Simplicity of Life: Morning Offering, Mental Prayer, Mass, Holy Communion ~ St. Francis de Sales

SIMPLICITY OF LIFE

FROM THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES. “Live in joy, brimful of God and of His Love!“

Compiled by Constance Davidson, 1936

RISING AND THE MORNING OFFERING

We should make use of the night for sleep, each one according to his constitution, so far as is necessary for being usefully awake during the day. And I think there is virtue in the care which we take to go to bed betimes in the evening, in order to awake and arise early in the morning.

Certainly the early morning is the most beautiful, the most agreeable, and the least distracted time of the day; the very birds do then invite us to awake and praise God; so that early rising is helpful both to health and to holiness.

In the morning, as a general preparation for all the works of the day, you should:

1. Thank God and adore Him profoundly for preserving you during the past night.

2. Consider that the present day is given you that you may gain the future day of eternity, and make a firm resolution to employ the day well.

3. Forecast what affairs, what intercourse and what occasions you may meet with during the day to serve God, and what temptations may befall you to offend Him. For example, if I foresee that I shall have to treat of some matter with a person who is passionate and quick-tempered, not only will I resolve to refrain from anything that may offend Him, but I will prepare mild words to prevent his anger.

4. This done, humble yourself before God, and, as if you were holding your heart in your hands, offer it to Him, imploring Him to take it under His protection.

5. Invoke Our Lady, your good Angel, and the Saints, that they may assist you.

But all these spiritual actions should be done briefly and fervently, before you leave your room, if it be possible; so that by means of them, all that you do throughout the day may be watered with the blessing of God.

MENTAL PRAYER

Above all I recommend to you prayer of the mind and heart, especially that which has for its subject the life and Passion of Our Lord; for by beholding Him often in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him. As children, by listening to their mothers, and prattling with them, learn to speak their language; so we, by keeping close to the Savior in meditation, and observing His words, His actions, and His affections, shall learn to speak, to act, and to will like Him.

Spend a certain time in meditation every day, if possible, in the early part of your morning, because your mind will be less distracted and more refreshed after the repose of the night.

When you have finished this prayer of the heart, you must take care not to give any jolt to your heart, lest you spill the balm which you have received by means of your prayer; I mean by this, that you must keep silence for a little while, if possible, and moved your heart quite gently from your prayer to your occupations.

The meditation must be closed by a little nosegay of devotion. Those who have been walking in a beautiful garden do not leave it willingly without taking away with them four or five flowers, to inhale their perfume and carry them about during the day; even so, when we have considered some mystery in meditation, we should choose one or two points, to remember them throughout the day, and to inhale their perfume spiritually.

You must accustom yourself to know how to pass from prayer to all sorts of actions which your vocation and profession justly and lawfully requires of you, though they seem very far removed from the affections which you have received in prayer. I mean that the advocate must learn to pass from prayer to pleading; the merchant to business; the married woman to the duties of her state and to the cares of her household, with so much gentleness and tranquility that the spirit be not disturbed thereby. For, since both are according to the will of God, we must make the passage from one to the other in a spirit of humility and devotion.

Do not be distressed if sometimes, or even very often, you are not consoled by your meditations. Persevere gently, humbly, patiently, without forcing your mind, and read a book when you are fatigued; read a little, then meditate, then read a little again, and again meditate. Take it as a rule that the grace of meditation cannot be gained by any effort of the mind but by a meek and loving perseverance bounding in humility.

Although two or three times, putting myself in the presence of God without preparation, I found that I was extremely near to Him, yet I would not have dared to make a custom of taking myself away from the high road in order to make this the ordinary one. I love the way of those who have gone before us and of the simple; and to make a custom of no preparation, no thanksgiving, no offering, no express prayer at the end, is somewhat repugnant to me.

The sacred gift of prayer is in the right hand of God; He is only waiting until you have emptied yourself of self, of this love of your body and of your will, to give it to you. He speaks to ears that stoop low before God and man.

If we can speak to God, let us speak; if we are unable to speak, let us remain silent in His presence. Our patience will please Him; and presently, in wonderment we shall see Him take us by the hand, talk with us, and lead us hither and thither through the bypaths of His Garden of Prayer.

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

I have not yet said anything to you of the Sun of spiritual exercises, which is the most holy, sacred, and supreme Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Mass, the center of the Christian religion, the heart of devotion, the soul of piety, an ineffable mystery which contains within itself the abyss of divine charity, and by which God, applying Himself really to us, communicates to us munificently His graces and favors.

Prayer made in union with this divine Sacrifice has an unspeakable force. Make every effort, therefore, to assist every day at Holy Mass, so that, together with the priest, you may offer the sacrifice of your Redeemer to God His Father, for yourself and for the whole Church. If for some unavoidable reason you cannot be actually present at the celebration of this supreme Sacrifice, at least let your heart be there, that you may assist at it by a spiritual presence.

HOLY COMMUNION

Begin the evening before to prepare yourself for Holy Communion by many aspirations and movements of love. If you should awake during the night, fill your heart and your mouth straightway with some fragrant words, by means of which your soul may be perfumed to receive the Beloved.

In the morning, rise with great joy because of the happiness for which you hope, and go with great confidence, but also with great humility, to receive this Heavenly Food, which nourishes your immortal life.

Having received Him, stir up your heart to come and do homage to this King; treat with Him of the affairs of your soul, give Him as warm a welcome as you can, and conduct yourself in such a way that it may be known by all your actions that God is with you.

If worldlings ask you why you communicate so often, tell them that it is to learn to love God, to be purified from your imperfections, to be delivered from your miseries; to be consoled in your afflictions, and to be strengthened in your weakness.

Tell them that those who have not many worldly affairs should communicate often, because they have the opportunity to do so; and that those who have many worldly affairs should do likewise, because they have need of it; and that he who labors much and is heavily burdened, should also eat solid food and oftentimes.

“Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it”. St. Irenaeus

“What are these knots?

There are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution … knots of discord in your family, lack of understanding between parents and children, pornography, disrespect, violence, the knots of deep hurts between husband and wife, the absence of peace and joy at home.

There are also the knots of anguish and despair of separated couples, the dissolution of the family, the knots of a drug addict son or daughter, sick or separated from home or God, knots of alcoholism, the practice of abortion, depression, unemployment, fear, solitude…

Ah, the knots of our life! How they suffocate the soul, beat us down and betray the heart’s joy and separate us from God.”

 

Here is the prayer to Mary, “Undoer of Knots”

 

“Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in you heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life.

 

You know very well how desperate I am, my pain and how I am bound up by the Knots.

 

Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of his children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life.

 

No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone.

 

Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot… I beg you to undo it for the glory of god, once and for all. You are my hope.

 

O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution and with Christ the freedom from my chains.

 

Hear my plea

 

Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge.”

Painting by Nellie Edwards, https://www.paintedfaith.net/

 

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