Salesian Literature

Chapter 17:  Reply to two objections which may be made against this Introduction

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Worldly people will tell you, dear Philothea, that these exercises and counsels are too many in number.  Whoever wishes to practise them will have no time for anything else.  Indeed Philothea, even if we were to do nothing else, we should be doing well enough, for we would be doing that we should be doing in this world.  But do you not see the trick?  If we were obliged to do all these exercises each and everyday, they would surely take all our time.  But it is not necessary to do them except at the required time and place as the occasion arises.  How many civil laws are there in the Digests and code, which must be observed?  But they must be observed according to the need and they are not all to be practised everyday.  David, a King who was extremely busy with very difficult tasks used to practise many more exercises than I have put down for you.  St. Louis, a King so admirable in war as well as in peace, administered justice and managed his affairs with very great care.  He assisted at two Masses every day.  Besides this he said Vespers and Compline with his chaplain and made his meditation.  He used to visit hospitals.  He made his confession and took the discipline every Friday.  He frequently listened to sermons, and very often held spiritual conferences.  In spite of all this, he lost no opportunity of working for the public good, which he did with great diligence.  His court was more splendid and flourishing than it was at the time of his predecessors.  Practise courageously these exercises, therefore, as I have indicated.  God will give you sufficient leisure and strength to fulfil all your duties, even though he should have to make the sun stand still as he did for Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14).  We always do enough, when God works with us.

 

Worldly people will say that in this book I almost always presume that Philothea has the gift of mental prayer, whereas this is not always the case.  So this introduction will not be suitable for all.  It is certainly true, that I have assumed this and it is also true that not everyone has the gift of mental prayer.  Nevertheless, it is true that almost everyone, even the most dull, is able to have it, provided that they have good spiritual directors.  Also, they must be willing to strive to acquire it as much as it deserves.  And in case there is anybody who has not this gift at all (which I think could happen only in very rare cases), a wise spiritual father can easily remedy the defect.  He could teach them to be attentive to the same considerations which are set down in the meditations, either by reading or hearing them read.

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