Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/26

 reasonable in  a  religious  man,  to  be  so  entirely  absorbed  in study,  or  in  any  other  worldly  employment,  as  to  neglect  his  interior— to  neglect  prayer,  examination  of  conscience,  penance  and mortification — to give  to  spiritual  things  the  last  and  lowest  place in his  thoughts — to  employ  in  devotion,  that  time  only  which remains after  the  discharge  of  other  duties,  and  in  case  he could  not  compass  both,  to  choose  rather  to  omit  his  spiritual duties, than  to  be  remiss  in  the  others. This, in  a  word,  were to live  not  as  a  religious  person,  but  as  a  man  who  had  no  relish for heavenly  things.

St. Dorotheus  reports,  that  his  disciple  Dositheus  discharged the duty  of  infirmarian  so  well,  was  so  attentive  to  the  sick, made their  beds,  dressed  their  rooms,  kept  all  things  so  neat, and in  such  good  order,  that  the  saint  going  one  day  to  visit  the infirmary, Dositheus  said  to  him:  "  Father,  I  have  a  thought  of vain  glory,  which  tells  me,  that  I  do  my  duty  perfectly  well in  this  employment;  and  methinks  you  ought  to  be  perfectly well  satisfied  with  me." But the  answer  of  the  good  abbot  gave a check  to  the  presumption  of  his  disciple. " I  allow,"  said  St. Dorotheus,  "  that  you  are  grown  a  very  good  infirmarian,  and very  careful;  but  I  do  not  perceive  as  yet,  that  you  are  become a  good  religious  man." (Patr. torn.  3.  Doct.  11.)  Let  every one, therefore,  use  his  utmost  endeavours,  that  no  man  may say of  him,  you  are  a  good  infirmarian  or  a  good  porter — you are a  great  scholar,  a  learned  doctor,  or  a  celebrated  preacher; but you  are  not  a  good  religious  man. For in  fact,  we  entered religion only  to  become  true  religious. It is  this  character  we ought  to  prefer  to  all  others — it  is  this  we  ought  to  seek  after with the  utmost  diligence,  and  have  perpetually  before  our eyes. Indeed all  other  things,  compared  to  our  advancement in piety,  ought  to  be  looked  upon  as  accessaries  only,  according to the  words  of  our  Saviour:  "  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God and  his  justice,  and  all  those  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." (Matt. vi.  33.)

We read  that  some  of  the  Fathers  in  the  desert  (Cass.  lib. 10),  unable  to  apply  themselves  continually  to  prayer  and  spiritual reading,  yet  resolving  not  to  spend  any  of  their  time idly, employed  all  their  leisure  hours  in  making  baskets  of palms,  or  in  some  other  manual  labour. And at  the  end  of the  year  many  of  them  burnt  what  they  had  made,  having laboured only  to  give  themselves  occupation  and  to  avoid  idleness. So ought  we  to  make  what  relates  to  our  spiritual  ad-