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Sofia Buccino

Exercises of the Interior Life: Meditation


Part I

“I am the Mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me

is all grace of the way arid of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me: and be filled with my fruits” (Ecclus .. xxiv. 24, 25, 26). Such are the words spoken to you by our Lady for the purpose of awakening in your heart a desire to pray, and to give you confidence in prayer, especially mental prayer, called meditation.

Meditation! How necessary an exercise for you, child of Mary, if you would obtain the special graces you need in the midst of the many dangers which surround you, under the numberless temptations which are brought upon you by the enemies of your soul! Do you wish to win the favour of your heavenly Mother? Love to meditate as she did. St. Jerome tells us that from, her tenderest years, she devoted much of her time to mental prayer. If possible, give every day at least a quarter of an hour to this pious exercise. And if you would learn to meditate well, go to her who is justly called “the Teacher of the science of God and the Counsellor of his works.”

Bl. Eleazar, on being asked one day who had taught him to meditate so well, answered: “Our Lady. I first consider,” said he, “my own worthlessness and wretchedness ; I then turn towards this sweet Mother, and ask her to place in my heart and on my lips whatever is pleasing to her and to her Son ; and I say a Hail Mary. After that I am never wanting in matter of meditation.” Do likewise. Humble yourself profoundly; consider for a few moments that your faults are many, your virtues but few, and that you are still far from being as perfect as a slave of Mary ought to be. Then turn to our Lady and, full of confidence, say to her: “My dear Mother, I deliver unto thee the three faculties of my soul; be thou in me during this meditation; be in my memory, that I may think only of Jesus; be in my understanding, that I may know him alone; be in my will, that I may have no other will but his.”

Part II

The second and principal part of meditation is composed of two different acts, both of special importance. You will greatly please our Lady if in all your meditations you perform these two acts. The first one consists in making a well determined resolution concerning a point of your daily life; as, for example, to mortify your predominant fault, to shun an occasion of sin, to imitate such and such a virtue practised by your Blessed Mother and more particularly her interior recollection. Speaking of meditation St. Teresa says: “The soul does not profit so much by frequently thinking of God, as by loving him generously, and the love of God is acquired by the determination to work for him” ; and she concludes: “for my part I wish for no other method of meditation but that which will cause me to advance in virtue.”

The second act consists in imploring divine help and protection. To recommend yourself to our Lord and to our Lady is the most precious part of your meditation; and more than that, it is the essential part of this prayer, called prayer of petition. It was by this kind of prayer that the Fathers of the Desert sanctified themselves. Cassian relates that they continually repeated the words by which the Church begins each one of her canonical hours : Deus in adjutorium meum intende (O God, come to my assistance).

Now then, do not say any longer: “I cannot meditate.” Consider attentively the subject which you have chosen and prepared as well as possible the previous evening. If by yourself you are not able to converse interiorly with our Lady, you may make use of a book; or else you may place yourself at the feet of your Mistress, like a poor slave who has nothing of himself but expects to receive everything from her. You will certainly touch her merciful heart if you tell her, one by one, your many wants, if you trust in her goodness and rely on her power, if you offer her the merits of her divine Son and remind her of her promises. Fully conscious of your own nothingness, say to her: “What dost thou lose, my dear Mistress, in granting me what I ask? To me it is a priceless gift; to thee, who art the -Treasury of God, the Distributor of his graces, it will be no expense. It is of thy goodness, 0 Mother, of thy heart always kindly and mercifully disposed towards thy children, that I implore this favour. Canst thou refuse me?” To move her still more with compassion for you, act like a poor beggar who displays his rags and his infirmities when asking for an alms: “O Mary,” you ought to say, “behold this imperfection of my soul, cast thine eyes upon my proud mind, upon my heart full of vanity. Help me to correct myself.”

At other times unite yourself with our Lady in order to win the heart of God. In union with her, offer to God the merits of Jesus, your divine Saviour ; ask him confidently for all the grace you need, even for the heroic practice of virtue, and say like St, Bernard: “It is true, O Lord, I have nothing of myself, but the sufferings of Jesus are my merits. Vulnera sua, merita mea. If for love of thee I had shed the blood which thy divine son has poured out, wouldst thou not be merciful unto me? With how much more reason, then, may I hope for pardon because of the Passion and Death which Jesus has suffered for me?”

Plead in this manner, or in another if you wish, but always at Mary's feet and in union with her, and take it for granted that your prayer will be fruitful. There you have the easiest way of succeeding in this second and most important part of meditation . If you are not able to meditate methodically, or to make any acts, content yourself with repeating over and over again some ejaculations of your own choice. If you did nothing else but say: “O Mother, have pity on thy poor slave,” you ought to believe that your pleading will touch the merciful heart of our Lady.

“The king is honoured, even by the statues that figure in the palace,” says St. Francis de Sales. Be then like an intelligent statue; raise your eyes now and then towards Mary and you will not be without merit, you will glorify Jesus and your heavenly Queen.

Part III

Toward the end of meditation make your acts of thanksgiving and give yourself to Mary, most faithful Virgin, that she may preserve in you the fruit of your meditation and help you to keep the good resolutions which you must have made. As you are not very far advanced in the practical life of union with our Lady, it will be of great profit to your soul if you make a resolution to live more constantly in union with her and thus enter more and more upon that easy and sure way of perfection.

Finish your meditation by pouring out your soul‚ before our Lady, saying to her:

“O my Queen would that I could be at thy feet all day long, to‚ bless thee, to sing thy praises, to beg of thee all the graces I need! I wish at least to be with thee in mind. Therefore, I unite with all the pious souls that this day, in this vale of tears, will find their happiness in blessing thee and serving thee most zealously. I wish I could be in all the Sanctuaries of the world, in which any, virtue or privilege of thine is honoured in a special manner. Moreover, I unite with all the saints in heaven, above all with those who have loved thee most here below to offer unto thee their praises, their homage and their love…

“But as the offering most pleasing to thee is Jesus, thy Son, I unite with his Sacred Heart to praise, to bless, and to love thee as he himself did when on earth, and as he still does now in heaven. Pray, dear Mother, give me thy blessing and bless likewise those who are dear unto me, all thy true children.”

If you have time you may enlarge upon those feelings. “Mary kept all these tl1ings in her heart,” says St. Luke. After the example of your heavenly Mother recall frequently to mind during the day the considerations of your morning meditation, and by an interior glance see now and then (for example, when the clock strikes the hour), whether you are keeping the resolution you have made.

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