Chapter IV (1)

We must remember, however, that _not all our temptations are from the evil spirit_. He is wicked enough to cause them all; but he need not do so. Of course they never come from God; for St. James says: “Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God; for God is not a tempter of evils, and He tempts no man. But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured” (i, 13-14).

As concupiscence belongs to our fallen nature, it cannot be altogether suppressed; but its power can be very much increased or diminished; and therefore the temptations it causes are to a considerable extent under our own control. If a St. Aloysius, a St. Stanislaus and many other chaste youths scarcely felt any rebellions of the flesh, it was due in great part to the care with which they had from their early childhood guarded the gates of their senses, their eyes, their ears, their touch; and instead of flattering them, they had constantly mortified them in various ways. On the other hand, very many persons allow themselves liberties of an indelicate nature; these need not wonder why they find it so difficult to lead chaste lives.

However, even the most mortified souls may be severely tempted to carnal sins; thus we read of St. Anthony, that, even in his frightful desert, he was one day assailed by such temptations; and when the victory was won, he exclaimed: Lord where wast Thou when those vile images beset my mind? And the Lord answered him: Anthony, I was in the midst of your heart. But the danger of the sin is certainly much greater when a person is, partly at least, the cause of such disorderly affections, when he heaps fuel on the fire of concupiscence.

It is well to ask oneself in a retreat: have I anything to reproach myself with in this respect? How do I habitually observe modesty of the eyes in public and in private? Is my reading always proper and prudent? Do I ever indulge indolence or excessive softness? am I perfectly temperate in food and drink, and thus cautious not to arouse dangerous passions? It is necessary to ask the Lord frequently and fervently: “Lead us not into temptation”; but this will be of little avail if we bring on temptations by our own laxity or imprudence.

THE THIRD MEDITATION
On the Three Classes of men

_1st Prelude._ Imagine you behold Christ before you, looking kindly upon you, and saying: “My son, give me thy heart” (Prov. xxxiii).

_2nd Prelude._ Ask fervently for light to understand this gracious invitation, and strength to comply with it generously.

_POINT I._ While this invitation is really addressed by our loving Lord to every man, consider how differently it is responded to by various classes of men.

_The first class_, which unfortunately is very numerous, turn a deaf ear to this appeal. They are so taken up with the vanities or the pleasures of the world, with the pursuit of riches or honor or friendships, that they do not even stop to consider the call of grace. The turmoil of their passions drowns the still voice of conscience, and they rush on to the yawning abyss of eternal loss. Let me thank the Lord that He has prevented me by His loving care from running along in this mad career.

_POINT II._ The second class of men listen to the Divine call, appreciate its infinite condescension, fly from the allurements of the grossest vices, and give their hearts to their Sovereign Master. Yet they do not give their whole heart. A part of it is occupied by some cherished creature, which they will not sacrifice to their loving Lord. We read that when St. Sebastian was trying to convert a Roman nobleman, named Croatius, he promised him a cure from a painful disease as soon as he should receive Baptism; for Sebastian worked many miracles. But he required as a necessary condition that Croatius should destroy all the idols he had in his house. After the Baptism the convert complained that his sickness was not removed. It was found that he had not destroyed one little idol of gold, an old heirloom in the family; and only after this also was given up was the cure obtained. Thus very many souls are kept back from perfection by some cherished idol which they hesitate to resign.

In the world some men are estimable citizens, honest, charitable, but neglectful of religious duties; others are even practical Catholics, except that they neglect Confession. All such are in evident danger of dying in their sins and being lost forever; but passion blinds them to their terrible danger. Among religious no great vice is common, but many are held back from attaining perfection by some human attachment, or by some evil habit, which they refuse, or hesitate to abandon altogether.

Is there any sacrifice that I know, or at least suspect, my dear Lord asks of me? Is there any practice or habit of mine that may not please Him? If a sculptor, carving an elegant statue, would find a flaw in the marble that would disfigure the countenance, he might have to reject that stone and choose another. The Divine Artist is forming my soul into an image of Christ; happily, if He finds a flaw in my soul, He can remove it, but He will not do so without my consent; or rather He will not remove it Himself, but aid me to remove it. Is there such a flaw? Are there perhaps more than one? Speak, O Lord, Thy servant heareth.

_POINT III._ _The third class of men_ to whom the Lord says, “Son, give me thy heart,” answer promptly and generously: “O Lord! I wish to be all thine”; “For what have I in Heaven? and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? For Thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away; Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever” (Ps. 72). But of course virtue does not consist in fine sentiments alone. Docile to the invitation of Christ, we must so give Him our hearts that we are willing to satisfy all His desires. “What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me?” (Ps. 115).

I am now come to the end of the second week of the Exercises. Its main purpose was the study of Christ’s private and public life, so as to make myself like unto Him. This therefore is the proper time to examine whether there is any trait of my Divine model which I am not yet determined to reproduce in my own soul.

Here St. Ignatius introduces the election of a state of life for those who have not yet entered on a permanent career; and from those who have he expects a reformation of life. Now this is best accomplished by comparing our own hearts with that of our Divine pattern, taking most generous resolutions to remove all flaws and supply all deficiencies.

_Colloquy._ O my dear Mother Mary! I beg of thee to obtain for me from thy Divine Son the grace of following His example in the practice of all the virtues, doing whatever He may desire of me and that at any sacrifice. Oh, dearest Lord! by Thy love for Thy Blessed Mother, obtain for me, this precious grace from Thy Heavenly Father. And Thou, my Supreme Lord and Master, God the Father, grant me this entire devotedness at the prayer of Thy Divine Son.

THE SEVENTH DAY

Here we begin the Third Week of St. Ignatius’ Exercises; it is devoted to the consideration of Christ’s sacred passion. These meditations, or contemplations, are a tribute of love that we offer to our dear Lord; and they are suggestive to ourselves of generous sentiments, and earnest resolutions to practise even heroic virtue, in following our beloved King to the height of His self-sacrifice. By the light and grace they impart, they aid us to advance rapidly in the way of perfection.

We read in the Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude (p. 348) that she beheld one day our Blessed Lord as He was after He had been whipped at the pillar, covered with wounds, and she asked Him, tenderly: “Alas, Lord, what remedy can we find to sooth Thy agonizing pains?” Our Lord replied: “The most efficacious and tenderest remedy you can prepare for Me is to meditate on My passion, and to pray charitably for the conversion of sinners.” It is in this spirit that all the exercises of this day should be performed.

THE FIRST MEDITATION
On the Sufferings of Christ in the Garden

_1st Prelude._ Read the 26th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, from the 30th to the 57th verse.

_2nd Prelude._ Behold Christ prostrate in the prayer of His agony.

_3rd Prelude._ Beg grace to condole with Him and to suffer patiently and generously.

_POINT I._ Consider Christ’s entrance into the garden.

_The persons_: Christ, my Saviour, goes to suffer for me. The fact then regards me personally, I cannot be indifferent to its details. He selects Peter, John and James to witness His agony. Thus the severest trials come to God’s favorites. Christ has prepared them for this trial of their faith by the vision of His glory on Mount Thabor. Thus He provides special aids for special difficulties. All the Apostles have been strengthened for the occasion by Holy Communion. A fall soon after receiving Communion does not prove an unworthy Communion.

_The words._ Peter said: “Although all should be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized.” Pride goes before a fall. “Jesus said to him: Amen, I say to thee that, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Christ saith to his Apostles: “My soul is sorrowful even unto death.” We should not then be discouraged if we shrink from suffering, and are saddened by them.

_The actions._ Jesus prepares for the conflict by betaking Himself to prayer. I must do the same in trials.

_POINT II._ _The agony._ _The words_: “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” It is then perfectly proper to pray for deliverance from the cross; but we must ever add submission to God’s holy will: “Not my will but thine be done.”

_The actions_: “He cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep.” We are not then forbidden to seek for consolation from our fellow-men; but we shall usually be disappointed; like Jesus, we must return to prayer. He prayed again, “saying the self-same words.” We should not try to be eloquent in prayer, but dwell on a few thoughts or sentiments. We can have no better model of prayer than we have here before us. The Apostles neglected their opportunity; hence their cowardice.

_POINT III. The treason of Judas. The persons._ The Son of God is meanly betrayed by one of His own Apostles. How is the gold obscured! When favorite souls fall away, they often fall the deepest. How did he come to this? From small beginnings, by little thefts at first. One passion left unchecked is enough to ruin the noblest character. All the passions are in every one of us, and need constant watching.

_The words._ “Hail Rabbi.” What hypocrisy! “Friend, whereunto art thou come?” Christ still loved the wretch, and kindly wished to bring him back to his duty. That is the charity of my model. Is mine like His?

_The actions._ He receives the kiss of the traitor and shows no indignation. Then Christ lets Himself be seized and bound like a criminal, and He abandons Himself into the hands of His enemies, recognizing in them the executers of His Father’s will. “Then the disciples, all leaving him, fled”; and yet all of them had said with Peter that they were ready to go with Him even to death. It is not boasting, but praying we need.

_Colloquy_, thanking our dear Lord for His generous love for us, asking that we may know and love Him better and follow Him more perfectly.

_Notice_ that the thoughts here expressed are only suggestions and need not be entertained. The exercitant is apt to be most benefited by what he discovers himself. And when a thought or sentiment strikes him, he should dwell on it as long as it gives him devotion, and not hasten on to other matters.

THE SECOND MEDITATION
On Christ’s Sufferings before His Judges

_1st Prelude._ Christ was dragged from court to court, everywhere loaded with false accusations; but He opened not His mouth. He was dressed in a fool’s garment, cruelly scourged and crowned with thorns, and bore all patiently. Exposed to the sight of the multitude, He saw a robber preferred to Him, was rejected by His people and condemned to the death of the cross.

_2nd Prelude._ Behold Christ with His hands tied like a criminal, standing before the tribunal of Caiphas.

_3rd Prelude._ My dear Lord, grant me deep sorrow for Thy sufferings and for my sins, by which I have repaid Thy infinite love.

_POINT I. Christ is falsely accused._ Consider:

_The persons._ The judges presume to sit in judgment on Him who has proved Himself to be the Son of God. Our sins, like theirs, are often far more serious than we are willing to acknowledge to ourselves. We blind ourselves. Caiphas did so by claiming that it was “expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not” (St. John xi, 50). This was true, but not in the sense the high priest gave to it. Do I ever judge my neighbor unjustly? perhaps even my superiors?

The witnesses little think how wicked their accusations are, leading to the crime of deicide: “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (St. James iii, 6). Meanwhile Christ is silent, to teach us how to suffer; silence under accusations, true or false, is usually better than the most eloquent defense. Isaias had predicted: “He shall be dumb as a lamb before his hearers, and he shall not open his mouth” (liii, 7). He only spoke when the honor of God required it, as when the high priest said: “I conjure thee by the living God that thou tell us if thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to them: Thou has said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God and coming in the clouds of Heaven. They answering said: He is guilty of death” (St. Matth. xxvi, 63-66). What injustice! This is often repeated to-day by those who hate the Church; we must wait patiently for the time of its glorification.

_POINT II. Dressed in a fool’s garment, scourged, crowned with thorns._ Behold the humiliations, the cruel sufferings patiently endured by the Redeemer, as an expiation of your own sins. Try to realize the details of the torments heaped upon Him. That flagellation was borne to expiate sins of the body. Do I practise bodily mortification enough? Soft members are out of place in the mystic body of Christ. He is crowned with thorns; do I look for honors and laurel crowns? He is decked in mockery with a rag of purple; do I delight in vain display? Lord, make me like unto thee.

_POINT III._ Pilate shows Him to the people: “_Ecco homo_,” “Behold the man.” Let me observe Him well, noticing every indignity inflicted on Him. His head crowned with thorns, His face defiled with spittle, every visible portion of His sacred body livid with bruises and stained with clotted blood: “A worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people” (Ps. 21), “Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows” (Is. liii, 3).

_The words_: “Give us Barabbas and take Jesus away.” How can I complain when others are preferred to me? “Let him be crucified”; “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” How fearfully has this curse been carried into effect. Behold the whole Jewish race struck with spiritual blindness for already nineteen centuries, in the midst of nations blest with the light of faith. How this ruin of His nation must have grieved the heart of the Redeemer. Pilate vainly tries to disclaim his responsibility for the deicide: “I am innocent of the death of this just man.” So we may deceive ourselves, wilfully. Am I always honest in my pretences?

_The actions._ Pilate delivers Christ to be crucified. This is the price paid for every soul, the death of Christ. How precious is a soul! The blood of Christ is the atonement of sin; what a terrible evil is sin!

_Colloquy_ with Jesus, as He stands there condemned to an ignominious death; indulging the sentiments aroused by the meditation.

CONSIDERATION
On Generosity in the Service of God

When we performed the meditation on the Kingdom of Christ, we imagined a very noble prince, who, at the call of God, abandoned all other pursuits to devote himself to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, and summoned all brave souls to rally under his standard for this exalted purpose. We next considered that this parable was not a mere creation of the fancy, but was a fit expression of a grand reality. For such a noble prince did actually appear on earth, one far nobler than we could have conceived possible, the Son of God Himself, come down to establish the Kingdom of His Father in the hearts of men, and thus prepare them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. At this summons we resolved to follow Him, and we have really left all things for that purpose, and our highest ambition now is to follow Him most closely by making ourselves as like to Him as, with God’s grace, may be possible.

To accomplish this purpose, we have been studying His example, from the moment of His incarnation, through His birth, childhood, His private and His public life, till we have seen Him deliver Himself into the hands of His enemies, submit to the most shocking indignities and torments; and all this through love for us, paying the penalties of our sins in His own Person, to save us from Hell and make us share His glory. The most appropriate term to express all this devotedness is “boundless generosity.” This is the most striking characteristic of our glorious King.

As we are earnestly striving to make ourselves like to Him, we will now consider the excellence of the virtue of generosity; and we do so by preference on this day on which we are meditating on the sacrifices by which Christ’s generosity was exhibited in the most impressive manner.

Among natural qualities in man generosity is the noblest, among the supernatural virtues it is the highest, because it is the most Godlike. Charity, the love of God, and of the neighbor for the love of God, is the most perfect virtue, and generosity is the perfection of charity. The highest manifestation that God has made of Himself is twofold, the creation and the incarnation with all its consequences. He created to pour out happiness on other beings, all manners of good things on created natures; He became incarnate to bestow _Himself_ on them; and He did so even after they had forfeited their primal destiny. Thus too a man by the practice of generosity gives of his own to others, by supernatural generosity he gives himself entirely to God and to others for the sake of God.

When we give to our neighbor what we owe him, we practise the virtue of justice; when we give to God the honor we owe Him, we practise the virtue of religion, which is a species of justice; but we practice the virtue of generosity when we give more than the Lord demands of us, and thereby we more closely resemble God, on whom we have no claim and who yet gave us all we have.

The proper esteem, as well as the practice of this virtue, is taught us by the grand mysteries on which we meditate to-day. In fact these lessons have been excellently learned by the followers of Christ throughout all the ages of Christianity. See how His Apostles, to a man, gave their whole lives and finally shed their blood, as Jesus had done, for the honor of God, and the salvation of souls.

The same was done by thousands of other followers in after generations and is continued to be done till the present day. Countless solitaries of both sexes, and monks and nuns and missionaries among the heathens have left all things and thus imitated the generosity of the Redeemer. Sacrifice for the same glorious cause is written large over the history of the Church in every age and every land.

It is this spirit of generous sacrifice that we must to-day rekindle in our hearts. We should not now ask ourselves merely, as we did properly some days ago, is there any sacrifice I _am bound_ to make if I want to save my immortal soul? but, at the sight of Jesus mocked and scourged, and crowned with thorns and dying like a criminal upon the cross, and all this for my sins, let me ask myself generously, “what sacrifices _can_ I make to God to show my gratitude?”

These sentiments aroused in St. Ignatius, as under the guidance of the Holy Spirit he performed the Spiritual Exercises at Manresa, an ambition beautifully expressed in the motto he selected for his Society _Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam_, “For the Greater Glory of God.” For he became so enraptured with the love of Christ that he longed only to sacrifice himself entirely for the honor of God, and to rally around him a generous band of men who should be aglow with the same Divine enthusiasm.

This spirit of generosity, so characteristic of St. Ignatius, is clearly manifested in the Constitutions which he drew up for the guidance and the government of his Society. The whole spirit of his institute is a spirit of generous devotion to the service of God and the good of men. For instance, he wants his followers to be so little attached to their country, or to any place whatever, that they shall be willing to go and live in any part of the world where there is hope of God’s greater service and the help of souls. They must leave father and mother, sisters and brothers and whatsoever they had in the world. They must so far resign their right to a good name as to allow all their errors and defects to be manifested to their superiors. They are even urged to wish to suffer reproaches, slanders and injuries, and to be treated and accounted as fools, so as to resemble Jesus Christ, and in all things to seek their greater abnegation and continual mortification. In the exercise of low and mean offices they must be willing to be employed in such as are more abhorrent to nature.

Certainly all these rules and practices suppose an uncommon degree of generosity. And yet the Saint insists on them, and urges his followers to labor constantly that no point of perfection which by God’s grace they can attain in the perfect observance of his Constitutions, be omitted by them. In all things they are to seek God, casting off, as much as is possible, the love of creatures, that they may set all their affections on the Creator.

As to the general spirit of his Society, it is hard to conceive how this could be more generous than it actually is; and no less generosity is seen when the rules descend to practical details. Consider, for instance, the strict interpretation they put on the understanding of the religious vows. They make poverty a total privation of the right to dispose of anything at one’s will or discretion, neither allowing one to give nor to receive, to lend nor to borrow any object whatever without permission of the superior.

For the measure and the pattern of the vow of chastity nothing less is proposed than the purity of the blessed Angels in Heaven. To protect this virtue a Jesuit has to submit himself all the days of his life to such careful surveillance as solicitous parents exercise over their daughters, who are not allowed to go outside the house without permission, nor, as far as circumstances allow, without the attendance of a discreet companion.

It is especially with regard to the vow and the virtue of obedience that generosity is carried to its highest perfection. Not only every command of a superior is to be obeyed, but even every hint of his will is to be complied with, every token of his wishes; and this is to be done promptly, without excuse, without reluctance of the will, without disagreement of the judgment. And in all these observances no one can claim exemption or privilege on account of high offices formerly held, on account of great learning or unusual ability or for any other consideration.

With such precepts and examples before me, what can I do better than to lead henceforth a life of constant generosity? Let me pause to consider carefully and prayerfully what sacrifices in particular I can offer. Speak, Lord! Thy servant heareth; there is nothing I will refuse. Give me the grace of doing what Thou desirest, and ask what Thou wilt.

When our Divine Lord appeared to five of His Apostles after His resurrection, He took St. Peter aside and asked him: “Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee; He saith to him: Feed my lambs—Feed my sheep.” As if He had said: You cannot show Me your love better than by feeding My lambs and My sheep. And thus we too cannot give to Christ a more acceptable proof of our love than that of working for the salvation of souls, the lambs and sheep for which He shed the last drop of His sacred blood. How am I performing that holy task? The question just now is not: am I doing my full duty in the exercise of the sacred ministry? but, can I do any more than I have done so far, or than I am actually doing for the good of immortal souls? Can I undertake any more work and remain within the bounds of discretion? Or at least can I perform my tasks with more care and devotedness? And can I pray more fervently to draw down God’s blessing on my labors?

There is still another way in which we can successfully exercise our zeal for souls, namely by praying and working for the increase of the number of laborers in Christ’s vineyard. St. Matthew tells us that, “Seeing the multitudes Christ had compassion on them, because they were distressed and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he send laborers into his harvest” (ix, 36-38).

Undoubtedly such prayers are daily going up to Heaven asking for more sacred laborers, and in response God is constantly furnishing His Church with new accessions to the number of her ministers. If our prayers were more abundant and more fervent and our efforts more earnest, we could obtain still more. Here too is room for more generous exertions.

THE THIRD MEDITATION
On the Death of Christ

_1st Prelude._ Christ carried His cross a weary way up the mountain, falling repeatedly beneath it. Arrived at the top, He is despoiled of His garments, and stands there a pillar of bleeding flesh. He is most rudely nailed to the cross, which is next lifted up, and dropped with a shock into its socket. His hands and feet are torn around the nails. He exclaims: “Father, forgive them,” says to St. John: “Behold thy mother,” exclaims “Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit!” and expires. His sacred Heart is pierced.

_2nd Prelude._ Behold Christ hanging on the cross, amid the jeers of His triumphant enemies. He is praying for us all.

_3rd Prelude._ Beg for a loving compassion for His pains and for a deep sorrow for sin.

_POINT I._ Consider how Christ painfully carries His cross. He thus shows us the one way to Heaven, that of suffering. There would have been another way, that of innocence, by which the Angels had entered; but it was closed by the sin of Adam and by our own sins. Now we must all suffer, here or hereafter. The lookers on were of three classes: His enemies, rejoicing; His friends sorrowing; the crowd, indifferent. It is so to-day. The falls of Christ represent our moral falls; these must humble, but not discourage us. He meets His blessed Mother: sufferings bring us nearer to Mary. Condole with her.

_POINT II._ Christ is despoiled of His garments, that He may die in the utmost poverty, in which He has also been born. His clothes cling to His torn flesh, and are removed with no tender hands. He bleeds again at every pore. He is rudely thrown down on the cross; watch the process of the nailing, of the raising of the cross, of its dropping into the hole with a rude shock, His sacred flesh tearing about the nails. He exclaims: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What charity! What an example for us His followers! Again He speaks: “Woman, behold thy son,” “Behold thy mother.” St. John, the only one of the Apostles present, represented the Church; in his person we were all commended to Mary by her dying Son, and we were bidden to hold her as our Mother.

As Christ hung there on the cross, He viewed and read the hearts of all men, for whom He died; He thought of me in person. He exclaimed: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit!” and He expired. Let me resign myself into the hands of God with humble, loving confidence. Let me thank the Lord for His most precious death, repent of my sins, which required such expiation, and pray that sinners may be converted.

Let me lovingly kiss the cross, and in spirit bend my head beneath the stream of His sacred blood, to wash away my sins.

The sacred heart of Jesus is next pierced with a lance, to open that sanctuary for me and for all sinners. Let me adore that Divine Heart, and promise to love and honor it, and teach others to do the same.

_Colloquy_ with Jesus, my loving Saviour; with Mary, the Mother of Sorrows; pleading for pardon, protesting my love and my boundless gratitude.

THE EIGHTH DAY

So far we have followed our King, Jesus Christ, through His humiliations, labors and sufferings from His incarnation to His cruel death; we must now follow Him in His glorified life. There too He is still our leader, by whose side we must triumph, as we have fought by His side. We must now rejoice with Him. For joy at His exaltation is worship; and at the same time it encourages us to follow Him generously and lovingly and to persevere to the end. Such is the purpose of the Fourth Week of St. Ignatius’s Exercises.

THE FIRST MEDITATION
On the Resurrection of Christ

_1st Prelude._ The soul of Christ, accompanied by the holy souls from Limbo, comes to the tomb. He arises glorious. The holy women come to annoint the body. “He is not here.” Christ appears to His Blessed Mother, to the penitent Magdalen, to St. Peter, to the devout women.

_2nd Prelude._ Behold the glorified body of the Saviour, as He arises from the tomb. Imagine the scene.

_3rd Prelude._ Ask to rejoice with Him for His own sake, and to be thereby encouraged to suffer like Him.

_POINT I._ Behold the scene of His resurrection. First see the lifeless body, with its gaping wounds and discolored flesh. In union with the blessed souls, adore it. Then as Christ’s soul enters it, behold how it is transformed. How different He is now from “the man of sorrows”! His sacred countenance beams with happiness. Recall His former transfiguration on Mount Thabor: “His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as snow.” On His head there is still a crown, but no more of thorns, but now one of glory. His sacred wounds are in His hands and feet and in His side, but they drip no more with blood, but pour forth rays of light. Bow down in loving adoration, and in spirit humbly kiss His feet, and adore your sovereign Lord. Ask Him to bless you, and to strengthen you to follow in His footsteps.

_POINT II._ Imagine you see the blessed souls proceed, in company with Christ, to visit the cross, on which He expiated the sins of the world. Adore the cross, and kiss it lovingly. Bow down and kiss the spot on which He was nailed to the tree. Next, retracing the way of the cross, meditate lovingly on His various sufferings.

At last accompany the Lord in spirit as He goes to visit and console His Blessed Mother. There behold her still seated in the deepest affliction, the Mother of Sorrows, plunged in an agony of grief, like that which had made the Saviour exclaim: “Father, if it be possible let this chalice pass from me.” When suddenly a soft radiance fills the room, and, as she looks up, she sees before her the glorified form of her Divine Son. Pause to share in her exceeding joy and love and gratitude. Remember that thus your sufferings too will one day be exchanged for boundless bliss.

_POINT III._ Consider how meanwhile the pious women were hastening, at early dawn, on their way from the city to the tomb, carrying with them precious ointments to embalm more perfectly the sacred body of their Lord. They ask one another as they approach the sacred spot: “Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great” (St. Mark xvi, 3).

Thus it is that we often see difficulties before us, and we see no way of escape; but a kind Providence brings us unexpected help: “I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me” wrote St. Paul (Phil. iv, 13). We should not be too timid when we work for the glory of God.

Still the holy women are not favored with the sight of the Saviour, but they are sent by the Angel with a message to the Apostles; in due time Jesus will reward their devotion. “And behold Jesus met them, saying, All hail, But they came up and took hold of his feet and adored him” (St. Matth. xxviii, 9). This favor was the reward of their loving service. Oh! that we could serve the Redeemer as they did! We can do so by honoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament, visiting Him there, adorning His altars. We can also do it by serving the poor: “Amen, I say to you: as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Ib. xxv, 40).

The Lord has His own sweet way of encouraging us. Before appearing to those pious women, He appeared first to St. Mary Magdalen, out of whom He has cast seven devils; then He appeared to Simon Peter, who had foresworn Him. Truly Christ had come on earth to save sinners; none of us should ever despond.

_A loving colloquy_ with our dear Lord, adoring Him, congratulating Him on His triumphs, in spirit embracing His sacred feet, begging for grace to walk in His blessed footsteps till we too partake of His glory.

THE SECOND MEDITATION
On Christ’s Ascension into Heaven

_1st Prelude._ Read Acts, i, 1-11.

_2nd Prelude._ Behold the scene on Mount Olivet, Christ rising above the crowd of His disciples, every one of whom looks lovingly upwards, enraptured by the sight of His triumph.

_3rd Prelude._ Beg to rejoice for Christ’s sake, and to be encouraged to follow your King faithfully to the end.

_POINT I._ Consider 1. _The Persons_: Christ, the former “Man of Sorrows,” now the conqueror of death, the glorified Lord of Heaven. He is still our King, leading the army of His followers into the Kingdom of His Father. I must follow Him on earth, that I may follow Him into Heaven. By His side stands His blessed Mother, how exultant now in His triumph! There is the Magdalen, rapt in an ecstasy of joy; St. Peter, St. John, all His dearest friends, rejoicing at the blissful vision.

2. _The actions._ Christ is ascending Heavenwards, going to take possession of His Kingdom. All His disciples raise their eyes and their hands towards His ascending form, and experience a foretaste of that happiness which is to be their eternal reward.

3. _The circumstances._ Where does Christ ascend? In sight of Calvary. When? But a few weeks after His dreadful death. So too will our trials come to an early end, much earlier perhaps than we anticipate.

_POINT II._ Consider Christ’s entrance into Heaven amid the adoring and exulting choirs of the entire angelic host, and proceeding to occupy the most magnificent of all thrones, prepared for Him at the right hand of His Father. Then began a bliss not less real than His sufferings had been, with a joy ever ancient and ever new, and destined to last for all eternity. Happy souls, redeemed by His sacred death, and purified in His precious blood, are flocking in from every clime, and are received to His loving embrace. What ecstasy! Shall I ever reach that goal? It is destined for me. Jesus is the King whom I am serving. He knows me, He loves me, He beckons me on.

_POINT III._ Look around that blissful abode. Who are there? All the truly good of every generation. There, on that bright throne nearest to Jesus is His Blessed Mother Mary, the queen of Heaven and earth, the refuge of sinners, the help of Christians, my loving Mother. Kneeling in spirit at her feet I will ask for perseverance in her service. There are my blessed patrons, whom I have honored on earth, now ready to welcome me to their happy company. Holy Saints of God, pray for me! There are many blessed souls whom I knew in the days of their own trials on earth, my parents and relatives and fellow-religious, and some perhaps whom I have benefited in life, or after their death in Purgatory.

All look down on me with loving eyes, and bid me persevere and improve further in fervor of life; for “The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. viii, 18).

_POINT IV._ Consider the words of the two Angels: “Why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.” For this second coming of the Lord we must now prepare by active work. The days of the retreat will soon be past, we must return to the daily drudgery of life; but we must do so with a renewed spirit of genuine devotion. We must prepare like the Prudent Virgins: “At midnight there was a cry made: Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him—And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage” (St. Matth. xxv, 6-10).

_Colloquy._ Address our dear Lord lovingly, joyfully, congratulating Him on His triumph, and begging for a generous spirit of sacrifice in His service.

CONSIDERATION
On the Spirit of Love

The ultimate purpose of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, is to make us serve God in the most perfect manner possible, and therefore in the spirit of love, or charity: “Now there remain faith, hope, and charity; these three, but the greater of these is charity” (I Cor. xiii, 13). Love is the most excellent homage that the creature can render to the Creator. Behold the bee in the springtime issuing from its hive and soaring afar over the sunny fields. It is in quest of honey: Honey is all it cares for. It passes by the velvet pansy, the flaming tulip, and lights with eagerness on the humble clover, because it finds honey there. Thus too some men prize and seek nothing but riches, others only honor, others pleasure, etc.

What can there be in this vast material universe that God would deign to care for? It is love of the human heart. It is His delight to be with the children of men, as He tells us in the Book of Proverbs: “My delights to be with the children of men” (viii, 31). And what does the Lord desire from men? He states it further on: “My son, give me thy heart” (Ib. xxiii, 26); that is, of course, thy love; for the heart of man is the emblem of love. Without love nothing has value in God’s eyes, as the Apostle proclaims so eloquently in his First Epistle to the Corinthians: “If I should distribute all my goods to the poor, and I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (xiii, 3). This charity is so pleasing to Heaven because it comes from Heaven; it is Divine: “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us” (Rom. v, 5). Of course, our love of God is no benefit to Him, no more than the love of a little child for its parents is any profit to them. The infant causes any amount of inconvenience and trouble in the home. Its loving looks and tender caresses are all it can give in return for the kindness shown it; but this is sufficient in the eyes of affectionate parents. We are like infants before the Lord, we can give Him nothing that He stands in need of, all He desires of us is that we love Him; and this very love He turns to our own advantage, for He rewards it most richly.

Besides this reward, there is another advantage derived from loving God, namely that love lightens all burdens of life. Why does a young mother, formerly rapped up in the pursuit of pleasure, now sit so patiently for hours by the bedside of her ailing child, forgetful of all worldly amusements,—except because she loves that infant. Love makes all efforts pleasing; as Thomas à Kempis puts it: _Facile equitat quem gratia Dei portat_, “He rides along with ease who is borne up by the grace of God.” So if we are animated by the love of God, we rejoice in serving Him, we hunger and thirst after justice. And this cheerful service on our part vastly increases the love God has for our persons; “For God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. ix, 7).

And thus by the practice of Divine love the bond that unites the human soul with our Blessed Lord grows stronger and stronger. Therefore, while the worldling sees nothing but hardships in the religious state, the inmates of the cloister would consider it the saddest misfortune if they were compelled to leave their happy homes and return to the world.

This love of God is that sacred fire of which Christ said: “I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled?” (St. Luke xii, 49). It shone with a most refulgent light when, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost appeared in the form of fiery tongues and filled the minds and hearts of the disciples. And see how the Divine love, then received, transformed the Apostles into new men. Before, they had been very dull of comprehension, some of them asking the Saviour on the day of His ascension whether He was then going to restore the Kingdom of Israel; then they became at once the infallible teachers of the world. Before, they had been cowardly men, locked up in the upper room for fear of the Jews; then they were suddenly changed into heroes, rejoicing, when they had been publicly whipped, that they were allowed to suffer for the name of Jesus. All of them were glad to die for their Lord. Countless martyrs were enkindled with the same fire of love; men, timid women, little boys, tender maidens, astonishing the Pagans by their heroic fortitude.

When the early persecutions were past, thousands of solitaries retired from the allurements of the world, and were led by the spirit of Divine love into frightful solitudes to spend their lives in penance and prayer, thinking of God alone. Every subsequent age in the history of the Church is replete with similar exhibitions of the love of Jesus. Hundreds of thousands of Christians left home and country, and sacrificed their lives to rescue from the hands of Pagans the tomb of the Redeemer. Others, during the Ages of Faith, devoted their riches or their personal labor to erect magnificent cathedrals, and provide a rich supply of gold and silver vases, of precious vestments and ornaments for the house of their beloved Lord.

When the charity of many had grown cold, the Blessed Saviour knew how to rekindle its fires by means of the devotion to His Sacred Heart. He appeared to His humble servant Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, and said to her: “Behold the heart that has loved men so much, and yet I receive nothing but ingratitude in return.” The whole purpose of this beautiful devotion is to elicit the love of human hearts for their loving Saviour, so as to unite God and men together by the golden bond of love.

To promote this devotion Jesus has been liberal in His promises. For those who practise it fervently He promised that He would be their secure refuge during life and above all in death, that He would bestow a rich blessing on all their undertakings, that by it tepid souls would become fervent, and fervent souls would mount quickly to a high perfection, that He would give to priests the gift of touching the hardest hearts, that He would write in His sacred Heart the names of those who would zealously promote this devotion and He would never allow them to be blotted out.

It is conformable to the sweet ways of Providence to make the remedy of an evil reach further than the disease. Thus, when our race had been disgraced by the sin of Adam, God far more than repaired the harm done; which makes holy Church exclaim with gladness: “Oh, happy fault, which merited to have such a Redeemer!” And so it has been with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. It was instituted by the Lord that men might learn to appreciate more highly His love for us, and return Him a more ardent love than was given Him before, to atone also for the coldness and the sins of others, and to induce all to receive more frequently His Sacred body and blood. It is truly wonderful how successfully all this has been accomplished. Now millions of persons of all ages and conditions in life, have formed the excellent habit of daily giving their first thoughts to elicit an act of love for Jesus, and offering all their actions and sufferings at the opening of each day for the intentions of the Sacred Heart. And it is probably no exaggeration to say that, since Christ’s desire of frequent Communions was whispered by Him to Blessed Margaret Mary, the number of Holy Communions daily received has increased, not only a hundred but a thousand fold.

And while such devout practices have thus multiplied beyond all calculation, the main purpose of it all has been attained to a most consoling extent. For while the age in which we live is becoming more and more indifferent and often hostile to the Lord, His true friends long more ardently than before to return to Him love for love, and to induce countless souls to serve Him in the spirit of love. This spirit no doubt animates our own hearts. It has now been enkindled anew in the Spiritual Exercises; and it ought to be the dominant note in the new life for which this retreat has been a preparation. Let us do our utmost, with the help of Divine grace, to do all things henceforth in the spirit of the love of God. This spirit of love is beautifully expressed in the

HYMN OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER

My God, I love Thee! not because
I hope for Heaven thereby;
Nor because those who love Thee not
Must burn eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace!
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace,

And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony,
Yea, death itself—and all for one
That was Thine enemy.

Then why, O Blessed Jesus Christ,
Should I not love Thee well?
Not for the hope of winning Heaven
Nor of escaping Hell;

Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as Thyself hast loved me,
O everlasting Lord!

E’en so I love Thee, and will love,
And in Thy praise will sing—
Solely because Thou art my God,
And my eternal King.

Translation of E. CASWALL.

THE THIRD MEDITATION
On Divine Love

After our consideration on the value and excellence of Divine love and its connection with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are now to meditate on some striking manifestations of God’s love for us, and on various ways in which we can manifest our love for Him.

We begin, with St. Ignatius, by remarking that genuine love does not consist in a mere feeling, or sentiment, but in the will to please or benefit the person loved, even at the cost of sacrifice on our part. For instance, imagine two boys, coming home for vacation from a boarding school, differing greatly in the manifestation of their affection for parents and kindred, whom both were glad to meet again. One of them was very demonstrative of his tender feelings; you would have thought that his love for all was far greater than that of his less effusive brother. After a few days however their father had a task for them to do which required a little sacrifice on their part. Then the affectionate lad had all manner of excuses to evade the trouble, without giving a thought to his father’s needs, while his brother quietly volunteered to do the work of both. His love was genuine; such should be our love for God.

A second remark of St. Ignatius is that love between two persons is increased by the frequent interchange of kindly services. The more we do for God, and the more we consider what He has done for us, the more devoted we shall become to Him, and the more pleasing in His sight.

_1st Prelude._ Imagine you behold Jesus before you, looking benignly down upon you as upon a loved child.

_2nd Prelude._ Beg fervently for an increase of love for Him.

_POINT I._ Recall to mind the principal benefits you have received from God, from your birth till the present day, both those common to you and all others, and particularly those peculiar to yourself, tracing the wonderful ways in which a benign Providence has guided you to your present state. Render hearty thanks to the Lord, and make Him the following offering in return: “Accept, O Lord, all my liberty, accept my memory, my understanding and my will. Thou hast given me all these powers; I restore them all to Thee, and I deliver them entirely into Thy hands that Thou mayest direct them. Only give me Thy love and Thy grace; these are all I desire.”

_POINT II._ See how God is most intimately present to you, not only as the water of the ocean is about a sponge, before it and behind, above and below, right and left of it and within every pore, but He penetrates your entire body and soul, and His delight is to be with the children of men.

On your part resolve to keep yourself constantly in the presence of God, cultivating the habit of thinking lovingly about God, speaking with Him when not otherwise employed. This need not cause a strain of mind; it only gives an excellent direction to our thoughts and affections, which would otherwise be wasted upon useless or perhaps even unworthy objects. Lovingly offer this resolution to your dear Lord, and ask Him to bless and prosper it.