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October 30th, 2012:

More from Spiritual Classics, Dr. Ronda’s Course:
St. Therese of Lisieux
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873 – 1897), or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, was a French Carmelite

nun. She is also known as "The Little Flower of Jesus".
She felt an early call to religious life, and overcoming various obstacles, in 1888 at the early age of 15, became a nun and joined two of her older sisters in the

cloistered Carmelite community of Lisieux, France. After nine years as a Carmelite religious, she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. The impact of The Story of a

Soul, a collection of her autobiographical manuscripts, printed and distributed a year after her death to an initially very limited audience, was great, and she rapidly

became one of the most popular saints of the twentieth century. She was beatified in 1923, and canonized in 1925. Thérèse was declared co-patron of the

missions with Francis Xavier in 1927, and named co-patron of France with Joan of Arc in 1944. On 19 October 1997 Pope John Paul II declared her the thirty-third

Doctor of the Church, the youngest person, and only the third woman, to be so honored. Devotion to Thérèse has developed around the world.[2]
The depth of her spirituality, of which she said, "my way is all confidence and love," has inspired many believers. In the face of her littleness and nothingness, she

trusted in God. She wanted to go to heaven by an entirely new little way. "I wanted to find an elevator that would raise me to Jesus." The elevator, she wrote, would

be the arms of Jesus lifting her in all her littleness.
The Basilica of Lisieux is the second largest place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes.[4]
Dramatic Reading:
Quotes from Story of a Soul

St. Thérèse's First Communion

8th May 1884
________________________________________
Source: Story of a Soul [St. Thérèse's autobiogrphy], Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
At last the most wonderful day of my life arrived, and I can remember every tiny detail of those heavenly hours: my joyous waking up at dawn, the tender, reverent

kisses of the mistresses and older girls, the room where we dressed -- filled with the white "snowflakes" in which one after another we were clothed -- and above

all, our entry into chapel and the singing of the morning hymn: "O Altar of God, Where the Angels are Hovering." I would not tell you everything, even if I could, for

there are certain things which lose their fragrance in the open air, certain thoughts so intimate that they cannot be translated into earthly language without losing at

once their deep and heavenly meaning. How lovely it was, that first kiss of Jesus in my heart -- it was truly a kiss of love. I knew that I was loved and said, "I love You,

and I give myself to You forever." Jesus asked for nothing, He claimed no sacrifice. Long before that, He and little Thérèse had seen and understood one another

well, but on that day it was more than a meeting -- it was a complete fusion. We were no longer two, for Thérèse had disappeared like a drop of water lost in the

mighty ocean. Jesus alone remained -- the Master and the King. Had she not asked Him to take away her liberty, the liberty she feared? She felt so weak and frail

that she wanted to unite herself forever to His Divine Strength. And her joy became so vast, so deep, that now it overflowed. Soon she was weeping, to the

astonishment of her companions, who said to one another later on: "Why did she cry? Was there something on her conscience? Perhaps it was because her

mother was not there, or the Carmelite sister she loves so much." It was beyond them that all the joy of Heaven had entered one small, exiled heart, and that it was

too frail and weak to bear it without tears. As if the absence of my mother could make me unhappy on the day of my First Communion! As all Heaven entered my

soul when I received Jesus, my mother came to me as well. Nor could I cry because you5 were not there, we were closer than ever before. It was joy alone, deep

ineffable joy that filled my heart.
That afternoon I was chosen to read the "Act of Consecration to Our Lady." I suppose they chose me because I had lost my earthly mother so young. Anyway, I put

my whole heart into it and begged Our Lady to guard me always. I felt sure she was looking at me with that lovely smile which had cured me and delivered me, and I

knew all I owed her; for it was she herself, that morning of the 8th of May, who placed Jesus in my soul, "the flower of the field and the lily of the valley."
When evening came that lovely day, Father led his little queen by the hand to Carmel, and there I saw you made the bride of Christ. I saw your veil, all white like

mine, and your crown of roses. There was no bitterness in all my joy, for I hoped to join you and wait for Heaven at your side.
I was very moved by the family feast prepared at Les Buissonets and delighted with the little watch which Father gave me. Yet my happiness was very tranquil, with

an inward peace no earthly thing could touch. Night came at last to end my lovely evening, for darkness falls even on the brightest day. Only the first day of

Communion in Eternity will never end.”
“When I looked upon the mystical body of the Church, I recognized myself in none of the members which St. Paul described…Love appeared to me to be the hinge

for my vocation. I knew that the Church had a heart and that such a heart appeared to be aflame with love. I knew that one love drove the members of the Church to

action, that if this love were extinguished, the apostles would have proclaimed the Gospel no longer,…I saw and realized that love sets off the bounds of all

vocations, that love is everything, and this same love embraces every time and every place. In one word that love is everlasting. Then, nearly ecstatic with the

supreme joy in my soul, I proclaimed: O Jesus, my love, at last I have found my calling: my call is love. Certainly I have found my proper place in the Church, and you

gave me that very place, my God. In the heart of the Church, my mother, I will be love…”


"What a comfort it is this way of love! You may stumble on it, you may fail to correspond with grace given, but always love knows how to make the best of everything;

whatever offends our Lord is burnt up in its fire, and nothing is left but a humble, absorbing peace deep down in the heart."

"Our Lord's love makes itself seen quite as much in the simplest of souls as in the most highly gifted, as long as there is no resistance offered to his grace."

"The science of loving, yes, that's the only kind of science I want I'd barter away everything I possess to win it."

""When I act as charity bids, I have this feeling that it is Jesus who is acting in me; the closer my union with him, the greater my love for all the sisters without

distinction"

"Above all it's the gospels that occupy my mind when I'm at prayer. "I'm always finding fresh lights there.”
TRIAL OF FAITH: "I get tired of the darkness all around me" The darkness itself seems to borrow, from the sinners who live in it, the gift of speech. I hear its

mocking accents: 'It's all a dream, this talk of a heavenly country of a God who made it all, who is to be your possession in eternity! "All right, go on longing for

death! But death will make nonsense of your hopes; it will only mean a night darker than ever, the night of mere non-existence!"

Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.

On the day of my conversion Charity entered into my heart and with it a yearning to forget self always; thenceforward I was happy.

When Charity is deeply rooted in the soul it shows itself exteriorly: there is so gracious a way of refusing what we cannot give, that the refusal pleases as much as

the gift.”
From letters and counsels:
Time is but a shadow, a dream; already God sees us in glory and takes joy in our eternal beatitude. How this thought helps my soul! I understand then why He lets

us suffer... - VIII Letter to Her Sister Celine

How I thirst for Heaven-that blessed habitation where our love for Jesus will have no limit! But to get there we must suffer... we must weep... Well, I wish to suffer all

that shall please my Beloved, I wish to let Him do just as He wills with His "little ball."

In Heaven the good God will do all I wish, because I have never done my own will upon earth.

Even now I know it: yes, all my hopes will be fulfilled... yes... the Lord will work wonders for me which will surpass infinitely my immeasurable desires.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort
(from Wikipedia)
French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes.
He is considered as one of the early proponents of the field of Mariology as it is known today, and a candidate to become a Doctor of the Church. His "founders

statue" by Giacomo Parisini is now placed at the Upper Niche of the South Nave within Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.[1]

He was born in Montfort-sur-Meu, At the age of 12, he entered a Jesuit College, during which time he discerned his vocation to the priesthood.  Listening to the

stories of an itinerant missionary, he was inspired to preach missions among the very poor. And, under the guidance of some other priests he began to develop his

strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He was then given the opportunity, through a benefactor, to go to Paris to study at the renowned Seminary of Saint-Sulpice towards the end of 1693. When he

arrived in Paris, it was to find that his benefactor had not provided enough money for him, so he lodged in a succession of boarding houses, living among the very

poor, in the meantime attending the Sorbonne University for lectures in theology. After less than two years, he became very ill and had to be hospitalized. Somehow

he survived his hospitalization and the blood letting that was part of his treatment at the time.
Upon his release from the hospital, to his surprise he found himself with a place reserved at the Little Saint-Sulpice, se seminary founded by one  of the leading

exponents of what came to be known as the French school of spirituality.This later lead to his focus on the Holy Rosary and his acclaimed book the Secret of the

Rosary.
He was ordained a priest in 1700, and assigned to Nantes. His letters of this period show that he felt frustrated from the lack of opportunity to preach as he felt he

was called to do. He considered various options, even that of becoming a hermit, but the conviction that he was called to "preach missions to the poor" increased.
Five months after his ordination, in November 1700 he joined the Third Order of the Dominicans and asked permission not only to preach the rosary, but to also

form rosary confraternities. The same month he wrote: :"I am continually asking in my prayers for a poor and small company of good priests to preach missions and

retreats under the standard and protection of the Blessed Virgin". This initial thought eventually led to the formation of the Company of Mary.
For several years he preached in missions from Brittany to Nantes, and his reputation as a great missioner grew, and he became known as "the good Father from

Montfort". At Pontchateau he attracted thousands of people to help him in the construction of a huge Calvary. This was to be the cause of one of his greatest

disappointments, for the very eve of its blessing, the Bishop, having heard that it was to be destroyed on the orders of the King of France under the influence of

members of the Jansenist school, forbade its benediction. It is reported that upon receiving this news, he told the thousands awaiting the blessing: "We had hoped

to build a Calvary here; let us build it in our hearts. Blessed be God."
His most famous books are True Devotion to Mary, the Secret of Mary and the Secret of the Rosary.The heated style of his preaching was regarded by some

people as somewhat strange and he was poisoned once. Although it did not prove fatal, it caused his health to deteriorate. Yet he continued, undeterred. He went

on preaching and established free schools for the poor boys and girls.
TREATISE ON TRUE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN         
PART I: TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR LADY IN GENERAL
Ch 2: In what Devotion to Mary Consists
Principal practices of devotion to Mary
115. There are several interior practices of true devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Here briefly are the main ones:
1.    Honouring her, as the worthy Mother of God, by the cult of hyperdulia, that is, esteeming and honouring her more than all the other saints as the

masterpiece of grace and the foremost in holiness after Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
2.    Meditating on her virtues, her privileges and her actions.
3.    Contemplating her sublime dignity.
4.    Offering to her acts of love, praise and gratitude.
5.    Invoking her with a joyful heart.
6.    Offering ourselves to her and uniting ourselves to her.
7.    Doing everything to please her.
8.    Beginning, carrying out and completing our actions through her, in her, with her, and for her in order to do them through Jesus, in Jesus, with Jesus, and

for Jesus, our last end. We shall explain this last practice later.
116. True devotion to our Lady has also several exterior
practices. Here are the principal ones:
1.    Enrolling in her confraternities and joining her sodalities.
2.    Joining religious orders dedicated to her.
3.    Making her privileges known and appreciated.
4.    Giving alms, fasting, performing interior and exterior acts of self-denial in her honour.
5.    Carrying such signs of devotion to her as the rosary, the scapular, or a little chain.
6.    Reciting with attention, devotion and reverence the fifteen decades of the Rosary in honour of the fifteen principal mysteries of our Lord, or at least five

decades in honour of:

o    the Joyful mysteries - the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of our Lord, the Purification, the Finding of the Child Jesus in the temple;
o    or the Sorrowful mysteries: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion;
o    or the Glorious mysteries: The Resurrection of our Lord, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of our Lady, body and soul, into

heaven, the Crowning of Mary by the Blessed Trinity.
One may also choose any of the following prayers: the Rosary of six or seven decades in honour of the years our Lady is believed to have spent on earth; the Little

Crown of the Blessed Virgin in honour of her crown of twelve stars or privileges; the Little Office of our Lady so widely accepted and recited in the Church; the Little

Psalter of the BlessedVirgin, composed in her honour by St. Bonaventure, which is soheart-warming, and so devotional that you cannot recite it without being

moved by it; the fourteen Our Fathers and Hail
Marys in honour of her fourteen joys. There are various other prayers and hymns of the Church, such as, the hymns of the liturgical seasons, the Ave Maris Stella,

the O Gloriosa Domina ; the Magnificat and other prayers which are found in all prayer-books.
7.    Singing hymns to her or teaching others to sing them.
8.    Genuflecting or bowing to her each morning while saying for example sixty or a hundred times, "Hail Mary, Virgin most faithful", so that through her

intercession with God we may faithfully correspond with his graces throughout the day; and in the evening saying "Hail Mary, Mother of Mercy", asking her to obtain

God's pardon for the sins we have committed during the day.
9.    Taking charge of her confraternities, decorating her altars, crowning and adorning her statues.
10.    Carrying her statues or having others carry them in procession, or keeping a small one on one's person as an effective protection against the evil one.
11.    Having statues made of her, or her name engraved and placed on the walls of churches or houses and on the gates and entrances of towns, churches

and houses.
12.    Solemnly giving oneself to her by a special consecration.
117. The Holy Spirit has inspired saintly souls with other practices of true devotion to the Blessed Virgin, all of which are conducive to holiness… These devotions

are a wonderful help for souls seeking holiness
provided they are performed in a worthy manner, that is:
1.    With the right intention of pleasing God alone, seeking union with Jesus, our last end, and giving edification to our neighbour.
2.    With attention, avoiding willful distractions.
3.    With devotion, avoiding haste and negligence.
4.    With decorum and respectful bodily posture.

St. Maximillian Kolbe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Martyr
Born    8 January 1894
Zduńska Wola, Russian Empire in what is now PolandDied    14 August 1941 (aged 47)
Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland   

Canonized
10 October 1982, Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II   
Feast
14 August
Patronage
Against drug addictions, drug addicts, families, imprisoned people, journalists, political prisoners, prisoners , pro-life movement
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFM Conv was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German concentration

camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.
Due to his efforts to promote Consecration and entrustment to Mary, he is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary.
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe’s parents were basket weavers. Later, his mother worked as a midwife (often donating her services), and owned a shop in part of

her rented house which sold groceries and household goods. His father was captured by the Russians and hanged for fighting for the independence of a

partitioned Poland.
Kolbe's life was strongly influenced by a childhood vision of the Virgin Mary that he later described:
That night, I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me, a Child of Faith. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked

me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I

would accept them both.
In 1907, Kolbe and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans. They illegally crossed the border between Russia and Austria-Hungary

and joined the Conventual Franciscan junior seminary in Lwów. In 1910, Kolbe was allowed to enter the novitiate. He professed his first vows in 1911, adopting the

name Maximilian, and the final vows in 1914, in Rome, adopting the names Maximilian Maria, to show his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Kolbe would later

sing hymns to the Virgin Mary in the concentration camp.
In 1912, he was sent to Kraków, and in the same year to a college in Rome, where he studied philosophy, theology, mathematics, and physics. He earned a

doctorate in philosophy in 1915 at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the doctorate in theology in 1919 at the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure. During

his time as a student, he witnessed vehement demonstrations against Popes St. Pius X and Benedict XV in Rome during an anniversary celebration by the

Freemasons. According to St. Maximilian,
They placed the black standard of the "Giordano Brunisti" under the windows of the Vatican. On this standard the archangel, St. Michael, was depicted lying under

the feet of the triumphant Lucifer. At the same time, countless pamphlets were distributed to the people in which the Holy Father was attacked shamefully.
This event inspired Saint Kolbe to organize the Militia Immaculata, or Army of Mary, to work for conversion of sinners and enemies of the Catholic Church,

specifically the Freemasons, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. So serious was St. Maximilian about this goal that he added to the Miraculous Medal

prayer:
Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. And for all those who do not have recourse to thee; especially the Masons and all those

recommended to thee.
The Immaculata friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques in publishing catechetical and devotional tracts, a daily newspaper with a

circulation of 230,000 and a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million. Kolbe also used radio to spread his Catholic faith and to speak out against the

atrocities of the Nazi regime. He is the only canonized saint to have held an amateur radio license.
In 1918, Kolbe was ordained a priest. In 1919, he returned to the newly independent Poland, where he was very active in promoting the veneration of the

Immaculate Virgin Mary, founding and supervising the monastery of Niepokalanów near Warsaw, a seminary, a radio station, and several other organizations and

publications. Maximilian Kolbe founded the monthly periodical Rycerz Niepokalanej in 1922, and in 1927 founded a Conventual Franciscan monastery at

Niepokalanow, which became a major publishing centre. Kolbe left Poland for Japan in 1930, spending six years there. The monastery at Niepokalanow began in

his absence to publish the daily newspaper, Mały Dziennik, which became Poland's top-seller. Between 1930 and 1936, he took a series of missions to Japan,

where he founded a monastery at the outskirts of Nagasaki, a Japanese paper, and a seminary. The monastery he founded remains prominent in the Roman

Catholic Church in Japan. Kolbe decided to build the monastery on a mountainside that, according to Shinto beliefs, was not the side best suited to be in harmony

with nature. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Kolbe's monastery was saved because the other side of the mountain took the main force of the

blast.


During the Second World War, he provided shelter to refugees from Greater Poland, including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary in

Niepokalanów.
On 17 February 1941, he was arrested by the German Gestapo and imprisoned in the Pawiak prison. On 28 May, he was transferred to Auschwitz as prisoner

#16670.
At the end of July 1941, three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch, the deputy camp commander, to pick 10 men

to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter further escape attempts. When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, "My

wife! My children!", Kolbe volunteered to take his place.
In the starvation cell, he celebrated Mass each day and sung hymns with the prisoners.
He led the other condemned men in song and prayer and encouraged them by telling them they would soon be with Mary in Heaven. Each time the guards checked

on him, he was standing or kneeling in the middle of the cell and looking calmly at those who entered. After two weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe

remained alive. The guards wanted the bunker emptied and they gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Some who were present at the injection say that he

raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection.] His remains were cremated on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of Mary.
Canonization


The first monument to Maximilian Kolbe in Poland in Chrzanów
Father Kolbe was beatified as a confessor by Pope Paul VI in 1971 and canonized as a martyr by Pope John Paul II on 10 October 1982, with Franciszek

Gajowniczek in attendance. Upon canonization, the Pope declared St. Maximilian Kolbe not a confessor, but a martyr. St. Maximilian's beatification miracle was

the July 1948 cure of intestinal tuberculosis in Angela Testoni, and in August 1950, the cure of calcification of the arteries/sclerosis of Francis Ranier was attributed

to the intercession of St. Maximilian.
After his canonization, St. Maximilian Kolbe's feast day was included in the General Roman Calendar used by many Catholic churches.


The statue of Kolbe (left) above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey.
He is one of ten 20th-century martyrs who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, London.
Controversy
Kolbe's recognition as a Christian martyr also created some controversy within the Catholic Church, in that, while his ultimate self-sacrifice of his life was most

certainly saintly and heroic, he was not killed strictly speaking out of odium Fidei (i.e., out of hatred for the Faith), but as a result of an act of Christian charity, which

the Servant of God Pope Paul VI himself had recognized at his beatification by naming him a confessor and giving him the unofficial title "martyr of charity".

However, Blessed Pope John Paul II, when deciding to canonize him, overruled the commission he had established (which agreed with the earlier assessment of

heroic charity), wishing to make the point that the systematic hatred of (whole categories of) humanity propagated by the Nazi regime was in itself inherently an act

of hatred of religious (Christian) faith, meaning Father Kolbe's death equated to martyrdom.
Religious Influence
Kolbe's influence has found fertile ground in his own Franciscan order, in the form of the Franciscan Friars of Mary Immaculate (O.F.M.I), a Franciscan religious

order whose rule is influenced by the spirituality of St. Maximilian. O.F.M.I Friars are even taught basic Polish so they can sing the traditional hymns sung by Kolbe,

in the saint's native tongue. According to the O.F.M.I Friars,
"Our patron, St. Maximilian Kolbe, inspires us with his unique Mariology and apostolic mission, which is to bring all souls to the Sacred Heart of Christ through the

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Christ's most pure, efficient, and holy instrument of evangelization – especially those most estranged from the Church. "
Immaculata prayer of St. Maximilian Kolbe:
O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a

repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please

make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.
If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed

all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the

many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you

obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin
R. Give me strength against your enemies
Amen


Blessed John Henry Newman
Excerpts from Wikipedia Blessed John Henry Newman, (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890[2][3]), Originally an evangelical Oxford academic and priest in the

Church of England, Newman was a leader in the Oxford Movement. This influential grouping of Anglicans wished to return the Church of England to many Catholic

beliefs and forms of worship traditional in the medieval times to restore ritual expression. In 1845 Newman left the Church of England and was received into the

Roman Catholic Church where he was eventually granted the rank of cardinal by Pope Leo XIII.
Sermons, Apologia, Grammar of Assent 
Newman was also a literary figure of note: his major writings including his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua (1865–66), the Grammar of Assent (1870), and the

poem The Dream of Gerontius (1865), which was set to music in 1900 by Edward Elgar as an oratorio.[3] He wrote the popular hymns "Lead, Kindly Light" and

"Praise to the Holiest in the Height" (taken from Gerontius).
Dramatic Readings
From Mental Sufferings:
Discourse 16. Mental Sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion 
EVERY passage in the history of our Lord and Saviour is of unfathomable depth, and affords inexhaustible matter of contemplation. All that concerns Him is

infinite, and what we first discern is but the surface of that which begins and ends in eternity… (but we are obliged during Passion Week) to direct your thoughts to

a subject, especially suitable now, and about which many of us perhaps think very little, the sufferings which our Lord endured in His innocent and sinless soul….
as His atoning passion was undergone in the body, so it was undergone in the soul also.
As the solemn days proceed, we shall be especially called on, my brethren, to consider His sufferings in the body, His seizure, His forced journeyings to and fro,

His blows and wounds, His scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails, the Cross. They are all summed up in the Crucifix itself, as it meets our eyes; they are

represented all at once on His sacred flesh, as it hangs up before us—and meditation is made easy by the spectacle. It is otherwise with the sufferings of His soul;

they cannot be painted for us, nor can they even be duly investigated: they are beyond both sense and thought; and yet they anticipated His bodily sufferings. The

agony, a pain of the soul, not of the body, was the first act of His tremendous sacrifice; "My soul is sorrowful even unto death," …
Now apply this to the sufferings of our Lord;—do you recollect their offering Him wine mingled with myrrh, when He was on the point of being crucified? He would

not drink of it; why? because such a portion would have stupefied His mind, and He was bent on bearing the pain in all its bitterness. You see from this, my

brethren, the character of His sufferings; He would have fain escaped them, had that been His Father's will; "If it be possible," He said, "let this chalice pass from

Me;" but since it was not possible, He says calmly and decidedly to the Apostle, who would have rescued Him from suffering, "The chalice which My Father hath

given Me, shall I not drink it?" If He was to suffer, He gave Himself  to suffering; He did not come to suffer as little as He could; He did not turn away His face from

the suffering; He confronted it, or, as I may say, He breasted it, that every particular portion of it might make its due impression on Him...
He took a body in order that He might suffer; He became man, that He might suffer as man; and when His hour was come, that hour of Satan and of darkness, the

hour when sin was to pour its full malignity upon Him, it followed that He offered Himself wholly, a holocaust, a whole burnt-offering;—as the whole of His body,

stretched out upon the Cross, so the whole of His soul, His whole advertence, His whole consciousness, a mind awake, a sense acute, a living cooperation, a

present, absolute intention, not a virtual permission, not a heartless submission, this did He present to His tormentors. His passion was an action; He lived most

energetically, while He lay languishing, fainting, and dying. Nor did He die, except by an act of the will; for He bowed His head, in command as well as in

resignation, and said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit;" He gave the word, He surrendered His soul, He did not lose it…
the sufferings belonged to God, and were drunk up, were drained out to the bottom of the chalice, because God drank them; not tasted or sipped, not flavoured,

disguised by human medicaments, as man disposes of the cup of anguish. …
You may say that He knew that His sufferings would be short, and that their issue would be joyful, whereas uncertainty of the future is the keenest element of human

distress; but He could not have anxiety, for He was not in suspense; nor despondency or despair, for He never was deserted…
(Not so, for His trial consisted in the withdrawal, as of other causes of consolation, so of that very consciousness and anticipation. The same act of the will which

admitted the influence upon His soul of any distress at all, admitted all distresses at once….He deliberately denied Himself the comfort, and satiated Himself with

the woe. In that moment His soul thought not of the future, He thought only of the present burden which was upon Him, and which He had come upon earth to

sustain.
And now, my brethren, what was it He had to bear, when He thus opened upon His soul the torrent of this predestinated pain? Alas! He had to bear what is well

known to us, what is familiar to us, but what to Him was woe unutterable. He had to bear that which is so easy a thing to us, so natural, so welcome, that we cannot

conceive of it as of a great endurance, but which to Him had the scent and the poison of death—He had, my dear brethren, to bear the weight of sin; He had to bear

your sins; He had to bear the sins of the whole world. Sin is an easy thing to us; we think little of it; we do not understand how the Creator can think much of it; we

cannot bring our imagination to believe that it deserves retribution, and, when even in this world punishments follow upon it, we explain them away or turn our minds

from them. But consider what sin is in itself; it is rebellion against God; it is a traitor's act who aims at the overthrow and death of His sovereign… Sin is the mortal

enemy of the All-holy, so that He and it cannot be together; and as the All-holy drives it from His presence into the outer darkness… The envy of the Pharisees, the

treachery of Judas, and the madness of the people, were but the instrument or the expression of the enmity which sin felt towards Eternal Purity as soon as, in

infinite mercy towards men, He put Himself within its reach. Sin could not touch His Divine Majesty; but it could assail Him in that way in which He allowed Himself

to be assailed, that is, through the medium of His humanity. And in the issue, in the death of God incarnate, you are but taught, my brethren, what sin is in itself, and

what it was which then was falling, in its hour and in its strength, upon His human nature, when He allowed that nature to be so filled with horror and dismay at the

very anticipation.
There, then, in that most awful hour, knelt the Saviour of the world, putting off the defences of His divinity, dismissing His reluctant Angels, who in myriads were

ready at His call, and opening His arms, baring His breast, sinless as He was, to the assault of His foe,—of a foe whose breath was a pestilence, and whose

embrace was an agony. There He knelt, motionless and still, while the vile and horrible fiend clad His spirit in a robe steeped in all that is hateful and heinous in

human crime, which clung close round His heart, and filled His conscience, and found its way into every sense and pore of His mind, and spread over Him a moral

leprosy, till He almost felt Himself to be that which He never could be, and which His foe would fain have made Him. Oh, the horror, when He looked, and did not

know Himself, and felt as a foul and loathsome sinner, from His vivid perception of that mass of corruption which poured over His head and ran down even to the

skirts of His garments! Oh, the distraction, when He found His eyes, and hands, and feet, and lips, and heart, as if the members of the Evil One, and not of God! Are

these the hands of the Immaculate Lamb of God, once innocent, but now red with ten thousand barbarous deeds of blood? are these His lips, not uttering prayer,

and praise, and holy blessings, but as if defiled with oaths, and blasphemies, and doctrines of devils? or His eyes, profaned as they are by all the evil visions and

idolatrous fascinations for which men have abandoned their adorable Creator? And His ears, they ring with sounds of revelry and of strife; and His heart is frozen

with avarice, and cruelty, and unbelief; and His very memory is laden with every sin which has been committed since the fall, in all regions of the earth, with the pride

of the old giants, and the lusts of the five cities, and the obduracy of Egypt, and the ambition of Babel, and the unthankfulness and scorn of Israel.
Oh, who does not know the misery of a haunting thought which comes again and again, in spite of rejection, to annoy, if it cannot seduce? or of some odious and

sickening imagination, in no sense one's own, but forced upon the mind from without? or of evil knowledge, gained with or without a man's fault, but which he would

give a great price to be rid of at once and for ever? And adversaries such as these gather around Thee, Blessed Lord, in millions now; they come in troops more

numerous than the locust or the palmer-worm, or the plagues of hail, and flies, and frogs, which were sent against Pharaoh. Of the living and of the dead and of the

as yet unborn, of the lost and of the saved, of Thy people and of strangers, of sinners and of saints, all sins are there. Thy dearest are there, Thy saints and Thy

chosen are upon Thee; Thy three Apostles, Peter, James, and John; but not as comforters, but as accusers, like the friends of Job, "sprinkling dust towards

heaven," and heaping curses on Thy head.
All are there but one; one only is not there, one only; for she who had no part in sin, she only could console Thee, and therefore she is not nigh. She will be near

Thee on the Cross, she is separated from Thee in the garden… The Mother of God, for all her sanctity, nay by reason of it, could not have borne even one brood of

that innumerable progeny of Satan which now compasses Thee about. It is the long history of a world, and God alone can bear the load of it. Hopes blighted, vows

broken, lights quenched, warnings scorned, opportunities lost; the innocent betrayed, the young hardened, the penitent relapsing, the just overcome, the aged

failing; the sophistry of misbelief, the wilfulness of passion, the obduracy of pride, the tyranny of habit, the canker of remorse, the wasting fever of care, the anguish

of shame, the pining of disappointment, the sickness of despair; such cruel, such pitiable spectacles, such heartrending, revolting, detestable, maddening scenes;

nay, the haggard faces, the convulsed lips, the flushed cheek, the dark brow of the willing slaves of evil, they are all before Him now; they are upon Him and in Him.

They are with Him instead of that ineffable peace which has inhabited His soul since the moment of His conception. They are upon Him, they are all but His own; He

cries to His Father as if He were the criminal, not the victim; His agony takes the form of guilt and compunction. He is doing penance, He is making confession, He

is exercising contrition, with a reality and a virtue infinitely greater than that of all saints and penitents together; for He is the One Victim for us all, the sole

Satisfaction, the real Penitent, all but the real sinner….
"O Heart of Jesus, all Love, I offer Thee these humble prayers for myself, and for all those who unite themselves with me in Spirit to adore Thee. O holiest Heart of

Jesus most lovely, I intend to renew and to offer to Thee these acts of adoration and these prayers, for myself a wretched sinner, and for all those who are

associated with me in Thy adoration, through all moments while I breathe, even to the end of my life. I recommend to Thee, O my Jesus, Holy Church, Thy dear

spouse and our true Mother, all just souls and all poor sinners, the afflicted, the dying, and all mankind. Let not Thy Blood be shed for them in vain. Finally, deign to

apply it in relief of the souls in Purgatory, of those in particular who have practised in the course of their life this holy devotion of adoring Thee."

Newman Reader — Works of John Henry Newman
Copyright © 2007 by The National Institute for Newman Studies. All rights reserved.


Follow by Lead, Kindly Light
While tra¬vel¬ing in Ita¬ly as a young priest, John New¬man fell ill and stayed at Castle Gi¬o¬van¬ni al¬most three weeks. Fi¬nal¬ly, he was well enough

con¬tin¬ue his jour¬ney to Pa¬ler¬mo:
Before start¬ing from my inn, I sat down on my bed and began to sob bit¬ter¬ly. My ser¬vant, who had act-ed as my nurse, asked what ailed me. I could

only an¬swer, “I have a work to do in En¬gland.” I was ach-ing to get home, yet for want of a ves¬sel I was kept at Pa¬ler¬mo for three weeks. I began to vis¬it the

church¬es, and they calmed my im-pa¬tience, though I did not at¬tend any ser¬vices. At last I got off in an orange boat, bound for Mar¬seilles. We were be¬calmed

for whole week in the Straits of Bon¬i¬fa¬cio, and it was there that I wrote the lines, “Lead, Kind¬ly Light,” which have since be¬come so well known.
________________________________________
Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!
Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

The SPIRITUAL EXERCISES OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

Reading about the Life of St. Ignatius from
Discovering a Sacred World:
Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises
And Its Influence on Education
by John J. Callahan, S.J.    
________________________________________
Preface
One of the most appropriate and fruitful ways to come to an understanding of what is behind the whole endeavor of Jesuit education is to go back to the source, the

vision and insight of St. Ignatius Loyola.
The early life of Ignatius was typical of that of the minor nobility of the Basque country of northern Spain.  In his late teens and through most of his twenties, Ignatius

was a courtier at the corrupt and intrigue-filled court of King Ferdinand and the notorious Queen Germaine whom Ferdinand married shortly after the death of the

reform-minded Queen Isabella.  Ignatius fit in perfectly, a man of noble dreams and of often considerably less noble actions.  After the death of Ferdinand, he

sought his fortune as a "gentleman soldier."  At the age of 30 he was hit by a French cannonball at Pamplona.  After the battle, while he was nursing his destroyed

legs, something happened.  As he said, God began to “teach him.”  He began to write down the experiences of his relationship with God.  Later, he continued this

practice during ten months of prayer at the town of Manresa.  Over the next 15 years he developed his notes.  They were eventually published under the name

Spiritual Exercises.
Jesuits, as well as men and women of other religious congregations, find the inspiration and rationale for their lives in the Exercises.  In addition, over the centuries

thousands of lay persons around the globe have found in the Exercises a basic structure for their living  the Christian life in a very secular world.  This last should not

be surprising, for Ignatius wrote the Exercises as a lay person primarily for lay persons, men and women.
But the Spiritual Exercises turned out to be more than a method of personal growth in the spiritual life.  Its world view and its methods became the foundation upon

which the whole system of Jesuit education was built.
Written originally as a four-part series, Discovering A Sacred World presents, in a very condensed form, the central themes and processes of the Spiritual

Exercises, in particular those which influence Jesuit education.
My hope is that you will have the time and opportunity to ponder over these pages, for they provide the background and motivating force behind what we do as

students and educators in the Jesuit tradition.

________________________________________
I: Introduction and First Principle
Why the Mystery?
The book of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola has often been referred to as the inspiration and source of "all things Jesuit."  Familiarity with  the work is

also considered necessary for an understanding of Jesuit education.  It is even supposed to explain the Jesuits!  But what is the Spiritual Exercises and what is its

vision?  Why is it so often referred to, yet rarely, if ever, read?
One reason for this phenomenon is the very nature of the book.  Unlike Teresa of Ávila or John of the Cross, Ignatius did not pen a beautiful spiritual treatise or

compose mystical poetry.  Rather, what he wrote was a book of directions for one person guiding another through a series of spiritual activities.  As a result, the

Exercises often reads like an instruction booklet.  Its first pages, for example, consist of twenty detailed explanatory notes called "annotations."  There are also

pages simply indicating the topics in Jesus' life upon which a person should meditate.
The Exercises, then, is a book to be done, rather than a book to be read.  The process and the experiences in the book are basically the same as those which

Ignatius underwent during his conversion and growth in the spiritual life.  What is found in the Exercises is more than method and procedure, however.  What makes

it a spiritual classic is that it also contains a distinctive, genuinely Christian and Scripture-based vision of the person, of the world and of a loving God working

within both.
Ignatius began to make notes for what later became the Exercises as early as his convalescence at Loyola after his injury at the battle of Pamplona.  He continued

this practice during the eventful ten months at Manresa where, he said, "God taught him like a school boy."  He kept "his book" with him at all times, writing down

his impressions even during his adventurous pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
He started to make use of the Exercises when he began his schooling.  During his time in Barcelona and at the universities of Alcalá and Salamanca, he used the

Exercises as the basis of the "spiritual conversations" he had with the many people he met.  This led to trouble.  Because he was an "untrained" lay person who

was dealing with spiritual matters, he fell under suspicion of heresy, was arrested and jailed by the Spanish Inquisition, and finally was released after his book was

examined.
In the course of his ten years at the University of Paris, Ignatius deliberately concentrated on his studies rather than on giving the Exercises.  He used them only with

a select few, such as the companions he was gathering around himself.  According to Ignatius, God's will for him during those years was that he study.  He believed

that his desire to give the Exercises to many people was a temptation, a distraction from what God wanted him to be doing at that time.  Nevertheless, the text of

his little book was examined by the (relatively mild) French Inquisition and later, again, by the Inquisition at Rome.  The book was finally published with papal

approval in 1548, eight years after the founding of the Society of Jesus.
There have been hundreds of interpretations of the Exercises over the past 450 years.  These chapters will attempt to explain some of the key elements of the

method and vision of Ignatius' work.  The hope is that the Spiritual Exercises may thereby become less a mystery and more an inspira-tion.
The Spiritual Exercises
The full title of Ignatius' book is: Spiritual exercises to overcome oneself and to order one’s life without reaching a decision through some disordered affection. 

Using language more suited to today, the title could be paraphrased: "Spiritual exercises whose purpose is to lead a person to true spiritual freedom so that any

choice or decision is made according to an ordered set of values rather than according to any disordered desire."
Two important items should be noted at this point.  The first is that the Exercises is about choice and decision-making.  The thrust is toward action, not simply

reflection.  The second is that the Exercises aims to bring about an inner balance and steadiness within an individual so that, once fundamental values are

determined, the person is not distracted or led astray by contrary passions or desires.  This "balance" brings about an inner freedom to choose rightly.
What are "spiritual exercises?"  According to Ignatius, just as running is an exercise which benefits the body, so spiritual exercises are activities which benefit the

soul.  Spiritual exercises encompass all the ways of making contact with God -- "every method of examination of conscience, meditation, contemplation, vocal and

mental prayer, and other spiritual activities."  Ignatius was hardly a man of a single method.
The Exercises is divided into four parts called "weeks."  The First Week is set in the context of God's love and its rejection through sin.  The Second Week centers

on the life of Jesus from its beginnings through his public ministry.  The Third Week covers Jesus' passion and death.  The Fourth Week looks upon the Risen

Christ and the world renewed by the resurrection.
There are no fixed number of days within the "weeks."  The number of days in each week depends on the progress of the person making the retreat.  Normally, the

Exercises are finished after thirty days of silence and prayer.  However, if a person cannot make the concentrated thirty-day retreat, Ignatius suggests that the

Exercises be made over the course of several months, with an hour each day reserved for prayer.  This extended version of the Exercises, sometimes called the

"19th Annotation Retreat" or "Retreat in Everyday Life," is the most common way that busy people with many obligations make the Exercises today.
Preparatory Exercise: The First Principle and Foundation 
At the very beginning of the Exercises, Ignatius proposes a major "consideration."  Called the "First Principle and Foundation," it sets forth the basic "ordered set

of values" upon which the whole Exercises is based.  It answers the question, "What should I most consider before making a decision?" or, put another way, "What

should be the context of all the decisions I make?"  Ignatius wastes no time; his first exercise presents a real challenge.  He asks the person making the retreat (the

"retreatant") to seriously consider that
Human beings are created to praise, reverence and serve God Our Lord and by this means to save their souls.  The other things on the face of the earth are

created for human beings to help them in working toward the goal for which they are created. 
Therefore, I am to make use of these other things insofar as they help me attain the goal and turn away from these other things insofar as they hinder me from

attaining the goal.  I must make myself indifferent to all created things, as far as I am allowed free choice and am not under any prohibition. 
Consequently, as far as I am concerned, I should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life.  The same holds for all

other things.  My one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to reaching the goal for which I am created. 
Though the First Principle and Foundation may appear, at first, like a catechism response of a young child, it is really quite profound.  Four points:
1. The concept of "creation."  Central to understanding the Principle and Foundation is seeing oneself as God's continuing creation.  This creation is a dynamic,

moment-by-moment activity shaped by a free, loving, self-giving God and by grateful, loving human beings who share the divine freedom.  The "soul" is this free

self, posited by God and engaged with God and things in continually creating something new.  Evil arises from a human being's free decision to turn in on oneself

and refuse God's loving desire.
2. The principle of tantum ... quantum ("as much ... so much").  The "other things on the face of the earth" -- material things, genetic structure, physical and

intellectual abilities, passions and feelings, hopes and desires, social status, friends, time, etc. -- important as they are, do not compare in importance with that of

cooperating with the creating God.  A person either uses or does not use these created things depending only on whether or not they help or hinder this creative

cooperation with God.  "As much" as things help this cooperation, "so much" does one use them; insofar as things hinder this cooperation, they are avoided.
3. The principle of "indifference."  Therefore, when making decisions, a person should be "indifferent" in regard to these "other things" until one is clear that God is

directing the person in a certain way.  The "other things" are not obstacles between God and the self.  The question is how to use them properly.
Indifference is a distance from things that allows a person to freely choose "without prejudice."  It is a distance from things that makes true vision possible.  Ignatius

is asking everyone to love themselves and all things as coming from God.  Yet each is to "stand apart" from all created things in an inner freedom which awaits

God's desire and invitation.
4. The principle of the magis ("more").  The "active indifference" of the Exercises is the exact opposite of unconcern, uniformity or mediocrity.  Indifference does not

exist for its own sake.  Rather, it exists for an active choice, the free choice of "what is more conducive."  Ignatius asks that a person not even consider choosing

the second-rate.  His challenge: freely choose the "more."

The First Principle and Education 
Love of God,
love of self,
love of all things as coming from God,
recognition of one's place in creation,
analysis and evaluation of what helps or hinders in achieving a life goal,
inner freedom,
self-discipline,
choice,
the desire to be better and to do more --
these make up the First Principle and Foundation both of the Ignatian vision and of Jesuit education.

From the Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi:

Chapter I
In the name of our Lord Jesu Christ the Crucified) and of his Virgin Mother Mary. In this book are found certain little Flowers, Miracles and devout examples of the

glorious poor little one of Christ, Saint Francis, and of certain his holy Companions, to the praise of Jesu Christ. Amen
At the first, needs must we consider how in all the acts of Francis his life was conformed unto Christ the blessed one : how even as Christ in the beginning of His

preaching chose out twelve Apostles, to contemn all earthly things, to follow him in poverty and other virtues ; so Saint Francis in the beginning chose out for the

founding of the Order twelve companions, possessors of the deepest poverty…. these most holy companions of Saint Francis were men of such sanctity, that, from

the time of the Apostles until now, the world never saw men so marvellous and so saintly ; in that one of them was caught up into the third heaven, like Saint Paul,

and this was Brother Giles ; one of them, to wit Brother Philip Lungo, was touched on the lips by an angel with a coal of fire, as was Isaiah the prophet: one of them,

and he was Brother Silvester, spake with God, as one friend doth with another, even as Moses did : one through subtlety of intellect flew up even unto the light of the

divine Wisdom, like the eagle, to wit John the Evangelist, and this was the most humble Brother Bernard, who set forth clearly the deep things of Holy Writ : one of

them was sanctified of God and canonised in heaven, being yet alive in the world, and he was Brother Ruffino, a gentleman of Assisi : and thus wise were they all

favoured with singular marks of sanctity, as is set forth hereafter…

Chapter II
Of Brother Bernard … first companion of St Francis
The  first companion of Saint Francis was Brother Bernard of Assisi, who was converted in this wise : While Saint Francis was still in the secular habit, albeit he

had already despised the world, and went about held in scorn of men, mortifying his flesh by penances, in so much that by many he was thought foolish and was

mocked at as a mad fellow, and was driven away with stones and foul abuse by his kinsfolk and by strangers, yet bore himself patiently amid all manner of ignominy

and reproach, as though he were deaf and dumb. …

Bernard of Assisi, the which was of the noblest, and richest, and wisest in the city, began wisely to take heed unto Saint Francis, how exceeding strong his

contempt of the world, how great his patience in the midst of wrongs, so that albeit for a two years' space thus evilly treated of all persons and despised, he ever

seemed the more constant ; then he began to ponder and to say within himself: "In no wise can it be that this brother hath not abundant grace from God "; so he

called him one evening to sup and lodge with him : and Saint Francis consented thereto and supped with him and lodged. And thereat Bernard set it in his heart to

watch his sanctity : wherefore he let make ready for him a bed in his own proper chamber, in the which at nighttime ever a lamp did burn. And Saint Francis, for to

hide his sanctity, when he was come into the chamber, … did throw himself upon the bed and made as though he slept : and likewise Bernard after some short

space set himself to lie down and fell to snoring loudly, in fashion as though he slept right soundly. Whereby Saint Francis, thinking truly that Bernard was asleep, in

his sleep rose up from his bed and set himself to pray, lifting up his hands and eyes and with exceeding great devotion and fervour said : " My God, my God." And

thus saying and sorely weeping he abode till morning, always repeating : " My God, my God," and naught beside ; and this Saint Francis said, while musing on and

marvelling at the excellence of the divine Majesty, which deigned to stoop down to a perishing world and through his poor little Francis purposed to bring a remedy

for the salvation of his soul and the souls of others.

Therefore illumined by the Holy Spirit, or the spirit of prophecy, foreseeing what great things God would do through him and his Order, and minding him of his own

insufficiency and little worth, he cried unto God and besought Him that by His pity and almighty power, without the which the weakness of man may naught avail, He

would supply his lack, aid and fulfill what of itself was nothing worth.

Bernard seeing, by the light of the lamp, the most devout acts of Saint Francis, and devoutly pondering in his mind the words that he spake, was touched and

inspired by the Holy Spirit to change his life; in the morning therefore he called Saint Francis and thus bespake him : " Brother Francis, I am wholly purposed in my

heart to leave the world and follow thee in whatsoever thou mayest bid me."
Hearing this, Saint Francis rejoiced in spirit, and said: " Bernard, this that thou sayest is a task so great and difficult, that thereof must we seek counsel of our Lord

Jesu Christ, and beseech … Him that He be pleased to show us His will of the therein, and teach us how we may bring it to … pass: wherefore let us go together to

the bishop's house, wherein is a good priest, and let us let say the Mass ; then let us continue in prayer until Tierce, beseeching God that in thrice opening of the

missal He may reveal to us the path it is His will we should elect."

Bernard made answer that this pleased him right well. So fared they forth and came to the bishop's house: and after they had heard the Mass, and continued

praying until Tierce, the priest at the bidding of Saint Francis took the missal, and making the sign of the most holy Cross, opened it thrice in the name of our Lord

Jesu Christ: and at the first opening appeared the words that Christ spake in the Gospel to the young man that asked concerning the path of perfection : "If thou wilt

be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor and follow me " ; at the second opening appeared those words that Christ spake unto the Apostles when

He sent them forth to preach : " Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money " ; wishing thereby to teach them that for their

daily bread they should set all their hopes on God and fix their mind wholly on the preaching of the holy Gospel ; at the third opening of the missal appeared those

words that Christ spake: " If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and and follow me."

Then spake Saint Francis unto Bernard : " Behold the counsel that Christ giveth us : come then and fulfil that which thou hast heard : and blessed be our Lord Jesu

Christ, who hath deigned to show forth His own life in the holy Gospel."

This heard, Bernard went out and sold all that he had, and he was very rich ; and with great joy he gave all his possessions to widows, to orphans, to prisoners, to

monasteries and to hospices, and pilgrims ; and in all things Saint Francis helped him faithfully and wisely.

And a certain man whose name was Silvester seeing that Saint Francis gave and let give so much money to the poor, being moved by greed, said to Saint

Francis: "Thou hast not paid me in full for the stones thou didst buy of me for to rebuild the church ; therefore pay me now that thou hast money. Therewith Saint

Francis, marvelling at his greed and willing not to stir up strife with him, as a true follower of the holy Gospel, put his hands into the bosom of Bernard ; and filled his

hands with money, which he put into the bosom of Silvester, saying that if he wished for more, more would he give him.

Silvester being content with these, forth with was away and gat him to his house : but in the evening bethinking him of what he had done throughout the day, and

chiding himself for his greed, pondering on the fervour of Bernard and the sanctity of Saint Francis, he had from God, on the night following and two other nights, a

vision on this wise, that from the mouth of Bernard Saint Francis sprang a cross of gold, …the top reached unto heaven, and the arms stretched from the East even

unto the West.

By reason of this vision, he gave away all that he had for the love of God, and became a brother minor, and lived in the Order in such sanctity and grace that he

spake with God, as doth one friend with another, whereof Saint Francis ofttimes was witness ; the which will be set forth hereafter. Bernard in like manner had such

grace of God that oftentimes in contemplation was he caught up to God: and Saint Francis said of him, that he was worthy of all reverence, and that it was he that

had founded this Order ; inasmuch as he was the first to leave the world, keeping back naught for himself, but giving all unto the poor of Christ, and, when he took

on him the Gospel poverty, offering himself naked in the arms of the Crucified ; bless be His name, world without end. Amen. …

Chapter VIII
As Saint Francis and Brother Leo were going by the way, he set forth unto him what things were perfect joy
When as Saint Francis was going one day from Perugia to Saint Mary of the Angels with Brother Leo in the spring tide, and the very bitter cold grievously

tormented him, he called to Brother Leo that was going on before and said thus : " Brother Leo, though the Brothers Minor throughout all the world were great 

examples of sanctity and true edifying, nevertheless write it down and take heed diligently that not therein is perfect joy."

And going on a little further, Saint Francis called a second time: " O Brother Leo, albeit  the Brothers Minor should give sight to the blind, make straight the crooked,

cast out devils, make the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and (greater still) should raise  them that have been dead a four days that not herein is

perfect joy."

And going on a little, he cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, if the Brother Minor should know all tongues and all sciences and all the Scriptures, so that he could prophesy

and reveal not only things to come but also the secrets of consciences and souls, write that not therein is perfect joy."

Going on yet a little further, Saint Francis called aloud once more: " O Brother Leo, thou little sheep of God, albeit the Brother Minor should speak with the tongue of

angels, and know the courses of the stars and the virtues of herbs ; and though all the treasures of the earth were revealed unto him and he understood the virtues

of birds, and of fishes, and of all animals, and of men, and of trees, and of stones, and of roots, and of waters, write that not therein is perfect joy."

And going on a little further, Saint Francis cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, albeit the Brother Minor could preach so well as to turn all the infidels to the faith of Christ,

write that not therein is perfect joy."
And this manner of speech continuing for full two miles, Brother Leo with much marvel besought him, saying : "Father, I pray thee in the name of God that thou tell

me, wherein is perfect joy."

And Saint Francis thus made answer : " When we come to Saint Mary of the Angels, all soaked as we are with rain and numbed with cold and besmirched with

mud and tormented with hunger, and knock at the door ; and the porter comes in anger and says : *’Who are ye ? ' and we say : ‘We be two of your brethren '; and

he says, ' Ye be no true men; nay, ye be two rogues that gad about deceiving the world and robbing the alms of the poor ; get ye gone ' : and thereat he shuts to the

door and makes us stand without in the snow and the rain, cold and a-hungered, till nightfall ; if therewithal we patiently endure such wrong and such cruelty and

such rebuffs without being disquieted and without murmuring against him ; and with humbleness and charity bethink us that this porter knows us full well and that

God makes him to speak against us ;

O Brother Leo, write that herein is perfect joy.
And if we be instant in knocking and he come out full of wrath and drive us away as importunate knaves, with insults and buffetings, saying: *’Get ye gone hence,

vilest of thieves, begone to the alms-house, for here ye shall find nor food nor lodging '; if we suffer this with patience and with gladness and with love, O Brother

Leo, write that herein is perfect joy.
And if we still constrained by hunger, cold and night, knock yet again and shout and with much weeping pray him for the love of God that he will but open and let us

in; and he yet more enraged should say : ‘These be importunate knaves, I will pay them well as they deserve,' and should rush out with a knotty stick and taking us

by the hood, throw us upon the ground and send us rolling in the snow and beat us with all the knots of that stick : if with patience and with gladness we suffer all

these things, thinking on the pains of the blessed Christ and how we ought to suffer for the love of Him : O Brother Leo, write that here and herein is perfect joy :

then hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Brother Leo : above all graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, that Christ granteth to His beloved, is to overcome oneself,

and willingly for the love of Christ endure pains and insults and shame and want: inasmuch as in all other gifts of God we may not glory, since they are not ours but

God's ; whence saith the Apostle : What hast thou that thou hast not received of God? And if thou hast received it of Him, wherefore boastest thou thyself as if thou

hadst it of thyself? But in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may boast, since this is ours ; and therefore saith the Apostle, I would not that I should glory save in

the cross of our Lord Jesu Christ.

Chapter XVI
How … Saint Francis he founded the third Order, and preached unto the birds, and made the swallows hold their peace
… Saint Francis set himself to preach, but first he bade the swallows that were twittering around to keep silence till such time as he had done the the third

preaching ; and the swallows were obedient to his word, and he preached there with such fervour that all the men and women of that town minded through their

devotion to come after him and leave the town, but Saint Francis suffered them not, saying : " Make not ill haste nor leave your homes ; and I will ordain for you what

ye should do for the salvation of your souls " : and therewith he resolved to found the third Order, for the salvation of all the world. And so leaving them much

comforted and with minds firm set on penitence, he departed thence …

And as with great fervour he was going on the way, he lifted up his eyes and beheld some trees hard by the road whereon sat a great company of birds well-nigh

without number ; whereat Saint Francis marvelled, and said to his companions: " Ye shall wait for me here upon the way and I will go to preach unto my little sisters,

the birds."

And he went unto the field and began to preach unto the birds that were on the ground ; and immediately those that were on the trees flew down to him, and they all

of them remained still and quiet together, until Saint Francis made an end of preaching : and not even then did they depart, until he had given them his blessing.

And according to what Brother Masseo afterwards related unto Brother Jacques da Massa, Saint Francis went among them touching them with his cloak, howbeit

none moved from out his place.

(He preached to the birds) much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you liberty to fly

about everywhere, and hath also given you double and triple raiment ; moreover He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, that your race might not perish out of

the world ; still more are ye beholden to Him for the element of the air which He hath appointed for you ; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap ; and God

feedeth you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink ; the mountains and the valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to make your nests ;

and because ye know not how to spin or sew, God clotheth you, you and your children ; wherefore your Creator loveth you much, seeing that He hath bestowed on

you so many benefits ; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praises unto God."

As Saint Francis spake these words to them, those birds began all of them to open their beaks, and stretch their necks, and spread their wings, and reverently

bend their heads down to the ground, and by their acts and by their songs to show that the holy Father gave them joy exceeding great…
Having ended the preaching, Saint Francis made over them the sign of the cross, and gave them leave to go away ; and thereby all the birds with wondrous singing

rose up in the air; and then, in the fashion of the cross that Saint Francis had made over them, divided themselves into four parts ; and the one part flew toward the

East, and the other towards the West, and the other towards the South, and the fourth towards the North, and each flight went on its way singing wondrous songs ;

signifying thereby that even as Saint Francis, the standard-bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached unto them, and made over them the sign of the cross, after

the pattern of which they separated themselves unto the four parts of the world : even so the preaching of the Cross of Christ, renewed by Saint Francis, would be

carried by him and the brothers throughout all the world ; the which brothers, after the fashion of the birds, possessing nothing of their own in this world, commit their

lives wholly unto the providence of God…

Chapter 50  On the Stigmata
Then Saint Francis sent for the other brothers and told them how he was minded to keep the forty days' fast of Saint Michael in that lonely place ; and therefore he

besought them to make him a little cell there, so that no cry of his could be heard by them. And when the cell was made, Saint Francis said to them : " Go ye to your

own place, and leave me here alone, for, with the help of God, I am minded to keep the fast here, without disturbance or distraction, and therefore let none of you

come unto me, nor suffer any lay folk to come to me. But, Brother Leo, thou alone shalt come to me, once a day, with a little bread and water, and at night once

again at the hour of Matins ; and then shalt thou come to me in silence, and when thou art at the bridgehead, thou shalt say; " Domine, labia mea aperies "; and if I

answer thee, cross over and come to the cell, and we will say Matins together ; and if I answer thee not, then depart straightway." …

(During this time St. Francis began to think on the immeasurable glory and joy of the blessed in the life eternal ; and therewithal began to pray God to grant him the

grace of tasting a little of that joy. And as he continued in this thought, suddenly there appeared unto him an Angel with exceeding great splendour, having a viol in

his left hand and in his right the bow ; and as Saint Francis stood all amazed at the sight of him, the Angel drew the bow once across the viol ; and straightway Saint

Francis was ware of such sweet melody that his soul melted away for very sweetness and was lifted up above all bodily feeling ; insomuch that, as he afterwards

told his companions, he doubted that, if the Angel had drawn the bow a second time across the strings, his mind would have left his body for the all too utter

sweetness thereof. …

And from that time forth, Saint Francis began more plenteously to taste and feel the sweetness of divine contemplation and of the divine visitings. Among the which

he had one that was an immediate preparation for the imprinting of the most holy Stigmata, and it was after this manner. On the day before the feast of the most

holy Cross, in the month of September, as Saint Francis was praying in secret in his cell, there appeared unto him the Angel of God, and bespake him in the name

of God : I am come to comfort and admonish thee, that thou make thyself ready and set thyself in order, humbly with all patience to receive whatsoever God will give

to thee and work in thee."
Replied Saint Francis : " I am ready to endure with patience all things whatsoever my Lord may will to do unto me" : and this said, the angel was away. So the next

day came, to wit, the day of the most holy Cross : and early in the morning before dawn, Saint Francis fell on his knees in prayer in front of the entrance to his cell,

and turning his face towards the East, prayed in this manner : " Oh my Lord Jesu Christ, I pray Thee The grant me two graces, before I die : the first, that in my

lifetime I may feel in my soul and in my vision and in my body, so far as may be, the pain that Thou, sweet Lord, didst bear in the hour of Thy most bitter passion ;

the second is, that I may feel in my heart, as far as may be, that exceeding love, wherewith Thou, O Son of God, wast kindled to willingly endure such agony for us

sinners." …

And as he was thuswise set on fire in this contemplation, on that same morn he saw descend from heaven a Seraph with six wings resplendent and aflame, and as

with swift flight the Seraph drew nigh unto Saint Francis, so that he could discern him, he clearly saw that he bore in him the image of a man crucified : and his

wings were in such guise displayed, that two wings were spread above his head, two were spread out to fly, and the other twain covered all his body…

Then the whole mount of Alvernia appeared as though it burned with bright-shining flames, that lit up all the mountains and valleys round as though it had been the

sun upon the earth ; whereby the shepherds, that were keeping watch in those parts, seeing the mountain aflame and so great a light around, had exceeding great

fear, according as they afterwards told unto the brothers, declaring that this flame rested upon the mount of Alvernia for the space of an hour and more. In like

manner, at the bright shining of this light, which through the windows lit up the hostels of the country round, certain muleteers that were going into Romagna, arose,

believing that the day had dawned, and saddled and laded their beasts : and going on their way, they saw the said light die out and the material sun arise.
In the said seraphic apparition, Christ, the which appeared to him, spake to Saint Francis certain high and secret things, the which Saint Francis in his life-time

desired not to reveal to any man: but after his life was done, Francis he did reveal them, as is set forth below; and the words were these: " Knowest thou," said

Christ, " what it is that I have done unto thee ? I have given thee the Stigmata, that are the signs of my passion, to the end that thou mayest be my standard-bearer.”

…
Then this marvellous vision vanishing away, after long space and secret converse, left in the heart of Saint Francis an exceeding ardour and flame of love divine :

and in his flesh a marvellous image and copy of the passion of Christ. For straightway in the hands and feet of Saint Francis began to appear the marks of the

nails, in such wise as he had seen them in the body of Jesu Christ, the Crucified, the which had shown Himself to him in the likeness of a seraph : and thus his

hands and feet appeared to be pierced through the middle with nails, and the heads of them were in the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet outside the

flesh, and their points came out on the back of his hands and of his feet, so that they seemed bent back and rivetted in such fashion that under the bend and

rivetting, which all stood out above the flesh, might easily be put a finger of the hand, as in a ring : and the heads of the nails were round and black. Likewise in the

right side appeared an image of a wound made by a lance, unhealed, and red and bleeding, the which after- wards ofttimes dropped blood from the sacred breast

of Saint Francis, and stained with blood his tunic and his hose.”



This is the second in a series from a course Dr. Ronda will give on Spiritual Life in the Classics:
Reading from St. Bernard’s Sermons on the Song of Songs

Sermon 1
Theme:  “I belong to my Beloved, and He belongs to me.”  (Song of Songs)

The instructions that I address to you, my brothers, will differ from those I should deliver to people in the world, at least the manner will be different. The preacher

who desires to follow St Paul's method of teaching will give them milk to drink rather than solid food, and will serve a more nourishing diet to those who are

spiritually enlightened … "We have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity," in whose company, I feel assured, you are to be found, unless in vain have

you prolonged your study of divine teaching, mortified your senses, and meditated day and night on God's law. Be ready then to feed on bread rather than milk.

Solomon has bread to give that is splendid and delicious, the bread of that book called “The Song of Songs.” Let us bring it forth then if you please, and break it.

Now, unless I am mistaken, by the grace of God you have understood quite well from the book of Ecclesiastes how to recognize and have done with the false

promise of this world…there are two evils that comprise the only, or at least the main, enemies of the soul …

Before the flesh has been tamed and the spirit set free by zeal for truth, before the world's glamour and entanglements have been firmly repudiated, it is a rash

enterprise on any man's part to presume to study spiritual doctrines. Just as a light is flashed in vain on closed or sightless eyes, so "an unspiritual person cannot

accept anything of the Spirit of God.'' For "the Holy Spirit of instruction shuns what is false," and that is what the life of the intemperate man is. … How can there be

harmony between the wisdom that comes down from above and the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness to God, or the wisdom of the flesh which is at enmity

with God? …

(Referring to the imagery in the Song of Songs, St. Bernard wrote) Tell us, I beg you, by whom, about whom and to whom it is said: "Let him kiss me with the kiss of

his mouth.'' How shall I explain so abrupt a beginning, this sudden irruption as from a speech in mid-course? For the words spring upon us as if indicating one

speaker to whom another is replying as she demands a kiss— whoever she maybe. But if she asks for or demands a kiss from somebody, why does she distinctly

and expressly say with the mouth, and even with his own mouth, as if lovers should kiss by means other than the mouth, or with mouths other than their own ? But yet

she does not say: "Let him kiss me with his mouth"; what she says is still more intimate: "with the kiss of his mouth."

How delightful a ploy of speech this, prompted into life by the kiss, with Scripture's own engaging countenance inspiring the reader and enticing him on, that he may

find pleasure even in the laborious pursuit of what lies hidden, with a fascinating theme to sweeten the fatigue of research.
Surely this mode of beginning that is not a beginning, this novelty of diction in a book so old, cannot but increase the reader's attention. It must follow too that this

work was composed, not by any human skill but by the artistry of the Spirit, difficult to understand indeed but yet enticing one to investigate.

So now what shall we do? Shall we by-pass the title? No, not even one iota may be omitted, since we are commanded to gather up the tiniest fragments lest they

be lost. The title runs: "The beginning of Solomon's Song of Songs." First of all take note of the appropriateness of the name "Peaceful," that is, Solomon, at the

head of a book which opens with the token of peace, with a kiss. Take note too that by this kind of opening only men of peaceful minds, men who can achieve

mastery over the turmoil of the passions and the distracting burden of daily chores, are invited to the study of this book…

We must conclude then it was a special divine impulse that inspired these songs of his that now celebrate the praises of Christ and his Church, the gift of holy love,

the sacrament of endless union with God. Here too are expressed the mounting desires of the soul, its marriage song, an exultation of spirit poured forth in

figurative language pregnant with delight. It is no wonder that like Moses he put a veil on his face, equally resplendent as it must have been in this encounter,

because in those days few if any could sustain the bright vision of God's glory. Accordingly, because of its excellence, I consider this nuptial song to be well

deserving of the title that so remarkably designates it, the Song of Songs, just as he in whose honor it is sung is uniquely proclaimed King of kings and Lord of

lords.

Furthermore if you look back on your own experience, is it not in that victory by which your faith overcomes the world, in "your exit from the horrible pit and out of the

slough of the marsh," that you yourselves sing a new song to the Lord for all the marvels he has performed? Again, when he purposed to "settle your feet on a rock

and to direct your steps," then too, I feel certain, a new song was sounding on your lips, a song to our God for his gracious renewal of your life. When you repented

he not only forgave your sins but even promised rewards, so that rejoicing in the hope of benefits to come, you sing of the Lord's ways: how great is the glory of the

Lord! …

As often as temptation is overcome, an immoral habit brought under control, an impending danger shunned, the trap of the seducer detected, when a passion long

indulged is finally and perfectly allayed, or a virtue persistently desired and repeatedly sought is ultimately obtained by God's gift; so often, in the words of the

prophet, let thanksgiving and joy resound. For every benefit conferred, God is to be praised in his gifts…

But there is that other song which, by its unique dignity and sweetness, excels all those I have mentioned and any others there might be; hence by every right do I

acclaim it as the Song of Songs… For it is not a melody that resounds abroad but the very music of the heart, not a trilling on the lips but an inward pulsing of

delight, a harmony not of voices but of wills. It is a tune you will not hear in the streets, these notes do not sound where crowds assemble; only the singer hears it

and the one to whom he sings - the lover and the beloved. It is preeminently a marriage song telling of chaste souls in loving embrace, of their wills in sweet

concord, of the mutual exchange of the heart's affections…

But the hour has come when both our rule and the poverty of our state demand that we go out to work. Tomorrow, with God's help, we shall continue to speak about

the kiss, because today's discourse on the title sets us free to resume where we had begun.

Various Meanings of the Kiss

Sermon 2 on the Song of Songs

During my frequent ponderings on the burning desire with which the patriarchs longed for the incarnation of Christ, I am stung with sorrow and shame. Even now I

can scarcely restrain my tears, so filled with shame am I by the lukewarmness, the frigid unconcern of these miserable times… Very soon now there will be great

rejoicing as we celebrate the feast of Christ's birth. But how I wish it were inspired by his birth! All the more therefore do I pray that the intense longing of those men

of old, their heartfelt expectation, may be enkindled in me by these words: "Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth." Many an upright man in those far off times

sensed within himself how profuse the graciousness that would be poured upon those lips. And intense desire springing from that perception impelled him to utter:

"Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth," hoping with every fiber of his being that he might not be deprived of a share in a pleasure so great…

I must ask you to try to give your whole attention here. The mouth that kisses signifies the Word who assumes human nature; the nature assumed receives the kiss;

the kiss however, that takes its being both from the giver and the receiver, is a person that is formed by both, none other than "the one mediator between God and

mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus."… A fertile kiss therefore, a marvel of stupendous self-abasement that is not a mere pressing of mouth upon mouth; it is the

uniting of God with man. Normally the touch of lip on lip is the sign of the loving embrace of hearts, but this conjoining of natures brings together the human and

divine, shows God reconciling "to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven.'' …

You seem to be in agreement with this explanation, but I should like you to listen to another. Even the holy men who lived before the coming of Christ understood

that God had in mind plans of peace for the human race. "Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets." What he did

reveal however was obscure to many. For in those days faith was a rare thing on the earth, and hope but a faint impulse in the heart even of many of those who

looked forward to the deliverance of Israel. Those indeed who foreknew also proclaimed that Christ would come as man, and with him, peace. One of them actually

said: "He himself will be peace in our land when he comes." Enlightened from above they confidently spread abroad the message that through him men would be

restored to the favor of God. John, the fore-runner of the Lord, recognizing the fulfillment of that prophecy in his own time, declared: "Grace and truth have come

through Jesus Christ." In our time every Christian can discover by experience that this is true.

In those far-off days however, while the prophets continued to foretell the covenant, and its author continued to delay his coming, the faith of the people never

ceased to waver because there was no one who could redeem or save. Hence men grumbled at the postponements of the coming of this Prince of Peace so often

proclaimed by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times. As doubts about the fulfillment of the prophecies began to recur, all the more eagerly did they

make demands for the kiss, the sign of the promised reconcilement. It was as if a voice from among the people would challenge the prophets of peace: "How much

longer are you going to keep us in suspense? You are always foretelling a peace that is never realized; you promise a world of good but trouble on trouble comes."

At various times in the past and in various different ways this same hope was fostered by angels among our ancestors, who in turn have passed the tidings on to

us. 'Peace! Peace!' they say, “but there is no peace. If God desires to convince me of that benevolent will of his, so often vouched for by the prophets but not yet

revealed by the event, then let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, and so by this token of peace make my peace secure. For how shall I any longer put my trust

in mere words? It is necessary now that words be vindicated by action. If those men are God's envoys let him prove the truth of their words by his own advent, so

often the keynote of their predictions, because unless he comes they can do nothing. He sent his servant bearing a staff, but neither voice nor life is forthcoming. I

do not rise up, I am not awakened, I am not shaken out of the dust, nor do I breathe in hope, if the Prophet himself does not come down and kiss me with the kiss of

his mouth."…

We should by now have come to understand how the discontent of our ancestors displayed a need for this sacrosanct kiss, that is, the mystery of the incarnate

word, for faith, hard-pressed throughout the ages with trouble upon trouble, was ever on the point of failing, and a fickle people, yielding to discouragement,

murmured against the promises of God. Is this a mere improvisation on my part? I suggest that you will find it to be the teaching of the Scriptures … There too you

will find those soothing promises of consolation: "Behold the Lord will appear and he will not lie. If he seems slow, wait for him, for he will surely come and he will not

delay." Likewise: "His time is close at hand when he will come and his days will not be prolonged." Speaking in the name of him who is promised the prophet

announces: "Behold I am coming towards you like a river of peace, and like a stream in spate with the glory of the nations." …

Therefore because Christ was late in coming, and the whole human race in danger of being lost in despair, so convinced was it that human weakness was an

object of contempt with no hope of the reconciliation with God through a grace so frequently promised, those good men whose faith remained strong eagerly

longed for the more powerful assurance that only his human presence could convey. They prayed intensely for a sign that the covenant was about to be restored for

the sake of a spiritless, faithless people.

Oh root of Jesse, that stands as a signal to the peoples, how many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it!
Happy above them all is Simeon, by God's mercy still bearing fruit in old age! He rejoiced to think that he would see the long-desired sign. He saw it and was glad;

and having received the kiss of peace he is allowed to go in peace, but not before he had told his audience that Jesus was born to be a sign that would be

rejected. Time proved how true this was. No sooner had the sign of peace arisen than it was opposed, by those, that is, who hated peace;" for his peace is with

men of good-will, but for the evil-minded he is "a stone to stumble over, a rock to bring men down."

Herod accordingly was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. Christ "came to his own domain, and his own people did not accept him." Those shepherds,

however, who kept watch over their flocks by night, were fortunate for they were gladdened by a vision of this sign. Even in those early days he was hiding these

things from the learned and the clever, and revealing them to mere children. Herod, as you know, desired to see him, but because his motive was not genuine he

did not succeed. The sign of peace was given only to men of good-will … What sign? The sign promised by the angels, sought after by the people, foretold by the

prophets; this is the sign that the Lord Jesus has now brought into existence and revealed to you, a sign by which the incredulous are made believers, the dispirited

are made hopeful and the fervent achieve security. This therefore is the sign for you.

But as a sign what does it signify? It reveals mercy, grace, peace, the peace that has no end. And finally, the sign is this: "You will find a baby, wrapped in swaddling

clothes and lying in a manger." God himself, however, is in this baby, reconciling the world to himself. He will be put to death for your sins and raised to life to justify

you, so that made righteous by faith you may be at peace with God. This was the sign of peace that the Prophet once urged King Achez to ask of the Lord his God,

"either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above." … This was achieved when Christ, descending into Sheol, saluted its dwellers with a holy kiss, the

pledge of peace, and then going up to heaven, enabled the spirits there to share in the same pledge in joy without end…

-----------------------------------

Having trouble with doubts about what to believe? The greatest spiritual writer of the 19th Century was John Henry Newman.  Foreseeing a great loss of faith in the

20th century, he wrote a book entitled The Grammar of Assent to prove that what is believe in faith was certain. It’s a wonderful book but hard going for most

readers. Dr. Richard Geraghty, Professor of Philosophy at Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) wrote a book simplifying Newman’s ideas.  This book in one

of its manuscript forms he agreed to have us put up on this web-site. Here it is: Geraghty Newman for SRTG.pdf

The Spiritual Life in the Classics

[Twice a month from now on you will get excerpts from the writings of the Spiritual Classics together with a brief biographical sketch of the author]
Saint Benedict of Nursia (480–547) is most well known as the founder of the monasticism in the West. At the time, aside from parish priests, there were many

hermits but none living together under a detailed rule.  St. Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco. Later he founded Monte Cassino in the

mountains of southern Italy. St. Benedict’s Rule influenced not only members of the order but also educators, rulers, and heads of families. It is still followed by

monks and nuns in our times. It is characterized by a spirit of balance. On the other hand, the rule is demanding because it admonishes us to watch our every

thought as well as every word and deed. Even though it was originally written for monks, you will soon see how you can find contemporary applications to your own

lives. )

Reading of St. Benedict’s Rule

Prologue

Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that

by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.

To thee, therefore, my speech is now directed, who, giving up thine own will, takest up the strong and most excellent arms of obedience, to do battle for Christ the

Lord, the true King.

In the first place, beg of Him by most earnest prayer, that He perfect whatever good thou dost begin, in order that He who hath been pleased to count us in the

number of His children, need never be grieved at our evil deeds. …

Let us then rise at length, since the Scripture arouseth us, saying: "It is now the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom 13:11); and having opened our eyes to the

deifying light, let us hear with awestruck ears what the divine voice, crying out daily, doth admonish us, saying: "Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your

hearts" (Ps 94[95]:8). And again: "He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" (Rev 2:7). And what doth He say? -- "Come, children,

hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Ps 33[34]:12). "Run whilst you have the light of life, that the darkness of death overtake you not" (Jn 12:35)…


Chapter 1 - Of the Kinds or the Life of Monks

It is well known that there are four kinds of monks. The first kind is that of Cenobites, that is, the monastic, who live under a rule and an Abbot.

The second kind is that of Anchorites, or Hermits, that is, of those who, no longer in the first fervor of their conversion, but taught by long monastic practice and the

help of many brethren, have already learned to fight against the devil; and going forth from the rank of their brethren well trained for single combat in the desert, they

are able, with the help of God, to cope single-handed without the help of others, against the vices of the flesh and evil thoughts.

But a third and most vile class of monks is that of Sarabaites, who have been tried by no rule under the hand of a master, as gold is tried in the fire (cf Prov 27:21);

but, soft as lead, and still keeping faith with the world by their works, they are known to belie God by their tonsure. Living in two's and three's, or even singly, without

a shepherd, enclosed, not in the Lord's sheepfold, but in their own, the gratification of their desires is law unto them; because what they choose to do they call holy,

but what they dislike they hold to be unlawful.

But the fourth class of monks is that called Landlopers, who keep going their whole life long from one province to another, staying three or four days at a time in

different cells as guests. Always roving and never settled, they indulge their passions and the cravings of their appetite … It is better to pass all these over in silence

than to speak of their most wretched life…


Chapter 2 - What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be

The Abbot who is worthy to be over a monastery, ought always to be mindful of what he is called, and make his works square with his name of Superior. … his

commands and teaching should be instilled like a leaven of divine justice into the minds of his disciples.

Let the Abbot always bear in mind that he must give an account in the dread judgment of God of both his own teaching and of the obedience of his disciples. And

let the Abbot know that whatever lack of profit the master of the house shall find in the sheep, will be laid to the blame of the shepherd. On the other hand he will be

blameless, if he gave all a shepherd's care to his restless and unruly flock, and took all pains to correct their corrupt manners; so that their shepherd, acquitted at

the Lord's judgment seat, may say to the Lord with the Prophet: "I have not hid Thy justice within my heart. I have declared Thy truth and Thy salvation" (Ps 39

[40]:11). "But they contemning have despised me" (Is 1:2; Ezek 20:27). Then at length eternal death will be the crushing doom of the rebellious sheep under his

charge.

When, therefore, anyone taketh the name of Abbot he should govern his disciples by a twofold teaching; namely, he should show them all that is good and holy by

his deeds more than by his words; explain the commandments of God to intelligent disciples by words, but show the divine precepts to the dull and simple by his

works. …

Let him make no distinction of persons in the monastery. Let him not love one more than another, unless it be one whom he findeth more exemplary in good works

and obedience… Therefore, let him have equal charity for all, and impose a uniform discipline for all according to merit.

For in his teaching the Abbot should always observe that principle of the Apostle in which he saith: "Reprove, entreat, rebuke" (2 Tm 4:2), that is, mingling

gentleness with severity, as the occasion may call for, let him show the severity of the master and the loving affection of a father. He must sternly rebuke the

undisciplined and restless; but he must exhort the obedient, meek, and patient to advance in virtue. But we charge him to rebuke and punish the negligent and

haughty. Let him not shut his eyes to the sins of evil-doers; but on their first appearance let him do his utmost to cut them out… The well-disposed and those of

good understanding, let him correct at the first and second admonition only with words; but let him chastise the wicked and the hard of heart, and the proud and

disobedient at the very first offense with stripes and other bodily punishments, knowing that it is written: "The fool is not corrected with words" (Prov 29:19). And

again: "Strike thy son with the rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from death" (Prov 23:14)…


Chapter 3 - Of Calling the Brethren for Counsel

Whenever weighty matters are to be transacted in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole community, and make known the matter which is to be

considered. Having heard the brethren's views, let him weigh the matter with himself and do what he thinketh best. It is for this reason, however, we said that all

should be called for counsel, because the Lord often revealeth to the younger what is best. Let the brethren, however, give their advice with humble submission, and

let them not presume stubbornly to defend what seemeth right to them, for it must depend rather on the Abbot's will, so that all obey him in what he considereth best.

But as it becometh disciples to obey their master, so also it becometh the master to dispose all things with prudence and justice. Therefore, let all follow the Rule as

their guide in everything, and let no one rashly depart from it.

Let no one in the monastery follow the bent of his own heart, and let no one dare to dispute insolently with his Abbot, either inside or outside the monastery. If

anyone dare to do so, let him be placed under the correction of the Rule. Let the Abbot himself, however, do everything in the fear of the Lord and out of reverence

for the Rule, knowing that, beyond a doubt, he will have to give an account to God, the most just Judge, for all his rulings…
Chapter 4 - The Instruments of Good Works

(1) In the first place to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength...
(2) Then, one's neighbor as one's self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27).
(3) Then, not to kill...
(4) Not to commit adultery...
(5) Not to steal...
(6) Not to covet (cf Rom 13:9).
(7) Not to bear false witness (cf Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20).
(8) To honor all men (cf 1 Pt 2:17).
(9) And what one would not have done to himself, not to do to another (cf Tob 4:16; Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
(10) To deny one's self in order to follow Christ (cf Mt 16:24; Lk 9:23).
(11) To chastise the body (cf 1 Cor 9:27).
(12) Not to seek after pleasures.
(13) To love fasting.
(14) To relieve the poor.
(15) To clothe the naked...
(16) To visit the sick (cf Mt 25:36).
(17) To bury the dead.
(18) To help in trouble.
(19) To console the sorrowing.
(20) To hold one's self aloof from worldly ways.
(21) To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(22) Not to give way to anger.
(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.
(24) Not to entertain deceit in the heart.
(25) Not to make a false peace.
(26) Not to forsake charity.
(27) Not to swear, lest perchance one swear falsely.
(28) To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(29) Not to return evil for evil (cf 1 Thes 5:15; 1 Pt 3:9).
(30) To do no injury, yea, even patiently to bear the injury done us.
(31) To love one's enemies (cf Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27).
(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.
(33) To bear persecution for justice sake (cf Mt 5:10).
(34) Not to be proud...
(35) Not to be given to wine (cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3).
(36) Not to be a great eater.
(37) Not to be drowsy.
(38) Not to be slothful (cf Rom 12:11).
(39) Not to be a murmurer.
(40) Not to be a detractor.
(41) To put one's trust in God.
(42) To refer what good one sees in himself, not to self, but to God.
(43) But as to any evil in himself, let him be convinced that it is his own and charge it to himself.
(44) To fear the day of judgment.
(45) To be in dread of hell.
(46) To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.
(47) To keep death before one's eyes daily.
(48) To keep a constant watch over the actions of our life.
(49) To hold as certain that God sees us everywhere.
(50) To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one's heart.
(51) And to disclose them to our spiritual father.
(52) To guard one's tongue against bad and wicked speech.
(53) Not to love much speaking.
(54) Not to speak useless words and such as provoke laughter.
(55) Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
(56) To listen willingly to holy reading.
(57) To apply one's self often to prayer.
(58) To confess one's past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, and to amend them for the future.
(59) Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16).
(60) To hate one's own will.
(61) To obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: "What they

say, do ye; what they do, do ye not" (Mt 23:3).
(62) Not to desire to be called holy before one is; but to be holy first, that one may be truly so called.
(63) To fulfill daily the commandments of God by works.
(64) To love chastity.
(65) To hate no one.
(66) Not to be jealous; not to entertain envy.
(67) Not to love strife.
(68) Not to love pride.
(69) To honor the aged.
(70) To love the younger.
(71) To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.
(72) To make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun.
(73) And never to despair of God's mercy.

Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us

from the Lord that reward which He hath promised: "The eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath

prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in

the community.

Ties That Bind - a novel

Note, the novel by Ronda Chervin, Ties that Bind, is a spiritual book but we have it under audio gems since it has been put on audio by Kathleen Brouillette.

The Way of Love: Step by Step – a 100 Day Spiritual Marathon

is a new venture of Dr. Ronda. Why not open it and see if you want to try it? You can open it up on www.ccwatershed.org/100Steps. Then if you wish, you can write to Ronda about the insights and inspirations you get at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Way of the Pilgrimess - The Story of Sister Magnificat, as told to Dr. Ronda Chervin

When I lived at Catholic Solitudes as a lay contemplative I met an extraordinary French woman who traveled from Paris to Jerusalem on foot as a pilgrim, lived many years as a contemplative nun and is now a hermit living in France and part of the year in Texas at Catholic Solitudes. I loved her story and decided to write it down so others could be inspired. You'll find an audio reading of this story under Amazing Stories. You can also read the written biography here.

If you want to see a tiny video of Sister Magnificat painting icons, go to www.ccwatershed.org and click on Projects and keep scrolling down until you find on the second bunch of project Icons of Sister Magnificat.

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Children of the Breath

Dr. Ronda’s husband, Martin Chervin, before his death, wrote a book called Children of the Breath: A Dialogue in the Desert about all that Satan and Jesus might have talked about that isn’t in the New Testament. The real theme of the book was how the reality and person of Jesus is the refutation of all the objections of contemporary man against God.  It was published by CMJ Marian Publishers but is not going out of print and Dr. Ronda has permission to find another publisher. In the meantime, she put it up for free under free Spiritual Books so you can read it here.

Signs of Love: About the Sacraments

Many years ago I wrote a book called Church of Love. It went into several editions. Now, the gist of it is a leaflet called Signs of Love: About the Sacraments.  It is #4 on hard-hitting evangelistic leaflets. You can read it here.

Six Steps to Holiness

A booklet by Dr. Ronda on spiritual growth. You can read it here.

Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope

By Ronda Chervin, Ph.D. As one who lost many family members in a short period of time, this book is a sharing of what I learned and wisdom found in other writers. It includes chapters on the pain of loss, coping with doubt about eternal life, how the saints dealt with grief, etc. You can read it here.

Kiss from the Cross

By Ronda Chervin, Ph.D. A Saint for Every Kind of Suffering is one of Dr. Ronda's best books, recently out of print. You can read it here. Here is the beginning of Bob’s audio version:

Kiss from the Cross - Intro

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 1

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 2

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 3

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 4

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 5

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 6

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 7

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 8

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 9

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 10

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 11

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 12

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 13

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 14

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 15

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 16

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 17

Kiss from the Cross - Chapter 18

Living In Love: About Christian Ethics

For many years Dr. Ronda has been teaching out of this book, long out of print, about Christian Ethics. Spirituality without ethics is extremely incomplete. For Christians, Jesus is the Lord of our Lives, including our decisions.  Perhaps you were brought up in a Christian Church but left or in other faith communities or with no religious background. You may want to look into the beautiful moral teachings in this book. You can read the book here. Audio of this book will be posted soon.

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Battle for 20^th Century Mind:

One of the best books I ever wrote was never finished or published but it is just as important now as when I first wrote it in 2002. It is called The Battle for the 20^th Century Mind and it has contrasting ideas and excerpts from such thinkers as William James vs. G.K. Chesterton, Hitler vs. Gandhi, Freud vs. Frankl, Skinner vs. Von Hildebrand, Sartre vs. John Paul II and many others. Check it out now here. 

Many years ago Ronda wrote a book with Sister Mary Neill, O.P. called Bringing the Mother with You: Healing Meditations on the Mysteries of Mary in the Rosary. It went out of print and it is now available as a free e-book. Click here to view.

Anger Social Justice Review

This is only an article, not a book, but since Ronda rarely writes articles we are putting it under free spiritual books. You can read the .pdf article here.

Healing of Rejection with the Help of the Lord

by Ronda Chervin, Ph.D.

This book includes these chapters: Fantasy, Anxiety about Loss, Despair, Fresh Fantasies, Real Love. It traces fictional stories of rejections in romantic situations, in parent/child, ministry, and includes witness stories involving divorce, and other types of rejection. These chapters will be added in coming weeks. This book is also in the written form on www.rondachervin.com free e-books; you can view it here.

Session 1 -

Session 2 -

Session 3 -

Session 4 -

Session 5 -

Give Me your Heart: Preparing for Eternal Life

Excerpts from the writings of Charles Rich edited by Ronda which is displayed on this web-site as a booklet. This is an ideal book for those of you who like short passages on spirituality to meditate on and to give to friends not likely to read long books. It is arranged by state of the reader's soul such as "when you feel disgusted, resentful, anxious, etc."

Click here to download the full e-book in print format.

Called by Name - Following a personal spirituality,  by Ronda Chervin.

Click here to view in .pdf format.

Note: this e-book is in print format so you should note the page order.

Click the green play button below for a direct audio feed of this book, read by Bob Olson.

Spirituality of the Emotions:

A 7 Session Program for Individuals and Groups. (For a free, printable hard copy of this series, click here.)

Session 1 - Introduction

Session 2 - Moods

Session 3 - Friendliness vs Indifference

Session 4 - Irritation vs Acceptance

Session 5 - Anger vs Peace

Session 6 - Boredom and Annoyance vs Zealous Loving Service

Session 7 - Disappointment and Despair vs Gratitude and Hope

Voyage to Insight:
Ronda Chervin, co-author Lois August Janis

Are you a Catholic looking for a book to help your non-Christian friends to find truth? This imaginative approach to finding your own philosophy of life enables the reader to dialogue with great thinkers as he or she inserts personal ideas into the book. This is an interactive book. If you are interested in doing it as a workbook, you can send your responses to Dr. Ronda at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and she will get back to you on it. Click here to view the book. If you find the print size too small then see the directions above for Called By Name, on enlarging font size.