Volume I, Treatise V, Chapter XIX

Other Means of Making Our Mental Prayer Well

Tues are other things which enable us to pray well; and which, being easily practised, evince that it is always in our power to make mental prayer: that every man has talents sufficient for it; and that there is no one but may make it so as to derive advantage from it.

In the first place, several masters of a spiritual life give excellent advice on this head. They say we must not amuse ourselves with too many speculations in prayer; but we must. imitate good merchants, who think only of their affairs, and of the means of improving them. It is thus a true servant of God ought to examine how he carries on the business of his spiritual advancement and of his eternal salvation. For, properly speaking, this is our only business, and we came into the world for no other purpose than to carry it on well. Let a religious, then, call himself to account, and say thus to himself:—How does the affair of my advancement and salvation succeed? What virtue have I gained during the space of ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years I have been in religion? What progress have I made in humility, in obedience, and the mortification of my senses? I would wish to see what account I shall be able to render to God for somany helps he has given me in religion, to increase the stock or talent he has trusted me with. But if, hitherto, I have spent my time badly and unprofitably, I willrepair iy past faults and negligences by a greater exactness for the time to come; and I will live in a manner entirely different from that wherein I have hitherto lived. Every person can, in the same manner, institute an inquiry, in order to discover whether or not he has fulfilled the obligations of his calling. He can ask himself, had he done what is requisite for leading a Christian life, for bringing up his family in the love and fear of God, and for enabling himself to support, like a Christian, all those troubles that his condition and employment are subject unto? If we ever go little apply ourselves to reflect upon these things, we shall find suficient matter to meditate upon, and faults enough both to be sorry for, and to reform; and this will be a very profitable and a very excellent prayer.

Gerson makes mention of a servant of God, who was accustomed to say, that for forty years he had very diligently applied himself to prayer, but had not found a shorter or more easy method to make a good one, than to present himself before God as an infant, or as a man overwhelmed with miseries, blind, naked, destitute of all things, and abandoned by all the world. The Royal Prophet frequently makes use of this kind of prayer, which the Psalms are full of in many places, wherein he styles himself, sometimes a sick person, sometimes an orphan, sometimes 8 blind man, and a poor beggar; and many, adopting this method, have attained great perfection in prayer. Do you, therefore, adopt it, and God will give you the grace thereby to obtain what you desire. Gerson says, that the method adopted by any poor beggar man is an excellent method of praying. See with what humility, with what patience, he asks and expects an alms at the rich man’s gate: and what care he takes to go to those places where he knows alms are more frequently bestowed. We ought to act in the very same manner, in regard to God; and, as the poor man, when he casts himself at the rich man’s feet, makes known his miseries with submission, expects assistance with patience, and a respectful countenance; even so, when we present ourselves before God in prayer, we must discover and lay open all our wants, necessities, and miseries; and await, with respect and patience, the assistance of his liberality and goodness. ‘ As the eyes of the servant are continually upon the hands of her mistress,” when she expects a recompense from her, “so our eyes must be continually fixed upon our Lord, our 2) and our master, till he has compassion upon us.” (Psalms 122:2)

There is a very well known story related of Abbot Paphnucius, who, living in the farther part of the desert, and hearing of a famous courtesan, called Thais, that had occasioned the deplorable loss of many souls, and been the unhappy cause of many quarrels and murders, conceived within himself a design of converting her to God, and of bringing her back again into the way of salvation. For this end he put on secular clothes, took a considerable sum of money with him, and went to find her out. Coming to her house, he asked her to conduct him into a more retired and secret place than that she received him in; she told him he was very private and secure in the place he was, where none but God could see him. He presently took this occasion to make known to her the sad and most unhappy state and condition she was in, and so touched her heart, that he entirely converted her. The story is very long; but, to come to that part which is to my present purpose, this woman being converted, he led her into the desert, shut her up in a cell, and sealed up the door with a seal of lead; leaving only a little he open, through which they daily gave her a little allowance of bread and water. After this he resolved to leave her, and at his departure she asked him what kind of prayer she should make to God? You deserve not, says the holy abbot, to pronounce the holy name of God, from a mouth so impure a8 yours is. Wherefore you shall make your prayer in this manner: you shall put yourself upon your knees, and, looking towards the east, you shall often repeat these words:— “Thou who hast made me, have mercy upon me.” She lived three years in this manner, without ever daring to pronounce the sacred name of God, and did nothing else but continually set before her eyes the multitude and heinousness of her sins, and beg pardon of God for them, in the words the saint had taught her. At the end of three years the Abbot Paphnucius went to see St. Anthony, to know of him whether he believed that God had pardoned the sins of this woman. And the saint commanded his religious to put themselves in prayer all the night following, thereby to beg of God that he would please to reveal to some one of them what Paphnucius had so earnest a desire to know. There was one of these holy religious, named Paul, to whom this favour was granted. He thought he saw in heaven a bed very richly adorned, and guarded by four virgins: when, being surprised at the sight of a thing so rich and wonderful, he thought with himself that this could not be prepared for any one else but his spiritual father St. Anthony; and, whilst he entertained this thought, he heard a voice that said to him: “This bed is not for your father Anthony, but is destined for the sinner Thais.” And within the space of fifteen days after, it pleased Almighty God to call her to himself, to make her enjoy the glory that awaited her, and that heavenly bed he had prepared for her. Wherefore content yourself with this prayer, believe you deserve not to make any other, and believe that perhaps you will render yourself hereby more pleasing to God, than by prayer of any other kind.:

In a written treatise on Spiritual Communion, composed by a Carthusian monk, the author relates a story of St. Ignatius and his companions, which he assures us he received frum a person most worthy of credit. He says that St. Ignatius and his companions going one day to Barcelona, on foot, as ordinarily they were wont to do, each one carrying his sack upon his back, they met upon the way a clown, who, being moved with compassion to see them travel in this condition, pressed them extremely to give him their bags to carry, alleging that he was stronger and better able to carry them than they were. After having along time refused what he desired, at last they granted his request. They continued their journey in this manner; and the good man, perceiving that as soon as the fathers came into the inn, each one sought out a corner, or some secret place, where, upon his knees, he might recollect himself in prayer, he did so too, and put himself upon his knees as they did. They asked him one day what he did when he retired? Ido nothing else, says he, but this I now tell you— I say, ‘“‘ Lord, these persons are saints, and I am their sumpter horse; what they do I desire to do also.” Behold, this is what I then offer to God. And the author remarks, that this man profited so much by means of this constant practice, that afterwards he very much excelled in the gift of prayer and spirituality. Now, who is there that cannot, if he will, make every day a prayer of this kind.

I knew an ancient religious of the society, a very great preacher, whose prayer for a long time was no other than this:—‘“Lord, Iam a beast, I know not how to make my prayer, teach me yourself to make it.” And by this means he made great progress, and rendered himself perfect in this hol exercise; fulfilling in himself what the Royal Prophet said. ‘¢T am become as a beast before thee, and I am always with thee.” (Psalms 72:23) Humble yourself in the same manner— make yourself as a beast before God; and you will always be with him, and he will always be with you. Humility is very powerful before God; it is a most proper means to obtain all things of his divine Majesty; and the saints make an excellent remark upon this subject. They say that, as humility is a means to gain the gift of prayer, so prayer is a means to obtain and conserve humility; and that we must never quit a good prayer without making an act of profound humility, and feeling very great confusion for our sins and ingratitude. Hence it follows, that when we rise from prayer with a sort of satisfaction, or of vain complacency, or of self-esteem, imagining that we have already made great progress in spirituality, and are become very intelligent therein; we must, I say, when we find ourselves thus disposed, always suspect our prayer was not as it should have been. If you complain, therefore, that you are not capable of making many and great reflections, or of elevating yourself to high contemplation; humble yourself and reap ‘at least this fruit from your prayer. This is entirely in your power; it admits of no excuse, and it is sufficient to render your prayer perfect.

That also is a very good means, which Father Avila wishes us to make use of, when we meet with distractions and desolations in prayer. Cast yourself, says he, at the foot of your crucifix, as at the feet of Jesus Christ, and say to him; inasmuch as these, O Lord! happen to me, and through my fault, I am truly sorry, and feel extreme regret and trouble for the cause I have given; but inasmuch as it is your divine will, and a just punishment for my past sins, and present negligences, I accept them with all my heart; and it is with joy that I receive from you this dryness, this distraction, this mortification, and spiritual dereliction. The acts of patience and humility you shall thus form, on this occasion, are a sort of perfect prayer, which pleases God more than any you could have designed to make.

It is related of St. Francis Borgia, that when he thought he had not performed his duty well in prayer, he endeavoured that day to mortify himself more than usual, and to attend more particularly to all that he did, thereby to make satisfaction for the faults he had committed in it. He counselled, moreover, all the religious of the society to do the same. And, without doubt, this is a very proper means and help, not only to make amends for negligence, but also to enable us to make a most perfect prayer. The Abbot Nilus says, that as it happens, when upon any day we have committed a fault, it seems as if God presently punished us for it in prayer; because he then retires from us, and leaves us in great dryness; so when we have mortified our senses, when in anything we have overcome ourselves, he presently recompenses us for it in our prayer, communicating his favours unto us in greater abundance than he was used to do. ‘‘ When you shall,” says he, “patiently support some hard or bad usage, or any other affliction, you shall afterwards receive the fruit of it in your prayer.”

The same saint teaches us, in the same place, another very proper means to dispose ourselves well for prayer, very like that which I mentioned last. “If you would make your prayer well, do nothing,” says he, “that is contrary to prayer, and by this means, God will communicate himself unto you, and will go along with you.” (Nil. de Orat. c. xxvii. & lxii.)

Moreover, let it be universally understood and felt, that the chief care of a true servant of God ought to be to mortify his senses, to purify his heart, to preserve himself from sin, to have always a firm resolution never to consent to offend God mortally in anything. This ought to be the foundation of prayer; and it is upon this we must particularly insist, confirming ourselves herein by many acts of our will. For there is nothing we have greater need of, than continually to take precautions, and strengthen ourselves against the weakness and inconstancy of our nature. But this foundation once laid, each one must afterwards endeavour to gain that virtue and perfection he afterwards desires; and if God be not pleased to raise him to a more sublime kind of prayer, instead of complaining or afflicting himself, he must daily return equal thanks to the Divine Goodness, because sanctity is not precisely annexed to the gift of prayer, but consists in performing God’s will. ‘Fear God,” says the Wise Man, “and observe his commandments, for in this the whole man does consist” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); that is to say, all the duty, all the obligations, all the perfection, and all the happiness of man.

IT shall now conclude this chapter, by proposing a help or means that ought to impart comfort to all mankind. When you feel not in prayer that fervour you desire, and when you labour in vain to obtain an intimate union of your soul with God, exercise your will in conceiving an ardent desire thereof, and thereby you will supply and gain what you think you want. For, as St. Bartholomew of the martyrs says, “God contents himself no less with this will and holy desire, than if the soul, all languishing with devotion, should entirely unite itself unto him.” (In Comp. Spir. cap. xix.) This means, as Blosius relates, was taught to St. Gertrude by God himself, when once she complained that she could not always keep her heart so elevated towards God as she desired, and as she thought herself bound to do. She being assured from heaven, that when we feel not in ourselves any desire of heavenly things; or, at least feel but a very: weak one, it suffices that we truly desire to have a very ardent one; because in the eyes of God the desire is always as great as we would have it to be, Blosius, moreover, adds, that in a heart which is impressed with this desire; # ¢., which wishes to be so impressed, God dwells with greater pleasure than that wherewith any man dwells in the most delightful place or palace in the world. In effect God does not want the sublimity of your prayer; he seeks only your heart, and will effect that all the good desires and sentiments thereof shall be accounted and rewarded as effects, or good works. Offer yourself, therefore, entirely to him in prayer; give him your whole heart, and desire to have as much fervour as even the angels of the highest choir can have; he will receive that good will, and make the

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same account of it as of the action itself. This being so, it will.

be a most pious and profitable reflection, when we find ourselves |

tepid in prayer, to consider how many servants of God are then at their prayers, perhaps not only shedding tears of devotion, but even their blood in martyrdom; and in spirit we may on ourselves to them, and not only join ourselves to these, but even to the angels also, with intent to praise and love God, supplying after this manner by others, what you are not able to perform by yourself; and often repeating, both with mouth and heart, those words of the canon of the mass: “With whom, we beseech you to command, that our voices may be united and received; because we confess your holy name, and say with them, holy, holy, holy.” We say, O Lord! what they say; and we would also willingly do what they do; and we earnestly desire we could love and glorify you in a manner equally perfect. It will also then be very good to call to mind those times in which we were most fervent, and say:—“Lord, that which I then so earnestly desired, I desire at present; as then I made an entire oblation of myself unto you, so I now offer myself in the same manner; I have at present the same regret for my past sins I then had; and in the manner that I then desired humility, patience, and obedience, I now desire the same, and earnestly beg them of you..

But above all, it is a most holy and profitable exercise, to unite our works with those of Jesus Christ, and thus to supply our defects and imperfections by his merits. Thus we may offer our prayer to the eternal Father, to be united to the prayer of Jesus Christ upon earth; and offer our sufferings also to be joined with his; begging of him that he would supply our impatience by his patience; our pride by his humility; and our malice by his innocency. Blosius says, that this exercise was revealed by God himself, to a great servant of his, that thereby we may render our actions more meritorious, and repair the miseries of our extreme poverty, by the infinite treasures of the merits of Jesus Christ.

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