selves in the words which Christ has taught us to use, we are praying at the same time for the whole body of the Church, since we are commanded to say, not "my Father," but "our Father," namely, Father of all those who are made of one body with Christ, Father of all members of the Church, Father of me and of all my brethren. And to this very prayer, the most essential and fundamental of all prayers, and at the same time the most sublime and exalted, we should most frequently have recourse when we feel moved by spontaneous attraction to prayer.

ARTICLE IX.

ON SEVERAL EXCUSES FOR NOT ATTENDING TO THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER.

It is generally remarked by the Saints, and is continually confirmed by experience, that the devil, aware of the great advantages which a soul acquires by the practice of prayer, exerts himself to the utmost of his power to deprive her of this blessing. He acts against us as Holofernes did against the city of Bethulia, when, in order to facilitate the taking of it, he destroyed the aqueducts through which the city was supplied with water. Prayer is the aqueduct through which our soul receives the water of grace; it is the principal means by which God fills us with His choicest blessings; and therefore the devil uses his best endeavours to break it, and he strives, by raising a thousand obstacles, to induce us to abandon it. Amongst the various means which he employs in order to encompass his wicked design, one is, to suggest to us several pretexts or excuses, by whi1

he endeavours to persuade us either that prayer is useless, or that it is out of our power to attend to the practice of it.

The principal pretexts or excuses which he suggests for this purpose are the following:

First, To some of those persons who experience no sensible sweetness or devotion in their prayers, he represents that their labour is thrown away; that their dryness and insensibility of heart destroys all the merit of their devotions; that their manner of prayer, instead of being pleasing to God, offends Him and provokes His anger; and that consequently it would be better for them to give up altogether the holy practice. One who is not instructed in the science of the Saints might very easily be induced to listen and follow this suggestion of the enemy; but he would make a great mistake; for what renders our prayers pleasing to God and profitable to our soul, is not the abundance of sensible delight which we experience in performing them, but our humility, our patience, our sincere and solid desire of pleasing Him, and fulfilling with fidelity His holy will. Let us be persuaded that the solidity of the love of God, and the consequent merit of our prayer, does not depend so much on the milk of consolation as on the bread of desolation, which is the food of the strong. Oh, how much more precious was the blood shed by our Redeemer on Calvary, amidst a sea of sorrow and affliction, than the splendour diffused over the mount Tabor in an ocean of sweetness! Contemplate our divine Saviour in the garden of Gethsemane, praying to His heavenly Father prostrated on the ground. The Evangelist tells us that His prayer was accompanied with the greatest anguish and sorrow, with dejection and intense agony of heart; that "His soul was sorrowful

even unto death;" and yet who can describe the merit and excellence of this prayer? Who can measure the glory which it rendered to God, and the blessings which it obtained for us? Let us, then, in time of desolation, look up to our Saviour in His agonising state in the garden, and take courage to bear patiently our cross. 'He who wishes to draw fruit from prayer,' says St. Teresa, 'must make no account of spiritual consolations; for I have learnt from experience that the soul which enters upon this path with a true determination to be quite indifferent whether God bestows or withholds sensible pleasures and delights, and which faithfully acts up to this determination, is already greatly advanced in the way of holiness.' And speaking of herself, she said, 'I do not desire any other prayer than that which is best suited to make me increase in virtue. Hence if I knew that I could advance in sanctity better by means of great aridities and frequent temptations, I should regard them as great blessings.' We read of St. Francis of Sales, that he was never troubled or afflicted when desolations, aridities, and internal abandonments attended his prayers; and he once said to the holy mother St. Jane Frances de Chantel, that when engaged in prayer, he never stopped to consider whether he was in consolation or desolation but that when God filled his soul with spiritual sweetness, he received it with the most profound reverence and simplicity; and that if it was withheld, and he was left desolate, not one thought of discontent ever crossed his mind, but he continued before God in perfect filial confidence as a child of love.' Those who act in this manner will not fail to enjoy great peace, and to acquire great merit before God.

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To persevere in prayer and in the service of God when

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repose

He caresses us with tenderness is not difficult, for we then in His bosom, and enjoy the sensible effects of His presence; but to continue constant in prayer, and be entirely resigned to His holy will, when He sends us nothing but bitterness and sorrow, is an act of heroic virtue, which has wonderful efficacy in raising the soul to union with God. We ought to go to prayer, not to please ourselves, but to please God; not to seek the consolations of God, but the God of all consolation. Even the most holy souls are sometimes subject to aridity in their prayers; but on account of their perseverance, God enriches them with His blessings. St. Teresa was afflicted for eighteen years with such distressing aridity, that sometimes she seemed to have for her Beloved neither heart, nor will, nor faith, nor hope, nor love; St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi at times was so overwhelmed with desolation, that she felt as if she were in the midst of hell; and St. Francis of Assisium was prepared to receive the precious gift of the sacred stigmata by such distressing aridity that he could scarcely speak without discovering in his countenance the sadness by which he was overwhelmed.

In the time of aridity the soul should do nothing but humble herself and ask God's grace; for there is no better time for knowing our own misery than when we are desolate in prayer. We then clearly perceive that of ourselves we can do no good. Hence, whenever we are in such a state, we ought to unite ourselves with Jesus abandoned on the cross, humbling ourselves and asking mercy, and repeating from the bottom of our heart these or similar pious ejaculations: Lord help me; Lord have pity on me; my Jesus, mercy.' 'When the soul feels herself oppressed with aridity and spiritual desolation,' says St. Jane Frances de Chantel, she must apply herself to make

acts of adoration, of confidence, and of conformity to the Divine will, presenting herself before the throne of God as a poor beggar standing in the presence of his prince, and making use of such words as will best express a loving submission to His most holy and adorable will.' 'When God gives spiritual comfort,' we read in the Imitation of Christ, receive it with thanksgiving; but know that it is the bounty of God, not thy merit. Be not puffed up, be not overjoyed, not vainly presume; but rather be the more humble for this gift, and the more cautious and fearful in all thy actions; for this hour will pass away, and temptation will follow. When comfort shall be taken away from thee, do not immediately despair; but wait with humility and patience for the heavenly visit, for God is able to restore thee a greater consolation. This is no new thing, nor strange to those who have experienced the ways of God; for in the great saints and ancient prophets there has often been this kind of variety. Hence one said, at the time when grace was with him, "I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved for ever." But when grace was retired, he immediately tells us what he experienced in himself: "Thou hast turned away Thy face from me, and I became troubled." Yet in the mean time he despairs not, but more earnestly prays to the Lord, and says, "To Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and I will pray to my God." Lastly, he receives the fruit of his prayer, and witnesses that he was heard, saying, “The Lord hath heard me, and hath had mercy on me; the Lord is become my helper." But in what manner? "Thou hast turned,” says he, “my mourning into joy to me, and Thou hast encompassed me with gladness." If thus it has been with great Saints, we that are weak and poor must not be discouraged, if we are sometimes fervent,