Chapter 7 - Part 3 - Of the various ways we may consider God as present - Imagination

 From the Dux Spiritualis of the Ven. Louis de Ponte SJ

Section 4 - How we may keep ourselves in the presence of God by the use of our Imagination

Page 115 - The different ways of realising the presence of God of which we have so far spoken are purely spiritual and relate only to God in his Divinity. 

There remains a 4th mode which consists in representing Him under some imaginary form; this [page 116] will chiefly be useful to those who love to contemplate the Sacred Humanity of Our Saviour. 

Page 117 - This kind of presence is most useful in meditation, composing images and figures corresponding to the subjects on which we are meditating. 

First because it greatly helps intellectual considerations; for in this life our mind depends to some extent upon the imagination, and is wont to follow its workings.

Secondly, because it stirs up the affections of the will, exciting in the sensitive powers movements full of tenderness and love.

Thirdly, because such images are a great help to recollection of mind; for the imagination, naturally volatile and inconstant, draws the mind after it. 

For which reason it must be gently held down to the place or mystery which the mind is to [page 118] consider. 

Page 118 - Since there are 3 dangers attached to thus use of the imagination they must be diligently noted.

The 1st danger is of injuring the head, by trying to form too many images at once, or by entering into too many details, or by trying to keep the first ones in mind when they are followed by others which obscure or efface them. 

If, on the other hand, great difficulty is experienced in forming such pictures, it is better to pray without them than to injure the head, and perhaps make us unable to pray at all. 

The 2nd danger is that of illusions: into which those persons may easily fall who have a lively imagination; these are apt to believe the images they have formed to be revelations, and the things which proceed from the vehemence of their imagination to be real and good; in this we should be on our guard against the tricks of the devil. 

The 3rd danger is of becoming so much attached to this mode of the presence of God as to render oneself unfit for another better and more spiritual. 

Page 119 - Although contemplation by means of these figures has much power and efficacy as we have said, much more excellent, says St Thomas [Aquinas] [S. Th. II-II, Q. cixxxi, art. 2], is that which is purely spiritual. 

For figures are never equal to nor to be compared with the thing figured, and it is far more perfect to know a thing in itself than in an imaginary representation. 

For this reason such a mode of realising the presence of God ought to be relinquished for another more perfect whenever God wishes to raise us to it, as we shall explain more fully later. 

The purpose of this blog - in praise of Louis de Ponte

 

The purpose of this blog - in praise of Louis de Ponte

AMDG This blog is to make more widely available the writings of the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ aka Fr Luis de la Puente. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_de_la_Puente 

He was born in 1554 and entered the Jesuit Novitiate in 1574. His Spiritual writings include the Meditations on the Principal Mysteries of our Faith published in 1605. 

This blog will make available the prayers with which he ends the chapters and sub-chapters of his great spiritual work Dux Spiritualis – The Spiritual Guide. I will be quoting from the English translation of the first part of The Spiritual Guide published in 1932 under the title Of Familiar Intercourse with God in prayer. This was published by Burns Oates and Washbourne Ltd with Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur by Joseph Butt of the Archdiocese of Westminster. The work also contains an introduction by Bishop Alban Goodier SJ – http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bgoodier.html. 

Bishop Goodier says of Louis de Ponte “As the abundant references prove, De Ponte made use of the all the great authors before him: in some sense it might be said that what S Thomas Aquinas was to dogmatic theology, that De Ponte was to mystical teaching and what the Summa Theologica did for Scholasticism that the Spiritual Guide has done for mysticism.” 

The Dux Spiritualis was first published in Spanish in 1609 under the title of Guia Espiritual and it was translated into Latin by Fr Melchior Trevinno SJ in 1613. Louis de Ponte died in 1624 and his cause for Beatification was started soon afterwards.

Bishop Goodier further says: “De Ponte is recognised as a safe master and guide; so safe, that although not yet canonised his writings have been declared equal of those of the saints, and free from any bias or preference, such as is usually found in spiritual writers of whatever school.”

I hope readers will find the prayers that Louis de Ponte composed here in the first English translation published in 1932 of great use and help in their life of prayer.

Chapter 7 - Part 2 - Of the various ways in which we may consider God as present

 From the Dux Spiritualis by Louis de Ponte SJ

Section 3 - How we may regard God as dwelling with in us

Page 112 - The 3rd Manner of looking upon God is within myself: since He is really and truly within me by Essence, Presence and Power, much more intimately than my Soul is in my body; if I am in a state of Grace, He is in my Soul as a King upon his throne, a spouse in her bridechamber, and as God in His holy temple, according to the saying of the Apostle: 

        "Know thee not, that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells within you?"

[1 Corinthians iii, 16]. 

Page 115 - St Augustine's Prayer [Solil., c, 31] 

Too late have I loved Thee, O Beauty ever old and ever new, too late have I loved Thee for Thou wert within and I was without; for I sought Thee in the beauty of the creatures Thou hast made; but I only deformed myself.

Thou wert with me, but I was not with Thee: they held me far from Thee, because they had all their being from Thee, and I knew it not. 

Enlighten, Lord, the eyes of my Soul, that I may see Thee within myself, and may love and possess myself and Thee, who art ever with me, and may be most intimately united with Thee. Amen 

Chapter 7 - Part 1 - Of the various ways in which we may consider God as present

 From the Dux Spiritualis by Louis de Ponte SJ

Section 1, page 106 - How we may behold God in Heaven

The first way of considering the presence of God is to raise the heart and the eyes of the Soul to Heaven, where is the throne of His Glory. 

Page 107 - Therefore, as St Bernard [Sermo de 4 modis orandi] admonishes us, Christ Our Lord placed at the beginning of that prayer that he taught the disciples this word: Our Father, who art in heaven [St Matthew vi, 9]; teaching us to raise our minds from earth and earthly things to heaven, where our Celestial Father dwells, communicating to us in great abundance the heavenly gifts for which we ask.

Page 108 - Our holy Father Ignatius [ In ejus vitae, lib 5, c 1], of whom it was related that he was wont to go up to the highest place in the house, where he could raise his eyes to heaven; often he was granted such fervour in prayer and such wonderful light on heavenly things that when he descended he would say: 'How vile is earth to me, when I have looked into Heaven!' 

Section 2 - How we may consider God as around us, or ourselves as God

Page 112 - Immense fire, spread throughout the world; since I live in the midst of Thee, 

consume in me whatever hinders me from seeing Thee; 

penetrate me through and through, that I may love Thee with all my strength; 

transform me into Thyself, that I may be one with Thee:

and since nowhere can I flee from Thy presence, suffer me not to be cut off from Thy Grace. Amen. 

Chapter 6 - Part 3 - The various ways God is present to us

 From the Dux spiritualis by Louis de Ponte SJ 

Section 3 - Page 101 

Then will the most Holy Trinity be present to us when, with chaste and pure prayers, and with tranquil mind and affection, we implore these three Blessed Persons to grant us union with Them. - St Denis

By these words he indicates three classes of acts by means of which we may ever remain in the presence of God and have him present in us as lively a manner as we are to him. 

The first class is frequently to invoke and speak with God by chaste and pure petitions, without any admixture of distractions or any oblique intentions. 

Such prayer may very well be made by means of ejaculations, which are short and fervent aspirations darted up from the heart to God, whom we feel near to us, as often as we please. 

Page 102 

In the second place, in order to have God always present to our mind, our interior faculties must be kept clam and tranquil, and we must believe with lively faith that he is in all creatures, fortifying this belief by the help of natural reason. 

Page 103

What love has effected in God, it will also effect in a justified Soul which loves God in real earnest, and desires [page 104] ever to dwell in his presence; for it will enjoy a vital union with God by actual knowledge and love. 

Page 104 

Then will it be able to say with the spouse: I have found him whom my Soul loveth: I hold him and I will not let go. [Canticles iii, 4]

Prayer: 

Immense God, I will love Thee with my whole heart, desiring to have Thee as my inseparable companion; wound me, Lord, with the dart of Thy charity, and grant me the realisation of Thy presence; for where there is great love, forgetfulness is impossible. 

Chapter 6 - Part 2 - the various ways in which God is present to us

From the Dux Spiritualis by Louis de Ponte SJ - English translation of 1932  

Section 1 - page 98 - 

Word of God divine, Word of God eternal, living and effectual, present to all things and acting everywhere, say to my heart this word: Dominus tecum. Enlighten the eyes of my Soul that I may see and realise how Thou art with me, and may obtain all Thou dost offer by Thy grace, until at last I come to enjoy Thy glorious vision face to face in Heaven. Amen

Section 2 - page 99 - 

My God, most present, yet most absent, most present indeed to all Thy creatures by Thy very essence, yet most absent from men of earth by reason of their forgetfulness of Thee!

How well does that name of forgetful befit me, since I forget God who is in me and the benefits He continually confers on me, the precepts He imposes, the rewards He promises, the punishments He threatens, and, finally, the judgement He has instituted, when He will repay everyone according to their desserts.

Father of mercies, take away from me this pernicious oblivion, make me ever mindful of Thee as Thou art of me. 

page 100 

As there is no moment when man is not enjoying and benefiting by the goodness of God: so ought there to be no moment when he has Him not present to his memory - St Augustin in his Manual 

Chapter 6 Part 1 - The various ways that God is Present to us

 

NB: These extracts are taken from Louis de Ponte's Dux Spiritualis in the English translation published in 1932 

Chapter 6 - a Summary of the various ways that God is present to us

1st:  The first mode is common to all creatures in whom, as theologians say, God is by ESSENCE, PRESENCE and POWER [cf: s. Thomas, S. Th., I, Q. viii, art 2].

This first mode by which God is in all creatures is proper and natural to His Divinity on account of His immensity, wisdom, and omnipotence, for as long as creatures hold their being from Him. He must of necessity be in them, nor can he abandon them for a single moment or they would immediately cease to be. 

2nd The second mode by which God is present is common to all the just and to them alone; for he is in them by grace, charity, and the other infused virtues, which work together for their sanctification. 

This manner of presence is not granted to those who do not love; although, as soon as love enters their hearts, they begin to dwell in Him; not by any change in God, but the man receives new effects of grace which God operates in him. 

But when a just man falls into mortal sin, God withdraws from his soul, because he ceases to produce those effects of grace and charity which He formerly worked in him. 

3rd The third manner in which God dwells in men is when he bestows on them unusual graces and favours: when he illuminates the mind with a new light to understand some truth, or grants an increase of devotion or spiritual joy. 

Or again, when he assists him in his undertakings by a particular providence, directing and guiding him by His inspirations. In this sense, we are accustomed to see that God visits souls and dwells in them; that sometimes he retires, then returns; now he is present, now absent. 

4th Fourthly, there is another manner in which God is present to men, and that is by His most sacred Incarnation, on account of which He is called Emmanuel, which is interpreted God is with us [St Matthew i, 23], because he has conjoined our nature with His own and conversed with men [Baruch iii, 38] . 

5th Lastly, He will remain with us and dwell in us till the end of the world in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar, coming from Heaven to visit us, and making Himself, Jesus Christ, true God and true man under the sacramental species ... that we may enjoy his corporeal presence, hidden under these veils, and we may speak with him, discerning His presence very near to us indeed.