Author's Preface

THE FOLLOWING pages were written some years ago, and were not originally intended for public circulation. They were drawn up by the author with a view to one single religious family, to serve them both as a guide in the study of the numerous works on the subject of prayer bequeathed to us by Christian tradition, and as a clue in the maze of religious literature, which issues daily from the press, but in which truths and principles old as the world are not always sufficiently explained. As misapprehensions on such subjects are the source of serious mistakes, it was thought well to help souls by stating clearly the main points of doctrine which throw light on the spiritual life.

For this purpose a few copies of the work were printed in 1886, under the title, "Prayer, according to the Holy Scriptures and Monastic Tradition." Each copy was marked "Strictly private."

Persons of weight and authority having expressed a wish for a wider circulation of the book the author hesitated to comply, when a still more pressing invitation came from Germany. The book was translated into German by a religious, carefully revised by Dr Raich, of Mayence, and honoured by Mgr. Paul Leopold Haffner, Bishop of Mayence, with the following introductory notice printed at the beginning:

"The present treatise on prayer was first of all printed privately in the French language, and was intended exclusively for the instruction of the daughters of St Benedict. All souls, however, who are aiming at perfection may derive profit and edification from its pages. The spirit of the venerable Abbot Gueranger breathes through the whole work. What this distinguished man thought on the all-important subject of prayer, what he expressed in his conferences, and what he wrote in many parts of his classical work, "The Liturgical Year," is found here systematically arranged. Some of the chapters are real masterpieces; therefore we joyfully welcome the translation of this book into German, and we most earnestly encourage its circulation.

Mayence, September 10, 1896."

With such a recommendation the book was well received, and most favourably noticed by The Literary Review of Catholic Germany, published at Fribourg, in Brisgau, under the patronage of Dr. G. Heberg. The article was written by Dr. Paul Keppler, a Professor of Theology, one of the most eminent scholars of Germany, and now Bishop of Rottenbourg. The learned doctor criticizes only one point, in the following words: "The author is well read in the Fathers, and consults them with intelligence and discretion, but his confidence in Denis, 'the incomparable Areopagite,' who, he maintains, received the immediate tradition of the apostles, is not justified."

To this we briefly reply that the author, though not ignorant of what has been written on the subject, did not consider that it came within the scope of a spiritual treatise to enter upon a question of pure erudition. It sufficed that, thanks to St Thomas, the doctrine of St. Denis now forms part of the ordinary teaching of the Church, and in all simplicity the opinion of the Church in her liturgy was adopted. It is for this reason also that in quoting from the Scriptures the author abstains from using any other text than the Vulgate, in spite of the light that other versions, by their more powerful language, might throw upon certain passages.

Before the German translation appeared, a French copy of "L'Oraison" having come, in 1890, under the notice of Cardinal Manning, he warmly encouraged an English translation of the work, and this eminent prince of the Church condescended to peruse the pages, and annotate them himself. Moreover, it was his wish that the translation should come before the public with a preface by himself; the first lines of it were already written when death hindered the completion of his work.

In France several bishops and many eminent religious, after reading the work, expressed a desire that it should be published; but these requests, as well as the names of their authors and the support given by them are private property. Nevertheless as the work had unwittingly been brought forward, it would have seemed affected to persist obstinately in keeping it secret; and the general circulation of the book was resolved upon.

But some changes were needed before giving it to the public. A more logical order was adopted, and four new chapters were added to complete certain subjects; it was requisite also to throw greater light on some points, and it seemed expedient to change even the title of the book; "Prayer" being only one part of the spiritual life, the word seemed too exclusive for a treatise intended to view it in all its aspects.

This book does not aim at science or at learning. It contains nothing new; on the contrary, the author's ambition is to be wholly traditional and ancient. The end proposed will be fully gained if God should deign to make use of these pages to kindle some sparks of divine love in souls who, in the midst of our dark times, are truly seeking Him.

It is not to superficial souls nor to light minds taken up with worldly solicitudes that this book is addressed. Such as these would no doubt be tempted to smile if in their presence we touched upon the matters to be treated of here. To them prayer and contemplation seem, at best, nothing but pious dreaming, useless things, which the better sort style innocent, and the rest too gladly compare with wanderings of the brain and the phenomena produced by the follies of fanaticism and illusion.

The true children of the Catholic Church think differently; they know that man is made for union with God, that God is man's end, and that his immortal soul has supernatural aspirations and aptitudes which are the fruit of the grace of Baptism and which cannot be violently restrained. They are well aware that, apart from a knowledge of extraordinary ways, man, by the very fact of his being a Christian and a child of God, cannot, without peril and fault, be indifferent to divine things or close his eyes to them. "We are not born to fix our gaze on created things, but to contemplate the Creator of these things—that is, to behold Him by the spirit. . . . We must contemplate God with the eyes of the soul, and not this world with the eyes of the body; for the eye is material as is the world which it contemplates; but God, Himself immortal, has willed that our soul should be immortal. To contemplate God is to honour Him, and with profound veneration to love Him as the common Father of mankind."¹

Thus have the true philosophers of all ages thought; thus have they assigned to man's existence, even during his earthly pilgrimage, a destiny very different from the life of the senses.

But why speak of Christian philosophers? It is the Incarnate Word Himself that takes up the words spoken to Israel of old. He reiterates and sanctions them for ever by saying: "Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.”²

Now this spiritual food, more necessary to man than material bread, is no other than the Divine Word, the essential Truth, the Living Bread coming down from heaven, who also is the Bread of Angels and the object of their eternal contemplation. The great interest of our present life is the communion of our souls with that mysterious food, a communion which consists in knowing the “only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.”³ It matters little that few people heed these supernatural aspirations of the baptized soul. Neither does it matter that these subjects remain generally unknown to the man of worldly wisdom, “the disputer of this world.”⁴

The author’s design in writing this book is sufficiently justified by the great advantage accruing to souls eager for perfection, from the possession of exact, simple and clear principles, which will enable them to glean with discernment and reproduce in their conduct that which they should imitate in the examples and teaching of the spiritual life. For want of this discrimination false and inexact notions gain free circulation, and the very books that are intended for edification serve to foster delusion.

Assuredly the Spirit of God keeps what is His own, and a secret repugnance will often, without any difficulty, teach an upright soul the kind of doctrine suitable for it. If you put a sheep in the midst of rich pasture, it will not take indifferently all the herbs that are there; its very instinct will guide it surely to choose some and to reject others, and the choice will nearly always be judicious. Thus will it frequently happen with a discreet soul in what concerns its spiritual food. A wisdom superior to human wisdom will help it to discern what is for its good, according to the state, the times and the phases of the spiritual life through which it is passing.

But the safest way is to consult an experienced guide in order to avoid groping in the dark and wasting time, as holy Scripture says:

"But be continually with a holy man, whomsoever thou shalt know to observe the fear of God, whose soul is according to thine own soul, and who, when thou shalt stumble in the dark, will be sorry for thee."⁵ This also is what all masters of the spiritual life recommend.

It seems to us that in these matters it is wise to mortify curiosity and indefinite reading, in order not to overburden the mind with a great quantity of different notions; for just as too much food causes the stomach to be overworked, so the soul can be stifled under the exuberant surcharge caused by an immoderate and unbridled thirst after knowledge. It is expedient to be sober in the use of even good things, according to that sentence of the wise man: "Be not over just; and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid."⁶

The Apostle gives the same advice with reference to the use of spiritual gifts: "For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith.”⁷

Furthermore it is certain that the soul’s advancement in perfection does not depend upon the number of reflections which the mind accumulates, but upon her really digesting some of them. One single sentence of the Gospel can lead us to sanctity as our divine Master teaches: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets.”⁸

One of the most eminent doctors of the spiritual life, Saint John of the Cross, used to delight in inculcating these principles: “What is needed further, if anything is wanting, is, not writing more or speaking more, whereof ordinarily there is an abundance, but it is to be silent and to act. When, therefore, a soul has got the knowledge of all that is necessary for her advancement, she has no further need to give ear to others, or to speak herself; she only needs to put in practice what she knows, with generosity, silence and attention, in humility, charity and contempt of self; not turning aside incessantly to seek after novelties which serve only to appease the hunger for external consolations. They cannot really satisfy it, and they leave the soul feeble, empty and devoid of all the interior spirit of true virtue. The result is unprofitable in every way; for a man who before he has digested his last meal takes another, the natural heat not sufficing for so much food, sickness follows.”⁹

In point of fact, nothing is of any worth in the spiritual life, except what ends in practice. High thoughts and sentiments which do not produce solid virtue are of no value; and doctrine is proved by acts. To love to be instructed in supernatural science is certainly the sign of a well-balanced mind, but to limit oneself to searching into truth without ever allowing the riches of the mind to bear upon the will for strenuous action is to show oneself illogical and to betray weak convictions.

The characteristic of our faith is that it ever tends to apply to ourselves all the truths that it teaches us. It has no theories which are not meant to be reduced to practice; dreamers, system-makers will have no success; faith moulds those only who act according to their belief. Men of upright heart, who draw all the logical consequences from their faith, who live by faith alone; in other words, the valiant are those whom St. Paul calls the saints.

It will not therefore be a matter of surprise to find in the following pages more principles than sentiments; truths destined to encourage action rather than to satisfy the mind. The author had no thought of feeding even the most legitimate curiosity, but of increasing in souls, even in this world, the desire of union with God, for the glory of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, who will be the object of their contemplation for all eternity.

ST. CECILIA'S ABBEY, Solesmes, 1899.

The following are the results of the study. The study was conducted in 2006.

The study was conducted in 2006.

Footnotes

1. Non ergo nascimur, ut ea, quæ sunt facta, videamus, sed ut ipsum factorem rerum omnium contemplemur, id est, mente cernamus. . . . Non ergo mundus oculis, quia utrumque est corpus, sed Deus animo contemplandus est: quia Deus, ut est ipse immortalis, sic animum voluit esse sempiternum. Dei autem contemplatio est, venerari et colere communem parentem generis humani (Lactantius, De Falsa Sap., iii, 9). ↩

2. Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo quod pro cedit de ore Dei (Deut. viii, 3; Matth. iv, 4). ↩

3. Solum Deum verum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum (Joann, xvii, 3). ↩

4. Conquisitores hujus sæculi (1 Cor. i, 20). ↩

5. Cum viro sancto assiduus esto, quemcumque cognoveris observantem timorem Dei; cujus anima est secundum animam tuam, et qui, cum titubaveris in tenebris, condolebit tibi (Eccli xxxvii, 15, 16). ↩

6. Noli esse justus multum, neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas (Eccli vii, 17). ↩

7. Dico enim per gratiam quæ data est mihi, omnibus qui sunt inter vos: non plus sapere quam oportet sapere, sed sapere ad sobrietatem: et unicuique sicut Deus divisit mensuram fidei (Rom. Xii, 3). ↩

8. Diliges Dominum Deum ex toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, et in tota mente tua. Hoc est maximum, et primum mandatum. Secundum autem simile est huic: mandatis universa lex pendet, et Prophetæ (Matth. Xxii, 37). ↩

9. Works of St. John of the Cross, letter iii. ↩