Читать книгу The Practice of Mental Prayer - Father Rene de Maumigny - Страница 59

PRACTICE OF MENTAL PRAYER

must add to it a certainty of a superior order, namely, faith.

Besides, many mysteries, such as the In- carnation, the Redemption, the Holy Euchar- ist, and our adoption as children of God, could not be suspected as true by the reason. They can be known only as revealed by God's authority—that is to say, by faith.

I do not mean, however, that a formal act of faith in a particular mystery is nec- essary for meditating on that mystery. Those who practise prayer regularly have the habit of accepting truths revealed because of God's authority, and in virtue of this disposition they make a real act of faith without thinking expressly of that authority. It is quite pos- sible to be actuated by a particular motive without thinking of it expresely, as, for instance, when a sick person takes dis- agreeable medicine so as to regain health, without, however, thinking formally of that aim.¹

Thus, in order to meditate profitably on Our Lord's Nativity, it is not essential to make a formal act of faith and say:

"My God, I believe that Thou didst take

1 Suarez, De voluniario, disp. 8, sect. 3, n. 4.