CHAPITRE XVI.
Simplicity in Spiritual Exercises
The author advises minimizing vocal prayers and reading to prioritize interior movement.
1. As for reading and vocal prayers, keep them to a minimum. 2. Do not pursue them against the inward attraction when they are not obligatory.1
Yielding to Interior Silence
When the soul is drawn to silence, it should abandon vocal prayers and reading to follow the Spirit of God.
1. The way to read at this degree is this: as soon as you feel a little recollection, you must stop and remain at rest, reading little, and not continuing as soon as you feel drawn inward. 2. As soon as the soul is called to interior silence, she should not burden herself with vocal prayers, but rather say only a few. When she does pray, if she finds it difficult and feels drawn toward silence, she should remain there and not force herself, unless the prayers are obligatory; in that case, they must be continued. But if they are not, let her leave them as soon as she feels drawn and has trouble saying them. Let her not strain or bind herself, but let herself be led by the Spirit of God, and she will then fulfill all her devotions in a most eminent way.2
Read the original French
1. De la Lecture, & des Prieres vocales ; en faire peu.
2. Point contre l’attrait, quand elles ne sont point d’obligation.
1. LA maniere de lire en ce degré est, que dès que l’on sent un petit recueillement, il faut cesser & demeurer en repos, lisant peu, & ne continuant pas sitôt que l’on se sent attiré au-dedans.
2. L’ame n’est pas plutôt appellée au silence intérieur, qu’elle ne doit pas se charger de prieres vocales ; mais en dire peu : & lorsqu’elle les dit, si elle y trouve quelque difficulté, & qu’elle se sente attirée au silence, qu’elle demeure, & qu’elle ne se fasse point d’effort, à moins que les prieres ne fussent d’obligation ; en ce cas il faut les poursuivre.
Mais si elles ne le sont pas, qu’elle les laisse sitôt qu’elle se sent attirée, & qu’elle a peine à les dire : qu’elle ne se gêne, & ne se lie point, mais qu’elle se laisse conduire à l’Esprit de Dieu, & elle satisfera alors à toutes les dévotions d’une maniere très-éminente.
Notes
Moyen court et très facile de faire oraison companion
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