LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 
 
 Chap77T_.._ Copyright No*__ 
 
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 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
 
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 /Iftanual of /Habitations 
 
 PREPARATORY TO THE FEASTS OF 
 
 Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, of St. Joseph, 
 
 and of the Visitation of the Most Blessed 
 
 Virgin Mary, 
 
 Followed by Meditations for the Feasts of 
 St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa 
 
 AND A 
 
 Novena in Preparation for the Feast of Pentecost. 
 
 For the Use of the 
 
 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 
 
 t 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO. 1899. 
 
 Published by B. HERDER, 
 
 17 South Broadway. 
 

 43184 
 
 HIIv OBSTAT. 
 
 udovici, die 3. Aprilis 1899. 
 
 F. G. Hoi/weck, 
 
 Censor theologicus. 
 
 IMPRIMATUR. 
 St. Louis, Mo., April 5th, 1899. 
 
 t John J. Kain, 
 Archbishop of St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 fcECOKD c6HPy ri S ht > 1899, by Jos. Gummersbach. 
 1 I A fcS. /V \ TWO copies REC1»VED« 
 
 -BECKTOLD- 
 
 PRINTING AND BOOK MFG. CO. 
 ST. LOUIS. MO. 
 
 uc! 
 
 
PREFACE 
 
 TO satisfy the repeatedly expressed wish 
 of many of our Sisters, it has been 
 thought advisable to republish the little 
 "Manual of Meditations" for the three 
 yearly Triduums, and those preparatory to 
 the feast of Pentecost. 
 
 To them have been added Meditations 
 for the feasts of St. Francis de Sales and 
 St. Teresa, the two great patrons of our 
 Congregation. 
 
 In the preparation of this little volume, 
 special pains have been taken to arrange 
 the Meditations in conformity with the 
 spirit and intentions suggested by our Con- 
 stitutions, and much has been added from 
 various great Saints and other approved 
 Authors, so as to render the little Manual 
 as helpful as possible, towards deriving 
 from these annual seasons of grace and bene- 
 diction all the devotion and spiritual profit, 
 desirable for the souls of those who make 
 use of the same. 
 
4 Preface. 
 
 To enable our Sisters to become more 
 intimately acquainted with the venerated 
 Founders of our Congregation , a brief 
 sketch of them, as obtained from the most 
 authentic, reliable sources, will supplement 
 the present little volume. 
 
 Mother House, 
 South St. Louis, Month of St. Joseph, 1899, 
 
Table of Contents, 
 
 Page. 
 
 Triduum preparatory to the feast of the Immaculate 
 
 Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin 7 
 
 i. Meditation — The Immaculate Conception of 
 
 Mary 8 
 
 2. Meditation— Mary, the Immaculate Virgin is 
 
 our Mother *3 
 
 3. Meditation— Our Immaculate Mother is the hon- 
 
 or and glory of the Church Triumphant, the 
 hope and joy of the Church Militant and the 
 comfort and succor of the Church Suffering.... 22 
 Triduum preparatory to the feast of our glorious 
 
 Patron St. Joseph 33 
 
 1. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Model 35 
 
 2. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Guide 42 
 
 3. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Patron 53 
 
 Triduum before the feast of the Visitation of the 
 
 Blessed Virgin, preparatory to the Renova- 
 tion of Vows 58 
 
 1. Meditation— Promptitude and obedience of our 
 
 blessed Mother in this Mystery 59 
 
 2. Meditation— The graciousness Charity in the 
 
 conduct of the Blessed Virgin Mary 67 
 
 3. Meditation— The Renovation of our holy Vows 78 
 
 Meditation for the feast of St. Francis de Sales 90 
 
 Meditation for the feast of St. Teresa 101 
 
 Devotions and Meditations for the Novena prepar- 
 atory to the feast of Pentecost 114 
 
 Short sketch of the Founders of the Institute of St. 
 
 Joseph of Puy l8 7 
 
Grttmum 
 
 preparatory to tbe ffeast ot tbe Immao 
 
 ulate Conception of tbe JBlessei) 
 
 X&iVQin jflDar$* 
 
 When Rev. Father John Paul Medaille, 
 S. J. , our venerated Founder, first wrote the 
 Constitutions for his little Congregation of 
 St. Joseph, he desired particularly to im- 
 press upon the Sisters a true love and devo- 
 tion towards the Most Holy Virgin, Mother 
 of God. From her they were to learn, and 
 through her powerful intercession seek to 
 obtain, the grace of fidelity to all the graces 
 the Holy Spirit granted to them. 
 
 Among the three Triduums prescribed 
 during the year, two are in honor of our 
 Blessed Mother — that preceding the feast 
 of the Immaculate Conception being the 
 first in the order of time, in the Ecclesias- 
 tical year. 
 
 Let us, therefore, in the spirit of our 
 saintly Founder, offer these days of recol- 
 lection and prayer that the Immaculate 
 Virgin may obtain for us a great purity of 
 intention in our actions and whole conduct, 
 and a great fidelity to all the graces, the 
 Lord may deign to confer upon us. 
 
 (7) 
 
8 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Let us also ask that we may conceive 
 great designs, and entertain ardent desires 
 for the dear interests of Jesus and the sal- 
 vation of souls. 
 
 FIRST MEDITATION. 
 Mary's Immaculate Conception. 
 
 First Prelude : Let us devoutly reflect on 
 this great and singular privilege of Mary 
 and, uniting with Holy Church, let us par- 
 ticipate in the universal joy and admiration 
 to which she gives expression in her sacred 
 Liturgy on the vigil of this feast, when she 
 sings : " Who is she that cometh forth as the 
 morning, rising fair as the moon, bright as 
 the sun, terrible as an army set in array? " 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask through the power- 
 ful intercession of our Immaculate Mother 
 that you may obtain a true knowledge of her 
 greatness in reference to Grod, and learn to 
 duly appreciate her merciful and compas- 
 sionate goodness towards us, her sorrowing 
 children, still in the exile of this world. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Mary is the chosen one of the Ever Blessed 
 Trinity — the elected daughter of the Father, 
 — the predestinated Mother of the Son — 
 and the chosen Spouse of the Holy Grhost. 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 9 
 
 All qualities, natural, as well as super- 
 natural that were becoming the Mother of 
 God, were lavished upon her. These were 
 hers from the first moment of her existence, 
 and she was the object of God's peculiar 
 love and complacency. It was fitting that, 
 she who was to be the Mother of the God- 
 man should be, in every way, worthy of 
 Him. Never did sin, nor the breath of sin 
 tarnish the bright mirror of her matchless 
 purity. "Thou art all beautiful, O Mary, 
 and the original stain is not in thee," sings 
 Holy Church in the Mass of this great feast. 
 And again: "Glorious things are said of 
 thee, Mary: and He that is mighty hath 
 done great things for thee." "Thou art 
 the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of 
 Israel, thou art the honor of our people." 
 
 How truly great and admirable are the 
 privileges of Mary ! But among the glorious 
 array of all her gifts none shines forth with 
 such heavenly splendor, as that of her 
 Immaculate Conception. It is the most 
 beautiful gem in her queenly crown. 
 
 Let us rejoice in the glory of our Immac- 
 ulate Mother and return our fervent thanks 
 to the Most Holy Trinity for all the gifts 
 and graces bestowed upon her, but chiefly 
 for the priceless privilege of her Immacu- 
 late Conception. Let us ask our heavenly 
 
10 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 Mother to obtain for us great purity of 
 heart, of soul and body, a great hatred of 
 sin, and the love of mortification and pen- 
 ance, — virtues which will help us, always 
 to preserve the priceless treasure of holy 
 purity. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 Jesus, the Eternal Sun of justice who 
 came into the world by Mary, to enlighten 
 them that sit in darkness and the shadow of 
 death, wishes that we also should go to Him 
 through her. He will not fail to enlighten 
 us by means of that beautiful star — our 
 true 'Star of Jacob' — who, as the great St. 
 Bernard says, is the clear and brilliant star 
 which is raised far above the wide and 
 spacious sea of this world. 
 
 Over this she shines by the lustre of her 
 virtues, her merits, her beautiful examples. 
 — This benignant Star sheds brilliancy 
 not only by innumerable proofs of her in- 
 comparable power, but especially by the 
 countless multitude of her favors, and by 
 her exceeding compassionate goodness and 
 mercy towards us. "Hail full of grace 7 ' 
 and "thou hast found grace with the Lord" 
 said the Angel who announced to her the 
 Incarnation of the Word. If Mary is laden 
 with gifts and graces, it is that she may 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 11 
 
 give us of her superabundance. Grladly 
 will she make us partakers in her treasures, 
 if we only ask her for them. 
 
 What has been the measure of our confi- 
 dence in Mary during the past? What have 
 we done, to practice and promote devotion 
 to her ? In times of trial, in our conflicts 
 with Satan, the world and our own unhal- 
 lowed passions, have we been faithful to 
 call upon Mary? Have we looked up for 
 light and guidance in the darkness of our 
 exile to our beautiful ocean-star, shining 
 with the brightness of her Son who is the 
 true light of the world ? 
 
 We are sailing upon a raging sea full of 
 dangerous rocks. How greatly do we need 
 light to direct us into the secure way! Let 
 us beseech Mary to enlighten our minds 
 which are merged in darkness. 
 
 Let us ask her to make us docile to the 
 truth. She is our Mother, and a Mother 
 most merciful who will not fail to compas- 
 sionate her sorrowful children, and direct 
 their course into the safe haven of endless 
 peace and rest. 
 
 Let us often salute the Angels of Mary, 
 and humbly ask them to carry our messages 
 of love and gratitude and our petitions to 
 her. Our blessed Mother, who never leaves 
 any act of devotion to her unrewarded, can- 
 
12 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 not fail to be pleased with these childlike 
 marks of affection and confidence. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Life is a perilous passage. Grod is its end. 
 We cannot have a safer guide than Mary. 
 She is the model of all virtues. She is also 
 the treasurer of Grod's graces and is ready 
 and willing to bestow them on us. We 
 cannot stray in following her. If we think 
 of, honor and pray to her we are sure to 
 triumph over the devil. It suffices not, to 
 navigate safely; we must also reach the 
 port of salvation. Mary who knows the 
 way perfectly well, will conduct us thither. 
 She entered there herself by her fidelity to 
 grace. We are invited and encouraged to 
 follow her by our venerated Founder, and 
 it is this fidelity to grace that he wishes us 
 to obtain through our blessed Mother T s pow- 
 erful intercession, as one of the chief fruits 
 of this Triduum consecrated to her honor. 
 
 Are we faithful in instilling devotion to 
 our Immaculate Mother in the minds of 
 the persons we instruct, the children whom 
 we educate; into the sick whom we nurse, 
 the poor and unfortunate whom we visit 
 and succor. What more powerful motives 
 of consolation and encouragement than to 
 show them Our Immaculate Mother, as the 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 13 
 
 comfortress of the afflicted, the health of 
 the sick, the refuge of sinners, the help of 
 christians ! 
 
 Let us teach them, and ask them to teach 
 others that well-known and beautiful prayer, 
 called the Memorare of Saint Bernard. 
 
 In writing of Mary, this great Saint ex- 
 presses himself thus: " When we think of 
 and follow Mary, we cannot go astray. 
 When we pray to her, we need never des- 
 pair of being heard. When she upholds, 
 we cannot fall. When she protects, no 
 danger can betide us. When she leads, our 
 following can never weary. In our perils, 
 in the strait and tortuous ways, let us have 
 recourse to Mary. When we invoke her 
 holy name, we find ourselves at once reliev- 
 ed and delivered from our pains. " 
 
 Colloquy with the Saints who were espec- 
 ially devout to the Blessed Virgin. Ask 
 them to obtain for you a true devotion to 
 the great Queen of Heaven. 
 
 SECOND MEDITATION. 
 Mary the Immaculate Virgin is Our Mother. 
 
 First Prelude : Imagine you hear our Bless- 
 ed Mother giving praise and thanks to Grod 
 in the voice of Holy Church who in the 
 
14 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Gradual of the Mass for the vigil of this 
 great feast sings thus: "Come and attend 
 to me all you that fear Grod, and see how 
 much the Lord hath done for my soul ! 
 
 Eejoice in Grod all the earth, sing psalms 
 unto his holy Name: give glory unto Him." 
 
 Second Prelude: Humbly beseech Mary 
 to obtain for you a grateful heart, and a 
 cheerful, generous spirit of unselfishness 
 and sacrifice. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Our whole life ought to be a continual 
 succession of acts of thanksgiving and 
 gratitude to Grod for all His mercies and 
 undeserved kindness towards us. But de- 
 scending into particulars, we should thank 
 Him every day for having made us children 
 of the true Church. Ah, if we could but 
 thoroughly understand this inestimable 
 grace ! 
 
 " After all," said St. Teresa on her death- 
 bed in an extasy of joyous gratitude, " After 
 all, I am a child of the Holy Catholic 
 Church." 
 
 Then, what praises do we owe our Lord 
 for having led us so sweetly into the i en- 
 closed garden' of holy religion where we 
 are swimming, so to say, in an ocean of 
 graces: where we are daily breathing the 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 15 
 
 atmosphere of holiness: where we are se- 
 curely sheltered from the poisonous vapors 
 rising out of the whirlpool of a perverted 
 and perverting world for which the Son of 
 G-od 'would not pray' on the eve of His 
 sacred passion. 
 
 And what a mother has He not given us 
 in Maiy! — His own Immaculate Mother! — 
 What a father and patron in the person of 
 His own Foster-father, by whose name He 
 desires us to be known in His Church! 
 
 Shall we ever be able to thank Him for 
 the least of His benefits? Let us humbly sup- 
 plicate the Sacred Heart of Jesus to offer to 
 His Heavenly Father, for our shortcomings 
 His own most worthy praises and thanks- 
 givings and those of His Blessed Mother in 
 her glorious canticle — the Magnificat. 
 
 All our Lady's feasts, but especially that 
 of her Immaculate Conception, ought to 
 be for us seasons of joy and affectionate 
 thanksgiving: not only on account of all 
 that we have received through her immacu- 
 late hands, but also because of the advance- 
 ment of the dear interests of Jesus, and of 
 the joy and glory that redounds to God in 
 the possession of at least one creature who 
 is and ever has been all His own. On her 
 He can look with unmixed favor. Never 
 has the enemy had any part in her. She 
 
16 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 is a flower in His garden on whose snowj 
 petals there is no stain. 
 
 One of the humiliations of this life is to 
 find nothing perfect in it. There are always 
 limitations and infirmities, something even 
 in the best and holiest which we have tc 
 bear with and forgive. But in thinking oi 
 our Immaculate Mother, we are able to rest 
 our hearts on a spotless ideal, on a ilosI 
 perfect creature. 
 
 Let us rejoice in our Lady's gifts and 
 graces, and give thanks to Grod for them. 
 By doing so we shall oblige and please her, 
 who is the most grateful of God's creatures, 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 By giving Mary to us as our Mother, hei 
 Divine Son has so ordered things that she 
 is in closer and more real relations with us 
 than any other creature : for there can be 
 no tie so close as that of mother and child. 
 
 Now, this all-pure and spotless Mother in 
 whom sin has absolutely no part, is at the 
 same time the Refuge of Sinners. She 
 reflects in a peculiar way, and by a peculiar 
 privilege, the boundless compassion of Grod. 
 The Saints are saints only in so far as they 
 are like God : and the more they are like 
 Him, the greater is their sanctity. 
 
 But none are so like Him as those whose 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 17 
 
 hearts are full of compassion for sinners — 
 for the wretched — for the miserable of all 
 kinds. This is the great distinguishing 
 feature in the character of all the great 
 servants of Grod. They do not judge, they 
 do not hold themselves apart , they do not 
 despair of sinners. They are their advo- 
 cates and servants. They are ready to live 
 and die, as their Master lived and died, for 
 their salvation. " Jesus Christ/ 7 says the 
 Apostle, "came into the world to save sin- 
 ners/' and this being so, his servants must 
 do the same. Should not the spouses of 
 Jesus Christ be in some sort regarded as the 
 refuge of sinners ! Like our sweet Immacu- 
 late Mother they should have a wonderful 
 tenderness for weak and wandering souls. 
 How many souls may be saved by only 
 caring for them ! And what else should we 
 have in view, when caring for the bodily 
 wants — when nursing the bodily ills of our 
 neighbor, but the salvation of his soul? Is 
 it this chiefly, that we seek? Then, let our 
 eyes roam, just for a moment, over this 
 broad land of ours with its millions of souls 
 who know nothing of Grod, — souls perishing 
 for the want of that bread which gives and 
 sustains life — souls hungry for the word of 
 Grod who, for the want of missionaries and 
 means, could not as yet be reached. These 
 
18 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 are confided to the compassionate charity 
 of the spouses of our Lord. They are given 
 to us that we may bring them to the sheep- 
 fold of Christ, the true and loving Shepherd 
 of the flock purchased with His Blood. 
 
 How can we do it? By humble fervent 
 prayer and supplication accompanied by 
 acts of mortification and self-sacrifice ; by 
 being zealous in instructing children in cat- 
 echism ; by making use of every opportunity 
 to instruct in the truths of our holy religion, 
 those who apply to us, and by being really 
 and entirely what we pretend to be: — true 
 religious not unworthy of the name that, 
 according to the words of the gospel, "our 
 light may shine before men, in order that 
 they may praise our Father who is in 
 heaven. " 
 
 If catholics in general, and religious in 
 particular were always true to their colors, 
 really unworldly and animated by a spirit 
 of faith, how soon would the eyes of those 
 around us be opened to the truth ! 
 
 How can we better honor our Immaculate 
 Mother who is the duly-chosen Patroness 
 of our country than by taking a lively inter- 
 est in the salvation of the souls that dwell 
 therein ! Let all such souls find in us help 
 and pity. Very often they can only be 
 reached through their body. Let us do 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 19 
 
 willingly and cheerfully what we can to 
 help and console them, never thinking we 
 do too much : nor ought we ever to measure 
 our devotion to them by their gratitude. 
 Jesus, our divine Saviour with His Immacu- 
 late Mother and St. Joseph ought to be our 
 only models in the exercise of our charity. 
 
 As our Lord has committed to His blessed 
 Mother the ministry of his loving kindness, 
 so He seems to have done something the 
 same for his spouses. He has made religi- 
 ous the ministering angels, not of justice, 
 but of charity and long-suffering, that true 
 mercy, which really means having a heart 
 for the miserable. 
 
 May our dearest Mother obtain this grace 
 for us, so that as we cannot imitate her in 
 her one great privilege of being exempt 
 from sin, we may yet become like her in 
 her merciful compassion. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Our Blessed Mother never tires of our 
 importunities. She permits us to take all 
 sorts of little liberties with her. Of course, 
 what explains it is that she is a great vessel 
 of compassion. 
 
 It is her characteristic, as it was that of 
 her Divine Son whose perfections she re- 
 flects. One of our Lord's favorite sayings 
 
20 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 was "I have compassion on the multitude. " 
 In working his most wonderful miracles, 
 "He was moved with compassion. " 
 
 But we need not seek scripture proofs to 
 assure us of the loving compassion of Grod. 
 Our own personal experience can bear out 
 this testimony, a hundred and a thousand- 
 fold. 
 
 But have we ever sounded the depths of 
 the mysteries of the Divine Compassion? 
 Let us consider what it implies. Our Blessed 
 Lady will teach us. Nothing really could 
 do our heart more good, than to meditate 
 often on the compassion of God and His 
 Blessed Mother. 
 
 Let us especially often and seriously re- 
 flect on the parable of the servant who would 
 not forgive his fellow-servant a hundred 
 pence, when his Lord had had compassion 
 on him and forgiven him ten thousand tal- 
 ents. The apostle tells us, not only to be of 
 one mind, but to be 'having compassion 
 one for another 7 not merely to be compas- 
 sionate to the poor and sick whom we visit, 
 or find begging at our door, but compas- 
 sionate one to another. 
 
 In the forty-fourth Psalm the Royal 
 Prophet says to our Lord : "Grace is poured 
 forth on thy lips" — words which are daily 
 repeated in the Office of the Blessed Virgin, 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 21 
 
 and which signify that the words uttered 
 by our Lord and His blessed Mother were 
 gracious, tender, compassionate. 
 
 When we are tempted to say, we cannot 
 work with one, or get on with another — 
 that one is so trying and another so irritat- 
 ing, all would be remedied with a little more 
 compassion, forbearance, pity for each 
 other's defects and infirmities. 
 
 Let us consider our compassionate Lord 
 who always took the part of those whom 
 others complained of. He took the part of 
 Mary Magdalen, when Martha complained 
 of her ; praised her, when Judas the traitor, 
 would have condemned her lavishness : the 
 part of His Apostles against the Pharisees, 
 and although He could not excuse the sin of 
 the poor creature whom these had brought 
 to Him, yet He would not condemn her. 
 the boundless compassion of God towards 
 His poor, erring creatures! These are lovely 
 examples for us to reflect and meditate on. 
 
 We cannot imitate our Lord in His mir- 
 acles ; but in His Divine Compassion we can 
 and must, if we do not wish to be separated 
 from Him and His blessed Mother forever. 
 
 Would it not be very inconsistent to call 
 ourselves children of Mary, if we bore no 
 sort of resemblance to our Mother? If she 
 could just take her place in a religious com- 
 
22 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 munity for a month, would she not turn it 
 into a heaven on earth, simply by the daily 
 exercise of that sweet loving compassion 
 which would make her tender, pitiful, cour- 
 teous, long-suffering and tolerant with the 
 least of God's creatures with whom she lived. 
 
 Let us ask her to teach us all the sweet 
 graciousness of charity, and then this little 
 corner of St. Joseph garden will daily bud 
 forth fresh flowers flagrant with the odors 
 of Paradise. 
 
 Colloque with St. Raphael Archangel — 
 the angel of joy and gladness — the healer 
 and comforter in human sorrows, the min- 
 istering spirit of God's comforts to man. 
 
 THIRD MEDITATION. 
 
 Mary Immaculate is the Honor and Glory of the 
 
 Church Triumphant, the Hope and the Joy 
 
 of the Church Militant, and the Comfort 
 
 and Succor of the Church Suffering. 
 
 First Prelude: Imagine you hear the 
 magnificent chant of Holy Church during 
 the Mass of this great feast who, addressing 
 Mary, sings thus : 
 
 "Thou art all beautiful, Mary, and the 
 stain original is not in thee! " Alleluja! 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 23 
 
 And again: "Glorious things are said of 
 thee, thou City of Grod! Thou art the glory 
 of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, 
 thou art the honor of our people! " 
 
 Second Prelude : Humbly ask our Blessed 
 Lady that according to the words of our 
 saintly Founder "You may conceive great 
 designs for the advancement of Grod's glory 
 and the salvation of souls. " 
 
 With all possible fervor and child-like 
 confidence ask this as the special fruit of 
 this meditation. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 0, how great is the honor and glory re- 
 flected upon all the inhabitants of the heav- 
 enly Jerusalem by the singular privilege of 
 Mary's Immaculate Conception ! All heaven 
 rejoices, the earth is made glad and hell 
 trembles at seeing the sign of the "woman 
 clothed with the sun, the moon under her 
 feet and crowned with twelve stars. " Holy 
 Mother Church here on earth celebrates this 
 feast with great splendor. It will also be 
 gloriously solemnized in heaven. But how 
 paltry our earthly celebrations and ceremo- 
 nies must appear, when compared with 
 those of the heavenly Jerusalem ! Yet they 
 have this advantage : that by devoutly en- 
 tering into the spirit of this great solemnity 
 
24 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 with the dispositions of our Blessed Mother, 
 we shall not fail to obtain a special partici- 
 pation in the graces flowing from this 
 mystery and an augmentation of merit for 
 eternity. The Saints in heaven cannot 
 merit any more. Their time for gathering 
 eternal treasures is past. They are now en- 
 joying what they have earned during their 
 life time: while we, exiled children of Eve, 
 being still in this land of trial, have it in our 
 power, by constant and persevering fidelity 
 to grace, to increase our merits and ensure 
 our reward in the life to come. 
 
 Let us ask our Blessed Mother to help us 
 to make a good and holy use of our present 
 opportunities. The past we cannot recall ; 
 but by humility and repentance we may 
 obtain pardon and mercy for graces so wil- 
 fully neglected. It is only in the living 
 present that "we can make our calling and 
 election sure." 
 
 Ascending to-day in spirit into heaven, 
 let us with the eyes of a lively faith contem- 
 plate the glory of our Immaculate Mother 
 in the midst of the angels and saints — happy 
 subjects of her imperial realm. With what 
 joy do they contemplate her beauty, with 
 what exultation celebrate her praises ! She 
 is loved and cherished by the Most Blessed 
 Trinity, served by the angels, blessed by the 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 25 
 
 patriarchs, admired by the prophets, revered 
 by the apostles, glorified by the martyrs, 
 honored by the confessors, followed by the 
 virgins and praised by all the saints of 
 Gi-od. Let us unite with them all in giving 
 praise and thanks to the Ever Blessed Trin- 
 ity for all the graces and favors granted to 
 Mary, but especially her Immaculate Con- 
 ception — a privilege with which she alone 
 in all the earth, was favored. Hence, Holy 
 Church in the Mass of this great feast, con- 
 gratulating her, addresses her thus : 
 
 "Blessed art thou, O Mary, by the Lord 
 Grod, most high, above all the women of 
 the earth! 
 
 Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou 
 art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of 
 our people!" 
 
 In thanking our Lord for the gifts granted 
 to our Lady, let us remember that in her, 
 as in a fruitful soil, they grew and increased 
 without any impediment, and fructified a 
 hundred and a thousandfold even to the 
 perfection of consumate sanctity : and it was 
 her perfect fidelity to grace which obtained 
 for her such immense glory in heaven. 
 
 After congratulating our Blessed Mother 
 on the feast of to-morrow, on her graces 
 and privileges, her joys and her glory, let 
 us beg of her to obtain for us a faithful cor- 
 
26 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 respondence with the graces, our Lord may 
 deign to confer on us : ask the gift of final 
 perseverance, and perseverance in our holy 
 vocation. These are graces we cannot 
 merit: — but they will be granted to perse- 
 vering fervent prayer. May our Immaculate 
 Mother obtain them for us, that we may 
 one day have the happiness of seeing and 
 praising her in the glory of paradise. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The honor of our Lord is greatly pro- 
 moted by the honor shown to His Blessed 
 Mother. The whole history of the Church, 
 from the Apostles down to the present, 
 shows how near and dear devotion to her is 
 to His Divine Heart : while the facts of all 
 ages, but especially those truly great and 
 strikingly wonderful events which have 
 taken place in our own times, clearly demon- 
 strate, how much and how intimately Mary 
 is connected and identified with the inter- 
 ests of Jesus and the salvation of souls. 
 
 Jesus has placed His Immaculate Mother 
 in the front of His Church to be its bulwark : 
 — A token of all good, and a stumbling 
 block of His enemies. Within our own 
 century, at a period, when society saw itself 
 on the eve of one of the most terrible polit- 
 ical and moral convulsions, when, owing to 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 27 
 
 the unhappy dissemination of pernicious 
 literature, thousands of christian families 
 were threatened with loss of faith and be- 
 coming demoralized, our Blessed Mother, in 
 pity descended among the children of men 
 to warn, to exhort and fortify them against 
 the seductions of the enemy of mankind, 
 the flattery of the world and the opposition 
 of their own unruly passions. 
 
 With what refinement of maternal tender- 
 ness does she not employ every means to 
 rescue her poor erring children from the 
 slavery which threatens and from dangers 
 and chastisements which menace them! 
 
 The multiplied wonderful conversions 
 consequent upon the establishment of the 
 Archconf raternity of the Immaculate Heart 
 of Mary — the numberless extraordinary 
 favors, temporal as well as spiritual, follow- 
 ing the manifestation of the Miraculous 
 Medal to one of the daughters of St. Vincent 
 de Paul, and a few years later, the appari- 
 tion of our Blessed Lady on the Mountain of 
 La Salette, where she wept over the crimes 
 of men, and deplored the unhappy lot of 
 sinners, promising mercy and pardon to the 
 repentant and threatening with chastise- 
 ment the impenitent and obdurate : — all 
 these events speak loudly of the maternal 
 love of Mary for the children of the Church 
 
28 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 engaged in deathly struggle with, powerful 
 enemies, where the outcome is, for certain 
 souls, often so hazardous, so uncertain. 
 But they also tell of her unspeakably great 
 influence with her Divine Son, and the 
 immense power she wields over Satan and 
 his rebel crew. Mary is the treasurer of the 
 graces flowing from the Sacred Heart from 
 which she can draw at pleasure, to distrib- 
 ute, to her needy children. 
 
 She is truly the hope and the joy of the 
 Church Militant who in her beautiful Anti- 
 phon, the " Salve Regina" which is repeated 
 daily by millions of the faithful, invokes 
 Mary as "our life, our sweetness and our 
 hope." 
 
 Let us rejoice that we are children of the 
 Holy Catholic Church which Glod never 
 ceases to visit, with which he ever continues 
 to dwell in the Holy Eucharist, and whose 
 interests have a most powerful advocate in 
 our heavenly Mother. 
 
 Among all the wonders operated through 
 Mary in our times, none are so striking 
 as those of Lourdes. In the miracles of 
 Lourdes God prepared a new glory for the 
 Immaculate Conception. It is in honor of, 
 and by the favor of the Immaculate Con- 
 ception that cures shall gush forth from 
 that miraculous fountain, and sinners shall 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 29 
 
 find the joys of mercy in the graces flowing 
 from the Immaculate Conception of our 
 Blessed Mother. 
 
 What, in truth, is the grace of the mys- 
 tery of the Immaculate Conception, if it be 
 not the grace of total triumph of the Blessed 
 Virgin over Satan? She crushes his head, 
 and on that account, he can do nothing 
 against her. From Mary this grace of in- 
 nocence and victory flows into the Church, 
 in order that she also may totally triumph 
 over the old serpent who, for six thousand 
 years, has seduced the world. Armed with 
 the grace of the Immaculate Conception, 
 assisted by her Queen — ' the Virgin conceived 
 without sin' — the Church will crush the ser- 
 pent's head and triumph over her enemies. 
 
 The mystery of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion is the precious pearl of our century, and 
 the shield of the Church in the struggles of 
 the latter times which are approaching. 
 
 The great miracle of Lourdes, unique in 
 its kind, is, as it were, the heavenly crown- 
 ing of the dogmatic definition of Dec. 8th, 
 1854: it seems to be the echo, the divine 
 reflection thereof. 
 
 All of us, faithful children of Mary, liv- 
 ing members and spouses of Jesus Christ, 
 let us arm ourselves with a strong faith, 
 following in the beloved footsteps of the 
 
30 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 1 Virgin without stain/ that at the hour of 
 our death she may find us prepared, to enter 
 with the wise Virgins into the possession of 
 our heavenly inheritance. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Mary Immaculate is not only the honor 
 and glory of the Church triumphant, the 
 joy and the hope of the Church militant, 
 but also the comfort, the consolation and 
 the succor of the Church suffering in pur- 
 gatory. how great is her pity and com- 
 passion for these dear souls who are the 
 beloved spouses of Jesus Christ ! Will she 
 not rejoice in the many prayers and suf- 
 frages that will be offered by the faithful 
 for their release and succor on occasion of 
 to-morrow's great solemnity? 
 
 It is on account of her that the children 
 of the Church militant are mindful of their 
 suffering brethren, detained for a time, in 
 the purifying flames of this region of pain. 
 Mary is their Mother still, and loving them 
 with a true Mother's love, she ardently 
 longs for them to be with her in the glory 
 of paradise. To reach there speedily, they 
 stand in need of the suffrages of Holy 
 Church. If therefore, we desire to give real 
 joy to Mary and to please her in a special 
 manner, let us offer prayers and supplica- 
 
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 31 
 
 tions, small penances, slight privations — no 
 matter how small — little sacrifices of our 
 ease and convenience, yielding rights and 
 points of honor, etc., with all the indulgen- 
 ces we shall be able to gain, into the blessed 
 hands of our Immaculate Mother, as a spir- 
 itual bouquet for this feast so dear to her, 
 that she may apply them according to the 
 needs and conditions of the dear suffering 
 souls. 
 
 May our Sweet Lady of Lourdes, the 
 mother all-merciful, by the bright light of 
 faith lead her children to an increase of 
 good works for the benefit of the faithful 
 departed. 
 
 O Mother Immaculate ! Thou didst show 
 thyself to Bernardette all beautiful, adorned 
 with a beauty not of earth, but a spiritual 
 beauty which is of Grod, obtain that by 
 satisfactory works of penance and expiation 
 we may help thee to restore to their pristine 
 beauty the holy souls detained far from 
 heaven and thee. Through the mystery of 
 thy Immaculate Conception, so greatly glor- 
 ified in our days and crowned with the halo 
 of unnumbered and continued miracles at 
 Lourdes, we humbly pray thee, obtain a 
 copious stream of the precious blood of thy 
 beloved Son to descend into purgatory, to 
 cleanse, purify and adorn the suffering souls 
 
32 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 and prepare them for a joyous participation 
 in the glory of thy eternal festival in heaven. 
 
 In concluding this meditation let us make 
 a colloque with the great St. Cyril, Father 
 of the Church, so truly devoted to Mary, 
 and join with him in his canticle of praise 
 to the Mother of God: 
 
 "Hail O Mary! Mother of God, rich treas- 
 ure of the world, inextinguishable lamp, 
 crown of virginity, sceptre of true doctrine, 
 temple which cannot fall, the residence of 
 Him whom no place can contain, Mother 
 and Yirgin, by whom He is, who cometh 
 blessed in the name of the Lord ! Hail Mary, 
 who in thy Yirgin-womb contained Him 
 who is immense and incomprehensible! 
 Thou, through whom the Blessed Trinity is 
 glorified and adored, through whom heaven 
 exults, the angels rejoice, the devils are 
 banished, the tempter disarmed, through 
 whom the creature that was fallen is restored 
 to heaven and comes to the knowledge of 
 the truth, through whom churches are 
 founded, and nations brought to penance, 
 through whom the only-begotten Son of 
 God has come to us ! 
 
 Intercede for the people, mediate for the 
 clergy and pray for the devout female sex." 
 
fl&eMtations 
 
 for tbe Uri&uum preparatory to tbe 
 
 jf east of our 1bols ffatber 
 
 St* Josepb* 
 
 Christians and much more religious can- 
 not meditate too deeply on the life and vir- 
 tues of the glorious St. Joseph, on his holy 
 death, his power with God and the care he 
 extends to the faithful devoted to him ; but 
 there are none to whom these consoling 
 and instructive facts should be more the 
 special subjects of meditation than to us. 
 
 Placed by our venerated Founder under 
 the kind guardianship of this admirable 
 Saint, he is in a particular manner, the 
 patron of our Institute, — that is to say, he 
 is our Model, our Guide, and our Protector. 
 
 We ought, then, by meditation, study his 
 perfections for the purpose of imitating 
 them — listen to his teachings that we may 
 put them in practice — and give ourselves a 
 just idea of his power of intercession with 
 God, so as to have the greatest confidence 
 in him. 
 
 It is impossible to meditate on this great 
 servant of God without considering him in 
 
 (33) 
 
34 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 his relation to Jesus, the eternal Son of 
 God, and Mary, His Immaculate Mother. 
 It is, therefore, from this standpoint that 
 we always consider St. Joseph — from his 
 intimate connection with Jesus and Mary. 
 
 To meditate on St. Joseph is eminently 
 calculated to make us lead a life of faith. 
 The prerogatives and virtues of our holy 
 Patron will be a source of the most salutary 
 thoughts and holiest aspirations to us, and 
 such as are admirably in keeping with our 
 holy state. There is in these a true spiritual 
 treasury from which we can never draw too 
 much, and whose effect will surely be to 
 elevate our thoughts to the things of Grod, 
 to lead us to the practices of the interior 
 life, and to procure for us the sweetest con- 
 solations. 
 
 While meditating on St. Joseph we, more- 
 over, instruct ourselves admirably in our 
 duties, as regards the interior life ; as well 
 as the service of our neighbor to which our 
 holy vocation as members of this Institute 
 obliges us. From our holy Patron we are 
 told to learn the science of prayer and true 
 union with Grod; and again, it is to this 
 loving Protector we are sent by our vener- 
 ated founder to be taught the exercise of 
 charity and zeal in the service of our neigh- 
 bor. Let us, therefore, "go to St. Joseph 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 35 
 
 and do all that he shall say to us." With 
 all the intensity of fervor of which we are 
 capable, let us enter into the spirit of this 
 little Triduum in preparation for the feast 
 of our glorious Patriarch, in order to secure 
 the continuance of his powerful protection 
 on our Congregation and the advancement 
 of its members in all virtues. 
 
 FIRST MEDITATION. 
 St. Joseph our Model. 
 
 First Prelude : Let us enter in spirit into 
 the holy house of Nazareth, the true model 
 of every religious house, and admiring with 
 the angels of God the ravishing picture pre- 
 sented there to us by the Holy Family, let 
 us imagine our holy father St. Joseph say- 
 ing to us these words of the Apostle: "Be 
 ye followers of me as I am of Christ. " 
 
 Second Prelude: Ask this amiable Saint 
 to give you an insight into the holy dispo- 
 sitions which animated him in his daily life 
 and actions. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 The Excellence of oar Model. 
 
 The masters of the spiritual life, and 
 among others, St. Francis de Sales and St. 
 
36 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Teresa represent St. Joseph to us as the 
 perfect model for religious persons and our 
 venerated Founder, Rev. Father P. Medaille, 
 S. J., in treating of the plan of our Congre- 
 gation, writes these beautiful words: 
 
 "Ever mindful that the mystery of the 
 Blessed Eucharist is the model upon which 
 our little Congregation was formed, our 
 dear Sisters ought to cherish an immense 
 love and an ever increasing devotion to this 
 Most Holy Sacrament which, having given 
 life and being to our humble Institute, will 
 also cause it to advance and increase in the 
 virtues of humility, charity, sweetness, self 
 annihilation and hiddenness of which our 
 Lord has made it the depositary, and which 
 are so sublimely set forth in this adorable 
 Mystery. For this end, it has been confided 
 to the special guardianship of St. Joseph, 
 the most humble and most hidden of all 
 the Saints." 
 
 What a subject for meditation! What 
 cause for sincerest gratitude to be thus 
 placed under the custody of so great a 
 Saint, — to have so amiable a model before 
 our eyes upon which to fashion ourselves ! 
 
 "G-o" said the Lord to Moses in directing 
 him to make the ark of the covenant, "go 
 and make it according to the pattern." St. 
 Joseph, then, is our pattern which we must 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 37 
 
 ever keep in view, if we desire to render 
 ourselves pleasing to God. Our soul, the 
 temple of the Holy Ghost, so frequently the 
 dwelling of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, 
 is the ark which we must strive to adorn 
 according to the pattern. 
 
 How beautiful is this pattern!— an object 
 of complacency in the sight of the Most 
 Holy Trinity, the comfort and solace of the 
 Virgin Mother, and the joy and delight of 
 the Heart of the Infant-God ! 
 
 How holy and perfect is this pattern! 
 Our blessed Patron was himself taught in 
 the school of Divine Wisdom. He was 
 formed and fashioned by Jesus and Mary, 
 the holiest and most perfect persons on earth 
 and, as he was docility itself, it can be 
 easily imagined with what fidelity he stored 
 all heavenly knowledge and endeavored to 
 put it in practice. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The Virtues of St. Joseph. 
 
 St. Joseph was eminently a man of faith. 
 He looks at everything from a supernatural 
 point of view. He does nothing through 
 human motives. Each of his actions has 
 its source in the Holy Ghost. Therefore,, 
 he excelled in the spirit of faith which ought 
 to be the very foundation of religious. 
 
38 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 In how far does iny faith resemble that 
 of my holy Patron? Do I accustom myself 
 to look at things in the light of eternity, or 
 do I let nature prevail, and explain and in- 
 terpret matters according to its dictates? 
 My beloved Father, intercede for thy child 
 and obtain for me a large share in thy spirit 
 of faith. 
 
 Joseph practised in its perfection the vir- 
 tue of obedience. He obeyed without delay, 
 without offering pretexts or excuses, and 
 without complaint, showing that his will 
 was absolutely conformed to that of Grod. 
 
 In sight of the sublime obedience of my 
 holy Patron, have I not cause to be ashamed 
 of my poor, imperfect efforts in the exercise 
 of a virtue of which I have made a solemn 
 profession? 
 
 As my obedience may sometimes be put 
 to the test at the cost of heroic sacrifices, 
 what would my dispositions lead me to hope 
 for on such occasions? The example of my 
 holy Patron must determine my purpose.... 
 What sacrifices more heroic than that im- 
 posed on St. Joseph in his flight into Egypt! 
 Yet he asks no questions, makes no delay, 
 seeks no further directions, but simply 
 obeys. Witness the fruit: — Egypt is con- 
 verted. At a period not very far distant, 
 the deserts, like a garden watered by a 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 39 
 
 bountiful stream, are blooming with a vari- 
 ety of mystical flowers — thousands of holy 
 anchorets, monks and nuns whose voices 
 resound in the wilderness, chanting the 
 praises of the Lord : and great is the mul- 
 titude of christians, both shepherds and 
 flocks that are gathered in the temples of 
 the great cities of this once idolatrous coun- 
 try. The presence and sojourn of the Holy 
 Family has borne its fruit and turned it 
 into a land of saints and martyrs. 
 
 Thus it may happen that the act of obe- 
 dience that costs most to my nature, will be 
 productive of the greatest good to the glory 
 of Grod and the welfare of souls. 
 
 St. Joseph was poor in that poverty 
 which Jesus Christ praises in these words : 
 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is 
 the kingdom of Heaven. " His heart did 
 not covet the goods of earth ; for in Jesus 
 he possessed the riches of Heaven. Do I 
 rejoice when an opportunity is given me to 
 honor the poverty of my blessed Patron? 
 In comparing my spirit of poverty with his, 
 what an immense distance do I find between 
 them! Implore for me, my dear Father St. 
 Joseph, a large share in those holy disposi- 
 tions which made thy poverty so pleasing 
 in the sight of God. 
 
 St. Joseph was chaste to a degree so per- 
 
40 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 feet that God judged him worthy to be the 
 spouse of the Immaculate Virgin — so pure 
 that He who is the Sun of Justice and the 
 splendor of His glory, and whose delight is 
 to feed among the lilies, wished to remain 
 thirty years in his company, and to give 
 him every mark of honor, respect and love. 
 What a model of purity he offers us in his 
 person, while, at the same time, his blessed 
 example points out to us, the precautions 
 to guard this virtue. Great St. Joseph, 
 guardian of the virginity of Mary, cast the 
 mantle of thy singular protection over those 
 who desire to be thy children. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 St. Joseph excelled no less in piety and 
 devotedness. What was his life but a flight 
 from the world, a continual prayer, union 
 with God, and an uninterrupted meditation 
 on the mysteries of the Divine Childhood 
 and the great work of the redemption of 
 the world! What did St. Joseph do here 
 below but adore God, while, at the same 
 time, he employed all his powers and facul- 
 ties in His service? His whole life was a 
 continuation of acts of sacrifice in the most 
 devoted service of Jesus and Mary. 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 41 
 
 Must not my want of recollection and 
 silence, my distractions at prayer and other 
 acts of devotion, my lack of piety in the 
 Divine service, my desire to put myself for- 
 ward and to shine before men, fill me with 
 shame and confusion, when I gaze on St. 
 Joseph and witness his interior dispositions? 
 Will not my beloved Patron have reason to 
 disown me and tell me that I bear his name 
 unworthily? But being a merciful Saint, he 
 will have pity on his child — although un- 
 worthy, yet repentant and who at present 
 desires nothing so much as to imitate him 
 in future. 
 
 Finally, St. Joseph must be our model in 
 constant progress and increase in perfection. 
 Joseph means "increase;" Jesus who "in- 
 creased in age and wisdom before God and 
 man," and, Mary, ever increasing in all 
 holiness and merit, were his models that he 
 strove closely to imitate. 
 
 What efforts do I actually make to ad- 
 vance in virtue? What have been my efforts 
 during the past, and what am I willing to 
 lay as an offering at St. Joseph's feet, to be 
 accomplished in the future? 
 
 Colloquy with our beloved Patron. 
 
42 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 SECOND MEDITATION. 
 St. Joseph is our Guide. 
 
 First Prelude : Enter in spirit the humble 
 dwelling of the Holy Family at Nazareth, 
 and with the heavenly spirits admire the 
 blessed intercourse of this earthly Trinity 
 in their mutual relations to each other. 
 Imagine your guardian angel pointing to 
 St. Joseph, and saying to you: "Behold 
 him — in whom is fulfilled what was prefig- 
 ured by the ancient Joseph — whom the 
 King made master of his house and ruler of 
 all his possessions.' 7 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask your blessed Patron 
 to guide your steps in the paths of justice, 
 of holiness and truth. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 St. Joseph our Guide in our Duties of the 
 Exterior Life. 
 
 St. Joseph having been given to us as our 
 Patron, has thereby become our guide in a 
 special manner. What a glorious privilege 
 to be guided by him who first directed the 
 tottering steps of the Infant Grod — who was 
 the conductor of our blessed Mother and 
 her sweet Child during all their fatiguing 
 and painful pilgrimages ! With what confi- 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 43 
 
 dence do they trust themselves to his faith- 
 ful care and devoted guidance ! 
 
 Dear St. Joseph, who while on earth 
 didst guide with such loving affection the 
 sacred persons and the concerns of those 
 dearest to thee, for the sake of Jesus and 
 Mary, deign to cast a look of tenderness on 
 thy children who cry to thee for help and 
 who, with loving trust commit themselves 
 to thy paternal direction on the road that 
 leads heavenward and which, with Grod's 
 holy grace, they have already entered. 
 
 This road, although clearly pointed out 
 to us in our Constitutions, is not without 
 its rocky precipices, its arid deserts, its 
 dangerous pitfalls, its dark forests full of 
 wild beasts lurking about to attack and 
 devour us, and its dense undergrowth of 
 thorns and brambles to tear and wound us. 
 We need a sure and safe guide to point out 
 to us the dangerous places to be guarded 
 against, to discover to us the snares laid for 
 us that we may avoid falling into them — a 
 guide who will encourage us when dismay- 
 ed, console us wiien afflicted, bind up our 
 wounds when torn and bleeding, and refresh 
 us when famished with hunger and thirst. 
 
 Our duties of the exterior life expose us 
 to great dangers. Our triple enemy — the 
 world, the flesh and the devil — will never 
 
44 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 cease to make war upon us, to lead us astray 
 from the narrow path that leadeth to life. 
 Let us call upon our guide who is walking 
 before us, to show us in the exercise of our 
 charity to our neighbor, the dangers to be 
 avoided by giving us a large share in his 
 spirit of faith which will cast so bright a 
 light across our path that pride and vain 
 glory will have no share in our works. One 
 look at our amiable guide will, by the light 
 of eternity, reflected from his serene coun- 
 tenance, enable us to discover and avoid 
 the precipice. 
 
 Our duties to our neighbor lead us to hold 
 much intercourse with the world. There is 
 danger of imbibing its spirit, of permitting 
 ourselves to be controlled by its erroneous 
 maxims. Who will save us from becoming 
 entangled in its snares? Ah; let us turn 
 to St. Joseph, our blessed Patron who, ever 
 watchful over the welfare of those confided 
 to his care, will not cease to light us with 
 the brilliant torch of his strong and lively 
 faith and his firm trust in God, that the 
 false light of worldly wisdom and the regard 
 of creatures will dwindle into insignificance. 
 
 St. Joseph must be our guide in the exer- 
 cise of our charity. As he served Jesus and 
 Mary, so should we see Jesus and Mary in 
 the persons of our neighbor whom we are 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 45 
 
 called upon to serve — and with what 
 alacrity, promptitude and devotedness 
 ought we to serve them! 
 
 "Will not my imperfect dispositions and 
 feeble efforts, when compared to the perfect 
 charity of my beloved father fill me with 
 shame and confusion? Would I make ex- 
 ception of persons in the exercise of my 
 charity, if it were my habit to always view 
 Jesus in the persons of those whom I serve 1 
 
 St. Joseph served Jesus and Mary with 
 devotedness, sweetness and affection. 
 
 In view of these holy dispositions with 
 which thou servest Jesus, the son of Grod, 
 and Mary, His Immaculate Mother, let me 
 in future strive to follow thy blessed foot- 
 steps, O glorious St. Joseph! Thy example 
 shall be my encouragement. 
 
 In my neighbor I shall ever see my Jesus 
 — in the children whom I teach, the orphans 
 whom I care for and educate, the sick whom 
 I nurse and visit ; in the ignorant whom I 
 instruct ; the poor whom I assist and solace ; 
 in the wearv to whom I offer refreshment; 
 the dejected whom I encourage, and the 
 afflicted whom I comfort and console. — It 
 is always and ever Jesus who presents Him- 
 self to me under these various guises, to 
 receive my feeble services, and who — if I 
 faithfully follow my beloved guide — on the 
 
46 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 last day will say to me: "Come, you blessed 
 of my father, etc., Because you did it to the 
 least of these my brethren, you did it to me. ' } 
 Obtain for me, my beloved Patron, that 
 my charity may not be unworthy of such a 
 consoling benediction. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 St. Joseph our Guide in the Exercises of the 
 Interior Life. 
 
 St. Joseph was, in the words of our saint- 
 ly Founder "the most humble and the most 
 hidden of all the Saints. " He cherished 
 the hidden, the obscure, the simple and 
 retired life, because it afforded him better 
 opportunities for holy recollection and 
 union with God. Being, however, charged 
 with the care of Jesus and Mary , our blessed 
 Patron could not avoid the troubles and 
 occupations incident to his position as head 
 of the Holy Family; but he understood so 
 well how to unite the interior lif e with his 
 external employments that these were no 
 hindrance to his interior progress towards 
 the most exalted heights of perfection. He 
 was forever occupied in the service of Him 
 whom angels adore, and in the devoted care 
 of her whom they delight to serve and 
 revere as their queen. He was taught in 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 47 
 
 the school wherein the Holy Spirit teaches 
 and, consequently, he was a marvel of con- 
 summate prudence and heavenly wisdom. 
 His inward gaze was never removed from 
 the one object of his love. Ever ready to 
 fulfil his Heavenly Father's will in regard 
 to the objects of his devoted care, ever 
 trustful in the tender Providence of God, 
 St. Joseph's mind was never disturbed, and 
 his heart ever at peace — prepared for the 
 secret and sweet impressions of His holy 
 grace. 
 
 May our beloved Father St. Joseph obtain 
 for us — his children — this calm trustfulness, 
 this childlike confidence in God's ever 
 watchful and tender Providence which is so 
 necessary and so conducive to our rapid 
 advancement in the spiritual life. 
 
 We are privileged to bear the name of 
 our glorious Patron ; but in order to honor 
 the same, and to bear it worthily, we must 
 necessarily love and cherish the interior life. 
 How glorious to God, how truly calculated 
 is such a life to nourish the loftiest virtues 
 and the most exalted holiness ! Had there 
 been any other life more perfect and more 
 pleasing to God, the eternal Father would 
 surely have chosen it for His beloved Son 
 who desired to pass the greater part of His 
 earthly career in silence and obscurity, 
 
48 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 subjecting Himself to the labors of a poor 
 artisan, eating His bread in the sweat of 
 His brow. 
 
 How was the condition of labor honored 
 in the person of the Son of God made man ! 
 Ought not those whose employments subject 
 them to manual labor and the fulfilment of 
 humble duties rejoice, to be thus associated 
 to Jesus, Mary and Joseph? If sanctifying 
 their labors in union with those of the Holy 
 Family, what will be the height of celestial 
 glory that their exalted merits mil have 
 obtained for them at the close of their 
 earthly pilgrimage ! 
 
 To love retirement, to covet obscurity, to 
 cherish a laborious life, in humble subjec- 
 tion to God's holy will, thereby to follow 
 more closely the Holy Family at Nazareth, 
 is not in accordance with the desires of 
 flesh and blood, but in perfect conformity 
 with the lofty thoughts of the children of 
 God, who ever find their joy in humble 
 subjection, their glory in obscurity and 
 their peace in true union with God. 
 
 Do we desire to be of this number? Then, 
 let us rejoice when others are preferred to 
 us — when others are honored, applauded, 
 sought after, and we ignored — neglected ; 
 when the works and undertakings of other 
 religious are favorably noticed, and our 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 49 
 
 own passed over in silence — or, perhaps, 
 even found fault with in public. Provided 
 we have done our duty, and by our labors 
 striven to promote the interests of our Lord 
 and the welfare of souls, all will be well. 
 Perhaps our beloved Patron prayed for this 
 that the merit of our zealous efforts may 
 not be lost to us for eternity. 
 
 Let us learn from St. Joseph the science 
 of prayer and holy meditation. It is in 
 proportion to our progress in this blessed 
 science that the virtues which St. Joseph 
 longs to see in his children, will develop 
 and grow within us. He learned to pray 
 from Jesus and Mary : — His goodness will not 
 refuse to direct us in this most necessary 
 exercise of the interior life. May his sweet 
 charity ever assist us so to unite the interior 
 spirit with our many exterior employments, 
 that these latter, far from being an obstacle 
 to our progress in solid virtue, may aid us 
 to accomplish much for G-od's greater glory 
 and the good of souls as well as for our own 
 spiritual advancement. 
 
 Great St. Joseph who art so accomplished 
 a master in the school of prayer and the 
 interior life, teach us your children, to 
 always seek first the kingdom of Grod and 
 His justice, and the rest, according to the 
 promise of our Lord, shall be added unto us. 
 
50 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 St. Joseph our Guide in the Perplexing Trials 
 and Sufferings of this Life. 
 
 The guide whom the sweet Providence of 
 G-od has appointed for us is St. Joseph. He 
 himself, tried and made perfect in the school 
 of sorrow and affliction, will know how to 
 pity, how to compassionate and encourage 
 us to sanctify our trials by the infinite mer- 
 its of Christ's superabundant satisfaction 
 in His passion and death. 
 
 Next to the sorrow of the Queen of Mar- 
 tyrs, there never was sorrow like unto that 
 which penetrated the heart and soul of our 
 beloved Patron during the various stages of 
 his life, principally from the time of his 
 association with the mystery of the Re- 
 demption. There is therefore, no sorrow 
 or suffering of ours which will not find its 
 comforting balm in the compassionate heart 
 of our beloved Father, if, like truly devoted 
 children, we turn to him for consolation, 
 counsel and encouragement. 
 
 When oppressed by sadness, disturbed by 
 fear, attacked by sickness and pain, let us 
 go to Joseph ; he will comfort and console 
 us. He will show us that sufferings, if 
 rightly received and patiently borne, will 
 merit for us an everlasting recompense. 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 51 
 
 Are we disheartened by disappointment, 
 by a want of success in our undertakings 
 and employments , our holy patron will 
 encourage and help us. Are we dismayed 
 at the persistence of some dangerous temp- 
 tations — he will succor us and put our 
 enemy to flight. If weary and fatigued, let 
 us ask our blessed guide to introduce us to 
 the "holy travellers 77 going to Egypt, or in 
 their humble home at Nazareth, that their 
 sweet cheerfulness, their humble resignation 
 to God's holy will, may be unto us a lesson 
 and an encouragement in our fatigues and 
 labors. 
 
 In moments of doubt and perplexity, let 
 us have recourse to our beloved Patron who 
 is well acquainted with this species of trial, 
 and who will not fail to lead us out of the 
 labyrinth and make our path clear to us. 
 Oh, if in all our trials we would turn 
 promptly to St. Joseph, and learn to imi- 
 tate his virtues, what lights and graces 
 would he not obtain for us ! 
 
 Dear St. Joseph, never permit us to lose 
 the merit of our sufferings by receiving or 
 submitting to them from motives unworthy 
 of thy children ! 
 
 St. Joseph will be our guide, especially 
 at the approach of death. Our holy Mother 
 the Church, in her beautiful Responsory in 
 
52 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 honor of this glorious Saint, points him out 
 as the special patron of the dying. He who 
 had the happiness of dying in the arms of 
 Jesus and Mary, will not refuse to help his 
 children at their last moments. His own 
 death-hour was made so glad and blissf ul by 
 the presence of his Creator and Redeemer — 
 who was at the same time his devoted Foster 
 Son— and that of his Immaculate Spouse, 
 the most holy Virgin, that he cannot but 
 listen in pity to those who fervently com- 
 mend to him their last moments. He will 
 shield them against the wiles of satan who, 
 knowing that the time is short, and that the 
 fate of the poor soul depends upon the end, 
 will do all in his power to prevent it from 
 being saved. 
 
 O blessed Saint, our loving Patron, be 
 thou near us in that awful hour upon which 
 our eternity depends ! Shield us from our 
 foes by obtaining for us, thy children, the 
 signal grace of dying in the presence and 
 under the sweet protection of Jesus and 
 Mary; and may we, after having passed 
 under thy own gracious guidance through 
 the dark valley of death, safely reach the 
 haven of peace and rest on the shores of a 
 blessed eternity, where we hope, in thy 
 blessed company to praise the mercies of 
 the Lord forever. 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 53 
 
 THIRD MEDITATION. 
 St. Joseph is our Protector. 
 
 First Prelude : Imagine you see our blessed 
 Patron St. Joseph raised high in heavenly 
 glory, encouraging you to labor courageous- 
 ly for its acquisition by imitating his virtues. 
 
 Second Prelude: Humbly ask our Lord 
 to teach you how to love and reverence His 
 foster-father as He did, and to inspire you 
 with great confidence in his powerful inter- 
 cession. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 St. Joseph being in a special manner our 
 protector, we ought to have recourse to him 
 in all our necessities. St. Joseph is very 
 anxious to help us. Being a most kind and 
 charitable Saint, he is ever ready to give his 
 aid and protection to those who apply to him. 
 
 In proportion as the saints love G-od, so 
 does also their love for man increase ; and 
 what saint is there who ever loved Grod as 
 St. Joseph did! As works are the proof of 
 true love, we need only cast a glance at 
 what St. Joseph did for our Lord and His 
 blessed Mother: — Nazareth, Bethlehem, 
 Egypt, Jerusalem speak louder than words, 
 and proclaim the exalted perfection of his 
 
54 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 devoted and self-sacrificing charity, his 
 affectionate solicitude in caring for Jesus 
 and Mary. 
 
 Does not our glorious Patron in the words 
 of the ancient Patriarch Joseph to his broth- 
 ers appear to say to us: "Fear not, I am 
 Joseph? " Take courage and have confidence 
 in me, for I am ready to help you. Come 
 to me, poor sinful soul! Cast yourself with 
 unlimited trust into the arms of my protec- 
 tion. Have you lost father, mother, rela- 
 tives, friends? I will be your father, your 
 friend. Have you strayed from the true 
 path that leads to life? I shall be your guide 
 to point out the way for your safe return. 
 Are you sad, disheartened? I shall be your 
 consoler. 
 
 "I am Joseph, " the guardian of the treas- 
 ures of the King of Heaven, the dispenser 
 of all His graces. Be not dismayed, invoke 
 me with confidence: "I am Joseph" who 
 am able and willing to succor you in all 
 your necessities. 
 
 After listening to these sweet and en- 
 couraging words, could we still doubt St. 
 Joseph's goodness of heart? Are we still 
 timid in asking his help? Would we not be 
 unjust to our beloved Father, in not recog- 
 nizing his paternal kindness ! 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 55 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 We ought to have recourse to St. Joseph 
 in all our needs, because he is not only wil- 
 ling, but also able and powerful enough to 
 help us in all our necessities. 
 
 According to the testimony of St. Teresa, 
 whom some learned spiritual writers call 
 "The most brilliant star" in the jewelled 
 crown of St. Joseph, this glorious Saint 
 succors us in every kind of necessity. 
 
 In constituting St. Joseph the adopted 
 father and guardian of His Divine Son and 
 the worthy spouse of Mary, the Mother of 
 Grod, the eternal Father gave him all power 
 in Heaven and on earth. He held jurisdic- 
 tion over Jesus and Mary, and they were 
 subject to him. St. Joseph refused them 
 nothing here on earth, and now they cannot 
 refuse him anything in Heaven. The sup- 
 plications of St. Joseph are like commands, 
 when addressed to Jesus and Mary. In 
 grace and in glory, St. Joseph ranks above 
 all angels and saints in Heaven, and there 
 holds a position in keeping with his exalted 
 dignity as foster-father of the Son of Grod 
 and spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, the 
 great Queen of Heaven and earth. 
 
 Ought we not, then, have the most un- 
 limited confidence in the patronage of our 
 blessed Father? 
 
 May our sweetest Mother Mary who was 
 
56 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 ever most devoted to her cherished spouse 
 obtain for us this child-like trust and con- 
 fidence ! 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 If you are truly devoted to St. Joseph, he 
 will certainly help you in every necessity. 
 The great power and dignity of this glorious 
 Saint have not been given him for himself 
 — for his own advantage alone, but that he 
 might employ them for our salvation. 
 
 St. Joseph is, as it were, the father and 
 common provider of all the faithful, but 
 ours in particular. 
 
 It is to his patronage and to his powerful 
 protection that our venerated founders 
 committed our humble Institute at its first 
 foundation, that it might be nurtured by his 
 silent teachings, fortified by his example, 
 guarded from evil by his kind, thoughtful 
 providence, and advanced in holiness and 
 perfection by the interior spirit and ardent 
 charity of this glorious Saint. 
 
 The eternal Father, while choosing Joseph 
 for the foster-father of His beloved Son, 
 willed that he should also be the father of 
 the adopted brethren of Jesus; and as, in 
 virtue of his office he was obliged to succor 
 and protect Jesus, the eternal Son of Grod, 
 so in virtue of our adoption, this blessed 
 Saint is likewise obliged to attend to our 
 interests and various necessities. 
 
Feast of St. Joseph. 57 
 
 Moreover, the preservation of his good 
 name really obliges our beloved Patron to 
 come to our aid. If after praying to St. 
 Joseph with the greatest confidence, we 
 should fail to be heard, could we not gently 
 plead with him in the words of some of his 
 devoted clients: u O blessed Patriarch! 
 What has become of thy great power — thy 
 celebrated goodness — after being assured 
 by so many saints, but especially by the 
 Seraphic Virgin St. Teresa of Jesus, that 
 they did not remember ever having asked 
 anything of thee, without being heard! ?? 
 
 Thou must, therefore, my dearest Patron 
 St. Joseph, obtain for me from Jesus and 
 Mary, who cannot deny thee anything, the 
 favor that I ask of thee for the greater glory 
 of Q-od and the good of my soul which is so 
 dear to thee. I know that on account of 
 my sins and infidelities I do not deserve it ; 
 but thou, O glorious Saint meritest it, and 
 through thy powerful protection I hope to 
 obtain it. 
 
 Colloquy with St. Teresa who labored 
 with such incessant ardor in promoting de- 
 votion to St. Joseph. Ask this Seraphic 
 Virgin, but ask especially, our Immaculate 
 Mother to teach you to become truly devout 
 to the great foster-father of our Lord, and 
 our own special patron and protector. 
 
£rifc>uum 
 
 preparatory for tbe ffeast of tbe IDisita* 
 tion of tbe /IDost 5fiols IDirgim 
 
 Our Holy Rule prescribes this Triduum 
 during which we should endeavor to re- 
 double our zeal and fervor, so as to prepare 
 ourselves in a becoming manner for the 
 renewal of our holy vows. 
 
 Let us therefore, like Mary in her glorious 
 Magnificat, profoundly humble ourselves in 
 the presence of G-od, and in the first Prelude 
 call to mind the sweet mystery and the 
 circumstances of Mary's visitation to her 
 cousin Elizabeth. 
 
 Consider Mary's promptitude in arising 
 and going with haste across the hill-coun- 
 try of Juda. 
 
 At the sound of the voice of her saluta- 
 tion, the heart of Elizabeth is inspired, and 
 the child in her bosom leaps up for joy and 
 is sanctified by the presence of his Saviour, 
 still in the womb of His holy Mother. 
 
 Second Prelude : Let us humbly ask Jesus 
 to come with Mary, during these days of 
 recollection, to visit and sanctify us, as He 
 
 (58) 
 
Visitation of the Host Holy Virgin, 59 
 
 visited and sanctified St. John the Baptist, 
 while still in the womb of his Mother Eliza- 
 beth: — And, that this divine visit may 
 efficaciously work in us an entire renewal 
 in the religious life, let us most fervently 
 implore the powerful intercession of our 
 blessed Mother. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Obedient to an impulse of the Holy Spirit 
 and the dictates of charity, Mary hastens to 
 visit her holy cousin whose motherhood she 
 has just learned from the lips of the angel. 
 
 Desiring to set forth the promptitude with 
 which our blessed Mother executes the de- 
 signs of Almighty God, the Gospel says: 
 "And Mary rising up went into the hill- 
 country with haste, into the City of Juda." 
 
 Behold our model of promptitude in the 
 execution of the divine command! Mary 
 delays not, nor puts off, what she is con- 
 scious to be the will of and the good pleasure 
 of God. Notwithstanding the wearisomeness 
 of the journey, she travels with haste across 
 the hills of Juda. She enters into the house 
 of Zachary and salutes Elizabeth, and the 
 Gospel says: "And it came to pass, that, 
 when Elizabeth heard the salutation of 
 Mary, the Infant leaped in her womb, and 
 she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
 
60 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 crying out with a loud voice, she said: 
 u Blessed art thou amongst women and 
 blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Beautiful 
 words ! which are repeated every day in the 
 "Hail Mary" by thousands and millions of 
 souls. Blessed indeed is Mary: for she 
 carries in her bosom the Incarnate Son of 
 G-od. Truly happy the abode of her kins- 
 folks to which she brought such inestimable 
 blessings ! 
 
 Blessed, too, will be our houses which 
 Mary, with Jesus, will deign to visit and 
 sanctify! Blessed a thousand times, our 
 souls, if by humble, earnest and fervent 
 prayers we hasten their coming unto us, 
 and cause them to abide with us ! 
 
 O Immaculate Lady! deign to visit us 
 with thy beloved Son Jesus, and obtain that 
 this divine visit may operate such wonders 
 of grace in our souls, as to bring about a 
 complete renewal of our lives in Him, that 
 in all truth it may be said of us: "This 
 indeed is the change of the right hand of 
 the Most High." 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 Let us consider the motives which ani- 
 mated our Blessed Lady in her visit to her 
 cousin Elizabeth. 
 
 First of all it was obedience — Obedience 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 61 
 
 to a strong impulse of the Holy Spirit which 
 urged her to practice an act of charity to- 
 wards her cousin, and the child still unborn 
 in her bosom. She, the happy Virgin- 
 Mother, had no sooner been informed by 
 the angel that Elizabeth was blessed with 
 child, than she set out in haste to visit, to 
 congratulate and to serve her kinswoman 
 under the trying circumstances of her ad- 
 vanced motherhood. 
 
 Mary obeys promptly the superior impulse 
 of grace which urged her to visit her holy 
 cousin, and thus providentially cooperates 
 in the divine economy of the Incarnation 
 of the Word. It is through Mary's act of 
 obedience that the Baptist, while still in the 
 womb of his mother, is sanctified by the 
 presence of the Redeemer, and consecrated, 
 so to say, for his exalted office of Percursor 
 of our Lord. 
 
 Let us not think, that our Lady's journey 
 was undertaken without sacrifice on her 
 part. No ! While her great love of virginal 
 modesty naturally led her to shrink from 
 the gaze of the world and cherish holy 
 retirement, our Blessed Mother would, nev- 
 ertheless, relinquish her own personal satis- 
 faction in order to fulfil G-od's holy will. 
 
 Being the mother of divine Wisdom, she 
 judged that " Obedience was better than 
 sacrifice. " 
 
62 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Then, when we consider the many incon- 
 veniences and the fatigue of the long jour- 
 ney during the warm, season of the year, 
 across mountains and hills — upon roads, not 
 smooth and convenient, but very uneven 
 and rugged in the extreme, we can form a 
 slight idea of how much it must have cost 
 our sweet Lady, to leave the quiet enclosure 
 of her humble home at Nazareth. She, 
 however, knew no other pleasure or satis- 
 faction, than the perfect accomplishment 
 of the most just and holy will of Grod. 
 
 Does our obedience participate in the 
 spirit of that, practised by Mary? 
 
 What attention do we give to the still and 
 holy voice which makes itself heard in the 
 interior of our soul? Do we not, sometimes, 
 turn a deaf ear to it, and try to persuade 
 ourselves that we were mistaken, and that 
 we just fancied it, when in our heart of 
 hearts we felt convinced, that Grod had 
 indeed, made known His will to us by the 
 silent whisperings of His grace? 
 
 And why all this, but because we are 
 afraid of trouble. 
 
 By the light of eternity reflected upon us 
 in our meditation, we have seen, how much 
 pleasure we could give to God by a certain 
 act of humility— of charity— of self-sacrifice: 
 but the humiliation would be too painful, 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 63 
 
 the mortification demanded, too trouble- 
 some: — therefore, we would rather make 
 ourselves comfortable and believe that the 
 Lord had not spoken to us, and that after 
 all, we had better content ourselves with 
 doing just what we were obliged to, and 
 nothing more. How many would-be saints 
 have been unmade with reasoning like this ! 
 
 Have we ever reflected that, perhaps the 
 act of virtue, or the victory over some 
 temptation which costs most to nature will, 
 with grace, if acted upon promptly, bring 
 the greatest good to our souls, or to the 
 souls of others? 
 
 May our heavenly Mother preserve us 
 from the truly miserable fate of the five 
 foolish virgins who neglecting to fill their 
 lamps betimes with the oil of charity and 
 good works, unhappily exposed themselves 
 to come too late to enter with the heavenly 
 Bridegroom into the marriage-hall of the 
 heavenly Jerusalm. 
 
 But rather like Mary — our model of per- 
 fect fidelity — let us sweetly follow the 
 attractions and inspirations of divine grace 
 that like her, we may also reap the fruit of 
 our obedience and self-sacrifice. 
 
 Mary hastens in the execution of the 
 divine will, and thus cooperates with the 
 designs of the Word made flesh, now dwell- 
 
64 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 ing in her as in His immaculate tabernacle. 
 Jesus wishes, thus early, to cleanse His 
 Precursor from the stain of original sin, and 
 to consecrate him as His herald to announce 
 His coming and prepare His way; but it is 
 through Mary's cooperation that all these 
 wonders are achieved. 
 
 Truly happy Mother, whose child deserved 
 to be thus favored by Him who came as the 
 salvation of the world! Most blessed child, 
 thus early freed from the bonds of sin ! 
 
 Inspired by Grod, Mary here utters her 
 glorious canticle of praise — the Magnificat— 
 which is now daily recited or chanted in the 
 Church by millions of her children, and 
 thus, our Lady's prophecy: "Behold, all 
 generations shall call me blessed, " is contin- 
 ually repeated, and at the same time verified. 
 
 From Mary then, let us learn, to bring the 
 acceptable sacrifice of obedience, of praise, 
 and of prayer for the welfare of souls so 
 dearly purchased by Jesus' precious Blood. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Mary went to visit her holy cousin to ful- 
 fil the sweet law of charity. 
 
 What joy and gladness did not our Lady 
 bring to that blessed household! What 
 graciousness do we behold in that mutual 
 greeting between the Mother of the Saviour 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 65 
 
 and the Mother of His Precursor upon their 
 first meeting ! How few the words spoken 
 by our blessed Mother, yet how sweet and 
 tender they were ! How heavenly the con- 
 versation to which Elizabeth was found 
 worthy to listen for the space of three 
 months during which our Lady dwelt under 
 her roof, and how the mother of the Baptist 
 must have profited by their blessed mutual 
 intercourse ! Must not she and the child of 
 grace in her bosom have been wonderfully 
 influenced by the presence of the Saviour, 
 yet enclosed in the spotless tabernacle of 
 His Mother's womb? 
 
 O truly beautiful mystery of the Visitation 
 of Our Lady! What gladness, what joyous- 
 ness, what humble, grateful love does it not 
 suggest to us ! Its spirit is fully expressed in 
 the "Magnificat" — the only canticle ever 
 composed by our Lady and, as tradition 
 tells us, daily repeated by her. 
 
 Mary undertook the journey to Hebron, 
 to congratulate her kinswoman on her pres- 
 ent happiness, and to show how much she 
 appreciated the gifts of Grod within her ; to 
 join with her in fervant thanksgiving to the 
 Most High for all His gifts and graces to 
 them both. 
 
 But she likewise offers her kind services 
 to assist her in various little preparations 
 
66 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 for the approaching event of the birth of 
 the Baptist. Our Sweet Lady's humility 
 dictates to her a variety of little acts by 
 which she practises charity in most exquisite 
 and gracious ways. 
 
 In obedience to the wishes of our vener- 
 ated Founders, let us go to our blessed 
 Mother in this happy mystery of the visita- 
 tion that in the exercise of our charity 
 towards the dear neighbor, especially in 
 our visits to the poor and sick, she may 
 teach us how to enter into her own holy 
 dispositions with which she was animated 
 in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, and let 
 us ask this as the special fruit of this medi- 
 tation. 
 
 0, if we always performed this duty in 
 the spirit and with the holy dispositions of 
 Mary, what precious fruits would we not be 
 able to gather from these visits! 
 
 O holy, Immaculate Mother deign to 
 infuse into us thy spirit, and graciously 
 replenish our hearts with thy heavenly 
 charity, that our little services rendered to 
 our neighbor may produce wonderful effects 
 for the glory of Grod's holy name. 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 67 
 
 SECOND MEDITATION. 
 
 Our Vocation is a Priceless Grace and a Hidden 
 
 Treasure. 
 
 First Prelude : Imagine you hear our Lord 
 addressing you in these words of the Gos- 
 pel: "You have not chosen me, but I have 
 chosen you, and have appointed you that 
 you should go, and should bring forth fruit, 
 and that your fruit shall remain. ?? 
 
 Second Prelude : Humbly ask through the 
 intercession of our blessed Mother that you 
 may appreciate your holy vocation as a 
 grace of inestimable value — the "treasure 
 hidden in the field 7 ' and the "pearl of great 
 price, " spoken of by our Lord in the par- 
 able of the Gospel . 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 "While dwelling on earth, during the years 
 of His public ministry, our Divine Lord was 
 pleased, when preaching to the multitudes 
 that flocked to Him, to speak in parables. 
 And how great is the wisdom which herein 
 displays itself! The truth conveyed by 
 parables is more palatable, and not so easily 
 forgotten. 
 
 Some of the parables spoken by our Lord 
 have, according to the opinion of spiritual 
 
68 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 writers, a special reference to the religious 
 life. Thus, the " hidden treasure buried in 
 a field, " would seem to signify a religious 
 vocation. 
 
 In calling us to this holy state, our Lord 
 offered us the "hidden treasure. 7 ' 
 
 This treasure is buried in a field — a sort 
 of a common field to look at — and to pur- 
 chase it, we had to pay a high price, even 
 all we had to give in this world: all our 
 liberty, all our time, all our strength and 
 all our heart: and that even until death. 
 And we had to pay the price down, before 
 we were actually in possession of our treas- 
 ure-, for it lies very deep, and we had to 
 dig hard to get at it. Deep down into the 
 ground of our own nature, we had to dig 
 with the sharp tools of mortification, self- 
 denial, obedience, humility, patience, pray- 
 er, and thus persevering day after day in 
 well-doing. 
 
 Have we not sometimes found it hard to 
 dig — to work incessantly, sometimes pierc- 
 ing, or trying to pierce the hard stony soil 
 of our hearts in which our treasure is hid- 
 den away. 
 
 Perhaps we have had to listen to the jibes 
 of our enemies, who were by no means, 
 pleased with our persevering labor. Many 
 times we may have heard the whisperings of 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 69 
 
 flesh and blood advising us to give ourselves 
 a little more rest from persistent killing 
 work : — while the old enemy with his tri- 
 umphs and failures of six thousand years 
 has not failed to frequently ask us: "Is 
 your treasure really worth all this trouble, 
 this ceaseless labor? Have you not, after all, 
 been deceived in regard to its being there? 
 Will not all your labor be time lost? You 
 might just as well stop now, than have to 
 give up in the end." 
 
 What has been our reply on such occa- 
 sions? Did we give our enemy cause of joy, 
 or inspire him with dread! St. Teresa says, 
 the devil is afraid of courageous souls and 
 fears their determined persevering efforts in 
 well-doing more, than severe penances and 
 mortification. Let us be of this number, 
 and considering the inestimable value of 
 our treasure for which we have already paid 
 all we possessed in this life, let us be per- 
 suaded that no labor can be too great, no 
 sacrifice too painful, to attain and enjoy 
 the possession thereof. 
 
 The treasure we are digging for is no 
 other than the kingdom of heaven, which 
 our Lord has promised to all those who 
 leave air to follow Him. 
 
 Here below, it is dominion over self, free- 
 dom of heart, union with Grod, and having 
 
70 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Him in exchange for the perishable creat- 
 ures we have given np for His love : and 
 finally it will bring us the possession and 
 enjoyment of Himself in the life to come. 
 
 And now setting this truth well before 
 our eyes, let us honestly put this question 
 to ourselves: Is not this treasure worth the 
 price? If we have given all we had for it, 
 have we not done wisely? Or shall we regret 
 and take it back? 
 
 If we are only serving God by half-meas- 
 ures, we have not given all we had, and 
 until we do, the treasure will not be ours. 
 
 Sweet Lady Immaculate! Mother of all 
 graces, obtain for us from thy beloved Son 
 a great love and esteem for our holy voca- 
 tion, and help us to render it fruitful in all 
 good works and meritorious for eternal life. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 If our vocation to the religious life is 
 typified by the parable of the "treasure 
 hidden in the field" the similitude of the 
 "pearl of great price" signifies sanctity — 
 the perfection of virtue. 
 
 Spiritual writers tell us that, to be called 
 to religion and called to be a saint, are 
 one and the same thing. Eeligious are, 
 in virtue of their holy profession, obliged 
 under pain of sin to strive after perfection • 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 71 
 
 yet, to be sure, all religious are not saints. 
 They are approaching sanctity only, in pro- 
 portion to their efforts to practice heroic 
 virtue. The "heroic" is more than ordin- 
 ary: it is the fruit of a higher and holier 
 motive in action. It suggests lofty courage 
 as the fruit of great love — a generous f or- 
 getfulness of self, and presupposes in the 
 one called upon to practice it, a true, deep 
 humility. 
 
 The pearl of great price is to be found in 
 the deep ocean, and whoever wishes to 
 obtain it must descend into its depths. 
 
 It is only by descending into the abyss of 
 our nothingness that we can hope to prac- 
 tice perfect virtue. No saint has ever be- 
 come one, without the practice of humility, 
 and the higher the degree of sanctity to 
 which they aspired, the lower the depths to 
 which they had to stoop, in order to attain 
 to the lofty and truly desirable heights, 
 upon which the true children of G-od are 
 accustomed to dwell. 
 
 Heroic virtue is not common — it implies 
 the conquering of difficulties, the overcom- 
 ing of obstacles. The man who found the 
 pearl had to dive for it and bring it up from 
 the depths of the sea at the risk of life. It 
 is indeed a precious pearl which had to be 
 brought up from a great depth. One was 
 
72 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 found who descended into the deep waters 
 to obtain it ; for it was purchased for us by 
 the Blood of Jesus. — But to obtain of our 
 Lord, and appropriate to ourselves this pre- 
 cious pearl of sanctity , it is necessary that 
 we too, should descend into the deep sea of 
 our nothingness by humiliation and suffer- 
 ing. One saint does more for God's glory, 
 than a thousand ordinary christians, and 
 one act of heroic virtue is more precious 
 and more fruitful than any number of im- 
 perfect acts. This consideration frequently 
 called to mind, might lead to great results 
 amongst those who have consecrated them- 
 selves to Almighty Grod. 
 
 But to obtain possession of this precious 
 pearl of heroic virtue, we stand in need of 
 special succor from above. It is to Mary, 
 the Mother of humility we must turn, who 
 declares in her blessed canticle that Grod, in 
 choosing her to be His Mother, had regarded 
 nothing but the humility of His handmaid. 
 Now, there is great reason for associating 
 the pearl, the most precious among all the 
 precious stones, with our Lady and humili- 
 ty. It is through Mary's intercession we 
 hope to obtain the priceless pearl of sancti- 
 ty. She is the Mother of final perseverance 
 — that inestimable grace we cannot merit; 
 but we depend upon her to obtain it for us. 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 73 
 
 Holy Mary, Mother of God, Mother of 
 the dying! Pray for us now and in the 
 hour of our death ! 
 
 Mary will be for us truly the "gate of 
 heaven. " 
 
 But humility must also be our way to 
 glory. Without it the door will never open 
 for us. Useless to bring our fancied store 
 of merits to the gates, if humility be want- 
 ing, no amount of pleading can ever gain 
 admittance there. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 The Parable of the Grain of Wheat. 
 
 The words of this parable, given by our 
 blessed Lord imply first of all a prophecy 
 of His own death. He was to purchase life 
 for the world. Our Lord says: "Amen, 
 amen, I say to you, unless the grain of 
 wheat falling into the ground, die, itself 
 remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth 
 forth much fruit. " 
 
 The application of this image is not diffi- 
 cult. We are, each one, the grain of wheat, 
 insignificant enough: and yet, each one 
 contains a germ of life. Given the grace 
 of God and the adhesion of our own will, 
 there is in each one of us the possibility of 
 high sanctity. 
 
74 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 All the labors of a St. Francis de Sales, 
 of a St. Teresa, a St. Ignatius Loyola, all 
 the teaching of St. Thomas, all the monastic 
 life of beauty and holiness which sprang 
 out of the Rules of St. Benedict, St. Fran- 
 cis, St. Dominic and others, once lay a 
 hidden germ in the souls of these servants 
 of Grod, and had they remained alone, the 
 germ would never have developed, and the 
 mighty harvests of their lives would never 
 have been reaped. 
 
 There was a time, when St. Francis Xav- 
 ier was a gay student at Paris with no 
 thought, but of a worldly career before him. 
 Yet within him lay hidden the germ of the 
 career of the Apostle of the Indies. To 
 develop that germ, what a change, as of 
 death, must pass over him! He must fall 
 into the ground indeed, and die, and he 
 refused not, so to do. 
 
 Blessed indeed is the little grain of wheat 
 which, the divine Sower takes in His hands, 
 which He sows Himself in the favored field 
 of His Church, where the dew of heaven 
 falls upon it in abundance, where the sun 
 of grace darts its warming vivifying rays 
 upon it, where the friends of Grod busy 
 themselves much about it — planted in fertile 
 soil which has been blessed by the zeal of 
 the Apostles, the courage of the martyrs, 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 75 
 
 and the constancy of the saints. But the 
 little grain of wheat falling into the ground 
 must die, before it will yield its fruit, 
 according to the desire of the divine Hus- 
 bandman. Truly blessed the soul that cor- 
 responds with Grod's infinite goodness by 
 suffering itself to be placed in the ground, 
 by abasing itself in humility, and dying by 
 mortification and a holy abandonment of 
 itself into the hands of God. Buried in the 
 earth, the little grain must die, or at any 
 rate, pass through a transforming change 
 which is the likeness of death. It must lose 
 its old life, its old form and manner of ex- 
 istence, all that must become nothing and 
 return to dust, that the new life of that 
 little germ may spring forth in new and 
 beautiful forms. 
 
 All of us who are signified by this little 
 grain, must give all for all, if we wish to 
 bring forth fruit and gather a harvest of 
 souls into the heavenly garners. 
 
 What we must give up, is that central 
 germ of self out of which proceed the mo- 
 tives of our exterior acts. This is what our 
 Lord designates in the gospel, as our life 
 which we must hate, if we wish to keep it 
 unto life eternal. Self -value, self-esteem, 
 self-judgment, self-complacency, self-will, — 
 our own interests, our own likings and 
 
76 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 dislikings, our tastes, our freedom, our 
 sympathies and antipathies : — all this has 
 to fall into the ground and die. In other 
 words, it must be humbled and mortified, 
 as the absolute condition of bringing forth 
 much fruit. 
 
 How can we die? We cannot do it our- 
 selves ; but if one thing is more true than 
 another, it is that Grod always provides the 
 instrument for putting nature to death. 
 Death — even death of the cross is always 
 awaiting us. We who live under the easy 
 yoke of religious rule, may find this death 
 in a life of obedience which is death to self- 
 will, and in a life of humility which is the 
 death of pride and self-judgment. 
 
 We may crucify our selfishness by fra- 
 ternal charity, and our love of ease and in- 
 dulgence by regular observance and punct- 
 uality. In fact, the cross is always waiting 
 at our door, the furrow of our daily life and 
 daily rule is ever open, into which is cast 
 the grain of wheat. Rightly regarded it is 
 an easy cross, and comparing it with the 
 heavy and severe crosses of many souls, 
 living in the world, we should, indeed, give 
 thanks to God who placed his light yoke 
 and easy burden upon us. 
 
 Nature, however, must die, and what we 
 need to nerve our resolution, is confidence 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 77 
 
 in the promise of Grod. His word can never 
 fail: "If it die, it shall bring forth much 
 fruit. " "We should bring home our sheaves 
 rejoicing. The death of self will always 
 and most surely proves the forerunner of a 
 new and glorious life of grace. 
 
 You, O religious soul, give up self -judg- 
 ment, and lo ! you find your interior flooded 
 with peace and tranquility. — You give up 
 an attachment, and you gain freedom of 
 heart. You renounce wishes and longings 
 after one or another form of happiness, and 
 a joy of which you never could have formed 
 the least idea, flows in on you like a torrent. 
 — You consent to be nothing, if the Lord 
 so ordains, and He takes delight in putting 
 into your hands a power, and placing you 
 into some sphere of work altogether un- 
 looked-for. 
 
 All these are only the common and ordin- 
 ary issue of that death to which the little 
 grain of wheat at last submits. 
 
 It has fallen into its little furrow and 
 there dies. — The winter passes with its frost 
 and bitter cold, and spring dawns at last, 
 and lo! the green blade appears, and then 
 the tender shoot ; after that the full ear and 
 the abundant hundred-fold. 
 
 All we need is courage and confidence. 
 May the Lord of the harvest give us these 
 
78 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 through the powerful intercession of our 
 blessed Mother and St. Joseph. 
 
 Colloquy with St. Ignatius. — Recite with 
 him his beautiful prayer "Receive Lord, 
 my memory, will and understanding, etc."* 
 
 THIRD MEDITATION. 
 
 The Renovation of Vows is most pleasing to God 
 and highly beneficial to ourselves. 
 
 First Prelude : Recall to your mind the 
 joyful day of your religious profession, and 
 the happiness you then experienced, in 
 being permitted to pronounce your holy 
 vows and to consecrate yourself forever to 
 the service of Q-od. 
 
 Second Prelude: Humbly implore the 
 grace to fully appreciate your great happi- 
 ness and fervently thank Grod for it every 
 day of your life. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 The renovation of our holy vows suggests 
 the idea of a complete renewal of ourselves 
 in the sendee of Grod. Let our memory 
 recall and dwell on the various circumstan- 
 ces of that joyous morning, when in the 
 happy spring time of our religious life we 
 
 * This Meditation has, in part, been extracted from 
 1 'Spiritual Notes" by Mother Frances Raphael. 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 79 
 
 knelt as expectant brides at the foot of 
 (rod's Altar , ready to pour forth our vows 
 to our heavenly Bridegroom. O how ready 
 we were then, for everything — for any sac- 
 rifice that the Beloved of our souls might 
 be pleased to demand of us! What were we 
 not prepared to do and to suffer ! 
 
 We may probably not then have realized 
 the cost of the sacrifice, we so joyfully made; 
 for when our Lord's sweet and powerful 
 grace is sensibly present with us, it is easy 
 enough to make any offering, and deposit 
 the victim upon the altar of Grod's love. 
 
 But to consume that victim must be our 
 daily, life-long occupation ; and this costs, 
 and costs much — perhaps more than we had 
 ever anticipated. Virtue has to be practiced 
 heroically in this constant immolation of 
 self, and we stand a fair chance of becoming 
 saints, provided we grow not faint-hearted, 
 and turn back. 
 
 This Triduum, so providentially ordained 
 and prescribed for us, is to bring about in 
 us a renewal of those holy and fervent dis- 
 positions with which, by God's grace, we 
 felt animated, at the moment we pronounc- 
 ed our holy vows. 
 
 It is for this end, we should practise 
 greater recollection of mind and heart, ob- 
 serve a stricter silence, and while meditating 
 
80 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 on striking truths and principles bearing 
 upon the religious life, endeavor to enter 
 into our interior, humbly examining our 
 past failures, present dispositions and holy 
 aspirations for the future. 
 
 Above all, it is by humble, fervent prayer 
 and supplication, that we may hope to put 
 ourselves into a disposition of mind and 
 heart which the Lord looks for in souls, that 
 He wishes to favor with his choicest graces. 
 
 May our heavenly Mother obtain for the 
 children of her blessed Spouse, a copious 
 dew of heavenly graces which, falling upon 
 hearts well prepared, may work that happy 
 renewal which Jesus, the Spouse of our 
 souls longs to see accomplished in us. 
 
 In bestowing upon us a religious vocation, 
 our Lord planted us in His own vineyard 
 which He describes by the prophet Isaias 
 "with its wine-press, its watch-tower, its 
 hedge of thorns, " and each one of us can 
 say to herself: I am the little branch which 
 the Lord Himself planted with His own 
 divine hand in His vineyard, and on which 
 He bestows every possible care. Every help 
 and every privilege has been given me to 
 work out my salvation and to attain to the 
 perfection of my state ; and every obstacle 
 has been taken away. "What more," says 
 He by the same prophet, "could I do for 
 my vineyard, that I have not done for it? ?< 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 81 
 
 But what has been the fruit? Have I been 
 faithful in corresponding with grace? 
 
 There were occasions, perchance, when I 
 felt inclined to sit down to rest in the cool 
 shade of the vine, when I ought to be up 
 and doing, trying to prevent the enemy from 
 breaking down the hedge of the vineyard. 
 
 By my sloth and carelessness, I have 
 allowed "little foxes" to break through the 
 hedge who have devoured the blossoms, 
 and in some instances, torn up the roots of 
 the plant. Has it not sometimes happened, 
 that by repeated infidelities, I have rendered 
 my heart callous and insensible to grace, and 
 thus exposed myself to yield more readily 
 to temptations of discouragement and dis- 
 gust for my holy vocation? 
 
 The birds of distraction have come in 
 and made much havoc — self-love, negligence 
 and sloth have caused decay among the few 
 hard and sour grapes produced by the poor 
 little withered branch — Alas ! Not one per- 
 haps, fit to give the Master of the vineyard 
 who now stands at the gate to demand the 
 fruit of the little vine, He Himself has 
 planted, and tended with so much care and 
 diligence ! 
 
 Alas, Lord! I am that little withered 
 branch which Thy own hand hath planted 
 in thy chosen vineyard which thou didst so 
 
82 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 often water with Thy own most precious 
 Blood ! I have allowed my life to flow away 
 in barrenness. But now, I return to thee 
 with my whole heart, that I may be quick- 
 ened by thee with restored life, and bloom 
 and flourish again in true holiness. 
 
 O most sweet Jesus ! I pray thee by the 
 love of Thy own dear Virgin-Mother, and 
 St. Joseph, our glorious patron, that thou 
 wouldst make me observe with scrupulous 
 fidelity the rules of holy religion and the 
 duties of the spiritual life. Enable me to 
 bring forth manifold fruit of virtue, that 
 when Thou shalt come to gather them at 
 the hour of my death, I may appear before 
 Thee with much fruit, in full maturity, 
 consumnate in the perfection Thou dost ex- 
 pect from the children of Thy blessed 
 Foster-father, St. Joseph. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 On the morning of our holy profession, 
 we called the Most Holy Virgin, St. Joseph, 
 our patron, and the whole heavenly Court 
 to witness the sacrifice we then so generous- 
 ly made to our heavenly Spouse. We most 
 solemnly consecrated ourselves to the Divine 
 Majesty, vowing poverty, chastity and obe- 
 dience, according to the rules of this dear 
 Institute — We promised, by a special pro- 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 83 
 
 testation, to practice the most profound 
 humility in all things and the most cordial 
 charity towards our neighbor: — thus engag- 
 ing ourselves by the conspicuous and per- 
 severing practice of these two virtues, to 
 distinguish ourselves in the Church of Grod, 
 as true daughters of St. Joseph. 
 
 Before we took our vows, we were free to 
 follow the dictates of our own will, free 
 from the obligations of constantly tending 
 to perfection; but being once professed, 
 there is upon us a sacred obligation, not 
 only to lead a life of poverty, chastity and 
 obedience, but also in practice to aspire con- 
 tinually to the perfection of these virtues. 
 
 As christians we ought, in obedience to 
 our Lord's exhortation, "Learn of me, for 
 I am meek and humble of heart" to have 
 cherished the virtues of humility and chari- 
 ty, but having once so solemnly engaged 
 ourselves to practice them, how great are 
 our obligations in this respect! In fact, we 
 can only pretend to the right of bearing the 
 name, and to the honor of being recognized 
 in the Church as children of St. Joseph, in 
 proportion to the manner in which we 
 exercise ourselves in these two virtues. 
 
 What has been our aim during the past? 
 Have we edified the world by a love of self- 
 abnegation and penance? Have we never 
 
84 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 caused it to contemn religion, on account 
 of our haughtiness and want of humble 
 forbearance? Have we never scandalized it 
 by our want of modesty and reserve? Is not 
 the veil of the virgin consecrated to God, 
 the image of modesty? Modesty is that 
 array of precaution, vigilance, mortification, 
 which, so to say, envelopes and preserves 
 holy purity. If we would be chaste, let us 
 be modest. Or, have we perhaps, been a 
 trial — a stumbling-block — a cause of sorrow 
 in the community which numbered us 
 amongst its members? If perchance, our 
 weakness has gained the mastery over us, 
 let it be so no longer; but with humility 
 and compunction of heart, let us ask our 
 sweet Saviour to receive us into the abvss 
 of His tender mercy, to wash us from the 
 stains contracted by our past transgressions, 
 in the great deep of His compassion, and to 
 receive us again into the tender embrace of 
 His love, that by our renovation of vows 
 we may become united to Him anew by an 
 indissoluble bond. 
 
 Let us ask our heavenly Father, the King 
 of kings, that He may again consummate 
 within us, the espousals of His Son and the 
 Divine Paraclete, unite our hearts to Jesus 
 forevermore in that bond of love, whereby 
 He unites the Father and the Son. 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 85 
 
 Let us, likewise turn to our compassionate 
 Mother and implore of her bounty, that she 
 may graciously renew within us, by the 
 chastity of our hearts and all of our senses, 
 our espousals with her Son, Jesus. 
 
 And that we may the more worthily cele- 
 brate this renewal, let us supplicate our 
 beloved patron St. Joseph, to give us a 
 share in his humility and charity — the holy 
 angels a share in their purity — the holy 
 patriarchs and prophets part in their ardent 
 longings — the holy Apostles in their zealous 
 labors — the holy martyrs a share in their 
 courageous, patient sufferings — the holy 
 confessors in the finished beauty of their 
 holiness and the holy virgins part in their 
 chaste and tender affection for their heav- 
 enly Bridegroom. 
 
 O how greatly interested are all the Saints 
 of Grod in this renewal of ourselves in the 
 service of Grod! All are most willing and 
 ready to give us the aid of their assistance, 
 their powerful intercession with Gk>d. Let 
 us ask them, therefore, that all of us who, 
 by Grod's infinite mercy, have been admitted 
 to this holy Institute, may, for the short 
 span of our life yet granted us, love and 
 serve our Lord with our whole heart, so 
 that, at the hour of our death, we may be 
 permitted to go forth to meet Him with the 
 
86 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Wise Virgins, even as the bride goeth forth 
 to meet the bridegroom, adorned with the 
 wedding garment, and having our lamps 
 trimmed and bright. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 On the day of our religious profession, 
 we were received among the number of the 
 consecrated spouses of Jesus Christ, and as 
 such, we are bound to labor for His honor 
 and glory. 
 
 His loving Providence deigned to place 
 us in an Institute which has a special work 
 to do — a special end to fulfil in His holy 
 Church. And this end can only be attained 
 by the perfect fidelity of each religious 
 belonging to the Institute, to the work 
 assigned to her by holy obedience. What, 
 therefore, must be the importance of each 
 one striving to do her duty — to do it indi- 
 vidually — to do it entirely — to do it well! 
 Do we conceive, that there is upon each 
 one of us a strict obligation to acquire a 
 thorough knowledge of our duty? For with- 
 out knowing, we can never expect to do the 
 thing. To what school of wisdom shall we 
 apply for instruction? Our Constitutions 
 tell us, and they point out the way we must 
 take, the road we must follow, the spirit 
 which ought to annimate us, and the models 
 we must imitate, if we desire to carry out 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 87 
 
 our Lord's designs, in planting the little 
 Institute of St. Joseph in the garden of 
 His holy Church. 
 
 Each and every one of us is in duty bound 
 to take a true and personal interest in the 
 works of the Congregation, and without 
 choosing any special part thereof for herself, 
 each one should strive to be ever ready to 
 do that, appointed to her by her Superior 
 who represents our Lord to her. We are 
 all one body of which Jesus Christ is the 
 head ; and, being happily planted upon the 
 rock of Peter, we are known before men as 
 the children of the head of the Holy Family. 
 If, faithfully carrying out the works pre- 
 scribed by the rules of our Institute, and 
 carrying them out in the manner and with 
 the intentions laid down in them, we may 
 confidently hope that our Lord will be satis- 
 fied with us, and acknowledge us as His 
 own before His heavenly Father. Does our 
 conscience bear us the consoling testimony 
 that we have always labored zealously for 
 the perfection of regular observance? It con- 
 stitutes the glory of the house of Grod. It 
 gives so much pleasure to the Lord, joy to 
 the angels and terror to the demons. It 
 builds up a strong wall of defense against 
 the spirits of wickedness, is a comfort to 
 the Church of God and the edification of 
 the faithful. 
 
88 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Are we accustomed to look at our Insti- 
 tute as the work — not of man but of God — 
 whose honor and glory it behooves us to 
 uphold by every means in our power? We 
 shall do so in proportion as we are humble 
 and charitable. These two virtues are set 
 forth by the Constitutions as the true char- 
 acteristics of our dear Congregation. If, 
 therefore, I find myself proud, haughty, 
 arrogant, ever on the lookout for my rights, 
 ever ready to excuse and palliate my faults, 
 I am far from being a daughter of St. Joseph. 
 If I am selfish, seek my own ease and con- 
 venience to the discomfort of others, refuse 
 little services to others, am harsh in my 
 judgments of the defects of my neighbor, if 
 I am given to detraction and discussing the 
 faults of others, and am cold and insensible 
 to my neighbor's sufferings, I can have no 
 claim whatever to the cherished title of 
 child of St. Joseph. 
 
 Let us, in view of past failings and defec- 
 tive dispositions, strive to humble ourselves 
 in Grod's holy presence and ask of Him to 
 send down upon us His Holy Spirit that He 
 may renew within us an ardent desire of 
 perfection and the love of the spiritual life. 
 
 O Jesus, Thou only life and light of our 
 souls ! Kindle within us evermore the glow- 
 ing lamp of Thy love. Teach us to keep our 
 holy vows faithfully, walking without re- 
 
Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 89 
 
 proach in union of heart and will : giving to 
 our Superiors the strong support of our 
 respectful love and loyalty, and the comfort 
 of a ready obedience and fidelity to Rule : 
 thus contributing, as far as lies in us, to the 
 strength and unity of the dear Institute to 
 which, in Thy tender mercy, Thou didst 
 call us. 
 
 O most holy and Immaculate Virgin! 
 cast upon us a look of thy tender mercy, 
 and by thy powerful intercession obtain 
 that this renewal of our holy vows may 
 work in us a great hatred of sin and true 
 compunction of heart; that it may bring 
 about the satisfaction for all our negligences 
 and our return to the life we had lost: that 
 it may be the enlargement of our love and 
 the establishment of our life in Jesus for- 
 evermore. 
 
 Pray thy beloved Son that it may be the 
 cleansing of our whole life, work in us a per- 
 fect liberty of spirit, and a noble generosity 
 in all good works. May it be within us the 
 triumph of humility and an effectual aid 
 towards final perseverance. 
 
 O Virgin, Mother of G-od, and our Mother ! 
 encompass us during this mortal life with 
 thy tender, compassionate care, and receive 
 us into thy maternal bosom at the hour of 
 our death. Amen. 
 
 Colloquy with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 
 
ADeMtation 
 
 fox tbe feast ot 5t* ffrancis fce Sales* 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 From the foundation of the Institute of 
 St. Joseph, our Congregation has ever cher- 
 ished a special devotion to the blessed 
 Founder of the Visitation of Holy Mary ; and 
 history demonstrates that the original design 
 which this admirable saint had planned for 
 the first foundation of the Visitandines, is 
 none other, than the one adopted by our 
 venerated Founders in the establishment of 
 the Sisters of St. Joseph at Puy. 
 
 Since, then, there exists so holy and strong 
 a relationship between the saintly Bishop 
 of Geneva and the daughters of St. Joseph, 
 who were destined by Providence to take 
 up, and carry out in practice, what he had 
 planned amidst careful study, earnest medi- 
 tation and fervent supplications in Grod's 
 holy presence, we should endeavor to 
 strengthen and intensify the same by culti- 
 vating a special love for, and devotion to 
 this gentle and amiable Saint who seems to 
 be the very personification of the sweet and 
 
 (90) 
 
Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 91 
 
 strong virtues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 
 We should do so especially by entering into 
 the spirit and animating principle he has 
 labored so earnestly to instill into his be- 
 loved Institute of the Visitation — the spirit 
 of sweetness and gentleness of the virtues 
 of humility and charity. 
 
 Let us, therefore, in this meditation on 
 the life and virtues of St. Francis de Sales, 
 in the first prelude, picture to ourselves the 
 Saint raised in heavenly glory surrounded 
 by his spiritual children, and in the second 
 prelude, ask him for a share in that sweet- 
 ness and gentleness which enabled him to 
 conquer so many obstinate hearts, and gain 
 so many precious souls to Grod. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 God never makes two things alike. It is 
 one of the privileges of Omnipotence to 
 show that, in adhering to the laws which It 
 has itself created, It is still the Master of 
 those laws. We, on the other hand, usually 
 play the part of a machine. We can but 
 repeat ourselves, and be the precise copyists 
 of our own feebly-conceived and defectively- 
 executed originals. 
 
 But He who created the world, and the 
 laws within whose limits we toil, is as infin- 
 itely varied in the details of His works, as 
 
92 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 those works themselves are infinite in num- 
 ber. The stars differ from one another in 
 glory. Of the uncounted variety of flowers 
 not two are alike. Every feature in nature 
 is unlike any other. Such is the abyss of 
 Grod's infinite wisdom, in the creation of 
 the universe. 
 
 The same mysterious variety is found to 
 prevail in the order of grace, as well as in 
 that of nature. This shows itself especially 
 among the saints of Grod. 
 
 But, when we turn to the actual lives of 
 the saints, is it not striking to find how 
 often it has happened that many of them 
 had never been suspected to be saints, even 
 by the general run of catholics? Some of 
 their extraordinary graces have been known 
 to so few, that it may be said they were 
 almost wholly unknown. Accordingly, as 
 far as externals are concerned, they varied 
 from one another in the same variety which 
 prevails among those that are not saints. 
 But as to their interior gifts of grace, how 
 great their diversity! 
 
 This is a result of that boundless variety 
 which exists in the natural characters which 
 God, in His impenetrable wisdom has given 
 to each one individually. 
 
 There are among the saints those to whom 
 the faithful, by tens of thousands pray 
 
Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 93 
 
 daily, while others are honored by a devout 
 rule rather, than by personal choice of the 
 individual christian. We all have our fa- 
 vorite saints. It is as difficult to say, why 
 we prefer to have recourse to one, rather 
 than to another, as it is hard to say, why 
 we enjoy the society of one person, in pref- 
 erence to that of another. But so it is, and 
 so it will be, as long as the world lasts, and 
 both the saints, and we who honor them, 
 remain as we are. 
 
 The Saint whom the Church honors this 
 day, seems to be one of the "favorite 
 Saints.' ? There appears in St. Francis de 
 Sales that union of sweetness and strength 
 — of manly power and feminine delicacy — 
 of profound knowledge and practical dex- 
 terity which constitute a character, at once 
 formed to win, and subdue minds of almost 
 every type and age. As the rose among 
 flowers, so is he among saints. From the 
 thorny, woody fibre of the brier comes forth 
 that blossom which unites all that can make 
 a flower lovely and attractive; and from 
 the hot, vehement nature of the young 
 Saint, came a spiritual flower of extraordin- 
 ary beauty and exquisite fragrance. 
 
 A lover of gentle means in an age of 
 persecution — a spiritual guide who could 
 conduct souls with the reverent delicacy of 
 
94 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 a true mystic and the piercing shrewdness 
 of a man of the world, he still lives by his 
 many works of charity and piety — still lives 
 by his truly admirable writings which, in 
 the Church, are held in the highest esteem 
 to be the accepted as the safest, most satis- 
 fying, and most profound teacher of that 
 heavenly wisdom which is revealed to all 
 the saints, but given to few to communicate 
 with the fulness, sweetness and beauty, 
 with which it ever flows from his blessed 
 lips, and easy pen. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 What a wonderful Saint was St. Francis 
 de Sales! How well-balanced were all his 
 mental and physical qualities! His intel- 
 lectual and spiritual powers were capable of 
 attaining the highest perfection. Yet, we 
 must not think that although, his path was 
 full of light, he was not tempted and tried 
 like other men. 
 
 While quite a young student at Paris, our 
 Saint was severely harassed by a temptation 
 to despair, from which, after six weeks 
 duration, he was miraculously delivered, 
 after having earnestly besought the aid of 
 the Blessed Virgin, before an altar conse- 
 crated to her. Having been born during 
 the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed 
 
Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 95 
 
 Virgin, he had always a peculiar devotion 
 towards her. From his tenderest years, he 
 sought to honor her, both by special suf- 
 frages and by a singular love of purity, 
 consecrating himself by a vow of perpetual 
 virginity under the protection and aid of 
 this Queen of Virgins. He received Epis- 
 copal Consecration on the feast of the Im- 
 maculate Conception and during this holy 
 ceremony, the gift of that interior unction 
 for which he was so much noted. 
 
 Indeed, there was nothing that the Saint 
 so strongly recommended to his spiritual 
 children, as devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 Condescension to the humors of others, 
 and the sweet, but most reasonable endur- 
 ance of our neighbor, were the cherished 
 and special virtues of this dear Saint; and 
 he was constantly recommending them to 
 his children, often saying to them: "0 how 
 much shorter work it is to accommodate our- 
 selves to others, than to wish to bend every 
 one to our own humors and opinions! " 
 We must condescend in everything, where 
 G-od is not offended or less honored. 
 
 A little gentleness, moderation and mod- 
 esty, he said, are sufficient for this purpose. 
 When conversing with our neighbor, we 
 ought to take pleasure in it, and show that 
 we do so ; and when we are alone, we must 
 
96 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 take pleasure in our solitude. We ought to 
 cultivate an even and reasonable temper of 
 mind delighting in our various occupations, 
 such as prayer, recreation, silence, work — 
 each at its proper time. Thus we may say 
 with the prophet: "I will bless the Lord at 
 all times: His praise shall be ever in my 
 mouth. " 
 
 His beautiful soul ever bore the stamp 
 of that serenity which, one may say, was 
 his distinguishing characteristic. Though 
 of a naturally quick temper, he had learned 
 to possess his soul in peace. This constant, 
 blessed serenity is the perpetual blue sky of 
 the soul, and indicates the presence of the 
 Lord who, as its true Sun, deigns to illum- 
 inate it, and diffusing its rays abroad. 
 
 Very strong souls are generally serene. 
 What produces excitement, passion and dis- 
 turbance is not strength, but weakness. It 
 is the overflow of some human, immortified 
 element. But the majestic strength of this 
 most gentle of Saints had that stamp of 
 serenity and sweetness, which likened him 
 to the Angels of Glod. Nay, it was even 
 remarked by those that knew him best, that 
 no one reminded them so much of the Son 
 of G-od conversing among men here on 
 earth, as the Saint in his aspect, the sweet- 
 ness of his expression — even the tone of 
 
Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 97 
 
 his voice, the grace of his movements, his 
 actions and behavior among those with 
 whom he conversed. 
 
 We are all probably conscious of the 
 great power which a calm tranquillity and 
 serenity of manner exert over us. What 
 confidence do they not inspire! What in- 
 fluence for good! With teachers a calm 
 serenity of manner, a sweet graciousness of 
 expression, are the qualities which most 
 impose on children, and give command. 
 
 May our beloved Saint give us a share in 
 his gentle, yet strong and vigorous spirit 
 which enabled him to do so much for the 
 glory of G-od and the salvation of souls. 
 May he obtain for us the spirit of the sweet 
 and tender charity of the Heart of Jesus, 
 from which he himself had imbibed so large 
 a share. 
 
 Possessed of this spirit we shall be blessed 
 indeed. It will most admirably order 
 everything within us, and help us to suc- 
 ceed wonderfully in our labors for the sal- 
 vation of souls. 
 
 How admirable are the operations of Grod 
 in His Saints! Let us give humble thanks 
 for having, in the plans of Divine Provi- 
 dence, become so closely allied to so great 
 and amiable a Saint, by being chosen, in 
 spite of our unworthiness, to carry out in 
 
98 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 our lives and actions the cherished design 
 of his devoted and faithful heart. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 The whole life of St. Francis was one of 
 ceaseless activity, heroic efforts in conquer- 
 ing obstacles, and grand success in assuring 
 the salvation of souls. He had the mind of 
 an ascetic, and the heart and soul of a true 
 apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a most 
 courageous missionary and powerful cham- 
 pion of the Church of God. 
 
 Who, like him, could have undertaken 
 and carried on with such fearless determi- 
 nation and success the apostolate of the 
 Chablais, to bring back to the true faith 
 the seventy thousand souls, whom the sin 
 of heresy had forcibly torn from the bosom 
 of Holy Mother Church? 
 
 How did he manage amidst all this con- 
 stant activity, to find leisure to give that 
 sweet and gracious attention, so usual with 
 him, to innumerable people who applied to 
 him for advice and instruction, or who 
 came for pecuniary assistance? — He drew 
 his strength from prayer. — Humble, perse- 
 vering, fervent prayer was the secret of his 
 extraordinary success. 
 
 How do we apply to prayer? Is it perse- 
 veringly made, in spite of great obstacles? — 
 
Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 99 
 
 Are we convinced of our ownunworthiness, 
 and do we chiefly depend on the goodness 
 and mercy of G-od, through the merits of 
 Jesus Christ I Let us have recourse to this 
 loving Saint — he will teach us how to pray. 
 He does so, in fact, by his sacred writings 
 which merited for him the title of Doctor 
 of the Church. His method of prayer is 
 placed before us in the Formulary of our 
 Community prayers, which we should often 
 read over at our leisure. Do we diligently 
 study it, and appropriate it to ourselves? 
 And how far have we succeeded during the 
 past ? Is there no room for improvement in 
 the future ! 
 
 Speaking of devotion, the Saint used to 
 say, that it was a gentle and tranquil fervor, 
 while eagerness is an indiscreet and turbu- 
 lent bubble, which pulls down, while it 
 thinks to build up. Although he possessed 
 the most eminent virtues, nevertheless, he 
 had a tender love for the smallest, that is 
 for those which appear such before men; 
 for he was accustomed to say, there were 
 none, especially of the infused, which were 
 not great before G-od. All occupations, 
 great or small, were equal to our Saint, pro- 
 vided they concerned God's service. 
 
 A remarkable saying of his, concerning 
 charity towards our neighbor, was this: 
 
100 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 The soul of our neighbor is the tree of the 
 knowledge of good and evil, which we are 
 forbidden to touch under pain of chastise- 
 ment ; because Gk>d has reserved the judg- 
 ment thereof to Himself. — He observed an 
 inconsistency common among men, who 
 are by nature inclined to judge in a matter, 
 wherein they are ignorant, namely the 
 interior of others : while they are averse to 
 judging of what they do know, or ought to 
 know — namely, their own interior. The 
 first is forbidden, the second is commanded. 
 He gave it as a rule, that if an act may be 
 viewed in a hundred different lights, to 
 always look at it in the fairest. In short it 
 was the opinion of this most gentle and 
 charitable of Saints, that those who keep a 
 faithful watch over their own conscience, 
 will seldom, or never sin by rash judgments 
 or in any other way, detrimental to their 
 neighbor. 
 
 Colloquy with St. Francis. 
 
Habitation 
 
 for tbe jf east of St. Ueresa of Jesus* 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 How truly admirable are the ways of God in 
 His providential guidance of human events, 
 for the execution of His adorable designs ! 
 
 St. Teresa, the Seraphic Virgin of Carmel, 
 who was so great a client of the dear Fos- 
 ter-father of our Lord, and — we may say, 
 the Apostle of the devotion to St. Joseph 
 during her life-time — was the first one in 
 Spain who dedicated churches and con- 
 vents in his honor: and in less than a cen- 
 tury afterwards, her own feast is honored 
 by the celebration of an event, which, had 
 she still been an inhabitant of this world, 
 would have filled her loving heart with the 
 sweetest joy, and the most heartfelt grati- 
 tude. 
 
 On the 15th of October 1650, the chapel 
 of the Orphanage of the City of Le Puy, 
 France, was the scene of a religious cere- 
 mony that was celebrated to illustrate, and 
 reflect great glory on the Saint she loved 
 with such singular affection, namely, the 
 
 (101) 
 
102 Manual of Meditations* 
 
 clothing with the religious habit of a select 
 number of chosen souls, who were hence- 
 forth to be known as the Daughters of the 
 little Institute of St. Joseph. 
 
 May we not piously believe that, from her 
 high place in heaven, the seraphic Virgin, 
 Teresa of Jesus, was present at the cere- 
 mony, and rejoiced at the new honor thus 
 given to the great Saint whom the Eternal 
 Wisdom had chosen to be the reputed 
 Father of the Incarnate Word, and whom 
 she had ever cherished as her most beloved 
 Patron? Will she not especially interest her- 
 self in our behalf, bearing as we do, the name 
 of him so much cherished during her life- 
 time, and for the advancement of whose hon- 
 or she labored so efficiently here on earth. 
 The feast of St. Teresa being the birthday 
 of our Congregation is, therefore, for each 
 one of us, who have been called to this 
 blessed Institute, the beginning of a long 
 chain of graces and blessings, which we 
 shall never be able to sufficiently understand 
 or appreciate. It ought to be for us a day 
 of special thanksgiving for the grace of 
 vocation and all that this means to us — a 
 day of joy and gladness, at having been 
 chosen without any merit on our part, to 
 follow the Lord more closely, and to serve 
 Him more faithfully than the common run 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 103 
 
 of christians. — May we, during this medita- 
 tion on the life and virtues of the glorious 
 Virgin of Carmel, enter deeply into her 
 sweet spirit of thankfulness, which all 
 through her writings manifests itself in a 
 thousand endearing expressions of grateful 
 love. She will teach us how to pray, how 
 to labor, and how to suffer for the glory of 
 the Beloved. 
 
 First Prelude : Imagine you see the Saint 
 on her death-bed, surrounded by her spirit- 
 ual children who are carefully treasuring up 
 the words and actions of the dying Saint — 
 especially these words which she repeats 
 again and again: " After all, O Lord, I am 
 a child of the Holy Catholic Church ! ? ' and 
 these words of the Prophet-King: U A con- 
 trite and humble heart, Lord, Thou wilt 
 not despise. " 
 
 Second Prelude: Implore the Saint to 
 obtain for you a share in her generous love 
 for her heavenly Spouse, that you may 
 learn from her how to pray, to labor and 
 to suffer for Grod. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 What was it that obtained for St. Teresa 
 such immense treasures of grace, such ardor 
 of love, such strength in overcoming ob- 
 stacles in the way of virtue. It was prayer 
 — faithful perseverance in prayer. 
 
104 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 There is perhaps no Saint so singularly 
 adapted, or so well qualified to teach this 
 holy science, as this highly privileged Vir- 
 gin. No one, seemingly, had so many, and 
 such varied opportunities to acquire a prac- 
 tical knowledge of its difficulties, trials, 
 aridities, temptations of abandoning the 
 same, and finally resuming its practice and 
 persevering therein, till reaching the most 
 exalted heights of contemplation. 
 
 One could scarcely find anyone so upright 
 and translucent in the communication of 
 her difficulties and shortcomings to her 
 spiritual directors — who sought instruction 
 from them so eagerly, and who followed the 
 same more conscientiously or with greater 
 exactitude, than our Saint; and by this, she, 
 no doubt, deserved to make such wonderful 
 progress in prayer, and to be instructed in 
 this sacred science by our Lord Himself. 
 
 From her earliest childhood, St. Teresa 
 seemed to possess the gift of prayer which 
 was fostered and encouraged by her thor- 
 oughly Catholic parents. What prompted 
 the flight of the dear child, at the age of 
 seven, to go into Africa with her little 
 brother, in order to obtain there the grace 
 of martyrdom? Was it not the gift of pray- 
 er? She had been meditating on the words 
 "Ever and never" and having read in the 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 105 
 
 lives of the Saints of the glorious victories 
 of the martyrs who died for the faith, and 
 who had thus assured unto themselves an 
 everlasting reward, the dear little ones could 
 not refrain from wishing to w r alk in their 
 footsteps, so as to gain a like recompense. 
 
 What happiness for children to have good 
 Catholic parents who attach importance to 
 the things of Glod — of eternity: — who teach 
 their little ones, how to pray, how to medi- 
 tate, how to draw practical conclusions from 
 the consideration of Catholic truth ! 
 
 We religious, having the care of orphans, 
 or the education of children placed in our 
 charge, may consider here our golden op- 
 portunity for moulding the character and 
 forming the dispositions of the precious 
 little souls confided to us by our Lord. 
 What matchless good seed may we not sow 
 in the hearts of these little ones! The care- 
 ful early training of St. Teresa was the pre- 
 cious seed, that laid the foundation of her 
 future sanctity. 
 
 There is nothing which St. Teresa recom- 
 mends to us so strongly, as perseverance — 
 courageous perseverance in prayer in spite of 
 obstacles. — By it, she tells us, we assure our 
 salvation — but without it, we shall be lost. 
 
 prayer, how dost thou exalt the soul of 
 the glorious Virgin of Carmel, detach it 
 
106 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 from the earth and from self and reveal to 
 her the secrets of the kingdom of Jesus 
 Christ ! May I ever cherish thee and perse- 
 vere in thee to the end ! 
 
 Yes, Lord! St. Teresa literally accom- 
 plished these words of Thy Apostle: "Our 
 conversation is in heaven. " Her life was 
 hidden with Jesus Christ in God. I do not 
 aspire to the sublimity of her prayer. — But, 
 do thou, dear Saint, so rich in merits gained 
 in prayer, obtain for me the prayer of faith 
 and love, that I may be so closely united to 
 Jesus in all my actions, as never to lose 
 sight of the beloved of my heart. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 St. Teresa seems to have been raised up 
 in these latter times to console the Church 
 for the rebellion of her children. She re- 
 ceived special lights upon the truths assailed 
 by heretics ; she read them in the very light 
 of God, and spoke of them with an elo- 
 quence which was like the voice of God. 
 
 Is it not wonderful that a simple nun 
 should have written so fully upon such sub- 
 lime subjects, without a word escaping her 
 which could be censured by the severest 
 criticism? Teresa was guided by prayer, 
 and the Spirit of Ood guarded her from all 
 danger. The sublime faith which was His 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 107 
 
 gift extended not only to the mysteries of 
 religion, it instructed her also in all the 
 secrets of the interior life. It taught her 
 what God is to a soul full of good will, and 
 what such a soul is to God ; it unfolded to 
 her all the consequences of her religious 
 profession, all the degrees of perfection, all 
 the various ways in which God is pleased to 
 guide a soul, all the illusions which spring 
 from self-love or from the malice of the evil 
 one. The Saint learned all these lessons in 
 prayer; prayer was the school of faith, and 
 faith the reward of prayer. 
 
 May we not consider our want of faith as 
 the fruit of our coldness in prayer? Ah! if 
 we but gave ourselves to prayer, faith would 
 revive in our soul; faith would control our 
 senses; faith would conquer our pusillan- 
 imity; and all our judgments of the world, 
 and all that the world esteems would be 
 conformed to the judgment of our Lord, 
 the author of our faith. Our vocal prayers, 
 now often so cold, so hurried, and so fruit- 
 less, would be clothed with the intelligence 
 of faith and invested with new beauty. Our 
 conversations would bear upon them the 
 stamp and the seal of faith, and show forth 
 the sweetness and charity of Christ. Had 
 St. Teresa not been a child of prayer, 
 her faith would have been weak, closely 
 
108 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 bordering upon that dead faith which leads 
 to perdition. Faith led the Saint to prayer, 
 and prayer perfected her faith. 
 
 O prayer of faith ! O faith nourished by 
 prayer ! How gloriously do you shine forth 
 in the life of the Seraphic Virgin of Carmel ! 
 
 Give me, Lord, through the intercession 
 of this blessed Saint the spirit of prayer, 
 that I may believe, and the spirit of faith, 
 that I may pray. Give me also a share in 
 her ardent love of, and confidence in, Thy 
 ever-blessed Mother and the glorious St. 
 Joseph, her beloved Patron. 
 
 When losing her mother, at the age of 
 twelve, Thou, O sweet Jesus, didst inspire 
 this child of benediction with so lively, and 
 tender a devotion to Thy blessed Mother, 
 as to attach her throughout life, most inti- 
 mately to her service. At her altars, she 
 conceived the plan of her reform, and under 
 her auspices, and St. Joseph's protection, 
 she carried it out. She transmitted the 
 same devotion to our Lady and her blessed 
 Spouse to her beloved children of Carmel, 
 as a most precious inheritance. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 "Either to suffer or to die,' 7 was the 
 watchword of the Virgin of Carmel. For 
 the most part in ill health, her life was a 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 109 
 
 succession of crosses and sufferings, which 
 faithfully accompanied her, even to the end. 
 Sufferings, the Saint ever considered as the 
 most precious portion of the children of Grod. 
 Enlightened by faith, she beheld with sor- 
 row the fearful ravages which the then pre- 
 vailing and rising heresies wrought in the 
 Church, and, touched to the heart, at seeing 
 the injured glory of her heavenly Spouse, 
 and the loss of so many thousands of souls, 
 she willingly undertakes the painful, trying 
 and very laborious task of restoring the an- 
 cient splendors of Carmel in her own Order 
 — which task implied the entire sacrifice of 
 self, a thousand times over — painful humilia- 
 tions, persecutions, disappointments, labors 
 and journeyings, and crosses of all kinds. 
 She longed, with all the ardor of her gener- 
 ous heart to repair, as far as lay in her 
 power, the outraged glory of Grod, and the 
 honor of His Bride, the Church, who was 
 being so grossly insulted, and so ignomini- 
 ously maltreated by the heretics of her day, 
 and for this end, she desired to found new 
 convents, after the ancient strictness of 
 discipline, wherein the Lord would be de- 
 doutly served, and whose inmates would 
 pray unceasingly for the defenders of the 
 faith — for the priests and missionaries of 
 the Church who were zealously promoting 
 
110 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 its interests at home, among heretics; or 
 abroad, among pagan nations to bring them 
 to a knowledge of the truth. 
 
 How well she succeeded, and of the trials 
 under which her work was accomplished, 
 history tells us. It also tells us that, not 
 only did her reform affect her own Order, 
 but likewise all the Orders of the Church 
 of Grod, chiefly those of Spain — her own 
 country. 
 
 Thus, the aspirations and modest efforts 
 of an humble nun — a religious poor in the 
 goods of earth and worldly credit, but rich 
 in virtue and heavenly desires, are crowned 
 with a success, it would have been difficult 
 to conceive or anticipate. 
 
 "Where did St. Teresa obtain that super- 
 human courage which sustained her in the 
 labors and contradictions accompanying 
 the reform? She found it in prayer — in her 
 union with God whom she sought and found 
 in prayer. Prayer was the foundation of 
 her work, the source of her illuminations, 
 the armory whence she derived the weapons 
 to defend herself against her enemies. She 
 rose from prayer to confront the difficulties 
 in her path, as the martyrs went forth from 
 prayer to tortures and death. 
 
 She roused the hearts of men to aid her, 
 and quickened them with her own energy. 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. Ill 
 
 Toilsome journeys, dissentions within, op- 
 position without, the human prudence of 
 friends and directors, earth and hell arrayed 
 against her. — All were alike impotent to 
 dismay or discourage this wonderful Saint. 
 
 From St. Teresa let us learn devotion to 
 the Church — let us love the apostolate of 
 souls whose loss she deplored with an ever- 
 increasing sorrow and compassion, and to 
 save whom she would willingly have en- 
 dured torments and death. Who inspired 
 her with this ardent love of souls? It was, 
 because by the light of faith she recognized 
 in them the image and likeness of God which 
 is obscured by sin, especially by mortal sin. 
 
 "0 souls! " the Saint cries out, "souls, 
 redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! 
 Know and pity yourselves ! How is it pos- 
 sible that, knowing this truth, as you do, 
 you do not endeavor to take away the black 
 pitch of sin with which this beautiful, 
 bright crystal of your soul is covered ! Con- 
 sider, when once your life is ended, you will 
 never return any more to enjoy this light. " 
 
 Addressing her sisters she says: — "Let 
 us take particular care, to pray for those in 
 mortal sin; it is a very great charity. If 
 we saw a christian with his hands bound 
 behind him with a strong chain, and tied 
 fast to a pillar, and dying with hunger — not 
 
112 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 through want of victuals, having every 
 delicacy before him, but because he cannot 
 reach them and that he was about to die, 
 not a temporal, but an eternal death: would 
 it not be a great cruelty to stand looking 
 on, and not give him anything to eat? But 
 what if, by your prayers, his chains also 
 could be loosened? For the love of God, 
 I beg of you always to remember such souls 
 in your prayers. " 
 
 Considering our holy vocation to the 
 Institute of St. Joseph, whose object is to 
 foster in our various duties and employ- 
 ments, the apostolate of souls, let us rejoice 
 in being thus associated with the aims and 
 intentions of the Virgin of Carmel and her 
 faithful children. They are carrying on a 
 most fruitful apostolate by a life of strict 
 seclusion, penance, and constant, fervent 
 prayer and supplication ; and we, by uniting 
 the duties of Mary and Martha — joining the 
 zealous labors of the latter to the recollec- 
 tion and prayer of the former — after the 
 example of our Lord and His Apostles. 
 
 O great St. Teresa, chosen Spouse of Our 
 Lord ! Thou art the cherished daughter of 
 the Virgin Mother of God, the joy and the 
 glory of the Carmelite Order! Thou art a 
 teacher in the school of prayer, the pattern 
 of contemplatives and a model of religious 
 
Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 113 
 
 decorum! Intercede for the children of St. 
 Joseph. 
 
 O Seraph of divine love! whose heart 
 was pierced with the flaming dart from the 
 hand of an angel, preserve us by thy holy 
 intercession from all sin and from the illu- 
 sions and snares of the devil, from sloth in 
 the interior life, and from all hardness of 
 heart. Obtain peace for our holy Mother 
 the Church, and for heretics and unbelievers 
 the gift of true faith. Implore the grace of 
 conversion for poor sinners ; and for us, O 
 holy Mother St. Teresa, obtain the spirit 
 and the love of prayer, an ardent love of 
 God, the pardon of our sins, and the grace 
 of final perseverance. 
 
 o-<D 
 
2>evotfons ant> flliebitattons 
 
 for the 
 
 IRovena preparatory for tbe Jfeast 
 of pentecoat 
 
 Conformably to our Constitutions, let us 
 spend the prescribed extra half hour each 
 day of this Novena in fervent prayer, to 
 honor the Holy Spirit, who is the principle 
 of all graces ; and to do so more perfectly, 
 let us unite ourselves with our Blessed 
 Mother and the holy Apostles and Disciples 
 in the Supper-Room, and implore through 
 their powerful intercession, a large share in 
 the gifts and fruits of the Holy Grhost. 
 
 Begin the Meditation by reciting or chant- 
 ing the "Veni Creator' ? with versicle and 
 prayer of the Church. 
 
 Some of the following prayers may be recited at the 
 conclusion of the Meditation. 
 
 O Spirit of Wisdom, preside over all my 
 thoughts, words and actions, from this hour, 
 till the moment of my death. 
 
 (114) 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 115 
 
 Spirit of Understanding, enlighten and 
 teach me. 
 
 Spirit of Counsel, direct my inexperience. 
 
 Spirit of Fortitude, strengthen my weak- 
 ness. 
 
 Spirit of Knowledge, instruct my ignor- 
 ance. 
 
 Spirit of Piety, make me fervent in good 
 works. 
 
 Spirit of Fear, restrain me from all evil. 
 
 O Spirit of Peace, give me Thy peace; 
 make me persevere in the service of Grod ; 
 enable me to act on all occasions with good- 
 ness and benignity, patience, charity and 
 joy, long-suffering, mildness, and fidelity. 
 Let the heavenly virtues of modesty, con- 
 tinence and chastity adorn the temple Thou 
 hast chosen for Thy abode. Spirit of 
 Holiness, by Thy all powerful grace, pre- 
 serve my soul from the misfortune of sin. 
 Amen. 
 
 An Oblation to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 On my knees, before the great cloud of 
 witnesses, I offer myself soul and body to 
 Thee, eternal Spirit of God. I adore the 
 brightness of Thy purity, the unerring 
 keenness of Thy justice, and the might of 
 Thy love. 
 
 Thou art the strength and light of my 
 soul. I desire never to grieve Thee by un- 
 
116 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 faithfulness to grace, and I pray with all 
 my heart to be kept from the smallest sin 
 against Thee. Make me faithful in every 
 thought ; and grant that I may always listen 
 to Thy voice, and watch for Thy light and 
 follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling 
 to Thee, and give myself to Thee, and ask 
 Thee, by Thy compassion to watch over me 
 in my weakness. Holding the pierced feet 
 of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, 
 and trusting to His precious Blood, and 
 adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, 
 I implore Thee, adorable Spirit so to keep 
 me in Thy grace, that I may never sin 
 against Thee with the sin Thou canst not 
 forgive. Give me grace, Holy Ghost, 
 Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to 
 Thee always and everywhere, " Speak Lord, 
 for Thy servant heareth." 
 
 Prayer to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 O Divine breathing of the Holy Spirit, 
 make Thyself felt in my soul; awaken it 
 from the lethargy in which it lies: shake 
 off the languor in which it is sunk; bear 
 away the dust that adheres to all I do ; work 
 in me every change that Thou knowest to be 
 necessary to me, divine Paraclete; give me 
 one of those tongues of light, of charity, of 
 perfection, which descended on the Apostles, 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 117 
 
 that I may thereby bless Thy name, con- 
 fess my sins, teach with love, answer with 
 meekness, be silent when becoming, and 
 edify in all things. And you, O holy Apos- 
 tles, who on the solemn day of Pentecost 
 did receive unto fulness the spirit of unity 
 and sanctity, obtain for us also so signal a 
 gift, that, believing all the truths that you 
 have taught, practising all the works that 
 you have recommended, living and dying 
 in the Church which you have founded, I 
 may attain with you the blessed and eternal 
 recompense which you have taught us to 
 ask and hope. Amen. 
 
 Another Prayer to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 O Holy Grhost, father of the poor and 
 comforter of the afflicted, come and descend 
 upon us. Illumine us with Thy light, gov- 
 ern us with Thy wisdom, sanctify us by Thy 
 love, animate us with Thy grace, sustain us 
 with Thy strength, penetrate us with Thy 
 unction, adopt us as sons by Thy charity, 
 make us peaceful by Thy presence, save us 
 by Thy infinite mercy, and lift us up from 
 earth to heaven, that we may praise Thee, 
 bless Thee, and love Thee for all eternity. 
 Amen. 
 
118 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Hymn to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Paraclete, whom Jesus sent to me 
 "Who, one with Him didst give Thyself to me, 
 Thou Love of God Most High, who lovest me, 
 Thou King and Lord, who sweetly drawest me, 
 For life, and light and love I come to Thee. 
 
 From Father and from Son proceedest Thou ; 
 Of Father and of Son the Love art Thou ; 
 Their Kiss of everlasting peace art Thou ; 
 The Bond unbroken of their rest art Thou ; 
 One God with Father and with Son art Thou. 
 
 My soul is dark and helpless without Thee ; 
 My heart is weak and withered without Thee ; 
 My life is burnt like stubble without Thee ; 
 I cannot say "My Jesus" without Thee; 
 O loved One, pour Thy living light on me. 
 
 1 come to Thee, Almighty, living One, 
 In poverty of soul, O Living One ; 
 
 In sinfulness and death, O Living One ; 
 O make my spirit Thine, Thou living One, 
 And be Thou mine, Thou ever Living One. 
 
 For sorrow for my sins I come to Thee ; 
 For confidence in God I come to Thee ; 
 For faithfulness to grace I come to Thee ; 
 To keep, O Love, my promises to Thee, 
 And walk in white with Jesus and with Thee. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 119 
 
 A Wind rain-laden from the South art Thou ; 
 The Dew that f alleth in the night art Thou ; 
 A Fountain in the desert land art Thou ; 
 A flame-girt Citadel of strength art Thou ; 
 The fiery Furnace of God's love art Thou. 
 
 O Spirit of my Lord, who lightest me, 
 Thou who didst come at Pentecost to me, 
 Thou Love, who seekest thirstingly for me, 
 Burn up all evil and all death in me, 
 And make my heart a holiness to Thee, 
 
 O Gift of Jesus crucified, O Love, 
 Send down Thy showers upon Thy fields, O Love, 
 Fill all the valleys with Thy corn, O Love, 
 And girdle all the hills with joy, O Love, 
 O First and Last, O uncreated Love. 
 
 Thou stoopest in Thy deathless Love to me, 
 Thou fillest all the house of God for me, 
 Thou crowixest all the years with grace for me ; 
 Long-suffering Spirit, how I cling to Thee, 
 And love and bless and praise and worship Thee ! 
 
 My Jesus gave himself in death by Thee, 
 A spotless Sacrifice to God by Thee ; 
 O perfect all Thy gifts and fruits in me, 
 That, crowned and sceptered, I may dwell in Thee 
 White-robed, palm-bearing, in the Light with 
 Thee. 
 
120 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 Contemplation on tbe glorious 
 ascension of ©ur Xorfc* 
 
 jfor tbe JFeast ot tbe Hscensiom 
 
 (Taken from St. Bonaventure.) 
 
 First Prelude : Imagine yourself on Mount 
 Olivet in the presence of the Blessed Virgin, 
 the Apostles and Disciples. 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask, through the inter- 
 cession of the Blessed Virgin and Apostles 
 and Disciples for the spirit of detachment 
 from the things of this world. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 On the fortieth day after His resurrec- 
 tion our Lord Jesus, knowing that His 
 time was now come to depart from this 
 world, and to pass hence to His Father, 
 taking with Him the holy patriarchs, proph- 
 ets and others, who after His resurrection 
 were in the terrestrial paradise ; and bless- 
 ing Enoch and Elias, who remained there 
 still alive, he came to His Apostles who 
 were gathered together on Mount Sion, 
 which was the place where He made His 
 last supper the night before His passion. 
 There were likewise with the Apostles at this 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 121 
 
 place, the Blessed Virgin, and many other 
 disciples ; and our Lord appearing to them, 
 said that He would eat with them before He 
 departed from them, as a special token and 
 memorial of the love He bore them. And 
 as they were all eating, being full of joy 
 and spritual comfort at this last refection 
 of our Lord Jesus, He said to them, "The 
 time is now come in which I must return to 
 Him that sent me ; but you shall remain in 
 the city till you are clothed with the virtue 
 descending from above; for within a few 
 days you shall be filled with the Holy Grhost, 
 as I before promised you. After which you 
 shall de dispersed throughout the whole 
 world, to preach my gospel, baptising all 
 that shall believe in me ; so that you shall 
 be my witnesses to the utmost confines of 
 the earth.' J He likewise reproved them for 
 their incredulity in not believing those who 
 had seen him rise, that is the angels. 
 
 This He chose to do at the time He was 
 speaking to them of preaching His gospel, 
 to give them to understand that they ought 
 to have believed the angels, even before 
 they saw Him, much sooner than they 
 ought to be believed by those to whom they 
 were to preach, who nevertheless, would 
 believe them, though they should not see 
 Him. This He did, that by knowing their 
 
122 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 fault, they might be humble; showing them 
 at His departure how much he admired that 
 virtue, and that He recommended it to them 
 in a singular manner. And what can we 
 think of His blessed Mother? May we not 
 devoutly imagine, that, sitting near Him, 
 and hearing what He said concerning His 
 departure, she was moved with the tender- 
 ness of her motherly affection? But our 
 Blessed Lord endeavored to comfort her 
 and said: "Grieve not, O beloved parent, 
 at my leaving you, because I go to my 
 Father ; and it is expedient that you remain 
 here a short time longer, to confirm in their 
 faith, such as shall be converted and believe 
 in me, and afterwards I will come again, 
 and take you with me, to be a partaker of 
 my glory." To whom again our Lady 
 replied: "My beloved son, may Thy will 
 always be fulfilled in all things, for I am 
 not only contented to remain here during 
 Thy pleasure, but to suffer death for love of 
 those souls, for which Thou hast so willing- 
 ly laid down Thy life; this, however, I 
 beseech Thee, be Thou ever mindful of me." 
 Our Lord then again comforted her, with 
 the disciples and Mary Magdalen, saying, 
 "Let not your hearts be troubled, nor fear 
 ye anything ; I will not leave you desolate ; 
 I go, but will shortly return again to you, 
 and will remain always with you." 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 123 
 
 At length, He bid them remove from 
 thence, and go to Mount Olivet, because 
 from that place He would ascend into 
 Heaven, in the presence of them all: — say- 
 ing this, he disappeared. His holy Mother, 
 with the rest of the company, hastened to 
 the said mount, about a mile distant from 
 Jerusalem, as He had appointed, where our 
 Lord soon again appeared to them. Behold, 
 on this day we have two different appari- 
 tions of our Lord. Thus, being all together, 
 our Lord embraced His holy Mother, and 
 she, again embraced Him in a most tender 
 manner, taking leave of each other. And 
 the disciples, Mary Magdalen and the rest, 
 falling down to the ground, and weeping 
 with tenderness, kissed His blessed feet, 
 and He, raising them up, embraced all His 
 apostles most lovingly. Let us now, religi- 
 ous soul, diligently consider them and 
 devoutly contemplate all that is here done : 
 and amongst the rest, let us behold the holy 
 souls, who, being present, though invisible, 
 joyfully admire, and inwardly praise the 
 Blessed Virgin, by whom they receive so 
 great a benefit as their salvation. They 
 behold, with pleasing admiration, the glori- 
 ous champions, and leaders of God's hosts, 
 the Apostles, whom our Lord Jesus had 
 chosen from among all others, to conquer 
 
124 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 and subdue the world, and bring it over to 
 the belief of His holy doctrine. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 At length, when the mysteries were all 
 fulfilled and completed, our Lord Jesus be- 
 gan gradually to raise Himself up before 
 them, and to ascend, by His own virtue and 
 power into Heaven. And then the Blessed 
 Virgin, with the rest, fell down and devout- 
 ly worshipped Him. Then our Lord, lifting 
 up his hands, with serene and pleasing 
 aspect, crowned with glory, victoriously 
 ascended into Heaven: but first, blessing 
 them, he said: "Be steadfast, and fight 
 courageously, for I shall always be with 
 you, even to the end of the word." Thus, 
 our Lord Jesus, all glorious and resplen- 
 dently shining, ascended into Heaven, tri- 
 umphantly leading with Him the noble 
 tribe of holy souls, and fulfilling that which 
 the prophet Micah had said long before His 
 ascension. "And their king shall pass 
 before them, and the Lord at the head of 
 them." So that they all followed Him with 
 unspeakable joy, singing canticles of praises 
 and thanksgivings to Him, for their deliver- 
 ance from all sorrow, and their entrance 
 into all joy, and never-ending felicity. And 
 Michael, the prince of God's celestial host, 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 125 
 
 going before, carried the joyful tidings of 
 their Lord's ascending, at which the whole 
 heavenly court of celestial spirits came forth 
 to meet their Lord, and with all worship 
 and reverence, they led Him with hymns 
 and songs of jubilation, repeating with in- 
 expressible joy, Alleluja, Alleluja! Having 
 paid their due reverence to the Lord ; and 
 ended the joyful canticles which related to 
 His glorious ascension, the angels and the 
 holy souls from Limbus began to rejoice 
 together. And what tongue can express, or 
 mind conceive, that which passed between 
 them at this happy, happy meeting? The 
 blessed spirits first began to congratulate 
 them on their arrival, saying in this manner : 
 "Ye princes of (rod's people, ye are wel- 
 come to our eternal habitation, and we 
 rejoice and are glad at your arrival: Ye all 
 are gathered together, and wonderfully ex- 
 alted with our Grod; Alleluja! Therefore, 
 rejoice and sing to Him who so gloriously 
 ascendeth to Heaven, and above the Heaven 
 of heavens; Alleluja! " 
 
 To which the holy souls again joyfully 
 replied, " To you, princes of God's people, 
 Alleluja! Our guardians and helpers ! Alle- 
 luja! Joy and peace forever, Alleluja! Let 
 us sing and make mirth to our King and 
 our Saviour, Alleluja! Now we joyfully 
 
126 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 enter into the house of our Lord, Alleluja! 
 To remain forever in the glorious city of 
 Grod, Alleluja! As sheep of our Lord's pas- 
 ture we enter His gates, Alleluja! With 
 hymns and canticles, Alleluja! For the 
 Lord of power is with us, Alleluja! For, 
 according to the prophet, "The Lord is 
 ascended in shouts of joy, and the Lord in 
 the sound of a trumpet." Our Lord Jesus 
 ascended visibly for the greater comfort of 
 His Mother, and disciples, that they might 
 see Him as far as they could. And behold, 
 U A cloud received Him out of their sight, 
 and in an instant they were present in 
 Heaven." And as the Blessed Virgin and 
 the disciples were still looking up, two an- 
 gels stood beside them in white garments, 
 who began to comfort them, telling them 
 not to look longer after His body, which 
 they saw ascend so gloriously into Heaven, 
 for that they should not see Him any more 
 in that form until the Day of Judgment, 
 when He should come to judge the living 
 and the dead. They bid them return into 
 the city again, and there to expect the com- 
 ing of the Holy Grhost, as He Himself had 
 told them. Our Lord Jesus, in company 
 with that blessed tribe of holy souls, opened 
 the gates of Heaven, which for a long time 
 had been shut to mankind, and as a victori- 
 
Feast of Pentecost, 127 
 
 ous conqueror, triumphantly entered in, 
 and joyfully saluting His Father, said: "0 
 Holy Father, I return Thee thanks for the 
 glorious victory Thou hast given me over 
 all our enemies: behold, O Eternal Father, 
 I here present to Thee our friends, who, till 
 this time, have been detained in banish- 
 ment and in prison ! And as I have promised 
 to my disciples and brethren, whom I have 
 left in the world, to send them the Holy 
 Ghost, the comforter, I beseech Thee to 
 fulfil my promise; for, to Thy care and 
 protection I recommend them." To which 
 we may well imagine the Eternal Father re- 
 plied: "My blessed Son, to Thee all power 
 is given in Heaven and earth, wherefore, 
 concerning all Thou hast asked, dispose 
 and order as shall seem most expedient to 
 Thee." After this, the angelical spirits 
 and holy souls who remained all the time 
 prostrate before the throne of the most 
 adorable Trinity, arose, and with all rever- 
 ence, renewed their Alleluias, and sang joy- 
 fully to the Lord. They all sing, they all 
 rejoice and exult with the utmost jubilation, 
 and with shouts of mirth they praise and 
 glorify the Lord, so that the whole heavenly 
 Jerusalem echoes with joyful Alleluias, and 
 canticles of mirth were heard throughout 
 every part. Never, from the beginning of 
 
128 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 time, was there known so solemn a festivity, 
 nor shall ever be again, till after the last 
 and general day of judgment, when all the 
 elect shall meet together in their beautiful 
 and glorious bodies. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 And therefore, this solemn feast of the 
 ascension, if every circumstance be duly 
 considered, is the greatest of all solemnities, 
 which we shall find to be true, if we briefly 
 consider the rest. The incarnation of Grod 
 is a great feast, a day of solemn jubilation 
 to us, but not to Him, since He was then 
 confined within the narrow compass of the 
 small enclosure of a virginal womb. 
 
 His nativity was likewise a great feast, 
 and a day of public rejoicing to us. But 
 He was to be pitied, who was born to such 
 great poverty, suffering and penury. His 
 death and suffering was a great feast to us, 
 because our sins were then all blotted out : 
 but as He suffered most cruel torments and 
 a most vile death, it was not to Him, nor 
 ought it be to us a subject of joy. The 
 resurrection of our Lord Jesus was a most 
 solemn festivity both to Him and to us, 
 because He appeared as a triumphant con- 
 queror over sin and death, and we remained 
 justified; it was, in the opinion of St. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 129 
 
 Augustine, a more holy feast than the rest, 
 which may be understood of those which 
 preceded it. For the day of the ascension 
 seems still to be more holy and greater than 
 that ; for our Lord rose then from the dead ; 
 yet He still remained on earth, the gates of 
 Heaven were not yet open, nor were the 
 holy souls then presented to His Father, 
 which was fulfilled on the day of His ascen- 
 sion. And if we consider whatever Glod 
 wrought before this, He wrought to this end, 
 without which His work would have been 
 imperfect. For Heaven and earth, with all 
 things in them, were made for man ; and man 
 was made only for Glod, and to enjoy Him 
 in His glory; to which glory, no one, though 
 ever so just, could ever attain after sin till 
 this day. Whence you may in some meas- 
 ure comprehend, how great and wonderful 
 is this day which may properly be called 
 the solemn and joyful festivity of our Lord 
 Jesus. For on this day was He first seated 
 in glory, in the humanity He had assumed, 
 at the right hand of His Father, and enjoyed 
 a perfect ^est from His labors. This day is 
 also a feast of great joy and glory to the 
 blessed spirits of Heaven, for on this day 
 they received a new satisfaction, in the 
 sight of their Lord, whom before they had 
 not seen under the veil of His sacred hu- 
 
130 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 manity. And on this day was began to be 
 repaired the ruins of their heavenly com- 
 pany occasioned by the fall of their repro- 
 bate brethren, some of whose vacancies 
 were filled by a glorious number of blessed 
 souls, of patriarchs, prophets and others, 
 who on this day triumphantly entered the 
 heavenly Jerusalem, and took possession of 
 it as their own right and inheritance. 
 Wherefore, as we solemnly celebrate the 
 feast of one saint or martyr who departed 
 this life, and entered the glory of Heaven, 
 how much more ought we to do the same for 
 so many thousands, who entered together, 
 in company with the Holy of Holies, who is 
 far more worthy all praise, honor and glory, 
 than all the saints and angels together. 
 This day is likewise a feast of special joy to 
 the Blessed Virgin, in as much as she beheld 
 her blessed son Jesus, perfect God and per- 
 fect man, crowned with glory and triumph, 
 ascend victoriously to Heaven. It is also a 
 feast of joy to us, for on this day was our 
 nature first exalted above the highest heav- 
 ens; and had He not ascended, we could 
 not have received the greatest of all gifts, 
 the Holy Grhost, whom He had promised to 
 send us ; wherefore, He said to His disciples, 
 "It is expedient for you that I go, for if I 
 go not, the Paraclete shall not come to 
 
Feast of Pentecost 131 
 
 you." St. Bernard saith, in His sermon on 
 this day, "The glorious feast of the ascen- 
 sion is the end and accomplishment of all 
 other feasts and solemnities, and a blessed 
 conclusion of the weary pilgrimage of 
 Jesus Christ on earth. " 
 
 Hence then, may you gather, religious 
 soul, that this feast is greater and more 
 solemn than all the others, and that soul 
 which truly and earnestly loves our Lord 
 Jesus, should on this day lift his mind more 
 earnestly to Heaven, and endeavor to receive 
 a greater plenitude of spiritual joy and com- 
 fort than on all other festivals of the year. 
 For our Lord said to His disciples, "Truly 
 if you loved me, you would rejoice and be 
 glad because I go to the Father." Whence 
 it appears from His own words, that there 
 is no day in Heaven more joyful than this 
 which lasted till the following day of Pen- 
 tecost, and we may devoutly imagine it to 
 have been kept, and solemnized in the fol- 
 lowing manner : — The ascension of our 
 Lord and Saviour was about the sixth hour. 
 And although the whole court of Heaven 
 made a general rejoicing in a manner be- 
 yond all expression, yet from the hour of 
 his ascension to the sixth hour of the next 
 day; we may piously imagine that the 
 angels more particularly celebrated this joy- 
 
132 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 ful festival. And, in the same manner, on 
 the second, the archangels; on the third 
 day the virtues; on the fourth day, the 
 powers ; on the fifth, the principalities ; on 
 the sixth, the dominations ; on the seventh, 
 the thrones; on the eighth, the eherubims; 
 on the ninth, the seraphims ; which are the 
 nine orders of holy angels, who continued 
 their joyful solemnity till the vigil of Pen- 
 tecost: from which time, to the third hour 
 of the day following, which is Whitsuntide, 
 the holy souls, with the rest of their bless- 
 ed company, made the same solemn re- 
 joicings. Thus, during the space of ten 
 days, before the descent of the Holy Grhost 
 upon earth, they all continued in an unin- 
 terrupted acclamation of praise, glory and 
 thanksgiving to God, to Whom be continued 
 the same by every creature to the end of 
 the world and forever. 
 
 Colloquy with our Lord. Congratulate 
 Him on the great glory of His ascension 
 into Heaven. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 133 
 
 flDefcttation 
 
 fox tbe ffri&as witbin tbe ©ctave ot 
 tbe Bscenston* 
 
 The Wonders which the Holy Ghost accomplished 
 in the Apostles. 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask for an increase of 
 humility, fervor and devotion that may 
 attract the Holy Spirit into our souls. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 How great, how precious is the soul of 
 man in the eyes of its Creator ! how dear is 
 it to the three adorable persons of the 
 Blessed Trinity ! The Father and the Holy 
 Grhost have so loved the world, as to bestow 
 on it the Eternal Word in the mystery of 
 the Incarnation, and they have so loved us 
 individually, as to give this same Word 
 made flesh for our daily food. The Eternal 
 Father and the Word have so loved the 
 world, as to bestow on man that Divine 
 Spirit, who is the personal love of the 
 
134 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Father and the Son. And although this 
 second gift, considered in itself, does not, 
 and cannot exceed the first, nevertheless, 
 Jesus Christ assures us, that, viewed in all 
 its circumstances, it is even a more precious 
 donation. The Incarnation was a blessing 
 bestowed on all men in general, without a 
 single exception; but the real presence of 
 the Holy Grhost in our hearts, the happy 
 fruit of our Redeemer's ascension, is a priv- 
 ilege reserved to Christians only, or rather 
 to the just, under the law of grace. 
 
 Oh ! how are we elevated by the principle 
 of our adoption! it is He who makes us 
 children of Grod, brethren of Jesus Christ, 
 animated and living temples of the ever 
 adorable Trinity. By Him we are spiritual- 
 ized, even, in some sort deified; yes, by Him 
 we are born to Grod Himself, gloriously 
 created in Jesus Christ. In fine, what 
 treasures has not Jesus bestowed in giving 
 us His Holy Spirit, that Spirit of life, who 
 in us becomes the fruitful source of every 
 light and grace? He enlightens the dullest 
 minds, instructs in all truth the least tract- 
 able hearts, rendering them docile and 
 faithful to the inspirations of His grace, 
 and as "He breatheth where He wills, " no 
 description of character is an insuperable 
 obstacle to His divine operation. What an 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 135 
 
 astonishing difference between the Apostles 
 reared in the school of Jesus Christ Himself, 
 and these same Apostles regenerated by the 
 Holy Grhost? Changed by the spirit of love 
 into new men ! Jerusalem knew them not ; 
 the universe seemed too confined a theatre 
 for their labors, and all hearts too small a 
 conquest for their zeal. Happy he whom 
 this Divine Spirit instructs, and thrice hap- 
 py the soul implicitly docile to His amiable 
 voice! Faith is, according to the Apostles, 
 "the evidence of things not seen/ 7 but the 
 Holy Grhost, by the gift of knowledge, dis- 
 plays to us, in some sort, that which we 
 believe. By wisdom, we are taught to relish 
 the sweetness concealed in the heavenly 
 maxims of Jesus Christ. Fortitude, renders 
 that which once was bitter and apparently 
 impossible, supportable, easy and delightful. 
 These are the miracles, the wonders of the 
 Love of the Holy Spirit; these are the 
 admirable changes that are continually 
 effected in those souls which are docile to 
 His inspirations and entirely abandoned to 
 His guidance. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The Holy Spirit, that He may abide in us, 
 and we in Him, desires to contract with our 
 souls a spiritual, celestial, and divine alii- 
 
136 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 ance. "I will," says He, by the mouth of 
 the prophet, "espouse thee in mercy and 
 commiserations. ' ' But this admirable union 
 can never be found without free co-opera- 
 tion on our part, and an ardent desire of 
 participating in the gifts of Heaven. 
 " Wherefore, I wished, and understanding 
 was given me : and I called upon God, and 
 the spirit of wisdom came upon me." "I 
 opened my mouth and panted, because I 
 longed for thy Commandments." Our 
 Divine Lord Himself assures us that the 
 Eternal Father grants the good spirit, the 
 author of every blessing, to the desire of 
 those who ask. Let us, then, ardently and 
 perseveringly invite the Holy Spirit to take 
 up His residence in the centre of our souls. 
 If these desires be sincere, they certainly 
 proceed from the Holy Spirit ; it is by Him 
 they are formed ; it is He who prays in and 
 by us. Can there be more solid ground to 
 hope for the accomplishment of our desires? 
 for God, inspiring them, had no other view 
 than their gratification. To prayer must be 
 joined great purity of heart. "Blessed are 
 the clean of heart, for they shall see God," 
 and their love for purity of conscience is a 
 sure proof of the watchful tenderness of 
 that Almighty Being who has solemnly 
 promised that "he that loveth cleanness of 
 heart shall have the king for his friend." 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 137 
 
 To become the dwelling of this infinitely 
 pure and sacred Spirit, our souls must be 
 cleansed from everything displeasing to so 
 great, so amiable a guest. Remember, 
 Christian soul, that it is, perhaps, easier 
 than you imagine to wound the delicacy of 
 this Divine Spirit. To be convinced of this, 
 we need only remember that, according to 
 the Fathers, the descent of the Holy Ghost 
 was obstructed by too natural an attachment 
 to the sensible presence of Jesus Christ. If 
 this attachment, so laudable, so justly mer- 
 ited, proved an obstacle to the operation of 
 the Holy Spirit, what must we think of our 
 attachment to creatures, and of our daily 
 infidelities? How diligently should we labor 
 to break those ties, to efface those trans- 
 gressions! — but, above all, with what care 
 should we banish, destroy and annihilate in 
 our souls, the hateful monster of pride; for 
 the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of lies 
 cannot dwell together! 
 
 Of this vice, St. Francis de Sales says: 
 "I would rather that the cloister were filled 
 with all vices than with the sin of pride and 
 vanity*, because in other offences one can 
 repent and obtain pardon, but the proud 
 soul has in itself the principle of all vices, 
 and never does penance, considering itself 
 to be in a good state, and despising all 
 
138 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 advice given it. Nothing can be done with 
 a soul that is vain and full of self-conceit ; 
 it is no good either to itself or others." 
 Pride being the principle of evil, is also the 
 chief obstacle to the working of the Holy 
 Spirit. However, though we may resolve 
 to root out, and to plant, to destroy and to 
 build ; yet we must remember that it belongs 
 to God alone to prepare His tabernacle, and 
 to change a carnal heart into a sanctuary 
 worthy of Himself. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 But to vanquish the many obstacles that 
 impede our spiritual progress, and to arrive 
 at length to the desirable term of christian 
 perfection, the most heroic and invincible 
 courage is absolutely necessary. The Holy 
 Spirit cannot sovereignly reign in the heart, 
 but by the destruction of is natural inclina- 
 tions ; nor can these be otherwise destroyed 
 than by crucifixion. More penetrating than 
 a two-edged sword, He pierces the very 
 soul, and disengages her from a body which 
 He teaches her to despise and detest. In 
 fine, He will gradually divide and separate 
 her from her very self, for this jealous Spirit 
 will not permit that she, whom He destines 
 for His spouse, should find either pleasure 
 or support in creatures. Suspended between 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 139 
 
 heaven and earth, He keeps her, in some 
 degree, deprived of the consolations of both. 
 In a thousand ways, and by numberless 
 painful trials, she is, for her greater perfec- 
 tion and detachment from self, afflicted, 
 tormented, and interiorly crucified. But 
 powerfully supported by the Holy Ghost, 
 this soul attains, by a continual and univer- 
 sal death, to that God whom she sought, 
 whom she desires, whom she loved above all 
 things, and who alone is her true life. The 
 privation of all comfort is to her the sweet- 
 est consolation, and in the loss of all things, 
 she finds an inestimable treasure, and thus 
 exemplifies the truth of that emphatic 
 sentence of the Imitation: " Forsake all, 
 and thou shalt find all; leave thy desires, 
 and thou shalt find rest." 
 
 Miraculous prodigy of love ! thou art in- 
 conceivable to all those to whom experience 
 has not happily discovered they hidden 
 charms. Ah! Christian, Religious! were 
 it necessary to suffer from fire and sword, 
 for the preservation of this miserable life, 
 you would be disposed to do so, you would 
 endure all, nothing would discourage you; 
 and yet you are terrified and stop short at 
 the difficult enterprise of living the celestial, 
 immortal life of God Himself, of being 
 transformed into His image, and of becom- 
 ing one with Him. 
 
140 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Divine Spirit, source of every grace! may 
 the ardent desire Thou hast enkindled in 
 the hearts of Thy chosen ones of possessing 
 Thee, be proof against all trials, may it 
 never be stifled nor weakened by the seem- 
 ingly arduous exercise of fervent and con- 
 tinual prayer, and generous and universal 
 mortification. May they never shrink from 
 interior martyrdom, which is the sole 
 means of acquiring that purity of heart, 
 which prepares the soul for Thy divine 
 communications . 
 
 Colloquy with our Blessed Mother. 
 
 fiDefcitation 
 
 tfot Satttrfcas witbxn tbc ©ctave ot 
 tbe Bscension. 
 
 The Effects which the Holy Ghost produced in 
 the Apostles. 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask for great purity of 
 heart and ardent zeal in the sendee of your 
 heavenlv Master. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 141 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 The Holy Spirit gives Himself to them. 
 This Spirit is the source and principle of all 
 graces, virtues and supernatural goods. The 
 essential and personal Love of the Father 
 and of the Son gives Himself to them. He 
 unites them to Himself in a particular man- 
 ner, — He ennobles them, — He makes them 
 children of God. What glory, what happi- 
 ness for them ! Let us ardently desire the 
 same advantages, for He will also give Him- 
 self to us. Say frequently with a lively 
 faith and an ardent desire: "Veni, Sancte 
 Spiritus ! " Let us offer Him our hearts, and 
 render them worthy of Himself. They who 
 receive this Divine Spirit are the Apostles 
 and Disciples, ignorant, weak, despicable in 
 the eyes of the world, but not contemned by 
 the Almighty. They are humble, fervent, 
 devout: these are the qualities which are 
 estimable in the sight of Heaven, and 
 which are far preferable to the brilliant, 
 superficial accomplishments that attract the 
 attention and admiration of worldlings: 
 "My Spirit resteth on the poor and hum- 
 ble. 77 The Holy Spirit daily communicates 
 Himself to those who are disposed to receive 
 Him, viz: to those who are fervent, humble 
 and devout. Let us use our utmost endeav- 
 ors to acquire these requisite dispositions. 
 
142 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 They are replenished with the Holy Spirit. 
 They had previously received Him because 
 they were just ; but on this occasion they 
 were replenished with Him. Their minds 
 were illuminated with the most admirable 
 lights, — their hearts filled with the most 
 ardent love, replete with an abundance of 
 supernatural gifts and graces, united more 
 closely to their Grod, and replenished with a 
 vehement desire to please Him. Let us 
 consider our poverty and the need we have 
 of these heavenly treasures. Let us entreat 
 them of the Holy Spirit, saying: "Come, 
 Father of the poor, come, Thou Griver of 
 all good gifts. " 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The descent of the Holy Grhost on the 
 Apostles was a baptism of fire: "You will 
 be baptized by the Holy Grhost. " He puri- 
 fied them from their sins, and remitted the 
 punishment which was their due. He de- 
 livered them from the tyranny of the devil, 
 from concupiscence and from vicious inch- 
 nations; He replenished them with grace; 
 gave them infused virtues ; changed them 
 into new men who breathed only the love of 
 Grod. After having considered the pitiable 
 state in which we are, and the extreme need 
 we have of a similar change, let us entreat 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 143 
 
 our Divine Lord to operate in us by means 
 of His Holy Spirit the same admirable fruits 
 which he effected in the Apostles. The 
 Apostles were filled with zeal for the inter- 
 est of their heavenly Master. They preach 
 His sublime doctrine, fearless of persecution, 
 of torments, and of death; they dispersed 
 themselves throughout the whole world in 
 order to make Him known, loved and 
 served. Let us be confounded within our- 
 selves at the consideration of our want of 
 zeal and fervor in the service of God. Let 
 us entreat the Apostles to obtain for us a 
 portion of that zeal with which they were 
 animated. They spoke with divers tongues 
 under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 
 Admire this gift of tongues, so necessary to 
 the Apostles, who were commissioned to 
 preach to all nations, and know that it is 
 the Holy Spirit, and not vanity, envy or 
 interest that induces them to speak. They 
 speak of God, of His inconceivable gran- 
 deur, — His munificent rewards. They speak 
 with hearts inflamed with love, zeal and 
 benediction. Let us entreat the Holy Spirit 
 to regulate our mind, heart and tongue 
 according to the same principles. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 They made reparation for their past infi- 
 delity, when, filled with ardent zeal and 
 
144 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 burning love, they publicly preached the 
 divinity of Him whom they had abandoned 
 through cowardice, and denied through 
 weakness. They were ready to suffer every 
 affliction for the love of Him, they suffered 
 joyfully; — they died for Him; — thus they 
 made ample reparation for their past faults. 
 Let us also make reparation for our mani- 
 fold transgressions by loving this amiable 
 Saviour, laboring and suffering for Him in 
 proportion to our past unfaithfulness in His 
 service. They repaired the honor of our 
 adorable Saviour by preaching the great- 
 ness, the glory of Him who had come hither 
 to be crucified, by causing Him to be adored 
 in the places where He had previously been 
 covered with ignominy, and by procuring 
 Him as many, true, devoted followers, as 
 He before had blasphemers. Let us rejoice 
 with the new Church on the happiness of 
 their conversion — with the Apostles on the 
 success of their labors, and with Jesus on 
 the glory which the Holy Spirit has procured 
 Him. They repaired the honor of our 
 Divine Lord in all nations. It was at the 
 time of the Paschal feast that our loving 
 Saviour had willed to be crucified ; a time 
 when strangers from all parts of the known 
 world assembled in Jerusalem to be present 
 at the Paschal solemnities, and who, on 
 
Feast of Pentecost, 145 
 
 their return to their respective countries, 
 spread the news of His infamous death. 
 At the feast of Pentecost, people were like- 
 wise gathered from all parts of the world, 
 to whom the Apostles made known the res- 
 surrection, the glorious life, the divinity of 
 Jesus Christ, — and who, on their return 
 would publish the wonders they had learned. 
 Their recital was confirmed by the Apostles 
 who soon followed them, in order to make 
 their beloved Master everywhere known and 
 adored. Let us be likewise animated with 
 an ardent zeal that will courageously over- 
 come all obstacles and difficulties in order 
 to make this amiable Saviour known, loved, 
 adored and served. 
 
 Colloquy with the holy Apostles. 
 
 ADeMtation 
 
 3for tbe Suntms witbin tbe ©ctave of 
 tbe Bscension* 
 
 The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 First Prelude: Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples in the Cenacle. 
 
146 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Second Prelude : Let us entreat the Holy 
 Spirit to remove from our hearts every ob- 
 stacle that would prevent us from receiving 
 Him with the fulness of His gifts. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 The gifts and fruits of the Holy Grhost 
 seem to embrace all our spiritual wants. All 
 our intellectual capacities find their expan- 
 sion in the gifts, while the fruits exhibit 
 the action of the Holy Spirit on the heart. 
 And this is exactly what St. Francis de Sales 
 says, ia one of his sermons of the twofold 
 work of the Holy Grhost. He illuminates 
 the understanding to know the truth, and 
 He warms the heart to love the law of Grod. 
 The Saint finds a mysterious allusion to 
 this, even in the number of one hundred 
 and twenty, which was the number of the 
 believers who were gathered together in the 
 Cenacle on the day of Pentecost — a number 
 which is made up of twelve multiplied by 
 ten: the twelve articles of faith, enriched 
 by the observance of the ten Command- 
 ments of G-od. 
 
 When we ponder these holy words in our 
 hearts, we instinctively feel that neither of 
 the lists of gifts and fruits is perfect without 
 the other. Wisdom, Understanding, Coun- 
 sel and Knowledge would not satisfy us, 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 147 
 
 unless accompanied by Charity, Joy, Peace, 
 Patience, Benignity and Goodness. We do 
 need light to guide and show us the way, 
 and much more do we need fire to warm 
 our hearts. 
 
 By what tokens can we know that the 
 Holy Spirit has indeed visited, renewed and 
 signed us? It is to the fruits we must chiefly 
 look, "for by their fruits you shall know 
 them." 
 
 And what virtues could be more suitable 
 for us religious, than the fruits of the Holy 
 Grhost? What a beautiful picture would a 
 community present that possessed them in 
 greatest perfection? To say nothing of 
 charity, which all must feel to be the one 
 essential condition of community life ; but 
 how would joy and peace make sunshine in 
 it! How many thorns would patience take 
 out of our path! How pleasant and easy 
 would long suffering, and goodness, and 
 benignity make our intercourse with one 
 another; and how would the good odor, 
 the grace and the beauty of virtue, shine in 
 meekness, modesty, and the rest! 
 
 Let us not despair of realizing in the sight 
 of G-od and His holy Angels, this beautiful 
 idea ; for our Lord intended religious houses 
 — the homes of His chosen spouses — to be 
 sheltered from the cold, cutting winds of 
 
148 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 worldly temptations; wherein , as in a gar- 
 den enclosed, these lovely flowers might 
 blossom and flourish. 
 
 Here, in these blessed abodes, the Holy 
 Spirit should have His full action and reign 
 supreme over our hearts, to mould them as 
 He wills. And, He will most certainly 
 establish His reign within us, if we do but 
 clear away all rubbish with a determined 
 will and a generous hand. 
 
 Quoting from the Canticle of canticles, 
 St. Francis de Sales says: " Arise and de- 
 part, O north wind, and come south wind ; 
 blow through my garden, and let the aro- 
 matical spices thereof flow: Let the power 
 and the virtues of Christ dwell in me." 
 
 "May the Divine Spouse not be disap- 
 pointed then, when He comes into His gar- 
 den to eat the fruit of His apple trees ; but 
 may He find the aromatical spices of these 
 beautiful virtues, giving forth, far and 
 wide, the good odor of Christ." 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The Holy Spirit ought to rule supreme in 
 our souls, and we must yield ourselves to 
 His supreme dominion, and be as St. Paul 
 says, "led by the Spirit" if we hope to 
 bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. It is to 
 this interior life that our venerable Father 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 149 
 
 Medaille urges us so strongly in the Consti- 
 tutions. 
 
 As religious, our work is only half done, 
 if the interior spirit be wanting. Exterior 
 exercises will profit us little or nothing, if 
 the interior is left barren or neglected. 
 
 Though religious are sheltered in "the 
 garden enclosed/' yet we are placed in a 
 world of sin and sorrow, towards whom we 
 have special duties to perform. 
 
 What should we do, but endeavor to dif- 
 fuse around us the sweet odor of Jesus 
 Christ, scattering seeds, as we go along 
 which may bring forth a plentiful harvest, 
 in time to come? Most certainly, the fruit 
 of our labors will be in proportion to the 
 grace within us. Let us take one of the 
 beautiful fruits of the Holy Grhost, Peace, 
 and dwell on it, pondering it well in our 
 hearts. Peace of soul, though allied, is 
 something different from joy, less raptur- 
 ous, but more calm. A person can feel 
 peace, even in the midst of suffering; and 
 of all spiritual secrets, the secret of pre- 
 serving, or regaining interior peace, is one 
 of the most precious. 
 
 Peace is the fruit of justice ; it flows from 
 a conscience at rest. It also is the outcome 
 of an entire repose in the will of God. 
 "Great peace have they, who love Thy law, 
 
150 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 and to them there is no stumbling-block ; " 
 thirdly, it comes of detachment which de- 
 livers us from the unquietness of desires so 
 harassing to us; fourthly, from humility: 
 for of all the profound experiences of inter- 
 ior peace, none equals that which flows into 
 the soul, when it has generously bowed its 
 head and heart to a humiliation ; and lastly, 
 it is the almost infallible consequence of 
 prayer; not of a passing, hasty, occasional 
 prayer, but of prayer long persevered in, 
 and earnestly, heartily made. Let us keep 
 on praying, dispite disgusts and discourage- 
 ments, opening our hearts to God, and the 
 floodgates of peace will open upon us. 
 
 May this beautiful, precious fruit of peace 
 be rich and abundant in our souls! How 
 calm, how tranquil, how just, how free 
 from the raging storms of human passions 
 will our souls then be ! 
 
 "Peace," says the Angelic Doctor, "is 
 the tranquillity of order," and they are 
 words, well deserving our remembrance 
 and serious meditation. 
 
 Let us fervently implore our Immaculate 
 Mother to obtain for us a copious outpour- 
 ing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that may 
 produce in our hearts, this precious fruit 
 of Peace which the world cannot give. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 151 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 The religious state is often called by the 
 saints the very garden of the Church, where 
 all the choicest influences are stored up for 
 our use — the fertilizing sun, the early and 
 latter rain, the waters of refreshment. We, 
 as religious, must not then be barren fig 
 trees, whereon, when our Lord comes seek- 
 ing fruit, He finds, leaves only. May the 
 Holy Spirit Himself — the spirit of truth and 
 holiness — come into this garden, and plant 
 and produce therein most delicious fruits, 
 and so make of the convents we inhabit, 
 "gardens enclosed, and fountains sealed 
 up" — a true paradise for the Beloved of our 
 hearts, wherein He may find His delight to 
 dwell, and enjoy the fruits thereof. 
 
 The world knows nothing of the sweet- 
 ness that is stored up in that garden : To 
 its sense it is truly "a fountain sealed up;" 
 but we, who have received the gift of voca- 
 tion, know truly, and remember well the 
 fragrance which first attracted our hearts, 
 and the delight, passing all worldly joys 
 which we have found therein. 
 
 With what fervent gratitude ought we 
 not then thank the Lord of the garden, for 
 calling us into His earthly paradise, and 
 permitting us, even in this life to taste 
 
152 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 something of that joy and peace which the 
 world cannot take away from us. 
 
 Let us reflect that the Lord of this garden 
 is our only end. This centre of all good- 
 ness, all sweetness, all beauty, and all joy 
 is the end, to reach which, and to be united 
 to which forever more, is the one reason of 
 our creation. Just as we build a house to 
 live in it, or a ship that it may carry us to a 
 port — having no other sense and meaning, 
 except for that purpose — so there is no 
 sense or meaning in our existence, unless 
 we follow after and attain this one end. To 
 reach and attain this end, no sacrifice is too 
 great, no Buffering worthy to be named, 
 nothing to be put in comparison with it for 
 a moment ; it is when we are conscious of 
 this, and more than this, which words could 
 only poorly express, that we are relishing 
 something of the taste and savor of the 
 Grift of AVisdom. 
 
 "Delight in the Lord, and He will give 
 thee the requests of thy heart 4 ' says the 
 Royal Psalmist. If turning our eyes away 
 from the littleness of created things to fix 
 those of our heart on God, we come to 
 know and understand more of His beauty, 
 the riches of His goodness. His wonderful 
 life here on earth. He is the Alpha and the 
 Omega of all things, the beginning and the 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 153 
 
 end. May He, by His Divine Spirit unveil 
 this truth unto us more and more, and thus 
 dispose us to fix our hearts where alone, 
 true joys are to be found; so that all of us 
 who are united in making this blessed 
 No vena, may find in Him our present ex- 
 ceeding joy, and our future, eternal reward. 
 Colloquy with our Lady, the Apostles and 
 Disciples, assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 flDefcitation 
 
 3For /iDon&as witbfn tbe ©ctave ot tbe 
 Bscension* 
 
 <Come, Holy Ghost, and send from Heaven a ray 
 of Thy light!" 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask for the fulness of 
 the light of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 You who ask Him to come, do you ask it 
 in sincerity? If He were to come, would 
 you repent that you had called Him? If He 
 
154 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 came to reproach you with the little which 
 you have done for Him, if He came to urge 
 you to do more, if He came to propose to 
 you some heroic act of perfection, would 
 you rejoice, or would you grieve? Alas! I 
 fear that you would dread the coming which 
 you had prayed for. 
 
 "I feared, lest I should be too quickly 
 heard, " says St. Austin, in his miserable 
 hesitation whether or not to give himself to 
 Grod, fearing that Grod would hear him, if 
 he prayed. He wished the Spirit to come, 
 but not so soon, not so suddenly. And 
 you, too, religious soul, you wish Him to 
 come, but at your leisure, at your taste, at 
 your caprice. Oh! vain desire. Oh! lame 
 will, oh! weak, slothful velleity, thou wili- 
 est, and wiliest not. He will not come — 
 no, He will not come. He knows that it 
 is a formal invitation and empty speech. 
 Away with these feigned and irresolute de- 
 sires! Say once for all, with all thy heart: 
 come now, come to-day, come wholly, and 
 not hereafter, not tomorrow, not in part. 
 If you say "Come" to the Holy Spirit, jou 
 must say "Go" to the senses. The light 
 must be divided from the darkness. The 
 Holy Spirit and the spirit of evil cannot 
 dwell together. You say the Holy Spirit, 
 because He is a pure spirit, He is perfectly 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 155 
 
 holy. You say well. But why so much 
 dust and pollution in your spirit? He is ab- 
 solute simplicity. If He is to be united with 
 your spirit He must find therein neither 
 mixture nor impediment. Prepare yourself 
 for the crucible which is to make you all 
 gold, all spirit. Repeat the exorcism of the 
 priest, which you understood not when you 
 were baptized : "Let the unclean spirit de- 
 part from thee, and give place to the Holy 
 Spirit. 7 ' 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 Beseech Him to shed upon you from on 
 high a ray of His light, of that light which 
 illumines every man who cometh into the 
 world. Oh! may He give you more and 
 more. The Holy Spirit keeps His eyes con- 
 tinually fixed upon you, beholding you, now 
 with the eye of a father, now of a judge, 
 with an eye of approbation or displeasure. 
 If you see Him not, it is because you will 
 not see Him, because you hate light, and fix 
 your eyes upon the earth. It is from no 
 deficiency of light in Grod, but from defect 
 of sight in you. You seek to hide yourself, 
 even, from yourself, and to conceal yourself 
 even from God. But the veil of malice is 
 transparent, and it is too plain that you 
 have the light, of faith and of reason ; there- 
 
156 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 fore, your wilful blindness cannot excuse 
 you. Oh! may one living ray of GkxTs 
 light shine even here, and light up that 
 abyss of living death. That He may send 
 it from on high, an arrow from the bow, 
 that it may pierce directly to your heart, 
 and inflict upon it a salutary wound. Mark 
 this, that if the Divine ray comes like an 
 arrow, its coming is most sudden, most 
 rapid, and almost imperceptible. Watch, 
 then, well over yourself; look out for the 
 visitation from Heaven ; seize the first touch, 
 the first glimpse. If you delay it may be 
 that you will not even perceive the flash. 
 A wise soul keeps a continual guard over 
 itself, and sees more, says Ecclesiasticus 
 than seven sentinels standing on their 
 watch. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 You ask for a ray, a ray of that beuefici- 
 ent, efficacious, and gracious illumination 
 on which your salvation and perfection de- 
 pend. That which will never forsake you, 
 neither in the morning of prosperity, nor in 
 the evening of adversity, nor in the night of 
 death. That which, in peril, in perplexity 
 and in temptation will enlighten, direct, 
 comfort, and bring you to a happy end. 
 One of those merciful and omnipotent 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 157 
 
 glances which He gave to Peter, moving 
 Him to tears, which He gave to Magdalen, 
 moving her to love much. A ray of divine 
 light, of eternal truth, of evangelical pru- 
 dence, not of human wisdom or policy, nor 
 of dangerous, erroneous, and diabolical 
 duplicity. By its pure and clear light take 
 counsel first with Grod, direct yourself by 
 the will of Grod. Its pious teaching is most 
 profitable, even in temporal matters, and 
 will suffice to lead you safely throughout 
 the whole course of your life. The many 
 opinions and questionings of this world 
 diminish and come to naught: " truths are 
 diminished from the children of men, they 
 are diminished because they either fall short 
 of the end, or they are false and contradict 
 themselves. But the science of the saints, 
 which alone is true, stands alone, and has 
 for its foundation and teacher, the infallible 
 and immutable truth, even God Himself. 
 Therefore, a simple and unlearned man, or 
 a poor old woman knows more of prayer 
 than all the philosophers of the world. O 
 glorious light of the face of Grod, light of 
 truth, light of understanding, light of coun- 
 sel, light of discernment, light of all wisdom. 
 Oh! come, come! Follow me in these 
 syllables of the sacred hymn, and they will 
 cast a thousand rays of heavenly fire upon 
 
158 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 your eyes, your mind and your heart. 
 Divine Spirit, let Thy penetrating rays 
 enlighten my understanding, and Thy con- 
 suming fire inflame my heart, that I may 
 know and love the "breadth, and length, 
 and height, and depth of the infinite love, 
 by which I am loved. " Come, Creating 
 Spirit, Divine and Heavenly Fire! Come 
 and enkindle in our hearts the flames of 
 Thy love ! 
 
 flDefcitation 
 
 IFor Uues&as witbin tbe ©ctave of tbe 
 ascension. 
 
 "Come, Father of the poor, come, Giver of gifts, 
 come Light of hearts.' ' 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Disci- 
 ples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude: Ask for the virtues of 
 holy poverty and a perfect detachment 
 from creatures. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Say it a thousand times and more, but 
 always with those fervent desires and unut- 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 159 
 
 terable groanings with which the Holy 
 Spirit loves to intercede and prevail for us. 
 Assuredly there is urgent need. Father of 
 the poor ! But for the Holy Spirit assisting 
 and providing for you, what would you be? 
 Nothing, absolutely nothing. In Him alone 
 you live, and act, and are. "No man," 
 says St. Paul, "can say that Jesus is the 
 Lord, but by the Holy Ghost ; " and, "No 
 one," says the Council of Trent, "can make 
 an act of either charity or contrition, so as 
 to obtain the grace of justification, without 
 the assistance of the Holy Ghost," "With- 
 out Me," says Jesus, speaking in His own 
 name, and in that of the Holy Ghost, 
 "you can do nothing," — nothing that is 
 meritorious, nothing good and worthy of 
 eternal life, without the special aid of the 
 Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. You 
 see, then, in what exceeding need you 
 stand of the helps of the Holy Spirit. In 
 all things, you depend absolutely upon His 
 will and power. Can there be a state of 
 more entire destitution ? Yet, I would not 
 have you ashamed of your poverty. You 
 are poor, indeed, but you are the child of a 
 most noble and wealthy Father. He is the 
 common Father of all men, but especially 
 of the just, by His especial care of them, 
 and the especial reverence they bear Him — 
 
160 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Father of the poor! beloved poverty! 
 which shows forth my Father's royal 
 bounty, how could I be better provided for 
 than by Her? Our wealth is, that we can 
 ask and receive. Our misery would be to 
 be left to our own absolute guidance : woe 
 to the prodigal who asks for the portion of 
 goods that falls to Him. Far better is it to 
 submit yourself, and to use your liberty 
 only, to do the will of your Father, do 
 then, like a beggar to His feet, and say to 
 Him: "I am a beggar and poor;" and 
 forthwith He will provide you with all 
 things. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 Observe that He is first called Father of 
 the poor, and then Griver of gifts. He is 
 not a giver unless He is a father. The 
 Holy Spirit is the Father of the poor, that 
 is, of the poor in spirit, the humble of 
 heart, and to the humble of heart alone 
 He communicates Himself, and imparts 
 His gifts. "He gives grace to the humble. 
 He is deaf to the proud. He hardens 
 His Heart against them. He keeps His 
 hand closed: not a crumb even from His 
 table for them ; rather will He give to the 
 dogs of Canaan than to the Pharisees." He 
 resisted the proud, and the more, when 
 they are more miserable and presumptious, 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 161 
 
 in proportion to their misery. Gracious 
 and merciful as He is, He cannot endure 
 proud poverty. He will not look upon one 
 who is poor and proud, but drives Him far 
 out of His sight. Know yourself, there- 
 fore, for what you are; never fancy your- 
 self rich. God gives alms to Him that asks. 
 He breaks His bread to the hungry. Be 
 not ashamed, then, to stretch out your 
 hand. Oh! how many perish, because 
 they would pass for rich and well fed ! Tell 
 to Him, then, all your miseries, one by one: 
 be not like the poor who are ashamed of 
 their poverty. To acknowledge your pover- 
 ty is the speedy way to attain unbounded 
 wealth. Giver of gifts! The Holy Spirit 
 gives all His gifts gratis. The gift of God 
 is not to be bought as Simon Magus pre- 
 sumed to think. It is inestimable, it is 
 most lavish. It is given to whosoever 
 wills, and that act of willing costs so little, 
 that the very purchase money is a gift, and 
 the purchase a reward: "Come, buy with- 
 out money. " Oh! what a Giver, He gives 
 nothing by contract, or for a return: all, all 
 for pure love. Where is your liberality 
 towards God ? You will give Him nothing 
 which is not of precept and obligation. 
 Does this seem to you a fitting and noble 
 return ? Oh ! render Him at least what in 
 
162 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 justice you owe Him. Were you liberal 
 towards the Holy Spirit, in the same meas- 
 ure and far beyond, would He be liberal 
 towards you. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 He is light, but the light of the heart. 
 He burns no less intensely than He shines. 
 What will the light of a clear intellect 
 avail, if you want the fire of a good will ? 
 You grieve, perhaps, that you understand 
 so little of Grod, when you should rather 
 grieve that you love Him so little. Tell 
 me, do your actions correspond with your 
 knowledge ? You know that He deserves 
 to be loved, and that you are bound to love 
 and honor Him above all things. Do you 
 thus love and honor Him ? When you have 
 made a good use of one light, He will give 
 you a second; to a second, He will add a 
 third, and so on. But if you will not make 
 use of the first, if your malice or your sloth 
 oppose an obstacle in its way, to what pur- 
 pose should He give you the trouble and 
 responsibility of another ? Light of hearts ! 
 Oh ! how manv blind there are who see and 
 
 m 
 
 see not! Rebels against light, they sin and 
 see not. A blindness which is culpable, 
 because chosen by man, and penal, because 
 permitted by God. Again, observe that 
 the Holy Spirit is a light which makes the 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 163 
 
 blind doubly blind. It is not that they are 
 wholly unable to see, but they blind them- 
 selves. Oh! were they totally blind their 
 misery would be less. Pity them and weep 
 over them. Light of hearts! Do you desire 
 that His light should increase within you ? 
 Let your heart reflect it upon your mind. 
 The Holy Spirit, who is the love breathed 
 forth by the Father and the Son, proceeds 
 by the way of the will. Thus His light is 
 diffused upon us rather by the way of holy 
 affections, than of sublime thoughts. A 
 beautiful thought of God, without charity, 
 is nothing better than a crystal lamp with- 
 out oil. Provide yourself with oil to feed 
 the flame, and with a shade to protect it. 
 " Quench not the spirit. " Do not expose 
 it to every draught of air. A breath will 
 extinguish it. Shade it within your heart, 
 and jour heart will fail you sooner than 
 the light. 
 
 fIDeMtation 
 
 fox THHe&nes&a£ wttbin tbe ©ctave of 
 tbe Bscension* 
 
 "Best Comforter, Sweet Guest of the soul, Sweet 
 Refreshments ' 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 
164 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude: Ask for an ardent zeal 
 in the service of your Heavenly Master. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He is 
 the G-od of all consolation, and therefore, 
 the best Comforter. But the best is also 
 the only Comforter. If He is to comfort 
 you, you must be alone with Him. If you 
 listen to other comforters, you will silence 
 Him at once. In displeasure at the little 
 respect you show to His person, and the 
 light esteem in which you hold his word, 
 in seeking consolation elsewhere, He will 
 turn His face from you, and leave you to 
 talk with the serpent who flatters, and 
 deceives you. Of whom do you complain 
 that you do not experience spiritual con- 
 solation? Complain of the cause of your 
 desolation, which is yourself. You want 
 consolation within, because you have sought 
 it too eagerly without. You hunt after 
 pleasure here and there, like Esau, by the 
 perilous ways of the world. If you would 
 stay at home, like Jacob, your mother, a 
 good conscience, would bring you savory 
 meats whereby to obtain the twofold bless- 
 ing of your Father: "The dew of Heaven 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 165 
 
 and the fatness of the earth. " Does the 
 Holy Spirit lack the art or power to prepare 
 for you wholesome food? and food even 
 pleasing to your natural taste, so that it 
 cannot be corrupted? "Who so delight- 
 ful/' says St. Austin, "as He who made 
 all things which delight us ?" I would have 
 you believe without putting it to the test of 
 experience, that there is no true consolation 
 to be found in the world. 
 
 There are but a few drops of will and 
 poisonous honey. "Only a little honey, " 
 said Jonathan, "and now I must die." 
 Seek not your consolation, then, where it 
 is not to be found. Beseech the Holy 
 Spirit to shed over the delights of the 
 world a salutary bitterness which may 
 detach you from their baleful joy, that 
 you may taste and see His sweetness. So 
 shall that best comforter abide in your 
 spirit. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The Holy Spirit under my roof! "And 
 whence is this to me!" Who has moved 
 Him to come ? His own sweet goodness 
 alone. I had driven Him away; and does 
 He return? Yes, the Gruest of my soul! Oh! 
 most loving Gruest. And where was I when 
 I sought Thee? Nay, when I did not even 
 think of seeking Thee, thou wast before 
 me. And I had lost myself. 
 
166 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 But now, I know not whence, nor how 
 thou hast come and art within me. Oh, 
 my heart ! and dost thou not perceive His 
 presence! Oh, all that is within me, adore 
 Him, thank Him, serve Him; in one word, 
 love Him. Ah! take good heed not to dis- 
 please nor offend Him. He abides, and 
 will eternally abide within you. You are 
 more truly in Him than in yourself. Oh, 
 my Grod, may I be present with Thee with 
 a loving presence, even as Thou dost 
 vouchsafe to be present with me; I am 
 not content that thou shouldst be with me 
 as a guest: Thou art the Master of the 
 house, dwell in it as its Master. Dispose 
 of it as Thou wilt. I do not lend it to 
 Thee, I do not lend it to Thee on hire, I 
 give it to Thee, I make it over to Thee, 
 from the foundation to the roof. Thou 
 alone shalt dwell therein, for it belongs to 
 Thee alone. Thou didst make it, Thou 
 hast repaired it, what further right have I 
 to it? Write over the door "This is the 
 Lord's house. " But if Thou art its sole 
 and absolute Founder and Master, forget 
 not, Lord, that it belongs to Thee to 
 maintain and furnish it. I have no means 
 to keep it in repair. Thou seest in what 
 ruin and disorder it is. At Thy coming, 
 at a glance from Thee, all shall be restored 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 167 
 
 and beautified; but it must be at Thine 
 own cost. Oh! be it so, as I hope in Thy 
 grace. Sweet G-uest of the soul, depart 
 from it no more ! 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 If the Holy Spirit with His consoling 
 presence takes up His abode with you, 
 what strength and refreshment will you 
 experience ? Refreshment in trouble. So 
 great will be your interior joy, that all 
 exterior trials will give you little or no 
 pain. If misfortune visits you, you will 
 say that it is the loving touch of Grod's 
 hand, and you will adore and kiss it, even 
 because it strikes you. You will rejoice in 
 tribulation, because it pleases Grod to afflict 
 you for His glory and your profit. Nay, 
 though even it were to be of no benefit to 
 yourself, you would desire out of pure love, 
 "Either to suffer or to die;" or rather, "to 
 suffer, and not to die." Refreshment in 
 temptations : What have you to fear, if the 
 Holy Spirit be with you, and wholly on 
 your side? Who will dare to approach you? 
 Who will be able to overcome you? If only 
 you forsake Him not, He will bear the 
 brunt of the battle for you. He watches 
 for you, and will give you timely warning. 
 He hovers round you to keep you waking. 
 He keeps His eye on the movements of the 
 
168 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 enemy. He hastens to the weakest part of 
 your array, and beats back the threatened 
 assault. He pioneers the way before you, 
 and breaks the shock of the enemy. No 
 danger can befall you unawares, no ne- 
 cessity find you unprovided. What ample 
 provisions! what impregnable defences! 
 What triumphant sorties against the foe! 
 Closed gates, double entrenchments, innu- 
 merable fortifications — make use of all 
 these means of strength and power where- 
 with the Holy Spirit assists you, fights with 
 you, and conquers within you, and then 
 lose courage if you can. 
 
 flDeMtation 
 
 fox Uburs&as, ©ctav of tbe Bscenston, 
 
 "In labor rest, in heat, coolness, in 
 weeping solace.' * 
 
 First Prelude : Eepresent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask for grace to hearken 
 co and diligently follow the inspirations of 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 169 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Our whole life is a tissue of labors and 
 toils. Let us chose the state which pleases 
 us best, we shall find them everywhere. 
 But, oh my God, if we lose all our labor, 
 what a loss will it be! To labor so hard, 
 and to gain nothing, when we might not 
 only reap a sure harvest, but obtain great 
 relief in our toil. The Holy Spirit, who is 
 the first mover of our work is never idle. 
 He is ever in movement for our benefit, nor 
 is He ever subject to weariness. Oh! if you 
 would but only labor after His example and 
 in His spirit, you would find sweet repose 
 in the midst of your labors, He who toils 
 for love of the glory of the Holy Spirit, 
 feels not the burden of his toil; or if he 
 feels it, he finds it to be light, indeed, and 
 far sweeter than idleness. "In labor rest." 
 All your disquietude proceeds from dis- 
 order. Your affections are misplaced : what 
 wonder if they cause you pain! Establish 
 your heart first in its center, and in union 
 with its last end, and you will feel no 
 weight. You must balance it by the move- 
 ments of the spirit, and then, having found 
 the medium of virtue, it will remain stead- 
 fast and immovable. The superior part of 
 your soul must serve as a continual balance 
 and counterpoise to the inferior, so that it 
 
170 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 may not be depressed by excess of sadness, 
 nor elated by excess of joy. Seek your rest 
 where you will, you will never find it, ex- 
 cept in God. Solomon sought it before 
 you, in all the enjoyments of the world. 
 But he found there nothing but vanity and 
 vexation of spirit. Do you hope to find 
 anything better? Neither will you find 
 anything ; — you will find a mere nothing 
 behind its empty show. Never will a heart 
 capable of receiving the Infinite Good find 
 rest, until it rest in Thee, most Blessed 
 Spirit! Wherefore, then, vainly seek peace 
 where it is not to be found? "Peace! peace! 
 and there is no peace" in the world. Live 
 in harmony with the Holy Spirit, and He 
 will give you that true peace which none 
 but He can give. But remember that He 
 gives it not to the slothful and negligent, 
 He gives it only to the valiant who labor 
 and toil, instead of indulging in ease and 
 pleasure. For he who labors by the grace 
 of the Holy Spirit, beside the reward of 
 His labor, receives the added boon of rest 
 in motion. 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 Your heart is between two fires. Alas! 
 it is on fire; it will soon burn to ashes. A 
 third fire is needful to preserve and keep 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 171 
 
 it alive. Irascibility is an evil flame, con- 
 cupiscence a worse. Between the two, how 
 shall a heart of flesh and blood escape? 
 What defence is there against all the fire 
 and sulphur wherewith the spirits, of evil 
 and the senses, sometimes more malignant 
 still, add fury to the flame? Unless the 
 pure, beautiful flame of holy love come to 
 its aid, the heart will assuredly be suffocated 
 and perish. It is the only remedy for so 
 fearful an evil. Not that irascibility and 
 concupiscence are evil in themselves ; they 
 may, and they ought to serve as instru- 
 ments to the end for which they where 
 created: irascibility, to encourage; and 
 concupiscence to allure you to follow after 
 your true good. But they have been so 
 corrupted, that, unless corrected and regu- 
 lated by the Holy Spirit, they produce end- 
 less disorders and abuses. I do not say that 
 they should be annihilated, but rather that 
 they should be moderated. You ought 
 always to be in fear on this account, and 
 never to trust to them, because they are 
 still wild animals, and hard to be bridled. 
 You need good light and long habit to be 
 able to discern when anger is just, and 
 appetite harmless. Passion easily deceives 
 us, especially in the spiritual life; zeal is 
 not always true zeal, nor every affection 
 
172 Manual of Meditations . 
 
 holy which we take to be such. Measure 
 them always by the rule which the Church 
 proposes to you. Examine if your zeal 
 spring from the spirit of Christ, or of Elias, 
 or it may be, of Belial. Observe, further, 
 that a mild temperature, whether in nature 
 or in the soul, has something unspeakably 
 pleasing and healthful; that, therefore, 
 from such a spirit should arise a certain 
 tranquillity and sweetness, so that grace 
 and reason, and never vice and nature, 
 should bear supreme sway over your pas- 
 sions. Oh! that your spirit may be ever 
 uniform and even! Beware of extremes. 
 The spirit of wisdom is the teacher of 
 sobriety. He will have neither defect nor 
 excuse. Moderation lasts long. Do not 
 take this maxim in the sense that you are 
 to do little. This is a most false inter- 
 pretation. He is moderate who is master 
 of himself. You will ascertain to what 
 degree of moderation your spirit has at- 
 tained, by the manner in which you bear 
 unexpected and difficult trials. You will 
 need time and labor to arrive at the per- 
 fection of this grace. But he who begins 
 will not fail to arrive at it, if only he turns 
 not back again. Many have arrived at it 
 who were like you, and even less than you. 
 Follow the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 173 
 
 firmness and consistency, and donbt not. 
 You will succeed according to the due 
 measure of your state. But if , from time 
 to time, by Grod's permission some sparks 
 of evil fire kindle within your heart, raise 
 your eyes and voice to Heaven, and cry, 
 like the three holy children in the fiery 
 furnace, — "Behold, our Lord, whom we 
 worship, is able to deliver us," and you 
 will feel a soft air breathing around, and a 
 heavenly dew falling upon you. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Oh! What sweet tears are those which 
 the Holy Spirit causes us to shed. He 
 makes us weep, — at the thought of Heaven 
 with holy desire — over our sins in peni- 
 tence. He makes us weep tears of tender 
 devotion. It is a weeping full of all con- 
 solation. Do you weep? Of what kind are 
 your tears ? Are they conformed to the 
 Spirit of Jesus Christ? If not, they are not 
 good tears. You weep, perhaps, for the 
 things of the world, because you can no 
 longer rejoice with the world. Ah! this is 
 a senseless weeping, worthy itself of many 
 tears. The Spirit of the Lord moves not 
 over such waters to make them fruitful. 
 Restrain your tears; and if you cannot 
 help weeping a little over some earthly 
 
174 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 sorrow, at least make your tears fruitful, 
 by guiding them through the channel of 
 patience to their source, which is the will 
 of Grod. Oh! if your tears be given to the 
 miseries of your soul, they will be sweet 
 and profitable indeed. There is a time to 
 weep and a time to rejoice; but, in truth, 
 there is no better time to rejoice than when 
 we weep, with all our hearts over the evils 
 of our hearts. 0, what sweet tears! There 
 will never be an end of weeping, until Grod 
 wipes away the tears. In this life we are 
 in the valley. The waters flow downwards. 
 Thy Holy Spirit will draw them upwards, 
 and they will ascend to the eternal hills. 
 Oh, that you had the gift of tears. Desire 
 it, at least, with the thirst of the wounded 
 heart, and the very thirst for tears shall 
 begin to solace you amidst your weeping. 
 
 flfceMtation 
 
 jFor 3Fri&a$ after tbe ©cta\>e of tbe 
 Bscension* 
 
 "Wash what is defiled, water what is dry, heat 
 what is wounded." 
 
 First Prelude ; Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 175 
 
 Second Prelude : Let us entreat the Holy 
 Spirit to remove from us all obstacles that 
 would prevent us from receiving Him with 
 the fullness of His gifts. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 Sin is the stain of the soul; and, oh! 
 what stain! It is the very same which 
 makes the devil hideous. If an angel was 
 so fearfully deformed by one single sin of 
 pride, how loathsome, deformed and mon- 
 strous is a man defiled by many sins. All 
 the waters of the deluge would not suffice 
 to wash away a single sin. Yet, one drop 
 from the fountain of the Holy Spirit is 
 sufficient to purify them all. most effi- 
 cacious water! The good king David, who 
 had shed so many tears, never ceased to 
 ask of God's great mercy water, and still 
 more water, to purify and cleanse his con- 
 science more and more. 
 
 The guilt of his offence was already par- 
 doned ; nevertheless, he cried continually ; 
 "wash me yet more," And you? Alas! 
 too soon do you wipe away your tears; 
 nay, perhaps you think with scorn of 
 shedding them. How much have you wept 
 over your past and buried sins? But why 
 do I speak of them? Do you even desire to 
 weep with all your heart over your new and 
 
176 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 daily transgressions? Alas! G-od grant that 
 you may not look upon them with calm 
 and cheerful eye. 
 
 The vain and proud soul, which will not 
 look into herself to see what she is, nor 
 whether she is becoming fairer in the sight 
 of God, compares herself with some more 
 hideous soul, saying that she is not as bad 
 as they, seeks for a flattering mirror, and 
 if, by chance, she meets with one which 
 does not deceive her, but faithfully reflects 
 her image, she is angry; and, if she does 
 not break it, she departs and looks upon it 
 no more. "He goeth his way, and for- 
 getteth what manner of man he was." Be 
 not you like these : forget not your miseries, 
 consider their multitude and their heinous- 
 ness; there will always be much to weep 
 over, and to be cleansed more and more. 
 Nothing impure can enter Heaven, nor can 
 the Holy Spirit make His paradise amid 
 defilement. Beseech Him to cleanse your 
 will, your memory, your understanding, 
 your imagination, all your powers, whether 
 internal or enternal, that no stain or 
 shadow of a stain be left upon any of them. 
 Cleanse even the least and most hidden: 
 even those which you know not: even 
 those which lurk amidst the white linen 
 of your good works. Cleanse from head to 
 
Feast of Pentecost. Ill 
 
 foot, the whole extent of your thoughts and 
 your affections. Unless you be pure of 
 heart, you cannot behold the face of the 
 Holy Spirit. However pious, devout and 
 beautiful may be the Novena which you 
 make to Him, unless you die to sin, what 
 fruit will it bear for eternal life? The purifi- 
 cation of the heart is of absolute necessity 
 to him who has loaded and infected it with 
 evil humors. Oh! if the Holy Spirit vouch- 
 safe to cleanse and purify you, though you 
 were blacker than an Ethiopian, you would 
 be made at once whiter than snow, ''Wash 
 me, and I shall be made whiter than snow." 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 The tempest of sin has been fearful; it 
 has devastated your vineyard. It has left 
 you nothing good, but that poor little stem 
 of dead faith. It has carried away every- 
 thing else — vintage, and fruit, and flowers. 
 Everything is dried and burnt up : to restore 
 it, it is necessary that the Holy Spirit should 
 plant it again, and water it, thus giving it 
 life and increase. Oh! if He will but water 
 it, merits will flourish once more, virtues 
 will bud, good w^orks will spring up. There 
 shall be no more vestige of barrenness and 
 desolation. All will be cultivated, all will 
 be fruitful. He says not rain but water. 
 
178 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 The rain conies now and then, but the 
 waters of the fountain are ever at hand: 
 Therefore, do you beseech Him to give you 
 the ever flowing waters of His grace. A 
 water not only common to all, which even 
 falls fruitfully upon the wicked, to their 
 greater condemnation, but that special 
 stream which by your faithful use of it, 
 shall produce its full effect. Water which 
 flows whithersoever it is needed, not like a 
 shower of rain, which does all its work 
 without your help, but like a stream for 
 which you must labor to provide a channel 
 for your special need. Here observe that 
 you are not the owner of the fountain ; you 
 only enjoy the use of the water. According 
 to His own order, not according to your 
 will, says St. Cyprian, does the Holy Spirit 
 minister His grace to us. Nevertheless, you 
 must take it when it is offered to you, and 
 not trust that it will be always time enough, 
 because it is an open fountain ; who knows 
 that you may not one day find it closed ? 
 Take care that it does not overflow; or 
 stagnate by the way: see that the aque- 
 duct be not brocken or choked up, but 
 that the whole of it, even to the very least 
 drop, may find its way, and penetrate even 
 to the root. "The barren tree shall become 
 like the tree planted by the waterside, which 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 179 
 
 bringeth forth itsfruit in due season, whose 
 leaf also shall not wither." 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Look upon yourself as a paralytic, as a 
 leper, as one of that multitude of lame, 
 dropsical, and sick of every kind, whom 
 our Lord miraculously healed. Thus to 
 imagine yourself covered with the loath- 
 some wounds and sores will excite you to 
 horror and compassion for yourself, and, 
 in truth, this gangrene of sin is far more 
 horrible: Therefore, great reason have you 
 to cry, "Heal what is wounded." For if 
 the wounds be healed, there may, never- 
 theless, remain the scars of some evil habit. 
 God grant that there may not still be left 
 the source of some evil humor. You may 
 still need balm to strengthen the injured 
 parts, and antidotes to preserve it from 
 future injury. The remains of past illness, 
 — such as weakness in resisting dangerous 
 occasions, dizziness of the head when think- 
 ing of God, palpitation of the heart in our 
 intercourse with the world, and so forth: 
 all these require His healing power. To all 
 these malignant affections, ask Him to apply 
 the touch of His healing hand to effect a 
 perfect cure. The soul, which, before its 
 sickness, cared little or nothing for health, 
 
180 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 having now learnt caution at its own ex- 
 pense, must live carefully, like a convales- 
 cent. The Holy Spirit has given it a good 
 rule of health. It fears, and will ever fear, 
 every kind of danger and disorder ; it will 
 avoid going too much abroad, be careful as 
 to diet, make use of every means of sup- 
 port; above all, it will have frequent re- 
 course to the Physician, often consulting 
 Him, and repeating continually: "Heal 
 what is wounded. 77 But, if you desire a 
 perfect and permanent cure, make use of 
 the remedies prescribed for you, obediently 
 and generously. Be not so much afraid of 
 the necessary means of painful cure — 
 penance, vigil, and prayer. Again, what 
 avails it to say, "heal, heal," if you would 
 be treated at your own caprice ? You would 
 soon become worse than before. God grant 
 that while you are prescribing rules and 
 measures to your physician, you may not 
 perish suddenly by some mortal and incur- 
 able disease. 
 
 fIDeMtation 
 jf or tfoe B\>e of Pentecost* 
 
 First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
 Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
 ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 181 
 
 Second Prelude : Ask to fully participate 
 in the gifts and fruits of the Spirit of Love. 
 
 I. POINT. 
 
 "Bend what is rigid. " A docile heart is 
 what the Holy Spirit requires of you ; but 
 in order to obtain it, it is necessary that He 
 should give it to you, and that you should 
 desire it. If you desire it, ask it of Him, 
 and you will obtain it. In the spiritual 
 course there is nothing more dangerous 
 than rigidity of will. How can a plant be 
 brought to perfection which is determined 
 to grow its own way? Oh, fallacious inten- 
 tions, which are sometimes most crooked, 
 when they seem to us most direct. The 
 gardener finds great trouble from certain 
 hard and difficult knots in the wood. They 
 are wholly opposed to his sweet and gentle 
 spirit. He would not have you stubborn 
 in your own opinion; he would have you 
 docile and yielding to his will. The most 
 certain tokens that we are not erring from 
 the way of God, are " Obedience' ' and 
 "Humility." They shall all be taught of 
 God. Like meek and simple sheep who 
 trust to their shepherd and follow Him. 
 You are not docile because you are not 
 meek and detached. Your affections are 
 entangled; you cannot detach them and 
 
182 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 bend them according to the will of God. 
 He presumes too much upon himself who 
 would be his own teacher and guide; no 
 one is a fitting judge in his own cause. 
 Your offering is not acceptable to the Lord 
 because your own will, not His, is found 
 therein. Bend, then, bend. Let the un- 
 changeable maxim of your willing or not 
 willing be this: Grod wills or wills not. 
 \ 'Not what I will but what Thou wilt. ' ' If, 
 in things otherwise good and holy, it is 
 fitting we should resign ourselves to Grod's 
 disposal, what must be said of those who 
 desire to live and believe without reference 
 to His counsels or suggestions? Never say 
 that you have made a resolution never to 
 forgive such a person, or other purposes of 
 the like sinful kind. No ; make other and 
 better vows for some greater good, and 
 not with regard to frivolous and forbidden 
 things. Inflexibility in evil is the character- 
 istic of Lucifer, and not of man, far less of 
 the wise man who knows how to change 
 his purpose at a fitting time and place. 
 Woe to the mariner who refuses to steer 
 and alter his course according to wind and 
 tide. As to Faith, who will dare to prefer 
 his own opinion to the Sovereign Pontiff's 
 Sacred Councils, holy Fathers; to martyrs, 
 miracles, theologians, princes, people, and 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 183 
 
 all the witnesses and confessors of the 
 Catholic Faith? Let there be in you what 
 St. Austin calls a goodly credulity, a cer- 
 tain facility and promptness to love and 
 revere all divine revelations and ecclesiasti- 
 cal traditions. Thus will the Holy Spirit 
 continually mould your heart, and more 
 according to the heart of God. "Thou wilt 
 give Thy servant a docile heart. " 
 
 II. POINT. 
 
 You have already said : " enkindle ; ? ? but 
 it is not enough that the fire be kindled ; 
 that its first heat be kept up strong and 
 bright, it needs to be continually fostered, 
 and, therefore you add: "warm." But do 
 not wait to say this when you are at the 
 point of death. No, say it continually to 
 the Divine Spirit, that He may be pleased 
 to remain within your heart, and to stimu- 
 late its fervor. Woe to you, if the ardor of 
 your holy purposes and exercises should 
 grow cold. You would gradually arrive at 
 the freezing point. To-day you would omit 
 one devotion, to-morrow another; and too 
 soon, alas! that great fire which was en- 
 kindled when you were converted to Grod, 
 would leave no token behind it but dust 
 and ashes. Warm, then, and that more 
 and more. Do not dream that you can 
 
184 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 keep up that fire in a lower degree. Not 
 only is the state of tepidity most hateful to 
 God, and most pernicious in itself, but it is 
 the doctrine most commonly received, and 
 confirmed by experience, that it cannot last 
 long. How can you endure such icy cold 
 within, such furious winds without? I do 
 not wish to extinguish by fear that little 
 spark of charity which still shines in your 
 almost darkened heart. "Quench not the 
 smoking flax." I would only warn you 
 that, if now, when the Holy Spirit is 
 breathing upon you with more than His 
 wonted sweet vehemence, you still remain 
 cold, your state is not far from hopeless. 
 
 III. POINT. 
 
 Oh ! how far has he wandered out of the 
 way who walks not in the light of the Holy 
 Spirit ! "Would you know whether you are 
 in the right way, that is, in the way of your 
 vocation ? Lift up your eyes to Heaven. If 
 there shines over your head the leading 
 star of a holy purpose, take courage and 
 persevere. You are in the right way. But 
 if you are in doubt which way to take, or 
 have already entered upon some dubious 
 path, turn to the Holy Spirit, and ask Him 
 to guide and direct you. Only in the road 
 of sin, which is the road of perdition, you 
 
Feast of Pentecost. 185 
 
 may not walk ; it is a road too full of diffi- 
 culties, wide though the entrance be. Turn 
 back, O you who repent that you have 
 entered it, for it is yet time. All other 
 roads of the different states which are in 
 the Church of Grod, are fair and good. It 
 is true that one is shorter, surer, or more 
 direct than another; but you may walk 
 along any of them with your cross on your 
 shoulder, right onward to Jesus who stands 
 waiting for you at the end of them all. We 
 see some who walk more swiftly on their 
 way, and nearer to their Leader. Remem- 
 ber you are a religious; you can and you 
 ought to travel along it with swift steps to 
 the perfection which belongs to your state. 
 "Why so many disgressions and delays? A 
 traveller does not take up his abode in the 
 country through which he is passing, nor 
 fix his affections upon it. You are like a 
 poor pilgrim who has to pass but two or 
 three days in the world ; and Oh ! with how 
 many useless things do you burden your- 
 self, while you neglect to provide yourself 
 with the true Viaticum — the Viaticum for 
 the other world. You treasure up every- 
 thing for this world, nothing for the next. 
 Take a little more thought, I beseech you, 
 for your journey. Whither goest thou? To 
 Paradise, your country. Death comes to 
 
186 Manual of Meditations. 
 
 meet you ; and your life, whether sinful or 
 holy, follows after you. You linger by the 
 side of this pleasure which flies from you ; 
 by the fountain of that gold which van- 
 ishes away; by the shadow of that honor 
 which forsakes you in a moment. O sweet, 
 swift Spirit ! most holy Spirit ! most lumi- 
 nous Spirit! make the crooked straight, 
 and be ever a lamp to my feet, and a light 
 to my path. O Holy Spirit, sweet Com- 
 forter, who proceedest in an ineffable manner 
 from the Father and the Son, come, I be- 
 seech Thee, and enter into my heart. 
 Cleanse my soul from the stains of sin; 
 sanctify it, heal its wounds, bend its stiff- 
 ness, warm its chill, and guide its way- 
 wardness; make me truly humble and re- 
 signed ; and do Thou ever rest upon me, O 
 most Blessed Light! Light of all loveliness, 
 be Thou shed upon me ! O Fountain of most 
 pure delights! give Thyself to me, and en- 
 kindle in my breast the fire of Thy love. 
 Teach Thou me, O my Grod! Guide and 
 protect me in all things. Strengthen my 
 spirit against an undue weakness of pur- 
 pose; vouchsafe unto me a right faith, and 
 unswerving hope, and a sincere and perfect 
 charity; and grant that I may always do 
 Thy most gracious will, that I may find 
 that peace upon earth which Thou hast 
 promised. 
 
Brief Sfcetcb 
 
 OF THE TWO FOUNDEKS OF THE 
 
 Congregation of tbe Sisters of St* 
 Josepb of ipus* 
 
 Mgr. Henry de Maupas du Tour. 
 
 Henry Cauchon de Maupas du Tour, 
 Bishop of Puy, belonged on his Mother's 
 side, to the noble family de Condi, and 
 hence had the happiness of being brought 
 up under the direction of St. Vincent de 
 Paul. 
 
 He was, despite his opposition, appointed 
 Bishop of Le Puy in 1644. On Oct. 15th 
 1650 he established in his Episcopal City, 
 at the suggestion of the Rev. John Paul 
 Medaille, a celebrated Missionary of the 
 Society of Jesus, the "little Institute" of 
 the Sisters of St. Joseph, as he loved to 
 call it, in imitation of St. Francis de Sales, 
 who delighted in thus speaking of his 
 beloved Visitation. 
 
 In 1659, he wrote the first life of St. 
 Francis de Sales, and in dedicating the 
 same to Pope Alexander VII, he says: — 
 "Without detriment to the esteem which I 
 
 (187) 
 
188 Brief Sketch. 
 
 have for other Orders, I have wished to 
 institute the humble Congregation of the 
 Sisters of St. Joseph on the model, and in 
 the same spirit, as that of the Sisters of 
 the Visitation, before they embraced en- 
 closure/ 7 
 
 In 1660 he went to Paris to pronounce 
 the funeral eulogy of St. Vincent de Paul; 
 and in 1661 he was translated to the See of 
 Evreux. In the course of the same year he 
 was sent to Rome to introduce the cause of 
 the Canonization of St. Francis de Sales. 
 He died in the odor of sanctity, full of age 
 and merit, in his City of Evreux, Aug. 12, 
 1680. 
 
 While certain excavations were being 
 made for the erection of a new high altar 
 in the Cathedral of that City, the remains 
 of Mgr. de Maupas were discovered on the 
 26th of Feb. 1895, still clothed in the Sacred 
 Vestments, with a rosary on the arm which 
 extended to the feet. 
 
 In the tomb was found a leaden plate, 
 bearing in Latin the full inscription: — 
 
 "Henri de Maupas du Tour, Bishop of 
 Evreux and formerly of Puy, Abbot of St. 
 Denis of Rheims, and of the Isle of Chau- 
 vet, in the diocese of Lucon. He died 
 August 12, 1680, aged . . . ." Father of the 
 
 Poor" The rest of the inscription 
 
 was, unfortunately, completely effaced. 
 
Brief Sketch. 189 
 
 It is much to be regretted that the Epitaph 
 of this saintly prelate was partially obliter- 
 ated. But what remains: — "Father of the 
 Poor" contains in itself a whole history of 
 holy deeds and precious merits , so as to 
 entitle him, apart from the filial love and 
 reverence due him as Founder of our Insti- 
 tute, to our profound respect and sincerest 
 veneration. 
 
 Reverend John Paul Medaille, S. J. 
 Founder of the Institute of St. Joseph of Puy. 
 
 This venerable Father was born at Car- 
 cassonne, in the South of France, on the 
 future feast of St. Francis de Sales, Jan- 
 uary 29, 1618. Having entered the College 
 of Tournon at the age of fifteen, he was 
 admitted into the Society on the 15th of 
 August, 1640. According to the historian 
 of the Society at Toulouse, where he had 
 entered, he was first employed to teach 
 Grammar and the Humanities in the same 
 College, for the space of several years; 
 later on, he taught philosophy for six years, 
 and afterwards became preacher and Mis- 
 sionary which office he exercised with the 
 zeal and fervor of an apostle. 
 
 He was a fervent disciple of St. Francis 
 
190 Brief Sketch. 
 
 Regis, and after having been formed in the 
 school of this Saint, he was sent to the 
 same missionary fields in which this great 
 Saint had labored and preached before him. 
 In every way the disciple was not unworthy 
 of the Master: for his labors, like those of 
 his predecessor, St. Francis Regis, brought 
 forth fruits of holiness and charity in 
 abundance. The districts of Velay, Au- 
 vergne, Languedoc, Aix and Avignon — 
 wherever he preached — gave proofs of his 
 charity and apostolic zeal. 
 
 To enhance and perpetuate the work of 
 his missions, he established everywhere 
 fervent confraternities of men and women, 
 who gave themselves to the exercise of all 
 the works of mercy, both spiritual and cor- 
 poral. Thus the fruits of his zealous labors 
 were everywhere preserved, and multiplied 
 exceedingly. 
 
 It was during the period of his Apostolic 
 Ministry that our Venerated Father found, 
 in the various fields he evangelized, some 
 fervent, holy souls whom he believed to be 
 called to the religious life, yet who had also 
 a marked attraction for the exercise of works 
 of charity in behalf of the neighbor. 
 
 Being convinced that an association of 
 religious women which would embrace this 
 twofold end, would do great good in the 
 
Brief Sketch. 191 
 
 Church, he became most anxious to procure 
 such a foundation. The concurrence of a 
 Bishop was, however, necessary, and Father 
 Medaille having been called to preach the 
 Lent at Le Puy, in 1649, communicated his 
 design to the Bishop of that City, well 
 knowing his sublime virtue and extra- 
 ordinary zeal for the glory of God and the 
 salvation of souls. That prelate at once 
 heartily entered into his views, since he 
 himself had been persuaded that it was 
 G-od's will to have carried into effect the 
 idea which St. Francis de Sales had had so 
 much at heart in founding the daughters of 
 the Visitation: namely, "to unite the duties 
 of Martha and Mary, the exterior works of 
 charity with the repose of contemplation." 
 At the request of Mgr. de Maupas, 
 Madame Lucretia de la Planche, a noble 
 widow, who had often aided him in his 
 plans for the glory of Grod, consented to 
 receive the members of the new Institute 
 into her house; and there, under the direc- 
 tion of Eev. Father Medaille, they made the 
 necessary preparations for their entrance 
 into the religious state. On the fifteenth 
 of October, 1650, the Bishop gave them the 
 Habit in the Chapel of the Orphan Asylum 
 of Le Puy, which he then committed to 
 their care. Placing them under the pro- 
 
192 Brief Sketch 
 
 tection of the glorious St. Joseph whom he 
 gave as their Model, he ordained that they 
 should henceforth be known as the "Sisters 
 or Daughters of St. Joseph. " 
 
 The rules were prayerfully elaborated by 
 the two Founders, on the basis of those 
 given by St. Francis de Sales to the first 
 Visitandines, and which Bishop de Maupas 
 called "the best guarantees for the future 
 of the new Institute;" — Father Medaille 
 added thereto others drawn from St. Igna- 
 tius : — All were formally approved by the 
 Prelate, March 10th, 1651. m 
 
 After having exercised his laborious and 
 most fruitful apostolate for the space of 
 eighteen years, our sainted Father was 
 recalled to Toulouse where, in 1672, he 
 was appointed Spiritual Father of the Pro- 
 fessed House. He died some years later, 
 at Auch, in the seventy-first year of his 
 age, May 15th, 1689, in the odor of sanc- 
 tity, and as says his biographer "they 
 mourned, while invoking him." 
 
 His interest in the Congregation he be- 
 queathed to Rev. J. Peter Medaille, also a 
 celebrated Missionary laboring in the same 
 districts as he himself had done before him, 
 and Author of the "Meditations sur les 
 Evangiles de Fannee," who lived for some 
 time with him in the College of Toulouse, 
 
A 
 
 Brief Sketch. 193 
 
 and who died Spiritual father of the same, 
 Sept, 8, 1709, at the age of 73. 
 
 Although he did not create the foundation 
 of our Institute, as was by some writers 
 erroneously believed, he sustained the work 
 of the elder Father and propagated our 
 Institute, wherever his missionary labors 
 called him. 
 
 J 
 
OCT 4 1899 
 
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