Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 edition. Excerpt: ...be in danger, which can hardly be the ease with us, as we take care to keep ourselves in such a state as we wish to be at the hour of our death. Superiors should take a reasonable care of their health which is more necessary to the Community thau that of any other member." CHAPTER XIII. ON OBEDIENCE. Having united his children in the bonds of charity, the Superior should also endeavor to unite them to himself by obedience. He should labor strenuously to accomplish this object. It is in obedience that the essence of the religious life consists. This virtue, then, is to be maintained in its full vigor, with all possible strictness. " Obedience alone," says St. Alphonsus, " can preserve the Order and its true spirit; but I repeat, obedience towards every one who holds the place of the Superior; for otherwise the whole Order will be in peril. Hence, any other fault can be more easily forgiven, than those against obedience. If perfect obedience be given up, the Order will be destroyed." In the lives of the holy founders of religious Orders we read, that they were slow to command, but that they were strict in maintaining obedience. Although they easily forgave every other fault, yet their severity was great when even a slight deviation from obedience was in question. But as in religion, everything should be done out of love, nothing by constraint, the Superior should do all in his power to make his subjects conceive a great love for the holy virtue of obedience. To accomplish this, he ought frequently to hold out to his subjects, in public and in private, in season and out of season, the excellence, the beauty, the merit and all the advantages of this virtue. The yoke of Jesus Christ is sweet, and easy to carry, if viewed in a proper manner....
