Retreat 2014

Three and a Half Day Retreat

Table of Contents
Items to Print Out.............................................................................................................................
8pm Introduction..............................................................................................................................
Practical Regulations.......................................................................................................................
Beginning of the Monastic Way of Life...........................................................................................
8:45pm To Whom Much Is Given...................................................................................................
First Day...........................................................................................................................................4
7am Mass True Devotion.................................................................................................................
9am The Goal...................................................................................................................................
A False Idea of Purgatory................................................................................................................
Mediocrity........................................................................................................................................
1pm Summary..................................................................................................................................
Love of God.....................................................................................................................................
Sorrow for Our Sins.........................................................................................................................
Disdain for the World.......................................................................................................................
Distractions of the World.................................................................................................................
4pm Preparation For Confession.....................................................................................................
8:45pm Our Pet Sin..........................................................................................................................
Second Day......................................................................................................................................9
7am Mass.........................................................................................................................................
9am General Confession Note In Separate Document....................................................................
11am How Do I Get Rid of Sin?......................................................................................................
1pm The Second Goal....................................................................................................................
4pm Philautia.................................................................................................................................
Hardened Hearts.............................................................................................................................
8:45pm Silence...............................................................................................................................
Third Day.......................................................................................................................................15
7am Silence....................................................................................................................................
9am Spirit of Silence......................................................................................................................
10:30am Moving Forward in the Spiritual Life.............................................................................
Rule of Life....................................................................................................................................
1pm Friendship..............................................................................................................................
4pm Humility.................................................................................................................................
8:45pm Consistency.......................................................................................................................
Fourth Day.....................................................................................................................................18
9am Perseverance...........................................................................................................................
1pm Conclude with Philautia Discussion......................................................................................
Evening 8:45pm introduce morning meditation point.
1

6:30am morning meditation point

7:00am Mass with sermon
8:00am Breakfast in silence
9:00am morning conference
noon lunch in silence
1:00pm afternoon conference
4pm conference
6pm dinner in silence

Items to Print Out

This Schizophrenic Generation.
Examination of Conscience
OSGG Rule
Philautia

8pm Introduction
This is the end of the world as we know it. When we leave this retreat our life must be
different from when we entered it. We are here to heed Saint Alphonsus advice to make a retreat
once in their life in order to give up sin.
Saint Alphonsus: It is true that if to obtain salvation it were necessary to retire into a
desert, or to shut ones self up in a cloister, we ought to do so. But these extraordinary means are
not necessary; ordinary means are sufficient, such as the frequentation of the sacraments, the
avoidance of dangerous occasions, and the frequent recommending of ourselves by prayer to
God. Let us never think we can do too much to obtain eternal salvation.
It is time to get real about saving our souls.
There are two terms in every movement: that from which the mover departs and that
toward which the mover travels, and it is not possible to arrive at the one without departing from
the other. Likewise, in the spiritual movement the Christian must travel from self to God
and he will never reach God if he does not depart from self. Fire cannot ignite a piece of
wood until the dampness has been ejected from the wood, for dampness is opposed to the heat of
fire. Neither can man, conceived in original sin and clothed with flesh and blood, succeed in
transforming himself into the sanctity of God unless he first lose all those characteristics and
qualities that are contrary or repugnant to this divine holiness. This transformation is effected
principally by the grace of God, which is called in Scripture a consuming fire, because it
consumes all the depravity and imperfections of man and purifies him of all his sins. As St.
Dionysius says, the nature of grace is to draw all things to itself and to make them share in
itself. 1 In this retreat we are going to work on moving from selfishness, which the spiritual
authors call philautia, to Godliness.
Saint Augustine says that there are two cities that can be constructed in the soul. We
construct one or the other. The first is the City of God and the other is the City of Satan. We
build either one or the other. And so, which are we building?

Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, pages 150

Practical Regulations
We are going to unplug from the world for several days to focus solely on our own souls.
No cell-phone, I-phone, I-pad, computer or any other connection with the world. For these days
focus only on things spiritual. For a retreat to be successful absolute silence must be observed.
The only exceptions are spiritual direction, confession and true necessities.
Saint Bernard says that silence, and the absence of all noise, almost force the soul to think
of the goods of heaven. God speaks to the soul in silence, not among noise. When we are noisy,
God will not speak to the soul. If He does speak, we cannot hear Him. So let us retreat from the
world and be silent.
Let us remember that we will only get out of this retreat what we put into it. This retreat
will be only as good as we make it. It is time for us to put our best foot forward.
Each day will be spent in prayer, meditation and spiritual reading. Also you will have a
daily conference with your retreat master to track progress.
Remember this retreat is the beginning of a new way of life.

Beginning of the Monastic Way of Life

True this place must deal with the world, Our own office requires it. Yet, there are certain
times we must block the world out. Grand silence is essential for any religious house. From the
beginning of Compline until after Mass, we must cut the world off completely. The night
belongs to God and to obtaining necessary rest.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Worthily Celebrated, page 120: Saint Charles Borromeo
made a rule from which, notwithstanding his multiplied occupations, he rarely deviated. It was,
not to attend to any other matters till after the celebration of Mass.
We are in a fight against principalities and powers. Saint Anthony said: Believe me,
brethren, Satan dreads the watchings of holy men, their prayers, fasts, voluntary poverty, mercy
and humility, and above all their ardent love for Christ the Lord, at the mere sign of whose most
holy cross he is disabled and put to flight.
This kind (of devil) can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. 2
A young priest came to me one day and told me, Father, I need your advice. I am really
discouraged. I am an assistant in a parish where the faith is at a low ebb, and am working with
the pastor and other assistants, trying to help these people. For five years Ive done everything
possible to try to win them over, but the results are nil. I can assure you Ive tried everything
and it breaks my heart to have to admit there has been a complete failure.
Once again he repeated, Ive tried everything. Please give me some advice and
encouragement, for I really want to be a good priest and to save souls. Please tell me, what do I
have to do to save souls.?
Expressly I made him tell me again that he had tried everything, without results. Then I
asked him, Have you tried becoming a saintly priest? And when, surprised, he answered,
no, I told him, Well then you havent tried anything! You dont begin with secondary things,
From Father Mateo Speaks to Priests, page 61.

Mark 9:28; Matthew 17:20

From Guidance in Spiritual Direction, page 77: Christ said to them: "This kind can go
out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 3 Since this is positive proof that our works of satisfaction
can contribute to the welfare of other souls, our charity ought to prompt us to do penance in
behalf of others. "Prayer and mortification," says Saudreau, "are, in effect, the means often
indispensable and alone capable of procuring the conversion of inveterate sinners." We know
what the Cure of Ars said to the priest who said he could not convert his parishioners: "Have you
fasted? Have you prayed? Have you taken the discipline? Until you have used all these means,
do not think you have done your utmost." Directors of souls might learn this lesson well and they
ought to say this prayer daily: "My God, give me the courage to make many sacrifices for the
salvation of many souls."

8:45pm To Whom Much Is Given

Luke 12:48: But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with
few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom
they have committed much, of him they will demand the more. God has showered us with
many graces and blessings and He expects a return on His investment.
First let us thank God for the blessings He has given us. Let us not spend a great deal of
time counting up the blessings and graces. Rather let us ask God to show us what He desires of
us. We should not expect a burning bush or to be knocked off of our horse. We have already
been brought home to the Church. God normally works through His own Church. When the
restoration of the hierarchy begun on July 16, 1990, God began working through His divinely
instituted hierarchy. And so our duty is humble submission to the Church and to our superiors.
We will touch on the necessity of obedience throughout this retreat.

First Day
7am Mass True Devotion
Many confuse devotions and devotion. Devotions are indeed a help in the spiritual life,
but they are not the end of the spiritual life. And so what is devotion? According to Saint
Thomas Aquinas devotion consists in doing whatever God asks of you.
If we follow a path other than what God wants from us our life will be an error. If it is a
major mistake then we will be like a fish out of water. And so we need to learn how to recognize
God's will. God can speak to us in many ways. We shouldn't wait for a burning bush or an
apparition, for God usually speaks in a far simpler manner.
And how does God speak to us? People expect God to come down in a cloud or a
burning bush or to knock us off of our horse, as He did with Saint Paul. But, God speaks in a far
simpler way to most of us. In fact, God is speaking to people every day, but many are not
listening.
The first way God speaks to us through the Commandments. If you love me, keep my
commandments. (John 14:15) God speaks to us is through the voice of our superiors, for
obedience is the royal road to heaven.
3

Mark 9:27-28

Next God speaks to us is through the voice of our superiors, for obedience is the royal
road to heaven.
God also speaks to us through our spiritual reading and meditations, which is why we
need to be faithful to these holy practices.
God also speaks to us through the circumstances He places before us. A saying of
Mother Xavier, who founded the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth is quite appropriate: Never
say cant. Try before using the word cant. Once you begin a thing, see it through to the end.
Furthermore, if you see anything that needs to be done, do it! Dont wait to be asked or told.
This is your home; take care of it. Use your common sense and keep our home as well as it can
be kept; thereby we honor God.

9am The Goal

Therefore the soul should strive for the perfection for which God created it. But if the
soul departs from God, it will wither away like a branch that has been cut from the tree.
Accordingly, when the Christian has reached such a degree of love in this life that he is detached
from all perishable things and has no inordinate affection for any of them, but places all his love
on God in such a way that his heart is almost always fixed on God and when, dead now to all
created things, he lives only for God, he will have entered into the wine cellar of the Lord where,
as we read in the Canticle, (Canticles 5:1) he will be inebriated with the wine of love and will
forget all other things and even himself out of love for God. 4 Venerable Louis of Grenada
continues and remarks that many do not obtain this goal, but he then says: Nevertheless, we
speak of this degree of perfection so that we may know the goal toward which we should travel
as best we can, for although many never attain it, they will approach it more closely, if they
direct their desires and intentions to greater things rather than lesser things.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, whole mind, whole soul, and with
all thy strength. The goal is all God and no me.
We must aim high. Our goal is the sanctity of the great saints. Only having this goal in
mind will keep us on the path towards heaven.
I would like to go back almost a millennium to when Christendom was at its height.
Most everything surrounding a person was an aid to salvation. And yet what did the great
preachers preach? They were constantly reminding people to aim high and to avoid the snares of
the world.
There are three classes of Christians. Let us consider them and whether we wish to
belong to this class. On page 11 of The Sermons of the Cure of Ars we read about three kinds of
people: It consists of three classes: the first is composed of those who are entirely for the world;
the second are those who are entirely for God; and the last consists of those people who would
like to belong to the world without ceasing to belong to God.
The first class of Christians are those who have ordered their whole life to Almighty God.
Many think these can only be found in the convent or monastery, but this is not true. Many of
these are in the kitchen and the field and travel the royal road to heaven unnoticed, for saints
desire to be hidden in a corneFrom Guidance in Spiritual Direction, page 77: Christ said to
them: "This kind can go out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 5 Since this is positive proof that
our works of satisfaction can contribute to the welfare of other souls, our charity ought to prompt
4
5

Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, pages 136-7

Mark 9:27-28

us to do penance in behalf of others. "Prayer and mortification," says Saudreau, "are, in effect,
the means often indispensable and alone capable of procuring the conversion of inveterate
sinners." We know what the Cure of Ars said to the priest who said he could not convert his
parishioners: "Have you fasted? Have you prayed? Have you taken the discipline? Until you
have used all these means, do not think you have done your utmost." Directors of souls might
learn this lesson well and they ought to say this prayer daily: "My God, give me the courage to
make many sacrifices for the salvation of many souls."r and unnoticed. This is what drove
some into the desert in the early ages and later on into the monastery or convent. Many consider
this way of life extraordinary and therefore do not wish it.
The second class of Christians are those who bear the name of Christian and little else.
These are the reprobates, who are living a life of sin and debauchery. Among these we find the
'low life', the adulterers and drunkards and other public sinners. No Christian in his right mind
would want to be in this state, knowing that such like will die and plunge straight into hell.
This leaves the third class, which the majority of Christians wish to live in. And this is
the class which the preachers were often preaching to. Yes, they preached to the reprobate,
because they are in dire need of conversion. And yet, this last class needs conversion as well.
However, they do not stop and consider their sad state for they think they are good upstanding
Christians.
On page 14 the holy Cure of Ars reminds us: No, my friend; you either belong wholly to
God or wholly to the world. There is no middle ground. When we sit on the fence, we are not
with God. Jesus said: He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me,
scattereth. (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23)
The Pharisee bragged: I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess. 6 Let us
consider this last class. They live an external Christianity. Some have called this 1950's
Catholicism. One priest said they go to Mass on Sunday, eat fish on Friday and throw five
dollars in the collection plate and call it good.
Saint Joseph Cafasso says: That layman, for example, does not appear to do anything
bad, but yet does nothing good. One day after another is passed in sleep and laziness and
idleness, and the years of his life are spent in the same way. That is not right, it is a sin. 7

A False Idea of Purgatory

We have often discussed the various kinds of Christians. Our duty is to aim at perfection,
but many consider there are several classes of Christians.
The first class are the hardened sinners, and no one thinks that I am a hardened sinner.
The second class is better than the first. These have found a comfortable way to be
Christian and worldly at the same time. This class observes the basic Commandments of the
Church of fasting and abstinence. Before the Apostasy they would not miss Sunday Mass, but
don't expect to see them the rest of the week. They are happy to live a comfortable life and take
care of everything else in Purgatory.
The third class aim higher. They want to truly follow Jesus' directions in the Gospels.
They want to be Saints. No, they don't want to ever see their name in the Lives of the Saints.
Rather they would be very happy to quietly become a great saint without anyone knowing. They
are aiming at heaven.
6
7

Luke 18:12
The Priest, the Man of God page 26.

Do people have a false idea of purgatory? I think many think that it is for the second
class of mediocre Christians. Many of us think that going to Purgatory is just a part of life. Few
go straight to heaven. If it is true that few go straight to heaven, the reason is simple, few try to
go straight to heaven.

Mediocrity
So why are we mediocre. From The Holy Priest: Relative to sanctity in general let it
suffice to lay down a few fundamental principles which are universally admitted. It is obligatory
for all to acquire sanctity. God gives everyone sufficient grace to acquire it. This Kingdom of
Heaven is the home of the saints; nothing defiled can enter therein. Sanctity has degrees more of
less eminent. It is not necessary to possess the most perfect degreeof sanctity in order to gain
heaven.
The author continues The last two are most frequently abused by such as settle quietly
down into a permanent state of imperfection. This is what we settle for. In all things we either
move forward or slide backwards. We do not stand still. In the spiritual life, we are climbing an
icy mountain towards Heaven. If we stop, we begin sliding back towards hell. At the end of
today we should be closer to Heaven, than we are right now. And tomorrow we should be even
closer still. This is why we are making this retreat. We are working to establish a rule of life that
will lead us to the perfection that God desires of us. And if we are still breathing, we know we
have not yet acquired it. God desires more of us, which is why He has not taken us home yet.

1pm Summary
Venerable Louis of Grenada says: The function of grace is to make a man holy, and this
cannot be achieved unless he be aroused to the actual love of God, sorrow for the sins of his past
life, and a disdain for the things of the world. 8
We can see this divided into three parts.

Love of God
We have already seen that our goal is to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, body
and strength. Saint Bernard said: Consider every moment lost in which you do not think of
God.

Sorrow for Our Sins

No sin is forgiven that is not hated. Because we love God completely, we must hate all
that takes us away from God. This is why we hate sin. We must especially hate our own sins
and be sorry that we have offended God so much.

Disdain for the World

Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, page 144

The world is the enemy of God. It attempts to lure us away from God. Further the Devil
uses the pleasures of the world to distract us from God. And this is an area we need to spend
some time considering just how worldly we are.
I would like to go back to a book written in 1955: What were regarded once, as almost
unattainable luxuries are now considered absolute necessities. 9 Let us meditate on this point
well. This is even more true today than it was in 1955. We need to ask ourself, do I truly need
this or do I want it? Does this help me save my soul, or is it leading me away from Almighty
God?
It is easy to confuse wants and needs. I need to eat, I want a T-bone steak.

Distractions of the World

In Will the Catholic Church Survive the Twentieth Century? We read: We clamor for
distractions, amusements, recreation, but Christ and his Church are ignored.
Saint Alphonsus says: Worldly-minded people shun solitude, and it is quite natural for
them to do so; for it is in retirement that they are troubled with qualms of conscience. 10
Today it is easy to distract ourselves. In 1955 we had radio and television. Today we
have added the computer in all its various forms. And then our telephones can likewise be a big
distraction.
Years ago We were staying with a family that had teenage daughters who had cell phones.
Soon after they awoke, they were tapping away on those phones. Morning is a time for quiet
prayer, not for electronic gossiping.
The average American spends over a day each week glued to the tube. How many of us
pray over four hours a day?
Our conscience can't speak to us, because we won't shut up long enough to let it speak.
Sacred rules of life that have been observed since the days of Adam have been thrown out the
window with modern technology. Night is reserved for sleep, rest and prayer. Today it has
become a time of entertainment and sin.
What we don't stop and realize is that these distractions are often sins and some of them
mortal sins. Let us look at the time wasted in distractions. Wasting time can easily become a
venial sin. If it takes us from serious duties, then it is a mortal sin.
Saint Alphonsus states: Souls that feel a strong attraction for solitude, for they know that
God converses familiarly with those who shun the noise and distractions of the world. "O
blessed solitude", exclaims St. Jerome, "in which God with loving condescension deals
familiarly with chosen souls!" God does not speak in those places where time is squandered in
loud laughter and idle talk. 11

4pm Preparation For Confession

Tomorrow will be devoted to a very serious thing, a General Confession of our lives. It is
time to get serious and really look deep down inside our own soul. As we progress forward, we
will find that we have a tendency to certain sins. In fact, we have a pet sin, that one thing we
9

The Mother The Heart of the Home by Edgar J Schmeideler O.S.B. 1955.
The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation Page 154
11
The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation Page 153
10

simply don't want to give up. We will consider this more later. Also we have been lax in
examining our conscience before this.
Hand out examination of conscience.

8:45pm Our Pet Sin

I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3) And what are our
strange Gods? These are our sins, especially our pet sin, which we 'worship'. It is our sins that is
an obstacle between us and Almighty God. With His help we can remove this obstacle.
We all have a pet sin, a weakness in which we fall.
We would like to ask you to think about the seven deadly sins.
Pride Anger Gluttony Lust Sloth Envy Greed
Take a moment and think about the sin you detest most. PAUSE
We truly hate this sin and don't want to be anywhere this type of sinner. Let us consider
our pet sin. It is just as hateful and possibly moreso than the sin we just considered that we hate
so much. So why don't we hate our pet sin just as much as we hate this other sin?

Second Day
7am Mass
Saint Alphonsus says that we need to make a retreat once in our life to resolve to give up
sin. Jesus told the woman taken in adultery to go now and sin no more. After curing a man He
told him: Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee. We
are making a serious examination of conscience. It is not enough to come up with a laundry list
of sins. We need also to work on a game plan for removing these sins from our lives, especially
our habits of sin. There is nothing worse than a habitual sin. These are the sins we easily
commit and even more easily excuse ourselves for. It is time to get tough on our sins.
Let us look up at the crucifix and realize that my sins placed Jesus on that Cross. My sins
made Jesus suffer the Passion.

9am General Confession Note In Separate Document

Printed out

11am How Do I Get Rid of Sin?

There are two types of sin, commission and omission. With both types of sin they take
time. With a sin of commission it takes time to commit them. For instance, to commit adultery
you have all of the time involved in finding a cooperative woman and put her in the mood, etc.
With a sin of omission you simply misuse your time. When you should be doing one thing, you
are instead doing another. And so we need to look at our day and consider when we commit sin.
For everyone there is a dangerous time of day and this is what we need to focus on.

With the adulterer and practicing alcoholic, usually the dangerous time is in the evening.
In fact, with most sinners this is the dangerous time. Saint Alphonsus says this is why the
Passion began at eight in the evening. How many plop down in front of the TV and waste
several hours every evening watching all manner of filth? And so we need to find something
better to do with that dangerous time than we have in the past. If we don't we will drift back to
our habit of sin. We have to find our self busy about something good rather than leaving the time
open, which will allow sin to quickly return.
This is a good time for spiritual reading and reading the lives of the Saints. Parents
should spend time with their children, because many today neglect their duties to get to know
their children. How can we discuss serious things with our children, if we never spend time with
them in light things and even play?

1pm The Second Goal

We have printed out two chapters on love of neighbor to go with this instruction.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, whole mind, whole soul, and with
all thy strength. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Saint John Chrysostom concludes: He that is pious towards men, is still more pious
towards God. 12 Basically if we claim to love God, but do not love our neighbor, our claim is a
lie.
To love men is to refrain from wishing evil to them; it is positively to wish good to
them, and to do office of kindness when an occasion presents itself. This is possible; this is
commanded; this is the fulfilling of the law. No man can do it unless he loves Go, and is
strengthened by the supernatural motive; and when man loves God and the neighbor, he has
fulfilled the whole law. A Harmonized Exposition of the Four Gospels, by Rev. A.E. Breen,
Volume 4, , page 266
Matthew 7:12 All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do
you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets.
Luke 6:31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like
manner.
You should be familiar with the Golden Rule, but do we ever really think about it? Do
we apply to ourself and try and live it.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Lets boil this down.
1. If we expect another to do something, we must be ready to do the same thing for them
and for others.
2. If we allow ourself latitude, shouldnt we also allow our neighbor the same latitude?
3. We cannot hold others to a higher standard than ourself.
We are bidden by Jesus to do something else, and if we truly love Him, we will do this.
Matthew 5:44-45 But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you:
and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your
12

Saint John Chrysostom, Homily VII on II Timothy 3:1-7. We shall comment on this more fully in another
instruction.

10

Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon
the just and the unjust.
Jesus has now given us another Commandment, the Commandment to love our enemy,
because he is also our neighbor. No matter what others do, we are commanded to do good to
them!
II-II Q 83 A8: Man must be prepared to love his enemy even in the individual and to help
him in a case of necessity, or if his enemy should beg his forgiveness. Reply 3: Consequently,
it is even lawful in praying to ask that temporal evils be inflicted on our enemies in order that
hey may mend their ways.
So how can we wish an evil on someone and still love them? We wish that if calamity
will cause some one to convert from their sins, that God will send it for their good. What is the
loss of someone's house compared to the lose of their soul. So if someone's house burning down
will bring about their conversion, I should pray this happens. We want what is truly best for
someone.
He who is content with saving himself and neglects the salvation of others cannot secure
his own salvation. 13 Saint John Eudes comments: If that is true of the ordinary Christian, how
much more can it be said of priests and especially of confessors.
It is the duty of ordinary Christians to bring people to a knowledge and acceptance of the
truths of the Faith. How much more is it our duty out of love of neighbor. This is why we need
to master these truths, so we can pass them along.
Saint John Chrysostom; Necessity binds us to pray for ourselves, fraternal charity urges
us to pray for others: and the prayer that fraternal charity prefers is sweeter to God than that
which is the outcome of necessity.

4pm Philautia
What is the greatest evil in the world?
Basically there are three classes of people. The first are those who are trying to become
saints and fighting philautia. I hope you are one of them and I hope I am to. As we read, let us
remember, there but for the grace of God go I. I can become as evil as the last class of people.
The second and largest class are those who indulge themselves in some manner and
therefore have philautia. These people are lovers of pleasure, more than of God. And they are in
danger of hardening their heart and entering the last class. Be warned, that these people will
most likely go to hell, although in many ways they are decent people. It is in a few areas where
they indulge themselves in a sinful manner, and usually a mortally sinful manner.
Now the last class are the worst, for they are lovers of themselves, ungrateful, wicked,
without affection and unmerciful. These are the people that try those around them. These are the
people that we wish we could either convert or avoid. Ironically some of these people have the
appearance indeed of godliness. I will take the example of the first sociopath I dealt with. 14 He
was a dynamic and fascinating personality, but with a very dark side. He has been implicated in
many things, including murder. Recently he died, and people are singing his praises. Few truly
13

Saint John Chrysostom, Chapter 18 of Matthew Sermon 60

Names are being omitted or at least changed to protect the innocent from the guilty.

14

11

know what this man truly was. Of course, it is possible he converted from his evil ways since I
knew him so many years ago. I hope so.
Philautia is another word for self-love. It is also called the I-syndrome. Nothing destroys
sanctity more than Philautia. And philautia can be found not only in the worldly, but in those
appearing to be religious. The writings of the Saints warn religious more about this than they do
lay people. Philautia will destroy us and indeed is the main cause of the Great Apostasy. Let us
now consider some things from Summa of the Christian Life by the Venerable Louis of Grenada.
St. Augustine says that self-love is the poison of the love of God and that the perfection
of the love of God is mortification of self-love. He also says that self-love may be lessed in this
life, but it can never be completely destroyed, and he concludes that perfect charity in this life is
that which strongly resists and rejects anything that may weaken of prevent the actual love of
God, namely, anything that fosters self-love and diverst a Chrsitian from the love of God.
Morerover, man's charity on earth will be more perfect as it more closely approaches the charity
of the blessed in heaven, who are always actually loving God with all the ardor of their being. 15
Theologians say that inordinate love of self is the beginning of all sins. But since the
love of God is contrary to the love of self, it follows that charity is the knife that cuts away all
sin. Who, then, will not strive with all diligence to obtain a medicine that is so efficacious for
curing the sickness of sin? Who will not strive to possess a virtue that is so helpful to us in
acquiring all the other virtues? 16
The third perfection of charity is that of the Christian who loves God in this life and
although he can't reach the high degree of the blessed, he strives with all his power to love God
to the best of his ability. For that reason, perfect charity not only strives to avoid all sin, but to
overcome all the obstacles that may prevent it from actually loving God or may weaken its
affection for God. And since all these obstacles arise from self-love, charity wages a constant
warfare against self-love, with the result that its perfection can be measured by the degree of its
victory in the battle against self. 17
Saint Thomas Aquinas says: (Meditations for Lent, page 121): The strongest of human
loves is the love with which a man loves himself. Therefore this love must be the measure, by
comparison with which we estimate the love by which a man loves others than himself. Now the
extent of a man's love for another is shown by the extent of good desired for himself that he
forgoes for his friend. As Holy Scripture says, 'He that neglecteth a loss for the sake of a friend,
is just.' (Proverbs 12:26) Now a man wishes well to himself as to three things, namely, his soul,
his body, and things outside himself.
It is then already a sign of love that, for another, a man is willing to suffer loss of things
outside himself.
It is a great sign, if he is also willing to suffer loss in his body for another, that is, by
bearing the burden of work of undergoing punishment.
It is the greatest of all signs of love is a man is willing, by dying for his friend, to lay
down his very life.
Are we ready to lay down our lives for our fellow man? Are we ready to sacrifice all for
the love of God? This is what We have noticed most. Few have the willingness to sacrifice all
for the love of God. This is why so few save their own souls.

15
16
17

Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, page 136

Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, page 133
Summa of the Christian Life, volume 2, page 135

12

It is this ego-centricity, which destroys virtue. This is why we must live a life of
subjection and obedience to others and by a set rule of life. We need this discipline, whether it is
external discipline or self-discipline.
Saint Bernard who said: Let there be an end to your own will, and there will be no such
thing as hell. Those with philautia always do their own will. Jesus said: Not My will but Thy
will be done. (Matthew 26:39) Most of us say: not thy will, but my will be done, and thus
declare ourselves as god.
A book could be written on the evils of philautia or selfishness and indeed We are well on
Our way to writing just such a book. Saint Gregory the Great in his Regula Pastoralis calls those
infected with philautia crafty, which is also translated as insincere. He contrasts the simple and
sincere with the insincere and crafty. We must be simple and sincere, because God is simple. He
calls the crafty and insincere porcupines.
Hence it is rightly said by the Prophet, under the similitude of Judea, against the soul
that sins and excuses itself: There hath the porcupine had its hole. 18 Here the term porcupine
symbolises the duplicity of the insincere mind that craftily defends itself. For when the
porcupine is discovered, its head is seen, its feet are obvious, its whole body revealed; but the
moment it is captured, it gathers itself up into a ball, draws in its feet, hides its head, and the
thing disappears in the hands of him who holds it, whereas before all the parts were visible.
Someone observed of the Jansenists that they were 'pure as angels, but proud as devils'.
They exercised a Pharasaical purity, but in their pride condemned all. We have seen several like
this. They take a puritanical stand on some issue and condemn all who follow Christian
moderation.
From Teaching the Christian Virtues, by William H. Russell, 1952 page 168: Sin is
selfishness; sin is a rejection of a loving Father; sin is refusal to listen to Christ. And on page
95: Self-centeredness is indeed blinding.
From self-love springs covetousness. For the wretched niggardly temper of self-love
contracts that love which should be widely extended, and diffused on every side. "Covetous."
From covetousness springs boastfulness, from boastfulness pride, from pride blasphemy, from
blasphemy defiance and disobedience. For he who exalts himself against men, will easily do it
against God. Saint John Chrysostom, Homily VII on II Timothy 3:1-7.

Hardened Hearts
Saint Bernards De Consideratione, which was written to Pope Eugene III. On page 17 I
ran across this, which ties in with last weeks instruction: What then is a hard heart? It is a
heart which is not torn by remorse, nor softened by affection, nor moved by entreaties; which
does not yield to threats, but is hardened by scourges. It is ungrateful for kindnesses, faithless in
counsel, cruel in judgment, shameless in disgrace, without sense of fear in the midst of danger,
inhuman in things human, heedless in things divine; it forgets the past, neglects the present, does
not look on to the future. It is a heart emptied of all the past except wrongs it has suffered, which
lets slip all the present, which has no forecast of the future, no preparation to meet it, unless
18

Iaias 34:14. Isaias mentions the hedgehog as one among the animals that will infest ruined Assyria, doomed to be
depopulated and become the habitat of animals (see also Isaias 14:23). Gregory takes the animal as a symbol of
successful deceit and evasion. The present section, containing the comparison of the actions of the hedgehog and
the behaviour of insincere persons, is taken by the author from his earlier work, Morals 23.29.53 Actually I have
used porcupine, which is a translation of the original Latin, which I downloaded and looked up (See below)

13

perchance it be with a view to gratifying its malice. And, that I may briefly sum up the mischief
of this dreadful plague, it is a heart which neither fears God nor respects man.
I certainly do not want this terrible heart disease! Especially when Saint Bernard had
just said: No one ever got his heard heart cured unless God haply took pity on him, and,
according to the prophet, removed his heart of stone and gave him a heart of flesh. (Ezechial
36:26: And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.)
Saint Gregory the Great: Let them be told how the Prophet Sophonias holds out over
them the stroke of divine reproof, when he says: Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, great and
horrible . . . . That day is a day of wrath, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and
whirlwinds, a day of the trumpet and alarm against all the fenced cities and against all the high
corners. What else is expressed by fenced cities but minds suspicious and ever surrounding
themselves with the defence of deceit, minds which, as often as their sin is reproved, do not
allow the darts of truth to approach them? And what is symbolised by high corners (a wall being
always double at its corners) but insincere hearts which, in shunning the simplicity of truth, are,
as it were, doubled back on themselves by their perverse duplicity? And, what is worse, by the
very fault of insincerity they uplift themselves in their thinking with the proud assumption of
prudence. Therefore, the day of the Lord comes, full of vengeance and rebuke, on fenced cities
and lofty corners: the wrath of the Last Judgment destroys human hearts that have been closed
against the truth by bulwarks, and destroys what had been enveloped in duplicity. Then these
fenced cities fall, because souls which showed themselves impervious to God shall be lost. Then
the lofty corners fall down, because hearts that lifted themselves up in the prudence of
insincerity, are stricken down by a just sentence.
Prayer: Lord, all hearts are in Thy Hands: Thou canst bend as Thou wilt the most
stubbornandsoftenthemostobdurate.DothathonorthisdaytothePreciousBlood,themerits,
the sacred wounds, the Holy Name, and loving Heart of Thy beloved Son, of granting the
conversionofsinners.
Weshouldstudythisheartdiseasemostcarefullyfortworeasons.Wewanttopreventit
inourselves.Alsowewanttopreventitinothers,hopingnottoeverhavetoattempttocureit.
Basically,apersonafflictedwiththisheartdiseaseisuncurable,unlesstheytrulyconvertand
wantacure.WewillgiveyouOurnotestostudyandgoovertogetheronFriday.

8:45pm Silence
I recommend looking up and meditating on the article on Silence in the Catholic
Encyclopedia. It opens with the following admonition: All writers on the spiritual life
uniformly recommend, nay, command under penalty of total failure, the practice of silence.
We need to meditate on just how important silence is.
Amos 5:13: Therefore the prudent shall keep silence at that time, for it is an evil time.
If the prophet Amos thought his time was evil, we know ours is worse. We live in the worst time
ever, so silence is definitely golden.
Saint Bonaventure says: There are three silences to be considered. The first in the days
of Noah, after the deluge had destroyed all sinners; the second, in the days of Caesar Augustus,
when all nations were subjected to the empire; the third will be at the death of Antichrist, when
the Jews shall be converted.
14

Habacuc 2: 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before
him.
Osee 2:14: Therefore, behold I will allure her, and will lead her into the wilderness: and
I will speak to her heart.
Ecclesiasticus 32:9: Hear in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to
thee.
Ecclesiasticus 32:12: In many things be as if thou wert ignorant, and hear in silence and
withal seeking. (Oppose curiosity)
Lamentations 3:26: 26 Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
In the multitude of words there shall not want sin: but he that refraineth his lips is most
wise. (Proverbs 10:19)
But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an
account for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)
But our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory,
according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself.
(Philippians 3:20-21)
The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.
(Ecclesiastes 9:17)
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence. (I Timothy 2:11-12)

Third Day
7am Silence
We have been meditating on silence. We live in a noisy world, a world that refuses to be
silent. Walk into a store and instantly you are bombarded by canned music. Sit in a waiting
room and there is now usually a TV babbling away aimlessly. How many flip the radio on the
moment they start the car? And when we are not flooding our ears, we must be at the computer
or on the phone texting. All of this interferes with the spirit of silence.
Why are we noisy? Saint Alphonsus says: Worldly-minded people shun solitude, and it
is quite natural for them to do so; for it is in retirement that they are troubled with qualms of
conscience. 19 If I can keep myself occupied, then I don't have to think about all of the things I
am doing wrong. However, if I will stop and allow myself to think, I will find out my true state.
So I must stop and think. I must acquire the spirit of silence.
We will spend a lot of time thinking about silence, because it is such an important
principle. In silence you shall possess you souls, Pope Michael. Those who are not silent are
most likely damned and frankly I do not want to join their number.
19

The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation Page 154

15

Blessed are the silent, for they shall hear the voice of God, Brother Raphael.

9am Spirit of Silence

From Directorium for Retreat-Masters:
Introduction.- Love silence, declares Humbert of Romans, and fly the tumult of men;
for by silence the conscience is made tranquil, punishment is avoided, peace is preserved, and the
mind is more readily lifted up by contemplation. The more you withdraw yourselves from the
noise of business, the nearer will God be to you. Let us therefore, consider: (1) the important of
the spirit of silence; (2) the means of acquiring this spirit.
I. The importance of the spirit of silence.
The solitude or quasi-solitude of the religious life will be barren of results unless we
acquire the spirit of silence. For if we wish to hear God when He speaks to us, He must find us
not only in physical solitude but especially in interior silence. Accoridng to Isaias (32:17),
silence is the most devout and perfect adoration we can offer to God, and the fulfilling of all
justice. That is to say, as the admiration into which God's greatness plunges us when we
consider Him is the highest praise we can give Hi, so silence of the soul is the summing up and
source of all justice and virtue.
II. The means of acquiring this spirit.
The requirement of this, however, is not easy; for, as St. Thomas remarks, the tongue is
the most difficult part of our body to tame. In order to overcome this great defect, it is necessary
for us to realize that silence is most necessary for the following reasons:
A. To preserver our innocence.-The Bible warns us: In the multitude of words there shall
not want sin (Proverbs 10:19). The unruliness of our tong makes us hasty, and haste makes it
impossible for us to examine what ought to be said and what would be better left unsaid.
B. To preserve peace.-The tongue, says St. James, is full of deadly poison-a poison
more dangerous than all the poisons of the world, since its evil effects extend even to the absent.
If we succeed in bridling our tongue, we shall be at peace with God and man; if we fail to control
it, we shall be living constantly in the midst of discord.
C. To preserve and increase devotion.-Useless conversation dissipates the heart and mind
a like, by filling the mind with useless and even dangerous thoughts and the heart with unruly
passions. Talking excites pride and rebellion, while silence preserves obedience and humility.
Conclusion.-Let us often then reflect upon the dangers of too much talking, and that
many of our faults arise from this cause. How seldom do I indulge in conversation without being
less a Christian and less a religious when I end it! Lord, teach me to cultivate and love the spirit
of interior silence; so that, when I wish to speak, I shall speak to Thee and Thou wilt teach me
when to speak and when to be silent.

10:30am Moving Forward in the Spiritual Life

The purpose of the first section of the seminary course is to make all taking it sincere
Catholics. We may think we are, when we start, but we will soon find out we have a lot of work
to do.

Rule of Life
16

In seminary we have a rule of life given to us. When we leave the seminary we must
make our own rule of life.
My grandfather got up, cleaned up and walked to 6am Mass every morning before he
came home to work in his business. This shows you how important the Mass should be to all
Catholics. This also shows us that we must begin our day right. One of the saints said that the
devil believes that if he can get the beginning of the day he has you. This is why we rise silently
to go pray. Morning meditation is essential to our salvation. Without meditation we are lost.
And a notable amount of time needs to be spent in meditation. We will study this in more detail
as we go throughout the seminary course.
Saint Alphonsus says of meditation: At first, the one that wishes to meditate, places
himself in God's presence, humbles himself before Him, begins to read, if he knows how to read,
either to consider some point, whether of the Last Things, or of the Passion of Jesus Christ, or
some other similar subject; and then he makes acts of contrition, of love, of confidence, of
petition, and makes good resolutions. 20
The Catholic's Manual tells us: In effect, nothing more is requisite for Meditation, than
to be a reasonable creature, because Meditation is nothing more than an exercise of the three
powers of the soulmemory, understanding, and will; that is, an application of these three powers
to some particular subject, whether spiritual or temporal. Therefore, it is clear that Meditation,
rightly understood, it not only easy, but universally practiced, since all, from the highest to the
lowest, have some object in view; some scheme to accomplish; some business to pursue; and
there is no one, if he wish to avoid being rash or foolish, who does not frequently reflect on and
adopt the means most likely to insure success. A Saint is not distinguished from a worldling,
precisely be reflecting or meditating more frequently and more profoundly; but by a difference in
the subject of his reflections or meditations. It is on the concerns of the soul only that Meditation
is found troublesome and difficult. For example, what difficulty does a merchant find in
meditating, that is, in reasoning or reflecting on commerce? A farmer on husbandry? A
tradesman on his employment? Those persons frequently call to mind what they have heard and
read, for or against the plans they pursue, and thus they exercise the memory. They make serious
reflections upon what they have found profitable or the reverse, and consider frequently how far
their plans are calculated to insure success, or expose them to failure; this is the exercise of the
understanding. Lastly, however, little capacity those persons may have, their reflections never
fail to excite in their will hopes and desires of success, fears of danger, or sorrow for failures;
this is the exercise of the will. And these same reflections afterwards urge them to take
precautions against the accidents they foresee, and adopt such measures as may repair past
losses, and insure ultimate success.
Spiritual reading is another must in the spiritual life. In the world we are surrounded by
paganism. We must come home to God and His holy truth and it is found in spiritual reading.
Go over OSGG Rule of Life

1pm Friendship
Saint Thomas Aquinas says: (Meditations for Lent, page 121): The strongest of human
loves is the love with which a man loves himself. Therefore this love must be the measure, by
comparison with which we estimate the love by which a man loves others than himself. Now the
20

Preaching, page 231

17

extent of a man's love for another is shown by the extent of good desired for himself that he
forgoes for his friend. As Holy Scripture says, 'He that neglecteth a loss for the sake of a friend,
is just.' (Proverbs 12:26) Now a man wishes well to himself as to three things, namely, his soul,
his body, and things outside himself.
It is then already a sign of love that, for another, a man is willing to suffer loss of things
outside himself.
It is a great sign, if he is also willing to suffer loss in his body for another, that is, by
bearing the burden of work of undergoing punishment.
It is the greatest of all signs of love is a man is willing, by dying for his friend, to lay
down his very life.

4pm Humility
There are two virtues to consider, humility and magnanimity. Speaking of humility (II-II
Q161 A1) Saint Thomas says: Wherefore a twofold virtue is necessary with regard to the
difficult good: one, to temper and restrain the mind, lest it tend to high things immoderately; and
this belongs to the virtue of humility: and another to strengthen the mind against despair, and
urge it on to the pursuit of great things according to right reason; and this is magnanimity.
Today there is a false humility, which claims that some things are beyond the average
person when in actual fact they are totally within reach of the average person. We must
encourage people through our example to take on these great things for the love of God.
Why do people claim that they are above them? I am a simple Catholic. They claim
these things are above them out of sloth not out of humility. Rather than put forward the effort
God wants from them, they instead slothfully claim this is above them and that they must leave
the matter to another.
Ecclesiasticus 3:20 The greater thou art, the more humble thyself in all things, and thou
shalt find grace before God: [21] For great is the power of God alone, and he is honoured by the
humble. [22] Seek not the things that are too high for thee, and search not into things above thy
ability: but the things that God hath commanded thee, think on them always, and in many of his
works be not curious. [23] For it is not necessary for thee to see with thy eyes those things that
are hid. [24] In unnecessary matters be not over curious, and in many of his works thou shalt not
be inquisitive. [25] For many things are shewn to thee above the understanding of men.

8:45pm Consistency
Laudenschlager booze story.
This is a funny story, but for many people it is a way of life. Let us look at our own lives.
Tomorrow we will discuss philautia in the morning. There is an article in the reading material
This Schizophrenic Generation.

Fourth Day
9am Perseverance

18

A young priest came to me one day and told me, Father, I need your advice. I am really
discouraged. I am an assistant in a parish where the faith is at a low ebb, and am working with
the pastor and other assistants, trying to help these people. For five years Ive done everything
possible to try to win them over, but the results are nil. I can assure you Ive tried everything
and it breaks my heart to have to admit there has been a complete failure.
Once again he repeated, Ive tried everything. Please give me some advice and
encouragement, for I really want to be a good priest and to save souls. Please tell me, what do I
have to do to save souls.?
Expressly I made him tell me again that he had tried everything, without results. Then I
asked him, Have you tried becoming a saintly priest? And when, surprised, he answered,
no, I told him, Well then you havent tried anything! You dont begin with secondary things,
From Father Mateo Speaks to Priests, page 61.
From Guidance in Spiritual Direction, page 77: Christ said to them: "This kind can go
out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 21 Since this is positive proof that our works of
satisfaction can contribute to the welfare of other souls, our charity ought to prompt us to do
penance in behalf of others. "Prayer and mortification," says Saudreau, "are, in effect, the means
often indispensable and alone capable of procuring the conversion of inveterate sinners." We
know what the Cure of Ars said to the priest who said he could not convert his parishioners:
"Have you fasted? Have you prayed? Have you taken the discipline? Until you have used all
these means, do not think you have done your utmost." Directors of souls might learn this lesson
well and they ought to say this prayer daily: "My God, give me the courage to make many
sacrifices for the salvation of many souls."

1pm Conclude with Philautia Discussion

In separate file.
Ecclesiasticus 3:25 For many things are shewn to thee above the understanding of men. 26
And the suspicion of them hath deceived many, and hath detained their minds in vanity. 27 A
hard heart shall fear evil at the last: and he that loveth danger shall perish in it. 28 A heart that
goeth two ways shall not have success, and the perverse of heart shall be scandalized therein. 29
A wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner will add sin to sin. 30 The
congregation of the proud shall not be healed: for the plant of wickedness shall take root in them,
and it shall not be perceived. 31 The heart of the wise is understood in wisdom, and a good ear
will hear wisdom with all desire. 32 A wise heart, and which hath understanding, will abstain
from sins, and in the works of justice shall have success.
Roman Catechism: How great is the utility of this sort of instruction, which teaches us to grieve
for our sins, God Himself declares by the mouth of Jeremias, who, when exhorting the Israelites
to repentance, admonished them to awake to a sense of the evils that follow upon sin. See, he
says, that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee, to have left the Lord thy God, and that my fear is
not with thee, saith the Lord, the God of hosts. They who lack this necessary sense of
acknowledgment and grief, are said by the Prophets Isaias, Ezechiel and Zachary to have a hard
21

Mark 9:27-28

19

heart, a stony heart, a heart of adamant, for, like stone, they are softened by no sorrow, having no
sense of life, that is, of the salutary recognition (of their sinfulness).
Ezechial 11:17 Therefore speak to them: Thus saith the Lord God: I will gather you from among
the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries wherein you are scattered, and I will give you
the land of Israel. 18 And they shall go in thither, and shall take away all the scandals, and all
the abominations thereof from thence. 19 And I will give them one heart, and will put a new
spirit in their bowels: and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a
heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do
them: and that they may be my people, and I may be their God. 21 But as for them whose heart
walketh after their scandals and abominations, I will lay their way upon their head, saith the Lord
God. 22 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and the wheels with them: and the glory of
the God of Israel was over them.
Zacharias 7:11 But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and
they stopped their ears, not to hear. 12 And they made their heart as the adamant stone, lest
they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the hand of
the former prophets: so a great indignation came from the Lord of hosts.
Saint Pius X Catechism: 13 Q. Why is the name of contrition given to sorrow for sin? A. The
name of contrition is given to sorrow for sin to signify that the hard heart of the sinner is in a
certain way crushed by sorrow for having offended God.
Our Way to the Father, volume 2, page 50: O Good Jesus, take from me every kind of bad will,
every trait of stubborn, hardened, stony heart (Ezechial 11:18-20), Then the Saint Bernard Quote
above.
Deuteronomy 15:7 If one of thy brethren that dwelleth within the gates of thy city in the land
which the Lord thy God will give thee, come to poverty: thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor
close thy hand, 8 But shalt open it to the poor man, thou shalt lend him, that which thou
perceivest he hath need of.
I Kings 6:6: Why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? did not
he, after he was struck, then let them go, and they departed?
II Paralipomenon 20:7 Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the
God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see. 8 Harden not your
necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath
sanctified forever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall
be turned away from you. 9 For if you turn again to the Lord, your brethren, and children shall
find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this
land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to
him.
Psalm 94:8 To day if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts: 9 As in the provocation,
according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved
me, and saw my works. 10 Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said:
These always err in heart. 11 And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath
that they shall not enter into my rest.
Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard: they have trodden my portion under foot, they have
changed my delightful portion into a desolate wilderness. They have laid it waste, and it hath
20

mourned for me. With desolation is the land made desolate, because there is none that
considereth in the heart. The spoilers are come upon all the ways of the wilderness, for the
sword of the Lord shall devour from one end of the land to the other end thereof: there is no
peace for all flesh. Jeremias 12:10-12.
SILENCE
Saint Alphonsus states: Souls that feel a strong attraction for solitude, for they know that
God converses familiarly with those who shun the noise and distractions of the world. "O
blessed solitude", exclaims St. Jerome, "in which God with loving condescension deals familiarly
with chosen souls!" God does not speak in those places where time is squandered in loud
laughter and idle talk 22
A soul afflicted with sickness is near to God. Saint Gregory Nanzianzen.
So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth cannot be my
disciple. (Luke 14:33)
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy
whole soul, and with thy whole mind.
2
Mark 12:30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and
with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.
3
Luke 10:27
He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy
whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself.
4
Deuteronomy 6:5
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with
thy whole strength
Be assured, my brethren, that as the body becomes weakened by want and hunger, and
wastes to a mere shadow, so the soul that is not nourished by the word of God, becomes
shrunken, worthless and unfit for any good work. Saint Augustine.
The whole life of a Christian, if led by the gospel, is a continual cross and martyrdom.
Saint Augustine.
Saint Augustine says: Baptism is the privilege of the true Church, and so the benefits,
which flow from Baptism, are necessarily fruits, which belong only to the true Church. Children
baptized in other communions cease to be members of the Church only when, after reaching the
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The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation Page 153

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age of reason, they make formal profession of heresy, as, for example, by receiving communion
in a non-catholic church.

St. Teresa said: It would be silliness to imagine that God admits to His friendship person
who seek their own ease and convenience. 23 Souls that truly love God cannot ask for comforts.
It is not merely a question of believing the mysteries of our faith, but of adjusting ones
life to them and of habitually judging everything by their light., Rev. Dennis Fahey, Mental
Prayer.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. But
because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.
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The lukewarm person would like to have the rewards given by God, but will not move a
finger to serve Him. As soon as it is necessary to exert himself, he shrinks from the effort. Great
sinners have been known to become great saints, but the lukewarm, never. Holy Scripture says:
I would that wert cold or hot. But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am
about to vomit thee out of my mouth. (Apocalypse 3:15-16) 25

23

Saint Teresa, quoted by Saint Alphonsus in Dignities and Duties of the Priest, page 364. Way of Perfection
chapter 19; Foundations chapter 5.
24
Apocalypse 3:15-16
25
My Catholic Faith

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