The Practice of Mental Prayer. Father Rene de Maumigny

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      The practice of

      mental prayer

      René de

      Maumigny, Elder

      Mullan

      THE PRACTICE OF

      MENTAL PRAYER

      BY

      FATHER RENÉ DE MAUMIGNY

      of the Society of Jesus

      FIRST TREATISE

      Ordinary Prayer

      Translated from the Fourth Edition with the Author's

      corrections and additions.

      TRANSLATION REVISED BY

       FATHER ELDER MULLAN, S . J .

      P. J. KENEDY & SONS

      Printers to the Holy Apostolic See

      44 BARCLAY STREET, NEW YORK

      Concedimus facultatem ut liber cui titulus: "The Practice of Mental Prayer, by Father René de Maumigny, of the Society of Jesus, First Treatise, Ordinary Prayer: Translated from the Fourth Edition, with the Author's corrections and additions: Translation revised by Father Elder Mullan, S.J." Publici juris fiat, si iis ad quos pertinet videbitur.

      JOSEPH F. HANSELMAN, S.J.

      Proep. Prov. Maryl., Neo-EBbor.

      Nihil Obstat

      REMIGIUS LAFORT,

      Censor Deputatus,

      JOANNES CARD. FARLEY,

      Archiep. Neo-Ebor,

      Imprimatur

      FR. ALBERTUS LEPIDI, O.P.

      S.P.A. Magister.

      Imprimatur

      Vicesgerens.

      Copyright 1913, by P. J. KENEDY & SONS

      PREFACE

      _____

      THIS treatise is composed of five parts.

      Part I is devoted to showing the excellence of prayer in general.

      Part II contains the principal acts of ordinary mental prayer. Here I have treated two points at length on account of their greater importance. The first point is prayer properly so called, or petition. This is indeed the unfailing means, ordained by Divine Providence, for obtaining all the graces of salvation and sanctity. Consequently noth- ing is more necessary in mental prayer than to know how to pray. The second point is charity or pure love of God. This is supremely important as the aim of mental prayer is a union with God of such intimate character that after it we live only for Him. Now such union can be brought about only by charity.

      3

      PREFACE

      The subject of Part III is affective prayer in which acts of the will are appreciably more ntimerous than those of the understanding. Mention is also made here of the frequent raising of the heart to God during the day, the indispensable complement of the morn- ing prayer and the only way to maintain the soul in the fulness of the supernatural life.

      Part IV treats of the difficulties of mental prayer of which dryness of soul ranks first. It is the waterless desert which must of necessity be crossed in order to arrive at the promised land of intimacy with God. Unfor- tunately, many souls lose courage under this trial. I have endeavored to show how God can always be found by faith in His presence and entire conformity with His most Holy Will. Is not His Will, infinitely holy, ador- able and worthy of being loved, always, even in times of desolation, the place of rest for us? Here we have the vital question in mental prayer, for it is only after we have learned to appreciate God's divine Will in the midst of interior suffering, that the foundation of the edifice is solid and capable of withstanding all winds.

      PREFACE

      Part V is confined to the study of the methods of prayer given in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I am thus com- plying with the request of the religious who have asked me to undertake this work on prayer and who are much attached to St. Ignatius's excellent book.

      And finally, throughout, I have tried to emphasize the supreme importance of solid virtue. I had even thought of devoting a series of chapters to it, but in the end I thought it preferable to reserve them for the treatise on extraordinary prayer, where illu- sions are more frequent and more dangerous.

      I dedicate this humble work to Our Lady, Mother of all grace but especially of the gift of prayer which she imparted to the Holy Apostles in a marvellous way, by pray- ing with them in the Cenacle (Acts 1:14). By her intercession, may the readers of these pages gain a more perfect detachment from things transitory, a greater desire for what is eternal, and above all else such a burning love of God that they may no longer live but for His glory and the salvation of souls.

      PRINCIPAL EDITIONS CITED

      Saint Bonaventure. Opera omnia. Parisiis, Vivès, 1886. Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Translated from the

       Autograph, by Father Elder Mullan, S.J; New York,

       Kenedy.

      Letters de Saint Ignace. French Translation of Father

       Marcel Bouix. Paris, Lecoffre, 1870.

      St. Theresa. French translation of Father Marcel Bouix.

       Oeuvres, deuxième edition. Paris, Lecoffre, 1859.

      Letters. Paris, Lecoffre, 1861.

      St. John of the Cross. French Translation published by the

       Carmelites of Paris. Paris, Oudin, 1880.

      St. Francis of Sales. French Edition of Annecy.

      Suarez. Opera omnia. Parisiis, Vivès, 1859.

      Bollandists. Parisiis, Palmè.

      CONTENTS

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      PAGE