Volume III, Treatise II, Chapter VIII

The Renewing of Vows, Which Is a Custom Practised Amongst Us.— Lhe Fruit Which May be Reaped from It

In the year one thousand five hundred thirty-four, upon the feast

of the assumption of our blessed Virgin, the first fathers of the

society being assembled at Paris with Th Bt. Ignatius, went from 9B thence to Mont-Martyr, into the church there dedicated to the blessed Virgin, where having confessed and communicated, they solemnly promised to God that upon the day then specified, they would quit all they had, without reserving anything to themselves but what was absolutely necessary for their journey to Venice. ’ They also vowed to employ themselves in the spiritual advancement of their neighbour, and to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, on this condition, that they would’ wait a whole year at Venice for an occasion to pass into the Holy Land, and if within the year they found one, they would go to Jerusalem, and use all their en-endeavours to remain there all their lives in those holy places; but if within a year they found no convenient passage, or if, after having visited those holy places, they found it impossible to establish themselves there, then they would go to Rome to prostrate themselves at the Pope’s feet, and make an offer of themselves to him to dispose of them as he pleased for the good and salvation of souls. They renewed these vows two years together upon the same day, in the same church, and with the same solemnity, and from this the renovation of vows, which is practised in the society before profession, had its beginning.

Our holy founder, speaking of this renovation of vows, says, that “‘to renew those vows is not to engage ourselves anew to God, but to call to mind the engagement we have made to him, and to confirm the same”—IV. part. Const. c. 4, § 5. It is to renew what we made before, and to confirm it with joy, in order to show that we have no regret for having made it, but on the contrary, that we give thanks to God for having accepted the offering which we have made; that we would offer it anew if it were still to make; that, had we a thousand worlds to forsake, we would leave them all for love of him; and if we had a thousand wills and a thousand hearts to sacrifice to him, that we would sacrifice them all with joy. It is in this manner that renovation of vows ought to be made, and when we make them thus we may assure ourselves they are of very great merit. For as the joy and satisfaction which we take in sin is a new sin and a new subject of punishment, so the joy and satisfaction we take in a good action is a thing very pleasing to God, and a new matter of recompense. The joy of a good action is meritorious, proportionably to the goodness of the action.

The renovation of.vows, says he afterwards, to descend more to particulars, is made for three reasons. The first is “to increase devotion in our hearts”; for, in effect, it does not a little increase it in the heart of those who prepare themselves as they ought to do it well. The second, “to awaken in us a memory of the obligation we have contracted with God”, and thereby to excite us faithfully to acquit ourselves of our promise, by daily endeavouring to render ourselves more perfect. And the third, “to confirm us more strongly in our vocation”. For as it is a great remedy against temptations to produce acts of virtue contrary to the vice to which one is tempted, because contraries are cured by contraries; so to renew the vows we have already made is a great remedy against the interior troubles and disgust which the Devil endeavours to give us upon occasions. He becomes weaker, perceiving us thus to fortify ourselves in our holy resolutions, and loses courage to attack us with the like temptations, and if we have been guilty of any negligence, it is then repaired. with interest by the new strength we acquire.

Virtue and perfection is a thing very difficult to our corrupt nature. For the misery and weakness we have contracted by sin is so great, and the inclination we have to evil so violent, that though we should sometimes begin our spiritual exercises with fervour, yet we permit ourselves by little and little to relent, and _ soon return to our weakness and tepidity. We are like weights of a clock, which continually draw downwards. Our flesh, which is earth, still draws us towards the earth, and therefore we need so much help that if we come to fall, we may presently be able to get up again. It is for this reason that, as the Church has established Advent and Lent, that there may be two periods in a year in which its children might gather new strength to begin again to serve God with new fervour; so our holy founder would have us twice a year call to mind the vows we have made to God, that this remembrance of them might rekindle in us our first fervour, and give us new strength to acquit ourselves well of the duties of our vocation. Behold here what chiefly moved him to institute in the society this solemn renovation of vows, and the fruit which we ought endeavour to reap from it.

St. Francis Xaverius said that we ought to renew them, not only at the times appointed for doing so, but, in imitation of the holy abbot Paphnucius, we ought to renew them every day; and as he knew not better arms than these for a religious man to use against all sorts of temptations, so he counselled us to arm ourselves with them every night, and every morning after prayer, against the enemies of our salvation. But if we have not sufficient fervour to embrace this practice, yet it is good at least to follow the example of those who renew their vows as often as they communicate, and who exact of themselves an account of the manner how they,observe them, and carefully examine themselves whether their conscience reproaches them with anything contrary to the fidelity of their promise.

The better to attain the end which we ought to propose to ourselves in this solemn renovation of vows, it is the custom of the society, that, besides the austerities and corporal mortifications practised in the times appointed for this renovation, we practise three things to prepare ourselves for it. The first is, to make a retreat of some days, during which time we ought to abstain from all sorts of employments, in order to give our; selves more tranquilly to prayer and spiritual exercises. The second is, to give an account of conscience to our superior, which ought to be given from the last six months, and ought to be made more exactly than at other times of the year; but as this is one of the most essential obligations, it shall hereafter be the subject of a particular treatise. The third is, to confess all the sins we have committed for the last six months, addressing ourselves to one of those confessors who shall be appointed for this end, according to the ancient custom of the society, and according to the rule that obliges us to it. Now, all these means are most proper for the end we here propose: because, in taking a review of all our faults, and comparing the six last months with the preceding, we may easily know whether we have made more progress in the one than in the other, and whether we have advanced or gone back in the way of God; and when we find we have gone back instead of advancing, we may come hereby to have a great confusion to see ourselves so far from that perfection to which we are called, and we may feel ourselves excited to use new endeavours to obtain it.» Moreover, when a man coolly and deliberately reviews all his faults together, he judges by seeing those into which he has oftenest fallen, what passion most reigns in him, and what makes the rudest war against him, and then with additional fervour he applies convenient remedies, making this passion the subject of his particular examen. There is still another advantage, which is, that as we make the review of our faults in the time of renovation of vows, when we also take a review of all those favours we have received from God, and particularly of that of his having called us to religion, it is impossible that, considering on the one hand so many graces received, and on the other so many faults committed, we should not come to humble ourselves before God, and make a firm resolution of amendment, and of serving him better than we have hitherto done. ‘The things which are opposite to one another appear greater by approaching the one to the other, so that black throws out the white when placed near it”. Now, compare what God has done for you with what you have done against him; consider what obligations you have to him, and after what manner you have fulfilled them, and you will see how great a subject you have to be confounded and to debase yourself before him. What have you gained by frequenting the sacraments? What have you got by so many mortifications, austerities, and prayers, by so many examens, exhortations, and spiritual readings? Into what an abyss are all these fallen? What fruit and profit have you received from them? It is after this manner we ought to. examine our. — selves, when ‘we are to give an account of conscience to our superior, or to make a general confession; but, above all, we ought endeavour to discover what way the waters of so many graces have run out and been lost, in order that, having discovered it, we may hereafter apply a proper remedy.

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