The nun sanctified by the virtues of her state
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| CHAPTER XXIII.
[Particular admonitions for the Abbess, Vicar or Assistant, Mistress of Novices, Bursar, Sacristan, Attendant at the turn, Infirmarian, and Discreets; along with instructions to the Lay Sisters.] Admonitions to the Abbess. 1. I will suppose that you have been elected abbess, not through your own ambition and exertions, but by the will of God; otherwise you will scarcely succeed well in the government of the community, because you will be bereft of the divine aid which God withholds from them who are not called to such an office. Blessed Leonard of Port Maurice relates that the abbess of a certain convent, though she had accepted the office with reluctance, was greatly tormented at death by many scruples on account of the manner in which she governed the monastery. Now, I ask, what will become of the abbess who has procured the office by her own exertions ? If you have been promoted to the office without your own co-operation, be persuaded that the honour conferred has placed on your shoulders a heavy and a dangerous cross. To his sister, after she had been made superior of her convent, Father Torres wrote: "Beg of God to assist you, that you may not die under the torture of so many crosses — a martyr without merit and without a crown." Consider that you must render to God a great account, if, through you observance fail and abuses are introduced. That great religious, Father Doria, a Discalced Carmelite, used to say that religious orders are relaxed more by head-aches than by gout; that is, by diseases of the head rather than of the feet. He meant that the relaxation does not proceed from the inferiors so much as from the superiors, who shut their eyes to the neglect of rule and to abuses. Hence before you enter on your office, thank your sisters in religion for the honour they have conferred upon you; but afterwards protest that if you accept . the burden in order to serve them you will not consent to lose your soul. Tell them that you will neither grant nor 428 THE TRUE permit anything which your conscience condemns. This adll serve to prevent the nuns from asking inconvenient permissions; and should they ask for them they will not feel much disappointed at your refusal. Thus you shall be able to govern with less restraint. 2. Watch over the observances of the rule, and be careful to prevent abuses, the removal of which, if they be once introduced into the monastery, will be morally impossible. You must take care not to allow even small defects, because by degrees they will grow into great irregularities. How have abuses, particularly regarding poverty, been introduced into religious houses? Father Francis of the Cross, a Discalced Carmelite, relates that a certain abbes? appeared to a friend after death, and said that she suffered a great deal in purgatory for having neglected to watch :>ver the observance of the rules and of the orders of the superior. She suffered in purgatory; but, alas! how many superioresses shall we see condemned to hell for the abuses introduced or permitted during the time they were in office ? The superior should also go through the monastery, and see if the orders which she has given have been executed. Of what use are orders unless they are fulfilled ? Hence, it is better to give few directions which will be observed, than many which will be afterwards neglected. When the religious see that the superior cares but little whether her commands are obeyed or not, they will soon begin to despise all her directions. Be careful to see that they who are in office fulfil their obligations, but abstain from interfering much in their duties. Abstain also from imposing new burdens or new laws, for this gives great dissatisfaction to the sisters. What you should do is to enforce the observance of the existing rules. But if you find any rule neglected, such as the frequentation of the sacraments, the attendance of the companions in the parlour, the common mental prayer, mortifications which were before practiced at table, and the like, it would not be a novelty to endeavour to restore the observance of the rule: you are even obliged to do it according to the best of your ability. Be particularly careful not to permit any particular friendships either among the sisters or with externs. And should you be unable to prevent them, you should have recourse to the prelate. In endeavouring to prevent such an abuse you may incur the displeasure of some, but there is no remedy. By the obligations of your office, which obliges you to attend more to the spiritual than to the temporal ^ood of your community, you are bound to correct SPOUSE OF CHRIST. 429 Irregularities. Be careful, likewise, not to allow persons employed in the monastery to bring letters or inconvenient messages to the religious; and should you ever discover that this was done by any persons in the employment of the convent, dismiss them immediately. Be careful to hold chapters as often as the rule prescribes; and in chapter speak strongly against the more frequent defects, and against any abuse which you may witness. It is not necessary to preach a sermon, but you must speak and make yourself be heard. 3. If you wish others to be observant, you must give them an example of exactness. St. Joseph Calasanctius used to say: "Woe to the superior who by her example destroys the effect of her words." The abbess is placed on a candlestick, from which she is seen by all. How can she expect the sisters to be exact in going to meditation, to the divine office, and to other duties of the community, if she be frequently absent ? She will not have even courage to complain of their negligence: and should she speak of it, her words will make but little impression; for the sisters will attend more to her example than to her words. Be careful to assist at all the exercises of the community, particularly at mental prayer, of which the superior has greater need than the sisters; for she requires a double portion of food, one for herself, and the other for the religious. In meditation you ought to beg of the Lord, in a special manner, to assist you by his light and aid to bear the burden which has been imposed upon you. Endeavour to assist at the divine office, and at the common meals; should you be absent many irregularities will probably occur. Abstain with great care from the use of particular food, dress, or furniture; and tell the religious in office not to pay more attention to you than to the lay sisters. Be assured that if you avail yourself of the authority of your office to obtain special conveniences for yourself or your relatives, you will excite the wonder and dissatisfaction of the whole community. 4. Endeavour to govern the community by yourself alone, and not by others. It is an occasion of great annoyance and disquietude to the nuns to be obliged to obey a person who is not superior. Be careful, then, not to depend on the advice of a single sister, it would be still worse if she were a lay sister. In matters of moment, first recommend yourself to God, then ask the opinion of more than one of the religious, and do what appears best to you; but in general you ought to follow the majority of the discreets. 430 THE TRUE Be careful to treat all with equal attention, and do not show partiality to any sister, unless sickness or some other just cause require it. In the distribution of offices take particular care not to be carried away by passion or by human respect, but be guided by Christian prudence, otherwise you must render to God an account of the evils which follow. 5. Be humble and affable to all. Imagine that being made superior you should be the servant of all the sisters. Beware of governing the monastery with a high hand. By humility and meekness, not by severity, you will gain the hearts of the sisters, and thus your admonitions and corrections shall be received without murmuring or discontent. St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say: "Love, esteem, and confidence, are the chains which bind the hearts of subjects, but these bonds are dissolved by pride." If you are not affable the sisters will feel no confidence in making known their wants and afflictions, in asking the necessary permissions, and informing you of the disorders of the monastery; and thus your government will not be successful. It is not enough to have a good heart; if your manner is austere all will avoid you. It is necessary to listen to all without distinction when they come to you, otherwise you will know but little of the irregularities which take place, and much less will you be able to repair them. Should any sister appear to be reserved with you, endeavour to gain her confidence by treating her with greater affability. When you have to assign offices, or to give employment to the sisters, or to prohibit anything, be careful to abstain from imposing precepts, unless in cases of absolute necessity; refrain as much as possible from all commanding words, and from speaking in a loud voice. Speak rather in the language of entreaty, saying: Sister, I beg of you to do such a thing; do such an act of charity forme; will you do me a favour ? etc. In a word, endeavour to be loved rather than feared; and do not impose a burden of twenty pounds on a sister whom you see unable to bear more than ten. Be meek, particularly in correcting the sisters. St. Ambrose says: "A friendly correction is more profitable than a turbulent accusation; the former excites shame, the latter provokes indignation. Let the person whom you correct believe you to be a friend rather than an enemy" — Lib. in Luc. c. 18. A friendly admonition, which points out the defects, is more useful than a sharp rebuke, which excites anger in the person corrected, and who must regard SPOUSE OF CHRIST. you as an affectionate friend rather than as an adversary. St. John Chrysostom says: "Vis fratrem corrigere lachryma exhorta, comprehende pedes, osculari non erubescas, si modo mederi vis" — Horn. 4, ad pop. Ant. Do you wish to see a brother corrected ? Weep, exhort, embrace his feet: be not ashamed to kiss him (if necessary,) if you wish to see him soon cured, Endeavour to correct the first fault which a sister commits with great sweetness, and in private. Should public correction be necessary, in consequence of the fault being public, be careful first to correct the sister in private, praising her on the one hand for her good qualities, and on the other correcting her for the defect; then say to her, that since public correction is necessary for the good of the community, she ought not to be displeased at your correcting her before the sisters. Oh ! how much more profitable are adr monitions made in this manner than corrections accompanied with sharpness and severity. When the superior acts with meekness she leads the sisters (as it is commonly said) with a thread of silk. The nuns call and regard you as a mother; you, then, should treat them as children and with maternal affection. It is par ticularly necessary to treat the aged religious with charity and prudence. " Juvenes," says St. Gregory, " plerumque severitas admonitionis ad profectum dirigit, senes vero deprecatio blanda." In general, says the saint, it is useful (as shall be said hereafter,) to treat the young with severity when necessary; but with the aged you must have recourse to entreaties and to sweetness, saying: My sister, you know how much I esteem you; I entreat you not to violate such a rule; we are advanced in years, we must give good example to the young sisters. Sometimes it is necessary to defer correction for a week or a month, till a convenient opportunity occurs, that the admonition may be more fruitful. Medicine administered at the proper time cures an invalid; but if given at an unseasonable time it kills him. Sometimes it is necessary to shut your eyes and overlook a fault, as if you had not seen it; that is, when the defect is a light one, confined to the person who commits it, and not imitated by others. We mu3t leave many things to God, and implore of him to apply a remedy. Speaking of the defects of nuns advanced in years, St. Francis de Sales has said in one of his letters (lib. 4, let. 7,) " It is necessary to pay attention to the aged; they cannot be so easily managed: they are not so flexible; for the sinews of the soul, as well as of the body, have grown stiff." 432 THE TRUE But when defects are serious, such as when they give scandal or annoyance to any of the nuns, or are opposed to the observance of any rule, then you must speak. If you remain silent and dissemble, through fear of losing the good will of any of the sisters, you shall lose the good will of God. It is also necessary in certain cases, such as when you perceive friendships or aversions, to apply an immediate remedy; for the longer such evils continue the more difficult it is to repair them. In correcting the religious, it is necessary, as has been said, to use all possible sweetness; but when you see that meekness does not correct the evil, you must, as the Apostle advises, speak strongly: "Reprove, entreat, rebuke" — 2 Tim. iv. 2. In her intercourse with the sisters, the superior should have a heart of honey; but, in correcting abuses and relaxations of exact observance, she requires a soul of bronze. In the rules of St. Augustine it is said that the superior should inspire subjects with fear and love — the humble and docile with love, and the proud and obstinate with fear. A certain author says that certain hearts are so obdurate that they feel only when pierced with a lance; hence, if neither meekness nor severe words are effectual, you must have recourse to penances, and to severe penances, if the defect be grievous. St. Bonaventure used to say, that the difference between relaxed and observant convents is, not that in exact monasteries there are no defects (for even there the religious are not angels, but men,) but that in the former transgressions are not proved, while in the latter they are corrected and punished. In correcting the religious, I entreat you to attend to two things, that you may be secure against error: the first is, not to have recourse to chastisement (I mean severe chastisement,) unless when it is absolutely necessary for the amendment of a sister, or for the example of others. Severe remedies are applied only in diseases which are otherwise incurable. The second is, that you do not show passion in correcting any of the sisters, but that, before inflicting punishment, you first recommend yourself to God, then take the advice of others, and afterwards act according to the best of your judgment. Be careful not to impose penances, nor to correct a sister with severity as long as you feel disturbed. Sometimes you may think it a duty to repress without delay the insolence of a sister who treats you with disrespect before your face; but I entreat you to abstain for some time from correcting her: otherwise the correction will probably be accompanied with anger, and will be unprofitable; for the sister will regard it as the rruit of passion, rather than the SPOUSE OP CHRIST. 433 effect of charity. Besides, when a sister is disturbed byanger, and her mind obscured by passion, the admonition will be of little use. Wait, then, till your and her feelings of displeasure have ceased, and then correct her as you think proper. If the correction must be severe, endeavour always to administer wine and oil; that is, after the correction say to the sister that you love her, that you have done all for her good. When a sister is accused of a fault, do not correct or punish her immediately; but hear first the person accused^ and then, after having examined the matter, act according to your judgment. It sometimes happens that things are seen in a wrong light, and that acts are taken for grievous faults, when, perhaps, they are not even trivial defects. Some superiors believe what they hear without further inquiry, and instantly reprove and punish the accused: such conduct leads to a thousand evils and disturbances, because the representation which has been made is without foundation. May God preserve you from ever seeking revenge against a sister who has opposed or contradicted you, or has spoken disrespectfully of you during the time you are in office; guard (I say) against giving her any pain or humiliation on that account: this would cause very great scandal. You should, whenever it can be done without scruple, rather endeavour to treat with particular respect and attention any sister who may have opposed you. Thus you will please God, and give great edification to the community. 6. Be careful never to grant a permission which opens a door to any abuse which may afterwards become general, or give annoyance to the other religious. It is necessary to refuse such permission with firmness, without any regard to friendship, gratitude, or any other human motive. To please others, and injure your own soul, is not charity, but folly. But with regard to permission or dispensations which are reasonable, and do no injury to the community, it is necessary to grant them with facility, unless you wish to see many violations of rule, which, when committed without leave, are real transgressions. It is on this account that superiors have power to dispense with the rules in particular cases, for dispensations are frequently necessary, or at least useful. 7. Be careful to provide for all the wants of the sisters, particularly with regard to food and clothes. St. Antonine says (3 p. tit. 16, c. 1, sec. 2,) that a superior who does not supply the religious with necessaries when he can conveniently do it, and thus gives occasion to them to retain some- 434 THE TRUE thing for their particular use, cannot oe excused from mortal sin. Some superiors make the community suffer in order to erect new buildings, and to adorn the church with ornaments of marble and silver. Certain monasteries have superfluous revenues, and the religious suffer from want; but all have not sufficient fervour to bear the want of necessaries, and thus the monastery goes to ruin. I entreat you to be liberal rather than parsimonious to the sisters, if you expect them to be exact in the observance of rule; and therefore abstain from new improvements which are not necessary, unless you wish to see the material house adorned and the spiritual edifice brought to ruin. Be particularly careful to see the sick well treated and supplied with medicine and food: endeavour to the best of your ability to procure for them every comfort they stand in need of. The care of the sick ought to be one of the principal concerns of a superior. Our Lord recommended the care of the sick, in a special manner, to St. Teresa. When you know that a sister is ill, go immediately to visit her, and if she stands in need of a physician, send for one, and charge the other sisters to be attentive to her wants. While her illness continues, take care to inquire whether she is well attended; and do not omit to visit her frequently. Blessed Leonard of Port Maurice remarks, that the superior should not be very condescending to those who, in every little illness, seek particular attention and exemption from the common exercises; for much condescension to them might cause scandal and abuses injurious to general observance. So much regarding the care of temporalities; but you should pay far greater attention to the spiritual concerns of the monastery. Be careful, then, to see that the spiritual exercises be made every year for eight or ten days in solitude and with devotion; do not spare trouble, or a little expense, in order to procure, according to the best of your ability, a person well qualified to give the meditations and instructions to the religious. Expenditure of this kind contributes far more to the glory of God than the expense of music, of costly ornaments, and repasts. Ask the prelate to procure such a person to give the spiritual exercises. Above all, be careful to provide the religious with an extraordinary confessor (at least twice or three times in the year,) and to make the sisters, if they are unwilling to make their confession to him, at least present themselves before him, as Benedict the Fourteenth has commanded in his bull Pastor alls. Do not wait till any of the nuns aslc for an extraordinary confessor: if you do, you will have SPOUSE OF CHRIST. 435 to answer for all the evils which follow from your neglect. Oh ! how great the account which certain superiors shall have to render to God for the neglect of this duty ! I entreat you to attend to it. Be careful always to give the extraordinary confessor the information necessary for the direction of the community. Let us now say a few words on the music and singing of nuns. In itself, singing in the church is good, because it is intended to praise God; but it sometimes happens that, in the singing of nuns, vanity and the devil may have a greater share than God. Some one may ask, what evil there is in singing ? I answer, in the first place, that there is a loss of time, and a great loss of time: for music is an art which, if not perfectly learned, not only does not delight, but gives positive displeasure. In the second place, it is an occasion of a thousand distractions, and sometimes of irreverence. Thirdly, it may sometimes be an occasion of losing God; for it may sometimes be necessary to take lessons from men, and perhaps from young men. Do not imagine that I speak in this manner because I am an enemy to music : on the contrary, I am fond of music, and when a secular, I devoted a good deal of time to it (it were better I had devoted it to the love of God.) I do not disapprove of nuns singing the plain chant, nor even the figured chant in concert, in imitation of the plain chant. But I say that it is not at all becoming in a nun to sing alone the figured chant. If the figured chant has not been introduced into your monastery, I entreat you to guard against its introduction. Should it be unfortunately introduced, I entreat you to do everything in your power to abolish it. Lastly, be careful to give to the lay sisters sufficient time for meditation, for communion, and some other devotions: if you do not, you should not complain that they are disobedient, proud, and without devotion. If you do not give them the opportunity of adopting the means of acquiring devotion, how can you expect them to be devout ? I entreat you to recommend those who are in office to read the admonitions which I here subjoin, regarding their duties, that each may know her principal obligation, and the manner of performing them. Admonitions to the Vicar or Assistant. 1. If you have been elected assistant, know that your office obliges you to a general superintendence of the monastery, and particularly of the lay sisters, and there- 436 THE TRUE fore you should frequently visit them, in order to see if they fulfil their duties. 2. Be most affable to all the sisters, and listen to all who come to speak to you. Many nuns feel a reluctance to mention tneir troubles to the superior, and will have recourse to you. Therefore, when they come give them confidence, that fchey may freely disclose their inquietudes; and endeavour to provide for their wants according to the best of your ability; and when you cannot comfort them, apply to the superior in their behalf. But do not arrogate to yourself authority which you do not possess: you are the servant of the superior, and should therefore depend on her in all matters of importance. Admonitions to the Mistress of Novices. h The mistress of novices should be a person of great fervour and prudence: for the good of the monastery depends entirely on the education of the novices, who shall have afterwards, in their turn, to govern the community. Many of the admonitions given to the abbess are applicable to you; such as to give an example of all the virtues in which you instruct the novices: not to show partiality to any novice by praising her, keeping her near you, or showing her attention which excites surprise and discontent among her companions; to correct those who commit a fault, correcting with sweetness and without anger. Hence, you would do well to read the admonitions to the abbess (N. 3, 4, 5.) With regard to correction, the mistress of novices should be more rigid than the abbess: you should not overlook any fault without correcting it. |