but to their contraries, as in the meditation on hell; and then the affections we should experience would be horror, aversion, loathing, hate, fear, etc.

The fourth is to touch with the interior touch, as, for example, to embrace and kiss the places (36) where such persons tread or sit, always taking care to derive profit therefrom.

(36) Note that S. Ignatius speaks of touching only the places where persons tread or sit, not the persons themselves, nor even their garments. See Directory xx, 1, and Additional

Note 0, § 2, p. 254.

The Exercise is to be concluded with a colloquy as in the first and second contemplations, and with an Our Father.

Five Observations

I. It is to be observed for the whole of this and the following Weeks, that I ought to read only the Mystery of the contemplation which I am immediately about to make; so that, for the time being, I should not read any Mystery which I am not to consider on that day or at that hour, in order that the consideration of one Mystery may not disturb the consideration of another.

II. The first Exercise on the Incarnation will be made at midnight; the second at daybreak; the third about the hour of Mass; the fourth at the hour of Vespers; and the fifth before supper-time, continuing in each of these five Exercises for the space of an hour; and the same order will be observed in all that follows (37).

(37) But see Observation II, p. 142, and Observation II, p. 152, and Directory xxi, 1, whence it appears that the number of the meditations may be varied at the discretion of the director.

III. It is to be noticed that if the exercitant be old, or weak; or even, though in robust health, he has become in any way exhausted by the First Week, it is better that in this Second Week, at least sometimes, he should not rise at midnight, but should make in the early morning one contemplation, and another about the hour of Mass, and another (38) before dinner, and one repetition of these at the time of Vespers, and afterwards apply the senses before supper.

(38) From this it is plain that as a general rule S. Ignatius intends five Exercises to be made each day even when the exer

citant does not rise at midnight. See, however, Directory iii, 8, xxi. 1.

IV. In this Second Week, among the ten Additions which have been mentioned in the First Week, the second, sixth, seventh, and in part the tenth are to be changed.

In the second the change will be immediately on awaking to place before my eyes the contemplation which I have to make, desiring to know more intimately the eternal Word Incarnate, in order that I may serve Him better and follow Him more closely.

And the sixth will be to call frequently to mind the life and Mysteries of Christ our Lord, beginning from His Incarnation until the place or Mystery which I am engaged in contemplating.

And the seventh will be that the exercitant should take care to make use of darkness or light, and of fine weather or the reverse, just so far as he shall feel that it may be profitable and may help him to find what he desires.

And in the tenth Addition the exercitant ought to conduct himself according to the Mysteries which he contemplates, for some of them require penance and others do not. Thus let all the ten Additions be observed with great care.

V. In all the Exercises, except those at midnight and in the early morning, something equivalent to the second Addition will be adopted in the following manner: immediately I remember that it is the hour for the Exercise which I have to make, before going to it, I will place before my eyes whither I am going and into Whose Presence, reviewing briefly the Exercise which I am about to make, and afterwards, observing the third Addition, I will enter upon the Exercise.

THE SECOND DAY

Take for the first and second contemplation the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt, as to a place of exile; and upon these two contemplations let two repetitions be made, and the application of the five senses, in the same way as was done on the preceding day.

Even though the exercitant be strong and well-disposed, it will sometimes be useful to make some change, beginning from this second day till the fourth inclusive (39), in order that he may the more readily find what he desires; taking only one contemplation at daybreak, and another about the hour of Mass, and making a

repetition of them at the hour of Vespers, and an application of the senses before supper.

(39) It is only for these three days, from the second to the fourth inclusive, that S. Ignatius allows us sometimes to reduce the number of exercises from five to four, by the omission of one of the repetitions. The reason of this concession is, no doubt, that the mind of the retreatant may be somewhat rested before coming to the important work of the Election, which begins on the fifth day. See however Note 37, p. 95.

THE THIRD DAY

How the Child Jesus was obedient to His parents at Nazareth, and how afterwards they found Him in the Temple (40); and then make the two repetitions, and apply the five senses.

(40) S. Ignatius has designedly inverted the order in which S. Luke relates these two Mysteries, so that we might first contemplate the example of our Lord in the common state, and then in the more perfect state, before we go on to consider in which of the two God wills us to serve Him.

These two states are clearly distinguished in the Gospel. The first: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.' The second: 'If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow Me' (S. Matt. xix. 17, 21).

It is as foreshadowing this second and more perfect state that we are to contemplate our Lord leaving S. Joseph and His Blessed Mother and remaining in the Temple. What He did on this occasion for a few days, He was afterwards to do permanently when He left His home at Nazareth to begin His public life, and to be henceforth wholly engaged in His Father's business.

Preamble to the Consideration of States of Life

Having already considered the example which Christ our Lord has given us for the first state, which consists in the observance of the commandments, while He was obedient to His parents; and likewise for the second, which is that of evangelical perfection, when He remained in the Temple, leaving His foster father and His natural mother, that He might apply Himself exclusively to the service of His eternal Father; we will begin, at the same time (41) that we contemplate His life, to investigate and to ask

(42) in what kind of life or state His divine Majesty wishes to make use of us.

And thus, by way of some introduction to this matter (43), in the first Exercise that follows we will note the intention of Christ our Lord, and on the other hand that of the enemy of human nature; and how we ought to dispose ourselves in order to arrive at perfection in whatever state or kind of life (44) God our Lord shall give us to elect (45).

(41) At the same time that we contemplate, i.e. we are not to intermit our contemplations on the Mysteries of our Lord's Life while we apply ourselves to the investigation of the state of life to which God calls us, but the two things are to go on together. The contemplations will greatly help us to see to which of the two states our Lord is calling us. Accordingly they are resumed on the fifth day, after the meditations on Two Standards and on Three Classes, both of which are especially designed to prepare us for contemplating the Mysteries with those dispositions which will best fit us to hear and obey the call of God, and to make a good Election when the time for it arrives. (42) To investigate and to ask. Both these things are necessary. We must do our part in investigating with all the care we can in what way our Lord would have us serve Him; and yet at the same time we must not rely upon our own judgment, but ask earnestly for divine light and guidance. For this is a matter in which we may easily be deceived unless the Holy Spirit illuminates and guides us. Therefore we must earnestly implore His help all through this business of deliberation and election.

(43) By way of some introduction to this matter. The meditation on Two Standards is an introduction to the whole matter of the Election. It is followed, on the same day, by the Three Classes, after which, on the fifth day, the rules and methods of Election, should be explained to the exercitant, and likewise the three Modes of Humility, in order that he may be turning them over in his mind while he continues his contemplations.

(44) To arrive at perfection in whatever state or kind of life. Perfection, therefore, is not confined to the Religious state: it may be attained in whatever state or kind of life God calls us to serve Him.

(45) Shall give us to elect, i.e. in answer to our investigation and prayer, especially the latter. Every true vocation, and

especially a vocation to the priesthood or to Religion, must come from God. It is His gift: no man taketh this honour unto himself' (Heb. v. 4). See also Consideration for the purpose of taking knowledge of the matters about which an Election ought to be made, point III, p. 127.

What S. Ignatius says in this Preamble concerning the scope and purpose of the following Exercise on the Two Standards should be most carefully considered. This great meditation is not proposed to us in order that we may choose under which standard we shall serve, Christ's or Lucifer's. Any thought of such an alternative would be dishonouring to our Lord, and altogether absurd at this point of the Exercises. For already in the First Week we have renounced the devil and all his works, and in the meditation on the Kingdom of Christ we have renewed our allegiance to our Lord as our only rightful King and Leader. There can, therefore, be no further deliberation as to which leader we will follow. Our choice has been already made. The purpose of this meditation on Two Standards is rather that we may thoroughly understand the character and purpose of the two leaders, and the means which they use to bring men under their respective standards, so that we may know how to guard against the deceits and snares of the one, and be helped to follow the call of the other. This is what S. Ignatius means by the intention of each of these two leaders. The word is to

be understood as referring not only to the final end which each has in view, but also to the means by which each seeks to draw men here and now to his standard, and thus to lead them on little by little to the end. And it should be particularly noticed that the means which S. Ignatius speaks of our Lord and Lucifer as using for their respective purposes are things in themselves indifferent. For if they were things evidently in themselves good or bad, every one who seriously contemplates making an Election must be supposed to be firmly resolved to embrace the one and reject the other. The Exercises of the First Week ought to have brought us so far as that. Moreover in the Two Standards it is the deceits of Lucifer (third prelude) which are proposed for our consideration, and they could not be called deceits if they were temptations to things evidently bad.