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MENTAL PRAYER Method of the Three Powers
Exercise of the Memory
In the first place, the memory again recalls the
subject proposed for Meditation, in almost the same way as in the
First Prelude, with this difference, however: 1. That now not the whole subject
is to be recalled, as in the First Prelude, but only
the portion of it included in this Point. 2. That
this presentation should be much more accurate
and detailed than in the First Prelude.
For instance, if certain words form the subject of the Meditation, in the Prelude you only
imagine that you heard these words being spoken
to you by Our Lord or from Heaven. But here
in the Meditation, you are not only to hear
the words being spoken to you, but also carefully
to set before your mind Who the Speaker is,
what it is He says, and why, examining with
care the meaning of each word. In this way the
application of the memory will prepare the way
for reflection, which the understanding will
presently have to make.
Again, if the subject of the Meditation is some
event, you must not recall to mind the whole of
it, as in the Prelude, but only the portion to be
treated of in this Point. Nor must you simply
recall it to mind, but you must also attentively
examine the circumstances connected with this
particular portion, proposing it by means of such
questions as, Who? What? Where? By what
means? Why? When? etc. This is the proper
place for such questions, as the application of the
understanding consists rather in reasoning, so as
to gather practical fruit from the circumstances
which have been well examined previously.
We give an example of the treatment of both
subjects, words and events. Suppose the subject of meditation are the words
of Our Lord Jesus Christ: What doth it profit a
man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss
of his own soul?
First Prelude: Picture to yourself Our Lord
Jesus Christ surrounded by a group of disciples
and place yourself among them, as if you too
heard Him say to you: What doth it profit a
man, etc.
Application of the memory: The Speaker is
Jesus Christ, the Eternal Wisdom and Eternal
Truth. . . sent from Heaven to be the author
of our salvation . . . Who does not want me
to fear or to be distressed without cause, but to
save me—So, then, it is this Jesus Who says:
What doth it profit, that is, it is of no profit. . .
to any man whomsoever . . . to gain the whole
world. . . even if he alone should possess the
whole world . . . and all its riches . . .
honors . . . pleasures . . . if he suffer the
loss . . . by sin and for all eternity . .
the loss of his soul . . . his immortal and eternal soul. Thus it is. . . says Jesus Christ.
I believe this because He is the eternal and infallible Truth. . . that all the goods of this
world. . . all its glory. . . all its enjoyment. . . doth not profit a man. . . will
not profit a man. . . will in no wise profit a
man if he lose his own soul. Thus saith Jesus
Christ. And rightly so! For the whole world
passeth away. . . the soul remains eternally
. . . to be eternally happy or miserable. The
world passes and all its glory . . . and all its
delights . . . all its riches. . . all these
things pass. . . one day there will come the
end of all these things, and then indeed to have
enjoyed them all for a time will be of no profit. . . for they shall not last beyond the grave.
What if a man enjoys the best of fortune in this
world. . . for 10, 30, 40 years! How seldom
does this happen. . . how few find it their lot!
And even if it does happen to any one. . . of
what profit is it, if he loses his soul? Those years
shall all pass by. . . the end will come. . .
But his soul will endure forever. . . either salvation will be its lot. . . or damnation. . .
But to this happiness or misery of the soul. . .
there will never. . . never be an end. . .
Wherefore. . . in truth. . . what doth it
profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?
The following is an example of how the memory may be applied in meditating upon an event.
In this case, too, we will add the First Prelude,
so that the difference between the two may be
clear.
Suppose Christ crucified to be the subject of
Meditation. First Point: What Our Lord suffers in body. Second Point: What He suffers
in soul. It is evident that here the Prelude should
briefly include the whole subject matter, while on
the contrary, the application of the memory should
be limited to the Special Point under Meditation.
First Prelude: I will place myself on Mount
Calvary, and imagine that there before me, Our
Lord Jesus Christ is really present, hanging upon
the Cross between two thieves; that He is still
alive, and the Blood is pouring from His Wounds.
I see a vast concourse of people, most of whom
deride and blaspheme Him. I notice their angry
faces, and hear the noise and shouts. Amidst all
this, Jesus in agony cries out: My God, my God,
why hast Thou forsaken me? This Prelude evidently summarizes the three Points. But now in
the application of the memory one Point only is
taken and all that does not belong to that Point is
omitted.
First Point: What are Our Lord's sufferings
of body? Our Lord is hanging on the Cross. Oh
what suffering He endures. . . what terrible
torment!... His whole Body is covered with
blood and wounds. . . Truly there is no beauty
and comeliness in Him. . . from the sole of
His foot to the top of His head there is no soundness in Him! . . . All His limbs, also! how
cruelly are they tortured! His head pierced with
thorns . . . they encircle His Head . . . and
pierce His Brow. His eyes are full of Blood
. . . the whole Face is bruises, and livid . . .
the mouth parched by the gall. . . His breast,
back, sides, arms, legs, horribly torn. In many
spots the flesh is torn away, to the very bone. The hands and feet
pierced with nails give excruciating pain . . . and with these cruel
wounds, with these racked and torn nerves,
He hangs still living, one, two, three hours
. . . What inhuman torment . . . Such
are the sufferings of Jesus Christ. . . the innocent, the holy, the immaculate, the good, nay
rather Innocence, Holiness, Goodness itself . . .
God and man . . . Saviour of mankind . . .
worthy of infinite love! . . . He who is the
joy of Angels, on Whom those heavenly spirits
long to fix their glance . . . He is thus treated
at the hands of men. . . and His eternal
Father so allows and so ordains!... But
why is this? Certainly not for His own sins . . .
for He has none, He Who never sinned and Who never could sin. . .
but for the sins of mankind. . . for mine. . . for these and those
sins of mine. . . All this Jesus suffers! . . .
He suffers all this, then, although He is innocent. . . and moreover He suffers in silence
without complaint, and not only without any bitterness or hatred towards those who are the cause
and authors of such terrible suffering for Him,
but with the greatest love for them. . . All
this is so in truth. . . thus Divine Faith
teaches; such is my belief: I believe without
doubting, because Faith so teaches, supported by
revelation and the word of God, Who is the infallible and eternal Truth.
The application of the memory should be like
this. It is not necessary to dwell further on it,
as almost all that relates to the memory is usually
stated in Meditation books. But this must always be enlarged upon and carefully considered
by the one who is meditating, and not hurriedly
passed over, for the application of the memory is,
as it were, the foundation upon which the reflections and affections must arise. And unless the
application of the memory is carefully made, many
useful reflections too will be lost. It may be
noted that during the application of the memory
an act of faith, whenever possible, is usually advisable. It will make the reflection which follows more solid, and will give greater power to
move the will. For this reason, in both of the
examples an act of faith has been added.
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