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With regard to the direction of the spirit to God
through this kind of good, it is well to point out
that it is certainly lawful, and even expedient, for
beginners to find some sensible sweetness and
pleasure in images, oratories and other visible
objects of devotion, since they have not yet weaned
or detached their desire[670] from things of the
world, so that they can leave the one pleasure for
the other.
They are like a child holding something in one of
its hands; to make it loosen its hold upon it we give
it something else to hold in the other hand lest it
should cry because both its hands are empty. But the
spiritual person that would make progress must strip
himself of all those pleasures and desires wherein
the will can rejoice, for pure spirituality is bound
very little to any of those objects, but only to
interior recollection and mental converse with God.
So, although he makes use of images and oratories,
he does so only fleetingly; his spirit at once comes
to rest in God and he forgets all things of sense.
2. Wherefore, although it is best to pray where
there is most decency, yet notwithstanding one should
choose the place where sense and spirit are least
hindered from journeying to God.
Here we should consider that answer made by Our
Saviour to the Samaritan woman, when she asked Him
which was the more fitting place wherein to pray, the
temple or the mountain, and He answered her that true
prayer was not connected with the mountain or with
the temple, but that those who adored the Father and
were pleasing to Him were those that adored Him in
spirit and in truth.[671]
Wherefore, although churches and pleasant places
are set apart and furnished for prayer (for a church
must not be used for aught else), yet, for a matter
as intimate as converse held with God, one should
choose that place which gives sense the least
occupation and the least encouragement. And thus it
must not be a place that is pleasant and delectable
to sense (like the places that some habitually
contrive to find), for otherwise, instead of the
recollection of the spirit in God, naught will be
achieved save recreation and pleasure and delight of
sense.
Wherefore it is good to choose a place that is
solitary, and even wild, so that the spirit may
resolutely and directly soar upward to God, and not
be hindered or detained by visible things; for,
although these sometimes help to raise up the spirit,
it is better to forget them at once and to rest in
God.
For this reason Our Saviour was wont to choose
solitary places for prayer, and such as occupied the
senses but little, in order to give us an example. He
chose places that lifted up the soul to God, such as
mountains, which are lifted up above the earth, and
are ordinarily bare, thus offering no occasion for
recreation of the senses.
3. The truly spiritual man, then, is never tied to
a place of prayer because of its suitability in this
way or in that, nor does he even consider such a
thing, for, if he did so, he would still be tied to
sense. But, to the end that he may attain interior
recollection, and forget everything, he chooses the
places most free from sensible objects and
attractions, withdrawing his attention from all
these, that he may be able to rejoice in his God and
be far removed from all things created.
But it is a remarkable thing to see some spiritual
persons, who waste all their time in setting up
oratories and furnishing places which please their
temperaments or inclinations, yet make little account
of interior recollection, which is the most important
thing, but of which they have very little. If they
had more of it, they would be incapable of taking
pleasure in those methods and manners of devotion,
which would simply weary them. |