Mental Prayer — Method of St. John Eudes
Eudist (St. John Eudes)
The Christian life is nothing else but a continuation and achievement of the life of Jesus in each one of us… So that, when a Christian meditates, he continues and completes the meditation which Jesus made on earth.
— St. John Eudes
A mystery for each day of the week
Sunday: the Divine life of Jesus in the bosom of His Father from all eternity.
Monday: the first moment of the life of Jesus on earth.
Tuesday: the life of Jesus during His childhood.
Wednesday: the hidden and laborious life of Jesus during the thirty years.
Thursday: the life of Jesus amongst men and in the Blessed Sacrament.
Friday: the suffering life of Jesus.
Saturday: the life of Jesus in Mary and of Mary in Jesus.
— Act of faith in the presence of God.
— Act of intention to make our prayer solely for His glory and to please Him.
— Act of humility, acknowledging our unworthiness to appear before Him and our inability to pray of ourselves.
— Act of union with our Lord, whose prayer we continue and whose dispositions we desire to enter into.
— Act of petition for the aid of the Holy Spirit, of our Lady, the Angels and Saints.
In each mystery of the life of Jesus there are seven points to be considered.
1. The body, or outward part of the mystery: the scene, the persons, the actions, the words.
2. The spirit, or inward part of the mystery: the dispositions and intentions of our Lord; the mind of God the Father; the interior thoughts of those concerned in the mystery.
3. The general and enduring effects: that which is permanent, living, active in the mystery.
4. The particular effects: the plan and designs which our Lord had in the mystery; why He acts and speaks as He does.
5. The relation of the mystery to Mary, for she had a special and extraordinary share in all the states and mysteries of Jesus her Son.
6. The mystery in its relation to the Saints and Angels who had a particular share in it — as St. Gabriel, our Lady and St. Joseph in the Incarnation; St. John Baptist, St. Elizabeth, the Holy Innocents in the Divine childhood; the Apostles in the Public Life; St. John and Magdalene in the Passion.
7. The special and singular part we have in the mystery — for our Lord had always, in each of His mysteries, "some thought or plan, some particular love in regard to each one of us."
1. Adoration of Jesus in all the details of the mystery.
2. Admiration, joy and love at seeing Jesus so great and God so glorified in this mystery.
3. Thanksgiving for the glory given to God and the grace merited for mankind by Jesus.
4. Humility and penitence for that we have so little honoured this mystery or profited by the graces which flow from it.
5. Offering to Jesus of all the praise which He has received in Heaven and earth in this mystery.
6. Offering of ourselves to Jesus, to honour Him in this mystery and to gain profit from it.
7. Prayer to Jesus that all men may come to honour this mystery and share in its fruits.
Renewal of our resolution of renouncing self, of offering ourselves entirely to Jesus, of uniting ourselves to the dispositions of His Heart, in order that we may continue His life.
A particular resolution, humble and fervent, derived from the mystery we have meditated on, and corresponding to the duties of the day and the opportunities which are likely to present themselves.
1. A thanksgiving for the lights and graces received in our prayer.
2. A petition that God will pardon all our failures and negligences in it.
3. The placing of our resolutions in our Lord's hands, who alone can ensure our keeping them.
4. The spiritual nosegay.
5. The begging of the Virgin, the Angels and Saints to continue our meditation for us and continually to aid us to profit by it.
The practice of practices, the secret of secrets, the devotion of devotions, is not to be attached to any practice or particular exercise of devotion; but to have a great care in all your exercises of giving yourself to the holy spirit of Jesus, that He may have full power and freedom to work in you according to His desires.
— St. John Eudes, The Kingdom of Jesus