Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/69

 ing into  sin,  by  persevering  in  mental  prayer,  they  see their misery,  and  return  to  God. Let a  soul,  says  St. Teresa,  be  ever  so  negligent,  if  she  perseveres  in  mental prayer, the  Lord  will  bring  her  back  to  the  haven  of  salvation."

If this  were  merely  the  opinion  of  St.  Alphonsus  himself it  would  be  of  immense  weight,  considering  his  resplendent sanctity,  his  vast  spiritual  learning,  and  the varied experience  of  his  long  and  active  life,  but  besides this the  holy  Doctor  is  here  only  summing  up,  in  one  sentence, the  teaching  and  experience  of  all  the  doctors, saints, writers,  preachers,  and  confessors  of  the  whole Church since  the  beginning. What stronger  argument could be  used  to  prove  the  importance  and  necessity  of mental  prayer?

NY one  who  has  a  real  desire  to  be  saved,  and  who believes that  the  opinion  of  St.  Alphonsus,  and all other  spiritual  teachers,  that  mortal  sin  and  mental prayer can  not  live  together,  but  are  mutually  destructive, is  really  true,  must  feel  a  desire  to  adopt  so  certain a means  of  salvation. But many  are  faint-hearted,  and dread the  little  difficulty  they  feel  in  beginning  a  new exercise, and  many  more  lack  the  courage  and  self-denial necessary to  continue  in  it  after  the  novelty  has  worn away, and  the  yoke  of  perseverance  begins  to  gall. Blessed are they  who  courageously  persevere,  for  their  salvation is secure!

Those who  find  it  difficult  to  begin,  or  are  tempted  to abandon  this  powerful  means  of  salvation,  must  pluck up heart,  and  encourage  themselves  by  remembering that mental  prayer  requires  no  learning,  no  special  power of mind,  no  extraordinary  grace,  but  only  a  resolute  will and a  desire  to  please  God. In fact  the  hard  matter  is