Conferences XI–XVII, Conference XVI

Conference XVI

• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.1 — What Abbot Joseph asked us in the first instance. The blessed Joseph, whose instructions and precepts are now to be set forth, and who was one of the three whom we mentioned in the first Conference, belonged to a…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.2 — Discourse of the same elder on the untrustworthy sort of friendship. There are many kinds of friendship and companionship which unite men in very different ways in the bonds of love. For some a previous…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.3 — How friendship is indissoluble. Among all these then there is one kind of love which is indissoluble, where the union is owing not to the favour of a recommendation, or some great kindness or gifts, or the reason of…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.4 — A question whether anything that is really useful should be performed even against a brother's wish. A question whether anything that is really useful should be performed even against a brother’s wish. Germanus: What…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.5 — The answer, how a lasting friendship can only exist among those who are perfect. Joseph: For this reason we said that the full and perfect grace of friendship can only last among those who are perfect and of equal…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.6 — By what means union can be preserved unbroken. The first foundation then, of true friendship consists in contempt for worldly substance and scorn for all things that we possess. For it is utterly wrong and…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.7 — How nothing should be put before love, or after anger. As then nothing should be put before love, so on the other hand nothing should be put below rage and anger. For all things, however useful and necessary they…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.8 — On what grounds a dispute can arise among spiritual persons. For as our enemy separates brethren who are still weak and carnal by a sudden burst of rage on account of some trifling and earthly matter, so he sows the…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.9 — How to get rid even of spiritual grounds of discord. Wherefore for the preservation of lasting and unbroken love, it is of no use to have removed the first ground of discord, which generally arises from frail and…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.10 — On the best tests of truth. For I remember, that when my youthful age suggested to me to cling to a partner, thoughts of this sort often mingled with our moral training and the Holy Scriptures, so that we fancied…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.11 — How it is impossible for one who trusts to his own judgment to escape being deceived by the devil's illusions. How it is impossible for one who trusts to his own judgment to escape being deceived by the devil’s…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.12 — Why inferiors should not be despised in Conference. For it often happens either by an illusion of the devil or by the occurrence of a human mistake (by which every man in this life is liable to be deceived) that…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.13 — How love does not only belong to God but is God. Finally so highly is the virtue of love extolled that the blessed Apostle John declares that it not only belongs to God but that it is God, saying: “God is love: he…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.14 — On the different grades of love. It is possible then for all to show that love which is called ἀγάπη, of which the blessed Apostle says: “While therefore we have time, let us do good unto all men, but specially to…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.15 — Of those who only increase their own or their brother's grievances by hiding them. On the other hand we know (and O! would that we did not know) some of the brethren who are so hard and obstinate, that when they know…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.16 — How it is that, if our brother has any grudge against us, the gifts of our prayers are rejected by the Lord. How it is that, if our brother has any grudge against us, the gifts of our prayers are rejected by the…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.17 — Of those who hold that patience should be shown to worldly people rather than to the brethren. Of those who hold that patience should be shown to worldly people rather than to the brethren. This too should be…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.18 — Of those who pretend to patience but excite their brethren to anger by their silence. But what sort of a thing is this, that sometimes we fancy that we are patient because when provoked we scorn to answer, but by…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.19 — Of those who fast out of rage. There is too another evil sort of vexation which would not be worth mentioning were it not that we know it is allowed by some of the brethren who, when they have been vexed or enraged…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.20 — Of the feigned patience of some who offer the other cheek to be smitten. We are not ignorant also of another kind of insanity, which we find in some of the brethren under colour of a counterfeit patience, as in this…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.21 — A question how if we obey the commands of Christ we can fail of evangelical perfection. Germanus: How can we blame one who satisfies the command of the Gospel and not only does not retaliate, but is actually prepared…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.22 — The answer that Christ looks not only at the action but also at the will. Joseph: As was said a little before, we must look not only at the thing which is done, but also at the character of the mind and the purpose…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.23 — How he is the strong and vigorous man, who yields to the will of another. But you must certainly know that in general he plays a stronger part who subjects his own will to his brother’s, than he who is found to be…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.24 — How the weak are harmful and cannot bear wrongs. We must note too the fact that the nature of the weak is always such that they are quick and ready to offer reproaches and sow the seeds of quarrels, while they…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.25 — A question how he can be strong who does not always support the weak. Germanus: How then can the patience of a perfect man be worthy of praise if it cannot always bear the weak?vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.26 — The answer that the weak does not always allow himself to be borne. Joseph: I did not say that the virtue and endurance of one who is strong and robust would be overcome, but that the miserable condition of the weak,…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.27 — How anger should be repressed. We ought then to restrain every movement of anger and moderate it under the direction of discretion, that we may not by blind rage be hurried into that which is condemned by Solomon:…vatican.va
• Conferences XI–XVII XVI.28 — How friendships entered upon by conspiracy cannot be lasting ones. This too has been often proved by many experiments; viz., that those who entered the bonds of friendship from a beginning of conspiracy, cannot…vatican.va