Chapter 10 - Of the gifts and sacrifices to be offered to God with devout affection

 From the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte

Chapter 10 - Of the gifts and sacrifices to be offered to God with devout affection 

Page 140 - When thou enterest into the presence of God to speak with Him, and to treat with Him about the business of thy salvation, thou shouldst endeavour not to appear  in his presence empty handed [Exod. xxiii, 15 ; Deut. xvi, 16], but to bring with thee some gift which thou wilt offer with a ready, generous, and devout will, thus supplying for the poverty of thy offering. 

Such gifts may be offered both at thy first entering, during thy colloquies, and at the end, for many causes of great moment, and that thy petitions may be granted. 

1. The 1st cause or reason for offering these gifts is to testify to the excellence and majesty of God, in whose presence thou standest; and to recognize and protest the subjugation thou owest Him as thy supreme Lord, to whom belongs whatever thou hast. 

Page 141 - The gifts of the 3 Kings or Magi

The first of these, represented by gold, is our understanding, the most precious possession man has, with all its lights, knowledge, powers, faculties, reason itself, and the power of thought: casting all these at the feet of God to be used for His service; reducing our judgement to the captivity of faith, by which we believe all that God has revealed and strive to obey all that His holy law prescribes. 

Another gift to be offered is the incense of our free-will, which embraces all the affections of love and the desire of our heart.

Thus will thy prayers go up as a pillar of smoke of aromatical myrrh and incense, and of the powders of the perfumer [Cant. iii, 6] from body and soul alike. 

Page 141 - Section 1

Gifts thou must also bring to appease the just anger and indignation of God which thou hast deserved for thy sins and negligences, deprecating [page 142] all thy faults for this purpose art thou come into His presence. 

Ecclesiasticus said: Give, and take, and justify thy soul [Ecclus, xiv, 16]; as if to say: Give to God some gift, and thou shalt receive the pardon of thy sins. 

What gifts and sacrifices can thou offer Him in prayer but the affection of a contrite and humbled heart [cf Ps. 1, 19]. which greatly delights Him, and which he never despises? 

But since thou dost not come to prayer only to obtain pardon for thy sins, but also to receive fresh benefits, it is necessary to offer to God some such gifts [page 143] as may induce him to receive thee graciously and grant what thou askest. 

For thou hast nothing that is not His; all things are thine, says David, and we have given Thee what we received from Thy hand [1 Paralip, xxix, 14]; give him, therefore, thy heart [cf Proverbs, xxiii, 26] so that thou shalt obtain in His sight victory and honour. Victory, because, He will be overcome in the conflict of prayer; honour, because He will heap upon thee many fresh benefits. 

Page 144 - Thanksgiving

Gifts and acts of thanksgiving should also be offered for benefits already received; for so God will be more ready to answer thy petition. It is only just that when thou enterest into the presence of Him who has given thee all thou hast, thou shouldst offer him somewhat in token of thy indebtedness. 

Page 144 - Section 2

What words can we offer in place of those sacrifices of old, unless the words are those of virtue? 

First, the words of confession [cf Hebrews xiii, 15] , laying bare our sins and miseries; 

then the words of praise and gratitude.....

The words of prayer also, humbly begging gifts from Him who is the source of all good things..... 

Lastly, words of very generous and efficacious oblation with sincere resolutions and promises of accomplishing in due season what we now offer. 

Page 145 

Having placed thyself, therefore, in the Divine presence, imagine that God imposes on thee that precept of old: the fire on the altar shall always burn and the priest shall feed it diligently, putting wood on it every day in the morning and laying on the holocaust, shall burn therefore the fat of the holocausts [Leviticus vi, 12]. 

This altar thou canst take to represent thine heart which burns with a perpetual fire of devotion; lay on it every morning the wood of mediation and consideration, lest it go out: burn in the fire the sacrifice of thy affections, words and deeds, that God may show thee mercy, humbly beseeching His assistance; for without it thy own industry will not suffice to keep it alight. 

Prayer 

Saviour of the world, who came to send fire on the earth desiring that it should be enkindled [cf St Luke xii, 49]: enkindle this Divine fire on the altar of my heart, and teach me to keep its flame ever burning and ever growing more and more; then [page 146] will all my prayers and sacrifices be well-pleasing in thy sight. Amen.