Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION VI
THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES AND THE CALL
The call according to the Gospel

Let us read an extract from the Gospel of Saint Matthew (19:16-29):

And behold, one came up to him, saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life? And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments. He said to him, Which? And Jesus said, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love

your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to him, All these I have observed; what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Then Peter said in reply, Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have? Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

Hence the following deductions:
1. The first condition for aspiring to the religious life is to have already practised the commandments.
2. Jesus sets out explicitly what is required for such a life: poverty (set aside earthly goods); chastity (set aside the family); obedience (set aside one's own will). Be always frank with the Aspirants.

3. Disordered feelings regarding riches, pleasure, and freedom, or putting on airs are all an impediment.
4. In exchange for what one leaves behind, Jesus promises a hundredfold and eternal life.
Having defined the aim of the Society and its members, the Constitutions move on to the qualities required of Aspirants.

Admission to the Institute

First, those who can be admitted.

Art. 17. Any Catholic capable of fulfilling the obligations and of carrying out the works of the Society, who is motivated by a right intention and is free of any impediment, can be admitted into the Society. Let those be excluded, therefore, who seek admission motivated by some intention other than that of pursuing their own sanctification and devoting themselves to the good of the Church according to the present Constitutions.

Consequently, he must be a Catholic; if he belongs to a different rite a dispensation is required; he must be fit to carry out the obligations and the works of the Society - intelligence, health, character; he must be motivated, desirous to sanctify himself, to become a Religious, and to persevere in the Institute; he must be free from the impediments listed in the following articles:

(Constitutions articles 18-22: see above I:81-82).

Late vocations are not to be disdained. Nonetheless serious reasons are needed, as well as the dispensation of the Superior General with the consent (not just the opinion) [of his Council] to admit into the Novitiate those beyond the age of twenty-three. It follows that even more serious reasons and the consent of the General Council are needed to admit those beyond the age of thirty. As a rule, such requests should not be made. It is also very dangerous to start with dispensations; almost always such people who become religious then lapse or are non-observant. Right from the beginning everyone must be sensitive to the observance of the Rule.
Those who have previously left the Institute are to be readmitted only reluctantly.
I close, consequently, with article 30 which clarifies and settles everything:

Art. 30. The growth and stability of the whole Society will depend to a large extent on the careful selection and admission of candidates, carried out not indiscriminately, but prudently and with careful deliberation.

The spirit of the Exercises

Just as every prayer practice in our Prayer Book is imbued with a Pauline spirit, in keeping with our devotion to Jesus Master, so too are the spiritual exercises. This great annual practice, undertaken in a suitable house, favorable circumstances and time of our life, extends over several days.
True piety pervades our whole being so as to lift it to the love of God. It is the implementation of the whole of the first commandment: to love the Lord with all one's mind, heart, and will.

What the Spiritual Exercises are.¹ - The spiritual exercises are a period of time (three days, five days, eight days, thirty days) dedicated to exercise oneself in acts of faith, love, and prayer, so as to prepare oneself and be united with God in view of a holier life and beatitude in heaven.
Spiritual exercises: as opposed to military exercises, physical exercise, piano exercises, or exercises in translation or mathematics, and such like.
Union with God is rooted in the Divine Master, Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life.
There are different types of spiritual exercises: some are in view of conversion or perfection, others for one's vocation, the religious life, the priestly life. But their general purpose is always to achieve a complete renewal of the practice of religion, both inwardly and outwardly, in private and in public. The aim is, in fact, to sanctify the whole person: mind, will and feelings; in accordance with one's own state, vocation or background. Thus the need to meditate on dogma, morals and worship.
The spiritual exercises can thus be divided into three parts:
- in the first part, there is a revival of and deeper reflection on the basic principles of the faith contained in the Creed, so as to think as Jesus Christ (dogma);
- in the second part, meditation centres on the basic principles of an upright life - human, Christian, religious, priestly - on the commandments and the evangelical counsels, so as to live as Jesus Christ (morals);
- in the third part, the soul is grafted into Christ through prayer in the wider sense: tu cum olivaster esses, insertus

es… in bonam olivam (Saint Paul),² just as the good olive is grafted into the olive tree, producing new life and fruit, which is charity (worship).

The outcome will be the twofold fruit of purification and complete orientation of our life in Christ: mihi vivere Christus est.³

What the Spiritual Exercises are not. - It would be a grave mistake to reduce the spiritual exercises to readings or to listen to sermons and say a few prayers. What is needed above all is prayerful reflection. Meditate, examine yourself, work and stir up the inner life so as to reflect more deeply and make the necessary application; exercise yourself in acts of hope, repentance, offering, submission to God, requests, resolutions, prayers and so on.
It is not a question of theoretical study, nor is it reading in order to learn or to relax; nor is it idle and scornful silence.
Nor is it simply a matter of abandoning yourself to the work of grace; it is to stir yourself up so as to prepare the ground for God's seed; to cooperate in its birth and growth; and to bring it to full maturity, mindful always that we are cooperators: non quod sufficientes sumus cogitare aliquid a nobis quasi ex nobis, sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est.⁴ Deus est enim qui operatur in vobis et velle, et perficere pro bona voluntate.⁵ There has thus to be a holy blending of prayer and action. All of our powers must come into action: mind, heart, imagination, memory, speech, hearing, seeing, and so on. The whole being.
The spiritual exercises can be made without sermons and even without readings; but they are never made without this

intense toil on our part. The outcome will be in proportion to our intellectual concentration and the ordering of our spiritual and physical forces in view of achieving the goal of the exercises. That is something we must determine from the very outset.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the great protector of the spiritual exercises, says: The retreatant will advance the further the more he sets himself apart from friends and acquaintances and from all earthly cares, withdrawing to a place where he can remain for as long as possible. Words that echo those of the Master of the exercises, Jesus Christ: venite in desertum locum et requiescite pusillum.⁶
Alone with God! No visits, no letters, no wandering of the senses, no conversations with friends; just interior and exterior solitude. Silence is, as it were, the soul of recollection: juge silentium cogit coelestia meditari.⁷ Silence allows a person to speak with God, to hear God and to receive from God; in holy silence the soul withdraws into itself, comes to know itself better and achieves greater union with God. It will experience the fascination of God, enter into intimate conversation with him and pray with Saint Augustine, …noverim me, noverim Te.⁸
There are three advantages: the mind will concentrate more easily on the truths; the soul will ready itself better for the infusion of grace; and the will will direct everything more easily to achieve the goal of the spiritual exercises.
O had I wings like a dove to fly away and rest! I would fly away, far faraway; and I would lodge in the wilderness. There I should await his voice [cf. Ps 55:6-7].

The rhythm of the year

Year of spirituality. - There is the scholastic year, the business year, the liturgical year, and there is also the spiritual year. This extends from one course of spiritual exercises in a determined year to those of the following year.
Every scholastic year a teacher prepares a program to be followed day by day, month by month, until its completion. Likewise the retreatant, during the exercises, prepares the year's spiritual work, set invariably within, or as part of, life's program - salvation in Christ and in the Church. Vivo ego iam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus.⁹ Herein lies perfection for the Christian, the religious, and the priest.
It is to root oneself totally in Jesus Master Way (will), Truth (mind), and Life (feeling); indeed, it is to reach the high point of our personality. It is I who think in Jesus Christ, I who love in Jesus Christ, I who will in Jesus Christ; or Christ who thinks in me, loves in me, wills in me.

Practical point. - Saint Augustine presages the structure of the exercises and their outcome when he says: Man is a pilgrim; the starting point is sin; the goal is God; the way that leads to him is Jesus Christ. Now man is gifted with intelligence, will and feeling. To think in Christ we need to meditate on the truths he preached; to will in Christ we need to contemplate on his life, from his Incarnation to his glorification; to love in Christ we must make his heart ours; banishing every other love and focusing on the twofold love of Jesus Christ for the Father and for us human beings.

Planning and resources. - Before starting the spiritual exercises:
1. Decide roughly what you want to achieve.
2. Select the books you want to use; choose the confessor or the director you intend to consult. Make use of notebooks or writing pads for your notes and reflections, resolutions and programs.
3. Pray for several days beforehand, in humility and faith, that the outcome of these days will be the start of a new life.
4. Ingredere totus, mane solus, egredere alius.¹⁰ Arrange everything in view of interior and exterior recollection.
5. The preacher or, in his absence, the director is to lead the retreatants, mainly by giving directions and instructions, either at the beginning or at the end of the sermons or meditations on recollection, difficulties, temptations, examination methods, reasons for sorrow, organizing a program for the future, the degrees of prayer, underpinning weak points for the retreatant, a scrupulous conscience, discernment of the spirits, properly regulated penances, the occasions of merit and of sin, the means of perseverance, overall prayer life. In the third part, above all, he is to guide the retreatant to welcome the Holy Spirit, to be docile and to interact with him, in accordance with Saint Paul's words: caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum Sanctum habitantem in nobis.¹¹

Conditions. - If the preacher or the director is to lead the spiritual exercises properly

he needs to bear in mind the psychological and spiritual condition of the retreatants. Furthermore, let him:
1. Preach on holiness, prayer, repentance.
2. Preach as Christ the Teacher by showing respect for his audience and an understanding of its needs.
3. Find inspiration in the goodness of Jesus; and inspire trust.
4. Be available if the retreatants ask for confession and spiritual direction.

Topics for the Exercises

Meditations and Instructions. - In view of renewing and uplifting the human being, the exercises consist of three parts. The first, meditation on revealed truths, aims to remove error or ignorance; the second, on divine ideals and teaching, aims to remove bad habits; the third, prayer in the wider sense and meditation on the means of grace, aims to remove sin and human attachments. In this way we shall have before us a basic outline-picture of religion: dogma, morals and worship. Thus we will be following the road laid down by God to reach him, and that road is the Divine Master, Way, Truth and Life.

a) Dogma (truth)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead; on the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit.
The holy, catholic Church, the communion of saints.
The forgiveness of sins.
The resurrection of the body.
Life everlasting. Amen.

b) Morals (way)

To live Christ as Christians, religious, apostles, priests.
Human acts, taking responsibility for them.
Conscience.
The Commandments.
Social duties (family, Church, civil society).
The Counsels.
The Pope as teacher of the faith, of morals, and of prayer.
The will of God.
Difficulties: the devil, the world, the flesh.
Virtue and vice.
My past, present, and future (program).
The apostolate, or the duties of state.

c) Worship (life)

Sanctifying grace and actual grace.
The Gospel.
The Eucharist: Visit, Mass, Communion.
Liturgy.
Devotion to Jesus Master.
Devotion to Mary Queen of the Apostles.

Devotion to Saint Paul.
Life of progression by means of purification and growth in knowledge, love and union with Jesus Christ.
Ascetics and the mystical state.
Merit.
Prayer in general.
The Pauline prayer practices: daily, weekly, monthly and annual.

These are suggested guideline topics. It is a question of removing, adding, or substituting, bearing in mind that spiritual exercises last from three to thirty days. These are indicative of the topics which, globally and substantially, mirror complete devotion to Jesus Master, and will benefit the retreatants most.

Pointers

1. As a rule, for the professed who are more advanced in the religious life, more emphasis should be placed on the exercise of union. Thus, rather than the topics proposed being presented in the form of meditation or instruction, and simply exercising the will, the third part ought to take the form of active contemplation of the mysteries which are being referred to, so that there is a partaking of the mind, heart, and will, together with the five external senses and the internal senses.
In this way the soul is tuned to receive infused contemplation as well; it should not be forgotten that authors of mystical theology say that all the faithful, and even more so consecrated persons, have a right to ask God for the mystical gift of infused contemplation (not extraordinary phenomena, which God may or may not grant according to his designs). Only a few

receive them, precisely because the many do not know how to ask for them and make no provision; whereas the normal course of religious life ought, instead, to prepare them.
2. Whether meditation or instruction, allow for one hour, counting the sermon (or reading) and reflection.
3. In the last two or three days, when the Superior General or the Provincial Superior is present, the usual meditations could be given both morning and evening, while at 9 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. there could be conferences-talks on prayer life, study, the apostolate, administration, human and religious formation, as well as topics that concern the Congregation and the Province.
4. A period of time for reflection needs to be made after each meditation or instruction - possibly in the same place - which, combined with the meditation, should come to one hour. It will thus be helpful if you take notes during the course of the sermon.