3. Mental Prayer or Meditation
Raise Your Heart to God
We are traveling to an unknown land, to the land of eternity, let us hope, of endless delight. Our life on earth is a voyage to that country. The mistake into which many fall is that they make the journey to eternity in so thoughtless a fashion. You must beware of this folly. Therefore I exhort you to raise your heart to God daily, by means of serious reflection, by means of meditation or mental prayer.
You must already have remarked the wide difference which frequently exists among Christians who dwell beneath the same roof tree, and form but one family. Unfortunately, one not seldom finds in the present day Christians who commit sin boldly, and even with a sort of pride; but there are, thank God, other Christians, who dread nothing so much as sin.
Whence arises this difference? In the case of the latter, from the practice of mental prayer, in that of the former, from the thoughtless manner in which they live their daily life, and never reflect upon higher and eternal things. Truly it is not to be wondered at if a man who lives in this manner veers about like a weathercock with every wind that blows. He does not live quite like a Christian, nor quite like a heathen; he indeed believes in heaven and hell, but in a cold and careless manner.
How does it happen, on the other hand, that the true, earnest Christian stands as firm amid evil examples as an oak which has braved a hundred winters? Let us discover his secret, a secret more valuable by far than the secret of the alchemist. The true Christian also has his temptations; he has to fight with his own concupiscence, with the world, with the devil. But he is not careless and thoughtless; on the contrary, he is watchful and serious; in prayer he meditates upon religious truths and by the grace of God his faith becomes fervent and lively, so that he does not fall into grievous sin. but makes steady progress in the way of perfection. The bad and thoughtless Christian, on the other hand, boasts that he believes like any good Christian, but he does not live up to his profession. For this reason one of the saints used to say: "In my opinion, these bad Christians ought to be contained in an asylum for idiots; for how can a sensible, reasonable man believe in heaven and hell. and yet go on sinning?"
St. Alphonsus Liguori says in his "Devout Reflections ": [1]
"We are not created for this earth. The end for which God has placed us in the world is this, that by our good works we may merit eternal life. 'The end is life everlasting' (Rom. vi. 22). And therefore St. Eucherius used to say that the only affair that we should attend to in this life is eternity; that is to gain for ourselves a happy eternity, and escape a miserable one. "The business for which we work is eternity." If we make sure of success in this business, we shall be happy forever: if we fail in it. we shall be forever miserable.
"Happy he who lives with eternity always in view, with a lively faith that he must shortly die, and enter into eternity. 'The just man liveth by faith,' says the Apostle (Gal. iii. ii). It is faith that makes the just live in the grace of God, and that gives life to their souls, by detaching them from earthly affections, and reminding them of the eternal goods which God holds out to those who love Him.
"St. Teresa used to say that all sins had their origin in a want of faith. Therefore, in order to overcome our passions and temptations, we must frequently revive our faith by saying: ' I believe in the life everlasting. I believe that after this life, which for me will quickly finish, there is an eternal life, either full of delights, or full of torments, which will be my lot, according to my merits or demerits.'
Raise your heart to God by meditation, by mental prayer. Only in this way will your hope, as well as your faith, be maintained and kept from degenerating into presumption or despair.
The sinner often resembles the ostrich which lives in the sandy deserts of Africa. When it is pursued it buries its head in the deep sand, that it may not perceive its pursuer, and imagines itself to be unseen; all too late it discovers its mistake, when the fatal bullet has inflicted a mortal wound. After a similar fashion do sinners act. They reflect not upon the mighty hunter, Death, and refuse to think of him; but this does not prevent him from coming, and his cruel arrow fails not to reach its mark. How terrible a thing it is thus to trifle with death!
Wherefore, raise your heart to God, raise it frequently to Him, every morning and evening at least! Raise your heart to God in the morning, by making a firm resolution to avoid this or that besetting sin and to overcome your predominant passion. Raise it to God in the evening, by repenting of your sins, by meditating on death, judgment, heaven and hell, and by resolving to lead a more holy, a more virtuous life. Pray every night for the grace of perseverance.
Keep yourself all through the day in the presence of God. St. Basil says: "If you wish to find a short and compendious method, which contains in itself all other means, and is most efficacious for overcoming every temptation and difficulty, and for acquiring perfection, it is the exercise of the presence of God."
St. Bonaventure declares: "In the midst of our employments we ought to have God present to our minds, in imitation of the holy angels who, when they are sent to attend on us, so acquit themselves of the functions of this exterior ministry, as never to be drawn from their interior attention to God."
In the words of St. Augustine, "God sees thee; go in where thou wilt, He sees thee; light thy lamp, He sees thee; quench its light, He sees thee. Fear Him Who ever beholds thee. If thou wilt sin, seek a place where He can not see thee, and then do what thou wilt."
And again St. Basil exclaims: "Who shall dare, in presence of his prince, to do what displeases that prince?"
The Royal Psalmist says: "I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all Thy works: I mused upon the works of Thy hands. Make the way known to me (O Lord) , wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to Thee" (Ps. cxlii. 5, 8).
As we read in "The Crown of Jesus": "We can meditate when we sit in the house; when we walk on the way; when we lie down; when we rise up. We can meditate by considering all earthly things as types of holy truths. In trees, the wood of the cross, our Redemption; in dust, our origin. In the sky, heaven our reward. In the stars, the heavenly mansions of those who by their glorious deeds have brought many to justice. In the moon, the Queen of heaven. In the sun, the Son of justice. In the sea, the ocean of eternity. In the waves, the progress of time. In the seashore covered with the waters, our mortality. In the footmarks on the sand erased, fame. In the sudden darkness, mortal sin. In the bright light, God's grace. In the gentle wind, the breath of the Holy Ghost the Comforter. In bread, the Blessed Sacrament, the true Bread of life. In water, the cleansing grace of baptism. In oil. the anointing of the young and of the sick. In the sound of the clock, the irrevocable progress of time.
"We can meditate by adoring the presence of God all around us. as we walk in the midst of Him, or as causing by His Presence in each object we behold, its continued existence and its qualities of good. We can adore God in the center of our heart, dwelling there as in a temple, and by a spiritual union uniting to Himself the soul in grace.
"We meditate by reading slowly, devoutly, a spiritual book, with pious affections and practical resolutions. We meditate by contemplating with true dispositions the image of the crucifix, or the tabernacle over the altar where, in His sacramental presence, our sweetest Jesus reposes. We meditate by hearing the holy Mass, uniting ourselves with Jesus in His sacrifice. We meditate while we devoutly make the stations of the cross, or recite the holy Rosary in honor of the mysteries of the life of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. We meditate when we interiorly consider and apply to our soul's need each petition of the Pater, or other prayer. We meditate when we reverently contemplate in others the type of God's mercy or power."
The soul that practises meditation, according to the Royal Prophet, is like a tree planted by the running water. It flourishes and brings forth fruit in due time. "Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he shall meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do, shall prosper" (Ps. i. 1-3). Let us mark the words: "It brings forth its fruit in due time," which means at the time that he has some trial, some sorrow, some contempt to endure. St. Chrysostom compares meditation to a fountain gushing in the midst of a garden. Just as a garden that is freely watered brings forth an abundance of flowers and foliage, so does the soul that meditates present to the eyes of God the pleasing sight of ever increasing virtues. Her holy desires and aspirations are constantly ascending like a sweet odor to heaven. But whence has she received the first seeds of good? From meditation, which daily sheds fruitful dew on her heart. "Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of the orchard. . . . The fountain of gardens, the well of living waters, which run with a strong stream from Libanus" (Cant. iv. 13, 15). If the fountains of the garden were to dry up, the flowers and foliage would soon wither for lack of water.
So it is with the soul. As long as it meditates, we find in it charity, modesty, humility, and mortification. But let mental prayer be neglected, and vanity, frivolity, love of ease and worldly pleasures, want of recollection and devotion, neglect of mortification — all these are the result. Water is wanting, the spirit is dried up. "My soul is as earth without water unto Thee" (Ps. cxlii. 6). The poor soul has forsaken mental prayer, and the garden of her heart is parched. It grows drier and harder day by day. St. Chrysostom looks upon such a soul as not only sick, but even lifeless. "He who no longer prays to God," he says, "who no longer desires constant communion with Him, is dead." When the soul ceases to kneel in prayer before God, she dies.
St. Ignatius of Loyola says, Meditation is the shortest road to perfection." He who makes great progress in mental prayer makes great progress, also, in perfection. It is in the time of meditation that the soul is replenished with holy thoughts, devout aspirations and desires, good resolutions, and most fervent love of God.
Lord, Thou hast made this wondrous soul
All for Thyself alone;
Ah, send Thy sweet transforming grace
To make it more Thine own!
4. How to Practise Mental Prayer
"In my meditation a fire shall flame out" (Ps. xxxviii. 4).
Make at least a short meditation every day. Mental prayer is a more appropriate and comprehensive term for that spiritual exercise which is so highly praised and commended by the saints and so conducive to holiness and perfection.
Mental prayer is within the reach of all who earnestly desire their salvation. Father Wilberforce says: " In order to pray with fruit and without distraction it is most useful and almost necessary to spend some time in meditation or pious reflection on some supernatural truth, and from this fact the whole exercise is often called meditation instead of mental prayer. "In mental prayer meditation (the exercise of the intellect) is only a means to the end, which is the elevation of the soul to God — conversation with God. When thinking and reflecting the soul speaks to itself, reasons with itself; in prayer that follows it speaks to God." It is plain that mental prayer or meditation is something more than mere spiritual reading.
But we can easily turn our spiritual reading into a meditation, as, for instance, when we read only a few lines at a time from "The Following of Christ"; then meditate, reflect, consider our own conduct in connection with the subject treated, make devout acts and pious resolutions, and finally pray to God for His grace that we may conquer our wicked inclinations, practise some particular virtue, and lead a holy life. After this we can read a few more lines; then meditate again.
Bishop Challoner in his translation of The Following of Christ" or "The Imitation of Christ," as this golden book is sometimes called, has added some excellent practical reflections at the end of each chapter.
"Meditation," as Madame Cecilia says in her admirable work, At the Feet of Jesus," "consists in occupying ourselves mentally and prayerfully with some mystery of the Faith. We call to mind the chief facts, ponder over them, and then stir up our will to regulate our conduct in consequence. Hence meditation is an exercise of the faculties of our soul — memory, understanding, and will."
"Meditation, as a part of oriental prayer," says St. Francis of Sales, "is an attentive thought voluntarily repeated or entertained in the mind to excite the will to holy and salutary affections and resolutions." It differs from mere study in its object. We study to improve our minds and to store up information; we meditate to move the will to pray and to embrace what is good. We study that we may know; we meditate that we may pray.
"In mental prayer," says St. Alphonsus, "meditation is the needle, which only passes through that it may draw after it the golden thread, which is composed of affections, resolutions, and petitions."
As soon as you feel an impulse to pray while meditating, give way to it at once in the best way you can, by devout acts and petitions; in other words, begin your conversation with God on the subject about which you have been thinking.
In order to help the mind in this pious exercise we must have some definite subject of thought upon which it is well to read either a text of Holy Scripture or a few lines out of some other holy book; for instance, " The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius," "The Following of Christ," " The Spiritual Combat; " Challoner's "Think Well On't;" St. Alphonsus Liguori's " Devout Reflections," or " The Way of Salvation," "The Love of Christ," and "The Blessed Eucharist;" St. Francis of Sales' "Introduction to a Devout Life," Meditations for Retreats," and other works; Bishop Hedley's "Retreat;" Cochem's "Meditations on the Four Last Things;" Baxter's " Meditations for Every Day in the Year; " or any one of the popular books of meditation used by Religious, such as Hamon's, De Brandt's, Segneri's, Vercruysse's, and Ilg's " Meditations on the Life and Passion of Our Lord." Father Gallwey's " Watches of the Passion," and Da Bergamo's " Thoughts and Affections on the Passion" are worthy of the highest commendation.
St. Alphonsus says: "It is good to meditate upon the last things — death, judgment, eternity — but let
- ↑ "Devout Reflections on Various Subjects. " translated from the Italian by P. Edmund Vaughan, C.SS.R