FOUR THINGS WHICH BRING GREAT PEACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, I will teach you now the way of peace and true
liberty.
Seek, child, to do the will of others rather than your own.
Always choose to have less rather than more.
Look always for the last place and seek to be beneath all
others.
Always wish and pray that the will of God be fully carried out
in you.
Behold, such will enter into the realm of peace and rest.
THE DISCIPLE
O Lord, this brief discourse of Yours contains much perfection.
It is short in words but full of meaning and abounding in fruit.
Certainly if I could only keep it faithfully, I should not be so
easily disturbed. For as often as I find myself troubled and dejected,
I find that I have departed from this teaching. But You Who can do all
things, and Who always love what is for my soul's welfare, give me
increase of grace that I may keep Your words and accomplish my
salvation.
A PRAYER AGAINST BAD THOUGHTS
O Lord my God, be not far from me. O my God, hasten to help me,
for varied thoughts and great fears have risen up within me,
afflicting my soul. How shall I escape them unharmed? How shall I
dispel them?
"I will go before you," says the Lord, "and will humble the
great ones of earth. I will open the doors of the prison, and will
reveal to you hidden secrets."
Do as You say, Lord, and let all evil thoughts fly from Your
face. This is my hope and my only comfort -- to fly to You in all
tribulation, to confide in You, and to call on You from the depths of
my heart and to await patiently for Your consolation.
A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENING THE MIND
Enlighten me, good Jesus, with the brightness of internal
light, and take away all darkness from the habitation of my heart.
Restrain my wandering thoughts and suppress the temptations which
attack me so violently. Fight strongly for me, and vanquish these evil
beasts -- the alluring desires of the flesh -- so that peace may come
through Your power and the fullness of Your praise resound in the holy
courts, which is a pure conscience. Command the winds and the
tempests; say to the sea: "Be still," and to the north wind, "Do not
blow," and there will be a great calm.
Send forth Your light and Your truth to shine on the earth, for
I am as earth, empty and formless until You illumine me. Pour out Your
grace from above. Shower my heart with heavenly dew. Open the springs
of devotion to water the earth, that it may produce the best of good
fruits. Lift up my heart pressed down by the weight of sins, and
direct all my desires to heavenly things, that having tasted the
sweetness of supernal happiness, I may find no pleasure in thinking of
earthly things.
Snatch me up and deliver me from all the passing comfort of
creatures, for no created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my
desires. Join me to Yourself in an inseparable bond of love; because
You alone can satisfy him who loves You, and without You all things
are worthless. |
Of four things which bring great peace
"My Son, now will I teach thee the way of peace
and of true liberty."
2. Do, O my Lord, as Thou sayest, for this is
pleasing unto me to hear.
3. "Strive, My Son, to do another's will rather
than thine own. Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek
always after the lowest place, and to be subject to all. Wish always
and pray that the will of God be fulfilled in thee. Behold, such a
man as this entereth into the inheritance of peace and quietness."
4. O my Lord, this Thy short discourse hath in
itself much of perfectness. It is short in words but full of meaning,
and abundant in fruit. For if it were possible that I should fully
keep it, disturbance would not so easily arise within me. For as
often as I feel myself disquieted and weighed down, I find myself to
have gone back from this teaching. But Thou, Who art Almighty, and
always lovest progress in the soul, vouchsafe more grace, that I may
be enabled to fulfil Thy exhortation, and work out my salvation.
A PRAYER AGAINST EVIL THOUGHTS
5. O Lord my God, be not Thou far from me, my
God, haste Thee to help me,(1) for many thoughts and great fears have
risen up against me, afflicting my soul. How shall I pass through
them unhurt? how shall I break through them?
6. "I," saith He, "will go before thee, and make
the crooked places straight."(2) I will open the prison doors, and
reveal to thee the secret places.
7. Do, Lord, as Thou sayest; and let all evil
thoughts fly away before Thy face. This is my hope and my only
comfort, to fly unto Thee in all tribulation, to hope in Thee, to call
upon Thee from my heart and patiently wait for Thy loving kindness.
A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE MIND
8. Enlighten me, Blessed Jesus, with the
brightness of Thy inner light, and cast forth all darkness from the
habitation of my heart. Restrain my many wandering thoughts, and
carry away the temptations which strive to do me hurt. Fight Thou
mightily for me, and drive forth the evil beasts, so call I alluring
lusts, that peace may be within Thy walls and plenteousness of praise
within Thy palaces,(3) even in my pure conscience. Command Thou the
winds and the storms, say unto the sea, "Be still," say unto the
stormy wind, "Hold thy peace," so shall there be a great calm.
9. Oh send forth Thy light and Thy truth,(4) that
they may shine upon the earth; for I am but earth without form and
void until Thou give me light. Pour forth Thy grace from above; water
my heart with the dew of heaven; give the waters of devotion to water
the face of the earth, and cause it to bring forth good and perfect
fruit. Lift up my mind which is oppressed with the weight of sins,
and raise my whole desire to heavenly things; that having tasted the
sweetness of the happiness which is from above, it may take no
pleasure in thinking of things of earth.
10. Draw me and deliver me from every unstable
comfort of creatures, for no created thing is able to satisfy my
desire and to give me comfort. Join me to Thyself by the inseparable
bond of love, for Thou alone art sufficient to him that loveth Thee,
and without Thee all things are vain toys. |