Part II, Chapter XII

Of Spiritual Recollection

It is to this point, my dear Philothea, that I wish to draw your particular attention, since in it consists one of the most assured means of your spiritual advancement.

Recollect as often as you can, in the course of the day, by any of the four ways I have marked out for you, that you stand in the presence of God; observe what he does, and what you are doing, and you shall find his eyes perpetually fixed upon you with an inconceivable love. Then say to him: “O my God! why do I not turn my eyes towards thee, as thou always lookest on me? Why dost thou think incessantly on me, O my Lord? and why do I so seldom think on thee? Where are we, O my soul? Our true place of rest is God, and where do we find ourselves?”

As birds have their nests on trees, to which they occasionally retire, and the deer, bushes and thickets, in which they conceal themselves and enjoy the cool shade in the heat of summer, so shall we, Philothea, choose some place every day, either on Mount Calvary, or in the wounds of our Lord, or in some other place near him, as a retreat to which we may occasionally retire to refresh and recreate ourselves amidst our exterior occupations; and there, as in a stronghold, defend ourselves against temptations. Blessed is he that can say with truth to our Lord: “Thou art my place of strength and my refuge, my defence from storms, and my shadow from the heat.” (Psalms 70:3); (Isaias 25:4)

Remember then, Philothea, to retire occasionally into the solitude of your heart while you are outwardly engaged in business or conversation. This mental solitude cannot be prevented by the multitude of those who surround you; for, as they are not about your heart, but your body, your heart may remain in the presence of God alone. This was the exercise which the holy King David practised amidst his various occupations, as he testifies in the following, as well as in several other places of his psalms: “O Lord! as for me, I am always with thee. I beheld the Lord always before me. I have lifted up my eyes to thee, O my God! who dwellest in heaven. My eyes are always toward God.” And indeed our occupations are seldom so serious as to prevent us from withdrawing our heart occasionally from them, in order to retire into this divine solitude.

When the parents of St. Catharine of Sienna had deprived her of the opportunity of a place, and of leisure to pray and meditate, our Lord directed her, by his inspirations, to make a little interior oratory within her soul, into which, retiring mentally, she might, amidst her exterior occupations, enjoy this holy spiritual solitude; and when the world afterwards assaulted her, she received no inconvenience from it, because, as she said, she had shut herself up in her interior closet, where she comforted herself with her heavenly Spouse. From her own experience of the utility of this exercise, she afterwards counselled her spiritual children to practise it.

Withdraw, then, your thoughts, from time to time, into your heart, where, separated from all men, you may familiarly treat with God on the affairs of your soul. Say with David: “I watched and am become like a pelican of the wilderness. I am like a night raven in the house. I have watched, and am become as a sparrow, all alone on the house-top.” (Psalms 101:7,8) These words not only inform us that this great king spent some solitary hours in the contemplation of spiritual things, but they also point out, in a mystical sense, three excellent retreats or hermitages, in which we may imitate the solitude of our Saviour, who on Mount Calvary was likened to the pelican of the wilderness, which nourishes and gives life to her young ones with her own blood; in his nativity, in a desolate stable, to the night raven in a ruinous building, mourning and weeping for our offences and sins; and, at his ascension, to the sparrow flying up to heaven, which is, as it were, the house-top of the world. In these three solitudes we may make our spiritual retreats, even amidst the turmoils of our exterior employments. Blessed Elzear, Count of Arian in Provence, having been long absent from his devout and chaste Delphina, she sent an express to him to inquire after his health, by whom he returned this answer: “I am very well, my dear spouse; but if you desire to see me, seek me in the wound of the side of our sweet Saviour; for, as it is there only that I dwell, it is there that you shall find me; if you seek me elsewhere, you will search in vain.” This was a Christian nobleman indeed.

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