A young seminarian named Angelo kept a journal back in 1898. It was a spiritual accounting for the most part -- he had composed a Rule for himself when he was about 14, which he wrote out, and then he made and wrote out some additional resolutions after he did the Spiritual Exercises when about 15. At 17 he wrote weekly notes which were basically spiritual examens -- he listed where he had failed to make use of graces given, and renewed his resolutions. In April he writes:
"This week I think I have done a little better, but not altogether well; some things have been neglected in the general flurry of the examination period. I still have very much to do, particularly as regards as regards recollection during prayers. ...
"The Lord is preparing so many graces in the months of May and June. Family worries torment me, but courage! All in Jesus and for Jesus, and let come what will!"
In May:
"In this month I hope for much from my Mother Mary: with her help I am sure of taking some steps forward. I shall ask the Blessed Virgin particularly for two virtues this month: firstly, great humility, which means knowledge and distrust of myself and, secondly, a great love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and it is this second grace which I will most often ask her to give to my companions also."
There were probably a lot of 17 year old seminarians in Italy in this time period, and perhaps their spiritual journals were not too different. I don't know either way, but I realize that when I read those words from a long time ago, which I'm sure he never expected would be published a century later and read still later by people in the USA who were born only shortly before he died, I can understand what he is saying even with the language and cultural differences. There is a commonality despite separation of time and place. I too struggle with distractions during prayer and I have my difficulties with humility. I too want to do better, I too have to pick myself up time and again, and I also have recourse to Jesus and Mary, but like him, sometimes forget to do so. I too worry about my family, but from the other side of the generational range.
The excerpts are from a book I have just started reading: Journal of a Soul. It is the collected diaries of Pope John XXIII. ... starting in 1895 and going up to his papacy and his death in 1963. He's canonized now, so perhaps he will intercede for me in heaven.
We are back at our house in California where 3 of my sons are currently living. Most of our books are still there and so no doubt a lot of the posts in September will be about books I find on the shelves.
Books for me are an analogy of the Communion of Saints. Someone from the past speaks to me, and to others, though when speaking they had no idea I would exist. I suppose with intercessory prayer the speaking goes rather the other way ...I am doing the talking generally. But in fact I am trusting them to listen and to act, and in this way the book analogy is limited.
Still, since I only know about anything in the past from hearing about it in written or spoken word (or seeing it in signs as St Augustine calls them, such as artifacts or effects, that communicate without language), the analogy though limited seems to have resonance. Not all book writers are part of the Communion of Saints, I suppose. But they all had and have a soul, their existence is ongoing in various respects.
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