. CHAPTER 37 The Way of Perfection Describes - the excellence of this prayer called the Paternoster, and - the many ways in which we shall find consolation in it. . |
The sublimity of the perfection
of this evangelical prayer
is something for which
we should give great praise to the Lord.
So well composed
by the good Master was it, daughters,
that each of us may use it
in her own way.
I am astounded
when I consider
that in its few words
are enshrined
all contemplation and perfection,
so that if we study it
no other book seems necessary.
For thus far in the Paternoster
the Lord has taught us
the whole method
of prayer
and
of high contemplation,
from the very beginnings
of mental prayer,
to Quiet and Union.
With so true a foundation to build upon,
I could write a great book on prayer
if only I knew how to express myself.
As you have seen,
Our Lord is beginning here
to explain to us the effects
which it produces,
when the favours come from Him.
I have wondered
why His Majesty did not expound
such obscure and sublime subjects
in greater detail
so that we might all have understood them.
It has occurred to me
that, as this prayer was meant to be
▪ a general one
▪ for the use of all,
so that everyone could
▪ interpret it as he thought right,
▪ ask for what he wanted
and
▪ find comfort in doing so,
He left the matter in doubt; [130]
and thus
- contemplatives,
who no longer desire earthly things,
and
- persons greatly devoted to God,
can ask for the heavenly favours
which, through the great
goodness of God,
may be given to us on earth.
- Those who
still live on earth,
and
must conform to the customs
of their state,
may also ask for the bread
which they need
for their own maintenance
and
for that of their households,
as is perfectly just and right,
and
they may also ask for other things
according as they need them.
( Blessed be His name for ever and ever.
Amen.
For His sake I entreat the Eternal Father
to forgive my debts and grievous sins:
though
no one has wronged me,
and
I have therefore no one to forgive, [131]
I have myself need
for forgiveness every day.
May He give me grace
so that every day
I may have some petition
to lay before Him. )
The good Jesus, then, has
- taught us
a sublime method of prayer,
and
- begged that, in this our life of exile,
we may be like the angels,
if we endeavour, with our whole might,
to make our actions conform
to our words
--in short, to be like
the children
of such a Father,
and
the brethren
of such a Brother.
His Majesty knows that
if, as I say,
our actions and our words are one,
the Lord will unfailingly
- fulfil our petitions,
- give us His kingdom
and
- help us by means
of supernatural gifts,
such as
the Prayer of Quiet,
perfect contemplation
and
all the other favours
which the Lord bestows
on our trifling efforts
-- and everything is trifling
which we can achieve and gain
by ourselves alone.
It must be realized, however,
that these two things--
▪ surrendering our will to God
and
▪ forgiving others --
apply to all.
True, some practise them more
and
some less,
as has been said:
those who are perfect
- will surrender their wills
like the perfect souls they are
and
- will forgive others with the perfection
that has been described.
For our own part, sisters,
we will do what we can,
and
the Lord will accept it all.
It is as if He were
to make a kind of agreement
on our behalf
with His Eternal Father,
and to say:
"Do this, Lord,
and
My brethren shall do that."
It is certain
that He, for His own part,
will not fail us.
Oh, how well He pays us and
how limitless are His rewards!
We may say this prayer only once,
and
yet in such a way
that He will know
that there is no duplicity about us
and
that we shall do
what we say;
what we say;
and so He will leave us rich.
We must never be insincere with Him,
for in all our dealings with Him,
He loves us
- to be honest, and
- to treat Him frankly and openly,
- never saying one thing
and meaning another; and
then He will always give us more
than we ask for.
Our good Master
- knows that those
who attain real perfection
in their petitions
will reach this high degree
through the favours
which the Father will grant them,
and
- is aware that those
who are already perfect,
or
who are on the way to perfection,
do not and cannot fear,
for they say
they have trampled
the world beneath their feet,
and
the Lord of the world
is pleased with them.
They will derive the greatest hope
of His Majesty's pleasure
from the effects which He produces
in their souls;
absorbed in these joys,
they wish they were unable to remember
that there is any other world at all,
and
that they have enemies.
O Eternal Wisdom!
O good Teacher!
What a wonderful thing it is, daughters,
to have a wise and prudent Master
who foresees our perils!
This is the greatest blessing
that the spiritual soul still on earth
can desire,
because it brings complete security.
No words could ever exaggerate
the importance of this.
The Lord, then, saw
it was necessary
to awaken such souls
and
to remind them
that they have enemies,
and
how much greater danger they are in
if they are unprepared,
and,
since if they fall
it will be from a greater height,
how much more help they need
from the Eternal Father.
So, lest they should
fail to realize their danger
and
suffer deception,
He offers these petitions
so necessary to us all
while we live in this exile:
"And lead us not,
Lord, into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."
_____________________
. Foot Notes: [130] Lit.: "He left it thus confused." Here follows in E., in place of the rest of this paragraph, a passage which interrupts the trend of the thought, and therefore, in the text above, is printed in italics and in brackets at the end of this paragraph. [131] The words "though . . . forgive" are crossed out in the manuscript, as is the following sentence "May He . . . before Him." . |
| . End of Chapter 37 The Way of Perfection . |
