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Meditation 20. Conclusion of Meditations in the Third Section and the Practice of the Virtues Contained Therein
Preparatory Prayer as on page x
Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus crucified on Calvary, the Model of all virtues, and that you hear the Heavenly Father's voice saying: See, and do according to the example that has been put before you on Mount Calvary. (Cf. Ex. 25:40)
Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus, with Thy Grace I can do all things. Without it I can do nothing. Therefore I beg Thee to help me in order that I may follow and imitate Thee.
First Point
Having thus far considered, O my soul, the exalted virtues and example of Jesus Christ, let us now see in what way we should and can imitate this Model.
(1) The more one has of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the more one realizes virtue and perfection. If you want to know, my soul, what progress you have made in perfection, you can easily estimate it by how much or how little you have of the spirit of Jesus Christ. If in you there is little of this spirit, then little would be your perfection. If there is much, then there will likewise be in you much genuine sanctity. If all that is in you agrees with the spirit of Jesus Christ, you will have reached true and perfect sanctity. He is the highest sanctity and is the Model of all holiness. The more you become like that Model, the more perfect and the more holy you will be.
(2) The more one possesses His humility, obedience, meekness and charity, the more one possesses the Spirit of Jesus Christ. There are no virtues, certainly, that failed to shine forth with supreme perfection in Jesus Christ. It is likewise certain that He exemplified no virtues more gloriously than the four just named. He has urged two of these on us with as much zeal and resourcefulness as if they contained the whole substance of His Spirit and the most sublime element of His Holiness. "Learn of Me," He said, "for I am Meek and Humble of Heart."
(3) One will discover the reason why there are so few who arrive at sanctity, in this observation: The majority of rather devout people are content with those practices that present no great opposition to corrupt nature. They give themselves to meditation and prayer; with a good intention they carry out the tasks entrusted to them; and they fulfill the duties of their state. They perform works of penance, submit to other restraints which their director assigns them.
But as for renouncing their own will, as for being receptive with holy indifference to the bidding of superiors, as for uprooting every tender sprig of vainglory, willingly accepting contempt, vigorously suppressing their anger and dealing in a friendly and sincerely affectionate way with those who oppose them, returning good for evil and laying aside all selfishness — these are the practices that few have the will to undertake. Only those do it who have a heroic heart. And because of this (ungenerous) behavior, the heart never becomes free of its disordered inclinations nor adorned with those virtues that are so acceptable to God.
It then follows that God never shares Himself much with these persons, and He lets them live and die in their mediocrity.
Therefore, my soul, if you desire in all sincerity to attain perfection and union with God, and do not want to rest until you reach this, it is absolutely necessary to follow in the footsteps which Jesus Christ has left imprinted for us and to imitate His virtues.
I will now explain briefly the practice or way of doing this. (We will speak first of obedience, then of humility, and last of meekness and charity.)
Obedience (1) In God's presence let one put himself in a complete indifference regarding all that superiors may dispose, without desiring or seeking or rejecting anything.
(2) Continually see God in the superiors in all circumstances, firmly believing that their legitimate orders express God's Will.
(3) Receive all orders with reverence and fulfill them with care.
Second Point
Humility (1) Surrender before God every desire for honor and worldly glory so that one does not admit within himself any vain self-esteem or vain satisfaction with himself, and so that in his outward conduct he says not a word and does nothing, on the prompting of vainglory.
(2) Let one put his honor and reputation in God's Hands in such wise that the soul is ready to suffer contempt at every quarter of an hour if this should please God.
(3) Accept in good spirit every contempt and humiliation from wherever these things may come, and bear them cheerfully with a truly light regard for self.
Third Point
Meekness and Charity (1) Have a heart so affectionate toward all that one never advertently and deliberately admits any suspicion, judgment, contempt, anger or resentment that is uncharitable to his neighbor.
(2) In outward conduct in all circumstances deal with all in a friendly way and with sincere affection.
(3) Bear in silence any offense our neighbor does us, and if we can, return good for evil.
These are the points, my soul, that embrace the whole spirit of Jesus Christ and the true imitation of His virtues. Are you now willing to follow this Model and become a living likeness of Jesus Christ? If you are, kneel at His feet, consecrating yourself to Him and say the following:
Affective Acts
Colloquy with Jesus — What does this spirit of Thine, my Jesus, consist in? Does it not consist in shrinking from honor and loving contempt, in renouncing self-will, in obedience to another, in treating everyone with love, and silently bearing all weakness and offenses, in loving everyone wholeheartedly and in returning good for evil?
Indeed, my Jesus, this is certainly Thy spirit. Thy conduct was just that, and mine ought to be likewise, if I want to live according to Thy spirit. And not only is this Thy spirit, but it is the only road that leads to Thy love and union with Thee. Thou art Holiness itself, and Thou dost not take Thy pleasure in dwelling in a heart uncleansed of all bad inclinations and not adorned with Thy virtues.
Thanksgiving — Oh, what ardent love, what intimate familiarity, what close union I would be having with Thee, my Jesus, during these hours if I had been willing to die to selfishness and live according to Thy spirit! Alas! What immense benefits I have deprived myself of! But may thanks and infinite praise and blessing be given Thee, O my Jesus, my Supreme Good! For all is not yet lost.
Now, thanks to Thy loving kindness and mercy, I know Thy spirit and the way that leads to Thee. . . There is yet time to purify my heart of all the uncleanness of my disorderly affections; I can still come to have an inner familiarity with Thee and experience other effects of Holy love. I can still come to the possession of an intimate union with Thee.
O my Jesus! Oh, sweet is the hope that I can yet reach an intimate union with Thee! Yes, I, O my Jesus — I who have offended Thee so many times, I who for so many years have closed my ears to Thy loving invitations! Oh what kindness! What Mercy! May it, then, be so. I come to Thee, O my Jesus. I want to practise those virtues. So be it.
Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.
Preparatory Prayer as on page x
Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus crucified on Calvary, the Model of all virtues, and that you hear the Heavenly Father's voice saying: See, and do according to the example that has been put before you on Mount Calvary. (Cf. Ex. 25:40)
Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus, with Thy Grace I can do all things. Without it I can do nothing. Therefore I beg Thee to help me in order that I may follow and imitate Thee.
First Point
Having thus far considered, O my soul, the exalted virtues and example of Jesus Christ, let us now see in what way we should and can imitate this Model.
(1) The more one has of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the more one realizes virtue and perfection. If you want to know, my soul, what progress you have made in perfection, you can easily estimate it by how much or how little you have of the spirit of Jesus Christ. If in you there is little of this spirit, then little would be your perfection. If there is much, then there will likewise be in you much genuine sanctity. If all that is in you agrees with the spirit of Jesus Christ, you will have reached true and perfect sanctity. He is the highest sanctity and is the Model of all holiness. The more you become like that Model, the more perfect and the more holy you will be.
(2) The more one possesses His humility, obedience, meekness and charity, the more one possesses the Spirit of Jesus Christ. There are no virtues, certainly, that failed to shine forth with supreme perfection in Jesus Christ. It is likewise certain that He exemplified no virtues more gloriously than the four just named. He has urged two of these on us with as much zeal and resourcefulness as if they contained the whole substance of His Spirit and the most sublime element of His Holiness. "Learn of Me," He said, "for I am Meek and Humble of Heart."
(3) One will discover the reason why there are so few who arrive at sanctity, in this observation: The majority of rather devout people are content with those practices that present no great opposition to corrupt nature. They give themselves to meditation and prayer; with a good intention they carry out the tasks entrusted to them; and they fulfill the duties of their state. They perform works of penance, submit to other restraints which their director assigns them.
But as for renouncing their own will, as for being receptive with holy indifference to the bidding of superiors, as for uprooting every tender sprig of vainglory, willingly accepting contempt, vigorously suppressing their anger and dealing in a friendly and sincerely affectionate way with those who oppose them, returning good for evil and laying aside all selfishness — these are the practices that few have the will to undertake. Only those do it who have a heroic heart. And because of this (ungenerous) behavior, the heart never becomes free of its disordered inclinations nor adorned with those virtues that are so acceptable to God.
It then follows that God never shares Himself much with these persons, and He lets them live and die in their mediocrity.
Therefore, my soul, if you desire in all sincerity to attain perfection and union with God, and do not want to rest until you reach this, it is absolutely necessary to follow in the footsteps which Jesus Christ has left imprinted for us and to imitate His virtues.
I will now explain briefly the practice or way of doing this. (We will speak first of obedience, then of humility, and last of meekness and charity.)
Obedience (1) In God's presence let one put himself in a complete indifference regarding all that superiors may dispose, without desiring or seeking or rejecting anything.
(2) Continually see God in the superiors in all circumstances, firmly believing that their legitimate orders express God's Will.
(3) Receive all orders with reverence and fulfill them with care.
Second Point
Humility (1) Surrender before God every desire for honor and worldly glory so that one does not admit within himself any vain self-esteem or vain satisfaction with himself, and so that in his outward conduct he says not a word and does nothing, on the prompting of vainglory.
(2) Let one put his honor and reputation in God's Hands in such wise that the soul is ready to suffer contempt at every quarter of an hour if this should please God.
(3) Accept in good spirit every contempt and humiliation from wherever these things may come, and bear them cheerfully with a truly light regard for self.
Third Point
Meekness and Charity (1) Have a heart so affectionate toward all that one never advertently and deliberately admits any suspicion, judgment, contempt, anger or resentment that is uncharitable to his neighbor.
(2) In outward conduct in all circumstances deal with all in a friendly way and with sincere affection.
(3) Bear in silence any offense our neighbor does us, and if we can, return good for evil.
These are the points, my soul, that embrace the whole spirit of Jesus Christ and the true imitation of His virtues. Are you now willing to follow this Model and become a living likeness of Jesus Christ? If you are, kneel at His feet, consecrating yourself to Him and say the following:
Affective Acts
Colloquy with Jesus — What does this spirit of Thine, my Jesus, consist in? Does it not consist in shrinking from honor and loving contempt, in renouncing self-will, in obedience to another, in treating everyone with love, and silently bearing all weakness and offenses, in loving everyone wholeheartedly and in returning good for evil?
Indeed, my Jesus, this is certainly Thy spirit. Thy conduct was just that, and mine ought to be likewise, if I want to live according to Thy spirit. And not only is this Thy spirit, but it is the only road that leads to Thy love and union with Thee. Thou art Holiness itself, and Thou dost not take Thy pleasure in dwelling in a heart uncleansed of all bad inclinations and not adorned with Thy virtues.
Thanksgiving — Oh, what ardent love, what intimate familiarity, what close union I would be having with Thee, my Jesus, during these hours if I had been willing to die to selfishness and live according to Thy spirit! Alas! What immense benefits I have deprived myself of! But may thanks and infinite praise and blessing be given Thee, O my Jesus, my Supreme Good! For all is not yet lost.
Now, thanks to Thy loving kindness and mercy, I know Thy spirit and the way that leads to Thee. . . There is yet time to purify my heart of all the uncleanness of my disorderly affections; I can still come to have an inner familiarity with Thee and experience other effects of Holy love. I can still come to the possession of an intimate union with Thee.
O my Jesus! Oh, sweet is the hope that I can yet reach an intimate union with Thee! Yes, I, O my Jesus — I who have offended Thee so many times, I who for so many years have closed my ears to Thy loving invitations! Oh what kindness! What Mercy! May it, then, be so. I come to Thee, O my Jesus. I want to practise those virtues. So be it.
Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre