Part V, Chapter III
Examination of Our Soul on Its Advancement in Devotion
As the second part of the exercise is rather long, in order to practise it I must tell you that it is not necessary that you should perform it all at once, but at different times, considering your duties towards God, at one time; what relates to yourself, at another; what concerns your neighbor, at a third; and your passions, at the fourth. Neither would I advise you to perform it on your knees, except at the beginning and the end, which comprise the affections. The other points of the examination you may perform profitably whilst walking abroad, or still more profitably in bed, provided that you can preserve yourself against drowsiness, and keep thoroughly awake; but then, to do this, you must read them attentively beforehand. It is necessary, however, to go through the whole of the second point in three days and two nights at most, dedicating as much time to it on each day and night as you conveniently can; for if this exercise should be deferred to times far distant from each other it would lose its force, and make but weak impressions.
After each point of the examination you must remark in what you shall find yourself to have failed, in what you are still defective, and the nature of the principal disorders you have discovered, that you may declare them to your confessor, in order to obtain his advice, and acquire resolution and spiritual strength to overcome them. Although on the days on which you perform this and the other exercises it is not absolutely necessary to withdraw yourself from all company, yet you must be more retired than usual, especially towards the evening, that you may sooner go to bed, and take that repose of body and mind which is necessary for consideration. You must also, during the day, make frequent aspirations to God, to the Blessed Virgin, to the angels, and to the whole court of heaven; moreover, all this must be done with a heart totally inflamed with the love of God, and a desire of attaining perfection.
To begin, then, this examination properly, 1. Place yourself in the presence of God. 2. Invoke the Holy Ghost, begging of him to enlighten your understanding, that you may attain a perfect knowledge of yourself, crying out, with St. Austin, to God in the spirit of humility, “O Lord! let me know thee, and let me know myself”; and with St. Francis, asking of God, “Lord! who art thou, and who am I?” Protest that it is not your intention to acquire this knowledge in order to attribute any glory to yourself on the occasion, but that you may rejoice in God, return him thanks, and glorify his blessed name for all benefits. Protest likewise, that if you find, as you fear you shall, that you made but little or no advancement, or even that you have gone backward, you will not on that account be discouraged, grow colder, or be overcome by pusillanimity or faint-hearted-ness, but that, on the contrary, you will encourage and animate yourself, humble yourself the more, and apply, with the assistance of divine grace, the proper remedies to your defects. Afterwards consider calmly how you have behaved to the present hour towards God, your neighbor, and yourself.
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