Volume I, Treatise III, Chapter I

That We Ought to Fly Vainglory in Our Actions

One of the things St. Ignatius has most of all recommended to us, and most frequently repeated in his Constitutions, is, that his children should endeavour to have a pure intention in all their actions, and that they never seek anything in them but the will of God, and his greater honour and glory. He constantly repeated these words: ‘To the greater honour and glory of God,” and these, “having ever in view his greater honour and service.” (Reg. iv. Sum. Const.) And as “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45), so God’s glory was so profoundly rooted in his heart, that he directed all his words and actions to this end. It is therefore with great reason, that to the images engraven of this saint they have affixed these words: ‘To the greater glory of God;” for they could not bestow on him greater praise in fewer words—in fact, therein is comprised the whole history of his life. God’s glory was the soul which animated all his actions—it was his device— his motto—his arms; and to us it should be the same; it should be the rule of our conduct, that by this resemblance we may be known to be the legitimate children of such a father. That which. renders this point of so great importance is, that our advancement and perfection consist in the perfection of our actions; and the more holy and perfect they are, the more holy and perfect we shall also be. This being supposed as an infallible truth, we may also assuredly conclude, that our actions will be more meritorious and perfect, as our intentions will be more upright and pure; and that we cannot propose to ourselves a more high and sublime end, than God’s honour and glory. For it is the intention which stamps a character and value upon all our actions, conformably to this passage of Scripture:— “Your eye is the light of your body: if your eye is simple, your whole body will be enlightened; but if your eye, is ‘evil, your whole body will remain in darkness.” (Matthew 6:22,23) By the eye the saints understand the intention, which regards and foresees what we ought to do: by the body is understood the action following the intention that directs it, as the body follows the eye that conducts it. The Son of God would therefore in this place assure us, that it is the intention that gives splendour and light to the action: according to this, the action will be good or bad, proportionably to the goodness or badness of the intention. “If the root be holy,” says St. Paul, “the branches will also be holy.” (Romans 11:16) What can we expect from u tree whose root is unsound, but that it should bear wood which will scarce have any sap, and bring forth ill-tasted fruit, which will not keep. But if the root be whole, all the tree will be fair, and bring forth good fruit. The goodness also and the perfection of our actions depend upon the purity of our intention, and will become like to the root; and the more pure and upright the intention is which produces them, the more virtuous and perfect they-will be. St. Gregory, explaining that passage of Job: “Upon what are the foundations supported?” (Job 38:6), says, that as it often happens that a building is supported by pillars, and the pillars by their bases; so, in like manner, a spiritual life is supported by virtue; the base whereof is the upright intention of the heart. But to observe some method in what I have to say, I will speak first of the end we ought to avoid in our actions, which is, vainglory or human respects of any kind; and afterwards, I will treat of the end we ought to propose to ourselves in our actions; and shall thus observe the same method the Psalmist teaches us, when he says: “Avoid evil, and do good.” (Psalms 33:15)

All the saints admonish us to be on our guard against vainglory; because, say they, it is a cunning thief, which often steals from us our best actions; and which insinuates itself so very secretly, that it has given its stroke even before we perceive it. St. Gregory says, that vainglory is like a robber, who first craftily insinuates himself into the company of a traveller, pretending to go the same way he does, and afterwards robs and kills him when he is least upon his guard, and when he thinks himself in greatest security. I confess, says this great saint, in the last chapter of his Morals, that when I go about to examine my own intention, even while I am writing this, methinks that I have no other will] than to please God: but notwithstanding, while I am not upon my guard, I find that a certain kind of desire of pleasing men intermixes itself, and methinks that I feel some vain satisfaction for having performed it well]. How it comes to pass I know not; but what I perceive very well, that while I go on, what I do is not so free from dust and chaff as it was in the beginning. For I know, that I begin it at first with the best intention in the world, with the sole view of pleasing God; but now easily perceive other considerations mixing themselves, which render my intention less upright and pure than it was before. The same thing happens to us in eating. In the - beginning we eat from necessity; but sensuality so cunningly insinuates itself, that what we begin in order to supply the necessities of nature, and to preserve our life, we continue on account of the relish and pleasure we feel in eating. Experience makes us see but too often the selfsame thing even in our best actions; we apply ourselves to them at first, to preaching, for example, or such other like practices, solely through a motive of charity, and for the salvation of souls; and afterwards vanity enters and unites itself to these intentions, exciting in us a desire to please men, and to be esteemed by them; so that when we acquire not this esteem we seem to lose courage, and to be unable to do anything but with regret. ‘

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