The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
A. M. D. G.
THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
OF
ST. IGNATIUS
ADAPTED TO AN EIGHT DAYS RETREAT
AND
SIX TRIDUUMS
In Preparation for The Semi-Annual Renovation of the Vows
All for the use of Jesuits only
By
Rev. CHARLES COPPENS, S.J.
B. HERDER
17 South Broadway
St. Louis, Mo.
1916
Copyright, 1916
by
Joseph Gummersbach
A RECOMMENDATION BY OUR REV. FATHER PROVINCIAL
Rev. Dear Father:
It gives me pleasure to say a few words in praise of the new book of Fr.
Charles Coppens on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Any new
power that will help us to use these spiritual arms of St. Ignatius more
effectively deserves the hearty approval of every Jesuit. The volume is
intended for the use of Ours only, and will be found of great service in
conducting retreats or in giving the Triduums that take place twice a
year before the renovation of vows.
The customary meditations are well arranged, are solid, and at the same
time practical. The points are proposed very clearly so as to be readily
remembered.
I bespeak for this volume the good will of all of Ours, and trust it may
be of great help to a more effective giving of the exercises and be in
the hands of all.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
A. J. BURROWES, S.J.
PREFACE
The Text of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, as translated into
English from the Spanish Autograph, and edited for private circulation
by Rev. John Morris, S. J., is printed in a small volume of only 125
pages. That little work contains all that the Saint composed in the
Grotto of Manresa, and he never afterward wrote any additions to the
text. But in explaining his Exercises to his first companions, and to
others who made the retreat under his direction, he would adapt the
details to their characters and the various circumstances. His followers
did the same, without writing further additions or commentaries on the
original text; they followed in their practice the traditional method as
it had come to them from their saintly founder.
In the course of time, as was natural, considerable departures from the
first process took place, some of which induced the danger of gradually
losing the very spirit of the original Exercises. Among the learned men
of our Society who labored most successfully to check such tendency, one
of the most distinguished was the Father General John Roothaan, who in
1834 addressed a circular letter to all his subjects, earnestly warning
them against this peril. At the same time he furnished them a masterly
work on the original Spanish and Latin texts, which he accompanied with
a most valuable commentary.
For those preferring a Latin guide book, whether in making the Exercises
themselves, or in explaining them to others, no work is more commendable
than that masterpiece of Father Roothaan. Still, both before and since
its publication, many other editions of the Exercises and commentaries
on the same have been printed, both in Latin and in various modern
languages, with full approbation and warm commendations of the Superiors
of the Society; and excellent reasons appear to exist why successive
generations of Jesuits should continue their efforts to enrich this
valuable literature. In particular the eight days retreat, which all our
members perform every year, gains additional interest and impressiveness
when a wider range is presented, affording a choice among a large number
of approved guide books to direct them through this fertile region of
spirituality.
The spirit permeating all of these must ever be the same, so too the
main outline of the truths proposed and the general plan of the
Exercises. Yet experience shows that there remains a wide room for
variety in comments, suggestions and practical applications. Therefore,
when the time for each one’s annual retreat comes round, there is shown
by many Fathers an earnest desire for some late publication on the
subject, that will lend new zest to the familiar solid doctrine. To
satisfy such reasonable wishes is the chief reason why the present pages
are modestly presented to his brethren by
THE AUTHOR.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE RETREAT
Preface iii
Preparatory Consideration 1
FIRST DAY
First Meditation—End of Man 8
Second Meditation—End of Creatures 12
Consideration—End of the Religious Life 14
Third Meditation—Indifference to Creatures 20
SECOND DAY
First Meditation—Sin 26
Second Meditation—One’s Own Sins 30
Consideration—Confession of the Retreat 33
Third Meditation—Eternal Loss 37
THIRD DAY
First Meditation—Preparation for Death 42
Second Meditation—The Particular Judgment 44
Consideration—Purity of Conscience 48
Third Meditation—To Excite Perfect Contrition 53
FOURTH DAY
First Meditation—The Kingdom of Christ 57
Second Meditation—The Incarnation 60
Consideration—The Imitation of Christ 64
Third Meditation—The Birth of Christ 70
FIFTH DAY
First Meditation—The Flight Into Egypt 74
Second Meditation—The Private Life of Christ 77
Consideration—The Imitation of Christ’s Private Life 81
Third Meditation—The Public Life of Christ 87
SIXTH DAY
First Meditation—The Two Standards 91
Second Meditation—The Three Degrees of Humility 94
Consideration—Temptations 97
Third Meditation—Three Classes of Men 102
SEVENTH DAY
First Meditation—The Sufferings of Christ in the Garden 106
Second Meditation—Christ’s Sufferings Before His Judges 109
Consideration—Generosity in the Service of God 112
Third Meditation—The Death of Christ 118
EIGHTH DAY
First Meditation—The Resurrection of Christ 121
Second Meditation—Christ’s Ascension into Heaven 124
Consideration—The Spirit of Love 127
Third Meditation—Divine Love 133
INDEX TO TRIDUUMS
TRIDUUM A.
Meditation I—On the Desire of Perfection 138
Meditation II—In What Perfection Consists 140
Meditation III—Christ the Model of Perfection 143
Meditation IV—The Need of Prayer to Attain Perfection 145
Meditation V—The Power of Prayer to Obtain Perfection 148
Meditation VI—The Aid of Mary to Attain Perfection 150
TRIDUUM B.
Meditation I—On the Vows 153
Meditation II—On Renovation of the Vows 155
Meditation III—What Kind of Men Does Our Vocation Require? 157
Meditation IV—Christ Is Here to Help Us 160
Meditation V—The Holy Ghost Sanctifies Us 163
Meditation VI—Effects Produced by the Holy Ghost 165
TRIDUUM C.
Meditation I—The Need of Frequent Renovations of Spirit 169
Meditation II—Sin the Chief Hindrance to Our Progress 171
Meditation III—Fidelity in Little Things 174
Meditation IV—The Observance of Our Rules 177
Meditation V—Zeal for Souls 179
Meditation VI—Devotion to the Blessed Virgin 181
TRIDUUM D.
Meditation I—The Purpose of this Triduum 185
Meditation II—The Interior Spirit 187
Meditation III—The Interior Spirit Fostered by Faith 190
Meditation IV—The Interior Spirit Fostered by Hope 193
Meditation V—The Interior Spirit Fostered by Charity 195
Meditation VI—The Interior Spirit Fostered by the Holy Ghost 198
TRIDUUM E.
Meditation I—Preparation for the Triduum 201
Meditation II—The Field Ripe for the Harvest 203
Meditation III—Fraternal Charity 205
Meditation IV—The Spirit of Sacrifice 208
Meditation V—Become Men of Prayer 211
Meditation VI—The Vine and the Branches 214
TRIDUUM F.
Meditation I—On the Vows 217
Meditation II—The Vow of Chastity 219
Meditation III—The Vow of Obedience 222
Meditation IV—Strength of Character 225
Meditation V—Co-operation with Grace 227
Meditation VI—The Perfection of Our Actions 230
THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS
PREPARATORY CONSIDERATION
I
The days of the retreat are the most important in the year. 1. _The most
important for the Exercitant_; for his principal duty and highest
interest are the salvation and spiritual progress of his own soul: “Seek
ye first the Kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall
be added unto you.” What would it profit any of us to convert even
thousands, if he loses his own soul? And if any one imagines that his
own salvation is already secured, and no longer needs his principal
care, he is a very ignorant or a conceited man.
2. _These days are the most important for the salvation of our
neighbor_; since, the more one becomes a man of God, as a good retreat
tends to make him, the better he will do the work of God. And the
salvation of souls is pre-eminently the work of God, not that of human
talent or industry.
3. _They are the most important for the glory of God_; since the glory
we render to God is in proportion to our holiness, the purity of our
intentions, the ardor of our love and our other virtues; the increase of
all of which is the direct purpose of the retreat.
II
The yearly retreat is important for all religious, whatever be the
spiritual condition of their souls.
1. _Those who are leading fervent lives_ are likely to receive during it
special lights and graces enabling them to draw nearer to their Divine
Lord; _Amice, ascende superius_, “Friend, come up higher.” The Holy
Ghost is ever laboring at the sanctification of souls, of such
especially as show themselves deserving of peculiar love by their
faithful co-operation. Now this fidelity is most strikingly exhibited
when we abandon all earthly cares to devote our whole hearts to the
loving worship of the Lord, as we do in a retreat.
2. _Such souls as are gradually allowing their fervor to cool_ amidst
the distracting cares of an active life stand in special need of the
Spiritual Exercises, to arrest their downward course.
When one runs down a hill, his descent is accelerated by his own weight,
and he needs special help to avoid a serious fall. Such is the case of
those who are losing their fervor, and a good retreat provides the
remedy.
3. _If any have unfortunately already lost their balance_, and are
hurrying along to destruction by the commission of serious faults, or by
yielding to a no less dangerous tendency to tepidity, a good retreat is
almost the only way of saving them from ruin. In connection with these
thoughts it is well to reflect that some one of our annual retreats will
be our last; it may be the present one. Many of those who made the
retreat last year are now in eternity; and not a few of them saw no more
reason then to expect so early an end than we do now.
III
It is very consoling for those who enter on these Spiritual Exercises to
remember that their efficacy for good is far greater than men are apt to
imagine; they are not merely human, but in some respects Divine; hence
their extraordinary power to sanctify us.
1. _These exercises are Divine in the truths they teach us_; for they
consist chiefly of meditations on the word of God; and the word of God
is the seed of salvation: _Semen est verbum Dei_. It is not the learning
of philosophers or scientists that brings us eternal life, but the
teachings of Christ; and these are the power working in the retreat.
2. _These Exercises are Divine in the principal director_ who conducts
them; for in them the Spirit of God instructs and enlightens the soul of
the exercitant and sanctifies it. The printed page containing these
teachings, or the Father Master who explains them is not the chief power
at work during the retreat, no more than the audible voice of Christ
converted and sanctified the souls of His hearers. God speaks to our
heart in the retreat, saying, “Hear, O my people, and I will speak.... I
am God, thy God” (Ps. 49).
3. Not only the several truths considered during these days are the word
of God, but the _whole plan of these Spiritual Exercises is in a true
sense Divine_. For no one who is familiar with the facts of St.
Ignatius’ life can believe that he had acquired, at the time when he
produced this masterpiece of sacred wisdom, such knowledge of the
spiritual life as it exhibits on every page. When he came to Manresa, he
was a mere novice in spirituality. And in fact he himself always felt
convinced that he owed these Exercises to Divine illumination. Thus, as
Bartoli relates, “on one occasion the Saint confessed to Father Laynez
that one hour of prayer at Manresa had taught him more concerning
spiritual things than he could have learned from the instructions of the
wisest doctors” (Life, I. p. 57).
The object which this unique book has accomplished was to reduce the
direction of soul to a science, that bases on certain principles of
faith an exact and positive method, which, guided by the rules
prescribed, insures almost infallible success. Considering the
circumstances in which it was written we cannot but attribute this work
to superhuman aid. Hence its wonderful efficiency, testified to by
countless witnesses, and continued in the experience of three centuries
till the present day.
IV
Hence the _high esteem in which these Spiritual Exercises are held_ by
the best judges in such matters. For instance, when the learned Pope Leo
XIII wished to select the best means by which he might prepare himself
and his domestic prelates to gain the plenary indulgence of the jubilee
year 1900, he had two of our Fathers conduct in his palace the Exercises
of the retreat; and, at his advanced age of over 90 years, he attended
in person nearly all the meditations. His successor, Pope Pius X, gave
similar marks of his esteem for these Exercises. There exists in our
society a venerable tradition, which seems to date back to the earliest
years of the Institute, to the effect that St. Ignatius was specially
assisted by the Blessed Mother of God in composing his unique
masterpiece. The inhabitants of Manresa, some years after his death,
embodied this tradition in a beautiful painting, which they placed in
the cave, representing him as kneeling before the figure of the Blessed
Mother and Child, with his eyes fixed upon her lips, and his right hand
extended as if ready to write what she dictated to him.
Father Henry Watrigant, S. J., relates that this tradition has been
confirmed at various times by well authenticated revelations. Thus he
says: “The venerable Father Louis de Ponte narrates that, when in the
year 1600 Ours entered on their annual retreat, his penitent, the
venerable Marina de Escobar, also began her retreat; and the Archangel
Gabriel appeared to her and said that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been
as it were the foundress of those Exercises, having instructed St.
Ignatius to put them in that form.”
V
Having now understood what efficiency is attached to a good retreat, we
naturally ask ourselves _what we must do to secure these precious
results_. We must:
1. Enter seriously into that deep recollection which is the proper
atmosphere for a retreat, avoiding during it all unnecessary intercourse
with the outside world.
“God and I” should be the only objects of my thoughts; all else is a
hindrance to perfect success.
2. We must diligently apply our mental powers to master the truths
proposed to us; for that purpose St. Ignatius bids us occupy ourselves
during a full hour in each of the meditations or contemplations
assigned. He adds that, “in time of desolation, the exercitant, in order
to go against the desolation, and to overcome the temptation, must
always remain a short time beyond the full hour, so as to accustom
himself, not only to resist the enemy, but even to overthrow him” (Ann.
13).
3. In the 5th Annotation the Saint says: “It will much benefit him who
is receiving the Exercises to enter upon them with a large heart and
with liberality towards the Creator and Lord, offering all his desires
and liberty to Him, in order that His Divine Majesty may make use of his
person and of all he possesses according to His most holy will.” He says
elsewhere: “The more liberal one shall show himself towards God, the
more liberal he shall find God towards him, and the more fit he shall
daily be to receive in greater abundance His graces and spiritual gifts”
(Rule 19).
4. Both during the meditations and at all other times of prayer, great
fervor should be employed to obtain from the Lord those copious graces
which He has in store for us, and which He desires to bestow; but it is
a general law of His providence that they must be eagerly asked for, and
to the best of our power deserved by our efforts and co-operation.
If these means are diligently employed, we can indulge a quiet
confidence of great results; for the Lord does not invite us to a rich
banquet without providing for the full satisfaction of His guests.
THE FIRST DAY
The first day of the retreat is mainly devoted to what St. Ignatius
calls “_The Principle and Foundation_.”
Christ bids us act like “a wise man that built his house upon a
rock,—and it fell not because it was founded on a rock” (St. Matth. vii,
24). The truth now considered is the rock on which the whole structure
of our spirituality is to be built. Bartoli, in his life of St.
Ignatius, narrates that a learned Doctor of the University of Paris,
Martin Olave, used to say that one single hour spent in meditating on
this foundation had taught him more than long years of theological
studies. Such too has been the experience of many others. Father Everard
Mercurian spoke of this foundation as alone sufficient to effect the
most astonishing changes in a soul, by uprooting all its earthly
affections and directing its desires to God alone.
THE FIRST MEDITATION
On the End of Man
The first part of the Foundation is: “_Man was created to praise,
reverence and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul._”
To begin any of our meditations well, St. Ignatius bids us stand, for
the space of a _Pater Noster_, one or two paces from the place at which
we are to meditate, and with our mind raised on high, consider how God
looks down upon us, and then adore Him with an act of reverence and
self-humiliation.
Then follows the _Preparatory Prayer_, which is also the same for all
the meditations. It is to ask our Lord for grace that all the acts of
our memory, our understanding and our will may throughout the meditation
tend directly to the service and praise of the Divine Majesty.
_1st Prelude._ Imagine your Blessed Saviour appears before you, looking
lovingly on you and saying: “My son, I am now going to teach you the
first truth in the spiritual life.”
_2nd Prelude._ Beg that you may understand this truth as the Saints have
understood it.
_POINT I._ Consider the words, “_Man was created._”
1. “_Man._” What is man? Compared to God, man is a mere nothing, like a
little gnat flitting in the sunshine; yet among material things man is a
masterpiece, endowed with the most wonderful powers and potentialities.
Man is like a musical instrument, from which the Divine Spirit can draw
the most exquisite harmony, as He has done from millions of saintly
souls. But if not responsive to His touch, it gives out harsh and false
sounds, marring the harmony of God’s world. A man may live like an
Angel, or like a demon or like a brute animal.
2. Man was “_created_,” that is, made out of nothing, for so was the
world; now even a savage understands that the thing made belongs to the
maker. Therefore I belong to God; He can do with me and require of me
what He pleases.
_POINT II._ Consider what God requires of man. If God has made man for a
purpose, He certainly requires of him to work for that purpose. But God
can do nothing without a purpose, a purpose worthy of Himself; His
wisdom requires that. Now He alone is worthy of Himself; therefore He
directed all things to Himself, as the Book of Proverbs says: “The Lord
hath made all things for Himself” (xvi, 4).
It is not that God needs any creature; for being all perfect He is
self-sufficient; but right order requires that He make all His creatures
tend to Him.
How then must all creatures tend to God? By glorifying Him; that is by
_praising, reverencing and serving God_.
1. _Praising God._ To praise God is to show forth and proclaim His
excellence. The Psalms are full of such praises; for instance Psalm 116:
“Praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him all ye people.” We must not
live then to exalt ourselves, or to get others to praise us, but render
all honor to God, to whom it all belongs.
2. _Reverencing God_, worshipping Him, as we do when we pray. Thus the
Angels in Heaven ever do, crying out; “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God
Almighty” (Ap. iv, 8). Thus we put statues of Angels on the altar to
express our reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. Thus we should express
our reverence for God whenever we speak to Him in prayer. How do I pray
habitually? With what reverence of bodily posture and of mental
attitude? We should thus make our meditations practical.
3. _Serving God._ To serve another is to do his bidding; we are then
created to be ever at the disposal of God, to obey Him whenever He makes
known His will: “If you love me, keep my commandments,” He says.
_POINT III._ Consider the further consequences of our praise, reverence
and service of God; “_And by these means to save his soul_,” that is to
attain eternal happiness.
The good God has so wisely and bountifully ordained all things that by
glorifying Him we glorify ourselves and reach the fulfilment of all our
desires. But by refusing to glorify Him we degrade and utterly ruin
ourselves.
Now we are made free to do the one or the other. This freedom is a
wonderful gift, a glorious gift in one way, making us like to God and
capable of securing our own bliss forever, with God’s grace, of course:
but on the other hand putting on us a terrible responsibility. No other
power on earth can control a man’s liberty. When St. Agnes, a mere child
of 13 years, refused to do wrong, the whole power of the Roman Empire
could not bend her will; on the other hand, the influence of the holiest
education cannot make a child virtuous without its free co-operation.
Can a man then, by refusing to serve God, deprive the Creator of the
glory that he was intended to render Him? Certainly not; but he can
freely choose to glorify the goodness of God by faithful service, thus
securing at the same time perfect happiness for himself, or choose to
glorify God’s justice by his eternal punishment.
_Colloquy_ with God Almighty, my Creator, and with Christ, my Redeemer;
that I may do my full duty and secure eternal bliss.
THE SECOND MEDITATION
On the End of Creatures
The second part of the foundation says: “_And the other things upon the
face of the earth were created for man, and to help him to attain the
end for which he was created. Whence it follows that man must make use
of them in so far as they help him to attain his end; and in the same
way he ought to withdraw himself from them in so far as they hinder him
from it._”
The task of the exercitant is three-fold:
1. Intellectual: he must strive to understand the truths proposed
correctly, clearly and fully;
2. Practical: he must apply the truths to his own conduct;
3. Prayerful: so as to obtain aid from Heaven to succeed in both these
respects.
_The Preparatory Prayer_ is the same as in the first meditation. It is
so too in all the following meditations. It will not be necessary to
remind the exercitant of this in the subsequent exercises.
_1st Prelude._ Imagine you behold our Dear Lord before you, who says:
“My son, I will now teach you the second truth of the spiritual life.”
_2nd Prelude._ Grant, O Dear Lord, that I may understand it fully and
learn from it how to improve my conduct.
_POINT I._ Consider these words: “_The other things upon the face of the
earth are created for man_:” and man for God. Here is a clear exhibition
of God’s wisdom; the inanimate is for the vegetable world, the vegetable
for the animal, and all for man; inferior things are for the real good
of superior ones. I am not then created for material enjoyment: _Ad
majora natus sum_, “I am born for greater things,” I must not degrade
myself by the perverse gratification of my animal nature.
_POINT II._ Consider the words: “_And in order to attain the end for
which he was created_.” How do the other things aid man to attain his
end? In various ways.
Some things need only be considered to raise man’s heart to God and
prompt him to reverence the Divine Majesty. “The heavens show forth the
glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of his hands,” etc.
(Ps. 18).
Other creatures are for the use of man, as food, drink, clothing, etc.
Others are to be endured, that he may practise submission to God’s holy
will; such as excessive heat and cold, sickness, death, etc. Others are
to be abstained from, as was the forbidden fruit in Paradise.
Everything thus becomes for man a stepping stone to Heaven.
_POINT III._ “_Whence it follows that man must make use of them in so
far as they help him to attain his end; and in the same way he ought to
withdraw himself from them in as far as they hinder him from it._”
Consider how this rule may be observed or violated. For instance, (a) In
our use of food and drink. The relish attached to the use of them is
good as a means to promote our health; but under its influence excess is
often committed, by which health may be injured, disease contracted and
life shortened. Am I always blameless in this respect?
(b) Sleep may be excessive and lead to the neglect of duty.
(c) The study of nature, of the sciences and the fine arts may greatly
promote the glory of God and indirectly the good of souls, and it may be
wrong to neglect it; but it may also be abused; it is only a means, and
must not be made an end in itself, to the neglect of our true end.
(d) Such too is the reading of literature or of the news of the day.
(e) Such is our intercourse with superiors, our brethren and outsiders.
The bee gathers honey, the spider poison from the same plant.
_Colloquy_, asking grace to use all things wisely.
CONSIDERATION
On the End of the Religious Life
I
When we consider the conduct of men generally, we see at a glance that
the lives of vast numbers of them are not in conformity with the truths
we have been studying; and we are reminded of the words of Christ: “Wide
is the gate and broad the way that leadeth to destruction, and many
there are that go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and straight the
way that leadeth to life, and few there are that find it” (St. Matth.
vii, 13, 14). Of course the way of salvation, owing to His preaching and
His merits, is now much wider than when He spoke those words; but yet it
appears to be, through men’s own fault, much narrower than it should be.
What is the condition of religious in this respect? It is well worth
while to examine what is the effect of our religious vocation on the
most important of all our interests, the attaining of the end for which
we were created. Now it is clear that the religious life offers many
great advantages for that purpose.
1. We are created to _praise, reverence and serve_ God. Now the
religious life is entirely directed to these objects. 1. We are
constantly employed in the promotion of the _praise_ and glory of God:
all our labors are directed to it; the place we live in, the occupations
assigned us and all the circumstances of them are selected with a view
of this purpose.
2. The _reverence_ shown to God is continually fostered by a long
succession of common and private prayers, Holy Masses, recitation of the
Divine Office, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, etc., from morning till
night, day after day, year after year, till death.
3. The _service_ of God, the accomplishment of His holy will, is not
confined to the observance of His Commandments and those of His Church;
but, by adding the rules of the Order, the will of God is made known and
accomplished in all the details of life.
Thus the religious is constantly occupied with the praise, reverence and
service of God. His heart is not divided between different objects of
his love: “He that is without a wife,” says St. Paul, “is solicitous for
the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God; but he that
is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may
please his wife; and he is divided” (I Cor. vii, 32, 33).
The condition of mind in religious is _like that of the Blessed Angels_,
who are busy with God and the things of God. It is _like that of the
Holy Family_ while it abode on earth; so that a religious house is a
copy of the Holy House of Nazareth.
And all this is not to last for a little while only, but for a whole
lifetime; for the religious vows give stability and permanence for all
years to come.
Therefore this sacrifice is compared by theologians to _a holocaust_,
the most perfect of the ancient sacrifices, in which, namely, the whole
victim was consumed in the fire. Thus one religious is likely to do more
than a number of seculars for the praise and reverence and service of
God.
II
_And by these means the religious easily saves his soul_, thus attaining
the second end for which he was created. The good Lord has promised this
in so many words. For he said: “Every one that hath left house, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my sake, shall receive a hundred fold and shall possess life
everlasting” (St. Matth. xix, 29).
The hundred fold mentioned in this promise is not to be passed over
lightly. For although it constitutes no portion of the eternal life of
which we are speaking, still it is intimately connected with it. For it
embraces a multitude of heavenly graces: a Divine protection in dangers,
a peace of soul that the world cannot give; all of which make the
attainment of eternal life far more easy than it usually is outside of
the religious state.
With this prospect of eternal bliss for ourselves is united the special
efficiency which the good Lord deigns to bestow on religious to procure
the salvation of many souls. True, the exercise of the sacred ministry,
with the sacramental power, is the ordinary channel of sanctification
established by Christ in His Church; but there is a special efficiency
in personal virtue to bring souls nearer to God; and the direct purpose
and effect of the religious life is to increase personal holiness. The
archenemy of man knows well who are the most successful in saving souls,
and those he opposes with all his power. The fact that religious are
more fiercely hated and opposed by the enemies of God, clearly shows
that they produce more fruit in souls.
III
Of course the religious life has its hardships, it is _a life of
sacrifice_; but that is its honor and its recommendation to a noble
soul: “The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it
away” (St. Matth. xi, 12). All the Saints have led lives of sacrifice,
like their Divine Master: “Jesus said to His disciples: If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow
me” (Ib. xvi, 24).
To aid us in carrying the cross of the religious life cheerfully, let us
reflect what _magnificent prizes_ are held out to us.
1. There is the bright _crown of virginity_, with the distinguished
privilege of more intimate union with Jesus in Heaven. “These are they
who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These follow the
Lamb whithersoever He goeth” (Apoc. xiv, 4).
2. There is also the glory of being seated, with Christ, on the
_judgment seat_, when He will come in His Majesty on the clouds of
heaven: they are to judge the world, rather than to be judged. Thus at
least the Venerable Bede explains the promise made by Christ to His
Apostles, which for a parity of reason, he extends to religious: “Amen I
say to you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the
Son of Man shall sit on the seat of His Majesty, you also shall sit on
twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (St. Matth. xix, 28).
3. Another most valuable advantage of the religious life lies in the
_protection_ it affords against dangerous temptations to sin. True, as
long as we live upon earth we may fall from grace, and forfeit, through
our own grievous fault, the rich store of merit so far accumulated and
our right to eternal bliss: “He that thinketh himself to stand, let him
take heed lest he fall,” writes the Apostle (I Cor. x, 12). The best a
man can do is to surround himself with such securities as lessen the
assaults from without and strengthen the will within him. And such is
undoubtedly the religious life. Its vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience cut off the fiercest assaults of man’s triple enemy, the
world, the Devil and the flesh; and its constant practices of piety and
mortification provide a copious supply of Heavenly assistance to resist
temptations.
Therefore _St. Bernard draws this consoling picture_ of religion: “It is
a state,” he says, “in which man lives with more purity, falls more
rarely, rises more promptly, walks more securely, is more frequently
bedewed with celestial graces, sleeps more peaceably, dies with more
assurance, passes more quickly through Purgatory, and is more richly
rewarded.”
IV
However, we must bear in mind that membership of a religious Order does
not necessarily secure all those advantages, and that in the same Order
they are _obtained by different persons in very different degrees_. The
chief requisite to obtain them is to be a fervent religious. The more
generous one shall show himself to God, says St. Ignatius, the more
generous he shall find God towards him, and the more fit shall he daily
be to receive in greater abundance His graces and spiritual gifts. The
rapidity of our spiritual progress is not like that of travellers in a
ship on the sea, all of whom advance at the same rate, whether they are
walking or sitting or lying down; but our progress is like that of men
travelling on a highroad, each of whom has his own rate of advancement
according to his own efforts.
Thus St. Aloysius, St. Stanislaus and St. John Berchmans advanced
further in a few months than most religious do in many years.
While we have perhaps broken strong bonds in tearing ourselves away from
home and kindred, let us not be attached to little things; a slender
silken thread is enough to keep a bird from gaining its liberty, and
thus a little trifle may prevent us from soaring aloft to higher regions
of sanctity. God fully deserves the love of our whole hearts, which are
too small to be divided between Him and the things of earth.
Let us examine ourselves during this retreat, and see whether we are
drawing all the profit we should from the rich treasury of our religious
vocation.
THE THIRD MEDITATION
On Indifference to Creatures
The third part of the Foundation: “_It is therefore necessary that we
should make ourselves indifferent to all created things, in so far as it
is left to the liberty of our free will to do so, and is not forbidden;
in such sort that we do not for our part wish for health rather than
sickness, for wealth instead of poverty, for honor rather than dishonor,
for a long life rather than a short one, and so in all other things,
desiring and choosing only that which most leads us to the end for which
we were created._”
_1st Prelude._ Imagine you see bright Angels standing before the throne
of God, waiting to be assigned as guardians to new-born infants; they
are perfectly indifferent to take charge of rich or poor children in any
part of the world.
_2nd Prelude._ Ask for a like spirit of perfect indifference to all
creatures, caring for God alone and His holy will.
_POINT I._ Let me ask myself sincerely: am I now fully convinced that I
am in this world for no other end than to praise, reverence and serve
God, and thereby to save my soul? that I must use creatures only in as
far as they conduce to this end? This is right and just, it is highly
useful for me; it is necessary, the one thing necessary;—all else is
vanity; it passes away in a short time.
“The world’s a stage, and men are only players,
They have their exits and their entrances.”
_POINT II._ What prevents me from always living up to that conviction?
The reason is that I allow myself to be influenced by various
predilections and aversions, by my likes and dislikes for certain
things. If I were perfectly indifferent, as the Angels are, whose will
has perfect control over all their affections, then I would choose on
all occasions only what God wills, as far as His will would be known to
me. Can I acquire such an indifference? I cannot help feeling an
inclination to like or dislike certain things; for it is an effect of
the fall of man that our passions often rebel against the spirit. But I
can control these promptings to a great extent, and with God’s grace,
acquire considerable power over their movements.
To strengthen this habit of control over my various inclinations is the
purpose of the present meditation: that is meant by making myself
indifferent to all created things.
And still St. Ignatius wisely adds: “In as far as they are allowed me
and not forbidden”; lest the uninstructed might imagine that they might
lawfully allow disorderly sentiments to arise within them without at
once driving them away.
How can I make myself indifferent? By considering the evils connected
with the things to which I am inclined, and the good to be derived from
those disliked.
_POINT III._ Let me consider in detail some principal objects to which a
man is not naturally indifferent, but he may with God’s grace make
himself so.
1. _A long life or a short life._ For all I know, my eternal salvation
may be much better secured if I should die soon than if I live yet many
years. It was so with many persons, who were holy in their youth and
were afterwards perverted. Therefore the Book of Wisdom says: “He
pleased God and was beloved, and living among sinners he was translated.
He was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding and
deceit beguile his soul” (iv, 10, 11). What a blessing it would have
been for a Luther or a Henry VIII to have died young. As I do not know
what is best for me, I ought in all reason to leave it all to God’s
disposal, and make myself indifferent to a long life or a short life.
2. _Health or sickness._ In comparison with the salvation of my soul the
enjoyment of health during this life is of slight importance; and common
sense would bid me readily to resign the latter to secure the former.
Now God alone knows when this is necessary. We read of a virtuous man in
England, who made a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas a’ Becket to be
cured from blindness. He was heard, and returned rejoicing to his home.
But he found soon after that the free use of his sight led him into many
new temptations. So he returned to the same shrine and begged the Saint
that, if it were for his greater spiritual good to be deprived of sight,
this might be done rather than that he should fall into mortal sin. The
Lord worked this second miracle to show what was really best for him.
3. _Riches or poverty._ The young man whom the Saviour invited to sell
all and give to the poor and then follow Him had not the courage to
answer the call, because he was very rich. And Jesus remarked it was
difficult for a rich man to save his soul. It is then very wise not to
care for riches, but to make one’s self indifferent on this point.
4. _Honor rather than dishonor._ History is full of examples of men who
were virtuous while in an humble station, and who, after being raised to
honors, became proud; now a proud man is odious in the sight of God.
5. _And so of all other things._ Let me ask myself whether there is any
point on which I am not indifferent, and then consider how I may bend my
mind in the opposite direction; then pray earnestly to our Lord and His
Holy Mother to gain indifference to all created things.
_POINT IV._ Let me consider what will be the good effects of attaining
such indifference. They will be:
1. Considerable increase in virtue; for thus my will becomes conformable
to the will of God: I thus practise faith in His providence, and
confidence in His paternal care of me.
2. Security from many dangers of sin, to which I should have been
exposed if I had persisted in controlling my own fortunes.
3. Quiet of mind in the happy thought that God, to whom I abandon myself
entirely, will dispose all for the best: “For we know that to them that
love God all things work together unto good” (Rom. viii, 28). “Cast thy
care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Ps. 54). “My children,
behold the generations of men, and know ye that no one hath hoped in the
Lord, and hath been confounded” (Ecclus. ii, 11).
On the other hand those who are not indifferent to the things of earth
live in constant agitation of mind, restless in the pursuit of fancied
blessings, and disappointed when they fail to obtain them; and, what is
still worse, frequently exposed to the danger of sin, sometimes of
grievous sin, in their eagerness to obtain their desires, or in their
reluctance to do their duty.
_Colloquy._ Pray earnestly, both during the meditation, when proper
desires are aroused in your heart, and especially at the conclusion of
the meditation, that you may totally detach your affections from all
things created, and obtain the grace of indifference to all creatures.
THE SECOND DAY
We have now fully understood the end, or purpose, of our creation, which
is to praise, reverence and serve God and thereby save our souls. We
must next consider what will be the result if we freely refuse to live
for that end, and prefer to do our own will in opposition to the will of
God. The Lord is not going to prevent us from doing so; He will not
interfere with the exercise of our free will. Were a child, in the
fervor of its first Communion, most earnestly to beseech God to let it
die young rather than live to commit a mortal sin, He would no doubt
give it additional graces to avoid sin, but He will not control the
child’s freedom. Every one of us must carve out his own future by his
own free choice. We know what we have to do to make that future
sovereignly happy; and we are now to consider prayerfully what evils
threaten us if we refuse to do it. For this purpose we will now study
certain historical facts, and see how other persons have fared.
FIRST MEDITATION
On Sin
This exercise affords a favorable opportunity to explain the ordinary
process of meditation, which consists in applying to a chosen subject
our three intellectual faculties, the memory, the understanding and the
will, as shall now be shown in detail.
_Preparatory prayer_, as usual.
_1st Prelude._ Let me imagine I behold the scene which Christ described
saying: “I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven” (St. Luke x,
18).
_2nd Prelude._ I ask the grace to understand how severely God has
punished the sins of others, so that I may conceive an intense dread and
horror of sin, especially of my own sins.
_POINT I._ Consider the first sin we know of, that by which the angels
fell. Apply to it: 1. The _memory_, recalling the facts. They were
created by the same Lord that made me, and for the same end, to praise,
reverence and serve Him, and by this means to attain eternal bliss.
They, like me, were put to a trial of their obedience; they were free to
serve or no, as they chose.
A multitude of the angels refused to obey: they sinned. These were cast
out of Heaven into Hell, and punished with the direst woe forever.
2. _The understanding_ takes in the striking points of analogy between
their history and that of man: If they were so severely punished, what
must man expect when he imitates their rebellion? What a dreadful evil
sin must be, since a good and just God hates it so. Their great number
did not save the angels, nor will the number of bad men be a protection;
all men are like a little dust before the infinite God. Man’s excellence
is below that of the angels, in power, in knowledge and in all natural
gifts. They sinned but once; perhaps I have sinned repeatedly. What must
I think of myself? of my past? of my future?
3. _My will_ is gradually moved by these and similar considerations to
detest sin, to dread sin, to detest myself if I have sinned, to beg God
to spare me. I must stir up my will to hate sin more and more, to
protest to God my hatred of it, my self-reproach: “Spare me, Oh Lord,
according to the multitude of thy mercies.”
_POINT II._ Consider the sin of our first parents. 1. _My memory_
recalls the facts. They were created by the same God and for the same
end as I; they were loved by Him and placed in a garden of delights, in
Paradise, destined to enjoy the vision of God forever. They were free.
God allowed Satan to tempt them, as He allows him to tempt me: “The
serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death. For God doth
know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be
opened and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And the woman
saw that the tree was good, and delightful to behold: and she took of
the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat”
(Gen. iii, 4-6). They were in consequence cast out of Paradise,
condemned to more than nine hundred years of toil and suffering, and to
death, and all the evils that have befallen them and their posterity
have been the punishment of sin.
2. _My understanding_ must weigh these facts and reason on them, so as
to realize the boundless evil of rebelling against our sovereign Lord
and Master. It is not only the words of God but even more His deeds that
show us what He is and how He acts. His severity in punishing sin in
creatures for which He had shown such generous love exhibits the utter
abomination He has for moral evil.
3. I must stir up _my will_ to detest that same evil, to dread my own
weakness which exposes me to sin again, to regret my past offenses, and
to form strong resolutions for the future, praying earnestly for God’s
help.
_POINT III._ St. Ignatius bids us consider a third sin, namely that of
some person who has gone to Hell for one mortal offense. St. Liguori, in
his little book “On the Commandments and Sacraments,” narrates a number
of what he calls “Melancholic Examples,” of persons who appeared after
death, and said they were damned for some one or more mortal sins which
they had not properly confessed. One is the case of a woman, who had
been reputed to be very devout, so much so that after her death her body
had been treated with the greatest veneration. But the day after her
burial she appeared to the Bishop of the place as if laid on a blazing
fire, and she told him that she was damned on account of a mortal sin of
thought she had concealed in confession.
1. _The memory_ must recall the facts; it matters not whether they are
well authenticated or not, since the doctrine is certain that one mortal
sin unpardoned is enough to damn the soul.
2. _The understanding_ reasons on the case, so as to realize vividly the
sad results of dying in sin.
3. _The will_ is thus stirred up to hate sin as the greatest of all
evils, and to avoid it at any sacrifice, according to the warning of
Christ: “If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from
thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should
perish, rather than thy whole body be cast into hell” (St. Matth. v,
29).
_Colloquy_ with Jesus dying for my sins upon the Cross, begging for
grace to repent of all past sins, and to make strong resolutions against
future offenses.
SECOND MEDITATION
On One’s Own Sins
It is well to remark here that, 1. The fact that St. Peter was forgiven
did not prevent him from mourning for his sin all the rest of his life;
2. Many persons repine excessively under afflictions because they forget
that they have deserved much worse by their sins; 3. The Saints
mortified themselves severely for small faults; 4. This meditation is
congenial to humble souls, like the Publican, but painful to the
Pharisee; 5. The least we can do is to detest our sins heartily and to
atone for them.
_1st Prelude._ Imagine you stand before God like the humble Publican,
saying: “O God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
_2nd Prelude._ Beg for an intense grief and confusion for your sins.
_POINT I._ Briefly recall to memory the series of your sins, from your
early years, through childhood, boyhood, youth, through subsequent
periods of your life, noticing successive places of abode, various
occupations, companions, etc.
_POINT II._ Study to understand the evil of your sins, considering:
1. _Every species of sin has its own peculiar vileness_; for instance,
lying is so odious that its very name is offensive, stealing is still
worse, so that one caught in a theft is disgraced for life, gluttony is
disgraceful, pride is odious to God and man, envy is mean, profanity is
provoking to the great and holy God, deceit is despicable, vanity is
ridiculous, impurity lowers a man beneath the brute, etc.