Mental Prayer and the Exercises of a Retreat - Paperback

by St Alphonsus M. Liguori Cssr (Author)

Chapter I Mental Prayer 5 I. Mental Prayer is Morally Necessary for Salvation It Enlightens the Mind 5 It Disposes the Heart to the Practice of Virtues 6 It Helps Us to Pray as We Should 8 II. Mental Prayer is Indispensable in Order to Attain Perfection 10 III. The Ends of Mental Prayer 14 To Unite Ourselves to God 14 To Obtain Grace from God 16 We Ought not to Seek in Mental Prayer Spiritual Consolations 17 IV. Principal Subjects of Meditation 18 V. The Place and the Time Suitable for Meditation 20 VI. Manner of Making Mental Prayer 24 Preparation 24 The Meditation 26 The Conclusion 31 VII. Distractions and Aridities 32 Chapter II The Exercise of a Retreat 36 Advantages of the Spiritual Exercises Made in Retreat Letter to a Young Man Who is Deliberating on the Choice of a State of Life 36 Hymn: Invitation to Solitude 51 Meditations for a Private Retreat of Eight Days 52 Introduction 52 The Importance of Salvation 54 The Vanity of the World 61 Our Journey to Eternity 68 Sin 76 Death 83 Judgment 93 Remorse of the Christians in Hell 99 Love for Jesus Crucified 104 Hymn: To God the Creator 108 Various Practices 109 Rules for Leading a Good Life 109 Devout Acts to be Made Every Day 111 Spiritual Maxims for a Christian 113 An Epitome of the Virtues of Which the Christian Soul that Desires to Lead a Perfect Life and Become a Saint Should Exercise Itself 117 Appendix 133 The Manner of Making a Retreat 133