Spiritual direction for the use of religious communities...

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

APR 17 iuo-i

Preface

Obedience," says St. Augustine, "is the fiery chariot into which the Prophet Ehas entered and in which he was swiftly borne to heaven Happy the souls who enter this chariot with no other thought than to continue in it and allow themselves to be borne upward "

After all, what matters a more or less commodious position ?

What matter more or less violent shocks since we know we are on the route that each moment brings us nearer the goal, and that the guide whatever his exterior bearinelanguage, inanner of speaking, is himself guided by the spirit of God ?

Our only care must be not to abandon the chariot which is bearing us on to the goal.

II

The road of obedience is sure, but sometimes difficult : and in the road to Heaven as m every other, the sun parches and burns us, the dust stifles us, we are bruised by the stones, and pierced by the thorns. There are times during the journey when everything seems lost Clouds envelope the

8 Preface.

chariot; it experiences rude shocks, the guide himself seems to us astray, and discouraged and frightened we would turn from the path.

God foresaw all these discouraging trials, and to alleviate them He has placed along the route shelters in which we may rest, springs at which we may be refreshed. God foresaw all these discouraging trials, and to alleviate them He has willed that the guide in charge of the chariot should be Guide and Father in one.

As Guide, he causes it to move, and impels it forward. As Father, he loves us, consoles us, encourages us.

HI.

The object of this work useful to all pious souls though intended principally for religious communities, is to set forth the mission of Guide and Father which God has confided to Superiors,

The sentiments of a father are never absent from the heart of a superior, but they are particularly manifested in those hours of converse which, under the name of direction^ draw to his own heart the hearts of those who submit themselves to him.

Ah ! would we might make direction known and loved. How the trials of the re-

Preface, p

ligious life would then be sweetened ! Doubtless they would not cease, for they enter into God's designs for our sanctification, but with what resignation they would be borne and how meritorious they would be !

IV

All that we have said is gathered from the writings of Saints and Doctors of the Church. The works of Tronson, the Mystical Theology of Schram, the Ascetic Guide by Scaramelli, Z^/e-Z^^ /r^2?^' sur la direction, par Mgr. Rey, Bishop of Annecy — the works of R Surin, of P. Grou, of P. St. Jure, of St. Francis de Sales, the different treatises of Rodriguez, and various ascetic works, all approved bythe Church, have served us as guide and furnished the most beautiful pages of our book.

Therefore we offer it with confidence to pious souls, humbly asking a few prayers from those whose hearts we shall have expanded.

Contents

Preface _ ^

Definition of Spiritual Direction 15

Chapter l.~Necessity of a Director,

Chapter II, —Advantages 0/ Direction

1st. For communities 4.

2 ''. For individuals :

It opens the heart 48

It dilates the heart 40

It gives peace co

It causes one to advance in virtue . . 53 It causes one to taste the joys of holy

friendship ce

Chapter llL-^Choice of a Director,

An appointed Director 61

Freedom in the choice of a Director. . ' * 71

Prayer to ask of God a Director. ...!!!!.*.*!! 8«;

1 2 Contents,

Chapter IV. — Abuse of Direction

1st. A multiplicity of Directors 86

2d. Changing Directors 9*^

3d, Relations with a Director:

Attachment for a Director 9^

Dislike for a Director loi

Reserve with a Director 104

Chapter V. — Duties of the soul directed

1st. To pray much for her Director 112

2d. To seriously will to become better 1 14

3d. To be simple 1^5

4th. To be obedient . . ..- 118

5th. To be discreet 123

6th. To be humble 126

7th. Summary 13^

8th. A few counsels 132

Chapter N\.— Objections to Direction.

1st. Sources of these objections - - - - . ^34

2d. Answers to the principal objections:

My Director is not a priest 136

My Director is not a saint 137

My Director is too young 138

I find nothing to say 139

I cannot open my heart 140

My Director is not discreet 141

My Director says nothing to me, or

continually reproaches me 144

I am dissatisfied after receiving direction ; - 146

I prefer to seek my direction in writing 150

I fear to weary my Director 151

Contents.

Chapter Vll,— Mailer of Direction.

n

1st. General principles on the matter of direction 153

ad. Subjects which may serve as matter of direction:

A virtue to be acquired .... 161

Actions 163

Temptations 164

Trials 167

Inclinations and disposition 169

Of the body 1 70

Of the soul 171

Of the mind 1 73

Daily Life 1 74

General formula 1 76

Chapter VIII. — Pa^^ticular counsels for Direction.

1st. Character of pious persons 186

2d. Different slates of pious persons .... 190

3d. How pious persons should bear themselves in these different states 193

4th. Rules for discerning the spirit of God ig^

Chapter YK..— Practice of Direction.

1st, Direction: On humility 201

2d. Direction: Counsels on piety 213

3d. Direction: On laxness 216

Conclusion.— Z>^^/n;/^ of St. Liguori.

1st. On the general necessity of direction 222

2d. On the particular necessity of direction

for scrupulous souls 223

3d. On obedience to one's Confessor 233

14 Contents.

Appendix

Two Letters of Marie Lataste.

1st. Letter : Necessity of a Director 235

2d. Letter ; How we should act towards a Director 241

Letter of St. Ignatius on Obedience.. 245

PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.

DEFINITION NATURE DIVISION OF THE

TREATISE.

J.

Definition and Nature of Spiritual Direction.

Spiritual direction means '*a summary of the counsels which a person, experienced in the ways of God and the science of the Saints, gives to a soul which asks for them in order to advance in perfection."

Observations upon the words of the definition.

We say ist, a summary of the counsels, for an occasional counsel or decision does not constitute spiritual direction. Direction is a series of counsels, teachings, encouragements which, while allowing the soul perfect freedom to act for herself, never leaves her alone. A director is a guide, and a guide

1 6 Preliminary Chapter,

not only shows the way but accompanies us the length of the route.

zdi^ An experienced person : such a person may be a confessor, a superior a layman, or even a friend ; but he must always have the experience afforded by age, study, practical life, and the authority which his position or his well known devotion gives him.

3d, ^ soul which asks counsel: Direction not being, as we shall show later, of rigid precept, a soul that wishes to be guided must ask for direction, or voluntarily submit in her community, to all that the rule prescribes concerning direction.

4 th, 7^ order to advance in perfection : The end of direction is particularly, perfection.

We have not here to examine how far eveiy Christian is bound to perfection by these positive words of Jesus Christ : *^'Be you perfect as also your heavenly Father is perfect." '' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength; '' but all admit as certain, that persons living in a community and taking religious vows, are obliged to tend to perfection, and that direction, as we are about to explain, is a great means of attaining thereto.

Preliminary Chapter, ij

Though our work may be useful to all Christians, we are writing it particularly for persons consecrated to God.

II.

Division of the Treatise.

3. Choice of Director.

6. Objections to Direction.

8. Particular counsels on Direction.

9. Practice of Direction.

CHAPTER FIRST. Necessity of Direction

Direction, as we have defined it, may be independent of confession, * and as in some communities it is given by other than a confessor, it is not absolutely necessary for salvation.

The counsels of a confessor,— religious instructions, — spiritual books, generally indicate sufficiently the means to avoid sin and obtain salvation.

But we can say without exaggeration, that except in particular and very rare cases, direction is necessary to attain the perfection which the religious state requires.

It is the doctrine of the founders of all Orders who in their constitutions have prescribed the obligation of spiritual direction.

It is the thought of the Church which has approved these constitutions.

It is the teaching of the Doctors who say

* The direct end of confession is to purify the soul from its sins. The direct end of direction is to make it advance m virtue, by indicating the means of overcoming faults and natural inclinations which might lead it to sin.

Necessity of Direction, ig

that God, though able to guide souls by His inspirations alone, has,nevertheless,not willed to do so, and has always made use of men to form men, either to punish our disobedience and overcome our pride, or because His fatherly condescension chooses this means- as better suited to our infirmity, or as St. Augustine says, because He designed to thus maintain the tie which should exist between men.

It is, finally, the practice of the Saints, all of whom regard the happiness of being under obedience to a director as an important grace, and have manifested towards him a filial and complete submission which, to us, is truly astonishing. " All have been led in this way, " says St. Dorothy, ' ' and if, '' adds Tronson, " God has sometimes dispensed a few from it, it has only been in rare cases ; nor are we aware that He has ever done it without verifying the dispensations with many miracles and wonders, and He has thus dispensed souls, only when there was no one at hand to direct them. Therefore, though the miracles performed by a person were to equal the number of his actions, his sanctity would be doubtful if, being able to have a director, he did not submit to his guidance."

" It may happen, '' says Schram, ** by an extraordinary providence, or, in default of a suitable person to guide the soul, or simply because God wishes to grant this singular grace, it may happen that He will deign to guide and direct her in a more sublime way Himself or by means of an angel. For God only confines Himself to His laws with the right of infringing them, if it be His greater pleasure, when an intermediary is lacking, or He wills to act miraculously. ''

St. Gregory, who makes the same remark, cites several examples of persons who, having no spiritual master to ostensibly direct them ^ have had God alone for their director. ''But," adds the same Saint, ''these are extraordinary cases and should not be cited as the rule, lest certain souls, pretending to be interiorly directed by the Holy Ghost, may cease to consider themselves disciples and aspire to be guides. "

" If a person, desirous to advance in virtue; lives where a director, capable of directing him in the way of perfection, cannot be had, I have no doubt, ''says Scaramelli, "that God will become the spiritual master of this soul and will give him counsels and interior lights to guide him in the true way and to cause him to attain perfection, for the isolated soul, on his part, will implore this assistance from the divine Mercy, and God is in one sense obliged to supply the deficiency of His ministers. *

'' If later, however, this soul, so eager to advance in perfection, finds himself where there are priests, confessors, directors, from whom he may seek counsel for the regulation of his interior and exterior actions, and if, pretending that God has become his sole and special guide, he refuse to accept the direction of His ministers, and claiming that God himself speaks to his heart, he refuse to hear the words of experienced masters to whom he may have access, he acts with great temerity and deserves that God should refuse to guide him, and Scaramelli even adds that this temerity should be punished by abandonment on the part of God, who permits him to fall into grave faults. "

* Witness St. Honore, an example cited by St.Gregory ; he was born in the country, grew up in the society of herdsmen, and had no spiritual master who could teach him the rules of perfection,

Moses is another example ; God himself told him what he was to do, for, being in a desert, he had no one of whom to ask counsel.

Samuel, like Moses, heard God's voice, but because Samuel dwelt in the temple, the abode of the high priest Heli, from whom he could seek counsel, God sent him to the latter. God willed, says Cassian,that Samuel should be an example of deference and submission, for all those who seek from spiritual superiors rules of conduct.

In addition to these general considerations, here is something more precise.

I.

A director is generally necessary for all persons whom God calls to perfection.

In our blindness, infirmity, and misery, it is very difficult for us to attain perfection, or for the majority of Christians to attain salvation without a Director.'^

Proofs furnished by authority.

*' It is better that two should be together, than one ;" says the Holy Spirit, ''for they have the advantage of their society. If one fall, he shall be supported by the other ; woe to him that is alone, for when he falleth, he hath none to lift him up. And if a man prevail against one, two shall withstand him; a threefold cord is not easily broken." — Eccles., iv. 9,10,12.

"Does it not seem" writes the Bishop of

* Some of the words of the Saints and Doctors which wc are about to quote, may at first seem exaggerated ; they would perhaps be exaggerations were they applied indiscriminately to all the faithful buthere they only refer, as we have said, to souls called to perfection, and obliged to aspire thereto by the state which they have embraced ; these souls cannot be saved without having acquired a certain degree of Perfection which God requires of each one, and which is only known to Him.

Angers, ''as if you read in these words the history of the incessant struggles of the interior Hfe and the falls which we sometimes experience therein ? But do you not also see by the side of the evil, that which will correct it: side by side with frailty, that which will convert it into strength ? Therefore it is a principle of the religious life that we must seek from superiors direction for our own conduct, and, there is no religious community where it is not held an important duty."

''Lean not upon thy own prudence'" says the Holy Spirit : ne innitaris prudentice tuc^. — Prov. iii.5.

' 'Be not wise in thy own conceit : ne sis sapiens apud te ipsum, — Prov. iii, 7,

''Counsel shall keep thee and prudence shall preserve thee.'' Consilium custodiet te et prudentia servabit te, — Prov. ii, 11.

"Be not your own master," says St. Jerome, ' ' and do not venture without a guide in a way which is not known to you." *

' ' Salvation is a difficult science, we must therefore have a master to instruct us in it.'' —St. Dorothy, f

i" Ojfzts est nobis auxilio prcefer ipsujn Deum ; o^us est

'*It is the most dangerous navigation ; we must therefore have a pilot to direct us/' —St. Basil. *

'* It is a most intricate path, therefore we need a guide to lead us and save us from wandering.'' f

In a word, a director is absolutely necessary. " Without one, " says St. Dorothy, ^' there is no salvation ; '' — ** without one/' says St. Vincent Ferrer, *' do not expect that God will give you His grace. "|

'' Without one/' says Cassian, ^^do not expect that God will make known to you the way of perfection/' §

**Ihave never known a person retired from the world, to be lost in any other way than by neglecting to take the advice of a director, and trusting to his own guidance. Many even affirm that there is no other

source of ruin for souls, and that when you learn that a soul has fallen, it is no rash judgment to conclude that he willed to guide himself and have no other director but his own mind/' — St. Dorothy.*

'We shall inevitably be overcome, ''says St. Ambrose, *' if we have not a friend who consoles us in our afflictions, who re-animates us when discouraged, who rouses us from our languor, who, in a word, does for our soul what was formerly done for the paralytic by charitable persons who brought him to the feet of Jesus. "

'*The first thing which God requires of any one who aspires to sanctity is, that he renounce his own opinion, that is, that he humble himself and submit to the guidance of those to whom God has confided the ministry of souls. Just as there are very special graces attached to submission, so there are manifest dangers incurred when we have the pride to judge and govern ourselves. The interior life is full of obscurities, temptations, and pitfalls, and to enter it alone is evidently exposing one's self to the danger of being lost. Therefore there is no middle course :

^Ne persuademur esse nos satis ad regimen nostrum : opus est nobis auxilio prceier Deum, opus est coadjutoribus . . nee aliter possit salvari. — either we must absolutely renounce entering this life, or if God calls us thereto, we must take a director, that is, a man lo whom we fully disclose our soul, to whom we render an account of everything pertaining to our spiritual life, and to whom, as God's representative, we render the obedience we would to God. ■'— Grou. ' ' Many, " says the Venerable de la Salle, "■ lose the spirit and grace of their vocation because they do not fully disclose their heart to their superiors. If they do not observe this essential rule, it is impossible to guarantee them from the evil consequences liable to follow from the temptations with which the devil attacks those living in a community. These temptations are usually the stronger the more souls advance in virtue. For when they fervently labor to acquire the perfection of their state, the devil, who knows that if they persevere they will do him great harm, as much by their example as by the graces their prayers obtain for others, continually hovers about, watching, as St. Peter tells us, an opportunity to make them fall. " '^ The enemy of our perfection rejoices '' says St. Dorothy, ''when he finds souls who trust to their own guidance and do not abandon themselves to the direction of their superiors, for he knows

Necessity of Direction, 2 J

that tney will fall like Autumn leaves, being alone in their struggle against him, or rather in league with him/'

We could easily prolong these quotations which we find in great numbers in all books which treat of direction.

We will complete what we have cited, by the following remarkable page from Mgr. Rey, Bishop of Annecy. ^^ Experience teaches us that the religious who ceases to follow direction under any pretext whatever, becomes lax, tepid, proud, arrogant, weak, sinful. *He falls ill,' says St. Jerome, * he does not make his malady known to the physician, therefore he cannot be cured, but dies/

*' Experience proves that a community, in which the rule for direction is not observed, goes ill, it is divided, it loses charity and religious simplicity — it falls into disorder. It is a fatal presage of more or less imminent dissolution.

* * If it happen in a community that direction is no longer practised , or practised ill, I would say that such a community has run its course, it is lost. It must be regenerated and its soul restored, for direction is the soul of a community.''

Proofe furnished by reason.

The necessity of a director in order to attain perfection is drawn :

1st. From the very nature of a pious and perfect life.

This hfe is a divine art by the exercise of which we become more and more submissive to Jesus Christ, and acquire a greater resemblance to our Divine Model.

Like all other sciences,it is usually only acquired by a knowledge of the elements, that is, the virtues of which it is composed, and the exercise of the virtues which, to be acquired and practised demand a more or less extended apprenticeship, and a habit which is sometimes formed only by heroic efforts.

Now, who is there, who, when he can easily have a master, would wish to learn by himself a science which is absolutely necessary to him in order to attain the end he proposes, particularly when the errors he is liable to commit m acquiring it may often be irreparable, and might, as in the present science, led him to perdition }

2d. The obstacles to be encountered in a devout life make a director necessary.

The obstacles spring particularly from the opposition within us to the practices of a devout life.

Thus, a devout life is a life of submission, and in us there is a decided tendency toward independence.

A devout life is a life of humility, a hidden life, and in us there is a decided tendency to vanity and an exterior life.

A devout life is a life of self denial, and in us there is a decided tendency to sensuality and sensual enjoyments. Therefore, continual effort on our part is required to struggle against these evil tendencies.

Now, who is capable, without counsel, of knowing how to struggle, and of finding means for the struggle ? Who, without support, is capable of not falling off in his practice and of not being overcome .?

These obstacles are also created by the evil one, who does not wish that we should attain this devout life, and foments troubles, temptations, discouragement, weariness, and other impediments.

How again, without an enlightened and experienced master are we to recognize and baffle the snares of the evil one ?

The world also raises obstacles and opposes us with its mockeries or its joys ; our family, our friends oppose us with their affection, our temperament opposes us with its delicacy. Again, how are we to resist these seductions, these allurements, these apparently absolute needs without a counseller, a helper, a guide ?

3d. The illusions so frequently met with in a devout life, prove the necessity of a director.

These illusions are snares by which the devil under the appearance of good, endeavors to lead to evil those who give themselves to virtue.

Who does not know how frequent are these illusions and how many souls they have ruined ?

All our actions, the holiest in themselves, as well as the most indifferent, may, through the malice of the evil one, be fruitful in illusions.

They are to be found in austerities which we believe ourselves obliged to practice, which injuring our health, unfit us for the performance of our duty ; — in the solitude which we believe ourselves obliged to observe to avoid the scandals ofthe world, and which prevent our performing the acts of zeal which, our duty prescribes ; — in the prayers and meditation which we believe it our duty to prolong or multiply, or perform in a certain way under pretext of greater perfection ; — in the acts of virtue, which we practice, thus zeal may be too ardent, humility too apparent, gentleness too inactive, etc.

There may also be illusions in what we call interior inspirations ; — ^'without doubt these • inspirations are precious," says St. Francis de Sales, " they are heavenly rays which bring into our hearts vivifying light which enables us to see the good and incites us to the pursuits of virtue and without them our souls would lead indolent, impotent, useless lives.

But who will assure us that these inspirations come from God, even when they incite us to an action which appears good to us, if it be but commanded by our rule, or is the result of our ordinary manner of life t

Frequently the devil in urging us to a good action and representing it as excessively important for our perfection, though it is not directly within the sphere of our duty, has no other object than to make us neglect a duty, yield to a thought of self complacency or inspire us with a feeling of compassion, perhaps contempt, for others apparently less divinely favored than ourselves.

' ' In order not to be deceived, " says St. Fr. de Sales, ** before heeding inspirations concerning important or extraordinary things, ask counsel of your guide that he may examine whether the inspiration be true or false. The enemy/' adds the Saint, " seeing a soul prompt to accept inspirations, often suggests false ones to deceive her, which he never can do while she humbly obeys her con- ' fessor/'

Illusions are never discerned by souls about whom they entwine their attractions, they can only be discovered by a clear sighted and disinterested friend, and even when discovered, their too weak, slothful, inconstant victims cannot dissipate them without the support, encouragement and firmness of a director,

4 th. The frequent and unexpected accidents encountered in the da'out life make a director necessary.

These accidents, or rather these maladies, which every pious soul experiences in a greater or less degree, and for a longer or shorter period are :

I St. Discouragement after a humiliating fall, — a failure which we deemed impossible, — a reproof, or sharp word which we think unmerited, or the apparent fruitlessness of our numerous eflforts — How are we to keep

Necessity of Direction. 3j

up our courage and rise again, without a word from a friend who doubtless shows us the weakness of our virtue and that there is cause for humiHation, but also points out real amelioration in our conduct and persuades us to continue our efforts ?

2d. Aridity of mind and heart when in neither one nor the other can be found a thought, a word, a sentiment, which leads it to God. Prayer wearies them, meditation particularly oppresses and tries them, communion seems useless, the exercise of virtues becomes very painful. . . How are we to continue the faithful performance of our duty without a friendly voice to tell us again and again that God is not obliged to console us, but that we are obliged to serve Him; — who will prove to us that joy, consolation, sensible fervor, do not give to prayer or action its real merit, but that it depends upon the will with which we act, and our efforts to act well.

3d. Scruples, There are sometimes long periods during which by a direct permission of God, or through the malice of the devil who often makes use of the weakness of our constitution, or in punishment for our infidelities and our little care to please God, our mental vision is obscured, we see nothing clearly or positively ; everything we do seems a sin ; — a vague disquiet seizes our heart, our thoughts are unstable, our actions nerveless; we force ourselves to begin them, we leave them through fear of doing them ill, we resume them through fear of being punished by God. . » We suffer ourselves, and we make others suffer. How are we to come forth from this night which envelops us, without a hand which will hold us firmly and guide us with energy } Never was a scrupulous soul cured other than by submission to a director. *

4th. Tepidity, finally, which is more frequent and more dangerous than scruples and discouragement. We say our prayers, badly through our own fault, we omit them without remorse, we merely try to pass away the time during meditation, and our little progress in virtue is a matter of indifference

to us, we do not positively wish to offend

God/ but we seek our own gratification on every occasion, — we do everything in our power to avoid suffering, and the end of all our efforts is to lead an easy life.— How are we to throw off this torpor without the energy of a director who, not only shows us the

* See at the end of the present work the Doctrine of St. Liguori on the necessity of a Director for scrupulous soulsdanger of our conduct, but impels and holds us to our duty and obliges us to perform it ?

St. Bonaventure thus sums up the reasons which oblige a soul to have a director :

I. **A director is necessary to teach a soul what it should know — what it should fly, — what it should practice. Books no doubt tell us all these things, but some one must teach us to apply them to ourselves, otherwise our inclinations, our temperament, our very passions will modify the teachings of books in favor of our sensuality.

2. "A director is necessary to guide a soul in the practice of virtue. Knowledge is little, — will is a little more, — practice is everything; now, practice requires material aid to support, stimulate, to revive and encourage it. What soul is there which, left to itself, will not frequently exclaim: Enough, Enough ! I can do no more !