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The Basis of An Interior Life
"Base your interior life on its absolutely necessary element: morning mental prayer. St. Theresa said that, "The person who is fully determined to make a half hour's mental prayer every morning, cost what it may, has already traveled half his journey." Without mental prayer, the day will almost unavoidably be a tepid one.... No results may be expected from a vague desire for the interior life, conceived after the hurried reading of some book."
Dom J.B. Chautard, "The Soul of the Apostolate", Kentucky, Abbey of Gethsemani, 1946, p195, 196
posted by Holly at 9:43 AM
2 Comments:
Hhmmm. How often do I just give lip service to prayer? Or turn a casual glance to the things of God, but never really settle in to spend any real time with Him?
The need to take 30 minutes and slowly ponder Scripture or Christ's Life, or some spiritual reading, placing myself in God's presence and speaking with Him, is a real need.
We can't run our cars without gas - so we have to take time to go to the gas station. We can't keep our bodies healthy without food - so we have to take the time to make and eat supper. We cannot live a deep spiritual life without God's grace - so we have to take time to pray.
I know in my own heart whether I am really doing this or not. I also know I can make a decision today to pray every morning, and that this will change my life.
It is helpful to remember that the desire, strength and commitment to take this time for the Lord is in itself a gift from God. We can pray to receive first the desire to have this time in the morning, then the strength and will to commit to it and of course the consistency to follow through. During times when this is a struggle, I try to recall that my need for this prayer time is great but the Lord's desire to spend this time with me is even greater. The King of the Universe is awake waiting to converse with me. How can I choose not to attend...
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