|
MENTAL PRAYER Method of the Three Powers
The Will
The office of the will in Meditation may be divided into two parts: To arouse pious
affections
and to form good resolutions or purposes. Both
are so essential to Meditation, that without them
there would be no mental prayer, as there ought to
be, but simply a speculative study.
1. Affections
The first duty of the will, then, is to arouse
pious affections or interior emotions, and to practice interior acts of different virtues.
These affections ought to come throughout the
Meditation or at least should be very frequent, for
they are the chief factors in making the Meditation a real prayer.
The fire of grace and Divine love ought always
to be burning in our hearts, but in Meditation,
meeting with a variety of fuel from the different
considerations, it ought to burst into flame according to the nature of the fuel supplied. In
my meditation a fire shall flame out. In considering the matter of the Meditation, something
wonderful presents itself—as indeed all God's
works are wonderful; the will bursts into admiration. Some Divine benefit comes up, the feeling
is one of praise, thanksgiving, love. The results
of God's anger, or His threats come before the
mind; a feeling of fear springs up. So of other
feelings, corresponding to the matter considered.
If we meditate on our sins and weakness, we cannot fail to be moved to a feeling of
humiliation,
self-confusion, sorrow, prayer for mercy, etc.
If you wish to know how to arouse such feelings, be assured in the first place that there is no
need for elegant forms of expression. The affections are not from the mouth, but from the
heart; nor do we need to treat God as we treat
men, who cannot understand our feelings unless
we express them in words.
When you are praying, says the Lord Jesus,
speak not much, as the heathens. For they think
that in their much speaking they may be heard.
This warning of Our Lord seems to be especially
applicable to mental prayer. Some imagine that
affections cannot be good unless they are expressed with beauty and eloquence, as if God,
like men, had to be won by force of words—a
great mistake indeed. This affair, says St. Augustine, is conducted better by groans than by
words. And when the Psalms and other parts
of the Scripture speak of crying to God, it is not
so much the cry of the mouth that is meant as that
of the heart in its burning affections. But on this
point Father Rodriguez has said much in his
usual excellent way. Here, then, it is enough to
point out that there is no reason for us to be
anxious how we express our affections, since
these may be perfectly rendered by the heart,
alone, without any words at all.
It is, however, usually very helpful to say some
words, but they need not be either choice or many.
Better to have them simple and brief, but frequently repeated and dwelt upon at length. If
any words to express the affections suggest themselves from Holy Writ or from prayers used by
the Church or by the Saints, these would surely
be the best, since they are possessed of a particular unction and must necessarily be more pleasing
to God. Perhaps an instance of this will not be
out of place.
When considering God's benefits, the feeling
of gratitude must be aroused. What more simple
than to say with the Psalmist: Oh what shall I
render to the Lord for all He hath rendered to
we! And if meanwhile you turn over in your
mind who you are and who God is Who confers
the benefits—What shall I . . . render to the
Lord . . . so great a God . . . for all
He hath rendered to me—and go over the greatness of the benefits in general, it will be easy to
dwell upon the affection, repeating the same
words from time to time slowly and quietly:
What shall I render to the Lord, for all He hath
rendered to me?
To express the same feeling of gratitude, the
words of the Patriarch Jacob may very well be
used, containing the most perfect of thanksgiving:
I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies, 0 Lord—words
implying the most intimate acknowledgment of our own weakness and of our
powerlessness to return thanks to God for even
the last of His mercies. I am not worthy of the
least of Thy mercies.
In the same way, various other words may be
used, or if none suggest themselves, say, 0 my
God, I thank Thee! But say it from the heart,
and your affection of gratitude will be good, for
God regards not the words, but the heart.
Similarly, if we are considering our own nothingness, a sentiment of humility must be aroused.
What more simple than to say: 0 truly I am
from every point of view unworthy of Thy Divine sight, 0 Lord. What more easy than, pondering the words I . . . from every point of
view . . . to go over the causes why, being
what I am, I am truly most unworthy of God's
sight, and in this manner to entertain the sentiment of humility for no small time.
These other words, after the mind of St. Ignatius, may be employed in expressing the same
sentiment of humility: What am I but a sack of
dung and food for worms, as far as concerns my
body; as to my soul a most foul sore and ulcer
whence such putridness of sin has flowed and still
flows unceasingly, and which the eyes of God are
ever compelled to behold.
Or those words from the Apocalypse may be
used: Ah, truly am I wretched and miserable,
and poor, and blind and naked! And even if you
should say nothing else but: Ah, how vile and
despicable I am! you have a sentiment of humility.
Do not be uneasy, then, about the form of the
words, only turn the sentiment over in your heart.
With little difficulty, a great number of short
quotations may be collected from Scripture or from the prayers of
the Church or from the sayings of the Saints, to express the different affections.
Nay, each one may collect such quotations for herself and become familiar with them
by using them frequently in meditating, when she wishes to arouse
the affections which they express, and indeed, it is better for each one to
make the collection for herself, rather than to use
another's, as the same things do not have the
same effect on different people, and some are
more touched by one quotation, others by another.
For those who say their vocal prayers and make
their spiritual reading attentively, it will be very easy to collect
quotations expressive of the different affections to be used at the various parts
of meditation. But let the quotations be short,
their meaning well-pondered and rendered familiar. This has been the practice of many of
the Saints.
Here we must not omit an observation which is
in entire conformity with St. Ignatius' idea: that
if we feel any sentiment aroused within us, we
should entertain it at length, and not be anxious
to pass on to others coming later in the Meditation, but continue the same sentiment till we have
exhausted it. For example, in the affection of
humility and acknowledgment of our nothingness, entertain the thought: Truly I am in every
point most unworthy of God's sight, or any other
words expressing the same sentiment, as long as
your vileness remains imprinted upon your mind
by some interior sense or spiritual taste, and the
sentiment retains its ardour. Even if you did
nothing else during the whole hour, the Meditation would be a most excellent one.
Then you feel the sentiment dying down, proceed to a further consideration of the matter to
be meditated upon.
But if you should spend much time or perhaps
even the whole hour in affections which are not so directly
connected with humility, and self-abasement, such as sentiments of joy, confidence,
etc., and this rather frequently, it would be wiser
to make the matter known to your Director, since,
holy as these sentiments are, still they are more
subject to illusion when long continued.
The affections, then, as has been said, ought to
pervade the whole Meditation; and this is to be
understood of the application both of the memory
and of understanding. For if what was said above
about the application of both powers be attentively
considered, anyone can easily see that these affections are suitable at any stage, nay, rather, that
they ought naturally to rise. From the very beginning, sentiments of faith may and ought to be
called forth, as we noted when treating of that
section, by saying with deep feeling: I believe
because faith or I believe because Thou, 0 eternal
Truth, hast said it, Who are not like men, a liar—
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but Thy words
shall not pass away! The last method is evidently
the most practical when we are meditating on Our
Lord's words or other words of God Almighty,
taken from Scripture.
2. Resolutions
The other duty incumbent on the will in Meditation is to form good resolutions for the future.
This is so essential that Meditation without the
formation of good resolutions cannot fulfill its end,
which is not to simply spend a certain time with
God in prayer, but to free the soul from sin, adorn
it with virtue, amend and perfect the whole life,
establish yourself against difficulties and temptations, order your actions rightly so as to perform
them perfectly, etc.; all of which cannot be done
except by well-made resolutions. As even from
what has just been said, this is clearly of great
importance, we must go into the matter as accurately as the Divine Goodness allows us.
The stage at which the resolutions should be
made is evidently at the close of the consideration
of each practical lesson drawn from the subject
of the Meditation, as was said before with regard
to the application of the understanding—since
one of the inquiries to be made was: What am
I to do for the future? The answer to this question will give the resolution to be formed. And to
the same point belongs the following question:
What obstacle must be removed? What help
employed?
When the will resolves to do what the understanding sees should be done with regard to these
questions, the resolution is called a purpose.
Of course this does not prevent our forming a
purpose about doing or avoiding something whenever anything of this kind presents itself in the
body of the Meditation, but the most fitting place
for resolutions calculated to bear solid fruit is
evidently, as has been said, at the close of the
questions which should be made during the application of the understanding. But as we have
stated under that head, these questions may be
asked at any stage. Should there be several practical considerations included in the first point,
questions and resolutions may be introduced in
connection with any of them. The matter will be
quite clear to any one who examines the examples
given above.
The resolutions must be practical, that is, such
as are really effective in the amendment of life
and perfection. And here let it be clearly understood that the end of these resolutions should not
be simply the practice of some petty devotion, as
if, after meditating on death, the only resolution
formed should be: I will say an Our Father and
Hail Mary every day for the dying and for myself; to obtain a happy death, I will say such and
such a prayer to Our Blessed Lady. Such a resolution is doubtless good, but it is not enough. To
make the resolution really solid and practical, determine what you ought particularly to avoid, or
what sin or defect you ought to correct; what
virtue you must practise, so as to prepare yourself
for a happy death; what passion you must mortify,
and how. Such resolutions are practical.
The resolutions must not be universal, but particular. This may be seen from what is said
above with regard to the second question: What
practical lesson may I draw from this? and the
fourth: How have I observed it up till now?
What was there laid down, is extremely appropriate here also.
Here we are to add that a resolution may be
rendered particular in one of two ways:
1. If it is formed with reference to a particular
case: 2. If it determines a particular course of action in general cases.
Let us explain the matter briefly by means of
an example. You take the resolution: I will be
patient in adversity. This is a general resolution,
and so, worthless, unless perhaps in the case of
the truly spiritual and perfect. You turn this
general resolution, then, into a particular one, by
one of two methods:
1. By saying: I will be patient in such and
such circumstances, mentioning the circumstances
in which you are most frequently moved to impatience.
2. If any trouble comes upon me I will think:
This is very little compared with Hell, which I
deserve; or I will bear this willingly for the love
of Jesus Crucified. In either way the resolution
will be rendered particular, and therefore good.
But it would be better still if you used both
means to particularize one and the same resolution. For instance: I will be patient in such and
such circumstances, thinking, this is very little
compared with Hell, which I have deserved, etc.
Thus in the very forming of the resolution you
will have a means of practising it.
The resolutions should be adapted to your
present state. Note what was said with regard to
the fifth question.
What am I to do for the future?
Besides, resolutions should not extend to a time
still far distant, for instance, for a young student to say: When I am a Priest, I will do so
and so, etc.
Such resolutions are usually futile and very
liable to illusion. Let the resolution, then, be concerned with the present, or at least with some
not far distant need.
Further, every day something should be determined upon, which may be put into practice that
very day, with regard to the amendment of conduct or greater perfection. This can easily be
done by those who thoroughly examine their conscience and really desire to amend the faults they
have themselves discovered or of which their
Superior has warned them. To any one who has
this at heart, resolutions come of their own accord, and the whole
Meditation, whatever the subject, serves them in the work of
personal amendment; and thus, whatever the subject—the love
of God, His threats to sinners, the Passion of
Christ, the Glorious Mysteries, your sins. Our Saviour's virtues—the practical conclusion always
urges you to war against your vices.
This is especially the case, if we are hard
pressed by some vice or particularly retarded in
God's service by some difficulty. For then all the
instruments of war, so to speak, and all its devices
must be aimed at that point, if we are to come off
victors. For this it is also quite clear that the
Meditation should often, be akin to the subject of
the Particular Examen and that the Particular
Examen, in its turn, should be greatly assisted
by the Meditation.
The resolution must be founded on solid motives. Such they will surely be if the third question:
What motives will lead me to the observance of this practical conclusion? has been
rightly handled. Turn to what has been said
above on this question.
Here a mistake is often made, because immediately we see what we ought to do, we immediately determine to do it—a very praiseworthy
promptitude on the part of the will, but such determinations are often like houses built on sand,
immediately overthrown by any kind of temptation or difficulty which assails them. In order to
render the resolutions enduring, they must be
erected on a solid foundation, based upon eternal
truths, and the understanding fully convinced of
the necessity, utility, justice, etc., of doing or
avoiding the matter in question.
Nor is it enough for you to examine these motives once or only from time to time, as though
you felt that reasons which made it imperative
to act were already sufficiently well known. The
same point must often be dwelt upon in Meditation, especially where you know you are weakest,
as in acquiring humility, or the virtue in which
you are most lacking, conquering pride or any
other vice by which you are assailed. When motives have been examined over and over again,
they sink deep into the heart, and if you add frequent acts of the virtue, you will acquire a habit
of it.
Resolutions must be very humble and full of
diffidence in yourself. A want of humility in the
resolution is the primary cause of its not being
carried out, especially if you make serious resolutions and have a true desire of serving God. During the Meditation, you resolutely decide that you
will do so and so in such and such circumstances;
and while you are making this decision, and especially when the motives of such a course of
action have been examined, with a kind of secret
presumption you are led to think that without
fail you will most certainly act as you say. And
yet, when the time comes, you often fail, the reason being not that your
resolutions were not sincere, but that they were not humble, and that
since you are overconfident in yourself and your
own strength, God justly and mercifully has
humbled your pride. When, then, you make a
resolution, you ought at the same time to mistrust
your own inconstancy and weakness, and to place
your entire confidence in God's grace and help, which you must most
humbly beg, and also invoke and implore the assistance of the Blessed
Virgin, Mother of God, your Patron Saints, your
Holy Guardian Angel, etc. .You might make this
prayer, for instance:
This, indeed, I now resolve to do, 0 my
God . . . such is my wish . . . but yet
I shall do nothing of all this without Thy
help . . . I know too well, too often have I
experienced my own waywardness and inconstancy to be able to trust in my resolutions. In
Thee, 0 Lord, I have hoped; I shall never be
confounded. Help me by Thy grace, when the occasion offers of carrying, out my resolution.
Then, 0 Lord, recall to my mind the truth which,
aided by Thy grace, I now realize— that moment strengthen Thou my will. Of what use, 0
Lord, to have enlightened me by Thy light so
that I may see what I ought to do, if I do not do
it? 0 then, my Lord, come to my aid for Thy
name's sake through the merits of Jesus Christ—
His Blood—and His most Sacred Heart, do I implore Thee. Stand by me,0 my most
Holy Patrons and Thou especially, 0 most holy Mary,
Virgin Mother of God, stand by me—make supplication for me . . . 0 my Guardian Angel,
speak to my heart when the opportunity is offered
and help me . . ., etc.
You will learn to carry out this most important
warning more and more carefully, as you will
often and often experience your weakness and
inconstancy in executing good resolutions.
But if the will is listless, it must be stirred up,
urged on by bringing force to bear upon it, by
insisting on the motives, especially that of necessity, as has been said above in question 3: What
motive, etc. You must pray to God with greater fervor stir up your soul, which lies prostrate on
the ground. |
|
