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"When the soul has passed through the doctrine of
Christ crucified, with true love of virtue and hatred
of vice, and has arrived at the house of
self-knowledge and entered therein, she remains, with
her door barred, in watching and constant prayer,
separated entirely from the consolations of the
world.
"Why does she thus shut herself in?
"She does so from fear, knowing her own
imperfections, and also from the desire, which she
has, of arriving at pure and generous love. And
because she sees and knows well that in no other way
can she arrive thereat, she waits, with a lively
faith for My arrival, through increase of grace in
her.
"How is a lively faith to be recognized?
"By perseverance in virtue, and by the fact that
the soul never turns back for anything, whatever it
be, nor rises from holy prayer, for any reason except
(note well) for obedience or charity's sake. For no
other reason ought she to leave off prayer, for,
during the time ordained for prayer, the Devil is
wont to arrive in the soul, causing much more
conflict and trouble than when the soul is not
occupied in prayer.
"This he does in order that holy prayer may become
tedious to the soul, tempting her often with these
words: 'This prayer avails you nothing, for you need
attend to nothing except your vocal prayers.' He acts
thus in order that, becoming wearied and confused in
mind, she may abandon the exercise of prayer, which
is a weapon with which the soul can defend herself
from every adversary, if grasped with the hand of
love, by the arm of free choice in the light of the
Holy Faith."
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