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I speak not here, Theotimus, of the recollection by
which such as are about to pray, place themselves in
God's presence, entering into themselves, and as one
would say bringing their soul into their hearts,
there to speak with God; for this recollection is
made by love's command, which, provoking us to
prayer, moves us to take this means of doing it well,
so that we ourselves make this withdrawing of our
spirit.
But the recollection of which I mean to speak is
not made by love's command but by love itself, that
is, we do not make it by free choice, for it is not
in our power to have it when we please, and does not
depend on our care, but God at his pleasure works it
in us by his most holy grace. The Blessed Mother (S.)
Teresa of Jesus says: "He who has written that the
prayer of recollection is made as when a hedgehog or
tortoise draws itself within itself, said well,
saving that these beasts draw themselves in when they
please, whereas recollection is not in our will, but
comes to us only when it pleases God to do us this
grace."
Now it comes thus. Nothing is so natural to good
as to draw and unite unto itself such things as are
sensible of it; as our souls do, which continually
draw towards them and give themselves to their
treasure, that is, what they love. It happens then
sometimes that our Lord imperceptibly infuses into
the depths of our hearts a certain agreeable
sweetness, which testifies his presence, and then the
powers, yea the very exterior senses of the soul, by
a certain secret contentment, turn in towards that
most interior part where is the most amiable and
dearest spouse.
For as a new swarm of bees when it would take
flight and change country, is recalled by a sound
softly made on metal basins, by the smell of honied
wine, or by the scent of some odoriferous herbs,
being stayed by the attraction of these agreeable
things, and entering into the hive prepared for it:
-- so our Saviour, -- pronouncing some secret word of
his love, or pouring out the odour of the wine of his
dilection, more delicious than honey, or letting
stream the perfumes of his garments, that is,
feelings of his heavenly consolations in our hearts,
and thereby making them perceive his most welcome
presence, -- draws unto him all the faculties of our
soul, which gather about him and stay themselves in
him as in their most desired object.
And as he who should cast a piece of loadstone
amongst a number of needles would instantly see them
turn all their points towards their well-beloved
adamant, and join themselves to it, so when our
Saviour makes his most delicious presence to be felt
in the midst of our hearts, all our faculties turn
their points in that direction, to be united to this
incomparable sweetness.
O God! says then the soul in imitation of S.
Augustine, whither was I wandering to seek thee! O
most infinite beauty! I sought thee without, and thou
vast in the midst of my heart. All Magdalen's
affections, and all her thoughts, were scattered
about the sepulchre of her Saviour, whom she went
seeking hither and thither, and though she had found
him, and he spoke to her, yet leaves she them
dispersed, because she does not perceive his
presence; but as soon as he had called her by her
name, see how she gathers herself together and
entirely attaches herself to his feet: one only word
puts her into recollection.
Propose to yourself, Theotimus, the most holy
Virgin, our Lady, when she had conceived the Son of
God, her only love. The soul of that well-beloved
mother did wholly collect itself about that
well-beloved child, and because this heavenly dear
one was harboured in her sacred womb, all the
faculties of her soul gathered themselves within her,
as holy bees into their hive, wherein their honey is;
and by how much the divine greatness was, so to
speak, straitened and contracted within her virginal
womb, by so much her soul did more increase and
magnify the praises of that infinite loving-kindness,
and her spirit within her body leapt with joy (as S.
John in his mother's womb) in presence of her God,
whom she felt. She launched not her affections out of
herself, since her treasure, her loves and her
delights were in the midst of her sacred womb.
Now the same contentment may be practised by
imitation, among those who, having communicated, feel
by the certainty of faith that which, not flesh and
blood, but the Heavenly Father has revealed, that
their Saviour is body and soul present, with a most
real presence, to their body and to their soul, by
this most adorable sacrament.
For as the pearl-mother, having received the drops
of the fresh dew of the morning, closes up, not only
to keep them pure from all possible mixture with the
water of the sea, but also for the pleasure she feels
in relishing the agreeable freshness of this
heaven-sent germ: - so does it happen to many holy
and devout of the faithful, that having received the
Divine Sacrament which contains the dew of all
heavenly benedictions, their heart closes over It,
and all their faculties collect themselves together,
not only to adore this sovereign King, but for the
spiritual consolation and refreshment, beyond belief,
which they receive in feeling by faith this divine
germ of immortality within them.
Where you will carefully note, Theotimus, that to
say all in a word this recollection is wholly made by
love, which perceiving the presence of the
well-beloved by the attractions he spreads in the
midst of the heart, gathers and carries all the soul
towards it, by a most agreeable inclination, a most
sweet turning, and a delicious bending of all the
faculties towards this well-beloved, who attracts
them unto him by the force of his sweetness, with
which he ties and draws hearts, as bodies are drawn
by material ropes and bands.
But this sweet recollection of our soul in itself is
not only made by the sentiment of God's presence in
the midst of our heart, but also by any means which
puts us in this sacred presence. It happens sometimes
that all our interior powers close and withdraw
themselves into themselves by the extreme reverence
and sweet fear which seizes upon us in the
consideration of his sovereign Majesty who is present
with us and beholds us; just as, however distracted
we may be, if the Pope or some great prince should
appear we return to ourselves, and bring back our
thoughts upon ourselves, to keep ourselves in good
behaviour and respect.
The blue lily, otherwise called the flag, is said
to draw its flowers together at the sight of the sun,
because they close and unite while the sun shines,
but in its absence they spread out and keep open all
the night. The like happens in this kind of
recollection which we speak of; for at the simple
presence of God, or the simple feeling that he sees
us, either from heaven or from any other place
outside us (even if we are not remembering the other
sort of presence by which he is in us), our powers
and faculties assemble and gather together within us,
out of respect to his divine Majesty, which love
makes us fear with a fear of honour and respect.
Indeed I know a soul who, as soon as she heard
mention of some mystery or sentence which put her a
little more expressly in mind of the presence of God
than usual, whether in confession or private
conference, would so deeply enter into herself that
she could hardly recover herself to speak and make
answer, so that outwardly she remained as one
deprived of life, and with all her senses benumbed,
till her spouse permitted her to quit that state:
which was sometimes pretty soon, and other times more
slowly.
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