Volume III, Treatise V, Chapter IV

Of the Second Degree of Obedience,

THE second degree of obedience consists in an entire conformity of our will to that of our superior, by really making his will ours. And that is what no religious person can be ignorant of, since they are all received upon this condition. At their first coming this is proposed to them, and laid down as the first great principle they are to act by. And when they are desired to consider that they are come to religion, not to do their own, but another’s will, they never fail to answer that they knew this very well beforehand. Now, the things had been told them exactly as they are, for it is most certain that it is obedience makes a religious. St. John Climacus calls “obedience the tomb of our will, wherein it lies dead, and from which humility rises again” —Grad., iv. art. 3. For, certainly the very moment we enter into religion, we ought to think that our will dies to ourselves, and that henceforward we ought to live only to that of our superiors. St. Ignatius adds, that we must be always ready to execute our superior’s orders, though ever so difficult and repugnant to nature. This he calls the proof of prompt obedience; for, as other saints observe, true obedience is best known in difficult commands. For obedience is not easily discerned when the thing commanded pleases, and is according to our inclination; which circumstance sometimes may prevail more upon us in order to a compliance, than a real submission to the will of God. But when the command is harsh and very repugnant, and we notwithstanding zealously embrace it, there is no doubt but that our motive is good, since we are assured we do not seek ourselves, or our own satisfaction by it, nor aim at anything but God and the fulfilling of his will. Hence we may deservedly commend those religious, who, mistrusting themselves and fearing to be surprised by self-love, are really troubled when they are put into an employment that naturally pleases them. They think that they shall find nothing here to do but to follow their own inclination,- and that they consequently have no merit; and thus they.remain uneasy, until they have acquainted their superior with their apprehensions and the cause of them. On the contrary, when they are commanded a thing to which they have an aversion, they are glad of it, being satisfied that they do not seek their own will, but God’s. St. Gregory says, “that our will must have a part-in the obedience, when the command is harsh and troublesome; but nothing at all, when it is easy and agreeable”—Lib. xxxv. Moral.,c.10. For instance, our will ought to have nothing of its own when obedience lays an honourable command upon us; then we embrace the charge, purely because our superior commands, and because God will have it so. On the contrary, when we are appointed to do an action not only painful, but also mean and contemptible, then our will ought to have a larger share therein, by a ready compliance with it, and perform it with no less zeal than love. He that shall do thus in things to which he feels repugnance, will have no reason to distrust the motive of his obedience in those things to which he has an inclination. Whereas, he that does not obey as readily in mean and low offices, which he has an aversion to, as well as in others that are better, has reason to suspect that his obedience has more of that satisfaction which he finds in the latter, than of submission of his will to God. By this means we shall easily know whether we seek God or ourselves in what we do.

Hence it follows, that those who wish for such commands from their superior as they like themselves, who use little arts to make him condescend to their will, and who love to do nothing but what they find satisfaction in, are very ill disposed in order to obedience, or rather have no obedience at all. St. Ignatius says, that we are deluded and blinded by self-love, if we think we practise obedience, when we endeavour to incline our superior to assign us what we ourselves wish for; and he alleges these words of St. Bernard in proof of what he says: “He that either openly or covertly endeavours to have his superior command him what he has a mind to himself, is much deceived if he pretend to any merit from such obedience: for in this case he does not obey his superior, but his superior rather obeys him”—Serm. de Trio. Ord. Eccles. ad Patr. in capitulo. There is nothing more generally or more highly approved of in religion than this maxim; yet for all that, we must not pass it over too lightly, since it is at the same time one of the chief and principal points to be treated of in this _ matter. One of the things which a religious ought to fear most, is when he has an employment given him of his own seeking, or when he has made a difficulty to accept of another which they wished to assign him. For perhaps he may imagine himself afterwards to have done wonders, by the great pains he took in such employment, and to have merited much in the sight of God; yet he will find himself very much deceived, and that he has merited nothing towards eternity, because his own will and not God’s prevailed in all he did. The children of Israel said thus to God, ‘“Why hast thou not looked down from Heaven upon us, who have fasted? We have humbled ourselves before thee, O Lord, and thou seemest not to take notice of us”. And he answered them, “because ye are glutted with your own will upon your fasting days”—Isa., lviii. 3,—that is, because in your fasts you do nothing but what you will yourselves.

St. Bernard having applied these words of Isaias to the same purpose, adds, “that self-will must needs be a great evil, which renders even our good works so unprofitable and even of no service’—Serm. 71, sup. Cant. Speaking also of St. Paul’s conversion, he treats this subject at large, and observes that the first thing St. Paul did or said, after the light from Heaven had opened the eyes of his soul, was to know God’s pleasure in these words:—“Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?”—A¢cts, ix. 6. This was a sign, says St. Bernard, of a true conversion, and an argument that he had for ever renounced this world, and was fully determined to follow Jesus Christ, by desiring to know, “what God would have him do”.—A short sentence, but very comprehensive, pithy, expressive, full of energy, and worthy of all commendation! How few are there now-a-days, as St. Bernard complains, that aspire to this perfection in obedience! How few are to be found now, who, entirely renouncing their own will, wish never to do anything again of their own accord, ‘and only desire with St. Paul, that God’s will may be accomplished in them, saying, “Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?” Or with the prophet, “My heart is ready, O my God, my heart is ready”—Psal., lvi. 8,—to do all you please to command me. But alas! the blind man in the gospel has more proselytes than St. Paul. The Saviour of the world asked the blind man, “what wouldst thou have me do to thee?” (Luke 18:41) In which words we may admire the ‘mercy of God, and his humility in forgetting his dignity, by stooping thus low to a poor man. Where was there ever a@ master that desired to be informed of the will of his slave, in order to execute it? “It is clear this man was blind, and wanted both reflection and fear, since he did not cry out hereupon: Far be such an action from me, O Lord! it is I that desire to know thy will and pleasure concerning me. It is not fit, O my God, that thou shouldst ask to know my will and to do it; it is my duty to inform myself of thine, and perform it, though with ever so much difficulty’—Serm. i. de Convers. Apos. Pauli. Here, says St. Bernard, you have a portrait of most religious of these days. They must, like this blind man, be asked, ‘“‘what would you have me do to you?” The superior must continually employ his thoughts in finding out what every one will soonest obey in, and accommodate himself toevery man’s particular humour; whereas, on the contrary, they ought to know his will and to prevent it by obedience; since they are come to religion not to make the superior conform and submit to their desires by only commanding them what they please, but rather to live in an humble submission of mind, ready to perform the superior’s will, without which there is neither obedience nor religion.

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