Replies to two objections which may be made against this Introduction.
The world will tell you, my Philothea, that these exercises and counsels are so numerous that whoever would observe them must think of nothing else. Alas! dear Philothea, were we to do nothing else, we should do quite enough, since we should be doing what we ought to do in this world; but do you not see the artifice? If all these exercises had to be done every day, it is true that they would occupy us wholly; but they are to be done only at the proper time and place, and each according to the occasion. How many civil laws are there in the Digest and the Code which must be faithfully observed! Yet this is understood according to the occasions, and not in the sense that they must all be put into practice every day. Moreover, David, king though he was, and despite all his affairs, practised far more exercises than I have set down for you. Saint Louis, a king so admirable both in peace and in war, a prince so devoted to administering justice and governing his kingdom, Saint Louis heard two Masses every day, said Vespers and Compline with his chaplain, made his meditation, visited the hospitals every Friday, went to confession, took the discipline, very often attended sermons, very often held spiritual conferences, and with all this, as soon as an opportunity arose to provide for the good of the State, he seized it at once and made good use of it; and his court was more beautiful and flourishing than it had ever been under his predecessors. Therefore, Philothea, confidently practise these exercises as I have set them down for you, and God will still give you enough time and strength to attend to all the rest of your affairs: yes, even if He should have to halt the sun for this, as He did in the time of Joshua. We always do enough when God works with us.
The world will tell you, my Philothea, that these exercises and counsels are so numerous that whoever would observe them must think of nothing else. Alas! dear Philothea, were we to do nothing else, we should do quite enough, since we should be doing what we ought to do in this world; but do you not see the artifice? If all these exercises had to be done every day, it is true that they would occupy us wholly; but they are to be done only at the proper time and place, and each according to the occasion. How many civil laws are there in the Digest and the Code which must be faithfully observed! Yet this is understood according to the occasions, and not in the sense that they must all be put into practice every day. Moreover, David, king though he was, and despite all his affairs, practised far more exercises than I have set down for you. Saint Louis, a king so admirable both in peace and in war, a prince so devoted to administering justice and governing his kingdom, Saint Louis heard two Masses every day, said Vespers and Compline with his chaplain, made his meditation, visited the hospitals every Friday, went to confession, took the discipline, very often attended sermons, very often held spiritual conferences, and with all this, as soon as an opportunity arose to provide for the good of the State, he seized it at once and made good use of it; and his court was more beautiful and flourishing than it had ever been under his predecessors. Therefore, Philothea, confidently practise these exercises as I have set them down for you, and God will still give you enough time and strength to attend to all the rest of your affairs: yes, even if He should have to halt the sun for this, as He did in the time of Joshua. We always do enough when God works with us.
The world will yet say that I suppose almost everywhere that my Philothea has the gift of mental prayer, and that nevertheless not everyone has it; so that this Introduction cannot serve all. It is true, no doubt, that I have supposed this; and it is also true that not everyone has the gift of mental prayer; but it is likewise true that almost everyone can have it, even the most uncultivated, provided they have good guides, and are willing to labour for it as much as the matter deserves. And if there be any who have this gift in no degree whatsoever, which I cannot think can happen save very rarely, their director will easily make up for this lack by prescribing that they read, or hear read with great attention, the same considerations that are in the meditations.