Alter Christus - Helps to Perseverance in Fervor

"If only I could persevere in these dispositions" is often the anxious thought that comes to us on days of greater fervour: for experience has taught us how difficult it is to carry out, amidst the cold blasts of the world, resolutions taken in the sheltered warmth of the sanctuary. Even if there were no temptations and onslaughts from without, there would still be constant danger from our inherent fickle­ness and waywardness: how easily the mind loses sight of the ideal pursued, how quickly the will wearies of effort. . .

We know the remedy: constant watchfulness over the state of our soul and frequent renewal of our purpose. And we know where we can find it: in our examination of conscience, which we should do every day; in our confession, every week; in our recollection day, every month... Do we make a diligent use of these helps to perseverance in fervour?

OUR DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

It was one of the obligations which the 1917 Code of Canon Law (can. 125) urged upon clerics. All ascetical writers insist on its neces­sity for spiritual progress. We have grown familiar with it during the long years of our seminary training... And, probably, we have never wholly given up that salutary exercise. But are we earnest enough about it, and do we gather serious fruit from it? - Often perhaps it turns out to be a superficial, perfunctory exercise. So many causes may contribute to rob it of nearly all its value: routine, preoccupations and worries, monotonous recurrence of the same faults, weariness and fatigue at the end of the day...

Let us arm ourselves against these dangers by a generous resolve to fight courageously against all difficulties, and by practical means to secure a fruitful examen of conscience: determine the place and the time and the method which experience has taught us are best for us. It is essential that we should examine carefully, every night, how we fared during the day: the sins and faults commItted, our shortcomings in the practice of virtues and in the duties of our ministry; then, reassert our determination not to put up with our failings but to try again and aim at thorough fidelity to our ideal.

* If every evening, at the feet of the crucifix or near the Sacred Heart in the tabernacle, we go through this exercise earnestly, we shall certainly find in it a great help to per­severe in our fervour.

OUR WEEKLY CONFESSION

Our confession day ought to be for us, every week, another unfailing source of renewed fervour. The earnest pre­paratory examination of our conscience, the feelings of sincere contrition, above all the graces of the Sacrament: all combine to re-awaken in us fidelity to our ideal and generosity in the pursuit of it.

This supposes of course that we surround the Sacrament with all the care and reverence due to it. Too easily perhaps priests neglect in their own case what they recommend so earnestly to their penitents. Their preparation is hurried and superficial; the confession itself is made in an off-hand manner, perhaps between two distracting conversations; the penance is performed mechanically...

Of how much additional grace they who treat the Sacrament so lightly deprive themselves! Nor will they find in it the stimulus to renewed fervour it would prove if received with greater devotion.

The possibility of getting such a periodical renewal of fervour on our confession day ought to be an additional reason for us to be regular with our confessions and to observe the common practice of confessing every week. Longer intervals may be forced upon us by circumstances, but are they not at times merely the result of our want of appreciation and eagerness, - of insufficient generosity, - of a repugnance that could be overcome by greater humility and faith?

* Let us examine what influence our confession day habitually has upon our spiritual life. - What shall we do to increase it? . . .

One of the most efficacious means to renew periodically our fervour is the monthly recollection. We know how urgently Pius X and Pius XI recommended it in their exhorta­tions to the clergy. .. Let us renew our resolution to make the most of this great stimulus to perseverance.

If we have in our diocese the great advantage of recollection days in common for priests, let us make every sacrifice to be present at them. But the fruit of those gatherings will depend on our earnestness and spirit of recollection during the prescribed exercises, and on the practical applications we make to ourselves by personal reflection.

If left to ourselves, let us make sure of a day and a time when we can find the necessary leisure for the customary exercises, and compensate the drawback of our isolation by a more intimate contact with Our Lord in fervent and somewhat prolonged prayer.

* Do we profit by our recollection day to examine seriously our life in the light of our vocation, of our retreat resolutions, perhaps also of our particular obligations in some association of priests (if we have joined any)?

Do we take this occasion to seek the very profitable help of spiritual direction, when circumstances make this possible?

Our priestly ideal is too grave a concern to neglect anything that may help us towards it. - "Admoneo te ut resuscites gratiam Dei quae est in te. . ."

"Deus, in te sperantium fortitudo, adesto propitius invocationibus nostris: et quia sine te nihil potest mortalis infirmitas, praesta auxilium gratiae tuae; ut in exsequendis mandatis tuis, et voluntate tibi et actione placeamus. Per C.D.N."

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Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 38.

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Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.