July 29

How To Profit By The Retreat

Preparation. - An excellent means of deriving profit from the retreat is to prepare ourselves for death whilst making it. We shall then consider, first, the motives we have for being always prepared for death, and secondly, how we may every month make the exercise of a good death. As our spiritual nosegay let us choose this solemn injunction of our divine Saviour: “At what hour you think not, the Son of man will come” (Luke 12. 40).

I. Motives For Being Always Prepared To Die

Let us on the eve or on the morning of our monthly retreat consider the following points: It behooves us to be always prepared to die, for, first, our last breath is of the utmost importance, since it will decide our eternal lot, that is, whether we shall be forever happy, or forever unhappy; secondly, the hour of our death is uncertain; we know not whether we shall die in a few years, in a few months, or in a few days, or whether we shall be alive in the next hour; and thirdly, we know not how death will take us out of this world, whether after a long sickness, during which we shall have time to settle our accounts with God, or suddenly, perhaps at the very moment, when we least think of our salvation.

From this follows necessarily the conclusion that we should daily prepare to appear before God. Moreover, our Saviour enjoins on us to be always prepared. In fact, as the Holy Ghost says (1 Thess. 5. 2), death will take us by surprise, as the thief chooses the night and the most favorable moment to avoid detection. “At what hour you think not the Son of man will come.”

“O Christian,” exclaims St. Alphonsus, “if before this coming night you were to die, and the all-important affair of your eternal lot were decided, would you now find your conscience in order? Or rather, what would you not give to obtain from God sufficient time to prepare yourself to die well? Since He grants you this day the time to do so, profit by it; for perhaps it is the last day of life that will be granted to you.” Is it not also perhaps your last warning?

O my God, I have persistently struggled with Thee; as much as I have been obstinate in offending Thee, so much the more hast Thou shown me mercy. I accept death as an expiation of my sins. I have hitherto lived in tepidity and have not loved Thee. Deign to leave me some time longer on earth, for I am determined to amend, to repair the past by an irreproachable conduct. Change my heart, and inflame it with Thy holy love. Enable me to meditate, watch and pray without ceasing, so that when my last hour comes, I may not be taken by surprise. “Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13. 33).

II. A Monthly Exercise Of A Good Death

The day of the monthly retreat is the most appropriate for this exercise. Let us in the morning imagine we have received from heaven the certain notice of our death on the succeeding night, and excite ourselves to spend the whole day in the greatest fervor. And how shall we make our meditation? At the feet of Jesus dying, assuming His dispositions, His generosity in forgiving, His self-surrender to God, His spirit of prayer, resignation, submission and sacrifice. Let us arouse within us a most lively contrition at the remembrance of our sins, with the resolution of going to confession during the day, as if it were for the last time. Let us hear Mass, and receive holy Communion as our Viaticum with the same intention and the utmost fervor.

As to our confession, which is so important, let us make it with the deepest sorrow for our sins and the most sincere resolution of giving ourselves to God. Let us strive to do this so well, that it would exempt us from purgatory, were we to die immediately after. How carefully and fervently should we not during the day perform our other spiritual exercises, such a the rosary, the Way of the Cross, spiritual reading, examination of conscience, visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin. We should perform all these exercises as is becoming a soul about to leave this world and appear before the divine tribunal. Let us, moreover, sanctify by faith our meals, our rest, our occupations, our conversation with our spiritual director, so as to purify our heart, keep recollected and unite ourselves intimately with God.

Finally, when the evening has come, let us imagine we are receiving the sacrament of extreme unction; let us follow its ceremonies, reflect on its words, and accompany them with sentiments of repentance. Then let us ask ourselves what degree of virtue we would like to have reached, if at the very moment we were about to be summoned before the judgement-seat of Christ, to receive His final sentence, which is to settle our lot for eternity. Let us then resolve henceforth to aspire to the perfection we desire; and, representing to ourselves our deathbed, let us attentively read the ordinary acts of the preparation for death. On the following day, at our awakening, let us thank God for giving us another day to carry out our good resolutions, and set ourselves to work, so that we may be able to give an account conformable to our promises.

O my God, were I every month to dispose myself in this wise for death, how watchfully and faithfully I would perform all my duties! Often remind me of my last hour, and give me the grace to prepare for it daily, and even at every moment.

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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.

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