# The young man's guide/Part 1: The Breastplate of Justice

The Breastplate of Justice
XL. To God the Things that are God's
I.IN PARIS, on the evening of February 24, 1848, an unlooked-for revolution had suddenly broken out and overturned the throne of Louis Philippe, the citizen-king. A furious mob stormed the Tuileries, and threw costly vases, statuary, and paintings out of the windows. While these things were going on, a number of young men passed through the courtyard of the Tuil- ​eries; they had succeeded in rescuing the sacred vessels and a crucifix from the chapel of the royal palace. A band of drunken soldiers stopped them, and endeavored to wrest their precious burden from them. "What," exclaimed a courageous young man, holding his crucifix aloft as he spoke, "What, you are fighting for freedom? Let me tell you that this freedom can only be obtained through the cross of Jesus Christ!"
Let us once more transport ourselves to Paris, two and thirty years later. This time no revolution has broken out, everything is quiet. But a vehicle is being driven through the huge city, a vehicle belonging to the government; it has been sent forth by Jules Ferry, the minister of public education, with instructions to the official in charge of the same to remove from all schoolrooms throughout the city every crucifix, and every representation of Christ. What a contrast have we here! Yonder is a man who holds the crucifix aloft, here we behold one who breaks the cross into pieces! But that is a picture of men in the present day, as they are to be met with so often, and in so many places. They are divided into two great camps: the men who render to God the things that are God's, and those who take from God the "things that rightly belong to Him, that is to say, who do not perform their religious duties. I trust that you belong to the former class, that you render to ​God the things that are God's, that you perform your religious duties.
2. Among the first and foremost of these duties, I place attendance at divine service on Sundays and holydays, and the suitable observance of these days in a religious spirit. Therefore assist, whenever you possibly can, at Holy Mass on all Sundays and holydays. For there is nothing in the world more pleasing to God than the sacrifice of the altar. We do not pray alone in Holy Mass, but Jesus Himself pleads in our behalf and prays with us. He offers to His heavenly Father all that He did and suffered His whole life long in order to honor and glorify Him; His obedience, His charity, His humility, and so on. He offers there His body which was crucified, His blood which was shed for our salvation; in a word, He now offers for us the identical sacrifice which He once offered for us upon the cross.
3. For nineteen hundred years have men journeyed to the Holy Land, in order to gaze, once at least in a lifetime, upon the hallowed spot where the sacred Victim was slain, in order to behold the Mount of Calvary where the precious blood of the incarnate Word was shed, where our Blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, deigned to die for our sins. Now to assist at Holy Mass means in a way to visit the place where Our Lord was crucified, to ascend Mount Calvary in company ​with our suffering Redeemer. From thence He calls to us especially if it happens to be Sunday: "The day of redemption is here see, I go forth to Mount Calvary, to the altar, in order to renew the sacrifice of the Cross for the good of your souls. If you love Me, if you wish to show your gratitude for My love, come with Me and assist at the Holy Sacrifice, the oblation of the New Testament."
4. But this is not the only thing that God can claim on Sundays and holydays; there is something more you owe to Him. The Saviour Himself said: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God" (John viii. 47). Especially on Sundays and holydays you ought to hear the word of God, as it is proclaimed in sermons and religious instructions.
For all Christians, and especially for young men of your age, it is necessary that they should be repeatedly reminded of the truths of the Faith, and exhorted to do right. Even though you are familiar with the truths of the Faith, they are frequently left out of sight, and not taken to heart. And how easily it happens that the thoughtless young man loses his fervor, becomes negligent in the exercises of piety, grows weary of treading the path of virtue, and careless as to right and wrong. Therefore, how necessary and salutary it is that he very frequently, on all Sundays at least, should be instructed, encouraged, and stimulated to walk in the right way.
5. To be remiss in attending sermons and ​religious instructions is always a sign of great tepidity. Our Lord said to the Jews: " He that is of God heareth the words of God; therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God" (John viii. 47). The same words apply to the Christian who does not go to hear sermons; if you were of God, a child of God, you would take delight in hearing His word; you would willingly hear sermons, and attend catechetical instructions. Happy are those young men who diligently receive the seed of the word of God: "who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it and bring forth fruit in patience" (Luke viii. 15). To them the promise of Jesus may be applied: "Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke xi. 28). Notice that Jesus does not merely say:" Blessed are they that hear the word of God," but expressly adds: "Blessed are they that keep it."
Wherefore resolve to keep the word of God; and by so doing render to God the things that are God's.
Hail, Sunday, peaceful day of rest.
The Lord's own day, which He has blest;
Rejoice to sanctify the day
And in the church your homage pay.
XLI. A Ladder to Heaven: Prayer
1.ONE death-bed scene which I witnessed in the course of my life as a pastor of souls can never fade from my ​memory. It was the death of one of my former parishioners, a girl who had just left school. She had only been ill for three days when I found it necessary to administer the last sacraments.
When, three or four hours later, I saw that the relentless hand of death was about to cut off her young life, I knelt in prayer beside the bed with all those who were present, and I asked the dying sufferer: "You will pray for us in heaven, my child, will you not?" "Yes, yes," she exclaimed, clasping my hand with a gesture of entreaty, "but you must first pray for me, that I may get to heaven! " And after she had taken leave of every one she repeated, with her failing breath, "Do pray, go on praying! Pray, pray! "
2. And it is these very words of the dying girl which I repeat to you over and over again: "My dear young friend, do pray, go on praying! Pray, pray, because it is indispensably necessary to do so." Prayer is assuredly the ladder to heaven, without which it is not possible to be saved.
Scarcely anything else in Holy Scripture is recommended to us so frequently and with so much emphasis. Over and over again we meet with exhortations to prayer. " Ask and it shall be given you: seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you" (Matt. vii. 7). "Watch ye and pray" (Matt. xxvi. 41). St. Paul bids us: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v. 17).
​Again we are admonished to pray in these words:
"We ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i).
"Without Me you can do nothing" (John xv. 5).
"Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Cor. iii. 5).
"Amen, Amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name He will give it you" (John xvi. 23).
The Royal Psalmist tells us: "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him; to all that call upon Him in truth. He will do the will of them that fear Him, and He will hear their prayer and save them" (Ps. cxliv. 18, 19).
3. And what do the saints say? They call prayer the very breath of the soul, and assert that a man who does not pray is a lamp without oil, a body without food, a plant without water, a soldier without arms St. Alphonsus writes thus: "It is by means of prayer that all the blessed in heaven have attained to eternal felicity. All the damned have been lost because they did not pray; if they had prayed, they would certainly not have been lost."
The same saint urges us to prayer in these words:
"Prayer is a sure and indispensable means of obtaining salvation and all the graces lead​ing thereto. Convinced as I am of the necessity of prayer, I say that all books treating of spiritual subjects, all preachers in their sermons, all confessors in every confession which they hear, should attach the greatest importance to inculcating the necessity of constant prayer on the minds of their readers and hearers, and they should never tire of impressing it on them and of repeating over and over again: Pray, pray always; if you pray, you will certainly save your souls; if you do not pray, you will certainly lose them. It is true that many excellent ways of persevering in the grace of God may be recommended to souls; for instance, avoiding occasions of sin frequenting the sacraments, resisting temptation, listening to sermons, meditating on the eternal truths, etc., all of which are most salutary practices, as every one must admit but, I ask, of what good are sermons, meditations, and the other means suggested by the masters of the spiritual life, without prayer? since Our Lord has declared that He will only grant His grace to those who pray for it: 'Ask and ye shall receive' (John. xvi. 24). According to the ordinary course of Providence, all our meditations, resolutions, promises, are useless without prayer, if we do not pray, we shall always be faithless to the lights we have received from God and to the resolutions we have taken. Because, in order to do right, to overcome temptation, to practise virtue, to observe God's ​law, it is not sufficient to have received divine lights, to have meditated, and to have taken firm resolutions. God's actual help is also necessary. Now, this actual help is only granted by Our Lord to those who pray perseveringly for it. The lights we receive, and the earnest consideration and firm resolutions which we make, have the effect of inciting us to have recourse to prayer in the time of temptation and when in danger of offending God; by prayer we obtain the divine help necessary for keeping us from sin, and if, under these circumstances, we were to neglect praying, we should undoubtedly be lost."
This truth is emphasized by other saints
"Nothing good can be expected from a man who does not pray." —St. Francis of Assisi.
"God bestows some favors without prayer, such as the beginning of faith; others, such as perseverance, are granted only to those who pray." — St. Augustine.
"To enter heaven, continual prayer is necessary after Baptism; for although all sins are remitted by that sacrament, there still remain concupiscence to assail us from within, and the world and the devil to attack us from without." — St. Thomas.
"By prayer is obtained the possession of every good, and deliverance from every evil." — St. Bonaventure.
It follows from these various sayings that without prayer there can be no true virtue, strength to resist evil, no good death, no ​salvation. Woe to the man who ceases to pray — he is lost!
4. The necessity of prayer for every Christian may be deduced from the very essence of Christianity. Through Christ we become children of God: and on this account the Saviour taught us to pray: "Our Father, Who art in heaven." How could we say that we had the spirit of a child of God, if we were not to pray?
Through Christ we are made living temples of God. "The house of God." says the Lord, "is a house of prayer." A church which is no longer used for prayer becomes a nonentity; it is no more than a ruin. This is an image of a soul which has ceased to pray; it is a crumbling temple. Unhappy soul, to whom prayer has become strange and difficult!
5. Through Christ we ought also to become His followers; we ought, as the apostle says, to "put on Christ." But if we have "put on Christ," if His Spirit lives and rules in our hearts, we can not but pray. For Christ prayed frequently and for lengthened seasons on the occasion of all weighty affairs, and He prayed whole nights at a time.
It is through Christ that we shall finally attain to the eternal vision of God, to eternal communion with Him. How shall we attain to the Beatific Vision and everlasting contemplation of God, if we have not, while still sojourning on earth, learned how to pray, and made it our constant practice to keep our​selves in the presence of God, and by means of prayer, to hold loving intercourse with Him? He who prays not at all, or who does not pray well, is separated from God whilst here below, and will not be admitted to His presence in heaven.
6. Cling firmly, my young friend, to the ladder which reaches to heaven; by this means ascend to God. And if at times weariness and aridity creep over you, shake off this drowsiness and say to yourself: "I have not yet reached heaven; one unfortunate moment may prove my eternal perdition, therefore I must pray."
Impressed with this truth, you will be more zealous in saying your morning prayers, and throughout the day will more frequently raise your mind to God; you will never neglect to attend public worship; you will never lie down to sleep without having in prayer bewailed the faults of the past day. Before all things you must constantly beseech God to bestow on you the gift of prayer.
Teach, Lord, Thy servant how to pray,
To make my needs known unto Thee each day?
Then, when my heart is raised to Thee on high
Grant me to feel that Thou art truly nigh.
With Keble say:
"Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love
Fit us for perfect rest above;
And help us this and every day
To live more nearly as we pray."
​For what and for whom should we pray?
St. Alphonsus Liguori insists repeatedly that in all our devotions, at Mass, at holy communion, in all our visits to the Blessed Sacrament, we should pray for these four graces for ourselves, viz.: the forgiveness of our sins, the love of God, the love of prayer, and final perseverance. When these graces are secured, our salvation is assured.
As loyal Catholics we should also pray according to the intentions of our Holy Father the Pope; for his welfare and for the needs and interests of our Holy Mother the Church; for bishops, priests, and superiors; for our' country; for universal peace; for the conversion of sinners, heretics, and pagans; and last but not least for the poor holy souls in purgatory.
Father Girardey, C.SS.R., in his beautiful treatise on Prayer, writes:
"In praying for temporal favors for ourselves, we can claim unconditionally only the necessaries of life; in the Our Father we are taught to pray for 'our daily bread'; this does not include superfluities or luxuries; and the words 'deliver us from evil' do not necessarily include, as we have seen, deliverance from physical evils, for the evil here meant is sin and all that leads to sin. We have no reason to hope that God will hear our prayers for those temporal favors that may prove hurtful to our saltation, or that He will exempt us from cer​tain corporal pains and trials, if such an exemption would lead us to sin or endanger our salvation. The granting of such prayers would be, not a favor, but a terrible punishment. We should, then, ask for temporal favors conditionally — that is, under the condition that they may promote our salvation, or at lea§t not hinder it. We ought never to lose sight of this saying of our loving Redeemer: 'What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?' (Matt. xvi. 26).
"Let us not be so solicitous for temporal favors, which, after all, may prove hurtful to our soul, but let us rather pray for what is conducive to our eternal welfare. When we pray for temporals, and God, in His mercy, refuses them to us, it is because they would prove hurtful to us. 'But,' says St. Gregory of Nazianzen, 'he who asks God for a real favor (that is, for a favor that is necessary or useful for his salvation), obtains it, for God is bountiful and generous, and readily bestows His gifts.' 'When you pray,' says St. Ambrose, 'ask for great things; ask not for what is transitory, but for what is eternal.' 'We should pray,' says St. Augustine, 'in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ. When, however, we pray for what is injurious to our soul, we do not pray in the name or Our Redeemer. In praying for temporals we should be moderate and timid, asking God to give them to us provided they are really ​beneficial, and to withhold them if they should prove hurtful. Many, when they pray, invoke God, but not as God, for the object of their prayer is opposed to His glory and favorable to their passions. They seem to consider God as a mere servant of themselves and of their passions, such as pride, covetousness, and lust. Let us pray, not for temporals, but for heavenly glory and the means of attaining it. The most precious and excellent of temporal things are but insignificant trifles in comparison to what is eternal.'
"Rohrbacher relates in his 'Church History' that, among the pilgrims who flocked to the tomb of St. Thomas of Canterbury to seek favors through the saint's intercession, there was a blind man who prayed so fervently for the recovery of his lost sight that he was perfectly cured. After returning home, however, he began to reflect that the restoration of his sight might, perhaps, prove an obstacle to his salvation. He accordingly returned to the tomb of the saint, and, after fervently praying that were his sight ever to be injurious to his soul he should again lose it, he became totally blind once more. He acted most wisely, for it was much better for him to be blind than run the risk of losing his soul. Unguarded looks are often the cause of grievous sin, as is shown by the example of David and of many others.
"When our prayers for temporal favors, either for ourselves or in behalf of others, are ​not granted, we should consider God's refusal a real benefit rather than a misfortune. In beseeching God for temporals we should be indifferent as to the result of our prayers, being equally ready to accept a refusal or a favorable hearing from Him. If such should be our dispositions, God, when refusing our request, will not fail to compensate us by bestowing on us more excellent favors which we do not think of asking. 'In vain does a child cry for a sword or a live coal,' remarks St. John Chrysostom; 'his parents justly refuse him what may prove very hurtful to him. In like manner, God justly and kindly refuses us what is injurious to us, but, in His goodness, He will give us something better instead.' Let us in all our prayers aim principally at the salvation of our soul, and we shall obtain also temporal favors from God, according to this saying of our loving Redeemer: 'Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matt. vi. 33).
"For whom should we pray? We should, first of all, pray for ourselves, because our salvation is our first and most important duty. Although, by the law of charity, we are bound to pray for all men, there are, nevertheless, some for whom we have a special obligation or special reasons to pray. Children should daily pray for their parents, parents for their children, members of the same family and household or community for one another ​inferiors for their superiors, both ecclesiastical and civil, and superiors for their inferiors. It is also incumbent on us to pray for cur benefactors, both spiritual and temporal, for our relatives, for those who ask our prayers, and who pray for us, for our friends, and for our enemies also, whosoever they may be or whatever evil they may have done or may wish us. We ought, likewise; to pray for the perseverance of the just and for the conversion of sinners, of heretics, schismatics, Jews, and unbelievers. It is a most praiseworthy custom to pray for the sick, for those who are in their agony, for all who are in danger of death, or in danger of losing their innocence, and for all who are in distress, pain, trouble, or sorrow.
"It behooves us daily to remember in our prayers the souls in purgatory, particularly the souls toward whom we have some special obligation, e.g., the souls of our parents, of our benefactors, of those who are suffering on our account. We should endeavor to gain many indulgences for their benefit. If, during our life, we pray for them, God will, after our death, inspire compassionate souls to pray for us when we are in purgatory, for, says our divine Saviour, 'with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matt. vii. 2)."
XLII. Raise Your Heart to God: Meditation
I.WE ARE traveling to an unknown land, to the land of eternity, let us hope, of endless delight. Our life on earth is a voyage to that country. The mistake into which most young people fall, is that they make the journey to eternity in so thoughtless a fashion. You must beware of this folly. Therefore I exhort you to raise your heart to God daily, by means of serious reflection, by means of meditation or mental prayer.
2. You must already have remarked the wide difference which frequently exists among Christians who dwell beneath the same roof tree, and form but one family. Unfortunately, one not seldom finds in the present day Christians who commit sin boldly, and even with a sort of pride; but there are, thank God, other Christians, who dread nothing so much as sin.
Whence arises this difference? In the case of the latter, from the practice of mental prayer, in that of the former, from the thoughtless manner in which they live their daily life, and never reflect upon higher and eternal things. Truly it is not to be wondered at, if a man who lives in this manner veers about like a weathercock with every wind that blows. He does not live quite like a Christian, nor quite like a heathen; he indeed believes in heaven and hell, but in a cold and careless manner.
3. How does it happen, on the other hand, that the true, earnest Christian . stands as firm amid evil examples as an oak which has braved a hundred winters? Let us discover his secret, a secret more valuable by far than the secret ​of the alchemist. The true Christian also "has his temptations; he has to fight with his own concupiscence, with the world, with the devil. But he is not careless and thoughtless; on the contrary, he is watchful and serious; in prayer he meditates upon religious truths and by the grace of God his faith becomes fervent and lively, so that he does not fall into grievous sin, out makes steady progress in the way of perfection. The bad and thoughtless Christian, on the other hand, boasts that he believes like any good Christian, but he does not live up to his profession. For, this reason one of the saints used to say : " In my opinion, these bad Christians ought to be confined in an asylum for idiots; (or how can a sensible, reasonable man believe m heaven and hell, and yet go on sinning? "
St. Alphonsus Liguori says in his "Devout Reflections" :
"We are not created for this earth. The end for which God has placed us in the world is this, that by our good works we may merit eternal life. 'The end is life everlasting' (Rom. vi. 22). And therefore St. Eucherius used to say that the only affair that we should attend to in this life is eternity; that is, to gain for ourselves a happy eternity, and escape a miserable one. 'The business for which we work is eternity.' If we make sure of success in this business, we shall be happy forever; if we fail in it, we shall be forever miserable.
"Happy he who lives with eternity always in view, with a lively faith that he must shortly die, and enter into eternity. The just man ​liveth by faith,' says the Apostle (Gal. iii. 11). It is faith that makes the just live in the grace of God, and that gives life to their souls, by detaching them from earthly affections, and reminding them of the eternal goods which God holds out to those who love Him.
" St. Teresa used to say that all sins had their origin in a want of faith. Therefore, in order to overcome our passions and temptations, we must frequently revive our faith by saying: 'I believe in the life everlasting. I believe that after this life, which for me will quickly finish, there is an eternal life, either full of delights, or full of torments, which will be my lot, according to my merits or demerits.'
"St. Augustine, also, was wont to say that a man who believes in eternity, and yet is not converted to God, has lost either his reason or his faith. 'O eternity!' (these are his words) 'he that meditates upon thee, and repents not, either has no faith, or, if he has faith, he has no heart.' In reference to this, St. John Chrysostom relates that the Gentiles, when they saw Christians committing sin, called them either liars or fools."
4. Raise your heart to God by meditation, by mental prayer. Only in this way will your hope, as well as your faith, be maintained and kept from degenerating into presumption or despair.
5. The sinner often resembles the ostrich, which lives in the sandy deserts of Africa. When it is pursued it buries its head in the deep sand, that it may not perceive its pursuer, and imagines itself to be unseen; all too late it discovers its mistake, when the fatal bullet has inflicted a mortal wound. After a similar fashion do ​sinners act. They reflect not upon the mighty hunter, Death, and refuse to think of him; but this does not prevent him from coming, and his cruel arrow fails not to reach its mark. How terrible a thing it is thus to trifle with death!
6. Wherefore, raise your heart to God, raise it frequently to him, every morning and evening at least! Raise your heart to God in the morning, by making a firm resolution to avoid this or that besetting sin and to overcome your predominant passion. Raise it to God in the evening, by repenting of your sins, by meditating on death, judgment, heaven and hell, and by resolving to lead a more holy, a more virtuous life. Pray every night for the grace of perseverance.
Lord, Thou hast made this wondrous soul
 All for Thyself alone;
Ah, send Thy sweet transforming grace
 To make it more Thine own!
Mental Prayer
In my meditation a fire shall flame out (Ps. xxxviii. 4).
I.MAKE at least a short meditation every day. Menial prayer is a more appropriate and comprehensive term for that spiritual exercise which is so highly praised and commended by the saints and so conducive to holiness and perfection.
Mental prayer is within the reach of all who earnestly desire their salvation. In order to pray with fruit and without distraction it is most useful and almost necessary to spend some time ​in meditation or pious reflection on some supernatural truth, and from this fact the whole exercise is often called meditation instead of mental prayer.
In mental prayer, meditation (the exercise of the intellect) is only a means to the end, which is the elevation of the soul to God — conversation with God. When thinking and reflecting the soul speaks to itself, reasons with itself; in prayer that follows it speaks to God. It is plain that mental prayer or meditation is something more than mere spiritual reading.
But we can easily turn our spiritual reading into a meditation, as, for instance, when we read only a few lines at a time from "The Following of Christ"; then meditate, reflect, consider our own conduct in connection with the subject treated, make devout acts and pious resolutions, and finally pray to God for His grace that we may conquer our wicked inclinations, practise" some particular virtue, and lead a holy life. After this we can read a few more lines; then meditate again.
Bishop Challoner in his translation of "The Following of Christ" or "The Imitation of Christ," as this golden book is sometimes called, has added some excellent practical reflections at the end of each chapter.
"Meditation," as Madame Cecilia says in her admirable work, "At the Feet of Jesus," "consists in occupying ourselves mentally and prayerfully with some mystery of the Faith. We call to mind the chief facts, ponder over them, and then stir up our will to regulate our conduct in consequence. Hence meditation is an exercise of the faculties of our soul — memory, understanding, and will."
​"Meditation, as a part of mental prayer" says St. Francis of Sales, "is an attentive thought voluntarily repeated or entertained in the mind to excite the will to holy and salutary affections and resolutions" It differs from mere study in its object. We study to improve our minds and to store up information; we meditate to move the will to pray and to embrace what is good. We study that we may know; we meditate that we may pray.
"In mental prayer," says St. Alphonsus, "meditation is the needle, which only passes through that it may draw after it the golden thread, which is composed of affections, resolutions, and petitions."
As soon as you feel an impulse to pray while meditating, give way to it at once in the best way you can, by devout acts and petitions; in other words, begin your conversation with God on the subject about which you have been thinking.
la order to help the mind in this pious exercise we must have some definite subject of thought upon which it is well to read either a text of Holy Scripture or a few lines out of some other holy book; for instance, "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius," " The Following of Christ," "The Spiritual Combat"; Challoner's "Think Well On't"; St. Alphonsus Liguori's "Devout Reflections," "The Way of Salvation," "The Love of Christ," and "The Blessed Eucharist"; St. Francis of Sales' " Introduction to a Devout Life," "Meditations for Retreats," and other works; Bishop Hedley's "Retreat"; Cochem's "Meditations on the Four Last Things"; Baxter's "Meditations for Every Day in the Year"; any one of the popular books of meditation ​used by Religious, such as Hamon's, De Brandt's, Segneri's, Vercruysse's, and Ilg's "Meditations on the Life and Passion of Our Lord." Father Gallwey's "Watches of the Passion," and Da Bergamo's "Thoughts 'and Affections on the Passion" are worthy of the highest commendation.
St. Alphonsus says: "It is good to meditate upon the last things — death, judgment, eternity — but let us above all meditate upon the passion of Christ." This saint, the great Doctor of Prayer , has given us a beautiful work on " The Passion."
St. Teresa tells us that in her meditations she helped herself with a book for seventeen years. By reading the points of a meditation from a book, the mind is rendered attentive and is set on a train of thought. Further to help the mind you can ask yourself some such questions as the following : What does this mean? What lesson does it teach me? What has been my conduct regarding this matter? What have I done,what shall I do, and how shall I do it? What particular virtue must I practise? But do not forget to pray.
Do not imagine, moreover, that it is necessary to wait for a great fire to flame up in your soul, but cherish the little spark that you have got. Above all, never give way to the mistaken notion that you must restrain yourself from prayer in order to go through all the thoughts suggested by your book, or because your prayer does not appear to have a close connection with the subject of your meditation. This would simply be to turn from God to your own thoughts or to those of some other man.
To meditate means in general nothing else ​than to reflect seriously on some subject. Meditation, as mental prayer, is a serious reflection on some religious truth or event, united wit!? reference and application to ourselves, in order thereby to excite in us certain pious sentiments, such as contrition, humility, faith, hope, charity, etc., and to move our will to form good resolutions conformable to these pious sentiments. Such an exercise has naturally a beneficial influence on our soul and greatly conduces to enlighten our mind and to move our will to practise virtue.
Meditation is a great means to salvation. It aids us powerfully in the pursuit of our destiny, to know God, to love Him, to serve Him, that we may be happy with Him forever; it helps us to know ourselves and to discover the means of avoiding and correcting our vices, our faults, and weaknesses; it reveals to us the dangers to which our salvation is exposed and leads us to pray with a contrite and humble heart for the necessary graces to cope with temptations, to control our passions, and to lead a holy life. Mental prayer inflames our hearts with the love of God and strengthens us to do His holy will with zeal and perseverance.
As regards the place of meditation, St. Alphonsus says:
"We can meditate in every place, at home or elsewhere, even in walking and at our work. How many are there who, not having any better opportunity, raise their hearts to God and apply their minds to mental prayer, without leaving their occupations, their work, or who meditate even while traveling. He who seeks God will find Him, everywhere and at all times. The most appropriate place for meditation, however ​is the church, in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament."
"Not a few pious persons," says Father Girardey in his "Popular Instructions on Prayer," "before setting out for their daily occupations, go to Mass in the early hours of the morning, make their meditation during the Holy Sacrifice, and thus draw on themselves the divine blessing for the whole day.
"As regards the time of meditation, it would be well if we were to make a meditation both in the morning and in the evening. If this is not feasible, we should, if convenient, prefer the morning to any other part of the day. The reason is because in the morning we are fresh in mind and have as yet hardly any cause for distractions, while later in the day we are apt to be* more or less absorbed by our occupations and other worldly matters. Moreover, by a good meditation in the morning we begin the day well, drawing down God's blessing on us, and deriving grace and strength to avoid sin and fulfil our obligations. When we make our meditation in the morning, we ought to prepare its subject on the previous night before retiring to rest, and make thereon some brief reflections before falling asleep, and also after rising in the morning. We ought, moreover, to recall our meditation to mind from time to time during the day, recommending our resolution to the Blessed Virgin by a Hail Mary.
"We should endeavor to spend at least a quarter of an hour daily in mental prayer. The saints used daily to spend many hours therein; and when they had much to do they would subtract some hours from the time allotted to their sleep, in order to devote them to this holy exer​cise. If we can not spend in it half an houi every day, let us at least devote to it a quarter of an hour. The longer and the more fervent our mental prayer, the more we shall like it, and we shall learn by our own experience the truth of the saying of the Royal Prophet: 'Taste and see that the Lord is sweet' (Ps. xxxiii. 9).
" Pope Benedict XIV grants to all the faithful making mental prayer devoutly for a whole month for half an hour, or at least a quarter of an hour every day, a plenary indulgence, if truly penitent, after confession and holy communion, they devoutly pray for the intentions of the Church. This indulgence is applicable to the souls in purgatory."
As to our petitions and resolutions, Father Girardey says:
"In mental prayer it is very profitable, and perhaps more useful than any other act, to address repeated petitions to God, asking with great humility and unbounded confidence for His graces — such as His light, resignation in adversity, patience, perseverance, etc., but, above all, for the inestimable gift of His holy love. 'By obtaining divine love,' says St. Francis of Sales, 'we obtain all graces'; 'For,' says St. Alphonsus, 'he who truly loves God with all his heart will, of himself, abstain from causing Him the least displeasure, and will strive to please Him to the best of his ability.' If we feel dry or despondent and unable to meditate or pray well, let us repeat many times as earnestly as possible: 'My Jesus, mercy!' 'Lord, for Thy mercy's sake, assist me!' 'My God, I love Thee!'
" Let us offer all our petitions for grace in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, ​and we shall surely obtain all that we ask. 'Mental prayer,' said a holy soul, 'is the breathing of the soul; as in corporal breathing the air is first inhaled and then exhaled, so in mental prayer the soul first receives light and other grades from God, and then by acts of self-offering and love, it gives itself wholly to Him.'
"Before concluding the meditation, we should make some specified good resolution, appropriate as far as possible to the subject of our meditation. This resolution should be directed to the shunning of some sin, of some occasion of sin, to the correction of some defect, or to the practice of some act of virtue during the day.
"The preparation of our meditation consists of (1) an act of faith in the presence of God, and of adoration; (2) an act of humility and of contrition, and (3) an act of petition for light. We should then recommend ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary by reciting a Hail Mary, and also to St. Joseph, to our Guardian Angel, and to our holy patrons. These acts should be brief but very earnest and fervent.
"The conclusion of our meditation consists of these three acts: (1) thanksgiving to God for the light He imparted to us; (2) purposing to fulfil our good resolutions at once; and (3) beseeching the eternal Father, for the love of Jesus and Mary, to grant us the grace and strength to put them into practice. Before finishing our meditation let us never omit to recommend to God the souls in purgatory and poor sinners. In concluding our mental prayer let us, after the advice of St. Francis of Sales, pick out a thought or an affection from our mental prayer in order to reflect on it or repeat it from time to time during the day.
Prayers for Meditation
FROM
Madame Cecilia's "Retreat Manual"
Preparatory Prayer
ACT OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE
MY GOD, I firmly believe that Thou art everywhere present and seest all things. Thou seest my nothingness, my inconstancy, my sinfulness. Thou seest me in all my actions; Thou seest me in this my meditation. I bow down before Thee, and worship Thy divine majesty with my whole being. Cleanse my heart from all vain, wicked, and distracting thoughts. Enlighten my understanding, and inflame my will, that I may pray with reverence, attention, and devotion.
PRAYER
O GOD, my Lord and my Creator, look graciously on Thy child, the work of Thy hands, and mercifully grant me the help of Thy grace, that all my intentions and acts during this meditation may be directed purely to the service and praise of Thy divine majesty,through Christ our Lord.
Offering of the Resolutions
MY GOD, I offer Thee these resolutions; unless Thou deignest to bless them, I can not be faithful to them. From Thy goodness, then, I hope to obtain this blessing which ​I ask of Thee in the name and through the merits of Jesus, my divine Saviour.
Holy Virgin, Mother of my God, who art also my Mother, my good angel, and my holy patron saint, obtain for me the grace to keep these resolutions with perfect fidelity.
Ejaculatory Prayers
IT WOULD be well if every breath could be a loving sigh, and every moment be filled with the thought of God. If this can not be, form a habit of recollecting yourself from time to time; the more frequently the better. Let the striking of the hour be a signal for recalling the presence of God. Accustom yourself to the easy and frequent use of ejaculatory prayers. We need but to love in order to pray and to sigh for God. These outpourings of the heart proceed from the Holy Spirit; they are a language of love readily understood by this God of love. We naturally think of what we love; hence we can not say we love God if we rarely or never think of Him.
"Aspire to God," says St. Francis of Sales, "with short but frequent outpourings of the heart.
"As those who are influenced by human and natural love have their minds and hearts constantly fixed on the objects of their affections; as they speak often in their praise, and when absent lose no opportunity of expressing by letters this affection for them, and can not even pass a tree without inscribing on the bark the name of their beloved; so those who are possessed of divine love have their minds and hearts constantly turned toward the divine object of ​their love; they are ever thinking of Him, they long after Him; they aspire to Him, and frequently speak of Him; and were it possible, would engrave in the hearts of all mankind the name of their beloved Jesus."
Make use of Short Indulgenced Prayers. Ejaculations approved by the Church are certainly most commendable.
St. Philip Neri says:
" It is an old custom with the servants of God always to have some little prayers ready and to be darting them up to heaven frequently during the day, lifting their minds to God out of the filth of this world. He who adopts this plan will get great fruit with little pains."
XLIII. A Place of Healing for Souls
1.THERE is a wondrous fountain of health — a marvelous place of healing for souls, which derives its efficacy from the precious blood of Jesus Christ; it is the sacrament of Penance. May you ever be filled in an increasing degree with veneration, and, I had almost said, with holy enthusiasm, for this place of healing for souls.
Picture to yourself a man who, having committed a grievous sin, knows nothing of the sacrament of Penance. He looks into himself, is conscious of the magnitude of his transgression, and the wretched state into which he has fallen. With sighs and groans he exclaims: "How happy I was, in the paradise of innocence! How pure was my soul, on which the heavenly Father's eye looked with pleasure I With what joy and confidence I prayed to Him! How ​peacefully my days passed, how I rejoiced in the house of my God, on the heart of my Saviour under the mantle of my dearest Mother Mary and how brightly there shone from heaven the crown of everlasting glory!
"But now everything is lost; my soul is as hideous as a moldering corpse I And I behold hell open, threatening each moment to swallow me up I Alas! who can help me, what deliverance is possible?"
2. If an angel from heaven were to appear to this wretched man and assure him that God was ready to pardon all his transgressions, and preserve him from hell, to receive him as His child and admit him to heaven, under this one condition — that he should truly and sincerely repent of his sins and penitently confess them to God's representative - with what joy, with what gratitude, would such a sinner hail the message, and do everything in his power to render himself a worthy recipient of this pardon! This gives you an idea of the pure and, at times, intense, exuberant delight which sincere penitents experience when they return from the confessional — the place of healing for souls.
3. On this point hear the testimony, not of a holy or specially favored soul, but of a soldier. Yes, it was a soldier, an officer, who had attended one of the sermons preached at a mission given in Paris by Father Brydaine, and then had made his confession to him. Afterward he followed him into the sacristy, and spoke thus before all the bystanders; "The king of France with all his treasures, and riches, and pleasures, can not be as happy and contented as I am now. Never in my whole life have I experienced such peace and contentment, such pure, such un​alloyed joy and satisfaction as I feel at this present moment."
4. My dear young friend, if you never, or but rarely, have felt such sensible consolation after you have been to confession, it is no sign that your confession was not a good one. If you have made it with all due seriousness and contrition, you may rest assured that God has forgiven your sins, and bestowed abundant graces upon you.
Thus the sacrament of Penance is, in very deed, the fountain of life, the medicine of salvation, the death of sin, the place of healing for souls, the beginning of all that is good. O blessed Penance, what marvelous changes does it effect! That which was lost is found again, that which was spoiled is made new again, that which was dead is restored to life.
All is won, all is saved, for the truly contrite soul, which through the power of this sacrament has regained the friendship of God, has become once more a child of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ of the kingdom of heaven.
Have you sinned as none else in the world have before you? Are you blacker than all other creatures in guilt?
O fear not! O fear not! the mother that bore you
Loves you less than the Saviour whose blood you have spilt!
O come, then, to Jesus, and say how you love Him,
And swear at His feet you will keep in His grace;
​For one tear that is shed by a sinner can move Him,
And your sins will drop off in His tender embrace.
Then come to His feet, and lay open your story Of suffering and sorrow, of guilt and of shame;
For the pardon of sin is the crown of His glory, And the joy of Our Lord to be true to His name.
— Oratory Hymns.
XLIV. Is Confession Difficult?
1.YOU, my young friend, may belong to the number of those who reply without a moment's hesitation in the affirmative to the question which stands at the head of this chapter. You perhaps consider confession to be a heavy burden. But listen to the opinion expressed on this subject by a famous French poet. I refer to Francis Coppee, whose varied talent is justly admired. He received a Christian education, and for some time subsequently to his first communion performed his religious duties with fervor. But after a few years the errors of youth, and his aversion to confess certain misdeeds, changed this pious frame of mind. Bad books, bad example, and evil associates did the rest, and caused him to become absolutely indifferent to religion.
But serious illness, which prostrated him for years on a bed of suffering, opened the ​eye of his soul and brought him to sincere conversion — to a truly Christian disposition He described this change in one of his own works entitled "La bonne souffrance," or "Happy Suffering." In it are details concerning confession, prayer, and suffering, which are truly sublime and admirable, evincing a depth of thought which could only be expected from an experienced writer on spiritual subjects. Especially to be admired is the subjoined eulogy of confession.
2. "Surprising and most wonderful," thus run his words, "is the mysterious power of the sacrament of Penance. In it alone does the tortured heart find the consolation which it has elsewhere sought in vain. The world would unreservedly acknowledge the tremendous significance of confession, did not "the grossest ignorance And darkest prejudice prevent a clearer insight into the matter.
"Unhappy man, who at every step you take sink deeper under the heavy burden which weighs upon your conscience, come hither, lay aside your false shame. Your apprehensions are groundless, you need not fear that the stranger whom you have chosen for your confidant will betray your dark secret. Speak, therefore, without reserve; confess your whole guilt to him.
"He will answer you with fatherly love, he will only speak of mercy and pardon. As a matter of course he will require you to make reparation for the wrong you have ​done. Should this be no longer possible, your compunction of heart and your honest confession will be sufficient for him. For your penance he will tell you to repeat certain short prayers, he will raise his hands and pronounce some brief formulas in Latin, You will then depart, freed from your guilt, and as happy as if you had already joined the angelic host."
3. Now tell me, do these words sound as if confession were a difficult matter, as if it were an intolerable load? On the contrary, the remarkable man who wrote these admirable lines regards it as a great happiness, a blessed privilege to be eagerly desired, that we are allowed to go to confession.
And so indeed it is. Confession only appears difficult to those who do not understand it at all, or whose knowledge is very limited. Therefore I will now proceed to give a few hints as to the right way to make your confession.
4. Before all things be careful not to make your confession in a mechanical and perfunctory manner. Do your very utmost to awaken a true and heartfelt contrition. That is the principal thing, even if you have only venial sins to confess. And it is not difficult to awaken this true contrition out of love to your crucified Redeemer, and with the assistance of divine grace, which at such times will never fail to come to your aid.
In regard to self-accusation, if it is a ques​tion of venial sins alone, do not make things out to be worse than they are in reality. But bear in mind that the value of any confession depends not so much on the completeness with which all little sins and slight imperfections are enumerated, but on the thoroughness of the contrition which is felt, and the strength of the determination to avoid in future both every mortal sin and also every besetting sin or fault to which you are addicted.
5. Especially observe the following rules: (a) Never make your confession in too vague a manner, without a definite statement. Do not confuse temptations and sinful inclinations with definite sins, (b) Do not accustom yourself to enter into details respecting the smallest imperfections, and at the same time perhaps to pass over certain bad habits and besetting sins. It is far more necessary to lay greater stress upon those faults to abstain from which the voice of God more especially warns you. (c) After your confession is finished, do not immediately return to your ordinary occupations, nor engage in distracting conversation. Rather let your mind dwell on your good resolutions, and be intent on thanking God from the bottom of your heart for the benefits He has conferred upon you.
Follow these rules and you will make a good confession, and confession will seem less difficult to you. Finally, go to confession regularly and frequently.
​Father Von Doss, in his admirable "Thoughts and Counsels for Young Men," says truly:
"To receive the sacraments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist only at Easter-time, is to reduce our Catholicity to a minimum, to hang on to the Church, 'as it were, by the last thread.
"The oftener we go to confession, the easier it becomes. The longer we stay away, the more difficult it is to discover our faults, the more awkward we become in this important business. God grant that this awkwardness and helplessness on the bed of death may not be followed by the most terrible consequences!
"Make the trial Go to confession often — at least once a month. You will see that it becomes easier with every repetition.
"O my God! I often grieve and lament in secret over the weakness and inconstancy of my heart! Miserable, almost despairing, I look down into the abyss, to whose verge my sinful passions have dragged me, and I regard myself as lost. I am so utterly the sport of the surging waves, that I fail to struggle against them.
"Vain lamentations! Cowardice! Folly! I can dam up the stream, and bring the waves to a standstill — not by a mere passive looking on, or wringing of my hands; not by an unmanly surrender of myself — but by a faithful employment of those means which He who has created me has placed before me.
"I can escape the abyss which threatens to engulf me — but it is only by repeatedly casting myself into Thy arms, O my God, and by clinging to Thee."
"A preservation from stumbling, and a help ​from falling: he raiseth up the soul, and en» lighteneth the eyes, and giveth health, and life, and blessing " (Ecclus. xxxiv. 20).
XIV. The Table of the Lord
1.THE watchword of these modern times is progress. For instance, no one works any longer by the light of a candle or of a feeble oil lamp; we employ gas or the electric light; no one journeys to Rome on foot, but travels by railway. Progress ought also to reign in the domain of piety and holiness, progress in the use of the means of grace and sanctification. This applies more especially to young people. For in these modern times occasions of sin are so very numerous, dangers to morality so extremely threatening, the attractions and amusements of the world so bewitching, bad examples so enticing, that a young man can hardly be expected to resist them, if he is unwilling to do more than what is absolutely required of him — if he fails to go to confession and to receive holy communion frequently during the year. Let progress be your motto in this respect — progress in the more frequent reception of the sacraments. Draw near therefore to the Table of the Lord, in order that you may obtain light to perceive what you ought to do and strength to do the right; grace to avoid sin, and courage to walk persistently in the way of virtue and perfection!
​2. But how often ought you to approach the Table of the Lord? In 1849 Peter Perboir, a missionary priest, met with a martyrs death in China for the sake of Christ Since the time when he made his first communion he had remained faithful to his resolution that he would receive this food of the soul, the Bread of Angels, every month, and on the chief feasts cf the Church. His devotion on these occasions was so striking, that he seemed to be an angel when he knelt at the altar rails. And it was from this frequent reception of holy communion that he gained strength to become a missionary, and die a martyr's death.
If you are not called to such things as these you nevertheless need strength from above, whatever state of life you may choose, in order to wage a relentless war against the world, the devil, and the concupiscence of your flesh. Seek it, as that saintly missionary did, in frequent communion — in daily, weekly, fortnightly, or at least monthly communion. Make it your fixed resolution to approach the Table of the Lord once at least in every month; or if this is not possible, not to postpone this sacred duty for more than six or eight weeks. If your circumstances are such that your confessor urges upon you to go to communion once a week, or once a fortnight, follow his wise direction with alacrity.
3. But many objections are brought for​ward against the frequent reception of the Eucharist. In the first place it is said that in earlier times people did not communicate frequently, and yet they saved their souls; why should not this custom still prevail?
I reply that, on ths contrary, in the first centuries of Christianity it was the universal custom for every one, including grown-up men, and youths also, to receive communion every day.
In the second place you may perhaps say that you are not pious enough to communicate so frequently. But remember that holy communion was instituted not so much for saints as for sinners, just as the physician is wanted not so much for those who are in health, as for the sick and the ailing.
4. A third objection which you bring forward is that if you go so frequently to communion you must pull a long face, and never indulge in merriment. Never be merry any more! My dear young friend, it is just the truly pious people, I mean all who seek to keep themselves constantly in a state of grace, who are the most cheerful persons in the world : God grant that your own experience may convince you that such is the truth. UA dear conscience is a soft pillow."
A fourth objection which you bring forward is that if you go to communion so frequently you will find nothing more to confess! So much the better; it is just that which ought ​to be the result of frequent communion. On the other hand, this will make you able to perceive even lesser failings, so that you will have more to confess than you formerly had.
5. A fifth objection you may make is that however often you go to confession and communion, you do not improve in the least! Now tell me how long have you observed the custom of daily or frequent communion? A whole year? Yes. And, of course, you always approached the Holy Table in the proper disposition - with a right intention. In that case, my friend, it is impossible that you can have remained the same, just as impossible as it would be for you to remain cold when sitting close to a blazing fire. Imperceptibly, perhaps, but nevertheless surely, you will make spiritual progress; you will grow in holiness by receiving daily or frequently in your soul the Most Holy God just as your body grows, though you do not observe it, when you take your meals daily. The Council of Trent calls the Eucharist "the Antidote whereby we are delivered from daily faults and preserved from deadly sins."
A sixth objection is thus expressed by you: "I do not like to go to confession." Well, then, go without liking it. No doubt all who go to confession have the same feeling; no one finds a natural pleasure in the act. But no one, for instance, only works just as much as he likes. And if people give themselves immense trouble and wear themselves out for the sake of earthly gain, ought not one to make the trifling exertion which is necessary in order to go frequently to communion for the sake ​of earthly gain, ought not one to make the trifling exertion which is necessary in order to go frequently to communion for the sake of one's immortal soul and one's eternal happiness? The best things in life are achieved through sacrifice and self-denial. And indeed we ought to be very grateful to God for the easy means He in His infinite mercy has given us through the sacrament of Penance to be reconciled to Him after our grievous and frequent lapses into sin.
6. Lay aside, therefore, your vain fears and specious pretexts, conquer your love of ease, and hasten, hasten frequently to the fountain of grace which flows forth in inexhaustible fullness from the sacred Heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Flesh of Christ, hail, sweet oblation,
Pledge and foretaste of salvation;
Let me forsake all earthly toys
And only long for heavenly joys.
Veni, Domine Jesu
O JESUS, hidden God, I cry to Thee;
O Jesus, hidden Light, I turn to Thee;
O Jesus, hidden Love, I run to Thee;
With all the strength I have I worship Thee:With all the love I have I cling to Thee;
With all my soul I long to be with Thee,
And fear no more to fail, or fall from Thee.
O Jesus, deathless Love, who seekest me,
Thou who didst die for longing love of me,
Thou King, in all Thy beauty, come to me,
White-robed, blood-sprinkled, Jesus, come to me,
And go no more, dear Lord, away from me.
O sweetest Jesus, bring me home to Thee;
Free me, O dearest God, from all but Thee,
And all the chains that keep me back from Thee
Call me, O thrilling Love, I follow Thee;
Thou art my All, and I love nought but Thee.
O hidden Love, who now art loving me;
O wounded Love, who once wast dead for me;
O patient Love, who weariest not of me O bear with me till I am lost in Thee;
O bear with me till I am found in Thee.
- Fr. Rawes.
Holy Communion
1.Frequent and daily communion, as a thing most earnestly desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church, should be open to all the faithful, of whatever rank and condition of life; so that no one who is in the state of grace, and who approaches the Holy Table with a right and devout intention, can lawfully be hindered therefrom.
2. A right intention consists in this: that he who approaches the Holy Table should do so, not out of routine, or vainglory, or human respect, but for the purpose of pleasing God, on being more closely united with Him by charity, and of seeking this divine remedy for his weaknesses and defects.
3. Although it is more expedient that those ​who communicate frequently or daily should be free from venial, sins, especially from such as are fully deliberate, and from any affection thereto, nevertheless it is sufficient that they be free from mortal sin, with the purpose of never sinning mortally in future; and, if they have this sincere purpose, it is impossible but that daily communicants should gradually emancipate themselves from even venial sins, and from all affection thereto.
4. But whereas the sacraments of the New Law, though they take effect ex opere operate, nevertheless produce a greater effect in proportion as the dispositions of the. recipient are better; therefore care is to be taken that holy communion be preceded by serious preparation, and followed by a suitable thanksgiving according to each one's strength, circumstances, and duties.
5. That the practice of frequent and daily communion may be carried out with greater prudence and more abundant merit, the confessor's advice should be asked. Confessors, however, are to be careful not to dissuade any one (ne quemquam avertant) from frequent and daily communion, provided that he is in a state of grace and approaches with a right intention.
If the world asks you why you communicate so often, say you do so in order to learn how to love God; to purify yourself from your imperfections, to deliver yourself from your miseries, to seek for consolations in your trials, and to strengthen yourself in your weakness.
- St. Francis or Sales.
This sacrament is the gift of gifts and the grace of graces. When the almighty and eternal God ​comes to us, with all the perfections of His thrice-holy humanity and His divinity, He surely does not come empty-handed. Provided that you have proved yourself, as the apostle enjoins, He remits your temporal punishment, strengthens you against temptation, weakens the power of your enemies, and increases your merits.
- St. Angela of Foligno.
The Eucharist heals the maladies of the soul. It strengthens it against temptation. It deadens the ardor of concupiscence. It incorporates us with Jesus Christ. - St. Cyril of Alexandria.
Do you wish to love God sincerely, ... to maintain in your heart the divine and eternal life of Jesus Christ? Communicate often and regularly. - De Segur.
One of the most admirable effects of holy communion is to preserve souls from falling, and to help those who fall from weakness to rise again; therefore it is much more profitable frequently to approach this divine sacrament with love, respect, and confidence than to keep back from an excess of fear and cowardice.
- St. Ignatius.
To communicate every day, and partake of the sacred body and blood of Christ is a most beautiful and profitable practice, for He has clearly said: " He who eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath everlasting life."
- St. Basil.
O .sacred banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of His passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory k given to us.
- St. Thomas, Office of the Blessed Sacrament
​The fruit we ought to derive from holy communion consists in being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. We must endeavor to render ourselves like Him throughout the whole course of our lives; to be as He was, chaste, meek, humble, patient, obedient. - Rodriguez.
The body of the Lord is eaten, and the blood the Lord is received in memory of Our Lord's obedience unto death, that they who live may live no longer to themselves, but to Him who died and rose again for them.
- St. Basil the Great.
XLVI. Truth Above All
1.This world is a place where truth and falsehood dwell side by side. In the beginning truth alone existed. But the devil, who in Paradise told the first lie, introduced lying into the world.
Truth is frequently compelled to retire into the secret chamber of an honest man's heart; but falsehood stalks proudly among men, haughtily raises its insolent head, triumphs, and diffuses on all sides its poisonous and diabolical doctrines. How stately is the tree of falsehood, how widespread are its branches, how inviting is their shade, how enticing are its fruits! Thoroughly does falsehood understand how everywhere to flatter, to make itself beloved, to win the favor of men.
2. You, dear reader, are still young and inexperienced, but has it not often struck ​you that a man who is proficient in the ark of deception, intrigue, flattery, and lying, and who, as is generally the case, possesses, in addition, a .ready tongue, can talk glibly, and make things go on all fours, that such a man gains his ends and gets his own way, while another who keeps to the truth, to the plain and unvarnished truth, very often comes off worst?
But do not allow yourself to be deceived by the success of false and untruthful men; whether it last for a longer or shorter period, let not its dazzling appearance blind you. For, indeed, lying may triumph and carry on its diabolical trade for a very long time, but it will not prosper forever; there will certainly come a time, be it sooner or later, when it will be shamefully exposed, and profoundly humiliated; it will be compelled itself to bear witness to the much hated truth.
3. Then away with all falsehood out of the heart, all deceitfulness from the tongue! Away with all the tricks, wiles, and artifices of the false world! Away with hypocrisy, flattery, cunning, duplicity, as all these children of hell are called I Take to your heart Truth, the gentle, lovable, but too often misjudged daughter of heaven, with all the ' charming virtues which follow in her train!
Yes, choose this daughter of heaven for your friend and constant companion throughout your life. Let her modesty, sweetness, and amiability inspire you and fill you with ​enthusiasm! Let your motto always be; Truth above all!
4. An honest, upright, straightforward man is a universal favorite. No one can tolerate a liar and a deceiver; he is despised and avoided. Even when he speaks the truth he is not believed.
How often one hears it said: "Such and such a one is not to be trusted; he is one mass of lies and falsehood." Would you like to have a character such as this? And the words of Holy Scripture are, and will remain true: "A lie is a foul blot in a man." Therefore truth above all I Avoid every kind of lie!
5. Nor allow yourself to be ever persuaded into any kind of dissimulation. Remember the aged Eleazar, who was urged to deny his faith by eating pork. "His friends desired that flesh might be brought which it was lawful for him to eat, that he might pretend that he had eaten, as the king had commanded." But the noble old man replied: "It doth not become our age to dissemble." Indeed it does not become the old man to dissemble, nor the young man either, nor even a child.
If a young man behaves in a friendly manner to any one's face, but in his heart hates and despises this person, and ridicules him in secret, he plays the part of a hypocrite. In a similar manner did Judas salute and kiss the divine Redeemer on the Mount of ​Olives, as if he were His closest friend, while by so doing he was guilty of shameful ingratitude and disgraceful treachery.
6. Truth above all I On this account never allow yourself to be persuaded to fawn upon and flatter any one. The temptation to flatter comes ready to hand when you have to do with people whose favor may be advantageous to you, and whose dislike on the contrary may prove injurious. Avoid extravagant praise of any one's qualities, and never pay compliments which you do not seriously mean. Adhere to the truth!
You may perhaps object and say: "These are evil times; it is not possible to get on without deceit and dissimulation!" But has God changed and altered His commands to please those who lie and cheat? Has He given permission to lie for the sake of gain? But all act in this manner! But if all really do lie and offend God, ought we for this reason to do the same?
No, hold fast this principle: Truth above all! and see that you carry it out. And if sometimes, or even frequently, you suffer defeat with your friend, Truth, and this pains and troubles you very much; yet in spite of all never separate yourself from this friend. Remain true to her both in life and in death, and certainly, as certainly as there is a God in heaven, you will conquer with her, and triumph over your enemies and her own.
​"Magna est Veritas et praevalebit!" "Truth is mighty and will prevail! "
XLVII. Be Faithful to our friends
1.There is a love which ought to fill your youthful heart, dear reader, that love which is higher, nobler, more sublime than all which earth can offer; that love which restores to the heart the paradise it has lost, that love which comes from heaven and leads to heaven, a pure, holy, unending love - in a word, that true and supreme love which the chosen soul feels for God, her creator, her redeemer, the only worthy object of an all-embracing, all-surpassing love.
For this love is the heart of man created, and this love ought to inflame your soul.
2. But be on your guard! For sooner or later, with more or less force, another love will awaken within your breast, a love which, it is true, is not essentially evil, but which is not so elevating, so noble, so holy, a mere earthly love, the love of creatures. You must be very careful that this love should also come from God, be in accordance with the will of God, and be firmly rooted in God.
This applies to the love of one's friends. Let it be real and elevating, and, above all ​faithful. The virtue of justice requires that you should be faithful to your friend.
3. But is it at all proper and desirable to entertain a friendship of this nature? There are not wanting those who assert that one ought not to cherish any particular friendship, or special affection and liking for any one in particular; that in this way the heart is too much engrossed, and the mind too much distracted. But I say that as long as you remain in the midst of an evil world, surrounded by its dangers, temptations, and attractions, it will be useful and profitable for you to maintain and cherish a true and real friendship.
Young people who are in the wide and dangerous world find themselves in a position similar to that of those who climb the treacherous ice-fields of lofty mountains. What steps do they take for mutual protection and rescue in case their lives should be in danger? They are roped together, in order that if one should make a false step, or if the ice should give way under his feet, the others may hold him up, and thus preserve him from death.
Your case will be the same. It will be easier for you to avoid dangers and save your soul if you are united to others in a pious friendship, which is pleasing to God and which is a source of mutual encouragement and support in the practice of virtue.
4. Certainly it is right to maintain a true friendship. We learn this from the example ​of the saints, and from that of the Holiest of the holy, Jesus Christ Himself. Hew deep and tender was His affection for St. John, His favorite apostle, and how He loved Lazarus and Mary and Martha of Bethania!
Moreover, history tells us that St. Peter loved St. Mark with deep affection, and that not less did St. Paul love St. Timothy. St Gregory of Nazianzen was united to St Basil in the closest bonds of friendship, also St. Augustine with St. Ambrose, and so on.
But never, in all the records of friendship, can history point to one which equals in faithfulness and unselfish devotion that of Jonathan, the son of Saul. Jonathan knew that David had been chosen by God to inherit the scepter of Saul, and yet he remained absolutely free from jealousy, and even defended his friend with heroic zeal against the hatred of his own father. Beautiful, truly sublime are the vows which they exchanged; tender and true, beyond death and the grave, was the love which they showed to one another.
5. Therefore, do you also seek to find a friend, but seek him among your equals, among young men of your own age, and only one who is likely to encourage, and not to hinder you in the practice of virtue. And if you have found such a friend, give thanks o God, and remain faithful to this friend, alike in prosperity and in adversity.
Remain faithful to him as did a certain young artist who wrote to his friend, a famous ​painter, as follows: "You, as an angel of strength and consolation, have interposed between myself and my passions; when you are near me I feel better and calmer, and as long as you are with me the influences which drag us all down to earth have no power over me. Your gentle restraint and warm encouragement, which I shall never forget, always exerted a most beneficial effect upon me, shedding a ray of pure light upon my soul and dispelling the heavy clouds which darkened my mind."
6. How good a thing it is to love, while still on earth, as the blessed do in heaven; while yet in this world to hold one another dear and precious, in the same way as we shall hold each other dear and precious when we get to heaven.
-Remember the beautiful words of Holy Scripture: "Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness of his fidelity. A faithful friend is the medicine of life and immortality, and they that fear the Lord shall find him" (Ecclus. vi. 15, 16). Do you therefore fear the Lord, so that you may find a faithful friend And such a friend is portrayed in the following lines .
A friend who with affection true
Holds up a mirror to your view,
Shows your conduct, scruples not
To point out ever flaw and blot;
Who chides you when you go astray
Diverging from the narrow way,
Counsels, exhorts, a friend indeed
Is he, the very friend you need.
XLVII. To every One his own
1.Cuique suum!" "To every one his own!" is an ancient maxim of justice. But in the present day it appears to become more and more antiquated and disregarded, and this is one of the principal causes of the deplorable social conditions of modern times.
Some years ago, a very important lawsuit was instituted in Vienna against one of the most prominent financiers. He was accused of embezzlement on a large scale. Counsel for the defendant brought forward, in order to excuse him, the saying that "a man in business nowadays can not afford to be scrupulous, if he aims to make a large fortune," or one can not build a great system of railways with the moral law. In plain and intelligible language this is the same as saying: "In undertakings where it is a question of making money, one must not be too particular. The Ten Commandments have nothing to do with the matter, nor the eternal and immutable laws of right and wrong; against deception, embezzlement, and robbery, they must all be suspended. Away with the antiquated saying: "To every one his own." This is nowadays the rule of conduct in regard to commercial transactions for very many individuals, both on a small and an extensive scale. But to the number of these persons, you, dear reader, must not in any case belong, but you will at all times uphold the first principle of Christian justice: "Cuique suum": "To every one his own!"
2. Therefore it is a matter of course that you should before all things, and under all circumstances, remain absolutely faithful to this principle: never in any position of life to appropriate the smallest sum which does not justly belong to you - not a nickel, not even a ​cent.
Certainly the most indispensable thing for a young man, if he is to prosper in the world, is that it can be said of him with truth: "He is absolutely honest: thoroughly upright and trustworthy." Remember the proverbs:
"Unjust gain will bring you pain!"
"No legacy so rich as honesty!"
" Better disaster than dishonor - His shorter lived!"
"We are bound to be honest, but not bound to be rich."
"Let Falsehood laugh! Honesty has a heaven all its own."
"Who is the honest man?
He that doth still and strongly good pursue,
To God, his neighbor, and himself most true;
Whom neither force nor fawning can
Unpin, or wrench from giving all their due."
- Herbert.
Therefore:
Give to every one his due
Unto death be honest and true!
3. Furthermore, it is your duty as a Christian, according to the measure of your age and position, to oppose the hostile division which at the present time eats ever more and more into the ​heart of human society. Selfishness and unjust exploiting of the poorer classes by the rich and highly placed on the one side, and discontent, hatred, and envy on the other side, namely that of the poor, have brought about this division of society into two hostile camps.
But nothing is so opposed to the spirit of Christianity as this division. The Redeemer desired to break down that wall of separation, and to unite all nations and all classes, as children of the same Father, in one great family of God. He did not remove the differences of nations, stations, and classes. But the difference was to resemble that which exists between the harmonious members of one and the same body, not a separation of hostile elements.
4. Then again, you ought to look without envy at the greater prosperity of others. If you Are animated by true Christian faith, this will not appear so difficult to you. Behold Christ Himself! He as Our Lord might have chosen riches, honor, and pleasures to any extent whatever, and mark it well, he could have done this without casting a shadow of sin upon His earthly career - vet He preferred to choose for Himself poverty, contempt, and suffering.
If Our Lord viewed things in this light, every Christian, and you also, as a Christian, must do the same. If Christ said: "Woe to you that are rich," that is to say, woe to those whose hearts cling to riches, then ought the man who does not belong to the upper ten thousand, but earns his bread by means of his toil, look rather with thankfulness to God, than with envy and dislike at the classes which are more liberally endowed with the goods of this world. This signifies nothing else except to practise, even in ​thought, the principle: "To every one his own," and the precept of brotherly love.
5. Truly, my friend, if you are obliged to pass your days in strenuous toil, in straitened circumstances, your rebel nature may incite you to discontent, to envy and covetousness. But beware of yielding to this temptation.
For envy and discontent gradually deprive those who indulge in them of the grace of God, and render them unable to enjoy such harmless pleasures as may come in their way. Discontent and covetousness embitter all enjoyment.
But, as I just said, if you are indeed animated by true Christian faith, this envy will be unable to find place in your heart. It may indeed knock at the door, but it can not enter and gain a firm footing there. The shield of faith, the helmet of hope, the breastplate of justice, will ward off these poisonous darts, so that they may not be able to inflict a mortal wound upon the heart.
Be content to play an insignificant part on this world's stage, and by your uprightness and honesty to secure for yourself one day an imperishable reward in heaven. Do not grudge to others a part which is frequently the occasion of eternal perdition. Let every one have his own, give to every one his due, and God will be your reward.
Friend, be upright, honest, true
Give to every one his due;
Happiness can not be gained
By what is wrongfully obtained
* ↑ Devout Reflections on Various Subjects, translated from the Italian by P. Edmund Vaughan C.SS.R.
* ↑ Extract from the Pontifical Decree on Daily Communion. - Pius X, 1905.