Volume I, Treatise IV, Chapter XII

Of the Sweetness We Ought to Have in Our Words and Actions, in Order to Acquit Ourselves Well of Charity

Sr. Bast gives a very profitable instruction for the conduct of those who are employed in the exterior functions of-a religious life. “When it happens,” says he, “that you are employed in these sorts of offices, take care that sweetness of words be joined with the labour of the body.” (Basil in principio, ii, tom.) It is not enough that you take pains, and torment yourselves very much, but you must also perform the good you do with a good grace; and take care that there be sweetness and meekness in your words, that others knowing you act with the spirit of charity, your service may thereby be more pleasing to them. It is this that the Wise Man counsels us when he says: ‘‘Son, make no complaint whilst you do that which is good; and whensoever you give anything, mortify none with harsh words. The dew tempers the day’s great heats, and a sweet word excels whatsoever you can give; it is above all other presents.” (Ecclesiasticus 18:15) The agreeable manner wherewith you serve another, and the sweetness with which you answer him,is more regarded and esteemed than all you can do; and, on the contrary, what pains soever you shall take, know, that if you appear not to take them with a good will, if you perform not your actions with a good grace, and if your words be not always accompanied with sweetness, all the pains you take will be esteemed as nothing, and you will have laboured in vain. “Let your discourse,” says the apostle, “be always seasoned with a certain kind of salt, that may render it agreeable, in such sort, that you understand what answer to give to every one” (Colossians 4:6);— and this salt is nothing else but that sweetness, of which we speak at present. Though you should be so employed, that you were not able to perform what is desired of you, yet you must not upon this account rudely put off your brother, but on the contrary it is then that you should hearken more mildly to his petition; it is then you ought to signify that you should be extremely glad it were in your power to do what he desires, and that nothing but the pressing affairs you have in hand could hinder you from doing at present, what you will joyfully do as soon as you are a little inore at leisure. Thus his being convinced of your good will will make him retire as satisfied, as though he had obtained what he came for. But if your not having permission to do it is ‘the reason why you do not comply with his request, tell him you will instantly go to the superior and ask the requisite permission. Act thus on all other occasions, and when it is not in your power to perform what is desired of you, endeavour by fair words to supply the want of deeds, that at least they may never doubt but that you have all possible inclination to serve them. ‘Good words,” says the Holy Ghost, “abound in the mouth of a virtuous man” (Ecclesiastes 6:5); and in effect they conduce very much to the maintenance of union and charity in our minds.

It is the opinion of St. Bonaventure, that when we happen to make an answer to our brother which is capable of giving him offence or the least uneasiness, we ought to be extremely ashamed of it, though what we said were in itself of very small moment, and were only the effect of a sudden and first motion; and the saint adds, that when anything of this kind has happened, we must presently humble ourselves before God, and endeavour to make our brother satisfaction by begging his pardon. We read in the life of St. Dositheus, that he spoke to every one with great sweet-less and charity, and took great care to avoid all kinds of dispute with every one. But his office of infirmarian obliging him to have to do with a great many, occasioned sometimes some little disputes, as with the cook of the monastery, because he took not that care he should in dressing the meat for the sick; or sometimes also with the dispenser, because he gave him not what was best for the sick, or made him wait too long for it, or because he carried into the refectory what he wanted for the infirmary; whereupon it sometimes happened that he spoke louder than ordinary, or a little more sharply than became him. But when this happened, he felt so confused, that retiring to his cell, he there prostrated himself, and wept so bitterly that his superior, St. Dorotheus, was often forced to go to him to ask him what ailed him, and to urge him to tell him the cause of his trouble. “Father,” replied Dositheus, weeping anew, “I have spoken with contempt to my brother:” whereupon Dorotheus reprehended him severely for his fault, saying, ‘‘ Fie, is this the humility you ought to have P You have offended your brother, and yet you do not die for shame to have committed such a fault as this is?” And having thus chid him, he added, “Well, take courage now and get up, God has pardoned

you, let us now endeavour to begin a new life.“” The good disciple rose at these words with as much joy as if his pardon had been pronounced by the mouth of God himself, and made a new and firm resolution never more to speak rudely to any person whomsoever..

But that those, who are employed in the offices of charity, and those towards whom it is exercised, may equally make their profit,. both of the service they render, and that they receive, St. Basil proposes two excellent expedients. Would you know, says he, how you may perform well those services you do to your brother? Make account, says he, that in serving him you serve Jesus Christ, -who has assured you, “That what you do to the least of his brethren, you do unto himself.” (Mat. xxv. 40.) Do, therefore, your actions as if it were God, and not man, whom you served; and by this means you will never fail to serve your brethren as you should do. But would you be informed, continues the saint, in what manner you ought to receive any service your brother renders you? After the same manner that a servant ought to receive any service that his master is pleased todo him; and after the same manner that St. Peter received that, which the Saviour of the world was pleased to perform, when he washed his feet, by crying out, full of confusion: “How! What! do you, O Lord, wash my feet?” (John 13:6) By this means humility will be conserved alike in both the one and the other; because these will not disdain to serve their brothers, when they look upon them as children of God, and brethren of Jesus Christ; they will make account that in serving them they serve Jesus Christ himself; nor will the others be puffed up with pride, to see themselves served; but on the contrary will therein find uccasion of humiliation and confusion, when they consider themselves inferior to those that serve them, and when they consider, that those who serve them look not upon them, but upon God himself. What remains is, that fraternal charity, which is so highly recommended to us, will hereby be conserved, and still more and more augmented.

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