Chapter VI. Prudent discretion

1. The sixth wing of the ecclesiastical Seraph is prudent discretion and thoughtful consideration of the things to be undertaken. How necessary these qualities are for the one who is to be superior over religious, Solomon shows. Being free to ask a favor from God, he set everything else aside and asked for wisdom, without which he declared himself unable to rule his people wisely. " Give therefore," he prayed, "to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil." 1 " To you, therefore, O kings, are these my words, that you may learn wisdom, and not fall from it." 2 " And now, O ye kings, understand : receive instruction, you that judge the earth." 3 A »Wisd. 6, 10. superior is a guide for the flock committed to his care, and if he errs, the flock is confused and led astray. As the eye is the light of the body, so the shepherd is the light of the flock entrusted to him. " You are the light of the world, ... so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works." 4 As the eye is either keen or dim, so the body is guided by it either in the right or in the wrong direction.

2. A twofold prudence is necessary for a superior. He should know what is to be done and how it is to be done. For a good act is not good of itself unless it is done well, that is to say, done as it ought to be done. " Cast discretion to the winds," says St. Bernard, " and virtue becomes a vice." 5 Without it zeal becomes rashness. "They have a zeal of God," says St. Paul, " but not according to knowledge." 8 Without prudence compassion lapses into trivial sentimentality under the guise of affection. " He that spareth the rod," declares the Wise Man, " hateth his son," 7 that is to say, he who under the guise of affection fails to correct the erring, ruins his soul. Patience without prudence arouses contempt against authority, since such a superior under the cloak of humility fails to repress the disobedient. " Roboam was inexperienced and of a fearful heart, and could not resist them," 8 namely, those who set themselves against him and the Lord. Finally, without prudence good example is worthless for the edification of others, as good food without salt is not relished. For this reason the Lord prescribed offerings of salt with the oblations,9 and in Genesis He says : " If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? If ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at thy door?"10 In other words, it is not enough to do a good thing, but one must also consider how, when, where, and why to act.

3. There are many things concerning which a superior ought to exercise prudence, — so 8 2 Paralip. 13, 7. 10 Gen. 4, 7. many that they cannot be touched upon in a brief treatise like this. But there seem to be principally four, about which he ought to ex- 'ercise thoughtful consideration. In the Book of Exodus the high priest is directed, when entering the holy of holies, to carry upon his breast among other ornaments " the rational of Justice," " and set in it four rows of stones." n Like the high priest entering the holy of holies to serve the Lord, a superior assumes the care of souls to render to God a most acceptable service by attending to their salvation; for there is no offering more acceptable to God than zeal for souls. A superior must, therefore, among other qualifica tions, bear upon his breast, as it were, four qualities. The first of these is ability to govern those committed to his care, so that his good subjects advance and persevere. The second, ability to correct and amend those that have erred and sinned. The third, ability to dispose of the business matters requiring his attention. The fourth, ability to guard and " Ex. 28, 15, 17, 20. conduct himself prudently in all these things. The three precious stones are the three quali ties pertaining to these four qualifications.

4. To know distinctly the character, conscience and abilities of his subjects, so that the duties of regular observance are assigned to each according to the best interests of all, is a prime requirement in a superior. All can not do everything in the same manner, but, as St. Paul says : " Everyone hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that." 12 God prescribed : " Aaron and his sons shall go in, and they shall appoint every man his work, and shall divide the bur dens that every man is to carry." 13 Aaron and his sons represent the major and minor superiors, who ought to enter into, and impose upon each the duties of the regular observance according to custom. As there are three grades of this observance, they form three jewels in the first field of the four forms described above.

5. The first matter for a superior to attend to consists in that which, according to the form of each one's profession, is necessary for salvation. This is so intimately connected with the order and the rule that heedless transgression of it is a grievous sin. Such is obedience, voluntary poverty, chastity, and what ever is commanded under the binding power of obedience. In regard to these matters a superior has no power to dispense, since even he is bound to keep them. It is a superior's duty to watch carefully over these matters, because he is bound to watch zealously over their observance, to urge those who are refractory to observe them, and for no reason whatever to allow, as far as he is concerned, any one to act contrary to them, even though this would cause great hardship or loss to him or his brethren. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ," says St. Paul, " shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword? " 14 He meant to say: none of these. This is a reply to those who say: if the needs of the brethren are not supplied in one way or another, they cannot live. Since such a form of collecting is opposed to the Rule, a scandal and disgrace to the religous life, it is better for religious not to remain in a place where they cannot or will not live as such; for then they shall neither perish themselves nor shall others be scandalized by them. " He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." 15 What shall be said of those who scandalize many? This reflection ought to be the first stone shining on the breast of the religious superior, and is to be guarded above all.

6. The second point pertains to those things that refer to the practice of higher perfection, namely, extraordinary patience, exalted humility, heroic charity, strict temperance, rare poverty, sublime devotion, and similar virtues. To these the superior ought to lead those com mitted to his care by exhortations, admoni- "Matth. 18, 6. tions, and attractive example, rather than by compulsion, when they are tardy or remiss. For the counsels of perfection are recom mended, not commanded, with the exception of those that fall within the limits of the vow, as, for example, continence. The principal reason for the institution of monastic life, however, was that it might be a wrestling school for exercising in perfection. In the palaestra the wrestlers were stripped to the buff and rubbed with oil, so that they could not be gripped by their opponents. This is an apt figure of the struggle going on in the religious life. " Every one that striveth for the mastery," says St. Paul, " refraineth himself from all things." 16 A superior, therefore, should also carry this gem upon his breast when teach ing and urging his followers not only to walk on the path that leads to salvation, but also to strive after the perfection that will secure for them great glory in heaven.

7. The third object of a superior's care and attention, are those things which are neither i« i Cor. 9, 25. purely necessary for salvation nor form the subject of higher perfection, but which are nevertheless appropriately assigned by the Holy Fathers for the acquisition and preservation of both as exercises of good works, as ornaments of a religious life, and as means of edifying those that observe them. Such are : fasting, silence, the solemn celebration of the divine office, and corporal exercises. These, accord ing to the Apostle,17 are as useful as instru ments to artists, though they can be performed without tools, as it were, by experts, because the arts existed long before such special tools. Hence a prudent superior, if necessity or utility demand, will dispense in such things with out difficulty according to the requirements of time and place, when he sees that it is expedient to do so. Where, however, neither necessity nor utility justifies a dispensation, he will seek to have these things performed. To know how to observe the golden mean between rigor and laxity requires considerable discretion in a superior. If he were too rigorous, he would make himself disagreeable to his brethren and they would be less disposed to practice those virtues which are more useful and necessary; whereas, if he were more indulgent than he ought to be, relaxation of discipline would quickly follow. " He that contemneth small things, shall fall little by little." 18

8. A superior must also exercise prudence in correcting sinners. This is the second row of precious stones and contains three jewels. For there are three forms of discretion, as there are three kinds of delinquents. Some delinquents, after a fall, soon apply the remedy of penance, urged thereto either by the interior voice of conscience or by external correction on the part of others. The spiritual physician ought to apply the remedy of penance with the balm of compassion tempered in such a manner that sinners may render satisfaction to God for their offences and repair the scandal they have given, so that others may be filled still more with the fear of sin, while the peni tents themselves, finding it such an easy remedy, do not regret that they have submitted to the penance imposed. St. Paul says: " If a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual [physicians] instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted; " 19 in other words, impose such a penance upon the sinner that he may realize the gravity of his fault, yet treat him with the clemency with which you would desire to be treated by others were you to fall into a similar sin. Such discretion is one of the jewels of the second order.

9. Others, when they have sinned, conceal, excuse, and defend their fault. The venom of sin festers in their conscience, and although the superior may judge from certain symptoms that putrid poison has collected there, still it does not break forth, either by evident facts or voluntary confession, so that it could be lanced at the proper moment with the scalpel of public correction. If he reproves the delinquent, nothing is gained, and he seems rather to excite his evil passions than to correct the erring « Gal. 6, i. brother. If he falters and dissembles, he is tormented and filled with anxiety for the soul of the brother as well as for his own, because he fails to correct a delinquent. Since he cannot, therefore, fitly do anything else in the circumstances, he ought to keep his own counsel and practice patience. What he cannot do by persuasion, he should seek to accomplish by prayer, in order that God may soon convert the erring subject or bring to light his hidden malice for the purpose of applying a suitable remedy. Thus for some time Our Lord silently tolerated His betrayer, Judas, for He omitted to reprove him publicly until his wickedness grew so enormous that it came to light by itself. Although, while it remained a secret, he — Judas — was afflicted with a deadly malady of the soul, still his evil condition injured no one, and hence he could with out any blame to Jesus be tolerated in silence. " Suffer both," namely, " the cockle and the wheat, to grow until the harvest," 20 says Our Lord in reference to such a condition, and the Apocalypse says : " He that is filthy, let him be more filthy still." 21 But such persons ought, when possible, to be prudently deterred from the occasion of sin, and in common with others admonished to reform. This Our Lord did for Judas when He said : " Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed." 22 Since Judas, however, could not have fallen into such a dreadful sin unless he had gradually and repeatedly hardened his heart in crime, it is evident that he was secretly tolerated for some time in his evil state by Our Lord, who may have said : " I am silent, and as one that seeth not." 23 Such dissem bling in the heart of a superior requires a high degree of prudence in order not to deflect him from the path of justice. This is the second gem in the second row of jewels that should shine upon the breast of a superior.

10. The third kind of delinquent religious are guilty of grievous and public faults and receive no proper correction, or receive it perversely, because they do not mend their conduct and others are led into evil through them, or scandalized by them, or begin to imitate them, when they see that they sin without be ing punished, desiring to be spared themselves as the others are spared. Wherever these four conditions concur, — namely, grievous and public transgression, no hope of correction on account of obstinacy or an inveterate habit of sin, infection of others by bad example, or scandal by toleration, — nothing remains to be done but to cast away the rotten egg and cutoff the putrid member, lest sound organs become infected and corrupted. This the Holy Ghost enjoins in the following passage : " I would they were even cut off, who trouble you." 24 " Put away the evil one from among you." 25 "If the unbeliever depart, let him depart."26 "Cut it [the unfruitful fig-tree] down therefore: why cumbereth it the ground?"27 "Every tree that bringeth not 2* Gal. 5, 12. 26i Cor. 7, 15. forth good fruit, shall be cut down." 28 " Command the children of Israel, that they cast out of the camp every leper, and whoso ever hath an issue of seed, or is defiled by the dead, . . . lest they defile it." 29 Superiors should not, however, be impelled to take such measures by mere impulse, but seek the mature advice of prudent persons imbued with the spirit of God and the gift of counsel. The Holy Ghost says : " Do nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done."30 And Christ declares: "He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." 31 In other words, the one who, in the habit of a religious, by his conduct scandalizes rather than edifies the simple-minded, deserves to be sentenced to expulsion, lest his evil example contaminate the community. 8o Virtues of a Religious Superior

11. The third sphere in which prudence and discretion are to be exercised, are the business affairs that a superior has to attend to. Some of these he must delegate to others, some he must attend to himself, others he must put away as far as possible. Thus Christ left some things to His disciples, as, for instance, money matters to Judas, and retained for Himself the office of preaching and curing the sick. When requested to settle a dispute about an inheritance among brothers, He answered: " Who hath made me judge, or divider, over you?"32

12. If he desires to attend personally to the external and temporal needs of the body, a superior is prevented from attending to the interior and better things, for when the mind is 1 diverted to external affairs, it is apt to neglect the interior and urgent needs of the soul. The Lord enjoined upon Moses : " Be thou to the people in those things that pertain to the Lord, . . . that so it may be lighter for thee, the burden being shared out unto others." 33 A Prudent Discretion 8 1 similar injunction is indicated in the Acts : " It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." 34 If a superior has no one to whom he can commit the care for externals, it would be better to suffer losses than that he himself should be occupied with temporal affairs. Christ, who knew Judas to be a thief, nevertheless permitted him to attend to business affairs. " He was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein." 85 The example of Our Lord contradicts those who easily find others to whom they can commit the care of souls in order to attend to business affairs themselves, though it is an incomparably greater injustice to imperil immortal souls than to suffer the loss of earthly things.

13. A director of souls and superior ought to reserve for himself the care of spiritual things and whatever is necessary for salvation and progress in virtue, as these matters pertain to the very substance of his official position and he shall have to render an account of them 8* Acts 6, 2. 85 John 12, 6, above all others before the judgment seat of God. They are the following: the manner in which the rule and other regulations and the discipline of the order are kept; peace and charity among the brethren; knowledge of the character of each and solution of their diffi culties ; foresight and prevention of the danger of sinning; admonition of their subjects to advance in virtue; correction of what should be corrected, solving doubts, instructing all how to attend to the obligations assigned to them in a proper manner, so that they may please their brethren as much as possible and not act contrary to the dictates of conscience. When, however, it is impossible to satisfy others with out offending God, God must be obeyed and patience practiced, for " we ought to obey God, rather than men." 36 The religious superior is the head of the body of the brotherhood. While the other members are employed in the duties assigned to each, the head, who is placed over all, shall provide for all as the center of all the senses ruling the whole body and trans- 3«Acts 5, 29. mitting to all the individual impulses of the senses as well as the emotions through com mands or concessions of holy obedience, as the nerve centers do in the body. For the head is not employed in a single form of action, in order that it may devote itself to provide for all the members; it serves all; it sees, hears, tastes, and speaks for all. A superior's position is similar in regard to his subjects.- St. Paul says : " They [the superiors] watch as being to render an account of your souls." 37

14. Superfluous matters and such as are not necessary for the salvation or spiritual advance ment of souls, a superior should endeavor to avoid and keep away from himself and his brethren as much as possible. For since on account of lack of time and " the evil of the day " 38 it is almost impossible to attend to necessary matters, we cannot look after superfluous or other people's affairs without neglect ing what is better and more necessary. A mind distracted with many cares is less able to attend to its duties properly. When superiors and religious immerse themselves too deeply in external occupations, such as build ing, writing books, law-suits, etc., which they had better omit, it sometimes happens that they riot only neglect the better things, but also burden their conscience with sin. Business cares dull the mental vision for spiritual and internal things and quench the ardor of the soul for heaven. As pus gathers where there is a wound, which, unless it is removed, causes a sore or ulcer, so business cares may multiply so as to extinguish the spirit that should dominate them. A prudent superior should fore see the consequences of every act and carefully consider what ought to be permitted and what is expedient. Ecclesiasticus utters this warn ing : " My son, meddle not with many mat ters." 39 It is foolish for one who carries a heavy burden to add to it unnecessarily.

15. Above all, a superior should exercise discretion concerning himself, lest, while providing for others, he neglect himself, and in saving others, imperil his own salvation. "Ecclus. it, 10. There should always be present to him the words : " What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffereth the loss of his own soul ? " 40 This is the fourth row of gems, containing a threefold discretion as three precious stones. St. John says in his second Epistle : " Look to yourselves, that you lose not the things which you have wrought (in others) but that you may receive a full reward." 41 1 6. A superior's first care should be a serene conscience. His conscience, that is, should always be sound and pure. It is sound when he desires, undertakes, commands or permits nothing that is forbidden, improper, or contrary to his holy profession, or in which there is sin or scandal. It is pure when he seeks not the approval of others for the good that he ac complishes or promotes, nor is pleased with himself in a disorderly manner on account of it, but seeks in all things to please God alone, so that what he does in His stead, i. e.} as His representative, he does for His sake or out *° Matt. 16, 25. « 2 John i, 8. of love for Him. " If thy eye be single," says Jesus, " thy whole body shall be lightsome ;" 42 that is, if the intention is pure through charity, the entire body of good works performed will be worthy of eternal reward. " But if thy eye be evil, thy whole body shall be dark some." 43 Let the superior, therefore, examine his conscience and carefully consider what he has done, what he has omitted that ought to have been done, and from what motives he has acted. He should grieve over his faults, confess, correct, and avoid them; but regarding the good he has done, he should glory not in himself, but " in the Lord." 44 St. Paul says: " If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." 45 He who brushes the dust from another can scarcely avoid being soiled himself, so that he must also dust himself. "Physician, heal thyself."46 A superior may, of course, rejoice over the good he has done, but he must not exalt himself, 44 i Cor. i, 31. considering that God gave him the grace to think, speak, and act not for himself alone, but for those over whom he has been placed.

16. He should also watch over his conduct and utterances, by which he is in duty bound to benefit others rather than himself. He who is compelled to live as an example to others, and to satisfy all, needs great discretion to stick to the golden mean, lest he be either too sad or too merry, too severe or too lenient, too jolly or too stern, too harsh or too mild, too strict or too lax, too often with guests or too seldom, too choice or too sparse in reflection, too observant or too careless in regard to the doings of the brethren, too familiar with some and too neglectful of others. He cannot always please everybody, but he will err less by permitting kindness to influence his conduct, which renders him more amiable to his subjects and induces them to obey him more willingly, have recourse to him with greater confidence in their troubles, and imitate his example more zealously. His power and authority causes his subjects to fear him sufficiently; if to it he adds austere severity, he burdens the minds of his subjects. " You ruled over them with rigor, and with a high hand and my sheep were scattered." 4T " Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household." 48 This is the reason why Our Lord Jesus, the Supreme Pastor, has given us such a noble example of kindness and charity and made Himself so loveable and so easily imitable that through the love of His humanity He draws us to the love and knowledge of His Divinity. " While we visibly recognize God, we are drawn by Him to the love of invisible things." 49 He who takes the place of Christ should strive above all to make himself beloved by his subjects, so that he may the more easily draw them to the love of Christ. In doubtful matters he should always incline to what, according to his best judgment, is more in conformity with charity, humility, purity, and evangelical perfection. "Ez. 34, 4. *8Ecclus. 4, 35. *9 Preface of the Nativity.

17. This quality of discretion, which de termines all other things, should also lead the superior to give due attention to himself, in order that his discretion may not be like the eye of the body, which, though it sees other things, does not see itself ; in other words, " not to be more wise than it behooveth to be wise." 50 A superior should not trust himself more than is expedient, nor be wise in his own eyes, because, according to St. Gregory, " as subjects are tempted to criticise superiors because they do not act right in many things, so superiors are tempted to consider themselves wiser than the rest." 51 The Book of Proverbs says : " Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceits? There shall be more hope of a fool than of him." 52 For the fool, lacking confidence in himself, seeks advice from the wise man, in order to avoid mistakes; but he who presumes more than he ought upon his own judgment, even in erring, very often imagines himself to be right. The most dangerous temptation for every Christian soul seems to be to trust too much to one's own judgment. No one is so keen as not to err in some things, and hence he who imagines that he is always entirely right, deliberately opens the door for the tempter, who enters with various tempta tions under the semblance of good. " He sitteth in ambush," says the Psalmist, " with the rich in private places, that they may kill the innocent." 53 The evil spirit lays more snares when he knows a greater measure of success is obtainable. So he seeks the destruction of " the innocent " when the latter ex pects to serve God more than him. Hence it is always a matter of prudence for a superior to listen cheerfully to advice and to seek it humbly.

18. There is a threefold advantage in doing this. First, the superior is more certain of not becoming the victim of deception, when others think just as he does. Secondly, if a mistake occurs after he has acted upon the advice of others, it cannot be imputed to him " Ps. 9, 28.— Hebr. Ps. 10, 8. in the same degree as if he had acted solely on his own judgment. Thirdly, to those who observe this rule God, as a reward of humility, often gives the grace of learning, either through themselves or through others, what they did not know 'before. For this reason Moses, to whom God spoke face to face,54 gladly took and followed the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro.55 The Holy Ghost by His inspiration induced St. Paul to go to Jerusalem and consult with his fellow apostles, Peter, John, and James, about the Gospel which he had learned through revelation from Jesus Christ,56 in order that he might be more certain in his preaching and not disagree with them, thus giving the faithful an example of seeking advice from their superiors. " My son," says Sirach, " do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done." 57 Some, as soon as they are raised to the position of superior, consider themselves so filled with the spirit of wisdom that they regard everything their predecessors have done as wrong and foolish. Others, when relieved of office, condemn whatever their successors do, blind to the fact that, as they disparage the acts of others, so others underrate theirs. " Woe to thee," exclaims Isaias, " that despisest, shalt not thyself also be despised ? •' 5B For nobody's acts are, as a rule, so minutely and industriously criticised by others as the acts of those who themselves severely criticise others, when they are accidentally found reprehensible in matters about which they censure others.

19. There are two kinds of persons whose advice a prudent superior should not easily accept, namely, flatterers and detractors. The former induce him to trust in himself more than is right. " They that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps," 59 lest you think yourself right in humility of self-knowledge. Detractors induce a superior to suspect others and to have a less worthy opinion of them than he may have had, and to misjudge the innocent even before he has full knowledge of the truth. Of such the Book of Esther says : " With crafty fraud they deceive the ears of princes that are well meaning and judge of others by their own nature. . . . The good designs of kings are depraved by the evil suggestions of certain men, . . . who endeavor to undermine by lies such as observe diligently the offices committed to them, and do all things in such manner as to be worthy of all men's praise." 60 Advice is usually sought for three reasons, namely, for the sake of enlightenment, to clear up doubtful matters; for the sake of authority, to give it greater force because the question was dis cussed with certain persons; and for the sake of peace, that no one may have reason for complaint. The first renders superiors more prudent; the second, more worthy of advance ment; the third, serviceable to all. But be- .catise there are countless individual cases in which prudence is necessary, no definite rule applicable to all can be given.