Читать книгу The Practice of Mental Prayer - Father Rene de Maumigny - Страница 54

PRINCIPAL ACTS OF PRAYER

CHAPTER VI

THE EXERCISE OF THE MEMORY AND UNDER- STANDING

THE memory must be used in recalling the subject of Meditation prepared the pre- vious night. If the difficulty of doing this is too great, a book may be used, not in such a way as to substitute reading for medita- tion, but just to glance over the main ideas of the subject.

The understanding must be exercised in the three following processes:

First, in returning several times to the ideas which we have read or heard explained. Just as the rain penetrates the earth only drop by drop so as to fertilize it, in the same way Our Lord's teaching only enters the soul gradually in order to change its earthly view of things to a heavenly and divine one. Those who meditate cannot impress too firmly on their minds the fact that it is useless to pass hurriedly from one item to another. They should pause at the first consideration until the soul can obtain no