-five years, but I know not how long I
have been a religious, not in name but in truth: I can­
not say that I have been a true religious even for a single
moment.” Would to God that what he said through
humility might not be said with truth by some who
have been more than thirty years in religion, and have
not as yet begun to be religious.
Hence, St. Eusebius said: “Consider that you have
lived only for the days on which your actions have had
the light of purity;”1
*34 that is, on which your actions
have been performed through the sole motive of pleasing
God. Examine your conduct, then, dear sister, and see
how many of your actions are really pure, are done
solely for God, and free from all self-love; and should
1 Life, ch. 2.
’ “ Explevit tempora multa.”—Wïsd. iv. 13.
3 “Viri sanguinum et dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos.”—Ps. liv. 24·
4 “ Illum diem vixisse te computa, qui puritatis habuit lucem.”—
Ad Monach. hom. 9.

608

Purity of Intention.

[CHAP. XIX.

you find that hitherto they have not been pure, endeavor
henceforward to perform them through the sole motive
of pleasing God, and thus you will have the happiness
of hearing from the Lord on the day of your death:
Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things;
enter thou into the joy of the Lord' Rejoice, my good
servant, because you have been faithful in a few things,
by performing your works through the sole motive of
pleasing me, I will give you many and great rewards.

Prayer.

O my Jesus, when shall I cease to be ungrateful to Thee
When shall I begin to love Thee with a true love? Oh! in­
finite Goodness, so unknown and despised in this world! I am
sorry that I have miserably been among the number of so many
ungrateful souls. But I do not wish to die among them. Lord,
assist me; make me entirely Thine before I die. Give me Thy
love—a fervent love, that will make me forget all creatures to
remember Thee only : a strong love that will make me conquer
all difficulties, when there is question of giving pleasure to
Thee; a perpetual love that will never more be dissolved be­
tween me and Thee. I love Thee, my dear Redeemer, and I
hope for every grace through the blood Thou hast shed for me.
I hope for all things from thy intercession also, O Mary, my
refuge, my mother, and my hope.
1 “ Euge, serve bone et fidelis; quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super
multa te constituam.”—Matt. xxv. 21.

CHAP. XX.]

Prayer,

609

CHAPTER XX.
PRAYER.

I have several times treated of prayer in my other
spiritual works: in a little treatise at the end of the vol­
ume that contains the Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament,
in the Preparation for Deaths and especially in a book
that I have written on prayer, entitled the Great Means
of Prayer, in which I have spoken of the necessity of
prayer for all, in order to obtain salvation.
In this place I will only collect the principal reflec­
tions on prayer. We shall see, in the first place, the
necessity of prayer; in the second place, its efficacy before
God to obtain every grace; and in the third place, we
shall treat of the manner in which we must pray.
I. With regard to the necessity of prayer: it is neces­
sary to be persuaded that we cannot perform any good
action without the actual graces of God. But the Lord
declares that these graces he gives only to those who
ask them of him: Ask and it shall be given youd He, then,
says St. Teresa, who does not ask, will not receive.
For adults, prayer is necessary, as a matter of strict
precept. We ought, says Jesus Christ, always to pray'
Pray, lest ye enter into temptation' Ask, and you shall re­
ceived The words, we ought, pray,
according to St.
Thomas, and the generality of theologians, imply a strict
precept that binds under pain of grievous sin. “ Every
man,” says the angelic Doctor, “ is bound to pray, be­
cause he is bound to procure spiritual goods, which can1
3
8
4

“ Petite, et accipietis.”—John, xvi. 24.
“ Oportet semper orare.”—Luke, xviii. 1.
“ Orate ut non intretis in tentationem.”—Mark, xiv. 38.
“ Petite, et dabitur vobis.”—Matt. vii. 7.

610

Prayer.

[CHAP. xx.

not be obtained unless they are asked.” 1 A person is
obliged to pray, particularly in three cases: first, when
he finds himself in the state of sin; secondly, when he is
in danger of death; thirdly, when he is assailed by any
violent temptation. Theologians teach, that ordinarily
he who neglects prayer for a month, or at most for two
months, is guilty of a mortal sin.2
Prayer is necessary, not only as a matter of strict pre­
cept, but, according to St. Basil, St. Augustine, St. John
Chrysostom, Clement of Alexandria, and others, it is
also necessary as a means of salvation, without which it
is absolutely impossible for us to preserve ourselves in
the grace of God, and to be saved. “ It is simply im­
possible,” says St. John Chrysostom, “ to lead, without
the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.”3 Hence, Lessius con­
cludes that it must be held as of faith, that prayer is
necessary for adults, as appears from the Scriptures?
The angelic Doctor teaches the same: “After bap­
tism,” he says, “ continual prayer is necessary for a man,
in order to enter heaven.” 5 Because, adds the saint,
though sins are cancelled by baptism, we still have
temptations to conquer, which we shall not have strength
to overcome without prayer. Hence he says in another
place: “After a person is justified by grace, he requires
to ask of God the gift of perseverance, that he may be
preserved from evil to the end of life.”6
1 “ Ad orationem quilibet tenetur, ex hoc ipso quod tenetur ad bona
spiritualia sibi procuranda: quæ procurari non possunt, nisi a Deo
petantur.”—In 4 Sent. d. 15, q. 4, a. I.
2 Lessius, De Inst. 1. 2, c. 37, d. 3.
3 “ Simpliciter impossibile est, absque precationis præsidio, cum
virtute degere,”—De or. Deo, 1. 1.
4 * ‘ Fide tenendum est orationem adultis ad salutem esse necessariam.”
—Loco cit.
6 “ Post Baptismum autem necessaria est homini jugis oratio, ad
hoc quod coelum introeat.”—P. 3. q, 39, a. 5.
6 “ Postquam aliquis est justificatus per gratiam, necesse habet a Deo
petere perseverantiæ donum, ut scilicet custodiatur a malo usque ad
finem vitæ.”—1. 2, q. 109, a. 10.

CHAP. XX.]

Prayer.

611

To understand the reason of this doctrine, it is neces­
sary to know, first, that without a special aid from God
we cannot continue for a long time in his grace without
falling into mortal sin. For we have so many enemies
that continually combat against us, and we are at the
same time so weak, that if God does not assist us with
special helps, or if he gives us only the common graces
given to all, we shall not have strength to resist. This
is even a dogma of faith defined by the Council of
Trent in the following words: “ If any one shall say
that a person who has been justified can, without special
aid from God, persevere in the justice which he has re­
ceived, or cannot persevere with such aid, let him be
anathema.”1 It is necessary to know, secondly, that
this special aid to persevere in grace (at least, ordinarily
speaking) is given only to those who ask it. “ It is evi­
dent,” says St. Augustine, “ that God gives, even to those
that do not pray, some gifts, such as the beginning of
faith; and that he prepares other graces, such as per­
severance to the end, only for those who ask them.”’
In a word, the holy Doctor says, that except the first
graces, such as vocation to the faith or to repentance,
all other graces, and particularly perseverancè, God
gives only to him who prays for them.
Let us, then, from all that has been said, infer the
strict necessity of prayer for the attainment of salvation.
All the reprobate have been damned in consequence of
their neglect of prayer; had they prayed they should not
be lost; and all the saints have become saints by prayer;
had they neglected prayer, they would not have become12
1 “ Si quis dixerit justificatum, vel sine speciali auxilio Dei in
accepta justitia perseverare posse, vel cum eo non posse, anathema sit.”
—0λγ.γ. 6, can. 22.
2 “ΧΖοηΒΐηΙ alia Deum dare etiam non orantibus, sicut initium fidei;
alia non nisi orantibus préparasse, sicut usque in finem perseverantiam.”
De Dono pers. c. i6.

612

Prayer.

[CHAP. xx.

saints, and should not be saved. We must live in the
persuasion, St. John Chrysostom says, that to neglect
prayer, and to lose the life of the soul, or the grace of
God, are one and the same thing.' The ancient Fathers
held a conference in order to determine what exercise
is most necessary for a Christian, in order to obtain sal­
vation, and they came to the conclusion that it consists
in continually repeating the prayer of David: Incline
unto my aid, O God ; O Lord, make haste to help med Lord
assist me, and hasten to my aid, for if Thou delay Thy
assistance, I shall fall, and lose Thy grace. If we do
this, we shall be certainly saved; if we neglect to do it,
we shall be certainly lost.
II. In the second place, it is necessary to examine the
efficacy of prayer. Theodoret says that prayer is one,
but can obtain all blessings: “ Prayer, though one, can
do all things.” He that prays, obtains whatsoever he
wishes. And in this it appears to me that God displays
the immense love that he bears us, and his ardent desire
to promote our welfare. What greater love can a per­
son show to a friend than to say to him, Friend, ask
what you wish from me, and I will grant your petition.
This God says to each of us: Ask, and it shall be given you!
He makes no exception: You shall ask whatever you will,
and it shall be done unto you d He tells us to ask whatso­
ever we desire, and promises that our prayer shall be
heard. St. John Climacus asserts that prayer is so
powerful before God, that it, as it were, constrains him
to give us all the graces we ask.5 Devout prayer does
1 “ Persuasum habeamus quod animæ mors sit, non provolvi ad Dei
genua.”—De or. Deo, 1. I.
’ “ Deus, in adjutorium meum intende; Domine ad adjuvandum me
festina.”—Ps. Ixix. i.
3 “ Petite, et dabitur vobis.”—Luke, xi. 9.
4 “ Quodcumque volueritis, petetis, et fiet vobis.
John, xv. 7.
6 “ Oratio pie Deo vim infert.”—Seat. par. gr. 28.

chap,

xx.]

Prayer,

613

violence to God. We are, as David says, poor mendi­
cants: But I am a beggar and poor' But to be rich de­
pends on ourselves: let us ask graces of God, and they
shall be given us: let us ask them frequently, and they
shall be poured upon us abundantly. David blessed
the Lord in a special manner for his goodness in always
uniting his mercy to our prayers. Blessed be God, who
hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me?
St. Augustine explains this passage in these words:
“When you see that your prayer has not been turned
away, be assured that the mercy of God is not turned
away from you.” 3 XVhen you see that you pray, be cer­
tain that the divine mercy will not fail to assist you.
And St. John Chrysostom says that when we pray, the
Lord hears us before the conclusion of our prayers.4
For this, we have even God’s own promise: As they are
yet speaking I will hear?
III. Let us, in the third place, examine what is of the
greatest importance, the conditions with which it is nec­
essary to pray.
i. It is necessary, in the first place, to pray with humil­
ity. God, says St. James, resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble? God rejects the prayers of the
proud, and does not listen to them; their pride is a wall
that hinders the Lord to hear their petitions. But, on
the other hand, Ecclesiasticus says that the prayer of him
that humblcth himself shall pierce the clouds, . . . and he will
1 “ Ego autem mendicus sum et pauper.”—Ps. xxxix. iS.
2 “ Benedictus Deus, qui non amovit orationem meam et misericor­
diam suam a me.”—Ps. Ixv. 20.
3 “ Cum videris non a te amotam deprecationem tuam, securus esto,
quia non est a te amota misericordia ejus.”
4 “ Semper obtinetur, etiam dum adhuc oramus.”
* “ Adhuc illis loquentibus. ego audiam.”—Is. Ixv. 24.
6 “ Deus superbis resistit; humilibus autem dat gratiam.”—fames,
iv. 6.

614

[chap. xx.

Prayer.

not depart till the Most High behold' The prayer of an
humble soul that esteems itself unworthy of being
heard penetrates the heavens, and is presented at the
throne of God; and it departs not till God beholds and
hears its petitions. When, therefore, we ask the divine
graces, we must first cast a glance at our own unworthi­
ness, particularly at the frequent infidelities into which,
because we trusted too much in our own strength, we
have fallen, after so many resolutions and promises.
/\nd, full of diffidence in ourselves, we should pray and
implore of the divine mercy the aid of which we stand
in need.
2. It is necessary to pray with confidence. Ecclesiasti­
cus says that no one has ever trusted in the Lord and
has been confounded 01 not heard. No one hath hoped
in the Lord, and hath been confounded} We should, as St.
James says, pray without wavering, and with a secure
confidence of being heard. Let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering} The Apostle adds: For he that wavereth, is like
a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the
wind. Therefore, let not that man think that he shall receive
anything of the Lord} He says that the man that prays
with a doubt of being heard, being tossed like a wave
of the sea, encouraged by one thought and disheartened
by another, shall receive nothing from the Lord. We
must, then, trust in the divine mercy, and believe that
if we pray we shall certainly receive the graces that we
ask; our prayer will then be certainly heard, and, as
our Saviour assures us, the objects of our petitions will
I

1 “ Oratio humiliantis se nubes penetrabit, ... et non discedet, do­
nec Altissimus aspiciat.”—Ecdus. xxxv. 21.
2 “ Nullus speravit in Domino, et confusus est.”—Ecdus. ii. n.
3 “ Postulet autem in fide, nihil hæsitans.”—James, i. 6.
4 “ Qui enim hæsitat, similis est fluctui maris, qui a vento movetur et
circumfertur: non ergo æstimet homo ille quod accipiat aliquid a Dom
ino.”—Ibid. 6, J.

Prayer.

CHAP. XX.]

615

surely be granted. All things whatsoever you ask when ye
pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto
you) But, says St. Augustine, how can we fear that our
prayers will not be heard when God (who is truth it­
self) has promised to hear all who pray to him?3 In
another place the saint asks, how can that God, who so
frequently exhorts us in the Scriptures to pray for his
graces, refuse what we ask of him?3 No; this is im­
possible, adds the holy Doctor, for by his promises the
Lord has obliged himself to grant us the graces that we
ask of him. “ By his promises he made himself a
debtor.” 4
But, you will say, I am a sinner, I deserve chastise­
ment and not favors; and therefore I am afraid, because
I am not worthy to be heard. But St. Thomas answers
that the efficacy of prayer to obtain the divine graces
depends not on our merits, but on the mercy of God?
Hence Jesus Christ has said: Ask and it shall be given you ;
. . . for every one that asketh receivcthd u Every one,” says
the author of the “ Imperfect Work,” “ whether he be a
just man or a sinner.” 7 The Lord has promised to hear
the prayers of all, not only of the just, but also of sin­
ners. But to remove every apprehension, our loving
Redeemer has said in another place: Amen, amen, I say
to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will
give it you ? As if he said, Sinners, you have no claim to
’“Omnia quæcumque orantes petitis, credite quia accipietis, et eve­
nient vobis.”—Mark, xi. 24.
8 “ Quis falli timeat, cum promittit Veritas?”—Conf. 1. 12, c. I.
3 “ Hortatur ut petas; negabit quod petis?’’—Serai. 61, E. B.
4 “ Promittendo, debitorem se Deus fecit.”—Serm. no, E. B.
5 “ Oratio, in impetrando, non innititur merito, sed divinæ misericor­
diae.”—2. 2, q. 178, a. 2.
6 “ Petite, et dabitur vobis; . . . omnis enim qui petit, accipit.”—
Luke, xi. 9.
1 “ Omnis, sive justus, sive peccator sit.”—In Matt. horn. iS.
b “ Amen, amen dico vobis: si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo,
dabit vobis.”—John, xvj. 27

______ _

616

Prayer.

[CHAP. XX·

be heard by my Father; ask his graces, then, in my
name; that is, through my merits, and I promise that
he will give whatsoever you ask. How consoling the
words of St. James: If any want wisdom, let him ask of
God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not)
If, says the Apostle, any of you want wisdom, that is,
the divine love, what is he to do ? Let him ask it of
God, who usually dispenses his graces with a liberal
hand; that is, he bestows greater favors than are asked
of him. He adds, and he upbraideth not f that is, when
we ask of God his gifts he does not reject our petition,
and upbraid us with the insults we have offered to him,
but appears then to forget all our ingratitude; he ac­
cepts our homage and hears our prayer.
3. It is finally necessary to pray with perseverance. St.
Hilary says that to obtain the divine graces depends
on our continuance in prayer.3 The Lord wishes to
hear some the first time, others the second, and others
the third time. Hence, since we know· not how often
we are to present our supplications in order to be heard,
we must always continue to ask the graces of which we
stand in need, and particularly the gift of final perse­
verance, which (as the Council of Trent teaches4) we
cannot merit. But St. Augustine says that it may be
merited in a certain manner by prayer; that is, by pray­
ing for it, it is infallibly obtained.5 But to obtain this
gift and to be saved, it is, as St. Thomas observes, nec­
essary for every one to ask it continually of God. “ In
order to enter heaven, continual prayer is necessary.”9
’“Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapientia, pustulet a Deo, qui dat
omnibus affluenter.”—-James, i. 5.
2 “ Non improperat.”—Ibid.
3 “ Obtinere, in sola precum mora est.”—In Matt. can. 6.
4 Sees. 6, cap. 12.
5 “ Hoc Dei donum suppliciter emereri potest.”—De Dono pers. c. 6.
6 “ Necessaria est homini jugis oratio, ad hoc quod coelum introeat.”
—P. 3. <l· 39. a· 5·

CHz\P. ΧΧ·]

Prayer.

617

And before him, our Saviour said the same: We ought to
pray always, and not to faint? And the Apostle says, pray
•without ceasing? It is not enough, says Cardinal Bellarmine, to ask the gift of perseverance once, or a few
times; in order to obtain it every day, we must ask it
every day.3 On the day we neglect tn ask it, we may
fall into sin and be lost.
St. Gregory teaches that God wishes to give us per­
severance, but in order to give it, he wishes to be im­
portuned, and as it were forced by our prayers. “ God,”
says the holy Doctor, “ wishes to be asked, he wishes to
be forced, he wishes, in a certain manner, to be over­
come by importunity.”4 This appears from the re­
peated exhortations of our Lord: Ask and you shall receive;
seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you?
Ask, seek, knock: this is necessary, particularly to obtain
strength to conquer violent temptations; we must pray
and multiply prayers until we are freed from the temp­
tations. Let us continually repeat: My Jesus, mercy;
Lord assist me; do not permit me to be separated from
Thee.
It is also necessary to ask always the spirit of prayer,
or the grace to pray continually—that great gift that
God had promised to the family of David. And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers? Mark the
words, of grace, and of prayers; which mean, that prayer
is always united to the grace we desire. He who perse1 “ Oportet semper orare, et non deficere.”—Luke, xviii. i.
1 “ Sine intermissione orate.”—i 7'kess. v. 17.
3 “ Quotidie petenda est, ut quotidie obtineatur.”
4 “ Vult Deus rogari, vult cogi, vult quadam importunitate vinci.”—
In Ps. pœnit. vi.
5 “ Petite, et dabitur vobis; quærite, et invenietis; pulsate, et aperietur
vobis.”—Luke, xi. 9.
6 ‘‘ Effundam super domum David, et super habitatores Jerusalem,
spiritum gratiæ et precum.”—Zach. xii. 10.

618

Prayer.

[CHAP. xx.

veres in prayer will always be certain of not being taken
i n t he s n ares of h is e n e m i es. A net is spread in vain before the
eyes of them that have wings.' In vain, says the Wise Man,
is the net cast before the eyes of the bird; for it in­
stantly Hies away and escapes the snare. Thus, they
that pray escape all temptations; for by prayer they in­
stantly fly to God, and he delivers them.
And here let us remember that there never can beany
excuse for a sinner, who says that he fell because he had
not strength to resist; for the Council of Trent has de­
clared that “ God does not command impossibilities, but
by his precepts he admonishes you to do what you can,
and to ask what you cannot do, and he assists you that
you may be able to do it.”J God does not command
impossibilities; but in giving us bis precepts, he admon­
ishes us to do what we can with the ordinary grace that
he gives to all; and in order to be able to do what we
cannot do with the ordinary grace, he admonishes us to
ask the additional helps of which we stand in need;
and whenever we ask them, he is ready to grant them
The Lord then hears the prayers of all, because he has
promised to hearthem; but it is necessary to know that
this promise does not extend to temporal favors—such
as bodily health, the acquisition of wealth, or the at­
tainment of a post of honor, and the like. For God fre­
quently, and justly, refuses these gifts, because he knows
that they would be injurious to the soul. “The physi­
cian,” says St. Augustine, “ knows better than the patient
what is useful for him.”' It is not the sick man, but
the physician that cures his malady, that knows what is
1 “ Fnistra jacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum.”—Prov. i. 17.
2 “ Deus impossibilia non jubet; sed jubendo monet, et facere quod
possis, et petere quod non possis; et adjuvat ut possis.”—Sess. 6, cap.
11.
3 “ Quid infirmo sit utile, magis novit medicus, quam ægrotus.”—Ap.
S. Prosp. sent. 212.

CHAP. XX.]

Prayer.

619

most conducive to his recovery. If these temporal fa­
vors be the object of prayer, they should be asked with
resignation, and on condition that they will be con­
ducive to our eternal salvation; if we ask them without
this resignation, the Lord will not listen to our prayers.
But in praying for spiritual blessings, we must pray not
conditionally, but absolutely, and with a firm confidence
of obtaining them. Behold how our Saviour encour­
ages us to ask such graces: If you then, he says, being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father frow heaven give the good spirit to them that
ask it!' If you, said our Lord, who are evil, and full of
self-love, cannot refuse your children what they ask, how
much more will your heavenly Father, who loves you
more tenderly than the fondest parent loves an only son,
grant the good spirit, that is, the graces that are profit­
able to the soul, whenever you ask them from him ?
O God, how often are the prayers of certain persons
offered for temporal graces only. The time of prayer,
says St. Teresa,1
2 is not a time for treating with God on
matters of little importance. Let us ask for virtues, for
the divine light in order to fulfil the divine will: let us
ask for meekness, for patience under crosses, for perse­
verance, and for divine love, which, as St. Francis de
Sales says, contains all other good gifts: let us ask the
grace to pray always, and to recommend ourselves con­
tinually to God. “ If,” says St. Augustine, “ Thou dost
not hear these prayers of Thy servants, what wilt I hou
hear ?” 3 O my Lord, what petition wilt Thou grant, if
Thou neglect these that are so pleasing to Thee? Ah!
1 “ Si vos, cum sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis vestris, quanto
magis Pater vester de cœlodabit spiritum bonum petentibus se!”—Luke,
xi. 13.
3 Way of Pcrf. ch. 1.
3 “ Quas tuorum preces exaudis, si has non exaudis?”—-De Civ. D. I.
22, C. 8.
8

620

Prayer.

[CHAP. xx.

the Lord desires ardently to enrich us with his gifts, be­
cause he is Infinite Goodness ! So great is his desire
that, as St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi says, when we ask
his graces, he, in a certain manner, considers himself
under an obligation to us, and thanks us, because we
then give him an opportunity of satisfying his desire of
promoting our welfare. If he does not bestow his graces
upon us, the fault is ours; it is because we do not ask
them of him. He, then, that remains in his poverty, is
undeserving of compassion: he is poor because he does
not wish to ask of God the graces that are necessary for
him. Hence, St. Teresa used to say, that she would
have wished to ascend a mountain, from which she could
be heard by all men, and from which she would contin­
ually exclaim: O men, pray ! pray ! pray !
I will not dilate more on this subject, because, as I
have said in the beginning, I have written at length on
it in several places, and particularly in the little book
on prayer (which is now in the hands of many), and
therefore I will not weary those who have read it, by re­
peating the same things.
But I would wish to do nothing else than write, and
speak always on this great means of prayer: for, on the
one hand, I see that the Scriptures, the Old as well as the
New Testament, exhort us so often to pray, to ask, and
cry out, if we wish for the divine graces. Cry to me and
I will hear thee) Call on me . . . and I will deliver thee)
Ask and it shall be given you) All things whatsoever you ask
when you pray, believe that you shall receive; and they shall
come unto you) You shall ask whatsoever you will' and it shall
be done unto you) Jf you shall ask me anything in my name,
1 “ Clama ad me, et exaudiam te.”—Jer. xxxiii. 3.
3 “ Invoca me, . . . eruam te.”—Ps. xlix. 15.
3 “ Petite, et dabitur vobis.”—Matt. vii. 7.
4 “ Omnia quæcumque orantes petitis, credite quia accipietis, et eve­
nient vobis.”—Mark, xi. 24.
* “ Quodcumque volueritis, petetis, et fiet vobis. "—John, xv. 7.

CHAP. XX.]

Prayer.

621

that I will do) There are a thousand similar passages
I know not how the Lord could better declare his desire
to bestow his graces upon us, or the necessity we are
under of asking them, if we wish to obtain them. The
holy Fathers, also, continually exhort us to pray.
And to speak the truth, I complain of preachers, of
confessors, and of spiritual writers, because I see that
neither preachers, nor confessors, nor spiritual writers
speak as much as they ought of the great means of
prayer. And in so many courses of Lenten sermons,
that have been published, where shall we find a dis­
course on prayer? Scarcely do we find a few passing
words on it.
I have therefore written at length on this subject in
so many of my little works; and when I preach, I do
nothing else than say and repeat: Pray! pray! if you
wish to be saved, and to become saints. It is true that
to become saints we must have all virtues, mortification,
humility, obedience, and principally holy charity; and
to acquire these virtues, other means besides prayer are
necessary—such as meditation, Communion, holy reso­
lutions; but unless we pray, all our meditations, Com­
munions, and resolutions will not make us practise mor­
tification, humility, or obedience: we shall neither love
God, nor resist temptation; in a word, we shall do no
good. Hence, St. Paul, after having enumerated many
virtues necessary for a Christian, tells us to be instant in
prayer? in order, as St. Thomas says,3 to show that for
the attainment of the virtues of which we stand in need
it is necessary to attend to constant prayer, because
without it we shall not have the divine aid, which is
necessary for the practice of virtue.
Let us conclude. Dear sister in the Lord, if you wish
to be saved, and to become a saint, recommend yourself
1 “ Si quid petieritis me in nomine meo, hoc faciam.”—John. xiv. 14.
5 “ Orationi instantes.”—Rom. xii. 12.
3 In Rom. xii. led. 2.

622

Prayer.

[CHAP, xx

always to Jesus Christ, to his divine mother, to your an­
gel guardian, and to your holy advocates. Keep your
mouth always open, and your heart always vigilant,
saying: My God, assist me; my God, assist me; most
holy Mary, pray for me; my holy angel guardian, and
my holy advocates, assist
me.
The
great
servant
of
God,
•
_
and the great missionary, Father Leonard of Port Mau­
rice (who died a few years since at Rome, with the rep­
utation of a saint), used to say that we should not allow
a moment to pass without repeating with the tongue,
or in the mind, the little prayer, My JesuS, mercy ! My
Jesus\ mercy ! These words (he would say) contain an
act of sorrow,and a prayer for grace to sin no more. He
relates, in his most beautiful little work, The Sacred Manual
for 'Ntins, X.\ve& he knew a holy man who always repeated
these words, My Jesus, mercy! so that he sometimes re­
peated them three hundred times in a quarter of an hour.
I advise you to do the same ; endeavor to repeat this
prayer as often as you remember it; when you awake,
at your meditations, after Communion, at your work,
at your recreations, at table, and at the grate, repeat
continually: My Jesus, mercy! My Jesus, mercy ! And in
repeating it, let your intention be to say: My Jesus, by
my sins I would deserve hell, but trusting in Thy mercy
I hope for pardon, and the grace to love Thee always:
my Jesus, assist me. And do not forget to recommend
yourself to the divine Mother, who is called the treas­
urer and dispensator of the divine graces. Hence, St.
Bernard says : “ Let us ask grace, and let us ask it
through Mary ; for what she seeks she finds, and she
cannot be disappointed.” 1
Prayer.
(It would be advisable to recite the following prayer every day.)

Eternal Father, Thy Son has promised that Thou wilt grant
us all the graces that we shall ask of Thee in his name. Trust1 “ Quæramus gratiam, et per Mariam quæramus; quia, quod quærit,
invenit, et frustrari non potest.”—De Aquœd.

CHAP. XX.]

Prayer.

623

ing, then, in this great promise, I, in the name and through the
merits of Jesus Christ, ask of Thee the following graces ; and
what I ask for myself, I intend to ask for all men.
First, 1 ask the pardon of all the offences I have offered to
Thee, for which I am sorry, above all things, with my whole
heart, because I have despised Thy infinite goodness; and I
purpose to die a thousand times rather than ever more offend
Thee.
Secondly, I ask Thy divine light, which will make me see the
vanity of all the goods of this earth, and Thy infinite greatness
and goodness.
> 1
·.·'.·
Thirdly, I ask Thy holy love, which will detach me from all
creatures, and particularly from myself, that I may love nothing
but Thee, and Thy most holy will. Enkindle the fire of Thy
lave in my hear1.1
Fourthly, give me confidence in the merits of Jesus Christ,
and in the patronage of Mary.
Fifthly, 1 ask holy perseverance in Thy grace. Lord, Thou
knowest my weakness, and my frequent infidelities after so
many promises; if Thou do not constantly assist me with Thy
aid, I will again miserably lose Thy graces: my God, do not
permit this : do not permit me to be separatedfrom Thee : do not
permit me to be separated from Thee? I purpose, in all my
temptations and necessities, to have recourse to Thee; and I
am certain that as often as I recommend myself to Thee, I shall
receive Thy aid ; but I fear that 1 shall neglect to have recourse
to Thee, and that this neglect may be' the cause of my ruin.
Ah ! eternal Father, through the love which Thou dost bear to
Jesus Christ, grant me the grace of prayer, that is, the grace to
pray to Thee always for Thy aid, always repeating, My Clod, as­
sist me: my Jesus, mercy: Mary, my mother, fray for me.
To thee, in fine, I turn, O Mary, my advocate and hope ; thou
dost obtain from God whatsoever thou askest. I entreat thee,
through the love that thou bcarest to Jesus Christ, to obtain
for me holy perseverance, and the grace to recommend myself
always to thy Son, and to thee.
1 “ Tui amoris in corde meo ignem accende,”
2 “ Ne pvrmittas me separari a te.”

624 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Alary,

[ch. xxi.

CHAPTER XXI.
DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

I.

A true servant of Mary cannot be lost.

Oh ! how great the grounds of hope of the soul
that trusts in the intercession of this great Mother of
God! Behold the words that the holy Church applies
to Mary on her festivals: He that shall find me shall find
life, and shall have salvation from the Lordi He that shall
find me, says Mary, shall find the life of grace here, and
eternal glory hereafter. Addressing the divine Mother,
St. Anselm goes so far as to say that “as it is impossible
for a person not devoted to Mary, and protected by her,
to be saved, so, on the other hand, it is impossible for
him to be lost who recommends himself to Mary, and is
regarded by her with love.”3 St. Antonine says that
all those that are defended by this great Queen are
necessarily saved.3 St. Bonaventure writes that they
that obtain the protection of Mary shall, even while
they live on this earth, be acknowledged as companions
by the saints in glory, and that they that carry the badge
of servant of Mary shall be written in the book of life.4
Thus to be devoted to Mary is a mark of predestination.
The angelic Doctor says that Mary is called the Star of
the sea ; because as navigators are directed to the port
1 “ Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino.”
—Prov. viii. 35.
2 “ Sicut, o Beatissima ! omnis a te aversus et a te despectus necesse
est ut intereat, ita omnis ad te conversus et a te respectus impossibile
est ut pereat.”—Orat. 51.
3 “ Necessarium est quod hi ad quos convertit oculos suos, pro eis
advocans, justificentur et glorificentur.”—P. 4, tit. 15, c. 14, § 7.
4 “ Qui acquirit gratiam Mariæ, agnoscetur a civibus paradisi ; et qui
habuerit characterem ejus, adnotabitur in Libro vitæ. ”—Ps. B. V. ps.
9'·

ch.

xxi.] Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 625
*

by means of the pole star, so Christians are guided to
paradise by Mary?
Should a person truly devoted to Mary be lost (I will
hereafter explain what is meant by a true client of Mary),
it would be because she is either unable or unwilling to
assist him. “ But no,” says St. Bernard, “ she can neither
want the power nor the will.”3 It is impossible for a
true and persevering client of Mary to be lost; because
she can neither want the power nor the will to assist
him.
I. Let us, then, see, in the first place, how great is
Mary’s power before God in favor of her clients.
To inspire us with confidence in this great advocate,
the holy Church invokes her under the title of Powerful
Virgin? Yes, that God who is omnipotent has, as she
herself has said, given her great power. He that is
mighty hath done great things to me? Hence St. Theophilus,
Bishop of Alexandria, has written: “The Son is pleased
that the Mother should pray to him because he wishes
to grant her whatever she asks in order to repay her
for the favor received from her in giving him flesh?
St. Bridget heard Jesus say to Mary: Ask what you wish
from me, for your petition cannot be fruitless.* My mother,
ask of me what you wish; you know that I cannot re­
ject any of your petitions. He then added: “ Because
you refused me nothing on earth, I will refuse nothing
to you in heaven.”1 You refused me nothing while I
1 “Sicut per stellam maris navigantes diriguntur ad portum, ita
Christiani diriguntur per Mariam ad gloriam.”—Exp. in Sal. Ang.
2 “ Nec facultas ei deesse poterit, nec voluntas.”—Zw Assumpt. s. i.
3 “Virgo potens, ora pro nobis.”
4 “ Fecit mihi magna, qui potens est.”—Luke, i. 49.
6 Salazar, In Prov. vi ii. 18.
6 “ Pete quod vis a me ; non enim inanis potest esse petitio tua.”
1 “ Quia tu mihi nihil negasti in terra, ego tibi nihil negabo in coelo.”
—Lev. 1. 6, c. 23; 1. i, c. 24.
i

626 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. [ch. xxi
lived on earth, it is right that I refuse you nothing now
that you are with me in heaven.
But what is the principal reason why the prayers of
Mary are so powerful before God ? St. Antonine says:
11 The prayer of the Mother of God partakes of the
nature of a command; hence it is impossible that she
should not be heard.” 1 The prayers of Mary being the
prayers of a mother partake, in a certain manner, of the
nature of a command, and therefore they cannot be re
*
jected. Hence Blessed Albertus Magnus used to repeat
the words of the Church, “Show thyself a mother,”2 in
this sense: O Lady, show thyself a mother; ask thy
Son, as his mother, to have mercy on us.3 Cosmas of
Jerusalem asserts that the protection of Mary is omnipo­
tent.4 Yes, says Richard of St. Laurence, it is but just
that the mother should share in the power of the Son?
The Son is omnipotent by nature, the mother is omnipo­
tent by grace; that is, she obtains by her prayers what­
soever she wishes.
Let a sinner be ever so abandoned, says St. Gregory
of Nicomedia, if he has recourse to Mary she will save
him by her intercession. “ You have insuperable strength
lest the multitude of our sins should overcome your
clemency. Nothing resists your power; for the Creator
regards your glory as his own.”’ O mother of God,
’ “ Oratio Deiparæ habet rationem imperii ; unde impossibile est eam
non exaudiri.”—P. 4, t. 15, c. 17, § 4.
2 “ Monstra te esse Matrem.”
3 De Laud. B. M. 1. 2, p. 1.
4 “ Omnipotens auxilium tuum, o Maria !”—-Hymn. 6.
5 “ Cum autem eadem sit potestas Matris et Filii, ab omnipotente
Filio omnipotens Mater est effecta.”—De Laud. B. M. 1. 4.
6 “ Habes vires insuperabiles, ne clementiam tuam superet multitudo
peccatorum ; nihil tuæ resistit potentiæ ; tuam enim gloriam Creator
existimat esse propriam.”—Or. de Ingr. B. V.

ch.

xxi.] Devotion to the JHessed Virgin Mary. 627

thou hast invincible power, that thy clemency may not
be conquered by the multitude of sins. Nothing can
resist thy power, since the Creator regards, as his own,
the glory of his mother. Thou, then, says St. Peter
Damian, canst do all things, for thou canst inspire even
those who are in despair with hopes of salvation.1 As
often, then, as the devil tempts us to diffidence, let us
turn to Mary, and say to her, with St. Germanus,
“Thou, C) Mary, art omnipotent in saving sinners; thy
prayers are all-powerful with God because thou art the
*
V
mother of true life.” 12
II. Let us examine, in the second place, how great is
Mary’s desire to assist her clients.
Of what use, says St. Bonaventure, would Mary’s
power be to us if she had no regard for us? But, adds
the saint, let us hold for certain that as the Virgin is the
most powerful of all the saints before God, so she is the
most solicitous of all for our salvation.3 “ And who, O
Lady,” says St. Germanus, “ after thy Son, feels greater
solicitude for us than thou dost? Who defends us so
powerfully in our afflictions? Who labors so hard for
the conversion of sinners? O Mary, thy protection is
so great that we cannot comprehend it.”4* St. Andrew
Avellino used to call Mary “ the agent of paradise.”
But what does she do in heaven ? She prays continually
for us, and obtains for us all the graces that we ask.
She said one day to St. Bridget: “I am called, an di really
am, the Mother of Mercy; for such the mercy of God
has made me.”° “And who but God in his mercy, because
1 “ Nihil tibi impossibile, cui possibile est desperatos in spem beatitudinis relevare.”—In Nat. B. V. s. i.
2 In Dorm. K M. s. 2.
3 Spec. B. I7. led. 6.
4 De Zona Deip.
6 “ Ego vocor ab omnibus Mater misericordiae; vere, misericordia
Filii mei fecit me misericordem.”

628

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[ch. xxi.

he wishes to save all, has given us this great protectress.”1
Miserable, and miserable for eternity shall be the man
who is damned, because when it was in his power in
this life to invoke my intercession, neglected to have re­
course to me who am so compassionate to all.
Richard of St. Victor says that Mary is so full of
mercy that when she sees our miseries she instantly
assists us; she cannot behold a soul in want without
coming to her relief.3 It was thus she acted when she
lived on this earth, as we learn from what happened at
the marriage of Cana in Galilee. When the wine failed
she did not wait to be asked, but, taking pity on the
affliction and shame of the spouses, she besought her
Son to console them, saying, they have no wine ;3 and in­
duced him to change, by a miracle, water into wine. If,
says St. Bonaventure, Mary’s compassion for the afflicted
was so great while she lived in this world, her pity for
us is certainly far greater now that she reigns in heaven,
where she has a better knowledge of our miseries and
greater compassion for our afflictions?
Ah ! let us not neglect to have recourse, in all our ne­
cessities, to the divine mother, who is always prepared
to assist all who invoke her intercession. “ You will
find her,” says Richard of St. Laurence, “always ready
to help us.”5 Bernardine da Bustis adds that whenever
we have recourse to her, we shall find her hands full of
mercies and graces.0 Richard of St. Victor says, that
1 “ Ideo miser erit, qui ad misericordiam, cum possit, non accedit.”—
Bev. 1. 2, c. 23.
2 “ A Deo pietate replentur ubera, ut, alicujus miseriæ notitia tacta
lac fundant misericordiæ, nec possis miserias scire, et non subvenire.”
—Zw Cant. c. 23.
3 “ Vinum non habent.”—John, ii. 3.
4 “ Magna erga miseros fuit misericordia Mariæ adhuc exsulantis in
mundo; sed multo major est regnantis in coelo.”—Spec. B. y, iect, 10.
5 “ Inveniet semper paratam auxiliari.”—De Laud. B. M. 1. 2, p. 1.
6 “ Invenies eam in manibus plenam misericordia et largitate.”_ Mar.
p. 2, s. 5.

ch. XXL]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

62P

Mary’s heart is so full of compassion, that as soon as she
perceives the wants of the miserable, she anticipates
their supplications, and obtains relief for them before
they ask it.1 Why, then, says St. Bernard, should we
fear that when we have recourse to Mary she will not
console us ? She is not austere, she does not inspire
terror; she is all sweetness and benignity to those who
recommend themselves to her? And can she be other­
wise than beneficent to those who ask her prayers, when
she herself goes in search of the miserable to save
them? Behold how she invites all, and encourages
them to hope for all good if they have recourse to her:
In me is all hope of life and of virtue : come over to me all!
On this passage Pelbart says: “ She calls all, the just
and sinners.” 4 The devil, according to St. Peter, goes
about seeking whom he may devour,5 but this divine
mother, says Bernardine da Bustis, goes about seeking
whom she may save.6
To obtain salvation through her intercession, it is
enough to ask the aid of her prayers. A holy soul used
to say, that to receive the divine graces it is sufficient to
ask Mary to obtain them for us. St. Bonaventure has
written that Mary’s desire for our welfare and salvation
is so great, that she is offended not only with those who
do her a positive injury, but also with those who do not
ask favors from her.1 Hence the saint used to say, that
1 ‘ ‘ Velocius occurrit ejus pietas, quam invocetur, et causas mise­
rorum anticipat.”—In Cant. s. 23.
2 “Quid ad Mariam recurrere trepidet humana fragilitas? nihil aus­
terum in ea, nihil terribile; tota suavis est.”—In Sign. magn.
3 “ In me omnis spes vitæ et virtutis; transite ad me omnes.”—
Ecclus. xxiv. 25.
4 “ Omnes, justos et peccatores, invitat.”—Stell. B. Γ. 1. I, p. 4, a.
i, c. 4.
5 “ Circuit quærens quem devoret.”—1 Pet. v. 8.
e “ Ipsa semper circuit quærens quem salvet.”—Mar. p. 3, s. 1.
t 1 “ In te. Domina, peccant, nom solum qui tibi injuriam irrogant, sed
etiam qui te non rogant.”

630

Devotion to the Btesscd I irgin Alary.

ICH. xxi.

when he looked at Mary he beheld mercy itself stretch­
ing out its hands to raise him up from his miseries.1
For, he would add, this great Lady knows not, and has
never known, how to behold without compassion, or to
leave without succor, a person in misery who recom­
mends himself to her.2
Mary’s constant occupation in heaven consists in ask­
ing mercy for the miserable. St. Bridget once heard
Jesus say to his holy mother: “ My mother, ask what
you wish from me.” ‘ And what was Mary’s answer?
“I ask mercy for the miserable.”4 As if she said: My
Son, since thou hast made me Mother of Mercy, and ad­
vocate of the miserable, what else shall I ask from Thee
than mercy for those who are in misery ? And because
poor sinners are the most miserable of all, she has her
eyes always turned to them in order to assist them.
David says that the eyes of the Lord are upon the just,6
and according to Richard of St. Laurence, this Mother
of mercy has her merciful eyes as well upon th e just as
upon sinners. This author says that she treats us as a
mother treats her child; a mother always keeps her
eyes on her child to prevent him from falling, and to
raise him up should he fall.
*
The Lord has constituted Mary the universal advo­
cate of all. “As,” says Idiota, “she is the queen of all,
so she is the advocate of all.”7 Denis the Carthusian
1 “ Certe, Domina, cum te aspicio, nihil nisi misericordiam cerno.”—
Stint. ani. p. 3. c. 19.
* “Ipsa enim non misereri ignorat, et miseris non satisfacere nun­
quam scivit.”—Stim. ani. p. 3, c. 13.
3 “ Mater, pete quod vis.”—Rev. ]. 6, c. 23.
4 “Misericordiam peto miseris.”—Rev. 1. 1, c. 50.
5 “Oculi Domini super justos.”—Ps. xxxiii. 16.
6 “ Oculi Dominæ super justos et peccatores, sicut oculi matris super
puerum, ne cadat, et. si cecederit, ut eum relevet.”—De Laud. B. RR J,
2, p. 2.
7 “ Sicut est omnium Regina, sic et omnium Advocata.”—Cont. de V.
Af. in prol.
*
9

ch. xxi.]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

631

says that she is, in a special manner, the advocate of
sinners, because the guilty stand in greater need of
succor than the innocent; hence he calls her the advo­
cate of all sinners who invoke her intercession.1 And
before him, St. John Damascene called Mary “the city
of refuge for all who fly to her.” * Hence St. Bonaven­
ture says: “ Poor abandoned sinners, do not despair,
raise your eyes to Mary,”123 and be comforted, trusting
in the clemency of this good mother, for she will rescue
you from the shipwreck you have suffered and will con­
duct you to the haven of salvation. Let us then say
with St. Thomas of Villanova: “ O holy Virgin, since
thou art fhe advocate of the miserable, assist us who
are the most miserable of all.” 4* “ Let us,” says St.
Bernard, “ ask grace, and ask it through Mary.” 6 The
grace that we have lost she has found, says Richard of
St. Laurence; we, then, should go to her in order to
recover it.6 When the Archangel Gabriel announced
to Mary that God had chosen her to be the mother of
the Word, he said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast
found grace with God.' But how can that be ? Mary
was never deprived of grace; on the contrary, she was
always full of grace; how, then, could the angel say
that she had found grace ? Cardinal Hugo answers,
that she did not find grace for herself,.because she al1 “ Advocata omnium iniquorum ad cam confugientium.”—De Laud.
V. 1. 2, a. 23.
2 “ Ego Civitas refugii omnium ad me confugientium.”—De Dorm.
B. V. or. 2.
3 “ Respirate ad illam, perditi peccatores, et perducet vos ad por­
tum.”—Psalt. B. V. f>s. xviii.
4 “ Eja ergo, Advocata nostra ! officium tuum imple.”—In Nat. B. V.
cone. 3.
e “ Quæramus gratiam, et per Mariam quæramus.”—De Aquied.
6 “Cupientes invenire gratiam, quæramus inventricem gratiæ.”—D<.
Laud. B. M. 1. 2, p. 5.
1 “ Ne timeas, Maria; invenisti enim gratiam.”—Luke, i. 30.

632 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

ich. xxi.

ways possessed it, but she found it for us who had mis­
erably lost it. Hence he says that in order to recover
it, we should go to Mary and say to her: O Lady, prop­
erty should be restored to him who has lost it; the
grace which thou hast found is not thine, for thou hast
always possessed it, it is ours, we have lost it; to us,
then, thou shouldst restore it. Behold the Cardinal’s
words: “Sinners, who by your sins have forfeited the
divine grace, run, run to the Virgin, and say to her with
confidence: Restore to us our property which you have
found.”1
'
-.srfx
Oh ! if all sinners had recourse to Mary, with a de­
termination to amend their lives, who should ever be
lost? They that have not recourse to Mary are lost.
St. Bridget heard our Saviour say to his mother: “ You
would show mercy even to the devil were he to ask it
with humility.”1
2 The proud Lucifer will never humble
himself so far as to recommend himself to Mary; but
were he to humble himself to this divine mother, and
ask her aid, she would not cast him off, but would de­
liver him from hell by her intercession. By these words
Jesus gives us to understand that Mary obtains salva­
tion for all that have recourse to her. Hence St. Basil
calls her “ a public hospital.” 3 Public hospitals are es­
tablished for the poor that are afflicted with sickness,
and the greater the poverty of the invalid, the stronger
his claim to admission. Hence, according to St. Basil,
Mary should receive with the greatest promptness the
most abandoned sinners that have recourse to her.
Ah ! says St. Bernard, this great queen feels no horror
1 “ Currant igitur, currant peccatores ad Virginem; qui gratiam amis­
erunt peccando, secure dicant: Redde nobis rem nostram, quam inve­
nisti.”—In Luc. i.
5 “ Etiam diabolo exhiberes misericordiam, si humiliter peteret.”—
Rcv. extr. c. 50.
3 “ Publicum Valetudinarium "

ch.

xxi.]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

633

for any sinner, however great the stench of his sins; if
the miserable man flies to her protection, she disdains
not to stretch forth her hand and to rescue him
from the state of perdition.1 Our Lord revealed to St.
Catharine of Sienna, that he had chosen Mary to draw
men, and particularly sinners, to his love? Mary her­
self said to St. Bridget, that there is no sinner, however
abandoned by God, for whom, if he invoke her aid, she
will not obtain the grace to return to God, and find
mercy.3 She also said that as the magnet attracts iron,
so she draws to herself and to God the hardest hearts?
The holy Church wishes that we call this divine
mother our hope.” The impious Luther said that he
could not bear to hear the Church teaching us to call
Mary our hope; God only, he said, is our hope; and
God himself curses them who place their hopes in any
creature. Yes, God curses those that trust in creatures
independently of him, but we hope in Mary as a medi­
atress with God. For, says St. Bernard, God has placed
in the hands of Mary all the treasures of the goods that
he wishes to dispense to men.® Hence the Lord wishes
us to acknowledge that all good comes from Mary; for
he has ordained
that
all
the
graces
that
he
will
give
us
«
should pass through the hands of Mary. Hence St.
Bernard called her his greatest confidence, and the en’ “Tu peccatorem, quantumlibet foetidum, non horres; si ad te sus­
piraverit, tu illum a desperationis barathro pia manu retrahis.”—Depr.
ad B. V.
2 “ Ipsa est a me velut esca dulcissima electa, in capiendis hominibus,
et animabus præcipue peccatorum.”—Dial. c. 139.
3 “ Nullus ita alienatus est a Deo, qui, si me invocaverit, non rever­
tatur ad Deum et habiturus sit misericordiam.”—Rev. 1. 6, c. 10.
4 “ Sicut magnes attrahit ferrum, sic ego attraho Deo dura corda.”—
Rev. 1. 3, c. 32.
6 “ Spes nostra ! salve.”
4 “ Totius boni plenitudinem posuit in Maria, ut proinde, si quid spei
in nobis est, si quid gratiæ, si quid salutis, ab ea noverimus redundare.”
—De A quad.

634 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,

[ch.xxi.

tire ground of his hope.’ St. Bonaventure called Mary
the salvation of them who invoke her.3 Hence accord­
ing to St. Bonaventure, to be saved it is enough to in­
voke Mary. Whenever, then, the devil terrifies us with
the fear of being lost, let us say to Mary with the same
saint: “In thee, O Lady, have I hoped; may I not be
confounded forever.”3
In thee, after Jesus, I have
placed all my hopes ; thou hast to watch over my sal­
vation, and to deliver me from hell. But, says St.
Anselm, hell is not the lot of any true client of Mary,
for whom she prays even once, and says to her Son that
she wishes him to be saved/
2. What are the True Servants of Mary.

I have said that no one truly devoted to Mary is lost.
But in order to escape illusion, let us examine what is
necessary in order to be a true client of Mary.
I. In the first place, a good intention of changing
one’s life, and a will to offend God no more, are neces­
sary. To the Princess Matilda, St. Gregory VII. wrote:
“ Put an end to the will of sinning, and I promise you
that you will find Mary more willing than any carnal
mother to assist you.” 5 The Virgin herself said one
day to St. Bridget these consoling and encouraging
words to sinners: “ Let a sinner be ever so abandoned,
if he come to me I am ready to receive him the mo­
ment he returns. Nor do I attend to the sins he has
committed, but only to the intention with which he
comes to me. If he come with a desire to change his
life, I will not disdain to apply a remedy and heal his
1 “ Hæc mea maxima fiducia, hæc tola ratio spei meæ.”—De A quad.
s “ O Salus te invocantium !”—Cant, post Psalt.
3 “ In te, Domina, speravi; non confundar in æternum.”
4 “ Æternum væ non sentiet ille, pro quo semel oraverit Maria.”
6 “ Pone finem involuntate peccandi, et invenies Mariam, indubitan­
ter promitto, promptiorem carnali matre in tui dilectione.”—Lib. I, ep.
47.

ch.xxi.]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

wounds; for I am called, and truly am, the Mother of
Mercy.” 1 Mother of Mercy ! that is, her clemency and
her compassion for our miseries incline her to love and
assist us with more than maternal tenderness. But she
herself declared to the same St. Bridget, that she is a
mother only to those that wish to amend their lives?
Hence Mary is not a mother to obstinate sinners.
Should any one find himself bound by any passion, and
not as yet resolved to renounce sin, but desirous of
being delivered from it, let him pray to Mary to obtain
aid for him to break the chain of hell, and let him at
least endeavor to begin to resist the passion and to re­
move the occasion; and this good Lady will stretch out
her hand and will comfort him. This St. Bridget heard
from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself. Addressing
Mary he said: “ To him that endeavors to emerge from
sin in order to return to God, you, my mother, give aid;
you do not allow any one to depart from you without
consolation.” 3
II. In the second place, to be a true client of Mary, it
is necessary to secure her protection by prayers and
other acts of devotion. It is true that she prays for all;
but she always prays most efficaciously for those among
her servants that honor her most. And remember, says
St. Andrew of Crete, that because she is most grateful
and liberal, she repays with great graces every little
act of devotion that we perform in her honor? Let us,
1 “ Quantamctimque homo peccet, si ex vera emendatione reversus
fuerit statim parata sum recipere revertentem ; nec attendo quantum
peccaverit, sed cum quali voluntate venit ; nam non dedignor ejus plagas
ungere et sanare, quia vocor (et vere sum) Mater misericordiæ.”—Rev.
1. 2, c. 23: 1. 6, c. 17.
'J “ Ego sum quasi Mater se volentium emendare.”—Rev. 1. 4, c. 13S.
3 “ Conanti surgerc ad Deum tribuis auxilium, et neminem relinquis
vacuum a consolatione.”—Rev. 1. 1, c. 19.
4 “ Cum sit magnificentissima, solet maxima pro minimis dare.”—In
Dorm. B. V. s. 3.
9

1

636 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. [ch. xxi.
then, see the acts of devotion that we may perform in
honor of this our most loving mother.
i. Say every morning at rising, and every evening
before going to bed, three “ Hail Marys” in honor of the
purity of Mary, adding: O Mary, through thy pure and
immaculate conception, obtain for me purity of body
and sanctity of soul. And place yourself under her
protection, that she may preserve you from sin during
the day and during the night. Salute her also with a
“ Hail Mary” as often as the clock strikes, and when­
ever you leave or return to the cell, or pass by any of
her images; and endeavor at the beginning of every
action (whether spiritual or temporal), to salute her
with a “ Hail Mary.” Blessed will be the actions that
are begun and terminated by a “ Hail Mary.” When
we salute this great Queen, particularly with the An­
gelical Salutation, which is so pleasing to her, she al­
ways obtains for us in return some favor from heaven.
2. Do not omit to say the Rosary every day, or at
least five decades of it. This is a devotion practised
generally by all the faithful, even by seculars, and has
been favored by the sovereign Pontiff with immense
indulgences. But observe, that to gain the indulgences
of the Rosary, it is necessary to accompany the recital
of it with the consideration of the mysteries. Moreover,
if your name is inscribed in the Confraternity of the
Rosary, you may gain many more indulgences. Some
religious also say the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.
You might at least say, along with the Rosary, the
Office of the name of Mary, which consists of five
psalms. Say also, every day, three “ Our Fathers” and
“ Hail Marys” in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, for the
graces bestowed on Mary. The Blessed Virgin once
revealed that this devotion is very pleasing to her.
3. Fast every Saturday, and on the vigils of all the
festivals of Mary ; and if you cannot fast on bread and

ch. xxi.]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 637

water, fast at least in the ordinary way, or eat only of
one dish, or abstain from something that you feel a de­
sire to eat. Perform some mortification on Saturday,
which is the day dedicated by the Church to the honor
of the divine mother.
4. Make every day a visit to some image of your
Queen ; and in your visit ask Mary to obtain for you
holy perseverance, and the love of Jesus Christ.
5. Do not let a day pass without reading at least a
small portion of a book that treats of Mary. There are
many books of this kind—True Devotion towards the
Blessed Virgin, by Father Crasset; Mutual Affections be­
tween Mary and her Clients, by Father Auriemma ; The
Devout Servant of Mary, by Segneri ; Affections to Mary,
by Nieremberg : there are many others that you can
read. I, too, have written a work on the Virgin, en­
titled The Glories of Mary, of which several editions
have been published.
6. Perform devoutly the Novenas of the festivals of
the Virgin. You can practise the following devotions
in these Novenas: first, an additional meditation of half
an hour ; secondly, recite the “ Hail Mary” and “Glory
be to the Father” nine times, in honor of the Virgin. I
do not advise many vocal prayers, because I would
rather see you make many acts of love, or many peti­
tions to Jesus and Mary. For example, I love Thee, O
my Jesus; I love thee, O Mary, my Mother; or, Mary,
mother of God. pray to Jesus for me. You can make a
hundred, or at least fifty, of these acts or prayers in the
day. Thirdly, visit each day the image of the Virgin
three times, and at each visit repeat the preceding acts
of love, or prayers, and at the end of the visit ask some
particular grace for the benefit of your soul. Fourthly,
endeavor, but with the advice of your confessor, to
communicate more frequently during the Novenas.
Fifthly, on these days perform some particular act of

638 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[ch. xxi.

mortification, by the use of the discipline or little
chains ; or by fasting, or at least by abstaining from
fruit, or from something else ; and on the vigil, fast, if
you can, on bread and water. I recommend to you the
following excellent devotion. Among the festivals of
Mary, select one to which you feel most devoted, such
as the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation, the
Assumption, or the Feast of Sorrows (to which all
should have a special devotion), and after Communion
on the festival you select, offer yourself in a special
manner to serve her, choosing her for your mistress and
mother, asking pardon of your negligences in honor­
ing her during the past year, and promising to serve her
better in the year to come. It would be well, with the
permission of the Superior, to procure a public Novena
along with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, but
without music, or the usual accompaniments, even on
the festival: otherwise all will end in vanity and dis­
turbance of mind, as sometimes happens in the festivals
of nuns. Would to God that on such festivals more was
not lost than gained!
7. Be careful to recommend yourself often in the day
to the protection of Mary. Know that among all devo­
tions, that which is most pleasing to her consists in hav­
ing frequent recourse to her, and in frequently asking
her to obtain for you the divine graces. Blessed is the
man, says the Church in the name of Mary, that heareth
me, and that watcheth daily at my gates.' Happy the man
that watches at the gates of my merev. Mary is called
the mother of mercy, on account of her ardent desire to
promote our welfare; hence the greatest pleasure that
we can give her is to recommend ourselves to her, and
to ask her prayers. She desires to assist us, but sne
wishes that we pray to her, says Blessed Albertus Mag1 “ Beatus homo qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas quotidie.”
—Prov. viii. 34.
·

ch. xxi.]

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,

639

nus,1 in the name of Mary. That I may wish to obtain
grace you must pray to me; for if I wish to ask, what I
ask of my Son is necessarily given. Hence, St. Bernard
says: “ In the dangers of consenting to sin, in afflictions,
in doubts, call on Mary for succor.”2 The saint adds,
“Let her powerful name be always in your mouth, by
the constant invocation of it, and in your heart by great
confidence in her intercession.” 3 St. Bonaventure says
that a person cannot mention the name of Mary without
obtaining some grace.”4 And St. Germanus calls the
name of Mary the respiration of the soul. “ As,” says the
saint, “ respiration in the body is a sign of life, so the
name of Mary in the mouth of her servants is a proof ot
life, for this name at once procures and preserves the
life of grace.” b All would do well to ask of God every
day the gift of confidence, first, in the blood of Jesus
Christ, and afterwards in the intercession of Mary.
If you love Mary, endeavor to induce others to love
her. Endeavor, as often as you can, to inspire all with
devotion to the Virgin, by relating some devout exam­
ple, or by proposing some particular exercise to be per­
formed in her honor, or some favor to be asked of her.
She promises paradise to all that love her, and seek to
inspire others with her love. They that work by me shall
not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.9
How great the consolation that you will experience at
death from all that you have done during life in honor
1 “ Roganda est ut velit; quia, si vult, necesse est fieri.”—De Laud.
3. M. 1. 2, c. i.
5 “ In periculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis, Mariani invoca.”
3“ Non recedat ab ore, non recedat a corde.”—De Laud. V. J/.
hom. 2.
4 “ Nomen tuum devote nominari non potest, sine nominantis utili­
tate.”—Spec. B. V. led. 9.
5 De Zona Deip.
“‘Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt; qui elucidant me, vitam
aeternam habebunt.”—Ecclus. xxiv. 30.

640 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. [ch.xxi.
of Mary. Father Binetti relates that he once assisted a
dying servant of Mary, who, before death, said: “O my
Father, if you knew the happiness I feel on account of
having served the most holy mother of God ! I could
not explain the joy that I experience at this moment.”
Endeavor, then, to remain always at the feet of this ten­
der mother. And thank the Lord unceasingly; among
the mercies he has shown you, the particular devotion
that he has given you to his holy mother is a special
grace; this devotion is a great proof that he wishes your
salvation in a special manner. In recommending your
salvation to her, say to Mary with St. John Damascene:
“ O Mother of God, if I place my confidence in thee I shall
be saved. If I am under thy protection I have nothing
to fear; for to be devoted to thee is to have arms of sal­
vation, which God grants only to those whom he spe­
cially wishes to be saved.”

Prayer.
My Lady, if thou pray for me, I shall be saved ; for thou dost
obtain by thy prayers whatsoever thou wishest. Pray then for
me, O great Mother of God : for thy Son hears thee, and grants
whatever thou askest. It is true that I am unworthy of thy
protection, but thou hast never abandoned a soul that had re­
course to thee. O Mary, I consign my soul to thee ; thou hast
to save it. Obtain for me perseverance in the divine grace,
and the love of thy Son, and of thee. I love thee, O my Queen,
and I hope always to love thee. Do thou also love me ; take
me under thy protection, and have pity on me : grant me this
favor through the love that thou bearest thy Son. Behold the
confidence that I place in thy clemency, and do not cease to
assist me in all my wants. I know that thou wilt not cease to
help me as often as 1 recommend myself to thee ; but obtain
for me also the grace to have recourse to thee in all my temp­
tations, and in all my dangers of losing God. Assist me, par­
ticularly at the hour of my death : obtain for me the grace that
with my last breath I may pronounce thy name, and the name
of thy Son, saying: Jesus and Mary, to you I recommend my
soul.

sec.i.]

Obligation to Love Jesus Christ.

641

CHAPTER XXII.
FOR

JESUS.

The Obligation of a Religious to Love Jesus Christ.

The sole object of a religious in this life should be to
love her most amiable Spouse, Jesus Christ. The first
and principal command that the Lord imposes on us is
to love him with our whole heart. Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with thy whole heart} Because he loves us
intensely, he wishes to be loved ardently by us. Hence,
he so pressingly demands our. love, and calls for our
heart: My son, give Me thy heart} And what, says Moses,
does the Lord demand of you, but that you love him
with your whole heart. What doth the Lord thy God re­
quire of thee, but that . . . thou love Him, and serve the Lord
thy God with all thy heart?
*
To our love he promises him­
self as a reward. L am thy reward exceeding great} To
their faithful subjects the monarchs of the earth give
riches and honors; but to those that love him our God
gives nothing less than himself. But though our love
should receive no other reward, for us it should be
enough to know that God loves those that love him.
He frequently declares in the Scriptures that he loveJ
all who love him. L love them that love Me} In another
1 “ Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo.”—Deut, vi. 5.
5 “ Præbe, fili mi, cor tuum mihi.”—Prov. xxiii. 26.
8 “ Quid Dominus Deus tuus petit a te, nisi ut . . . diligas eum ac
servias Domino Deo tuo ex toto corde tuo?”—Dcut. x. 12.
4 “ Ego protector tuus sum, et merces tua magna nimis.”—G en. xv.
5 “ Ego diligentes me diligo.”—Prov. viii. 17.

I

642

P/ic Love for Jesus Christ, [chap. xxn.

place he says: Ide that abideth in charity, abideth in God,
and God in him} And Jesus Christ has said: Ide that loveth Me, shall be loved by My Father; and d will love him}
All our perfection, then, consists in the love of God;
for, as St. Augustine says, love is the only virtue that
unites us to God. ' Ail other virtues, without charity
profit us nothing; but charity brings with it all virtues;
for, as the Apostle teaches/ it is patient, it is kind, it is
not puffed up, it is not ambitious of honors, it seeks not
its own interest, but suffers all tilings, believes all things,
and hopes for all things. Love, says the same Apostle,
is the fulfilment of the law.5 Hence, St. Augustine said,
“ Love, and do what you wish.” 6 He that loves another
is careful not to give him the least displeasure, and
studies to do everything in his power to please him.
Hence, also, the soul that loves God abhors as death
the smallest offence against his divine majesty, and en­
deavors to the best of her ability to please him.
Let it be remembered that perfect charity consists in
loving God for himself. To love God as the author of
our felicity is the love of concupiscence, which, strictly
speaking, belongs not to charity, but to hope; to love
God because he deserves to be loved, because he is infi­
nite goodness, is the love of friendship, or true charity.
But it is necessary to observe that hope is in no way op­
posed, nor any obstacle to perfect charity. In admit­
ting a state of charity that excluded all hope the Bishop
of Cambray fell into an error which was condemned.
We love God, because on account of his perfections he
1 “ Qui manet in charitate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo.”—i John,
iv. 16.
2 “ Qui diligit me, diligetur a Patre meo, et ego diligam eum.”—
John, xiv. 21.
3 “ Charitas est virtus conjungens nos Deo.”
4 i Cor. xiii. 4.
5 ‘ ‘ Plenitudo ergo legis est dilectio.”—Rom. xiii. 10.
•“ Ama, et fac quod vis.”

sec.

i.]

Obligation to Love Jesus Christ,

643

deserves to be loved, and we would love him though
there were no reward for loving him; but since he wishes
to give us a reward, and even commands us to hope for
it, we are bound to hope for it and to desire it. Be­
sides, to desire paradise in order to possess God, and to
love him better, is true and perfect charity; for eternal
glory is the consummation of love. There the soul, en­
tirely forgetful of herself, and divested of all self-love,
loves God with all her strength, and with a most pure
love; it is thus that the saints in bliss happily lose
themselves in God
If we knew that in an earthly kingdom there was a
prince, beautiful, holy, and learned, kind and merciful,
surely he would win our affection, though he had con­
ferred no favor upon us. But what are the amiable
qualities of such a prince compared with the perfections
of God ? God possesses all perfections, and possesses
them in an infinite degree. He has all the qualities that
could render him amiable: he is infinite goodness, infi­
nite beauty, infinite wisdom, and infinite mercy. Hence
his goodness of itself merits all our love. In the lives
of the Fathers of the desert it is related that in the des­
ert there were two monks who were brothers; to one of
them the devil said that the other was doomed to per­
dition: the simple monk believed the fiend, and was
greatly afflicted. Being asked one day the cause of his
affliction, he answered, that it was revealed to him that
his brother was doomed to hell. The brother humbly
answered: “If such be the will of the Lord, may it be
forever blessed; but still I will love him to the utmost
of my power in this life, for I love him neither through
fear of hell, nor through the hope of heaven, but only
because he deserves to be loved.” On the following
night an angel appeared to the deluded monk and told
him that his brother’s name was written among the
number of the elect.

644

The Love for fesits Christ, [chap, xxil

We should, therefore, love God because he deserves
to be loved on account of his infinite perfections. We
should love him, at least through gratitude for the love
that he has borne us.
If the affections of all men, of all the angels, and of
all the saints, were united together, they would not
equal the smallest part of the love that God bears to a
single soul. St. John Chrysostom says that God loves
us more than we love ourselves. I, says God himself
to each of us, have loved you from eternity, and through
pure love have drawn you out of nothing, and have
placed you in this world. I have loved thee with an ever­
lasting love. 1 Our parents have been the first to love
us in this world; but they have loved us only after they
had known us; but God loved us before we had exist­
ence. Our fathers or mothers were not vet
born,' and
J
God loved us; the world was not yet created, and God
loved us ; and how long before the creation of the
world did he love us? Perhaps a thousand years, or a
thousand ages ? It is useless to multiply years and ages;
for God loved us as long as he has been God; he has
loved us as long as he has loved himself. Hence the
holy virgin St. Agnes had reason to say, “ I am prevented
by another lover.” * When the world and creatures
sought her love, she answered: No, I cannot love you;
since my God has been the first to love me, it is but just
that I consecrate my whole heart to him only.
Our God, then, has loved us as long as he has been
God ; and through pure love has drawn us out of
nothing; and among so many possible beings that he
could but will never create, he has chosen us, and has
placed us in this world. For the love of us, he has also
created so many other beautiful creatures—the heavens,
1 “ In charitate perpetua dilexi te ; ideo attraxi te.”—Jer. xxxi. 3.
2 “ Ab alio amatore præventa sum.”

sec.

i.]

Obligation to Love Jesus Christ.

645

the hills, the seas, the fountains, and all other creatures
that are on this earth.
But he was not content with giving us these creat­
ures: his love was not satisfied till he gave us himself.
He hath loved us and delivered Himself for us.1 From the
ruin caused by sin he took occasion to show his love;
accursed sin had robbed us of the divine grace, had
closed paradise against us, and made us the slaves of
hell. The Lord could redeem us from these evils in
many ways; but he chose to come in person on this
earth, in order to become man, to redeem us from eter­
nal death, and to obtain for us the divine friendship and
heaven, which we had lost, exciting by such a prodigy
of love, the astonishment of heaven and creation. How
great the wonder which an earthly monarch would ex­
cite were he, through love for a slave, to become a slave,
or for the sake of a worm, to become a worm? But our
wonder should be infinitely greater at the sight of the
Son of God humbled so as to become man, for the love
of man: He emptied Himself taking the form of a servant,
. . . and in habit found as man :1
23 at the sight of a God
clothed with flesh: And the word was made flesh}
But the wonder increases when we see all that this
Son of God has done and suffered for the love of us
miserable worms. To save us it was enough for him to
have given a single drop of his blood, to have shed a
tear, or to have offered a prayer; for a tear or prayer
offered to the eternal Father, by a Man-God, for our
salvation, would have been of infinite value, and there­
fore sufficient to save the world, and an infinite number
of worlds. But no; Jesus Christ wished not only to
save us, but through the immense love that he bore us,
1 “ Dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis.”—Eph. v. 2.
5 “ Exinanivit semetipsum, formam servi accipiens. . . et habitu in­
ventus ut homo.”—Phil. ii. 7.
3 “ Et Verbum caro factum est.”—John, i. 14.

646

The Love for Jesus Christ.

[c h ap. xxii

he wished to gain all our love. Hence, to make us un­
derstand the extent of his love, he chose a life of pain
and ignominy, and a death the most cruel and shameful
of all deaths. 7/? humbled .Himself becoming obedient unto
death, even to the death of the cross.1
O God! had our Saviour not been God, but an equal
and a friend, what more could he do than give his life
for us ? Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lav
down his life for his friends? What do you say? Do
you believe it ? Can you then think of loving any other
object than Jesus Christ? A certain author says that
before the incarnation of the Word, man might be able
to doubt whether God loved him with a tender love;
but after the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, how
is it possible to doubt it ? How could he show us great­
er tenderness of affection than by suffering so many
torments, so many insults, and by dying on a cross?
Alas! we have heard of the incarnation of the Redeem­
er, of a God born in a stable, of a God scourged, of a
God crowned with thorns, and dying on a cross. O
holy faith, enlighten us, and make us understand the ex­
cess of love which made our God become man, and die
for the love of us !
But the desire that Jesus Christ had to suffer and die
for us should be a subject of still greater astonishment.
During his life our Saviour used to say: I have a baptism
wherewith I am to be baptized : and how am I straitened
until it be accomplished I3 I am to be baptized with the bap­
tism of my own blood, not to wash myself, but to cleanse
men from their sins; and how am I straitened until my
14 I

3 “ Humiliavit semetipsum, factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortern autem crucis.”—Phil. ii. 8.
- “ Majorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, ut animam suam ponat
quis pro amicis suis.”—John, xv. .13.
3 “Baptismo autem habeo baptizari; et quomodo coarctor, usquedum perficiatur?”—Luke, xii. 50.

SEC. I.]

Obligation to Love Jestts Christ.

647

desire be accomplished. O God! Jesus Christ is not
loved by men, because they will not even think of the
love that the amiable Redeemer has borne them. How
is it possible for a soul that thinks on his love to live
without loving him? The charity of Christ presseth us.x
St. Paul says, that a soul that reflects on the love of
Jesus Christ feels itself as it were constrained to love
him. In meditating on the Passion of the Saviour, the
saints were inflamed with fove, and sometimes broke out
into exclamations of wonder and tenderness. “ We have
seen,” exclaimed St. Laurence Justinian, “ the author of
wisdom become foolish through excess of love.” 3 We
have seen a God, as it were, foolish through love for us.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, being one day rapt in an
ecstasy, took an image of Jesus crucified into her hands,
and cried aloud that he was foolish through love. “ Yes,
my Jesus,” she continued to exclaim, “thou art foolish
through love. I say, and I will always say, O my Jesus,
that Thou art foolish through love.”
Had not faith assured us of this great mystery of re­
demption, who could ever believe that the Creator of
the universe should voluntarily suffer and die for his
own creatures. O God, if Jesus Christ had not died for
us, who among men would dare to ask a God to become
man, and save us by his death ? Would it not have ap­
peared folly even to think of it ? And in reality when
the Gentiles heard the apostles preaching the death of
Jesus Christ, they regarded it as a fable, and as St. Paul
attests, called it incredible folly. We preach Christ cruci­
fied, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and unto the Gen­
tiles foolishness.
*
Yes, says St. Gregory, it appeared to
9

1 “Charitas enim Christi urget nos.”—2 Cor. v. 14.
2 “ Vidimus Sapientiam amoris nimietate infatuatam.”—Serm.de
Nat. D.
3 “ Nos autem prædicamus Christum crucifixum, Judæis quidem
scandalum, Gentibus autem stultitiam,”—1 Cor. i. 23.

648

The Love for fcsus Christ, [chap. xxn.

them folly that the author of life should die for man.1
How, said the Gentiles, can we believe that a God, who
has need of no one, and is most happy in himself, should
descend from heaven to earth, assume human flesh, and
die for men, his miserable creatures ? This would be to
believe that a God had become foolish for the love of
men. But it is a truth of faith that Jesus, the true son
of God, for the love of us, his miserable and ungrateful
creatures, has abandoned himself to torments, to igno­
minies, and to death. He hath loved us, and hath delivered
himself for us.2
And why has he done so ? He has done so, says St.
Augustine, that man might understand the immense
love that God bears him.’ And long before Jesus him­
self said: 1 am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will
I but that it be kindled 14 I have, he says, come on earth to
kindle the holy fire of divine loVe, and I only desire to
see the hearts of men burning with its blessed flames.
In contemplating Jesus in the garden, captured as a
criminal by the soldiers, St. Bernard, turning to his
Lord, exclaimed, “ My Jesus, what hast Thou to do with
cords and chains ?” s These belong to us slaves and sin­
ners; but Thou art the King of heaven, Thou art holy.
And what has reduced Thee to the condition of a male­
factor, the vilest and most wicked among men? “And
what has effected all this? Love, which is regardless of
dignity when there is question of gaining the affection
of the beloved.”8 In a word, concludes the saint, God,
1 “Stultum visum est, ut pro hominibus Auctor vitæ moreretur.”—
In Evang. horn. 6.
9 “ Dilexit nos et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis.”—Eph. v. 2.
3 ‘ ‘ Propterea Christus advenit, ut cognosceret homo quantum eum dili­
gat Deus.”—De catech. nid. c. 4.
4 “ Ignem veni mittere in terram; et quid volo nisi ut accendatur?”—
Luke, xii. 49.
5 “Quid tibi et vinculis?”—De Pass. D. c. 4.
6 “ Quis hoc fecit ? Amor, dignitatis nescius.”

SEC. I.]

Obligation to Love Jesus Christ.

649

whom no one can conquer, has been conquered by
love; his love for man has made him take human flesh,
and consume his divine life in a sea of sorrows and re­
proaches. “ Love triumphs over God.” ’
In another place the same St. Bernard contemplates
our Redeemer condemned to death by Pilate, and asks
of Jesus Christ:’ “ Tell me, O my beloved Lord, who
art innocence itself, what evil hast Thou done to merit
the barbarous sentence of condemnation to the death of
the cross?” But, adds the saint, I understand the cause
of Thy death; the crime Thou hast committed is Thy
love.1
*3 Thy offence is the love Thou hast borne to men;
it is this, and not Pilate, that condemns Thee to death,
and makes Thee die.
But, O Lord, exclaimed holy Job, what is man, that Thou
shouldst magnify him Ί or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon
him ? 4 My God, what is man whom Thou hast so highly
honored ? What benefit has he everconferred upon Thee
that Thy whole heart should, as it were, be occupied in
seeking his welfare, and in endeavoring to make known
to him the affection Thou dost bear him ? St. Thomas
says that God loved man “as if man were his God; as if
without him he could not be happy;”5 as if God could
not be happy unless man were also happy. And, dear
sister, had you been the God of Jesus Christ, what more
could he have done for you than spend so many years
in pains and toils, and afterwards submit to a cruel
death ? Had Jesus Christ to save the life of his own
Father, what more could he have done than he has done
1 “ Triumphat de Deo amor.”—In Cant. s. 64.
* “ Quid fecisti, innocentissime Salvator, quod sic condemnareris?”
3 “ Peccatum tuum, amor tuus.”
4 “ Quid est homo, quia magnificas eum, aut quid apponis erga eum
cor tuum?”—Job, vii. 17.
5 " Quasi homo Dei Deus esset, et sine ipso beatus esse non posset.”
—De Beatii. c. 7.

650

The Love for Jesus Christ,

[chap. xxii.

for you? But, O God, where is your gratitude ? Had
one of your servants suffered what your Spouse has
endured for your salvation, could you ever forget his
sufferings, or live without loving him ? Ah ! at the
thoughts of the death of Jesus Christ each of us should
be, as it were, foolish through love for him, and should
exclaim with St. Paschal: “ My love has been crucified
for me: my love has died for me.”
But what we have not as yet done we may now do.
God gives us time to do it. Jesus has died for us, that
by his love for us he might gain the entire dominion of
our hearts. To this end, says St. Paul, Christ died . . .
that He might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living.1
He has died that we might live no longer to ourselves,
but only to that God who has given his life for us.
Christ died for all, says the same Apostle, that they also
who live may not now live to themselves, but unto Him ivho died
for them? Contemplating the death of Jesus Christ, and
the love with which he died for men, the saints esteemed
it little to forfeit, for his sake, property, honors, and
life. How many grandees, how many kings and queens
and empresses, have renounced their kingdoms to shut
themselves up in a cloister, and live only for the love of
Jesus Christ !
How many millions of martyrs have
esteemed themselves happy to be able to sacrifice their
lives for him amid the most horrible torments ! How
many young and noble virgins, renouncing the nuptials
of the first monarchs of the earth, have gone with joy to
death to make some return of love for the love of a God
who had died for the love of them !
And do you, dear sister, think that you have as yet
done anything for the love of Jesus Christ ? What proof
1 “ In hoc enim Christus mortuus est, ... ut et mortuorum et
vivorum dominetur.”—jRom. xiv. 9.
5 '*
* “ Pro omnibus mortuus est Christus, ut et qui vivunt, jam non sibi
vivant, sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est.”—2 Cor. v. 15.

SEC. I.]

Obligation to Love Jesus Christ.

651

or token have you as yet given of the love that you bear
him ? It is certain that as he has died for the saints, for
St. Lucy, for St. Agatha, for St. Agnes, so he has also
died for you. Consider also the special graces that he
has bestowed on you, and that he has withheld from so
many of your companions who had as good a claim to
them as you had. How many noble ladies, how many
princesses, have been born among infidels and heretics,
and live miserably in the state of perdition, bereft of the
sacraments, of sermons, and of the other helps necessary
for salvation ? And to you he has given the grace to be
born in the bosom of the true Church. He has also
given wealth to your parents, that you might have more
opportunities and means of acquiring eternal salvation.
He has also chosen you for his spouse from among so
many of your companions, whom he has left in the midst
of the dangers of the world; from these dangers he has
rescued you (and perhaps against your inclination), and
has brought you into his own house, where he assists you
continually by his lights and interior calls, by the sac­
raments, by sermons, by the example of your good sis­
ters, and by so many other helps to salvation. Consider
also the many mercies he has shown you, in pardoning
so many offences that you have committed in the world
and in religion. It was enough for him that you re­
pented and asked forgiveness: he instantly pardoned
you; you ungratefully offended him again, and he with
the same love pardoned you, and instead of inflicting
chastisements on your multiplied offences, he has mul­
tiplied graces, lights, calls, and consolations. And be­
hold, at this moment, while you read this book, he con­
tinues to call you to his love. What are your thoughts?
what resolutions do you make? what do you wait for?
perhaps you intend to wait till the Lord calls you no
more, and abandons you.

The Love for festes Christ,

652

[chap. xxii.

Prayer.

t

My dear Redeemer, I see that Thou hast placed me under too
many obligations to love Thee. My soul has cost Thee too
high a price; I should be ungrateful if I loved anything but
Thee; or if I loved but little a God who has given his blood
and his life for me. If Thou, O my Jesus and my Spouse, hast
died for me, Thy miserable servant, it is but just that I die for
Thee, my Lord and my God. I renounce the love of all creat­
ures, and consecrate my heart only to the love of Thee. I
choose Thee for my only Good, my only Love. I love Thee,
O my love, I love Thee. I repeat, and wish always to repeat, I
love Thee, O my love, I love Thee. Thou dost wish that I love
Thee ardently, and that I love nothing but Thee. My Saviour,
I wish to content Thee; I wish to love Thee ardently; I wish
only for Thee : yes, to love Thee only, my God, my treasure, my
all. Assist me for the sake of Thy mercy, and grant that I may
fully satisfy Thee.
O Mary, my mother, do thou, too, assist me; thou art the
dispenser of all the gifts of God, and particularly of the great
gift of divine love. This gift I ask thee to obtain for me;
through thee I hope for it.
*?!>·

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II.

u U

The Means of Acquiring Divine Love, and the Acts of Love that
a Religious should Practise towards Jesus Christ.
%

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t

' r

J

The Lord commands all men to love him, and to love
him with their whole hearts.1 But he wishes in a special
manner that religious, his chosen spouses, should love
him with all their affections.
Hence he has favored
them with so many lights and spiritual graces, that they
may seek to love nothing but this most loving Spouse.
St. Teresa used to say that God bestows a great favor
on the souls he calls to his love. You, dear sister, are
one of these fortunate souls; but to consecrate yourself
entirely to the love of your Spouse, as he desires, you
must resolutely adopt the means.
1 “ Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo.”—Deut. vi. 5.

sec.

π.]

Means to Acquire His Love.

653

I. The first means is, to desire ardently to attain that
perfect love that will make your heart entirely belong
to him. Ardent desires are the wings with which the
saints flew to unite themselves with God by perfect love.
If you have not this desire, at least ask it of God; for
without it you will never be able to arrive at any de­
gree of holiness, but with the aid of such desires you
will soon attain sanctity. St. Teresa has left her spirit­
ual children many excellent lessons on this subject. In
one place she says: “ Let our thoughts be great: from
great thoughts our good shall come.” In another place
she writes: “We must not debase our desires, but must
trust in God: for by continual efforts we shall, with the
divine aid, gradually arrive at the perfection that the
saints have attained.” 1 She attests that she had never
seen a cowardly soul make as much progress in many
years as generous souls make in a few days. Hence
she said: “The Lord is as much pleased with our desires
as if they were already executed.” St. Gregory says,3
that he who pants after God with his whole heart finds
him; but to wish for God with the whole heart, the
soul must be stripped and emptied of worldly affec­
tions.
II. The second means necessary to love God with the
whole heart is, detachment from all love that is not for
God. He wishes to have the exclusive possession of our
whole hearts; he will admit no companion. St. Augus­
tine relates3 that the Roman Senate, after adoring thirty
thousand gods, refused to adore the God of the Chris­
tians, saying that he was a proud God, who wished to
be worshipped alone, without companions.
But this
our Lord justly claims; for he is the only and the true
God; and our only true lover, who, because he loves us
tenderly, wishes that we should love him with our whole
1 Life, ch. 13.

2 In Evang. hom. 30.

3 De Cons. Εν. 1. I, c. iS.

654

The Love for fes its Christ. [chap, axil

hearts. To love God with the whole heart implies two
things: it implies, first, the expulsion from the heart of
every affection that is not for God.
The enamoured St. Francis de Sales said: “If I knew
that there was a single fibre in my heart that was not
for God, I would instantly pluck it out.”1 If the heart
is not emptied of earthly affections, the love of God can­
not enter. But in a heart detached from creatures, the
fire of divine love burns and always increases. St. Ter­
esa used to say: “Detach the heart from creatures; seek
God, and you shall find him.”1
2 The Lord is good.. .
to the soul that seeketh Him." 3 He gives himself entirely to
those that leave all things for his sake, as he once said
to St. Teresa: “Now that you are all mine, I am all
yours.”4 He says the same to you, if you divest your­
self of all things in order to belong entirely to him.
Father Segneri, the younger, wrote to a spiritual soul:
“ Divine love is a thief that robs the soul of all her af­
fections, so that she can say: What else do I wish for
than thee alone, O my Lord ?” And St. Francis de Sales
has said: “The pure love of God consumes all that is
not God, in order to convert everything into itself; for
all that is done for the love of God is love.”5 In the
life of the Venerable Joseph Caracciolo, of the Order of
Theatines, we read, that after the death of a brother,
being in company with his relatives, he said: “Ah! let
us reserve our tears for a better occasion; to weep over
the death of Jesus Christ, who has been to us a father,
a brother, and a Spouse, and has died for the love of
us.” Every religious should reserve all her tenderness
and compassion for Jesus, her Spouse.
1 Spirit, ch. 9.
2 Admonitions, 36.
3 “ Bonus est Dominus
4 Life, ch. 39.
4 Lettres, 531, 203.

animæ quærenti illum.”—Lam. iii. 25.

sec.

ii.]

Means to Acqicire IIis Love.

655

St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say that she is a true
religious who can say: “My God and my all ‘ my God,
Thou art my all. Remember, dear sister, that when you
were espoused to Jesus Christ, you said: “ The kingdom
of the world and all ornaments of the earth I have
despised for the love of Jesus Christ; whom I have
seen, whom I have loved, in whom I have believed,
towards whom my heart inclined.”1
23 I have renounced
the world and all its pomp for the love of my Spouse,
whom I know to be the most amiable of all spouses, and
therefore in him I have placed all my affections and all
my hopes. And when creatures seek to enter your heart,
dismiss them, saying that you have given your heart to
Jesus Christ, and that there is no room for them. It is
divine love that makes a monastery the reverse of the
world in which all despise what the world esteems, and
love what the world hates.
Above all, to love Jesus Christ with our whole heart
it is necessary to deny ourselves by embracing what is
painful to self-love, and by abstaining from what self-love
seeks. St. Teresa once refused to taste a dish that was
brought to her in sickness. The infirmarian entreated
her to eat it, saying that it was well dressed. The saint
replied: “It is because it is well dressed that I do not
wish to taste it.” Hence we ought to abstain from things
that are agreeable because they please us. We should,
therefore, turn away the eyes, and not look at certain
objects of curiosity because they gratify the sight. We
should also abstain from such an amusement because we
feel a predilection for it; we should serve an ungrateful
sister because she is ungrateful; we should take such a
medicine because it is bitter. Beware, says St. l· rancis
1 “ Deus meus, et omnia.”
2 “ Regnum mundi et omnem ornatum sæculi contempsi, propter
amorem Jcsu Christi, quem vidi quem amavi, in quem credidi, quem
dilexi.”—Offic. S. Martyr, tantinn,
viii.

6%

The Love for fesus Christ, [chap.xxii.

de Sales, lest self-love should seek to have part in things
the most holy, and should make it appear to us that
nothing is good in which we do not feel satisfaction.
Hence the saint used to say that even virtues should be
loved with detachment.1 For example, we ought to love
mental prayer and solitude; but when obedience or
charity takes us away from meditation or solitude, we
must not be disturbed, but must embrace with peace
whatever happens by the will of God, however repugnant
it may be to our own inclinations.
The Venerable
Father Balthasar Alvarez used to say that our Lord
often commands creatures to turn their back upon us,
and abandon us that we may run to him; but let us be
careful to leave them and unite ourselves to God before
they forsake us.
The path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and
increaseth even to perfect day? The Wise Man says that
the life of the just always increases to perfect day. But
who arrives at this perfect day? He that, without in­
clining to anything until he knows the divine will,
wishes, or wishes not, what God wills or wills not.
Hence we should pray in the words of the same Father
Alvarez: “ Lord, grant me the grace to find peace in
whatever thy divine will shall appoint for me; for my
part, I ask neither more delights nor fewer afflictions.”
Oh ! how happy the life of the nun that lives detached
from all things ! Let us be persuaded that there is no
one more content in this world than the man who de­
spises all its goods, and wishes only for God. Hence
each of us should live on this earth as in a wilderness,
saying: Here there is no one but myself and God. And
with this spirit of detachment endeavor, dear sister in
the Lord, to renew every day the religious vows of pov1 Lettre 738.
2 “ Justorum autem semita, quasi lux splendens, procedit et crescit
usque ad perfectum diem.”—Prov. iv. jS.

sec.

π.]

Means lo Acqziire His Love,

657

erty, chastity, and obedience; intending to divest your­
self of all attachment to property, to pleasure, and to
self-will. Make this renewal of the vows in a few words,
that you may make them more easily and more fre­
quently. It is enough for you to say, My Jesus, for the
love of Thee I renew my vows, and purpose to observe
them with exactness; I entreat Thee to grant me the
grace to be faithful to Thee.
III. The third means of obtaining the perfect love of
Jesus Christ is to meditate frequently on his Passion.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say that after
being made the spouse of a crucified God, a religious,
during her whole life, and in all her actions, should
have nothing before her view but Jesus on the cross;
and should have no other occupation than the contem­
plation of the love that this divine Spouse has borne
her. Were a person to suffer for a friend insults, stripes,
and imprisonment, how great the pleasure he would de­
rive from hearing that his friend frequently remembered
his sufferings ! But if, when his sufferings are men­
tioned, the friend should endeavor to change the sub­
ject of conversation, and should refuse even to think of
them, how great the pain that he would feel at such in­
gratitude ! Such the pain given to the heart of Jesus
by the souls that think but little on the sorrows and
ignominies that he suffered for the love of them. But,
on the other hand, he is greatly pleased with all those
that continually remember and meditate on his Passion.
I say that the only object of all the meditations of a
religious ought to be the Passion of Jesus Christ; she
should make at least one meditation on it every day.
To me it appears, as I have observed in another place,
that it was to supply different mysteries for the medita­
tions of his beloved spouses that our Redeemer wished
to suffer different species of pains and reproaches, chains,
buffets, scourges, thorns, spittle, and nails; it was for

658

The Love for fesits Christ,

[chap.

xxh.

this end that he wished to represent himself to us suffer­
ing in so many different ways: at one time sweating
blood in the garden, at another bound and captured by
the soldiers, now clothed with a white garment, the
badge of a fool; again, torn with scourges, now crowned
with thorns as a king of sorrows and mockery, and
again going to death with the cross on his shoulders;
at one time suspended by three nails on a cross, and at
another hanging dead on that bed of sorrow with his
side opened. But remember that we should not medi­
tate on the Passion of Jesus Christ in order to enjoy
spiritual consolations, but for the sole purpose of inflam­
ing our souls with the love of our Redeemer, and of
learning from him what he wishes us to do; offering
ourselves to suffer every pain for his sake, because he
voluntarily suffered so much for the love of us. Our
Lord once revealed to a holy solitary that there is no
exercise more apt to kindle in us the divine love than
the meditation on his Passion.
IV. The fourth means to attain perfect love is to
make frequent acts of love. As fire is kept alive by
fuel, so love is nourished by acts.
i. He that loves, in the first place, rejoices at the
welfare and happiness of his beloved: this is called love
of complacency. Rejoice, then, dear sister, in the infinite
felicity of your God, and delight in it more than if it
were your own; for you should love your Spouse more
than yourself, and your greatest joy should consist in
the thought that your beloved wants nothing, and will
not for all eternity want anything necessary for infinite
beatitude. Hence you ought to feel consolation in
knowing that so many millions of angels and saints
love him perfectly in heaven. You should also rejoice
w'henever you hear that any soul on this earth loves
Jesus Christ with a tender love.
s He that loves desires to see his beloved loved by

SEC. IL]

Means to Acquire His Love.

659

all: such love is called the love of benevolence, which you
should practise by desiring to see Jesus Christ ardently
loved by all men. Hence you would do well to speak
frequently to others of his love in order to kindle it in
the hearts of all those with whom you converse. You
should, moreover, desire to see your Spouse known and
loved by all that neither know nor love him. And to
you the contempt with which he is treated by so many
Christians should be the only source of pain. Would
she be considered an affectionate spouse who should
behold with indifference an insult offered to her hus­
band, or a wound inflicted on him ? You should grieve
still for the offences that you remember to have hitherto
given your Spouse; for these you should constantly
make acts of contrition—this is called sorrowful love.
3. He that loves prefers his beloved to all other
objects, and this is the love of preference with which
God principally wishes us to love him. The first de­
gree of this love consists in being prepared to lose all
things rather than forfeit the grace of God. Does the
Lord demand too much of us when he requires that we
prefer him to everything in this world ? And what are
creatures compared with God ? The Emperor Domitian
tempted St. Clement to worship idols by presenting to
him, as the reward of his impiety, gold, silver, and pre­
cious stones. The saint heaved a deep sigh, and began
to weep when he saw his God compared with earthly
goods. We should be ashamed to say to God, Lord, I
love Thee above all things. For to speak in this manner
to God would be the same as if we said to a king, My
sovereign, I esteem you more than chaff and mire !
But our God is content with being loved above all crea­
tures, which, compared with his sovereign majesty, are
infinitely less than chaff or mire is in comparison with
the first monarch of the universe.
Father Vincent
Carafa, of the Society of Jesus, used to say that were

660

The Love for Jesus Christ,

[chap. xxii.

the whole world in his possession he would surrender it
in an instant at the bare name of God. It is necessary,
then, to live always in such a disposition of mind that
we would forfeit property, character, life, and all things
sooner than lose God. We must say with St. Paul:
Neither death nor life, nor height, nor depth, shall be able to
separate us from our God.' He that feels he cannot live
without God possesses a great treasure; but he that
aspires to his perfect love should not only be ready to
die a thousand times rather than offend him by mortal
sin, or even by a deliberate venial sin, but should also
prefer the pleasure of God before all self-indulgence,
and should be prepared to suffer every pain in order to
please his Lord. Consider, O sister ! that Jesus Christ
has preferred your salvation before his own life; in you,
then, it is not much, nay, it is nothing, to prefer his pleas­
ure to every personal good.
4. They that love, refuse not, on the contrary, they
rejoice, to suffer for their beloved, in order to give him
proof of their love. It was thus that Jesus Christ has
shown his love for us. He that desires to suffer for Je­
sus desires, or at least embraces in peace, the occasions
of suffering. For loving souls, tribulations, as it were,
are the way to union with God; for in sufferings they
unite themselves with him by stronger love. Father
Balthasar Alvarez used to say, “ that he who in afflic­
tions peacefully resigns himself to the divine will, runs
to God.” In a word, every event, whether it causes joy
or sorrow, tends to unite the soul that loves more closely
to her God. To them that love God, all things work together
unto good.3 It is certain that all his arrangements are
intended for our good. Our Lord said one day to St.
Gertrude: “ With the same love with which I created
man, I ordain for his good all the prosperity or adver­
sity which I send him.”
1 Roni. viii. 38.
2 “ Diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum.”—Rom. viii. 28.

SEC. Π.]

Means to Actptire His Love,

661

Be particularly careful, dear sister, to unite yourself
to God in the time of sickness. Infirmities prove the
true lover. In sickness you must be obedient to the
physician and to the infirmarian. Ask for nothing, and
take the remedies prescribed, however nauseous and
painful. Do not complain of anything; be meek and
thankful to all. Resign yourself entirely to the will of
God, and offer yourself to suffer whatsoever he sends,
uniting yourself to Jesus on the cross, desiring not to
descend from it so long as it is not his will, content
even to leave your life upon it, if such be his will. Fix
your eyes on the crucifix, and when you see that your
sufferings are far less than those that Jesus suffered for
your sake, you will bear the pains of sickness with
greater peace. “ Love your Spouse,” says St. Francis
de Sales, “ in consolations and tribulations: he is as
lovely when he consoles as when he afflicts you, because
he does all for your welfare.” 1 If you love Jesus Christ,
love contempt, love correction; and entreat the confes­
sor and Superior to correct and chastise you in the way
that they deem most profitable to you. The same St.
Francis de Sales used to say that the monastery is like
a hospital, to which the sick come to be cured, and in
which they cheerfully submit to the nauseous medicines
and painful operations that may be prescribed.2 Hence
you should ask your spiritual physician not to exempt
you from any remedy necessary for your recovery.
5. He that loves, always remembers his beloved. Thus
the soul that loves God always thinks of him, and al­
ways endeavors to show him its affection by ardent
sighs and ejaculations of love. This is called the love of
aspiration. Endeavor frequently, by day and night, in the
cell and out of the cell, in solitude and in company, to
say frequently to your crucified Spouse, My God, I wish
for nothing but Thee. My God, I give myself entirely
1 Entret. 3.

1 Spirit, ch. 23.

662

'/'he Loi'e for festis Christ,

[chap. xxn.

to Thee. I wish whatsoever Thou wishest. Dispose of
me as Thou pleasest. It will be enough to say to him,
My God, I love Thee: or, my God, my all. A loving sigh,
an elevation of the heart, a look towards heaven, an affec­
tionate glance at the crucifix, or at the most holy sacra­
ment, will be sufficient, even without words. Such acts
are, perhaps, the most useful, because they can be made
more easily and more frequently, and sometimes they are
the most fervent. [See Aspirations of love, page 220.]
In the Old Law, the Lord commanded that fire should
burn unceasingly on his altar. And the fire on the altar
shall always burn.' St. Gregory says’ that these altars are
our hearts, on which God commands that the fire of his
divine love should always burn. Thou shall lore the Lord
thy God with thy whole heart. These words, which J com­
mand thee this day, shall be in thy heart, . . . and thou shall
meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy
journey, sleeping and rising. And thou shalt bind them as a
sign on thy hand, and they shall be, and shall move before thy
eyes. A nd thou shalt write them in the entry, and on the doors
of thy housed Mark the earnestness with which the Lord
inculcates the precept of loving him. I wish, he says,
that this command be always within your heart, that
you meditate upon it continually, sitting in your house,
walking on your journey, in bed and out of bed. I wish
that you keep it printed on your hands, and present to
your eyes: I wish that you write it on the entrance, and
on all the doors of your house, in order to remember it
always, and fulfil it by acts of love. Hence theologians
justly teach, that though it is probable that we are not
1 “ Ignis autem in altari semper ardebit.”—Lev. vi. 12.
2 Mor. 1. 25, c. 7.
0 “ Diliges Dominam Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo
Eruntque
verba hæc . . . in corde tuo: ... et meditaberis in eis, sedens in
domo tua, et ambulans in itinere, dormiens atque consurgens; et liga­
bis ea quasi signum in manu tua, eruntque et movebuntur inter oculos

SEC. Π.]

Means to Acqitirc His Love.

663

bound to make acts of faith and hope more than once a
year, still we are obliged to make an act of charity at
least once a month; some say that we ought to make it
more frequently.
Father Balthasar Alvarez used to call monasteries of
religious hospitals of persons wounded with divine love;
furnaces of love, in which the hardest rocks are reduced
to ashes. Such they ought to be: all men should burn
continually with the love of Jesus Christ. But alas !
few, very few, have this ardent love. I say, that if Je­
sus Christ could weep at present, and were capable of
sadness, his greatest sorrow would arise from seeing
himself so little loved by his spouses. Do you, then,
dear sister, who have been made his spouse, love him;
love him at least through compassion, at the sight of
your God who is so little loved, and particularly by re­
ligious. Tell me, were a mighty prince of noble birth,
of immense wealth, of extraordinary beauty and holi­
ness, to take for his spouse a poor, ignorant, deformed,
ill-dressed peasant, and were he, by making her his
spouse, to render her rich, noble, wise, and happy, what
would she not do for such a spouse? How great the
affection and respect that she would feel for him, at the
thought of his greatness and her own vileness ! She
would do nothing else than thank him continually for
his goodness towards her. With what care would she
labor to gratify his inclinations, and to please him in all
things? How careful would she be to execute, without
reply, all his wishes ? And should it be necessary to
suffer any pain for his sake, with what promptness and
joy would she submit to it; how happy would she esteem
herself in giving him such a proof of her affection and
gratitude ? And should she see him despised by his
subjects, would she not weep continually ? Were she,
even through her own negligence, to offend him, how
great would be her sorrow, and with what humility

664

The Love for Jesus Christ,

lchap.xxii.

would she cast herself in tears at his feet, and ask par­
don ? Should she be at a distance from her spouse, oh!
would she not count the hours and moments of her ab­
sence from him ? How great the happiness that she
would feel in thinking of her former and present state.
Apply what has been said to yourself, dear sister; Jesus
Christ has made you, a miserable sinner, his own
spouse.
Love, then, your Spouse; but know that unless you
love him with your whole heart, he will not be satisfied.
Love him not only with affections of the heart, but love
him also by works. Some that are friends only in name,
say to their friends: Friend, you are master of all that I
possess; but in effect they give him little or nothing.
But others that are real friends, give to their friend the
better part of their possessions, and offer him the rest.
A religious soul that resolves to give herself to God
without reserve, divests herself of all earthly things to
which she sees her heart attached; she resolves to sub­
ject all her inclinations to holy obedience; she resolves
to mortify herself in all that gratifies self-love, to disre­
gard self-esteem, and to embrace with joy derision and
contempt. Oh ! with what security does such a resolu­
tion make her walk ! What confidence in God does it
inspire ! how prompt does it render the soul to bear
crosses and contradictions ! It makes her perform all
her actions with a pure intention; it impels her to pray
to Jesus and Mary for help to execute her purposes, and
makes her firm and resolute in seeking, in all things,
only what is pleasing to God. When difficulties occur,
the same resolution animates her to say with courage,
I have to please God; let pleasure be given to him,
though death should be the consequence. Should she
sometimes fall into a defect, the resolution she has made
prevents dejection, inspires hope, and gives her courage
to attend with greater care, for the future, to what she

SEC. II.]

Means to Acquire His Love.

665

had before neglected. But this resolution must be fre­
quently renewed in meditation, at Communion, in the
visits to the Blessed Sacrament; and at rising in the
morning it is particularly necessary to make the follow­
ing protestation: My Jesus, I again give myself to Thee,
and I promise to endeavor to do always what I shall
know to be most pleasing to Thee. I unite this oblation
of mine to the perfect unreserved oblation of Thyself,
which Thou hadst made to Thy Eternal Father. Give
me strength to be faithful to Thee. Thy Passion is my
hope; Thy merits, Thy promises, Thy love, are my
hope. O Mary, my mother, pray to Jesus for me; ob­
tain for me holy perseverance, and the love of Thy Son.
If, dear sister, you wish to acquire the great treasure
of the love of God, I recommend you to ask it contin­
ually, saying: My Jesus, give me love; Mary, obtain
for me the gift of divine love; my holy angel guardian,
my holy advocates, obtain for me the gift of love. It
will be sufficient to say, love: God will be always pleased
with it, and will always infuse some new sentiment of
devotion, will kindle some new’ flame, and will excite
some holy desire in your heart. Our Lord is liberal in
dispensing all his gifts, but particularly in granting the
gift of love to those that ask it; for this love is w'hat he
demands of us above all things. But let us ask not so
much for a tender as for a strong love, that will make us
conquer all human respect, and all the repugnances of
self-love, and render us prompt in doing, without delay
or reserve, the things that are pleasing to God; and let
us therefore accustom ourselves to seek what is most
pleasing to God in all, even in small things; for we shall
thus be prepared to do great things. And when you are
molested with the apprehension of not having strength
to overcome yourself in some extraordinary difficulty,
trust in God, and say, I can do all things in him who
strengtheneth me.' Say, What I am of myself unable to
‘ Omnia possum in co qui me co

—Phil. iv. 13.

666

The Love for Jesus Christ,

[chap, xxil

do, I shall be able to do with the aid that I expect from
God. Read the summary of virtues [see page 213].
St. Augustine says that all the time that is not spent
for God is lost time. At death, we shall receive conso­
lation only from having loved Jesus Christ. () God !
how great the consolation that they who have loved him
shall enjoy in being able to say, with their eyes fixed on
the crucifix: Jesus crucified has been my only love.
Even in this life, what greater happiness can a soul
enjoy than to say: I give pleasure to God: I am in the
company of God. But we must give ourselves to God,
not for our own gratification, but to please him, alto­
gether forgetful of ourselves, saying with the spouse in
the Canticles: He brought me into the cellar of wine: He set
in order charity in me : stay me up with flowers, compass me
about with apples : because I languish with loueI By wine, is
signified holy charity; for as wine deprives men of their
senses, so that they no longer see or hear, but are, as it
were, dead; so the soul inflamed with divine love lives as
if it no longer had any sense of earthly things, and, for­
getful of created objects, wishes for nothing but God;
and therefore it asks the flowers of holy desires, and
the fruits of holy works, which support the spiritual
life, that is, divine love, with which and for which it
lives. But this can be said only by the soul that truly
gives itself entirely and without reserve to Jesus Christ.
What do you say, dear sister? Have you as yet given
yourself to him, as he desires you to do? Do you still
resist ? Has he not done enough to merit all your love?
Jesus Christ gave himself to you without reserve once
on the cross, and frequently in holy Communion; what
more do you expect from him ? What more can he do
in order to make you belong entirely to himself? Will
you wait till he abandons you, and calls you no more,
1 “ Introduxit me in cellam vinariam, ordinavit in me charitatem;
fulcite me floribus, stipate me malis, quia amore langueo.”—Cant. π. 4, 5.

sec. ii.]

Means to Acquire His Love.

in punishment of your ingratitude ?
stantly; resist no longer; say to him:

66~l

Arise, then, in­

Prayer.
Yes, my Jesus, my Spouse, behold me; I will no longer resist
Thy love. My beloved to me, and I to Hint' Thou hast given
Thyself entirely to me, I give myself entirely to Thee. I would
deserve to be cast off in punishment of my ingratitude in resist­
ing so many calls, but the desire that Thou dost now inspire, of
being Thine without reserve, makes me hope that Thou dost
accept me. Accept me, O my Jesus! for the sake of the love
with which Thou didst love me on the cross, when Thou didst
die for me. My dear Lord, were I now in hell, which I have
deserved, I could no longer love Thee. But since Thou givest
me time to love Thee, I wish to love Thee, and I wish to love
nothing but Thee. Ah! my beloved Saviour, how is it possible
for him that thinks of Thee in the manger of Bethlehem, on the
cross of Calvary, or in the sacrament of the altar, not to be
enamoured of Thee. Whom will I love when I see that a God
has died for me? I love Thee, O my Redeemer, my love, my
all. Increase Thy holy love in my heart. Remind me always
of what Thou hast done, and suffered for me, and do not permit
me to be ever more ungrateful to Thee. O blessed flames of
love that consumed the life of my Jesus on the altar of the
cross, come and take possession of my whole heart, and destroy
every affection to creatures. O my love, I give myself entirely
to Thee, and if I know not how to give myself to Thee as I
ought, take me and make me all Thine. Grant that I may
speak of nothing but Thy love, sigh for nothing else than to
love Thee and to give Thee pleasure. My Jesus, I hope for all
things through Thy merits.
I also trust in thee, O Mary, my hope, that thou wilt obtain
for me the grace to love nothing henceforward but thy Son, my
Spouse, and thee, my Mother.
’ “ Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi.”
ΣΙ

668

Particular Admonitions

[chap, xxm.

CHAPTER XXIII.
Particular admonitions for the Superior, Vicar or Assistant, Mistress of
Novices, Bursar, Sacristan, Attendant at the turn, Infirmarian, and
Counsellors; with instructions to the Lay-sisters.

I.
For the Superior.

I. I will suppose that you have been elected Superior,
not through your own ambition and exertions, but by
the will of God; otherwise you will scarcely succeed
well in the government of the Community, because you
will be bereft of the divine aid, which God withholds
from those that are not called to such an office. Father
Leonard of Port Maurice relates that the abbess of a
certain convent, though she had accepted the office with
reluctance, was greatly tormented at death by many
scruples on account of the manner in which she gov­
erned the monastery. Now I ask, what will become of
the one that has procured the office by her own exer­
tions ?
If you have been promoted to the office without your
own co-operation, be persuaded that the honor conferred
has placed on your shoulders a heavy and a dangerous
cross. To his sister after she had been made Superior
of her convent Father Torres wrote: “ Beg of God to
assist you, that you may not die under the torture of so
many crosses—a martyr without merit and without a
crown.” Consider that you must render to God a great
account, if, through you, observance fails and abuses are
introduced. That great religious, Father Doria, a Discalced Carmelite, used to say that religious Orders are

SEC. I.]

For the Superior.

669

relaxed more by headaches than by the gout; that is, by
diseases of the head rather than of the feet. He meant
that the relaxation does not proceed from the inferiors
so much as from the Superiors, who shut their eyes to
the neglect of the Rule and to abuses.
Hence, before you enter on your office, thank your
sisters in religion for the honor they have conferred
upon you; but afterwards protest that if you accept the
burden in order to serve them, you will not consent to
lose your soul. Tell them that you will neither grant
nor permit anything that your conscience condemns.
This will serve to prevent the nuns from asking incon­
venient permissions; and should they ask for them, they
will not feel much disappointed at your refusal. Thus
you will be able to govern with less restraint.
II. Watch over the observances of the Rule, and be
careful to prevent abuses, the removal of which, if they
be once introduced into the monastery, will be morally
impossible. You must take care not to allow even small
defects, because by degrees they grow into great irregu­
larities. How have abuses, particularly regarding pov­
erty, been introduced into religious houses? Father
Francis of the Cross, a Discalced Carmelite, relates that
a certain abbess appeared to a friend after death, and
said that she suffered a great deal in purgatory for hav­
ing neglected to watch over the observance of the rules
and of the orders of the Superior. She suffered in pur­
gatory; but, alas ! how many Superiors shall we see
condemned to hell for the abuses introduced or permit­
ted during the time they were in office ? The Superior
should also go through the monastery and see whether
the orders that she has given have been executed. Of
what use are orders unless they are fulfilled ? Hence it
is better to give few directions that will be observed
than many that will be afterwards neglected. When
the religious see that the Superior cares but little
J

670

Particular Admonilions

[chap, xxiii.

whether her commands are obeyed or not, they will soon
begin to despise all her directions.
Be careful to see that they that are in office fulfil their
obligations, but abstain from interfering much in their
duties. Abstain also from imposing new burdens or
new laws, for this gives great dissatisfaction to the sis­
ters. What you should do is to enforce the observance
of the existing rules. But if you find any rule neglected,
such as the fréquentation of the sacraments, the attend­
ance of the companions in the parlor, the common
mental prayer, mortifications that were before practised
at table, and the like, it would not be a novelty to en­
deavor to restore the observance of the Rule; you are
even obliged to do so according to the best of your abil­
ity.
Be particularly careful not to permit any particular
friendships, either among the sisters or with externs.
And should you be unable to prevent them, you should
have recourse to the higher Superior, who, in good faith,
might have given to some one the permission to speak;
but if you know that the friendship is improper and a
cause of scandal to others, you ought to inform the
higher Superior of it, so that he may revoke the permis­
sion. In endeavoring to prevent such abuses, you mai
incur the displeasure of some, but there is no remedy.
By the obligations of your office, which obliges you tc
attend more to the spiritual than to the temporal good
of your Community, you are bound to correct irregu­
larities. I also recommend to you, by the way, that you
see that your subjects sleep each one in a separate bed.
Be careful, likewise, not to allow persons employed iu
the monastery to bring letters or unbecoming messages
to the religious; and should you ever discover that this
was done by any persons in the employment of the con­
vent, dismiss them immediately. Take care that no
other men enter the convent than those that are needed

SEC. I.]

For the Superior.

671

to render service. Feather Bartholomew of St. Charles,
in his “ School of Truth,” cites a decree of the Sacred
Congregation in which it is forbidden to men to enter
convents, except for the doing of work that is above the
strength of the lay-sisters. He also cites another decree
by virtue of which any one bringing into the convent
children of whatever age would incur the censures in
*
flicted on those violating the enclosure. Be careful to
hold chapters as often
as
*
the Rule prescribes; and in
chapter speak strongly against the more frequent de­
fects, and against any abuse that you may witness. It
is not necessary to preach a sermon, but you must speak,
and make yourself be heard.
III. If you wish others to be observant, you must give
them an example of exactness. St. Joseph Calasanctius
used to say: “ Woe to the Superior who, by her exam­
ple, destroys the effect of her words!” The Superior is
placed on a candlestick from which she is seen by all.
How can she expect the sisters to be exact in going to
meditation, to the divine office, and to other duties of
the Community, if she be frequently absent ? She will
not even have courage to complain of their negligence;
and should she speak of it, her words will make but lit­
tle impression; for the sisters will attend more to her
example than to her words. Be careful to be present at
all the exercises of the Community, particularly at men­
tal prayer, of which the Superior has greater need than
the sisters; for she requires a double portion of food,
one for herself and the other for the religious. In med­
itation you ought to beg of the Lord, in a special man­
ner, to assist you by his light and aid, to bear the bur­
den that has been imposed upon you. Endeavor to be
present at the divine office and at the common meals;
should you be absent, many irregularities will probably
occur.

672

Particular Admonitions

[chap. χχπι.

Abstain with great care from the use of particular
food, dress, or furniture; and tell the religious in office
not to pay more attention to you than to the lay-sisters.
Be assured that if you avail yourself of the authority of
your office to obtain special conveniences for yourself
or your relatives, you will excite the criticism and dis­
satisfaction of the whole Community.
IV. Endeavor to govern the Community by yourself
and not by others. It is an occasion of great annoyance
and disquietude to the nuns to be obliged to obey a
person who is not Superior. Be careful, then, not to
depend on the advice of a single sister; it would be still
worse if she were a lay-sister. In matters of moment,
first recommend yourself to God, then ask the opinion
of more than one of the religious, and do what appears
best to you; but in general you ought to follow the ma­
jority of the counsellors. Be careful to treat all with
equal attention, and do not show partiality to any sister,
unless sickness or some other just cause require it. In
the distribution of offices take particular care not to be .
carried away by passion or by human respect, but be
guided by Christian prudence, otherwise you must ren­
der to God an account of the evils that follow.
V. Be humble and affable to all. Imagine that be­
cause you are Superior you should be the servant of all
the sisters. Beware of governing the monastery arro­
gantly. By humility and meekness, not by severity,
you will gain the hearts of the sisters, and thus your
admonitions and corrections shall be received without
murmuring or discontent. St. Mary Magdalene de
Pazzi used to say: “ Love, esteem, and confidence are
the chains that bind the hearts of subjects; but these
bonds are dissolved by pride.”
If you are not affable, the sisters will not feel confi­
dence in making known their wants and afflictions, in

SEC. I.]

For the Superior.

673

asking the necessary permissions, and informing you of
the disorders of the monastery, and thus your govern­
ment will not be successful. It is not enough to have a
good heart: if your manner is austere, all will avoid you.
It is necessary to listen to all without distinction, when
they come to you; otherwise you will know but little of
the irregularities that take place, and much less will you
be able to repair them. Should any sister appear to be
reserved with you, endeavor to gain her confidence by
treating her with greater affability.
When you have to assign offices or to give employ­
ment to the sisters, or to prohibit anything, be careful
to abstain from imposing precepts (unless in cases of
absolute necessity), refrain as much as possible from all
commanding words, and from speaking in a loud voice.
Speak rather in the language of entreaty, saying: Sister,
I beg of you to do such a thing; do an act of charity
for me; will you do me a favor, etc. In a word, en­
deavor to be loved rather than feared; and do not im­
pose a burden of tw’enty pounds on a sister whom you
see unable to bear more than ten.
Be meek, particularly in correcting the sisters. St.
Ambrose says: “ A friendly correction is more profitable
than a turbulent accusation; the former excites shame,
the latter provokes indignation. Let the person whom
you correct believe you to be a friend rather than an
enemy.” 1 A friendly admonition that points out the
defect is more useful than a sharp rebuke that excites
anger in the person corrected, who must regard you as
an affectionate friend rather than as an adversary.
St.
*
John Chrysostom says: “Do you wish to see a brother
corrected ?—weep, exhort, embrace his feet, be not
ashamed to kiss them (if necessary), if you wish to see
1 “ Plus proficit amica correptio, quam accusatio turbulenta; illa pu­
dorem incutit, hæc indignationem movet. Amicum magis te, qui cor­
ripitur, credat, quam inimicum.”—In Luc. 1. S, c. r~.

674

Particular Admonitions

[chap. xxn>

him soon cured.” 1 Endeavor with great sweetness and
in private to correct the first fault that a sister com­
mits. Should public correction be necessary in conse­
quence of the fault being public, be careful first to cor­
rect the sister in private, praising her on the one hand
for her good qualities, and on the other correcting her
for the defect; then say to her, that since public correc­
tion is necessary for the good of the Community, she
ought not to be displeased at your correcting her before
the sisters. Oh ! how much more profitable are admo­
nitions made in this manner than corrections accom­
panied with sharpness and severity. When the Superior
acts with meekness, she leads the sisters, as it is com­
monly said, with a thread of silk. The nuns call and
regard you as a mother: you, then, should treat them as
children, and with maternal affection. It is particularly
necessary to treat the aged religious with charity and
prudence. In general, says St. Gregory,123 it is useful, as
shall be said hereafter, to treat the young with severity
when necessary; but with the aged you must have re­
course to entreaties and to sweetness, saying: My sister,
you know how much I esteem you; I entreat you not to
violate such a rule: we are advanced in years; we must
give good example to the young sisters.
Sometimes it is necessary to defer correction for a
week or a month, till a convenient opportunity occurs,
that the admonition may be more fruitful. Medicine
administered at the proper time cures an invalid; but
if given at an unseasonable time it will kill him. Some­
times it is necessary to shut your eyes and overlook a
fault, as if you had not seen it; that is, when the defect
1 “ Vis fratrem corrigere ? Lacryma, exhortare, comprehende pedes,
osculari non erubescas, si modo vere mederi vis.”—Ad pop. Ant. hom.
3·
2 “ Juvenes plerumque severitas admonitionis ad profectum dirigit,
senes vero deprecatio blanda.”—Past. p. 3, adm. 2.

sec. i.]

For the Superior.

675

is a light one, confined to the person that commits it,
and not imitated by others. We must leave many
things to God, and implore of him to apply a remedy.
Speaking of the defects of nuns advanced in years, St.
Francis de Sales has said, in one of his letters,1 “It is
necessary to pay attention to the aged: they cannot be
so easily managed; they are not so flexible; for the
sinews of the soul, as well as of the body, have grown
stiff.
But when defects are serious, such as when they give
scandal or annoyance to any of the nuns, or are opposed
to the observance of any rule, then you must speak. If
you remain silent, and dissemble through fear of losing
the good-will of any of the sisters, you will lose the
good-will of God. It is also necessary, in certain cases,
such as when you perceive friendships or aversions, to
apply an immediate remedy; for the longer such evils
continue, the more difficult it is to repair them.
In correcting the religious, it is necessary, as has been
said, to use all possible sweetness; but when you see
that meekness does not correct the evil, you must, as
the Apostle advises, speak strongly: Reprove, entreat, re­
buke? In her intercourse with the sisters, the Superior
should have a heart of honey; but in correcting abuses
and relaxations of exact observance, she requires a soul
of bronze. In the rules of St. Augustine it is said that
the Superior should inspire subjects with fear and love,
the humble and docile with love, and the proud and
obstinate with fear. A certain author says that certain
hearts are so obdurate, that they feel only when pierced
with a lance; hence, if neither meekness nor severe
words are effectual, you must have recourse to pen­
ances, and to severe penances, if the defect be grievous.
St. Bonaventure3 used to say, that the difference be’ Lettre 788.
2 “ Argue, obsecra, increpa.”—2 Tim. iv. 2.
3 De Sex A lis, c. 3.

676

Particular Admonitions

[chap.xxiii.

tween relaxed and observant convents is, not that in
exact monasteries there are no defects (for even there
the religious are not angels, but men), but that in the
former transgressions are not reproved, while in the
latter they are corrected and punished. In correcting
the religious, I entreat you to attend to two things,
that you may be secure against error: the first is, not to
have recourse to chastisement (I mean severe chastise­
ment), unless when it is absolutely necessary for the
amendment of a sister, or for the example of others.
Severe remedies are applied only in diseases that are
otherwise incurable. The second is, that you do not
show passion in correcting any of the sisters, but that
before inflicting punishment you first recommend your­
self to God, then take the advice of others, and after­
wards act according to the best of your judgment.
Be careful not to impose penances, nor to correct a
sister with severity, as long as you feel disturbed. Some­
times you may think it a duty to repress without delay
the insolence of a sister who treats you with disrespect
before your face; but I entreat you to abstain for some
time from correcting her: otherwise the correction will
probably be accompanied with anger, and will be un­
profitable; for the sister will regard it as the fruit of
passion, rather than the effect of charity. Besides, when
a sister is disturbed by anger, and her mind obscured
by passion, the admonition will be of little use. Wait,
then, till your and her feelings of displeasure have
ceased, and then correct her as you think proper. If
the correction must be severe, endeavor always to ad­
minister wine and oil, that is, after the correction, say
to the sister, that you love her, that you have done all
for her good.
When a sister is accused of a fault, do not correct or
punish her immediately; but hear first the person ac­
cused, and then, after having examined the matter, act

sec.

i.]

For the Superior.

677

according to your judgment. It sometimes happens
that things are seen in a wrong light, and that acts
are taken for grievous faults when, perhaps, they are
not even trivial defects. Some Superiors believe what
they hear without further inquiry, and instantly reprove
and punish the accused; such conduct leads to a thou­
sand evils and disturbances, because the representation
that has been made is without foundation.
May God preserve you from ever seeking revenge
against a sister that has opposed or contradicted you,
or has spoken disrespectfully of you during the time
you are in office: guard, I say, against giving her any
pain or humiliation on that account; this would cause
very great scandal. You should, whenever it can be
done without scruple, rather endeavor to treat with par­
ticular respect and attention any sister that may have
opposed you. Thus you will please God, and give
great edification to the Community.
VI. Be careful never to grant a permission that opens
the door to any abuse that may afterwards become
general, or give annoyance to the other religious. It is
necessary to refuse such permission with firmness, with­
out any regard to friendship, gratitude, or any other
human motive. To please others and injure your own
soul, is not charity, but folly. But with regard to per­
mission or dispensations that are reasonable, and do no
injury to the Community, it is necessary to grant them
with facility, unless you wish to see many violations of
Rule, which, when committed without leave, are real
transgressions. It is on this account that Superiors
have power to dispense with the rules in particular cases,
for dispensations are frequently necessary, or at least
useful.
VII. Be careful to provide for all the wants of the
sisters, particularly with regard to food and clothing.

678

Particîdar Admonitions

[chap, xxiii.

St. Antonine says,1 that a Superior that does not supply
the religious with necessaries, when he can conveniently
do so, and thus gives occasion to them to retain some­
thing for their particular use, cannot be excused from
mortal sin.
Some Superiors make the Community
suffer, in order to erect new buildings, and to adorn the
church with ornaments of marble and silver. Certain
monasteries have superfluous revenues, and the religious
suffer from want; but all have not sufficient fervor to
bear the want of necessaries, and thus the monastery
goes to ruin. I entreat you to be liberal rather than par­
simonious to the sisters, if you expect them to be exact
in the observance of the Rule; and therefore abstain
from new improvements that are not necessary, unless
you wish to see the material house adorned, and the
spiritual edifice brought to ruin.
Be particularly careful to see the sick well treated,
and supplied with medicine and food; endeavor to the
best of your ability to procure for them every comfort
of which they stand in need. The care of the sick ought
to be one of the principal concerns of a Superior. Our
Lord recommended the care of the sick, in a special
manner, to St. Teresa. When you know that a sister is
ill, go immediately to visit her, and if she stands in need
of a physician, send for one, and charge the other sisters
to be attentive to her wants. While her illness con­
tinues, take care to inquire whether she is well attended;
and do not omit to visit her frequently. Father Leonard
of Port Maurice remarks that the Superior should not
be very condescending to those who, in every little ill­
ness, seek particular attention and exemption from the
common exercises; for much condescension to them
might cause scandal and abuses injurious to general
observance.
So much regarding the care of the temporalities; but
' P. 2, tit. 9, c. 5, § 3·

SEC. I.]

For the Superior.

679

you should pay far greater attention to the spiritual con­
cerns of the monastery.

Be careful, then, to see that the spiritual exercises be
made every year for eight or ten days, in solitude and
with devotion ; do not spare trouble, or a little expense,
in order to procure, according to the best of your ability,
a person well qualified to give the meditations and in­
structions to the religious. Expenditure of this kind con­
tributes far more to the glory of God than the expense of
music, of costly ornaments, and of repasts. Ask the eccles­
iastical Superior to procure a suitable person to give the
spiritual exercises. Above all, be careful to provide the
religious with an extraordinary confessor, at least four
times a year, and to make the sisters present themselves to
him, if not for confession, at least for his blessing according
to Canons 521 and 566, n. 4. Do not imagine that the
extraordinary confessor is useless, since no one asks for
him ; for she that rarely asks for him may be most in need
of him. Fearing that it may be suspected that her con­
science is disturbed, she will not ask for one; and in the
mean time, by going to the ordinary confessor, she con­
tinues to make sacrilegious confessions and Communions.
Oh! how great the account that certain Superiors will have
to render to God for the neglect of this duty! I entreat
you to attend to it. Be careful always to give the extra­
ordinary confessor, or the new ordinary confessor, the in­
formation necessary for the direction of the Community.

I would, moreover, recommend to you to see to it that
in your church the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass be cele­
brated with the respect and devotion due to Jesus
Christ. I say, in a special little work that I have written
on this subject, that those priests # that say Mass in a
hurried manner (some of them finish Mass in less than a
quarter of an hour) cannot be excused from mortal sin

680

Particular Admonitions

[chap.xxiii.

on account of the grave irreverence of which they are
guilty towards the great sacrifice, as well as on account
of the great scandal that they give to the people. How
disgraceful, therefore, to see religious, who are anxious
to hear several Masses, extolling such precipitate Masses,
and those unworthy priests that deserve to be expelled
from all the churches ! There is perhaps no church in
which Masses are said so unbecomingly as in the churches
of religious; and why?—because the religious wish to
have short Masses. What a disorder ! and J repeat,
what a shame ! You, therefore, who are the Superior,
endeavor to keep from your church these undevout
priests who say Mass hurriedly. Λ single Mass well
celebrated inspires more devotion than a hundred
Masses said hastily and disrespectfully.
VIII. Let us now say a few words on the music and
singing of nuns. In itself, singing in the church is good,
because it is intended to praise God; but it sometimes
happens that in the singing of nuns, vanity and the devil
have a greater share than God. Some one may ask,
What evil is there in singing?
I answer, in the first place, that there is a loss of time,
and a great loss of time; for music is an art which, if
not perfectly learned, not only does not delight, but
gives positive displeasure.
In the second place, it is an occasion of a thousand
distractions, and sometimes of irreverence.
How unbecoming is the mariner in which in many
convents the nuns sing the Lessons in Holy Week !
Young men go there not out of devotion, but for the
purpose of hearing this or that nun sing, and at the
end applaud her in a loud voice, just as is done in the
theatre. The devils re-echo this applause, as may be
seen in the following incident related by Father Leon­
ard of Port Maurice.' While a brother of a religious
1 Man. p. 2, § 18.

sec.

i.]

For the Superior.

681

Community was singing with much vanity in the church
of his convent, a voice was heard saying: Bravo, bravo !
Quite flattered by such applause, the singer became still
more vain, and continued singing. He finally noticed
that the church was filled with smoke and an insupport­
able stench, and at once understood who had been ap­
plauding him. Do you think that a religious that sings
a solo inspires with devotion the men that are present?
For myself I do not believe so;—temptation, indeed,
but not devotion.
Thirdly, it may sometimes be an occasion of losing
God; for it may sometimes be necessary to take lessons
from men, and perhaps from young men. In such
lessons the devil may gain much. Do not imagine that
I speak in this manner because 1 am an enemy to music:
on the contrary, I am fond of music, and when a secular,
I devoted a good deal of time to it (it were better that I
had devoted it to the love of God). I do not disapprove
of nuns singing the plain chant, nor even the figured
chant in unison, in imitation of the plain chant. But I
say that it is not at all becoming in a nun to sing alone
the figured chant. If the figured chant has not been in­
troduced into your monastery, I entreat you to guard
against its introduction. Should it be unfortunately
introduced, I entreat you to do everything in your
power to abolish it, or to prevent, at least, young men,
teachers of music, from coming to the house.
IX. Lastly, be careful to give to the lay-sisters suf­
ficient time for meditation, for Communion, and some
other devotions: if you do not, you should not complain
that they are disobedient, proud, and without devotion.
If you do not give them the opportunity of adopting
the means of acquiring devotion, how can you expect
them to be devout?
I entreat you to recommend to those who are in office
to read the admonitions that I here subjoin, regarding

fjfl

682

Particular Admonitions

[chap,

xxiii.

their duties, that each may know her principal obliga­
tions, and the manner of performing them.
II.

For the Vicar or Assistant.

I. If you have been elected assistant, know that your
office obliges you to a general superintendence of the
monastery, and particularly of the lay-sisters, and there­
fore you should frequently visit them, in order to see if
they fulfil their duties.
II. Be most affable to all the sisters, and listen to all
that come to speak to you. Many nuns feel a reluctance
to mention their troubles to the Superior, and will have
recourse to you. Therefore, when they come, inspire
them with confidence, that they may freely disclose their
inquietudes, and endeavor to provide for their wants,
according to the best of your ability; and when you
cannot comfort them, apply to the Superior in their be­
half. But do not arrogate to yourself authority that
you do not possess: you are the servant of the Superior,
and should therefore depend on her in all matters of
importance.
III.

For the Mistress of Novices.

I. The mistress of novices should be a person of great
fervor and prudence; for the good of the monastery
depends entirely on the education of the novices, who
have afterwards, in their turn, to govern the Community.
Many of the admonitions given to the Superior are
applicable to you: such as to give an example of all the
virtues in which you instruct the novices; not to show
partiality to any novice, by praising her, keeping her
near you, or showing her attention that excites surprise

sec. in.]

For the Mistress of Novices

683

and discontent among her companions; to correct those
that commit a fault, correcting with sweetness, and
without anger. Hence you would do well to read the
admonitions to the Superior. (See III., IV., V.) With
regard to correction, the mistress of novices should be
more rigid than the Superior; you should not overlook
any fault without correcting it.
II. Besides the instructions to which I have referred,
there are others peculiar to your office.
The first is, to be discreet, and not to require too
much from young persons that are but little advanced
in spiritual life. You must endeavor to lead them to
perfection by degrees, according to the strength that
you perceive in them. You should not show partiality,
as has been said: but holy prudence requires that not
all be treated in the same way. One is timid, and must
be treated with greater kindness: another is haughty
and obstinate; she must be treated with greater rigor.
Another is very much under the influence of shame, and
may be in danger of concealing a sin in confession;
another is too affectionate, and is in danger of forming
particular friendships. In these and similar occasions
be careful to remove each of the novices from the
danger to which she may be exposed.
The second admonition is, not to permit the novices
to be familiar with the religious, or with the postulants,
much less with one another; be careful, then, not to al­
low them to wander about the monastery without a
companion. Do not permit them to read profane books,
to indulge in vanity of dress, or to write useless letters.
Father Leonard of Port Maurice relates that in a certain
monastery, a young person, by an epistolary corre­
spondence, contracted an intimacy with a young man,
which led her into a mortal sin of thought. Through
shame she concealed the sin in confession, and was
guilty of many sacrileges.
She was seized with a
12

684

Particular Admonitions

[chap, xxiii.

mortal disease, and died impenitent. After death she
appeared to an uncle, and said to him: “Behold the
niece whom you watched over with so much caution ! I
am damned for a sin of thought, which I concealed
from my confessor.” Be also careful frequently to re­
mind the novices of the eternal maxims, saying, for
example: “Sooner or later, we must die. What shall
become of us on the day of judgment? Everything in
this world will have an end. Miserable the soul that is
damned.” Recommend them frequently to practise de­
votion to the Passion of Jesus Christ, and to his divine
Mother, if they wish to become saints.
III. Above all, inculcate on the novices the observance
of their rules, on which you are bound by your office to
instruct them frequently; for, as has been already said,
the observance of her rules is the only means by which
a religious can become a saint.
IV.
For the Bursar,

I. It is necessary for you to guard against two ex­
tremes—extravagance, and excessive parsimony. With
regard to the former, be careful not to violate justice,
nor to injure the convent by spending more than you
ought, in order to gain the esteem of the religious.
With regard to the second, do not violate charity to­
wards the nuns, by not attending sufficiently to their
wants, in order to gain the name of a good economist,
by saving a large sum of money during the time of your
office. Be careful to provide for the nuns according to
the best of your ability.
II. Be careful also not to omit your devotions, nor to
live like a secular, through an excessive solicitude to
save for the monastery. It is true that your office
obliges you to treat with externs, to keep the accounts,

sec.

v.]

For the Sacristan.

685

to be sometimes absent from choir and from the com­
mon exercises: but be careful to cut off useless dis­
courses; and when it can be done without inconven­
ience, put off till the next day the business that might
interfere with meditation, Communion, examination of
conscience, or spiritual reading. The monastery does
not require that, in order to serve the Community, you
should lead a life of dissipation.
III. Take care, also, not to enter into disputes with
seculars, about the price of their goods, nor with work­
men about the wages for their labor. You must do
these things, not like a worldling, but like a religious.
It would be still worse to appropriate to your own
use anything that you save by excessive parsimony.
Whatsoever you acquire is the property of the monas­
tery; and all that you save by a culpable or blameless
thriftiness belongs not to you, but to the convent
V.

For the Sacristan.

I. Entertain a great esteem for your office, all the
duties of which remind you of your Spouse. The hosts,
the vestments, the sacred vessels, corporals, purificators,
candles, and flowers remind you of him. You should
discharge all your duties with devotion and recollection,
frequently renewing your intention of honoring the
Most Holy Sacrament. And in passing before the Holy
Eucharist, do not omit to bend the knee with reverence.
II. Be reserved with the chaplains, and still more re­
served with persons that serve Mass; speak to them
only when necessary.
III. Treat your companion with great charity and
respect. Be not disturbed when she does anything that
you do not approve; and be still more careful not to
yield to any word of anger or complaint. Do what is in

686

Particular Admonitions

[cijap. xxi^

your power, and when there is anything to be done that
you are unable to do, ask her to assist you, but always
in the language of meekness, saying: I pray you to help
me; do this act of charity for me; have patience with
me; and the like.
IV. Be careful, above all things, not to expend, through
vanity, more than others have ordinarily expended. I
say ordinarily, for you should not follow the example of
a person that has been extravagant: for such vanity she
will suffer many years in purgatory, if she escapes hell;
and do you wish to be her companion in that place of
suffering? I entreat you to read what has been said on
this subject, in Chapter IX. § II.1 Be assured that you
will have to give a great account to God, if you intro­
duce or continue an abuse that will be the cause of a
thousand sins. Finally, I recommend to you, as I have
recommended to the bursar, not to lead a life of dissipation in consequence of attending too much to your
office. Do all for God, and not for vanity, and every­
thing will go on well.
VI.
For the Attendant at the Turn, and for the Portress.

I. Be not idle at the turn, or at the door: employ
the little moments of your time in working, or in
reading; or at least in recollection with God, looking
occasionally at some sacred image. When you open
the door, cast down your eyes, if you wish not to ex­
pose yourself to a thousand faults and a thousand
temptations.
II. Do not, I say, remain idle; but do not neglect the
duty of opening the door, and give without delay the
messages to the nuns as often as it may be necessary.
Offer the trouble and annoyance to God, and it will be
1 Vol. X.

sec. vu.]

For the Infirmarian.

687

more profitable to you than prayer. You must, how­
ever, observe that should a person having a bad inten­
tion present himself in order to speak with a nun, you
cannot call this nun without danger of committing a
grievous sin, since you would then co-operate with the
evil. Under such circumstances answer firmly that the
sister is engaged, and that she cannot come. You must
act in the same way in regard to letters that are sent
to suspected persons or are received from them. On
this account you will perhaps hear complaints from
different quarters; but it is better to hear these com­
plaints than those that God will make. If, however,
you have not the courage to do this, give up your
charge rather than expose yourself to the danger of
being forever lost.
III. Be careful to lock the inner as well as the outer
doors at the hours prescribed. Be also on your guard
lest anything should enter the convent that might in­
jure its inmates, such as children, dogs, immodest pict­
ures, and the like. And then, what a shame is it not to
see the convent door wide open, and seculars, men and
women, occupied in joking and laughing with the re­
ligious ! As soon as you notice this, take care to close
the door; your office of portress imposes upon you not
only the obligation to open and close the door, but also
to prevent every disorder that may occur at the door.
VII.
For the Infirmarian.

I. Your office is one of great importance and of great
merit, if you fulfil it as you ought. In order to fulfil
your office well, be careful to recognize in the sick the
person of Jesus Christ, who says that he accepts the aid
that we give the sick, as given to himself. I was sick and
you visited Me)
1 “ Infirmus (eram) et visitastis me.”—Matt. xxv. 3G

688

Particular Admonitions

[chap. xxm.

Hence, you require, in the first place, great charity in
assisting the sick, according to the utmost of your
ability. Do not be uneasy if you sometimes lose the
sermon, or if you are unable to hear the usual number
of Masses, or to attend at your other devotions; you
will gain far greater merit by assisting one of your
sisters in religion. Sympathize with her in her pains,
and give her as many bodily comforts as you can; if you
are obliged to refuse something, because it would be
injurious to her, at least console her by your words.
Repeat from time to time some spiritual maxim, re­
mind her of the sorrows of Jesus Christ, and should it
be agreeable to her, read some spiritual book for her.
Be on your guard not to reproach her with being the
cause of her illness by eating to excess, or by remaining
too long in the garden or on the terrace. Do not show,
by your manner or otherwise, that you feel weary of
attending her; do not thus add to the pain of an afflicted
sister. And when you see that she suffers from head­
ache, tell the nuns in the cell to retire, or at least not
to raise their voice. Be careful to give her at the proper
time the medicines prescribed Should she refuse them,
remind her of her obligation to obey the physician; and
should she still refuse, send for the Superior, or for some
of the religious who will persuade her to obey.
Secondly, be careful to practise humility in attending
your sisters in sickness, though they should be the
humblest lay-sisters in the convent; do not disdain to
serve them in all their wants. These are the most noble
acts of a religious, or of a Christian.
Thirdly, you require great patience in attending the
sick, during the whole time of their illness and Con­
valescence. Tedious maladies weary the tepid infirmarian, but not the religious that has an ardent love of
Jesus Christ.
Fourthly, you require great meekness in bearing with

sec.

vu.]

For the Infir mar ian.

689

a sick sister, who, instead of thanking you, complains
of you, and appears incapable of being satisfied with all
the services that you render her; but you must bear
with her, and pity her in her sufferings. There are
certain infirmarians that cannot hear a word of com­
plaint from the sick without resenting it. If this be
your character, endeavor to give up your office; other­
wise you will injure yourself and the sick. A brother of
the Society of Jesus used to answer the complaints of
the sick by saying: Pardon me, for I am stupid; and in
spite of their complaints, he would continue to assist
them with the same attention and cheerfulness. You
should act in this manner.
IL Be careful not to judge that any sick sister only
pretends to be ill; and be still more careful not to say
that her illness is only imaginary. On the other hand,
when the malady is considered dangerous, do not de­
ceive the sister, but speak plainly to her, and say: “My
sister, your recovery is not beyond hope, but your
disease is mortal: it appears that God wishes to call
you to paradise. I know that you are prepared, but
if you have any scruple do not lose time. I will send
for the confessor. The holy sacraments are conducive
to the health of the soul and body. We all pray for the
restoration of your health; but in the end we must all
conform to the will of God.” Should your speaking in
this manner disturb the sick sister, have patience with
her. Shall religious be treated like seculars, who are not
warned of their danger until their recovery is past hope?
—a deplorable abuse that sends many souls to hell. As
soon, then, as you hear from the physician that a sick
sister is in danger, take care that she be fortified by the
sacraments, particularly if you have any suspicion that
her conscience is troubled. I say that an infirmarian
that fulfils her office as she ought is a source of joy to
the monastery, and renders herself the beloved of God

690

Particular Admonitions

[chap.xxiii.

VIII.

For the Counsellors.

I. When your advice is asked, be careful, before you
give an answer, to understand well the question pro­
posed; and should you ever find that, because it was
founded on error, the counsel that you gave was unjust,
you are obliged to retract it.
IL Tell freely what you think before God; and in
giving your opinion, be not influenced by the considera­
tion that the Superior, or any other religious that is
your friend, thinks the contrary. The Rule requires
that consultations should be held on matters of im­
portance; that in these consultations each sister may
speak her sentiments freely, and that thus the best
counsel may be adopted. If you are influenced by
human respect, disadvantageous contracts, useless ex­
penditure, unjust punishments, and other evils will be
permitted.
III. AVhen you see any serious irregularity in the con­
vent, you should inform the Superior of it, that she
may apply a remedy. But in doing this attend to two
things: First, after having done your duty, be not dis­
turbed if the Superior does not do what you think
ought to be done; secondly, be not too importunate
in speaking to the Superior on the affairs of the Community: you should speak to her only on matters of
some importance.
IX.
For the Lay-sisters.

What is said for the lay-sisters may be also useful to
those that have the care of instructing and admonishing
them. I wish, first, to say a word to the choir nuns on
their conduct towards the lay-sisters.

sec.

lx.]

For the Lay-sisters.

691

You, O choir sister, complain that some of the laysisters are arrogant, disobedient, indevout, that they in­
jure the property of the monastery, and sometimes give
it away to externs. But who, I ask, is the cause of their
misdeeds? You are the cause of this. You keep them at
work the whole day; you do not give them sufficient
time to make mental prayer, to frequent the sacraments,
to visit Jesus Christ on the altar, to read or hear a spiri­
tual reading, or to hear Mass on week-days; and after­
wards you complain that they are imperfect and inde­
vout. How can you expect that they will be fervent in
the exercises of piety if you deprive them of the means
of acquiring devotion? Such is the manner in which
lay-sisters are sometimes treated; for such treatment
certain nuns will have to give a great account to God.
I shall now address the lay-sisters.
I. Dear sister, you should understand that your state
is a state of humility, and that it is particularly by
humility that you are to become a saint. You should
be humble towards all, even your companions, but par­
ticularly towards the choir nuns, by endeavoring always
to speak to them with great respect, and to serve them
as much as you can without neglecting the duties you
owe to the Community. And should they ever say a
disagreeable word, bear it with patience, and be careful
not to answer them as if you were their equal. Had
you remained in the world, would you dare to answer
your mistress as you now answer the nuns? You cer­
tainly would not; and why should you, now that you
are a religious, forget what you are? You should not
be puffed up with vanity because the nuns call you
sister, or because you sit at the same table with them:
you have come to be a servant, and as such you have
been professed; you must then serve, and serve with
humility; for to serve with pride is not to serve.
Π. Be obedient in the office in which you are placed;

692

Particular Admonitions

[chap.xxjh.

and obey without reply and without delay. Do not go
about examining whether your companions attend to
their work, or spend their time in idleness; attend only
to yourself: the more you labor, the more merit you will
gain before God, if you work with the intention of pleas­
ing him. You will thus merit a greater reward than the
nuns that hear many Masses, or are employed in spiritual
reading; because in all your toils and labors you per­
fectly fulfil the divine will, and in this all sanctity con­
sists. Do not say, then, that you have come to the
convent to serve God and not to be a drudge; for you
are to serve God by laboring for the Community, and
by serving the nuns.
III. Be careful, if the Superior does not appoint it for
you, to ask a little time for mental prayer, for Com­
munion, for hearing Mass, and visiting the Blessed Sac­
rament, etc. And when time is given you for these exer­
cises, be careful not to spend it in idle chat, or, as some
do, in going about the monastery. You who are a laysister must be very avaricious of the time that is allowed
to you; you must be careful not to lose a single moment
of it; for you are obliged to attend to the service of the
Community. If you do not serve the Community, who
else is to serve it?
But, during your work, who can hinder you from be­
ing recollected in God ? Make frequent acts of love,
and fervent petitions, saying: My Jesus, mercy; my God,
assist me; give me Thy love, etc. At least recite the
“ Hail Mary,’’ or other vocal prayers. Do not say any
more that you are abandoned. Seek God and you shall
find him. But you must love silence; speak when your
business requires you to speak, but avoid contention,
and cut short all useless discourses. And for that pur­
pose keep at a distance from those that are prone to
talk. Avoid particularly the discontented, who some­
times express their discontent in uncharitable language.

SEC. IX.]

J;or the Lay-sisters.

IV. I recommend to you the practice of holy poverty.
I fear that some lay-sisters go to hell on account of the
violation of the vow of poverty; they are intrusted with
the care of the goods of the monastery; if then they
give them to externs, or neglect to preserve them, how
can they expect salvation ? Be careful to preserve, with
the greatest care, the things that are given to you in
charge; and should others ask them of you, answer with
firmness that they are not yours, and that you cannot
damn yourself for their sake. If you wish to assist any
one through charity, do it with the permission of the
Superior. Do not make your entrance into religion the
occasion of your own damnation.

694

Rule of Life,

[CHAP. XXIV.

CHAPTER XXIV.
RULE OF LIFE FOR A RELIGIOUS THAT DESIRES TO BECOME
A SAINT.

I.

Rising in the Morning.

As soon as you hear the signal for rising, imitate the
infant on awakening, that instantly looks for its mother’s
milk: the moment you awake raise your heart to God
by an act of love, offer him the actions of the day, and
beg of him to assist you. You must, then, according
to the advice of St. Teresa, not remain turning in bed,
but rise immediately, as if the bed were on fire; other­
wise you will, as I have said in another place, lose the
flower of merit.
While you are dressing, do not lose your time, but
employ it in repeating some ejaculation or prayer; for
example: “My God, I wish only for Thee, and noth­
ing more. I offer Thee all that I shall do and suffer
during this day. My Jesus, mercy. Lord, assist me al­
ways, and make me do Thy will,” etc. You will do well
to use such ejaculations in the intervals between your
actions, such as in going to choir, to the refectory, or in
the occupations that do not require application of mind.
These moments employed in this manner produce great
fruit in the course of time.
As soon as you are dressed, place yourself before the
crucifix, and make the morning acts of thanksgiving, of
love, of oblation of all your actions and prayers during
the day. And, above all, ask with fervor help from
Jesus and Mary, to serve God well during the day.

SEC. IL]

Mental Prayer.

695

Mental Prayer.

With regard to mental prayer, I do not intend to re­
peat here what has been already said on this subject in
Chapter XV. I will only say a few words on the manner
of making it.
After the three acts—of faith in the presence of God,
of humility, and petition to God for light—always read
the point, or listen to another reading it, and then stop
to reflect on the sentiment that has made the greatest
impression upon you.
Afterwards make pious affections towards God, such
as acts of thanksgiving, of humiliation, of confidence,
and, above all, of contrition and of love, and petitions to
God for light and help, for resignation to his will, and
for the gift of his love. And when you feel aridity, em­
ploy yourself then particularly in praying for God’s
graces. It will be enough to say and repeat: My Jesus,
mercy. My God, assist me.
Finally, cast a glance at your conscience, and see if
there is anything in it displeasing to God; remove what­
ever you find to be offensive to him, and make a par­
ticular resolution to correct the fault.
Be careful always to make meditation as well in the
morning as in the evening. Should you on any day be
unable to make your usual meditation, make at least a
part of it. Be persuaded that you will never make
progress in perfection unless you have a great love for
mental prayer.
III.
The Divine Office.

It is necessary to say something on the divine office,
as it has not been treated in the body of the work.
All men should be continually employed on this earth

696

Rule of Life.

[chah.

xxiv.

in thanking the Lord for his benefits, and in asking the
graces necessary for the attainment of salvation. But be­
cause seculars live in the midst of the distractions arising
from worldly concerns, the holy Church wishes that in
her name, and in the name of all Christians, ecclesiastics
and religious should praise God, and pray for the whole
world, by reciting the divine office, which is nothing
more than a memorial or petition composed by God
himself, that he may the more readily hear our prayers,
and relieve our wants. Hence, a hundred private prayers
have not as much efficacy as a single petition offered in
the divine office. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to
say, that, in comparison with the divine office, all other
prayers are of little merit. Hence, when she heard the
bell for the office, she exulted with joy, and giving up
every occupation, she ran to the choir, thinking that she
was going to perform the office of the angels in praising
God, and imploring graces for poor sinners. St. Catha­
rine of Bologna felt such joy in reciting the office, that
she desired to end her life in chanting the Psalms; and
she would say that a nun that persevered till death in
reciting the office in the choir, might be ranked among
the saints.
But it is not enough to say the office: it is necessary
to say it as it ought to be said—with reverence and at
tention. If you say it with distraction, rolling the eyes
about on dissipating objects, or what is worse, occasion­
ally smiling, and speaking without necessity, know that
a severe purgatory is prepared for you in the next life.
It is related of two nuns, that for inattention of this
kind they were condemned to severe torments. A Cis­
tercian nun called Gertrude appeared after death to a
companion, and said that she was suffering in purgatory
for not having observed silence in reciting the office.
St. Antonine1 relates that a holy Father once saw a devil
1 Sumin. p. 2. tit. 9, c. 12, § 3.

Divine Office.

sec. in.]

697

in the choir putting several things into a bag. Being
asked what he was doing, the evil spirit answered that
he was laying up all the words and syllables omitted or
badly pronounced by the religious, in order to charge
them with their inattention at the judgment-seat of
God. In the life of St. Lutgarde1 we read that God
sent a plague into a convent of nuns, in punishment of
the negligent manner in which they recited the office.
Prayer made with attention is an odoriferous incense
that is very pleasing to God, and obtains treasures of
graces. But, on the other hand, prayer made without
devotion and with distraction is a fetid smoke, that pro­
vokes the divine wrath; for God himself said to St.
Bridget that they that recite the divine office negligent­
ly, dishonor him more than they glorify him. Hence,
St. Thomas says 2 that he who prays with voluntary dis­
traction (though the prayer be not of obligation) is not
exempt from sin, for he appears to treat God with con­
tempt—just as a person that speaks to others without at­
tending to what he says is guilty of disrespect towards
them.
In the Cistercian chronicles we find an account of the
celebrated vision that St. Bernard had one night, while
he chanted the Psalms in choir along with his monks.
At the right hand of each monk he saw an angel writ­
ing: some of the angels wrote in letters of gold, others
in letters of silver; some wrote with ink, others with
water; others, in fine, held the pen in the hand without
writing at all. Our Lord afterwards gave the saint to
understand that the letters of gold signified the fervor
with which some of the monks recited the office; the
letters of silver represented prayers said with devotion,
but with less fervor; the letters of ink denoted attention
to the pronunciation of the words, without devotion;
and the letters of water indicated the negligence of
1 16 Jun.

s 2. 2, q. S3, a. 13.

698

Riile of Life.

[CHAP. XXIV.

those that were distracted, and paid but little attention
to the words that they pronounced with the tongue.
Finally, the angels that were not writing at all denoted
the irreverence of those that were voluntarily dis­
tracted.
I hope, dear sister, that you are not one of those who,
in saying the office, are voluntarily distracted. A person
is understood to be voluntarily distracted when, after
adverting to the thought that distracts him, he attends
to it, although he sees that it takes away his attention
from the office. Be careful henceforth to recite the of­
fice with proper attention. You go through the labor
of reciting the office, and will you, for the sake of avoid­
ing the little trouble or exertion necessary to say it with
due attention, voluntarily lose the merit of it, and ren­
der yourself deserving of punishment ? Adopt, then,
the following method: When you enter the choir, after
blessing yourself with holy water, first adore the Most
Holy Sacrament, offer to the honor of Jesus Christ the
office you are going to recite, ask his assistance, and
then go to your place, and imagine that the Lord is
looking at you from heaven, that his ears are attentive
to the prayers that you recite, and that the angels are
present to offer your petitions to God. While the relig­
ious were one day reciting Matins, Blessed Herman saw
a multitude of angels with golden censers in their
hands, offering to God the prayers of the religious.
Be not disturbed at the distractions you suffer in the
office; as long as they are not voluntary they are not
sinful. God compassionates the misery of our nature.
Thoughts frequently enter the mind without being wil­
ful, and when not wilful, they are not displeasing to
God. St. Thomas says
*
that even souls rapt in contem­
plation cannot remain long on high, but are drawn
down by the weight of human misery to involuntary
1 2. 2, q. 83, a. 13

sec. nr.]

Divine Office.

699

distractions. Endeavor, not only in the beginning but
also during the course of the office, to renew your atten­
tion from time to time, such as at the beginning of each
Psalm.
You already know that, according to St. Thomas and
the generality of divines, there are three kinds of atten­
tion to the office: to the words, to the sense, and to God.
To the words, by endeavoring to pronounce them dis­
tinctly. To the sense, by attending to the signification of
the words. To God, by adoring him, loving him, and
asking his graces. Any of the three is sufficient for the
fulfilment of the obligation of saying the office; but he
that recites it merely with attention to the words, with­
out attention to the sense or to God, will never say it
with devotion or fruit. Endeavor, then, to excite in
your heart the sentiments you read. It is true that
many passages of the Psalms are obscure, but many of
them are also clear, and are full of petitions, of affec­
tions of love, of confidence, and of contrition.
The most perfect kind of attention is attention to
God; and in order to practise this kind of attention it
will be particularly useful to meditate, during the differ­
ent parts of the office, on different circumstances of the
Passion. For example, during the first Nocturn you
can meditate on the washing of the feet; during the
second, on the institution of the Most Holy Sacrament;
and during the third, on the prayer of our Lord in the
garden. During Lauds, on his capture, and on the
maltreatment that he received in the house of Caiphas;
during Prime, on his scourging; during Tierce, on the
crowning with thorns; during Sext, on the journey to
Calvary; at None, on the three hours that Jesus re­
mained hanging on the cross; at Vespers, on his death;
and during Complin, on his burial. But the medita­
tions should not be so profound, nor be made with such
application of the mind as to fatigue the head. They
•

13

700

[CHAP. XXIV.

should be made with sweetness, so that the mind may
be assisted with holy thoughts, and may at the same
time attend, in some manner, to the words recited by
the other side of the choir.
Every time you say the Pater noster, apply the heart
in a special manner to the words, sanctificetur nomen tuum,
by which you mean to say, Lord, make Thyself known
and loved by all. Adveniat regnum tuum ; reign in our
hearts by grace in this life, and by glory in the next.
Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cœlo et in terra ; grant that Thy
will may be done on earth as the saints do it in heaven.
In saying the Gloria Patri, you can make different affec­
tions: of faith, of thanksgiving, of complacency in the
felicity of God, and of desire to honor him and to suffer
for his glory. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, in saying
the Gloria Patri, always bowed down her head, intend­
ing to offer it to the executioner in honor of the faith;
and she sometimes made this act with such fervor, that
she became pale as if she felt that her head was about
to be cut off. In repeating the Ave Maria so often in
the office, you can obtain many graces through this di­
vine mother. Such is the manner of reciting the divine
praises with devotion, and with great advantage to
yourself.
Some nuns esteem and call the divine office a great
burden; and I say that they who say it without devotion,
and with an anxious desire to finish it soon, have reason
to call it so. For they have to toil for two hours, or at
least for an hour and a half, in reciting it without relish,
and with great pain. But to good religious who say
the office with devotion, offering to God holy affections
and petitions, it gives spiritual delight; and if it be
called a burden, it is, as has been said in another place,
the burden of the wings that raise the soul to God, and
unite it more closely
to him.
J
For the instruction of nuns, and to relieve them from

SEC. III.]

Divine Office,

701

uneasiness of conscience, I will here subjoin the privi­
leges that have been granted to them by the Sovereign
Pontiffs.
i. Clement VII. granted to all religious who are sick,
and to the infirmarians, the privilege of being able to
satisfy the obligation of the divine office by saying six
or seven psalms assigned by the Superior, along with
seven Paters and two Credos. Martin V. granted to re­
ligious that are in a state of convalescence the privilege
of fulfilling the obligation of the office, by reciting the
part of it that their confessor may assign. Observe,
that by the sick I mean those that labor under an in­
firmity, which of itself would not excuse them from the
office. Observe, also, that privileges granted to religious
of the male sex are also granted to nuns; for what is
granted to the former is understood to be granted to
the latter, in all that is accommodated to them, and
reciprocally.
2. Leo X. granted permission to religious to anticipate
the long offices, and to reserve the short offices for days
on which they are more busily employed.
3. Innocent IV. granted to the nuns of St. Clare (and
through them to all nuns who have enclosure, for they
all partake of one another’s privileges) permission to
comply with the divine office, by reciting the office of laysisters when there is any reasonable cause, such as when
they are tormented with scruples, or greatly fatigued,
or when they were employed for the greater part of the
day in useful occupations, or when, in the opinion of
the Superior or confessor, they are not as yet well in­
structed in the office of the choir nuns; and nuns can
avail themselves of this privilege without permission of
the Superior, because it was granted absolutely and
without any condition.’
1 Sa Imantic. Theol. mor. tr. 16, c. 3, n. 55-62.

702

Rule of Life.

[CHAP. XXIV,

IV.

The Hearing· of Mass.

In order to hear Mass with devotion, it is necessary to
know that the sacrifice of the altar is the same as that
which was once offered on Calvary, with this difference,
that on Calvary the blood of Jesus Christ was really shed,
but on the altar it is shed only in a mystical manner.
Had you been present on Calvary, with what devotion
and tenderness would you have attended that great
sacrifice! Enliven your faith, then, and consider that
the same action is performed on the altar, and that the
same sacrifice is offered not only by the priest, but also
by all that attend Mass. Thus, all perform, in a certain
manner, the office of priests during the celebration of
the Mass, in which the merits of the Passion of our
Saviour are applied to us in a particular manner.
It is, moreover, necessary to know that the sacrifice of
the Mass has been instituted for four ends: i. To honor
God; 2. To satisfy for our sins; 3. To thank God for his
benefits; 4. To obtain the divine graces.
The following is a method that will enable us to hear
Mass with great fruit:
1. By the oblation of the person of jesus Christ, Govt
and man, to the Eternal Father, we give to God infinite
honor—we give him greater honor than he would receive
from the oblation of the lives of all men and all angels.
2. By the oblation of Jesus Christ in the Mass, we
offer to God a complete satisfaction for all the sins of
men, and especially for the sins of those that are present
at Mass; to whom is applied the same divine blood by
which the human race was redeemed on Calvary. Thus,
by each Mass more satisfaction is made to God than by
any other expiatory work. But although the Mass is of
infinite value, God accepts it only in a finite manner, ac-

sec.

Holy Mass.

iv.]

703

cording to the dispositions of those that are present at
the holy sacrifice, and therefore it is useful to hear
several Masses.
3. In the Mass we render to God an adequate thanks­
giving for all the benefits that he has bestowed upon us.
4. During the Mass we can obtain all the graces that
we desire for ourselves and for others. We are un­
worthy of receiving any grace from God, but Jesus
Christ has given us the means of obtaining all graces,
if, while we offer him to God in the Mass, we ask them
of the eternal Father in his name, for then Jesus himself
unites with us in prayer. If you knew that while you
pray to the Lord, the divine Mother, along with all
paradise, united with you, with what confidence would
you pray ’. Now when you ask of God any grace during
the Mass, Jesus (whose prayers are more efficacious than
the prayers of all heaven together) prays for you, and
offers in your behalf the merits of his Passion.
You will do well, then, to divide the Mass into four
parts, in the following manner.
i. From

the

Beginning till After the Gospel.

Offer the sacrifice of the Mass to honor God, saying:
My God, I adore Thy Majesty; I would wish to honor
Thee as much as Thou deservest; but what honor can I,
a miserable sinner, give Thee? I offer Thee the honor
that Jesus renders to Thee on this altar.
2. After the Gospel till the Elevation.

Offer the sacrifice in satisfaction for your sins, saying:
Lord, I detest above every evil all the offences that I
have given Thee: I am sorry for them above all things,
and in satisfaction for them I offer Thy Son, who sacri­
fices himself again for us on this altar, and through his
merits I pray Thee to pardon me and to give me holy
perseverance.

704

[CHAP. XXIV.

3. After the Elevation

till

Communion.

Offer Jesus to the Eternal Father in thanksgiving fot
all the graces that he has bestowed upon you, saying:
Lord, I am unable to thank Thee; I offer Thee the
blood of Jesus Christ in this Mass, and in all the Masses
that are at this moment celebrated throughout the
world.
4. After Communion

till the

End.

You will ask with confidence the graces of which you
stand in need, and particularly sorrow for your sins,
the gift of perseverance and of divine love; and you will
recommend to God, in a special manner, your sisters in
religion, poor sinners, and the souls in purgatory. I do
not find it amiss if during Mass you recite vocal prayers;
but I beg you not to neglect to discharge towards God
the four obligations that I have indicated to you : namely,
honor, expiation, thanksgiving, and prayer. I also ask
you to hear as many Masses as possible in the manner in
which I have taught you; for then every Mass will obtain
for you a treasure of merits. Should you be permitted to
lay out any money, procure Masses to be celebrated in
your church, as well for your own benefit as to give the
nuns an opportunity of hearing them. But I entreat
you not to be of the number of those religious who, de­
sirous of hearing many Masses, extol those priests that
say them hurriedly, in contempt of the ceremonies and
to the great scandal of those persons that are present.
Read what is said on this subject in the preceding
chapter.
With regard to confession and Communion, enough
has been said in Chapter XVIII.

SEC. V.]

The Refectory.

705

v.
The Refectory.

Would to God that some nuns did not, by their in­
temperance and want of reserve in the refectory, lose all
they had gained in their spiritual exercises. You can
practise many virtues in the refectory.
1. Obedience, by going to meals the instant you hear
the signal, in order to be present at the grace that is
said.
2. Purity of intention, by intending to take your meals,
not for your own satisfaction, but to do the will of God,
who wishes you to support the body that it may help
you to serve him on this earth. But before you begin
to take food, beg of God the grace not to exceed the
bounds of necessity.
3. Mortification, by abstaining from something, or leav­
ing a part of what pleases you most, or at least by con­
tenting yourself with what you receive from the Com­
munity, and not seeking for anything particular, nor
complaining that what you receive is not well dressed,
or not properly seasoned. Endeavor also to perform
some mortification at table, particularly during novenas,
and on Fridays and Saturdays, by eating on your knees,
or sitting on the floor; be not disturbed if others laugh
at you, for then your merit will be increased.
4. Modesty of the eyes, by keeping them cast down, not
looking about to observe what your companions are
doing or eating.
5. Silence, which is so necessary in the refectory. Be
careful then to attend to what is read. It is a delightful
thing to nourish the soul with the pious sentiments that
are read, while the body is nourished with food. By
attending to the reading you will also avoid the faults
that are committed by the indulgence of the appetite.

706

Rzcle of Rife.

[CHAP. XXIV.

Read Chapter VIII., § III.,1 on the mortification of the
taste.
VI.

*

Recreation.

It is the will of God that they that love him should
take recreation from time to time, in order to unbend
the bow. Be glad in the Lord, said David, and rejoice, ye
just? But he says in the Lord; which implies that in rec­
reation there should be moderation and modesty.
i. Moderation, because when too long, recreation will
not be free from faults; hence, the moment the time
fixed by rule is expired, you should be silent and retire.
Do not imitate those that wish to finish the discourse
that has been introduced, and thus spend time unprofitably. St. Jane Frances Chantal used to say: “ If I threw
away a moment of time, I would consider myself a rob­
ber before God. Perhaps the time is mine, so that I can
spend it as I please ? God has given it to me in measure,
and will demand an account of every moment.”
Recreation must also be modest; which implies, first,
that you abstain from self-praise, from detraction, and
from certain jests that are painful to your companions,
and also from interrupting others when they speak.
Secondly, modesty implies that you abstain from speaking
in a very loud tone, and also from immoderate laughter.
I say immoderate laughter; for, as St. Francis de Sales
writes, as it is an irregularity to laugh during serious oc­
cupations, so it is very improper never to laugh at recrea­
tion. Hence his disciple St. Jane Frances Chantal used
to say: “When I am among our young religious, I laugh
in order to encourage them to enjoy the recreation, for
this is necessary.” Thirdly, modesty implies that you ab­
stain from contending with any one, from speaking of
. I

4j

1 Vol. X. p. 229.
* “ Lætamini in Domino et exsultate, justi.”—Ps. xxxi. 11.

sec.

vi.]

Recreation.

707

things of the world, such as marriages, festivities,
splendid dresses, etc. St. John of the Cross used to say,
that to speak of these worldly trifles cannot be free from
all fault.
I do not say that during recreation you should always
speak on serious topics. Laugh, amuse yourself, speak
even on entertaining subjects, but preserve recollection,
by interiorly making occasional acts of the love of God,
or petitions for his graces. Frequently introduce dis­
courses on God, endeavoring to draw spiritual good
from conversations that are indifferent. Imitate St.
Aloysius Gonzaga, who thus converted the recreation
hall into a sanctuary; for the students sometimes went
from recreation more fervent than from meditation. I
pray you read on this subject what I have written in
Chapter VIII. § II.,1 on modesty. Abstain also from all
particular attention to those for whom you may feel a
preference: if you do not, you will give displeasure to
others, and disturb the whole recreation. Be equally
free with all, even with those whose dispositions may be
least pleasing to you, and imitate St. Teresa, by con­
versing more with them than with the others.
But what shall we say of recreations that are practised
in certain monasteries during the carnival, when some
of the common exercises are allowed to be performed in
private, the good order of the Community and the rule
of silence are not observed, and the nuns spend a part
of the day and night in dancing, singing profane songs,
and even take part in acting comedies? There we see
spouses of Jesus Christ disguised as worldly spouses,
*
and even what is worse, disguised as men with wig and
sword, bold enough sometimes to show themselves in
1 True Spouse of Christ, Vol. I. page 226.
* Every one sees that there is question here of very great abuses
that existed in certain relaxed convents of Italy. — En.

708

[CHAP. XXIV.

this condition at the grate and at the door, to the great
scandal of seculars! What a disgrace for a nun to ex­
change her holy veil for the head-dress of a worldling!
I know not how the Superior can permit such irregu­
larities without grievous scruples of conscience. It is
related that St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi saw in an
ecstasy many persons belonging to the religious state who
were damned because they had worn secular clothes with
an inordinate affection. O God! it is during the carnival
that instead of thinking of worldly amusements re­
ligious should then more than ever remain before Jesus
Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, or in their cell, at
the foot of the crucifix, to bewail the many offences
with which seculars insult him.
Religious who seek
such amusements do not love Jesus Christ. During
the carnival, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi watched
entire nights praying for sinners.
How pleasing to
Jesus Christ are the prayers of his spouses, who seek to
console him at that time when he is most abandoned
by the world! Our Lord gave St. Gertrude to under­
stand that he rewards with special graces the acts of
virtue which are offered to him during the carnival.
And while St. Catharine of Sienna was praying to him
during the carnival, our Lord called her his spouse, in
return for the homage that she offered to him at a time
when so many insults were offered to him.
But if, during that time, you wish to indulge in
amusement, amuse yourself in a manner becoming a re­
ligious. If you wish to sing, sing spiritual songs; but
take care never on any account to dance. The very fact
of taking your companion by the hand may cause you
many bad thoughts and temptations. If you are invited
to take part in any little opera, avoid it as much as pos­
sible, for it will at least distract you for a month or two,
hindering you from saying your prayers and from being
recollected; and refuse absolutely unless the opera be

sec.

Examination of Conscience.

vu.]

709

altogether sacred; or if it should be necessary to put on
a secular dress, refuse, even though you should be up­
braided with incivility, with a want of education, or
hypocrisy. Others may reproach you, but God will
praise you.’ Never gaze at masquerades; else you will
run the risk of seeing and hearing things contrary to
modesty.
Be careful not to omit your spiritual reading on any
day. Enough has been said on this subject in Chapter
XVII. Make your visit to the Most Holy Sacrament:
read Chapter XVIII. § II.3 Attend also to your work:
see Chapter XVI. § II.3 You should never omit to say
at least five decades of the Rosary. Read Chapter XXL·4
VII.

The Examination of Conscience, with other Instructions.

A religious should make two examinations in the day:
the general and particular examination. The general
examination is made in the evening, the particular is
made in the morning before dinner, on some particular
defect into which a person falls more frequently.
Worldly spouses remain for several hours before the
glass; the spouse of Jesus Christ should, at least,twice
in the day, place herself in the presence of God in order
to cleanse the soul.
With regard to the practice of these examinations, the
particular is short, for in it a person gives only a glance
at the predominant failing and makes a short act of
sorrow.
The general examination should be longer. In mak­
ing it, first ask light of God to enable you to discover
1
2
3
4

“ Maledicent illi, et tu benedices.”—Ps. cviii. 28.
Page 82.
Truc Spouse of Christ, Vol. I. page 490.
Page 130.

710

Rule of Life.

[CHAP. XXIV.

the faults you have committed. Then call to mind the
actions of the day, and examine whether you have fallen
into any defect, such as sloth in rising in the morning,
or in obeying any of the calls of the bell; impatience,
vanity, in washing to be seen by others; words of dis­
respect to companions, idle or uncharitable words, lies
of excuse, intemperance in eating, voluntary distractions
at prayer or at the Office, looks of curiosity, loss of
time, omission of good works, little detractions, want of
respect to Superiors, defects against poverty, etc.
But when you commit any fault do not wait till even­
ing to make an act of contrition: make it immediately,
and then remain in peace. Be comforted when you feel
remorse of conscience for your faults, for it is a good
sign; it is a sign that you have a horror of your defects.
Woe to the nun that is not afraid of light faults; she is
in danger of falling into grievous transgressions.
After the examination make acts of faith, hope, and
charity, etc. I here subjoin short acts of these virtues
for your convenience.
My God, because Thou hast revealed them to the
holy Church, I believe all the truths that she proposes
to our belief. I believe that Thou art a just rewarder,
that Thou dost reward the saints with heaven, and dost
punish the wicked in hell. I believe the mystery of the
Most Holy Trinity. I believe the incarnation and death
of Jesus Christ, and all the other articles that the
Church believes.
Trusting in Thy promises, I hope, through the merits
of Jesus Christ, to obtain from Thee, because Thou art
powerful, faithful, and merciful, the pardon of my sins,
holy perseverance, and the glory of paradise.
And because Thou art infinite goodness, I love Thee
above all things, and I repent of all the offences that I
have offered to 1 hee. With the aid of Thy grace, which
I ask for this moment and for my whole life, I purpose

sec.

vu.)

Examination of Conscience.

711

to die rather than ever more offend Thee. I also pur­
pose to receive the holy sacraments during life and at
‘ my death.
You should know that Benedict XIV. has granted an
indulgence of seven years and seven times forty days to
all the faithful as often as they say these acts, and a
plenary indulgence to those who continue to say them
every day for a month.
After these acts, say your usual prayers to St. Joseph,
to your angel guardian, to your holy advocates, along
with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, which you should
never omit.
Go then to take the necessary repose. The devil
tempts some nuns to spend a part of the night in prayer,
in order to deprive them of the entire of the following
day. One day St. Francis could not sleep, but after
making the sign of the cross on his pillow he saw the
^tempter g~““ ------- TT
’ *------------ : —
“ Brother,
ing, that
Take, the
taking off
ful to pra<
the bed 5
Into Thy i
that ever)
an act of <
wish for r
Be care
such as t
seven fesi
the devoi
confessor
deavor t<
1 .< j

712

[CHAP. XXIV.

to the Blessed Sacrament, and to an image of the Blessed
Mother, more than in vocal prayers.
Be careful also to make, every month, a day’s retreat,
spending the entire day in mental prayer, thanksgiving
after Communion, spiritual reading, etc., and rigorous
silence. A day’s retreat contributes greatly to preserve
and increase fervor. I also recommend you, in addition
to the spiritual exercises that are made in common, to
make the spiritual exercises for eight or ten days in
private. For this purpose I shall briefly mention in this
chapter the spiritual maxims on which you can medi­
tate.
The virtues that you should be most careful to prac­
tise in the monastery are meekness and obedience.
Meekness in bearing affronts: a person living in a Com­
munity who is unwilling to bear affronts can never ad­
vance in the way of God. Obedience in promptly exe­
cuting what the rules prescribe, and what the Superiors
direct. Do not listen to any one that proposes a maxim
that savors little of obedience. St. Teresa used to say:
If principles opposed to obedience are to be instilled
into religious, it would be better there were neither
nuns nor convents. Do not begin to examine whether
the Superior, in giving you any directions, was influenced
by passion: it is the will of God that you obey; and if
you are unwilling to obey, do not speak either of per­
fection, or of the love of God. You already know that
all sanctity consists in submitting your own will to the
will of your Superiors.
VIII.
The Necessity of Banishing· Melancholy, and what ought a
Person to do who finds that she has become a Nun against
her Inclination.

I. It is necessary to avoid melancholy, which is the
pest of devotion, and a source of a thousand faults. As

sec.

vin.j

Necessity of Banishing Melancholy.

713

long as you are disturbed you will always fall into many
defects; you will do no good, and almost all your pray­
ers, meditations, Communions, spiritual readings, and
other exercises will be unprofitable; because they will
be performed badly, and with a thousand distractions.
Remember that all your inquietude and troubles arise
from not accepting crosses with resignation from the
hand of God. The will of God renders all tribulations
sweet and amiable. Read what has been said in Chap­
ter XIV.1 You complain that you are infirm, despised,
persecuted, and in aridity; unite yourself to the divine
will, and these sufferings will be no longer painful to
you.
If you tell me that you are not so much tormented by
these external crosses as by the interior scruples of con­
science, and by fears of being at enmity with God, I
answer that your confessor has, as I suppose, already
ordered you to speak no more of your past life. By the
grace of God you abhor your past sins; you are resolved
to die rather than commit even a deliberate venial sin:
you frequent the sacraments, and seek to belong entirely
to God. All these are signs that you enjoy his grace
and friendship. Why, then, are you disturbed ? Why
do you say: Who knows how I stand before God ?
How shall 1 die ? Have I confessed all my sins ? Is my
confessor deceived ? The devil tells me that I shall be
damned. Behold the usual tales of scrupulous nuns !
Ah ! abandon yourself into the arms of divine mercy,
and say in all tranquillity: Lord, I obey Thy minister,
and thus I hope in Thy blood to be saved, and never to
lose Thy grace.
With regard to the present, I hope, if you are troubled
in mind, that you have no attachment to the venial
faults that you daily commit, and that they are not
’ True Spouse of Christ, Vol. I. page 421.

714

Rule of Life.

[CHAP. XXIV.

fully deliberate: detest them as soon as you perceive
them, and then remain tranquil.
But, Father, my greatest troubles arise from doubts
of consenting to grievous sins when I am assailed by
bad thoughts. I have already spoken on this subject in
Chapter XVIII. § II.1 I here briefly repeat that a per­
son of a timorous conscience, when he is not certain of
having fallen into mortal sin, should remain certain of
being in the state of grace; because it is impossible for
him whose will is confirmed in good purposes to revolt
against God without having a clear knowledge of his
consent. When your confessor tells you to disregard
these fears, and to go to Communion without confession,
obey him blindly, and do not listen to the devil, who
seeks to disturb you with scruples in order to make you
abandon the way of perfection. When you feel agitated,
say to the Lord: My Father, I leave my soul in Thy
hands: if it please Thee that this cross should continue
till death, I am content; do not permit me to offend
Thee, make me love Thee, and I do not refuse to suffer
as much as Thou pleasest. St. Francis de Sales says
that God loves with a tender love the souls that thus
abandon themselves into his paternal bosom, leaving
themselves to be governed by his divine Providence;
for he will mak£ all things co-operate to their good,
helping these chosen souls to follow him with the will
without any other support than that of his divine
pleasure.3
II. But perhaps you will tell me you can never have
peace, because you find that you have entered religion
to please your parents, and against your own will. I
answer thus: If, at the time of your profession, you had
not a vocation, I would not have advised you to make
the vows of religious; but I would have entreated you
’ Page 55.

" Entret. 2.

sec. vin.]

Necessity of Banishing Melancholy. 715

to suspend your resolution of going back to the world,
and casting yourself into the many dangers of perdition
that are found in the world. I now see you placed in
the house of God, and made either voluntarily or unwill­
ingly the spouse of Jesus Christ. For my part I cannot
pity you more than I could pity a person that had been
transported, even against his will, from a place infected
with pestilence and surrounded by enemies, to a health­
ful country, to be placed there for life, secure against
every foe.
I add: Grant that what you state is true; now that
you are professed in a convent, and that it is impossible
for you to leave it, tell me what do you wish to do ? If
you have entered religion against your inclinations, you
must now remain with cheerfulness. If you abandon
yourself to melancholy you will lead a life of misery,
and will expose yourself to great danger of suffering a
hell here and another hereafter. You must then make
a virtue of necessity. And if the devil has brought you
into religion for your destruction, let it be your care to
avail yourself of your holy state for your salvation, and to
become a saint. Give yourself to God from the heart,
and I assure you that by so doing you will become
more content than all the princesses and queens of this
world. Being asked his opinion regarding a person who
had become a nun against her will, St. Francis de Sales
answered: It is true that this child, if she had not been
obliged by her parents, would not have left the world;
but this is of little importance, provided she knows that
the force employed by her parents is more useful to her
than the permission to follow her own will. For now
she can say: If I had not lost such liberty, I would have
lost true liberty. The saint meant to say that had she
not been compelled by her parents to become a nun, her
liberty which would have induced her to remain in the
world would have robbed her of the true liberty of the
14

716

Ride of Life.

[CHAP. xxiv.

children of God, which consists in freedom from the
chains and dangers of the world.
You may say in reply: But how can I be content if I
have not been called to religion ? But what does it
matter that you have not had a vocation from the be­
ginning? Although you have not become a nun in
obedience to a divine call, it is certain that God has per­
mitted your profession for your welfare: and if he did
not call you then, he certainly calls you now to be his
without reserve.
St. Paul, the first hermit, W’ent into the desert, not to
remain in it, but to fly from the persecution that was
then carried on against the Church; but he was after­
wards called by God to remain in the desert: he remained,
and became a saint.
When St. Teresa first entered a monastery she entered
not without reluctance; she said that in leaving her
father’s house the pain that she felt was so great that
she thought it equal to the pain that she should suffer at
death; and in her life it is related that she took the
habit, as it were, by force. But after all she became a
great saint, and the reformer of the Carmelite Order.
Blessed Hyacintha Marescotti, a religious of the con­
vent of St. Clare, in Viterbo, was also induced to take
the sacred veil against her inclination, and for ten
years led a very imperfect life. But being one day
illumined with a divine light, she gave herself entirely to
God, and persevered till death, for the space of twentyfour years, in a life of holiness, so that she has deserved
to be venerated on the altar.
Likewise Sister Mary Bonaventure, a nun in the con­
vent of the Torre Dei Specchi, entered against her will;
but after a life of tepidity and dissipation she went,
during the first meditation of the spiritual exercises,
and threw herself at the feet of Father Lancicio, of the
Society of Jesus, and courageously said to him: “ Father,

sec.

vin.] Necessity of Banishing Melancholy.

717

I have learned what God wishes from me. I wish to
be a saint, and a great saint, and I wish to be one imme­
diately.” And by the divine aid she executed her pur­
pose; so abundant were her tears that she could say no
more; but she went to her cell, and at the foot of the
crucifix wrote the following protestation: I, Mary Bo­
naventure, this day, in the beginning of the spiritual ex­
ercises, offer myself entirely to Thee, O my God. I
promise to love nothing but Thee, O my Jesus ! Accept,
O most loving Redeemer ! this paper, bathed in my
tears, which I consecrate to Thee as the pledge of my
love. I leave it in the wound of Thy side, that through
the merits of Thy blood Thou mayest pardon my sins,
and establish me in Thy love, so that I may be no longer
mine, and may be all Thine.
It is in this manner you must act: resolve this mo­
ment to belong entirely to God, and make the same
protestation before the Blessed Sacrament, or at the
foot of the crucifix, and doubt not that if you are reso­
lute in your determination the Lord will stretch forth
his hand to raise you to a high degree of sanctity.
Thus your misfortune, as you call it, will be a source of
the greatest happiness, as it was to Sister Bonaventure,
who in a short time became a saint. She survived her
conversion only a year, but she died rich in merits; for
during that year all her time was spent in meditations
and works of penance; and she expired in celestial
peace, and immediately after death there were manifest
signs of her admission to glory.
Have courage, then, and rejoice, now that God calls
you to his perfect love, and say: I know, O Lord, that
Thou dost wish me entirely for Thyself: love which is
divided is not true love.
But remember that to become a saint desires are not
sufficient; it is necessary to put the hand to the work.
Begin to make a little more mental prayer, make a

718

[CHAP. XXIV.

spiritual reading every day, a visit to the Blessed Sacra­
ment, and to an image of Mary. When reproved, be
humble; when despised, be silent; cut off all correspond­
ence; begin to mortify the appetite, curiosity, and self­
will. Be not diffident, but begin the work, and by de­
grees you will succeed. Self-love will live in us as long
as we have life, and therefore we must constantly en­
deavor to cut down the noxious plants that spring up
in our garden. To become a saint without trouble is
impossible.

719

Γ

Summary of the Dirtue^
WHICH THE RELIGIOUS THAT WISHES TO BECOME A SAINT
SHOULD PRACTISE.
*

It would be useful for religious to read this abstract on the day of re­
treat, in order to see in what virtue they fail.

1. To desire always to advance in the love of Jesus
Christ. Holy desires are the wings with which souls fly
to God. Hence it is necessary to meditate frequently
on the Passion of our Lord. To make frequent acts of
the love of Jesus Christ during the day, beginning as
soon as you awake in the morning, and endeavoring to
fall asleep making an act of love. And always to ask of
Jesus Christ his holy love.
2. To go to Communion as often as possible, with the
permission of your director. And during the day to
make several spiritual Communions, at least three.
3. To visit the Most Holy Sacrament at least once in
the day; and in the visit to ask perseverance and holy
love, after the acts of faith, thanksgiving, and love.
And when you meet with troubles, losses, affronts, or
any other cross, have recourse to the Blessed Sacrament,
from the place in which you find yourself at the time.
4. Every morning, at rising, to offer yourself to suffer
in peace all the crosses that will happen during the day,
and when they happen always to say: Lord, Thy will
be always done.
5. To rejoice in the infinite happiness of God. She
that loves God more than herself ought to rejoice in his
felicity more than in her own.
* This summary is an appendix that belongs to the work, as may be
seen, page 160. The author has made a similar one for the faithful in
general, as we may see in Vol. III., page 360.—Ed.

720

Summary of Virtues.

6. To desire paradise, and therefore to desire death in
order to be delivered from the danger of losing God.
and to go to love him for eternity, and with all your
strength.
7. To desire, and to labor that all may love Jesus
Christ; and therefore to speak frequently to the sisters
of the love of Jesus Christ.
8. To treat God without reserve, not refusing him
anything that you know to be pleasing to him; and
even to choose what is most pleasing to him.
9. To pray every day for the souls in purgatory, and
for poor sinners.
10. To perform all your actions through the sole mo­
tive of giving pleasure to Jesus Christ, saying, at the
beginning of each action: Lord, may this be entirely
for Thee !
11. To offer yourself several times in the day to suffer
every pain for his sake, saying: My Jesus, I give myself
entirely to Thee: here I am; do with me whatsoever
Thou pleasest.
12. To resolve to die rather than commit a deliberate
venial sin.
13. To abstain from even lawful gratifications, at least
two or three times in the day.
14. To spend two hours, or at least an hour every day
in mental prayer.
15. To love solitude and silence, in order to converse
alone with God: hence it is necessary to love the choir
and the cell, and to shun the grate, the door, and the
terrace.
16. To perform all the exterior mortifications that you
are allowed by obedience, but to attend particularly to
interior mortifications; such as not to indulge curiosity,
to be silent when you receive an affront, and never to
do anything through self-satisfaction.
17. To perform every spiritual exercise as if it were the

Summary of Virtues.

721

last time you are performing it; and on that account to
think frequently on death in your meditations. And
when you are in bed, consider that there you will one
day breathe your last.
18. Not to abandon your usual devotions, or any other
good work, through human respect, through aridity, or
tediousness.
19. Not to complain, in sickness, of the inattention of
the physicians or of the sisters; and to endeavor to con­
ceal your pains, except when it is necessary to mention
them to the physician.
20. To banish melancholy, preserving tranquillity,
and a uniform serenity of countenance in all crosses.
He that wishes what God wishes should never be af­
flicted.
21. In temptations, to have recourse immediately and
with confidence to Jesus and Mary, and to continue con­
stantly to repeat the names of Jesus and Mary as long
as the temptation lasts.
22. To place all your confidence, first, in the Passion
of Christ, and then in the intercession of Mary, and to
ask every day this confidence from God.
23. After a fault, never to give way to disturbance of
mind or to diffidence, even though you should relapse
several times into the same fault; but instantly to re­
pent of it, and trusting in God, to renew your resolution
to correct it.
24. To render good to all those that treat you badly,
at least by praying to God for them.
25. To answer with meekness all those that offend you
by acts or words, and thus to gain them to God.
26. When you are disturbed, you will do well to re­
main silent until the mind is composed; otherwise you
will commit a thousand faults without perceiving them.
27. In correcting others, endeavor to select a time
when neither you nor the person to be corrected are dis­

722

Summary of tortues.

turbed; otherwise the correction will do more harm than
good.
28. Always to speak well of others, and to excuse the
intention when you cannot excuse the action.
29. To assist others to the best of your ability, and
particularly those that are opposed to you.
30. Neither to say nor to do anything disagreeable to
others, unless when it is more pleasing to God that you
should say or do it. And when you sometimes fail in
charity to your neighbor, to ask pardon, or at least to
speak to the person with kindness; and always to speak
with meekness, and in a low tone.
31. To offer to God the affronts that you receive, and
not to complain of them to others.
32. To observe punctually the rules of the monastery.
St. Francis de Sales used to say that the most austere
penance of a religious is to deny self-will, and to be
content that the observance of the Rule be the priest
that every moment offers such a sacrifice to God. He
would frequently say that the predestination of religious
is annexed to the love of their Rule. And to Superiors
he used to say, that to fulfil their office they should do
nothing else than observe the Rule, and see that it be
observed by others.
33. To regard the Superiors as the person of Jesus
Christ, and therefore to obey them punctually and with­
out reply.
34. To love the most lowly offices. To select the
poorest things. To humble yourself even to inferior
sisters. Not to speak of yourself either well or ill: for
speaking ill of yourself sometimes foments pride. Not
to excuse yourself when reproved, nor even when you
are calumniated, unless it is absolutely necessary to ex­
cuse yourself in order to prevent scandal to others.
35. To visit, the sick, and to assist them according to

Spiritual Maxims for a Religious.

723

the best of your ability, particularly those that are
abandoned.
36. To say frequently to yourself, I have come to the
convent, not to indulge in pleasure, but to suffer; not to
lead a life of comfort, but of poverty; not to be honored,
but to be despised; not to do my own will, but the will
of others.
37. To renew always the purpose to become a saint,
and not to lose courage in any state of tepidity in which
you may find yourself.
38. To renew every day the vows of your profession.
39. To conform to the divine will in all things opposed
to the senses, in sorrows, infirmities, affronts, contradic­
tions, losses of property, death of relatives or of other
persons that are dear to you. And to direct all your
actions, Communions, and other prayers to that end,
always asking of God to make you love him, and fulfil
his holy will in all things.
40. To recommend yourself to the prayers of other
devout persons; but to recommend yourself more to the
saints in heaven, and particularly to the Blessed Virgin,
setting a great value on the devotion to this divine
mother, and endeavoring to infuse it into others.

Spiritual iHaxims for a Religions.
*
Of what use will it be to gain the whole world and to
lose one’s soul ?
Everything has an end; but eternity has no end.
All may be lost, provided God be not lost.
No sin, however small, is a light evil.
* This is an appendix that, like the preceding, belongs to the work,
as we may see, page 206. These maxims are also offered to all the faith­
ful in Vol. III., page 358.—Ed.

724

Spiritual Max inis for a Religious,

If we desire to please God, we must deny ourselves.
Thai which is done lot our own sal isfact ion is all loss.
In order Io save ourselves we must be in constant fear
of falling.
Lei me die, so that I may please (rod.
The only evil that we ought to (ear is sin. All that
God wills is good, and therefore Io be desired.
He who desires nothing but God is happy, and con­
tented with everything that happens.
I ought Io imagine lo myself that there are no others
in the world but God and myself.
The whole world cannot satisfy our heart; God alone
can satisfy it.
All good consists in loving God. And loving God
consists in doing his will.
All our riches arc in prayer. He who prays obtains
everything that he can desire.
I.el us consider that day lost on which we omit our
menial prayer. “ lie who leaves off praying,” says Si.
Teresa, “casts himself into hell of his own accord.”
Let us not pass a day without reading some spiritual
book.
Points of honorare the plague of spir ituality,
To be humble of hear t, and not merely in word, it is
not sufficient to say that we arc deserving of all con
tempt, but we must also be glad when we are despised.
And what ha,1, a Christian learnt lo do, if he cannot suf
fer an affront for (rod’s sake? When you are insulted,
take it all cheerfully.
lie who thinks of hell, which he has deserved, finds
every trouble easy to bear.
He who loves poverty possesses all things. In the
things of this world we must choose the worst; in the
things of God we must choose the best.
An obedient soul is the delight of God.

Spiritual Maxims for a Religious.

725

True < harity consists in doing good to those who do
iis evil, and in Ilins gaining them over.
Of what use are the riches and honors of this world
at the hour of death ?
Il is a great grace of God to be called to his holy love.
God docs not leave a single good desire unrewarded.
All atla< htnent, even to good things (except lo God),
is bad.
Let us be grateful, and first of all to God. Let us
theicfore icsolve to deny him not hi ng, making choice of
those things which are most pleasing to him.
I'he most beautiful prayci is when in sickness we
unite ourselves to the will of God.
Λ holy life and sensual pleasures cannot agree to­
gether.
1le who trusts in himself is lost; he who trusts in God
can do all things.
And what greater delight can a soul have than to know
that it is pleasing God.
God is ready to give himself to those who leave all for
his love.
'I'he only way by which we can become saints is the
way of suffering.
It is by aridity and temptations that God tries those
who love him.
No one can be lost who loves God and trusts in him.
Let us beg of God lo give- us a tender devotion to his
divine Mother.
lie who looks on Jesus crucified suffers everything in
peace.
He who loves (rod most in this world is the happiest.
All that is not done for (rod, turns to pain.
No kind of disquietude, although for a good end,
a orties from God.
It is enough that we do not stand still; we shall ar­
rive in the end.

Aspirations of Love to festes Christ,
He who desires only God is rich and happy: he is in
want of nothing, and may laugh at the whole world.
Nothing can satisfy one whom God does not satisfy.
God, God, and nothing more.
We must overcome all to gain all.

Aspirations of Cooe to Irsns (florist.
*
My Jesus, Thou alone art sufficient for me.
My Love, do not permit me to separate myself from
Thee
When shall I be able to say, “ My God, I cannot lose
Thee any more ?”
Lord, who am I, that Thou shouldst desire so much to
be loved by me ?
And whom shall I love if I love not Thee, my Jesus?
Here I am, Lord; dispose of me as Thou pleasest.
Give me Thy love; I ask nothing more.
Make me all Thine before I die.
Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus Christ have pity
on me.
My God, I wish for Thee alone, and nothing more.
O my Jesus ! would that I could be entirely spent for
Thee, as Thou didst spend Thyself entirely for me.
If I had died while I was in sin, I could no more have
loved Thee; now that I can love Thee, I will love Thee
as much as I can.
To Thee do I consecrate all the remainder of my life.
I wish only, and I wTish in all things, that which Thou
dost desire.
When I see Thee for the first time, my Jesus, may it
be with a look of mercy !
May I die rather than ever offend Thee again !
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* These Aspirations are also referred to, page 156.

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Aspirations of Love to Jésus Christ.

121

Thou wilt not leave me; I will not leave Thee: so shall
our love endure in this world and in the next.
I should be too ungrateful, O my Jesus ’ if I loved
Thee but little, after so many graces.
Thou didst give Thyself all to me; I give myself all
to Thee.
Thou lovest those that love Thee. I love Thee; do
Thou also love me.
If I love Thee but little, give Thou me the love Thou
requirest of me.
What hast Thou not done to oblige me to love Thee ?
Make me conquer all things to please Thee.
Accept the love of a soul that has offended Thee so
deeply.
Show me the immense good Thou art, that I may love
Thee exceedingly.
I desire to love Thee exceedingly in this life, that I
may love Thee exceedingly in the next.
I hope to love Thee for all eternity, O eternal God !
Oh, that I had always loved Thee ! Oh, that I had
died rather than have offended Thee !
I give Thee my will, my liberty; dispose of me as
Thou pleasest.
May my only happiness be to please Thee, O Infinite
Goodness !
O my God ! I rejoice in that Thou art infinitely happy.
Thou art omnipotent ; make me a saint.
Thou hast sought me while I was fleeing from Thee;
Thou didst love me when I despised Thy love: abandon
me not, now that I seek Thee and love Tb.ee.
May I this day give myself wholly to Thee !
Send me any chastisement; but deprive me not of the
power of loving Thee.
I thank Thee that Thou givest me time to love Thee.
I love Thee, my Jesus, I love Thee; and I hope to die
repeating, “ I love Thee, I love Thee.”

728

Exhortation to a Religious.

I desire to love Thee without reserve, and to do all
that I know to be pleasing to Thee.
I love Thy good pleasure more than all the pleasures
of the world.
I accept all the troubles that may happen to me, pro­
vided I love Thee, O my God. O my Jesus, that I could
die for Thee, as Thou didst die for me !
Oh, that I could make all men love Thee as Thou deservest!
O will of God ! thou art my love.
O God of love ! give me love.
O Mary ! draw me all to God.
O my Mother J make me always have recourse to thee.
It is for thee to make me a saint. This is my hope.

INDEX.

Actions: perfection consists in
means,’ 187.
Acts of faith, of hope, and of
Ambition, evil that it produces
Anger, we must try to restrain
Appetite, mortification of, 229.
Aridity, see Desolation.

performing our actions well, 186J
♦
charity, 710.
in convents, 325.
it, 361.

Bursar, particular admonitions, 684.

C
Carnival, how religious should employ this time; abuses to be
avoided, 707.
Chant figured, is not suitable for religious, 680.
Charity towards our neighbor, its necessity and advantages, 346;
practice of charity in our thoughts and sentiments, 351; in
words, 355 ; in actions, 366, 677, 681.
Chastity, means to preserve it, 28, 218, 232, 235, 413, 418; dangers
to be avoided, 288.
Comedies, a kind of recreation not suitable for convents, 707.
Communion, its effects, 563 ; teaching of the Church in regard to
Holy Communion, 566; Decree of Pius X on frequent Com­
munion, 568 ; dispositions required, 571, 572, 578 ; preparation
for Communion, 574, 583 ; thanksgiving, 576; exhortation to
receive Communion frequently, 584. 719; it is a means to
preserve purity, 29. Spiritual Communion, 586, 719.
Confession: utility of frequent confession, 525 ; examination of

730

Index.

conscience, 527; contrition, 528; purpose of amendment, 530;
false shame, 532; doubts, 536, 555; wise reserve, 540; utility
of a general confession, 555.
CONFESSOR: need and choice of a director, 541; obedience to the
director, 550; wise reserve in regard to him, 292, 419, 540.
Resignation and behavior when one loses him, 400. The con­
fessor should not receive presents, 272. An account to be given
to God if he hinders the spiritual progress of a soul, 281. The
extraordinary confessor, 173.
Confidence in prayer, 614.
Conformity to the will of God, see Death, Patience, Resignation.
It is better and surer to act through a motive of doing the will
of God than with the intention of promoting his glory, 604.
Correction, how' to give it, 368, 673, and to take it, 166.
Counsellors, particular admonitions, 184.
Crosses, inevitable in this life, and are for our own good, 379, 437.
See Patience, Resignation.

D
Death: one dies more confidently in religion, 54; one should ac­
cept death, should it come, and even desire it, 398, 720; an
act of conformity to the will of God at the moment of death
delivers from hell and from purgatory, 437; w'e should often
think of death, 721.
Desire of perfection or holy love, 80, 641, 644, 719; fruitless de­
sires, 89. Desire for death, 398, 719.
Desolation, spiritual, how’ to behave w’hen afflicted therewith, 403,
433, 465.
Detachment from creatures, 63, 72, 653; from relatives, 277; from
other persons, 287; from animals, 297. See Mortification.
Detraction, the harm that it does in the Community, 355.
Director, spiritual, see Confessor.
Disciplines or flagellations, their use, 245.
Disputes should be avoided, 359.
Dress, modesty and poverty in the manner in which we should
clothe ourselves, 224, 265, 330.

E
Envy, should be banished, 354.
Examination of conscience for confession, 527.
conscience should be made every day, 203.

Examination of

Index.

731

Example: we should profit by the good example and give it to
others, 96, 222, 370, 601. Examples cited: Divine love, Jesus
Christ preferred to all spouses, 19. Charity towards our neigh­
bor, 351, 375. Chastity, virgins who deformed themselves to
preserve their purity, 31. Confession, 526, 532, 550, 683. Con­
formity to the will of God, 436. Sacrilegious Communion, 533.
Spiritual Communion, 586. Conversion, or return of fervor,
94, 519, 531, 716. Detachment from creatures, 64, 72, 76, 289;
from relatives, 279, 281. Religious state, happiness that it
procures, 51, 55, 58. Humility, 200, 300, 315, 330. Detraction,
357. Modesty of the eyes, 219, 223. Interior mortification,
134, 139; exterior, 206, 208, 230, 234; rigorous penances, 215.
Obedience, 144, 147, 157, 162, 174, 183, 191, 193, 202. Pride,
299, 302, 306, 319, 332. Parlor, 281. One must never cease to
combat passions, 130. Patience and resignation in sickness,
211, 326, 389, 397, 432; in our work, 214; in humiliations, 339,
362. Poverty, 267, 272; little faults against this virtue, 108,
175, 250, 264. Perfection, desire of reaching it, 86, 88, 91;
a religious should serve God in a perfect manner, 108. Temp­
tations, 201, 314, 410. Visit to the Blessed Sacrament, 588.
Exercises, spiritual, 679, 712, 719. Spiritual maxims for medita­
tion, 723.
Expenses, excess to be avoided, 269, 686.
Eyes, modesty and mortification of the eyes, 217, 330.

F
Fasting recommended, 237.
Flesh-meat, hurtful to the soul, 235.
Food that wTe should take: quality, 235 ; quantity, 236; manner, 240.
To eat little, especially at supper, 232, 239.
Friendships, dangerous, 288 ; marks by which we may ascertain
whether an affection is not pure, 293, 242, 636.
Furniture, poverty to be practised in regard to it, 267.

G
Grace: God withdraws graces in punishment of voluntary and
habitual sins, 104.
Grate, see Parlor.

H
Hair-cloth, various kinds, 244.

732

Index,

Health, we should take a reasonable care of it, 169.
Humiliations, we should suffer them patiently, 331, 395, and joy­
fully, 343.
Humility*, advantages that it procures, 299; humility of the intel­
lect or the judgment, 308; humility of the heart or of the will,
318, 331. Humility in relation to faults that are committed,
122; when we have offended any one, 364; in temptations,
415; in prayer, 613.

I

•I

Idleness, an evil that should be avoided, 490.
Infirmarian, particular admonitions, 687.
Intention: the good intention gives value to acts, 597, 604; marks
of a good intention, 600 ; the intention may be good in three
ways, 602 ; its practice, 606.

. J :

.

■

Jesus Christ, a Spouse preferable to all spouses, 18; his poor and
humble life, 252, 300; his love for us, 644; he wishes to be
loved, 662. The means to acquire divine love, 652. Aspira­
tions of love, 726, 652.
Judgment: in obedience we should submit our judgment, 198;
judgments contrary to charity, 351.

L
Lay-sisters, care that is to be taken of them, 681, 690; particular
admonitions, 691.
Letters, advice in regard to correspondence, 291.
Life, Community; its advantages, 260; its obligation connected
with the vow of poverty, 265.
Lives of the saints, how useful it is to read them, 521.
Love, divine.
God loves us, 644; and wishes to be loved by us,
662; Ave should love him on account of his perfections, and
through gratitude, 643. Means of acquiring the love of God,
63, 72, 652. Desire for holy love, 85, 641, 652, 719. It is the
principal effect of Communion, 565. In obtaining divine love
we obtain all graces, 462, 728. He that loves God suffers
willingly for him, 214, 388. An act of perfect love suffices for
the remission of all our sins, 460. Acts of love, 658, 665, 710.

Index.
M
Mary, Mother of God, her power, 624; her desire to assist us,
627 ; she is the advocate of sinners, 630. A true servant of
Mary cannot be lost, 624; what are the true servants of Mar}',
634. Practices, 636.
Mass, the greatness of the sacrifice of the Altar, and how to be
present at it, 702; the Mass hurriedly
z~'n
Meekness towards every one, 360; in givi
Charity.
Melancholy, an evil that should be avoide
Mental Prayer, its moral necessity, 441 ; p
453, 695 ; mental prayer should be <
means of preserving purity, 28; of ar
448. A religious who is very busy
moment, so as to recollect herself i
prayer that one should make in sickn
Mistress of the pupils, how watchful she
particular friendships, 295. Mistres:
admonitions, 682.
Modesty of the eves, 217; modestv in ou
sitting, in eating, in speaking, 224, 31
Mortification, interior, 129; means to a
mortification, its necessity and advantc
the eyes, 217; of the appetite, 229; ol
smell, 243 ; and of the touch, 244. M
preserving purity, 29,

Novenas that should be made, 711.

Obedience, the good that it brings us,
154; four degrees of perfect obedier
200. Obedience due to the Superior
to the confessor, 548, 558, 561.
whether the thing commanded is bad
forbid us to manifest unknown diffic
Observance, zeal and firmness to sustain
Occasions, dangerous, necessity of avoi
125, 222, 287, 417, 531. See Parlor.

734

Index.

Office, divine, its importance, advice concerning its recitation, 695 ;
privileges granted to religious, 701.

P
Parlor, behavior while in it, 283, 290, 354; dangers that should be
avoided, 32, 287, 477.
Party-spirit in convents, the evil that it creates, 349.
Passions, how we should strive to combat them, 113, 131; we can­
not root them out entirely, 130.
Patience in general, 379; humiliations and persecutions, 331, 361,
401; in sickness, 395 ; in poverty, 399; in the loss of dear
friends, 399 ; in the loss of a director, 400; in interior trials,
403 ; in temptations, 408. Practical counsels in order to obtain
and practise patience, 406.
Peace, interior, fruit of obedience, 148 ; peace and union in the
Communitv, the fruit of charitv, 348, 358.
Perfection, every Christian must strive to attain it, 77, 83 ; and
especially the religious, 107, 119; the religious must overcome
himself and courageously strive to attain perfection, 71, 132,
381. Means of attaining perfection, 77, 80, 90, 185, 448. All
perfection consists in divine love, 642. See Divine Love.
Perseverance in prayer, and final perseverance, 616.
Portress, particular admonitions, 686.
Poverty, religious, its necessity, 249; the vow’, 250; the perfection
of it, 251; reward, 254; in what consists poverty of spirit, 257;
four degrees of perfect poverty, 263. Poverty in dress, 224,
265; in furniture, 267; in food, 234, 268; in money, 268; in
expenses, 686. The obligation of poverty in view’ of Com­
munity life, 261.
Prayer, its necessity, 446, 609; its efficacy, 612, 617; how’ wre
should pray, 613, 697 ; the spirit of prayer, 617. We should
pray during meditation, 461. Prayer is a great means of pre­
serving purity, 28, 416; to obtain patience and strength in
trials, 406. We must pray for sinners, 370; for our perse­
cutors, 377; for priests, and for souls in purgatory, 372.
Presence of God, effects produced by this holy exercise, 495, 505.
Practice: as to the intellect, 500; as to the application of the
will, 508.
Pride: the proud man is a robber, is blind, is a liar, 301; God can­
not bear with him, 303 ; he never finds peace, 306.
Purgatory, pains that must be endured there, 384; and as a re­
ligious one is cleansed in purgatory more quickly, 56; an act
of conformity to the will of God at the moment of death may

Index.

We should oray for the souls in

deliver us from it, 437.
purgatory, 372, 463.
Purity: see Chastity.

•

·

'

r· ‘

t

/I

t -,

/ I

’

735

. ·

*

R

Reading, spiritual, its utility, 513; manner of reading with fruit,
522; books the reading of which is hurtful to religious, 514;
books useful for religious, 520.
Recreation: modesty in conversation, 225; 706; charity, 359, when
and how we should speak, 478.
Refectory: virtues that one may practise therein, 705. See Food.
Religion: see Religious State.
Respect, human, 296.
Retreat: see Spiritual Exercises or Solitude.
Rising in the morning, advice regarding it, 694, 636.
Rules: obedience to the Rule, 172; it is difficult to transgress it
without sin, 84, 177. Special duty of Superiors, 669. A re­
ligious to sanctify herself will not confine herself to the mere
discharge of the duties prescribed by the Rule, 78.

S
Sacrament of the altar: visiting it, 588, 719.
Sacristan, particular admonitions, 685.
Sadness, or melancholy, a fault that should be avoided, 227, 712.
Sanctity: see Perfection.
Scruples: What are real scruples and how they are hurtful, 545 ;
obedience is the remedy, 548, 550, 713; two privileges of a
scrupulous soul, 558.
Sickness, patience and resignation, 273, 395, 430, 661. Charity
towards the sick, 373, 678, 687.
Silence, its advantages, 467.
Sin: we can and should avoid all venial sins that are plainly vol­
untary, 99; danger to which venial sin exposes us, 101; above
all as regards the religious, 107, 111, light faults in inferiors
may be grave faults in Superiors, 108 ; gravity of mortal sin
in a religious, 116. Means to be used against faults of frailty,
121 ; against deliberate though not habitual venial sins, 123 ;
deliberate and habitual, 123. Two things are required that a
sin be mortal, 557; practical doubt, 558.
Singularity, to be avoided, 236.
Sleep: mortification as to taking sleep, 246. We must take the

156

Index.

necessary sleep, 246, 711.
Smell, sense of, should be mortified, 244.
Solitude: love of solitude, 480; solitude of the spirit, 486; solitude
of the heart, 487. In solitude we must avoid idleness, 490.
Solitude or retirement is a means of preserving purity, 30.
Spouse of Jesus Christ: a virgin consecrated to God becomes the
spouse of Jesus Christ, 19; his cherished and privileged spouse,
26, 644; she should be wholly his, 33, 61, 603, 641, 662; she
should be zealous for his glory, 370; she is happier than
people in the world, 21. She is the special object of attack of
the devil, 409. Means of loving Jesus Christ with our whole
heart, 652.
State, religious, its excellence, 26, 39; advantages that it has ac­
cording to St. Bernard, 41. The one that is called to the
religious state is called to save her soul by becoming a saint,
107. What should a religious do if she has entered the con­
vent against her will, 714.
Superiors, obedience due to them, 160. Light faults in the in­
feriors may be grave faults in the Superiors, 108. They
should suspect evil in order to prevent it, 295, 3 52. Particular
account to be rendered by them to God if they impede the
spiritual progress of a soul, 283. Particular admonitions, 668.
Suspicions contrary to charity, 351.

Temptations, how the devil tempts and leads away pious persons,
114, 293. Temptations of Eve, 201. God permits certain temp­
tations to keep us from pride, 302, 409; to make us practise
virtue and acquire merit, 410. Patience in temptations, 408.
Means to resist them, 412, 539.
Tepidity, how dangerous it is especially in a religious, 102, 111;
means to rid one’s self of it, 121.
Tongue: evil caused by speaking too much, 468; when should the
religious speak, 474; rules for speaking as we should, 477.
Detraction, 355.
Touch, mortification of the touch, 244.
Turn, the attendant at the turn or portress, 685.

Vicar, particular admonitions, 682.

index.

737

Virgini1' . "Gigins consecrating their purity to God become like the
angels, 17 , and become the spouses of Jesus Christ, 18; and
his cherished and privileged spouses, 26; they are happier than
married women, even in this life, 21; means of preserving
virginal purity, 28.
Vocation to the religious state, see Stale, religious.
Vows, see Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. Graces attached to the
vows, 56. The renewal of the vows, 462, 657, 723.

' W
Will, self-will, necessity of being detached from it, 142; merit of
the sacrifice of one’s own will, 154, 421.
Wine, hurtful to the soul, 235.
Work, of the hands, its utility, 492; we must avoid excess, 493.