firmly persuaded that thou art here present, and I adore thee from the depths of my nothingness.”
Then humble yourself before God, saying: “ O my God, too often have I offended thee. I am sorry for All my sins. Pardon me in thy infinite mercy.”
Lastly, pray God to enlighten you: “ Eternal Father! for the love of Jesus and of Mary, enlighten me in this meditation, in order that I may profit by it.”
“ In meditating with a book,” says St. Francis of Sales, “we should imitate bees, which stay on a flower so long as it affords them honey, and then pass on to another. Use good thoughts in the same way, yourself. Some will be richer in honey for you — such honey as suits your present condition; other thoughts, good in themselves, will seem to afford you less. Receive the little gratefully, and pass on to the next flower to make another effort. It is the endeavour to be industrious that God will take delight in.”
The subject of meditation should generally be calculated to awaken us to a confidence in, and love of, God. Let your meditation on the eternal truths themselves be of such a nature as to lead you gently to love and glorify God, and confide in him. Let your quiet endeavour be to draw yourself into affections of the heart, rather than into reflections of the mind. Reflection is the means only, affection the end. Not only commence your meditation with recollection and peace, but without anxiety or superfluous fears of distraction. “The best of prayers,” said St. Francis of Sales, “is that in which we keep ourselves in peace and calmness in the presence of our Lord, without other desire or pretension than that of being with him and doing his will.” The child
