Volume I, Treatise V, Chapter XXII

Of Some Other Helps to Persevere with Attention and Respect in Prayer

St. Basin asks what we should do to have our minds so recollected in prayer, as not to be molested with distractions? And he makes this answer, that the best and most proper means is, to consider that we are in God’s presence, and that God beholds in what manner we pray unto him. For if before an earthly prince we take care to keep ourselves always in a profound respect—if we are exceedingly attentive to our words and actions, and if we conceive it a gross impropriety to turn our back whilst we are speaking to him, or to amuse or busy ourselves with anything else, how is it possible we should not be go much master of ourselves as to behave with the like respect, when we reflect attentively that we are in God’s presence, who takes notice not only of our exterior behaviour, but penetrates even to the bottom of our heart? And who is there that is fully persuaded of this truth that dares withdraw his eyes or heart; even for one moment, from what he is about; or as I may say turn his back upon God, amusing himself not only with vain, but even sinful thoughts? Theodoret relates, that the Abbot Jacob was wont to make use of a reflection, similar to that just mentioned, in order to show how much ashamed and confounded he was to give way to distractions; and St. Austin also had the very same reflection. If I were in my master’s service, says he, and instead of waiting upon him as I ought to do, I should busy myself in something else, he would have reason to chastise and punish me as I truly deserved. Moreover, should I come make a complaint to a judge of some injury done me, and should quit him on a sudden, turning my back upon him, to treat with some other person, would not the judge have reason to believe me very extravagant, and order me out of his presence’ Yet see how far greater irreverence they daily fall into, who, putting themselves in prayer to God, permit their thoughts to be carried away with all sorts of distractions imaginable. St. Ignatius also, in one of his additions to mental prayer, points out to us the same remedy. He says, that a little before we go to prayer, we must raise our minds to Heaven, by considering that God is present, and that he beholds us; and excite ourselves, by this consideration, to remain with a most profound respect, and keep ourselves in a diligent attention. Moreover, he would not have us lose the reflection upon God’s presence all the time of our prayer, that we may say with the Psalmist: “The meditation of my heart is always in your presence.” (Psalms 18:15)

St. Chrysostom says, “That when we go to prayer, we must imagine that we enter into the court of heaven, where the King of glory sits upon his throne, shining with bright stars, and surrounded by an infinite number of angels and saints, who all cast their eyes upon us” (Chrys. sup. Psal. iv.); according to the words of St. Paul: “We are become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.” (1 Corinthians 4:9) St. Bernard also gives us the same counsel in this point, which he himself followed: ‘“When you go to the church,” says he, “lay your hand upon your mouth, and say, stay here at the door, bad thoughts, criminal desires, irregular affections, and carnal concupiscences; but you, my soul, enter into the joy of your Master, and of your God, that you may know the will of your Lord, and visit his holy temple.” (Bern. Clim. in scala spir. grad. 4 et 18.) St. John Climacus says, that when we are in prayer, and make a serious reflection upon the presence of God, we are then like a firm and solid pillar, that nothing can shake. And he relates, that once taking notice that a certain religious was more attentive than the rest, whilst they were singing the psalms, and chiefly when they began the divine office; seeming by his countenance, and the motion of his lips, as if he had spoken to somebody; he requested of him afterwards to tell him whence that happened? It is, says he, because in the beginning of the divine office I am wont te recollect and call home all my thoughts, and all the powers of my soul, and speak to them in this manner:—“Come, let us adore our Lord who has made us—let us prostrate ourselves and weep before him; because he is our Master and our God; because we are the people of bis pasture, and sheep of his own making.” (Psalms 94:6,7) All these methods and considerations are very good, and may very much help us to awake and stir up our attention to prayer, and cause us to remain in it with that ’ respect we ought to have.

To attain the same end, others are wont to make their prayer, when they can, before the blessed sacrament; or at least to turn themselves towards the nearest place where it is kept, and to fix and unite their heart and thoughts toit. Others help themselves by looking upon pictures or images, whereby they find themselves excited to affection and respect. Others, by lifting up their eyes to heaven, find that this helps them to elevate and fix their minds. It is also a very good remedy against distractions and aridities, to represent our weakness to God, by short and lively ejaculations, imploring his help and assistance, saying, “Lord, I suffer violence, answer for me.” (Isa. xxxviii. 14.) The blind man in the gospel, though Jesus Christ, as he thought, went on his way, and minded him not; and though all others endeavoured to make him hold his peace, yet ceased not to cry out still louder and louder, with all the strength he was able, “Jesus, Son of David, take compassion on me.” (Mark 10:47) You must do the same. Though God seems not to mind you, or not to think upon you, but rather retires from you, not vouchsafing you a visit: and though the multitude of thoughts and temptations that surround you, would stop your mouth, yet you must not hold your peace, but on the contrary, must rise your voice so much the higher, and cry out without ceasing:—“Jesus, Son of David, have compassion on me, fortify me, O Lord, at this present time”’ (Judith 13:9), that I may think only upon your divine self, and constantly persevere in prayer. This was the maxim of a very great saint, that when her heart was silent, she neglected not to speak with her lips, because thereby she renewed and enlivened the fervour of her heart; and she also confessed that sometimes, for want of making vocal prayer, when she found herself sleepy, she also omitted her mental prayer. This is but too often experienced; tepidity and drowsiness, to which we give way in time of prayer, are the cause why our lips are silent; but if we forced ourselves to speak, we should overcome these impediments, and should animate ourselves with new fervour.

Gerson says that it is also a very good remedy against distractions, to prepare ourselves well for prayer, and to choose several points to meditate upon. Because doing thus, when we come to be distracted in any point we have chosen, we no sooner perceive this distraction, but we have recourse to another point; and if we find not a facility in applying ourselves to that, we still go on to another; and thus we persevere with a great deal more ease in prayer. If we would but examine ourselves well, we should find that oftentimes those dissipations of mind, which we have in prayer, proceed from our not having resolved upon, nor prepared those points we should meditate on; and from our having determined upon nothing for certain, whereupon we may fix our thoughts.

But to prepare well for prayer, there are also two things necessary; and the first is what St. Ignatius recommends to us in these words: “It will be very profitable, before we begin our prayer, to call to mind the points we are to meditate upon, and determine the number of them.” (Exerc. spir. nota 3, 4. Hebd.) And lest we should imagine that this was a duty attached to novices only, we read that it was his own practice, not only in the beginning, but even when he was well advanced in years and in perfection, to prepare himself with care, and read attentively over-night the subject of his meditation for the next day, just before he betook himself to rest. Moreover, though we have heretofore meditated on any matter, and we believe it still remains very fresh in our memory; yet it will be, nevertheless, very much to the purpose, especially when ordinarily we take any matter from the words of holy Scripture, which are dictated by the Holy Ghost, to read them with attention, which will give us fervour, and a new disposition for our meditation and spiritual advancement.

Another means that may in like manner be a very great help to us is, that as soon as we awake, we presently, without giving time to our thoughts to settle anywhere else, direct them to the subject we had prepared over-night and dispose ourselves for it by some strong reflection. Cassian, St. Bonaventure, and St. Climacus, look upon it to be of very great importance, and say, that our praying well, and consequently our acting well, during the whole day depend on it. And St. John Climacus, moreover, observes, that as the devil knows very well of how great consequence the good employment of those first moments are, so he always watches with great impatience for our first waking, that he may presently seize upon our imagination, and thus reap for himself the first fruits of the day. He says also, that amongst the wicked spirits there is one called the Precursor, whose charge it is all night long to watch over us, that at the first moments of our waking, or even before we are quite awake, or come perfectly to ourselves, he may seize upon the avenues of our heart, by means of impure phantoms, and thereby take a kind of possession of us for the whole day; figuring to himself that the imagination and heart, which he first seized upon, ought to belong to him as his right. We must then be extremely vigilant, in order that as soon as ever our eyes are open, our imaginations may be filled with the thoughts of God, and our memory and heart receive a similar impression, before any strange thought is able to make its entrance. St. Ignatius gives the same advice in his book of Spiritual Exercises, and adds, that when prayer is made at any other than the ordinary hour in the morning, the person so praying must, inasmuch as the time permits, do the same thing. He must pause and say to himself: What am I going to do? Before whom am I going to appear? And afterwards, like a man who tunes a musical instrument, he must repeat and run over very briefly the matter he resolves to meditate on. In fine, it was his opinion that upon the observance of these, and such other like advertisements, which he calls additions, the perfection and fruit of our prayer did in great part depend. Moreover, do we not daily experience that our prayer succeeds well or ill, according as we are well or ill prepared for it, or according as we practise or neglect these additions?

“Before prayer prepare your soul,” says the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of the Wise Man, “and be not like a man who tempts God.” (Ecclesiasticus 18:23) St. Thomas, and St.- Bonaventure, from these words draw this consequence, that, to go to prayer without preparation is in a manner to tempt God; for to tempt God, say they, is to desire to obtain something without adopting the means he has established for this end and effect. For example, if any one should say, I will not eat, because God who is all powerful can keep me alive without eating. This would be to tempt God; requiring he should work a miracle, without any necessity for it. Wherefore when the devil had transported our Saviour Christ to the top of the temple, and would have persuaded him to cast himself down, saying, ‘‘ that God would send his angels to receive him in their arms,” our Saviour answered. him: “It is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:7) Preparation, therefore, for prayer is so necessary a means to make it well that the Wise Man says, to pray without any preparation is to tempt God, and to desire he should work a miracle upon our account. Our Lord would have us make a good prayer, and that we should apply ourselves to it with great attention and respect; but he would have us to do this by help of the ordinary means, which consist in preparing” ourselves beforehand, after the manner I have here set down.

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