Chapter 1 – Section 3d – Of intellectual consideration – 3rd of ourselves

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Chapter 1 – Section 3d – Of intellectual consideration – 3^rd of ourselves

We should take for the principal subjects of our mediation 3 classes of considerations which especially incite us to speak with God.

Page 14

3^rd. With such considerations as these are to be joined others which concern thyself; that thou may gain a knowledge, I say, of thyself and who thou art that thus comest to converse with God.

Weigh well the number and guilt of thy sins, the vehemence of thy passions; the danger thou art in of falling into punishments, temporal and eternal; how powerless thou art to help thyself, for thou art nothing of thyself but must in all things depend entirely upon God.

Consider thy great need of those things thou art to ask from Him, which He alone can give, and without which thou must perish irremediably.

To this end it will be well to ponder:

The shortness of life,

The certainty of death,

The severity of the Divine Judgement

And the eternal pains of Hell.

Page 15 - On the other hand, consider the beauty of virtue, the value of good works, the sweet fruit they produce and the eternal rewards attached to them.

For if thou esteem rightly thine own great poverty and at the same time thy inability to provide for thy needs, without any doubt thou wilt throw thyself upon the generosity of God with all the fervour and earnestness so momentous a business requires.

Chapter 1 – Section 3c – Of intellectual consideration – 2nd Of Christ Our Lord

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Chapter 1 – Section 3c – Of intellectual consideration – 2nd Of Christ Our Lord

We should take for the principal subjects of our mediation 3 classes of considerations which especially incite us to speak with God.

2^nd In the next place, consider certain truths pertaining to Christ Our Lord, with whom also thou art to speak; for He is thy God, and as man is also thy advocate: unless thou know Him, thou cannot speak familiarly with Him.

Moreover, He has Himself said: This is eternal life, to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent [St John xvii, 3].

Hence, thou must now endeavour to gain a knowledge of thy Saviour, considering His infinite perfections, the Divine virtues of His glorious Soul, the different states, all showing such love and benevolence, in which He has manifested Himself to men.

Fix thy gaze upon Him:

Now in the manger as a little infant,

Now transfigured on Mount Thabor

Again, wounded and disfigured in every limb on Mount Calvary;

Lastly, glorious and triumphant in Heaven.

Make acts of faith in Him as thy Redeemer, thy Physician, advocate, protector, and the only one who can supply all thy needs; the only door by which we may enter heaven and ascend to the Father, to be united with Him and transformed into His likeness.

Lastly, let us see Him as the beginning and the crown of thy prayer; for in His name it is begun and in the same concluded; in it thou dost treat with the Father, through the mediation of the Son, concerning those things which the Son would have thee ask of the Father.

 

Chapter 1 – Section 3b – Of intellectual consideration – 1st Of God Himself

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Chapter 1 – Section 3b – Of intellectual consideration – 1^st Of God Himself

We should take for the principal subjects of our mediation 3 classes of considerations which especially incite us to speak with God.

1^st , we should consider those truths of Faith which concern God Himself, to whom we are to speak; for we cannot treat well of our salvation and perfection with one who is a stranger to us, whose nature and virtues we do not know, nor His power to help us.

For he is the King of heaven, the arbiter of our fate: before we address ourselves to Him it beseems us to learn somewhat of His power, His majesty, and the infinite perfections which render Him worthy of infinite homage and respect.

Consider how, being infinite wisdom, nothing is hidden from Him; being all-powerful, to Him nothing is impossible; His infinite goodness makes Him ready to repair any misery, however great.

His infinite Charity reaches such an excess that He has joined our humanity to His own adorable Divinity so that, without detriment to His greatness, He could contract the closest friendship with His creatures.

Rouse up thy faith to acknowledge Him as thy Creator, for He made thee out of nothing; as thy Preserver, on whom thy whole life depends; thy Ruler, whose loving Providence governs thy life; and thy last end, in whom all beatitude consists.

These and similar truths, if well pondered, will move thee to speak with God with profound respect, burning love and entire confidence.

Chapter 1 – Section 3a – Of intellectual consideration

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Chapter 1 – Section 3a – Of intellectual consideration

This oblation ought immediately to be followed by a 3^rd act, which is the elevation of the mind to the consideration of things which are necessary to speak worthily with God. Those who are just beginning to ascend the ladder of prayer often find great difficulty on this point. Some, because they do not know how to meditate or discourse with the understanding as they desire to do; others incline to the opposite extreme and give the rein to curiosity in their considerations, and by this excess suffocate their affections, leaving no room for colloquies.

It is necessary to warn both classes that meditation and discourse are not the substance of prayer, but only the means or steps by which we reach it.

Consequently, our reasoning ought not to be made after the manner of those who strive to investigate some truth, but rather as those who seek to speak with God and become more pleasing to Him.

The tongue of the spirit, says St Thomas [S. Th., I, Q. i. c. 7. art 1], is the understanding, and its words, good thoughts directed to God, who understands them: mediation made in this way is much easier and more fruitful.

 

Chapter 1 – Section 2 – Of a pure intention and of the oblation that should accompany prayer

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Chapter 1 – Section 2 – Of a pure intention and of the oblation that should accompany prayer

Page 9 – Having thus placed thyself in the presence of God, the second thing to be done is to purify thy intention, raising it above earthly, perishing and created things and above thyself, directing it purely to God Himself who leans upon the top of the ladder; seeking His glory and honour alone without admixture of any evil intention, rejecting as far as possible even those which are imperfect: because says the Wise man, the communication of God is with the simple, and every mocker is an abomination to the Lord [Proverbs iii,32], for he has mingled perverse intentions with this pious action.

Page 10 – In the first place then, thou must mortify every admixture of vanity, being mindful of how Christ Our Lord reproved the prayer of the Pharisees who loved to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets that they might be seen of men [St Matthew vi, 5].

The next intention to be mortified is curiosity or spiritual sensuality, or self-interest; for the summit of the ladder is not to be attained in order curiously to search into the hidden secrets of God, nor to enjoy consolations, nor yet to obtain from Him gifts and favours.

Ascend then straight to God, seeking Him alone [page 11] and beseeching Him to give Himself to thee, not for thine own advantage or consolation, but for His greater glory and because it pleases Him.

Then will He graciously accept thy prayers, and He will certainly grant what is asked with such an intention.

Heavenly Father, who dost grant the prayers of those who seek Thee, purify my present intention, that I may neither seek nor ask for aught save Thee and may desire Thy gifts only to use them in Thy service.

To this pure intention should be added some oblation remembering what God commanded in the Old Law: Thou shalt not appear empty before Me [Exod. Xxiii,15; xxxiv, 20; Ecclus. xxxv], that is, without any gift or oblation to offer Me. When, therefore, thou come into His presence, offer Him with simplicity all thy thoughts, the affections of Thy heart and the labours thy prayer will entail, either by fatigue, or infirmity of body, or by distractions, aridities and other spiritual trials; embracing every affliction which may come upon thee in this divine commerce, provided only that it proceed from no fault of thy own.

Page 12 - Prayer:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee this vessel of my heart to use just when and how it shall please Thee: replenish it with Thy divine gifts that I may pray with that spirit and fervour Thou desirest to see in me.

Amen.

 

 

 

Chapter 1 – Section 1 – Of the realisation of the presence of God and of His Holy Angels

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

 

Chapter 1 – Section 1 – Of the realisation of the presence of God and of His Holy Angels

Page 6 – When therefore thou betakest thyself to prayer, in whatever place thou art, even if thou art alone and solitary, never reckon thyself to be alone: for there are present with thee the most holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to Whom thy words are addressed and upon whom thou mayest look with the same lively faith and complete certainty as if thou couldst see them with thy bodily eyes: this first look must be accompanied by most profound adoration and reverence both exterior and interior.

Page 7 - This realisation of the Divine presence should never cease during the whole time of prayer, so that all thy acts may be directed straight to God, saying to Him in imitation of David: the meditation of my heart shall be always in Thy sight [Ps. xviii, 15]; by this he showed that his meditation, with all the affections of heart which accompanied it, was ever made as in the sight of God and in His holy Presence.

Prayer:

Supreme Father, fill my memory with Holy thoughts, grant me constancy and perseverance in prayer;

Only-Begotten Son of God, illuminate my mind with heavenly truth, grant me to penetrate its hidden depths;

Most Holy Spirit, inflame my heart with the fire of Holy affection, keep it ever burning brightly, that I may never grow cold or lukewarm.

Amen.

Chapter 1 – That perfect prayer is an elevation of the mind to God in order to speak familiarly with Him.

 

Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

 

Chapter 1 – That perfect prayer is an elevation of the mind to God in order to speak familiarly with Him.

Page 1 – Prayer, as says St Gregory of Nyssa [Liber de orat. Dominico C 1] is an intercourse or conversation between our soul and God concerning the business of our salvation and perfection.

Page 2 - …… the foundation stones on which our prayer chiefly rests are:

1.     A living faith in all that God has revealed

2.     A secure hope of obtaining what He has promised

3.     And an ardent love for this same Lord who has revealed and promised them with a fervent desire of honouring Him and obeying His least command.