Part III, Chapter XXIII

Of the Exercises of Exterior Mortification

They who treat of agriculture tell us that if any word be written upon a very sound almond, and it be again enclosed in the shell and planted, all the fruit which that tree shall produce will have the same word engraven upon it. As for myself, Philothea, I could never approve of the method of those who, to reform a man, begin with his exterior, such as his gestures, his dress, or his hair; on the contrary, I think we ought to begin with his interior. “Be converted to me,” said God (Joel 2), “with your whole heart.” “Son, give me thy heart.” (Proverbs 23) For, the heart being the genuine source of our actions, our works will always correspond to our heart. The divine Spouse, inviting the soul (Canticle of Canticles 5), “Put me,” says he, “as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm.” Yes, verily; for whoever has Jesus Christ in his heart will quickly show him in all his exterior actions. I desire, therefore, dear Philothea, above all things else, to engrave upon your heart this sacred motto, “Live, Jesus”; being assured that your life, which proceeds from the heart as an almond tree from its kernel, will afterwards produce the same words of salvation written upon all your actions; for, as this sweet Jesus lives within your heart, so will he also live in all your exterior, in your eyes, your mouth, your hands, and even the hair on your head, so that you will be able to say, with St. Paul, “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.” In a word, he that has gained the heart has gained the whole man; but even this heart, by which we would begin, requires to be instructed how it should frame its exterior behavior, so that men may not only behold holy devotion therein, but also wisdom and discretion; for this end I desire your serious attention to the following short admonitions: —

If you are able to endure fasting, you would do well to fast some days besides those which are commanded by the Church; for besides the usual effects of fasting, viz., to elevate the spirit, to keep the flesh in subjection, to exercise virtue, and acquire a greater reward in heaven, it is a great means to restrain gluttony, and keep the sensual appetite and body subject to the law of the spirit; and although we may not fast much, yet the enemy fears us when he discovers that we know how to fast. Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are the days in which the ancient Christians chiefly exercised themselves in abstinence; choose, then some of these days to fast, as far as your devotion and the discretion of your director shall advise you.

I would willingly say to you, as St. Jerome said to the pious Leta: “Long and immoderate fastings displease me greatly, especially in those that are yet in their tender age.” I have learned, by experience, that young people, who become infirm through excess of fasting, easily give way to delicacies. We are greatly exposed to temptations, both when our body is too much pampered, and when it is too much weakened; for the one makes it insolent with ease, and the other desperate with affliction. The want of this moderation in the use of fasting, disciplines, hair-shirts, and other austerities, renders the best years of many unprofitable in the service of charity, as it did even in St. Bernard, who repented that he had used so much austerity; and the more cruelly they ill-treated their bodies in the beginning, the more were they constrained to favor them in the end. Would they not have done better to have mortified their bodies moderately, and in proportion to the offices and labors which their condition obliged them?

Labor, as well as fasting, serves to mortify and subdue the flesh. Now, provided the labor you undertake contributes to the glory of God and your own welfare, I would prefer that you should suffer the pain of labor rather than that of fasting. This is the intention of the Church, which exempts those labors that contribute to the service of God and our neighbor even from the fasts commanded.

Some find it painful to fast, others to serve the sick, or visit prisoners; others to hear confession, to preach, to pray, and to perform similar exercises; these last pains are of more value than the former; for, besides subduing the body, they produce fruits much more desirable, and therefore, generally speaking, it is better to preserve our bodily strength more than may be necessary, in order to perform these functions, than to weaken it too much; for we may always abate it when we wish, but we cannot always repair it when we would.

We should attend with great reverence to the admonition given by our blessed Saviour to his disciples (Luke 10:8): “Eat the things that are set before you.” It is, in my opinion, a greater virtue to eat, without choice, that which is laid before you, and in the same order as it is presented, whether it be more or less agreeable to your taste, than always to choose the worst; for although this latter way of living seems more austere, yet the former has, notwithstanding, more resignation, since by it we renounce not only our own taste, but even our own choice; and it is no small mortification to accommodate our taste to every kind of meat, and keep it in subjection to all occurrences. Besides, this kind of mortification makes no parade, gives no trouble to any one, and is happily adapted to civil life. To set one kind of meat aside to eat another—to eat of every dish — to think nothing well dressed, or sufficiently exquisite — bespeak a heart too much attached to delicacies and dainties. I esteem St. Bernard in drinking oil instead of water or wine, more than if he had drunk designedly the most bitter draught; for it was a sure sign that he did not consider what he drank; and in this indifference respecting our food consists the perfection of the practice of that sacred rule, “Eat that which is set before you.” I except, however, such meats as may prejudice the health, or incommode the spirit, such as hot and high-seasoned meats; as also certain occasions, in which nature requires recreation and assistance in order to be able to support some labor for the glory of God. A continual and moderate sobriety is preferable to violent abstinences, practised occasionally, and mingled with great relaxations.

A moderate use of discipline awakens the appetite of devotion. The hair shirt mortifies the flesh exceedingly; but the use of it, generally speaking, is not proper either for married persons or tender complexions, or for such as have other great pains to support. However, upon some remarkable days of penance, it may be used by the advice of a discreet confessor.

We must dedicate the night to sleep, every one as much as his constitution requires, so that he may be able to watch and spend the day profitably; and also because the Holy Scriptures, the examples of the saints, and reason itself, strenuously recommend the morning to us as the most fruitful part of time, and our Lord himself is named the Orient, or rising sun, and our blessed Lady the dawning of the day. I think it a point of virtue to retire to rest early in the evening, that we may be enabled to awake and rise early in the morning, which is certainly, of all other times, the most favorable, the most agreeable, and the least exposed to disturbance and distractions; when the very birds invite us to awake and praise God; so that early-rising is equally serviceable to health and holiness.

Balaam, mounted on his ass, was going to king Balak; but because he had not a right intention, the angel waited for him in the way, with a sword in his hand to kill them. The ass, on seeing the angel, stood still three several times, and became restive. Balaam in the mean time beat her cruelly with his staff to make her advance forward, until the beast at the third time, falling under Balaam, by an extraordinary miracle spoke to him, saying (Numbers 22:28): “What have I done to thee? why strikest thou me, lo now this third time?” Balaam’s eyes were soon opened, and he saw the angel, who said to him, “Why beatest thou thy ass? if she had not turned out of the way giving place to me, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.” Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me.” Behold, Philothea, although Balaam be the cause of the evil, yet he strikes and beats his poor beast, that could not prevent it. It is often the same case with us; for example, a woman sees her husband or child sick, and presently betakes herself to fasting, hair-cloth, and the discipline, as David did on a similar occasion. Alas! my dear friend, you beat the poor beast, you afflict your body; but it cannot remedy the evil, nor is it on that account that God’s sword is drawn against you; correct your heart, which is an idolator of this husband, and which, having tolerated a thousand vices in this child, has destined it to pride, vanity, and ambition. Again, a man perceives himself frequently to relapse in a shameful manner into the sin of impurity; an inward remorse assails his conscience, and his heart returning to itself, he says, “Ah, wicked flesh! ah, treacherous body! thou hast betrayed me;” and immediately he inflicts great blows on his flesh, with immoderate fasting, excessive discipline, and insupportable hair-shirts. O poor soul! if thy flesh could speak, as Balaam’s beast did, she would say to thee, “Why, O wretch! dost thou strike me?” It is against thee, O my soul! that God arms his vengeance; it is thou that art the criminal; why dost thou lead me into bad company? Why dost thou employ my eyes, my hands, and my lips in wantonness? why dost thou trouble me with impure imaginations? Cherish good thoughts, and I shall have no evil motions; keep company with those that are modest and chaste, and I shall not be provoked to lust. It is thou, alas, that throwest me into the fire, and yet thou wouldst not have me burn; thou castest smoke into my eyes, and yet wouldst not have them inflamed. And God, without doubt, says to you in these cases: Beat, break, rend, and crush your heart to pieces, for it is against it principally that my anger is excited. Although, to remedy our vices, it may be good to mortify the flesh, yet it is still more necessary to purify our affections and refresh our hearts. But let us never undertake corporal austerities without the advice of our spiritual director.

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