INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE

PART III: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41

PART III, Chapter 1: We Must Select The Virtues To Be Practised

The queen of the bees never goes to the fields without being accompanied by her little subjects. Similarly charity never enters a heart without finding a lodging there for itself as well as for a retinue of other virtues which it exercises and sets to work as a captain does his soldiers. However, it does not put them to work all at once, not uniformly, nor at all times and in all places. The just man is like a tree planted near running waters that bears its fruit in due season (Ps. 1:3). For charity waters the soul and produces in it virtuous deeds, each in its proper season.

Music, so pleasant in itself, is out of place in time of mourning, says Proverb (Sirach 22:6). It is a great fault in many who undertake the practice of a particular virtue to insist on turning out acts of it on any and every occasion. Like some of the ancient philosophers they wish either to weep always or to laugh always. Still worse, they criticize and condemn those who do not practise these same virtues at all times as they do. The Apostle says: Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15);charity is patient, kind (1 Cor. 13:4), generous, prudent and lowers itself willingly.

Nevertheless there are virtues which are almost always practised. These must not only produce their own acts but must also communicate their quality to the acts of all other virtues. Occasions of practising courage, magnanimity and great generosity are rare. But gentleness, moderation, honesty and humility are some of the virtues by which every action of our life should be coloured. The practice of these are more necessary, though there are virtues which are more excellent. Sugar is more enjoyable than salt but salt has a more frequent and more general use. We must always have a good store of these general virtues at hand since we ought to make constant use of them.

In the practice of virtues, we must prefer that virtue which corresponds more with our duties than with our tastes. St. Paula was inclined to practise great bodily austerities in order to enjoy more easily spiritual consolations but she had a greater duty to obey her superiors. That is why St. Jerome acknowledges as blameworthy her excessive fasts carried out against the advice of her Bishop. The Apostles, on the other hand, commissioned to preach the Gospel and to distribute the bread of heaven to all, judged extremely well that it would be wrong for them to be restricted in the exercise of their mission by the practice of the virtue of caring for the poor even though this is very excellent (Acts 6:2). Every life-situation requires the practice of some particular virtue. Different are the virtues to be practised by a Bishop, by a prince, by a soldier, by a married woman, by a widow. Although all should have all the virtues, nevertheless, all are not bound to practise them equally. But each one must devote oneself to those virtues much needed for the state of life to which one is called.

Among the virtues which do not concern our own duties, we are to prefer the most excellent and not the most showy. Usually, the comets appear bigger than the stars and occupy more space as seen by us. All the same, they are not comparable to the stars either in their size or in their importance. They appear great because they are closer to us, and are of a coarser substance than the stars. Similarly, there are some virtues which as they are close to us, are more visible and in a way more physical. They are highly esteemed and always preferred by the common people. Thus they usually prefer temporal almsgiving to the spiritual, hair-shirt, fasting, going barefoot, discipline and mortifications of the body to gentleness, good-naturedness, modesty and other mortifications of the heart which however are more excellent. Choose, then Philothea, the best virtues and not the most esteemed, the most sublime and not the most spectacular, and the most excellent and not the most showy.

It is useful for each one to choose a special practice of some particular virtue. This is not to abandon the other virtues but to keep one’s mind precisely ordered and occupied. A beautiful young girl, brighter than the sun, royally adorned and attired, and crowned with an olive wreath, appeared to St. John, Bishop of Alexandria and said to him: “I am the eldest daughter of the King. If you can have me as your friend, I shall lead you to his presence.” He realized that God was recommending to him compassion towards the poor. Soon after, he so devoted himself to the practice of this virtue that he was known everywhere as St. John the Almsgiver. Eulogius of Alexandria desired to do some special service for God. But he did not have sufficient strength either to embrace the solitary life or to put himself under obedience to another. So he brought home a miserable man eaten up by leprosy to practise charity and mortification in this regard. In order to do this more worthily, he made a vow to honour, treat and serve him as a servant would his master and lord. Later some temptation came to both of them, Eulogius and the leper, to part from one another. They approached the great St. Antony who told them: “Take care, my children, not to separate from one another. For both of you are nearing the end. If the angel does not find you together, you run the great risk of losing your rewards.”

St. Louis, King of France, used to visit the hospitals and serve the sick with his own hands as if he was being paid for it. St. Francis of Assisi loved poverty above everything else and called it his Lady. St. Dominic cherished preaching from which his Order took its name. St. Gregory the Great was happy to take special care of pilgrims following the example of the great Abraham and like him received the King of Glory in the form of a pilgrim. Tobias practised charity by burying the dead (Tobit 1:17). St. Elizabeth, though a great princess, loved humiliations above all else. St. Catherine of Genoa when she became a widow devoted herself to the service of a hospital. Cassian narrates that a devout young lady desirous of practising patience had recourse to St. Athanasius. At her request, he put with her a poor, irritable, ill-tempered, troublesome widow. She constantly scolded the young lady and so gave her sufficient opportunities for practising worthily gentleness and kindness.

Thus among the servants of God some dedicate themselves to serve the sick, some to help the poor, some to impart Christian doctrine to children, some to bring together the lost and wandering persons, some to decorate the church and adorn the altars, and some others to bring about peace and harmony among men. In this they imitate the embroiderers who make all kinds of flowers by placing silk, gold and silver on different backgrounds in such beautiful variety. Thus these devout persons who undertake some particular practice of devotion make use of it as a background for their spiritual embroidery. It forms the basis for the practice of a variety of other virtues, keeping their actions and affections so united and ordered in their relationship with the principal exercise that they thus reveal their spirit:

In a robe of golden cloth so beautiful to see

And adorned with figures fair in rich embroidery[1].

When we struggle against some vice, in as far as it is possible, we ought to embrace the practice of the contrary virtue, relating all others to it. By this means, we shall overcome our enemy and we shall not cease to advance in all other virtues. If I am not attacked by pride or anger I should in all circumstances incline and direct myself to the practice of humility and gentleness; and make use of the practices such as prayer, the Sacraments, prudence, constancy and temperance to this end.

Wild boars sharpen their tusks by rubbing and polishing them with their other teeth which thus become very pointed and sharp. Thus a virtuous person undertaking to perfect himself in that virtue of which he stands most in need for his protection, should strengthen and perfect it through the exercise of other virtues. By refining it, all other virtues become more excellent and quite complete. So it happened to Job who exercising himself particularly in patience, against so many temptations which assailed him, became entirely holy and perfect in all kinds of virtues. In fact, as said by St. Gregory Nazianzen by the practice of one virtue, a person can reach the fullness of virtues. He refers to Rahab who by practising perfectly the duty of hospitality reached very great glory (Joshua 6; Heb. 11:31); but it means that such an action was done excellently with great fervour and charity.

______________________

[1] Ps. 45:13, St. Francis quotes in verse and so we have translated in verse (Translators).

Chapters