Thursday, October 11, 2007

Meditation for October 12, Self Examination

Some time ago this crude saying was much quoted: "A healthy man does not know that he has a liver." And someone risked the analogy: "A healthy man does not know whether he has a soul," or, in other words, what is the use of self-examination? Live, go straight ahead, don't examine into your life but have good will and give some credit to human nature. When some difficulty arises it will be time enough for your conscience to become vigilant; meanwhile let it sleep. Do not question yourself.

We must agree with the spiritual masters in this matter. Exami­nation is useful, speaking at least for the generality of souls, espe­cially those in the first stages of the spiritual ascent - the purgative way and the illuminative way. But if the use of the examen is advisable, its abuse is a troublesome thing and should be avoided.

Certainly to torture one's conscience, unceasingly to drag the depths of one's soul only to pull out a few insignificant weaknesses is not just lost trouble but also a harmful exercise.

But to study one's self sincerely in order to know how one stands, to discover not only one's faults but the virtues that can be de­veloped, is neither a fatiguing nor a useless exercise. Not at all fatiguing: in fact, it requires only a few seconds. Not at all use­less: for it is doubtless the origin of generous resolutions. Not to know oneself is sometimes an advantage, but self-knowledge is equally valuable.

There is a time for everything. Examen can be carried too far; are not the best weapons sometimes misused? Learn to use examen well; that is to say, intelligently, soberly, serenely and vigorously.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)

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