,the ,life and ,times of ,bishop ,challoner1 #afia-agha4 ,by ,,edwin ,h4 ,,burton1 ,d4,d41 ,f4,r4,hist4,s41 ,vice-,president of ,st4 ,edmund's ,college1 ,ware4 ,with #cd ,portraits and other ,illustrations4 #b vols41 #hvo1 #bfs4 net4 ,the ,dawn of the ,catholic ,revival in ,england1 #agha-ahjc4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward1 ,f4,r4,hist4,s41 ,bishop of ,brentwood4 ,with #ch ,illustrations4 #b vols41 #hvo1 #bfs4 net4 ,the ,eve of ,catholic ,emancipation4 ,being the ,history of the ,english ,catholics during the first ,thirty ,years of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward4 ,with ,portraits and other ,illustrations4 #c vols4 #hvo4 ,vols4 ,i4 and ,,ii4 #ahjc-ahbj4 #bbs4 net4 ,vol4 ,,iii4 #ahbj-ahbi4 #acs4 net4 ,the ,sequel to ,catholic ,emancipation4 ,the ,story of the ,english ,catholics continued down to the ,re-establishment of their ,hierarchy in #ahej4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward4 ,with numerous ,portraits and other ,illustrations4 #b vols41 #hvo1 #bbs4 net4 ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co4 ,,london1 ,,new ,,york1 ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta ,,and ,,madras4 ,,the ,,westminster ,,library ,a ,,series ,,of ,,manuals ,,for ,,catholic ,,priests ,,and ,,students ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,right ,,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward ,,bishop ,,of ,,brentwood ,,and ,,the ,,rev4 ,,herbert ,,thurston1 ,s4,j4 ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation ,a ,,series ,,of ,,fourteen ,,conferences ,,addressed ,,to ,,the ,,secular ,,clergy ,,by ,,right ,,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward ,f4,r4,,hist4,s4 ,,bishop ,,of ,,brentwood ,,new ,,york3 ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co ,,fourth ,,avenue ,,and #cj,,th ,,street #ci ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta ,,and ,,madras #aiah ,,to ,,the ,,clergy ,,of ,,the ,,diocese ,,of ,,brentwood ,,in ,,the ,,midst ,,of ,,whom ,,it ,,is ,,my ,,happy ,,lot ,,to ,,spend ,,the ,,last ,,years ,,of ,,my ,,life ,,the ,,sanctification ,,of ,,whom ,,has ,,become ,,the ,,first ,,object ,,of ,,my ,,pastoral ,,solicitude ,,the ,,following ,,pages ,,are ,,respectfully ,,and ,,affectionately ,,dedicated ,,preface ,,the aim of the following pages is to present well-known ideals and principles of action1 and to apply them to the state of things actually existing among the secular clergy of this country4 ,they contain the substance of ,conferences originally addressed to ,seminarists1 which are now amended so as to be applicable to a wider circle4 ,from the nature of the case it happens that the greater number of our spiritual books are written by the ,regular ,clergy4 ,yet in some of its phases the religious life differs essentially from that of a secular priest4 ,for example1 the virtue of ,poverty1 or that of ,obedience1 as practised by the latter differ not in degree but in kind from the manner in which they are practised by those in the religious state4 ,hence the seculars do not always find the exact application they want4 ,in the present book it is hoped that frequent quotations from the writings or sayings of well-known bishops and priests who have had personal experience of the ,english mission may at least give actuality to what is said1 and at the same time add an authority for it to rest on4 ,,feast ,,of ,,st4 ,,thomas ,,of ,,canterbury1 ,,patron ,,of ,,the ,,secular ,,clergy ,,of ,,england1 ,december #bi1 #aiag4 ,,contents ,,preface ,,conference ,i4 ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation ,,ii4 ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation 7continued7 ,,iii4 ,,poverty ,,iv4 ,,chastity ,v4 ,,obedience ,,appendix ,,on ,,obedience ,,at ,,the ,,seminary ,,vi4 ,,the ,,religious ,,exercises ,,of ,,the ,,priest ,,vii4 ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work ,,viii4 ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work 7continued7--,,the ,,liturgy ,,ix4 ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work 7continued7--,,preaching ,x4 ,,the ,,recreations ,,of ,a ,,priest ,,xi4 ,,the ,,recreations ,,of ,a ,,priest 7continued7 ,,xii4 ,,the ,,annual ,,holiday ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,periodical ,,retreat ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,priest ,,in ,,sickness--,,and ,,in ,,death ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation ,,conference ,i ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation ,,it is well known that one of the great aims of ,cardinal ,manning during his long episcopate1 and perhaps the one of his works which has left the most permanent impression behind it1 was to raise the tone and status of his diocesan clergy4 ,for many reasons connected with our ,catholic history1 the level at which the average secular priest in the days of the ,vicariates aimed left something to be desired4 ,when we read the story of penal times1 and realise the kind of life that an ordinary priest had to live1 it is not surprising that the tone and quality of mind which we somewhat vaguely designate under the name of the ,ecclesiastical spirit1 should not have been largely developed4 ,we are not speaking now of the time of actual persecution4 ,in the days when a priest had to go about his duties in the continual risk of being apprehended and cast into prison1 and being condemned on trial to be hanged1 drawn and quartered1 the heroism of his life1 and the manner in which he had to be almost continuously braving personal danger in his search after souls1 would undoubtedly have taken the place of much training and prayer in sanctifying his soul4 ,but with the relaxation of active persecution1 came an imminent danger which showed itself throughout the dreary eighteenth century1 and during the first half of the nineteenth4 ,there was no longer any fear of violence1 and even the depressing penal laws invented after the ,revolution of #afhh gradually lost their vitality and ceased to be enforced4 ,but the spirit engendered by these laws lasted longer than the laws themselves1 and when the ,english clergy found themselves able to live the normal life of a secular priest1 some stimulus was required to revive in them the spirit of their state1 which had been so long obscured by the necessity of hiding their priesthood4 ,for consider what the ordinary life of a priest was even in the later days of the ,vicariates4 ,he dressed as a layman2 he did not even venture to wear black1 but wore the ordinary coloured coats common at that day4 ,if he was not a chaplain to one of the old ,catholic families1 he would live in his own hired lodging1 by himself1 and in the utmost poverty4 ,only rarely would he have the opportunity of meeting a brother priest4 ,daily mass was at that time not usual4 ,even the ,sunday services were of a very unpretending character1 consisting for the most part of low mass1 with some ,english prayers before or after4 ,the chapels had little external signs of devotion beyond the altar itself4 ,statues of our ,lady and the ,saints were unknown1 for it would have been considered highly imprudent to run counter to strong ,protestant prejudice in matters which were not essential4 ,the sacraments were administered with as much privacy as possible3 the priest would hear ,confessions in his own room2 and having no font1 would take ,baptism water privately to the house of a child who was to be baptised4 ,no vestments would be worn on such occasions1 except perhaps a stole over a lay coat4 ,it is not wonderful that such a life produced a kind of religion which was restrained and below the surface1 and that there was little inclination to show outward signs of devotion4 ,the lifelong habit of concealing their priesthood from the knowledge of others could not but tend to blunt the esteem for it in themselves2 and it engendered a form of ,catholicity which was dry and undemonstrative1 to say the least1 and wanting in the warmth of devotion which we now rightly look upon as among the most valuable aids to piety4 ,nevertheless1 it would be a great mistake to underestimate--as so many of the early ,oxford converts did--the sterling qualities of the priesthood of the ,vicariates4 ,a more unworldly set of persons1 with greater conscientiousness and devotion to duty1 has hardly existed in any age of the ,church4 ,their life had a hardiness and simplicity about it which might well be a lesson to a modern priest4 ,their self-denial and the strictness of their personal lives1 added to their remarkable humility and obliteration of self1 often indicated great holiness1 but it was of a stamp which an outsider would not easily grasp4 ,they themselves in their daily conversations made light of their labours1 and it was considered almost bad manners to talk of spiritual subjects4 ,all that was taken as a matter of course1 and anyone who spoke of it would be suspected of self-consciousness4 ,the concealment of their devotional life had become to them a second nature1 and it is no wonder that the converts who were brought up under such different surroundings failed to appreciate the real substantial virtues of a priest of the old school1 or even failed to believe in their existence1 while the roughness of their external behaviour was no small trial to those who were brought across it for the first time4 ,full allowance for this must be made in reading the strictures which ,cardinal ,manning made on the clergy with whom he was first brought into close contact4 ,yet we must admit that this self-effacement had become a hindrance to their work4 ,the time had come when the sacraments could be publicly administered1 when many of the chapels had given place to churches which could reasonably be so called1 with fonts1 confessionals1 tabernacles and ambries openly displayed1 when a priest could go abroad not indeed in his cassock1 but in a distinctively clerical dress1 when he could live openly in a priest's house or presbytery1 when the churches could be furnished in proper ,catholic fashion with side altars1 statues of our ,lady and the ,sacred ,heart and the like1 and there was no longer any reason to be shy of such practices as burning votive candles before pictures and shrines4 ,owing to their traditions they did not easily take to such practices1 and often even discouraged them as being what they described as ,continental ,catholicity1 unsuited to the ,english character4 ,and this spirit was intensified by the action of some of the converts who adopted the extreme opposite course1 and carried their slavish imitation of everything ,roman to a ridiculous degree4 ,the practical result was that the old ,catholics became still more restrained as a protest against the exaggerations of the new-comers1 and it cannot be denied that the spirit of shyness of legitimate ,catholic devotions thus engendered tended to stunt their development to an unfortunate degree4 ,it has1 moreover1 often been said1 and still oftener assumed1 that the priests of the old school were unfitted or unwilling to undertake new works1 such as the building of churches and schools1 or other developments requiring initiative and energy4 ,it must be admitted that such was their tradition1 for the simple reason that in the greater part of the eighteenth century1 no such developments were called for4 ,it was a time of gradual shrinkage of all ,catholic work1 as mission after mission was shut up4 ,those who read the account given in ,joseph ,berington's well-known ,state and ,behaviour of ,english ,catholics from the ,reformation to the year #aghj1 will easily realise how the highest hope of the priest of that day was to keep what remained of ,catholicity in the country1 and to stem the wearying shrinkage which persistently went on in all ,catholic work4 ,it is probable that the ,english clergy obtained their first lessons of development of such work from their brethren1 the emigres priests from ,france1 men such as the ,bishop of ,st4 ,pol de ,leon1 or ,abbe ,carron of ,somers ,town1 or ,abbe ,maurel of ,hampstead1 or ,abbe ,voyaux de ,franous of ,chelsea1 or ,abbe ,cheverus of ,tottenham 7afterwards ,cardinal ,archbishop of ,bordeaux71 or others who undertook such numerous works1 primarily for the benefit of their exiled compatriots1 but works which reacted powerfully on the ,english ,catholics themselves4 ,but as soon as the tide was really turned1 and the ,relief ,act of #agia had begun to bear fruit1 we do not find such a marked want of priests ready to initiate new works4 ,such men as ,father ,thomas1 afterwards ,provost1 ,doyle1 who built ,st4 ,george's ,cathedral1 or ,rev4 ,william ,hunt1 the founder of ,st4 ,mary's1 ,moorfields1 or ,rev4 ,peter ,butler of ,bermondsey1 were typical priests of the old school1 and yet had large ideas which bore fruit in the carrying out of important new works4 ,it is probable that as time went on1 and such work was more and more needed1 priests would have been found ready to undertake them2 but it may be admitted that such ideas did not occupy a large part of the mind of the average priest of the day4 ,with respect to the ,regular ,clergy1 many of the above limitations affected the character of their work in similar manner2 but they had perhaps better means of combating them4 ,they lived indeed outwardly the same lay life as a secular priest2 but at fixed intervals they had to retire abroad to their monasteries and live the regular life for a time2 and even when living in ,england as chaplains to the gentry1 or in out-of-the-way country missions1 they were able to keep some part at least of their rule4 ,with the ,jesuits this was especially the case1 as their rule does not include reciting ,office in choir1 and is in fact specially adaptable to the conditions of a missionary priest4 ,from the fact that they lived outwardly as the seculars1 and were occupied over the same missionary work1 while they had the advantage of a longer and more complete training1 and continued it on the mission by the observance of their rule1 which gave them greater opportunities of becoming spiritual men1 they became more highly esteemed by the majority of the laity2 and the feeling grew up that their vocation was the same as that of a secular priest1 but that their rule caused them to live up to it better4 ,they were looked upon as on a higher plane2 a feeling which continued long after the circumstances which had led to it had been substantially modified4 ,even the secular priests themselves seemed to acquiesce in it1 and though they were jealous of their own rights in matters ecclesiastical1 they were often ready to hand over the more difficult work to the ,regulars1 and seemed to assume that the latter were the more experienced confessors or spiritual advisers1 and that they were leading a higher life than themselves4 ,it was the persistence of this idea which ,cardinal ,manning felt called upon to combat2 and in order to combat the idea1 the most direct method was to destroy the inequality of training which had given rise to it4 ,we can quote his own words3--#a ,my first thought was that no ,provincial or ,father ,general had any obligation to multiply and perfect his ,order greater or more absolute than ,i had to multiply and to perfect the priesthood of the diocese of ,westminster4 4 4 4 ,what was the esteem in which the laity held them8 ,they1 with exceptions1 were held to be at a disadvantage as compared with the ,regulars3 as preachers1 confessors1 directors1 judges of vocation1 advisers in spiritual and even in worldly things they were held to be of less esteem4 ,many of them no doubt were so4 ,but the whole as such was higher in parts4 ,on the other hand1 many of the ,regulars1 with longer training and greater advantages1 were better qualified than the priests of the diocese2 but many were not so4 ,and yet the laity took for granted that the clergy were 'seculars' and spoke of them as such4 ',he is only a secular priest' was often heard1 and it revealed a whole world of prejudice1 depreciation and mistrust4 ,this was bad enough1 but there was worse to come4 ,the priesthood accepted the depreciation which depresses and paralyses the will4 ,a conquered people lose the sense of power1 and what is worse1 take their state as a standard2 so that priests have come to plead against invitations and exhortations to higher things4 ',i am only a secular priest4' ,what can be greater than a priest8 ,for itself does it not contain all perfection8 ,what can black or white or brown cloth add to it8 ,this seemed to me to be the first thing wanting4 ,the world is governed by ideas1 and the idea of our ,lord's priesthood1 truly and fully conceived1 has a motive power to raise men to anything4 ,the first thing needed1 as it seemed to me1 was to bring out into the clearest light what the priesthood is4 ,it seemed to me to be obscured by the traditional prejudice that to be a ,regular is to be everything1 and to be a priest is to be functionary for sacraments and ceremonies4 ,even the priesthood of the ,regular was lost sight of in his ,order1 habit and privileges4 ,this conviction was the motive of all that ,i did and wrote at ,bayswater4 ,and more explicitly since #ahfi in ,st4 ,thomas's ,seminary and in two books1 ,the ,pastoral ,office and ,the ,eternal ,priesthood4 ,it is no disrespect to the memory of so great a man as ,cardinal ,manning1 to say that like most men who pursue one great idea1 he went somewhat to extremes in working for his object4 ,it is well known that he discouraged or at times even prohibited the ,regulars from giving missions or retreats1 in order to induce his clergy to do so instead4 ,he endeavoured to abolish the very name of a secular priest1 as being identified in the minds of many with low ideals and aspirations1 and preferred the name diocesan clergy4 ,he insisted that they had a better right than the ,regulars to the title ,father which from his time began to be applied to them1 after the manner in vogue in ,ireland2 and this change has become so permanent that the old title of ,mr4 would to-day sound quite strange4 ,many of his clergy rose to the occasion1 and undertook work which they had before looked upon as outside the scope of their vocation2 and they soon achieved great success in it4 ,let ,cardinal ,manning himself bear witness to this3--#b ,the next aim ,i had1 he writes1 was to make the priests of the diocese conscious of their own power as priests4 4 4 4 ,it forced itself upon me that dormant powers diminish1 faculties in activity are enlarged1 energies exerted continually grow in strength4 ,why then1 ,i asked1 should our priests always ask others to preach for them1 to give ,missions and ,retreats8 ,is it because they know themselves to be incapable8 or because they have come to believe themselves to be incapable1 because the laity so regard them8 ,is it true8 ,if so1 in nomine ,domini let us wipe away this reproach as speedily as ever we can4 ,is it that our priests are discouraged and believe themselves to be what is said of them8 ,at all events the way to cure this incapacity is to do the things of which they are told that they are incapable4 ,let them preach1 give ,missions and ,retreats1 ',use legs1 have legs4' ,i have therefore encouraged them to give parochial missions1 which have greatly prospered2 chiefly to the priests themselves4 ,many have told me that they had no knowledge they possessed such power over their people2 that in giving the missions a new light and strength came to them1 and a new piety came to their people4 ,they had never before made a full trial of the priesthood1 and of the powers dormant in it4 ,there can be no doubt that the work of ,cardinal ,manning was successful1 in that he raised the tone and work of the secular clergy in a marked degree4 ,and his work had a certain reflection outside his diocese1 especially in the north1 where the traditions of ,dr4 ,newsham at ,ushaw were still fresh4 ,it is true that neither there nor after ,cardinal ,manning's time in ,london1 has the full exclusiveness which he introduced been maintained4 ,missions and ,retreats are fitly given by religious not only because they have more leisure to give to a proper preparation1 but also because the holiness of their lives will often react upon the success of their work4 ,the very fact of their being outside the ordinary parochial life is often an advantage for a mission4 ,people confess to them more readily4 ,but the idea that a secular priest is by his state unfit for such work may be said to be dead1 and from time to time1 as occasion offers1 we find them bearing their share of it4 ,the expression only a secular priest has passed from out our vocabulary1 and the old-fashioned depreciation of the secular clergy is almost a thing of the past4 #a ,life of ,cardinal ,manning1 ii4 p4 #ghd4 #b ,ibid4 p4 #ghe ,,conference ,,ii ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation--continued ,,it was pointed out in the last ,conference that the root of the evil of the depreciation of the secular clergy in the past1 was the idea1 in which they seemed to acquiesce1 that their vocation was similar to that of the ,regulars2 but that not being religious1 they were on a lower plane and could live with less high ideals and aspirations4 ,the true fact1 however1 is that the two vocations are radically and essentially different4 ,each has its own special sphere of work in the ,church1 and if properly lived up to1 they will not clash1 but will supplement each other4 ,consider this one point4 ,the secular clergy are trained and ordained for the one special object of parochial or pastoral work2 whereas in the case of the regulars1 such work is only incidental and secondary4 ,many--in some countries the majority--never do it at all2 and in the case of those who do1 it is limited both in quality and amount by the demands of the rule and traditions of their particular ,order or ,congregation4 ,it is true indeed that in this country in the penal days and after1 a large amount of missionary work was done by the regulars under conditions not very dissimilar to those under which the seculars were working4 ,the ,english ,benedictines became practically a missionary congregation1 and remained such until almost within living memory3 but this was due to the stress of the times4 ,at an ordinary ,benedictine monastery the monks give themselves to a life of prayer and study1 and to singing the ,divine ,office in choir1 only a few of them doing any parochial or missionary work1 and that always in subservience to their monastic life4 ,let it be admitted if so desired that1 in itself1 this vocation is higher than that of the secular clergy2 for it makes the sanctification of him who receives it the first and chief concern1 to which any work which he may undertake must be subordinate4 ,in that way it becomes the highest possible state of life1 for it fulfils our ,lord's test1 #a ,if thou wilt be perfect1 go sell what thou hast and give to the poor1 and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven1 and come1 follow ,me4 ,the traditional interpretation given by the ,church to the well-known text1 ,mary hath chosen the best part1 #b indicates the greater dignity of the contemplative over the active life4 ,many religious orders1 however1 especially the modern congregations1 were not founded for the contemplative life in this strict sense1 but rather for carrying out some active work of a specific nature1 which could be combined with the religious life4 ,the ,society of ,jesus was founded for special educational and other work2 the ,redemptorists were intended for giving missions to the uninstructed poor of the country districts2 and similarly with others4 ,such ,congregations will adapt themselves1 so far as they can1 to altered conditions1 and will often undertake work such as was not exactly contemplated by their founders2 but they will always regulate the amount which they undertake by the consideration of the limitations of their rule and the number of their subjects available1 their general principle being that no member must be given work which either in degree or in kind would interfere with his own religious life1 for that is the primary object of his vocation4 ,for every one of them is bound to aim at perfection1 which is of the essence of his state4 ,this consideration is so important as to be an excuse for quoting at some length a portion of a well-known letter of ,cardinal ,wiseman in which he urges it4 ,when he first came to ,london as ,bishop in #ahdg1 and saw the amount of work among the poor that was calling out to be done1 and the utter inadequacy of the secular clergy in point of numbers to cope with it1 he conceived the idea of putting much of it as special work into the hands of the religious ,congregations1 who were then settling in ,london3 but he found in every case that their missionary activities were strictly limited both as to quantity and quality4 ,we can quote his own words3-- #c #a4 ,the ,jesuits have a splendid church1 a large house1 several priests1 besides ,westminster4 #d ,scarcely was ,i settled in ,london1 than ,i applied to their ,superior to establish here a community in due form1 of some ten or twelve fathers4 ,i also asked for missionaries to give retreats to congregations1 etc4 ,i was answered on both heads1 that dearth of subjects made it impossible4 ,hence we have under them1 only a church which1 by its splendour1 attracts and absorbs the wealth of two parishes1 but maintains no schools and contributes nothing towards the education of the poor at its very door4 4 4 4 #b4 ,the ,redemptorists came to ,london as a missionary ,order1 and ,i cheerfully approved of and encouraged their coming4 ,when they were settled down1 ,i spoke to them of my cherished plan of missions to and among the poor4 ,i was told that this was not the purpose of their institute in towns1 and that 'another ,order would be required for what ,i wanted4' ,the plea of 'rule' is one which ,i have all along determined to respect2 and ,i had no more to say4 ,they have become1 so far as ,london is concerned1 a parochial body1 taking excellent care of ,clapham1 having five or six priests and abundant means for it4 4 4 4 #c4 ,the ,passionists ,i brought first to ,england1 in consequence of having read what their founder felt for it1 and of a promise ,i made to ,father ,dominic years before ,i got them placed at ,aston ,hall1 and thence they have spread4 ,in consequence it was decreed that the principal house should be in ,london when ,i came to it4 4 4 4 ,they have never done me a stroke of work among the poor4 4 4 4 #d4 ,the ,marists ,i brought over for a local purpose1 and they are answering well4 ,i hope for much good from them in ,spitalfields1 but1 at least at present1 ,i dare not ask them about general work4 #e4 ,and now1 last1 ,i come to the institute of which ,i almost considered myself a member1 ,san ,filippo's ,oratory4 ,i have never omitted an opportunity of expressing my thankfulness to ,god for its establishment here1 and for the many graces it has brought with it1 in the piety it has diffused1 and the many it has converted4 ,but as a matter of fact1 you know that external work1 the work ,i have been sighing for1 is beyond its scope4 ,you know 7he continues7 how rigidly ,i have respected 'rule1' how ,i never thought of forcing a parish on you1 how ,i have refrained from asking cooperation1 even a sermon1 because ,i would ask for nothing which ,i understood to be incompatible with the ,institute's purpose4 4 4 4 ,two things ,i have always respected in the case of all ,orders1 vocation and rule4 ,and he sums up as follows3-- ,look at the position in which ,i am 4 4 4 ,i have introduced1 or greatly encouraged1 the establishment of five religious congregations in my diocese2 and ,i am just 7for the great work7 where ,i first began6 ,not one of them can 7for it cannot be want of will7 undertake it4 ,it comes within the purpose of none of them to try4 ,souls are perishing around them1 but they are prevented by the rules1 given by ,saints1 from helping to save them--at least in anything but a particular and definite way4 ,in the case of secular priests1 no such reasons for limiting their work can ever enter in4 ,it is sufficient that the work is there1 waiting to be done1 and they must put their hands to it1 even though their number be hopelessly inadequate to perform it with anything like completeness or efficiency4 ,they are1 as it were1 the residuary legatees of the needs of the ,church1 and often have to do the roughest work for the simple reason that no one else has undertaken it4 ,many a priest is in charge of a mission1 either alone or in company with others1 in which the amount to be done is hopelessly out of proportion to the supply of men to do it4 ,yet he cannot refuse4 ,he must do what he can1 as well as he can1 and leave the rest in the hands of ,divine ,providence4 ,this is surely nothing to be ashamed of3 it is rather the chief glory of the secular clergy that the roughest work of the ,church falls to our lot1 and we are continually called upon to do that which the religious1 for good and lawful reasons1 cannot undertake4 ,one sometimes hears of dissatisfaction at their having missions which are flourishing so far as this world's resources are concerned4 ,it may be that it is their hard work and self-denial which has caused their missions to become so2 but whether this is the full explanation or not1 there is no reason why we should envy them3 rather they should envy us1 in the difficult and uphill work which has been laid upon us by the providence of ,god4 ,nor can we refuse to do it on the plea that our spiritual life will suffer4 ,such will indeed seem at first sight to be the case4 ,consider the example of a busy mission in ,london or one of our large towns1 especially if it be a single-handed one4 ,on an ordinary ,sunday there a priest cannot possibly devote much time to his own religious exercises4 ,he will perhaps have to say two masses1 to preach possibly more than once1 to catechise children1 and give ,benediction1 and to administer the sacraments of ,confession1 ,holy ,communion1 and ,baptism at different times of the day4 ,manifestly his own meditation1 spiritual reading and the like have to be omitted4 ,even his ,office is said with difficulty1 a great part of it perhaps at the end of a long day's work when he is hardly physically fit to say it1 and might with advantage profit by our ,english privilege of substituting the ,rosary4 ,often on the ,monday he will not have sufficiently recovered and has as far as possible to take a day's rest4 ,thus his regular spiritual exercises are at best limited to five days in the week1 on the last of which--the ,saturday--the pressure of the coming ,sunday work is already making itself felt1 with the duties of preparing sermons1 and perhaps sitting long hours in the ,confessional4 ,this weekly break is an effective hindrance to any strict adherence to a rule of life1 and prevents the personal self-sanctification of a secular priest from being so systematic as that of a religious4 ,indeed1 even on an average week-day1 it is impossible to adhere at all rigidly to any self-made rule4 ,if a priest has to go out to say mass at a ,convent1 it is hard to avoid his daily meditation being performed in a perfunctory fashion1 or sometimes even omitted altogether4 ,if he has to say mass twice or three times a week at ten o'clock and on other mornings at eight--as is often the case in town missions--regularity of life disappears4 ,then much of his pastoral work--such as visitations1 sick calls1 or unexpected calls to the ,confessional--is entirely uncertain and variable as to time1 and cannot be foreseen4 ,moreover1 the anxieties of a priest are very distracting to the even tenor of our spiritual life4 ,add to this that much of his recreation has to be taken late in the evening1 as being the only time that his friends in the parish are at home1 and it is difficult to refuse all invitations to dine out1 or his position among his parishioners would suffer3 yet the evening is the time of day when naturally a spiritual man wishes to be recollected4 ,what then8 ,are the secular clergy to surrender their own sanctification for the sake of their work8 ,the question has only to be asked to be answered in the negative4 ,the dignity of the priesthood and the pastoral office is enough to put such an idea out of our thoughts4 ,some of the greatest saints of the ,church--including the ,apostles themselves--belonged to the secular clergy3 and it would be manifest blasphemy to look on their state as anything but a school of holiness4 ,certainly we must look for an answer in a different direction from this4 ,three different answers may be suggested1 each of which can lead us to important considerations4 ,in the first place we have the three great ,evangelical ,virtues1 ,poverty1 ,chastity and ,obedience1 as practised by the priest1 which inform their whole lives and give a character and greatness which overshadows everything that they do4 ,these are so important that separate ,conferences will be given to the consideration of each4 ,let it suffice here1 then1 to enumerate them as the first answer to the difficulty we are considering1 of how the secular priesthood is to be made a school of holiness4 ,the second answer is the spirit which prompts us to do our work4 ,it is a spirit of complete self-sacrifice and trust in ,god1 who will in his own way watch over ,his priests and ministers1 so that if they have sacrificed themselves for the sake of preaching the ,gospel of ,his kingdom1 ,he will in return take them under his protection and accomplish their sanctification in ,his own manner and in ,his own time4 ,let us take comfort when we examine our lives4 ,we may find that our daily exercises have been very irregular2 that our meditation has been cut short1 or elbowed out2 our spiritual reading has often been postponed till late at night1 or performed in perfunctory or distracted manner1 or not infrequently omitted2 our ,office has been said at odd times whenever we could fit it in2 perhaps we have not always been regular even at our daily mass4 ,the cause of much of this has no doubt been culpable2 we might have been less irregular than we have been4 ,but if we can truly say that it was in great measure due to the unequal pressure of our work1 and that the primary cause is traceable to the necessary sacrifice of our ministry we can feel confidence in the result2 for whatever our shortcomings in detail1 we have in the main been practising the highest kind of self-sacrifice1 and the kind which is specially characteristic of our vocation as secular priests4 ,this is the advice insisted on in the ,imitation of ,christ3 #e ,evil ought not to be done either for anything in the world1 or for the love of any man2 but for the profit of one that stands in need1 a good work is sometimes freely to be omitted1 or rather to be changed for a better4 ,for by doing thus1 a good work is not lost1 but is changed into a better4 ,without charity the outward work profiteth nothing2 but whatever is done out of charity1 be it never so little and contemptible1 all becomes fruitful4 ,for ,god regards more with how much affection and love a person performs a work than how much he does4 ,but if we have often to set aside our rule of life1 and postpone or give up our religious exercises at the call of charity1 we should be careful to maintain strictness in not giving them up for other reasons1 as1 for example1 for the sake of some recreation1 or through pure laziness4 ,here also we may quote the ,imitation3 #f ,if for piety's sake1 or with a design to the profit of our neighbour we sometimes omit our accustomed exercises1 it may afterwards be easily recovered4 ,but if through a loathing of mind or negligence it be lightly let alone1 it is no small fault and will prove harmful4 ,so long as we act strictly on this principle1 we shall find that hard work1 however distracting1 is not a bar to holiness4 ,let no one think1 says ,cardinal ,manning1 #g that a busy life cannot be a holy life4 ,the busiest life may be full of piety4 ,holiness consists not in doing uncommon things1 but in doing all common things with an uncommon fervour4 ,no life was ever more full of work and of its interruptions than the life of our ,lord and ,his ,apostles4 ,they were surrounded by the multitude1 and 'there were many coming and going1 and they had not so much as time to eat' 7,st4 ,mark vi4 #ca74 ,nevertheless1 a busy life 7he adds7 needs a punctual and sustained habit of prayer4 ,it is neither piety nor charity for a priest to shorten his preparation before mass or his thanksgiving after it because people are waiting for him4 ,he must first wait upon ,god1 and then he may serve his neighbour4 ,a third answer to our question on the means of our sanctification may be given1 of a different kind from the other two4 ,it is that the very works of our ministry may be a direct source of sanctification far greater than the various exercises1 which from time to time we give up4 ,some of these we may enumerate4 ,first and foremost comes our daily mass4 ,this can never be omitted through pressure of external work1 whether there is a congregation or not4 ,time was1 when in the days of our youth1 we looked forward to the privilege of saying mass as almost too great and too sacred to be spoken of4 ,it seemed to us that with this daily privilege1 all life would be sanctified and sin would become impossible to us4 ,what has been our experience after many years of this daily privilege8 ,has it fulfilled our expectation8 ,alas1 our first experience has been that with frequent repetition the act has become perfunctory1 and has often been performed with inadequate preparation1 too short a thanksgiving1 and little real devotion4 ,perhaps we have been free in too often omitting it4 ,but it is not too much to assert that when it has been said properly1 with suitable preparation and recollection1 it has more than realised our most sanguine expectations1 and that no instrument of sanctification could exceed in strength the daily mass of the priest1 well prepared1 well celebrated1 and with a suitable thanksgiving4 ,after this we may look at the various exercises of the pastoral ministry4 ,take the ,confessional2 who can rise up from a long session in the box without the consciousness that he is a better man8 ,why is it that the time spent in the exercise of hearing the ,confessions of others never seems long1 except that during the whole time we are conscious that it is reacting upon ourselves8 ,cardinal ,manning enumerates five different truths upon which the ,confessor assimilates3-- #h ,first1 self-knowledge1 by bringing things to his own remembrance and by showing him his own face in a glass by the lives of sinners4 ,secondly1 contrition1 in the sorrow of penitents who will not be consoled4 ,thirdly1 delicacy of conscience in the innocent whose eye being single and their body full of light1 accuse themselves of omissions and deviations from the will of ,god which we1 perhaps1 daily commit without discernment4 ,fourthly1 aspiration by the fervent1 whose one desire and effort1 in the midst of burdened and restless homes1 is to rise higher and higher in union with ,god4 ,fifthly1 self-accusation at our own unprofitableness1 from the generosity and fidelity of those who are hindered on every side1 and yet in humility1 self-denial1 charity and union with ,god surpass us1 who have every gift of time and grace needed for perfection4 ,a similar effect is produced in us by the ordinary visitation of our people1 even in the most difficult surroundings4 ,how many do we not come across whose daily uphill struggle for virtue puts our own lives to shame6 ,others whose trust in ,god in apparently hopeless circumstances1 and the answers which we see to their prayers1 bring the closeness of ,god's providence over ,his elect sensibly nearer to us4 ,then our prayer with our people and for our people1 our instructions and sermons1 our indirect influence over them1 all alike continually keep us in the presence of ,god4 ,there is a tendency among some priests to look upon the devotions in which they lead their people as one thing1 and their own spiritual exercises--their ,office1 ,meditation1 ,spiritual ,reading--as another4 ,there is no need for any such distinction4 ,the devotions which a priest goes through with his people--the ,rosary1 confraternity prayers1 ,benediction and the like-- react on his spiritual life quite as strongly as his ,meditation or ,spiritual ,reading which he may have omitted in their favour4 ,the ,cure of ,ars for many years practically gave up his private spiritual exercises1 except his mass1 in order to devote the whole of his time to his pastoral work1 either in the ,confessional1 or in the midst of his people1 preaching to them1 or saying night prayers or other devotions with them4 ,in his later years he was dispensed by ,rome even from saying his ,office4 ,his was indeed an extreme case2 but the same principles hold good1 in their measure1 in the case of every priest who devotes himself to his pastoral work4 ,even the sin and misery which we see around us1 bring vividly before us the dignity of our own office in trying to rescue our people from the results of their own folly4 ,still more when we minister at the death either of one who has led a good ,christian life1 or one who has become a true penitent1 are we brought almost into touch with the other world4 ,there is a sacredness about a ,catholic death-bed which is all its own4 ,one moment the patient is going through the last of his sufferings in this world1 dependent upon our poor help and our prayers1 and receiving the consolations of religion at our hands3 a moment later he is in the other world1 looking down on us1 with knowledge and experience which we so long to have1 his salvation we hope assured1 and this the result of our ministry4 ,can any priest come back from a ,catholic death-bed without a feeling of awe1 and his faith strengthened as though he were in actual contact with the next world8 ,to sum up then1 the pastoral work of the priest is in itself a means of sanctification as direct and as efficacious as any personal religious exercises can be2 and while we should always be jealous of omitting any of our accustomed devotions through carelessness or laziness1 we need have no misgiving when they are omitted in consequence of the pressure of our pastoral work4 ,we may fitly conclude with one more quotation from ,cardinal ,manning on the sanctifying power of the self-sacrifice which a true pastor practises3-- #i ,the pastoral office is in itself a discipline of perfection4 ,for first of all it is a life of abnegation of self4 ,a pastor has so many obediences to fulfil1 as he has souls to serve4 ,the good and the evil1 the sick and the whole1 the young and the old1 the wise and the foolish1 the worldly and the unworldly--who are not always wise--the penitent and the impenitent1 the converted and the unconverted1 the lapsed and the relapsed1 the obdurate and the defiant1 all must be watched over--none may be neglected1 still less cast off--always1 at all times and in all ways possible4 ,st4 ,philip used to say that a priest should have no time of his own1 and that many of his most consoling conversations came to him out of hours at unseasonable moments4 ,if he had sent them away because they came out of time1 or at supper-time and the like1 they might have been lost4 ,then again1 the trials of temper1 patience1 self-control in bearing with the strange and inconsiderate minds that come to him1 and the demands made upon his strength and endurance day and night in the calls of the sick and dying1 coming often one after another when for a moment he has gone to rest2 the weary and continual importunities of people and of letters1 till the sound of the bell or the knock at the door is a constant foreboding1 too surely fulfilled2 all these things make a pastor's life as wearisome1 and1 strange to say1 as isolated as if he were in the desert4 ,no sackcloth so mortifies the body as this life of perpetual self-abnegation mortifies the will4 ,but when the will is mortified1 the servant is like his ,master1 and his ,master is the exemplar of all perfection4 #a ,st4 ,matt4 xix4 #ba4 #b ,st4 ,luke x4 #db4 #c ,life of ,wiseman1 ii4 p4 #aaf4 #d i4e4 ,the old ,jesuit mission in ,romney ,terrace1 afterwards ,horseferry ,road1 now absorbed in the ,cathedral parish4 ,the letter was written on ,october #bg1 #aheb4 #e ,book ,i1 xix4 #c4 #f ,ibid41 xv4 i4 #g ,eternal ,priesthood1 p4 #ha4 #h ,ibid41 p4 #ajd4 #i ,ibid41 p4 #eh4 ,,conference ,,iii ,,poverty ,,there is nothing new in the remark that ,christ at ,his coming sanctified the state of poverty in a manner totally new to the world4 ,in this relation we look upon the circumstances which surrounded ,his birth as a very special ,providence4 ,the life of the ,holy ,family at ,nazareth was indeed one of ordinary but apparently not extreme poverty4 ,the question ,is not this the son of the carpenter whom we know8 ,is not this the carpenter8 show us that our ,lord and ,st4 ,joseph practised a trade in the ordinary way1 like any other ,jews would have done1 working no doubt day by day for their living1 but not in a state of destitution1 or in want for the necessaries of life4 ,by a combination of circumstances however1 which we believe to have been brought about by ,god for this express purpose1 ,his birth took place away from ,his home and from the friends of ,his mother and ,st4 ,joseph1 in surroundings which were without what may fairly be considered as the necessaries of life4 ,it was under these circumstances that ,he preached ,his first sermon on the dignity of ,poverty4 ,it was a new idea to the people and one of which the world had never before heard4 ,the poor have ever formed the vast majority of mankind2 yet the instinct has always been to look down upon them4 ,the ancient ,romans looked upon the needy and the afflicted as the object of the malediction of the gods4 ,a story is told of one of the ,emperors sending a whole shipload of them to sea1 and having the vessel sunk1 so as to rid the city of their presence4 ,the ,jews had indeed learnt something less opposed to the truth2 but even they looked upon ,poverty as a misfortune4 ,a promise of an earthly reward was necessary as a stimulus to lead them on to do their duty4 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 who brought thee out of the land of ,egypt1 out of the house of bondage4 ,honour thy father and thy mother1 that thou mayest be long lived upon the land which the ,lord thy ,god will give thee4 ,a modest competency was to them the minimum that was put before them to deliver them from care and anxiety4 ,give me neither beggary nor riches3 give me only the necessaries of life4 #a ,yet they knew that if the poor were faithful to ,god1 ,he would protect them2 and indeed that one of the attributes of the ,god of the ,jews was ,his providential care of the poor4 ,he shall judge the poor of the people1 and he shall save the children of the poor1 and he shall humble the oppressors4 4 4 4 ,he shall deliver the poor from the mighty1 and the needy that had no helper4 ,he shall spare the poor and needy2 and he shall save the souls of the poor4 #b ,our ,lord in ,his teaching1 however1 went far beyond anything which even the ,jews had before their minds1 when ,he proclaimed that ,poverty was the true state of blessedness4 ,his first recorded words as official teacher of mankind are ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven4 ,in another passage we read still more explicitly1 #c ,blessed are ye poor1 for yours is the kingdom of ,god2 ,blessed are ye that hunger now1 for you shall be filled2 ,blessed are ye that weep now1 for you shall laugh2 4 4 4 but woe to you that are rich1 for you have your consolation4 ,woe to you that are filled1 for you shall hunger2 woe to you that now laugh1 for you shall mourn and weep4 ,he is here putting the state of poverty forward as the state of blessing1 more to be desired than the state of riches4 ,the same idea we find enforced by our ,lord in ,his teaching in numerous instances4 ,he speaks of as the ,mammon of ,iniquity1 so intimately connected does ,he consider them with vice4 ,more than that4 ,he speaks as though the salvation of a rich man was so difficult as to be almost a test of ,god's omnipotence4 ,it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the ,kingdom of ,god4 4 4 4 ,with man it is impossible2 but with ,god all things are possible4 #d ,consider also some of our ,lord's parables in this regard4 ,the well-known one of ,dives and ,lazarus at once occurs to mind4 ,the rich man is not accused of any particular evil2 but simply he lived trusting in his riches1 the selfish life of which they are so often the foundation4 ,he was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day2 while ,lazarus lay at his gate full of sores1 desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table2 and it is added almost as a matter of course that after death their lots are reversed4 ,abraham is depicted as saying to the rich man1 ,son1 remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime1 and likewise ,lazarus evil things2 but now he is comforted1 and thou are tormented4 #e ,in another parable we have placed before us one who trusted so much in his accumulated wealth that he said to himself1 ,thou hast much good laid up for many years1 take thy rest1 eat1 drink1 make good cheer2 and the merited rejoinder is ,thou fool2 this night do they require thy soul of thee1 and where shall those things be which thou hast provided8 #f ,these examples might be multiplied indefinitely4 ,there is no danger of the virtue of poverty being lost sight of by the ,church4 ,the whole attitude of the clergy and devout laity affords opportunities of charity to the poor4 ,not only do they practise almsgiving to a degree far beyond any question of strict duty1 but many of them give themselves to personal work among the poor1 which is more valuable than silver and gold1 while the modern active congregations of nuns are fully appreciated especially for the work that they do among the poor4 ,one of the most sanctifying phases of a priest's life is his close contact with the poor4 ,the man of the world at best looks upon them as persons to be pitied1 to be relieved1 to be helped2 in modern times1 they teach them to combine together to insist on the betterment of their state--a movement with which1 if carried on with proper responsibility and care1 the ,church is in full sympathy4 ,but so long as the world goes on1 so long there will be poor people in it1 and to the ,christian1 still more to the priest1 the natural attitude is something bordering on reverence for the poor2 for to them ,christian virtues such as humility1 work1 self-denial1 obedience1 come almost naturally as the accompaniment of their state4 ,their very necessities almost compel them to seek comfort from ,god in prayer4 ,many of the poor indeed neglect these advantages and make their poverty a source of discontent and even murmuring against ,divine ,providence in this regard4 ,equally a rich man may practise poverty of spirit2 but it does not come easily4 ,how hardly shall they who have riches enter into the kingdom of ,god4 #g ,while however a priest easily understands the sanctifying effects of poverty in others1 there is a real danger that he may fail to appreciate it in himself4 ,the anxious and worrying effect on the mind1 the continuous trouble as much as the self-denial necessitated by the conditions of his life seem to interfere with his power of prayer and with the proper sanctification of his duties4 ,yet in truth the facing of such conditions may react in a far more sanctifying way than the prayers and devotions which they impede3 the prayer of a poor man in anxiety and distress1 even though a distracted prayer1 may be more efficacious than the ordinary prayer of the man in comfortable circumstances4 ,thank ,god1 in ,england there is no chance of a priest being anything else than a poor man4 ,but there are degrees of poverty amongst us according to the missions at which we are stationed and other circumstances2 and from the fact of the general state being inevitable1 we are apt to lose sight of its value and long for positions where we have to practise it less rather than more4 ,it is well for us then to think over and apply to ourselves the fact that ,poverty as such should be looked upon as a true blessing1 to be desired as the ordinary means by which our lives may be raised up and made like to that of our ,divine ,master4 ,true1 indeed1 our wish should be for whatever surroundings will best enable us to carry out the work which ,god has destined for us individually2 and whatever ,he sends us1 we joyfully accept4 ,but so far as we have any wish or longing1 the blessing we should prefer should not be riches1 but poverty1 for that make us more like to ,him4 ,it is just here1 when we come to reduce theory to practice1 that our state contrasts with that of a religious4 ,in one sense--and a true sense--they practise the virtue in its fulness1 and we should never underestimate the spirit of self-sacrifice necessary in order to have nothing that they can call their own4 ,but in another sense1 religious poverty may be easier to practise than that with which a secular priest is faced4 ,for their wants are always provided for1 and they are free from the anxieties of poverty with which we are familiar4 ,st4 ,ignatius gives it as one of the fruits of whole-hearted sacrifice in the ,society1 that it relieves its members of all care4 ,they live indeed in what may be called in the words of ,pope ,leo ,,xiii frugal comfort1 such as befits men who are poor2 but they are free from anxiety4 ,for ,st4 ,alphonsus it was not enough that his subjects should use things that are cheap2 but he wished that they should be rough and common things1 so that the spirit of poverty might not be wanting4 ,and many inconveniences distinctive of poverty are common to all religious4 ,but so long as their order or congregation exists and flourishes they need have no care or anxiety for themselves or their future4 ,our poverty1 however1 is of a totally different type1 and our dangers of a different nature4 ,the life of a secular priest may be full of care and anxiety on the question of money--difficulty of making ends meet1 support of church and school1 perhaps the weight of a capital debt1 good works languishing for want of means--the poor dependent on him--and so forth4 ,he will wear a threadbare coat1 and deny himself any food or comfort that are not absolutely necessary for the sake of his people and his work4 ,this is a poverty more wearing and apparently less sanctifying4 ,poor jaded human nature longs to be free from care and anxiety1 and we easily lose sight of the supernatural power of poverty4 ,we look on it as the unfortunate accompaniment of the existing state of ,catholic ,england2 we fail to remember that it is one of the great sources of blessing on it4 ,hence the anxiety of some priests to be placed on better missions1 with more pay and less work1 a hope for better days in recognition of past services and so forth4 ,what is to be our remedy8 ,how are we to learn to love our poverty1 to realise its power for good1 to make it1 as it can be made1 the greatest source of our sanctification8 ,the answer to all these questions is one and the same4 ,our life must have about it the notes and characteristics of the poor men that we are4 ,it must be a life of humility and self-effacement1 hardiness1 and of work2 there must be no self-indulgence2 and1 above all1 we must surrender our liberty to the call of duty4 ,let us consider these points in detail4 #a4 ,a poor man does not think of himself individually2 he knows that he is only one of a multitude of human beings similarly circumstanced4 ,he has to work for his living1 and is willing to put up with whatever his lot may be1 provided he can earn what is necessary for the support of himself and those who depend on him4 ,he does not resent being slighted3 he looks upon it as his natural lot4 ,nor does he put forward his own wishes or opinions4 ,he only desires to be able to go his way and do his daily work4 ,our ,lord was in this1 as in other things1 our model4 ,he had lived nearly thirty years at ,nazareth1 and all that his fellow townspeople had to say of ,him was1 ,is not this the carpenter8--as though to say1 ,is he not like any other carpenter8-- ,how came this man by all these things8 7,st4 ,mark vi4 #b1 #c47 ,in like manner a priest with the spirit of poverty will seek no notoriety1 will not wish to be known from his fellow clergy1 but will only seek to be allowed to live the daily life on the mission1 and to share its blessings4 ,he will look on the ordinary rough usage of life merely as incidents to be expected1 while he pursues the end of his calling1 the acquisition not of temporal1 but of spiritual riches3 the unum necessarium1 so far as he is concerned4 #b4 ,a poor man does not seek after self-indulgence4 ,if money is spent on himself1 he has to do additional work to earn it3 this thought is a perpetual stimulus to self-denial4 ,in similar manner1 to a priest on the mission there is plenty of such stimulus4 ,such small sums of money as may pass through his hands are wanted over and over again for the relief of the poor around him4 ,their needs are ever present1 and appeal loudly and forcibly to him4 ,if he is a rector1 the expenses of the mission have to be met1 and they are often increased by having to find interest on mortgages or capital debt1 sometimes leaving little or nothing for personal expenses or salary4 ,here necessity to some extent asserts itself2 but not altogether4 ,a priest in a so-called comfortable mission has the physical power to make himself very comfortable4 ,he can furnish his rooms well1 so that they appeal both to his artistic sense and to his self-indulgence3 he can spend money enough to give himself the best of food1 without sinning against justice or defrauding anybody2 he can save money enough for a first-rate holiday once a year4 ,his work may languish1 though he does all he is bound to do1 and no one can make a complaint against him4 ,yet he is living a life unworthy of his state1 and one which will not bring any blessing on him such as the sanctification of his flock4 ,where is his spirit of poverty8 ,has a poor man always plenty of good food8 ,does not his work sometimes suffer from his forced abstemiousness8 ,can he give himself a holiday of the nature indicated8 ,truly many a man of the world would envy the comfortable life of a priest who has lost the spirit of poverty4 ,a zealous priest on the other hand will strive to live economically4 ,his measure of food is just that which will support him and enable him to do his work efficiently3 his measure of comfort #h will be that which he needs for his work4 ,if he be in a well-to-do mission1 he will willingly save what he can for the relief of the poor at his doors4 ,if he is on a poorer mission1 or if he is a junior priest1 he will willingly accept any necessary self-denial1 both as a schooling for himself and because he knows that what is saved will find a worthy destination in the hands of the poor and needy1 or in the support of the ,church4 #c4 ,a poor man is a hard-working man4 ,exibit homo ad opus suum1 et ad operationem suum usque ad vesperam4 ,man shall go forth to his work1 and to his labour until evening4 #i ,such is the ordinary lot of mortals4 ,by far the majority have to work for their daily bread4 ,they only think themselves fortunate to have work ready to their hands which will enable them to earn what they require4 ,now a priest may be a hardworking man or not as he himself decides4 ,the amount of work absolutely necessary and binding ex justitia is usually not large4 ,his ,sunday duty may be heavy2 but during the greater part of the week he is free4 ,but if he has the spirit of his state1 the work ready to his hand is inexhaustible2 and the salvation of numberless souls depends upon his doing it4 ,why stand ye here all the day idle8 is ,christ's reproach to those who have time on their hands and do not use it4 ,st4 ,alphonsus made a vow that he would never pass a minute of time unoccupied4 ,such a vow if kept to would mean a heroic life4 ,far short of that we can well learn to use our time with the sense of responsibility4 ,to throw away time in inordinate reading of the newspapers1 accompanied with the smoking of cigarettes1 may not be definitely sinful2 but it is throwing away opportunities which will never recur4 ,a hard-working business man once explained to the writer that he never wasted a moment of time3 so much so that if he had to wait in a waiting-room before seeing some one1 he would exercise himself by valuing in his mind all the objects of furniture1 which he considered a good business training of the faculties4 ,truly the children of this world are in their way wiser than the children of light4 ,he said ,time is money3 we can say1 ,time is eternal life4 ,which of the two maxims makes time more valuable1 or should make us harder workers8 #d4 ,uncertainty as to the future4 ,we often hear a demand among the clergy for fixity of tenure4 ,this means that a ,rector1 without ,canonical fault1 should not be removable from his mission1 which should be bound to give him support in sickness and old age4 ,there is nothing unreasonable in this aspiration1 at least for those who have a certain number of years of work behind them3 the ordinary law of the ,church is designed to produce such security4 ,nevertheless1 we in ,england1 when we were truly missioners1 and had no such claim to fall back upon1 were undoubtedly practising the virtue of poverty in a higher degree than those who had complete and permanent parochial livings4 ,a poor man's future is always precarious1 depending on his services being still wanted1 his employers being themselves prosperous1 his own health remaining strong1 and a thousand other contingencies of life4 ,a missioner in accepting a like state of precariousness is putting himself on a higher plane than that of the ordinary parochial clergy1 and many priests1 with the true spirit of their vocation1 have rejoiced in their condition in this respect1 the hardship of which has been much mitigated by the existence of clergy funds which secure to the aged and infirm an amount of help quite out of proportion with the entrance fees or subscriptions they have to pay1 and thus far better than any mutual help association of the working man4 ,in recent years1 however1 this question has been settled permanently4 ,whatever the effect here in ,england of the legislation of ,pius ,x-- about which there has been some difference of opinion--in the revised ,canon ,law it is laid down that in all countries in which there is a ,hierarchy1 the rectors of the churches are to be ,parochi2 but whether or not they have security of tenure is left to the ,bishop to decide in each case4 ,it is possible that our custom in ,england may continue without much change1 and only those who have what were formerly known as ,missionary ,rectories will have true security of tenure3 that1 however1 will depend on the individual ,bishop4 ,but at least1 we can say that those who are called to work long years without such security1 will be called to practise the virtue of poverty in a higher degree than the others4 ,a priest with the true missionary vocation will do good while he can1 and leave the future in the hands of ,god4 ,the practice of a priest saving up money for his old age is not indeed to be condemned1 but it is the less high course4 ,how many have done this for years and then the last summons came to them while still in middle life1 so that they had to leave their savings for others to spend4 #e4 ,surrender of ,liberty4 ,the consideration of this can be postponed until the ,conference on ,obedience4 #a ,prov4 xxx4 #h4 #b ,ps4 lxxxi4 #d1 #ab4 #c ,st4 ,luke vi4 #bj4 #d ,st4 ,matt4 xix4 #bd1 #bf1 #e ,st4 ,luke xvi4 #ai1 #be4 #f ,st4 ,luke xii4 #bj4 #g ,st4 ,mark x4 #bc4 #h ,the question of how to furnish one's rooms must be always a personal one for each priest to settle4 ,to some1 the advantage of an attractive room1 artistically decorated1 both as to furniture and pictures1 may be a help towards their work1 and induce them to spend time among their books which might otherwise be frittered away4 ,but the effeminate or even luxurious method of furnishing that one has occasionally seen is hard to defend in a priest's room4 ,cardinal ,vaughan ends his book on ,the ,young ,priest by this advice3-- ,we have but one caution to offer1 and that is1 not to furnish your room as though it were a lady's boudoir4 ,indulgence in this kind of taste tells unfavourably upon a ,priest's own character and stamps the man in the judgment of others 7,the ,young ,priest1 p4 #cd74 #i ,ps4 ciii4 #bc4 ,,conference ,,iv ,,chastity ,,we are often asked by non-,catholics why it is that priests are not allowed to marry4 ,it is a difficult question to answer in a few words1 and becomes the more difficult from the obvious inability of even a well-disposed person who is not a ,catholic to understand our view of the matter4 ,we should probably answer by appealing to the conveniences of the rule4 ,a man who is unmarried is free from encumbrances2 he can go where he is sent at short notice2 in his daily life all the time and thought which he would otherwise spend on the affairs of his home and the bringing up of his children can be devoted to the direct work of his ministry4 ,we might perhaps quote the words of ,st4 ,paul3 ,he that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the ,lord1 how he may please ,god2 but he that is with a wife is solicitous for the things of the world1 how he may please his wife2 and he is divided4 #a ,or we might point to financial considerations to show that it is a useful rule1 for an unmarried priest can be supported on a far lower income than a married one4 ,a somewhat similar rule applies to the army1 and for similar reasons1 with this important limitation1 that soldiers cannot be expected to deprive themselves permanently of matrimony1 so that the limit of the rule is to restrict it to a certain percentage1 and to those of a certain age2 whereas priests being called to a more self-denying life1 are expected to do without it permanently4 ,all this is true as far as it goes2 but we ourselves know that this is only one aspect of the subject1 and that not the most important one4 ,the fact that the ,church faces scandals among the clergy in every age of her history1 without showing any inclination to relax the rule1 would surely point to the fact that there are greater issues involved than mere questions of finance or convenience4 ,these scandals are indeed happily few--very few--in proportion to the total number of the clergy2 but they are sufficiently numerous and sufficiently grave to make us certain that the ,church would not insist on the rule which makes their recurrence possible1 but for a good of surpassing and all-pervading importance4 ,in fact the ,church has ever spoken with no uncertain voice on the excellence of the celibate over the married state4 ,not that she underrates the latter2 on the contrary1 by raising matrimony to the dignity of a sacrament and insisting on its indissolubility1 she has done much to raise the standard of domestic virtue and domestic happiness1 and to emphasise the greatness of the ,christian home and family4 ,but ,st4 ,paul says1 ,he that giveth his virgin in marriage does well2 but he that giveth her not does better2 #b and the celibate state has ever been regarded by the ,church as higher than that of matrimony4 ,in fact it would seem that the married state1 great as it is1 is hardly compatible with the highest sanctity3 scarcely an instance occurs to mind of a canonised saint who died in the married state1 except martyrs whose sanctification was accomplished by the very act of death4 ,nor is there any difficulty in discerning our ,lord's special love for celibacy or virginity4 ,an esteem for virginity was indeed the creation of ,christianity4 ,even to the ,jews1 for a woman to have no children was considered a reproach1 #c if for no other reason1 because it destroyed any possibility of the ,messiah being descended from her4 ,it was our ,blessed ,lady herself who first broke through this prejudice4 ,for her answer to the ,archangel ,gabriel can only mean that she esteemed the privilege of being ever a virgin more than the prospect of having the ,messiah descended from her1 or even that ,he should be her own son4 ,it was only when it was explained to her that by a special dispensation of ,providence her mothership was to be compatible with her continued virginity that she gave the requisite consent1 and the ,word was made ,flesh within her womb4 ,it is perhaps a thought that we might make more prominent in our spiritual life that ,mary1 whom we love to regard as the guardian of a priest's celibacy1 was in truth the first in this world to discover the excellence of that state1 and the first to practise it as a virtue4 ,and there are other instances where our ,lord showed ,his special predilection for this virtue4 ,the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 whose head was on ,his breast at the ,last ,supper1 who stood beneath the ,cross1 and received the commission to be the guardian of our ,lady during the remainder of her sojourn on this earth1 according to tradition practised this virtue throughout his life in all its fulness1 so that the ,church on his feast day calls out1 ,valde honorandus est beatus ,joannes1 quis upra pectus ,domini in coena recubuit2 cui ,christus in cruce matrem virginem virgini commendavit2 and again1 ,diligebat eum ,jesus quoniam specialis praerogativa castitatis ampliori dilectione fecerat dignum3 quia virgo electus ab ipso1 virgo in aevum permansit4 ,in cruce denique moriturus huic matrem suam virginem ,virgini commendavit1 quia virgo electus ab ipso1 virgo in aevum permansit4 ,these thoughts might easily be developed2 but it is unnecessary1 as-- theoretically at least--we are all familiar with the idea4 ,nevertheless1 there is often a danger that we may lose sight of its essence--that we may look upon celibacy as a mere disciplinary law of the ,church1 made for prudential reasons1 and our duty as merely to abstain from every thought or act which may endanger its observance-- to look on celibacy1 in short1 as a negative rather than a positive precept1 forbidding us to do this or that1 but not adding anything very special to our daily spiritual life1 beyond absence of sin4 ,yet this gives one a very inadequate idea of what should be to us a most positive virtue1 affecting our whole lives1 giving to the priesthood our greatest glory1 and to our lives the note of heroism4 ,now the positive side of the virtue of celibacy is in theory plain enough1 at least in its main outline4 ,woman was created to be man's helpmate1 and she fulfils her calling in the first place by her power of sympathy4 ,there is no human sympathy like that of a woman1 and granted that it is used within proper limits and restrictions1 it is one of the greatest helps which man can have in meeting the troubles and storms of life4 ,the care and sympathy of his mother in youth1 of his wife in the heyday of life1 of his daughters in old age1 are the most valuable helps to many a man of the world1 to enable him to face with success the difficulties of his state4 ,in like manner when he wants counsel and advice he turns to that sex who have specially the gift of entering into another's difficulties and helping him through them4 ,the essence of celibacy is that when we seek sympathy and counsel in our troubles and trials1 or our work1 and in all the affairs of life1 we turn not to human sympathisers1 but to those whom we know by faith--to our ,lord in the ,tabernacle1 to ,his mother1 to our patron saints1 to our guardian angel1 etc4 ,the sympathy we get differs from that which is to be obtained in the world in the first place in the absence of the feeling of sense1 which is the first and easiest remedy and that which we should look for as the natural accompaniment of sympathy in the world4 ,this does not mean that it is less real3 on the contrary1 it is far more real and more powerful4 ,if a priest is sent any great trouble or anxiety1 and instead of seeking human consolation and guidance1 goes straight into his ,church1 to pour out his soul in the presence of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 or before the altars or statues of our ,lady or the ,saints1 he will come forth strengthened in spirit1 and having received the gift of counsel in a far higher degree than would ever have been the case had he had recourse to the solace and company of a wife or family or relations4 ,and this counsel and strength will increase in degree in proportion as he has banished from his life the ordinary sensible consolations to be obtained from human sympathy4 ,he does not on this account love his family and his friends less2 on the contrary1 he loves them more1 though in a different and more mortified manner4 ,the relations between a priest and his family must be essentially different from what they were when he was a layman4 ,his pleasure in being in their company1 the joy of their society1 has to be restricted and curtailed2 often for long years--as in the case of foreign missionaries--he may be cut off from them altogether2 but his true charity towards them1 his wish for their highest good1 his readiness to sacrifice himself for them are not less but far greater than before1 and both he and they have the consolation of knowing the power of his prayers to help them4 ,the great exemplar of this virtue1 ,st4 ,aloysius1 may be quoted as a special example4 ,of him it is written that he even denied himself the sensible consolation of his mother's countenance1 and his detachment from all the consolations of sense were such that we can hardly realise4 ,yet he speaks confidently of his affection for his family and friends4 ,he declared that he offered daily to ,almighty ,god in one hand his relations and worldly friends1 in the other his fellow members of the ,society of ,jesus1 and that both were continually in his mind4 ,in such a matter as this it is not suggested that we should aim at the height of chastity practised by ,st4 ,aloysius4 ,the particular degree of reserve alluded to above1 however admirable in him--and the fact that the ,church records it with approval in the official lessons on his feast is sufficient proof of this--would be in us not only affectation1 but wholly unsuited to the conditions in which we live4 ,nevertheless1 we have to imitate the same spirit in our measure and our social intercourse with our family must be limited both in degree and in character4 ,the very fact of the sensible sympathy being so strong between mother and son1 or between brother and sister1 is one of the reasons--and not the least of them--why the ,synods of ,westminster prohibit a priest's female relatives from living in his house1 without special circumstances to justify it1 lest such close intercourse might draw the heart away from that higher kind of sympathy which we seek from ,almighty ,god in prayer4 ,we should in fact be exceedingly foolish if we were to limit our aspirations to the avoidance of those things in which there might be a danger of leading us into sin4 ,that is indeed the minimum to which we are all bound2 but there are degrees in this virtue1 and we can all of us aim at a higher detachment from sensible consolations than that to which we are bound under sin1 and the higher we can put the practice of this virtue1 the nearer we shall get to ,almighty ,god1 and the greater will be the power of our prayers4 ,from consideration of our relations with our own family1 we proceed to the question of our attitude to members of the other sex generally and the need of strict limitation and mortification in this matter4 ,in discussing this question1 we shall appeal to the authority of a small brochure1 privately printed some forty years ago1 by one who can speak with as great authority as any man living or dead1 on the practice of the virtue in circumstances of the present day in this country4 #d ,it will be worth our while to study what he says in considerable detail4 ,he begins by quoting in favour of the rules he lays down some widely different authorities1 such as ,st4 ,augustine1 ,thomas a ,kempis1 ,st4 ,ignatius and ,st4 ,francis de ,sales4 ,these great men lived at different epochs1 amidst different surroundings1 and in different circumstances4 ,their types of piety differed widely from one another4 ,if1 then1 we find that they are all agreed in recommending a particular line of conduct1 a very strong presumption is created in favour of their recommendation4 ,he continues3-- ,our duty is indeed all summed up in the one word of the ,imitation1 ',be not familiar with any woman4' ,this familiarity is the one thing which according to all is to be avoided4 ,and if we ask what precisely is meant by the word1 we may say that at least it means1 as regards the external conduct of a priest1 the avoidance of long or frequent intercourse with women1 even by letters2 as regards his heart1 a firm purpose never to seek consolation or recreation in female society2 and1 finally1 it means that the counsel nunquam solus cum sola should be as far as possible the rule of daily life4 ,of course this rule is observed so long as he is in the sight of others or is easily visible4 ,priests are bound by vow to celibacy1 and as a consequence the saints quoted above regard them as bound in prudence to treat with women on business only1 and never to look on them as companions or intimate friends4 ,a little further on he anticipates possible objections based on the condition of modern society1 especially in this country4 ,he writes3-- ,we are compelled to look at the world as it is1 and it cannot be denied that in an ,english-speaking society a priest is expected to do much more than administer the sacraments and preach or catechise4 ,there is always a great deal of mental as well as bodily misery to be met with4 ,this misery is much increased in the ,english-speaking world by differences in religion1 by the circumstances connected with conversions to the faith and the persecutions to which these give occasion4 ,on the other hand1 centuries of persecution have created in our ,catholic laity generally a larger and deeper confidence than is perhaps to be found in other countries4 ,by their very nature women are inclined to lean on others4 ,what more natural than that many should look to the priest--their 'director' as they love to call him--as their one and only guide in all their doubts and troubles8 ,again1 a priest has frequently to call in the aid of women in his efforts to reclaim souls from sin4 ,it will often happen that he can reach the ignorant and sinful only through the co-operation of nuns or good women living in the world1 or of both4 ,hence innumerable occasions of treating with women will arise to which he is compelled by his very duty as a priest4 ,all this is true4 ,still there is nothing in these modern circumstances to justify a departure from the reserve inculcated by the saints4 ,nay1 these circumstances only the more strongly confirm the saying of the ,imitation1 'we should have charity towards all1 but familiarity is not expedient4' ,charity is universal4 ,intimacy or familiarity is necessarily confined to a few4 ,if a priest acts from charity1 he will be ready to receive all and at all seasons4 ,but if he follows natural inclination1 he will necessarily waste on a few the time and heart that might have been given to many4 4 4 4 ,still on the plea of the difference of their times from ours1 it may be said that the reserve which they recommended and practised has become impossible for a priest at the present day4 ,it may be alleged that he is indeed bound to avoid sin1 and therefore all proximate occasions of sin1 whether the danger be to himself or to others4 ,but he must be natural in his behaviour towards women no less than towards men2 otherwise his ministry will be to a great extent sterile and his confessional will be shunned4 ,and after all1 every ,christian1 it may be said1 is bound to avoid sin4 ,why should a priest be more on his guard than an ordinary layman8 ,we have thus two models of behaviour in a priest put before us--the reserved and the natural4 ,is the reserve of the saints possible nowadays1 and if so1 is it desirable8 ,in answering this question let us bear in mind that a priest is ordained not only1 as the ,apostle says1 to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sin1 but is likewise sent to all who are living in ignorance and sin1 'qui condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant4' ,hence the main occupation of a priest in charge of souls is to prevent sin by instruction1 and to absolve from sin in the ,sacrament of ,penance4 ,in other words1 to teach ,christian doctrine and to hear ,confessions may be said to be the sum of a priest's work in dealing with souls4 ,for ,baptism and the sacraments of the dying are only other forms of loosing souls from the bonds of sin4 ,the question then is1 does reserve with women create any hindrance in this essential work of a priest8 ,unquestionably not4 ,protestant writers1 indeed1 looking at the ,church from outside1 and not understanding the real feeling of ,catholics1 have sometimes supposed that they prefer going to ,confession to an easy-going1 self-indulgent priest1 rather than one who leads a mortified1 unworldly life4 ,but all practical ,catholics well know there cannot be a greater mistake4 ,penitents seek indeed one who will be patient and kind4 ,in proportion to the weight of sin which they feel1 they long for a man of ,god1 who in the words of the ,apostle already quoted1 ',condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant1' and one on whose judgment they can rely4 ,they want one who will treat with them in ,god's name and for ,his sake4 ,this being so1 is it not manifest that the paternal reserve of the saints is more sure to attract confidence than the familiarity of the natural man8 ,a similar idea was no doubt in the mind of ,cardinal ,manning when he wrote that ,the priest who is seldom seen in society is the priest whom men desire most to have beside them when they die4 ,by being seldom in society he of course meant mixing in the society of men and women as one of themselves4 ,for it is abundantly possible to go among mankind and freely mix with them even in social gatherings1 in the performance of one's pastoral duty1 while at the same time keeping all the reserve pleaded for by the writer of the pamphlet and observing the rules of custody of the eyes and of the senses inculcated by spiritual writers4 ,in adapting these rules to ourselves1 it may be of use to consider some of the various classes of females to whom they may apply4 ,first there are young girls who are almost or quite children4 ,we easily get familiar with them1 call them by their ,christian names1 join in their play or amusements1 and should rightly resent the idea of there being anything wrong or even dangerous4 ,yet too much familiarity with the young is never very desirable4 ,the author of the ,imitation specially warns us against it4 ,their society is pleasant and innocent2 yet the very simplicity and irresponsibility of youth tends to draw us rather to a lower than a higher level4 ,in the case of a priest among his people however1 he has to bear in mind that as time passes the child grows into a girl4 ,familiarity once admitted is not easily broken off1 though a time conies when it is more than undesirable1 and finally it becomes a scandal to others and a danger to oneself4 ,sometimes one has heard a priest address a young lady by her ,christian name1 perhaps in a contracted form2 which sounds startling2 and the explanation is to be sought in the familiarity acquired in past years when she was only a child4 ,if a proper reserve had been maintained then1 the familiarity would never have reached its final state4 ,secondly1 there are good and devout young ladies in the congregation-- ,children of ,mary1 perhaps1 who are zealous to run their confraternity4 ,they come to the ,presbytery to discuss their plans and schemes1 and to organise the ,confraternity devotions4 ,or they may be regular workers in the sacristy1 members of the ,altar ,society1 or those who help in collecting money1 or in visiting the poor1 and such-like4 ,or they may be penitents1 who come to discuss matters of conscience4 ,we must not be thrown off our guard by their being pious4 ,there may be danger to us1 or even in their weakness1 to them1 in that which at first sight looks so proper and desirable4 ,means must be found to give them all the spiritual help they want1 while avoiding all kind of familiarity4 ,thirdly1 going to the other extreme1 there are the evil-minded and designing1 who would love nothing better than the ruin of the priest4 ,their power is great1 their patience greater1 and their cleverness prevents them from being fathomed4 ,the only method to meet them is to keep them at a distance from the beginning4 ,once they have acquired influence over one1 they will be more than difficult to shake off4 ,after this we may mention various categories1 the officious who wish to know everything1 the priest's own business as well as theirs2 the idle who want to gossip1 to take offence at trifles and then make it up1 and in so doing to acquire influence2 then the class of elderly ladies who have no sinister design1 but love all kinds of ecclesiastical gossip to fill their time and thoughts2 then those with whom the priest comes into daily official contact1 such as the schoolmistress or housekeeper2 and1 lastly1 one who may belong to several of the above categories1 who is truly motherly1 and taking pity on a priest's loneliness1 wants to tend him in his wants2 to keep such a one with proper reserve requires no small determination4 ,for all these classes of females1 the same law holds good--charity and helpfulness to all1 familiarity with none4 ,there can be no danger without previous familiarity1 and though in some cases familiarity can exist without danger1 there are other reasons which have been given why it should be shunned4 ,once more we can quote the same writer3-- ,the fear for one's chastity is only one of the reasons1 and often not the most important1 for this priestly reserve1 as indeed is clear from the lives of the saints themselves4 ,had ,st4 ,augustine1 or ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1 for example1 any practical reason to fear for themselves1 or would there have been any danger of scandal to others in their case from a more free and easy way of treating with women from that which they adopted8 ,yet we have seen the rule which they laid down for themselves4 ,alas1 however1 that we cannot conclude this conference without alluding to actual danger4 ,the same writer proceeds3-- ,in truth now1 as at all times1 the main difficulty lies in the human heart itself and not in external circumstances4 ,it will appear at times as if a departure from such reserved behaviour is not only justifiable but absolutely necessary for the well-being of a particular soul4 ,in this matter the danger lies precisely in exceptional cases in which the priest is liable to be deceived by the appearance of good4 ,he may easily forget that in all such cases a triple danger is involved--a danger for himself1 a danger for the soul with which he is dealing1 and a danger of scandal in the world that is always looking on4 ,and these dangers are so distinct that even if assured of his own personal safety1 he is not thereby secure as to the soul of the penitent1 or even if both feel blameless in their own hearts1 disedification may be occasioned in others4 ,following out the danger to the priest himself1 the next stage may easily be his sensible appreciation of the devotion of his penitent or friend1 and her kindness to him4 ,gradually the care and attention she shows him undermines the sternness of his vocation4 ,he loses his sense of spirituality and the saviour of his priesthood languishes4 ,his mass is no longer to him what it once was2 his church has ceased to be the abode of peace and prayer2 his power of seeking consolation in the ,tabernacle is gone2 his pastoral work has become irksome to him2 he almost regrets the day when he bound himself to celibacy4 ,what wonder if he at length casts off his priesthood1 and retires or disappears1 whether or not it be known to his people what the state of affairs really is8 ,such a falling away is1 alas1 possible even without1 or at least independently of1 any criminal intercourse4 ,instances occur to mind when such has happened to a priest at an age when one would have thought the danger from violence of passion was almost over4 ,his lack of appreciation of the positive virtue of celibacy paved the way1 and his giving up his priesthood followed4 ,but for all of us there is the fatal possibility of a more complete fall and spiritual ruin in its fullest sense4 ,of this1 however1 we may rest assured that when a final fall takes place and one of our brethren abandons his priesthood1 it is not the result of an isolated action or a first fall4 ,judas received many warnings and calls to repentance before our ,lord addressed to him those last sad words1 ,what thou dost do quickly--as though to say1 get it over and done with4 ,when a priest first goes wrong1 we may be sure that he receives many a similar call to repentance4 ,and he has the sacrament of ,penance within his grasp1 to help him to recover his stability1 which1 thank ,god1 often bears fruit4 ,but the time may come when warnings neglected1 graces set at nought1 occasions of sin not avoided1 gradually do their work and shipwreck ensues1 final and in a sense almost irrevocable4 ,in such case at least we can bear in mind that it never came within the bounds of possibility until such rules and aspirations as we have been pleading for were set aside4 ,one cannot fall over a precipice until one first goes near the edge4 ,there is no sorrow in a priest's life to compare with the fall of a brother priest4 ,in such a case we pray indeed that ,he who is all mercy1 who gave him his first call1 will rescue him whom ,he loves2 and any act of ours which will help towards such rescue we shall esteem as the greatest of acts of charity4 ,but if we have to face this sorrow1 let us also draw our own lesson4 ,he who thinketh himself to stand1 let him take heed lest he fall4 ,let it be a stimulus to us to renew our resolutions1 to rise higher in the scale of celibacy1 to realise its sacredness and the dignity which it gives to our lives4 ,how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory3 because it is known both to ,god and to men 4 4 4 it triumpheth for ever1 winning the reward of undefiled conflicts4 #e ,and if the dangers we have to meet are great1 our trust in ,god's help should be greater4 ,let us end with one more quotation from the brochure3-- ,taking then all circumstances into account1 it is clear that the preservation of perfect purity of heart in a priest is far above the power of unaided nature4 ,it behoves us therefore to consider what means must be used for attaining this end4 ,our ,blessed ,lord's words to the ,apostles1 ',vigilate et orate ne intretis in tentationem' apply to this case in their fullest sense4 ,all external precautions will be insufficient without prayer1 and prayer without such precautions will be like calling on ,god to work a miracle4 ,above all things1 therefore1 a priest must start with the conviction that this work is supernatural1 and that he needs constant light and aid from ,god not only to save souls1 but likewise to keep himself from sinking in his efforts to save others from destruction4 #a #a ,cor4 vii4 #cb1 #cc4 #b #a ,cor4 vii4 #ch4 #c ,st4 ,luke i4 #be4 #d ,after this lapse of time1 there seems no reason to conceal the name of the writer1 who was the ,rev4 ,robert ,whitty1 ,s4,j4 ,he was in many respects a remarkable man4 ,educated chiefly in ,ireland1 he finished his course at ,st4 ,edmund's ,college1 where he remained some years as a ,professor2 then at a comparatively early age he became ,cardinal ,wiseman's ,vicar-,general1 which post he held during the exciting times of the so-called ,papal ,aggression in #ahej4 ,a few years later he joined the ,society of ,jesus1 in which he afterwards became ,provincial1 and then ,english ,consulter to the ,general4 ,certainly no man has a better right than he to speak on the subject before us4 #e ,wisdom iv4 i1 #b4 ,,conference ,v ,,obedience ,,there is no more solemn moment in the whole ,ordination ,service than when the newly ordained priest kneels before his ,bishop1 who1 taking his hands between his own1 asks him the question1 ,promittis mihi et successoribus meis reverentiam et obedientiam8 and on receiving the requisite promise1 kisses him on the cheek1 saying the words1 ,pax ,domini sit semper tecum4 ,the words reverentiam et obedientiam may perhaps be freely rendered as a loyal obedience1 and the solemnity of the surroundings when the promise is made should not only serve to impress it1 on the mind and memory1 but is also an indication of the importance which the ,church attaches to that virtue in the future life of the priest4 ,the virtue of obedience is one which we are accustomed to read about as the foundation of the religious life1 and it has been practised in a high degree in the various religious orders and congregations4 ,we have often heard of special instances to illustrate this4 ,a ,jesuit ,provincial receives a letter one morning informing him that he is to relinquish his office1 and to devote himself to another work1 of an altogether humble description1 and immediately he prepares to leave for his new sphere of labour at the earliest possible moment4 ,a ,franciscan missionary is commanded to leave one centre of work1 and to proceed to another1 perhaps a thousand miles away1 and before the day is out1 he has started on his journey4 ,these1 indeed1 are special instances of an extreme nature2 but the general type is common to all religious4 ,moreover1 obedience to command is carried into all the details of their daily lives4 ,the bell summons them to the various duties of the day1 and they aim at instant obedience1 so that a perfect religious will immediately leave off anything he is saying or writing in order to give a willing and punctual compliance4 ,the story is often quoted of the ,carthusians1 who speak only once a week1 leaving off in the middle of a sentence at the sound of the bell to resume the thread in a week's time4 ,again1 no work is undertaken by them without the direct command of their superior1 but whatever he directs has to be done at once1 and to the best of their power1 even though they may not see the reason of his command1 or may even in their own mind think it unwise4 ,in the more perfect stages of obedience they are called upon to submit their judgment and opinions to those of the superior4 ,it is no wonder that a strict novitiate is enjoined to train them to such obedience as this4 ,in reading these descriptions1 however1 there seems to be in the case of a secular priest some unreality4 ,he will never be called upon to practise obedience of this kind4 ,if his ,bishop moves him from one mission to another1 he will not usually do so in this sudden manner4 ,if the priest has reached a certain age or standing1 his ,bishop will consult his feelings before appointing him to any new work1 to ascertain whether it is such that he thinks he can do1 or to see whether he has any great objection to it4 ,in a secular priest's daily life he is not called to his various duties by the sound of the bell at all in the same way as a religious4 ,he is expected to be punctual when he has to perform pastoral duties1 and his day is usually mapped out by necessary limitations caused by his work--sometimes regular1 often most irregular and unforeseen1--but that is all4 ,he is in no case expected to break off suddenly at the sound of a bell in the manner described4 ,then again1 religious obedience is often described as a passive virtue4 ,according to ,rodriguez1 #a a religious who practises it in perfection makes himself like a dead body1 which has no movement of its own1 but is taken from place to place by the living4 ,surely nothing can be more unlike than this to the condition of a secular priest1 who has to be all activity and energy4 ,he has to use his own judgment in everything1 and only rarely receives any definite command or guidance from his ,bishop or ,superior4 ,what then8 ,does a secular priest not have to practise this virtue8 or is his obedience at least on a lower level than that of a religious8 ,this is surely a pertinent question and calls for a careful answer4 ,a little consideration will show us that the obedience of a secular priest differs from that of a religious not in degree but in kind1 and that even if we grant that for the perfection of the virtue we may have to look to the religious state1 the obedience practised by a secular may be1 and commonly is1 in many respects harder of accomplishment4 ,let us examine this in detail4 ,the obedience of a religious may be compared with that of a private soldier4 ,the command is given1 and he has nothing to do but to obey4 ,the strength of an army is dependent upon the unanimity and promptness of their obedience4 ,the orders are given by the officer in command1 in an absolute manner1 and he bears all the responsibility3 the soldier has no say as to whether the order is wise or unwise2 he has only to execute it4 ,the work of the typical religious includes much of this principle and acquires proportionate strength4 ,the superior views the situation1 and1 aided by the advice of whatever form of consultation his particular rule provides1 he determines what is to be done4 ,he communicates his decision to whom it may concern1 and they have at once to receive the commands and execute them4 ,the obedience of a secular priest1 on the other hand1 is more like that of an inferior officer1 who while he is leading others1 is also in contact with one in supreme command1 helping him1 advising him1 and sharing in part his responsibilities4 ,one of the earliest experiences of a priest when he first goes on the mission is to find the power and influence which he exerts over his people4 ,this power he is free to use with little restriction4 ,he may use it in subservience to his rector--if he is a curate--or to his ,bishop1 to help on their work1 to make the people loyal towards them1 and to endeavour that everything shall proceed in harmony with their wishes and plans2 or he may criticise their ideas1 speak and act against them1 and take refuge in self-defence on his rights and the position he occupies4 ,undoubtedly there will be rules and regulations laid down by his superiors which will grate on him and of which he may at least profess not to see the use4 ,when young1 he may be ready to find fault with the work to which he is appointed1 and be discontented2 and when he grows into years1 he may get the impression that he is not appreciated1 that others are unjustly preferred before him1 and so forth4 ,to put it on its lowest ground1 a priest of this kind is a continual trouble to his ,bishop1 and a source not of strength but of weakness4 ,now the remedy for this evil frame of mind is by no means to become passive1 or to resemble a dead body which is moved about by others4 ,he is called upon to do something more difficult to human nature--to act positively in loyal subservience to his superior4 ,such obedience is less tangible than that of a religious1 and in that proportion it is harder4 #b ,it involves a whole spirit of loyalty1 and the very vagueness of its application makes it harder4 ,we are not brought to book1 so to say1 by the advantage of a definite command1 and yet with all our outward liberty1 we are called upon to regulate our whole life on submission and obedience4 ,now if there is a course of action which goes against our taste and judgment1 it is comparatively easy to overcome our reluctance and to perform outwardly what we are told to do2 but when we have no definite command given1 and are simply called upon of our own free will to act positively to forward some particular course of action1 this is often far harder4 ,yet this is what a secular priest is continually called upon to do4 ,his rector runs the parish on lines which he considers old-fashioned and out of date2 he seems to discourage new works which the needs of the day seem to call for4 ,there may be some truth underlying these criticisms1 though probably there is much to be urged on the other side4 ,however this may be1 a priest in the flower of his youth and activity can do much to direct the course of public feeling among the parishioners4 ,he can either defend his rector to the best of his ability1 explain that there may be many circumstances1 important factors of the case1 which are not publicly known2 and try and carry things on in accordance with the rector's ideas and schemes2 or he can fan the discontent by joining in the criticism1 with alas6 too great effect1 for discontent easily spreads and develops4 ,needless to say1 the priest with the spirit of obedience adopts the former course2 the one without such spirit the latter4 ,but in neither case is he or ought he to be in a passive state2 he has to be all life and action4 ,in like manner1 when a ,bishop wishes to change the work of a priest1 and offers him a new mission1 undoubtedly one who makes difficulties about accepting this or that place1 or any that does not fit in with his tastes and requirements1 is not showing the spirit of obedience2 and one who holds himself passive and ready to undertake whatever his ,bishop suggests is doing better4 ,nevertheless1 there may be a better stage still and a more obedient one1 which is to discuss the matter with his ,bishop and give him the advice he seeks4 ,for one of the most important factors in helping him to make up his mind is to know what his priests think they are qualified to undertake4 ,if the priest remains passive1 all the onus of deciding is thrown on the ,bishop2 and though this is far better than opposing him or raising difficulties1 it is not the most perfect course4 ,but1 granted that he has talked it over in the manner indicated1 should the ,bishop decide not in accordance with his wishes-- which will frequently occur1 in view of the many and complicated needs of the diocese--then is the time for the obedient priest to accept his ,bishop's decision as the voice of ,god1 and to set himself to the work indicated however distasteful it may be to himself4 ,the ruling idea in his mind should ever be1 how he can be of the greatest service to his ,bishop and help to lighten his heavy burden4 ,it is difficult enough to govern wisely at any time3 it becomes ten times harder when it is a case of governing unwilling subjects4 ,an obedient priest will strive to make it not harder but easier4 ,we can perhaps contrast our obedience with that in the army4 ,there discipline is carried to a high pitch1 as is necessary for efficiency1 but interior obedience there is none4 ,most soldiers seem to spend the greater part of their time in finding fault1 sometimes in strong language1 with the orders of their commanders4 ,there are indeed means of enforcing obedience and the commands have to be obeyed3 but the thought of rendering the commander's task easier does not enter in4 ,in the case of priestly obedience1 no such material sanction exists1 or at least it plays a very secondary part4 ,the whole relation between him who commands and the subject who obeys is on a spiritual and sacred footing1 and enforced almost entirely by such considerations--for the punishments at a ,bishop's disposal1 such as censures or the like1 are very rarely available1 and1 even if available1 only used when other motives fail4 ,hence the practice of obedience becomes a positive virtue4 ,if we wish to find out whether we ourselves are practising the proper spirit1 we can do so by watching an unguarded and spontaneous conversation1 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 #c ,if we find ourselves instinctively talking against those above us1 it is a sure sign that we are not obedient men2 if1 on the other hand1 we are truly obedient in mind1 this will show itself by the whole turn of our talk about our superiors4 ,it is hardly too much to say that it is this spirit of obedience which alone will make a priest's life happy1 or even bearable4 ,we may ask1 then1 are there no circumstances in which we are justified in resisting authority without prejudice to our obedience8 ,is a truly obedient priest precluded from taking part in any action which has for its object the resistance of episcopal or other rulers8 ,surely the negative answer is indicated by the whole practice of the ,church and of ,canon ,law which gives and regulates the right of appeal in certain cases4 ,and we all know of instances in which saints have resisted authority4 ,cannot we safely follow their example8 ,the answer in the first place is that they were saints4 ,a person who has such perfect control over his lower nature may venture on a course which to us would be dangerous4 ,and indeed resistance to authority is always dangerous4 ,the author of the ,imitation warns us how many people are moved with passion and mistake it for zeal4 ,so long as we are obeying1 we are on safe ground3 there is no motive possible to us but that of obedience4 ,once change our condition to one of resistance1 and there may be hundreds of motives such as injured pride1 self-will1 want of charity to our superiors1 and the like which may be influencing us to a far greater extent than we know4 ,if1 then1 we think it necessary at any time to resist our superiors1 our first care should be to test ourselves1 to see whether we are in truth actuated by unworthy motives4 ,there are two means ready to hand4 ,one is prayer1 earnest and long continued2 the other is prudent advice4 ,if we go to a disinterested party1 whether a priest or a ,bishop--for laymen will not be in a position to understand the circumstances--the adviser will be better able to judge of the position than we are1 from the very fact that he is disinterested4 ,then he will realise better than we do that there may be circumstances unknown to us1 on which our superior has based his action1 and in many cases charity demands that we should believe such circumstances to exist until the contrary is proved4 ,then let us beware of the plea which is so often put forward by the priest who is by nature disobedient1 that he is not contending for himself--so far as he is concerned he would willingly put up with the injustice--but that it is his duty to defend a principle for the sake of the rights of other priests similarly situated4 ,in most cases this is in truth a thin covering of self-will4 ,his first statement is indeed most cogent3 it is oftentimes far better to put up with supposed injustice1 which after all may be only supposed2 and a really obedient man will fall back on that whenever he possibly can4 ,it is only when he is advised by a competent authority that he ought to act1 that he will adopt a position so distasteful to him4 ,granted1 however1 that a priest is advised that he ought not to let matters rest as they are1 let him act with confidence and all charity4 ,his first step will of course be to see his ,bishop and talk the matter out4 ,this stage1 indeed is fairly often reached4 ,cardinal ,vaughan quotes a great authority of his day on obedience1 speaking to him as follows3-- ,in his administrative capacity1 a ,bishop may err in judgment1 he may be narrow1 inconsiderate and at fault4 ,this may be a trial to a priest2 but his duty is perfectly clear4 ,he should say1 ',god can appoint such a one to be my superior1 and the means of my sanctification4 ,he stands to me in the place of ,god2 ,i must obey4' ,nevertheless1 he continues3-- ,the priest in such a case may legitimately make respectful representations to his ,bishop4 ,it may be his duty to make such representations4 ,let him do this once1 but let him beware of morally forcing the ,bishop by his importunities4 #d ,if these representations are made in a proper spirit1 and with due submission1 they ought not to form an act of hostility3 on the contrary1 they may in fact be the highest form of obedience1 for the priest in this manner may put before his ,bishop facts of which he was unaware1 or considerations which had not occurred to him4 ,in the great majority of cases an understanding may be arrived at in this manner4 ,in the few instances in which the ,bishop does not modify his action and the priest remains of the same opinion1 it may be necessary to carry the matter further4 ,if so1 the spirit of charity becomes doubly needful4 ,no word of tyranny or injustice or ill-temper applied to his superior should escape him1 and a favourable interpretation should always be given to his superior's actions4 ,let the appellant priest fortify himself continually with prayer1 so as to obtain the gift of counsel1 and let this be joined to a special intercession on behalf of the superior against whom he is acting4 ,these are ordinary means for ensuing his purity of intention2 and if these means alone are taken1 we may be confident as to the result4 ,for whatever the final verdict may be1 if we have taken the requisite precautions1 it will be a victory1 for ,god's will is done4 ,when the late ,cardinal ,vaughan1 then ,bishop of ,salford1 had his long dispute with the ,jesuits in ,rome1 when the letter came to him announcing the result1 before he opened it1 while still ignorant of its contents1 he went to the tomb of ,st4 ,peter to return thanks4 ,alas1 that this spirit is so often wanting in the appeals of our clergy4 ,all those who are acquainted with the ,holy ,see will bear witness to the readiness to hear the appeal of the weak against the strong1 and all such appeals have sympathetic consideration4 ,the fact that the majority of them go in favour of the ,bishops is an unfortunate testimony to the frequent insufficiency of the grounds of appeal1 and indicates a want of the spirit of obedience4 ,such1 however1 is not always the case1 and one can point to instances in which the appeal has been conscientiously made1 even though it proved unsuccessful1 and some also in which the verdict has been in favour of the priest and against his superior4 ,in such rare cases1 it is hardly necessary to add there must be no note of triumph or of self-congratulation4 ,a disagreeable duty has been done1 and properly accomplished1 and we go back ready to resume our work for ,god and souls4 ,but it is not necessary to dwell on this eventuality1 considering how exceedingly rare is its occurrence4 ,let us end as we began by alluding to the words at our ,ordination3-- ,while the sacred body and blood of ,christ are still within him1 he gives his newly consecrated hands into the hands of the ,bishop1 who says3 ',promittis mihi et successoribus meis reverentiam et obedientiam8' ,to which he replies ',promitto4' ,and as the personal fruit of obedience is peace of conscience and the peace of ,god1 the bishop adds1 ',pax ,domini sit semper tecum4' ,the formal acceptance by the ,church of the solemn promise of obedience made by the priest contains an assurance and a pledge full of encouragement and consolation to the priest himself4 ,he is an officer in the army of ,christ3 he has promised loyalty and obedience4 ,all the works of his ministry undertaken in obedience to his ,bishop1 or in conformity with the discipline and canons of the service are henceforth to be accounted not as private and particular works1 but as works belonging to the ,christian ministry4 ,they are of a higher order2 they are the works of ,christ ,himself1 and deserve a special reward4 #e #a ,fifth ,treatise1 chapter vi4 #b ,it is not intended to deny that there are cases in which a religious has to use initiative or judgment when under orders3 but it can hardly be questioned that the other is the ordinary course of things2 and that while a secular priest has to use his judgment and initiative far more1 he has proportionately less guidance in the way of command4 ,he has to depend on his own judgment2 yet all the time his decisions must be actuated by submission and obedience4 #c ,st4 ,matt4 xii4 #cd4 #d ,the ,young ,priest1 p4 #aaf4 #e ,cardinal ,vaughan1 ,the ,young ,priest1 p4 #aai4 ,,appendix ,,on ,,obedience ,,at ,,the ,,seminary ,,it would seem at first sight an anomaly that if the obedience practised by a secular priest is so different from that of a religious1 in the time of preparation at the ,seminary the life is modelled on that of a religious congregation2 for1 although it is no doubt easy compared with that of any religious ,order1 it is1 nevertheless1 of much the same character1 and the occasions of practising obedience in a ,seminary are very similar to those in a monastery4 ,there are fixed hours for rising1 for prayers and mass1 for study1 recreation and meals1 and there are times of silence--as after night prayers1 or before the morning meditation4 ,the students are1 in fact1 expected continually to obey the bell as it calls them from one duty to another in much the same way as a religious does4 ,why1 it may be asked1 if their future obedience and future life are to be so different from that of a religious are they asked to go through a daily routine at the ,seminary which seems to be based on theirs1 or at least to be similar to it8 ,this is a pertinent and natural question2 but the answer is simple4 ,the essential difference is that one is permanent and the other temporary4 ,a ,seminarist is called upon to exercise the easier forms of obedience1 to train him for the harder4 ,he leads a regular daily life1 in obedience to authority made known to us by definite commands and by fixed rules1 in order that he may acquire a habit of submission which may give him his tone when he shall have gone forth from the ,seminary and have no such definite rules or commands to guide him4 ,it is this consideration which gives the true importance to the daily observance of such rules as he has4 ,we sometimes hear the question1 ,is it a sin to break a rule8 ,surely this is looking at the question from an unworthy standpoint4 ,theologians say that it is not a sin even for a religious who has taken a special vow of obedience to break a small point of his rule2 much less can it be a sin for a ,seminarist1 who has taken no such vow4 ,but there is a higher way of looking at it than this4 ,it is not a question whether this or that isolated rule binds under sin2 the question is rather how the ,seminarist's general attitude towards the rules is affecting his training1 how far the object for which they have been imposed upon him is attained1 or how far impeded1 by the spirit in which he accepts them4 ,the proper spirit should be something of this kind4 ,he has come to the ,seminary to undergo a definite training1 which is administered by those set over him1 through the instrumentality of the rules4 ,it is the traditional ,catholic training1 which has formed holy priests and even saints4 ,all the incidents of his daily life are part and parcel of it4 ,to neglect or put aside any of them deliberately is to put aside part of that training1 with its corresponding means of sanctification1 both natural and supernatural4 ,to put it on its lowest grounds1 he cannot afford to lose it4 ,indeed1 one would hope that a well-behaved ,seminarist would never deliberately and of set purpose break rules4 ,small failings through thoughtlessness1 or in the weakness of the moment1 are indeed excusable2 but that is essentially different from open and premeditated breaches of discipline4 ,a ,seminarist who frequently fails to come down in the morning1 or who evades his work when he conveniently can1 who is slack and unpunctual at his various duties1 is misusing his time and omitting that which the ,church and his ,bishop reasonably expect him to do4 ,he may be clever enough to conceal his idleness2 he may even after an ill-spent term make up time and pass his examinations by cramming up at the end-- for which some have a great facility2 but he will never make up the training he has lost1 nor will he obtain the graces which would have been his had he used the means which ,god gave him to obtain them4 ,moreover1 the spirit of obedience or disobedience in community life is very catching4 ,one grumbler will make many4 ,the ,seminarist owes a duty to the institution which has done and is doing so much for him1 to set up a high ideal for himself which will spread itself to others and affect the whole life led within the walls of the ,seminary4 ,it is a duty which he owes to his ,bishop and likewise to his fellow students4 ,this whole question is so vital to the life of the ,seminary that we may be excused for appealing to high authority in support of what has been said4 ,in his ,lex ,levitarum1 the late ,bishop ,hedley discusses it at some length1 and all that he says will repay careful reading4 ,his first conclusion is that although single rules can in single cases be broken without sin1 ,it is sinful and a sin against obedience to violate them in grave matters1 or with a persistence which causes grave results in the house4 ,but1 he continues1 the aspirant to the holy priesthood should take a higher view of the rules of his ,seminary4 ,they are1 indeed1 not fetters to bind his liberty1 but steps or occasions to deepen his purity of heart1 and his love of his heavenly ,father4 ,in themselves they are wise and useful1 tending to the well-being of each individual4 ,even therefore if they carried no obligation1 it would be the part of a true servant of ,god to observe them religiously4 ,obedience is the most essential virtue of a heart which aspires to imitate ,jesus ,christ2 a real1 interior obedience1 not merely external1 but grounded upon general humility of heart4 ,it is obedience which most effectively clothes the spirit with the mind and temper of ,christ4 ,it is obedience which has the promise of victory over passion1 and of success in the ministry of souls4 ,to promote and to deepen in the character the spirit of obedience is certainly one of the principal purposes of the training of a priest4 4 4 4 ,a life of rule which is accepted and loved is the very best preparation for the priesthood because it is the very best discipline of a truly ,christ-like mind1 and the most effective instrument for acquiring perfection4 #a #a ,lex ,levitarum1 p4 #fg4 ,,conference ,,vi ,,the ,,religious ,,exercises ,,of ,,the ,,priest ,,there is a sense in which it may be said that the religious exercises of a secular priest are of more importance than those of a religious2 for he has no definite rule to impose most of them upon him1 while from the nature of his life they often have to give way before the pressure of work4 ,it has been said that the sanctification of a religious is effected primarily by his religious exercises1 and secondarily by his work2 but that of a secular is effected primarily by his work and only secondarily by his religious exercises4 ,of course in those exact words we cannot accept the statement3 it is something of a paradox2 but a paradox usually covers a real truth1 and in this case the truth is that there is always a danger of a secular priest failing to realise the necessity for such regular exercises from the fact of their having so often to be postponed or curtailed or even omitted in favour of works of charity1 and from having no regular binding rule for any except the recitation of the ,divine ,office4 ,there may indeed be individual days when a priest dispenses himself from all else3 but as a regular practice1 he well knows that other exercises are an absolute necessity if he is to lead a priestly life4 ,in the new ,codex of ,canon ,law1 for the first time we find an enumeration of the exercises expected of a priest #a--not indeed binding under sin1 but the norm put before us by the ,church--ratione sacerdotii4 ,they include1 besides his mass and ,office1 daily ,meditation1 ,rosary1 visit to the ,blessed ,sacrament1 and ,examination of ,conscience1 and a ,retreat at least every third year4 ,it may be well to take these in order and say a few words about each4 ,mass ,there is no need to emphasise the power and consolation to a priest of his daily mass4 ,it is the direct object of his priesthood and the one which he is least likely to allow to pass out of his mind4 ,in view of his being a priest1 he is bound to offer the ,holy ,sacrifice on ,sundays and on the chief feasts of the year #b--;,christmas1 ,easter1 etc4 ,in practice in this country1 he is usually bound1 ratione officii1 to celebrate much more often3 in many cases daily mass is his duty2 in almost all1 several times a week is his minimum4 ,one result of this is a tendency to look on his mass as a duty for the sake of the people who hear it and to lose sight in some degree of its effect on himself4 ,in days gone by when daily mass was not usual1 we have stories told of how a travelling priest or a ,french emigre might come in and ask to say mass1 and the priest who was actually vesting for the parish mass1 would let the visiting priest say it1 and himself go to breakfast4 ,happily1 however1 this state of things has passed away4 ,at the present day the vast majority of the clergy are only too pleased to celebrate daily4 ,they may indeed like to omit a morning occasionally1 while on a holiday3 possibly they are sometimes over free in giving themselves a rest out of holiday time3 but this is the exception4 ,even the practice recommended by ,st4 ,alphonsus of omitting one day in every week out of reverence1 now seems to be a thing of the past3 the movement of ,pius ,x in favour of frequent or daily communion seems to have swept away the last trace of it4 ,at any rate1 most priests of necessity1 and others by preference1 usually celebrate daily1 and no reform is called for in this respect4 ,when1 however1 we come to the circumstances of celebration1 we find a good deal calling for attention4 ,there are indeed many priests who begin the day with mental prayer1 and say the ,preparation for mass1 so that when the time comes they are ready to celebrate with devotion3 but there are many who do not act so well4 ,dr4 ,grant1 the first ,bishop of ,southwark1 used to lament the number of priests who came straight from their bedrooms to the altar1 and he would quote this as one of the greatest obstacles to the spread of ,catholicity in this country4 ,it is manifest that such a practice is fatal to the devout celebration of the ,holy ,mysteries4 ,the new ,codex of ,canon ,law has drawn special attention to this by enacting that a priest should make a proper preparation and thanksgiving as of obligation4 #c ,yet there are often practical difficulties about a satisfactory reform in this matter4 ,those who say mass at a convent1 for example1 are in nearly every case expected at an early hour1 and on arrival are usually shown into the sacristy as a matter of course2 to get up sufficiently soon to have time to spare needs considerable stimulus4 ,a difficulty of the opposite kind is created when a priest has to say a late mass1 whether on a weekday or a ,sunday4 ,he naturally makes it the occasion of a long rest1 and too often prolongs it to the very last minute1 arriving in the sacristy only just in time to vest4 ,if it is a ,sunday1 and he is duplicating1 he makes that an excuse for sparing himself1 so that he may not be over fatigued4 ,neither of these difficulties are insuperable2 but in practice they commonly hold the field4 ,without any drastic remedies1 however1 it is sometimes possible to suggest at least a partial way out of the difficulty4 ,a priest who has to walk some distance to the convent1 for example1 may well keep up a state of recollection during his journey1 and when he knows the liturgical prayers by heart1 he can usually say them on the way4 ,but after all1 the proper remedy is to rise a little earlier1 so as to make his preparation either in the sacristy or even on a prie-,dieu in the convent chapel1 #d which the nuns will very willingly provide if asked4 ,and in this case he need not limit himself to the liturgical ,preparation4 ,still more easily can he1 if only he adverts to the necessity1 come down for a late mass some little time before he has to vest4 ,and for the ordinary parish masses he can do the same1 if only he is sufficiently serious-minded to do it2 and he will be well rewarded in the additional fervour which he will bring to his mass4 ,nor should we omit an allusion to the negative preparation1 which consists in avoiding all kinds of distraction before mass4 ,to refrain from reading one's letters1 even before a very late mass1 is a practice the very definiteness of which makes it easy to perform4 ,in similar way every kind of arrangement for the work of the day1 or any unnecessary speaking or intercourse with others should be strictly avoided4 ,with respect to thanksgiving after mass1 there is less to be said1 as the temptation to omit or curtail it is less4 ,it is regularly looked for and expected wherever the priest goes4 ,the importance of a good thanksgiving1 to gather up the fruit of the mass1 can hardly be overestimated4 ,hence when a priest has to take ,communion to the sick-- which he so often does after mass--it does not seem much to ask that he should allow at least a few minutes to pass for his direct thanksgiving3 after which he can well continue and complete it as he carries his ,lord through the streets to the house of the sick man4 ,it is not too much to say that his fervour as a priest will be the reflection of that of his daily mass1 and the manner in which he says mass will depend on his preparation and thanksgiving4 ,with respect to the intention for which mass is offered1 in a populous mission that almost settles itself1 as our parishioners have the first right to our masses1 within reasonable limits4 ,but a priest would do well to keep a certain number at his own disposal1 in order to foster the spirit of his piety4 ,and every priest should from time to time say mass for his people4 ,this is now laid as an obligation on those rectors of missions who have by recent legislation become parochi1 on all ,sundays and holidays1 including the suppressed feasts4 ,for others it is still a matter of option2 yet one would think that a priest's own interest in his work would suggest to him the propriety of doing so at least occasionally4 ,it sounds strange to hear many priests regret the obligation and refuse to comply with it unless it can be shown to be absolutely binding4 ,it would have appeared that if a priest has a proper spirit of zeal1 the one end of his life would be the sanctification of his people1 or those among whom he works4 ,they have few enough prayers offered for them3 one would have thought that an occasional mass would have been freely offered by the priest as a privilege4 ,unfortunately the question of income comes in1 and many a priest hesitates between the two motives4 ,yet even in the masses which his parishioners ask him to say1 some have to be without a stipendium1 and this ought to be so1 to prevent the danger of the mercenary spirit over-running his better instincts4 ,it remains to say something on the manner of saying mass4 ,there is no necessity to labour the fact that the rubrics ought to be faithfully observed1 for they are commonly considered to bind under sin4 ,yet consistently with observing them it is possible to be either unduly long or unduly short4 ,both are objectionable from different points of view4 ,a priest who takes from half an hour to forty minutes will prevent many who could otherwise attend from hearing mass2 while one who gets through in a quarter of an hour will give no small scandal4 ,the rule sometimes given of thirty minutes from amice to amice means about twenty-five minutes at the altar1 and it is a reasonable allowance4 ,but1 after all1 the actual time consumed is of less importance than the manner of celebrating4 ,some people have a rapid utterance2 others are quick in their movements2 others again save much time by not dawdling1 but proceeding from one act direct to the next4 ,others1 however1 are by nature slow1 and inclined to be hesitating in their action4 ,due allowance must be made for difference of temperament in this regard1 so that no strict limit can be laid down4 ,even the well-known rule of ,st4 ,alphonsus that a priest must occupy at least a quarter of an hour is not always a safe minimum2 for it must be remembered that on different days masses vary considerably in length4 ,a short ferial mass without ,gloria or ,credo1 especially if there is no ,imperata prayer1 or a ,missa ,quotidiana for the ,dead1 omitting the ,dies ,irae1 are instances of very short masses which might take less than twenty minutes4 ,the really important thing is that mass should be offered by the priest with dignity and recollection1 as though conscious of the greatness of the act1 a spirit which will show itself in every movement and gesture1 and help the devotion both of him who celebrates and those who assist4 ,a word ought to be added about reading the ,latin audibly4 ,the late ,pope tried to reintroduce the practice of the faithful following the liturgical prayers1 etc4 ,undoubtedly this is a good method of hearing mass1 though it had fallen largely into disuse4 ,it can hardly be said that the ,pope's wishes have led to any substantial result1 and the reason is not far to seek4 ,for the tradition of saying mass in an audible tone1 such that even those near can follow1 has almost entirely died out4 ,in the vast majority of instances1 the priest reads the ,latin rapidly1 and in a tone of voice that effectually precludes anyone hearing him4 ,it seems sometimes as though his special object was to prevent anyone from following4 ,now there are other ways of hearing mass which do not need attending to the words1 such as saying the ,rosary1 reciting ,office1 or private prayers1 or using the prayers in the ,garden of the ,soul or other book4 ,the first of these methods has been especially approved by being actually commanded by ecclesiastical authority for the month of ,october in every year4 ,nevertheless1 it is not too much to say that those who prefer what many people consider to be the highest way of assisting at mass1 have a right to do so1 and it is the priest's duty to enable himself by practice to read the ,latin in a tone which can be heard at least by those around him4 ,we say deliberately by practice1 for the power to read ,latin audibly and intelligibly is not so easy as many people seem to think1 and requires considerable trouble to acquire4 ,the above of course only applies to a congregational mass3 those who celebrate privately at a side altar will naturally speak in a low tone of voice1 so as not to disturb their neighbours4 ,even they1 however1 should be practised in reading ,latin1 so as to read it intelligibly to themselves1 for the liturgical prayers should be a great aid to their own devotion4 ,the old habit of saying a black mass on every free day is now almost obsolete2 and it has been replaced by the various concessions of ,pope ,pius ,x with respect to certain days1 on which we may either say mass de ,tempore or de ,sanctis2 and occasionally1 as in a vigil in ,advent1 three different masses are possible4 ,all this helps to the appreciation of the liturgy1 and should be used by the priest for that purpose4 ,mental ,prayer ,it is admitted by all that a priest must be supereminently a man of prayer1 and that the most important form of prayer1 both in obtaining what we ask for and in its reaction upon ourselves1 is ,mental ,prayer3 yet1 strange to say1 of all the priest's duties1 that of ,mental ,prayer is the one which is unfortunately too often put in a secondary place1 or even neglected altogether4 ,the name usually given to it--,meditation--is unattractive and misleading4 ,it seems to put before one the idea of day-dreaming1 and it is possible that all the practice of several years at least in the ,seminary has not fully dispelled this idea4 ,in point of fact1 the ,meditation is only one part1 and that by no means the most important1 of systematic ,mental ,prayer4 ,it is a means to an end4 ,mental ,prayer may be defined simply as prayer without a set form of words1 and the ,meditation is that which is usually--though not always--necessary to set the mind and heart in motion2 but the end to be obtained consists of the aspirations of the heart and the acts of the will4 ,it is these which make ,st4 ,alphonsus say that it cannot co-exist with sin2 #e and to promise that anyone who practises ,mental ,prayer for half an hour daily will certainly save his soul4 ,it is to be hoped that now the ,church has laid it down definitely as part of a priest's daily duty1 greater strictness may be observed by our clergy in practising it with regularity4 ,yet there are undoubted practical difficulties in the actual circumstances in which we are placed4 ,the ideal practice is undoubtedly to make half an hour's ,mental ,prayer before saying mass2 but in many instances1 especially in the case of the junior clergy1 this is hardly possible4 ,for they frequently have to say mass either very early or very late1 or sometimes one1 sometimes the other2 or to go out to say mass at a convent or other centre some distance away1 at a comparatively early hour4 ,the difficulty is thus the same1 only in a more acute form1 as that which has been mentioned in connection with a proper preparation for mass4 ,for if it is difficult to find time for a preparation of five or ten minutes1 a priest is not likely to find the longer time necessary for a proper ,meditation4 ,if he has to celebrate early at a convent1 his mass will be followed by breakfast1 after which he will return to the ,presbytery somewhere about eight o'clock4 ,he may then have letters to read1 and in any case will consume half an hour or more over the daily paper1 accompanied with his morning cigarette4 ,often he cannot spare the time after that1 as he may have to be in the school at nine4 ,but even if he can1 he is not well circumstanced for a ,meditation3 the distractions of the day are on him1 and he is in the midst of his work4 ,the conclusion forces itself upon us that the morning ,meditation1 whether before or after mass1 should be made at least before breakfast1 or it will not be made at all2 and whereas the rector is usually in a position to do so without inconvenience1 this is not always the case2 and whereas a curate can easily do it if he really wishes on days when he says a late mass1 it is not always easy when he says an early one4 ,undoubtedly the duty will not be complied with without serious effort1 and the first stage is a realisation of its practicability as well as its necessity4 ,some priests meet the case by uniting their mental prayer with their thanksgiving after mass4 ,this is always better than nothing2 and if a priest has the courage to prolong the exercise to twenty or twenty-five minutes1 and can guard against interruption from having to take ,communion to the sick or other causes1 it may be a complete solution of the difficulty4 ,but should the obstacles in the morning prove too great1 so that practically the exercise is frequently curtailed or elbowed out2 it may be better to capitulate to circumstances and set apart a time in the evening1 when it will be done less effectively1 and perhaps less regularly1 as a priest is sometimes out at that time2 but it can usually be done4 ,the ,canon ,law lays down no definite duration for the exercise2 and though the traditional half-hour assigned by custom ought not to prove too long1 it is better to occupy half that time or even less1 than to omit the exercise altogether4 ,granted now that twenty minutes or half an hour is to be spent in ,mental ,prayer1 the next question is how to spend it4 ,and here the present writer wishes thoroughly to endorse the view put forward by ,canon ,keatinge that it should be spent in the church and nowhere else4 ,the whole passage is worth quoting3--#f ,let me plead for the habit of using the church as our pious lay folk do4 ,the church is not merely the priest's workshop1 where he gives the sacraments and preaches to others4 ,it is his own home1 his sanctuary1 and he is the appointed guardian of this dwelling-place of ,god with men4 ,here at least his surroundings will help his prayer1 not mar it1 and the sacramental presence of his ,god will tend to warm his heart and to lift his first thoughts above the teasing distractions of his daily life4 ,the alternative of trying to make our ,meditation in our room is to surround ourselves with difficulties and distractions of every kind1 connected with our daily work4 ,if it be argued that the ,jesuits themselves always make their exercises in their rooms1 the answer is simply that this is part of a complete and thoroughly worked out system of life1 and it is no disrespect to them to say that to adopt one detail when we do not aim at adopting the whole will not lead to a good result4 ,a minor reason for urging the use of the church is that it gives great edification to the lay folk coming to mass to find the priest always there first at his prayers1 while it puzzles them to find the church empty till the very hour for mass4 ,and if it be urged that the early comers will invade the priest's time and seeing him there1 will utilise the spare minutes to go to ,confession or the like1 the answer is that only the most inconsiderate of his parishioners would think of troubling him at such a time unless there is good reason--that they live at a distance or cannot come at another time2 and in the few instances in which it may occur1 the charity of his sacrifice will make up for the interruption of his exercise4 ,we may also plead the high authority of ,st4 ,alphonsus1 #g that the church is the best place for meditation1 and although he goes on to say that those who cannot go to the church may give themselves to prayer in any place1 at home1 in the country1 even when walking1 even when at their work1 he is not speaking primarily of priests1 who nearly always have the opportunity of using the church if they want to2 nevertheless he describes a practice which may often be useful to a hard-worked priest1 whether his morning meditation has been omitted or not4 ,coming now to the method of ,meditation1 we find some features common to all methods4 ,all are agreed that a short preparation should be made overnight1 and the subject matter of the coming exercise be briefly reviewed1 and that from that time until the ,meditation is made1 some sort of recollection should be observed1 corresponding to the ,magnum ,silentium prescribed in the ,seminary4 ,all are agreed also that when the time comes1 a short preparatory prayer should be made for light and help2 and at the conclusion an act of thanksgiving4 ,for the body of the prayer it is usual to speak of two great systems--the ,jesuit and the ,sulpician--but of these two the ,jesuit method is far the more widespread4 #h ,indeed1 the general use of that method is one of the greatest proofs of the large influence exerted by the ,society in the ,church4 ,it is in many ways specially suited to the restless age in which we live1 for it excites and guides our activity throughout3 there is no period of rest4 ,it is so well known that there is no need to describe it in detail4 ,at first sight1 to a beginner1 it appears complicated enough4 ,we are told to begin with a prayer for light1 and two preludes1 one being a ,composition of ,place1 the other a petition for certain definite grace4 ,then comes the body of the subject1 divided into three points2 to each point is assigned a ,consideration and an ,application2 and1 finally1 at the end a ,colloquy1 and an examination of how the ,meditation has been made4 ,then as an alternative1 we are given a method of ,contemplation--to examine the ,persons1 ,actions1 ,words--or ,application of the ,senses--touch1 sight1 sound1 etc4 ,all this to a beginner presents the idea of hopeless complication2 ,father ,faber likens it to the cleric's first initiation into the ,breviary with its apparent hopeless ramifications2 but in practice the parts fit so well together and follow so naturally one on the other that after a short time the idea of complication to a great extent disappears4 ,the ,sulpician method is in entire contrast to the above4 ,the subject matter is not divided into points1 but viewed as a whole2 but the prayer itself is divided into three parts1 of almost equal duration with each other4 ,they are ,adoration1 ,communion1 ,co-operation2 said to correspond to the three petitions of the ,lord's ,prayer1 ,hallowed be ,thy ,name2 ,thy ,kingdom come2 ,thy will be done4 ,in truth1 however1 there are as many methods of mental prayer as there are teachers thereof1 for so much depends on the personality of the person who practises it4 ,it seems almost presumptuous to speak of practising it without a method1 and it opens the door to the danger of kneeling vacantly and doing nothing1 which adds the fault of irreverence to that of idleness4#i--;a danger almost indicated by the very name ,meditation4 ,still1 on the high authority of ,st4 ,alphonsus1 we venture to put forward a plan which is so natural as hardly to be called a method at all1 and which emphasises the quality of spontaneity in our intercourse with ,god which should be one of the great fruits of ,mental ,prayer4 ,let him speak for himself2 the following quotations give the essence of his direction3--#aj ,for meditation1 it is best 4 4 4 to use some book2 pausing when the mind finds itself most affected4 ,st4 ,francis of ,sales says that in this we must do as the bees1 who will settle on a flower until they have drawn out its honey1 and then pass on to another4 4 4 4 ,here we must observe that the spiritual profit derived from ,mental ,prayer does not consist so much in meditation as in making affections1 petitions and resolutions3 these are the fruits of meditation4 ,and so after reflecting on some eternal maxim1 and after ,god has spoken to the heart1 we ought ourselves to speak to ,god with the heart1 by making affections1 or by acts of faith1 of thanksgiving1 of adoration1 humility1 and--most of all--of love and of contrition1 which is also an act of love4 ,for love is that golden band which unites the soul to ,god4 4 4 4 ,it is of great benefit to make petitions again and again1 earnestly beseeching ,god with humility and confidence for ,his light2 for pardon of sins1 perseverance1 a good death1 paradise1 and1 above all1 the gift of ,his holy love4 4 4 4 ,it is necessary in prayer1 at least at the end of it1 to make some firm resolve1 not only in general to avoid all deliberate sin however light1 and to give ourselves entirely to ,god1 but also in particular1 as1 for instance1 to keep ourselves with greater care from some fault into which we have more frequently fallen2 or to practise some virtue in a better way than before4 4 4 ,we ought not to cease from prayer until we have made some definite resolution4 ,one special advantage of the above is that its simplicity makes it suitable for beginners in the art of ,mental ,prayer2 and in times of dryness1 when devotion does not come easily1 it may reduce itself ultimately to slowly reading a book4 ,such times are familiar to all of us1 but they are especially discouraging to a beginner who is without experience to cope with them4 ,especially a student at college1 or even at school1 may find help in this manner1 and a practice which from its name sounds unattractive1 and the explanation of which has sometimes appeared too complicated to be practicable1 may in this way be reduced to a simple exercise within the reach of all4 ,the choice of a book is of course an important feature4 ,to discuss this at length1 however1 would take us beyond our prescribed limits4 ,there are good books in plenty1 but nearly all of them are based on the ,jesuit method1 and difficult to use for such people as prefer some other system4 ,of late an inclination has been shown to go back to ,bishop ,challoner--a fact which bears eloquent testimony to the solid worth of his work written a century and a half ago4 ,his meditations are indeed each in three points1 but they allow more latitude of treatment than does a strictly ,jesuit book4 ,but1 after all1 it is not necessary to have a set meditation book at all4 ,many find all they want in the ,imitation of ,christ4 ,others use the text of the ,gospels--a practice which may be very fruitful to those who are sufficiently familiar with ,new ,testament criticism1 so as to be able to picture vividly in their own mind the surroundings of the scenes described4 ,if these are sufficiently understood1 then the words of our ,lord1 especially as given in ,st4 ,john's ,gospel1 should provide the best possible matter for mental prayer4 ,divine ,office ,the daily recitation of the ,breviary is the one exercise of the priest which is not optional1 but imposed by precept4 ,the first result of this is that he is praying not in his own name1 but in that of the ,church4 ,the most perfect way of satisfying the precept is to attend ,office in choir4 ,at one time this was in a great measure possible2 and indeed until the recent reform of the ,breviary under ,pope ,pius ,x1 it contained no reference to private recitation at all3 it was assumed throughout that the ,office was recited in choir4 #aa ,at the present day1 however1 it is practically only monks who have the opportunity of doing so4 ,even on ,sundays1 the singing of ,vespers has become rare in our churches1 and when it does take place1 there is usually no priest present except the ,celebrant4 ,the only alternative left to the secular priest is to recite the ,office privately4 ,but it is well for him to bear in mind that he is one of a large choir of reciters all over the world1 who though separated physically1 are united in spirit1 singing the praises of ,god in the official words of the ,church4 ,it would seem that the least a priest can be expected to do is to select a proper time and place and suitable surroundings for so solemn a duty4 ,yet there is perhaps no exercise in his daily life about which he is so lax in the manner of its performance4 ,the obligation seems to weigh on him1 and he acts as though time given to ,office was time wasted1 and therefore the great object aimed at was to fit it in when he can do so with the least interruption possible of his daily occupations4 ,who has not seen a priest saying ,office in circumstances of time and place ill-befitting such a solemn act--as1 for example1 in a crowded railway carriage or tramcar1 or while walking from place to place1 or while waiting for an appointment1 or for dinner8 ,this method of treating it1 to say the least1 shows a want of appreciation of its solemn character1 and the sanctifying effect of the duty is properly discharged4 ,yet these same people will show a minute scrupulosity about many of the small details of the ,office which they conceive to bind under sin4 ,it might surely be better if they devoted less care to the small details and more to the general spirit with which the ,office is said4 ,it is with a view to this general result that the following few suggestions are made4 ,the first way to show our respect for the ,divine ,office is to have a fixed time and place for the recitation of the different hours4 ,undoubtedly the best place is the church1 and many priests contrive to say the greater part of their ,office every day before the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,but this is not always possible1 and a certain amount must almost necessarily be said in one's house or grounds4 ,in such case1 it is important to show our respect for the exercise outwardly1 which will react within4 ,office may be said very devoutly walking about1 or sitting down even in an arm-chair2 but not lounging1 still less lying on a sofa1 which except in case of sickness would involve grave irreverence4 ,and one ought to have one's priestly dress on3 to say ,office in hot weather with one's coat or collar off is quite irreverent4 ,sometimes a priest has to say part of his ,office away from home4 ,in such case1 the same principles apply4 ,he should say it in surroundings suitable for such an exercise4 ,one cannot say ,office properly in a crowd1 whether walking or in an omnibus or tramcar4 ,if our compartment is fairly empty1 and no regular conversation in progress1 a railway carriage may be a suitable place3 but if it is full of people it certainly is not2 and if it occurs that this is the only opportunity we have of completing our obligation1 it might in an extreme case be almost better to let the obligation go than fulfil it so irreverently4 ,stories are told of a priest finishing his ,office under a street lamp before midnight1 when it might certainly have been better to omit it4 ,a due respect for the ,office urges us to say it with devotion or not at all4 ,but in the majority of cases1 the question of omitting it does not enter in2 the alternative is not to omit it1 but to have to say it at an inconvenient time after returning home4 ,surely such slight inconvenience should not be put in the balance against the need of reciting it digne1 attente ac devote4 ,with respect to the time of day1 each priest must judge for himself how to accommodate it to his daily routine4 ,the liturgical rules bind only sub levi1 and therefore can be set aside for a reasonable cause1 provided that the whole ,office is finished by the hour of midnight4 ,nevertheless1 a priest who wishes to show respect for his ,office will set rubrics aside as rarely as possible4 ,so far as he can1 for example1 he will aim at saying ,prime in the morning and ,vespers in the evening4 ,he will not invert the order of the hours if he can help it2 he will not break off at unauthorised points1 even though the reason be theologically sufficient3 he will rather anticipate any likelihood of interruption and avoid saying his ,office at such times4 ,a priest who looks on his ,breviary as a convenient duty to put in at odds and ends of time1 so that it shall not encroach on any valuable space of time1 is laying himself out for possible interruptions and certainly not showing that respect for his ,office which is necessary to make it a source of blessing to his life4 ,a word may be added about the privilege of anticipating ,matins and ,lauds the previous afternoon4 ,it is usual to lay stress on the advantage of this practice1 and in the case of a priest on the ,english mission1 the advantage is certainly great4 ,for his daily routine is so uncertain1 and so often interfered with by unforeseen pressure of work that the occasions on which the ,office has to be postponed till evening are numerous and continually occurring4 ,on days of special stress it may and does often occur that when he finishes his work1 perhaps late in the evening1 he has not had time to open his ,breviary all day4 ,in such circumstances1 he is little fit to begin ,aperi ,domine and recite the whole1 and there is no chance of his doing so with much devotion4 ,if1 however1 he has anticipated his ,matins and ,lauds1 he can now say the other half of the ,office--and the easier half--and postpone the pressure until the following day1 when by giving an extra half-hour he can recover his lost ground4 ,on the score of convenience therefore1 and of getting the exercise more reverently performed1 the practice is to be strongly recommended4 ,on the score of devotion1 however1 there is room for two feelings1 which are largely a matter of temperament4 ,to some the idea of being forward in one's duty is such a help that it outweighs everything else4 ,to others1 the changing the feast at midday to that of the morrow is perplexing1 especially on days when there may be ,benediction in the evening in honour of the former feast1 which in his liturgical life has passed away4 ,then to many persons ,compline is an attractive end of the day2 and though it is lawful to anticipate ,matins and ,lauds of to-morrow before saying ,compline of to-day1 and to reserve this till the last act before going to bed1 it seems hardly the proper and reverent thing to do2 and it is more common for those who purpose anticipating to say ,vespers and ,compline any time after twelve1 sometimes before a one o'clock dinner4 ,again1 those who argue in favour of anticipating often lay stress on the fact that it is out of place to say ,jam lucis orto sidere in the evening3 but surely it is at least equally out of place to say ,te lucis ante terminum at midday1 or early in the afternoon4 ,therefore if anyone is situated so as to have command over his time1 by all means let us leave it to his own devotion to adjust his hours1 and whether or not he will use the privilege of anticipating4 ,in ,england we have the privilege of substituting our ,rosary for the ,office on days when we are hard pressed for time4 ,it might be well if we used this privilege more freely4 ,for apart from all questions of time1 the ,rosary is far more easily said with devotion by a tired man than the ,office1 for it does not involve either reading or finding places4 ,a devout ,rosary will give greater glory to ,god than an indevout ,office4 ,the privilege is said to have been first obtained by ,cardinal ,wiseman1 in view of the long ,sunday ,offices which in ,lent and ,advent were a difficulty to our hard-worked clergy4 ,it was a source of disappointment to him that so few priests availed themselves of it4 ,this is probably due in many cases to what are to a great extent scruples4 ,the obligation to recite the ,breviary is only a positive law1 and binds according to the mens legislatoris4 ,that mind can reasonably be interpreted by the reasons adduced by theologians as sufficient to justify non-compliance4 ,the mere fact that a sick man who feels that he cannot say the whole ,office is not bound to say any1 lest he should be troubled with scruples1 shows that any really serious discomfort is admitted as a sufficient cause for excusing from the rule4 ,it is well1 however1 to make an effort to avoid looking on the ,office as a burden4 ,if we find it so1 we may be certain that there is something radically wrong in our performance of the duty4 ,if properly recited1 it should be one of the main supports of a priest's life4 ,cardinal ,wiseman often declared that he had never once in all his life found it otherwise than an attractive duty4 ,if well discharged1 in proper surroundings1 it may easily be made part of the liturgical life of the church within us1 and should help us not a little in keeping the various feasts of the year with devotion4 ,visit to the ,blessed ,sacrament1 ,examination of ,conscience1 ,rosary ,in most ,presbyteries in which the church joins1 it is customary for the clergy to pay an official visit to the ,blessed ,sacrament after dinner4 ,this is in one sense not a good time1 as one is perhaps less inclined for prayer at that moment than at any other during the day4 ,hence some have preferred to make their visit before dinner4 ,the advantage of the more general plan is that it can be performed with regularity1 and will not be elbowed out by pressure of work4 ,such a visit fulfils any kind of quasi-obligation4 ,at the same time there are reasons worth considering for not looking on so short an exercise as meeting what is aimed at4 ,a priest's visit should surely be an event in his day--as it were a stocktaking of his daily work1 when he puts his difficulties as well as his consolations with all confidence before his ,lord1 and while offering thanks for the latter1 begs special grace for the former4 ,this demands that he should not be hemmed in by considerations of time1 and he would also wish to be alone at such a moment4 ,it is a sort of complement to his examination of conscience1 and should be an attractive exercise4 ,surely1 then1 if ever he wishes to pray spontaneously and without the restraint of words1 a good visit will leave its impress on the whole day's work4 ,then in the evening1 as the last act of the day1 comes the actual examination of conscience4 ,as we so frequently urge when speaking on the ,sacrament of ,penance1 the examination is only a means to an end4 ,the end aimed at is sorrow for sin1 and good resolve for the future4 ,now in the priest's case we are met with a definite danger4 ,many priests do not say regular night prayers as the laity do2 for they consider that for them ,compline is the best form of night prayer4 ,but it does not contain any definite examination of conscience4 ,the part which corresponds thereto-- the ,confiteor--seems the reflection of days when life was simpler1 but it contains the most important part1 the ,act of ,contrition4 ,in these days a more systematic examination is called for and is now commanded4 ,it would be well if this exercise were taken a little more seriously1 and in this matter we might do worse than imitate a good ,catholic living in the world4 ,the recitation of the ,rosary does not call for much comment here4 ,freedom and facility in its use is one of the chief characteristics of modern ,catholicity1 whether of priest or layman4 ,the fact that nearly all religious of both sexes wear a large ,rosary prominently as part of their habit shows how completely the ,church has adopted the devotion as part of her life4 ,many a layman--or laywoman--recites the third part-- five mysteries--daily2 and there is surely nothing wonderful in a priest being asked to do the same4 #a ,canon #abe4 #b ,canon #hje4 #c ,sacerdos ne omittat ad ,eucharistici ,sacrificii oblationem sese piis precibus disponere1 eoque expleto1 gratias ,deo pro tanto beneficio agere 7,canon #haj74 #d ,the alternative answer1 often given1 that the priest can make his preparation and thanksgiving in his own room can hardly be taken seriously4 ,it is possible that there are some few priests who do this2 but the ordinary rule is that if the preparation and thanksgiving are not made in the church1 they are either not made at all1 or at least curtailed to very small dimensions4 #e ,preparation for ,death1 ,father ,coffin's ,edition1 p4 xv4 #f ,the ,priest1 etc41 p4 #bf4 #g ,preparation for ,death1 ,father ,coffin's ,translation1 p4 xv4 #h ,an excellent explanation of the ,jesuit and the ,sulpician systems can be found in ,father ,faber's ,growth in ,holiness1 chapter xv4 #i ,growth1 etc41 p4 #bgj4 #aj ,preparation for ,death1 ,father ,coffin's ,translation1 p4 xvi4 #aa ,thus1 for example1 the ,confiteor in ,prime and ,compline were given in the form used in choir1 with no reference to how it was to be said in private recitation4 ,this has now been supplied4 ,and so on in other instances4 ,even now the choir rubrics are often given without comment-- as1 for example1 that which prescribes the ,preces at ,prime to be said in ,lent1 flexis genibus1 which of course does not refer to private recitation4 ,,conference ,,vii ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work ,,it has sometimes been a matter of comment that in the ordination of a priest the ,church seems to act in a different manner from what she does in the consecration of a ,bishop4 ,in the latter case1 a man has to wait till there is a vacancy and his work is required for the good of the ,church3 in the former case1 he offers himself for ordination1 and it is not until after he is ordained that a suitable vacancy is sought where he is asked to work4 ,in some respects this follows inevitably from the nature of the case2 for a candidate for the ,bishopric can go on working as a priest until his services are called for in the ,episcopate4 ,in some instances indeed that time never comes1 and one who is apparently ,episcopabilis never gets consecrated at all4 ,in the case of a priest it is manifestly impossible to have candidates for ,holy ,orders waiting to be called to the ministry1 and remaining laymen till that time comes4 ,and indeed if it were otherwise possible1 the length of time necessary to prepare for the priesthood necessitates the candidate being chosen some years before the need arises2 while1 on the other hand1 there are so many openings where a priest's work is called for that one can usually be found for a newly ordained priest without waiting1 and indeed the tendency is rather for there to be such need that a man has to be ordained before his time4 ,nevertheless1 the comment does express a real truth4 ,some men--in certain countries not an inconsiderable number--are ordained as what are often spoken of as ,mass priests1 who having a sufficient competency of their own1 have no intention of ever offering themselves for pastoral work of any kind4 ,they wish to say ,mass1 and that is all4 ,it is significant of the times that this is not to be so any longer4 ,although it is impossible to wait for a definite vacancy1 the ,bishops are directed in future not to ordain anyone unless they are satisfied that his services are necessary or useful to the ,church1 and an obligation is laid on every priest to accept any work from the ,bishop which he is reasonably able to do4 #a ,there are to be no more ,mass priests4 ,the movement was begun by ,pius ,x in the city of ,rome1 when he only allowed those to live there who had definite employment3 now the principle is extended1 and has become part of the law of the ,church4 ,hence pastoral work1 in its broadest sense1 has become an essential part of the vocation of a priest4 ,it is proposed here to say a few words about the various offices of such work a priest ordinarily performs in this country4 ,this naturally divides itself into two main categories1 that which he does for the sake of his people as a whole1 and that which he does for them individually4 ,the former of these will form the subject of a later ,conference3 here we will consider the latter4 #b ,the work of the ,church is to sanctify the life of the ,christian1 and the priest's pastoral solicitude should extend to every individual of his parish4 ,many of them he comes to know intimately1 through the sacrament of ,penance1 and all of them are his friends as they are friends of ,christ4 #c ,his work is to apply to them individually the graces of the ,church1 throughout their lives1 and more especially at the chief epochs--to baptise them when they come into the world2 to provide for their ,catholic training at school2 to prepare them for ,confirmation when the opportunity arises2 to administer their first ,confession and ,communion when they are of a suitable age2 when they enter the state of matrimony to prepare them for the sacrament1 and to assist at it when the parties are solemnly married2 and1 finally1 to watch over their death bed1 to anoint them and administer the holy ,viaticum when the last summons comes4 ,but in addition to these main epochs1 the priest has to keep perennial watch over their lives1 to assist them in their troubles1 to advise them and absolve them when they have fallen into sin1 continually to stimulate them in the practice of their holy religion2 to warn those who neglect ,mass on ,sundays1 or who stay away from ,communion at ,easter2 and to help them in countless other ways4 ,a few words about each of these duties will be in place4 ,we begin with the solemn rite of ,baptism4 ,many priests find this the least spiritualising of all their works in the ,church4 ,the fact that the recipient of the sacrament is unconscious of what is being done1 and often in consequence behaves in a manner not befitting the occasion1 undoubtedly detracts from the solemnity of the rite4 ,yet there is much to suggest itself of special interest1 for the sacrament involves the whole history of mankind4 ,the child arrives not a member of the ,church1 even in positive enmity--though unconsciously--to ,almighty ,god1 and in the power of the enemy of mankind4 ,as a result of the priest's ministration1 the devil is expelled1 and the child acquires the state of one of the faithful4 ,the command ,exi ab eo1 immunde spiritus1 et da locum ,spiritui ,sancto ,paraclito should surely bring home to one the power of the priesthood4 ,so also the words that follow a little later on3-- ,exorcizo te1 immunde spiritus1 in nomine ,patris et ,filii et ,spiritus ,sancti1 ut exeas et recedas ab hoc famulo ,dei3 ipse enim tibi imperat qui pedibus super mare ambulavit1 et ,petro mergenti dexteram porrexit4 ,ergo maledicte diabole1 recognosce sententiam tuam1 et da honorem ,deo vivo et vero1 da honorem ,jesu ,christo ,filio ejus1 et ,spiritui ,sancto1 et recede ab hoc famulo ,dei1 quia istum sibi ,deus et ,dominus noster ,jesus ,christus ad suam sanctam gratiam et benedictionem fontemque ,baptismatis vocare dignatus est4 ,et hoc signum sanctae ,crucis1 quod nos fronti ejus damus1 tumaledicte diabole1 nunquam audeas violare4 ,so also the profession of faith of the god-parent on behalf of the child speaks of the ,christian home into which it is its privilege to be born2 and this gives the full meaning to the ,baptism itself4 ,the sanctification of the child is completed by the two-fold anointing--by the ,oil of ,catechumens before ,baptism1 and by ,chrism afterwards4 ,it is the sign of a good ,catholic tradition to wish for ,baptism as early as possible so that the infant may be sanctified2 and the ,catholic practice is to give him the name of a saint1 under whose protection he is placed4 #d ,the next epoch in the life of a child is his going to school1 which by a strange satire comes always before he has1 theologically speaking1 come to the use of reason4 ,from henceforth the school teacher1 as the deputy of the priest1 shares with the parents the responsibility for the child's religious education4 ,a good priest is frequently in his school1 and gets to know the children each and all4 ,much of the religious instruction is best done by the ordinary teachers1 but the priest will supervise it and often participate in it2 and when it comes to preparing the children for their ,first ,confession1 he will probably keep it in his own hands4 ,nevertheless1 he must bear in mind that although according to the new ,codex the final responsibility as to the child's fitness rests with the priest 7,canon #hed1 ,sec4 #e71 his final decision requires the consent of the child's parent or guardian 7,ibid41 ,sec4 #d74 ,this consent1 however1 is of course ordinarily assumed3 with the large numbers at a modern school no other system would be possible4 ,the children make their ,first ,confessions in groups1 on a date fixed by the priest4 ,it is hardly necessary to remark that many a child in his first few ,confessions experiences difficulty in finding matter to confess4 ,yet it is very important for such a one to form the habit of ,confession in good time1 so that when the need really arises by serious sin1 the remedy may be ready to hand4 ,according to the modern practice1 initiated by ,pope ,pius ,x1 the ,first ,communion follows immediately4 ,in many cases the child only partly realises the sacredness of the act4 ,nevertheless1 the surroundings1 together with such knowledge as can be assimilated at that age1 give plenty of scope for devotion2 and with advancing years1 the child realises more and more the privilege of receiving the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,when the time comes for leaving school1 a crisis is reached1 and it is sad to note how many boys and girls1 but especially the former1 are carried away by the brightness and interest of life when they go out into the world1 and lose sight of their religion altogether4 ,needless to say1 many of them fall into bad company1 and their souls become in a state of grave peril4 ,various works have been set on foot at different times to retain our influence on our boys at this time of life--the institution of clubs1 or boy scouts1 or boys' brigades1 or the like1 with varying success4 ,it is a time when the priest with all his solicitude is often powerless to do anything4 ,on this we can quote the experience of ,canon ,oakeley writing half a century ago3-- ,no complaint is more commonly heard among our clergy1 he writes1 than that those who have been educated in our schools are lost to the ,church by scores1 if not by hundreds1 as soon as the school time is over4 ,this complaint ,i fear is but too well grounded1 but ,i think that it suggests some important topics of self-examination to ourselves4 ,are we sufficiently careful to follow with our eye the children of both sexes who have ceased to come under daily observation by entering on the duties of their secular callings8 ,this enquiry applies most forcibly to the young men of our flocks1 who for many reasons are less likely to come under the protection of watchful guides than young persons of the other sex1 and who are at the same time exposed to a more dangerous class of temptations4 ,and he gives his own experience as to a possible remedy3-- ,the interest which both sexes alike demand at our hands consists not merely in using means to preserve them in the practice of their formal religious duties1 but in keeping up their attachment to the ,church to which they belong by engaging them in some practical form of connection with it1 such as association with confraternities1 or participation in offices or works of which it is the centre and spring4 ,i have myself 7he adds7 witnessed in various ways and in more than one place the incalculable advantage of maintaining by some such definite and practical bond of union the tie between young persons1 but especially young men1 and their church4 ,i have found that the privileges of the sanctuary or the choir have been prized as the most precious of distinctions1 and that the ,offices of the ,church have proved successful rivals1 not to say powerful antagonists1 of the theatre or the music-hall4 ,i have known young men who have been1 to my undoubting belief1 kept harmless amid the manifold temptations of the metropolis through influences directly received in1 or by means of1 the ,catholic ,church4 #e ,in many cases where men have allowed their religion to lapse1 the steadying influence required is happily supplied when the time comes for a man to marry and to devote himself to bringing up a ,christian family4 ,the wedding-day is a day of rejoicing2 it is the priest's privilege to assist at the ceremony in church1 and in many cases to join in the festivities afterwards4 ,it is much to be regretted that the nuptial mass has almost died out with us--this being apparently in great part due to our ,protestant surroundings2 the two ostensible reasons being the custom of having the ceremony at a late hour1 in order to enable people to come1 and the wish for a short service so as not to overburden the non-,catholics present4 ,it is the more to be regretted because it is such a beautiful service that if people were accustomed to seeing it1 few ,catholics would be content to omit it4 ,however1 taking the service as we find it1 short though it is1 it can be made very devotional #f and joyful4 ,it has been said by some cynics that such joy is misplaced1 and that if the young couple realised the anxieties and trials before them they would look on it as a day of sorrow rather than joy4 ,such remarks are surely out of keeping with the spirit of the followers of ,him who assisted at the wedding feast in ,cana1 and worked ,his first miracle lest the rejoicings should be marred4 ,in point of fact1 marriage is a subject for joy as life is1 with all its sufferings and anxieties1 for it is the means of achieving a great and joyful work4 ,if ever there is an occasion in life when people stand in need of the joyful sympathy of their friends1 it is when they are beginning the main work of their lives4 ,in later years1 when storm and stress is on them1 they will ever look back to their wedding-day for comfort and hope which will carry them through their trials4 ,if ,god bless their union with children1 the priest is at hand to minister to the mother in childbirth1 to baptise the offspring1 and to perform the solemn rite which is the mother's act of thanksgiving for successful childbirth4 ,alas1 however1 many people lose sight of their religion after as before marriage1 and their defection affects not only themselves1 but their children4 ,it destroys the character of the home1 and is an injustice to those whom they have brought into the world4 ,to them the solicitude of the priest will be continually applied4 ,i came not to call the just1 said our ,lord1 but sinners to penance2#g and the priest's work in continually visiting his flock--house to house visiting1 if circumstances permit--is chiefly directed towards rescuing those who have fallen away1 or are in danger of doing so4 ,the special efforts1 the ,lenten sermons and missions then or at other times1 and the long hours spent in the ,confessional are directed primarily towards getting back the sheep who have gone astray4 ,no satisfaction of the priest can be compared with that when he brings back a lost sheep to the fold1 and perhaps creates a holy home which but for his efforts would have been a home of perdition4 ,if he has imitated the ,cure d',ars and done penance to himself in order to obtain such a conversion1 the penance will appear to him small indeed compared with the blessings he has obtained4 ,the solicitude of a priest must not be limited to his own ,catholic people4 ,we have surely a mission to all1 and we should try to reach all4 ,other sheep ,i have1 said our ,lord1 that are not of the fold2 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear ,my voice1 and there shall be one fold and one shepherd4 #h ,one learns by experience how little we have personally to do with making converts4 ,the ,spirit breatheth where ,he will1 and a new convert will come from some unexpected quarter as though dropping down from the skies4 ,it is often assumed that the chief school which produces converts is the ,high ,church party of the ,church of ,england4 ,this may be so sometimes2 but in the small experience of the present writer1 both in the four years spent on the mission and in granting faculties as ,bishop1 this has not been universally the case4 ,he can recall receiving ,low ,churchmen1 ,dissenters1 ,quakers1 or unbaptised persons with no religion at all1 as frequently as those of the ,high ,church4 ,they come at all ages2 and often without any very definite apparent reason4 ,it has no doubt been a case of corresponding with the grace of ,god1 and even when it was originally set in motion by something in one of our sermons1 or when difficulties have been chased away in like manner1 the priest feels clearly enough how little one has had personally to do with it1 beyond being the representative of ,god4 ,nevertheless1 it is one of the signs of ,god's blessing on our work1 and if it is absent1 and no converts are coming1 we may well take it as a warning that we are not doing our work as well as we might4 ,this is not the place to write at length on the treatment of converts4 ,let it be sufficient to say that we should extend to these the very utmost charity and sympathy4 ,we who were born ,catholics can hardly realise the extraordinary mental anguish which some of them go through in their search after truth1 and in confronting the call to break with the most sacred associations of their lives4 ,yet it is no charity to them to receive them when they are only partially instructed or when they have not really grasped the essentials of an act of faith4 ,the modern discipline of requiring a faculty before receiving anyone into the ,church is some check on this1 but not a complete one4 ,the judgment of the priest is practically always accepted and the instructions laid down are often curtailed4 ,when the convert has been prepared1 the priest has to complete the work1 and it is no small consolation both to him and to the convert4 ,but after the seed is planted comes the time of growth1 and the anxiety about the early ,catholic life of his converts is not the least among the pastoral solicitudes of the priest4 ,in their early days as ,catholics they have a right to frequent visits from their father-in-,god4 ,we come finally to a large number of subjects for the priest's visits-- the sick of every kind1 whether in hospitals or workhouses or infirmaries or in private houses1 and from those who are stricken with comparatively light ailments to those who are chronic invalids3 and1 lastly1 those in danger of death4 ,of the sick in general ,canon ,keatinge at the outset calls attention to the essential difference between the sick men letting the priest know and sending for the priest2 and he rightly points out that even when the former state is reached1 there is a great opportunity for his soul1 and the very protraction of his illness1 wearying as it is to flesh and blood1 may be--whether he recovers or not--the grace of his life4 ,how many a man has been called back by illness to serious thoughts1 and has made his peace with ,god1 which may last for the rest of his life1 perhaps for many years4 ,his illness1 writes ,canon ,keatinge1 may be nothing less than a retreat for him and his whole house1 if you happen to be a man full of the spirit of your vocation4 #i ,when an actual sick call comes1 there is of course no room for choice2 one must go1 and at once4 ,the ministration to the dying is a part of the priest's office1 which is sometimes viewed with some apprehension before ordination4 ,the surroundings of death are unattractive to nature2 the sight of the struggle for life which ends in defeat is painful to watch2 and there is often trying physical discomfort in the surroundings of poverty and disease4 ,yet when it comes to the actual fact1 any priest will confirm the statement that it is one of the most consoling duties of his office4 ,the very fact that he is attending for purposes of ministration seems to carry him through all that nature revolts against in the sight and surroundings1 while he gains for himself a valuable lesson on the frailty of human life and the nearness of eternity4 ,it is indeed exceptional to be present at the actual moment of death1 though this sometimes occurs4 ,but one frequently sees the body very soon afterwards1 with the familiar death expression on the countenance1 before it has been laid out and assumed the calm sleep-like appearance with which most people are familiar4 ,the thought is inevitable3 a few moments ago the soul was here2 we were speaking with him2 now he has seen ,almighty ,god and been judged4 ,may he always remember us who helped him to die as a ,christian should6 ,we are often asked by the future priest for our experience of death-beds4 ,the description of the final struggle between good and evil1 the last assaults of the devil1 who knows that with this soul it is now or never1 are often depicted in vivid colours in books of devotion or in sermons1 and this forms one of the features of death of which ordinary people are most afraid4 ,it may be a good thing to have brought before them as a warning a picture of what presumably is a possibility2 but truth compels us to say that in the ordinary case it is not so4 ,the late ,dr4 ,coffin1 ,bishop of ,southwark1 who had had a long career as a member of the ,congregation of ,redemptorists1 of which he was ,provincial1 once admitted frankly that although he had often preached it1 he had never seen it2 and his experience of death-beds was very large4 ,the ordinary rule is that in the later stages of illness all is calm1 and the fear of death1 even in cases where it has been prominent in life1 disappears before the end comes4 ,and--a fact which can never be too strongly enforced and which will be corroborated by any priest who has ministered to the dying--when the patient is told that death is imminent1 in nearly every case the announcement is received with resignation2 and the last ,sacraments give no small consolation4 ,this has to be firmly insisted upon2 for ordinarily a non-,catholic doctor1 who has not the same outlook on death that we have1 will deprecate or even forbid informing him as to his condition4 ,the priest has to resist this order1 and he can do so with perfect confidence4 ,the physical effect such as it is will be1 as experience shows1 all in the direction of calming the mind and rather assisting than retarding recovery4 ,and to us who believe in the efficacy of the ,sacrament of ,extreme ,unction1 even to restore health when ,god sees it to be expedient1 this thought appeals with special force4 ,are we to understand then that there are no bad deaths1 or no death-bed conversions8 ,alas1 many a death is evil and ,godless1 and many people refuse to see the priest at all4 ,even in such a case there is not necessarily a struggle1 for a man may have surrendered himself to evil4 ,there may1 indeed1 be cases of a struggle between the right and wrong at the end1 but they are rare4 ,but with respect to death-bed conversions1 there is more to be said4 ,the expression may be used in a broad or a narrow sense4 ,in the strict meaning of the term1 that a man after an evil life changes his disposition at the very end1 this is of course the rarest event in the world1 and if it occurs1 must be looked upon as a very extraordinary grace4 ,but many a person puts himself straight in his confession when in danger of death4 ,some ancient criminal attachment or some unconfessed sin may have kept him away from the sacraments for years without having destroyed either his faith or his general wish to serve ,god4 ,to such a one his last sacraments form a great grace1 which show that ,almighty ,god has not been unmindful of his general aiming at good1 and that whereas during life this aim has not been strong enough to overcome the special difficulty which came upon him1 the stimulus of approaching death has been providentially afforded him to strengthen his will sufficiently for true sorrow4 ,but apart from death-bed struggles1 the judgments of ,god are often manifestly shown by a sudden death4 ,it has sometimes been remarked how many priests die suddenly2 but to them surely sudden death should have no terrors4 ,a man who has given his whole life and strength to ministering for ,god should surely welcome a short and swift transit from this vale of tears to our home above4 ,but in the case of those not so prepared1 it is otherwise1 and often the sudden death of one whom we have known and loved may come upon us as something truly solemn and awful4 ,the following story of his early priestly days1 even though more than thirty years ago1 has never been forgotten or lost its effect on the present writer1 and he makes no apology for reproducing it here2 though no doubt most priests might have similar experiences to recount4 ,a certain ,mrs4 ,x41 a widow of about forty to fifty years old1 who had been brought up in the ,church of ,england1 became convinced of the truth of the ,catholic religion4 ,she attended mass every ,sunday1 and was always at the evening service both ,sunday and weekday--she never missed--and she had ceased entirely ever going to the ,anglican ,church4 ,after a while she was asked whether she would not like to see the priest and be received into the ,church4 ,she answered that she would do so later on2 but she wished to wait till after the death of her aged mother1 who was much opposed to ,catholics1 and who1 she feared1 might suppress her allowance and leave her nothing by will4 ,mrs4 ,x4 added that there was no danger in waiting3 she lived next door to the priest1 and in case of illness she could and would at once summon him4 ,so matters remained until one day in the summer1 when the school children had their annual outing1 and the priest accompanied them4 ,on his return1 he found his housekeeper almost in a state of hysterics4 ,mrs4 ,x4 had been taken suddenly ill at midday1 and had sent across to ask the priest to come2 but he was out with the children4 ,about half an hour before his return ,mrs4 ,x4 had died4 ,the final scene of this remarkable story was the funeral service of ,mrs4 ,x4 in an ,anglican ,church1 at which her aged mother assisted4 ,such are the facts1 and without taking any too rigid a view of the final lot of ,mrs4 ,x4 in the next world1 we can at least see a punishment for her want of generosity in hesitating to give herself into ,god's hands as a ,catholic until she should have 7as she thought7 made sure that she would not be the loser in this world's goods4 ,at the lowest estimate1 she was punished by being deprived of countless graces which she could have had4 ,god is not mocked444what things a man shall sow1 those also shall he reap4 #aj ,the pastoral work for the individual does not end with his death4 ,first there are the funeral rites to perform4 ,according to the new ,canon ,law1 being a parochial function1 it must take place in the parish church3 the ordinary cemetery chapel1 when there is one1 will not suffice2 still less the recital of the service in the open air1 which is often the only function possible in the case of a public cemetery1 and the parish priest or his deputy must perform the actual burial4 ,this law is perhaps more important than it seems4 ,the time of a funeral is one when the hearts of the mourners are open to influences to which at other times they are impervious2 and frequently also there are non-,catholics among them4 ,the beauty of the ceremonial cannot fail to be a real consolation to those who are bereaved1 if only it is performed in a devotional manner2 but a priest who is continually doing it day after day can hardly fail to go through it somewhat mechanically4 ,the parish priest1 on the other hand1 or the curate1 who has assisted at the death will himself share the emotion of the mourners4 ,the custom prevalent in this country of adding some vernacular prayers when the ritual or official prayers are over helps very much at such a season1 and not infrequently affects the non-,catholics present1 for some of our funeral prayers are remarkably beautiful4 ,then when the last rites are over1 the priest will wish to commemorate his dead and to offer prayers for them4 ,the time is unhappily over when the tombs of those who have departed were grouped round the church1 to be remembered for many years by those who knew them4 ,this practice was specially in accordance with the ,church's spirit4 ,nowadays the growth of populations and the sanitary considerations have demanded the creation of large cemeteries outside the towns4 ,all the more reason therefore that the clergy should continually call the attention of their parishioners to the ,catholic doctrine of the ,communion of ,saints and to their duty to pray for those who have gone before them4 ,this is one special feature of an ,episcopal visitation1 and the solemnity of the ,bishop's act should serve to remind both pastor and people of the duty and consolation of offering prayers and masses for those who have gone before us in the sign of faith1 and sleep the sleep of peace4 #a ,canon #ifi3 ,nemo ex saecularibus ordinetur qui judicio proprii ,episcopi non sit necessarius vel utilis ecclesiis dioecesis4 ,canon #abh3 ,quoties et quamdiu id judicio proprii ,ordinarii exigat ,ecclesiae necessitas1 et nisi legitimum impedimentum excuset1 suscipiendum est clericis ac fideliter implendum munus quod ipsis fuerit ab ,episcopo commissum4 #b ,see also remarks on the ,pastoral ,office as a source of sanctification in ,conference ,,ii4 #c ,st4 ,john xv4 #ad4 #d ,the modern practice of giving secular names is1 it need hardly be pointed out1 of ,protestant origin4 ,it is to be noted that in the new ,codex of ,canon ,law it is definitely enacted that one name at least must be that of a saint 7,canon #gfa74 #e ,the ,priest on the ,mission1 p4 #hg4 #f ,in the case of mixed marriages some restrictions are necessary2 and it is one of the sad drawbacks of our state in ,england that practically a large proportion of our marriages are mixed4 #g ,st4 ,luke v4 #cb4 #h ,st4 ,john x4 #af4 #i ,the ,priest1 etc41 p4 #bdc4 #aj ,gal4 vi4 #g4 ,,conference ,,viii ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work 7continued7 ,,the ,,liturgy ,,one of the regrettable symptoms of present-day ,catholicity in ,london is the decay of liturgy4 ,it is true that we have in our midst now the great ,cathedral of ,westminster where the full liturgy of the ,church is carried out daily with a completeness unknown in modern times2 but it seems as though its existence has become a sort of centre of specialisation in that line1 while one after another the parish churches have put their ,sunday high mass into a secondary place1 or abolished it altogether4 ,this is a great change on past traditions4 ,at the beginning of the last century1 when the modifying of the ,penal ,laws first made it possible1 a great effort was made to have high mass in all the churches of ,london-- then about eight in number4 ,the memories of ,webbe at the ,sardinian ,chapel1 and ,novello at the ,portuguese ,chapel became part of ,catholic ,london2 and in later times1 though the singing at the various churches was of a type which we should not now approve--notably at ,warwick ,street1 which gained for itself the title of the ,shilling ,opera1 for all the best singers of the ,italian ,opera were to be heard there on ,sundays--nevertheless1 this indicated much care and attention in the carrying out of the liturgy at high mass4 ,vespers were also common as an afternoon service on a ,sunday1 which was probably in great part due to the thousands of ,french emigres priests and laymen who were in ,london in the early years of the century2 for in ,france the singing of vesper psalms has always been popular4 ,even in the country churches it was the rule1 not the exception1 to have a sung mass on ,sundays4 ,here again one recalls a stamp of music with which we should not now be content--such as ,mozart ,,xii sung in unison1 already alluded to in a former ,conference--but it evidences considerable trouble to be able to have a sung mass4 ,we may well enquire what has caused the ,london tradition to change4 ,one reason may possibly be that the increase of population has led to the people being more evenly distributed between the various masses1 so that no single mass is the principal one in the sense that it used to be1 and that seems expected in the liturgical rubrics4 ,at present in many places the ten o'clock mass draws the largest congregation1 and since the introduction of a twelve o'clock low mass1 the high mass has been further depleted1 so that the sermon1 is often put at the former instead of the latter4 ,another reason may be the coming of the tradition from ,ireland4 ,there are no people on the face of the earth to equal the ,irish in their devotion to low mass1 or in the number of the mass-going population4 ,dublin may be compared with any city in ,catholic ,europe1 and for the number of people who go to mass on a ,sunday--and even on a weekday-- could put that city in the shade4 ,but since the suppression of the liturgy by the ,penal ,laws1 the ,irish have never recovered their taste for high mass or other functions4 ,even at the ,pro-,cathedral in ,marlborough ,street1 ,dublin1 though the singing is excellent1 the people do not take to high mass3 they prefer to hear a low mass which may be going on at a side altar at the same time1 and at its conclusion the church empties1 though the high mass is not half over4 ,here in ,england we have not got the ,irish devotion to low mass1 and to us therefore the decay of high mass is a greater loss4 ,but probably the reason that would be given is that the stress of modern life has made people unwilling to face long services4 ,no doubt there is some truth in the contention that they would not tolerate the length of services current last century4 ,the great ,requiem for ,pius ,,vi in #agii lasted1 together with the ,dirge1 from ten in the morning till nearly four in the afternoon3 people certainly would not sit through that to-day4 ,in much later times1 and within living memory1 the ordinary ,sunday high mass1 with sermon1 lasted the greater part of two hours4 ,but that is not so now4 ,with the present length of sermon1 and with simple music1 the high mass need not last more than an hour and a quarter1 and it may well be questioned whether people would really find this too long4 ,the plea about length is heard perhaps more often from the priest1 professing to voice the mind of the people1 than from the people themselves4 ,in more outlying parts1 it would seem that the regulation issued by ,pius ,x insisting on the singing of the proper--introit1 gradual1 etc4--in some cases has had the opposite effect to that intended1 and has caused many to give up the sung mass altogether2 for although it may be urged that the proper can always be sung either in psalm tone1 or at least monotone1 in practice people will not attempt it2 and indeed often when it is attempted1 the difficulty of reading ,latin to laymen who are not accustomed to it in a country where the language is so different in sound and rhythm produces a result the reverse of devotional4 ,then again restrictions on the class of music from a false reading of the well-known ,motu ,proprio of ,pius ,x has had the same effect4 ,there is no document more frequently misquoted than this ,motu ,proprio4 ,the lover of ,gregorian music speaks as though universal plain chant was prescribed2 the admirers of ,palestrina quote it in favour of polyphonic music2 while those who are opposed to the masses of ,mozart and ,haydn1 once so popular1 appeal to the ,motu ,proprio as though it were a condemnation of this whole class of music4 ,in point of fact if anyone will actually read the text1 he will find it most broad in outlook4 ,undoubtedly the ,pope extols plain chant as pre-eminently the music of the ,church and calls for its restoration2 but he also speaks highly of polyphonic music2 and with respect to modern music1 he only stipulates that it should not be theatrical in character4 ,those who are familiar with the very light and trumpery music in vogue in the ,italian churches--which is the instance actually quoted by the ,pope--will readily understand this restriction4 ,that it condemns masses such as ,haydn's ,imperial may perhaps be fairly argued2 but most of ,mozart's masses would seem to come within the scope of what is allowed4 ,a possible exception is the well-known ,no4 ,,xii1 which many maintain to have been written not by ,mozart at all1 but by his pupils4 ,at any rate it is of a distinctly more operatic character than the other ,mozart masses4 ,but even if ,mozart and ,haydn are excluded1 there are plenty of simple masses often sung which are entirely within the line drawn4 ,indeed1 on the important point emphasised by the ,pope1 of the words being sung so that the listeners can follow them1 music of this kind is superior to polyphonic1 in which the syllables in the different voices so overlap that it is often impossible to follow the words4 ,it is true indeed that these masses sometimes include the needless repetition of the words of the liturgy which the ,pope condemns2 especially in the ,kyrie1 where the number of invocations is never the proper nine1 and is simply adapted to the exigences of the music2 and in the concluding phases of the ,gloria and ,credo1 in which the ,amen is often repeated many times2 in the beginning of the ,gloria also1 or in the ,sanctus or elsewhere some repetition is found2 but as a general rule in the masses we have had in this country the repetitions have been less pronounced than is often implied1 and a good many masses are practically free from them4 ,the abuse current in ,italy of having all the chief parts of the ,gloria--the ,gratias agimus1 the ,domine ,deus1 etc4--as separate pieces which is condemned by the ,pope has never found its way into ,england4 #a ,then with respect to details1 although the ideal put forward is for a choir of men and boys1 it was apparently not intended to exclude women altogether3 it was only meant to stipulate that they should not be admitted to the choir1 which according to the authorised explanation1 is complied with provided that they are grouped apart and not mixed with the men4 ,indeed1 solos are expressly allowed1 provided that they do not monopolise the singing4 ,the chief instrument is to be the organ or harmonium1 but with leave of the ,bishop other wind instruments may be added on special occasions4 ,the only prohibition is against instrumenta percussionis1 specified as pianoforte1 drums1 kettledrums1 cymbals1 triangles1 etc4--a list which is in itself a sufficient commentary on the music which it is desired to exclude4 ,all this seems surely broad enough to bring the sung mass within the capability of most missions4 ,nevertheless1 there is much in favour of a return to plain chant4 ,the old idea which was involved in ,bishop ,douglass's description of a ,requiem a century ago that the ,responses were in plain chant except the ,libera1 which was in music1 calls for combating1 for ,gregorian ,chant is in the highest sense music4 ,the chief reason that people do not always take to it is that it requires a certain training to appreciate it4 ,if plain chant is to be restored1 the first step is to train not only the clergy1 as is already being done1 but more importantly still1 the schoolmasters4 ,recently the writer heard a high mass in a country church sung in plain chant by the school children1 who had been trained by their master1 and not only was the effect most devotional1 but the congregation was already beginning to join in the singing--a consummation devoutly to be wished4 ,if this could be done regularly1 we should perhaps see our way to the restoration of the liturgy in popular estimation1 and an incidental advantage not to be lost sight of would be that it would limit the duration of the services4 #b ,the case of ,vespers is different from that of sung mass4 ,it was never meant for an evening service of the modern type1 and used to be sung early in the afternoon4 ,from the time when vernacular evening services began to come in--which was about the middle of last century #c--the popularity of ,vespers has steadily declined4 ,there are now but few churches where they are ever attempted2 and such services as ,tenebrae in ,holy ,week or the ,dirge on ,all ,souls' ,day seem to be almost limited to cathedral churches4 ,this is of course to be regretted1 and it is probable that a good deal more might be done to revive the singing of ,vespers2 but it may be doubted whether it would be really popular in ,england as a regular thing4 #d ,now a priest should love the liturgy1 both for his own spiritual life and for that of his people2 and likewise for the outward glory of ,god1 for it is the official life of the ,church4 ,the ,puseyites boasted to ,cardinal ,wiseman that great credit was due to them for reintroducing high mass 7as they considered it74 ,the ,cardinal replied that still greater credit was due to ,catholics who had never lost it4 ,a priest should be educated in the liturgical sense that he in turn may educate his people4 ,if he has little taste for liturgy he is wanting in the fulness of his vocation4 ,it is certainly not an over-statement that much more trouble might be taken with the liturgical services than is often the case4 ,to learn to be at home on the sanctuary and to move about quietly and in a dignified way requires a little effort1 but presents no great difficulty4 ,yet often we see it far otherwise4 ,so1 also1 every priest should be able at least to chant the prayers in a proper tone1 and this will make a great difference to the general effect4 ,if he is musical1 so much the better4 ,many priests are not1 and for them it involves a good deal of trouble and will be only moderately successful2 but it is hard to believe that the prayers we sometimes hear represent really the best that the priest can do4 ,an unmusical priest may be excused for finding the ,preface and ,pater ,noster a difficulty1 but it should not be insuperable4 ,although1 however1 a high mass1 or at least ,missa ,cantata1 may be regarded as the ideal even for small missions1 there are undoubtedly many in which this is impossible4 ,in such cases the chief ,sunday low mass can be and often is performed with solemnity--such as the lighting of the sixes on the altar1 and the number of servers increased--which may be very devotional4 ,and it may be accompanied by singing1 provided this is in ,latin4 #e ,and in large churches1 all the ,sunday masses should be celebrated as solemnly as possible4 ,let it be remembered that many persons always hear one of the low masses only4 ,for this reason it is desirable that at least the more essential notices--announcing coming feasts1 or fast days1 or special services--should be read at every mass1 as well as the ,epistle and ,gospel of the ,sunday4 ,where possible1 even a short five minutes' sermon serves a very good purpose4 ,the whole service can be made devotional1 and the large ,communion makes itself necessarily so4 ,the well-known description of ,father ,dalgairns1 in his book on ,holy ,communion1 is worth quoting as illustrating this fact3-- ,enter into a ,london chapel on a ,sunday when not even the few attempts at magnificence which our poverty permits us are displayed4 ,let it be in the depths of the ,city1 in an old-fashioned chapel1 with ,protestant pews4 ,here the church has no beauty that one should desire her4 ,no organ peals1 and no sweet-toned choir chants4 ,yet there is a marvel which kings and prophets thirsted to see and did not see4 ,they throng to the altar2 the priest in a low voice repeats the blessed words and gives to each his ,god4 ,no saints are there1 but good ordinary ,christians1 fearing ,god in the midst of the world2 some are even great sinners who have just been cleansed in the sacrament of ,penance4 ,the same scene goes on all over even this heretical land4 ,no glorious bells ring out over the length and breadth of ,england1 from spire and steeple1 to announce the adorable sacrifice1 but in our great wicked towns you may count the communicants by tens of thousands4 ,in ,birmingham and ,sheffield1 ,liverpool and ,manchester1 they are crowding to receive their ,lord4 ,the same blessed work is going on in lowly country missions scattered up and down the country1 where a few worshippers still congregate to worship the ,god of their fathers1 in venerable chapels under the roof of ,catholic gentlemen1 the descendants of martyrs1 where the ,blessed ,sacrament has found a refuge through centuries of persecution4 #f ,but the priest will have to conduct many services which are only partly liturgical1 or not liturgical at all4 ,of such a nature is the ordinary ,sunday evening service at most of our churches1 or the weekday ,benedictions1 meetings of ,confraternities1 etc4 ,here again there is room for improvement in the manner they are conducted4 ,many a priest gabbles the prayers--especially the ,hail ,marys of the ,rosary--in a manner which makes them quite inaudible1 and is a real hindrance to the people joining4 ,it conveys the idea that he is discharging a duty for the sake of his people1 without any idea of praying himself4 ,yet surely the prayers which are good enough for them are good enough for him2 and in truth there is no more moving or devotional sight than that of a priest praying together with his people4 ,the practice of utilising the time during ,benediction to say ,office is regrettable if only for this reason--that it destroys the community of prayer between priest and people1 and he loses the grace of the ,congregational ,act4 ,at the ,eucharistic ,congress in #aijh1 when the people assembled at each side of the street in their thousands1 one of the most touching sights was the arrival of groups or congregations led by their priests1 reciting the ,rosary or other devotions or singing hymns with him4 ,no more vivid representation could be imagined of the good shepherd leading his flock1 as is customary in southern or mountainous countries1 which formed one of the best known of the parables of our ,lord4 ,there is certainly a need for more variety in our popular evening services3 people get tired of the perpetual ,rosary1 sermon and ,benediction2 but until something better is forthcoming1 we must make the best of what we have4 ,evening services are comparatively new in other countries besides ,england1 as formerly there was no satisfactory means of lighting the churches1 and there is now room for their development4 ,in some smaller churches ,night ,prayers are an agreeable variety3 the ,cure of ,ars used to say them with his people every evening4 ,there is something to be said also for the old ,english devotion of the ,jesus ,psalter2 and in ,lent1 ,stations of the ,cross are usually popular4 ,but on the whole1 there is a want of suitable variety in the first part of the service4 ,for the concluding part1 nothing could be more beautiful than the ,benediction service1 which has crystallised itself into a definite form for this country4 ,finally1 it is worth while to put in a word in favour of an effort to keep the church open all day4 ,the importance of this practice has been emphasised not only in our own ,synods of ,westminster1 #g but also in the new ,codex1 #h which orders it for at least several hours each day4 ,with us there are sometimes difficulties in the way1 especially when the presbytery is at a distance from the church4 ,sometimes1 however1 these difficulties are unduly magnified4 ,even the danger of occasionally losing a few shillings from the collection boxes would seem to be not too great a price for satisfying the devotion of so many who long to visit the ,blessed ,sacrament from time to time4 ,a ,catholic church should have as its characteristic that it is alive2 and even when no service is going on1 the daily life of the church shows itself4 ,time was1 and not so many years ago1 when a church left open would run the risk of being maliciously desecrated3 and that is probably in part at least responsible for the bad tradition in some of our churches in this respect2 but it is to be hoped that we have got past that danger by now4 #a ,that is1 not as a rule4 ,in the days of the so-called shilling opera at ,warwick ,street1 some of the ,italian type of masses were in vogue4 #b ,as an extreme example of the opposite spirit and the decay of liturgical sense may be quoted that of a church a few years ago on ,palm ,sunday1 which fell that year on ,march #af1 the only music being at the distribution of the ,palms1 when the people sang the hymn ,glorious ,st4 ,patrick4 ,on another occasion at quite a large church1 one ,maundy ,thursday1 falling that year a few days after ,march #ai1 and within the supposed ,octave of ,st4 ,joseph1 when we came hoping to find ,tenebrae1 instead there were popular devotions before the statue of ,st4 ,joseph1 which in consequence of ,passiontide1 was covered with a purple veil1 but had lights burning before it4 #c ,about half a century earlier a system of ,english psalm-singing was introduced by some of the gentry in their chapels4 ,owing to the nature of its origin--for it was at a time when the laity were in opposition to their ,bishops and adopted the name ,cisalpines--these ,english psalms did not at that time receive ,episcopal sanction2 but they were not forbidden1 and were in use in some chapels down to comparatively modern times4 ,in the home of ,cardinal ,vaughan at ,courtfield1 in ,herefordshire1 they were in regular use4 ,in his youth he learnt to love them1 and when ,bishop of ,salford he introduced something similar in his ,cathedral1 with considerable success2 and the experiment was copied elsewhere4 ,when he came to ,london as ,archbishop1 he tried to introduce them there2 but they were not taken up1 and are now rarely heard anywhere4 ,nevertheless1 the ,come let us adore--an adaptation of the ,venite exultemus--found its way into the ,manual of ,prayers and has thus secured a permanent place among our devotional exercises4 #d ,the practice in some few churches of having votive ,vespers of our ,lady every ,sunday has little to recommend it4 ,they are in truth private devotions1 and ought to be sung as such1 without any liturgical accessories4 ,if there is1 as often1 a celebrant in cope1 either he will be vested in a colour incongruous to the season--as1 for example1 a white cope in ,lent or ,advent1 or even on a green ,sunday--or1 what is worse1 he will be celebrating the office of our ,lady in green1 red or purple1 which is still more incongruous4 ,moreover1 since the reform of the ,calendar under ,pius ,x1 the proper liturgical psalms at ,vespers are nearly always the same1 which removes the difficulty which used to drive people to votive ,vespers of our ,lady1 in days when the liturgical ,vespers were so various and complicated4 #e ,so the ,motu ,proprio of ,pius ,x provides4 ,in the case of children's masses the singing of ,english hymns seems to be sanctioned by custom4 #f ,p4 #djc4 7,ed4 ,duffy4 #aijc47 #g ,ad hanc devotionem magis magisque fovendam1 vehementer optandum est ut ,ecclesiae aditus vel continuo diu1 vel si ruri sit1 per aliquot horarum spatium fidelibus pateat2 et doceantur omnes amantissimum ,salvatorem in ,ss4 ,eucharistia latentem invisere1 adorare1 ac fervidis precibus supplicare1 animamque simul communione spirituali refocillare 7,i ,westmonast4 xviii4 #i74 #h ,ecclesiae in quibus ,sanctissima ,eucharistia asservatur1 praesertim paroechiales1 quotidie per aliquot saltem horas fidelibus pateant 7,canon #abff74 ,,conference ,,ix ,,the ,,priest',s ,,pastoral ,,work 7continued7 ,,preaching ,,let us begin this ,conference by propounding a question for consideration4 ,the preaching of the ,word of ,god is a sacred part of the priest's pastoral work1 and not the least sacred part of it4 ,yet the average priest speaks of it as though it were a task irksome in itself1 to be got through somehow or other1 and always a nuisance4 ,if anyone is available and is kind enough to replace him in the pulpit1 or if he gets off by the timely arrival of a ,bishop's pastoral1 he is unreservedly pleased4 ,it is true that he is usually a hard-worked man1 and that if he gets off any of his work1 it is a relief to him2 but in the case of a sermon he is far more relieved than in any other case4 ,does this look as if he appreciated at its true value the pastoral work of preaching the ,word of ,god8 ,in order to get a true answer to this question1 we shall probably not be far wrong in seeking it in the personal history of the individual priest as preacher1 to see whether he has imperceptibly learnt an inadequate view of his office4 ,it is hardly an exaggeration to say that his early sermons were simply a struggle against breaking down4 ,he was naturally nervous the first few times that he found himself in so novel a position1 standing before a congregation all listening to his words4 ,in order to nerve himself up for the occasion1 he has taken no small trouble in writing out in full his discourse and committing it to memory4 ,his chief anxiety is lest his memory should fail him--which sooner or later it is sure to do1 not once1 but often1 and he is anxious as to what will happen the first time that this shall occur4 ,he gets through his first sermon1 and is then anxious about his secondhand so on4 ,very soon he finds that it is practically impossible for him to write out all his sermons1 and he contents himself with an analysis2 for as time goes on1 he is acquiring a certain facility in expressing himself ex tempore1 and the frequency of his sermons is gradually curing him of nervousness4 ,perhaps the first time that he lost the thread of his discourse he covered his difficulty better than he might have hoped1 and this helps to give him confidence4 ,then sooner or later it will occur that some unexpected pressure of work--a sick call on a ,saturday night or a ,sunday morning1 let us say-- prevents him from preparing his sermon at all in a systematic way1 and he finds himself face to face with the duty of preaching with only a few minutes to collect his thoughts4 ,with commendable trust in ,providence1 he says a fervent prayer for ,divine assistance1 boldly ascends the pulpit1 and perhaps surprises himself at the facility with which he discharges his task4 ,would that he always bore in mind that if our ,heavenly ,father helps us in a special way when we have to speak for ,him and ,his kingdom on the pressure of an emergency1 this does not dispense us from using ordinary means on a future occasion when the emergency has passed away4 ,it was for such occasions--when the ,apostles were to be delivered up to the hands of their enemies--and for those occasions only that ,he told them to take no thought of how or what to speak2 for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak4 #a ,if we may venture to give a natural explanation1 it would be that we all have a certain class of thoughts in our mind which1 under the influence of sudden or strong stimulus1 take shape in words4 ,if we trust to these time after time1 we shall1 to say the least1 lay ourselves open to great monotony and self-repetition in our preaching4 ,and this is what often occurs as a young priest gradually gains confidence1 and begins to think that he can preach without serious or long preparation4 ,the above description might be continued1 but enough has been said for the present purpose1 which is to call attention to this point4 ,at the beginning the priest's preaching has been a struggle to get through without breaking down4 ,when he has been sufficiently long at it for this danger to have passed away1 he still has the practical feeling--his aim is to fill up the requisite amount of time with respectably good matter1 so as to discharge his duty4 ,it has hardly at all come before him in the light of a privilege to speak the ,word of ,god1 a source of grace to himself as well as to others1 an expression of his own spiritual thoughts put forth for the benefit and instruction of those entrusted to his pastoral charge2 and this is to a large extent responsible for the want of fervour and of soul and interest in his sermons4 ,it is always easier to state an evil than to suggest a remedy2 but it is something towards the desired end if we are able to diagnose the true cause of our difficulty4 ,the conclusion urged is that it is not enough to insist on an elaborate direct preparation2 on a scientific knowledge of the way to order a discourse2 on rules of elocution and rhetoric2 highly desirable as some of these may be4 ,still less would one ask a priest to write and learn all his sermons1 which even if practically possible1 is not in any way desirable4 ,the true remedy is rather to teach our young priests the spiritual side of preaching1 to train them to look on the sermon as part of their pastoral office4 ,if this view is planted in their minds at the outset of their priestly career1 it will grow rapidly and strongly1 as by actual contact with their parishioners they feel their own power for good in the pulpit1 and see before their eyes their people growing and living on the strength of words heard in their sermons4 ,it is this consciousness which will elevate the duty in their minds from an irksome task to that of one of the most privileged of their pastoral duties4 ,in this point of view we see the key of the remark often made that the remote preparation for preaching is more important than the proximate4 ,by the remote preparation is meant the priest's daily life1 his union with ,god1 his supernatural views of the things of this world1 and the acquiring of his store of thoughts from his prayer1 his meditation1 his spiritual reading1 and1 not least important1 his pastoral work among the poor1 the sick and the dying4 ,we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard4 #b ,if the truths of faith are so vividly present to us that ,god's dealings with mankind are as things we have actually seen and heard1 we shall long that others may share our privilege1 and we shall feel the greatest joy in instructing them in ,christ's ,name4 ,but if this spirit be wanting1 all human eloquence will be of no avail4 ,the value of the sermon is the reflection of the life of the preacher4 ,in considering the question of reading and study in preparation for the pulpit1 we naturally turn first to the two-fold branches of ,scripture and ,dogma as that which will help chiefly to give substance and backbone to our sermons4 ,it is astonishing how little use many preachers make of the inspired ,word of ,god1 containing as it does in itself not only the essence of all religious history and dogma1 but so many of the words of ,christ ,himself4 ,limiting our observations to the ,gospels alone1 it is an extraordinary grace we have received in having such full records of ,his words and acts at least during ,his public life4 ,this in itself enables us to have a real personal knowledge and love of our ,redeemer4 ,we should expect our sermons to be full of ,his words and sayings1 ,his parables1 ,his illustrations1 the example of ,his works2 and that all our moral lessons should be illustrated and driven home by ,his words4 ,yet in practice we hear sermon after sermon with no more than a few texts from ,scripture scattered through them1 and these often isolated and without their context2 and when we find a preacher really familiar with our ,lord's life and words1 we comment on it as quite remarkable4 ,it is probable that this is largely due to our habit of quoting isolated texts in support of dogmatic truths1 and our very reverence for them as the inspired ,word has led us to rest on the actual words and to lose sight of their general context4 ,very probably also ,cardinal ,manning's remark may be true1 that since the sixteenth century there has been a tendency to over-strictness against the popular use of the ,scriptures as a sort of recoil or reaction against ,protestantism4 ,at the present day1 however1 there is happily a reaction against this in all countries1 and a movement in favour of circulating at least the ,new ,testament more freely in the vernacular4 ,with us we can date it from the issue of the sixpenny ,new ,testament by ,burns and ,gates1 and the ,penny ,gospels of the ,catholic ,truth ,society2 but the cheap ,gospel texts in the vernacular which have appeared in some other countries--notably those issued by ,st4 ,luke's ,society in ,rome itself--have outdone anything we have in ,england4 ,one of our chief and foremost duties then is to familiarise ourselves with the words and actions of our ,lord in ,english4 ,there are many texts with which we are familiar in ,latin1 but we seldom make use of them because of the labour of turning them into ,english in the middle of a sermon1 when our mind is already intently occupied4 ,let us know them in ,english for the sake of our people whom we wish to instruct4 ,as to how this is best done opinions may differ4 ,some recommend learning texts by heart so as to have them always at hand4 ,others would find this method too mechanical1 and would prefer to trust to their own reading of and meditation on the ,gospels to bring about the desired result4 ,they would argue that he will have more command over texts that he has used and pondered over than over those he has simply learnt by heart4 ,it is wonderful how the simple quoting of ,gospel words elevates our sermons4 ,the people want the words of our ,lord1 ,his acts1 ,his parables1 the lessons ,he intended to teach2 they want to hear of the collateral setting of ,his life1 the gradual development of ,his work1 the kind of people ,he was teaching1 and so forth4 ,then they should hear the teaching of ,st4 ,paul1 his words to his converts1 his warnings against abuses1 his doctrinal and disciplinary instructions4 ,then also they like to hear from time to time some of the ,old ,testament--either the history of ,god's chosen people1 or the beauties of the ,messianic prophecies--of ,isaias and others2 or the psalmody of ,david2 or the ,sapiential books of ,solomon2 or the works of ,jeremias and the other prophets4 ,mere memory work will not do all this for us2 we must ourselves be accustomed to think of the ,gospels1 to meditate on our ,lord's words1 to see the meaning of ,his parables1 and so forth4 ,here is prayer enough and work enough to last us a lifetime1 and be continually bearing fruit4 ,now we come to direct preparation of our sermon4 ,undoubtedly the only way at the beginning is to write it out1 learn it and deliver it from memory4 ,but this laborious process is only a means to an end4 ,it will in the first instance help the priest through his initial shyness and diffidence in speaking of ,god and holy things in public2 and it will lay the foundation for the methodical composition of a discourse4 ,for he will soon learn the sequence of ideas which sound at first artificial1 though eventually they become part of the instinct of the preacher-- text1 introduction1 statement1 development1 explanation1 illustration1 peroration1 etc4 ,but it bears the same relation to preaching that the old autumn manoeuvres did to war4 ,his sermons in future will not be written out3 in the present hard-worked state of our clergy1 it would be impossible2 and in any case1 it would be ineffective4 ,a sermon written and repeated by heart must sound unreal and dead4 #c ,as ,cardinal ,manning puts it1 ,the written word is what we thought when we wrote it2 the spoken sermon is what we think at the moment of speaking4 ,it is our present conviction of intellect and feeling of heart3 it is therefore real1 and felt to be real by those who hear it4 #d ,it is not intended to discourage a careful preparation1 so far as circumstances will permit2 quite the contrary4 ,but it will not be of the nature of writing a set discourse4 ,it will be a far more simple preparation4 ,cardinal ,manning instances the preaching of the ,apostles4 ,we cannot1 he says1 conceive these messengers of ,god labouring to compose their speech1 or studying the rules and graces of literary style4 ,the records of their preaching in the ,new ,testament are artless and simple as the growths of nature in the forest1 which reveal the power and beauty of ,god4 ,their words and writings are majestic in their elevation and depth and pathos and unadorned beauty1 like the breadth and simplicity of the sea and sky4 ,their whole being was pervaded by the divine facts and truths1 the eternal realities of which they spoke4 #e ,let us fix our ideas by a definite instance4 ,in all ,st4 ,paul's career there was no one sermon which would have needed greater care than his sermon at ,athens4 ,he had to speak to a highly educated audience1 of people without belief even in ,god1 most of them eaten up with pride1 listening to him with a supercilious curiosity2 and he knew that for most of them his sermon would be the one opportunity of their lifetime4 ,if any sermon of his would have needed previous thought and preparation1 it would have been this one4 ,of course we have no authority for saying how much preparation he gave to it4 ,we can well imagine his carefully thinking over what he was going to say1 thinking of his initial outburst about the ,unknown ,god1 carefully considering his line of argument about the ,resurrection of our ,lord1 his reference to the ,greek poet with whom both he and they were familiar1 and so forth4 ,but equally we most assuredly cannot for a moment imagine him writing out and learning his discourse4 ,had he done so1 it would have lost all its force and reality4 ,any gain in the artificial rhetoric1 or the choice of words1 or the like would have been far more than compensated for by the hollowness and want of fervour hic et nunc4 ,other instances might be adduced and the same reasoning applied to them3 ,st4 ,peter's sermon on the day of ,pentecost1 ,st4 ,stephen's speech to his murderers1 and many others4 ,from internal evidence we can see that these were thought out and prepared beforehand2 but we cannot even imagine their having been written out and committed to memory4 ,our future preparation may perhaps be something of this kind4 ,first we have to fix on our subject--not always the easiest part of our work4 ,let us suppose that on reading through the ,sunday ,gospel some aspect of it or some incident in it appeals to us from a particular point of view1 and that point we decide to develop4 ,possibly something we have read in the past occurs to mind1 and we get out a book--or perhaps several books--to suggest to us a few ideas4 ,then the first stage of our work is done4 ,the next process is to think4 ,we have to make the ideas our own1 and develop them according to the bent of our own minds4 ,this cannot easily be done as we sit at our desks4 ,thoughts will not come to order4 ,developing a subject in one's mind is a gradual process1 and takes time4 ,it can well be done as we walk from place to place1 or exercise any light employment4 ,it is specially suitable to do it as we go about our pastoral work4 ,the words we use in our visits to members of our flock are the reflection of our mind and will bear close resemblance to our words in the pulpit4 ,if we find plenty to say1 and are conscious of the consolation we give by saying it to the poor individually1 why should it not be so likewise when we address them from the pulpit8 ,in order to complete our preparation1 we must then sit at our desk and write out the substance of our thoughts and put them in methodical order4 ,we should also look up the texts of ,scripture on which we rely1 and frequently the context will suggest further thoughts4 ,all this will vary between man and man1 and between day and day4 ,some will write long notes1 others short4 ,on some days thoughts come easily1 on others only with difficulty4 ,some people may find it useful to write a fair copy when the matter has been rearranged1 others will arrange their matter methodically at the outset1 and so forth4 ,when we have done this1 we can leave the sermon to the time1 presumably not far distant1 when we are going to preach it4 ,in the case of many of our less formal sermons1 the delivery follows close on the first preparation1 and even that has to be much curtailed4 ,such are the few words which we deliver to ,holy ,family meetings1 or other ,confraternities1 and short addresses at weekday evening services4 ,the ,sunday catechetical instruction forms a subject by itself1 and the idea that it can be efficiently performed with little or no preparation should be strongly deprecated4 ,it is an opportunity of doing great things for the children1 and implanting in their minds ideas which will last them through life1 and often be1 as it were1 their sheet-anchor to keep them to their religion in after years1 in times of stress and temptation1 or call them back to it if they have unhappily fallen away4 ,the responsibility of such an opportunity is great1 and no trouble should be too great to secure its effective performance4 ,we now come to the time of the sermon's delivery4 ,to some the quarter of an hour immediately before ascending the pulpit is the most important part of the preparation2 to all it is an important part4 ,it is essential that we should begin with our mind full of our subject4 ,a very little practice will enable us to feel at home in the pulpit once we have begun1 and we shall soon acquire self-command and power to collect our thoughts there4 ,nevertheless1 we shall often forget many things which we have thought of during our preparation1 while other thoughts will suggest themselves in most unexpected fashion4 ,a celebrated ,french preacher once said that he had never ended a sermon without finding that he had omitted most of what he had intended to say1 and said much that he had not intended4 #f ,it matters not3 what matters is that when the priest is speaking he should be full of his subject1 earnest1 enthusiastic1 speaking straight from his heart1 and above all things zealous for the good of his hearers4 ,then let his declamation be simple1 earnest1 natural4 ,the inflated and artificial style of oratory1 current until almost modern times1 would to-day be wholly out of place4 ,at best it was ill-suited to so lofty a purpose1 and ,st4 ,alphonsus only followed the lead of many saints and others in warning the preacher against the style it naturally led to4 ,the present simplicity of taste is far more in keeping with the sacredness of the work4 ,let the priest say what he means and mean what he says1 and the intrinsic force and sacredness of his words will be better than all rhetoric4 ,above all1 let there be no affectation of manner or self-consciousness1 which does so much to mar the effect of a sermon4 ,by all means1 however1 let him practise clearness of utterance4 ,it is very trying to a congregation to sit before a preacher whom they cannot hear2 and especially when such happens through the preacher's neglect of the ordinary rules of elocution4 ,nor does it usually require any greater effort on the part of the preacher to make himself intelligible4 ,clearness does not always necessitate loudness1 nor is it always achieved by it4 ,a careful utterance in a suitable pitch is really all that is required2 and the people should be spared the annoyance of listening to a preacher who clips his words1 or only partially pronounces them1 or drops his voice so that the last syllable of a word or the last word of a sentence is inaudible3 all these faults make it an effort to follow him4 ,and if there is any weakness in the initial h or the final g of a word1 the effect is far from pleasing4 ,in order to draw fruit from a sermon1 one wants to be able to follow it without effort1 and to be undisturbed by fault or peculiarities of enunciation4 ,these ends cannot be attained unless the preacher will take some trouble2 but with a little trouble it can easily be done4 ,nevertheless1 it often is not done4 #g ,the preacher should likewise make an effort to get over his natural shyness and disinclination to use his hands4 ,this will go of its own accord as soon as he has had sufficient practice to feel at home in the pulpit4 ,we do not wish to gesticulate so much as the ,french priests do-- it is not in accordance with the genius of our people2 and what is suitable in one country is out of place in another4 ,still less do we want any forced or unnatural gesticulation4 ,at first we should do with very little4 ,many ,englishmen do always with very little4 ,but in most cases1 it comes natural after a time to use the hands1 and when it is natural1 it increases greatly the force of our words4 ,a few remarks should be made as to the length of time at which to aim4 ,it is safe to say that the pressure of modern life calls for shorter sermons than our fathers were accustomed to4 ,the practice of five-minute sermons at the ,sunday low masses1 which first emanated in systematic form from the ,paulists of ,new ,york1 is now fairly common1 and of great service to those who cannot attend the principal mass on ,sundays4 ,but the curtailing of the chief sermon may easily be overdone4 ,people will never venture to complain of the shortness of a sermon1 but in truth one of eight or ten minutes does not satisfy them1 nor allow time to develop the matter properly4 ,it may be admitted1 however1 that shortness is a fault on the right side1 and people would not now tolerate the length of sermon that used to be imposed on them4 ,as a general rule1 it would be well to be under twenty minutes rather than over1 unless the occasion be an important one1 with a special preacher1 who may allow himself longer4 ,this applies to the chief sermons only2 that at the evening service on a weekday1 or at ,holy ,family or ,confraternity meetings or the like would naturally be shorter2 eight or ten minutes might in many cases be enough4 ,the length of time that we can hold their attention will of course vary somewhat from day to day4 ,one is able to tell at once when the listeners are getting weary4 ,but even when we are conscious that this is so1 there may be more good done than we are aware of4 ,frequently such has afterwards come to our knowledge2 in numerous other cases it may have occurred without our knowing it4 ,moreover1 the good done by a sermon depends on what has been said in the body of the discourse4 ,a good beginning or a good ending may round it off as a literary composition2 but they will not appreciably affect the value of the sermon from the point of view of gaining souls4 ,the same applies to the methodical development of the subject throughout4 ,it is useful to aim at it1 but if we fail to attain it1 or go astray from the scheme we had made out1 no great harm is done4 ,what is important is that whatever we say should come from our heart1 and that we should be so united to ,god as to fulfil our ,lord's words1 ,it is not you that speak1 but the spirit of your ,father that speaketh in you4 #h ,this is the way to reach the hearts of our congregation1 and to make our sermon in truth part of our pastoral work4 #a ,st4 ,matt4 x4 #ai4 #b ,acts iv4 #bj4 #c ,that is1 an ordinary parish sermon4 ,in the case of a sermon on some special occasion this remark must be modified4 ,such sermons partake of the nature of a pronouncement1 and it is important that the language should be carefully weighed1 and no point of importance omitted4 ,they usually find their way into print1 and are therefore addressed to a larger and different audience besides that in the church1 and must be treated on a different footing4 #d ,eternal ,priesthood1 p4 #ahg4 #e ,ibid41 p4 #agi4 #f ,perhaps a remark may be here made respecting the eventuality which from time to time occurs to every preacher4 ,all those who have been in the pulpit are familiar with the sudden feeling of blank coming over the mind1 and the momentary complete forgetfulness of the scheme of the sermon4 ,the great thing on such an occasion is not to stop4 ,once one stops to think1 ideas go further away1 the silence and expectancy of the congregation become oppressive1 and the pause seems interminable3 it is a question whether we shall ever recover ourselves at all4 ,whatever happens1 one must not stop4 ,one can repeat what one has just said in slightly different words1 or give forth any religious sentiment1 or the like3 this gives time for thought and conditions favourable for thinking1 and ordinarily one's ideas will return in plenty of time4 ,and only those who have themselves had experience in preaching are likely to detect what is happening4 ,one can occasionally notice even the most experienced preachers losing their thread in this way1 and it is worth noting as an antidote to discouragement4 #g ,a similar remark applies to the notices1 and the ,epistle and ,gospel1 which are sometimes read with quite painful carelessness4 ,this is a point which many laymen feel very much4 #h ,st4 ,matt4 x4 #bj4 ,,conference ,x ,,the ,,recreations ,,of ,a ,,priest ,,in the rules of every religious order are to be found special provisions with respect to recreation4 ,these are both positive and negative4 ,on the one hand there is usually a daily recreation which all take in common2 and besides this1 there are other times on feast days or other occasions when the ordinary rule of silence is relaxed and recreation by conversation is possible4 ,on the other hand there are the negative rules1 that a subject must not seek recreation outside his monastery1 and must not go out for social intercourse with his neighbours without the leave of his superior1 for which he must adduce a good reason4 ,the prominence attached to such regulations shows the important place which the subject holds in the life of the ,order or ,congregation4 ,with the secular clergy this is no less so2 and as is so often the case in comparing the two states1 we find that the secular priest has in one sense a harder task1 for he has no limitations of rule to guide him and no superior at hand to counsel him4 ,he has to depend on his own strength of will and his own judgment4 ,but at the beginning of his priestly career1 he has even greater difficulty1 for it comes at a time when he has just thrown off the restrictions of seminary life1 and also when he is reaching the fulness of his manhood4 ,the world which has been kept from him to a great extent up to then now seems to open out and smile before him4 ,it used to be a frequent question to seminarists1 ,how soon do you hope to be out8 ,now he has come out4 ,he is at once made much of by his new parishioners1 who shower upon him invitations to lunch1 dinner1 supper1 or other social gatherings4 ,he needs no small self-control to avoid being carried off his legs at the outset1 and being drawn into a daily life such as he never looked forward to when picturing to himself the priesthood4 ,his personal freedom also tends to increase the difficulty of his state4 ,he has no wife or family to think of1 he is alone1 and is for the first time in the enjoyment of outward liberty1 for his actual priestly duties can in the majority of cases be postponed or adjusted or even omitted to facilitate his recreation4 ,it is very easy for his boy's outlook on life1 which he should have put away before entering philosophy1 to persist in considerable measure not only during his seminary course1 but even after he has begun his career as a priest4 ,such an attitude is simply to take anything pleasurable or attractive which comes in his way1 provided it is not sinful1 and to enjoy it4 ,the state of the newly ordained priest in this respect is vividly depicted by ,cardinal ,manning3--#a ,to a priest who enters for the first time upon the sacerdotal life the first danger is the loss of the supports on which he has so long been resting in the seminary4 ,as in the launching of a ship1 when the stays are knocked away1 it goes down into the water1 thenceforward to depend on its own stability2 so a priest going out from the seminary into the field of his work has thenceforward to depend under ,god upon his own stedfastness of will4 ,the order1 method and division of time and of work2 the sound of the bell from early morning through the day till the last toll at night2 the example and mutual influence and friendship of companions in the same sacred life2 and still more the nature1 counsel and wise charity of superiors--all these things sustain the watchfulness and perseverance of ecclesiastical students until the day when invested with the priesthood1 they go out from the old familiar walls and the door is closed behind them4 ,they are in the wide world1 secular as the ,apostles were--that is1 in the world for the world's sake1 not of it1 but at war with it2 of all men the least secular1 unless they become worldly1 and the salt lose its savour4 ,a little later he continues3-- ,a life of unlimited liberty is encompassed with manifold temptations4 ,a priest coming out of a seminary needs fellowship1 and he often seeks it in society4 ,he does not as yet know the character of those about him1 or the reputation of the homes to which he is invited4 ,before he is aware he is often entangled in relations he would not have chosen and in invitations which1 if he had the courage1 he would refuse4 ,people are very hospitable and pity a priest's loneliness and like to have him at their tables4 ,sometimes the best of people are least circumspect and most kindly importunate in their invitations4 ,how shall a young and inexperienced mind hold out against these facilities and allurements to relaxation1 unpunctuality1 self-indulgence and dissipation8 ,the whole of a priest's life may be determined by his first outset4 ,he has been in it too short a time either to gain or to buy experience4 ,it is not meant to be inferred that all social invitations should be refused and all intercourse with one's neighbour avoided4 ,such would be both impossible and undesirable4 ,nor1 indeed1 can it be allowed that such invitations are by any means always accepted from motives of recreation at all4 ,such is of course often the case2 but often it is not4 ,in many instances the priest may be fulfilling a duty of charity1 or finding a means of spreading his pastoral work1 and the recreation may be a secondary consideration1 or may even be absent altogether4 ,indeed1 as a priest gets into years he will find more and more that many of his duties will bring all that is necessary for him in the way of recreation without his seeking it by any special act2 and this even though he has to face much which is dull or unattractive or monotonous to him4 ,the late ,canon ,oakeley1 in his lectures at ,st4 ,thomas's ,seminary so far back as the year #ahgj1 lays stress on this point3--#b ,a priest1 he writes1 especially in some of the less populous missions1 will soon find that social intercourse with his parishioners is quite as often a duty of charity as a means of personal recreation4 ,he must either refuse invitations altogether1 or participate in some festivities which will tax his good nature and exercise his self-denial quite as much as many of his severer duties4 ,he may have to sit out a dull dinner-party1 with uncongenial companions1 on a hot day in summer4 ,he may have to carve a round of beef for thirty hungry children at a ,christmas party4 ,he may have to adapt himself to the tastes and manners of the poorer members of his flock at some rural entertainment where his presence will tend to promote innocent mirth and to check dangerous excesses4 ,on these and similar occasions he will find it necessary to put a restraint on his natural inclinations1 in order to confer on those for whose happiness he is responsible that especial gratification which good ,catholics of every class derive from the sympathy and society of their priest4 ,yet1 apart from duties of charity1 some recreative society can lawfully and advisably be sought in the houses of the laity2 but it should be strictly under control and subject to narrow limits4 ,above all things1 a priest must not be a slave to it1 so as to be driven by human respect often to accept invitations which his reason may tell him to be inordinate4 ,a priest should not be a pleasure-seeker2 and if he is not ready to deprive himself of much society which has an attractive appearance1 for the sake of his work and for the recollection of his life1 it is an unfailing sign of the loss of the priestly spirit4 ,but precisely what limits to lay down for himself1 cannot be stated in general terms1 for it depends not only on a priest's own personality and temperament1 but also on the circumstances in which he is placed4 ,canon ,oakeley1 however1 adds one restriction which should certainly be adhered to1 for we live in an ill-natured world1 and our best friends are ready to be captious in their fault-finding3-- ,the priest in society1 he writes1 must never forget that he is a priest4 ,even if he forgets it1 others will not4 ,the ambiguous jest1 the anecdote of questionable propriety1 the loose and unguarded manner1 with other such indications of the unpriestly character1 will be remembered and perhaps quoted against him when the evening is over1 and when its warping influences have given way to calmer thoughts and cooler judgments4 ,the same persons who in the spirit of hospitable good nature have placed in his way the inducements to those excesses which at least weaken morality1 if they do not occasion scandal1 will be among the first to criticise the indiscretions to which they have helped to give rise4 ,the demeanour of a priest in society should always be marked by humility1 modesty1 courtesy and prudence4 ,he should be swift to hear and slow to dogmatise4 ,he should avoid arguments except when necessary for the vindication of truth2 and when thus necessary1 he should maintain his side with meekness and in the spirit of charity4 ,there is one kind of social intercourse that should be an unmixed good1 and often is so--the meeting with our fellow clergy4 ,it is difficult to get them together for merely social gatherings2 but any part of their work which brings them across their fellow priests is to both parties a source of strength as well as recreation4 ,one of the great advantages of the monthly ,theological ,conference is that it brings groups of clergy together and is often made the occasion of a dinner or other social gathering4 ,in like manner1 not the least of the benefits which the ,clergy ,fund confers on its members is the bringing together of all the clergy of the ,south of ,england once a year to spend an evening in each other's society4 ,even gatherings of the clergy1 however1 are not without their abuses4 ,the sight of a party of priests playing at cards hour after hour1 till late at night1 with its usual accompaniments1 is happily more rare than it once was2 but it is hardly obsolete even yet4 ,of course there is nothing in itself wrong in a game of cards1 or in playing for money1 provided the stakes are low2 but it is well known as leading to much abuse4 ,the excitement is of an unhealthy kind1 and whether one is winning or losing1 it is difficult to break off when a suitable hour arrives4 ,indeed1 the whole question of card-playing needs treating with caution2 both because it so often leads to what is undesirable1 and because the recreation it affords is at best out of proportion to the time consumed4 ,after a long session one ends less fresh than one began4 ,a game of whist1 or to some extent bridge1 in which considerable skill is required1 rests on a somewhat different footing3 but even of that we should be wise to exercise a careful control4 ,from the social side of a priest's life1 one naturally turns to that which has most influence on him when he is alone and which will include the chief part of his solitary recreation--his reading4 ,to say that much of the success or failure of his priestly life will depend on the proper direction of his reading is merely to say what is obvious4 ,leaving out of account his directly spiritual exercises1 he will undoubtedly have a large amount of time on his hands which may be most usefully employed in reading1 and which otherwise will be simply wasted4 ,a certain proportion of this may be solid work1 such as theological or other study1 necessitating close application4 ,a mathematician may utilise his powers by studying problems or other matter1 which stimulates and improves his mind4 ,but there must be a large amount of time left when the mind is too tired for serious exertion1 and this can be profitably devoted to reading of a lighter nature4 ,the first idea that occurs to one is novels4 ,in past times a stricter view obtained about novel reading than seems to be the case to-day4 ,there is no doubt that a purely sensational novel is a powerful instrument for the loss of time1 and it engenders an unhealthy craving for excitement of an undesirable type4 ,a novel which is chiefly read for the excitement of its plot is beyond all doubt the priest's enemy1 and a greater and stronger enemy than many realise4 ,such novels exist to-day in large numbers1 and are sold at low prices4 ,perhaps for that reason they are not spoken of with much respect1 and being of a generally low order1 are less likely to ensnare us than those of a generation or two ago4 ,this of course does not apply to classical novels1 such as ,scott1 ,dickens1 ,thackeray1 etc41 nor to many modern novels by standard authors4 ,but there are many to which it does apply4 ,even the best novels are permeated with worldly ideals1 and the mainspring of the story always turns upon love affairs1 which even to a ,christian in the world should not be the exclusive motive of life4 ,nevertheless1 if such books are read with care and discrimination1 much recreative as well as educational thought can be obtained from them without any serious instilling of wrong principles4 ,the general subject of novels1 however1 is too long and complex to discuss here4 ,we can perhaps get a little more practical on that of newspapers4 ,to a priest a certain amount of newspaper reading is not only desirable1 but necessary to keep him in touch with the world in which he lives and works4 ,to know what is going on politically1 the forces at work in ,parliament1 the agitations through the country1 the relations of capital to labour1 the lives and deaths of distinguished men1 is essential to the conditions of modern life4 ,would that newspaper reading stopped there6 ,alas1 many of the principles are unconsciously imbibed and are detrimental to the priestly spirit4 ,this is no new evil4 ,so far back as about the year #ahcf1 ,dr4 ,newsham of ,ushaw wrote to ,dr4 ,wiseman1 as he then was1 ,rector of the ,english ,college at ,rome1 deploring the newspaper as the source of much of the want of ecclesiastical spirit among the clergy of his day3--#c ,i will say to you frankly that there is a very great want of a spirit of piety1 faith and religion in our clergy4 ,it is useless to investigate the cause of this4 ,i will say briefly that it has probably in good measure arisen from the great majority of the missionaries being young men1 from the little control that has been exercised by the ,bishops for many years over their young priests on the mission1 and probably above all from the spirit of the times which is incessantly infused into the mind of a young man by our abominable newspapers4 ,in fact1 a greater pest1 a more efficient weapon of the devil does not exist in the world than the ,english newspapers4 ,their pernicious effect on the minds of our young ecclesiastics has been observed and lamented by many others as well as myself4 ,at the present day the evil is of course emphasised by the great profusion of cheap newspapers1 and as a rule the cheaper the paper1 the lower the style and setting4 ,and a further evil has arisen of reading those parts of them which give a momentary excitement4 ,the little paragraphs are a potent time-waster4 ,even during the war1 the evening papers contain much that is not really of any permanent importance about it1 but out of war-time we became familiar with any number of small tit-bits which may beguile the time of a business man returning home from his work1 but which are unworthy of the attention of a serious-minded priest4 ,yet the paper became so full of them that even important news1 such as the proceedings of ,parliament1 became relegated to a back page1 or even got omitted altogether4 ,if we want to see a priest at his worst1 we cannot think of a better opportunity than after breakfast on a winter's morning1 if we can find him1 as we sometimes can1 spending an hour or two of the most valuable time of the day1 when he is best fitted for work1 in sitting before the fire reading the newspaper and smoking pipe or cigarette4 ,this perhaps suggests a few words about smoking itself1 which can be reckoned among a priest's recreations2 and if properly controlled1 a very good recreation it may be4 ,the solace of a pipe towards the end of a day1 when nature calls for a rest and an opportunity for quiet thought1 may be of great assistance to a priest in recuperating after a day's work4 ,and a smoke after meals is good and healthy for mind and body4 ,but1 alas6 many people do not limit themselves to moderate smoking1 and the habit often leads to sad waste of time4 ,there are indeed some who can work better with a pipe in their mouths3 but these are the exception4 ,the ordinary rule is that smoking is only compatible with light occupation4 ,hence a man who is always craving for a smoke is always craving for a few idle moments4 ,how many small intervals in the day are there which many a priest fills up with a cigarette1 with or without a little light reading or newspaper snippets4 ,one does not easily realise how much time can be thrown away in this manner4 ,cardinal ,manning used to have always at hand what he called a five-minutes book1 and he used to tell of the large amount of reading which he thus got through in his short unoccupied intervals4 ,but the evil of the frequent cigarette is more far-reaching than that4 ,the craving which calls for a few minutes of self-indulgence of this kind is surely an opportunity for a little self-control and mortification3 if this is allowed to slip1 by degrees one becomes a slave to smoking4 ,and the evils of heavy smoking are many and great4 ,one is the general demoralising effect on oneself4 ,another is the unpleasant effect it has on others4 ,a heavy smoker is a selfish man3 the fact that he inconveniences his neighbour does not deter him4 ,after all1 non-smokers form more than half of the congregation1 for practically all the women and children are such1 besides a not inconsiderable proportion of the men4 ,to non-smokers1 the smell of stale smoke is always unpleasant1 while not infrequently it engenders unwillingness to go into close contact1 as for example in the ,confessional4 ,then again the stained fingers which mark the heavy smoker seem an unworthy instrument for saying mass1 and for touching the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,many a person has been kept away from a priest by his reeking of tobacco4 ,truly a priest's whole career may be marred by the habit4 ,the danger of continual smoking at small intervals is obviously much greater in the case of a cigarette than a pipe1 and one stage towards self-control in this matter would be to keep the number of cigarettes strictly limited4 ,but the best preservative is to have fixed hours for smoking of any kind and never to smoke outside them4 #a ,eternal ,priesthood1 p4 #gf4 #b ,the ,priest on the ,mission1 p4 #bji4 #c ,sequel to ,catholic ,emancipation1 i41 p4 #adj4 ,,conference ,,xi ,,the ,,recreations ,,of ,a ,,priest 7continued7 ,,the actual laws about a priest's recreation are1 as is almost necessary from the nature of the case1 only negative4 ,they enumerate the amusements in which he must not take part4 ,in our own ,synods there are two laws1 the first of which is taken from the ,synod of ,st4 ,charles at ,milan3-- ,priests should keep away from spectacles unworthy of an ecclesiastic1 from clamorous hunting which is carried on with horse and hounds1 from public dances1 from unlawful games and from feastings which are protracted till late in the night4 ,we strictly forbid clerics in ,holy ,orders from being present at scenic representations in public theatres or in places which serve for the time as public theatres1 #a imposing on transgressors the penalty of suspension incurred ipso facto1 as has hitherto been in force throughout ,england1 with reservation to their respective ,ordinary4 ,the first of these laws is sufficiently vague to admit of considerable variety of interpretation4 ,so far as public dances or balls are concerned1 the practice has always been to regard them as not the place for a priest4 ,at the time of the ,french ,revolution1 the emigres clergy1 who were received in ,england with such hospitality1 used to be invited to all kinds of festivities1 and no doubt their heads became somewhat turned4 ,at any rate1 many of them used to stay up the greater part of a night at balls to which they were asked1 until it reached the ears of the ,bishop1 who prohibited it4 ,in truth1 if balls or dances were ever so innocent1 such dissipation prolonged into the night is incompatible with priestly life4 ,it would seem1 however1 from recent decisions that the ,holy ,see means a rather stricter interpretation to be affixed to the law1 and although these actual decisions may only bind locally1 in the ,united ,states and ,canada1 it seems hardly rash to infer that it is intended to discountenance priests generally from attending or promoting entertainments which include dancing4 #b ,with respect to the rest of the law1 it is difficult to be very precise2 but we shall not be far wrong if we adopt a general rule that in every case when a priest is tempted to conceal his priesthood1 and adopt a costume which will allow his being taken for a layman1 he is on the verge of frequenting a spectacle unworthy of an ecclesiastic4 ,it can be done with care without breaking the letter of the law about ecclesiastical dress1 simply by covering the ,roman collar and wearing a dark grey coat2 and it has been done in the past by those who wished to attend a spectacle where a ,roman collar would be out of place4 ,in the case of going to a football or cricket ground1 especially the latter1 to watch the game1 the case is wholly different1 for we find plenty of ,roman collars openly worn4 ,at the time of writing1 the war has put an end to the possibility of this pastime for so long a period that one has almost forgotten its fascination4 ,we are even inclined to wonder how we could ever have allowed the first-class cricket scores to have the prominence they once had in our thoughts4 ,for it is not many years ago that the ,daily ,mail would announce the sad plight of ,england cabled from the ,antipodes during a ,test ,match with as much prominence as is now given to apprehended danger of invasion by the ,germans4 ,if cricket ever fully revives1 however1 there is a good deal to be said in favour of an occasional afternoon at ,lord's or the ,oval4 ,it gives one fresh air and an amount of occupation not inconsistent with quiet reflection on more serious topics4 ,to watch a game of football is in some ways less desirable1 not only because the excitement is more concentrated1 but because the general tone of the crowd is rougher4 ,still1 a priest can go in his ,roman collar4 ,it is hardly necessary to point out that the unlawful games alluded to have no relation to our ,english athletic exercises4 ,the modern counterpart would perhaps be games at cards for high stakes1 about which some words have already been said4 ,the question of athletics is a very different one4 ,cardinal ,manning1 though himself in his younger days a cricketer1 took a stern view of a priest playing4 ,can you imagine--he would say--going before your ,creator for judgment with a chalice in one hand and a cricket bat in the other8 ,or again1 ,should a priest have time to throw away in running after a piece of leather8 ,it may be doubted whether he often carried conviction with such arguments4 ,still1 these considerations cannot be wholly put aside4 ,but it would be narrow-minded to make objection to athletics in general1 if indulged in with moderation1 and in suitable surroundings4 ,either tennis or cricket may be good for both soul and body1 though the latter game exacts so much time that it is only exceptionally within the priest's reach4 ,but the game of golf1 so much in vogue in later years1 is almost an ideal one as a clerical recreation4 ,in this1 however1 as in all matters of recreation the personal tastes--and personal attainments--must be the decisive factor4 ,many have no inclination for athletics after leaving school4 ,they find as they grow older that the exercise which comes naturally with their daily work satisfies their needs1 with perhaps an occasional long walk1 which they designate a constitutional2 and often during such constitutional they can do some valuable thinking4 ,some writers do a large part of their composition while out walking4 ,there is another form of athletics which is capable of great use1 or of some abuse--that is1 the bicycle4 ,in these days1 indeed1 it has become so much part of every-day life that many use it simply for the purpose of getting from place to place4 ,but it can also be used on a larger scale to provide an excellent recreation4 ,as a physical exercise indeed1 it is exacting1 especially when--as will often be the case--the weather is unfavourable1 or the wind in the wrong direction1 and it is doubtful whether it conduces much physically to health4 ,but it has an admirable power of taking away a man from his daily surroundings and giving him a complete mental change and rest4 ,if the weather is fine1 indeed1 and the conditions favourable1 it tends occasionally to make inroads into our work4 ,but if used judiciously it may be the occasion of much educative interest1 and give one some of the advantages of travel which the modern railway transport from point to point fails to give4 ,mr4 ,ruskin refused to travel by train1 and to be conveyed1 as he said1 like a parcel4 ,if he had lived in the days of bicycling1 he might have found the key to his difficulty4 ,the bicyclist makes close acquaintance with the people and the places through which he travels2 he can visit the old churches and interest himself in their history2 he can see the various industries and way of life of the people among whom he goes1 and so forth4 ,this is still more so if he has a motor-cycle1 as his range of country is so largely increased4 ,his interest may be developed by a portable camera2 and indeed photography in itself is a capital recreation4 ,so is botany1 or geology1 or any kind of hobby which a man may take up4 ,and any hobby is to be encouraged4 ,if a man says he has no time to pursue a hobby1 he is probably an idle man4 ,one who is keen can make time and this is in every way an advantage4 ,we can now turn to consider the second synodical law--that against frequenting the theatre--which is not only more precise1 but has a heavy penalty attached to its infringement1 that the delinquent is ipso facto suspended from his priestly functions and commits a sin reserved to his ,bishop4 ,such a stringent law indicates that the matter is viewed seriously4 ,the fact is that the ,church has always spoken in strong terms against the theatre4 ,bishop ,milner uses his customary violent language in that sense4 ,everyone knows1 he says1 #c that actors and actresses by the laws of the ,church and the particular constitutions of our mission #d are considered as habitual sinners and in a state of damnation1 to whom therefore the sacraments are to be denied4 ,setting aside1 then1 all other consideration1 can any ,christian think it lawful by his or her presence or money to assist in keeping these wretches in such a state8 ,and again1 ,what are the opinions1 the taste1 the conduct1 and in a word1 the lessons which are inculcated by the theatre8 ,i say that the very best modern tragedies exhibit and recommend that pride1 ambition1 vainglory1 impatience1 anger and revenge which are the very reverse of our ,divine ,master's morality inculcated in the eight beatitudes4 ,and with respect to all the comedies and almost all the tragedies1 they are made up of the sentiments1 the intrigues and the gratification of the concupiscence of the flesh under the specious and all-meaning name of ,love4 ,probably few would be found to speak in that drastic manner to-day4 ,it is1 to say the least1 remarkable that the actor's profession seems to contain a greater proportion of ,catholics than almost any other1 and although we cannot regard it as free from dangers1 the activities of the ,catholic ,stage ,guild1 and the fact that it is under high ecclesiastical patronage show that the profession is not regarded as in itself illicit4 ,moreover1 those who have come across actors in private life can testify to the fact that a large amount of real goodness exists among them1 and that as a class1 they are very charitable1 and aim at high ideals4 ,nevertheless1 the considerations put forward by ,dr4 ,milner cannot be too lightly set aside1 even under modern conditions4 ,one of the dangers of the stage is that it unconsciously undermines ,christian morality1 substituting that of the world3 extolling pride as a virtue1 looking down on the humble as poor-spirited and the like4 ,a ,catholic spectator may honestly believe himself to be unharmed1 whereas as a fact his hold on ,christian principles may have been lowered1 and worldly ideals substituted in their place4 ,it is true indeed that a new stamp of theatrical representation has arisen since the date of ,dr4 ,milner1 typified by the ,gilbert and ,sullivan comic operas1 or the burlesques which were so fashionable a generation or two ago4 ,these produce much mirth and recreation1 and are free from the danger alluded to4 ,but it is worth noting that it is just these pieces which are most infected with improprieties of dress from which ,christian eyes should be kept4 ,a somewhat similar remark applies to the ,italian ,opera1 which was once the very height of fashion1 and still retains a part at least of its former distinction4 ,the plot or libretto takes a comparatively secondary place and does not attract much attention1 it being only the setting of the music1 which is the chief attraction4 ,but as a set-off1 we are frequently brought face to face with a ballet of a most improper nature4 ,certainly the inference drawn by the ordinary frequenter of the theatre is that such performances are not wrong1 and it is prudish to object to them4 ,and if it be argued that one meets with similar worldly ideals in novels1 or even in everyday life1 or that the state of the ,london streets brings similar indecorum before one1 the answer is simple3 what one meets with by accident in everyday life is one thing2 what is put for before us for our admiration and dressed in its most attractive form is a totally different one2 and many a man drinks in an idea unthinkingly at the theatre which he would not assimilate in the same way by mixing in everyday life or even by reading a novel4 ,in the case of a regular frequenter of the theatre1 we find his whole outlook on life distorted by its morality4 ,in similar way1 though the views of ,cardinal ,manning against all kinds of theatrical entertainments are commonly admitted to have been extreme1 what he says cannot be dismissed too easily1 for it contains much truth4 ,every theatre1 he writes1 is the centre of a neighbourhood abounding in all manner of evil1 which lives and thrives on the theatrical world4 ,there are upon the stage many good men and many good women2 but also of both many bad4 ,the spirit and surroundings and tide of the stage are dangerous and downward4 ,the classes and trades that thrive by it are too well known to need words from me4 ,why should anyone aid1 abet1 comfort or share in such a traffic1 even by the price of a box or a single ticket8 ,i had rather have no liability however limited in such a trade4 ,probably most persons to-day would look upon these words as a somewhat overdrawn picture1 and it is to be hoped that we shall not be considered wanting in respect in taking a somewhat less rigid view4 ,perhaps we may apply the same principles as ,st4 ,francis of ,sales applies to persons living in the world assisting at parties1 balls1 and social dissipations generally #e--that such things should be taken with caution and not too frequently1 in which case the recreation and other good which they provide may be obtained1 and the harm avoided4 ,thus1 if it be argued that the need of recreation in the modern world is great1 that the stage contains much that is entertaining1 or at times even elevating1 and that its evils may be counteracted in the case of one who is solidly instructed in his religion1 a strong case might be made in favour of frequenting the theatre provided it is not done too often1 and that one knows that there are dangers lurking which require watchfulness and care4 ,it may be urged that ,cardinal ,manning1 from his very nature1 never realised the necessity or use of real recreation1 for he seemed able to work continuously without any2 and1 moreover1 the particular recreation of the theatre was to a great extent a closed book to him1 for it is well known that early in life he made a resolution not to put his foot inside one1 and he kept it throughout his life4 ,this would seem to be a justification for at least taking a somewhat less rigid view than his on the matter4 ,but in the case of the priest1 the question is totally different4 ,such dissipation in such surroundings is incompatible with his general life1 and out of harmony with the stern seriousness of the priestly vocation4 ,it prevents recollection at a time of day when it is especially needed1 and his morning's ,meditation and mass must suffer4 ,moreover1 a priest in a ,roman collar is an official1 and must not countenance by his presence the indecorum which is of such frequent occurrence in every theatre4 ,yet one has heard of some priests regretting the law2 but the arguments put forward by them do not appeal with much force4 ,one is that the theatre has changed since the law was made and it is not now objectionable as it once was4 ,it is remarkable to note how this has always been said4 ,so far back as the time of ,dr4 ,milner this argument was used1 as he himself testified4 ,it is probable that as times goes on1 plays become more outwardly respectable1 and the improprieties are less emphasised2 possibly for that very reason they are more insidious4 ,the general spirit of the theatre does not seem to change1 and is not likely to4 ,during the last decade of the eighteenth century1 before the penal state of ,catholics had been relaxed1 no law on the subject existed2 and the celebrated preacher1 ,rev4 ,james ,archer1 used to go to the play1 to get a lesson in elocution2 and when in #ahjc1 at the first meeting of ,bishops which approached the nature of a ,synod1 they forbade the practice1 ,mr4 ,archer was very irate4 ,the style of eloquence at that epoch was far more inflated and artificial than anything with which we are familiar1 and we can hardly imagine such complaint being made now2 but even in recent times1 one has heard of ,catholic actors being asked to give a priest some hints on elocution4 ,as regards actual delivery1 and means of making ourselves audible1 it is possible that they might give some useful advice2 but it is certain that the real value of a sermon will never depend much on mere rules of rhetoric2 and any rhetoric which is artificial is a hindrance1 not a help4 ,then again it is urged that the rule does not act justly3 there are places more unsuitable than theatres1 such as music-halls1 which are not forbidden4 ,this indeed is possible enough4 ,it is exceedingly hard to draft a rule which shall cover exactly the cases desired1 and the difficulty is increased tenfold when the rules were made seventy years ago1 for the style1 for example1 of music-hall entertainment has wholly changed in that time4 ,no rule against music-halls was necessary then1 as no priest would have thought of going to one4 ,in recent years the type of music-hall has become higher1 and if the law were made to-day1 it is possible that a reference to them might be thought desirable4 ,but after all1 even if it were granted that the rule may be worded badly1 that would not interfere with the undoubted fact that the theatre was intended to be forbidden1 and no inclination has ever been shown to go back from the rule4 ,in recent years a wholly new problem has presented itself by the invention of the cinematograph4 ,the present state of picture palaces gives much room for thought and almost makes one weep4 ,the attractiveness and low price bring it within the reach of all4 ,what a power it might be for educating the people1 and raising the tone of their recreations6 ,yet in fact it does the very reverse4 ,the reason is simply the style of film which is shown4 ,here and there one gets an interesting and educative one--such1 for examples1 as the official war films which have been shown--but even these are usually sandwiched between the low farcical vulgar displays which in the majority of cinemas constitute the whole performance4 ,they are indeed free from some at least of the objectionableness of the theatre2 but that is all that can be said in their favour4 ,indeed1 much of the juvenile criminality which seems on the increase has been confidently attributed to these picture palaces4 ,with respect to the desirability of the priest going to a cinema--for it is not against any definite law--it is difficult to lay down a general rule4 ,certainly there are many low-class cinemas which he would never think of attending4 ,some of the better-class places in ,london or elsewhere might sometimes provide him with useful recreation2 but it is only stating what is obvious in saying that he will treat the matter with great caution4 #a ,the words within brackets were added at the ,synod of #ahgb1 at which ,archbishop ,manning presided4 ,the following is the original text3-- ,abstineant sacerdotes a spectaculis viro ecclesiastico indignis1 a venatione clamorosa quae equo et canibus fit1 a publicis choreis1 ab illicitis ludis1 et a cornessationibus quae usque ad intempestam noctem protrabuntur4 ,prohibemus districte ne ecclesiastici saeris ,ordinibus initiati1 scenis spectaculis in publicis theatris vel in locis theatri publici usui ad tempus inservientibus intersint1 imponentes transgressoribus poenam suspensionis ipso facto incurrendam1 hactenus ubique in ,anglia vigentem1 cum reservatione respectivo ,ordinario 7,westmonast4 i4 xxiv4 #b2 iv4 x4 #i74 ,the corresponding law in the new ,codex is3-- ,spectaculis1 choreis et pompis quae eos dedecent vel quibus clericos interesse scandalo sit1 praesertim in publicis theatris1 ne intersint 7,canon #adj74 #b ,acta ,apostolicae ,sedis1 ,may1 #aiaf1 p4 #adg1 and ,january1 #aiah1 p4 #ag4 #c ,life1 p4 #aab4 #d ,the first rule prohibiting the theatre to priests was made at the ,synod of ,winchester and ,old ,hall in #ahjc1 which was indeed the first occasion on which the four ,vicars ,apostolic were able to hold a meeting to consider such matters at all4 ,the penalty enacted was then as now1 suspension ipso facto1 reserved to the ,bishop4 #e ,devout ,life1 chapter xxxiii4 ,,conference ,,xii ,,the ,,annual ,,holiday ,,in these days regular holidays every year have become a recognised necessity for a life such as that of a priest in this country4 ,the effect of modern conditions of living1 the prevalence of slum neighbourhoods1 with their generally depressing surroundings1 the continual pressure of such concentrated daily work1 all bring with them as a corollary the necessity of from time to time being released from them altogether for a while1 and modern invention has also provided the means of getting away from one's work easily and cheaply1 which our ancestors neither possessed nor needed4 ,the expression he is away on his holiday has passed into our language4 ,whatever is to be said of the general hardness of a priest's life1 in this one respect it stands out as more fortunate than that in most other professions4 ,a priest on a town mission--and it is on such a mission that a holiday is really needed--commonly has four consecutive ,sundays off duty once every year1 which means in many cases that he is able to absent himself for nearly five weeks4 ,the conditions of his life render this possible1 and nobody grudges it4 ,even the war has not interfered with a priest's holidays1 at any rate as regards their length4 ,and in this country they are more systematically regularised than in most others4 ,some half a century ago a ,belgian ,bishop wrote to ,cardinal ,manning asking him to dissuade his priests from visiting ,belgium when on their annual holiday1 lest they should unsettle the local clergy and instigate them also to look for holidays4 ,in our time1 however1 holidays for priests1 before the war1 were not so unknown there4 ,a primary result of this systematic arrangement for holidays is that an appreciable part of a priest's life is spent in this way1 and it becomes of importance for us to enquire how we spend it4 ,the science of arithmetical addition often produces startling results4 ,a person adding up accounts for the first time is surprised at the total amount of money that he finds has passed through his hands1 both on the credit and on the debit side4 ,let us apply the process to the priest's holiday4 ,we will suppose that the average time he takes is one calendar month--which is ordinarily well within the mark4 ,in the first twelve years of his priesthood therefore he spends a year in holidays4 ,one who has reached his silver jubilee has occupied over two years so3 an old priest may have spent four or five years in this way4 ,clearly much will depend both in time and in eternity on how it has been spent4 ,or we may look at the arithmetic from another point of view4 ,if one month in every twelve is spent in vacation1 it would seem to follow by the law of averages that one priest in twelve would have to meet his death during his holidays4 ,for several reasons1 however1 this estimate has to be modified4 ,death is not ordinarily so sudden but that the illness which precedes it will show itself in time to prevent the priest from starting on his vacation4 ,but suppose we reduce the estimate from one in twelve to one in fifty1 or even one in a hundred1 that still leaves us matter for serious reflection2 and experience shows that this is not much above the mark4 ,it is no uncommon thing to hear of a priest who started on his holidays1 if not in good health1 at least with the hope of regaining it1 and his hopes being frustrated either by the arrival of death while he is still away1 or by his being just able to return home to die4 ,this surely1 if we have the prudence and forethought which a priest ought to have1 should make us pause and consider4 ,if it is possible1 and not extremely improbable1 that so important a moment may have to be faced during our outing1 it is essential that we should not relax our spirit of recollection so completely but that we may be able quickly to resume it when confronted by a crisis4 ,now it is precisely here that the difficulty of spending our vacation well comes in4 ,it is essential for the very purpose for which we go away that we should relax our spiritual exercises to some extent1 otherwise our vacation will fail of its effect1 and we shall return without that freshness which forms so valuable a send-off to the next year's work4 ,the recreations of a priest's life are at all times difficult to regulate--as we have seen in the preceding ,conferences4 ,to succeed in obtaining relaxation of mind1 without at the same time incurring dissipation1 is never easy3 and most of us in looking back on our past lives will probably find more to regret in the time given to recreation than in any other time4 ,but the difficulty is greatly increased when recreation is the order of our daily life1 and our ordinary elevating influences are for the time to a great extent in abeyance4 ,yet we know that an ill-spent holiday leaves us on a lower level than it found us2 habits and practices are gone1 and there is nothing in their place except1 perhaps1 half-formed habits of self-indulgence and general slackness4 ,but there is in truth another side to vacation time which is the very opposite to its dissipating side4 ,it is a time when being released for a while from our daily work and anxieties1 our mind turns back on our life as a whole1 our shortcomings1 our prospects for the future1 our devotions and spiritual exercises1 and the like4 ,some periods of vacation time may be in this way almost as good as a retreat4 ,the possibility of utilising it thus of course depends to some extent on our surroundings1 how we are spending it1 whom we are with1 and what doing4 ,but we shall usually have sufficient unoccupied time at our disposal1 whether we are with our friends or relations1 or on our travels1 and we can without forgoing any real relaxation let our thoughts revert to our life and our work as a priest1 which indeed we shall naturally do if our interest in them is what it should be4 ,if we do not1 much of our time will be simply thrown away4 ,the author of the ,imitation says that sickness changes no man1 but shows what he is4 ,something similar may be said of holidays4 ,the manner in which they are spent1 and the thoughts which come uppermost will be a clear index of the state of mind1 spiritually1 of the man who spends it4 ,and if the occasion is utilised1 it will afford a valuable offset to the natural dissipation of the period4 ,if1 then1 so much depends on the vacation being well spent1 some thought should certainly be taken in good time beforehand1 that the natural falling to low level may be checked by definite resolutions made in advance1 for when the time comes1 the surroundings are not favourable to making laws for ourselves4 ,the following remarks then are intended as a help towards sanctifying a time which it is more easy to lose ground than at any other period of the year4 #a4 ,the ,roman collar should never be taken off1 or at least no outward change should be made which would indicate that we are trying to disguise our priesthood4 ,it is true that theologians tell us that under certain circumstances1 when on a journey1 it is lawful to do so2 but all things are lawful to me1 but all things do not edify4 #a ,it is said that to be dressed as a layman makes one freer1 and this is no doubt the case2 but it is questionable whether such freedom is desirable4 ,the restraint of one's priesthood1 and the general rule that wherever one cannot appear as a priest1 one will not go at all1 is a useful check on our lives at such times4 ,incidentally it may be remarked that the disguise will not often be successful1 and many will see through it4 ,the shorn appearance1 the general want of fit about the clothes1 and the evident discomfort at wearing so unusual a garb attract observation2 and sooner or later1 the suspicion aroused is confirmed by the appearance of a well-worn ,breviary1 out of which the disguised priest is saying his ,office4 ,the general effect is lowering both on others and himself4 ,the feeling that it is a disguise brings with it the practical conviction that he is acting in a manner unbecoming to his state4 ,once a priest1 always a priest1 and it is only in very exceptional circumstances that one should ever pretend to be anything else4 ,the priest's dress will not interfere with any recreation which is suitable for him4 #b4 ,a certain minimum number of times for saying mass should be fixed and closely adhered to4 ,even outside that limit1 mass should not be omitted without real cause4 ,the sight of a priest who has put his mass away at the beginning of his holidays as work1 to be left behind until he returns1 or at most to be produced on ,sundays1 has in the past been unfortunately too common2 and the reaction which induced a priest when freed from his morning exercises to stay in bed inordinately late is not edifying4 ,there are indeed days when a rest is needful1 or advisable1 or when it is difficult to make suitable arrangements1 or when all time available is wanted for an excursion1 or to catch an early train2 but in many instances there is no such reason4 ,in truth a fervent priest should be specially anxious about his mass at such times1 both because he will feel the need of it to sanctify his holiday1 and because in fact being temporarily relieved from his daily anxieties1 he is able to say it with a new freshness and devotion4 #c4 ,as to ,meditation1 in most cases one could hardly expect the ordinary half-hour before mass1 and if one's holiday is to be successful1 one must necessarily ease off some of one's spiritual exercises4 ,but there is really no reason for abandoning ,meditation altogether4 ,a short period1 even five or ten minutes1 whether as thanksgiving after mass1 or at some other time of day1 will be more valuable than double that time in the ordinary working part of the year4 ,about this1 as about other exercises1 it is important to have a rule1 and to keep to it1 save in exceptional circumstances2 but the exact nature of the rule depends so largely on the personal equation that one hesitates to put forward any suggestion too definitely4 #d4 ,the ,divine ,office of course cannot be omitted for any ordinary reason4 ,but it can easily be put into odd times--more easily during a holiday than during the working part of the year--or left to the end of the day1 when it is said without devotion1 as fast as possible1 simply to get it over4 ,the loss by this is the greater from the very fact that the ,divine ,office is the one devotion which is binding even in holiday season4 ,a definite rule is a help in such cases1 and if the burden of anticipating ,matins and ,lauds is felt too great1 a rule1 for example1 to finish to the end of ,prime before midday ought not to be too difficult to be usually kept4 ,but what precise rule to make1 like many other details1 must depend on the nature of our holiday and where we find ourselves4 ,at least let there be some rule to aim at3 don't let it be simply a case of drifting4 ,this1 therefore1 suggests a few words as to what kind of a holiday a priest will take4 ,in many cases this settles itself by the exigencies of circumstances4 ,he may have a home to go to1 with parents still living1 or he may have relatives and friends to stay with4 ,in other cases he may be able to go for a regular tour with a fellow priest or other companion4 ,the former class of case is perhaps more difficult to regulate1 as the priest has to accommodate himself to the ways of those with whom he is staying4 ,a general rule to be well occupied all day1 and to retire in good time so as to be fresh for the next day1 is very easily written down3 to keep it without making oneself uncongenial requires both determination and tact4 ,often it may be possible to regulate one's retirement at night in this way2 but sometimes it is not1 and in such circumstances we have no choice but to accept what we find4 ,the rule of occupying ourselves can however practically always be kept4 ,the reproach that the ,english take their recreation sadly--perhaps seriously would be a better word--is really an allusion to one of the most favourable sides of our national character4 ,to spend the time in aimless lounging--the dolce far niente so dear to the typical ,italian--is not in itself congenial to our nature2 yet the habit not infrequently invades our holiday time1 especially at the seaside4 ,the description a priest once wrote of himself that he had spent day after day in sitting on the sands1 and getting behind-hand in his ,office1 is typical of a whole class of holidays2 but by no means of all4 ,one easy way to guard absolutely against it is to have a carefully chosen holiday book1 sufficiently light to recreate1 yet entertaining and educative1 to produce on any day on which we find that1 through stress of weather or other cause1 there is no definite occupation on hand4 ,if a priest is fortunate enough to be able to travel on a regular tour1 it is unnecessary to point out how fully his time will be occupied1 provided he takes at least an intelligent interest in what he sees4 ,the effect of travelling is very broadening1 for one meets-- even in one's own country--with customs and surroundings very different from those of the particular place in which we live2 and the amount of human history contained in churches and other public buildings and dwelling-houses is very great4 ,moreover1 the effect of natural scenery is always elevating4 ,if--as was possible before the war1 and will some day be possible again--a priest can visit ,catholic countries1 he will find much to be of high spiritual advantage to him4 ,it is often possible to make a pilgrimage to a shrine part of our holiday1 and thus to unite recreation with high spiritual profit4 ,to visit such places as ,lourdes or ,ars in ,france1 or ,einsiedeln in ,switzerland1 or ,loreto or ,genezzano in ,italy--to mention only a few typical ones--is not only an interesting experience1 but will also be a source of grace and blessing4 ,one sees ,catholic practices freely developed1 without the restraining influences which the surroundings of ,protestantism render inevitable here in ,england4 ,the simple devotion1 wholly free from self-consciousness1 which one sees joined with such extraordinary fervour in places of pilgrimage1 are full of elevating effect in ourselves1 and the atmosphere of faith among the people all around us is as good as a revelation4 ,the shrine at ,lourdes is too well known to need any words here4 ,apart from any question of miracles--which in fact assume a very secondary place there--the spirit of devotion among the thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the world1 and the absolute contentment of the sick who have been brought from afar1 and are often in acute physical pain1 give one a picture which one would not have believed to be realisable in this world4 ,the surroundings of ,ars1 again1 are of special interest from a different point of view as bringing us close to the life of a real saint and parish priest1 for the date of the cure's death is still within living memory4 ,then1 again1 to find a shrine such as ,notre ,dame des ,victoires in the midst of such a cosmopolitan city as ,paris1 where so much evil is known to be rampant1 is instructive and edifying4 ,but there is a shrine not a hundred miles from there to which surely ,english people should be attracted more than they are3 that is1 the shrine of ,st4 ,edmund of ,canterbury1 at ,pontigny4 ,one of the last of our ,english saints to be canonised1 his life is not inferior in interest to that of any of his predecessors4 ,he died in exile in ,france1 and by a curious combination of circumstances1 the great ,cistercian ,abbey ,church at ,pontigny1 where his body is over the altar1 survived both the dangers of the ,huguenots in the sixteenth century and the great ,revolution at the end of the eighteenth1 and stands to-day almost in the same condition in which ,st4 ,edmund knew it in #abdj4 ,it is really a reproach to ,english ,catholics that so few go there4 ,in recent years1 a certain number of ,high ,church ,anglicans have visited it4 ,unfortunately it is in one of the worst parts of ,france1 where religion languishes2 but even there1 twice a year--on the feast of the ,saint in ,november and that of the ,translation of his ,relics1 kept there in ,whitsun ,week--the massive church is filled with pilgrims from afar4 ,but apart from actual shrines1 a priest will find in the atmosphere of a ,catholic country and in the daily life of the people plenty of thought on which to build up his own spiritual aspirations4 ,if he says mass in good time in the morning1 he will find perhaps many people in the church engaged on their own spontaneous devotions4 ,on a ,sunday the succession of mass-goers is continuous2 the liturgical services draw large congregations2 and ,catholicism seems to be in the very air one breathes4 ,even in large cities it is a prominent feature2 in country towns and villages it pervades the whole life of the people4 ,the idea of the ,catholicity of the ,church is brought home to us when we find ourselves so manifestly belonging to the same body as these devout souls1 and the holiday becomes strengthening to the soul as well as the body4 #a #a ,cor4 x4 #bc4 ,,conference ,,xiii ,,the ,,periodical ,,retreat ,,in view of the fact that our own synodal law prescribes a ,retreat for every priest only every second year1 #a and the new ,codex of ,canon ,law only insists on one every third year1 #b it might appear that either one or the other is the limit at which we should aim4 ,such1 however1 is surely not the case4 ,it is true that even though our ,synodal law still holds--as has been recently decided by the ,holy ,see--no more frequent ,retreat is required as of obligation than once in two years1 and in some countries where there is no special local law1 the longer interval--once in three years--may be lawful4 ,yet1 without asserting any obligation1 the present writer deliberately urges a yearly ,retreat as the ideal4 ,wherever circumstances permit it--as in ,ireland or ,belgium or elsewhere--this has always been the practice4 ,moreover1 the wording both of the synodal law and of the new ,codex by no means excludes this as the ideal2 in each case the word saltem1 or at least1 is joined to the specification of the obligatory period4 ,but it would surely appear that an earnest priest would himself desire it4 ,the idea that a ,retreat is an irksome duty1 to be discharged as best it can1 is surely a very inadequate one4 ,it should be a time to which a priest looks forward with longing1 when he can put away his work for a few days1 and attend to matters which are in the strictest sense personal1 and if we may say so1 selfish2 and in which he may commune with ,almighty ,god in a manner which the hard work of his daily life renders difficult or at times impossible4 ,true the ,retreat involves a serious work and an important ,confession1 and the renewal of many resolutions which have fallen into abeyance4 ,such a work will not be accomplished without serious effort1 and often involves facing trouble and discouragement during its course4 ,a ,retreat is by no means the recreation which its name almost implies4 ,but its interest is supreme4 ,it touches all that aspect of life which should be vital to us1 and it tests our progress in that aspect of our lives which alone matters4 ,if the ,retreat is to be for us the event which ought to be the centre and crown of our year's work1 certain conditions must be complied with which often are not4 ,let us consider these in detail4 ,the first question is when and where to make the ,retreat4 ,the ,synod seems to assume that it will be made by all the diocesan clergy in common at the time and place provided for by the ,bishop4 ,whether this is to be taken strictly or not1 has been much discussed2 our tradition has been that a priest making a solitary ,retreat at a religious house satisfies the obligation1 though making a ,retreat at one's own house does not4 ,the new ,codex1 however1 seems in this respect stricter than our ,synodal ,law1 and provides definitely for the common clergy ,retreat unless special exception be made for a just cause by the ,bishop himself4 ,hence it would appear that ordinarily at least every three years the common ,retreat is obligatory4 ,but apart from strict obligation1 there is every reason that1 except in special circumstances1 the priests should join in the common diocesan ,retreat4 ,there are indeed some persons who find it a difficulty1 and who can make a better ,retreat in private2 but they are the exception4 ,at any rate1 it is necessary for the ,bishop to give leave in any particular case4 ,in making application1 at least let the priest bear in mind that at best he will lose the graces attached to the corporate act1 and will not be helping his fellow clergy as he might be1 so that only a strong reason should induce him to apply2 for very naturally a ,bishop would be slow to give a negative answer4 ,on the other hand1 a priest who willingly conforms brings consolation to his ,bishop and helps in the sanctification of the diocesan clergy as a whole4 ,in order to bring about the possibility of a general ,retreat1 it is sometimes necessary that the parish services should be curtailed or omitted during that week4 ,let there be no hesitation in1 if necessary1 reducing the week-day masses or omitting them altogether or omitting evening services4 ,the people will fully enter into the reason1 provided it is explained to them1 and will willingly join in prayer for the blessing of ,god on the ,retreat4 ,in the next place1 if we properly esteem the ,retreat1 and wish to draw down ,god's blessing on it1 we should show our esteem by making up our minds in good time beforehand that we will make it4 ,the experience of a curate returning from his holiday on a ,saturday1 discussing his plans on ,sunday1 and making up his mind not till ,monday morning that he will join the diocesan ,retreat would seem to indicate his view of it as a disagreeable duty to be performed because it is ordered4 ,no one would treat an important or attractive work in this way4 ,what wonder that he arrives on the scene without thought or preparation1 spends most of the ,tuesday resting himself1 and finds he is slack on the remaining two and a half days8 ,and can he wonder that the special graces to be looked for come to him only sparingly8 ,even those who have made up their minds to join the ,retreat1 often spend the whole of ,monday at their ordinary work1 till the very last minute before starting2 or even arrive late and thus emphasise a bad beginning4 ,before prayer1 prepare thy soul1 says the holy writer1 and be not as a man that tempteth ,god4 #c ,one who is in earnest about what is before him will break off his ordinary occupation1 except such as is absolutely necessary1 all ,monday1 so as to be ready to begin the work of the ,retreat in the evening4 ,similar conditions hold as to the ending of the ,retreat4 ,formerly this was not till the ,saturday morning after the general ,communion4 ,in recent years1 however1 it has been customary to finish early in the afternoon of ,friday4 ,but a considerable number do not stop for the end1 and we often see a priest who thinks nothing of returning from his holiday at a late hour1 sometimes not far from midnight1 at the end of a ,retreat wishing to be back in good time and cutting short the ,retreat accordingly4 ,or sometimes a priest will return early on the plea of doing his ,friday evening service4 ,this ought not to be so1 and a rule against doing any pastoral work whatever on the ,friday would remove the temptation4 ,with respect to the body of the ,retreat1 let each one determine what is necessary for himself to go through it with real profit4 ,certainly a mere attendance at the discourses is not enough4 ,the work to be done is a real and active one4 ,the ,jesuits realise this1 and they do not usually use the word ,retreat1 which connotes its negative side1 but prefer to use the expression spiritual exercises1 which connotes its positive side4 ,in truth1 the ennui of the ,retreat1 from which so many suffer1 comes from looking exclusively on the negative side4 ,if we are properly active and at work1 the time will pass rapidly and will appear all too short4 ,this is for the modern priest undoubtedly far the most important aspect of the ,retreat4 ,it is indeed a help to keep silence and to be away from one's work and distractions1 but that will not benefit us unless we have other work to replace that which we have put away4 ,and this will save us from the temptation to use our time in preparing sermons or instructions for the next ,sunday or two4 ,let it be remembered that even for the following one we shall have the ,saturday at our disposal for such preparation4 ,the keeping of silence indeed1 helpful though it may be1 is not of the essence of the ,retreat4 ,considering how seldom we meet our fellow clergy1 some intercourse will be in many ways desirable4 ,it is well1 if possible1 to regulate this1 and the modern custom of having an hour's recreation at the dinner has much to recommend it4 ,a word may be added on the importance of regularity at all the exercises4 ,it may be that some of them appeal to our personal taste less than others4 ,some persons prefer saying their ,office in private in place of the public recitation usual in clergy retreats4 ,others are inclined to avoid the ,stations of the ,cross2 and so on4 ,but surely a ,retreat is of all times one in which to sink our personal tastes1 so as to join in the corporate act4 ,the same applies to taking our share in the community duties1 such as reading in ,refectory1 or serving at the altar1 or taking special part such as e4g4 a ,lesson in the ,office1 or other duties4 ,to avoid them is a sign of selfishness4 ,to be willing to sacrifice oneself in small ways is a powerful means to bring a blessing on the ,retreat and the example to others will not be thrown away4 ,the old habit of refraining from saying mass during the ,retreat has now almost gone out1 and ,benediction is commonly given not only at the conclusion as formerly but every evening of the ,retreat4 ,it would seem hardly too much to ask that at least one mass be set aside for the intentions of the ,retreat for ourselves and others2 for considering how much of the success of the year's work depends on the ,retreat being made well1 every effort should be made to secure ,god's blessing on it4 ,in the ,society of ,jesus1 it is part of the rule after the first years of priesthood to devote a whole year to a second novitiate3 those doing so are known as tertians1 as they are going through a third year as novices4 ,it is easy to see what special value such additional novitiate may have1 after the priest has been sufficiently long time in active work to realise and appreciate its value4 ,we may well envy them in having this opportunity of entering into themselves so thoroughly4 ,the only thing that we seculars have to compare with it is the periodical ,retreat4 ,it is little enough1 lasting only a few days compared with a whole year of the tertianship4 ,let us learn to esteem that little more1 and to make it the opportunity of overhauling our whole life1 and making good resolutions for the future4 ,let us always remember that some day we shall make a ,retreat which will prove to be our last serious preparation for death4 ,we have been frequent witnesses of this in others3 one day it will happen to ourselves4 ,yet when we are making the ,retreat1 we probably shall not know such to be the case4 ,we may be well and strong1 and with a good prospect of life before us3 yet ,god may know that this is our last great opportunity4 ,surely this thought1 if no other1 should stimulate us to make the ,retreat well1 so as not to have it ever said against us that we had the power given us of making a full preparation for our last passage1 but omitted to use it4 #a ,singuli sacerdotes teneantur1 quoque saltem biennio1 exercitia spiritualia quae ,episcopus providebit1 adire 7,i4 ,westmonast1 xxiv4 #g74 #b ,omnes sacerdotes saeculares debent tertio saltem anno spirituajibus exercitiis1 per tempus a proprio ,ordinario determinandum1 in pia aliqua religiosave domo1 ab eodem designata vacare2 neque ab eis quisquam eximatur1 nisi in casu particulari1 justa de causa1 ac de expressa ejusdem ,ordinarii licentia 7,canon #abf74 #c ,ecclus4 xviii4 #bc4 ,,conference ,,xiv ,,the ,,priest ,,in ,,sickness--,,and ,,in ,,death ,,it is a well-known fact that ,st4 ,bernard preferred to found a monastery in a not too healthy locality1 as he considered it better for a religious life that the monks should not be in too robust health4 ,this is often given as a reason why the ,cistercian monasteries are frequently built in specially relaxing climates4 ,since those days1 however1 the world has greatly changed4 ,human nature is not so tough as it then was2 mortifications which then were common would now be impossible4 ,even during the last century things have changed in this respect4 ,it is only a century and a quarter ago that ,bishop ,talbot was blamed by many for a ,lenten ,indult which included meat three times a week for the first four weeks1 and limited the consecutive abstinence to ,passiontide1 or the last fortnight4 ,the last of those who used to observe a black ,lent 7as it was called7 died almost within living memory4 ,yet amidst modern conditions nothing approaching a black ,lent could possibly be enacted1 and even the very modified fast of the modern ,indults finds very few observers4 ,it is probably the case to-day that valetudinarianism and small ailments are a greater hindrance to spirituality than robustness1 and that the highest aim of mortification should be that amount which keeps the body most fit for work--to do which consistently requires a considerable degree of mortification4 ,nevertheless1 we may well regret the decay of the old spirit of hardiness since even a generation ago4 ,the feeling which gave rise to the phrase grin and bear it was very excellent1 and seems now almost extinct4 ,the modern tendency is all to the magnification of small ailments1 to constant remedies1 and scientific self-indulgence which people justify to themselves under the name of hygiene4 ,it is no exaggeration to say that the degree to which it is carried is out of keeping with the hardiness of the ,christian vocation1 and that many persons lose much of the sanctifying effect of their small ills by continually seeking alleviation4 ,the sale of patent medicines is immense1 as we can see from the extent to which they are advertised4 ,it may well be doubted if this spirit does not defeat its own end4 ,the state of mind engendered by continually taking one's temperature1 and seeking a cure--probably drinking medicines--whenever it is a degree too high or a degree too low is bad for both mind and body3 the malade imaginaire often ends by becoming positively ill1 and picking up every infection of which he is so much afraid4 ,after all1 the best cure for many small ailments is to leave them alone and not bother about them4 ,in the case of a priest1 however1 we should put it on a higher ground4 ,he has to be at the service of his people4 ,an indisposition will not dispense him from saying mass on ,sunday unless it is sufficiently severe to incapacitate him4 ,nor will it exempt him from attending a sick call even in rough weather4 ,a soldier would be ashamed of giving in to a small ailment and of injuring his fighting power4 ,he would despise one who did so for his softness4 ,much more should a priest be above such effeminacy4 ,often he is so3 many a modern priest fights consistently against general weak health1 with such success that his weakness is not known or suspected4 ,in such an effort ,god will give us very special help4 ,but1 alas6 one can call to mind also instances of those who systematically nurse their ailments1 and seriously injure their constitution by continually taking drugs and applying remedies4 ,before we can learn how to consecrate our real illnesses let us learn to despise and fight against small ailments4 ,it is by no means always easy1 and there will no doubt be times when one is on the verge of actual breakdown2 but so long as we have the real power1 we should fight strenuously against them4 ,to lie in bed in the morning1 still more to spend a day in bed1 should be the last resort1 only when imperiously necessary4 ,once we give way1 we shall find reasons increasingly often to induce us to repeat the act4 ,on the other hand1 any work we do under the handicap of headache or indigestion or rheumatic pains or other troublesome weakness will1 we may be sure1 be specially blessed by ,almighty ,god4 ,turning now to the time of severe illness1 it is easy to say1 but it is none the less true1 that it may be a great grace2 and like other graces1 if neglected1 it becomes the reverse4 ,we are speaking of course of a grave and serious illness1 whether or not there be danger to life4 ,one of the most remarkable phenomena in our strangely complex nature is the sudden and complete way in which our most acute anxieties disappear at the touch of sickness4 ,this at once leaves the ground free for our own thoughts1 and if we have been leading a really busy life1 we can find many things which we have never had time to think out4 ,nevertheless1 we cannot do much thinking at the beginning1 through sheer mental debility1 even apart from the pain which often accompanies the illness4 ,the tendency is strong simply to give our thoughts to our illness and its remedies1 and the small incidents which surround a sick-bed4 ,those who have looked forward to reviewing their lives and setting their consciences in order during their last illness should be warned that experience shows such thoughts to be uncongenial at that time4 ,notwithstanding the way in which time hangs1 especially at night1 one is least of all inclined to fill it by serious examination of conscience1 or for the matter of that by any form of prayer4 ,our obligations to ,meditation1 or the like1 or even to reciting the ,divine ,office1 have suddenly ceased1 and the danger is that we may take an absolutely material view of our condition1 and cease all relations with ,almighty ,god1 looking forward only vaguely to resuming them when we are convalescent4 ,a few considerations on illness as a time of grace may be useful at such a season4 ,in the first place1 it has often been pointed out that a time of sickness is the one period of life when we know for certain that we are doing ,god's will2 for we have no alternative4 ,nor is it any answer to say that this illness may be the punishment of sin1 either by the law of nature or the providence of ,god4 ,for even if this were so1 the sin is over and has passed out of our control2 it can never be recalled4 ,whatever our past failings1 or whatever ,god's providence in our regard1 hic et nunc ,he wills this illness1 and we have no power of contravening ,his will4 ,it therefore follows that we have the opportunity for a supreme act of virtue in accepting it willingly and even thanking ,god for sending it to us1 which is an act which requires little effort1 and to one who habitually listens to the voice of ,god1 is of no great difficulty4 ,nor is it incompatible with hope or prayer for speedy recovery1 should it be ,god's will1 provided that we willingly embrace the illness so long as ,god sends it to us4 ,this simple act of conformity will go far to sanctify the whole illness4 ,next1 as to the use of our time4 ,this often settles itself1 at least in the graver stages of the illness4 ,but we sometimes allow it to settle itself too easily4 ,certainly we cannot meditate or say ,office1 or do spiritual reading4 ,but we can and should do something4 ,the rosary1 for example1 is a prayer which does not need much exertion1 and if the five mysteries are too much1 we can do one mystery at a time4 ,we can also get others to help us by saying occasional simple prayers which we can follow4 ,and occasional mental ejaculatory prayer is always possible4 ,of course any such exercise must be only occasional3 during a great part of the day we shall not be thinking directly of ,almighty ,god2 but as in health our ordinary exercises sanctify the whole day1 so in sickness very much shorter ones have a similar far-reaching effect4 ,here it may be permitted to put in a strong plea1 if a nurse is wanted1 to have a ,catholic one4 ,many priests would prefer a nun1 even though her medical qualifications were less than those of a professional nurse--which is far from being always the case4 ,if1 however1 we yield so far as to have a lay woman1 at least let her be one of our faith4 ,it is astonishing how frequently even good ,catholics impose a non-,catholic nurse on a priest on the plea that nursing has nothing to do with religion4 ,there is really no reason to do so4 ,plenty of ,catholic nurses are to be had4 ,it means some little additional trouble1 but that is all4 ,yet the gain in comfort to the sick man is immense2 in the case of a mental illness it is supreme4 ,there are scores of little ways of daily occurrence in which the ,catholic nurse may help the devotion of the priest1 and minister to his spiritual as well as his bodily wants4 ,there is indeed something unseemly in the question of whether the patient is fit to say mass or not being regulated by a person to whom the mass means nothing1 and who cannot possibly estimate the reasons in favour of that consolation being granted4 ,in the meantime1 the poor patient is helpless4 ,he has to accept what others provide for him1 and has no power to make his own wish felt1 for in such matters an invalid is often treated with strange want of consideration4 ,in many cases the hired nurse thinks little or nothing of the patient's feelings1 so long as she keeps the sick room neat from a professional point of view1 and so pleases the doctor4 ,i must not let you get bed-sores1 a nurse once said1 or what will the doctor say8 ,the question ,what will the patient say8 did not seem to enter her head2 yet he was the chief person concerned4 ,every serious illness has a crisis--sometimes of considerable duration--which is followed either by a recovery more or less gradual1 or by a gradual sinking4 ,let us follow the former alternative first4 ,one of the predominant thoughts in time of serious illness is looking back on the days of one's health and strength with a feeling of regret for the poor use we made of them1 and a longing to have the same advantage again1 if but for a short time1 to make some small amends for past shortcomings1 or at least to show our goodwill4 ,canon ,keatinge tells a touching story of a dying priest1 one of whose arms had been amputated1 who assured him that he would willingly part with the other arm also1 if only he could have the privilege of saying mass once more4 #a ,yet he had spent forty years of his life as a missionary1 during which time he had said mass almost every day4 ,a feeling somewhat akin to this is probably within the memory of most priests who have passed through serious illness4 ,the recollection of their past priestly life passes through their mind1 and they long to have once again the opportunities which formerly were so plentiful4 ,when real convalescence has set in1 they know that ,god in ,his mercy has heard their prayer1 and they are to have another chance4 ,this thought cannot but fill them with joy4 ,yet convalescence is a time which requires in some sense greater patience than the crisis of an illness4 ,it is essential for its completion that work shall not be resumed too soon4 ,in grave illness nature asserts itself irresistibly in this matter1 the very suffering and weakness overshadowing some of the tedium and ennui4 ,but in the case of convalescence1 it devolves on us to put voluntarily restraint on ourselves1 and to omit doing many things which singly might not be beyond our actual physical power1 but which would retard or even prevent proper recovery4 ,it devolves on us to kill time in a manner that in health would be almost sinful4 ,literature of the lightest is indulged in1 and wisely so1 and any pastime such as a game of cards comes as a relief1 when one longs to be once more up and doing4 ,day after day--week after week--we have to occupy ourselves as best we can1 while our nature slowly recuperates itself4 ,it is real wisdom to wait patiently for the day of our emancipation from the control of doctor and nurse4 ,we may have the consolation of saying mass1 if not every day1 at least frequently2 and the time may come when we may resume our ,office1 though until we are sure that we are able to say it all1 we are not bound to say any4 ,then perhaps we may be well enough to be taken to the seaside or other health resort to complete the cure1 and this forms a little excitement3 but soon that dies down1 in the heavy atmosphere of doing nothing1 and we require all the stimulus we can get for our patience4 ,at length1 however1 the day dawns when we go forth1 pronounced well enough for work1 and we resume that life which we once thought had finally passed from us4 ,then is the time to gather up the fruits of our illness1 and to show by the spirit with which we now approach our duties that the lesson of illness has not been lost on us4 ,no feeling of high spirits at the events of life such as starting for a holiday or the prospect of enjoyment will compare with the feeling of elation at finding oneself once more leading the life of a priest in the midst of his people4 ,but not all illness leads to convalescence1 and if the malady is taking a serious turn1 the priest of all men has a right to be told4 ,he has been so long familiar with death-beds that even the feeling of shock1 so often put forward as a plea for concealing an invalid's state1 is not to be apprehended in his case2 and he knows as no one else does how to prepare himself to face this last passage4 ,alas6 very often he has to do it for himself2 he has frequently been the support and consolation of others1 but he may live in a lonely mission and find no one to minister to him in his own time of need4 ,he may have to go without ,confession or ,extreme ,unction1 and only secure ,viaticum by getting a layman to open the ,tabernacle1 and bring up the ,ciborium so that the patient can communicate himself4 ,or he may live in a populous city and have the same assistance as others4 ,but in either case he has no reason for discouragement4 ,if he has given his whole life to the service of his ,divine ,master1 he need have no fear but that in return he will have the grace of dying as a priest should4 ,once a priest always a priest1 and there is no time in life when a man's priesthood is more prominent than when he lies on his bed of death1 while his parishioners going about their daily duties remember him continually in their prayers4 ,thus truly they are grouped around him in spirit1 as the sheep around their shepherd4 ,i know mine and mine know ,me4 ,he has been intimate with them1 has shown how he knows and sympathises with their difficulties and trials and dangers2 now it is their turn to show that they also know him1 perhaps better than he knows himself1 which they show by the very certainty they entertain as to his final lot4 ,it may be that the priest himself1 knowing his own frailty1 is tempted to despondency as he lies so helpless on his bed of suffering4 ,he may be as the man who revolved these things within himself1 saying3 ',if ,i did but know that ,i should still persevere'2 and presently he heard an answer from ,god2 ',and if thou didst know this1 what wouldst thou do8 ,do now what thou wouldst then do1 and thou shalt be very secure4' ,and immediately being comforted and strengthened1 he committed himself to the divine will and his anxious wavering ceased4 #b ,what more can the sick man do1 but commit himself to the divine will8 ,then in union with that divine will1 surrounded by those praying around him1 he goes forth from the world as a priest of ,god1 this being the concluding act of his priestly vocation4 #a ,the ,priest1 etc41 p4 #fj4 #b ,imitation1 ,i1 xxv4 #b4 ,,printed ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,by ,,wm4 ,,brendon ,,and ,,son1 ,,ltd4 ,,plymouth ,the ,westminster ,library4 ,a ,series of ,manuals for ,catholic ,priests and ,students4 ,edited by ,the ,right ,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward1 ,bishop of ,brentwood1 and the ,rev4 ,,herbert ,,thurston1 ,s4,j4 ,crown #hvo4 ,,the ,,holy ,,eucharist4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,,john ,,cuthbert ,,hedley1 ,o4,s4,b41 late ,bishop of ,newport4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,mass3 a ,study of the ,roman ,liturgy4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,adrian ,,fortescue1 ,d4,d4 #gs4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,new ,,psalter ,,and ,,its ,,use4 ,by the ,rev4 ,e4 ,h4 ,,burton1 ,d4,d41 ,president of ,st4 ,edmund's ,college1 ,ware1 and the ,rev4 ,,edward ,,myers1 ,m4,a4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,priest',s ,,studies4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,,thomas ,,scannell1 ,d4,d41 late ,canon of ,southward ,cathedral4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,tradition ,,of ,,scripture3 its ,origin1 ,authority and ,interpretation4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,,william ,,barry1 ,d4,d41 ,canon of ,birmingham4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,saints3 ,an ,introduction to ,hagiography4 ,from the ,french of ,pere ,h4 ,,delehaye1 ,s4,j41 ,bollandist4 ,translated by ,mrs4 ,v4 ,m4 ,,crawford4 #ds4 net4 ,,non-,,catholic ,,denominations4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,monsignor ,,robert ,,hugh ,,benson4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,early ,,church ,,in ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,the ,,monuments4 ,a ,study in ,christian ,archaeology4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,monsignor ,a4 ,s4 ,,barnes1 ,m4,a4 ,with ,illustrations4 #es4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,priest ,,and ,,social ,,action4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,charles ,,plater1 ,s4,j41 ,m4,a41 ,professor of ,psychology at ,st4 ,mary's ,hall1 ,stonyhurst4 ,with an ,introduction by the ,,bishop ,,of ,,northampton4 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,priestly ,,vocation4 ,by the ,right ,rev4 ,,bernard ,,ward1 ,bishop of ,brentwood4 --- ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co4 ,,london1 ,,new ,,york1 ,,bombay1 ,,calcutta ,,and ,,madras4