Part 2, lesson 7. Application of the preceding doctrine to the exercise of meditation

Q. To make me understand better the explanation given in

• Abnegantes impietatem et saecularia desideria, ut sobrie, juste, et pie vivatnus in hoc saeculo. Tit. ii, 12.

t Si quis vult post me venire, abneget, semetipsum, et sequatur me. Matth.

the preceding lesson, can you ap ply it to some action of the day ?

A. I shall apply it to prayer itself, and thus complete the ex planation of the third difficulty, which is already partly resolved ; for, we cannot .speak too much of meditation, since it is the most important action of a Chris tian life.

When you commence your meditation, the first thing to be done, is to renounce yourself and your own intentions.

Q. Why renounce our own intentions when we pray? is not prayer a good action ?

A . Yes 5 but all we do by our selves is filled with self-love and secret pride. For example, how many persons make use of prayer, to ask for riches, for the gain of a suit, or the at tainment of honors, in all which they have frequently no other ob ject, at least ultimately, than to enjoy the pleasures of the world, satisfy their ambition, or take revenge of their enemies. In all this, there is nothing for God or the good of their souls; all this tends, on the contrary, to sin and the satisfaction of self-love. How necessary is it then to re nounce ourselves, and all the vicious intentions which may poison our very best actions.

Q. How is this done ?

A. In the beginning of your meditation, prostrate yourself before God, filled with confusion at the sight of your malice and sins, and say from the bottom of your heart, according to the advice of our Lord; O my God and my all, I renounce myself and all my inclinations to sin; I clearly see that I cannot pray to thee, either in myself or by myself; I detest with all my heart whatever is displeasing to thee in me; and to cover my iniquities and malice, and ob tain access to thy divine ma jesty, I give myself to Christ, thy Son, who lives in me, and is the prayer and praise of thy whole church.

The holy prophet David had the same sentiments, when he said: According to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth.*

This praise is nothing else than that of our Lord himself perfectly equal to his Father, and paying him a tribute of glory 'equal to himself. O! how happy is a Christian thus to be able to pay to God, a glory, infinite like himself, and containing all his praises! The same prophet, speaking in another place of the prayer of the faithful compares the church to a chariot carrying thousands of Christians, praising Godandrejoicinginhispresence, He adds that the spirit of our

• Secunddm nomen luum, Deus, sic et laus tua in fines terrae. Ps. xlvii, 11

Lord is in the midst of them, their voice and joyous canticle. * The same Jesus who oft'ers through them this praise to his Father, is also in the bosom of God and in the Sacrament of the altar, therein to pay to the divine majesty a tribute of respect arid honor, and ask of him the wants and necessities of each member of the church.