410. The Education of the Heart, of the Character and of the Conscience Should Go Hand in Hand with the Education of the intelligence
Theologian Giuseppe Perardi writes in the New Manual of the Catechist:
“To teach catechism means, in the first place, to make the doctrine which it contains known and learned. We said ‘in the first place,’ because the teaching of catechism is different from other types of teaching. All secular teaching is aimed at the reason, that is to say, the mind of man, in order to lead him to a knowledge of things which he did not have before. Teaching is perfect when it provides the intelligence with knowledge in a perfect way.
The Goal of Religious Teaching: Not Only to Make Truths Known, but Also to Lead One to the Practice of the Good
”However, this is not the case in the teaching of catechism, which is not aimed solely at the intelligence, but also at the will and the heart. For the goal of religious teaching (or of catechism) is not only to make the religious, dogmatic and moral truths known, but to lead the will to love God and to practice the good which He desires for love of Him and to avoid all types of evil. . . .
“In short, the teaching of catechism is not only religious instruction, but also Christian education…. To turn catechism purely and simply into a class reflects a poor understanding. For in that case one is paying attention to only one of the elements (the fundamental element) of the catechist’s work and neglecting the other; since catechism, as understood from Christian antiquity, is at once instructional and educational, in other words, a formation of the believer. He insists on the differences, pointed out by all teachers alike, between instruction and education. ‘Education is the goal which should be attained and instruction is only the means.’
Instruction Enriches the Intelligence; Education Cultivates the Soul
”Instruction enriches the intelligence with knowledge; education cultivates the soul. Instruction has only the intelligence in mind; education works simultaneously to form the intelligence, the heart, the character and the conscience. It is certain that religious education cannot exist without religious instruction; but it is necessary to realize that one is not the other. To give religious instruction to the intelligence and not to cultivate, at the same time, the education of the heart, character and conscience would be to deviate greatly from the goal in mind, thereby attaining something much inferior to the true catechistic work” (Giuseppe Perardi, Novo Manual de Catequista ou Explicação Literal do catecismo da Doutrina Crista,_” published by order of St. Pius X, Uniao Gráfica, Lisbon, 3d ed., 1939, pp. 15 and 16 [Imprimatur: Em. Cardinal Patriarch, Olisipone, February 3, 1939]).
411. “Knowledge Is Not Enough to Assure an Individual’s Moral Formation”
From a complete course in religion by professors of the University of Bonn:
“Knowledge is not enough to assure an individual’s moral formation (positivistic morality). The culture of the heart (of the will) is more important than that of the intelligence. A person’s moral value is not determined by his wealth of knowledge, but by the quality of his conscience. One cannot acquire solid and true knowledge without having one’s character formed” (Tillman, Luz e Vida, vol. 3, pp. 200-201 [see no. 297]).
412. A Grave Error: to Concentrate One’s Effort in Forming the Intelligence but Neglecting the Will
From the Teaching Manual of St. John Bosco (a compilation of doctrines and directives of the saint, organized by his disciples, using the words of the author as much as possible):
”All or almost all of the educators look upon the development of a child’s intelligence as one of his principle privileges. But this is a lack of prudence, because they ignore or easily lose sight of human nature and the reciprocal dependence of our faculties. They concentrate all their efforts in developing the faculty of being able to know, and they erroneously and unfortunately confuse the sentiments with the faculty of loving. And in compensation they totally neglect the sovereign faculty which is the will, the only source of true and pure love, of which the sensibility is nothing more than a kind of facade. And if they sometimes do take care of this poor will, it is not so much to regulate and fortify it by means of repeated small acts of virtue, which can be readily achieved by the good dispositions of the heart, but they instead obstinately subjugate the will through violent means, thereby destroying it rather than correcting it” (Biografía y Escritos de San Juan Basca, p. 443 [see no. 315]).
413. The Supreme Goal of Education Is to Make Youth Good, Everything Else Being but the Means to Attain This
Also from the Teaching Manual of St. John Bosco:
“From time immemorial there have been two systems used in the education of youth: preventative and repressive.
”The repressive system consists in making the laws known to the subjects and then afterward looking for the transgressors and applying the just punishment. Under this system, the words and aspect of the superior must be severe or, even better, threatening, and all familiarity with one’s subordinates is to be avoided. lf the director wants to give more weight to his authority, he should rarely be among his subjects and, then, only to punish or threaten. This system is easier, less tiring and can be useful in the armed forces and, in general, for adults and judicious people who are capable of knowing and remembering by themselves what is prescribed by law and other such measures.
”The preventative system is different and I would even say opposite. It consists in making the prescriptions and regulations of an institution known in such a way that the student is always under the paternal eye of the director or of the subalterns. Justas loving parents do when they speak, guide, counsel and tenderly correct their children, it would be like putting the students in the moral impossibility of committing a fault. This system bases itself on reason, religion and love, and for this reason excludes any violent punishment and even strives to eliminate the milder ones . . .
”The practice of this system is based on the words of St. Paul who said: ‘Charity is patient and kind; it suffers, hopes and endures all things.’ Whereby, only a Catholic can apply the preventative system successfully. Reason and religion are instruments which the educator should constantly use, explaining them and practicing them himself if he wishes to be obeyed and to attain his goal. This supreme goal lies in making the youths good and saving them eternally. Everything else, letters, sciences, arts, trades, should be considered as means” (ibid., p. 454).
414. Keep an Eye on the Bad Ones, to Preserve the Good Ones
St. John Bosco’s famous principle of vigilance:
“I will only say one thing about the bad ones, which may seem unlikely but which happens exactly the way I am going to describe it. Let us say that among the 500 students of a school, there is one who lives a depraved life. One day, a new student arrives who is also vitiated. They both come from different regions and provinces, and even have different nationalities. They are in different classes and different places; they have never seen each other and do not know one another. Well, regardless of everything said, on the second day or maybe within a few hours after his arrival, you will see them both together during recess. It seems that a malefic spirit enables him to discover him who is affected by the same disease, as if a diabolic magnet had attracted them in order to form an intimate friendship. The saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ is an easy way of detecting mangy sheep before they become rapacious wolves” (ibid., pp. 457-458).
415. “Endeavor to Give More Importance to the Study of Solid and Perfect Virtues Rather Than to That of Science”
From the Constitution of the Jesuit Order, written by St. Ignatius of Loyola:
“May all those who enter the Jesuits endeavor to give more importance to the study of solid and perfect virtues and to spiritual things rather than to science or other natural and human gifts, because the former are interior ones, whence should come the efficacy of the exterior gifts for the goal which we intend to attain” (St. Ignatius of Loyola, L’Honneur et Service de Dieu, L’Orante, Paris, 1944, pp. 99-100 [Imprimatur: Carolus Delouvrier, vicar-general, July 31, 1943]).
416. “James, Less Science and More Piety”
Daurignac tells in his life of St. Ignatius of Loyola that:
“James Tirio, a Scottish youth, had entered the Society of Jesus full of zeal and fervor in 1564. After having passed through the first trials of the novitiate, he went to the Roman College. His enjoyment of study soon made him lose that of piety. His will remained intact, but, day by day, his ardor diminished, although James did not notice it. He gave the time he should have consecrated to the practice of piety to study, persuaded that, since bis effort was destined to make him more able to perform bis ministry, it was probably just as good in God’s eyes as prayer, pious reading and examinations of conscience. The devil, seeing that the novice was unarmed, attacked him with violent temptations. James wanted to defend himself and to resist him Only then did he realize that he could not, because he had lost the means with which to do it. Shocked at his weakness, he asked for God’s help with such force and confidence that God had mercy on him. Ata moment when James did not dare to expect the help he had requested, St. Ignatius appeared to him, looked at him with a moving expression of goodness, and said:
” ‘James, why did you try to perfect yourself more in letters than in virtue? Was this what Our Lord expected when He took you from the world and called you to the Society? James, less science and more piety!’ “(Daurignac, Santo Inácio de Loiola, pp. 350351 [see no. 202]).
417. What Is the Use of Science to Him Who Does Not Have the love of God?
St. Alphonsus de Liguori, a great Doctor of the Church says: ”Thomas a Kempis wrote: ‘On the day of judgment, we will not have to pay accounts for what we have read, but for what we have accomplished.’ There are wise men who know many things, but who are, however, unable to bear anything for God. And what is even worse is that they are unable to acknowledge their great defect of impatience: He has eyes and sees not, ears and hears not. If I know everything … , but have not charity, I am nothing” (Obras ascéticas de San Alfonso Marla de Ligorio, B.A.C., Madrid, 1944, vol. 1, p. 314).
418. Dominic: “The Book of the love of God Teaches Everything”
From a life of St. Dominic of Guzman:
“A young man, enraptured by his eloquence, asked him [St. Dominic] what books he studied. He replied, ‘My son, chiefly in the book of charity, for that teaches everything’” (Lacordaire, Lije of Saint Dominic, p. 199 [see no. 193]).
419. “An Old Woman Who Never Has learned Anything and Cannot Read Can love God More Than Brother Bonaventure”
The famous hagiographer Jorgensen tells us:
” And when Giles [Blessed Giles of Assisi] in his old age was placed before the General of the Order, St. Bonaventure, the first question he asked this learned man was the following: ‘Father, can we ignorant and unlearned men be saved?’ ‘Certainly,’ answered St. Bonaventure kindly. ‘Can one who is not book learned love God as much as one who is?’ asked the old Franciscan again. ‘An old woman is in a condition to love God more than a master in theology’ was Bonaventure’s answer. Then Giles stood up, went to the wall of his garden and called out to the wide world, ‘Hear this, all of you, an old woman who never has learned anything and cannot read can love God more than Brother Bonaventure!’ ” (Jorgensen, Saint Francis of Assisi, p. 238 [see no. 113]).
420. “Oh! How Sorry I Should Now Be Had I Read All Those Books”
From the advice and mementos of St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897), collected by Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face [Céline, the Saint’s sister]: ” … one day, when both of us happened to be standing before a bookcase, and Thérese gaily exclaimed, ‘Oh! how sorry I should now be had I read all those books!’ Rather surprised, I replied: ‘I don’t understand. I could readily understand your regret at the prospect of having to read them all in the future. But if that labour were already behind you, would it not be to your advantage to have absorbed so much spiritual doctrine?’ ‘Had I read them all,’ the Saint rejoined, ‘I should have only broken my poor little head and have lost the precious time which I have spent, instead, in loving God’ ” (Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, A Memoir of My Sister St. Thérese, P. J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, 1959, pp. 6667 [lmprimi potest: John Carolus, archbishop of Dublin, February 2, 1959]).
(From “Timely Reflections and Examples of Saints for Our Times”, The Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc., New York, 1989, pages 325-331.