Volume I, Treatise VII, Chapter V

How We Oughtto Divide the Examen, According to the Parts and Degrees of Virtues

I1.—Of Humility.

1. NEvER to speak a word that may tend to our own praise.

2. Not to take pleasure in being praised or spoken well of; but, on the contrary, to embrace the opportunity thus offered of humbling ourselves and covering ourselves with shame and confusion, to see we are so far from being such as we are thought, or such as we should be. To this we may add, to rejoice on hearing others well spoken of; and if we find ourselves displeased thereat, or feel any secret envy within ourselves, to note it us a fault, as well as when we find we feel pleasure in the good things that are said of us.

3. To do nothing through human respects, nor to attract the eyes or esteem of men, but to do all things purely to please God.

4. Never to excuse our faults, much less to cast them upon others, either interiorly or exteriorly.

5. To drive away all thoughts of vainglory and pride, occationed by whatever brings reputation and esteem along with it.-

6. To prefer all the world before ourselves, not only in opinion, but in practice; behaving to all our brethren with the same humility and respect as if they were our superiors.

7. To receive as from the hand of God, all the occasions which shall offer of humbling ourselves, and to advance daily therein, mounting, as it were, by three steps, of which the first is to bear crosses wilh patience; the second, to accept them promptly and readily; and the third, to embrace them with joy; because we must not stop till we are come to be glad to suffer affronts and con-tempts, the better to resemble Jesus Christ, who, for love of us, vouchsafed to become “the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.” (Psal. xxi. 7.)

8. In the last place, both in this matter and in all others of the like nature, we must apply ourselves to produce interior and exterior acts of humility, or of any other virtue we have made choice of for the subject of our particular examen, exercising ourselves therein a certain number of times, morning and evening, and daily augmenting this number till we have obtained a perfect habit of this virtue.

11.—Of Fraternal Charity.

1. Never to detract our neighbour or to speak ill of him; not to discover his defects, though ever so small or apparent. Never to do him any prejudice, or let the least contempt of him appear, either in his presence or in his absence, but to act so well that, at least, it will not be owing to our testimony if each one does not pass for a person of merit and virtue.

2. Never to tell any one what has been said of him when the thing may give him the least discontent; because this is to sow discord or cockle amongst our brethren.

3. Never to break out into passionate words, nor say anything mortifying to our neighbour; not to be obstinate in our own opinion, nor dispute or contest with heat, nor reprehend any one over whom we have no authurity.

4. To behave sweetly and charitably to every one, doing everything in our power tu serve others aud to make them happy: and if by our office we are in a more special manner bound to serve the neighbour, and to take care of him, we must apply ourselves to it still more particularly, and endeavour, by sweetuess of manners, of words and answers, to supply whatever is not in our power to do for him.

5. To harbour no aversion against our neighbour; not to shew even the least sign thereof, either by contemptuously abstaining from speaking to him, or by neglecting to succour him in his necessities, or letting it in any way appear that we are not well satisfied with him.

6. Not to be too much attached to any one; to shun familiarities or particular friendships, which are opposite to the spirit of religion. ’

7. Never to judge the neighbour, but to endeavour to excuse the faults he commits against others and against ourselves, and, in general, to have a good opinion of every one.

III.—Of Mortification.

1, To mortify ourselves in such occasions as present themselves, whether they come immediately from God, from our superiors, from our brethren, or in any other way whatsoever; and to endeavour both to receive them well and to make our profit of them.

2. To mortify and overcome ourselves in all things that hinder us from observing our rules, or from performing as we ought the ordinary actions of the day, as well spiritual and interior as exterior; for all the faults committed in them proceed from our not being so much masters over ourselves as either to suffer some pain or to deprive ourselves of some pleasure required for their due performance.

3. To mortify ourselves by obliging ourselves to observe in all things the modesty which a religious person ought to observe, and chiefly by guarding our eyes and tongue, especially when we find that we are subject to fail in this point.

4. To mortify ourselves in such things as are permitted, as not to go out of our chamber; not to see anything that is curious or extraordinary; not to hearken to what does not belong to us to know; nor to say what we have a desire to say, and to curb ourselves in the same manner, in other things of the like nature. It will be good, in what concerns this matter, to determine in our examen to mortify ourselves thus a certain number of times in the morning and afternoon; beginning with what will be easiest to us, and continuing daily to increase the number; for the practice of those voluntary mortifications, though they be only in little things, is always very profitahle..

5. To mortify ourselves even in things of necessity and duty— thus in going to eat, sleep, or study, to teach, preach, or to exercise any other function that is pleasing to us, we must mortify our senses, and our will also: saying from the bottom of our heart; it is not, O Lord! for my own satisfaction I do this; but I do it, because you will it.

IV.—Of Abstinence and Sobriety.

I. Never to eat or drink before or after the community-hour: or out of the refectory.

2. To content ourselves with what is given to the community, without desiring any other meat, or any other way of dressing it,— without seeking any other particular seasonings, unless through such necessity as is known to all.

3. Never to exceed the rules of temperance, either in eating or drinking.

4. Not to eat greedily, or too fast, but with all moderation and decency; not yielding too much to our appetite.

5., Never to speak about eating, much less complain of our diet.

6. To banish from us all thoughts of gluttony.

V.—Of Patience.

1. Never to let the least mark of impatience appear; but on the contrary, in all our words, in all our actions, and in our countenance, to show signs of great tranquillity and peace of mind; and to suppress all such motions as are opposite thereto..

2. To let nothing enter into our hearts that may any ways ’ trouble its peace, or cause any sadness, or indignation; and not to permit any desire of revenge to-steal into it, though it should be

ever so small a thing we desire to do to the person that has ‘injured us.

3. To receive all things in general, and trials of every kind, as so many presents from the hand of God: and this in whatsoever manner, or by whatsoever means they come to us.

4, To exercise ourselves in making acts thereon according to these three degrees—first, bearing all crosses with patience— secondly, accepting of sufferings with promptitude and ease— thirdly, embracing them with joy; because it is the will of God.

VI—Of Obedience.

1. To be punctual in exterior obedience to that degree, as not to leave even a single letter half-formed. As soon as we know the will of the superior, never to wait for his express command.

2. To submit our will to that of our superior, having no other will but his.

3. Fo submit our understanding and judgment to his—to be ever of the same sentiments with our superior, rejecting all lights to the contrary.

4, To hear the voice of our superior, and the sound of the bell, as the voice of God: and to obey our superior, whosoever he is, and those that command under him, as Jesus Christ himself.

5. To have a blind obedience, that is, to obey in such manner as not to examine wherefore such a thing is commanded, but let it suffice and be a stronger reason to us than all others, that the superior ordains, and obedience enjoins it.

6. To pass often to acts of our will, by accustoming ourselves to think, that when we obey, it is the will of God we perform, and that, therefore, we should place all our joy and satisfaction in obedience.

VII.—Of Poverty.

1. Notto give anything away, nor to receive anything from any one in the house, or out of it, without permission.

2. Not to lend, or take anything belonging to the house, or to the chamber of any religious, without leave.

3. To have nothing superfluous, and to give up all things we have that are not necessary, whether books, moveables, clothes, or anything else whatsoever.

4. To seek occasions to appear poor, even in the things most necessary to preserve life, endeavouring, in all things we make use of, that they be always the worst and meanest of the house.— So that the poverty we profess may not only appear im our chambers, in our habits, in our meat, and in all other things; but that we make it also shine forth in ourselves; desiring for-our greater mortification, and for our greater spiritual advancement, to have never any other things given us for our use, but such as are the worst in the house.

5. To be glad to be in want of anything that is necessary, even for the preservation of life; fpr this is the character of one that is truly pour in spirit, and of a perfect imitator of Jesus Christ; who, being rich and powerful, became poor for love of us, and wished to be in want of even necessaries; suffering hunger and thirst, heat and cold, weariness and nakedness.

7 VIII.—Of Chastity.

!. To place a strict guard on our eyes—-never to direct our looks to what may cause the flesh to rebel against the spirit

2. Neither to speak nor hearken to any words, or to read any books, that may excite in us any thoughts or motions against purity.

3. Not to entertain any impure thoughts, but promptly to reject all those that present themselves.

4. To touch nobody either in their hands or face, nor permit them to touch us.

5. To observe all possible decency and delicacy towards ourselves; never looking at or touching ourselves without absolute necessity.

6. Never to entertain any particular affection, nor give or receive presents; and as to those persons who may give us occasions of falling, and for whom we feel any particular inclination, to avoid their company and conversation by a prudent flight, which ordinarily is the only remedy on such occasions.

1X.—To perform our ordinary Actions well.

1. Never to let a day pass without performing all our duties: to spend faithfully therein, the whole time allotted for them; and when we shall be prevented from doing so, by any indispensable employment, to supply it afterwards as soon as possibly we can.

2. To make our mental prayer well, and diligently observe all the additions in it; to make our general and particular examen: and to dwell less on examining exactly the number of our defects, than on exciting a lively sorrow and extreme confusion for them; and making a firm resolution to correct them: for it is in this that all the virtue and fruit of our examen consist; and some, because they neglect to adopt this method, receive not the advantages which otherwise they might and would receive.

3. To perform well all our other spiritual exercises—as, to hear or say mass—to attend to vocal prayer, and spiritual reading —to perform our ordinary penances—to practise both our public and private mortifications; and to derive from them all the advantages each was destined to confer—and to do nothing through custom, human respects, or hy way of task.

4. To perform exactly whatsoever belongs to our office and employment, and to use all possible care and application therein, as performing all things for God, and in his presence.

5. Not to commit deliberately any fault, how little soever it may be.

6. To set great value on even the least things.

7. And since our whole spiritual advancement depends upon the due performance of our ordinary actions, we must from time to time, as soon aS we perceive we begin to relent in any one, take care to make it the subject of our particular examen; to renew by this means our fervour and attention, and to put ourselves again in the way of performing exactly even the smallest things.

X.—To do all Things purely for God.

1. Not to do anything through human respects—nor to be seen and esteemed by men—nor for our own particular ease, glory, or satisfaction.

2. To perform all our actions purely for God, and to accustom ourselves to refer all of them to him alone; first, in the morning as soon as we awake; secondly, in the beginning of every action; and lastly, whilst we perform the action itself; by often elevating our hearts to God, saying to him: Lord, it is for you that I do this, it is for your glory, it is because you would have me do it.

3. To bind ourselves to make a certain number of these acts every day, both in the morning and afternoon; beginning at first with a small number, and afterwards always augmenting it, till we find we have got a habit of frequently elevating our hearts to God in all our actions, and till we regard nothing in them but God himself.

4. We ought not discontinue this exercise, till we come to perform all our actions as if it were God himself and not man whom we serve; and till we perform them in such manner, that whilst we do them we find ourselves penetrated with the love of God, so that placing all our joy and comfort in the accomplishment of his divine will, it may appear that our actions are performed much less by ourselves, than by the love of God which reigns within us.

5. Behold what the presence of God is, which we ought always to have before our eyes; and that continual prayer with which we ought to entertain ourselves. Nothing can be of greater profit, or conduce more to our spiritual advancement, than this, or be a greater help to us to do all things in perfection.

XI—Of Conformity to the Will of God.

1. To receive all things, of what nature, in what way, or what manner soever they happen to us, as coming from the hand of God, who sends them with the tender love and compassionate bowels of a father, for our greater good; and to conform ourselves in this so entirely to his divine will, as if we saw Jesus Christ himself, and heard him say to us:—‘‘Child, I would have you do or suffer this for love of me.”

2. To endeavour to be always increasing in conformity to the will of God: first, supporting with patience whatsoever evils shall happen unto us; secondly, accepting them promptly and willingly; and in the last place, embracing them with joy, because this is the will of God.

3. To persevere in this exercise, till we are arrived so far, as to be glad that the will of God is accomplished in us, by means of afflictions, contempts, and sufferings; and till such time as this accomplishment becomes all our joy and content.

4. Never to omit anything we know to be the will of God, or to be for his glory or service: endeavouring in this to imitate the Saviour of the world, “who did continually what was most pleasing to his Father.” (John 8:19)

5. The practice of this exercise will be an excellent means always to keep us in the presence of God, and in continual prayer. CO

6. What has been said of mortification, may be the better - practised, if we apply it to the exercise of conformity to the will of God, by taking all things as coming from the hand of God. For by this means the practice will not only become more easy, but it will be more pleasing and profitable, because it will be an exercise of the love of God.

7. Lastly, I pretend not that the order here prescribed, whether concerning any virtue, or concerning the degrees of it, should be the rule each one is to observe in his particular examen. For the true rule is, that each one choose a virtue he has most need of, and that he begin to exercise himself therein, by that degree he perceives most necessary for him, and having gained that point, he afterwards is to apply himself to that, which shall be most convenient for him, till he comes perfectly to possess it.

About ReligiousBookshelf.com · A Supernerd Media project