Bronchain Meditations: Tuesday Before Pentecost

The Gift Of Understanding

Preparation. - This gift, according to St. Thomas, is a habit or quality coming from the Holy Ghost to enable us to grasp the supernatural truths. Let us consider, first, the bright lights it imparts to us, and secondly, by what means we may deserve them. Let us ask of God the grace to perform all our actions by the light of a lively faith and in a spirit of prayer, so that we may increase the gift of understanding we received in baptism. "Give me understanding, and I will search Thy law" (Ps. 118. 34).

I. The Lights Of The Gift Of Understanding.

We belong to the Church as well as the saints; we have the same belief; and the doctrines of the Church make but little impression on us, whilst they deeply charmed those true disciples of Jesus. How should we explain this? As we cannot contemplate the grand decorations of a splendid palace, except according to the amount of light we have, so also we can perceive the truths imparted to us by grace and a Christian education, only according to the brightness of the gift of understanding enlightening us. The saints received it in a higher degree than we; hence its wonderful effects in their souls and in their works.

St. Antony, the abbot, after spending the whole night in mental prayer, would complain that the rising sun came so soon to interrupt him in that pious exercise. Being more enlightened than we, he understood better than we the sublimity of our mysteries and the value of contemplation. "I know a man," said Blessed Giles of Assisi, "who, when reciting the psalms, receives a hundred interpretations of each verse." This man was no other than Bl. Giles himself, that illiterate Franciscan friar, who grasped more thoroughly than theologians the supernatural truths of Holy Writ.

The Holy Ghost not only enlightens faithful souls in the speculative mysteries, but also reveals to them what will most contribute to their sanctification. In her last moments St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi exclaimed: "I die without having been able to understand how anyone could ever commit a mortal sin." And, indeed, if, like her, we knew God's greatness, His infinite perfections, the riches of His grace, the importance of salvation, could we ever consent to the slightest fault? St. Teresa considered herself absolutely safe from all vain-glory, so clearly did she perceive its nothingness and deceit. If we wish to be filled, like these saints, with unlimited horror of the least faults, and to be acquainted with the treasures hidden in humility , a life of obscurity and the bearing of the wounds of our self-love, let us earnestly ask of God the gift of understanding, so that it may enable our faith to be like that of the saints.

O Lord, what a darkness exists in my mind, and prevents me from realizing the nothingness and vanity of the world and its goods! My reason is conceited and filled with worldly prejudices and maxims, and I am far from considering the all-importance of eternal bliss, and allowing myself to be governed entirely by the truths of our holy religion. Deign, O holy Spirit, to show me clearly, first, Thy grandeurs, Thy infinite perfections, Thy indefeasible rights and countless benefits; and secondly, my obligations towards Thee, flowing from Thy divine attributes and the sublime mysteries taught me by the Church, Thy Spouse. "Give us understanding, and I will search Thy law and keep it with my whole heart" (Ps. 118. 34).

II. Means Of Obtaining, Like The Saints, The Gift Of Understanding.

We shall dispose ourselves to receive this precious gift, first, by means of a practical faith. "Believe," says St. Augustine, "and you will deserve to understand." "If you will not believe," says Isaias (7. 9), "you shall not continue," you shall not be enlightened from above. Our act of submitting to God in exercising and practicing our faith deserves for us more vivid lights to enable us to see, as in full noon-day, the most hidden mysteries.

But our faith is nourished and strengthened especially in our communions with the Lord. The Angelic Doctor declared that he had obtained the knowledge of the revealed truths less by study than by the light he received at mental prayer. The same was the case with St. Bonaventure. How many illiterate saints acquired in meditation a deeper knowledge of the most sublime mysteries than the most learned theologians by long and constant study. If we wish to obtain the gift of understanding, let us endeavor always to act through supernatural principles, and often beseech the Lord to impart to us His divine lights.

To the spirit of faith and prayer let us join purity of heart. The sun's rays act more powerfully through a clear crystal and a clear sky than through a soiled glass and a cloudy sky. In like manner, the Holy Ghost more easily influences the hearts that are wholly purified. Hence our divine Saviour says: "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God" (Mat. 5. 8), and the mysteries in Him.

Do we carefully shun even imperfections, remove from our soul the thought of and affection for creatures, and live by the remembrance of the Lord, as if we were alone with Him on earth? Do we devote all our leisure moments to prayer, to reflecting on the truths of salvation , in order to conform therewith our whole conduct? Do we obey grace when it requires from us some sacrifice? Perhaps we fear lest self-denial should rob us of our rest and tranquility; let us undeceive ourselves, for the more unreservedly we seek God, the more will He impart to us His lights and consolations.

O my God, through the merits of Jesus and Mary, inspire me with the resolutions, first, to act in all things through motives of a lively faith; secondly, to keep myself vividly in Thy presence and to pray to Thee unceasingly; and thirdly, not to attach myself to any thing here below, but to strive constantly to esteem and seek Thy infinite beauty which enraptures the angels and the saints.

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Servant of God

Charles Louis Laurent Bronchain was born of excellent parents, September 4, 1829, at Frameries, near Mons in Belgium. From his early boyhood he was distinguished for his piety. As an altar boy he was modest and recollected, and was wont after serving Mass to remain as close as possible to the priest. Being asked why he acted thus, he replied: "I do this, because I wish to be nearer to the good God." When he saw people going to holy communion, he was filled with a holy envy, and would say to himself: "When shall I also have the happiness of receiving our Lord?" We may easily imagine his joy and happiness when this favor was vouchsafed to him for the first time. When out walking with his playmates, he always managed to bring them near a church and induced them to enter it with him to pay homage to our divine Saviour in the Sacrament of His love.

During the six years he studied at the "Petit Seminaire de Bonne Esperance," he was universally admired and respected for his modesty, piety, charity, and other virtues. Heeding the divine call to a more perfect life, he, with the consent of his parents, renounced the world and the brightest prospects of success, and entered in 1850 the Redemptorist Novitiate at St. Trond. The following year he made his profession and was sent to Wittem to prosecute his studies. As novice and student, Louis Bronchain was a model to his companions in regular observance, charity, love of prayer, and study, and self-denial. After his ordination in 1857, he labored zealously for some years in the ministry and in giving missions.

In 1865 he was appointed Master of Novices. To his novices he was ever a tender and loving father, giving them the example of every virtue. His life was practically a continual prayer. Rising very early every morning to be able to devote more time to it, he would spend hours in meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. Though very severe towards himself and addicted to corporal austerities, he, like a true saint, was always cheerful and full of charity and condescension towards others, and of solicitude in supplying the wants of his novices. His health failing, he was relieved of his heavy burden in 1870. From that time until his death, his life was one of continual suffering, borne with wonderful patience and resignation. As long as he was able he labored for his fellow-religious, and for the salvation of souls. Being an able spiritual director, he enabled his many penitents to make great progress in the spiritual life. As for himself he was an “interior man,” such as he describes in his “Meditations.” He died June 2, 1892, in the odor of sanctity.

Father Bronchain spent his years of suffering in composing spiritual works, which passed through many editions during his lifetime and have done incalculable good to souls. They are, like the works of St. Alphonsus, whose spirit he possessed in a remarkable degree, noted for the solidity of their doctrine, the simplicity and popularity of their language, and especially for that sweet unction which induces the practice of virtue, horror of sin, and especially the love of Jesus and Mary.

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