Untitled - Saints' Books

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Necessity of Mental Prayer. 463
We complain that we are lukewarm and feeble; but
need we be astonished at this if we remain from mental
prayer? Why do we not try to enter often this happy
cellar of love, where, having been scarcely introduced,
the Spouse
with charity
?
of the Canticles feels herself all set on fire
He brought me into the cellar of wine, He set
in order charity in me. 1
We feel ourselves cold in divine love: why, then, do
we not often go to converse with God ?
Why do we not
approach Him who is called a devouring fire: Thy God
is a consuming fire? We approach God by means of
mental prayer, says St. John Climacus. 3 Let us sup
pose the heart to be very cold, entirely deprived of love
towards God: if it perseveres in mental prayer,
it is
certain that this God, who is so faithful and never
allows himself to be outdone in generosity, will end by
inflaming it with his holy love; the fire should produce
its effect. If at times, while conversing with a person
who truly loves God, we feel ourselves excited by the
ardor that he communicates to us to love God also, how
much more shall we not be inflamed with this celestial
fire
by often conversing with God himself!
God speaks, yes, God speaks to souls that seek him
sincerely; but when does he speak to them? Is it in
society, in visits, where we lose whole hours in useless
conversation? No; there God does not speak. If a
soul wishes to hear me, says the Lord, let it leave the
society of men, let it retire into solitude, and make
mental prayer;
it is there that I wish to speak to it: /
will lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her
heart." There I will make the soul hear my word, this
1 "
Introduxit me in cellam vinariam, ordinavit in me charitatem."
Cant. ii. 4.
2
"
Deus tuus ignis consumens est." Dcut. iv. 24.
4 " Ducam
Oratio est hominis conjunctio cum Deo." Scala par. gr. 28.
earn in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor ejus."
Os. ii. 14.