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POINT II. The Saint's Life in the solitude of the

Cloister.

CONSIDERATION. The marvel of St. Bernard's cloister life was, that his first fervour never relaxed, and therefore in a few years he became the model of eminent virtue. The mortification of his senses became almost natural to him. After passing a year at Citeaux, he did not know, as some circumstance proved, what kind of ceiling there was to the dormitory, nor how many windows there were in the choir of the church. He was

equally mortified in other things; his usual food was brown bread dipped in warm water, and only under obedience was he induced to take sometimes, for the sake of his health, herb-pottage, seasoned with a little oil and honey. Dead to the world and to himself, he had no will or preference of his own, unless it was to undertake the lowest and most unpleasant offices in the community. Prayer was his greatest delight, and the time for it always seemed to him too short. One might say that his prayer was uninterrupted, for he never lost the presence of God even in his intercourse with people of the world; and therefore he possessed an unction which won the hearts of all who came near him. To stimulate his fervour, the Saint often said to himself, 'Bernard, Bernard, why art thou come hither?'

APPLICATION. Would that I had been,' say you, 'in my turn, constant in following my first fervour! To what degree of perfection should I not now have attained? Do not be contented with this barren regret, the past is no longer yours, but redouble your fervour in order to regain what you have lost.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Life of the Saint in the midst of the
turmoil of Business.

CONSIDERATION. The peace and happiness that Bernard tasted in the solitude of the cloister were unspeakable; often he was heard to cry out, 'Oh, happy solitude!

Oh, only abode of happiness! But God allowed this solitude to be often broken. The wisdom of which this Saint, when Abbot of Clairvaux, gave so many brilliant proofs, drew the attention of the whole Church on him ; kings and princes entreated him to arbitrate in their disputes; the Sovereign Pontiffs obliged him to undertake long and arduous journeys to pacify nations, to direct councils, to put an end to schisms or to preach crusades. In the midst of all these honours, in this turmoil of business, the Saint lost none of his humility or of his union with God. Wherever he went he carried his solitude with him, says his Iographer. Let us try to do the same. COLLOQUY.

THIRD EASTER AND THIRD YEAR OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST.

AUGUST 21.

HYPOCRISY AND ENVY OF THE PHARISEES.

1st Prel. Behold Jesus discoursing with the Scribes and Pharisees. 2d Prel. Beg for a lively horror of hypocrisy, and a great love of solid virtue.

POINT I. Jesus dispenses Himself from observing a

point of the Law.

CONSIDERATION. Jesus, having spent the sabbath at Capharnaum, 'walked in Galilee, for He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.' Our Lord was not going, then, this year to keep the Pasch at Jerusalem. The law, indeed, ordered it; but He had the right of dispensing with His own law, and the plot against His life was a reason for such dispensation.

APPLICATION. We ought to learn from this not to judge our Superiors when we see them do or omit something contrary to the rule, or some point of discipline.

Have they not the right to dispense themselves for good reasons as well as to dispense others? We do not generally know their reasons, they are not obliged to tell us them, and often they cannot. Our Lord also teaches us, by His example, to protect ourselves by flight and other natural means from the persecution of the wicked, from the evil they desire to do us, from their hatred of God. To act otherwise, when there is nothing to prevent us, would be presuming on grace. God gives the grace of martyrdom to whom and when He pleases. It would be also helping on evil by facilitating its execution.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Jesus blames the Pharisees for putting vain Observances above the Law.

CONSIDERATION. The Jews of Jerusalem, thwarted in their murderous designs, tried at least to lower Jesus in the minds of the people. This is why, as St. Mark tells us, 'Scribes and Pharisees came to Him from Jerusalem; they came to spy upon Him, to find Him out in some fault; when they had seen some of His disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault, and asked Him, 'Why do not Thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients?' Their words betrayed their hypocrisy and envy; for they knew that the words of Isaias, 'Wash yourselves, be clean,' were to be taken in a spiritual sense. Our Lord made them feel it, by saying, 'Hypocrites, having the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and cups, and many other things.' Then He spoke to the people whom these hypocrites tried to deceive, saying, 'Hear ye Me, and understand: not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.'

APPLICATION. The two great vices of the Scribes and Pharisees were hypocrisy and envy, and we detest them both; but are we entirely free from them? Let us seriously examine our thoughts and our words. What are

they in relation to those of our companions, whose merit and success eclipse ours?

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Jesus proves that the Transgressions of the
Law come from the Heart.

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CONSIDERATION. And when He was come into the house from the multitude, Peter said to Him, Expound to us this parable. But He said, Are you also yet without understanding? There is nothing from without a man that entering into him can defile him. But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man. For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands doth not defile a man.'

APPLICATION. These words clearly prove, 1st, That what God especially asks from us is, purity of heart; 2nd, That temptations, thoughts, images, impressions, which come to us from without, cannot defile our hearts if we deny them entrance; 3rd, That we ought carefully to watch over the affections of our hearts. How do we act? Is there not something kept back? Is there not in some corner of our heart a little idol, an inordinate affection, whose existence we deceive ourselves about? COLLOQUY.

AUGUST 22.

THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.

1st Prel. Behold the Canaanite at the feet of Jesus. 2d Prel. Beg for faith and perseverance like hers.

POINT I. Wonderful Faith and Prayer of the Woman of Canaan.

CONSIDERATION. Jesus, proceeding still further from Jerusalem, went northwards towards the extreme limits

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of Galilee, and from thence into Phenicia, a country partly inhabited by the descendants of the ancient Canaanites. He had not the intention of then evangelising that strange and idolatrous country. 'He entered,' says St. Mark, into a house in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and He would that no man should know it, and He could not be hid; for a woman who was a gentile (and whom we must suppose was prevented by grace), ‘as soon as she had heard of Him (and before He had gone into the house), 'crying out, said to Him, Have mercy, on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil.'

APPLICATION. Admire the qualities of this woman's prayer, that you may make them your own. 1st, She runs to Jesus without hesitation or delay; 2d, she draws near Him, animated with a lively faith in His omnipotence as God, and in His compassion as man,-Lord, Son of David; 3d, she is full of the idea that she is but a humble suppliant, and feels that she is helpless,

Have mercy on me;' 4th, she has perfect abnegation and resignation, she tells out her daughter's misery, and leaves her entirely to the goodness of Jesus. Is it thus that you draw near to God, that you pray ? AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. The persevering Faith and Prayer of the
Canaanite.

CONSIDERATION. It would seem that our Lord chose, for our instruction, to try the faith and perseverance of this woman severely, and she has been celebrated for it in the whole world. 1st, 'He answered her not a word,' says the Gospel, as if He did not deign to listen, to her; 2d, when the Apostles pleaded for her, saying, 'Send her away, for she crieth after us' (and she will make You known). He answered, 'I was not sent but to the sheep that were lost of the house of Israel.' It was equivalent to a refusal; but the woman was not rebuffed ; she 6 came into the house, and fell down at

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