Vetera et Nova

VETERA ET NOVA (OLD

AND NEW)

VETERA ET NOVA AND

(OLD

N.

Ri:v. CARDINAL TIIIC

I

WALSH,

RAN/KI.IN

COMPARATIVE

NK\Y)

NU.Mr.KK

A

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F

S.J.

SKKTLH AM) A STUDY THK SAVKD AND TIIK

BIBL.

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MAJ<

COLLEGE

pub M.

H.

BKX/IC, KK

NEW

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:

GILL & P>R

SON

OTHERS

YORK, CINCINNATI, AND CHICAGO

1902

45B8

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Imprimatur

conccdin<s

:

GULIELMUS,

nf typis timndctiir.

PREFACE OUR Lord in

the

tells

us that

"

Every scribe learned kingdom of heaven is like to a house

holder

who

bringeth forth from his treasure-

house things old and

selected these words, placing before "new," as the text of this short preface, because they suggested to me, and may perhaps to my readers, the and purpose scope of this simple, unpretentious and commonplace book. For it will treat of new."

I

"old"

truths, religious duties

and practices which are

because they are familiar and yet early catechism days old,

to

us from our

they are always new, because they are always powerful to do a most important work which is or ;

ought

be done. the truth ful

to

What more powerful than the word, of God ? )f what are more wonder (

things said in Scripture than of it?

Old

if

PREFACE

vi

you

will,

in this world, yet nay, the oldest thing

and always new, because always "living effectual and more piercing than any two-edged it

is

sword."

Catholics

who

fail

their great call

in

because these old things God and the truths which appertain to God and to their ing, fail

own

eternal

interests- are practically forgotten fresh and new, are not are not

or ignored, kept realities the effective they ought to be in their souls and lives. They believe in a sort of way,

but not with

"

a faith that

worketh."

twofold: the one posi The first is the tive, and the other negative. fatal power which earthly human material things,

The cause

of this evil

naturally attractive,

is

working through the senses,

the second, the ruin get over the soul for its want of a stronger counteracting power, which ;

can be gained only by the naturally distasteful, and therefore more difficult, study of super natural and spiritual things. ant education of the senses,

The

easy, pleas

bringing

home

us sensible things in a delightful way, not discount, but only places at an enormous the more important education in

to

impedes

means

spiritual

matters

by

faculties

of the

soul.

of

God

the

spiritual

a^ain and a^ain

notices this evil, and complains in \vords full of sensitiveness how He is ignored, forgotten, insulted,

contemned by

because

of

most favoured ones, the power and influence of low

lower than the

heavens

man

that

earthly things,

lis

I

brute

and Lave

this

in

beast.

falls

respect

"Hear,

()

ye

have brought up children and exalted them, and they have The ox knowcth its owner, and despised Me. ;

ear, () earth

the ass his master

s

crib

I

:

but Israel

:

known Me, and My people hath stood."

son

"The

honoureth

the servant the master

where is

My

honour

My

is

fear?"

?

"She:

and

if

I

not

his

then

if

:

I

hath not

under

father,

and

be a father,

be a master, where

decked herself out with

her earrings, and with her jewels, and went af other lovers, and forgot Me." "They have

"lei-

reigned, but not by Me they were princes, and I knew not ol their silver and their they have made idols to themselves." Will a virgin :

:

i_M>ld

1

forget her 1

ornaments? but

Isaias

i.

2

:

Mai.

i.

6

( ;

>sc.

"

My ii.

people

13. viii. 4.

have

PREFACE

viii

Me

forgotten

clays

without

"

number."

When

I

your hands with good things, you said, Our Lord notes and away from me."

filled

Go

condemns us "

this

have a dread

to

of

not

able

Him

fear

body (Matt.

in

to

can

that

I

hell; yea, x.

28

soul

:

both

destroy

He

xii.

said,

body, and but rather soul

say to you, Fear

Luke

;

the

kill

the

kill

when

it

Fear ye not them that

are

and commands

inconsistency,

Him"

And

4).

and

St.

Chrysostom marks the Jews as victims to this foolishness, when, in his forty-sixth Homily on the sixth chapter of St. John, he says, "When our Lord gave them material bread, they said lie

is

a prophet; but

when He taught them

concerning spiritual good, concerning eternal life, when He led them away from objects of sense

and

raised

their

thoughts

to

higher

matters, when most they ought to have ad mired, they murmur and start away, saying, Is

not this the son of Joseph, whose father and The cause of this con mother we know ? "

temptuous treatment of 1

for.

ii.

32

;

God Exck.

is

\vi.

found

in

the

PREFACE

ix

not study Him and His truth. He expressly says so when He gives as the reason why Israel and His own people had

men do

fact that

below the

fallen

of the ox and the ass

level

have not known

"They

Want

Me,

:

they have not

knowledge and under standing comes from want of study "They did not meditate, and they were not impressed." understood."

of

:

"

A

trite saying-,

right unless

which

nothing to

is

it

we do

it."

"/Mas,

know what that

is

religion

so delightful as a vision should be so distasteful as a reality." In

is

this

appear of

book

I

first

to me, the causes

call

attention to

what

remote and immediate

Catholics being-, as such, failures. take up in order those divine truths,

many

then

religious duties

I

and practices which Catholics

should study and consider in order "to be in order to make impressed," Catholicity a

working reality and power in their lives. Lastly, I do my best to prove that the study of or meditation on spiritual subjects is not

living,

a very difficult work,

and

practices, such

as

that

the

Catholic reception

duties of the

sacraments,

prayer,

temptations,

many

treatment of right are not as hard as too nearly

etc.,

think

the

make

or

Without making

little

them of the

for

themselves.

and the and will

"yoke"

"

burden,"

I

try to

show

that both can

be easily sweetened and lightened, if we study and reduce to practice divine truths in a spirit

of simple nothing-

lively faith. f r()

m

myself.

In It

this is

the

book

I

say

outcome of

some

scriptural, patristic, and spiritual reading which impressed me, and impressed me all the more because borne out by a rather long

experience.

It

is

hoped that

it

may

matter for useful

afford

spiritual reading. must apologise for frequent repetitions, but these are made with reference to important truths which, in my mind at least, seem to be I

practi

cally forgotten or lightly treated

by too many. N.

\V.

CONTENTS

.....

CHAP. I.

INTRODUCTORY

1.

CAUSES

01

III.

CACHES

oi

1

I\

.

V.

i

HE Kvn.

THE REMEDIES

M EDIT.Yl

ION

VII.

X.

VOCAL

I

.

XI. DlFKIcn.l IES

XII.

.

.

.

MAY

\VIIKTI .

.

IIEI.I .

us

I

-56 \VIIEN

.

\\ EI.I.

THE INCARNATION

.

XIII.

THOUGHTS ON THE SUFEERINCS or OUR LORD

XI\

THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

.

XV. X\

I.

XVII.

I-

KK.OUENT

COMMUNION

THE SACRAMENT OE PENANCE (

.RACE

AND THE USE OE

XVI II. TEMPTATIONS

.

.

IT

.

1

.

124

.

141

.

.

.

05

.

.... .

85 92

.

.

-69 .

.

KAYINd

29

.

.

....

OK

17

.21

.

.

.

.

KXAMEN

RAYER

3

.10

.

MEDITATION

DII-TICUI.TIES

ARTirUI.AR

.

.

CERTAIN INDUSTRIES MEDITATING I

.

.

.

.

IX.

.

A(;r. I

.

.

VI. NECESSITY OF

VIII.

Mvn.

TIII-:

>

175

201

220

.

242

.

253

CONTENTS

xii

PAGE

CHAP.

\1\. ON DEVOTIONS

XX. TllK VOUNG XXI.

I

m-.

ii

Ki<

AlTKMMt |.

II.

|

I-

M

->

54

KS ri

\

Ml H

I

IN

OK

<M

K

I-OKH -l

()S

VETERA ET NOVA CHAPTER

I

INTRODUCTORY I\

the study of

made

different

by Father Faber

the

77/6

his

authors,

book

Lost as

tJic

particularly by The Creator and

many arguments

Creature,

rove, as

in

Saved and

arc

more probable, the opinion

used

to

that the

najority of adult Catholics are saved. The heritage of the children of the Catholic

Church

certainly a grand, a noble, and a rich ^ne. (i) They have the only true dogmatic and moral code, given by God Himself: a is

code which

teaches

all

they are

bound

to

believe and to do, with a view to their eternal

They have

a right to divinely tstituted sacraments which consecrate every

salvation.

:.ate,

(2)

and are necessary or

useful

in

every

VETERA KT NOVA

2

other super natural gifts and graces, by the religious use of which they can observe this code, can be

phase

true

of life- -a

to

their

also

right

duties

to

and

and

thus save their souls. Church the safest of

responsibilities, in their (3) They have,

guides

and the

most

(4) In Holy Scripture sympathetic of helpers. the guidance- of His under to them, God gives

Church, reasons, motives, facts, some of these awful in the fear they ought to inspire, others beautiful in the love they ought to enkindle, which should fill them with the dread of not being good Catholics, desire, of being such.

To anyone

reilecting

and with

the

on these four

strong-

truths,

that all Catholics are it must appear strange lives not saved or still more strange, that the of them are below the level ot of so ;

many

Catholic principles, or directly opposed to them. To study the causes and remedies of this evil interest to Catholics ought not to be devoid of re own protection or with a view to their formation.

We

and remote and

shall consider the causes negative

general and particular, immediate, to which we may trace this evil, and then the remedies which should be applied.

positive,

CHAPTKK ("AUSKS

TIN-: first

at

the

OF

II

KYI

Till-!

I.

cause

root

general and remote, hut still of the evil is that natural and

naturally easy and delightful descent to

what is human, imperfect, sinful, and that naturally hard and difficult ascent to what is good, with that natural repugnance to face it both which are of the very essence of our fallen nature, and there ;

fore as

of

rank

Adam.

in

Catholics as in the other children tells us this when, in

God

Holy

Scripture, lie draws a most humiliating picture and predicates the; very worst things of man

unregenerate and uninlluenced by grace (Isaias Ps. xiii.). And no religious consecration

lui.

;

by baptism or other sacraments, by solemn vows, by priestly or episcopal ordination, can change any man s nature, can take the old leaven out of him. or prevent exterior material things playing on him in a tempting and dangerous wav.

VRTRRA RT NOVA

4

God

description ot is too truly and sadly borne out by There have been Catholics who

Moreover, fallen

man

experience. believed in

s

scriptural

world as a mere passingmoment of probation, and in the next as a fixed abode of unending reward or punishment who had that desire, common to man, of this

;

hereafter, and who knew happiness here, and that they had always at hand the means of in theory at least, and securing both who held, ;

would perhaps point the truth by the fate of others, that real rational enjoyment comes only with the moderate and legitimate use of the and that what is best for things of earth, happiness

in

eternity

best lor happiness in as Catholics were

is

men

And

failures.

yet these They embittered,

rendered

miserable a

time.

have

life

made wholesome,

empoisoned, and which they could

sweet,

and

happy,

and premature decay, death, to terrible contemplate. after-consequences too Because of the easy descent. all this? ending often

Why

They allowed

in

lower in earthly material things,

nature than themselves but naturally attractive, to get a fatal working through the senses,

them down and power over the soul, to drag for dees deo-rade them to the level of the beast

CACSEX not (iocl say, \\ hen not understand he is "

and compared

beast,

OF

EVIL

Till:

man was become to

in

5

honour he did

like to the brute

them"?

xl.

(Ps.

13).

They j^ave themselves away to some vile passion which they should and could have kept in subjection, and pampered it till it became an exacting, domineering tyrant it

They became

liked.

ruled

them as on

terrible tiling

A

earth." kin^, unhorsed, on maltreated by a skive whom he

the face of the the ground,

who

"that

himself had mounted

in

his

own

"

place.

An

have seen under the sun, servants on horses, and princes walking on the ground as evil

I

servants"

"The (Kccles. x. 5 7). corruptible load to the soul, and the earthly body habitation pressetli down the mind" (\\isd. ix.

a

is

"It

15).

will

make

xviii. 3

thou Lnve to thy soul her desires, she thee a joy to thy enemies" (Kcclus.

i

).

P>esides

this

downward

were the natural ascent

difficulties

inclination in

the

there

way

of

the difficulty of practical!} realising spiritual things, the repugnance to self-restraint, the dislike to use self-denial, mortification, -

those

supernatural means, prayer, the sacra ments, etc., which secure ^race ^race, by the liidit of which we can see our spiritual enemies, ;

understand their tactics and in the strength of which we can hold our own, be lord and master ;

of our souls, resist and conquer all along the Catholics incline towards the easy de line. scent and recoil from the difficult ascent just as

other

We

men

do.

should also bear

in

mind

that the divine

ecclesiastical precepts insisted on by the Catholic Church are not only more; numerous but more strict, severe, and self-restraining than those of any other Church. Along with

and

which a Catholic believes, in with most Christian sects, he is bound

truths

those

common

the

to accept

J-ord in

a

dogma

fulness

of the divinity

scarcely

of our

found elsewhere;

Lord s real presence in the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar, of the divine infallible authority of the Church, and those-

also of our

the .Sovereign Pontiff as defined by well. as Vatican Council, and a few others He is also bound to live according to the

of the

to observe not only discipline of his Church the ten commandments, but also precepts

under mortal binding in ordinary circumstances, on Sundays Mass sin, such as the hearing of and holidays, confession and communion at certain times, fast and abstinence on certain

CAL SKS

He

clays.

is

Ol-

also

THE

FA/11.

a

take

to

supposed

7

far

graver view of interior sins than non- Catholics Now as St. Paul asserts, By the law is "

do.

the sin

knowledge of except by the

sin,"

law"

and

"

I

in.

(Rom.

know 20), we may the number number of

did not

safely conclude that the greater of laws, the greater will be the

In a temptations and opportunities to sin. word, the main mysterious and purely spiritual truths which a Catholic is bound to believe,

and the mode of blood, which he

life,

commanded

is

and

so opposed to llesh to

live,

are

provoke and call out what is rebellious within us, and we are all rebels by calculated

to

nature.

A

Catholic

subject,

as

must

others

also are,

live

to

its

in

the

world,

dangers

seductive influences, and the world strong for him.

is

and

often too

The

conscience of a Catholic ought to have, rule has, a keenness, a sensitiveness, a sharp admonishing power not usually found

and as a in

others.

1

lence,

conscience, he

is

when he

acts against his

often tempted to sin on in a

sort of wild, reckless rage with himself.

This

many Catholics, who for a time suffered from the remorse of conscience is

often the case with

the Nemesis which

and unhappiness of

soul,

haunts a habit of

sin,

who, got out of

their

newly acquired

\vere

happy

in

this habit, liberty,

unfortunately they relapse. It is remarkable, and it has been often said, that you find the extremes of religion and if

irreligion

in

Catholic

countries,

where

one be

should suppose that the Church ought more effective because of the number of her of her ministers, her temples and sanctuaries, her religious institutions, perfect organisation, to

And

yet some or reason the see in this very state of things rather the-, occasion of these extremes. Many

and the splendour of her

ritual.

esteem and therefore use carefully and zealously those abundant and ever - at - hand means of whilst, on the sanctity, and become very holy ;

other hand, many disesteem, neglect, contemn them, and, by this abuse of great light and into the darkness and weakness of "race, drift & sin

and

unbelief.

In contrast with such there have been other

countries where a strong unscrupulous perse Catholics as to cuting government so crushed social position, deprive them of political power, in a word, of temporal prosperity, education, No doubt those all civil and religious liberty.

CAUSES

THE

Oh"

FA

II. i>

dark

d;iys were illumined by heroic patience and suffering for the faith, for, as a distinguished writer has said, Perhaps Ireland in her sub "

jection has fulfilled as providential a mission as Still, for a any other people in their glory."

long time after this unjust pressure was removed, a fear, a cowardice;, a human respect of some

kind or other, remained and interfered with an

manly confession and profession of re It is not easy for those; who have slowly ligion. emerged from slavery, lowliness, and poverty to open

awe or dread of a powerful and wealthy class, even though tin s class long dominated them in an unfair and cruel manner. At the same time, notwithstanding all which can and maybe said by way of explanation or excuse for loose and lax Catholics, it is strange that so many who call themselves Catholics and would be indignant it called anything else, do not live up to their belief; some truly meriting the title: of "mere nominal Catholics," shake; off a certain

their

only

overt

act

ol

religion

presence at Mass on Sundays. 1

John

(

)

Ila-an.

be:ing

their

CIIAPTKR CAt SKS OF

Tin. second

cause

fundamental

is

Till

remote

III

KVIL

;

1

,

if

kne\v, perhaps did not care to

forgotten,

you

will,

but

that such Catholics either never

know, or have

what the profession of the Catholic

means, and are not practically convinced of the strict binding of conscience, under grave sanctions, which such a profession involves. faith

They

or say they believe, all they arc: to believe, and that they know all they

believe,

bound bound

arc

to do.

This may be

true, but their

manner of their own, and is so vague, superficial, and weak as to be almost powerless and perfectly ineffective when mor faith

is

after a

tification, self-restraint,

and the

use.

of certain

And if supernatural necessary. such persons practise any external religious act, it is too often because of some temporal or human motive, or because the doing of it costs means

them

little

or

are

nothing.

They do

not

really

CAUSES Or THE EVIL

i

i

admire the beauty, respond

to the love, appre dread the penalties they did, they would be

ciate the ministrations, or

of their Church, for, if her faithful and true; children.

Let

me endeavour

to illustrate

say, by fession or

depend

?

what

I

wish to

Take any

a few

homely examples. pro walk of life. On what does success )n two things On a course of ) ( (

:

i

study, of education, of training, which will give all necessary knowledge concerning the profes sion,

and which

principles,

will

rules,

teach and insist on certain

traditional customs,

etc.

which should be respected and upheld practice of

it.

(2)

in

etc.,

the

That the man who has got

knowledge into his head should put his hand earnestly to work and reduce it to action. A barrister, a physician, a surgeon- no matter how well formed under learned and experi

all this

enced professors, no matter how full of bookcannot be a success unless he knowledge actually uses in the

work of

his profession

the;

knowledge he has acquired. An artisan could not be a success, even though he has learned his trade perfectly, and knows that certain tools are necessary and, if rightly used, effective in turning out a thing of beauty in wood or stone or metal, unless he puts his hand to the work

VETERA ET NOVA

12

and docs

it according to those recognised prin of art in which he has been instructed. ciples is a It good sign and suggestive of future

when

a student keeps well in mind that he should labour to get knowledge, not merely

success

to

have

it

in his

at

for the

hour of examen,

up that he may afterwards havehand and turn it to good account in the

but to store it

head

business of

it

life.

Now

the Catholic religion

is

a profession, the highest, grandest, and most has its education and It important of all. training in dogma and discipline, its principles, laws, customs, etc., all which the Church imparts freely

and without price

For a Catholic

to all

to be a success,

it

her

children.

will

not do to

It will not do to believe these things. in them so as never to think of questioning, He must believe doubting, or denying them. in them with that simple, living, lively, active

know

all

a faith which will not

faith

"which worketh,"

only

make him thoroughly

conscious

of the

in the grave responsibilities and duties involved will enable, profession of Catholicity, but which

urge, guide,

and strengthen him

to his profession in the teeth

to act according

of dislike, repug

nance, temporal interest, or persecution. Take another illustration. If a man

enter

CAUSES OF THE EVIL

13

the army, he must submit to a military education,

and

early drill, discipline Hut, no matter out, manu-uvres, etc.

training,

formed,

it

;

camping-

how

well

not do for him to be a coward or

will

mere drawing-room bound to make use of

a

figure in scarlet. his

knowledge and

He

is

train

ing, to enter into close contact with powerful enemies, to go into action at risk of limb and

Now duty or obedience command him. the Church has her army, and all its children She carefully instructs and are her soldiers. trains them in the very best tactics, defensive

life,

if

keep clear of enemies when and legitimately" fight victoriously when they must encounter them. She rightly, therefore, commands and expects

and offensive they can, and ;

to

"to

them to be true soldiers of Christ, to light for Him, the great King, and for her, no matter what it may cost them. Or, to take a more commonplace example. If a

man

join a secular social

quired not only to to observe them.

know

its

rules,

He may

club,

but

he still

not violate

is

re

more all,

or

some, or even one of them, without exposing himself to fine, or perhaps to the disgrace of The Catholic Church may be fairly expulsion. likened to a religious club, the purpose of which

VK TR KA E T NOVA

4

1

is

to

has

make men happy here and its

All therefore

of

hereafter.

membership and

conditions of

who enjoy to

membership ought

this privileged

observe

well at least as they do, from

It

its rules.

grace

its

rules as

human

motives,

those, of a purely secular club. Keeping in mind the contrasts, just alluded

between Catholic profession and the Catholic Church on one hand, and secular professions and institutions on the other, we cannot but be to,

struck by a strange inconsistency in the conduct of many Catholics, which comes from the fact that

do not really to be a Catholic.

they

means There should be no

understand what conflict

between

it

God

their respective interests, nor is there ever such a conilict in the life, of a truly man. Moreover, God is the least exact

and man and

good ing and most generous of masters,

as lar as

If immediate personal service is concerned. one hour out persons living in the world gave to of the twenty-four every day prayer and their favourite devotions, and an hour or so

once a month

munion,

to

confession

for

by such

God

would,

I

and holy com

mean immediate personal

hope, be fairly satisfied, And no doubt to get more. though pleased

service,

I

CA USES OF THE

E VII.

\

5

Pie would not only allow, but wish them to do earnestly with a pure intention, and with a view

temporal success, the work of life to which has called them. One; hour in the twentyfour to Him, and the other twenty-three to their temporal interests, recreation, rest, etc. And yet there are Catholics who will not give Him the: few hours: Catholics who think less to

He

and make

and the things of Cod than they do of themselves and their personal affairs Catholics who could not, from merely less of (rod

:

human motives, bring themselves to offend once their fellow-man, or violate a law of the land, or of the army, or of their club, which would subject them to a degrading sentence or a severe punishment who yet make nothing of offending Cod and sinning against His law Catholics who reverence the: ;

:

of the

majesty

king and

yet have no kings,

nor

real

respect

are

his

loyal

subjects,

reverence for the for

the

and

King of

ordinances of the

Catholics who love their Lawgiver and friends, and yet have no true love for Him, the Friend of friends and Lover of lovers, who became their brother that He might suffer and die for them Catholics who believe in the Sacrament of Penance the

great

:

relatives

:

VKTRRA RT NOVA

,6

of greatest proof and outcome

and yet neglect

to

approach

God s mercy who believe

it

;

Blessed Sacrament, the sacrament, by and yet never receive or excellence, of love; in

the

treat

it

with devotion

:

Catholics

who

believe

death, judgment, hell, and the thirds," fear which is the yet are withou. the salutary The; "devils" believe of wisdom. in

"last

beginning and tremble.

but sins on.

man believes, does What solution is

not tremble, there

of

this

inconsistency, belief, and a life I think to it? itnioring or in contradiction we shall find it in the fact that such Catholics

mysterious

never gave or never give that thought, study, consideration to the great religious truths which are of

tin:

which

is

essence of Catholic belief; a study these necessary in order to bring

them living, to make them and working realities in practical convictions their souls and lives.

truths home, to keep

CHAPTER TIIK

IV

RKMKDIKS

now

pass on to consider the necessity and importance of religious study or meditation. There are persons who. though poorly or not

\Vi:

at all educated,

catechism, with

an

instinct,

have a good knowledge of

whom

and

who who

simple lively faith

their is

as

quiet remote can get on fairly well live

in

country districts, without any formal or set study of the divine truths. It is not so, however, with those who are

intellectual, well educated, in constant contact with books, with men, with the world.

Such persons, even though they be not troubled by any difficulties about the truths themselves, cannot, as a rule, hold their own as good Catholics unless they give some time to the study of those truths with the purpose of keep ing them well in head and hand, and effective in their lives.

The word

perhaps too strong, but

it

"cannot"

may

may seem

be safely stated

VETERA ET NOVA

,8

and proved that such a study is morally in making necessary, and is certainly powerful influence, dominant those truths a leading and When use; the word study," I do not mean "

I

a study in order to know these truths, or to learn the grounds on which they rest, or to see if

there be

but a

good arguments

study

in

for or against

simple lively

faith

and believed,

accepted understand their

already

of

in

them

;

truths,

order

to

meaning, the responsi bilities and consequences which the accepting involves, and to stimulate and of them full

really

our daily strengthen the resolution of forming It is scarcely possible lives according to them. Catholics of living in the for certain classes world, but to

lead

unless

more

still

the

they

lives

be

for Priests

to

persons

reflection,

consideration,

which or what you

of

in

their

religious

meditation,

study, call

it

like.

quite at so religion,

There are Catholics instructed

and Religious,

they are bound,

which

home and much so

well that

told or reminded of they do not relish being "

their duties.

I

know them

already,"

they

will

do not like being bored about them/ and yet do not fulfil many of them. are you if If vou know these things, happy think, or say,

"

"and

I

THE REMEDIES you

do

saying,"

them,"

writes

,

"A speaks God. Cardinal Newman,

so

9

trite

"it

is

nothing to know what is right unless we do The fullest and most accurate knowledge of it."

and of its precepts is not only nothing, but will, on judgment day, be worse than nothing, if we do not reduce it to practice. religion

Happy if we do, unhappy if we do not. He who adds knowledge adds labour and sorrow. The servant who knoweth well "

the will of the Master, and does not do

get double little

stripes."

but the

In this matter

it is

it,

will

not the

great knowledge which

is

the

dangerous thing. Again, there are Catholics who are not only well instructed, but who hold in esteem and admiration the Church, who believe in her divine origin, speak in high terms of her moral code as the very best rule of life, and yet are her obedient children only when it would not be humanly prudent not to be so, or when obedience would entail no trouble, self-restraint, or acting against natural inclination. do not obey because the Church

"

They

commands, when they would have done

they only do right it had she not commanded." religion

which

is

"Alas! that so delightful as a vision should

20

VETERA El NOVA

Mere talk be so distasteful as a reality." about ear the to and hio-h-soundino-, edifying some with to do full service religion seems whereas simple self-denying obedience is the This want of very life of practical religion. knowing and not reality in many Catholics, doinir. the clear intellect and the hard will, traced to one cause. They do not ;

maybe

meditate, and therefore are not

impressed."

CHAPTER WE

headings

What

is

manner of making portance. I

under the following

shall treat this subject :

V

meditation Its

it.

?

right

necessity and im

What is

Its difficulties.

The

should wish to answer this

clear,

meditation

?

in

a

Meditation

is

(juestion

simple, intelligible way. the taking- of some divine truth, looking at it not in a passing, superficial, perfunctory way,

but thoughtfully, studiously at it and into it as a truth which has some deep meaning for myself, because revealed by God with a view to

my side I

eternal salvation.

by

reason on

bring

it

intellect

forced

thing

I

place

side with this truth

my

soul

and under

and its

life;

light.

examine myself according to it, home straight to myself. Using my so, a conclusion will be most probably it,

upon me, namely, that there is some my soul and life which is out of

in

keeping with or opposed to the truth of God, 21

E TF. RA RT NO A

7

22

1

therefore a

The

bad

lie,

Him, and

to

1

to be.

myself and displeasing got rid and kept rid of.

for

then accepting this conclusion, resolves In other to do so and to put things right. words, I propose to myself the truths of dod I then make. as the only true standard of life. an honest severe raking examination of myself will

according to them, and, clearly seeing that

some things out

are.

calls

"inordinate."

I

admit

it,

Ignatius

determine to

to the work,

A

saying of St. aright. I do not meditate to into an axiom, "

more

there.

and order my liie Bernard has passed

my hand

put

of order, what

St.

become

become better." \Ye do become more learned about dod,

learned, but to

meditate, to

ourselves, and about our present relations and Hut we are not to position towards Him. and utilise; the further to are we here go stop knowledge gained, in the bettering of ourselves. ;

Meditation if

it

do not

or in

worthless

study is religious often result the end

slowly,

almost insensibly, with some

slips or falls

and then-

work

the crowning ourselves better men.

Let

in

me now

illustrate

what

or two.

saying, by an example as the text of our meditation

I

of

making

have been

We on

now

may

take

death

that

striking saying of Job,

"

When man

dead,

is

and stripped, and consumed, pray thee where all terrible things of O or this, is he ? )eath, the most terrible because the moment upon which depends eternity." There seems to be I

"

"

1

a special providence; in the. fact that God has made this terrible truth so evidently certain that

men, who have denied

could not

this

call

in

all

question.

other

truths,

Experience

is

Where every day proving those divine; words, and has not seen is the man who has lived "

And

we needed

a proof of the in the fact it necessity of meditation, we; have is always in death that this awful preacher "

death

?

if

our midst, speaking with no uncertain voice, and on yet thousands do not heed him, and go loving the world and sin, though they and must believe that at any moment

may and

at

some mome;nt both must

Having asked

grace;,

light to

know both

end.

see

the;

im

and portant bearings of this truth on myself, forced on strength te) carry out the resolutions

me by

the fact things.

I must things,

begin my stuely. that death is the most

them,

I

(i)

I

ce-rtain

rest

on

of

all

It must come to inc. must come. be / must die, stripped of all earthly most loved, most sinned even

It

the>se

VKTKRA ET NOVA

24

and most sinned by my body cast away to be consumed by rottenness and vermin, and and my soul to go forth and face the just

for,

truth that

rest on the avenging judge. (2) to the death, though the most certain, is as where, the when, and the how, the most I

uncertain of

moment moment

all

things.

of death

of

my

I

reflect that

the critical, the only the moment

the

critical

because

life,

upon

As found then, eternity. either to exult for ever with

my

which depends decides

is

(3)

"

fate,

heaven, or to weep for ever with the Besides, I can die but once, and lost in hell." cannot therefore repair, in a second, the I Christ

in

mistakes

made

in

the,

first.

(4)

then turn to

I

answer such questions Have you any guarantee,

myself and ask and as the

following: against a sudden death

ness in which great sciousness will make

preparation very

against a death sickor uncon physical pain ?

f

c!>

a

real

difficult,

if

repentance and not morally im

Can you safely hope for or risk possible ? In what state are a deathbed repentance? In mortal sin perhaps, or this moment? you

worst state of mortal sin drifting towards the way to your predominant

by habitually giving

venial sin, or in a very doubtful and unsatis-

MEDITATION factory

state

of conscience

25

and

If so,

soul.

what

logical conclusion is forced on you by Is it not right reason and common-sense? to repent and to be quick about it, and to use in

means necessary

the future the

in

order to

dread keep yourself always ready summons, so awful because so uncertain ? If some temporal loss depended on certain circumstances, would you not take the wisest precautions and protect yourself against them ? If you knew that an assassin was secretly and cunningly hanging about in order to murder you when off your guard, would you willingly Is not the soul more give him a chance? than the body, and the unending world of heaven or hell, more than that of a passing moment ? Order therefore thy house and keep for

it

this

so.

Or take the Passion or some scene of it. The New Testament tells me its history. By the use of memory and imagination I can I

picture

it

intellect

draw

my

before me, and, by the use of the I will, study, reason over it,

and

conclusions,

and form

my

practical

on the question, Who suffers ? The Eternal Son of God. True, God Himself, who needed no man or no man s resolutions,

(i)

I

rest

VKTEKA

2 r,

o-oocls,

NOVA

F.T

happy by the per ot and of His nature independently

who was

fection

infinitely

man. (2) How did lie suffer? Most really, human most keenly, most intensely in that His made he nature which He took, which but more own, which was as human as my own, were, only

was God

man, and

He

He

all

subjected

may imagine myself

I

.

if

the more, because

He. suffered as

sensitive to suffering.

the scourging,

to one* only one, of His tortures, and try to realise the nailing to the cross,

should

I

feel

What,

it.

then, of

Him

how

racked,

without in every capability of suffering body nature and soul within, as Ion- as human could endure,

whom

does

me, for

love,

by

He

50

many

suffer?

of me.

to

if

rightly

used

will

For me,

when

He suffers enemy. buy me out of slavery,

tortures

a

?

or

1

for love of

sinner

atone for

(5)

and His

my

to

sins, ^

to merit graces which me out of hell and lift

reflect heaven. (4) I should enthrone me calm the patience, also on the sweet silence, He, my which with the in

perfect resignation will, drinks divine Exemplar, bears the terrible obedient Father, the most bitter cup of His should then honestly and unto death. (5) I

severely

study

and

examine myself.

How

MEDITATION

27

Him? What have; done for Him ? What return have made for His immense-, unselfish for love me ? Forgotten, ignored, sinned against Him seldom thinking of, seldom speaking to Him will in meanly and selfishly gratifying my

have

treated

I

I

I

<\vn

open opposition to His not denying myself, even in small things, for love of Him. Could I

who had

a

treat

myself to

bring

so,

man

one arm through love of me? I feel if a man, for love of whom treated me as I have treated to

make

and and

of

his

less

His

of

should had suffered,

Am

Him?

love, than of a

human love?

God

How I

I

God, tortured unto death

my

infinite

ingratitude to in

a beggar one finder or

willingly sacrificed

Am

I

to

mere man

make

less of

myself than of ingratitude a fellow-man towards myself? Greater love in

and a more perfect imitation of Jesus Christ should be, as St.

Ignatius tells of meditation on the Passion.

us,

the result

And when we

find in Catholics, instead of these, coldness, in

difference,

offensive treatment,

such an attitude towards

Him

we may to the

trace

fact that

they have not studied Him, and therefore do not really know Him. He is not the reality to

them

that their

fellow

-

man and

material

28

I

ETEKA ET NOVA

have not meditated and "They things are. are not impressed." Let me, as a conclusion to this point, repeat

what has been said before and what

is

worth

meditation is selfremembering, namely, that of under the light^ study and self-examination God s truths, with the set purpose of making

myself a holier and better man.

CHAPTER

VI

NECESSITY OF MEDITATION IN treating- this second question, we hope to be able to prove that the neglect of meditation is the principal cause of those evils which are to

be found

in

too

many

practice of meditation

Catholics, is

against and remedy for

and that the

the great protection As there are them.

many arguments advanced by eminent

spiritual

prove that meditation or the practi cal study of divine truths is one of the most effective helps to sanctification, and is morally writers, to

necessary for this purpose to certain classes of men, I purpose to draw attention to those

which seem

to

be the strongest.

If we study this subject from a scriptural point of view, we must admit certain clear and emphatic statements of God, namely,

First argument.

that meditation or study of is

His law and truth

powerful for keeping persons faithful to Him, its omission is the cause of their falling

whilst

29

VETERA ET NOVA

30

away,

-

that

individuals,

lc

I

of

attributes

nations,

the

defection

of

His own chosen

of

want of thought, study, considera tion, reflection, meditation on His words and works or, to put it in another way. to the ignorance, the indifference, and hard-heartedness which were the necessary consequences

people, to

the;

;

of the neglect ot such study. Let us first take the Old Testament, as

its

inspired hooks give us the lives and discourses of those heaven-sent men, legislators, and prophets, who instructed and ruled Israel. These holy men promulgated, proclaimed, and upheld the, law given by (iod, and commanded its observance. They insisted on the constant study of this law as the first and best means of I hey securing respect for and obedience to it. told and denounced the-, violators of the law, that their lapsing into sin, the worst sin, that their ingratitude to that (iod idolatry,

them

who

loved them so tenderly, and who had done with strong hand for them "

such great things

and outstretched neglect

of

legislator

arm,"

all

came from

their

Moses, the inspired study. of ruler Israel, and Joshua his

this

and warned them

in the most solemn manner against forgetting God and His law,

successor,

NECESSITY OF MEDITA TION

31

and instructed them in the means they should use in order not to do so. In v.,

vi.,

the

we

Book

of

read that

said to them,

Deuteronomy, chaps, "

Hear,

Moses

O

called

Israel,

all

Israel

iv.,

and

the ceremonies

and judgments which speak in your ears to learn them and He day, fulfil them in work." and the ten commandments, repeats explains the precepts, judgments, and ceremonies," given by God and accepted by them and then adds, That thou mayest fear the Lord thy God, and keep all His commandments and precepts, tinsons and thy grandsons, all the days of thy life. That thou mayest take heed diligently, lest thou forget the Lord who brought thee out of the I

"

;

"

land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. That thou mayest love the Lord thy God with

thy whole heart and soul and strength, and may fear and serve Him only, and may walk in the that the Lord thy these words which I

way let

God had commanded, command thee this day

Thou shalt tell them to thy and thou shalt meditate on them sit ting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, And thou shalt bind sleeping, and rising. them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes, and thou be in thy heart.

children,

VETERA ET NOVA

32

them

shalt write

in

the entry and on the doors moreover, in the Book

We read,

of thy house." of Joshua, chap,

i.,

ho\v (iod gave the follow

him

ing command to Joshua, and through Let not the book of the law depart the people from thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate on it to

"

:

observe and do day and night, that thou mayest all

in things that are written

direct thy way,

it

and understand

:

then shalt thou it."

would be imagine how (iod could have more earnestly commanded and on His works urged His people to meditate in the and words than He did inspired texts could have more plainly told them just cited, or was necessary if they meditation that such be faithful and true to their really wished to Himself. His words are deserv religion and to It

difficult

to

because the meansing of our serious study, is as necessary to the Catholic as meditation to the Israelite, nay, more necessary, for a reason to be mentioned hereafter. Father Parsons, S.J., writes, in his Christian as follows Directory, on this subject other causes none is more general :

in

"

Among

or

more

Holy Scripture than the want

often alleged of consideration, by which common snare and deceit of our adversary most men fall into sin,

33

and remain in the same to tion and eternal perdition."

their

final

destruc

Isaiah the

"So

prophet, speaking of the careless nobility and gentry of Jewry that gave themselves to

banqueting and mirth without consideration duties towards (iod, repeats often the threat of woe against them, and then puts

of their

down the cause in these words, larpand viol and timbrel and song and wine; in your feasts, and the work of (iod you regard not, nor consider the works of Ilis hands. Therefore hath hell enlarged her soul, and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strongones, and their people, and their high and Isaias v. 14). glorious ones shall descend into it These words may in strict truth be applied to I

"

(

Catholics who are so worldly, so absorbed the things of earth, so bent on the pleasures and dissipations of the hour, that they seem to esteem life as a pastime," and to give

many in

"

no serious

thought or study to higher, more God important, and more necessary affairs. continues Father Parsons, addresses limself, "

"

"

I

like

discourse

by the

same prophet

to

the

daughter Babylon, and by her to every sensual and sinful soul figured by that name. Come down, Isaias says, sit in the dust, of

VETERA ET NOVA

34

daughter of Babylon.

vircrin 1

will

be a lady

for ever.

Thou hath

Thou hast

said

not laid these

neither hast thou remem thincrs to thv heart, Now hear these things, bered thy latter end. dwelleth confidently that art delicate, and

thou

come upon

shall

evil

:

calamity shall

and which thou canst not

thee,

upon thee violently, shall rush upon thee sud keep off, and misery These words tell us the xlvii.).

fall

"

(Isaias denly not bringing awful consequences of

truths

of

God

which Principle and

St.

truth

man

the

to

home

heart, particularly calls

Ignatius

the th;

the

namely, the end when he contemplates thhad fallen, or were to fall, on

Foundation,"

Jeremias,

terrible evils that

on Juda-a, Jeru the Gentile world, and salem Babylon, Kgypt, it in one sentence sees the reason and gives

Samaria and the ten

tribes,

:

"With

desolation

because there

is

is

the

land laid desolate,

no one that considered in the

must ever be with inconsiderate, "foolish and the thoughtless and to do to do wrong but not senseless, wise have "led away captive because they o-oocl" we all know that want no knowledge." And of want of study of knowledge comes have in the the other hand, we

hearr

(Jer.

xii.

i

i).

So

it

<

On

NECESSITY OF MEDITATION

35

especially in the Psalms, frequent and strong testimony to the necessity, importance, and power of meditation. David illustrates, in merit,

his

own

much

person,

that

IK;

preaches

to

David was a man of the world, a man of strife and battle, a kino- \ v ho had great anxieties, mighty cares, and many trials, the most terrible of which came from his own chil dren. He was also a great sinner, and one of his sins was marked with an injustice, treachery, and cruelty rarely combined in one; act. But more, he was for a time blind and hardened, if others.

not dishonest, with reference to this very sin for when the Nathan told him that prophet ;

touching parable which anyone knowing the circumstances would have at once applied to him, he gets into a rage with another whose imagined sin would have been as nothing com And yet David became the pared to his own.

model penitent, a good hater of

and a great By religious study or medi tation, for he tells us again and again that God, His law, His testimonies, His works, were his meditation: often, break of day and

saint.

And how

sin,

?

"

"at

the

Teresa, together,

"in

He

anticipated a saying of St. that meditation and sin cannot live

night."

when he

"

wrote,

Unless

Thy

law

my

had been

meditation,

hud then perhaps

I

to

wish, however,

I

call

special

perished."

exercises of which attention to two spiritual meditated in the night himself informs us, was exercised and with my own heart; Let us rest for a moment 1

"

1

1

my

cleansed

spirit."

the night, that is, alone with God, talking in silence and solitude, world and all that and listening to Him; the shut out. could distract carefully for a good meditation,

meditated

"

on

this text.

1

in

circumstances necessary should place and in which we, when meditating, meditated "with I ourselves as best we can.

my own I

that

heart,"

could not do

it

is,

the

by proxy.

work was

my own;

God will not, and for me independ

it no olh ,r person can, make do if done at all, I must myself ently of myself work cost was exercised," that is, the it ;

"I

me

labour,

time,

mortification,

repaid

me

means

of meditation

well.

Ho-htview of

my God

soul

and

"I

my sins, life

Ao-ain the

cleansed

but the ^result

my

spirit,

was made to take the and to cleanse and purify I

of everything displeasing Psalmist writes

1

:

Royal

O Lord, that meditated on Thy works, buried them not forget them, and 1

I

might in

my

NECESSITY OF MED ITA TION heart

that

I

might not

sin

for

37

ever"

(Ps.

cxviii.).

David against

us here ho\v he protected himself the words and practically forfeit in tells

-4-

truths of

God, nameh

by meditating on them and again again, and, by doing so, burying them in his heart, and having in them that great supernatural power which made him a good hater ot

,

sin.

a mystery how many Catholics, well the truths of God, and their

It

is

know

who own

responsibility in connection with them, forget, \Vould it be too ignore, or act against them.

much to say that they like to forget th^m, because they touch the ugly tiling in their souls and lives that something wish O in which thcv j to and with which dislike indulge they any one interfering, that in which they would be bound to practise mind about it? if,

words so as

God

s

make

forgetfulness of them im meditated on them often so as to bury

possible;

to

in their hearts,

living,

active,

Acting

in

ever."

Xow

if

David, they meditated often on

like

them

they took God s this could not happen

self-denial

this

not as dead things, but as

working

realities

way, they would

and powers. "not

sin

for

remark alluded to in the earlier that this pages may be made here, namely, so insisted on by religious study or meditation, the to Israelite, is still more (iod as In passing, a

necessary

Many, if not all, necessary for the Catholic. when reading the inspired history of the Jewish been surprised and amazed people, must have how this nation could have ever forgotten God, could have

outraged,

insulted,

and

rebelled

had seen, heard, against Him, after they of the body senses the with tasted and touched, manifesta external those wondrous, miraculous, which

tions

He

had worked,

in

benefit -manifestations

special

love, for their to

which

He

and again called their attention by all prophet and preacher. Still, notwithstanding have to when miracle after miracle ought

again this,

to lose or to be impossible for them weakened in their faith, or remiss in the observ

made

it

ance of their law, many of them as individuals, and at times the nation itself, fell away and insulted God by adopting the grossest forms of The cause of this was, as we know, idolatry. to meditate on God s words that they neglected

and works, and so He died out of their hearts and lives. Let us now contrast with them a certain

NECESSIT Y OF

The

class of Catholics.

MEDITA T1ON latter

39

have the

gift of

a higher and surer testimony than that of the senses. They also believe in truths of a more sublime order, and some of them of the Jewish dis greater miracles than any What comparison is there between pensation. the Manna and the Blessed Sacrament, the

which

faith,

is

and sacraments of the old and the new law, the Jewish Church and ours? The former were mere types and figures and shadows sacrifices

of the latter.

St.

Paul calls the former

"weak

and needy elements, which could bring nothing to

perfection"

(Gal.

iv.

9).

He

also tells us,

x. 6, Kpistle to the Corinthians that the former "were done in a figure of

in his First

that for

we should not covet

evil

things,"

1 1,

us,

"written

whom the ends of the And yet many Catholics

our correction, upon

earth have

come."

in their want of fidelity to from the same cause and His and God law, want of meditation. Besides, meditation is more necessary to the Catholic than it was to Catholics have the Jew, for this obvious reason not that naturally more attractive and powerful testimony which made dogma almost evident to the Jews by means of sensible, exterior, strik

outdistance the Jews

:

ing miracles

;

whilst,

on the other hand, the only

VETERA ET NOVA

40

which Catholics can bring home the great supernatural and spiritual truths of God and make them a power in their lives is by

way

ill

using the spiritual meditation.

Let us now pass

we

shall see

how

New

to the

true

of

faculties

God

is in

soul

the

in

Testament, and it to His teach

In the Gospel of St. Luke we ing in the Old. read that when our LOR! drew near to the city

He wept over it, and pronounced Jerusalem her awful doom. The days shall come upon and enemies shall cast a trench about thee, thy thee, and compass thee round and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee Hat to the ground, "

and thy children who are not leave

in

the

in thee,

thee a stone on a

and they

stone."

I

shall

lethen

reason which

brought this fearful Because she did not punishment upon her. know the things that were for her peace, did

gives

"

know the time of her visitation." Our Lord, when lit- so wept and spoke, had in mind

not

the repeated exhortations and warnings of prophets whom lie had sent, and which

the.

He

Himself had been repeating for three years; the forgetting, ignoring, unheeding of which was the cause of ruin to city and people. They did not

know

the things that were for their peace.

NECESSITY OF MEDITATION

41

and the time of their visitation, because they had neglected that study, consideration, medita tion

which would have

"laid

to their

hearts"

the truths of God, and would have made those truths powerful for in their lives.

good

Our Lord teaches says

to the Jews,

My words, will

free

the

know

you

same

truth

viii.;,!

when He

you continue (abide) in bo My disciples indeed you ;

the truth, and the truth will

(John

word

will

this

"If

).

make you

\V e know the meaning of

"continue" ("abide");

that

is,

to

remain permanently in a So, to be true, place. real, not sham, disciples of our divine Model, we must abide in and live always according to His truth. To do this is morally impossible for the majority of Catholics, without meditation. Like to David, they must meditate again and again on the truths of God, and, by doing so, not forget them, and bury them in their hearts that they may not sin for ever. And, after all, it a man live one to the truth of day according God because he believes in it as the only true rule and standard of life and overcomes himself to do so, he admits that he should do so all the

days of his life. Again, our Lord condemns in strong and con He calls them fools those temptuous words

VETERA ET NOVA

42

who hear

the:

but do not do

James to marked way. St.

word, and

He

it.

instruct

know

therefore

it,

also inspired His Apostle us on this point in a very

of the word, not For it a hearers only, deceiving yourselves. man be the hearer of the word, and not a doer, to a man beholding his IK- shall be "

Be ye doers

compared

own countenance

in

a

for

glass;

he beheld

and went his way, and presently forgot Hut he who what manner of man he was. law of liberty, and into the

himself,

hath looked perfect not becoming a forgetful therein, hath continued this man shall hearer, but a doer of the word,

be blessed

in his

deed."

not do to

It will

know

that words and truths of God, to admit wise and beautiful as they are true, they are as that there is to clearly see and acknowledge and lite out of keeping something in my soul must not I so. with them, and then leave it life and reference to spiritual

the

act

my

with

as did the foolish man pictured by appearance, state. with reference to his physical St.

lames

He looks

into a mirror,

and

is

obliged by the

that his to testimony of his senses to be, soiled, countenance is not what it ought and with this knowledge he dirty, neglected, and forgets all about it and applies goes his way

admit

NECESSITY OF MEDlTA TlON

43

no remedy. I should act like the wise man, who, looking into the perfect law of God," and "

something in me opposed I must not become but should admit my fault, forgetful hearer," put my hand to work, correct it and continue in correcting, and protecting myself against it. Moreover, it is a divine saying, "The doers seeing that there to,

in

violation

is

of,

it,

"a

I

of

the word, not the hearers, will be

justified."

must be acknowledged, I fear, that many Catholics do not really know the things that are for their peace here and hereafter do not know the times and ways of God s visita tions who know is law, but do not abide and live according to it who must confess that they are guilt} of transgressions against it, and yet live on so lor years to the end, even to the. hurried death-rush for salvation which often marks it. Why all this? The old answer want oi study, consideration, meditation. For with It

:

I

;

I

;

:

out this will act

it

is

like

scarcely possible

men

truly

that Catholics

convinced of the awful

responsibility of accepting the truths of God, ot the great sin it is to lead a life opposed to

even one of them, and of the terrible eternal

consequences of doing so. But example is better than precept, and

is

VETERA ET NOVA

44

the

most

effective

of

All the. preachers. of the old law were

patriarchs and prophets men of prayer and of religious thought. Many of them came: out of the sile:nce- and solitude o1

desert or mountain to preach their mission to Our divine Model, model of each the people.

and every state, secular, priestly, and religious, had the habit of retiring into mountains or into lonely places like Gethsemani, in order He, like His to spend the night in prayer. meditated great ancestor and type, David, St. Luke Heart. own His in the night with us a hint of the meditative spirit of the when he: tells us twice once Blessed

"ives

Virgin

words spoken to her by the shepherds of Bethlehem, and again after the words spoken to her by her Divine Son when found in the: after the

"

temple

:

And Mary

kept

all

these words, pon-

her Jieart. S them \Ye: know how weak, cowardly, and wanting in simple faith, the: Apostles were to the last hour A short time before our Lord was with them. r dcrin<

in

(

His ascension, "He upbraided them for their of heart" (Mark xvi. incredulity and hardness But they were to be changed into different 1

4).

men when

they received

"the

Holy Ghost coming upon them

power of the and so they "

;

NECESSITY

O/-

MEDITATION

45

were, for they went forth strong, fearless, bnive, and "witnessed to Christ in all Juda-a and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the

even to the, shedding of their blood. But how did they, under their Master s direc tion, prepare themselves for this miraculous visitation and transformation? They returned of Mount the Ascension, from the to Jerusalem and when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where they abode persevering with one mind in prayer, with the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and His brethren." earth,"

"

In a word, they went into

and made a ten days

on Pentecost Day, when the descended upon them all assembled Holy Ghost a spiritual exercise in one place (Acts ) retreat, finishing

i.

perpetuated

This

truth,

meditation, action

submit

in

is

i

i

Church

to this day.

the importance and necessity of evident from the teaching and

\Ve are bound to her decisions under the severest

of the to

the

Church.

when defined dogmas

are in question also to receive, with respectful obedience, her sanction,

;

when she does not use her infallible; With similar respect and defining power. submission we should receive the views of the Church, when she gives them to us, on spiritual mind, even

or ascetical subjects, or on

the

means which

for she considers to be important or necessary children the sanctification and salvation of her ;

nay

more,

the

man

who would

set

up

his

hers on such a subject would opinion against but would not only act foolishly and wrongly, Let us first take one be in error. certainly a very class

numerous

and perfection

training,

class

in

the formation,

of which

the Church

interest, namely, naturally takes a very special \\ ith and Religious men and women. of the mind reference to all these;, we have the

Priests,

in the Church on the necessity of meditation were who gifted and writings of all those on this to speak safely and surely

graced

as follows put this argument one bishop, or If yon find for me one pontiff, who gave attention to or body of bishops, the formation of Priests legislated concerning founder of a religious order, Religious, one has not or one "spiritual writer of name, who medita of the necessity insisted on this truth,

matter.

I

may

:

or"

Consider for give up the proposition. all ecclesi in a moment the rule and practice houses. Why, astical seminaries and religious book. the of head the at meditation is written not only inThe students and novices are

tion,

I

NECESSITY OF MEDITATION structeel as to the

the

47

necessity of meditation and but they are drilled it,

manner of making

into the practice of it. The last tiling at night are the points, that the first tiling in the morn

may be

the meditation.

most rigorously insisted on, in order that Priests and Religious may become adepts and experts in it ing

All this

is

before they have; to face the world, that they may the more easily keep up the habit of it

when they

have,

to

take

part

in

the active

works of their mission or order works often the occasion of dangerous temptations when they will need meditation more, and when there will be more obstacles in its way than

when they were comparatively

and pro Suppose a were and that there was discovered, picture doubt as to its worth or value, or a law point in question, what should one think of a person who would set aside the unanimous opinion of the best artists or the most eminent lawyers, and adopt that of a boor who never saw a So picture, or was perfectly ignorant of law? if a Priest or Religious were foolish or mad tected

enough

in

to

safe

training homes.

subjectively convince

himself that

it what you study was not necessary, he would be bound to

meditation, will

their

religious

call

VRTERA

48

/:/

NOVA

under his feet, and act is the mind against it, so clearly and decidedly of C.od and His Church opposed to his on Paul exhorts Timothy, and St. this truth. meditate on through him all ecclesiastics, to the truths of (iod that he may continue in and

put

conviction

his

he faithful to them, that he may save his own And St. and those who hear him. soul written DC considcratiom\ Bernard, in his letter, to

former

his

expresses a

disciple,

that

fear

and distractions of miid-it

i>

ive

become hard

his

Pope "amidst

Ku^enius the.

in.,

solicitude

hi^h and divine oihce he

so up meditation, and by cloin^ of

heart."

But now, turning to seculars, we may confi writers are very decided dently say that spiritual the

persons living in world, particularly the educated and wealth} often are, to more than the exposed, as they and dangers, must be men ordinary temptations

in

their

opinion

that

,

of thought, consideration, meditation, religious to be really ^ood Catholics. study, if they desire

The arguments adduced above from

Holy

Hell hath opened

its Scripture apply to and people, mouth wide for kin^s and princes the And the for as well as thoughtless priests. directed were words of our Lord and St. all.

James

SSir to

those

who

]

(

11-

ME

I)

ITA TION

4v

no matter of what state. history of the book of The Spiritual Exercises furnishes us with another proof. St. Ignatius is supposed to have been raised up to counteract a false reformation by a believe,

The

authority.

For this statement we have hi-di With a view to this purpose, he

composed

his

true one.

well

known

book of The book which, accord in g to the opinion of friends and enemies, has influenced the morals of the world more It contains perhaps than any book written. an elaborately worked-out system of spiritual Spiritual Exercises

-

a

along with a series extending over a month.

What was

Saint

this

of

study,

s

intention in

composing

meditations

book

?

the

Was

simply and solely for the formation of Priests and Religious ? Certainly not though it is most useful to and much used He by both. intended it for all. (i) That they might fjiul out the state of life, be it secular, religious, or priestly, to which they were called God. it

;

(2) That they might be helped faithful and true to their state.

read the St.

iSth

and iQth

by

to live If

anyone

"Annotations,"

Ignatius, in order "to help as well as him who receives the gives

by

4

always will

written

him who Spiritual

VETERA ET NOVA

5o

exercises,"

Saint

he

how

directs

given to men and necessary learning and

learn

will

"taken

the

be

up with public affairs

men

business,

ability,"

should

exercises

the

For

this.

all

of considerable

as well as to

"untutored

and illiterate persons of limited understanding, The exer and naturally of little capacity." cises should

be,"

he continues, "accommodated

to the age, learning, talent, disposition, purpose so that each may get "what etc.,"

sought, could help," and not get what he could bear, and by which he could not profit."

Pope Paul cura,"

most

"

in., in

the brief, the

speaks

of

fitted to

move

not

"Pastoralis officii

exercises

spiritual

the minds of

\\\z

as

faithful

were found extremely

That "they and salutary for the spiritual consola Also, tion and advancement of the faithful the at request that having the book examined and of Duke Gandia, having of Francis Borgia, and and sanctity, of learned that it was full piety for the edification and useful and

to

piety."

useful

"

salutary

very

spiritual

advancement of the

faithful, he,

own

of his apostolical authority, and, ledge, approved, praised,

the

exercises

them, strongly

and

by

certain

by

his

know

brief,

everything exhorting in our

protected contained in

Lord

all the

NECESSI1 Y OF MEDITA TION

5

r

faithful of both sexes, wherever they may be, to use such pious documents and spiritual exercises, and be devoutly instructed by them."

Here pose

the Sovereign Pontiff explains the pur and the persons for whom, the

for which,

exercises were composed, namely, the sanctiiication and salvation of "all the faithful of both

And

sexes."

it

thousands of the

when making

no exaggeration

is

faithful

to

say that

use them every year

or attending missions, always with good, often with remarkable and All this brings before us the lasting results.

mind

of

retreats

the Church,

us

by the Sovereign Pontiff, with reference to the neces sity and advantage of meditation on the great divine truths for all. There are thousands also of the faithful

who

use

given

to

some of

the spiritual

exercises every clay, and find in them, speci ally in the meditation and particular examen, a powerful protection against sin and tepidity, and the best helps to a higher sanctity.

There is another reason or argument in favour of the necessity of meditation, stronger in one sense than any yet given, because we can bring experience.

he

is,

it

home

Woe

own who who makes

ourselves by our to the man, no matter to

Priest, Religious,

or secular,

5

2

I

E TE KA E T XO VA

of that terrible power which low material things working through the senses can get over What is the the soul of man for his ruin.

little

history of sin but the history of this

What

is

intemperance?

power

?

The power which

that material thing called wine, "which shineth in the glass and goeth in pleasantly," gets over

and by a fool and then What is avarice, on one hand, and a beast." money speculations on the other, but What the power which gold gets over man? s one means, is extravagance, living beyond

man

to

make him

"by

<>ambling

but the power which worldly show, expensive amusements, sensual enjoyments get over man ? So of injustice, of lust, of sloth, of any other sin

you

like.

savs,

God

"Give

and they

Mere power,

will

to

tells

us of this soul

your

make you

power when

He

its

concupiscences, a joy to your enemies.

and fatal earthly things have this great immedi us to home come because they

of the; senses, and therefore in ately by means most natural, and most naturally the easiest,

pleasing

way

;

and the man who makes little of the hands of such a power must

or plays into become the slave of

some low

passion.

Now

we cannot hold our own against this power unless we have at hand a counteracting power

NECKS SIT

()/

\

MFJUTA TION

53

than it. And this power we can and maintain acquire only by bringing home, our hearts, and making fixing in working

stronger

realities in (Kir lives,

the great truths of (iod. as these; are spiritual and do not affect us by the senses, we can do so only by using the

And

spiritual faculties of the soul,- in other words, by meditation. Mere faith won t do. If Catholics an; to be met with who believe; in the awful, the terrible, and the loving truths of (rod, and

yet dishonour them they "do not think

in

their lives,

them

in

it

their

is

because hearts";

whereas, if we could study the inner lives of those who light legitimately all their enemies,

and are

solidly fixed in virtue, we should find that they were persons who pri/ed and prac tised meditation.

Another argument

in favour of meditation be stated as follows: One cause or reason may ot our of our falling away, relapsing into our is a sin, special practical forgetfulness of our selves, of our inherent weakness and corrup tion, and also of our enemies and of their

cunning,

insidious,

plausible,

and

attractive

We

are at times often after a good ways. confession or retreat so conscious of our own

weakness, so alive to the tactics of our enemies,

VETERA ET NOVA

54

so

ashamed

so fixed in in

we ever succumbed to them, our resolves, that we believe defeat that

the future to

time, we;

are.

be,

alter a impossible; and yet,

at their

Because we

mercy again.

foolishly

think,

we have ke.pt now so strong

perhaps, as that we ant

so

Why

this?

self-complacently good for a time,

as to be invincible,

and that our enemies have

lied,

never to come

we

are naturally \Ye forget that as weak as ever, and that our enemies never

near us again.

for the cunningly keeping out of our way time, but really near and watching us in order blow, or to make another to have another

die,

assault,

if

we

give the opportunity.

must be said that there are Catholics who admit and cannot help admitting that they have a weak point through which their enemy It

often entered

before,

who

at

the

same

time;

most dishonestly like to forget or ignore their weak point and the power of the enemy, because they naturally dulge in the weakness. meditates

rightly

for

like

to enjoy

Now

and

a Catholic

in

who

good meditation amount of sell-study,

in

a

there ought to be a fair with a view to our study also of our enemies protection his

corrupt

could not forget that his weakness, inclinations to sensible material

NECESSITY OF MED ITA TION things, his his nature,

5 5

predominant passion, are part of and that his enemies, one particu

larly,

do not know how

knew

this.

One

to die.

The pagans

of their poets says,

"

Natur-

and recurrit expellis furca tamcn usque Tamen ad mores recurrit damnatos, another, "

am

;

"

and par ticular examen, when practically made, are the most necessary and effective helps to purity and holiness of soul and life, because they keep and eye and hand where they are most needed therefore ought to be, namely, on self and self s

fixa et

weak

mutari

nescia."

Meditation

point.

I shall give must who had at. any all from assent receive a ready time the habit of meditation, but now and then

The

last

argument which

Let such ask themselves, When gave it up. were they holiest and happiest and went to their work with humble yet strong and trustful heart ? The answer will be, When I was patiently true to meditation.

When

did

I

begin to

into imperfect, sinful courses

of or practically

?

drift

When

I

away made

Everything up. has this who one good may habit, and everything evil may be feared in him who has not. It is a Ooreat Ograce to have a

little

gave

be hoped for

it

in

delicate conscience about meditation.

CHAPTER

VII

DIFFICULTIES

WE

now

shall

consider

some

difficulties

which

touch this subject, meditation. These suggest themselves to persons who, through ignorance,

cannot see the weakness of them, nor answer

them

;

who

or

like to entertain

spirit, in

deluding

them, in a selforder to excuse themselves

for the non-practice of (

I

i

)

1 1

is

admit, and to

on. side.

we

it.

a hard, dry, uninteresting work.

This

address myself further But meditation has an easy and pleasant All

it

I

will

depends on the subjects upon which As a rule we do nothing de

meditate.

as a

human

act, without meditation meditation being the study of certain premises, and rightly concluding from them. It is true

liberate,

that

and

we sometimes clearly

that

;

see the conclusion so quickly we do not advert to the

premises and reasoning which had really gone Let me take a few homely examples. on. A

DIFFICULTIES

man wishes

He

buy a horse.

to

the purpose for which

57

consider

will

he intends him

dray.

carriage, riding, hunting, etc., the price- he can

and

is

ready to give.

With

these;

in

mind, he

examine a number of animals, and buy that one which he believes is best suited to the work and to his purse. A person is about to take, a will

He

vacation.

him

will

most.-- of

consider what would please home or foreign of O

countries,

the money he places, cities, silvan scenery, etc., can spend, and the time at his and disposal, then comes to that conclusion which, all

things

deems the best, and carries it out. The same may be said of buying a coat, or a dress, or of most other Now things we do. we; have merely to the same faculties employ in a similar way on spiritual subjects, and we considered, he

have meditation. I consider, for instance, the malice, the moral turpitude of sin, that it is the only evil, an insult and outrage offered to God, bad in its consequences to him who commits it even in this world, and terrible in its

eternal

forced on

keep

A

consequences.

me

to get rid of it clear of it, to avoid the

lead up to to do so

conclusion

if

on

my

is

soul, to

temptations which

it, ;

to practically hate

or

I

it,

and

I

resolve

studv God, the Creator,

the

VKTKRA A

5S

Father, the

NOVA

7"

Lover, or the awful sufferings of

and a truth is forced on me as to the relations which should exist between them and me, and then, like; an honest honourable man, purpose to establish such, all if necessary, and to uphold them through our

Lord,

1

my

liie.

At the same little

time,,

do not wish

I

to

make

of certain difficulties, natural to us, with

reference to meditation, on spiritual subjects as compared to that on material worldly ones. First, material sensible

things

come home tons

so easily, so powerfully, and often so pleasantly through the senses, that meditation on spiritual things, by means of spiritual faculties of the (a} Because the and latter difficult, requires a greater Because we mental labour than the. former. call the easy are so spoiled by what may

soul,

placed at a discount.

is

is

more

(/>)

I

education of the senses, that inclined

to

resent

obliged to believe in

we

are naturally

and rebel against being and to be influenced by

those things which we cannot see, touch, taste, In a word, the use in medita hear, or feel. tion of the faculties of the soul, in order to

make our

the

lives,

great is

more

truths

of

difficult

God

practical

than the use

of

in

the

DlI

senses with

Put

it

in

l

ICULTIES

reference

this

way

:

to

its

59

special

objects.

God, essentially a

Spirit,

a far greater reality in every way than an earthly king, emperor, or than the Sovereign is

Pontiff,

who all

are sensible objects.

He

is

also

Faith tells me all infinitely above them all. this. Moreover, when I am making meditation, am in His presence and in converse with Him. Now I would not like to be asked, Were you I

always as careful of respect, of reverence, of what you thought, of what you said, and how you said it, when in audience with God as you would certainly be if in audience with an

emperor or the Sovereign

Pontitl

Again, when we meditate

?

or talk to

God

with

the desire of becoming better Catholics, God does not say pleasant or complimentary things contrary. He is for ever calling our attention to that something, be it great or to us.

On

the?

which is u^ly in our souls and lives that something which is a barrier between Him and us that something o which is an obstacle in the of that way perfection which He desires of us.

little,

He

calls our attention to it, that we may remove and place ourselves thoroughly right with Him. But this is the verv thinoJ O we naturally dislike to do. We do not like to look on the it

>

VR TRRA R T NO VA

f,o

ugly

on

tiling,

the obstacle, the

naturally like if

take

\ve

it

God

and s

and

soul

imperfect tiling in

life,

like to indulge

view.

we

are,

the

barrier,

because,

we

Besides,

it.

bound

to

admit

that we should sacrifice it. break it, our idol, to \ve cannot do without labour, piece s, and this

the very things we In a word, the sinful matter naturally hate. to which God calls our attention is naturally so

self-denial,

mortification

and the supernatural treatment of it is so distasteful, that we dislike meditation, which in Or we sists on our fixing eye and hand on it. medita are making persuade ourselves that we tion when we are, in a vague way, looking here and then- and everywhere, and most dishonestly wishes overlooking the very point to which God

liked,

and

The

directs us to look.

home home

to us

by God

to us

in real

in

truth, as

brought

meditation, and brought

love,

is

naturally bitter.

It

touches us on the sore point, about which we are most sensitive, and about which we would So wish that even God would let us alone. the truth, that, with the true instinct of our corrupt nature, we turn away from it, try to more, we are get rid of or to ignore it; nay inclined to be up in arms against Him who bitter

is

speaks

to

us

of

it.

When

St.

Paul

(Acts

DIFFICULTIES xxiv.

61

discoursing before the judge Lelix, he spoke of certain virtues which called 25)

w;is

to his (Felix mind ugly things in his life, ) hence he at once got rid of St. Paul. And our Lord once said to the Jews, do Why you seek to kill Me, the man who has spoken the "

truth to

you?"

(John

viii.

naturally distasteful, for the

make

should

40).

Meditation

is

very reasons which

supernaturally attractive and profitable, namely, because it fixes the eye and hand on the ugly things in soul and life, and it

presses the necessity of mortification

in

order

remove them.

Because it brings home to us truths naturally most David is unpalatable. a signal example of this. When the prophet drew his attention to his terrible sin, he turns away, will not admit it, and becomes indignant with a fabled sin and sinner. There is a good deal of Felix, of David, and of the Jews in the to

best of us. (2)

a

I

here

is

common one

a second objection or complaint which, perhaps more than any

make little of meditation or to give it up. Meditation, they say, is not only a dull heavy work, but more, it does me other, causes persons to

no good.

I

get no

pious feelings.

St.

no holy thoughts, no Teresa gives us, in a few

lights,

VETRRA ET NOVA

62

value of meditation, words, her estimate of the when she and of this temptation to abandon it, The greatest temptation of my life was wrote, of the desola to give up meditation because "

tion

I

suffered

;

be.

true

therefore to medita

and you shall gain through all desolation, Meditation is no doubt a dull heavy heaven but I will think sort of work to flesh and blood, labour, worth the doing, it it worth the tion,

"

patient

if not necessity, importance, -as stated and proved in the- preceding pages,and there with a view to my eternal salvation even at great cost. fore a work to be held on to difficulties, should bear in mind that all these due to drawbacks, etc, may be in great part in using the ordinary my neglect or carelessness of a fruitful means necessary for the making Moreover, if meditation require meditation. and senses, a mortification of the imagination

bear

1

mind

in

its

;

1

fair

amount

and

self

better

if

which devoid

is

I

of watching

much the from beginning to end, so The hard meditation, them. practise and therefore throughout a struggle,

of

sensible

worked through, best

and fighting distractions

The

me makes

is

consolation,

the

most

labour, trouble, it

etc.,

more pleasing

if

solid

to

patiently and the

which

God

it

costs

more

DIFFICULTIES

63

and meritorious to myself. Persons will and consolation in the truth that courage

helpful find

the hard meditation

had nothing-

is

the best.

else to offer to

God

If a

it

but the self - denying- patience with

he

made

to

Him.

it,

Again,

his offering

which would be very pleasing

devotional

lights,

person

at the close of

feelings,

sensible;

no way to the essence consolation, belong of a good meditation, (iod sometimes gives oftener lie does not. As a rule they them, do not last long and if we get attached to them, they are almost always taken away. in

;

Spiritual

writers

warn

us

against

certain

dangers which attend on sensible consolations in

prayer.

Ignatius does so formally in his rules Discretion of Spirits." Some, when under the influence of sensible consolations, St.

lor

"the

pass easily into vain self-complacent thoughts.

They go

ballooning as

visited or petted to

those

sensible

by

if

God

;

they were specially others get attached

consolations

because

they sweeten, make pleasant the work of meditation. They identify them with the work

lighten,

they were of its essence. They become Hence, when these sensible spoiled by them. as

if

64

when the dry, hard, feelings pass away, and desolate stale sets in, they give up the work because

now

is

it

so

and because they

dull,

imagine that there 1 can be no real prayer without them. hey not themselves, seek and love to have come me Let (iod and iod s work, in their prayers.

most

and

falsely

foolishly

(

say once for all, that lights, gushing feelings, of the burning words, tears, etc., arc- in no way nature or substance of prayer nay more, the ;

the

absence of them, patiently

borne,

merit to prayer. dark, desolate

command

Again, he

make

to

can also turn

a

own

life,

soul

and

a

gives

state

desolate

dull

if

special

if

additional

a person be in a dry,

still

,

state,

has grace at his

lie good meditation. amount of light on his because of the knowledge

a

fair

and experience he has of both, can form a true and come to judgment, have a right feeling, the correct

conclusion as to the bettering of

both. I

to give here the substance of rules which St. Ignatius has left us on

think

some

"Spiritual

it

well

Consolation"

because under difficulty

lation,"

consolation as

"

they

and

touch

Spiritual Deso the subject or

consideration.

some

He

defines

interior motion excited

DIFFICULTIES the soul by which it comes to be inflamed with the love of God, so much so that it can in

love nothing created in itself, but only in the Creator of all. Likewise, when tears burst forth

it to the love of Gocl, whether from they spring grief for sins committed, or from the Passion of Christ our Lord, or from any other consideration directly ordained to His service or praise." Also, "Any kind of interior joy which calls and attracts men to

urging

heavenly that

is

He

things."

defines desolation,

"All

contrary to the above, as darkness,

and

disgust of soul, an attraction towards low and earthly things, agitations and temptations which urge the soul to diffidence, without hope or love." "When the soul finds itself slothful, tepid, God."

sad, and,

as

it

Theik amongst

were, separated from the reasons why we

find ourselves in desolation, the third

"

is,

That

God may give us a true knowledge by which we may intimately perceive that it is not in our power to acquire or retain excessive devo tion, ardent love, tears, or any other kind of spiritual consolations, but that all

favour of

God

our Lord

;

a gift or and to teach us not is

build our nest in anot/iers ho^l$c by allow ing our intellect to be lifted up to any kind of

to

5

VETRRA ET NOVA

66

to ourselves pride or vainglory by attributing or other kinds of spiritual feelings of devotion

consolation. that prayer in itsell Ignatius teaches us or desolation, and independent of consolation St.

is

should be kept so by him great patience and

who

trust

in

prays, exercising during the

God

time of desolation, great humility and fear of self in time of consolation. us may bring this truth well home to two me Let suppose in the following way one. of whom on arising in the, morning persons, would rather go to his meditation or prayer It has not only a else. than to

We

:

anything

but for, supernatural attraction likes and, He it, easy to him.

is

naturally

he rightly makes it, though not costing him much, it will redound to God s honour and his own spiritual The other, when he awakes at the if

profit.

moment

for

arising,

slothfully in bed, or,

would much rather stay if he gets up, take a book,

a newspaper, loll in his chair, or go at once to some external work which he naturally likes.

has sound principles with reference to meditation and prayer, and lie believes that acts according to them. beGod, out of love, wishes him to meditate

But no

;

he

is

a

man who

DIFFICUL TIES

67

cause

it is necessary for him, because he cannot on and hold his own against his enemies get

without

it that it is a means fixed by (iod with a view to his perfection, etc. Hence, right dead against his natural will he sets himself to the work, and labours patiently and reverently He does not allow through it to the end. distractions to become wilful. f has no >

I

(

sensible consolation- -desolation, perhaps; work is so much against his nature.

the

Now,

will

anyone dare

second person

to say that the prayer of this is not as good as that of the

not be safely asserted that it is many reasons, and, above all, for the mortifications and self-denial which he first?

much

-may

it

better for

practised

in

order to

make

it?

I

Ie

conquered

himself and did hard things in order to honour and please (iod, and to effect that about which (iod is most anxious -the; salvation of his own

A person who keeps to meditation when he has sensible consolation, and gives it up

soul.

when

this

on, like

all

passes away, cannot be depended are influenced by mere feeling;

who

whereas a person who "through all

who

will

trusted.

is

desolation" is

true

a

to

man

meditation of principle,

never give the practice up and can be To the saying, Meditation does "

VRTRKA ET NOVA or

little

sounds (iod for not

,

we

no

I

should

good,"

A

like

means

blasphemy. our -ood does no good!

shall find the

cause

This

answer,

fixed If

in ourselves,

it

by

does not

in

Hut even a meditation care the meditation. made is better than no meditation at all. lessly

CHAPTER

VIII

CKRTAIN INDUSTRIES WHICH MAY \YIIKX

I

DO

not

intend

US

IIKLl

MKDLTATl\<;

to

say

as

anything"

system and manner of meditation

to

the

Yvhich a

in

person should be educated or should educate This is done, certainly ought to he himself. with care and fulness, in ecclesiastical done;,

Seminaries and nor Religious ;

schools,

colleges,

Novitiates, is

it

Priests

for

neglected

and convents,

and

Catholic

in

which

in

in

structions on this subject, suitable to persons called to live in the world, are given supple ;

mented afterwards by

retreats

attended.

there

Besides,

made

arc;

or missions

many

cheap and easy to get, which treat matter, and Confessors can do much. merely

give

myself

to

suggesting

books, of I

this will

what

1

to lighten call Industries," which may help and sweeten a naturally dull and heavy work, "

without interfering with or injuring

its

substance.

VETERA

70

I .T

NOl A

be found helpful to those who find, as most of us do, that meditation faithfully kept to is the hardest of all our private These- industries

duties.

spiritual

will

Bonaventure tells us that when making his meditationSt.

he was often like: to a chained dog tugging to get away, hut held on by the chain of his rule. Selection

First Industry.

of

the

subject.

who

out practise meditation soon find that they have, in this matter of spiritual food,

Persons

a special palate. They that certain subjects or

come

to

class of

know and

feel

subjects suit

Some

them better

than

perhaps like meditating on

best and derive most benefit from

others.

-the

few,

Xovissima," the last things, the terrible truths, and on (iod as studied under Others find these subjects useless their aspect. "

the-.

;

of our they prefer scenes from the early lite His most or Lord, or His parables, striking-

words, or

still

more

1

sufferings, and Some like a

lis

as manifested by these.

Mis lovebook ot

meditations for every day in the year others Imitation oi prefer the New Testament, the others use book Christ, or some suggestive ;

;

Some

soon discover that a certain way of looking at and studying the with God, of subject, of getting on close terms

no book

at

all.

1ND US TRIES WHICH

.

\

I

A

HEL 1 US

7 \

7

1

Him, comes more to them than naturally and easily and sweetly and improve to let them If other ways. so, keep on the subjects and ways which they learn from experience suit them best.

talking

;uul

In saying suspected of

the

to

listening

all

do not wish

I

little

making

preparatory

for grace that

this,

prayer,

my

all

of

operations (during ordained purely to the

be

preludes,

"asking

intentions,

the

to

"

Lord actions, and our

meditation)

may be

and praise of

service

His divine Majesty," or of the- second prelude, wish ask of God our Lord that which and desire." This petition ought to be accord I

"to

presume we ing to the subject-matter. should always ask the grace to make a good meditation, and the grace suggested by or which we meditate. special to the subject upon "the The first composition of place," I

when

prelude, rightly used,

is

This helpful. in sensible visible things,

useful

and

composition of place is, see with the eyes of the imagination" the on is place where the thing O I wish to meditate found, "such as the temple, the mountain, "to

I

meditation on "In supper -room, invisible things, such as the meditation on sin,

the

it

will

etc."

be to

see,

with the eyes of the imagina-

VETERA ET NOVA

72

tion,

my

soul

in

imprisoned

body, and the two together

this

corruptible of misery,

in this vale

it were in exile among brute beasts." This first prelude, the composition of place, if used, should be the subject of only a few minutes it may be made too much of and become an

as

;

obstacle.

A

fact

is

told of a

who, when meditating on

young Religious

Last Supper, gave the whole hour to the composition of place, "because," as he said, "he could not get our Lord out of a draught." These preludes are means to an end therefore, if a person is the

:

caught up by God, united with Him in the first moment of his meditation, for such often he is certainly not to leave God and happens,

back to Him by means of preludes, as the end for which these are intended has There should be been gained without them. no iron-bar rule let persons select those sub jects, that manner of treating them, which they find best suited to their character and spirit. That food for the body which pleases the palate, and naturally insinuates and assimilates try to get

;

the physical constitution, is the best so persons use spiritual food, and use it in the

itself to let

;

best suits their spiritual palate and brings home, in the sweetest and easiest way,

way which

INDUSTRIES WHICH and strength

light

MAY HELP

US

73

These remarks

to the soul.

made

are intended not for beginners, but for those who, after the experience and practice of time, have found out their

just

special spiritual

taste.

to

Second Industry. -The time we should give meditations, and the best time for

making

As

it.

to

persons

the

themselves,

shall

I

first,

aided

their ordinary confessor, will

of

merely say that by the; advice of be the best judges

can understand persons living in the I do not now of those bound speak by rule to a certain length of time making a better and more earnest meditation for a quarter than for half an hour. As to the second, there this.

I

world

for

common opinion, founded upon that the best time is the reasons, good morning, before a person is committed to the active and appears to be a

duties of the

Then; is a day. to the Priests of the old law which writers cite not as prov spiritual but as this time. ing "A fire upon suggesting the altar shall burn, and the Priest shall distracting

command given by God

always

feed time,

it,

putting

and

never go

this

out"

wood on is

everyday

the perpetual

(Lev.

or practice helps

it

vi.

12).

fire

at

morning

that shall

No spiritual

more than meditation

to

duty

keep

VETRRA RT NOVA

74

and

purifying

in

the.

soul,

powerful dread of allowing this

which with

and we fire

certainly will best fuel, and the if

it

strong and should have a

-race

inflaming

wane

to

we do time

or

go

out,

not provide to

do

this

however, an

it

is

evil

There is, of persons identifying comes or danger which that it morning time with meditation, namely, time."

"morning

reason,

it

We

day.

and

from a sufficient neglected, even to be lost for the is lost or supposed meditate, think of God can and

then

be

it

may

talk to

in

any time, and in any place, on board ship, walking carriage,

Him

railway along the road,

at

awake

at night,

alone

m

our

meditation own* room; and many who need are, as a rule, most, like Priests and Religious,

often

and much

alone.

God commanded

and in all chosen people to meditate frequently vi. 7). on His law, as we have, seen (1 )eut. places of

day. David mentions "morning," "break medi for as his favourite times and ^The morning if possible and con tating. or early night venient, but, if not, the evening "night"

before we second-best time, perhaps the have of the day, or after we begin the work

is

finished

it.

Third Industry.

~^\^

if

not all meditation

LVDCSTRIES WHICH MAY HELP US hooks give

three; points

;

75

St. Ignatius occasionally

by no means follows that one should, as a matter of course, O o through O all the points, even when he has prepared them over But

lour or live.

the teaching O f St. Ignatius as we in one of his additions That in a

It is

night.

have

it

it

"

:

which I shall find what desire there without rest, being anxious to proceed to have satisfied myself." That another, until point

in

I

J will

I

the very first point, or even in suppose dependently of it, I feel that God has given me the right thought and is speaking to me in

is,

me

Him in the most and not go on to helpful way, other have exhausted the one any point until in hand; if have not exhausted it more, nay or satisfied myself at the end of my fixed and giving

I

to

am

speak

to

to rest so, I

I

meditation

time, I should next morning and keep to

take it

it

up again have taken the honey and oil, till

I

the light and strength, all out of it. \Ve know, from notes found after his

all

death, that Cardinal Palavacini, S.

[.,

made

his

meditation morning after morning on the same subject for more than twenty years, namely, I he birst and Foundation," Principle called

The End

Creatures."

This

commonly I

.nd of

of

fact

Man and

the

should surprise

VETERA ET NOVA

7 (,

none who has experienced the great power there

in

is

this

The

meditation.

Cardinal, suited best

this

by experience that him most help, and spiritual palate, gave sent him in the proper dispositions to his daily work, rightly and most wisely kept to it.

learning Ins

of Fourth Industry. The posture or position medi make or may the body in which we should mind on this his us St. tation. gives

point

Ignatius the fourth addition of the first week. fourth addition is to enter on the contem

in

The

one time kneeling, at another prostrate on the earth or stretched on the ground with my

plation, at

ever face upwards, now seated, now standing, intent on seeking that which I desire." find that which I I kneeling or prostrate, etc.,

\Ye not try any other position." be should should bear in mind that the posture a good used as a means to the end, namely, a that me Let meditation. suppose practical ordi the meditation kneeling, person begins his want,

I

will

that

nary position, and the end sought, helpful towards finds

so to the finish.

But

it

time this kneeling position

becomes other,

it

suits

is

him remain

let

may be

and

that after a

onesome way or

not an easy in

trying, disturbing so as to interfere with the

quiet

and

MAY

INDUSTRIES WHICH mind

calm of the meditation

:

periment, try

if

so,

is

posture, till he finds are not to take a

We

the best for his work. it

77

and therefore with the he may or ought to ex

some other

posture because

HEI.r US

in

itself easiest

for

the

body, for this might soon end in drowsiness or sleep, but we may use it if we find that quiet to the

body in this position mind and best for the work.

also quiet to the It is noted that St.

is

name walking as one of the ways in which meditation may be; made, though he allows it when making the short examen Ignatius does not

on the meditation made. say

guided by

his

Still

principle

I

think that

I

may

pacing

quietly up and down one s room, one s garden, or in some retired place, would be allowed by This might him, provided it helped the work.

perhaps be the best way of fighting sleep or a strong inclination to it, particularly in summer time.

Bearing in mind St. about desolation, and that drysaying ness, dulness, absence of all sensible consolation desolation in some of its many forms which a hard and often make meditation distasteful work, it may be well to consider some industries which will help us through when in this state. Fifth

Teresa

s

Industry.

VE TRRA ET NO VA

78

St.

of

gives

Spirits"

ourselves

his rules for

in

Ignatius

desolation.

in

Discernment

"the

three reasons

why we

"The

first

is

find

from

because we are tepid, slothful, ourselves, and thus negligent in our spiritual exercises,

on account of our own spiritual

consolation."

from God,

"That

lie

deprived ot other two an;

faults are

The may try how much we

arc worth, and how much we progress in II is service and praise when deprived of a bountiful In pay of consolation and special graces."

we may show our fidelity to (iod by doing His will and work from love of Him, even when it is naturally hard, and that bounti we do not need to be induced by

other words, that

"a

"

pay of

ful

That

"He

and special graces. a true knowledge of us may give consolation

to require or retain powerless we are It excessive devotion, ardent love, tears, etc.

how is

most tried comforting to remember that the

often souls which were by desolation were most earnestly striving to become saints. With reference to the first cause, given by St. Ignatius, tion,

why we

namely,

sloth

the spiritual duties,

and easy.

Let

find ourselves in desola

and

negligence

remedy

us use

is

the

in

our

always at hand ordinary means,

INDUSTRIES WHICH MA Y HELP US prescribed by all spiritual writers, for If we use these, good meditation.

make

well

it

cannot. that

God but

It

;

if

we

neglect

all.

79

making

a

we must we

or even one,

cannot be borne too well

in

mind

we

use the ordinary means settled by for the doing of a work, we must succeed if

;

if

we do

not,

we

cannot,

(iod never helps means when the

by giving extraordinary ordinary are available and yet neglected.

All

and amongst them St. Ignatius, are strong, explicit, and minute; in their direc tions as to what we ought to do in order to spiritual writers,

good meditation. First of all, we should go to the work with a prepared mind.

secure "

a

Before

"

prayer,"

and be not

like

says (iod,

prepare thy mind,

one who tempts

In

(iod."

other words, neglect this ordinary means pre paredness of mind and you cannot succeed in making a good prayer nay more, you are like ;

one tempting God, that is, expecting Him to work a miracle or give you extraordinary help when you are neglecting the most important of

to

A good beginning an act of simple lively By

the ordinary.

is

work.

faith,

yourself

grace

to

in

the

make

always given

presence;

a

good

to those

of

(iod

;

meditation,

who

rigfitly

ask

half the

place the

ask a it

grace use ;

ET NOVA

VF.TRRA

So

and

clear

patience,

not creating

keeping grace in putting away etc., memory, of every thought, imagination, and the with work, do which have nothing to work then which, if indulged in, must injure it, this

through to the end distractions,

nor,

in

when

they come, wilfully and the meditation must be

entertaining them, or feel it is a good one? even though you think of sensible conso not, because of the absence

and

lation

of

a

certain

hard

drudgery

No

in

doubt,

on to the end. patiently holding renders neces the using of the ordinary means deal of mortification, of self-watcha

good

sary

senses, restraining the

fulness, larly,

we

memory, imagination,

thought that meditationmortification secures a good find consolation in the

shall

this

shall

self in

of

best

it.

part perhaps the him a that person finds now suppose without dull, desolate state,

nay more, I

eyes particu but feelings, etc.,

is

that

dry,

causes of

own, because of the other Let us desolation mentioned by St. Ignatius. and safe ways by see if there be any easy

fault of his

rouse which a person so placed may lighten it, to the himself out of it, help himself through is first suggested Well, there are and the end "When the Bonaventure St. by a saying of ;

:

INDUSTRIES U

won

heart

Make

t

speak,

short

llICII

to

Y //AY./

speak with in

aspirations

you would wish

MA

feel

the

words,

towards

L

S

Si

tongue."

say

God

;

what

make

short acts of sorrow, of love, of thanksgiving, of oblation, of resolve, just as your mind

make these aspirations with a suggest, certain violence in the very teeth of your dull

may

The hard

desolate state.

aspirations are the

besides, they have a rousing effect and help to keep us alive to our work and to the presence of God. Or turn upon yourself in

best

;

a severe but just

way say to yourself you have know you you have, and you know

that fault,

God

;

like it, that He wishes you overcome yourself and correct it. You made resolutions about it again and again, and yet failed to keep them again and again. Why

that

does not

to

? Because you deluded yourself thinkingwas not a fault, or not as serious as it was, or that God had no concern about it, or that,

this it

because you kept

dead

for

became tactics,

self-confident, neglected the necessary

and

and more

We

it under for some time, it was and so were off your guard,

ever,

fell

;

ending, of course, with stronger

practical resolutions.

read of

dry desolate

some holy state,

souls,

when

in this

turning on and reviling

VETERA ET NOVA

82

somewhat manner :-- low often pleasure with

whom

following-

talked with have my friends, even with persons

1

about

the

alter

themselves,

1

cared

much time have

1

little

or not at all;

how

in

such

misspent

spent

I

actual contact with,

conversation; and now to and in the presence of, God, 1 cannot talk Friend lim for half an hour, to Him who is the in

1

of

all

What

friends

a

Lover

and the

weak,

ungrateful being 1 conviction of this,

of

all

lovers.

inconsiderate, thoughtless, and am then, in the full ;

Him

cry to

I

care, consideration, love,

for greater

more abundant

graces,

Or I talk to do, so much. needing them, as God about the responsibilities He has placed I

salvation of upon me, namely, the

my own

soul,

and, as in the case of parents, Priests, Religious, I tell of others. etc.. the salvation of the souls to dared have Him that of myself would not could not take these responsibilities, but I Therefore, my refuse because 1 le gave them. I

Thou God, I have a right to ask and asking, to must give the graces which will enable me hast placed bear and carry the burden Thou ;

upon me. I

call

this

the

meditation

of

meditation well suited to Priests.

Solomon, a God bade

INDUSTRIES WHICH J/A Y HELP US

83

Solomon ask a gift, and he meditated within himself what he should askgreater riches, extent of temporal territory or power, etc. but no. He passed over all and said to

such,

God,

Thou

me

hast

this

given people to govern, numerous as the sands of the sea, and who am I of myself to do this ? Well, give me therefore

judge

me

wisdom and knowledge

Thy

for the

people,

work."

the

And

to

worthily

grace which will fit God was so pleased,

because he asked not only the right but the best thing, that He gave him it and the others as well If a (3 Kings, chap. iii.). person has the will to the duties of

his state discharge asks often and earnestly the grace to do so, and then uses the ordinary means, God could not allow him He has promised not to allow him to make a real mistake which well,

would

be injurious to himself or others. meditation the heart won t

When

speak, cry to

in

God

in

words, rest upon those words and on what they mean, and you must take good out of them.

As a last word, have your fixed time and fixed length of time for your meditation, as a rule keep to it, and, if to shorten the time, give a

tempted minute or two over.

Work throuo-h S***

*

04

VETKKA ET NOVA

and be consoled in you can, to the end, to offer the thought that if you have nothing exercised to God but the reverent patience you

as best

will through the meditation, your offering to merit your be pleasing to Him and of great best. the is The hard meditation self.

all

CHAPTER

AKTICri.AK F.XA.MKX

I

A

FK\V

IX

words now on a

which helps much

all

duty or practice value it, to become

spiritual

who

not only good hut truly pious Catholics, namely, It is the particular examen. scarcely too much to say that it is one of the greatest factors in holiness and perfection. say nothing about the general examen ot conscience, though treated at I

some length by

know what point and

be found "

I

it

is,

St. Ignatius,

and because

power

in

oi

the

I

believe that the

examen

are really to

the particular.

do not meditate

but to

because Catholics

become

to

better."

become more Into a

good

learned, practical

meditation there should enter a good deal of Now the particular examen self-inspection. focuses

the

light

and strength we get from

meditation and honest self-study. It fixes the and the hand where eye exactly they are most needed, on that something in self which requires

VE TF.RA E T N( VA

86

)

to one s mentions Ignatius

view

to be specially looked to with a

salvation

and

St.

perfection.

what should be the subject of the particular examen, namely, that "particular sin or defect It which one desires to correct and amend.

may

a sin, mortal or venial, or

be;

which

I

some

fault in

act deliberately against the clear will

could not perhaps be theo In other words, it is logically that sin or defect which it is most desirable to

of God, though

it

called a

correct

sin.

and amend, because

it

most with the sanctification of It

is

spiritual

an undoubted truth writers,

is

my

interfering soul.

testified to

by

all

more by self-study amongst our weak points

but

still

and experience, that there is one in which we, for we all have such and amongst our spiritual enemies an! weakest there is one who is the, strongest, an enemy who is our special enemy, having his eye on and ;

hand against our weak point, tinder whose, attack we are weakest and to whom we most We may call him the leader easily succumb. Give him his way and he has of the rebels. after him rabble a conquer, keep him always down, and all our other enemies are cowed and his

;

comparatively harmless. "

"

Fons

et

Origo

of

all

It

may be

called the

other sins and

faults.

PARTICl I.AR

commonly named

It is

God

perhaps marks

it

EXA MEN

87

the predominant passion. when He speaks of that

when concupiscence or desire of the heart which, to his yielded to, makes one a laughing-stock of the means I enemies. pon this we, by examen, keep eye and hand in order particular

no quarter, in order to cut, burn it out, by the knife and fire of mortification. should view it as an assassin intent on my destruction, and therefore, keep clear of it when can, and fight legitimately and victoriously to give

it

I

I

must meet when examen we must be

the

In

it.

I

particular

carefully on our guard running at uncertainties against vagueness, and beating the looking here and there and everywhere, except where we need most to look and where we naturally most dislike; "

air,"

look

to

deliver

we

;

like

should,

blow

every

where

a

good

the

boxer,

enemy

is

most vulnerable. In

selecting examen there

the

can

subject

be

no

of the

particular

difficulty.

The

honest study and experience of myself, aided by a confessor who knows me, will at once, or easily, settle the question.

one

may

ask

Well, until

I

how

Subject selected, I should keep to it ? long

have so weakened or conquered

88

/

the

sin

habitual

TKKA K 7 NO A

7i

I

or fault

that

hold

case,

I

my own

remember

should, however,

with a

now,

We

it.

against

that the

of

sort

predomin

ant passion never really dies, and must always be It may be that held in suspicion, and watched.

a person has two sins or faults,- one interior idle-mindedness, vanity, etc., which never breaks out or shows itself in any way to the discdiiicaanother, which does break out, scandalises, hurts, or draws others into sin, such as sins of temper, tongue, bad example, tion

etc.

of others

Now

it

;

is

clear that

between the two

for

my

if

I

have

particular

to select

examen

I

not neglecting, however, prominent place to the other in my It would be foolish, if not general examen. be making his to ridiculous, for a person examen on purity of intention, the

should select the

latter,

to give a

particular

when presence of God, or some such subject, the temper or the tongue, or both, are running riot in his life.

We

should

be,

in

the

examen

as

in

the

God, not all in a moment, expecting to get the mastery or losing courage because of a slip or even a There is no bounding up fall now and then. the mountain of perfection, there is no getting meditation, patient and

trustful

in

KXAMEX

s<,

God is pleased with him holy in a hurry. has the will to toil steadily,

who

though slowly,

lost

covering he fail or fall. the Lord,

(Luke

xii.

when He cometh, 37)

of the saints

fighting.

came

shall find watching" If

we

we must

aright,

were not made saints but

re-

ground, or up again and at work if "Blessed arc; those servants whom

at

read the lives

learn that they in a hurry by

once or

to their

high state slowly, by using grace patiently years in fighting their dominant faults, not, however, without a (jocl,

for

now and then, or perhaps many of them. The spiritual advantages which come of the

slip

examen

are great and many. Any and holds to it patiently free himself of mortal sin, even though

particular

one who makes will it

it

well

may have become

question

of venial

habitual.

If

sin

only, it drifting into a habit of venial sin

which, persevered

in,

ends

in

will

there

make

be a

into tepidity,

the worst and

most hopeless state of mortal sin, a moral But there are also positive impossibility. results. A person watching, overcoming, and mortifying himself in that sin or fault which he naturally likes most to indulge in, must have,

as

his

reward,

grace and merit

;

a

constant

increase

he also perfects himself

of in

VRTERA ET NOVA

90

most needs, because the virtue Moreover, pet sin or fault. opposed to such a man has a generous soul, and God will he generous in return, and will have a special that virtue

lie,

his

A

loving providence about him. the;

ing

particular

examen

person

mak

well acts like a wise

who

has to defend a citadel. and skilful captain He will keep a sharp eye and strong hand on the weak point where he knows the strength of the enemy is massed, and make it impossible for the

to enter.

enemy

We

also

know what

must happen neglect the weak point with the enemy outside it, and looks where there is Our Lord, in the no weakness and no enemy. if he.

eleventh chapter of St.

Luke, says that

man armed who keepeth

strong

"

the

his court has

possesseth, but if things in he allow a stronger to come upon him and overcome him the latter will take away his So the armour and distribute his spoils."

peace which

all

spiritual citadel

is,

as a rule, safe in the hands

of a

man who makes

but

it

do

is

in

he,

his particular

examen

great danger of being captured

well, if

he

not.

The

particular (i) following acts :

grace, to

make

it

examen

To ask

well.

(2)

consists

in

the

light

and strength,

An

honest severe

PARTICULAR EXAMEN

91

self-examination with

reference to the special (3) Thanksgiving, if I have not fallen, sincere sorrow if I have. (4) To renew

sin or fault.

and to

myself in my sincere practical resolutions St. Ignatius adds, "The prevent relapse. fix

daily particular of the day and

examen

includes three periods

two examinations.

the morning, on rising, resolve to guard oneself with diligence against that particular sin or defect which he desires to correct. "

First,

straightway

in

to

The second The is

time

is

the middle, of the day.

The examination

"

third

to be

is

made

after supper. both times.

an

hour

quarter

of

general

exam ens.

for

marks particular and

St. Ignatius

the

CHAPTER X

X

K<;I,I:<T

<>r

carelessness

prayer easily accounts

in

the,

for so

matter of vocal

many

Catholics

They cannot get on being what they are. without grace, and grace cannot, as a rule, be Meditation and particular got without prayer. examen have; a connection with and are a help to vocal prayer which are overlooked by too If these two spiritual exercises be well many. made, they give great light with reference to one s weak point, his most dangerous enemy, and his enemy s tactics, and his own foolish, self-deluding manner of acting in the past, and, as a matter of course, they direct and stimulate him to ask earnestly and

self-confident,

constantly for most needs.

those

special graces which

he

Vocal prayer may be defined thinking of to Him. word a God and saying By "God" mean all which this word signifies, and also :

I

VOCAL PR A YKR His intercessory I

93

By "saying a word" mean everything which we can rightly say court.

God.

to or ask of

In these two, thinking of

saying a word to Him, we have the cannot have of vocal prayer. essence very A or be absent. both it if one person placed

God and

We

most

the

in

circumstances

distracting

surroundings, recollecting himself,

and

thinking of

and saying a word to God, really prays whilst a person prostrate before the Blessed Sacra ment, talking mindless heartless babble, or grossly and wilfully distracted, does not pray at ;

Our Lord teaches

all.

this

in

His parable of

the Pharisee and Publican. It

is

often said

pray well. second a

and

is

first

little.

speak

God to.

is li

very hard to pray, to has no truth in it, the

is

Prayer the

therefore

because to

The

it

speaking, to God,

is

easiest

of

all speaking, the easiest being in this world

we wish

man we may have

to

speak

to seek him,

to a fellow-

perhaps at cost he be in the room with us, to distinctly form and articulate words. Nothing of this is necessary in order to speak to God. He Himself tells us that we cannot, "In even if we wish, get away from Him. Him we live and move and have our being." of time and distance, or,

.it

VR TRRA K T NO VA

94

Omnipresence

one of Mis

Psalmist sings,

inspired

from

is

Thy

Spirit,

"Whither

whither shall

The

attributes.

I

shall

flee,

I

from

go

Thy

ascend into heaven Thou art there, descend into hell Thou art present if take my wings early in the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also shall Thy hand lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me and said perhaps dark ness shall cover me, but darkness shall not be darkness to Thee, and night shall be light as the day; the darkness thereof and the light thereof face?

if

If

1

I

;

I

;

are alike to

Thee."

I

\ es, prayer

is

the easiest

thing in the way of speaking, because God is the easiest being in this world to speak to.

Our

lips are,

and

He

were, always at His ears, the gentlest whisper as as the clearest and loudest articulated perfectly St. Chrysostom, speaking of prayer, word. "

snys,

can

The

as

it

hear

earthly king

porters, flunkeys,

is

reached only through God, the Eternal

llatterers

;

King, without any intervention, without money, without expense." With reference to the power of prayer as of securing all good things, God is His great desire to save all men In explicit. and His great dread of losing even one, He

the

means

VOCAL seems

have

to

follows:

If

and

attain

concluded as

no danger

there will be I

;

in

95

make men esteem prayer

at its proper value, of their being lost

again and

RAYRR

reasoned can

I

I

therefore

will

manner

that prayer when rightly used ever be, in virtue of promise

must and you

them

tell

the plainest and strongest

My

shall

receive,"

and

is "

Ask

and omni

infallible

run

therefore

you through the whole of Scripture, you will find that Godin countless forms of words commands, urges, If

potent.

exhorts, entreats men to pray; lie tells them that His ears are always open, and of His

disappointment when prayer

From

Him.

all this

following most

St.

not

is

made

to

Augustine draws the

logical conclusion

"

:

God

is

for

He refuse when He never would He were not ever

ever urging us to ask; will we ask ? Certainly not, for

have so urged us ready to

to ask

if

give."

remarkable, too, that Gocl anticipates an objection or difficulty which some might and then find in it an excuse for raise, It

is

neglecting

prayer.

God

is,

one

may

say,

always ready to hear the prayer of the good and holy but what of a sinner His enemy, like tome will He hear him? In answer to ;

VE TEKA E T A O I A T

c/>

this,

Cjod more than

that

if

crimson or hear,

for

scarlet, "

He

Ills word whose sins are as upon Him, He will

once pledges

the worst sinner, call

desires not his death, but that

And we may add, converted and live." God will hear the worst sinner who cries to lim, all the more because he is in the greatest Let danger of being lost to Him for ever. he

be,

1

and cry to the Lord in their tribulation, distresses, of their out them will deliver

them

He

shadow bring them out of darkness and the of death, break their bond in sunder, take them out of their iniquity, send forth His word and He of good comfort, cry to the heal them." Lord, and He will deliver you out of the "

"God Bar. iv. hands of your enemies." of voice the at thee on have will surely pity will lie thy cry; ;is soon as He shall hear, In the New Testament the answer thee." words and life of our Lord, and the fact 1

:

that

worst

He

received

sinners

and

forgave

who came and

lovingly to

cried

the

Him,

ground prove that the difficulty or objection less and against. the truth. Hut there is no argument in favour of the omnipotence of prayer so clear and convincing is

1

Sec Psalms /ww/w, particularly

cvi.

VOCAI. r RAVER as

the

that which

Sermon on

our Lord

I

97

limself gives us in

the Mount.

"Ask

and

shall

it

be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh fmdeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. For what man is there among you of whom if his son shall ask bread will he reach ;

him

stone

?

or

if

he

shall

ask him a

fish will

a

he reach

him a serpent? If you, then, being evil know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to them who ask Him?" Could this truth be presented to the

multitudes a stronger or more homely way? It is what is called an a fortiori argument taken from the manner in which earthly fathers act towards in

their children, and follows: It is

our Father

in

be paraphrased as simply absurd to suppose that heaven could refuse any

may

good

any of His children who of Him.

thing to it

rightly"

ask

An

objection to this truth suggests itself, and sometimes made through ignorance, namely, it is useless to argue against a fact. I have prayed for something good, and I have not is

received

it;

prayer

is

therefore not infallible

VETERA ET NOVA

9g

Before answering this objec

or omnipotent.

would first say to the objector, You who ask and receive are perhaps one of those

tion

I

"

How

can

you ask amiss." to writes Chrysostom, "expect God you," not do when you respect respect your prayers It would scarcely be just, them yourself?" to Himself, if God heard prayers or because

not,

respectful

or irreverent which, from the wilfully careless

which they were said, would be a But an insult to Him. making little of, if not I have I will suppose that my objector rejoins,

manner

in

to the conditions of a good prayed according I laid down in the catechism, and prayer as I have not received what I asked. Well, a "good thing,"answer, If what you ask be

that

is,

o-ood

according to

God

s

providence,

eternal salvation,- you in your regard, for your But if it be something will certainly receive it.

be good and which you honestly thought would God knew which asked for, but therefore rightly &

some would not be good, He will substitute for be will your He knows thing else which be is infallible and omnipotent Prayer good. answered, and answered in the cause always

best

way

for us

according to

There are two

God

s will.

classes of things for

which

VOCAL PR A YER

9Q

we may ask; nay more, for some of them we bound to ask. The first includes all

are

which

are certainly good, and about which there can be no doubt as to God s mind. Let me

give

A

a few examples.

person

is

tempted

tocsin,

is about to o-o t() confession, or receive someother sacrament, or is suffering a trial which taxes his patience or

Xow

it is resignation. certain that to resist the to receive temptation, worthily the sacrament, to bear patiently the

are

and each good things which God wishes for us. Ask, therefore, the grace neces sary and it must be given, and in cases trial,

all

many

given at once.

(

)r it

may

be that a young person

is asking grace with a view to a most important matter the selection of a state of life; if so, grace must be given to use the means of

coming to a right conclusion. Hut God may. and often does, not certain give graces or mani fest His will at once or on the first

He to

likes

as

He

asking.

tells

us in a

be

homely parable-

importuned. Many graces are well worth the frequent and \V C should patient asking. respect that condition of a good prayer re signation to the will of God- or, to put it in a more familiar way, God to as to the

when and

leaving

Himself

how

of His answerino-

the

VETRRA ET NOVA

ioo

We

us.

must

God because He exactly as dinal

we should

Newman

remembering: but

prayers,

with impatient our does not grant petition

become

not

like,

Car once. words well worth

or at

this, in

tells

"We

makes

pray, times

God

hears

and

ways

our

own."

The second

includes certain things which we sincerely think

class

mostly temporal which we cannot would be for our good, but of that God may be certain, because it is possible think differently.

would be good for more successful in

come

For instance, I think that it me- even spiritually to be

my

temporal

be

affairs, to

to

be

wealthier, to get a higher position, dear one, in health, to have some

stronger

whose

life is in

the balance, spared to me,

etc.

mind that such, but I should bear in pray for led oftener far wealth and high position have to than worldliness, voluptuousness up to pride, often abused, and that holiness, that health is it is better not to have, does not I

give what God and what God takes away

it

is

better to have

that what can easily persuade myself as for me ask would be good and wholesome but God, who knows bread, or fish, or egg as I could me is wise about me and loves me

lost

I

;

VOCAL r RAVER not

a

knows

myself, a

stone,

like a

serpent,

good Father,

my

Ikit

He

He knows

would

it

or

a

will

prayers are not

what

stitute

that

as

he

really

scorpion, not give

lost,

will

lot

He

hence, it

to

will

me. sub

he far better.

In

rightly made prayer for things of this second class there is, or ought to be, an all

underthoiight or intention, though not perhaps adverted to, of conforming our w ill to the will of (iod should

His be St.

different

Ignatius

closing words

from ours. teaches of

us

this

truth

in

the

Principle and as he calls his study on the end of and the end of creatures. He names four his

"

First

Foundation,"

man

things

which man

naturally

dislikes

"Sick

Poverty, Dishonour, and a Short Life," and four which man Health, naturally likes ness,

"

Wealth, Honour, and a Long Life"; and then "on our not, on our own part, wishing lor one more than the other, but in these and insists

in all oilier

things desiring and choosing," and praying for "only those which most lead us to the end for which we were created therefore;

"

;

other words, for those things only which God knows to he best for us. Father Roothan in in

his notes in

on

a striking

this

study presents this truth to us

manner, somewhat as follows

:-

1

VE TERA E T NO VA

02

for

Suppose I

person, wealth,

a

leave

moment you

that

free

to

God ask

said to a for

health,

etc., or the contrary, just as you like; will never punish you for the selection you I will not tell which would be better make, but 1

for you,

and you must take the consequences

What should be the answer of a right-minded man ? It should be, Ego nescio, Domine Tu scis (I do not know, () Lord, but Thou dost). Surely no one

of your

own

selection.

"

"

should dare of himself to select, when he has God to do so for him. God knows in wisdom what would be best, Ilis power enables Him to bring so, if

about, and His love obliges Him to do man do not interfere with or oppose Him; it

whereas

man

is

too often a fool about himself,

out what

powerless to work

human,

more

likely, in his

select

what would be

Let me

he desires, and

selfish, false love, to

hurtful rather than helpful. I illustrate this truth by a parable.

of consummate suppose a great earthly king wisdom, of immense power and intensely fond of his children, and then ask myself how must 1 should answer lie act with reference to them. at once, He must always do what is best for His wisdom directs, them if they allow him.

shall

his

power enables, and

his love forces

him

to

VOCAL PRAYER

103

so. So it must be with the great omnipotent Kino- and loving Father, God. Let His children as Me hears their prayers, pray they ought.

do

and gives the bread, the fish, the egg, the good His word is pledged to this, but in thing. doing so He makes ways and times His own. \\ e should always desire and pray for two the one to be true to the will of God graces as settled for us in the present, the other to be to conform to the will of God in the prepared future as

As

I

le

may

settle

for us.

it

the power of prayer

fested in

Holy

Scripture,

so clearly mani not wonder

is

we should

at the attributes

given to it and the wonderful by the greatest minds in the They speak of it as "infallible,"

things said of

Church.

it

"omnipotent,"

the "

"key

of

St.

heaven."

He who

Augustine says, prays well, lives St. Alphonsus, "He who prays will be saved he who does not pray will be St. well."

lost."

;

Chrysostom, "When the queen enters a city all the grandees gather round her, so when the spirit of

come and

prayer possesses the soul

in its

sin

cannot live

channel of grace

St.

train."

will

God

s

Teresa

all

tells us,

virtues

"

Prayer

"

Prayer

together."

grace

is

the

give up prayer, and

not come; prayer

is

the foundation

1

VE TERA E T NO VA

04

and they go to give up prayer, Someone has said, If you wish to love

of solid virtues pieces."

God, talk to Him. Prayer is talking to God, and the more we pray, the more we shall love. If a In the train of prayer come all virtues. will he sinner, prays, person, even the greatest "

soon get free of his slavery and if he perse veres in prayer, he will not only get right, but "He who prays well, keep right to the end. ;

lives

well."

Model preaches, by His example, a powerful sermon on the necessity of prayer.

Our

divine

Ghrist could not increase grace in His soul, could not become holier by prayer, yet He was

eminently the

man

of prayer.

His long hidden

When afterwards so of prayer. He had not "time busy during the day that Heto eat," He spent the night in prayer. when things went well prayed on principle with Him, as when the people wished to make Him king; when things went ill with Him, when "sad and sorrowful, being in agony, He St. this? all the

life

was a

prayed

Ambrose

life

longer." "

tells us,

Why

That He, who did not need so much, preach His

by praying of most powerful sermon to us on the necessity need it so much." prayer to us who

prayer, might,

CHAPTER

XI

DIFFICULTIES OF PRAYING \VKLL

Too many make much praying-

the

difficulty

of

some through

well,

what prayer

of

is

and how

it

;

a sort

others,

perhaps, through excuse for neglecting O it.

ignorance oi ought to be made

I

of dishonest

shall divide the sub-

<T>

long and short prayer. Under the first I include Sunday or daily Mass, morning and night prayers, visits to the Blessed

ject into

what

I

may

call

Sacrament, part preparation for confession, In these the Rosary, and certain devotions. we should use that care and labour which are necessary to doing a work well, (i) To go to such prayers with a prepared mind, according to a divine command, and to make the necessary sustained effort not to introduce and to keep of all thoughts even those good in themselves which not only have nothing to do with the prayer am making, but will A good beginning is disturb and distract me. 105

clear

I

rETEKA ET NOVA

io6

\Ye should,

a spirit of simple lively faith, but without strain or worry, think place ourselves in the presence of God. half the work.

(2)

in

I

for a

moment

that

He

is

as real as the priedieu

am kneeling, not only upon which "He; on me but looking looking through me. or bench

is

I

the searcher of if

Or

hearts."

were about

to

I

think within

have an audience

myself, with some, great exalted personage, with king, emperor, or Sovereign Pontiff, what care I

should

I

of

take,

my

appearance and speak and listen

external

manner, and having to would prepare myself to say the best things in the best manner, to be also an attentive Hut now in prayer and respectful listener. am having an audience, am in personal con tact and discourse with One who is infinitely above them all. (3) I should keep my senses, the eyes specially,- imagination, memory, under I

I

I

control,

and

no way wilfully cause or create But distractions come, they must

in

distractions.

come.

Some

persons

become impatient and

vexed with themselves because they cannot command an impossibility, namely, prayer with Distractions must come, out any distraction. but there

them.

is

Do

not a not

venial sin

in

a million of

knowingly introduce

them

;

DIFFICULTIES OF PRAYING

IVRLI.

107

when you advert to their being in your mind away again and again from them, and never wilfully entertain them. Be consoled in

turn

o ive a the thought that distractions so treated o o greater value! to prayer because of the self-

denial and

we must practise in a comforting truth that

mortification

rejecting them.

It

is

the hard, patiently made prayer, though devoid sensible sweetness or consolation, is the most

of

and pleasing to God. "Before prayer prepare thy soul, and be not like one who If use the ordinary settled tempts God." solid, meritorious,

I

means for making a good prayer, my prayer must be good but if wilfully neglect these, or I

;

even one of them, and hope to make a good prayer, I am as one tempting God that is expecting

do

so.

Him to work a miracle, He will not work.

that

I

may

which

short prayers I mean what are commonly called aspirations or ejaculations for to think of God lor a moment and a word to lim is say

By

;

I

prayer according to the definition already given. The advantages of this form of prayer are many,

and deserving of consideration by those who lead busy active lives, or who find long prayers too

much

for

where and

them.

in

First,

it

any position

can be sitting,

made any standing.

1

08

;

Vi / 7i

in

walking, riding, board, in office,

in

RA E T NO VA railway carriage, on ship market-place, in ballroom,

sleepless at night, etc., no St. Chrysosone but (iod being the wiser. tom exhorts us as follows Pray^ anywhere,

racecourse;,

lying

"

:

the market-place or in the shop, since prayer demands the outstretched soul rather than the in

extended arms.

Long

prayers to be avoided

;

they give opportunities to Satan to bear a could not easily which be fre should strain. lengthened Prayers distract

attention

Pray without identify position and place with prayer, like a good simple Dublin cabdriver, who, when told he could say no end of

quent and short SOUK; ceasing."

;

St.

Paul says,

ejaculations at his stand or driving, replied, Surely, Father, you would not ask me to pray "

with

my

hat

on?"

It

is

no doubt becoming

and a duty to take a reverent posture, with head uncovered, in sacred places and in sacred circumstances; but a good prayer

is

independent

seculars of active busy lives do not cultivate this form of prayer, they will scarcely

of these.

If

pray enough. Secondly, there are many who murmur and complain that they can never pray without being Well, let harassed bv constant distractions.

D IFF1C UL TIES O F PR A

I

IN(

,

U

ELL

\

09

A person of the. try this form of prayer. wildest imagination can gather up- if I may so speak mind and heart for a few seconds, and them

throw

them

into

a

few words without

the

possibility of distraction.

Thirdly, there is no need of getting prayers by heart or out of a book. \Ye may speak to

God

in

our

own

words, according to the thought,

feeling, wish, trouble, or want of the. moment. God likes us to become as little children, and to talk out to

Him, the good Father, after our Who knows what is in the mind of

own way. a man better

than the

man

himself?

Hence

a

poor, ignorant, religious-hearted man will talk his own mind to God better than the learned

and holy Priest could do us that His conversation Fourthly, dying work, during which

is

it

for him.

God

tells

with the simple. often a long and slow is

we need prayer most. Now persons who practised nothing but long prayers, who never thought of or made little, perhaps, of short ones, find it

often happens that

themselves

in

the

most

without any prayer at

come

all.

critical

time of

life

prayers be you so, because

Long

will tell

impossible, they of weakness, physical pain, or mental depres sion and the habit of aspirations cannot be ;

VE TRRA E T NO VA

no

whilst, on the other acquired in a moment who could not read, who for this hand, persons or some other reason accustomed themselves ;

to short aspirations, find themselves, time of sickness, perfectly at home in the

through in

life

use of them.

I

need say nothing of the power

word when temptation shows

of such a

itself.

And note well that the It is simply victory. hard because I naturally hate hard aspiration, to make it and naturally wish to give way to if made;, the temptation, therefore the best, because

my

is

the strongest and so much against

it is

The hard aspiration is the best. will. we should not make little of aspira

natural

Lastly, tions because they are only a few words the saying of a moment, as we have clear

consoling proof,

power.

St.

command

in

and and

Scripture, of their tells us that Peter, at the loly

I

Matthew

"walked upon the waters But to come to Him. seeing that the wind was strong: O he was afraid, and when he began an cried out, he to sink Lord, save me,

of Christ,

<J

aspiration of three words,

Jesus stretching forth him."

We

Peter was.

our

are

We

all

1 1

is

clear to

know how

lips at LI is ear,

in

"and

immediately

hand took hold of our Lord, even as near to us

He

is,

time of temptation or

DIFFICULTIES OF PRA YING U KLL

\

1

1

danger let us say even three words to our The same Lord, and it will be well with us. taught us by the fact that when the frightened Apostles cried out to their sleeping truth

Lord,

is

us,

"Save

we

perish,"

Pharisee and notorious

when

Publican,

typical

sinner,

He

four words,

\Ye learn once stilled the storm. in the Lord Himself our parable

at

was

the

it

from

ot

the

latter,

justified

the

by a

Lord, be merciful to seven words. From the thief when on the cross, he cried out, Lord, re member me when Thou comest into Thy Also when Martha and Mary sent kingdom." that touching prayer to our Lord. Lord, be

short act of contrition,

me

a

"

sinner,"

"

"

him whom Thou lovest is sick." This manner of prayer will not come naturally to us we should patiently labour to become

hold,

;

familiar with

it.

Little industries will help us,

such as a mark here

and there

in

the

book

are reading, something in our room out of or in a remarkable place, the sight of a church or a cross, etc. Something which by arrange

we

ment will catch the eye, will remind us of God, and of our resolve to often say a word to Him. This habit of ejaculatory prayer helps much to make us walk and live in the

VF.

TERA K T NO VA

The busiest man could say presence of (iod. a hundred such prayers every day without or his recreation, interfering with his business and

it

is

to

be feared that persons

active busy lives will not pray do not cultivate this habit. St.

ot

very

enough if they Chrysostom re

ejaculation at least when the hour sounds, that the course of prayer maywith the course of time.

commends

"an

keep pace

,

prayer, person knowing the power will if lost His and (iod Church, as taught by me Let Last be. without excuse on the Day. of

Any

whom you had suppose a poor man upon whom with you made an compassion, and Come to me every arrangement as follows I will give you abundant provision and morning :

for the day, clothes, etc., at certain times of the;

year

and time,

;

I

unwell send a neighbour, or let me know You hear, after some will send them.

if

of starvation, and on his you as the cause of it would

that he died

deathbed blamed

;

once he has no So it must be with

and you not be indignant one to blame but himself? the lost Catholic on awful Judgment Day. It would appear from many texts of Holy say at

is a command to make our Scripture that there Pray with lives, lives of unbroken prayer. "

D/FFJCU/.77ES OF out

every at all

to

"

faint."

*

times."

should be

pray pray in

ye therefore, praying

Yes, the

making

me suppose

life

of a

good Catholic

such are not

it

difficult.

a person in the state of grace,

shame

the friend of God, and

him

to

who makes every morning

not,

to

men

that

will

115

one of unbroken prayer, and the

conditions of

Let

I

"Watch

place."

A AVhVu U KI.l.

\Ve ought always

"

ceasing."

and not

J

or at

the oblation or offering of himself and thoughts, words, and actions to God,

do everything

if

he be times

all

his

wishin<>-

His Honour and Glory an easy act of a minute or two which we have been taught, and which we may make in our own words. If so, he has purity of intention. to

He

keeps

dominant

this

at all

for

;

pure intention prominent and times, habitually rejecting,

by God, everything for Thee" mere human, natural motives which must come, or by keeping them in their

an aspiration

such as

"

My

subordinate place for some human motives in themselves and helpful, if kept in good their place. Well, such a person merits by all his actions, by the business of life, even though so earnest and occupied in it that for hours he never thinks of God. I lence the old ;

are

saying.

1

Eccli. xviii. 2 8

;

i

Thcss.

v.

17

;

i

Tim.

ii.

8

;

Luke

xxi. 36.

,

VETERA ET NOVA

14

To

labour

to

is

pray,"

for

such labour merits J!c P ril V er does

of grace, as merits by his meals, his sleep, his recreations, when he takes these in time and weight and them to interfere with not

an

Increase

-

.

"

allowing

measure,"

more important them. drink,

duties

Paul writes,

St.

whatsoever

else

or

sin

to

"Whether

you

do,

do

enter

into

you eat or all

to

the

is so easy, Purity of intention and keeping to it, --the morning oblation that we should it so much is

glory of

God."

and

gained by

carefully cultivate I

may conclude

it.

this

the prayer, by citing

most important subject, St. following words of

then by the study of a Gospel Chrysostom, and has event which is an epitome of much which The effect of prayer on the heart been said on the natural world. is like that of the sun Wild beasts come out and prowl by night, to their but when the sun arises they get back "

:

dens.

So,

when

the soul

is

illumined and

and brutal

irrational strengthened by prayer, are put etc. anger, envy, lust, passions

to

the treasure of the poor, the the poorest is rich if he rich security of the if he do not pray, the richest miserably poor who calls It is impossible that a man pray.

flight.

Prayer

is

;

DIFF1CUL TIES OF PKA YLVC WELL

i

,

5

constantly on God with proper zeal, could sin." I here is a scene in the life of our Lord which brings before us in a striking and patheticmanner all the conditions and dispositions which should be found in It is prayer. pictured by SS. Matthew and Mark in their description of the interview between our Lord and the Canaanite woman. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church and all commentators 1

on Scripture write

in

great admiration of her

who made a perfect prayer, one whom when praying, should imitate. Let us first

as one

we,

study the history of the event, truths which it teaches.

and then the

Our Lord found Himself, on one occasion but not within, the borders of a country which ran due north of Mount Q.rmel, alonothe coast. It was called Sidonia or Phoenicia*; its capital cities were Tyre and Sidon, and it on.

was a portion of the Gentile world. When on this border-land, our Lord "went into a house, and would have no man know Hut His it."

Name, its

"like

ointment poured

had spread and a woman attracted sweetness came to Him. She, no doubt, out,"

fragrance abroad,

by its had heard wonderful things of 1

Matt. xv.

;

Mark

vii.

Him

"from

,

VKTEKA ET NOVA

,6

whom

virtue

Hesides,

went cut

God

never

for the healing ot

all.

Himself without wit

left

lie preserved and kept ness in this world. amongst the. Gentiles, the tradition that

living,

was to come even to them. Grace She was was also at work within her soul. a woman of Canaan, a descendant of that

a Saviour

accursed race once doomed by Cod to total A remnant, however, were spared, extinction. She was a Sidonia. in down and settled 1

Gentile,

of

a

hated

nation,

and

or

attract

to naturally most unlikely Lord. any notice from our

therefore

receive

She may be

fairly

Still shetaken as a type of the worst sinner. comes to Him, as she has sad need of a ^reat

her daughter, or rather for herself, love having made her one with her child. Hence crying out, she said, I lave mercy on hou Son of David my daughter me, O Lord, Who a devil." is grievously troubled by he Word, answered her not a word." in-ace, for

:

I

;i

I

is writes Chrysostom, "has no word; the fountain remedies." His withholds sealed, the Physician

Could anything be more disheartening than ^ es, that which alien woman ? this to the poor immediately followed. 1

Deut.

For vii.

"the

disciples

DIFFICUL TIES OF PRA ING U }

came and besought Him because

she

they wished

Him

afflicted

namely, to get

rid

ot

her

1

1

7

away,

Lven though

grant her request, their

to

but

sister,

send

us."

was not charity and

motive;

Lord

to

after

crieth

RLl.

pity

very low

a

for

their

human

her as a nuisance.

one,

Our

answers

them by a word which, no she heard, and which sounded as a

doubt,

am not sent but to hope the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Prob ably she now thought or said to herself, Is death-knell to

"

all

that

1

this

the

(ircat Being of spoke to me. as the. merciful and gracious, "Who would not break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking llax who would bind the broken heart, and comfort all who mourn ? Still her faith and hope; are not only it

possible

is

whom men

;

"

not

destroyed, but are made, by the rebuff, For she came; now close to Him, stronger.

threw herself

at His feet, and Him, saying, Lord, help me."

"worshipped

He now

not

only refused her earnest request, but did so

in

a contemptuous and insulting manner, saying, "It is not meet to take the children s bread 1

This

\vas true

-as St.

Augustim and others remark --of His

presence and mission. The ( Jcntilcs were to be verted by the preaching of His Apostles and His Church.

f>crson,fl

(-on-

!

i

VK / 7i KA K T N( VA

S

)

and

to cast

are

My

it

to

That

dogs."

special children,

My

the

is,

bread

is

Israelites tor

them,

the Gentile dogs. and not to given away Lxtreme contempt was involved in the word to

l>e

"

when

the nobler anyom.: characteristics of this animal, although by no

dog

given

unknown

means

to

to

:

being

antiquity,

Now

never

would have brought out in Scripture." been but human, and could surprise no one, if she turned away from Him angry and in Not so; and all commentators are in dignant. admiration of her humility, and of "the ready wit of faith" with which she answers Him. "She snares our Lord- Himself not unwil His own speech," so in be snared to ling Him in "She nets and catches Chrysostom. His own words, and gently retorts against Him the argument He had used against her so writes A. Lapide or, in the words of sword out of His own the "She takes another, self,"

it

;

hnnd with which to overcome Him." "Truth, Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which An answer fall from their masters table." I which is paraphrased as follows Yes, Lord :

1

:

:

more

the One commentatoi "Something crumbs was the right of the clogs. Napkins were not then used, and persons wiped their hands in the soft part of the bread, and then threw it to the dogs." writes:

than

DIFFICULTIES

()/

PRA YING WELL

119

am

a dog, and for this very reason I have a The right to be fed, to be feel by Thee.

whelps get the crumbs which fall from the You are the Great Master, master s table. therefore I have a right not to the bread of the I but to the dare not ask this children Give me fall from table. crumbs which your this, even one crumb, and it will be well with Earnest and persistent in her prayer, me. wise in her answers, full of faith in her words, "

she

so writes St.

conquered,"

our Lord

spoken

addresses her

first

one other

to only "

history, saying,

and then

He

O

in

woman, great

gives her

He

in

Ambrose. For words of praise all the Gospel

all

is

thy she asked and

faith,"

much

done unto thee as thou more, saying, wilt, and her daughter was cured from that "

.it

hour."

Let us

now

study the manner of her prayer

and her dispositions her we shall

in

making

make our prayer

it,

for imitating

irresistible

and

(i) She prayed earnestly, with omnipotent. all the love and longing of her heart, for a grace which she believed would be good for

herself and her daughter, and prayed again and again for it, saying, Lord, have mercy on me and adoring Him, Lord, help me, for my "

;

,

VE TERA E T NO VA

20

a devil. grievously troubled by St. writes Such prayers," Augustine, "uttered are as soft sweet by a fervent and longing soul music, and move to tenderness the heart of our

daughter

is

"

prayer and She, an outcast heathen,

Her wondrous

Lord."

(2)

trust in

our Lord.

faith in

Son of David," whose mission she had heard was one of pity and

Him

calls

compassion declares

could

"Lord,

for all

tance where

He

and word

will

dis daughter, though at a

was

she laid hold on

faith

His

her belief that

deliver her

Moreover, she

sorrow.

in

not. 1

"With

lim

in

one hand of

whom

all

healing

and with the other on her

grace was stored, herself a living conductor suffering daughter, of Christ might run like which the

by an

power

electric current

her

love."

mission

to

from

Him

to

the object of

She prayed with perfect sub She does not the will of God.

(3)

lim to free her daughter, as if this would be certainly the best thing for her, and

directly ask

1

should be done, but, simply,

"

Have mercy on

me, help me," as Thou thinkest Him, however, of her great trial. this

their

best,

telling

low like to and Martha was the prayer of Mary for brother "

word, saying,

I

merely sent

Laxarus.

They

Behold he

whom Thou

lovest

DIFFICULTIES OF PRAYING

\}

KLL

121

and yet our Lord thought it best not and to let him die. (4) Shego For prayed with the most profound humility. con of a sort silent with first treated though tempt, then with refusal, and yet again with a refusal which was insulting, she bore all patiently, and never lost her temper or her (5) She respectful reverence for our Lord. and a cleverness with prayed ready her urging prayer and giving the best reason is

sick"

to

;

at once,

"wit,"

She not only be answered. mentioned her misery, but wrested the insult offered, and formed out of it an irresistible

why

it

should

argument, (o) .She prayed with perseverance; which manifested her confidence in prayer.

For

she, a despised Gentile,

with everything against her, refused, and refused in the most hurtful way, never lost hope or courage, but pressed her petition until it was granted.

\Ye may now

fairly

ask

why our Lord

acted

as Lie did with this poor woman, (i) l>ecause He knew the great faith she had, and He

nay more, her faith was made mightier and purer by the way He tested it. than if He had at once granted her wished her

to

manifest

it

;

A gift is prized in proportion to the request. earnestness and patience with which we ask for

VR TEKA E T NO VA

122

it,

and

also to the delay in giving

(2) All

it.

commentators, particularly Chrysostom, that

He

acted as

lit;

did

in

tell

us

we

order that

might learn from her how we ought to pray, and mi^ht imitate her. "The wonderful faith, and of this woman," writes patience, humility St. Jerome, a sermon to us all; her faith by which she believed that He could heal her "is

child,

her patience by which she, though con

temned and despised, persevered in her her humility by which she compared

prayer, herself

not only to a dog, but to a whelp." And St. Chrysostom puts the following words into her

mouth, truly paraphrasing her remark

"

I

:

do

not refuse the insult, I accept it. As Thou hast called me a dog, give me what is given as a right to the dog, the crumbs. Lord, Thou hast become my advocate by denying

O

what

I

asked,

Thou

God

often

souls

by delaying

prayers, in

with

humbles

humility,

When God

not deny it. ostom writes: ask, or

for a time

order that they

greater

fidence.

hast promised to give." and mortifies even holy

Most

answer

delays a boon, wisely,

it,

let

their

may importune Him

earnestness,

"Whether

do not obtain

to

and con

He

therefore,

we

does

Chrys

obtain what

we

us always persevere

DIFFICULTIES OF PRAYING U EIJ. in

let

prayer;

us

return thanks

123

not only for

what we have received, but for what we have; been refused. For when (iod denies us some thing it,

for

it

is

not less a favour than

do not know as

\ve

if

He

granted docs what is

He

rood for us." In prayer, as in all things else, the wish of our hearts ouoht to be according to the thought of the saint just cited, accordingto that aspiration of St. Ignatius, an aspira tion of perfect trust in (iod, 1 )o with me, "

()

Lord,

in

wishest, for

all I

Thou knowest and Thou lovest

things as

know

that

me."

CHAPTER

XII

THK INCARNATION

ANOTHER

cause of coldness, indifference, sin may be traced to a want of simple lively faith in the Incarnation culminating in the Passion of our Lord, and in His real in

Catholics,

abiding

presence

Could there be

in

the

Blessed

Sacrament.

a stronger proof of the necessity of meditation or religious study

of something than that there are

men who

believe in the

sufferings and death of our Lord and in His remaining always with them in the Lucharist, and who yet treat Him as if He were a black stranger or an enemy ?

The

Incarnation

is, beyond all question, the of Cod s works outside Himself. greatest It in a certain true sense, be called II is may, only work, for the following reasons The creation of man and of the world had a predestined reference to it, because, to the opinion according of a great the Scotist, the theological school, :

THE INCA RNA TK W Eternal Son would have conic in

2 5

1

man

s nature-,

glorious however and impassible, even if man had not fallen. All that was divine in the old

law

particularly the Messianic prophecies and the sacrifices gave testimony of His coming, to

the

the Sibyl s song and Jewish people tradition kept hope alive amongst the-, G entiles ;

;

whilst

spiritual and supernatural in the new law are the effects or consequences of the Incarnation. It was designed and carried out in the wisest and most becoming wav, "reaching from end to end sweetly and power in it "Justice and fully," Mercy kissed." Its purpose was to manifest infinite love for man by the redemption and salvation of the world.

The

that

all

Internal

is

Son

"came

forth

from the Father

and came

into this world, not to judge the world, but to save to seek and save the "

perishing

it,"

and the

\Ye profess this great and con truth when, soling reciting the Apostles Creed, we say, \\ ho for us men and our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy (ihost of the Virgin Mary and was lost."

"

made As work

Man."

the

and

suggested

Incarnation

mystery for

of

is,

by excellence, the love,

the

thoughts,

study and meditation,

will

be

VETERA ET NOVA

\2(>

such as should, when reflected on

in

a

spirit

of simple.- lively faith, create and increase in us a strong personal love of our Lord -a love

which, though not sensible, should be, in its power, greater than any other love, according to Christ s word, "He that loveth father and

mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." The two unfailing proofs and tests of love are humiliation and suffering for the object loved, and the greater the humiliation and

Now

the suliering the greater the love. Internal Son, of His own free will, took both to

Himself

to

so lovingly,

may

call

such a degree, embraced them

that,

them

considering

infinite.

He

who He

we

is,

us so in that

tells

cry of supreme oblation placed on His lips by the Royal Psalmist, and fulfilled to the letter,

according to the words of

Heb.

"

x.

not. but a

Sacrifice

.St.

Paul

Ps. xxxix.;

and oblation Thou wouldst

body Thou hast

fitted to

me.

IIolo-

causts for sin did not please Thee then said In the head of the book it Behold, I come. ;

written of

me

that

I

should do

Thy and Thy

will

:

()

I,

is

my

have desired it, law in the God, midst of my heart"; "He offered Himself because He willed I

it."

First let us consider the humiliation of

His

THE IXCA R.\A Tf( IN

127

Incarnation as distinguished from that of His St. Paul in his Epistle to the

Passion.

Philip-

plans declares this truth in very solemn words "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ

:

Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not But He robbery to be equal with God.

emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as man." We shall best understand this humiliation

He was

or

is

by contrasting- who and what from eternity, and what I le became

in time.

St.

Paul, very specially in his Kpistle to the

Hebrews, declares and proves in clear emphatic words the Eternal Godhead of the Son and that perfect human nature which He assumed, or, in other words, Christ true God and true man in His one divine Person. of His divine nature

and

Treating

He

Abraham,

selects

two persons, Moses

most

reverenced,

almost

who on more

the

worshipped by than Jews, one occasion had spoken of our Lord con In the temptuously as compared to them. ninth chapter of St. John,

when the man born our Lord gave sight, said in irony to the exasperated Jews, "Will you also blind,

to

whom

become His

disciples?"

the

latter

answered,

VRTERA

I2 S

A"/

NOVA

we know that the disciples of Moses this man we to as but (iod spoke to Moses, know not from whence lie A^ain, in the "

We are

:

is."

the Jews eighth chapter we read that Thou that our Lord, "Now we know

said to

hast a

Thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are And dead. Whom dost Thou make Thyself? Before Abraham was when He answered, Art

devil.

"

"

made, Him."

was

am, they took

I

far

up stones to cast

at

Yet St. Paul boldly says that Christ above Moses, because Moses was but

a servant in the house of another, whilst Christ was the master in His own house, the world, far greater than Abraham which He built, and his priesthood, far superior to that of Abraham s descendant, Levi. This St. Paul

proves as follows that which is less

"

:

Without

all

contradiction,

blessed by the better," and the Lnvin^ of tithes by the person who pays them acknowledges his inferiority to a person Now consider order- -the Priest. of a is

higher

how

in-eat

the

man

is

who

blessed

Abraham

and received tithes from Abraham and from Levi as well, the descendant of Abraham.

And who was formally

this

admitted

man

to

himself to

whom Abraham be

inferior?-

THE INCARNATION

I2g

Melchisedech, Kino- of Justice, King of Peace, a Priest for ever likened to the Son of God."

He

was a mere type or and His Priesthood. If St.

figure of our

Abraham was beyond all how much more so

Paul,

inferior to the type,

the reality and antitype

Lord

therefore, concludes

question to Christ

?

But more St. Paul compares Christ with the angels, and proves how immensely superior to them He is. For to which of the hath :

"

God

said at

have

I

any

begotten

Him a

Thou

time,

Thee?"

art

My

angels Son, to-dav

and again,

"I

will

be

He shall be to Me a Son and again, "When He bringeth His firstbegotten into the world, Pie saith, And let all to

Father, and

"

;

the angels of

God

adore

He

angels, indeed,

said,

Him."

He

that

"And

to the

maketh His

angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire but to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever sit on my right hand till I make ;

:

Thy enemies Thy footstool." Christ is not only above Moses, Abraham, the prophets, angels and archangels, but more, He is "the Son bv

whom

all

things,

who upholds

things were made, the

His power,

He

is 9

to

whom

the very

all all

God,

Heir of

all

things by the word of things are subjected." in the bosom of the

1

VE TEKA E T NO VA

30

Lather from eternity, possessing by right the infinite attributes of God, glorious and happy and happiness of heaven, the in glory and glorified in to, ministered worshipped, of

hymns

the

praise

by

being

such,

nine

choirs

of

angels.

And He

His own free

took to

our human moment on the

will,

well to rest for a

Himself,

nature.

is

clear

emphatic which the reality of pressed upon us in Holy

words, often repeated,

in

His human

nature;

Scripture.

In the genealogies of St.

is

It

oi

Matthew

Luke our Lord is traced in a direct line; of human ancestors up to David, Abra St. John tells us that the ham, and Adam. Lternal Word or Son of God was made_/7^ and dwelleth amongst us. Our Lord speaks Paul St. of Himself as the Son of Man.

and

St.

writes

"

:

For nowhere doth

He

take hold of the

Abraham He taketh angels, but of the seed of of David according seed the of was He hold." "

to the

flesh."

"He

is

the

Son sent by God

in

the likeness of sinful ilesh, who, in the days of His ilesh, with a strong cry and tears, offered to Him who was up prayers and supplications "The Son of able to save Him from death." the things from God, who learned obedience

THE INCA RNA TION

He

1

3

T

In this great fundamental truth we profess our faith when we recite the Creed, Born of the Blessed Virgin, suffered under suffered."

"

Pontius

Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried." the words of St. John, K very spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."

\es,

It

in

"

may seem

truths,

dogmas

strange to insist on these two of faith which all Christians and

Catholics are bound

to

indifference,

Lord

is

Lord

s

and

But

believe.

not be safely said that

may

it

much

of the coldness,

insult of sin

with which our

treated are the consequences of a want of lively practical faith in the reality of our

nature and of

Would if

they

which

all

Catholics be what too studied,

meditated

home

we

in

involved

many

of

in it?

them

are,

and brought humiliation and

on,

to their hearts the real the awful sufferings to which

Himself and bore one of which He

is

God

subjected

His human nature, every

felt

as really as, but more ? Let us now reflect

could

intensely than, upon these humiliations

and

sufferings.

Being from eternity and by the very essence

His nature true God, He humbled and emptied Himself by taking a human nature, as human, and therefore as capable of human

of

VE TKRA E T NO A T

,

I

32

as it is in us. physical and mental, came in the likeness, we may say in the This, of sinful llesh, but without sin.

suffering,

He

reality,

the Infinite taking to Himself our lowly finite nature, was the greatest degradation and self-

How

annihilation conceivable.

the love- for us which

such a debasement

great, therefore,

prompted and motived

!

wondrous love shows and proves itself more and more when we consider the lie so humbled Him beings for love of whom and conde self, and the considerate, tender, ])iit

this

which

in

scending way

He

did

but

fallen children of fallen parents,

by our own

personal

rebels

outcasts, "

We

sins,

we were

all like

still

prodigals,

God, the King of sheep had gone astray." "The

general before our redemption byDavid, inspired by God, tells us that

corruption of "

As more

against

kings, In the thirteenth Psalm, entitled

Christ,

so.

man

Lord had looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any who understand and seek God." With what result ? All are corrupt and become abominable in no, not their ways: there is none that do good "the

"

one

;

they are

are open

all

gone astray

sepulchres,

:

their throats

with their tongues they

THE INCARNATION acted deceitfully their

their

lips,

bitterness

133

the prison of asps is under is full of cursing and

;

mouth

their feet are swift to

;

shed blood,

and unhappiness in their ways, the way of peace they have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes." St. Ignatius, in his meditation on the Incarnation, destruction

;

puts

before

words

us

this

truth

in

the

following

See and consider the Three divine Persons as on their royal throne, how they view the whole surface and face of the world and all nations in such blindness, and see them likewise dying and descending into The whole world one hospital and all men sick unto death, one vast prison and all men in in the words of St. Augustine, one chains, "

:

hell."

"

Massa

damnata."

We may

imagine ourselves, with perfect as that traveller to Jericho, stripped and truth, wounded and half-dead, and to certainly die if not looked to by someone, as captives chained and confined in a deep, dark, loathsome dungeon, perfectly incapable, each for self, or all others lor

even one,

to strike off our chains or set

soul free, certain to in

the end to

prison,

if

find

fall

one

lower and lower, and

ourselves

someone able and

in

the

eternal

willing do not

)

VR TRRA K T NO VA

34

when, lo the Internal Son pity and help us, of God Himself the very (iod, infinitely happy !

before our existence, and infinitely happy when we lay wretched outcasts in the depth of our

misery took our lowly nature, and by doing so bridged the broad and deep gulf which And separated us from Him, and came to us.

how did He come to us? He might have come in angelic form, or in a glorious impassible human nature to pass us by, or revile us for misdeeds, or strike us with the rod of Himself a justice, to give us labour not raising

our

hand, to

no no "

trial,

tear.

not

give us suffering knowing Himself to give us sorrow shedding Himself But not so He became our brother,

ashamed

:

to call us

His

brethren,"

"tried

things, without

even as we are, like to us in all He sin, and learning obedience by suffering." and came in our lowly nature, by doing so most stooped clown to our lowest level in the I le, the and manner tender and condescending good Samaritan, took us up in His loving arms, ;

the poured into our wounds the oil to soothe, and then balm to heal, the wine to cheer, placed us in His own house, the Church. But our love for Him will be still more

inflamed by our reflecting on the reasons and

THE INCARNATION

135

the purposes for which lie subjected Himself to this wondrous humiliation. The first was

He

that

might become a Great High

Priest,

who

could and would offer up the all-atoning and all-redeeming sacrifice. Paul places St. this

his

truth before us in the second chapter of P>ecause the Epistle to the Hebrews: "

children"

blood,

"are

(we)

He

also

partakers

of

Himself"

llesh

and

"in

like

(Christ) hath been partaker of the same,

manner

He

death

that

might destroy him who

through hath the power of death, that is to say, the devil and might deliver them, who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject ;

to

"Wherefore

servitude."

things to

all

He

be

made

it

like to

1

behoved 1

is

Him

in

brethren, that

might become a merciful and faithful High God, that He might be a pro

Priest before

pitiation for the sins of the

The Pligh

Him

world."

Eternal Son was consecrated the Great

by His

Priest

Father when

He gave

nature by which He became the Victim and Priest of the great Sacrifice. St.

that

Paul

human

tells

same Epistle

when He writes So Christ also did not

us this "

:

in

the

glorify

Himself that He might be made a High Priest, but He His Father who said to Him, Thou

VETERA ET NOVA

136

Son, this day have I begotten Thee, Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech." Yes, lie humbled and emptied Himself by taking our nature, in art

My

itself

a great proof of love,

Him

to manifest

in

order to enable

greater love by suffering and dying for us when we were I is enemies. lUit there was a second end and purpose still

1

of the Incarnation, which brings out and com mends, in a very touching, because human,

This was, that way, His thoughtful love of us. He might become the model, the pattern, the exemplar according to which we should make If He were not God He could so writes St. Leo, redeemed "and if He were not man He could not be our model." "The whole dignity of man is "

ourselves.

not have

us."

in becoming as like to Him as possible." Himself tells us that the condition and crucial test of being His disciple is imitation, In taking up the cross and following Him.

placed

He

"

vain

am

I

a Christian

if

I

imitate not

Christ,"

The command to speaks St. Malachy. imitate our divine Model is implied in the name in which we glory Christian. God could not be a model to us men, neither could an so

angel nor a

man

of a privileged, impassible

THE INCA RNA T1ON

37

1

nature, because

the

none of these three could feel sorrows, infirmities, and sufferings

trials,

which are our

The

lot.

Internal Son, therefore,

be a model really imitable wishing by us, took our nature, passed through every phase to

of

human

all

truly

suffering, interior

and

intensely,

and

exterior, feeling all

yet bearing

in

the

most perfect manner, and then turns to us, when the cross a mere feather s com weight pared to His comes, and says, "Behold, an example I have given you, that as I do, you do also." Xor is His command a barren one,

He

for

sends,

grace by which

example and

or

is

we

can see the beauty of His to the height of it. He

rise

always willing to send,

ever acts with us according to that beautiful description of His ways of old with the people of His love As the eagle enticing her young "

:

and hovering over them, He spread His wings, and hath taken him and carried him on His shoulders" (I)eut. xxxii. 10, to

fly,

etc.).

If,

as

nature,

could

we

God

or angel or man of an impassible could not be our model, neither

He He know

feel

and

in the trials

feel

by experience what

and crosses of

lovingly took our nature that so: that when we come to

He

life.

He

might do Him in our

VETERA ET NOVA

138

could compassionate us, saying, do pity you and wish to comfort and help

sorrows I

you,

lie

because

know what you

I

Myself borne and

He may

trials.

felt

say

similar but far greater to us in the beautiful

words of the great Latin and adding one letter, miseris succurrere

having

feel,

merely changing laud ignarus mali a sentence which

poet, "I

disco,"

words of the describing what a High inspired one who can have compas Priest ought to be sion on them that are ignorant and err, because can be

freely translated by the

Apostle when

"

he himself also

And

is

compassed with

infirmity."

writing of our Lord, St. Paul again, as a reason why the Eternal Son took gives That wherein Me Himself hath our nature suffered and been tempted, He is able to

when "

:

succour them also

that

are

tempted."

This

may be illustrated as follows anxious about some suffering was one Suppose invalid whom he much loved and for whom hewished to secure a person who would be at once a companion and a nurse, would he think

beautiful truth

for a

moment

and rude, sickness,

ence

who

man naturally rough one who never had an hour s

of selecting a

or

what a

:

therefore did not trial

it

is,

know

by experi

was devoid of

feeling,

/

///<:

INCARNATION

139

such people often do, that no one No he would look out should ever be sick? for a person of delicate refined feeling and believing-, as

;

manner, one of a kind, tender, sympathetic nature who had himself experienced the anxiety, depression, and pain of a delicate invalid life. So our Lord experienced all our sorrows and

even the misery and punishment of in order that, feeling really what they

sufferings,

our

sins,

are,

He

fish

love which our Lord manifested for

could the better pity, compassionate, It would be well for many and succour us. Catholics if they meditated on the great unsel

them such lowliness and

by subjecting Himself to humiliation and yet more by meditating on the considerate, condescending, and sufferingway in which He stooped down to do so and really feeling all our sorrows, sufferings, He Himself in them of that trials, by experience us. might the better pity, comfort, and console St. Ignatius is clear and explicit in pressing ;

upon us this command to imitate Christ, the divine Exemplar in all things, and, above all, in

He tells bearing our crosses as He did His. us to ask as graces, special to meditations on An intimate know the life of our Lord ist, "

:

ledge of Jesus

Christ"

;

but

I

am

not to stop

1

VE TERA E T NO VA

40

here,

Him; love

having great and grand thoughts about

An

2nd,

Him

the

intimate knowledge more";

ha vino- perhaps warm wards Him no, that

nor

am

"that

I

may

to stop here, affectionate feelings to

may

I

I

love

Him

the

imitate Him the more. My grand and love will be worse than thoughts gushing do not prove my love to be a real useless if more;

"and

I

love by the hard but sweet work of imitationimitation of His patience, charity, resignation,

most trying cir have high thoughts easy about our Lord, easy to have affectionate feel ings toward Him, and to express both in words but the only real test ami proof of love

and obedience practised cumstances.

It

in

to

is

;

is

the

more

difficult

work

of imitating

Him.

CHAPTER THOUGHTS ON

T1IF

XIII

SUFFFRINGS OF OUR LORD

Tins humiliation of our Lord,

in taking, and as lie our did, nature, which we con takingsidered in the last chapter, was not the mere beginning and end of His love it was more ;

He became

order to give still greater and more striking proofs of love in the labours, sorrows, and sufferings which He bore for us. As man only could He sorrow-, suffer, and die.

We

have

1 1

man,

is life

for us in the

in

and vividly described Testament, with which we

clearly

New

In it are, or ought to be, reverently familiar. we find the; best points or subjects for study and meditation, suggested not only in the life He led from Bethlehem to but also

Calvary, those sermons and parables when He spoke as no man ever spoke. He went about, in in

poverty, privation, weary of foot, doing

good by His teaching, by His healing of all manner of diseases, spiritual and temporal, and to

all

1

VETERA ET NOVA

42

by receiving with open arms and longing heart even the worst sinners who came to Him. is sufferings and to His patient But it is to 1

1

suffering unto death that I wish to call special attention. Sufferings freely and for love of anyone are the borne willingly There strongest and truest evidence of love.

obedience

in

not possible for anyone who believes with simple lively faith in the sufferings of our Into the Lord, to be without love of Him.

fore

life

is

it

of such a one sin will not enter

for a

;

or

if it

do

moment, under some sudden temptation

to Peter, he will, like him, rise But to holier and better man. a quickly to be believe really and practically in the sufferings of our Lord, to make them an habitual reality

as

happened

and power meditation,

absence of

in

our

fix

lives,

them

this

is

we

must, by study and and the our hearts

in

the

;

reason

why

so

many

Catholics are indifferent, lukewarm, or sinful. They believe in a sort of way, but not with a faith that

worketh

in love.

not intended to instruct persons how they should meditate on the Passion, or to propose for meditation points taken from the Passion, It is

o ive a few hints on certain truths which but to o are too much overlooked or very vaguely

THOUGHTS ON OUR LORD

S SUFFERINGS

143

viewed, and which, when kept in mind, help to make meditation on this subject more effective

and

fruitful.

The

and often on the real \Ye too often sufferings. read of them and pass on without making- any effort to realise them as or they were in Him first is,

to rest well

nature of our Lord

s

;

we

allow a thought natural hut false to weaken

their effect.

lias a thought, like the following-,

ever passed through or possessed our mind

?--

His sufferings were very great, no doubt, but He was a highly privileged being; He was God, and therefore He could not have felt them as an ordinary man, as we ourselves should if similarly placed.

Now

He

other side.

the truth

is

only man, and a man, and still more

on the were was such

all

suffered as really as if all the more because He

He

because He was God. There is no mystery in all this, if we keep in mind the full meaning of the dogma O f the

The Eternal Son of God took human nature, as human as it is in any child of Adam, and therefore capable

Incarnation. to

Himself a

us or

of feeling

the physical and mental pains and He kept this sufferings which are our lot. thoroughly human nature independent of His all

VR TRKA R T NO VA

144

most closely united to it in the His human oneness of His divine Person. nature of human the therefore was nature His, but

divine,

the Eternal

human

the

(

iod, just as

jected to suffering, as should one of

way

human

nature

nature of each of us or

individual person.

Hence

the

spiritual

of

is

any

Therefore He, when sub felt

it

as really

and as keenly

us similarly circumstanced. writers, when teaching the best

of meditating on the Passion,

recommend

subjecting our selves to one of the Passion-tortures and trying to realise what we should feel if scourged, or us

to

use

the:

imagination

in

nailed to a cross, and then to bring home to suffered as really and (iod ourselves that He truly as

we

should,

and

this for love of us.

But more: His sufferings were not only as should be, but were more really felt as ours keenly and intensely felt by Him than they could be by us, because of circumstances special to

His human nature.

St.

Paul, in the tenth

chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, citing from the thirty-ninth Psalm, places upon the lips Sacrifice and of our Eord the following words "

:

oblation

did not fitted to

Thou wouldst

not.

please Thee, but a Me."

Holocausts for body Thou

sin

hast

His human nature, perfection

TJIOUGIirs

ON OUR LORD

S SUFFERINGS

145

in its way, was not only of the most dclicately refined kind, but was formed and fitted by His

and

Father,

Him

by

accepted

for

the

set

purpose of enduring and fee lino- the highest and the deepest, the most searching and the most universal suffering. ot its exceptional

His very nature, because

human

more keenly

sensitive

other child of

Adam

He

suffered as

more because

the

perfection, made;

to sufferings

Him

than any

could be.

He were only man, and all He was God. The greatest

if

emperor who ever lived could be made to suffer only by his fellow-men but our Lord, the Eternal Son, suffered at the hands of the very beings whom He had created. St. Ignatius places ;

this truth before us in

those

to

fourth

is

suffers

or wishes

to

according to is

being

some

meditating on

directions he gives Passion. "The

the

consider what

Christ

our Lord

His humanity the portion of the Passion which to suffer

contemplated."

in

"The

fifth is to

con

how the Divinity hides itself, that is to how it could destroy its enemies and does and how it allows the most holy humanity

sider say, not,

to suffer so cruelly. look at our crucifix,

A

scription

of

the

as well

scourging,

as

the de

crowning

with

1

VE TERA E T NO VA

46

thorns, the crucifixion,

keep us well

in

mind

I thirst" the word of His bodily sufferings, calls attention to the one most likely to escape us; whilst His words, "My soul is sad and "

sorrowful

why

hast

unto

Thou

"

death,"

forsaken

My

God,

Me,"

give

My

God,

us

some

His awful mental or soul anguish. Hut few would advert to, "How the Divinity hides itself, how it could destroy its enemies and does not, and how it allows the most holy humanity to suffer so cruelly." This hiding of idea

of

the divinity may be illustrated by the following Him parable or simile suggested by our Lord

Let us suppose that a great and power ful emperor is travelling incognito through a where he is not part of his own kingdom, therefore be cannot personally known and He has with him a brave devoted recognised. o self:

bodyguard, but for the moment they are out of sight, though within call by means of an arranged signal which he could give and they So placed, he is set upon by a could hear.

band of

brutal savage men, his

own

subjects,

him by opprobrious names, pluck him by the hair, strike him on the face, spit upon him, and in the end trample him to death under

who

their

call

feet.

Imagine,

if

you

can,

the

almost

THOUGHTS ON OUR LORD S SUFFERINGS

147

superhuman

mortification this emperor should have practised to endure all this, not to give the signal, have his guard around him, his dignity manifested, and his cruel persecutors seized. Our Lord seems to have suggested this

way of putting how He hid Mis divinity, He spoke, when arrested in the

by the words

garden, to Peter, "Put up again thy sword into its thinkest thou that I cannot ask place

My

;

Father, and

He

will

give

me

presently more

than twelve legions of angels ? When meditating on the Passion, we should bear well in mind that the Eternal Son of God "

and intensely each and all His suffer He were only man, and the more because He was such a man, and all the more because He was God. felt

really ings as if

The second

truth, the study of which should be a help to us when meditating on the Passion of our Lord, is what I may call the

universality,

the lavishness of His sufferings. Any act, even the least, of Christ was the act of God, there fore of infinite merit, and more than

sufficient to ransom, sanctify, and save the world. One sigh, one prayer, one tear would have done

His great work as

effectively as did

His awful

VETEKA ET NOVA

48

1

St. sufferings. in his hymn

"

says

Thomas Aquinas Adoro Te

tells

Devote"

us this

when he

:

Dc i^n.

()

li

sus, pelican of

heaven,

But our Lord did not save the world and each of us on terms easy to Himself, or at a price He de which cost Him little or nothing.

and submitted Himself to His human nature was capable, and bore them as long as, if not longer than, any ordinary man could. His first mysteriously terrible suffering was elected

liberately all

the sufferings of which

the agony in the garden, ending in the sweat of blood. Men of science have studied and

agony as something very ex cruciating, if not the most so, in the world of Father Faber calls it, if I physical suffering.

written

of this

mistake

"

not,

the crucifixion of His

soul."

It

within, yet no hand had touched lim. But certain thoughts and feelings became as torturers sei/ed His sacred heart and caused it to contract and expand with such

came from

for

as

1

unnatural

quickness 1

Judge

and

O Hagan

s

violence translation.

that

the

mi

L ( ;/rrs

blood could

ON o UK L ORD

s si FFEIUNI ;s

not

the

in

pass,

1

49

way,

ordinary

through the veins, but was forced through the solid

flesh

became

till,

in

"being

agony,

His sweat

as drops of blood trickling- down on The torturers which mercilessly

the ground.

agony and sweat of blood were, of the sufferings which were near at hand and about to fall upon Him. He tells us this Himself in that cry of His

caused first

this

the vivid vision

human

heart,

"

Father,

chalice pass from uttered by Him

He

be possible, let this This mysterious word,

if it

Me."

who came to and who longed for

suffer

because

that baptism of be baptized, gives us some idea of the awfulness of the sufferings He comes," from which He naturally shrank. willed,

blood with which

He

was

to

"

writes Cardinal

Newman,

"to

a certain spot,

and then, giving the word of command and withdrawing the support of the Godhead from His soul," hiding His divinity, "distress, Him and in and rush terror, upon dejection He allowed Himself to be so filled with horror and dismay at the very anticipation" of His "

;

"

impending

sufferings.

The second

torturer

was the humiliating,

depressing, shameful feeling of Him, the Sinless and bearing in His One, being "made sin,"

VF.TERA

150

/"/

NOVA

whole world. Of this even a feeling vague idea. The Sinless One made sin and bearing in His llesh the sins of the world, and really feeling the degradation and shame of the position in which He had placed Himself!! \o one perhaps could describe, no one the

llc-sli

it

sins

is

of UK:

difficult

to conceive

"

"

more

certainly has described, this feeling in a striking, and bold Newman, in his sermon

vivid,

Sufferings of OUT There then in "

the

Saviour

of

way than Cardinal 77/6 Mental on "

I give the passage :most awful hour knelt

l.ord."

that

the

world,

off

putting

the

dismissing His re luctant angels, opening His arms, baring His breast, sinless as He was, to the assault of His foe of a foe whose breath was pestilence, and

defences of His divinity,

whose embrace was an agony. There le knelt motionless and still, while the. vile and horrible fiend clad His spirit in a robe steeped in all that is hateful and heinous in human crime, which clung close round His heart and filled His conscience and found its way into every sense and pore of His mind and spread over I

Him a moral leprosy. Oh, the He looked and did not know felt

horror

when

Himself, and

as a foul and loathsome sinner from

His

THOUGHTS ON OUR LORD

S

SUFFERINGS

151

mass of corruption perception of that which poured over His head and ran down Oh, the even to the skirts of His vivid

distraction

He

when

garments! found His eyes and

and heart as if the Are members of the evil one and not of God these the hands of the Immaculate Lamb of

hands and

feet

and

lips

!

God, once innocent, but now red with ten Are thousand barbarous deeds of blood? not uttering prayer and praise and holy blessings, but as if defiled by oaths and doctrines of devils ? Or and these His

lips,

blasphemies His eyes profaned, as they are, by all the evil visions and idolatrous fascinations for which men have abandoned their adorable Creator? And His ears, they ring with sounds of revelry

His heart is frozen with avarice and cruelty and unbelief, and His memory is laden with every sin which

and of

and

strife,

very has been committed since the Fall, in every of the world, with the pride of the old reo-ion & giants,

and the

lusts of the five cities,

and the

obduracy of Kgvpt, and the ambition of Babylon, and the unthankfulness and scorn of Israel. Adversaries such as these gather around in millions

now

;

they

numerous than the

come

in

locust, or the

troops

more

palmer-worm,

52

I

ET NOl A

F.TI .RA

or the plagues of hail and Hies and frogs which were sent against Pharaoh. ( )f the living and the dead, and of the as of unborn, the lost yet and of the saved, of Thy people and of strangers, of sinners and of saints. all sins are there. It is the long history of the world.

Hopes

blighted,

vows broken,

lights

quenched, warn

ings scorned, opportunities lost, the innocent betrayed, the young hardened, the penitent relapsing, the just overcome, the aged failing, the sophistry of misbelief, the wilfulness of passion, the obduracy of pride, the tyranny of habit, the; cankering of remorse, the wastinglever of cart;, the anguish of shame, the pining

of disappointment,

the;

sickness of despair, such

heartrending, revolting, detestable, maddening scenes nay, the haggard faces, the convulsed ;

the Hushed cheek, the dark

lips,

victims

of rebellion, they are all now, they are on I lim and in Him the one Victim for us all, the sole satisfac

willing

before

He is tion,

He

brow of the

Him

:

the real Penitent, turns,

garment

and, lo

!

all

there

but the real sinner. blood upon His

is

whence come these

Passion of the

Lamb

No

first-fruits

soldier

of the

scourge has touched His shoulders, nor the hangman s nails His hands and feet. He has bled before His ?

s

THOUGHTS ON OUR LOR IPS SU/ FERLVCS

153

He

has shed blood; yes, and it is His agonising soul which has broken up His frame work of flesh and poured it forth, His Passion has begun from within. That tormented heart, time,

the

seat

length

of

tenderness

to labour

and

to

and

love,