THE TEN PERFECTIONS OF A TRUE RELIGIOUS AND PERFECT CHRISTIAN
The first perfection of a good Religious is, that he strives with all his mind and strength to weep for his sins, confesses them willingly and without delay, and takes care as much as possible not to fall again into the same or other disorders.
The second is, that he puts every creature above him, and himself below all. If he acted otherwise he would offend that great Lord, Who made all creatures, and Who has so honoured us as for our love to assume human nature, which, having assumed, He shares with all creatures.* On this account, therefore, a fervent Religious, or perfect Christian, ought, with a good heart and a good will, to obey all, not only his companion who is above him, or his equal, or inferior, but also every creature, as far as is lawful.+
* St. Augustine says that man is the compendium of all creatures, and contains in himself all that is below him. This is literally true, for man has mere inanimate existence, animal life, and spiritual life.
+ St. Francis’s meaning seems to be that man is to be subject to ‘all creatures,’ to submit, for example, to heat and cold, etc, because Our Lord in human nature participates in the nature of all creatures.
The third is, that he tears aways his heart from every earthly and human affection, and neither seeks nor finds any support or stay except in Him Who made his heart for Himself, but accustoms his mind to cast itself upon God, and frequently to elevate itself above the mire of the earth, so that he can without difficulty and whenever he pleases return to Christ, thinking of Him, and uniting himself to the Creator of the heart, and being intent at all times and in all places on his heavenly Benefactor. In prayer he either bewails the evil he has done, or asks and desires the virtues in which he is wanting, or he gives thanks for the blessings bestowed upon him, or for the evils and misfortunes which befall him, and he believes that the merciful God permits these things to happen to him on account of his sins, or for the chastisement of his body.
The fourth is, that he has such patience as to endeavour to love the most heartily, and to serve the most willingly, without any bitterness of soul, whoever says or does anything against him ; for as God in His infinite liberality has granted him all good, so he believes that He secretly permits these evils to assail him, in order that He may make known to him his sins, so that knowing them he may be lightly chastised for them in this world, and not eternally punished for them in the next. Therefore, he loves much the man who does him any wrong or speaks evil of him, because God makes use of this person as a messenger to confer on him great benefits ; as an arm or a cord by which He mercifully holds him back lest he should fall into the eternal abyss, and lest the world should defile or the devil deceives him as a cloth wherewith He cleanses him, and as an instrument or chisel with which he carves and perfects him.
The fifth is, that he loves all the good, and compassionates all the wicked, that he honours all, and reputes himself the vilest of all, esteeming himself worse than even the most sinful. And this because he does not know whether the good that he does is pleasing to God, or whether he will persevere in it, nor does he know the end which another may reach. For this reason he never judges evil of another in his heart, and never speaks evil of him with his tongue. And when he hears evil said of anyone, he excuses him, or at least he takes no pleasure in the detraction, but shows that he is grieved, or skilfully turns the conversation to another subject.
The sixth perfection is, that he loves much to be reprehended, and also the one who reprehends him : if anyone blames him, he entirely agrees with him ; but if he be commended for his virtue, he declines the praise, and says he has done no good, always bearing in mind that God alone does all good, and gives the will to do it.
The seventh is, that he willingly serves all, and accepts service from others with great reluctance, considering himself unworthy of any service, because he remembers that Christ came, not to be served, but to serve. If, then, anyone ministers to him in his wants, he returns thanks in his heart to God, Who gives this person the power and the will to serve him.
The eighth perfection is, that he endeavours to bear in mind all the blessings which he and all other creatures have received, and gives thanks to God for them all ; after which he humbles himself, saying : ‘Who am I, that I should give thanks for others, when I cannot sufficiently give thanks for the least of the
benefits that God has bestowed on me, especially as I am such a miserable creature ?’ And thus he annihilates himself.
The ninth perfection is, that he keeps a strict guard over his tongue, which is the consummation of all virtue, and without which he would lose all grace; and he guards his tongue not only from evil and hurtful, false and unbecoming words, but also from those that are vain and superfluous, and which destroy the devotion of the heart.
The tenth and last perfection is, that he takes care above all things that in all his words there should appear truth, goodness, and humility ; for the speech of a man should begin in truth, proceed in goodness, and terminate in humility and brevity of words ; because Our Lord while on earth used brevity of speech. Thanks be to God !
THE END.