Christ said in the Apocalypse that he would prefer people to be hot or cold, and that he would vomit the lukewarm out of his mouth. But why?
Editor’s Notes
The second period of the preparation for St Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin – “Week 1” – is focused on gaining a greater knowledge of ourselves, and sorrow for our sins.
Today, we are reading Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi’s explanation of tepidity – lukewarmness – and the danger that this complacency poses to all of us. We’re reading from his Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.
The themes, as well as vocal prayers and readings associated with this ‘Week 1’, can be found here. You can find the book here.
Although this is part of the Total Consecration preparation, it also stands alone as a great text in its own right.
Reminder
In the Spiritual Exercises, one would make a general confession, of all the sins of one’s life, at the end of this week. This might be beneficial for those following this series: whether it will be possible or not is another question, and will depend on a multitude of factors.
But if it were possible to arrange such a confession (or even just a regular confession) with a priest, the most fitting day to do so in this preparation might be Day 18.
CONTENTS:
READING: The text consists of a chapter from Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi’s Companion to the Spiritual Exercises. This text is intended to provide material for further consideration of the subject of this week.
MEDITATION: Fr Ambruzzi’s text is intended to provide material for the meditation, which appears in point-form following it. A guide on how to use these points in meditation can be found here.
Reading: Tepidity
The Habitual Deviation from the Road
A Companion to the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
Fr Aloysius Ambruzzi SJ
The first Prelude is to see myself in the sight of God like the man who going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, was stripped and wounded by robbers, and left half dead by the roadside.
The second Prelude is to ask light and grace to know and feel the malice of my sins and to detest and abhor them.
1. Tepidity is a state of the soul
Tepidity is not to be mixed up with desolation, nor with the mere want of sensible love for the things of God, nor with real weariness and fatigue. Tepidity is a state of the soul. To feel tepid now and then is not to be in the state of tepidity, just as one is not necessarily fervent because he has occasional moments of fervour. Tepid is the soul that commits venial sins habitually, not out of surprise or weakness, but out of sheer carelessness about small offences.
Mortal sin is the profanation of God’s temple: deliberate and habitual venial sin is the neglect of it. A tepid soul may be compared to a church where all is untidy and out of order. Of course, even the finest and most jealously guarded shrine will be covered with some stain and dust, and needs constant cleaning. We fall very frequently and get specked and stained. We have but to rise, cleanse ourselves in the Sacred Blood of Christ, and walk with greater circumspection. If we continue to do so, without giving way to discouragement, far from being in the state of tepidity, we shall steadily advance along the road that leads to sanctity.
2. Tepidity is sluggishness
What, then, in practice, is tepidity?
It is to let oneself go, to let loose the rein, to be content with that control over our senses, our faculties, our heart and our passions which excludes grave sins. It is a state of slothfulness and self-indulgence.
The tepid person is sluggish in all he does. First of all he is sluggish in his spiritual exercises. He shortens them. He performs them hastily. His mind is in a state of constant distraction and dissipation. Solitude becomes irksome to him.
He is sluggish in all his other duties. He begins by performing them with a certain carelessness. He soon becomes unpunctual and irregular. He proceeds to leave duties undone as regards God, his soul, and his neighbour. Formerly the Will of God was his rule—at least in theory. Now he lives by the rules of worldly men and thinks with them.
Fervour renders easy whatever we do, and whatever we do easily, we do with pleasure and find a sweetness in it. It is not emotion. It implies regularity, punctuality, and exactness. It is doing our duty by rule, at the right time, and as perfectly as we can. It cancels and drives away sin. It makes sin difficult to commit, if not impossible. Sluggishness, on the contrary, makes the dust of continual venial sins settle on our soul and on the wonderful organism of our senses and faculties. It clogs them. They move with difficulty in the praise and service of God. Soon they will not move at all. Tepidity is a kind of sleeping-sickness which, once acquired, produces increased lethargy and insensibility. It is a millstone around the neck. (Cf. Manning, Sin and Its Consequences.)
3. Tepidity is self-indulgence
Self-indulgence is another mark of tepidity. The tepid person has lost the habit of severe self-control, of mortification, of self-sacrifice for the good of others. He gives free vent to his passions and his whims, and makes use of his knowledge of the spiritual life and of Moral Theology to go as far as the brink, without falling into the abyss. This habit of self-indulgence is for him the source of numberless sins of commission and omission in his relation to God, to his superiors and companions, and to himself. How often, especially in the matter of purity and chastity, the tepid man crosses the boundary that divides venial sin from mortal, and deliberately remains under the delusion that he does not.
4. Danger for persons consecrated to God
Cardinal Bourne knew well what he was talking about when he made the following statement to the Priests at Wonersh on 2nd May 1921:
“After a long experience I am convinced that our greatest danger does not lie in some fierce temptation, nor—at any rate at first—in actual sin. It comes rather with the parting of the ways, when the choice lies between two paths, the one more generous, the higher path, and the other, not sinful, but easier and more self-indulgent, the lower path.”
The greatest danger, then, for those of us who are specially consecrated to the service of God is to make the good enough and not the best our rule; to be contented with doing only our bit, instead of trying to do our utmost. Speculatively such an attitude is not bad. It may seem quite a reasonable one. But, practically, it will insensibly drag us lower and lower into the state of tepidity. If God does not entirely fill our heart, the world and the flesh will surely do it.
There is something peculiar in the things of God that makes tepidity easy. In the things of the world, barring deceit, efficiency counts for everything. If you do not get on, you go under. If you do not advance ahead of others, you will soon be left behind. Not so in the things of God. We may grow slack, perfunctory, and unbusinesslike, and yet we may not suffer for it in the eyes of men; we may even profit by it. Only the Heart of Jesus will grieve, and souls will be scandalized or left starving.
5. The fight against tepidity
We must be on our guard against tepidity.
It is a cruel tyrant.
It implies such disloyalty to God, such meanness and insincerity, that our Lord threatens the severest punishments against it.
“To the angel of the Church in Ephesus write: […] But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, whence thou hast fallen: and repent and do the former works: but if not, I will come to thee, and I will move thy lamp out of its place, unless thou repent.” (Apoc. ii, 4, 5)
“And to the angel of the Church in Laodicea write.... I know thy works: thou art neither cold nor hot. Would that thou hadst been cold, or hot! As it is, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth.” (Apoc. iii, 14-16)
On which Fr A. Lapide comments:
Licet frigidus sit peior tepido, tamen peior erit status tepidi, quia tepidus est in maiori periculo manendi sine spe resurgendi.
“Although the cold person is worse than the lukewarm, nevertheless the state of the lukewarm will be worse, because the lukewarm person is in greater danger of remaining without hope of rising again.”
However, what is naturally impossible to man becomes possible with God’s grace.
Fidelity and generosity in the performance of our duties—and especially of our spiritual exercises—the determination never to make things easy, but to fight strenuously against sluggishness and to mortify ourselves, will keep up the fervour of our soul or restore it if lost.
Nor should we forget the promise made by our Lord to the clients of His Divine Heart:
“Those who are tepid will become fervent, and the fervent will soon reach to a high degree of sanctity.”
The Grace of Conversion
Suggestions for the Colloquy
1. O merciful Mother, I humbly ask thee to obtain me from Jesus, thy Son and my Lord, the following three graces—
First, to feel an interior knowledge and horror of sin—and particularly of the sins I have committed against His Divine Majesty.
Second, to feel the disorder of my life, namely, the roots and causes of my ordinary sins and failures—particularly the lack of a right and pure intention; the want of order, of forethought, and of self-control; indolence and an easy-going disposition—that I may abhor such a disorder—and amend and regulate my whole life according to God’s Holy Will.
Third, to know the world, its spirit and principles,—in order that I may abhor it with my whole heart—and cast away from me whatever savours of it, and particularly, the habit of looking at things from a human and earthly point of view—the love of criticism, of freedom and independence—the longing after comforts and ease. Ave Maria.
2. O my Divine Saviour and Redeemer, obtain me from Thy Eternal Father these three graces, in order that I may be converted to Thee, save and sanctify my soul. Anima Christi.
3. O Eternal Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ Thy Son, give me these three graces that I may be able to adore, praise, and serve Thee alone. Pater Noster.
Meditation for Day 16
It is in mental prayer that that much of the preparation will be achieved – and meditation is a means of entering mental prayer. See our guide to meditation for two ways to use the below texts.
Tepidity
In this preparation for the consecration of ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we could keep Our Lady in mind throughout our meditation. We could consider how she views tepidity; the compassion she has on our weakness, and the zeal she has for helping us root out this tepidity, and so on.
The Preparation
Prayer. The usual Preparatory Prayer.
First Prelude. The first Prelude is to see myself in the sight of God like the man who going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, was stripped and wounded by robbers, and left half dead by the roadside.
Second Prelude. The second Prelude is to ask light and grace to know and feel the disorder of my actions and to abhor it, that I may amend and set my life in order.
The Points for Meditation
First Point. Consider that tepidity is a settled state of the soul, not mere desolation or weariness. It is habitual venial sin committed from carelessness about small offenses. A tepid soul is like a church left untidy and disordered. Distinguish this from the frequent falls of fervent souls who rise immediately and advance toward sanctity.
Second Point. Consider that tepidity is sluggishness in spiritual exercises and duties. The tepid person shortens his prayers, performs them hastily, becomes unpunctual and irregular. Formerly the Will of God was his rule; now he lives by worldly standards. Sluggishness allows the dust of continual venial sins to settle on the soul, clogging the faculties until they move with difficulty in God’s service.
Third Point. Consider that tepidity is self-indulgence. The tepid person has lost the habit of mortification and self-sacrifice. He gives free vent to his passions, using his knowledge of the spiritual life to go as far as the brink without falling. How often does he cross into mortal sin while remaining under the delusion that he does not.
Fourth Point. Consider the particular danger for those consecrated to God. Our greatest danger lies at the parting of ways between the higher, more generous path and the lower, easier path that is not sinful. The danger is making the good enough rather than the best our rule. In God’s affairs we may grow slack without suffering in men’s eyes, yet the Heart of Jesus grieves and souls are left starving.
Fifth Point. Consider the punishments threatened against tepidity. Our Lord says: “Because thou art lukewarm, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth.” The lukewarm are in greater danger of remaining without hope of rising. Yet with God’s grace, fidelity in our spiritual exercises, determination never to make things easy, and mortification will maintain or restore fervour. Our Lord promises: “Those who are tepid will become fervent.”
One could consider these points in reference to oneself: How far have we been conscious of this in our daily lives so far, what practical conclusions should we draw from these truths, how far have we lived up to them so far, what must we do to live up to them in the future, etc.
One could consider the acts of virtue we can make in response to these truths – Acts of faith, humility, hope/confidence, thanksgiving, contrition and love – talking all the while to God, the Blessed Virgin, our Guardian Angels, etc.
The Colloquy
Colloquy: Speak to Christ our Lord about your own venial sins - both those of weakness and those committed deliberately. Ask for the grace to wage uncompromising war against tepidity, and for greater fervour in the service of God. Beg for a deeper hatred of all sin and a more tender love for Him whom you have offended by sin and by this attitude..
One could also use the Triple Colloquy previous discussed:
In addition, Fr Ambruzzi offers some suggestions for the colloquy above. However, it is important to speak frankly to God in our own words, rather than simply reading somebody else’s.
If one feels moved to speak to God before meditating on all the points, one should certainly do so. The same applies if one feels moved to simply rest in God, rather than engaging in discursive meditation. These impulses should be followed over any particular method of meditation.
The End
End the meditation with a vocal prayer – such as the Our Father, the Anima Christi.
Reflect on how well we have prayed, and how well we have followed our chosen method.
Select a spiritual nosegay from your meditation to keep with you for the rest of the day.
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For more on the St Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion and Total Consecration, for which we are preparing, see here:
The theological basis of ‘True Devotion’ and the Consecration to Mary (Garrigou-Lagrange)
The fruits of ‘True Devotion’ and Consecration to Mary (Garrigou-Lagrange)
For more on the importance of not getting bogged down with methods, and on allowing God to act, see here:
For more on Week 0, and the vocal prayers that are are suggested for each day, see here:
‘Week 0’ of St Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration preparation (Prayers, practices and reading)
Get the book here:
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (St Louis de Montfort)
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