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 ordains some  to  suffer for the  sanctification  of priests  and  the  multiplication of  earnest  workmen in  His  vineyard, which vocation,  next  to that  of  the  ministry,  is the  noblest  that  can  be entrusted  to  souls. Such special victims  we  know to have  been  Saints  Catherine of  Siena,  Mary Magdalen of  Pazzi,  Aloysius  Gonzaga,  Rose of Lima,  Blessed  Margaret Mary,  and  many others who. innocent themselves, suffered  for the guilty."

Nowadays the  importance of  the  contemplative life as  a  means  not  only to the  personal,  individual sanctification of  those  who follow it,  but  also  to the  salvation  of  mankind in  general,  is  perhaps not appreciated,  or,  rather, not realized,  even  by many  who  are  of  the household of  the  Faith. Apropos   of    this  subject  we  read  in  a  good little book,  The  Contemplative Life,  by  a  Carthusian monk:  "That the  contemplative  life  has an  apostolic  aspect  is  an idea  with  which  the  feverish activity  of  modern life  is  unfamiliar.  It  is more  apt  to  ask  what  can be  the  practical  use  of idle  men,  shut  up  alone in  contemplation,  at  a time  when  there  is  so much  to  be  done;  what can  they  do  in  their  state of  isolation?  On  hearing that  they  live  lives  of prayer  and  self-sacrifice, the  ordinary  man  is  inclined to  ask  why?  and for  whom?  And  the  answer is  that  they  do  so for  the  good  of  souls,  that greatly  need  both  prayer and  self-sacrifice.  Are  we not  too  much  in  the  habit of  forgetting  that  prayer and  penance  are  indispensable to  the  conversion of  sinners,  to  the  progress of  the  good,  and  to the  perfection  of  the saints.

"In the  Church  prayer and  penance  are  the  duties that  belong  to  the  subsidiary ministry  assigned to  the  Contemplative  Orders, and  they  practise them  for  the  conversion of  sinners,  for  the  progress of  the  good  in  virtue,  and for  the  perfection  of  the saints.

"The late Cardinal