Sodality director's manual, or, A collection of instructions for Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin

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SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL;

OR,

A COLLECTION OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR SODALITIES

OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

BY

REV. FATHER F. X. SCHOUPPE, SJ.

{Translate*! from tfce

BY

Miss ELLA McMAHON

BOSTON:
THOMAS B. NOONAN & CO.,

17, 19, AND 21 BOYLSTON STREET.

1882.

DEC i 6

Copyright, 1882, by
THOMAS B NOON AN & CO.,

Opus sub titulo Manuel des Direct eurs de Congregations, a patre
F. X. Schouppe, S.J., conscriptum, rite examinatum, vulgar! permit-
timus.

F. X. VAN DER HOEVEN, S.J.,

Prcep. Prov. Belg*
DATUM BRUXELLIS, 13 Januarii, 1881.

We willingly permit the publication of this Sodality Director s
Manual. Filled with a solid and practical doctrine upon the duties
of the Christian life, and the too numerous dangers which virtue en
counters at the present day, this excellent work will be very useful not
only to directors of Sodalities, but to all engaged in the instruction
of youth.

V. A. CARDINAL DESCHAMPS,

Arch, of Malines.
MALINES, January 25, 1881,

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

CONTENTS.

PREFACE,
CHAPTER

4<

I Origin and Nature of Confraternities.
II. Their Advantages, ....

III. Duties of Sodalists, ....

IV. Happiness of the Faithful Sodalist, .
V. The Christian Life, ....

VI. Solid Virtue,

VII. Causes of Defection, ....
VIII. Hatred of Sin, . . . .

IX. Purity of Conscience, ....

X. Prayer,

XI. The Word of God and Reading,
XII. Confession and Examination of Con
science,

XIII. Holy Communion, ....

v

PAGE
I

5

12

26

32

38
. 46

55
62

68

74

82

96

vi CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER XIV. Annual Retreat, . .105

11 XV. Passions Necessity of Conquer

ing Them, .... m

" XVI. Passions Happiness of the Man

who is Master of Them, . . 119
" XVII. Passions Means of Conquering

Them, . . . . .125

V

XVIII. Spiritual Combat, . 130

XIX. The Two Standards, ... 134

" XX. Temptations, ... 140

XXI. Capital Sins, .... 146

XXII. Pride, . i, V . . . .148

" XXIII. Covetousness, ... 151

XXIV. Lust, . . 3 . . -159

XXV. Envy, . . ^ . . . .164

XXVI. Gluttony, . . . . .167

XXVII. Anger, . . . . . .170

XXVIII. Sloth, . 7 . . . .174

XXIX. The World, 178

XXX. Double Principle of Conduct, . 183

i

XXXI. Sins of Thought, of Word, . 192

" XXXII. Mortal and Venial Sin, ... 197

XXXIII. Predominant Fault, ... 205

" XXXIV. Formation of Character, . 211

" XXXV. Spirit of Labor and Order, . 220

" XXXVI. Career and Vocation, ... 228

CONTENTS. vil

PAGE

CHAPTER XXXVII. True Happiness, . 238
XXXVIII. Faith, . . . . . .248

" XXXIX. Hope, 255

i

LX. Charity, Love of God, . . 263

" XLI. Love of Our Neighbor, . . 271

" XLII. Our Lord Jesus Christ, . . 277

XLIII. The Blessed Virgin, ... 284

XLIV. St. Joseph, 293

" XLV. The Holy Angels, ... 300

" XLVI. The Passion of Jesus Christ, . 308

XLVII. The Sacrifice of the Mass, . . 314

" XLVIII. Piety, 323

XLIX. Humility, 327

L. Patience, 333

LI. Meekness, ..... 338

LII. Strength and Courage, . . 342

LIII. Mortification, .... 347

LIV. Temperance, .... 352

LV. Chastity, 357

LVI. Purity of Intention. . . . 361

" LVII. Conformity to the Will of God, . 365

LVIII. Prudence, 373

" LIX. Recollection, .... 381

" LX. Sanctification of One s State, . 388

LXI. Religious Instruction, . 395

LXII. Good Works, 399

"

vi n CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER LXIII. The Souls in Purgatory, . . . 405

" LXIV. Preparation for Death, . . .412

LXV. Care of the Sick, . ... 420

" LXVI. Paradise, . 430

PREFACE.

F all the means employed by the Church
for the promotion of piety, particu
larly among youth, there are few
more efficacious than/sodalities or confraterni
ties of the Blessed Virgin Mary, y Happy are
the parishes and educational houses which
possess fervent and flourishing confraternities,
asylums of perseverance, centres of piety, nur
series of good works and holy vocations.

Now, the fervor and prosperity of a confra
ternity depend in a great measure on the
pious instructions given at the meetings. If
these instructions and conferences are well
chosen, suited to the age, condition, and cir
cumstances of the members; if they tend to
inspire them with an enlightened and v

piety, which includes hatred of sin, \love of

labor, and the constant practice of strong

i

2 PREFA CE.

Christian virtues, they cannot fail to produce
admirable fruits.

The end of this present volume is to fudli-
tate this important task for those who are
charged therewith ; to suggest, traced in out
line only, subjects usetul to them ; to offer a
few practical, fruitful ideas, from which they
wilt draw better ones, and which will put tJ;em
in the way of giving to this kind of exhortation
all its interest and weight. ( The reader, then,
must seek less for ready- prepared sermons
than for the doctrine and substance which
form the groundwork thereof.^ The matter is
here ; it is for the director to appropriate
and adapt it to the special wants of his audi
tors and clothe it in suitable language.

May our modest work help to nourish the
piety, confirm the virtue and increase the
happiness of the happy Children of Mary !

The Children of Mary ! Ah! glorious Queen
of Heaven, blessed and tender Mother, they
are thy joy and thy crown. Consecrated to
thy honor, making open profession of piety by
enrolling themselves under the standard of
thy Son, they form a Land of elect in the
Church militant. Thou coverest them with

PREFA CE. 3

thy special protection, powerful Virgin ; thou
leadest them to combat and to victory if they
are but faithful to thee.

Oh! that it were given me to inspire them
all with increased love for their amiable Mo
thernot a barren love, but a love the fruit
of which would be inviolable fidelity to the
engagements they have contracted toward
their august sovereign ! Then I would have
assured them a pledge of salvation and in
creased, O Mary ! the joys of thy maternal
heart.

That this happiness may be mine, deign, O
holy Virgin ! to bless this little work underta
ken for thy glory. If thou hearest my praver
it will be my sweetest consolation before leav
ing this world. My course is almost run; and
as the end approaches, among many regrets
which I experience before God, one of the
most sorrowful is, alas! having loved thee too
little, (3 sweetest and most amiable of mo
thers! But if this work be pleasing to thee,
if thou deign to bless it, if it bear fruit among
thy dear children, I will find in it compensa
tion for a too barren past and consolation for
the hour of death.

SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL,

CHAPTER I.

ORIGIN AND NATURE OF CONFRATERNITIES.

Inhabitabo in tabernaculo tuo in s<zcula ; protegar in vela-
mento alarum tuarum (In thy tabernacle I shall dwell for
ever ; I shall be protected under the covert of thy wings).
PSALM Ix. 5.

F the storm-bound mariner is happy to
find a port of safety, if the traveller
traversing a hostile country rejoices
to find a protection against the dangers which
surround him, how much more should the
Christian rejoice at finding open to him a safe
asylum in the midst of the perils of this world !
This refuge offered us by the divine mercy
is the sodality or confraternity of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Happy those who know and
appreciate it, ! It shines in their eyes as the
sanctuary of the Queen of Heaven, as her
dwelling in the midst of men, her blessed taber
nacle where the children of this divine Mother

6 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

are happy to dwell under the covert of her
wings. In thy tabernacle 1 ska!/- dwdl for ever ;
I shall be protected under the covert of thy wings.

What, then, is a confraternity? And what
are its advantages ?

Considered exteriorly, a confraternity pre
sents itself to us as a pious association formed
of persons chosen from among the most ex
emplary of a college, school, parish, or city.

If we would have a more distinct idea of it,
if we would know the nature of a confraternity,
the end it proposes, the means it employs, here
is a definition of it : A soda-tity or confraternity
of Mary is a piou* association, canonically es
tablished, to help the faithful in the constant pur
suit of good under the special protection of the
Blessed Virgin Mary.

ist. It is an association- -that is, a reunion
of persons belonging to a determined class and
forming one body, directed by a council accord
ing to established rules.

2d. A pious association. Piety is the proper
characteristic which distinguishes sodalities
from all other societies, whether commercial,
recreative, or scientific.

3d. To aid the faithful. . . . Here is the end
of the confraternity and the object it proposes
to itself: tJ aid the faithful in the pursuit of
good ; in other words, confraternities are estab
lished to give powerful spiritual succor to those

CONFRA TERNITIES. 7

who wish to continue in the pursuit of good
and to advance in virtue. There are many who
desire to lead a Christian life, but they encoun
ter a multitude of obstacles in the world, in
their profession, even in their families. They
need aids, and these aids are offered them in
confraternities.

There are some who, animated by noble sen
timents, would make their lives a chain of vir
tues and good works, an ever-ascending path to
heaven ; they need aid and direction. And this
aid and direction are equally offered them in
confraternities.

In a college how many young men have the
noble desire to protect their future and assure
themselves a happy and honorable career! But
they are young, weak, inexperienced and sur
rounded by snares and seductions; they need
aid and counsel. Now once again this aid and
this counsel are offered them in a sodality.

Do you ask what these aids are, in what they
consist? First of all, in the mutual support the
associates afford one another; all animated with
the same sentiments- -their union forms their
strength ; then, in the exercises of piety per
formed in common, and the prayers offered for
all the members ; finally, in the special protec
tion of the Blessed Virgin.

4th. Under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.
The protection of the Blessed Virgin is the

8 SODA LITY DIRE C TOP S MANUAL.

principal means of attaining" the end proposed
by the confraternity. There is question here
of a most special protection merited by conse
crating one s self to the Mother of God and
vowing to her a particular devotion. This de
votion and the protection it inevitably secures
are a pledge of perseverance and salvation.

5th. Finally, the confraternity is an associa
tion canonicalty established, which means it is
approved, recognized, adopted, erected as a
confraternity by the Holy See, whose autho
rity is no other than that of God.

It is God Himself, then, who endowed the
Church with this new means of salvation; here
is the way in which it providentially came
about

In 1563 there lived in Rome, in the Society
of Jesus, a young Belgian, born at Liege,
named Jean Leon. In the Roman College he
had the lowest grammar-class, where he de
voted himself more to forming the hearts than
cultivating the minds of his pupils.

Convinced that the protection of the Blessed
Virgin is a very efficacious means to preserve
innocence and to become a perfect Christian,
the young professor from time to time assem
bled the most fervent of his disciples to exhort
them to devotion to Mary and teach them to
render themselves worthy of her love. Thev
erected an oratory, where they had general

CONFRA TERN I TIE S. 9

prayers; they had edifying reading; they pro
posed to themselves to honor the Mother of
God by imitating her virtues and by frequent
ing the sacraments.

The fruits which these pious pupils gathered
from their reunions, and the odor of virtue
which they spread in the college, excited the
attention of the rector and the first superior
of the order. Father Claude Aquaviva, Gene
ral of the Society of Jesus, spoke on the subject
to Gregory XIII., who then occupied the pa
pal chair. The pope, touched with the happy
results of these pious reunions, erected them
into a confraternity under the title of the An
nunciation of Our Lady, and made the very
general of the Society of Jesus superior. The
bull of erection was given the 5th of December,
1584. It grants to the new 7 confraternity rich in
dulgences, and confers upon it the right to affili
ate itself with similar associations which should
be established in different Jesuit colleges. The
terms of the papal bull erect but one confra
ternity alone- -that which exists at Rome in the
Church of the Annunciation, enclosed within
the walls of the Roman College ; it was estab
lished as a primary confraternity and placed
under the direction of the general of the So
ciety of Jesus, giving him full power to affiliate
with it other confraternities, which would thus,
by this affiliation, be canonically established and

io SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

enjoy the indulgences granted to the primary
confraternity.

The bull of Gregory XIII. referred only to
the confraternities of students established in
Jesuit colleges. A few years afterwards Sixtus
V., Clement VIII., Gregory XV. extended the
favors and privileges with which Gregory
XIII. had enriched the sodalities of students
to all sodalities of the pious faithful formed in
the churches, professed houses, seminaries, and
residences belonging to the Society of Jesus or
under their direction. Benedict XIV., in his
apostolic letter of the 27th of September, 1748,
extols the excellence of these confraternities
and confirms all the concessions of his prede
cessors. Finally, Leo XII., by a special re
script dated March 27, 1825, extended them to
all confraternities of men and women, even
those not formed in the churches of the So
ciety of Jesus or under their direction.

Such are the acts of the Holy See, which
make sodalities of the Blessed Virgin a canoni
cal institution of the Church. And since Jesus
Christ confirms in heaven what His Vicar binds
or loosens upon earth, the sodalities of the
Blessed Virgin are not only established by the
Holy See on earth, but recognized, approved
and blessed by Jesus Christ in heaven. And as
the Mother of our Saviour could have no other
sentiments than those of her divine Son, it is

CON FRA TERNITIES. I 1

evident that a sodality recognized by Jesus
Christ is recognized by the Blessed Virgin,
who regards it as her own, as a little family
consecrated to her of which she is the protec
tress and mother.

Behold what sodalities are. Is there a holier
institution or one more worthy of our respect
and love? Let us thank God for having given
them to His Church; let us thank Him parti
cularly for having opened them to us, for hav
ing admitted us among the number of the Chil
dren of Mary. Let us love the sodality ; and
that we may continue to love it more and more,
let us devote ourselves to learning the inestima
ble advantages it affords us

is.

. CHAPTER II.

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION.

Venerunt mi hi omnia bona paiiter cum ilia (All good things
came to me together with her) Wis. vii. n.

F you are glad to come to this sanctuary
to offer homage to Mary and to sing
her praises, if all that you here see and
alt that you hear delights your heart, it is be
cause you love the sodality as a holy family
dear to the hearts of Jesus and His holy Mo
ther. Yes, you love it, and you give proofs of
this affection as creditable to you as they are
pleasing to God ; nevertheless your love is not
yet what it should be.

Ah ! how much more you would love this
holy association if you knew all the treasures it
contained and all the blessings it procures its
members.

These blessings are immense ; the Sovereign
Pontiffs have solemnly and publicly proclaimed
them to the whole Church, at the same time
urging all the faithful to share in them. At
their august word sodalities rapidly spread
through all countries, and for three centuries

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 13

all those who have enrolled themselves in these
sodalities have found the inestimable advan
tages promised them.

What, then, are these advantages ?

Here are the principal : a special protection
from the Blessed Virgin, a safeguard against
the contagion of vice, the pledge of an honora
ble and happy life, solid piety, the good choice
of a state in life, the sanctification of one s state,
numerous indulgences, finally an assemblage of
all the blessings which a Christian could desire.

i st. First ad vantage- -special protection from
Mary. This special protection from the Mo
ther of God is assured you, dear sodalists, be
cause you have vowed to her a special devo
tion. On entering her confraternity you enrol
yourself under the standard of the Blessed Vir
gin ; in making your act of consecration at the
foot of her altar you devote yourself to her ser
vice, you solemnly protest that you are resolved
to always honor and love her, to say nothing, to
do nothing, or permit those committed to your
charge to say or do anything against her honor ;
then, in beseeching her to receive you as her
servants for ever, you promise her that you will
never abandon her and will rermin attached to
her service to the end of your life.

On her part Mary, who never allows herself
to be outdone in generosity, promises you three
great favors intimated in the act of consecra-

14 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tion. First, she receives you among the num
ber of her devoted servants, her privileged chil
dren ; your names are written in her heart and
your brows are marked with a filial character
which distinguishes you in her eyes from other
Christians : ^uscipe me in serviim perpetuum.
Second, Mary promises you particular assis
tance in all your actions, in all your enter
prises, in all the perils which you may encoun
ter : Adsis miki in omnibus actionibus meis. Fi
nally, she promises not to abandon you at the
hour of death, but to visit you and comfort you
in the agony of that supreme moment, and de
fend you against the enemy in your last com
bat : Nee me deseras in hora mortis.

Such is the special protection assured to the
members of the sodality justly styled Children
of Mary. Is it necessary to say that in this is
the pledge of salvation spoken of by the doc
tors of the Church when they teil us with St.
Anselm : Omnis ad te conversus, O Maria, ct a te
respectus, impossibile est ut per eat ? It is impos
sible for any one devoted to Mary to perish.
Whoever, then, turns to thee, O Mary ! and
merits to win thy regard will be saved; he can
not perish.

2d. Second advantage a safeguard against
vice. Ah ! to be preserved from the general
corruption we need some powerful protection.
We are no longer in the happy days of the early

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 15

Church, when the multitude of believers, united
by the bonds of a perfect charity, all practised
virtue with a holy emulation. Since the enemy
sowed the tares in the field of the Father of the
family, charity has grown cold, faith has become
rare and piety, isolated in the midst of a wick
ed world, is exposed to the greatest dangers.
Therefore what falls, what shipwrecks, what
wanderings frequently without any return !

Is it not true that everything is a snare, an
enemy to virtue and innocence, particularly in
youth ? Within are the passions ; without are
the seductions of the world and the allurement
of its pleasures, its false principles, the tyranny
of fashion and human respect, frequently even
temporal cares, the turmoil of business, by which
we allow ourselves to be carried away at the
expense of our soul and its spiritual interests.
What a deluge, and what souls perish therein !

But the divine Mercy has prepared holy arks
for those who wish to escape these dangers;
yes, in the sodalities of the Blessed Virgin
her faithful servants find a sure refuge from
the scandals, the errors, the temptations which
devastate the world.

Yes, a sure refuge and most efficacious means
of salvation. To convince you of this it is only
necessary to consult experience. Hardly were
the sodalities known than, to the great joy of the
faithful, they were established and multiplied

16 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

everywhere, numbering persons of all ages and
conditions, who were the elect of piety and
shone by their virtues and good works. For
the last three centuries we behold them through
out the whole world like parterres of flowers
sending forth the good odor of Jesus Christ.

a It is incredible," says Benedict XIV. ,* "the
advantages which have flowed to men of all ranks
from this laudable and pious institution. Some,
placed from their infancy under the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin, have persevered in a path
of innocence and piety, and, continuing without
deviation in purity of morals and a life worthy
of a Christian man and a servant of Mary, have
never ceased to give to the world the most
beautiful example and have merited the grace of
final perseverance Others, miserably led away
by the seductions of vice, have returned from
the path of iniquity to a complete conversion
through the assistance of the merciful Mother
of God, to whose service they devoted them
selves in socialities. They embraced a sober,
just, even pious life, and, sustained by their
fidelity to the religious exercises of these con
fraternities, they persevered to the end in this
new life. There are those also who, because of
the tender love which they had from their in
fancy for Mary, have attained the most eminent
degrees of divine charity/

* Bulla aurca, Gloriosae Dominae.

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 17

Would you have a few examples chosen
among- thousands? It was in sodalities that
St. Francis of Sales, Blessed Peter Fourrier,
St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Aloysius, Blessed
Berchmans laid the foundation of that perfec
tion which they attained through the protec
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The most
distinguished persons considered it an honor
to be enrolled. Francis II., Duke of Lorraine,
to give an example to his subjects and make
public profession of his devotion to the Blessed
Virgin, wished to be one of the first received
into the sodality established at Nancy. Charles
IV. and Leopold, inheriting their father s piety,
rendered their homage to the Queen of Heaven
in this same sodality. In 1585 there was estab
lished at Louvain, in the house of the Jesuits,
the sodality of the Annunciation of the Bless
ed Virgin, which soon included the students
belonging to the various branches of the uni
versity. Later there was established in the
same city the sodality of the Immaculate Con
ception, which counted four hundred members,
and among them the illustrious Justus Lipsius.
This was not sufficient: they were obliged to
establish as many as six sodalities, three Latin
and three Flemish, for persons of all condi
tions,

Now, why did the faithful so eagerly hasten
to avail themselves of these pious asylums?

1 8 SODALIT Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Was it not because they sought and found in
them a safeguard against vice and the corrup
tion of the age ?

3d. Third ad vantage- -the pledge of an hon
orable and happy life. I have but one life, I
will traverse this world but once; I wish to
choose the noblest and most beautiful path.
This is the thought of every great and noble
soul when it has measured with a glance the
space of this fleeting life. Like a traveller
looking down from a mountain on the coun
try he is to traverse, the true Christian dis
tinguishes among a thousand roads the royal
road which leads to his country, and unhesi
tatingly enters therein. This royal road, the
road of honor and peace, is that of the Chris
tian life, traced for us by the King of glory,
our Loid Jesus Christ. In this beautiful road
has followed after Him through a succession of
ages the grand procession of His disciples, the
flower and the elite of the human race. Out
side this path I see no greatness or true happi
ness, for there is no sanctity or true virtue.

Only the just, the true Christian shall flourish
like the palm-tree ; lie shall grow up like the cedar
of Libanus. They that are planted in the house of
the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house
of our God. They sJiall still increase in a fruit
ful old age, and shall be well treated (Ps. xci.
13-15). Blessed is the man whose will is in the

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 19

name of the Lord ; he shall be like a tree which is
planted near the running waters, which shall bring
forth its fruit in due season, and his leaf shall not
fall of (Ps. i.)

The sinner, on the contrary, is like dust driv
en before the wind, like a barren trunk produc
ing only thorns ; his soul is like an uncultivated
field, a waste^ vineyard : I passed by the field of
the slotJiful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish
man : and behold it was all filled with nettles, and
tliorns h id covered the face thereof, and the stone
wall was broken down (Prov xxiv. 30, 31).

Such are the images used by Holy Scripture
to show us that without virtue we find only
shame and misery, while the Christian life is
truly honorable and gives to man all the hap
piness he can enjoy here below.

Observe that we do not speak here of the fu
ture beatitude which must be the great reward
of virtue, but of that happiness mingled with
tears which is a foretaste of it on earth. The
confraternity assures it to you, dear sodalists,
because it preserves you in that Christian life
which is a pledge of it. It brings before your
eyes an image of heaven and causes your heart
to feel a ray of the angels joy when, gathered
together on festivals, you behold the splendor
of the sanctuary and hear the beautiful canti
cles of the Church. It is here that later, when
thrown into the vortex of the world, where

20 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

death, in the words of a holy doctor, enters
through all the senses, the Child of Mary again
finds life and joy. What, then, is sweeter than
to take refuge in these happy asylums of virtue
which have witnessed the most beautiful years
of our life ; to come to the feet of the best of
mothers to reanimate our hearts, to renew our
good resolutions, and wipe off the world s dust,
which attaches itself to even the most perfect
souls !

4th. Fourth advantage solid piety. Piety,
which consists in the worship of God and in
the practices of religion, is all the more pre
cious that it is both the root of all virtues and
the principle of all blessings. Godliness, says the
apostle, is profitable to all things, having promise
of the life tJiat noiv is, and of that wJiich is to
come (i Tim. iv. 8). But to produce these
fruits piety must be solid, like a vigorous tree
which resists the storms and seasons. We fre
quently find a kind of piety consisting of ten
derness of heart, assiduity in prayer, but unac
companied by a spirit of labor and constant
fidelity to duty ; this is a weak and slothful
piety, like a flower which is swept away by the
wind or withered by the summer s heat. It
must be a solid and at the same time firm, en
lightened and active piety, which consists in the
inseparable union of prayer and duty. Instruc
tion, energy, and a spirit of labor are its three

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 21

characteristics, and it is easy to see that the

confraternity is made to inculcate them ; it in-

_-

structs its children in the doctrine of salvation,
it strengthens them with the sacraments, it nou
rishes them with the Bread of the strong, which
gives them Christian energy and a spirit of
labor.

As to the labor of which we speak, it has a
double object- -the works of duty, and, outside
these, works of charity and zeal, which the so
dality undertakes or encourages, according to
circumstances.

5th. Fifth ad vantage- -the good choice of a
state in life. Every man is destined by Provi
dence for a state in life, a career which is suited
to him ; this is what is commonly called voca
tion. Nothing is as important as this subject.
To deceive one s self in the choice of a state in
life is to enter a false path, to compromise one s
future, one s happiness, and even one s salva
tion ; to make a good choice is to secure one s
happiness in this life and the next.

It is evident that he chooses wisely who fol
lows the will of God and embraces that career
for which Providence destines him. On the
contrary, to choose a state for which one is not
destined is to make a bad choice and fail in
one s vocation. The usual cause of this, alas!
too frequent misfortune is misconduct and vice,
or a blind passion by which one permits him-

22 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MA NUAL.

sjlf to be guided. Then to avoid falling into
this abyss shun the paths of sin ; the Christian
who remains faithful to God will be guided by
His paternal hand to the place which is made
for him, to the state in life where he will find
the happiness and peace he desires here be
low. Justum deduxit Douiinus per vias rectas.

Now, by preserving its members from the
tyranny of the passions, by causing them to
walk in the path of virtue, by enlightening
them on the duties of their different states,
by directing them with its counsels, procuring
them succor from on high by means of prayer
and the sacraments, the sodality guides them
surely and safely to the state marked for them.
Is not this an inestimable benefit ?

6th. Sixth ad vantage- -the sanctifi cation of
one s state. It is not sufficient to have embrac
ed a state ; we must also S uictify it- -that is, ful
fil its duties and live in it in a holy and Chris
tian manner.

To sanctify one s state is to be perfect, be
cause it is fully corresponding to the designs
and will of God. What, in fact, does God ask
of man in the state in which Providence has
placed him, if it be not to sanctify it by the
devout fulfilment of the duties attached there
to? Is not this what all the saints have done?
Whether they lived in the world or in the clois
ter, on a throne or in a cottage, have they not

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 23

everywhere sanctified their state ? Is it not
what St. Joseph did in his workshop at Naza
reth, the Blessed Virgin in her humble house,
Jesus Christ Himself during- all His life ? He
expressly declares it, saying to His Father :
Fa er, opus consummavi quod dedisti mihi ut fa-
dam--" Father, I have finished the work which
Thou gavest me to do (John xvii 4).

To sanctify one s state is to lead a life of duty
opposed to a life of amusement. Do not think,
however, that a life of duty is a gloomy, weari
some life devoid of pleasure; those who live
but for God and God s good pleasure enjoy the
truest pleasure, the sweetest and purest joys,
even the most agreeable amusements, for they
are animated, as it were, by the presence and
smile of the divine Master. We see an image
of this happy life in the marriage feast of Cana,
where the joy of (he guests was shared by Jesus
and His holy Mother.

And behold the happiness which the confra
ternity procures, for it affords its members the
succors best adapted to facilitate the sanctifica-
tion of their state.

/th. Seventh ad vantage- -numerous indul
gences. It would be superfluous to remind
you of the value of this spiritual largess which
the Church gives to the faithful under the name
of indulgences, and how useful they are to the
living and the dead. Now, the Sovereign Fon-

24 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tiffs, in their signal love for sodalities, have en
riched them with all the indulgences which
piety could desire. The present volume con
tains a long list of them. I shall only call your
attention to the plenary indulgence which all
the sodalists can gain on days of general re
union, and that which is granted them at the
hour of death.

8th. Eighth advantage--a collection of all
the blessings which a Christian can desire here
below The Saviour shows us a treasure, a root
and principle of all blessings, under the imnge
of a pearl of great price which a merchant, He
tells us, sold all that He had to acquire ; for once
he obtains the pearl he possesses in it all treas
ures, all riches. This pearl of great price, says
St. Bernard, is the religious state- -the state of
him who, by the vows of religion, consecrates
himself wholly and irrevocably to God. But
we can with good reason apply the words of
the holy doctor to the confraternity ot the
Blessed Virgin, where the faithful devote
themselves to the service of God by conse
crating themselves to the Virgin Mother of
God. We may say with St. Bernnrd : " What
is this pearl of great price, if not the holy and
immaculate confraternity where one lives more
purely, falls more rarely, rises more promptly,
proceeds more cautiously, reaps more graces,
enjoys more peace, possesses a pledge of a hap-

ADVANTAGE OF THE CONGREGATION. 25

pier death, of a shorter purgatory, a richer re
ward in heaven ? -Hczc est religio sancta, pur a,
immaculately in qua liomo vivit pur ins, cadit r fi
rms, surgit vclocius, incedit cautiiis, irroratur fje-
quentius, quiescit sccurius, moritur fiducialius, pur-
gatur citius, prczrniatur copiosius.

One only needs to read each one of these
statements to feel how they are verified in the
confraternity. They are, moreover, confirmed
by experience and facts. How many times have
I heard from the lips of others and witnessed

*

myself how beautiful is the death of a true
Child of Mary, how consoling and precious it
is before God! God has even frequently been
pleased to manifest by prodigies how great is

Mary s solicitude for her children when leav-

j

ing this world, and how she helps them to con
summate their life by the holiest death.

CHAPTER III.

.

DUTIES OF SODALISTS.

Audi, fill mi, disciplinam patris tui, et ne dimittas legem ma-
tris tine (My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and for
sake not the law of thy mother). PROV. i. 8.

F the sodality affords great advantages
it also imposes upon those who en
joy them a condition, which is the
fulfilment of certain duties.

Every man has special duties, which vary
according to the position he occupies. A so-
dalist, then, also has duties to fulfil ; but let us
hasten to say that they are sweet and agree
able.

Duty is a great thing ; a still greater thing
is the love and fulfilment of duty.

What is duty ? It is all that a servant must
do in obedience to the will and desire of his
master. When you shall have done, says Jesus
Christ, all tJiese t kings tJiat are commanded yon,
say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done
that which we ougJit lo do (Luke xvii. io)--th;it
is, we have done our duty. Now, since God is

our Master and we are His servants, His will

26

D UTIES OF SOD I LISTS. 2 7

and all He asks of us according to our state
constitute our duties.

We understand, then, that duty differs from
amusement. Duty is what pleases our Master;
amusement is what pleases us--in other words,
duty is what is necessary, amusement is what
will please. What further is duty ? It is man s
rule. A reasonable creature needs a rule to
guide himself with wisdom. Now, the true
rule of conduct, as simple as it is perfect, is,
to do one s duty. Behold the guiding thread
in the labyrinth of life, the golden line traced
for us by the finger of God. Happy he whose
first end is duty, and who faithfully follows in
this noble path ! His life will be regulated with
prudence, happiness will accompany his steps,
and his name will be uttered with respect.

Again what is duty ? It is the great basis
of the moral perfection of man. Whoever ful
fils his duties leaves nothing to be desired ; he
is perfect. Has your heart a noble ambition?
Do you aspire to be a perfect sodalist of the
Blessed Virgin ? You have but one thing to
do : devote yourself to the perfect fulfilment
of the duties of a member of the sodality, of a
Child of Mary.

But what are these duties? First of all let
us repeat what we have already said : these
duties are not onerous. Mary s yoke, like that
of her divine Son, is sweet and her burden

28 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

light. It consists of three things: the obser
vance of the rule, exemplar} 7 conduct, fidelity
to the act of consecration.

I. Rules. The rules of the congregation, so
beautiful and pious that they seem to have
been dictated by the Blessed Virgin herself,
were approved by Pope Sixtus V. in his bull
Qmnipotentis Dti of the 5th of January, 1586,
and given to the primary confraternity of
Rome, as well as to all affiliated thereto.

These rules, to which it is permitted to add
local statutes, should be observed with reli
gious fidelity; not that they oblige under pain
of sin, like the commandments of the Church,
but because they are approved by the Holy
See, are pleasing to the Blessed Virgin, and
form the basis of the sodality and the princi
ple of its life and prosperity. Moreover, in
entering this pious association one explicitly
binds himself to observe its statutes and rules.
One is bound, then, to observe these holy rules
through a principle of honor and fidelity,
through love for the Blessed Virgin, and
through love for the confraternity. As to the
rules themselves, they may be summed up in
certain prescribed duties: ist, towards God
and the Blessed Virgin ; 2d, towards the con
fraternity ; jd, towards one s self; 4th, towards
one s neighbor.

ist. Towards God and the Blessed Virgin

DUTIES CF SOD A LISTS. 29

the rules prescribe daily prayers, Mass, the
frequentation of the sacraments, and faithful
attendance at the meeting s.

2d. Towards the sodality : you must love it,
love its prosperity, its honor; love all its mem
bers with a sincere and fraternal affection, hav
ing at heart the union and concord of all; mani
fest love and particular regard for its officers.
This charity should be manifested by deeds,
and even by sacrifices, particularly when fel
low-members are ill or die.

3d. Towards one s self. Our duties towards
ourselves require that our conduct should be
edifying and exemplary; that we should avoid
worldly companions, reprehensible amusements,
dangerous or doubtful books.

4th. Towards our neighbor. We must ear
nestly aid and share in the works of charity
and zeal which circumstances require.

This is a summary of the sodality rules,
which you will read entire in your Manual
with the greatest profit.

II. Exemplary conduct. We apply this term
not to a simply regular, Christian, irreproach
able life, but to a life which impresses others
by the splendor of a regularity worthy to serve
as an example. Such should be Children of
Mary s lives. The Blessed Virgin tells them
all, as Jesus Christ did His apostles : So let your
light shine before men that they may see your good

30 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

works, and glorify your Fatlier who is in heaven.
Therefore they must serve as an example to
their neighbor by their punctuality, their chari
ty, their patience, their modesty, and their re
serve in their words.

And why should the conduct of socialists be
so edifying? Because the sanctity of Mary,
whose children they are, and the honor ot the
sodality of which they are members, make it
an obligation for them. The misconduct of a

o

child grieves a mother; its virtue rejoices and
honors her.

Does this mean that all upon entering the
society shall be free from faults or shall at
once become models of virtue? Such is not
our idea ; but the perfection of which we speak
is the end which each one should endeavor to
attain.

III. Fidelity to the act of consecration. The
act of consecration, dear socialists, is an engage
ment of honor which you have contracted at
the foot of the altar in the presence of the an
gels and all the members of the confraternity.
In begging the Virgin Mary to be your pro
tectress in life and in death you promised on
your part that you would henceforth honor her
as your mother, and that you would never say
a word or be guilty of an action against her
honor. This engagement contains a triple pro
mise, which it is well you should thoroughly

DUTIES OF SO DA LISTS. 31

understand in order to fulfil it perfectly. Here
it is :

ist. To ever preserve a filial love for Mary
which impels you to frequently invoke her
and avoid all that could displease her, accord
ing to the words of St. Bernard : In your perils,
your trials, your vv aver ings, think of Mary, in
voke Mary ; let the name of Mary be ever in your
lie art and on your lips ; but to merit Jier interces
sion do not fail to imitate her example.

2d. To utter no word against her honor ; such
are too free, unbecoming words, unworthy of
a Child of Mary.

3d. To be guilty of no actions against her
honor ; such are culpable actions, particularly
those which tend to tarnish the splendor of
the virtue dearest to her virgin heart. Chil
dren of Mary, behold your noble and glorious
duties! Your good Mother will not fail to
assist you in fulfilling them, and in the faithful
accomplishment of them you will enjoy all the
advantages which the confraternity promises.
Hoc fac et vives This do and thou shalt live
(Luke x. 28).

CHAPTER IV.

HAPPINESS OF THE FAITHFUL SODALIST.

Si JKZC scitis, beati eritis^ si fiteritis ea (If you know these
things you shall be blessed if you do them). JOHN xiii. 17.

fjAPPINESS! Behold the perpetual as
piration of the human heart! We de
sire it even in this fleeting life. Can
we attain it? Is there happiness on earth?

Perfect happiness, which is called beatitude,
is only found in heaven ; it is the portion of
the elect; but there is upon earth an imperfect
happiness which Jesus Christ has revealed to
us, and which is no less true happiness for be
ing mingled with the cross and tears. Whose
is this happiness? All true Christians share
in it, and, consoling thought, the Children of
Mary have the largest share. Yes, the largest
portion of. true happiness in this world is re
served to faithful sodalists. What are the ele
ments of this happiness?

Here are the five principal: the sweetness of
piety, a good conscience, the satisfaction of ac
complished duty, consolation in adversity, the

pledge of a happy death.

32

HAPPINESS OF THE FAITHFUL SO DA LI ST. 33

ist. The sweetness of piety. Piety is a hid
den manna which causes the soul to taste all
sweetness. We understand by piety that gift
of the Holy Spirit which not only floods the
mind with the light of faith but warms the
heart with the fire of love from above. Then
we love Jesus and His holy Mother; we love
to refresh ourselves at the divine fountains of
the sacraments and prayer. Oh ! how sweet is
the interior converse of a soul which prays,
which has the happiness of speaking with Jesus
and Mary. How enrapturing are the canticles
of the sanctuary in those delightful moment3
spent at the foot of the altar! Then we may
exclaim with David : How lovely are 7hy taber
nacles, O Lord of Hosts / . . . Blessed are they
that dwell in Thy house, O Lord ! Better is one
day in 1 hy courts above thousands in tlie taberna
cles of sinners (Ps. Ixxxiii.)

2d. A good conscience. We understand by
a good conscience one that is pure of all mortal
sin, which reproaches us with no grave fault
and bears testimony that we are the friends and
children of God. Nothing is sweeter than this
testimony of a good conscience ; it fills the soul
with a serenity, calmness, and peace which sur
pass all exterior enjoyments. A secure mind is
like a continual feast (Prov. xv. 15), truly says the
proverb. Contentment is better than riches ; yes, it
surpasses all treasures, all honors, all the inebri-

34 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ating pleasures of the world. No, no; fortune
and opulence do not give happiness: witness
Solomon, who found in them but vanity and af
fliction of spirit, (Eccles ii.) Witness the wicked
rich man who lived but to feast, and who reject
ed the poor ; behold him overwhelmed with eter
nal shame and buried in hell (Luke xv.) Wit
ness still the young Polonais, who, in the midst
of every worldly advantage, is so overwhelmed
with ennui that he finds life an unbearable bur
den; he thought, alas! to rid himself of it by
suicide. No, no; happiness is not from with
out, nor does it lie in exterior blessings : its seat
is the heart and its source a good conscience.
Non est pax inipiis (Isaias Ivii. 21).

3d. The satisfaction of accomplished duty.
Nothing is so sweet as the feeling in the heart
of a Christian when he can say with the divine
Master: Father, I have finished the work which
Thou gavest me to do (John xvii. 4). How happy
one is at evening after a well-spent day ! How
happy we shall be in the decline of life, when,
looking back upon our days, we shall see that
they have been full of merit for heaven !

Whatever men may say or do against us,
whatever happen us, we are happy if to soul
and conscience we can say : I have done what I
ought ; 1 have done my duty.

Is it not from this source that the happiness
of Christian families flows? We understand by

HAPPINESS OF THE FAITHFUL SODALIST. 35

m

a truly Christian family one where each mem
ber fulfils his duties before God in a spirit of
faith and love the father and mother govern
the household and give good example ; the chil
dren obey their parents and love one another.
A spirit of union, peace, industry, and joy reign
among them. Nowhere do they find a happi
ness equal to that in their home. Therefore all
without exception, parents and children, love
to find themselves gathered together in the
midst of the family ; it is there and not abroad,
at the fireside and not in worldly excursions,
theatres, strange drawing-rooms, that they taste
those innocent and pure joys of which the prin
ciple is none other than the Christian fulfilment
of duty.

Now, since every faithful sodalist is necessa
rily devoted to his duty, since he is^a man of
duty and not of pleasureNwith this maxim as his
own,\77^ necessary before the useful, the useful
before the agreeable^i follows that he cannot
fail to enjoy these sweet satisfactions.

4th. Consolation in trials. No one^m this life
escapes the law of sufferingpand the sodalist, like
every one else,^has. his cross to bear); but it is
lightened by great consolations. Whatever may
be the cause of his trials, whether it be reverse
of fortune, wrongs, humiliations, loss of kin
dred, a fault into which he has fallen, interior
struggles, corporal infirmities, or any other

36 SODALITY DIRL CTOR S MANUAL.

form of adversity, he has friends who console
him and sustain his courage. Who are these
friends? They are the brother members of the
sodality, the director of the sodality, the Blessed
Virgin herself, and her divine Son. They are
true friends, who will not abandon him in ad
versity! He can address himself with confi
dence to them ; they will hold forth a helping
hand to him, or they will at least reanimate
him with the consoling words, Have confi
dence! To them that love God all tilings ^vork to
gether unto good. ^ After the night comes the day,
after the storm comes the calm, after trial peace
and joy.

5th. The pledge of a happy death. Of all the
^graces which God grants to men, the most ex
cellent, without doubt, is a happy death: Pre-
tiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum ejus
(Ps. cxv.) ) It is the gate of paradise, the en
trance to glory. This grace is assured to the
faithful sodalist.

. Who can doubt that Mary hears this prayer
which her children repeat in the act of conse
cration : Assist me in all my actions, and abandon
me not at the hour of my death ; and this other
which we constantly address to her all our
lives : Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners noiv and at the hour of our death f

Think you it is possible that a Mother so full
of solicitude for her children during life could

HAPPINESS OF THE FAITHFUL SO DA LI ST. 37

forget them at the hour of death ? She helps
them to accept sickness with resignation, to
worthily receive the sacraments, to make to
God the very meritorious sacrifice of life, to
gain the plenary indulgence, and to leave this
world purified, as far as it is possible, from all
stain, and acquitted of all debt to the divine
justice.

Hence the beautiful and edifying deaths of
Children of Mary to which all who have wit
nessed them can testify.

Courage, then, Children of Mary ; be faithful
to the holy obligations you have contracted
towards your good Mother and rely upon her
for your happy death ; the death of her chil
dren cannot but be precious in the sight of
the Lord. Pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanc
torum fjus.

Behold the happiness reserved to faithful so-
dalists ! Should we not earnestly endeavor to
merit it ?

CHAPTER V.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Si vos manseritis in sermone meo, vere discipuli mei er it-is (If
you continue in my word you shall be my disciples indeed).
JOHN viii. 31.

HE great end of the sodality is to
strengthen and perfect its members
in the Christian life.

To appreciate the beauty, the grandeur, the
sovereign usefulness of this end it is necessary
to form a just idea of the Christian life, and to
consider it in its true light without prejudice or
misapprehension.

What is the Christian life? How is it made
practicable and easy ?

I. What is the Christian life ? When we turn
our eyes to various parts of the globe we be
hold a great number of people distinguished
from others by holy baptism and the sign of
the cross. These are Christians ; the majority of
them are subject to the Roman Pontiff; these
are Catholics, who form the true Church of
Jesus Christ.

But in this holy Church I observe two classes

33

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 39

very distinct one from the othergood Cath
olics and bad Catholics. These last are care
less of the duties imposed upon them bv bap
tism ; the others lead a truly Christian life, fulfil
their duties, live according to their belief, and
are faithful to their baptismal obligations.

In fact, the Christian lite consists in doing and
practising what is promised in baptism, what is
taught in the gospel, what is prescribed by the
commandments of God and the Church.

It is one thing to lead a Christian life and
another to bear the name of Christian. All
those who are baptized are called Christians,
but those only lead a Christian life who fulfil
what they promised in baptism- -namely, to
follow the law of Jesus Christ and ever to fly
His capital enemy, the devil, and all his works
and pomps.

Nor is the Christian life the same thing as be
lief or Christian faith ; there are so many who
believe but do not live up to their faith. To
live a Christian life is to practise what one be
lieves, to regulate one s conduct and morals ac
cording to the teachings of faith.

The Christian life is opposed to a worldly life.
The latter follows no other rule but the caprice
of passion, of fashion, the allurements of the
world, and the demands of selfishness. The rule
of the Christian life, on the contrary, is com
posed of the maxims of the Gospel, the law of

40 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

God, duty, conscience, the will of God and His
good pleasure ; it is not a life of egotism, but a
life of charity.

What more is the Christian life ? The Chris
tian life on earth is a preparation for the glori
ous life of heaven. Through the grace of God
and the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ we are
destined for eternal glory, to enter the dwelling
of the King of kings, to take our place among
the princes of the heavenly court. But to at
tain this new and sublime state we need a pre
paration which shall change us, so to speak,
into heavenly men. This preparation is the
Christian life. Jesus Christ came upon earth
to teach this life to those who wish to attain
heaven. Placed in the midst of the world,
where he perpetually abides like a sun to en
lighten the human race, He tells us all: Hea
ven is open to you, but to enter you must lead
a life worthy of heaven. Look upon me. I am
the heavenly model; follow my example, ob
serve my law, and having become, like me, hea
venly men, you shall be worthy to be admitted
into the kingdom of heaven. The Christian life,
then, is a preparation for heaven.

The type of the Christian life, moreover, is
Jesus Christ, of whom His true disciples are
faithful imitations. To see the Christian life in
all its splendor we must turn our eyes to the
apostles, the martyrs, the confessors, and all

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 41

true Catholics who, from apostolic times to the
present day, have made open profession of their
holy religion. Look at this brilliant cortege of
true Christians ; they belong to all ranks of so
ciety and to all conditions of life; they are the
elect of the human race.

The Christian life is the most honorable and
beautiful life ; it is justly compared to the pas
sage of a star whose path is marked but by
light. The path of the just, says the Holy Spi
rit, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increas-
etheven to perfect day (Prov. iv. 18). The life of
the sinner, on the contrary, is darksome and
leaves after it but dirt and smoke.

Having but one life, must we not spend it in
the most beautiful path? Now, the most beau
tiful path is the Christian life.

The Christian life makes men happy in spite
of the crosses they have to bear: / exceedingly
abound with joy in ail cur tribulation, said the
apostle (2 Cor. vii. 4). Good Christians are hap
py because their conscience is at peace, because
they receive their trials from the hand of God
and they convert them into merit for heaven.
Blessed are the un defiled wJio walk in the way of
the Lord, says the prophet (Ps. cxviii. i).

The Christian life forms and tempers the
character. Nothing is so beautiful as a strong,
noble, generous character. We esteem it, we
love it and confide in it What, then, gives

42 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

man this beautiful character? What teaches
him the great virtues of which it- is formed
probity, courage, devotion, generosity even
towards his enemies? Is it not the spirit of
the Gospel ? Give, says the Saviour, to him tliat
asketk of thee. Fear ye not them that kill the body
and are not able to kill the soul ; but ratJier fear
him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Love your enemies, pray for them that persecute
and calumniate you. Filled with this spirit, the
apostles went from the presence of the council re
joicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer
reproach for the name of Jesus. What greatness
of soul! Contrast this with worldlings plunged
in sensuality, abandoned to egotism, slaves of
opinion, slaves of human respect; compare
their character with that of true Christians :
on one side you see but cowardice and base
ness, while on the other shine nobility of soul,
courage, and a generosity which inspires re
spect and love.

The Christian life, finally, is an absolute ne
cessity. If thou wilt enter into life, says the
Saviour, keep the commandments (Matt. xix. 17).
It is not sufficient to believe; we must also
practise. Faith is necessary as the root, and
works as the fruits which God requires of us.
It is true that Jesus Christ has said, He that
believe th and is baptized shall be saved, but we
must here understand an efficacious faith, fruit-

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 43

ful in works. Elsewhere He tells us: He that
doth the will of my Father ^vho is in heaven,
he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; and
every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall
be cut down and cast into the fire (Matt. vii.
19, 21).

Such is the necessity of the Christian life ;
such also is its sovereign excellence.

II. Practice. If the Christian life is beau
tiful and desirable, is it not, on the other hand,
very difficult? Does it not require great efforts
and great sacrifices? To live a Christian life
is it not necessary to triumph over our pas
sions, our repugnances, the tyranny of human
respect, the seductions of the world ? Has not
the Saviour said, The kingdom of heaven suffer-
eth violence, and the violent bear it azuay ?

Yes, our Saviour spoke thus, and He even
said that this triumph was humanly impossible ;
for one day He said to His disciples : Children,
how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter
into the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel
to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom, of God. The dis
ciples, impressed by these words, said to one
another: Who, then, can be saved? And Jesus,
looking on them, saith : With men it is impossible ;
but not with God, for all things are possible witJi
God (Mark x. 24-27).

Then it is impossible for man of himself to

44 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

faithfully fulfil the duties which the Gospel
imposes. Resisting temptation, overcoming
pride, anger, concupiscence, practising chas
tity, forgiving injuries, praying for one s ene
mies, are acts which are frequently beyond
man s natural strength. But God offers him
supernatural succor, through which all becomes
practicable and easy.

This divine succor is called grace, actual
grace, the necessity and power of which it is
important to well understand. Without grace
we can do nothing for salvation ; with grace
we can do all things. I can do all things in Htm
ivho strengtheneth me, says the apostle. How
did the saints practise their heroic virtues?
How did the martyrs win their admirable vic
tories? How do so many contemporary Chris
tians unfalteringly follow after Jesus? By
means of grace.

The grace of God, then, is necessary ; but
how is it to be obtained? To obtain grace two
conditions are necessary : ist, to avoid placing
any obstacles to it ; 2d, to employ the means
God gives us.

ist. The obstacles to grace are the occasions
of sin to which we voluntarily expose ourselves,
or certain sensual satisfactions to which we are
too much attached.

2d. The means are prayer and the sacra
ments true divine sources whence we may

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 45

draw grace after the example of all the
saints.

It is thus we become strong- with the strength
of God to triumph over enemies, to fulfil duties,
to practise all the virtues of the Christian life
in order to win the palm and crown which are
its reward.

CHAPTER VI.

SOLID VIRTUE.

Assimilabitur viro sapienti, qui cedijicavit dormim siiam supra
petravi (He shall be likened to a wise man that built his house
upon a rock). MATT. vii. 24

E have the happiness, dear sodalists, to
love virtue, to appreciate it, and to be
won by its beauty ; therefore we desire
to enrich our hearts more and more with so
great a blessing. But if we would realize this
holy desire we must aim at true and solid
virtue.

Too frequently we see weak and wavering
virtue which, like a house built upon the sand,
crumbles under the first shock of temptation.
We want solid virtue which, like a house built
upon a rock, resists the waves and the storms.

By solid virtue we understand that which
overcomes temptations, endures trials, perse
veres in labor. A Roman hero one day said
to his enemies, astonished at his strength of
soul : Facer e et pati fortia Romaninn est-- It be
longs to a Roman to act and suffer with cou
rage. Solid virtue realizes these words, but

4 6

SOLID VIRTUE. 47

realizes them far better than pagan heroes, and
we can say in all truth it belongs to Christian
virtue to act and suffer with invincible constancy.

What are the principles of this solidity ?
What are the signs or characters of solid vir
tue ?

I. Principles of solidity. An edifice, to be
solid, must have a firm foundation, immova
ble columns; a tree, to resist the winds, must
have deep roots. This foundation and these
roots are the principles of solidity. True vir
tue has similar principles, which are: faith, ha
tred of sin, humility, confidence in God, and
prayer.

i st. Faith. The holy Council of Trent, speak
ing of faith, says that it is the root and founda
tion of justification, consequently of the Chris
tian life and virtue. St. Paul recommends the
Colossians to continue grounded, and settled,
and immovable in the faith : In fide fuudati et
stabiles (Col. i. 23).

To thus serve as a foundation faith should be
lively and firm. It should be as firm as that of
the apostles. Think what must have been the
fiith of those men who had seen Jesus Christ,
who had seen Him powerful in word and deed
like the true Son of God, who saw Him risen
from the dead, who saw Him ascend into hea
ven ; how firm must have been their faith ! Cer
tainly it surpassed in firmness all other faith,

48 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

even that which we have of the existence of
Rome. Therefore see how they speak to the
faithful: Believe firmly, brethren, they tell
them, for we declare unto yozt t licit which we have
heard) winch we have seen witli our eyes, and our
hands have handled (i John i. i). We have not
followed cunningly devised fables when we made
known to you the power and presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ , but having been made eye-witness of
His majesty (2 Peter i. 16). This is the vic
tory which cTiJercometh, our faith (i John v. 4).
Yes, when we believe in a hell, in a heaven, in
the inestimable rewards of a future life, and
we are penetrated with this faith, oh ! then we
are powerful to despise the world and triumph
over it.

Faith should be firm ; it should also be lively.
I understand by this that we see the things of
faith not in the vague distance, but near, with
a clear vision. Now, this clear, luminous, and
lively faith is acquired by Christian instruction,
by good reading and the attentive consideration
of the truths which God has revealed to us.

This lively and firm faith constitutes the first
principle of the solidity of virtue.

2d. The second consists in hatred of sin. We
speak particularly of mortal sin, and we say
that a supreme horror of it is necessary, so that
whatever be proposed to us, if it imply a mor
tal sin, it is a proposition rejected in advance,

SOLID VIRTUE. 49

and one which admits neither examination nor
discussion. To propose to a Christian that he
sin mortally is to invite him to cast himself
into a fiery furnace. Can he in reason fail to
instantly reject it? This supreme aversion,
this hatred of sin, is a principle of solid vir
tue ; and it is because it is too frequently lack
ing that we see so many sad falls. The Holy
Spirit gives us to understand this when he tells
us : T/ie fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis
dom (Ps. ex. 10). By fear of the Lord is meant
the fear of offending God. It is the beginning
and foundation of wisdom and of all Christian
virtue.

3d. Third principle of solidity Christian hu
mility. The saints and doctors present us hu
mility as the second foundation of the Christian
life. Faith, they tell us, is the foundation-stone
which must sustain the edifice; but humility
penetrates into the depths of the earth until it
reaches the firm ground upon which the founda
tion must be laid. He who humbles himself
builds solidly, and the edifice of his virtue will
reach the skies : He that shall humble himself
shall be exalted (Mz\t. xxiii. 12). St. Peter gives
us the reason of this when he tells us: God re
sist eth the proud, but to the t humble He givcth
grace (i Peter v. 5).

4th. Fourth principle of solidity confidence
in God. We are of ourselves so weak in vir-

50 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL. .

tuc that, abandoned to our own strength, we
could not but fail ; the reed, bending before
every wind, is an image of our strength. But
it the hand of God touch us, our weakness will
be turned into strength and the reed will be
come a column. Without me, says our Sa
viour, y it can do nothing (John xv. 5) ; and
St. Paul : / have labored more abundantly tJum
they ; yet not /, but the grace of God with me (i
Cor. xv. 10). I can do all things in Him who
strengt Juliet h me.

Now, we obtain this helping grace, we borrow
this strength of God, by a constant and filial
confidence in His merciful assistance. They
th.it trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion ;
they shall not be moved. This confidence, besides
securing us the assistance of God, preserves us
from discouragement, the too frequent prelude
to falls and defections.

5th. Fifth principle of stability- -prayer. The
holy exercise of prayer is the complement of
confidence and its natural expression. When
we look upon God as our protector and sup
port we implore Him in all our needs ; and, our
needs being continual, our prayer must be con
tinual. Hence our Saviour s law : We outfit al-

-~ >

ways to pray (Luke xviii. i). Watch ye, and pray,
He tells us elsewhere, that ye enter not into temp
tation (Matt. xxvi. 41). A Christian without
prayer is like a soldier without arms on the day

SOLID VIRTUE. 51

of battle ; by prayer he covers himself with the
armor of God. Therefore whoever is not as
siduous in prayer will be constantly exposed to
spiritual dangers, while he who has a spirit of
prayer cannot perish.

These are the principles which produce and
sustain solid virtue.

II. Characteristics of solid virtue. The char
acteristics by which we recognize solid virtue,
the signs which manifest this solidity, are pa
tience, contempt of human respect, a spirit of
sacrifice, generosity in overcoming one s self,
constancy in good.

ist. Patience. Feeble virtue, encountering
contradictions, whether they come from persons
or things, breaks out into complaints and mur
murs, becomes discouraged, and frequently for
gets itself - completely. We see men, on the
contrary, enduring every thing- -not only slight
offences, failings, want of regard, but injuries,
calumnies, the greatest outrages without re
criminating or uttering a complaint. In the.
longest and most painful illnesses you would say
they were without pain, so superior are they to
their trials. Behold the patience which is an
evident sign of solid virtue. The pati nt man,
says Holy Scripture, is better than the valiant,
and he that ruletli his spirit than lie that iaketli
cities (Prov. xvi. 32).

2d. Contempt of human respect. If it be an

52 SO DA LIT Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

act of cowardice to bend under the yoke of hu
man respect, it is an act of courage to trample
it under foot. True virtue founded upon deep
convictions lias no other rule of conduct but the
law of the Sovereign Master, of which it never
loses sight. The true Christian, with his eyes
fixed upon this Supreme Majesty who has
drawn the universe out of nothing, and before
whom all men are but dust and ashes, knows
not what it is to fear or feel the least shame in
obeying Him ; and he says with the apostles :
We cuglit to obey God rather than men (Acts v.
29). We cannot but speak the things which we have
seen and heard (Acts iv. 2c).

3d. A spirit of sacrifice. We understand
here by sacrifice depriving ourselves of some
thing which costs us, thai; we may give it to
God or our neighbor. It is a sacrifice when
we encroach upon necessities to give to good
works; when we give our strength, our time,
our means; when we deprive ourselves of rest,
of an amusement, of a lawful satisfaction, for
the cause of virtue. We distinguish sacrifices
of free choice and necessary sacrifices- -that is,
those which circumstances, or rather G^d Him
self, sometimes impose on us, and which, ac
cepted with love, are most meritorious. The
one and the other are the effects, the manifesta
tions of solid virtue.

4th. Generosity in overcoming one s self. The

SOLID VIRTUE. 53

grand maxim of St. Ignatius was to overcome
one s seli Vince te ipsum. Overcoming one s
self is conquering one s repugnance when there
is a duty to be fulfilled, a virtue to practise.
There are some who are pious, faithful to their
duties, as long as they experience any attrac
tion ; but let never so little weariness arise, let
there be repugnances to overcome, they yield
and fall back. Such is not the conduct of solid
Christians ; it is sufficient for them to recog
nize a duty, an action in accordance with God s
will, for them to be inflamed with a noble ardor
and to exclaim : God zvtlls it ! I must overcome
myself ! Forward, in Goct 9 s name ! Do what is
right, come what may !

5th. Constancy. There are men who begin
much and achieve nothing; they are frivolous
minds which our Saviour signalled in the para
ble of the sower. Some of the seed. He says,
fell upon stony ground where it, had not much
earth, and it sprang up immediately because it
had no deepness of earth, but when the sun
cnme it withered away because it had no root.
Such is he who henrs the word of God and re
ceives it at first with joy ; but as it has no root
in his heart he only perseveres for a time; in
the day of tribulation he fails.

When, on the contrary, virtue is solid and
plunges its roots into the depths of the soul,
it gives perseverance and constancy. Before

54 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

beginning- the true Christian reflects, raising
his eyes to God, and when he has recogniz
ed the div r ine will he begins and continues the
enterprise, and nothing can arrest him. If
his success does not correspond to his efforts,
if he stumble in the way, he rises undaunted
and continues what he knows to be pleasing
to God s will, remembering these words: He
who perseveres to the end sJiall be saved.

Such are the principles and signs of solid
virtue.

May we strengthen it more and more in our
hearts! This happiness will be ours if we zeal
ously endeavor to acquire it under the protec
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother.

CHAPTER VII.

.

CAUSES OF DEFECTION.

Multi discipulorum ejus abierunt retro (After this many of
his disciples went back, and walked no more with him).-
JOHN vi. 67.

NE of the saddest spectacles, in the eyes
of faith is the defection of so many
faithful who, after having walked un
der the standard of Christ, cowardly forsake it
and adopt that of the world and the devil. No
thing grieves the Heart of God more than to
see the perfidy of Judas thus renewed ; nothing
is also more unfortunate than the fate of him
who thus imitates Judas by selling his divine
Master to His enemies.

To preserve ourselves from such a misfor
tune let us consider the causes of these deplo
rable defections. I distinguish three principal
causes abandoning piety, rashness in exposing
one s self to temptation, dissipation.

I. Abandoning piety. We here understand
by piety the exercises and practices of Chris
tian piety, particularly those prescribed by the
rules of the sodality- -namely, daily prayers,

55

56 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MA NUAL.

the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist,
the word of God, and pious reading.

As long as we are faithful to these exercises
we will not fall, or if we do fall we will quickly
rise again. But as soon as one abandons them
he deserts his standard and falls into the power
of the enemy. This is not a simple fall : it is
a desertion.

Then can these practices be essential to the
Christian life? Is it not sufficient to observe
the commandments, to hear Mass on Sunday,
to receive Holy Communion at Easter? That
is sufficient to strictly fulfil the laws of the
Church, but usually it does not suffice to en
able one to live a Christian life. Those who
confine themselves to acts of strict obligation
commonly fall into mortal sin, continue in this
state, and end by throwing off even these last
restraints of religion. Here is the reason :

The practices of which we speak are the
food of the soul ; if you deprive the soul of
nourishment it is weakened like the body de
prived of food, becomes incapable to resist the
assaults of the enemy, to fulfil its duties, to
walk in the path of virtue. When the disci
ples asked our Lord 10 dismiss the multitude
which had followed Him into the desert, Jesus
answered : If I shall soul 1hcm away fasting
to tJicir home they zev // faint in die way (Mark
viii. 3). Ah ! it so many souls faint in the way

CA USES OF DEFECTION. 5 7

of virtue it is because they are weak for want
of food.

What would happen to a lamp if we neglect
ed to replenish the oil ? to a fire if we did not
feed it with wood ? to a clock, no matter how
perfect its organization, if we forgot to wind it ?
The lamp and the fire would be extinguished,
the clock would soon stop. It is the same with
a man s soul when he abandons piety, only the
consequences are more serious.

Nothing, then, is more dangerous than to
abandon pious practices ; that is why the de
vil makes every effort to lead us to this aban
donment. To succeed better he begins by de-
g?-ees and induces us, for various pretexts, to
omit something from time to time, then a lit
tle more for slighter reasons, until we fall into
a habit of dispensing ourselves and we end by
abandoning all. Ah ! be on your guard against
this snare; let us hold to our pious practices
with inviolable fidelity.

II. Rashness in exposing ourselves to danger.
He that hvetk danger , says the Holy Spirit,
shall p risk in it (Ecclus. iii. 27). The danger
of which there is question here is commonly
called occasions of sin, which consist in exte
rior circumstances, persons, or things which of
themselves or because of our weakness lead us
into mortal sin. When I fall into mortal sin,
every time, or almost every time, that I find my-

58 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

self in certain circumstances, there is for me
what is called a proximate occasion of mortal
sin in such circumstances. To expose one s self
to such a danger is a mortal sin of itself; to re
fuse to fly such a danger is to have neither re
pentance nor firm purpose of amendment, and
to be incapable of receiving absolution for sin.
The most frequent occasions of sin at the pre
sent day are bad reading, the theatre, dances,
worldly companions, unbecoming discourse.
How many young people have been ship
wrecked on these shoals ! How many unfor
tunate souls have glided into corruption and
unbelief for having approached the border of
this abyss, the occasion of sin !

Then we must fly dangerous occasions at
any cost, at any sacrifice. If thy hand scandal
ize thee, says our Saviour, cut it off ; it is better
for thee to enter life maimed than having tivo hands
to go into hell, into unquenchable fire (Mark ix. 42).
And do not say: I have nothing to fear; I
am strong enough to resist ; I will not fall
again. Once the danger is proved, once your
confessor, pointing it out to you, has shown you
your duty, it is an illusion to think that you
can expose yourself to it with impunity. As
well say : I will go into the fire, but I will not
allow myself to be burned ; I will sleep in the
den of the lion, but I will not let him devour
me. Experience too fully proves the infallible

CA USE S OF DEFE C TION. 5 9

words of the Holy Spirit : He that loveth danger
shall per isJi in it (Ecclus. iii. 27).

Then fly danger ; it is the true Christian pru
dence, which may be regarded as a pledge cf
salvation. For if the rash man who loves dan
ger shall perish in it, the prudent man who flies
danger shall not perish. It was this principle
which prompted a servant of God to make this
significant reply : Would you, he asks, escape
the dangers of the world and save your soul?
Firstly, fly ; secondly, fly ; thirdly, fly. Flying
danger, you shall not perish.

III. Dissipation. A third cause of defection
and spiritual ruin is dissipation. We here give
the name dissipation to that state in which a
soul permits itself to be absorbed by worldly
affairs, worldly cares, news, and all exterior
things to the point of neglecting its religious
duties and failing to reflect upon eternal things.

The absence of reflection is fatal to souls.
With desolation is all the land made desolate, says
the prophet, because there is none that consider et/i
in tlie heart (Jer. xii. n). Oh! if we were to

think on death, on eternity, on the nothingness
of all that is not God. If we were to think of
the terrible chastisements reserved for sin ! If
we were to raise our eyes we would see, like
Damocles, a sword suspended over our heads,
and we would hasten to make our safety cer
tain ; but because w r e no longer raise our eyes

60 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

we do not see the danger, which, alas ! is no less
imminent.

The salutary reflection of which we speak
consists in hearing the word of God, in pious
reading- -particularly reflective reading- -medi
tation, in daily examination of conscience, in
making a preparation for death from time to
time in obedience to our Saviour, who tells us:
Be ye ready, for at what liour you think not the
Son of man will come.

One will say, perhaps, that he cannot apply
his mind to pious reflection. This is a mistake.
Reflection, though difficult, particularly for one
who allows his senses perfect liberty, neverthe
less is not impossible, and it is sufficient to will
to withdraw ourselves for a time from the tu
mult of exterior things for the mind to perceive
the things of God.

One will say also that he has not time to ap
ply himself to pious exercises ; business, he ob
jects, absorbs all my time and all my care.
You are mistaken, and your error is the cause
of all the evil we are here combating. You
are mistaken: God and your soul, and not your
temporal affairs, should be your first care. What
doth it profit a man if he gain the ivhole ivorld and
suffer the loss of his own soul ? Think you, then,
it will suffice you to say, / had not time? Will
the Supreme Judge admit this excuse ? You
had not time, will He say, to work out your

CA USES OF DEFECTION. 6 1

salvation- -you, who enjoyed twenty, thirty,
forty years of life ? In vain do you allege that
temporal things absorbed your time ; your first
care should have been eternal things, for which
I placed you on earth. Have I not said to all
that they must seek first the kingdom of God?
.And before all things you have sought the
goods of this world. For this reason you are
without excuse ; you are lost through your own
fault. If you had given yourself a suitable time
for recollection you would have found in it a
safeguard against the dissipation which has
caused your ruin.

Behold, then, the triple cause of all defec
tions : negligence, rashness, dissipation three
shoals which we cannot fear sufficiently. Let
vis keep our bark from them and ask the Blessed
Virgin to help us to constantly avoid them.
Then we shall not be of the number of those
who desert the standard of virtue, but shall
persevere to the end, faithful to Jesus, our King,
and His divine Mother, our august Queen.

CHAPTER VIII.

HATRED OF SIN.

*

Initium sapient ce timer Domini (The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom). Ps. ex. 10.

HE wisdom of which the Holy Spirit
here speaks is no other than justice,
virtue, the Christian life which Jesus
Christ, the eternal Wisdom, came to teach men.
It has for beginning- the fear of God ; that is, it
begins by the fear of God, as the building of an
edifice begins with the foundation which is to
sustain it. But what must we understand by
fear of God so important and so essential ?
This salutary fear is the fear of offending God
by sin ; that is, hatred of sin, particularly mortal
sin. Without hatred of sin there is no true vir
tue ; and unless this hatred be deeply rooted in
the soul virtue cannot be firm and solid, just as
a tree cannot stand firm in the earth unless it
have deep roots. One day, walking in the
country, I saw a tree overturned by the wind,
while all the others remained standing. It
was a vigorous tree, planted in good ground,

but it had fallen with its roots upturned be-

62

HATRED OF SIN. 63

cause they were not sufficiently deep. The
others had resisted the storm because of their
roots, which penetrated into the depths of the
ground. Thus to be strong in virtue we should
be deeply penetrated with hatred for sin. To
this end let us consider, I. The necessity of this
hatred ; II. Its qualities ; III. The manner of ac
quiring it.

I. Necessity. Hatred of sin is as necessary to
the Christian life as the foundation is to an edi
fice. Every one, says the Saviour, that hcarctk
these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to
a wise man that built liis house upon a rock, ajid
the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
bleiv, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not,
for it was founded on a rock. And every one that
heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall
be like a foolish man that built his Jiouse upon the
sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and tliey beat upon that house, and
it fell, and great was the fall thereof (Matt. vii.
24-27). Observe that the house to be built is
the Christian life according to the teachings of
our Saviour ; the floods and the winds which
beat upon it are the passions, the temptations,
and the scandals of the world ; the house re
sists all if it be founded upon a rock, but it
crumbles completely if it be built upon sand.
We understand what this disastrous fall of a
Christian signifies ; but what are we ;to under-

64 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

stand by this rock upon which the Christian
life must be founded not to yield to the storms
of life ?

This rock, this necessary foundation of virtue
what is it? Initium sapentice timor Domini: it
is the fear of the Lord. Have you this strong
and deep hatred in your heart? Your virtue
will resist assault. Have you not this holy
fear, or is it weak and undecided? Your house
is built upon sand, and, assailed by temptation,
it will fall to the ground. Whence is it that so
many Christians sin so easily, even after con
fession relapse so quickly into the same sins ?
Alas ! they are not penetrated with the hatred
of which we speak. Then it is absolutely nec
essary that hatred for sin be deeply rooted in
the heart.

II. Quality. But what should this hatred be
to give to virtue immovable solidity? We un
derstand that it must be strong and solid itself,
and to be so it must be a sovereign hatred.

A sovereign hatred of mortal sin consists in a
horror and absolute aversion for this supreme
evil ; in a determined will to resist it wherever
we meet it ; and, the moment there is question
of anything implying mortal sin, to reject it
with horror without admitting any deliberation.
Thus a sensible man free to choose could not
deliberate in the presence of death on the border
of a precipice or before a funeral pile. If a wild

HA TRED OF SIN. 65

beast sprang towards you, ready to devour you,
or an assassin to murder you, would you need
to deliberate upon what you had to do? If a
rich man led you to the top of a high moun
tain, and, showing you a terrible precipice, said
to you : Ask what you will, were it a kingdom,
I will give it to you on condition you cast your
self down this precipice think you you would
need to reflect before rejecting this insensate
proposition ? If the same man, rich and power
ful, placed you before a fiery furnace, like that
of Babylon, and said to you : You shall be king,
and the whole world shall be yours, provided
you consent to be burned alive in this furnace
would you need to deliberate before rejecting
this foolish solicitor with horror and contempt?
No, no; when there is question of death, under
whatever form it may be presented, however
it may be veiled, we fly from it with horror by
an instinct of nature alone. And when mor
tal sin presents itself under any form whatever
-pleasure, honor, pecuniary profit is it not
death? Is it not the death of the soul, the eter
nal death of hell, which is offered us for a mise
rable temporal advantage? Is it not the abyss
of hell which is opened before us, is it not the
eternal fire into which you are invited to cast
yourself? And you hesitate to reject such an
insensate proposition? But I am offered plea
sures and riches. Ah ! were you offered the

66 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

9

whole world could you, without madness, hesi
tate a moment before rejecting it ? Is there
anything in the world for which you would con
sent to be burned alive, not in the furnace of
Babylon, but in the fire of hell, which will never
be extinguished ? What doth it profit a man if he
gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own
soul?

Then hatred of mortal sin is a firm and abso
lute purpose to reject this evil, without an in
stant s deliberation, the moment it presents it
self.

III. Acquisition. To obtain this holy dis
position, this sovereign hatred of mortal sin, we
must, ist, daily ask it of God, begging Him to
penetrate us with His fear, that we may say
with the prophet: / have hated and abhorred
iniquity (Ps. cxviii. 163).

2d. A second means is to consider the mal
ice of sin and its disastrous effects. Oh ! if we
could know what mortal sin is we would con
ceive such a horror of it that nothing in the
world could lead us into it.

What, then, is mortal sin ? It is a disobedience
to God, a revolt against God, the rebellion of a
creature who dares to defy his Creator and say
to Him, Non serviam I will not serve Thee. It
is an outrage against the divine Majesty--an
outrage like that of the Jews against the Son
of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a base

HATRED OF SIN. 67

ingratitude; for man, who has received every
thing from God, not only makes Him no return
for His benefits, but uses these same benefits to
outrage his Benefactor! He is guilty of this
ingratitude by using his means, his talents, his
senses, his tongue as so many instruments of
sin. The horrible Verger, having received an
alms, used it to buy a poniard, which he plunged
in the breast of his benefactor. This baseness
is equalled, and even exceeded, by the ingrati
tude of the sinner.

What further is mortal sin? It is a supreme
evil and the principle of all evil. Sin maketh na
tions miserabl (Prov. xiv. 34). Mortal sin is the
supreme evil, because it is the only cause of eter
nal perdition. If any one among us- -which God
forbid ! must one day be excluded from heaven,
what will be the cause ? If any unfortunate soul
among us--O Mary, preserve us !- -must one day
be cast into eternal fire, why will it be ? Be
cause of mortal sin, mortal sin only. . . .

Behold, then, the supreme evil, the sole cause
of eternal misery. Therefore we must detest
it, hate it, abhor it with a sovereign hatred.

O holy Virgin ! obtain for thy children this
salutary hatred ; it will be the immovable basis
of their virtue, the pledge of their perseverance
unto the end.

CHAPTER IX.

PURITY OF CONSCIENCE.

Beati mtmdo corde, quoniam ipsi Dctim videbunt (Blessed are
the clean of heart, for they shall see God) MATT. v. 8.

HE Holy Spirit frequently speaks to
us in Scripture of purity of heart
and soul. He presents it to us as a
precious blessing worthy of all our desires.
Therefore the holy Church, instructing us by
the mouth of her ministers and her doctors,
unceasingly recommends it to us, and tells us
that purity of heart is one of the pivots of the
Christian life. It is necessary, then, to know it
well in order to love and practise it perfectly.
To this end let us consider, I. What must be
understood by purity of heart ; II. What are its
fruits; III. What practice it requires of us.

I. What must we understand by purity of
heart? Purity of heart, which is also called
purity of soul, purity of conscience, is the
splendor of a soul unstained by sin From this
announcement we understand that purity of
heart is not the same thing as chastity. The

68

PURITY OF CONSCIENCE. 69

latter, which is called the angelic virtue, ex
cludes the stains of the flesh- -it is purity of
body ; the first, purity of heart, excludes the
stains of all vices.

Our soul, cleansed by the waters of holy bap
tism, has been clothed again by the Holy Spirit
with a supernatural purity called sanctifying
grace a divine garment of which the robe of
baptism is the image and symbol. This gar
ment communicates to the soul a splendor sur
passing the brightness of gold, a whiteness ef
facing that of snow.

Unfortunately this whiteness may be tarnish
ed, this splendor obscured, this beauty which
enraptures the angels may be changed into de
formity and ugliness. Scripture tells us of the
beauty of a Judith, an Esther, a Joseph, an Ab
salom. Take a still greater beauty : does not
a sickness, a wound, suffice to change all its
graces into deformity? And particularly the
hand, of death touching beauty, does it not re
duce it to slime and corruption ? Now, the
beauty of the scul is subject to similar changes
and stains analogous to the corporal effects of
sickness and death. A malady, a wound, lepro
sy, represent the stains of venial sins; death,
corruption, the horrors of the tomb, offer an im
age of mortal sin, which our Saviour shows us
in these words : Woe to you, Scribes and Phari
sees, liypocrites, because you are like to w kited sep-

70 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ulckres, wJucJi outwardly appear to men beautiful,
but wit kin are full of dead men s bones and of all
fiithiness (Matt, xxiii. 27).

The purity of heart of which we speak is
opposed to these stains as light is opposed to
darkness ; it preserves the soul from them, or,
if it have already contracted them, it tends to
make them disappear, removing first of all the
corruption of mortal sin, and then diminishing
more and more the stains of venial sin and all
that could tarnish the lustre and whiteness of
our souls.

Behold what we must understand by purity
of heart. Let us now see how precious is this
purity and what are its fruits.

II. Fruits of purity of heart. Purity of heart
becomes for the soul which possesses it the
principle of all blessings, since, according to
the testimony of the Holy Spirit, it enraptures
God by its beauty and attracts the abundance
of His graces.

ist. In the Canticles the divine Spouse ad
dresses the pure soul these affectionate words :
Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot
in thee (Cant. iv. 7). He that loveth cleanliness of
heart shall have the king for Jiis friend (Prov. xxii.
u). God, who is purity and sanctity, cannot
suffer sin before His face, as the sun cannot
suffer darkness. Thy eyes are too pure to behold
evil, cries the prophet to the Lord, and thou

PURITY OF CONSCIENCE. 71

canst not look on iniquity (Habac. i. 13). On the
contrary, He fixes them with love on innocent
souls who endeavor to imitate the immaculate
Lamb, of whom the Father said : This is my be
loved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

2d. Purity of heart abundantly attracts the
gifts of grace. Just as men would not pour a
precious liquid into an unclean vase, so God
will not pour His gifts into our hearts until
they are purified ; but according as we purify
them He pours into them His treasures of light
and charity. It is for this reason that the Sa
viour says: Blessed are the clean, of Jieart, for tJiey
shall see God. They shall see God not only af
ter this life in light and glory, but even in this
world in the light of faith and grace ; with maf-
velious clearness will they comprehend the
word of God, will they see the will of God, the
presence of God, the image of God, in all those
who represent Him on earth.

Hence the facility for prayer which pure
souls usually experience. Light from on high
penetrates them as the rays of the sun pene
trate a pure crystal. God s image is reflected
in them as in a stainless mirror. Purity of con
science produces that calm, that interior secu
rity so favorable to the contemplation of hea
venly things. It makes the soul, says St. Aloy-
sius, resemble a quiet stream, in the unruffled
surface of which the sun and stars are brilliant-

72 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANU L.

ly reflected. It is in a pure and calm heart,
said St. Francis of Sales, that God manifests
Himself, just as on a clear night, when the Lake
of Geneva is very calm and the waters undis
turbed by the wind, the heavens and stars are
so well reflected therein that you behold as
much beauty gazing down into the lake as you
would looking up to the sky.

Among the disciples of our Saviour there was
one, the young St. John, brother of St. James the
Less, son of Zebedee the fisherman, and distin
guished for his innocence and purity. Therefore
see what favors he received from Jesus Christ.
He was the object of His predilection and
merited the name of the beloved disciple; nt
the Last Supper, placed beside our Saviour,
he had the ineffable happiness of resting his
head on the breast of his divine Master; at
the foot of the cross with the Blessed Virgin
Mary, he was chosen to be the adopted son of
this incomparable Mother and to take Jesus
place with her; he was filled with the treasures
of chanty, so that to the end of his life his words
breathed but this virtue ; he was inundated
with heavenly light to contemplate the deep
est mysteries of the Divinity ; like unto the
eagle, as the holy Fathers express it, he rose
to the greatest heights and fixed his gaze on
the very centre of eternal light. It is for this
reason that he has for symbol the mysterious

PURITY OF CONSCIENCE. 73

eagle of Ezechiel. Oh ! how fully in the be
loved disciple we see realized our Saviour s
words : Blessed are the clean of Jieart, for they
shall see God.

III. Practice. How can we obtain, how
can we preserve, this enviable purity of heart?
We must first endeavor to remove the stains
we have had the misfortune to contract, and
with vigilant care avoid contracting new ones;
in other words, expiate our past faults and
avoid committing them in the future.

i st. To expiate the past the fundamental
means is contrition ; without repentance there
is no pardon. Then there are the Sacrament of
Penance, mortification, patience, and all good
works.

2d. To avoid relapsing into sin, to avoid ve
nial faults, we must practise examination of
conscience and arm ourselves against our pre
dominant fault, taking as motto, Vince te ipsum
-Conquer thyself ! Thus we shall enter and
advance in the beautiful way of the pure of
heart, and shall have part in the blessings
promised those who walk therein Blessed are
tJie unde filed in tJie way, wlio walk in the law of
the Lord (Ps. cxviii. i).

CHAPTER X.

PRAYER.

Habentes phialas aureas plenas odoramentorum, qucz sunt ora-
tiones sanctorum (They had golden vials full of odors, which
are the prayers of the saints). APOC. v. 8.

ET us speak to-day of prayer, which the
doctors, with reason, call the great
means of salvation. It is a general
opinion among them that one is a Christian in
proportion as he practises prayer. Are we
faithful in this holy exercise, we shall live well ;
are we wanting in it, we shall live ill. A man
of prayer will be always rich in virtues; if, on
the contrary, says St. Bonaventure, I see a nian
who shows little zeal for prayer, who takes lit
tle pains to pray and does it but with non
chalance, I do not require more to know that
his soul is void of virtue. Whoever neglects
prayer and cares not to converse with God
may be regarded as dead and deprived of an
interior life : Is m rtiius est et vita carens.

Such is the language of the Fathers, which
is, moreover, conformable to that of Scripture ;
it shows that prayer is justly called the great

74

PR A YER. 75

means of salvation. May we appreciate and
practise it more and more perfectly ! To this
end let us consider, I. The excellence of
prayer; II. Its necessity ; III. Its practice.

I. Excellence of prayer. What is prayer?

ist. It is converse with God. It is sufficient
to comprehend this, to see- that prayer is the
noblest, the most useful exercise which can oc
cupy man on earth. What a favor it is to
speak, be it but a moment, with a prince of this
world ! Happy Samaritan to have conversed
with Jesus at the well of Jacob! ... In this
sublime intercourse the creature offers his
Creator adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and
supplication in a word, pours out at His feet
all the sentiments of his heart. Now, nothing
is more plensing to God than this humble and
confident outpouring of a heart which recog
nizes Him as the Sovereign Good.

2d. Prayer is an incense which rises as an
odor of sweetness to the throne of God. Thyme
and the perfumes which the priests of the Old
Law burned in the Temple of Jerusalem, the in
cense which burns in the churches of the new
Law, are but an image of prayer. Let my prayer
be directed as incense in tliy siglit, says the pro
phet (Ps. cxl. 2). / saw, says St. John in the
Apocalypse, about the throne fuur-and-tweuty an
cients sitting, clothed in white garments, and on
their heads were crowns of g Id, . . . and in

76 SCD LITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

their hands harps and golden vials full of odors,
wliicJi are the prayers of saints (Apoc. iv. 4; v. 8).
Have we not reason to say that an humble
prayer offered to God is worth more than the
most eloquent words, the greatest orations,
winning the applause of multitudes?

3d. Prayer is the root of the Christian life.
How does a tree in the bosom of the earth
draw the vivifying sap which causes it to grow
and produce fruit? Is it not through its root,
without which it would be sterile and perish?
The just man is this heavenly tree planted by
the hand of God to produce fruits of virtue.
He shall be as a tree t at is planted by the waters,
says the prophet ; neither shall it cease at any time
to b ing forth fruit. This tree thrives so admi
rably because it plunges its roots into the waters
of grace- -that is, is given to prayer, and on His
law meditates day and wgJit (Ps. i.)

4th. Prayer is the key of heavenly treasures.
Giving it this name, St. Augustine makes us un
derstand all the value and excellence of prayer.
Whoever possesses this key is rich in the riches
of God, powerful in the power of God. Wit
ness Abraham praying for the guilty Sodom,
Moses praying for the Israelites in their strug
gle against the Amalecites, the early faithful
praying for St. Peter in chains. . . . Whoever
does not possess a spirit of prayer shall be al
ways poor, for the treasures of heaven shall

PR A YER. 7 7

be closed to him. But it depends upon our
selves to possess this key ; \ve have but to
practise our Saviour s words: Ask, aud you
s/iall rcctive.

II. Necessity of prayer. Prayer being so
precious, it should be practised with earnest
ness and gratitude ; yet such is the indifference
and torpor of men that they practise it but
little frequently, and sometimes totally neglect
it. To avoid falling into this fatal negligence
let us stimulate our fervor by considering the
necessity of prayer.

ist. Prayer is of obligation, of precept. We
otiglit always to pray, says our Saviour (Luke
xviii. i). Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not
into temptation (Matt. xxvi. 41). These reite
rated precepts the Saviour confirmed by His
example. . . .

2d. Prayer is necessary as a means. God,
though fully disposed to grant us His gifts, par
ticularly salvation the gift par excellence- -has
made them dependent on prayer; He has made
it a condition without which He usually does
not grant us His favors. The divine mercy is
a fountain open to all men; but to drink its
salutary waters it is necessary to draw them.
Sir, said the Samaritan woman to our Saviour,
tJiou hast not /ting wherein to draw, and the well is
deep ; whence then, hast thou living water? mean
ing that to draw water an instrument is neces-

78 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

sary. The instrument necessary to draw from
the source of living \vater--that is, the source
of graceis prayer. Providence gives man the
harvests and other fruits of the earth for his
food and maintenance, but He exacts as a con
dition the labor of the farmer. Without labor
there shall be no harvest, and without prayer
there shall be no grace ; the soul shall perish of
inanition.

3d. If a poor man wishes to be relieved from
his misery he must ask for help. If he knew
a rich benefactor always ready to help him
would he not go to him ? This poor man is I
and each one of you ; this rich benefactor is
God, trom whom we must ask alms l?ei men-
did sunms- -We are God s beggars, says St. Au
gustine.

Would to God we knew our poverty ! We
are poor and naked because of our sins ; infirm
and suffering because of our passions ; destitute
of all things because of our want of virtue ;
weak and without energy to fulfil our duties
and perform good works. In all things and at
all times we need God ; we should have re
course to Him in prayer.

Happy for us were we well convinced of our
misery ! We would hasten to hold out our
hand to Him who can relieve us. But too fre
quently in the midst of our poverty we believe
ourselves rich and in need of nothing, while we

PR A YER. 79

want for everything. Thou kn west not, says
the Holy Spirit, that tJiou art ivntclied, and mis
erable, and poor, and biind, and naked (Apoc.
iii. 17). Let us contemplate Jesus Christ and
the saints, His true disciples ; let us consider
their innocence, their patience, their good
works ; then let us turn our eyes upon our
selves, and we will come forth from our pov
erty, and we will have recourse through prayer
to Him who can enrich us.

4th. Prayer is necessary to all, to sinners and
to the just. Without prayer the sinner will not
return to God by a sincere conversion, he will
not break the chains of his evil habits ; without
prayer the just man will not advance in virtue,
he will not even persevere in good, and will soon
yield to the temptations of the enemy. Watch,
and pray, says the Lord, that ye enter not into
temptation. 1 lie spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak. Whence are so many lamentable
falls, so many sudden relapses after sincere con
fessions, if not from a want of prayer? We
must pray particularly in temptation; without
prayer a Christian is like a soldier without arms
assailed by a thousand enemies- -he cannot but
yield. Watcli, and pray tJiat ye enter not into
temptation.

III. Practice. How must we pray? No
thing is easier than prayer, for it is the words
of a child to its father, the petition of a beggar

8o SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

to a rich benefactor. What child knows not
how to speak to a father or mother ? What beg
gar knows not how to ask alms? They do not
need eloquent discourse, they do not need even
words ; often a look, a sign, is sufficient. Then
go to God like a child to its father, like a beg
gar to his benefactor, and you will offer a good
prayer.

Nevertheless it will be well to know the con
ditions, the object, and the key of prayer.

ist. The conditions of a good prayer are re
spect, confidence, attention, and perseverance.

2d. The object of prayer is what we must
ask, what we may ask, of God. This object
extends to all the blessings we may desire for
soul and body, for ourselves and for others.

When there is question of temporal blessings,
such as health, fortune, success in business, it is
fitting we should ask them on the condition,
tacit or expressed, that they be salutary for
us; for frequently the trials from which we ask
to be delivered are useful or necessary to the
salvation of our souls, and the blessings we
would enjoy here below would cause us to
lose heaven. Man is ignorant of these conse
quences, but God sees them all ; and for this
reason we must only ask for temporal favors as
far as God sees they will be useful to our soul.

3d. The kev of prayer- -that is, the condition
which opens the heart and causes it to pour it-

PR A YER. 8 1

self forth in prayer, that \vhich helps us to pray
well and with facility is the remembrance of
the presence of God. Before beginning to
pray recollect yourself by an act of lively faith,
place yourself in the presence of God at the
feet of His divine Majesty. If you are pene
trated with this presence, as if He were visible
to your eyes, you will pray spontaneously, and
you will pray with a perfect respect and confi
dence. Can a child be in the presence of its
father without speaking to him ? a creature
in the presence of his God without adoring
Him and praying to Him ? Are you quickly
carried away by distractions, bring your mind
back to the divine presence and resume your
prayer with new attention.

Such is the excellence, necessity, and practice
of prayer. To learn this heavenly art well we
must ask, through the intercession of the Bless-
ed Virgin, the assistance of the Holy Spirit,
who, according to the apostle, helpeth our in
firmity, and Himself asketh for us with unspeak
able groanings (Rom. viii. 26),

CHAPTER XL

THE WORD OF GOD AND READING.

Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo quod procedit de
ore Dei ^Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word
that proceedeth from the mouth of God). MATT, iv, 5.

IVING beings must have nourishment
to preserve life; this is a general law
of nature. Souls are subject to this
law as well as bodies. The food of the soul is
truth, particularly the truth contained in the
word of God and pious reading. It is for this
reason our Saviour has said : Not in bread alone
dotli man live, but in every word that procetdeth
from the mouth of God.

Let us speak on this interesting subject, first
of the word of God, then of pious reading.

I. The word of God. What is the word of
God, and how must we hear it?

ist. The word of God of which there is here
question is contained in the preaching of the
ministers of the Church. This preaching was
begun by Jesus Christ : From that time J sits
began to preach (Matt. iv. 17). It was the eter
nal Word, the Word of God, which spoke in

THE WORD OF GOD AND READING. 83

person to the human race. As this preaching
was to reach men of all countries and all times,
Jesus Christ charged His apostles to promul
gate it, repeat it, and preach it to all creatures.
The apostles have obeyed ; and their succes
sors, equally docile to the divine mandate, con
tinue the ministry of preaching ; their word is
the word of God in the sense that God sends
them to repeat and explain in His name the
doctrine which He has given to the world by
the mouth of His only Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.

2d. The word of God is a seed. A sower
went forth to sow his seed, says the Saviour ;
some of it fell upon good ground and it
brought forth fruit an hundred-fold. This
seed, adds the Saviour, is the word of God.
Now, when it falls upon a well-prepared heart
that is, upon good ground it produces abun
dant and rich fruit. What is this fruit, if not
the Christian life in this world and life eternal
in the next ? . . .

3d. The word of God is bread. Not in bread
alone doth man live, but in every word that pro-
ceedeth from the moutli of God. This spiritual
food sustains the life, the strength, the vigor of
the soul. It is no less necessary than that of
the body, and without the word of God a soul
becomes weak and falls. I am smitten as grass,
says the Psalmist, and my heart is withered, be-

84 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

cause I forgot to cat my bread (Ps. ci. 5). When
we neglect to frequent sermons, and we cease
to nourish the mind with divine truths, we fall
into ignorance, into forgetfulness of duty, into
a state of spiritual languor, in which we yield
to all temptations.

4th. The word of God is a sword. TJie word
of God, says St. Paul, is living and effectual, and
more piercing than any two edged sword, and
reaching unto the division of the soul and tJie spi
rit (Hebrews iv. 12). It cuts off all vices by
making us combat them ; it penetrates our
thoughts to purify them ; it reaches the heart
to produce therein repentance for sin and love
for God. When the terrible words, death,
judgment, hell, eternity, resound in the soul
they produce therein a salutary emotion which
opens the source of tears.

5th. The word of God is a light. Thy word,
says the prophet, is a lamp to my feet, and a light
to my paths (Ps. cxviii. 105). It is very easy to
go astray in the desert of this world, to fall into
errors and snares, to be deceived by illusion
and untruth, to take for gold what is only dust,
and for a solid good what is but empty smoke.
How are these clouds, this darkness, dissipat
ed ? By the word of God, before which all
errors, all impious, heretical, immoral doctrine,
vanish like the shadows of night before the
splendors of the sun.

THE WORD OF GOD AND READING. 85

6th. The word of God is a fire. Was not our
heart burning witliin us, said the disciples one
to another at Emmaus, whilst He spoke in the
way and opened to us the Scriptures ? (Luke xxiv.
32). The word of God inflames our heart with
love for God and for our Lord Jesus Christ
by showing us how much He has loved us; it
inflames us with love for our neighbor by caus
ing us to see that it is Jesus Christ Himself
whom we love in the person of our neighbor;
it inflames us with love for heaven and eternal
blessings by teaching us the price of these
blessings and the ineffable beauty of heaven ;
it inflames us with devotion and fervor in the
service of God by bringing before us the great-
ness of the Master we serve. Such is the di
vine fire which the word of God enkindles and
maintains in the heart; it is a vivifying fire, op
posed to the destroying fire of the passions and
vice.

That the divine word may produce these
salutary effects in our souls we must hear it
with the requisite dispositions : with respect,
as if listening to God Himself; with humility,
always applying it to ourselves and never to
others ; with a Christian spirit, seeking edifi
cation rather than the gratification of a vain
curiosity. Consequently we must accept the
word of God from all who preach, whatever
the talent with which God has endowed them.

IISHA

86 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Provided the garden be watered, says St.
Francis of Sales, what matters it whether the
water reach it through a reservoir of wood, of
marble, or of lead ?

May we always hear the word with these holy
dispositions ! Then it will truly be the food
of our souls, and a heavenly seed which will
flourish there in all virtues and good works.

II. Reading. If bad reading is a pernicious
poison, good and pious reading is a salutary
food which recreates our souls and fills them
with strength and joy.

i st. We understand by good reading that
which is neither injurious nor frivolous, but, on
the contrary, is beneficial to the reader by en
lightening his mind and gently attracting his
heart to virtue.

2d. A good book is a veritable friend, a con
soler, a guide in the path of life.

3d. It is a friend who is complacent and in
teresting to a supreme degree ; it returns from
the most distant countries, it has lived in the
most remote ages ; we find it whenever we
will ; we can always question it, it is ever dis
posed to answer, and it ceases to speak at our
desire ; it speaks of all that we would know ; it
tells us the truth without evasion, reproves our
vices without ever wounding us ; it repeats the
same thing for us as often as we wish without
complaint or weariness.

THE WORDS OF COD AND READING. 87

Yes, it is a true friend, which the Holy Spirit
tells us is greater than all treasures, and I am
not astonished at the words of the pious au
thor of the Imitation, who declares that, hav
ing sought rest everywhere, he found it only
in the reading of a good book. " I have sought
for rest everywhere," he says, " but I have found
it nowhere except in a little corner with a little
book " In anguLo cum libtl/o.

What good do not pious books effect in souls!
St Ignatius was converted by reading the lives
of the saints, and St. Augustine by reading the
Epistles of St. Paul. Blessed Berchmans died
clasping to his heart the precious book which
guided his steps in the path of perfection.

Then let us love the word of God ; let us
listen to it when preached by God s minister;
let us read it in pious books, where it is offered
us in every form. Let us shun bad or doubtful
books as a most fatal poison ; and let us remem
ber that we are the children of her who is called
Scat of Wisdom because her ears are ever open
to the word of God, and she unceasingly medi
tates upon it in her heart. Maria autem conser-
vabat omnia verb a hcec, confer ens in corde suo
(Luke ii, 19).

CHAPTER XII.

CONFESSION AND EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE,

Si nosmetipsos judicaremus, non utique judicaremur (If we
would judge ourselves we should not be judged). i COR. xi.

31-

F the thought of the judgment we shall
undergo after death makes us tremble,
we should in prudence use every means
in our power to mitigate its severity. To this
end the apostle indicates a most efficacious
means, which is to judge ourselves. If we
would judge ourselves, he tells us, we should not
be judged.

But what must we understand by judging
ourselves ? We judge ourselves, we accuse
ourselves, and we condemn ourselves, ist, in the
holy tribunal of penance ; 2d, every time we
examine our conscience to correct our faults.

Let us speak of this double judgment.

I. Confession, ist. What is confession, or
the Sacrament of Penance? It is one of the
sweetest consolations of a Christian. A poor
sick man a prey to evils could not but be happy
to find a physician who could cure him, or a

88

CONFESSION. 89

salutary fountain the waters of which would
restore him to health. This sick man repre
sents the sinner, represents us all ; for we are
all sinners, and our wounds are our sins. The
physician who offers to cure us is the confessor ;
the salutary fountain open to us is the Sac
rament of Penance. Should we not hasten to
have recourse to it? Ah! men undertake dif
ficult voyages to be cured of corporal mala
dies ; they go far in search of mineral waters
for the chance of an uncertain cure. A divine
fountain is offered us for the cure of all the in
firmities and all the wounds of our soul, and
yet the majoritv show no anxiety to profit by
it.

The Sacrament of Penance is the great axis
of the Christian life. He who makes a holy
use of confession shall fulfil all his duties, and
he who neglects it shall soon neglect everything
else. So that we may judge of the fervor of a
Christian by his practice in this matter of con
fession. If he never go to confession, if he
confess his sins once a year or more frequently
with true piety, I shall know from his practice
in this respect the measure of his spiritual
strength. Generally speaking, if confession be
on sufferance everything is on sufferance; if it
be in full vigor everything is in full vigor and
progress.

Confession is one of the great resources of

90 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

the Christian life. It penetrates the soul with
a grace which purifies, strengthens, and con
firms it in peace. And observe that these pre
cious effects are more abundant in proportion
as the dispositions of the penitent are more
perfect. What, then, must be done to dispose
ourselves for the Sacrament of Penance?

How must we make our confession ? It would
be superfluous to here set forth the three parts
of the Sacrament of Penance and the actions
which are its preparation ; but it will not be
useless to make known two thoughts which are
singularly suited to facilitate the preparation
and worthily dispose our heart when we are
about to have recourse to this sacrament.

The first thought is : This confession I am
about to make may be my last. Certainly a
time will come when I shall make my last con
fession- -the confession after which I shall ap
pear before God. If I knew that this was that
confession how great would be my fervor!
Therefore each time I approach the holy tri
bunal I shall say to myself: This may be the last
time.

The second thought is this : In casting my
self at the feet of the priest I prostrate myself
at the feet of Jesus Christ Himself. In Pen
ance, as in all the other sacraments, there is a
double minister one visible, the other invisi
ble ; one secondary, the other primary. The

CONFESS:ON. 91

visible minister is the priest, but he is secondary
to Jesus Christ, the principal Minister, who
uses the priest, His minister, to remit sin, some
what as the master of a house would use the
key. Thus we may here apply these words
of the divine Master: / am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world (Matt,
xxviii. 20) ; Come to me, all you that labor and are
burdened, and I r <,vill refresh you (Matt. xi. 28) ;
// is I, fear not (Luke xxiv. 36) ; and these : He
that heareth you heareth rne^ and he that despiseth
you despiseth me(LukG x. 16). We see how effi
cacious are these thoughts of faith to encourage
and animate the Christian penitent, and inspire
him with the holiest dispositions.

If, in fact, it is to Jesus Christ I am about to
present myself, if it is at the feet of the best of
fathers that I am about to make the avowal of
my sins, I will have no difficulty in being pene
trated with the repentance of a prodigal child ;
since in listening to the confessor 1 am listen
ing to Jesus Christ, I will have no difficulty in
following his direction and giving him absolute
obedience.

Such is the salutary effect produced in the
soul of the penitent by the double thought of
death and of Jesus Christ present in the person
of His minister. Therefore I will always begin
my preparation for the Sacrament of Penance
by saying to myself: This confession may be

92 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

my last, and it is less to the priest than to Jesus
Christ that I am to confess my sins. Then my
heart shall easily be filled with the dispositions
requisite to reap in all its fulness the fruit of
the sacrament.

II. Examination of conscience. We speak
here, not of that examination which must be
made before confession, and which is called sac-
ramental examen because it serves as prepa
ration for the sacrament, but of daily exami
nation of conscience for the purpose of cor
recting one s faults, and which is called an
ascetic or devotional examen. It is well to
understand its importance and know its prac
tice. Importance: Examination of conscience
is one of the most efficacious means to correct
one s faults and advance in virtue ; thus it has
been recommended and practised by all the
masters of the spiritual life- -St. Basil, St. Au
gustine, St. Antony, St. Bernard, St. Bonaven-
ture, St. Ignatius.

This exercise is to the human heart what
weeding is to a garden. The gardener must
continually watch his garden to remove the
weeds which are always springing up. In like
manner vices and faults are continually spring
ing up in our hearts, and we must labor unceas
ingly to exterminate them by means of exami
nation of conscience.

This examen is to the Christian what the

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. 93

daily reckoning is to the merchant. If the lat
ter wishes to succeed in his business he must
be careful to make up his accounts each even
ing ; in like manner the Christian, to succeec] in
the affair of his salvation, must exact of himself
a daily account of his gains and losses by
means of examination of conscience. Without
this exercise he will soon fall into negligence
and tepidity ; by faithfully practising it he will
sustain his fervor and will make continual pro
gress.

The exercise of examination of conscience is
the true means of observing that vigilance so
recommended by the Saviour : Watch ye, and
pray that you enter not into temptation. We must
watch over our thoughts, our words, and our
actions, not only to avoid sin but also to dis
cover whether we have sinned during the day,
and to correct and repent of any faults into
which we have fallen. Who does not see that
the examen of which we speak is no other than
the practice of this vigilance, since it consists
in searching our thoughts, our words, our ac
tions, to discover any fault we have committed,
to repent of it, with a firm purpose to watch
over ourselves better in the future ?

Practice : How are we to practise examina
tion of conscience? Determine a certain time
which you will give to it each day : for exam
ple, a quarter of an hour before retiring.

94 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MA NUAL.

At the time fixed for it place yourself on
your knees, and, after thanking God and im
ploring the light of the Holy Spirit, make a
general and particular examen, then excite
your heart to make an act of contrition and a
firm purpose of amendment for the future.

We have just used the terms general and par
ticular examen. By general examen we under
stand a review of all that we have done in
thought, word, and deed since our last examen ;
we understand by particular examen that which
relates to the predominant fault we wish to
extirpate, or the virtue we more specially wish
to acquire. After having reviewed all the ac
tions of the day we make our particular ex
amen. What have I done for my particular
examen ? How many times have I fallen into
the fault or practised the virtue which I have
chosen as the subject of my particular examen ?
It is useful to mark in a little book the number
of these faults and acts of virtue.

Particular examen, provided it be practised
with constancy, is always victoriously effica
cious. Your faults, said Fr. Maitre Avila, will
not hold out long if you persevere in the prac
tice of examen. Such are examination of con
science and sacramental confession. Here,
then, as we said in the beginning, are two
ways of judging ourselves, of condemning our
selves, in order to make us better and purify us

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. 95

before the great day when God shall judge us.
We may here apply the words of the apostle :
if we judge ourselves by a holy use of confes
sion and examination of conscience, we shall
not be judged by God and we shall find mercy
before His tribunal.

CHAPTER XIIL

HOLY COMMUNION.

Qui manducat meant camem, et bibit meum sanguinem, in me
manet, et ego in illo (He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my
blood abideth in me, and I in him). JOHN vi. 57.

HE most sublime, or rather the most
divine, act a Christian can accomplish
on earth is Holy Communion, or the
reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ at the table of the Eucharist. The Sa
viour in His ineffable love invites thither all the
faithful, rich and poor; and we respond to His
most ardent desires when we frequently ap
proach His Holy Table with the requisite dis
positions. But, alas! how many Christians
withdraw from it. And those who do draw
near, do they always come with the fervor and
piety which these mysteries require ? Ah ! if
all hearts do not sigh after the happiness of
Communion, if too frequently we communicate
without the most intimate devotion, it is be
cause we do not sufficiently understand what
Holy Communion is.

Let us endeavor to comprehend more and

HOLY COMMUNION. 97

more the excellence and fruits of this mys
tery, as well as the manner of worthily par
ticipating in it.

I. Excellence. What is Communion ? It is
the divine banquet, the visit of Jesus Christ,
the ineffable union of the Incarnate Word with
the Christian soul.

ist. The banquet of which we speak is indi
cated by this passage of the Gospel: A attain
man made a great supper, and invited many (Luke
xiv. 16). This man, this father of a family, is
no other than the Man-God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is at the same time our King and
our Father. He prepared this great banquet
the eve of His Passion, at the Last Supper,
when, instituting the divine Eucharist, He dis
tributed it to His disciples, saying: Take ye and
eat. . . Drink ye all of this. . . . Do this for a
commemoration of me. From that day the Eu-
charistic table has been established in every
country of the world ; wherever there are
Christians, there is a Holy Table at which they
assemble, as the children of one family at the
table of their Father. This mysterious Table
remains prepared through all centuries; the
faithful and saints of all ages successively fi e-
quent it. Contemplating it, we can say : Be
hold the Holy Table at which were nourished
the apostles and the first disciples of our Sa
viour, and after them the Gregories, the Leos,

98 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

the Basils, the Augustines, the Ambroses, and
all our Fathers in the faith ; to which will come
future generations until the consummation of

ages.

The guests invited are all the faithful. Come tj
me, says our Saviour, all you tliat labor and arc bur
dened. He invites all, rich and poor, because
He is the Father of all, and a father nourishes
all his children. He invites all, the just and
sinners- -yes, the sinners are also called, not
that in a state of mortal sin they can eat the
bread of life, but they are called to make them
selves worthy to partake of it by being purified
from their sins. What goodness on the part of
the Lord our God to thus invite to His table
the poorest and humblest of His servants !

And what is the food served at this banquet ?
It is the divine Body of Jesus Christ, His ado
rable flesh and precious Blood. If living beings
are universally subject to the law of nutrition,
if nature imposes upon all the necessity of food,
it has also prepared nourishment suited to each
one. Parents are careful to procure it for their
children in proportion to their age and condi
tion The food of the poor is not that of the
rich, and the children of the king are royally
nourished. What, then, shall be tire food of
the children of God ? Should it not be divine?
Should it not be bread from heaven, the bread
of the angels, the true bread of the children of

HOLY COMMUNION. 99

God vere panis filiorum ? Behold how Com
munion is a divine banquet. It is also the visit
of Jesus Christ.

Holy Communion is the visit of Jesus Christ
to the faithful soul. What condescension on
His part ! And what happiness for us to receive
the visit of the King of kings! It is related
that a king deigned one day to enter a poor cot
tage and seat himself in the midst of his hum
blest subjects; and great was the happiness
of the poor people. But is not Jesus Christ
more than a king? During His mortal life He
was pleased to enter the house of a centurion
to heal his servant; He deigned to lodge with
Zachary, filling his heart with joy and sancti
fying him and all his family. . . . Let us not
envy the centurion or Zachary the favors they
received, for a similar, even greater, favor is
granted us. . . .

Ah ! if the visit of a physician consoles the
sick, if the visit of the rich rejoices the poor, if
the visit of Mary filled the house of Elizabeth
with grace, what will not the visit of Jesus
Christ effect in the soul which receives Him in
the Holy Eucharist?

Holy Communion is the union of Jesus Christ
with the Christian soul. Food which is assimi
lated with our substance is a figure of the
union which is established between Jesus Christ
and the communicant.

ioo SODALITY DIRECT OF S AT AN UAL.

How shall we express this ineffable union?
Must we compare it to the embrace of a child
and its mother? to the embrace of the father
falling on the neck of his prodigal son? to that
of Jesus Himself embracing- little children ?
Yes, it is an embrace, but more than an em
brace : He tJiat eateth my flesh and drinketh my
blood abidetJi in me, and I in him. Ah ! it is the
union of the branch and the vine ; the branch is
in the vine, being there implanted, and the vine
is in the branch through its vivifying influence.
In like manner and more intimately does Je
sus Christ unite Himself with the soul in Holy
Communion to fill it with His life and fruitful-
ness.

All this gives us some idea of the inexpres
sible excellence of Holy Communion. Let us
see what are its fruits.

II. Fruits The fruits of Holv Communion

^

may be reduced to the three following: an in
crease of the spiritual life, growth in virtues, the
transformation of the Christian into Christ,
ist. The life of sanctifying grace which the
communicant brings from the Holy Table is
susceptible of increase, and its vigor, when
weakened, may be restored, just as corporal
vigor is restored by the virtue of ordinary
bread. Look at a traveller exhausted bv fa
tigue and hunger; as soon as he receives nou
rishment he revives, his strength is renewed.

HOL Y C "MM UNION. i o I

Jonathan, pressed by hunger, dipped the end of
the rod he held in his hand in a honeycomb,
and, putting it in his mouth, his eyes were en-
1 ightened- -illn minati sunt oculi ejus (i Kings xiv.
27) ; thus the dying flame of a lamp revives
when fed with oil. Elias the prophet, flying
from before the face of Jezabel, was extended
upon the ground with weariness and fatigue
when an angel brought him bread to nourish
him. And he arose, says the Scripture, and
walked in the strength of that food to the
mount of God, Horeb. These are so many
figures of that increase of life, of that restoration
of spiritual strength, effected in the soul by the
food of the Holy Eucharist.

While strengthening the life of grace in us,
Holy Communion gives us also a pledge of
future glory and a glorious resurrection.

2cl. Growth in virtue. Holy Communion is
to the soul what an abundant dew is to a gar
den : it causes the flowers of all virtues to spring
therein. But there are two to which it gives a
special growth- -charity and chastitv.

It. is not without reason that the Holy Eucha
rist has been called the sacrament of love and
charity ; for the Saviour has therein shown us
the excess of His love by giving Himself to us
as the food of our souls. He is h^re all love,
wholly inflamed with charity ; and, uniting
Himself with us, He necessarily communicates

102 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

to us a portion of His divine ardor to love God
with our whole heart, and our neighbor as our
selves. If St. Lawrence laughed in the midst
of the flames which consumed his flesh it was
because he was filled with the victorious fire of
divine love, the fruit of Holy Communion, of
which he was the dispenser.

Holy Communion communicates to souls the
gift of chastity. Holy Scripture calls it bread
of angels, wheat of the elect, wine which mak-
eth virgins. And could the wholly virginal
flesh of Jesus Christ be united to our flesh with
out communicating to it the germ of virginity?
God deigned one day to show this admirable
effect of the Eucharist to one of His servants,
who saw a ladder of gold resting on the Eucha-
ristic Table and reaching to heaven ; beside the
golden ladder was a lily of dazzling whiteness,
the roots of which were buried in the bread of
the elect and in the chalice which maketh vir
gins.

3d. The third fruit of Holy Communion is the
transformation of the Christian into Jesus Christ.
The bread which you eat, says St. Augustine,
is changed into your substance ; but the spiri
tual bread, which is no other than Jesus Christ,
changes you into Him. As iron plunged into a
furnace partakes of the nature of fire, becoming
ardent and wholly inflamed with heat, so our soul,
plunged into Jesus Christ by means of Holy

HOLY COMMUXION. 103

Communion, and penetrated with His Spirit,
is in a measure transformed into Him : the
thoughts of Jesus Christ become our thoughts,
His sentiments become our sentiments, His
words our words, His actions our actions, and
we may say with St. Paul : / live, noiv not I :
but Christ liveth in me (Gal. ii. 20). Behold the
fruits of Holy Communion. Now, the more
devoutly we receive this divine food the more
fully we reap these blessed fruits.

III. Practice. The practice or holy use of
Communion according to the intentions of the
divine Master means a frequent use preceded
by preparation and followed by thanksgiving.

ist. A frequent use. It is spiritual food which
we receive in Holy Communion, and, like cor
poral food, it will not suffice to take it once- -we
must frequently nourish our soul with it. The
desire of Jesus Christ, manifested by the organ
of His Church, is that the faithful frequently
approach the Holy Table--that is, several times
a year, once a month, every week, or often er
still, according as each one finds best and his
confessor approves.

2d. Preparation. Remote preparation con
sists in purifying one s heart from all mortal sin,
and even from venial sin as much as possible.
The proximate preparation is made in church
by exciting one s self to fervor with the acts
of faith, contrition, confidence, and love acts

104 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

which can be made in the heart or from a
book.

3d. Thanksgiving. When we receive Holy
Communion we must remain at least a quarter
of an hour in church to speak to the divine Host,
whom we have the happiness of possessing, and
to pour forth our prayers at His feet. What
have we not to ask Him for ourselves and for
others! . . .

This is what is called thanksgiving after Holy
Communion. But gratitude for such a benefit
must extend still further. The Christian who
has drawn near to the Holy Table can never
forget the ineffable favor he has received from
Jesus Christ, nor cease to remember that he
has been wholly sanctified, body and soul, by
the flesh and blood of the Man-God. This re
membrance will help to preserve from all stain
and all profanation his thoughts, his affections,
his eyes, his tongue, all his Senses, his body, and
his soul, to which Jesus Christ has deigned to
unite Himself in so intimate a manner.

Behold the treasure we possess in Holy Com
munion. Let us ask God, through the interces
sion of Mary, the grace to constantly draw from
it the life, the strength, the consolation of our
souls.

CHAPTER XIV.

*

ANNUAL RETREAT.

Ducam earn in solittidinem, et loquar ad cor ejus (I will lead
her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart).
OSEE ii. 14.

MONG the great means of living a Chris
tian life there is one of which we have
not yet spoken, and which is no less
efficacious : I mean an annual retreat. This will
appear neither a strange nor an impracticable
thing to any one when he shall have understood
the explanation we are about to give.

A spiritual retreat is nothing but the period
of a few days consecrated solely to the affair of
our salvation and the great interests of our soul.
In colleges and other educational houses there
is an annual retreat ; many sodalities also have
their retreat every year; even parishes from
time to time have a retreat, which then takes
the name of mission. It is one of the greatest
graces granted the faithful ; and we may say
that those who profit by it cannot fail to be fer
vent Christians.

To appreciate this grace, and dispose our-

105

io6 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

selves to make a worthy use of this great means
of salvation, let us consider, I. The advantages
of a retreat; II. The manner of following with
profit the pious exercises.

I. Advantages of a retreat. The advantages
and fruits of a retreat are a clear view of truth,
a renewal of the spirit, peace of conscience, a
pledge of happiness, a holy preparation for
death.

ist. A clear view of truth. Man needs to re
flect on the affairs of his soul and on his eternal
destiny. What is there more important? If he
attaches so much value to his body, which is
mortal, and to his temporal fortune, which death
will take from him, should he not do infinitely
more in the case of his soul, which is immortal,
and his salvation, which must be his fortune in
eternity? Now, in the midst of the turmoil of
affairs and daily dissipations men ihink only of
the objects which strike the senses; they forget
completely the things of the spirit and fall into
deplorable neglect of their salvation. Their
soul, according to the expression of the pro
phet, is like a land ravaged by the enemy : All
tke land is made desolate because tliere is none that
considereth in tke heart (Jer. xii. 1 1). What would
you say of a traveller who, going through an
unknown country, would choose the most agree
able path without knowing whither it would
bring him? Instead of going blindly on his

ANNUAL RE TREA T. 107

way must he not know the country, should
he not ascend the nearest height and from its
summit survey the different routes which lead,
some to an abyss, and others to his country?
This traveller is man journeying through the
desert of this world to reach his eternal destiny.
Can he proceed blindly and at hazard ? Should
he not pause to consider his way amidst the
thousand paths of this life? It is necessary,
then, that he ascend the mountain- -that is,
draw near to God by reflection and solitude ;
there lie will see where he is, he will hear the
voice of truth, which is that of God, speaking
to his heart : / will lead her into the wilderness,
and I will speak to her heart.

O holy cells of the anchorites, holy caves
of the Thebaid, of Tabena, of Nitria ; obscure
grotto of Mount Pilgrim, which concealed an
illustrious princess; wild grotto of Manresa,
which sheltered a valiant captain, with what
pure light I behold ye flooded! But without
going to the forest of the Thebaid we find this
luminous solitude in the exercises of a retreat.

II. A renewal of spirit. All, even the most
fervent, among us need to renew our spirit, ac
cording to the words of the apostle : Be renewed
m the spirit of your mind (Eph. iv. 23) that is,
reanimate, renew your fervor, revive your spi
ritual forces, repair your losses in virtue.

Alas ! virtue also is subject to decadence, like

io8 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

all human things; and if it is necessary at the
end of a certain time to restore an edifice, to
refit a ship, to repair machinery, to renew pro
visions, it is no less necessary to renew from
time to time the virtues, the operations, and all
the resources of our souls. Without this pre
caution we cannot avoid falling into decadence,
into the sleep of tepidity, and perhaps even
that of death.

III. Peace of conscience. There is no hap
piness possible without peace of conscience.
Interior trouble has two degrees, that of mor
tal sin and that of tepidity. . . . Whatever our
state, we should say: I wish to tranquillize my
conscience once for all, and bind myself to the
divine law like a good Christian. I wish that
my conscience should render me the sweet
testimony that I am reconciled to God and
heartily vowed to His service. Then I shall
rest in peace without fearing the surprise of
death.

IV. A pledge of happiness. Would you be
happy ? Ah ! who would not ? Happiness is
the natural and invincible aspiration of every
human being. Then if you would be happy
there is no better way than to make a good
retreat. For happiness does not consist in
riches or exterior enjoyments, but in fear of
the Lord, as the words of the Holy Spirit re
peatedly tell us : Blessed is tJic man that feareth

ANNUAL RETREAT. - 109

the Lord (Ps. cxi. i). Now, a retreat establishes
the soul in this blessed fear like an edifice upon
its foundations. Then would you be happy
you particularly, young men and women ?
Would you have a pledge of an honorable
and happy career? Make a good retreat and
you will lay the foundation of a fine fu
ture. ...

V. Preparation for death. In obedience to
the advice of the divine Master we must pre
pare ourselves for death, that we may be al
ways ready ; it behooves us, then, to make a
preparation, at least from time to time. To
this end there is no time better fitted than
that of a retreat. Then it is easy to regulate
one s accounts with God ; while under other
circumstances, particularly at a time of sick
ness, it is difficult, and frequently impossible.
Therefore ought we not profit by a retreat
for an action so important? We should, par
ticularly as every retreat may be for those
who begin it the last of their life. Each one
should say to himself at the beginning : This
retreat may be my last : I desire to make it in
a spirit of preparation for death.

In this way the retreat will be for all a true
preparation for death, proximate for some, re
mote for others.

Such are the principal advantages of a spir
itual retreat; they show us that it is an excep-

I TO SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tional, inestimable grace which we cannot suf
ficiently desire.

Practice. To fully reap the fruits of a re
treat we should follow the exercises with as
siduity, earnestness, and prayer.

Assiduity sometimes exacts sacrifices; there
are inconveniences and obstacles to overcome ;
we must foresee them, forestall them, or over
come them with a generous heart, remembering
it is for God and our soul. Would we not do
it for corporal interests ? . . .

Earnestness consists in giving ourselves ex
clusively to the exercises, setting aside every
thing which is not absolutely necessary, listen
ing attentively to the sermons, reflecting upon
them as they specially apply to our needs, that
we may be penetrated with them, and noting
points which particularly impress us, that we
may preserve them.

Prayer. We must pray a great deal to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, to the Blessed Virgin,
say the rosary, assist at Mass, make the road
of the cross. It is well also, at times, to ex
amine our conscience in preparation for con
fession.

Thus we will reap the fruits of a retreat in
all their fulness, and find therein a pledge of
salvation and a source of all blessings.

CHAPTER XV.

THE PASSIONS NECESSITY OF CONQUERING

THEM.

Spiritu ambulate, et desidcria carnis non perficictis (Walk in
the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh) -
GALAT. v. 16.

MONG the numerous shoals which vir
tue encounters there are none more
dangerous than unconquered passions.
The sad shipwrecks which daily precipitate
souls into sin and hell are commonly caused
by a fatal passion which has become mistress
of the heart.

The passions or disorderly desires of the
flesh and the senses unceasingly strive to
possess the heart of man; and once they at
tain it they lead it into sin, and, through sin,
to eternal perdition.

It is an intestine war, an interior rebellion in
man ; it is the revolt of the flesh against the
spirit, the slave against the master- -a revolt
which began on the day of our first parents
sin.

Before sin man possessed a tranquil empire
over his heart. Not that he was without pas-

1 1 2 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

sions, but his passions were not rebellious ; they
were submissive to reason, as reason itself was
to God. Such was the effect of the order es
tablished by the Creator. Ine empire of the
human heart belongs to reason ; it should reign
as king and command the flesh, the senses, and
all the passions. The senses and the passions
should obey reason, as reason, in its turn, should
obey God. This beautiful order observed, all is
harmony and peace ; this order disturbed, all is
confusion, war, and disorder. Behold what fol
lowed the disobedience of our first parents : the
passions revolted against reason ; pride, avarice,
sensuality, all bad instincts rose to invade the
human heart and reduce it to slavery. This
rebellion of the passions is the inheritance of
all the descendants of Adam.

In this intestine war men are divided into
two great classes : one class resist, the other
yield ; one conquer their passions, the other
bend beneath their yoke.

Facing the same alternative, in the midst of
the same struggle, what, brethren, shall we do?
Shall we be conquerors or conquered ? mas
ters or slaves of our passions ? We must de
cide promptly. Before enemies so vigilant and
active there is no hesitating, under pain of be
ing surprised by them and subjected to their
yoke.

In order to act with wisdom and prudence

THE PA SSIONS. 1 1 3

.

in this grave situation let us examine two ques
tions: i st. Why must we conquer our pas
sions ? 2d. What are the proper means of
conquering them ?

Why must we conquer our passions?

ist. Because we are men and not vile animals.
The latter, deprived of reason, obey the grosser
instincts of their senses, the movements of which
are but passions ; these are the natural guides
of animals. Not so with man. Created to the
image of God, he has received for his guidance
the light of reason, sublime participation of the
divine intelligence. It is this, and not instinct,
blind passion, which must direct his steps here
below.

For what further reason should man conquer
his passions? Because unconquered passions
destroy his happiness ; they reduce him to sla
very, they debase him, they bring him into the
greatest misery in this life and the next.

Do not the passions reduce man to slavery ?
Do they not take away his liberty by subjecting
him to tHeir caprices and tyranny ? Once ambi
tion, cowardly human respect, cupidity, sensu
ality take possession of a heart, they command
as masters and man must obey. Passion cries,
Pleasures ! I must have pleasures. But the plea
sures you ask, man pleads, my reason, my con
science, my God forbid. No matter, replies
the tyrant ; neither reason, conscience, nor God

1 14 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

rules here. I command. . . . And man, be
come a slave, submits to the exactions of his
tyrant. More pleasures, repeats Passion- -plea
sures, amusements, books, conversations, gay so
ciety. But these books, these conversations, this
society, my conscience, my reason, my God for
bid me them. No matter, replies the tyrant; I
exact them: I am master .... And man, reduced
to a slave, bends under the yoke of his tyrant.
This is not all; Passion is not satisfied ; its insa
tiable avidity claims new food. But I cannot
meet these expenses. I have no more resources,
my fortune is exhausted, my reputation is gone,
even my health is compromised ; these excesses
have engendered consumption and death in my
breast. No matter, replies the tyrant ; pleasures,
pleasures at any price--at the price of thy for
tune, thy honor, even thy life. . . . And man,
degraded, bends under this yoke and wears
these shameful chains to the tomb.

Behold the sad slavery of those who do not
conquer their passions! Were they clothed in
purple and masters of the world, if they are
not masters of their hearts they drag under a
brilliant exterior the chains of the hardest servi
tude.

I go further : they are more degraded than
slaves. A slave is always a man, but those who
obey their passions descend to the rank of the
vilest animals.

THE PASSIONS. 115

What is it distinguishes man from unreason
ing animals ? It is not only that animals walk
bending towards the earth, while man walks
erect, his brow nobly raised towards heaven ;
no, that is only an exterior difference. The true
difference is that animals are made for the earth
and for the coarse food which corresponds
to the appetites of their senses, while man,
made for God and heavenly beatitude, must as
pire to this sublime destiny by practising good
according to the light of reason and faith. If
he close his eyes to this double light, if to obey
his appetites and his senses he abandon the
path of virtue, he abdicates his dignity of child
of God ; and though he still walk erect, his
brow raised toward heaven, he no less follows
the low herd of beings who bend toward the
earth. Man when he was in honor did not under
stand : he hath been compared to senseless beasts,
and is become like to them (Ps. xlviii. 21).

This is not all. , Not only do the passions
reduce men to the level of beasts, but they
make them a thousand times more miserable.
An animal finds his happiness in gratifying the
appetites of his senses, because he is made to
enjoy this sort of pleasures. Man, on the con
trary, who, instead of repressing his sensual in
stincts, seeks to satisfy them, reaps only disap
pointment, misery, and ruin.

Consider the wretched beings in this world,

1 16 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

look at the bottom of their misery, and you
will discover a passion.

There are hearts racked by remorse ; they
have no rest day or night. Is it not a passion
which has plunged them into sin the principle
of their remorse ?

There are hearts corroded by hatred ; enmity
and vengeance poison their days. Is not their
tormentor a passion ?

There are unhappy hearts bound by matri
monial ties, existences vowed to a life of sorrow.
Is it not a passion which has thrust them into
this abyss ?

There are unhappy families where there is
neither respect, nor love, nor union. What is
the cause? Is it not a passion? . . .

There are families ruined, groaning in misery.
What is frequently the cause ? Ambition, luxu
ry, or some other passion.

Happy for the victims of passion if their
woes were confined to this life ! But, alas !
most frequently from one abyss they fall into
another- -from temporal misery into eternal.

What, in fact, is the cause of all the sin which
abounds in the world- -injustice, impiety, in
famy? What is the source of this impure tor
rent? Is it not a guilty passion? What is it
precipitates so many unfortunate beings into
hell ? Is it not always a passion ? What causes
souls to abandon the path of virtue ? Is it not

THE PASSIONS. 117

usually the same cause ? How many young per
sons begin by walking in the path of innocence,
and, reaching a. certain age, throw off the yoke
of Christ and cast themselves into the path of
perdition! It is a passion which carries them
away- -an unconquered passion. Solomon, the
wisest of men, blinded "by a guilty passion, left
the path of virtue and fell into the greatest dis
orders. What lost Judas? A passion- -the pas
sion of avarice. What in our own day is the
ruin of thousands of souls ? Always passion.
Ah ! if hell were open before us, and we were
permitted to ask the unhappy reprobates the
cause of their perdition, all, or nearly all, would
answer : That which caused my ruin, my eter
nal ruin, was a passion ; with me it was pride,
with me it was hatred, with me it was cupidity,
with me it was indolence which prevented me
from fulfilling my Christian duties, with me it
was human respect, with me it was lust- -yes, an
unconquered passion was the cause of our ruin.

Ah ! my brethren, no one among us, I hope,
through the mercy of God and the intercession
of His Blessed Mother, will be among the re
probates ; but if, however, any of us should
have the misfortune to wander from the right
path and end in perdition, that which shall
precipitate him into the abyss will be a passion
which has become mistress of his heart.

Such are the fatal effects of passions when

1 1 8 . SODALIJ^Y DIRECT: FS MANUAL.

not controlled by the restraints of reason.
Cost what it may, must we not avoid these
misfortunes ? Let us devote ourselves, then,
with courage to repressing our disorderly ap
petites ; let our inviolable rule be, Not what
is pleasant, but what is right; not what my
passion demands, but what my conscience and
my duty commands.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PASSIONS HAPPINESS OF THE MAN WHO

IS MASTER OF THEM.

Melior est patiens viro forti ; et qui dominatur animo suo, eor-
pugnatore urbium (The patient man is better than the valiant,
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh cities). PROV.
xvi. 32.

F he is considered a great king who de
livers his people from the yoke of an
usurper, if he is happy to have chained
the tyrant and restored peace to his country,
greater and happier is the Christian who con
quers the tyrants of his heart and chains his
passions.

He who conquers himself, says a venerable au-
thor, possesses the greatest peace ; he sli all be mas
ter of the wo>ld, the friend of Jesus Christ, and
inheritor of heaven. This sentence of the Imita
tion of Christ retracing the noble image of man,
master of his passions, indicates the principal
traits of his happiness. Let us make them evi
dent by saying that he who conquers himself
will enjoy great peace, will advance in the path
of virtue, will be powerful in works, will merit
the love of God and men.

120 SJDALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

i

ist. Peace. Men are troubled and shaken not
only by remorse of conscience but also by the
passions and desires of their hearts. Their im
moderate desires torment them like a cruel
thirst, and it has been truly said that man s
desires are his executioners. The passions dis
turb and shake the soul to its depth ; like the
furious winds of the sea, they excite storms and
tempests in the heart. Chain these winds, re
press these desires, and the soul becomes calm
and serene.

This serenity of the soul is singularly favo
rable to the operations of the mind and heart.
Those who enjoy it will apply themselves with
as much facility as success to the study of the
sciences, and particularly to the noble and holy
exercise of prayer. Their mind, free from agi
tation, resembles a tranquil stream; it is a mir
ror in which is reflected the radiant image of
the Sun of Justice.

It is important, however, to remark well that
if the calm of the passions procures the soul a
sweet peace it does not dispense it from vigi
lance. This peace should be an armed peace,
for the passions are not dead but dormant,
chained. They may awaken, and, if we rest in
an imprudent confidence, revolt and break their
chains. To prevent this misfortune we must
persevere in vigilance and prayer : Watch ye, and

ay y says the Saviour, that ye enter not into temp-

THE PASSIONS. 121

taiion. The spir it indec d is willing, but the flesh is
weak (Matt. xxvi. 41).

2d. Advancement in virtue. Our evil incli
nations are obstacles to virtue, but obstacles
which, when conquered, change into means.
The most violent passions once bridled become
docile steeds, powerful auxiliaries for sanctity.

Consider the saints those model men who
shine like lights in the world ; examine their
lives, and you will see that all triumphed over
their perverse inclinations ; their conquered pas
sions became so many wings which raised them
so high. How, in fact, did they acquire this
admirable humility, gentleness, patience, chari
ty? Was it not by combating, by repressing
the opposite vices and passions? Yes, the hu
mility which you admire in the saints is con
quered p ide; gentleness is conquered anger;
patience, conquered sensuality; charity, con
quered selfishness. All the saints became true
disciples of Jesus Christ for having thrown off
the old man, as the apostle says- -that is, for hav
ing subjected their passions to the yoke of rea
son and the divine will

3d. Powerful in works. The man who con
quers himself will do great things for the glory
of God and the good of his fellow-men. In the
combat with his rebellious passions he has exer
cised and strengthened his will ; he has so tem
pered his soul that it resists all obstacles. It is

122 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

such a picture which prompted a pagan to say :
TJie man W^ knows Jiow to conquer his heart, con
trol the transports of Iiis anger, raise a fallen ene
my and load him with benefits the man who can
do these tilings is not only equal to the greatest men
but superior to humanity* Moreover, God, to
whom he submits all the desires of his soul, will
bless his works with a benediction which is a
pledge of all success.

Hence those grand works which we admire
in a Vincent of Paul, a Francis of Sales, an Ig
natius, a Francis Xavier, without mentioning a
multitude of other generous souls whom we be
hold before us.

4th. He shall merit the love of God and men.
Wan, master of his passions, becomes gentle,
moderate, charitable. Is more needed to make
us loved by God and men? The passionate
man is not loved ; he is feared, detested, for he
creates disorder everywhere. Like an animal
which uproots a garden to find a few herbs
which it seeks, he overturns everything to satis
fy a caprice. Be not as a lion in tJiy house, says
the Scripture, terrifying tlicm of thy household^
and oppressing tJiem that are under tJice (Ecclus. iv.
35). As passion will not reason and is deaf to
remonstrance, the man who allows it to govern
him offends everybody, wounds his best friends.

* Cicero, Pro Mar cello.

THE PASSIONS. 123

If he enters society quarrels and disturbances
enter with him.

Wherever, on the contrary, the calm and self-
contained man presents himself we behold peace
and tranquillity established, because moderation
induces kindliness, gentleness takes possession
of hearts. Blessed are the meek, says our Saviour,
for they shall possess the land : they shall possess
the land, because they possess all hearts. Holy
Scripture calls Moses the meekest of men, and
adds that he zvas beloved of God and men (Ecclus.
xlv. i). St. Francis of Sales was the most ami
able man of his time, because he was the most
calm and the most gentle. St. Francis Xavier,
by force of mortifying his passions, acquired such
a perfect control over himself, and such winning
cordiality and sweetness of manner, that a Japa
nese king said he wished to be a Christian, that
he might have the happiness of enjoying in
paradise the society of a man so gentle.

Add to so many advantages the enjoyment of
true liberty. He who frees himself from the
yoke of his passions to obey the Spirit of Jesus
Christ enjoys the liberty of the children of
God, for the apostle tells us : Whosover are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God
(Rom. viii 14). O incomparable dignity and
happiness of men transformed into the children
of God ! Oh ! sweet is their liberty- -liberty of
a heart freed from the passions ; true liberty,

1 24 SO DA LIT Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

which no power can chain and which is pre
served even in the midst of chains ; liberty
which depends upon nothing" in this world save
God; which fears nothing in this world save
God and offence against God ; liberty full of
peace and grandeur, a sort of royalty of grace,
admirable anticipation of the royalty of glory
which must follow it in the life to come.

Behold the happy effects of conquered pas
sions: peace, great works, the love of God and
men, true liberty in this life, a pledge of eternal
happiness in the next. Is not such happiness,
my brethren, worthy of our ambition? Does it
not merit to be purchased with generous ef
forts? Shall we not willingly sustain the noble
struggle against our passions to reap such a
precious victory ?

CHAPTER XVII.

THE PASSIONS MEANS OF CONQUERING THEM.

Spiritu ambulate, et desideria carnis non perficietis (Walk in
the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh).
GALAT. v. 16.

OVVEVER little we reflect upon what
passes in the world, we see clearly that
the unhappiness of men, of families,
and of states arises from unconquered passions;
and man, to secure his happiness, must bridle
his passions, mortify them according to the
teaching of the Gospel.

But is not this very difficult? Is it possible
for me to succeed in mastering my rebellious
nature ? I answer that it is not only possible
for you, but that you are sure to succeed if you
employ the proper means. I acknowledge it
requires courage, but the difficulties diminish
once we employ the proper means.

I. The first means of overcoming one s pas
sions is to change their object. A skilful pilot
makes use of every wind to speed him on his
course, because he knows how to skilfully set
his sail. Do the same. Instead of a temporal

125

126 SODALITY DIRECT^ RS MANUAL.

object present your passions an eternal object.
You love pleasures ; this passion, fed with earth
ly and culpable pleasures, would be your ruin ;
but present it the pure pleasures of piety, that
hidden manna which contains all sweetness ;
seek the torrents of delight which God pro
mises you in heaven ; fix your eyes upon the
ineffable joys of the elect, attach your heart to
them, and soon the frivolous joys of earth will
become to you insipid arid wearisome.

You love beauty? Alas! earthly beauty is an
ephemeral flower destined to fall into dust at
the breath of death. Fix your eyes upon the
beauties of the house of God ; upon the beau
ty of Jesus Christ, the most beautiful of the
sons of men ; upon the beauty of a soul in the
state of grace- -a beauty which enraptures the
angels, which enraptures the heart of God
Himself. Open your heart to these beauties,
truly worthy of your love and your desires
beauties which neither time nor death can mar.

You love riches ? Then amass riches and
treasures, but in heaven, where neither the rust
nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do

not break through nor steal.

jj

You love glory ? An immortal glory is of
fered you ; give free scope to your ambition,
aspire to the highest rank in the kingdom of
God, in the kingdom of the King of kings.

Behold objects worthy of your desires and

THE PASS ON S. 127

your passions ! Behold the true riches which
you must covet and pursue ! Then raise your
eyes and heart higher than these worldly joys.
O ye sons of men, says the prophet, ho^v long wi//
you be dull of heart ? Why do you love vanity and
seek after lying? (Ps. iv. 3).

It was by changing the object of their affec
tions that the saints so quickly mastered their
hearts. St. Francis Xavier was consumed with
ambition ; he pined for glorj^ and renown. A
ray of light from on high showed him that
earthly glory passes like a shadow ; that if he
desired true glory he must give himself to God
and consecrate his talents to the King of kings.
This light struck his mind, and, docile to the
movement of grace, he consecrated himself
from that moment to the glory of God and the
salvation of souls with the same passion that
he had formerly sought earthly renown. And
thanks to this ardor, which was that of the
purest zeal, he won for himself a glory which
shall never end.

II. The second means of conquering our pas
sions-is to combat them face to face. There are
times when one must take his heart in his hands
and violently constrain and master it as one
Avould master an unruly steed. There are inju
ries which gall the heart and make the blood
boil in one s veins, there are moments when
sorrow and suffering overwhelm the soul, when

128 SOD LITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

pride or wounded self-love rises with what seems
an indomitable strength. How, then, is one to
maintain himself in humility, in charity, in
Christian patience? . . . How is one to con
quer these efforts of passion save by a more
powerful effort of will, of a will fortified by
grace? This strength you will draw from the
bosom of God by turning your eyes towards
Jesus Christ, your model, and towards His holy
image. Our Saviour one day reproached one
of His servants that she did not overcome all
the movements of her heart. What would you,
Lord ? she answered ; my will is stronger than
myself. Place it in the wound of my Heart, and
you will there find strength to overcome your
self. She followed the advice of the divine
Master, had recourse to His Heart, and tri
umphed over all her repugnances.

III. A third means is to direct one s efforts
against what is called the predominate passion.
When David had killed Goliath, the dreaded
chief of the Philistines, all the army of the
enemy scattered. Among our passions there is
usually a chief one, which we may call the Go
liath of our heart. Sometimes it is ang-er, some-

i>

times pride, sometimes sensuality. Whatever
it may be, we must attack and uproot it first,
after which we shall overcome the others with
out difficulty.

IV. The fourth and last means, that which

THE PASSIONS. 129

sums up all the others, is the constant practice
of examination of conscience. St. Ignatius says
that this practice faithfully observed is sufficient
of itself to free the heart in a few years from
the empire of the most tyrannical passions.

Such are the means for conquering the pas
sions. If it costs at times to employ them, does
not the victory they win us merit the greatest
sacrifices? Ah! does not the conquest of the
sweetest liberty, the conquest of a kingdom- -the
kingdom of heaven- -merit the devotion of all
our energies and courage?

No, you should say, if others in their cow
ardice allow themselves to be subjugated by
earthly amusements, I will never allow myself
to be the slave of my senses. Like the saints,
like all noble hearts, I will combat. At the
hour of my death I desire to be able to say with
the apostle : / have fougJit a good fight, I have
finished my course , I have kept the faith. There
is laid up for me a cro^vn of justice, which the
Lord the just judge will render to me (2 Tim.

\

IV.)

CHAPTER XVIII.

SPIRITUAL COMBAT.

c&lorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud (The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it
away). MATT. xi. 12.

HESE words reveal spiritual combat-
the combat which every Christian
must maintain to enter into possession
of the heavenly kingdom. Heaven, beautiful
heaven, was purchased tor us by the precious
blood of Jesus Christ, and all men are called
there, all can enter there ; yet all do not enter,
for the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and
tJie vi lent--i\\Q courageous souls bear it away.
It is a kingdom to be conquered, and it must be
conquered at the price of courage and combat.
He that striveth for the mastery is not crowned
except he strive lawfully (2 Tim. ii. 5). What,
then, is this spiritual combat ? What are the
enemies we must combat, and how must we
bear off the victory ?

I. Enemies. The spiritual combat of which
we speak consists in triumphing over the ene
mies of our soul, which are three in ntimber-

the world, the flesh, and the devil.

130

SPIRITUAL COMBAT, 131

The devil, the spirit of darkness and error,
particularly attacks our mind and our faith,
which is true light. He seeks to obscure it by
leading us to neglect Christian instruction and
pious meditations. He goes further: he seeks
to corrupt our faith by insinuating fatal errors
therein, that he may, if possible, rob us of it en
tirely. To attain this end he unceasingly in
vents numberless errors, which he veils under
theories of every form ; and to spread them he
makes use of a double instrument, which, alas!
effects his purpose only too well--a railing and
impious press, and conversations which are its
echo. Behold the first enemy of our soul- -the
devil !

The second is the world, the devil s great
auxiliary. The world makes the most of the
weakness of the human heart and endeavors to
beguile and intimidate it. It beguiles it with
amusements, theatres, dangerous companions,
flattery, applause, promises of fortune. And
these amusements and promises are so many
snares into which fall those who do not hold
the eternal salvation of their soul above every
thing else. It frightens timid souls with the
phantom of human respect, threatening them
with its raillery and disgrace. It alarms inte
rested souls by showing them the effects of its
vengeance in the loss of a position, injured busi
ness, etc. Behold the world and its tactics. To

132 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

overcome it we must despise its false promises
as well as its menaces, brave its persecutions,
even the most violent. They can do us no real
harm, for our Saviour tells us : Fear ye not them
that kill the body and are not able to kill tJie soul ;
but rather fear him that can destroy both soul
and body into hell (Matt. x. 28).

The third enemy is the flesh- -that is, ourselves
and our disorderly passions. We understand
by passions pride, avarice, and the other capi
tal vices of which we bear the germ within us.
They are venomous reptiles which breed in the
depths of our hearts, and which must be stifled
while they are still weak and comparatively
harmless. If we allow them to grow they will
stifle the life of our souls. They are unruly
slaves, and if we yield to their caprices they
will turn tyrants and reduce us to a bondage
which will lead us to eternal perdition. We
must conquer our passions, we must conquer
self; we must conquer generously, and early
exercise ourselves in this good combat.

But to be victorious how must we combat
these enemies? The conditions required are
courage and the use of arms.

ist. Without courage there is no victory.
He who wishes to conquer must close his
heart to all sadness, despondency, or discour
agement, and fill it with a noble ardor which
is called warlike courage. Courage is in-

SPIRITUAL COMBAT. 133

flamed at the sight of danger and by the
hope of victory.

The danger which threatens us is supreme ;
our enemies are powerful and bent upon our
eternal ruin. But feeble as we are, we can con
quer them, because the Almighty offers us His
assistance. Ah ! if God is with us who shall be
against us ? I can do all things, says the apostle,
in Him w/io strengthenetli rne. At the same time
God offers us only His assistance. He does
not dispense us from combating ourselv.es; He
wishes that we should exert all our energies,
that we should use the arms he places at our
disposition.

2d. The use of arms. Now, what are these
arms ? First, the sword of prayer, which we
must have ever in hand. Then we must cover
ourselves with a sacred buckler the buckler
of the sacraments, which we should frequent.
Finally, we must wear the helmet of salvation-
that is, faith, which we must strengthen and nour
ish by hearing the word of God and by pious
reading.

Such is the spiritual combat which we have to
sustain; such are the tactics which will secure
us victorv. And the more confidence we have

/

in the Queen of Heaven the more easy and the
more complete will be this victory. She is the
powerful Virgin; she shall overthrow our enemy,
and her virginal foot shall crush his head.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE TWO STANDARDS.

Videte, ne seducamini (Take heed you be not seduced).
LUKE xxi. 8.

HE Christian life is a combat; but to
combat well we must above all follow
the good standard and beware of al
lowing ourselves to be seduced or enrolled un
der the enemy s standard. Videte, ne seducamini.
Christ has raised His standard before the
eyes of the universe, and He invites all men to
follow it; an immortal crown shall be the price
of victory.

In that day, says Isaias, shall be the root of
Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of peoples
(Isaias xi. 10).

But before the royal standard of Christ I see
another raised ; it is the standard of Satan, the
chief of the rebel host.

For nineteen centuries these two standards
have floated over the world: on one side is
Christ, the true King of mankind, who leads
His followers to eternal life ; on the other Sa-

THE TWO STANDARDS. 135

tan, the prince of darkness, who leads his vic
tims to ruin and eternal perdition.

Obliged to choose between two chiefs so dif
ferent; does it not seem as if all men must un
hesitatingly range themselves under the banner
of Christ and fly with horror from the banner
of the tyrant who desires their ruin? Alas!
they do not act thus. I see mankind divided
into two parties : one rallies round the banner
of -Christ, the other round that of Satan, and,
stranger still, the latter faction is the more nu
merous.

Whence is this astonishing division ? Whence
is it that men are so insensate as to wish to fol
low the tyrant who leads them, to perdition?
Whence is it particularly that they are so nu
merous? What is the cause of this folly?

The answer is simple : we allow ourselves to
be seduced. Thus our Saviour has warned us,
saying : Take heed you be not seduced.

That we may not be the victims of a seduc
tion so fatal let us attentively consider and en
deavor to thoroughly understand the character
of the two standards. Let us consider both as
they are presented in our time under their form
and contemporaneous colors.

I. The standard of Christ. The standard of
Jesus Christ is no other than the cross, the
instrument of His death, the sign of salva
tion, the symbol of faith and Christian virtues.

136 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

. . . It is Christ Himself who bears this stand
ard through all ages ; He bears it by the hands
of His Church ; He bears it openly before the
universe.

Those who follow it are, first, the pope, the
bishops, and all the hierarchy of the Church ;
then all the zealous and militant laity who asso
ciate themselves with the priesthood to fight
the good fight; finally, all the faithful sin
cerely attached to their faith and their religious
duties.

Where does it lead its followers? To virtue
and true civilization in this world and eternal
happiness in the next. This is the end of all
the operations of the Church operations which
constitute the tactics of the soldiery of Christ.
At the present day, besides preaching, worship,
celebration of the divine office in temples, they
include education and schools, a good press,
the exercise of political rights, and even the
vindication of political rights. The particular
character of this spiritual strategy is determined
by the manoeuvres of our enemies; we must
baffle these manoeuvres and fight the enemy on
the ground where he attacks us.

II. Standard of Satan. It is the standard of
revolt against God and of seduction to men. It
is displayed with a splendor of gold and a thou
sand colors, parading in dazzling characters the
great words : liberty, riches, science, and grandeur.

THE TWO STANDARDS. 137

It is borne, not by the horrible Satan or Lucifer
-ho keeps himself hidden but by his minis
ters, his lieutenants, his instruments ; such are
princes, enemies of the Church, and the chiefs
of the Masonic lodges; such are also bad
magistrates, bad writers, evil professors for
youth.

Soldiers who walk under this banner are gene
rally all men who are not adherents of Christ
and who follow the side of evil.

We distinguish among them, first of all, the
declared enemies of the Church ; then those
who join them, who favor their operations or
approve of them, whether through weakness,
or interest, or indifference ; finally, bad Chris
tians who desire to freely satisfy their passions.

Where does Lucifer lead his partisans? To
eternal perdition by leading them through love
of riches and pleasures to proudly rebel against
God. The end of all his strategies and manoeu
vres is to destroy the faith in the minds of his
followers and substitute a spirit of indepen
dence, impiet} 7 , sensuality, and develop this
spirit by means of schools, the press, and popu
lar festivities opposed to religious solemnities.
Such are the means he employs.

Behold the two standards which divide man
kind into two hostile camps; behold the great
struggle, the great duel, of which our globe is
the theatre.

138 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

Which shall conquer? Shall it be Satan, the
genius of evil, or Christ, the King- of justice.
The victory is assured to Christ, and all those
who remain faithful to Him shall triumph with
Him on the day of His coming. Then the
standard of His cross shall appear glorious
above the innumerable army of the just ; the
standard of Satan shall vanish. This prince of
darkness shall be there with all his adherents,
like a rebellious chief with his vanquished army,
covered with shame and awaiting his punish
ment. Then shall be verified the words : I make
thy enemies thy footstool ( Ps. ci x . I ) .

On one side shall be Christ with the trium
phant just ; on the other the partisans of evil,
the followers of Satan, of Antichrist, confound
ed, and condemned to eternal perdition : 71iese
s hull go into everlasting punishment : but the just
into life everlasting (Matt. xxv. 46).

On which side shall you be, brethren? On
which side would you then wish to be? Ah!
doubtless you would wish to find yourself with
Jesus Christ and the elect at that supreme mo
ment. Then if you would assure yourself this
happy fate you must from this moment openly
enrol yourself under the standard of Christ ;
you must now associate yourself with His fol
lowers by a Christian life ; you must combat
in the ranks of the elect, if later you would tri
umph with the elect.

THE TWO STANDARDS. 139

O holy Virgin, them who renderest thy ser
vants invincible in combat, obtain for us the
grace not to allow ourselves to be overcome
by temptation and to never abandon the stan
dard of thy Son.

CHAPTER XX.

TEMPTATIONS.

Fill, accedens ad servitutem Dei stain justitia et timore, et pra-
para animam tuam ad tentationem (Son, when thou comest to
the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare
thy soul for temptation). ECCLUS. ii. i.

HOEVER would be a true disciple of
Jesus Christ, attain virtue, and merit
the promised reward must know, first
ot all, that he shall have temptations to endure.
Temptations are the portion of humanity on
earth, as war is the condition of the soldier
who finds himself in the enemy s country. The
Saviour Himself willed to be tempted to show
us that this kind of struggle is inevitable, and
to teach us to sustain it victoriously.

In order to faithfully practise these divine
teachings let us consider first of all what are
the causes of temptation ; then why God per
mits them ; and, finally, how we should conquer
them.

I. Causes of temptation. It is not. God who
is the cause of temptation, but the devil, the
world, the flesh, and man himself.

140

TEMP TA TIONS. 1 4 1

It is not God. The apostle St. James ex
pressly tells us that God is not a tempter of evils,
and He tempteth no man (St. James i. 13). It is
true that He tempted Abraham, according to
the expression of the sacred text, but it was a
temptation of trial, not of sin. When in the
" Our Father " we say, lead us not into temptation,
the meaning of the words is not, do not tempt
us, but do not let us yield io temptation^ help
us to overcome it.

The cause of temptation is, first of all, the
devil, who for this reason is called in Scripture
the tempter. He tempts men either by open
force or by deceiving and surprising them,
playing sometimes the lion, sometimes the in
sidious serpent. . . .

The second cause of temptation is the world,
which tempts souls by its attractions, its scan
dals, by human respect, by pleasures, riches,
ambition, even by the turmoil of business,
which causes souls to forget the great affair
of salvation. . . .

The third cause of temptation is the flesh,
the concupiscence engendered in human nature
by the sin of Adam. The flesh is a source of
temptation, a centre of sin fomes peccati.

Finally, the fourth cause of temptation is
man himself, who provokes it by idleness, by
the liberty w T hich he grants to his senses, by in
temperance, by his rashness in exposing him-

142 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

self to danger, by humoring the desires and
appetites of his sensuality. . . .

Why does God permit temptations ? To try
us, to sanctify us, to crown us.

He wishes to try us, and by means of the
trial show us what we are and what we can do.
Temptation shows each one his weakness and
the need he has of the divine assistance ; it
manifests the cowardice and the hidden vices
of their hearts; it sets forth the virtues of the
good for the edification of their neighbor. . .. .

God permits temptations to sanctify us more
and more by purifying us as gold is purified in
the furnace (Wis. iii. 6), and by exercising us
in virtue.

Solid virtue is only acquired by exercise, and
no exercise is more efficacious than that of
temptation. Power, says St. Paul, is made per
fect in infirmity (2 Cor. xii. 9). Baptism, says
the Council of Trent, does not destroy concu
piscence ; God leaves it for souls to combat.
This exercise at the same time stimulates our
fervor and prevents us from falling into the
sleep of tepidity or into a dangerous security.

Finally, God permits temptations that He
may crown us- -that is, to make us conquer
a more brilliant crown. They are, in fact, an
occasion of merit, a subject of triumph : He
that striveth for the mastery, says the apostle, is
not crowned except he strive lawfully (2 Tim. ii. 5).

TEMP TA TIONS, 1 43

Such are God s views in permitting tempta
tion. But in order to correspond to these mer
ciful views and turn temptation to the good of
our souls we must conquer them.

Manner of conquering them. To conquer
temptations there are general and particular
rules to be followed.

ist. General rules. Before temptation take
precautions, which consist in flight, vigilance,
fasting, and prayer : Prepare thy soul for tempta
tion (Ecclus. ii. i).

At the approach of temptation, and while it
endures, there must be, first, a prompt resist
ance Arrest the beginnings ; second, immovable
confidence, that you may never lose courage-
God is faithful, says the apostle ; He will not
suffer you to be tempted above that which you are
able (i Cor. x. 13); third, patience, humility,
and prayer--^/ degrees and by patience, with
longanimity, thou shalt by God s grace better over
come them tJian by harshness and thine own im
portunity (Imit. i. 13).

After temptation, if you have remained victo
rious, humble yourself, thank God, and prepare
yourself for new combats; if you have fallen,
rise again by humble repentance, and at the
same time be on your guard against a still more
fatal temptation- -I mean want of confidence,
despondency, and discouragement.

144 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

2d. Particular rules for different kinds of
temptations.

If you are tempted against faith do not be
troubled, do not reason ; be satisfied with mak
ing an act of faith, and quietly think of some
thing else.

Against hope and confidence in God. Consider
the goodness of our Saviour Jesus and the red
sea of His blood.

Against chastity. Beware of being troubled
and losing courage, as if it were impossible for
you to resist. Fly danger and watch over
your eyes. Resist at once, from the very first,
with energy and constancy ; for the salvation
of your soul is concerned. Resist with the
arms of contempt, prayer, and labor. . . .

Temptation to despondency. We must close
our heart to sadness and melancholy by recall
ing how much reason we have to rejoice in
Jesus Christ, by making use of some suitable
diversion, by having recourse to some good
and pleasant reading or to the great remedy of
prayer. Is any of you sad? says St. James. Let
him pray (Jas. v. 13).

Destroy the root of sadness, which is usually
but a secret irritation of self-love, or an unful
filled and frustrated desire, or an irregular af
fection which binds the heart to a creature.

Aridity. This kind of spiritual darkness and

TEMP TA TIONS. 145

distaste for piety will do the soul no harm if
we well understand that they do not of their
nature impede spiritual progress any more than
an overcast sky impedes the progress of a trav
eller. We must know how to distinguish sensi
ble and solid devotion, spiritual consolation and
desolation. . . .

Fear in tlie confessional. Consider Jesus
Christ in the person of the confessor. . . .
Consider the consequences of a vain timidity.
Is it not better to simply declare one s sins than
to expiate them in eternal flames? Is it not
better to discover one s weaknesses to one man
than later to have them manifested to the whole
world ?

Scruples. We must obey; blind obedience is
the only efficacious remedy for this malady of
the soul.

Such are the means which faith and experi
ence itself give us to triumph over different
kinds of temptation. By employing them with
courage and perseverance we not only shall not
yield, but we shall make the trials and combats
serve, according to God s designs, to enrich the
crown which is reserved for us in heaven.

CHAPTER XXL

DEADLY SINS.

Et vidi de man bestiam ascendentem, habentem capita septem
(I saw a beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads).
APOC. xiii. i.

N speaking- of the disorderly passions
which we have to combat we have
said that they were reduced to seven
principal ones, which are usually called the
seven capital vices or sins. They are called
capital because they are so many chiefs which
the others follow, and so many impure sources
whence the others flow.

The seven capital sins represent the whole
cortege of evil passions, a veritable infernal
army, headed by pride, the king of vices and
sins.

The seven vices spring from three great
forms of concupiscence in the human heart :
concupiscence of honors, that of pleasures, and
that of the riches of this world. These three
forms of concupiscence we find, under the
names of pride, avarice, and lust, at the head

of the other capital vices; they form three

146

DEADLY SINS. 147

branches of a cursed tree, the only root of
which is egotism, or ill regulated self-love, the
principle of all our evil inclinations.

These ill-regulated inclinations, taken collec
tively, resemble the monster of the Apocalypse
seen by St. John coming up out of the sea to
ravage the earth and outrage heaven ; it had
seven heads, which represent the seven capital
vices of which we speak.

To conquer this infernal hydra, which attacks
each of us, we must crush all its heads all,
without exception ; one spared will be suffi
cient to devour our soul. Yes, we must de
stroy all the capital sins; if one rule us it will
cause our ruin ; if we triumph over all of them
our salvation is secured.

That we may better combat them let us make
a few reflections on each in particular.

CHAPTER XXII.

PRIDE.

Superbiam nunquam in tuo sensu aut in tuo verbo dominari
permittas (Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind or in thy
words). TOB. iv. 14.

we must detest and fly all vices we
must particularly abhor pride, the
most detestable of all. Above all, no
pride, says St. Francis of Sales ; all other vices
rather than tJiat one.

What, then, is pride ? Why is this vice so
detestable? How shall we banish it from our
hearts? As an answer to these questions let
us give you an exposition of pride, with its
remedies and the motives we have for com
bating- it.

I. What is pride ? Pride, which is frequent
ly confounded with vanity and ambition, is a
tendency to raise ourselves above our merits
and our baseness. We may call it an inflation
of mind and heart which impels man to arro
gate to himself a greatness which he does not
possess. It is an inflation of the mind, for a

proud man forms a false idea of himself, ima-

148

PRIDE. 149

gining himself possessed of great qualities and
few or no faults ; believes he is justified in glo
rifying himself, while he is only dust and no
thingness, sin and weakness. An inflated heart:
the proud man aspires to a high place; he de
sires to rise above others and above his condi
tion ; he will suffer no contradiction or resist
ance. He arrogates to himself a greatness
which he does not possess. God alone is
great ; man, God s creature, is but dust and
ashes, or rather he is a sinner worthy of all
humiliation. . . .

What further is pride ? The most subtle and
insinuating of vices; it glides, unconsciously to
ourselves, into our thoughts, our words, and
sometimes into our holiest actions. . . .

II. Motives. Why must we detest and com
bat pride? ist. Because it is the vice of the
evil one, the spirit of pride, who, having dared
to liken himself to God, was cast into the eter
nal abyss ; / will exalt my tJirone above tJie stars
of God. . . . I will be like the Most High (Isaias
xiv. 13, 14). Such was Lucifer s cry, and such
is the language of all his imitators.

2d. Pride, the Scripture tells us, is an odious
and detestable vice in the eyes oi God and man :
Odibilis corain Deo et Iwminibus superbia (Ecclus.
x. 7). The proud man is detested by God, whose
benefits he forgets, whose glory he robs, and
whose authority he despises. May the Lord de-

150 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

stroy the tongue that speaketh proud tilings, who
havt said : We will magnify our tongue ; uur lips
are o ir ovvn ; who is Lord over us? (Ps. xi. 4, 5).
He is detested by his fellow-men, whom he de
spises, depreciates, and whose rights he vio
lates. Arrogant and selfish, his aim is to rule,
and impose his ideas and his will upon every
one, and keep the whole world at his feet.

3d. Pride is a ridiculous vice which renders
man foolish and contemptible. How foolish, in
fact, it is to glorify one s self because of gifts
which are another s ! W>iat hast thou, says the
apostle, that thou hast not received? And if thou
hast receiv ^d, ivhy dost thou glory as if thou hadst
not received it? (i Cor. iv. 7). What folly to for
get that we are dust and ashes ! Had man a
head of gold, like the statue of Nabuchodono-
sor. his feet would never be but clay, making
him ever liable to fall. What folly, finally, to
imagine ourselves great, distinguished by our
beauty, our talents, our ability, when these
qualities, as it usually happens, exist only in
our imagination ! The sheaves which hold their
heads highest in a field of grain are empty, and
the most resounding vases only give forth so
much sound because they are hollow within.
The peacock, the symbol of pride, in spite of
his brilliant plumage, is no less an ordinary
bird with very ugly f, et and a most discordant
note.

PRIDE. 1 5 J

4th. Pride is a very fatal vice. When it takes
possession of a heart it engenders therein all
vices, all sins. Never suffer pride, said Tobias,
to reign in thy mind or in thy words (Tobias iv.
14). And we are told in Ecclesiasticus that
pride is the beginning of all sin (Ecclus. x. 15).

Whence, in fact, come disobedience, a spirit
of independence and revolt, incredulity and im
piety, if not from pride which will not submit?
Whence is a soul in subjection to all its pas
sions, even to impurity? Because of pride, which
God punishes by permitting a soul to fall into
this degrading slavery. When they knew God,
says St. Paul, they have not glorified Him, but be
came vain in tJieir thoughts, and their foolish heart
w is darkened : professing themselves wise, they be
came fools. . . . For this cause God delivered them
up to shameful affections (Rom. i. 21-26). Yes,
God thus punished their pride, for St. James
tells us: God resist etli the proud and giveth grace
to the humble (iv. 6).

IIT. Remedies. To free ourselves from pride,
or to preserve ourselves from it, we must, ist,
watch over our thoughts and our words, in or
der to exclude from them anything that savors
of ostentation or a vain complacency in our
selves.

2d. Attribute to God the glory of all good :
Not to us, Lord, but to 1 Jiy name give glory (Ps.
cxiii. i).

15 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

3d. Never forget the humility or the humilia
tions of Jesus Christ. ...

4th. Fear the chastisements with which God
never fails to visit the proud. . . .

5th. Think of our past and our future that
is, of the nothingness whence we were drawn,
and of the tomb where our earthly career will
soon end.

6th. Think of our actual miserv. If we would

^

easily banish temptations to pride let us con
template ourselves in the light of faith as God
sees us nothings clothed with existence; poor
sinners subsisting solely by grace and the in
finite mercy of God,

CHAPTER XXIII.

AVARICE.

Radix malorum omnium est cupiditas (The desire of money
is the root of all evils). i TIM. vi. 10.

VARICE is a vice so ignoble that its
name alone inspires disgust. Let us
consider what we must understand by
avarice, how abhorrent a vice it is, and what is
its remedy.

I. As pride is an inordinate love of glory, so
avarice is a passion or an inordinate love for
the riches of the earth. We say inordinate, ill-
regulited love, because we can care for the
riches of this world in an honest and lawful
way. We may have wealth, gain money, in
crease our possessions, but our hearts must not
be attached to them. The Saviour Himself
had a little money for His own and His disci
ples maintenance, and there was one of them
who was purse-bearer. We may labor, trade,
exercise our ingenuity in business ; nothing is
more laudable, provided we fulfil a double con
dition, ist. We must labor for a Christian end :
for example, to live suitably according to our
position, to properly rear our children, or even

153

154 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

to increase our fortune and improve our condi
tion.

2d. Our labor and enterprises must be honest,
and our first attention must be given to the ser
vice of God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and His justice : and all these things shall be added
unto you (Matt. vi. 33).

A love of riches is ill-regulated; ist. When
it is immoderate or too solicitous. Be not so
licitous for to-morrow, says the Saviour be not
solicitous, saying : What shall we eat, or what shall
we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(Matt, vi.) 2d. When we attach our hearts to
riches or seek them for a bad end either to
hoard them or to satisfy vanity or other pas
sions. When we seek them by illicit means,
such as working on Sunday, excessive and
absorbing labor, dishonest enterprises. Thus
it would be an ill-regulated love of money and
gain which would prompt us to sell ourselves
to the enemies of the Church for a position or
any temporal advantage.

Therefore it is evident that the name miser
not only applies to those who hoard or who are
penurious in giving and slow to pay, but that
there are many others to whom the stigma of
avarice clings.

One is avaricious when he makes temporal
possessions the principal end of his existence
here below.

AVARICE. 155

One is avaricious when he seeks riches for
an end which is not Christian nor subordinate
to salvation.

One is avaricious when he is too much taken
up with temporal things, when he lacks confi
dence in God to obtain them and seeks them
at the expense of his soul s salvation.

One is avaricious when he does nothing but
accumulate riches upon riches and is never
satisfied.

One is avaricious when he gives nothing to
the poor, on pretext that he has nothing to
spare, and at the same time is unwilling to re
duce his expenses to a just limit.

One is avaricious when he presses his debtors
too severely.

One is avaricious when he is willing to ac
quire money unjustly, or by any means contrary
to conscience and religion.

One is avaricious when, because of a wrong
or a pecuniary loss, he hates his neighbor, aban
dons himself to despair, or murmurs against
Providence.

Finally, one is avaricious when he esteems
too highly the goods of this life and prefers
them to eternal treasures, contrary to the teach
ing of our Saviour, who tells us: Lay up to your
selves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust
nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not
break tJirough nor steal (Matt, vi. 20).

156 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

II. Detestation. We must detest avarice
because it is a debasing and very fatal vice.

ist. Avarice is a debasing vice. We despise
a miser, and he merits contempt. His heart,
attached to earth, has no nobility or great
ness. Buried, as it were, in material things, he
has no thoughts that are not material, narrow,
and base ; everything with him is a question of
money- -he beholds no other thing. In vain do
you speak to him of virtue, good works, the
riches of the soul, the treasures of the mind.
He understands you not. The sensual man per
ceive tJi not these tilings tJiat are of the Spirit of
God (i Cor. ii. 14). Yes; were he clothed in
golden raiment he is still a sensual man anima-
lis homo. He is less than this : wholly buried in
the coffers and metal which he adores, his being
seems to be identified with the objects of his
affection, and he preserves but the semblance
of a man.

2d. Avarice is an extravagant vice. Is it not
folly to love riches, which are such an obstacle
to salvation ? How hardly shall tJiey that have
7 idles enter into the kingdom of God ! (Luke xviii.
24).

Is it not folly to so ardently seek possessions
which death can take from us at any moment?
How much of all his wealth shall the rich man
bear away with him?

Is it not folly to hoard wealth, which will be-

AVARICE. 157

come the prey of ungrateful and mocking

heirs?

Is it not folly to leave unproductive perish
able riches by which we may gain heaven and
immortal treasure ?

3d. Avarice is a very fatal vice a principle
of sin, of crime, of unhappiness in this life and
the next.

The thirst for money, for gain impels men to
injustice, to perjury, to hatred, to murder.

Love of riches leads men to impiety, to for
get their salvation, to forget God. No man can
serve two masters, says Jesus Christ. You cannot
serve God and mammon (Matt. vi. 24). These
words explain the following words of the apos
tle : Covetousness is the service of idols (Col. iii. 5).

He who is ruled by a passion for money scru
ples nothing. He sells his conscience, his soul,
his God, after the example of Judas. . . .

The man who places his happiness in riches
is insensible to the sufferings of the poor. He
dreams but of himself, his enjoyments, his plea
sures, as we see exemplified by the rich man in
the Bible (Luke xvi. 19).

The man whose heart is attached to temporal
things is not happy. He is ever disquieted and
troubled, and when he begins to rest in his
abundance death comes upon him and robs him
of all his possessions. God said to him : Thou fool,
tJiis night do they require thy soul of tJiee ; and

158 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

whose shall those things be which thou hast pro
vided ? (Luke xii. 20).

Yes; death comes also to the rich and the
avaricious Mortuus et et dives. But what
was the death of the rich man who despised
Lazarus? What was the death of Judas, who
sold his Master? . . . The covetous, says the
apostle, shall not possess the kingdom of God (i
Cor. vi. 10).

III. The remedy. What is the remedy for
so great an evil ?

i st. Almsgiving. . . .

2d. The teaching and example of Jesus Christ.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, He tells us, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. v. 3).
Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity,
that zvhen you shall fail they may receive you into
everlasting divellings (Luke xvi. 9).

Such is avarice, the second of the seven
deadly sins. Let us ask the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin, and watch over ourselves that
we may ever exclude it from our heart.

CHAPTER XXIV,

LUST.

Fugite forme ationem. ^ . . Neque fornicarii, neque idolis ser-
vientes, neque adulteri, neque molles regnum Dei possidebunt (Fly
fornication. . . . Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adul
terers shall possess the kingdom of God). I COR. vi. 9.

HE third of the seven deadly sins is
lust. It is of all vices the one which
most dishonors humanity. It is a vice
which the tongues of all peoples proclaim infa
mous ; a vice which is the shame of a reasonable
creature, a dishonor to the Church of Christ,
the pest of souls, the triumph of hell ; a vice the
very name of which, according to St. Paul,
should be ignored among Christians, and we
would we were dispensed from naming it be
fore the children of the purest of virgins. But
as it hides neath a flowery veil, in the shelter
of which it exercises its ravages, we must de
stroy the veil and exhibit the monster in its
hideous turpitude. Let us speak, then, of im
purity ; let us show its malignity and the reme-

dies against it.

159

160 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

I. Hideousness and malice. Impurity is a
vice degrading, abominable, contagious, disas
trous in its consequences.

ist. A degrading vice. It is not without rea
son that two of the most unclean animals, the
goat and the hog, have been chosen as emblems
of impurity, which pollutes and profanes all
that is noblest and holiest in man. The image
of God imprinted in his soul ; the thoughts of
his mind, the affections of his heart; his body,
become through baptism the temple of the Holy
Spirit; his flesh, all his senses, his eyes, his
ears, his hands, his mouth, his tongue sanctified
in Holy Communion by the Body and Blood of
Jesus Christ all are polluted and profaned by
the uncleanness of the impure vice.

The human creature whom God has raised
almost to the rank of the angels lowers himself
by impurity to the level of an animal. The sin
|| of a proud man is that of a fallen angel; the
covetous man sins as a man ; the impure man
imitates the animal who delights in his unclean-
ness and wallows in the mire, who has no other
instincts but the enjoyment of the most ignoble
pleasures. Not only does he follow the in-

. ___ ._- _ . i r _- ._

stincts of the brute, but he degrades his whole
being to the point of losing all sentiment of
honor, or thought of God or of death which
threatens him; just as an animal sees the com
panion sleeping at its side led off to the slaugh-

LUST. 161

ter and scarcely raises its head, but continues
its sleep.

x{ The Christian raised to the dignity of a child
of God by baptism becomes through impurity
a vile slave- -the slave of the devil and the most
tyrannical passions. \After having spent all his
means in riotous living he went, says our Sa
viour, speaking of the prodigal, and cleaved to
one of the citizens of that country. And he sent
him into his farm to feed swine. And he would
fain have filled his belly with the husks the
szvine did eat: and no man gave unto him
(Luke xv. 15, 1 6).

<^ 2d. An abominable vice. The fruit of lust is
mortal sin, but mortal sin multiplied infinitely
and under every form. \ /Impurity, once mis
tress of the heart, becomes a source of criminal
thoughts, words, and actions, of envy, of hatred,
of theft, of sacrilege . . . \
^ 3d. A contagious vice. The impure man
seeks accomplices; he becomes a corrupter of
others.^ He (spreads corruption wherever he
goes ; he is a pestilence which we must fly as
we would death. J>

^4th. A vice disastrous in its consequences, j
Impurity withers the flower of youth, poisons
health and life. / It fills hearts with desponden
cy and remorse. It robs its victims of honor,
mind, and fortune, and their families of peace
and happiness ; finally it leads them to a bad

162 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

death and eternal perdition. Impurity is the
largest gate of hell. . . . \

Such is the vice of impurity. Shall we not
abhor it^/fly from it, and resist it with every
remedy ? ^

CIL Remedies. There are remedies against
impurity, either to cure wounds it has already
made in the soul or to preserve the soul from
its stains. The following are the principal re
medies : ^>

ist. The triple flight of occasions, idleness,
intemperance. . . .

2d. Love of chastity. This virtue, the charms
and beauty of which are extolled in Holy Scrip
ture, is like the pearl of Christian virtues// It
renders men like unto angels ; it is the guardian
of peace of heart, and becomes a fruitful source
of other virtues and of all kinds of good
works. . . . \

3d. Prayer and devotion to the Blessed Vir
gin, St. Joseph, and our good angel. . . . )

4th. Frequenting the sacraments.

5th. Prayer, mortification, and labor. )>

6th. Modesty and guarding the senses.

7th. Humility. >

8th. The remembrance of our last end and
of the presence of God. . . .

9th. Respect for ourselves, for our bodies, for
our dignity. > As Christians we should preserve
our bodies and our souls in the most perfect

vx

LUST. 163

purity, for they have been consecrated to God
in Holy Baptism, which made us members of
Jesus Christ, living temples of the Holy Spirit;
and because we have been sanctified by the
Body and Blood of the Son of God in Holy
Communion.),

Behold the remedies and the preservatives of

this beautiful virtue of chastity. Let us ask the ^ 7*
Blessed Virgin, our Mother, to inspire us with
a keen and ever-increasing horror for all that
could tarnish it.

CHAPTER XXV.

*

ENVY.

Invidia diaboli mors introivit in orbem tcrrarum : imitantur au-
tem ilium, qui sunt ex parte illius (By the envy of the devil
death came into the world). Wis. ii. 24.

HE fourth of the deadly sins is envy,
jealousy. Let us see in what this vice
consists, why we must abhor it, and
what is the remedy for it.

I. Envy consists in grieving at the success
of others and rejoicing in their misfortunes.
When tins passion develops in a heart it
fills it with a bitter melancholy and an implaca
ble hatred for merit and virtue, particularly if
these good qualities dazzle or eclipse the en
vious. The mixture of these frightful and un
just sentiments forms the proper character of
envy. We must not confound the vice of envy
with emulation, which is the virtue, the senti
ment of a noble heart. Emulation is a desire
to equal, to surpass the good qualities of our
neighbor ; envy is an enemy which would de
stroy them.

164

165

This vile passion springs from a secret pride
which makes one believe himself lessened by
the elevation of others. Hence the very differ
ent impression experienced by the envious at
sight of their neighbor s happiness and at
sight of his reverses. If he succeeds they are
grieved and regard him with an evil eye.
If he fails or meets with a humiliation they tri
umph with a malicious joy which they conceal
in the depths of their hearts.

Envy is the mark of a bad nature and is
never to be found in a generous heart. A no
ble heart shares the joys as well as the suffer
ings of his neighbor ; he rejoices in his happi
ness and grieves at his misfortunes: Gaudere
cum gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus (Rom. xii.
15). The envious, on the contrary, rejoice in
the tears and feed upon the humiliations and
misfortunes of their brothers.

We sin through envy in several ways: ist,
by yielding to the evil sentiments which this
vice inspires; 2d, by speaking under its influ
ence, holding conversations dictated by envy,
changing words of blame, criticism, and detrac
tion into affected praise, the better to conceal
and insinuate the venom of disparagement and
detraction.

II. Motives for flying envy. ist. Envy is a
base passion which lodges in wicked, ignoble
hearts. Wherever it appears it is despised and

i66 SODALITY DIRECTCR S MANUAL.

abhorred ; it blushes for itself, and it is for this
reason that it always seeks concealment.

2d. Envy engenders a multitude of sins :
rash judgments, detraction, malicious joy at
sight of the faults or trials of others, hatred,
vexations of every kind, frequently even mur
ders and the most atrocious cruelties.

3d. It is the crime of the evil one, of Cain,
of the brothers of Joseph, of the Jews: Pilate
knew that for envy they had delivered him (Matt,
xxvii. 1 8).

4th. Envy poisons the peace and happiness
of life ; once it fastens upon a heart it consumes
it as the worm does the wood, it corrodes it
like rust upon iron.

III. Remedy. The remedy for this detesta
ble vice is fraternal charity, contempt for earth
ly goods, and Christian humility. . . . Should
you find yourself the victim of the envy of
others, beware of manifesting contempt or
hatred, which would only imbitter them ; you
should, on the contrary, conduct yourself with
that humility, that Christian charity which ap
peases envy and which overcomes evil by good
(Rom. xii. 21).

CHAPTER XXVI.

GLUTTONY.

Quorum Deus venter est : et gloria in confusione ipsorum,
qui terrena sapiunt (Whose God is their belly : and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things). PHIL.
iii. 19.

LUTTONY, the fifth of the deadly sins,
is an inordinate love of food and drink,
or the evil inclination which impels

_fc

man to the inordinate use of food.

There is nothing more reasonable than to
nourish our bodies with food, provided reason
rule our appetite. Reason tells us to use food
only for the preservation of our strength and
life. If we wander from this rule we are guilty
of gluttony, which for this reason is called an
inordinate love or immoderate use of food and
drink.

We say food and drink, because gluttony
can be exercised in both these things. Glut
tony in drink is called drunkenness, or intem
perance.

How do we sin by gluttony? And why
should we fly this vice with horror?

I. Sins of gluttony. We are guilty of glut-

167

168 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

tony, ist, in quantity- -when we eat or drink to
excess; 2d, in quality- -when we nre too eager
for delicate or rare dishes; 3d, in our way of
eating- -when we eat greedily, or between
meals, or without pausing to say a prayer be
fore the repast; 4th, because of the end we
have in view when we eat for the sole plea
sure of eating, to gratify sensuality ; when we
think only of the table, and speak of nothing
but good cheer; 5th, because of the violation
of a precept when we transgress the law of
fasting or abstinence.

II. Motives for avoiding gluttony. We
must fly gluttony, ist, because it is a detesta
ble vice in the eyes of God, who punished it
severely in Adam and Eve, in the wicked rich
man of the Gospel, in the Israelites during their
sojourn in the desert. Yielding to gluttony,
they asked for other food, and the meats were
still in their mouths when God s anger was en
kindled against them.

2d. It is a very fatal vice to man, injurious to
soul and body. It ruins his health, darkens his
mind, abases the sentiments of his heart, forms
an obstacle to prayer and all pious exercises ;
man, becoming wholly animal, perceivetk not the
things that are of the Spirit of God.

Moreover, gluttony degrades man, as we see
from the two animals, the dog and hog, which
are chosen to represent this vice. . . .

GLUTTONY. 169

Finally, it nourishes all vices, particularly
lust and sloth. . . .

3d. Intemperance particularly has the effect
of brutalizing man, whom it converts into a dis
gusting animal, so that the ancient Lacedae
monians, to inspire their children with a horror
of this vice, used to show them an intoxicated
slave. Intemperance robs man of his reason,
his honor, his means; it makes him a blasphe
mous, impure creature, a slave, a sinner almost
incorrigible in vice, the scourge of his family,
an idolater who makes a god of his stomach,
and finally, except in rare cases of conversion, a
soul condemned to eternal perdition.

Then let us fly all that leads to this deplora
ble vice, of which it is so easy to contract a
habit. . . . Let us always love temperance arid
sobriety, bearing in mind the salutary warning
of St. Peter: Be sober and watch : because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about
seeking whom he may devour (i Pet. v. 8).

CHAPTER XXVII.

ANGER.

\^..>; irascitur fratri suo reus erit iudicio (Whosoever is angry
with his brother shall be in danger of judgment). MATT. v. 22.

NGER, the sixth of the deadly sins, is an
inordinate emotion, transport of the
soul, which impels us to reject with
violence anything that thwarts us.

It is an emotion that is, an agitation which
troubles the calm of the soul, which inflames
and enkindles the blood, producing within man
a tempest which soon breaks forth in violent
words and actions.

It is an inordinate transport, for it is neither
ruled nor guided by reason, which should al
ways remain mistress of the soul s movements,
as a driver must always hold the reins, if lie
would not have the steeds run away with him.
Anger rejects the obstacles, whether persons or
things, which cross its path. It is not forbid
den to resist an unjust aggression ; we are even
permitted to remove any contradiction, when
we can do so by lawful means ; but very often
it is necessary to charitably endure it. Cliarity

bcareth all things (i Cor. xiii. 7). Be not overcome

170

ANGER. 171

by evil, but overcome evil by good (Rom. x i. 21).
What a man cannot amend in himself or others
he must bear with patience till God ordains other
wise (Imit.i. 1 6). Anger repels what thwarts
it, and repels it with violence after the man
ner of unreasoning animals. It is necessary at
times to use force, but it should be used with
reflection ; then it becomes laudable energy.
Unreasoning force, the effect of anger, is brute
violence.

Let us consider the sins anger produces, the
evils it causes, and the remedies against it.

I. How do we sin by anger? 1st. Anger
engenders a multitude of sins, which are divid
ed into three classes: Interior sins--of hatred,
contempt^ aversion, desire of vengeance ; sins
in words against God and our neighbor, blas
phemies, imprecations, raillery, disputes, de
traction, calumny ; sins in action- -disputes,
wrangles, unlawful violence, evil proceedings
and injustices against our neighbor.

Anger has degrees: it is first simple impa
tience, an irritable emotion ; then it becomes
a transport which may reach the pitch of fury,
rage, frenzy. It resembles the heat of iron,
which increases in intensity to a red heat, then
to incandescence. Hence the expressions burn
ing with anger, boiling with rage, inflamed
with wrath. . . .

While anger is kept within certain limits,

172 SODALITY DIR! CTOR S MANUAL.

and we are not immoderately moved by it, it is
only a venial fault ; when it is violent and leads
us into some great sin against God or our
neighbor it becomes a mortal sin.

II. The evils of anger. Anger is a very fatal
vice, both to him who allows himself to be
governed by it and to those upon whom it is
exercised.

ist. To him who allows this passion to govern
him- -it robs him of his dignity, making him a
sort of beast, a surly dog, a vicious wolf, a fren
zied animal, a madman : ir a furor brevis est.

It robs him of all power of persuasion : Tlwu
art angry , says the proverb, therefore thou art in
the wrong. A moderate man is always heeded,
like one of the ancients who said to a violent
counsellor : Strike, but hear me.

It robs him of the affection and confidence
of his fellow-men. A violent man is not loved ;
he makes himself enemies everywhere.

It deprives him of judgment and prudence.
An^er is an evil counsellor ; it leads man astray
by blinding him

It destroys interior peace, and even health.

It deprives him of eternal salvation by lead
ing him to blasphemy and other grave sins.

2d. Anger is equally fatal to others. It dis
turbs the peace of families and causes the most
deplorable evils in society- -hatreds, murders,
and sometimes disastrous wars.

ANGER. 173

III. Remedies. To calm the anger of others
nothing is more efficacious than a peaceful si
lence, a sweet moderation, or a kind, modest
answer. A mild answer breakctJi wrath, snys the
Scripture, but a Jiarsli vvcrd stirretJt up* fury
(Prov. xv. i).

To cure ourselves of anger or to preserve
ourselves from the vice we must devote our
selves to the practice of Christian patience, to
imitating the sweetness, the humility and si
lence of Jesus Christ, conquering ourselves with
generosity after the example of St. Francis de
Sales. We must seize the reins of anger, says the
holy doctor, and hold them with both hands. I
have made a compact with my tongue, he adds : we
Jiave agreed thit we will never speak while my
heart is m<)ved. And again : A sovereign remedy
against sudden emotions of impatience is a swiet
and mcdest silence*

CHAPTER XXVIII.

SLOTH.

Multam malitiam docuit otiositas (Idleness hath taught
much evil). ECCLUS. xxxiii. 29.

LOTH, the last of the seven deadly sins,
is an inordinate love of rest, a languor
of the soul, a disgust for the labor of
duty.

We say inordinate love of rest, for man needs
rest, relaxation, just as he does food; but he
should seek it only after labor, and as far as
it is necessary to restore his energies.

It is a disgust for tke labor of duty. There are
occupations, foreign to our duties, to which
sloth itself leads us to devote ourselves. Sloth
does not always mean absolute idleness ; this
vice consists also in relative idleness- -that is,
when we are idle and slothful in the perfor
mance of the labors required of us.

Thus, we are slothful not only when instead
of working we lose our time in unnecessary
rest or sleep, in chatting, promenading, or
amusing ourselves, but also when, instead of

fulfilling our obligations of prayer and other

174

SLOTH. 175

Christian duties, we occupy ourselves with ex
terior things and bodily labor.

Why must we fly idleness? What are the

.

remedies against this vice?

I. Motives. We must abhor and fly idle
ness because it is a shameful vice in itself and
fatal in its effects.

ist. It is a shameful vice. The name alone of
sloth is dishonoring and repellant ; he who
merits it meets only with contempt and rebuffs.

2d. It is a source of ennui, and frequently of
indignation also against superiors who are oblig
ed to spur on the slothful.

3d. It is a source of ignorance. . . .

4th. It is a source of negligence and sin.
. . . Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor Iiot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my moutJi
(Apoc. iii. 1 6). Cursed be he that doth the work
of the Lord deceitfully (Jerem. xlviii. 10.) Say
riot, I injure no one. It is a vain excuse ; you
fail in your duty and you offend God.

An idle life is a wicked life, productive of
impurity, evil thoughts, evil conversations, de
bauches, the most criminal conspiracies. While
men were asleep, says the Saviour, the enemy
came and sowed cockle among t/ie wheat. Idle
ness is well named the devil s pillow. He who
abandons himself to idleness does not need a
devil to tempt him ; he is a temptation to him
self. Therefore let the devil find you always

1 76 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

occupied, says St. Jerome. If he find you idle he
will have no difficulty in overcoming you, as we
see by the sad examples of Samson, David, and
Solomon. . . .

The slothful soul is an uncultivated land, a
stagnant pool, a rust-eaten plough abandoned
in the field.

5th. It is the cause of the greatest evils : loss
of time, indigence ; it makes one despised by
men, and brings upon him the chastisements
of God. Behold the consequences of sloth.

The slothful servant in the Gospel who
buried his talent is cast into exterior darkness,
and the barren tree is cursed by our Saviour
and condemned to the fire.

II. Remedies. How shall we preserve our
selves from sloth ? How shall we combat this
vice? What are its remedies ?

There are fortunately several efficacious re
medies.

i st. There is a spirit of labor, a love of labor.
We confirm ourselves in this virtue by re
membering that man is born to labor, as the
bird is born to fly ; that labor is a universal
law. Nothing is obtained without labor, while
with persevering labor we can accomplish all
things. . . .

2d. The example of God and of Jesus Christ :
My Father ivorketJi until now, and I ivork (John
v. 17).

SLOTH. 177

3d. The example of the apostles, of the
saints, of worldlings themselves, who labor so
unremittingly for the goods of this world ;
finally, the example of all creatures. . . .

4th. The thought of our reward and our
eternal rest. . . .

Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to make us
ever abhor idleness and to obtain us a spirit
of labor ; for, in the words of our Saviour, we
must work while it is still day : the night cometh
when no man can work (Joha ix. 4).

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE WORLD.

Nolite diligere mundum, neque ea qua in mundo stint (Love
not the world, nor the things which are in the world).
i JOHN ii. 15.

HE ministers of the divine word, charg
ed by Jesus Christ to instruct the
faithful, speak frequently in the pulpit
of the world, the enemy of Christ, and they
urge the faithful to fly, to abhor, to trample
this perverse world under their feet. If this
language, which is but that of the apostles and
of Jesus Christ Himself, were well understood
and practised with docility, it would suffice to
save from spiritual ruin a great number of souls
who are lost. Let us on our part endeavor
to comprehend it and faithfully conform our
selves to its teaching.

What must we understand by the world, the
enemy of Christ ? How must we combat and
conquer it ?

I. What is the world ? By the world con
demned in the Gospel is meant the men of this
world, the goods of this world, the false prin
ciples and maxims of the world.

178

THE WORLD. 179

ist. The men of this world, or worldly men
that is, those who love and seek the things of
this w r orld and who follow its maxims; who,
strangers to the spirit of Christ, to His hu
mility, His piety, His mortification, are animat
ed by the spirit of the world, the spirit of pride
and ambition, of cupidity and sensuality, of
selfishness and hatred these men walk in
the broad way after Satan, whom the Saviour
calls the prince of this world.

2d. In the second place, the world signifies
the goods of this world namely, riches, honors,
renown, luxury, and the pleasures of life.
These goods are false, dangerous, and frequent
ly criminal. They are false because they can
not give us happiness and are too short lived
to be of any value to immortal souls. They
are dangerous because they lead to pride, be
come a source of temptation and occasions of
sin. They are frequently criminal, because
they are unjust, like ill-gotten wealth, or cul
pable and contrary to the law of God, like the
pleasures of impurity- -a vice which too fre
quently mingles with the joys of this world and
stains nearly all its amusements.

3d. By the world condemned in the Gospel is
meant also the false principles and maxims of
the world. These principles, opposed to those
of the Gospel, uphold the absolute indepen
dence of man, the worship of corporal well-be-

i8o SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ing, contempt for the things of God, servility
to fashion and human respect. Here is how
we may express them: Let us crown ourselves
witJi roses to~diy, for to-morrow we shall be no
more ! H.ippy the rich ! Happy those who are
renowned and attract all eyes ! Happy those iv io
know how to triumph over their rivals ! Happ.y
those who have wherewith to gratify the desires of
their hearts ! We must do as others do. We
must be the friend of Ccesar. Money before every
thing, tken virtue. Piety is narrowness and an ob
stacle. Liberty consists in freeing one s self from tJie
restraints of the Gospel an t satisfying one s passions.
One must follow the fashion. One must be prudent
and conceal his thoughts. Might makes right.

These maxims constitute a law which may be
called that of the world opposed to that of the
Gospel, which tells us : Blessed are the poor.
Clioose the last place. It is more blessed to give
than to receive. Love your enemies. Blessed are
those who suffer persecution for justice" sake.

We see that the law of the world is the re
verse of that of Jesus Christ; we may sny, then,
with St. Bernard, Aut mundus errat aut Chris-
tus fallitur--i\}Q world is in error or Jesus
Christ is mistaken. We know that Christ can
not be mistaken, therefore we must attach our
selves to Jesus Christ and despise the world,
that ^ve may not be condemned with tins world
(i Cor. xi. 32).

THE WORLD. 181

II. Now, how are we to triumph over the
world ? How are we to combat and conquer it ?

How are we to triumph over the world ?
By faith, by flight, by contempt, by the grace
of Jesus Christ.

ist. By faith. This is the victory which over-
cometJi the world (i John v. 4). Faith will ren
der us victorious faith which teaches us that
no one can serve two masters, that he who is
not for Christ is against Him ; faith which
shows us Jesus Christ triumphing over the
world on His cross and saying to us : Courage !
confidence ! I have overcome the world ; faith
which relies upon grace to conquer like the
martyrs, the confessors, and the virgins. Then
let us have faith but the size of a mustard-seed,
and we shall remove mountains and cast them
into the sea (Mark xi. 23).

2d. By flight. Whoever wishes to triumph
over the world must fly from it- -that is, he must
fly its culpable or dangerous pleasures ; fly its
luxury and its vanities ; separate himself from
its partisans to associate himself with true, good
Christians and walk resolutely in the way
traced by Jesus Christ.

3d. By contempt. We must despise the
goods of this world because they are false ; the
fashion and the laws of this world because they
are tyrannical ; the promises of the world and its
flatteries because they are deceitful ; the threats

182 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

of the world because the} 7 are impotent; the
judgment of the world because it is unjust;
human respect, or the fear of displeasing the
world, because this fear is cowardly and un
founded. . . .

4th. By the grace of Jesus Christ. Grace,
which we derive from prayer and the sacra
ments, raises us above the world, enables us to
trample it under foot, and causes us to realize
these great words : Vanity of vanities, and all is
vanity (Eccles. i. 2). Alt flesh is grass, and all the
glory thereof as the flower of the field. The grass
is withered* and the flower is fallen, because the
spirit of the Lord hath blown upon it (Isaias xl. 6, 7).
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ ; by whom the world is cru
cified to me, and I to the world (Gal. vi. 14). What
is all that worth for eternity ? (St. Aloysius).
/ am born for greater things (St. Stanislaus).
How base the earth appears when I contemplate
heaven ! (St. Ignatius). Such are the means of
triumphing over the world. Honor to those
who achieve this beautiful victory ! They are
great in the eyes of God and men ; they are
happy as well, and enjoy the sweet liberty of
the children of God

This victory shall be ours ; the Blessed Vir
gin Mary, our Mother, will obtain us the grace
and strength to despise vanity and trample the
world under our feet.

CHAPTER XXX.

DOUBLE PRINCIPLE OF CONDUCT DUTY AND

NATURAL INCLINATION. .

In quo cortigit adolescentior viam suam ? In custodiendo ser-
mones tuos (By what doth a young man correct his way ? By
observing thy words). Ps. cxviii. 9.

HEN I consider the world I see men
going through life by a thousand dif
ferent paths, which soon are concen
trated into two very opposite ways ; one is call
ed the broad road and the other the narrow
road. At the beginning of life men begin to
separate into two classes which follow one or
the other of these ways. That which deter
mines their course is the diversity of principle
and motive which influences them : one follows
the principle of duty, and the other natural in
clination, the instinct of interest, ambition,
pleasure, or amusement.

Let us consider the nature and consequences
of these two principles of action : I. Principle
of duty ; II. The principle of natural inclina
tion.

I. Principle of duty. We act through a prin
ts

184 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ciple of duty when we do, not what pleases us,
but what is right ; not what we would like to
do if we consulted our natural inclinations or
our passions, but what God requires of us,
what our parents, our masters, and our supe
riors require of us, what honesty and justice
require of us in a word, what our conscience
commands and prescribes. Such is the rule,
the principle of duty ; and it is the true rule of
human life, the true principle which should
guide us an honorable, invariable, and ever-
victorious principle.

ist. An honorable principle. The finest eu-
logium you can bestow upon a man is to say,
He fulfils all his duties, for it is affirming that he
is irreproachable in everything, that there is
neither fault nor weakness in him, that he is
a perfect man. Whatever this man may be,
whatever his social position, were he the poor
est laborer, provided he fulfil his duty, not only
need he blush before no one, but he has a right
to the respect of all men, and he is more truly
honorable than the rich and noble of this world,
who, under a brilliant exterior, too frequently
conceal shameful vices or base negligence.

Whoever acts through duty is sheltered from
blame. He may dissatisfy certain minds and
provoke unjust complaint, but he can never be
censured for doing his duty. All honest minds
must do him justice and give him praise.

DUTY AND NA TURAL INCLINA TION. 1 85

Finally, the line of duty is the rule of a rea
sonable man, the golden line of truth and wis
dom ; to follow it faithfully is to walk in honor
before God, before men, and before his con
science.

2d. Invariable principle. In following the
line of duty one is always consistent with him
self, always equal to himself, because he obeys
a principle as invariable as truth. Interests,
tastes, passions, change like the winds and
clouds ; duty,- like the sun, never changes.

Hence follows constancy, the grand condition
of success in all enterprises. No illusion, no
obstacles arrest a man who acts through a prin
ciple of duty ; he pursues his course, not like
the idler who comes and goes, but like the in
trepid traveller who, indifferent to the varia
tions of the atmosphere, to the curiosities of the
countries through which he journeys, thinks
only of continuing the route which leads to his
destination. The course of him who is guided
by duty is as direct and fixed as that of a rail
way train moving on its iron track ; without
this principle one is only a helpless baxk aban
doned to the impulsion of every wind and tide.

3d. A victorious principle. Do you desire
success, happiness, peace, as far as it is possible
to possess them here below ? Have duty al
ways in view. Thus you shall always have
equity and justice before you. Now, justice is

1 86 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

the great principle of prosperity and success, as
well as the pledge of benedictions from above.
Justice exalteth a nation : but sin maketh nations
miserable (Prov. xiv. 34). The tJirone of a king
shall be established with justice (Prov. xxv. 5).
Blessed is the man whose will is in the laiv of the
Lord that is, in duty. He shall be like a tree
which is planted near the running ivaters, which
shall bring forth its fruit in due season, and his
leaf shall not fall off (Ps. i. 2, 3). Not thus is it
with the unjust and fraudulent man : Non sic
impii, non sic. By fraud or violence, by unjust
or underhand means, he may attain power or
fortune ; but his prosperity, built upon sand,
shall not endure ; it will crumble and bury him
in its ruins. Ill-gotten fortune is a heap of sand
which the breath of the storm shall disperse.

True happiness, which consists particularly in
the peace of a good conscience, is the natural
fruit of accomplished duty. How pleasant it is
to be able to say : / have done my duty ! How
consoling to hear in the depth of our heart this
testimony of the Holy Spirit : Thou hast done
what tJiou sJiouldst do. I am content with thee.

Another source of happiness is the merit of
actions performed through a principle of duty.
No actions are void before God ; all being ac
complished for Him and for His service will be
rewarded by Him. Therefore ineffable will be
the satisfaction of a man at the judgment-seat

DUTY AND NA TURAL INCLINA TION. 187

who has utilized all his moments. Looking
back upon the past, he shall see that all his days
were complete, for they were given to the ful
filment of his duties and the will of God. He
can say with St. Paul : / have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept tlie
faith : there is laid up for me a crown of justice
which the Lord the just judge will render me
(2 Tim. iv. 7, 8) ; and with the Saviour Himself:
/ have finished the work which tliou gavest me to
do (John xvii. 4). Then we must engrave in
our heart the vital principle of duty and the
golden rule which springs therefrom, What is
right, and not what is pleasing ; and this maxim
of noble souls, Do what is right, come what
may !

II. Natural inclination. To follow one s na
tural inclination is to act through caprice,
taste, humor, interest, or any other motive
which is not that of duty. Whatever the mo
tive, it proceeds originally from a triple prin
ciple : ambition, interest, pleasure or amuse
ment. Each time we act through a motive of
amusement, ambition, or interest we are obey
ing a natural inclination, which we thus make
the principle of our action.

Now, this principle is base and unworthy of
man ; it is versatile and unstable ; it is very fa
tal.

ist. A principle base and unworthy of man.

1 88 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Man should be guided by reason, and not by
blind instincts after the manner of animals.
The latter, possessing neither light nor intelli
gence, have nothing to guide them but their
senses and their grosser instincts ; but man, en
lightened by a ray of divine light, sees before
him a nobler path in which he must walk. If
he close his eyes to this light and follow but
the bent of his natural inclinations, he lowers
himself to the rank of the animals and becomes
like unto the brute. Look at an animal ; press
ed by the appetites of his senses, he falls upon
the first prey which meets his eye ; he grows in
censed if it be disputed with him ; he eats, he
drinks in all places and at all times ; he runs,
he sleeps according as he desires. Such is the
man who is guided only by the inclinations of
flesh and blood. Man when lie was in Iwnor, says
the Holy Spirit, did not understand ; lie is compar
ed to senseless beasts, and is become like to tJicm
(Ps. xlviii. 13).

2d. A versatile principle. There is nothing
more changing than natural inclination, pas
sion, interest. That which pleases you to-day
will be displeasing to-morrow ; that which fa
vors you to-day will thwart you to-morrow;
in a word, human things change like the clouds
of the sky, like the wind which impels them in
every direction. Such is also the mobility of our
temporal interests and our tastes, and such shall

DUTY AND A^A TURAL INCLINA TION. 189

consequently be the mobility of one who is
guided by them. One while he will respect
religion, he will apply himself to labor, and an
other while he will give himself up to sloth,
abandon piety and virtue ; he is a reed, a leaf
moved by every wind, a weather-vane turning
in every direction. Whence is this mobility,
this inconsistency, as ridiculous as it is deplo
rable? From the principle which guides him,
or rather from the absence of principle ; for,
properly speaking, he is what is called a man
without principle.

3d. A very fatal principle. What becomes
of a bark without a helm in the midst of the
ocean ? Abandoned to the mercy of the winds
and waves, it first becomes their sport and then
is dashed upon a rock or swallowed up in the
abyss. Behold the image of man freed from
the restraints of duty ; his life will be vicious,
unhappy, and his end evil.

Obedient to his natural propensities, too fre
quently opposed to the requirements of duty
and the law of God, such a man commits sins
arid faults without number, and contracts the
habit of all vices : His ways are filthy at all times
(Ps. x. 5). His whole life is dragged through
mire and filth.

You will urge, perhaps, that all propensities
are not bad nor all amusement sin, and that
you only aspire to amuse yourselves in a be-

SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

coming manner. We do not speak here of
honest amusements, which are in reality lawful
relaxations ; but of that way of living which has
no other rule than amusement and what is call
ed a life of amusement and pleasure. Such a
life can never be innocent nor Christian.

And, moreover, even supposing it exempt
from great disorders, what merit would it have
for, heaven? Is it not at least sterile for eter
nity ? And if, as Jesus Christ teaches, we .must
render an account of every idle word, what
shall it be when we must account before the
tribunal of God for a whole life which shall have
been idle ?

In following the bent of his inclinations man
seeks here below happiness and pleasure ; but
he will find only disappointment, and in the
depth of his heart emptiness and weariness.
Walking in the broad way which leads from
God, he has pursued troublesome ways and he
knew not the way of peace. Et viam pads non
cognoverunt (Ps. xiii. 3.)

And where finally does he end ? In death,
inevitable death. Yes, a life of pleasure passes
like a life of duty, and ends in death. But in
what a death! O DeatJi, says the Holy Spirit,
how bitter is tJie remembrance of tJiee to a man
wJio has peace in his possessions (Ecclus. xli. i).
He must leave all that he has loved so much.
These riches, these pleasures, these honors es-

D UTY AND NA TURA L INCLINA TION. 1 9 1

cape him ; all his joys are passed away : Tran-
sierunt omnia itla (Wisdom v. 9). He sees
his blessings vanish like smoke ; and, what is
more bitter still, he sees his whole life devoid
of virtues, filled with sins ; it is a chain of ini
quity which he must drag after him, and with
which he is about to appear before the throne
of God.

What a death was that of the sensual man of
whom our Saviour speaks ! The rich man also
died, and Jie was buried in hell (Luke xvi. 22).
Behold the fatal term of a life of pleasure into
which one is led who allows himself to be
guided by his natural inclinations instead of
following the noble principle of duty.

Then must we not, cost what it may, inviola
bly fulfil our duty, be guided by a principle of
duty, in order to lead an honorable and happy
life which shall be crowned by the death of
the just?

CHAPTER XXXI.

SINS OF THOUGHT AND WORD.

Si quis in verbo non offendit, hie perfcctus est vir (If any man
offend not in word, the same is a perfect man). JAMES iii. 2.

VERY simple means of acquiring
purity of conscience, which is so pre
cious in the spiritual life, is to watch
over our words, that we may utter none which
may be criminal or reprehensible before God.
We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit that
if we do not sin in word we shall not sin at all :
If any m n offend not in word, the same is a per
fect man (James, iii. 2).

The expression, in word, should extend not
only to the exterior expression of thought but
also to the thought itself, which is a veritable
interior expression of the mind. Moreover,
thoughts and words are so intimately united
that if one are good the other are equally so.
Then to rigorously observe the rule of the
Holy Spirit we must endeavor to avoid sins of
thought and sins of word.

To this end let us try to well understand one
and the other.

192

SI ATS OF THOUGHT AND WORD. 193

I. Sins of thought. We understand by sins
of thought not only representations and judg
ments of the mind, but also desires and affec
tions of the heart contrary to the law of God.
They relate either to God, or our neighbor, or
ourselves.

ist. Sins against God--doubting the truths
of faith ; murmuring interiorly against Provi
dence ; rebelling against the divine will in try
ing events, and enduring them with impa
tience ; despairing of one s amendment or sal
vation ; rejoicing in outrages against religion
or the church by witnessing impious specta
cles, or in any other way. . . .

2d. Sins against our neighbor suspicions,
rash judgment; feelings of envy, of aversion
which we sometimes nourish even against our
superiors; anger, rancor, hatred, desires of ven
geance, evil wishes against our neighbor^
malicious pleasu?~e at sight of his misfortunes
or his sins, coveting his goods or his posi
tion. . . .

3d. Sins against ourselves- -feelings of pride
or vain complacency ; contempt for others ;
ambitious thoughts and desires, impure im
aginings, shameful thoughts and desires. . . .

We must observe here that we sin by these
bad thoughts only in as far as we consent to
them. The thought, says St. Bernard, cannot
injure ns as long as we do not consent to it. But

194 SODALITY DIRECT FS MANUAL.

if it be voluntary it stains the purity of our
souls : Hcec sunt quce coinquinant komimm (Matt.
xv. 20). Then we must repel them at once
without hesitation, and unceasingly watch over
our senses and our heart that they may not en
ter, and avoid idleness and evil conversations,
wliich give rise to evil thoughts.

II. Sins of word. Nothing is easier than to
offend in words; therefore the prophet ad
dresses this prayer to God : Set a watch, O Lord,
before my mouth, and a door round about my lips
(Ps. cxl. 3). Melt down thy gold and silver, and
make a balance for thy words and a just bridle for
t/iy mouth (Ecclus. xxviii. 29).

The Creator has endowed us with the gift of
speech to praise His divine Majesty, to confess
our sins, to ask of God what we need, to edify
our neighbor by communicating to him salu
tary knowledge, finally that we mav some
times experience in friendly intercourse the
agreeable pleasures of honest relaxation. . . .

Now, we offend in words when we fail to use
this noble gift for the end for which we have
received it, and we sin particularly when
we abuse it by uttering useless or culpable
words against God, or our neighbor, or our
selves.

Such are :

ist. Words uttered when we should be si
lent.

SINS OF THOUGHT AND WORD. 195

2d. Words which are indiscreet, ill-timed,
unbecoming. . . .

3d. Blasphemies.

4th. Words ridiculing sacred persons or
things, and impious discourses.

5th. Arrogant and vain words.

6th. Lies.

7th. Murmurs and other words contrary to
the fourth commandment.

8th. Hard, angry, injurious words, sharp and
scoffing words.

9th. Detraction, calumnies, and all words
concerning the faults of the absent. . . .

loth. Immodest, indecent words, licentious
and obscene songs.

What must we think and say of one who
indulges in obscene conversations, and how
should we conduct ourselves towards him?

A shameless, immodest speaker dishonors
himself and shows that he is an unchaste man,
an enemy to God, to his neighbor, and to him
self. . . . Let him not urge that the end of
his discourse is but to excite laughter, to amuse
his companions ; that it is mere badinage. . . .
Ah ! murderous tongue, thou dost assassinate
souls, thou plungest a poniard into innocent
hearts, to excite laughter, to amuse thyself.
What! thou committest the most abominable
mortal sins, thou damnest thy own soul with
that of others, which thou plungest into hell as

196 SODALITY DIRECTOR" S MANUAL.

a jest! Thinkest thou such crimes fitting- for
laughter ? Ah ! if thou dost laugh it is with
the sataoic glee of Satan over his prey.

If it happen that we have the misfortune to
meet with one of these shameless, unchaste,
obscene tongues what must we do ? How
must we bear ourselves? Above all beware of
taking part in the immodest discourse in any
way, either by laughing at what is said or even
by listening to it. If no one listened to immo
dest discourse it would not be uttered. Are you
at the head of a family ? Suffer no indecent
word to be uttered in your house. Would you
suffer the presence of a tiger, a serpent, a thief,
an assassin ? . . . Wherever you encounter it
fly from it as from a pestilence or a traitor who
would plunge a poniard in your breast. . . .

To avoid sins of words be prudent in the
choice of your friends ; have no intercourse
but with those who respect themselves in their
conversations ; and remember that your tongue
has been twice sanctified- -first by the salt of
baptism, then bv the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ in Holy Communion. . . .

*/

O Holy Virgin, pure and immaculate Mo
ther! obtain for me the grace to govern my
tongue and to be, after thy example, holy and
irreproachable in my words.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN.

Iniquita em odio habui, et abominatus sum (I have hated and
abhorred iniquity). Ps. cxviii. 163.

jATRED for sin, abhorrence of all that
is called iniquity, form the basis of
true virtue, of the Christian life. By
the word iniquity we must understand not only
mortal sin but also venial sin ; one cind the
other are an abomination in the eyes of God ;
one and the other are sovereignly fatal to man
and bring upon him the greatest evils. In
order to conceive an ever-increasing horror for
both let us make a few reflections on mortal
sin and venial sin.

I. Mortal sin. If God strikes mortal sin
with all His wrath, if He punishes it with the
eternal torments of hell, it is because mortal
sin in His eyes includes a supreme malice
which deserves all the rigor of His justice.
God sees this terrible evil as it really is, hence
His maledictions, His anathemas, His wrath ;
man sees it but obscurely, hence his indiffer-

IQ7

198 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ence, or even his affection for sin. Ah ! if he
were to see it with God s eyes, by the light of
faith, he would conceive a hatred of it which
w ould grow deeper and deeper.

What, then, is mortal sin ? What is the state
of mortal sin ?

ist. Mortal sin is a grave violation of the
law of God. By mortal sin man insults his
Creator by preferring a creature to Him ; he
tells Him in actions, if not in words, / will not
serve.

Such is the m mstrous act which is called
mortal sin; it is an injury launched against
God like an arrow launched against heaven ; it
is at the same time a fatal blow given by the
sinner to himself and which strikes his soul
with death. He thit Lvctk iniquity kateth his
own soul (Ps. x. 6).

2d. The act passes, but its effect remains ; it
leaves the soul wounded, in a state which is
called a state of mortal sin-- 1 ^ fatal state, in
which it remains as long as the sin is unpar-
doned.

What, then, is a state of mortal sin? It is a
state of death, of slavery, of perdition.

A state of death. The soul struck by mortal
sin instantly loses that interior life which is
called sanctifying grace, and in the eyes of
God is but a lifeless corpse, destined to be
buried in hell. The rick man died and was

MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN. 199

buried in lull (Luke xvi. 22). It is without life
for heaven, where were it admitted by an ex
ceptional order of Providence it would be un
able to see, or taste, or comprehend any of its

In fact, sanctifying grace being the superna
tural life which God has given the soul to en
able it to live for heaven, deprived of this life
it is incapable of enjoying or seeing the eternal
light of heaven, as a dead body is of seeing the
light of the sun on earth. Moreover, deprived
of grace, which is not only its life but the prin
ciple of its merits, it becomes sterile like dead
wood, and is incapable of producing any work
meritorious for heaven. Finally, deprived of
beauty, it appears in God s eyes a lifeless
corpse. This is why the Saviour called the
PJiansees wJiited sepulchres full of dead men s
bones and of all filthiiiess. The soul, being but a
corpse, must be buried, and buried in the tomb
of souls, which is hell. The rich man died, says
Jesus Christ, and he was buried in hell (Luke
xvi 22).

State of slavery. The soul by mortal sin
throwing off the yoke of obedience and the ser
vice of God falls into the slavery of the devil
and her own passions. Formerly God reigned
in her ; now it is the devil who possesses her as
master, who holds her chained, 1o drag her into
hell as soon as death shall permit him. Mean-

200 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

while he tyrannizes over her, urges her on from
sin to sin, confirms her more and more in her
evil habits, estranges her from piety, from
prayer, from all religious exercises, for fear
she may escape him by a sincere conversion.
In sickness particularly he makes every effort
to prevent her receiving the sacraments in
time, that she may die impenitent and be
come his prey in hell, where he subjects her
to an eternal slavery a thousand times more
terrible.

State of perdition. The moment the sinner,
trampling the law of God under his feet, dares
to say to Him, / will not serve Thee, God an
swers by a decree of eternal punishment. The
sinner is then condemned to hell, and if he does
not go there at once it is because God grants
him a delay to do penance; when this delay ex
pires the sentence of divine Justice is inevi
tably executed.

The state of this unfortunate soul resembles
that of a criminal condemned to death by hu
man justice and shut up in prison until the day
fixed for his execution. There is, however, a
difference: human justice in this case is inflexi
ble, while God accords pardon to sincere re
pentance. Moreover, the victim of human jus
tice dreams only of his sad state, while the vic
tim of divine Justice too frequently forgets and
abandons himself to mad pleasures.

MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN. 201

Man in a state of damnation or mortal sin is
like Damocles, who, seated at a royal banquet,
believed himself the happiest of mortals, while a
sword was suspended by a hair over his head.
. . . The sinner in a state of damnation also re
sembles an unfortunate creature who in a state
of intoxication falls asleep upon a railroad
track. . . . Finally, he is compared to a tree
which the woodmen endeavor to fell with an
axe, while others drag it by a rope fastened to
its top ; the tree will necessarily fall to the side
where the rope is.

Such is the terrible state of mortal sin. Sus
pended over the abyss of hell by the fragile
thread of life, liable to fall therein at any mo
ment, what peace can the unfortunate sinner
know ? There is no peace to the wicked, saith tlie
Lord (Isaias xlviii. 22). Why is it, nevertheless,
that we see worldlings rejoicing and vaunting
their happiness ? Ah ! their joy is wholly ex
terior; it is only an intoxication of the senses.
Peace of conscience is unknown to them ; they
are full of trouble interiorly, or they have suc
ceeded in stifling their remorse, the repose
they enjoy is that of the animal which falls
asleep in the shambles.

Ah ! may they wake from this sleep of death.
Surge, qiii dormis, et exsurge a inortuis (Eph. v.
14). Let us, as Children of Mary, have an ever-
increasing horror of mortal sin, that, with the

202 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

assistance of our good Mother, we may never
fail into this deplorable state.

II. Venial sin. It is not sufficient to fly
mortal sin ; we must also most carefully avoid
venial sins. Why? Because venial sin, as it
appears by the light of faith, is not a trifling
matter but a very great evil a great evil in it
self, a great evil to us.

i st. Venial sin in itself is not a light fault ; if
we call it thus it is only in a relative sense and
by comparison with mortal sin. Venial sin
considered in its malice, and as it appears in
the eyes of God, is an evil greater than all the
evils of the natural order, so that we must suf
fer everything- rather than commit it. It is an

^ *-^

evil so great that not for anything in the world,
even to effect the greatest good, should I dream
for a moment of committing it

What, then, is venial sin ? It is a violation of
the divine law which does not destroy sancti
fying grace in our souls, but which is no less
an injury to God, a work of the devil, a pro
duct of hell, a disorder opposed to the divine
attributes as darkness is to light, and conse
quently an abomination in the eyes of God.
Hence the saints horror of venial sin; hence
the grief of St. Aloysius fainting at the feet of
his confessor.

To better judge of the evil let us consider
its chastisements. A curiosity which seemed

M:RTAL AND VENIAL SIN. 203

very pardonable drew upon Lot s wife a most
striking punishment. The Bethsamites were
punished, in great numbers, with death for hav
ing looked upon the ark. Oza the Levite, for
having touched it under circumstances which
would seem to excuse the violation of the law,
was also struck dead. David, for ordering the
census of his people to be taken through a mo
tive of vanity, drew upon Israel the scourge of
a pest which carried off seventy thousand men.
What shall we say of purgatory, where venial
sins shall be still more severely punished in its
expiating flames? The fire, says St. Augustine,
which purifies the elect in purgatory is like
that which tortures the reprobates in hell.

A great evil to us. Venial sin is a leprosy
which stains our souls and deprives them of
that purity so necessary for Christians. It
prevents us from advancing in virtue and en
joying the consolations of the Holy Spirit. It
weakens our souls and disposes them to fall
into tepidity, and even into the abyss of mor
tal sin. It merits the severest chastisements
which we must undergo in this life or the
next.

Since venial sin is so great an evil in the
eyes of faith, should I not endeavor to combat
it with all my strength? To this end I must
avoid all those faults which are called delibe
rate, which are wittingly and knowingly com-

204 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

mitted, and to which we may apply these
words of the Holy Spirit : He that contenmeth
sm ill things shall fall little by little (Ecclus. xix.
i.) The most practical and efficacious means
of avoiding it is daily examination of con<
science and generosity in conquering one s self-
Vince te if sum Conquer thyself.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

PREDOMINANT FAULT.

Non ptignabitis nisi contra regem Israel so him (You shall
not fight but against the King of Israel). 3 KINGS xxii.

31-

UCH was the order given by the King
of Syria to his soldiers as they were
about to attack the army of Achab,
King of Israel. Direct all your darts, he said to
them, against the king ; it is him whom I must
conquer. The king was killed, in fact, and all
his army dispersed. It is thus we must act
against our predominant fault, our predomi
nant passion ; we must concentrate all our ef
forts against it.

He who desires to walk in the path of virtue
soon finds a great obstacle in this interior
enemy ; but if the predominant passion is an
obstacle we may also say that a sure means
of advancing in virtue is to combat and con
quer it.

In war victory depends less upon the num
ber and courage of the soldiers than upon the

ability of the commander and his strategy of

205

206 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

war ; in like manner the most efficacious means
of conquering our vices and our faults is the
faithful application of a good method. Now,
the best method, that which was followed by
all the saints, is to fight our predominant fault,
predominant passion, with generosity.

What must we understand by a predominant
passion? How must we triumph over it?

L What is a predominant passion ? We un
derstand in general by a predominant passion
that one of our evil inclinations which has most
empire over us. We bear in our heart the
germs of all passions, but usually there is
one which rules us and which is the root of
all our faults. In one it is anger. He is rous
ed at the least contradiction ; if anything dis
pleases him he breaks forth into angry words,
injurious epithets, menaces. . . . This would
have been the predominant passion of St.
Francis of Sales, had he not controlled the
vivacity of his temperament ; but, thanks to
generous efforts and the assistance of the
Blessed Virgin, whose devoted servant he was,
he controlled this excessive quickness so well
that he acquired exemplary meekness and un
alterable serenity of soul.

In another it may be pride, which takes a
thousand different forms. Sometimes he seeks
to be elevated and distinguished above others;
he aspires to honors and brilliant employments;

PREDOMINANT FA UL T. 207

again, if he find himself eclipsed he nourishes in
his heart secret enmities and envy, which de
vour it ; if he be forgotten or others preferred
to him he grows angry ; the least praise in
flates and delights him to a degree which ex
cites ridicule as well as compassion. This was
the passion of which St. Francis Xavier would
have become the victim, if St. Ignatius had not
taught him to turn it to a nobler object. Do
cile to the teachings of his holy friend, he
changed his ambition into zeal and became the
glorious apostle of the Indies and Japan.

In a third it may be a depth of indolence and
sloth which keeps him plunged in a lethargy in
which he is capable of nothing, in which he
wastes and makes sterile the precious time of
his life. Days, weeks pass without his advanc
ing a step always planning, never executing ;
always beginning, never achieving.

How many other passions do we not see thus
exercising their preponderating influence ! It
may be an inveterate love of talking ; a malice
which is continually attacking the reputation
of our neighbor ; a beginning of sordid avarice
which denies a trifling alms to the poor ; a pue
rile vanity because of very ordinary advanta
ges ; a propensity to lies ; a slothful ness which
leads us into everything which flatters the body
and the senses. They may all be reduced to
two passions, the root of all the others : pride,

208 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

which refers everything to self, and sensuality,
which seeks to gratify itself in everything, will
be inconvenienced in nothing. Whatever the
passion which predominates in us, we must
know that it is our most mortal enemy, and if
we would not become its prey we must fight it
unto death. But how shall we know it?

2d. What is each one s predominant passion?
Here are the marks by which we may recog.
nize it. Our predominant passion is the most
usual source of the sins into which we fall; it
is what produces trouble and remorse in our
souls ; it is the principal matter of our confes
sions ; it is the fault we cherish most and for
which we like least to be reproved or corrected ;
finally, that over which we sigh in the depths
of our heart, saying : If I had not this unfortu
nate propensity I would be a different man ; if I
could get rid of it all my sins would disappear
with it. If these indications are not sufficient
ask your confessor ; he will tell you the predom
inant fault which you must combat.

II. How must we combat it? As our most
fatal enemy, with energetic ardor. For, mark
it well, if I tremble at the thought you are
so unfortunate as to be eternally lost it will
be your predominant passion which shall have
caused your perdition. It is the breach in the
citadel of your soul; if the citadel betaken it
will be through this breach that the devil shall

PREDOMINANT FA UL T. 209

enter ; as also if you close up this breach the
citadel will hold out and you are sure of victory
and salvation. The predominant fault is the
Goliath whom we must overcome; if you con
quer it all the Philistines will take flight; if you
have not the courage to combat it that is, if
you allow yourself to be governed by your pre
dominant passion--all vices will enter your soul,
your sins will be multiplied, your evil habits
will be strengthened, you will fall into darkness
and indifference : sad consequences, of which
the final result will frequently be impenitence
and perdition.

Then should we not combat such an enemy ?
Should we not attack it resolutely, resolve its
ruin that it may not be ours, and say with the
prophet : / will piirsue after my enemies, and
overtake them ; and I will not turn again until they
are consumed. I will break them, and they shall
not be able to stand ; they shall fall under my feet ?
(Ps. xvii. 38, 39).

A practical means of gaining this triumph is
particular examen, which consists in daily ex
amining before God how we have struggled
against our predominant fault, how many times
we have failed, how many times we have con
quered ; after which we ask pardon of God and
we resolve to struggle with new ardor until our
next examen. This account daily exacted of
ourselves stimulates vigilance and attention ;

210 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

we are on our guard against the fault we have
to combat, we force ourselves to avoid falls, and
our efforts are all the more efficacious from being
concentrated upon one object alone. If, after
the example of the King of Syria who ordered
his soldiers to direct all their darts against
Achab, King of Israel, you order the powers of
your soul to direct all their forces against the
king of your vices, you will triumph over it
sooner or later, however powerful it appears.

Let us begin this salutary struggle with good
courage ; let us maintain it with perseverance,
not forgetting to invoke with filial confidence
the intercession of our Mother, the Blessed Vir
gin ; and, like all the saints, we shall be victo
rious.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

FORMATION OF CHARACTER.

/

Qui operatur terrain suam, inaltabit acervum fwtgum (He
that tilleth his land shall make a high heap of corn). Eo
CLUS. xx. 30.

HE field which each one must cultivate
is his own heart, his morals, his con
duct towards God and towards men.
By this holy culture, by this persevering labor,
we correct the most shocking faults, we acquire
those beautiful virtues which form a fine char
acterthose virtues, replete with charms, that
win for their possessor the respect and love of
all. What is there more precious, more desira
ble, than a fine character? It is one of man s
best qualities ; it outranks science and hardly
yields to virtue, with which, moreover, it is
closely united. The Holy Spirit signalizes it in
these words : A man amiable in society shall be
more friendly than a brother (Prov. xviii. 24). This
man so amiable, so attractive is one whose fine
character wins all hearts. He is loved by God
and men, useful to society, happy himself, and
making others happy.

Rarely is a fine character a pure gift of na-

211

2 1 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ture or grace ; usually it requires, like science,
the concurrence of labor and practice ; but by
means of a generous co-operation every man
can form for himself a fine character.

Therefore we may say that formation of cha
racter is an essential part in Christian educa
tion, and for him who aspires to perfection an
object which requires all his care.

That we may successfully undertake it let us
try to comprehend all that relates to this in
teresting question : I. What we must pro
perly understand by character; II. What is
the origin of character and how we must
form it.

I. What must we understand by character?
A person s character is his manner of conduct,
or rather it is a propensity, an habitual disposi
tion, which impels him to conduct himself after
a certain manner. Each one has his character,
as each one has his face. Character is a man s
moral physiognomy ; it is no less distinct among
men than the features of the face. And just as
a face may be beautiful or repulsive, so a cha
racter is susceptible of deformity or beauty ; it
is the difference of good or bad character.

A fine character manifests itself by a manner
of conduct which is not only irreproachable,
but also full of that sweetness and moderation
which wins the affection of every one. It re
sults from a collection of several virtues which

FORMA T, ON OF CHAR A C TER. 2 1 3

sustain one another and make their influence
more or less felt as circumstances call them
forth. These virtues are integrity, honesty,
courage, moderation, and a great love for man
kind.

Integrity, which renders a man incapable of
doing anything contrary to his honor or con
science, must be the foundation of a fine cha
racter.

Then honesty renders him incapable of de
ceiving any one. This honesty of which we
speak is never either indiscreet, offensive, or
rude; it is regulated by a delicate sentiment of
fitness and enhanced by the forms of good
breeding.

To honesty we must add courage and a noble
independence which controls all vain timidity,
which tramples under foot all that savors of the
baseness of human respect. It is a noble senti
ment which raises man above all weaknesses
and makes him incapable of blushing for any
thing save a fault against honor or virtue.

In action this noble courage becomes energy.
It deliberates with prudence before every un
dertaking ; but once the enterprise has been
prudently conceived and wisely planned it pur
sues its execution with an indomitable strength
and a perseverance which cannot fail of success.

Moderation and calm. To energy a perfect
character joins an imperturbable calm. In

2 1 4 SO DA LI T Y DIRE C TOR 1 S MA N UAL.

vain is it resisted, outraged, attacked by bitter
words ; so far from being carried away by an
ger, it does not even appear moved, and its mo
deration is a contrast to the violence of its ene
mies. To passion it opposes only reason, and
at need an unalterable patience. Hence that
evenness of temper, that amiable gentleness to
wards everybody, that affability which wins all
hearts.

Finally, that which completes a fine character
is love for his fellow-men. Nothing is nobler
than a heart animated by this love, this univer
sal benevolence ; it loves all the world, even its
enemies ; it is compassionate of the afflictions of
men and despises no one ; even the most revolt
ing vices excite in it more grief than indigna
tion or contempt. Hence its respect and kind
ness to all, rich and poor, without exception ;
hence that benevolence, that generosity which
is carried to abnegation, to forgetfulness and
sacrifice of itself ; hence that consideration, that
complacency which refuses nothing, which lends
itself to all the desires of others, ever yielding,
stopping only at the altar, as St. Francis of Sales
says- -that is, when God and conscience inter
fere ; hence that friendly condescension which
bends and accommodates itself to all, weeping
with those who weep, rejoicing with those who
rejoice.

Such is the beautiful collection of virtues

FORMA TIO.V OF CHAR. I C TER. 2 1 5

which constitute a fine character and give it so
many charms. But we understand that in this
collection of virtues there must be some which
predominate, which determine the character
and give it an individual tone. Thus there are
calm and moderate characters, gentle and con
ciliating characters, compassionate and generous
characters, constant and energetic characters.
When a character is distinguished by firmness
and by that noble independence which knows
no fear when there is question of a duty to be
performed, it is a character par excellence, and
those who are endowed with it are called men
of character.

Need we sav that the noble character we have

j

just been tracing is the counterpart of an evil
character? The latter results from a collec
tion of vicious qualities, or at least from some
vice predominating and corrupting the virtues
which may exist with it. Sometimes it is anger
which one allows to govern him, or pride and
ambition, or indolence and sloth, which degene
rate into impurity ; or, again, avarice, cupidity,
and interest. Hence we distinguish choleric
and violent characters, vain and ambitious cha
racters, effeminate* and sensual characters, ava
ricious and interested characters, false and de
ceitful characters; and we may say there are as
many evil characters as there are predominating
vices.

2 16 SODALIT Y DIRECTOR S MANU-.L.

The foundation of every evil character is sel
fishness. Study one, see the principle through
which he acts ; it is not conscience, nor duty,
nor a true love for his fellow-men, but love
of himself, of his own interest, or any passion
which, without his knowledge perhaps, exer
cises an imperious influence over him. Not

that his conduct is alwavs evil, or that he is not

./ *

at times capable of a good action, but these good
moments are fleeting, like the good humor upon
which they depend or the interest which is at
stake.

The faults we have just indicated must be
avoided with the greatest care ; the least of
them mar the beauty of a fine character and
weaken its charms.

II. Origin and formation of character. How
does a good character originate? Is it given
us by nature ? Is it the work of grace, or must
we acquire it by our own efforts ?

Now, we may say that nature and grace
powerfully concur in its formation, but in re
ality it is we ourselves who must form it by our
personal co-operation.

To thoroughly understand the necessity of
this co-operation on our part, observe that we
distinguish natural character and acquired
character.

We understand bv natural character each

j

one s natural propensity, which we call his

FORMA TION OF CHAR A CTER. 2 1 7

*

good or bad nature. Every man is born with
a germ of virtue and vice- -a germ which de
velops into good or evil according as we cul
tivate it or neglect its cultivation. Our charac
ter, then, as nature gives it to us, is properly
neither good nor bad ; at the same time we
say a nature is good when it is, like good
ground, easily cultivated, and a nature is bad
when it resists cultivation. Never, however,
is this moral soil so bad that it may not be soft
ened and improved by earnest labor joined to
the assistance of divine grace.

We call an acquired character that which
each one forms to himself by co-operating or
neglecting to co-operate with grace. To ac
quire a truly good character we must be con-,
vinced that labor is as indispensable for this end
as the cultivation of the earth is for the obtain
ing of the harvest. To possess a bad character
on the contrary, it is sufficient to neglect one s
self, to yield to one s propensities; faults not
corrected will grow like weeds in neglected
ground.

This indispensable labor is called forming the
character- -a work which we must examine in a
practical manner.

How must the formation of a character be
effected ?

Above all it is necessary to will and effica
ciously resolve to apply one s self to the labor it

218 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

involves. And why should we not have this
resolution when we consider the grave fact that
without this work of formation a good charac
ter is not possible, and without a good charac
ter there is no success nor happiness in life?
A man of evil character, disagreeable humor,
although he may have the most brilliant talents,
the finest qualities, will excite contempt, anti
pathy, and opposition. Follow him through life
and its affairs; you will see that he irritates
everybody, that he alienates the most favorably
disposed minds, and consequently fails in all his
enterprises, spoils all he undertakes. A concili
ating and moderate man, on the contrary, a man
of good character, is pleasing to God and to his
fellow-men, useful to himself and to others; he
wins the confidence of all, he calms passions,
he dexterously manages minds and conducts
the most delicate affairs with success. What
is more precious than such a character? Ought
we not labor to acquire it by a good formation ?
Now, formation of character consists in cor
recting one s faults, of anger, of hardness and
ill- temper, of pride, of sensitiveness and indo
lence. Four means concur in this correction :
the reproofs of our parents and our superiors-
reproofs which must be taken in good part and
with docility, even though they be accompa
nied with salutary chastisement ; daily exami
nation of conscience, especially particular ex-

FORMA TION OF CHA RA C TER. 2 1 9

amen, with which we combat our predominant
fault; generosity in overcoming ourselves, tak
ing for our motto, Vince te ipsum- -Conquer thy
self; piety, by which we obtain assistance from
on high, without which our efforts would re
main sterile.

By employing these means, whatever your
faults, you will triumph over them sufficiently
to form to yourself a truly good character, in
which you will possess a sure pledge of the
happiest and most honorable life.

CHAPTER XXXV.

A SPIRIT OF ORDER AND LABOR.

Me oportet operati opera ejus, qui mi sit me, donee dies est (I
must work the works of Him that sent me, whilst it is day).
JOHN ix. 4.

NE of the most indispensable virtues,
because it most contributes to the so
lidity of all the others, is Christian in
dustry, a spirit cf labor, to which is attached a
spirit of order and regularity. Let us give a
short explanation of one and the other.

I. A spirit of labor. Why must we love la
bor, and how must we love labor?

ist. We must love labor for two reasons
because God wills it and because labor has
precious fruits.

Necessity of labor. Labor is a universal law
to which God subjects all His creatures. Has
He not created all beings with wants and with
imperfections? Now, after having created them
thus He was satisfied to furnish them means
which would enable them to provide for their
wants themselves and to acquire the perfection
suitable to them. This providential disposition

.20

A SPIRIT OF ORDER AND LABOR. 221

reveals the intentions of the Creator: He evi
dently wishes that His creatures should exer
cise their faculties by employing the means He
gives them to attain the end for which He has
created them ; it is this exercise which consti
tutes labor.

Look at the animals ; they have need of food
and shelter. Hence their continual movement,
their activity, their industry, their labor, either
in search of food, or to defend themselves from
their enemies, or to find shelter for their
young. . . .

Even plants and all vegetable nature is in
continual action, as if subject to the law of la
bor to develop and produce fruit. . . .

And is not man obliged to obtain everything
through labor? Yes, everything, absolutely
everything, that is necessary and useful to
him: food, habitation, clothes, and particu
larly knowledge and virtue, are at this price.
Hence the well-known adage, Nihil sine la-
bore- -Nothing without labor. This state of
things is the result not only of the general
law of labor, but also of a positive decree
uttered by divine Justice against guilty man.
After the sin of our first parents God said
to Adam : The earth shall bring forth thorns and
t Ins ties to thce. In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou cat tf?y bread (Gen. iii. 18, 19).

But you will say there are men born in opu-

222 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MAA T UAL.

lence who possess an abundance of all things ;
have they need to labor? They also are sub
ject to the law of labor.

First, is it not evident that the rich no less
than the poor at their birth are without know
ledge and virtue ? Therefore they must acquire
them by labor and by serious and sustained
efforts; without this mental and moral labor
they will be, even with the most brilliant ex
terior, but ignorant, vicious men, meriting
the name of gilded nothings, whited sepul
chres. . . .

As to manual and corporal labor, it is true
that for many it is not an obligation ; but does
that mean that they can abandon themselves to
slothful idleness ? Idleness is a vice in any one ;
and all are condemned to labor, either corporal
or mental.

Thus the rich, like all men on earth, have a
task to fulfil : they must employ their leisure
and their faculties for the common good by
taking part in the public administration, or in
any other way as circumstances require. Woe
to those rich sluggards who do nothing but en
joy their fortune, or who even abuse the tem
poral gifts they have received from God, using
them to offend their Supreme Benefactor and
to injure their fellow-beings!

Then labor is necessary and of obligation
for all.

A SPIRIT OF ORDER AND LABOR. 223

Fruits of labor. It is said with truth that
labor is a treasure ; it is, in fact, a source of
blessings to soul and body.

It preserves us from all the evils of idleness
and inactivity. Idleness is not on I} 7 the mother
of ignorance, but also of misery and nearly all
vices. It is called with reason stagnant water,
uncultivated land, the devil s pillow. . . . Now,
a spirit of labor, by keeping us from idleness,
preserves us from the fatal effects of this vice ;
it is for this reason that the saints recommend
a spirit of labor as a safeguard of virtue : Let
t/ie devil find you always occupied, says St. Je
rome.

It frees us from melancholy and ennui, which
never fail to accompany inactivity. . . .

The natural fruit of labor is success either in
studies or all other things. What does not the
laborious cultivation of the earth effect, even
when the ground is unfertile? What fine re
sults are produced, what services rendered by
men who by their labor make good use of the
talent, even mediocre talent, which they have
received from Providence! This saying of one
of the ancients is true in every sense ( f the
word : Labor omniavincit improbus(V\rg., Georg.
I. 145)- -Everything yields to persevering labor.

A spirit of labor, finally, makes us utilize all
the moments of a precious time and lay up
treasures of merit for heaven.

224 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Manner of laboring-. How must we labor ?
With an upright and Christian intention, for
God, and to accomplish our duty. We cannot,
then, consider whether the labor which comes
to us is agreeable, but whether it is God s will
and constitutes a duty.

The subject or matter of labor may vary.
We distinguish three kinds of subjects, which
we call the labor of duty or obligation, useful
labor, pleasurable labor. The last consists of
innocent amusement, pastime, any honest oc
cupation suitable to relax the mind.

In regard to amusing occupations, we must
beware of indulging in them at the expense of
our duties; we must make but a moderate use
of them, in order not to lose in them a precious
time of which we will each have to render an
account to God. To avoid this shoal we have
but one rule to follow- -a rule as simple as it is
just: The necessary before tlie useful, Ike useful
before the agreeable.

We must labor pntiently and faithfully in
union with the labor of Jesus Christ, the Bless
ed Virgin, and St. Joseph. . . . Let us add we
must have order in our labor.

II. Order. To succeed in labor, to labor
with facility, and even with the greatest possi
ble speed, we must proceed with order. What
is order? And how must we apply it to labor?

Order in general consists of a just and suit-

A SPIRIT OF ORDER AND LABOR. 225

able disposition of things, as may be seen in
the works of nature, in the human body, in a
library, in a lexicon, in a musical instrument. . . .
Marry things afford a striking example of order
and harmony. Disorder, on the contrary, is
confusion, tumult, destruction, as we see in phy
sical and moral disturbances, such as tempests,
inundations, revolutions, wars. . . .

Order, being based on truth, becomes in its
turn a principle of the good and the beau
tiful. . . .

Order comes from God and it leads to God.
God, being supreme truth, imprints upon all His
works His divine seal- -the order and beauty
which meet our eyes everywhere : He disposes
all t /lings in measure, and number, and weight (Wis.
xi. 21). To convince ourselves of this we need
only consider the heavens, their structure, their
admirable movements ; . . . or the Church found
ed by Christ, her hierarchy, and her march
through ages; all therein is order, regularity,
subordination, like an army ranged for battle.
Order comes from God, and whoever loves or
der draws near to God : If there be order in your
life, says St. Augustine, order will lead you to
God.

Order is the principle of beauty, of strength,
of prosperity. What is more beautiful than a
well-constructed edifice, than a harmonious
concert ? And is not order the principle of this

226 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

beauty ? What is stronger than an army ? But
is not order also the principle of its strength?
. . . Look at a prosperous country where com
merce, agriculture, the arts flourish; whence is
its prosperity, if not from the order produced
there by the wisdom of its laws and its govern
ment? Would you succeed in your particular
enterprises and in your different labors? Work
with order and method ; then you will omit no
thing of what you have to do ; you will accom
plish much more ; you will be happier ; you will
practise naturally, as it were, the precious virtue
of Christian mortification. ... If, on the con
trary, you are lacking in order you will easily
fall into a habit of acting through caprice,
through humor, and even through passion ; you
will forget, you will neglect many things ; hence
losses, failures, and then regrets, vexations, and
a thousand anxieties. . . .

How must we apply order to labor and to a
life of labor ? We must do so by means of a
rule or order of life. We understand by this a
plan, a sort of list, in which we mark the prin
cipal duties we have to perform and determine
a time for them, according to the particular po
sition in which we are placed. In this plan must
be prominently marked an hour for rising and
retiring, evening and morning prayer, spiritual
reading, and the regular reception of the sacra
ments. Then the different exterior duties, la-

A SPIRIT OF ORDER AXD LABOR. 227

bors, works of charity, even amusements, should
have their place assigned them.

As to each one s special work, in order to
carry it on with order and success we must ap
ply ourselves to it with our whole heart, study
it, if necessary, in order to thoroughly under
stand it, and then pursue it perseveringly. It
is rare that persevering labor is not crowned
with success.

Such is the spirit of order and labor, so valu
able both to civil and Christian life. Let us de
vote ourselves to acquiring it by generous ef
forts; and let us ask the Blessed Virgin to help
us by her powerful intercession.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

CAREER AND VOCATION.

Vias tuas, Domine, demonstra mihi, et semitas tuas edoce me
(Show, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths).
Ps. xxiv. 4.

HE term of human education, the crown
ing finish of youth, is entering upon a
career, the career wfiich it is to follow
during life. This career may be happy and no
ble; but it may also, and in fact too frequently
is, filled with dishonor and bitter sorrows.

This very grave difference depends particu
larly on what is called one s choice of a state in
life. If you make a good choice you assure
yourself a happy and honorable career; if you
make a bad choice you enter upon a way of mis
ery and dishonor.

Now,, to make a good choice it is absolutely
necessary to embrace the state to which God
calls us; in other words, we must follow our
vocation. To thoroughly understand this, and
that we may be wisely directed in so grave a

matter, let us examine, first, the true idea of

228

CA REER A ND VO CA TION. 229

vocation ; second, the manner of faithfully fol
lowing one s vocation.

I. True idea of vocation. We understand
by vocation the career, state of life, the proper
place destined by Providence for every man here
below. It is named vocation- -t\\at is, calling, be
cause God calls each man, as if by his name, to
assign him a place in this world. Governing
the universe with infinite and wholly paternal
wisdom, God sees the different states, the differ
ent degrees, the diverse places in human socie
ty, and He creates to fill them men to whom
He gives qualities and graces fitted to that end ;
so that each one, in the designs of Providence,
is destined for a state which constitutes his vo
cation.* God acts like a father of a family,
who assigns to each of his servants and each of
his children the labor, the employment which
he knows is proportioned to their strength or
ability ; He acts like a skilful gardener, who
places each plant, each tree in the earth which
he knows is suited to it ; like a builder, who
shapes each stone according to its destination ;
like a watchmaker, who adjusts each wheel to
the place in which it is to work.

In like manner acts Providence. He destines
each one for a state, a vocation ; so that voca-

* We speak here of universal Providence, without reference to the par
ticular question whether God leaves certain persons the choice between sev
eral states wherein they may serve Him with equal perfection.

230 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tion depends properly, not on ourselves nor on
the arbitrary choice of our parents, but upon
the counsels of God.

The states to which one may be called are nu
merous. Taken in a moral and religious sense
-that is, in view of the organized Christian so
ciety- -there are three: the secular state, or
common life, the ecclesiastical state, and the re
ligious state. The first is founded on the ob
servance of the commandments, the second on
the divine prerogatives of the priesthood and
clerical obligations, the third on the observance
of the evangelical counsels.

These states are but three varieties of the
Christian life, three ways of living Christianly,
three ways by which we may and should attain
salvation by following in the footsteps of Je
sus Christ. Thus we may call these states, the
first, the Christian life in the world ; the second,
the Christian life in the priesthood ; the third,
the Christian life in the cloister. You will say,
perhaps, that these states are much more nu
merous, that magistrates, doctors, lawyers, sol
diers, artisans, merchants form so many differ
ent states. No ; these are only professions,
occupations, or distinct social positions, and not
states properly speaking. We only give that
name to the states which form part of the social
organization established by our Saviour, and
which impose essentially different obligations.

CAREER AND VOCATION. 231

These three states, having been equally es
tablished by God, are all three good in them
selves, all three necessary, but not all three
equal in dignity. Thus the different members,
the diverse organs of the human body- -the
hands, the feet, the eyes--are equally noble,
equally necessary to man ; so the different ma
terials- -wood, marble, metals- -which God has
created for the wants of man are necessary,
though some are more valuable than others.

At the same time, if these states constitute
different degrees, it does not follow that indi
viduals occupying the highest will have more
merit before God, because their merit shall
depend particularly on the perfection with
which each shall fulfil the duties of his state.
Thus on the stage the merit of the actors de
pends less upon the role they play than upon
the manner in which each one performs his
role. Again, also, a subject sculptured in wood
may have more merit than one done in mar
ble, ivory, or gold. . . .

If we consider the states relatively- -that is, as
they relate to man, who must fulfil them- -the
best for each one is evidently that to which he
is called, for the reason that it is the state
which is suited to him, which is made for him,
for which he himself is made, and for which
God has given him proportionate talents and
graces. The holiest state, then, is not the best

232 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

for all, any more than the most valuable mate
rial is best for all workmen. For example, for
one who works in wood the best material, that
with which he will work best, is wood ; for the
sculptor, marble, as gold for the goldsmith.

What we have just said makes it already evi
dent that each one must embrace the state to
which God calls him ; in other words, that each
one must follow his vocation. But here is a
principle of conduct so important that it be
hooves us to separately consider the motives
for it, that we may thoroughly understand its
importance.

Motives for following one s vocation. The
man who follows his vocation, who is in his vo
cation, is in his place ; there only is he happy,
there only is he successful, there only does he
work out his salvation.

There only is he happy. Yes, in his vocation
he is happy, he is contented, he is at ease.
Why? Because he is in his place. Thus the
members of a body are at ease, each in its
place ; so also the little birds are happy in the
wood, fishes in the sea, sheep in the field, be
cause they are in their place, their element. Man
finds himself similarly happy, however humble
his condition, provided he is in the position
God destined for him, provided he is following
his vocation.

Outside his vocation, however high the posi-

CAREER AND VOCATION. 233

tion may he, he is out of place, and for that rea
son ill at ease and unhappy. The man who has
missed his vocation is like a member out of
joint, like a being out of its element. He is a
traveller pursuing a false route, painfully toiling
in a path outside the beaten road to his country.
Let us consider, for example, the state of holy
orders. It is the holiest and happiest of states ;
but enter it without vocation and you will be
unhappy, because you are not called to it and
because you should have remained in the world.
On the contrary, if God call you to the priest
hood or the cloister, and you remain in the
world to there enjoy more happiness, know that
instead of happiness you will find only grief and
trouble ; you will be restless and unhappy, be
cause your place was the sanctuary. See, on
the other hand, those poor religious in their
cells, those priests in their parishes, those fathers
of families in their homes and their business-
they are happy and contented. Why ? Because
they are in their place, they are in their voca
tion. It is here, then, in our vocation, that we
are happy.

It is there also that one meets with success.
Who does not like to succeed in his career? It
is very hard to see all that we attempt turn
out badly, to fail in all that we undertake, as if
a curse were upon us. What is frequently the
cause ? It is that we are not called to the labor

234 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

we undertake. God has not made us for it ; He
has not given us the requisite qualities for it,
nor does He bless us in it. These are the
causes of failure and sterility. On the contrary,
when we are in our place, when we are em
ployed in the work for which we were made,
we have all that is needed to succeed- -talent,
taste, the blessing of God. Then we labor with
facility, with happiness, with success and fruit.
Man in his vocation is like a tree planted in soil
which suits it; we see it covered with abundant
fruits. Then it is in his vocation that man finds
success.

Finally, it is there that he attains his salva
tion. We do not say that outside his vocation
it is impossible to save his soul, but if he may
save it it is with a great deal more trouble and
much less merit. * The reason is that he finds
himself in a state for which he has received nei
ther talents nor graces, consequently he finds
himself face to face with obligations, obstacles,
and dangers disproportioned to his means and
his strength. On the contrary, the man who is
in his vocation finds himself equal to his duties,
because God has proportioned his strength to
them. If he encounter enemies he is armed to
conquer them ; if he encounter obstacles he is

* There are cases where it is morally impossible fora man to save his soul
unless he embrace a certain state. Such a man is strictly obliged to enter this
state, it being his only means of salvation.

CAREER AND VOCATION. 235

strong to conquer them ; if he encounter evil
he knows how to turn it to good. He profits
by everything, he sanctifies everything, and his
career becomes like the way of the just, wkic/i
as a shining light goeth forward and increaseth
even to perfect day (Prov. iv. 18).

Manner of following one s vocation. Three
things are necessary to follow one s vocation
well- -we must make ourselves worthy of it, we
must know it, we must, finally, efficaciously cor
respond to it.

We must render ourselves worthy of it by re
maining faithful to God and by cultivating all
the qualities of mind and heart which we have
received from Him; in other words, by culti
vating knowledge and virtue. There are some
who lose their vocation by their slothfulness or
by the vices to which they abandon themselves.
For example, a young man is one day destined
for something great ; he has corrupted his mind
and his heart, and rendered himself incapable
of fulfilling the place for which God destined
him he has lost his vocation. Instead of dissi
pating this treasure he should have carefully
preserved it and by his life made himself wor
thy of God s designs for him.

To be able to follow our vocation we must
know it. Since it is God who gives vocations,
it is He also who knows them and who must
make each one s known to him. If He spoke

236 SODALITY DIRECT: R S MANUAL.

exteriorly to His creatures to designate to each
one his place it would be a very simple matter,
but usually God does not act in this way. He
speaks, but when the creature appeals to Him ;
He speaks, but by certain signs which man must
examine with attention and prudence. Now,
to practically fulfil these conditions three things
are required on our part: prayer, purity of in
tention, and counsel. We must daily pray and
ask of God the grace to know our vocation.
Purity of heart is necessary, in order that the
light of the Holy Spirit may penetrate our
hearts and make us see the path which we
should follow. Counsel is indispensable in so
grave a matter; we must ask it of a wise direc
tor and follow his advice with docility. This is
the way in which we will obtain a knowledge
of our vocation.

We must correspond to it efficaciously- -that
is, promptly, with courage and perseverance.

Promptly. When the will of God is suffi
ciently known we must make a decision; inde
cision is as fatal as precipitation. Once the de
cision is made we must think of executing it,
which we should do with prudence, but with
out any unnecessary delay. It is God who
calls us; we must go to Him without delay.

With courage. It rarely happens that there
are not obstacles, particularly when there is
question of leaving the world ; we must over-

CAREER AND VOCATION. 237

come these obstacles with the courage of which
St. Aloysius has given such a beautiful example
to all youth. It is then we must say with the
apostles : / must obey God rather than men.

With perseverance. We must never pause
until we are freed from all ties and find our
selves in the desired state. But the correspon
dence which the grace of our vocation demands
must not stop here. When man is fixed in the
state to which God calls him it remains for
him to fulfil the designs of God by faithfully
performing all the duties which this state im
poses. This is what is called honoring and
sanctifying one s state, completely fulfilling
one s vocation. By so doing we reach hea
ven by an easy and happy road, we assure our
selves a holy death and a glorious eternity.

Ask, dear Children of Mary, through the in
tercession of the Blessed Virgin, your Mother,
the double grace to know your vocation and to
faithfully correspond with it until death.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

TRUE HAPPINESS.

Beatus vir qui timet Dominum (Blessed is the man who fear-
eth the Lord). Ps. cxi.

HOUGH all men desire and seek happi
ness, we see, nevertheless, that very few
are happy; and even the small number
who appear so, experience so much trouble
that we may ask with reason whether there be
any real happiness on earth.

Well, yes, there is happiness on earth- -true
happiness. We say true happiness, and not
perfect happiness exempt from all trouble ;
freedom from trouble and misery is only to be
found in paradise, where all tears shall be dried.
At the same time in this valley of tears the heart
of man may experience a content which satis
fies all his lawful desires, and which gives him,
if not perfect happiness, at least real happiness.
Such was that which the holy Simeon expe
rienced when, holding the infant Messias in his
arms, he cried out that his desires were fulfilled,
that nothing more remained for him to desire

on earth. It is of this happiness which David

238

TRUE HAPPINESS. 239

speaks when he says : Who is the man that de-
sir etk life : who loveth to see good days f (Ps.
xxxiii. 13). And are not they happy who say
with the apostle: We live having nothing, and
possessing all things ?

Then there are contented hearts, there is true
happiness on earth. But what is this happi
ness? Where is it to be found ? What are the
blessings it procures ? They are not exterior
blessings, riches, pleasures, worldly honors, but
interior blessings hidden in the service of God.

1. Happiness does not consist in exterior
blessings, for they cannot give that content
ment to the heart which alone makes us truly
happy.

Then they do not consist in riches. The ma
jority persuade themselves that had they the
fortune they desire nothing would be wanting
to their happiness ; but they feed themselves
with a vain illusion. Had you the fortune you
desire, know that it would no longer suffice you ;
you would want still more. And even were
you to limit your desires and content yourself
with the fortune acquired, would you not have
to preserve it, to administer it, to make use of
it? Now, in all this you would find anxieties
and cares which would harass you like so many
thorns and destroy your happiness. Let us go
in it her: even though you were to find in it
what your heart desired, how long would this

.240 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

happiness last? Must you not die Soon and
leave all these possessions? Ah! the rich die
as well as the poor, and bitter is their death.
O death ! says the Holy Spirit, how bitter is the
remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in
his possessions (Ecclus. xli. i). If the remem
brance is so bitter what shall the reality be ?
The man who is attached to his riches sepa
rates himself trom God and follows the path
of the wicked rich man of the Gospel: The iich
man died also^ and he was buried in hell (Luke
xvi. 22).

If happiness does not consist in riches neither
is it to be found in pleasures. Look at those
men who gather all the flowers of life, who re
fuse nothing to their eyes, to their taste, to the
appetites of their senses; who run from feast
to feast, from amusement to amusement. They
are thought happy, and they are called the for
tunate ones of the world ; are they in reality?
Ah ! so little are they that, sighing under the
weight of their ennui, they find life frequent
ly a burden. Deceived by the illusions of
the senses and passion, they believe they are
seeking supreme happiness; but when they
have attained the phantom of their pursuit the
illusion vanishes, their intoxication disappears,
and there only remain to them emptiness, de
ception, and remorse. They vainly run in pur
suit of other objects ; they find only new de-

TRUE HAPPINESS. 241

captions. It is true that, soon disgusted and
wearied, they desire to leave this abominable
way, but passion retains them- -passion which
tyrannizes over them, which, like a devouring
fire, continually demands ne\v food and is
never satisfied.

Ah! yes; at the bottom of this cup of plea
sures are bitter dregs and a fatal poison, which,
destroying peace of heart and true joy, leave
man in an overwhelming void, or even cast
him into despair.

What is the fate of the vpluptunries of the
world but that of the prodigal of the Gospel?
This misguided young man, wishing to be sa
tiated with the torrent of all sensual pleasures,
left his father s house and went into a distant
country, where he gave himself up to the most
shameful life. But having soon squandered all
his means, he was reduced to taking service
with a master who charged him with the keep
ing of a herd of swine. This was not all : dy
ing of hunger in this hard service, he would
fain have shared the husks of the swine, but
even these were de lied him. . . .

What misery, what degradation ! One of
the ancients vividly represents this degrading
state by the fiction of Circe and the enchanted
cup. This cup, he said, contained a fatal poi
son which produced strange effects. Those
who drank of it soon changed form : their

242 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

mouths lengthened like the muzzle of an ani
mal, they walked on all-fours like quadrupeds,
and eat only herbs and grass. Thus pleasures,
instead of making men happy, only brutalize
them.

Is not happiness to be found in honors and
human grandeurs? Ah! when was the thirst
of ambition ever satiated ? Ambition, like ava
rice, like sensuality, never says, Enough. Be
sides, a man racked by this passion knows no
rest ; one time he is threatened by rivalries,
another time consumed by jealousies or con
founded by humiliations. For whoever exalteth
himself shall be humbled- -frequently during
this life, for ever humbled by death, which
breaks all human grandeur as if it .were a fra
gile vase. Therefore glory and honors no
more than pleasures and riches can make the
happiness of the human heart.

Hear the testimony of a king who had enjoy
ed all this world can give. He attests that in
it all he found but emptiness and vanity: Van
ity of vanities , says Solomon--zw///j/ of vanities,
and all is vanity. 1 ivas king over Israel in y< r li
sa le in ; I have be com great, and have gone be
yond ail in wisdom that were before me in Jeru
salem ; 1 /teaped tog thcr for myself silver and
gol-1, and the wealth of kings and provinces ; and
iv/iatsoi ver my eyes desired I refused them not,
and I ivith eld not my hea > t jrom enjoying < very

TRUE HAPPINESS. 243

pleasure, and I saw in all tilings vanity and vexa
tion of mind (Eccles. i. 2, 12, 16; ii. 8, 9, 10, n).
All, then, is vanity for man here below, except
the service of God. Ftar God, says the wise
man, and keep his commandments, for this is all
man (Eccles. xii. 13).

Then man s happiness in this life is not to be
found in exterior blessings.

That which constitutes our happiness. is the
blessing s of the heart which we find in God
and His service. O Israel, says the Lord by
the mouth of the prophet, O that tlion Jiadst
hearkened to my commandments ; thy peace had
been as a river, and thy justice as the waves of
the sea (Isaias xlviii. 18). Thus the Holy Spirit
unceasingly tells us : Blessed is the man that
fearetli the Lord ; he shall delight exceedingly in
His commandments (Ps. cxi. l).

What are the blessings of the heart which
constitute the happiness of the just?

ist. The peace of a good conscience. When
conscience makes no reproach, when the Holy
Spirit within us gives us the sweet testimony
that we arc the children of God, we experience
a contentment the delight of which all the riches
of the \vorld could rot give. Thus it has been
truly said that contentment was better than
riches, and Scripture declares that a tranquil
lieart is a ferpetital feast. The just who en
joy it may raise their eyes with confidence to

244 SOD LITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

heaven ; they behold there a Father who loves
them and protects them, and not a judge who
threatens them. They may look forward to
the future, for it contains the sweet hope of
heaven and not the abyss of despair. When
they retire to rest they can sleep tranquilly with
out the fear of dying and awakening in hell ;
and in their journeys the thought of accidents
need not move them, for they are always ready
to appear before God. Yes, as the author of
the Imitation says, if there be happiness on
earth it is the portion of the pure heart.
Such is the first principle of true happiness a
good conscience.

2d. The second principle of happiness is be
nevolence. Blessed are tJie vicnijul, says the
Saviour- -that is, those who practise charity and
benevolence towards their neighbor bl ssed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain mcrcyirom God.
The mercy which God promises them is not
only their salvation in the next life, but also a
reward in this present life. Benevolence is at
once rewarded by an interior satisfaction, the
sweetness of which is known only to charitable
souls, and which surpasses all the pleasures of
avarice and sensual egotism. Ah ! what hnp-
piness they are deprived of who, having the
means of exercising benevolence, think not of
doing so ...

3d. A third principle of happiness is humility.

TRUE HAPPINESS. 245

Just as pride and ambition trouble souls, so hu
mility procures them calm and repose. Learn of
me, savs the Saviour, because I am meek and /turn-

*/ f

ble of keart : and you shall find rest to your soius
(Matt. xi. 29) ; and the author of the Imitation
develops this promise in these beautiful words :
1 he humble man God protects and d livers ; the
humble He loves and comforts ; to the humble He
inclines Himself ; to the Jmmblc He gives grace, and
after lie has been depressed raises him to glory. To
the humble He rt veals His secrets, and sweetly
draivs and invites him to Himself. The humble
man, Jiaving received no reproach, maintains Jiini-
self iv ell enougli in peace, because he is fixed up en
God and not on the world (book ii. chapter ii.)

4th. A fourth principle of happiness is ac
complished dutv. He who puts his pleasure
or interest before duty will not be happy, for
he will fall into all kinds of faults, with which
he \vill be reproached by God, by men, and by
his own conscience. Nothing, on the contrary,
is sweeter and at the same time more honor
able than to hear from the lips of men, or at
last from God : You have done your duty. Now,
whoever takes this noble stand and sees in the
world only his duty, to which all other things
are subordinate ; whoever knows no other prin
ciple but that of fulfilling his duty, and tmdevi-
atingly follows this rule of conduct, as simple
as it is enlightened, will hear from men, or at

246 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

least in the depth of his heart from God : Yon
have done your duty, and it is ivell, according to
the word of God in Isaias: Say to the just man
that it is well (Isaias iii. 10).

5th. A fifth principle of happiness is suffering
borne for Jesus Christ. To say that suffering
gives happiness seems contrary to truth ; thus
we see that men fly from suffering as an evil,
and call those unhappy who suffer. Neverthe
less, it is a truth which the Eternal Wisdom
proclaims and which experience confirms: man
is happy when he accepts suffering for love of
Jesus Christ. Blessed are they that suffer per
secution for justice* sake, says the Saviour ; blessed
are ye when tliey sliail revile you, and perse ctite you,
and speak all tJiat is evil again t you untruly for my
sake ; be glad and rejoice, for your reivard is vtry
great in heaven. By the word persecution we
must understand all the trials, labors, and tribu
lations which we encounter in the path of vir
tue. Borne for Jesus Christ and in union with
His sufferings, trials fill Christian souls with
marvellous joy : / exceedingly abound wit It joy in
all our tribulation (2 Cor. vii. 4). Thus the evils
of this life become for the just a principle of
joy ; their bitterness is changed into sweet
ness. Then what evil can reach them? Have
the} 7 not found a paradise upon earth ? Yes, says
the author of the Imitation, ivlien tJwu sJialt ar
rive thus far that tribulation becomes sweet and

TRUE HAPPINESS. 247

savory to t /ice for the I ve of Clu-ist, tJien think it is
well with thee,for tliou {tost found a paradise upon
earth (book ii. 12).

Behold the blessings contained in the service
of .God, and which constitute true happiness
here below- -happiness all the more precious
that nothing can rob us of it, and that it is the
prelude of perfect happiness, of the beatitude
which awaits us in the next life.

May we, truly penetrated with this truth, seek
happiness only at the real source ; we shall
thus escape a thousand delusions and all the
bitter disappointments of vanity, and we shall
see the words of the Holy Spirit verified in us :
Blessed is t/ie man w/io fears the Lord.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

FAITH.

Justus ex fide vivit (The just man liveth by faith). ROM
i. 17.

HE just man, who is no other than the
true Christian, is presented to us as
the tree of benediction planted by the
hand of the Lord : The ju&t shall flourish like the
palm-tree plantt d in the house of the Lord, says the
Psalmist ; he shall groiv up like tiie cedars of Li-
banns ; planted in the Jinise of tlie Lord, he shall
flourish in the. courts of t lie house of God (xci. 13,
14). Now, just as every tree lives by the root,
so the just man lives by faith, which is his vital
principle. The holy Council of Trent express
ly declares it in these words : Faith is the be
ginning of t lie s Ivation of men, tJie foundation and
root of all justification (sess. 6, chap, viii.)

This consideration sufficiently shows us the
necessity, the excellence of faith, and its influ
ence upon all Christian life. For the sounder
and stronger the root the more vigorous and
fruitful the tree.

We have the happiness of possessing ftiith ;
but is our faith perfect ? Does it leave nothing

FAITH. 249

to be desired ? Do we not merit the reproach
our Saviour so frequently addressed the apos
tles : O ye of little faith ?

To renew and strengthen this salutary virtue
more and more in us let us consider what faith
is and what its qualities should be.

Faith. We know that the virtue of faith is
a gift of God and a light by which we firmly
believe, because of God s supreme truth, all
that has been divinely revealed and held as re
velation by the Church.

Faith is, then, an interior light which God
has giv^n us to learn what we absolutely need
to know- -our true position upon earth.

Placed in this world for a time only, should
not man be eager to know what he is to do
here, whence he came, whither he is going,
what destiny God holds for him after death,
and how he must prepare himself for this des
tiny? These great questions our reason is
powerless to solve ; we need the light of faith,
the teaching of God.

For observe that the light of faith comes from
God ; faith is believing what God has said and
taught. God deigned to instruct men Himself;
He instructed us by word of mouth, as a father
does his children, and His divine words have
been preserved- -not one fell to the ground;
they have been transmitted to us by the Scrip
tures and the Tradition of the Church divinely

250 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

instituted to be the infallible guardian of God s
word.

Yes. God has spoken to the human race.
And have men listened to His word? The di
vine word, which is also called the Gospel, an
nounced to all peoples of the earth, has been
received by some and despised by others.
Among the number of those who received
it are the ancient Gauls, to whom holy mis
sionaries like Martin, Armand, Lieven came
to preach the faith in the sixth and seventh
century. Our fathers believed with all their
hearts, and they have left us with the doctrine
of salVation the most beautiful monuments
of their faith in these monasteries founded
throughout all countries, and in those ancient
churches the magnificence of which attests the
piety of their founders.

Yes, we frequent the temples where our fa
thers prayed, but do we really pray there, do
we frequently approach the sacraments, do we
hear the word of God with the same faith ?
Alas ! the faith of the majority is so weak in
our day. Those who still come sometimes
to listen to the divine word, when they hear
sermons upon sin, judgment, the Passion of
Jesus Christ, the eternal happiness of the just,
the perdition of the wicked, the endlessness of
eternity, they regard these subjects, if not as
problems, at least as events so remote that

FAITH. 251

i

they make little or no impression upon their
soul.

Is this, then, the lively and active faith of our
fathers ? Is it even a solid and serious faith ? Is
it the faith of a true Christian? What, then,
should our faith be?

Qualities of faith. Our faith, to be such as
God wishes it, must be firm, lively, and effica
cious.

Our faith must be firm that is, immovable,
excluding all shadow of doubt and giving us
the same certainty that we have of those evi
dent truths which are the first lights of our rea
son. Whence is this absolute certainty of our
faith? It results from the foundation upon
which our faith rests, which is no other than
Supreme Truth, God, who speaks to us and who
can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Not so with men: they can be deceived, and
we must accept their testimony only when we
are very sure they speak the truth. But God,
being the essence of truth, cannot be deceived,
cannot err; His testimony is ever infallible.
Then ought we not believe it with absolute
certainty ?

What! we believe what is related by men
worthy of credit, and we will doubt the testi
mony of God ? Were a missionary of known
integrity to return from Palestine, where he
visited Jerusalem and all the holy places, and

252 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

say to you : I saw with my own eyes the city
which Jesus traversed bearing His cross, the
Calvary where He died for our salvation, the
sepulchre whence He rose on the third day,
would you not believe him? You would be
lieve him, because he spoke of what he saw
and he was a man worthy of credit. And Jesus
Christ, the true Son of God- -has He not seen
what He tells us ? Have we not His word in
the Gospel, do we not receive it from the
Church as if from His own lips ? He tells us of
heaven, of hell, of all the mysteries of religion,
and there are men who refuse to believe because
they themselves have not seen. Ah ! soon they
will see and believe, but, alas ! like the devils
W J LO believe and tremble (James ii. 19). Ah !
Lord, we believe Thy divine word, we believe
without having seen ; we believe, but increase
our faith, give us a lively, firm faith.

Vivacity of our faith. A lively faith should
not be confounded with a living faith. . We call
that a living faith which is accompanied with
sanctifying grace, which is the life of the soul ;
while a lively faith is a clear, enlightened, lu
minous faith which manifests what it teaches us
as clearly as if we beheld it with our eyes or
heard it with onr ears. It resembles a cle ir
night in which all the stars are resplendently
visible in the sky, or the view of a city which
a traveller visits and contemplates near by.

FAITH. 253

When travelling you perceive from a high
mountain a great city on the border of the hor
izon, almost lost in the distance, and then, con
tinuing your route, you see it near by ; you
enter it and visit its edifices. How different,
how much clearer is your view of it ! Thus a
weak, obscure faith sees the mysteries revealed
by God in the remote distance; a lively faith,
on the contrary, beholds them clearly, unmar-
red by shadow or mist. Animated by this
faith, the faithful feel as if they had lived with
Christ and the apostles. Such was the faith
of the saints; such is still to day the faith of
fervent Christians ; it shows forth in their words
and works. In fact, it is the character of faith
to reveal itself in holy works, as light in rays ;
in other words, a lively faith is also an effica
cious faith.

Efficacy of faith. Faith is efficacious, active,
when it has results and is fruitful in good
works. Without works faith is dead, St. James
tells us, and avails nothing for eternal life; it
shall even cause us to be judged more severely.
To know the truths of salvation and not con
form our life thereto is to render ourselves
gravely guilty. The word of God is a seed
which must produce fruit. Thus the life of a
true Christian is like a field, while that of a
bad Christian is a land covered with briers and
thorns.

254 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

It was faith which produced the works we
admire in the saints. Ah ! let us not be satis
fied with a sterile admiration ; let us imitate
them. Would to God faith were lively and
efficacious in all hearts ! Then we should see
men occupy themselves with eternal things,
we should see good works flourish and virtues
reign everywhere, and with them peace and
happiness.

O holy Virgin, who wast singularly blessed,
for thou hadst perfect imi\\--beata quce credi-
z- -obtain for us a faith like thine, help us

to avoid the dangers in which our faith could
be wrecked.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

HOPE.

Ut fortissimum solatium habcamus, qui confugiimis ad tcnen-
dam propositam spent qtiam sicut ancoram habeuius anitnce tutam
ac firmam (We have the strongest comfort, who have fled for
refuge to hold fast the hope set before us which we have as an
anchor of the soul, sure and firm). HEB. vi. 18.

jjOPE, the second of the theological vir
tues, springs from faith like the stem
from the root. At sight of God as
faith represents Him to us, a Father full of
goodness, the heart naturally awakens to a
sweet hope.

As faith is the principle of our spiritual life,
so hope is the principle of our consolation and
our strength. The divine Master wishes that
we should follow Him by means of many crosses
and trials; but He promises us great blessings,
the hope of which affords us great consolation-
fortissimum solatium ; consolations so powerful
that they not only soften the hardest trials but
give us joy in the midst of tears: Spe ga-ndentes.
We have, further, labors to endure, storms to
encounter; then hope is our strength; it up
holds us like a column, that the edifice of our

256 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

faith may not crumble ; like an anchor it holds
the bark of our faith fast and firm amid all the
storms of life.

How fervently we ought to love this sweet
and precious virtue of hope ! How earnestly
we should endeavor to develop it in our souls !
To this end let us consider: I. What hope is;
II. What are the qualities this virtue should
possess.

What is hope? We frequently understand
by the virtue of hope that tranquil confidence
of a soul which relies upon the providence of
God with a filial abandonment in all the events
of life. This confidence in God is hope in the
broadest sense, or rather it is the perfection of
hope.

Christian hope, in the strict sense of the word,
is a virtue which aspires to the possession of
God in heaven and relies on succor from above
to attain this happiness. It is defined a super
natural virtue, by which we hope from God
eternal beatitude and the means of attaining it,
because Jesus Christ has merited it for us and
it has been promised us by God, who is infi
nitely good, all-powerful, and faithful in His
promises. This definition contains the object
and the foundation of our hope.

Object of our hope. Eternal beatitude and
the means of attaining it are what we hope
from God.

HOPE. 257

Eternal beatitude, or the salvation of our souls,
consists in the possession of God and the joys
of heaven- -the only good worthy the munifi
cence of the King of kings or the desires of
our heart. All the rest, being perishable, can
have no value to an immortal soul, which re
quires immortal blessings. All other things
are incapable of satisfying our desires ; only
eternal salvation fully meets the aspirations of
the human heart ; salvation, God s gift par ex
cellence, is the living water made to assuage our
great thirst for happiness.

We also hope from God the means of attain
ing salvation- -that is, the graces and succors
necessary to lead a Christian life here below :
a condition which God requires on our part to
obtain salvation and merit eternal glory. The
succors of which we speak include not only spi
ritual graces, which help us to resist evil and
obey God s law, but also our daily bread, health,
and all things necessary and useful for our cor
poral existence in this world. All these bless
ings we should expect from God ; and though
He desires above all to give us graces useful to
the soul, He will in nowise refuse us succors of
an inferior order which concern the body.

The foundation of our hope includes four
parts: the merits of Jesus Christ, God s infinite
goodness to us, His almighty power, and His
fidelity to His promises.

258 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

The merits of Jesus Christ are infinite, and
in giving His blood for us He poured out in ad
vance the price of all that we may ask of God
for time and eternity. It is for this reason the
Church terminates all her prayers in these
words to the Father: We beseech Thee through
Jesus C/irist 9 Thy Son, our Lord.

Goodness. God is a Father whose goodness
surpasses that of the best of fathers among men,
that of the tenderest mother for her child. If a
mother, He Himself tells us, can forget her
child, He will not forget us. It is true, how
ever, that God s goodness is a severe goodness,
which does not fear to thwart His children to
make them better and happier. Such as I love
I rebuke and chastise, He tells us (Apoc. iii. 19).
He does not always grant the earthly advan
tages they ask of Him, because He reserves for
them others of more value ; and if the tender
Jesus allowed His friend Lazarus to die and
his sisters to be plunged in grief it was in no
wise in default of goodness. ... If He does
not spare the cross to His dearest servants it is
because He wishes to enrich them as much as
possible with the glory of heaven, which is
only acquired by crosses. This is the sense in
which His goodness to us has no limit. This is
why our Heavenly Father is more disposed to
grant us all blessings than an earthly parent to
give his children the bread they ask. . . .

HOPE. 259

All-powerfulness of God. The power of God
equals His goodness. All the good He wishes
us He can execute. Nothing is impossible to
Him, nor even difficult, either in the order of
grace or nature. From stones He can raise up
children to Abraham, from a persecutor an
apostle, from a heretic a doctor of His Church,
from the greatest sinner a saint, provided man,
always free to refuse grace, does not resist His
divine action. Salvation, sanctification, said the
Saviour to His disciples, is impossible to man,
but all things are possible to God. . . .

Fidelity to His promises Men too frequently
promise and do not execute. Not so with God.
Every man is a liar, says the apostle, but God is
true (Rom iii. 4). No, he says Himself; I will
not make void, I will not contradict, the words
that proceed from, my mouth (Ps. Ixxxviii. 35).
Now God has promised us salvation and the
means of attaining it, Jesus Christ unceasingly
repeats this promise to us. Yes, this promise
already irrevocable in a divine mouth, God
willed to confirm by a solemn promise, in order,
says St. Paul, that by two immutable things, in
whicli it is impossible for God to lie, we may have
the strongest comfort, we who have fled for refuge
to hold fast the hope set before us (Heb. vi.
1 8).

Such is the immutable foundation of our
hope. It rests at once on the merits of Jesus

260 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Christ, on the goodness of God, His power,
and His fidelity to His promises.

Qualities of hope. Our hope must be con
stant and efficacious.

It should be constant not to fail in the trials
of life. If it be true that all virtue must be
strengthened and made perfect through trial,
hope and confidence in God more than all other
virtues need to be thus exercised. Therefore
God tries the confidence of His servants: He
tried Abraham by ordering Him to immolate
his son Isaac ; he tried Moses and Israel by
leading them to the border of the Red Sea
while Pharao pursued them ; Jesus Christ
tried His disciples, permitting a storm to over
take their bark while He slept and seemed to
have forgotten them ; He tried the multitude
that followed Him, leading them into the desert
where there was nothing with which to appease
their hunger. In a word, it is the way of the
Lord to lead His faithful to the border of the
tomb, and bring them thence to manifest His
goodness and His power.

The Christian, then, must beware of losing
confidence in adversity, in temptations and
trials, of yielding to sadness or discourage
ment. Let him remember that then particular
ly is the time to display strength of soul, con
fidence in God. His confidence should even
increase in trial and sustain us until the Lord

HOPE. 261

come, who shall not fail to come to his aid, ond
who shall not be slack Veniens veniet, et non tar-
dabit (Hab. ii. 3).

Our hope must be constant, and it must also
be efficacious ; that is, it must co-operate ac
tively with God and with His grace. Hope
awaits from God not the total accomplishment
of an action which leaves us nothing to do, but
a succor which supplies our deficiency and
which supposes our co-operation, as the apos
tle expresses it, saying: // is not I who accom
plish the good work, but the grace of God within
me. God wishes, says St. Augustine, that we do
all that is within our power, and that we ask of
Him that which is beyond it. Let us trust in God,
says St. Ignatius, as if all depended iipon Him,
and let us, on our part, act as if all depended upon
ourselves. This is expressed in the common but
excellent saying : God helps those who help them
selves.

Moreover, it is a general rule of Providence
that man must use his faculties and all the means
in his power, then await from God the resources
he lacks, as much in the order of grace as in that
of nature. Thus the farmer would have no har
vest if he remained with his arms folded ; he
must co-operate with God by his labor. God
gives fertility to the earth and the dew of hea
ven ; but man must labor and sow his seed,
then he may hope that God will make it grow

262 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

and ripen his harvest. It is the same with sal
vation and all the Christian life : man must
devote himself thereto, he must study, labor,
watch, and combat; but in doing what is in his
power he may hope and expect succor from God,
who is never first to abandon His servants. He
tries them, but not beyond their strength : God
will not suffer you, says the apostle, to be tempted
above tJiat which you are able, but will make also
wit/i temptation issue, that you may be able to bear
it (i Cor. x. 13). If, then, you fight valiantly
God will infallibly help you to be victorious.

And who would not hasten to labor and com
bat with courage at sight of the infallible re
wards with which victory shall be crowned?
The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be
-compared with the glory to come that shall be re
vealed in us (Rom. viii. 18). That wJiidi is at
present momentary and ligJit of our tribulation
ivorketh for us above measure exceedingly an eter
nal weight of glory (2 Cor. iv. 17).

CHAPTER XL.

CHARITY LOVE OF GOD.

Major horum est caritas (The greatest of these is charity).
i COR. xiii. 13.

ERE is the virtue which bears the scep
tre and the crown, the queen of virtues
divine charity. As humility shines
at the base of Christian sanctity, so charity beams
at the summit ; humility is like a diamond rock,
and chanty like a sun which illumines the mys
tical edifice of virtues.

Charity, veritable divine fire, inflames the
heart with purest love and produces therein a
double flame, springing- one portion of it to
wards heaven and the other towards earth ;
one is love for God, the other is love for our
neighbor. There is only one virtue of charity,
but it embraces a double object- -God loved
for Himself, and our neighbor loved for God.
In as far as it relates directly to God it is called
divine love ; in as far as it relates to our neigh
bor it is called love for our neighbor, fraternal
charity, or simply charity.

Let us speak first of love of God, which may

263

264 SODALl TY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

be called the virtue par excellence, the principle
and abridgment of all sanctity. St. Ignatius,
enlightened by God to comprehend its price,
asked but this in prayer : Lord, he cried, dis
pose of me and of all that is mine as Thou wilt,
take from me all things, but give me Thy love
and Thy grace ; Thy love alone sufficeth me.
If a man, says the Holy Spirit, should give till
the substance of his h .-use for love, he shall despise
it as nothing (Cant. viii. 7).

Then we should ardently desire so precious
a blessing, and do all that depends on us to in
flame our hearts with this divine fire.

To this end let us consider : I. The motives
for loving God; and II. The qualities our love
should have.

I. Motives proper to excite divine love in our
hearts. These motives are: God s love for us,
His benefits, His divine perfections.

God s love for us. Let us love God, says St.
John, because God first hath loved iis (i John iv.
19). The most powerful motive to love is the
love another bears us. We naturally love those
who love us ; and the way to make one s self lov
ed is to love others, according to the well-known
maxim : Si vis amari, ama. Now, God loves us,
and has loved us for all eternity: Yea, I have
loved tJiee, He says to each of us, with an ever
lasting love, therefore have I drawn tliee, taking
pity on thce (Jer. xxxi. 3). He loves us like a

CHARITY LOVE OF GOD. 265

tender father, and He desires that we should
address Him by this sweet name. In spite of
our ingratitude He continues to love us, as we
see by the parable of the prodigal son of the
Gospel. . . . He goes so far as to tell us that
He loves us more than a mother does her child.
Then let us love God, since He has first loved
us, and loved us so tenderly.

God s benefits. What new motives do they not
give us to love God ! If you are in want and
a generous man comes to your assistance, gives
you food, a house, an honorable maintenance,
would you not love this benefactor? But what
benefactor is comparable to God ? What hast
tlwu that thou hast not received of Him ? (i Cor,
iv. 7). Your existence, a noble human nature
made to the image of God- -from whom have
you received it? The food which nourishes
you, the clothes which cover you, the light
which illumines your day, and all these exte
rior blessings--from whom do you receive
them ? And if you go into the order of grace
how many new treasures you find ! A future
of eternal glory and the most admirable means
of attaining it, the merits of Christ, the Church
and her divine sacraments, are placed at your
disposition; then there is that special provi
dence which caused you to be born in the bo
som of the true faith, and watched, over you
since your birth to the present hour. Who can

266 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tell :, 1 your benefits? If you had received from
a man one-millionth part of the good God has
given you, you would not know how to show
him your gratitude and love; what, then, will
you render to God, your supreme Benefactor?
Should you not love Him with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength ? . . .
What would it be if we were to see God face
to face as He is, infinitely lovely in Himself?
Ah ! would we not be enraptured with love
like the blessed in heaven, if, like them, we
could contemplate His infinite perfections?
Would not our hearts be inflamed with the
most ardent flames at sight of this wisdom, this
holiness, this power, this beauty, of which all
created beauty and perfection are but a sha
dow ? Yes, the perfections of creatures are a
shadow, but nothing more than a shadow, a
weak image of the Creator s perfections. All
that we see of grandeur, of beauty, of holi
ness comes from God, like rays from the sun,
like streams from their source, and all things
speak to us of the infinite perfections of which
God is the source. Behold heaven and its
stars, the earth and its fecundity, the sea and
its immensity ; ... all these works of God bear
the imprint of His hand and proclaim His
greatness. Look at men and their admirable
works, . . the magnificence of kings, the
power of their armies ; all these are but a sha-

CHARITY LOVE OF GOD. 267

dow of the greatness of the King of kings.
Contemplate the Church, her hierarchy, her
worship, the beauties of every kind which
adorn her, particularly her living ornaments,
those pearls of all virtues which are resplen
dent in the saints; . . . they are so many rays
of the eternal Sun.

Yes, the whole world announces the glory of
God ; it is a mirror which reflects, a book which
relates, a hymn which extols the infinite glory,
beauty, loveliness of its Author.

O beauty ever ancient, ever new ! my heart
is made for Thee, as my eyes for the light. Why
can I not contemplate Thee like the seraphim,
in order to burn, like them, with love for Thee !

Quality of divine love. How should we love
God, and what are the qualities our love should
have? To be true and perfect our love of God
should be efficacious, constant, and generous.

Love is efficacious when it produces the ef
fects, the fruits which God asks, and which con
sist in the observance of His holy law and the
accomplishment of the divine will. He that hath
my commandments and kcepeth tJiem, he it is that
lovetJi m . If any one love me he will keep m v
^vord (John xiv. 21, 23). It follows from this
that love consists more in works than in words
or affectionate outpourings of the heart. No
doubt the sweet emotions we feel towards
God, the tears of tenderness, the praise, the

268 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

canticles, the testimonies of affection which we
offer Him, spring from love, but they are only
its leaves ; works only are its fruit and its in
fallible proof. T/ie proof of love, says St. Gre
gory, is tJie production of works. Then would
you know whether you truly love the Lord your
God ? Examine, not whether you experience a
sensible and tender devotion, but whether you
faithfully observe the law of God, whether you
avoid sin, whether you seek the accomplishment
of the divine will.

Love must be constant- -that is, it must not
fail either* in prosperity or adversity. Alas!
how m my there are who, finding everything
succeed according to their desires, attribute
success to themselves, become inflated with
pride, and forget God, their sovereign Bene
factor ! This is the shoal of prosperity. Others,
tried by reverses, by afflictions, become dis
couraged, break forth into complaints, mur
murs, and rebel against God, whose fatherly
hand has touched them for their good ; this is
the shoal of adversity, in which many barks
have been wrecked. How many are faithful
to all their Christian duties, to all their pious
exercises, while it is calm and a favorable wind
fills their sails, but if storms, sufferings, humilia
tions come their courage fails and they aban
don piety ! My son, says Jesus Christ in the
Imitation, thou art not as yet a valiant and prudent

CHARITY LOVE OF GOD. 269

lover, because tJwu fa! lest off from ^vhat tlwu Jiast
begun upon meeting witJi a little adversity, and loo
greidily seekest after consolation. A valiant lev r
stands liis ground in temptations and yields not to
the crafty persuasions of the enemy. As he is
pleased wiiJi me in prosperity, so I displease him
not when F send adversity (b. iii. 6). It is not
sufficient to be with Jesus on Thabor, or even
to follow Him to the table of the cenacle ; we
must accompany Him to Calvary and remain
with Mary at the foot of His cross.

Love, says the Holy Spirit, is strong as death;
the lamps thereof are lamps of fire and flames.
Many waters cannot queue Ji charity, neither can
the flo ds drown it (Cant. viii. 6, 7).

Love should be generous. Generosity con
sists in giving 1 , in laboring, in suffering, in mak
ing all sacrifices, and in making them joyfully
for one whom we love. He who loves Jesus
Christ gives Him what he can in the person of
His Church and His poor; lie labors for Him
by fulfilling the duties which He imposes upon
him ; He endures all the trials which He sends
him ; he sacrifices his time, his rest, his most
lawful satisfactions; he even goes so far as to
sacrifice his life for God ; and all this with a di
vine joy which love alone can give. The love of
Jesus, says the author of the Imitation, is noble
and generous ; it spurs us on to do great tilings,
and excites us to desire alw lys that which is most

270 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

perfect. It equally bears ail that is unequal. The
lover flies, runs, and rejoices ; he is free and not
held. He gives all for ail, and he has all in all,
because he rests in one sovereign good above all,
from whom all g ood flo ws a nd proceeds. L ove fc -els
no burden, values no labors, would willingly do
more tJuin it can. Love is thankful to God, alzvays
trusting and hoping in Hi)it, even when it tastes
not the relish of Gods sweetness ; jor there is
no living in love without some pain or sorrow (b.

* >.

in. 5),

It is in this sense that St. Ignatius says that
the fire of love is fed with the wood of the
cross.

The ideal of this generous love is Jesus
Christ giving Himself so prodigally, immolat
ing Himself so generously for the children of
men- -Jesus Christ in His manger, upon His
cross, in the sacrament of our altars. His di
vine Heart is the model of divine love, and at
the same time the source whence we must draw
it. / am come to cast fire on ihe earth, and wJiat
will I but that it be kindled? (Luke xii. 49).

CHAPTER XLI.

LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR.

Hoc est praceptu >n meum : Ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos
(This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I
have loved you). JOHN xv. 12.

HE divine fire of charity produces a
double flame, one of which makes us
love God for Himself, and the other
our neighbor for God s sake. These two
loves, being but the same charity, are so inti
mately united that one cannot exist without the
other. St. John bears witness to this in these
words : If any man say, I love God, and hateth his
brotJier, Jie is a liar. This commandment we have
from God, that he who loveth God^ love also his
brother (i John iv. 2O, 21).

It is by loving our neighbor that charity is
most frequently exercised. God, being invisi
ble, having need of nothing, rarely affords us
occasion of exercising our charity towards
Him ; but our neighbor affords us continual op
portunity. Therefore God has willed us to
love Him in mankind, who are His children,

and whom He substitutes for Himself. As lo g

271

272 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you
did it to me (Matt. xxv. 40).

Fraternal charity is a gift of God, a virtue
by which we love our neighbor as ourselves for
God s sake. In other words, it is the charity
by which we love God in His children, His
images, His substitutes.

Love of our neighbor takes various names,
according to the diversity of its acts. Hence
the charity of benevolence, of union, of forbear
ance, of pardon, of kindness. ... It is a vir
tue of inestimable price. It contains all good, all
Christian perfection. Above all things Jiave cha
rily, says the apostle, whic/t is the bond of per
fection (Col. iii. 14).

That our hearts may be more and more
inflamed with it, let us consider, 1. How we
should love this virtue; II. How we should
practise it.

Love of fraternal charity. We must love
this beautiful virtue with a love of predilection
which shall cause us to seek it as the pearl of
the Gospel, as the treasure hidden in the earth,
as our supreme treasure. Follow after charity
(i Cor. xiv. i). All motives urge us to seek it
motives on the side of God and our Lord Jesus
Christ, motives on the side of charity itself,
motives on the side of our neighbor, and mo
tives on the side of our own interest.

Motives on the side of God and our Lord

LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR. 273

Jesus Christ. God is so good to each one of
us, He forgives us our sins, He treats us with
ineffable kindness, patience, and longanimity ;
should we not in our turn be kind and indul
gent towards our brethren ? God is angry with
the ungrateful man who, having experienced
His mercy, did not fear to oppress his brother.
Thou wicked servant , He says, / forgave thee all
the debt, because thou besouglitest me ; shouldst not
tliou tJien have had compassion also on thy fellow-
servant, even as I had compassion on thee? (Matt,
xviii. 32, 33).

If we turn towards our Lord Jesus Christ do
we not find that His virtue of predilection, the
virtue of His Heart, is charity? Is it not the
virtue which He recommends to us in a most
special manner? A new commandment I give unto
you : That you love one another, as I have loved
you, that you also love one another (John xiii. 34).
Is it not the virtue of which He has given us
the most powerful example, and which He most
earnestly recommends by the lips of His apos
tles ? In this we have known, says St. John, tJte
charity of God, because He hath laid down His
life for us ; and we ouglit to lay down our lives
for the brethren (i John iii. 16).

Motives on the side of charity itself. Is it
not the most necessary and the most excellent
of virtues? There is no salvation without love
for our neighbor. Whosoever hateth his brother

274 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

is a murderer, says St. John, and he that loveth
not abidcth in death (i John iii. 15, 14).

What would become of a soul, a family, a
community, human society, without, charity?
Would they not be a prey to egotism, discord,
pauperism, pagan despotism? . . .

Charity is the most excellent of virtues. The
greatest of ail, says St. Paul, is charity. It is
like the soul of all the other virtues ; it gives
them their lustre and beauty ; the least actions
receive from its influence an inestimable price.
Let all your things, says the same apostle, be
done in cJmrity (i Cor. xvi. 14).

Motives on the side of our neighbor. We
should love men because they are our brothers,
created like us to the image of God, born like
us of the blood of Adam, regenerated like us
by the blood of Jesus Christ. At sight of a
fellow-being we should say with the brothers
of Joseph : He is our brother and our flcs j i (Gen.
xxxvii. 27).

Then there are unfortunate beings most poor,
most wretched, most abandoned. . . . How
can we fail to compassionate them ? How can
we not help them, if God has given us the
means? . . .

Motives on the side of our own interest.
We are all sinners, and we have need to trem
ble at sight of our sins ; but let us be charitable
and we are sure of pardon. BLssed are tJie nitr-

LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR. 275

ciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Judge not, ihat
you may not be judged. If you will forgive men
their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive
you your offences (Matt. v. 7 ; vi. 14 ; vii. i).

Do we fear for our eternal salvation ? Let us
possess charity ; it is the mark of the children
of God, the character of the elect. Would we
be happy? Chanty diffuses happiness every
where, particularly in the heart where it
dwells; it is a virtue which God rewards in
this world.

Practice of charity. How ought we love our
neighbor? What should our charity be?

It should be true and efficacious. My little
children, says the Beloved Disciple, let us not
love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in
truth (i John iii. 18).

True and efficacious- -that is, such as St. Paul
describes it: Charity is patient, is kind; charity
envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed
up, secketh not her own, is not provoked to anger,
thinketh no evil, beareth all things, endureth all
things (i Cor. xiii. 4-7).

True and efficacious that is, practising all
the acts, fulfilling all the duties of charity, in
terior as well as exterior : respect, benevolence,
kindness, consideration, forbearance, patience,
pardon, conciliation, compassion, almsgiving,
correction, edifying words, good example. . . .
Be charitable, . . . communicating to the necessi-

276 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ties of the saints. . . . Be not overcome by evil, but
overcome evil by good (Rom. xii.)

Our charity must be conformable to the dou
ble rule which our Saviour gives us: Love thy
neighbor as thyself (Luke x. 27), as I have loved
you (John xv. 12).

It should be universal, embracing all men
friends and enemies. . . .

It should be exempt from the contrary faults
of rash judgments, suspicion, detraction, bitter
words, irritability, antipathies, envy, selfish
friendships, a spirit of contradiction, obstinacy
in one s opinion, want of consideration or cour
tesy. . .

But how are we to acquire this beautiful and
precious virtue which, forgetting itself, seeks
in all things only the good of our neighbor?
How are we to have the abnegation, the hu
mility, the patience it supposes? Ah! it is
particularly a gift of God, and we must receive
it from Him. The Heart of Jesus is its source,
His love and benefits its centre. Let our hearts
be inflamed by the Heart of the divine Master,
and breathe only charity at sight of His chanty
and His love for men; or, to speak less figura
tively, we should on one side ask Him the grace
of His love, and on the other earnestly endea
vor to love our neighbor in all things as He
has loved us.

CHAPTER XLII.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Hate est vita czterna : Ut cogno scant te, solum Deum verum^ et
quern misisti^ Jcsum Christum (Now this is eternal life : That
they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent). JOHN xvii. 3.

O know Jesus Christ is to possess eternal
life, because this knowledge produces
love of God, the observance of His
holy law- -in a word, all sanctity; and sanctity
includes eternal life.

Understand that we do not speak here of a
purely historical knowledge which manifests
Jesus Christ to us as the founder of Christian
ity and the Church, as a personage of ancient
times a supereminent person, it is true, but re
mote, and with whom we have only faint and
obscure relations. There is question, on the con
trary, of the knowledge of Christ actual and
present ; of knowing Him with a lively, inti
mate, loving, filial knowledge, like that which
a child has of his father or mother ; this know
ledge, as we see, is inseparable from love, with

which it seems to be confounded.

277

278 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

To know Jesus Christ in this way is to com
prehend that we have continual relations with
Him, that we receive from Him all blessings,
and that in Him rest all our hopes. To thus
know Him is at the same time loving and serv
ing Him.

To acquire this salutary knowledge let us
consider Christ first in His person, then in His
benefits.

I. Christ considered in His person. We may
consider the person of Jesus Christ in two ways :
exteriorly in a purely human and historical
point of view, or interiorly as He appears to the
eyes of faith.

If I consider Christ exteriorly He is that ex
traordinary man who lived in Judea under the
empire of Augustus and Tiberius. We behold
Him also in Bethlehem, the place of His birth,
and in Jerusalem, the place of His death and
resurrection. His exterior, simple and modest,
attracted no attention ; but when He opened
His lips to preach His doctrine He excited such
admiration that they regarded His words as
superhuman, and cried out: Nunquam sic locutus
est homo Never hath man spoken like this.
His preaching vvas accompanied with innumer
able miracles, which filled Judea and the neigh
boring people with astonishment and respect.
A great propJict is come among us, they cried ; God
Ji.is visited His people.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 279

All beheld Him, the good and wicked, and
all felt the influence of the superiority of His
doctrine and His works ; but this doctrine and
these works caused Him to be loved by the
good and hated by the wicked.

He is that Jesus who changed the face of the
ancient world, and who on the ruins of pagan
ism established that Catholic Church which we
behold standing triumphant over all her ene
mies during nineteen centuries, like a rock amid
the waves of the sea.

If I contemplate this admirable man with the
eyes of faith I recognize that He is not simply a
man, but a Man-God, God the Son, the second
person of the Blessed Trinity. His contempo
raries, with the exception of a privileged few,
were ignorant of this mystery. There hath stood
one in tJie midst of you whom yoii knew not, said
His precursor to the Jews. In fact, His humble
exterior made Him regarded as an ordinary
man ; and even when He had manifested by in
numerable miracles that He was master of
nature and the depositary of all power, the
people did not suspect that He was the God of
the universe concealed under human form.
For more than two years He had astonished
Judea by His miracles, when one day, coming
into the quarters of Csesarea Philippi, He said to
His disciples: Whom do men say that the Son
of man is? Their answer showed that all re-

280 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

garded Him as a prophet and a saint, but no
one suspected Him of being of a nature su
perior to man. The apostles themselves had
little knowledge of His divinity ; only the apos
tle St. Peter knew this great mystery, and con
fessed that Jesus whom he saw before him was
Clirist, tJie Son of the living God, the second per
son of the Blessed Trinity.

From that moment all the apostles knew that
their Master was their God. But this know
ledge and this faith were very imperfect, and on
the day of Christ s Passion it failed almost to
tally : We had hoped, they then said, that Jesus
would be the liberator of Israel. However, when
they saw Him risen from the dead their faith
awakened to stronger life, and Thomas, the
most incredulous among them, cried out: My
Lord and my God! His ascension, which they
all witnessed, strengthened their faith, which
received its final light and supreme confirma
tion at the descent of the Holy Ghost. Then,
fully enlightened, they recognized with trans
port the benefit which the world had received,
and they understood these words of their
Master : God so loved the world as to give His
only-begotten Son (John iii. 16).

We, like the apostles, have received the Holy
Spirit and the gift of faith. We know with
sovereign certainty that Christ our Lord is the
true Son of God, who deigned to clothe Him-

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 281

self with our humanity and become our brother.
But is this faith lively and active in our souls?
Is it not obscured and stifled, as it were, by the
cares of this world ? May it not be said to us :
T/iere hath stood one in the midst of you whom you
knew not ? And may they not also say : Their
eyes tJiey have shut, lest at any time they should see
with their eyes ? Then we must remove these
veils and clouds, in order that there may be no
obstacle to the light of faith, which will not be
refused us if we humbly ask it, saying with the
apostles: Adauge nobis jtdem--L,ord, increase
our faith (Luke xvii. 5).

II. Benefits of Christ. No man, however be
nevolent, is comparable to Jesus Christ, the
great Benefactor of mankind. To give bread to
the poor, to procure for the sick an unknown
specific which restores them to health, to save
a man s life by rescuing him from imminent
death, are benefits, very great benefits, to save
a man s life by dying in his place is a benefit so
sublime and so rare that it is difficult to find
an instance of it. And nevertheless all these
acts are nothing in comparison to the immense,
universal, and wholly ineffable benefits of our
Lord Jesus Christ. What, then, are these bene
fits? We may say that they are summed up in
those of His incarnation, His doctrine, in the
redemption, sanctification, and glorification of
mankind.

282 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ist. In His Incarnation He lays aside for love
of us all the glory of His divinity, and, cloth
ing Himself with our poor human nature, re
duces Himself, God as He is, to the condition
of man and becomes our brother ; He abases
Himself to this degree in order to raise us to
the dignity of children of God.

2d. His doctrine is eternal wisdom ; it teaches
man the highest truths, the secret of peace and
happiness. ... If this divine doctrine were
heeded and practised wars and calamities would
disappear, the earth would become paradise in
advance.

3d. Redemption is the act by which the Son
of God redeemed us from eternal perdition to
which sin had irrevocably condemned us. All,
yes, all, would have been lost without Christ our
Redeemer. If we have been saved from this
abyss, if hope burns before our eyes, it is be
cause the only Son of God deigned to die for us.
CJiristus pro nobis mortuus est (Rom. v. 9).

4th. The sanctification of our souls consists
in purifying them from the monstrous stains of
sin, and giving them that purity, that light, that
heavenly beauty which renders them like the
angels. The Saviour accomplishes this sancti
fication by the ministry of His Church and by
means of the sacraments which He has estab
lished for ever. What a benefactor of mankind
is the Church ! and the sacraments what gifts,

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 283

what sources of consolation, . . . particularly
the Eucharist, that sacrament of love, in which
Jesus Christ dwells personally in our midst and
communicates Himself to our souls through an
ineffable union ! . . .

5th. Glorification. The completion and crown
of all the gifts of our divine Benefactor is our
glorification. Our glorification through Christ
is being transferred from this world to heaven
to become partakers of His beatitude and His
glory during all eternity. Man, soul and body,
shall be wholly transfigured in His glory and
made like unto Jesus Christ Himself. He will
change the body of our low ness, made like to tlie
body of His glory (Phil. iii. 21).

What can we say of such benefits and such a
Benefactor ? What shall I render to the Lord,
says the prophet, for all the things that He hath
rendered to me? (Ps. cxv. 12) What can we give
to this holy man, said Tobias, or what can be
worthy of his benefits ? (Tobias xii. I, 2).

He Himself deigns to tell us what He re
quires : My son, give me thy heart (Prov. xxiii. 20).
This is my commandment, that you love one anottu r,
as I have loved you (John xv. 1 2).

CHAPTER XLI1I.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

9

Qui me invenetit inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino
(He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation
from the Lord). PROV. viii. 35.

HESE words which the Church places
on the lips of the Blessed Virgin sig
nify that devotion to this august and
good Mother is the pledge of salvation and of
all blessings. He who shall find me that is, who
shall learn to honor me with true devotion- -will
find through me true life, which is sanctity in
this world and eternal glory in the next.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is, then, the
most precious of treasures. This devotion is
founded on the knowledge and love of this
amiable and sublime creature, whom an arch
angel proclaims blessed among all women, and
whom all generations proclaim blessed. Let
us endeavor to acquire more and more of this
knowledge and salutary love by considering the
Blessed Virgin in herself and in her relation to
us.

I. The Blessed Virgin in herself. If we con
sider the Blessed Virgin in herself and exteri-

THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 285

orly, she was only an humble woman of Judea,
without grandeur or splendor in the eyes of men.
Though issue of the royal blood of David, she
lived in an obscure condition, and was given in
marriage to St. Joseph, who was also but a
simple artisan. The house she inhabited in
the little village of Nazareth, and which is pre
served to this day at Loretto under the name of
the Holy House, is but a frail edifice made to ac
commodate the most modest household. When
Mary became the Mother* of Jesus she busied
herself with the care her Child claimed, fled
with Him to Egypt to escape the persecution
of Herod, and returned with Him safe to Naza
reth. Later she followed Him in His apostolic
course, and on the day of His Passion she ac
companied Him to Calvary.

After the descent of the Holy Ghost St. John,
her adopted son, conducted her to Ephesus,
where she lived several years, and finally re
ceived from Heaven the announcement of her
approaching end. Then, leaving Ephesus, she
returned to Jerusalem to die where her divine
Son had died. She was sixty-five years of age,
or, according to another opinion, seventy-two.
Her tomb is shown at Jerusalem, but it is re
markable that, while the bones of all the saints
are gathered with religious care, the only relic
preserved of the august Mother of God is the
veil which covered her head. It is for the rea-

286 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

son that her virginal body, like her Son s, did
not remain in the tomb; the virgin Mother of
God entered, as Jesus did, soul and body into
heaven.

Such is the very simple history of the Bless
ed Virgin Mary ; it presents nothing striking in
the eyes of the world, not even the splendor of
miracles which embellishes the lives of other
saints. No ; exteriorly Mary presents nothing
which is not humble and obscure; all her
glory is within : Omuis gloria ejus ab intus
(Ps. xliv 14).

Considered interiorly, she is the holiest, the
most august of all creatures which God has
produced, the masterpiece of His hands. God,
says St. Bonaventure, could make a more beau
tiful world, more brilliant stars, more magnifi
cent heavens, but He could not produce a crea
ture more august than the Virgin full of grace,
Mother of His only Son and Queen of heaven.

Full of grace. Grace, the most precious of all
heavenly gifts, was given her with a fulness
which no other creature received. Through
the privilege of her immaculate conception she
was enriched from the beginning of her exis
tence with treasures of grace, and at the mo
ment of her birth she was higher in sanctity
than other saints at the moment of death, so
that she began the structure of her sanctifica-
tion by placing its foundation upon the holy

THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 287

mountains : Fimdamenta ejus in montibus sanctis
(Ps. Ixxxvi. i). In fact, these graces which she
received from the beginning she not only faith
fully preserved, but constantly increased by the
practice of all virtues and all good works. Her
whole life was resplendent with the purest sanc
tity, an image, a perfect copy of that of her di
vine Son.

MotJier of God. O mystery of the divine ma
ternity ! Who can explain its grandeurs? It
is a great thing to be a servant of God, to be
His friend, His adopted child; but to be His
Mother! . . .

A mother possesses an essential superiority
over her child, who owes her respect, love, and
obedience. When Mary saw her Son Jesus
grow in age she knew that He, who appeared
to the eyes of men only an amiable youth, was
the Son of the Almighty ; she unceasingly re
membered the words of Gabriel: Thou sJialt
bring forth a Son, and He s/iall be called the Son
of the Most High. Therefore, in contemplating
this Son which the angel had announced to her
she saw in Him, with the eyes of faith, the only
Son of God, true God with His Father, and
Creator of the universe. Now, this Son of the
Most High was also, according to His humani
ty, the true Son of Mary, and the tenderest.
most respectful and obedient of sons. Some
times He lovingly embraced Mary or knelt be-

288 SODALIl^Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

fore her and prayed her blessing; He listened to
her wishes and obeyed the least sign of her will.
What dignity for Mary, and what happiness!
The woman of the Gospel said truly when,
struck with wonder at the sight of Jesus, she
exclaimed : Blessed is the womb that bore TJiee,
and the paps that gave Thee suck ! (Luke xi. 27).

When He was still a weak and feeble infant
Mary recalled these other words of the Angel
Gabriel : He shall be great, and the Lord God
shall give unto Him the throne of David His fa
ther, and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for
ever (Luke i. 32). She saw, the world saw, we
ourselves still see the fulfilment of these words
The divine Infant whom Mary brought into
the world grew ; He became that Jesus who,
by His miracles and His doctrine, proved that
He was the true Son of God- -that Jesus who
died on the cross, who rose from the dead,
founded the holy Church whose marvellous
existence we behold in the world and whose
children we are. Ah ! we behold this divine
Son of Mary ever present in His work upon
earth, until the day when, in sight of our hu
manity, He will come in person and in all His
glory to judge the universe.

Yes, Christ is great ; He alone is great; He
alone is the immortal King of ages, King of the
universe, and it is He whom Mary calls her
Son.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 289

But if Mary is the Mother of the King of
kings she must share in His glory and occupy
a place near Him as a glorious Queen. Solo
mon descending from his throne to receive
Bethsabee, his mother, and seating her at his
right hand, is a figure of Christ placing the
Blessed Virgin, His Mother, on the throne of
glory suitable to her- -the throne of the Queen
of Heaven. For this reason the entire Church
tli us salutes her : Ave, Rcginacoelorum ! Salve, Re-
gina, ct spes nostra, salve !- -Hail, Queen of Hea
ven ! Save us, O our Queen, our hope and our
salvation !

Mary is Queen of Heaven- -Queen, as Jesus
Christ is King. Hence we may know what
her kingdom is, what are her insignias of royal
ty, and what is her royal power.

Her kingdom is the universe, and in an es
pecial manner the Church- -the Church rnili*
taut, that struggling people whom she guides
and protects as an invincible Queen ; the
Church triumphant, that people of saints in
the midst of whom she rules as a glorious
Queen more brilliant than the moon in the
midst of the starry firmament.

Her insignia, her crown, her jewels, her
robes in a word, her royal splendor is like that
of her glorious Son, and of an order infinitely
superior to all that we see here below. It is
called grace and glory, which she has received

290 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

in all their fulness ; this grace and this glory
give her a beauty which effaces all other creat
ed beauty and enraptures the blessed.

What shall we say of her power? It is the
very power of her Son, of which she disposes
by her supplications : Omnipotentia supplex.

Such is the grandeur, such is the glory of
Mary considered in herself. The Church, then,
has truly reason to exclaim : Benedict* et vene-
rabilis rs, Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima :
qiiibus te laudibns efferani nescio !

II. The Blessed Virgin in her relation to us.
Considered in her relation to us, Mary is our
Mother a Mother who knows and loves all her
children, who can and will aid them, provided
they themselves recognize her as their Mother
and come to her with a filial heart.

Mary is our Mother. The Saviour, in His
ineffable goodness, gave her to us when from
His cross He addressed her .these words, Wo
man, behold tliy son ; and to St. John, Behold thy
Mot lu r !

St. John, our Saviour s disciple, represents,
in the opinion of the doctors, all His disciples-
that is, each of LIS--SO that these words of our
dying Jesus are addressed to each of us, and to
all of us He has given Mary for our Mother.

Mary is, then, our Mother ! Do I believe this
consoling truth with a lively faith ? ... St.
Stanislaus, when he uttered these words,

THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 291

is my Mother ! the Mother of God is my Mo
ther ! seemed to be beside himself and raised in
ecstasy.

If Mary is my Mother she must love me like
that mother who held me on her knees when I
was a little child. Oh ! when I think of that
cherished being, single in her virtues among all
the women of the world, that being whom I
called my mother according to the flesh, her
memory alone moves my heart. How sweet,
how intimate are the ties which unite us!
How intimate is a mothers knowledge of her
child ! What is comparable to her love for her
child? ...

Ah ! our earthly mother is but a feeble image
of the Mother we have in heaven. Nemo tarn
mater there is no mother like her; she knows
us, she loves us, in a wholly different way from
our earthly mother.

She knows us intimately ; she loves all her
children, even the most indifferent and ungrate
ful ; she desires their good lor time and eternitv,
and she has the power to procure it for them.
Were they despairing she could restore them
to hope and life; and this good Mother will
certainly cause them to experience her admi
rable kindness, if they, on their part, do not
repel her maternal hand, if they do not refuse
to be her children. Si qnis est parvulus, venial
ad i/it Let little children come to me.

292 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Now, we become children of Mary as soon as
we recognize her as our Mother and go to her
with filial confidence, which is done by prac
tising devotion to Mary.

This holy and salutary devotion includes all
acts of piety- -the invocation of the Blessed
Virgin, her praises, the celebration of her
feasts, the imitation of her virtues. . . .

But our devotion to Mary should be a special
devotion- -that is, a devotion superior to that
which we have for other saints, for they are
only our brothers and our friends, while the
august Mary is our Mother.

May we possess this special and filial devo
tion to the Blessed Virgin ! May we ever
practise it more perfectly ! Then we shall have
found life and shall have salvation from the Lord.

CHAPTER XLIV.

ST. JOSEPH.

Vir Maiia, de qua natus est Jesus, qui vocatur Christus (Jo
seph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is
called Christ). MATT. i. 16.

UR hearts are the temples of the living
God ; the Holy Trinity abides in them
and is pleased to see therein a triple
altar: one raised to Jesus Christ, another to
Mary, his holy Mother, and a third to St. Jo
seph, his foster-father. On these altars we
should burn the incense of our devotion, which
rises in an odor of sweetness before the face of
the Most High. We offer our incense to Jesus
by honoring Him iis the only Son of God ; to
Mary, by honoring her as the Mother of God ;
to St. Joseph, by honoring him as the foster-
father of Jesus Christ and the spouse of the
purest of virgins.

May our hearts be ever perfumed with this
triple devotion ! In it we shall possess a pledge
of all blessings.

Let us speak to-day of devotion to St. Jo
seph. To excite this blessed devotion more
and more in our hearts let us consider St. Jo-

2Q3

294 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

seph first in himself, then as the patron and pro
tector of those who invoke him.

I. St. Joseph in himself. If I consider St.
Joseph with human eyesthat is, exteriorly -
I find nothing in him to distinguish him from or
dinary men. True, the royal blood of David
flows in his veins; but the splendor of his an
cestry is hidden in the obscurity of his condi
tion, and the eyes of men see nothing but an
humble workman, a simple artisan.

If we penetrate into the interior of St. Jo
seph, if with the eyes of faith we contemplate
him as he appears before God and the angels,
we find him great with a dignity surpassing all
human grandeur. This humble artisan has
found grace with the Most High ; the King of
kings has chosen him among all men to be the
spouse of the Virgin Mary and the foster-father
of the incarnate Word.

Spouse of Mary. To realize the sublimity of
this title we must comprehend the grandeur
of her whom God Himself calls///// of grace and
blessed among all zvomen. When I contemplate
Mary the glory of the most august queens fades
into shadow and the whole universe seems
to bow before her throne. St. Denis had the
happiness to see her when she was still on
earth, and the superhuman majesty visible in
her made such an impression upon him that
had he not known she was a mortal creature

ST. JOSEPH. 295

he would have adored her as a divinity. What
a favor is a simple apparition of the Blessed
Virgin with which some souls have been hon
ored ! Now, St. Joseph saw Mary not in a
fleeting apparition but in family life. He was
able to live with her, converse with her in the
most intimate familiarity ; he was her spouse,
the object of the love, the conjugal respect of
the holiest of spouses. What a source of sanc
tity for this happy saint! If St. John the Bap
tist at the visitation of the Blessed Virgin leap
ed with joy at a simple word of Mary s and was
sanctified by the sound of her voice, if Elizabeth
was filled with the Holy Spirit by her presence,
what abundance of grace, what treasures of
benediction enriched the soul of Joseph during
the thirty years he lived with the Mother of
God ! . . .

O Blessed spouse of Mary ! make us sharers
in thy interior riches.

Foster-father. Though the name foster-fa-
ther indicates that St. Joseph was not the na
tural father of Jesus, it nevertheless contains
an incomparable dignity. Do we, in fact, un
derstand the sense of these two words, father of
the Son of God, /^/^r- fa ther of the Son of God
made man ?

The dignity of a father is great. A father is
to his child a superior and sacred being, an ob
ject of love, of respect, of perfect submission.

296 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

Such was Joseph, the spouse of Mary, to the
divine Infant conceived of the Holy Ghost and
born of the Virgin, his Spouse. Therefore see
how differently from Simeon he takes Him in
His arms. The fortunate Simeon, who was
only a stranger to Mary, received by a singular
favor the divine Infant from her hands and was
able to hold Him in his arms once for a few mo
ments; but St. Joseph takes Him when he wills
and as long as he wills, for it is the Child of his
Spouse, and therefore a treasure which belongs
to him. Yes, this dear Child regards him as
His father. See how He throws Himself upon
his neck, how lovingly He embraces him ;
then see how He respectfully inclines and kneels
with Mary before Joseph to honor his fatherly
dignity. Ah ! here indeed is the true meaning
of the dream of that other Joseph, who was the
figure of the spouse of Mary : Joseph, son of
the patriarch Jacob, saw the sun and moon bow
down before him to adore him. Does not this
read: Jesus and Mary, and after them all
Christians, bowing before the dignity of him

o < ./

whom a God made man calls His father?

And not only does He" venerate St. Joseph
with filial respect, but He obeys him : F.rat sub-
ditus illis. He, the author of the Fourth Com
mandment ; He who imprinted on the human
heart and engraved on the tables of Moses this
great law, Honcr thy father and thy mother-

ST. JOSEPH. 297

that is, render them love, respect, obedience-
fulfils it Himself to its fullest extent, and mani
fests Himself to the world a perfect model of
filial love, obedience, and respect.

Which must we admire most, Jesus, who ful
fils these duties, or Joseph, who is the object of
the filial piety of a God ? . . .

As foster-father St. Joseph received the sub-

lime mission to provide for all the temporal
wants of the Son of God. It was he who pre
pared His poor cradle at Bethlehem, who pro
cured for the tender Infant and His Mother all
they required against the inclemency of the
season ; it was he who withdrew them from
the fury of Herod, softened for them the dis
comforts of a long journey, and in their exile
sought for them shelter, food, and clothing until
he brought them back safe to Nazareth. There
he continued to labor for th em by the sweat of
his brow. Oh ! with what love he endured the
most arduous labor to earn a subsistence for
Jesus and Mary.

But what shall be his reward?

For a loving heart the happiness of serving
loved ones is sufficient reward, and St. Joseph
asked no more ; but not thus did the generous
heart of Jesus accept his devotion. He who
rewards with an immortal crown a glass of
cold water given for love of Him ; He Avho
commands us all to honor our father and mo-

298 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ther--what glory does He not reserve for such
a benefactor, for the man whom He Himself
called father ! Amen I say to you, he shall place
Jiim over all his goods (Matt. xxiv. 47).

In this world did He not procure him an an
ticipation of this reward by affording him the
ineffable happiness of dying in His arms and
those of His Blessed Mother ? Yes, St. Joseph
was the happiest of men : he died in the arms
of Jesus and Mary. ... In heaven a throne has
been erected for him apart a throne distin
guished from all the others, for among all the
saints St. Joseph alone is the spouse of Mary
and foster-father of the King of glory.

Then St. Theresa, and the entire Church with
her, justly proclaim the power of St. Joseph
and extol the excellence of his patronage. . . .

II. St. Joseph patron and protector of those
who invoke him. Honor all the saints, writes
St. Theresa, but have a special devotion to St.
Joseph. The other saints have power to ob
tain us certain determined graces ; St. Joseph s
power of intercession is limitless.

Yes, St. Joseph is a universal patron. At the
same time it is not without reason that we in
voke him in a special manner :

ist. As the patron of Christian families. . . .

2d. As the patron of the great Christian fa
mily, the universal Church. . . .

3d. As the patron of education. . . .

ST. JOSEPH. 299

4th. As the patron of youth. . . .

5th. As the patron of workmen. . . .

6th. As the patron of temporal affairs. . . .

7th. As the patron of chastity. . . .

8th. As the patron of the interior life. . . .

9th. As the patron of a happy death. . . .

May we worthily honor St. Joseph and me
rit his salutary and powerful protection ! O
holy Virgin ! obtain for us a great love for thy
august spouse ; and thou, O glorious St. Joseph !
give us thy love for Jesus and Mary. This
grace alone will be for us the pledge of all
good.

CHAPTER XLV.

THE HOLY ANGELS.

Administrator ii spiritus, in ministerium missi propter eos qui
hcp.reditatem capient salutis ? (Are they not all ministering spi
rits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance
of salvation ?\ HEB. i. 14.

ESIDES the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph,
and the other saints, we must also
honor the angels of paradise.

Faith teaches us that God peopled heaven
with an innumerable multitude of angels, who
are, like the princes of His house and the as
sistants of His throne, always in adoration be
fore His sublime Majesty. They are also His
ministers and servants, forming numerous le
gions ever ready to fly to the execution of
His orders throughout the whole universe.
Three among them are known to us by name:
St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael. A great
number are charged to protect men; these we
call guardian angels.

We should honor our guardian angel in a
special manner ; it is a devotion which a good
Christian should never fail to practise.

In order to excite this salutary devotion more

300

THE HOL Y ANGELS. 301

and more in our hearts let us consider, first,
what faith te.aches us of our guardian angel ;
and, second, with what homage we should
honor him.

I. Doctrine of faith. We know by faith that
God in His mercy has given us each a guar
dian angel. See that you despise not one of tliese
little ones ; for I say to you, says the Saviour,
that their angels in Jieaven always see the face of
my Father in heaven (Matt, xviii. 10). How
great is the dignity of souls! exclaims St. Je
rome, explaining this passage, since God has
confided each one from its birth to the charge
of an angel.

To truly appreciate the sense of these words
let us remark that this angel is a heavenly spi
rit, a prince of heaven, superior in dignity,
beauty, and power to the greatest monarchs
of earth. . . .

Then great is the dignity of our souls in
God s eyes, since He commits them to the
guardianship of such defenders.

Speeding with lightning swiftness wherever
God sends them, devoted to His will, these
blessed spirits attach themselves to their
charges and guard them as treasures con
fided to them by God. They love us as the
children of God, as the price of the blood of
Jesus Christ.

Our good angel is ever at our side, day and

302 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

night, at home and abroad, in the midst of our
occupations and in our journeys ; he is with us
everywhere to protect us from all evil, to pre
serve us from all that could injure our souls
and our bodies, and to help us to perform the
good God asks of us.

He invites us and helps us to pray ; he of
fers our prayers to the Most High.

He encourages us to observe the law of God,
to fulfil all our duties ; he counts all the steps
we take for God. . . .

He inspires us with horror of sin. Seeing
the snares and scandals with which the world
is filled, he withdraws us from it as much as
he can, and turns our feet from all dangerous
places and the occasions of sin. . . .

At the moment of temptation he defends his
charge against the assaults of the infernal lion.
He encourages us to resist the enemy prompt
ly, with energy and perseverance ; to arm our
selves with prayer ; to even add to prayer labor
and fasting. . . .

If he have the misfortune to see his charge
consent to mortal sin and fall into enmity with
God, he endeavors to make him rise from this
deplorable state either by suggesting to him
thoughts of sincere repentance or by rousing
his conscience with salutary remorse. . . .

If it happen that the sinner, rebellious and
deaf to grace, hardens his heart, throws off" all

THE HOL Y ANGELS. 303

restraint, and abandons himself with frenzy to
his evil desires and the movements of the evil
one, the good angel does not abandon him ; he
prays for him, and awaits a lucid moment when
he will perhaps accept grace.

It is particularly at the hour of death that
our good angel assists us and defends us- -1 hat
supreme moment when the evil one redoubles
his fury, knowing that he hath but a sJwrt time
(Apoc. xii. 12). Then, also, he helps us to re
sign ourselves to God s will, to devoutly make
Him the sacrifice of our life, to timely and wor
thily receive the sacraments, to endure with pa
tience the sufferings of illness and the agony of
death.

After death, if .the soul be found in a state of
mortal sin the angel of the Lord abandons her
at once, for she belongs to the demons. They
fall upon her as their prey, drag her first before
the tribunal of God, then precipitate her into
hell.

If the soul which has left the body be in a
state of grace, but still charged with a debt of
temporal pains which she has not paid in this
life, he leads her to purgatory, where he docs
not fail to console her.

When the soul is purified from all stain and
free from all debt, having fully expiated her sins
in this life or the other, the angel guardian, in
company with other heavenly spirits, introduces

304 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

her in triumph into the abode of the elect. It
is for this reason that the Church in her funeral
service sings: In paradisum deducant te angcli !

Such are the benefits which our angel guar
dians wish to bestow upon us ; if their desires
are not always realized it is because their
charges place obstacles in the way because of
their little faith, their little confidence, their little
devotion to guardian angels.

II. Devotion to the angel guardian. Ac
cording to the opinion of St. Bernard, we should
honor our angel guardian by respect, confi
dence, docility, and by imitating his virtues.

Respect. We should respect his presence
and never do anything which could grieve him
or offend his eyes. To this end we must re
member his presence, particularly when we are
alone, when we are in prayer, and when tempta
tion solicits us to sin. ... If suddenly the veil
of faith were removed, and this heavenly per
sonage appeared visibly before us, how great
would be our respect ! . . . Would we dare to
commit the least sin before his eyes ? . . .

Confidence confidence exercised by prayer
and invocation. Our angel guardian is more
powerful than all our enemies ; he can protect
us in all perils, help us in all needs, but we
must ask his assistance. Good Christians in
voke their good angel in the morning, they in
voke him in the evening, they invoke him in

THE HOL Y ANGELS. 305

the dangers of travelling, in their needs and
temptations ; the}^ are pleased to repeat this
simple but pious prayer: Angel of God who
art my guardian, since the divine goodness has
confided me to thy care, deign to enlighten,
guard, direct, and govern me this day in all
things.

Docility. Our good angel suggests to us
holy thoughts : Do not go in such a society, he
tells us, do not read such a paper, do not utter
such words. ... Is there question of a duty to
be fulfilled, of a good action to be performed ?
The voice of our angel is heard in the depth of
our heart : Do what your parents, your masters
command you ; assist at Mass ; say your prayers
well ; endure that offence or that trial with pa
tience. . . . Such are the inspirations of our
good angel. We must listen to them and follow
them with docile obedience ; and if we feel too
weak, if our strength or courage fail us, we
must ask his assistance, saying : My good angel,
help me; sustain my by thy prayers.

Imitation. Our angel guardians give us the
example of all virtues, particularly of obedience,
charity, and piety.

They give us an example of obedience, since
to obey the orders of God they come from hea
ven to earth to guard us, with whom they con
tinue to remain, accompanying us in all our
ways during all the years of our life : Cum esscin

306 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

vobiscum, per voluntatem Dei eram (Tob. xii. 18).
Is our obedience to the orders of God, which
are manifested to us by our superiors, as per
fect, as persevering ? . . .

They give us an example of charity. Charg
ed with our guardianship, they love us tenderly,
though frequently we show them little grati
tude ; they seek only our good, without any
hope of return from us. If the good angel s
counsels be despised, if he fail in his efforts
against the malice of his charge, who enrols him
self on the side of impiety, who blasphemes
God and His Church, who spreads calumny
and scandal to ruin souls, then, even though it
would seem but just to exterminate this enemy
of God, he does not strike him, he still prays
for him, he still asks for mercy, like Christ, who
prayed and wept to the end for the guilty Jeru
salem.

They give us an example of piety. Though
they are upon earth and accompanying their
charges to the most profane places, they never
lose sight of the presence of God, and they are
always in prayer and adoration. Their angels see
the face of my Father who is in heaven, says the
Saviour. After their example we should walk
in the presence of God, frequently offering Him
the incense of our prayers, prostrating our
selves before His face with the deepest respect.

Ah ! if we honor our angel guardian in this

THE HOL Y ANGELS. 307

way ; if, instead of opposing an obstacle to his
zeal, we second it by our co-operation and our
docility, what joy we shall cause him ! What
powerful succor we shall receive from him !
How easily we shall walk in the path of vir
tue and persevere unto the end therein !

CHAPTER XLVI.

PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST.

Verbum crucis pereuntibus quidem stultitia est ; Us autem qui
salvi faint, id estnobis^ Dei virtus est (The word of the cross to
them indeed that perish is foolishness ; but to them that are
saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God). I COR. i. 18.

F Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
nowhere does He enlighten souls as
He does upon the cross ; if He is the
Master come to instruct the world, nowhere
does He give such lessons as from the height
of the cross. It is here upon this holy cross
that the divine Word has most loudly spoken.
It is upon this mysterious tree that the root
of Jesse blossomed and gave forth its sweetest
odors. It is upon the cross that Christ is the
ensign of nations : In that day shall be the root of
Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of peoples (Isaias
xi. 10). It is upon the cross that He is the sal
vation of all those who look upon Him : Who
soever, being struck, shall look on it shall live
(Num. xxi. 8).

O book written by the eternal Wisdom !

open Source of living water to all Jerusalem.

308

PASSION OF JESUS CHXIST. 309

O Tree of life, Tree of true knowledge, whose
fruits give immortality ! . . .

The cross. Jesus suffering upon the cross
teaches us all things, all the truths of divine
wisdom ; among others hatred of sin, contempt
for the world, love of God and our neighbor-
three fundamental lessons, three great practical
rules, which should be traced in the depths of
our hearts.

Let us try to be more and more penetrated
with them by considering in what way Jesus
crucified teaches us hatred of sin, contempt for
the world, love of God and our neighbor.

I. Hatred of sin. Hatred of sin, which is
also called the fear of God, the beginning of
wisdom, is that mysterious rock upon which
the wise man built his house- -that is, the edi
fice of his salvation.

To hate sin we must know what it is, com
prehend that it is an evil, the greatest of all
evils.

Now, the cross shows how great an evil sin
is, in itself as well as in its punishment.

In itself sin is an offence against God, an out
rage offered to the supreme Majesty- -an out
rage the extent of which is shown us by the
cross, by the reparation required for it by di
vine justice.

Behold Jesus, the true Son of God, in whom
He is well pleased, dragged before the tribunal

310 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

of men, spat upon, tormented, executed like the
worst of criminals. . . . Why? To repair the
outrage offered to God by sin. What, then,
must we think of a crime which needed such an
expiation ? . . .

In its punishment. The punishment of sin is
eternal damnation, supreme misery, which the
cross makes us understand by showing us the
ransom which redeemed us from it. What are
we to think of hell when we see the only
Son of God descend from heaven, be made
man, humble Himself to become a worm of the
earth, submit to all the ignominies, all the tor
ments of His Passion, to save us from its fire?
Ah ! the blood of God, poured forth as ransom,
is of infinite price ; eternal damnation, then,
which required such a ransom, is a supreme
misfortune, in a measure infinite. It is this
which Jesus would have us understand by those
grave words uttered on His way to Calvary :
Weep not over me y but weep over yourselves ; for
if in the green wood they do these things, zvhat
shall be done in the dry ?

II. Contempt for the world. I understand
by the world not only the perishable goods of
this world, but also the spirit, the ideas, the
maxims, and the principles which commonly
reign among people of the world. Now, the
world is infinitely contemptible, because it is
as foolish, as pernicious as it is criminal. We

PASSION CF JESUS CHRIST. 311

see this in the mystery of the cross, which
shows us what the world thinks of Jesus
Christ and what Jesus Christ thinks of the
world.

What does the world think of Jesus Christ
of Him who is the supreme God and the Eter
nal Wisdom ? To show what it thought of
Him it is sufficient to say that it despised Je
sus Christ, repelled Jesus Christ, crucified Jesus
Christ. Tfie world knew Him not. His own receiv
ed Him not. If the world hate you, know that it
hath hated me before you (John i. 10, 11 ; xv. 18).

What does Jesus Christ that is, the Eternal
Truth think of the world? To show what He
thinks of the world it is sufficient to say that
He regards it as the reign of Satan. Speak
ing of His Passion, He says : Now is t/ie judg
ment of the world ; now shall the prince of this
ivorld be cast ##/(John xii. 31). The world and
Satan, in the eyes of Jesus Christ, are one and
the same enemy ; the world is a perverse peo
ple, Satan is the chief who governs them ; the
world is a body, Satan is the spirit which ani
mates it. It is for this reason Jesus Christ has
declared against it a war unto death ; He fought
it unrelentingly, he conquered and crushed it:
Ego vici mundum (John xvi. 33).

And what has been this combat? What has
been this victory? It is particularly on Calva
ry and in the streets of Jerusalem that we see

3 1 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Christ warring- with the world It is there that
He tramples under foot all its goods, its riches,
its honors, its pleasures. ... It is there that
He sustains the shock of all its menaces, its de
rision, its calumnies, its outrages, its injustices,
its plunders, its violence, its torments. . . .

He sustains the shock of all its assaults; He
defies all its rage, all its power; He permits
it to exhaust against Him all its iniquity and
all its fury : Nunc Jiora vest r a et potestas tene-
brarum- -This is your hour, in which the power
of darkness may work freely. Christ in His
Passion, abandoned to the mercy of a perverse
people, appeared like a rock which defies the
waves and tempests : CJiristus autem crat pctra.
. . . Shall we understand after this how we
are to conduct ourselves in regard to this
world ? . . .

III. Love of God and our neighbor. To
love God and our neighbor comprises all
Christian sanctity. Now, Jesus Christ upon
the cross teaches us to love God and our
neighbor with the most perfect love.

He teaches us to love God by showing us
how God has loved us : He JiatJi loved us and
hath delivered Himself for us (Eph. v. 2). Let
us therefore love God, because God first hath lov
ed us (i John iv. 19). Let us love God, do
what is pleasing to Him, even at the price of
sacrifice, suffering, death. . . .

PASSION OF JESUS CHAIST. 313

He teaches us to love our neighbor by immo
lating" Himself for love of men and by praying
for His executioners. What an example of
charity ! Tliis is my commandment, that yon love
one anotJier, as I Jiave loved you. Greater love
than tJiis no man hath, that a man lay doivn l^is
life for his friends (John xv. 12, 13). Father, for
give them, for they know not wJiat tJiey do (Luke
xxiii. 34). Let us note these words : Love one
anotlur, as I Jiave loved yon. . . .

Let us fix our eyes, then, upon the suffering
Saviour; we shall find in Him a model of all
virtues, and at the same time we shall draw
from His wounds divine strength to imi
tate until death the great examples He has
given us.

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.

Ab art it soils usque ad occasum, in omni loco sacrificatur et
offertur nornini meo oblatio munda (From the rising of the sun
even to the going down, in every place there is sacrifice, and
there is offered to my name a clean offering). MALACH. i. n.

E have before our eyes the accomplish
ment of the.se prophetic words, which
were uttered five hundred years be
fore Christ. Putting- them in the mouth of the
prophet Malachias, God announced to the world
the future institution of a universal and perpe
tual sacrifice- -the sacrifice of the Mass which is
daily offered in the Catholic Church. The pro
phet calls it a clean offering that is, a holy and
perfect sacrifice, infinitely pleasing to God, and
proper to obtain for us all His favors.

What, then, is the sacrifice of the Mass, and
how should we offer it ?

I. What is the holy sacrifice of the Mass ?

It is the centre of Christian worship and of
all our holy religion. The sacrifice of the

3 4

THE HOL Y SA ORIFICE OF THE MA SS. 315

Mass, says St. Francis of Sales, is the sun of
pious exercises, the heart of devotion, the cen
tre of Christianity.

When you enter a Gothic cathedral, however
little you consider the harmony of the edifice,
you observe that all the parts, all the lines, all
the mouldings relate to one sole central point
the altar, which is like the centre, ruling all, and
in which all meet. In like manner the sacrifice
of the Mass predominates in all religion. All
passes through the hands of Jesus Christ, priest
and victim, at the altar ; through Him only do
we offer God worthy praise ; through Him
only do we receive from heaven mercy and
salvation.

The Mass is the sacrifice of the New Law,
surpassing by itself in value all the sacrifices of
the Old Law. From the beginning of the world,
since the day when man fell into sin and in
curred God s wrath, there have been sacrifices
offered to appease Him. Abel chose the finest
of his flocks to immolate to the Lord ; Noe
offered holocausts after the deluge ; Melchise-
dech, the priest-king, offered God a sacrifice
of bread and wine ; Abraham and the patri
archs, his sons, erected altars in divers places
to offer sacrifices, invoking the name of the
Lord.

Later, when God had drawn His people from
the bondage of Egypt, He established through

316 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

the ministry of Moses a sacerdotal tribe, of
which Aaron was the head. Aaron was to
offer God incense, bread, bleeding victims and
holocausts in which the flesh of immolated ani
mals was consumed by fire. These were sacri
fices of worship, eucharistic, propitiatory, or
supplicatory, according to the end for which
they were offered.

When Aaron entered the sanctuary to sacri
fice he was clothed in a purple robe, above
which he wore a tunic of dazzling whiteness,
and on his breast he bore an ephod enriched
with precious stones, upon which were graven
the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Here
was a figure of Jesus Christ, who went up to
Calvary clothed in the white tunic of His in
nocence, covered with His blood as the pur
ple of the priesthood, and bearing graven in
His Heart the names of all those He redeemed
by His death- -that is, the names of all men.

The cross was an altar where the Son of God,
both priest and victim, immolated Himself for
the salvation of the world. This sacrifice con-
^tained in itself alone the different oblations of
the Old Law, and surpassed them as reality sur
passes shadow, as the Son of God surpasses the
animals which were immolated on the altar as
a figure of His death on the cross.

The bloody sacrifice of Calvary needed to be
offered but once. It abundantly sufficed to glo-

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 317

rify the divine Majesty and reconcile earth with
heaven; no other oblation was required. But
as the Church had need of a sacrifice to render
God perpetual worship and adoration worthy
of Him, the Saviour deigned to provide it; in
His infinite wisdom He found the secret of per
petuating through all ages the one sacrifice
which He offered on the cross. Hence the in
stitution of the holy sacrifice of the Mass a di
vine institution which the Saviour made, on the
eve of His death, at the Last Supper.

The Mass is an unbloody renewal of the sac
rifice -of the cross. Here is the doctrine of
faith concerning it proposed by the Council of
Trent : The divine sacrifice wliich is offered in the
M ss contains the same Jesus Christ, immolated
in an unbloody manner, who was immolated in a
bloody manner on tJie cross. We have upon our
altar the same victim and sacrificer as upon the
altar of Calvary. He is offered now by the minis
try of the priest, as He was offered by Himself ;
there is only the difference of t/ie mode of oblation
(Sess. 22, chap, ii.)

Ah ! if the veil of faith behind which the holy
mysteries of the Mass are accomplished were
to be raised for a moment, we would see the
altar changed into a new Calvary, Jesus Christ
the Lamb of God in a state of immolation, al
most as Mary beheld Him at the descent from
the cross. He offers Himself to His hea-

318 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

venly Father, showing Him the wounds which
He has preserved in His glorious body. Le
gions of angels surround Him, buried in adora
tion ; it is the heavenly court which accompa
nies its King. . . .

The Mass is a source of propitiation- -that is,
of pardon for the living and the dead. We are
all sinners and have need of pardon during life
and after death. During life we obtain through
the merits of the divine Victim the grace ot a
sincere conversion. But the malice of men is
so great, their sins so multiplied, that they con
tinually call down upon themselves the chastise
ments of God. Now, what is it that retains
God s arm, that appeases His wrath? Ah ! it
is the divine Victim of propitiation which never
ceases, while sins cry for vengeance, to cry with
a louder voice for mercy: Father, forgive tliem,
for tJiey know not zvliat they do.

After death comes, for the majority of the
faithful departed, the expiation in purgatory.
There must be a means of comforting the poor
souls in their sufferings; the great means estab
lished by the Saviour is the holy sacrifice of the
Mass. The souls to whom it is applied are
sprinkled, as it were, with the blood of Jesus
Christ; and this divine dew refreshes them,
tempers the ardor of their flames, and even ex
tinguishes them completely.

The holy sacrifice of the Mass, then, is a

THE HOL Y SA CRIFICE OF THE MA SS. 319

source of propitiation for the living and the
dead.

But to reap its precious fruits we must offer
it devoutly.

II. How should we offer the holy sacrifice
of the Mass ? Properly speaking, the sacrifice
of the Mass is only offered by the priest decreed
by Jesus Christ to fulfil this august function.
At the same time, in a broader sense and in a
mediate manner, as we say, the faithful offer the
Holy Sacrifice by an intermediary and through
the hands of the priest. This they can do either
by having the Mass celebrated for their inten
tion or by assisting at it devoutly.

When we have the holy sacrifice of the Mass
offered for a certain intention the most power
ful supplications rise to the throne of God for
the favor we desire. It is Jesus Christ Him
self, the divine Victim, who supplicates His
Father and presents His Blood and His Wounds.
Nothing is more laudable than to have Masses
celebrated for one s self or for others, for the
living or the dead. . . .

When we assist at Mass we take part in the
holy action which the priest performs at the
altar. As the priest is delegated by the Church
to publicly offer the sacrifice in the name of all
the faithful, the latter veritably concur in the
sacrifice by the very fact of assisting thereat by
uniting themselves in mind and heart with the

320 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

celebrant. This is clearly manifested by the
words which the priest pronounces in offering"
the chalice. He does not say, I offer Tiiee, but,
We offer Thee, Lord, the chalice of salvation.

Therefore to assist well at Mass it behooves
us to unite our intention with the priest, saying
silently in our hearts or with our lips: Lord
God Almighty, I unite myself with the priest,
the minister of Thy altar, to offer to Thy divine
Majesty the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of
Thy only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

After uniting your intention w-ith the priest
summon before your eyes by a lively act of
faith the great mystery which is being accom
plished on the altar, and remember that the
Mass is but the unbloody renewal of the bloody
sacrifice which was offered on the cross. What
would it be if, knowing Jesus Christ as we now
know Him, we had been able to remain with
St. John at the foot of His cross when he was
nailed to it ! ... Now, we have the happiness
of assisting at the sacrifice of this same Victim,
who is immolated under the appearances of
bread and wine. Let us go. then, in spirit with
the priest to this new Calvary; let us remain
there with the angels and with all truly Chris
tian souls to be sprinkled with the blood of the
spotless Lamb.

When the priest has reached the time of com-
munion, if we have not the happiness of com-

THE HOL Y SA CRTF1CE OF THE MA SS. 321

municating sacramentally it is a very holy prac
tice to make a spiritual communion. It con
sists in the desire of a devout heart which sighs
lor the real reception of the Body of Jesus
Christ. Then when the moment of commu
nion has come we piously repeat with the
priest these words of the centurion of the Gos
pel : Lord, I am not 7 v or thy that Thou sJwuldst
enter under my roof ; say but the word and my
soul shall be healed. At the same time we
produce in our soul a holy and earnest desire
to receive our Saviour in sacramental commu
nion, saying : Deign, Lord, as soon as possible to
nourish me with Thy vivifying flesh, that I may be
filled with Thy life.

During Mass we should pray with recollec
tion and devotion. All prayers are good, and
the Church prescribes none in particular. The
faithful are accustomed to recite those which
they find in an approved book, or to say the
beads, or to meditate upon the mysteries of the
Passion which the Mass recalls to them.

Though the Church does not oblige her chil
dren to hear Mass but on Sundays and holy-

-/ ^

days of obligation, she earnestly desires, never
theless, that they also assist at it during the
week. Nothing is more conformable to the
Christian spirit than to hear Mass every day
when our occupations permit us to do so, and
nothing draws more abundantly the blessings

322 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

of God upon a family than to be daily repre
sented at the divine Sacrifice by some of its
members.

May we fully understand the treasure we
possess in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and
by a lively devotion abundantly gather there
from consolations and graces all the days of
our lite !

CHAPTER XLVIII

PIETY.

Filius honorat patrem , et servus dominum suum ; si ergo pater
ego sum, ubi est honor meus : et si Dominus ego sum, ubi est
iimor meus? (The son honoreth the father, and the servant his
master ; if, then, I be a father, where is my honor ? and if I
be master, where is my fear ?). MALACH. i. 6.

IETY is one of the most amiable virtues ;
it attracts hearts by its charms, but it
is to enrich them with its precious
fruits. For, as St. Paul says, Godliness is profita
ble to all things, having promise of the life that
now ts, and of that which is to come (i Tim. iv. 8).

It is one of those virtues which are called the
capital virtues, because they are the principal
and source of many others. It consists pro
perly in that good disposition of the heart which
makes us render to our heavenly Father the wor
ship which is due Him.

We speak evidently of religious piety, which
is intimately allied to the virtue of religion and
wholly analogous with filial piety ; this latter
relates to our parents on earth and the former
to our Father who is in heaven.

Filial piety perfects the heart of a child and

323

324 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

leads him to render his parents the devotion
which he owes them that is, that honorable
love and respect to which we give the name of
devotion. Filial piety is partly exterior and
partly interior ; it has its seat in the heart and
its manifestations are without.

In like manner religious piety sanctifies the
heart of the children of God ; it inspires them
with the interior and exterior homage of love
and respect which they owe to their heavenly
Father.

May we love this beautiful and touching vir
tue ! May we always practise it as our title of
Christian and Child of Mary requires !

I. Love of piety. Why should we love piety,
desire it, and ardently seek it ? Because of its
excellence, of its necessity, and of the blessings
it procures us.

First, an excellent virtue. It relates to God
Himself, whom it regards not as a Master but
as a Father. ... It makes us children of God
that is, it renders our sentiments and conduct
becoming children of God. ... It renders us
in this world like the angels of paradise an
gels of piety. . . .

Second, a necessary virtue. Without it we
are Christians and sodalists only in name, The
spiritual life by which the Christian soul must
live is impossible without piety, for piety is the
bond of union between God and the soul a

PIETY. 325

bond similar to that which unites the branch
to the tree which nourishes it. The soul is the
branch ; God is the tree to which the branch
must remain united to receive life and vi
gor. . . .

Third, a virtue fruitful in spiritual blessings.
Godliness, says the apostle, is profitable to all
things, having promise of the life that nozv is, and
of that which is to come (i Tim. iv. 8). Be pious
and you will have a happy life here below and
eternal happiness above. Be pious ; your piety
will preserve you from all shoals and will open
to you all interior treasures. . . . Piety is a
tree of life planted in the heart of the children
of God to nourish them, and by nourishing to
communicate to them the life which is proper
to them a holy and happy life. . . . The root
of this tree is faith ; its fruits form the magnifi
cent variety of all other virtues, and we may
apply to it these words of the wise man: My
odor is as the purest balm. I have stretched out
my branches as the turpentine-tree, and my branch
es are of honor and grace. As the vine I have
brought forth a pleasant odor ; and my flowers
are the fruit of honor and riches (Ecclus. xxiv.
21-23).

II. Practices of piety. What should our piety
be ? It should be vigorous, exemplary, and
solid.

ist. Piety is vigorous when it is not languid

326 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

but full of ardor and hardy like a plant which
has a strong root. The root of piety is faith
lively faith, a spirit of faith. Faith, says the
holy Council of Trent, is the beginning of the
salvation of man, the foundation and root of all
justification (Sess. 6, chap, viii.)

2d. Exemplary piety is that which is an ex
ample at home and abroad ; it is manifested in
all that belongs to the worship of God. . . .

3d. Solid piety is not that which consists
solely in a few exterior practices; it is at the
same time interior and exterior, for these two
parts rest upon and mutually sustain one an
other.

Interior piety consists particularly in the vir
tues of faith, confidence in God, and charity.
... It is this interior fire which exercises its
life and its activity without.

Exterior piety includes all the exercises of
piety. These exercises are effects proceeding
from the interior fire, and serving it in turn
as fuel, without which it must be extinguished.

This is what our piety should be ; we have
its model in the Blessed Virgin, our Mother,
... its source in the adorable Heart of her
divine Son.

CHAPTER XLIX.

HUMILITY.

Qui se humiliaverit, exaltabitur (He that shall humble him
self shall be exalted). MATT, xxiii. 12.

UMILITY is not only one of the capital
virtues of the Christian ; it is distin
guished besides by a splendor equal to
charity. Humility and charity are the two
celestial poles about which the resplendent
collection of virtues, like a starry heaven, re
volves.

St. Bernard defines humility a true know
ledge of ourselves ivJiich makes us confess our base
ness. We may say, in other words, that the ob
ject of this virtue is to make us recognize all
our baseness, and at the same time accept the
place which belongs to us.

Thus humility has a double object: one the
baseness of man- -that is, his nothingness and
his unworthiness--the other the place or con
dition which corresponds to this baseness ; we
must recognize the one and accept the other.

Hence the two parts of humility, which are

327

328 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

called humility of the intelligence and humility
of the heart or w ill.

Happy they who have seen the brilliancy of
this inestimable pearl and desire to acquire it
at any price !

Three practical considerations here present
themselves on the subject of this precious vir
tue : Why must we love the virtue of humility ?
Upon what basis is it founded ? How must we
practise it ?

I. Love of humility. We should love humili
ty, first, because of the example of Jesus Christ,
then because of the price and the great bless
ings which this virtue contains.

ist. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate
Wisdom, loved and embraced humility- -in His
mortal life, from the crib of Bethlehem to Cal
vary ; in His Church, which He calls His little
flock, and which He desires always humble and
lowly in spite of its growth ; in His eucharistic
life, remaining with us under the veil of the
sacrament which we justly call not only the
sacrament of His love but also the sacrament
of his humility. . . .

2d. Humility is a treasure a treasure of
grace and peace. It is to the humble God
gives His gracegrace to the mind, which He
enlightens, ... to the heart, which He enrich
es with all virtues, . . . particularly chastity.
It is humility, says St. Bernard, which merits

HUMILITY. 329

charity- -Ut cast it as detur, humilitas meretur. It
is just the contrary with pride : God resistetk
the proud \ but to the humble He giveth grace (i
Pet. v. 5). The humble enjoy great peace :
Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, be
cause I am meek and humble of heart ; and you
shall find rest to your souls (Matt. xi. 29). . . .

Humility is the condition and at the same
time the measure of sanctity. If Christian per
fection is an edifice to be constructed, humility
is its foundation. The deeper this foundation,
says St. Augustine, the higher the edifice can
rise. . . .

Humility is a ladder by which we may as
cend. He that shall humble himself shall be ex
alted. The true path of glory is that which
Jesus Christ followed : He humbled Himself , . . .
for which cause God also hatk exalted Him (Phi-
lipp. ii. 8, 9). ... A way which is easy and
practicable to all ; for if all have not the
strength to ascend, who cannot humble himself
and descend ? . . .

1 1 . Foundation of Jiu mility. Hum ility is fou n d-
ed upon a true knowledge of ourselves. The
man who is penetrated with this knowledge, in
stead of elevating himself above what he is or
arrogating to himself a greatness which he has
not, keeps his true place and the rank God has
assigned him among beings.

The knowledge of myself is of three kinds:

330 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

the knowledge of my nothingness, the know
ledge of my un worthiness before God, the
knowledge of my littleness and my weakness.

ist. The knowledge of my nothingness. Of
myselt I am nothing more than 1 was from all
eternity, and which I would have remained for
all eternity if God had not called me into exist
ence- -that is, nothingness, pure nothingness.
Now that I exist through the goodness of God,
my Creator, what am I but this same nothing
ness clothed with existence and other benefits
of God ? Yes, all that I am, all that I have,
is a gift of God : What have you, says the apos
tle, that you have not received? (i Cor. iv. 7).
In nothing may I glorify myself, but I must use
all that I have to pay my debt of gratitude to
my sovereign Benefactor. . . .

This is w r hat was done in the most perfect
manner by her who exclaimed in the ecstasy
of her humility : My soul doth magnify the Lord ;
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because He hath regarded the humility of His
handmaid (Luke i. 46-48).

2d. Knowledge of my unworthiness. That
which renders me unworthy, positively odious,
in the sight- of God is my sins. If I had com
mitted but one venial sin it would suffice to
make me worthy of being trampled under foot
by everybody. ... If I have committed one
mortal sin I have merited hell and lowered my-

HUMILITY. 331

self to the rank of the demons. . ... If I have
committed mortal sin more than once my place
is beneath the demons : they committed but one
mortal sin. . . .

3d. Knowledge of my littleness and weak-

ness. All that is good in me, either in the or
der of nature or grace, may be reduced to very
little. . . . And to accomplish the least good,
to take the least step in the way of salvation, I
have constant need of the assistance of divine
grace, like a little child who cannot walk with
out its mother s hand to guide and support it.

III. Exercise of humility. The exercise of hu
mility includes principally three things: never
to exalt one s self, never to complain, never to
withdraw one s self from the feet of the Saviour.

ist. Never to exalt one s self. We must be
watchful never to exalt ourselves in thought by
nourishing great ideas of ourselves, of our abi
lity, of our knowledge ; ... by preferring our
selves to our neighbor, by preferring our opin
ions, sentiments to those of others ; . . . nor
by desires aspiring to elevated positions, seek
ing to be seen ; . . . nor by words- -boasting of
what we are or what we do; by excusing our
selves either in the confessional or elsewhere;
by imposing our opinions on others ; by speak
ing in a positive, imperious tone, always assum
ing ourselves to be in the right; . . . nor by
actions doing our good works to be seen by

33 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

men ; or with a sort of claim upon the con
sideration of God, as if we rendered God a
needed service, while it is a favor He does us
in permitting us to serve His divine Majesty.
The Saviour here tells us our true position in
these words : When you shall have done all these
tiling* that are commanded you, say : We are un
profitable servants : we have done that w/w/z we
ougJit to do (Luke xvii. 10). And elsewhere
He tells us : You have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you (John xv. 16).

2d. Not to complain either of humiliations, or
labors, or trials, or corrections, . . . but to ever
say in the depth of our hearts : I have deserved
more.

3d. Not to withdraw ourselves from the feet
of the Saviour, but to ever remain there pros
trate in spirit- -ist, to ask mercy and pardon;
2d, to unceasingly implore the divine assistance,
since without it we can absolutely do nothing :
Without me, says our Saviour, nothing is possi
ble

Ls V w *

As a means of attaining to the perfect prac
tice of humility it is also very profitable to
know the maxims of this virtue ; the occupa
tions and circumstances in which we should
particularly exercise it ; and, finally, the source
whence we must draw it, which is no other than
the divine Heart of Jesus.

CHAPTER

PATIENCE.

In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestris (In your pa
tience you shall possess your souls). LUKE xxi. ig.

E may say that patience is the charac
teristic virtue of the Christian, as the
cross, the symbol of patience, is his dis
tinctive mark. It is solid virtue par excellence ;
it sustains all the others and gives them strength
and constancy. Therefore it is an indispensa
ble necessity, as our Saviour teaches us, saying :
/;/ your patience you shall possess your souls ;
and the apostle, writing to the Hebrews : Pa
tience is necessary for you, tJiat, doing the will of
God, you may receive the promise (Hebr. x. 36).

To better form ourselves to a virtue so im
portant let us consider its value and its prac
tice.

I. Value of patience. It is the most precious
virtue to Jesus Christ, since He embraced it
from His birth and made it His inseparable

companion during all the course of his- life to
His last sigh. It depended only upon Himself

333

334 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

-\

to lead a tranquil life free from suffering. Not
being subject to sin, he did not need, like us,
to be subject to the trials of life; but through
choice, through -preference, He willed to suffer
during all the time of His sojourn upon earth.
When was He without suffering or trial? Is
there any kind of tribulation which He did not
endure ? Is there any bitterness He did not
taste ? He shall drink, says the prophet, of the
torrent in the way. All these trials, all these la
bors, all this bitterness He endured without
complaint or murmur, without sadness, with a
constancy, a resignation, a serenity, and a joy
truly divine. Behold a perfect model of pa
tience for all ages.

2d. If the Son of God has given us such an
example it is sufficient to show us the excel
lence of this virtue ; but it will appear to us
still more precious and more attractive if we
consider the great blessings it procures us.

It gives us a resemblance to Christ. If the
disciple must resemble his master, is it not the
cross which shall imprint upon the Christian
a character of resemblance with his crucified
Master ? Yes, it is through holy patience that
we must be conformed, as the apostle says, to
the image of the Son of God that is, we must be
like Him, first in suffering, then in glory.

Patience makes us powerful in word and
work. The patient man is better than tJie val-

PA TIENCE. 335

iant ; and lie tJiat ruleth Jus spirit than he that
taketh cities (Prov. xvi. 32). Patience more
than any other virtue spreads that good odor
of Jesus Christ which gains souls. The Sa
viour overcame the world by the cross, by
patience ; and in the same way His disciples
must win all their victories and bring forth
fruit : They bring forth fruit in patience (Luke
viii. 15).

It purifies the soul. Suffering endured for
Jesus Christ becomes penance and expiation.
Now, is it not in the salutary waters of penance
and suffering that we must wash the stains of
our souls? Are they not the mysterious bath
in which the elect have whitened their robes ?
They have washed their robes, and h<ve made
them white in the blood of the Lamb (Apoc.
vii. 14).

It enriches us with virtues and merits. The
cross is a tree upon which blossom charity,
sweetness, and all virtues ; a tree the branches
of which produce fruits of honor and glory.
For that which is at present momentary and light
of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure
exceedingly an eternal weiglit of glory (2 Cor. iv.
17). I reckon that the sufferings cf this time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory to come
that shall be revealed in us (Rom. viii. 18).

It renders us happy happy in this life, hap
pier still in the next. Do you desire peace,

33<> SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

true happiness ? Here is the secret of it, as re
vealed to us by the pious author of the Imita
tion : 7 hy peace shall be in much patience. In the
cross is salvation ; in the cross is infusion of sweet
ness ; in the cross is joy of spirit. When thou
shalt arrive thus far that tribulation becomes sweet
and savory to thee for love of Christ, then think
that it is well with thee, for t iou hast found a
paradise upon earth (Imit., b. iii. chap. xxv. ;
b. ii. chap, xii.) And has not the Saviour said :
Blessed are they that mourn ; blessed are they
that suffer persecution for justice sake ? (Matt.

v. 5, 10).

Your sorrow, He says again, shall be turned in
to joy (John xvi. 20). We shall share the glory
of the divine Master in proportion as we shall
have shared His sufferings : If we suffer with
Hun we may be also glorified with Him (Rom.
viii. 17).

II. Practice of patience. Our patience must
be Christian. Christian patience consists not
only in faithfully enduring sufferings and trials,
but in bearing them virtuously for God, to ob
serve His holy law.

There are men who suffer with courage, that
they may not aggravate their woes by im
patience ; others because they must yield to
necessity and of two evils choose the least ;
others to satisfy a passion, to obtain some tem
poral advantage. This is a worldly, pagan,

PATIENCE. 337

Stoical, and purely human patience. On the
other side there are also those- who suffer for
God, for their sins, in view of eternal blessings
in union with Christ, crucified ; this is Chris
tian patience. With Christ I am nailed to the
cross, says the apostle (Gal. ii. 19).

Christian patience is a continual daily exer
cise. Everything is matter for patience : duties
to be fulfilled, labors to be maintained ; persons
with whom we live, with whom we have to do ;
inconveniences, infirmities, temptations. . . .
Everything in this world furnishes matter for
patience to him who wishes to live Christianly
and according to God in all things.

Christian patience is not difficult when we
fix our eves upon our suffering Jesus. See, ex
claimed St. Magdalen of Pazzi, what the Son
of God endured for my salvation ! Could I com
plain when I have before my eyes the sufferings
of a crucified God ?

St. Theresa suffered with so much happiness
that she could not live without suffering. This
admirable patience she drew from three
sources : from the thought of her sins and hell,
from the thought of paradise, and from the
thought of Jesus crucified. . . . Let us add
that we shall draw it also from the adorable
Heart of Jesus, and from that of Mary, His
holy Mother, which was pierced with a sword
of grief.

CHAPTER LI.

THE VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS.

Beati mites, quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram (Blessed are the
meek, for they shall possess the land). MATT. v. 4.

ERE is one of the most attractive vir
tues of Christianity- -the virtue of
meekness, gentleness. It consists in
an unalterable tranquillity of heart mingled
with goodness and love--a tranquillity which
remains unmoved in the midst of the most irri
tating contradictions. When it abides in the
heart it diffuses over the countenance a perpet
ual serenity which no cloud of sadness or anger
can darken. Blessed are the meek, says the Sa
viour, for tkcy shall possess ihe land.

Then let us love meekness ; let us endeavor
to practise it more and more To this end let
us consider the excellence of this virtue and
the manner in which we should practise it.

1. Excellence of meekness. This virtue was
so dear to Jesus Christ that it caused Him to
receive from the prophets the name of Lamb.

Send forth, O Lord, said Isaias, the lamb, tke

338

THE VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 339

rider of the earth (Isaias xvi. i). He shall be led
as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a
lamb before his shearers (Isaias liii. 7). The prin
cipal figure which represented Him was the
paschal lamb: Christ our pasch is sacrificed (i
Cor. v. 7). Behold the Lamb of God, said St.
John the Baptist, seeing Jesus coming to him,
behold Him zuho taketh away the sins of the world
(John i. 29).

He desires that His disciples resemble Him,
that they be lambs like their Master: Behold, I
send you as lambs among wolves (Luke x. 3).
And confiding to St. Peter the government of
His church, He says: Feed my lambs ; feed my
sheep.

Meekness is a virtue which He most earnest
ly recommends to us : Learn of me, because I am
meek and humble of heart (Matt. xi. 29). You
have heard that it hath been said : An eye for an
eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you not
to resist evil ; but if one strike thee on tJiy right
cheek, turn to him also the otJier (Matt. v. 38, 39).

Meekness produces the most precious fruits.
Blessed are iJie im ek, for they shall possess the
land. They shall possess the land ; they shall
be masters of all the land, like the most power
ful kings, for they shall win all hearts. Such
was Moses, the meekest of the men of his
day: He was loved of God and men, say& the Holy
Spirit (Ecclus. xlv. i). What power did not

340 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

the meekness of the admirable St. Francis of
Sales exercise over souls ! Meekness, said this
great doctor, is a heavenly honey which at
tracts souls. . . . We may also say that it is
a holy oil which penetrates and softens the
hardest hearts ; or a rampart of wool which
blunts the force of the most violent projectiles.
A mild answer breaktth wrath, says the wise man,
but a harsh word stirreih up fury (Prov. xv. i).

Meekness accomplishes all things, renders all
things easy, practises all virtues with facility,
according to the words of St. Leo : There is
nothing difficult to the humble, nothing hard and
vexatious to meek and tractable minds.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the
land. But how are we to acquire meekness?
How are we to practise this beautiful virtue?

II. Practice, ist. We must endeavor to
practise it in the daily occasions which we
encounter.

Thus, to avoid all hardness, all impatience
with others- -with friends and enemies, with
those who contradict or importune us, with
our inferiors or superiors, with ourselves, our
disposition, our own weaknesses. . . To avoid
all impatience or brusqueness in our labors, our
infirmities, our sufferings. . . .

2cl. To watch over ourselves, that moderation
and meekness may constantly reign in our ac
tions and our proceedings, in our words, in our

THE VIRTUE OF MEEKNESS. 341

very silence, and particularly in our hearts.
The heart should be pure of all bitterness and
breathe only kindness and meekness. This
calm and friendly meekness of heart shines in
the countenance and diffuses throughout the
whole exterior a cordiality which charms and
captivates souls.

To personal efforts must be added succor
from on high. We must go to Jesus as the
source of all virtues ; we must draw sweetness
from His divine Heart. Learn of me, He says,
because I am meek and humble of heart. By
joining meekness with humility He gives us
to understand that if we are humble we shall
have no difficulty in practising meekness.

Let us go, then, to His divine Heart, which
overflows with the sweetest unction. Oh ! how
good and siveet, exclaims the wise man, is thy
Spirit, O Lord, in all things (Wis. xii. i).

Let us go to Him in His Passion, where, like
the olive crushed in the press, He gives forth
floods of the sweetest oil ; let us go to Him in
the Holy Eucharist, where He personally mani
fests all the marvels of meekness and promises
at the same time that all who hunger and thirst
for justice shall be filled.

CHAPTER LII.

STRENGTH AND COURAGE.

Confortare et viriliter age (Take courage, act manfully).
i PARAL. xxii. 13.

ERE is the virtue of noble hearts: the
virtue of courage, strength of soul-
the courage which knows neither fear
nor defeat. Nothing is more beautiful than
that manly courage, and energy which endures
labor and suffering, despises ridicule and af
fronts, and triumphs over all obstacles to fulfil
a duty and to do good. But for the true
Christian, who desires to attain the blessed
end of his destiny, the virtue of courage is as
necessary as it is noble and beautiful. The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent bear it away (Matt. xi. 12). To arm all
His disciples with this courage our Saviour
instituted a special sacrament- -Confirmation.

Then let us love this virtue and try to ac
quire it more and more. To this end it will
be profitable to thoroughly know its nature
and .how to practise it.

I. Nature of the virtue of courage. Courage

342

STRENGTH AND COURAGE. 343

is the virtue of heroes, of martyrs, and of great
men.

ist. We call heroes those intrepid and gen
erous soldiers who, armed for their king and
country, know no fear, and, undaunted by
labor or sacrifice, count it a privilege to shed
their blood on the field of battle.

The more just the war the greater the cour
age and energy of the true hero. Now, a war
is waging for the greatest and most just cause :
it is the war of Jesus Christ against Satan and
sin, and the things at stake are heaven and
hell. This noble combat requires heroism,
strength of soul, to combat the enemies who
harass us on all sides : Put you on the armor of
God, says the apostle, that you* may be able to
stand against the deceits of tlie devil. For our
wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities and powers, against the
rulers of the world of this darkness, against the
spirits of wickedness in high places (Eph. vi. 1 1 , 12).

2d. Courage is the virtue of the martyrs
a virtue which causes them to triumph over
torments and the terrors of death. We are
astonished at the incredible constancy of in
numerable Christians i n the midst of torture-
the constancy of weak virgins, tender children,
which no invention of the persecutors can over
come. How were they able to suffer thus?
They armed themselves with the virtue of

344 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

courage and were invincible through the Holy
Spirit.

3d. Courage is the virtue of all great men.
A great man is one who accomplishes great
things, endures great trials, or triumphs over
great obstacles for truth and justice, for the
good of his fellow-men. Among all the great
men who shine in history there is one who
eclipses all others ; it is He who is called the
King of glory. Who is this King of glory ? ex
claims the prophet, and he is answered : Tlie
Lord w/io is strong and miglity : the Lord miglity
in battle (Ps. xxiii. 8).

When I see him in His Passion, calm and
meek, opening not His mouth while His ene
mies exhausted against Him every effort of
hatred, iniquity, calumny, contempt, outrage,
cruelty ; when 1 see Him preserving His di
vine serenity even unto death, which He en
dured for His very persecutors, He seems like
a rock in the midst of the sea, against which
the foaming waves spend all their fury in vain.

All true Christians must struggle and suffer,
after the example of Christ, their King and
their Chief. The servant is not greater than his
master. If they have persecuted me they will per
secute you (John xv, 20). Yes, all, says the
apostle, that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution (2 Tim. iii. 12), if not unto
shedding their blood, at least through trials

S TRENG TH AND CO URA GE. 345

and temptations which are inseparable from a
truly Christian life.

II. Practice. How are we to acquire and
practise this beautiful virtue ?

ist. We must free ourselves from the con
trary vices- -human respect, sloth, indolence.
If courage is the virtue of noble hearts, indo
lence, sloth, and human respect are the marks
of cowardly, servile souls.

The slave of human respect gives up his
dearest liberty liberty of conscience ; the first
libertine he meets may rule him with a smile.
As a Christian he should fulfil his duties: hear
Mass on Sunday, frequent the sacraments, ob
serve the law of abstinence and fasting, refrain
from reading wicked journals. . . . His con
science tells him this, and he would like to
obey his conscience ; but he is afraid afraid of
passing for a weak mind, . . . never dreaming
that this fear is weakness and the most shame
ful cowardice. . . .

Sloth, sensual pleasures enervate the soul
and render it incapable of sustaining combats,
labors, sufferings. The victorious Hannibal was
overcome by the enervating climate of Capua.

Sloth is a shameful and degrading vice. The
heart which it rules is like a stagnant pond in
which all kinds of disgusting reptiles breed. . . .

2d. The principle of Christian courage is
faith. If you have faith as a grain of mustard-

346 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

seed, you shall say to this mountain. Remove from
thence thither, and it shall remove ; and nothing
shall be impossible to you (Matt. xvii. 19). The
just, St. Paul tells us, by faith conquered king
doms, stopped the mouths of lions, became valiant
in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners
(Heb. xi. 33, 34).

Faith strengthens us by penetrating us with
the great thoughts of death and eternity. . . .

3d. Another principle of strength is prayer.
This holy exercise unites us with God and
causes us to share the courage of the Almighty.
If you abide in rne, and my vvords abide in you,
you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be
done unto you (John xv. 7). It was He who
caused St. Paul to say : I can do all things in Him
who strengtheneth me (Phil. iv. 13).

If, then, we desire to grow in Christian cour
age and walk in the path of heroes and great
men, we must be penetrated with the great
truths of faith and unite prayer to practice ;
on one side trample under foot human respect ;
on the other side labor and combat, place all
our confidence in God, and assiduously pray to
Him. Moreover, as Children of Mary we shall
be armed with an invincible courage by her
who crushed the serpent s head and who ap
peared to the world and hell terrible as an
army in battle array : Terribilis ut castrorum
acies ordinata (Cant. vi. 9).

CHAPTER LIII.

MORTIFICATION.

Mortificate membra vestra, qua sunt super terrain (Mortify
your members which are upon earth). COLOSS. iii. 5.

ORTIFICATION is a virtue the object
of which is to repress the irregular in
clinations of nature, to subject the in
ferior man to the superior man, the flesh to the
spirit. This is the meaning of the apostle s
words : Mortificate membra vestra, qu&.sunt super
terrain Mortify your members which are upon
earth ; make the earthly man die within you.

The virtue of mortification differs from the
virtue of penance, the object of which is not to
subject the flesh to the spirit, but to repair the
injury done to God by sin. It differs also from
abnegation, of which the proper act is the aban
donment of created things, the renouncement
of all that is not God, in order to attach the
heart to God alone and to God s good plea
sure.

The virtue of mortification occupies a great
place in the Christian life. It should be a con-

347

348 SODALIT Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

tinual practice; it is an instrument which we
should have ever at hand in the work of sancti-
fication. Let us try to understand well a virtue
so important, and also how necessary, how pre
cious it is, and how we should practise it.

I. Necessity of mortification. To compre
hend the necessity of mortification it suffices to
consider Jesus Christ and to consider ourselves.

ist. Let us consider Jesus Christ; let us hear
what He tells us Himself as well as by the
mouths of His apostles. He said to all : If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, take
up his cross, and follow me (Luke ix. 23). Unless
the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it
self remaineth alone ; but if it die, it bringctJi
forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall
lose it ; and he that hateth his life in this zvorld
keepeth it unto life eternal (John xii. 24, 25).
Mortify, therefore, your members which are iipon
earth (Coloss. iii. 5). They that are Christ s
have crucified their flesli, with the vices and concu
piscences (Gal. v. 24).

Let us hear also how He speaks to us by His
example : Jesus Christ suffered for us, leaving you
an example that you sJiould follow his steps
(i Pet, ii. 21). WitJi Christ I am nailed to the
cross (Gal. ii. 19). We ahvays bear about in our
body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also
of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies (2
Cor. iv.

MOR TIFICA TION. 349

Should we not imitate this example? As
Christians can we live in sloth- -be delicate
members of a head crowned with thorns? Are
we of better condition than our Master and
Lord, than the apostles and saints? . . .

2d. Let us consider ourselves as Christians,
as sodalists, as Children of Mary.

As Christians mortification is a necessity for
us--ist, to overcome our passions and re-es
tablish the harmony of our nature, disturbed by
sin. Reason should command and not obey
the senses. There is an evil tliat I have seen
under the sun, says the wise man : I have seen ser
vants upon horses ; and princes walking on the
ground as servants (Ecclus. x. 5, 7). 2d. To ex
piate our sins. Are we not all sinners ? Is it
not better to expiate our faults in this life than
in the other? . . . 3d. To faithfully observe
the law of God and avoid sin in future. Mor
tification is the knife with which we cut off our
vices as the vine-dresser cuts off the bad
branches. . . .

As Children of Mary mortification is equally
necessary for us, in order to attain the per
fection which the Mother of God asks of us.
Whoever would advance in the way of virtue
and form himself to Christian perfection needs
mortification, as the sculptor needs a chisel, the
builder a hammer, the boatman oars to go up
the stream.

35 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

II. Fruits. Precious effects of mortification.
Christian mortification causes the old man to
die within us, the sensual and carnal man, to
use the words of St. Paul ; it weakens and de
stroys the life of sin, and at the same time
creates and fortifies this new life in Jesus
Christ, which is made manifest in our bodies
and our senses : That the life also of Jesus may
be made manifest in our bodies.

Now, in what does this new life consist?

ist. In a lively faith, immovable confidence,
pure and ardent charity. . . .

2d. In a spirit of prayer. It is only by pass
ing* through the altar of holocausts, as St. Au
gustine says, that we reach the altar of perfumes,
the symbol of prayer. . . .

3d. In future glory. So if we suffer witJi
Him, tJiat we may also be glorified with Him
(Rom. viii. 17). He will reform the body of our

low ness, made like to the body of His glory (Phil.

\

111. 21).

j

III. Practice of mortification. To practise
mortification well we must remove its great
obstacle- -fear, apprehension. Christian morti
fication is not so difficult as we think; it is
softened by the unction of divine grace. The
world sees the thorns, says St. Bernard, but
not the unction and balm of Jesus Christ, which
accompanies them. Let us keep the example
of the Saviour and of all the saints before our

MOR TIFICA TION. 3 5 I

eyes, and soon we shall walk with ease in this
divinely marked way ; it is only the first steps
which cost.

2d. Let us apply ourselves not only to ex
terior mortification but also to interior morti
fication to mortifying self love, our own will,
our tastes, and our humor. . . . These two
parts of mortification, one interior, the other
exterior, mutually complete and sustain each
other.

3d. Let us proceed by degrees : first, prac
tise the mortifications and impose upon our
selves the sacrifices necessary to avoid faults

s

and sins ; second, impose upon ourselves the
sacrifices indispensable to the proper fulfilment
of all our duties ; third, impose upon ourselves
those required by circumstances, in order to
properly endure trials and crosses.

4th. It is profitable also to impress upon our
minds the maxims of the saints concerning
mortification namely : Conquer thyself. Be mas
ter of thy heart. Noi what is pleasing, but what
is right. The greater violence t/wu offerest to tJiy-
self, the greater progress t/wu wilt make (Imit.,
i. 25).

CHAPTER LIV.

TEMPERANCE.

Carissimi, sobrii estate et vigilate (Be sober and watch). I
PET. v. 8.

EMPERANCE, the fourth of the cardi
nal virtues, is that noble and beautiful
virtue which subjects to the empire of
reason the appetites of our concupiscence, par
ticularly in the matter of food and drink.

This virtue is earnestly recommended to us
by the Holy Spirit in many parts of the Scrip
tures ; therefore we should love it and apply
ourselves to practise it constantly and to prac
tise it in its perfection.

To this end let us consider the value of tem
perance, its necessity and its practice.

I. Value. Temperance is a precious virtue
in the eyes of God, and it procures man inesti
mable blessings for soul and body.

If we wish to see the value God attaches to
temperance we have only to open the Holy
Scriptures. From the very beginning, when
He willed to exercise the obedience of our
first parents, He gave them a command enjoin-

352

TEMPERANCE. 353

ing temperance : Of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, He said to them, thou shaft not eat (Gen.
ii. 17). He said to the mother of Samson, by
the ministry of an angel : Beware and drink no
wine nor strong drink, because thou shalt conceive
and bear a son who shall be consecrated to God
(Judges xiii. 4, 5). Later the archangel Ga
briel said to Zachary : The son that shall be born
to thee shall be great before the Lord, and shall
drink no wine nor strong drink ; and he shall be
filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke i. 15).

The Saviour began His public life by fast
and abstinence, and He resisted the spirit of
gluttony with these great words : Not in bread
alone doth man live, but in every word that pro-
ceedeth from the mouth of God (Matt. iv. 4). Woe
to you, He says later, who are filled, and who
refuse nothing to your appetites; for you shall
hunger (Luke vi. 25) and thirst in eternal tor
ments, where you will ask in vain for a drop of
water to cool your tongue. Take heed to your
selves, He adds, lest perhaps } our hearts be over-
charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the
cares of this life ; and that day (the day of judg
ment) come upon you suddenly (Luke xxi. 34).

Temperance is a principle of corporal well-
being. It is the greatest safeguard of health,
and maintains the body, the soul s instrument,
in a perfect state, ready and disposed to fulfil
all its functions. Sober drinking is health to soul

354 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

and body (Ecclus. xxxi. 37). By surfeiting many
have perished ; but he that is temperate shall pro
long life (Ecclus. xxx vii. 34). Wine drunken with
excess raisetJi quarrels, and wratli, and many ruins
(Ecclus. xxxi. 38).

Temperance is a source of spiritual advan
tages. It frees us from the sad effects of in
temperance, . . . of which the Israelites in the
desert offer us a striking example. The people,
says the Scripture, sat doivn to eat and drink,
and they rose up to play, to dance before the golden
calf which they had made their god (Exod. xxxii. 6).

It preserves the soul in a happy state of spi
ritual health, which consists in sanctifying
grace, in fervor, in empire over the senses and
the passions, in the vigor of the faculties of the
mind, of the understanding, of the will, in the
power to easily apply ourselves to things above.
Corporal fast, the Church tells us, represses the
sallies of vice, raises tlie mind to Jicaven, enriches
us with virtues and rewards.

II. Necessity of temperance. Temperance
is necessary, to preserve chastity. Be not
drunk with wine, which contains luxury (Eph.
v. 1 8). The lily of purity only flourishes
among thorns, nor is it found in the land of them
that live in delights (Job xxviii. 13). Behold
this was the iniquity of Sodom pride, fulness
of bread, and abundance, and idleness (Ezech.
xvi. 49).

TEMPERANCE. 355

Temperance is necessary to overcome our
passions. He that nourishetli Jus servant delicate
ly from his cJiildliood, afterwards shall find him
stubborn (Prov. xxix. 21). Bridle gluttony, says
the author of the Imitation, and thou shalt the
easier restrain all carnal inclinations (b. i. 19).

Temperance is necessary because we must
pray well, and the mind weighed down by sen
suality cannot rise to heavenly things nor give
itself to prayer: The sensual man perceiveth not
these tilings that are of the Spirit of God (i Cor. ii.
14). He, on the contrary, who makes a sober
use of corporal things acquires that serenity,
that purity of heart, to which is promised the
sight of God and blessings from above. . . .

III. To practise temperance we must know
its rules and maxims.

9

ist. The Christian is contented with what is
necessary and does not seek what is superflu
ous. Having food and wherewith to be covered,
says the apostle, with these we are content (i
Tim. vi. 8).

2d. Food was created to renew our strength,
and not to satisfy sensuality.

3d. The body is the instrument of the soul ;
it is made to obey the soul in the accomplish
ment of all its duties ; we must nourish it sober
ly to preserve its promptness and its pliability
without surfeiting and enervating it.

4th. We must use food prudently, as a medi-

356 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

cal remedy to preserve life and renew our
strength. Thou hast taught me, Lord, says St.
Augustine, to take my corporal nourishment as
necessary medicine.

5th. We must prescribe for ourselves a rule
regulated by reason, and beware of giving rein
to our natural appetite by permitting it to
fully satisfy itself.

6th. The true measure of temperance is not
blind appetite . . . nor the quantity of mental
labor, . . . but the real needs of nature attest
ed by wise experience.

7th. Nature, say the wise, is contented ^vith
lutl : thus very little oil is needed to feed a
lamp, to facilitate the movement of a wheel.
/;/ doubt let there be rather less tlian more.
What we leave does us more good than what
we take in delicacies. Wisdom dwells insobriety.
It. is by employing these means that all the
saints learned to practise the precious virtue of
temperance ; we have but to employ them in
our turn to succeed like them. This happy re
sult will be all the more easily obtained that
we shrill be seconded by the powerful interces
sion of the Blessed Virgin, our Mother.

c

CHAPTER LV.

CHASTITY.

O quam pulchra est casta generatio cum claritate ! (Oh ! how
beautiful is the chaste generation with glory). Wis. iv. I.

HE most beautiful, the most amiable of
virtues, the characteristic virtue of
the Children of Mary and the most
brilliant pearl on their brow, is the virtue of
chastity.

May we love this virtue as the Blessed Vir
gin, our Mother, loves it ! May we ever pre
serve it in all its splendor ! To this end let us
consider, first, the excellence of chastity, then
what is its safeguard.

I. Excellence. The excellence of chastity
consists in the ravishing beauty of the virtue
and the inestimable advantages it procures.

ist. The Holy Spirit Himself extols chastity
in the most exalted terms : How beautiful is the
chaste generation with glory: for the memory
thereof is immortal : because it is known both wi h
God and with wen (Wis. iv. l).

The Son of God marie man has manifested a
marked predilection for this virtue, not only

357

35 8 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

did He cho;>se for His Mother the purest of
virgins, but He desired that all who were to
touch His humanity, or draw near to His
sacred person should be pure and virginal.
His foster-father, His precursor, His beloved
disciple, the priesthood of the new law which
He instituted to offer His eucharistic body, all
appear before us resplendent in virginal purity.
He feedetli among the lilies, says the prophet
(Cant. vi. 2). He is that Lamb without stain
which St. John beheld on Mount Sion : With
him there were an hundred and forty-four thou
sand, . . . and they sung a mw canticle before the
throne ; no man could say the canticle but those, for
they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whither
soever he gocth (Apoc. xiv. 1-4).

This beautiful virtue, then, has a charm which
enraptures the heart of God.

3d. Chastity elevates the soul to an incom
parable dignity : it makes it the spouse of God.
Ah ! how joyous will be the nuptials of a soul
with such a Spouse.

4th. Chastity elevates man above his nature
and makes him like the angels of God (Matt.
xxi : . 30). The angels, like chaste souls, see God
and the things of heaven ; the}?" burn with
pure flames of charity; thev accomplish with
promptness, undeterred by any obstacle, all the
will of God. . . .

St. Bernard goes so far as to place a chaste

CHASTITY. 359

man above the angels, because of the courage
he must exert to attain a viitue which the
angels possess by nature. The latter, he says,
are more fortunate in having received a perfect
purity ; a chaste man has more merit in having
sustained the greatest combats.

5th. Chastity makes us fruitful in virtues and
good works; ... it powerfully helps us to win
souls to God. . . .

II. Safeguard of chastity. To preserve in
tact the virtue of chastity and bring it to its
highest perfection we must, ist, be penetrated
with the frailty of man, particularly in this re
spect. It is in this sense more than any other
that we must say : / am man, and tliere is no
human misery into which I may not fall. Were
you purer than an angel you are always cjfith-
ed in corruptible flesh, and a simple impru
dence may suffice to plunge you into the mire.

2d. We must love chastity, love it as the
most precious of treasures, and add to this
love a horror of the contrary sin, and even a
horror of all that could lead to impurity.

Impurity is a vice which the tongues of all
people call infamous--a dishonorable, debas
ing vice which degrades man and drags him
lower than the brute; a vice which leads its
slaves into sacrileges and innumerable sins; a
vice of which it is extremely difficult to amend ;
a vice which induces blindness, hardness, de-

360 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

spair, and which ruins the greatest number of
souls. . . . DC es this suffice to give us a horror
of it ?

3d. We must fly dangerous occasions dis
solute companions, licentious reading, immoral
plays, idleness, intemperance, familiarity with
persons of another sex ; these are the most
usual shoals upon which chastity is wreck
ed. . . .

4th. We must employ the means ; they are
summed up in humility, mortification, prayer.
These means correspond to the triple symbol
of the lily which we find in different parts of
the Scriptures : the lily of the valley, the lily
among thorns, and the lily in the midst of the
fields, where it is inundated with the dew of
heaven--an image of grace, which prayers
cause to descend in abundance from heaven.

Under the name of prayer we must under
stand not only assiduous prayer and pious in
vocations at the time of danger, . . . but also
frequenting the sacraments, as well as a ten
der devotion to the Blessed Virgin and St. Jo
seph. . . .

By employing these means, after the example
of the saints rmd all good Christians, we shall
preserve, like them, the inestimable treasure of
purity, and we shall go through this world
keeping our souls unspotted from its corrup
tion.

CHAPTER LVI.

PURITY OF INTENTION.

St ocuhts tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuiim htcidiini erit
(If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome).
MATT. vi. 22.

HE eye of the soul, of which the Saviour
here speaks, is the intention with
which we act, the end we have in
view, the motive of our actions. This motive
is justly called the eye of the soul, since it is
a torch which enlightens and guides the soul.
If thy eye be single, if thy intention be pure and
upright, with no other object but God and His
will, thy whole body will be HgJitsome, all thy
conduct, all thy actions will be holy and share
in the true light, which is God.

This sentence alone of Jesus Christ s suffices
to make us comprehend how important it is to
always act with purity of intention. Now,
what is purity of intention, and how is it ac
quired ?

I. What is purity of intention? The inten
tion is pure when it is not mingled with or in
fected with views of self-love. This is the case

361

362 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

when we look only at God, when we make
His divine will our sole object and do not fall
back upon our own interests. This purity has
degrees ; when it is directed towards heaven,
like a flame without smoke, it is confounded
with pure chanty, disinterested love. Alas!
this degree of perfection is too rarely encoun
tered. For, as the apostle says, all seek t/ie
things that are their own, not tlie tilings that are
Jesus Chris fs (Phil. ii. 21).

2d. Purity of intention supposes uprightness
and simplicity. The intention is upright when
we proceed frankly, without seeking to deceive
ourselves ; when we act in good faith, doing all
that we can to know and follow the truth.
Simplicity of intention excludes all multipli
city ; it does not give itself to several objects,
but to one, which is God ; and even in God it
considers but His glory, His good pleasure,
the accomplishment of His will. Not that a
man actuated by this simplicity of purpose
does not desire also certain created things, such
as health, the necessities of life, success in busi
ness ; but he desires them in a manner secon
dary and subordinate to the will of God, which
is the principal term, the absolute end of his life.

3d. This perfect purity of intention gives
great value to our works. The least action
done purely for God is of more value than the
most diffijult labor, however important in ap-

PURITY OF INTENTION. 363

pearance, if there be in it the least mixture of
self-interest.

4th. A man actuated by this upright inten
tion always enjoys the testimony of a good
conscience, and that serenity, that interior
peace, which all the riches of the world cannot
give. And since he lives for God alone, God,
in His turn, overwhelms him with His most
precious favors. . .

Such is the nature, such is the price of pur-
itv of intention. But what must we do to

U

acquire it ?

II. How to acquire purity of intention.

ist. We must, once for all, offer our whole
life to God. If I seriously reflect that I have
but one life ; that I can live this life but once,
that I can never recommence it; that, having
but one life, 1 consequently cannot let it be bar
ren, but must make it bring forth fruit, to which
1 must give all its value, that later I may re
joice in it for all eternity- -then I have no diffi
cult) in comprehending that to make my life
most beautiful, most noble, as perfect as pos
sible, 1 must offer it entirely to God and His
service This holy offering consists in placing
ourselves in God s hands, that He may govern
us according to His will in all things, saying
with St. Paul: Lord, what wilt tJiou that I
do? . . .

2d. To watch over the nffections of our heart,

364 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

the desires and passions, which are sometimes
hidden and rule us unconsciously. That seems
often to be charity, says the author of the Imita
tion, which is rather natural affection ; because our
own natural inclination, self-will, hope of retribu
tion, desire of our own interest will be seldom want
ing (Imit.\. 15). According as we perceive in
our intention something human, selfseeking,
we have only to disavow it and reject it. . . .

3d. Every time we encounter a trial to be
endured, a disagreeable duty to be fulfilled, an
occasion, a word ungratifying to self-love, we
must accept this trial, this work, whatever it
may be, all the more willingly that it is an ac
tion wholly pure in the eyes of God, without
any mixture of self-love.

4th. To frequently renew our good intention,
saying, for example: All for Jesus! For 1 hee
al ne, O my God ! For the greater glory of God !
It is not necessary, however, that we have for
each one of our actions an explicit and marked

intention, nor to s:iy, I am doin^f this for such

j >>

a motive ; it suffices to offer in the morning the
whole day to God by a general resolution to do
His holy will in all things.

Happy for us if we succeed in having this
pure and upright intention, this simple view of
God in all our actions! Then our life shall be
wholly a life of grace and light totum corpus,
lucidum erit.

CHAPTER LVIT.

CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD.

In capite libri scriptum est de me : Ut faciam, Deus, volunta-
tem tuam (In the head of the book it is written of me : That I
should do thy will, O God !) HEB. x. 7.

HE holy will of God, the constant ful
filment of this divine will, or, as we
are accustomed to call- it, conformity
to the will of God, is a virtue which we may
say is the summary of all virtues, the abridg
ment of all sanctity. In fact, what does God
wish but the sanctification of His creatures?
And is it not the most sublime sanctity for
which the Saviour causes us to ask in these
beautiful words of the Our Father : Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven ?

Then let us endeavor to acquire an ever-in
creasing conformity to the divine will; and to
better succeed therein let us consider the na
ture, the excellence, the practice of this vir
tue.

I. Nature. What is conformity to the divine
will?

3-5

366 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ist. It is a virtue which consists, as the name
indicates, in discerning the will of God in all
things, and in adopting this holy will in a man
ner to make it our own. Hence results a per
fect accord between God and the creature ; so
that the mark by which we may recognize whe
ther we possess the virtue of which we speak
is to wilt or not to will what God wislics or docs
not wish to will all that He wills and as He
wills it.

2d. After what we have just said conformity
to the will of God includes at the same time an
act of the intelligence and an act of the will:
the intelligence recognizes the divine will, the
will loves and accepts it.

This knowledge and this love of the divine
will imply a double principle, a double truth,
which reason and faith reveal to us.

ist. All that happens to us in this world hap
pens by the will of God, in this sense : that God
at least permits it and tolerates it. Evil itself
and sin would not exist if God. in His impene
trable designs, did not permit them. Before
we act we have to see what God asks of us,
either to prevent an evil or bring about success ;
but once the event is accomplished we must
consider the material fact as the expression of
the divine will, to which we must unite ours.

The second truth which we assume is that
God, being the best of fathers, wills only our

CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD. 367

good, and that in all that He permits regard
ing us He has only our salvation in view. I
can, then, and I should, on my part make every
thing that happens to me here below tend to
my salvation, according to the words of the
apostle : To them that love God all tilings work
together unto good (Rom. viii. 28).

3d. The matter, the subject, of our conformi
ty to the will of God is threefold- -sin, duty,
suffering. We must fly all that God forbids,
accomplish all that He ordains, accept the trials
He imposes upon us, the tribulations which we
encounter by permission of His ever-adorable
providence. . . .

It is easy to see that this is a vast subject,
that it extends to all our life, and that every
moment we must practise conformity to the
will of God--a great. advantage, if we consider
the excellence of this virtue.

II. Excellence. Nothing is more just, more
wise, more holy than to conform our will in all
things to that of the Lord our God.

ist. Is He not the supreme Master whom all
must obey? Is he not the supreme Monarch
of the universe, who bears upon His brow an
eternal diadem ? Then must we not in all that
He wills, in every event, bow before Him, say-
in of : It is the Lord : let Him do what is good in

o o

His sight f (i Kings iii. 18). Is He not also an
infinitely just Judge, who must punish sin and

368 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

make us expiate our iniquities? ... At the
same time, in exercising His justice He does
not cease to be a father. Suck as / love y He
says, I chastise (Apoc. iii. 19).

2d. The will of God, ever directed by His
supreme wisdom, is a most sure rule of right;
then is it not the highest wisdom to follow it?
God is a Father as infinitely wise as He is in
finitely good ; He knows our wants, He knows
what is suitable for us, what would be advan
tageous or injurious- -health, success, or humilia
tion ; and even though His dispositions seem to
us an evil, we are certain that He disposes all
things with power, sweetness, and love, for our
true good.

Would we have peace and happiness? The
secret is contained in conformity to the will of
God. What is the cause of all our trials and
of all the troubles which disturb us? It is that
things go contrary to our desires and to our
will. Now, if our will be united to that of
God there is nothing to contradict it; it is al
ways satisfied, it always has what it desires.
And what could it desire better than the will
of God ? . . . Here, then, we discover true
happiness, true peace- -in conformity to the will
of God! It is, moreover, the verification of
those words: Peace on eartli to wen of good
will.

This is not to say that the crosses and bitter-

CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD 369

ness of this life are in nowise felt, but the bitter
ness, the crosses, the trials are clouds which do
not reach the summit of the holy mountain,
darkness which cannot penetrate into the inti
mate sanctuary of the soul inseparably united
to the divine will.

Have you a cross ? asks St. Francis of
Sales. Make your will one with that of God
and the cross will disappear. Does something
displease you ? Look at it as the will of God and
it will appear agreeable to you. . . . He who
wishes but the good pleasure of God is always
content and tranquil, like a statue in its niche.
If a statue could speak it would say that it in
nowise washed to be anywhere but in the niche
where its master had placed it, and w r here he
was pleased to see it.

3d. Is there anything more holy than the
divine will ? Ever tending essentially to the
purest glory of God, this adorable will is the
rule of all perfection, of all sanctity, of every well-
regulated will. Man s will, then, shall be holy,
shall be perfect, in proportion as it is in accord
with that of God. On the other hand, nothing
is so holy and meritorious as the homage we
render God by submitting our will to His; it is
the sacrifice of that which is dearest to us, our
liberty, which we place in the hands of Him
who gave it to us--a sacrifice so precious in His
eyes that He prefers it to all holocausts, as He

370 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

testifies by saying : Pr(zbe,filinii, cor tuum mihi
My son, give me thy heart (Prov. xxiii. 26).

Does not man s supreme perfection consist in
being what God wishes him- -being a man ac
cording to His heart? / have found, He says,
speaking of David, a man according to my own
heart, ivho shall do all my wills (Acts xiii. 22).

Is it not the summit of perfection to do God s
will on earth, as the angels do it in heaven, as
we daily ask in these words: Thy will be dune on
earth, as it is in heaven ?

Is it not, moreover, what the example of
Jesus Christ and all the saints shows us? /
came down from heaven, says the Saviour, not to
do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me
(John vi. 38). The holy martyrs Epictetus and
Astius in the midst of their torments unceas
ingly cried : We are Christians. Lord Jesus, may
Thy will be done in us ! This cry represents the
sentiments of all the saints.

III. Practice. It is not difficult to conform
our will to that of God when we have the eyes
of our faith well open to see under all that hap
pens, under all crosses, under all veils, the will
of our heavenly Father It was thus that the
Saviour saw the hand of His Father presenting
Him the chalice of His Passion, though this
Passion was the work of Judas and the Jews:
The clialice which my Father hath given me, shall
I not drink it? He said to Peter.

CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD. 37*

i

All that we receive from the hand of God be
comes sweet and agreeable. We often say : I
would willingly submit, if my cross were not
the result of my own fault or of the malice of
men, or if it came from God. . . . Have more
faith, and you will see that it comes from God,
that it is always God who imposes it upon you,
since He permits it to reach you since, with
out Willing the sin you have committed or the
injustice ol which you are the victim, He wills
the suffering which results from it.

2d. We must exercise ourselves in this holy
conformity : ist. In ordinary and daily events.
. . . 2d. In the labors and functions to be ful
filled. . . . 3d. In accepting the gifts, more or
less advantageous, which we have received from
nature. . . . 4th. In sorrow and sickness. . . .
5th. In temptations and aridities. . . . 6th. In
the success or sterility of our labors. . . . 7th.
In spiritual things themselves, and our greater
or less progress in virtue. . . .

3d. We must exercise ourselves by degrees
first subject, if necessary, our rebellious will by
force ; then accustom it to submit promptly and
willingly ; finally, unite it to the divine will so
closely it may be lost therein and confounded
with the good pleasure of God. . . .

4th. We must frequently ask of God the grace
to know and perfectly accomplish His holy will.
St. Ignatius habitually terminated his letters in

37 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

these words : I pray God that He grant you to ever
know and perfectly accomplish His holy ivilL St.
Ignatius said also: Govern me, Lord ; dispose of
me according to Thy designs and Tliy will ; for
I know that Thou always treatest me with love.
The Holy Spirit Himself teaches us to say :
Lord, ^vhat wilt Thou that I do ? . . . My heart
is ready, Lord, my heart is ready / . . . Thy will
be done on earth as it is in lieaven I

CHAPTER LVIII.

PRUDENCE.

Estote prudentes sicut serpentes (Be ye wise as serpents).
MATT. x. 16.

RUDENCE occupies among the virtues
a superior rank ; it is the first of the
four cardinal virtues, to which all the
others are attached. Thus we see it shining
with particular splendor on the brow of the
Blessed Virgin, whom the Church salutes with
the title of Virgin most prudent- -Virgo pru-
dentissima. We need not be astonished, then,
that the divine Master recommends prudence
so particularly to His apostles, and through
them to us all, saying : Be ye wise as serpents.
In the parable of the ten virgins He even goes
so far as to show us that without true prudence
we do not enter heaven. . . .

What, then, must we understand by the vir
tue of prudence? And how should we prac
tise it ?

I. Prudence. Prudence, justly called the

373

374 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

moderator or guide auriga of virtues, is a
moral virtut which directs man and leads him to
act suitably in all the affairs of life. The vene
rable Abbe Hamon explains it better when, af
ter the opinion of St. Francis of Sales, he de
fines prudence a virtue whicJi teaches us to think,
to say, to do what is necessary at the time and in
the manner required.

There is a false prudence which we must not
confound with the virtue of which we are speak
ing. The false prudence, which the Holy Spirit
calls the wisdom of the children of this world, the
wisdom of t lie flesh, which is an enemy to God (Luke
xvi. 8 ; Rom. viii. 6), consists in a certain skill
which may be called the art of succeeding in
temporal affairs. Its only object is the goods
of this present life, riches, and human gran
deur, which it strives to attain by all means,
honest or dishonest, provided they be effica
cious and sufficiently lawful in appearance not
to outrage public opinion. These means, be
sides dissimulation, deceit, and the intrigues of
politics, are calumny, defamation of rivals, hy
pocrisy, bribery, corruption, sometimes vio
lence and intimidation, always great energy,
indefatigable labor to attain the end. It is
this prudence which the Saviour depicts in
the parable of the unjust steward, which He
concludes by saying that the children of this
i^ji Id are wiser in their generation than the chil-

PRUDEN . 375

dren of light (Luke xvi. 8). To this false pru
dence which gives death is opposed true pru
dence, the wisdom of t/ie spirit, which is life and
peace. The ivisdom of the flesli is death ; but the
ivisdom of the spirit is life and peace (Rom. viii.
6). Its object is not the false riches which death
takes away, but those which are immortal and
truly worthy of man, because man was made to
possess them ; these riches are virtue and heav
enly glory. Prudence has them ever in view
in the general conduct of life and in all particu
lar affairs.

The general conduct of life is its direction
towards the end of human existence namely,
eternal salvation, the acquisition of which consti
tutes the great affair of man here below. True
prudence requires before all things that this
affair be made sure. . . .

Particular affairs include all that we have to
accomplish in the spiritual or temporal order :
Christian duties, the duties of our state, studies,
vocation, commercial affairs, business enter
prises, social plans, a journey, a party of
amusement ; all these things come within the
province of prudence, which imprints upon
them that seal of fitness and perfection neces
sary to the best success.

In saying that prudence guides man in the
fulfilment of the duties of his state we exclude
no social position. Human society is divided

37 6 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

into t\vo parts, one of which is dependent on
the other ; one is superior and the other in
ferior ; one commands, and the other obeys and
executes what is commanded. All need pru
dence to fulfil their respective roles, but this
virtue is particularly necessary for those who
command ; it then takes the name of governing
prudence- pmdentia gubernatrix because it
stands in a measure at the helm of the social
ship, directs its course, and saves it from
wreck.

Prudence extends, then, to all the actions of
life and is everywhere necessary to us. It is
prudence which saves us from dangers of soul
and body, which helps us to extricate ourselves
from peril ; it is prudence which wisely en
lightens us in the management of affairs and
guides us to success.

Happy, then, as the Holy Spirit says, is the
man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence !
The purchasing thereof is better than the merchan
dise of silver, and her fruit than the chief est and
purest gold. She is more precious than all riches ;
and all the things that are desired are not to be
compared with her. Length of days is in her right
hand y and in her left hand riches and glory. Her
ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are
peaceable. She is a tree of life to them tJiat lay
hold on her ; and lie that shall retain her is blessed.
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath

PRUDENCE. 377

established the heavens by prudence (Prov. iii.

I3-I9)-

But how acquire, how practise this pru
dence ?

II. Practice. To acquire this precious virtue
we must not content ourselves with the lessons
of experience, which are too slowly and too
dearly learned, but, after the example of Solo
mon, ask it of God: I wished, and understanding
was given me ; and I called upon God, and the spi
rit of wisdom came upon me (Wis. vii. 7).- If any
of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth
to all men abundantly (James i. 5).

To prayer we must add personal co-opera
tion, and endeavor to know the qualities of
Christian prudence, to follow its principles and
rules, and to avoid the contrary fault of impru
dence.

The qualities of Christian prudence are indi
cated in these words of our Saviour : Be ye wise
as serpents and simple as doves. This means that
our prudence must be adroit and at the same
time simple ; that, on the one hand, we must
imitate the serpent by employing every means
and by making every sacrifice, and on the other
the dove by doing nothing to wound faith or
conscience and never consenting to any sacri
fice in this respect. In fact, the dove is dis
tinguished by the purity of its glance, and the
serpent for the skill with which it insinuates

SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

itself everywhere, and, as St. Jerome says, for
the admirable instinct with which he protects
his head by covering it with the rest of his
body, exposing his body to all the blows to save
his head and his life.

The prudent ones of the world also imitate
the serpent, but the serpent of Eve and the fiery
serpents of the desert which give death ; true
prudence imitates the brazen serpent which
gives life. . . .

The principles of prudence and its chief rules
are as follows :

In all things consider the end and take fitting
and proper means to attain it.

Never lose sight of God s law : The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps.
ex. 10).

Be ever obedient. An obedient man shall
speak of victory (Prov. xxi. 28).

Be humble and distrust your own views ; ask
counsel and yield willingly to the advice of.
another. It is most imprudent to heed but
one s self.

Avoid self-will and obstinacy; avoid equally
that weakness which adopts all counsels and
yields to the desires of counsellors rather than
to their reasons.

Avoid believing too readily what you hear,
and condemn no one unheard.

Avoid speaking or acting without full know-

PRUDENCE. 379

ledge of a subject and without sufficient reflec
tion.

Avoid indecision, slowness, as much as pre
cipitation. . . .

Act with an upright intention, never permit
ting yourself to be influenced by prejudice, fear,
interest, or any ill regulated feeling.

Refrain from speaking or acting under the
influence of any passion, whether pride, love,
hatred, or anger.

Be discreet, say little, but listen much.

Distrust all innovations.

According to the doctrine of St. Ignatius, em
ploy every human means as if success depend
ed wholly upon them, and at the same time
place all your confidence in God as if all de
pended on God alone.

^Imitate St. Francis of Sales. Before under
taking a work of zeal this holy bishop, a model
of prudence, consulted and reflected for some
time ; but when he recognized that the work
was according to the designs of God he boldly
began it and pursued it, permitting no obstacle
to deter him.

Avoid all negligence : Take ye heed, watch
and pray (Mark xiii. 33). Approach the Lord and
be enlightened (Ps. xxxiii. 6).

Principal faults which prudence condemns :

Exposing ourselves to be eternally lost by
living a life of indifference to religion, arguing:

380 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Perhaps I may fall into eternal fire, as faith
teaches, but 1 do not care ; I shall do as others
do ; I shall take the risk. . . .

Living in mortal sin and in continual danger
of dying in that state. . . .

Exposing ourselves to lose the treasure of
faith by reading evil publications or by listening
to impious discourses. ...

Approaching shoals where virtue is wrecked,
and which we call occasions of mortal sin. He
that level k danger, says the Holy Spirit, shall
perish in it (Ecclus. iii. 27).

Neglecting to secure our salvation and defer
ring from day to day our return to God. Delay
not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not
from day to day (Ecclus. v. 8).

Living in forgetfulness of death. . . .

In sickness neglecting to summon a priest in
time, and incurring for ourselves or our rela
tives the risk of dying without the sacra
ments.

Such are the faults, or rather the misfortunes,
which prudence causes us to avoid, while, on
the other hand, it leads man by the easiest
way to the gate of eternal salvation. Then let
us endeavor to practise this precious virtue
after the example of the Virgin most prudent,
who is our Mother, and who by her intercession
will help us to acquire this treasure.

CHAPTER LIX.

RECOLLECTION.

Jesus declinavit a turba . . . et dimissa turba ascendit in
montem solus orare (Jesus went aside from the multitude
. . . and went up into the mountain to pray). JOHN v. 13 ;
MATT. xiv. 23.

ECOLLECTION, modesty, solitude, si
lence, the presence of God, are things
intimately linked one with another,
and which have much affinity among 1 them
selves, without, however, being confounded.
Recollection is the end ; modesty, solitude, si
lence, the remembrance of the presence of God
are the means ; for these four virtues sustain
one another and mutually concur to establish
in the soul the holy disposition which we call
recollection.

Recollection is the state of a soul which is
mistress of its faculties and habitually applies
them to the things of God. This state is op
posed to dissipation. When it is habitual it
constitutes a virtue which we call a spirit of re
collection.

It is one of the virtues most necessary to lead

382 SODALITY DIREC10FS MANUAL.

a holy and perfect life a precious virtue which
we should earnestly cherish and practise with
ardor.

I. Love of recollection. We should love re
collection because of its necessity and its ad
vantages.

Recollection is a necessary condition of the
interior life and spiritual progress.

Do you aspire to the interior life? Apply
yourself to recollection ; it is the gate through
which you shall enter this desirable life. You
are aware that the spiritual or interior life is
the life of the soul with God in the world of
faith. This world is in the depth of our souls,
in our innermost heart: Z,0, tke kingdom of God
is within you (Luke xvii. 21). It is there that
the Creator is seated on a throne of mercy
awaiting His creature, to instruct him, to hear
him, to govern him, to enrich him. ... It is
there that the soul in her turn finds a dwelling,
communion, and life wholly different and much
better than that of the exterior world ; she lives
there with her heavenly Father, her God, and
her all.

Now, the entrance to this life is recollection ;
we must recollect ourselves and withdraw into
the secret recesses of our hearts to find our
Father : Enter into thy chamber, says the Saviour,
and) having sJiut the door y pray to thy Father in
secret (Matt. vi. 6).

RECOLLECTION. 383

Have you at heart your advancement in vir
tue ? Keep yourself recollected ; it is the way
to advance. To advance in virtue is to pre
serve and increase the graces of God, to de
velop the precious seed which He sows in our
souls at times of mercy ; for example, during
prayer, while in retreat, or when receiving the
sacraments. . . .

This seed we must preserve and fructify in
recollection, otherwise the birds of the air will
bear it away. . . .

A soul without recollection, a soul given to
exterior dissipation, allows its good thoughts
and holy affections to escape and finds itself
invaded by tilings from without. It resembles
an uncovered vessel, a house with an ever open
door, a public way which men and animals tra
verse at will. It is not there that good plants
grow, that treasures are preserved and in
creased. ...

Why is it that many remain long years with
out making any progress in virtue ? It is very
frequently because they are wanting in recol
lection : You have solved much, says the Pro
phet Aggeus, and brought in little, . . . and he
tJiat hath earned wages put them into a bag with
holes (Agg. i. 6).

II. Then we must love recollection because
of its necessity; we must also love it because
of its precious advantages.

384 SODALITY DIREC7VPS MANUAL.

The advantages which recollection procures
as its proper fruits, are peace, prayer, an in
crease of all virtues.

Peace. The visible world is an unceasing
turmoil ; to find calm and peace we must with
draw from it. Then we find peace, and with it
our Lord, the God of peace : His place is in
peace (Ps. Ixxv. 3).

Prayer. It is in the calm of recollection that
we hear God s voice, that we see His light,
that we relish His gifts and His sweetness. . . .
It is prayer, that sweet converse with God,
which causes us to find, as the apostle says,
heaven upon earth: Our conversation is m
heaven we already live in heaven (Phil. iii.
20).

An increase of all virtues. This peace and
this light of God is the atmosphere suitable to
all virtues. ... In it they germinate and de
velop like germs in spring, like flowers in the
heat of a conservatory shut out from the winter
storms. . . .

Such are the advantages of recollection.
Then we must love it and earnestly practise
it. To practise recollection well two things
are needed : we must remove obstacles and
employ the necessary means, each one accord
ing to his state and his condition.

All that induces and promotes dissipation is
an obstacle to recollection. A dissipated mind

RECOLLECTION. 385

is like a father of a family who is always absent
and thus affords his servants fatal liberty. . . .

That which keeps the mind abroad and pre
vents it from recollecting itself is, ist, curiosity
to see and hear everything, as well as immode
rate liberty accorded to all the senses ; . . .
2d, too frequent excursions and visits ; 3d, use
less conversations and recreations; 4th, human
friendships and too tender attachments which
bind the heart; 5th, excessive occupation and
over- eager ness. Do not give, only lend yourself
to affairs, . . . says St. Bernard.

The means of recollection which keep the
heart closed to earth and open to heaven are,
ist, modesty and guard of the senses; . . . 2d,
guard of the imagination and the heart ; . . .
3d, solitude; . . . 4th, silence and reserve in
our words ; . . . 5th, the remembrance of the
presence of God. . . .

" Here," says St. Theresa to her daughters
of Carmel, " is the way to acquire a habit of
recollection : Represent to yourself within you
a palace of surpassing splendor, all of gold and
precious stones- -in a word, fitting for the great
Monarch who abides there ; and that you con
cur in part, which is true, to give it this beauty.
This palace is your soul ; when she is pure the
beauty of the most superb edifice fades before
hers ; virtues are the diamonds which form her
adornment, and the greater the virtues the

386 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

more resplendent the diamonds. Finally, ima
gine that the King of kings is in this palace,
that in His infinite goodness He wishes to be
your Father, that He is seated on a throne of
priceless value, and that this throne is your
heart. "*

How must we use these means of recollec
tion ?

How must we keep ourselves recollected
when we are obliged to occupy ourselves with
exterior things?

Exterior employments which we fulfil as
duties of our state and to obey God s will do
not prevent true recollection, provided we are
faithful to three things : ist, to form a pious in
tention ; 2d, not to yield to over-eagerness; 3d,
to give as much time to prayer as we can.
Then we shall be like the sanctuary lamp sus
pended before the altar, which may be moved
to the right or the left, but when permitted to
resume its equilibrium returns to its place be
fore the altar as its centre of rest. It is thus
that the soul, in spite of its exterior occupations,
if it have a spirit of recollection, ever returns
to the feet of God as its centre of rest.

We may, then, in the midst of even the most
distracting affairs, preserve our heart recollect
ed after the example of our Saviour in the

* The Way of Perfection.

RECOLLECTION. 387

labors of His public life. He fulfilled His minis
try among men with the purest intention as the
work of His Father, and when He could He
withdrew from the multitude and gave Him
self to prayer. He went aside from the multi
tude, says the Gospel, and went into the mountain
alone to pray. And the Blessed Virgin- -in what
fervent recollection did she not fulfil all the
duties of her state in the holy household of
Nazareth ! . . . Let us study this example of
our august Mother, and let us ask her assistance
to imitate her.

CHAPTER LX. {

SANCTIFICATION OF ONE S STATE.

Umisquisque propiium donum habet ex Deo : alius quidem sic,
alius vero sic (Every one hath his proper gift from God : one
after this manner, and another after that).! COR. vii. 7.

F it were given me to penetrate into the
depths of your hearts it seems to me
that I would find there a desire, and
that I would hear a secret voice saying : I de
sire to be what God wishes me and to fulfil all
His designs for me.

Is not this, in fact, your supreme wish and the
term of all your desires? Is it not to perfection
that your heart aspires?- -an aspiration as legi
timate as it is noble and elevated, for it is thus
by realizing God s designs upon you that you
will reach a most beautiful throne in heaven,
and that on earth you will fill the noblest career,
a career as brilliant as that of the stars, and that
you will- attain true perfection.

Now, to attain perfection a very simple means
is the sanctification of our state ; to sanctify the

state in which Providence has placed us is all

388

SANCTIFICA TION OF ONE S STA TE. 389

that is required of us in order to correspond to
God s designs upon us and to give our exis
tence all its price, all its value, all its perfec
tion.

All states are good, though different and un
equal in dignity. Gold, silver, marble are
good, though not equally valuable. It is the
same with the different states established by
Providence. But as the Commonest material,
worked by the hand of a skilful artist, may sur
pass in merit the most valuable material, so
each one may giv 7 e to his state the greatest
merit before God, if he imprint upon it the per
fect image of Jesus Christ; this he does by
sanctifying it.

Let us make this doctrine very clear by ex
amination. I. Why ought we to endeavor to
sanctify our state? II. In what does this sanc-
tification consist? III. How must we accom
plish it ?

I. We must apply ourselves to the sanctifica-
tion of our state, whatever it may be, for seve
ral motives :

ist. It is in this that each one s perfection con
sists according to God s designs. Consider the
order of nature ; see how the Creator has given
to each flower its own beauty, to each star a
particular splendor, which is different in all. . . .
Hence that admirable variety which produces
the harmony and perfect beauty of the whole.

39 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

The same variety reigns in the world of grace
and in that of glory, among the saints on earth
and among the elect in heaven. . . . Now, each
one acquires the beauty which is proper to him
by living holily in his state.

2d. The greatest saints- -St. Joseph, the Bless
ed Virgin, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
sought no other way of perfection. Contem
plate the life they led at Nazareth. . . .

3d. It is thus that we perfectly accomplish
God s will, the accomplishment of which is a
source of peace and happiness ; so that a man
who applies himself to sanctify his state leads
the happiest life here below. In fact, what is
the summary of the divine will for each of
us? What does it require, if not that we live
worthily in the state where His providence has
placed us? . . .

4th. It is thus that we amass the greatest
treasure of merits. Each one finds in his state
occasions of practising the virtues and making
the sacrifices God asks of him ; it is there that
God shapes the crosses and prepares the graces
proportioned to each of us. . . .

5th. Finally, it is thus that we attain the
highest perfection, since one s merit depends
less on one s state than upon the manner in
which he sanctifies it--the manner in which he
performs its duties. . . .

II. In what does this sanctification consist?

SANCTIFICA TION OF ONE S STA TE. 391

It consists in fulfilling all the duties, bearing all
the trials of our state, and in doing one and the
other in a Christian spirit.

Duties of our state. We must distinguish
between duty and amusement. Our life is a
chain, of duties, not a tissue of amusements; a
time of labor, not of enjoyment ; a mission, a
voyage, not a simple excursion or plan of plea
sure. . . . Unfortunately all men do not con
sider life from a true point of view. There are
some who take it seriously ; they are men of
duty. The majority take it lightly, viewing it
through their passions; these are men of plea
sure. What we must have in view is duty, not
pleasure.

Now, there are two kinds of duties: the du
ties of Christians, common to us all, and the
duties proper to each one s state.

The duties of a Christian consist in avoiding
sin, observing the commandments, frequenting
the church, instructing one s self by good read
ing, practising prayer and good works. . . .

The duties of one s state properly refer, ist,
to the family ; . . . 2d, to exterior relations
these are duties of civil life and of the laws
of good breeding Christianly understood ; . . .
3d, the obligations of one s state include abo
the care of financial affairs: we must regulate
our accounts, reduce our expenses to just pro
portions, determine in advance how we shall

39 2 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

use our income, and set aside a portion of it for
the poor and the Church. ...

Trials of our state. The portion of the cross
of Jesus Christ which is assigned us, the cross
which we must carry each day, is, first, the trials
attached to our duties; . . . then our personal
miseries those which we find in ourselves ; . . .
and, finally, the annoyances which we encounter
through otheis. . . .

We must bear these trials, fulfil these duties,
Christianly ft\& is, according to the teaching
and example of Jesus Christ. Let us frequently
ask, What would be the conduct of Jesus in
the circumstances in which I find myself? . . .
What would Mary s conduct be ? ... What
would they do, what would they say ? . . .

III. How can we accomplish the sanctifica-
tion of our state? How can we Christianly
fulfil all our duties? How can we Christianly
bear all our trials ?

ist. To .sanctify my state I should be inte
rested in it, love it, as the position in which
God Himself has placed me and wills me to
be.

2d. To sanctify my state and fulfil all its
duties I must will to do so ; our resolution in
this respect should be immovable and irre
vocable.

3d. 1 will attain thereto by the grace of God ;
grace renders all things possible, and even easy.

SANCTIFICATION OF ONE S STATE. 393

We must beware of placing any obstacle to
it, and unceasingly ask for it ; we have a spe
cial right to the graces of our state and voca
tion. . . .

4th. Through the succor which we find in
sodalities and associations devoted to good
works. . . .

5th. Through labor. Labor is a great law
established by the Creator, and one to which
we must submit. . . . Without labor we can
not fulfil our duties. . . .

6th. By taking for our rule duty, and not our
taste and caprice ; by ever preferring duty to
pleasure : The necessary before the useful, the use
ful before the agreeable.

7th. It is very profitable to take part in good
works and to be enrolled in benevolent associa
tions. . . .

8th. The most efficacious means of fulfilling
all one s duties faithfully is to make for one s self
a rule of life, to have a certain order for the day,
in which a time is fixed for the principal ac
tions. By employing these means we shall
make ours a family life, a life of benevolence
and happiness.

9th. There are shoals to be avoided which
we must know. They are idleness, luxury, bad
reading, balls, immoral plays, forgetfulness of
God at the period of marriage, intemperance of
the tongue.

394 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

By avoiding these shoals, by following the
rules we have just indicated, each one will
sanctify his state according to the designs of
God, and in this way he will attain the perfec
tion fc^r which he is destined on earth and in
heaven.

CHAPTER LXL

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

Vani sunt omnes homines in quibus non subest scientia Dei
(All men are vain in whom there is not knowledge of God).
Wis. xiii. i.

F the various sciences cultivated by the
human understanding are precious
and beautiful, there is one which sur
passes all others by its importance, its beauty,
its necessity : it is the science of religion. Re
ligious science is the golden branch of the tree
of knowledge, the one which bears fruits of life
and immortality.

I. Importance. To comprehend its prepon
derating importance it suffices to consider that
religion exercises an essential influence on all
humanity, on individuals, on families, on society
and states an influence which is not limited
to man s existence in this world, but which
extends to his future life, to his eternal des
tiny. . . .

Religion is to the human race what good seed
is in a cultivated land- -a condition of fruitful-

395

396 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

ness and riches. The truths of religion are the
principles of moral life and of happiness which
make a people flourishing. . . . We may say
also that the holy science of religion is to
other sciences what the sun is to the moon,
what the soul is to the body their true light,
their vigor, and their life. Human sciences need
religion as a complement, without which they
lead man into the most deplorable errors. . . .

II. Beauty. To appreciate the beauty, the
charm of religious study we need only con
sider its object. What, in fact, is the object of
sacred science? God and His works the
universe, creatures, and the Creator, consider
ed in their great relations; man- -man par
ticularly, his nature, his origin, his eternal des
tiny.

What is more vast and imposing, what is
more magnificent and delightful, than this ob
ject ? It contains all the questions most worthy
of man s investigations, most interesting to his
mind and heart.

That which adds still more to the interest is
that this noble science rests on the surest prin
ciples ; it is drawn from books as true as they
are charming, even in a literary point of view.
I mean the books of the Bible and the writings
of the Fathers of the Church. In a word, the
science of religion is the queen of sciences, the
sun of the human intelligence, the tree of life,

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION 397

the fountain of living water, where man must
drink to satisfy at the same time the thirst of
mind and heart.

The other sciences, though good in them
selves, do not satisfy us ; they do not corre
spond to the needs of our souls ; for this reason
they cannot be separated from religious science,
which must complete and give them their life.
Without this vital branch the tree of science
bears but poisoned flowers and dead fruit. . . .

III. Necessity. We must know our religion
to live well and to live happily. The law of
God which religion teaches is the rule of hu
man life ; to observe it is to live well ; to forget
it is to fall into every error. Now, to observe
this holy law we must first know it ; he who
possesses this noble knowledge will easily ap
ply himself to conforming his life thereto.
From that time he will find happiness, as far as
it is attainable here below ; for God willed that
His holy law should be for man a principle of
true happiness even in this world : Justice ex-
alteth a nation : but sin maketh nations miserable
(Prov. xiv. 34).

We should know our religion well in order
to preserve the treasure of faith in the midst
of the assaults of modern impiety. To know it
well is to possess not only an exact and cateche
tical knowledge, but that reasoning knowledge
which includes the invincible proofs upon

398 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

which the truths of faith are based. It is of
this profound knowledge that the apostle speaks
when he tells us : Be always ready to satisfy
every one that asketh you a reason <>/ that hope
which is in you (i Peter iii. 15).

CHAPTER LXII.

GOOD WORKS.

Eris quasi hortus irriguus et sicut fans aquarum, cujus non
deficient aqua (Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like
a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail). ISAIAS
Iviii. ii.

O whom are these beautiful words of the
Holy Spirit applied ? To the charit
able and benevolent man who feeds
the hungry, clothes the naked, comforts the
afflicted. Let me give you all of this beauti
ful passage : Deal thy bread to tJie hungry, and
bring the needy and the Jiarborless into thy house ;
when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and de
spise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break
forth as morning, and the glory of the Lord shall
gather thee up. When thou shalt pour out thy soul
to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul,
then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy
darkness shall be as the noonday. A nd the Lord
will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy
soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou
shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain
of water whose waters shall not fail (Is, Iviii.
7-1 1).

29S

400 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Yes, if there is a happy man on earth, it is he
who is charitable and benevolent. Let us con
sider for a moment this happiness, and let us
see what we have to do to merit it.

I. Happiness of benevolence. What is the
happiness of a charitable man ? In what does
this happiness consist?

The charitable and benevolent man is happy
because he is loved of God and men. He is
loved of God, who sees in him His most per
fect image. For God is charity ; He gives forth
His blessings and His gifts as the sun does its
floods of light ; and the charitable man, like
God, multiplying benefits about him, seems, like
Him, to give forth a divine splendor. It is for
this reason that he wins the regard of God
and becomes the object of His love and com
placency. He is loved by men by those who
are the objects of his benevolence as well as by
those who witness it. ... He is loved during
life, he is regretted at death, and his memory,
like that of St. Vincent of Paul, is held in bene
diction during future generations.

He is happy because he makes good use of
his fortune. Could he employ the superfluous
means he has received from God in a nobler
manner than relieving the unfortunate ? How
easy and consoling will be the account he shall
have to render of it to God ! . . .

He is happy because he makes a good use of

GOOD WORKS. 401

his time. Many lose time in frivolities, fre
quently even in sin; they will render a se
vere account of it to their sovereign Judge.
Not so with the benevolent man ; the time
which remains to him after the accomplish
ment of the duties of. his state he devotes to
studying the wants of the poor, to devising
means to relieve them : Beat us qui intelligit
super egenum et pauperem Blessed is he that
understandeth concerning the needy and the
poor (Ps. xl. i).

He is happy because he shall be filled with
blessings. The Lord will pour into his heart
peace and joy, with the sweet hope of his
greatest mercies : Estate misericordes : . . . men-
suram bonam et confertani . . . dabunt in sinum
vest rum Give, and it shall be given unto you :
good measure, and pressed down, and shaken to
gether, and running over, shall they give into your
bosom (Luke vi. 38).

II. The practice of benevolence. In exer
cising benevolence we must have before our
eyes the double rule of justice and charity.

The rule of justice indicates the obligation of
aims and the degrees of this obligation.

All who are in easy circumstances, and who,
after meeting the requirements which Chris
tians consider as belonging to their state and
their position, have anything superfluous, should
reserve a portion of it for the poor, the Church,

402 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

and works of charity. In cases of grave neces
sity- -in public calamities occasioned by scarci
ty, floods, or other afflictions ; in times of moral
calamities, when material aid is required to
preserve a people from perversion, from re
ligious corruption, propagated either through
a bad press or impious schools--then, according
to the doctrine of theologians, the interpreters
of the Christian law, all who have any means,
and still more those who are rich, must make
sacrifices by taking even from the necessities of
their state. They are obliged, then, to deny
themselves in behalf of charity not only frivo
lous and vain expenditures, but even those
which their position does not too rigidly re
quire.

The rich who turn away their eyes from the
poor, and who fail to fulfil these grave obliga
tions, shall hear from the sovereign Judge these
words of condemnation : Depart from me, you
cursed, into everlasting fire, for I was hungry and
you gave me not to eat. . . . Their fate shall be
that of him who refused Lazarus the crumbs
which fell from his table : The rich man died, and
he was buried in hell (Luke xvi. 22).

The rule of charity consists in giving, not as
much as we ought, but as much as we can. It
is thus announced by the holy Tobias: If thou
have much, give abundantly : if thou have little, take
care even so to bestow ivillingly a little.

GOOD WORKS. 403

It was at the end of his life that this holy
man gave his supreme counsels to his son in
these words : All the days of thy life have God in
thy mind : and take heed ihou never consent to sin,
nor trangress the commandments of the Lord our
God. Give alms out of thy substance, and turn
not away thy face from any poor person : for so it
shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall
riot be turned from thee. According to thy ability
be merciful. If tliou have much, give abundantly :
if thou have little, take care even so to bestow will
ingly a little. For thus thou storest up to tJiyself
a good reward for the day of necessity ; for alms
deliver from all sin, and from death, and vvill not
suffer the soul to go into darkness (Tob. iv. 6-n).

The rule of charity is the easiest and the
best; it is most conformable to the spirit of
Jesus Christ, and most fruitful in blessings
from above, for, as the apostle tells us : He who
soiveth sparingly shall also reap sparingly ; and lie
who soweth in blessings that is, abundant ly-
shall also reap blessings (2 Cor. ix. 6).

Moreover, charity proportions its alms to the
need of the moment. When the want is great
it does not calculate, justly relying on the
words of Jesus Christ : Omni petenti te tribue ;
. . . date, et dabitur vobis- -Give to every one that
asketh thee. . . . Give, and it shall be given you
(Luke vi. 30, 38).

Blessed is the man animated by this spirit of

404 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

charity ; the mercy of God is assured to him :
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy.

If they are still in sin they shall be enabled to
leave the sad state, for alms deliver from all sin,
and from death (Tob iv. 1 1 ; Dan. iv. 24).

If they are already in God s grace they will
persevere therein and continually increase in
virtue.

All, just and sinners, if they are charitable,
will secure their salvation ; they shall all on the
last day hear these words: Come, ye blessed of my
Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. For I was
liungry, and you gave rne to eat. ... Amen I say
to you, as long as you did it to one of these my
least brethren you did it to me (Matt. xxv. 34).

CHAPTER LXIII.

THE SOULS IN PURGATORY.

Sancta et salubtis est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare, ut a pcccatis
solvantur (It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the dead, that they be loosed from sins). 2 MACH.
xii, 46.

MONG the devotions devoutly practised
by the Church there is one which has
the privilege of being recommended
by the Holy Ghost Himself; it is prayer for the
dead, charity to the souls in purgatory. We
read of Judas Machabeus, the chief of the
armies of Israel, that, after a victory gained
over the enemies of his people, he had sacrifice
offered for the dead, for the soldiers who per
ished on the battle-field, and Holy Scripture
praised this action, adding that it is a holy and
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they
may be loosed from their sins.

Then let us love this truly holy and salutary
devotion! To nourish and strengthen it more
and more in our souls, let us consider the mo
tives for it and the manner of practising it.

I. Motives. We should pray for the dead

405

/} - $ SODALIT Y DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

because faith and charity make it a duty for
us.

What does faith tell us ? That there is a pur
gatory, and that the souls detained therein may
be helped by the suffrages of the living. Pur
gatory is a place of expiation where the souls
of the just who are not wholly pure are cleansed
b} fire and other sufferings.

We know that a soul leaving this world may
be in a state of mortal sin, or in a state of per
fect grace, or in a state of imperfect grace. If
it is in a state of mortal sin it falls under the
decrees of divine Justice and descends at once
into hell : this is perdition. If it is in a state of
perfect grace that is, pure of all stain before
God, and free of all debt to His justice it en
ters at once into the abode of glory.

But if it is in a state of imperfect grace, even
though it be destined for heaven, it will only
enter there later, after it shall have endured a
just expiation. Nothing defiled can enter hea
ven ; and this soul, though in God s grace, is
not free of all stain nor absolved of all debt.
It bears the stain of venial sins, and a debt of
temporal punishment which it has not been
careful to pay before its death. Nothing, how
ever, was easier for it, since the divine Mercy
gave it abundant means. Not having profit
ed of this time of mercy, it must now satisfy
the divine Justice which sends it to the flames

THE SOULS IN PURGA TOR Y. 407

of purgatory, where it will remain until the
last farthing is paid- -Donee reddas novissimum
quadrantem (Matt. v. 26).

This is what faith tells us.

What does charity tell us ? Love your neigh
bor as yourself; give to the poor; have com
passion on those who suffer and those who
mourn.

If you yourself were in these expiating flames,
suffering the most excruciating pain, would you
not be glad to receive relief? Ah ! is the day
far distant when this supposition will be a real
ity ? Shall you not go to purgatory ? If you
do not go to purgatory, it will be either because
you go lower to the terrible eternal fire or di
rect to heaven. Is one or the other very proba
ble? . . . Then help the souls in purgatory as
you would one day wish others to help you.

Charity commands us to give alms, particu
larly to those who are in the greatest need and
cannot help themselves. The souls in purgato
ry are in greatest need; they endure hunger
and every privation, consumed as they are by
the desire to see their God, and they can
no longer help themselves, for the time of
mercy is passed. Then it is for us to help
them and to exercise towards them all the
works of mercy.

Charity pities all who suffer and all who
mourn. Ah ! the sufferings and tears here be-

408 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

low are nothing compared to those of purga
tory. There an hour of suffering is more than
a hundred years of the most austere penance on
ear tli . . . (hnit.) Charitable souls, relieve
misery here below; yes, do all you can to re
lieve it, but do not forget your unhappy breth
ren in purgatory, a prey to the most terrible
suffering, which you can always alleviate.

We must pray for the souls in purgatory be
cause God, the souls themselves, our own in
terest ask it.

First, it is God who asks it. These souls are
infinitely dear to Him. He ardently desires to
be able to admit them to the abode of glory,
but His justice forbids it unless a satisfaction
be offered Him by the suffrages of the living.
If we offer it Him, if our charity break the
chains, open the prison of these dear captives,
and permit them to fly to the bosom of their
Father, whom they overwhelm with joy, what
must our merit be in His eyes ! It is we who
give Him these dear children, and He regards
this charity as exercised towards Himself
Mihi fecistis.

The souls themselves ask it. What earnest
supplications they address us! They are justly
assigned the words of the holy man Job : Mise-
remini met- -Have pity on me, have pity on me, at
least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord
hath touched me (Job xix. 21). Ah! if a father

THE SO ULS IN P URGA TOR Y. 49

and mother in cruel suffering were to ask a son
to give them some relief, a drop of water, what
child would be so unnatural as to refuse it, as
not to hasten to do all in his power for them ?

Our own interest asks it. As much relief as
you procure the souls in purgatory, so much will
you receive in your turn, says St. Jerome. These
beautiful words of the saint are only a com
mentary upon those of our Saviour: Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Give,
and it shall be given to you. With what measure
you mete, it shall be measured to you again (Luke
vi. ; Matt, vii.) Blessed is he that under standetJi
concerning the needy and the poor ; the Lord will
deliver him in the evil day (Ps. xl. i). St. John
of the Cross tells us, with just reason : Give
alms for your own sake.

Nothing, moreover, is more proper to make
us lead a Christian and perfect life. Devotion
to the faithful departed recalls to us the most
salutary truths; it reminds us of death, judg
ment, hell, even of paradise. It shows us
what sin is in the eyes of God- -not only mor
tal sin, but the least venial sin. It excites
us to Christian penance, to the good employ
ment of our time, and to the performance of
good works. Such are the precious advan
tages which charity to the souls in purgatory
procures our souls. // is, then, a holy and
some thought to pray for the dead.

410 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

II. Practice. What should the practice of
this devotion be, and how should we help the
souls in purgatory?

We must help the souls in purgatory by our
prayers, by our good works, by the holy sacri
fice of the Mass and the reception of the sacra
ments ; finally, by the application of indulgences.

ist. Prayers. All prayers are good ; public
and private, morning and evening prayer, lita
nies and rosaries all serve to relieve the souls
in purgatory.

2d. Good works alms, fasting, all acts of
mortification or charity.

3d. The Mass. This divine sacrifice, in virtue
of its institution, is offered for the living and
the dead. One of the holiest and most mentoi ious
works, says St. Augustine, is to offer prayer and
sacrifice for the faithful dt par ted. And, speak
ing of his mother, St. Monica, the same holy
Father says : I pray all who shall read these pages
to remember Jier at the altar of tJie Lord. The
pious faithful have Masses celebrated for the
faithful departed ; they assist at the holy sacri
fice ; they offer Holy Communion for these suf
fering souls.

4lh. Indulgences. A last and not the least
I owerful means of helping our suffering breth
ren is the application of indulgences. There
are some which are partial- -for example, those
which we gain by making acts of Faith, Hope,

THE SOULS IN PURGA TORY. 41 I

and Charity ; by reciting the rosary ; by making
the sign of the cross with holy water, or even
without holy water; by uttering certain ejacu-
latory prayers, such as, My Jesus, mercy !
There are plenary indulgences, which we gain
by receiving the sacraments on certain days,
and also by making the Road of the Cross. This
last devotion, which may be practised as often
as we wish, is singularly advantageous as suf
frage for the souls in purgatory, besides being
the source of all the graces that we derive from
considering the Passion.*

It is, then, as easy to relieve the holy souls
who suffer in the place of expiation as it is sal
utary and meritorious. Let us to-day redouble
our zeal and charity for them, as we are asked
to do by Him who said : Blessed are iJie merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

* See Christian instructed on Indulgences^ Maurel.

CHAPTER LXIV.

PREPARATION FOR DEATH.

Estate parati, quid qua hora non putatis Filius hominis veniet
(Be you then also ready, for at the hour you think not the
Son of man will come). LUKE xii. 40.

^REPARATION for. death is here re
commended by our Saviour: Be ready,
He tells us, for at the Jwur you think
not the Son of man will come. He will come
to call you from this world to appear before
His tribunal and render an account of His
works.

Prepare yourselves, He tells us, that you may
not be surprised in a state of mortal sin and
condemned by the sovereign Judge ; prepare
yourselves, that you may be found in a state of
grace, faithful to His service, and worthy of
His eternal rewards.

Let us attentively consider this great warn
ing of the Son of God. Let us see why we

ct>

ought to prepare for death, and how we ought
to make this preparation.

I. Necessity of preparing ourselves for death.

412

P RE PAR A TION FOR DEA TH. 4 1 3

Why must we think of death and prepare our
selves for this supreme moment?

i st. Prudence makes it a duty. When an
important future event is announced to a man,
when he is to perform a great and critical act
upon which his fortune, his glory, or his life
shall depend, does not prudence oblige him to
make preparation for it? If a king is to give
battle, and this battle is to decide "his crown ; if
an artist is to paint a picture upon which his
fortune will depend ; if an archer is to shoot an
arrow at a certain mark, under pain of being
burned alive if he fail, will they not, with such
grave interests at stake, make every prepara
tion, take every precaution, use every means to
insure success?

Now, death awaits us in the future ; nothing
is more certain. Upon my death shall depend
my eternity ; my kingdom and my crown are
at stake ; my life, my fortune are at stake,
and a life, a fortune, a crown which shall be
imperishable, which shall be gained, or lost
irrevocably. Then would it not be sovereign
imprudence to make no preparation for so su
preme a moment? I must die well, under pain
of being burned alive in a fire which shall never
be extinguished. Should I not take every mea
sure to escape such a misfortune?

2d. We must prepare ourselves to die, in order
to avoid a bad death. We call a bad death

414 SODA LIT Y DIRECTORS MANUAL.

that of the sinner who dies in the state of mor
tal sin. This death, says the Holy Spirit, is
very bad yes, very bad ; it is the misfortune of
misfortunes, for it is a terrible thing, as the apos
tle says, to fall into the hands of the living God,
to be struck with the sentence of damnation, to
hear these terrifying words : Depart from me,
you cursed, into everlasting fire. . . .

This terrible fate will be ours if we do not
prepare ourselves by a sincere conversion and
a Christian life to die the death of the just.
You live in enmity with God, your conscience
tells you ; you persevere in this state. Alas !
you will die therein, and your death will be the
signal of your damnation. No, you tell me,
I have no intention to die in this state ; later,
as death approaches, I will amend. Vain de
lusion, frail hope upon which you dare to rely
and live in sin ! Delaying repentance is the
fatal snare which leads to eternal perdition
the greatest number of souls who are lost
among Christians. You will amend later, you
say ; but will you have the time ? Will you
have the mind ? Shall you have the will ?
Who has promised you the grace of conver
sion at the hour of death ? Ah ! He who
offers pardon to the sinner does not promise
him the morrow. No, it is a rule that as you
live, so you shall die. If there are excep
tions do you think they are numerous? Out

PR EPA RA TION FOR DEA TH. 4*5

of a hundred who live ill, how many do you
think die well? Have we not all reason to
tremble? And would you take any risk? Ah !
my dear brother, return to God at once.

3d. Preparation for death is necessary, be
cause we must ensure ourselves a good death.
A good death is the grace of graces, and the
greatest blessing we can have here below, since
it secures us salvation. It is the golden door
which opens heaven to vis.

Whoever dies in a state of grace dies a good
death ; but a good death is susceptible of a
double degree, which it behooves us to distin
guish. When we leave this world in a state of
grace, but not free of all debt towards the di
vine Justice- -this is the death of the just, a good

death, but one which could be better. When

we appear before God, not simply in a state of
grace, but also pure of all stain, free of all debt
to the divine Justice, rich in merits and vir
tues, then this is the death of the saints, which
Holy Scripture tells us is precious in the siglit
of God.

What is more desirable? Who would not
die such a death? Then to attain this happi
ness we must merit it by a holy preparation
for death.

II. Manner of preparing for death. There is
a double preparation: one is remote and the
other proximate.

416 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

The remote preparation should begin from
our youth and last all our life ; it consists in
being in a state of grace and leading a Chris
tian life.

We must keep ourselves in a state of grace,
that we may be always safe, even in case of
sudden death. How many there are who die
suddenly ! One is found dead in his bed, an
other in his arm-chair, another in his garden;-
some fall dead in the street, at table, at a ball,
at the theatre, at play, in church ; others fall by
accidents, by 7 crime; an assassin may surprise
a traveller; a carriage may overturn and crush
its inmates; a train may go off the track or over
a precipice ; a ship may be swallowed up in a
storm ; a factory, a mill, a mine may explode-
in fine, a thousand other accidents which we

witness every day may carry men off suddenly,
leaving them not a moment for preparation.
Woe to those who are then in a state of mor
tal sin !

Now, may not any of these accidents hap
pen ? Then should we not be ever in a state
of grace, and unceasingly lead a Christian life ?
Ought I not regulate even my temporal affairs
in such a manner as to merit after my death
no reproach from my creditors, my heirs, nor
particularly from God, to whom I shall have
to render an account of all things?

ist. Proximate preparation. This consists

PREPARA TION FOR DEA TH. 4 1 7

in devoutly preparing ourselves for the last
passage in time of sickness.

A grave illness, the messenger and forerun
ner of death, is a grace from God ; those who
know how to profit by it according to His
views acquire the merit of confessors and
martyrs.

Now, how shall we profit by it? How are
we to sanctify sickness? How are we to
spend our last days in a Christian manner and
leave this world in a holy state ?

When we feel the first symptoms of a serious
illness we must beware of the usual illusions
with which the sick flatter themselves, deceiv
ing themselves and permitting others to de
ceive them as to the danger of their state. If
I have not sufficiently evident proof of my
danger I must ask a sincere friend, and learn
whether my illness is likely to terminate fatally.

Once I have learned this, I must turn to God
and think only of appearing before Him.

Then my first act must be to accept the sick
ness from the hand of God, my Creator and
Lord, with complete submission to His divine
will and in union with the sufferings of my
Saviour. St. Ignatius wishes that we should
receive it even with joy, because it is no less a
gift than health.

I must also make to God the sacrifice of my
life and accept my death with all my heart-

418 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

accept it in expiation of my sins, and in union
with the death of my Jesus on the cross, and
in a spirit of love for Him who first gave His
life for me. It is by thus offering my death
as a sacrifice of love to my Saviour that I may
share the happiness of the martyrs, who exer
cise the greatest act of love by giving their life
for Jesus.

The sick must not defer receiving the last
sacraments. They are a great consolation, a
great succor, which the Saviour has prepared
for His faithful in their last trials. The re
ception of the last sacraments is also a great
duty for the faithful to accomplish. If you ful
fil it promptly, seasonably, you will do so with
more edification to your neighbor and more
profit to your soul.

Let the sick be patient; let them not lose the
smallest portion of the cross which is given
them. Their sufferings, if borne well, will serve
them in lieu of purgatory. Let them draw
their strength from the crucifix and prayer-
continual prayer as long as it is possible for
them.

Short prayers,- -abridged acts of faith, hope,
charity, and contrition, the holy names of
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the prayer .of our
Saviour in the Garden of Olives, and other
short aspirations, are the easiest and best.

It is also a practical mode of prayer for the

P RE PAR A TION FOR DEA TH. 4*9

sick to look with affection upon a medal, the
holy images of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, which
they will kiss and clasp to their heart.

Let the blessed candle be lit as a symbol of
the faith, hope, and charity in which the Chris
tian wishes to die.

May we all die thus ! We shall have this
happiness if, docile from this moment to the
teachings of our Saviour, we prepare ourselves
for the supreme act of our life here below.

CHAPTER LXV.

CARE OF THE SICK.
Infirmos curate (Heal the sick). MATT. x. 8.

HE care, the service of the sick occupies
one of the first places in the Christian
works of charity. The Saviour shows
us the excellence of it by His own example, by
His tender compassion for the sick, for all who,
afflicted with any infirmity, sought Him from
all parts ; He rejected no one, He received all
with kindness, cured them, relieving at the
same time the miseries of their soul and body.

What He manifests by example He also
teaches by words. Speaking of the love of our
neighbor, He offers us as model the good Sa
maritan who bound up the wounds of the un
fortunate traveller whom he found half dead in
the way. This is not all : when He sends His
apostles to preach the Gospel, He particularly
recommends to them the care of the sick : In
firmos curate. Finally, He expressly promises

the kingdom of heaven to those who shall prac-

420

CARE OF THE SICK. 421

tise this work of mercy ; and He declares that
He shall regard as done to Himself all that we
shall do for our sick brethren: / was sick, and
you visited me (Matt. xxv. 36).

This work of chanty is all the more excellent
that frequently the care bestowed upon the
body of the sick is instrumental in bringing
about the salvation of their souls, and they are
thus prepared for a Christian death.

Happy they who devote and consecrate their
life to a work so meritorious ! Happy also they
who perform it in a Christian manner when an
occasion presents itself! This occasion is to be
found in every family when it pleases God to
visit any of the members with sickness.

How should we then act? What should be
the conduct of the sick man s kindred and
friends? What in particular is the duty of
those in charge of him ?

I. Kindred and friends of the sick man. The
members of one body are intimately united
among themselves, according to the words of
the apostle: If one member suffer anything, alt
the members suffer with it (i Cor. xii. 26). Thus
in a Christian family, when any member falls
sick all must sincerely compassionate him and
manifest the interest and charity which they
would wish others to manifest for them in a
like case.

Consequently they must not fail to pray for

422 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

him; they must be tender and considerate of
him, never irritating him, either by noise or
by speaking of things which displease him.
They must all be watchful of his soul s inte
rest and careful that he receives the rites of
the Church in time. It would be doing him a
great wrong, it would be betraying his dearest
interests, to conceal from him through a false
consideration the danger of his state,, and to
flatter him with an illusive hope of recovery
which would prevent his receiving the sacra
ments.

They must avoid complaining of the sick,
bear with patience the inconveniences, the
trouble, the expense which sickness usually
occasions. Let them be always willing to
watch with the sick, and to render them any
other services which, no doubt, they themselves
may one day require in their turn.

When they visit the sick they must avoid
those whispered conversations which are fre
quently so irritating to the patient. Their con
versation, moreover, must be prudent and edi
fying ; they should speak to him only of things
which can console him in the Lord. If the sick
man die, they should accept the trial with sub
mission to the will of God, and render all the
hist services to the deceased with Christian
piety. Besides a fitting burial, they shall fre
quently have Masses offered for the repose of

CARE OF THE SICK. 423

his soul, and distribute alms, and each one shall
pray and gain indulgences for the same end, as
he would one day wish others to do for him.

II. Sick-nurses. Those who are specially
charged with the service and care of the sick
have a great and beautiful mission to fulfil ;
they must look at this mission with the eyes
of faith, and appreciate and love it in the
Lord.

They should also sincerely love their charge,
and see in his person Him who shall one day
say to them : / ivas sick, and you visited me.

They should faithfully bestow upon him all
the corporal care which his condition requires,
and be more zealous still for the spiritual good
of his soul.

When Providence has charged you with the
care of sickness, give yourself to the work with
unreserved deVotion ; be ready night and day
to assist your charge in all his needs. This
charitable work will afford you occasions of
practising all kinds of virtues : patience, meek
ness, continual mortification.

If the sick man be exacting and unreasonable,
do not complain ; be no less compassionate, gen
tle, and devoted.

Keep his room scrupulously neat, and let
there be flowers or something pleasant to re
create his eyes, and some pious object to sug
gest to him pious thoughts.

424 SOD \LITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL,

Try to console and cheer him, not only by
the alleviations approved by the physician, but
also by entertaining him with edifying and
agreeable conversation. Have also books pro
per to interest and suitably divert him.

Moreover, you should always, in all things-
this is a capital pointtreat your patient with
prudence and tact. To this end it is very nec
essary to know, first, not only the nature and
gravity of the disease, but also the sick man
himself, his disposition, his opinions, his ante
cedent conduct.

In general avoid speaking to him of his busi
ness, of his enemies, of all that could irritate
him, excite vexatious feelings, or weary his
mind. At opportune moments suggest to him
motives for resignation ; for example, tell him
that sickness is a natural effect of our condition
here below ; no one is exempt, neither rich nor
poor; the saints themselves are subject to infir
mities and sufferings, but they know how to
sweeten the bitterness of them. God sends
sickness in mercy ; though painful to nature,
it is a powerful means of salvation ; it causes
us to share a little in the holy Passion of the
Saviour.

Know how to refute the objections of the
sick. If it only affected me, they will say, I
could easily be resigned ; but my wife, my
children- -what is going to become of them?

CARE OF THE SICK. 4*5

That which troubles me most is that I cannot
work nor pray. . . . Alas ! I am still so young.
. . . Listen quietly to all their regrets, and,
while compassionating the trials of their sick
ness, meet their repinings with the principles
of faith, such as that the will of God is to
be preferred to all other blessings,-- -the pa
ternal providence of God watches ever the
widow and orphan, the Passion of Jesus
Christ, etc.

The principal care of the sick-nurse should
be to procure for his charge the happiness of
receiving in time, and worthily, the sacraments
of the Church. To this end let him pray God,
consider all the circumstances, and study the
patient, himself to dispose him to worthily fulfil
this great duty.

When he is satisfied that the disease is mortal,
he would do very wrong to deceive his charge
with false hopes of recovery. If he is not fa
miliar with the thought of death, lead him
gradually to suspect, to recognize the gravity
of his state, and to comprehend what prudence
requires of him.

Persuade him to place his confidence in God,
who can, if He wills, restore him to perfect
health. God gives us life; He is sufficiently
powerful to preserve it to us, and to cure us of
maladies which baffle human skill. He can
even deliver us in a short time ; but if it please

426 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

Him to prolong the trial nothing is better than
to conform ourselves to the fatherly will which
disposes all things for our good. Experience
teaches us that in sickness there is much uncer
tainty and many surprises, and that the most
skilful physicians are frequently mistaken.
Prudence commands us to foresee all and to
take precautions. Too much prudence can do
no harm, while too much confidence may cause
irreparable evils.

It is well usually not to propose confession
abruptly. Speak first of the sick man s suffer
ings, of confidence in God, who can help him
when human remedies fail. Then watch a fa
vorable moment to ask your charge if a visit
from a priest would be agreeable to him.
Sometimes it would be well to suggest his join
ing in the novena which is made for his recov
ery ; then it will be natural to speak to him of
the sacraments as a most efficacious act of
devotion. Other times you may attain your
end by explaining to him the effect of the sac
raments even on the body, particularly the cor
poral effect of Extreme Unction, which is called
with reason the pharmacy of Almighty God.

If the sick man takes refuge in endless delays
adroitly ( meet his pretexts and destroy the
cause of his repugnance ; it may be a false hope
of recovery, fear of confession, the difficulties
of which he exaggerates.

CARE OF THE SICK. 4 2 7

If he is obstinate in differing, do not force
him ; but pray him to determine a day and hour
which will suit him. Meanwhile lead him to
say some prayers, to perform some pious or
charitable act.

If he openly refuses, if he answers by blas
phemies, you must cease to urge him for the
moment, and, without losing confidence, re
double your charity and attentions to him until
a more favorable moment presents itself. In
the meantime do not cease to pray and to have
prayers said for him.

When the sick man has decided to receive
the sacraments you may aid, or at least offer
your concurrence, to dispose him to receive
Holy Communion and to facilitate his thanks
giving.

After he has received the sacraments try to
maintain him in Christian sentiments ; see that
he is not distracted by useless or dangerous
visits.

See that he have an opportunity to gain some
plenary indulgence, particularly that the indul
gence granted by Benedict XIV. be applied to
him.

Gently aid him to make acts of faith, of con
fidence, of love of God and his neighbor, of
forgiveness of offences, of repentance, of aban
donment to the will of God.

Give him holy water from time to time, or

428 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

offer him the crucifix to kiss, saying : My Jesus,
mercy !

In his agony let the blessed candle be light
ed. It is to be desired that a priest recite the
prayers for the dying, but in his absence any
other person may say them. Avoid sobbing, or
any sound that could disturb the piety of the
dying. Sprinkle him with holy water and put
the crucifix to his lips, and softly suggest to him
at intervals these short aspirations : Jesus, Jesus,
JtS2is / Lord, into Tliy Jiands I commend my spi
rit. Jesus, Mary, Joseph ! Holy Virgin Mary,
pray for me ! Mary, mother of grace, mother of
mercy, protect us from the enemy, receive us at
the hour of our death !

Avoid feeling the extremities too much to see
if they are growing cold.

The signs of approaching death are a failing
and intermittent pulse, difficulty in breathing, a
sinking and fading of the eyes, a tremulous and
mechanical movement of the hands, a cold
sweat on the brow, and tears falling from the
eyes.

Among the most certain signs of death are a
coldness and stiffness of the whole body, a com
plete cessation of the pulse and respiration.

When the soul has left the body you should
recommend it to God by reciting the customary
prayers of the Church. As to the body, which
has been the temple of the Holy Spirit, it should

CARE OF THE SICK. 429

be buried with decency and respect; for this
reason it is well to confide this sacred duty to
persons whose age and respect render them
proper to fulfil it.

Behold the conduct of Christian charity to
wards the sick and dying. Happy those who
fulfil this holy duty to others ! They shall re
ceive in reward the grace to die the death of
the saints.

CHAPTER LXVI.

PARADISE.

Gaudettj et exultate, quoniam merces vestra copiosa est in ccelis
(Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven).
MATT. v. 12.

F the Christian has combats to sustain in
this world, he also possesses a power
ful source of courage in the thought
of the reward which awaits him in the other.
The Saviour Himself proposes heaven to us as
a motive for courage and happiness. He wishes
that in the midst of all trials the thought of our
reward should not only sustain us but fill us
with consolation and joy. /;/ that day, our Sa
viour says- -that is, in the day of your suffer
ings be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very
great in heaven. We should think, then, of hea
ven to encourage us in the practice of virtue in
the service of the Master, who prepares for us
this ineffable reward.

Now, what is heaven? and what is the happi
ness which the elect enjoy in heaven?

I. What is heaven ?

Heaven, the abode of the blessed, is properly

God s mansion, the place which He has created

430

PAR AD SE. 431

for His royal abode, His own dwelling and that
of His elect.

It is an immutable and eternal abode of hap
piness and glory, where this great Monarch of
the universe dwells with His faithful creatures
like a father with his children.

Faith clearly teaches us the existence of this
abode, and we confess it when we say, Our Fa-
ther who art in heaven. Scripture shows us also
that heaven is a distinct place from the earth :
The heaven of heaven is the Lord s, but the earth
He has given to tJie children of men (Ps. cxiii.
1 6). Heaven is the throne of God, the earth is
His footstool (Matt. v. 34, 35).

Scripture is less explicit as to the location of
heaven ; at the same time it constantly speaks
of it as occupying the highest regions of celes
tial space. // is a trutJi commonly received in the
Church, says Suarez, and absolutely certain, that
beyond the movable heavens there exists an im
movable heaven (a sphere), more noble than all
others, more luminous and more beautiful, the
abode of the blessed. It is called the empyrean
heaven (the heaven of fire), because, like fire, which
is luminous in its nature, this corporal place is like
the centre of light. *

Heaven is God s throne and His most sub
lime temple, where He dwells by a special
presence, and where He manifests His glory

* Suar., torn, ii. De Op. Sex. Dier,> L i. c. 4, n. 2.

43 2 SODALITY DIRECTORS MANUAL.

to the eyes of the elect. God is present every
where, but He does not everywhere manifest
His presence in the same way. He is pres
ent in all the universe, which for this reason is
called the temple of nature. He is present in
sacred edifices consecrated to His worship,
which are called temples of prayer. He is
present in the Catholic Church, which is also
His temple His living temple, the temple of
His grace. But He is present in a wholly dif
ferent manner in heaven, the temple of His
glory. He there displays a glory of which all
the splendor of the universe, all the beauty of
the holy Catholic Church and the brilliancy of
her august ceremonies, present but a feeble
image.

Who shall tell the magnificence of heaven?
Only there our Lord is magnificent, says the pro
phet (Isaias xxxiii. 21). The beauty and immen
sity of this palace are worthy of the Monarch
who inhabits it ; and we should say first that
they are unspeakable. No ; eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neitJier hath it entered into the heart of
man, zvhat things God hath prepared for them that
love Him (i Cor. ii. 9).

These words of the apostle show us that in
this world we can have but a very imperfect
knowledge of heaven ; we see it only imper
fectly, by the aid of faith, and veiled in figures
Per speculum, in cenigmate but on leaving this

PARADISE. 433

life we shall contemplate Him as He is, and we
sJialt rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorified
(i Pet. i. 8).

In this mortal life we cannot know the beauty
of heaven. A man born blind cannot compre
hend the splendor of the sun nor the magnifi
cence of nature, because he is deprived of light,
-a necessary condition for seeing the material
world In like manner it is impossible for us
to perceive the beauties of heaven while we are
deprived of the light of glory.

We have, however, in this world a superna
tural light, that of faith, which enables us to see,
through images and figures, a shadow, a reflec
tion, as it were, of the splendor of paradise.
The transfiguration of the Saviour, His resur
rection, His ascension, His apparition to St.
Paul, to St. Teresa, and other saints, offer
vis rays, as it were, of the heavenly country,
but very feehle rays, proportioned to the weak
ness of our mortal eyes.

Besides these faint shadows of heavenly glory
we also have passages from Scripture which
tell us of the heavenly Jerusalem. It was
given the Apostle St. John to see it for a few
moments in a prophetic vision, and he tells us
marvellous things of it. The city itself, he
says, was of pure gold, its walls of jasper stone,
its foundations of topaz, emerald, sapphire, ame
thyst, and all manner of precious stones, its

434 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

of pearl. A sun, a thousand times more
brilliant than our earthly planet, there makes
eternal day ; in the midst of the city is the tree
of life, bearing perpetual fruit, and through it
How the river of peace and a thousand tor
rents of pure joys, where the elect are inebri
ated with long draughts of glory and happiness ;
in its centre is the throne of the living God,
whence radiates a splendor which illumines all
the city, and before which all the elect are bur
ied in adoration, and about which range the
angels with golden harps, the brilliant cheru
bim and the seraphim, with hearts burning with
love. Such are the marvels which the Apostle
St. John tells us of the city of God. But all
that he has been able to tell us does not ap
proach the reality ; no human tongue could
speak worthily of it, no intelligence compre
hend it, until the day when it shall contemplate
it unveiled

On leaving this world we shall see with our
eyes what we now believe without seeing. We
shall see the splendors of the heavenly city,
and we shall see its glorious inhabitants, the
angels, and men admitted to the society of the
angels. Yes, men are admitted there, but only,
as St. John says, alter having washed their robes
mid made them ivJiite in the b.ood of the Lauib
k (Apoc. vii. 14).

Now, we shall see all these saints and blessed

PARADISE. 435

inhabitants of heaven ; we shall see them bril
liant as so many suns in the kingdom of their
heavenly Father ; we shall see the angels, who
will greet us as brothers; the saints, who will
embrace us with transport, recognizing us as
brothers in arms, friends. We shall see the
Blessed Virgin in her royal splendor; we shall
see our immaculate, glorious Mother, who
w r ill receive us as beloved children. . . . We
shall see Jesus Christ Himself in His glory.
He will present us to His Father, who will
cause us to hear these ineffable words : This
is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,
because he is conformable to the image of my only
Son. Well done, good and faithful servant ; enter
into the joy of thy Lord ! What then shall our
happiness be ! We shall enter into the joy of
our God as into an ocean of ineffable delight,
where we shall abide lor all eternity. This
will be the beatitude of heaven.

II. Beatitude. The beatitude of heaven is
ineffable; it is a supernatural and perfect beati
tude.

i. The beatitude of heaven is ineffable. If
no tongue can tell the beauty of heaven it is
equally impossible to express the happiness
which the elect enjoy in heaven. God rewards
as God- -that is, with infinite magnificence.
For a glass of water He gives a kingdom, and
the least of the blessed is richer than all the

436 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

monarchs of the earth. A day in the courts of
the Lord is better than thousands of days in the

_/

joys of this world. Just as an hour in the tor
ments of hell shall be more severe than a hun
dred years of penance on earth, so an hour in
heaven is more precious than a hundred years
of happiness in this life; and one day of this
beatitude shall be a reward which a long life of
penance and labor will not suffice to merit*
The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be
compared zuit/i the glory to come, that shall be re
vealed in us (Rom. viii. 18). For that which is at
present momentary and light of our tribulation
worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eter
nal ^veigllt of glory (2 Cor. iv. 17).

What, then, is the happiness of the elect,
and what may we know of it through the
gifts of faith ? The happiness of the elect,
called par excellence beatitude, is a supernatural
and perfect beatitude, which excludes all woes,
which contains all blessings for soul and body,
which shall be proportioned to the merit of
each one.

2. It is a supernatural beatitude, superior to
the order of nature ; it is perfect, and much
better than that of the just on earth ; it ex
cludes all woes, for the Holy Spirit tells us : God
shall wipe away all tears ; and death shall be no
more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorroiv (Apoc.
xxi. 4),

PARADI~E. 437

It contains all blessings which render the
soul happy. The beatitude of the soul consists
essentially in the possession of God through the
beatific vision. This fruitive intuition of the
divine essence, this view of God face to face,
this contemplation of His beauties and His in
finite charms, much clearer and more distinct
than the view of corporal beauties, enraptures
the soul with an ineffable love which inflames
her with the sweetest fire, which unites her to
God, which plunges her in God as into an
ocean of love, where she is buried in the purest
joys : They shall be inebriated with the plenty of
Thy house (Ps. xxxv. 9). Hence the transfor
mation of the soul in glory : We shall be like
to Him, because we si tall see Him as He is (i John

... V

ill. 2).

The human soul is raised to this sublime
vision by means of a new light, which is called
the light of glory. Inundated with this light, she
beholds God through no veil, but as a child
sees the face of its father; she sees the mystery
of the Holy Trinity and all the perfections of
the divine essence- -its wisdom, its power, its
infinite beauty ; she sees with eternal gratitude
God s ineffable mercy to her ; she sees with in
comparable joy her innumerable brethren, the
blessed citizens of the holy city, all children
of the same heavenly Father. Each of the
elect sees that which particularly concerns and

438 SJDALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

which interests him on earth : pontiffs their
church, kings their kingdom, parents their
children ; those who are venerated on the altar
see also the homage, the prayers which are
offered them by the living.

Besides the beatific vision, and the enraptur
ing society of the angels and suints, the blessed
also enjoy the sweet certainty that their happi
ness can never end.

Heavenly happiness contains also all bless
ings for the body, all corporal perfections. The
blessed shall receive them at their glorious re
surrection, when our Lord shall reform the body
of their lowness by making it like to the body of
His glory (Phil. iii. 21).

The glory of the risen body is comprised in
four new qualities which are communicated to
it: transparency, subtility, agility, perfect im
passibility.

We give the name transparency to the truly
heavenly beauty of glorified bodies. They
shall be luminous as stars, as suns, for our
Saviour Himself tells us: Then shall the just
shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father
(Matt. xiii. 43), but with a light very superior
to that of this world a light which communi
cates to them incomparable grace and beauty.
The divine Master showed us a reflection of it
in His transfiguration. His face shone as the
sun, the Gospel tells us; but its brightness was

PARADISE. 439

far above that of our earthly planet, and trans
ported the apostles so that they were beside
themselves.

Subtility enables them to penetrate all bodies
as easily as light penetrates crystal. It is sown
a natural body, says the apostle, it shall rise a
spiritual body (i Cor. xv. 44)- -that is, suitable to
be the instrument of a glorified spirit, with no
material matter to impede the movement and
operations of this spirit.

Agility is the faculty of being able to trans
port one s self through the universe with in
credible rapidity. The body, says St. Augus
tine, will find itself, in the twinkling of an eye,
wlierever the spirit wills it (St. Aug., De Civit.,
i. 22, cap. ult.)

Impassibility shall render them not only invul
nerable but inaccessible to all impressions of
sorrow. St. Paul signalizes this quality, say
ing : The body is sown in corruption, it shall rise
in incorruption (i Cor. xv. 42). By this expres
sion must be understood perfect incorruption,
more perfect than that of diamonds and of
stars, and which will render glorified bo,dies
invulnerable, unalterable, and immortal like
spirits.

The principle of these glorious qualities of
the body shall be the glory of the soul, which
will communicate to its earthly substance its
celestial beatitude : The glory of the soul, says

440 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

St. Thomas, shall be reflected in the body (Cont.
Gent., i. 4. c. 86).

The bodies of the blessed, being immortal
and impassible, will have no more need of food,
but they will taste all that is purest and holiest
in the joys of sense. For if it is just that the
reprobates are punished through their senses
for having abused them, it is also just that the
saints should be rewarded through their senses
for having subjected them to the mortification
of Jesus Christ. Therefore their ears will be
charmed with the most harmonious sounds,
their eyes ravished by ineffable beauty- -the
beauty of the Man God, of his holy Mother, of
all the blessed ; of the marvels of nature as
well which they may contemplate throughout
the whole extent of creation ; finally, the in
effable delights with which the soul is inundat-

*.^7

ed shall spread through all its corporal sub
stance. How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord
of hosts ! My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in
the living God (Ps. Ixxxiii. 2).

The beatitude and glory shall be proportion
ed to each one s merit. All the elect shall see
God, all shall possess God and enjoy all good
in God, but not all in the same manner or de
gree. In the Church triumphant, as in the
Church militant, there are hierarchical degrees.
Hence these words of our Saviour: /;/ my
Father s house there are many mansions (John xiv.

PARADISE. 441

2), and these of St. Paul : One is the glory of the
sun, another tJie glory of tlie moon, and another the
glory of the stars. For star differeth from star in
glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead (i
Cor. xv. 41, 42).

This inequality in the elect shall depend, not
on the knowledge which they shall have pos
sessed, nor the dignity nor the rank they shall
have held, on earth, but on the merit of each
one his degree of sanctifying grace, the vir
tues he shall have practised, particularly his
humility, his charity, his labors, and the part
he shall have had in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child,
he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven (Matt,
xviii. 4). Charity, says the apostle, is the first,
the most excellent of all virtues, because it
makes us love God with our whole heart, and
thus merits for us the richest reward. There
fore the same apostle declares : That eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither hatJi it entered
into the heart of man, what things God hath pre
pared for them that love him (i Cor. ii. 9). Each
one, St. Paul also tells us, shall receive his own
reward according to his own labor (i Cor. iii. 8).
If we suffer with Jesus Christ we shall be
glorified with Him : Yet so if we suffer with
Him, that we may be also glorified with Him
(Rom. viii. 17). As you are partakers of the
sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation

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442 SODALITY DIRECTOR S MANUAL.

(2 Cor. i. 7). When they shall revile yon and
persecute you, be glad and rejoice, for your reward
is very great in heaven (Matt. v. 12).

Should we not rejoice at sight of the ineffa
ble blessings which await us? Above all ought
we not attach ourselves with inviolable fidelity
to the service of the Lord, who promises such
rewards? O Holy Virgin, our Mother and
our Protectress! it is thou who shalt obtain
for thy children that fidelity unto death ; it is
through thee, O Blessed Gate of heaven ! that
we shall enter this ineffable abode.

END.