Prayer opens our understanding to the brightness of Divine Light

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE (Philothea)

SUMMARY of PART II

English-Speaking Group: 

Damian Akintemi, Nathan Barigala, Francesco Tran Cong Phan, Albert Sangma

18 November 2013

CONTAINING SUNDAY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.

CHAPTER I: THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER.

- Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love.
- Mental prayer is very advisable, especially on the passion and life of our Lord. Cross is the Tree of life, beneath the shadow of which, we must find rest.

CHAPTER II: A SHORT METHOD OF MEDITATION. AND FIRST, THE PRESENCE OF GOD, THE FIRST POINT OF FPREPARATION

-  Place ourselves  in the Presence of God,  and ask His aid.
- God is not only present in the place where we are, but He is very specially present in our heart and mind, and He kindles and inspires with His Holy Presence, abiding there as Heart of our heart, Spirit of our spirit.
-  God looks down upon us.

CHAPTER III: INVOCATION, THE SECOND POINT OF PREPARATION.

- Place oneself reverently in the presence of God, acknowledging its unworthiness to abide before His Sovereign Majesty.
- We must ask God for the grace to serve and worship Him in our meditation. Use some short and earnest words as those of David.

CHAPTER XIV: OF HOLY COMMUNION, AND HOW TO JOIN IN IT.

- Important to take part in the Holy Mass. God really touches us and gives us the graces.
- We are praying with the Church and enables us to receive heavenly graces.
- Mentally awareness is needed even if we are not able to present in the Mass.

CHAPTER XV: OF THE OTHER PUBLIC OFFICES OF THE CHURCH.

- St. Francis encouraged us to participate in the Offices, Hours, Vespers because of their richness in meaning as St. Augustine experienced in the community at prayer. It pleases God because He willed it too.
- For us religious, how often we have this experience when we pray the liturgy of the Hours.

CHAPTER XVI: HOW THE SAINTS ARE UNITED TO US

- The Mystery of the communion of the Saints: the triumphant Church, the purifying Church and the pilgrim Church in prayer.
- St. Francis encourages to choose our favorite Saint, even though we have it in mind, but how often we invoke them and imitate them?
- Be aware of the presence of the Guardian Angel in our life.

CHAPTER XVII: HOW TO HEAR AND READ GOD’S WORD

- Cultivate a special devotion to God’s Word, St. Francis said. Listen to it with attention and reverence, strive to profit by it. Remember that our Lord receives our words of prayer according to the way in which we receive His words in teaching.
- Reading the good books and the life of the saint with an attitude of listening attentively. How often we read the Bible with this attitude?

Basilica of the Visitation, Annecy

CHAPTER XVIII: HOW TO RECEIVE ISPIRATIONS

- The delight we take in God’s inspirations is an important step gained towards His Glory, and we begin at once to please Him thereby.
- resolve to accept whatever inspirations God may vouch safe you, heartily. We need to give our consent and let it be a full, loving, steadfast consent to His holy inspirations.

CHAPTER XIX: ON CONFESSION

- “My child, never allow your heart to abide heavy with sin, seeing that there is so sure and safe a remedy at hand” St. Francis said. The saint taught not only how to confess one’s sin but how to examine one’s conscience as well. Nowadays the difficulty for us to go for confession stems from the fact that we have lost the sense of venial sin or even consider mortal sins as if venial sin.

CHAPTER XX: OF FREQUENT COMMUNION.

- The Sacrament of the Eucharist is really containing Christ Body and His Blood. Whoever receives it frequently and devoutly, so strengthens the health and life of his soul.
- The Tree of Life which God had placed therein, so this Sacrament of Life makes spiritual death impossible.

Summary by Albert Sangma