Chapter IV. Patience

1. The third wing of the ecclesiastical Seraph is patience and forbearance. As the roof of a house or tent catches the dust, rain, and wind, so that the interior may remain clean and neat, so superiors who faithfully defencl their subjects against the tempests of sin must often vicariously bear the brunt of adversities, even as the hen hurls herself against the hawk in defense of her chicks.

2. Now there are three things above all others in regard to which patience seems to be necessary to a superior. First, on account of his manifold duties, cares, and occupations. He has to watch over the spiritual discipline as well as to provide for corporeal needs, as the Apostles were solicitous not only for the spiritual, but also for the temporal necessities of the faithful, especially the poor. " James and Cephas and John," says St. Paul, " gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellow ship : that we should go into the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision," i. e., to preach the gospel, " only that we should be mindful of the poor; which same thing also I was careful to do." 1 Our Lord fed the multitudes whom he had refreshed with the words of salvation, and also with material bread, when they had no food.2 There are also various occupations, arising out of domestic cares as well as from external causes, in which a superior is occasionally involved and which are apt to fill him with anxiety. Besides these there arise a multitude of labors, such as delivering discourses, holding vigils, attending to business affairs, and other trying duties which require patience. Moses, who was the mildest of men and privileged to hold intimate intercourse with God, divided the burden of governing the chosen people because he was unable to carry so many responsibilities alone. " I alone," he said, " am not able to bear your business, and the charge of you and your differences. Let us have from among you wise and understanding men, and such whose conversation is approved among your tribes that I may appoint them your rulers." 3

3. In the second place a superior needs patience because of the slow progress of those in whom this virtue is feeble. He sees how few of his subjects advance, how that which, after great exertions and many efforts on his part, had begun to show a little improvement, is easily subverted, and how, on account of the many difficulties and obstacles impeding spiritual progress, his labors seem to be fruitless, just as when one has sown much seed and sees only a few plants growing. Sometimes he ob serves that what he has personally commanded and ordered, is carried out in a careless manner, and that evil creeps in under the cloak of good, so that he dares not openly to repress it, since it appears good outwardly, and still in the end a greater good is frustrated and the »Deut i, 12, 13. door opened for manifest abuses, as in the case when, to save more souls, more members have been received than can be conveniently kept. This increase of membership will in the end be detrimental to poverty, because some wish to enjoy and not to be deprived of many things, and consequently frequent excursions are made to obtain the things that are necessary, unusual methods are chosen to obtain them, acts against the rule are committed in receiving them, devotion is disturbed, religious customs fall into desuetude, the brethren become accustomed to go out at will and seek various comforts of the body, contract famil iarities forbidden by the rule, and ask their penitents for presents, make the edification of souls secondary to other advantages, flatter the rich, increase the order's landed possessions, raise sumptuous palaces, fail to correct scan dals, and God's honor, which is to be advanced by the sanctity of our lives and by the edification of others resulting therefrom, is spurned. The same must be said of the premature promotion of young men and of those who lack experience to the offices of confessors, preach ers, and superiors. It also applies to many things which glitter in the eyes of men, but interiorly, in the eyes of God, dim the pure light of religion. Those who are inexperienced in the religious life, and have no taste for spiritual things, are apt to imagine that the whole strength of the spiritual life consists in this external respectability, and therefore defend the latter with great zeal, having no regard for true virtue. A religious superior who sees these and many other disorders, and judges everything in the light of truth, is grieved and troubled, and not daring to correct the abuses as he would desire, is trained wonderfully in the virtue of patience. " My zeal has made me pine away." 4 " The zeal of thy house has eaten me up." 5

4. In the third place patience is necessary for a superior on account of the ingratitude of those for whom he labors with so much anxiety. He scarcely ever satisfies them, and they generally complain that he could act dif- * Ps. 118, 139. 8Ps. 68, 10. ferently or do better if he wished, so that often he is in doubt whether he ought to make con cessions and do what they desire, or stand firmly for what he believes to be more expedient. He may say with St. Paul : " I am straitened between two : having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, a thing by far better." 6 A superior must also practice patience, when his subjects judge rashly the things that he does and put an evil construction upon them, criticise him, murmur and complain against him, defame him, and take scandal when he thinks he is serving God and them, so that he is scarcely able to escape the difficulties arising from whatever he ordains or undertakes because it displeases them and disturbs others. Patience is still more necessary for a superior when some of his inferiors directly oppose or attack him, or cunningly prevent him from doing his duty.

5. The superior should seek to protect himself against these and other difficulties which beset him, by the triple armor of patience : first « Phil, i, 23. let him reply to each one with gentleness, deliberation, and kindness, and repress the inclination to impetuosity, in order that he may not by voice, feature, or conduct, betray impatience. He will achieve more by patience and finally conquer those whom he would provoke still more by impetuosity. Thus Gideon, by his gentle answer to the men of Ephraim, who sought a quarrel with him, appeased their anger.7 " A mild answer," says Scripture, " breaketh wrath, but a harsh word stirreth up fury." 8 Excitement is scarcely ever quelled by excitement, and a vice is not cured by a vice. Impatience in a superior causes confusion in the attainment of the good which he could promote. It scandalizes others, for as Proverbs says, " he that is impatient, exalteth his folly." 9 It renders him contemptible in the eyes of his subjects and of others. " He that is vain and foolish, shall be exposed to contempt." 10 It makes him feared and disliked. " A man full 7 Judges 8, 1-3. *Ib., 14, 29. sProv. IS, 18. 10Ib., 12. 8. of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful." J1 It pro vokes others to impatience. " A passionate man stirreth up strifes; he that is patient appeaseth those that are stirred up." 12 His sub jects dare not inform him of their needs. " If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill." 13 It fills the house with murmurings and complaints. " He that troubleth his own house, shall inherit the winds." 14 It re pels timid characters and engenders cowardice. " A spirit that is easily angered, who can bear ? " 15 No one dares to correct such a superior in matters that ought to be corrected. " He is a son of Belial, so that no man can speak to him." 16

6. A superior shall, in the second place, cultivate calmness. He should neither seek revenge for injuries done to him, nor hate those that have done them, nor be less attentive to their wants, nor seek to have them removed. "Prov. 15, 18. «/&., 18, 14. ia Job 4, 2. >6 i Kings 25, 17. But he should rather show greater attachment to such persons, so that by this means he may edify them and others by doing good to them and, after the example of the Good Shepherd, exercise himself in virtue. " You shall be the sons of the Highest," says our Lord, " for he is kind to the ungrateful and to the evil." 17 Since to instruct in virtue is a duty of the superior, shall he teach his vicious subjects by having them removed? Can the physician effect a cure by shunning his patients? Can a youthful athlete gain renown by refusing to meet his competitors? Can a merchant become rich if he neglects the chances of secur ing a great profit? This is the reason why so many bishops and prelates have become sanctified above others because they attained the height of perfection through the oppor tunities which their position offered them, by doing good as well as patiently bearing ad versities and edifying others. It is for this reason St. Paul says: "If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." 18 " Luke 6, 23. i8 1 Tim. 3, i.

7. A superior shall, thirdly, exercise forbearance. Himself willing and eager to do what his office requires of him, he shall bear with the fatigue, the tardiness, and the im portunities of his subjects, because thus he will acquire higher merits. " Do you therefore take courage, and let not your hands be weak ened; for there shall be a reward for your work." 19 The " hands " of a superior are eagerness in doing good and patience in bear ing burdens. If these are not weakened by idleness or want of forbearance, he will reap an eternal reward.

8. For by these adversities a superior is cleansed from the stain of sin which he con tracts through human frailty. " In many things we all offend," says St. James,20 and superiors are often guilty of negligence for which they need to be cleansed in this life, in order that they may not be punished in the next. "If he commit any iniquity," says the Lord, " I will correct him with the rod of men, 19 2 Paral. 15, 7. 2° Jas. 3, 2. 5O Virtues of a Religious Superior and with the stripes of the children of men." 21

9. Weighed down by these faults, a superior is guarded against the evil of pride, which ensnares especially those who have power over others. The sublimity of his position, the freedom from restraint which it confers, and complaisance in good works, easily puff him up, unless the weight of adversity humbles his presumption and thus pre serves him from pride. " He openeth the ears of men," says Job, " and teaching, instructeth them in what they are to learn. That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride, rescuing his soul from corruption, and his life from pass ing to the sword. He rebuketh also sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither." 22 For a good superior the humiliation of adversity is a sure means of salvation and progress, without which success will raise a storm of presumption. David, who was a man according to the heart of God, was most devoted Patience 5 1 and humble when steeped in adversity, but fell into sin when he became elated with his successes. " It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifica tions." 23

10. The merits of a superior, as was in dicated above, are increased by the fact that he acquires glory from the good which he promotes in himself and others, and is magnificently rewarded for the hardships which he endures, as the gold that is cleansed by fire becomes purer and more refined. " As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them." 24 Frequently, however, spiritual perfection in creases imperceptibly and is strengthened when seemingly weakened. " So is the king dom of God," says Jesus, " as if a man should cast seed into the earth, and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring, and grow up whilst he knoweth not." 25 But it would not be surprising if the exertions of a superior did not succeed in all things, since the work of God in men does not always redound to their salvation, and while " many are called, but few are chosen." 26 Not all the seed that is sown grows, and those who dig for treasures willingly throw up tons of earth to find a little gold and silver. The perfection of a good superior is as great as would be the loss were he not a superior, just as light is good in so far as its absence is an evil. A superior ought to be encouraged to bear his burden by the thought that he merits reward no less on account of those who fail or advance but little, than on account of those who make the greatest progress. For the Apostle does not say that every one shall receive his own reward according to his perfection, but " accord ing to his labor." 27 It belongs to God " to give the increase." 28 A teacher labors harder with a fractious than with a docile pupil, and a fair judge will reward him more therefor. A farmer labors harder in a sterile and stony 27 i Cor. 3, 8. field, and though the harvest be smaller, the reward is greater, because what is obtained with greater difficulty often sells at a higher price.