That It Will Help Us Much Always to Behave As We Did the First Day We Entered Religion

ONE of those ancient monks once asked Abbot Agatho how he should behave in religion. He answered: “See what you were the first day you left the world and were received into the cloister, and such remain always.” If, then, you desire to know how to be a good religious and how to advance much in virtue and perfection, this is a good means. Consider with what fervor and fortitude you left the world and all that you had in it—kindred, friends and acquaintance, property, riches, comforts, and amusements —and persevere in that contempt of the world and that forgetfulness of parents and relations, and that casting off of comforts and conveniences; and in that manner you will be a good religious. Consider also with what humility you asked to be received into religion and with what entreaty; and how, the day they granted your request, you thought that heaven was opened to you, and you felt a deep sense of gratitude to God and to your order for so great a boon and benefit; and go on now with this gratitude and humble acknowledgment. Feel now as much obliged and as much indebted as on the first day they received you; and in this manner you will advance in religion. Consider also, after your reception, with what devotion and modesty you behaved at the commencement, with what obedience, with what humility, with what promptitude, with what indifference and resignation in all things; and persevere always therein, and in this way you will go on thriving and growing in virtue and perfection.

This means is much commended by the saints, as we shall presently see; but it is necessary to understand it well. We do not mean to say that you ought not now to have more virtue than on the first day you entered religion. The veteran should never be content with the virtue of a novice, because it is clear that the veteran should have more virtue and be more advanced than the novice who began yesterday, as in study he who has been at his studies ten years ought to be more advanced and know more than the beginner. Religion is a school of virtue and perfection, and so he who has gone further in the school ought to have learned and advanced more. But just as, speaking to one who began to study with much fervor and great energy and afterwards has grown lazy and slack, we tell him to return to his first fervor and to the care and diligence with which he started at the beginning, and that in this way he will get on with his studies, so what we say now is that you should return to those first fervors with which you started on the way of virtue the very first day that you entered religion. See with what courage and spirit you began then to serve God, so that no obstacle could stand in your way and you made no difficulty about anything, and go on now with that fervor and with that same iron determination and strong resolution, and in this manner you will make great progress in religious life. That is what the saints mean to say of this method.

The blessed St. Anthony, when his disciples asked him to give them some spiritual advice for their improvement, began his discourse with this, as St. Athanasius relates in , his Life; ‘Let this be the first thing of all that I charge you, that none should begin to abate the fervor with which he undertook the journey; but, as if starting afresh, let every one ceaselessly increase what he has begun.” And besides many other repetitions of the same, when he was hear death, by way of last will and testament, to impress it more on their hearts, he inculcated it once more in moving words, as the last words of a father: “I, my sons, in Scripture language am going the way of our fathers, since now the Lord calls me, and I desire to see Him in heaven; but you, sons of my heart, I exhort not to lose in a moment the labor of so many years; consider that this day you are starting religious life, and go on ever increasing in the firmness of this resolution.” If you desire to progress in virtue and perfection, put this before your eyes every day; and make account that every day you are starting afresh and ever behave as though this was the first day that you had begun, and in this way you will be good religious. St. Augustine also puts this means: ‘Forget entirely everything that you have done up to this, and make account that every day you are starting anew.”

St. Anthony used to explain this by a household example. As the servants and domestics of noblemen, however much they have served their masters and however much they have worked, fail not to put their hands to any new business that offers and stand ever as ready and prepared to do what they are bidden as they were the first day they entered service, as though they had done no service or work up to this; so, he said, we ought to serve God our Creator and Lord. We have a good example of this in the glorious St. Bernard. Surius relates in his Life that he reckoned others for saints and perfect men, and thought that as people advanced and moved far ahead in perfection they might be allowed sundry indulgences and licenses in sundry things. This is an excellent way not to make rash judgments of others when we see them doing anything of that sort. But for himself, he said that he always held himself for a beginner and novice, and that these licenses and exemptions did not befit him, and so he missed no point of the rigor of religious life nor of the common labors and exercises of humility. He was the first in all works: of obedience and the first to put his hand to the proom and the dish-cloth. In no point did he seek exemption or excuse from doing as others; but when others were doing any manual work, and he did not know how to do it, then not to lose the occasion he managed to do something else instead and busied himself in some still more humble and lowly occupation. Sometimes he would take a pickax and set himself to turn up the ground, or a hatchet, and would cut wood and carry the pieces on his back to the kitchen; and he greatly rejoiced to occupy himself in such exercises, and thought that he had need of all this for his improvement! He was not like some who, when they do these things, say: “Just for example’s sake;” because they think that they do not need them, nor that this does any good in their case. It is well that you do it for the sake of example and edification, but it would be better for you to consider that you also have need of it, since St. Bernard thought that he had such need.

St. Anthony here adds another good point that further explains what has gone before. The saint is not content with our not going back upon those first fervors with which we commenced, but wishes us always to be going on and advancing and growing more and more. As he who begins anew to serve God makes it his care every day to advance and grow in that service, seeing that hitherto all has been offences and sins, thereby to make up for the past and render himself worthy of the reward and prize; so we ought always to proceed like one who has attained nothing up to this, but has been a spendthrift and a squanderer.

This means, says St. Gregory, is suitable to all, even though they be very perfect; for the Prophet David was a perfect man and yet he said, like a beginner, Today I have begun (Psalm Ixxvi. 11). He went on with as much fervor and diligence in the service of the Lord in extreme old age as though he would then begin anew to serve Him, according to the saying of the Wise Man: When a man shall have finished, then he shall begin (Ecclus. xviii. 6). The true servants of God, the farther they go and the nearer they approach to the goal and to perfection, make their way with greater care and fervor, like men digging out a treasure, as Job says (iii. 21). As those who are seeking a treasure by digging, says St. Gregory, the more they dig and the deeper they go, give themselves to the work with greater diligence because, understanding that the hidden treasure they seek is getting nearer and that they want but a little to strike upon it, they are thereby animated to labor more vigorously, and dig with greater zest and eagerness; so those who are really working at their own improvement and perfection, the farther they go on and the nearer they come to the end, throw themselves into the work with greater energy: “Oh, since the treasure is now near, let us animate ourselves and make an effort, since now little is wanting to reach it.” And that the more, as you see the day coming nigh, as the Apostle says (Heb. x. 25) ; meaning, as St. Gregory says, that we should work harder, the nearer the reward and the prize. When a stone is moving in a downward direction, the nearer it approaches its center, the greater becomes its velocity and speed till it arrives; so when a man goes on advancing in virtue and perfection and is getting nearer and nearer to God, Who is his center and last end, the more energy he puts forth finally to arrive. These, St. Basil says, are they whom St. Paul calls in carefulness not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom. xii. 11). There are some who in their commencements, when they enter religion, start with fervor, and on leaving the novitiate at once slacken off and play the ancient; these are not fervent in spirit, but tepid and lazy. The fervent in spirit are they who go on ever as on the first day, with an ardent desire and an insatiable hunger, never glutted nor weary with the service of God, but ever desirous of serving Him more and more, according to the word of the prophet: In thy commandments he shall delight exceedingly (Psalm cxi. 1).

ON THE ESTEEM OF SPIRITUAL THINGS TL