Volume I, Treatise VIII, Chapter XXVIII

That It Is Very Improper to Discontinue Prayer Upon Account of the Desolation and Aridities We Find Therein

From what we have already said, it follows that it is a very great illusion to discontinue our prayer or to pray less than usual; because, feeling nothing but aridity therein, we therefore imagine we do nothing but lose our time. This thought is a very dangerous ’ temptation, that has made not only many secular persons leave off the exercise of prayer, but many religious also; and though it causes not some to leave off entirely this exercise, yet it lessens their affection to it, and hinders them from spending therein all the time they could. Many in the beginning give themselves to prayer with great fervour, and continue to do so long as they find comfort and sweetness in it; but when aridities and distractions molest them, they imagine they do not pray, but rather commit a fault, by being in God’s presence with so little attention and respect; and think they might serve him better by some other spiritual exercise, and therefore apply themselves less than usual to that of prayer. The devil, who sees their weakness and inconstancy, seizes this occasion, and endeavours to disquiet them so much in time of prayer, by all sorts of thoughts and temptations, that being at lass - quite discouraged, and persuading themselves the time thus spent in prayer to be very ill employed, they abandon it entirely, and therewith the desire of their perfection, and sometimes even the care of the salvation of their souls. Thus a great many persons ruin and destroy themselves. ‘‘ These are friends and guests at “our table, who leave us in time of necessity.” (Ecclesiastes 6:10) There is no one who would not desire to be happy with God; but the true mark of love is to desire to suffer with him. It is no very great matter to persevere a long time in prayer, when we receive sweetnesses and consolations; the very satisfaction we feel therein is sufficient to oblige us thereunto. And if we leave off prayer when we find this wanting, it is a sign we act only from this motive. But when God sends us desolations, aridities, and distractions, it is then we show ourselves true friends of God, and his faithful servants, who seek not our own interest, but regard only his holy will and pleasure. For this reason we ought at such a time as this persevere with the spirit of humility and patience, and give the whole time to prayer, nay, even more than is appointed, as St. Ignatius counsels us; that we may better surmount the temptation, and testify our constancy and courage in resisting the devil.

Palladius relates of himself, that being shut up in his cell, the better to give himself to prayer, contemplation, and other spiritual duties, he found himself in so great an aridity, and was disquieted with such a number of thoughts, that it came into his mind to discontinue his prayer, being able to make no progress in it. Whereupon he went to find out the great Macarius of Alexandria, whom he acquainted with his temptation, and asked his counsel what to do init. When these thoughts, replied the saint, tell you to go away, and that you do but lose your time, answer them; ‘‘ It is for the love of Jesus Christ I keep within the walls of my cell.” This was telling him plainly that his duty was to persevere, and though he reaped no other fruit from this exercise than to continue in it for the love of Jesus Christ, this alone was sufficient. We may avail ourselves of the same answer in the like temptations. For our own satisfaction is not the end we must aim at, or ought to have in prayer; and it is not upon this account we are to apply ourselves to it. What we are to propose to ourselves in prayer is, to perform an action that is pleasing to God, whereby We may in some measure acquit ourselves of a part of our duty to him, as he is our Gods and a part of the obligations we have to him, as our benefactor. And this being so, though in the midst of aridities and distractions you think you are not able to derive advantage from prayer, yet you do not fail to persevere in it, because it is this that pleases him.

We read of St. Catherine of Sienna, that for many days together she was deprived of all sorts of spiritual comfort, feeling nothing at all of her wonted fervour, but daily tormented with a multiplicity of impure thoughts, which she was not able to banish. Yet, nevertheless, she no day failed to make her accustomed prayer, in which she persevered as well as she was able, speaking thus to herself: ‘“‘ Alas! miserable sinner as you are, do you deserve any comfort? Would it not be a greater happiness than you deserve, to pass your whole life in darkness and in the desolate afflictions you are in, so you might but be freed from eternal damnation? You were not called to the service of God, to have sweetness and comforts in this life, but eternally to enjoy them with him in the next. Take courage, therefore; continue in your exercise, and persevere with that fidelity you owe your sovereign master.”

Let us imitate those two examples, and fortify ourselves with the words of Thomas-i-Kempis. ‘‘ Let my consolation, O Lord! be to be always willing to want all human comfort, and if your comfort also be wanting in me, let your will and pleasure thus to try me, be to me the greatest of all comforts. When we shall become so much masters over ourselves, as thus to unite our satisfaction to the divine will, so that it shall even be a joy unto us to have no cowfort, if God pleases to deprive us of it; then we shall enjoy so perfect a peace and contentment, that nothing in this world shall be able to take it from us, or give us any trouble.

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