Opera Omnia

INSTRUCTION VI
OTHER FORMS OF PRAYER
A note on the four wheels

When the Pauline superior or Master of a house bears in mind and takes overall care of piety, study, apostolate and poverty he is performing a well-balanced work and providing for all its principal needs. These are the four wheels of the cart which have to move in unison, without jolting, without jeopardizing the cargo they are transporting. Piety is the soul of each individual and of the community as a whole; study is necessary, because you need knowledge to teach; the apostolate is the special aim of the Institute; poverty is to produce and provide for the members and their works. The other matters fall more or less under these headings. For example, poverty demands work with an income, provides for the members' health, makes shrewd purchases and keeps sedulously in service what it owns, and so on.
Study is ordered to its end; in other words, religious are to learn what they will need for their role, apostolate

and ministry. The end to be achieved requires the means.
Piety is life for each and every religious, for each community and for our religious family as a whole; it supposes, however, prayer practices in sufficient quantity and quality; and such that flow continually from and nourish the Pauline spirit. The apostolate has an intellectual part, a technical part and a distribution part.
The Superior is always to guide and position his daily activity on these four wheels so as to bear the weight consistent with his position. To disregard even one of the wheels means either the cart stops or the whole lot goes over the edge.

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Art. 118. By the vow of poverty, the Religious renounces the right of licitly disposing and using any temporal object having estimable value, without the permission of the legitimate Superior.
Art. 119. Every professed member in the Society retains the ownership, that is, the dominion over his goods, as well as the capacity of acquiring other goods; with due regard to article 69, he is not permitted to renounce the ownership of his goods gratuitously.
Art. 120. By reason of the vow of poverty, professed members cannot retain the administration of any of their goods. Wherefore, before the first Profession, they must yield the administration of those goods to a person of their choice, and, as laid down in articles 69 and 70, shall also dispose of

their use and usufruct at pleasure. If this cession and disposition have been omitted because there were no goods, and these afterwards were obtained; or if the cession and disposition were made, but additional goods came up under any title, the cession or disposition may be freely made or repeated accordingly to the above mentioned manner, even if the Profession has already been made.
Art. 121. The Professed members cannot change the cession and disposition mentioned in articles 69, 70 and 120 without the permission of the Superior General. If, however, the change for at least a notable part of the goods is to be made in favor of the Society, it cannot be done without the permission of the Holy See. Should anyone, however, leave the Society, this cession and disposition becomes void of force, as stated in article 69.
Art. 122. The testament, as required by article 71, cannot be changed by the Religious without the permission of the Holy See. If the matter is urgent and there is no time for recourse to the Holy See, the major Superior may give permission, or, if he cannot be reached in time, the local Superior may do so.

Daily practices of piety

Celebration or attendance at Mass, vocal prayers, meditation in common, sacramental or spiritual Communion, and the preventive examination make up the morning's exercises.
They are the spiritual provisions of light, strength, courage, and grace for the day's journey.
Life, all-inclusive, is destined for paradise.

To get there we need to know, love and serve God.
Each day is part of our whole life: the goal is the same, the means are the same.
On awakening in the morning: the Lord calls me for a span of life. Today I have to gear the day to paradise; today I want to know, love and serve God a little better. This means I shall use my three God-given faculties or gifts: my mind to know him, my heart to love him, my will to serve him.
But I am weak. So I turn to the Lord and ask him to enlighten my mind with a copious dose of faith-light; with a copious dose of charity, love of God and love of neighbor; with a copious dose of strength and generosity for my resolutions.
The morning's exercises (Mass, Communion, meditation, and preventive examination) stimulate our faculties; in accordance with nature and with grace.
Life is a journey towards eternity; a day is part of that journey. The wise driver starts out with prudence, a cardinal virtue. In his mind he goes over the road to be travelled. This represents the preventive examination. He makes sure he has fuel, oil, good tyres, everything he needs. This represents God's help, through prayer.
There is a stop-over during the day. It is the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament. This is to take on fresh supplies. For our mind, because in the first part there is spiritual reading: lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum;¹ for our

will, because the second part is the examination of conscience with our resolutions, the renewal of our vows: cibus meus est ut faciam voluntatem Patris mei² and so on; for our heart (feelings), with prayer, because in the third part we recite the Rosary, make our spiritual Communion, and other prayers of our choice: venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis et ego reficiam vos.³
The Breviary for the priests, and the Little Office of Our Lady for the Disciples [Brothers] of Jesus Master, help to consecrate all the day's hours and journey.
Paulines do not have the obligation of choir. This gives us freedom from a fixed timetable, and allows us to use our time for our service of ministry and apostolate in accordance with the needs of people. For those who are suitably disciplined it is in view of a greater good; for those who act on the spur of the moment it can be a cause of disorder.
Other great helps for the day are ejaculatory prayers, habitual self-mastery, the frequent reminder of age quod agis,⁴ or attende tibi,⁵ the management of time, and so on.
The day comes to a close in a holy manner with a review of the road travelled, with thanksgiving for graces, sorrow for our faults, and evening prayers.

Weekly practices of piety

Confession, the second Mass and Vespers on Sunday is a requirement for all. For the Brothers there is the study of religion.

Weekly confession is laid down by Canon Law and by the Constitutions.
Confession is called the sacrament of Penance: in reality it requires not only paenitere [repentance], but also examination, humiliation, accusation, admonition, and satisfaction; acceptance of all this is a sacrifice of our amour propre.
It is, however, a source of so many consolations: unburdening our conscience, the advice and the absolution of the one who represents Jesus Christ, the restitution or the increase of grace.
Weekly confession means that there is a constant struggle against our defects, and a persistent commitment to improve.
It goes without saying that we must confess all mortal sins, if any.
It is very helpful to confess our deliberate venial sins, especially if they are committed frequently and have taken root.
Once we master these we can concentrate on frailty, at least to diminish the number and the gravity of such shortcomings. It is better, however, to reflect on one of these, for example, distractions, idle wishes, lack of charity, and so on. In the following confession check to see if there is progress or not.
On Sundays there is to be a second Mass whenever possible. This is to be as solemn as possible, especially on days of greater solemnity.
The same is to be said for Vespers. Before the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament there is to be the explanation of the Catechism, of the Liturgy, of Bible History, or of the Constitutions, as the case demands.
For the Brothers there is the study of religion,

two or three hours weekly, in proportion to their age and preparation; Catechism for Adults, Bible History, the Life of Jesus Christ, Ascetic and Mystical Theology, Life of Mary and of Saint Paul, and on upwards to Theology of the Lay Religious.

Monthly practices of piety

The first is the monthly retreat. It has also other names: Perseverance retreat, Exercise for a happy death, Sanctification of the first Sunday of the month. It can be likened to mini-Spiritual Exercises because it embodies the three elements: a guideline meditation, with confession (to cover the whole month); an instruction on our duties, on the virtues, plus resolutions; and prayers for the new month, with a preventive examination, and the prayer for a happy death.
In the year of spirituality (from one annual retreat to the next) it is very helpful to have short breaks, to take a look at ourselves and start off again - breaks for spiritual rest and nourishment for the road ahead.
Fidelity to the monthly retreat and to weekly confession are two signs of fervor and of eternal salvation.
In our houses it is better if it is preached by the Superior or, in his absence, by a senior priest. It is helpful for giving an account at the end of the past month and to budget for the following one.
It is advisable to have one subject divided into three points: meditation, instruction, prayer.
For the most part it is helpful if the perpetually professed members make it with the priests.

Not to be forgotten is that it can be of great spiritual benefit to introduce this practice among the laity. It can go under any name but we prefer Jesus Master Sunday, a monthly retreat for the parish or the community. If possible, there is to be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and adoration on a rota basis.

The devotions of the First Week

The first week of the month is devoted to our various devotions. Monday to Saint Paul, Tuesday for the Souls in Purgatory, Wednesday to Saint Joseph, Thursday to the Guardian Angel, Friday to the Sacred Heart, Saturday to the Queen of Apostles, Sunday to the Divine Master.
On the first Monday we focus on Saint Paul in order to know him and to pray to him; to obtain and to train good vocations, to secure the spirit of the apostolate for us and for the Cooperators.
The first Tuesday is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory; this is to procure them suffrages and to help us avoid Purgatory, by satisfying our debts with God and avoiding venial sin.
The first Wednesday dedicated to Saint Joseph has a threefold aim: protection for the universal Church; aid for each one of us and a happy death for the dying of the month; Divine Providence in all our needs.
The first Thursday is dedicated to our Guardian Angel in order to know him; to be freed from the suggestions of the devil in material and spiritual dangers; to accompany him

in his loving concern to lead us to heaven.
The first Friday is dedicated to the Heart of Jesus so that we may know, esteem and comply with his great gifts of the Gospel, the Eucharist, the Church, the Priesthood, the Religious State, Our Blessed Lady, his own life.
The first Saturday is in order to know, to love and to pray more and more to Mary, our Queen, our Mother and our Teacher.
The first Sunday is dedicated to Jesus our Teacher and Mediator so that in him, through him and with him the Most Holy Trinity may be glorified, thanked and prayed to. Let us reflect on the Last Things, and especially on our goal - Paradise.

The annual eight-day Retreat

It helps to bear in mind that our spiritual exercises have to lead to an enhancement of our spirit and our apostolate. Therefore a good thing is to give five-six days to the spirit and two-three days to the apostolate and ministry.
There are also shorter spiritual exercises, for example, for Aspirants, Cooperators, parents of our members, benefactors, and so on.
There are longer spiritual exercises. It is useful, once in our lifetime, to make a whole month. This will also fulfil the requiescite pusillum.⁶
There are preached spiritual exercises and those that are not. But what is important (and never to be overlooked) are reflection and meditation, and prayer. These two elements are essential.
You can also do without a book for meditations.
If the exercises are preached, the reflection should last about the same length of time as the sermon.

It is an exercise of the whole person: of faith for our mind, of resolutions for our will, of prayer and the heart's union with God. This is to root the life of Jesus Christ in our mind, will and heart.
A matter of great importance is to give oneself totally; to be alone with God; in view of coming out remade, without spot or wrinkle, and to live a new life.
Thus if the spiritual exercises are to last nine days, they can be split up into three days for the mind, especially the Creed, with emphasis on the eternal truths; three days for the will, with examinations and resolutions on the commandments, virtues and evangelical counsels; three days for our feelings; prayer and union with Jesus Christ.

Our solemnities

There are the feasts of Saint Joseph and of the Guardian Angels; there is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. The Conversion of Saint Paul is also to be celebrated.
But there are three solemnities:
a) Jesus Master, first class, which is celebrated on the Sunday between the Octave of the Epiphany or in the month of August. In the Novena it is useful to recite the chaplet, divided into five points: three concern Jesus as Truth, Way and Life; the other two concern Jesus as a model of the apostolate, and living in the Church. A novena in Latin, with hymns, has also been published.
b) Mary regarded as Mother, Teacher and Queen of the Apostles; first class. There is the chaplet to the Regina Apostolorum, divided into five points, in

which are set out the reason why she merits such a title. A novena in Latin, with hymns, has also been published.
c) Saint Paul the Apostle, first class; solemnity on the 30th of June. This is to be preceded by the novena, sung, as published; or the recitation of the chaplet, divided into five points.

Transforming our actions into prayer

The Divine Teacher insists: Oportet semper orare et non deficere.⁷ Saint Paul advises: Sine intermissione orate… Memoriam vestri facientes in orationibus nostris sine intermissione.⁸
The means to do so are frequent ejaculatory prayers, as well as the ordinary practices of piety; habitual recollection; the offering of all our actions, including rest, taking meals, and so on.
Clearly these actions must be good, carried out in God's grace and made with an upright intention.
Saint Augustine tells us to convert all our actions into a hymn of praise to the Lord: Let the harmony of your life ever rise as a song, so that you may never cease to praise God.
Saint Thomas Aquinas says that Tamdiu homo orat, quamdiu totam vitam suam in Deum ordinet.⁹
To recite the offering Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer you all my prayers, actions and sufferings… is a great help.
Father J. Olier shows the importance of performing our actions in union with Jesus. He explains first how the Son of God is within us in order to sanctify us:

He dwells in us not only through his immensity, as the Word… but also as the Christ, through his grace, in order to make us partakers of his unction and of his divine life. Jesus Christ is within us to sanctify both ourselves and our works and to fill all our faculties with his own Self. He wills to be the light of our mind, the fire of love in our hearts, the might and strength of all our faculties, in order that in him we may have power to know and to fulfil the desires of God, his Father, whether it be to work for his honor or to suffer and endure all things unto his glory. Father Olier then explains how the actions we perform of ourselves and for ourselves are defective: Because of our corrupted nature, our intentions and our thoughts tend toward sin and, should we decide to act of ourselves and follow the bent of our own sentiments, our works would be of sin. His conclusion is, therefore, that we must renounce our own intentions so as to unite ourselves to those of Jesus: You see thereby what great care you must take to renounce, upon undertaking any action, all your sentiments, all your wishes, all your own thoughts, all your desires, in order to enter, according to the word of Saint Paul, into the sentiments of Jesus Christ: 'hoc enim sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Jesu'.¹⁰