Book II. Dialogue V: On the proximate dispositions for recollection, which consist in two rules to be observed

Q. What is the first rule ?

A. To go slowly, gently, word by word whether vocally or interiorly.

Q. What is the second rule ?

A. To interrupt our discourse at times for the presence of God, as Bossuet says, following Fr. Baltazar; or as others say, to interrupt our discourse for attentive silence, to listen to God after speaking to him.

‘L Why must we observe the first rule ?

A. To avoid all efforts, all contentions of the spirit, which are hurtful to prayer; for it is a received maxim that prayer which troubles the mind can hardly be good, since prayer should be the affair of the heart rather than the brain, and of a heart which speaks with filial confidence to him whom Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us to call Father, from the very commencement of prayer.

Q. If we must pray so slowly and gently, what becomes of fervour ?

A. What we call by this name is often only the ardour of the blood or imagination, or pure natural activity, and tends to disturb the operations of the Holy Ghost by disturbing that interior peace without which he can usually operate but feebly.

Q. Are there examples in the Scriptures to prove what you say ?

A. There are several, but I will quote only two of

1 See Imitation of Christ, Book II, Ch. I; Book III, Chs. I and II.

them: the first is that of Eliseus,¹ who before he entered into prayer, himself decided that he should calm his interior, however holy the cause of its disturbance (for it was a little too moved after a vigorous exercise of its zeal in the glory of God). The second is that of Elias, 2 whom God ordered to hear him on the mountain. But when does God make his voice heard ? Is it during that impetuous wind which can overturn mountains, spiritus grandis et fortis subvertens monies ? 3 No, says Scripture, it is not during these impetuosities that God speaks, Non in spiritu Dominus. Is it when the prophet feels the earth tremble beneath his feet ? No, it is not during these tremblings that God speaks, Non in com - motione Dominus. Is it when he sees a great fire lit before his eyes ? No, it is not from the midst of these roaring flames that God speaks, Non in igne Dominus. When is it then that God’s voice is heard by Elias ? It is, says the Scripture, exactly at the moment when the prophet is aware of a small gentle and moderate breeze, Et post ignem sibilis aurae tenuis. Why is this ? It is because all impetuosity, by disturbing interior peace, smothers the pacific spirit of God or prevents one from feeling his gentle impressions, as when little stones are thrown into a tranquil lake; the gentle movements of a little zephyr which merely ruffles the surface of the water are not felt.

Q. Why, in the second place, must we interrupt our discourse at intervals by attentive pauses ?

A. To listen to God in silence when we have spoken to him, for he speaks in his turn during prayer, which is merely a dialogue, a conversation with God.

Q. How does God speak then ?

A. In many ways. For sometimes he speaks by visions, by revelations, by the interior words that we hear at the bottom of our soul, as S. Teresa says, 4 as if they were formed and pronounced in our ears; but this is not relevant now, for we speak only of simple ordinary recollection. God speaks through certain lights and inspirations, and therefore to make ourselves more attentive we must cease our own discourse from time to time. God acts when he speaks, for in God to speak and to act are the same thing: Dixit et facta sunt. He spoke, and everything was made, says Scripture i² we must, therefore sometimes pause to receive the impressions God wishes to make on our hearts, which he moves, uses and handles, which he moulds as he thinks fit, in a truly incomprehensible manner, but much more easily than the cleverest hand could mould to its will a piece of soft wax; that is, provided that the impurities of the soul do not put obstacles in the way of his holy operations. God speaks, too, in giving what we ask, as the rich man speaks and replies in giving alms to the poor. We, then, must imitate the poor, who do not cry and groan without ceasing, but pause from time to time to stretch forth and open the hand in which they are to receive alms; let us in the same way pause at intervals and suspend our cries, to give room for our desires and our confidence in being able to stretch forth or open the heart into which God, by his divine infusions, should make to run both gently and secretly the firmly hoped for and patiently awaited graces.

Q. During these intervals given to interior silence and attentive pauses, what does our soul do ?

A. It ceases discourse and reflections by a free act which suspends them; and, by another act, or rather by the same, it rests in an attentive silence, rather like a man who, believing himself on the point of hearing a beautiful symphony, suddenly stops and suspends as much as he can all his other reflections and sensible movements, to make himself alert and give more attention to what he wishes to hear without losing anything of it.

Q. How long should these attentive pauses last ?

A. For a longer or shorter time, according to the circumstances; for beginners, who have not yet acquired any skill in holding themselves in peace and silence before God, should make them short; but later they gradually become easier and longer, either through their acquired dispositions, or by the beginning of some sort of attraction towards recollection; from which we should conclude on the whole that we should rest in silence and listening every time, and for so long as we actually feel some good disposition of the spirit or the heart towards God.

Q. Could you give me some idea of these actual good dispositions in connection with various kinds of prayer ?

A. Regarding those who pray vocally with the proper attention, or meditate, or perform reflective readings in the form of meditations, pious sentiments of fear, love, regret for the past or desire to live more nobly will on occasion occur; now what prevents them from giving themselves up to these simple movements, from pausing to give themselves leisure to penetrate to the bottom of the soul, or to allow the Holy Spirit to impress them ever more deeply ? This is why the Church calls the latter the finger of the Father's right hand. Then, if there is need of a new stimulus to similar feelings, when they are stimulated a second time or several times by the same or similar reflections, what prevents them from acting in the same fashion, trying always to preserve as long as they can all these simple but salutary impressions, all these actual good dispositions which form recollection ?

Q. In what do these actual good dispositions of those whose prayer is completely affective consist ?

A. Sometimes in a certain inclination towards God, a desire to unite with him, a simple tending of the heart toward God, a profound interior calm; a magic peace which one does not usually enjoy; which shows, say the mystics, that God speaks in his own way, that is, that he effects both peace and love at the bottom of the heart; what prevents the soul from resting in this peace, in silence, in pure abandonment before³ God like the statue of which S. Francis de Sales speaks, or like a canvas hanging before the painter, according to S. John of the Cross 5 expression, that is without movement, without interior commotion, stopping its ordinary action, content to rest tranquil in an entire surrender of its whole self in the hands of God.

Q. But there are people who are shocked at this doctrine, especially at the comparisons mentioned.

A. Such are merely those who, for lack of reflection on their own interior and on all that passes in the soul, only recognize, like people of the world, those sensible and palpable actions, which can be counted as one counts the beads of a rosary. Necessarily such people have not understood the exact definition of Quietism given by Bossuet, when he said: Qjiietists are those who, by a total cessation of acts towards God, abuse the holy repose of prayer. Now, during the operation of the actual dispositions of which we spoke, could there be a complete cessation of action, and the resulting pure idleness of the Quietists ? For these actual dispositions are precisely those simple and direct acts on which we cannot lay too much stress, following the example of the Bishop of Meaux, who treated this point at great length as an unknown subject which is most important as regards prayer and spirituality.

Q. But could not one be deceived in thinking one was actually in these holy dispositions of the mind and the heart ?

A. We certainly could, just as with the dispositions necessary to the sacraments; that is why in both cases we must take care and especially consult our director.

Q. Have directors some certain rule for this matter ?

A. More certain perhaps than for any other. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us this rule in these short words: ‘ By their fruits you shall know them. 5 Thus all the prayer which makes us holy, better or less wicked is surely good, for it is just a means of sanctification; if it does not produce any of these good effects it becomes suspect; and if it produces exactly opposite ones, as with the Quietists, it is at once an abomination.

Q. If after trying to practise these attentive pauses, I were to find myself in none of the dispositions marked and indicated, ought I on that account to abandon the practice of these pauses ?

A. Certainly not, you must do as the Scriptures say: 6 Wait on God with patience, 5 Sustine sustentationes

Domini.⁴ We must say, as King David did in a like case: ‘ With expectation I have waited for the Lord ’; Expectans expectavi Dominum 2 We must practise what Christ teaches in the parable of the man who at midnight went to wake his neighbour and beg for three loaves. At first he was refused and waited in vain; but at last the importunity of his cries and his redoubled efforts obtained him what he seemed to have asked in vain for a long time. Lastly, we must imitate those poor people who, though tired and weary of waiting often at the doors of the rich, yet do not cease to come in the hope of some more favourable moment; and by means of fresh groans and repeated waiting at last obtain what was refused to others who were less courageous in suffering.

Q. But finally, if when I have persevered for a long time in the practice of these attentive pauses, I experience none of those things you spoke of, my time is surely wasted ?

A. No, this is an error, for in the first place these pauses are always connected with preceding actions, since they only occur through the cessation of our own actual efforts to listen to God. In the second place, just as God sees the criminal intention of a felon who will wait whole hours to carry out his plan, does he not see the good intentions of these attentive pauses, and is he not more ready to reward than to punish ? Besides, our good intention, during these intervals, is not only in itself a good act, but a compound and collection of excellent acts.

Q. Could you explain to me some of these acts ?

A. (i) It is an act of faith in the presence, the might and the pity of God; for you could not rest in attentive silence if you were not inwardly convinced that God was present everywhere and saw what went on in your soul, and moreover that he was good and powerful enough to assist you; thus is your faith put into practice;

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(ii) it is an act of desire and hope, for we await only what we hope for; now desire is the essence of prayer, and hope should make it efficacious; (iii) it is an act of extreme contempt of oneself and great confidence in God; for during these intervals you suspend your ordinary operations only because you count very little on your own and much on God’s; (iv) it is an act of deep humility; wishing, in the words of the Prophet King, to remain often before God without a word, without reasoning like a beast of burden to whom silence is more fitting than words, in presence of this high and supreme majesty; (v) it is an act of resignation and surrender, for you remain before him in silence, prepared to see yourself either heard or refused, as God pleases, and before him you stand firm, despite all the distractions and the aridity which often make these attentive pauses distressing and tedious.

Q. But suppose during these intervals I do not and cannot think of any of these things ?

A. None the less you will practise it actually, for the intention of your attentive pauses embraces all this.

Q. Could you help me to understand it by some obvious comparison?

A. When a sinner commits a crime, what is his intention if not to satisfy his passion ? Does he generally think of his disobedience, of his revolt against God, and of his ingratitude towards God, and of the way in which he scorns the promises, the threats and even the blood of God ? Does he think of all these prevarications and many others which books and preachers impute to him and reproach him for ? For, say the theologians, all this is included in his freely committed sin; and therefore he is deemed to will all this efficaciously and practically: it is somewhat the same with all the acts contained and included in the intentions of these voluntary pauses, attentive, desirous, humble and wholly resigned.

Q. Is there some other advantage in these pauses ?

A. One of the most considerable, in my opinion, is that of finding oneself all ready to enter into holy recollection if it pleases God, according to the good dispositions acquired by the practice of the four purities, and the fervour of the acts contained in the intention with which one has made the frequent pauses.

Q. But did you not say that it was not for us to change the ordinary manner of our prayer, and that we must wait for God to call us to this change ?

A. Yes, and those of whom I speak take care never themselves to leave the direction of prayer in which God and their directors have set them. If sometimes they interrupt discourse by intervals, as we said, it is only in order to await the moment of the divine attraction, to be, therefore, better disposed to receive it, and more ready to give themselves up as soon as it pleases God to make them feel the least touches of it. This, then, is,what I call being quite ready to enter into recollection, not only without temerity, without daring, but also without needing these long and difficult discussions. As to whether I am indeed called to this simplicity of prayer, when on the one hand it is God himself who calls me to it, and on the other I have done nothing towards it except what the poor man does at the gate of the rich man, where, when he has knocked, cried and groaned with all his might, he patiently awaits the alms and receives what they give him ?

Q. What usually follows from this ?

A. This is a most consoling thing for people who regularly pray in the manner explained; it follows in the first place that many good souls who without realizing it have already a great attraction to simple recollection enter it fully fledged as a result of their slightest silent attempts. For from that time they do not any longer smother or disturb the twofold breath of the Holy Ghost, either by ordinary operations or by natural activity, or by the fear of being idle. In the second place it follows that many other virtuous persons who have not yet received this attraction, not only will obtain it by the heroic acts of their long and painful waiting, but also they will find themselves in a fit condition to feel this divine pull, and to give themselves up to it during the peace and silence of their attentive pauses. And finally, people who are still very imperfect but of good will, who are still weak sinners, but deeply touched by the desire to change, obtain by means of these humble, desirous and resigned attempts that their meditations, prayers, readings, elevation of mind and heart towards God are often mingled with various fleeting touches of this divine recollection. This would surely not have happened if any of these people had continued to put obstacles in the way, the first by the urgent and uninterrupted continuation of reflective acts, the second by their anxiety lest they have not done enough.

Q. But if these fleeting touches of this divine attraction, by becoming longer and more frequent, gradually change my prayer into simple recollection, how then should I prepare myself for this kind of prayer ?

A. As one does not at that stage know when, nor for how long it will please God to keep one thus peaceful and recollected in his presence, one must always begin again in the ordinary way, and therefore use the same preparations.

Q. But when this recollection by becoming habitual has given us a happy ease, as Bossuet says,⁵ in performing this simple kind of prayer better than any other, what preparation should we make then ?

A. Since the preparation is all made by this fixed and permanent disposition which disposes the soul to make this kind of prayer, as the Bishop of Meaux says, it is then sufficient to remember a truth of the faith, a word of the Scriptures, a good thought, a single one of our mysteries. It is then enough to put oneself before God by a simple memory of his presence, to drive from one’s spirit all ideas of tangible things, with the intention of occupying oneself only with God or Our

Lord, according to the doctrine of S. John of the Cross.⁶

Q. But when one finds oneself thus fixed in this kind of prayer from which reflective acts are excluded, what then becomes of the resolutions which one is accustomed to make during meditation ?

A. There is another time for making these; the time of recollection is not fitted for this, and every exercise depends upon its proper time, as Bossuet has already said, 2 with Fr. Baltazar. Besides, usually as a result of this recollection, one finds oneself in all circumstances well disposed towards the practice of good and the dispelling of evil; and therefore much better equipped to keep those good resolutions that one formerly made without great effect.

Q. Whence does this happy disposition, this new strength come ?

A. From the particular operation of the Holy Ghost; for it is certain that what one can only acquire through long time and repeated acts, with ordinary grace, the Holy Ghost effects simply and promptly by the special grace of simple recollection. Thus it follows that persons in this prayer will practise from the very beginning certain difficult and heroic acts with the same ease as those who have acquired it with great pain and travail; which should not surprise us. Why not ? For as in this prayer our hearts incline and bend towards God, join with God and rest in him, and as God himself talks and replies too by inclining to them, by leaning in his heart towards them, by joining with them, by reposing in them in turn, even by taking his delights in them: Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum, is it strange that one should find everything in him who is everything ? Is it strange that virtue is acquired, made perfect, exactly in proportion to our union with God in this life, when in the other, perfect union brings about the consummation of all the virtues ?

Q. Is there not in Scripture some example of this manner of prayer by interrupting discourse at intervals to remain in the presence of God ?

A. It is thus, doubtless, that the publican prayed in the Temple.⁷ Remember the prompt and surprising effect of his prayer. Now if we knew no better, what would we not imagine of the fervour, the continuity, the beauty of the acts of this excellent prayer ? We should also be very astonished at finding only these short and simple words: c O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ Do you think he repeated them unceasingly, uninterruptedly, until he lost breath ? Surely after he had pronounced them, either in his heart or with his lips, he remained inwardly quite absorbed in the impressions which had made him utter them; surely he tried to retain in silence for as long as possible the pious feelings expressed by these few words; surely when the feelings began to die away he tried to arouse them by the simple repetition of the same words; no doubt the simple and direct movements of his heart thus formed the sum and principal of his prayer. Does not the Gospel make this quite clear ? For by reporting merely the short words of this sinner, what a clear and accurate picture it gives of his whole appearance ! This was no doubt in order to represent thus clearly to our eyes, by the humble attitude of his body, the humble attitude of his soul, agitated as it was by its disorders, contrite, humiliated, brought to nothing and groaning before God. Did the woman troubled with an issue of blood pray otherwise ? for she said in her heart only these few words: 5 If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed.’ 2 But let us leave aside a hundred like examples to come for model to that of Jesus Christ our Exemplar. How did he pray in the garden, where S. Matthew and S. Mark both tell us so clearly that he kept on saying the same words: Eumdem sermonem dicens ? No doubt he often interrupted them

2l6 by long intervals, for his words are so short, and the prayer lasted three hours.

Q. What conclusion, or rather what result, should we draw from these examples ?

A. That we must rid ourselves of the error of numbers of people, who do not think they are ever meditating or praying unless they are in continuous interior movement, piling reflection on reflection, prayer on prayer, act on act. We must banish this excess of superfluity for the principal part, the attention of the heart of which most people rarely think. Yet without this vocal prayers will ever be but a vain noise of words, meditation and reading a pure amusement of the mind. Now the shortest and easiest way to banish this superfluity from our pious exercises and substitute the attention of the heart, is to observe the two rules prescribed, and to learn thus to rest before God always in silence and peace, attentive; especially when by his divine attractions he calls us to this holy and loving repose, which is the end and the chief fruit of prayer. For on the one hand one only seeks God to find him, join oneself with him, rest in him; and on the other it is in this union, in this repose of the heart in which is all the holiness of earth, as our happiness in Heaven will consist of perfect union of perfect and eternal rest. Alas ! if with a little more distrust of ourselves, our own industry and our ordinary operations, and with a little more confidence in God and abandonment to the Holy Ghost, we set ourselves for some time to perform all our pious exercises in obedience to this double maxim, neither our directors nor our preachers would have so much reason to reproach us ceaselessly with the small fruit we reap from our meditations, reading, Masses, communion, etc., above all from vocal prayer, which because it is not inspired by the heart, for lack of this interior spirit, is like a body without soul and remains ever without effect.

&. By making use of the necessary dispositions is it possible to attain to holy recollection by the least perfect kind of prayer alone, that is, vocal prayer ?⁸⁹

A. Remember Bossuet’s quotation from S. Teresa¹⁰ regarding that widow who used to spend several hours reciting the Paternoster, whose intervals were true contemplation without her realizing it. Do we not see to-day in the country, in the villages, something very like this, but innocent and virtuous people who, knowing vocal prayers but uncertainly, and being moreover incapable of any other learning than reciting them slowly and interrupting them at intervals to wait on the presence of God, will remain for hours in the churches, neither bored nor weary, but with an air of modesty, respect and attention which edifies and moves the spectator ? Ask them afterwards what they said to God: they will reply with tears in their eyes that they do not know how to pray and have never been able to learn. What do they do for so long a time ? what secret spell holds them there, with such pious enjoyment, such peace and sweetness that they can hardly tear themselves away from the holy place ? Let each one think of this as he pleases; as for myself, I am convinced, and I say openly that they are practising this prayer of faith, of simple presence of God, this prayer of the heart and of simplicity that many of our scholars cannot even understand, and that they will never understand, according to Bossuet, 2 ‘ if they are not humble, if their hearts are not upright before God 5; that is, if they do not humble themselves to go earth to earth before God and to seek him in simplicity of heart, as the Prophets were wont to say.

Q. If all you have said regarding the ease of attainment of the dispositions to this prayer is true, how comes it that there are so few people in every state of life to whom God grants it, at any rate constantly ?

A. That is because most of them, so far from prepar-

Q. What rules should be followed by those who

Footnotes

1. 4 Kings iii. 2 Ibid. 9 4 Kings xix. 4 Life, Ch. XXV. ↩

2. ‘ When our Lord speaks, it is at once word and work.’ ↩

3. ‘ If a statue which a sculptor had placed in the gallery of some great prince were endowed with understanding, and could reason and talk; and if it were asked: O fair statue, toll me now, why art thou in that niche ?—It would answer—because my master placed me there. And if one should reply—But why stayest thou there without doing anything ?—because, would it say, my master did not place me here to do anything, but simply that I should be here motionless. But if one should urge it further, saying: But, poor statue, what art thou the better for remaining there like that ? Well, would it say, I am not here for my own interest and service, but to obey and accomplish the will of my master and maker; and this suffices me. And if one should yet insist thus: Tell me then, statue, I pray, not seeing thy master, how dost thou find contentment in contenting him ? No, verily, would it confess, I see him not, for I have not eyes for seeing, as I have not feet for walking; but I am too contented to know that my dear master sees me here, and takes pleasure in seeing me here. But if one should continue to dispute with the statue, and say unto it: But wouldst thou not at least wish to have power to move, that thou mightest approach near thy maker, to afford him some better service ? Doubtless it would answer no, and would protest that it desired to do nothing but what its master wished. Is it possible then, would one say at last, that tliou desirest nothing but to be an immovable statue there within that hollow niche ? Yes, truly, would that wise statue answer in conclusion: I desire to be nothing but a statue and ever in this niche, so long as my master pleases, contenting myself to bo here and thus, since such is the contentment of him whoso I am, and by whom I am what I am. _ Now this quiet, in which the will works not, savo only by a simple acquiescence in the divine good pleasure, willing to be in prayer without any other aim than to be in the sight of God, according as it shall please him, is a sovereignly excellent quiet. 5 (Love of God, Book VI, Ch. XI.) ↩

4. Ecclus. ii, 3. 8 Ps. xxxix. ↩

5. Instruction, p. 530. ↩

6. Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book III, Ch. I. 1 Instruction, p. 527. ↩

7. S. Luke xviii. a Matt, ix, 21. R ↩

8. Instruction, Preface, p. 354. 218 ONPRAYER ing themselves to receive this grace, put all kinds of obstacles in its way; because most of them positively strive to make themselves utterly unworthy even of the least fleeting touches of this grace; because there are so few who aspire solely to complete purity; so few who will make an effort to pray regularly; so few who observe the prescribed rules when doing so; so few who do not stifle or disturb the sweet breath of the Holy Ghost, through lack of recognizing it or of faith in following it; so few, lastly, who have enough courage, when this attraction ceases to be sensible, to give themselves up to it constantly in pure spirit, in pure faith, with perfect abandonment to the hands of God, as the Venerable Mother de Chantal did for so many years, according to Bossuet. 1 by a special grace have attained to this simplicity of prayer ? A. To deal with this second matter in order, we must first distinguish those of whom we speak into three classes; the beginners, those who are advancing or proficient, and those who have made great progress. ↩

9. Instruction, p. 575. ↩

10. Way of Perfection, Cli. XVIII. ↩