Half-Hours With The Saints and Servants of God/Part 1: 9. On the want of Fervour in God's Service
9.— On the want of fervour in the Service of God.
"Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth."— Apocalypse iii. 16.
[BOURDALOUE, Louis. — Louis Bourdaloue was born at Bourges in 1682, and died on the 13th of May 1704.
During the reign of Louis XIV. of France many celebrated ecclesiastics attained celebrity and even an European reputation, but Bourdaloue equalled, if not excelled, all those who have succeeded him. He was styled as " The King of Preachers and the Preacher of Kings.*"
His sermons and different works were collected and published in 17 vols. 8vo in the year 1826. In his magnificent discourses no one displayed a deeper insight into the divine mysteries. Addressing himself less to worldlings than to Christians, he united the charity of St. Paul to the unction and learning of St. Augustine, and the use he makes of passages from Holy Scripture and the quotations from the writings of the holy fathers render the reading of his sermons profitable, and at the same time interesting.
The eulogy of Bourdaloue from Cardinal Maury's Essai sur l'Eloquence is always quoted in all French elegant extracts.]
We begin at once to go back in the spiritual life when we become lukewarm or lax in the service of God. It is the first step that leads to sin and death. To languish, says St. Bernard — not that languor of love like unto that of the Spouse of the Canticle, not that languor of dryness which David felt when God withdrew His consolations and seemed to leave him to himself, and which made him say, Languerunt oculi mei prce inopid; but that lukewarmness which is criminal and voluntary, that languor which is our own doing, and, through cowardice, makes us throw off the yoke of Christian regularity — induces us to neglect the ordinary exercises of piety and prayer, causes us to feel a distaste for penance, so much so that we withdraw from the Sacraments, cease from performing good works — in short, makes us feel that religion is so wearisome that we can no longer serve the Lord our God in spirit and truth.
This is what St. Bernard means when he depicts spiritual tepidity; and God wills that we should reflect on our past tepidity and attend to what His saints teach us.
The state of lukewarmness is hurtful to every one, inasmuch as it is one of those maladies of the soul to cure which the strongest remedies are often found to be ineffectual.
Such a state is also in direct opposition to the grace of penance, because, in lieu of that holy fear which it ought to excite within us, it substitutes fruitless fears which result in nothing.
We must try to check the growth of tepidity by thinking of the holiest Christian duties, and fortify our will by prayer and watchfulness.
In lesser attacks of lukewarmness which are not actually criminal, far from lessening our devotions, we should, on the contrary, try to be more fervent, more regular in our exercises of piety.
To succeed in this it is preferable to practise solid devotion, to encourage the most generous piety, because it often happens that he who serves God with less sensible devotion serves Him with more merit and perfection.
This lukewarmness does not come upon us suddenly. Like unto the foolish virgins mentioned in the Gospel, it changes from a drowsiness to a deep slumber. Dormitaverunt omnes et dormierunt.
An indifference about our salvation, a contempt for little duties, a falling off from all that is good and hopeful, a complacency in all that is bad — all these stupify the soul, and reduce it to that state of Jonas, who slept soundly during the violent storm, when all those who were in the ship were sore afraid, and yet he remained, as it were, in a lethargic sleep.
It is in vain for a confessor to advise, vain for the preacher to exhort. If lukewarmness be accompanied with culpable negligence, the sinner will rarely, if ever, be awakened to a sense of his or her danger.
This is a true picture of very many who add to their indifference, the torpidity of an obstinate negligence; those who do not wish to fall into open sin, but take no trouble to advance in virtue; who, although absolved from past sins, still remain in a guilty negligence of their everyday duties; who do not deny the truths of our holy faith, but, in listening to exhortations, pay no attention or heed them not; who, under the pretence that they are not so bad as many others, never wish or try to imitate those who are fervent.
In conclusion, it is to such as these, that the Holy Spirit alludes when He pronounces the curse on those who do the work of the Lord negligently. Maledictus qui facit opus Dei negligenter.
The earnestness, the zeal, the love of Mary Magdalen, compelled our Saviour to console her. She knew Him by His voice. Oh, my God! What were at that moment, the transports of love, the tender gratitude of that holy soul!
Those who are lukewarm in the service of God cannot realise this, because they love so little, and consequently cannot know how much she loved Him. Such as these would wish to be all for Jesus, but they wish it if God will be satisfied with a divided love — if God would accept of a service of their own, and not the one He desires.
They would like to be perfect, but only in their own imperfect way; they wish to rely on human prudence, and if anything overtax their strength, they lose courage and are frightened at the least difficulty.
Vain are the desires, frivolous are the pretexts, of a heart steeped in tepidity.
*******
Howsoever long you may have lived, howsoever persevering you have been in doing well, oh! do not say, " It is enough, I am all right now; " for this would be as much as to say, " It is sufficient, I will now begin to slacken and fall off."