Mental Prayer and the Exercises of a Retreat

Chapter I Mental Prayer 5 I. Mental Prayer is Morally Necessary for Salvation 5 It Enlightens the Mind 5 It Disposes the Heart to the Practice of Virtues 7 It Helps Us to Pray as We Should 10 II. Mental Prayer is Indispensable in Order to Attain Perfection 13 III. The Ends of Mental Prayer 19 To Unite Ourselves to God 20 To Obtain Grace from God 22 We Ought not to Seek in Mental Prayer Spiritual Consolations 24 IV. Principal Subjects of Meditation 26 V. The Place and the Time Suitable for Meditation 28 VI. Manner of Making Mental Prayer 35 Preparation 35 The Meditation 38 The Conclusion 46 VII. Distractions and Aridities 47 Chapter II The Exercise of a Retreat 52 Advantages of the Spiritual Exercises Made in Retreat 52 Letter to a Young Man Who is Deliberating on the Choice of a State of Life 52 Hymn: Invitation to Solitude 77 Meditations for a Private Retreat of Eight Days 78 Introduction 78 The Importance of Salvation 81 The Vanity of the World 91 Our Journey to Eternity 102 Sin 113 Death 125 Judgment 140 Remorse of the Christians in Hell 149 Love for Jesus Crucified 156 Hymn: To God the Creator 162 Various Practices 164 Rules for Leading a Good Life 164 Devout Acts to be Made Every Day 167 Spiritual Maxims for a Christian 170 An Epitome of the Virtues of Which the Christian Soul that Desires to Lead a Perfect Life and Become a Saint Should Exercise Itself 175 Appendix 200 The Manner of Making a Retreat 200