A Vindication of the Prayerful Life

[thesmellypocket 1859]

 

 

[!]The text is rather hastily printed, suggesting it is a rather scrawled together thing: produced in the moment.  

 

An Engraving from Saint Jude’s Thesis on the Monastic Life.

 

I was writing another Thesis, and was studying in the library for it. But this has been committed to the flames - for I must write this in defence of the Glorious Patriarch, Saint Jude, who is not here. Now, I will preface what I write to say that I am aware I write of a canonised Saint. But that does not mean he is infallible - nay, often the Saints achieved the Skies in spite of and by overcoming error and vice. 

 

I think the Rule of Saint Humbert a very beautiful thing. The idea of monks, preaching and living among laymen, in order to affect the salvation of souls, had an effect even on some Judites, such as the late Father Humbert, O.S.J., who was so dedicated to pastoral work that he offered Confession much more regularly than the diocesan authorities who should have been engaged in that work (In fact, he was originally called Frederick, but chose Humbert as his monastic name), and not once has any Judite spoken ill of St. Humbert’s sons. I myself also do not think myself called to silent contemplation, but to preaching.

 

Yet where is the same courtesy from proponents of the Humbertines toward other monastics? Where is this charitable interpretation, this brotherhood, this love? I tell you truly, friends, it is nowhere to be found. Instead, wretched and impious accusation, dismissal of prayer and savage libel are hurled at those who would live differently, and thus the great wellspring of monastic life, including the greatest monastic of them all, Saint Jude, would be spat upon. (I exaggerate not; he spits on the Church for silent prayer - this is the absurdity of the Humbertines.)

 

They state:

 

‘Lo and behold the days of sloth are at an end. Silent prayer and contemplation have nearly ruined our Holy Mother Church and for this I spit upon it. No longer should there be cloisters of monks hidden away in this country working only toward their own individual souls to travel into the skies above for that is greed.’ 

 

This is a dunghill of utter nonsense and slander and should be dismissed with revulsion by any faithful Canonist. Why?

 

i)Firstly, it is clear that whoever agrees with this denies the efficacy of prayer. Because he clearly thinks silent prayer worthy of spit, and thinks it contains no value within itself. Therefore, a purely prayerful vocation is a greedy one, according to this. But yet it is well known that these monks are not saving themselves: rather, they are praying for others. So the author of this paper clearly dismisses prayer as good and useful within itself, showing himself a pure materialist and modernist. Perhaps the Humbertines will be merging with the Durant Company and their casinos and railways, for surely prayer avails nothing in itself, and is in goodness by material measure alone? On the contrary, praying for others is one of the most selfless things any man or woman can do. 

 

ii)Secondly, even the preacher needs silent prayer and contemplation. Do the Humbertines go into ‘battle’ - that is to say, spiritual warfare - without first turning to the Office and to their Rosaries? If they do, they are misleading many. For if a man can sincerely call a prayerful vocation greed, then what does prayer avail him, even if he does? And what shall his words be but empty and vacuous without true prayer? Therefore, clutch you to your Rosaries first - and then to your preaching second. For preaching without praying is like a galley without oars - it shall trail, directionless, instead of soaring forth triumphantly. Therefore, soar you great preachers, soar in prayer and in hymn. 

 

iii)The accusation of greed not only denies the efficacy of prayer, but also ignores the obvious truth. Do these monastics live entirely alone? No, they live in communities. There is a proverb that a Courlander’s home is his castle. That is, that he likes to enclose his gardens in wooden fences high enough so that he may enjoy privacy. Is this ***** custom contemptible? Rather not. For the faithful Courlander, perceiving the iniquity of the world, encloses his family, that they may attain salvation. Similarly, the Contemplative nun or monk sees that the world is full of folly - and retreats from it, but not alone. He does so with his new family, his brothers and sisters, and his Abbott. Together, they must, in perfect brotherhood, live entirely for one another. Is that not the opposite of greed? Is that worthy not of spit, but of praise and adulation? As said by the Judite Humbert: ‘I have heard enough of the rights of man. Let us now speak of the rights of GOD.’ 

 

iv)Fourthly, this position is only maintainable if you ignore the superabundant writings and treasures left by the Judites. In their beautiful liturgy, their chant compositions, the writings of Saint Jude himself, and in their manifold works of all types and interests, the Church has been greatly enriched in her position by the massive contribution of the Scholastics. As Saint Jude said (See The Monastic Life), to be able to write well is a key qualification of any monastic. And, in view of all the Angels, Prophets and Saints, has he not proved justified in that assertion? If you ask the Humbertines - no. These works are not even worth mentioning. 

 

Friends: I will not shrink from my firm conviction that I would think it would be a gain to Mankind, were she not vastly more superstitious, more prayerful, more bigoted, more gloomy, more fierce in her religion, than at present she shows herself to be. And furthermore I say, that this strand of materialism and modernism affecting the Church is curable only in and through prayer. Let there be no dissent among us. But let us rather have one Pope, to be united in his service, and to reject those who would fling such un-charitability in the Church today. 

 

May the grace of our Lord God be with you always. 

 

Brother Philip Pius Coppinger, Seminarian.

[frill 2277]

Old Haraccus clutches the essay close to his eyes as he reads its very message! His chest rising and falling with the fervent pride of a man in zealous agreement, he makes note of the name of the author in some dingy back-alley of his memory, knowing full well to keep the idea of ever meeting a pious man of such a kindred mind in his prayers.

[lev 627]

A passing Humbertine Monk asks Brother Philip to pull his finger.