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THE SECRET OF SANCTITY, 
 
 ACCORDING TO 
 
 / 
 
 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES 
 
 AND 
 
 FATHER GRASSET, S.J. 
 
 Translated from the French 
 
 By ELLA McMAHON. 
 
 k' 
 
 NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO : 
 
 BE^NZIGKR. BROTHERS^ 
 
 Printers to the Holy Apostolic See. 
 1893. 
 
 V^^' 
 
OF COMGRl» \ J'S,\'^'^ 
 
 D. J. McMahon, D.D., 
 
 Censor Librorum, 
 
 Michael Augustine, 
 
 Archbishop of New York. 
 
 New York, November 8, 1892. 
 
 Copyright, 1892, by Benziger Brothers. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 
 Our great happiness as Christians is to possess, 
 in this world, through grace and love. Him Who 
 deigns to be our beatitude for all eternity; and our 
 greatest misfortune, after sin, is not to know or to 
 recognize this secret of eternal charity. God would 
 have us holy even as He is holy; He would have 
 us live His very life. It is for this end that He has 
 given us His divine Son, and with Him the infinite 
 riches of His heart; that is. His merits. His sacra- 
 ments, His Church. Sanctity consists in believing 
 and receiving these divine communications, of 
 which Jesus Christ is the source, the instrument, 
 and the end; consequently, it also consists in unit- 
 ing ourselves with Him by loving Him, and in 
 modelling ourselves upon Him by imitating Him; 
 it can and ought to pervade every life, the busiest 
 as well as the simplest. 
 
 *' I believe," says Father de Causade, "that if 
 souls seriously aspiring to perfection understood 
 this, and knew how direct is their path, they would 
 be spared much difficulty. I say the same of souls 
 living in the world, and of souls consecrated to 
 God. If the first knew the means of merit af- 
 forded them by their ever-recurring daily duties 
 
 3 
 
4 î^teface. 
 
 and the ordinary actions of their state of life; if 
 the second could persuade themselves that the 
 foundation of sanctity lies in those very things 
 which they consider unimportant and even foreign 
 to them; if both could understand that the crosses 
 sent by Providence which they constantly find in 
 their state of life lead them to the highest perfection 
 by a surer and shorter path than do extraordinary 
 states or extraordinary works; and that the true 
 philosopher's stone is submission to the order of 
 God, which changes into pure gold all their occu- 
 pations, all their weariness, all their sufferings, — 
 how happy they would be! What consolation and 
 what courage they would gather from this thought, 
 that to acquire the friendship of God and all the 
 glory of heaven they have but to do what they are 
 doing, suffer what they are suffering, and that 
 what they lose and count as naught would suffice 
 to obtain for them eminent sanctity ! 
 
 "O my God, that I might be the missionary of 
 Thy holy will, and teach the whole world that 
 there is nothing so easy, so simple, so within the 
 reach of all, as sanctity! Would that I could make 
 them understand that just as the good and bad 
 thief had the same to do and suffer to obtain their 
 salvation, so two souls, one worldly and the other 
 wholly interior and spiritual, have nothing more 
 to do one than the other; that he who sanctifies 
 himself acquires eternal happiness by doing in sub- 
 mission to the will of God what he who is lost 
 does through caprice; and that the latter is lost 
 by suffering unwillingly and impatiently what he 
 who is saved endures with resignation. The dif- 
 
preface. 5 
 
 ference, therefore, is only in the heart. O dear 
 souls who read this, let me repeat to you: Sanctity 
 will cost you no more; do what you are doing; 
 suffer what you are suffering: it is only your heart 
 that need be changed. By the heart we mean the 
 will. This change, then, consists in willing what 
 comes to us by the order of God. Yes, holiness 
 of heart is a simple fiat, a simple disposition of 
 conformity to the will of God. And what is 
 easier ? For who could not love so adorable and 
 merciful a will ? Let us love it, then, and through 
 this love alone all within us will become divine." 
 ("Abandonment to Divine Providence.") 
 
 But what will enable us to realize this ideal of a 
 Christian and holy life ? Prayer, or rather a 
 spirit of confidence and faith which must pervade 
 all our relations wdth God. I mean by this that 
 disposition of the soul in which it recognizes that 
 God loves it, that He cares for it, and that He de- 
 sires in all things only the greater good of His little 
 creature. 
 
 He who possesses the secret of this blessed 
 science has the secret of a good life, of true 
 strength, and of perfect happiness. " He lives well 
 who prays well," says St. Augustine. 
 
 Prayer, thus understood, should not be either a 
 rare or a difficult exercise; for God is our Father, 
 He is our end. He is the indulgent, merciful, un- 
 tiring Benefactor of our exile; His relations with 
 us are ever present and always infinitely kind. 
 How is it possible that a means by which we cor- 
 respond to all that He is, and to all that He does 
 for us, should be a difficult exercise ? Important 
 
6 î^reface* 
 
 and necessary, yes, but difficult, no. I should 
 even say that the more necessary prayer is the 
 more frequent and easy it should be. Providence, 
 in fact, has ordained that the more necessary a 
 thing is the more attainable it is. See, for ex- 
 ample, air, water, bread, the sustenance of corpo- 
 ral life. Water, the matter of the sacrament 
 which communicates spiritual life; bread and wine, 
 the matter of the sacrament which sustains and 
 increases this life of grace. All these elements, 
 being necessary, are very easily procured. But is 
 not God still more within our reach? "There is 
 nothing," says St. Bernard, " of which God is so 
 prodigal as of Himself." Therefore, prayer which 
 gives Him to us, prayer which makes us live in 
 Him, with Him, and by Him, should not be diffi- 
 cult, but easy. We must be convinced of this, and 
 bring to the exercise of this duty the good-will 
 which makes God's gifts bear fruit in us. It is to 
 aid this good-will that we purpose to collect the 
 safest rules given by the saints for performing 
 well this double J> rayer of the heart and of acts. 
 
 We have taken these rules first from the doctor 
 of piety, St. Francis de Sales, by reproducing 
 some of the most beautiful passages of his "In- 
 troduction to a Devout Life" and his immortal 
 "Treatise on the Love of God." Then, as he 
 himself was formed by the Fathers of the Society 
 of Jesus, whom he was always pleased to call his 
 masters, we have taken from one of these Fathers, 
 most commendable for his doctrine and piety (and 
 who, moreover, loved to quote St. Francis de Sales 
 in his writings), practical rules for making the life 
 
preface» 7 
 
 of a Christian a continual prayer, and prayer, 
 properly speaking, an apprenticeship to the life of 
 heaven. 
 
 In this way we have given in an abridgment, 
 carefully preserving the sense and expressions of 
 the writer, Father Crasset's beautiful and profound 
 Considerations Chrétienne on the sanctification of our 
 actions, and the various ways of prayer from his 
 Méthode d'Oraison and his Dévotion die Calvaire. 
 
 We have deemed it useful also to add to these 
 teachings certain analogous passages from the writ- 
 ings of Fathers Gonnelieu, Lallemant, and Faber, 
 which, taken together, complete the principles on 
 union with God, and on what our life should be 
 by means of this much-to-be-desired union, and of 
 mortification, a necessar)'- condition thereof. 
 
 Finally, as son of St. Sulpice, we could not for- 
 get M. Olier, whom St. Francis de Sales blessed 
 in his infancy, foretelling his piety and his mission 
 in the Church. Therefore we have taken much 
 pleasure in terminating our humble work of copy- 
 ist with some of the most beautiful passages from 
 his Journée Chrétienne upon the life of Jesus and 
 Mary. 
 
 We have divided the collection into three parts; 
 the first includes that which relates to the sancti- 
 fication of our actions; the various intentions with 
 which we should be animated in order to receive 
 the sacraments profitably, to purify our hearts, 
 and to walk constantly in the presence of God. 
 Father Crasset's Considérations Chrétiennes form 
 the foundation of these teachings ; the passages 
 not from him will be indicated. 
 
8 îPteface, 
 
 The second part includes that which relates to 
 the interior life. The first chapter indicates briefly 
 the sources of our imperfections and their reme- 
 dies. Then come certain ideas and rules of morti- 
 fication, of prayer, and the spiritual life, from 
 treatises written on these subjects by Fathers 
 Faber, Crasset, and Lallemant. 
 
 The subject of the third part is union with God 
 through co?ite77iplaiion. It will include a treatise on 
 this subject by Father Crasset, and the doctrine 
 of St. Francis de Sales on contemplation. A let- 
 ter of the saint's on the marks of true recollection 
 will complete these teachings, and another extract 
 from the works of St. Chantai will show us the 
 heart of the saint in the exercise of this continual 
 union with God. 
 
 And, as all these different ways are of Jesus and 
 lead to Jesus, we are finally led to contemplating 
 Jesus Himself on His beautiful throne of grace, 
 His virginal Mother the glorious and most fruitful 
 manifestation of His life. 
 
 May this divine Saviour, through the interces- 
 sion of His immaculate Mother, deign to bless us 
 and to grant us all the spirit of prayer and love, 
 that we may thus begin here below for the glory 
 of His Father that blessed reign of God which is 
 without end ! Adveniat regmmi tuum. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Preface, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 3 
 
 PART FIRST.— SANCTIFICATION OF OUR ACTIONS. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 Chapter 
 
 II 
 
 Chap^ 
 
 III. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 IV. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 V. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 VI. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 VII 
 
 Chapter 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 IX. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 X. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XI. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XII. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XIV.- 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XV. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XVI.- 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Chapter 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 . — Of the Regulation of our Actions, 
 I. — Advantage of a Rule, 
 
 II.— Rule of Life, 
 . — The First Actions of the Day, 
 
 The First-fruits of our Actions, 
 . — Mental and Vocal Prayer, 
 I. — Mental Prayer, . 
 
 II. — Vocal Prayer, 
 — Short Method of Prayer according to the Spirit of 
 St. Francis de Sales, and Preliminary Advice 
 on Prayer by Mgr. Camus, Bishop of Belley, 
 — On the Presence of God, .... 
 — Advice on Prayer, ..... 
 . — St. Francis de Sales' Rules for Meditation, 
 , — The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 
 , — The two Examens, . 
 
 Particular Examen, 
 
 General Examen, 
 , — Of Confession and Direction, 
 , — Holy Communion, . 
 , — The Occupations of the Day, 
 — Of a State of Life, 
 — Of the Exercise of One's Charge, 
 — Of Visits and Conversation, 
 — Silence, .... 
 — Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, 
 — Spiritual Recollection, 
 
 9 
 
 15 
 
 15 
 18 
 24 
 24 
 28 
 28 
 31 
 
 34 
 36 
 39 
 44 
 48 
 
 S6 
 56 
 61 
 64 
 
 71 
 80 
 86 
 91 
 94 
 
 ICI 
 
 103 
 106 
 
lo Contents* 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Chapter XIX. — Of Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayers, and Good 
 
 Thoughts, no 
 
 Chapter XX. — St. Francis de Sales' Manner of Performing 
 
 his Actions, 117 
 
 PART SECOND.— THE INTERIOR LIFE. 
 
 First Treatise. — The Sources of our Imperfections and their 
 
 Remedies, 
 
 Second Treatise. — Mortification, 
 
 I. — True Idea of Mortification, 
 II. — Necessity of Mortification, 
 III. — Reply to Various Objections, . 
 IV. — Benefits and Advantages of Mortification, 
 V. — Discretion in the Use of Mortification, . 
 VI. — Dangers to be Avoided, . . . 
 
 Third Treatise. — Prayer, 
 
 Chapter I. — The Excellence and Necessity of Mental 
 
 Prayer, 
 
 Chapter II. — Dispositions for Prayer, 
 Chapter III. — Various Kinds of Prayer, 
 
 Chapter IV.— Meditation, 
 
 Chapter V. — Distractions, 
 
 Chapter VI. — Causes of Distractions and Aridity, 
 Chapter VII, — We must never be troubled because of Dis 
 
 tractions and Aridity, ... 
 
 Chapter VIII. — Remedies for Distractions, ... 
 Chapter IX. — First Means of Devotion, 
 Chapter X. — Second Means of Devotion, . 
 Chapter XI. — Third Means of Devotion, 
 Chapter XII. — Fourth Means of Devotion, . 
 Chapter XIII. — Fifth Means of Devotion, 
 Chapter XIV. — Sixth Means of Devotion, . . . 
 Chapter XV. — Seventh Means of Devotion, . 
 Chapter XVI. — Last Means of Devotion, 
 Fourth Treatise. — The Devotion of Calvary, 
 
 First Instruction. — How Important it is to Meditate on the 
 
 Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, .... 
 
 Second Instruction. — A New Manner of Meditating on the 
 
 Passion, 
 
 Third Instruction. — What they should do who cannot Meditate 
 on the Passion, 
 
erontents. n 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Fourth Instruction. — What they should do who have ceased to 
 
 be able to Meditate on the Passion, 221 
 
 Fifth Instruction. — In what Manner Perfect Souls may Meditate 
 
 on the Passion, 226 
 
 Fifth Treatise.— The Interior Life, 230 
 
 Chapter I. Article I. — In what Interior Life consists, . 230 
 Article II. — How we ought to imitate the 
 
 Interior Life of God, . . . 232 
 Article III. — How it is that we make so Little 
 
 Progress in the Interior Life, . 234 
 Chapter II. — Of the Motives that lead us to the Interior Life, 235 
 Article I. — We make No Progress in the Ways 
 of Perfection unless we give our- 
 selves to the Interior Life, . . 235 
 Article II. — Without Prayer we cannot acquit 
 ourselves of the Duties of our 
 Vocation, nor gather Fruit from 
 our Ministrations, , . . 238 
 Article III. — Peace is not found except in the 
 Interior Life, and our Dissatis- 
 factions spring* only from our 
 not being Interior Men, . . 242 
 Chapter III. — The Occupations of the Interior Life, . . 243 
 Article I. — Of Watchfulness over our Interior, 243 
 Article II. — How Important it is that we should 
 join the Interior with our Ex- 
 terior Occupations, . . . 248 
 Article III. — We ought not to engage in Ex- 
 terior Occupations of our own 
 
 Accord, 252 
 
 Chapter IV. — Advice for the Interior Life, .... 253 
 Article I. — We ought to cultivate the Will 
 
 more than the Understanding, . 253 
 Article II.— The Path of Faith is a Safer Way 
 to Perfection than that of Sensi- 
 ble Graces, 254 
 
 Article III. — The Best Mode of Practising the 
 
 Virtues, 254 
 
 Sixth Treatise. — Means of Acquiring Perfection, . .. . 256 
 
12 Contents* 
 
 PART THIRD.— UNION WITH GOD BY CONTEMPLATION. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Chapter I. — Union of the Soul with a God through Contem- 
 plation, 269 
 
 Chapter II. — The Doctrine of St. Francis de Sales in regard to 
 
 Contemplation, 281 
 
 Divine Love seeks Solitude and Silence, . . 281 
 
 Difference between Meditation and Contempla- 
 tion, 283 
 
 The Knowledge of God is less necessary to us 
 than Love, 283 
 
 How Contemplation reduces all this to simple 
 Unity, 284 
 
 The Various Means which lead to Contemplation, 285 
 
 Love collects the Powers of the Soul, . . . 286 
 
 Recollection is frequently produced and increased 
 by a Gentle, Reverent Fear, .... 287 
 
 Of the Repose of a Soul recollected in God, . 288 
 
 Of the Manner in which the Soul enjoys Repose 
 in God in the Prayer of Quiet, . . . 291 
 
 Of the Diiïerent Degrees of the Prayer of Quiet, 
 and the Means which should be employed to 
 preserve the Holy Repose of the Soul, . . 292 
 
 Self-denial is the Safest Means of establishing 
 ourselves in the Presence of God, . . . 296 
 
 Perfect Submission to the Will of God keeps 
 the Soul in continual Prayer, . . . 297 
 
 Chapter III. — Letter of St. Francis de Sales to St. Jane Frances 
 
 de Chantai, 298 
 
 Chapter IV. — The Continual Prayer of St. Francis de Sales, . 303 
 Chapter V. — The Life of Jesus in Mary, 307 
 
Part First. 
 SANCTIFICATION OF OUR ACTIONS, 
 
There is no moment when God is not present with us under 
 the appearance of some obligation or some duty. 
 
 All that is effected within us, about us, and through us in- 
 volves and hides His divine action: it is veritably present, 
 though in an invisible manner; therefore we do not discern it, 
 and only recognize its workings when it has ceased to act. 
 Could we pierce the veil which obscures it, and were we vigi- 
 lant and attentive, God would unceasingly reveal Himself to us, 
 and we could recognize His action in all that befell us. At 
 every event we should exclaim, Do?ninus est ! It is the Lord ! 
 And we should feel each circumstance of our life an especial gift 
 from Him. (" Abandonment to Divine Providence.") 
 
 Just as Our Lord is in His sacrament of love by His real pres- 
 ence, so is He in each of our actions by His real will. . . . Jesus, 
 only, in our minds to enlighten them; Jesus, only, in our hearts 
 to possess them; Jesus, only, in our lives to sanctify them. 
 (Father de Ravignan.) 
 
 Oh, that men would abandon themselves to God! . . . There 
 are so few who understand what God would make of them if 
 they permitted Him to do as He wills. (St. Ignatius.) 
 
 14 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 OF THE REGULATION OF OUR ACTIONS. 
 
 I. ADVANTAGES OF A RULE. 
 
 Of the Blessing of a Life marked by Order. — Order 
 and virtue are almost synonymous terms. Order 
 is the guide of virtue, and virtue is the guide of 
 order. Whatever good you do, if you do it not in 
 order, you do it not well. Reason requires some- 
 times that we depart from the order we have 
 prescribed ; only to follow, however, a more per- 
 fect order required by necessity, charity, infirmity, 
 or obedience. Inclination is the guide of beasts ; 
 reason of man; the Gospel of Christians; the rule 
 of religious ; order of all creatures. Which will 
 you choose? It is order which makes paradise, 
 and disorder which makes hell. If your life is 
 marked by order, you will be happy ; if your life 
 is one of disorder, you will be miserable. Who 
 may live in peace, making war against God ? 
 And who makes war against Him if not he who 
 disturbs His order? 
 
 Were you at peace when your life was one of 
 disorder? Is not a soldier who leaves his post 
 punished at once by his captain ? All that disturbs 
 
 15 
 
1 6 ïlegulatCon of our Jettons» 
 
 order disturbs peace, and he who is not at peace 
 with God will never be at peace with himself. 
 Seek the cause of your troubles. 
 
 Order assigns each thing its place ; it preserves 
 to all creatures their rank, their office, their em- 
 ployment ; and this it is which constitutes their 
 repose. If you keep order, it will keep you ; if 
 you disturb order, it will disturb you ; if you de- 
 stroy order, it will destroy you. 
 
 Contemplate the universe and you will see that 
 it is order which constitutes the beauty, the per- 
 fection, the peace, and the happiness of all creat- 
 ures. What is an army without order but a troop 
 of victims led to death ? What is a kingdom 
 without order but a horde of brigands living by 
 murder and rapine? What is religion without 
 order but a body without a soul, all the parts of 
 which are divided and detached ? What is man 
 without order but a chaos of passion waging mor- 
 tal warfare and creating absolute confusion ? 
 
 If the Church is an army, it is order which 
 places it in battle-array ; if the Church is a ship, 
 order is its pilot and guide ; if the Church is a 
 body, it is order which constitutes its life ; if the 
 Church is a kingdom, by order is it governed. 
 The same may be said of religion. 
 
 Order is the creator, so to speak, of the world ; 
 this it is which preserves and repairs it. From 
 order do we proceed, by order are we maintained, 
 through order do we live. All that God does is 
 marked by order, and all that bears not this mark 
 of order is not of God. Order leads us to God. 
 We cannot go to a contrary by its contrary. God 
 
îÊlegulatCon of our actions. ry 
 
 is order by essence ; never will disorder lead us 
 to God. 
 
 Reflection. — Is your state one of order? Is order 
 your rule? Are your actions regulated ? Do you 
 do each thing in its appointed time? Are you not 
 guided by inclination or caprice ? Is your will 
 sufficiently upright to serve you as a rule or guide ? 
 If so, your sanctity equals that of God; for He 
 alone can take His will as His guide and rule. 
 Now what is more ill-regulated than yours ? What 
 merit would you have in doing only as you please ? 
 You serve God only by your actions, and if your 
 actions are not marked by order how can they be 
 pleasing to God ? 
 
 Practice. — Prescribe a certain order for your 
 day and let nothing disturb it short of a com- 
 mand of a superior to forego or interrupt it. 
 Regulate the time for your meals, for your work, 
 and for your recreation. Order is the law of 
 heaven ; begin therefore here on earth a life which 
 you will continue throughout eternity, a life which 
 will be more pleasing to God, more convenient 
 for those about you, and more profitable for your 
 salvation. God dwells in order and peace ; the 
 Evil One in trouble and discord. Which of these 
 two do you wish to follow ? Which would you 
 resemble ? 
 
 False Maxims Destroyed. — There is no doubt that 
 one must abandon a prescribed order to follow the 
 inspiration of the Holy Spirit ; but how do you 
 know that your impulse is a movement of grace 
 and not of nature ; of the Spirit of God and not of 
 the spirit of evil ? The Holy Spirit is a spirit of 
 
1 8 'iSitQulHtion of OHt ^ctCims. 
 
 order that inspires in souls submission and depend- 
 ence. He withdraws men from the servitude of 
 their passions, but not from the obedience they owe 
 to the law. When rules are not binding, He would 
 have us follow them without being bound thereby ; 
 when they are of precept. He would have us 
 observe them without dispensing ourselves there- 
 from. The unction of divine grace does not make 
 us reject the yoke of God's law, but helps us to 
 bear it 
 
 Happy he who abandons himself to the guidance 
 of God and does nothing but by His orders, who 
 constantly studies His will, who holds himself ever 
 ready at the least sign to go forward, to pause, to 
 watch, or to rest. 
 
 II. RULE OF LIFE. 
 
 I. Have a fixed hour for rising ; from seven to 
 eight hours' sleep are usually sufficient. Beware 
 of beginning your day by sacrificing to sloth hours 
 every moment of which may avail you for eternity. 
 
 Let your first thought be of God ; let it refer as 
 much as possible to the subject of your meditation, 
 and let it be accompanied with the resolution to 
 combat the fault which is the subject of your par- 
 ticular examen. 
 
 n. Give as much time as possible each day to 
 prayer; determine this time according to your oc- 
 cupation, your attraction, and the advice of your 
 director. Let your heart take much more part in 
 this holy exercise than your mind; and let the 
 mysteries of the life and passion of your Saviour 
 be the usual subject. 
 
3rleflulatîon of our 0tiîons, ï9 
 
 III. Do not voluntarily deprive yourself, even for 
 a day, of the inestimable happiness of assisting at 
 the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Unite yourself to 
 Our Lord by means of spiritual communion; offer 
 yourself with Him to God His Father, and ask with 
 perfect confidence, through the merits of His sacri- 
 fice, the graces of which you stand in need. Do not 
 fail to pray thus and to offer all your actions of the 
 day in union with the merits of Jesus Christ, for 
 the conversion of infidels, heretics, and sinners, for 
 the progress of the just, and the triumph of our 
 holy mother, the Church. 
 
 IV. Give a certain time each day to the reading 
 of a good book according to the advice of your 
 director. Read it in the presence of God, Who 
 speaks to you Himself. Reflect upon what you 
 read; relish it; ask God to give you the grace to 
 carry out the good desires with which He inspires 
 you by means of this reading. Reading made in 
 this way is a sort of easy meditation, and when we 
 are deprived of a sermon may take its place. 
 
 V. Say your rosary every day, either alone or 
 with others, and as you recite it accustom yourself 
 to meditate affectionately on the mysteries of Our 
 Saviour and of His holy Mother. This is the easiest 
 and frequently the most fruitful of all meditations. 
 
 VI. Make a daily visit, if possible, to the Blessed 
 Sacrament; go to Our Lord with the simplicity of 
 a child; confide to His heart your joys, your sor- 
 rows, your temptations, and your faults. 
 
 VII. The life of a Christian should be a contin- 
 ual exercise of penance. Mortify yourself in com- 
 mon and ordinary things; nothing is more neces- 
 
20 îaeflulation ot oiir actions. 
 
 safy in order to establish in your soul the empire of 
 grace and destroy that of nature. Here are a few 
 practices to this end: Resist your inclination to do 
 something which is useless. Keep careful guard 
 over your eyes. Refrain from raillery. Withhold 
 a clever word likely to wound, or intended merely 
 to satisfy self-love. Do not seek what merely flat- 
 ters sensuality. Regulate innocent pleasures. 
 Refrain sometimes, through a spirit of penance, 
 even from permitted pleasures. Moderate that 
 excessive tenderness we all have for ourselves. 
 Detach your mind from pleasurable sentiments. 
 Speak little and with moderation. Be courteous 
 and kind to persons for whom you feel an antip- 
 athy. Be silent under affliction, and bear your 
 cross with resignation. 
 
 VIII. Devote yourself to your labor as well as to 
 the fulfilment of all your duties energetically and 
 with a pure intention to please God and make 
 yourself useful to your neighbor. Do not forget 
 that the most indifferent actions acquire, through 
 a fervent intention, inappreciable merit for eter- 
 nity. Raise your heart to God from time to time 
 by means of fervent ejaculations, that it may not 
 be narrowed and absorbed by earthly occupations. 
 
 IX. Let no meal pass without offering a slight 
 mortification to your Saviour, Who accepted the 
 bitter draught on the cross for love of you. These 
 little sacrifices will avail you many graces, and 
 will preserve you from the dangers of sensuality. 
 
 X. Go to bed as far as possible at a fixed hour, 
 and before doing so carefully make your particular 
 examen as wejl as a general examination of the 
 
îElefiulation of owr actions. 21 
 
 day. Let there be, if possible, family prayer, that 
 your petitions thus united maybe more efficacious 
 before God, and more advantageous to your chil- 
 dren and to your servants. 
 
 XI. Go to confession at least every fortnight; 
 prepare yourself for it in the morning during your 
 meditation and the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Give 
 more care to exciting yourself to sincere contrition 
 for your faults than to enumerating them with 
 great accuracy. 
 
 XII. Receive Communion as frequently as your 
 director permits; bring to this great action all the 
 devotion and care of which you are capable; and 
 remember that the disposition God asks of you is 
 not sensible fervor, which is not always in your 
 power, but profound humility and a sincere desire 
 to be united with Him. 
 
 XIII. In your relations with the members of 
 your family and those about you be full of consid- 
 eration, kindness, and devotion; endeavor to make 
 piety loved through you. Avoid with the greatest 
 care that spirit of criticism, those little jealousies, 
 petty weaknesses, and caprices which many vainly 
 seek to reconcile with true piety. 
 
 XIV. When you go out into the world avoid 
 with equal care unseemly levity and repellant aus- 
 terity, and while the politeness of the old school 
 seems to be disappearing more and more, endeavor 
 to revive it in your social intercourse by that deli- 
 cate courtesy, thoughtful consideration, and simple, 
 modest bearing which are the natural outcome of 
 humility and Christian charity. 
 
 XV. Be inflexible in regard to dangerous books 
 
22 3£lefittïation of our actions. 
 
 and plays. Let even innocent pleasures be moder- 
 ate. Banish evil pleasures. The day you yield in 
 this point you will take the first step in a down- 
 ward course from which there is no redemption. 
 
 XVI. If God has placed you in a position to give 
 yourself to good works, let them be your pleasant- 
 est recreation. Remember that in helping the 
 poor and the afflicted you are helping Jesus Christ 
 Himself, and that they, in thus affording you the 
 means of meriting the gratitude of your God and 
 the indulgence of your Judge, confer a greater 
 benefit upon you than you can bestow upon them. 
 Regulate your expenses, moderate your attachment 
 to the things of this world, and remember that you 
 will be judged by a God Who for love of you bore 
 poverty, humility, and suffering. If your crucified 
 Saviour wills to give you a small share of His suf- 
 ferings, do not forget that the cross is the only 
 incontestable mark of real love and the strongest 
 bond by which your soul maybe united with God. 
 This conviction will give you strength to overcome 
 the repugnance of nature and to bless God in the 
 midst of the most cruel trials. 
 
 XVII. Select a day each month to prepare your- 
 self for death, and on that day perform each duty 
 as faithfully as if it were to be the last of your 
 life. Go to confession and receive Communion as 
 viaticum. Examine what might trouble you at 
 such an hour: unjust possessions, doubts, restitu- 
 tions unmade, unreconciled quarrels, etc. Repeat 
 the acts made by the dying : acts of resignation, 
 acts accepting the time, the place, the manner of 
 the death God wishes you to die; acts of thanks- 
 
î^eflulatiûtt of our actions* 23 
 
 giving, of lively faith, of hope, of confidence, of 
 sincere sorrow, of love of God, etc. Invoke Jesus 
 crucified; implore the Blessed Virgin, your angel 
 guardian, your patron saint, to plead for you, and 
 when you lie down to rest regard your bed as 
 your tomb. 
 
 XVIII. Faithful devotion to the Sacred Heart of 
 Jesus and His blessed Mother is regarded as a cer- 
 tain means of salvation. Zealously embrace it. 
 Unite yourself with confraternities established in 
 their honor; practices enjoined by these associa- 
 tions are not onerous, do not oblige under pain of 
 sin, and are enriched with numerous indulgences. 
 Nourish also in your soul sincere devotion to St. 
 Joseph, the spouse of Our Lady, to the holy angels, 
 and the saint whose name you received in Baptism. 
 Finally pray frequently for the dying and for the 
 souls in purgatory. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 THE FIRST ACTIONS OF THE DAY. 
 
 THE FIRST-FRUITS OF OUR ACTIONS. 
 
 The beginning in everything is very important. 
 The first-fruits of our thoughts, of our affections, of 
 our works, are tributes due to God. The manner 
 in which we spend our day depends very much 
 upon the beginning; this is why the Evil One 
 makes every effort to destroy the tree at the root 
 and to rob God of this first homage due only to 
 Him. Therefore when you get up in the morning 
 your first thought, your first word, your first action, 
 should be given to God. Do you do this? 
 
 Rising. — When we are in bed and inclined to 
 sleep is not the time for deliberating whether we 
 should get up or not. If you parley with nature 
 it will inevitably triumph over you. It will tell you 
 it is cold, that you are indisposed, that you have 
 spent a bad night, that if you are not made ill by 
 early rising, then you will fall asleep during 
 prayer; that one prays better and grace acts more 
 efficaciously when the body is well cared for; that 
 rest is necessary if we would labor well, and that 
 it is better to take too much than too little. Is it 
 not with such arguments that nature persuades 
 
 24 
 
STfie jFïtst actions of tije Bag. 25 
 
 you to keep your pillow, and to resist the inspira- 
 tion to overcome yourself and rise promptly ? 
 
 Determine the previous evening the hour for 
 rising, and when the hour comes let nothing, short 
 of serious indisposition, prevent you from being 
 faithful to your determination. 
 
 Begin your day with this slight act of mortifica- 
 tion; remember that if you refuse God this little 
 sacrifice it will enable the Evil One to rejoice at 
 your expense ; while, if you are generous, this act 
 of fidelity will bring you many graces from Heaven 
 and preserve you from many faults into which you 
 are liable to fall during the day. 
 
 Believe me, you will lose nothing by making this 
 little sacrifice of your rest to God ; you have to do 
 with a Master Who is magnificent in His rewards, 
 and Who will not fail to let you reap at another 
 time the sweet fruits of your patience. 
 
 Of too Great Care of One's Health. — There are 
 some people so tender of their bodies that they 
 imagine themselves prostrated by the least indis- 
 position, and obliged to abandon their exercises of 
 piety. They are constantly occupied with their 
 ailments ; speak of them to every one ; leave no 
 remedy untried; consult innumerable physicians ; 
 in short, it would seem as though their life was 
 one of the columns of nature with the destruction . 
 of which the world must come to an end. They 
 consult Hippocrates and Galen as the gods of 
 health; and never consult Jesus Christ, the sole 
 Author and Preserver of our life. 
 
 Remedies and Recourse to God. — I am far from 
 blaming reasonable care of one's health or the con- 
 
26 ®:ï)e iFîrst Mettons of tfje Bag, 
 
 suiting of physicians when the illness is serious; but 
 unless you are obliged to keep your bed I would 
 not advise you to do so. Do not yield to every 
 little indisposition; keep about as long as you can. 
 God desires to be the physician of your body as 
 well as of your soul. How many saints have found 
 their ailments increase with remedies and diminish 
 when they took none. Happy is he who makes 
 his body a continual victim and who can truly say 
 with St. Paul, " I die daily." 
 
 I have dwelt upon this excessive care of health, 
 because St. Thomas says that the temptation of 
 the most spiritual persons is to be too much occu- 
 pied with their health, as well as with the necessi- 
 ties of the body, under pretext of seeking the glory 
 of God. Moreover, all the vigor of the soul de- 
 pends upon morning prayer; for this reason the 
 Evil One creates a thousand hindrances, chiefly 
 little ailments, to make you lose it or to make it 
 fruitless. 
 
 All the success of our meditation depends upon 
 this first action — that is, upon rising promptly and 
 fervently. Alas ! what can one do who has lost 
 the graces given in prayer ? They descended from 
 heaven while you slept; then it was that you 
 should have gathered this heavenly manna; the 
 time for collecting it is past; there is none left for 
 you, and then, how may you venture to present 
 yourself before God to receive His gifts and to 
 enjoy the delight of His company when you have 
 begun your day by an act of infidelity — sleeping 
 while others were at prayer ? 
 
 The First Thoughts^ Words, and Actions. — What is 
 
Ef)e jfixst actions of ti}e îBaî?. 27 
 
 your first thought on awakening ? What is your 
 first word ? What is your first action ? Your first 
 thought should be raised to God. Your first word 
 should be addressed to God. Your first action 
 should be for God, the seed as it were of all the 
 others. Observe great neatness in your attire. 
 Repeat certain prayers, if you like, while dressing. 
 
 Remember to observe modesty at all times. If 
 you do not pray occupy yourself, at least, with 
 some good thought while you are dressing ; or, 
 better still, consider the subject of your medita- 
 tion, and conceive a great desire to make it well. 
 
 Mor7iing Prayer. — As soon as you are dressed 
 render God the respect and homage due Him ; 
 adore Him as the Author and Preserver of your 
 being. Thank Him for the grace He has bestowed 
 upon you. Offer Him the actions of the day. Ask 
 Him to bless you ; to strengthen you to combat 
 resolutely your great enemy, w^hich is the sin to 
 which you are most subject. Forecast the occa- 
 sions of this sin. 
 
 Recommend yourself to your good angel and 
 to your holy protectors. Then repeat some vocal 
 prayers. The end depends on the beginning. 
 You will end the day well if you begin it well. 
 See how far you are wanting in this respect, and 
 resolve to amend. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 MENTAL AND VOCAL PRAYER. 
 
 I. MENTAL PRAYER. 
 
 We Must Never Neglect our Morning Prayers. — As 
 prayer is the food of the soul, the Evil One, who 
 cannot take well a defended garrison, endeavors to 
 weaken it by famine — by cutting off all supplies and 
 means of assistance. Therefore he will create 
 pressing business and notable inconveniences to 
 make you abandon meditation, or to persuade you 
 at least to defer it. The morning is the most fitting 
 time ; if you obey his suggestion, you will find no 
 time to make it later, and you will be deprived of 
 the graces destined for you that day. Are you 
 faithful to render this duty to God ? Do you 
 never fail in it ? 
 
 Would you be willing to spend a day without 
 eating ? What has your soul done that you should 
 treat it more cruelly and harshly than you treat 
 your body ? " Blessed be God," says David, " Who 
 hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy 
 from me " (Ps. Ixv. 20). Mercy and prayer are 
 two inseparable things; one is the tree and the 
 other is the fruit; one is the source and the other 
 is the stream. If you abandon prayer, God will 
 
 28 
 
Plcntal anîr Votai 3^ra»et. 29 
 
 withdraw His mercy. What! Do you think you 
 can live without food, fight without arms, fly 
 without wings, labor without strength ? Whence 
 do you derive all this if not from prayer ? 
 
 What blessing can you expect from God the day 
 that you fail to pray to Hirh ? But one infidelity of 
 this kind is sufficient to ruin your fortune and 
 prevent you from entering the nuptial hall, where 
 the Bridegroom awaits you. 
 
 Method of Prayer. — Our prayer should be simple, 
 faithful, humble, respectful, free from negligence 
 as well as excessive constraint. This science is 
 acquired less by study than by experience. Inno- 
 cent souls should go to God, in a simple childlike 
 manner, as little ones run to the arms of their 
 nurse. They whose minds are filled with the false 
 maxims of the world must be rid of them by 
 means of discourse and reasoning founded on the 
 truths of the Gospel. But they who are convinced 
 of the maxims of our religion should give them- 
 selves more to affections than to considerations. 
 
 They should ask, desire, call, seek, and sigh in- 
 cessantly, until they have found the source of 
 living waters, and the spirit tells them : "Thou 
 hast labored enough; it is now time to rest." 
 
 Preparation. — Read in the evening before going 
 to bed the subject of your meditation, read it again 
 in the morning, if necessary, when you get up. 
 Enter into the sanctuary of grace with profound 
 humility, a pure intention, an ardent and sincere 
 desire to honor God and do His will. Occupy 
 yourself with God without being occupied with 
 yourself. Seek Him, like David, in the simplicity 
 
3° IWental aiiîr Vocal îPra^er, 
 
 of your heart, uprightly, and without any mixture 
 of self-satisfaction. Peace of heart, indifference of 
 will, interior satisfaction of soul, whatever our 
 state, whether of consolation or aridity, of light 
 or darkness, are marks that we are seeking God 
 purely, and that our prayer is excellent. 
 
 How do you converse with God ? Do you find 
 it difficult to converse with Him ? 
 
 Do you not yield to weariness and vexation 
 when you find no satisfaction in prayer? Are you 
 tempted to abandon it entirely ? Why do you not 
 read and learn from books on prayer what you 
 should do? You do much if you love much, and 
 you love much if you suffer with patience the 
 wandering of your mind, the instability of your 
 imagination, bodily discomforts, the temptations 
 of the Evil One, the murmurs of your passions, 
 the vexation and weariness of nature. 
 
 Causes of Distractions. — Are you favored with 
 consolations ? Be not attached to them. Are you 
 frequently distracted ? Learn the cause. Is it 
 not because you reflect so little during the day ? 
 Is it not because your heart is deeply attached to 
 something? Or is it lack of preparation, or that 
 you refuse God what He asks ? Or may it not be 
 that God wishes to try your patience and make 
 you recognize your weakness ? 
 
 Causes of Aridity. — You are deprived of consola- 
 tion; perhaps it is because you desire it too pas- 
 sionately; or you do not endeavor to mortify 
 yourself; or you are unfaithful to the inspiration 
 of God; or you lack a cross; or you are proud 
 and negligent. It may also be that God wishes 
 
Cental atnîr Uocal i9ra»rt, 3^ 
 
 to purify your soul and detach it from the senses; 
 that He wishes to awaken your love, to excite 
 your desire, to test your fidelity. It may also be 
 that He desires to make you merit some signal 
 grace which He intends to bestow upon you. 
 Finally it may be that He desires to make you 
 pass from meditation to affection, and from affec- 
 tion to union. Whatever it may be, understand 
 well that dryness is as necessary to the earth as 
 rain, night as day, winter as summer; that only in 
 heaven will consolation be without alloy; that 
 you will not merit it there if you always enjoy it 
 here below; that a prayer of patience is incom- 
 parably better than a prayer of delight; and pro- 
 vided you are faithful in this state, and do not 
 abandon meditation, God will visit you when you 
 least expect it and lead you through this frightful 
 desert to the promised land, where you will be 
 fed with an abundance of milk and honey. 
 
 II. VOCAL PRAYER. 
 
 There are two kinds of vocal prayer; one of pre- 
 cept, like the breviary for bishops, priests, and 
 religious, and the other is optional and of devo- 
 tion. Prayers of obligation are preferable to 
 those which are only of devotion, and should be 
 recited in their proper time with attention and 
 devotion. The others may be recited or omitted 
 at any time; but if we say them it should be with 
 the requisite devotion. 
 
 Illusions of Certaiii Contemplatives in Regard to 
 Vocal Prayer. — We must beware of despising vo- 
 
32 IWrntal anlr Uocal ^^rawer. 
 
 cal prayer; for besides being frequently of obli- 
 gation, it is holy and approved by the Church. 
 The Son of God gave us an example and pre- 
 scribed the form of this prayer. What! Are only 
 the imperfect to recite the Lord's Prayer? Are 
 we not to honor God with the mind, the body, the 
 tongue, and the heart? 
 
 Supej'stitioiis Devotees. — Let your prayer be regu- 
 lated by your director. Generally speaking, it is 
 better to pray with the heart than with the tongue, 
 and to say the Lords' Prayer with attention than 
 to recite innumerable prayers carelessly. 
 
 Choice of various Vocal Prayei^s. — Among vocal 
 prayers, give preference to the one which Our Lord 
 composed and taught us, through the respect due 
 its Author, or because of the things it contains, or 
 because it is fitted to ask for all our needs. Next 
 to this come the Psalms of David and the Angelic 
 Salutation. Generally speaking, love and recite 
 with devotion the prayers used by the Church, but 
 do not undertake to say them all. I should like to 
 persuade you never to let a day pass without say- 
 ing your rosary. 
 
 Take some time also for reciting the Litany of 
 the Name of Jesus and of the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 Intentions in Reciting Office. — Whatever your pray- 
 ers, whether of obligation or devotion, you should 
 never begin them until you have collected your 
 thoughts and placed yourself in the presence of 
 God. Consider yourself as the organ of the Holy 
 Spirit, Who prays by your lips just as the wind 
 plays upon the pipes of the organ when it is in 
 proper condition. Give Him the whole dispo- 
 
piental anïr "Focal ^vu^tv, 33 
 
 sition of your heart. Pause from time to time, 
 principally between each psalm, and recall your 
 mind if it has wandered. Ponder and appreciate 
 the meaning of the words you utter; there are 
 none which have not a divine taste and heavenly 
 savor. 
 
 Some recite their office in all the stations where 
 Our Lord suffered: Matins and Lauds in the 
 cénacle and in the Garden of Olives; Prime at 
 the house of Annas and Caiphas; Tierce in the 
 palace of Herod; Sext in the pretorium of Pilate; 
 None on Calvary; Vespers and Complin at the 
 sepulchre. Others follow the attraction of grace 
 and their present disposition. All this is good 
 when it can be done without trouble or scruple. 
 
 Ejaculatory Prayers. — It would be well if every 
 breath could be a loving sigh, and every moment 
 be filled with the thought of God. If this cannot 
 be, form a habit of recollecting yourself from time 
 to time; the more frequently the better. Let the 
 striking of the hour be a signal for recalling the 
 presence of God. Accustom yourself to the easy 
 and frequent use of ejaculatory prayers. We need 
 but to love in order to pray and to sigh for God. 
 These outpourings of the heart proceed from the 
 Holy Spirit; they are a language of love readily 
 understood by this God of love. We naturally 
 think of what we love; hence we cannot say we 
 love God if we rarely or never think of Him. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER ACCORDING TO THE 
 SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, AND PRELIMI- 
 NARY ADVICE ON PRAYER BY MGR CAMUS, 
 BISHOP OF BELLEY. 
 
 Preparation. — i. Presence of God. 2. Act of 
 contrition. 3. Invocation of the Holy Spirit, and 
 union with Jesus Christ. 
 
 If this preparation occupies all the time that 
 you should give to prayer, thank God; it is the 
 best prayer you could make; and if the same thing 
 happens every day, continue to thank God, and do 
 not be troubled because you have not followed a 
 single point of the meditation. Your heart has 
 been occupied with God and your miseries — that 
 is the essential. 
 
 Body of the Meditation. — i. Considerations. 2. 
 Affections. 3. Return upon yourself — that is, re- 
 flections upon the past, examination of the pres- 
 ent, resolutions for the future. 
 
 There are some persons who, without any need 
 of a book, have a special attraction for meditating 
 upon the perfection of God, the mysteries of 
 Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin, etc. We may 
 follow this attraction after having asked the 
 advice of an enlightened director. 
 
 34 
 
âïjort JWctijoîr of î^rager. 35 
 
 If you have no special attraction, use a book for 
 meditation; read a few lines, and make acts of 
 virtue, of examination, of resolution. 
 
 When your heart begins to weary of a special 
 thought, read further a few lines, and make simi- 
 lar acts upon a new thought. If one act suffices 
 to occupy your heart, be satisfied therewith, and 
 avoid troubling yourself to make others. 
 
 If it happen that you are filled with distractions, 
 and find it impossible to be recollected, humble 
 yourself before God. Keep your book always in 
 your hand, and pause a moment after each thought 
 that you read. 
 
 Make devout ejaculations; and read again until 
 you find something which touches and occupies 
 your heart. 
 
 Conclusion. — i. Thanksgiving. 2. Offering to 
 God. 3. Prayer to Our Lord and to the Blessed 
 Virgin. 4. Choice of a good thought. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.i 
 
 Now to assist you to place yourself in the pres- 
 ence of God, I shall set before you four principal 
 means. The first consists in a lively and attentive 
 apprehension of His presence in all things and in 
 every place; for there is not a place in the world 
 in which He is not truly present; so that, as birds, 
 wherever they fly, always meet with the air, we, 
 wherever we go, or wherever we are, shall always 
 find God present. 
 
 Every one acknowledges this truth ; but few con- 
 sider it with a lively attention. Blind men, who 
 see not their prince, though present among them, 
 behave themselves, nevertheless, with respect, when 
 they are told of his presence; but the fact is, be- 
 cause they see him not, they easily forget that he 
 is present, and having forgotten it, they still more 
 easily lose their respect for him. Alas, Philothea! 
 we do not see God, Who is present with us; and 
 though faith assures us of His presence, yet, not 
 beholding Him with our eyes, we too often forget 
 ■Him, and behave ourselves as though He were at 
 a distance from us; for although we well know 
 
 ^ " Introduction to a Devout Life," Part II. 
 36 
 
©It tïje presence of fôoîr. 37 
 
 that He is present in all things, yet, not reflecting 
 on it, we act as if we knew it not. Therefore, be- 
 fore prayer, we must always excite in our souls a 
 lively apprehension of the presence of God, such 
 as David conceived when he exclaimed: "If I 
 ascend up into heaven, O my God, Thou art there; if 
 I descend into hell. Thou art there!" (Ps. cxxxviii.) 
 And we may also say in the words of Jacob, who, 
 having seen the sacred ladder, exclaimed: " O how 
 terrible is this place ! Tndeed the Lord is in this 
 place, and I knew it not " (Gen. xxviii. i6); that is, 
 he did not reflect on His presence, for he could not 
 but know that God was present everywhere. 
 When, therefore, you come to prayer, you must 
 say with your whole heart, "O my heart, be atten- 
 tive, for God is truly here." 
 
 The second means to place yourself in the sacred 
 presence is to reflect that God is not only in the 
 place in which you are, but that He is, in a most 
 particular manner, in your heart; nay, in the very 
 centre of your spirit, which He enlivens and ani- 
 mates by His divine presence, being there as the 
 heart of your heart, and the spirit of your spirit; 
 for as the soul, being diffused through the whole 
 body, is present in every part thereof, and yet re- 
 sides in a special manner in the heart, so likewise 
 God is present in all things, yet He resides in a 
 more particular manner in our spirit; for which rea- 
 son David calls Him the God of his heart (Ps.lxxii.). 
 And St. Paul says, that it is in God " we live and 
 move and are" (Acts xvii.). In consideration, there- 
 fore, of this truth, excite in your heart a profound 
 reverence toward God, so intimately present there. 
 
3^ a^n tîje presence of fôoïr. 
 
 A third means is to consider Our Saviour in 
 His humanity, looking down from heaven on all 
 mankind, but especially on Christians, who are 
 His children, and more particularly on such as 
 are at prayer, whose actions and behavior He mi- 
 nutely observes. This is by no means a flight of 
 the imagination, but a most certain truth; for, 
 although we see Him not yet, it is true that He 
 beholds us from above. It was thus that St. 
 Stephen saw Him at the time of his martyrdom. 
 So that we may truly say with the spouse: *' Be- 
 hold ! he standeth behind our wall, looking 
 through the windows, looking through the lat- 
 tices " (Cant. ii.). 
 
 A fourth method consists in making use of the 
 imagination, by representing to ourselves Our 
 Saviour in His sacred humanity, as if He were near 
 us, as we sometimes imagine a friend to be present, 
 saying, methinks I see Him, or something of the 
 kind. But when you are before the Blessed Sac- 
 rament, this presence is real and not imaginary, 
 since we must consider the species and appearance 
 of bread only as a tapestry, behind which Our Lord, 
 being really present, observes us, though we can- 
 not actually see Him. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ADVICE ON PRAYER.i 
 
 Distractions. — As soon as you recognize that you 
 are distracted, promptly return to God. Say, "O 
 my God! all to Thee, all for Thee, all before Thee." 
 
 Then do not reflect upon your distractions, do 
 not examine them, or let yourself be troubled about 
 them. 
 
 You may also remain sometime before God, 
 overwhelmed with confusion at sight of your want 
 of respect in His presence. 
 
 Aridity. — The more wearied and overwhelmed 
 you feel, the more you must endeavor to remain 
 with courage and submission in God's presence; 
 remain on your knees if possible, your hands joined, 
 your eyes humbly cast down, your mind and heart 
 submissive to the pain you endure. Sacrifice your- 
 self generously and unreservedly to the rigors of 
 divine justice ; do not yield to weariness. Let 
 yourself be crucified by all the wanderings of your 
 mind and by all the vexations of your heart. Be 
 convinced that, in your present state, God only asks 
 you to suffer with patience, humility, and resigna- 
 tion before Him. 
 
 ' P. de Gonnelieu, S.J. 
 39 
 
40 ^Irbice on 39ra»er. 
 
 We do not profit by meditation for various 
 reasons. 
 
 Obstacles to Meditation. — ist. We are not suffi- 
 ciently penetrated witli the truths upon which we 
 meditate. 
 
 2d. Our affections are not sufficiently ardent. 
 
 3d. Our resolutions are vague and perfunctory. 
 
 4th. We do not dwell sufficiently on each affec- 
 tion, and we form them very lightly. 
 
 5th. We yield too easily to weariness and to the 
 trouble we experience in prayer or meditation; we 
 believe our meditation useless when we imagine 
 we have done nothing in it; though it is very cer- 
 tain that to endure our miseries humbly before 
 God is to make a good meditation. 
 
 Means of Pro fitiiig by Prayer. — ist. Our mind must 
 be free and our heart detached. 
 
 2d. We must frequently recollect ourselves 
 during the day in the presence of God. 
 
 3d. We must mortify our senses and our humor 
 on all occasions. 
 
 4th. We must separate ourselves somewhat from 
 society, as well as from worldly discourse; we must 
 love solitude. 
 
 5th. Finally, we must prepare ourselves for it 
 carefully; preserve during it great respect for God, 
 Who is present, and we must avoid letting our 
 mind be distracted immediately afterward. 
 
 Affective Prayer. — If you find it difficult to reflect 
 upon your subject, occupy yourself with affections, 
 after you have made an act of faith in the truth 
 which has impressed you most; but after you have 
 formed an affection conformable to your subject, 
 
Blrbîce on 33ra»et. 41 
 
 or to the inspiration God gives you, remain a mo- 
 ment in silence before God to let it penetrate your 
 soul. Never pass on to a second affection until 
 your beart is filled and satisfied with the first, for 
 when we hurriedly multiply affections they make 
 no impression upon the will. 
 
 Prayer of Recollection. — I. If the mere presence of 
 God, Whom you behold within you, occupies you, 
 keeps you recollected, fills you with a holy and 
 respectful silence which diffuses a great calm in 
 your heart, do not disturb this efficacious work of 
 God by thoughts or affections likely to withdraw 
 you from this attitude full of the respect due Him. 
 This great God deigns to make you feel His pres- 
 ence by a sweet and intimate recollection. Content 
 yourself with acquiescing in all that He does in 
 you; abandon yourself completely into His hands 
 without placing any obstacle to what He asks of 
 you. " Thou art all, my God, and I am nothing." 
 These words will be sufficient for you while this 
 sacred silence lasts, and then, when it has passed, 
 return to your subject. 
 
 II. Accustom yourself, according to the counsel 
 of Jesus Christ Himself, to use but few words 
 when you pray. That is, let your mind be satisfied 
 with simply contemplating the truths upon which 
 you meditate without wearying itself with long 
 discourses, particularly if the simple view of some 
 truths makes more impression upon your heart 
 than discoursive reasoning, and you have had some 
 practice in meditating upon these truths. 
 
 III. Do not permit your will to give itself very 
 much even to affections; let it turn them insensibly 
 
42 ^IrbCce on 3praMer. 
 
 into lively and ardent aspirations of the heart to- 
 ward God. If the Holy Spirit send you any sen- 
 sible grace, receive it with humility, without reflect- 
 ing upon it too much; fix your heart upon the 
 Author of such graces rather than upon the graces 
 themselves. 
 
 IV. Act when God does not act, but be silent 
 when He speaks-. Do not be of those souls who 
 remain in pure mental idleness, nor of those who 
 talk incessantly, never pausing to hear God's voice. 
 This idleness is not the prayer of quiet, which keeps 
 the soul elevated above all the movements of in- 
 clination and self-love, which sustains it. recon- 
 ciles it, which occupies it, which penetrates it 
 with holy respect for God, which animates all its 
 actions with the spirit of grace, which makes it 
 relish and possess the sovereign good in a very 
 real and veritable manner. 
 
 Contemplation. — I. Contemplation is an extraor- 
 dinary state to which only God can raise the soul, 
 and to which every one is not called ; which few 
 persons attain, because there are few who have 
 sufficient courage and fidelity to die to themselves 
 and to seek only God. 
 
 IL Here are the effects which contemplation 
 produces in a soul truly favored with this gift, 
 ist. It keeps it raised above itself, and intimately 
 united to God by faith, love, and abandonment. 
 2d. It creates in the depth of the soul a holy re- 
 spect, a humble fear, a pure and courageous love 
 tor God present there. 3d. It causes the soul to 
 speak little and do much ; to consent, to cling, and 
 abandon itself to all that God effects in it, and in 
 
^IrbCce on iSra^er. 43 
 
 this way it truly acts. But as God acts more than 
 the soul, and it does not reflect upon what passes 
 in it, for this reason, says St. Francis de Sales, it 
 can not remember having done anything, or it be- 
 lieves it has done nothing. 
 
 III. This infused prayer detaches the soul from 
 creatures and from itself, leads it to renounce 
 itself and to practise all the Christian virtues; it 
 makes it love retreat, silence, and recollection ; it 
 gives it strength to overcome itself, to mortify its 
 passions, and to repress the sallies of its humor ; 
 makes it attentive to the movements of grace, in 
 order to follow them, and to those of nature, in 
 order to overcome them. In a word, this prayer 
 is an excellent means for attaining great sanctity 
 by the faithful practice of all the virtues, all the 
 duties, and all the maxims of Christianity. 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' RULES FOR MEDITATION.^ 
 
 As the body needs sleep to rest and refresh its 
 w^ry members, in the same way it is necessary 
 that the soul have some time to rest, and sleep in 
 the chaste arms of its heavenly spouse, in order to 
 renew the strength and vigor of its spiritual 
 powers. That is why I would fix a certain time 
 every day for this sacred sleep, in order that my 
 soul, after the example of the beloved disciple, 
 might sleep in all confidence on the loving breast 
 and in the very heart of Our Saviour, so full of 
 love, so worthy of being loved, and Whose infinite 
 love is the object of all our affections. 
 
 Now, just as the operations of the body in tem- 
 poral sleep never extend beyond itself, so, for a 
 similar reason, I would retain all the faculties of 
 my soul within itself, and I would that they per- 
 formed no other functions than those which con- 
 cern them, and are proper to them, humbly 
 obeying the thought of the prophet : " Rise ye 
 after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of 
 sorrow." That is, you who choose to eat the 
 bread of sorrow, either through contrition for 
 
 ' Works of St. Francis de Sales. 
 44 
 
St. 3fraucCs Ire Sales' î^ules for iWtelritation. 45 
 
 your faults or through the compassion you feel 
 for those of others, do not rise and plunge into 
 the exterior occupations of this world, full of 
 misery and pain, unless you have first been thor- 
 oughly refreshed by the contemplation of eternal 
 things. 
 
 I would contemplate the infinite wisdom of the 
 almighty and incomprehensible goodness of my 
 God ; I would occupy myself particularly in con- 
 templating how these beautiful attributes shine 
 forth in the sacred mysteries of the life and death 
 and of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in 
 the very eminent sanctity of Our Lady, and in the 
 perfections of the faithful servants of God, whom 
 I must endeavor to imitate. 
 
 Then passing from the empyreal heaven, I 
 would admire the glory of paradise, the eternal 
 happiness of the angelic spirits and of the souls of 
 the blessed. I would contemplate the power, 
 goodness, and wisdom of the Holy Trinity in the 
 rewards with which it rejoices — the company of 
 the saints for all eternity. 
 
 Finally, I would sleep and I would rest in the 
 love of the one only goodness of my God, which 
 is infinite ; I would relish it if I could, not in its 
 effects, but in itself; I would drink of this water of 
 life, not from vessels offered by creatures, but at 
 its very source ; I would taste how good is this 
 adorable Majesty in Himself and for Himself. Let 
 me add that as He is goodness itself, all goodness, 
 eternal, inexhaustible, incomprehensible goodness, 
 r should say : " O Lord, Thou only art good by 
 essence and by nature. Thou only art necessarily 
 
46 ât. iFrancîs Ire Sales» mules for l^eïritatton. 
 
 good, and the goodness of all creatures, whether 
 natural or supernatural, is but a participation of 
 Thy loving goodness." 
 
 I would begin by recalling all the benefits God 
 had bestowed upon me; the good thoughts and 
 pious sentiments with which He had inspired me 
 in the past ; all the graces He had granted me, 
 particularly the grace of certain maladies and in- 
 dispositions which, by enfeebling my body, were 
 profitable to my soul ; and I would, therefore, 
 resolve never more to offend God Who had been 
 so good to me. 
 
 With this picture of God's goodness I would 
 contrast the vanity of all human greatness, of 
 the riches and the pleasures of this world, their 
 short duration, their uncertainty, their end ; I 
 would despise them, I would hold them in horror, 
 and I would say, " Avaunt, deceitful pleasures 
 with which the Evil One tempts and ruins souls ! 
 I will have none of you ; I have nothing in 
 common with you." Then I would consider the 
 hideousness and malice of sin, which degrades man ; 
 which is unworthy of an upright heart ; which, far 
 from giving true and solid contentment, gives only 
 remorse and bitterness; which finally displeases 
 God — a consideration more than sufficient of itself 
 to make us forever detest sin. 
 
 With these reflections I would unite all that my 
 conscience tells me of the excellence of virtue, 
 which is so beautiful, so noble, so worthy of an 
 upright, honest heart, which sanctifies man, 
 makes him an angel and almost a God, which 
 makes him taste on earth the pleasures of para- 
 
St, jFratïctB îre Sales* îSluïessf for ilEelrttatton« 47 
 
 dise, and renders him an object of complaisance 
 to his Creator. In order to excite in myself still 
 greater horror of vice and love of virtue, I 
 would admire the beauty of reason, that light sent 
 from heaven to guide our steps. Alas ! all our 
 wanderings are due to the fact that we close our 
 eyes to this light. But I would consider particu- 
 larly death, the judgment of God, purgatory, hell, 
 saying to myself, " What, then, will all the present 
 things avail me ?" After that I would raise my 
 mind to the contemplation of the perfections of 
 God, which I would study first in the life and death 
 of Jesus Christ, in Mary and in all the saints. I 
 would softly repose in the love of the divine good- 
 ness ; I would taste it in itself ; I would drink of 
 this water of life at its very source, and I would 
 say : '' Thou only, O Lord, art good by essence ; 
 goodness itself — eternal, inexhaustible, incompre- 
 hensible goodness." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 
 
 What the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is. — There is 
 no worship on earth which renders as much honor 
 to God as the sacrifice of the Mass. Hence, we 
 should consider this action as the most important 
 of our life, and accomplish it as perfectly as 
 possible. 
 
 If the priest appreciated his position and the 
 greatness of his ministr}^ he would never approach 
 the altar but in a spirit of holy fear, and he would 
 never leave it except with a feeling of ineffable 
 gratitude. 
 
 Dignity of the Priest. — The priest at the altar is 
 the mediator between God and man. He is 
 God's anointed; chosen by the Church to treat 
 with God in the name of all creatures, to offer 
 Him their homage, to adore His infinite grandeur, 
 to thank Him for His benefits, to appease His 
 justice, and to obtain pardon for sinners; finally to 
 ask for the corporal and spiritual succor necessary 
 to all men. 
 
 The priest should be not only the sacrificer, but 
 also the victim, because he represents the Church, 
 which in this holy action annihilates herself before 
 
 48 
 
Bf)t ?^oïn ^acrîfitce of tj^e ilttass. 49 
 
 her Sovereign, and is immolated in the victim sub- 
 stituted for her. 
 
 Matiner of Hearing Mass. — The faithful should 
 assist at Mass v^ith respect, attention, and devotion, 
 and regard the priest as the very Son of God Who 
 is about to offer Himself to the Father for them, 
 and to give His life to save them from the eternal 
 death they have merited. As Our Saviour died 
 and was immolated for them, they also should die 
 for Him. It is desirable that all who assist at the 
 holy Sacrifice be in a state .of grace ; but those 
 who have had the misfortune to offend God should 
 not believe that they are thereby prohibited from 
 assisting at the holy Sacrifice ; on the contrary, if 
 they ask pardon for their faults, they will obtain 
 the necessary grace of conversion. The holy 
 Council of Trent declares that " this sacrifice is 
 truly propitiatory, and that if we draw near to 
 God with a sincere heart and upright faith, with 
 fear and reverence, contrite and penitent, we shall 
 obtain, by means of it, mercy, and we shall find 
 grace and the assistance we need. For God, ap- 
 peased by this offering, grants pardon and the 
 gift of repentance, and pardons the offences and 
 even very grave sins of those for whom it is 
 offered." 
 
 There are many beautiful ways of hearing Mass 
 well. Make use of those which you find most de- 
 votional. Go to the church, like the shepherds, to 
 seek the infant Jesus : or, like the Blessed Virgin, 
 to Calvary to assist at the death of our divine 
 Saviour, in order to offer Him as a sacrifice for the 
 
50 ^Tije 5^oli? Samftct of tï)e i«ass. 
 
 salvation of the world; or, like the three apostles 
 on Mount Tabor, to behold Him transfigured. 
 
 At the beginning of the Mass present yourself 
 before God as a criminal imploring mercy ; make 
 with a contrite heart a confession of your sins, 
 repeating the Confiteor with the priest. 
 
 At the Gloria Ï7t Excelsis enter into the sentiments 
 of the angels when they chanted this divine can- 
 ticle, and into those of the apostles who com- 
 pleted it. Praise, adore, and bless God with the 
 priest ; desire that His name be known and sanc- 
 tified, and that His kingdom extend throughout 
 the world. 
 
 During the Epistle and Gospel, if you understand 
 the words, listen with attention ; if not, beg God 
 to give the light of faith to infidels and the grace 
 of conversion to heretics. 
 
 At the Creed renew your profession of faith ; 
 affirm your faith in one God in three Persons — the 
 Father, your Creator ; the Son, your Redeemer ; 
 the Holy Spirit, your Sanctifier. 
 
 At the Offertory place your body, your soul, 
 your mind, your heart, your possessions, your 
 hopes, your family, your friends, and all your de- 
 sires upon the paten of the priest. Present them 
 all to God to be immolated to Him with the body 
 of His only Son in a perfect holocaust and odor of 
 sweetness. Beg God to change and transform you 
 as completely as the bread and wine are changed 
 and transformed into His body and blood. 
 
 At the Preface raise your heart to heaven and 
 prepare yourself for sacrifice. Praise and thank 
 God with the Church; repeat with profound re- 
 
a:fjc ?]^ol2 Sacrifice of tlje JHasiS. 51 
 
 spect the canticle of the angel: " Holy, holy Lord 
 God of armies." '^ Heaven and earth are full of 
 Thy glory." " Blessed is He Who cometh in the 
 name of the Lord, and Who is to come in the name 
 of the Lord Which saved us." 
 
 After the Sanctus, until the consecration, medi- 
 tate upon the Passion: divide it into seven parts or 
 stations for the seven days of the week, as will be 
 shown later on. 
 
 At the Elevation of the body and blood of Our 
 Lord do not remain cold and unmoved, but adore 
 your Lord with body and mind, bowing profoundly 
 and accompanying this inclination with deepest 
 respect. 
 
 Between the elevation of the body and the blood 
 of Our Lord remain in profound silence with inte- 
 rior and exterior modesty, fully persuaded that it is 
 the moment when the Victim is immolated, when 
 the blood, in virtue of the sacramental words, is 
 separated from the body, though one and the other 
 remain truly united under each species; that 
 heaven opens, the angels descend with their Lord, 
 and that God floods with graces the hearts pre- 
 pared to receive them — graces of sanctity for the 
 just, graces of repentance for sinners. 
 
 Finally, it is in this sacred moment that we ob- 
 tain from God all that we ask through the death 
 and the sufferings of His Son. 
 
 After the Elevation offer God the adorable Vic- 
 tim for the four ends of the holy sacrifice. This 
 is the special object of the Mass. 
 
 For the glory .of God, by making acts oi faith in 
 Him as your First Principle and your Last End; 
 
52 STïje ?^oIw âacriftce oî ti)e i^ass, 
 
 your Father, your King, 3^our Redeemer, your 
 Creator, your Strength, your Peace, your All. 
 
 Of ÂûJ>ej that He will pardon you all your sins, 
 that He will give you paradise after having granted 
 you here below temporal and spiritual favors. 
 
 Of charity^ giving yourself to Him and sacrificing 
 yourself to Him, to all His designs, however -con- 
 trary they may be to 3'^our inclinations; annihilating 
 yourself with your Saviour and offering yourself 
 to live and die for His glory. 
 
 You will thank God for all the favors He has 
 lavished upon you, not only upon you, but upon 
 all His saints, and you will offer the body and blood 
 of Jesus Christ to supply for your lack of grati- 
 tude. 
 
 Offer the holy Victim as a sacrifice of propitia- 
 tion for the sins of all men, and for your own in 
 particular. It is the only reparation which can 
 appease the divine justice. 
 
 Finally, ask all the graces necessary to you and 
 to your neighbor; to stimulate your fervor ask each 
 request through one of the wounds of our divine 
 Saviour. 
 
 Contemplate Him on the cross, and ask through 
 His thorn-crowned Head grace for the Church, 
 for our holy Father the Pope, and for all Superiors. 
 
 Ask through the wound of the right hand grace 
 for your family, friends, and benefactors. 
 
 Through the wound of the left hand pray for 
 the enemies of the Church and your own, repeat- 
 ing with Our Lord upon the cross: " Father, for- 
 give them, for they know not what they do," 
 
 Through the wound of the right foot pray for 
 
JTfje ?^oI» Sacrifice of tïje iWass. 53 
 
 your subordinates, your domestics, and all those 
 dependent upon you. 
 
 Through the wound of the left foot pray for 
 the souls in purgatory, particularly those whom 
 you may have offended or scandalized, for the 
 souls dearest to the Blessed Virgin, for'the souls 
 of your relatives, and for all who stand in need of 
 prayers. 
 
 Enter into the Heart of Jesus pierced for love of 
 you; give Him your own heart, and beg Him to fill 
 it with His grace and His Spirit. 
 
 This prayer may continue until the Agnus Dei^ 
 when you should prepare 3^ourself for spiritual 
 communion. Ask pardon for your sins, receive 
 the Sacred Host in spirit from the hands of the 
 angels, and make your thanksgiving conversing 
 with Our Lord as if you had received Him sacra- 
 mentally. 
 
 After the last Collects receive the priest's bless- 
 ing as that of God. Listen with devotion to the 
 last gospel, particularly to the words Verbtwi caro 
 factum est, "The Word was made flesh." If you 
 have received Communion, persuade yourself that 
 this incarnation is renewed, that the Word is made 
 flesh in you and desires to dwell in you. 
 
 After the Mass adore and thank Our Lord ; re- 
 turn home penetrated with the grandeur of this 
 mystery, and recite on the way the Te Deum 
 Laudamus, 
 
54 ÎTije ?^ol2 Sacrifice of tije i^ass. 
 
 HOW WE SHOULD MEDITATE UPON THE PASSION 
 DURING THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 
 
 The sacrifice of the Mass is the same as that of 
 the cross. Jesus Christ instituted it to recall His 
 Passion ; hence we must never fail to honor it by 
 meditating on His sufferings. 
 
 Monday. — Consider the Son of God in the Gar- 
 den of Olives, where He was bathed in a sweat of 
 blood and water ; then at the house of Annas and 
 Caiphas, where He was buffeted and offered every 
 ignominy. Ask God through the merits of Jesus 
 Christ to give you the grace to overcome your pas- 
 sions and to bear injuries with patience. 
 
 Tuesday. — Consider your divine Saviour despised 
 by Herod, treated as a fool, compared by Pilate 
 to a thief and murderer. Love your abjection, 
 and do not be offended at the elevation of your 
 neighbor. 
 
 Wedfiesday. — Represent to yourself Our Saviour 
 scourged and crowned with thorns. Avenge upon 
 your body the wounds it inflicted upon your Sav- 
 iour, and upon your pride the painful ignominy 
 with which it crowned Him. Remember that one 
 must wear the crown of gold after the crown of 
 thorns, or the crown of thorns after the crown of 
 gold. 
 
 Thursday. — Follow Jesus bearing His cross; bear 
 yours after Him : if you bear it well, you will help 
 Him to carry His. Place yourself in spirit upon 
 the altar as upon Calvary, there to be fastened and 
 sacrificed the rest of your days as a victim. 
 
Ef}t l^ola? Sacrifice of tfjc M^ss, 55 
 
 Friday. — Listen to Our Saviour's seven words 
 upon the cross ; repeat them with Him. After 
 recommending to God your soul, your body, your 
 passions, your life, all that is dearest to you in 
 this world, die spiritually with Him, and live 
 henceforth as one dead, with no care or desire for 
 earthly things. 
 
 Saturday. — Enter into the tomb of Jesus, and 
 bury yourself in spirit there with Him. Persuade 
 yourself that the world is dead to you, and you to 
 the world. Descend into Limbo with the holy 
 soul of Our Saviour to rescue a suffering soul 
 from purgatory. Enter also into the heart of His 
 blessed Mother to participate in her sorrows. 
 
 Sunday. — Consider the glorious wounds of your 
 risen Saviour ; enter by Communion into His heart, 
 and establish your dwelling there forever. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE TWO EXAMENS. 
 
 PARTICULAR EXAMEN/ 
 
 I. There is usually in all men a vice or evil in- 
 clination which we may call predominant and 
 whicli is the cause and the root of all their faults. 
 
 " And even though we recognize several of these 
 inclinations or faults in ourselves, it will neverthe- 
 less be well to choose one in particular and to 
 attack it with all our strength. After extirpating 
 it we should apply ourselves in the same manner 
 to conquering the others one by one. 
 
 "This is the end of particular examen. 
 
 " This examen is most useful particularly in ac- 
 quiring purity of heart, as Cassien teaches (Confé- 
 re/ices), and St. Bernard also in several parts of his 
 works." [Directoire, Chapter XIII.) 
 
 II. Is this particularexamen difficult? 
 
 Taken in xis&Mov objectively it is not more difficult 
 than meditation or any other exercise of piety. 
 Any difficulty it could offer, therefore, would be 
 only subjective; that is, it would arise only from our 
 personal dispositions: for example, from our incon- 
 
 ' P. Roothaan, S.J. 
 56 
 
stancy, our frivolity, or levity of mind. We must 
 acknowledge, however, that particular examen is 
 something very serious. For it supposes in the 
 first place, in one who wishes to make it profitably, 
 a certain knowledge of himself. We often make 
 our particular examen on exterior faults. It is, in 
 fact, with these that we should begin, particularly 
 when these faults are notable and a cause of dis- 
 edification to our neighbor; but this is only a 
 preparation for a more serious examen. There is 
 no effect without cause. These exterior faults are 
 streams; we must go to their source; we must 
 search for it in the depth of our soul, and never 
 desist until we have found it and can say, the evil is 
 there. To insure more success in this search it is 
 well to know that man's faults are usually the op- 
 posite of his natural qualities ; thus gentleness 
 often becomes indolence, and firmness degenerates 
 into harshness. The predominant fault is rooted in 
 the character. We shall return to this subject later 
 on. 
 
 Particular examen supposes, in the second place, 
 courage, for we need courage to fight against our- 
 selves in this vigorous way, to attack faults rooted, 
 so to speak, in our very nature. Tell one who is 
 imperious and proud that pride is his predominant 
 fault, — " It is my nature, " he will answer ; " I can- 
 not change my nature." 
 
 When he says that his predominant fault is part 
 of his nature he says what is very true; but he is 
 mistaken in believing that he cannot correct and 
 reform his nature, and that it is useless to try. It 
 is, in fact, this very nature that he must attack; for 
 
5^ Bf)t E\iJO Hramens. 
 
 it is the source which feeds so. many infected 
 streams, the trunk which nourishes so many 
 branches bearing evil fruits. Only when we begin 
 to attack ourselves in this vigorous way do we 
 begin to accomplish something; before this our 
 gain s -are Trifling. In the third place, it is impossi- 
 ble to make the particular examen as St. Ignatius 
 requires, without practising the virtues of vigilance 
 over self, of interior recollection, of mortification 
 of our passions; in a word without generous and 
 persevering efforts. For these reasons we say that 
 particular examen is something serious, though not 
 difficult, considered in itself; for the law of God is 
 not heavy: Mandata ejus gravia 7ion sunt (i. John 
 
 V- 3)- 
 
 III. Particular examen is efficacious — first, be- 
 cause by means of it a man attacks his real ene- 
 mies; second, because it enables him to meet them 
 one by one in order to conquer them successfully; 
 third, because it supposes in one who undertakes 
 it a firm and persevering will never to give up so 
 excellent a practice. 
 
 IV. Particular examen requires our best and 
 most earnest efforts. The enemy of our perfection 
 laughs at our vague general resolutions; he knows 
 their result by experience. " If he that makes a 
 strong resolve often fails, what will he do who 
 seldom or but weakly resolves ?" (Imit. i. 19.) 
 
 Particular examen is not a vague resolution; it 
 is a very special and consequently the most effica- 
 cious resolution we can take. It attacks, in fact, 
 that nature which we may fiercely drive from us, 
 says a profane author, but which unceasingly 
 
S:ï)e StDO JEx^ttiens. 59 
 
 returns. It hides whole years sometimes to sur- 
 prise us when we least expect it; it never dies, it 
 only sleeps. Cease to watch over, to distrust your- 
 self, and this nature, I mean your predominant 
 fault, will awaken more powerful and attack you 
 more violently than ever. Special faults grow and 
 increase with our age — so much so that people, 
 even people piously inclined but unaccustomed to 
 overcome themselves, become, as they advance in 
 life, insupportable to others. But if particular exa- 
 men attacks the very foundation of our nature, is 
 it astonishing that it requires our best and most 
 earnest efforts ? 
 
 Conclusion: If you wish to become perfect, fo 
 know yourself, attack your predominant fault by 
 means of particular examen, according to the 
 method ofïered you here by St. Ignatius. 
 
 " We must always resolve on something certain, 
 and in particular against those things which hinder 
 us most." (Imit. i. 19.) 
 
 We rarely overcome one fault perfectly. " If 
 every year we rooted out one vice we should soon 
 become perfect men." (Imit. i. 11.) 
 
 PRACTICE OF EXAMEN.' 
 
 Before the time of Examen. — We must choose and 
 prepare our subject in such a way as to be able to 
 mark the number of our failings. 
 
 In the morning we must endeavor to foresee the 
 occasions of our fault; during the day we must 
 endeavor to resist it, and when we fail, strike our 
 breasts and make a sincere act of sorrow. 
 ' By a director of souls. 
 
6o jTlje STtoo Hrarmens» 
 
 ^/ the time of Examination. — We must place our- 
 selves in the presence of God, and give our minds 
 completely to what we are about to do. 
 
 ist. Examine the graces we have received, and 
 thank God for His love, in order that we may be 
 excited to be generous in overcoming ourselves. 
 
 2d. Recall clearly to our memory the subject of 
 our examen, and ask God for the grace to know 
 our failings and to correct them. 
 
 3d. Examine our morning or our afternoon hour 
 by hour; help ourselves by means of questions. 
 Mark the number of our failings; compare them 
 with those of the preceding day. We should not 
 give too much time to this third point. 
 
 4th. Excite in ourselves deep contrition, and 
 earnestly express it. Give to this and the follow- 
 ing point an entire quarter of an hour, if possible. 
 
 5th. Foresee the occasions of future failings^ 
 Form definite resolutions covering only the period 
 from one examination to another. Above all, pray 
 for grace to be faithful to them. 
 
 Many souls find in the practice of remembering 
 the presence of God the most efficacious means of 
 overcoming their faults. 
 
 It is well from time to time to return for two 
 or three days to one of the subjects which are, 
 so to speak, a form of perfection, such as regu- 
 larity, exterior modesty, purity of intention, equa- 
 nimity of soul, the presence of God, or the spirit 
 of prayer, humility, etc. 
 
2rp S:too ^v^tntm. 
 
 GENERAL EXAMEN. 
 
 General examen should be made each evening. 
 It is a practice commonly adopted by all persons 
 truly desirous of advancing in virtue. Many, 
 however, find it difficult; they find it dry and 
 monotonous. Hence they acquit themselves- of it 
 superficially and unprofitably, or they omit it 
 from time to time, and then end by abandoning it 
 altogether. 
 
 The method offered here by St. Ignatius re- 
 moves these objections by introducing a certain 
 variety in the examination, which he divides into 
 five points well fitted to console and strengthen 
 the soul. 
 
 It will be well to make a few remarks on each of 
 these points. 
 
 First Point.— -"^ç: must return thanks to God for 
 the benefits we have received. Few writers teach 
 us to begin the examen by an act of thanksgiving. 
 Yet what is more consoling and more encouraging 
 than the divine benefits we have received ? And 
 when have we more need of courage than when we 
 are about to require of our soul an account of 
 its negligences and of its infidelities, when we 
 are about to search and examine our weaknesses? 
 Moreover, the thought of so many benefits will 
 help us in the fourth point to understand our in- 
 gratitude. 
 
 Second Point. — Ask grace, etc., less by vocal 
 prayers than by outpouring of the heart. Set 
 
 ' Fr. Roothaan. 
 
62 îTfje ®:iîjo îiï):amenB. 
 
 vocal prayers, recited from memory, frequently 
 become a matter of routine and destroy the de- 
 votion of the soul. The heart, on the contrary, 
 has an infinite variety of prayers; it never repeats. 
 Then recognize our sins and banish them from 
 our heart. It is not sufficient to know our sins; 
 we must detest them; we must drive them from 
 our heart, and treat them as enemies to whom no 
 quarter can be given. 
 
 Third Point. — Ask an account of our soul. This 
 examen should be made carefully, but without 
 anxiety. It should not by any means exceed a 
 fifth part of the time given to the whole exercise, 
 since it is only one of the five points. Many per- 
 sons reduce almost the whole examen to this 
 point, which is the reason of the weariness and 
 dryness they experience in this exercise, of the 
 little profit they derive from it, and, not unfre- 
 quentjy, of their want of perseverance. 
 
 Foiu'th Point. — Ask pardon of God. We must 
 excite ourselves to sorrow for our faults. Sorrow 
 has the virtue of effacing sin. Then let our sor- 
 row each day efface our daily offences. 
 
 Fifth Point. — Form the resolution to amend with 
 the assistance of grace. This last point is the most 
 important of the whole examen and perhaps the 
 least understood in practice. In fact, why do we 
 make the examination of conscience ? To know our 
 faults? No doubt; but for what further reason? 
 In order that we may detest them. Certainly; in 
 fact, I endeavor to know my faults that I may cor- 
 rect them; and to do this I need to renew each day 
 
Ef)2 ÎCtoo ÎSrantfns, 6^ 
 
 the firm resolution not to relapse into the same 
 faults. 
 
 " According as our resolution is will the progress 
 of our advancement be," says the author of " The 
 Imitation; " which is very certain in the sense that 
 we often remain far below our resolutions and 
 rarely go beyond them. " If thou canst not con- 
 tinually recollect thyself, do it sometimes, and at 
 least once a day; that is, at morning or evening. 
 In the morning resolve, in the evening examine, 
 thy performances, how thou hast behaved this day 
 in word, work, or thought, because in these, per- 
 haps, thou hast often offended God and thy neigh- 
 bor." 
 
 We ought every day to renew our resolutions 
 and excite ourselves to fervor, as if it were the first 
 day of our conversion, and to say : " Help me, O 
 Lord God, in my good resolutions and in Thy 
 holy service, and give me grace now this day per- 
 fectly to begin, for what I have hitherto done is 
 nothing" (tmit. i. 19). 
 
 IVit the assistance of grace : an absolutely neces- 
 sary condition. "The resolutions of the just de- 
 pend on the grace of God, rather than on their 
 own wisdom, in Whom they always put their trust, 
 whatever they take in hand " (Imit. i. 19). 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 OF CONFESSION AND DIRECTION. 
 
 The life of the body is preserved by food and re- 
 paired by remedies. In like manner the life of the 
 soul depends upon confession and communion ; 
 confession is its remedy, and communion its life. 
 
 These two sacraments must be received with the 
 requisite dispositions. 
 
 Exa77iination of Cofiscience. — Examination of con- 
 science is a necessary preparation for the Sacra- 
 ment of Penance. 
 
 It consists of five points: 
 
 ist. Thanksgiving. 
 
 2d. Invocation of the Holy Spirit of light in 
 order to know one's sins. 
 
 3d. A review of all one's actions, thoughts, and 
 words. 
 
 4th. Sorrow for having sinned. 
 
 5th. Firm purpose of amendment. 
 
 See upon which of these five points you can 
 dwell with most advantage. 
 
 This Exercise is to be Made Daily. — \t is important 
 to make a daily examination of conscience; it keeps 
 the soul in a state of humility, and enables it to 
 know itself. It wins new graces from Heaven by 
 
 64 
 
®{ Confession anîï îitrectîon» 65 
 
 gratitude for those already received. It prepares 
 the soul for confession, and prevents the omission 
 of any grave sin in confession. It prevents vices 
 from taking root in the soul. It renders contri- 
 tion easy by frequent acts of sorrow; it regulates 
 the future; it foresees the danger of offending God, 
 and guards against the occasions of sin. In a word, 
 it makes us more humble, more vigilant, more 
 wise, more pure, and better prepared to meet 
 death. 
 
 Are you faithful to your examen ? For what 
 reason do you neglect it ? 
 
 A wise man foresees evil, guards against it as 
 much as he can. You will be judged after your 
 death. Forestall this judgment by judging your- 
 self. If you excuse yourself, God will accuse you; 
 if you pardon yourself, God will condemn you ; 
 while, on the contrary. He will defend you if you 
 accuse yourself; He will pardon you if you con- 
 demn yourself. 
 
 Many complain of being unable to recall in the 
 evening what they have done during the day; how 
 then can they recall what they have done during 
 a month or a year ? This shows how very difficult 
 it is to make a good confession without daily ex- 
 amination of conscience. 
 
 Thanksgiving is one of the most important parts 
 of the examen. Consider the benefits God has be- 
 stowed upon you this day, and you will, without 
 difficulty, conceive true sorrow for your faults. 
 But avoid anxiety and trouble in searching for your 
 faults. If 3'^ou have committed any grave sin it 
 will present itself at once to your mind. If you 
 
66 ©f Confession anlr iSîrntion. 
 
 recall a fault of this kind, stop there, and conceive 
 a great horror for it; consider the best means of 
 repairing it; take a firm resolution to avoid it in 
 future, and you will, in this way, have made a good 
 examen. 
 
 Particular Exa^nen. — It is particularly important 
 to select one special fault to correct or one special 
 virtue to acquire. This should be the principal 
 subject of your examen. Many do nothing because 
 they want to do too much; they declare war against 
 all vices and destroy none. 
 
 This is an artifice of the Evil One to deceive and 
 surprise them. Our forces are limited; we cannot 
 do everything at once ; and we weaken our forces 
 by dividing them. They must be united to over- 
 come the enemy. 
 
 It is well to attack but one at a time and never 
 lay down our arms until it is vanquished. 
 
 What is the subject of your examination ? What 
 vice are you making war against ? How long have 
 you been fighting it ? What advantage have you 
 gained ? 
 
 Confession. — The Sacrament of Penance is the 
 second plank left us by God after shipwreck. Each 
 time we confess our faults in the sacrament we 
 acknowledge the wisdom of God by the acknowl- 
 edgment of our ignorance; His power, by the mani- 
 festation of our weakness ; His sanctity, by the 
 declaration of our sins. We offer reparation to 
 His greatness and majesty, which we have offended; 
 we offer satisfaction to His justice; we humble our 
 pride; we avert the chastisements we have merited; 
 we sacrifice our honor, which we love most in the 
 
®f Confession anlr îBirection. 67 
 
 world; we purify the soul; we heal its wounds. We 
 acquire a special right to the grace of God ; we 
 extirpate our vices ; we secure our salvation ; we 
 afford peace and rest to our conscience. 
 ' ■ Faults of those Over-eager to omit Nothing. — There 
 are persons who believe that the excellence of their 
 confession consists in remembering and accurately 
 confessing all their sins and forgetting nothing. 
 If anything escape them, they are troubled and be- 
 lieve their confession invalid. In this way they 
 acquire a horror of the sacrament, believing that 
 they never receive it properly. This scruple is 
 dangerous, because it tends to keep people away 
 from the sacrament and inspires them with aver- 
 sion for this salutary remedy. 
 
 Are you one of such persons? Why do you tor- 
 ment yourself for a thing which is not in your 
 power ? Is it not God Who gives you knowledge of 
 your sins? If it is absolutely necessary for you to 
 declare them, He will cause you to remember them. 
 He does not oblige you to say what you do not 
 know. After giving a suitable time to your exami- 
 nation, be at peace. If your sins occur to your 
 mind after confession, they will not, for that reason, 
 remain in your heart, whence they have been driven 
 by the absolution of the priest. 
 
 Fault of those who think they must feel Contrition. — 
 Contrition to be true need not be sensible. If you 
 do not feel sorrow for having offended God, beg 
 Him to give it to you, and supply what you lack 
 by sincere humility. Prostrate yourself before 
 God, acknowledge your offences, and ask pardon 
 for them. Go in good faith to confession without 
 
68 <f^f €:onfessioit anîr îBCrfctïon, 
 
 so much anxiety and self-seeking. Your kind 
 Master sees your heart; He knows you do not 
 wish to deceive, and the very fact of your going 
 to confession proves that sin is displeasing to you 
 and that you desire to amend. 
 
 Relapse should not discourage us. — One who re- 
 lapses very easily into sins has reason to fear that 
 his contrition was not very great. But, alas ! the 
 sacraments do not make us impeccable, and when 
 our relapses are numerous and great they prove 
 that we are neither vigilant nor faithful; then we 
 must renew our resolutions to watch over our- 
 selves more carefully and refrain from yielding to 
 trouble or despondency. 
 
 We must listen to the Priest with Attention and Re- 
 spect. — Do not imagine that you have made a good 
 confession by simply confessing your sins. Lis- 
 ten attentively to the advice of your confessor, for 
 his words are in a measure sacramental; they im- 
 part grace, they have a special virtue to heal your 
 sick soul. 
 
 Of Absolution. — Do you know what takes place 
 when the priest gives you absolution ? Heaven 
 opens, the Holy Spirit descends, the evil spirits are 
 driven from your soul, which the Son of God has 
 cleansed with His blood. You are released from 
 your sins and the eternal punishment which you 
 had incurred. You become again a child, of God 
 and heir to His kingdom; you receive infused 
 graces and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Humble 
 yourself, then, before God; conceive great sorrow 
 for your sins; imagine yourself on Calvary, where 
 the blood of Our Saviour flowed upon your soul to 
 
<©f QtonîtBsion anlr direction. 69 
 
 cleanse and purify it; remain thus in respectful 
 silence, filled with true humility and gratitude. 
 
 0/ SatisfactioTi. — Perform the penance which the 
 priest imposes; do not regard it as a penance, but 
 as a very great grace which God bestows by per- 
 mitting you to change in this way the sufferings 
 of hell, which you have merited, into a brief and 
 light expiation. The best penance is to avoid sin; 
 and to do this we must hate it and punish our- 
 selves for it. 
 
 Necessity of a Di7'ector. — Have you a director? 
 Why have you not one? Do you know the way 
 to heaven ? Is there any one on earth who can 
 guide himself? Sheep require a shepherd; you 
 are not of the fold if you are without a guide. 
 
 Who can assure you that you are in the right 
 way if not they to whom God has confided the 
 government of souls, saying, " He that heareth 
 you heareth Me; he that despiseth you despiseth 
 Me"? 
 
 You are, you say, well versed in spiritual things. 
 You should have more humility and distrust of 
 yourself, for St. Bernard says: "He who is his 
 own guide has a fool for a disciple, and does not 
 need the devil to tempt him, for he is to himself 
 the most perverse and most dangerous of evil 
 spirits." Cassien adds: " It is impossible that the 
 soul abandoned to the guidance of his superiors 
 should ever err." Therefore it is necessary to 
 have a director to whom we may reveal our con- 
 science and from whom we may take advice. 
 
 Choice of a Directoi\ — There are certain devout 
 souls who can never find a director to their taste. 
 
70 ®f Confession anïr direction. 
 
 They would change every month. Persons so 
 difficult to please need a master to teach them the 
 elements of the spiritual life by making them walk 
 in the ways of humility and mortification. 
 
 The Spirit of Faith with which we should regard 
 our Director. — It is very important never to sepa- 
 rate the thought of God from one's director, and 
 therefore to speak to him with great respect, to 
 obey him faithfully, and to open our hearts to him 
 with confidence and gratitude, so that if God per- 
 mits us to be deprived of him we may not be 
 overwhelmed by trouble and anxiety. God will 
 always give us grace and light in proportion to 
 our fidelity. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 HOLY COMMUNION. 
 
 How we should prepare for it. — As the Eucharist 
 is the most august of our sacraments, Holy Com- 
 munion is the most important action of our lives. 
 
 Of the Sanctity reqinred for Holy Communion. — 
 Those who require perfect sanctity and extraor- 
 dinary dispositions for approaching the Holy 
 Table, thinking thereby to honor this sacrament, 
 abuse and dishonor it, by rendering it useless to 
 those who receive it and to those who refrain from 
 it. In fact, if I am in a perfect state of sanctity 
 what good will this sacrament do me, and when 
 shall I receive it if I must have this sanctity ? 
 
 Nothing could be more unreasonable than to 
 require as preparation for a sacrament that which 
 is the fruit and end of the sacrament. This beauty 
 without stain, this perfection without blemish, this 
 sanctity without spot, this grace, this perfect char- 
 ity, are effects of the sacrament. It was to pro- 
 duce all these effects in our hearts by frequent 
 reception of the Eucharist that it was instituted. 
 Hence there is no justice in requiring such sanc- 
 tity as a preparation for receiving it. If we meas- 
 ure our worthiness by the excellence of this sacra- 
 
 71 
 
72 î^ûïg Communion. 
 
 ment, we should never receive it; if we measure it 
 by our need, we should receive Communion daily. 
 Jesus dwells in this sacrament, not to make Him- 
 self feared, but to make Himself loved. Bread is 
 not food to be taken only at certain periods of the 
 year, but every day. Why should He take this 
 form if He did not wish to be our food ? If He 
 wished to be feared by men, would He not have 
 taken a more awe-inspiring and majestic form ? 
 As we cannot do' without this sacrament, Our Lord 
 has made it easy for all to receive it. Draw near 
 to the light and you will be enlightened; approach 
 the fire and you will be inflamed; draw near to 
 Jesus, Who is your life, your Sun, your Justice, 
 your Sanctification; but go to Him without fear 
 and He will examine you. He will instruct you, 
 He will purify you. He will sanctify you. 
 
 Excessive Fear is Injurious. — One thing which 
 prevents us from profiting by Communion is that 
 we have no hunger or relish for this heavenly 
 food. How can we approach it with love when 
 our heart is filled with fear? and who could not 
 but fear when he believes that it is an abuse of 
 this sacrament to receive it with other than 
 angelic purity ? 
 
 Hutnility is a7i Excelkfit Preparatio7i. — Endeavor 
 to make a good preparation. Christian soul, and 
 remember that the best of all preparations is a 
 knowledge of yourself, of your poverty, and of 
 your indigence, combined with a firm hope that 
 Our Lord in His goodness will supply all that you 
 lack. Do not, like Martha, be over-eager to serve 
 your Saviour; rather, like Magdalen, await from 
 
î^ols CtommunïoîT, 73 
 
 your Saviour, in peace and silence, the food of 
 your soul and the reformation of your heart. 
 
 Whether it is well to refrain from the Holy Table. — 
 Do not keep away from the Holy Table through dis- 
 gust or scruple. The soul is ill indeed that has lost 
 all relishfor this food. Salvation dependssometimes 
 upon one Communion. How do you know whether 
 this Communion may not be the one you omit? 
 
 Our Lord in this sacrament is not only the food 
 of our soul, but also its remedy. How do you 
 honor Our Lord by believing that you can do 
 without Him and obtain sanctity without the as- 
 sistance of His grace ? How can you resist temp- 
 tation without strength ? and whence will you 
 obtain that strength if not from this divine sacra- 
 ment ? 
 
 For those who receive Cotumimion Frequently. — You 
 communicate frequently, but do you receive the 
 sacrament worthily ? If you would rather die than 
 receive Communion in a state of mortal sin, you 
 have reason to believe that you do not comm.une 
 unworthily. 
 
 Necessary Dispositions for receiving the Fruits of the 
 Sacrament. — We may receive the principal effect of 
 the sacrament, which is sanctifying grace, without 
 receiving all the other fruits which it produces. 
 To receive an increase of grace we must be free 
 from mortal sin ; to receive all the fruits of the 
 sacrament we must be free from voluntary attach- 
 ment to venial sin. 
 
 Who are they who profit by Holy Coinmunion ? — Do 
 not judge that you are growing worse because you 
 feel your evil inclinations more strongly. Com- 
 
74 $^olv Communion. 
 
 munion does not take away all evil inclinations. 
 They are left us to make us distrust ourselves and 
 depend upon grace. If it does not prevent our 
 feeling them, it prevents, as St. Bernard says, our 
 yielding to them. 
 
 Whether we should receive Holy Communion when 
 we believe we derive no Profit therefrom. — Humble 
 souls usually believe they are going back instead 
 of advancing. We cannot judge of our progress 
 by our feelings. It is well that you should believe 
 yourself the most wicked and the most unfaithful 
 of creatures ; but if you were so in truth, it would 
 not prevent you from receiving Communion, pro- 
 vided you truly desire to do better. For how 
 could you amend without grace ? 
 
 Can we receive Communion when we have no Sensible 
 Devotio7i ? — Sensible devotion is not necessary to 
 communicate worthily, since it does not always 
 depend upon our will, and the greatest saints are 
 frequently deprived of it even on the greatest 
 feasts, as in the case of St. Teresa at Easter, either 
 because the soul is attached to these little conso- 
 lations, or because it expects to acquire them of 
 itself. Whatever it may be, true devotion does 
 not consist in these sensible feelings, but in a 
 prompt and ready will to do what God commands 
 and to avoid that which He forbids. Do what you 
 can with the grace of God, and make up by your 
 humility, as St. Bernard says^ for what you lack in 
 charity, and you will be well prepared. 
 
 The Best Preparation is Humility and Desire. — 
 There are many beautiful practices for preparing 
 ourself for Communion. The best, I think, after 
 
?^ol2 Communion. 75 
 
 confession, consists in humility and desire. Humil- 
 ity makes us see our unworthiness ; and desire, our 
 indigence. The first tends to keep us from the Holy 
 Table ; the second sends us to it. One makes us 
 say, with the centurion : " Lord, I am not worthy; " 
 the other makes us say, as St. Peter did when the 
 other disciples withdrew from the company of their 
 Master : " Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast 
 the words of eternal life." 
 
 Motives of Hujjiility, of Love ^ and Desire. — To hum- 
 ble ourselves before Our Lord we need but ponder 
 these words: " Who art Thou, my God ? and who a7?i 
 I ? " In order to desire to receive Him we must 
 consider the honor and the advantage of going 
 to this Holy Table, the infinite love which Jesus 
 bears us, His desire to celebrate this passover with 
 us, to enter into our hearts, and to impart His life 
 to us. 
 
 The Intention we may have in Communicating. — 
 Purify your intention. Approach the Holy Table 
 to honor God, to obey His will, to accomplish His 
 designs, to unite yourself to Jesus Christ, to give 
 Him the life of your heart, to apply to yourself the 
 merits of His passion, or for any other similar end. 
 
 Do not be over-anxious in your devotions. Re- 
 member that everything consists in humbling 
 yourself and remaining in peace at His feet. Are 
 you capable of receiving a God ? Have you where- 
 with to entertain such a Guest ? Beg God Him- 
 self, then, to prepare His dwelling. 
 
 There are many ways of occupying one's mind 
 and exciting devotion before Communion. Some 
 make use of the following thoughts : Who am I, 
 
7^ ?^oI» Communion. 
 
 Lord, and who art Thou ? What dost Thou come 
 to accomplish in my heart? What shall I gain by 
 receiving Thee ? For what end do I receive Thee ? 
 Others go over the life of Our Lord, pausing upon 
 the mystery which touches them most ; for ex- 
 ample: I am about to receive the Son of God, Who 
 is seated on the throne of His Father, Who is 
 adored by the angels, and Who took flesh for me in 
 the womb of the Blessed Virgin. I am about to 
 renew His incarnation by giving Him a new life in 
 me. 
 
 If this thought does not occupy you, pass on to 
 another and represent to yourself that you are 
 about to receive Him Who was born in a stable, 
 Who was visited by the shepherds, Who was 
 adored by kings. Whom Simeon received in his 
 arms in the Temple, Who was tempted in the 
 desert. Who was transfigured on Tabor, Who 
 worked so many miracles. Who gave sight to the 
 blind. Who cured the sick. Who raised so many 
 dead to life, Who never entered a house without 
 leaving there marks of His kindness. Conceive a 
 great desire to receive Him, and a firm hope that 
 He will heal, sanctify, and enrich your soul with 
 His merits. 
 
 Then pass on to His passion, and consider that 
 you are about to receive Him Who, on the eve of 
 His death, instituted this divine sacrament ; Who 
 sweat blood in the Garden of Olives; Who shed it 
 from all the veins of His body in the pretorium of 
 Pilate ; Who shed the last drop of His blood on 
 the cross ; and that this same blood is about to 
 inflame your heart and flow in vour veins. 
 
î^oïs Communion, 77 
 
 Remember also that He Whom you are about to 
 receive loves you so tenderly that He was willing 
 to die for you ; that He comes to apply to you the 
 fruit of His death and sufferings ; that for you He 
 was placed in the tomb, and that He is about to 
 descend into your heart as He descended from the 
 cross to the tomb ; that you are about to receive 
 this same body with its adorable wounds which 
 He permitted His disciples to touch ; that He is 
 about to open His side and give you entrance 
 into His heart. 
 
 Finally, consider that you are about to receive 
 Him Who ascended into heaven, and Who is to 
 judge the living and the dead. Is there not suffi- 
 cient here to occupy you, and to excite your devo- 
 tion ? 
 
 Some find devotion in reading the Litany of the 
 Holy Name of Jesus and pausing at the invocation 
 which touches them most. 
 
 Thanksgiving. — Now if it is very important to 
 prepare ourselves for Holy Communion, it is no less 
 necessary to make good use of the time after Com- 
 munion. O Jerusalem, if thou knewest Who it is 
 that comes to thee, and the blessing thou canst 
 receive from this visit! 
 
 If Jesus in coming to you is pleased to give you 
 sensible marks of His presence, and moves your 
 heart, profit by these precious moments. If you 
 are distracted, tepid, and languid, do not be 
 troubled, but beg God to supply what you lack 
 and to effect in your heart all that He came to do. 
 Food is digested in your body without your giving 
 any thought to it, provided you do not disturb the 
 
7^ ?^ola? Qtommxinion. 
 
 operation of nature. Let grace do its work ; if you 
 do not hinder it by voluntary distractions, it will 
 digest, so to speak, this heavenly food and trans- 
 form you into Jesus Christ. He is the King of 
 peace ; His abode must be one of peace. Do not 
 disturb His repose, and He will give you peace. 
 
 It is well immediately after receiving to remain 
 a few moments in quiet, peaceful silence, listening 
 to Our Lord's voice, or, rather, permitting Him to 
 do what He wishes in your heart. Do not judge of 
 the effect of Communion by your feelings. The 
 most perfect operations of God are usually the 
 least sensible. When the Bridegroom has entered, 
 close the door of your heart and rest on His breast. 
 
 Love is eloquent; it needs no instruction to speak. 
 It speaks most when it is young; it is more silent 
 when it has waxed strong and reached its maturity. 
 Speak much, tender souls, pray, weep, sigh, but do 
 not fail to listen also to what Our Lord will say to 
 you. 
 
 With regard to perfect souls, they should aban- 
 don themselves entirely to His love and quietly 
 enjoy the presence of their Beloved. If they wish 
 to speak let them content themselves with these 
 words : "My God and my All." Even this is too 
 much : "Let all flesh be silent at the presence of 
 the Lord." " 
 
 Those who have no facility in conversing with 
 Our Lord may find some assistance from consider- 
 ations similar to those which we proposed as suit- 
 able before Communion. For example: Behold, He 
 Who was born in a stable, Who died on the cross 
 
?^ol2 ©ommunton. 79 
 
 for me, has come into my heart. Let them pause 
 and make acts of love and gratitude. 
 
 There are some persons who make the presence 
 of God most irksome to themselves ; they are 
 never so ill at ease as when in His company ; no 
 sooner does He enter their hearts than they fly 
 from Him, turn their backs upon Him to talk with 
 creatures : this is certainly unparalleled incivility. 
 You do not know what to say to Him ? Let Him 
 speak. You cannot love Him ? Can you not 
 humble yourself before Him ? Remain at His feet 
 like Magdalen, and beg all the saints to thank Him 
 for you ; recite at least a few vocal prayers, and 
 offer your divine Guest the best entertainment your 
 heart affords. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE DAY, 
 
 We must acquit ourselves of the Duties of our 
 State, — Whatever your state in life, the first and 
 most important of your devotions is to acquit 
 yourselves faithfully of its duties, as we shall ex- 
 plain more particularly in another chapter. Let 
 each one, as St. Paul counsels, remain in the state 
 to which God has called him, and let him acquit 
 himself of its duties as imposed by God Himself. 
 In this does our perfection consist, and it is upon 
 the manner in which we have fulfilled the duties of 
 our state or position that we shall be principally 
 judged. 
 
 Reflect upon this important truth ; see how you 
 have acquitted yourself of the duties of your state. 
 Do you consider it a state in which the providence 
 of God has placed you; a state in which He wills 
 you to find the graces He destines for you, as well 
 as your peace and salvation, and in which He wishes 
 you to honor and serve Him ? 
 
 Count all that you do as nothing if it is not done 
 for God. The trouble attached to your employ- 
 ment does not dispense you from it ; if you do 
 only what you please, can you be considered a ser- 
 vant of God ? 
 
 80 
 
STfje occupations of tije Bag» 
 
 Avoid Over-eagerness. — Over-eagerness and negli- 
 gence are two faults which spoil a good action. 
 What is your haste ? Whence is this unquiet heart? 
 Whence this natural impetuosity ? It is not from 
 God, for He does not dwell in the midst of such 
 agitation and trouble. 
 
 Can you do anything without the assistance of 
 God ? Are you trusting in Him when you are so 
 excessively anxious ? Do you think He will bless 
 what you undertake with such intemperate ardor ? 
 If He loves you He will never permit your intem- 
 perate designs to have the effect you desire ; you 
 must needs fail if you rely upon yourself. God 
 desires the glory of your actions ; you rob Him of 
 it when you act with such precipitation. 
 
 Labor but without labor, I mean without anxiet)?" 
 or disquiet. Consider yourself as the instrument 
 of the divinity, and all that you do will be divine. 
 An instrument must be lifeless to be used to ad- 
 vantage. What could a painter do with a brush 
 that moved of itself in his hands ? Be dead to 
 your desires, and all your actions will have the 
 reward of eternal life. Let reason and grace guide 
 you, and all that you do will be just. 
 
 Place yourself in the hands of God when you 
 labor, bodily or mentally. Pause before you enter 
 any path. Do not let nature take the initiative 
 and precede grace. Do what you ought, not what 
 you please. Regulate all your plans by your 
 duties. In all your movements rely upon Him 
 Who is immovable ; preserve in all your actions a 
 tranquil heart and mind. Hasten, if necessary, 
 but never be precipitate. 
 
82 2rf)e occupations of t$c Bag. 
 
 We must avoid Negligence. — If over-eagerness is to 
 be feared, negligence is still more so. The first 
 comes from esteem and ardor ; the second from 
 contempt and sloth. One proceeds from a too 
 ardent and the other from an indifferent heart. 
 " He that is hasty with his feet shall stumble," 
 says the Holy Spirit ; but He curses him who does 
 the work of God negligently. 
 
 Is it for God you are laboring? Does He not 
 merit that you should serve Him with pleasure ? 
 Has He not bestowed sufficient blessings upon 
 you ? Has He not promised you sufficiently great 
 rewards ? Is He slow to render you service ? 
 Does His sun ever fail to shine upon you ? AVhat! 
 The Creator serves His creature with pleasure, 
 however wicked and unfaithful he may be, and the 
 creature serves his Creator with reluctance ? 
 
 Inco7ista7it a?td Capricious Minds. — Do you take 
 pleasure in your work ? It is well that you should, 
 but do not be attached to it. Purify your inten- 
 tion; labor, not because it gives you pleasure, but 
 because God commands it. Let your pleasure be 
 to please Him, and you will always work with 
 pleasure. What should a servant think of if not of 
 satisfying his master? 
 
 In performing your actions begin, not by the 
 most agreeable, but by the most necessary; and 
 let God be first in them all. 
 
 A7?iiiseinents. — Play is a remedy to be taken only 
 when ill, that is, when the mind is over-wearied by 
 work. There are some, the Wise Man tells us, who 
 imagine the life of man a play; they never work 
 
Sïje ©ccupatîons of t^e î^ag. 83 
 
 and would always rest. They are in health and 
 would always take remedies. 
 
 Play for the relaxation of tlie mind is a laudable 
 recreation. Play merely for gaining money is a 
 shameful traffic. Play merely to pass the time is 
 reprehensible idleness. We have not come into 
 the world to seek pleasure, but to do penance; not 
 to win money, but to win heaven. Play rarely, 
 play little, play only a short time, play without 
 over-eagerness. 
 
 Consider what you stake as lost from the first 
 and it will not disturb you. If it is permitted to 
 stake trifling sums to increase the interest of the 
 game, give whatever you w4n to the poor. 
 
 Regulate your play and your pleasures ; always 
 bear in mind that St. Francis Borgia said : "We 
 usually lose four things at play: time, money, devo- 
 tion, and conscience." How do you spend your 
 income ? Are you parsimonious or extravagant in 
 your dress, in your furniture, in your house, in your 
 pleasure, in your table ? 
 
 Meals, — We eat only to live; yet there are some 
 who live only to eat. They can speak of nothing 
 but entertainments, good cheer, a good table, and 
 good wines. It would seem as though nature had 
 erred in making them men; they should be 
 animals. 
 
 Raise your heart to God as you go to the table; 
 endeavor by purity of intention to convert this 
 action, animal in itself, into a Christian duty. Grace 
 before meals should never be omitted w^herever you 
 are. Its effect is more salutary than you think; if 
 
§4 ÎTïje occupations of tj^e 30as» 
 
 you neglect it, frequently food may injure more 
 than it benefits you. 
 
 Beware of over-eagerness in eating, or of mani- 
 festing extreme pleasure or vexation when the food 
 is well or ill prepared. Eat with the temperance and 
 modesty which marked all the actions of Our Lord. 
 Give to God the better part of what is served you, 
 by depriving yourself for love of Him of something 
 which especially flatters your palate. 
 
 If you neglect to thank God you do not merit 
 that He should give you bread, and whatever your 
 wealth you have reason to fear that you will lose 
 it. God takes away from ungrateful souls bless- 
 ings which they abuse and for which they are un- 
 grateful. 
 
 Of the Word of God. — Do you take as much pains 
 to nourish your soul as your body ? 
 
 How do you profit by the word of God ? You 
 speak to Him through prayer; but it is God Who 
 speaks to you through good books and sermons. 
 The word of God is never without its effect; it 
 either converts its hearers or renders them more 
 culpable. Are you not too curious ? Are you not 
 of those who cannot read a good book unless its 
 style is perfect; who can not hear a preacher unless 
 his style is polished -* 
 
 Seek in this tree of life the fruit rather than 
 the flower. God, St. Paul tells us, has not willed 
 to convert the world by eloquence, but by the fruit 
 of His cross, which would have remained without 
 effect if the apostles had employed the arts of 
 oratory. It is not fine language which touches 
 hearts, but the grace and unction of the Holy 
 
Eî)t ©ccuaiatCons of tfjr 2Bag. 85 
 
 Spirit. The wisdom of God spoke to man in par- 
 ables and popular language; it will never convert 
 you by means of studied discourses, but by the 
 strength of its spirit and the simplicity of its 
 words. 
 
 Seek the books and preachers who touch your 
 hearts and not those who flatter your ear. Never 
 let a day pass without reading a good book. Read- 
 ing, says St. Bernard, seeks God; meditation finds 
 Him; contemplation enjoys Him. Reading helps 
 meditation, and meditation leads to contemplation. 
 If you like the end, adopt the means; if you desire 
 to taste heavenly things, frequently read and medi- 
 tate upon them. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 OF A STATE OF LIFE. 
 
 How Important it is to be in the State of Life in which 
 God wishes us. — After admiring the beautiful order 
 of the universe and the wise economy of Divine 
 Providence, persuade yourself that it is God Who 
 has created this great variety of states and condi- 
 tions on earth to unite all men by the bonds of 
 necessity and dependence; to raise them to the 
 knowledge of their principle by this multitude of 
 employments; to reveal to them the greatness of 
 His house and the treasures of His magnificence. 
 For it is through the multiplicit)'^ of beings that 
 we reach unity of being, and by following the 
 course of the stream that we reach the source. 
 
 Every reasoning mind is filled with astonish- 
 ment when it considers this great multitude of 
 creatures who form the court of the King of 
 heaven; when it contemplates their riches, their 
 beauty, their functions, their order, their disposi- 
 tion, and their industry ; but we must not stop 
 here To profit by this knowledge we must be 
 further convinced that God, Who does everything 
 with just weight and measure, as the Wise Man 
 says, has from all eternity marked and destined 
 
 86 
 
©f a State of ILiie. 87 
 
 for us a state in which He wishes us to serve Him; 
 that He has attached to it our peace and our sal- 
 vation; our rest, because each thing is at peace 
 when it is in its place; our salvation, for the 
 reason that the graces we need, and which are, so 
 to speak, our wages, -are given us according to the 
 condition, the state, and the office in which God 
 places us. 
 
 If the Church is an edifice, the faithful are the 
 stones of which it is composed. If the Church is 
 an army, the faithful are the soldiers. If it is a 
 body, the faithful are its members. Now the 
 stones of an edifice, the soldiers of an army, the 
 members of a body, all have their place and em- 
 ployment, outside of which they are useless. 
 
 A man is happy when he performs his duties 
 and faithfully follows the order marked by Divine 
 Providence. He enjoys profound peace; he is 
 under the protection of the Prince of order; he 
 receives graces in abundance ; graces which nour- 
 ish him, graces which strengthen him, graces 
 which cause him to grow in virtue, graces which 
 lead him to perfection, because this food is proper 
 and suitable to the disposition of his soul. As he 
 is faithful to the law, the law is faithful to him. 
 As he keeps order, order keeps him, defends and 
 protects him. " Much peace have they," says 
 David, ''who keep Thy law, and to them there is 
 no stumbling-block." 
 
 Jifow we must choose a State in Life. — After con- 
 sidering this truth, reflect upon yourself, and see 
 what your state is. If your state of life is not set- 
 tled, and you have yet to choose it, pray God to 
 
88 ©f a State of 3life» 
 
 make known the state in which He wishes you to 
 serve Him. Listen to what He will say to you 
 after Communion and during this retreat. See 
 whither your inclinations lead you when your 
 heart is at peace and undisturbed by passion. 
 Reason is a divine Hghtand a natural inspiration 
 which never deceives those who follow it, particu- 
 larly under the guidance of faith. 
 
 Consider, therefore, the end for which God has 
 placed you in this world, which is to honor Him 
 and to save your soul. Consider what state af- 
 fords you the best means of attaining this end. 
 Examine your disposition, your constitution, your 
 character, your strength, your inclinations, your 
 habits, the movements of your heart, the attrac- 
 tions of grace, the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Consider what you would wish to have done at 
 the hour of death; what you would advise a friend 
 to do in your place. And as it is difficult to dis- 
 tinguish the movements of nature from those of 
 grace; and as the Evil One frequently transforms 
 himself into an angel of light; and no one can 
 judge in his own case, and there is danger of 
 heeding the suggestions of self-love, the safest 
 way, in order to proceed wisely in an affair of such 
 importance, is to take the advice of a wise and 
 experienced director ; to make known to him the 
 sentiments of your soul, and to abide by his ad- 
 vice, convinced that God will never permit you 
 to be deceived when you act sincerely with His 
 representative, through whom He makes His will 
 known to you. 
 
 What they should do who are settled in a State of 
 
m a State of ÎLife. 89 
 
 Zt/e. — If you are settled in a state of life, consider 
 how it was that you entered it — through passion, 
 interest, vexation, vanity, human respect? Did 
 you consult God? Did you ask His light? Is 
 your state good or evil? If good, you must per- 
 fect it. If evil, you must abandon it. If you are 
 settled in a state of life and cannot leave it, remain 
 in it, but in a spirit of penance, repairing as far 
 as possible the fault you have committed, and 
 bearing all the trials God sends you in it. Per- 
 suade yourself that you can only be restored to 
 His favor by the chastisements of justice; that 
 you can recover peace only by patience, innocence 
 only by penitence; that suffering supplies the 
 place of action; that the o/i/y source of salvation 
 for you is humility and suffering ; that peace will 
 follow trouble; that calm will follow the storm. 
 
 Rules f 07' Religious. — If you are a religious, what- 
 ever the means which brought you to religion, be 
 persuaded that it has happened for the best, and 
 that you are where God wills you should be. 
 Does not the Son of God desire that all shall be 
 perfect even as His Heavenly Father is perfect ? 
 and does He not say that the means of this per- 
 fection is to abandon our possessions, to deny our- 
 selves, to take up our cross and to follow His 
 example and counsels ? This is the religious state. 
 Therefore, though you have entered it thought- 
 lessly — that is, from no serious motive — yet you 
 should believe it is the will of God, and that you 
 are in the way of perfection. Make, then, a virtue 
 of necessity. Embrace this state, however con- 
 trary it may be to your inclinations. Take upon 
 
90 m a State of SlCfe. 
 
 your shoulders the sweet yoke of Jesus, and pro- 
 test that you will bear it for love of Him all the 
 days of your life. 
 
 Special States. — Graces are not only attached to 
 the state and life in which God wishes us, but also 
 to special places and employments prescribed us 
 by obedience. Would you be a religious in an 
 order to which God has not called you ? Why 
 would you wish to be in a house, in a position, in 
 an office which God has not given you ? 
 
 God's forethought embraces not only all man- 
 kind, but each of His creatures : to each one is 
 assigned a special place, a special work ; conse- 
 quently your graces are attached to the place and 
 the employment destined for you by Providence 
 and indicated by obedience. 
 
 Reflections. — There are reasonable people who 
 desire, it is true, only what is just, but desire it 
 inordinately. They seek what is right unreasona- 
 bly, that is, passionately. 
 
 Do you wish to live in peace and win blessings 
 from Heaven ? Ask nothing, refuse nothing, aban- 
 don yourself to the providence of God ; be guided 
 by obedience ; trust in your superiors. As you 
 have entered religion only to serve God, be con- 
 vinced that you render Him no service which is 
 pleasing to Him if you are not where He wills you 
 to be, and if you do not do as He desires. 
 
 Oh, how happy is he who confides in God and 
 abandons himself to His guidance ! and how mis- 
 erable is he who turns from God and follows the 
 impulse of his passions ! 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 OF THE EXERCISE OF ONE'S CHARGE. 
 
 That we must Faithfully acquit ourselves of our 
 Charge. — As you do not belong to yourself but to 
 God, you should labor not for yourself, but for 
 God. You will never labor more advantageously 
 for yourself than when you labor for God's inter- 
 est. You are laboring for His interest when you 
 fulfil your charge as an office which He has given 
 you, and acquit yourself of its duties with all the 
 energy, watchfulness, and fidelity of which you are 
 capable. 
 
 Make no distinction between your interests and 
 those of God. You have but one interest, which is 
 to save your soul, and your soul is God's only in- 
 terest as well as yours. He thought of the salva- 
 tion of your soul from all eternity ; He labored for 
 it from the beginning of the world ; to accomplish 
 it He descended from heaven to earth, was born in a 
 stable, and died upon a cross. Do you appreciate 
 this ? Is it not worth your while to reflect upon it ? 
 
 Our Talents are given us only to do what God com- 
 mands. — A great ambition is a great cross. It is 
 great folly to believe ourselves capable of all 
 things. Our strength and our abilities are limited. 
 
 91 
 
©f tf)e H):etcîsr of one's ^ijarge. 
 
 God, St. Paul tells us, divides His graces : when 
 He sends us to labor in His vineyard He gives us 
 exactly what we need. When He places us in any 
 position He assigns us a fund of graces to enable 
 us to acquit ourselves worthily of our charge. 
 
 How we should fulfil our Charge. — You will fulfil 
 your charge faithfully if you receive it from God's 
 hands, accept it by His orders, if you rely upon His 
 grace, if you ask His blessing, if you aspire to no 
 other charge, if you labor cheerfully, persistently, 
 courageously, and perseveringl}^ Cheerfully, that 
 is, without vexation ; courageously, avoiding indo- 
 lence ; perseveringly, undeterred by weariness and 
 vexations. With what fault does your conscience 
 reproach you in the fulfilment of your charge ? 
 Are you where you should be ? Do you do what 
 you should and as you should ? 
 
 We should not be Passionately attached to our Charge. 
 — Do not judge that your charge is unsuitable to 
 you because it does not please you. Inclination, it 
 is true, is a mark of vocation, but it should be dis- 
 interested, peaceful, obedient, and free from all 
 human respect and all ambition. Distrust an in- 
 clination which is turbulent, impetuous, rebellious, 
 and impatient. 
 
 What True Devotion is. — Never separate God's 
 service from the duties of your charge. Do not 
 think that it is laudable to be at church when you 
 should be at the palace, to pray when you should 
 work. The most beautiful of all devotions is the 
 fulfilment of your duties. Work without prayer 
 is a vain occupation ; prayer without work is false 
 devotion. Satisfy your devotion after you have 
 
a^î tïje JSx^vtist of ont*â ^ïjarfie. 93 
 
 fulfilled your obligations. Precept is preferable to 
 counsel, and duties to works of supererogation. 
 
 If you would succeed in your labors never sep- 
 arate work from prayer. Pray before work, pray 
 during work, pray after work. The spiritual is to 
 the temporal what the soul is to the body. What 
 can the body do separated from the soul ? " Seek 
 first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all 
 these shall be added unto you." Look after the 
 principal, and the accessory will not be wanting. 
 
 Marks of Pui'Uy of Intentio7i. — For whom do you 
 labor ? Are your intentions pure ? Here are marks 
 of a pure intention: to labor with a tranquil heart; 
 to be ready to leave or continue a work you have 
 begun ; to labor as if only you and God were in the 
 world; to be content to have no sensible and nat- 
 ural satisfaction. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 OF VISITS AND CONVERSATION. 
 
 Visits should be Rare. — There are two kinds of 
 visits: one necessary, the other optional. We must 
 pay those that are necessary and regulate those 
 that are optional; that is, the last should be infre- 
 quent, brief, profitable, and modest. 
 
 Solitude is such a great blessing that we should 
 never abandon it except for something better. It 
 preserves us from sin and unites us with God. 
 
 Example is powerful; nature is frail. Love 
 springs from resemblance; conversation enkindles 
 love; if you frequent worldly society, you are 
 worldly or you will soon become so. 
 
 You wish, you say, to do good to others; I would 
 advise you to begin your apostolate with yourself. 
 Only he who has one foot firmly rooted in solitude 
 may, like the compass, describe a circle and a figure 
 without leaving his centre. We never converse 
 with others without giving something of ourselves 
 and receiving something from them. We give what 
 we have of good, and take, perhaps, what they have 
 of evil. 
 
 Do not trust to your virtue; it is soft wax which 
 will melt before fire; it is a shield of glass capable 
 
 94 
 
a^î Visits nnti ©onbersatîon, 95 
 
 of being shattered by the first arrow of temptation. 
 The Evil One is powerful in dangerous occasions, 
 and grace is weak; the heart is cowardly, passions 
 are turbulent, objects alluring, inclination to is evil 
 strong and violent. There is everything to fear 
 for one who fears nothing. 
 
 Vis/fs should be Brief. — If you are obliged to con- 
 verse with others, leave your solitude only as the 
 stone leaves its centre, as the magnet leaves the pole 
 — with an inclination and desire to return. Let your 
 visits and conversations be brief, and if you must 
 give time to this kind of duties, let it be as little as 
 possible. 
 
 I know no people more tiresome and more bur- 
 densome to others than they who imagine them- 
 selves least so. They are insupportable with their 
 long stories, and exhaust the patience of those 
 whom they visit. Moreover, hiow is it possible to 
 speak at such length and do no harm? 
 
 In any case, it is better to let people see too lit- 
 tle than too miuch of you; better that they should 
 long for you than dread you. We appreciate what 
 is rare; we disdain what is common. If your so- 
 ciety is profitable, you will not bestow it so readily. 
 If it is not profitable, you should not be so ready 
 to inflict it upon others. 
 
 However good and innocent a conversation may 
 be, it excites suspicion when it is too protracted. 
 
 We give nothing without receiving something, 
 and what can worldly people give you except sen- 
 timents of vanity and idleness ? These are tw^o 
 evil spirits which rarely leave them. 
 
 How can you expect God to dwell with you if 
 
9^ ®t Ui'sits anïr ^onbersation. 
 
 your heart is never at peace, if you are continually 
 pouring it out upon creatures ? 
 
 A bird which continually thrusts its head through 
 the bars of its cage shows that its dwelling does 
 not please it, that it longs to leave it. Happy is 
 the man who can remain at home and is independ- 
 ent of society. 
 
 Visits should be Profitable. — If your position 
 obliges you to go abroad somewhat, imitate St. 
 Catharine of Siena, of whom it is said that no one 
 approached her without becoming better. Let 
 your conversation be holy and profitable. 
 
 Let there be nothing against God. This is St. 
 Francis de Sales' great maxim, which we must al- 
 ways observe in conversation. Banish all raillery 
 and detraction. Never amuse yourself at the ex- 
 pense of others. Would you be willing that your 
 shortcomings should furnish entertainment to the 
 company ? 
 
 Do not be satisfied with doing no harm to any 
 one; do good, if possible, to every one. There is 
 nothing more earnestly recommended to us in the 
 writings of the apostles than edification and good 
 example. '* Dearly beloved, I beseech you," says 
 St. Peter, " let your conversation be good among 
 the Gentiles, that they may, by the good works 
 which they shall behold in you, glorify God." 
 And in the same chapter he again tells the faith- 
 ful: " According to Him That has called you, Who 
 is holy, be you also in all manner of conversation 
 holy." St. Paul gives the same exhortation to his 
 disciple Timothy: " Be thou an example of the 
 faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, 
 
<©f Visits anïr €onfaersnt!on. 97 
 
 in chastity." And he writes to the Philippians: 
 " Only let your conversation be worthy of the Gos- 
 pel of Christ." 
 
 From the fulness of the heart the mouth speak- 
 eth. When the apostles were filled with the Holy 
 Spirit they began to speak. You must be filled 
 with the spirit of the world, since you speak only 
 of its vanities. There is a time, it is true, for all 
 things, and you must beware of preaching untimely 
 sermons, or of wearying your hearers even with 
 good things. Your conversation should be sea- 
 soned with prudence. Honey is good, says the 
 Wise Man, but we should not eat too much of it. 
 
 Vis lis should be Modest. — If you converse with 
 others, and charity requires you to contribute 
 to their amusement, never let it be at the expense 
 of virtue or modesty. Be on your guard and watch 
 over yourself, bearing in mind that there are no 
 more dangerous occasions than such conversations. 
 Avoid an imperious or oracular manner of deliver- 
 ing )''our opinion, as if there were no appeal from it; 
 suffer others to differ with you without offence; do 
 not take advantage of the modesty of others to 
 monopolize the conversation and martyrize your 
 hearers. 
 
 Speak but little, and speak well, and allow others 
 the liberty you claim for yourself. 
 
 It is a mark of a trifling, ill-regulated mind to 
 interrupt. A wise man speaks only in default of 
 another, as it were, and to sustain the conversa- 
 tion. He follows the counsel of the Holy Spirit : 
 " Where there is no hearing pour not out words." 
 He knows that he needs the assistance of grace to 
 
9^ ©f Visits anlr <ïï:oubersation. 
 
 speak wisely, and that God gives this grace only 
 when He wills us to speak ; hence if we speak 
 otherwise, that is, if we interrupt and speak without 
 regard to others, we can hardly fail to fall into 
 some error or fault. Believe me, if you would 
 learn to speak wisely, you must begin by learning 
 to be silent. There are persons who speak more 
 with the body than with the tongue, and employ 
 more gestures than words. Gesture is intended 
 to emphasize, and sometimes to take the place of 
 speech ; it is a mute language which speaks to the 
 eye, and which is more readily understood by the 
 heart than the mind. Speech is the interpreter of 
 the mind, and gesture of the heart. But a profu- 
 sion of gesture takes from the dignity of speech, 
 and indicates, usually, an excitable mind. 
 
 If you do not allow yourself to be moved by 
 passion, you will speak modestly and temperately, 
 and your whole bearing will testify a temperate 
 and well-regulated mind. 
 
 It is great wisdom never to give or to take of- 
 fence ; to suffer without making others suffer ; to 
 be a martyr without martyrizing others ; to be 
 able to observe a certain amount of restraint in our 
 communications with others. There are persons 
 who open their hearts to any one and every one ; 
 and others, again, who seem to be living behind a 
 mask, either to surprise others or to guard against 
 surprise themselves. Both extremes should be 
 avoided ; the first shows great want of discretion, 
 the second proceeds from malice or distrust. 
 
 Cultivate ease and dignity of manner ; be re- 
 served without constraint, modest without affecta- 
 
®f ITisCts antf e:onbcrsatCon. 99 
 
 tion, obliging without flattery, merry without 
 levity, serious without severity. 
 
 One never speaks wisely under the influence of 
 passion. Good sense and piety counsel you to be 
 silent under such circumstances, and even if you 
 suffer confusion and mortification you will lose 
 nothing thereby, but gain immeasurably by con- 
 quering your passion. Enjoy recreation or amuse- 
 ment with a pure intention ; ask God to govern 
 your tongue ; keep yourself always in His pres- 
 ence ; put a bridle on your tongue, and whatever 
 the company in which you find yourself, never 
 forget that God and His angels are present. 
 
 Do not be of those whose principles change with 
 the times ; rule your passions ; do not abandon 
 yourself to their shameful caprices. You are a 
 man and a Christian. As a man you are guided 
 by reason, as a Christian by grace. Both tend to 
 preserve peace of soul, tranquillity of mind, and 
 serenity of heart. 
 
 In your visits and social intercourse treat others 
 with the kindness and courtesy you expect from 
 them. Cultivate an equable manner, avoiding 
 immoderate mirth or extreme solemnity ; gra- 
 ciously grant a favor in your power, and when 
 obliged to deny a request soften the refusal with 
 kindness and marks of affection. 
 
 Fidelity to God obliges you to prevent evil dis- 
 courses by adroitly changing the conversation, or 
 by paying no attention to it, or by making it evi- 
 dent that it displeases you. 
 
 Do not be of those weakly complacent characters 
 who praise everything, whether good or evil ; or of 
 
loo ®f i7C0îts anlr ©onbersatton. 
 
 those who indiscriminately censure and cavil at 
 everything, and whom it is impossible to please. 
 
 Justice requires that )''ou praise what is laudable; 
 and charity, that you share in the joy of your 
 neighbor. 
 
 Love, and do as you will. Love, I say, with that 
 love which is charity, and your conversation will be 
 like that of the angels, who bear with our defects, 
 who counsel us in our doubts, who console us in 
 our trials, who assist us in our miseries, who are 
 with us only to help and benefit us. Bear yourself 
 in like manner toward your neighbor, and your 
 conversation will be angelic. 
 
 Friendship. — To love through instinct is to love 
 as an animal ; to love according to inclination is to 
 love as a man ; to love against inclination is to love 
 as a saint ; this is the supreme effort of Christian 
 charity, and the triumph of divine love ; for only 
 God, says St. Thomas, can enable us to love one 
 who does not please us ; still more one who dis- 
 pleases us, who grieves and offends us. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 SILENCE.! 
 
 Endeavor to secure yourself in the course of 
 the afternoon fifteen minutes or a half hour of 
 silence. During these moments think sometimes 
 of the recollection of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and 
 unite your work with theirs ; at other times reflect 
 upon the respectful silence which the saints ob- 
 serve in heaven, where they are completely rapt in 
 God ; sigh for this blessed repose. 
 
 Speak heart to heart with your angel at your 
 side ; thank him for his care of your salvation, 
 promising him to respect and to faithfully follow 
 his inspirations. Ask him to present the prayers 
 and sighs of your heart to Our Lord. 
 
 You may also reflect upon the necessity of spend- 
 ing time profitably, and the strict account you will 
 have to render, at the last day, of every moment 
 of your life. 
 
 If you are alone recite some vocal prayers ; but 
 do not impose this silence upon those about you ; 
 if they speak to you answer without hesitation, 
 without, however, prolonging the conversation. 
 
 Offer your silence to God to repair the faults 
 
 * P. de Gonnelieu. 
 
 lOI 
 
I02 jSUence, 
 
 you have committed by your words, and also in 
 expiation of the sins of the tongue committed in 
 the world. If you fail in charity during the day, 
 or answer impatiently, punish yourself by observ- 
 ing silence for the space of time necessary to say a 
 miserere J it would be generous to impose this 
 silence on yourself when you feel most desirous to 
 speak. You have no idea how pleasing these little 
 sacrifices are to our divine Master. 
 
 INTENTIONS FOR THE OBSERVATION OF SILENCE.^ 
 
 We may have a special intention for each day of 
 the week, and sanctify our silence, offering it as 
 follows: 
 
 Sunday to the Holy Trinity, to honor the silence 
 of Jesus in the bosom of His Father. 
 
 Monday to the Holy Spirit, to honor the silence 
 of Jesus when He retired to the desert. 
 
 Tuesday to angel guardians, to imitate the 
 silence of the angels before the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment. 
 
 Wednesday to St. Joseph, to honor his silence 
 and obtain an interior spirit. 
 
 Thursday to the Sacred Heart in the Sacrament 
 of the Altar, where this divine Solitary observes a 
 profound silence. 
 
 Friday to the mystery of the cross, to honor the 
 silence which Jesus observed during His passion. 
 
 Saturday to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to 
 obtain the grace to imitate the silence of our holy 
 mother. 
 
 ' A director of souls. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 VISITS TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. 
 
 We are pleased to be in the society of those we 
 love. The Son of God delights to be with you. 
 Do you delight to be with Him ? Do you pay 
 Him a visit each day? He remains upon earth to 
 counsel you in your doubts, to console you in 
 your trials, to strengthen you in your tempta- 
 tions. Do you believe that He is on our altars? 
 Can you believe this and abandon Him ? 
 
 Various Inientiotis in Visiting the Blessed Sacrament. 
 Titles of Our Lord. — There are some who find 
 devotion in considering Our Lord under various 
 titles: Sunday as King, Monday as Father, Tues- 
 day as Friend, Wednesday as Physician, Thurs- 
 day as Spouse, Friday as Redeemer, Saturday as 
 glorious Conqueror and Vanquisher of demons. 
 
 We should make acts of faith, hope, love, con- 
 fidence, thanksgiving, etc., in conformity with our 
 present dispositions and the special title we are 
 considering. They who receive Communion daily 
 may. follow this same method and receive Our 
 Lord under a special title each day. 
 
 Different Circumstances of the Passion. — Others 
 consider Our Lord in the course of His passion, 
 of which this sacrament is a representation. 
 
 103 
 
I04 Visits to tijf iSlesseIr Sacrament» 
 
 Monda}^, in the Garden of Olives, struggling 
 with sorrow, and inviting you to struggle with 
 Him. Tuesday, in the house of Annas and Cai- 
 phas, bearing ignominy and insult, and inviting 
 you to bear injuries after His example. Wednes- 
 day, before Herod, classed with Barabbas, and 
 mocked as a fool, teaching you to bear to be 
 derided and contemned for His sake. Thursday, 
 in the scourging and crowning with thorns, telling 
 you how you must sufïer for Him. Friday, bear- 
 ing His cross to Calvary, and begging you to bear 
 it with Him and to die with Him. Saturday, in 
 the tomb and in limbo, exhorting you to descend 
 thither with Him. Sunday, risen in Galilee, or in 
 heaven, promising you that you will reign with 
 Him. 
 
 Virtues ajid Mysteries of Our Lord. — Others finally, 
 after the example of P. de Gonnelieu, consider a 
 virtue, a mystery of Our Lord corresponding to 
 the day of the week. 
 
 Simday : Contemplate Jesus gloriously risen. 
 Ask, with confidence, a share in the joys of His 
 glorious resurrection, and for this end receive the 
 trials of life with submissive patience. 
 
 Monday: Honor Jesus in His state of victim in 
 the Sacrament of the Altar; immolate yourself 
 completely to His love by sacrificing to Him your 
 passions, your ill-regulated desires, thoughts, and 
 afïections, and unite yourself with the expiation 
 which Jesus offers to God His Father. 
 
 Tuesday: Honor the faithful obedience of Our 
 Lord, Who descends upon the altar at the voice of 
 
Visits to tï)e îôlesseîr .Sacrament. 105 
 
 the priest, and take the resolution to obey all your 
 superiors for love of Him. 
 
 Wednesday : Meditate on the patience of Jesus in 
 the Blessed Sacrament, where He endures the 
 outrages and ingratitude of bad Christians. Ask 
 pardon for your guilty brethren and for yourself, 
 and beg the grace to bear without complaint the 
 offences and trials which fall to your lot. 
 
 Thursday: Adore Jesus humbled, ignored, de- 
 spised, and abandoned by men, for whom He is 
 daily immolated. Bear Him company by uniting 
 yourself with all your soul to His meek and 
 humble heart. 
 
 Friday: Honor the love which impelled your 
 divine Saviour to give Himself without reserve, 
 in order to transform you into Himself. Return 
 His love with true devotion. 
 
 Saturday: Thank Him for the liberality Hehas 
 manifested toward you in the many graces He has 
 bestowed upon you in your Communions. Ask 
 pardon for the abuse you have made of them, and 
 resolve again to love Him without reserve, and to 
 serve Him with your whole heart. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SPIRITUAL RECOLLECTION.! 
 
 It is to this point, my dear Philothea, that I wish 
 to draw your particular attention, since in it con- 
 sists one of the most assured means of your spirit- 
 ual advancement. Recollect as often as you can, 
 in the course of the day, by any of the four ways I 
 have marked out for you, that you stand in the 
 presence of God: observe what He does, and what 
 you are doing, and you will find His eyes perpet- 
 ually fixed upon you with an inconceivable love. 
 Then say to Him: " O my God! why do I not turn 
 my eyes toward Thee, as Thou always lookest on 
 me ? Why dost Thou think incessantly on me, O 
 my God? and why do I seldom think on Thee? 
 Where are we, O my soul ? Our true place of rest is 
 God, and where do we find ourselves?" 
 
 As birds have their nests on trees, to which they 
 retire at need, and the deer thickets and forests in 
 which they hide from pursuit, or enjoy the cool 
 shade of summer, so will we, Philothea, choose 
 some place every day, either on Mount Calvary or 
 in the wounds of Our Lord, or some place near 
 
 !" Introduction to a Devout Life." 
 1 06 
 
âîJirîtual î^ecoUection, 107 
 
 Him, as a retreat to which we may occasionally re- 
 tire, to refresh and recreate ourselves amidst oui 
 exterior occupations, and there, as in a stronghold, 
 defend ourselves against temptations. Blessed is 
 he that can say with truth to Our Lord: "Thou 
 art my place of strength and my refuge, my de- 
 fence from storms, and my shadow from the heat " 
 (Ps. Ixx. 3, Isa. XXV. 4). 
 
 Remember, Philothea, to retire occasionally into 
 the solitude of your heart, while you are outwardly 
 engaged in business or conversation. This mental 
 solitude cannot be prevented by the multitude of 
 those who surround you; for as they are not about 
 your heart, but your body, your heart may re- 
 main in the presence of God alone. This was the 
 exercise which the holy King David practised 
 amidst his various occupations, as he testifies in 
 the following, as well as in the several other parts 
 of his psalms: " O Lord, I am always with Thee. 
 I beheld Thee, Lord, always before me. I have 
 lifted up my eyes to Thee, O my God, Who dwellest 
 in heaven. My eyes are ever toward Thee, Lord." 
 
 And indeed our conversation is seldom so serious 
 or our occupation so absorbing as to prevent us 
 from withdrawing our hearts occasionally from 
 them, in order to retire into this divine solitude. 
 
 When the parents of St. Catharine of Siena de- 
 prived her of every opportunity, place, or leisure to 
 pray and meditate. Our Lord inspired her to make 
 a little oratory in the depth of her heart, whither 
 she could retire in spirit amidst the painful labors 
 which her parents imposed upon her. And she 
 received no inconvenience from the attacks of the 
 
io8 âaiCritual î^ecoUrctfon, 
 
 world, because, as she said, she shut herself up in 
 her interior retreat, where she comforted herself 
 with her heavenly Spouse. She found this practice 
 so profitable that she afterwards counselled her 
 spiritual children to adopt it. 
 
 Retire, therefore, from time to time, into the 
 solitude of your soul, where, separated from all 
 creatures, you may speak heart to heart with God 
 on the affairs of your soul, as a friend speaks to a 
 friend. Say with David: ''I am become like to a 
 pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven 
 in the house. I have watched, and am become as 
 a sparrow, all alone on the house top " (Ps. ci.). 
 These words, taken in a literal sense, show us that 
 this great king spent solitai'y hours in the contem- 
 plation of spiritual things. And taken in a mystical 
 sense they reveal three excellent retreats whither 
 we may retire to be with Our Saviour. The 
 raven in the dark, silent house brings to mind the 
 desolate stable where Our Saviour lay hidden from 
 the world, expiating and mourning our sins. The 
 pelican of the wilderness, which with her own blood 
 nourishes and gives life to her young, indicates 
 Calvary, where Our Saviour shed the last drop of 
 His blood for us. The sparrow flying heavenward 
 recalls the ascension of Our Saviour when He glo- 
 riously ascended from this earth to heaven. Let 
 us frequently retire in this way to contemplate 
 Our Saviour under these various circumstances. 
 Blessed Elzear, Count of Provence, having been 
 long absent from his devout and chaste Delphina, 
 she sent a special express to him, to inquire after 
 his health, by whom he returned this answer: " I 
 
âajirîtual î^ecoïlecttûtt, 109 
 
 am very well, my dear spouse, but if you desire to 
 see me, seek me in the wound of the side of our 
 dear Saviour, for it is there only that I dwell; there 
 will you find me; if you seek me elsewhere, you 
 will seek in vain." This was a Christian nobleman 
 indeed. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OF ASPIRATIONS, EJACULATORY PRAYERS, AND 
 GOOD THOUGHTS. ^ 
 
 We retire into God because we aspire to Him; 
 and we aspire to Him that we may retire into Him: 
 so that aspirations to God and spiritual retirement 
 are the mutual support of each other, and both 
 proceed from the same source, — viz., devout and 
 pious thoughts. 
 
 Make then, Philothea, frequent aspirations to 
 God by short but fervent elevations of your heart. 
 Admire the infinite excellence of His perfections; 
 implore the assistance of His power; cast yourself 
 in spirit at the foot of Jesus crucified; adore His 
 goodness; converse with Him frequently on the 
 affairs of your salvation; present your soul to Him 
 a thousand times a day; contemplate His clemency 
 and His sweetness; stretch out your hand to Him, 
 as a little child to his father, that He may conduct 
 you; place Him in your bosom, like a fragrant 
 nosegay; plant Him in your soul, as the standard 
 under which you will fight the enemy; rouse and 
 appeal to your heart in innumerable ways, to en- 
 kindle and excite in it a passionate and tender 
 
 ' "Introduction to a Devout Life," Book IL, ch. xiii. 
 
 no 
 
aspirations, Hfaculatora? îarawcrs, fôooîr ^Tïjouflj^ts. m 
 
 affection for your Spouse. Ejaculatory prayer was 
 strenuously recommended by the great St. Austin 
 to the devout Lady Proba. And, Philothea, if we 
 accustom our soul to treat familiarly with God in 
 this way, it will be altogether perfumed with His 
 perfections. Now there is no difficulty in this ex- 
 ercise, as it is neither difficult nor incompatible 
 with other occupations, since in these spiritual and 
 interior aspirations we only make short deviations 
 which, instead of preventing, rather assist us in the 
 pursuit of the object we have in view. The pil- 
 grim, though he stops to take a little wine to re- 
 fresh himself, interrupts not his journey by doing 
 so, but, on the contrary, acquires new strength to 
 finish it with more ease and expedition, resting 
 only that he may afterwards proceed the faster. 
 
 Many have collected a store of vocal aspirations, 
 which may be very profitable; but I would advise 
 you not to confine yourself to any set form of 
 words, but to pronounce, either with your heart or 
 your lips, such as love spontaneously suggests; 
 for it will furnish you with all that you can desire. 
 It is true there are certain words which have a pe- 
 culiar force to satisfy the heart in this respect, 
 such as the aspirations interspersed so copiously 
 throughout the psalms of David; the frequent in- 
 vocations of the name of Jesus; the ejaculations 
 of love expressed in the Canticles, etc. Spiritual 
 hymns will also answer the same purpose when 
 sung with attention. 
 
 They who love with a human and natural affec- 
 tion have their hearts and thoughts incessantly 
 engaged by the object of their passion, and their 
 
112 aspirations, ISfaculatorg 33ra»ers, ôJooïr 2Cï|ûUfli)ts. 
 
 lips continually chant its praise. When absent 
 they lose no opportunity of testifying their affec- 
 tion by letter, and meet not a tree on the bark of 
 which they do not inscribe the name of their be- 
 loved. In like manner, such as truly love God can 
 never cease to think of Him; they live and breathe 
 only for Him; their only thought is the pleasure of 
 loving Him; His praise is ever on their lips, and, 
 were it possible, they would engrave the sacred 
 name of Jesus on the breast of all mankind. 
 
 To this all things invite them, as there is no 
 creature that does not declare to them the praises 
 of their beloved; and, as St. Austin says, after St. 
 Antony, everything in the world speaks to them 
 in a silent yet very intelligible language in favor 
 of their love. All things excite them to good 
 thoughts, which give bi^rth to many animated no- 
 tions and aspirations of the soul to God. Behold 
 some examples: 
 
 St. Gregory Nazianzen, walking on the sea-shore, 
 observed how the waves, advancing upon the beach, 
 left behind them shells, little periwinkles, stalks of 
 weeds, small oysters, and the like, which the sea 
 had cast upon the shore, and then, returning with 
 other waves, took part of them back, and swal- 
 lowed them up again, while the adjoining rocks 
 continued firm and immovable, though the billows 
 beat against them with so much violence. Upon 
 which he made this salutary reflection: that feeble 
 souls, like shells and stalks of weeds, suffer them- 
 selves to be borne away sometimes by affliction, 
 and at other times by consolation, at the mercy of 
 the inconstant billows of fortune; but that cou- 
 
gl0pirations, JSjîiculaîovp î9ra»ers» fôoolr îTijougfjts. i '3 
 
 rageous souls continue firm and unmoved under all 
 kinds of storms; and from this thought he pro- 
 ceeded to those aspirations of David (Ps. Ixviii,): 
 " Save me, O God : for the waters are come in 
 even unto my soul. O Lord ! deliver me out of 
 these deep waters. I am come into the depth of 
 the sea: and a tempest hath overwhelmed me." At 
 that time he was in affliction for the unhappy- 
 usurpation of his bishopric attempted by Maxi- 
 mus. 
 
 St. Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspa, being present 
 at a general assembly of the Roman nobility, when 
 Theodoric of the Goths made an oration to them, 
 and beholding the splendor of many great lords, 
 ranked each according to his quality, exclaimed: 
 "O God, liow glorious and beautiful must the 
 heavenly Jerusalem be, since earthly Rome appears 
 in so much pomp ! For if in this world the lovers of 
 vanity be permitted to shine so bright, what must 
 that glory be which is reserved in the next world 
 for the lovers and contemplators of truth ! " 
 
 St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, by whose 
 birth our mountains have been highly honored, 
 was admirable in the application of good thoughts. 
 As this holy prelate was proceeding on a journey, 
 a hare pursued by hounds ran under his horse, as 
 to a place of refuge, suggested by the imminent 
 danger of death ; whilst the hounds, barking 
 around, durst not attempt to violate the sanctuary 
 to which their prey had recourse. A sight so very 
 extraordinary made the whole company burst into 
 laughter ; but the saint, weeping and sighing, cried 
 out: "Alas! you laugh, but the poor beast does 
 
114 ^spiratConSt ÎEjaculators jpragers, ffîooïr ^Tfjougfjts. 
 
 not laugh ; the enemies of the soul, after hunting 
 and driving it on, through various turnings and 
 windings, into every kind of sin, lie in wait for it 
 at the narrow passage of death, to catch and devour 
 it ; but the soul, being terrified, looks for succor 
 and refuge on every side ; and if it find none, 
 its enemies mock and deride it." When the saint 
 had thus spoken, he rode on, sighing. 
 
 Constantine the Great wrote with great respect 
 to St, Antony ; at w^hich the religious about him 
 being greatly surprised, the saint said : " Why are 
 you astonished that a king should write to a man ? 
 Be astonished rather that the eternal God has 
 written His law to mortal men ; nay more, has 
 spoken to them by word of mouih in the person 
 of His Son." 
 
 St. Francis, seeing a sheep alone amidst a flock 
 of goats, said to those about him : " Observe the 
 poor sheep, how mild it is amidst the goats ; our 
 blessed Lord walked thus meekly and humbly 
 among the Pharisees." At another time seeing a 
 lamb devoured by a hog, he exclaimed in tears : 
 "Ah ! little lamb, how vividly dost thou represent 
 the death of my Saviour ! " 
 
 The illustrious St. Francis Borgia, while yet 
 Duke of Gandia, frequently recreated himself at 
 the chase, during which amusement he was accus- 
 tomed to make a thousand devout reflections. " I 
 admired," said he afterwards, "how" the falcons 
 come to hand, suffer themselves to be hooded and 
 to be tied to the perch ; and yet men are so rebel- 
 lious to the voice of God." 
 
 The great St. Basil said that the rose in the 
 
aspirations, îS/aculators îPragers, 0ïooïr s:]^ûiisï)ts. i ' 5 
 
 midst of thorns makes this remonstrance to men : 
 " That which is most agreeable in this world, O ye 
 mortals ! is mingled with sorrow ; nothing here is 
 pure ; regret always follows mirth ; widowhood, 
 marriage ; care, fruitfulness ; and ignominy, glory. 
 Expense follows honor ; loathing comes after de- 
 light ; and sickness after health." ''The rose is a 
 fair flower," said this holy man, " yet it makes me 
 sorrowful, reminding me of my sin, for which the 
 earth has been condemned to bring forth thorns." 
 A devout soul standing over a brook on a very 
 clear night, and seeing the heavens and stars 
 therein represented, exclaimed, *' O my God ! 
 these very stars which I now behold shall be one 
 day beneath my feet, when Thou shalt have lodged 
 me in Thy celestial tabernacles ; and as the stars of 
 heaven are here represented, even so are the men 
 of this earth represented in the living fountain of 
 divine charity." Another, seeing a river flowing 
 swiftly along, cried out, " My soul shall never be 
 at rest till she be swallowed up in the sea of the 
 divinity, her original source." St. Francisca, con- 
 templating a pleasant brook, upon the bank of 
 which she was kneeling in prayer, being rapt in 
 ecstasy, often repeated these words: "The grace 
 of my God flows thus gently and sweetly like this 
 little stream." Another, looking on the trees in 
 bloom, sighed and said : " Ah ! why am I alone 
 without blossom in the garden of the Church ?" 
 Another, seeing little chickens gathered together 
 under the hen, said : " Preserve us, O Lord, con- 
 tinually under the shadow of Thy wing." Another, 
 looking upon the flower called heliotrope, which 
 
ii6 aspirations, ÎB/aculators îPvawerîs, CSfoolr ^Tïjoufij^ts. 
 
 turns to the sun, exclaimed : " When shall the time 
 come, O my God ! that my soul shall faithfully 
 follow the attractions of Thy goodness ? " And 
 seeing the flowers called pansies, which are beau- 
 tiful but without fragrance, he said, " Ah ! such 
 are my conceptions, fair in appearance, but of no 
 effect, producing nothing." 
 
 Behold, Philothea ! how one may extract good 
 thoughts and holy aspirations from everything 
 that presents itself amidst the variety of this 
 mortal life. 
 
 Unhappy they who withdraw creatures from 
 their Creator, to make them the instruments of sin; 
 and thrice happy they that turn creatures to the 
 glory of their Creator and employ them to the 
 honor of His sovereign majesty, as St. Gregory 
 Nazianzen says : " I am wont to refer all things to 
 my spiritual profit." Read the devout epitaph of 
 St. Paula, composed by St. Jerome ; how agreeable 
 to behold it interspersed with those aspirations 
 and holy thoughts which she was accustomed to 
 draw from occurrences of every nature ! 
 
 Now as the great work of devotion consists in 
 the exercise of spiritual recollection and ejacula- 
 tory prayers, the want of all other prayers may be 
 supplied by them ; but the loss of these can scarcely 
 be repaired by any other means. Without them 
 we cannot lead a good active life, much less a con- 
 templative one. Without them repose would be 
 but idleness and labor vexation. Wherefore I con- 
 jure you to embrace this exercise with your whole 
 heart, without ever desisting from its practice. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' MANNER OF PERFORMING 
 HIS ACTIONS.i 
 
 I AM reliably informed that St. Francis de Sales, 
 in the performance of exterior duties, represented 
 to himself similar actions in the life of our per- 
 fect model, Jesus Christ. In conferring Holy 
 Orders he beheld Our Lord consecrating priests 
 and apostles. When he administered the sacra- 
 ments, he thanked Him for instituting them, and 
 for the great benefit the faithful derived from 
 them. When he visited the sick he represented to 
 himself Our Saviour visiting the mother-in-law of 
 Peter and the daughter of the prince of the syna- 
 gogue. When he conversed with companions, he 
 remembered that Our Saviour repulsed no one. 
 When present at any social gathering, he con- 
 templated Him at the marriage-feast of Cana in 
 Galilee. When he found himself alone, he recalled 
 Our Lord's solitude in the desert. When suffer- 
 ing under persecution, he contemplated Him 
 forced to fly from the persecution of Herod. 
 When he honored his parents, he thanked God for 
 deigning to be subject to Mary and Joseph. In 
 
 ' P. de la Rivière, S.J. 
 117 
 
ii8 St, iFrancis' i^annet of JBoinQ Ws actions» 
 
 times of joy he adored Him on Mount Tabor. In 
 times of suffering and spiritual dryness he con- 
 templated Him on the cross on Calvary. 
 
 In a word, whatever he did, whatever befell 
 him, he kept his thoughts fixed upon his tender 
 Redeemer, from whom he learned innumerable 
 wise things and pious sentiments. 
 
Part Second. 
 THE INTERIOR LIFE. 
 
" The presence of God which sanctifies our souls is that 
 indwelling of the Trinity which penetrates to the depths of our 
 hearts when they are submissive to the divine will; for the 
 presence of God which we enjoy through the exercise of con- 
 templation effects this intimate union in us only as do all other 
 things which come to us in the order of God. It holds, how- 
 ever, the first rank among them, for it is the most excellent 
 means of uniting one's self with God when He wills that we 
 should use it." (" Abandonment to Divine Providence.") 
 
 "Our life may be estimated by our prayer, and our prayer 
 by our mortification." (P. Grasset.) 
 
 " To place ourselves in the presence of God, it is necessary 
 that we make some effort, or that God Himself attract us; but 
 to remain in it requires neither effort on our part nor attraction 
 on the part of God. If we simply stay where He is pleased to 
 have us, and because He is pleased to have us there, we remain 
 in His presence." (St. Francis de Sales.) 
 
 1 20 
 
FIRST TREATISE. 
 
 THE SOURCES OF OUR IMPERFECTIONS AND 
 THEIR REMEDIES.! 
 
 There are four general sources of our imperfec- 
 tions which require to be carefully considered. 
 
 I. Forgetfuhiess of the Etid. — The first is that we 
 think not at all, or very little, of the end of our 
 creation and our vocation. We live as if we were 
 placed in this world only to live, and not to serve 
 God and save our souls. 
 
 We are satisfied with taking good resolutions 
 and writing good purposes. Paradise is not ob- 
 tained by desires, but by deeds. 
 
 Remedy for this Forgetfuhiess. — To remedy this 
 disorder, frequently consider whence you come and 
 whither you are going. You come from God, and 
 you are going to God. A traveller always keeps 
 his destination before him. A marksman keeps 
 his eyes fixed on the target. Let the eyes of your 
 soul be always fixed upon your end, and frequently 
 ask yourself. What have I come into this world to 
 do? What have I come into religion to do? Is 
 it to pass away time or to employ it well ? 
 
 IT. Neglect of the Means. — The second source of 
 our imperfections and our infidelities is that, 
 
 ! P. Crasset, S.J. 
 
 121 
 
122 Sources of imperfections; tijeir remelries. 
 
 though we think of our end and desire to attain 
 it, we do not take the necessary means. It is by 
 means of our actions that we become perfect and 
 that we gain heaven. Now a good action requires 
 to be not only beautiful and regular in appear- 
 ance, but must be good interiorly; that is, it must 
 be actuated by a pure, upright, disinterested in- 
 tention; it must be animated by an interior spirit, 
 which is to the action what the soul is to the 
 body. Our life is such as our actions, and the 
 perfection of our life depends on the perfection of 
 our actions. 
 
 Remedy for this Neglect. — To correct this fault 
 accustom yourself to perform your actions through 
 a virtuous motive, with an upright, pure, and holy 
 intention, with all the application of your mind, 
 and all the affection of your heart, as if each 
 action were the last of your life, reflecting that 
 God's eyes are fixed upon you, and that He awaits 
 this service from you. Frequently bring to mind 
 the following thoughts, which will help you to 
 perform them well : that God wills you to con- 
 tribute to His glory by this action ; that He con- 
 templates this action; that He attaches a special 
 grace to this action ; that by this action He will 
 recognize whether you love Him ; that you are 
 rendering Him a service by performing this ac- 
 tion well. 
 
 That His wisdom has regulated this action from 
 all eternity. 
 
 That His infinite greatness ennobles this action. 
 
 That His adorable sanctity consecrates this 
 action. 
 
Sources of imperfections; tj^eCr remedies. 123 
 
 That His sovereign will ordains this action. 
 
 That you satisfy His love by performing this 
 action well. 
 
 That your peace of heart depends on this action. 
 
 That your merit is contained in this action. 
 
 That you will offend God if you fail to perform 
 this action. 
 
 That you will be deprived of the grace which 
 ought to follow this action. 
 
 That your salvation, perhaps, depends on this 
 action. 
 
 That you should, therefore, think only of per- 
 forming this action well. 
 
 HI. Want of Recollection. — The third source of 
 our imperfections is want of recollection and of 
 attention to ourselves. We are pleased to converse 
 and to remain with those we love. The heart flies 
 to the place of its treasure and thinks only of 
 what it desires. If we love God we shall think 
 unceasingly of Him and willingly remain in His 
 company. And as He is in the depth of our souls, 
 if we love Him our hearts will never go abroad, or 
 will return at once if they chance to wander. But 
 alas! we must needs go abroad for we find noth- 
 ing in our interior which pleases us, hence we are 
 always abroad seeking consolation of creatures. 
 A dissipated soul is like the wandering sheep, 
 which is eventually devoured by the wolf. 
 
 Re7nedy for this Third Fault: a Spirit of Prayer. — 
 To avoid this misfortune, keep yourself always in 
 the presence of God, and preserve a spirit of recol- 
 lection in all your exterior occupations. Let your 
 soul walk after the manner of your body, keeping 
 
i24 âûurces of £m})erfections; tfjeir remeîrCes. 
 
 one foot firm and motionless while the other ad- 
 vances; when your mind labors, let your heart be 
 in repose and remain motionless in its centre, 
 which is the will of God, from which it should 
 never deviate. 
 
 Before beginning an action always see whether 
 it is in order, whether it is pleasing to God, 
 whether it is for Him you do it, and then ask His 
 blessing. 
 
 During the action raise your mind from time to 
 time to God, renew the purity of your intention; 
 do not let your heart be w^iolly absorbed by the 
 work or marred by natural satisfaction. Restrain 
 the ardor of passion, which seeks to penetrate all 
 actions, and if it must accompany you, let it not 
 precede, but follow reason; let it not rule as 
 master, but obey as a slave. You will know that 
 you are performing an action for God, if you 
 readily abandon it when necessary, and suffer 
 interruption with patience. 
 
 After you have accomplished the action, return 
 to the solitude of your heart and rest a brief mo- 
 ment on the breast of Our Lord before passing on 
 to another. Do not imagine that you have lost 
 the presence of God because you have been a few 
 moments without thinking of Him; it is not possi- 
 ble in this life for the mind to be always occupied 
 with God, and this thought might even divert you 
 from your work. But the heart should never 
 depart for a moment from its love and its obedi- 
 ence. 
 
 Bear this well in mind, that you are in the pres- 
 ence of God as long as you do His will, and that 
 
Sources of ï-mprrfrctions; tïjeîr rrmeïries. 125 
 
 you are thinking of Him when you are thinking of 
 acquitting yourself faithfully of the duties He has 
 imposed upon you. He wishes you to discharge 
 your duties faithfulh^ which you cannot do un- 
 less you apply all your mind to them. For this 
 • reason, if the thought of God prevented me from 
 applying my mind to this present writing, I should 
 be obliged to reject it as a distraction. Therefore 
 do not imagine that you have wandered from the 
 presence of God, or that God has withdrawn from 
 you, because vou have not thought of Him for a 
 time; if you have dore His will, you have con- 
 tinued in His presence, and 3^ou will lose it only 
 when you do something contrary to His will. You 
 are united in heart and mind to God when you 
 apply yourself to doing well what He wills, and 
 your intention is such that if you were asked for 
 whom you were doing this action, you could at 
 once reply, for God, to obey Him and to please 
 Him. Remember that you are only as distracted 
 as you will to be; if you have not wished to be 
 distracted, you have not been. 
 
 IV. Want of Mortification. — The fourth and prin- 
 cipal source of our imperfections, to omit all the 
 others which would make these reflections too 
 long, is that we are fond of the pleasant things of 
 life and have a horror of mortification. 
 
 Within us we have self-love, which always seeks 
 sensible pleasure; without us, the Evil One, who 
 tempts us; the world, which attracts us; objects 
 which flatter us; occasions which encompass us. 
 Therefore if we are not always on our guard and 
 if we do not close the doors of our senses to all 
 
126 Sources of imperfections; tïjeîr remelrCes. 
 
 these enemies, they will soon become masters of 
 our hearts. 
 
 There is a strange opposition between the soul 
 and the body, between the spirit and the flesh, 
 between grace and nature. That which strength- 
 ens one weakens the other; that which gives life to 
 one is death to the other. Therefore, to preserve 
 the life of grace, we must never cease to mortify 
 the inclinations of nature. 
 
 It is not sufficient to mortify ourselves for a time 
 and in one thing; we must, if possible, mortify our- 
 selves in everything and at all times, with prudence 
 and discretion. One untimely indulgence makes 
 nature more proud and insolent than a hundred 
 victories weaken it. A clock must be wound reg- 
 ularly, a garden must always be cultivated, the 
 hands must be constantly washed, the hair must be 
 constantly combed. If you cease for a time to 
 mortify your passions you will no longer find any- 
 thing in your soul. " My brethren," says St. Ber- 
 nard, " that which is cut down springs up again, 
 that which is extinguished rekindles, that which 
 sleeps wakens again." To preserve the interior 
 spirit of devotion, we must prevent the soul from 
 diffusing itself abroad, by closing to it the doors of 
 the senses, by encompassing it, as the Prophet says, 
 with a hedge of thorns. We rouse nature instead 
 of subduing it. All our efforts tend to strengthen 
 it instead of to weaken it. This is too incon- 
 venient, we protest ; this devotion is too severe, it 
 interferes with my health, it would make me lose 
 my mind. It does not suit me. I could not live 
 in that way. Then acknowledge that you are not 
 
Sources of îîmjjrrfections ; tjnr remeïrîes. 127 
 
 a reasonable man ; that you are not a Christian ; 
 that you are not one of the elect ; to be predestined 
 one must resemble Jesus Christ, walk in His foot- 
 steps, and imitate His example. Acknowledge, 
 further, that you have not the spirit of Jesus Christ, 
 since you obey the flesh, which continually wars 
 against it. Acknowledge, finally, that you re- 
 nounce the crown of paradise, since it is only for 
 those who have fought the flesh and mortified 
 themselves. 
 
 O Christian soul, did you come into this world 
 to live as the beasts ? Where will you be placed in 
 paradise ? In what rank ? In what order ? Among 
 the martyrs covered with wounds ? Among the 
 confessors exhausted with penance ? There is no 
 saint that has not crucified his flesh with its vices ; 
 and you, cowardly deserter of the cross, you ease- 
 loving, effeminate soul, you would dare to take 
 your place among these valiant warriors, these 
 noble conquerors who spent their lives in combat 
 and won innumerable victories ? 
 
 Remedy for this Fourth Fault : a Spirit of Mortifi- 
 cation. — The remedy for all these disorders is to 
 persuade yourself that, having come into this world 
 only to save your soul, and into religion only to 
 sanctify yourself, you are obliged, whether in one 
 or the other, to practise mortification ; since with- 
 out mortification and without that holy hatred of 
 yourself, you can be neither a Christian nor a 
 saint, nor can you attain either perfection or hap- 
 piness. 
 
 Begin then to cause Jesus Christ to live and 
 reign in you by the mortification of your passions. 
 
128 Sources of Kmjjerfectîons; îïjeir temelrîrfiî. 
 
 Die to the life of the senses by refusing them all 
 that they desire contrary to the commands of God 
 and the dictates of reason. Mortify your tongue, 
 never speaking in anger, or in the time of silence, 
 or when you have a great desire to speak. Mortify 
 your eyes by keeping them cast down and by refrain- 
 ing from curious glances. Mortify your ears by 
 closing them to vain discourses, idle words, un- 
 charitable, frivolous, or dangerous conversations. 
 Mortify your flesh by granting it only what is 
 purely necessary, unless reason or obedience dic- 
 tate otherwise. As a rule, deny yourself anything 
 that you passionately desire ; and, in return for 
 the sacrifice, God will flood your soul with the 
 torrent of His delights, and overwhelm you with 
 ineffable consolations. Taste and see that the Lord 
 is sweet. 
 
SECOND TREATISE. 
 MORTIFICATION. 
 I. TRUE IDEA OF MORTIFICATION^ 
 
 The true idea of mortification is, that it is the 
 love of Jesus, urged into that shape partly in 
 imitation of Him, partly to express its own vehe- 
 mence, and partly to secure by an instinct of self- 
 preservation its own perseverance. There can be 
 no true or enduring love without it, for a certain 
 amount of it is requisite in order to avoid sin 
 and keep the commandments. Neither without it 
 is there any respectable perseverance in the spirit- 
 ual life. The rest which forms part of the normal 
 state of the spiritual life is not safe without it, be- 
 cause of the propension of nature to seek repose in 
 natural ways when supernatural are no longer open 
 to it. Mortification is both interior and exterior, 
 and of course the superior excellence of the interior 
 is beyond question. But if there is one doctrine 
 more important than another on this subject, it is 
 that there can be no interior mortification without 
 exterior ; and this last must come first. In a word, 
 to be spiritual, bodily mortification is indispensa- 
 ble. 
 
 ' "Growth in Holiness." 
 129 
 
130 l^ortttfcatïon* 
 
 II. NECESSITY OF MORTIFICATION. 
 
 Some have spoken as if bodily mortification were 
 less necessary in modern times than it was before, 
 and consequently that the recommendations of 
 spiritual writers under this head are to be taken 
 with considerable abatement. If this means that 
 a less degree of mortification is necessary for holi- 
 ness now than was necessary for past ages of the 
 Church, nothing can be more untrue, and it comes 
 up to the verge of condemned propositions. If it 
 means that increased valetudinarianism and the uni- 
 versality of nervous diseases, combined with other 
 causes, discreetly point to a change in the kind of 
 mortifications, the proposition may be assented lo, 
 with jealousy, however, and wary limitations. The 
 Lenten Induits of the Church may be taken as an 
 illustration. 
 
 But this false doctrine is so deep in the minds of 
 many that it is necessary to combat it before we 
 proceed further. The degree of mortification and 
 its idea must remain the same in all ages of the 
 Church, for penance is an abiding mark of the 
 Church. To do penance because the kingdom of 
 heaven is at hand is the work of a justified soul. 
 To get grace, to keep it, and to multiply it, penance 
 is necessary at every step. And when we say that 
 holiness is a note of the Catholic Church, we show 
 forth the necessity of mortification ; for the one 
 implies the other, the first the last. The heroic 
 exercise of penance must be proved to the satis- 
 faction of the Church before she will proceed to the 
 canonization of a saint ; and the quite recent beati- 
 
i«ort(ftcatïon. 131 
 
 fications of Paul of the Cross and Marianna of Gesu 
 show how completely unaltered the mind of the 
 Church remains on this point. Marianna's life is 
 nothing but one unbroken series of the most start- 
 ling austerities, which make us shudder from the 
 inventive cruelty which they display. The life of 
 St. Rose of Lima, by the side of those American 
 virgins, looks soft, comfortable, and easy. It 
 seems as if Paul were raised up to alarm the stag- 
 nant eighteenth century, and to renew before the 
 eyes of men the austerities of St. Benedict, St. 
 Bruno, St. Romuald, or St. Peter Damian. He 
 reanimated the old severe monastic spirit, in con- 
 tempt of all modern usages and mitigations, and 
 for a hundred years his children have trodden in 
 their father's steps with undecayihg fervor. The 
 existence and primitive vigor of the austere Pas- 
 sionists is one of the greatest consolations of the 
 Church in these effeminate days. 
 
 We must remember also that, according to the 
 teaching of Scripture, it is quite a mistake to re- 
 gard, as some unthinkingly do, the practice of 
 mortification as a counsel of perfection and a work 
 of supererogation. 
 
 When carried to a certain degree, or when ex- 
 pressed in certain ways, it is doubtless so. But 
 mortification in itself, and to a certain degree, and 
 under given circumstances, is of precept and neces- 
 sary to salvation. This is not onh^ true of the self- 
 inflicted pains which are sometimes of obligation 
 in order to overcome vehement temptations, or of 
 those various mortifications which are needful too 
 in order to avoid sin; but a definite amount of fast- 
 
132 i^orttfication. 
 
 ing and abstinence, irrespective of the temptations 
 or circumstances of individuals, is imposed by the 
 Church on all her children under pain of eternal 
 damnation. This expresses the idea of penance 
 for its own sake, and the necessity of it, as one of the 
 functions of the Church, as a soul-saving institute. 
 When, therefore, men say that they do not practise 
 mortification, but leave it to those who wish to be 
 saints, they may, on being questioned, show that 
 they are sound in doctrine and do not mean the 
 error which their words, strictly taken, imply; but 
 we may be sure that the very use of such loose 
 language is a proof that a real error about mortifi- 
 cation is deeply imbedded in their minds. 
 
 Indeed, modern luxury and effeminacy, which 
 are often pleaded as arguments for an abatement 
 of mortification, may just as well be called forward 
 to maintain the opposite view; for if it be a special 
 office of the Church to bear witness against the 
 world, her witness must especially be borne against 
 the reigning vices of the world, and therefore in 
 these days against effeminacy, the worship of 
 comfort, and the extravagances of luxury. 
 
 If the Church has to witness always against the 
 reigning vices of the world, each soul has likewise, 
 if not to witness, at least to defend itself against 
 them. And how shall it defend itself against the 
 worship of bodily comforts except by depriving 
 itself of them ? Changeable as the world is, it is 
 unchanging too. The world, the flesh, and the 
 devil are practically the same in all ages; and so, 
 practically, mortification has the same offices to 
 perform. Whether we consider the soul in the 
 
i^ortlficatCon. 133 
 
 struggles of its conversion, in tlie progress of its 
 illumination, or in its variously perfected degrees 
 of its union with God, we shall find that bodily 
 mortifications have their own place, and their 
 proper work to do, and are literally indispensable. 
 
 III. REPLY TO VARIOUS OBJECTIONS. 
 
 But let us look for a moment at the various ob- 
 jections urged against this. First, we are told that 
 the health of the world is not what it was, and if 
 there is an equal or even greater longevity, the 
 normal state of health is more uniformly valetudi- 
 narian, and that if inflammatory attacks are less 
 frequent, nervous complaints, on the other hand, 
 are more prevalent, and that the relaxation of 
 Church discipline on the subject shows her appre- 
 ciation of these facts. All this is true, and doubt- 
 less many most important deductions are to be 
 drawn from it. Still I maintain it is more con- 
 cerned with the kind of mortification than the de- 
 gree. The conduct of the Church in the mitigation 
 of fasting is as wise as the conduct of Leo XII. was 
 marked with the usual practical sagacity of the 
 Holy See, when he caused the possibilities of the 
 old observance of Lent to be medically investiga- 
 ted. Moreover, the plea of health, while it is al- 
 ways to be listened to, is to be listened to with 
 suspicion. We must always be jealous of the side 
 on wdiich nature and self are serving as volunteers. 
 Great, then, as we m.ust admit the consequences of 
 a state of valetudinarianism to be on the spiritual 
 life, a general and plenary dispensation from cor- 
 
134 if^aottiffcation. 
 
 poral austerities is not one of them; and we must 
 remember also that our forefathers, who troubled 
 their heads little enough about their nerves, and 
 had no tea to drink, were accustomed to hear from 
 Father Baker, who only gave utterance to the old 
 mystical tradition, that a state of robust health 
 was positively a disqualification for the higher 
 stages of the spiritual life. 
 
 A second objection, and one sometimes urged in 
 behalf of priests and religious, is that modern hard 
 work is a substitute for ancient penance. The 
 fewness of the clergy and the multitude of souls 
 have certainly brought upon the ecclesiastics of 
 this generation an overwhelming pressure of work; 
 and it is true of them, as it has always been of re- 
 ligious orders engaged in the apostolate, that the 
 measure of bodily austerity to be expected of them 
 is very different from that which we expect from 
 contemplatives and solitaries. I do not say, there- 
 fore, that this objection expresses no truth, but 
 only that it will not bear all the weight men put 
 upon it. Certain kinds of penance are incompat- 
 ible with hard work; while at the same time the 
 excessive exterior propensities which hard work 
 gives us are so perilous to the soul that certain 
 other kinds of penance are all the more necessary 
 to correct this disturbing force. All great mission- 
 aries, Segneri and Pinamonti, Leonard of Port 
 Maurice and Paul of the Cross, have worn instru- 
 ments of penance. The penalties of life, as Da 
 Ponte calls them, are doubtless an excellent pen- 
 ance when endured with an interior spirit, and 
 worth far more than a hundred self-inflicted pains. 
 
l^ortîffcatCon. i35 
 
 Yet he who maintains that the endurance of the 
 former is a dispensation from the infliction of the 
 latter will find himself out of harmony with the 
 whole stream of approved spiritual teaching in the 
 Church; and the brevity of his perseverance in the 
 interior life will soon show both himself and others 
 the completeness of his delusion. Without bodily 
 penance, zealous apostolic work hardens the heart 
 far more than it sanctifies it. 
 
 A third class of objectors tells us to be content 
 with the trials God sends us, which are neither 
 few nor light. If they told us that the gay suffer- 
 ing and graceful welcome of these dispensations 
 were of infinitely greater price than the sting of 
 the discipline or the twinge of the catenella, most 
 true and most important would the lesson be, and 
 to many a hot-headed spiritual suckling quite in- 
 dispensable. Youth, when it is strong and well, 
 full of fervor and bathing in devotional sweetness, 
 finds almost a physical pleasure in tormenting its 
 flesh and pinching its redundant health. There is 
 little merit in this, as there is little difficulty and 
 less discretion. And at all times one blow from 
 God is worth a million from ourselves. But the 
 objectors fall into that mistake of exaggeration 
 which runs through so many spiritual books. Be- 
 cause A is more important than B they jump to 
 the conclusion that B is of no importance at all. 
 Because the mortifications which God sends us are 
 more efficacious and less delusive, if rightly taken, 
 than the mortifications we inflict upon ourselves, 
 it does not follow but that these last are not only 
 an important, but even an indispensable element 
 
136 ifiïortCflftatCon» 
 
 in the spiritual life. We may answer them briefly 
 as follows. Yes, the best of all penances is to take 
 in the spirit of interior compunction the mortifica- 
 tions which the wise and affectionate course of 
 God's fatherly providence brings upon us, but un- 
 less we have practised ourselves in the generous 
 habit of voluntary penances, the chances are very 
 much against our forming this interior spirit of 
 penance, and therefore of getting the full profit out 
 of the involuntary trials God sends us. 
 
 Besides these objections there is another latent in 
 many minds which should be noticed. Our pres- 
 ent habits of life and thought lead to an obvious 
 want of sympathy with contemplation. It has 
 no results on which we can look complacently, 
 or which we can parade boastfully. Everything 
 seems wasted which is not visible; and all is dis- 
 appointment which is not plain success. It is 
 supernatural principles especially which are at 
 a discount in modern days. Now it is easy to see 
 how this want of sympathy with contemplation 
 leads to a misappreciation of austerity. They are 
 content with each other, and both enter deeply 
 into the region of supernatural operations. To 
 think lightly of either is to be out of harmony 
 with the mind of the Church, and to injure our own 
 soul, whatever may be its vocation, by narrowing 
 the range of its supernatural vision. 
 
 From all these considerations it may warrant- 
 ably be concluded that there is nothing in modern 
 times to dispense us either from the obligation or 
 counsel of bodily mortification; that, on the con- 
 trary, there is much in modern habits to enforce 
 
i^ortittcatîon. i37 
 
 the obligation and to urge the counsel, and that all 
 the modifications to which the actual circum- 
 stances of modern life point concern themselves 
 wholly with the kind of mortification and not at 
 all with the degree. 
 
 IV. BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES OF MORTIFICATION. 
 
 Something remains to be said on the uses of 
 mortification. These are ten in number, and all of 
 them deserving a serious consideration. Its first 
 use is to tame the body and bring its rebellious 
 passions under the control of grace and of our 
 superior will. Full half the obstacles to a spiritual 
 life are from the body and the treacherous succor 
 which its senses give to our baser passions. These 
 must be, I do not say altogether removed, but 
 effectually crippled, before we can hope to make 
 much progress. We never find in any one a real 
 earnestness of mind or seriousness of spirit where 
 honest attempts are not being made to keep the 
 body in subjection. The reason why men are 
 religious under sorrow and not at other times is 
 that they do not practise bodily mortification, 
 whereas sorrow afflicts and rebukes the flesh, and 
 so for the time performs the functions of mortifi- 
 cation. Sorrow acts on the soul through the body 
 as much as through the mind. 
 
 The second use is to increase the range of our 
 spiritual vision. Sensitiveness of conscience is one 
 of the greatest gifts which God gives us in order 
 to a spiritual life. The things of God, says the 
 Apostle, can on!}' be spiritually discerned. The 
 
13^ iWottîftcation, 
 
 process of our purification by grace depends on our 
 increasing clearness of vision as to what is faulty 
 and imperfect. From the discernment of mortal 
 sin we come to that of venial sin, from venial sin 
 to imperfections, from imperfections to less per- 
 fect ways of doing perfect things, and from that 
 to a delicate perception of the almost invisible in- 
 fidelities which grieve the Holy Spirit within us. 
 And if bodily mortification is not the sole means 
 by which this sensitiveness of conscience is ob- 
 tained, it is one of the chief, as well from its own 
 intrinsic method of operation, as from its power 
 to impetrate the gift from God. 
 
 This brings me to the third use of mortifications 
 of all kinds, which is to obtain power with God. 
 Suffering easily becomes power in the things of 
 God. The price He sets upon it is shown by the 
 fact that the world was redeemed by suffering, and 
 that suffering gives their palm to the martyrs and 
 their crown to the confessors. The gift of miracles 
 followed hard upon austerity. When we complain 
 that we have no power with God, that our prayers 
 remain unanswered, that our efforts to root out 
 some besetting sin are unavailing, and that we give 
 way to temptations and to surprises of temper or 
 loquacity, it is for the most part because we are 
 not leading mortified lives. It is in this that 
 mortification so amply repays us for the pain it 
 gives. For not only is it an immense gain to have 
 power with God, but the obvious connection be- 
 tween the mortification and the power enables us 
 not so much to believe in supernatural things as 
 to handle them with our very hands and feel their 
 
^ortifitcatioît. i39 
 
 weight. Indeed, even a temptation may come 
 from this. If, then, for the sake of our own 
 spiritual growth and the interest we feel in the 
 glory of God, the triumph of faith, and the salva- 
 tion of souls near and dear to us, we desire to 
 obtain power with God, we m.ust habitually and 
 constantly practise mortification. 
 
 Its fourth use is to intensify our love. It is of 
 the nature of love to thrive on no food so well as 
 on the evidence of its own vigor; and nothing 
 testifies to us so surely our love of God as the in- 
 fliction of voluntary austerities upon ourselves; 
 and while it manifests our love it augments it 
 also. Pain, too, of itself prepares the heart for 
 the emotions of love by softening it and making 
 it childlike. And where the object loved and 
 contemplated is of sorrow and suffering, as Jesus 
 is, love impels us more or less vehemently to 
 imitation. Do we complain that our love of our 
 dear Lord is slackening ? Forthwith let us mortify 
 ourselves in something, and the smouldering em- 
 bers will break into a bright flame. As sure as 
 power follows mortification, so also does love. 
 
 Its fifth use is to make us unworldly, and to in- 
 undate us with spiritual joy. Nothing is in itself 
 so unworldly as mortification, because it is the 
 killing of everything that the world most prizes 
 and cherishes. It breaks off all the inordinate 
 attachments to creatures which we may have 
 formed, and it hinders us from embarrassing our- 
 selves with new ties; for mortification is found 
 by experience to be so difficult that we dread to 
 increase the breadth of the region over which we 
 
I4Ô iI«ortCficatîort. 
 
 are compelled to extend it. And what is each new 
 attachment but a fresh horde of savages to be 
 brought painfully beneath control? As to spir- 
 itual joy, it flows like a tide into some empty 
 place. In proportion, therefore, as our hearts are 
 void of earthly attachments, — and an attachment 
 may be defined to be an affection which is not 
 duty, — in the same proportion are they capable of 
 enjoying the sweetness of God. Hence it is that 
 mortified persons, when discreet, are always mirth- 
 ful. The heart is lightened, because the burden 
 of the body is taken off it. Nothing can make us 
 unworldly but mortification. Have we never seen 
 persons clouded round with sorrow so deep and 
 dark that we approached it reverently as we would 
 a sanctuary, and yet it has not made the sufferer 
 unworldly? That blessed office is the monopoly 
 of mortification. 
 
 Its sixth use is to hinder our making a great 
 mistake, which is leaving the via pu7'gativa too 
 soon. This is perhaps the chiefest danger in the 
 whole of tlie spiritual life. Many try to go so fast 
 when they first begin, that they lose their breath 
 and give up the race altogether; and even if they 
 do not, they cannot leave behind what they wish 
 to leave before the appointed time. They are 
 like men running wildly to outstrip their own 
 shadow. It cannot be. Nature wants to be out 
 of her novitiate. Meditation would fain be thrust 
 up into affective prayer, and the captivity of little 
 things longs to expatiate in liberty of spirit. The 
 bruised flesh asks to be let alone, and interior 
 mortification requests to be allowed its primitive 
 
iFEortittcatïoit» 141 
 
 vagueness, and to remain undefined. Weekly 
 communion gravitates to daily, and the soul, a 
 little tired of looking after itself, inclines to convert 
 the world. If there is difficult navigation any- 
 where in the spiritual life, it is here. See! the reefs 
 are strewn with wrecks, and the waves wash up at 
 every tide the bodies of half-made saints, of broken 
 heroes and frustrated vocations. No harm comes 
 of keeping long in the lower parts of the spiritual 
 life. All possible evil may come of mounting too 
 quickly. An evil when it is mortified first looks 
 dead. It feigns death as beetles do. If it suc- 
 ceeds in deceiving us, and we pass on, we shall rue 
 it bitterly. It is only the old story; look well to 
 your foundations, dig them deep, and build broad, 
 and plan your building magnificently large, as if 
 you were a prince. Mortification, of all things, 
 helps us to do this Its difficulty brings out our 
 weakness. One while clumsy, another while cow- 
 ardly, we are content to be kept down, when daily 
 failures are telling us what would happen on the 
 giddy heights above us. But how long shall the 
 via purgaiiva last ? Who can tell ? It depends 
 upon fervor. Anyhow, we must count it by years, 
 not by months. 
 
 The seventh use of mortification is to be found 
 in its connection with prayer. How many com- 
 plaints are we daily hearing of the difficulties of 
 mental pra3''er ! If we do not mortify ourselves, 
 why complain ? Listen to this vision which Da 
 Ponte relates as having happened to a person 
 whom he knew. He gives it at length in the third 
 tract of his " Spiritual Guide." God showed this 
 
142 iIl9lortift'cation, 
 
 person the state of a tepid and idle soul, which 
 is given to prayer without mortification. She saw 
 in the middle of a wide plain a very deep and 
 strong foundation, white as ivory, about which a 
 fair, ruddy youth of admirable beauty was walk- 
 ing. He called her to him, and said: "I am the 
 son of a powerful king, and I have laid this 
 foundation that I might build a palace for you to 
 dwell in, and to receive me whenever I come to 
 visit you, which I shall do frequently, provided 
 you always have a room ready for me, and open 
 as soon as I knock. In time, however, I shall come 
 and live entirely with you, and you will be de- 
 lighted to have me for a daily guest. Judge, how- 
 ever, from the magnitude of this foundation what 
 the edifice is to be. Meanwhile I will build, and 
 you must bring me all the materials." The lady 
 began to be sore amazed and afflicted, for she 
 deemed it impossible that she should of herself 
 bring all the requisite materials. The young man, 
 however, said: "Do not be afraid; you will be 
 quite able to do it. Begin to bring something at 
 once, and I will help you." So she began to 
 look about for something, but presently stopped 
 and fixed her eyes on the young man, whose 
 beauty delighted and refreshed her. Yet she took 
 no pains to please him. She feared him very 
 much when she saw that he was watching her. 
 Nevertheless, she did not blush at her disobedi- 
 ence. While she was thus loitering, she saw that 
 the foundation was being gradually covered with 
 dust and straws by the wind, and sometimes such 
 whirlwinds of dust arose that she could not see the 
 
jWortificatîon, i43 
 
 foundation at all. Sometimes floods of rain cov- 
 ered the whole with mud, which gradually spread 
 over them, and caused a rank vegetation of weeds 
 to sprout up. At last nothing of the foundation 
 remained but the spot which the young man's feet 
 covered, and at last a sudden whirlwind covered 
 him, and the foundation disappeared from her 
 sight beneath a heap of filth. The lady was very 
 much afflicted to find herself alone, especially as 
 she was soon surrounded by ruinous heaps of lime, 
 sand, and stone. She bewailed her tepidity and 
 idleness; but believing that the young man was 
 still hidden in some of the cavities of the founda- 
 tion, she cried out in a loud voice: "Sir, I am 
 coming; I am bringing materials; I pray you come 
 forth to the building; for I am deeply penitent 
 for my sloth and delay." While she was in these 
 dispositions, the vision was thus interpreted to 
 her: The foundation signifies faith and the habits 
 of other virtues which Christ infuses into the soul 
 at Baptism, desiring to build upon them a fair 
 edifice of lofty perfection, provided the soul co- 
 operates with Him by bringing the necessary 
 materials, observance of the divine precepts and 
 counsels, which by aid of the same Lord it can do. 
 But the soul is often so delighted with meditating 
 on the mysteries of Christ that it becomes tepid 
 and idle in the imitation and obedience of Him, 
 and through this inattention and slovenliness the 
 habits of virtue are gradually obscured by venial 
 sin, and the eyes of the soul so dimmed that they 
 cannot see Our Lord. In punishment of this sloth 
 He sometimes allows the soul to fall into a mortal 
 
144 fortification^ 
 
 sin, which stains and destroys everything. Then, 
 by the mercy of God, it repents, finds the stones 
 of contrition, the lime of confession, and the sands 
 of satisfaction all round it, and calls on Jesus with 
 a loud voice to pardon the sin and to begin the 
 building for the second time. 
 
 The eighth use of mortification is to give depth 
 and strength to our sanctity, just as gymnastic 
 exercises give us muscle and play of strength. 
 This is connected with what was said a while ago 
 of not trying to get out of the via purgativa too 
 quickly. When Simeon Stylites first began to 
 stand upon his column, so Theodoret tells us, he 
 heard a voice in his sleep which said, Arise and 
 dig ! He seemed to dig for a time, and then ceased, 
 when the voice said to him. Dig deeper ! Four 
 times he dug, four times he rested, and four times 
 the voice cried. Dig deeper ! After that it said, 
 Now build without toil ! There can be no doubt 
 but that the digging was the humbling toil of 
 mortification. There is such a thing as a thin, 
 meagre piety, a religious sentimentality which 
 cannot go beyond the beauty of taste or the 
 pathos of a ceremonial, a devotion for the sunshine 
 but not for the storm ; and the fault of the lank, 
 crazy edifice that is raised by it is the absence of 
 mortification in its original construction. 
 
 The ninth use of mortification concerns bodily 
 austerities. Without exterior mortification it is 
 idle to expect that we shall ever attain the higher 
 grace of interior mortification. It is the greatest of 
 delusions to suppose that we can mortify judgment 
 and will, if we do not mortify our body also. In- 
 
IWortitfcatîûu. 145 
 
 terior mortification is certainly the higher ; yet in 
 some sense exterior is harder. It is harder because 
 it comes first, and has to be exercised when we 
 have as yet scarcely any empire over ourselves. It 
 is harder because it is more sensible. It is harder 
 because our victories are at best mean to look at, 
 and our defeats palpable and discouraging. It is 
 harder because habit helps us less. If our bodily 
 penances are rare, each one has the difficulties of a 
 new beginning. If they are frequent, they fall 
 on unhealed wounds. Whereas with interior mor- 
 tification the victories always look dignified, the 
 defeats are surrounded by such a host of extenu- 
 ating circumstances as veil their disgrace. We 
 must remember that throughout our spiritual life 
 we have our body for our companion, and none 
 but a very few privileged saints have ever quite 
 subdued it. Moreover, body has to be saved as 
 well as soul, and so it is not true that, in devotion, 
 exterior things are only a means to interior. They 
 have, besides that instrumental character, an im- 
 port and significancy of their own. There have 
 always been two classes of heresies with regard 
 to spiritual theology ; and I cannot think of one 
 heresy which has not come either from a disunion 
 of the interior and the exterior, or a dwelling on 
 one of them to the neglect and depression of the 
 other. I tremble when people speak much of in- 
 terior mortification; it sounds like a confession that 
 they are leading comfortable lives. On the other 
 hand, when men exaggerate the importance of 
 bodily austerities, the chances are that they do not 
 practise them at all, or that, practising them, they 
 
146 ittortification. 
 
 rest in them with complacency, and so are fakirs, 
 not Christians, having no spiritual life which can 
 deserve the name. 
 
 The tenth and last use of mortification is, that it 
 is a most excellent school for the queenly virtue of 
 discretion. The truly mortified man will as little 
 think of not listening to discretion as he would 
 think of listening to cowardice. Discretion is a 
 habit of hitting the mark, and there must be a 
 supernatural truth in the eye and a supernatural 
 steadiness in the hand in order to attain this. 
 Mortification is the grand subject-matter of these 
 trials of discretion ; and the virtue will show itself 
 in obedience, humility, self-distrust, perseverance, 
 and detachment from penances themselves. This 
 was the trial to which the bishops put Simeon 
 Stylites. They sent a messenger to bid him come 
 down from his pillar. If he hesitated they would 
 know his extraordinary vocation was not from 
 God. But the words were hardly out of the mes- 
 senger's mouth than he put one foot down from his 
 column. In his docility they recognized the call 
 of God and bade him stay. 
 
 V. DISCRETION IN THE USE OF MORTIFICATION. 
 
 The details of mortification belong more to the 
 direction of particular souls. Each one requires a 
 legislation for himself. There seems, however, to 
 be a consent among spiritual writers that while 
 pleasures, passions, and pains are the three great 
 fields of mortification, a certain order ought to be 
 observed in our application to them. Pleasures 
 
^ovtiUcation. i47 
 
 should be mortified first, passions next, and pains 
 betaken last. They do not mean by this that there 
 are three distinct and successive classes of pen- 
 ances, and that we must practise one till we are out 
 of the other, any more than writers when they di- 
 vide mental prayer into twelve or fifteen states 
 mean that we go out of one into another, as if they 
 were separate rooms. All that is meant is, that 
 upon the whole a certain order is to be observed, 
 and upon the whole one object to be sought at a 
 certain time rather than another one. 
 
 Mortifications are divided into exterior and in- 
 terior. Of the exterior there are five principal 
 classes. First, afflictive penances, such as fasting, 
 discipline, hair-shirt, catenella, cold, and wakeful- 
 ness. Of these the one which most requires jeal- 
 ousy is that which concerns loss of sleep, and next 
 to it the bearing of cold. For the results of these 
 to the health may be and often are permanent. 
 And generally of all these penances two things 
 may be observed : first, that no one should ever take 
 them out of his own head, w'ithout counsel and obe- 
 dience; and secondly, that perseverance in them is 
 of far greater moment than either quantity or qual- 
 ity. It has often been noticed that when a person 
 becomes spiritual, one of the very last infirmities 
 which leaves him is an unmortified pleasure in eat- 
 ing and drinking. There is something wonderfully 
 humbling in this; and we must pay particular atten- 
 tion to it, trying to mortify ourselves in something 
 at every meal, and not to eat between meal-times. 
 
 The second class of exterior mortifications con- 
 sists in the custody of the senses, in order to rebuke 
 
148 piortitïcatioîi» 
 
 levity and cariosity, and in these singularity and 
 affectation should be guarded against. 
 
 Under the third class comes the patient bearing 
 of illness and pain, and especially the acceptation 
 of death in the spirit of penance. 
 
 Under the fourth class come fatiguing and self- 
 denying works for the good of our neighbor, or 
 the relief of the poor, or the exaltation of the faith. 
 
 Under the fifth comes all that is penal in the 
 common tasks and daily vicissitudes of life: the 
 obligation of work, the inconveniences of poverty, 
 the weather, and like things, all which may become 
 meritorious by being endured in an interior spirit 
 of penance, and united to Our Lord's endurance 
 of them in His thirty-three years. 
 
 Under the head of interior mortifications comes 
 first of all the mortification of our own judgment, 
 or razionale, as St. Philip called it. Can there be 
 a harder task in the whole of the spiritual life? 
 If you ask me how it is to be done, I answer — the 
 words are easy, not so the practice: Distrust your 
 own opinion, and acquire the habit of surrendering 
 it in doubtful things. In matters about which you 
 are clear, speak modestly and then be silent. Try 
 never to have an opinion contrary to that of your 
 natural and immediate superiors. Let their pres- 
 ence be the death of your own views. With your 
 equals try to agree in matters of no moment, and, 
 above all, have no wish to be listened to. Judge 
 favorably of all things, and be ingenuous in giv- 
 ing them a kindly turn. Condemn nothing eitHer 
 in the general or the particular, but make all things 
 over to the judgment of God. When reason and 
 
i^ortCfication, i49 
 
 virtue oblige you to speak, do so with such gentle- 
 ness and want of emphasis that you may seem 
 rather to despise than value 3^our own opinion. 
 Mortifications of the will form another class. The 
 tongues of others fill a third to overflowing. Spir- 
 itual desolations are a fourth, and horrible tempta- 
 tions, specially allowed by God, a fifth. All these 
 have their own symptoms and require their own 
 method of treatment, which it would be out of 
 place here to investigate. There is little left for 
 the work of sanctification to do when our will is 
 conformed to the will of God and endures humbly 
 and sweetly the adverse wills of others. The strife 
 of tongues is a mortification from which few can 
 hope to escape, especially if they are endeavoring 
 either to do good to others or aiming at a high 
 sanctity for themselves. It was one of the ingred- 
 ients in Our Saviour's chalice, and was considered 
 by the Psalmist as so afflictive that he prayed God 
 to hide him from it beneath the shadow of His 
 wings. Spiritual desolation, so hard to bear, gives 
 both courage and humility to our relations with 
 God, while unusual and obstinate temptations 
 purify the soul, as in a very crucible, from all re- 
 mains of earthly dross. 
 
 VI. DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED. 
 
 But if mortification has its difficulties, it has its 
 dangers also. Many mortifications are preceded 
 by Vainglory, who blows the trumpet before them. 
 Other mortifications she accompanies ; and some 
 even receive from her all their life, animation, and 
 
15° ifttortificatîon. 
 
 perseverance. It is as if this evil spirit had a stand- 
 ing commission from her master : Whenever a 
 soul is about to practise a mortification, there be 
 thou also ! The remedy for this is to put all our 
 mortifications under obedience. It is difficult then 
 for either vainglory, ostentation, affectation, wil- 
 fulness, or indiscretion to fasten upon our pen- 
 ances and corrode their precious life. And they 
 are the six chief dangers of mortification. Neither 
 must we forget to be on our guard against a super- 
 stitious idea of the value of pain growing up in our 
 minds alongside of our austerities. Many mortifi- 
 cations remain mortifications when the pain of 
 them has passed away ; and the value of them de- 
 pends upon the intensity of the supernatural in- 
 tention that was in them, not on the amount of 
 physical pain or bodily discomfort. Mortification 
 is a putting something to death, and the passion 
 that is dead already is more mortified than one 
 that is only dying, and yet the last feels pain, while 
 the first is past all feeling. It is astonishing how 
 many are unconsciously deceived by this supersti- 
 tious notion of the value of mere pain ; not that it 
 is without value ; but it is not the gem, it is only 
 the setting of it. It is this error which has given 
 so much vogue outside the Church, and sometimes 
 also to unwary persons in it, to the delusion of 
 thinking that perfection consists in always doing 
 what we dislike, which implies that our affections 
 and passions will never be brought to like the 
 things of God or be in harmony with grace. Thus 
 you will hear of persons having a scruple whether 
 they ought to be kind to others because they have 
 
fortification. 151 
 
 so much sensible pleasure in it, or visiting the poor 
 for the same reason, or following a particular bent 
 of devotion. Some even impose it as a rule upon 
 the souls they guide — in almost every instance 
 with as much absurdity as indiscretion. In the 
 only sense in which sound mysticism would allow 
 of such a m.axim, it would require a special and 
 clearly-marked vocation, and it would be as rare 
 as the call to make St. Teresa's and St. Andrew 
 Avellino's vows always to do what was most per- 
 fect. Yet the Church stopped at those vows when 
 she was called upon to canonize the saints, and 
 would not proceed till evidence was given her of a 
 special operation of the Holy Ghost. No one ev^er 
 became a saint, or anything like one, by ceasing 
 to cultivate the sweeter parts of his character or 
 his natural virtues because the doing so was so 
 great a pleasure. Yet Jansenism thought that the 
 secret of perfection lay in this single charm. It is 
 a most odious and uncatholic idea of asceticism, 
 
 VII. DELUSION TO WHICH MORTIFICATION EXPOSES US. 
 
 To the difficulties and dangers of mortification 
 we must add a word on its delusions. It is a fer- 
 tile subject. Guilloré, who has treated of the sub- 
 ject at length and with his usual severity, sums it all 
 up by describing the four classes of persons which 
 are most subject to these delusions. The first class 
 embraces those who have always led an innocent 
 life, and on that account easily dispense themselves 
 from austerities; and not being drawn to them 
 themselves they make no attempt to draw others 
 
152 jmortificatîon. 
 
 that way. They do not see why they should mal- 
 treat a body which is so little rebellious, and inflict 
 on it such constant pain when it teases them with 
 but an occasional disturbance. The second class 
 contains those who, though their lives have been 
 far from innocent, are nevertheless from softness of 
 temperament disinclined to austerities. They can 
 hardly believe that anything which is so far above 
 their cowardice, as this persecution of self, can be 
 necessary and indispensable. Useful they are 
 willing to admit it to be, but surely not necessary; 
 for in that case where should they be ? And are 
 their intellectual views of perfection, or their sen- 
 timental aspirations after it, to end in smoke ? The 
 third class comprises those who have greatly 
 offended God, and therefore think that they must 
 set no bounds to their austerities. Hence they go 
 beyond the limits of sage reason on one side and 
 the inspirations of grace on the other. The fourth 
 class numbers men of fiery zeal and hot-tempered 
 enthusiasm, whose peace is in war and their rest 
 in struggle, and who satisfy nature by the chastise- 
 ment of their bodies. But when the blood runs or 
 the face grows pale, they are miserably deceived if 
 they consider that to be a true spiritual mortifica- 
 tion which has only been the rude satisfaction of 
 a natural and impulsive passion. 
 
THIRD TREATISE. 
 
 PRAYER. Ï 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE EXCELLENCE AND NECESSITY OF MENTAL 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Prayer, the holy fathers tell us, is an elevation 
 of our soul to God by the union of our mind with 
 supreme truth and of our heart with supreme 
 goodness. It is a respectful homage which we 
 render to the divine grandeur and majesty by the 
 submission of all our powers. 
 
 St. Chrysostom, in his beautiful homilies on 
 prayer, says that prayer is to the soul what the 
 nerves are to the body, walls to a city, arms to a 
 soldier, wings to a bird, respiration to animals. 
 We judge a body to be dead, he says, when it no 
 longer breathes, and we must believe a soul to be 
 dead when it no longer prays. 
 
 To be sure, he speaks of prayer in general, inas- 
 much as it includes mental and vocal ; but as men- 
 tal prayer is the soul and the principal part of this 
 
 1 P. Crasset, S.J. 
 153 
 
154 îiïrceUrnce an& Kecesstti? of Ittental ^vas^v, 
 
 exercise, if it is necessary to pray it is necessary 
 to meditate, particularly as vocal prayer without 
 it is not true pra3^er, but a vain and reprehensible 
 occupation. 
 
 At the same time, it is not this kind of medita- 
 tion that we are about to speak of here, but of 
 purely mental prayer, which is undoubtedly pref- 
 erable to vocal, except where the latter is of pre- 
 cept and of obligation. 
 
 Certain celebrated doctors quoted by Suarez 
 believed mental prayer to be necessary for all 
 classes of persons, and that they could not be 
 saved without it. 
 
 This is going too far. It is probable that they 
 meant by meditation the elevation and the reflec- 
 tion necessary to receive the sacraments worthily, 
 to conceive sorrow for our sins, to ask for extraor- 
 dinary graces from God, and to produce, at times 
 of precept, acts of faith, hope, and charity. 
 
 However this may be, it cannot be denied that 
 mental prayer is necessary to those who wish to 
 lead, I do not say pious, but even Christian lives, 
 whether they are beginners, or have already made 
 considerable progress, or have attained perfection. 
 
 Beginners must acquire purity of heart by fre- 
 quent confession and continual mortification ; 
 confession effaces sin and mortification destroys 
 its principle; now both require the assistance of 
 meditation. 
 
 A penitent must hate his sin, and to do so he 
 must understand its malice. How can he under- 
 stand it without reflection, without consideration, 
 without meditation ? I do not speak of the ex- 
 
IBXctlltnct anlr Necessity of iWtental ^pra^er. 155 
 
 amination of conscience he must make on the 
 Commandments of God and of the Church, which 
 is a manner of meditation as profitable as it is 
 necessary. 
 
 Neither can we practise mortification without 
 the assistance of mental prayer, for mortification 
 is a thing that does violence to nature, and is very 
 contrary to our inclinations ; it tends to subdue 
 and destroy nature ; and as the natural instinct of 
 all creatures is self-preservation, it is evident that 
 if the soul does not rise above itself by means of 
 prayer, it cannot conceive that holy hatred so nec- 
 essary to enable it to deny itself what it loves and 
 to embrace what it fears. 
 
 What we say of beginners applies also to 
 those more advanced in the spiritual life : with- 
 out prayer the first cannot cut off their vices, 
 and the second cannot acquire virtue. It is in 
 prayer that the soul discovers the beauty of vir- 
 tue, is infiamed with love for it, and incited to 
 practise it. 
 
 The great Cardinal Bellarmine, as celebrated for 
 his piety as his learning, says that it is prayer, so 
 to speak, which gives life to all the other virtues 
 and preserves them in the soul. 
 
 It enlightens our faith by bringing us in contact 
 with objects from which the senses tend to with- 
 draw us and to which they blind us. 
 
 It sustains our hope by giving us familiar access 
 to God, and by uniting us with our principle. 
 
 It causes us to recognize the vanity, inconstancy, 
 and infidelity of creatures ; inspires us with horror 
 of the world, and inflames us with love for God 
 
by the knowledge and experience which it gives 
 us of His goodness. 
 
 It gives us a knowledge of ourselves, which 
 teaches us wise lessons of humility, makes us real- 
 ize and appreciate our nothingness, and reveals to 
 us the greatness and sanctity of God, before Whom 
 our imaginary virtues have no existence, beauty, 
 form, or measure. 
 
 Finally it leads us into those sacred solitudes 
 where the soul enjoys its God in the peace and 
 repose of holy recollection. It conducts us, in 
 spirit, to hell, where we behold the place which 
 might have been ours ; to the cemetery, to look 
 upon our final resting-place on earth ; to heaven, 
 to behold the throne which is destined for us; to 
 the valley of Josaphat, to behold our Judge ; to 
 Bethlehem, to look upon our Saviour; to Tabor, 
 to behold our Love ; to Calvary, to behold our 
 Exemplar. 
 
 A volume would hardly suffice to enumerate all 
 the treasures of grace which the faithful soul finds 
 in meditation, and the consolations in all its trials 
 which it receives from God. 
 
 No doubt there are persons who are unable to 
 give a considerable portion of time each day to 
 meditation, but I am convinced that we can never 
 attain Christian perfection unless we supply for 
 meditation in some way, either by pious reading, 
 or the instruction of confessors, or the teaching of 
 sermons. 
 
 It is not necessary to demonstrate that the per- 
 fect must be souls given to prayer, since it is ' 
 prayer which unites them to God, in which union 
 
lîsjjosCtïonsî for ^ra»et. i57 
 
 their perfection consists. Thus there never have 
 been saints who were not devoted to prayer ; it 
 was their occupation and their consolation. Their 
 lives, we may say, were an unceasing prayer, as the 
 Son of God commands; their every breath was a 
 prayer, which mal<:es me conclude with St. Augus- 
 tine that to live well we must pray well ; just as 
 to pray well we must live well. This is a neces- 
 sary condition of the prayer of which we are 
 treating. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DISPOSITIONS FOR PRAYER. 
 
 Poverty is eloquent ; to pray well we must know 
 our misery. There is no advocate at the bar who 
 pleads his cause better than the poor man seeking 
 relief in his necessity from a rich patron. If we are 
 cold in our prayer it is because we do not realize 
 our misery or appreciate our need. 
 
 And yet, just as there is no man without desires, 
 there is no man without needs. The rich of this 
 world are full of them ; kings are more dependent 
 than their subjects; they need more assistance than 
 a poor workman ; he is dependent only upon the 
 labor of his own hands, but a sovereign is depend- 
 ent upon all his subjects ; which shows that exalted 
 positions are only a form of brilliant servitude. It 
 was David's appreciation of his misery which made 
 his prayer so eloquent, so powerful, and so con- 
 -stant. 
 
 It is the same with the rest of mankind ; as there 
 
15^ 3]Bt0)îO0itîon0 for ÎPragrt. 
 
 is no one without needs there is no one who does 
 not know how to pray and to recommend his neces- 
 sities to God ; but how many will you find who 
 know how to converse with Him ? When Moses 
 had conversed with God he could no longer con- 
 verse with men, and he prayed God to dispense 
 him from bearing His orders to Pharao. But we 
 find, on the contrary, many clever minds who con* 
 verse brilliantly with men, but find it impossible to 
 converse with God. Why is this ? It is because 
 their hearts are engaged in sin and filled with affec- 
 tion for creatures. " Where the heart is there is its 
 treasure." We like to converse with those we love, 
 hence it is not astonishing that one who has no love 
 for God should do all he can to avoid His presence 
 and His company. But when a soul is detached 
 from all created things, it is impossible to express 
 or conceive of the delight which it finds in prayer. 
 
 The apostles formerly said to the Son of God : 
 " Lord, teach us to pray." Strange request ! There 
 is nothing more miserable than a man who does 
 not recognize his wretchedness ; he is full of needs 
 and knows not how to reveal them. Behold the 
 effect of sin, which blinds our mind and debauches 
 our will ! 
 
 But what is still more deplorable is that there 
 are many who recognize their misery, yet seek no 
 relief ; they feel their wretchedness and cannot de- 
 clare it ; they come before God and have nothing 
 to say to Him. Their prayer is a continual distrac- 
 tion of mind and dissipation of heart. 
 
 To remedy an evil so common and so deplorable, 
 we would facilitate for all souls the practice of 
 
Wisposiîionsîov^YHYftv. i59 
 
 prayer. We find innumerable precepts concerning 
 prayer in books ; the shortest way, in my opinion, 
 is that of detachment and mortification. Prayer is 
 a fire that is fed with the wood of the cross. How 
 can a heart, agitated by passions, a prey to all the 
 desires of a sensual, avaricious, ambitious nature, 
 remain at peace in the presence of God ? Grace is 
 a quality so pure and so delicate that it can have 
 no intercourse with the senses. Therefore to rise 
 to heaven we must be detached from earth, and to 
 unite ourselves with God in prayer we must sepa- 
 rate ourselves, by mortification, from all creatures. 
 How can we practise mortification if we do not 
 know how to pray ? you ask, for prayer is as neces- 
 sary to mortification as mortification is to prayer. 
 True, and for that reason they must never be sep- 
 arated ; however painful or laborious we find 
 prayer, we must never abandon it, inasmuch as this 
 labor is very great mortification, and disposes the 
 soul to receive great graces. When we practise 
 what we know, God teaches us what we do not 
 know. Do what you can and God will do what you 
 desire. But to do what we can we must know 
 what we ought to do. That is what we shall teach 
 in the following chapters. 
 
î6o VKviûiis Wiintis of '^va^n. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 VARIOUS KINDS OF PRAYER. 
 
 There are, besides vocal, seven degrees or kinds 
 of mental prayer. 
 
 The first is called meditation. 
 
 The second, affective prayer. 
 
 The third, the prayer of silence. 
 
 The fourth, the prayer of union. 
 
 The fifth, the prayer of privation. 
 
 The sixth, the prayer of transformation. 
 
 The seventh, the prayer of quiet. 
 
 In the prayer called meditation the soul consid- 
 ers, ponders, and digests Christian truths; it dwells 
 upon the life and death of Our Lord, upon His ac- 
 tions, His sufferings. His doctrine. His example. 
 This prayer, the basis, the foundation of all the 
 others, is the gate of the sanctuary through which 
 we must enter. It would be extremely rash, St. 
 Bernard tells us, for a newly-converted soul to seek 
 the embrace of the Bridegroom before it has kissed 
 His feet l:)y penance and His hands by the practice 
 of good works. When it has labored long and 
 faithfully in the acquisition of virtues, then it may 
 sigh for a favor which we hardly venture to desire 
 in this life, so much is it above the merit and con- 
 dition of man. 
 
 The soul, therefore, must meditate before it 
 loves, must labor before it rests, seek before it 
 possesses. But when the mind, after the enjoy- 
 
Various J8iin\!s of ^Ptawer. i6i 
 
 ment of great light, no longer finds wherewith to 
 occupy itself in meditation, then it may pass on to 
 affective prayer, incessantly sighing and yearning 
 for this divine Bridegroom Whose worth it has 
 learned and Whose goodness it has experienced. 
 
 From this prayer of aspiration it passes to the 
 prayer of silence ; for when it is wearied with cry- 
 ing, speaking, meditating, sighing, seeking, calling, 
 there follows a silence in the heaven of its soul, by 
 which it learns, like St. Augustine, that it is seek- 
 ing without that which it possesses within ; it is in 
 this mysterious silence that it sees things and hears 
 secrets which it is not permitted to reveal to men. 
 
 This is a great favor, but it is followed by a still 
 greater ; for the mind being, as it wxre, excluded 
 from this divine sanctuary, the Spouse enters the 
 heart ; all the doors of its interior and exterior be- 
 ing closed, He unites Himself with the soul by a 
 secret touch which St. Louis de Blois calls siibstati- 
 iial. For the soul, after this union, believes firmly 
 that it has substantially touched the divinity, inas- 
 much as it was not through the sense of sight, or 
 hearing, or smell, or taste, or spiritual odor, that it 
 felt God present, but by that of touch, w^hich has 
 this in common with the corporal sense that it pro- 
 duces immediate contact with the object. Just as 
 a friend, during the night, feels and knows when 
 his friend touches him, though he does not seem to 
 see him, so the soul, its mind plunged in profound 
 obscurity, insensibly feels in its heart and touches 
 its Spouse through a knowledge which St. Bona- 
 venture calls experimental, immediate, and substan- 
 tial ; and this union, inexplicable and even incon- 
 
1 62 V avions îS^inïis of 33raa?er. 
 
 ceivable to those who have not experienced it, is 
 the spiritual marriage of the soul with God, the 
 nuptials of the Lamb which render it a fruitful 
 mother in virtues, merits, good works, and spiritual 
 children, which it unceasingly produces through 
 the unction of the Word, which is that of its divine 
 Spouse. Blessed are they who are called to this 
 feast, to these nuptials of the Lamb ! 
 
 This operation endures only a short time, but 
 the memory of it is a balm which rejoices the mind 
 and the senses, though they have scarcely any 
 knowledge of it. The bereft spouse, at thought 
 of it, sighs without wishing to sigh, weeps with- 
 out wishing to weep. She remains so filled with 
 God that she cannot speak ; and though the opera- 
 tion is past, she cannot doubt that God is in her 
 heart and her heart in God. In the presence of 
 this divine Spouse, Who reposes in the depth and 
 the centre of her soul, she becomes sometimes in- 
 flamed with a love so violent that if she did not 
 moderate her transports she would swoon away. 
 
 But, inasmuch as this state is infinitely delight- 
 ful and may be called paradise on earth, if it lasted 
 for a long time the soul would not merit anything, 
 any more than the blessed in heaven ; at least, 
 finding its repose and happiness in this life, it 
 would hardly think of the other. For this reason 
 Our Lord deprives souls, some suddenly, others 
 gradually, of these extraordinary delights and 
 plunges them into a state of privation. 
 
 It would be impossible to depict the astonish- 
 ment of the poor loved one when it finds itself 
 suddenly plunged into this horrible darkness, 
 
Various î^inïrs of î^tafift» 1^3 
 
 abandoned to the fury of its passions, and thrust 
 from such a paradise into an abyss of misery. At 
 first, it believes itself lost and imagines it has 
 committed a great sin which has offended its 
 Spouse and obliged Him to withdraw from its 
 presence. It weeps, it sighs, it groans, it lan- 
 guishes; it yearns to return to its former state, 
 but it cannot; it finds an armed cherubim at the 
 gate of this paradise to refuse it entrance; it 
 makes strenuous efforts to produce acts, but to no 
 effect, inasmuch as its Spouse, Who is hidden in its 
 heart, holds its powers bound, and prevents them 
 from being diffused abroad. Oh, what need the 
 soul has at such times of an experienced person to 
 assure it that all is well, and that it has entered 
 into the life of the spirit and the kingdom of 
 grace, where the senses have no part 1 When a 
 soul is faithful and tranquil in this state of priva- 
 tion, the divine Spouse never fails to make Him- 
 self seen and felt like the sun which scatters the 
 clouds which concealed it; this is the moment of 
 ecstasies and rapture; the joy of the soul is so 
 great that it would be beside itself, did it not 
 moderate its transports and permit itself to be 
 guided. It cannot conceive how it could have be- 
 lieved itself separated from Him Who was in the 
 depth of its heart; it is filled with confusion be- 
 cause of its infidelities, and after the experience it 
 has had of its love, it passes into the prayer of 
 transformation, where it becomes one in spirit 
 with God by the annihilation of its judgment, its- 
 will, its acts, its powers, and of its being, so to 
 speak; just as wood after being dried and purified 
 
164 Pleïïitation» 
 
 is changed and converted into fire — with this dif- 
 ference, that the wood changes its nature, and 
 that of the soul is preserved however penetrated 
 it may be with God. Henceforth its prayer is that 
 of sweet and tranquil rest in God without care, 
 desire, movement, or seeking of any kind, like the 
 streams which at the end of their long course 
 rest in the bosom of the ocean, like the blessed 
 who enjoy God and are lost, so to speak, in Him, 
 and have no thought or care for themselves. 
 
 This is the state to which the soul attains when 
 it is faithful to the exercise of meditation and the 
 practice of mortification, when it abandons itself 
 to the providence of God and relies on no creature. 
 As my aim in this treatise is to instruct only be- 
 ginners and to facilitate for them the practice of 
 prayer, I shall not dwell upon the higher or extraor- 
 dinary prayer, or how it must be regulated, but 
 only on the ordinary prayer called meditation. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MEDITATION. 
 
 This prayer is necessary to beginners and re- 
 quires rules, methods, and precepts; it is composed 
 of four parts, called preparation, consideration, af- 
 fection, and resolution. 
 
 This subject is treated of at length by all the 
 .spiritual fathers; I give a brief summary of it for 
 the benefit of those who have not read or cannot 
 read fuller treatises. 
 
ItteïïCtatiou- 165 
 
 I. PREPARATION. 
 
 It is tempting God to begin our meditation 
 without preparation, and manifest want of respect 
 to present ourselves before Him witii careless in- 
 difference. As our intelligence is limited, we can 
 do nothing well without previous preparation. 
 Great actions require great consideration, and 
 great enterprises great preparation. Now what is 
 greater, nobler, more important, than to converse 
 with God on the affairs of our salvation ? There- 
 fore we must never go to meditation without 
 preparation. Preparation is required in every- 
 thing: artists prepare themselves to execute their 
 conceptions; orators to deliver their discourses; 
 politicians to carry out their policy; wise men to 
 carry out their designs. 
 
 There are two kinds of preparation: one is re- 
 mote, the other immediate. 
 
 Remote preparation consists in three things: 
 
 1. In keeping the mind recollected during the 
 day. 
 
 2. In preserving the heart pure from sin and 
 free from passion. 
 
 3. In reading the subject of meditation. 
 
 As I am instructing beginners, I do not pretend 
 to lay down rules for perfect souls. There are mys- 
 tics who do not hesitate to say that they have no 
 need to prepare themselves for meditation. This, 
 I think, is speaking unwisely; they mean, no doubt, 
 that they are always prepared for meditation, 
 which is true, for they are always united to God, 
 and their subject is always present in their minds 
 
1 66 iJ«elïCtatCon, 
 
 and^ is contained in these three significant words, 
 God, all, nothing. 
 
 As to the immediate preparation, it includes 
 three things very necessary to a good meditation. 
 
 1. A lively faith in the presence of God, which 
 we may call the soul, the sun, the fire of medita- 
 tion; the soul which animates it, the sun which 
 enlightens it, the fire which inflames it. 
 
 There are two ways of placing ourselves in the 
 presence of God; one by considering, like St. 
 Stephen, Our Lord, either in heaven, whence He 
 looks down upon us, or in the Blessed Sacrament, 
 where He lives for us. This representation of the 
 sacred humanity may be useful for beginners, pro- 
 vided it require no great exertion of the mind or 
 effort of the imagination. 
 
 The other manner of placing ourselves in the 
 presence of God is more spiritual: it consists in 
 believing and recollecting that we are before God 
 and that God is before us; that we are with God 
 and that God is with us; that we are in God and 
 that God is in us; that His immensity fills all 
 things, and that we are filled therewith to the very 
 depth of our being, as St. Augustine says; that, 
 therefore, we can never be separated from the be- 
 ing of God, though we may sever ourselves from 
 His love. 
 
 2. After placing yourself in His presence, adore 
 Him with profound respect, prostrating yourself, 
 body and soul, before Him. Then offer Him your 
 meditation and the time you intend to devote to 
 it, protesting that it is for love of Him, and to 
 please Him, that you are about to perform this ac- 
 
Pleîritatioii, 167 
 
 tion; be prepared to spend the time of meditation 
 in light or in darkness, in consolation or desola- 
 tion, seeking no other satisfaction than that of 
 pleasing God. This resignation is important for 
 receiving God's graces and remaining in the state 
 in which He may place you. If, when you have 
 done your best, you leave meditation satisfied, it 
 is a mark that you have entered upon it with a 
 pure intention; but if you are sad and despondent, 
 it is a mark that you have sought your satisfac- 
 tion and not that of God. 
 
 3. The last thing required as preparation is to in- 
 voke the Holy Spirit, acknowledging that you are 
 not capable of a good thought if He does not in- 
 spire it; of applying your mind if He does not re- 
 strain it; of elevating your heart if He does not 
 attract it; of loving Him if He does not inspire 
 and animate you. 
 
 II. CONSIDERATION. 
 
 The consideration forms, so to speak, the body 
 of the meditation. The Prophet Jeremias says 
 that the whole earth is desolate because there is no 
 one that enters into himself and considers the 
 great truths of religion. And David tells us, 
 "Blessed are they who search the testimonies, the 
 commandments of God, for they will find the 
 fountain of living water, and the treasures of grace 
 contained in them." "Blessed," he says elsewhere, 
 "is the man who hath not walked in the counsel 
 of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, 
 nor sat in the chair of pestilence: But his will is in 
 
1 68 ^eîritatCon. 
 
 the law of the Lord, and on His law he shall med- 
 itate day and night. And he shall be like a tree 
 which is planted near the running waters, which 
 shall bring forth its fruit, in due season." Thus 
 does he begin the first of all his canticles. 
 
 The manner of making the consideration varies 
 according to the subject of the meditation and the 
 person meditating. If the subject is some mystery 
 or action of Our Lord's life, we must examine all 
 the circumstances; for example, if we are meditat- 
 ing on the Passion, we must consider Who it is 
 Who suffers, what He suffers, where He suffers, how 
 He suffers, for what purpose He suffers. 
 
 If it is a virtue upon which we are meditating, 
 we must consider its nature, its characteristics, its 
 beauty, its advantages, its necessity, the means of 
 acquiring it, and the occasions of practising it. 
 If it is a vice upon which we are meditating, we 
 must endeavor to learn the malice of it, the evil 
 effects of it, and the remedies to be applied to it. 
 
 In regard to the person meditating, there are 
 people who cannot readily discourse in meditation, 
 either because they are convinced of all the Chris- 
 tian truths, or because they have no facility in rea- 
 soning, or because of a dull intelligence or a too 
 lively imagination. 
 
 They who are convinced of the truths of religion 
 should give themselves more to affections than 
 considerations. They would do well also some- 
 times to remain quietly in the presence of God, 
 listening to His voice in the depth of their soul, or 
 sitting at His feet like Magdalen, or waiting, like 
 the paralytic, until the waters are stirred, sending 
 
iHe&itation. 169 
 
 forth loving sighs from time to time, and begging 
 Our Lord to give them His love. 
 
 They who have difficulty in reasoning or dis- 
 coursing may make use of the method of Louis de 
 Grenada or of St. Francis de Sales, who counsel 
 beginners, particularly women, to keep a book 
 before their eyes, to read the first point, and if it 
 suggest no good thoughts, to begin again and to 
 read the first two lines with great attention, as if 
 it were Our Lord Himself Who spoke in them ; 
 then to pause and ponder a little upon what they 
 have read, and to produce some affection conform- 
 able to the subject ; after these two lines, to read 
 two more, considering the truth proposed in them, 
 reflecting upon their lives and producing sen- 
 timents of gratitude or of sorrow for their sins. 
 When they find something which touches them, 
 they should pause, and before going any further, 
 derive all the profit they can from it. 
 
 If they find nothing to occupy them, let them 
 have recourse to other methods, which we shall 
 teach later on. 
 
 Persons possessed of a lively imagination should 
 fix the mind upon some mystery, or place, or 
 figure, representing the mystery as actually taking 
 place before them. Thus, if the nativity of Our 
 Lord is the subject of our meditation, we must 
 imagine ourselves in the stable of Bethlehem ; if 
 His death, upon Calvary ; if His transfiguration, 
 upon Tabor. If we meditate upon hell, we must 
 descend in spirit to this place of torment; if upon 
 death, we must picture ourselves upon our bed 
 about to render up our soul to God. If it is a 
 
I7Q l^elritatCon, 
 
 truth we are considering, we must imagine Our 
 Lord instructing us, or think of Him under some 
 figure relating to the truth we are contemplating. 
 This kind of representation serves to fix the im- 
 agination, and St. Ignatius makes it a prelude to 
 the consideration. 
 
 But we must beware, as I have said, of forcing 
 the mind ; on the contrary, if at the beginning of 
 the meditation we feel drawn to the presence of 
 God, we must remain there without entering into 
 the subject. If the same happens during the 
 meditation, we must cease to discourse, and aban- 
 don ourselves to the operation of the Holy Spirit. 
 This is the advice given by St. Ignatius himself in 
 his " Exercises." 
 
 III. AFFECTIONS. 
 
 Considerations are formed by the understand- 
 ing, and affections by the will. Sterile reflections 
 serve only to make a man vain and wicked, but 
 affectionate reflections make him humble and 
 holy. The light of the sun would be a vain orna- 
 ment to the earth if it did nothing but shed its 
 light upon it : it must also warm and fructify it. 
 As God desires principally our hearts, affections 
 are much more noble and more necessary than 
 considerations. 
 
 Affections are the good desires and movements 
 of the soul produced by the consideration of some 
 subject ; such are the acts of all the virtues, of 
 faith, of hope, of charity, of adoration, of admira- 
 tion, of praise, of thanksgiving, of offering of one's 
 
IWteîrîtartion. 171 
 
 self, of sorrow for sin, of confusion at our past life, 
 etc. 
 
 As it is by means of such acts that the heart is 
 detached from creatures and united with God, we 
 must endeavor to produce them as much as possi- 
 ble, without, however, making any violent effort. 
 If you cannot produce acts of charity, produce acts 
 of humility ; this virtue, St. Bernard says, com- 
 pensates for want of charity. Suffer if you cannot 
 pray ; make a meditation of patience instead of 
 consolation. Above all, be at peace and do not be 
 troubled, but be convinced that the most excel- 
 lent of all prayers is to do the will of God, and to 
 be satisfied wherever He places you. 
 
 IV. RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Our resolutions are the most important of all the 
 affections of the soul, and must be made whether 
 the meditation has been one of consolation or 
 one of dryness. There are some who spend the 
 time of prayer in learned speculations ; others in 
 tender affectionate sentiments ; others in obscurity 
 of mind; others in dryness and aridity of heart ; 
 some are always moved to tears, others never 
 weep.. Others, again, have a complacent admira- 
 tion for virtue, but never come to the practice of 
 it ; others make many and excellent resolutions, 
 but which are never followed by any results. 
 Aristotle says that they who study ethics without 
 being any the better therefor are like a sick man 
 who delights to hear his physician discourse upon 
 his malady but will take no remedy. 
 
172 Pteîrîtatîûît, 
 
 A meditation without fruit is an amusement of 
 the mind and a very dangerous form of idleness. 
 We must not judge of meditation by the tender 
 sentiments we have experienced, but by the profit 
 we have derived from it, or at least by the sincere 
 desire we have to do good and to practise virtue. 
 When you leave meditation, however dry it may 
 have been, with the desire, the resolution, to cor- 
 rect your faults and to do God's will, your time 
 has not been lost. The sacraments do not render 
 us impeccable, much less meditation; but it ought 
 to prevent our falling so frequently or so griev- 
 ously, and incite us to greater ardor in the practice 
 of virtue. 
 
 There are two kinds of resolutions; one general, 
 the other particular. General resolutions are, for 
 example, to love God with our whole heart, to 
 practise virtue, to avoid anger, to conform our- 
 selves in all things to the will of God. Particular 
 resolutions determine the time, place, circum- 
 stances ; as, for instance, to mortify ourselves on 
 certain occasions ; to practise meekness and pa- 
 tience under certain circumstances ; to conform 
 our will to that of God in some loss, humiliation, 
 or sickness. 
 
 General resolutions are not bad, but we must 
 make special ones also, particularly against the 
 vice to which we are most addicted, and to which 
 we must lay siege in meditation, directing all our 
 batteries against it. At other times we may re- 
 solve to perform a certain number of acts of virtue 
 during the day ; if you derive this fruit from medi- 
 
iWeïritation» i73 
 
 tation you have no reason to fear that it is not 
 well made. But bear in mind four things : 
 
 First, that our affections, whether sweet and 
 sensible or dry and cold, must be followed as 
 much as possible by resolutions, which are their 
 proper fruit. 
 
 Second, that we must not make many resolutions 
 at a time, but confine ourselves to one well fixed 
 in our mind. A skilful sportsman never goes after 
 several hares at a time; he confines himself to one. 
 
 Third, that we must begin by what is easy before 
 undertaking what is difficult; correct our exterior 
 before reforming our interior; for he who is not 
 faithful in little things will not be in great; while, 
 on the contrary, if you acquit yourself faithfully 
 in little things God will help you to accomplish 
 great. 
 
 Fourth, that we must not make resolutions for 
 life, but sometimes for a month, or a week, and 
 chiefly for the present day; if we fail in carrying 
 out our resolution, and we fall as before, we must 
 not lose courage, but rise at once and repair our 
 fault at the first opportunity. 
 
 V. CONCLUSION. 
 
 The conclusion or colloquy includes three things: 
 thanksgiving, offering of ourselves, and petition. 
 
 We must first thank God for the honor of being- 
 allowed in His presence, for the lights we have 
 received, and the good desires He has inspired. 
 
 Second, we must offer Him our soul, our body, 
 our mind, our heart, all that we possess, all that 
 
174 Wwtvnctions. 
 
 we hope for, particularly the good resolutions we 
 have formed in meditation. 
 
 Third, we must ask His blessing and the grace 
 to accomplish what He inspires, representing to 
 Him our weakness, our inconstancy, our infidelity, 
 our malice ; addressing ourselves sometimes to 
 Our Lord, sometimes to His blessed Mother, some- 
 times to the saints to whom we have most devo- 
 tion, and who excelled in the virtue we need. 
 
 Fourth, after meditation we must endeavor to 
 keep ourselves in the presence of God and to pre- 
 serve a recollected spirit, frequently returning dur- 
 ing the day to what has touched us most, that we 
 may thus preserve our devotion and be constantly 
 reminded of our resolution. This is what St. 
 Francis de Sales calls the spiritual bouquet. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DISTRACTIONS. 
 
 St. Bonaventure truly says that spiritual exer- 
 cises consist in knowing three things: what God 
 is, what man is, and how man is to unite himself 
 with God. There are several kinds of union, one 
 of which is prayer; but it is difficult to preserve it, 
 for the reason that the Evil One does all he can to 
 disturb it: he torments us with distractions and 
 evil thoughts ; then he persuades us that we ought 
 to abandon prayer, that we are losing our time ; 
 that to pray as we pray is not to please but to 
 
©istracttons» i75 
 
 offend God; that it is better not to pray at all than 
 to pray with so much irreverence ; that our mind 
 is too active, our imagination too lively, our oc- 
 cupations too numerous, that we cannot reason 
 and discourse on such subjects; that God is cold 
 and indifferent to us; that it is better to leave this 
 exercise to those who have little else to do, and 
 content ourselves with ordinary devotions. Cred- 
 ulous souls are only too often deceived by such 
 temptations, and abandon God through fear of 
 displeasing Him. 
 
 To remedy so great an evil, we must be con- 
 vinced of three things: 
 
 First, that of all the remedies which we may ap- 
 ply to distractions in prayer the worst and the 
 most pernicious is to abandon meditation; the 
 Evil One urges it, knowing that when he has cut off 
 the source of grace the soul must languish and die 
 for want of nourishment. 
 
 Second, that there is a great difference between 
 consolation and devotion: consolation usually has 
 to do with the senses, devotion has its seat in the 
 heart; consolation passes away, devotion remains; 
 we may have consolation without devotion, as we 
 may also have devotion without consolation. 
 When a soul in great aridity is contented and 
 abandons itself to the will of God, it possesses de- 
 votion in a sovereign degree; for true devotion, 
 according to St. Thomas, is a firm disposition of the 
 will to do generously, promptly, and constantly all 
 that God asks of it. Thus we may say that there 
 is no one more devout than one who has no con- 
 solation, who feels no devotion, provided he is 
 
17^ Causes of îStstractîons antf ^ttîrîtg, 
 
 faithful to meditation, and is content with what- 
 ever disposition God sends him, whether to punish 
 him or to sanctify him. 
 
 Third, that distractions and dryness are by no 
 means the unmitigated evils we imagine, but, on 
 the contrary, a precious mine capable of affording 
 us rich treasure, if we only use them aright. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CAUSES OF DISTRACTIONS AND ARIDITY. 
 
 I should need a large volume to give all that 
 the fathers have said on this subject. St. Bona- 
 venture estimates six causes, Gerson seventeen; 
 they may be reduced, however, to three: God, man, 
 and the Evil One. 
 
 All that God does is for our good; His object is 
 our salvation, whether He remains with us or 
 whether He withdraws from us. The absence of the 
 sun is almost as necessary to the earth as its pres- 
 ence; one makes the day and the other the night; 
 the night is not as beautiful as the day, but it is 
 quite as necessary. Now God withdraws from us 
 in prayer for several reasons. 
 
 The first is to keep us humble. Pride is a strange 
 thing in- man; he can do nothing of himself and 
 yet he prides himself on all that he accomplishes; 
 he is nothing but misery, yet thinks he has no need 
 of mercy. 
 
 If God bestows any favor upon him he thinks it 
 
Cau0es oî JBistvnctions anïr airCtrCtg. i77 
 
 the result of his own merit or labor, and robs its 
 Author of the glory due Him; if he catches a fish, 
 he offers sacrifice, as a prophet says, to his net in- 
 stead of to God; if he gains a victory, instead of 
 kissing the hand of the Lord Who has won it, he 
 kisses his own, which Job says is a grievous sin, 
 an impiety like to that of a man who denies God. 
 
 Now it is to make man know his misery and his 
 dependence that God withdraws His consolations; 
 He deprives him of tender and sensible graces to 
 make him feel the need of them; in darkness he 
 discovers what he is; in aridity he learns to appre- 
 ciate and to ask for what he has not. " My God," 
 said the great St. Augustine, " let me know myself 
 and let me know Thee." We cannot know God if 
 we do not know ourselves, and we learn to know 
 ourselves in the school of poverty. 
 
 Here we also learn the value of grace. Things are 
 valued in proportion to their rarity. Abundance, 
 Tertullian says, impairs and vitiates itself; to know 
 the worth of a possession we must have lost it. If 
 w^e always had this manna from heaven, perhaps 
 we should weary of it like the Jews; but when we 
 are deprived of it we begin to appreciate its worth; 
 consequently we seek it more fervently, we ask 
 for it more humbly, we find it with greater pleas- 
 ure. We guard it with greater circumspection, 
 fear, and watchfulness. I fear much, says St. Ber- 
 nard, that ungrateful souls will be abandoned by 
 grace, which they regard, not as a favor, but as a 
 rightful possession of which they are sovereign 
 master and proprietor. The saint refers to the 
 grace of devotion of which God frequently deprives 
 
17^ Causes of îBtstractCons anlr ^rilritj?» 
 
 souls, leaving them always what is necessary to 
 resist temptation and to do His will. 
 
 This privation is painful, but at the same time 
 necessary not only to keep us humble and make us 
 appreciate grace, but also to enable us to increase 
 our merits; for, as I shall show presently, vye 
 merit but little in meditation or prayer filled with 
 tender affectionate sentiments; it is not a state 
 which raises the soul above itself; it is gratifying 
 and satisfies nature; the state in which we merit 
 is that of pure love, of humility, of patience, and 
 rarel}?" is charity pure in sensible fervor, humble in 
 elevation, patient in pleasures. 
 
 It is for this reason that Our Lord, as He one 
 day told St. Teresa, leaves souls in darkness, deso- 
 lation, and aridity. The saint w^as astonished to 
 hear enlightened souls complain of aridity, know- 
 ing it to be a state in which the soul gives greater 
 honor to God, acquires more merit, and practises 
 all virtues with greater perfection. 
 
 It is also a time when God recognizes those who 
 are faithful to Him and who truly love Him. 
 Many, in the abundance of grace, declare, like 
 David, chat nothing shall ever change or over- 
 come them, and no sooner do the}?^ lose their 
 abundance than they are immediately cast down 
 and troubled. Others, at the festival board, de- 
 clare, like St. Peter, that they will never deny 
 their Master, but when temptation comes aban- 
 don Him like the apostle. The weakness of man 
 is inconceivable and his presumption still more 
 so. He blinds himself with his own lights, he 
 forgets his poverty the moment he has left it, he is 
 
Causes of Bistractîons anîr Bvitsits» i79 
 
 no sooner restored to health than he imagines 
 himself immortal; hence God afflicts and tries us, 
 not to learn what we are, for that is well known to 
 Him, but to make us know ourselves. Thus did 
 He try Abraham, recognizing His servant's fidelity 
 in his prompt obedience. ''Because thou wast 
 acceptable to God," said the angel Raphael to 
 Tobias, " it was necessary that temptation should 
 prove thee." Therefore we have no reason to 
 dread these states of aridity as we do, since God 
 permits them to keep us humble, to prove our love, 
 to make us appreciate grace, and to increase our 
 merits. No doubt some will say, " I should have 
 no difficulty in bearing this state if I were sure it 
 came from God; but what troubles me is that these 
 distractions come through my own fault, through 
 my negligence and in punishment for my infidel- 
 ities." Even if this were true, you must not lose 
 courage, but patiently endure the trial you think 
 you have merited, making up by your humility for 
 what you lack in charity. 
 
 It is true that distractions do frequently come 
 from ourselves, from the activity of our mind, from 
 the strength of our passions, from bodily infirmity, 
 from a wandering imagination, or as the result of 
 unfaithfulness or of attachment to creatures. But 
 all these distractions are innocent, provided we do 
 not dwell upon them. Only those which have their 
 seat in the fieart are culpable, for these are deliber- 
 ate and voluntary, at least in their principle. 
 
 Still another source is dissipation of mind during 
 the day ; if we are constantly occupied with vain 
 and dissipating reflections, it is difficult to rid our- 
 
i8o (ttiusts of HCstr actions anîr ^riïrîtg. 
 
 selves of them during prayer. Hence the fathers 
 and the masters of the spiritual life tell us that we 
 must dispossess ourselves of all earthly things if we 
 would be filled with spiritual, and that we must 
 keep ourselves during the day what we would be 
 in prayer. 
 
 When I say this I refer particularly to the heart 
 and not to the mind. There are persons whose only 
 efforts are against their thoughts, and who never 
 think of combating their passions. Their hearts 
 are filled with earthly attachments, disquieting 
 desires, and yet they hope to enjoy the repose and 
 peace of detached souls. This cannot be. They 
 must dispossess the heart to free the mind, they 
 must be free from the tyranny of passions to pray 
 without distractions ; for the heart follows its 
 treasure, and is wont to dwell on what it loves. 
 
 There is a certain state where the soul is so fully 
 convinced of the beauty and excellence of the Chris- 
 tian virtues that it can no longer reason in medita- 
 tion, and as it has labored much it asks only to rest, 
 even as the beloved disciple who reposed on the 
 breast of his Master while the others partook of 
 the repast prepared for them. The distractions 
 which arise in this state do not come from an evil 
 source ; they are, on the contrary, a mark of robust 
 spiritual health, and indicate that the soul needs 
 change of disposition and method. Thus, if your 
 heart is detached from creatures, and if you are 
 faithful to your spiritual exercises, this state of 
 aridity and dryness will afford you a rich harvest 
 of grace and cause you to exclaim with the Wise 
 Man : " I have labored a little and have found 
 
Qtîinsts of distractions mxtf ^rîïrCt». i8i 
 
 much rest to myself." Blessed indeed are they 
 who die in the Lord; they will find the treasure of 
 their good works, they will enjoy the fruit of their 
 labors, the God of peace will wipe away their tears, 
 they will never more know care or anguish, grief 
 or pain. 
 
 A third cause of our distractions is the Evil One. 
 He appreciates the profit a soul derives from 
 prayer; hence he leaves nothing undone to make 
 us weary of it, to make us abandon it. To this end 
 he persuades us that it is a waste of time, that 
 prayer such as ours, instead of pleasing, offends 
 God ; or he overwhelms us with drowsiness, 
 plunges us into melancholy, fills us with vexation, 
 harasses us with abominable thoughts ; if we yield 
 to the latter he has accomplished his purpose ; if 
 they fill us with horror, he persuades us, by exag- 
 gerating our aversion and fear, that we have 
 sovereignly displeased God, and that to rid our- 
 selves of such abominations we must abandon 
 meditation, since it is then that these phantoms 
 take possession of our mind and imagination. 
 Alas ! only too many souls are deceived by these 
 suggestions of the Evil One, and fly, like Cain, 
 from the presence of God. 
 
 Now that we have learned the causes of this evil, 
 let us endeavor to apply the proper remedy. 
 
i82 Kot to fie STrouïileïr fietause of distractions. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WE MUST NEVER BE TROUBLED BECAUSE OF DIS- 
 TRACTIONS AND ARIDITY. 
 
 In order to bear joyfullY, or at least patiently, the 
 privation of sensible sweetness and divine consola- 
 tions, we must be convinced of two truths : one is, 
 that the evil of these states of desolation and dry- 
 ness is not what we imagine ; and the other, that 
 they benefit the soul and enable it to acquire much 
 merit. 
 
 The first truth does not need to be proved, but 
 illustrated. There is no doubt that a sin to be 
 such must be voluntary ; hence your distractions, 
 if you do not yield to them, cannot but be inno- 
 cent, even though they continue all the time of 
 your meditation. 
 
 You will tell me, perhaps, that they are volun- 
 tary as to their cause, and that you give occasion 
 to them ; but even though this be true, it is no 
 reason for yielding to discouragement and aban- 
 doning prayer ; for either you know or you do not 
 know their cause. If you do not know it, you must 
 regard them as a temptation of the Evil One, a 
 disposition of grace, a trial of your virtue, an oc- 
 casion of merit, a physical infirmity, none of which 
 prevent your prayer from being a very pleasing 
 sacrifice to God. If you recognize the cause, ask 
 pardon of God for it and promise to remove it, 
 accept what you suffer in a spirit of penance, and 
 
>(fot to ïie STrouïJlrïr because of distractions. 183 
 
 believe me, you will make an excellent medita- 
 tion. 
 
 It is an unwise proceeding to apply one evil to 
 remedy another. If you have yielded unrestrain- 
 edly during the day to dissipation of mind is, it any 
 reason for flying from God after you have offended 
 Him ? Should we abandon ourselves to the wilds 
 of the forest because we have wandered ever so 
 little from the right path ? It is a mistake to 
 think that distractions always come from dissipa- 
 tion of heart. I have shown the contrary in the 
 preceding chapter, and even were it the case, what 
 does it avail to be troubled ? Trouble increases 
 instead of lessening the evil, besides adding to the 
 disturbance of your mind, instead of restoring it to 
 recollection. 
 
 You say that you do nothing in meditation. I 
 cannot agree with you. I am of the opinion, on 
 the contrary, that you never accomplish more than 
 when you think you have done nothing. To con- 
 vince you of this second truth, I must observe 
 again that, the time of consolation, though more 
 pleasing than that of desolation, is not a time in 
 which we accomplish most for our spiritual inter- 
 ests or acquire most merits. In consolation we 
 receive God's favors, in desolation we give Him 
 what He asks of us ; in one we plan, in the other 
 we labor ; in the first we enjoy God, in the second 
 we combat for Him. Do you not think it is 
 higher and nobler to give than to receive ; to labor 
 than to sleep ; to combat than to follow our 
 pleasure ? 
 
 To resist temptation is to suffer a species of mar- 
 
184 Wot to fie ^Troufilelr because of îiistr actions. 
 
 tyrdom for the faith, for charity, for religion, for jus- 
 tice. It is to sacrifice our soul, our body, our heart, 
 our mind, and all our passions to the glory of God, 
 Who witnesses our combats, ever ready to crown 
 our patience. It is to produce, in the noblest and 
 most heroic manner, acts of all the virtues : of 
 faith in darkness of spirit, of hope in abandon- 
 ment, of charity in weariness, of poverty in spirit- 
 ual destitution, of patience in suffering : this is 
 what you do, and you call it nothing ! 
 
 A soul, as I have already said, merits hardly any- 
 thing in consolation. It cannot be sure of produc- 
 ing a single act of supernatural virtue ; for we call 
 supernatural that which is above nature, which 
 surpasses its powers. Man naturally beUeves only 
 that which he understands, hopes for only that 
 which is possible to him, loves only that which 
 pleases him. Hence his faith is supernatural when 
 he believes what he does not understand ; his 
 hope is supernatural when he hopes for that which 
 he cannot accomplish or compass ; his charity is 
 supernatural when, for love of God, he loves that 
 which does not please him. To believe in the 
 midst of spiritual darkness, to hope in the midst of 
 infirmity, to love despite all obstacles, is to per- 
 form acts of virtue which are beyond the power of 
 nature, and which can be done only through the 
 assistance of God. 
 
 And this is what a soul does which continues 
 faithful and peaceful in these painful states of pri- 
 vation and aridity: it believes a God present Whom 
 it cannot see ; it hopes in Him against all hope; 
 it abandons itself to One by Whom it believes it- 
 
Kot to 6e 5rrûuï)ïelr decaiise of iStstractions. 185 
 
 self abandoned ; it loves Him despite the weari- 
 ness and anguish in which He plunges it; it bows 
 to His severe and crucifying designs; it suffers a 
 martyrdom of love; it humbles itself at sight of its 
 misery; it is content with its poverty and blesses 
 God, like Job, when it beholds itself despoiled of 
 all its spiritual possessions, covered with wounds 
 and ulcers, and persecuted by devils, striving to 
 make it break forth into murmurs and complaint. 
 
 Oh, if a soul knew how it honors God in a 
 prayer of patience, if it knew the treasures of merit 
 it amasses every moment, it would never wish to 
 change this state! Not that we must reject con- 
 solation when God offers it; it is a heavenly dew 
 necessary to tender souls not yet firmly rooted in 
 virtue ; only we must endeavor not to be attached 
 to it. The peace of great souls is not founded 
 upon these sensible favors, but upon the order and 
 good pleasure of God, Whose will constitutes their 
 happiness and their only consolation. Theirs is a 
 life of the spirit and of grace uninfluenced by 
 nature and the things of sense. 
 
 Now, what is more natural than to believe that 
 which we see ? To hope for that which we may 
 touch ? Who would not believe God present if he 
 felt His divine operations in his heart ? Who would 
 not hope in God if he experienced His caresses ? 
 Who would not love God if he were unceasingly 
 consoled by Him ? It is not in light, therefore, 
 that we practise supernatural faith, but in darkness. 
 It is not when God flatters us that our hope is 
 divine, but when He afflicts us. It is not in conso- 
 lation that we love God Vv'ith a pure love, but in 
 
1 86 Xot to ie ÎTroutlelr because of BistractCoirs. 
 
 desolation. Yes, believe me, you never do more 
 than when you think you have done nothing ; you 
 never merit more than when you think you have 
 merited nothing, inasmuch as in these painful 
 states we produce, as I have shown, acts of divine 
 faith, of supernatural hope, of pure charity, of 
 general mortification, of Christian humility, of 
 blind obedience, and of heroic patience: it is then 
 that man pays God the homage of his whole being, 
 and offers Him the sacrifice of all his passions. 
 Then why should we be troubled, or lose courage, 
 or abandon meditation ? 
 
 You cannot, you tell me, think of God. Then 
 be satisfied to love Him and to conform 5^our will 
 to His, accepting the state in which He places you. 
 Your mind wanders? There is no great harm in 
 that, provided you do not let your heart follow, but 
 keep it steadfast. Alas ! I have no consolation in 
 prayer. What, is it for that that you come to medi- 
 tation ? Do you deserve that God should console 
 you, you who have so grievously offended Him, and 
 whose place is among the reprobate ? But what 
 greater consolation can there be than to do God's 
 will, to be in His presence, to manifest your fidelity 
 and your love for Him ? I am always distracted. 
 If your distractions are voluntary, you offend Him; 
 if they are against your will, you honor Him, you 
 please Him, you love Him : everything is pleasing 
 to God except sin, and there can be no sin when 
 the will is lacking. A prayer of suffering is better 
 than a prayer of enjoyment. It is a sweet perfume 
 which rises to heaven and fills paradise with its 
 fragrance. Let us keep these words of St. Angus- 
 
Tf^oî to te ÎTrouïJleli because of î!9istractîons. 187 
 
 tine always in mind: "You please God if God 
 pleases you ; He is satisfied with you if you are 
 satisfied with Him." 
 
 I am satisfied with God, but I am not satisfied 
 with myself. And w^hy are you not satisfied with 
 yourself, unless you take pleasure in being miser- 
 able ? You are told that God is satisfied with you 
 provided you are satisfied with Him, and you do 
 nothing but worry and murmur. It is not against 
 yourself that you murmur, but against God, for 
 leaving you without consolation, for not treating 
 you, it seems, according to your merits. 
 
 Moreover, since you do what you can, I do not 
 see what reason 5^ou have to be dissatisfied with 
 yourself. Far from it, you reply ; it seems to me 
 that I never do all that I might. You take pleas- 
 ure in tormenting yourself. Tell me, could you 
 do more than you are doing at present ? If you 
 could, why do you not do it? If you could not, 
 why are you troubled ? 
 
 The enjoyment of God constitutes the happiness 
 of heaven and earth, with this difference — the hap- 
 piness of heaven is unalloyed, that of earth is min- 
 gled with sorrow ; in heaven we shall worship a 
 God of happiness, on earth our God is a Man of 
 sorrows. Our union with God in this life must re- 
 semble that of the sacred Humanity with the Word: 
 the superior part of the Humanit}'- was happy, the 
 inferior suffered ; its moments of happiness w^ere 
 few, its heart was continually plunged in an ocean 
 of bitterness, for it had come to expiate in suffer- 
 ing the pleasure which men take in sin. 
 
 This is the state of holy souls in this life : ac- 
 
I SS Xot to tie ^Trouïilelr because ot distractions, 
 
 cording to the spirit nothing could be more pleas- 
 ing, according to the senses nothing more painful. 
 It is true that God, from time to time, permits 
 them to taste that happiness which eye hath not 
 seen, which ear hath not heard, and which hath not 
 entered into the heart of man ; but this endures 
 only for a short time, for this life is a time of pro- 
 bation and merit. The kingdom of God, St. Paul 
 tells us, does not consist in these sensible consola- 
 tions, but in justice and peace and joy in the Holy 
 Ghost, Who peacefully dwells in a heart. There- 
 fore, though you are distracted in mind, if your 
 heart only remains steadfast, you have nothing to 
 fear. Your mistake is, that you confound these 
 two kinds of distractions, and you do not distin- 
 guish between two kinds of union ; one of the 
 heart, and the other of the mind. Be convinced of 
 this, that you may be intimately united with God 
 in heart, though your mind may be distracted, and 
 that all the involuntary distractions in the world 
 cannot distract you and separate you from His 
 love. 
 
 I understand this perfectly, some good souls will 
 say, and yet I am not satisfied ; there is a feeling of 
 disquiet in the depth of my heart which fills my 
 meditation with bitterness. Whence is this? The 
 cause is not difficult to find ; you do not come to 
 meditation alone, self-will accompanies you. You 
 wish to give uninterrupted attention and you are 
 not willing to suffer distractions ; you want to burn 
 with fervor and you are not willing to endure cold- 
 ness; you wish to enjoy light and you are not willing 
 to be left in darkness ; you wish and you do not 
 
î^emelries for ISisttactCons. 189 
 
 wish ; you do not find that which you wish, and 
 you find that which you do not wish. What won- 
 der that you are troubled ! Banish this self-will, 
 and your trouble will cease ; purify your intention 
 before entering upon meditation ; do not seek 
 your own satisfaction, but that of God ; accept 
 whatever state it may please Him to place you in, 
 and be convinced that all states are good in which 
 there is no sin ; that you can find God wherever 
 self is not to be found ; that He fills your heart in 
 proportion as you empty it of all earthly things ; 
 that being spirit. He wishes to be adored in spirit ; 
 that sensible unions are dangerous ; that fruitful- 
 ness follows sterility ; that after the night comes 
 the morning, and that the best of all prayers is to 
 die to your desires and to mortify your passions. 
 In this way you will restore peace to your soul and 
 dissipate the gloom which possesses it. But as all 
 distractions do not come from the same causes, 
 there are still other remedies to be applied. 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 
 REMEDIES FOR DISTRACTIONS. 
 
 Every one complains of distractions, and few are 
 willing to apply the remedy. We like the cause 
 and dislike the effect ; we wish to be recollected in 
 prayer and dissipated at all other times. Is not 
 this desiring what is impossible ? 
 
 We have said that distractions come from three 
 
19° 3Êlemelrîeî5 for ©îstractfons. 
 
 sources — from God, from man, and from the Evil 
 One. When they come from God we must endure 
 them ; when they come from the Evil One we must 
 repel them ; when they come from man we mu.st 
 apply a remedy. 
 
 There are two kinds of remedies. The first pre- 
 cede prayer, the others accompany it. The remedies 
 which precede it are numerous ; among others, rec- 
 ollection of mind, purity of heart, mortification 
 of the senses, victory over the passions, flight from 
 companions, detachment from all possessions, hon- 
 ors, and created pleasures, interior silence, and the 
 annihilation of all desires. 
 
 It is astonishing, says Pope St. Gregory, that we 
 who are so unmortified presume to aspire to contem- 
 plation. We are full of ourselves and we would be 
 filled with God ! We exercise no restraint over 
 either our body or our heart ; we grant our senses 
 all that they ask > we gratify our eyes with curious 
 objects, our mind with innumerable vanities ; we 
 spend our time in vain and idle conversations ; we 
 give ourselves up to dissipation of heart every day, 
 and we think we can establish ourselves in recol- 
 lection at once and when we will. This is impos- 
 sible. 
 
 To establish and preserve ourselves in interior 
 peace, we must be ever on our guard and continu- 
 ally watch over the movements of our heart. 
 There are few persons truly dead to all their de- 
 sires; hence the majority, in prayer, are like a ship 
 tossed on the waves and impelled hither and thither 
 by every wind. Yet such souls ought not for this 
 reason to abandon prayer ; they have greater need 
 
iftrst Jïleans of îDcbotion. 191 
 
 of it than they who are quietly anchored, so to 
 speak, in the spiritual haven. But what must I do, 
 you ask, to banish these importunate thoughts ? 
 You must, first, place yourself in the presence of 
 God and renew the thought of it from time to 
 time. Second, when you go to prayer you must 
 free your mind of all affairs likely to distract it, and 
 conceive a great desire to converse with God ; then 
 turn to your subject, and propose to yourself the 
 truth upon which you wish to meditate. 
 
 I do this, you answer, but to no purpose as far as 
 my mind is concerned ; it is impossible to keep it 
 a moment in the presence of God; it is an idle tru- 
 ant constantly escaping and returning only at long 
 intervals. This is what makes me weary of prayer 
 and leads me to think I am not fitted for it. 
 
 This is a common complaint with a great many 
 souls. The way to remedy the evil is to find the 
 means of occupying our minds and enkindling our 
 hearts in this time of dissipation, coldness and 
 dryness. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FIRST MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 Perfect prayer does not consist in thinking 
 much, but in loving much; and, generally speak- 
 ing, activity in prayer does not equal passive en- 
 durance. There is a species of contemplation in 
 which the soul suffers divine things; suffers the 
 wanderings of the mind, the weariness and de- 
 
192 jFîtst IWCeatrs of îBebctCon. 
 
 spondency of the heart, the follies of the imagina- 
 tion, the harassing temptations of the Evil One. 
 This is to suffer divine things; it is a kind of con- 
 templation which is not pleasing to nature, but 
 which is very meritorious and which gives great 
 honor to God. 
 
 But besides this exercise of patience there are 
 excellent practices which will enable us to spend 
 the time of prayer peacefully and profitabl}^, 
 should we find ourselves unable to apply our 
 mind to our subject. 
 
 The first means of devotion is a manner of 
 prayer, partly mental and partly vocal, which St. 
 Ignatius teaches in his "Exercises," and which St. 
 Teresa tells us she used to advantage for a long 
 time. It consists in reciting slowly some vocal 
 prayer and pausing upon each word to derive from 
 it all the spiritual sustenance it may afford us. 
 
 Thus, when you say the Lord's Prayer, pause 
 after the words Our Father^ and endeavor to ap- 
 preciate the tenderness and love which the title 
 implies. Then make an act of faith in God as 
 your Father. Consider by how many titles you 
 are His child — viz., by creation, by conservation, 
 and by justification. Then address your soul thus: 
 My soul, if God is thy Father, why do§t thou not 
 love Him? If God is thy Father, why dost thou 
 not hope in Him ? Why dost thou not make 
 known to Him thy needs? God is thy Father and 
 thou fearest to die of hunger ! He has given His 
 blood for thee and thou thinkest He may refuse 
 thee bread ! O my God and my Father, I hope 
 in Thee ! O best of fathers, what an unworthy 
 
iFCr0t lWean£! ot îBebotiou, 193 
 
 child Thou hast ! I am truly grieved for having 
 offended, persecuted, dishonored Thee as I have 
 since I came into this world. Father, I have 
 sinned against Thee, and I am not worthy to be 
 called Thy child; but let me be numbered among 
 Thy servants. I will cease to offend Thee; hence- 
 forth I am determined to love Thee. 
 
 If these words serve to occupy you, do not go 
 any further. When you have gathered from them 
 all they afford you, pass on to the next, Who art in 
 heaven^ and consider how great and powerful God 
 is Who dwells in this magnificent heaven; that this 
 beautiful paradise, this magnificent dwelling, is 
 your inheritance, and that, therefore, you must 
 not fix your heart upon the paltry things of earth. 
 Develop this evangelical field, and it will afford 
 you a treasure of grace which will enrich you and 
 open to you a source of living water which will 
 refresh you. 
 
 After the "Our Father " you may take the " Hail, 
 Mary," or the "Creed," or a psalm, and analyze it 
 in the same way. You may also recite the Litany of 
 the Holy Name of Jesus, and, pausing upon each 
 title given the Son of God, produce acts of faith, 
 of hope, of love, of contrition, of thanksgiving, or 
 of any good sentiment the words suggest. For 
 example, when you say, Jesus, God of peace, have 
 mercy 011 ine^ pause and consider that Jesus is a 
 God of peace, that He only can give peace to 
 your heart. Then say, O my soul, why dost thou 
 seek to find peace among creatures? O God of 
 peace, give peace to my poor heart, for it is fre- 
 quently troubled and disquieted. Oh, when shall 
 
194 âetonïr JWcans of îitbotion. 
 
 I rest in Thy heart, which is the centre of my 
 peace ? O sweet Jesus, give me Thy peace, Thy 
 love, Thy blessing ; speak, and command the 
 waves to be still; appease this tempest, which hin- 
 ders Thy repose and mine ! O my soul, love only 
 Jesus, since He only can give thee peace and satisfy 
 thy desires. 
 
 You will find this manner of prayer most profit- 
 able, and it may also serve to excite your devotion 
 after Communion. You cannot fail, among all 
 these beautiful titles of the Son of God, to find 
 one which touches your heart and appeals to the 
 present position of your soul. When you have 
 found it, let your mind dwell upon it like a bee 
 upon a flower, extracting from it all the honey of 
 devotion it contains. 
 
 You may also read with respect and attention 
 devout sentences from Scripture or from the " Imi- 
 tation;" they certainly will afford you thoughts 
 which will excite your devotion either during 
 meditation or after Communion. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SECOND MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 As the end of prayer is to correct our faults, we 
 should consider that as the best prayer which in- 
 spires us with the greatest horror of sin and the 
 greatest desire to avoid it. Prayer, it seems to 
 me,, may be compared to an orange-tree which 
 
âeconlr |Heans of îiebotîon. i95 
 
 bears leaves, flowers, and fruit; there are some 
 persons who amuse themselves with culling the 
 leaves, others with wreathing the flowers into 
 bouquets, but the wisest gather the fruit and eat 
 it with pleasure. 
 
 Now the fruit of prayer consists, principally, in 
 a knowledge of our faults and in the resolution to 
 correct them; thus we make a good meditation 
 when we make a good examination of conscience. 
 St. Ignatius has also taught us this manner of 
 prayer. He tells persons not yet accustomed to 
 meditate, and who are desirous to begin a new 
 life, to examine their conscience on the com- 
 mandments of God and the Church; to dwell 
 upon each one for a short time, considering what 
 it commands, and how just, salutary, easy, and 
 reasonable it is; then to consider how they have 
 observed it, and at sight of their failings against it 
 to make acts of contrition for the past and to re- 
 solve to do better for the future. 
 
 We may make the same examination on the 
 seven deadly sins, by considering their malice 
 and conceiving great sorrow for having offended 
 God so grievously. 
 
 Persons accustomed to make meditation may 
 have recourse, with advantage, to this remedy 
 when they find themselves in a state of dryness 
 or desolation. Let them consider their own sins, 
 particularly the vice to which they are most 
 addicted ; let them search the causes and the 
 evil effects of their sins, and, after conceiving a 
 horror of them, determine upon the means of 
 avoiding them in future. If they leave médita- 
 
19^ ÎTijtrîr J^eans oî Bebotion, 
 
 tion firmly resolved to adopt these means of 
 amendment, they may be sure that they have 
 made an excellent prayer. 
 
 There are others who find much profit and con- 
 solation in dwelling on the graces God has con- 
 ferred upon them, and the dangers from which He 
 has delivered them. Those who are more ad- 
 vanced in prayer may make use of this considera- 
 tion to excite their love for God and their sorrow 
 for their sins, contrasting the benefits they have 
 received from Him with their indifference, their 
 coldness, their cowardice, their infidelities, and 
 their ingratitude : this will certainly afford occu- 
 pation for the space of half an hour. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THIRD MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 A soul sometimes finds itself in certain states in 
 which nothing can console it; everything grieves 
 and afflicts it; it seems to be suspended, as the 
 patient Job says, between heaven and earth, un- 
 able to derive consolation from either. St. Ber- 
 nard, who experienced such a state, gives an ad- 
 mirable picture of its misery, which ought to 
 console all sufferers. 
 
 Perhaps the most grievous suffering of the soul 
 in these states of darkness and desolation is the 
 temptations which are so violent that it cannot be 
 sure that it has not consented to them. I could 
 bear this anguish, it says, if I were sure I did not 
 
S^j^Crïï M^ans of îiebotîûn. i97 
 
 consent to these abominations; but it seems to me 
 that I utter all these thoughts that assault my 
 mind, that I consent to all that I feel. There are 
 two remedies for the suffering caused by this 
 cruel uncertainty. One is to submit our judgment 
 to that of our director, to fear only what he fears, 
 and to despise all that he despises. There is no 
 safe path in the spiritual life but that of submis- 
 sion and obedience. 
 
 The other remedy is to have some exterior sign 
 to indicate that we embrace what is good and re- 
 ject what is evil. Thus, some souls finding them- 
 selves violently tempted, or unable to produce 
 any of the acts proper to meditation, take a cruci- 
 fix and say: " My God, I declare before heaven 
 and earth that whenever I kiss my crucifix it is to 
 adore Thee; whenever I press it to my heart, it is 
 to protest that I love Thee. Whenever I bow my 
 head, deign to accept it as an act of humility; 
 whenever I strike my breast, as an act of contri- 
 tion; whenever I raise my eyes to heaven, as an 
 act of resignation to Thy adorable will. When I 
 utter the name of Jesus, it is to protest that I re- 
 ject all the suggestions of the Evil One, and that 
 I detest all that displeases Thee." God, as you 
 know, does not need these exterior signs to under- 
 stand the dispositions of your heart; He knows, 
 without our telling Him what we wish and what 
 we do not wish: this, therefore, is only to reassure 
 timid souls and to restore their peace of mind; 
 for, as the body acts only through the impulse of 
 the soul, these exterior acts must necessarily pro- 
 ceed from the heart even though it seem to have 
 
19^ ^T^ïrîr iftrlean0 of Bebotton* 
 
 no part in them. And as God is satisfied with our 
 good desires, you will have the merit of acts that 
 you cannot make, and spend the time of medita- 
 tion most profitably. 
 
 Others, again, adopt still another method: their 
 prayer is one of desire when they feel unable to 
 pray as they would wish. If they find themselves 
 constantly distracted and unable to preserve their 
 recollection, or to free themselves from a state of 
 coldness and indifference, or to excite any pious 
 sentiments in their hearts, they raise their eyes to 
 heaven and say: " My God, I would, in truth, 
 do more for Thee than I do. Oh, that I could 
 love Thee with my whole heart! Oh, that I could 
 praise and honor Thee like the blessed in heaven ! 
 Would that I could make m}?- prayer like that of 
 the many good religious now in prayer before 
 Thee ! My God, I am not worthy to assist at the 
 banquet of prayer with them; grant me but the 
 crumbs which fall from their table. Oh, that I 
 could pray with their fervor and attention ! I 
 offer Thee their prayer and that of Thy beloved 
 Son to compensate for all that mine lacks." 
 
 This is an excellent and most meritorious prayer; 
 it is like that of the countryman travelling with St. 
 Ignatius. On their arrival at an inn, the saint and 
 his companions knelt down to pray; the good man 
 fell on his knees and said: "My God, I desire to 
 do what these holy men are doing, and to pray as 
 they pray." God rewarded the good man's hu- 
 mility with a great gift of prayer. 
 
iFourtï) Means of îBebotion. 199 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FOURTH MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 You will tell me, no doubt, that these desires are 
 soon over, and that you do not know what to do 
 with the rest of the time ; but there are still many- 
 other ways of spending it with great merit. 
 
 Do as the Son of God did in the Garden of 
 Olives ; He spent several hours repeating the same 
 words : '' Father, not My will but Thine be done." 
 You cannot think a prayer unworthy of you which 
 was worthy of God and which has been consecrated 
 by His heart and His lips. It is a prayer of union 
 than which 3^ou could offer none more perfect. 
 
 Then recall to mind all that grieves and afflicts 
 you, and say w4th profound respect : 
 
 " My God, behold this chalice of weariness and 
 desolation in which my lips are steeped, and which 
 is in truth most bitter. I beg Thee, if it be possible, 
 let it pass from me, but not my will but Thine be 
 done. 
 
 '^ Mv God, behold this chalice of sorrow and 
 humiliation which is presented to me ; my heart 
 faints and quails at sight of it. I beseech Thee 
 that I may not drink it, yet not my wûU but Thine 
 be done. 
 
 *' My Father and my God, I am threatened with 
 a grievous malady ; it appalls and terrifies me. If 
 it be possible, let this chalice pass from me, yet 
 not mv will but Thine be done." 
 
200 ffiîtij HaeaiTS of îSebotion, 
 
 Bring to mind in this way all that troubles you 
 or is likely to grieve you, and, despite the repug- 
 nance of the senses, conform yourself to the will of 
 God. I do not know that you could offer a better 
 prayer than this. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FIFTH MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 If you cannot converse with God, invite creat- 
 ures to praise and bless Him with you : this will 
 not be a distraction, but a holy occupation which 
 is the theme of our most beautiful canticles. 
 
 Say, for example : '* All ye works of the Lord, 
 bless Him, praise Him, and glorify Him forever. 
 Angels of heaven, bless and praise God, Ye sons 
 of earth, chant the praises of your Saviour and 
 Lord ; love Him with all your hearts." 
 
 Bring before you in this way the whole universe, 
 and invite all creatures, animate and inanimate, to 
 bless God like the men in the fiery furnace. Unite 
 yourself with this concert of loving praise, and 
 honor God to the best of your power by your 
 humility and your patience. Bless and extol His 
 infinite perfections. His goodness, His beauty, His 
 wisdom, His power. His munificence. His mercy, 
 His justice, His meekness, His patience, His gran- 
 deur, His majesty, His magnificence. Consider 
 these attributes one by one and offer them the 
 homage of your heart, saying : " O my God, how 
 
iFîftï) iWeans of îiebotfon. 201 
 
 loving Thou art ! Oh, how great is Thy beauty ! 
 How great is Thy goodness ! How great and 
 powerful Thou art ! " Endeavor to be penetrated 
 with the admiration which these words are fitted 
 to excite, and say : " Bless the Lord, O my soul : 
 and let all that is within me bless His holy name. 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul : and forget not all that 
 He hath done for thee : He forgiveth all thy ini- 
 quities : He healeth all thy diseases. He hath re- 
 deemed thy life from destruction: He hath crowned 
 thee with mercy and compassion : He renews thy 
 strength like the eagle's." 
 
 Continue in this way with all the perfections of 
 God, pausing upon those which make most impres- 
 sion on your heart. 
 
 But the most beautiful and most consoling prayer 
 for a sorrowful and despondent soul is to go in 
 spirit to all the scenes of Our Lord's life and to 
 thank Him for all that He endured for us. 
 
 Enter in spirit into the stable of Bethlehem, and 
 adore Him with the shepherds ; admire His hu- 
 mility, love His meekness," hope in His goodness, 
 draw near to the manger, and if you find yourself 
 incapable of any good thouglit, remember that the 
 animals honored Him by their mere presence as 
 best they could. Repeat the sweet canticle of the 
 angels ; give glory to God, and ask peace for your 
 heart. 
 
 Then from the mystery of the nativity pass on 
 to the adoration of the magi; go to the Temple and 
 offer the infant Saviour to God with Mary ; fly 
 with Him into Egypt ; shut yourself up with Him 
 in the poor house of Nazareth; study His life there; 
 
202 Sîvtï) iî^rans of ©ebotîon» 
 
 then His public life, His fasting in the desert, His 
 preaching in Judea, His walking upon the waters, 
 His healing of the sick, His raising of the dead. 
 But, above all, follow Him through all the stations 
 of His passion, from the Garden of Olives to Mount 
 Calvary ; thank Him for all that He endured for 
 you ; hear His gentle reproach to His sleeping 
 disciples : "What ! could you not watch one hour 
 with Me ? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not 
 into temptation." A suffering soul will find in- 
 estimable consolation in contemplating these sor- 
 rowful mysteries. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SIXTH MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 When we have learned how to love God we have 
 acquired a noble science. There are many who can- 
 not meditate, but few who cannot send forth 
 loving sighs. These sighs, which voice the yearn- 
 ing love of the soul, are in reality the most beauti- 
 ful, the most fervent, the most eloquent of all 
 prayers : they are the prayer of souls wounded by 
 the love of God, and aspiring to union with Him ; 
 they can no longer speak ; their love is poured forth 
 in sighs. " Daughters of Jerusalem, " they cry, " stay 
 me up with flowers, compass me about with apples, 
 because I languish with love." This is all that 
 breaks from time to time the beautiful silence of 
 the soul where the heart alone speaks and where 
 its every breat his a sigh of love. 
 
 Now, though this prayer is the final disposition 
 
Bivtf) i^rans of Bebotion. 203 
 
 for union with God, and the occupation of those 
 who can no longer meditate, yet all souls can prac- 
 tise it : it constitutes what we call ejaculatory 
 prayers, which are loving darts which speed from 
 our heart to the very heart of God. 
 
 It is also a prayer which know^s neither art nor 
 method ; it is taught by love ; to practise it the 
 heart must be in no way constrained, but left free 
 to say to God all that it wills. The language of 
 love, St. Bernard says, is barbarous to one who 
 understands it not ; but it is the language of the 
 court of heaven, where charity reigns. 
 
 Though spontaneous acts are always best, we 
 are not obliged to refrain from seeking to make 
 others, particularly at seasonable times. For ex- 
 ample, when we are suffering from aridity or dis- 
 tractions, or when we find nothing to occupy us, 
 then the soul should seek its entertainment in 
 loving. The aspirations should be short, particu- 
 larly when they come from a heart wounded with 
 the dart of love. 
 
 O my God and my All, when shall 1 be wholly 
 Thine ? when wilt Thou be wholly mine ? 
 
 O God of my soul, how happy I am to be Thine ! 
 O my Glory, my Life, why can I not love Thee as 
 Thou shouldst be loved ? 
 
 My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me ? 
 Ah ! I need not ask. I have truly deserved to be 
 abandoned. 
 
 My heart is ready, my God ; my heart is ready : 
 not my will but Thine be done. 
 
 O Jesus, look upon me with compassion and 
 bless me .' 
 
204 âebrntï) J^cans of ©efaotion. 
 
 Oh, why did I ever offend Thee, God of my heart 
 and Father of my life ? 
 
 Oh, when shall I love Thee, when shall I embrace 
 Thee, when shall I possess Thee ? 
 
 In this way we may produce any number of 
 aspirations according to the disposition of our 
 soul; and even though in times of aridity we seem 
 not to feel the sentiments which they express, they 
 will, nevertheless, be pleasing to God. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SEVENTH MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 I must repeat again that the end of meditation 
 is, not to meditate, but to love ; hence affections, 
 as they detach the heart from creatures and unite 
 it with God, avail more than speculations and 
 reasoning. We cannot love without meriting, but 
 our meditations are not always an occasion of 
 merit. Meditation is a means of exciting affec- 
 tion. When we have attained the end, the means 
 are no longer necessary ; if you can love, I dis- 
 pense you from meditating. 
 
 Love is the disposition, the occupation, of souls 
 who have long resisted their passions, who are 
 persuaded of all the truths of religion, and who 
 have made much progress in virtue ; such souls, 
 as I have said, have nothing more to do but pour 
 forth their love in sighs and desires till they find 
 the object of their desires in the enjoyment of the 
 
^ JLnnî iJ^eans of iScbotion. 205 
 
 Beloved. It is but a moment — a moment so brief 
 and yet so long! 
 
 Souls advanced in prayer have no need of method 
 or rule in the production of these affections; they 
 should simply abandon their heart to the impres- 
 sions of love and the movements of the Holy 
 Spirit. But beginners who find themselves unable 
 to meditate should, until they are more accustomed 
 to the exercise of prayer, have recourse to a book 
 containing all these acts of the various virtues. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 LAST MEANS OF DEVOTION. 
 
 Though the practices taught in the preceding 
 chapters are fitted to occupy the most distracted 
 mind and to inflame the most tepid heart, yet, as 
 there are states where the soul is unable either to 
 think of or to speak to God, and feels the utmost 
 aversion for pious exercises, our final counsel is to 
 make, in such case, an exercise of humility and 
 patience. 
 
 The prayer of the humble is so powerful before 
 God that it may be said to be irresistible. Achaz 
 was a wicked king ; but when he humbled himself, 
 God was compelled, as it were, to lay down His 
 arms, and when urged by a prophet to punish him 
 He declared that, Achaz having humbled himself, 
 it was not in His power. But when patience is 
 united with humility, there is no anger which it 
 
2o6 îiast i^eans of iSebotCon. 
 
 will not appease, no scourge which it will not 
 avert, no grace which it will not obtain, no power 
 which it will not disarm, no strength and consola- 
 tion which it will not merit. 
 
 Oh, how powerful in heaven is the cry of a 
 humble soul ! How it forces God's mercy and 
 goodness ! " Blessed," says St. Paul, " be the God 
 and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father 
 of mercies and the God of all comfort, Who com- 
 forteth us in all our tribulations." St, Bernard 
 bids us observe the words of the Apostle : God is 
 not the Father of special mercy, but of many mer- 
 cies ; He is not the God of special comfort, but of 
 all comfort ; He comforts us not in special tribu- 
 lation, but in all our tribulations ; He is the 
 plenitude of goodness, charity, and mercy, desir- 
 ing only to be poured upon us. 
 
 Now, upon whom of all men does God look with 
 most pleasure ? Upon the humble in mind and 
 heart, who believe themselves unworthy of all con- 
 solation, and who feel it too great an honor that 
 He suffers them in His presence. 
 
 The streams of divine consolation flow not upon 
 the mountains, says St. Bernard, but in the valleys. 
 Patience is a virtue whose work is to finish and 
 perfect — that is, to impart perfection to its pos- 
 sessor, as St. James says. 
 
 If it is God's glory we are seeking in prayer, 
 there is nothing which honors Him so much as 
 humble patience and patient humility ; if it is our 
 own merit, there can be no merit without humility 
 and patience; if it is our perfection, humility must 
 be its foundation, and patience its crowning glory. 
 
Hast Itteans of îBebotCon. 207 
 
 We cannot always discourse in meditation, we 
 cannot always reason, we cannot always weep; 
 but we can always humble ourselves. We cannot 
 always have consolation, but who is there that 
 cannot always practise patience? 
 
 Humble yourself, then. Christian soul, when your 
 meditations seem to you cold and fruitless ; when 
 you are assailed by distractions and temptations; 
 humble yourself in all your trials; acknowledge 
 that you can do nothing without the assistance of 
 God's grace, that you are nothing but ignorance, 
 weakness, and malice. Do not be satisfied with 
 acknowledging that of yourself you can do noth- 
 ing, but confess that you deserve nothing but chas- 
 tisement ; beware of complaining or murmuring 
 as if God treated you with more severity than you 
 deserve. Descend in spirit into hell, and consider 
 whether your present position, your present trials, 
 are not more endurable than that which your sins 
 prepared for you there. Is it not God's presence 
 which constitutes paradise? The saint's enjoy- 
 ment of this presence is unalloyed ; if yours is 
 mingled with trials and difficulties, it has the ad- 
 vantage of affording you new merits and graces. 
 
 Avoid idleness. At the same time be convinced 
 that you are not idle when you are not voluntarily 
 distracted; that you accomplish much when you 
 suffer much ; that a prayer of consolation is not 
 equal to a prayer of patience ; and that if you do 
 what you can, God will give you what you desire. 
 
 Great graces are the result of great struggles ; 
 great consolations follow great temptations. St. 
 Teresa was sixteen years practising the prayer of 
 
2o8 îiast if^eairs of îlrbûtfon, 
 
 patience, and merited by her fidelity to receive a 
 great gift of prayer and extraordinary communi- 
 cations from God. If she had lost courage, if she 
 had abandoned meditation, she never would have 
 attained the prayer of union. 
 
 But you tell me God has abandoned you so long; 
 that you are like the mountains of Gelboe — cursed 
 by God — upon which neither the rain nor the dew 
 of heaven ever fell ; that God is displeased with 
 you. Do not heed these discouraging thoughts. 
 God is leading you through this hard and stony 
 desert to the promised land flowing with milk and 
 honey. He is establishing you in humility in order 
 to fit you to receive the great favors He intends to 
 bestow upon you. He is despoiling you in order 
 to enrich you, and to make you merit w^hat He 
 yearns to give you. 
 
 Your whole duty consists in fidelity, and in 
 never abandoning meditation, however painful or 
 difficult you find it. If, when 3/^ou are unable to 
 pray, the Evil One asks you what you are doing, 
 tell him. that you are doing the will of God ; that 
 you persevere in this present duty because He 
 commands it ; that it is only too great an honor to 
 be allowed in His presence ; and that, if you can 
 do nothing, you will at least learn to suffer. 
 
 Happy soul that can say at the hour of death, 
 " I have never, whatever my occupations or dis- 
 tractions, failed to make my meditation." I am 
 sure that a soul that can say this will not wait until 
 the hour of death to be introduced into the prom- 
 ised land. 
 
 Some will tell you that they leave God for God 
 
îlast imeans of HScbotiou. 209 
 
 — that is, to serve Him, to preach, to liear confes- 
 sions, to visit the poor, to comfort the sick. Alas! 
 I fear tliey leave God to seek themselves. A good 
 meditation furnishes matter for a good sermon ; 
 our hearts must be filled with that which we would 
 impart to others; we must be united with God to 
 win others to Him. Can we save souls without 
 the assistance of grace? And is not meditation 
 the channel through which it flows to us? Some 
 allege, in extenuation, their inability to meditate; 
 but this is, in truth, only a want of faith, of confi- 
 dence, of charity. It is not tempting God to do 
 what He commands, and to unite ourselves with 
 Him by means of prayer. It is tempting Him, on 
 the contrary, to expect His blessing and His as- 
 sistance when we abandon the means He has pre- 
 scribed for obtaining them; it is fighting without 
 arms, guiding without light. In fact there is much 
 reason to fear that these persons so zealous for the 
 glory of God are over zealous about themselves, 
 and would rather lose their meditation than risk 
 losing a little of their reputation. 
 
 O my God, one loses nothing in Thy service; too 
 much dost Thou honor those who honor Thee. I 
 shall always keep in mind this maxim of one of 
 Thy faithful servants: "I would rather lose my 
 reputation than my meditation, and preach a poor 
 sermon than make a bad meditation." 
 
 Then be faithful, devout soul, to your spiritual 
 exercises, whatever repugnance you may experi- 
 ence, however numerous your occupations. When 
 you fall into some infidelity, do not lose courage, 
 but repair it by your patience. Our homage is due 
 
2io Hast |«ean0 of ©cbotîon» 
 
 to the justice of God as well as to His other per- 
 fections; our suffering pays this homage. His 
 justice debars us from His merciful graces, but 
 when it is satisfied, God is free to lavish His favors 
 upon us. Our hum.ility and patience satisfy His 
 justice ; they are the victims to be immolated on 
 its altar ; hence we are gaining immeasurably when 
 we think all is lost. 
 
 Finally, remember that where there is least of 
 nature grace reaps the richest harvests ; that the 
 operations of God are only the purer for being 
 less sensible ; that you are never nearer to God 
 than wlien you think yourself furthest from Him; 
 and that if you are faithful in this purgatory of 
 desolation you will enter before you die into the 
 paradise of consolation, where you will sing the 
 praises of God, and where you will say, with the 
 son of Sirach: "Behold with your eyes how I have 
 labored a little and have found much rest to 
 myself." 
 
FOURTH TREATISE. 
 THE DEVOTION OF CALVARY.^ 
 
 FIRST INSTRUCTION. 
 
 HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSION 
 OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 I CALL the devotion of Calvary meditation on the 
 Passion of Our Saviour. The prince of the apostles, 
 instructing the faithful and desiring to render them 
 victorious over all evil spirits, recommends them 
 above all things to arm themselves with the 
 thought of the sufferings of the Son of God as with 
 a buckler impervious to all their attacks. " Christ," 
 he says, "having suffered in the flesh, be you also 
 armed with the same thought." St. Paul, writing 
 to the Hebrews, exhorts them to use the same 
 arms both to defend themselves in combat and to 
 strengthen them in trials. " Think diligently upon 
 Him that endured such opposition from sinners 
 against Himself, that you be not wearied, fainting 
 in your minds." 
 
 In truth, the thought of a God dying for sinners 
 detaches the heart from affection for the world, 
 Ï P. Grasset, S.J. 
 
 211 
 
212 importance of i^etritatiuQ on tïje 3.9a0sîon, 
 
 inspires it with horror for the pleasures of sense, 
 renders the trials of this life sweet and pleasing ; 
 it heals the wounds of the soul by the precious 
 blood which flows from tliose of His body ; it con- 
 quers the temptations of the Evil One and puts 
 him to flight ; it fills the Christian with divine con- 
 solations ; it enlightens his mind and inspires him 
 with firm hope of his salvation, through the knowl- 
 edge it gives him of God's goodness and of the in- 
 finite price of the blood shed for him on the cross. 
 
 It is a devotion so dear to the heart of our di- 
 vine Master that He instituted the great sacrifice 
 of our altars to perpetuate the memor}'- of it ; and 
 St. Paul, His disciple, after being raised to the 
 third heaven, protests that he knows nothing but 
 " Jesus Christ, and Him crucified ;" as if he learned 
 in his exalted state nothing greater, more sublime, 
 and more necessary to the world than the knowl- 
 edge of Jesus crucified and the devotion of Cal- 
 vary. 
 
 Yet this knowledge is not to the taste of all. 
 There are some who, it would seem, cannot adapt 
 themselves to this devotion, sometimes because 
 their hearts are attached to worldly possessions, 
 honors, and vanities ; or they are eager for the 
 pleasures of the senses, which are not to be found 
 on Calvary ; or they cannot bear the reproach of 
 this great example of patience ; or, finally, because 
 they cannot apply their minds to these sorrowful 
 mysteries, or they do not move their hearts. This 
 is the usual complaint of certain pious persons 
 who, with strange inconsistency, seek only conso- 
 lation in meditating on the Passion of Our Lord, 
 
^ >i[eto i«anner of i^cîri'tatutfi oit t^e IBussion. * 2 13 
 
 and would drink the delicious wine of grace con- 
 templating their Saviour's bitter draught of vine- 
 gar and gall. 
 
 To assist souls aspiring to perfection who find it 
 difficult to meditate and to apply their minds, I 
 have undertaken in this little work to give an easy 
 and profitable manner of considering the sufferings 
 of Our Lord. 
 
 SECOND INSTRUCTION. 
 
 A NEW MANNER OF MEDITATING ON THE PASSION. 
 
 The masters of the spiritual life teach several 
 ways of meditating with fruit on the Passion of 
 Our Saviour. 
 
 The first is that of St. Bernard, who wishes us to 
 consider it, not as something that is past, but as 
 actually present before us. This is also the man- 
 ner of the Church : she represents all the mysteries 
 of our religion to'us as taking place the day she 
 commemorates them : "This day," she says, "is 
 born unto you a Saviour." To-day He died on the 
 cross ; to-day He rose from the dead ; to-day He 
 ascends into heaven. 
 
 The second is to believe that He suffered not 
 only for all men in general but for each one of us 
 in particular; that He thought of us in the midst 
 of His greatest sufferings ; that we u^ere continu- 
 ally present to Him through all His Passion. It was 
 after this manner that St. Paul meditated on this 
 great sacrament of piety : " He loved me," he says, 
 "and delivered Himself for me." 
 
214 ^ Weto fWanner of iWeïrCtatCns on tije ^^assCon» 
 
 The third manner of meditating on the Passion 
 is taught us by* St. Bonaventure, that great lover 
 of the cross and glorious imitator of Jesus cruci- 
 fied. He would have us, after considering all the 
 sufferings of Our Saviour, enter into ourselves 
 and recognize that we are the cause of all that He 
 endured, that it was our sins which caused Him to 
 die on the cross. This truth of faith is fitted to 
 move the hardest heart. 
 
 The fourth and easiest manner consists in pon- 
 dering all the circumstances of the Passion pre- 
 sented in these beautiful lines, which I found in the 
 works of P. Suffren, who, I think, is the author : 
 
 RECOGITATE. 
 
 Quis patitur? Christus, Verbum, sapientia Patris. 
 
 Quid patitur? Spinas, verbera, sputa, crucem. 
 
 Pro quibus haec patitur? Pro nostra hominumque salute. 
 
 Cur patitur ? Semper ne patitur homo. 
 
 A quibus haec patitur ? Ab amica stirpe suorum. 
 
 Haec quando patitur ? Cum mage fortis erat. 
 
 Haec ubinam patitur ? Medio telluVis in orbe. 
 
 Quomodo die patitur? Discere nemo potest. 
 
 Fortis, amans, mutus, patiens, mansuetus obedit. 
 
 Sic patiente Deo, tu quoque disce pati. 
 
 RECOLLECT. 
 
 Recollect, again, again, 
 
 O ye blood-bought sons of men! 
 
 Who this Sufferer ? Christ, the Word, 
 
 The wisdom of the Father, God. 
 
 What the suffering ? Scourge and spear, 
 
 Thorns and spitting, cross and bier. 
 
 For whom this woe ? Oh, think again! 
 
 For our salvation, for us men. 
 
 Why this suffering ? So that we 
 
 Suffer not eternally. 
 
^ TVcto IHatiuer of ilïlcîïîtatCnQ on tfje ^passion. 215 
 
 From whom comes this sore distress ? 
 From the men He died to bless. 
 "When this suffering ? In the hour 
 Of His manhood's brilliant flow'r. 
 ~Where this suffering ? In that town. 
 The centre of earth's true renown. 
 How He suffered teU to-day! 
 Ah! no human tongue can say. 
 Strongs loving, tnute, in patient wise. 
 Meekly, obediently, He dies. 
 
 O ye blood-bought sons of men! 
 . Seeing your God endure such pain, 
 Learn to follow His bleeding feet, 
 And kiss the cross, and find it sweet. 
 
 {Translated by Miss S. L. Emery.) 
 
 Besides these four ways of meditating on the 
 Passion there is still another, which seems to me 
 easier and perhaps simpler than those we have 
 just been considering. It consists in applying the 
 reason and two of the senses, sight and hearing. 
 
 To understand it we must imagine we are assist- 
 ing at a tragedy, where we do three things : we 
 look, we listen, and we think. We look at what 
 the actors are doing ; we listen to what they say; 
 and we reflect on their actions and their words. 
 It is through these two senses that the pleasure 
 and pain of such spectacles enter. We weep when 
 we see a great prince unjustly persecuted ; we re- 
 joice when the scene changes and fortune becomes 
 more favorable to him. Then the mind resolves to 
 practise his virtues and to imitate his example, 
 which is the object of the tragedy. 
 
 St. Gregory Nazianzen has written a tragedy in 
 verse on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 When you go to meditation persuade yourself that 
 
2 16 m 'Meiij imanuer of Jïlelraatinfi on tije passion. 
 
 you are about to assist at this tragedy, at which the 
 angels wept, the sun was darkened, the rocks were 
 rent and trembled to their very foundation. We 
 must look at what takes place in each scene; hear 
 what is said; and reflect upon what we see and 
 upon what we hear. 
 
 St. Augustine says that when the Roman stage 
 represented a struggle between two friends who 
 wished to die one for the other, the spectators were 
 moved to tears. And can we behold unmoved the 
 Son of God, the Monarch of the worlci, our best 
 Friend, voluntarily suffering for us the most cruel 
 and shameful death ? Shall we be insensible to 
 His sufferings ? " O all ye that pass by the way, at- 
 tend, and see if there be any sorrow like to My sor- 
 row." It is Jesus Christ Who speaks here and Who 
 teaches us by the lips of Jeremias how we should 
 meditate upon His Passion. ^'' Attend ^^ — that is, 
 give ear, apply the sense of hearing ; ''''see'' — ^Pply 
 the sense of sight ; "see if there be any sorrow like 
 to My sorrow" — apply the mind, consider if there 
 be any sorrow equal to that which I endure for thee. 
 St. Ignatius, the founder of our society, calls this 
 kind of meditation the application of the senses. 
 He applies all five; I appeal only to two, to wiiich 
 I add the operation of the mind. 
 
 Now, to facilitate this holy exercise we must 
 observe the following rules : 
 
 I. We must know the history of the Passion — 
 that is, what is said and what is done in each mys- 
 tery. 
 
 II. We can divide the Passion into seven parts, 
 for the seven days of the week, meditating upon 
 
^ Kc^ Planner of pïclritatînfi on ti)e iSassion. 217 
 
 two mysteries each day, one in the morning and 
 the other in the evening. Persons who make only 
 one meditation, and to whom one mystery furnishes 
 matter for one or for several days, may devote two 
 weeks or even the whole month to the meditation 
 of all the Passion; and they should begin in the 
 same way each week or each month. 
 
 III. We must beware of entering upon medita- 
 tion to seek sensible favors and consolation; our 
 purpose must be to honor Jesus Christ, by our 
 presence to console Him for the part we have 
 taken in His sufferings, to learn from His example, 
 and to be incited to practise His virtues. 
 
 IV. After reading the history of a mystery of 
 the Passion we should quietly consider what is 
 taking place and listen to what is said as if we 
 were present at the sorrowful spectacle ; then apply 
 the reason to the consideration of the mystery; 
 then produce affections and resolutions in con- 
 formity with the mystery. 
 
 V. If the reading of the history excites a senti- 
 ment of devotion in your heart, dwell upon it and 
 go no further. If it is unmoved, pass on to the 
 meditation of the mystery. Begin by applying the 
 sense of sight; then hear what is said; then con- 
 sider the circumstances of the mystery. 
 
 If the heart continues unmoved, it is well to re- 
 cite certain prayers fitted to produce affections. 
 Finally determine upon the practices and resolu- 
 tions: they are the chief fruit of meditation; there- 
 fore they must never be omitted. 
 
 VI. The devotion of the Passion may serve not 
 only as meditation, but also furnish a devout means 
 
2i8 33et0ons tajo cannot Jttelritate on tfje ^passion. 
 
 of assisting at Mass, particularly when you are to 
 receive Holy Communion. Consider Our Saviour 
 in your heart, in the mystery you have been contem- 
 plating adore Him, and thank Him that He willed 
 to endure so much for love of you. You may 
 apply the devotion in the same way in your visits 
 to the Blessed Sacrament. You will find much 
 consolation in contemplating Our Saviour in the 
 mystery which has been the subject of your morn- 
 ing meditation. 
 
 THIRD INSTRUCTION. 
 
 WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHO CANNOT MEDITATE 
 ON THE PASSION. 
 
 I find there are two classes of persons who ex- 
 cuse themselves from meditating on the Passion of 
 Our Saviour. 
 
 The first are those who are not yet accustomed 
 to meditate, and who, from want of study, or capac- 
 ity, or intelligence, or ability to reason, or because 
 of a lively imagination, or, finally, because of a hard, 
 insensible heart, cannot fix their minds on these 
 mysteries. 
 
 There are directors who counsel such persons to 
 abandon all subjects of meditation and to make no 
 effort to think of anything. This may be good 
 advice for souls advanced in perfection, but is very 
 pernicious for beginners: it introduces the soul 
 into a state of criminal idleness and of false peace 
 instead of nourishing it with good thoughts and 
 holy affections. It is contrary to all the principles 
 
persons toî)0 cannot i^rlrîtate on tîje iâassîon, 219 
 
 of nature, of grace, and of faith. It ruins the foun- 
 dations of the spiritual life and opens the door to 
 innumerable illusions and distractions. It deadens 
 the passions instead of conquering them. It lulls 
 vices instead of stifling them. It flatters nature, 
 and instead of raising the soul to true perfection 
 brings it to the verge of dangerous precipices. It 
 is not necessary to give the opinion of spiritual 
 authorities on this subject. Common-sense and 
 our natural intelligence are sufficient to show us 
 that we can rest only after we have labored; that 
 we reap only after we have sown ; that we find the 
 treasure of the Gospel only by searching for it; 
 that we become masters only after we have been 
 disciples. 
 
 Fear is the beginning of wisdom and the foun- 
 dation of holiness. The conversion of the sinner 
 does not usually begin through love, but through 
 fear of God's judgments. Only Moses dares ascend 
 Mount Sinai and enter into the mysterious darkness 
 where one beholds God face to face and converses 
 with Him as friend with friend. The gross and 
 carnal people beheld the light at a distance and 
 trembled at the sound of the terrible thunders. 
 They were even forbidden to approach the foot of the 
 mountain under pain of death; which shows us that 
 only pure and holy souls may aspire to this union. 
 
 This is the doctrine of St. Thomas, of St. Augus- 
 tine, of St. Bonaventure, and of all theologians. 
 They teach that it is with grace as with nature, 
 where the instrument must be prepared even to 
 penetrate matter. St. Bernard considers souls most 
 audacious, presumptuous, and rash who, though 
 
2 20 33?vsoiTS iMï)o caimot JtteïrCtate on tïjr ^passion. 
 
 still unpurified from their vices, dare to aspire to the 
 position of spouse and ask that the divine Bride- 
 groom "kiss them with the kiss of His mouth." 
 He tells them they should kiss the feet of Jesus by 
 penance before venturing to kiss His hands, and 
 aftervi^ards kiss His hands by good works before 
 they may kiss His mouth. In a word, he would 
 have them purge the mind of its errors by the 
 meditation of Christian truths, and the heart of its 
 evil inclinations by continual mortification; he 
 would have them pray, seek, desire, send forth con- 
 tinual sighs, and struggle without respite against 
 their passions, before they aspire to the repose of 
 contemplation. Therefore they who aspire to per- 
 fection must begin by meditating on the great 
 truths of religion in order to detach themselves from 
 the world, and to recognize its false maxims. 
 They must ponder and carefully weigh the end for 
 which God has placed them in this v/orld; consider 
 such truths as death, judgment, the eternity of 
 punishment, the malice of sin and the punishment 
 which God has inflicted upon it since the beginning 
 of the world, the small number of the elect, the 
 vanity and infidelity of creatures, the graces they 
 have received and the account they will have to 
 render of them. When such reflections have in- 
 spired them with great horror of sin, they should 
 contemplate Jesus Christ, the great Model and 
 Exemplar Whom God commands us to imitate. 
 Let them meditate upon His actions and His words, 
 but principally on His Passion, to excite themselves 
 to the practice of virtue, as well as to be strength- 
 ened in their struggles and consoled in their trials. 
 
persons toïjo can no longer iïlrlritat? on tïje îBassiûn. 221 
 
 But they must bear in mind two things. One is, 
 to be faithful to their meditation and never to 
 abandon it, whatever difficulties they experience ; 
 the other is, never, as I have said, to seek their 
 own satisfaction in meditation, but only the honor 
 and glory of God, Who has manifested an extreme 
 desire to have us compassionate His sorrows. If 
 He strikes their hearts witli the rod of Moses, that 
 is, with the cross, were they of rock, they will 
 break forth into a torrent of tears, and they will 
 find in the wounds of the Saviour the oil and honey 
 of devotion. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the 
 Life. He is the Way for beginners ; He is the 
 Truth for those who are advanced ; He is the Life 
 for the perfect. This, it seems to me, is what they 
 have to do who are not versed in spiritual things 
 and who aspire to perfection. 
 
 FOURTH INSTRUCTION. 
 
 WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHO HAVE CEASED TO BE 
 ABLE TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSION. 
 
 There are others to whom, at one time, no devo- 
 tion appealed more tenderly than that of Calvary; 
 they drank with joy of the living water from this 
 divine source. And then a time comes when they 
 fall into such insensibility towards these divine 
 mysteries that they can no longer apply their minds 
 to them or relish their sweetness. The touching 
 objects which formerly moved them to tears no 
 longer make any impression upon their hearts. In 
 vain do they seek this divine source; it is as if it were 
 
222 ^trsons toj^o can no longer i^eïritatr on tfje passion, 
 
 dried or closed to them; it awakens no sentiment 
 of compassion or devotion in their hearts. What 
 are souls to do who find themselves in this state ? 
 The most enlightened masters of the spiritual 
 life are of the opinion that if such persons are fully- 
 convinced of all the truths of our holy religion, if 
 they have long striven against their passions, and 
 if they are perfectly abandoned to the providence of 
 God, they may remain peacefully in His presence, 
 and repose quietly on His breast, without con- 
 straining either their heart or their mind to make 
 any effort. For we must not imagine the repose of 
 such souls to be pure idleness. The mind is never 
 inactive. It acts in this state, but in a quiet, spiritual, 
 imperceptible manner which is known only by 
 souls whom God has raised above the senses ; who 
 have been introduced, as Holy Scripture says, into 
 the " wine-cellar " of the Bridegroom. St. Francis 
 de Sales compares such souls to persons in a ship, 
 who make more progress even in sleep than the 
 best traveller can accomplish in walking and run- 
 ning. If you ask what a soul does in this myste- 
 rious repose, I will tell you in a few words. 
 
 I. It mortifies all its passions and represses all 
 the movements of nature in order not to disturb 
 the operations of the Holy Spirit, Who never fails 
 to fill a soul with His divine presence when He 
 finds it void of creatures. The full effect of His 
 power is realized by a heart that does nothing to 
 hinder His divine operations. 
 
 II. It repels all distractions that are presented to 
 the mind, and shuts out the image of all objects 
 likely to divert it from its intimate union with God. 
 
î^ersons U)ï)o can no Ioitqpi* lïleliitate on t^ic î^assïon. 223 
 
 III. It inflicts a species of martyrdom on nature, 
 silencing all its thoughts, stifling all its desires, and 
 suspending all its operations, that it may be pos- 
 sessed, moved, and animated only by God. 
 
 IV. It loses itself, buries and annihilates itself, in 
 God. It dies to itself, seeking only the accomplish- 
 ment of God's will, which it learns through the one 
 who governs it, through the attraction which it 
 feels, and through its inability to pray in any other 
 way. 
 
 V. It offers God the sacrifice of all its powers, its 
 thoughts, its desires, its actions, being like a victim 
 that is slain, burned, and consumed on the altar of 
 His love. It never ceases to keep its heart void of 
 self and of all creatures, that it may be filled with 
 the spirit of God. 
 
 VI. It presents itself before God as an unwritten 
 page upon which He may imprint what figures and 
 characters He will ; as a blank, immovable canvas 
 upon which the divine Artist may trace His own 
 image; as a spotless mirror upon which the heav- 
 enly Sun sheds all its rays and transforms it into 
 another sun like itself. 
 
 VII. It sleeps so calmly and profoundly on the 
 breast of its Spouse that the hours seem as 
 moments, and it comes forth from this repose as 
 strong and robust as a man from bodily sleep, and 
 who, though apparently idle during these hours of 
 repose, is, nevertheless, renewing his powers and 
 does not deem the time lost though the whole night 
 has been given to uninterrupted sleep. 
 
 VIII. It remains lost in the divinity of God like 
 a river which has reached the ocean, on the mighty 
 
2 24 3$ev0ons toîjo can no longer iHeïrîtate on tïjf jpassion, 
 
 bosom of which it is borne and rests after its weary- 
 course over mountain and vale. 
 
 IX. It is united with God, in a measure, like the 
 saints in heaven — that is, in a close and immediate 
 union. 
 
 X. It produces, in an eminent degree, acts of all 
 the virtues: of faith, plunging into the mysterious 
 darkness which envelops the throne of God; of 
 hope, relying upon no creature, yet finding no sen- 
 sible support from either heaven or earth ; of 
 charity, seeking God only and desiring no sensible 
 consolation ; of humility, humbling and annihilat- 
 ing itself in the presence of God with the knowl- 
 edge of itself ; of poverty, having nothing and 
 desiring nothing; of mortification, keeping all its 
 passions enslaved; of patience, suffering all the 
 distractions which the Evil One creates in its mind 
 to disturb its peace; of conformity to the will of 
 God, abandoning itself to His guidance and desir- 
 ing only to please Him. And so it is with all other 
 virtues: the soul practises them in an eminent 
 degree though it seems to be in a state of inaction 
 and sleep. 
 
 But the principal occupation of the soul in this 
 mystical repose, and which includes all that we 
 could say on the subject, is the enjoyment of God. 
 Acts of virtue are good in their time and for all 
 kinds of persons; but there are some more perfect 
 than others. An act of love of God is incontesta- 
 bly the noblest of all ; but among acts of love there 
 is one which in merit and dignity exceeds all the 
 others — viz., the enjoyment of God, for it unites the 
 soul to its final end, which constitutes the perfec- 
 
î^ttsous toi^o can no longer JWeïrîtatc on tïje îiassion, 225 
 
 tion and happiness of man. But this enjoyment 
 is not a sudden brief emotion like the other acts of 
 love produced in the fervor of devotion; it is a 
 peaceful, tranquil repose in God like that of the 
 blessed in heaven. This manner of prayer, there- 
 fore, may be called a continual and uninterrupted 
 exercise of the love of God, through which the 
 soul enjoys its sovereign good and its final end, in 
 the repose of all its powers, in the annihilation of 
 all its desires, and in the abandonment of itself to 
 all the designs of God, which St. Francis de Sales 
 calls " remitting one's soul into the hands of God." 
 
 This is what a soul does in that prayer, which 
 persons of more learning than experience censure 
 as idle. They are prompted by the zeal which 
 impelled Martha to tax her sister Mary with idle- 
 ness as she sat at the feet of Our Saviour, listening 
 to the ineffable words which fell from His lips. 
 St, Bernard wisely remarks in regard to such per- 
 sons: *' If any one censure the repose of the soul 
 in contemplation as idle, be sure he is a carnal man 
 with no knowledge whatever of the workings of 
 the spirit of God. Let him heed Our Lord's words 
 to Martha : ' Mary has chosen the best part, which 
 shall not be taken away from her.' " 
 
 They who censure this repose confess, frankly 
 enough, that they have no experience of it and 
 pride themselves on roundly acknowledging it. 
 Yet the same St. Bernard and all spiritual writers 
 after him insist that this science is acquired only 
 by experience, and that they who have no experi- 
 ence of it have no knowledge of it, and can no 
 more judge of it than, the blind can judge of colors. 
 
2 26 33fffect Souls mas J^eïrCtate on tf)e passion. 
 
 Now, is it wise, is it just, to censure a thing of 
 which we have no knowledge, and to condemn 
 what we do not understand? 
 
 FIFTH INSTRUCTION. 
 
 IN WHAT MANNER PERFECT SOULS MAY MEDITATE ON 
 THE PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR. 
 
 This instruction will make the preceding in- 
 struction more clear, and afford, I hope, much con- 
 solation to certain souls who grieve that they 
 cannot meditate on the Passion of Our Lord. 
 
 I call, with St. Jerome, a perfect soul not one that 
 discovers only virtues in itself, that, like the Phari- 
 see, is distinguished from the rest of men only by 
 its penances and good works, but one that perfectly 
 recognizes its nothingness and its imperfection; 
 that feels the weight of its misery, of its passions, 
 and of its evil habits; that considers itself as filled 
 with vices and faults; that believes itself the most 
 unfaithful, the most ungrateful, the basest of 
 creatures ; that, far from being satisfied with itself 
 or dazzled by the splendor of its virtues, regards 
 itself as an abyss of poverty, weakness, and malice; 
 that distinguishes itself from others only by its 
 humility, its obedience, its disinterested service, 
 its confidence in God and its abandonment to His 
 providence, and, above all, by a sincere, constant, 
 firm desire to do God's will in all things, however 
 they may thwart its natural inclinations. This is 
 what I consider being holy and perfect; for humil- 
 ity is the foundation of perfection, and one who is 
 
^perfect Souls mag iWeîrîtate on tfje passion/ 227 
 
 humble truly believes, with St. Paul, that he is the 
 greatest of all sinners. Now, whatever certain 
 mystical writers may say to the contrary, Ï hold, 
 with St. Bonaventure and St. Teresa, that souls 
 in a state of union and raised by God to an emi- 
 nent degree of cootemplation may, when the 
 divine Spousedoes not bind their powers and attract 
 them to profound recollection — may, I say, and 
 even do well to consider Our Lord in some scene 
 of His sufferings, not as formerly, by reasoning 
 and discoursing upon the mystery, or by produc- 
 ing numerous acts or exciting sentiments of sor- 
 row with more or less effort, but by quietly pic- 
 turing to themselves the Son of God suffering for 
 love of them, regarding Him with tender compas- 
 sion, as a friend who witnesses the sufferings of a 
 friend, as a bride who beholds the bridegroom 
 treated with indignity. 
 
 It is not necessary, as I have said, to make any 
 effort of the heart or the imagination; it is suffi- 
 cient to cast a tender look of compassion upon 
 Jesus Who is afflicted; for it is impossible to look 
 upon the sufferings of one we love without being 
 moved to compassion. Such was the sorrow of 
 the Blessed Virgin when she beheld her divine 
 Son dying on Calvary between two thieves. The 
 terrible spectacle penetrated her inmost soul, and 
 pierced it, as Simeon predicted, with a sword of 
 grief. Yet she did not break forth into plaints 
 and sighs; she did not reproach the Jews with 
 their perfidy, their cruelty, their ingratitude. No; 
 she stood silent at the foot of the cross, and gazed 
 with tender compassion upon her dear Son over- 
 
228 33crfect Souls ma^ Jtteîritate on tfje ^passion. 
 
 whelmed with sufferings which she could not 
 soothe. 
 
 In this manner may perfect souls contemplate 
 the mysteries of the Passion of Our Saviour. 
 They should not constrain their heart to sigh, nor 
 endeavor to force tears from their eyes, but wait 
 until the Spirit of God moves and inspires them, 
 if He please, with tender and devout sentiments. 
 
 In truth, it is a grievous torment to suffer and 
 make no moan. Devout souls who fain would 
 sigh and relieve their overcharged hearts may do 
 so without scruple by means of the following acts, 
 but let them be made in a quiet, almost impercep- 
 tible manner. 
 
 The first is an act of thanksgiving to God the 
 Son for having deigned to endure so much suffer- 
 ing and ignominy for love of them. 
 
 The second is an act of sorrow for having 
 caused His sufferings and His death by the crimes 
 they have committed since they came into the 
 world. 
 
 The third is an humble prayer that He will 
 deign to apply to them the fruit and the merit of 
 the mystery they are contemplating : for example, 
 if it is the suffering in the Garden of Olives, that 
 He will console them in their afflictions and 
 strengthen them in their combats; if it is the 
 scene before Caiphas, when they struck His 
 sacred face, that He will give them the grace to 
 bear injuries with patience; if it is His appearance 
 before Herod, that He will give them grace to de. 
 spise the world and endure its contempt and 
 neglect; if it is the pretorium of Pilate, that He 
 
ÎSerfect âouïs maa? I^rîrîtate on tj^e î^assCon. 229 
 
 will purify their flesh through the bleeding 
 wounds which the scourges inflicted upon His 
 own; if it is the carrying of His cross, that He 
 will help them to bear their cross after Him; if it is 
 His death on Calvary, that He will cause them to 
 die to all their desires, to all their passions, and to 
 all their vices. This, it seems to me, is the way 
 pious souls may contemplate the Passion of Our 
 Lord. 
 
 If it happen that they cannot fix their mind upon 
 these sorrowful subjects, but desire to rest like 
 a man overcome with sleep, then, as I have said, 
 they must follow the attraction of the Holy Spirit, 
 and close their eyes to all that is corporal and 
 sensible, to let their soul be plunged in the 
 Divinity, Which is the end and final term to which 
 meditation on the truths and the example of Jesus 
 Christ leads us ; for He is the Way, tlie Truth, 
 and the Life; the Way which leads to Truth, and 
 the Truth which leads to Life. 
 
 These are the instructions which I have thought 
 necessary to souls who desire to relish and prac- 
 tise the devotion of Calvary, whether they are still 
 led by the way of ordinary meditation, or have 
 attained the state of union and contemplation. 
 
FIFTH TREATISE 
 THE INTERIOR LIFE i 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Article I. 
 
 In what the Interior Life consists. 
 
 The interior life consists in two sorts of acts, viz., 
 in thoughts and in affections. It is in this only that 
 perfect souls differ from imperfect, and the blessed 
 from those who are still living on earth. Our 
 thoughts, says St. Bernard, ought to be " ever fol- 
 lowing after truth, and our affections ever abiding 
 in the fervor of charity." In this manner, our 
 mind and heart being closely applied to God, being 
 fully possessed by God, in the very midst of ex- 
 terior occupations we never lose sight of Him, and 
 are always engaged in the exercise of His love. 
 
 ^ Father Lallemant. 
 230 
 
£n toï)at tî)e ïnterCor mît (Utonsists* 231 
 
 II. 
 
 Good and bad religious differ from each other 
 only in the nature of their thoughts, their judg- 
 ments, and their affections. In this also consists 
 the difference between angels and devils, and it is 
 this that makes the former holy and blessed and 
 the latter wicked and miserable. Accordingly we 
 ought to watch with extreme care over our interior, 
 and pay continual attention to regulate our judg- 
 ments according to truth, and to keep our affec- 
 tions in subordination to charity. 
 
 III. 
 
 The essence of spiritual and interior life consists 
 in two things: on the one hand, in the operations 
 of God in the soul, in the lights that illumine the 
 understanding, and in the inspirations that affect 
 the will; on the other, in the co-operation of the 
 soul with the lights and movements of grace. So 
 that to hold communion with God, and to dispose 
 ourselves to receive from Him larger and more 
 frequent communications, we must possess great 
 purity of heart, great strength of mind, and ob- 
 serve a constant and inviolable fidelity in co-oper- 
 ating with God and following the movement of 
 His Spirit in whatever direction it may impel us. 
 
 IV. 
 
 One of the occupations of the interior life is the 
 examining and ascertaining particularly three 
 
232 îîn toïjat tfje interior 3Life CDonsists. 
 
 sorts of things in our interior; first, what comes 
 from our nature — our sins, our evil habits, our pas- 
 sions, our inclinations, our affections, our desires, 
 our thoughts, our judgments, our sentiments ; sec- 
 ondly, what comes from the devil — his temptations, 
 his suggestions, his artifices, the illusions, by which 
 he tries to seduce us unless we are on our guard ; 
 thirdly, what comes from God — His lights. His 
 inspirations, the movements of His grace. His de- 
 signs in our regard, and the ways along which He 
 desires to guide us. In all this we must examine 
 and see how we conduct ourselves, and regulate 
 our behavior by the Spirit of God. 
 
 We must carefully observe what it is that the 
 Holy Spirit most leads us to, and in what we most 
 resist Him ; at the beginning of our actions ask 
 grace to perform them well, and mark even the 
 slightest movements of our heart. 
 
 We ought not to devote all our time of recollec- 
 tion to prayer and reading, but employ a portion 
 in examining the disposition of our heart, in ascer- 
 taining what passes there, and discovering what is 
 of God, what is of nature, what is of the devil ; in 
 conforming ourselves to the guidance of the Holy 
 Spirit, and strengthening ourselves in the deter- 
 mination of doing everything and suffering every- 
 thing for God. 
 
 Article II. 
 
 How we ought to imitate the Interior Life of God. 
 
 We ought to imitate the interior life of God in 
 this, that He possesses within Himself an infinite 
 
Kn toïjat tîje interior Eîfe ^on0îsts. 233 
 
 life, as well by the operation of the understand- 
 ing, by which He is the principle of the Person of 
 the Word, as by that of the will, by which He is 
 the principle of the Person of the Holy Spirit. 
 Moreover, He acts externally to Himself, accord- 
 ing to His good pleasure, by the production and 
 government of the universe, without this exterior 
 action causing any diminution or any change in 
 His interior life, in such wise that in respect 
 thereto He acts externally, as though He were not 
 acting at all. 
 
 This is our model : in the first place, we ought 
 to have within ourselves and for ourselves a most 
 perfect life by a constant application of our under- 
 standing and will to God. Then we shall be able 
 to go out of ourselves for the service of our neigh- 
 bor without prejudice to our interior life, not giv- 
 ing ourselves up wholly to others, nor applying 
 ourselves to exterior occupations, except by way of 
 diversion, so to say-; and thus our principal busi- 
 ness will ever be the interior life. Tuus esto ubique^ 
 says St. Bernard to Pope Eugenius ; concha esto, 
 non canalis. Do not give thyself up to thy neigh- 
 bor so as to be no longer thine own ; possess thy- 
 self always ; fill thyself with grace as a reservoir ; 
 then thou wilt be of use in communicating thereof 
 to others. Be not like a canal, through which the 
 water passes without staying therein. 
 
 This advice of St. Bernard ought to be the rule 
 of evangelical laborers. But often they do the 
 very reverse. They pour themselves forth entirely; 
 they exhaust themselves for others, and remain 
 themselves dry. All the marrow of their soul, if 
 
234 îîn toijat tïje ïnctrriov HCfe Consists. 
 
 one may use the expression, all the vigor of their 
 mind, spends itself in their exterior actions. There 
 remains scarcely anything for the interior. 
 
 Hence it follows that, unless they take care, 
 they have just ground to fear that, instead of being 
 raised to heaven, according to the excellence of 
 their vocation, they will be of the number of those 
 who will be detained the longest time in pur- 
 gatory and placed in the lowest ranks in glory. 
 
 Article III. 
 
 How it is that we make so Little Progress in the 
 Interior Life. 
 
 This proceeds from three causes : 
 
 I- Exterior objects attract us to them by the ap- 
 pearance of some good which flatters our pride or 
 our sensuality. This happens especially to those 
 whose feelings are warm and who easily take fire. 
 
 2. The devil, exciting the phantoms of the im- 
 agination, awakening the recollection and the 
 image of past things, corrupting and inflaming the 
 humors of the body as occasions offer, produces in 
 us anxieties, scruples, and a variety of passions. 
 This he effects chiefly in those who, not having 
 their heart as yet thoroughly purged, give him 
 more hold upon them and are more in his power. 
 
 3. Our soul does not enter into itself except 
 with pain, seeing there nothing but sins, miseries, 
 and confusion ; so that, to avoid this distressing 
 and humiliating sight, it casts itself incontinently 
 
ifWotibes tïjat ïeatf to tfje Kntmor ÎLife, 235 
 
 into exterior things and seeks its consolation in 
 creatures, unless we are careful to keep it to its 
 dut3^ 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OF THE MOTIVES THAT LEAD US TO THE INTERIOR 
 " LIFE. 
 
 Article I. 
 
 We make No Progress in the Ways of Perfection 
 unless we give ourselves to the Interior Life. 
 
 The exterior life of religious employed in the 
 service of their neighbor is most imperfect, and even 
 perilous, unless it be accompanied with the interior 
 life ; and they who are engaged in these kinds of 
 offices of charity and zeal, unless they join thereto 
 exercises ot interior recollection, will never make 
 any notable progress in perfection. 
 
 I. And first, they will never attain the perfection 
 of the purgative life. It is true they will have at 
 times some of its sentiments. They will do things 
 that appear great in the eyes of the world. They 
 will preach; they will labor in missions; they will 
 traverse seas and expose themselves to danger of 
 death, and to the fatigue attendant on the longest 
 journeys, for the salvation of their neighbor. But 
 with all this they will never make much progress in 
 the purgative life. The acts of virtue they perform 
 will proceed partly from grace and partly from na- 
 ture. They will never do such as are purely super- 
 
236 ptotîbes tiiat leaîï to tîje interior %iU, 
 
 natural, and under specious pretexts self-love will 
 always make them follow their own inclinations and 
 do their own will. They will fall continually into 
 their ordinary faults and imperfections, and will 
 be in great danger of being lost ; for as they are 
 occupied in anything but discovering the irregu- 
 larities of their heart, they never think of purging 
 it ; so that it is continually filling with sins and 
 miseries, which gradually enfeeble the strength of 
 the soul, and end at last in entirely stifling devo- 
 tion and the Spirit of God. 
 
 2. They will never attain to the perfection of the 
 illuminative life, which consists in recognizing in 
 all things the will of God ; for it is only interior 
 men who can discern it in everything. My supe- 
 riors, my rules, the duties of my state, may indeed 
 direct me in regard to the exterior, and indicate to 
 me what God desires me to do at such a time and 
 in such a place ; but they cannot teach me the way 
 in which God wills that I should do it, I know, 
 for instance, that it is God's will that I should 
 pray when I hear the clock strike which calls me 
 to prayer according to my rule ; but the rule does 
 not tell me what my comportment ought to be 
 during my prayer. My superior will tell me what 
 God wills that I should apply myself to ; but he 
 cannot teach me how I ought to apply myself. 
 
 In order to do the will of God well, it is not suf- 
 ficient to know that it is God's will; for example, 
 that I should forthwith sweep my room. I must 
 also know with what thought He would have me 
 occupy myself while performing this exterior act 
 of humility which my rule prescribes, for God de- 
 
lïlotibes tî)at leaïr to tfte ïnterior 2Li£e. 237 
 
 sires to regulate the interior of my actions as well 
 as the exterior. I must fulfil God's will as well in 
 the manner as in the substance of the action. His 
 providence extends to the direction of all my pow- 
 ers and all the movements of my heart. Without 
 this there will be a void in my actions ; they will 
 not be full of the will of God ; I shall do what He 
 demands of me only in part and by halves ; the 
 best will be wanting, which is the interior. Thus 
 I shall incur great losses of grace and glory, losses 
 that are irreparable ; and I shall be the cause of 
 others, whose salvation and perfection I am bound 
 to promote, incurring the same. 
 
 Where, then, shall I be able to learn the will of 
 God in regard to the manner of performing well 
 those things which He desires me to do ? It must 
 be in my own interior and in the depth of my own 
 heart, where God gives the light of His grace, in 
 order to enlighten me inwardly, that I may listen 
 attentively to Him and converse familiarly with 
 Him. I will walk in His light, which will enable 
 me to see what He desires of me, and the means of 
 performing it, and the interior perfection which it 
 is His will I should practise therein. 
 
 3. It is clear they will never attain to the perfec- 
 tion of the unitive life, since it consists in the in- 
 terior union of the soul with God. 
 
 For the rest, whoever is resolved to lead an inte- 
 rior life, and to be really spiritual and a man of 
 prayer, must expect that when he has reached a 
 certain point people will cry out against him ; he 
 will have adversaries and other contradictions ; but 
 in the end God will give him peace, and will make 
 
238 i^ûtCbes tijat lealr to tje interior 3ltfe. 
 
 everything turn out to his profit and the advance- 
 ment of his soul. 
 
 Article II. 
 
 Without Prayer we cannot acquit ourselves of the 
 
 Duties of our Vocation^ nor gather Fruit 
 
 from our Mifiistrations. 
 
 I. 
 
 Without a solid devotion and a close familiarity 
 with God, we cannot carry on our functions nor 
 discharge them properly. The prophets, apostles, 
 and other saints have wrought wonders because 
 they were inspired by God and conversed familiarly 
 with Him. 
 
 Saints succeed in everything because by their 
 prayers they obtain a benediction and a virtue 
 wbich render their labors efficacious. Although 
 they be infirm and suffering from constant ill- 
 health, like St. Gregory and St. Bernard, they 
 effect wonders. 
 
 In vain we toil and form great projects for the 
 glory of God and the service of souls : without 
 prayer nothing can be hoped from our labor and 
 undertakings ; but with the gift of prayer we may 
 do great things, even in matters of prudence and 
 the management of affairs. 
 
 Let us season our exertions in behalf of our 
 neighbor with recollection, prayer, and humility ; 
 God will make use of us for great ends, although 
 we may not possess great talents. 
 
piotibes tïjat leaïr to tj^e ïntmor îLCfe. 239 
 
 We ought to undertake nothing, whatever the 
 matter be, without having prepared ourselves for 
 it by prayer. 
 
 II. 
 
 It is to God we ought to look for every success 
 in our employments. We are His instruments, and 
 we work under Him as under a master-architect, 
 who, directing singly the whole design, allots to 
 each one his task, according to the end he pro- 
 poses, and the idea he has conceived. Thus we 
 shall produce the more fruit the more united we 
 are with God, and the more we yield ourselves to 
 His guidance, always supposing we possess the 
 talents and the capacity requisite for the active 
 service of our neighbor. Now it is prayer that 
 unites us to God. It is by this holy exercise that 
 we dispose ourselves to receive the impression and 
 movement of grace, as instruments to work out 
 His designs. 
 
 III. 
 
 St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, explaining that say- 
 ing of the Wise Man, '' All is vanity," says that the 
 devil displays before the eyes of men of the world 
 honors, pleasures, riches, and all the creatures of 
 the universe, like puppets which he sets in motion, 
 shifting them, turning them, showing them in dif- 
 ferent aspects and different colors, decking them 
 out with various ornaments and a false brilliancy ; 
 but in reality it is but a child's game, a vain 
 
240 Ittotibes tijai Iraïr to tj^e Kntmov Hife. 
 
 amusement ; there is nothing solid in it ; it is but 
 a pleasing illusion. 
 
 The devil employs the same artifice with those 
 who compose the little world among religious; for 
 in religion there is a little world, the elements of 
 which are: the esteem of human talents; preference 
 for employments, offices, and stations of impor- 
 tance ; the love and the seeking for distinction and 
 applause, or repose and an easy life. These are 
 the things of which the devil makes, as it were, a 
 puppet-show to amuse and deceive us. He sets it 
 all moving before our eyes in such a way that we 
 stop to gaze, and allow ourselves to be seduced by 
 it, preferring vain appearances to true and solid 
 goods. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Prayer alone can make us secure against this de- 
 lusion. Prayer teaches us to judge soundly of 
 things by looking at them in the light of truth, 
 which dissipates their false splendor and fatuous 
 charms. 
 
 Therefore it is that St. Ignatius desires that the 
 professed and all those who have taken their last 
 vows should give to prayer all the time they have 
 remaining after fulfilling the duties of obedience. 
 This ought to be the employment of those who in 
 the colleges are not occupied with the office of re- 
 gent, but only with hearing confessions, or some 
 other duty which leaves them a good deal of lei- 
 sure. They ought to be men of prayer, who by the 
 help of their prayers sustain the whole house, the 
 
ittotibes tftat lealr to t^e interior îltfe» 241 
 
 whole company — nay, the whole Church ; and this 
 is to be a Jesuit, this is to be the child of those 
 great saints who desired more worlds to convert. 
 Behold how we may spend our days sweetly in 
 the beauty of peace, in the security of a pure con- 
 science and repose, rich with holy treasures : in- 
 stead of wasting our time in trifles unworthy of an 
 evangelical laborer, we ought to visit often the 
 Blessed Sacrament, then apply ourselves to read- 
 ing, then again return to our devotions, say the 
 Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, and refer everything 
 to prayer. 
 
 v. 
 
 As there are certain humors which, when they 
 gain too much strength and are too abundant, 
 cause the death of the body, so in the religious life, 
 when action is carried to excess and is not moder- 
 ated by prayer and recollection, it infallibly stifles 
 the spirit. 
 
 And yet there will sometimes be found persons 
 who, being occupied whole days and years in study 
 and in the turmoil of exterior employments, will 
 feel it difficult to devote a quarter of an hour a day 
 to spiritual reading ; and then how is it possible 
 that they should become interior men ? Hence it is 
 that we gain no fruit, because our ministrations 
 are not animated by the Spirit of God, without 
 which, with all our talents, we cannot attain the 
 end we are aiming at, and are but "as sounding 
 brass and a tinkling cymbal." 
 
 An interior man will make more impression on 
 
242 iRaottbes tj^at lealr to tfje XirterCor 3Lift, 
 
 hearts by a single word animated by the Spirit of 
 God than another by a whole discourse which has 
 cost him much labor, and in which he has exhausted 
 all his power of reasoning. 
 
 Article III. 
 
 Peace is not found except in the Interior Life, afid 
 
 our Dissatisfactions spring only from our not 
 
 being Interior Me?i. 
 
 I. 
 
 Never shall we have peace until we are interior 
 men and united with God. Repose of mind, joy, 
 solid contentment, are found only in the interior 
 world, in the kingdom of God which we possess 
 within ourselves. The more deeply we enter there- 
 in, the more happy shall we be. Without this we 
 shall always be in trouble and difficulty, always 
 discontented and murmuring ; and if any tempta- 
 tion, any rude trial, come upon us, we shall not 
 overcome it. 
 
 II. 
 
 St. Augustine says that they who have an ill- 
 regulated interior are like married men with pee- 
 vish and ill-tempered wives. They leave home early 
 in the morning and return as late as they can, be- 
 cause they dread a domestic persecution. In like 
 manner, the former, having no peace in their inte- 
 rior, and finding there only remorse and reproaches 
 
<!^cctt])attons; of ti)t KnterCor ÎLîte» 243 
 
 of conscience, avoid as much as possible entering 
 into themselves. 
 
 III. 
 
 If in our employments we practise the exterior 
 of virtue without the interior, we are miserable, 
 bearing the weight of exterior labor but never 
 tasting interior unction and sweetness. This makes 
 us fall often into notable faults ; whereas, by- 
 means of recollection and prayer, we should effect 
 more in our ministrations, with less difficulty, weari- 
 ness, and danger, and with more perfection to our- 
 selves, more advantage to our neighbor, and more 
 glory to God. "This," adds Father Rigoleu in his 
 collection, "is what our father director represented 
 to us with much force, and it is one of the points 
 he most urged upon us." 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE INTERIOR LIFE. 
 
 Article I. 
 0/ Watchfulness over our Interior. 
 
 Our principal study ought to be to watch over 
 our interior, in order to ascertain its state and cor- 
 rect its disorders. To this the following considera- 
 tions powerfully excite us : 
 
244 (occupations of tj^e interior îLîfe» 
 
 1. We remain immersed, and, as it were, buried 
 in a mass of faults and imperfections, which we 
 never see till the hour of death, unless we exercise 
 ourselves in observing the movements of our inte- 
 rior, wherein the devil and nature play strange 
 parts while we are wholly absorbed in the hurry 
 and excitement of exterior occupations. 
 
 2. The ruin of souls in the path of perfection 
 proceeds from the multiplication of venial sins, 
 whence follow a diminution of divine lights and 
 inspirations, spiritual consolations, and other 
 sources of grace ; next, a great weakness in resist- 
 ing the attacks of the enemy; and, finally, a fall 
 into some grievous fault, which makes us open our 
 eyes and perceive that, while we were thinking of 
 something else, our heart was betraying us for 
 want of watchfulness in guarding it, and from not 
 entering into it to ascertain what was passing. 
 
 3. It is this living out of ourselves, and this 
 carelessness in ordering our interior, which is the 
 reason that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are almost 
 without effect in us, and that the sacramental 
 graces which are given us by virtue of the sacra- 
 ments we have received, or are frequenting, remain 
 without profit. 
 
 By sacramental grace is meant the right which 
 each sacrament gives us, before God, of receiving 
 from Him certain succors which preserve within 
 us the effect that sacrament has wrought in our 
 soul. Thus the sacramental grace of Baptism is a 
 right which Baptism gives us to receive lights and 
 inspirations to lead a supernatural life, as members 
 of Jesus Christ, animated by His Spirit. The sac- 
 
(ï^rcupcttions of tïje interior îlCfe. 245 
 
 ramental grace of Confirmation is a right to receive 
 strength and constancy to combat against our 
 enemies as soldiers of Jesus Christ and to win 
 glorious victories over them. The sacramental 
 grace of Confession is a right to receive an increase 
 of purity of heart ; that of Communion is a right 
 to receive more abundant and efficacious succors 
 to unite us to God by the fervor of His love. Each 
 time we confess and communicate in a good state 
 these sacramental graces and the gifts of the Holy 
 Spirit increase in us ; and yet we do not perceive 
 their effects in our daily life. Whence comes this ? 
 From our unmortified passions, our attachments 
 and disorderly afïections, and our habitual faults. 
 We allow these vicious principles to have more 
 dominion over us than sacramental graces and the 
 gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that the former keep 
 the latter, as it were, bound and captive, without 
 the power of producing their proper effects. And 
 why do we let sin and the vicious principles of cor- 
 rupt nature usurp this despotic empire over the 
 divine principles of grace and the Spirit of God ? 
 It is for want of entering often into ourselves. If 
 we did so, we should discover the state of our in- 
 terior and correct its disorders. 
 
 II. 
 
 T. By watching over our interior we gradually 
 acquire a great knowledge of ourselves, and attain 
 at last to the direction of the Holy Spirit. And at 
 times God brings before us in an instant the state 
 
246 occupations of tf)t ïntenot 3lC{e» 
 
 of our past life, just as we shall see it at the Judg- 
 ment ; He makes us see all our sins, all our past 
 youth. At other times He discloses to us the whole 
 economy of the government of the universe ; and 
 this produces in our soul a perfect subjection to 
 God. 
 
 2. They who have applied themselves for three 
 or four years to watch over their interior, and 
 have made some progress in this holy exercise, 
 know already how to treat a multitude of cases 
 with address and absence of all rash judgment; 
 they penetrate, as it were, naturally, the hearts of 
 others, and discover almost all their movements 
 by the knowledge they possess of their own in- 
 terior, and of the natural movements of their own 
 heart. 
 
 3. Without performing extraordinary mortifica- 
 tions, or any of those exterior actions which might 
 be the occasion of vanity to us, by simple atten- 
 tion in watching our own interior we perform 
 excellent acts of virtue and make prodigious ad- 
 vances in perfection ; whereas, on the contrary, 
 by neglecting our interior we incur incalculable 
 losses. 
 
 4. These exercises may be practised at every 
 age, at all times and in all places, in the midst of 
 our exterior functions and in time of illness; and 
 there is no business so embarrassing which does 
 not allow us to enter into ourselves from time to 
 time, to observe the movements of our hearts. 
 
 5. What exterior actions did St. Paul the Hermit 
 perform, and so many other saints, and so many 
 holy virgins ? It is the merit of their interior life 
 
©ccu}jatioit0 of tj^e interior JLife* 247 
 
 which raised them to the highest ranks of the 
 blessed. 
 
 But, alas! we are so little enlightened, or so 
 bewitched with all the brilliancy of exterior employ- 
 ments, that we understand not the excellence, nor 
 the necessity, nor the merit of that life which is 
 hidden from the eyes of men and known to God 
 alone. 
 
 III. 
 
 Nothing is so dangerous as to neglect the care 
 of our interior, and to take no pains to know what 
 is passing therein. This negligence and this 
 ignorance give occasion to a multitude of venial 
 sins, which dispose us insensibly to some mortal 
 sin or great temptation, whence ensue fatal falls. 
 
 Such is often the end of the purely exterior life 
 of those among us who are continually engaged 
 in the tumult of action, abandoning the care of 
 their interior under pretext of zeal and charity, 
 because they labor for the service of their neigh- 
 bor. But even should they not proceed to this 
 extremity, it is still certain that by wasting them- 
 selves exteriorly, and giving scarcely any attention 
 to the regulation of their interior in the exercise 
 of their functions, they suffer incalculable losses 
 of grace and merit. Their labors produce but very 
 little fruit, not being animated by that strength 
 and that vigor which come from the interior spirit, 
 nor accompanied with the benedictions which God 
 bestows on men of prayer and recollection. They 
 do nothing purely for God; they seek themselves 
 
^4^ ©ccuajatïons of tïje KnttrCor îlîfe, 
 
 in everything, and always secretly mix up their 
 own interest with the glory of God in their best 
 undertakings. 
 
 Thus they pass their lives in this mixture of 
 nature and grace, without once taking a single 
 step forward towards perfection for ten or twenty 
 years, the mind as distracted, the heart as hard, 
 amid all the exercises of Christian piety and the 
 religious life, as if they had never enjoyed all these 
 aids. 
 
 At last death comes, and then they open their 
 eyes; they perceive their illusion and blindness, 
 and tremble at approaching the dread tribunal of 
 God. 
 
 The means of avoiding all these woes is to regu- 
 late our interior so well, and to keep watch over 
 our heart so carefully, as to have ground for 
 desiring, rather than fearing, to appear before our 
 sovereign Judge. It is this watchfulness that 
 Our Lord so much recommends to us in the 
 Gospel, when He says so often, Vigilate, "Watch." 
 "Our father director," says Father Rigoleu, "re- 
 quires nothing else from us but this constant 
 attention to our interior." 
 
 Article II. 
 
 How Important it is that we should joiji the Interior 
 Life with our Exterior Occupations. 
 
 Our occupations are often iifdifferent in them- 
 selves, and yet may be most glorious to God, and 
 
iï^ccupations ot tije îJnterîor Hife. 249 
 
 more to His glory than others which in themselves 
 are supernatural. Thus our studies and our 
 office of regent conduce to the salvation of others, 
 and promote the glory of God, more than would 
 the assisting in choir and chanting the divine 
 office, were such the practice of the society, as 
 in other orders. But unless in this occupation of 
 the classes and of study we act from the principle 
 of the interior spirit, we are just like seculars, and 
 often merit only chastisements in the next life. 
 
 II. 
 
 We ought to unite action and contemplation in 
 such a way as not to give ourselves more to the 
 former than to the latter, endeavoring to excel as 
 much in one as in the other. Otherwise, if we 
 throw ourselves altogether into the exterior life, 
 and give ourselves wholly to action, we shall un- 
 doubtedly remain in the lowest degrees of con- 
 templation ; that is, we shall practise only ordinary 
 prayer, and perform the other exercises of piety in 
 an inferior and imperfect manner. 
 
 III. 
 
 We should unite action and the exterior life 
 with contemplation in such wise as to give our- 
 selves to the former in the same proportion as we 
 practise the latter. If we make much mental 
 prayer, we ought to give ourselves much to action; 
 if we have made but moderate progress in the 
 interior life, we ought to employ ourselves only 
 
250 occupations of t^e interior flCfe. 
 
 moderately in the occupations of the exterior life: 
 and if we are but little advanced in the ways of 
 the interior, we ought to abstain altogether from 
 what is exterior, unless obedience prescribes the 
 contrary; otherwise we shall do no good to others 
 and ruin ourselves. 
 
 IV. 
 
 We must be like the eagle, who soars into the 
 air as soon as he has seized his prey. Thus we 
 ought to retire for prayer after any active employ- 
 ment for our neighbor, and never intrude ourselves 
 into such unless obedience enjoins it. 
 
 v. 
 
 Let us be thoroughly convinced that we shall 
 gain fruit in our ministrations only in proportion 
 to our union with God and detachment from all 
 self-interest. A preacher when he is much followed; 
 a missionary when he produces a great sensation; 
 a confessor when he sees his confessional sur- 
 rounded by a crowd of penitents; a director when 
 he is the fashion; a person when he devotes him- 
 self entirely to good works — one and all flatter 
 themselves they are gaining much fruit, and to 
 judge from appearances we might believe it. The 
 world praises them; applause confirms them in the 
 good opinion they have of their success. But are 
 they united to God by prayer ? Are they per- 
 fectly detached from themselves ? Do they act 
 only from divine motives ? Do not human views 
 
occupations of ti)t interior JLiît, 25 1 
 
 mix themselves up with their designs ? Let them 
 beware of deceiving themselves. Men are easily 
 deceived in this matter. They seek God, it is true, 
 but do they not also seek themselves ? They in- 
 tend the good of God and the good of souls, but 
 do they forget their own glory and their own 
 petty interests ? They employ themselves in works 
 of zeal and charity, but is it out of a pure motive 
 of zeal and charity ? Is it not because they find 
 their own satisfaction in it, and love neither prayer 
 nor study, and cannot live retired in their own 
 room or endure recollection ? 
 
 If we examine ourselves well, perhaps we shall 
 find in our souls so little union with God, and in 
 the service we render to our neighbor so much self- 
 seeking, that we shall have just ground for doubt- 
 ing whether we do all the good to others that 
 we imagine, and do not inflict more evil upon our- 
 selves than we are aware. 
 
 To labor profitably for the salvation of others, 
 we must have made great progress in our own 
 perfection. Until we have acquired perfect virtue, 
 we ought to practise very little exterior action. 
 But if superiors lay too much upon us, we may 
 trust that Providence will so dispose things that 
 the burden will soon be diminished, and all will 
 turn to the greater good of inferiors, if they are 
 good men. 
 
 VI, 
 
 We must acquire virtues in a solid degree, and 
 after that labor to promote the salvation of souls; 
 
252 ©cctijpatîons of tije Kntmor îlîfe. 
 
 then exterior action will aid us in the interior life. 
 But until we have acquired solid virtues and are 
 closely united to God, exterior occupation will 
 certainly be injurious to us. 
 
 Article III. 
 
 We ought 7iot to e?igage m Exterior Occupations of our 
 Own-Accord. 
 
 It is not for us to choose our own employments. 
 Of our own free will we ought to give our whole 
 attention to ourselves, unless obedience imposes on 
 us functions for the service of our neighbor. From 
 obedience must come the movement which leads us 
 to external action for the good of others. So long 
 as it leaves us at rest, let us willingly remain so. 
 God will know very well how to find us when He 
 wishes to make use of us to His glory. It is great 
 rashness to intrude ourselves into the government 
 of souls — an office which the most perfect saints, 
 the Ambroses and Gregories, fled from with fear. 
 The blessed Louis Gonzaga had a scruple in hav- 
 ing speculated for a moment as to what employ- 
 ment superiors would allot him. 
 
^îibice for tïje ïntn-ior 3lïfe» 253 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ADVICE FOR THE INTERIOR LIFE. 
 
 Article I. 
 
 We ought to cultivate the Will more than the Under- 
 standing. 
 
 Application to study is befitting a religious, 
 especially if he is called by his vocation to apos- 
 tolic labors ; but there are some who devote them- 
 selves thereto with more of passion and curiosity 
 than zeal. We are sometimes bent only on filling 
 the mind with such knowledge as serves rather to 
 harden and chill it than to soften it by devotion 
 and inflame it with fervor. It is the will we ought 
 principally to cultivate. We have sufficient knowl- 
 edge, but we are not sufficiently united to God. 
 We ought to make it our chief study to acquire 
 the spirit of prayer, and to become filled with a 
 great love of God. 
 
 Cardinal du Perron, when dying, testified his 
 repentance for having during life applied himself 
 more to perfecting his understanding by the sci- 
 ences than his will by the exercises of the interior 
 life. Some of us will perhaps feel the same regret 
 in the last passage. Woe to that knowledge which 
 makes us neither humble nor better men ! 
 
254 ^Irbîce for tje Knterfor 3lUe» 
 
 Article IL 
 
 The Path of Faith is a Safer Way to Perfection than 
 that of Sensible Graces. 
 
 God leads souls by two sorts of ways. Some He 
 guides by interior lights, consolations, and senti- 
 ments of devotion. And this way is the most 
 dangerous, because it gives occasion to self-love 
 to luxuriate in favors of this kind, on account of 
 the relish we find in them, and the high esteem we 
 hence conceive of ourselves. Along this road lies 
 the precipice of the bad angels, whose sin was 
 pride, which puffed them up by the consideration 
 of the spiritual goods they had received from God. 
 
 Others are led by reason and faith, assisted by 
 the ordinary aids of actual graces, but without 
 sensible consolations, except on rare occasions. 
 And this road is the safest, and leads most directly 
 to perfection, because therein we walk more in 
 spiritual poverty and humility. 
 
 Article III. 
 
 The Best Mode of Practising the Virtues. 
 
 I. 
 
 We ought to tend continually towards God, 
 without stopping short at His gifts and graces. 
 Some are too much engrossed with the formal ob- 
 jects of virtues, which are merely natural. It 
 would be far better to act on a principle which 
 would raise us straight to God, as does the divine 
 
^îrbice for tïje ïnterCor Hlfe, 255 
 
 love. It is true that all the virtues lead us to Him 
 by their own proper motives, but it is with greater 
 slowness and with less perfection. 
 
 II. 
 
 There are some whose minds are intent upon 
 discovering several motives of virtue with a view 
 of performing their actions thereby, thinking by 
 some such means to render them more agreeable 
 to God. We ought merely to try to ascertain 
 what virtue God desires we should practise in each 
 action, and then simply perform that action in the 
 presence of God, according to the intention with 
 which He inspires us, and with the motive and 
 purpose of imitating Our Lord. 
 
 It is to this end that the love of Our Lord is so 
 strongly urged upon us, the motive of which is 
 easy, suited to all the world, and full of sweetness. 
 And the good that is done by the principle of this 
 love — an act of temperance, for example, per- 
 formed with the view of imitating Our Lord and 
 pleasing Him, is far more excellent than when 
 it is done simply to observe such moderation as 
 temperance prescribes. 
 
SIXTH TREATISE. 
 
 MEANS OF ACQUIRING PERFECTION.^ 
 
 We must will to acqidre it. — Spiritual books sug- 
 gest a great many means of acquiring perfection, 
 yet we may say that the only real means is a deter- 
 mined will. There is nothing difficult to a good 
 will assisted by the grace of God. We cannot 
 think that this assistance will be denied us, since 
 the Son of God tells us we must be perfect even as 
 His heavenly Father is perfect, and this we cannot 
 be unless He help us. 
 
 They who will to acquire Perfection. — Inclination to 
 good does not make a man righteous, any more 
 than inclination to evil makes him wdcked. To be 
 good we must will what is good, and we are good 
 in proportion as we will what is right. If you will 
 to be perfect, you must avoid all that turns you 
 from the practice of virtue, and embrace all that 
 leads you thereto. If you do nothing it is be- 
 cause you do not will to accomplish anything. 
 You may have a complacent admiration for per- 
 fection without any desire or will to be perfect. 
 
 Necessity of a Director. — A man who is wise will 
 not attempt to go through a dangerous forest full 
 
 ' P. Crasset, S.J. 
 256 
 
i!«eans of glcquirCnfi ^perfection. 257 
 
 of tortuous, winding paths without a guide; a 
 prudent merchant will not go to sea without a good 
 pilot. If you are without a good director you will 
 miss your route and suffer shipwreck. God does 
 not govern men by special revelations. The pru- 
 dence so necessary in the spiritual life is a gratui- 
 tous gift bestowed upon us for the benefit of others 
 and not for ourselves. " Woe to him that is alone! " 
 says the Wise Man, " for when he falleth he has 
 none to lift him up." If he wander from the right 
 path there is none to bring him back. If he fall 
 ill there is none to nurse him back to health. If 
 enemies attack him there is none to defend him. 
 Choose, therefore, a wise director and obey him 
 faithfully. 
 
 We must recognize our Impe7^fectio?i and Misery. — 
 There are some souls who hope to become perfect 
 in a day. As long as we have enemies we must 
 combat them : as long as we have vices and faults 
 we must resist them, and we are free from them 
 only at the hour of death; so much so, that per- 
 fection almost consists in recognizing our misery 
 and humbling ourselves for it before God. I fear 
 much for those souls who imagine they have at- 
 tained perfection and who complacently regard 
 their virtues. I am of the opinion of St. Bernard, 
 that "one who thinks he lacks nothing lacks every- 
 thing." In the spiritual life a soul is ill indeed 
 that believes itself in perfect health, and vicious 
 indeed if it think itself devoid of any vice, for it is 
 infested with pride, which brings all vices in its 
 train. 
 
 We must be Faithful in Little Things. — Great things 
 
25 s liïeaus of ^cquiruiQ ^perfection» 
 
 depend upon little things, and little things lead to 
 great. You will make great progress in virtue if 
 you are faithful in little things. " He that is faith- 
 ful in that which is least," says Our Lord, "is faith- 
 ful also in that which is greater." What excuse 
 may you offer for not being perfect, since God only 
 asks of you what is easy and within your power? 
 Do what you can, and what you are unable to do 
 God will do for you. Do what is easy and God 
 will do what is difficult. If you despise venial 
 faults you will inevitably fall into grievous sins. 
 
 We ?nust keep ourselves in the Presence of God. — 
 "Walk before Me," said God to Abraham, "and 
 be perfect." You will be perfect if you walk be- 
 fore God and always keep yourself in His presence. 
 God is in the depth of your soul: you will find 
 Him if you enter into yourself by recollection ; you 
 I will lose Him if your thoughts are abroad and you 
 
 are occupied with exterior things. He is pleased to 
 dwell in solitude and silence. It is creatures that 
 rob us of Him ; fly them and you will possess Him 
 in security. Where are you when you are not with 
 God ? What are you seeking when you possess 
 God ? Happy soul that carries its sovereign Good 
 within its heart, that sees God in all things and all 
 things in God! 
 
 We must avoid Dissipation. — To keep the soul in 
 recollection and prevent it from wandering abroad 
 we must close the doors of the senses, we must 
 watch over our eyes and our ears. These are the 
 windows through which the soul escapes; we are 
 dissipated in proportion as we admit external 
 matters into the citadel of our soul, or allow our 
 
ifHeans of ^cquirCnfî perfection* 259 
 
 thoughts to be engaged in them. Place guards at 
 all the avenues which lead to your soul, and per- 
 mit nothing to enter without knowing whence it 
 comes and whither it tends. 
 
 We must be Faithful to Prayer, — If we are not men 
 of prayer we shall never attain perfection. How 
 can you be perfect if you do not love God ? How 
 can you love Him if you do not know Him ? How 
 are you to know Him if you do not consider and 
 study Him ? Now, it is in meditation that the soul 
 learns the perfections of God, that it discovers His 
 infinite beauty, that it recognizes His benefits, that 
 it receives His caresses and is inflamed with His 
 love. 
 
 We must mortify our Body and its Passions. — To 
 pray well we have only to be faithful mortifying 
 ourselves. The wood of the cross is needed to en- 
 kindle this fire in our hearts. The spirit gains in 
 proportion to the weakness of the flesh, and the 
 flesh in proportion to the weakness of the spirit. 
 Observe moderation in your penances, and do 
 nothing except by the order of your superiors. 
 
 We must keep the Thought of Death before us. — 
 Only two things are necessary to become perfect 
 in a short time : one is to believe that it is to day 
 that we are beginning to serve God ; the other is 
 that it is the last day we have to serve Him. If 
 you were about to die, how would you perform this 
 action ? Perform all your actions in the same 
 way, and you will soon become perfect. 
 
 Our Hearts must be attached to Nothing. — Con- 
 sider as lost to you all that you can lose ; do not 
 be attached to anything the loss of which would 
 
V 
 
 26o i^eans of SlcquirCnfi ^erfectCoir» 
 
 grieve you. Let your heart be fixed upon nothing 
 inferior to God ; esteem nothing but what leads 
 to God. The root of all our trouble in this life is 
 that we esteem what we ought to despise, and 
 despise what we ought to esteem. 
 
 Our Hearts must be detached from Everything. — 
 Since a thing is perfect when it is united to its 
 principle, man's perfection consists in being united 
 to God. You will never be united to Him unless 
 you are detached from all things. Take one step 
 beyond creatures and you will find the Creator. 
 Leave visible things and you will find the invisible. 
 Pass beyond time and you will enter eternity. 
 Detach yourself from all that is not God and you 
 will find yourself united to God. 
 
 We must correct our Vices. — Perfection does not 
 consist so much in filling as in emptying our 
 h-earts, in doing good as in avoiding evil. Open 
 the doors of your heart and God will enter at once. 
 Empty your heart of creatures and it will be filled 
 with God. Correct your vices and God will sanc- 
 tify you. 
 
 We must never choose for ourselves. — To hold to 
 nothing, to be disposed for all that God wills, to 
 have no choice or desire, indicate a perfect soul 
 and one that is wholly abandoned to God. Pre- 
 serve your freedom ; let no creature enslave you. 
 Do not be ruled by wicked masters. You could 
 not have a more cruel master than your passions ; 
 when they no longer rule you in any way you 
 have attained perfection. 
 
 We must conform ourselves in All Things to the 
 Will of God. — Whatever path you choose in per- 
 
iWeans of ^cquîrûifl 33erfectCon» 261 
 
 fection, you will find none shorter, easier, or more 
 secure than that of conformity in all things to the 
 will of God. It is a devotion which is singularly 
 free and unencumbered, and leads incontinently 
 to union. Do all that God wishes and He will do 
 all that you wish; be content with Him and He 
 will be content with you ; labor for Him and He 
 will labor for you. A man who has no self-will 
 does the will of God, for God's will takes the 
 place of his own ; and as the divine will is contin- 
 ually done, it is true to say that a man who is 
 devoid of self-will does God's will without ceasing. 
 
 We must humble ourselves for our Faults. — To be 
 righteous and appear so is a dangerous state. To 
 appear righteous when we are not is a vicious 
 state. To be righteous and appear the contrary 
 is a state of perfection. God leaves us with faults 
 to keep us humble and to protect us from vanity. 
 There is nothing more dangerous than a reputa- 
 tion for great sanctity. Glory is the portion of 
 the other life, humility of this. Bear your faults, 
 holy soul, when you cannot get rid of them, and 
 never cease to labor for your perfection. Our 
 desire for perfection is, not unfrequently, the de- 
 sire for our own excellence rather than our sancti- 
 fication. 
 
 We must love Solitude. — To fly from the world, to 
 seek solitude, to speak little to men and much to 
 God ; to do all that is required of us and yet 
 recognize that we are unprofitable servants ; to ac- 
 complish works worthy of praise and yet desire no 
 praise — this is the summit rather'than the path of 
 perfection. You will never live safely among the 
 
202 l^eans ot ^cquîrCng J^erfrctCon» 
 
 throng until you have learned to appreciate soli- 
 tude. Remain in your nest until your wings are 
 fully fledged. Cast deep roots before you try to 
 bear fruit ; dig deep foundations before you at- 
 tempt to raise your edifice. Your elevation will 
 be in proportion to your former humility ; your 
 glory in heaven will be proportioned to your lowli- 
 ness on earth. 
 
 We must die to our Desires. — Accustom yourself 
 to do without creatures, to desire nothing outside 
 yourself, and to be content with the enjoyment of 
 God. Your desires are so many tyrants which 
 make you the victim of ambition and self-love. 
 Have but one desire, to do the will of God, or rather, 
 do it unceasingly. Beginners should have a great 
 desire for perfection, but they will never attain it 
 until they die to all their own desires. What can 
 a soul desire that possesses God ? What may a 
 soul seek that has found God ? Keep yourself in 
 peace whatever happens, and when your desires 
 rebel, tell them that you know nothing comparable 
 to peace of soul, and that you will not forfeit it 
 for all the treasures of the world. 
 
 We must continually do Violence to ourselves. — If we 
 would speedily become saints we must unceas- 
 ingly do violence to ourselves. We reach life 
 only through death, victory only through combat, 
 repose only through labor, union only through 
 detachment, perfection only through the cross and 
 mortification. Give your flesh to God and He 
 will give you His Spirit. Watch over your senses 
 and He will watch over your heart. Guard the 
 citadel without and He will guard it within. 
 
iftteans of McqnivUxQ î9ertectîou, 263 
 
 Mortify yourself in little things and He will render 
 you victorious in great. 
 
 JVe must love our Neighbor. — If we love our 
 neighbor we are perfect, for the Apostle tells us it 
 is the fulfilment of the law. It is also loving God, 
 for it is keeping His commandments, which are 
 almost all included in the precept of charity. 
 Then love your neighbor and God will love you ; 
 assist him and God will assist you ; excuse him 
 and God will excuse you ; bear with him and God 
 will bear with you; pardon him and God will par- 
 don you. If you were to work miracles and suffer 
 martyrdom, yet had not charity, you would be 
 nothing; and what will become of one who com- 
 mits nothing but crimes and is a martyr only to 
 the Evil One ? 
 
 We must always think of God. — Let no week pass 
 without Communion, no day without a cross, no 
 hour without thinking of your soul, no moment 
 without thinking of God. Is it not just that you 
 should think of Him when He is lavishing benefits 
 upon you — and are not His benefits unceasing? 
 To do God's will is to think of Him. Offer Him 
 the beginning of each action, and do not imagine 
 that you have done nothing for Him if during the 
 performance of the duty begun for Him you have 
 not thought of Him: He knows your heart and your 
 intentions. If you were asked for whom you were 
 doing this action, would you not answer that you 
 were doing it for God ? Then have no fear: you 
 have been laboring for Him even though some 
 time has elapsed without your thinking of Him. 
 
 We must endure the Privation of Spiritual Consola- 
 
264 ifiïeans of ^cqiurins î^erfection. 
 
 tions. — Though we must not reject the consolations 
 which God gives us in meditation, yet we must not 
 be attached to them. A soul in the enjoyment of 
 this sensible fervor receives gifts from God, but 
 gives Him nothing; it enjoys much, but merits 
 little. There is hardly any state in which a soul 
 honors God and enriches itself more than in that 
 of suffering. It honors God by the sacrifice of its 
 mind, of its will, of its passions, and of all its 
 powers. It enriches itself by the practice of all 
 the most heroic virtues: faith, hope, charity, pov- 
 erty, resignation, fidelity, humility, patience, and 
 perseverance. 
 
 We must deny ourselves. — Live as one who passes 
 beyond figures to truth, beyond death to immor- 
 tality, beyond time to eternity. An eternity of 
 happiness or an eternity of misery awaits you : 
 you will attain the first by bearing your cross and 
 denying yourself; you will reap the second by 
 serving your passions and following your own 
 will. 
 
 We must obey our Superiors. — You will know 
 whether all is well with you by the obedience you 
 render your superiors. " It is impossible," says 
 Cassian, " for an obedient man to fall into delu- 
 sions, and equally impossible for him to avoid them 
 if he is not obedient." Your progress, your per- 
 fection, will be in proportion to your obedience. 
 To the soul that sacrifices its spirit to God God 
 gives His own ; He does the will of one who does 
 His will. If you will not renounce your own light 
 you will lose that of faith and fall into error. 
 Therefore obey all your superiors : obey in all 
 
ijtteattjs of ^cquiruTQ ^ierfrctton. 265 
 
 that is not manifest sin; obey at all times, under 
 all circumstances; obey in heart and mind. 
 
 We 7?iust be Master of our Hearts. — It is a pity to 
 love and not know what we love; to have a heart 
 and not be master of it. Watch over your affec- 
 tions ; love nothing too eagerly or in a manner to 
 disquiet your heart. Keep always in mind this 
 beautiful motto of St. Bernard: " Nothing short 
 of God, nothing like God, nothing with God, 
 nothing after God." 
 
 Abridgment of Perfection. — All the counsels that 
 could be given concerning perfection might be 
 almost reduced to four, which are like the four 
 wheels of the chariot of sanctity, and the square of 
 Christian justice: to abandon one's self to the 
 providence of God ; to obey one's superiors in all 
 things; to do harm to no one; to deny one's self by 
 continual mortification. These constitute a sure 
 road to perfection. 
 
Part Third. 
 
 UNION WITH GOD BY CONTEMPLA- 
 TION. 
 
To have a propei understanding of the interior things of spir- 
 ituality or mystical science, we must have recourse to desire 
 and not to the understanding; to sighs and not to reading; to 
 God and not to men; to Jesus, the Spouse, and not to the 
 doctors; to mystical darkness and not to light; to the silently 
 consuming fire and not to brilliant light. (St. Bonaventure.) 
 
 O spiritual souls, be not discouraged when you feel your 
 forces weak, incapable, and, as it were, paralyzed. Rather be- 
 lieve that this is for you a happy condition, and that God comes 
 to free you from all that is imperfect in your manner of treating 
 with Him; that He takes you by the hand, that He guides you 
 in the midst of this darkness. Let yourself be guided: walk con- 
 fidently and safely: your eyes could never guide you so surely, 
 your feet could never support you so firmly. (St. John of the 
 Cross.) 
 
 268 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 UNION OF THE SOUL WITH GOD THROUGH CON- 
 TEMPLATION.! 
 
 In what this Union consists. — The soul attains this 
 divine union, is admitted to the nuptials of the 
 Lamb, through three means: meditation, affection, 
 and contemplation. Meditation instructs the 
 mind; affection enkindles the heart; contempla- 
 tion unites the soul with God. 
 
 Meditation purifies the soul of its vices and its 
 errors; affection inflames it and impels it to prac- 
 tise good works; contemplation elevates it and 
 causes it to enter into the chamber of the Bride- 
 groom. 
 
 Meditation is for beginners; affection for those 
 who are advancing; contemplation for the perfect. 
 
 In meditation the mind seeks; in affection the 
 heart desires; in contemplation the soul finds 
 what it sought and enjoys what it desired. The 
 mind labors in meditation, the heart sighs in affec- 
 tion, and both mind and heart rest in contempla- 
 tion. Thus the divine union is the enjoyment of 
 God which the soul has sought in meditation, 
 
 ' P. Grasset. 
 269 
 
270 sanîon toîtï) fôolr tïjtousï) ©ontempIatCon, 
 
 which it has acquired through affection, and which 
 it has found through contemplation. 
 
 The word contemplation indicates an operation 
 of the mind, an operation usually pertaining to 
 scholars. But Christian contemplation has more 
 to do with the heart than the mind. It is a repose, 
 a peaceful enjoyment on the part of the soul which 
 is not disturbed by any image of the mind or any 
 emotion of the heart. 
 
 The soul that desires to be the spouse of Jesus 
 Christ, and to receive the " kiss of His mouth," 
 must first kiss His feet like Magdalen; must be 
 purified by tears from its vices and evil habits; 
 must kiss His hands by numerous good works. 
 Then it must wait in silence and profound respect 
 until Jesus Christ introduces it into the banquet- 
 hall to receive that mystical kiss — that is, that 
 divine Spirit — which St. Bernard says is a kiss of 
 the Father and the Son. The soul is first a ser- 
 vant and fears its Lord ; then it becomes a daugh- 
 ter and respects its Father; finally it becomes 
 a spouse and loves only the Bridegroom. These 
 are the degrees by which it ascends to contempla- 
 tion and attains that mystical union. 
 
 St. Bernard, explaining these words of David 
 describing the just man, "In his heart he hath 
 disposed to ascend by steps," indicates four steps 
 of this mystical ladder, which may be reduced to 
 the three we have just mentioned. " The wise 
 man," he says, " prepares in his soul the steps by 
 which he may ascend to contemplation. The first 
 step is towards the heart; the second is in the 
 heart; the third is the heart itself. In the first 
 
WLnion iaitf) €ïolr tj^roug]^ ©ontemplatCon. 271 
 
 the soul fears the Lord; in the second it listens to 
 the Master; in the third it desires the Bride- 
 groom; in the last it enjoys God." 
 
 Effects of Contemplation. — Who may explain the 
 effects of this divine enjoyment ? We may say of 
 this marriage, or union of earth, what St. Paul 
 says of that of heaven, that " eye has not seen, 
 ear has not heard, neither has it entered into 
 the heart of man to conceive what God has pre- 
 pared for those who love Him." The soul suffer- 
 ing from the wound of love, which can be healed 
 only by Him Who inflicted it, weeps disconsolately 
 for the Bridegroom, and burns with desire to find 
 Him and reveal its pain. 
 
 After a long quest it seems to fall into a death- 
 like state ; it is unable to speak, and knows not 
 what it behooveth it to do or to say. A deep 
 silence pervades the depth of its heart and dismays 
 it, for it may not divine whence it comes. Then 
 it enters into a night of darkness, which obscures 
 all its natural light and powers. Its imagination 
 is void of images, its mind speaks not, its heart is 
 still, its memory is void, its passions are silent, its 
 senses inert. It is during this silence, this night, 
 that the Word descends from heaven, and that the 
 soul becomes, in an ineffable manner, the spouse 
 of Jesus Christ. Ask me not how this is effected; 
 ask those who have experienced it. All I can tell 
 you is, that the soul comes forth from these divine 
 and ineffable operations so filled with God, so 
 penetrated with His Spirit, that it no longer feels 
 or is conscious of itself, and, like the rivers which 
 
272 sanCon iBitï) fôûïr tîirouQïj ^onutnplaîion. 
 
 flow into the sea, finds itself lost and swallowed 
 up in God. 
 
 Then all creatures disappear before it, like 
 shadows before the sun. It sees only the beauty 
 of its divine Spouse, Who dwells in the depth of its 
 heart ; it hears only His voice, and enjoys naught 
 but the sweetness of converse with Him and the 
 ineffable joy of His presence. It cannot under- 
 stand that any one may love or seek aught but 
 Him. 
 
 God called Moses to the summit of Mount Sinai, 
 and caused him to enter a secret place enveloped 
 in clouds and darkness. Into like obscurity, ap- 
 palling to nature, does God plunge the soul which 
 aspires to this divine union. It fears to fall from 
 this dizzy height into precipices which yawn 
 below; but when the darkness and obscurity have 
 completely enveloped it, it discerns Jesus trans- 
 figured, and contemplates God face to face, so to 
 speak. It feels Him sometimes without seeing 
 Him, — feels that He imprints Himself as a seal upon 
 its heart, that His finger writes therein the law of 
 love, which dissipates all its sadness and fears. In 
 such moments the soul experiences consolation and 
 joy so pure and so great that, like St. Paul, it knows 
 not whether it is in heaven or upon earth. If this 
 state were to continue nature would succumb to 
 the violent efforts of love. When this union and 
 these divine communications have ceased, the soul 
 descends from the mount of contemplation, like 
 Moses from Mount Sinai, resplendent with light, 
 inflamed with the love of God, and giving forth 
 
SEition toîtf) ^olr tfjroufiïj €:ontem}jlatïon, 273 
 
 heavenly odors which embalm the hearts of all with 
 whom it speaks or who behold its prayer. 
 
 The Mystical State. — It is during the night, when 
 the doors of the senses are closed, that the Bride- 
 groom enters the heart of His spouse, while she wots 
 not how or by what means He has entered ; albeit 
 her heart is buried in profound darkness, she knows 
 that the wedding-feast is celebrating, and that the 
 cold and insipid water of her devotion is changed 
 into a delicious wine. At times she feels in the 
 depth of her soul, if we may so speak, operations 
 of the divinity so intense, so penetrating, so deli- 
 cious, that she finds no human language adequate 
 to express them. 
 
 Nuptials of the Soul. — The air then resounds with 
 the sublime canticles which the chaste spouse chants 
 to the glory of the Bridegroom. She quaffs, or 
 rather she is inebriated with, the wine of consola- 
 tions, so that she appears bereft of her senses to 
 those who have not assisted at these divine nuptials. 
 
 Moses leads his flock and his powers into the 
 desert, to be retired from all. 
 
 Philip, transported with joy, exclaims: ''He hath 
 shown me the Father ; I desire nothing more." 
 
 Mary Magdalen says to the disciples, " I have 
 seen the Lord ; " and she affirms it though they 
 treat her as a visionary. 
 
 The Spouse prepares a banquet in a cénacle 
 closed to all creatures. The senses are sometimes 
 invited; their pleasure then is so great that it pene- 
 trates to the very marrow of the bones, which, hard 
 and insensible as they are, are constrained to 
 exclaim, " O Lord, who is like unto Thee ! " 
 
274 Saniou fcDitf) CKolr tjroufli) (îontemiJlatCon. 
 
 As to the mind, it usually remains at the door of 
 the heart where the nuptials are celebrated, and 
 may not enter. It knows that the Spouse is with- 
 in; but it cannot understand what is taking place 
 until the doors are opened to it. O the ecstasy of 
 the moment when this favor is granted! What 
 must have been the rapture, the joy, of the sorrow- 
 ful disciple of Jesus, at beholding his Lord, Whom 
 he believed dead, living and gloriously risen from 
 the dead! The soul then, transported with love, 
 exclaims with St. Peter, not knowing what it says: 
 " It is good for us to be here. O the happiness, 
 the inebriating joy, of this presence ! Let us make 
 here three tabernacles: one for Faith, one for Hope, 
 and one for Charity." But all this is of very brief 
 duration: a heavenly cloud suddenly shuts out this 
 glorious sun, which b}^ a strange marvel is hidden 
 from the mind, and enclosed, so to speak, in the 
 heart, inflaming it with love. This is the couch 
 upon which the Bridegroom is pleased to repose ; it 
 is here that He reveals to His spouse the most hid- 
 den secrets of the Divinity, lavishing upon her 
 ineffable caresses incomprehensible to the human 
 mind. 
 
 Happy the chaste souls called to these nuptials 
 of the Lamb! Happy the dead who die in the 
 Lord — who die to their light and their judgments ; 
 who die to their cares and their anxieties; who die 
 to their desires and their fears. They will pass 
 from fear to hope, from hope to love, from love to 
 fruition, from fruition to union, and from union to 
 transformation. Then God will wipe away their 
 tears, and the Holy Spirit will bid them rest from 
 
Sanîon toîti) ®foïr tfjroHgft €:ontem4)latîoit. 275 
 
 their labors, for henceforth theirs will be a perma- 
 nent peace, undisturbed by the accidents or vicissi- 
 tudes of life. 
 
 O my heart ! when wilt thou enter this mysterious 
 silence ? When wilt thou be plunged in these 
 sacred obscurities ? When wilt thou enter this 
 kingdom of peace ? 
 
 Come, holy souls, to this marriage-feast of Cana; 
 Jesus awaits you and invites you. If the wine fails, 
 Mary will supply it by causing her Son to work a 
 miracle in your favor. Come, learned souls, come 
 to learn in this school of love; abandon your 
 brilliant reasoning, renounce your own lights. 
 This science is not acquired by study, but by ex- 
 perience. It is the unction, and not the doctrine, 
 which teaches. It is a science of the heart, and 
 not of the mind. " Taste and see that the Lord is 
 sweet." We recognize natural truths before we 
 experience them ; but we must experience these 
 truths before we may know and comprehend them. 
 
 Dispositions for attaining this Union. — To attain 
 this union, which creates a Paradise on earth, great 
 mortification and recollection are necessary: morti- 
 fication, to detach the heart from creatures; recol- 
 lection, to unite it with God. We must abandon 
 ourselves to His providence, without anxiety for the 
 present or the future ; we must allow ourselves to 
 be governed by our superiors, without permitting 
 nature to ask or refuse anything. We must re- 
 nounce our own opinions, mortify our own will, 
 resist our passions, and faithfully obey grace in all 
 that it asks of us. 
 
 Detachment. — It is very difficult to converse with 
 
276 santon toCtj^ ô&oîr tJroufiÇ Cîtontemplatïon, 
 
 God and with men. It is impossible to be recol- 
 lected when our thoughts are constantly abroad ; 
 to be the slave of our heart and free in spirit ; to 
 be interested in everything and to think of nothing ; 
 to be filled with affections and void of distractions ; 
 to be spiritual, leading the life of the senses ; to be 
 a talkative man and a man of prayer. After Moses 
 had conversed with God he veiled his face and 
 conversed but little with men: this was to teach us 
 that if we would enjoy the company of God we 
 must fly that of men ; at least, that to converse 
 profitably with men we must be long practised in 
 converse with God. 
 
 The Necessity of Meditation and Affection to attain 
 this Uniofi. — I fear much for those presumptuous 
 souls who aspire to the rank of spouse before they 
 have filled that of servant, who would rest before 
 they have labored. Action must precede contem- 
 plation. Meditation must excite affection, must 
 dispose the soul for union. It is through labor 
 that we attain repose. Fear sustains love; pen- 
 ance supports hope; the Humanity of Jesus is the 
 door through which we enter the palace of the 
 Divinity. His infancy touches the heart. His 
 Passion incites it to suffer, His beauty enraptures 
 it, His goodness charms it. His benefits attract it. 
 His love inflames, unites, and transforms it. 
 
 Have you been exercised in meditation, devout 
 soul, before seeking contemplation ? Have you 
 labored before you have sought repose ? Can you 
 say that your peace is the fruit of your combats 
 and your victories ? Have you not entered into a 
 pact with your passions ? Have you not appeased 
 
2Snîon toCtf) fôïoîi tïjroufiï) Coutemplatioiu 277 
 
 and lulled them instead of putting them to death ? 
 Have you not made a truce with the enemies of 
 God instead of conquering them and subjecting 
 them to the empire of grace ? Fear God in order 
 to know Him, mortify yourself if you would enjoy 
 Him, leave all to possess Him, renounce your own 
 light and your own powers to behold and contem- 
 plate Him, for He has said, " Man shall not see Me 
 and live." Then delay not, O Lord, to effect this 
 death in me ; let me die to all things that I may 
 speedily beh'old Thee ! Oh, when will this happy 
 day be mine ! When may I enter into the cabinet 
 of the Bridegroom, or w^hen will He come into the 
 chamber of my heart, where, removed from all 
 creatures, with closed doors, I may treat with Him 
 as friend with friend ? 
 
 Certain Graces are Leiii, 7iot Gtve?i us, — A passing 
 grace does not constitute a state. Some graces, 
 St. Bernard tells us, are lent us, others are given 
 us; some, again, are attractions, and others are re- 
 wards. The graces of attraction precede merit: 
 the graces of reward follow the attraction and 
 crown merit. The graces of attraction last only 
 for a time, the graces of reward always continue 
 with faithful souls. We have no reason to feel as- 
 sured of our state because we have been permitted 
 to behold Jesus transfigured on Thabor. We may 
 not believe that we have been elevated to the rank 
 of spouse because we have been suffered to assist 
 at the marriage-feast of Cana. A repentant sinner 
 is sometimes permitted, in the beginning of his 
 conversion, to enjoy God after the manner of the 
 spouse, yet he has not for that reason attained the 
 
278 SSnion fcoCtJ fôoïr tfjrougf) (tonutnplation, 
 
 state of union. Because we have once or twice 
 experienced the higher degrees of prayer is no 
 reason for abandoning ordinary meditation. Fear, 
 desire, sigh, labor, struggle, hope ; but never pre- 
 sume on your merits. 
 
 Presumptuous Souls, — There are rash souls, says St. 
 Bernard, who with overweening presumption dare 
 to enter the chamber of the Spouse and to pray, 
 "Let Him kiss me with the kiss of His mouth ! " 
 They are without the wedding garment, yet they 
 do not fear to present themselves at the marriage- 
 feast. The Bridegroom, to punish them for their 
 temerity, has them bound hand and foot and thrust 
 into exterior darkness. A soul covered with 
 wounds needs not the Bridegroom, but a physician. 
 It should seek healing, not caresses. Only chaste 
 lovers, pure, mortified souls, may aspire to such 
 favors, and sing the canticle of the spouse, " Let 
 Him kiss me with the kiss of His mouth." Only 
 peaceful souls, victorious over their passions, may 
 aspire to taste this ineffable union. Oh, who would 
 dare to ask it ! And yet, who could not but desire 
 it! 
 
 Sighs of a Future Spouse. — Alas, Lord! by Thy 
 grace I have long wept for my sins and washed 
 them in the sacred waters of penance. I have 
 long embraced Thy feet, and with the penitent 
 Magdalen kissed them and watered them with my 
 tears. Thou, in Thy goodness, hast presented me 
 Thy hand to kiss, to excite me to good works. 
 Then, may I hope to see Thy adorable face one 
 day, and to receive — I say it with trembling — " the 
 kiss of Thy mouth " ? 
 
SanCon toitfj €Solr tijrougf) <?i:ontentjjlation. 279 
 
 Yes, thou mayest Jiope for this, devout soul, 
 provided thou art humble and obedient, pure and 
 mortified; provided thou seekest only to humble 
 and not to exalt thyself; provided thou hast no 
 will but that of God and thy superiors; provided 
 thou dost abandon thyself to His providence, and 
 desirest to be in time and eternity only what He 
 wishes thee to be ; provided, finally, thou makest 
 thyself worthy of this favor, and thinkest thyself 
 eternally unworthy. For humility is the founda- 
 tion of this tower of perfection; and we can rise 
 only by first descending into the abyss of our 
 miseries. 
 
 Humility necessary to become a Spouse. — Oh, how I 
 admire a soul that rises to the contemplation of 
 God by the contemplation of its own unworthiness! 
 You will never attain this intimate union with God 
 unless you are persuaded, not only theoretically, 
 but practically, and by long experience of your mis- 
 eries, that God is all and that you are nothing; that 
 He is light and that you are darkness; that He is 
 wisdom and that you are folly; that He is strength 
 and that you are infirmity; that He is goodness 
 and that you are malice. If you are not pene- 
 trated with these truths, and if you find yourself 
 anything but an abyss of faults and imperfections, 
 you are far from the goal you are seeking. If you 
 believe honestly and unfeignedly that you are the 
 weakest of men, the most ungrateful of Christians, 
 and the greatest of sinners, you have already made 
 great progress toward union. Oh, the folly of a 
 soul that thinks itself possessed only of virtues 
 and merits, and is at a loss to discover what it lacks ! 
 
28o ganion \Ditf) ®ïolr tf)VûUQf) Contemplation» 
 
 He who believes he lacks nothing lacks everything. 
 You will be in the disposition to attain contem- 
 plation when you are persuaded that your malice 
 equals, in a measure, God's goodness; that as He 
 is the fulness of all blessings, you, in your capacity, 
 are the fulness of all evils. Oh, the beautiful union 
 of all with nothing, of abundance with indigence, 
 of fulness with emptiness ! Until, like Jeremias, 
 you recognize your poverty, God will not enrich 
 you with His graces; and if you do not free your 
 heart of all self-esteem, you never will be filled with 
 the Spirit of God, which is the Father of union and 
 the sacred tie which unites the soul to Jesus Christ 
 in the shadows of faith, with which He overshadows 
 it when it abandons itself completely to the will 
 of God, and says with the Blessed Virgin, "Be- 
 hold the handmaid of the Lord: may it be done to 
 me according to His word " 
 
CHAPTER IL 
 
 THE DOCTRINE OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES IN 
 REGARD TO CONTEMPLATION.^ 
 
 DIVINE LOVE SEEKS SOLITUDE AND SILENCE.'^ 
 
 Prayer may be called a manna, on account of 
 the different flavors and divine sweets which love 
 discovers to those who make use of it. But it is a 
 hidden manna which falls in the desert before the 
 dawn of day; that is to say, it is not the fruit of 
 lights and science; its sweets can only be tasted in 
 solitude. When we converse with God alone, 
 then we may say of the soul, " Who is she, 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 perfumer?" (Canticles iii. 6.) It 
 is the spouse herself, who entreats her beloved to 
 conduct her into solitude, that they may both con- 
 verse in secret: " Come, my beloved, let us go 
 forth into the field, let us abide in the villages" 
 (Ibid. vii. ii). 
 
 The great attraction which persons of prayer 
 experience is to converse with God in perfect soli- 
 tude. The blessed Mother Teresa of Jesus relates 
 
 ' " Treatise on the Love of God." 
 •^ Book VI., ch. i. 
 281 
 
282 at, ifrancCs Ire Sales on €:ontem4)Iatton. 
 
 of herself that in the commencement of her spir- 
 itual career she had a singular devotion to those 
 mysteries which represent only the person of Our 
 Lord, as during His prayer in the Garden of 
 Olives, or when He waited for the Samaritan 
 woman near the well; she thought that when her 
 divine Master was alone He would attract her 
 more powerfully, and that she^ would be sooner 
 united to Him. 
 
 Love seeks not for witnesses of its words; and 
 even when those who love have nothing to com- 
 municate which requires secrecy, they take pleasure 
 in conversing in private. The reason of this prob- 
 ably is, that they only speak for each other; and 
 it would seem to them they did not speak for 
 themselves alone if their interview could be over- 
 heard. Besides this, they make the most ordinary 
 observations in a manner so peculiar as to mark 
 the love from which their words proceed. There 
 is nothing uncommon in the words they use; but 
 the tone, the emphasis, and the manner which 
 accompanies everything they say render their 
 language so singular that they alone can under- 
 stand it. The title of friend publicly conferred on 
 an individual signifies but little; but when uttered 
 in private it comprehends a great deal, and be- 
 comes more expressive in proportion to the secrecy 
 with which it is spoken. 
 
ât« jFraucîs lie Sales ou ^ontem|)Iattou» 283 
 
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDITATION AND CONTEM- 
 PLATION/ 
 
 Contemplation is nothing more than a loving and 
 simple attention of the mind to divine truths, con- 
 tinued for some time. By comparing it with 
 meditation, you will easily comprehend in what it 
 consists. 
 
 The young bees which have not begun to work 
 are called nymphs, and when they commence to 
 make honey they are named bees. So it is with 
 prayer: it is called meditation in the beginning, 
 and when it has produced the love of God it 
 receives the name of contemplation. Bees fly 
 through the fields about their hives to feed on the 
 flowers and extract their juice ; and after having 
 laid up a sufficient provision, they continué to 
 labor for the pleasure which the sweetness of the 
 honey procures them. So we meditate to acquire 
 the love of God ; but after having obtained it, we 
 contemplate — that is, we turn our attention to the 
 divine goodness, being attracted by the ineffable 
 sweetness which love discovers to us in this atten- 
 tion. A desire to obtain the love of God induces 
 us to meditate; and love, when we have acquired 
 it, leads us to contemplate. 
 
 THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS LESS NECESSARY TO US 
 
 THAN LOVE.'* 
 
 The will, it is true, only tends to what is good 
 through the medium of the understanding, which 
 
 1 Book VI., ch. iii. 
 
 2 Book VI., ch. iv. 
 
284 St. if rancis Ire .Sales on Contemplation. 
 
 proposes it to its view. But when it has once felt 
 its attractions, it does not require the help of the 
 understanding to attach itself thereto more and 
 more closely, because the delight it takes in its 
 object, and the pleasure it expects to derive from 
 it by union, attract it to love and desire its enjoy- 
 ment. Love resembles all other passions, of which 
 knowledge is the principle and source, though not 
 the rule and measure. 
 
 We are induced to love God by the knowledge 
 which faith gives ; but when we have begun to 
 love His infinite goodness, love increases our natu- 
 ral tendency thereto, as this inclination recipro- 
 cally augments love. 
 
 HOW CONTEMPLATION REDUCES ALL THIS TO SIMPLE 
 
 UNITY. ^ 
 
 We shall now consider how meditation is 
 changed into contemplation. After the multiplied 
 reflections which constitute meditation have ex- 
 cited devout and pious sentiments, we unite these 
 different feelings and extract their essence and 
 virtue. The peculiar qualities of each affection 
 are thus mixed and united, and from this union 
 proceeds an affection which may be called the 
 substance and quintessence of all the others; it 
 is in itself more lively and active than all the vari- 
 ous affections from which it is derived, since it 
 includes the virtues and various properties of 
 each; it is termed the contemplative affection. 
 
 Water separates into numerous streams in pro- 
 
 ' Book VI., ch. V. 
 
;t. jf rancis îre ^nhs on Contemplation. 285 
 
 portion as it runs farther from its source, and 
 forms several channels, tlirough which it flows, 
 unless great care be taken to confine it to one. In 
 the same manner, the perfections, which all ema- 
 nate from God, divide in proportion as they are 
 separated from this first principle; and according 
 as they approach it they reunite, until they be- 
 come totally engulfed in this one sovereign per- 
 fection, which is the one thing necessary, the 
 better part chosen by Magdalen, which shall not 
 be taken from her. 
 
 THE VARIOUS MEANS WHICH LEAD TO CONTE^IPLA- 
 
 TION.^ 
 
 As great assiduity in hearing the word of God 
 is usually necessary for attaining contemplation, 
 also spiritual conferences and discourses with 
 pious persons, according to the example of the 
 ancient fathers of the desert, the reading of spirit- 
 ual works, prayer, meditation, singing the divine 
 praises, and great care to occupy the mind with 
 holy thoughts, and as contemplation is the term 
 to which all these means are directed, those who 
 perform these spiritual exercises are called con- 
 templatives and the manner in which they employ 
 themselves is termed the contemplative life. 
 This name is very applicable, because the principal 
 part of this manner of life consists in the opera- 
 tion of the understanding, by which we consider 
 the beauty and the amiability of the sovereign 
 Being, with an amorous attention — that is, with 
 
 ^ Book VI, , ch. vii. 
 
286 St. iFrancCs Ire Sales on ©ontemajlation» 
 
 love which animates the attention of the mind, or 
 with attention which proceeds from and increases 
 love. 
 
 LOVE COLLECTS THE POWERS OF THE SOUL/ 
 
 It is the natural property of infinite goodness to 
 attract and unite to itself everything capable of 
 feeling its impressions. Our soul, which possesses 
 this capability, always tends to what is good, and 
 inclines thereto as to its treasures or the object of 
 its ardent love. When God infuses into the heart 
 a certain indefinable sweetness, which proves that 
 He is present in a particular manner, all the interior 
 powers, and even the exterior senses, bend, as if 
 by common assent, to this inmost part of the soul, 
 to enjoy the company of the amiable and beloved 
 Spouse, Who causes His presence to be so sensibly 
 felt there. 
 
 A person who has just communicated may, by 
 the certainly which faith gives him, experience this 
 truth, revealed to him not by flesh and blood, but 
 by the Eternal Father Himself, that, by the adora- 
 ble Sacrament of the Eucharist, his body and soul 
 enjoy the real presence of the body and soul of 
 Jesus Christ. When the mother-pearls have re- 
 ceived the infusion of the drops of the morning 
 dew, they always carefully close their shells, not 
 only to preserve what they have collected, and pre- 
 vent the sea-water from mingling with the drops 
 distilled from the heavens, but also because the 
 freshness of the dew is analogous to their nature, 
 
 ' Book VI., ch. vii. 
 
ât, ifrancis ïre âales on Contemplation. 287 
 
 and would afford them pleasure, were they capable 
 of feeling it. 
 
 This is the case with many devout persons after 
 they have participated in the Sacrament by excel- 
 lence, which contains the mystical dew of all 
 heavenly graces and benedictions; their soul then 
 becomes consecrated in itself not only to adore its 
 King, Who is present therein, but also to taste the 
 inexpressible consolation and incredible heavenly 
 sweetness, springing from the germ of immor- 
 tality, which by the light of faith they discover to 
 have been planted in iheir hearts. 
 
 We must not lose sight of what has been said at 
 the commencement of this chapter, that the recol- 
 lection of which we speak is the work of love, 
 which, being first aware of the presence of God by 
 the sweetness diffused in the heart, obliges the 
 soul to unite its powers and attention, and direct 
 them to its Beloved. All this is effected with ease 
 and pleasure, love communicating to the soul an 
 inclination to direct all its powers to God, Who 
 attracts them with so much sweetness. The in- 
 finite goodness of the Almighty attracts and binds 
 all hearts more powerfully than cords and chains 
 can fasten and restrain the bod3^ 
 
 RECOLLECTION IS FREQUENTLY PRODUCED AND IN- 
 CREASED BY A GENTLE, REVERENT FEAR.^ 
 
 We must also observe that this recollection is 
 not always produced by the sweet conviction that 
 God is present in the heart; other causes may 
 » Book VI., ch. vii. 
 
288 St» ffvantis îrc Sales on Contemplation. 
 
 produce a similar effect, provided they tend to 
 place the soul in the divine presence. In atten- 
 tively considering the sovereign majesty of God, 
 Who beholds us, we are sometimes seized with so 
 lively a feeling of respect and delicious fear that 
 all our interior powers are immediately concen- 
 trated and recollected in themselves, just as the 
 unexpected presence of a great prince recalls the 
 wandering thoughts of the most distracted mind, 
 and produces the exterior respect and reverence 
 due to the dignity of the person present. It is 
 said that there are certain flowers which close 
 their leaves when the sun shines, and bloom again 
 when his light is withdrawn. This is a figure of 
 what occurs in the state of recollection of which 
 we speak: at the remembrance of the presence of 
 God, at the conviction that He looks on us from 
 the height of His exalted throne in heaven, or 
 from any part of the earth beyond ourselves, 
 though we may not actually reflect on tiiat ordi- 
 nary presence by wliich He dwells within us, the 
 powers of the soul, that they may be more undi- 
 videdly directed to this divine object, immedi- 
 ately unite, animated with respect for the divine 
 Majesty, and a holy fear, springing from love, 
 which gives much glory to God. 
 
 OF THE REPOSE OF A SOUL RECOLLECTED IN GOD.' 
 
 The soul having entered into itself, for the pur- 
 pose of being wholly recollected in God, or before 
 God, is solely attentive to His sovereign good- 
 ' Book VI., ch. viii. 
 
St. JFrancîs Ire Sales on €ontempIatCon. 289 
 
 ness; but this attention is so simple, so sweet, so 
 easy, so imperceptible, that the soul is sometimes 
 not aware of being occupied. The operation 
 which takes place in it is so delicate that it can 
 scarcely perceive it, and is liable to mistake it, as 
 we are sometimes deceived respecting the nature 
 of rivers which flow very smoothly and calmly. 
 Persons who sail on these rivers, or who look at 
 them, imagine that they have no motion ; they 
 think they can neither see nor feel any because 
 there are no waves or billows to render the motion 
 sensible. This is the sweet repose of the soul, 
 which St. Teresa terms prayer of quiet; it does 
 not differ in the least from what she styles the 
 sleep of the powers of the soul. This repose may 
 be more or less profound; it sometimes increases 
 to so great a degree that the soul appears to 
 be asleep, and all its powers, except the will, seem 
 inactive and motionless. It does nothing but re- 
 ceive the impressions of the happiness and satis- 
 faction which result from the presence of its 
 Beloved. 
 
 What is still more admirable is that the will 
 enjoys this content without perceiving it; because 
 the soul is entirely occupied with Him Whose 
 presence constitutes its bliss, and its thoughts are 
 quite diverted from itself. In this situation it 
 may be compared to a person who falls into a 
 gentle sleep while surrounded by a large party: 
 he partly sees what his friends are doing; he 
 receives their caresses, but he does not notice 
 them, because he is not reflecting on them and is 
 not aware of feeling them. 
 
290 St. jTrancïs îïc Sales on ©ontemijlatîon» 
 
 However, the soul, which in this sweet repose 
 enjoys God by a feeling sense of His presence, 
 without perceiving that it enjoys it, still clearly 
 proves that it highly prizes this happiness, and 
 prefers it to all others, when any event is about to 
 deprive it of it. It then complains loudly; it 
 grieves, and even sheds tears like an infant which 
 is awakened before it has slept sufficiently; it 
 gives evidence of regret which plainly shows the 
 satisfaction it derived from its slumber, since it 
 weeps for its loss as for the privation of a great 
 advantage. For this reason the divine Spouse, 
 addressing the daughters of Jerusalem, conjures 
 them by the roes and harts of the fields not to 
 stir up nor make the beloved to awake till she 
 please (Cant. ii. 7). 
 
 It appears that Magdalen was absorbed in this 
 prayer of quiet when, seated at Our Redeemer's 
 feet, she listened to His word. I pray you consider 
 her attentively in this circumstance. She is seated, 
 perfectly tranquil ; she utters not a word ; she 
 sheds not a tear ; no sob convulses her breast ; no 
 sigh escapes her heart ; she is motionless ; she does 
 not pray ; Martha passes from time to time through 
 the room, but Mary is unconscious of her presence : 
 what, then, is she doing ? She is listening — that 
 is all ; she is in a state of total inaction. That is, she 
 remains at Jesus' feet like a precious vase, receiving 
 drop by drop into her heart the sweet myrrh dis- 
 tilled by the lips of her Beloved. Hence the divine 
 Bridegroom, jealous of His sacred spouse's repose, 
 will not have Martha awaken her: " Martha, Martha, 
 He says, *'thou art careful and art troubled about 
 
St. iFrancCs tit Sales on ®ontem}jïatton. 291 
 
 many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary 
 has chosen the better part, which shall not be 
 taken away from her." What was the part Mary 
 had chosen ? To remain recollected at the feet of 
 Jesus, and to enjoy the peace and repose of this 
 recollection. 
 
 Remember then, Theotime, that if God attract 
 you by this simple and filial confidence, you must 
 remain tranquilly near Him, without exerting your- 
 self to make marked acts of the understanding or 
 the will: for this loving confidence and repose of 
 soul include excellently well all the exterior acts 
 you could make to satisfy your inclination. It is 
 better thus to sleep in the arms of Our Saviour 
 than to watch elsewhere. 
 
 OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SOUL ENJOYS RE- 
 POSE IN GOD IN THE PRAYER OF QUIET. ^ 
 
 The soul in this state of holy recollection has no 
 further need of the memory any more than of the 
 understanding : when we are enjoying the presence 
 of a friend we need not tax our imagination to 
 represent him to us. It suffices that our will come 
 forward and accept the sweetness of the divine 
 presence: the other powers, without making any 
 effort, have only to enjoy the repose which God's 
 presence affords. 
 
 Wine mingled with honey is used, as we have 
 
 already observed, to recall the fugitive bees to 
 
 their hive. It is also employed to appease them 
 
 when they mutiny and destroy one another. The 
 
 ^Book VI.,ch. ix. 
 
292 St. JFrancfs Ire ^ales on Ctontemplation, 
 
 person who superintends the hive throws some of 
 the mixture into it, and the most seditious of the 
 bees, attracted by the agreeable perfume, seem to 
 forget their enmity, and are only occupied in tran- 
 quilly enjoying the sweets presented to them. 
 
 O my God ! when by Thy amiable presence 
 Thou infusest into our hearts Thy heavenly per- 
 fumes, far more fragrant than wine and honey, all 
 our interior powers cease to act, and enter into 
 delicious repose, which imparts so great a calm 
 and such perfect content that not one of them at- 
 tempts the slightest motion. 
 
 The will alone, which may be termed the spiritual 
 sense of smell, is sweetly occupied in feeling with- 
 out perceiving the inestimable advantage which 
 results from the presence of God. 
 
 of the different degrees of the prayer of 
 quiet, and the means which should be em- 
 ployed to preserve the holy repose of the 
 soul/ 
 
 The minds of some persons are active, and 
 abound in thoughts and arguments. Others find 
 great facility in considering and accounting for 
 what occurs within them ; they wish to see and 
 examine everything, to reflect continually on what 
 passes in their interior, and to account to them- 
 selves for everything they do. In order to be as- 
 sured of their advancement, they are incessantly 
 considering their operations, and always occupied 
 with themselves. 
 
 1 Book VI., ch. X. 
 
,St. ifrancts ïr? ,SaIes oit CJtontrmîJIatîûn. 293 
 
 There are others who are not satisfied with being 
 contented, unless by marked acts they feel their 
 happiness. These last may be compared to per- 
 sons who, being defended against the inclemency 
 of the weather by warm clothing, cannot be per- 
 suaded that this is the case unless they know the 
 quality and quantity of their clothes ; or, who, 
 finding their coffers replenished with riches, can- 
 not believe themselves wealthy unless they know 
 exactly the number of pieces of gold and silver 
 which compose their treasure. 
 
 The minds of these different characters are liable 
 to be disturbed and distracted during prayer. If 
 the Almighty introduce them to the holy repose of 
 recollection in His presence, they will voluntarily 
 quit it, to consider how they acted while it lasted ; 
 and if their happiness be great, they will sacrifice 
 the tranquillity they enjoy to examine the extent 
 of their calm and peace. Instead of occupying 
 their will in tasting the ineffable delights of the 
 divine presence, they will invite their understand- 
 ing to reason on the sweetness of these delights. 
 In this they are like a spouse who, instead of being 
 occupied with her bridegroom, amuses herself with 
 examining the ring he gave her on the day of their 
 marriage. Ah, what a difference, Theotime, there 
 is between being occupied in God, Who constitutes 
 our happiness, and occupying ourselves with the 
 contentment which God gives us ! 
 
 Therefore, a soul which God invites to rest lov- 
 ingly in Him in the prayer of quiet should abstain 
 as much as possible from reflections on itself and 
 its state. The repose it enjoys is extremely delicate; 
 
294 St, jFrancîs Ire Sales on Contemplation. 
 
 a look suffices to prove a disturbance thereto, or 
 even to destroy it effectually; to preserve it, it 
 should be careful not even to be aware of its exist- 
 ence. By being too much attached to this prayer 
 it forfeits it; the real way to love its sweets is not 
 to be anxious to know the extent of its enjoyment, 
 that thereby it may not be tempted to attach its 
 affections thereto. 
 
 If it happen, during the enjoyment of holy re- 
 pose in prayer, that the soul is tempted by curiosity, 
 and distracted by reflecting on what occurs within 
 it, it should quickly oblige its heart to resume the 
 sweet and peaceful attention to the presence of 
 God from which its thoughts have strayed. How- 
 ever, we must not imagine that we are in danger 
 of forfeiting this holy quiet on account of move- 
 ments, either of mind or body, in which levity and 
 indiscretion have no share ; for, as St. Teresa 
 observes, it is a species of superstition to be so 
 jealous of our repose as to refrain from coughing, 
 and almost from breathing, for fear of losing it. 
 
 God, Who is the Author of this peace, will not 
 deprive us of it for such motions of the body as are 
 unavoidable, or even for involuntary distractions 
 and wanderings of the mind. Though the under- 
 standing and the memory may escape the bounds 
 of restraint and wander on strange and useless 
 thoughts, yet the will, when once attracted by the 
 charms of the divine presence, will still continue 
 to enjoy the same delights. It is true that the 
 calm is not then so perfect as it would be if the 
 understanding and the memory were in union with 
 the will ; yet a real spiritual tranquillity is certainly 
 
St. jfvmxcis îre Sales on Contemplation, 295 
 
 and effectually enjoyed, since it resides in the will, 
 which governs all the other powers of the soul. 
 
 It is, however, certain that the soul would enjoy 
 more calm and sweeter peace if no noise were 
 made near it, and that it could refrain from all 
 interior and exterior motion. It would willingly 
 devote its attention solely to the divine presence, 
 which imparts such ineffable delights ; but it can- 
 not always prevent some of its faculties from dis- 
 turbing it ; and then, not to incur the privation of 
 its repose, it concentrates itself in its will, this 
 being the power through which it enjoys the pres- 
 ence of its Spouse. 
 
 When the will is attracted and sweetly restrained 
 by the happiness it derives from the presence of 
 God, it should not endeavor to recall the other 
 powers when they are diverted from this object ; 
 thus to separate from its divine Spouse would be 
 to sacrifice its repose. Its efforts to recall the at- 
 tention of these volatile powers would also prove 
 vain and ineffectual. Besides, nothing is more 
 efficacious in bringing them back to their duty than 
 the tranquil perseverance of the will in holy quiet, 
 because the heavenly sweetness diffused in the 
 heart, as a perfume whose fragrance is gradually 
 communicated to all the powers of the soul, invites 
 them to return and unite themselves to the will, 
 that they may share its happiness. 
 
296 St. ffvmxcis ïre Sales on Contemplation. 
 
 SELF-DENIAL IS THE SAFEST MEANS OF ESTABLISHING 
 OURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.' 
 
 How excellent a method of preserving ourselves 
 in the presence of God is it to abandon ourselves 
 to His will forever ! By this means we can always 
 have God present, even in the most profound sleep, 
 which deprives us of our will ; therefore nothing 
 can establish us more perfectly in that species of 
 presence of which we treat. If we love God, we 
 must be anxious never to lose sight of Him : we 
 fall asleep not only under His eyes, but in the 
 manner most pleasing to His divine majesty ; not 
 only to conforiti to His holy will, but through the 
 pure and sole motive of conformity. 
 
 During sleep we are abandoned to the will of 
 God ; consequently we are in His presence ; we 
 could not be more so if God Himself were to lay us 
 in our beds, as a sculptor places his statue in a 
 niche. Those who live in a state of continual sub- 
 mission to the will of God never quit His divine 
 presence : the couch on which they repose cannot 
 interrupt it, as the nest in which the feathered 
 songsters take their rest does not prevent their 
 being under the unsleeping eye and untiring care 
 of Providence. If we reflect on this truth on 
 awakening, we should be easily convinced that 
 God has been ever present to us, and that our 
 slumbers have not separated us from Him. And 
 why ? Because we have slept, as it were, under 
 the shadow and immediate protection of His holy 
 will. We might then truly exclaim with Jacob, 
 1 Book VI., ch. xi. 
 
ât. jFraitcis lie Sales on (Jtontemjpïation. 297 
 
 The Lord has indeed been with me ; I have slept in 
 His presence ; I have been cradled in the arms of 
 His paternal providence, and I knew it not. 
 
 PERFECT SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD KEEPS 
 THE SOUL IN CONTINUAL PRAYER.' 
 
 This sort of quiet in which the will does nothing 
 but simply acquiesce in the will of God, remaining 
 in His presence without aiming at anything higher 
 than to remain near Him, in conformity to His 
 will, is a sovereignly excellent prayer, because 
 self-interest has no share therein, the faculties of 
 the soul derive no satisfaction from it, and even 
 the will only enjoys it by soaring to the highest 
 regions of the mind, which is called the most sub- 
 lime spot, where it simply acquiesces in the will of 
 God, and is satisfied at His leaving it destitute of 
 happiness, in order to procure His own felicity. 
 To pronounce, in a word, the eulogium of this 
 species of prayer, the sovereign perfection of love, 
 which is ecstatic by nature, consists in paying no 
 attention whatever to our happiness, but solely to 
 that of the Almighty, or, in other words, in desir- 
 ing no other satisfaction than that which God 
 derives from the accomplishment of His ever-ador- 
 able will. 
 
 Ï Book VI., ch. xi. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 LETTER OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES TO ST. JANE 
 FRANCES DE CHANTAL.^ 
 
 There are three marks by which we may know 
 when we may act interiorly, and whether it is God 
 Who is attracting the soul to simple and tranquil 
 attention in His presence. The first is when we 
 can no longer meditate, when we cease to feel our 
 former pleasure in it, but experience, on the con- 
 trary, great aridity in the holy exercise. The 
 second is when the heart has no desire to fix 
 the imagination or the senses on any special ob- 
 ject, either exterior or interior. The third and 
 more certain mark is when your soul takes pleas- 
 ure in being alone with God in a state of loving 
 attention, undisturbed by special consideration of 
 any kind, in the enjoyment of an interior peace 
 which is rest, producing no act or exercise of its 
 powers, will, memory, and understanding, at least 
 by reasoning, which is to go from one thing to 
 another, but simply preserves a loving general at- 
 tention. We must be able to discern these marks 
 before abandoning meditation. Then, though the 
 soul, in this state of attention, seem to do noth- 
 ing, and to have no occupation, for the reason that 
 
 ^ Monastery of Turin. 
 298 
 
îletter of St. jFrancis Ire Sales. 299 
 
 it does not act through the senses, let it not think 
 its time lost or uselessly employed; for, though the 
 powers of the soul cease to act, the intelligence 
 continues. And, finally, let it suffice you to know 
 that, in the cases of which we are treating, it is suf- 
 ficient if the understanding be withdrawn from 
 special objects, whether spiritual or temporal, and 
 that the will have no desire to think upon them; 
 this applies too when the operation is confined to 
 your intellect, my child, for, when the latter acts 
 jointly with the will, which it nearly always does 
 in a greater or less degree, the soul sees that it is 
 occupied, inasmuch as it feels seized with love, 
 without knowing or understanding what it loves. 
 God, in this state, is the Agent preparing and 
 teaching the soul; and the soul, on its part, re- 
 ceives the spiritual favors given it, which are at- 
 tention and divine love combined. 
 
 The soul, therefore, should continue simply in 
 loving attention to God, without making any 
 special acts other than those to which God inclines 
 it, remaining, as it were, pensive and passive within 
 itself, as one in a state of sincere and loving atten- 
 tion, opening its eyes from time to time to cast an 
 amorous glance upon the Beloved. For God is 
 treating with the soul in giving it this simple and 
 loving attention, and the soul is responding by ac- 
 cepting it with a sweet and tranquil consciousness, 
 and thus love is united with love. 
 
 For if the soul, on its part, wish to act or bear 
 itself otherwise than very simply and tranquilly, 
 discarding all reasoning, it will hinder the bless- 
 
300 îlettet of St. jFrancts îïe Sales, 
 
 ings which God communicates to it in this state of 
 loving attention. 
 
 Therefore your soul must be very tranquil, after 
 the manner of God; and to this end it is necessary 
 that the spirit be disengaged and dead to self, 
 for any special thought, or reasoning, or taste, or 
 self-reliance on the part of the soul would hinder, 
 and disquiet it, would break the silence which 
 should reign in the senses and the mind in order 
 that the soul may understand the profound and 
 delicate word which God utters to the heart in 
 this solitude, where, if it continue in peaceful and 
 profound attention, it should hear God's voice as 
 long as the silence lasts. When, therefore, the 
 soul feels drawn to this silence, this attention, it 
 should give itself up to it very simply, without 
 any special effort or reflection, so that it may 
 almost forget itself, and be free and disengaged to 
 do whatever is required of it. 
 
 Take notice, my child, that when a soul begins 
 to enter this simple, inactive state it should not, at 
 any times or seasons, have recourse to meditation 
 or expect spiritual revelations or favors. Let it, 
 on the contrary, stand firm without support of any 
 kind, the mind free and disengaged, that it may 
 be able to say, after the manner of the prophet 
 Habacuc, " I will stand watch over my senses, I 
 will keep them in subjection; I will stand upon 
 the fortress of my powers, permitting them, of 
 themselves, to conceive no thought; I will watch 
 and see what will be said to me, I will receive 
 what will be communicated to me." 
 
 For this exalted wisdom, my child, can be re- 
 
Hetter of Sat, ffvmxcis Ire Sales. 301 
 
 ceived only by a mind that is withdrawn and de- 
 tached from the senses and from special gratifica- 
 tions. Calmly and peacefully set your soul at lib- 
 erty, free it from the yoke of its operations, and 
 do not disturb it by any care or solicitude con- 
 cerning either earthly or heavenly things; estab- 
 lish it in complete solitude. For the sooner it at- 
 tains this tranquil inactivity, the more abundantly 
 will the sweet, loving, solitary, peaceful spirit of 
 divine wisdom be infused in it. The little that 
 God effects in the soul in this holy leisure and sol- 
 itude is a greater and more inestimable good than 
 you can possibly imagine. God builds in each 
 soul a spiritual edifice after the manner He 
 pleases. Mortify nature, annihilate its operations 
 in all that may be contrary to the designs of God, 
 for this isyourpart, your duty; and God's part is to 
 direct you to supernatural good, by means which 
 you cannot know. In this leisure, affection is fit- 
 tingly developed, and then we feel the darts of 
 divine love much more keenly. Care clouds the 
 spirit; rest develops it. It is necessary that all the 
 human affections of souls melt of themselves, in 
 an ineffable manner, and flow into the will of God; 
 otherwise, how will God be all in all to the soul if 
 there remain in it anything human ? 
 
 As the wisdom of God, to which the understand- 
 ing must be united, knows neither means nor meas- 
 ures, and falls not under limits of distinct or special 
 intelligence, and as it is necessary for the perfect 
 union of the soul with the divine wisdom that there 
 be a certain similitude between them, it follows 
 that the soul must be as pure and simple as possible, 
 
302 Hetttr of St. ffvHntls tit Sales, 
 
 unmodified and unrestricted by any express or for- 
 mal images, since God is not included in them. 
 Thus the soul, to unite itself with God, must have 
 neither form nor distinct intelligence. 
 
 The perfection of the memory consists in being 
 so absorbed in God that the soul forgets every- 
 thing in itself, and, removed from all the noise of 
 thoughts and vain imaginings, peacefully reposes 
 in God alone. The more the memory is freed from 
 forms and notable objects not pertaining to the 
 Divinity, or to the Humanity of God, the thought 
 of which is always an aid in the end, He being 
 the true Way, the Guide, and the Author of all good, 
 the more it is plunged in God, and the more we 
 shall be able to keep it void, awaiting God to fill it. 
 
 Therefore, what we have to do, to live in pure 
 and absolute dependence upon God, is, not to stop 
 at forms or images, but as often as they present 
 themselves to turn the soul quickly to God, keep- 
 ing it void of all things, in a state of loving atten- 
 tion ; neither heeding nor thinking of these things, 
 except as far as the memory of them may enable 
 us to do and to understand what is of obligation 
 for us : but this, again, must be done without rel- 
 ish or affection, lest they leave any hindrance or 
 trouble in the soul. 
 
 Thus you may not cease to think and to remem- 
 ber what you have to do and what you should 
 know, provided that in doing so you keep your 
 heart free and detached from all things. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CONTINUAL PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS DE 
 
 SALESJ 
 
 God filled the centre of the soul of St. Francis 
 de Sales, and the superior part of his mind, with a 
 light so clear that he saw the truths of faith and 
 appreciated their excellence at a single glance, 
 while they excited great ardor, ecstasy, and rapture 
 in his will ; and he accepted the truths which were 
 shown him with a simple acquiescent movement of 
 the will. He was wont to call the place where this 
 light shone the sanctuary of God, where nothing 
 entered but the soul with its God ; it was the place 
 of his repose and his usual abode ; for, notwith- 
 standing his continual exterior occupations, he 
 kept his mind in this interior solitude as much as 
 possible. 
 
 Every aspiration and respiration of this blessed 
 soul was a pure desire to live according to the 
 truths of faith and the maxims of the Gospel. 
 He used to say that the true way to serve God 
 was to follow Him, and to walk after Him in the 
 superior part of the soul, unsupported by conso- 
 lation, devotion, or light other than that of pure, 
 
 ^ St. Jane de Chantai. 
 303 
 
304 (Kontmual 33ta»er ot St, jftmuis &e .Sales, 
 
 simple faith. For this reason he loved interior 
 desolation. He told me once that it never mattered 
 to him whether he was in consolation or desolation, 
 and that when Our Lord gave him devotional 
 sentiments he received them with simplicity ; but 
 that if it pleased God to withhold them, he never 
 thought of them. But, as a fact, he usually enjoyed 
 great interior consolation, as was evident in his 
 countenance whenever he withdrew into himself, 
 which he frequently did. He drew good thoughts 
 from all things, turning them to the profit of his 
 soul ; but he received these great lights particularly 
 when he was preparing his sermons, which he 
 usually did in his walks. Study he told me, served 
 him as meditation, and he usually left it much in- 
 flamed and enlightened. 
 
 Several years ago he told me that he no longer 
 had any sensible devotion in prayer, and that God 
 operated insensibly in him by means of sentiments 
 and lights which He diffused in the superior part 
 of his soul, and that the inferior part had no share 
 in them. They were usually very simple views and 
 sentiments of great unity, and divine emanations 
 in which he was not absorbed, but received very 
 simply, with great reverence and humility ; for his 
 method was to keep himself before God in a very 
 humble, lowly attitude of singular reverence, albeit 
 with the confidence of a favored child. On one 
 occasion, speaking to me of his prayer, he compared 
 it to oil poured upon a highly polished table, the 
 stream of which spreads as it rolls ; and he said 
 that in the same manner a word or thought in 
 meditation diffused a sweet affection through his 
 
Ctontinual î^ra^er of <St, jFrancCs Ire «Sales. 3^5 
 
 soul which entertained him with great sweet- 
 ness. 
 
 He frequently wrote me that I must remind him, 
 when I saw him, to tell me what God had given 
 him in prayer. But when I asked him he an- 
 swered: "They are things so subtle, so simple, so 
 delicate, that you cannot repeat them when they 
 are over; only their effects remain in the soul," 
 
 For some years before his death he hardly took 
 any time for meditation, for his duties were over- 
 whelming. One day I asked him if he had made 
 his meditation, and he answered: " No, but I am 
 doing what is the same thing." That is, he always 
 kept his heart united with God; he used to say 
 that our prayer in this life must be one of work 
 and action. But his life was truly a continual 
 prayer. 
 
 From what has been said we can readily believe 
 that he was not satisfied with merely enjoying this 
 delightful union of his soul with God in prayer. 
 By no means, for he loved God's will equally in 
 all things. And I think that in his later years he 
 had attained such purity that he desired, he loved, 
 he beheld only God in everything; it was evident 
 that he was absorbed in Him, and that nothing in 
 this world, as he said, could afford him happiness 
 but God. He could truly say, with St. Paul: "I 
 live, now not I: but Christ liveth in me." This 
 general love which he had for God's will was 
 purer and more excellent because of the clear 
 divine light which shone in his soul, protecting it 
 from vacillation or deception by enabling it to 
 recognize the rising impulses of self-love, which he 
 
3o6 Continual îSrager of St. jfrancCs îre Sales» 
 
 faithfully resisted in order to unite himself more 
 closely with God. Thus he told me sometimes, 
 in the midst of his greatest suffering, that he ex- 
 perienced a fervor incomparably sweeter than that 
 which he usually enjoyed; for by means of this 
 union the bitterest things were made sweet to him. 
 
 He told me another time that he felt no restraint 
 in the presence of kings or princes, but bore him- 
 self after his usual manner because he was inte- 
 riorly occupied with the presence of God, which 
 unceasingly inspired him with respect at all times 
 and in all places. 
 
 To see him in prayer was to have your heart in- 
 spired with love for the holy exercise, as many 
 persons experienced. Speaking of the prayer 
 which contemplatives call the prayer of quiet, he 
 said that to enjoy it for one single quarter of an 
 hour he would accept two whole years of the fire 
 of purgatory. Nevertheless, it was not for his 
 own satisfaction that he said this, but to encour- 
 age the souls he addressed to give themselves to 
 this holy exercise; for in all that he did he sought 
 only the will of God. How often he repeated 
 with rapture these words of David: "O Lord, 
 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 forever " ! 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 THE LIFE OF JESUS IN MARY. 
 
 Jesus Christ, having sacrificed His human life 
 to God, His Father, has received from Him the 
 privilege of being in the Church a source of divine 
 life, the fulness of which He bears in Himself for 
 all His children. This is why the Holy Spirit, in 
 the Scriptures, tells all Christians, who are mem- 
 bers of Jesus Christ, that they have received the 
 grace of this first fulness, and that they have 
 nothing in them of the life of God but what they 
 have received from the life of Jesus Christ, and 
 according to the measure in which He willed to im- 
 part it to them and make them participators there- 
 in. And the apostle St. Paul, always preaching 
 the life of his Master and announcing what Jesus 
 Christ is to the Church, says in several places that 
 Jesus Christ is the fulness, not only of the law, but 
 of the entire Church, whether on earth or in 
 heaven; for He alone fills with His grace and His 
 glory all the just and all the saints; He is all 
 their life, their grace, and their virtue; He is in 
 them all that they have in God, Who is in Jesus 
 the sum of all things, perfecting in Himself all His 
 creatures. 
 
 307 
 
3o8 ÎTije 3Litt of Jesus in piarj. 
 
 What Our Lord is to His Church He is par ex- 
 cellence to His blessed Mother. Thus He is her 
 fulness, interior and divine; and as He sacrificed 
 Himself more especially for her than for the entire 
 Church, He imparts the life of God to her more 
 abundantly than to the entire Church; and He 
 gives it to her through very gratitude, and in 
 thanksgiving for the life He received from her. As 
 He has promised to return to all His members a 
 hundredfold for the charity which He receives 
 from them on earth, He would return to His 
 Mother the hundredfold of the human life which 
 He received from her love and piety; and this 
 hundredfold is the divine life, inestimably precious 
 and priceless; and, as she was both father and 
 mother to Him, furnishing Him all the substance 
 of His life, Jesus is now in her, giving her all the 
 fulness and the superabundance of life suitable 
 to so vast a subject of love and to one so capable 
 of receiving the fulness of His dilection and His 
 divine life. 
 
 Therefore, we must consider Jesus Christ our 
 All, living in the Blessed Virgin in the plenitude 
 of the life of God, of that life which He has re- 
 ceived from His Father as well as that which He 
 has acquired and merited for men through the 
 ministry of the life of His Mother. It is in her 
 that He manifests all the treasures of His riches, 
 the splendor of His beauty, and the delights of 
 His divine life. In her do we behold an epitome 
 of the glory which His ignominy reflects upon the 
 Church, and the happiness which He acquired for 
 it by His sufferings, as well as all the riches which 
 
STije 3LiU of Sesus in J^ar^, 309 
 
 He has merited for us by the misery and poverty 
 of His cross. 
 
 Here, Jesus triumphs in His gifts, glories in the 
 masterpiece which He has created, reposes in joy 
 on the couch of delight which He acquired and 
 prepared for Himself. O adorable sojourn of 
 Jesus in Mary ! O secret worthy of silence ! O 
 unfathomable mystery worthy of adoration ! O 
 incomprehensible communion ! O union of Jesus 
 and Mary inaccessible to the eyes of all creatures ! 
 If the angels, according to St. Paul, can neither 
 see nor contemplate the abode, the communion, 
 and the mystery of the spiritual intercourse of 
 Jesus with His Church, if Jesus Himself tells His 
 apostles that only in heaven will they understand 
 how He abides in them and their reciprocal dwell- 
 ing in Him, who may comprehend this dwelling, 
 this heavenly and divine abiding, of Jesus in 
 Mary and of Mary in Jesus? It is like to that 
 of Jesus in His Father and the Father in Him. 
 " I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you," 
 says Our Lord. If He says this of faithful souls 
 and of His intercourse with the universal Church, 
 with how much greater reason may it be said of 
 His blessed Mother, who is as superior to the rest 
 of the Church as the light of the sun is to that of 
 all other planets ! 
 
 What can be more gratifying or more pleasing 
 to Jesus than to see us go to this place of His de- 
 light, to this throne of grace, this adorable furnace 
 of divine love, for the bond which unites all men ? 
 Where can we find a more abundant source of 
 grace and of life than here where Jesus dwells, as 
 
3'o STije Slîte of Sesus in iWari?. 
 
 in the source of the life of men — in the Foster- 
 mother of His Church ? 
 
 There is nothing more admirable than this life 
 of Jesus in Mary, this holy life which He continu- 
 ally diffuses in her, this divine life with which He 
 animates her, loving, adoring, and praising in her 
 God, His Father, as a worthy supplement to her 
 heart, in which He delights to dwell. All the life 
 of Jesus, and all His love in the rest of His Church, 
 even in His apostles and His dearest disciples, is 
 nothing in comparison to what He is in the heart 
 of Mary. There He dwells in all His fulness; He 
 effects in her the work of the divine Spirit; He 
 is but one heart, one soul, one life with her. There 
 is nothing more admirable than this union, or this 
 holy and mysterious unity, so to speak. It is a 
 thing the consummation of which we may not 
 grasp, and which has this consolation, that it is a 
 masterpiece intended to endure forever. 
 
 Oh, how adorable is Jesus in His Mother ! We 
 cannot comprehend what He is in her, or in what 
 manner God makes Himself so completely hers. 
 It is a work of faith, and for this reason more holy 
 and divine, and to be relished the more by interior 
 souls. It is an abyss of love and of charity of 
 which we cannot conceive; for we cannot know 
 the extent of Jesus' love for Mary, nor the strength 
 and purity of Mary's love for Jesus. Let us be 
 wholly absorbed in Him, that we may be all that 
 He is to God, His Father, and to His blessed 
 Mother: a sacred holocaust to one and a victim of 
 love to the other — for time and eternity. Let us 
 bless this grand All for Whom Jesus and Mary are 
 
ÎTïje îlîfe of Sfsus in iWarg» 3 1 1 
 
 consumed, and let us renew our vows of fidelity 
 to One and the Other, consecrating ourselves in 
 them to God as holocausts of charity who desire 
 only to be consumed. 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 O Jesus living in Mary, comeand live in us in Thy 
 spirit of sanctity, in the fulness of Thy power, in 
 the perfection of Thy designs, in the truth of Thy 
 virtues, in the communion of Thy divine mys- 
 teries; rule in us, conquer in us all the powers of 
 the enemy, through the virtue of Thy Spirit, and 
 for the glory of Thy Father. Amen. 
 
 Prayer of St. Ignatius. 
 
 Take, O Lord, my entire liberty. Accept my 
 memory, my understanding, my whole will. All 
 that I am, all that I have. Thou hast given me; I 
 give it to Thee again, to be disposed of according 
 to Thy good pleasure. Give me only Thy love and 
 Thy grace; with these I am rich enough; I can de- 
 sire nothing more. 
 
 PRINTED BY BENZIGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK.