The Importance for Religious Souls of the Interior Life, of Mental Prayer, and of the Practice of the Presence of God
Among all the spiritual exercises which most efficaciously keep religious souls in continual interior recollection, we must put in the first place Mental Prayer, with its holy considerations and devout affections which lead us to the practice, and supply us with the means, of animating all our actions with a real spirit of devotion. Vocal prayers and exterior actions can help to some small extent, but they do not suffice. Interior devotion, a real love of our neighbour, an ardent love of God, ought to be the basis of our perfection. Otherwise we should merit the reproaches which Our Lord addressed to the Jews who gave everything to the exterior: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you are like to whited sepulchres which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones and of all filthiness. So you also outwardly, indeed, appear to men just, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” – Matthew 22:27,28
One of the greatest and most dangerous imperfections, then, of the religious life is to be careful of the exterior only, without paying attention to the interior; to perform the exercises and observances of Religion only superficially and hastily, from habit and with- out the spirit of devotion, not forcing oneself to animate ordinary actions with interior sentiments of fervour and piety as is necessary to make them meritorious and satisfactory in the eyes of God. Tepidity, dissipation, frequent transgressions of regular observances, thousands and thousands of dangers into which many throw themselves, too often to their total loss and ruin, are the consequences of this very sad state.
Let religious recall the terrible threat which Jesus Christ made Saint John the Evangelist write to the bishops of Ephesus and Laodicea: “Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write:…I have somewhat against thee because thou has left thy first charity. Be mindful, therefore, from whence thou art fallen; and do penance and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance.” “And to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write:…I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot. But because thou art lukewarm … I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.” – Apocalypse 3:14-16 It is only too true that the actions of religious souls are sometimes tepid waters which cause God to vomit, because they abandon the interior – that is to say. Mental Prayer, rigorous observance of silence, the retreat of their cell, the practice of recollection, the reading of spiritual books, interior intercourse with God, the longing desires of the heart for heaven, peace, fraternal charity, modesty, simplicity and purity, which are interior exercises and without which all their exterior actions cannot stop God from vomiting them out of His mouth. O that great numbers may not have already merited this chastisement, so please His Infinite Majesty!
Let all religious of Saint Dominic, brethren or sisters, professed or novices, read through the Annals of the Order in which they make their profession, and they will see that it has been founded on the practice of Mental Prayer. It is quite certain that this heavenly edifice would never have been established nor have made any progress if it had been built only on the sand of exterior ceremonies and not on the rock and solid earth of continual meditation. The Queen of Angels, who gave the habit to our first Fathers, made them understand that under their white robe they ought to bear a pure and spotless heart – a grace which they could never have obtained if they had not applied themselves wholly and entirely to prayer. Indeed, the heart is never fully purified except in the flames of holy meditations.
Saint Dominic understood perfectly this truth which he learned from the sacred lips of Mary, his dearly beloved Mother. We read in his life that he employed not only an hour or two in Mental Prayer, but entire nights, with an interior recollection in the Presence of God which lasted during all the following day. He persevered thus in the practice of Mental Prayer until the last night of his holy life, to teach us by his example that he founded his Order on the immovable rock of Mental Prayer, in order that by this means we may be able to overcome all obstacles and resist the temptations of the devil, the flesh, and the world, without ever diminishing in anything the rigour and perfection of regular observance. Again, in the first years after the establishment of the Order, not only were the cells of our Fathers the ordinary abode of heavenly light, of silence, of retreat, of meditation and contemplation, but our churches also bore witness to the ardent aspirations and sweet lamentations and ecstatic prayers of these angels incarnate. In those hearts so united to God, so filled with the light and heavenly sweetness of Prayer, the pure spirit of observance, of heavenly wisdom, of ardent charity, of zeal for the salvation of souls, developed to such an extent, that within a few years the Order of Saint Dominic spread throughout the world with wonderful and incredible fruit.
Religious, then, who are unwilling to apply themselves to the practice of Prayer, will not bear fruit either in themselves or in others. In fact, if we content ourselves merely with the externals of observance and do not thoroughly give ourselves to the interior spirit of devotion, we rase to the ground, so far as it is in us, the whole edifice of this great fortress set up by God through Saint Dominic for the defence of Holy Church.
This is why, having a great desire to assist religious who fear the divine threats and who in holy religious life wish to live in the fervour of spirit which animated our first Fathers, we decided to give this short advice concerning the Presence of God, along with the meditations which are contained in the next chapter. If it be true, as cannot be doubted, that the Blessed are impeccable because they are always living in the Presence of God, those among ourselves who devote the whole day to recollection before God will also preserve themselves from sin; and actually working to advance in the ways of perfection, as all religious are bound in conscience to do in virtue of their profession, they will find that at the end of the day their soul is enjoying such perfect tranquillity and consolation as surpasses all understanding.
Let all our religious, then, embrace the practice of Mental Prayer with great purity of intention, not seeking any other thing than to get to know well the Will of God, to conform themselves entirely to His good pleasure, and to content themselves with it alone, since for this end we were created, to know, love, serve, and obey Him; and let them with generous and invincible courage, and with holy perseverance, overcome all the obstacles which ordinarily present themselves to prevent us from attaining this end. Those who remain faithful to the practice of Prayer are bound to feel sure that they are walking infallibly along the path to heaven. It is, in fact, impossible that they should be damned if they devote themselves to praying well, to meditating well, and to contemplating well, since Prayer is nothing else than the union of our understanding and will with God Who is the life of our souls. Is it possible to meet with death in the Source of Life? Whoever unites himself with God, Who is the Source of Life, will never taste eternal death. More than this, we shall be certain that we are to be vessels of honour in this world, and instruments chosen by God to spread throughout His Church lively faith in Jesus Christ, and procure thereby the salvation and sanctification of souls.
To conclude, we will cite an important passage from Saint Augustine. The vigorous and burning words of the holy Doctor, if we meditate upon them attentively, will raise our thoughts towards heaven and effectually excite us to the practice of Mental Prayer. “My Lord,” he says, “. . . therefore do I arise to the most delightful and happy state of peace and joy and light. Take my heart in Thy Hand, for without Thee to yet higher things it cannot rise. Hold and rule my spirit, uplift it according to Thy Will, that under Thy guidance it may ascend to that land of plenty where Israel finds food for ever in the pastures of truth, that there, if only by swift thought, it may attain to Thee the highest Wisdom which dwelleth above all things, knowing and governing all things. But there are many things which obstruct the way in my soul’s flight up to Thee; at Thy command, O Lord, let all things fall before me; let my soul itself be quiet within me; let it pass by all created things; let it pass to Thee, attain to Thee, and let it set its eyes . . . on Thee, the sole Creator of all things; set its heart on Thee, the highest and true Good, Joy everlasting.
“Finally, there are many subjects for meditation, on which the soul devoted to Thee may wonderfully feed; but in none of them does my soul rest and delight so much as when it thinks or and contemplates Thee Alone. How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord, with which Thou dost wonderfully inspire the hearts of those that love Thee! How wonderfully sweet is Thy love which those enjoy who love, seek, and desire to think of nothing else but Thee! Happy are they for whom Thou art the only Hope, and whose whole work is Prayer.” – Meditationes, chapter 37