of seeking solitude and retirement, like St. Bruno, you do exactly the reverse.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. God's Providence in the Protection of the Order.

CONSIDERATION. It has been remarked that of all the ancient orders the Carthusian is the only one that has not been reformed, because it never needed it. This phenomenon is a sign of a special Providence over the order. It is further explained by their mode of life differing from that of every other order, in that their separation from the world is complete, each living in his own separate cell. Added to this, they observe a perpetual fast, silence, and abstinence, even in the case of the sick. The hair-shirt is always worn, and half of every day and night they spend in the choir. Men who live like this are not likely to become lax. Try to imitate them, at least in their love of silence and seclusion. COLLOQUY.

OCTOBER 7.

DEATHS OF THE TEPID AND OF THE FERVENT RELIGIOUS. 1st Prel. Picture to yourself Balaam exclaiming, 'Let my soul die the death of the just!'

2d Prel. Ask for the light and strength to know yourself, to amend, and so to secure a holy death.

POINT I. Death of the tepid Religious.

CONSIDERATION. 'Sickness changes no one, but shows what he is,' says the author of the Imitation; because in sickness it is more difficult to disguise your character. See how true this is in the case of a tepid religious. What is he like in his last illness? As he always was before-exacting, unmortified, complaining,

impatient, engrossed in his bodily sufferings, thinking but little of his soul, of eternity. Alas, he shuts his eyes to his danger, notwithstanding every warning. Speak to him of the happiness which death should be to a religious, of the merit he might gain by making a generous sacrifice of his life. Offer to pray with him aloud, or to read him some chapters of the Imitation, —he doesn't care, he hardly listens. But tell him the news of the day, or of some wonderful medicine just discovered, there is no lack of interest then. It is but too plain that he meditates but little upon God or the Saints, and shows no eagerness to make frequent Communions, though it could be so easily managed.

APPLICATION. The infirmarian and others who see him are grieved to see him in such dispositions. They say among themselves, 'I should not like to be as he is in my last illness; what merit he is losing!' Perhaps you say so too, and you would be right. But if you would not be like him then, you must not be like him in health. If you want to know what dispositions you will die in, see what you are living in; if they are like those of the sick man before you, depend upon it you will be no better than he is when your last illness comes. If reformation is needed, oh, begin it nownow, while you are well and strong!

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Death of the fervent Religious.

CONSIDERATION. In this case also the remark is true that sickness changes no one, but shows what he is; only we see it under a different aspect. How different it all is now! The more his brethren see of him, the more they esteem him. The virtues which his humility concealed are brought out now, and they see him as he is a solid religious, dead to the world and to himself, occupied above all with his spiritual concerns. When his illness assumes a serious aspect, he humbly asks his Superior to tell him what the doctor really thinks

of his state; and if the opinion is unfavourable, he immediately makes an offering of his life to God. He is the first to speak of the Sacraments. All through his illness, his conduct is uniformly edifying; patient, resigned, grateful for every service, apparently occupied with one thought, how to make the best use of the time that remains to him. He maintains a constant union of his soul with God by pious affection, and his greatest happiness is to receive him as often as possible in Holy Communion. If he makes any complaint, it is that he can no longer recite his prayers from his Manual, or read the Holy Scriptures, or the Imitation, or the Rule, especially those parts which concern the sick; but he makes up for it by asking his brothers to read them aloud, and to speak to him of Jesus and Mary, of the happiness of the religious state, and of the joys of Paradise with which our Saviour promises to reward it. During such reading and conversation his soul appears to have a foretaste of the bliss of heaven.

APPLICATION. This picture pleases you. You would like it to be reproduced one day in yourself. Live as a fervent religious should live, and you will have your wish. As your life is, so will your death be. Lest you should be overtaken by weakness at the last, and unable to speak, write down now the affections you would like suggested to you, and the passages you would like read when you are on your death-bed. If you have not done so already, do it at once. COLLOQUY.

OCTOBER 8.

JESUS DINES IN A PHARISEE'S HOUSE.

1st Prel. Picture to yourself our Lord surrounded by the other guests, all of whom are awed by His dignity and majesty. 2d Prel. Ask for grace to unite in your own person both the interior and exterior qualities.

FOINT L Our Lord rebukes the Pharisee for caring only for the exterior Part.

CONSIDERATION. A certain Pharisee prayed Him that He would dine with him. And He, going in, sat down to eat. And the Pharisee began to say, thinking within himself, why He was not washed before dinner. And the Lord said to him, How you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter! but your inside is full of rapine and iniquity.' Under this figure, in which a man is compared to a vessel, our Lord tells us that we should on no account neglect the exterior, which all can see; but that the interior, the purity of the soul, claims our first regard, for it is this which makes a man's merit in the sight of God.

APPLICATION. If, then, we wish to be free from all reproach, our endeavours should be directed chiefly to the formation of our interior man, but not to the exclusion of the exterior. A religious who neglected the requirements of modesty and niceness in his appearance, or who thought that he need pay no regard to the usages of society, would draw upon himself and his community a general feeling of contempt, to the great injury of religion and of souls.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. The Religious mindful of the interior Part.

CONSIDERATION. There are three things which go to form the interior religious upon whom God looks with pleasure 1st, Purity of soul-freedom from stains of sin, not only of mortal sin, but, as far as it is possible, of venial also. The greater the purity, the more readily will God reveal and give Himself to us. 2nd, Union with God by a spirit of prayer, by habitually making ejaculations, so as to be what the Apostle calls 'men of God;' living by God and in God, seeing God in all things, and all things in God. 3rd, Purity of intention,

VOL. II.

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by which we seek only to please God, and which therefore makes our actions in some sort resemble His.

APPLICATION. How do you stand with reference to purity of conscience, union with God, purity of intention? Do you use the means which are necessary to obtain perfection in these three things ?

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. The Religious mindful of the exterior Part.

CONSIDERATION. People who only see the outside judge of the interior by the exterior. The religious, therefore, who is engaged in works of zeal and charity, is bound so to comport himself as to gain the respect and confidence of men, that he may win them to God. He must maintain a certain dignity; he must be modest, courteous, and free from affectation; his conversation sensible and edifying; he must be disinterested and zealous, but withal prudent and gentle. How ever great his knowledge, he must not lose his simplicity; he should be cheerful and light-hearted, and yet preserve the gravity of a religious; equable and gentle in adversity or under persecution, humble when prosperous or successful.

APPLICATION. Ask God to show you in which of these qualities you have hitherto been wanting, and to give you grace and courage to acquire it. It is not easy; it requires a constant watchfulness, and yet it is of the first importance. It would be a good plan to make it frequently the subject of your examination of conscience.

COLLOQUY.

OCTOBER 9.

PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG-TREE.

1st Prel. Picture to yourself our Lord addressing the eager multitude.

2d Prel. Ask for grace to bring forth the fruits of righteous

ness.