Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter XIII

Of Mortification in Lawful and in Different Things, as Also in Those that Are of Obligation

Ir seems as if nothing could be added to what has already been said, and that the two kinds of mortification before mentioned are sufficient to make us become good and perfect religious, and that nothing remains but to exercise ourselves therein; but that we may’ the better effect it, and dispose ourselves thereunto, the masters of a spiritual life establish another exercise of mortification in such things as are lawful for us, either to do or to omit. Good Christians are not content to perform the things only that are purely of obligation, and necessary for salvation, but they also perform others of devotion, which divines call works of supererogation. For they are not content to hear mass upon days of precept only, but upon other days also. They give themselves to particular practices of devotion, and frequently approach the sacraments of confession and communion. <A good religious ought not to content himself with the bare observance only of his rule, and with the practice of such mortifications as that prescribes; but must impose others upon himself, by depriving himself of such things as are permitted. St. Dorotheus says, that there is nothing so much helps to our progress in virtue, and the acquiring of peace and tranquillity of mind, as to oppose and resist our own will; and teaches us, at the same time, the means to mortify it in such things as are permitted us to make use of. You are going somewhere, says he, and you have a great mind to turn about and look upon something in the way; overcome your curiosity, and do not look at it. Yon are ia conversation, something occurs to your mind that is much to the purpose, and it seems to you, that the saying it would make you pass for a wit; let it alone, say nothing of it. A thought occurs _of going to the kitchen to see what is making ready; do not

hearken to it. By chance you cast your eyes upon something brought into the house that is new, and you wish to know who brought it; ask not who did so. You see a stranger enter, curiosity urges you to know who he is, whence he comes, whither he goes, and for what business; mortify yourself by making no inquiry after him.

St. Dorotheus says, this exercise helps very much to get a habit’ of mortifying our will; because if we accustom ourselves to renounce our own will in these small things, we shall the sooner be able to deprive ourselves of greater. As those who design to make themselves soldiers, practice, in time of peace, military evolutions, which, though but mock-fights, yet qualify them for real combats; even so a religious must endeavour to mortify himself, and renounce his will in small things that are permitted and lawful for him to do; that he may be the more ready, and better disposed to mortify himself in those which are forbidden. St. Bonaventure teaches ‘ the same practice of mortification in things which are indifferent;

as in plucking or not plucking a flower, when one walks in a garden; for, says he, though there is no hurt in plucking it, yet it is very pleasing to God to refrain from it; thereby to mortify and overcome ourselves. Wherefore, he adds, that a servant of God ought often to say within himself, for the love of you, my God, I will deprive myself of the sight of this, of hearing that; of tasting this or that, or of taking this or that recreation. It is related of St. Borgia, that while in the world, he loved hawking very much, and was wont to fly his hawks at the heron; but the moment the falcon darted on her prey, he looked on the ground, and took, as I may say, the lure from his eyes, depriving them of that pleasure which, with a great deal of pains, they had all the day long sought after. St. Gregory says, that it is peculiar to the servants of God to deprive themselves of those things they may lawfully make use of, that they may be the further from making use of such as are unlawful. The ancient fathers, also, of the desert brought up their disciples in this exercise, hindering them from doing little things they had a wish to do, in which there was no sin or imperfection; and making them do such as they had no mind to do, hereby to teach them to mortify themselves in all things; and to render them able to stand the proof even in the very hardest. - It is-from these fathers that the society has takea lui custom cr practice which, in the beginning, it observes towards. the rovices; employing-them in various things, and sometimes making them leave off what they had begun; at other times making them undo what they had done, or obliging them to do it over again; and all this to hinder them from any attachment to their own wills and judgments, and to habituate them betimes to divest themselves of them.

The saints advance yet farther in this point. They are not content that we should accustom ourselves to put down our own will: in indifferent and innocent things only; but they counsel us to mortify ourselves in such as are absolutely necessary. But it may be said, how can this be done? Must we, to mortify ourselves, dispense with our obligations? No, by no means; “we must not do evil, that good may come from it.” (Romans 3:8) What then are we todo? The saints have found out a wonderful secret in this point; and they have taken it from the doctrine of St. Paul. Take care, say they, to do nothing, to think nothing, to speak nothing purely to please your own will, or to satisfy your sensual appetite. Before meals mortify in yourself your desire of eating; and eat not to satisfy your appetite, but to obey God, who will have you eat to nourish yourself; and imitate the abbot Isidore, of whom Palladius relates, that he was wont to weep, as he went to the refectory, and went there only through obedience. Before you go to study, mortify your desire thereof, and then study, because God commands you to da so, and not because you find any pleasure in your studies. Before you go into the pulpit to preach, or to explain any public lesson, mortify your own desire of doing it, and then preach or teach; not because you have a desire of it, but because it is what you are commanded to do; and because it is God’s will. Observe the same practice in all other things; and thus depriving every action of the attachment you have thereunto, perform them all purely for God’s sake. For it is not fit that they should lead or draw us after them; but we must be masters of them, to carry and offer them to God alone, and to do nothing but for his sake; according to the words of the apostle St. Paul; “‘ whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This point is without any doubt very considerable, and contains in it a very sublime spirituality; 2. ¢. to do nothing, even of what belongs to our charge or employment, for the pleasure we take in it, but only for God’s sake; to accustom ourselves, in all out actions, ec »

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52 _MORTIFICATION.

not to do.éour-own,” but his will; and to take delight in them, not because they are pleasant it themselves, and because our inclination moves & te-perform then but:bécause in doing them, we do the will of God.° “He.‘who ‘shall perform them in this manner, will at: the same time accustom himself, not only to mortify his own will, but also to do the will of God in all things—which is an exercise of the love of God, the most sublime, most profitable, and of the highest perfection, as I have elsewhere proved.

And here is opened to us a spacious field indeed; so that whosoever would apply himself particularly to the mortification of his” will, must by little and little raise himself by those degrees or steps, which we have marked out in these two chapters. To do this he must in the first place endeavour to mortify himself in those things which, without being sought for, present themselves. In this practice he will for some days find enough to do; nay, even for many days, especially if we would bring ourselves, not only to bear crosses with patience, but to receive them with joy. This is the third and most perfect degree of mortification, as I shall prove herea.ter. Secondly, we most mortify our wills in whatsoever hinders us from doing such things as are necessary to make us good religious, to observe our rules, and to live with edification; and these things can scarce be numbered. In the third place we must mortify ourselves in some of those things which we may lawfully perform; that we may the better hereby accustom ourselves to cast off our own wills, in other things that are of obligation; and be the better disposed to do so. And to this effect we may purpose to mortify ourselves so many times in the morning, and so many times in the afternoon; beginning at first with a small number, and going on every day increasing, according to the progress we make in perfection—imitating certain religious persons of our society whom I knew, who counted their mortifications upon the beads of their rosary, and every day completed the number thereof; as it appeared very well, by the great progress they made in virtue. In the fourth and last place, we may extend this mortification even to those things that are of obligation; endeavouring to perform them, not only because they are pleasing to us, but because they: are ordained by God; and this practice is of so great perfection, that we may continue it during our whole lives.

I add, moreover, that always keeping the same order, in the points which I have now set down, we may also observe this practice, as an exercise of conformity to the will of Gad; receiving al

‘ things as coming from his hand, and as sent us by him, with the tender and compassionate bowels of a father, for our greater good; imagining that Jesus Christ himself says to us; son, I would have you do this, or suffer that at present. For by this means we shall find so great facility and sweetness therein, that it will at length become such an exercise of the love of God, as will render all things easy and pleasant. The thought alone that what we perform is the will of God, and that he desires this of us, is what will prevent our sticking or making any demar at all in the performance, but will absolutely determine us to do it; which motive, is also the most profitable and most perfect than can be imagined.

We read in the life of St. Francis Borgia, that departing one day very late from Valladolid, whilst it froze and snowed very hard, ‘to go to Simanques, wherein was the house of novices, he arrived thither not till it was very late at night, after the novices were all gone to bed. He remained a long time knocking at the gate, the snow all the while falling in great flakes upon him; and every one being in his first sleep, and the gate being a good distance from that part of the house where they lodged, no one made answer. At length they heard him, and went to open the gate; and because he perceived the novices were extremely troubled for having made him wait so long at the gate, where he was all trembling and stiff with cold, be said to them with a cheerful countenance: dear brothers, be not troubled, or in any pain at all. I assure you, God gave me a great deal of comfort whilst I was waiting. For I thought it was he that caused the snow to fall upon me, and made the wind to blow; that whatsoever he does he performs with an infinite satisfaction; and consequently, that I ought to rejoice at the satisfaction he took in mortifying me, and make his pleasure beceme mine;. as we see for the pleasure of some great prince, they often kill and cut lions and bulls ia pieces. It is in this manner that we ought to receive all ocvasions of mortification, by entertaining a holy joy and satisfaction, that the will of God is fulfilled in us.

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