Volume I, Treatise VII, Chapter I

Of How Great Importance This Examen of Conscience Is

One of the chief and most efficacious means we have for our spiritual advancement, is that of examen of conscience, and it is for this reason the saints recommend so earnestly the practice of it. St. Basil, one of the most ancient of those that have made rules for religious persons, ordained that they should every night make this examen. St. Austin in his rule enjoins the same. St. Anthony taught also the same to his followers, by his own example; and St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, Cassian, and generally all the founders of religious orders, as well as all masters of a spiritual life, would have us daily apply ourselves to this exercise. St. Chrysostom, writing upon the words of the Psalmist, “in your beds excite yourselves to compunction and sorrow of heart” (Psalms 4:5), declares, that we should make this examen before we go to bed; and gives two good reasons for it. First, that the day following we may be the better disposed to preserve ourselves from those faults we committed the day before: for if we examine ourselves well overnight, and conceive a great sorrow for our defects, and propose firmly to correct them, it is certain that this will serve as a curb, to hinder us from falling again into them the day following. Secondly, the examining ourselves at night will be an occasion of greater moderation and recollection all the day long: for the knowledge we have, that on the very same day we must render an account of what we have done, will make us stand more upon our guard, and pay greater attention to what we do. And asa nobleman, says St. Chrysostom, who preserves order in his family, lets no day pass, without calling his steward to an account, to prevent him from being careless and confused therein;

even so it is good that we also daily make up our accounts, lest our negligence and forgetfulness should cause great disorder in them. St. Ephrem and St. John Climacus, moreover, add, that as merchants set down their gains and losses every day; and when they find they: have suffered any loss, they presently endeavour to repair: so we must daily examine the gains and losses that happen to us in the great affair of our salvation, that by presently repairing our losses, we may prevent them from being so great as to bring on our total ruin. St. Dorotheus takes notice of another very considerable advantage we derive from this examen—it is that by accustoming ourselves to make it well every day, and by daily repenting of our faults, we hinder them from taking deeper root in our heart, and prevent our bad habits from growing stronger.

But it is not so with those who are not careful to examine themselves, and whose consciences are compared by the saints to the field and vineyard mentioned by the Wise Man, when he says—‘ I passed by the field of idle persons, and the vineyard of the fool, and all was overgrown with nettles, all was covered with thorns, and the dry wall about it was thrown down.” (Proverbs 24:30) The conscience of those who do not examine themselves, is like a neglected vineyard, which, because it is not cultivated, is presently overgrown with thorns and brambles. For our corrupt nature is so bad a soil, that of itself it produces nothing but weeds; and therefore we must always have our pruning-hook in our hand, and employ ourselves in cutting or rooting them out. Now this is done by means of our examen—it is this that cuts up vice effectually, that plucks up our bad inclinations as soon as they begin to appear, and hinders bad habits from taking root.

But the importance and efficacy of this means have been made known not only to the saints, but also to many pagan philosophers, who were illuminated by the light of nature only. St. Jerom and St. Thomas relate, that one of the chief instructions Pythagoras was wont to give his disciples was, that they should daily, morning and evening, employ some time in examining themselves upon these three questions—What have I done? How have I done it? And what have I omitted to do? Rejoicing at what they found they had done well; and repenting and being sorry for what they had done amiss. Seneca, Plutarch, Epictetus, and many others, recommended the same thing.

St. Ignatius, resting upon the doctrine of the holy fathers, upon the light of reason, and upon the authority of experience, made so great an account of this examen, that he affirms, as St. Bonaventure had done before him, that it is one of the best and most profitable means we can help ourselves with to make great progress in spirituality, and has also given us particular rules concerning it. Let all the society, says he in one place, take care to examine their consciences every day. In another place he ordains, that this examen should be made twice a-day; and in some measure prefers this examen even before prayer itself. Because what we only purposed to do in prayer, ought to be put in execution in our examen; wherein the extirpation of vices, and the mortification of our passions, are what we must chiefly employ ourselves in. Wherefore this examen is held in so great esteem amongst us, that the religious are twice a-day called to it by sound of bell—in the morning before we go to dinner, and at night before we go to bed; and lest any should fail in the observance of it, all are visited at that time, as at the time of prayer. But St. Ignatius is not content with establishing this examen in the society only, but would have those of the society to persuade, as much as they can, all seculars with whom they converse to practise the same. Hence it is that, amongst us, those who are good labourers in our Lord’s vineyard fail not, as soon as any one puts himself into their hands, presently to teach him to make his general and particular examen of cone science; thereby to break and overcome more easily any evil habits he may have contracted; as that of swearing, lying, backbiting, and the like. Behold the use to which our first founders applied it. Father Fabri recommended nothing more to those whose consciences he governed. And when St. Ignatius had undertaken the cure of any person that was spiritually sick, he was not content with giving him the wholesome remedy of the particular examen only; but he, moreover, assigned some pious person, in whom the patient had great confidence, and obliged the patient, every noon and night, to go to him, to give him an account if he had made his particular examen; and whether he had observed what was prescribed for the due performance of it. We know also that fora long time together, whilst he employed himself in the spiritual conduct and instruction of his companions, he did nothing else but exhort them to prayer, examen of conscience, and frequenting the sacraments; believing that if they acquitted themselves well of these, this was sufficient tu preserve and maintain them in virtue.

All this ought to give us a great esteem of this exercise, and make us consider and look upon it as the most efficacious means for our advancement in perfection, and move us to be very exact in making our examens twice a-day, and convince us that we cannot neglect them without neglecting, at the same time, the chief obligations of a religious life. Nothing should divert us from so holy an exercise; or if any indispensable occupation hinders us from making it at the time appointed, we must endeavour afterwards to full this obligation as soon as possible. And sickness itself, which dispenses with our ordinary hour of mental prayer, dispenses not with our general or particular examens. We must hold it, therefore, for an infallible maxim, that we must never exempt ourselves from it upon any account whatsoever. The sick person, moreover, has daily sufficient matter for his particular examen, either by conforming himself in pains and sickness, which God sends him, to his divine will, and also to the remedies he is obliged to take, which are sometimes more troublesome than the disease itself; or else by supporting with patience the want of several things he imagines he stands in need of; or, in fine, by resigning himself entirely into the hands of God, to live or to die, as it shall please the divine providence to ordain.

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