July 28
On The Monthly Retreat
Preparation. - It is an excellent custom to spend one day every month in retreat, in order to renew our fervor. Wherefore we shall consider, first, its advantages, and secondly, with what dispositions we should make our monthly retreat. We shall purpose to choose, for each of these retreats, a special fault to correct, or a virtue to acquire of consolidate, so as to derive lasting fruits therefrom. “Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4. 1).
I. Advantages Of The Monthly Retreat.
When our Lord send His apostles to preach the Gospel in Judea, He urged them on their return to rest from their labors in solitude, silence, recollection and prayer, so as to regain apostolic tours with greater courage and success. Do not we also, after a whole month’s more or less distracting occupations, need to enter into ourselves, to bewail and expiate our faults, to remedy our defects, our habits of imperfection? Do we not need to root out of our mind merely human and natural notions, and restore to it liveliness of faith and uprightness of intention?
After a whole month of work, study, business or vexation, our soul is at times dry and parched, and feels the need of recruiting itself spiritually. A retreat is the means best suited to recover the unction of piety, of bursting asunder the bonds that attach us to the earth and to ourselves, of fortifying our courage, reanimating our hopes and reawakening in us the desire of a higher perfection. By meditating and praying in seclusion we acquire a better understanding of the heavenly goods, a greater mastery over ourselves and our passions, and become less impatient in trials; and at the same time, we grow stronger in adversity, more condescending towards our neighbor, better disposed to forgive his failings, and more eager to conform to God’s good pleasure.
“He who aspires to a spiritual and interior life,” says the Imitation, “should, at times, withdraw with Jesus from the multitude. For we cannot securely appear in public, if we do not like to be hidden; nor can we speak with security, if we are not fond of silence; nor securely shine or command, if we have not learned in solitude to humble ourselves and obey.” In fact, we find in the spiritual exercises every thing calculated to assure our progress, such as, pious reading, meditation, prayer, the divine Sacrifice, holy Communion, pious reflections, and especially the grace of retreat. Let us, who are so weak, so exposed to be lost, imitate the saints, first, by sighing for our days of retreat, and secondly, by profiting by them to refresh our soul, to render it pure, detached, ardent in doing good, and uniting it to the fountain of all wisdom and holiness.
O Jesus, inspire me with a horror of mental dissipation, of loss of time, especially during the salutary moments of a retreat. Enable me to be sparing of these moments, more precious than gold, since they procure me an increase of grace, the acquisition of the virtues, and greater merit for eternity. “Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
II. Dispositions For Making The Retreat Well.
The first consists in being convinced of its necessity. And who will fail to be convinced of this, if he considers human misery, his inclination to evil, his helplessness in doing good, the violence of the temptations assailing him, the extent of the dangers surrounding him? Moreover, we know not what crosses, difficulties, employments, important offices are awaiting us and demanding of us real, solid virtue. Where shall we find such a virtue, if not in retreat, in which God lavishes the most efficacious means of sanctification?
These reflections should produce in us an ardent desire of the retreat, the second disposition required to profit by the graces of solitude. As the worldling pursues wealth and pleasure, as the captive sighs after freedom, the sick yearns for health, and the conqueror aspires after victory and glory; so, in like manner, should we long for the retreat, that fertile mine of spiritual wealth and happiness, that source of true liberty, spiritual strength and genuine greatness.
The third disposition consists in courage and confidence in God. Persuaded that the Lord Himself leads us into retreat to bestow bountifully therein His favors upon us, let us ask ourselves, how the saints, were they in our place, would make it; how great would be their recollection, fervor, self-denial and spirit of prayer! If a demon of hell were accorded the opportunity of freeing himself from hell by a retreat, how gratefully he would accept the condition! And we can, at this price, not only avoid the eternal punishments, but even those of purgatory, if we unreservedly profit by the privilege granted us.
And why should we not profit thereby, when we behold sinners taking more trouble to damn themselves than the Lord requires of us for our salvation? Moreover, there is nothing difficult in a retreat, for the days we devote to it resemble the few hours the traveller spends for refreshments in an eating-house, in order to recover his strength. Hence on our road to heaven we refresh ourselves by regular exercises of meditation, spiritual reading, pious reflections, petitions, examination of conscience and good resolutions. Is not this more like a feast than a labor? The soul plunges therein, enjoys herself and comes out all transformed.
O Jesus, through the intercession of Thy holy Mother, convince me of my helplessness and misery; enable me ardently to long for solitude, silence, recollection and mental prayer, that I may therein fortify my soul against my perverse inclinations, and increase in me the spiritual life so necessary to my salvation. I am resolved to spend the days of my retreat in strict seclusion and a continual spirit of prayer, so as to derive therefrom the most lasting fruits.
