A spiritual retreat

Front matter

A SPIRITUAL RETREAT *

Fr. Alexander , O.F.M .

I ll

II. Veni, Pater Pauperum

Worldly and unworldly wealth compared — Spiritual poverty : cause, effects, remedy — One glorious exception — Blindness of modern world: seen in nations and institutions — Past glories : present decay — Grounds for hope — Where duty lies — Danger of delay — “ I will arise !"■ — Our spiritual riches —

How to guard them - 7-1 3

III. Veni, Dator Munerum

Gifts of God in general — How the great saints appealed to them — Personal gifts: time, talents, opportunities — Use and abuse of natural gifts — Mediocrity — Success — How to retire gracefully from scene of labour — Opportunity makes the saint — Daily opportunities in cloister — Importance of little things ------ 14—23

IV. Veni, Lumen Cordium

Love of God is the light of the heart — Walking in darkness —

Love means union — The world without love — Lack of love means lack of thought — Desolation — Quest of love by saints — Love, the principle of perfection — Dutifulness— Steps towards love — Divine attributes — Growth of love - 24-33

vii viii

V. Consolator Optime

Universality of suffering — Attitude of believer — Value of suffering — Heaven a spectator — Our hellish foes — Bravery versus cowardice — Pity and compassion of God — Christ in suffering our Model — Rewards — The religious pessimist — God our Father — Compensation in suffering — Blessings of vocation — Human consolers — Their limitations - - 34-42

VI. Dulcis Hospes Animal

Guests in the old home — A man known by his company — Loneliness: its dangers — The inhospitable spirit — The true Religious is accessible — Spiritual hospitality — Guests of the soul — Welcome versus unwelcome guests — The indwelling of the Spirit ------ 43 — 5 1

VII

Life’s pilgrimage — Our destiny — Christian duty — Parting of the ways — Mystery of vocation — Our own secret — Conditions of successful pilgrimage — The Holy Spirit, the pilgrim’s guide — Resting-places — Our Emmanuel — The goal reached ------ 52—62

VIII

Monastic repose — Pre-Reformation monasteries — Worldly versus unworldly rest — Rest in God — Examples — Difficulties of modern life — Remedies — The yoke of toil — Everlasting rest ------ 63-72

IX. In Jbstu Temperies

Man’s dominion — Old Testament miracles — Excess of heat iu moral order — Persecutions — The passions — The ruling passion — Practical hints — Saints who fought and conquered ------ 7 3-82

IX

X

Grief — Sowing in tears ; reaping in joy — Saving power of grief — Melancholy and depression — Examples — Sin, supreme cause of grief — Repentance — Marks of true repentance - 83-92

k

Mission of Holy Ghost — Past and present ages — Divine light — Christ’s prayer — Pentecost — Religious called to secret counsels of God — Darkness of soul versus illumination — Rules and constitutions — The path of duty is the path of light ------ 93-104

Need of grace — Barrenness of pagan world — Our duty by it — Aridity of civilized world — Dangers for us — Remedies — Secret of the quest for grace - 1^4-131

XV. Sana Quod Est Saucium

Wounds due to personal folly — The Divine Physician — Faith and confidence — Courting disaster — Man’s internal enemies — Testimony of St. Paul — Victory does not mean immunity from scars ----- 132-137

X

XVI

Victory of obedience — The noblest of the vows — Christ’s way to victory — The only way for Religious — To be raised up we must first be cast down — The surrender at profession — The yoke and the burden — Mockeries of the worldly — Foundation of obedience — Queries - - - 138-144

XVII

The Holy Ghost diffuses warmth — Pentecost — Alternate coldness and warmth in spiritual life — The cloud of witnesses — St. Margaret Mary and Sacred Heart — The Blessed Sacrament — The “ Visit ” ----- 145-153

XVIII. Rege Quod Est Devium

The prodigal — Abuse of Divine generosity — Dark periods in history — Our own wanderings — Conditions of return — How to keep to safe paths — Our guides - - - 154-158

XIX

Gifts of the Holy Ghost in general — Relation to grace — Their number and nature — The soul with and without gifts —

The gift of Fear — Effects — Servile, initial, and filial fear — Pusillanimous souls — Saints’ hatred of sin - - 159-167

XX

The gift of Piety — How it appeals to all men — The root of holiness — Practice — Results — How Piety is nourished in cloister — Evils of neglect — Gift of Fortitude — Its importance under trials - 168-174

XXI

History of world in two chapters — Gift of Knowledge — Human versus Divine knowledge — St. Paul’s indictment — Lessons for us — How the gift is lost — How increased — Gift of xi

Counsel — Should be specially esteemed by Religious — Wonders effected by it — How to co-operate — Call to higher life — Fruits of counsel - 175-182

XXII. Gift of Understanding — Futility of mere natural understanding

Use and abuse of understanding — Admissions of converts — The scientist versus the Catholic illiterate — Historical episodes — Effects of the gift — Value in Religious life —

Gift of Wisdom — The “pious fool ” — Wisdom controls the other gifts — May exist without great knowledge or experience— Solomon — Prayer of Cardinal Manning - 183-190

XXIII. Da Virtutis Meritum

Prayer — The cloister a house of prayer — Privileges of Religious — Their source — Contemplative and mixed life — Source of abuses — Discipline of prayer — Divine Office — Meditation —

St. Teresa — Work and prayer — Praying always — The Pater Nos ter - - - - - 19 1—200

XXIV. Da Salutis Exitum

Effects of Retreat reviewed — Death — “ Better to die than to live” — Inconsistencies — Relapse — The agonizing — Judgment — Confession — How to be always prepared - 201—208

%xv.

DA PERENNE GAUDIUM

Earthly joys — All our gifts means to an end — The end is God — Heaven — Blessings of a happy eternity — Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence — Our Blessed Lady — Final perseverance ----- 209-214