“There is an old proverb to the effect that the sweetest
music is unwelcome at a time of mourning; and certain persons have made a great mistake when, seeking to cultivate
some special virtue, they attempt to obtrude it on all occasions, like the
ancient philosophers we read of, who were always laughing or weeping. Worse still if they take upon themselves to
censure those who do not make a continual study of this their pet virtue.
S. Paul tells us to “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that
weep;” 51 and Charity is patient, kind, liberal, prudent, indulgent…
And the Apostles, whose mission it was to preach the Gospel,
and feed souls with the Bread of Life, judged
well that it was not right for them to hinder this holy work in order to minister
to the material wants of the poor, weighty as that work was also. Every
calling stands in special need of some special virtue; those required of a
prelate, a prince, or a soldier, are quite different; so are those beseeming a
wife or a widow, and although all should possess every virtue, yet all are not
called upon to exercise them equally, but each should cultivate chiefly those
which are important to the manner of life to which he is called…
Saint Louis counted
it a privilege to visit the hospitals, where he used to tend the sick with
his own royal hands. Saint Francis loved poverty above all things, and called
her his lady-love. Saint Dominic gave himself up to preaching, whence his Order
takes its name. Saint Gregory the Great specially delighted to receive pilgrims after
the manner of faithful Abraham, and like him entertained the King of Glory
under a pilgrim’s garb. Tobit devoted himself to the charitable work of
burying the dead. Saint Elizabeth, albeit a mighty princess, loved above all
things to humble herself. When Saint Catherine of Genoa became a widow, she
gave herself up to work in a hospital.
Cassian relates how a certain devout maiden once besought Saint Athanasius to
help her in cultivating the grace of patience; and he gave her a poor widow as
companion, who was cross, irritable, and altogether intolerable, and whose
perpetual fretfulness gave the pious lady abundant opportunity of practicing
gentleness and patience. And so some of God’s servants devote themselves to
nursing the sick, helping the poor, teaching little children in the faith,
reclaiming the fallen, building churches, and adorning the altar, making peace
among men. Therein they resemble embroidresses who work all manner of silks,
gold and silver on various grounds, so producing beautiful flowers. Just so the
pious souls who undertake some special devout practice use it as the ground of
their spiritual embroidery, and frame all manner of other graces upon it, ordering their actions and affections
better by means of this their chief thread which runs through all.”
