Of the highere degree of the secunde partie of contemplacion.
The Sweetness of Interior Prayer
The higher degree of contemplation is marked by a profound rest of heart and the transformation of vocal prayers into spiritual songs of joy.
But the higher degree of this part cannot be had or held except by those who are in great rest of body and soul—those who, by the grace of Jesus Christ and long labor of body and spirit, feel rest of heart and purity of conscience, so that nothing pleases them so much to do as to sit still in rest of body, always pray to God and think on our Lord, and sometimes think on the blessed name of Jesus, which has been made comforting and delightful to them, so that by the remembrance of it they feel themselves fed in their affection. And it isn't just that name; all other prayers—like the Our Father or the Hail Mary, or hymns, psalms, or other devout sayings of Holy Church—are transformed into a kind of spiritual joy and sweet song, by which they are comforted and strengthened against all sins, and greatly relieved of bodily hardship. Saint Paul speaks of this degree as follows: Nolite inebriari vino sed impleamini spiritu sancto, loquentes vobismetipsis in ympnis et psalmis, et canticis spiritualibus, cantantes et psallentes in cordibus vestris domino (Ephesians 5:18-19).✦ Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking among yourselves in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to our Lord.✦
Humility in Grace
Those who experience the consolations of grace must remain humble and continue to seek the deeper fullness of God.
Whoever has this grace should keep himself in humility and always desire to come to a fuller knowledge and feeling of God in the third part of contemplation.
Read the original Latin
But the highere degré of this partie may not be had ne halden, but of thoo that aren in grete reest of bodi and soule, the which bi grace of Jhesu Crist and longe travaile bodili and goostli felen rest of herte and clennesse in conscience, so that hem liketh nothynge so mykil for to do as for to sitte stille in reste of bodi and for to alwey pray to God and to thynke on oure Lord, and for to thynke sum tyme on the blissid name Jhesu, which is maad confortable and delitable to hem, that they bi the mynde of it, felen hem feed in here affeccion. And not oonli bi that name, but alle othere praieres, as the Pater Noster or the Ave Maria or ympnys or psalmes or other devoute seyynges of Holi Chirche aren turnyd as it were into gostli mirthe and swete songe, bi the which thei aren comfortid and strengthed agens alle synnes, and mykil relevyd of bodili dishese. Of this degree speketh Seynt Poul thus: Nolite inebriari vino sed impleamini spiritu sancto, loquentes vobismetipsis in ympnis et psalmis, et canticis spiritualibus, cantantes et psallentes in cordibus vestris domino (Ephesians 5:18-19). Be not drunken with wyn, but be ye fulfilled of the Holi Goost, seiande to youresilf in ympnes and psalmes and goostli songes, syngynge and phalmynge in youre hertes to oure Lorde. Whoso hath this grace, kepe hymself in lowenesse, and that he be evermore desirynge for to come to more knowyng and feelynge of God in the thridde partie of contemplacioun.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.5.18-Eph.5.19 — And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Eph.5.19 — speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
- ↩Eph.5.18-Eph.5.19 — And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Eph.5.19 — speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent