Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis
de Ponte SJ
Chapter 2 Section
3 – THY WILL be done on earth as it is in Heaven
To this 2nd excellence of prayer is joined a 3rd,
that is it is a very efficacious means of doing the will of God on earth as it
is in Heaven: for in carrying out the Divine will, consists the highest
perfection to be obtained in this life. For in prayer we ask not only of God
perfect submission to His will, but we actually carry it out,
By fervent prayer we strip ourselves of our own will to
put on the Divine will; our love becomes so keen and perfect that it unites to
God… We do on earth what the Blessed are doing in Heaven; for this reason as
the holy Fathers boldly affirm…perfect prayer raises a just soul to equality with
the Angels, releasing it in a certain manner from the trammels of the flesh and
enabling [page 34] it to rise in spirit to heaven; casting away all superfluous
cares and living in a mortal body as if it were pure spirit.
Because, says S. Chrysostom [Lib. De orando Deum], it
does in a wonderful manner effect a prodigious transformation,
changing hearts of flesh into spirit,
tepidity into fervour,
human natures into divine,
and communicating to them the qualities of the Seraphim
who stand [Isa. vi, 3] in the Divine presence singing the praises of God….
If thy prayer is perfect, it will impel thee to do the
Divine will on earth as it is done in Heaven; it will give thee wings so that
one will feel no labour in obeying the divine precepts: this is one of the
greatest benefits of prayer.
For prayer may be practised at all times, and therefore
at all times mayest thou obtain what is more than the whole world.
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