Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/73

 ardently; and  this  love  is  gained  by  resolving  to  do  a great  deal  for  Him."

I have  said  that  misunderstanding  this  point  is  the most fruitful  source  of  discouragement,  and  one  of  the commonest, reasons  for  abandoning  mental  prayer  in disgust,  and  the  reason  is,  because  very  few  people  are accustomed to  prolonged  or  deep  thought  on  any  subject. Few indeed  are  capable  of  it. If, therefore,  they  imagine that prolonged,  if  not  deep  thought,  is  necessary  for mental prayer,  they  are  in  constant  trouble  and  discouragement, which  ends  in  their  abandoning  the  whole  exercise in  despair. "If I  might  only  be  allowed  to  pray," they will  sigh  to  themselves,  "how  much  easier  it  would be!"

Let such  persons  then  clearly  understand,  that  many thoughts are  not  necessary,  that  their  reflections  need not be  deep  and  ought  not,  especially  in  a  prayer  of  half an hour,  to  be  long,  lest  prayer  should  be  neglected  and the exercise  be  changed  into  a  study. "Meditation," says St.  Alphonsus,  "is  the  needle,  which  only  passes through  that  it  may  draw  after  it  the  golden  thread,  which is  composed  of  affections,  petitions,  and  resolutions." The needle  is  only  used  in  order  to  draw  the  thread  after it. If then  you  were  to  meditate  for  an  hour,  and  think out a  subject  in  all  its  details,  but  without  constant  acts and petitions,  you  would  be  working  hard  with  an  unthreaded needle.

Men's minds  differ  as  much  as  their  features,  and  some men, especially  those  employed  in  very  distracting  duties, need more  thought  before  they  can  pray  than  others,  but many, especially  women,  will  find  that  the  effort,  after prolonged reflections,  will  generally  defeat  itself  and  end in distraction.

As soon,  therefore,  as  you  feel  an  impulse  to  pray,  give way to  it  at  once  in  the  best  way  you  can  by  acts  and petitions, in  other  words,  begin  your  conversation  with God on  the  subject  about  which  you  have  been  think-