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The reason, then, why some spiritual persons never
enter perfectly into the true joys of the spirit is
that they never succeed in raising their desire for
rejoicing above these things that are outward and
visible.
Let such take note that, although the visible
oratory and temple is a decent place set apart for
prayer, and an image is a motive to prayer, the
sweetness and delight of the soul must not be set
upon the motive or the visible temple, lest the soul
should forget to pray in the living temple, which is
the interior recollection of the soul.
The Apostle, to remind us of this, said: 'See that
your bodies are living temples of the Holy Spirit,
Who dwelleth in you.'[672] And this thought is
suggested by the words of Christ which we have
quoted, namely that they who truly adore God must
needs adore Him in spirit and in truth.[673]
For God takes little heed of your oratories and
your places set apart for prayer if your desire and
pleasure are bound to them, and thus you have little
interior detachment, which is spiritual poverty and
renunciation of all things that you may possess.
2. In order, then, to purge the will from vain
desire and rejoicing in this matter, and to lead it
to God in your prayer, you must see only to this,
that your conscience is pure, and your will perfect
with God, and your spirit truly set upon Him. Then,
as I have said, you should choose the place that is
the farthest withdraw and the most solitary that you
can find, and devote all the rejoicing of the will to
calling upon God and glorifying Him; and you should
take no account of those whims about outward things,
but rather strive to renounce them.
For, if the soul be attached to the delight of
sensible devotion, it will never succeed in passing
onward to the power of spiritual delight, which is
found in spiritual detachment coming through interior
recollection. |