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Let charity and piety begin at home
Neglect of business and domestic duties under pretext of piety is
a fairly common fault. Devotees, especially of the female sex,
often fall into this error, and so give scandal even to sensible
and really religious people. Yet it is not piety that is to blame,
but rather their self-will which is followed instead of the spirit
of God.
Many have no sooner taken up the practices of religion than they
start neglecting their homes, their children, and those dependent
upon them. They spend the day going to church, in running after
popular preachers, attending every religious service and special
festival, and in undertaking all manner of good works. They are to
be found everywhere except at home, which they leave as early, and
return to as late, as possible.
Meanwhile, all is disorder in the household; everyone does as he
pleases in the absence of the mistress. Children are left to the
doubtful care of those who themselves want looking after; or they
are dragged about, especially if girls, from service to service,
until they are wearied out and disgusted, and soon begin to tire
of religion. The husband very rightly complains, but his word is
not heeded, and he is secretly accused of not being sufficiently
devout.
And thus it is, too, with many men. They are active, bustling
busybodies; meddling in everything under the pretext of serving
God; fancying that the Church depends on them. They concern
themselves with the affairs of others, and neglect their own. Even
some priests are not entirely exempt from these and similar
faults. They are zealous, but, as St. Paul says, not according to
knowledge. [110] They allow their natural activity full rein, and
because their ministry is spread over many objects insinuate
themselves into everything and imagine that all good works must
pass through their hands, otherwise they will not succeed. They
are for ever coming and going, and the day is not long enough for
all they have to do. They even borrow from the night, and leave
themselves barely time to say their office.
I am not saying this in a spirit of criticism: nothing is further
from my wish. But how can I do otherwise than lament over such an
evil as this, which is so harmful to the cause of religion? I am
not calling into question the intention: that I well believe to be
right and good. Nor do I blame the objects in view, which are also
good, since they concern the worship of God and the welfare of
men. But how can one rejoice to see the order of duty reversed,
and works of supererogation take precedence over duties of
obligation? Who can excuse that mistaken piety which looks merely
to externals, counts the inner spirit as nothing, and neglects
God's primary laws?
The spirit of the inner life follows quite another course, and
inspires ideas the very opposite of what I have been describing.
It teaches all who yield to its guidance that their first duty is
the sanctification of their own souls, and that Christian sanctity
consists primarily in the fulfilment of the duties of one's state.
These are indispensable. The very end of devotion is the obtaining
of such graces as are necessary for their fulfilment, and it can
never, therefore, be a reason for neglecting them. On the
contrary, true piety allows such time only for prayer as can
lawfully be spared from duties of obligation. In all religious
exercises not of strict obligation, it bids us accommodate
ourselves to the wishes and frailties of those whom we are bound
to consider, and, for the sake of peace, to sacrifice our own
tastes, be they never so pious.
The inward spirit also reminds us that we must only undertake good
works such as are left to our discretion, in so far as they do not
encroach on our spirit of recollection. Should they even begin to
make inroads thereon and dissipate us ever so little, we must
absolutely give them up, or put them off until another time when
we shall not run the same risk. In all such circumstances, it is
best not to act on our own but take sound advice before acting, or
wait until God sends the occasion. We must also be on our guard
against our natural activity and ardour, and all indiscreet zeal
which would have us take on far more than we can manage, so that
there remains no time for prayer, and for the duties of our state,
which are always the first of all good works.
The true interior spirit also teaches those who are charged with
the sacred ministry that the care of souls should be limited to
spiritual matters, and only extended to temporal things when
charity requires it of them, and then with much reserve and
circumspection, lest these should prove harmful to themselves or
lessen in the minds of others the reverence due to their sacred
office.
Such has ever been the mind of the Church from earliest times. The
apostles were the first to set an example in this matter by
appointing deacons to see to the needs of the poor, reserving to
themselves the duty of prayer and the ministry of the word. [111]
In whatever time remains over from the administration of the
sacraments, from preaching, the direction of souls, visiting the
sick and other similar duties, the primary duty of priests should
be prayer, the reading of sacred books and other studies proper to
their state. They ought to concern themselves in temporal affairs
only in so far as they are a matter of conscience, by pointing out
the rules which should be followed so as not to offend against
justice or charity, and to maintain or reestablish unity and
peace. In the matter of good works or works of mercy, they should,
if possible, confine themselves to directing affairs, committing
the carrying out of them to those well qualified to do so.
Otherwise, apart from losing time, they will lay themselves open
to complaints, murmurings, and sometimes unworthy suspicions. The
closer they live in intimate union with God, the better will they
serve the cause of religion and procure the salvation of souls,
the greater authority and consideration will they possess, and
their reputation will remain intact and their good name respected.
All this would be taught by the spirit of the interior life, if
men sought its guidance with a pure intention. Thus it taught St.
Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Charles Borromeo,
St. Francis of Sales, and every other saint and doctor of the
Church throughout the ages, and those most zealous for the greater
glory of God and the good of souls.
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