Remembering wrongs…
If we keep remembering the wrongs which men have done us, we destroy the power of the remembrance of God.
–Saint Macarius the Great (295-392)
Find some suitable time…
Every one should find some suitable time, day or night, to sink into his depths, each according to his own fashion. Not every one is able to engage in contemplative prayer.
–Johannes Tauler (c. 1300-1361)
Singing from your heart…
Better to sing one Psalm with feeling, than to recite a hundred with a wandering mind. But if you haven’t yet received the grace of singing from your heart, do not give up hope. Be constant in your practice, and one day He who gave you the desire for the prayer of the heart will give you that prayer itself.
–Saint Romuald of Ravenna (951-1027)
Imitate and remember God…
Imitate God. Remember God is all good, and don’t let yourself indulge in pride, envy, schisms, and other sins that fight against the spirit. These lead to decadence. Instead, be like newborn babies. Be people of integrity. Never be duplicitous. Why? Remember that the Lord said in Leviticus to His loyal friends that they were to be holy because He was holy. The Lord has blessed you for many years. He’s shown you treasure hidden in a field, and you’ve enjoyed it for such a long time. With your joy you bought God’s priceless treasure, the best pearls and gems. Remember that—without a doubt—if you respect these jewels as you should, they’ll always stand before the face of God, praying for you and begging for the salvation of your body and soul.
–Elisabeth of Schönau (1129-1165)
Enclose oneself in great silence…
Whoever wishes to listen well to divine speech must enclose himself in great silence.
–Saint Umilta of Faenza (c. 1226-1310)
The quiet mind…
The most perfect prayer, one well nigh omnipotent, and the worthiest work of all is the outcome of a quiet mind. The quieter it is, the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect prayer. The quiet mind is one which nothing weighs on, nothing worries, which is free from ties and all self-seeking, is wholly merged into the will of God and dead to its own.
–Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)
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