CHARITY TOWARD'S THE NEIGHBOR'S SOUL.
He who causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20). Would it not be cruelty in him who would see a blind man walking over a precipice and not admonish him of his danger and thus rescue him from temporal death? But would it be still greater cruelty to neglect, when able, to deliver a neighbor from eternal death.
I.
The most perfect charity consists in zeal for your neighbor's spiritual good. To relieve the spiritual necessities of a fellow man, or to contribute to his spiritual welfare, as far excels the exercise of charity toward his body as the dignity of the soul transcends the lowly condition of the flesh. Charity toward the soul is practiced, in the first place, by correcting our neighbor's faults. Saint James declares that he who causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20). But on the other hand, Saint Augustine says that he who sees a neighbor destroying his soul, by giving way to anger against a neighbor, or by insulting him, and neglects to correct him, sends more grievously by his silence than the other does by his insults and contumely. "You," says the Saint, "see him perish, and care not; your silence is more criminal than his reproachful language." Do not excuse yourself by saying that you know not how to correct him. St John Chrysostum tells you that for correcting the faults of others charity is more necessary than wisdom. Make the correction at a seasonable time, with charity and sweetness, and it will be profitable. If you are a Superior, you are bound by your office to correct those under you; if not, you are bound in charity to administer correction as often as you expect fruit from it. Would it not be cruelty in him who should see a blind man walking over a precipice and not to admonish him of his danger, and thus rescue him from temporal death? But it would be still greater cruelty in you to neglect, when able, to deliver a neighbor from eternal death. If you prudently judge that your advice would be unprofitable, be careful at least to make known the fault to some other person who will be able to apply a remedy. Do not say, that this is not my business; I will not take any trouble about it. This was the language of Cain. Am I, said he, my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4:9) It is the duty of every one, when able, to save his neighbor from ruin. And, says Ecclesiasticus, he gave to every one of them commandment concerning his neighbor (Ecclesiasticus 17:12).
II.
St. Philip Neri says that, when necessary, God wishes that we omit mental prayer in order to assist a neighbor, particularly in his spiritual necessities. St. Gertrude desired one day to entertain herself in prayer, but a work of charity was to be performed, and, therefore, the Lord said to her: "Tell me, Gertrude, do you intend that I should serve you, or that you should serve me?" "If," says St. Gregory, "you go to God, take care not to go alone to Him." And Saint Augustine says: "If you love God, draw all to the love of God." If you love God you should take care not to be alone in loving Him, but should labor to bring to His love all of your relatives, and all those with whom you have intercourse.
To appear devout, mortified, devoted to mental prayer and to frequent communion, in order to give good example to others, in order to induce others to do likewise, is not an act of vanity, but an act of charity, very pleasing to God. So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Endeavor, then, to assist all according to the best of your ability, by words, works, and particularly by prayers. Many Doctors, along with St. Basil, teach, that by the words Amen I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you (John 16:23), Jesus Christ promises to hear our prayers, not only for ourselves, but also for others, provided they do not place a positive obstacle in the way. Hence, in the common prayer, in your Thanksgiving after Communion, and your visits to the Blessed Sacrament, you should never omit to recommend to God all poor sinners, infidels, and heretics, and all that live without God.
How pleasing to Jesus Christ are the prayers of his spouses for sinners! He once said to the Venerable Sister Seraphina de Capri: "Assist me in, O my daughter, to save souls by your prayers." To Mary Magdalene de Pazzi he said: "See, Magdalen, how Christians are in the hands of the devil; unless my elect by their prayers deliver them, they will be devoured." Hence the Saint used to say to her Religious: "My sisters, God has not separated us from the world only for our own good, but also for the benefit of sinners." And on another occasion she said: "My sisters, we have to render to God an account for so many lost souls: had we recommended them to God with fervor, perhaps they would not be damned." Hence we read in her life that she did not allow an hour of the day to pass without praying for sinners. Oh, how many souls are sometimes converted, not so much by the sermons of priests as by the prayers of Religious! It was once revealed to a preacher that the fruit which he produced was not the effect of his sermons, but of the prayers of a lay brother who assisted him at the pulpit. Be careful, also, to pray for priests, that they may labor with true zeal for the salvation of souls.
VITA DULCEDO! HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS!
XVII. - MARY IS OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US THE PARDON OF OUR SINS.
To understand why the Holy Church makes us call Mary our life we must know that, as the soul gives life to the body, so does Divine grace give life to the soul; for a soul without grace has the name of a being alive but is in truth dead, as it was said of one in the Apocalypse: Thou hast the name of being alive and thou art dead (Apocalypse 3:1). Mary, then, in obtaining this grace for sinners by her intercession, restores them to life.
See how the Church makes Mary speak, applying to her the following words of Proverbs: They that in the morning early watch for me shall find me (Proverbs 8:17). They who are diligent and having recourse to me in the morning, that is, as soon as they can, will most certainly find me. In the Septuagint the words shall find me are rendered "shall find grace." So that to have recourse to Mary is the same thing as to find the grace of God. A little further on she says, He that shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord (Proverbs 8:35). "Listen," exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, "listen, all you who desire the kingdom of God: honor the most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation."
St. Bernardine of Sienna says that if God did not destroy man after his first sin, it was on account of His singular love for this holy Virgin, who was destined to be born of this race. And the Saint adds that he "has no doubt but that all the mercies granted by God under the old dispensation were granted only in consideration of this most Blessed Lady."
Hence Saint Bernard was right in exhorting us "to seek for grace, and to seek it by Mary"; meaning, that if we have had the misfortune to lose the grace of God, we should seek to recover it, but we should do so though Mary; for, though we may have lost it, she has found it; and hence the Saint calls her "the finder of grace." The Angel Gabriel expressly declared this for our consolation when he saluted the Blessed Virgin saying, Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace (Luke 1:30). But if Mary had never been deprived of Grace, how could the Archangel say that she had then found it? A thing may be found by a person who did not previously possess it; but we are told by the same Archangel that the Blessed Virgin was always with God, always in grace, nay, full of grace. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (Luke 1:28). Since marrying, then, did not find grace for herself, she being always full of it, for whom did she find it? Cardinal Hugo, in his commentary on the above text, replies that she found it for sinners who had lost it. "Let sinners, then," says the devout writer, "who by their crimes have lost grace, address themselves to the Blessed Virgin, for with her they will surely find it; let them humbly salute her, and say with confidence, "Lady, that which has been found must be restored to him who has lost it; restore us, therefore, our property which thou hast found." On this subject, Richard of St. Laurence concludes, "that if we hope to recover the grace of God we must go to Mary, who has found it, and finds it always." And as she always was and always will be dear to God, if we have recourse to her we shall certainly succeed.
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.
XXIII. - "CHARITY IS PATIENT." - THE SOUL THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST LOVES TO SUFFER.
I.
But patience has a perfect work (James 1:4). The meaning of this is that nothing is more pleasing to God than to see a soul suffering with patience all the crosses sent her by him. The effect of love is to liken the lover to the person loved. Francis de Sales said: "All the wounds of Christ are so many mouths which preach to us that we must suffer for Him. The science of the Saints is to suffer constantly for Jesus; and in this way we shall soon become Saints." A person that loves Jesus Christ is anxious to be treated like Jesus Christ: poor, persecuted, and despised. St. John beheld all the Saints clothed in white and with palms in their hands: Clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands (Apocalypse 7:9).
II.
The merit of a soul that loves Jesus Christ consists in loving and in suffering. Hear what our Lord said to St. Teresa: "Think you, My child, that merit consists in enjoyment? No; it consists in suffering and in loving. Look at My life, wholly embittered with afflictions. Be assured, My child, that the more My Father loves any one the more sufferings He sends him; they are the standard of His love. Look at My Wounds; your torments will never reach so far. It is foolish to suppose that My Father favors with His friendship those who are strangers to suffering." And for our consolation, St. Teresa makes this remark: "God never sends a trial but He forthwith rewards it with some favor." One day Jesus Christ appeared to Blessed Baptista Varani, and told her of three special favors which He is want to bestow on cherished souls: the first, not to sin; the second, which is greater, to perform good works; the third, and the greatest of all, to suffer for His love. So that St. Teresa used to say, whenever anyone does something for God, the Almighty repays him with some trial. And, therefore, the Saints, on receiving tribulations, thank God for them. St. Louis of France, referring to his captivity among the Turks, said: "I rejoice, and thank God more for the patience which he accorded me in the time of my imprisonment than if He had made me master of the universe." And when St. Elizabeth, princess of Thuringia, after her husband's death, was banished with her son from the kingdom and found herself homeless and abandoned by all, she went to a convent of the Franciscans and there had the Te Deum sung in thanksgiving to God for the signal favor of being allowed to suffer for His love.
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