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 nor awake  my  beloved  till  she  please.  He  says,  until  she please:  for  the  sleep  or  repose  which  the  soul  takes  in mental  prayer  is  perfectly  voluntary,  but  is  at  the  same time necessary  for  its  spiritual  life. He who  does  not sleep, has  not  strength  to  work,  nor  to  walk,  but  goes tottering along  the  way. The soul  that  does  not  repose and require  strength  in  meditation  is  not  able  to  resist temptations, and  totters  on  the  road. In the  life  of  the Venerable Sister  Mary  Crucified  we  read  that  while  at prayer  she  heard  a  devil  boasting  that  he  had  made  a  nun omit the  common  meditation,  and  that  afterwards,  because he  continued  to  tempt  her,  she  was  in  danger  of consenting  to  mortal  sin. The servant  of  God  ran  to the  nun,  and  with  the  divine  aid  rescued  her  from  the criminal suggestion. Behold the  danger  to  which  one who omits  meditation  exposes  h  soul! St. Teresa  used to say  that  he  who  neglects  mental  prayer  needs  not  a devil  to  carry  him  to  hell,  but  that  he  brings  himself there with  his  own  hands. And the  Abbot  Diocles  said that "  the  man  who  omits  mental  prayer  soon  becomes either  a  beast  or  a  devil."

III. Without petitions  on  our  part  God  does  not  grant the divine  helps,  and  without  aid  from  God  we  cannot observe the  commandments;  hence  the  Apostle  exhorted his disciples  to  pray  always. Pray without  ceasing? We are poor  mendicants:  I  am  a  beggar  and  poor? The entire revenue  of  the  poor  consists  in  asking  alms  from the rich;  and  our  riches  also  consist  in  prayer,  that  is, in the  prayer  of  petition;  for  by  prayer  we  obtain from God  his  graces. Without prayer,  says  St.  John Chrysostom, it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  lead  a  good