Part III, Chapter I

Of the Choice We Ought to Make as to the Exercise of Virtues

Contains several instructions concerning the practice of virtues.

As the queen of the bees never goes abroad into the fields without being surrounded by all her little subjects, so charity, the queen of virtues, never enters the heart without bringing all the other virtues in her train, exercising and disciplining them as a captain does his soldiers. But she neither employs them all at the same time, nor in the same manner, nor in all seasons, nor in every place; for as the just man, like a tree planted by the river side, brings forth fruit in due season, so charity, watering the soul, produces a variety of good works, each one in its proper time. “Music, how agreeable soever in itself, is out of season in time of mourning,” says the proverb. It is a great fault in many, who, undertaking the practice of some particular virtue, wish to exercise it on all occasions. Like some ancient philosophers, they either always weep or laugh; and, what is yet worse, they censure those who do not always, like themselves, exercise the same virtues; whereas, we should “rejoice with the joyful, and weep with them that weep,” says the Apostle; “for charity is patient, kind, bountiful, discreet, and condescending.”

There are, however, some virtues of so general utility as not only to require an exercise of themselves apart, but also communicate their qualities to the practice of other virtues. Occasions are seldom presented for the exercise of fortitude, magnanimity, and magnificence; but meekness, temperance, modesty, and humility, are virtues wherewith all the actions of our life should be tempered. It is true, there are other virtues more agreeable, but the use of these is more necessary. Sugar is more agreeable than salt; but the use of salt is more necessary and general. Therefore we must constantly have a good store of these general virtues in readiness, since we stand in need of them almost continually.

In the exercise of the virtues we should always prefer that which is most conformable to our duty, not that which is most agreeable to our imagination. St. Paula was prejudiced in favor of corporal austerities and mortifications, that she might more easily enjoy spiritual comfort; but she was under a greater obligation to obey her superiors, and therefore St. Jerome blamed her for using immoderate abstinences against her bishop’s advice. The apostles, on the other hand, being commissioned to preach the gospel and distribute the bread of heaven, thought that they should act wrongly by interrupting these evangelical exercises for the relief of the poor, which, though, is in itself an excellent virtue. Every condition of life has its own peculiar virtue. The virtues of a prelate are different from those of a prince; those of a soldier from those of a married woman, or a widow, and so on through every class of society. Though all ought to possess all the virtues, yet all are not equally bound to exercise them; but each ought to practise, in a more particular manner, those virtues which are most requisite for the state of life to which he is called.

Among the virtues unconnected with our particular duty we must prefer the excellent to the glittering and showy. Comets appear greater than stars, and apparently occupy a greater space; whereas, in reality, they can neither in magnitude nor equality be compared to the stars; for as they only seem great because they are nearer, and appear in a grosser manner than the stars, so there are certain virtues, which, on account of their proximity, become more sensible, or, to use the expression, more material, that are highly esteemed and always preferred by the vulgar. Hence it is that so many prefer corporal alms before spiritual; the hair-shirt, fasting, going barefoot, using the discipline, and other such corporal mortifications, before meekness, mildness, modesty, and other mortifications of the heart; which are, nevertheless, more exalted. Choose then, Philothea, the best virtues, not the most esteemed; the most noble, not the most apparent; those that are actually the best, not those that are the most ostensible or shining.

It is profitable for every one to exercise some particular virtue, yet not so as to abandon the rest, but to keep his spirit in a more settled order. A fair virgin, in royal attire, more bright than the sun, whose head was decorated with a crown of olives, appeared to St. John, bishop of Alexandria, and said to him: “I am the eldest daughter of the king: if thou canst have me for thy friend, I shall conduct thee to his presence.” He understood that she was mercy towards the poor, which God recommended to him; and therefore ever after he gave himself up so absolutely to the practice of this virtue as to obtain the title of St. John the Almoner. Eulogius, the Alexandrian, desiring to render God some particular service, and not having strength enough to embrace a solitary life, nor to subject himself to the obedience of another, took a poor wretch, quite eaten up with the leprosy, into his house, that he might exercise towards him the virtues of charity and mortification; and, to perform them the more worthily, he made a vow to honor and serve him as his lord and master: being tempted to separate, they addressed themselves to the great St. Anthony, who said, “Take care, my children, not to separate from each other, for being both of you near your end, if the angel should not find you together, you run a great risk of losing your crown.”

St. Lewis visited hospitals, and attended the sick as diligently as if he had served for wages. St. Francis had so extraordinary a love for poverty as to call her his lady, and St. Dominick, for preaching, from which his order takes its name. St. Gregory the Great, following the example of Abraham, took pleasure in entertaining pilgrims, and like him received the King of Glory in the form of a pilgrim. Tobias exercised his charity in burying the dead. St. Elizabeth, though a great princess, delighted in nothing so much as in abasing herself. St. Catharine of Genoa, in her widowhood, dedicated herself to serve a hospital. Cassian relates that a devout lady, desirous to exercise the virtue of patience, came to St. Athanasius, who, at her request, placed with her a poor widow, so exceedingly peevish, choleric, and troublesome, that by her insupportable temper she gave the good lady ample occasion to exercise the virtues of meekness and charity.

Thus, among the servants of God, some apply themselves to serve the sick; others to relieve the poor; others to propagate the knowledge of the Christian doctrine amongst children; others to reclaim souls that are gone astray; others to adorn churches and decorate altars; others to restore peace and concord amongst those who have been at variance. As embroiderers lay gold, silver, and silk on their several grounds, with such an admirable variety of colors as to resemble all kinds of flowers, so these pious souls make choice of some particular devotion to serve as a ground for the spiritual embroidery of all other virtues, holding thereby all their actions and affections, better united and ordered, by referring them to their principal exercise; and thus they show forth their spirit in its gilded clothing, surrounded with variety. (Psalms 44:10)

When assaulted by any vice we must embrace the practice of the contrary virtue, and refer all the others to it; by which means we shall overcome our enemy, and at the same time advance in all virtues. Thus, if assaulted by pride or by anger, we must, in all our actions, practise humility and meekness; and make all our other exercises of prayer, and the sacraments of prudence, constancy, and sobriety, subservient to this end. For as the wild boar, to sharpen his tusks, wets and polishes them with his other teeth, and by this means sharpens all of them; so a virtuous man, having undertaken to perfect himself in that virtue of which he stands in most need for his defence, files and polishes it by the exercise of the other virtues, whilst they help to refine that one, make all of them become better polished. Thus it happened to Job, who, exercising himself particularly in patience, against the many temptations wherewith he was assaulted, became perfectly established and confirmed in all kinds of virtues. Nay, St. Gregory Nazianzen says, “that by the perfect exercise of one only virtue a person may attain to the height of all the rest;” for which he alleges the example of Rahab, who, having exactly practised the virtue of hospitality, arrived at a great degree of Glory. But this is to be understood of a virtue which is practised with great fervor and charity.

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