Publisher's Synopsis
A kneeling bench or kneeler for one person is also called a priedieu, that is to pray to God from the French. Let us read some of these papers that came forth from holy prayer. "The desire of a desire! As we speak of the delusive pleasures of this sinful and fleeting world as being false as the dream of a dream, meaning this to denote the very extreme of deceitfulness, the maximum of unreality, so the minimum of earnestness in our good desires, the least possible amount of determination in a holy purpose, might seem to be conveyed by the phrase, "the desire of a desire." Yet it is this that the penitent king puts forward as one of his claims on the mercy and bounty of his Creator, that at all times, in his very worst time, he had at least always coveted to desire the justifications of God." Let us indeed have a true desire for Almighty God! Let us consider this in a talk about uncharitable talk: "We have all of us often been surprised at the disagreeable things that very pious and amiable people can allow themselves to say about other people. Persons who deny themselves every other sinful indulgence make compensation to themselves by indulging pretty freely in this. No doubt conversation is made more spicy by being well sprinkled over with proper names. The index at the end of most volumes is generally nothing more than a list of the persons referred to in the preceding pages; and the summary of most conversations might also be, not an Index Rerum, but an Index Nominum. When the interest flags, some one breaks in with the question, "Did you, hear what happened to So-and-so last week?" In public and private discourse personality is a sovereign somnifuge." Commenting on the sacred text: "Child, give Me thy heart," Father Russell says: "This simple phrase furnishes a key to all the dealings of God with man. It does not explain-for mysteries cannot be explained-but it summarizes, it announces clearly and briefly, the mystery of mysteries, which alone explains all other mysteries: namely, the supreme mystery of God's love for man." A chapter is devoted to considering the four 'fiats' that is let it be done, such as the fiat that created the world and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And let us consider some thoughts on pain: "THERE have been many things written on the blessings of pain. "Pain," says a recent writer, "is a hideous fairy, repulsive yet benevolent. It is a protector and monitor, a companion whose good offices are not valued until he has departed. The traps and snares of life would remain hidden without pain. Imagine," he adds, "the consequences resulting from the absence of any pain-for instance, hunger, indigestion, fatigue, etc." Yes, both in the physical and in the moral order pain plays a very useful part. This thesis, however, is not to be proved here, except in as far as a proof of its spiritual efficacy may be implied in some of the testimonies which we now proceed to adduce from various quarters in favour of pain." He then proceeds to quote from Father Faber, Saint Teresa and Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. He follows with thoughts for Good Friday, Ascension and several other times of the year. ""To Thee, O Lord! have I lifted up my soul." A good beginning for every prayer and every meditation, but especially for a meditation, however brief and slight, on my sins. Before daring to think of my sins I must first try to lift up my soul to God, to live in the white light of His sanctity. To grope among the sins and the miseries of the past may be dangerous in some states of the soul It may be a fresh temptation."
