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THEOLOGY IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY
Ignatius’
Spiritual Exercises Autobiography Of Saint Ignatius Spiritual Exercises: Understanding And Giving
The Spiritual Exercises
of
St. Ignatius of
Loyola.
Translated
by Louis Puhl, SJ.
Introductory Observations
1. By the term "Spiritual Exercises" is meant every method of
examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental
prayer, and of other spiritual activities that will be mentioned later. For just as taking a walk, journeying on
foot, and running are bodily exercises, so we call Spiritual Exercises every
way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate
attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God
in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul.
2. The one who explains to another the method and order of meditating or
contemplating should narrate accurately the facts of the contemplation or
meditation. Let him adhere to the
points, and add only a short or summary explanation. The reason for this is that when one in
meditating takes the solid foundation of facts, and goes over it and reflects
on it for himself, he may find something that makes
them a little clearer or better understood.
This may arise either from his own reasoning,
or from the grace of God enlightening his mind.
Now this produces greater spiritual relish and fruit
than if one in giving the Exercises had explained and developed the meaning at
greater length. For it is not much knowledge that fills and satisfies the soul, but
the intimate understanding and relish of the truth.
3. In all the Spiritual Exercises which follow, we make use of the acts
of the intellect in reasoning, and of the acts of the will in manifesting our
love. However, we must observe that when in acts of the will we address God our
Lord or His saints either vocally or mentally, greater reverence is required on
our part than when we use the intellect in reasoning.
4. Four Weeks are assigned to the Exercises given below. this corresponds to the four parts into which
they are divided, namely: the first part, which is devoted to the consideration
and contemplation of sin; the second part, which is taken up with the life of
Christ, our Lord up to Palm Sunday inclusive; the third part, which treats of
the passion of Christ our Lord; the fourth part, which deals with the
Resurrection and Ascension; to this are appended Three Method of Prayer.
However, it is not meant
that each week should necessarily consist of seven or eight days. For it may happen that in the First Week some
are slower in attaining what is sought, namely, contrition, sorrow, and tears for
sin. Some, too, may be more diligent
than others, and some more disturbed and tired by different spirits. It may be necessary, therefore, at times to
shorten the Week, and at others to lengthen it.
So in our search for the fruit that is proper to the matter assigned, we
may have to do the same in all the subsequent Weeks. However, the Exercises should be finished in
approximately thirty days.
5. It will be very profitable for the one who is to go through the
Exercises to enter upon them with magnanimity and generosity toward his Creator
and Lord, and to offer Him his entire will and liberty, that His Divine Majesty
may dispose of him and all he possesses according to His most holy will.
6. When the one who is giving the Exercises perceives that the exercitant is not affected by any spiritual experiences,
such as consolations, or desolations, and that he is not troubled by different
spirits, he ought to ply him with questions about the exercises. He should ask him whether he makes them at
the appointed times, and how he makes them.
He should question him about the Additional Directions, whether he is
diligent in the observance of them. He
will demand an account in detail of each one of these points. Consolation and desolation are treated in
#316-423; the Additional Directions are given in #73-90.
7. If the director of the Exercises observes that the exercitant is in desolation and tempted, let him not deal
severely and harshly with him, but gently and kindly. He should encourage and strengthen him for
the future by exposing to him the wiles of the enemy of our human nature, and
by getting him to prepare and dispose himself for the coming consolation.
8. If the one who is giving the Exercises should perceive from
desolations, from the wiles of the enemy, and from consolations that the exercitant has need of them, he should explain to him the
rules of the First Week and of the Second Week for the understanding of
different spirits, #313-327, and 328-336.
9. It should be observed that when the exercitant
is engaged in the Exercises of the First Week, if he is a person unskilled in
spiritual things, and if he is tempted grossly and openly, for example, by
bringing before his mind obstacles to his advance in the service of God our
Lord, such as labours, shame, fear for his good name
in the eyes of the world, etc., the one who is giving the Exercises should not
explain to him the rules about different spirits that refer to the Second
Week. For while the rules of the First
Week will be very helpful to him, those of the Second Week will be harmful,
since they deal with matter that is too subtle and advanced for him to
understand.
10. When the one who is giving the Exercises perceives that the exercitant is being assailed and tempted under the
appearance of good, then is the proper time to explain to him the rules of the
Second Week, which we mentioned above.
For commonly the enemy of our human nature tempts more under the
appearance of good when one is exercising himself in the illuminative way. This corresponds to the Exercises of the
Second Week. He does not tempt him so
much under the appearance of good when he is exercising himself in the
purgative way, which corresponds to the Exercises of the First Week..
11. While the exercitant is engaged in the First Week of the Exercises,
it will be helpful if he knows nothing of what is to be done in the Second
Week. Rather, let him labor to attain
what he is seeking in the First Week as if he hoped to find no good in the
Second.
12. He who is
giving the Exercises must insist with the exercitant
that since he is to spend an hour in each of the five exercises or
contemplations which are made every day, he must always take care that he is
satisfied in the consciousness of having persevered in the exercise for a full
hour. Let him rather exceed an hour than
not use the full time. For the enemy is
accustomed to make every effort that the hour to be devoted to a contemplation,
meditation, or prayer should be shortened.
13. We must
remember that during the time of consolation it is easy, and requires only a
slight effort, to continue a whole hour in contemplation, but in time of
desolation it is very difficult to do so.
Hence, in order to fight against the desolation and conquer the
temptation, the exercitant must always remain in the
exercise a little more than the full hour.
Thus he will accustom himself not only to resist the enemy, but even to
overthrow him.
14. If the one who
is giving the Exercises sees that the exercitant is
going on in consolation and in great fervour, he must
admonish him not to be inconsiderate or hasty in making any promise or
vow. The more unstable in character he
knows him to be, the more he should forewarn and admonish him. For though it is right to urge one to enter
the religious state in which he knows that vows of obedience, poverty, and
chastity are taken, and though a good word done under vow is more meritorious
than one done without a vow, nevertheless, it is necessary to consider with
great care the condition and endowments of each individual, and the help or
hindrance one would experience in carrying out his promises.
15. The director of
the Exercises ought not to urge the exercitant more
to poverty or any promise than to the contrary, nor to one state of life or way
of living more than to another. Outside
the Exercises, it is true, we may lawfully and
meritoriously urge all who probably have the required fitness to choose
continence, virginity, the religious life, and every form of religious
perfection. But while one is engaged in
the Spiritual Exercises, it is more suitable and much better that the Creator
and Lord in person communicate Himself to the devout soul in quest of the
divine will, that He inflame it with His love and praise, and dispose it for
the way in which it could better serve God in the future. Therefore, the director of the Exercises, as
a balance at equilibrium, without leaning to one side or the other, should
permit the Creator to deal directly with the creature, and the creature directly
with his Creator and Lord.
16. Hence, that the
Creator and Lord may work with greater certainty in His creature, if the soul
chance to be inordinately attached or inclined to anything it is very proper
that it rouse itself by the exertion of all its powers to desire the opposite
of that to which it is wrongly attached.
Thus if one's attachment leads him to seek and to hold an office or a
benefice, not for the honour and glory of God our
Lord, nor for the spiritual welfare of souls, but for his own personal gain and
temporal interests, he should strive to rouse a desire for the contrary. Let him be insistent in prayer and in his
other spiritual exercises in begging God for the reverse, that is, that he
neither seek such office or benefice, nor anything else, unless the Divine
Majesty duly regulate his desires and change his former attachment. As a result, the reason he wants or retains
anything will be solely the service, honour, and
glory of the Divine Majesty.
17. While the one
who is giving the Exercises should not seek to investigate and know the private
thoughts and sins of the exercitant, nevertheless, it
will be very helpful if he is kept faithfully informed about the various
disturbances and thoughts caused by the action of different spirits. This will enable him to propose some spiritual
exercises in accordance with the degree of progress made and suited and adapted
to the needs of a soul disturbed in this way.
18. The Spiritual
Exercises must be adapted to the condition of the one who is to engage in them,
that is, to his age, education, and talent.
Thus exercises that he could not easily bear, or from which he would
derive no profit, should not be given to one with little natural ability or of
little physical strength.
Similarly, each one
should be given those exercises that would be more helpful and profitable
according to his willingness to dispose himself for them.
Hence, one who
wishes no further help than some instruction and the attainment of a certain
degree of peace of soul may be given the Particular Examination of Conscience,
#24-31, and after that the General Examination of Conscience, #32-43. Along with this, let him be given for half an
hour each morning the method of prayer on the Commandments and on the Capital
Sins, etc., #238-248. Weekly confession
should be recommended to him, and if possible, the reception of Holy Communion
every two weeks, or even better, every week if he desires it.
This method is more
appropriate for those who have little natural ability or are illiterate. Let each of the Commandments be explained to
them, and also the Capital Sins, use of the five senses, the precepts of the
Church, and the Works of Mercy.
Similarly, if the
one giving the Exercises sees that the exercitant has
little aptitude or little physical strength, that he is one from whom little
fruit is to be expected, it is more suitable to give him some of the easier
exercises as a preparation for confession.
Then he should be given some ways of examining his conscience, and
directed to confess more frequently than was his custom before, so as to retain
what he has gained.
But let him not go
on further and take up the matter dealing with the Choice of a Way of Life, nor
any other exercises that are outside the First Week. This is especially to be observed when much
better results could be obtained with other persons, and when there is not
sufficient time to take everything.
19. One who is
educated or talented, but engaged in public affairs or necessary business,
should take an hour and a half daily for the Spiritual Exercises.
First, the end for
which man is created should be explained to him, then for half an hour the
Particular Examination of Conscience may be presented, then the General
Examination of Conscience, and the method of confessing and of receiving Holy
Communion.
For three days, let
him meditate each morning for an hour on the first, second, and third sins,
#45-54. For three more days, at the same
time, he should take the meditation on personal sins, #55-61. Then for three days, at the same hour, he
should meditate on the punishment due to sin, #65-71. Along with all of these meditations, he
should be given the ten Additional Directions, # 73-89.
In the mysteries of
the life of our Lord, the same order should be observed which is explained
later on at great length in the Exercises themselves.
20. To one who is
more disengaged, and desirous of making as much progress as possible, all the
Spiritual Exercises should be given in the same order in which they follow
below.
Ordinarily, the
progress made in the Exercises will be greater, the more the exercitant withdraws from all friends and acquaintances,
and from all worldly cares. For example,
he can leave the house in which he dwelt and choose another house or room in
order to live there in as great privacy as possible, so that he will be free to
go to Mass and Vespers every day without any fear that his acquaintances will
cause any difficulty.
There are many
advantages resulting from this separation, but the following three are the most
important:
First, in order to
serve and praise God our Lord one withdraws from numerous friends and
acquaintances and from many occupations not undertaken with a pure intention,
he gains no little merit before the Divine Majesty.
Secondly, in this
seclusion the mind is not engaged in many things, but can give its whole
attention to one single interest, that is, to the service of its Creator and
its spiritual progress. Thus it is more free to use its natural powers to seek diligently what
it so much desires.
Thirdly, the more
the soul is in solitude and seclusion, the more fit it renders itself to
approach and be united with its Creator and Lord; and the more closely it is
united with Him, the more it disposes itself to receive graces and gifts from
the infinite goodness of its God.
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
22. Which have as
their purpose the conquest of self and the regulation of one's life in such a
way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment.
PRESUPPOSITION
22. To assure better cooperation between the one who is giving the
Exercises and the exercitant, and more beneficial
results for both, it is necessary to suppose that every good Christian is more
ready to put a good interpretation on another's statement than to condemn it as
false. If an orthodox construction
cannot be put on a proposition, the one who made it should be asked how he
understands it. If he is in error, he
should be corrected with all kindness.
If this does not suffice, all appropriate means should be used to bring
him to a correct interpretation, and so defend the proposition from error.
FIRST
PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION
23. Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by
this means to save his soul.
The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help
him in attaining the end for which he is created.
Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the
attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove
a hindrance to him.
Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as
far we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we
should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honour
to dishonour, a long life to a short one. The same holds for all other things.
Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end
for which we are created.
FIRST
WEEK
24.
DAILY PARTICULAR EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
There are three different times of the day and two
examinations involved in this practice.
First, in the morning,
immediately on rising, one should resolve to guard carefully against the
particular sin or defect with regard to which he seeks to correct or improve
himself.
Secondly, after dinner, he
should ask God our Lord for the grace he desires, that is, to recall how often
he has fallen into the particular sin or defect, and to avoid it for the
future.
Then
following the first examination. He should demand an account of himself with
regard to the particular point he has resolved to watch in order to correct
himself and improve. Let him go over the
single hours or periods from the time he arose to the hour and moment of the
present examination, and in the first line of the figure given below, make a mark for each time that
he has fallen into the particular sin or defect. Then he is to renew his resolution, and
strive to amend during the time till the second examination is to be made.
Thirdly, after supper, he
should make a second examination, going over as before each single hour,
commencing with the first examination, and going up to the present one. In the second line of the figure given below,
let him make a mark for each time he has fallen into the particular fault or
sin.
27.
FOUR ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS
These are to serve as a
help to more ready removal of the particular sin or fault.
1. Every time one falls into the particular sin
or fault, let him place his hand upon his breast, and be sorry for having
fallen. He can do this even in the presence of many others without their
perceiving what he is doing.
28. 2.
Since the first line of the figure to which G is prefixed represents the
first examination of conscience, and second one, the second examination, he
should observe at night whether there is an improvement from the first line to
the second, that is, from the first examination to the second.
29. 3. The
second day should be compared with the first, that is, the two examinations of
the present day with the two of the preceding day. Let him observe if there is an improvement
from one day to another.
30. 4. Let
him compare one week with another and observe whether he has improved during
the present week as compared with the preceding.
31. Note
It should be noted that in
the figure below the first G is larger, and signifies Sunday. The second is smaller, and stands for Monday,
the third for Tuesday, the fourth for Wednesday, and so forth.
______________________________________________________________G
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32. GENERAL EXAMINATION OF
CONSCIENCE
The purpose of this examination
of conscience is to purify the should and to aid us to
improve our confessions.
I presuppose that there
are three kinds of thoughts in my mind, namely: one which is strictly my own,
and arises wholly from my own free will; two others which come from without,
the one from the good spirit, and the other from the evil one.
33. Thoughts
There are two ways of
meriting from evil thoughts that come from without:
1.
When a thought of committing a mortal sin comes to my
mind which I
resist at once, and thus overcome it.
34. 2. When the same evil thought comes to me, and I
resist
it, but it
returns again and again, and I always
resist it till
it is conquered.
This second way is more meritorious than
the first.
35. It is a venial sin if the same thought of
sinning mortally comes to mind and for a short time one pays heed to it, or
receives some sense pleasure, or is somewhat negligent in rejecting it.
36. There are two ways of sinning mortally:
1.
The first is to consent to the evil thought with
the intention of
carrying it out, or of doing so if one
can.
37. 2. The second way of sinning is actually
carrying out the
sin to which
consent was given.
This is a greater sin for
three reasons: 1. Because of the greater duration; 2.
Because of the greater intensity;
3. Because of the greater harm
done to both persons.
38. Words
(One may also offend God
in word in many ways: by blasphemy, by swearing.) One must not swear,
neither by the creature nor by the Creator, unless it is according to truth,
out of necessity, and with reverence.
By necessity I mean that
the truth I swear to is not just some true statement I choose to confirm by
oath, but one of real importance, either for the welfare of the soul or of the
body, or with regard to temporal interests.
By reverence I mean that
when the name of the Creator and Lord is mentioned, one acts with consideration
and devoutly manifests due honour and respect.
39. It must be noted that in idle oaths we sin
more grievously when we swear by the Creator than when we swear by a
creature. However, to swear as one
ought, according to truth, out of necessity, with reverence, is more difficult
when we swear by a creature than when we swear by the Creator. There are three reasons for this:
1. When we wish to take an oath by some
creature, the intention to call upon its name does not make us so attentive and
cautious to speak the truth, or to confirm it by oath only if necessary, as we
would be with the intention to use the name of the Creator and Lord of all.
2. When we swear by the name of some creature,
it is not so easy to observe reverence and respect for the Creator as when in
swearing we use the name of the Creator and Lord Himself. For the intention of using the name of God
our Lord carries along with it a greater respect and reverence than the
intention to use the name of a creature.
Hence, those who are
perfect should be allowed to swear by a creature rather than those who are
imperfect. The perfect, due to constant
contemplation and the enlightenment of the understanding, consider, meditate,
and ponder more that God our Lord is in every creature by His essence, power,
and presence. Therefore, when they swear
by a creature, they are more apt to be disposed to show respect and reverence
to the Creator and Lord than those who are imperfect.
3. In frequent swearing by a creature, idolatry
is more to be feared in those who are imperfect than in those who are perfect.
40. (Among other sins of the tongue that we must
avoid are idle words.) No idle word
should be uttered. I understand a word
to be idle when it serves no good purpose, either for myself or for another,
and was not intended to do so. Hence, words
are never idle when spoken for any useful purpose, or when meant to serve the
good of one's own soul or that of another, of the body or of temporal
possessions. Nor are they idle because
one speaks of matters that do not pertain to his state, for example, if a
religious speaks of wars or of commerce.
In all we have mentioned, there will be merit if what is said is
directed to some good purpose; there will be sin if it is directed to an evil
purpose, or if engaged in for no good end.
41. (Lying, false testimony, detraction are also
sins of the tongue.) Nothing should be
said to lessen the good name of another, or to complain about him. For if I reveal a hidden mortal sin of
another, I sin mortally; if I reveal a hidden venial sin, I sin venially; if
his defect, I manifest my own.
If, however, my intention
is good, there are two ways in which it is permissible to speak of the sin or
fault of another:
1. When a sin is public, as in the case of a
woman openly leading a shameless life, or of a sentence passed in court, or of
a commonly known error that infests the minds of those with whom we live.
2. When a hidden sin is revealed to some one
with the intention that he help the one who is in sin to rise from his
state. But then there must be some grounds
or probable reasons for believing that he will be able to help him.
(Among sins of the tongue
may be considered ridicule, insults, and other similar sins, which the one
giving the Exercises may discuss if he judges it necessary.)
42. Deeds
The subject matter for
examination will be the Ten Commandments, the laws of the Church, the
recommendations of superiors. All
transgressions of obligations arising from any of these three groups are more
or less grievous sins according to the gravity of the matter.
By recommendations of
superiors is meant crusade indults and other indulgences, such as those for
peace on condition of confession and reception of Holy Communion. For to be the cause of one
acting against such pious recommendations and regulations of superiors, or to
do so oneself, is no small sin.
43. METHOD OF MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMINATION OF
CONSCIENCE
There are five points in this method
1. The first point is to give thanks to god Our
Lord for the favours received.
2. The second point is to ask for grace to know
my sins and to rid myself of them.
3. The third point is to demand an account of my
soul from the time of rising up to the present examination. I should go over one hour after another, one
period after another. The thoughts
should be examined first, then the words, and finally, the deeds in the same
order as was explained under the Particular Examination of Conscience.
4. The fourth point will be to ask pardon of God
our Lord for my faults.
5. The fifth point will be to resolve to amend
with the grace of God. Close with an Our
Father
44. GENERAL CONFESSION AND HOLY
COMMUNION
Among many advantages of a
general confession which one makes of his own accord during the time of the
Spiritual Exercises, there are especially these three:
1. It is true that one who confesses every year
has no obligation to make a general confession.
But if one is made, there will be much greater merit and profit, because
of the greater sorrow experienced for all the sins and perversities of his
whole life.
2. While one is going through the Spiritual
Exercises, a far deeper insight into his sins and their malice is acquired than
at a time when he is not so engaged with what concerns his inner life. Since at this time he attains to a deeper
knowledge and sorrow for his sins, there will be greater profit and merit than
he would otherwise have had.
3. As a consequence of having made a better
confession, and of being better disposed, he will find that he is more worthy
and better prepared to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament. This reception will strengthen him not only
against falling into sin, but will also help him to retain the increase of
grace which he has gained.
It will be better to make
this general confession immediately after the Exercises of the First Week.
45 FIRST EXERCISE
This is a meditation on the first, second, and third sin employing the
three posers of the soul. After the preparatory prayer and two preludes it
contains three principal points and a colloquy.
46. PRAYER.
In the preparatory prayer I will beg God our Lord for grace that all my
intentions, actions, and operations may be directed purely to the praise and
service of His Divine Majesty.
47. FIRST PRELUDE. This is a mental representation of the place.
Attention must be called to the following
point. When the contemplation or
meditation is on something visible, for example, when we contemplate Christ our
Lord, the representation will consist in seeing in imagination the material
place where the object is that we wish to contemplate. I said the material place, for example, the
temple, or the mountain where Jesus or His Mother is, according to the subject
matter of the contemplation.
In a case where the subject matter is not visible,
as here in a meditation on sin, the representation will be to see in
imagination my soul as a prisoner in this corruptible body, and to consider my
whole composite being as an exile here on earth, cast out to live among brute
beasts. I said my whole composite being,
body and soul.
48. THE SECOND PRELUDE. I will ask God our Lord for what I want and
desire.
The petition made in this prelude must be
according to the subject matter. Thus in
a contemplation on the Resurrection I will ask for joy with Christ in joy. In one on the passion, I will ask for sorrow,
tears, and anguish with Christ in anguish.
Here it will be to ask for shame and
confusion, because I see how many have been lost on account of a single mortal sin, and how many times I have deserved eternal damnation of
the many grievous sins that I have committed.
49. Note
The Preparatory Prayer, which is never
changed, and the two Preludes mentioned above, which are changed at times
according to the subject matter, must always be made before all the
contemplations and meditations.
50. THE FIRST POINT. This will consist in using the memory to
recall the first sin, which was that of the angels, and then in applying the
understanding by reasoning upon this sin, then the will by seeking to remember
and understand all to be the more filled with shame and confusion when I
compare the one sin of the angels with the many sins I have committed. I will consider that they went to hell for
one sin, and the number of times I have deserved to be condemned forever
because of my numerous sins.
I said we should apply the memory to the sin
of the angels, that is, recalling that they were created in the state of grace,
that they did not want to make use of the freedom God gave them to reverence
and obey their Creator and Lord, and so falling into pride, were changed from
grace to hatred of God, and cast out of heaven into hell.
So, too, the understanding is to be used to
think over the matter more in detail, and then the will to rouse more deeply
the emotions.
51. SECOND POINT. In the same way the three powers of the soul
are to be applied to the sin of Adam and Eve.
Recall to memory how on account of this sin they did penance for so long
a time, and the great corruption which came upon the human race that caused so
many to be lost in hell.
I said recall to mind the second sin, that of
our First Parents. After Adam had been
created on the Plain of Damascus and placed in the Garden of Paradise, and Eve
had been formed from his side, they sinned by violating the command not to eat
of the tree of knowledge. Thereafter,
they were clothed in garments of skin and cast out of
So, too, the understanding is to be used to
think over the matter in greater detail, and the will is to be used as
explained above.
52 THIRD
POINT. IN LIKE MANNER, WE are to do the
same with regard to the third sin, namely, that of one who went to hell because
of one mortal sin. Consider also
countless others who have been lost for fewer sins than I have committed.
I said to do the same for the third
particular sin. Recall to memory the
gravity and malice of sin against our Creator and Lord. Use the understanding to consider that
because of sin, and of acting against the Infinite Goodness, one is justly
condemned forever. Close with acts of
the will as we have said above.
53. COLLOQUY.
Imagine Christ our Lord present before you upon the cross, and begin to
speak with him, asking how it is that through He is the Creator, He has stooped
to become man, and to pass from eternal life to death here in time, that thus
He might die for our sins.
I shall also reflect upon myself and ask:
"What have I done for Christ?
"What am I doing for Christ?
"What ought I to do for Christ?
As I behold Christ in this plight, nailed to
the cross, I shall ponder upon what presents itself to my mind.
54. Note on Colloquies
The colloquy is made by speaking exactly as
one friend speaks to another, or as a servant speaks to a master, now asking
him for a favour, nor blaming himself for some misdeed, now making known his
affairs to him, and seeking advice in them.
Close with an
Our Father.
55. SECOND EXERCISE
This is a
meditation on our sins. After the
preparatory
prayer and two preludes there are five points and a colloquy
PRAYER. The preparatory prayer will be
the same.
FIRST
PRELUDE.
This will be the same as in the First Exercise.
SECOND
PRELUDE.
This is to ask for what I desire.
Here it will be to ask for a growing and intense sorrow and tears for my
sins.
56. FIRST POINT. This is the record of my sins. I will call to mind all the sins of my life,
reviewing year by year, and period by period.
Three things will help me in this:
First, to consider the place where I lived; secondly, my dealings with
others; thirdly, the office I have held.
57. SECOND POINT. I will weigh the gravity of my sins, and see
the loathsomeness and malice which every mortal sin I have committed has in
itself, even though it were not forbidden.
58. THIRD POINT. I will consider who I am, and by means of examples
humble myself:
1.
What am I compared with all men?
2.
What are all men compared with the angels and saints of paradise?
3.
Consider what all creation is in comparison with God. Then I alone, what can I be?
4. I
will consider all the corruption and loathsomeness of my body.
5. I
will consider myself as a source of corruption and contagion from which has
issued countless sins and evils and the most offensive poison.
59. FOURTH POINT. I will consider who God is against whom I have
sinned, going through His attributes and comparing them with their contraries
in me: His wisdom with my ignorance, His
power with my weakness, His justice with my iniquity, His goodness with my
wickedness.
60. FIFTH POINT. This is a cry of wonder accompanied by
surging emotion as I pass in review all creatures. How is it that they have permitted me to
live, and have sustained me in life! Why
have the angels, though they are the sword of God's justice, tolerated me,
guarded me, and prayer for me! Why have
the saints interceded for me and asked favours for me! And the heavens, sun, moon, stars, and the
elements; the fruits, birds, fishes, and other animals - why have they all been
at my service! How is it that the earth
did not open to swallow me up, and create new hells in which I should be
tormented forever!
61. COLLOQUY.
I will conclude with a colloquy, extolling the mercy of God our Lord,
pouring out my thoughts to Him, and giving thanks to Him that up to this very
moment He has granted me life. I will
resolve with His grace to amend for the future.
Close with an
Our Father.
62. THIRD EXERCISE
This is a
repetition of the first and second
exercises with three colloquies
After the preparatory
prayer and the two preludes, this exercise will consist in repeating the First
and Second Exercise. In doing this, we
should pay attention to and dwell upon those points in which we have experienced
greater consolation or desolation or greater spiritual appreciation. After the repetition, three colloquies are to
be used in the following manner:
63. FIRST COLLOQUY. The first colloquy will be with our Blessed
Lady, that she may obtain grace for me from her Son our Lord for three favours:
1. A
deep knowledge of my sins and a feeling of abhorrence for them;
2. An
understanding of the disorder of my actions, that filled with horror of them, I
may amend my life and put it in order;
3. A
knowledge of the world, that filled with horror, I may
put away from em all that is worldly and vain.
Then I will say a Hail Mary.
SECOND
COLLOQUY.
I will make the same petitions to her Son that He may obtain these
graces from the Father for me.
After that I will say Soul of Christ.
THIRD
COLLOQUY.
I will make the same requests of the Father that He Himself, the eternal
Lord, may grant them to me.
Then I will close with the Our Father.
64. FOURTH EXERCISE
This exercise consists of a summary of the
third exercise given above.
I have called it a summary, because the
intellect, without any digression thinks over and recalls the matter
contemplated in the previous exercises.
The same three colloquies should be used at the close.
65. FIFTH EXERCISE
This is a meditation on hell. Besides the preparatory prayer and two
preludes it contains five points and a colloquy.
PRAYER. The preparatory prayer will be
as usual.
FIRST
PRELUDE.
This is a representation of the place.
Here it will be to see in imagination the length, breadth, and depth of
hell.
SECOND
PRELUDE.
I should ask for what I desire.
Here it will be to beg for a deep sense of the pain which the lost
suffer, that if because of my faults I forgot the love of the eternal Lord, at
least the fear of these punishments will keep me from falling into sin.
66. FIRST POINT. This will be to see in imagination the
vast fires, and the souls enclosed, as it were, in bodies of fire.
67. SECOND POINT. To hear the wailing, the
howling, cries, blasphemies against Christ our Lord and against His saints.
68. THIRD POINT.
With the sense of smell to perceive the smoke, the sulphur,
the filth, and corruption.
69. FOURTH POINT. To taste the bitterness of
tears, sadness, and remorse of conscience.
70. FIFTH POINT. With the sense of touch to
feel the flames which envelop and burn souls.
71. COLLOQUY.
Enter into conversation with Christ our Lord. Recall to memory that of those who are in
hell, some came there because they did not believe in the coming of Christ;
others, though they believed, because they did not keep the Commandments. Divide them all into three classes:
1.
Those who were lost before the coming of
Christ;
2.
Those who were lost during His lifetime;
3.
Those who were lost after His life here on earth.
Thereupon, I will give thanks to God our
Lord that He has not put an end to my life and permitted me to fall into any of
these three classes.
I shall also thank Him for this, that up to
this very moment He has shown Himself so loving and merciful to me.
Close with an Our Father
(OTHER
EXERCISES)
(If the one giving
the Exercises judges that it would be profitable for the exercitant,
other exercises may be added here, for example, on death and other punishments
of sin, on judgment, etc. Let him not
think this is forbidden, though they are not given here.)
72. Note
The First Exercise will be
made at
This is more or less the
arrangements of hours that I take for granted is being observed in all four
Weeks. But as age, condition of health,
and the physical constitution of the exercitant
permit, there may be five exercises or fewer.
73. ADDITIONAL
DIRECTIONS
The purpose of these
directions is to help one to go through the exercises better and find more
readily what he desires.
1. After retiring, just before falling asleep,
for the space of a Hail Mary, I will think of the hour when I have to rise, and
why I am rising, and briefly sum up the exercise I have to go through.
74. 2.
When I wake up, I will not permit my thoughts to roam at random, but
will turn my mind at once to the subject I am about to contemplate in the first
exercise at
75. 3. I
will stand for the space of an Our Father, a step or two before the place where
I am to meditate or contemplate, and with my mind raised on high consider that
God our Lord beholds me, etc. Then I
will make an act of reverence or humility.
76. 4. I
will enter upon the meditation, now kneeling, now prostrate upon the ground,
now lying face upwards, now seated, now standing, always
being intent on seeking what I desire.
Hence, two things should be noted:
1. If
I find what I desire while kneeling, I will not
seek to change
my position, I will observe the same
direction, etc.
2. I
will remain quietly meditating upon the point in
which I have
found what I desire, without any eagerness
to go on till I
have been satisfied.
77. 5.
After an exercise is finished, either sitting or walking, I will
consider for the space of a quarter of an hour how I succeeded in the meditation
or contemplation. If poorly, I will seek
the cause of the failure; and after I have found it, I will be sorry, so that I
may do better in the future. If I have
succeeded, I will give thanks to God our Lord, and the next time try to follow
the same method.
78. 6. I
should not think of things that give pleasure and joy, as the glory of heaven,
the Resurrection, etc., for if I wish to feel pain, sorrow, and tears for my
sins, every consideration promoting joy and happiness will impede it. I should rather keep in mind that I want to
be sorry and feel pain. Hence, it would
be better to call to mind death and judgment.
79. 7. Fro
the same reason I should deprive myself of all light, closing the shutters and
doors when I am in my room, except when I need light to say prayers, to read,
or to eat.
80. 8. I
should not laugh or say anything that would cause laughter.
81. 9. I
should restrain my eyes except to look up in receiving or dismissing one with
whom I have to speak.
PENANCE
82. 10. The
tenth Additional Direction deals with penance.
This is divided into interior and exterior penance. Interior penance consists in sorrow for one's
sins and a firm purpose not to commit them or any others. Exterior penance is the fruit of the first
kind. It consists in inflicting
punishment on ourselves for the sins we have committed. The principal ways of doing this are three:
83. 1. The
first kind of exterior penance concerns eating.
In this matter, if we do away with what is superfluous, it is not
penance, but temperance. We do penance
when we deny ourselves something of what is suitable for us. The more we do this, the better the penance,
provided only we do no harm to ourselves and do not cause serious illness.
84. 2. The
second kind of exterior penance concerns sleep.
Here, too, it is not penance when we do away with the superfluous in
what is pampering and soft. But it is
penance when in our manner of sleeping we take something away from what is
suitable. The more we do in this line, the
better it is, provided we do not cause any harm to ourselves, and do not bring
on any notable illness. But we should
not deny ourselves a suitable amount of sleep, except to come to a happy mean
in case we had the habit of sleeping too much.
85. 3. The
third kind of penance is to chastise the body, that is, to inflict sensible
pain on it. This is done by wearing hairshirts, cords, or iron chains on the body, or by
scourging or wounding oneself, and by other kinds of austerities.
86. THE MORE SUITABLE AND SAFE FORM OF PENANCE
SEEMS TO BE that which would cause sensible pain to the body and not penetrate
to the bones, so that it inflicts pain, but does not cause sickness. For this reason it would seem more suitable
to chastise oneself with light cords that cause superficial pain, rather than
in any other way that might bring about a serious internal infirmity.
NOTES
87. Note 1.
The principal reason for performing exterior penance is to secure three
effects:
1. To
make satisfaction for past sins;
2. To
overcome oneself, that is, to make our sensual nature obey reason, and to bring
all of our lower faculties into greater subjection to the higher;
3. To
obtain some grace or gift that one earnestly desires. Thus it may be that one wants a deep sorrow
for sin, or tears, either because of his sins or because of the pains and
sufferings of Christ our Lord; or he may want the solution of some doubt that
is in his mind.
88. Note II.
Note that the first and second Additional Directions are to be observed
for the exercises at
89. Note III.
When the exercitant has not found what he has
been seeking, for example, tears, consolation, etc., it is often useful to make
some change in the kind of penance, such as in food, in sleep, or in other ways
of doing penance, so that we alternate, for two or three days doing penance,
and for two or three not doing any. The
reason for this is that more penance is better for some and less for
others. Another reason is that we often quit
doing penance, because we are too much concerned about our bodies and erroneously
judge that human nature cannot bear it without notable illness. On the other hand, at times we may do too
much penance, thinking that the body can stand it. Now since God our Lord knows our nature
infinitely better, when we make changes of this kind, He often grants each one
the grace to understand what is suitable for him.
90. Note IV.
The Particular Examination of Conscience will be made to remove faults
and negligences with regard to the Exercises and the
Additional Directions. This will also be
observed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Week.
.
THE
91.
THE CALL OF AN EARTHLY KING
This will help us to contemplate the life of
the eternal king.
PRAYER. The preparatory prayer will be
as usual.
FIRST PRELUDE. This is a mental representation of the
place. Here it will be to see in
imagination the synagogues, villages, and towns where Christ our Lord preached.
SECOND PRELUDE. I will ask for the grace I
desire. Here it will be to ask of our
Lord the grace not to be deaf to His call, but prompt and diligent to
accomplish His most holy will.
FIRST PART
92. FIRST
POINT.
This will be to place before my mind a human king, chosen by God our
Lord Himself, to whom all Christian princes and people pay homage and
obedience.
93. SECOND
POINT.
This will be to consider the address this king makes to all his
subjects, with the words: "It is my will to conquer all the lands of the
infidel. Therefore, whoever wishes to
join with me in this enterprise must be content with the same food, drink,
clothing, etc. as mine. So, too, he must
work with me by day, and watch with me by night, etc., that as he had a share
in the toil with me, afterwards, he may share in the victory with me."
94. THIRD
POINT.
Consider what the answer of good subjects ought to be to a king so
generous and noble-minded, and consequently, if anyone would refuse the
invitation of such a king, how justly he would deserve to be condemned by the
whole world, and looked upon as an ignoble knight.
95. SECOND PART
The second part of this
exercise will consist in applying the example of the earthly king mentioned
above to Christ our Lord according to the following points:
FIRST POINT. If such a summons of an earthly
king to his subjects deserves our attention, how much more worthy of
consideration is Christ our Lord, the Eternal King, before whom is assembled
the whole world. To all His summons goes
forth, and to each one in particular He addresses the
words: "It is my will to conquer the whole world and all my enemies, and
thus to enter into the glory of my Father.
Therefore, whoever wishes to join me in this enterprise must be willing
to labor with me, that by following me in suffering,
he may follow me in glory."
96. SECOND
POINT.
Consider that all persons who have judgment and reason will offer
themselves entirely for this work.
97. THIRD
POINT.
Those who wish to give greater proof of their love, and to distinguish
themselves in whatever concerns the service of the eternal King and the Lord of
all, will not only offer themselves entirely for the work, but will act against
their sensuality and carnal and worldly love, and make offerings of greater
value and of more importance in words such as these:
98. ETERNAL
LORD OF ALL THINGS
Eternal Lord of all things, in
the presence of Thy infinite goodness, and of Thy glorious mother, and of all
the saints of Thy heavenly court, this is the offering of myself
which I make with Thy favour and help. I protest that is my earnest desire and
my deliberate choice, provided only it is for Thy greater service and praise to
imitate thee in bearing all wrongs and all abuse and all poverty, both actual
and spiritual, should Thy most holy majesty deign to choose and admit me to
such a state and way of life.
NOTES
99. NOTE I. This exercise should be gone through twice
during the day, that is, in the morning on rising, and an hour before dinner,
or before supper.
100. NOTE II.
During the Second Week and thereafter, it will be very profitable to
read some passages from the Following of Christ,
or from the Gospels, and from the Lives of the Saints.
SECOND WEEK
101. FIRST DAY AND FIRST CONTEMPLATION
This
is a contemplation on the incarnation. After the
preparatory prayer and three preludes there are three points and a colloquy.
.
PRAYER. The usual preparatory
prayer.
102. FIRST
PRELUDE. This will consist in
calling to mind the history of the subject I have to contemplate. Here it will be how the Three Divine Persons
look down upon the whole expanse or circuit of all the earth, filled with human
beings. Since They
see that all are going down to hell, They decree in Their eternity that the
Second Person should become man to save the human race. So when the fullness of time had come, They send the Angel Gabriel to our Lady. C/f. # 262.
103. SECOND
PRELUDE. This is a mental
representation of the place. It will be
here to see the great extent of the surface of the earth, inhabited by so many
different peoples, and especially to see the house and room of our Lady in the
city of
104. THIRD
PRELUDE. This is to ask for what I
desire. Here it will be to ask for an
intimate knowledge of our Lord, who has become man for me, that I may love Him
more and follow Him more closely.
105. Note
Attention must be called to the following
point. The same preparatory prayer
without any change, as was mentioned in the beginning, and the three preludes,
with such changes of form as the subject demands, are to be made during this
Week and during the others that follow.
106. FIRST
POINT.
This will be to see the different persons:
First, those on the face of
the earth, in such great diversity in dress and in manner of acting. Some are white, some black; some at peace,
and some at war; some weeping, some laughing; some well, some sick; some coming
into the world, and some dying; etc.
Secondly, I will see and consider the Three
Divine Persons seated on the royal dais or throne of the Divine Majesty. They look down upon the whole surface of the
earth, and behold all nations in great blindness, going down to death and
descending into hell.
Thirdly, I will see our Lady and the angel
saluting her.
I will reflect upon this to draw profit from
what I see.
107. SECOND
POINT.
This will be to listen to what the persons on the face of the earth say,
that is, how they speak to one another, swear and blaspheme, etc. I will also hear what the Divine Persons say,
that is, "Let us work the redemption of the human race," etc. Then I will listen to what the angel and our
Lady say. Finally,
I will reflect upon all I hear to draw profit from their words.
108. THIRD
POINT.
This will be to consider what the persons on the face of the earth do,
for example, wound, kill and go down to hell.
Also what the Divine Persons do, namely, work the most holy Incarnation,
etc. Likewise, what the Angel and our
Lady do; how the Angel carries out his office of ambassador; and how our Lady
humbles herself, and offers thanks to the Divine Majesty.
Then I shall reflect upon all to draw some
fruit from each of these details.
109. COLLOQUY. The exercise should be closed with a
colloquy. I will think over what I ought
to say to the Three Divine Persons, or to the eternal Word incarnate, or to His
Mother, our Lady. According to the light
that I have received, I will beg for grace to follow and imitate more closely
our Lord, who has just become man for me.
Close with an Our Father.
110. THE SECOND CONTEMPLATION
The Nativity
PRAYER. The usual preparatory
prayer.
111. FIRST
PRELUDE. This is the history of the
mystery. Here it will be that our Lady,
about nine months with child, and, as may be piously believed, seated on an
ass, set out from
112. SECOND
PRELUDE. This is a mental
representation of the place. It will
consist here in seeing in imagination the way from
113. THIRD
PRELUDE. This will be the same as in
the preceding contemplation and identical in form with it.
114. FIRST
POINT.
This will consist in seeing the persons, namely, our Lady,
Then I will reflect on myself that I may reap
some fruit.
115. SECOND
POINT.
This is to consider, observe, and contemplate what the persons are
saying, and then to reflect on myself and draw some fruit from it.
116. THIRD
POINT.
This will be to see and consider what they are doing, for example,
making the journey and laboring that our Lord might
be born in extreme poverty, and that after many labours, after hunger, thirst,
heat, and cold, after insults and outrages, He might die on the cross and all
this for me.
Then I will reflect and draw some spiritual
fruit from what I have seen.
117. COLLOQUY. Close with a colloquy as in the preceding
contemplation, and with the Our Father
118.
THE THIRD CONTEMPLATION
This will be a repetition of the first and
second exercises.
.
After the preparatory prayer and the three
preludes a repetition of the First and Second Exercises will be made. In doing this, attention should always be
given to some more important parts in which one has experienced understanding,
consolation, or desolation.
Close the exercise with a colloquy and an Our Father.
119. In this repetition and in all those which
follow, the same order of proceeding should be observed as in the repetitions
of the First Week. The subject matter is
changed but the same form is observed.
120. THE FOURTH
CONTEMPLATION
This
will consist in a repetition of the first and second exercise in the same way
as in the repetition given below.
121. THE
FIFTH CONTEMPLATION
This
will consist in applying the five senses to the matter of the first and second
contemplations.
After the preparatory
prayer and three preludes, it will be profitable with the aid of the
imagination to apply the five senses to the subject matter of the First and
Second Contemplation in the following manner:
122. FIRST
POINT.
This consists in seeing in imagination the persons, and in contemplating
and meditating in detail the circumstances in which they are, and then in
drawing some fruit from what has been seen.
123. SECOND
POINT.
This is to hear what they are saying, or what they might say, and then
by reflecting on oneself to draw some profit from what has been heard.
124. THIRD
POINT.
This is to smell the infinite fragrance, and taste the infinite
sweetness of the divinity. Likewise to
apply these senses to the soul and its virtues, and to all according to the
person we are contemplating, and to draw fruit from this.
125. FOURTH
POINT.
This is to apply the sense of touch, for example, by embracing and
kissing the place where the persons stand or are seated, always taking care to
draw some fruit from this.
126. COLLOQUY. Conclude with a colloquy and with an Our Father
as in the First and Second Contemplations.
NOTES
127. NOTE I. Attention must be called to the following
point. Throughout this Week and the subsequent
Weeks, I ought to read only the mystery that I am immediately to
contemplate. Hence, I should not read
any mystery that is not to be used on that day or at that hour, lest the
consideration of one mystery interfere with the contemplation of the other.
128. NOTE II.
The First Exercise on the Incarnation should take place at
The same order should be
observed on all the following days.
129. NOTE III.
If the exercitant is old or weak, or even when
strong, if he has come from the First Week rather exhausted, it should be noted
that in this Second Week it would be better, at least at times, not to rise at
midnight. Then one
contemplation would be in the morning, another would be at the time of
Mass, a third before dinner, with one repetition of them at the time of
Vespers, and the Application of the Senses before supper.
130. NOTE IV.
Of the ten Additional Directions given during the First Week, the
following should be changed during the Second Week: the second, the sixth, the
seventh, and part of the tenth.
The second will be that as
soon as I awake, I should place before my mind the subject of the contemplation
with the desire to know better the eternal Word Incarnate in order to serve and
follow Him more closely.
The sixth will be to call
to mind frequently the mysteries of the life of Christ our Lord from the
Incarnation to the place or mystery I am contemplating.
The seventh will be that
the exercitant take care to darken his room, or admit
the light; to make use of pleasant or disagreeable weather, in as far as he
perceives that it may be of profit, and help to find what he desires.
In the observance of the
tenth Additional Direction, the exercitant must
conduct himself as the mysteries he is contemplating demand. Some call for penance; others do not.
Thus all ten Additional
Directions are to be observed with great care.
131. NOTE V.
In all the exercises, except the one at
As soon as I recall that
it is time for the exercise in which I ought to engage, before proceeding to
it, I will call to mind, where I am going, before whom
I am to appear, and briefly sum up the exercise. Then after observing the third Additional
Direction, I shall enter upon the exercise.
132. SECOND
DAY
On the second day, for the
first and second contemplations, the Presentation in the
133. Note
Sometimes it will be
profitable, even when the exercitant is strong and
well-disposed, to make some changes from the second day to the fourth inclusive
in order to attain better what is desired.
Thus, the first contemplation would be the one on rising. Then there would be a second about the time
of Mass, a repetition about the time of Vespers, and the Application of the
Senses before supper.
134. THIRD
DAY.
On the third day use the
contemplations on the Obedience of the Child Jesus to His parents, #271, and
the Finding of the Child Jesus in the
135. Introduction to the consideration of different states
of life.
The example which
Christ our Lord gave of the first state of life, which is that of observing the Commandments, has already been
considered in meditating on His obedience to His parents. The example of the second state, which is
that of evangelical perfection, has also been considered, when He remained in
the temple and left His foster father and His Mother to devote Himself
exclusively to the service of His eternal Father.
While continuing to
contemplate His life, let us begin to investigate and ask in what kind of life
or in what state His Divine Majesty wishes to make use of us.
Therefore,
as some introduction to this, in the next exercise, let us consider the
intention of Christ our Lord, and on the other hand, that of the enemy of our
human nature. Let us also see how we
ought to prepare ourselves to arrive at perfection in whatever state or way of
life God our Lord may grant us to choose.
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