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Brookline Carmel Bulletin J M J T
February 21, 1960
Cogitatio Sancta
(Holy
Meditation)
More Quotations on the
Spiritual Life
“Proper mental and working habits should be encouraged. Preoccupying trends of thoughts must be set
aside. Interruptions in thought are
necessary: the mind should not be
always thinking; it needs rest, and so does the tongue; a proper spirit of
interior and exterior silence is mentally healthful. Thus in the performance of simple routine tasks, trains of
thought that produce themselves spontaneously should often be set aside,
especially if they arise from pressure or are accompanied by tension. To escape such disturbing, preoccupying
trains of thought, we may give full attention to our task, to performing it
without tension or haste, deliberately, with consciousness of the sensations in
the members we are using, from which we should eliminate tenseness.” (Fr. M.
Raphael Simon, O.C.S.C., M.D., Hammer and Fire, ch. 29)
“We should avoid that
splintering of attention which occurs when we are rushed or under pressure, and
which causes us to be giving our attention to the next thing to be done while
we are still engaged in the present act.
This is very detrimental to mental health, and causes loss of control
over the lower powers. The habit of
recollection, and of doing what we are doing when we are doing it, is most
conducive to the integration of our powers, and offsets this harmful tendency,
so common in our contemporary life. To
repeat, we should act deliberately, at a steady (not hurried) pace, doing one
thing at a time, doing with full attention what we re doing.” (ibid.)
“The beauty and harmony
of a well-integrated person’s activity rest, in part at least, is its
spontaneity. Dwelling on our
psychological powers and their relations may become detrimental to this
spontaneity and to simplicity. It is
much better to be engrossed with God and His will, and to have our conversation
in Heaven, as St. Paul counsels; or, simply to take Our Lord and Our Lady as
our models, and think of them and of doing what is pleasing to them; or to give
our full attention to the proper discharge of our responsibilities. So long as everything works out smoothly,
this is by all means the way to follow.
And when psychological advice frees us to do this, it is surely in
order.”
(ibid.)
* * *
“I think that this experience (a vision of heaven) has been of
great help to me in teaching me where our true home is and in showing me that
on earth we are but pilgrims; it is a great thing to see what is awaiting us
there (in heaven) and to know where we are going to live. For if a person has to go and settle in
another country, it is a great help to him in bearing the trials of the journey
if he has found out that it is a country where he will be able to live in
complete comfort. It also makes it easy
for us to die if we think upon heavenly things and try to have our conversation
in Heaven.”
(St. Teresa, Life, ch. 38)
“You know that God is
everywhere; and this is a great truth, for, of course, wherever the king is, or
so they say, the court is too; that is to say, wherever God is, there is
Heaven… Do you suppose it is of little importance that a soul which is often
distracted should come to understand this truth and to find that, in order to
speak to its Eternal Father and to take its delight in Him, it has no need to
go to Heaven or to speak in a loud voice?
However quietly we speak, He is so near that He will hear us: we need no wings to go in search of Him but
have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present
within us… Remember how important it is for you to have understood this truth –
that the Lord is within us and that we should be there with Him…” (St. Teresa,
Way of Perfection, ch. 28)
“Now that the Lord has explained to me that there is a
difference in Heaven between the fruition that can be experienced by one soul
and by another, and shown me how great that difference is… I would have no
fault of mine deprive me of the smallest degree of fruition. I can say, then, that if I were asked
whether I should prefer to endure all the trials in the world until the world
itself ends, and afterwards to gain a little more glory… I would most gladly
accept all the trials in exchange for a little more fruition in the
understanding of the wonders of God, for… he who understands Him best loves and
praises Him best.” (Life, c. 37)
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