Lectio et Oratio

What will faithfulness to God's will bring? 

Besides perfection, faithfulness brings peace of soul. Peace arises from things being in order, in their proper place. We want to be in line with the order God has established. If we try to act outside his will, we will never find true peace.

What is the best spiritual practice?

Whatever practice at a given moment is willed by God. De Caussade does not want us to be spiritually greedy. Instead of thinking what activity we most want at a given moment, we should tend to think about what God wants. Even attempts at prayer when God is asking us to do something else would be a mistake.

Is reading, even spiritual reading, sometimes bad?

Reading in itself is good. But everything must be read at the right time and in the right way. De Caussade insists that reading for mere curiosity or outside of God's will for us can actually darken our minds. Spiritual reading is one of the greatest things we can do. But let us read what God really wants us to read.

In what does perfection consist?

Perfection consists in our wills being united with God's will. Perfection does consist in our fully understanding why God wills what he wills. Perfection does not consist in the mere studying of how God acts. We want to have God acting in us. We want to cooperate with God's action. Mere theories about how water quenches thirst will not help our actual thirst after a long and hot day. We want to pray and not just know about prayer.

In what does sanctity consist?

The active fulfillment of our duties before God and the passive acceptance of all He allows. De Caussade makes this fundamental distinction for understanding our spiritual lives. We must seek to do all that God asks. But then he also leads us to a loving acceptance of the actions of His Providence.

Is this active and passive practice beyond our strength?

No. We have the ability to do what God asks and to accept what he sends. We have this ability by His grace. We simply must do what is in our power. He will take care of the rest.

What is the sacrament of the present moment?

The term used by the Abandonment to Divine Providence to express the grace available to us in the duty of each moment. A sacrament is an outward sign of in inward and invisible grace. The seven sacraments are signs that communicate God's life to us. But the present moment in all its ordinariness, the duty of this moment, is a sign of God's will that can bring us inward grace.

How does God speak to us today?

God has spoken to us through His Son. In his Son he made known all that He is and all His plans for our salvation. But the guidance that God wants to give us and the things he wants to say to each one of us can also be considered in light of God's hidden actions in history. All that happens during the day is somehow allowed by God. What do the events of the each day tell us? How do they relate to what God has said in his Son's Life, Death, and Resurrection? Where is the Holy Spirit in our daily life. All of these questions are taken up in this book.

.

Can living in the presence of God help us in our time of mental prayer?

Yes. Br Lawrence explains how this practice has many benefits. One of them is that it disposes us to pray better during our time of mental prayer, that time of extended being alone with the One we know loves us. The practice of the presence of God takes on many forms. But they all help keep our soul still.