Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter VI

That Mortification Is Peculiarly Necessary for Religious, but Above All, for Those Who Are Employed in the Exercises of Charity Towards Their Neighbour

Tue exercise of mortification regards all God’s servants in general,

and all stand in need of it, to be able continually more and more to

conform themselves to the will. of God: but it more particularly regards religious persons; because, in effect, we left the world and entered into religion for no other end than to mortify ourselves.

St. Bennet says, that to be religious, is to correct our ill habits; and hence it comes, that at the profession which those of his order make, they say, “I promise the change of my manners.”—{(In form votarum), We also make the same promise to God, when we renounce the world, and it is to this we ought to apply ourselves by the help of mortification—“Casting off the old man with his works, and clothing ourselves with the new one.” (Colossians 3:9,10). St. Bernard: was wont to say to those he received into religion, “Take notice,” says he, “that your mind only is to enter, and that you are to leave your body behind you at the gate.” Giving them hereby to understand, that in religion they ought not to think of treating their bodies well, nor of living as they please, but that they ought to take care only of their souls, and of their mind, according to the words of the apostle: “Walk according to the spirit, and fulfil not the works of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:26). To walk according to the spirit, is to live according to the sentiments of our more noble part, which are those of the mind, and of reason, and not according to the motions. and inclinations of our inferior part; which is our flesh and sensuality. Cassian says, ‘‘ It was the general opinion of all the ancient fathers, founded upon frequent experience, that it was impossible for any one to persevere in a religious state of life, if he had not learned to overcome his own inclinations” (Cass. lib. 4. de instit. renunt. c. 8)..In effect, what is more contrary to a religious life than those worldly inclinations we bring with us into it?

But if mortification be so necessary for all religious, it is far more necessary for us, who, according to our institute, are designed to help our neighbour in all sorts of charitable functions, St. Chrysostom going about to prove the particular necessity those have to mortify their passions who are forced to converse with the world, thereby to assist their neighbour, grounds himself upon this, that the occasions are there more frequent, and more dangerous, and our passions, which he calls savage beasts, find there more food to nourish them. A soldier, says he, may keep secret his cowardice, till he has some occasion given him whereby he discovers it. It is the same with a Christian. He who keeps at home and in retirement may hide his defects; but he who goes forth to combat and fight against the world, and is become a public spectacle, being exposed to the view thereof, it is fit he should excel in virtue and mortification. Add to this, that to gain those to God with whom you converse, you must, as much as you can, accommodate yourself to their manners and humour; according to St. Paul’s example, who says himself, “I became all to all, that I might gain all unto God, and save the whole world.”-— (1 Corinthians 9:22) And how far the spirit of mortification, and renouncing.our own will is necessary for this, is apparent enough in itself, and wants no reason to prove it.

Philosophers say that the part of the eye which receives the impression of colours, and wherein the vision is framed, has no colour in itself; and it was necessary it should be without any, that it might be able to receive the impressions of the colours, and see them as they are. For if it had any particular colour, it would not be able to receive any other, according to that common axiom—“What is within, hinders what is without from entering.” If it wer ered, all that we saw would appear red, as we find by experience when we look through certain red glasses; and if it were green, all things we looked upon would to us also appear green. It is in the same manner that each one of us, mortifying his passions, and rendering himself master of them, casts away his own particular humour, having properly none at all; that he may, with St. Paul, be able so to accommodate himself to every one, that thereby he may gain all unto God. The spirit of religion does not require that we should sympathize and agree with those only of the same temper with us; or that the choleric should not accommodate themselves, or converse but with the choleric; that such as are melancholy should not be able to suffer those that are not of that humour; and far less that they should have a greater inclination to those of their own than to those of a different nation. Would you not believe it to be a very great misfortune to have two eyes, that should be able to see one colour only? But it is far greater to have so narrow and limited a will, and so ill disposed that it is bent towards such only as are of the same humour or of the same country. Charity equally embraces all, because it loves all for God, and in God. It makes no distinction or difference between one nation and another, nor between one person and another; and, as St. Paul well expresses: “It makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile, between the circumcised and uncircumcised, between barbarian and Christian, between a slave and one that is free-born; but in all beholds Jesus Christ, who is all in all.” (Colossians 3:11) It would hide all within its charitable bowels, because it looks upon all as the children of God, and brethren of Jesus Christ; and what is there more proper to make us gain this universal charity, than the mortification of ourselves.

It is also very necessary for us to keep amongst us that spirit of union and fraternal charity which Jesus Christ has so recommended to us; and which is the character whereby he would have his disciples known and distinguished from all others. For nothing does more destroy this union, than to seek ourselves in all things, to love our own ease, to desire to attract or to keep to ourselves, the esteem or reputation of the world. Let each one examine himself, and he ‘will find, as often as he offends against charity, that it is always some one of those things that is the occasion thereof. But the mortification we speak of, frees us from all these bad attachments to ourselves, and makes the way of charity become plain and easy. It causes us, “not to seek our own interest.” (1 Corinthians 13:5) And it is for this reason that St. Ambrose says, “If any one desires to please all, not let him seek what is profitable or pleasing to himself, but what is so to others, as St. Paul did;” who would have us, “not to think upon our own interest, but upon the interest of our neighbour.” (Philippians 2:4).

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