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As the members of he Order of Prémontré should endeavour to imitate the virtues of their holy Founder, they should study the works and words of the Saint as they find them recorded in his life and writings.
The Tertiaries are moreover bound by Rule VI to make a short meditation and to read spiritual books, especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation or at their weekly or monthly meetings.
They will thus carefully read the following Exhortations and Counsels of St. Norbert, and ponder well each word, so as to obtain a fuller knowledge of the inner life of the "Man of God," and of the spirit that animated him in all his dealings with God and man.
I. The Sermon of St. Norbert:
Be Diligent in the Service of God:
We exhort you, dearest brethren, to be most diligent in the service of God, to Whom you have consecrated yourselves by the solemn profession of your vows. for, having of your own free will and from pure love of God renounced your earthly possessions and even yourselves, you are obliged daily to carry the Cross of Christ; that is, you are obliged continually to mortify your passions and to spend your whole life in works of penance.
This is, indeed, the narrow road to Heaven. This is the road which Jesus Christ has pointed out beforehand, both by His life and death, by His words and deeds, and which guides to our heavenly home all those who to the end of their lives walk in that path. You cannot go to Christ unless you enter upon this road with courage, confidence and earnest endeavor; for the Apostle St. Paul has said, "None is crowned except he strive lawfully;" [Son-001] and St. John, "Who abideth in Christ ought himself to walk even as He walked." [Son-002]
Walk, therefore, continually in the way which God has shown you, lest death surprise you. Let your obedience be prompt, your poverty voluntary, your chastity above suspicion. Without these three virtues, that which constitutes an Order is wholly destroyed.
Shun the World:
You have promised stability or perseverance in this holy place; remain, therefore, faithful in the service of God, and never grow weary of your duties in the monastery; depart from it rarely and then only in necessity, lest you lose in dissipation of time the sweetness of a virtuous life and the consolation which you find in contemplation of the divine mysteries; lest you open the door to love and this deceitful transient world in which all is danger and wickedness. A fish out of water soon dies; so a weak Religious seeking frequent contact with the world, no longer protected by the shelter of the cloister, no longer aided by the example and salutary lessons of his brethren, soon falls into sin and is ensnared in the toils of everlasting death. Flee the company of worldly persons as the fish avoids dry land, but love the cloister, which protects you and keeps your mind pure. You will be unworthy of the name of Religious, if despite this sacred bond, you show by your desires that you are attached to the world rather than to God alone.
Keep a Watch Over Your Tongue:
Remain, therefore, constantly in the monastery; be steadfast, charitable, agreeable. Avoid murmuring, detraction, envy, that you may dwell together in the house of God in peace and concord. A slanderous and deceitful tongue is a spreading evil and full of deadly poison. It never ceases to do harm, it destroys peace, it paralyzes all devotion. It is therefore written: "A quarrelsome and grumbling monk is never a true monk."
Restrain your tongue. Lift up your hearts to the Kingdom of Heaven, where are all true joys. Moved by the desire of perfection, follow the saints beyond the clouds on the wings of contemplation. Bear with grief the burden of your bodies, that you may say with the Apostle: "I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ." [Son-003] and with the Psalmist: "Bring our souls out of the prison of our bodies." [Son-004] that you may reign eternally with Christ.
Fear God's Justice:
Though outwardly fairly clad with the white habit, a symbol of simplicity and innocence, should any of you having unfortunately lost the spirit of religious perfection, neglect the discipline of the Order, and deespise the wholesome lessons of your superiors, even though you be superior, may you remember that the thoughts of our hearts are known to God and that unless you repent in time, you will not escape the eternal torments of Hell, wherein "there is no order, but where an everlasting horror dwells." [Son-005]
Endeavor, therefore, to avoid the terrible judgment of God by constantly doing His Will in fear and righteousness, that God may keep you in holy religion, and that in His Mercy He may preserve you from punishment in Hell. God will reward abundantly those who are faithful in His service: for God gives great rewards for small services, eternal rewards for temporal services, as He Himself promises His disciples: "What will be the reward for contempt and detachment from all things and for the good works we have performed?" they asked. "You will receive a hundred-fold, and shall possess life everlasting." [Son-006]
Love the Word of God:
My dear children, never find irksome the reading of this short exhortation to be faithful in the service of God. The word of God, according to the Prophet, is a fire fanned by the breath of the Holy Spirit: it consumes vices; it promotes virtue; it opens the treasures of wisdom to well-disposed souls and gives them the food of heaven. Therefore, Our Savior has said: "Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it." [Son-007] In this manner, Mary Magdalen by listening attentively and devoutly to the Word of God, is said to have chosen the "best part" which Martha, so solicitous in her outward administrations, was unable to obtain. Listen cheerfully to the Word of God, keep it wisely, and observe it faithfully, that at the end of time you may rejoice to hear these consolling words of Christ: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess the Kingdom of Heaven." [Son-008]
Think of the Delights of Heaven:
In Heaven, God will wipe away all tears from your eyes, and you will obtain forever peace and rest, the glorious vision, and knowledge of His infinite perfections. God will dry your tears; there shall be no more death, nor pain, for your short sufferings will soon pass away. God shall manifest the heavenly consolations which he has reserved for all who fear him. There you shall taste those never-ending delights which God has prepared for your consolation and for that of all His elect. There shall the wholesome fountain of God's garden refresh you; there the overflowing wells of living waters shall revivify you; there shall the abundant delights of the house of God gratify you. There God shall envelop you in virtue and power; resplendent in the brightness of eternal light. He shall minister unto you and shall give Himself as your reward exceedingly great, magnificent recompense in which His largesse surpasses all your desires, as He promised Abraham to reward his faith and obedience: "I shall be thy reward exceedingly great." [Son-009] This is the one pearl of great price, to obtain which you must sell all you now possess. The greatness of this reward no man, says St. Paul, can understand nor fully comprehend, did God not give it to him out of pure charity, no man could fully merit it either by the practice of a virtuous life or by his good works and mortifications; for "the sufferings of this time," the Apostle says, "are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us." [Son-010] Pray, then, with fervor to the Omnipotent God, Who for our sake became man. Who knows the weakness of human nature, so prone to evil, to help you by His mercy, to guard you by His charity, in order that you may not be drawn away from Him by the love of the world, but that you obtain your eternal crown in Heaven. May He Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever grant you this grace. Amen.
II. Spiritual Counsels and Holy Exercises of St. Norbert:
Faith:
It is the duty of a man to follow the dictates of reason; it is the duty of a perfect and holy man to follow the dictates of faith.
He who does not from the bottom of his heart and with the utmost reverence meditate on the mysteries of holy faith may take it for certain that he will never duly love and venerate them.
Faith without good works, deprived of charity is like to a lamp without oil and a candle unlighted.
If you strike a flint with steel, you will obtain a spark of fire; likewise a lively faith in the Divine Mysteries will bring forth burning sparks of divine love from hearts of stone.
Above all, meditate frequently on these three mysteries:
A God Incarnate, the Son of the Eternal Father, condescending to be born in a stable and patiently enduring, for your salvation, lying on a little hay and straw.
A Spouse of fair love, giving you at the Last Supper His own flesh and blood,
Christ, the Lamb that was slain, becoming obedient unto death, which He suffered for love of you on Calvary.
These are three furnaces from which you can draw the burning fire to quicken your faith and enkindle your charity.
Piety and Religion:
Bees fly from flower to flower to gather honey everywhere; likewise a soul must search into the various mysteries of our faith to acquire therefrom devotion and piety. Especially when the Blessed Sacrament, the true Body of Christ, is exposed on the Altar or received by you in Holy Communion, be mindful to use all your strength in endeavoring to offer to your Divine Guest all the faculties of your soul, especially your will and to awaken in your heart the most fervent love.
He is no true son of the ever Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, who is not with his whole heart devoted to her.
The intention of this Mother of fair love in adorning us with the white habit - a symbol of purity - was no other than to teach us a true devotion to her Immaculate Conception. If your heart be not aflame with love, if you do not possess virginal chastity, you are a Canon of Prémontré only in dress and name.
You must have a great veneration for the relics of the Saints, for they are more precious than all the treasures of the world. Should you possess any in your house, consider them as the guardians of your home and your heart.
Hope and Confidence in God:
To trust in one's own strength is to build upon sand or to lean on a broken stick.
Love for the Poor and of Poverty:
To harbor poor people, sharing what we possess with them, is the source of abundant plenty.
He who, of his own free will, has become poor for God's sake ought not complain when he is treated and clad like the poor.
Having dwelt at court and in the midest of wealth, I have learned by experience that there the heart is never satisfied, and that when far away from these the heart is at rest.
Riches pass away, but holy poverty is a lasting good and a token of a happy eternity.
Patience, Meekness and Affability:
We learn in the school of truth not to render evil for evil, but to render good for evil.
Do you suffer persecution? Be patient; are you better than your Master? Are you blamed, falsely accused, or disgraced? Be courageous; is this not a sign of true friendship?
Endeavor to win the friendship of your neighbor by the following means: Be courteous in your conversation, have a cheerful countenance, and say a kind and welcome word.
Humility:
If one scale of the balance goes up, the other comes down; in the same manner do you take a lower place when the world despises you?
The judgments of God differ from those of man; God gives you what you deserve and nothing more. When you are despised and laughed at when you receive an insult or an injury, be thankful from the bottom of your heart, and show yourself agreeable and courteous towards him who does you wrong. Lay aside all thoughts of revenge and say: "How just is God, Who in His mercy deigns to give me what my sins have deserved!"
Not much attention is paid to children when they talk and act foolishly, because that is not unbecoming their age; but when a Religious, whose only aim ought to be to remain unknown to the world, covets honours and dignities, he deserves to be called foolish and vain.
To employ one's self about humble and mean services, to despise no one except one's self, constitutes the food of perfect humility.
Learn at least this true lesson, that the Holy Spirit will not dwell in the hearts of the proud.
Chastity:
Chastity is a flower which a Religious of the Order of Prémontré must always carry and preserve; for like a precious pearl in a crown must his chastity be; well known and of good repute, and shining forth in all his actions.
To be indulgent to one's own body is to nourish one's enemy.
He who covets a life in the midst of worldly people without suffering loss of chastity is like to a man who presumes to touch pitch without staining his hands.
Obedience and Resignation:
He who always acts in order to please God, and avoids that which displeases God, is constantly in the enjoyment of internal peace and happiness. Never follow your own will, but have in all things recourse to God, saying: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?" Should God raise you up in prosperity, or let you fall into adversity, or not grant you what you expect, what is all this to you? Such is the will of God, and you must make your will conformable to His. If you rejoice to find that you have obtained all you have asked for of God, how dare you refuse Him?
When your Superiors speak, think that they stand in God's place. Listen in all humility to what they say, and obey them directly. I deem it preferable to enter a burning furnace, to suffer even death itself, than not to obey.
Distrust of one's self and confidence in God is the foundation on which solid virtue is built.
When you have undertaken a work, however difficult and arduous it may be, in which the honour of God is concerned, have recourse to God with this prayer: "Behold, O Lord, without Thy assistance I can do nothing, but with Thee all things are possible". After this expect a prosperous result.
Do what you will, your good resolutions are sure to receive some check; but never lose your courage, for whatever your Heavenly Father has planted in your hearts cannot be rooted up, unless you distrust the mercy of God.
Never fear, even though the world and the flesh may declare war and rebel against you, and the devil encompass you; for Satan has lost much of his power ever since our Saviour has taken his arms from him. Let this thought enkindle your faith, and then say with great confidence: "If God is for us, who is against us?"
Have recourse to God's holy Providence in all confidence, for God will never fail you. With a strong hand and lifted arm will He guide you, and never will He forsake you.
Prayer and Recollection:
A talkative, over-curious, and restless person is like an oven which is open and exposed on all sides, and which keeps no heat; you will never enjoy the sweetness of a quiet prayer unless you shut your mind to all worldly desires and temporal affairs.
The Holy Scriptures will teach you how to pray.
A prayer-book is the occupation of Saints. Make good use of it, and you will be able to find therein a source of holy fervour. Let prayer be the beginning, the middle, and the end of all your works. Against temptations you will find no better, no readier shield than that of prayer.
I see no difference between a fish out of water and a Religious whose mind knows no recollection, but wanders about and is distracted by worldly and indifferent cares.
Love of God:
Do you wish to know an object worthy of your love? God alone, and nothing else.
If you think often of God, if you do all things for His greater glory, if you are ready to work and suffer for Him alone, you may then believe that you love God with a true love and a praiseworthy zeal.
To live for God, and God alone, is the true and only happiness of Heaven.
When I was persecuted, insulted and buffeted, I prayed to God for nothing so much as to shed my blood and to lay down my life for the sake of my Redeemer. Believe me that to wish for martyrdom, and not to suffer martyrdom, is an immense torture for a soul that is consumed with pure love of God.
Speaking frequently of the eternal happiness of Heaven is like a spiritual loadstone, whereby the most hardened hearts are attracted to the love of God. He who serves God only to be seen by others drinks a poison which causes death.
Love of Our Neighbour:
Do willingly all you can for the sake of your neighbour; unless you do so, you do not love your neighbour as yourself.
He who from the fields of sublime thoughts gathers a harvest of high-sounding phrases, not so much in order to teach the ignorant the ways of salvation as to pass for a learned man, certainly does not love his neighbour, but himself instead.
Charity demands that vices should be pointed out and censured. A preacher who neglects to do so is like a house-dog that does not bark.
It is no small matter to save but one soul for God. Should but a single sheep have gone astray, seek it; and having found it, bring it back to the fold.
When you do for your neighbour what you wish to have done for yourself, you prove that you love him; but when you willingly and courageously put yourself between your neighbour and his enemy, and so shield him from the attacks of his foe, then, I say, charity asks for nothing more from you.
The school of Christ teaches us to procure and to promote the union of hearts; he is no true disciple of Christ who rejects this doctrine.
It is impossible for a congregation in which there is no harmony not to fall, and for one in which there is harmony not to flourish.
He who has become all for all truly fulfils the duties of charity.
III. Celebrated Sayings of St. Norbert:
At Court I was never satisfied; in the monastery I was never dissatisfied.
I have been at court, I have been in the monastery, I have enjoyed ecclesiastical preferments; everywhere have I learned that nothing excels the happiness of belonging entirely to God.
Those who undertand how to do penance find therein an abundance of delight. A life of austerities bears a rich crop of happiness, but on one believes this unless he has given it a trial.
Why fear the devil, armed as we are with Jesus Christ?
A thousand worlds are not equal to the peace and calm of a good conscience and of a heart which is truly religious.
A good conscience and a heart which loves correction are worth more than a thousand worlds.
Calumny is the test of a patient and generous heart, which bears with it rather than give up working for God.
He who has God on his side is troubled at nothing.
I have frequently been at the courts of princes, I have possessed abundant wealth, I have not denied myself the pleasures of the world; nevertheless, believe me, brethren, this abundance of worldly goods is real poverty. Never was it better for me than when I was without them, because the entire freedom from these worldly goods gave me the fullness of those that are heavenly, which are more pleasant for their sweetness, more lasting for their constancy, better constituted for the satisfaction they give to the heart of man.
Norbert on the Priesthood:
O priest! thou art not thyself, because thou art God.
Thou art not of thyself, because thou art the servant and minister of Christ.
Thou art not thine own, because thou art the spouse of the Church.
Thou art not for thyself, because thou art a mediator between God and Man.
Thou art not for thyself, because thou art nothing.
Who, then, art thou, O priest? Nothing and everything!
O priest! take care lest it be said to the what was said to Christ on the cross: "He saved others, Himself He cannot save!"
N.B.: As the vigour of the passage is lost in the translation, the author gives the Latin text in this note, especially as St. Norbert so frequently addressed these words to his disciples: "O Sacerdos! Tu non est tu, quia Deus es. Tu non es tui, quia servus et minister Christi. Tu non es tuus, quia sponsus Ecclesiae. Tu non es tibi, quia mediator Dei et hominum. Tu non es de te, quia nihil. Tu quis ergo, O Sacerdos? Nihil et omnia. O Sacerdos! Cave ne tibi, quod Christo patienti, dicatur; alios salvos fecit, seipsum non potest salvum facere!"
Praised be Jesus Christ, Amen
Footnotes:
[Son-001]
[Son-002]
[Son-003]
[Son-004]
[Son-005]
[Son-006]
[Son-007]
[Son-008]
[Son-009]
[Son-010]
