MEDITATION II Sin the Chief Hindrance to Our Progress
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint and Coppens, Charles
1st Prelude. Imagine Christ speaks to you from the tabernacle and says: “You are my friends if you do the things that I command you” (St. John xv, 14).
2nd Prelude. Ask for copious light and grace to observe God’s commandments perfectly.
POINT I. Consider how much we ought to hate even the smallest sin.
In our first meditation we considered the grand purpose for which we live, the attainment of eternal bliss for ourselves and others and the greater glory of God. Now sin is the greatest obstacle in our way; it bars our road to Heaven and directly insults our Lord. The condition of Christ’s friendship is the observance of His commandments: “You are my friends if you do the things that I command you.” To sin is to break those commandments. If it does not always turn us against God, it at least displeases Him. Even a venial sin is a greater evil than any temporal loss. We should rather die than wilfully commit one.
This disposition is the second degree of humility, on which we resolve to live in every good retreat. To it Christ lovingly invites us, saying: “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.... If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my word” (St. John xiv, 21-24).
POINT II. Consider the principal causes of sins.
1. One general cause is our thoughtlessness; we are unmindful of the great truths of religion, the supernatural light of which is allowed to grow dim amid the distractions of a busy or a frivolous life. Ecclesiasticus warns us, saying: “In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin” (vii, 40). Now the remedy of this thoughtlessness is provided for us in our spiritual exercises: our meditations, examinations of conscience, spiritual readings, etc. The religious who is accustomed to perform these faithfully and fervently is not likely to commit many sins, and he will gradually become more and more virtuous.
2. Another copious source of sins consists of unmortified passions. When any passion is aroused, it blinds us to the dictates of reason and the whisperings of grace. You see this in the conduct of an angry man: he says and does things which he is afterwards ashamed of and sorry for. It is so with all unrestrained passions. Consider what are your most frequent faults and what are their causes. What passions need particularly to be watched and checked. The triduum is just the time for self-introspection, examinations of conscience, and for the ordering of our spiritual exercises.
POINT III. Consider some faults in particular, against which a religious should be guarded.
1. Violation of fraternal charity, whether in word or thought; ever remember the words of Christ: “Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (St. Matth. xxv, 40).
2. Irreverence in prayer: disrespectful posture, wilful or careless wandering of the mind, want of proper preparation, etc.
3. Sensuality in food and drink, or in the indulgence of superfluous sleep.
4. Immodesty of touch or look, effeminate softness of manner or language, imprudent familiarity.
5. Human respect, more anxiety to please men than to please the Lord, and therefore doing or saying what is unlawful or imprudent, or omitting to do what conscience dictates to be our duty.
Colloquy. Earnestly beg pardon for faults committed and resolve to avoid the occasions of sin.