Salesian Literature

Vol. 2, CONFERENCE 5 : The spirit of the rules

 

You ask me to speak on a very difficult subject: What is the Spirit of your rules and How can you acquire it?  - before speaking to you – about the spirit, we must have a clear idea of what it means to have the spirit of the Rules; for we hear people usually saying: Such a Religious has the true spirit of his Rule.

     

An Austere Spirit

A Gentle Spirit

A Spirit Common to the Religious Congregations

A Particular Spirit

Loss of the Spirit

The aim

The Evangelical Counsels

The aim and Spirit of the Visitation Order

Peculiarities in Community

Perfect Observance

Perfect Conformity with the Community

Simplicity, Perfection of Perfections

You are Free

Following the Mass

Goal of the Rules

Models of conformity to the Community

Exceptions

Presentation in the Temple 

 

     

An Austere Spirit

We shall take two appropriate examples from the Gospel – which will help us to understand this.  It is said of John the Baptist that he came filled with the Spirit and the power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17).  So, he was stern and harsh with sinners, calling them a Brood of Vipers (Mt. 3:7).  But what was this power of Elijah?  It was the strength which burst forth from Elijah’s heart to punish and destroy sinners making fire fall from heaven to confuse, and ruin all those who dared to resist the majesty of his Master (2 Kings 1).  What Elijah had was an austere spirit.

 

 

A Gentle Spirit

The other example we find in the Gospel (Lk. 9:51-56) to illustrate this point, is the one about Our Lord’s journey to Jerusalem.  His disciples began to discourage him from doing so, because some of them were interested in going to Capernaum, and others to Bethany.  Thus they wanted to take Our Lord to the place where they themselves wanted to God.  certainly, it is not since yesterday that inferiors wish to lead their Superiors according to their wish.  However, Our Lord, who very easily complies with the wishes of others, Set his face Resolutely (Lk. 9: 51-56) (the Evangelist uses these same words) to go to Jerusalem.  While making way to Jerusalem, he decided to pass through a town in Samaria.  But the Samaritans would not allow him to do so.  It is then, that James and John were seized with zeal or anger (often zeal is taken to mean anger, and anger, zeal).  We should not be surprised at their reaction. They were not yet confirmed in grace.  They were furious against the Samaritans because of their refusal to welcome their Master and they said to him: Lord, May we call down fire from Heaven to burn them up and punish them for their insult to you?  But Our Lord answered them: “You do not know what spirit you are,” meaning: Do you not know that we are not living now in the times of Elijah.

 

He possessed an austere spirit.  He was a very great servant of God and he did well in doing what you wish to do. You, however, would not do well to imitate him in this spirit, since I have not come to condemn and punish sinners, but to pour out upon them perfumes, and thus by these sweet scents to attract them to repentance and then to follow me (Lk. 5:32).

 

This, then, is what is meant by a particular spirit.  It was necessary to give some examples from outside to explain it more clearly.  We have taken examples which are external to us.  Subsequently we shall come to what touches us personally.

 

All Religious Orders and pious Associations have a spirit which is common to them, and each one has a spirit which is particular to it.

 

 

A Spirit Common to the Religious Congregations

The spirit that is COMMON consists of the purpose or goal of seeking after the perfection of charity: this has been determined and held as something essential to all Religious Life even by the Council.  The PARTICULAR spirit, however, consists of the means that are followed to arrive at the perfection of charity, that is, at the union of our hearts with God and our neighbour for the love of God.  We arrive at this union with God through the union of our will with God’s will, and with our neighbour through gentleness, a virtue, which flows directly from charity.

 

 

A Particular Spirit

Let us, now, - come to the consideration of this PARTICULAR spirit: it is very different for different religious Congregations:

 

a)     Particular Spirit of the Carthusians

The Carthusians have a spirit which is quite different from the spirit of the Jesuits, and the spirit of the Capuchins is very different from the spirit of these two.  The spirit of the Carthusians is to be found in the means they follow to arrive a the union with God and neighbour according to the common purpose; but their particular goal is to unite themselves to God through contemplation.  To attain it, they embrace a life of solitude; they speak as little as possible with people and not even with one another except on certain days during the week.  They also unite themselves with their neighbour through prayer by praying for them.

 

b)     Particular Spirit of the Jesuits

On the contrary, the particular spirit of the Jesuits is also union of heart with God and neighbour; but the means they use is action through spiritual.  They unite themselves to God, but they do so by drawing their neighbour to God through studies, preaching, confessions, conferences and other spiritual activities.  To relate themselves more easily with their neighbour they keep in touch with people, do not wear a very different or austere habit. They, too, seek union with God through prayer but nevertheless their main purpose is the pursuit of the conversion of souls and their reunion with God.

 

c)      Particular Spirit of the Capuchins

The Capuchins have an austere and strict spirit. To describe well their particular spirit we may say that it is a spirit of utter contempt of all external things of the world, its vanities and its sensualities.  I deliberately use the word “external things,” because all the Religious have or should have this same interior attitude.  The Capuchins endeavour, through their example, to hold all worldly things in disdain.  This purpose is served by the poor quality of their religious habit.  By means of this, they convert men and women to God.  Thus they unite themselves with the divine majesty and also with their neighbour for the love of God.  this austere spirit is the characteristic mark of the Capuchins, as regards their external conduct.

 

 

Loss of the Spirit

It is such that if a Capuchin were to be somewhat ostentatious in his manner of dressing and to look for a little more refined treatment than others, however little that might be, people would say immediately that he is lacking in the spirit of Saint Francis.

 

It is the same if a Carthusian takes even a little pleasure in talking with his neighbour, however honest may be his intention, even for the conversion of his neighbour, he instantly loses the Spirit of his Order.  The same is true of a Jesuit, if he retires into solitude and devotes himself to contemplation like the Carthusians.  The Jesuits may do that, during the time set aside for their spiritual exercises taking into consideration the particular needs of individual persons. This is left to the discretion of the Superiors.

 

 

The aim

It is, therefore, very necessary to know what is the particular spirit of each religious congregation or each Pious Association.  To understand it better, we must take into consideration the purpose for which each Congregation was founded and about the various means chosen to attain this goal.  There is, then, the spirit which is common to all Religious Congregations as I have said before.  But I am speaking to you mainly about the particular spirit.  We should have such a great love for this spirit that we should wholeheartedly accept all the means suitable to arrive at this goal.

 

Do you know what it is to love the purpose of our Institute?  It is to be strict in following the means to reach this goal, that is, our Rules and Constitutions.  We have to be diligent in doing all that they impose on us and help us to keep them most perfectly.  This is to have the spirit of our Congregation.  But you should understand that this strict and careful observance should be practised in all simplicity of heart; what I mean is, you are not to over-step the limits desiring to do more than what is demanded of you by the Rules.  For it is not through the multiplicity of things that we do that we arrive at perfection, but rather through the perfection and the purity of intention with which we do them.

 

We ought, then, to know the aim of our Institute and the intention of the Founder.  We pause to reflect on the means chosen to respond to it.

 

As regards the aim of our Institute, we should not look for it in the minds of the three sisters who started it, any more than the Jesuits should seek it in the original plan of Saint Ignatius.  For he never thought of doing less than what he did afterwards.  The same is true of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominic and all those who founded religious Orders.  It belongs to God alone to form these pious societies.  He made them successful in the manner we see they are today.  We should never think, and still less believe which is not true also that it is men who by their discoveries started this way of life so perfect as that of Religious Societies.  It is God who has inspired the composition of the Rules which are the appropriate means of arriving at this common goal of all religious, which is union with God and also with our neighbour out of love for God.

 

 

The Evangelical Counsels

Each Religious Congregation has its won particular aim as well as its special means of arriving at this union with God.  The common means for all to unite themselves to God are the Vows.  Everybody knows that the riches and good of the world are powerful allurements and that they dissipate the heart, as much because of the inordinate attachment the heart bears for them, as through the care needed to preserve and also to increase them.  Man, never has enough to satiate his desires.  The Religious, then, put a stop to all this, by their vow of POVERTY.  They do the same to the body and its sensualities and pleasures both lawful and unlawful, by their vow of CHASTITY, which is the choice means of intimate union with God.  The reason being that these sensual pleasures slow down and greatly weaken the vigour of the spirit, dissipate the heart and the love we ought to have for God alone.  By this vow, we give our love to God totally, not being satisfied with going out of the clay of renouncing this world but still more going out of the clay of ourselves by renouncing all sensual pleasures of the body.

 

We enter into a more perfect and deeper union with God through the vow of OBEDIENCE.  Through this vow, we consecrate our whole spirit with all its energies, its desires and its love in order to subdue and subject them not only to the will of God, but also to that of our Superiors.  We should always believe that the will of our Superiors is the same as God’s will for us.  And this is a very great renunciation, due to the unceasing creation of self-wills which our self-love produces.  Being thus totally freed from all things we withdraw ourselves into the deeper recesses of our heart, so as to unite ourselves entirely and perfectly to His Divine Majesty.

 

 

The Aim and Spirit of the Visitation Order

We must pay attention to the purpose for which the Congregation of the Visitation was founded.  This is very well expressed at the beginning of your Rules.  The knowledge of the aim of the Congregation will make it quite easy for you to grasp the particular spirit of the Visitation.  I have always considered it as a spirit of profound humility towards go and gentleness towards our neighbour.  Since we treat the body with less severity we ought to have a greater gentleness of heart.  All the ancient Fathers have declared that, where rigorous bodily mortifications are lacking, there should be a correspondingly greater perfection of the spirit.  Therefore, humility towards God and gentleness towards our neighbour should take the place, in this House, of the austerities of the Carmelites, or of the Sisters of Saint Clare, or of the Carthusians and others.  All these austerities are in themselves good and are means of perfection.  All the same, they would not be good for our religious in this House, because they would go against the purpose of our Rules.

 

The spirit of gentleness is the distinguishing characteristic of the Visitation to such an extent, that whoever attempts to introduce austerities such as more fasting, discipline, hairshirts which are now not there, would immediately destroy the Visitation.  It would go against the very aim for which it was founded.  This purpose is to receive girls of delicate health.  They are not strong enough physically to embrace a life of union with God in the Congregations which practise austerities, or they are not attracted to such a life.  The same is true of the Capuchins, if they despise, cast away their original spirit, by setting aside the practice of rigorous poverty which Saint Francis professed.  Even in the adornment of their churches they do not want anything superfluous, not even silk ornaments.  If it happens that they receive some of these superfluities in their convents, people would say that they have lost the spirit of their Order.

 

 

Peculiarities in Community

But you ask: Why cannot a sister who has a strong constitution practise more austerities than others so long as the others do not know anything about it?

 

My answer to it is: There is no secret at all which is not secretly passed on from one to another.  Gradually we being to have particular forms of religious life within our Religious Life and then small cliques, finally everything disintegrates.

 

Blessed Mother Teresa gives us an admirable exhortation about the harm caused by these little personal undertakings, in wanting to do more than what is prescribed by the Rule and more than what is done by the community.  The harm caused thereby will be much greater if the Superior herself does it.  For says the saint, as soon as the other Sisters notice it, they also want to do at once like her.  They will not fail to find reasons to convince themselves that they are doing well.  Some of them are urged by zeal, others by a desire to please the Superior.  All this becomes a temptation for those who are not able to or do not wish to do the same.

 

My God, we should never tolerate these particularities in Religious Life.

 

All the same, we make some exceptions, in case of some necessity.  A Sister, for instance, could be beset with worries or temptations. Then it would not be something unusual to ask her Superior for permission to do some little extra penance than others.  We must have the same spirit of simplicity as those who are ill who ask for some medicines which they feel are good to relieve pain.  Suppose, one of the Sisters is so generous and courageous that she wants to reach perfection in a quarter of an hour by performing more than the community, I would advise her to humble herself.  Let her submit herself and wish to reach perfection only in three days following her community.  Some Sisters are strong and healthy. Very well! Nonetheless they should not desire to go faster than others who are weak.

 

Here is an admirable and appropriate example taken from the life of Jacob (Gen. 33:1-14).  It shows, how we are to adjust ourselves to the weak and restrain our energy in order to keep pace with them.  We have to do this especially when we have the obligation, like all Religious, to follow the community in all that pertains to the perfect observance of the Rules.  Jacob, then, left the house of his father-in-law, Laban, and set out with all his wives, children, servants and herds to return home.  He was mortally afraid of meeting his brother Esau thinking that he was still angry with him.  This, however, was no longer true.  While on his way, he did indeed meet Esau.  Poor Jacob was terrified at seeing him, especially since Esau was accompanied by a big troop of soldiers.  When Jacob, however, greeted him, he found him extremely gentle.  Esau said to Jacob: My Brother, now that we have met, let us set out and finish the journey together.  To this invitation, the good Jacob replied: My Lord and my brother (he used the term My Lord because Esau was his elder brother) sorry, we cannot do so since I have my children with me and their small steps will try your patience.  As for me, I am bound to walk at their pace and I make my servants to do the same.  It is not long since my sheep have lambed.  The little lambs being so tender are not able to go so fast.  We have to adjust ourselves to them also.  All this will cause you too much delay.

 

Consider the kindness of this holy Patriarch; I have always loved him and now I wish to love him more than ever before, because of this example of good-naturedness.  He keeps pace not only with his children, but also with his little lambs.  He was on foot, for he never went on horseback.  This journey turned out to be a happy one for him, as it is evident from the many blessings he received from God all along his path; for he saw and spoke several times with Angels and at the end with the Lord of angels and men.  Finally, he fared much better than his brother Esau who was so well flanked by his troops of soldiers, all of whom kept pace with him.

 

 

Perfect Observance

Let us strictly and punctually keep our rules in the simplicity of heart if we wish that our journey be blessed by God.  we are not to double the spiritual exercises which will go against the intention of the Founder and the purpose for which the Congregation was established.  We willingly adjust to the weak who may be accepted in it.  I guarantee you that you will not be delayed in reaching perfection for doing this.  On the contrary, this gesture itself will lead you to perfection sooner because we do not have much to do.  So we will exert ourselves to do what we have to do with the greatest perfection.  It is this which makes our actions more pleasing to God, since God does not bother about the multiplicity of the tasks we perform out of love for him.  He looks only at the fervour of the love with which we do them.  I find, if I am not mistaken, that if we are determined to observe our Rules perfectly well, we shall have enough to do without burdening ourselves more so since the whole perfection is found in it.

 

Blessed Mother Teresa said that her Sisters were so strict in obeying that he Superiors had to be extremely careful to say nothing which was not very good to do.  For they were inclined to do it at once without any further request.  To keep the Rules most perfectly, they were punctual as regards the least detail of obedience.  She tells us that, once, one of her Sisters did not hear well what her Superior told her.  She said to the Superior that she didn’t hear that well.  At this, the Superior who was rather fanciful (for it is not astonishing that there are some of this type) told her: “Go and put you head in a well and you will hear.”  The Sister was prompt to go that if they had not stopped her, she would have gone to cast herself into a well.  It is, no doubt, easier to observe the Rules than to observe them only partly.  For example: The Rule tells us that we should not talk at all at certain times.  It is much easier to abstain from speaking completely, than if there were certain exceptions.  You would then not only have to care to keep silence, but also to talk when you are exempted from silence.  Charity, however, tells us when we may speak without breaking the rule of silence.

 

I cannot insist enough on how important this aspect is, namely, to be attentive to the smallest details which helps us to keep the Rules with the utmost perfection even thought hey deal with the smallest ceremonies.  Similarly we are not to desire to undertake more [than what is commanded] whatever may be the reason.  For this is the means of preserving Religious Life in its integrity and in all its first fervour.  What is contrary to this makes it fall from its original perfection and destroys it.  Do you know, what keeps the Jesuits faithful to the perfection of their society?  It is nothing else but the firmness with which they receive all kinds of obedience without any question.

 

 

Perfect Conformity with the Community

You ask me whether there would be greater perfection in conforming oneself to the community so well that one does not even ask for permission to receive communion on special occasions!

 

Who can doubt about it, my dear Sisters, that there is no greater perfection. However, some cases like the feast of our Patron Saint, or a Saint to whom we had a devotion throughout our life or some very urgent necessities are exempted.  Sometimes small feelings of devotion arise in us.  These are passing emotions and usually caused by our temperament which makes us desire communion.  We should not pay any heed at all to them not any more than sailors pay little attention to the small wind which sometimes blows in the small hours of the morning.  This wind is produced by the vapours which rise up from the earth and so it does not last for long, but stops blowing as soon as the vapours rise and are scattered away.  The captain of the ship who knows this wind well, does not at all cry out “wind,” nor does he unfurl the sails to follow the direction of this wind, which only comes from the earth.  So too, with us.  We should not consider everything as a favourable wind, that is, as inspirations: Such are so many little desires which stir within us, to ask for permission now to receive holy communion, now to go for prayer and soon after something else.  For our self-love, which always seeks its own self-satisfaction, is very pleased with all these, especially, its little initiatives.  It will not cease to supply always original ideas.  Today when the whole community goes for communion, this self-love will suggest to you to seek permission to abstain from it out of humility because it is the feast of a certain Saint, who made very earnest preparation to receive the most Holy Sacrament; you are so unprepared and it is not reasonable that you receive it; and similar feelings. When the time for making oneself humble arrives, it will convince you to rejoice and ask for permission to receive Holy Communion for this purpose.  Thus there will never be an end.

 

We should not take any suggestions as inspirations which come from outside the Rules.  Nevertheless in matters very special the perseverance of the inspiration may make us doubt that it is the will of God.

 

In the case of two or three great Saints [women], it was found verified as regards communion.  God willed that they receive Holy Communion every day.

 

The Carthusians would consider it a great temptation to desire to be at the service of the salvation of the people of God by means of preaching.  It would be meaningless for any of them to think that he would render a great service to God by wanting to go out of the Monastery, under the pretext that, apart from the Superior, nobody else would know about it, to preach in some village.  He may imagine that he would bear much fruit and increase God’s glory through the salvation brought to these people.  Even he may be very able; he may find an excuse in not hiding the talent God had given him for preaching.  In spite of all his intentions being very good and pious, the act itself is not good in its carrying out.  It is so especially because it would go against their tradition and the normal life-style of their community.

 

I think that it is a great act of perfection to conform oneself in all things to the life of the community, and never stray from it of our own choice.  Besides it is an excellent way of uniting ourselves with our neighbour.  Moreover, it hides our own perfection from ourselves.

 

 

Simplicity, Perfection of Perfections

There is a certain simplicity of heart in which lies the perfection of all perfections.  This simplicity makes our heart see only God.  It keeps itself wholly concentrated in the depths of the inner being in order to apply itself with all faithfulness and perfection that is possible to the observance of the Rule.  It does not give vent to any desire or wish to undertake anything more than that.  Such simplicity does not seek to do excellent or extraordinary things which could win the esteem of creatures.  Thus it keeps itself very humble in itself. It does not experience great contentments.  For by doing nothing from its own will, nothing more than others and the whole community, it appears as if it is doing nothing.  Thus all its holiness is hidden from its eyes: God alone sees it.  He takes delight in this simplicity which enchants his heart (Song 4:9) by becoming one with Him.  This person does not have much satisfaction in what she does, the more so as she rejects immediately all the inventions of her self-love.  Self-love takes supreme delight in undertaking great and excellent things.  In this way it makes us to esteem ourselves over and above others.  A simple person enjoys, nonetheless, a great peace and serenity of heart.

 

We should never think or believe that by doing nothing more than others and by only following the community, we will gain less merit.  That is not true at all.  we do not become perfect nor more pleasing to God merely by performing a great number of exercises, acts of penance, austerities, but only by the sincerity of the love with which we perform them.  Perfection is not found in austerities, even though they are great means of arriving at perfection.  They are in themselves good an commendable.  Nevertheless for us, they are not good because our Rules do not prescribe them.  They are not in tune with the spirit of our Rules.  For us, the greatest perfection is to be found in keeping up a simple practice of our Rules and in following the way of life of our community.  I guarantee you, that the sister who keeps herself within these limits, will cover a great distance in a very short time.  She will contribute greatly to the well-being of the Sisters by her good example.

 

I had an experience of this in my contacts with two generals of the Carthusians.  One of them is still living, the other is dead.  I met the latter in Paris when I was there.  He was very austere and ordinarily ate only bread and drank only water.  The former, on the other hand, who is still alive, has not got any peculiarities.  He does only what their community does.  Both are very great servants of God but I have been told that this one [the one who is still living] is greatly loved and appreciated by his Brethren, and not the other.  His example of kindness and conformity edifies them more than the rigour of the other towards himself.  If we are to row in a boat we have to follow a certain rhythm.  Those rowing in the sea are not beaten for rowing in a rather lazy manner but certainly, if they do not row together to the same rhythm.  In the same way, we should endeavour to bring up and form all our Novices equally well, doing the same things, so that we row together in the right way.  If all do not do it with great perfection, we would not know what to do about it.

 

 

You are Free

You tell me now that you spend a little extra time in the choir than the others on feast days out of a spirit of mortification.  After all everybody has already spent two or three hours at a stretch there.

 

I shall answer to this by saying that it is not a general rule that we should do everything for which we have a repulsion nor that we should abstain from doing something for which we feel a certain liking. If a Sister has the inclination to say the Office, she should not leave saying it under the pretext of mortifying herself.  After all, we are free to make use of the time left to us, on feast days; we may make use of it to practise any devotion we like.  You have to admit, however, that after spending 3 hours and even more in choir along with the Community, the quarter of an hour that you want to spend there, over and above, would be a crumb you are offering to your self-love.  It is true that unable as you are to make it dies, you have to give it some little thing.

 

 

Following the Mass

You want to know now whether you would do better to go along with community following the Mass by reciting the Rosary than by making some other kind of prayer during the time of the Mass.

 

Apart from the good that you do in subjecting yourself to assist at Mass like others, since everything should be done in a uniform manner in the Visitation, you will also follow the advice given by Saint Bernard.  He says that in common prayers in the community we must join our attention to the intention for which the Community prays.  He was asked if it was better for us to understand the meaning of what we recite at Office, or to pay attention simply to God, or at least to follow the meaning of the words we utter.  He replied that he preferred that we try to grasp the meaning of what we say, since that would be conforming ourselves to the intention of the one, who, through God’s inspiration composed them.  I fully agree with what this great Saint says, I have always been of this opinion, that during the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass, we should meditate on the mysteries contained therein, as indicated in the Missal.  I have left Philothea entirely free to do it or not to do it, according to her judgement on what is suitable occupying herself during this time with other forms of prayer, either mental or vocal.  I did it because I do not always know who this Philothea is.  But this exercise, however, appears to be better, because it puts us more in tune with the mind of the Holy Church.

 

 

Goal of the Rules

Finally, my dear Daughters, we have to love much our Rules, as they are the means by which we attain their goal.  This goal is to lead us more easily to the perfection of charity, which is the union of our hearts with God and with our neighbour.  And not only this, but also to unite our neighbour with God, through the way we show him.  This way is so easy and so gentle.  No girl is ever refused entry in our Order because she is physically weak provided she has the will to live according to the spirit of the Visitation, which is a spirit of humility towards God and gentleness towards our neighbour: It is this spirit which enables us to be united to God as well as to our neighbour.  Through humility we unite ourselves to God, by subjecting ourselves to strict obedience to his will which is made known to us in our Rules.  For we have to believe firmly that these Rules have been drawn up under God’s inspiration, given to us by the Church and approved by His Holiness the Pope.  These are clear proofs that hey come from God.  Hence, we ought to love them, all the more tenderly, press them tightly over our hearts three times a day as a sign of gratitude to God for giving them to us.  By virtue of the gentleness of heart, we unite ourselves to our neighbour through a strict and punctual correspondence of our life, our customs, and our exercises without desiring to do neither more nor less than those with whom we live and than what is indicated to us in the path in which God has placed us.  We are to gather and make use of all the strength of our spirit to observe them as perfectly as we can.

 

Take note, however, of what I told you several times before, that you should not only be very punctual in the observance of the Rules, but also very exact paying great attention to the smallest details.  It does not mean a scrupulous rigour.  Oh, no, that was not my intention at all.  I spoke to you only of the exactness and thoughtfulness of chaste spouses who are not satisfied by merely avoiding to displease their heavenly spouse, but want to do everything they can to become more and more pleasing to him.

 

 

Models of Conformity to the Community

I think it would be quite opportune to give you some sublime examples to make you realize how much this conformity to the life of the Community in all things, is pleasing to God.  Listen, then, carefully to what I am going to say to you.  Why, I ask you, my dear Daughters, did Our Lord and his most holy Mother subjected themselves to the law of the presentation and purification if not because of the love they had for the Community?  This example should certainly be enough to move the hearts of the Religious to follow strictly the Community and never to stray away from it.  Neither the Infant Jesus nor the Mother was in any way bound to follow this law.  Not the infant Jesus, because he was God, and also not the Mother, because she was all pure.  They could very easily have exempted themselves from it without anybody noticing it.  Was it not possible for the Most Holy Virgin to go to Nazareth instead of going to Jerusalem and to give the money she spent to buy the pair of doves to the poor?  Does it not seem to us that she would thus have done much better?  Oh, God! she did nothing of the sort.  Rather quite simply, she followed the Community.  She could have said: The Law is not at all applicable to my Son nor to me, and it does not in any way bind us.  Since, however, other men are bound by it and observe it, we too will very willingly submit ourselves to it so as to conform ourselves to each one of these people, and not to appear singular in any thing.  Did not the Apostle Paul say that Our Lord has become like His brothers in every way, except sin? (Heb. 2:17; 4:15).  But tell me, was it the fear of pretence which made them so faithful to the observance of the Law?  Certainly not, because there was no question of pretence for them.  They were drawn by the love of their eternal Father.

 

We cannot love a commandment if we do not love the one who commands.  In the measure that we love and respect he one who makes the law in the same measure do we observe it strictly.  Some people are attached to the law by iron shackles, and others by gold chains.  I mean: the people of the world observe the commandments of God through the fear of being damned.  They keep them by force and not our of love.  The religious, however, and those who have concern for their perfection are attached to them by gold chains, that is, by love.  They love the commandments and keep them lovingly and to obey them better they also embrace the practice of the counsels.  David says that the Lord has laid down his precepts for men to keep them faithfully (Ps. 119:4) those who love him.  See, how much he wants us to be strict in observing them.  So too, all true lovers, for they do not merely avoid the betrayal of the law but even the shadow of betrayal.  That is why the Bridegroom of the Song of Songs (5:12) says that his beloved is like a dove beside the river which flow gently and the waters of which are crystal clear.

 

You know that perhaps the dove feels utterly secure beside these waters because she sees the shadows of the birds of prey reflected in the water.  As soon as she sees these shadows she flies away.  Thus she cannot be caught off guard. In the same way, my beloved is like that, says the heavenly Bridegroom, for while she is flying away from even the shadow of the betrayal of my commandments, she is not in the least afraid of falling into disobedience.  Of course, he who gives up, by the vow of obedience his won will in things indifferent, shows his love to be subject to things which are necessary and obligatory.  Whoever willingly deprives himself of lawful riches, shows that he does not want even a trace of unlawful riches.  The Apostles in order to keep better the commandment of the Lord to renounce all things of the earth deprived themselves willingly of what was not only lawful but also necessary.

 

We have to be extremely strict in the observance of the laws and Rules given to us by Our Lord, especially on the question of following in all things the life of the community.  We have also to take extreme care not to say that we are not obliged to follow this special rule or commandment from our Superiors, because they are meant for weak persons and we are strong and robust.  On the contrary, we should not also think that the order is meant for the strong and we are not bound by it because we are weak and infirm.  My God!  Let there be anything rather than this in a community.

 

I entreat you, if you are strong, you make yourself weak, so as to identify yourself with the weak and the infirm; if you are weak, I say to you: strive to adjust yourself to the strong.  The great Apostle Saint Paul said that I have become all things to all that I might gain all (1 Cor. 9:22).  Who is weak and I am not also?  With the strong, I am strong.  Who among my brothers is made to stumble (2 Cor. 11:29) with whom I am not made to stumble?  When I am with the weak I willingly take upon myself the task of seeing to their comfort so as to give them the confidence to do the same to others. If I find myself by the side of the sick while I am with them, I am entirely like a nurse, tender and loving towards the child who is ill stroking its head to make it sleep.  But when I am with the strong, I have to be like a giant to give them courage (Gal. 2:11).

 

If I notice that my neighbour is scandalised by something which I do, even thought what I do is quite lawful and not in any way sinful, still I should have such an ardent desire of the peace and tranquillity of his heart that I refrain from doing it and cheerfully(1 Cor. 8:13).  It was indeed his love for God which urged the Apostle Paul to make himself adjustable to each one for their sake to gain all.

 

Now would you tell me: it is time for recreation.  I have an earnest longing to go to pray that I may unite myself more with the sovereign goodness. My God, I have such a great desire to go to say the rosary in honour of Our Lady!  Can I not think that the law which prescribes recreation does not bind me because I have a quite cheerful spirit?  No! you must not think of it anymore or say it.  If you do not need relaxation, nevertheless, you must go to recreation for the sake of those who have need of it.

 

 

Exceptions

You mean to say that there is no exception at all in Religious Life?  Do the Rules bind everybody equally?

 

Without doubt.  Certainly, there are some laws which are <justly unjust>.  For example, the Lenten fast is prescribed for all.  but does it not seem to you that this law is unjust because one moderates this unjust justice by giving some permissions and dispensations to those who are not able to keep them.  It is the same in the Religious Life.  The Rule applies equally to everybody and no one can dispense oneself from it on one’s own.  But the Superior’s, however, temper its severity according to the need of each person.

 

You should beware of thinking that the weak are less useful in religious life than the strong and the robust.  They do less and hence earn less merit.  Consequently they are less rewarded by Our Lord since, all do the will of God equally.  The bees provide us with a good example to illustrate what I am saying.  Some bees are given the charge of watching over the beehive and keeping it clean; others are always at work gathering honey.  Those who remain inside do not, for that matter, eat less honey that those who have the trouble of going to nibble honey form the flowers.  It is very reasonable since those bees who remain inside the hive doing practically nothing prevent the spiders form coming and blocking up the honeycomb of the bees who go to gather in the nectar.

 

Would you not think that David passed an unjust law when he ordered that soldiers who stood guard over the herds would be given an equal share of the booty of those who went into the battle and came back from it covered with wounds?  Certainly not!  This law was not at all unjust, because those who were guarding the herds were doing it for the sake of those who went into battle.  Those who went into battle were fighting for those who were guarding the herds.  Thus, all of them deserved the same reward since all of them were obeying equally the orders of the king (1 Sam. 30:23-25).  It is not so much the work itself which makes us earn a reward, but rather the love and charity with which we do the work.

 

 

Presentation in the Temple

Let me go back and say a word on the subject of the presentation of Our Lord in the Temple and on the Purification of the Most Holy Mother.  I ask you to gaze at how this most holy and glorious Child lets himself be carried so simply but lovingly, in the arms of Saint Simeon.  He does not cry and he does not show any dislike at being snatched away from the arms of his dear Mothers, in whose arms he experienced an inexpressible sweetness.  What happens, I pray you, when the Most Holy Virgin offered her breast to distil into the sacred mouth of her little Baby drops of her most pure and heavenly milk.  Now and then she sent out into the heart of the Saviour passionate sighs from her lips.  In response to it, he opened his little eyes to look at her.  On account of these glances, the heart of the Most Glorious Virgin remained almost ablaze with the flames of his love.  Let no one, then, ever find any excuse to refrain from going to receive Holy Communion because of the consciousness of one’s unworthiness, saying: Oh, God! How can I dare go and receive our Saviour as often as others, seeing that I am such a wretch.  Oh, God!  I dare not get nearer to God in prayer.  What deceit!  Do you not see how Our Lord goes simply into the arms of Simeon and leaves his dear Mother who was all pure and with no stain of sin?

 

May God be praised!

​

​

Back to Top

​

​