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COMMON LIFE The principal duty which the Virtue of Poverty
imposes on Religious is the common life, which
also is for each the source of many merits.
The common life in a Religious house consists in this, that every
one, not excepting the Superiors, should be satisfied with the nourishment,
clothing, etc., which is given to all the others,
without the least privilege for any, and without
any expense but what is truly necessary.
The common life is a capital point for the preservation of the
Religious spirit. Hence, Superiors are bound to maintain it with solicitude
and firmness, and inferiors cannot show too much
zeal and delicacy in observing it. Two things,
however, should be observed:
1. That Superiors can exact the common life
only inasmuch as they provide properly for each
one's necessities.
2. That an exception founded on just motives, of which the Superior is the lawful judge,
is not contrary to the common life.
The most fatal breach in the common life—or,
to speak better, in the wall of Religious Poverty—
would be free use of little sums of money. By
this is meant sums of money coming either from
the private property of the Religious or from
gifts received from other quarters—as, for example, from parents—the free use of which the
Superior would consent to allow the Sister. This
abuse threatens nothing less than the ruin of the spirit of Poverty,
and leads Religious Institutes to infallible decay.
It would be an abuse somewhat like the preceding one to dispose of the same money relying
on permission asked for form's sake, and granted
only through complaisance. Such conduct in Religious Communities is at the same time hurtful
to Poverty, and to the edification and union that
should exist among Sisters.
ADVANTAGES AND PRACTICES OF RELIGIOUS
POVERTY
Poverty is called the bulwark of religion. That
is, it is its foundation and rampart, not only for
the whole body, but also for each of the members.
2. Religious Poverty is a rich and precious
source of merits, when you take well its spirit
and observe faithfully its holy delicacy. So Our
Lord has promised it, with the hundred-fold of
this life, not only the inheritance of eternal life,
but also a treasure in Heaven.
For the exterior practice of Religious Poverty:
1. A first degree is to dispose of nothing without the Superior's consent; this is the matter of
the Vow.
2. A second degree is to be satisfied with
what is necessary, to remove all irregular affection, as well as all that is superfluous for your
support; this is the obligatory matter of the virtue.
3. A third degree is to be inclined to what is
least desirable in the Community, and to be content that it be our part, for dwelling, garments,
etc.
4. A fourth degree is to love sometimes to be
without what is necessary, with discretion, however, and without
prejudice to health, and to rejoice when Jesus Christ, our Lord, gives us a
part of His poverty. For the interior practice, a Religious "who has
the spirit of Poverty will accustom herself to regard as consecrated to God all that belongs to
the
Community or is intended for its use. She will hold to nothing, and
will always Be ready to allow herself to be deprived of all. She will love
to consider herself as a poor woman, who receives
everything as alms, and is grateful for everything given her—very far from thinking she is
wronged when anything is refused her.
Finally, she will practise the sacrificing of all
temporal goods and the conveniences they procure, through a principle of mortification and
penance; in expiation for her sins; through contempt of earthly goods, and to secure to herself
those of Heaven; through love for Jesus Christ, her divine King and
Spouse, and through the desire of resembling Him in His poverty, and in
order that all her affections may be undividedly
given to her Lord.
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