and this fire remains smouldering, as it were, 1 John 4: 24. 2 Matth. 7: 16.
PRACTICE OF MENTAL PRAYER
throughout the day. But from a smoulder- ing fire it is easy to cause sparks to rise; so when a fervent prayer has been made in the morning, the soul finds no difficulty in repeating every hour, every half-hour, or even more frequently, fervent acts of the love of God, the repetition of these acts with the most divine and therefore meritorious intention, consecrates our daily actions to the glory of God, and a single day thus becomes more meritorious than a whole month without prayer.
EXCELLENCE OF MENTAL PRAYER
CHAPTER III
THIRD ADVANTAGE OF PRAYER:
It leads to Christian perfection
CHRISTIAN perfection is nothing else but a union of love with God; in other words, it is the unitive life.
In its essence, it consists in the transforma- tion of our will into the divine will, so that we no longer wish for anything but what God wishes, and because He wishes it, in- finitely worthy as He is in Himself of being loved. In order to arrive at this state, the soul must pass through various stages, which we will examine in turn.
First, the soul must not only be purified from deliberate sin, but must also change its irregular inclinations, as far, at least, as human weakness will allow. Indeed, if an earthly prince refuses to enter the unclean hovel of a subject, it is evident that God, the Sovereign Lord of all things, could not visit a soul in order to contract with it the union of love, unless it were previously cleansed of its stains.
The process of cleansing is a great one
PRACTICE OF MENTAL PRAYER
and no one can make it successful without the help of prayer. The first cleansing con- sists in never again committing a deliberate venial sin. Now, that is impossible to one who is aided only by that grace which God refuses to none. A powerful grace is required, which God grants only to fervent petition, the peculiar characteristic of prayer.
When the soul has succeeded in no longer committing deliberate venial sins, there remains a second and more difficult cleansing to be effected: the rooting out of nature's disordered inclinations. How is this to be done—again, by means of prayer.
In order to get rid of these evil inclinations two things really are necessary: to see them clearly and then to arm oneself with the courage and perseverance requisite for their eradication. Now it is during prayer that the Holy Ghost sheds a light on the soul which makes it see even its smallest defects. As long as night lasts, the gardener does not see weeds in his garden, but when the sun rises, he perceives them. In like man- ner when the soul does not meditate seriously, it does not see the multitude of its imper- fections, because it remains plunged in spir-
EXCELLENCE OF MENTAL PRAYER
itual darkness; but when the soul applies itself to this holy exercise, the Holy Ghost enlightens it and reveals to it even its smallest defect.
In most cases God, Who in His providence arranges all with a gentle force, proportions this light to the strength which He infuses into the soul, and only discloses to it the fault which it can correct. Sometimes, how- ever, many more defects are disclosed than the soul can root out. God's object in this case is to humiliate the soul by showing it its weakness, so as to exalt it later, in accordance with St. Peter's thought: ''Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of visitation." 1
But whatever the method by which God enlightens the soul as it prays, sooner or later He will certainly disclose to it all its faults, so that the soul, strengthened and encouraged, may finally succeed in destroy- ing them. Where are the helps, indispens- able in such a difficult task, to be found? Once more, in prayer; for it is only in prayer that the Holy Ghost shows the soul the ineffable value of a union of love with God and fills the heart with the desire of
1 Pet. 5:6.
PRACTICE OF MENTAL PRAYER
attaining to such union, following the example of the merchant in the Gospel, who dis- covered a pearl of great price and sold all that he had to buy it.
The cleansing of the soul once accomplished, there still remains its adornment with virtues: the second degree of Christian perfection. Just as an earthly king would not enter the house of one of his subjects if it were only clean, but at the same time unfurnished and with- out ornament, in like manner the King of Heaven could not visit a soul to be united to it by love, unless to purity of conscience was added the adornment of Christian virtues.
How is the soul to acquire virtues? By meditating on the mysteries of faith, espe- cially the life and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our divine Master's example is truly, at one and the same time, clear, inspiring and consoling. It enlightens us, since virtue shines immeasurably more bright in Jesus Christ than anywhere else. His example charms us, because Jesus Christ attracts and triumphs by reason of His beauty, and draws us by the odor of His ointments.'' ^ Lastly, His example is consoling, because
1 Ps. 44: 5; Cant, 1: 3.
EXCELLENCE OF MENTAL PRAYER 25
Jesus lightens the labor by the loving union of His Divine Heart with ours. He has not bidden us carry otir cross alone, but carry it with Him: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
O the wonderful change which takes place in the soul that labors perseveringly to gain an intimate knowledge of the divine King, so as to love and follow Him more. At last it sees, in place of the briars of earthly inclinations, virtues growing and flourish- ing and sending their odor to heaven. The mystic garden where God is accustomed to contract the union of love is filled with blossom; Divine Goodness is pleased by it, inclines towards it and the soul is visited.
But one visit only is not enough to effect the total transformation of the htunan into the Divine Will, a transformation which in its essence constitutes the union of love, or the unitive life. Just as a single visit paid by an earthly prince to one of his sub- jects is not sufficient to produce similarity of ideas, so a single visit of God to the soul
1 Matth. 16: 24.
2 Spiritual Exercises—1 week 2, contempl. 1, prel. 3.
PRACTICE OF MENTAL PRAYER
is insufficient to make it adopt purely Divine feelings. The transformation of the human into the Divine Will can only be accomplished by frequent converse between God and the soul, that is, by prayer; but if the soul perseveres, this transformation will take place without fail in course of time. If, indeed, by associating with men of evil life we become perverted, and by associating with the virtuous, we ourselves become virtuous, how can we deny that prayer, which is fre- quent and intimate intercourse with God, has the power of making us more Divine?
Yes, it is while praying that the soul, enraptured by the infinite beauty of God's Will, comes to regard God's slightest wish as of more importance than all created things; not only those which the world prizes, such as riches, honor and pleasure, but even those which are truly valuable, such as spiritual consolation.
