CHRISTIANS who wish to escape
the rigours of Purgatory must love the mortification of their Divine Master,
and beware of being delicate members under a Head crowned with thorns. On
February 10, 1656, in the province of Lyons, Father Francis of Aix, of the
Society of Jesus, passed away to a better life. He carried all the virtues of a
Religious to a high degree of perfection. Penetrated with a profound veneration
towards the Most Blessed Trinity, he had for particular intention in all his
prayers and mortifications to honour this August Mystery; to embrace by
preference those works for which others showed less inclination, had a
particular charm for him. He often visited the Blessed Sacrament, even during
the night, and never left the door of his room without going to say a prayer at
the foot of the altar. His penances, which were in a manner excessive, gave him
the name of the man of suffering. He replied to one who advised him to moderate
them, “ The day which 2 should allow to pass without shedding some drops of my
blood to offer to my God would be for me the most painful and the severest
mortification. Since I cannot hope to suffer martyrdom for the love of Jesus
Christ, will at least have some part in His sufferings.
This brother, some days after
his death, appeared to Father d Aix, clothed in frightful haircloth, and suffering
great torments, in punishment for the faults of sensuality which he had
committed during life. He implored the assistance of his prayers, and
immediately disappeared.
Another fault, against which
we must guard, because we so easily fall into it, is the un mortification of the
tongue. Oh! How easy it is to err in words ! How rare a thing it is to speak
for any length of time without offending against meekness, humility, sincerity,
or Christian charity! Even pious persons are often subject to this defect; when
they have escaped all the other snares of the demon, they allow themselves to
be taken, says St. Jerome, in this last trap slander. Let us listen to what is
related by Vincent de Beauvais. When the
celebrated Durand, who, in the eleventh century, shed lustre on the Order of
St. Dominic, was yet a simple Religious, he showed himself a model of
regularity and fervour ; yet he had one defect. The vivacity of his disposition
led him to talk too much; he was excessively found of witty expressions, often
at the expense of charity. Hugh, his Abbot, brought this under his notice, even
predicting that, if he did not correct himself of this fault, he would certainly
have to expiate it in Purgatory. Durand did not attach sufficient importance to
this advice, and continued to give himself, without much restraint, to the
disorders of the tongue. After his death, the prediction of the Abbot Hugh was
fulfilled. Durand appeared to a religious, one of his friends, imploring him to
assist him by his prayers, because he was frightfully punished for the
unmortification of his tongue. In consequence of this apparition, the members
of the community unanimously agreed to observe strict silence for eight days,
and to practice other good works for the repose of the deceased. These charitable
exercises produced their effect; some time after Durand again appeared, but now
to announce his deliverance.
