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I. THE ASPIRATION AFTER
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
No builder leaves an edifice half-finished. If he has begun to construct a house, he does not rest until it is completed. An artist does not hand in the portrait he has painted until every feature is faithfully delineated. Let the Christian do likewise; when once he has undertaken the work of his own sanctification, and is in a state of grace, let him strive to bring the edifice of virtue to completion, and form himself to a true image of God. Our aim should be to make progress every day.
1. God requires of all the just that they should aspire to Christian perfection.1
God desires the sinner to be converted, the just to strive after perfection. The duty of aspiring after perfection is included in the precept of charity, for it requires us to love God with all our strength. And what else does that mean but continual advancement in the path of virtue? “He that is just let him be justified still, and he that is holy let him be sanctified still” (Rev. 22:11). Our Lord lays this injunction upon us: “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). The will of God is none other than our sanctification. He who does not aim at the attainment of Christian perfection, is in danger of losing his soul. The vessel that does not stem the stream will drift downwards. Where there is no progression there is retrogression; no man can stand still on the path of virtue. “As soon,” says St. Augustine, “as thou art content with thyself, and thinkest thou hast done enough, thou art lost.” We should aim at the highest degree of sanctity, imitating the trader, who is wont to ask the highest possible price for his wares.
2. The most sublime example of Christian perfection is found in Our Lord. After Him, the saints are also patterns of perfection.2
Christ says: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). When the rich youth asked Our Lord what he was to do in order to be perfect, the answer given him was: “Follow Me” (Matt. 19:21). St. Paul bids us: “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). As an apprentice watches his master at work, that he may learn to work like him, so we ought to keep our eyes fixed on our Master Christ. The saints meditated unceasingly on the life and Passion of Our Lord. He is the Christian’s pattern. The saints are also examples of perfection, for they imitate Christ; their life is a copy of His life. St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians: “Be ye followers of me” (1 Cor. 4:10), and he enjoins on the Hebrews the necessity of imitating the saints (Heb. 6:12). The Church commemorates one or more of the saints on each day of the ecclesiastical year, in order to incite us to their imitation. The saints stand in the same relation to Christ as the stars do to the sun; He surpasses them all in perfection. Thus it is easier for us to imitate the saints; we know that it is impossible for us ever to attain to the perfection of which Christ sets us the example, but the sanctity of the saints is within our reach. And here it must be remarked that almost every saint excelled in the practice of one particular virtue. Also that the actions of each were suited to and in conformity with the circumstances, the environment in which they were placed; e.g., their calling, their means, their bodily strength and natural temperament. Every one ought to choose for his model a saint whose position and calling were similar to his own.
3. The perfection of the Christian consists in charity towards God and his neighbor, and in detachment of heart from the things of this world.3
“Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). Charity is the bond of perfection (Col. 3:14). St. Augustine, when asked how sanctity of life was to be attained, answered: “Love God, and do as thou wilt;” meaning that he who truly loves God will do nothing that displeases Him. St. Francis de Sales says that the only true perfection is to love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves; all other perfection is spurious. St. Thomas Aquinas defines sanctity as the fervent surrender of one’s self to God. Sanctity does not consist in the outward observances of religion, in long prayers, in fasting and almsgiving; these are but means to its attainment. Nor does sanctity consist in complete freedom from sin; it is evinced rather by constant and energetic resistance to sin. For God frequently permits even saints to fall into sin to keep them humble. Least of all does sanctity consist in extraordinary works, which the world regards with astonishment and admiration. We do not read of the Mother of God ever having performed extraordinary works, or St. Joseph, the foster-father of Christ. In the ranks of the saints a great number will be found who never shone in the sight of the world: their life was hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). The love of God is always accompanied by hatred of the world, abhorrence of its sinful, sensual delights. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in Him (1 John 2:15). The love of God and the love of the world are like the scales of a balance; as one rises the other falls. As charity increases in the heart sinful affections die out. As one who would climb to the top of a tower must ascend the steps that lead to it, so if we would reach the summit of perfection, we must detach our hearts as completely as possible from earthly things. The greater our hatred of the world, and our proportionate charity towards God and our neighbor, the greater the degree of perfection we have attained.
4. He who makes Christian perfection his aim will attain it surely but slowly.4
Our Lord says: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice for they shall have their fill” (Matt. 5:6). A sincere desire for perfection and an untiring effort to attain it will not be unsuccessful. The desire for it is already half the battle; for an energetic desire gives force and courage, makes labor light, daunts the enemy, makes a man pleasing to God and obtains grace. On St. Thomas Aquinas being asked how one could make sure of attaining sanctity, he replied: “By a resolute will.” No one has ever attained sanctity without fervently desiring it, any more than proficiency in an art or science has ever been acquired by one whose wishes were not eagerly set upon it. But progress towards Christian perfection is very slow. Our sanctification is not the work of a single day. No one, unless he be peculiarly privileged by God, can reach perfection in a short time. It is the same in the spiritual as in the natural order: A plant does not spring up and blossom in a night, the infant does not grow to man’s estate in a single day. The process of healing is a slow one; indeed the slower the surer. So it is with our sanctification. There are three degrees in the way of perfection; that of the beginners, who still retain a strong affection for mortal sin; that of the advanced, who cannot abstain from venial sin, and who, because of attachment to earthly things, are still in a state of warfare; and the perfect, whose heart is completely detached from earth and given to God, and who consequently are entirely at peace within themselves. These three degrees are also known as the purgative, the illuminative, and the unitive way. They correspond in the supernatural life to the three stages of man’s natural life; childhood, the period of mental and physical weakness; adolescence, the period of development; and manhood, the period of maturity. St. Ignatius enjoins upon beginners meditation on the four last things; on the advanced, consideration of the Passion of Our Lord; on the perfect, contemplation of the divine goodness and of celestial joys. There is no end to the way of perfection, for the love of God is without limit. “He who is just, let him be justified still, and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still” (Rev. 22:11). It is, however, within the power of man to approach very near, while still on earth, to the state of the blessed in heaven.
5. There is no state or calling of life in which Christian perfection is not possible.5
Saints are formed in every class, from the highest to the lowest. To love God and one’s neighbor is within every one’s power. “How easy a thing it is,” says St. Bonaventure, “to love God; there is nothing laborious, nothing disagreeable involved in it.” In fact nothing is more delightful to the heart than to love God. From other good works a man may excuse himself, saying: “I cannot fast; I have not the means to give alms;” but no one can say: “I cannot love.” Pious practices must be proportioned to the powers and adapted to the occupations and duties of the individual. St. Francis de Sales compares piety to a fluid, which takes the shape of the vessel in which it is contained.
II. GENERAL MEANS FOR THE
ATTAINMENT OF PERFECTION
In order to make sure of attaining Christian perfection, the following means should be adopted.
By this greater graces are obtained and grave sins more easily avoided.
In the natural order we see how great things are evolved out of what is apparently insignificant. How small the acorn is, and yet it contains the germ of a mighty oak! So it is in the spiritual order. Pay heed, therefore, to small things; do not despise even the least; be careful to avoid every untrue word, every word that may give offence; never utter lightly the name of God. To him who is faithful in small things God gives great graces; to him Our Lord says: “Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things” (Matt. 25:21). He who, on the other hand, is unfaithful in small things, loses many graces and is punished by God. Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because he doubted God’s promise, and Zechariah was struck dumb for his incredulity. Many of the saints were deprived of consolations, and visited by aridity, because of slight faults. He who is faithful in small things is not as likely to fall into heinous sins; for Our Lord says: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in that which is greater; and he that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that which is greater” (Luke 16:10). Hence whosoever is attentive to small things makes rapid progress in virtue. “If thou wouldst become great,” says St. Augustine, “begin with that which is little.” Grains of sand form a mountain, a number of trees make a forest. “He that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little” (Sir. 19:1). Little infidelities to grace often cause great mischief, and embitter a man’s whole life. A spark will occasion a vast conflagration, and a small leak will cause a ship to founder. So it is with small sins. Judas began with purloining, and ended by becoming a traitor and a suicide; Cain first gave way to jealousy and then slew his brother. Contempt of trifles shows secret pride.
We should not encourage curiosity, nor stare out of windows; we should avoid useless or loud talking, refrain from complaining of the weather or of our health; from eating between our meals, from finding fault with what is provided for us, from too long indulgence in sleep, from eagerness to join in conversation, from speaking of ourselves, from contradicting others. These and similar acts of mortification cost no great effort. The saints practiced far more severe ones, but in this they are not to be imitated by all. St. John the Baptist led a life of extreme self-denial. St. Paul says of himself: “I chastise my body and bring it into subjection; lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway” (1 Cor. 9:27). Self-control is a sort of abstinence; it is far more profitable than merely abstaining from food. He who can rule himself is a king; for instead of being led captive by his passions, he dominates them. Self-conquest is the mark of a true Christian. Our Lord says: “If any man will follow Me, let him deny himself” (Mark 8:34); that is to say, he that will be My disciple must practice self-abnegation. St. Paul also says: “They that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences” (Gal. 5:24). A fish that is alive swims against the current; a dead one is carried along by it. Hence you can easily ascertain whether you have the life of the Spirit in you, or whether you are dead; ask yourself whether you stem the tide of your sinful desires, or if you are carried away by it.
By the practice of self-control the understanding is enlightened, the will strengthened, and the soul finds peace.
“We have a law in our members fighting against the law of our mind” (Rom. 7:23). Our members that are upon the earth must accordingly be mortified (Col. 3:5). The flesh is continually at war with the spirit, and we must continually be at warfare with the flesh. He who does all that is allowed, will soon proceed to do what is not allowed (St. Augustine). But if we deny ourselves what is lawful, it will be easy for us to abstain from what is unlawful. The most perfect among us will fall into sin if he ceases to practice self-denial, as a field that is uncultivated produces a crop of weeds. Self-control enlightens the understanding. All that we deny to our carnal senses is repaid a hundredfold to our spiritual senses. “Let us,” says St. Basil, “stifle our fleshly desires, in order that our spiritual sense may become keener, and our interior vitality and peace be augmented.” Self-control fortifies the will. If the will be strong, carnal impulses are quickly subdued, and the temptations of the devil easily overcome. Mortify yourself in matters that are apparently of little moment; you will thereby learn to conquer where great things are at stake. The mortified man is like an oak, which will break, but will not bend; the unmortified is like a reed, shaken with the wind (Matt. 11:7). By self-control we acquire true peace of mind. There is no quiet in a house the door of which stands open to all comers, and there is no peace in the soul if the senses are not kept in custody. Our disorderly affections are like a storm at sea; they raise a tempest in the soul and perturb the mind. But if you know how to command the winds of passion, a marvelous peace and great calm will ensue. He who for the love of God has renounced all carnal lusts will enjoy the sweetest consolations of the Holy Spirit. He who is master of himself will not easily be provoked to wrath. Self-control is the parent of meekness and patience.
3. Abstinence from all that is superfluous, especially in regard to eating and drinking.8
Among superfluities we reckon splendid dress, costly furniture, theatre-going, giving and taking part in entertainments, banquets, etc. Those who take great delight in such things will never attain perfection; the Holy Spirit will not dwell in a heart that is filled with the love of earthly things. He who would enter upon the path of virtue and perfection must begin by diligent mortification of his appetite. No gourmand can be a good soldier of Christ. Those who eat and drink more than is necessary are in danger of losing grace and succumbing to temptation. Hence Our Lord says: “Woe to you that are filled” (Luke 6:25). And St. Peter exhorts the faithful thus: “Be sober and watch; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Talkativeness is also to be avoided. An unrestrained tongue is a sign of conceit and folly. As a doctor judges of a man’s bodily health by the state of his tongue, so one may judge of the health of the soul by the words the tongue utters. From the ring of a vessel one can perceive whether it is full or empty; so by the conversation of a man it may be seen whether his mind is empty or well-stored. He that setteth bounds to his tongue is knowing and wise; a fool multiplieth words. The temperature of a room is speedily reduced if the door be left open; so the love of God cools in the heart of one whose lips are ever unclosed for idle gossip, and the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit departs from the soul. Incontinence of speech is a fruitful source of contention. “If any man offend not in tongue, the same is a perfect man” (Jas. 3:2). Mortification of the tongue is indispensable to the attainment of sanctity. “If any man bridle not his tongue, that man’s religion is vain” (Jas. 1:26), even though he seem to be God-fearing. “He that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils” (Prov. 13:3). For this reason St. Paul bids us: “Shun profane and vain babblings” (2 Tim. 2:16). Speech is silver; silence is gold. Yet we must beware of being too chary with our words, or our silence might appear contemptuous. In this as in all else, a wise medium should be observed.
For this is conducive to peace of mind and rapid advancement in sanctity.
“Let all things be done decently and according to order” (1 Cor. 14:40). It is well to have a fixed time for rising and retiring to rest, for meals, for work, for recreation, etc. We should endeavor to keep order in all around us, for thus we shall save much time and trouble. St. Augustine says that order leads to God, for all that He ordains is regulated in perfect order. Behold the beautiful order that reigns in the starry firmament. Order must be maintained in all institutions, schools, convents, etc. It is remarkable how many men who have had military training have reached an eminent degree of sanctity.
By this means many temptations are held aloof, and graces in abundant measure obtained.
As fortifications defend a garrison against the attacks of the enemy, so prayer without ceasing protects us from the devil. Our Lord admonishes us: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). St. Paul bids the faithful: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Unremitting prayer is a sure means of drawing down the Holy Spirit from on high. The more a plant enjoys the sunshine, the better it will grow and the more luxuriantly will it blossom; in like manner the more often the soul draws near in prayer to the sun of divine grace, the greater will be its increase in perfection. All the saints were instant in prayer. Blessed Clement Hofbauer was accustomed to recite the Rosary while walking through the streets of Vienna. St. Alphonsus used to say that the saints owed their sanctity more to their prayers than to their works. Habituate yourself to ejaculatory prayer; it will refresh you and help you on your way as an occasional draught of wine does the traveler.
6. Frequent confession and communion.11
Sins once properly confessed, are, it is true, forgiven; yet it is advisable, though not obligatory upon us, to accuse ourselves of them repeatedly.
The saints used to confess again and again the mortal sins of which they had been guilty.12 The confession of the sins of our past life serves to keep us humble. And if, after confession, we frequently approach the holy table, we shall increase in perfection, as a tree which is planted near running waters grows to great height. We admire the sanctity of the early Christians; let us remember that they communicated daily. It is said of them that they persevered in the communication of the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42).
7. Reading attentively the life of Our Lord and the lives of the saints, and meditation on the truths of religion.13
By reading the lives of the saints we shall feel ourselves powerfully incited to imitate their example. We shall ask ourselves, as St. Augustine asked himself: “If these and those could do so much, wherefore canst not thou do the same?” The saints loved to study the lives of the saints and to imitate them; so a draughtsman looks long and often at the picture he is about to copy. However, we must not imagine that with our love of God, so poor, so faint, we can all at once imitate the sublime actions of the saints, or it will be as if a crow were to attempt to imitate the song of the nightingale. The most profitable plan is for us to read the life of a saint whose position corresponded to our own, and learn from it practical lessons. The lives of the saints are the maxims of the Gospel put in practice. Meditation on the truths of religion is supremely useful; it enlightens our understanding, stimulates the will to the pursuit of what is good, and gives us peace of mind. The truths of religion are like a fire, standing near which we receive light and warmth. They impart nourishment to our souls; they are a food that satisfies. Remember Our Lord’s words to the Samaritan woman (John 4:13). The world would not be as bad as it is if there were not so few who consider the truths of religion in their heart (Jer. 12:11). Through meditation the saints attained sanctity.
In solitude we obtain many actual graces; we are preserved from temptation and from sin, and grow in virtue.
Our Lord was wont to take Himself to solitary places, to a mountain (John 6:15), to the desert (Luke 5:16), or the Mount of Olives (John 8:1), where He spent a long time in prayer. Until He was thirty years of age He led a hidden life. We know also that many holy men withdrew into solitude and devoted themselves to spiritual exercises. St. Benedict passed three years in a cavern among the mountains. St. Ignatius of Loyola dwelt for a considerable time in the cave of Manresa. Those who are now unknown, whose life is hid with Christ in God, will one day appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:3–4). St. John Chrysostom says the life of the recluse is that of an angel upon earth. In solitude we obtain many graces; there the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart (Hos. 2:14). One cannot hear a sweet melody in the midst of din and tumult; God’s voice can only be heard by those who flee from the world. The further the soul lives from all worldly tumult, the more familiar does she become with her Creator (Imitation, Book 1, ch. 20). In solitude alone is true contentment to be found. Were the recluse to leave his cell, he would perceive that the world is a field in which more vexation than pleasure is to be reaped. Solitude is a preservative from temptation and sin, as the harbor shelters the mariner from storm and shipwreck. The sage Seneca used to say: “As often as I have been among men, I have returned less a man.” Solitude helps to maintain and increase virtue. Choice spices only retain their aroma when shut up; they lose it if exposed to the air. Virtue is more easily preserved in solitude than amid the noise and bustle of the world. He who frequents the drinking saloon, who goes to every place of amusement, who, in a word, enjoys life, will not enjoy true peace of heart, will not attain perfection. But however great the advantages of seclusion, we must not be unsociable, and withdraw altogether from the society of our fellow-men; we must mix with them freely whenever duty bids, or charity calls upon us to do so. Our Blessed Lady visited her cousin Elizabeth, to congratulate her. Let us hold aloof from the world in spirit, not in bodily presence.15
III. SPECIAL MEANS FOR THE
ATTAINMENT OF PERFECTION
1. He who aspires to a higher degree of perfection must follow the three evangelical counsels: Perfect obedience, perpetual chastity, and voluntary poverty.16
These three virtues are called counsels because they were not enjoined upon us by Our Lord as a command, but as a counsel. There is no sin incurred in not following them. It befits the law of the New Testament to contain counsels as well as precepts, for in it God makes Himself the Friend of man, and in this character He does not command but commend. The New Law is a law of liberty, the Old Law was one of servitude. By following the evangelical counsels we offer an oblation to God of our will, our body, our property. They are the three arms of the cross on which we are crucified with Christ. To follow them is a lifelong martyrdom; a martyrdom less terrible than that of the sword, but more painful because of its duration. Those who follow these counsels will attain a higher degree of glory. That which is done voluntarily, not under compulsion, deserves a greater reward.
a. Perfect obedience consists in the complete subjection of one’s will to that of a superior.17
Christian obedience, that is, obedience to the ecclesiastical and secular authorities, is binding upon every man. But this obligation does not extend to all our actions; it leaves us free in many respects. For instance, the spiritual authority requires us to hear Mass on Sundays and holydays, to approach the sacraments at Easter, etc.; but it leaves us at liberty to fulfil our duty in what church and at what hour we please. Perfect obedience, on the contrary, requires us to obey in everything. This voluntary obedience is the greatest sacrifice we can make for God; if we fast, give alms, or sacrifice our reputation for God’s sake, we give to God only a part of ourselves. But he who sacrifices his will has nothing more to give; he immolates himself to God. Obedience to a superior is neither irrational nor degrading to man, for he subjects himself voluntarily once and forever to the will of one who is placed over him by the will of almighty God; he is like a traveler who unquestioningly proceeds in the direction to which the signpost points. It is a difficult matter to know one’s self, but it is easy for another to know and guide one.
b. Lifelong chastity consists in abstaining from marriage and from all unclean desires.18
The Sixth Commandment of the Decalogue obliges every one to subdue his evil concupiscences. This counsel requires those who follow it to abstain from wedlock; they lead on earth an angel’s life. In fact in this respect man surpasses the angels in excellence, for the latter have no carnal impulses to combat. The Council of Trent (C. 24, 10), declares the single state to be higher than the married state; it is therefore better to be unmarried (1 Cor. 7:38). The reason of this is because conjugal intercourse fosters man’s lower nature, and the care of providing for a family engrosses him in material interests.
c. Voluntary poverty consists in the renunciation of all earthly possessions.19
To give of one’s own to the needy is the bounden duty of all. But it is an immeasurably greater sacrifice if, for the love of God, we renounce all earthly possessions and voluntarily embrace poverty, to which so many hardships are attached. The voluntary poverty of the Christian bears no resemblance to the voluntary poverty of the pagan philosophers. The latter despised riches from earthly considerations; they wished to be quit of the cares attending them. The Christian on the other hand makes himself poor in order to serve God better, and thus attain more surely to the possession of eternal treasures. There is, besides, involuntary poverty, when a man is destitute, or in straitened circumstances. Again there is poverty of spirit, which is required of all men; it consists in acknowledging that whatever wealth, distinctions, or learning we may possess, we are poor in the sight of God. But now we are speaking of voluntary poverty; he who is poor for Christ’s sake is exceeding rich (St. Jerome).
2. These three counsels are called the evangelical counsels; because Our Lord gave them to us when He preached the Gospel, and followed them Himself.20
Our Lord counselled perfect obedience in His conversation with the rich young man; perpetual chastity in His discourse on the indissolubility of marriage; voluntary poverty in the afore-mentioned conversation with the rich young man.
We read that Christ said to the rich young man: “Come and follow Me” (Matt. 19:21); i.e., come and let your conduct be guided by Me completely. This is perfect obedience. And when He was speaking about the indissolubility of marriage. He said that there were some who remained unmarried for the kingdom of heaven’s sake; adding: “He that can take it let him take it” (Matt. 19:12). By these words He counselled perpetual chastity. Finally He said to the young man: “If thou will be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21). This was voluntary poverty.
Our Lord Himself practiced the counsels; for He sought not His own will but did the will of Him that sent Him (John 5:30). He led a life of celibacy and extreme poverty.
The poverty of Christ was perfect; He chose a stable for His birthplace, a poor virgin for His Mother, a lowly artisan for His foster-father; He had nowhere to lay His head (Matt. 8:20).
In following the evangelical counsels, we do not combat this or that evil tendency; we tear up all bad passions by the root, and lay a solid foundation for the edifice of virtue. All sins spring from the threefold concupiscence: The concupiscence of the eyes, the concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life; i.e., the inordinate longing for riches, for sensual gratifications, and for honor (1 John 2:16). As in medicine some remedies are drastic and others mild, so it is with the remedies for these evil concupiscences. Prayer is a cure for pride, fasting for sensuality, almsgiving for avarice; these are mild remedies. But let him who desires a radical cure adopt the three evangelical counsels. By obedience pride will be thoroughly subdued: concupiscence of the flesh by chastity, concupiscence of the eyes by poverty. The counsels are a means of removing the chief obstacles in the way of our salvation. By following them we shake off the fetters of earth, and thus advance more swiftly towards our final end. That earthly possessions are a formidable hindrance to those who would follow Christ, we gather from the story of the rich young, man (Matt. 19). Socrates compares riches to a long robe, which prevents one from walking quickly because one’s feet get entangled in it. The traveler proceeds on his way much more rapidly if he has nothing to carry. What is said about riches is equally true in reference to wedlock. He that is married is solicitous for the things of the world, that he may please men; he that is unmarried is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God (1 Cor. 7:32). He who is detached from earthly things can fix his eyes on heaven and contemplate the Sun of justice with unclouded vision, and gain a more profound knowledge of divine things. Let no one say that the wealthy can do more good to his fellow-men, and gain more merit, than one who embraces voluntary poverty. The former gives but a part, the latter gives the whole. And consider what immense good has been done, in spite of their poverty, by those who have given up all.21
The evangelical counsels are, however, not in themselves perfection, they are but a means towards its attainment.
The highest perfection is the highest degree of charity towards God. To adopt the counsels does not make a man perfect, for it is possible to pledge one’s self solemnly to do something and then not fulfil one’s promise. A certain man sent his two sons to work in his vineyard. The one said: “I will not,” but afterwards being moved with repentance he went. The other said: “I go, sir,” and he went not (Matt. 21:28–30). There are many in a state of perfection who are very much the reverse of perfect. And those who profess to follow the counsels, and yet give way to love of eating, to anger, avarice, love of ease, or other sins, are all the more culpable; just as a messenger would be who, although he had no weight to carry, dallied on his way, and made no attempt to reach his destination.
4. Not everyone is called of God to follow the evangelical counsels; for Our Lord says: “All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given” (Matt. 19:11).22
Those are called to whom God gives the desire of this grace, and who are ready to make any effort to obtain it. Let not those who are not called to follow them hold the evangelical counsels in contempt. “If the ring does not fit thy finger,” says St. Francis de Sales, “do not on that account cast it into the mire.”
5. The members of religious Orders are bound to follow the evangelical counsels, and likewise all persons living in the world who have taken a vow to do so.23
As a servant has to serve his master by reason of the duties he has taken upon himself, so the Religious is bound to strive after the highest perfection by following the counsels, by reason of the vows he has made. The religious Orders originated in this wise: St. Anthony the Great assembled around him in the Thebaid a number of disciples, who lived in separate cells, and occupied themselves with prayer and manual work, and followed the evangelical counsels. St. Pachomius (348 A.D.) collected these anchorites under one roof, and gave them a fixed rule. Thus the first cloister was established upon an island near the mouth of the Nile. The monastic life was introduced into Palestine and Syria by the Abbot Hilarion, whose disciples numbered some three thousand, and into Asia Minor by St. Basil (379 A.D.), Archbishop of Cæsarea. St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, and St. Benedict, were the founders of monasticism in the West in the fifth and sixth centuries. Thus the Orders arose for men and women; communities who led a regular life in accordance with the teaching of Christ. The men were called monks, from the Greek monachoi, hermits; the women nuns, i.e., virgins. The principal Orders are; The Franciscans, founded by St. Francis of Assisi (1226); the Dominicans, by St. Dominic (1216); the Jesuits, by St. Ignatius of Loyola (1556); the Order of Mercy, by St. John of God (1550); the Lazarists, by St. Vincent of Paul (1660); the Redemptorists, by St. Alphonsus Liguori (1787), besides many others. Each Order has its special mission: the care of the sick, the instruction of youth, foreign missions, etc. Religious are under the obligation of remaining in one place, either in a particular house (monastery) or a part of a house (enclosure). They are all subject to a superior, who is generally elected for three years. Each Order has a habit peculiar to itself. Admission to the Order is by profession, i.e., taking the vows; previous to being professed, a novitiate of at least one year has to be passed through. The religious Orders are very numerous at the present time in America and still more in Europe, excepting Germany, whence they are banished for the most part. It is an act of tyranny on the part of the State to forbid community life; it is depriving subjects of their natural rights. Besides, the religious Orders are not merely an ornament to the Church, they are an essential part of the Christian commonwealth. The suppression of the religious Orders by the secular power is a mutilation of the body corporate. The religious state affords more security of salvation than a secular life; the means of grace can be employed more easily, more regularly; the religious are safeguarded from many occasions of sin which cannot be avoided in the world, through the supervision of the superior and also by the habit they wear. But those who do not live up to their religious profession, nor keep their vows, fall into a disorderly life and go swiftly to perdition. It is a mortal sin not to keep the vows. This causes St. Augustine to say: “As I have never met with a better man than a really good monk, so I have never seen a more wicked man upon earth than a bad Religious.” Most of the Orders have, as history proves, done great work for humanity, especially by works of mercy and the encouragement of learning. The Benedictines in the Middle Ages cut down the primeval forests and cultivated the untilled soil. The contemplative Orders also contributed much to the furtherance of godliness and piety by their valuable writings. All the monastic houses were noted for their liberality to the poor. It cannot be denied that in some conventual houses in the Middle Ages laxity and self-indulgence prevailed, but on these the scourge of God fell. Persons living in the world often take a vow of chastity. Remember the example of St. Agnes; she suffered torture and martyrdom rather than break her vow by marrying the son of the Proconsul. The other two evangelical counsels are not suited for those who live in the world.
The secular clergy are pledged to obey their bishop and lead a life of celibacy.24
The secular clergy are bound to obey their bishop; this obligation is imposed on them when they are admitted to the sub-diaconate; as also is the obligation of reciting the Breviary. The celibacy of the clergy was first made obligatory at the Synod of Elvira, in 306. During the three first centuries there was no need of this law, because priests voluntarily abjured marriage, out of respect for the sacredness of their office. Only at times when the lack of priests was most keenly felt, were married men admitted to the priest-hood; but after ordination no one was permitted to marry. Only in isolated and very rare instances, for weighty reasons, has the Pope been known to dispense priests from their vow; and then they had to give up their benefices, and were debarred from all exercise of their sacerdotal functions. Yet they were required to recite the Breviary until death. In the Middle Ages Pope Gregory VII made a determined stand against the marriage of priests, prohibiting those who had wives from performing any ministerial work. The Council of Trent (24, 9), declared the marriage of priests to be invalid. The apostles, after their vocation, left all they had; the great prophets, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, St. John Baptist, lived a celibate life. A parish priest must devote himself wholly to the salvation of souls; he must administer the sacraments to the sick at the risk of his life, he must assist the poor, admonish his flock, and offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass with a pure heart.
Those who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth. Hence Our Lord (Matt. 5:3–10), pronounces the following beatitudes:25
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This is the meaning of these words: Blessed are they who, however great their wealth, their dignity, their health, their learning, acknowledge that before God they are poor, for in this life they enjoy celestial peace and after death are partakers of eternal felicity.26
The poor in spirit are not the fools, but the humble. They are those who have the spirit of a little child. The rich in spirit are the proud, who think much of themselves because of all they possess. Yet the rich man may be poor in spirit, if he acknowledges that all his riches are valueless in God’s sight. And a poor man is not poor in spirit if he pride himself on some quality or other that he possesses. But as a rule, the rich are not, and the poor are, poor in spirit. The poor in spirit enjoy celestial peace, for Our Lord declares that theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They are like rocks, externally barren and unproductive, but containing within rich veins of pure gold; for while they appear to the eye of man bereft of all joys they possess consolations of which the world knows nothing. The poor in spirit are admitted to eternal felicity. Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, as the pearl belongs to the man who has purchased it at a goodly price; for the poor in spirit, by their renunciation of all earthly things, have bought heaven at the cost of all they possessed.
2. Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who preserve their composure (are not provoked to anger by the wrong done to them); for they will rule their fellow-men (they will conquer the hearts of men) and after death they will enter into heaven.27
(See the instruction on meekness.)
3. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who lament but little over the loss of transitory things, for God will impart to them such consolation that they will forget their sorrow; and after death He will bestow upon them celestial and eternal joys.28
They that mourn are therefore not those who mourn over the loss of earthly things, e.g., the enjoyment of some pleasure. Sorrow such as that is a sign that the heart is not detached from the things of earth; it profits us no more than a plaster would heal a wound if it were laid beside, instead of on it. Sorrow is only a cure for sin. Unless our sorrow is on account of sin, it will only be harmful; as a moth doth by a garment and a worm by the wood, so the sadness of a man consumeth the heart (Prov. 25:20). Sadness incapacitates the soul for action; it has the same benumbing effect upon it as excessive cold has upon the body. A season of gloom and depression is an opportune moment for the devil; he avails himself of it to tempt us and make us fall, as birds of prey go out by night in quest of spoil. Hence Holy Scripture exhorts us to be cheerful. The joyfulness of the heart is the life of a man, and a never-failing treasure of holiness (Sir. 30:23). But sorrow for sin, whether our own or that of others, is pleasing to God, and is succeeded by joy and gladness. What happiness awaited the prodigal son when he returned home, after deeply deploring his sin! What joy the penitent thief experienced when Our Lord promised him paradise! What joy Magdalen felt when Christ pardoned her and commended her love! and David when, after he had bewailed his transgression (Ps. 50[51]), the prophet announced to him that he was forgiven! Mourning for sin can hardly be called sadness, because it is not incompatible with interior gladness. St. Jerome says: “In spite of penitential tears and heart-rending sighs I am sometimes so joyous that I fancy myself already with the angels.” Nor is sorrow on account of the trials Providence sends us reprehensible; it too leads to joy and consolation. This was the sorrow Our Lord felt on the Mount of Olives, at the approach of His Passion; and an angel appeared to Him, strengthening Him. This was the sorrow the widow of Naim felt when her son was carried out for burial; and Our Lord consoled her grief by restoring him to life. The apostles mourned when Christ left them and ascended into heaven, and immediately two angels came to comfort them. When God has happiness in store for us, He invariably sends some trial first to make us more humble, more grateful for His gifts; thus light is more welcome after darkness, health is better appreciated after sickness. They that mourn will also be comforted hereafter. “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall not be any more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow” (Rev. 21:4). “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Ps. 125[126]:5).
4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who strenuously strive after truth and moral perfection, for they shall attain it, and shall be satisfied by the beatific vision of God in heaven.29
The centurion Cornelius sought after truth with prayer, fasting, and alms; God instructed him first by an angel, and subsequently by the mouth of St. Peter. The pagan philosopher Justinus made a careful study of all the systems of philosophy in order to discover the truth, and God employed an old man on the banks of the Tiber to teach him the doctrines of Christianity. He who strives earnestly after sanctity will surely attain it. Clement Hofbauer, a baker’s apprentice, set his heart upon becoming a priest; he attained his end in spite of all hindrances, and has been beatified. A man who is tormented by hunger or thirst will do anything to obtain relief, as Esau relinquished his birthright; the saints acted in like manner, counting no exertion too great, no sacrifice too costly, in order to satisfy the hunger of their soul. This spiritual hunger and thirst, the craving for increase of knowledge and growth in holiness is attended by joy and causes no uneasiness to the soul. The aspiration after justice renders us fit to receive the communication of divine grace, for by fervent desires our heart is enlarged. Eternal felicity also awaits those who strive after justice; here below they never think they have reached their goal, they never say they have done enough. They hunger continually; and a never-ending hunger merits never-ending satisfaction.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who help their neighbor who is in need, for they will obtain from God pardon of their sins, and will be leniently judged at their death.30
(See what has been said on the usefulness of works of mercy.)
6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they whose heart does not cling to the things of earth, for they will have a clearer perception of God in their lifetime, and after death will behold Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12).31
The proud, the covetous, the intemperate, are not clean of heart, for the things of time and sense, honors, riches, the pleasures of the table, hold a place in their heart. Only those who are conscious of no habitual sin can be said to be clean of heart. What enabled St. John the Evangelist to penetrate so deeply into the mysteries of religion, to gaze upon the sublimity of the Godhead? “The sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14). “Wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins” (Wisd. 1:4). Truth does not reveal itself to the unclean, but from a pure heart it cannot be hid (St. Bernard). As a sheet of paper must be clean, upon which one is about to write, so that heart must be pure from carnal desires upon which God will set His seal by the action of the Holy Spirit.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who make sacrifices for the sake of peace, and who promote peace among others; for here below they enjoy the special protection of God, and hereafter they will receive the reward of their self-conquest.32
(See the instruction upon peaceableness.)
8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The meaning of these words is this: Blessed are they who have to suffer at the hands of their fellow-men for the sake of their faith, or of some Christian virtue; for even in this life they will be filled with interior joy, and after death a high degree of felicity will be theirs.33
What indescribable happiness St. Stephen felt while he was being stoned; he saw the heavens opened and Christ standing in the glory of God (Acts 7:55). St. Lawrence, who was broiled upon a red-hot gridiron in Rome, must have experienced similar consolations, for while he was enduring the torture he joked, saying to the pagan governor: “I am roasted enough on this side; now turn me over to the other.” St. Paul declares: “I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 7:4). How could the martyrs have suffered torments so terrible with such equanimity, unless they had been mingled with celestial consolations? Our Lord says of those who suffer for His sake: “Your reward is very great in heaven” (Matt. 5:12). Persecutions are the precious stones where-with the crowns of the saints are adorned in heaven. You must suffer with Christ here, if you would reign with Him thereafter. There is no greater honor upon earth than to suffer for God. The order in which the beatitudes are enumerated indicates the existence of three degrees, or stages, in the spiritual life. (1), All sinful inclinations must be combated, by means of humility, meekness, sorrow for sin; (2), Our sanctification must be effected by means of striving after perfection and the practice of works of mercy; (3), We must be united to God, by cleanness of heart, by peaceableness, and patient endurance of suffering. The beatitudes begin with the promise of the kingdom of heaven, and with it they end. This is to signify that eternal felicity is the reward of all the intervening beatitudes. What is promised to the poor in spirit as their reward under the name of the kingdom of heaven, is the same as the land which the meek are to possess, the comfort promised to those who mourn, the satisfaction which is to be the portion of those who hunger and thirst after justice, the mercy to be obtained by the merciful, the contemplation of God which the clean of heart are to enjoy, the adoption of the peacemakers as the children of God, and the kingdom of heaven which belongs to the persecuted. The Church has appointed the eight beatitudes to be read as the Gospel on the feast of All Saints, because it was the prospect of this eternal reward which urged the saints onward on the path of virtue.
The worldling counts those as fools whom Christ declares to be blessed.
The world has its own maxims, which are utterly opposed to those of the Gospel. (1), Riches constitute the greatest happiness, poverty is the greatest misery. If a man has anything at all, he must make a show with it, or the world will not think much of him; (2), One ought not to put up with anything; (3), Happy is the man who is free from care and sorrow; (4), One must look to it that one makes a lot of money; (5), Let everyone study his own advantage; (6), Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die; (7), One must take up arms in one’s own defense, whenever one is wronged; (8), Blessed are they who have nothing to suffer. Well indeed might St. Paul say: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:19).
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1 CCC 825, 2013, 2028.
2 CCC 827–829, 1693, 2011, 2824.
3 CCC 1723, 2028, 2548. See also CCC 769.
4 CCC 2014–2016.
5 CCC 825, 2015.
6 CCC 1862–1863.
7 CCC 943, 1657, 2015, 2549.
8 CCC 1809, 1838, 2290, 2477–2480.
9 CCC 1897, 2184. See also CCC 1194–1196.
10 CCC 2742–2745. See also CCC 2668.
11 CCC 1389, 1392–1395, 1446–1447, 1458, 1811.
12 The editor disagrees with Father Spirago’s recommendation. To recall the Lord’s mercy to us is good, but bringing already confessed and absolved sins back to Reconciliation is not the proper use of the sacrament.
13 CCC 828–829, 2683, 2705–2708.
14 CCC 2620.
15 CCC 533.
16 CCC 914–916, 1973, 1986.
17 CCC 925–927.
18 CCC 922–924. The Church has also come to speak of “conjugal chastitiy” and “chastity in continence” (CCC 2349).
19 CCC 2053, 2541.
20 CCC 544, 2053, 2103.
21 CCC 916, 932–933, 2103.
22 CCC 1974, 2349.
23 CCC 915, 918, 925, 929.
24 CCC 1579, 1599. This has long been the practice of the Latin Catholic Church, although the Holy See can grant special permission for a married man—usually a married Protestant minister, of the Church of England, who converts to the Catholic Faith—to be ordained. Married priests are quite common in the Church’s Eastern Rites (CCC 1580).
25 CCC 1716.
26 CCC 2544–2547.
27 CCC 716, 1825, 2219, 2447.
28 CCC 1451–1453, 1490, 1718–1722.
29 CCC 158, 1805, 1814, 2002, 2475, 2548–2549.
30 CCC 1933, 2608, 2682, 2840–2844.
31 CCC 1722.
32 CCC 2304–2306.
33 CCC 520, 675, 677, 1435, 1808, 1816, 2473.