October 19

St. Peter Of Alcantara

Preparation. - “We always bear about in our body the mortification of Jesus” (2 Cor. 4. 10). St. Peter of Alcantara could apply these words of St. Paul to himself; for, first, on account of his austerities and of dying perfectly to himself, he led a heavenly life on earth, and secondly, his penitent life was a more happy life than that of worldlings. Let us, during our meditation, ask him for the spirit of penance and of mortification of the senses, so that “the life of Jesus also may be made manifest in us.”

I. Austere Life Of St. Peter Of Alcantara

This illustrious saint astonished even the noblest souls by his severity toward himself. As soon as he received the religious habit, he resolved always to keep his eyes cast down. He never looked at any one, not even at his religious brethren, being satisfied with recognizing them by their voice. He usually ate but once every three days, and sometimes would spend a week without food.

And what is still more prodigious, for forty years he slept daily only an hour and a half, and this kneeling down, with his head leaning against the wall, or against a rope stretched out in his room. He never approached the fire, not even in the heart of winter. Add to this an extreme poverty, frequent disciplines, wearing constantly frightful instruments of penance, and we shall have some idea of his austerities; his body resembled a skeleton, so lean and dried up it looked.

But whence did that holy man, weak and mortal like ourselves, acquire this admirable zeal for suffering? From the profound impression the Saviour’s Passion made on him. Often was he seen prostrate before a large cross, with outstretched arms, and all bathed in tears. One day he appeared surrounded with flames proceeding from his heart all aglow with love; and the very cross before which he was praying, became inflamed therefrom and all radiant with light.

O my crucified Jesus, did I but know the treasures hidden in Thee, I would never cease meditating on Thy opprobriums and sufferings, and this meditation would inspire me with the courage of combating my effeminate and sensual life, which causes me to dislike crosses and to seek eagerly earthly pleasures. That I may obtain the spirit of penance, which is so necessary to Thy disciples, I am resolved, first to repress my sloth and negligence in fulfilling my daily duties; and secondly, not to seek the things that flatter my taste, vanity, curiosity and self-love, but to take pleasure in following Thy steps, O Jesus, and in living with Thee in trials, labors and hardships. Grant me the grace of crucifying here below my flesh and its lusts, so that my soul may be perfectly united to Thee. “Those that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences” (Gal. 5. 24).

II. The Happiness St. Peter Enjoyed In Austerity

The austere life of St. Peter of Alcantara made him a thousand times more happy than those who are slaves of their body and of sensual pleasures. Being freed from the useless desires that torment the human heart, he wished only for God, and God, on His side, lavished His favors upon him, inundating his soul with delights at mental prayer. Often was he seen raised in the air as high as the trees of the forest, whither he retired for prayer. A celebrated Dominican, enlightened by God, beheld him one day accompanied by a multitude of angels, who followed him every where and rendered him every kind of service. Our Lord Himself several times honored him with His visits.

Should we, after this, be astonished that rain and storms respected him? Being one day overtaken by a snow-storm far away from any shelter, the snow fell all around him an formed a kind of chapel, in which he and his companions spent the night quite peacefully in praising God.

His prayers were so powerful, that our Lord revealed to St. Teresa, that He could not refuse him anything; so true it is that God always bountifully rewards already in this life the sacrifices for His sake.

Is not such a manner of life preferable to that of monarchs and of the wealthy and influential in this world? Such a life is the fruit of dying wholly to one’s self and to all that is not God. If we wish to participate therein, we ought from this day forth resolve, first, not to lose, for the sake of trifles, so many degrees of grace, holiness and merit, so many lights and consolations that would result from a more mortified life; and secondly, to break asunder all the ties of affection which attach us to a certain object, a certain occupation, a certain pleasure, a certain person, notion or defect.

O my God, how blind am I in preferring so often nature to grace, my body to my soul, the goods of time to those of eternity. Alas! I do this every time I offend Thee by some slight, by a want of fidelity. O Mary, most pure Virgin, obtain for me henceforth to watch over my eyes, over all my senses and my self-will, so that I may be attached to God alone.

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September 28

Mortification Causes Us To Die To All Things

Preparation. - Let us, towards the end of the month, prepare for our last journey by consideration mortification, first as a death at every moment, and secondly, as an excellent means of dying as one predestined, according to the words addressed to St. John, which will serve as our spiritual bouquet: “Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord” (Apoc. 14. 13). Blessed are those who, dead to the world and to themselves, die in peace with God!

I. Mortification Is A Continual Death

“Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord; that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow them.” The dead mentioned in the Apocalypse, are those whom mortification causes to die to their senses, to their passions and to themselves, that they may be united to Jesus Christ. This virtue may, indeed, be considered as death at every moment, for it strips us of all sensible and too natural attachment, snatches us away from a sensual life and perverse inclinations, and puts to death the animal man in us, that is, our low and gross instincts, in order to strengthen in us the rational and spiritual man. As corporal death separates our soul from the external world and makes her free to return to God; so also does mortification, by cutting off all the bonds keeping us captive here below, leave our mind and heart free to cling to the supreme Good.

This explains the facility of the mortified soul in making mental prayer. St. Aloysius succeeded in keeping always recollected only by mortifying himself at every moment. The same be said of the Ven. Dominic Blasucci, a disciple of St. Alphonsus, who died in the odor of sanctity when only twenty years old. St. Alphonsus said of him that his only fault consisted in mortifying himself too much.

O my God, when shall I deserve such a reproach, especially from a saint, a doctor of the Church? But I deserve to be reproached rather with dissipation of mind, with giving too much freedom to my senses and with a fondness for comfort, which often scandalizes those I am bound to edify. Lord, enable me to be always recollected, modest and mortified. Wherefore, in the first place, penetrate me with the thought of Thy divine presence and the truths that tend to sanctify me. Secondly, become the master of all my desires, inclinations and affections. And finally, rule my heart, keep it away from evil, separate it from the world and vain pleasures; and help me to practice the virtues pleasing to Thee, and the best able to deserve for me the application of these words: “Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord.”

II. By Mortifying Ourselves We Prepare Ourselves For Death

What renders death holy and happy is the shunning of sin and the practice of virtue. Mortification enables us to acquire these dispositions, for by its means, we close our eyes to the vanities and allurements of the world and our ears to its seductive discourses. Our care to repress our perverse inclinations prevents our being unfaithful to grace; and hence we learn how to control our desires, to restrain our impulsiveness, our anger; and to give stability to our recollection, and does not leave us spend ten minutes without distraction at mental prayer, and even during our thanksgiving after holy Communion. “What can be the matter,” exclaims St. John Chrysostom, “when I converse with a friend about news and trifles, I am all attention; but when I converse with God on the most important subjects, about the great affair of my salvation, my mind is occupied with foreign subjects!” O human weakness and inconstancy!

Mortification remedies this and, moreover, helps us to acquire every virtue. In fact, when we daily repress the faults opposed to the various virtues, we find it easy to attain a perfection, which will be our consolation in our last moments. “Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord.”

Let us examine whether, by keeping an habitual watch over ourselves, we avoid light faults and exert ourselves punctually to fulfill our duties. Are we always careful to be detached and separated from the world and always occupied with God? The practice of continual mental prayer alone requires an unceasing mortification, which compels us to observe modesty, silence, and to banish useless thoughts from our mind and earthly affections from our heart.

Would not such a life, O my God, be an excellent daily preparation for death? Through the merits of Jesus dying on Calvary and of Mary enduring an agony of grief at the foot of the cross, enable me to renounce every thought, every sentiment and every disposition but little conformable to the perfection of the saints. I will employ my every moment in preparing the final one, so as to obtain thereby a holy and happy death, which will enable me to take possession of Thy heavenly heritage. Amen.

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September 25

Mortification Of The Infant Jesus

Preparation. - “Always bearing about in our body,” says St. Paul, “the mortification of Jesus” (2 Cor. 4. 10). We shall meditate tomorrow, first, on how Jesus practiced mortification in the stable of Bethlehem, and secondly, on how we should imitate His example in this. We shall then conclude by resolving to offer to the Saviour some acts of renouncing to gratify our taste, our sight, our tongue and all our senses, so as to imitate His life of suffering and mortification, and so to bear always in our body His mortification.

I. What Jesus Suffered In The Crib

When the Saviour was born at Bethlehem his holy Mother had neither wool nor feathers, and could not prepare a comfortable bed for her tender Infant. Hence she gathered a little straw and laid on it in the manger the King of glory, the only-begotten Son of the Almighty. This she did by the inspiration of Jesus Himself, who wished, says St. Peter Damian, to publish and extol the law of penance and mortification.

On this hard bed the Saviour felt very acutely the roughness of the straw on His delicate body. Being born in mid-winter at midnight in an open grotto, He suffered much from dampness and cold, for His coarse swathing hands could not sufficiently protect Him against the inclemency of the weather. Moreover, each of his senses had some hardship to undergo in that uncomfortable abode, where there was nothing to delight His sight, but only a profound darkness. He could hear nought but the noises made by the cattle, and breathed the noisome odors of the stable. He thereby expiated the faults of sensuality that so often defile our souls.

Let us add thereto the interior pains of the holy Child. He sees beforehand, and what a spectacle, O God. He sees the numberless crimes of the world, their enormity and malice. He considers in particular our falls, our faults, our neglect, our abuse of grace and the ingratitude with which we repay His benefits. St. Catherine of Genoa, at the sight of the hideousness of a slight fault fell down almost lifeless. What must Jesus have experienced at the thought of our sins, so horrible, so enormous, so multiplied?

Let us unite ourselves to His sorrow and penance, and with these dispositions, let us combat our delicacy which refuses all suffering, and our sensuality ever yearning after pleasure. And then let us examine whether we are not too much attached to our health, to good living, to our comforts, to an easy and effeminate life; also whether we do not abhor work, fatigue and whatever is opposed to our sloth, to our tastes and inclinations.

O Infant Jesus, I acknowledge that I am far from possessing a spirit of penance and mortification, for, alas! I wish to see, hear, and know every thing, and then I complain of distractions at mental prayer! Deign, through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, to make me recollected, moderate and mortified in all my conduct.

II. How We Ought To Imitate The Mortification Of Jesus

The Infant Saviour in the crib mortifies Himself in four ways: by keeping silence, by observing modesty, by being resigned to His privations, and by bearing the inconveniences of the cold and the straw. After His example, let us, first, avoid taking part in conversations that are injurious to our spiritual life, whether by wounding charity or any other virtue, of by filling our imagination with idle thoughts, or by causing us to lose our precious time. Secondly, let us carefully guard modesty of the eyes. A famous pagan calls it a part of innocence, or one of the best means of preserving it. Moreover, it helps us to keep recollected. “If thou wishest to have thy mind raised heavenward,” says St. Basil, “keep thy eyes cast downward.”

Thirdly, let us shun all excess in food and drink, all sensuality, for, says St. Paul, “the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14. 17). How often do we not perhaps neglect to offer to God our meals and the care we take of our health! Let us never rise from our meals without having imposed on ourselves some slight privation in honor of those of the Infant Jesus.

Fourthly, let us ever be especially watchful in shunning the faults proceeding from the sense of touch, for according to St. Alphonsus, they are the most fatal to salvation. It behooves us to exercise great prudence and reserve both with ourselves and with others, for the virtue of chastity demands it, and deserves it.

The Infant Jesus, who is Innocence itself, asks still more of us. By giving us the example of mortification of the sense of touch or feeling, by the hardness of His couch, He invites us to imitate Him, as far as we can, in order to obtain a more perfect purity. Let us, therefore, propose to take, at least from time to time, some less comfortable position in sitting down, in lying down, and to avoid, at times, seeking too much our own comfort. “They that are Christ’s,” says St. Paul, “have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences” (Gal. 5. 24).

O Incarnate Word, Thou sufferest from Thy very entrance into the world; do not permit me to become the slave of my body and senses, but enable me to be pleased to lead with Thee a poor, hard, laborious and penitent life. Make known to me the number and malice of my faults, and inspire me with such a repentance as will efface them, and with such a spirit of mortification, as will expiate them before my death. I ask of Thee these graces through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, who, in this sad exile, shared Thy privations, hardships and sufferings.

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September 25

Mortification Of The Infant Jesus

Preparation. - “Always bearing about in our body,” says St. Paul, “the mortification of Jesus” (2 Cor. 4. 10). We shall meditate tomorrow, first, on how Jesus practiced mortification in the stable of Bethlehem, and secondly, on how we should imitate His example in this. We shall then conclude by resolving to offer to the Saviour some acts of renouncing to gratify our taste, our sight, our tongue and all our senses, so as to imitate His life of suffering and mortification, and so to bear always in our body His mortification.

I. What Jesus Suffered In The Crib

When the Saviour was born at Bethlehem his holy Mother had neither wool nor feathers, and could not prepare a comfortable bed for her tender Infant. Hence she gathered a little straw and laid on it in the manger the King of glory, the only-begotten Son of the Almighty. This she did by the inspiration of Jesus Himself, who wished, says St. Peter Damian, to publish and extol the law of penance and mortification.

On this hard bed the Saviour felt very acutely the roughness of the straw on His delicate body. Being born in mid-winter at midnight in an open grotto, He suffered much from dampness and cold, for His coarse swathing hands could not sufficiently protect Him against the inclemency of the weather. Moreover, each of his senses had some hardship to undergo in that uncomfortable abode, where there was nothing to delight His sight, but only a profound darkness. He could hear nought but the noises made by the cattle, and breathed the noisome odors of the stable. He thereby expiated the faults of sensuality that so often defile our souls.

Let us add thereto the interior pains of the holy Child. He sees beforehand, and what a spectacle, O God. He sees the numberless crimes of the world, their enormity and malice. He considers in particular our falls, our faults, our neglect, our abuse of grace and the ingratitude with which we repay His benefits. St. Catherine of Genoa, at the sight of the hideousness of a slight fault fell down almost lifeless. What must Jesus have experienced at the thought of our sins, so horrible, so enormous, so multiplied?

Let us unite ourselves to His sorrow and penance, and with these dispositions, let us combat our delicacy which refuses all suffering, and our sensuality ever yearning after pleasure. And then let us examine whether we are not too much attached to our health, to good living, to our comforts, to an easy and effeminate life; also whether we do not abhor work, fatigue and whatever is opposed to our sloth, to our tastes and inclinations.

O Infant Jesus, I acknowledge that I am far from possessing a spirit of penance and mortification, for, alas! I wish to see, hear, and know every thing, and then I complain of distractions at mental prayer! Deign, through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, to make me recollected, moderate and mortified in all my conduct.

II. How We Ought To Imitate The Mortification Of Jesus

The Infant Saviour in the crib mortifies Himself in four ways: by keeping silence, by observing modesty, by being resigned to His privations, and by bearing the inconveniences of the cold and the straw. After His example, let us, first, avoid taking part in conversations that are injurious to our spiritual life, whether by wounding charity or any other virtue, of by filling our imagination with idle thoughts, or by causing us to lose our precious time. Secondly, let us carefully guard modesty of the eyes. A famous pagan calls it a part of innocence, or one of the best means of preserving it. Moreover, it helps us to keep recollected. “If thou wishest to have thy mind raised heavenward,” says St. Basil, “keep thy eyes cast downward.”

Thirdly, let us shun all excess in food and drink, all sensuality, for, says St. Paul, “the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14. 17). How often do we not perhaps neglect to offer to God our meals and the care we take of our health! Let us never rise from our meals without having imposed on ourselves some slight privation in honor of those of the Infant Jesus.

Fourthly, let us ever be especially watchful in shunning the faults proceeding from the sense of touch, for according to St. Alphonsus, they are the most fatal to salvation. It behooves us to exercise great prudence and reserve both with ourselves and with others, for the virtue of chastity demands it, and deserves it.

The Infant Jesus, who is Innocence itself, asks still more of us. By giving us the example of mortification of the sense of touch or feeling, by the hardness of His couch, He invites us to imitate Him, as far as we can, in order to obtain a more perfect purity. Let us, therefore, propose to take, at least from time to time, some less comfortable position in sitting down, in lying down, and to avoid, at times, seeking too much our own comfort. “They that are Christ’s,” says St. Paul, “have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences” (Gal. 5. 24).

O Incarnate Word, Thou sufferest from Thy very entrance into the world; do not permit me to become the slave of my body and senses, but enable me to be pleased to lead with Thee a poor, hard, laborious and penitent life. Make known to me the number and malice of my faults, and inspire me with such a repentance as will efface them, and with such a spirit of mortification, as will expiate them before my death. I ask of Thee these graces through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, who, in this sad exile, shared Thy privations, hardships and sufferings.

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September 12

Practice Of Interior Mortification

Preparation. - “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste” (1 Cor. 5. 7.). That we may follow this injunction of St. Paul, we shall meditate first, on the motives for practicing interior mortification, and secondly, on the most efficacious method for insuring success therein. We shall revive more and more our exercise of the particular examen, which consists in studying and combating daily and at every moment, our predominant defect. “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste.”

I. Motives For Practicing Interior Mortification

“If any man will come after Me,” says our Saviour, “let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me” (Luke 9. 23). Our divine Master here indicates, according to St. Alphonsus, two kinds of mortifications; that of the soul, and that of the body. The former, having a spiritual object, is superior to the latter, just as the soul is superior to the body. Although we must never omit to subject the flesh and the senses, it behooves us, nevertheless, according to St. John Climacus, to prefer all our life to practice interior mortification, for it restrains our passions and corrects our defects.

It regulates our heart so well that everything therein is in peace; and makes us ever ready to obey the divine precepts and cheerfully to accept the trials of our exile. Hence the author of the Imitation counsels us to mortify ourselves in everything, saying: “Let your efforts, your prayers, your desires have but one object, that of being stripped of all self-interest, of dying to yourself, in order to live eternally for Jesus. Then will all vain thoughts, all worry, all superfluous cares vanish, and excessive fear will disappear, and inordinate love will be extinguished.” Who would not be inflamed with the desire of giving up his own will in all things, in order to secure these precious advantages?

Is not this, moreover, the means of sanctifying ourselves in less time and with greater merit? Interior mortification, indeed, acts directly on our heart, in which all virtues are to be planted. It resembles the gardener’s pruning bill for cutting of useless branches, that the tree and the fruit may have more sap and vigor. It is like the hoe that roots out the weeds around the flowers to improve them. In like manner, mortification renders our works more pleasing to God and more precious in His sight.

Let us examine whether we constantly combat every day our feelings, our natural harshness, our irascibility. Do we strive to overcome our antipathy, to restrain our evil tongue, our levity and imprudence of speech, and to become charitably disposed towards all, and show ourselves outwardly full of benevolence and kindness? Let us examine our dispositions in these points, to find out our predominant defect, be it vanity, dissipation of mind, talkativeness, or sloth, cowardice or indifference; and then let us resolve to combat and repress it without ceasing by means of watchfulness and prayer.

O Jesus, enable me, by means of the particular examen and mental prayer, and with the help of Thy grace, constantly to endeavor to stifle my predominant passion, the passion that oftenest impresses or agitates me. Grant that I may find peace, sanctification and merit through the entire and continual denial of my will. “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste.”

II. The Method Of Mortifying One’s Inclinations

The tactics of combating one passion at a time greatly facilitates our victory over ourselves, for we thereby divide the enemy’s forces. By first attacking our predominant defect, and directing against it our examinations of conscience, our prayers and our efforts, we shall succeed in decreasing and weakening it, and even, after a longer or shorter time, in causing it to disappear. Such a victory is very important, for it removes the principle support of our vices, by depriving them of that which excited them to revolt. Let us successively employ this method of isolation against each evil habit, and we shall thereby acquire solid virtue.

And then can we not, with the help of mental prayer, watchfulness and upright intention, direct towards a universal object all the passions that arise within us? For instance: he who is liable to love the creatures that esteem and cherish him, should turn his love towards God, his best benefactor. Another gets easily irritated against those who oppose or displease him; let him turn his wrath against his own sins, which do him more harm than all the devils combined. A third has a passion for honor and perishable goods; let him strive to acquire eternal glory and heavenly treasures. In this way we may gradually turn our vices into virtues.

Let us not, however, wait to combat our inclinations till we have committed a fault; but let us unremittingly be forearmed against their attacks. The smallest defect may lead us to ruin, if we cease trying to overcome it. “The most solidly built vessel will sink,” says St. Cyril, “if the smallest hole in its bottom is not stopped up.”

Have we not some unmortified passion that may later cause our ruin? Let us study well our heart, and examine whether our want of submission to authority, an overeagerness to put ourselves forward, the want of modesty of the eyes, in our manners and conduct, do not expose us to fall deeply sooner or later. Let us prevent such a misfortune, by eradicating the evil by means of mortification.

O my God, enable me, like the saints and St. Alphonsus especially, to nourish my mind habitually with the maxims of faith and my heart with pious affections towards Jesus and Mary, so that I may obtain the strength requisite to conquer myself on every occasion and to exercise myself in every virtue.

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September 11

Necessity Of Interior Mortification

Preparation. - Mortification is most important, but especially that of the sou, on which we shall meditate, considering, first, how indispensable it is to our spiritual life, and secondly, which are its precious fruits. We shall then resolve to repress everything in us that is opposed to the perfect reign of grace, so “that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15. 28).

I. Necessity Of Interior Mortification

Without interior mortification, says Father Balthasar Alvarez, mental prayer is an illusion or lasts but a short time. It is an illusion, because the principal aim of meditation is to reform our life and correct our defects. It lasts but a short time, for without repressing vice and calming the passions, we cannot lead a recollected life, nor constantly converse with God. If we really wish to attain the object of mental prayer and persevere in this holy exercise, we should carefully restrain our curiosity, our eagerness to speak, and combat dissipation of mind and that worldly fondness for new, pleasures and external distractions.

Without the work of self-denial not only mental prayer, but also divine love is in our soul but an empty word. It can be real only when we are determined to deny ourselves in order to obey God. The more we take away from self-love, the more also we give to divine love. Hence St. Francis Borgia says that mental prayer introduces divine charity into the heart, but it is mortification that prepares therein a place for it. Wherefore when we intend to testify our love to the Lord, does it suffice for us to tell Him so with our lips or even to confirm our words with works and austerities of our won choice? No; it behooves us also to prove it to Him by giving up every defect that ravages our interior and hinders the divine will from reigning perfectly over our own.

Without this mortification of the heart, holiness is a sham, a more or less dangerous hypocrisy, and is more or less culpable. The exterior practices are the bark of perfection; self-denial is the interior work which removes the obstacles to the action of the sap or grace, and thereby contributes to the growth and ripening of the fruits, which are the virtues. Why do so few pious souls attain solid perfection? Because, says St. Ignatius, few have the courage to conquer themselves entirely. The majority devote themselves to practicing the virtues, but without wholly rooting out the vices and the contrary propensities of their heart.

O my God, how little do I study myself to find out my defects and seriously to endeavor to correct them. Grant that I may observe my thoughts, intentions, desires, fears, resentments, and I shall then be able to discover what I must uproot from my soul, in order to make place for Thy love. Give me the love of recollection and prayer, an intense desire to love Thee without reserve, and the determination to seek Thee with uprightness from my inmost being and will.

II. Precious Fruits Of Interior Mortification

The land of exile wherein we dwell may be considered as an hospital for the spiritually sick, who strive to effect their cure. Our cure is to be wrought bot by pandering to our self-love, but by making wholesome incisions in ourselves and in bearing from others the most sensitive and painful operations. Were we to appreciate our real interest, would we not entreat our spiritual physicians to worry us, to reprove and mortify us, so that we may die to ourselves and our evil inclinations? What is there, in fact, more directly opposed to our perfection and happiness, than our vicious propensities? A wonderful help to rid ourselves of them consists in mortifications and the bearing of contradictions.

And how many occasions of merit ca we daily find therein, without fear of injuring our health or risk of becoming proud, since God is the only witness of our interior acts. If we, therefore, stifle at their very birth all these vain desires, those natural affections and that worry, curiosity and natural eagerness, those slight and frequent feelings of discontent, we shall every hour produce a multitude of meritorious acts pleasing to God.

Moreover, we shall thereby accustom ourselves to the spirit of sacrifice, the spirit of Jesus crucified. O holy crucifixion, which immolates in us the earthly and natural man, in order to produce the heavenly and divine! And thus we no longer have outside of God and His will any thoughts, desires, affections and intentions. In this manner there is formed between the Creator and His creature a conformity of principles and tendencies leading to the most sublime perfection. Such was the life of the saints, whom the Church honors on our altars.

Let us labor without ceasing to resemble them, and for this purpose let us, first, mortify our self-conceit and presumption, by repressing our desires of winning the esteem of others or of putting ourselves forward; secondly, let us combat our inconstancy, which induces us to neglect our pious exercises on account of tediousness, disgust and dryness; and thirdly, let us obey divine grace notwithstanding the repugnance of our self-will. At this cost we shall establish on a solid foundation the edifice of our sanctification, and nothing in this world will be able to shake it.

O my God, through the merits of Jesus and Mary, accustom me to a life of self-denial, without which there is no real holiness, just as there is no harvest without cultivation. Inspire me with the most earnest desire for my spiritual cure, and a noble ardor to enrich myself with merits, the least of which is worth more than the universe. Unite me continually to Thee by detaching me from myself and causing me to give up all self-love.

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September 10

On Mortification In General

Preparation. - After considering the various diseases of the soul, let us see by what means we may heal them; wherefore we shall meditate on the importance, first, of exterior, and secondly, of interior mortification. We shall then resolve henceforth to regulate our senses by temperance and modesty, and our passions by self-denial and habitual prayer. “They that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh with its vices and lusts” (Gal. 5. 24).

I. Importance Of Exterior Mortification

When the body is not mortified, says St. Alphonsus, it easily revolts against the soul and hinders her spiritual progress. On the contrary, there is no better means of subjecting the flesh to the spirit than the practice of penance and mortification. “If you hear some one making little account of exterior mortification,” says St. John of the Cross, “do not believe him, were he even to perform miracles.” Has not interior mortification been practiced by all the saints, and has not the Spirit of God inspired them to do so?

It not only diminishes in us the fire of lust, but it marvelously helps us to expiate our sins. After receiving the forgiveness of our sins through the sacramental absolution, there usually remains a temporal debt to be paid to the divine justice. It must be paid either in this life or in the next. Do we wish to put this off till the next life, when we shall have to appease an inflexible justice, which will require, without increase of merit for us, that we pay our debt to the last farthing, even for a glance, for a single idle word. On the contrary, if by means of austerities, temperance and modesty we endeavor to settle here below with the heavenly Father’s mercy, He will be satisfied with lighter pains, and will even render these meritorious for life eternal. Hence how many advantages can the mortification of our body and our senses confer on us in this life, and still greater ones in the next.

Let us practice it, first, by embracing labor, hardship, infirmities, sufferings and privations; and secondly, by denying even lawful satisfaction to our sight, speech and appetite. St. Philip Neri could not help blaming some of his disciples for eating between meals; he said to one of them, who used to do it very often: “If you do not correct this defect, you will never become a spiritual man.” In fact, the life of the senses is opposed to the interior, and the gratifications afforded to our body are but so many wounds inflicted on our soul.

O my God, I repent of having so often neglected to watch over my eyes, to mortify my taste, my tongue and my sensuality. Enable me to bear, for Thy sake, hunger, thirst, heat, cold and the inclemencies of the weather; and to shun all delicacies in food, in clothing, in sitting and lying down, so that I may thereby belong more and more to Thy adorable Son, Jesus crucified. “They that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh.”

II. Importance Of Interior Mortification

According to St. Paul, those who belong to Jesus, mortify not only their flesh, but also its vices and lusts, that is, all our perverse inclinations which hinder our perfect union with the supreme Good. If there are among Christians so few spiritual persons, and among these so few saints, the reason is to be found in the want of self-denial. To sanctify ourselves it behooves us, says the Imitation, to mortify all our earthly desires and to attach ourselves to God from our inmost heart. “As for ourselves,” it goes on to say, “we are too much taken up with our passions, with transitory things. We seldom entirely overcome a vice, and we are wanting in energy to go forward without ceasing. If we were each year to uproot only one defect, we should soon be perfect.”

And whither would this perfection lead us? To a truly angelic life. By mortifying in us that which wounds reason, grace and holiness, we obey the principles of faith, and we live by love as the heavenly spirits do; like them, we fly to God without hindrance, since nothing here below keeps us back. Such is, in the saints, the secret of their clear lights, sublime flights, ecstasies and raptures!

But, alas! how far we are from such dispositions! We scarcely ever entirely deny ourselves, our notions, our will, or our inclinations. We are satisfied with mortifying ourselves superficially, and never lay the axe to the root of the tree, to self-love in its most intimate self. When the Holy Ghost asks of us a sacrifice, we argue, hesitate, and end by preferring our inclination to the divine pleasure. Our life is more earthly than heavenly, more natural and human than angelic and divine.

O my God, since Jesus daily immolates Himself on thousands of altars, and remains continually in the state of victim under the sacred species, do not let me be the slave of my tastes and caprice, but fill me with the spirit of sacrifice and the love of self-denial. Enable me to understand the importance of this latter virtue, which is wholly advantageous to me, for it is the immolation of the old man living in me with his vices, defects and all that leads to sin and eternal damnation. Self-denial prepares in me the dwelling of the new man, Jesus Christ, with His perfections, virtues and inclination to good, His merits, privileges and indefeasible rights to the heavenly inheritance. O my God, enable me to sacrifice all, to conquer myself in every thing, in order to follow Thy attractions, to belong unreservedly to Thee, and to live solely by Thy spirit. “Putting off the old man, and putting on the new” (Col. 3. 10).

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September 1

On Spiritual Diseases

Preparation. - Mortification, the special virtue of this month, being destined to heal our defects, we shall consider, first, that our vices are the diseases of our soul, and secondly, their remedies. We shall thereby awaken in our heart an ardent desire for our spiritual restoration, saying with David: “Lord, heal my soul, because I have sinned against Thee” (Ps. 40. 5).

I. Our Vices Are Spiritual Diseases

As there are corporal, so also there are spiritual diseases. Our sins, our vices, our perverse inclinations are horrible ulcers causing God and the angels the most profound disgust and the most lively compassion. St. John Chrysostom calls sin an abscess of the soul. St. Ambrose looks upon the passions as so many fevers, and their acts as so many paroxysms that bring on death, if not repressed. And, in fact, what is ambition, covetousness, lust, if not the fever of rising above others, of getting rich, of indulging in pleasure? Is not anger a delirium depriving us of the use of our reason? And envy, a malignant humor that secretly consumes us?

These truths should excite in us an intense longing to be cured. When there is question of our body, we neglect nothing, and undergo even extremely painful operations in the hope of getting well; why should we not do as much for our soul? Humiliation would become less bitter at the thought that it frees us from the tumor or swelling of pride; vexations and hardships would even become dear to us, were we to consider them as remedies of our sensuality and self-love, these sources of so many defects. The desire of our spiritual cure, in a word, would induce us lovingly to accept that which Providence sends us contrary to our tastes, and consequently the means best adapted to close and heal our wounds.

Let us examine, if we accept in this spirit whatever confounds our vanity, contradicts our views, and is opposed to our inclinations. Instead of taking up arms against our defects, do we not often defend them? Do we not flatter our evil propensities, instead of using energetic means to repress them? What remedy do we use for our sloth, our cowardice, our sensitiveness, the continual tendency of our heart towards vain-glory, dissipation of mind, human and this; our sanctification rests wholly on our care in doing violence to ourselves and overcoming ourselves on every occasion. “Thy progress will be proportionate to the violence thou doest to thyself,” says the Imitation.

O my God, give me the courage to recite the “Glory be to the Father,” when it will be necessary for me to practice patience and self-denial, those conditions indispensable to my spiritual cure. Often recall Thy Passion to me, that I may be strengthened by Thy example against the weakness of my fallen nature.

II. Remedies For Our Spiritual Diseases

It behooves the prudent physician to study well the state of his patient before undertaking his cure. In like manner, it behooves us to sound the depth of our wounds, before we can apply the proper remedy. Let us, then, find out our ignorance, our weakness, our corruption, our malice, with the help of faith, mental prayer and examination of conscience. As we proceed in discovering the errors of our mind, the evil propensities of our heart, let us set to work to apply the proper remedy by pious reading and meditations, and frequently repeated prayers.

Let us especially guard against discouragement, and place our confidence in God alone, recalling this saying of the Holy Ghost: “He that trusteth in the Lord, shall be healed” (Prov. 28. 25). Wherefore when we feel our helplessness for doing good, let us seek strength in the sacraments and in the adorable Sacrifice of the Mass. If our imagination runs away with us, far from God and our spiritual exercises, let us not be disturbed, but let us calmly recollect ourselves in the presence of God, relying on His mercy. In a word, whatever may be the spiritual disease that afflicts us, let us remain in peace and put our trust in God, and we shall be able to remedy it all.

To these means let us join self-denial, which induces us to watch over ourselves, to mortify our eyes, our tongue, our appetite, to repress at once concupiscence and the revolt of our passions. And let us not fear that our life will thereby be embittered; for the contrary will happen. Our spiritual health and its accompanying cheerfulness will always be proportionate to our generosity in denying ourselves and conquering our vicious inclinations.

O my God, I say to Thee with Solomon: “By wisdom they were healed, whosoever have pleased Thee” (Wisd. 9. 19). But wisdom teaches us to know ourselves, to trust in Thee, and to retrench in us the obstacles or inclinations, which hinder our union with Thee. Therefore, grant me through the merits of Jesus and Mary, first, the light necessary to show me my interior wounds and their remedies; secondly, confidence in prayer and in Thy assistance; and thirdly, the courage to keep my passions under due restraint, and to follow in all things the attractions of Thy grace. “By wisdom they are healed, who pleased Thee, O Lord.”

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July 8

It Behooves Us To Mortify Our Passions.

Preparation. - Self-will being the principle of our evil inclinations, it behooves us to combat the latter, in order the better to repress the former. Wherefore we shall meditate, first, on the motives for repressing our passions, and secondly, on the good effects of this repression which is so necessary for our progress. We shall specially resolve to watch over ourselves, and gradually to extirpate our predominant faults by means of the particular examen. “Strive to enter by the narrow gate” (Luke 13. 24).

Motives For Mortifying Our Passions.

As the fog obscures the sun, so also our depraved passions obscure our reason. They are, as St. Paul says (1 Tim. 6. 10), “the root of all evils” and the cause of some “erring from the faith.” The history of heresiarchs proves but too clearly, that their perverse propensities were the cause of their ruin. Passion is like a cloud intervening between the soul and God. The soul is then enlightened only by the weak light of her own mind, and then what errors and disorders is she not capable of committing? David, blinded by lust, fell into two great crimes, which plunged him and his family into great misfortune.

Our passions, always combining with the world and the devil, become in their hands the instruments of our ruin. How numerous are their poor victims every day! By promising happiness to those who listen to them they demoralize the heart of man, filling it with confusion, agitation and remorse. “From whence are wars and contentions among you? Are they not hence from your concupiscence, which war in your members? (James 4. 1).

If we do not beware and resist constantly, our rational will will become their victim, and then in what disorder will our soul be! It will be domineered over and reduced to slavery by nature and its evil instincts. How many of these shameful captives do we not see in the world! The devil keeps them bound with the fetters of their passions, leading them as slaves whithersoever he will, and makes use of them to corrupt others and spread the contagion of evil every where. “By the devil they are held captive at his will.” (2 Tim 2. 26).

Let us examine, first, whether there is not in us some vice, some unmortified inclination, which is the usual cause of our irritability, of our backbiting, of our indiscretions, of our habitual self-boasting and finding fault with others; and secondly, whether we are careful to repress and regulate our senses, our feelings, our character, on every occasion, in order to avoid sullying our heart or wounding charity? Let us henceforth combat in us the source of these defects by means of mental prayer, self-watchfulness, and of prayer at the moment of our combat.

O my God, give me the courage to do violence to myself, so that I may draw nearer to Thee as I move away from myself and my self-love. “Thy progress will be proportionate to the violence thou doest thyself.” (Imit.)

II. Salutary Effects Of The Mortification Of The Passions.

Interior mortification should produce in us effects contrary to our evil instincts, that is, they should enlighten our mind, fortify our heart and sanctify our will. It should banish from our interior the tumult of foreign thoughts, of dangerous and useless representations, so as to establish us in profound recollection. It should aid us in developing the liveliness of our faith by facilitating meditation on the truths best calculated to draw us to virtue. Let us piously study Jesus crucified, and from Him we shall acquire the science of renouncing ourselves, our errors and our prejudices.

And then how strong shall we not be against the seductions of the world and the devil, which exert so powerful an influence over our natural inclinations! By overcoming the latter, we deprive the world and hell of all influence over us. What impression, in fact, can temptation to pride make on a heart deeply humble before God? How will worldly vanities be able to find access to a soul profoundly despising them and wholly detached from them? The same may be said of every other passion. If we keep them all enchained by continual mortification, they will be powerless to arrest our progress.

In this manner we shall attain the perfection of the virtues. Every victory gained over an evil propensity develops in us the contrary inclination. By renouncing our self-will, we become supple and docile in our relations with our superiors, condescending and affable towards our equals, and ever ready to listen to grace and submit to the divine pleasure. If self-denial were habitual to us, would we feel so hurt at an affront, a reproach, a want of due regard, a reprimand, a humiliation? Would we grow peevish when inconvenienced, disturbed in our occupations, contradicted or disappointed? Whence do all our complaints, ill-humor and murmurs come, unless from our self-love always so full of life, whilst it ought to have long ago died, or been kept under control!

O my God, I am still far from the imperturbable calm of the saints, who, no longer having any self-will, aspired solely to the happiness of being unites with Jesus crucified. Through the intercession of the Queen of martyrs, enable me to repress my inclinations and reform my defects, especially that which I am the oftenest compelled to combat.

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