The Way of Perfection · 26 of 46

Chapter 26: On the manner how we are to recollect our thoughts

LET us now return to our vocal prayer, that it may be performed in such a way, that without our perceiving it, God may give us the whole together. Now (as I have said), in order to pray as we ought, you already know that the examination of conscience, saying the Confiteor, and making the sign of the cross, are to be done first. Next, daughters, since you are alone (when thus employed), endeavour to obtain some company. And what better can you have than the very Master who has taught the prayer you are going to say? Represent the same Lord with you, and observe with what love and humility He stands teaching you. And believe me, as much as you can, you cannot remain long without such a friend. If you accustom yourselves to have Him near you, and He sees that you do it with affection, and that you still endeavour to please Him, you cannot drive Him from you, as the saying is. He will never be wanting to you. He will help you in all your troubles: you will find Him with you in all places. Do you think it a small favour to have such a friend at your side? O sisters! those amongst you who cannot discourse much with the understanding, nor keep your thoughts fixed without being distracted, accustom yourselves to it: remember, I know you may do it, for I have lived many years under this cross, of not being able to fix the imagination upon one thing. This is a very great affliction. Yet I know our Lord does not abandon us in such a way, that if we humbly approach and beg it of Him, He will not accompany us. And if we cannot obtain this favour in one year, let it be in many, and let us not grudge spending time on one thing. Who hinders us from so spending it? I say that one may accustom herself to this, and be at her work, and so get near to this true Master. I do not now require you to meditate on Him, or to form many ideas, or make high and curious considerations with your understandings. I require of you no more than to look upon Him. And who hinders you from turning the eyes of your soul for one instant (if you can do no more) towards this Lord? Since you can look upon the most ugly objects, can you not look upon something the most beautiful that can be imagined? If He do not appear beautiful in your eyes, I give you leave not to look upon Him: and yet, daughters, your Spouse never takes His eyes off from you. He has endured a thousand abominations committed against Him, and yet they were not enough to make him forbear looking upon you. Is it much then for you, to take off your eyes from these exterior objects, and sometimes to cast a look upon Him? Behold, as the Spouse saith. He stands waiting for nothing else, but that we look upon Him. As you wish for Him, you will find Him. He takes such notice of our casting our eyes upon Him, that no diligence will be wanting on His part to induce us. People say, that if a wife wish to live quietly with her husband, she must do as he does: if he be sad, she must appear sad too: if he be merry, she must appear so likewise (though she may not be in reality). See, sisters, from what a subjection you are freed. Thus, in truth, without any fiction, does our Lord act with us; for He makes Himself the subject, and would have you be the mistress, and He acts according as you wish. If you be cheerful, contemplate Him as risen, for merely imagining how He went forth from the sepulchre will rejoice your soul; but with what brightness, with what beauty, with what majesty! How victorious, how joyful, like one who has so gloriously returned from the battle, where he has gained so great a kingdom, all of which He wishes should be yours! Now, is it much that you should once turn your eyes to look upon Him, who bestows so much upon you? If you be sad or afflicted, consider Him on the road going to the garden; and what sorrow is so great as that which He endured in His Soul, since through patience itself, He speaks of this sorrow, and complains of it? Consider Him again bound to the pillar, full of pains, all his flesh torn to pieces through His great love for you: persecuted by some, spit upon by others, denied by His friends and forsaken by them, without any one to plead for Him; stiff with cold, and placed in such solitude, that it would be easy to console yourselves with Him.

You may consider Him likewise laden with His Cross, so that His enemies would not let Him take breath. He will behold you with those eyes, so beauteous and compassionate, big with tears, and He will forget His own sorrow to comfort you, provided only that you go and solace yourselves with Him, and turn your eyes to look upon Him.

O Lord of the world! my true Spouse! art Thou so far necessitated, my Lord and my God, that Thou wilt admit such wretched company as mine? You should say, sisters, if your hearts have been so softened from seeing your Saviour in the state I have described, that you not only desire to look on Him, but you are delighted in speaking to Him, not in a set form of prayer, but with supplications issuing from the grief of your hearts, what will be your joy when you see Him in heaven? I perceive, O my God! by your looks, that you are pleased with me. Now, how O Lord! is it possible, that the angels should leave Thee alone? That even Thy Father should not comfort Thee? If it be, O Lord! that Thou wilt suffer all this for me, what is it that I suffer now? What do I complain of? I am now so ashamed, since I have seen Thee in such a state, that I wish to suffer, O Lord! all the afflictions which may happen to me, and to take them as a source of great comfort, that so I may imitate Thee in something. Let us go together, O Lord! Wherever You go, I will go too: whatever You pass along, I will pass likewise. Bear your part, daughters, in this Cross: be not troubled, lest the Jews trample upon you, because your Lord will not walk in such pain; heed not what they say of you, because you are deaf to their accusations, stumbling and falling with your Spouse; go not away from the Cross, nor leave it. Consider attentively the weariness with which He travels, and by how many degrees His passion exceeds your sufferings, however great you may fancy them to be, and however much you may feel them, you will always be comforted thereby; for you will see they are but children's play, when compared with our Lord's suffering.

You will perhaps say, sisters, "How can this be done now? Had you seen Him with your corporal eyes, at the time when His Majesty lived on the earth, then you would very willingly have done it, and always looked upon Him." Believe it not; for he who will not now use a little violence to recollect his mind, so as to behold His Lord within himself (and this he may do without danger, and with using very little diligence), much less will he place himself at the foot of the Cross with Magdalen, who saw death before her eyes. And what must our glorious Lady and this blessed Saint have suffered? What threats – what ill words – what shocks – what affronts? With what courtiers had they to deal? Those of hell, who were the ministers of the devil. Doubtless, what they suffered must indeed have been terrible; but the great sorrows of another make them not feel for their own. Imagine not therefore, sisters, you would be fit for such great afflictions, if you are now so unfit for such small matters; by exercising yourselves in these, you may be able to endure other greater afflictions.

In order to help you herein, you may carry about with you an image or representation of this Lord, not merely to wear it in your bosom and never look at it; but to speak often to Him, for He will teach you what to say to Him. Since you find words to speak to others, why should you want them to speak with God? Do not believe this: I at least will not believe you, if you accustom yourself thereto; for if you do not, you will be sure to want them, for not conversing with a person causes a kind of strangeness, and an ignorance how we should speak; it almost seems as if we did not know her, even though a relation; for kindred and friendship are soon lost, for want of conversing together.

It is likewise an excellent thing to take a good book in your own language, in order to recollect the thoughts, that so you may pray well vocally, and by little and little accustom the soul thereto, by caresses and artifices, that so she may not be frightened. Remember, that the soul many years ago went away from her Spouse, and that to induce her to be willing to return to His house, great skill is required to know how to treat her, so depraved are we sinners. We have so accustomed our souls and thoughts to follow their own pleasure, or (to speak more properly) their own pain, that the wretched soul knows not her condition: hence, to make her return and take delight in living at His house requires great skill; for unless she be forced to do this, and that by little and little, she will never effect anything. Again I assure you, that if you carefully accustom yourselves to what I have said, you will thereby gain such great profit that I cannot express, even if I wished. Keep yourselves near then to this good Master, and firmly resolve to learn what He shall teach you; and His Majesty will so order things, that you will not fail to become excellent scholars: nor will He forsake you, if you do not forsake Him. Consider the words which that Divine mouth utters, for by the very first you will immediately understand the love He has for you: and it is no small happiness and consolation for a scholar to know that his Master loves him.