Duquesne Studies, Spiritan Series 3: the Spiritual Writings of Father
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CHOIX D'UN ETAT DE VIE TrHE CHOICE OF A STATE OF LIFE . INTRODUCTION Le manuscrit. Le manuscrit comprend une serie de dix-neuf pages placees a la suite des REFLEXIONS sans titre particulier. Nous l'appel- lerons ici CHOIX. L'autographe de Poullart des Places n'existe plus, mais nous en possedons une copie ecrite de la main soigneuse d'un con- temporain, M. Pierre Thomas, c.s.sp. Tout comme dans REFLEXIONS, la marge contient ici et la des formules latines que nous avons inserees dans le texte aux endroits appropries, sans repondre, pourtant, de leur authenticity Temps et lieu de composition. L'auteur ecrivit CHOIX immediatement apres REFLEXIONS, lors de la retraite qu'il fit, a l'ete de 1700, au noviciat parisien des Jesuites, rue du Pot-de-Fer. But. Les Exercices de Saint Ignace invitaient les retraitants a choisir un etat de vie, des qu'ils avaient medite sur les verites eternelles de la religion. Les Jesuites avaient l'habitude de proposer cet examen a leurs finissants pendant la retraite finale qu'ils leur prechaient. lis proce- derent ainsi a la retraite que Claude suivit a leur noviciat. Analyse de Vecrit. Dans une priere initiale, Claude demande a Dieu la grace de se detacher de toute vue mondaine et de s'examiner a la lumiere de l'eternite. Puis, dessinant un portrait de son ame, il fait le bilan "impartial" de ses qualites et de ses defauts. Les ombres de ce tableau sont evidemment trop prononcees, comme il fallait s'y atten- dre; mais les qualites y ressortent aussi avec franchise et humilite. Dans un dialogue assez curieux entre lui-meme et son coeur, l'auteur procede ensuite a 1'examen meticuleux des "trois etats de vie", savoir le cloitre, le sacerdoce et le monde. La vie religieuse comme Chartreux l'attire quelque peu, mais il craint que sa vanite ne soit a l'origine d'un tel attrait. II ne voudrait pas, d'ailleurs, quitter pour toujours sa famille qu'il aime tendrement. Finalement, il conclut que la vie du cloitre ne s'harmonise pas suffisamment avec ses gouts. La deuxieme partie de son examen est beaucoup plus elaboree. II tourne alors ses yeux vers le clerge seculier, et cherche les raisons pro- fondes de son attrait pour 1'etat ecclesiastique. II veut convertir les ames; il veut devenir plus vertueux; il veut etre a meme de faire du bien et de secourir les pauvres; mais d'un autre cote il est ambitieux, inconstant, vaniteux, soucieux a l'exces de plaire aux autres ... II se reconnait finalement plus attire par le sacerdoce que par la vie monastique. 86 INTRODUCTION The Manuscript. The manuscript, which we indicate here as CHOICE, consists of nineteen pages of the same format as the REFLECTIONS, which they follow without any special title. The original autograph no longer exists, but we possess a neatly written copy from the hand of the Founder's contemporary, Father Peter Thomas, C.S.Sp. As in the REFLECTIONS, the margin contains here and there Latin texts which summarize the contents of a paragraph or of a few sentences. We have inserted them into the text itself at the appropriate places, although, as was pointed out in the Introduction to the REFLECTIONS, their authenticity is open to question. Time and Place of Composition. During the retreat he made in the summer of 1700 at the Parisian Jesuit Novitiate in the rue Pot-de-Fer, Claude wrote the CHOICE immediately after the REFLECTIONS. Purpose. The Exercises of Saint Ignatius urged that the choice of a state of life be considered after one had meditated on the eternal truths of religion in a retreat. It was customary for the Jesuits to propose such an examination in the Commencement Retreat which they gave to their departing students. The same pattern was followed in the retreat Claude made in their Novitiate. Method and Analysis of Content. After an opening prayer in which he asks God's guidance to help him in putting aside all worldly views and in examining himself in the light of eternity, Claude takes stock of himself by drawing a spiritual selfportrait in which he lists "impartially" all his good qualities and defects. As is so often the case with saintly persons, however, the dark areas are somewhat overdrawn. On the other hand, he also candidly lists his good points without any show of false humility. Next he proceeds to examine the "three states of life," viz., the cloister, the priesthood, and the world, in a curious kind of dialog between him- self and his heart. The religious life as a Carthusian monk has some appeal, but he fears that motives of vanity may be involved, he mentions the attachment to his parents and sister that would make him loath to leave them forever, and ends by concluding that the religious life is not in accord with his taste. He then devotes his attention to the secular priesthood. This part of the examination is worked out in much more detail. He indicates the reasons why the priesthood attracts him: to convert souls to God, to be more virtuous, to be better able to do good and help the poor. Against it he lists his ambition, inconstancy, vanity, over-anxiety to please others, etc. The conclusion is that he leans more toward the priesthood than toward the monastic life. 87 88 Merits Spirituels de M. Poullart des Places Enfin, dans quelques pages, il pese les differentes fonctions qu'il pourrait exercer dans le monde. L'armee et les affaires ne l'interessent pas. II ne detesterait pas la vie de magistrat, mais il sent que la cour compromettrait son salut. Son ambition et ses autres passions font pourtant miroiter l'eclat d'une telle carriere, de telle sorte qu'il ne la rejette pas categoriquement . L'examen demontre clairement sa preference pour l'etat eccle- siastique, mais Claude ne veut pas prendre lui-meme la grande decision. II portera plutot ces pages qu'il vient d'ecrire au Pere Sanadon, le predicateur de la retraite, et celui-ci lui dira quel etat de vie embrasser. II le fit, et Claude devint pretre. Mais nous sommes deja en dehors du texte lui-meme. Valeur. Bien que ces pages soient strictement personnelles, elles ne renferment pas moins un bel exemple du processus qu'un jeune homme doit suivre dans le choix d'un etat de vie. De plus, elles nous donnent l'occasion unique de penetrer dans Fame du jeune avocat pour exami- ner, de l'interieur meme, sa vie spirituelle sous un angle nouveau. TEXTE 1. Priere d'ouverture. MON DlEU, DAIGNEZ ME FAIRE CONNAITRE MON ETAT DE VIE. O mon Dieu qui conduisez a la celeste Jerusalem les hommes qui se confient veritablement a vous, j'ai recours a votre divine Providence, je m'abandonne entierement a elle, je renonce a mon inclination, a mes appetits et a ma propre volonte pour suivre aveuglement la votre. Daignez me faire connaitre ce que vous voulez que je fasse, afin que remplissant ici-bas le genre de vie auquel vous m'avez destine, je puisse vous servir, pendant mon pelerinage, dans un etat ou je vous sois agreable et ou vous repandiez sur moi abondamment les graces dont j'ai besoin pour rendre a jamais la gloire qui est due a votre divine Majeste. Notam fac mihi viam in qua ambulem, quia ad te levavi animam meam [Fais-moi con- naitre la voie ou je dois marcher, car vers toi j'eleve mon ame (Ps. 142 : 8)]. TlREZ-MOI DE MON INDETERMINATION. C'est dans cette retraite, mon Dieu, que j'espere que vous parlerez Choice of a State of Life 89 Finally, he consecrates a few pages to positions in the world. Careers in the Army and the business world hold no appeal. More consideration is given to a place at the Court or the civil magistracy. However, he feels that the Court would endanger his eternal salvation. Being a magis- trate is about the only thing that holds any attraction for him in the world. Although he realizes that because of his ambition and other passions such a position could jeopardize his spiritual life, he cannot resolutely set it aside. The examination clearly shows his preference for the priesthood, but Claude fears to decide personally what state of life he will engage in. He wants to allow his retreat master, Father Sanadon, to make a decision on the basis of his examination. Father Sanadon's reply, which is not recorded in Claude's notes, was in favor of the priesthood. Value. Although these pages are of a strictly personal nature, they could serve as an example of the way in which a pious young man of some maturity could analyse his vocational tendencies. Moreover, they offer us a rare opportunity to have a look from within, as it were, into the spiritual life of this young lawyer at the moment when he decided to live only for God. TEXT 1. Opening Prayer My God, Deign to Let Me Know My State of Life my God, guide to the heavenly Jerusalem of those who truly trust in You, I have recourse to Your Divine Providence. I abandon myself entirely to You, I renounce my inclinations, my appetites, and my own will, in order to follow Your will. Deign to reveal to me what You want me to do, so that, leading here below the kind of life for which You have destined me, I may realize that I am truly serving You during my pilgrimage in a state in which I am pleasing to You and in which You pour out abundantly upon me the graces I need to render always to Your Divine Majesty the glory that is its due.