Untitled - Saints' Books

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"
Our
INSTR. v.] Mental Prayer. 299
time to be a priest."
Seneca says that we have little
time, because we lose a 2
great deal of it. And in another
place he says: "We are ignorant of what is necessary,
because we learn what is superfluous."
1
III. Others say
I would wish to make mental prayer,
but I am so much occupied in hearing confessions and
preaching, that I have not a moment to spare.
I answer: I praise you, dearly beloved priest, for seek
ing the salvation of souls, but I cannot praise you for
forgetting yourself in order to assist others. We must
attend first to ourselves by making mental prayer, and
then to our neighbor. The holy apostles labored more
than all others for the salvation of souls, but finding
that their exertions for the good of others interfered
with prayer, they appointed deacons for the perform
ance of the external works of charity, that thus they
themselves might have time for prayer and the preach
ing of the divine word: Brethren, may we appoint men over
this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the But word." remark, they at
tended first to prayer, and then to preaching; because
without prayer sermons produce but little fruit. This
is what St. Teresa wrote to the Bishop of Osma, who
paid great attention to the care of his flock, but devoted
little time to prayer.
Lord," says the saint in a
letter to him, shown me "has that you are wanting in
what is particularly necessary for you (and when the
foundation gives way the edifice falls to ruin); you fail
in mental prayer, and do not persevere in it;
from this
defect arises the aridity which the soul suffers." 5 St.
1 "
2 " Non
Vacat tibi ut eruditus sis; non vacat ut Sacerdos sis?"
exiguum tempus habemus, sed multum perdimus."
De
Brevit V. c. I.
3 "
Necessaria ignoramus, quia superflua addiscimus."
. . .
Fratres, viros, constituamus super hoc opus. Nos vero
orationi et ministerio verbi instantes erimus." Acts, vi. 3.
6 Lettre 8..