Book I, Chapter VIII

It is matter of great skill to know to hold converse with Jesus ; and to know how to keep Jesus, a point of great wisdom

] (On these words) — “ It is matter of great skill to know how to hold converse with Jesus; and to know howto keep Jesus, a point of great wisdom.*’ B. ii. c. 8.

Question. — What is “to know how to hold converse with Jesus?”

Answer. — It is to know how to commune with Him in our inmost hearts in this mortal life; and this consists in three things, the first of which is to abide in His presence, and to seek never to depart from it.

Few give their principal attention to this exercise,

which is, however, the source of all spiritual good. We I may practise it by thinking that God is really within I us, that His only Son, Jesus Christ, also dwelleth there through His grace, and through the power of; the Sacrament of the Eucharist; considering also that ’ the Divine Word, having vouchsafed to become man i for love of us, has imprinted His own Image both on our souls and bodies; and lastly, that being united i with Him, as we are by His grace, we possess Him, so to speak, and He dwells in each of us as in a temple.

Thus each may conceive to himself Jesus Christ within him, and commune inwardly with Him, because,

in an inexplicable manner, He in such wise renders I Himself present to the soul as to make her hear His voice; He gently enters into all its faculties, and penetrates it entirely, so that, full of delight, it exclaims ’ with the Apostle, I live; yet not /, but Christ liveth in me. Gal. ii. 20. St. Catharine of Sienna told her; confessor that she effectually felt the presence of Jesus I

44 WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS.

) Christ. We must, then, accustom ourselves by degrees to feel Jesus Christ within us. The whole secret of this is, to represent Him well to ourselves by frequent acts of simple faith; to unite ourselves closely to Him by the continual exercise of tender love, to which the special gift of His grace, exciting the faithful to converse familiarly with Him, greatly contributes, Our Author speaks of this gift in the eighth chapter of the second book.

The best preparation that we can make for this is, to meditate continually on the Saviour, never to forget His precepts, to have His Life and His Death ever before our eyes. By this means we form insensibly a very lively and very sweet image of Him, which opens a great entrance to familiar communion with Him; and this image is impressed on the soul, not by great efforts, but as it were naturally, and without exertion, by the frequent remembrance of the Holy Humanity. i

2. The second means of conversing profitably with Jesus is, faithfully to observe and follow His Divine Inspirations. To feel thoroughly the attraction of Grace, we must first take great care to conduct our-; selves in all things according to the light of reason and faith; for this attractive influence gains by degrees upon a well-disposed soul, and makes it follow without resistance, never turning aside through ficklei ness, weakness, or a feeble yielding to nature, which would gladly be free, and exempt from all constraint.; The more faithful we are to God in this matter, the more we grow in grace; which is the cause that spi- ’ ritual persons find so much ease in conversing with their Saviour in prayer. j

All do not enjoy this practice; but the undoubted reason why they give so much liberty to nature, and afterwards find themselves in darkness is, that they fail to reply to the inspirations of Heaven. Blessed j

WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS. 45

is he who knows how to avoid separation from our Lord, how to embrace Him inwardly, and to rest i sweetly in Him As all are permitted to give them- selves to this exercise, all should love it, and all are invited to it by the Saviour Himself, Who says, Come unto Me, all ye, &c. Matt. xi. 28. Now this is to be done, not * by the way,’ that is, not while seeking to divert and distract ourselves, but it is to be done by applying ourselves to hear the voice of the Lord, and to follow the motions of His Grace. “ Blessed are the ears that gladly receive the pulses of the Divine whisper.” B. iii. c. 1. Our Author takes great pains to show us the importance of this attention, and to excite us to it. His book is in the hands of all, is read by all, and yet there are few who take pleasure in an occupation wholly spiritual, wholly inward, because outward things, which strike the senses, enter more readily into the mind, and make more lively impressions.

It is true that at the beginning we find great difficulties, and that we cannot learn to love contemplation without great efforts; but the treasure of spiritual wealth which we afterwards discover, causes forgetful- ness of all past sorrows. If I am asked then, what is the inward life of a perfect Christian? I can only reply, that it is a continual attention to respond to the Grace of our Lord, without ever following the false i lights of a reason enchanted by external objects, and corrupted by the motives of the deceitful wisdom of the world. One who is unfaithful in this respect is; incapable of the occupations of the inward life, Some imagine that this sort of communion and; intimate union with God are fitting only for solitaries, i and for persons greatly devoted to contemplation.

’ But I ask them, what they think was the design of ■ our Author, who, throughout his second book, treats of i this alone? Do they imagine that he wrote only for

46 WHAT IT 18 TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESUS.

contemplatives and solitaries? Assuredly those Apostolic men who consecrate themselves to the service i of mankind, and in general all whose great aim it is to please God, should make use of this practice. For without this, what assurance can they have of pre- serving the life of grace, among so many outward i occupations and labours? How could they seek God i in all things, and free themselves from all love of i creatures, if they did not maintain a perpetual inward communion with God, who animates them, supports, and assists them to perform very difficult things, and far surpassing their natural powers?

I St. Francis Xavier formed within his heart a kind i of solitude, where our Lord was always present, and I where he enjoyed a sweet repose in the midst of his labours. “ Blessed are the eyes which are shut to out-; ward things, but intent on things eternal. Blessed are they that enter far into things eternal.” B. iii. c. 1.

The Book of the Imitation of Christ recommends nothing more than the love of meditation, than self- renunciation, and inward mortification. St. Ignatius knew it so well, and used it so familiarly, that every day he read two chapters, that at which the book hap- I pened to open, and the next following. Those who read it attentively cannot fail to perceive the neces- i; sity of devoting themselves to the inward life, and of replying to the inspirations of Heaven.

3. The third thing necessary to converse rightly i with Jesus, is humility. For as it is the principal study of courtiers to pay their court well to their Prince, so is it the great endeavour of our Lord’s true servants [ to approach Him inwardly in the most humble and i reverential manner possible. Therefore said our Author, “ Teach me to live worthily and humbly in Thy sight.” B. iii. c. 3.

One who disregards the inspirations of Heaven, or ’

speaks unworthily of the presence of God, lacks this;

HOW WE CAN FOLLOW JESUS. 47!

humility. We must in all times and in all places show profound reverence for the Divine Majesty. And i this is not a weariness to souls which are wholly devoted to the Lord; for He is in such manner their King, that He is also their Spouse a. He loves them, i He does not willingly afflict them. He requires them only to abide ever faithful to Him, and He recom- penses their fidelity at last with fulness of joy and heavenly pleasures. I

Question. — How can we follow Jesus, and dwell ever with Him? I

Answer. — A soul which has once known the blessings of this close communion with her Saviour, if she is wise, strives to the uttermost to maintain it, ’

I and fears nothing so much as its loss. But the foolish,

instead of carefully preserving the grace which she has received, neglects it and this precious perfume, for want of being secured, speedily evaporates. The [

; wanderings of the heart, and dissipation of the senses,

I cause great failure here. For those who love glory or pleasure dwell entirely in outward things, they seek, only for diversion or for the acquirement of reputation; in the world. Thus do they drive our Lord from them, Who, having forsaken them, leaves them to I follow their appetites, and indulge their passions, ‘ but to their own ruin.

Those who are possessed of Heavenly Wisdom never suffer their lamps to go out; they have ever oil enough to support the flame of devotion. They cherish it by pious meditations, by continual re- flections on the Life and Death of Christ, and by other i similar considerations, which are never wanting to them. They do not employ themselves in vain and curious enquiries; even the thoughts of study and of

• Ho. Q. 18, 19.

business, though innocent, do not occupy them over- much; they give them no more time than is necessary, not suffering them to engross their affections; their delight is in God alone; they think of Him only, like a faithful servant, always employed in his master’s I service, following him everywhere, and rarely losing sight of him. Thus it is their only and passionate J desire to possess Christ, and that He may so fill their heart as to leave no space for worldly things, that the things of sense may be entirely excluded. At the same time, they labour continually, and undertake all i things for the service of God. However, in this f

there is nothing painful to them; or if at first they!

find some things difficult, the difficulties are soon

levelled, and afterwards they find therein only plea- sure. They take also the greatest care to preserve the love of God. Their intention is very pure, and I they ever strive to overcome themselves, without which it is impossible to do any thing considerable for God’s!

glory. No man is master of his calling without much i labour, and certainly it were wrong to complain of the trouble which is spent in acquiring the high degree of

I perfection of which we speak. j