Saint Angela explains how important it is to concentrate on what you are doing.
If He who was actually God would accept nothing without having prayed and asked for it, how darest you, miserable creature, hope to receive without supplication and prayer?
All who desire to receive the Holy Spirit must pray; for on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended not upon the disciples save when they were at prayer.
The eternal kingdom may verily be bought with a moment of time.
WHEN we pray we must keep our whole hearts fixed thereon, for if our hearts be divided we lose the fruit of true prayer. In all other exercises that we perform, such as eating and drinking and other actions, it is not needful that we should be so single-minded, nor that we should perform them with our whole hearts and bodies. But these things do we only perform outwardly, whereas we must give our hearts wholly unto God if we desire to profit by the fruits of true prayer and not to lose them utterly. The reason wherefore we are tempted during prayer is because our hearts are not wholly given unto God.
Pray, therefore, and pray often, because the more often you pray the more will you be enlightened and the more deeply and clearly and nobly will you perceive the supreme Good, and that which is supremely good, and the more deeply and excellently you perceive it the more will you love it, and the more you love it the more will you delight in it and be able to comprehend it. Then will you attain unto the fullness of light, and will you know that which heretofore you could not know.
Pray, if you desire faith; pray if you desire hope; pray if you desire charity, or poverty, or obedience, or chastity; pray if you desire any virtue whatsoever.
Poverty, Suffering, and Contempt.
The way in which you must pray is this: you must read the Book of the Life of Christ Jesus, which life was poverty, suffering, contempt, and true obedience. When you shall be fully entered into this life and shall have profited thereby, you will be afflicted by many tribulations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. In many divers ways will they molest you and horribly persecute you, and if you will overcome you must pray.
Watch and pray, therefore, that you give no advantage unto the adversaries who continually surround you; for when you cease to pray, you give place unto the enemy. Therefore, the more you are tempted the more must you persevere in prayer. Sometimes, however, prayer is the cause of your being tempted, as when demons do endeavor to hinder it. But take no heed of aught save of prayer, so that you may always be worthy of being freed from temptation. For through prayer are you enlightened, through prayer are you set free from temptation, through prayer are you cleansed, and through prayer are you united with God. Prayer is nothing else save the manifestation of God and of oneself, and this manifestation is perfect and true humiliation, for humility consists in the soul, beholding God and itself as it should. Then is the soul in a state of deep humility, and the deeper the humility the greater is the divine grace which springs therefrom and increases there.
The more the divine grace humbles the soul, the more quickly does this same grace increase and spring afresh out of the depths of that humility. And the more the grace increases the more deeply does the soul abase itself in true humility through the continuance of true prayer. Thus do grace and light divine grow ever within the soul, and the soul is ever prostrate in true humility, duly reading and meditating upon this Life of Christ.
Man’s Perfection.
Man's perfection consists in knowing the greatness of God and his own nothingness. And how he attains unto this through gazing upon that Book of Life has already been said. Therefore, oh my son, cast away from you all slothfulness and negligence. I certainly desire you, and do exhort you, that you watch and pray no less and do no fewer good works when you are deprived of the grace and fervor of devotion than in times when you obtained that grace of devotion. Verily it is pleasing unto God if, in the fervor of grace, you continue to pray and watch, labor and perform other good works. Wherefore, if the divine fervor and ardor does sometimes constrain you to watch, pray, and offer praise, do it with all thy might while the fire burns within you.
When it so happens that God deprives you of warmth and fervor (whether because of your own fault, as is most often the case, or whether for the augmenting and strengthening of grace in you), you must nevertheless watch, pray, and do good works as heretofore. And if temptation or tribulation (whereby the children of God are purged and punished) should fall upon you and grace and fervor be withheld, do you endeavor none the less to perform the aforesaid good works and strive that you may overcome. Keep thyself in subjection by constant prayers, vigils, tears, and importunities, so that God in His mercy will at last give you back your warmth and fervor. Do your part, for God will assuredly do His.
Constant, ready, and insistent prayer.
Constant, ready and insistent prayer is very acceptable unto God. Therefore do you persevere in prayer, and concern not thyself with other occupations immediately when you begin to feel more than commonly filled with God. And see that you give not thyself unto any occupation or thought before you have learned to separate thyself from all others. Take heed likewise unto thy fervor and thy spirit, which rush forward eagerly before you can follow it. Inquire and see the beginning, middle, and end of the road it would take, and you should follow it only so far as it keeps unto the way of the Book of Life. And take heed of those who say they have the spirit of liberty, but do openly oppose the Book of the Life of Christ, the which is written according to the law, He being the founder of the law, who lives for ever and ever. Amen.
Taken from chapters 21,22,23 of The Book of Divine Consolation, by St. Angela of Foligno.
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