Third Meditation.—Of the Benefits of God.
PREPARATION.
_1. Place yourself in the presence of God._
_2. Pray Him to inspire you._
CONSIDERATIONS.
1. Consider the bodily graces which God hath bestowed upon you: what a body He hath given you, how easily you can maintain it, what health, what consolations, what friends, what assistance in your needs; and consider this by comparing yourself with so many other persons, who are better than you, and who are nevertheless deprived of these advantages: some are deformed, sick, crippled; others overwhelmed with reproach, dishonour, and contempt; others burdened with poverty, while God hath not willed that you should be so wretched.
2. Consider the gifts of the mind: how many there are in the world who are dull, frenzied, senseless! And why are you not among them? Is it not an effect of the goodness of God? How many more there are who have been grossly brought up, and in extreme ignorance, while Divine Providence hath procured for you an honourable and careful education!
3. Consider the spiritual graces: O Philothea, you are a child of the Church; God hath taught you to know Him from your youth. How often hath He given you His sacraments! how often inspirations, inward lights, reproaches of conscience for your amendment! How often hath He forgiven your faults! how often hath He delivered you from occasions of perdition to which you were exposed! And all those years that God hath allowed you to live, have they not afforded you a means of advancing the salvation of your soul? Consider all these graces in detail, and see how good and helpful God hath been to you.
PREPARATION.
_1. Place yourself in the presence of God._
_2. Pray Him to inspire you._
CONSIDERATIONS.
1. Consider the bodily graces which God hath bestowed upon you: what a body He hath given you, how easily you can maintain it, what health, what consolations, what friends, what assistance in your needs; and consider this by comparing yourself with so many other persons, who are better than you, and who are nevertheless deprived of these advantages: some are deformed, sick, crippled; others overwhelmed with reproach, dishonour, and contempt; others burdened with poverty, while God hath not willed that you should be so wretched.
2. Consider the gifts of the mind: how many there are in the world who are dull, frenzied, senseless! And why are you not among them? Is it not an effect of the goodness of God? How many more there are who have been grossly brought up, and in extreme ignorance, while Divine Providence hath procured for you an honourable and careful education!
3. Consider the spiritual graces: O Philothea, you are a child of the Church; God hath taught you to know Him from your youth. How often hath He given you His sacraments! how often inspirations, inward lights, reproaches of conscience for your amendment! How often hath He forgiven your faults! how often hath He delivered you from occasions of perdition to which you were exposed! And all those years that God hath allowed you to live, have they not afforded you a means of advancing the salvation of your soul? Consider all these graces in detail, and see how good and helpful God hath been to you.
_Affections and Resolutions._
1. Admire the goodness of God. Oh! how good my God is to me! oh! how good He is! how rich in mercy and generous in goodness is Thy Heart, O Lord! O my soul, let us tell for ever how many graces He hath bestowed upon us!
2. Admire your ingratitude. But what am I, O Lord, that Thou hast thought of me? oh! how great is my unworthiness! alas! I have trampled under foot Thy benefits, I have dishonoured Thy graces, turning them to the contempt and abuse of Thy sovereign goodness; I have opposed an abyss of ingratitude to the abyss of Thy mercy and Thy favours.
3. Stir yourself up to gratitude. Come then, O my heart, be no longer faithless and ungrateful towards this great benefactor. And how should my soul not henceforth be subject to God, who hath wrought so many graces and wonders in me and for me?
4. Take courage then, Philothea, withdraw your body from such and such sensual pleasures; subject it to the service of God, who hath done so much for it; apply your soul to knowing and loving Him ever more, having recourse for this purpose to suitable means. Lastly, employ generously all the helps found in the Church, to save yourself and to glorify God. Yea, I will practise prayer, I will frequent the sacraments, I will listen to the holy word, I will faithfully follow both inspirations and counsels.
1. Admire the goodness of God. Oh! how good my God is to me! oh! how good He is! how rich in mercy and generous in goodness is Thy Heart, O Lord! O my soul, let us tell for ever how many graces He hath bestowed upon us!
2. Admire your ingratitude. But what am I, O Lord, that Thou hast thought of me? oh! how great is my unworthiness! alas! I have trampled under foot Thy benefits, I have dishonoured Thy graces, turning them to the contempt and abuse of Thy sovereign goodness; I have opposed an abyss of ingratitude to the abyss of Thy mercy and Thy favours.
3. Stir yourself up to gratitude. Come then, O my heart, be no longer faithless and ungrateful towards this great benefactor. And how should my soul not henceforth be subject to God, who hath wrought so many graces and wonders in me and for me?
4. Take courage then, Philothea, withdraw your body from such and such sensual pleasures; subject it to the service of God, who hath done so much for it; apply your soul to knowing and loving Him ever more, having recourse for this purpose to suitable means. Lastly, employ generously all the helps found in the Church, to save yourself and to glorify God. Yea, I will practise prayer, I will frequent the sacraments, I will listen to the holy word, I will faithfully follow both inspirations and counsels.
CONCLUSION.
1. Thank God for the knowledge He hath given you of your duty and of His benefits.
2. Offer Him your heart with all your resolutions.
3. Pray Him to give you strength to fulfil them faithfully, by the merit of the death of His Son. Implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the saints. _Pater noster_, etc.
Make the little spiritual bouquet.
1. Thank God for the knowledge He hath given you of your duty and of His benefits.
2. Offer Him your heart with all your resolutions.
3. Pray Him to give you strength to fulfil them faithfully, by the merit of the death of His Son. Implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the saints. _Pater noster_, etc.
Make the little spiritual bouquet.