After the life of St. Philip and the Excellences of the Oratory, I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the nature of the Oratory to read Sapientia Majorum. This is a compilation of the early constitutions and remedies for persevering in community life. These documents beautifully lay out how St. Philip’s institute is one of great freedom, but not of individualism: freedom in love centred on a common life and a common good.
One of the hardest virtues to attain is that of obedience. We each have our own wills and personalities that drive us to act for our own intentions, which are sometimes contrary to what the community desires. In Sapientia Majorum one can find some chapter addresses by Blessed Sebastian Valfrè, which touches especially on how obedience perfects the Christian life. “The truly obedient man, he says, obeys blindly, that is, he does not stay to look who it is that commands… nor for what ends he commands.” For Blessed Sebastian, the orders of his superior are nothing less than a cooperation with the will of God.
It is the Christian duty to obey even when it seems to be a mortification. Blessed Sebastian is a great example of this. In the Jubilee year of 1675, he requested permission from his superior to go to Rome. This permission was granted and Sebastian put things in order for his time away in the eternal city. On the morning of his departure, many people came to see him off. As is custom, Blessed Sebastian went to receive the blessing of the provost, who in turn gave him a note which was only to be read before departing. As Sebastian arrived at the banks of the river Po, he placed his luggage on the boat, but before setting aboard the vessel he opened the note from his superior. It read, “Father Valfrè will return home immediately.” Without being the least perturbed, but with a tranquil smile he said, ‘Come now, gentlemen, I must return home to the city.” Sebastian bore the sudden interruption and loss of all his plans with such resignation that he never once complained, nor showed that he felt the least displeasure.
Blessed Sebastian, like our dear St. Philip, underwent such mortifications out of obedience to his superiors, always having Christ as his inspiration and guide. In the chapter address that I previously mentioned, Sebastian again reminds us that, “the truly obedient man encourages himself to the practice of this most excellent virtue by inwardly turning his eyes to Jesus Christ, and beholding Him, who for the love of obedience was stripped… scourged, crowned with thorns and crucified. Compared with all this, man sees that all his sufferings are a mere nothing, his thorns are roses and his pains pleasures.”
Blessed Sebastian, pray for us so that we may be patient with those things which are sent to try us. That through our obedience to the will of God, we may strive to live a good Christian life following the humble pattern of Christ.