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Part III. The Apostolic Works, a Means of Holiness to Interior Souls, but a Danger to Those Who Lack the Interior Life

Our Divine Saviour expressly requires of those He associates with Himself in His Apostolate, that they should make progress in virtue. This is evident in almost every page of St. Paul’s epistles to Timothy and to Titus and in our Saviour’s messages to the bishops of Asia Minor in the second and third chapters of the Apocalypse.

The Apostolic laborer, who is called by God, should have an absolute confidence in God's justice and goodness, that he will receive from Him all the graces he needs to sanctify himself, and that he will be able to sanctify himself, provided he, on his part, faithfully corresponds with these graces. The learned Alvarez de Paz says, that “ he who devotes himself to works of charity, should not imagine, that they will prevent him from observing the practices of the interior life. He should, on the contrary, be convinced, that these works dispose him admirably to lead an interior life. Not only reason itself and the teaching of the Fathers tell us this, but even daily experience confirms it. We see persons devoted to works of zeal, of charity, such as preaching, hearing confessions, visiting and caring for the sick, religious teachers, etc., leading a truly holy life, an interior life.” The sacrifices exacted by the apostolic works draw from the glory of God and the sanctification of souls so great a supernatural virtue, and so great a fertility of merits, that the apostolic laborer, if he only wills, can daily rise a whole degree in charity and union with God, that is, in holiness.

But where, in certain cases, the apostolic labors would be to the laborer a grave and proximate occasion of grievous sin against faith or purity, on account of his frailty, the will of God is, that he should give up such apostolic works. These, however, are exceptional cases. In all other cases, ex- perience proves that, through the interior life, God provides his laborers with all the means necessary for overcoming all temptations and dangers, and for making progress in virtue and holiness.

Let us now see in what this progress consists. A paradoxical word of the judicious and witty St. Teresa will enable us to precise our thought. “Since I am prioress, charged with many works and obliged to travel often, I commit many more faults. And nevertheless, as I combat generously and spend myself only for God, I feel that I draw nearer and nearer to Him.” Her weakness was indeed more manifest then, than wher she was in the rest and silence of the cloister; but she does not worry over it; for the supernatural generosity of her devotedness and her efforts in the spiritual combat, now more accentuated than before, furnished her occasions of victories, which more than counterbalanced the surprises of a frailty, which previously existed in a more latent state. yf‘ Our union with God,” says St. John of the Cross, “ resides in the union of our will with His, and is measured by it alone.” Instead of seeing, through a false idea of spirituality, the possibility of making progress in union with God only in quiet and soli- tude, St Teresa maintains on the contrary, that an exterior activity truly imposed by God, and exercised in the conditions He requires, that is, conditions which nourish the spirit of sacrifice, humility, self-denial, ardor for and devotedness to the reign of God, actually increases the intimate union of one’s soul with God, and bring one nearer and nearer to holiness, ;

*% Holiness, in fact, resides, before all, in charity, and an apostolic work worthy of the name is “charity in act,” or actual charity, for, says St. Gregory, “ the proof of our love is the showing of our work.” Love is proved by works of self-devotedness, which God requires of His laborers as a proof of devotedness to Him. ‘ Feed My lambs, feed My sheep,” was the form of love Jesus demanded of St. Peter, as a proof of the sincerity of his protestations of love. St. Francis of Assisi would not consider himself a friend of Jesus Christ, if he did not devote himself to the salvation of the souls redeemed by Jesus Christ. Moreover, our divine Judge by saying, at the last day to those who had in life practised the works of mercy towards their neighbor, “ As long as you did it to the least of My brethren, you did it to Me,” (Mat. 25. 40), shows that he considers that they who are engaged in the works of mercy are animated by the same charity which animates the contemplative in his austerities, combats and prayers.

The active life is employed in works of devotedness. It proceeds through the paths af sacrifice, following Jesus as workman, shepherd, missionary, miracle-worker, universal physician and loving and indefatigable provider of all the wants of the needy. The active life is mindful of and lives by this saying of our divine Master: “I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth” (Luke 23. 27). “ The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve ” (Mat. 20. 28). It travels along the road of human’ miseries, pronouncing the word that enlightens, sowing all around an abundance of graces and benefits,

Thanks to the insight of its faith, to the intuition of its love, it discovers in the most wretched, in the meanest’ of sufferers, Jesus Christ Himself naked, mournful, despised by all, the great leper, the mysterious condemned One, pursued by the eternal justice, struck by God and afflicted, the Man of sorrows, covered with wounds and blood, deformed and crushed like a worm trodden upon. “We have seen Him,” says the prophet, “ and there was no sightliness, despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows; and His look was as if it were hidden, and we esteemed Him not” (Is. 53. 2, 3). But the active life recognizes Him well, and on its knees, with eyes filled with tears, it beholds Him in the poor, the needy and the suffering, and even in the outcast.

The active life ameliorates mankind and imparts fertility to the world through its acts of generosity, its labors and fatigues, it sows heaven with its merits. It is a holy life rewarded by God, for He confers heaven as well on him who gives drink to the thirsty, as on the learned who has written good books, and on the great labors of the apostle, and will canonize on the last day, before heaven and earth, all who have been devoted to works of mercy and charity. deceits of Satan has led me to be so absorbed in laboring for others, as to neglect my own spiritual wants, prayer and meditation; and then when temptation came, I yielded in the weakness caused me by my lack of spiritual nourishment.” ‘“ I am smitten, as grass, because I forgot to eat my bread” (Ps. tor. 5). “ Such a one,” says St. Augustine, “labored hard and went very fast, but out of the right road,” and thus he went astray. His apparent success blinded him, making him proud, forgetful of God and of his soul’s wants; and the result was fatal to him. It was against such a misfortune that St. Bernard warned Pope Eugenius III: “I fear,” writes the saint to him, “‘ that, in the midst of your numerous occupations, you, despairing of getting through with them, you might harden your soul. You should be more prudent and lay aside these occupations, at least for a time, lest they dominate over you, and infallibly lead you whither you do not wish, that is, to obduracy of heart, for to this will those occupations of yours lead, if you con- — tinue to devote yourself entirely to them, without setting apart sufficient time for your own soul.” What is more holy, more august than to govern the Church of God? Is there anything more useful to the glory of God and the welfare of souls?) And nevertheless, St. Bernard calls them “ accursed occupations,” if they become an obstacle to the interior life of him, whom God has called to perform them. This frightens us and. causes us to reflect, and we would protest, had this not been written by St. Bernard, a holy Doctor of the Church.1

II. The Active’ Man Who Lacks The Interior Life

Such a one may not yet be tepid, but he will surely become so. But his tepidity will not be a tepidity of frailty or feeling, but a wilful tepidity. Such a tepidity is in effect a peace with deliberate venial sin. Such a peace deprives the soul of the security of salvation, for it disposes and even leads the soul to mortal sin, according to the teaching of St. Alphonsus. Cardinal Lavigerie wrote as follows to his missionaries: “ You should be firmly persuaded, that for an apostolic laborer there is no medium; he must be really holy, at least in desire and in faithful and courageous efforts; or he will be gradually perverted.”

Let us first advert to the germ of corruption, which concupiscence keeps up in our nature, the relentless war waged against us by our exterior and interior enemies and the dangers threatening us on every side. Then let us endeavor to represent to ourselves what happens to him who devotes himself to the apostolate, without being sufficiently forearmed against its dangers.

For instance, N. feels an interior desire to consecrate himself to the works of the apostolate. He lacks experience, but possesses a certain amount of ardor, is fond of the work and ready to labor for success. His conduct is good, he is pious but more through feeling or habit than as a result of firm resolution to seek only to please God. As yet he possesses but little of the true interior life; he has many good qualities and is sincerely desirous to be faithful to God. Soon after his entrance into the active life, there arise in his path many distracting circumstances and allurements, from which he had hitherto been safeguarded by the atmosphere and influence surrounding his pious home, seminary, community, novitiate, or a wise guide. But now an increasing dissipation of mind, a natural curiosity to know all, or presumption, sensuality, jealousy, or some other natural disposition will entangle him in a relentless warfare, for which he is ill-prepared, and in which he frequently receives spiritual wounds. And does he, who is only superficially pious, even think of resisting, when he is absorbed in the too natural satisfaction which he feels in devoting all his activity and talents to the excellent cause in which he is engaged? And instead of striving to overcome this natural satisfaction, he does all he can to excite it the more. Satan, moreover, is on the watch to capture what he considers an excellent prey.

At last a day comes when this laborer has a glimpse of his danger. His angel guardian has spoken, and his conscience reproaches him. He would need to recover his self-possession, thoroughly examine himself in the calm of a retreat, and firmly resolve to bind himself irrevocably to a strict rule of life, even if his dearly loved occupation had to suffer therefrom for atime. Alas! this is rather late for him to do this, for he has already enjoyed the satisfaction of some success in his work, and defers remedying his dangerous state to some later date, saying: “To-day, this week, this month, I have no time, I must first finish the work I have now in hand.” And he feels happy in finding pretexts to defer the necessary remedy, for the very idea of facing his own conscience is unbearable. Now is the moment, when Satan can labor at his ease to effect his ruin, for the soil is prepared. Action has now become a passion for his. intended victim; therefore Satan works this passion into a fever! To recollect himself and lay aside his labors for a time had appeared insupportable to him, hence the devil inspires him with a horror of it, and suggests to him fresh projects for the glory of God and the salvation of souls!!

And now that man, hitherto good and devoted, is about, through weakness more and more accentuated, to tread a slippery path, that is apt to cause his fall. Feeling disturbed by a vague consciousness, that all his agitation is not in accord with the Heart of God, he plunges more deeply than ever into the active life in order to find rest. His faults accumulate. What formerly worried his upright conscience, is now considered a mere scruple. He claims that we must now be up-to-date in our labors, lay aside all antiquated ways and means, and make ourselves popular, and progress with the times. Gradually he becomes worldly-minded and finally falls!

Let us examine how this happened to him.

In the first place, such a one gradually lost the clearness and power of his convictions in reference to the supernatural life, the supernatural world and the economy of our Saviour’s plan and action concerning the interior life and the relation of the Apostolic laborer and his activity. He now sees the works to which he devotes himself only through a deceitful mirage. His vanity has become the pedestal of his pretended good intention. “ What will you have?” replied a puffed-up preacher to his flatterers, ‘God has given me the gift of speech, and I am thankful to Him for it.” The apostolic laborer seeks himself rather than God. Reputation, glory, personal interests are number one with him. To him the saying of St. Paul, ‘‘ Were I to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. I. 10), is devoid of sense. The want of.a supernatural base is either caused or followed by dissipation of mind, forgetfulness of the divine presence, the giving up of the practice of ejaculatory prayers, of the custody of the heart, the lack of a tender conscience and regularity of life. Tepidity is near, if it has not already gained the mastery.

In the second place, the supernatural man, being wholly devoted to duty, is a miser of his time, and therefore employs it in accordance with a fixed rule. He is convinced that otherwise his active life would soon become a mere natural life, and lead him into a life of ease and comfort, of mere feeling from morning till night. The active worker that lacks a supernatural base will soon experience this. The want of the spirit of faith in the use of his time, will soon lead him to give up spiritual reading. If, however, he still reads, he no longer studies, and, unless prompted by vanity, he prefers to improvise in his preaching, and feels confident of being admirably successful in so doing. He prefers magazines to useful books. He follows no order in his reading, but acts like a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower. “The law of work, which is a | means of preservation from sin and.of penance, he disregards by wasting his leisure hours, and seeking too many distractions. And as he has not enough time for attending to all his tasks and social duties and his supposed necessary relaxation or recreation, he listens willingly to Satan suggesting: “You need not devote so much time to prayer and meditation and the like.’ Consequently he first — shortens his meditations and other pious practices, — and then sometimes omits them, pretexting the want — of time. Now, as he becomes careless and no longer seriously examines his conscience, he does not see his numerous venial sins, nor endeavor to correct them, and practically gives up mental prayer and his rule of life, and thus reaches the stage of tepidity.

His next step is carelessness in reciting the Divine Office. This prayer of the Church, and really his Official Prayer, should fill him with joy, and impart to him the strength to lead a holy life, -and sanctify his fellow-men. The Liturgical life, a source of light, joy, strength, merits and graces, has become for him a disagreeable task which he performs carelessly and mechanically, merely to get rid of it. The personal and obscure, but hearty sacrifice of praise, supplication, thanksgiving and reparation is now meaningless to him. Formerly he would be filled with joy when reciting the psalms, reflecting interiorly: “I will sing praises to Thee, O God, in sight of the angels” (Ps. 137.1). Now his excessive solicitude for his labors and his habitual dissipation of mind keep him from paying attention to the meaning of the words he recites, from deriving benefit therefrom, and lead him to precipitation, to unjustified interruptions, to put off the recitation of his Office to the last moment, and instead of enriching him in grace and merits the “sacrifice of praise’? becomes for him like a litany of sins!

Finally, since in the life of the apostolic laborer all things are connected together. The sacraments now are administered or received by him merely as something worthy of respect, indeed, but they are no longer felt as something really divine and imparting divine grace. The presence of Jesus in the tabernacle or in the sacred tribunal of penance, and even the holy Sacrifice of the Mass no longer fill him with an awe mingled with childlike confidence and, their fruits are no longer so apparent or comforting and strengthening, his heart remains mostly cold and unmoved, and his will grows weak.

The previously quoted Father Lallement, S. J., speaking of the few who go astray, says: “ Certain apostolical men never labor purely for God; they seek themselves in all things and always secretly have in view their own interests together with the glory of God even in their holiest undertakings. They spend their life in mingling nature with grace; and it is only when death is at hand, that they realize their illusion and dread appearing before the tribunal of the divine Judge.”

Although the celebrated missionary and orator, Father Combalot was not an apostolic man of the class just alluded to, he nevertheless dreaded judgment, like so many apostolic laborers before him. The priest after administering the last Sacraments to him, said to him: ‘“ Yours has been the life of a worthy priest. Your thousands of sermons will plead with God in your behalf, for the insufficiency of the interior life, which you are deploring.” Combalot replied: “ My sermons! In what a different light do I now see them! If our Lord does not first mention them to me, I will be careful not to say a word about them!” By the light of eternity dawning upon him that venerated priest beheld in his best works of zeal alarming imperfections which he attributed to his lack of a sufficiently interior life!

Cardinal du Perron, the celebrated theologian and controversialist, testified, when about to die, his regret at having been more careful to improve his mind by the study of the sciences, than by the exercises of the interior life.

III. The Interior Life, The Base Of The Holiness Of The Apostolic Laborer

Holiness, being the interior life in very close union with the will of God, the soul, unless through a miracle of grace, does not usually reach such a state, until by dint of numerous and arduous efforts, she has passed through all the stages of the purgative and illuminative life. It is a law of the spiritual life, that in the course of sanctification the action of God and the action of the soul proceed inversely. The action of God increases daily, and the soul becomes daily less and less active. God's action in the perfect differs from His action in beginners. In the latter it is less apparent, for it induces and upholds their watchfulness and supplications, and thereby offers them the means of obtaining grace for renewed efforts. In the perfect God’s action is more complete, sometimes requiring from them only a simple consent to unite their soul to His supreme action. The beginners, and even the tepid and the sinners, whom God wishes to draw nearer to Himself, at first feel drawn to seek God, and then to prove to Him more and more their desire to please Him, and finally to rejoice in all the providential occasions afforded them to overcome their self-love, and establish in themselves the reign of Jesus only. In these cases the divine action is limited to incentives.

In the saint the divine action is more powerful, more complete. The saint, in the midst of fatigue and suffering, oppressed by humiliations, or crushed by disease, has only to surrender himself to the divine action, for otherwise he would be unable to bear the agonies, which, in God's design, are to finish ripening him for heaven. In him these words of St. Paul are realized: “ God subjects all things to Himself, that God may be all in all things” (I Cor. 15. 28). The saint lives so much by Jesus, that he seems no longer to live by his own life, for he can say with St. Paul: ‘I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2. 20). In him the spirit of Jesus thinks, decides and acts. Undoubtedly the deification in him is still very far from reaching the intensity, which it will have when he will be in glory, and yet his state reflects already the characteristics of the beatific union.

The beginners, the tepid and even the simply fervent, are very far from reaching this state. The beginner, like an apprentice in a trade, will find sanctification very hard work indeed. His progress will be slow, nor will his work be noticeable. But the fervent will find less difficulty and make quicker progress.

But the intentions of divine Providence concern- ing every class of apostolic men are invariable. God wills that every kind of apostolic works should be means of sanctification to the laborers called thereto. But whilst the apostolate is not dangerous to him who is already holy, nor does it exhaust his spiritual strength, but furnishes him with many occasions of increasing in virtue and merits; the apostolate, on the other hand, is apt to cause spiritual anzemia in those who are but feebly united to God, in whom are but weakly developed the love of prayer, the spirit of sacrifice and the habit of custody of the heart.

God never refuses this habit to earnest prayer and reiterated proofs of fidelity. He pours it out liberally into generous souls, who have gradually transformed their faculties and rendered them supple to divine inspirations, and capable of cheerfully accepting contradictions, failure, losses and deceptions. infested with brigands. But the true apostle dreads them, and daily takes the necessary precautions against them, for he makes a serious examination of his conscience, to discover wherein he is especially vulnerable. Were this the only advantage of the interior life, it would already powerfully contribute to preserve him from being surprised on his way, for a danger foreseen is already half overcome. But its usefulness is far from ending here. It becomes a complete armor for the apostolic workman, for St. Paul says: “ Take unto you the helmet of salvation, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil . . . and may be able to resist the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect (that is, sanctify all you do). Have your loins girt about with truth (that is, let your intention be pure, concentrating in God your thoughts, desires and affections, and avoid going astray by seeking your ease, pleasure and distractions) ; having on the breastplate of justice (that is, of charity which imparts a manly heart, a sure protection against the seduction of creatures, the spirit of the world and the assaults of Satan); your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (the interior life teaches him to proceed with discretion, modesty and restraint, combining the simplicity of the dove with the prudence of the serpent) ; in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Satan and the world will endeavor to lead you astray by false doctrines and enervate you by unsound maxims; the interior life will protect you by faith, or the true knowledge of your nothingness and helplessness without divine grace, and the necessity of earnest prayer and a confidence impervious to the assaults of pride) ; and take unto you the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit” (Ep. 6. 11-17). Thus armed the apostolic man may labor without fear, for his zeal, enkindled by meditating on the Gospel, fortified by the Eucharist, has the sword wherewith to conquer his enemies and gain many souls to Jesus Christ. charity, that far from diminishing his strength, it necessarily brings him an increase of grace. In others, even in the fervent, a longer or shorter time devoted to the apostolate causes this supernatural life to undergo some loss, for being all absorbed by too great a desire of benefiting others, for their imperfect heart is not sufficiently attentive to raise often enough its longing and love to God.23

God, however, does not punish this weakness by diminishing His grace, if the laborer makes serious efforts to watch over himself and pray, and endeavors after his labor, to turn his thoughts to God and seek in Him spiritual refreshment and strength. This perpetual beginning over again by intertwining the interior life with the active is very pleasing to the paternal Heart of God.

Moreover, in such an apostolic laborer, his imperfections become less deep and frequent in proportion as he learns to have recourse to Jesus without growing weary. God is ever ready to say to him: “Come back, poor weary, panting, thirsty creature, because of thy many labors, come to draw from the living waters of quiet and prayer fresh strength for other labors and sacrifices. Withdraw for a time from the crowd, for it cannot pro- vide thee with the means thy exhausted state re-_ quires!” ‘Come apart from the crowd in a desert — place, and rest awhile” (Mark 6. 31). In the calm and peace thou shalt enjoy near Me, thou shalt not only recover thy past activity, but shalt even effect more with less labor. The prophet —

Elias, when wearied and discouraged, was reinvigorated by partaking of a mysterious bread. Wherefore, apostle of Mine, I offer thee My grace to enable thee to turn thy thoughts to heavenly things, and renew thy intimacy with Me. Come, and I will comfort thee for the sadness and disappointments thou hast experienced in thy ministry, and in the furnace of My love thou shalt renew thy resolutions. ‘Come to Me, all ye that labor and are heavily burdened, and I will refresh you” (Mat. II. 28).4

Jesus is essential power, for in Him resides the omnipotence of the divine action. “In Thee, O Jesus,” exclaims St. Gregory of Nazianzum, “ is all my strength.” \“ Out of Thee, O Jesus,” says St. Jerome, “I am wholly powerless.” St. Bonaventure enumerates five features which the power of Jesus in us possesses: the first is, to undertake difficult things, and meet obstacles with courage: ‘“‘ Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened ”’ (Ps. 30. 25). The second is contempt of earthly things: “I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as dung” (Phil. 3. 8). The third is patience in tribulation. ‘Love is strong as death” (Cant. 8. 8). The fourth is resistance to temptation: “The devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about . . . whom resist ye, strong in faith” (I Pet. 5. 8,9). The fifth is the interior martyrdom, the testimony, not of blood, but of one’s very life crying out to Jesus: “I wish to be all Thine.” It consists in combating all concupiscence, subduing every vice, and striving energetically to acquire the virtues: “I have fought the good fight” (II Tim. 4. 7)-

The exterior man relies on his physical strength, or natural talents; the interior man beholds in these only helps, useful indeed, but entirely insufficient. The consciousness of his own weakness, and his confidence in God’s power makes known to him, as to St. Paul, the exact measure of his strength. At the sight of the obstacles in his way, he exclaims with St. Paul: “When I am weak, then am I powerful” (II Cor. 12. 10).

“Without the interior life,” says Pius X, “ the : necessary strength will be wanting for persever-_ ance amid the annoyances and hardships of every : apostolate, the coldness of men, the want of en-— couragement from the good, the calumnies of ad-— versaries, and sometimes even the jealousy of friends and companions. Patience, fortitude, kindness and considerateness are alone capable of removing or diminishing these difficulties.”

Just as the sap flows from the vine into the shoots, so also by a life of prayer divine strength descends into the apostolic man to consolidate his understanding in the faith. He makes progress, because this virtue casts a brighter light on his path. He advances resolutely, because he knows whither he is going and how to get there. This illumination is accompanied by so great a supernatural energy of his will, that even he who has a weak and versatile character becomes capable of performing heroic actions.

Thus the “ Abide in Me” (John 15. 4), that is, the apostolic man’s union with the Immutable, with the “ Bread of the strong,” explains the wonder of the invincible constancy and the perfect firmness of that admirable apostolic man, St. Francis de Sales, in whom there shone an incomparable meekness united to an incomparable humility. The mind and will of the apostolic man are strengthened by his interior life, for it fortifies his charity; and Jesus gradually purifies his charity, directs and increases it, and enables it to participate in the compassion, devotedness, abnegation and disinterestedness of His adorable Heart. We can now judge of the increased merits resulting from the ever-increasing energy of a life of prayer, for merit is proportionate to the intensity of the divine love with which actions are performed.

  1. The interior life imparts joy and consolation to the apostolic man, An ardent and unshaken love alone can render the apostolic life truly cheerful and pleasant, for love possesses the secret of expanding the heart, even in the midst of great sorrows pT and hardships. The apostolic man’s life is a woof of sufferings and labors. If he does not feel sure of being loved by Jesus, how many hours of uneasiness, sadness and gloom has he to spend, however cheerful his natural character may be! The love of Jesus Christ alone can impel the apostolic man to exclaim, like St. Paul, in his trials: “I superabound with joy in all our tribulation” (II Cor. 7. 4). He can also truly say: ‘Amid my painful trials the superior part of me, like that of Jesus at Gethsemani, enjoys a happiness, which, though lacking all sensible joy, is so great, that, notwithstanding the pain and agony I feel, I would not exchange it for all human joys combined.”

Come trials, contradictions, humiliations, sufferings, loss of goods, and even loss of all that are dear to him, the soul of the apostolic man now accepts these crosses far more willingly than in the beginning of his conversion. From day to day he grows in charity. His love may not be very conspicuous, the Lord may treat him as one that is strong and lead him to a humility always deeper and deeper, or through the arduous path of expiation for his own delinquencies and those of others; it matters but little, he will gladly submit. Love favored by recollection and nourished by the Eucharist, ceases not to grow, as is proved by the generosity with which the soul sacrifices and surrenders itself, without heeding the labors and hardships in seeking the souls entrusted to his apostolate, with a patience, a prudence, a tact, a compassion and an ardor which can be explained only by the fact, that he is thoroughly penetrated by the life of Christ: “ But Christ liveth in me.”

The Sacrament of love is also that of joy. The soul cannot be interior without being devoted to the Eucharist, without intimately tasting the Gift of God and enjoying and relishing the presence and possession of her adored Beloved.

The life of the Apostolic man is necessarily a life of \prayer. The Blessed Curé d’Ars says: “ The life of prayer is our great happiness here below. O beautiful life! Beautiful is the union of the soul with our Lord! Eternity will not suffice fully to understand this happiness. The interior life is a bath of love into which the soul plunges from Him; and he rejoices also in procuring for himself an assurance of progress in virtue and of eternal glory.

It is also a nourishment of joy for the apostolic go THE TRUE APOSTOLATE man to labor faithfully, in order to cause his beloved Saviour to be served and honored by others. Making use of his labors to increase his love for Him, he feels his joy and consolation increasing at the same time. As “a hunter of souls ”’ he rejoices at being able to contribute to the salvation of persons, who should otherwise have been lost, and at the same time, to please God by giving Him hearts that should otherwise have been eternally separated from Him; and he rejoices also in procuring for himself an assurance of progress in virtue and of eternal glory.

  1. The interior life refines purity of intention. The man of faith judges the works of the active life differently from him who lives only an exterior life, for he considers them in the divine plan and in their supernatural effects.

He therefore looks upon himself as a mere instrument in God’s hands; he shrinks with horror from taking complacency in his own abilities, for he is persuaded of his own impotence, and places all his hopes of success in God's help alone. In this manner he remains firm in his surrender to God. —

Hence in the midst of difficulties, how different is his attitude from that of the apostolic man who has

THE BASE OF HOLINESS gl not acquired intimacy with Jesus by prayer!

On the other hand, his self-surrender to God does not in the least diminish his ardor in his active labors. He acts as if success depended entirely on his efforts, but in fact he, at the same time, places his whole dependence solely on God. He finds no difficulty in subordinating all his projects and hopes to the incomprehensible designs of the Almighty, who often utilizes, for the good of souls, reverses as well as successes. He is always ready to say: “O my God, Thy will be done concerning my labors, whether they prove successful, or end in failure. I limit myself to labor faithfully and generously, without anxiety to make strenuous efforts to succeed, but I leave to Thee alone the care of deciding, whether success or failure will procure to Thee the greater glory. May Thy holy and adorable will be a thousand times blessed, and may I, with the help of Thy grace, be able to thrust back the least symptoms of complacency, if success crowns my labors, and to humble myself and adore Thy Providence, if Thou judgest proper to annihilate the fruit of my labors.”

In fact, the heart of the apostolic man bleeds, when he beholds the tribulations of the Church.

But how differently does the apostolic laborer suffer, who is not animated with a supernatural spirit, for when he meets with difficulties, he becomes impatient and despondent, and even falls into despair, when his ‘hopes are shattered. The true apostolic man makes a good use of every occurrence, success and reverse, to increase his hopes and dilate his soul in a confiding self-surrender to Providence.

Every feature of his apostolate induces him to — make an act of faith; every moment of labor is for | him an occasion of proving his charity, for by habitually watching over his heart, he performs every action with a purity of intention, ever more and more perfect and free from all personal views.

Wherefore each of his actions is more and more impregnated with the characteristics of holiness, and his love of souls, which in the beginning was imperfect, is daily more and more purified, until it considers in them only Jesus Christ, so that he can say with St. Paul: “ My little children, of whom 1 am in labor again, until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4. 19). all engaged in it to impotency and nothingness, and then He acts.” This saying is incomprehensible to the apostolic laborer who does not know in what consists the soul of his apostolate. Nothing wounds God more than pride. In striving after success he who lacks a pure intention can go so far as to make of himself a kind of deity, as the principle and end of his works. This idolatry of self is a horror to God. Wherefore when He beholds the apostolic man neglecting to refer all his labors to the divine glory, He withdraws therefrom and allows them all to fail entirely.5

The active, intelligent and devoted apostolic workman sets himself to labor with all the ardor of his nature. Perhaps he has already had some brilliant success and even takes great complacency therein, for it was his work, yes, his work! And he says with Cesar, “‘ I came, I saw, I conquered; ” and with him he exults! But let us wait. Some event permitted by God, or a direct action of Satan or of the world befalls the work or the workman himself, and the whole work is totally ruined! But there is something still more lamentable — the interior ravages consequent on the sadness and discouragement of yesterday’s valiant hero! The more exuberant had his joy been, the deeper now is his despondency !

Our Lord alone could raise up these ruins. “ Arise,” He says to the despondent workman, “ instead of attempting to do that work alone, take it up again with Me, through Me and in Me.” But the unfortunate workman no longer heeds that voice, for he is so absorbed in the mere external part of his ministry, that he scarcely ever takes into account the power and providence of God. On the other hand, the true apostolic laborer is convinced that prayer and holiness of life are the two powerful means of successfully acting on the heart of God and on the hearts of men. He toils generously; but the mirage of success does not appear to be worthy of all his aims. Let squalls come; it matters but little to him, which are their second causes. In the midst of the injury and devastation resulting therefrom, knowing that he had worked for God, he seems to hear in his heart the voice of Jesus saying the “ fear not,” which restored, during the storm, peace and security to the apostles; and the result of his trial is a fresh burst of confiding love for Jesus in the Eucharist, a renewal of his devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. His spirit, far — from being crushed by his want of success, comes forth reinvigorated, for “as the eagle, thy youth shall be renewed” (Ps. 102.5). Whence has he the attitude of a successful man after the failure, the destruction of his labors? It can come alone from his union with Jesus, and his unshaken confidence in Christ’s omnipotence, which inspired St. Ignatius to say: “If the Society (of Jesus) were to be suppressed without any fault of mine, a quarter of an hour’s communing with God would enable me to recover calm and peace.” “ The heart of the interior man,” says the Blessed Curé d’Ars, “when in the midst of humiliations and sufferings, is like an immovable rock in mid-ocean.”

Would that every apostolic laborer were animated with the sentiments which the pious General de Sonis expressed in his beautiful daily prayer: “O my God, behold in Thy presence a poor, insignificant, helpless creature! Plunged in my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee. I wish I had an offering to make Thee, but I am naught but misery, and Thou art my all, my riches. My God, I thank Thee for having willed that I should be nothing in Thy sight. I love my humiliation, my nothingness. I thank Thee for having deprived

~~ me of certain satisfactions of self-love, of certain consolations of affection. I thank Thee for the deceptions, ingratitude and humiliations, that have befallen me. They were necessary to keep me from straying away from Thee. O my God, be Thou blessed, when Thou sendest me trials. I love to be consumed, broken, destroyed by Thee. Reduce me more and more to nothingness. May I be in the . edifice, not the polished stone, but the grain of sand picked up in the dust of the road. My God, I thank Thee for having given me a taste of Thy consolations, and for having deprived me of them. Whatever Thou doest is just and good. I bless Thee in my indigence, my only regret is not to have loved Thee enough. I desire nothing but the accomplishment of Thy adorable will. Thou art my Lord, and I am Thy property. Turn me over and over again, destroy me and mould me; I wish to be reduced to nothingness for Thy sake. O Jesus, how good and kind is Thy treatment of me, even when the trial is most painful to me! May I be crucified, but crucified by Thee. Amen.” The apostolic man has his sufferings indeed. The injury done to his work, its ruinous results in the loss of some of the souls he was striving to save. Such an occurrence, though very painful and discouraging, the true shepherd will not extinguish his ardor, but will urge him to begin again with fresh fervor. He knows that the salvation of ~ every soul is a great work to be wrought especially _ by suffering. The certainty, that trials generously - borne will promote his progress in holiness and procure greater glory to God, suffices to keep up his zeal.

Footnotes

    1. Dangers to salvation. .A sad experience of our ministry discloses to us that the works which should be means of progress to the laborers become to some occasions of spiritual ruin; some ‘of them acknowledge it, saying: “It is my overeagerness that has brought on my fall! My excessive devotion to and love for the active life filled me with great joy at my success, and this together with the
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    1. The interior life reinvigorates the apostelic man. In the midst of the turmoil of affairs, and notwithstanding his habitual combat with the world, the saint alone knows how to safeguard his interior spirit and to direct all his thoughts and intentions to God alone. In him all his external activity is so supernaturalized and burning with
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    1. The interior life forearms the apostolic man against the dangers of the active ministry. “It is difficult,” says St. Thomas, “to care for souls on account of its dangers.” The apostolic worker who lacks the interior spirit, knows not the dangers he is in, and is like one unarmed traveling in places _
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    1. The interior life multiplies ten fold the energy and merits of the apostolic man. “ Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 2. 1). Grace is a participation of the life of the Man-God. A creature possesses a certain amount of power and may, in a certain sense, call itself strong. But
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    1. The interior life is a protection against discouragement. “ When God wills that a work should be all His,” says Bossuet, “ he first reduces
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Chapter 4 of 7