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Part II

Containing Various Counsels for Lifting Up the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the Sacraments

Chapter 1

The Necessity of Prayer

1. Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of divine light, and the will to the warmth of heavenly love. Nothing can so effectively purify the mind from its ignorance, or the will from its perverse affections. It is like a healing water that causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, washing away the soul’s imperfections and soothing the thirst of passion.

2. But I especially recommend earnest mental prayer to you, particularly that which bears on the life and passion of Our Lord. If you contemplate him frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with him, you will grow in his likeness, and your actions will be molded on his. He is the light of the world; therefore, in him, by him, and for him we shall be enlightened and illuminated. He is the tree of life, beneath the shadow of which we will find rest. He is the living fountain of Jacob’s well, in which we may wash away every stain. Children learn to speak by hearing their mother talk, and stammering their childish sounds in imitation; in the same way, if we cling to the Savior in meditation, listening to his words, watching his actions and intentions, we will learn in time, through his grace, to speak, act, and will like him. Believe me, my daughter, there is no way to God except through this door. Just as the glass of a mirror would give no reflection except for the metal behind it, so neither could we here below contemplate divinity if it were not united to the sacred humanity of our Savior, whose life and death are the best, sweetest, and most profitable subjects that we can possibly select for meditation. It is not without meaning that the Savior calls himself the bread come down from heaven. Just as we eat bread with many other foods, so we need to meditate and feed upon our dear Lord in every prayer and action. His life has been meditated and written about by various authors. I should specially commend to you the writings of Saint Bonaventura, Bellintani, Bruno, Capilla, Grenada and Da Ponte.

3. Give an hour every day to meditation before dinner. If you can, let it be early in the morning, when your mind will be less cumbered and fresh after the night’s rest. Do not spend more than an hour this way, unless specially advised to do so by your spiritual father.

4. If you can make your meditation quietly in church, it will be well, and no one, father or mother, husband or wife, can object to an hour spent there. Very likely, you could not secure a time so free from interruption at home.

5. Begin all prayer, whether mental or vocal, by an act of the presence of God. If you observe this rule strictly, you will soon see how useful it is.

6. It may help you to say the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, etc., in Latin, but you should also study them diligently in your own language, so as thoroughly to gather up the meaning of these holy words, which must be used to fix your thoughts steadily on their intention, not striving to say many words but seeking to say a few with your whole heart. One Our Father said devoutly is worth more than many prayers hurried over.