Volume II, Treatise V, Chapter IV

That a Religious Otight Most Particularly Abstain from Interfering in the Temporal Concerns of His Family

Ir is the duty of a religious, above all things, not to embroil himself in the affairs of his family, it being very dangerous to do so. We see, says St. Gregory, that very many after they have renounced the world, and what is more, themselves also, have still such a tie to their family, that flesh and blood continually draw them back to the things they had forsaken. So that forgetting the duty of their profession, they permit their minds to be filled, with the concerns of their relations; exert themselves with seculars in their behalf;

interfere in their suits and intrigues; and thus losing the sweetness of interior peace, they engage again in worldly commerce, with great danger to their salvation. St. Isidore says almost the same thing. There are many religious,” says he, “who from affection for their family, bring on themselves a thousand cares, even so far as.to involve themselves in their suits; and whilst they are thus employed in what regards the good and advantages of their relations, eternally lose their own souls.”—(Lib, i, de sum, bono.)

The natural affection we have for our family cannot produce any thing more dangerous to a religious than this concern and zeal for their interests; experience teaches us, that to meddle ever so little in their affairs, is like going into a quagmire, from which it is - difficult to extricate one’s self. This, St. Basil says, proceeds from the devil, who, jealous that religious should gain by a heavenly life, what he had lost through his own fault, makes every effort to urge them, under pretext of duty and piety, to embark and involve themselves in worldly affairs, thereby to make them lose the peace of their soul, to relent in their love of God, and in their fervour for perfection. The devil takes this very much to heart; in order to succeed he leaves nothing undone, and with this view makes use of our own family, who never fail to address themselves to us in all their affairs, in their intrigues, in their lawsuits, in their marriages, and lastly, in all the occurrences of their life, It seems as if they looked upon us as charged with the whole business of the family; and it is always to our advice they have recourse: for, in their opinion, we, having little to do, are the most fit persons to attend to their affairs. And hence Ludolphus of Saxony, the Carthusian, speaking of all ecclesiastical persons in general, says very justly, “that as God obliges them to a single life, and would deliver them from the cares and troubles of children, the devil has raised them a crowd of nephews, to bring them back again to the tumultuous commerce of the world.” In effect, when the devil endeavours to engage you, either in the advancement of a nephew, or the marriage of a niece, it is not their advancement, but your loss he has in view. It is therefore a melancholy reflection, that a religious who has quitted what he had in the world, renounced all honours and conveniences of life, to free himself from the trouble of it, should plunge himself again into it for the interest of another; charge himself with the whole affairs of his family, and lose the fruit of his vocation. Cassian relates on this subject, that a brother of the Abbot Apollo came one night and knocked at the door of his cell to beg his help to draw one of his oxen out of a marsh in which it had stuck fast, as, by himself, he was unable to get it out. The abbot asked him why he did not rather apply for help to his other brother in the world? He answered, that he had been dead fifteen years: and I, replied the saint, am dead twenty years, and have been ever since buried in this cell; so that I cannot go to assist you. It is thus, a true religious ought to do, when his relations address themselves to him, about their temporal affairs, and if he has the not courage to do it, he may be assured that whatsoever reason he may at first have for interfering in their business, he will find in the end that it was a bad one.

What we here say, is confirmed by the authority of St. Jerom. “How many religious,” says he, “by taking compassion on their fathers and mothers, have lost their own souls?” How many have lost their vocation, and renounced their profession, because they interested themselves in advancing their relations? How many apostates do we daily see, who after having quitted their order, under pretence of going to assist and comfort their parents, serve only in the end to ruin them by their continual expenses, and to render them unhappy in their old age, by their disorderly life? Experience furnishes but too many examples; and therefore St. Basil says very justly, ‘“since we know what prejudice this tie and affection to our relatives brings with it, let us not interest ourselves in their concerns—let us dread them asa dangerous weapon which the devil wields for our destruction.”

Moreover, we must not deem ourselves secure, and that all is right, because we engage in nothing without permission of our superior; for we must look upon this permission, as upon that given us to visit them. The superior who gives it you, wishes very much you would not interfere in the concerns of your relations, because’ he sees it is best for you not to do so; and he only permits it, from an indulgence to you. It is not an obedience he imposes upon you, but it is a permission he grants you, in which you do rather your own will than his. And if St. Theodore refused to see his mother, because his superior who ‘gave him leave, would not take upon himself the prejudice that might arise to him; what ought not you to do, in regard of the concerns of your relations, wherein there is a great deal more danger for you; and with how much greater reason ought you decline interfering in them; at least if your superior obliges you not to do it by obedience, and takes not upon himself and his own conscience whatever prejudice may in consequence arise to you?

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