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The Fourth Part - Some Means of Perseverence
Perseverence
Meaning and Characteristics of Perseverance
I. Every pious exercise, in particular that intensive series known as a retreat or the "spiritual exercises" has a purpose which goes beyond mere performance for the sake of adhering to a point of daily routine or of carrying out the Church's wishes or command; its primary purpose is to unite us ever more closely to God and to amend our lives; or, as the ascetical phrase runs, to advance in perfection.
To advance - that IS the great Christian word. To advance continually - because no one with any understanding of the Gospel spirit will ever boast of having reached the goal, no matter how many years of progressing he may count to his credit, no matter how swift his flight towards the summits of the Christian life.
"Not that I have already won the prize, alteady reached fulfilment. I only press on, in hope of winning the mastery." (Philip iii, 12)And the same Apostle, whose life was coming to an end, continues:
"No, brethren, I do not claim to have the mastery already, but this at least I do: forgetting what I have left behind, intent on what lies before me, I press on with the goal in view, eager for the prize, God's heavenly summons in Christ Jesus." (id. 13-14)Christ Himself expressed the height of our supreme calling in life when He said: Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. We shall never reach up to that infinite Model however much we may have run.
If, therefore, after any exercise of perfection, such as a retreat, I remain where I was before, as backward and lukewarm and sinful as before, it means that the exercise I was supposed to perform proved useless to me, or even harmful. Verbum meum non revertetur ad me vacuum. The grace of God is never ineffectual either one way or the other, for better or for worse. It either brings us nearer to God, if we correspond to it; or, if we reject it, we become inexcusable in God's sight.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. (John xv, 22)II. The two great hallmarks of perseverance and continual progress in the good begun are, first, an unshakable determination - burned into my deepest soul by the fire of the Holy Spirit - not to sin, and to avoid the occasions of sin, especially the proximate voluntary occasions; and, second, to repent without delay for any relapse.
In carrying out the good resolutions of a retreat or any other pious exercise, I must avoid two extremes.
I must not make the mistake of imagining that from now onwards, thanks to the light and ardent desires enkindled in me by a life of solid piety or a fervent retreat, I am immune to the possibility of offending God or of relapsing into former sins.
No, I cannot afford to rest on my laurels; it would be a most dangerous illusion. Satan is not going to relax - his onslaughts may well increase until he has got us back to our old habits of sin.
Our passions have not died at the hands of grace and enlightenment during the retreat - a temporary respite, perhaps, in order to bide their time and return to the charge at a more favourable opportunity; a dozing off for a while, and then the old incentives both from within and from the outer world will re-appear: the blood will boil up again, my imagination will conjure up fresh allurements, I shall experience anew the fascination of things and people, and my wild appetites will shake off their drowsiness and leap to the clamorous pursuit of pleasure.
These strong, treacherous enemies of mine are only lying in ambush, so I shall be always on the alert, with God's grace for my shield of protection, and armed with my resolve not to sin and to flee from the occasions of sin.
III. Another pitfall would be to exaggerate unreasonably the difficulties and obstacles which beset the path of my perseverance and progress. If, as is not unlikely, I have the misfortune to fall again into sin, I must beware of considering the resolutions I now make the utopian and imprudent dreams of a passing fervour. I must not stray from the charted course because of unforeseen circumstances or past experience. To adopt the attitude that such and such a line of conduct is not for me to follow, having failed to follow it before, is a fatal illusion that causes the loss of many and drives them into the depths of despair, or very near.
Because I have fallen once or twice or a hundred times I am tempted to jump to the conclusion that I simply cannot keep to the right path and that all my efforts will be of no avail. But what would happen if we adopted this despairing attitude in human affairs? What should we say of a sick man who after a second, third, or hundredth relapse gave it all up as a bad job, neglected himself, refused all doctors and medical aid? Don't we see people going year after year to drink and bathe in the same medicinal springwaters? And what do they say? "Oh, if I'm not entirely cured, at least I get some relief, and I'm able to carry on."
Likewise in the ailments of the spirit. The reasonable thing to do, as soon as you feel you are down again, is to rise up, and to rise up as often as you fall, be it twice or a thousand times; to rise up, first, by an act of perfect contrition elicited immediately after you realise you have fallen, while the natural and healthy reaction is still upon you; and, secondly, to go to confession at the earliest opportunity. There is far greater harm and danger in allowing one single sin to take root undisturbed than in frequent relapse coupled with frequent and immediate repentance where the sins are not given time to seep into your inmost soul and poison you. This undelayed repentance is the second essential practical means of perseverance.
IV. As a safeguard and outer wall of defence, make use of the following practices:
1. Weekly confession, whatever the cost, and preferably with the same confessor or spiritual director. Confession as often as required in order to celebrate Mass worthily. This is not an impossibility, far from it; you will find it easier than is commonly supposed; a strong, inflexible will is all that is needed. And if this practice of weekly or even more frequent confession is adhered to faithfully, it will suffice to keep you on the path of virtue.
2. On rising, to say your morning prayers and make your meditation.
3. To prepare properly for the Holy Mass, at least by making your daily meditation; and to say Mass always in the state of grace, never, never in mortal sin. If you have fallen into this wretched condition, never approach the altar without first having gone to confession, no matter what amount of trouble this may put you to.
4. To recite the Divine Office, giving to each Hour ample time, and choosing a place conducive to recollection.
5. A protracted visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the afternoon. This practice, besides being an act of faith and piety, and good example to the faithful, will ensure the observance of the Church's law to keep open for a few hours each day every place of worship where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
6. To bear in a penitential spirit the griefs and afflictions which accompany my priestly state and office.
7. To live united with my Lord Jesus Christ, taking refuge within the sacred sanctuary of His Divine Heart, safely ensconced away from my own weakness and from the seductions and ingratitude of the world.
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Adapted from The Priest at Prayer
by Fr. Eugenio Escribano, C.M. (© 1954)
Translated by B.T. Buckley, C.M.
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Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood!
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