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    <dcterms:title><![CDATA[Review for Religious - Issue 05.5 (September 1946)]]></dcterms:title>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Issue 5.5 of the Review for Religious, 1946.]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Revxew for Religxous ,, SEPTEMBER ~,15, 1!94 Qualities of‚Äô ~ Moral Guide ....... . . . , 6~,ald Kelly New Vitality for the Exame.n .... ‚Äô. .. Richard t: Rooney. How is Your:Fai√∑h? ..... ~ . . ,... Patrick I~1~ Regan ,On Readin9 af Table ‚Äô Claude Ke~n !Preparincj Lay Apostles .... ~‚Äô / ... JohnA. Herdon 0u Lr da ys o‚ÄôsRary ¬Ø ¬Ø ¬Ø ¬Ø ~~ , ..... Adam¬Ø~ C. EII]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[s ,~ " ~_~., ¬Ø Ques√∑i0~s Answered Books Reviewed ,Vo~u~E:y NUMBER REVIEW FOR R L GIOUS VOLUME V SEPTEMBER 15, 19"46 NUMBER 5 CONTE TS QUALITIES OF A GOOD MORAL GUIDE Gerald Kelly, S.J. 281 NEW VITALITY FOR THE OLD EXAMEN Richard L. Rooney, S.J. /296¬∞ OUR CONTRIBUTORS ............ ". . . ~ . . 300 HOW IS YOUR FAITH?--Patrick M. Regan. S.J ......... 301 IN CASE YOU DON‚ÄôT KNOW IT-- . ........... 314 ON READING AT TABLE Claude Kean, O.F.M ......3..15 PREPARING FOR THE LAY APOSTOLATE John A. Hardon, S.J. 319 OUR LADY‚ÄôS ROSARY Adam C. Ellis, S.J .......3.2.4. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS-- 29. Confessions in Convent Parlor ........‚Äô .... 335 ~0. Gift-Money Put Aside for Masses ........... 33~ 31. Toties Quoties Indulgence on Rosary Sunday ........ 336 32. Indulgence for Renewal of Vows ........... 337 33. Use of Profits from Sale of Stationery and Religious Articles 337 34. Profits of School Store Used for Teachers‚Äô Supplies and .Correspond-ence Courses ................... 337 35. Quality of Flour for Altar Breads ............ 338 BOOK REVIEWS " The Mysteries of Christianity]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Major Trends in American Church His-tory]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[A Mystic Under Arms: Wisdom for Welfare: The Golden Thread of Newman]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[The Sacred Ceremonies of Low Mass]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Caeremoniale: Pars Altera De Celebrante ....... g . . . " ...... 340 BOOKS RECEIVED " " 344 REVIEW FOR RELIGIOUS. September. 1946. Vol. V, No. 5. Published bi-monthly]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[January, March, May,,July, September. and November at the College Press~ 606 Harrison Street, Topeka]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Kansas. by St. Mary‚Äôs College, St. Marys, Kansas, with ecclesiastical approbation. ~Entered as second class matter January 15, 1942. at the Post Office. Topeka, Kansas, under the act of" March 3, 1879. Editorial Board: Adam C. Ellis, S.J.. G. Augustine Ellard, S.J. Gerald Kelly, SJ. Editorial Secretary: Alfred F. SchneideL S.,I. ¬∞ Copyright, 1946, by Adam C. Ellis. Permission is hereby granted for quotations of reasonable length, provided due credit be given this review and the author. ,Subscription price: 2 dollars a year. Printed in U. S. A. Before writing to us, please consult notice on inside back cover. Qoalities of a ¬Ø Good Moral Guide Gerald ~Kelly,o []]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[.3. IWAS recently‚Äôcalled on to give a confereonce and lead a discussion on the qualities of a good moral g~ide~ In : preparing the conference I was.impressed by the fact that among Catholics .the most important of all moral guides is the confessor, and that all who give extra-confessional moral guidance must possess to some,degree a5 least the per-sonal qualifications that the Church expects her confessors to have. It seemed quite logical and practical, therefore, to base the conference on the qualities of a good confessor enumerated in the Roman Ritual, and to explain these qualities in much the same way as moral theologians explain them when~treating of the minister of the sacra-ment of penance. Since the group for whom the confer: ence was prepared, was made up almost entirely of religious, I Considered that anything which wouldbe of use to them should also be useful in the REVIEW. That is the reason for the present article. Before discussing the qualities of a good moral guide, it is necessary to determine what ismeant by moral guidance and who might reasonably be considered‚Äô as moral guides‚Äô. A "guide" points the way,to something, helps others to attain a goal of some kind. A "moral" guide that ls, a guide in moral matters is one who helps others to lead good lives and thus to achieve the best and highest of goals, their salvation and sanctification. SuCh, I think, is the‚Äô accepted meaning of moral guidance in the Catholic Church: guidance in,things that pertain to virtuous living. ~Very likely, when We think of guidancel we usually 281 GERALD KELLY Reoieu~ [or Religious. think of it in terms of direction given to individuals: for example]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[¬∞iJyl confessors, spiritual directors, and student counselors. Yet it .would be a mistake to limit the meaning ~o such formal, indivi~lual relationships. The teacher who explains the Commandments of God, the precepts of the Church, or the Evangelical Counsels, is certainly giving moral guidance, not-to an individual, it is true, but to an ehtire g.rou~p.- So too, the teacher who in‚Äô an informal way answers the questi.ons concerning right conduct, that 0stu-dents are wont to ask after class hours is really giving moral guidance, ~ven ,though not in the official capacity of a~studen~ counselor. From what I have said, it is clear that the term "moral ~uikt‚Äôi~:‚Äô is hpplicable tO-‚Äôii wide range of persons: pfirents: teachers, youth counselors, religious superiors, spiritual directors of religious, confessors, and all others who, in at least an informal and general way, give advi,ce on moral matters. In a class by himself is the confessor, because of his~unique power of absolving and because, quite naturally, certain probl.ems will be referred to him which will rarely, if ever, fie referred to the others. However, if we exclude what belongs uniquely to the confessor, it is apparent that ‚Äô all the other moral guides I have mentioned share with him to some degr.ee the office of directing souls and should there-fore be proportionately endowed with the qualities the Church expects him to possess. The remaining sections of this article are based on this assumption. I might add, however, .that in drawing the parallel between the con-feskor and extra-confessional moral guides, I have par-ticularly in mind those religious who have been entrusted with the special office of guiding youth: for example, stu-dent cdunselors. ¬∞The Ritual lays special stress on these four qualities of a good confessor: knowledge, prudence, holiness,-and a .282 September, 1946 QUALITIES OF MOI~AL G~ID~s careful observance Of secrecy. It would be difficult~ if not impossible, to think.of‚Äô a more apt and adequate summary of qualifications for good moral guidance, whether in or out of the confessional. 1. KNOWLEDGE That those who gu.ide others in the way of salvation must hav~ some knowledge seems too obvious to need com-ment. The blind cannot lead the blind. Yet, it is distres-sing to note how often one hears remarks like these: "You don‚Äôt need knowledge]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[all you need is common sense .... In the guidance of youth, and especially of children, com-mon sense and sound piety will take care of everything." Such statements are sheer nonsense. Common sense and sound piety certainly have their places in moral guidance, as will be‚Äôexplained later]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but they will not supply for a lack of knowledge of God‚Äôs laws and of the teaching and laws of the Church. Nor will they supply the‚Äô factual knowledge of such things as physiology and psychology that is sometimes required for appropriate guidance. It is one thing to say that g ~uidance presupposes knowl- ,edge]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[it is quite another_ thing to say just what the moral guide should know and how much he should know. The basic studies that enter into the training of confessors are moral theology, canon law, and ascetical theology. Besides these, it is presupposed that as.a priest he Will know dog-matic theology. I think it is safe to say that-these same subje.cts should form the basis for extra-confessional guidance. The required essential knowledge would differ, theref6re, rather in degree than in kind: All guides should know at least the laws of the ChurCh that ordinary Cath-olici must observe and the approved explanations of these" laws. They should also know the main principles of Cath-oli~ morality and asceticism. 28,3 GE~_ALD" KELLY Review for Religiou~ Guides ~dealo.with:human beings]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[,they must ‚Äôtherefore know something of that h.ighlyAnteresting thing sometimes re.ferred to, as ~"huma~a,~nature.~ ~Ofsourse]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[~a great :deal 6f knowledge of "human nature" can be. gleaned, fr0m per-sonal experience and close 9bservation of the reactions of oneself and of others. Yet ~ersonal experience is not narfly, sufficient for .the moral grade]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[~ he should ‚Äôalso know Something of]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the e~dei~len(~cien~dfic st~idies no~ available on ~iJd ps~cholgg]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Ci~d61es~ent psychology, the ps~ch010g~ of Cha~c~er, mentfil "hy~iene, "and s6 forth. In~re~iding.such works, however]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the moral guide may himself ia~eed the guid~_n~e~¬∞of a competent~ psychologist]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[for, l~esides the ex~lien~ ~a~efial‚Äô~written‚Äôon these subjects, ther~ is no small amour~ of Ua[eli~ible. and even .basically ~nchristian materl~l:~ - ¬Ø - ¬∞Ho~ niucl~ mus.t one know !n order to give proper g~uid~inc¬¢?. The only~ answer is that it depends on the kind of guidance one isi~xpected to give. The nbrm usually given for the minimum amp_unt of~ knowledge of mdral the-ology require‚Äôd of a confessor is this: he should know enough to solve the ordinary cases iike!y to be p~esented to him in th~ place wtiere he is to hdar confessions and should be able to recognize exceptionally diflicul t cases that demand further study or consultation with experts. I beli~eve ~that same norm may be. ~applied proportionately to all guides, and I doubt if ~anything mor~" definite can be given in a gen- ~ral article like this. 2. PRUDENCE " Prudence is the virtue which "helps i~s in all circum-stances to form a right judgment as ~o what we should seek or avoid~for the sake of eternal life" (cf. Gasparri‚Äôs~Cate-chism). ¬Ø Wheh: we~ speak of this virtue with .regard to a director of souls the "eternal life" that we have principally,, 284 1946 QUALITIES OF MORAL GUIDES in mind is not the spiritual good of‚Äôthe director but rather the good of the person, he is directing. In. other wobds, the spiritual guid~ must judge what is dondu¬¢ive, or more con-duci~ ce, .to the~salvation and sanctification of his charge and then, give his counsel accordingly. It is not ‚Äôcorrect, however, to say that the spiritual director seeks ont~/the good‚Äôof the persons he "is directing. True prudence must take iia the whole picture. One is "not prudent who ha~rms his own soul in trying to benefit others. ..Nor i~ one, prudent who seeks to help ~n individual at the expens~ ofagreater good, Jfor example]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the good of the whole coin.munity,,or the, good of the ~hole Church., An adequate descriptiQn, of the prudent guide would, ,~there~ fore, be stated, somewhat as.follov~s: he is one who uses his knowledge, ~his perso.nality, ahd his influence on others¬∞in sucb.a.:way.asoto atthiwthe good of the soul. he.is~directing ‚Äô ~ithouvat the]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[same tim~ harming his¬∞6wn-soul.~ovd~feating a ,,greater good .... ~In~ fact, when~corre~tly interpreted,~-t~he ~ord~¬∞,,ad rriajorein,, Dei~:,91oria~ formul~ite, a]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[perfect rule of prudence. _ "-,~ ~, , - .]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[. ~ Without further theorizing on this virtue, I should,like to give here a,, nu‚Äômber of practical points concerning the exercise of prudence, in giviiag,moral guidance. :. I am listing th~se points more or less in the fofm,of,,jotting~ because the subject is too large for more complete treatfnent here]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[‚Äô and, though I, gefierally dislike negatives, I thihk it Will, be espe-cially conveni~flt to put these stiggestions in the form~ of._. a series of dOn‚Äô~b. Some ,of thesed o‚Äôn ts may appear to be more directly concerned ,with,,tbe technique of counseling than"with the virtue of pr-ud~nde]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[yet, as .I have already indicated]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the- actual exercise~of prudence consisl~s"nbt only in directing souls towards a certain end,but also in choosing the :most"appropriate ~means ,,for ~attai.ning., this: end..~q And technique, or tact, is a,.gery., important means,in :the direc~ 285 GERALD KELLY Review for Relioions tion 6f~others. Don‚Äôt scold. Even~ people who‚Äô ask for.h scolding-do notusually want it and are rather .alienated: than helped.by it. I still remember a story told.‚Äôduring one of my novitiate retreats which aptly ill~astrates this po‚Äôint. In a certain parish]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[there was a very devout woman who yearned to s:ale the b.eights of holiness and who had heard that trials and humiliations are essential for this. Accordingly she pleaded ins~ste:~tly .with her pastor, "Try me, Father. Please, try me, Father." The pastor was a peace-loving manand had no inclination to accede to her desires]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but one day when she returned some altar linensshe had launder‚Äôed " he kept her for a few minutes and beganexamining the ‚Äôlinens in her presence. As he looked at each piece of linen he called attention to some imaginary¬∞ (or real) defect in the laundering. A few minutes of this was all that the .would-be saint could endure. She burst into tears and began to__~upbraid the pastor for his ingratitude. But he . cut. her short in the midst of her. tirade with a dry‚Äôsmile and the chiding rebuke, "Try me, Father. Please, try .me, Father." Don‚Äôt interrupt unnecessarily. It is generally better for the guide to allow his consultant to tell his entire story and then ask questions about points that need further elu-. cidation. Unnecessary interruptions are apt to cause con-fusion and even irritation. Moreover, such interruptions can easily remove the pe.rfect spontaneity of the narrative and result in a "coloring" of the story ac4ording to some preconceived notion of the director. Don‚Äôt make yourseff indispensable to your consultants. Even ~ children should gradually be emancipated from the need of getting advice about the ordinary moral problems of life. And, though, maturity does not entirely relieve one of all necessity of getting advice, yet progress towards 286 September, 1946 QUALITIES OF-MORAL GUIDES maturity should surely be marke~ by a diminishing neces-sity of advice in ordinary matters. The best type ofspir-itual direction consists in helping the consultant to do his own planning--with the help of .the Holy Ghost, of course]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and the guidance of even the immature and the mentall~r unsettled should be directed towards this same end. Don‚Äôt unnecessarily send consultants to someone else. Boys and girls sometimes ask their teachers about their problemsbecause they have confidence in these teachers. It is not prudent to send them elsewhere, even to a confessor, if ode can easily solve the problem, for they usually accept help most willingly from those in whom they can readily. confide. And this is also true of "grown-ups." The opposite of this error should also be avoided: that ~is, counselors should never show resentment if their con-sultants wish toL seek guidance from someone else. In this matter one should keep in mind :the liberty that the Church‚Äô extends to the faithful regarding the choice of confessors. Tbe~same liberty should be enjoyed by_ those who seek extra-confessional guidance. Feelings of superiority or of jealousy, even among those who are working for God, are quite human and excusable]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but the deliberate yielding to and manifestation of such feelings by bragging or criticism is petty and can do great harm to God‚Äôs cause. Don‚Äôt destroy cont~dence in others. I am thinking of cases such as this: A priests6metimes finds that a child has a false notion of what is right or wrong because of something his mother told him or something a Sister said. In cor-recting the child‚Äôs conscience it is the priest‚Äôs du, ty to try to do so in such a way as to preserve‚Äôhis confidence in his mother or the Sister. He can usually do that by saying, "Your mother meant something like this . . ."]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[or "The Sister probably‚Äôdidn‚Äôt mean it ji~st that way"]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and so forth. As a-matter of fact, the child may have misunderstood his 287 GERALD KELLY Review [or Religious mother or the Sister]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but, even if h~ did not misunderstand. th~ priest should avoid giving the impression that the m6ther or the Sister was wrong. The case,of the child as just cited is merely, an example. A~nyone entrusted with the guidance off.others can make a mistake, inculcate erroneous0ideas, and foster a.false con-science.~ Yet among.alF.guides--whether parents, teachers, counselors, ,,or confessors-~there should be a spirit of what I might ~call ‚Äô~‚Äôprofeisional "loyalty" which.shourd prompt each one to correct the mistakes ma‚Äôde by others without at the same ~time,~¬∞shying that they were mistakes.. It is important-for all of" us that those who .need ~uidance should retain their confidence :and respect for those" who guide i?h~m]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Ddn‚Äô~t be too quick to sdlve "ba~d-luck stories" that inOoloe absdnt persons. When two parties are involved in a quarrel or a misunderstanding there are always two sides to the matter. If the donsultant is one of the parties, he will very likely be prejudiced, even though he does not wish to be ahd sincerel3i thinks that he is not. Ir~ such cases the‚Äô ideal solution is to get the two ,parties together:and thexi to thresh out the matter: but of course this"may seldom be possible when a ~matter of co~nscience is involved. Never~ theless, even when tb~ other party cannot be se~n or inter-. viewed-the" "guide should try to understand his ,side of the c~se:b~fore planning a course‚Äô-of action for his cbnsultant.~ ,Don‚Äôt bxaggOratb~.tbe sex prbbtem. ‚Äô Speaking.:of the confessor‚Äôs‚Äôprudence]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[moral~theologians lay particular stress. on the ~need df this vi,rtue iia ~all m~itters" p~rtaining,, to,~sex. ":It is better to say-too little thaB too much,~.‚Äô is a‚Äô theologi:~ cal_ axiom in this,iegard]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and~thisapplies-not only, ~o,con-~ fes~brs but to,, all nioral guides.-,:~eachers~ and,,counselOrh‚Äô need not~ be surprised~ if they fihd, the topid,int~re~ting.]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[~yei~, the.yo, should not allow their]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[interest to,become ~rnbrbid‚Äô. 288 QUALITIES OF MORAL‚ÄôGUIDES They should :not probe for sex problems, particularly for details ~concerning such..problems. A.,.probing..tendency easily becomes morbid and often results in ~the ri~di~ule~ bf the teacher .or counselor who manifests such a tendency.. For example, if a few students once suspect, that a. certain teacher or adviser is especially, interested ~in-: sex ~problems, they will speedily.pass:the vgord~on to ot.hers, and‚Äôoffensive nicknames will pr0bablyobe coined.]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[I am not arguing,f6r,a~ Victorian silence concerning sex. I believe ....that the topi~ should be treated with a simple wholesomeness,, but. as one‚Äôpart of life,~ and not.as the whole of-life,~ The di.rector who overemphasizesothe‚Äôsubject will but. defeat,his own cause--and this, :for one~‚Äôin the ap.ostolic life, is a gross- _violatio.n:_ of, the ,.most .fun_damental~ rule of prudence~ There,~:are people boys and girls,, men...and women..~---evendn this sex-consdous world of~o~rs, who have absolutely no problem with¬∞regard tq sex: ~0It is v~Lry imprudent .for a guide, .to create prob.lems for such people by‚Äô u.nnec.essary,~.questioning,, or by imparting useles.s i.nfor- " ,T,he~Holy ~ee ha~: repeatedl~ called attention~to the. n~edof pr.udence, not only in treating the topi~ of,,sex~ bht also iri‚Äô dealing, with the members of the opposite sex., Here again]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[,~l, might mention that~ special interest is, not unusu~I. It is Certainly quite‚ÄônaturaI.ofor a man to e‚Äôx~erience a,.special interest in,associating with ~omen]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[quite natural too that, ~omen will be,particula, rly enthusiastic in helping,boys and young men. To‚Äô-s6me extent:this natural attractiveness can‚Äôbe made a powerful, force in the spiritual life. But not if, it gets out of control. The counselor.who makes himsdf or herself a special apostle to the other sex is not likely to have the, dignity, reserve, and purity of intention¬∞required for true success. Hence, while On" the on~,hand it:is not right for anyone to caltivate..a.n i~ttitude of disdain forthe 289 GERALD KELLY Revieto t:or Religious othersex and to become-a. "man-hater", or a ,~‚Äôwoman-hater, ""it is nevertheless necessary to‚ÄôavOid the other extreme of giving the impression‚Äôthat one‚Äôs.life is divinely dedicated only to, the‚Äô opposite sex. Furthermore, one must remember that e~en innocent relationships can appear unsavory and thus harm the cahde:of Christ. Don‚Äôt giv~ in~orrnatiofi that can‚Äôt be digested. Those who teach and advise children- are particularly in need of this Caution: Children cannot assiriailate allthe fine dis-tinctions onerlehrns in ethlc~ and in moral th~01ogy:" for example]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the~tea~hingon mental ‚Äôreservation, the‚Äô cases in-‚Äô vdlving the "double effect," the difference between the abso-lute and the relative methods of calculating grave sins of theft. We can ~afely say that childrenshould.never be t01d What is false]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[btit it does not follow ‚Äôfrom this that they shbtild always be t01d the whole truth. For in‚Äôstance, Chil-dren should be c6rrectly instructed as to what to do when they doubt whether they have broken the Eucharistic fast, whether they have yielded to a serious temptation, whether they are excused from hearing Mass, and so forth]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and-from the solutions of these individu‚Äôal problems they will gradu-ally learn by induction the very important ~principles regarding the solution of the so-called "doubtful coil-science." The same is true ~of other moral and ascetical principles.-‚Äô Children "learn them best_ thrdugh concrete examples ~and through the solution of individual cases. They are‚ÄôhardLy capable of learning the.principle firsl~ and then. applying ‚Äôit to, practical cases. (But the teacher or the director must know:the principle well]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[otherwi~e~he might cause confusion in‚Äômaking the transition from ~one case to anothe‚Äôr. Don‚Äôt guess an answer. If l..had to grad~ errors in prudence ~according to:.their potential" h~rmfulness]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[I would put‚Äôthis amofig the‚Äô.very highest. ‚Äô]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[If‚Äô the director "d0es‚Äôiaot 290 September, 1946 QUALITIES OF MORAL.GUIDES know the answer to a question or the solution tb a prob-lem, he shodld say so. It is the common experience", even of those who teach children, that omniscienc~ is not.expected of human beings and that the sincere admission of ignorance does not hndermine confidence. "On the other hand, it is evident that great harm can result from trying to solve vital problems by guesswork. Some go to the opposite extreme in this matter: they never give a definite answer, even-when they are reasonably certain about the correct solution. ,This type of guide has the same attitude toward his consultants‚Äô problems that the scrupulous person entertains towards his own. The latter is always afraid he is wrong]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and he find~ it difficult, if not impossible, to m~ike himself follow what are in themselves perfettly reasonable judgments. ~ Similarly, the timorous guide will not trust his own judgment and will fear to commit himself in the solution of practical moral prob-lems. In other words, he is no guide ~it all. Don‚Äôt fret over errors mdde in good faith. It is very helpful for those who direct consciences to examine them-selve~ periodically to see how they ~isk questions, solve problems, deal with-different pgrsonalities, and so forth. If this is done calmly and solely with a view to self-imprbvement it is a salutary and commendable practice. ,But if it is used as an occasion to generate worries, it is use-less and even harmful. It can make the office of guiding others an intolerable burden. None of us is infallible except the Pope]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and his infallibility is circumscribed by many coriditions. 3. HOLINESS A few years ago The Messenger of.tbe Sacred Heart published an instructive ‚Äôincident from the life of Garcia Moreno, once President of Ecuador:. If I remember, the 291 GERALD KELLY o Reoiew for:Religious storycorrec~ly, it went,:somewhat as follows. As a young man Moreno was a master at expl_aining his faith]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but scarcely a tyro in 4ts practice: Ond ~vening,:‚Äôin-the course of a long discussion with a rationalist acquaintance, Moreno repeatedly‚Äôgot the‚Äô bette~-of ¬∞the arguments]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[arid‚Äô the ration- Mist-finally admitted: r‚Äô.v rytlamg ,you say seems to be true]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[yet I can‚Äôt accept any of it, for.your own life-gives" the lie. to it all." . -: ~ .5 This~ story illustrates, one reason why the wisest guidance is apt to be useless unless the .guide is a persor~ of - solid-virtue.‚Äô Example speaks louder than words]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[Land ,.this is particularly true in the case of the .,young.~ The young are very human]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and it is but human to lose con-fidence in ,one who does not practice what he preaches, to balk at accepting high ideals from one who apparently has no personal idea!s, to refuse to be taught honesty, purity, sobriety, and ~,such things by one whose own life is not marked by these qualities. ¬Ø In fact]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[if .we. donsider only g?od example, it seems that the ext.r~a.-co.nfes~iona1 guide.is ~more in need of solid yirtue than is the.confessor]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[for the faithful in general are schooled in the p,rin~iple.t~hat]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the sa.craments do not .depend ,gn the ‚Äôholiness of the~,min,ister for their efficacy. This principle does not hold for non-sacramental ministries. Hence, in o~, ~ense a~,.least,..,th~e third .requisite. m, entioned by th.e Rttual=- , goodness, ofl~ e‚Äôi"f . - ~ - . p e ritans more to the e-xtra-sacramental. guide, than to the confessor. - ".)It seems~.ob,~ious~ th,at, ,quite apart from the need pf confirming one‚Äôs words by good example, the successful carrying %n of moral guidance calls for the practice of many virtues. I will not try to enumeral!e these virtues here, for r think tha~,~ is ~uniledessary: ~he requirede.virtiies can be epito~nized.,.~iia ,~dne,:,.~ charit~r~, harity ,tow, ards God ,,and ctiaritg:towards the neighbor. - :.- . ,-, ~.r~ -,~. ,~., ~292 8eptember~ 194~ ~UAL‚ÄôITIES OF MORAL GUIDES . Love:.of .God is e~se~itial]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[for, the‚Äô~ direction,of souls :is His work.~i.nd it&gt;must be.unequivocaIly:~onsecrated to Him. Some: :guides apparently have great success‚Äô, even]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[though they seem to be impelled mostly, by a-.natural love" fo..r the ~ork~.and by the nattiral satisfaction they obtairi ‚Äô,from having 6thers" ".dep.endent on them, confiding in-them]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and flattering them. This may seem to be the case]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[,, yet I wonder if it is actually so. No doubt God can work wonders with cheap instruments. Yet.it is,~ardly according to His ordi-nary providence, to do so. , Normally He works His marvels of grace through the, instrumentality of those who-are closely joined to Him by love. ._ : , .Charity toward‚Äôthe neighborAs also necessary. .The guide needs it first arid foremost" to give. him a ,vital super_- natural motivation.]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[F,6r: even" though~ it be‚Äô,trhe, that_some ean be-carried f6rward in: this wo‚Äôtk by some natural:~liking --becahselthey like,to, deal with" people,¬∞like to‚Äôengage,,in externaLoccupations, and, so‚Äô forth--this is by no means universally&gt;true. Most of those .who are assigned fo guidance work find that many who, need their help are not naturally, attractive. The guide needs to see these and, all souls with "the‚Äô eyes of,Christ]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[, he ‚Äô,has to realize that these souls, who come to hiin for help are:Christ‚Äôs ".~least.br~th~ ren"]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[that‚Äô they were redeem~d,by]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[_t.he Blood of (~hrist]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[that they bel6ng,‚Äôor should belong, to theMystical. Body of Christ. Motivation on some .16wer,pla.ne easily~ springs from or degenerat4s into‚Äôsheer selfqove:,,which usesghidance only as a "means bf serf-expression and self-glorification a sterile ihing in the propagation of, ihe Kifigdom of God: " Charity. t0wardslthe neighbor is not merely a~ motive force in guidance, Jris also,a supernatural‚Äô, toot:.that must. be used constantly. :,In this regard.I can‚Äô think,.of nokhing more-appropriate than St. Paul‚Äô!s subhme eulogy,.:,: -Chanty is~ patient, is¬∞kind]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[charity envieth not, ~dealeth, not per.- 293 GERALD KELLY Review [or Religious vgrsely, i~ n~ot puffed up, is ndt ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth witla the trtith: beareth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." These inspired wor¬∞ds merit constant meditation by the spiritual guide. But we shall have to leave them for medi-tation. I can but say a few words here about the first two qualities, "Charity is patient, is kind." ¬Ø The ideal for all spiritual guides is, of course, Our Lord Himself. Among the fruits of meditation on His life should be a sympathetic attitude towards others and an eagerness to help them]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[a desire to see the .good in them and draw it to the surface]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[.a readiness for the little couitesies and kindnesse~ that mean so much to the human heart, After all, if these little thing~ mean much in ordinary life, they must mean even more to those who are seeking guidance and "who are often nervous, despondent, and even frightened. As for patience, the spiritual guide has countless occa-sions to practice it. Consultants are sometimes unpleasant in their manner]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[t,hey fail to cooperate]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[they c6me at incon-venient times]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[they dwell lengthily on irrelevant triviali-ties]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[they occasionally manifest a ‚Äôgross selfishness by need-lessly consuming time, as if under the impression that the guide has nothing to do but listen to them. Such things o are apt to test patience to the breaking point. And then there is always the possibility of impatience v$ith one‚Äôs own s~lfmthat is, with one‚Äôs inabi!ity to handle a case~ ,~ Some theologians advise priests to leave the ~onfes~ sion~aI for a while when they find that they are becoming irritable: to wal, k for a few minutes in the fresh air, or to ~ relax for a~short time in the rectory. It is better to keep the people waiting for a little while than to run the risk of being sharp or rude. Similar ~idvice may be profitable to all counselors. If one feels so ill-disposed that he cannot 294 September, 1946 QUALITIES OF MORAL GUIDES trust himself it is better to avoid an interview or at least to keep it short and continue it later. " ¬Ø SECRECY The fo~urth requisite for good spiritual .guidance ~is respect for confidences. Religious, perhaps more than any others, should realize the importance of this qualification. They know the great peace and sense of security enjoyed by. individuals and by communities when superiors and direc-tors are careful about respecting confidences]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[and they know what evils can result from the mere suspicion that someone in authority uses confidential information too freely. Only the sacramental secret is abs61utely inviolable. Other secrets admit at least theoretical and rare exceptions~ BUt it is safe to say ‚Äôthat, with the exception of the very rare cases wJ~en confidential knowledge may be disclosed, the spiritual ~guide should have a similar ideal with regard to s, ecrecy that the Church constantly pu‚Äôts before her con-fessors. This ideal is succinctl.y proposed by St. Augustine as follows: "I know less about what I hear in confession than I know about those things about which I know no‚Äôhinge" Much more could be said about the obligation of secrecy]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[but I believe that for our present pu~rpose it is suf-ficient to call attention to its importance. It puts what one might call the "finishing touch" on all the other quali-ties. If a director of souls lacks this quality, the others (even if possessed) will be useless]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[for the person Who does not feel sure that his confidences will be respected simply will not seek guidance. On the other hand, if the director possesses this and the other qualities explaified in this article and uses them for the .good of souls, he will accomplish great things for God and will earn for himself the reward promised to those who instruct others unto justice. 295 N " I‚Äôt:y fo !:h Old l:::xamen ~ichard L.‚ÄôRooney, S.J. ‚Äô "" : ~&lt;~r~ ~iVJHETHER‚Äô- we religious‚Äôwant to admit it or~not]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[the exam,na- :~" t~0n~of conscience reqmred of us by most rehg~ous‚Äô:~nst~tutes ..... is. not,offr most beloved e~grcise! .-A~-a .matFer. ~{ fact. it is: a,distaste~l di~gu{~y. Despite the,emphasis~uKon~ i~ spiritual yriteFs and despite the backing t~t {hey receive from mod]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[human en~‚Äô~b, (6 go by the pleasure-pain‚Äô prmclple,‚Äôwe-grasp wlt~ d~ligh} ‚Äôfit‚Äô ahy .ex~u~? in our~ busy.qivek that will help‚Äô-us ratiofialize the omissipn, of~is?gxercise.. If we do ngt by-pass it entirely (and think a Gallup‚Äôp0!l~of the,. religious who dq,~would be..rather start-ling), we se]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[ta~nly~dQ no[‚Äôapproach it, or go through its st~Es, wi~h very ardent or headlong ~nthusiasm. " ‚Äô ~o~g tile causes for [thig ~action we find mqnotony looming l~rge. "Making tBe ~e old exercise ih ~h)~hme]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:description><![CDATA[old ~a~ day.in day Our is enough to‚Äôweal thin the enthusiasm]]></dcterms:description>
    <dcterms:date><![CDATA[9/15/46]]></dcterms:date>
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