Chapter 13 Part 3 Method of Prayer - Thanksgiving

 Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte 

My Jesus [page 178] who both heard and spoke in prayer of the excess of love and sorrow Thou wouldst manifest in atonement for my sins in Thy sacred Passion: how great a benefit to me has this love and sorrow been!

I offer myself to drink the chalice of salvation which Thou didst drink, though it should bring me immense labour and suffering, that in my measure I may show what gratitude I may for so great a benefit.

Grant me, I beseech Thee, Lord, to be enlightened by some ray of light that shone forth at Thy Transfiguration, that I may no longer live in myself but wholly in Thee.

May I serve Thee as Thy slave, although with the love of a child.

Chapter 13 Part 2 - Method of Prayer - Thanksgiving

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

Section 2 – page 172 My God, living and immortal, life itself and the source of all life, I confess that it is from Thee I have received the gift of life by which I live, unworthy though I am to receive such a gift from Thy mercy.

I praise and glorify Thee a thousand times for it…What thanks can I return Thee, my God, for this gift, except to give Thee back the life which Thou hast given me? I offer to Thee with prompt and ready will, resolved to live henceforth no longer to myself but to Thee; Thy will shall be my life, and to lose it for Thee my gain: for it is most just to return to Thee what proceeds from Thee, that by it I may glorify Thee for all eternity. Amen

Page 173 – Infinite God, most pure Spirit, who hast created my soul out of nothing, impressing on it Thy own image and likeness: how can I thank Thee for such a benefit?

Blessed be Thy eternal wisdom, which knew me before I was, and Thy omnipotence, which created me. My glory, since Thou hast raised me to such a height as to bear Thy likeness, perfect this grace in me, that I may ever seek Thy glory.

Bless for ever Him who hast given thee so noble a soul without any merit of thine, and who has not deprived thee of it for thy many sins.

Three things ought to be offered to this Sovereign Benefactor

The 1^st and principle of these is to know [page 174] and realise Him as Thy God and perpetual Lord.

Eternal God, what can I give Thee greater or better than to acknowledge the glory of Thy Divinity, as best as I am able?

The 2^nd offering is generously to resolve to serve Thy God gratis and not for thy own well-being: since He bestows all these gifts on thee out of pure love and with no regard for His own advantage.

Praise Him therefore purely and sincerely, and resolve to serve Him because He is what He is and in gratitude for all he has done for thee, even though thou shouldst have no hope of ever receiving anything more.

This was the mind of David when he said: I will freely sacrifice to Thee, and will give praise, O God, to Thy name; because it is good, and because Thou hast delivered me out of all trouble [Psalm liii, 8, 9].

Hence proceeds the 3^rd gift to be offered, that of accepting all the labours and afflictions sent by God, with such resignation of mind that thou wilt submit to be deprived of His favours if He sees fit to take them away.

God of my soul, all my goods are thine; I esteem it a sufficient benefit to be permitted to use them as long as Thou lendest them; I will willingly return Thee infinite thanks for all Thou sendest me.

It is good to offer this affection of gratitude to Christ Our Lord, especially in recognition of the unspeakable benefit of our Redemption, which cost Him such immense suffering and labour: for we may well be thankful for anything that makes us more like Himself. 

Chapter 13 Part 1 - Method of prayer by way of Thanksgiving

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

This method of prayer by way of Thanksgiving has much in common with the preceding: since it also embraces the praise and worship of God, although under a different title, that, namely, of gratitude for the generous benefits received from His most liberal hand, whose number and greatness is indeed infinite.

As if to say: For on him who shows himself grateful, I bestow fresh graces and the soul which blesseth shall be made fat [Proverbs xi, 25]. When thou openeth thy mouth to give thanks for benefits received, I will open mine to fill thee with benedictions.

Page 171 - Hence it is, says St Thomas [Aquinas], that this gratitude is a kind of claim on God which inclines and moves Him to bestow fresh graces. Consequently, it ought to precede, or at least accompany, all our petitions, in order to obtain a favourable hearing.

Can any better word be pondered in the heart, uttered by the lips or written with the pen, asks St Augustine [Epist. 77], than this short sentence, Deo gratias?

For it is only just that when thou entereth into the presence of God to speak and treat with Him: He should not grant thee fresh benefits until thou hast returned thanks for those already received. Begin, then by thanking Him for the benefit he is even now conferring; that, namely, of allowing thee to come before Him and offer thy gratitude. For thou shouldst deem thyself unworthy even of this.

St Thomas [S. Th., II-II, Q. cvii, art 2] teaches that the principle from which gratitude springs is the memory of past benefits, and from which proceed 3 acts:

1.     To magnify the gift itself

2.     To praise the benefactor

3.     And to offer something in return.

St Bernard [Sermo 51 in Cant.] greatly recommends this practice; for, says he, even the least is to be considered great, since He who confers it is of infinite majesty and bestows it with infinite love, unworthy though we are of His friendship.

 

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 Novitate 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 12 Part 4 - Of the 4 methods of prayer - Prayer of all creation

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

Section 3 – page 167

Hence thou may proceed to 3 other ways of praising God, both easy and devout.

The 1^st is, says the Apostle, by speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, making melody in your hearts to the Lord [cf Ephesians v, 19 and Colossians iii, 16], the practice of which is taught by David in his psalms, Praise the Lord O my soul [Psalms cxlv].

Let my memory, my understanding, and will praise God and exult in the infinite memory, perfect understanding, and will which are in Him, let my eyes and ears glorify God [page 168] for the most pure eyes and ears with which He sees and hears me….For Thou art singular and alone in all Thy Perfections, and worthy of infinite honour on their account.

The 2^nd mode of praising God is in the name of all creatures, as if to serve for a tongue to all those who cannot speak. For they indeed praise God in their own manner, manifesting the beauty they have received from their Creator: as the heavens show forth the glory of God [Ps. Xviii, 1]

All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all for ever [Dan. iii. 57].

Let heaven and earth glorify Thee, let them never cease from Thy praises.

My God, my Glory, I rejoice that I can be a tongue to the heavens and the stars, the elements and all created things; let all Thy creatures praise Thee in me and I for them; let us glorify Thee together for all Thy infinite perfections, from which all created perfections proceed.

Hence we may ascend to Heaven, where we shall see this manner of prayer perfectly practised by all the blessed spirits who, as S. John tells us, rest not day or night, but give glory, and honour, and benediction and praise to God [cf Apoc. iv, 9] saying to one another: Alleluia. Salvation, and glory, and power to our God, Alleluia.

Prayer:

Infinite God, blessed be Thy immense charity which mercifully permits the little creatures of earth to praise Thee like the mighty ones of heaven!

But since praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner [Ecclus. xv, 9] nor is a soul subject to sin capable of true and solid joy: purify us by Thy grace, so that we may praise Thee with joy on earth as Thy Saints praise Thee in Heaven.

Amen

 

Chapter 12 Part 3 - Of the 4 methods of prayer - the virtues and perfections of God made man.

 Extracts from the Dux Spiritualis by Louis de Ponte SJ

Section 2 – page 165

This same method of prayer can be exercised on other matters more proportioned to our frailty and no less ample; that is, the virtues and perfections of God made man.

Prayer:

Most dear Saviour, my soul exults in the immense charity and omnipotence resplendent in the work of Thy incarnation.

Let all men glorify Thee for Thy humility and poverty manifested in Thy Holy Nativity;

Blessed be the wisdom and goodness displayed in Thy preaching;

Let all praise Thee a thousand times for the heroic virtues which shone forth in Thy Passion and Death.

I rejoice and exult in the glory Thou didst receive in Thy admirable Resurrection, and which Thou dost now enjoy seated at the Father’s right hand in heaven;

With equal delight I contemplate the grandeur and magnificence which is Thine;

If anything were lacking to Thee I could supply how gladly would I give it.

Blessed for ever be Thy eternal Father, who has heaped upon Thee, the God-man, such honours: enjoy them for all eternity for the glory and utility of Thy elect; make me also a participator in them, that I may praise and glorify Thee for all eternity.

Amen

Chapter 12 Part 2 - Of the 4 methods of prayer

 From the Dux Spiritualis by the Venerable Louis de Ponte SJ

Section 1 – page 162

Thou may make for thyself a kind of litany out of the BEING of God, His Trinity, goodness and sanctity: His wisdom, omnipotence, charity, and mercy: His fortitude, patience, longanimity, and liberality; his prudence and all His other perfections.

Glorify and praise Him for all these things, and invite all creatures who share in these blessings to extol the magnificence and bounty from which they proceed.

Let us now give an example of how this prayer may be practised:

I confess, my God, that Thou art infinite in being, immense, incomprehensible and ineffable, the principle of all things that have being and source of all created perfection: from whom they have their being and their perfections and without whom they would lose all.

I rejoice in Thy infinity: I extol Thy eternity; I glorify Thee for Thy immensity; let all Thy creatures praise Thee for Thy incomprehensible bounty, from which they draw all the good that they have in themselves.

Ineffable Godhead, how can I praise Thee for Thy unspeakable perfections? Since Lord Thou hast given me all that I have, and of myself I am and [page 164] have nothing, perfect Thy grace in me, that it may be perfect as Thou art perfect.

From what has been said it is easy to understand that this mode of prayer is the most excellent of all; for its source and end are none other than that heroic act of the love of God which consists in wishing Him well, and which is proper to the unitive way.