MARY, OUR MOTHER

Reflection #14

On the Necessity of
Mental Prayer

Mental prayer is necessary, in the first place, in order that we may have light on the journey we are making to eternity. The eternal truths are spiritual things, which are not seen with the eyes of the body, but only in the mind, by consideration. He that does not meditate, does not see them; therefore, he walks with difficulty on the way of salvation. And further, he who does not meditate, does not know his defects, and therefore, says St. Bernard, he does not detest them. So also, he does not see the dangers to salvation in which he is, and therefore does not think of avoiding them. But when anyone meditates, his defects and the dangers of losing his soul at once come before him; and seeing them, he will seek to remedy them. St. Bernard says that meditation regulates our affections, directs our actions and corrects our defects.
In the second place, without mental prayer we have not strength to resist temptations and practice virtues. St. Teresa used to say that when a man leaves off mental prayer, the devil has no need of carrying him to Hell, for he throws himself into it of his own accord. And the reason is that, without meditation, there is no prayer. God is most willing to give us His graces, but St. Gregory says that, before giving them, He desires to be asked, and as it were, compelled to give them through our prayers. "God wants to be asked; He wants to be urged; He wants to be overcome by a certain importunity." But without prayer we shall not have strength to resist our enemies, and so we shall not obtain perseverance in virtue. Bishop Palafox, in his note upon the tenth letter of St. Teresa, writes thus: "How will God give us perseverance if we do not ask for it? And how shall we ask it without practicing mental prayer?" But he who practices meditation is "like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season." (Psalms 1:3).
And further, meditation is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed with divine love: "In my meditation," says the Psalmist, "a fire shall flame out." (Psalms 38:4). St. Catherine of Bologna said: "Meditation is that bond which binds the soul to God." In the Sacred Canticles it is written: The King "brought me into the cellar of wine; he set in order charity in me." (Canticle of Canticles 2:4). This wine cellar is meditation, in which the soul becomes so inebriated with divine love that it loses, as it were, its feelings for the things of the world; it sees only that which pleases its Beloved; it speaks only of its Beloved; every other discourse wearies and troubles it. In meditation, the soul retiring to converse alone with God is raised above itself. "He shall sit solitary and hold his peace," says the prophet. Lamentations 3:28). When the soul sits solitary, that is, remains alone in meditation to consider how worthy God is of love and how great is the love he bears to it, it will there relish the sweetness of God and fill its mind with holy thoughts. There it will detach itself from earthly affections; there it will conceive great desires to become holy and finally resolve to give itself wholly to God. And where have the Saints made these generous resolutions which have lifted them up to a sublime degree of perfection, if not in mental prayer?
Let us hear what St. John of the Cross said, speaking of mental prayer:

He made me there upon His breast recline;
There science sweet He did to me apart;
There too I gave without reserve my heart,
And pledged myself the spouse of Love Divine.

And St. Aloysius Gonzaga used to say that no one will ever attain a high degree of perfection who is not given to much mental prayer. Let us, then, attach ourselves to it and not leave it on account of any weariness that we may experience: this weariness which we endure for God will be abundantly recompensed by Him.

Pardon me, O my God, my slothfulness. What treasures of grace have I not lost by so often having given up mental prayer! For the future give me grace to be faithful in continuing to converse here on earth with Thee, with whom I hope to converse forever in Heaven. I do not ask Thee to favor me with Thy consolations in prayer; I do not deserve them; it is enough that Thou dost suffer me to remain at Thy feet to recommend to Thee my poor soul, which is poor indeed because it has wandered away from Thee. Here, O my crucified Jesus, the sole memory of Thy Passion shall keep me detached from earth and united with Thee.
O holy Virgin Mary, do thou assist me in prayer.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)