Question I: Concerning the Pious and Devout

I. The obligation of the confessor to direct penitents in the way of Christian virtue and perfection. - The confessor ought not only to tear vices out of his penitents, but also to insert virtues in them; he is bound not only to take care that penitents return to the grace of God and that the just persevere in the same, but also that these advance in virtue and sanctity, and this as the minister of Christ, who came that they may have life and have it more abundantly, John X, 10. "It is a work very acceptable to God," says St. Alphonsus, Pr. conf., n. 121, "to adorn brides for Him, namely to cultivate spiritual souls, that they may give and hand themselves over wholly to Him. Hence when the confessor sees a penitent living immune from mortal faults, he ought to employ every care that he introduce him into the life of perfection and divine love."

Since, therefore, everywhere there are not a few penitents to be directed who can tend to spiritual perfection, it is necessary that the confessor also be versed, theoretically and practically, in ascetical theology, or even mystical theology; or, applying himself to the study of it, that he be found at least not altogether a stranger in this matter. For this let him implore divine light by prayer and read spiritual books of sound character.¹

¹ The following can usefully be consulted: St. Alphonsus, Praxis conf., nn. 99-101, 121-125, 145-171, 217-226; Reuter, Neo-conf., nn. 245-253; Marc, Th. M., II, nn. 1841-1842; Aertnijs, Th. P., nn. 215-244; Tanquerey, de Poen., nn. 548-556; Precis de Theologie ascetique et mystique; Theol. Mechl., de Poen. (4), n. 65, pp. 192-194; de Virt., nn. 88-90, pp. 220-223; Frassinetti, Th. M., diss. 15, § 5; Berardi, Praxis conf., nn. 1136-1138; Lehmkuhl, Th. M., II, nn. 633-638; and other treatises on spiritual or ascetical life, several of which are indicated on p. 126, note 2.

II. General principles of direction. - That the confessor may truly consult the spiritual utility of these penitents, let him place before his eyes these general principles as rules of government. He must namely take care of three things:

1. Before all things let him take care both to present to them a right idea of sanctity, which does not consist in long prayers and particular devotions, or in long delay in church, or in sensible piety, nor in fasts and austerities, external works, spiritual consolations, or extraordinary visions, but in a right intention and a life conformed to the will of God, and in a prompt and generous will of doing all things for God; and to excite and foster in them a great and constant desire of perfection, indeed of the greatest perfection, at which even they are not going to arrive, and a firm purpose of reaching it, "representing to them the merit which God has that He be loved, and the gratitude which we owe to Jesus Christ, who loved us even to dying for us; and also the danger in which all souls are placed who, called by God to a more perfect life, resist Him."²

² St. Alphonsus, o. c., n. 121.

The intention of the end, because it is the principle in things to be done, is naturally fitted to exercise the greatest influence on our whole activity. Hence it is necessary that we set before ourselves a lofty end of perfection, and indeed constantly; by this it will happen that we order all acts and the whole life to it, having been made indifferent to all the rest, and judging whatever does not conduct to it as lost.

2. Let him take care that all are not led in the same way: namely, let him not attempt to lead all pious persons living in the world to the highest degree of perfection. For there are those who, having obtained a good disposition, decline from evil and do ordinary good things, but do not seem capable of higher perfection. And there are others who are not truly devout, but whose devotion is illusion or hypocrisy; hence let him carefully separate the truly pious from the falsely devout. - Nor let him direct all in the same way or spirit, but let him attend to their condition, natural disposition, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

a) To condition: the married and the unmarried, seculars and religious, those who are held by assiduous labor and those who enjoy much leisure, are not to be governed in the same manner; for nothing is to be counseled which could obstruct the fulfillment of the duties of state.

b) To natural disposition: for those who are furnished with different temperaments must be treated differently.³ Sanguine persons, prone to loves and pleasures, are to be restrained, lest they be moved by inordinate affection, or, moved by a sudden ardor, assume something above their strength and afterward, cast down, fall into desperation; and they are to be induced to accomplish all things deliberately and constantly. Choleric persons, by nature bold and spirited, but at the same time impatient and proud, are to be checked lest they exceed and wish suddenly to reach a higher grade and afterward fall; hence they are to be humbled, though with discretion, and admonished to distrust themselves, and yet at the same time to turn passions to a good end and direct them to nobler and higher things in the service of God. Phlegmatic persons, inclined to tepidity and pusillanimity, are to be excited more and constantly lest, lulled to sleep, they become tepid and lax; but on the contrary, that they proceed strongly in all things, yet in such a way that works are somewhat tempered, so that, considering their inborn inertia and languor, they are able to exercise them. Finally melancholic persons, inclined to sadness and suspicion, are to be treated more kindly and consoled, lest they be oppressed by sadness and a broken spirit and be driven into dejection; they are to be turned away from solitude and idleness, and occupied with useful labors, but not subjected to a heavier burden.

³ See already above, p. 65, note 2.

c) To the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which the confessor ought to investigate and follow, not anticipate, lest by his own counsels he overturn the work of God. The Holy Spirit is manifold in gifts and leads souls in various ways by various inspirations. Hence one must not strive higher than God calls, nor hold back from that to which He impels.

3. Let him take care that they proceed in perfection in an ordered way and by degrees, beginning from smaller and easier things. Therefore let them be taught

a) to beware of the least deliberate defect, yet in such a way that, when a light fault has been admitted, they not be cast down in spirit, but immediately rise from the fall by acts of humility, sorrow, and purpose, even if they should fall a hundred times in a day;

b) to perform ordinary actions, and prayers, meditations or readings, hearing of Mass, use of the Sacraments, small mortifications, conversation with the neighbor, duties of state, precepts of God and of the Church, common devotions, e.g., visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and the rosary of the Blessed Virgin, etc., well and with every solicitude, and to have a right intention in all things, but to avoid extraordinary things;

c) to bear light things before they desire grave things;

d) first to strive for patience, and only then for joy in adversities;

e) first to mortify curiosity, vanity, and sensual love; then to exercise the moral virtues, especially prudence, rectitude and sincerity, fortitude, meekness, etc.; finally to walk more in the spirit of faith, filial confidence toward God, and fervent love of Him;

f) yet before all things to foster humility, obedience, and love of the cross together with one's own abjection: for if spiritual exercises do not conduce to this end, let devotion be held suspect.

III. The means of advancing in the pious and devout life are some general and common, others particular.

The particular means are diverse according to the different grade which the pious have reached, and according to the inclination of grace, their condition, and their disposition; so that especially those virtues are inculcated to them which are opposed to the predominant vice, or better correspond to the duties of state or the motions of grace.

The general means common to all are spiritual exercises, namely the practice of mental prayer, frequent remembrance of the divine presence, mortification, and discussion of conscience. To these external means can be added: the direction of the confessor together with reading of books which treat of the spiritual life, a definite rule or good ordering of life, reception of the sacraments, and sanctification of the social relations which we have with others.

IV. Mental prayer, although it is not necessary for salvation, is nevertheless the most apt means for sanctifying the soul by divine love; for, as St. Alphonsus testifies, Pr. conf., n. 122, "prayer and sin cannot dwell together; but the soul will either leave prayer or sin," cf. Eccli. VIII, 40; Jer. XII, 11. Hence let the confessor induce the pious into the habit of mental prayer, establish for them the time to be spent on this exercise, e.g., half an hour morning and evening, assign to them the truths to be meditated upon, teach them the method of meditating fruitfully, and sometimes, e.g., each month, require an account of this method. - And let him watch that they pass no day without some consideration of truths, that they frequently pour forth pious affections and fervent ejaculatory prayers, and, as far as they can, read attentively and piously in a spiritual book.

Now mental prayer consists of three parts: preparation, meditation, and conclusion.

1. Preparation is contained in three acts, to be elicited briefly: namely an act of faith concerning the presence of God, an act of humility on account of sins committed, and an act of supplication for divine light.

2. Meditation or reconsideration itself, which ordinarily, and always by beginners, is to be instituted from a spiritual book, and concerning matter which seems more profitable to each one, namely with a greater affection of devotion, fruit of virtue, and utility in avoiding defects, such as the last things, the goodness or benefits of God, the malice of sin, and before the rest the life and Passion of Christ. - Moreover the principal part and end of meditation is not the speculative consideration itself of truths by the intellect, but rather is in eliciting affections, making petitions, and strengthening purposes through the appetitive faculties: the meditation itself ought to tend to these fruits and ought to be left behind for their sake when a man perceives himself to be moved in soul. Hence:

a) Affections constitute the fitting response by which the soul addresses God after God has illuminated it and intimately addressed it. In view of various circumstances, acts of faith, confidence, gratitude, adoration, praise, humility, contrition, and especially charity are to be elicited, by which the soul offers itself wholly to God and conforms itself to His holy will, and which it cannot exercise repeatedly enough. Thus it should wish, affectively and effectively, to be led by God and to be submitted to Him.

b) It is helpful to repeat petitions in prayer: for God is not accustomed to grant helps except to those asking, and no time is more opportune for asking than the time of mental prayer. Therefore in this, with humility and confidence, let light, remission of sin, perseverance, etc., be asked for, first of all the gift of holy love; yet all through the merits and Passion of Christ.

c) Purpose is necessary so that the fruit of prayer may endure and the light granted by God may be applied to the directing of life. But purpose, that it may be efficacious, should not be general, e.g., of avoiding any defect whatever or giving oneself wholly to God, but concretely determined and particular, e.g., of avoiding such a defect in such a manner or on such an occasion, of better exercising some virtue by this special means, of tolerating such an annoyance, of obeying such a superior or such a rule, of mortifying oneself in such a thing and at this moment, etc.

3. The conclusion is completed by three acts: a) thanksgiving for the lights received in meditation; b) determination of standing firmly by the purposes formed, and of immediately executing them; and of remembering them rather often during the day, just as the sentence which more strongly moved the soul; c) urgent petition from God for help, to be obtained through Christ and Mary, for executing the purposes.⁴

⁴ Garrigou-Lagrange, L'Oraison commune, in the periodical La Vie spirituelle, t. VIII, can also be compared.

V. Frequent remembrance of the divine presence, from which we several times offer our acts to God, break forth into pious ejaculatory prayers, renew the supernatural intention rather often, and thus avoid sins because of fear and reverence toward God present, and from love of Him advance daily in the practice of virtue, according to that: Walk before me and be perfect, Gen. XVII, 1.

It is namely a frequent and habitual elevation of mind and heart into God present, a loving attention of the soul to God, whom it beholds in every thing, in every event, and especially in itself; a simple gaze, but full of love, directed toward God, by which the soul, without any force or more intense effort, but as if by a connatural tendency, is borne into God, whom it knows to be present. Thus the soul is vividly conscious of the presence of God; it feels itself under His eye, searching all things, and under His operative activity; and rather often it recollects itself within itself for finding God in an act of loving sweetness.

For God truly is: 1) in all things by essence, presence, and power, that He may have care for all, especially for those who invoke Him with confidence, for the Lord is near to all who invoke Him;

2. in all events, because all are ruled by His wise providence, and they are not judged rightly unless they are considered according to the intention of the first cause;

3. specifically in the soul of the just: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come to them and remain with them, that they may have divine life and rejoice in the joy of the divine presence and love, John XIV, 23.

Remembrance of the divine presence contributes much:

a) to avoiding sin, from fear and reverence toward the supreme and infinite majesty present;

b) to advancing in virtue and spiritual life, from the fact that we sustain the struggle and effort while our God sees and, as it were, applauds;

c) to stimulating confidence and charity toward God, who from mere benevolence toward us, with His knowledge, wisdom, love, counsel, and omnipotence is in us for our good;

d) to supernatural consolation and spiritual joy of fruition concerning the presence of God and His highest goodness.

For this exercise in practice it helps:⁵ 1) to carry some special sign or have it within one's room; 2) often to elevate the mind and heart to God present everywhere, or even inhabiting the soul, and to repeat an act of love, yet without any force or desire of sensible consolation: for he who truly loves never forgets the person loved; 3) to love solitude and seek it as far as possible, for enjoying the presence of God and His love; 4) and to ask this love and the memory of His presence from God. "Every evil," says St. Teresa, "comes from this, that we do not consider God present... Let us not think that even a single lifting of the eyes in remembrance of Him is left unrewarded by God."

⁵ St. Alphonsus, o. c., n. 168.

VI. Mortification, in the present order, is altogether necessary for removing the impediments of perfection, specifically⁶ a) for the progressive healing of the wounds of original sin; b) for the destruction of personal sin and its consequences; c) for the perfect subordination of natural activity to the life of grace, Gal. V, 24. For it is necessary that we live not only as rational beings, under the guidance of reason, but also as sons of God, under the guidance of faith and the Holy Spirit; and therefore it is necessary to restrain merely natural activity and even to repress the first inordinate movements, lest this natural activity grow too much and distract us, to the detriment of the higher activity of grace. But the impediments of perfection to be removed are internal and external; the internal arise either from inordinate internal senses or from unmortified passions; the external are from riches, honor and glory, delightful things, or persons loved too much or pleasurably.

⁶ Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange in the journal Vie Spirituelle, t. XI and XII.

In this matter, however, the confessor must proceed moderately according to Christian prudence, by which he should beware of every excess and defect. For just as it is a harmful error to place perfection in fasts, vigils, hair-shirts, scourgings, etc., so it is the greatest error to contemn mortification as useless to spiritual progress, or absolutely to assert that external mortifications profit nothing or little.⁷ For although internal mortifications of the passions and appetites of the soul are rather to be exercised, such as: not responding to injuries, yielding in contentions, following the will of others, not seeking oneself, etc., nevertheless external and bodily mortifications help the internal ones and are necessary for restraining the senses; hence they were also frequent among all the Saints.

⁷ St. Alphonsus, o. c., n. 145.

Yet let the confessor take care 1) that he not be too facile in conceding them, especially in the first warmth of devotion; and let him enjoin on the penitent that he do none except according to the prescriptions handed down to him;

2. nor generally let him concede them unless asked; for they do not profit unless they are much desired; hence let him so instruct penitents that they spontaneously ask for them;

3. let him concede less than they ask;

4. let him concede by degrees, so that he tempers the excessive fervor of beginners, to whom he permits only a few things; let him be more liberal with those who are well rooted in virtue;

5. let him concede according to strength, capacities, conditions, and circumstances of health, duties, and the fervor of each one;

6. let him concede according to choice: a) especially let him persuade to mortification of gluttony, which is less usually attended to and is harder than others, and yet is most useful; b) let him be sparing in conceding mortification in necessary sleep, which weakens the body and renders it unfit for exercises of piety; c) let him watch that they be exercised constantly in negative mortifications, as being more useful, e.g., that they abstain from curious things to be looked at, heard, or read, speak sparingly, be content with foods unpleasant to them, take nothing outside the time of refreshment, not approach the fire in winter, rejoice over the lack of some necessary thing, not complain about inconveniences, infirmities, persecutions, and command their passions;

7. yet let him add, that he may remove every occasion of pride, that those mortifications are altogether nothing if they are compared with those which the Saints did, or with the pains which Christ suffered.

Therefore the following are to be mortified:

1. The external senses, by constant custody: touch by circumspection in use, or even by afflictive penances; - taste by means of temperance, abstinence, fasting; - speech by vigilance, by which words are weighed before they are uttered, and by silence, by which we do not speak unless it is fitting; - sight by custody and modesty of the eyes, especially toward persons of the different sex; - hearing by turning away from evil speech against modesty, the neighbor, superiors; - smell by abstaining from perfumes and by enduring foul odor, especially if charity toward the poor or the sick demands it.

2. Inordinate passions, which give origin to the capital vices and all arise from inordinate love of self;⁸ these are to be restrained and weakened, though they can never be fully extinguished. Here three things are to be noted:

⁸ Cf. St. Thomas, I-II, q. 77, a. 5.

a) first of all the predominant passion by which we more frequently fall into defects is to be investigated and fought;

b) the first motions of passion are to be repressed, lest they grow so much that they can scarcely be overcome;

c) not only a notable passion, but the least passion and every appetite for a licit but unnecessary thing is to be mortified.

3. The appetite for external causes which impede perfection: a) the appetite for riches by poverty of spirit and perfect indifference toward them; b) the appetite for honor and glory, which is sought even from good works, by weighing one's own nothingness and our absolute dependence on God, so that all things are gifts of God and from ourselves we have nothing except nothingness and sin; - by referring all works to the glory of God; - by concealing one's own gifts and not speaking about oneself; c) love of delightful things or of persons: by never acting for delight;⁹ by mortifying affection toward relatives and dealings with them and care concerning their affairs; by avoiding every merely natural friendship, especially one founded in tender and sensible love which draws its origin from gifts of body or disposition alone.

⁹ Let this be understood in the manner in which it is usually explained in the treatise on Human Acts.

VII. Discussion of conscience. - Necessary to mortification and progress is sincere daily discussion of conscience, both for watching over affections and operations, lest self-love overturn the right intention in them, and for experiencing whether in the way of virtue progress or regression is being made, and finally for detecting the causes and occasions of defect and inconstancy, that we may avoid them. It includes both general and particular examination: general, for recalling the principal offenses; particular, concerning one vice or one virtue in species, for seeing not only whether we have offended, but also whether and how far we have advanced. For progress will be more prompt and safer if all powers are applied to one thing, either a vice to be extirpated or a virtue to be cultivated, than if, with many things aimed at simultaneously, the powers are divided into different ways.

For instituting this examination usefully: a) for a determined time a virtue to be exercised or a vice or passion to be extirpated is undertaken, and indeed in a determined manner and in determined circumstances, e.g., the more useful virtue or the dominant passion; b) in the morning the purpose is made and occasions are foreseen; c) throughout the whole time of the day acts of virtue or mortification are exercised, so that day by day the good is progressively increased and the evil diminished; d) in the evening the discussion is instituted, progress is examined, sorrow is elicited concerning the fall or negligence, and inquiry is made concerning their causes or occasions; e) the purpose is renewed for the next day, and means are established for avoiding the causes and occasions.¹⁰

¹⁰ Concerning examination of conscience, cf. La Vie spirituelle, t. XIV, year 1926.

VIII. Specifically as regards the frequenting of the Sacraments.

A. As regards confession: 1) Generally it is expedient to suggest to beginners that they make a general confession,¹¹ unless they have already made one well or have been agitated by scruples.

¹¹ See above, p. 53 sqq.

2. As regards ordinary confession, although certain persons of very tender conscience have been accustomed to confess daily, ordinarily, however, it suffices to confess once, or, exceptionally, at most twice in a week.

3. He who lacks the opportunity of confessing and is burdened by venial sin, even one altogether deliberate, ought not on that account to omit communion, both because venial sin does not impede communion, and also because, besides confession, it can be remitted by other remedies, e.g., by an act of contrition or charity virtually retracting it; indeed it can happen that on this occasion he prepares himself for communion by more fervent acts of contrition, confidence, and humility.

4. In the confession of venial sins, one must beware lest they be declared from mere custom and as a mere narration, without contrition or purpose, or only in general; - but let them accuse in species a few sins well determined, with the cause or motive of sinning added; besides, let them add some defect to be extirpated, by which the state of the soul may become more known to the confessor, or even some graver sin from the past life.

5. That confession may be truly devout, let it not be made without preparation, nor only with examination having preceded, humble and sincere accusation, true sorrow and efficacious purpose, but let the penitent also seek means of amendment and resolve to avoid the occasions of sins.

6. When carefully made, confession purifies, restores, and confirms, and joins one more to God.

B. As regards communion, conformably to the decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, 20 Dec. 1905:

1. For communion, even frequent and daily communion, strictly only two things are required: the state of grace and right intention, by which, namely, one does not indulge custom or vanity or human motives, e.g., empty rivalry, desire of gaining the benevolence of superiors, or sensible sweetness rather than solid piety, but intends to please God, or wishes to be joined more closely to Him by charity, or to meet his own infirmities and defects. For Communion is not the reward of virtue or merit, but a means for acquiring virtue; nor was it instituted before all things for honoring God, but for the utility of men.

2. Yet that communion may be more devout, it is especially expedient that even fully deliberate venial sins be absent, and especially affection toward them; all the more because if this actually perseveres, it impedes the effect of the sacrament, which is fervor or the actual exercise and sweetness of charity. Nevertheless this is not strictly required; indeed, if a pious, right, and sincere intention is present, it cannot happen that those communicating frequently do not free themselves from venial sins and affection toward them.

3. Since the sacraments of the New Law produce a greater effect in proportion to greater dispositions, it must altogether be cared for that careful preparation precede and thanksgiving follow, according to each one's strength, duties, and condition. For one very fervent communion can produce much more fruit than several ordinary ones, or many tepid ones.

4. In frequenting Holy Communion, for the sake of greater prudence and fruit, it is necessary that the counsel of the confessor intervene; not indeed that he may keep away those who have a right intention, but that he may render them more certain concerning right disposition; and stimulate all to a more fervent disposition and greater purity; and also sometimes prohibit those whose right disposition is held suspect, namely so that they may be taught to approach more fervently. Such are those who after many communions do not care about venial sins, but commit them altogether deliberately and with the same frequency as recidivists, and indulge very much, for example, vices of the tongue, or lead a worldly or tepid life.

5. Careful preparation will have to be procured, both remote and proximate. Remote, by which they are habitually preserved in purity, day by day free themselves more from every fault and defect, and burn with a greater desire for Holy Communion; proximate, which consists in diverse affections: living faith, great confidence in Christ, ardent desire, humble contrition even concerning venial sins, profound reverence, and especially perfect unitive charity, which namely more aptly disposes to the proper effect of the sacrament.

6. Thanksgiving should consist in most fervent acts: a vivid and, insofar as can be done, persevering love by which we desire that Jesus be loved more by us and by all creatures; profound adoration; full oblation and handing over of self; subjection of the intellect through faith and of the will through charity; submission of all powers to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ; pious gratitude; humble petition; and through the day an enduring remembrance of so great a benefit.

But care seems to have to be applied to thanksgiving all the more because, while the species remain, the sacrament continues to produce fruit ex opere operato, not indeed an increase of habitual grace, but the fervor and sweetness of charity, unless by distraction, neglect, or inordinate affection we place an obstacle.

IX. Corollary. - Therefore true devotion is much impeded by:

1. adhesion to earthly consolations, even licit ones; for the spirit and the flesh are opposed to each other;

2. deliberate venial sins, because they make charity tepid;

3. an excessive abundance of occupations, which distracts the mind, dissipates the heart, and calls one away from God. Hence if many occupations are imposed on someone by office, let him take care to do them for the cause of pleasing God, and from time to time amid occupations to recollect himself in God.

X. Things to be avoided by confessors. - St. Alphonsus wisely admonishes the confessor:¹²

¹² O. c., n. 100.

1. That he employ the greatest care lest he take away or diminish liberty of approaching another confessor. Therefore let him beware lest he prohibit devout penitents, especially women, from approaching another; and if they have approached, let him show that this is pleasing to him; indeed, unless they are scrupulous, let him himself also impose on them that they sometimes confess to others, otherwise he can be a cause of sacrileges.

2. That he not show himself solicitous about taking upon himself the direction of some soul.

3. That he never speak without necessity concerning the defects of other confessors, but rather carefully seek to excuse them from some error committed.

4. That he not take up the direction of someone who wishes to leave his director, unless there is an urgent cause, such as a defect of virtue or even of doctrine in him, or a propensity to vanity; not, however, because the penitent feels some aversion toward him, or because he seems no longer to have faith in his words, for often this is a temptation of the devil. And from this dissipations, disturbances, and sometimes even scandals often arise.

5. Let him beware lest he show himself partial and inclined to one penitent before others, and attach himself to some soul; this holds not only concerning younger and lighter persons, but also concerning very devout and spiritual persons, with whom there is danger of a greater adhesion. Therefore let him not expend all care, time, and labor with one or another; if someone needs greater assistance, let not therefore a more sparing or insufficient care be had for others; hence it can also be expedient to assign to that more needy person a special day and time, so that others suffer no inconvenience.

6. If it happens, as can occur although it happens more rarely, that a devout person falls into mortal sin, let the confessor show no sign of astonishment or indignation, but, after the example of Christ looking upon Peter fallen, let him receive that person kindly, excite him to hope, sorrow, charity, humility, and beware lest the penitent hand himself over to inordinate sadness.¹³ But if this fall greatly displeases him, it must be seen whether it is indignation of pride or of holy sorrow: pride is to be repressed, sorrow is not to be extinguished.

¹³ Aertnijs, Th. P., n. 208.

7. Finally, let the confessor generally be expeditious in hearing the confessions of pious and devout persons, especially women; let him accustom them to brevity of speech in the confessional; certainly a devout woman to whom an expeditious confessor is pleasing gives a good sign of true virtue.¹⁴

¹⁴ Ibid., n. 211.

XI. Observations. - God is accustomed to send upon the pious and devout both spiritual or even sensible consolations, that He may draw them back from earthly pleasures and excite them to the exercise of virtue, and also desolations, or even temptations, that He may prove their fidelity and raise them to greater perfection. Concerning these it must be noted:

A. As regards consolations:

a) Let a man know that true devotion consists in a prompt, strong, and constant will of serving God and doing whatever pleases Him, but not in sensible sweetness of heart or even spiritual sweetness; hence one must not adhere to these.

b) Besides, let him judge and confess himself unworthy of the gift of divine consolation, and strive to draw his soul away from earthly pleasures, excite it to arduous virtues, and join it more to God.

c) Meanwhile let him prepare himself for desolation: for God's visitations are neither constant nor do they happen equally to all, but He grants them now that we not be cast down, now He withdraws them lest we abuse them and turn them into vice, I mean vain glory or negligence in exercises. Thus He acts lest we slide into pride, but so that we may acknowledge that they are only gifts of God, and also that we may more ardently desire God's visitations, yet without adhering to them but to God alone: namely, exercising virtue and laboring by our own determination, not on account of consolations, but because this is owed and pleases God.

d) Hence they are not to be expected from God, except with perfect submission toward Him, according as it shall please Him to give or deny them.

B. God also sends desolations, which are sometimes accompanied by vehement temptations and movements of impurity, anger, blasphemy, unbelief, and also despair, by which devout souls are affected with great sorrow. For since consolations are gifts of God but not God Himself, it is necessary that the soul recede from divine gifts in order to love the giver Himself. "That He may draw souls away even from His own gifts," says St. Alphonsus, Pr. conf., n. 125, "and compel them to love the giver with a purer love, God brings it about that they no longer find in prayer their customary food and usual consolation, but wearinesses, aridities, torments, and sometimes even temptations."

Hence let the confessor be solicitous:

a) that they not lose courage, judging that they are not in the grace of God, but on the contrary that in desolations they see a sign that God wills to nourish them with more solid food and lead them to solid virtue, to greater sanctification, since for those who love God all things work together unto good, Rom. VIII, 28;

b) that he strengthen and stimulate them not to omit prayers and Holy Communion or even other spiritual exercises, which from this become more pleasing to God and often more meritorious;

c) that he inculcate to them that he who loves God on account of consolations loves God's consolations more than God Himself, and on the contrary that he who loves God and adheres to Him without consolations shows Him a true, pure, and firm love;

d) let him show that there is no safer and shorter way to perfection than patience in tribulations: the more we suffer, the more perfectly we are drawn away from creatures, are purged from self-love, are united more intimately to God, and are assimilated to Christ;

e) aided by divine light, let him inquire from what cause spiritual desolation arises; for this the penitent should willingly expose the state of the soul with all humility. Desolation can come either from a voluntary defect, such as abuse of consolation through pride, sluggishness, adhesion to a creature, and then the penitent should grieve concerning the fault, ask pardon, humbly admit desolations as punishment, and be renewed into former fervor; - or from bodily fatigue and from natural indisposition, and then there will be place for honest recreation and bodily exercise, or sometimes even for the intervention of a physician, that strength may be restored; - or from God Himself, who intends to purify the soul, and then they are to be willingly accepted, without a more curious investigation concerning the divine intention, saying like Christ: Father, remove this chalice from me, nevertheless not my will but Thine be done, Luke XXII, 42.

C. As regards temptations. Those who tend to progress of virtue are attacked by special temptations, for more efficaciously overcoming which they need the prudent counsel of the confessor.

1. At the beginning: rather often, excited from a certain natural fervor or by spiritual consolations, they easily presume upon their strength and wish to undertake excessive or greater things; but afterward, delights having been withdrawn, they no less easily lose their former ardor and fall into dejection of soul, judging that they cannot attain virtue. Therefore a) let him fortify them from the beginning that the business of perfection is not completed in one day but by slow degree;

b) let him not trust much in fervent beginnings;

c) especially let him instruct them that true and solid progress consists not in delights but in spiritual struggle, and in a firm will of doing whatever pleases God and avoiding whatever displeases Him, and that God, who looks upon the heart, rewards efforts more than apparent progress. Accordingly let them commit themselves with a great soul to the good pleasure of God.

2. After some progress: those who have served God for some time, wearied after some time by the spiritual struggle, often look back, wishing to stand still where they are, and by love of comfort are solicited to tepidity. From this it happens that they decline a little, curtail the exercises of prayers and mortifications, or omit them, or accomplish them negligently, receive the sacraments without fitting preparation, flee difficult things, esteem perfection less, grow in love of the world and pleasures, etc. This is with difficulty adverted to at the beginning of the time, but easily with progress. From this it happens that they begin to hold light defects as small, and admit them deliberately, and sometimes, when temptation presses, slide into mortal sin.

This evil must be carefully treated. Hence:

a) let them be seriously admonished concerning the danger which they incur: he who does not progress in the way of God, by that very fact, because concupiscences and temptations arise, regresses; hence also slow tepidity is often more dangerous than mortal sin itself, Apoc. III, 15-16;

b) let them be excited to greater fervor, both because those who have been heaped with more abundant graces are held to greater perfection, and because the loss of time and grace is treated severely by God, and because God, the best and greatest, deserves to be worshiped with all the strength we can;

c) let them be ordered to resume and perform well all neglected exercises of devotion, especially mental prayer and examination of conscience, or even to increase them for some time, or also to make a sacred retreat.

d) But if kind exhortation does not profit, let them be treated with severity and terrified by the terror of divine judgment.

3. Finally in the more advanced state of virtue: from time to time they are caught in the snare of pride, vain glory, and a certain rash presumption. From this it happens that, forgetful of the necessity of divine help, they are pleased with themselves in their own strength, rashly throw themselves into certain occasions of sin, and hold negligence in small matters as harmless, and are deceived by vain illusions; thus anger is judged zeal, pertinacity is held for constancy, prodigality for liberality, self-love for divine love, sensual love for charity. Hence they can also fall into grave sin, although more rarely.

For these things it will profit a) generally to use instant prayer, discussion of self, consideration of one's need and fragility, and frequent remembrance of sins;

b) specifically, as regards the practice of virtues, counsel and simple and humble obedience to the confessor, and particular examination; and for avoiding illusions, let them do nothing extraordinary without the confessor having been consulted.

XII. Warning concerning false devotees. - Aertnijs, Th. P., n. 212, notes:

"From truly devout persons those are to be distinguished whose devotion is either hypocrisy, for deceiving others, or illusion, by which they themselves are deceived. All their devotion consists in external exercises of religion; namely they frequent church, recite many prayers, confess often, and several times in the week receive Holy Communion. Nevertheless they neither understand nor care for true and solid virtue, but teem with vices; they remain in church longer than is fitting, with disturbance of parents and neglect of the domestic matter; they frequent the Sacraments that they may be seen by men and praised; wherefore, if the confessor does not indulge them to communicate as often as they would wish, they bear the rebuff badly; in the confessional they desire to converse with the confessor for a long time, without any utility or necessity. The spirit of mortification is altogether lacking to them; therefore they gape after delights in food and drink, abhor labor, and are talkative. They lack humility and obedience; therefore they do not subject themselves to the direction of the confessor, but the confessor would have to obey their nods; they deceive the confessor, while they confess only very light faults, but graver ones, such as we here enumerate, they do not accuse; they affect praises and honors, cling to their own sense, are impatient of correction, spurn others and correct them arrogantly. They are destitute of charity toward the neighbor, whence they are very troublesome to their household, spare the good name of no one, envy others, are easily angry, etc. - Among persons devout in appearance are to be numbered certain matrons and young ladies who wish to join a worldly life, given to delights and luxury, with piety; hence they frequent both theaters and church, attend nightly dances and sacred processions, read romantic books and books of prayers, frequent the Sacraments and pursue worldly circles.

"Indeed there are those who also wish to be contemplative and are eager always to speak about spiritual things. Meanwhile there lies hidden, or even appears, often an immense pride, tenacity of one's own judgment, foolish imaginations, false madnesses. They neither cultivate nor understand virtues; they are wholly lacking in a spirit of mortification, humble and simple obedience, genuine charity toward the neighbor, patience.

"Such persons are to be brought back to true humility, then to a pure intention in all things. Afterward they are to be directed according to the common rules, and carefully taught in what true devotion consists."¹⁵

¹⁵ Theol. Mechl., Treatise de Virtutibus, n. 90, q. 2. Cf. St. Francis de Sales, Introduction a la vie devote, p. I, ch. I.