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CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX CONCERNING THE VARIOUS ILLUSIONS EMPLOYED BY THE DEVIL AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH IF OUR PERSISTENT FOE, who never ceases to persecute us, should assail us disguised as an angel of light, stand firm and steadfast even though cognizant of your own nothingness, and say to him boldly: "Return, miserable one into your realms of darkness; for I am unworthy of visions, nor do I need anything but the mercy of my Saviour, and the prayers of Mary, Joseph and all the Saints." And though these visions seem to bear many evidences of having been born in...

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE CONCERNING TEMPTATION TO VAINGLORY THE THIRD ASSAULT is that of vainglory and presumption. Dread nothing so much as yielding in the least way to an exalted opinion of your person or your good works. Take no glory but in the Lord, and acknowledge that all that you are or ever hope to be is to be attributed to the merits of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Until the very evensong of life, hear nothing within your heart but the refrain of your own nothingness. Let your humility deepen as self-love fades, and unceasingly thank God, the...

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR CONCERNING THE ASSAULT OF DESPAIR AND ITS REMEDY THE SECOND ASSAULT by which the perverse one attempts our destruction is the terror which he would infuse into our minds at the recollection of our past sins, hoping thereby to drive us to despair. In this peril, hold fast to the infallible rule that the remembrance of your sins is the effect of grace, and is most salutary if it inspires within your heart sentiments of humility, compunction, and confidence in God's mercy. But if such recollection creates vexation and despondency, leaving you spiritless from the apparent cogency of...

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE CONCERNING THE FOUR ASSAULTS OF THE ENEMY AT THE HOUR OF DEATH. THE FIRST ASSAULT AGAINST FAITH AND THE MANNER OF RESISTING IT THERE ARE FOUR principal assaults to which the enemy is likely to resort when we are at the threshold of death. They are temptations against faith and to despair, thoughts of vainglory, and finally, various illusions employed by the children of darkness, who are disguised as angels of light. As to the first assault, depend rather on the will than on the understanding, saying: "Get thee behind me, Satan, father of lies, for I will...

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO CONCERNING OUR PREPARATION AGAINST THE ENEMIES WHO ASSAIL US AT THE HOUR OF DEATH ALTHOUGH OUR ENTIRE LIFE on earth is a continual warfare, it is certain that the last day of battle will be the most dangerous; for he who falls on this day, falls never to rise again. In order, therefore, to be prepared, we must prepare ourselves now; for he who fights well through life will with greater facility emerge victorious in the final assault. Meditate too on death, considering its significance, for such consideration will remove the terror that strikes when death is nigh,...

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE CONCERNING THE MANNER IN WHICH WE ARE TO PERSEVERE IN THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT UNTIL DEATH ONE OF THE REQUISITES in the spiritual combat is perseverance in the continual mortification of our unruly passions; for never in this life are they utterly subdued, but take root in the human heart like weeds in fertile soil. This is a battle from which we cannot escape; ours is a foe we cannot evade. The fight against passion will last a lifetime, and he who lays down his arms will be slain. Moreover, we must combat enemies who hate us with unquenchable...

CHAPTER SIXTY CONCERNING THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE  IN THE EXAMINATION of conscience, consider three things: 1. The faults committed on the particular day. 2. The occasions of these faults. 3. Your need of alacrity in amending those faults and acquiring the contrary virtues. With regard to the faults committed each day, recall the recommendations of Chapter Twenty-Six, which treats of the mode of behavior to be adopted by one who has fallen into sin. It goes without saying that you must strive with the greatest caution and circumspection to avoid the occasions of these faults. And as to the amendment...

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE CONCERNING SENSIBLE DEVOTION AND DRYNESS SENSIBLE DEVOTION is sometimes produced by dispositions of our nature, sometimes by artifices of the devil, and sometimes by an influx of grace. You may discern its origin in a particular case by studying the effects; for if no amendment follows, you may well suspect the devil or your own infirm nature to be at the bottom of such devotion, particularly if it be accompanied by much consolation, complacency, or by any measure of self-esteem. When, therefore, your heart rejoices in exultation and spiritual delight, be not over solicitous to trace their origins;...

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT THE OFFERING OF SELF TO GOD THERE ARE TWO THINGS necessary to make our self-oblation completely acceptable to God. One is that it be made in union with the offering made by Christ to the Father; and the other is that it be totally free from all attachment to creatures. 1. As regards the first, we must remember that the Son of God, during His sojourn on earth, offered to His heavenly Father, not only Himself and His works, but also us and our works. Thus must our oblation be made in union with His, and dependent upon...

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN CONCERNING THANKSGIVING SINCE ALL THE GOOD we have, or all the good we do, is of God and from God, we are bound in justice to render Him thanks for every good action done, or every victory won in the battle against self. And what is more, we are obliged to render thanks for all blessings, general or particular, which we have received from His bounteous hand. To do this in a becoming manner, let us consider the end because of which He has heaped upon us the abundance of His blessings; for from such considerations we come...

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX CONCERNING SPIRITUAL COMMUNION ALTHOUGH ACTUAL RECEPTION of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is limited to once a day, you are nevertheless at liberty to communicate in spirit every hour. And nothing except your own negligence can prevent you from receiving the inestimable benefits to be derived from such a union with Him. It is worth noting that spiritual Communion is sometimes of greater benefit to the soul and more acceptable to God than many sacramental Communions received with little preparation and less affection. When, therefore, you are properly disposed to receive the Son of God spiritually, be assured...

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION, AND THE ROLE OF THE EUCHARIST IN EXCITING IN US A LOVE OF GOD IF OUR MOTIVE in receiving Holy Communion be a desire of increasing our love of God, we should recall the love which God has for us. The preparation consists in an attentive contemplation of this Sovereign Lord of boundless power and majesty, Who not satisfied with creating us to His image and likeness, nor with the immolation of His only Son in our behalf, left this Son to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be our food and support...

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR THE MANNER IN WHICH WE OUGHT TO RECEIVE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT THE MOTIVES for approaching this Divine Sacrament are many, from which it follows that there are various requirements to be observed at three different times: 1. Before Communion 2. At the moment of reception of Communion 3. After Communion 1. Before Communion, whatever be our motive, we must, if stained with mortal sin, cleanse ourselves in the sacrament of Penance. And with all sincerity of heart, we must offer ourselves to Jesus Christ, consecrating our souls and all their faculties to His service. For it is in...

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE CONCERNING THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST THUS FAR, I have tried, as perhaps you have observed, to furnish you with four kinds of spiritual weapons, and the methods by which they may be profitably employed; it remains to present to you the invaluable aids to be derived from the Holy Eucharist in subduing the enemies of perfection and salvation. As this sublime Sacrament towers above the others in dignity and efficacy, it is the most terrible of all weapons to the infernal powers. The methods previously treated have no force but through the merits of Jesus...

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM MEDITATIONS ON THE CROSS, AND THE IMITATION OF THE VIRTUE OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED GREAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES to be derived from meditating on the Cross, the first of which is, not only a detestation of past sins, but also the firm resolution to fight against our ever present disorderly appetites, which crucified our Savior. The second advantage is the forgiveness of sins, obtained from Jesus crucified, and a wholesome self-contempt which inspires us forever to forsake offending Him, and continually to love and serve Him with all our hearts in acknowledgment of what He...

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE MEDITATION ON THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND THE SENTIMENTS TO BE DERIVED FROM CONTEMPLATION OF THEM WHAT I PRESCRIBED previously concerning the method of praying and meditating on the sufferings of our Lord and Savior regarded only the petition of those things of which we stand in need; now we are to proceed to the adoption of the proper sentiments from our considerations. For instance, if you have chosen the crucifixion and its attendant circumstances as the subject of your meditation, you may dwell on the following considerations. Consider first the arrival of Jesus on Mount Calvary. His...

CHAPTER FIFTY A METHOD OF MEDITATION AND PRAYER INVOLVING THE INTERCESSION OF THESAINTS AND THE ANGELS THE TWO FOLLOWING METHODS of obtaining the protection of the saints and angels may be employed. The first method is to address yourself to the eternal Father, laying before Him the hymns of Heavenly choirs, the labors, persecutions, and torments suffered by the Saints on earth for love of Him. Then, in recalling their fidelity and love, beseech Him to grant your petitions. The second method is to invoke the Angels, those blessed spirits earnestly desirous, not only of our earthly perfection, but of...

CHAPTER FORTY-NINESOME CONSIDERATIONS TO INDUCE CONFIDENCE IN THE ASSISTANCE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN WHOEVER WISHES to have recourse to the Blessed Virgin confidently must observe the following motives. 1. Experience teaches us that a vessel which has contained perfumes preserves their odor, especially if the perfume is in the container for any length of time, or if any remain in it; yet here there is but a limited power, similar to the warmth carried from a fire, the source of that warmth. If such be the case, what are we to say of the charity and compassion of the Blessed...

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHTA METHOD OF PRAYER BASED ON THE INTERCESSION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN BESIDES THE METHODS of meditation already mentioned, there is another which is addressed particularly to the Blessed Virgin. We first consider the eternal Father, then Jesus Christ Our Lord, and finally, the Blessed Mother. With regard to the eternal Father, there are two considerations. The first is the singular affection He cherished from all eternity for this most chaste Virgin whom He chose to be the mother of His Divine Son. The second is the eminent sanctity He was pleased to bestow upon her and the many...

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENANOTHER METHOD OF MEDITATION THERE IS ANOTHER method of prayer and meditation besides the one to which we have adverted. In this latter method, having considered the poignant sufferings of your Savior and His patient endurance of them, you proceed to two other considerations of equal importance. The one is the consideration of Christ's infinite merits, and the other, of that satisfaction and glory which the eternal Father received from His obedience-----an obedience unto death, even the death of the Cross. You must represent these two considerations to the Divine Majesty, as two powerful means of obtaining the grace...