Part II. Union of the Active Life with the Interior
In the sight of God the interior life is prior and preferable to the active.
In God is life, all life. He is Life itself. But it is not in His external activity, such as the Creation, that God manifests His life, His activity most intensely, but in what theologians call His operations (activity) “ad intra” (within Himself), in that ineffable activity, the term of which is the perpetual Generation of the Son and the incessant Procession of the Holy Ghost. This is most especially His essential, eternal work (activity).
Let us consider the mortal life of our divine Saviour, the perfect realization of the divine plan. It consisted of thirty years of recollection and solitude, then a retreat and penance of forty days, as a prelude to His short evangelical career; and how often in the course of His apostolic ministry did He — not withdraw into a desert or a mountain in order to pray! “ He withdrew into a desert and prayed” (Luke 5. 16) ; or “ spent the night in prayer ” (Luke 6.12). And here is something still more significant, Martha giving Him hospitality in her house, was very busy preparing his meal; and her sister, Mary, instead of helping her, remained seated at the feet of Jesus, listening to His exhortations. Martha wished that Jesus should condemn what she called her sister’s idleness, and bid her help her in her work, and thus proclaim the superiority of the active life | over the contemplative; but Jesus replied: ‘‘ Mary hath chosen the best part” (Luke 10. 42), and thereby declared the preeminence of the interior life over the active.
After our Saviour’s example, the apostles, in the first place, reserved to themselves the office of prayer (Acts 6. 4), and then the ministry of the word (preaching), and turned the external occupations over to the deacons. In like manner, the Popes, the holy Doctors, the theologians declare that the interior life is in itself superior to the active,
Some years ago when the atheistic government of France had passed iniquitous laws against the religious orders, a woman full of faith, and of remarkable virtue and courage, superioress-general of one of the most important teaching orders in France, was counseled by her ecclesiastical superiors to favor the secularization of-her religions, or to give up the religious life as a means to continue the good works, which should otherwise be completely ruined. In her perplexity as to the course she should follow, she at once secretly set out for Rome, obtained an audience with Pope Leo XIII, explained to him her doubt as to the course she should take, and the pression exercised on her in favor of the apostolic works. The aged Pope, after spending some moments in recollection and prayer, thus spoke to her: “Before all, before the works, keep the religious life for those of your daughters who have the true spirit of their holy state and love a life of prayer. And if you cannot preserve both the life of prayer and these works, God will, if necessary, raise up in France others to perform these works. As for you and your Sisters, you will, by your interior life and especially by your prayers and sacrifices, prove more useful to France, by remaining true religious, even out of France, than — by remaining on its soil deprived of the treasures — of your consecration to God.”
In a letter addressed to a great Institute exclusively engaged in teaching, Pope Pius X gave expression to his views in the following words: “ We learn that an opinion is beginning to spread according to which you should give the first place to the education of children, and give then only the second place to the religious profession, under the plea that such is the want of our times. We absolutely do not wish that such an opinion should be held by any one among you, or in other religious Institutes devoted to education. Wherefore all of you should firmly hold that the religious life is far above the ordinary Christian life, and that if you have the grave obligation towards your neighbor to engage in teaching, your obligations binding you to God (as religious) are far more grave.”
In fact, the very existence and the principal object of the religious life is the acquisition of the interior life. “The contemplative life,” says St. Thomas, “is more excellent than the active life and is preferable to it.” According to St. Bona-— venture, the contemplative life is “more sublime,
: : more secure, richer in merits, more sweet and stable than the active life.” It is more sublime, for the active is occupied with men, but the contemplative leads us into the domains of the highest truths, without turning us away or withdrawing us from the very Principle of all life. It seeks God, the Principle of all being; its horizon is more sublime, its field of action much more vast. “ Martha,” says Richard of St. Victor, “performed manual work in one place only; but Mary, by her charity, labors in many places and in many works, extends her usefulness to all things, and embraces all things; and Martha, compared to Mary, does but little.”
The contemplative life is more secure, for in it there are fewer dangers. In the life that is principally active, the soul is agitated, feverish and scatters its energy, and is thereby weakened. It labors under a three-fold disadvantage of being anxious in its thoughts, disturbed in its affections and by a multitude of occupations; hence its efforts and acts are divided. But in the interior life there is but one thing, union with God; and that is the only thing necessary ; all the rest is only accessory, and is accomplished by virtue of this union and fortified by it.
It is a life richer in merits. “ With contemplation come all goods” (Wisd. 7. 11). “It is the best part” (Luke 10. 10). In it greater merits abound ; it increases the energy of the will and the degree of sanctifying grace, and causes the soul to act through divine love (love of God).
It is a sweeter life. The truly interior soul surrenders herself to God’s holy pleasure, accepts with equanimity both what is pleasant and what is unpleasant, rejoices in affliction and feels happy in carrying the cross, for Christ’s yoke is sweet and His burden light (Matt. 11. 30).
It is a more stable life. WHowever intense it may be, the active life has its limits on earth. Preaching, teaching, works of every kind, all this ceases at the threshold of eternity. The interior life alone has no decline: “It shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10. 10). By it our sojourn on earth is but a continuous ascension towards light, which death renders incomparably more bright and rapid. Hence St. Bernard says: “In it a man lives more purely, falls more rarely, rises more promptly, walks more securely, receives grace more abundantly, dies more confidently, is purified more quickly, and is rewarded more plentifully.”
II. The Apostolic works should be the overflowing of the interior life.
“ Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat. 5. 48). With due proportion the divine mode of action should be the rule or criterion of our interior and exterior life.
To give is a property pertaining to the divine nature. Experience shows us that God is profuse in His gifts to all: beings, and more especially to man; and since the creation the whole universe is the recipient of His inexhaustible beneficence.
God grants to man far more than merely external benefits, for He has given him His only-begotten Son, equal to Himself. Jesus came from heaven to enrich us with His graces through the Sacraments, and especially through the Blessed Eucharist. He pours His benefits upon us without measure or stint, for ‘“ We have all received from His fulness” (John 1. 16). We should, therefore, be apostolic men assuming the noble task of sanctifying others. According to St. Bernard, our word is the consideration or interior spirit formed in us by divine grace. This spirit should vivify all the manifestations of our zeal, but when we dispense it incessantly for the benefit of our neighbor, we should also incessantly renew it by the means Jesus offers us.
The soul of an apostle should be ours, but, in the first place, it should be inundated with light and inflamed by love, so that, when reflecting light and warmth, it may also enlighten and enkindle other souls. “ What they have seen and what they have considered with their eyes and almost touched with their hands” (I John 1. 3), they shall teach to men.
From the foregoing we may deduce this conclusion: ‘“‘ The active life should proceed from the contemplative, and should transfer it and continue it externally, and cling to it as much as possible.” This is the teaching of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. “Before allowing our tongue to speak,” says St. Augustine, “ we should raise our thirsting soul to God, that we may then pour out that with which we have been filled.” In the “Celestial Hierarchy”? we read: ‘“‘ We must first receive what we are to impart, for the Creator has laid down this rule in things divine: he whose mission is to distribute them, must first participate himself in them and be abundantly filled with the graces, which God wishes to grant to souls through
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“his ministry. Then and then only shall he fer r- mitted to enable others to share therein.” ‘If y are wise,” says St. Bernard, “ you will not be a mere supply pipe, but a reservoir. The former lets the water flow through without retaining any itself, whilst the latter, after being itself full, and without losing a drop, pours out its superabundance to fertilize the fields. How many in the Church devoted to apostolic works, like mere supply pipes, remain dry, whilst endeavoring to impart fertility to others.”
A cause is superior to its effect. Wherefore he who is to perfect others, should possess greater perfection, if he wishes to succeed. As a mother is able to nourish her babe only in proportion as she nourishes herself, so in like manner confessors, spiritual directors, preachers, catechists and teachers must first assimilate that with which they are afterwards to nourish the children of the Church. Truth and divine love are the elements to be imparted to the latter. The interior life is indispensable for so imparting divine truth and charity, as to render them a life-giving nourishment.
III. The base, the end and the means of an apostolic work must be rendered fruitful by the in- fe ty terior life. We do not speak here of certain works organized under some pious exterior form, the real object of which is to procure their founders public applause and a certain notoriety, and for the success of which even most unjustifiable means are adopted. There are other works, whose object and means are irreproachable, but their originators, for want of firm faith in the power of the supernatural life, obtain but poor results in spite of their great efforts and ability. To know and understand precisely what an apostolic work ought to be, the Author intending to establish such a work for young men, first visited similar institutions; one of these, at Marseilles, was under the direction of two holy priests, the Abbé Allemant and Canon Timon- David. The latter, after speaking of the usual “ Catholic Young Men’s Clubs ” or “ Societies,” and their amusements and similar means of benefiting the members and attaching them to their faith, spoke as follows: “In the beginning I also considered these means to be indispensable; but the further we proceed, the more my object and my means become supernatural, for I see clearly that every apostolic work built on a human foundation is destined to perish, and that Providence blesses only those works which aim at bringing men to God by the interior life. The musical instruments, theatricals, gymnastics have long ago been laid aside, and yet our work is far more prosperous than ever before, for we now have a better understanding of the whole matter. Our ideal should not consist merely in affording our young men the choice of lawful amusements and distractions, in order to keep them from forbidden company and pleasures, and to give them only a coating of Christianity by requiring of them a mechanical assistance at Mass on Sundays and the fulfilment of their Easter duties. But we should heed the Lord's command: “Launch out into the deep” (Luke 5. 4). We should start with the noble ambition to obtain, at every casting of our net, that a certain number of young men should energetically resolve to lead a truly fervent Christian life; that is, make meditation every morning, hear Mass daily, if possible, make spiritual reading and frequent and fervent holy Communions. As for us, we should strive to impart to that small chosen flock an ardent love for Jesus Christ, the spirit of prayer, of self-denial and watchfulness over themselves. Develop carefully among them a hunger for the holy
Eucharist. Then gradually inspire them with zeal towards other young men, in order to make of them apostles, good, open-hearted, devoted, ardent and manly, tactful and sincere. Before two years are over, you will be able to tell me whether amusements and games are really necessary to ensure success with young men. As to the married men of mature age, you should strengthen their faith by simple, but well-prepared series of familiar conferences or lectures in the long winter evenings, not only to answer victoriously the objections and erroneous principles of their fellow-workmen, but also to resist and overcome the more perfidious influence of certain newspapers and other publications. Impart to the men firm and unshaken convictions, which will enable them to overcome all human respect and practise their faith without faltering, and you will soon witness very appreciable results. But you must continue your labors until the men are endowed with a piety, real, ardent, fervent, convinced and enlightened.
“Do not aim at great numbers, but be very careful in your choice, especially in the beginning. The first members should become a nucleus of lay apostles, of whom Jesus, Mary and Joseph should be the center, and yourself the instrument. In the beginning especially your place of meeting should be simple and humble, without costly ornamentation or furniture to attract public attention. Publicity will not bring success. But above all you must contribute yourself, your efforts, your labors, your devotedness, not in preparing and organizing plays and the like, but by accumulating in yourself the life of prayer, for only iti proportion as you yourself live by the love of God, will you be able to kindle it in the hearts of others.
“Labor and success in the apostolate are all based on the interior life. How great would be the good produced in a city by a Catholic Association leading a truly supernatural life! It would prove a powerful leaven of sanctification, and the angels alone could tell how fertile it would be in fruits of salvation and sanctity. If all who are devoted to apostolic works knew the power of the lever they hold and would use as a fulcrum the Heart of Jesus and a life in union with His divine Heart, they would again raise up our France” (the speaker’s country) “in spite of the efforts and laws of Satan’s minions!” require one another. “‘ Just as the love of God,” says St. Isidore, “‘ reveals itself by acts of the interior life, so also the love of the neighbor manifests itself by the operations of the exterior life; and as the love of God and the love of the neighbor are practically inseparable, it follows that these two forms of life cannot subsist without each other.” This is also the teaching of Suarez and St. Thomas. “Those who are called to the works of the active life,” says the latter, “ would be mistaken, were they to imagine that they are thereby dispensed from the acts of the contemplative life, for they should be added to the duties of the active life. Hence these two modes of life, far from excluding one another, require, presuppose, mingle with and complete each other; and if one of them should have the larger share, it should be the contemplative, which is the more perfect and the more necessary of the two.”1
Action, to prove fertile, stands in need of contemplation; and when the latter has reached a certain degree of intensity, it pours out on the former some of its superabundance, and enables the soul to draw directly from the Heart of God the graces, which the active life is charged with distributing.
This explains why in a saint action and contemplation united together in perfect harmony impart perfect unity to his life. For instance, St. Bernard was at the same time the most contemplative and the most active person of his time. In him contemplation and action so perfectly harmonized together, that he, at one and the same time, appeared wholly devoted to external works and all absorbed in the presence and the love of God.
Father St. Jure, S. J., commenting on Cant. 8. 6: “Place me as a seal upon thy heart and as a seal upon thy arm,” says that “the heart signifies the interior, contemplative life, and the arm, the exterior, active life, and that Holy Scripture mentions the heart and the arm together, in order to show that both modes of life can be found perfect together in one person. The heart is mentioned first, because it is far more noble and necessary than the arm. Moreover, contemplation is likewise far more excellent and perfect and more meritorious than action. The heart beats day and night; were it to cease for a moment, death would ensue. The arm is only an integral part of the body and moves at intervals. Hence we should sometimes cease performing external works, but should never relax from our application to spiritual things.”
The heart imparts life and strength to the arm by means of the blood it sends to it, otherwise the arm would wither away. In like manner the contemplative life, the life of union with God, through the light and perpetual assistance which the soul receives from this intimacy, vivifies the exterior occupations, and is alone capable of imparting to them a supernatural character and real _ usefulness. Without the contemplative life all languishes, all is sterile and full of imperfections.
Man, alas! too often separates what God has united; hence perfect union between the contemplative and the active life is seldom found. Moreover, it cannot be realized without a series of precautions, which are too often neglected, such as: never to undertake what is beyond one’s strength; to see habitually, but simply in all things the will of God; never to engage oneself in apostolic works, unless God wills it, and then only as much as pleases Him and with the sole desire of practising charity; from the very start to offer to Him one’s labors, and in laboring frequently to renew one’s resolution of acting for Him and by Him, by means of holy thoughts and fervent ejaculatory prayers; in all labors, however absorbing they may be, always to keep oneself peaceful and self-possessed; and to leave success solely to God, and keep free from all anxiety, in order to be alone with Jesus Christ. These are the wise counsels the masters of the spiritual life indicate as means of being united to Jesus Christ.
Sometimes our occupations may become so numerous, as to prevent us from enjoying union with Jesus, but this of itself will not injure us. If this state is prolonged, we should bear it, grieve over it, and dread above all to get used to it. We are naturally weak and inconstant. When our spiritual life is neglected, we soon lose all relish for it. When we are absorbed by material tasks, we are apt soon to take delight therein. On the other hand, if we sincerely regret our inability to devote ourselves to the practices of the interior life, in order to devote so much more time to God’s works, and yet strive as much as we can not to lose sight of God, our disposition will prevent our numerous occupations from doing us any injury, and God will, as it were, work with us and support us. contemplative and the active life constitutes the true apostolate, the principal work of the Christian religion, according to St. Thomas. The apostolate supposes souls capable of ardent zeal for and devotedness to the supernatural order.2
_ “The apostolate of the man of prayer,” says St. Bonaventure, “is the conquering word endowed with a divine mission and zeal for souls and fruitful in conversions.” The apostolate of the saint is the sowing of the seed of faith, the word of God, says Pope St. Leo. It is the fiery love of God, enkindled on Pentecost by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the apostles, to enable them to propagate it among all nations. It is the same fire which our — divine Saviour had come to cast upon the earth (Luke 12, 49). The sublimity of this ministry consists in laboring and providing for the salvation of others, without loss or injury to the apostolic laborer. To transmit to men’s minds divine truth is, in fact, a ministry worthy of the very angels. To contemplate truth is good, indeed. To impart it to others is better still. Reflecting light is more than merely receiving it. To give light is better than to shine under a bushel. The soul is nourished by contemplation; but by the apostolate it gives itself.
This mingling of the apostolate and all the outpouring of its zeal with the contemplation and its sublime elevations to God, that has produced the greatest saints, such as: Sts. Dionysius, Martin, Bernard, Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri, ‘St. Francis de Sales and St. Alphonsus. They were ardent contemplatives as well as apostolic laborers.
Interior life and active life! Holiness in apostolic works! What a powerful and fertile union! What prodigies are wrought by such a union! O God, deign to give Thy Church many such apostolic men, but at the same time, deign to revive in their hearts, a longing to “ spend themselves and be spent” for the salvation of their fellow-men and an ardent thirst for a life of prayer. Impart to Thy apostolic laborers a contemplative activity and an active contemplation, and they will gain the victories which Thou didst promise them before ascending to heaven.
Footnotes
Chapter 3 of 7