Part II, Chapter I

Of the Necessity of Prayer

Containing various instructions for elevating the soul to God by prayer and the sacraments.

Prayer places our understanding in the brightness and light of God, and exposes our will to the heat of heavenly love. There is nothing that so effectually purges our understanding from its ignorance, or our will from its depraved affections, as prayer. It is the water of benediction, which makes the plants of our good desires grow green and flourish, which washes our souls from their imperfections, and quenches the thirst of passion in our hearts.

But, above all, I recommend to you mental prayer, or the prayer of the heart, and particularly that which has for its object the life and passion of our Lord. By making him the frequent subject of your meditation, your whole soul will be replenished with him; you will imbibe his spirit, and frame all your actions according to the model of his. As he is the light of the world, it is then in him, by him, and for him, that we ought to acquire lustre, and be enlightened. He is the tree of desire, under whose shadow we ought to refresh ourselves. He is the living fountain of Jacob, in which we may wash away all our stains. In fine, as little children, by hearing their mothers talk, lisp at first, and learn at length to speak their language, so we, by keeping close to our Saviour, by meditation and observing his words, actions, and affections, shall, by the help of his grace, learn to speak, to act, and to will like him. Here we must stop, Philothea, as we cannot find access to God the Father, but through this gate; for, as the mirror could never terminate our sight, if the back of it were not tinned or leaded, so we could never contemplate the divinity in this world, had we not been united to the sacred humanity of our Saviour, whose life and death is the most delightful, sweet, and profitable object we can select for our ordinary meditation. It is not without reason that our Saviour called himself the bread that came down from heaven; for, as bread is to be eaten with all sorts of meat, so our Saviour should be the subject of our meditation, consideration, and imitation, in all our prayers and actions. His life and death have been for this purpose disposed and distributed into distinct points, by several authors. Those whom I recommend to you are, St. Bonaventure, Bellintani, Bruno, Capilia, Granada, and Du Pont.

Employ an hour every day, before dinner, in this spiritual exercise, or, if convenient, early in the morning, when your mind will be less distracted, and more fresh after the repose of the night; but see that you extend it not beyond an hour.

If you could perform this exercise in the church, it would be the most proper and commodious place possible, because neither father nor mother, wife nor husband, nor any one else, could well prevent you from spending one hour in the church; whereas, being, perhaps, under their subjection, you could not promise yourself so much leisure at home.

Begin all your prayers, whether mental or vocal, with a lively sense of the presence of God. By attending strictly to this rule, you will soon become sensible of its salutary effects.

If you follow my advice, Philothea, you will say your Pater, Ave, and Credo in Latin; but at the same time learn perfectly to comprehend the meaning of the words in your native tongue, that, whilst you unite with the faithful in prayer, in the common language of the Church, you may at the same time relish the delicious sense of those holy and admirable prayers. Pray with your attention fixed, and your affections excited by the sense of the words; pray deliberately and from your heart; for, believe me, only one our Father, said with feeling and affection, is of infinitely more worth and value than ever so great a number run over in haste.

The recitation of the Beads or Rosary, is a most profitable way of praying, provided you know how to say them properly; to this end, procure one of those little books which teach the manner of reciting them. It is good also, to say the litanies of our Lord Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, and of the Saints, and other vocal prayers, which may be found in approved manuals. If, however, you have the gift of mental prayer, you should always give it the preference, so that if, either through multiplicity of business, or some other cause, you cannot say your vocal prayers, you must not be troubled on that account, but rest contented with saying, either before or after your meditation, the Pater Ave, and Credo.

If, whilst at vocal prayer, you feel your heart inclined to mental prayer, refuse not the invitation, but let your mind turn gently that way, without being concerned at not finishing the vocal prayers you purpose to say; for the choice you have made is more pleasing to God, and more profitable to your soul; with this exception, however, that if you are bound to say the office of the Church, you must fulfil your obligation.

Should it happen, through a pressure of business, or some accidental cause, that your morning should pass away without allowing you leisure for the exercise of mental prayer, endeavor to repair this loss at some remote hour after dinner; because by doing it immediately after, before digestion is advanced, besides being heavy and drowsy, you will injure your health.

But if, in the whole course of the day, you can find no leisure for this heavenly exercise, you may in some measure make amends by multiplying your ejaculatory prayers, reading some books of devotion, or performing some penance, which may prevent the ill consequences attending this failure; and make a firm resolution to repair your loss the following day.

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