The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-21

lance, writes Reverend ]. Havens
Richards, S. j., in the Los Angeles
Tidings. If every Catholic could be
induced to make serious Retreat
once year the world would soon be
peopled with saints. We must under
stand clearly, however, what is meant
by Retreat. The word is often ap-
piled to a series of sermons, given to
large gatherings of people once or
twice a day during the space of "a
week, or less, concluding with Comics
sion and Communion-a kind of mi
nor mission. But such exercises,
though excellent in themselves and
commemorate for those whose engage
ments do not allow them to restire
from the turmoil of the world, even
for a short period, are improperly
classed as Retreats.
The word Retreat" suggests pri-
marily running away from conflict,
retiring from the field Of activity.
And, in fact, Spiritual Retreat does
include as it's first necessary element
retirement from the world, recol
lection of spirit, shutting oneself off
from material cares, anxieties and
pleasures, that the soul may be alone
with God.
The advantages of such a period of
retirement and solitude are obvious.
The mental faculties, freed from out
ward distractions, act more vigorous
ly and with greater concentration. Re
Election and meditation are far easier.
The eyes of the mind, being freed
from the dust and mist of the worlds
atmosphere, see eternal principles
more clearly. The reason draws the
necessary differences more certainly.
The appetitive faculties, too, the will
with it's counterparts in the sensible
organism, the feelings and emotions,
being withdrawn from the allurements
of sense and the objects of passion,
are free to attach themselves more
firmly to God and to make, with calm
ness and strength, unalterable resolu-
tions for the guidance of future con-
duct, for resisting temptations and
practising exalted virtue.
The need of such retirement is felt
very deeply, at least at times, by every
soul that is not infatuated with the
life of sin or sense. In ancient times,
Paul and Anthony and Marcarius and
Pacomius and thousands of men of like
mind, fed from the corruptions of the
Roman Empire to the desert. Vast
monasteries gradually grew up and
multitudes of monks and hermits peo-
pied new empire, true City of God,
in the wilderness. In our own day, as
the license of public manners in
creases and the poison of immortality
of all kinds becomes more universal
and deadly, we may expect a CORE
spending reaction. Men will fee in
increasing numbers from the danger
Gus and sickening horrors of pagan
and putrescent society. A great ex-
pansion of the monastic life will prob
ably result. The deserts of Arizona
may be made to blossom like the rose
and the mountain peaks of the Rock
les and the Sierra Nevada may send
up unceasing incense of prayer and
sacrifice from countless affairs and
monasteries.
But to those who cannot thus break
entirely with the world and conse-
crate their lives wholly and directly
to God and spiritual occupations, a
temporary retirement, such as is Of
fered by Retreat, will be an immense
relief and renewal of spiritual
strength.
Thus far we have considered only
the negative side of Retreat, the
separation from the world. This is
really the least of it's elements. A
true Retreat must be a period of in
tense activity. 1t is in one sense an
attack rather than a running away.
The soul must be instructed and prac-
tised for it's spiritual warfare, as sol
diers are drilled for the battle and ath-
letes for the contest. 1t must even
actually engage in the systematic con-
fiict with the flesh and the devil, as
regiments are sometimes exercised in
actual engagements with the enemy,
under the eye of their commander as
matter of training.
For this purpose an admirable set
of tactics has been drawn up by the
soldier Saint, Ignatius Loyola, and is
in general use. The Spiritual Exer-
cises composed by him in the cave at
Manresa consist of subjects and meth
DDS of meditation, contemplation, and
other forms of mental prayer, with in
structions for examination of con-
science, both general and particular,
for discovering and dominating ones
predominant passion, for arriving at a
wise decision in regard to a state of
life, or any other important affair, for
reformation and due ordering of ones
life, ETC., etc. In short, they are a
compendium of the spiritual life, ar
ranged in the most logical order. The
chief truths of the Christian religion
are developed with such philosophical
clearness and power that they take
complete possession of the soul and
mould it into the form of Christ
The Exercises cover so completely
the field of asceticism that they are
adapted to take a soul in the lowest
condition of grievous sin and lead it
through the various stages of repen-
lance and purgation, illumination and
instruction, to the highest degree of
self-renunciation and union with God
in ardent love, this love to be exer-