INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE

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PART III, Chapter 23: The Practice Of Exterior Mortification

Those who deal with rural agricultural matters assure us that, if some word is written on an almond seed that is quite entire, and put back in its shell carefully, and properly folded and closed, and thus planted, then every fruit which the tree produces will have the same word written and engraved on it[1]. As for myself, Philothea, I could never approach the method of those who begin by the exterior such as the bearing, the dress or the hair in order to reform a man. On the contrary, it seems to e that we should begin by the interior: Convert yourself to me, says God, with your whole heart (Joel 2:12). My child, give me your heart (Prov. 23:26). As the heart is the source of actions, they are such as the heart is. The divine Spouse inviting us says: Place me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm (Song 8:6). Yes, indeed, anyone who has Jesus Christ in his heart, will have him soon after in all his exterior actions.

I wish, therefore, dear Philothea, to engrave and inscribe on your heart, before everything else, this holy and sacred maxim: LIVE Jesus! After that, I am sure that your life which comes from your heart, like the almond tree from its kernel, will produce all its actions which are its fruits inscribed and engraved with the same word of salvation. Just as this gentle Jesus will live in your heart, he will live also in your conduct, and appear in your eyes, in your mouth, in your hands, even in your hair. Then you could say reverently following St. Paul I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). In short, he who has won the heart of man, has won the whole man. This heart itself, by which we want to begin, needs instruction as it has to form its exterior bearing and conduct. In this way, not only holy devotion but also a great wisdom and discretion are seen by men in them. For this purpose, I am going to give you briefly several counsels.

If you can bear fasting, you will do well to fast for a few days, in addition to those enjoined by the church. Besides these ordinary effects of fasting such as elevating the spirit, subduing the flesh, practising virtue, acquiring greater reward in Heaven, it is a great help to maintain control of gluttony. It keeps the sensual appetite and the body subject to the law of the spirit. Although we may not fast much, the enemy fears us when he sees that we know how to fast. Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are the days on which the early Christians observed abstinence the most. Choose then from these, days of fasting, in so far as your devotion and discretion of your director may advise you.

I would say willingly what St. Jerome told the good lady Laeta: Long and immoderate fasts displease me very much, especially by those are of tender age. I learned from experience that the little donkey, growing tired of the journey, seeks to wander away.

It means that young people carried away by weakness due to excessive fasting, easily turns to delicacies. The stags run badly during two seasons: when they are too fat and when they are too lean. We are greatly exposed to temptations when our body is too well-nourished and when it is greatly weakened. The one makes it insolent while at ease, the other renders it desperate while ill-at-ease. We cannot carry it when it is too fat, so too it cannot carry us when it is very weak.

The lack of moderation in fasting, the use of the discipline, hair-shirts and other austerities render the best years of many useless for the service of charity. This happened to St. Bernard who regretted practising too much austerity. In as much as they ill-treat the body in the beginning, they are forced to pamper it at the end. Would they not have done better by giving it a balanced treatment, proportionate to the duties and work to which their professions in life obliged them?

Fast and work subdue and discipline the body. If the work you do is necessary for you, or very useful for the glory of God, I would prefer that you bear the pain of the work rather than that of the fast. This is the mind of the church in exempting from fasting, even when it is commanded, those who do works, useful for the service of God and neighbour. One has difficulty in fasting, another in serving the sick, visiting prisoners, hearing confessions, preaching, assisting the desolate, praying and similar exercises. These pains are of greater value than fasting. Besides subduing the body just as much, they produce much more desirable fruits. Hence, in general, it is better to preserve more bodily strength than necessary, instead of weakening it more than required. We can always reduce it when we desire, but we cannot restore it when we wish.

I feel that we must have great reverence for the words which our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ spoke to his Disciples: Eat what is set before you (Lk. 10:8). I believe that it is a greater virtue to eat without choice what is offered to you, in the same order in which it is set before you, whether it is according to your taste or not, than to choose always the worst. Though this latter manner of living seems more austere, yet the former has more resignation because by it we renounce not only our taste but also our choice. It is not a small austerity to accommodate our taste to everything and keep it subject to whatever is provided. In addition, this kind of mortification is not seen, inconveniences no one and is particularly suitable for social life.

To push aside a dish to take another, to pinch and scrape at everything, to find nothing well-prepared, nor clean and proper, to make a mystery of every mouthful shows a feeble heart attentive to dishes and plates. I appreciate more St. Bernard drinking oil, taking it for water or wine, than if he had drunk wormwood[2] water purposely. It was a sign that he was not thinking of what he was drinking. In this indifference to what we eat or drink lies the perfect practice of the sacred words: Eat what is set before you (Lk. 10:8). All the same, I exempt dishes that are injurious to health, and even disturb the spirit, such as hot, spiced, smoked and flatulent food. I except also certain occasions when nature stands in need of being refreshed and helped to be able to do some work for the glory of God.

A continual and moderate sobriety is better than violent abstinences observed at irregular intervals mixed with great self-indulgence.

A moderate use of the discipline has a marvellous efficacy to awaken the desire for devotion. Hair shirts powerfully subdue the body. But their use in general, is not suitable either for married people or persons of delicate health or those who have to bear great difficulties. It is true that we may use it with the advice of a discreet confessor on days set apart for penance.

We must make use of the night for sleep, each one according to his constitution and need in order to keep awake during the day and spend it usefully. Sacred Scripture in a hundred ways, the example of the Saints and natural reasons strongly recommend the mornings as the best and most fruitful part of the day. Our Lord is even called the rising Sun (Zech. 3:8, Lk. 1:78) and our Lady the Dawn of the day (Songs 6:9). I think that the care we take to go to bed early in the evening is virtuous so that we can awaken and rise up early in the morning. Indeed, this is the most beautiful, the most peaceful and the least troubled part of the day. The birds themselves challenge us to awaken and praise God: moreover early rising is helpful to both health and holiness.

Balaam mounted his ass and went to visit Balak (Num. 22:21-34). Since he did not have the right intention, the angel sword in hand waited for him on the way to kill him. The ass which saw the angel stubbornly stopped three times. Balaam struck it cruelly with his staff to make it go ahead, till the third time when it lay on the ground under him and miraculously spoke to him saying: What have I done to you? Why did you strike me already three times? Soon after the eyes of Balaam were opened and he saw the angel and told him: Why did you beat your ass? If it had not turned away from me I would have killed you and spared the ass. Then Balaam said to the angel: Lord, I have sinned for I did not know that you have put yourself against me on the way. Do you see, Philothea, Balaam is the cause of the evil and he strikes and beats the poor ass, which cannot do anything.

Often our affairs take the same turn. A woman sees her husband or her child sick and suddenly takes to fasting, hair shirt, discipline as did David on a similar occasion (2 sam. 12:6). Alas! Dear friend, you are beating the poor ass, you are afflicting your body. It can do nothing to help you to overcome your evil. It is not the reason why God has turned the sword against you. Correct your heart which idolized your husband and tolerated a thousand faults in the child and was leading it to pride, vanity and ambition.

A man sees that he often falls seriously into the sin of lust. The interior accusation comes against his conscience with sword in hand to pierce him with holy fear. Suddenly his heart awakens, and he cries out: Treacherous flesh, disloyal body, you have betrayed me. Immediately, he inflicts severe blows on his body by immoderate fasting, excessive discipline, unbearable hairshirts. Poor soul, if your flesh could speak like the ass of Balaam, it would say: Wretched man! Why do you strike me? It is against you, that God threatens his vengeance. It is you who are the criminal. Why do you lead me into bad company? Why do you use my eyes, my hands and my lips for immodesty? Why do you trouble me with impure imaginations? Think good thoughts and I shall not have impure feelings. Frequent modest people and I will not be vexed by lustful desires. Alas! It is you who throw me into the fire and you do not want me to burn. You are casting smoke into my eyes and you do not want them to be irritated.

Certainly in these cases, God tells you without doubt: Strike, break, split, crush your hearts mainly (Joel 2:13) because it is mostly against them that my anger is aroused. To cure the itch, there is not so much need of washing and taking bath as purifying the blood and toning the liver. Thus to cure ourselves of our vices it is evidently good to mortify the flesh. However, it is necessary above all to purify our affections and renew our hearts.

In everything and everywhere, we should not undertake bodily austerities except with the advice of our spiritual guide.

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[1] Palladius, a fourth century Latin writer on agriculture.

[2] A woody herb with bitter taste.