Of the Fast and Temptations of Christ. Also of His Return to His Mother. Of Four Means of obtaining Purity of Heart. Of Prayer and its Many Fruits. Of resisting Gluttony. Why and for whom God worked Miracles
After the Lord Jesus was baptized, He went immediately into the desert to a certain mountain, named “Quarantania,” about four miles distant, and there fasted forty days1 and forty nights, and, according to S. Mark, “was there with the wild beasts.”2 Here, then, attentively consider and behold Him ; for He affords you the pattern of many virtues. He goes forth alone ; He fasts, prays, and watches ; He lies and sleeps on the bare ground, and lives amongst the brute beasts. Pity Him, then ; for here, even more than at other times, His life is full of pain and bodily affliction ; and from His example learn to exercise the self-same discipline. Foi here four things are enumerated, which pertain to the exercises of the spiritual life, and wonderfully help each other ; namely, solitude, fasting, prayer, and bodily mortification. And it is by means of these principally, that we are able to attain to purity of heart, which purity is to be so greatly longed for, inasmuch as it in a certain way comprises all virtues. For it includes charity, humility, patience, and the other virtues, and withdrawal of all vices; for in company with vices or with defect of a virtue, purity of heart cannot continue. And therefore, in the Conferences of the holy Fathers, we are taught that the whole object of a religious person ought to be the attainment of purity of heart, for it is that by which man obtains the sight of God, as the Lord says in the Gospel, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.,,3 And according to S. Bernard, the clearer a man is, the nearer he is to God. To be clear from every stain is to have attained. But in order to reach this state, frequent and constant prayer is of great importance, concerning which you shall be more fully taught hereafter. But prayer, accompanied with intemperance and gluttony, or with ease and idleness, is not of much avail And then, fasting and bodily mortification are necessary, but with discretion, for the lack of discretion will mar every good action. But besides these, and to turn all these to account, there must be retirement ; for in the midst of noise and tumult, it seems hardly possible for prayer to be performed aright ; and many things cannot be seen and heard without danger to purity of heart. For death enters through our windows into our souls,4 and therefore our Lord has taught us by His example, that we should go into solitude, that is, as much as possible, withdraw ourselves from the companionship of others, and be alone, if we wish to be united to Him, and through purity of heart see Him. Shun also gossiping, and especially with worldly persons. Do not seek to form new attachments and friendships, and do not fill your eyes and ears with that which is vain and unreal And all those things which disturb the quiet of the soul and the repose of the mind, avoid as so much soul-destroying poison. For it was not without cause that the holy Fathers sought out woods and most retired spots, far from the haunts of men, for their dwelling-places. It was not without cause that they recommended those who remained in religious communities to be blind, and deaf, and dumb. But that you may understand this the better, hear what S. Bernard says upon it : “Do you, I say, if you are moved to follow the attractions of the Holy Ghost, and if you begin to burn with the desire of making your soul fit to become the spouse of God, according to the words of the prophet,5 sit alone / 1 for you have raised yourself above yourself, wishing to be espoused to the Lord of angels. Are you not, indeed, above yourself, if you cleave to God, and are one spirit with Him ? Sit, therefore, solitary like the turtle, have nothing to do with the crowd, nor with the multitude, forget also thy own people and thy father’s house, and the Lord shall desire thy beauty.6 O holy soul, be alone, that thou mightest serve Him alone, Whom out of all thou hast chosen for thyself. Shun the public gaze, avoid also sometimes thine own household, withdraw also from thy friends and intimate companions, even those nearest to you. Do you not know that your Spouse is bashful, and that He will not vouchsafe His presence, when you are in the company of others ? Withdraw, then, but in mind, not in body ; withdraw, then, that is, as far as intention is concerned, with devotion, and in spirit. For Christ the Lord is present with you in spirit, and spirit requires not solitude of body. Nevertheless, it is not without profit sometimes to withdraw yourself in body also, when opportunity offers, especially in time of prayer.” And again : “You are alone, if your thoughts are set on the one thing needful, if you are not affected by what is passing around you, if you despise what the multitude prizes, if you have a distaste for what the multitude relishes, if you avoid, strife, if you are insensible to injuries, and retain no remembrance of affronts; otherwise, though you may be quite alone outwardly, you are not really alone. Do you see, that you may find solitude in the midst of a crowd, and yet not find it when you are by yourself alone ? You are alone however great the number of persons may be with whom you converse, if you only avoid inquisitiveness, or passing a censorious judgment on what is said .”7 Thus far S. Bernard. You observe, then, how necessary a thing is solitude, and how retirement of body is of no avail without solitude of spirit ; and further, that bodily retirement is most effective in producing mental solitude, for it prevents the mind from going forth to external things, and enables it to hold undistracted communion with its Spouse. Therefore endeavour with your whole heart, as far as in you lies, to imitate your Lord and Spouse, Jesus Christ, in withdrawal from the world, in prayer, in fasting, and in discreet mortification of the body.