Meditation on Tepidity

Commencement and preparatory prayer as usual.

Prelude 1.—Let us place ourselves before God and His angels, overwhelmed with confusion at our many sins, whilst He addresses us in the words of Apocalypse, ¹ “ Because thou art tepid I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth.”

Prelude 2.—Let us beg light and grace to apprehend fully the miseries of a tepid life, and strength to conceive new fervour and to resolve effectually to reform our lives.

Point 1.—The characteristics of a tepid soul.—(1) It drags languidly the yoke of the Lord, and does all its actions in a dull routine. (2) It seeks to avoid all that involves sacrifice, effort, or labour, and studies its own self-ease and comfort, and looks only for human and earthly consolations, and indiscreetly indulges effusion of heart. (3) It induces us to shorten spiritual duties, or omit them altogether, and to waste time in light or useless reading. (4) It leads us to think only of self and to ignore others; at one time to indulge in excess of joy, at another in total discouragement. (5) Finally, the tepid man acts from natural motives, speaks without discretion, reads and meditates without fruit, confesses without resolution, communicates without faith and fervour, contents himself with moderate virtue, and fosters endless habits of venial sin.

The result of all this is that he appreciates little heavenly things, and has but little comfort in them, and dare not give himself to the full enjoyment of earthly ones; and is constantly disturbed by his rebellious passions. He cuts himself off from the consolation, peace, and joy which are the reward of a fervent soul. He is like the wine in Proverbs xxiv., or the barren fig-tree. ²

Point 2.—Dangers of Tepidity.—(1) The tepid man dwells on the little good, but turns away from the many evils which he does. (2) He is like a man in a slow fever which is very hard to cure. In fact, many big sinners are converted for one who is tepid. For he gradually loses his horror of mortal sin, and thus begins to tamper with temptation, and ceases to be alarmed at the free indulgence of his senses and affections, and is thereby disposed to mortal sin. Thus he places himself in the downward course of reprobation, and causes disgust to God, as well as sadness to the Sacred Heart.

Point 3.—The causes of Tepidity are chiefly (1) omission of or negligence in spiritual duties, (2) contempt of little things, also (3) the neglect of watching over the beginnings of faults, and over natural affections.

In the colloquy let us beg pardon for our past abuse of grace and remissness in God's service, and end with “Our Father.”

1. Apoc. iii. 16.
2. St. Matt. xxi.