serving his country. His duty is to do it well. You are in the service
of Christ the King. For His sake do all to the best of your power. If He
intrusts to you some care of your neighbor, as He did to His Apostles
and the seventy-two disciples during their time of training, remember it
is God’s work you are doing, as aids to Christ, for the salvation of
precious souls. Do it all carefully, faithfully, making generously the
sacrifices involved in the performance of your duties.
3. Pray for God’s help and His blessings on your labors and on the
labors of your brethren. St. Francis Xavier ascribed his wonderful
success in pagan lands to the prayers of his brethren in Europe; and no
doubt the missionaries of the present day are likewise assisted by the
prayers of the whole Society. This is the very Spirit of the Apostleship
of Prayer, the zealous exercise of which is sufficient to make you all
apostles of the Lord.
_Colloquy._ Lord, what wilt Thou have me do for the great work of saving
souls? Speak, O Lord; Thy servant heareth.
MEDITATION III
Fraternal Charity
_1st Prelude._ Imagine you hear Christ saying: “By this shall all men
know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (St.
John xiii, 35).
_2nd Prelude._ Ask grace to realize fully the importance of practising
fraternal charity.
_POINT I. Consider our strict obligation to observe fraternal charity._
1. Without it there is no sanctifying grace in the soul. St. John
writes: “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. He that hateth his
brother is a murderer” (St. John iii, 14-15).
2. Christ has chosen this commandment as distinctly His own: “A new
commandment I give unto you. Love one another as I have loved you” (St.
John xiii, 34), and again: “This is my commandment that you love one
another as I have loved you” (ib. xv, 12).
3. He makes its observance the distinctive mark of His disciples: “By
this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one
for another” (ib. xiii, 34).
4. Without a delicate fraternal charity many religious communities would
contain some very unhappy members. And our Society in particular has
always shown the greatest solicitude to protect and foster this virtue.
_POINT II. How may fraternal charity be violated?_
Among religious, violations of charity are not so often committed by
actions as they are among seculars, but they are not seldom committed by
word or thought. St. James writes: “In many things we all offend. If any
man offendeth not in word, the same is a perfect man” (iii, 2), and
again: “The tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, a deadly poison”
(ib. 8). By calling it a deadly poison, he clearly indicates that the
tongue is often the cause of grievous wrong. Now wilfully to inflict a
grievous wrong on a neighbor is a grievous sin. But even when the wrong
done is of less moment, it is always sinful to some extent. Charity is
violated in many ways.
1. By needlessly saying in the hearing of another words that give him
pain; and that whether he be our equal or our inferior, and still more
if he be our superior.
2. By needlessly making known another’s secret faults.
3. By imputing to another a fault he has not committed; this is called
calumny, or slander, and is a twofold sin, adding the violation of truth
to that of charity.
4. By putting an unfavorable interpretation on a neighbor’s conduct,
expressing it in words.
5. By condemning him in our minds only, beyond the evidence of the
facts; such a judgment is rash, even if it be not false.
6. By needlessly suspecting evil of which there is no good proof.
_POINT III. How we should practise fraternal Charity._
We must earnestly make up our minds, and act on the conviction all our
lives, that the practice of charity is not a mere devotion, highly
recommended but not essential for the attainment of solid virtue. St.
Peter writes: “Before all things have a constant mutual charity among
yourselves” (I Pet. iv, 8). Our Divine Lord in His vivid description of
the Last Judgment lays the chief stress on the duty of charity, and
says: “As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did
it to me” (St. Matth. xxv, 40). Again He says: “Love your enemies, do
good to those who hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them
that calumniate you.... As you would that men should do to you, do you
also to them in like manner” (St. Luke vi, 27-31). And He has made our
generous disposition to forgive others the condition of our own pardon,
teaching us to pray in the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive them who trespass against us.” Through St. Peter He tells us
that: “Charity covers a multitude of sins.” And what is better still,
charity prevents us from committing a multitude of sins. If you can
accustom yourself never to say an unkind word of or to another, nor
think evil of any one, you are on the highroad to sanctity.
_Colloquy._ Beg of our dear Lord the grace of a generous, delicate and
universal charity.
MEDITATION IV
The Spirit of Sacrifice
_1st Prelude._ Behold the scene on Calvary, as Jesus exclaims: “It is
consummated.”
_2nd Prelude._ Ask eagerly for the spirit of sacrifice.
_POINT I. Consider that all our blessings have been the result of
sacrifices._ When Adam had ruined our race by selfish indulgence, the
Son of God restored us to favor by the most tremendous spirit of
sacrifice. His blessings to mankind were propagated from land to land
and from age to age by men distinguished for the spirit of sacrifice;
the Apostles, the Martyrs, the missionaries, the founders of religious
Orders, the saintly bishops and priests, to the present day. If we wish
to take our share of this glorious task of saving souls, it can only be
done by making sacrifices. The minister of Christ who shirks the toils
and the privations of his vocation produces little fruit: “Unless the
grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone; but
if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.... If any man minister to me,
let him follow me” (St. John xii, 24-26).
_POINT II. The spirit of sacrifice is necessary for our salvation and
sanctification._
1. For our salvation. For a person who is not accustomed to refuse
himself many, even lawful, indulgences is very likely to fall into
temptations and grievous sins. Therefore Holy Job said: “I made a
covenant with my eyes that I would not so much as think upon a virgin”
(xxxi, 1). On the other hand, Solomon said of himself: “Whatsoever my
eyes desired, I refused them not; and I withheld not my heart from
enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had
prepared” (Eccles. ii, 10). The result was that Solomon, “the wise man”
by excellence, the special favorite of God at first, fell afterwards
into most grievous sins: “And when he was now old his heart was turned
away by women to follow strange gods ... he worshipped Astarthe .. and
Moloch,” etc. (3 Kings xi, 4-8); and it is not certain that he saved his
soul. History and constant experience teach, by frequent examples, that
the spirit of sacrifice is necessary to secure our salvation. And our
Divine Lord declares in express terms that “The kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away” (St. Matth. xi, 12).
2. This violence, or the spirit of sacrifice, is still more necessary to
work out our sanctification. For this is to be achieved by the imitation
of Christ, who says: “If any one will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (St. Matth. xvi, 24). And
it is an axiom of the spiritual life that one advances in virtue in
proportion to the violence he does to himself. Therefore the religious
life, which is the school of perfection, calls at every step for
generous sacrifices in the observance of that multitude of rules whose
very purpose is the sanctification of the soul by the spirit and the
practice of sacrifice.
_POINT III. How should we practise the spirit of sacrifice?_
1. By carefully observing all our rules. This observance of the rules
implies a multitude of self-sacrifices; so that St. John Berchmans
declared that the common life was his greatest mortification; and the
oration of this Saint’s Office exalts him for his fidelity in the
service of God.
2. By hard labor in performing the duties imposed on us, especially when
these are of an unpleasant kind; for then they require more sacrifice.
3. By rendering all the services we can, even when they are not imposed
on us, making ourselves as useful as possible. It is a common saying
that what is every man’s business is no one’s business, and thus many
services are neglected. But a good religious rather says: this ought to
be done, and no one in particular is appointed to do it; so I must do
it.
4. By making all sacrifices cheerfully: “For God loveth a cheerful
giver” (2 Cor. ix, 7).
_Colloquy._ Ask earnestly for a cheerful spirit of sacrifice.
MEDITATION V
Become Men of Prayer
_1st Prelude._ Behold Christ rapt in prayer: “He passed the whole night
in the prayer of God” (St. Luke, vi, 12).
_2nd Prelude._ Earnestly ask the grace of becoming a man of prayer.
_POINT I. Consider the importance of praying well._
1. Our life is, or at least ought to be, so very supernatural that it
needs an uncommon amount of grace to lead it properly. Now the ordinary
condition that God requires to impart His grace is prayer, not so much
long prayer as good prayer. If we pray well, we shall undoubtedly
receive much grace.
2. Our days are filled up with distracting occupations, so that long
hours pass in worldly cares or with profane objects of thought, whose
natural tendency is to engross our hearts with worldly affections, and
turn them from the Creator to the creature. Prayer, fervent prayer, is
the most efficient means to counteract this tendency. Without it we soon
lose sight of our highest interests and commit at least venial sins.
3. The good we shall do to the souls of others depends chiefly on
prayer; for as St. Ignatius teaches us, it is from the interior that
force must flow to the exterior for the end proposed to us (Summary,
rule 16).
_POINT II. What aids have we to become men of prayer?_
1. We have the Holy Ghost, who helps us to pray, crying in our hearts
“Abba, Father” (Gal. iv, 6). He is certainly ever ready to help us to
become men of prayer; for we Jesuits are called to this, since it is our
vocation to teach others how to pray, and thus to form spiritual men.
2. We possess a most perfect system of prayer, given us through St.
Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises. This has been a most rich and
inexhaustible source of spirituality, as is shown in the works of our
writers, and the lives of our Fathers, Scholastics and Brothers through
all the periods of our history.
3. All we need to become men of prayer ourselves is diligent application
to its practice. To obtain distinguished success in any art or science
we need special diligence and a sort of enthusiasm in the practice of
that pursuit. He who earnestly wishes to become a man of prayer,—and we
ought all to desire this,—should make it his special ambition to perform
all his spiritual exercises to the best of his power, and constantly to
ask the Lord for the gift of prayer. What is my conduct in this respect?
Am I really in earnest to acquire that science of the Saints? What
improvements am I going to make in this matter?
_POINT III. What hinders us from being men of prayer?_
Not our duties, as is the case with most worldlings. For, although, as
we have stated before, our outward duties are apt, to some extent, to
turn our minds and hearts from God to creatures, enough time for prayer
is left us to repair our spiritual strength day by day, provided we
perform our meditations, examinations of conscience, etc., with becoming
fervor. In fact, our outward labors, if animated by the proper
intention, which our spiritual exercises constantly inspire, will be
helpful to bring us nearer to God, just as bodily labor helps the food
to promote bodily health. But what hinders us from becoming men of
prayer is:
1. Indolence, which manifests itself in various ways. We may not prepare
the points of meditation over night with proper diligence, or neglect to
call them to mind before falling asleep and again at rising in the
morning. We may fail to rise promptly and neglect the morning visit to
the Blessed Sacrament. We may assume a listless posture during
meditation and at other times of prayer, etc.
2. Inordinate passions; such as ambition, vain glory, sensual
attachments to persons, etc., which keep the imagination and the heart
busy with other things during the time of prayer.
3. Neglect of direct conversation with God while He is giving us an
audience. Prayer supposes that we speak to Him, by acts of adoration,
humility, thanksgiving, petition, contrition, intercession, etc. We need
not say many things but yet we should speak earnestly all along the time
of the exercise, often repeating the same sentiments.
_Colloquy._ Ask for an increase of fidelity and fervor in prayer.
MEDITATION VI
The Vine and the Branches
_1st Prelude._ Imagine that Christ speaks to you from the altar, and
says: “I am the vine, you the branches; he that abideth in me and I in
Him, the same beareth much fruit” (St. John xv, 5).
_2nd Prelude._ Beg to acquire an intimate union with Christ.
_POINT I. Consider how powerless we are of ourselves to save our souls,
and those of other men._ For Christ says: “As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you unless
you abide in me” (Ib. xv, 4). The dogma is this: we can do nothing
profitable for Heaven, unless we possess sanctifying grace and be helped
by actual grace. Now both of these come to us from Christ, who is like
the vine that sends forth its sap into the branches and thus gives life
and fertility. So too we cannot save the souls of others by human
learning or skill, unless Christ co-operates with us by His grace.
Otherwise we are but like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. If we do
not constantly foster this union with God, we waste much labor, as we
shall, no doubt, find at our death we have often done.
_POINT II. Consider on the other hand how powerful we are when assisted
by the grace of God._ For Christ says: “He that abideth in me and I in
him, the same beareth much fruit.” How so? By the Divine power which
then makes use of us to do its peculiar work of sanctification for
ourselves and others. Christ adds: “In this is my Father glorified, that
you bring forth very much fruit” (ib. xv, 8). “I have chosen you and
have appointed you, that you should go and should bring forth fruit and
your fruit should remain” (ib. v, 16).
Our labors thus become His labors, as the sap of the vine produces the
fruit in the branches. Besides, when our will is one with Christ’s will,
our prayers become most powerful, as He adds, saying: “If you abide in
me and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it
shall be done unto you” (ib. xv, 7).
_POINT III. How do we strengthen this supernatural union with Christ?_
He has deigned to tell us this also, saying: “If you keep my
commandments, you shall abide in my love; as I also have kept my
Father’s commandments, and do abide in his love” (xv, 10).
How consoling all this doctrine is! He adds again: “You are my friends
if you do the things that I command you” (xv, 14). All we need do then
to achieve the most glorious results for our salvation and that of
others is to be obedient to His voice.
_POINT IV. Consider the absolute necessity of this union with Christ._
For He assures us of this, saying: “If any one abide not in me, he shall
be cast forth as a branch and shall wither; and they shall gather him up
and cast him into the fire, and he burneth.” This is the lot of all who
die in mortal sin, no matter how holy they may have been before. Read
the 15th chapter of Ezechiel.
_Colloquy._ O Jesus, may this triduum unite me more firmly with Thee.
What wilt Thou have me do?
TRIDUUM F
MEDITATION I
On the Vows
_1st Prelude._ Imagine the scene of your first vows—the ceremony is very
simple, the meaning very solemn.
_2nd Prelude._ Ask a full appreciation of the meaning.
_POINT I. Consider the choice made by Jesus._
1. While on earth Jesus chose His Apostles: “Come ye after me, and I
will make you to be fishers of men” (St. Matth. iv, 19); meaning: I will
make you my co-laborers in the grandest of all works; “I have chosen
you, that you should go and that you should bring forth fruit, and your
fruit should remain” (St. John xv, 16), fruit for eternity. The Apostles
could not then realize the honor offered them.
2. Christ meant to make their hearts like to His own in holiness,
filling them with love for God and men, generosity, humility, mildness,
fidelity, etc.
3. He meant to make them ornaments of Heaven, the twelve great
constellations of the celestial Paradise. Then consider that the same
Blessed Saviour has chosen you for the same three purposes. Acts of
thanks, self-abasement: “I, although most unworthy, prostrate before the
feet of thy Divine majesty, etc.”
_POINT II. Consider what were your sentiments at the time of your first
vows._ They were most earnest and sincere. You were of age, you knew the
real meaning, you had been tried, you had full liberty to accept
Christ’s offers or to refuse them, you were enlightened by the grace of
God and supported by His aid.
Yours were solemn words: “I do vow before the most sacred Virgin Mary,
and the whole court of Heaven, to Thy Divine Majesty, perpetual Poverty,
Chastity and Obedience, etc.” These vows effected a solemn consecration
of your person, made you sacred, like chalices, their violation a
sacrilege. These days are to prepare in you proper sentiments to renew
this pledge of a sacred Knighthood, like St. Ignatius’s _night watch of
arms_ at Mont Serrat, really espousals with the Son of God. The breaking
of such a contract is horrible before God and men. An unfaithful
religious is like a false coin—apparently gold, really brass.
_POINT III. Have we been faithful?_ There can be no doubt of our
original sincerity. Our self-immolation was sincere and generous; God
supported us. Have we been living up to the lofty ideals with which we
started out? Thousands before us have done so; thousands are doing so
to-day; thousands are being prepared by the Holy Spirit to do the same.
These days are assigned us by our Society to examine carefully how we
stand. If we find defects, we are now to correct them. We must begin the
task by a careful self-examination. This is a visit, not of a Father
Provincial or Father General, but of the Holy Ghost Himself to the
hearts of all.
No doubt you are faithful in many things; see whether you are faithful
in all things. Imagine the Holy Spirit addresses you in the words spoken
in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Ephesus, saying: “I know thy works
and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that
are evil.... And thou hast patience, and hast endured for my name, and
hast not fainted. But I have somewhat against thee.” Then consider
whether you find really in your conduct something that needs special
looking after during these three days.
_Colloquy_, according to the sentiments thus excited in your mind.
MEDITATION II
The Vow of Chastity
_1st Prelude._ See Christ in Heaven surrounded by a bright crowd of
intimate friends (Apoc. vii, 9).
_2nd Prelude._ Ask for the most delicate purity of heart.
_POINT I._ Chastity is a most precious treasure. It was bestowed on Adam
and Eve in Paradise: “They were both naked, to wit Adam and Eve, and
they were not ashamed” (Gen. ii, 25). On the other hand, when “All flesh
had corrupted its way” (Gen. vi, 12) the Deluge showed the indignation
of God; and, soon after, to punish impurity, “The Lord rained upon Sodom
and Gomorha brimstone and fire ... and he destroyed these cities” (Gen.
xix, 24, 25).
When the Son of God was about to come down and become a child of this
sin-stained race, He prepared for Himself a temple of purity in the
Blessed Virgin Mary. His favorite friends were chaste virginal souls,
St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Apostle; and His other
Apostles too left their wives and all things to follow Him. One of His
first teachings was: “Blessed are the clean of heart” (St. Matth. v, 8).
To teach the sanctity becoming the human body, it is anointed with
sacred oil at Baptism and Confirmation, fed with the Divine Bread at
Holy Communion, incensed at Solemn Mass and at burial, and laid in
consecrated ground to rise again in glory. How we ought to respect this
vessel of election!
_POINT II._ We have been selected from among thousands to constitute the
virgin band of Christ’s intimate friends. These are Divine nuptials of
Jesus with the consecrated virgin soul, united together into closest
union. To this holiness impurity is diametrically opposed. As adultery
is the grossest sin against the sacred bond of matrimony, so is impurity
the most degrading vice against the religious state; and as in St.
Matthew’s Gospel (xix, 9) marital infidelity is a just cause for
rejection of the guilty party, so Jesus rejects the impure. The Book of
Wisdom also declares that “Wisdom will not dwell in a body subject to
sins” (i, 4).
_POINT III. Means to protect and perfect purity._
1. _Prayer._ The Book of Wisdom says: “As I knew that I could not
otherwise be continent except God gave it, and this also was a point of
wisdom to know whose gift it was, I went to the Lord and besought him”
(viii, 21). This is one strong reason why religious should do so much
more praying than seculars, that they are vowed to a life of perpetual
purity. In particular there is need in this matter of habitual recourse
to prayer at every assault of temptation.
2. _The practice of mortification_; for to the spirit of impurity apply
the words of Christ: “This kind can go out by nothing but by prayer and
fasting” (St. Mark ix, 28).
3. Modesty of all the senses, especially of the eyes: “I made a covenant
with my eyes, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin,” said
Holy Job (xxxi, 1), clearly indicating that the source of evil thoughts
lies chiefly in the objects presented to the eyes.
4. _Avoiding the occasions_ of temptations; for, while many other
passions are best subdued by direct resistance to their promptings, that
of lust must be overcome by flight. Therefore Ecclesiasticus warns us
that “he that loveth danger shall perish in it” (iii, 27). Few servants
of God had shown such heroic proofs of fidelity to duty amid multiplied
and protracted trials as had King David; and yet the imprudence with
which he exposed himself to an impure temptation made him in a few days
an adulterer, a tyrant and a murderer, and filled his remaining years of
life with bitter sufferings.
We must carefully consider in every retreat how faithfully we make use
of these various protections of angelic chastity; for “We have this
treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor. iv, 7).
_Colloquy_ with our dear Lord and His Holy Mother.
MEDITATION III
The Vow of Obedience
_1st Prelude._ Behold Christ learning a trade from St. Joseph.
_2nd Prelude._ Ask for high appreciation of obedience.
_POINT I. Consider that all human beings must obey._ A wise God must
establish order in all His works; hence the maxim: “Order is Heaven’s
first law.” The material universe obeys the law of gravitation, the
moral universe obeys the law of subordination of wills of inferiors to
superiors, that is the law of obedience. Common sense teaches all
mankind that children must obey their parents, servants their masters,
subjects their lords, etc. When God came to share your nature, He put
Himself to obey, and carried this virtue to the highest perfection,
“becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross” (Phil.
ii, 8). In positive legislation God has made this law universal. The
Fourth Commandment directly enforces it (Ex. xx, 12). The law of
Deuteronomy is still more forcible, saying: “He that will be proud and
refuse to obey the commandment of the priest who ministereth at the time
to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die,
and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel” (xvii, 12); and laying
down the law for sacred services, God inflicted a sudden and disgraceful
death on two young priests for using common instead of sacred fire
(Levit. x, 1-3). He wished to set an example for all future ages.