PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 2

Meditation I: Of Creation 

 by St. Francis De Sales

Preparation

1. Place yourself in the presence of God.

2. Ask Him to inspire you.

Considerations

1.  Consider that but a few years ago you were not in the world at all, and that you did not exist. Where were you, O my soul, at the time? The world has already lasted such a long time, and it had no news of you.

2.  God brought you forth out of this nothingness, to make you what you are merely of his goodness, for he had no need of you.

3. Consider the being that God has given you; for it is the highest form of being on earth, capable of living eternally and of being perfectly united to His divine Majesty. 

Affections and Resoulutions

1. Humble yourself profoundly before God, saying from your heart with the Psalmist: O Lord, I am nothing before thee. And why hast thou been mindful of me to create me? Alas! my soul, thou were in the abyss of nothingness, and have remained there, if God had not drawn you hence; and what could you do in this nothingness?

2. Give thanks to God. O my great and good Creator, how much do I owe You, since You have vouchsafed to take me in my nothingness, in order to make me in Your mercy what I am. What shall I ever be able to do in order to worthily bless Your Holy Name and give thanks to Your inestimable goodness?

3. Be filled with confusion. But Alas! my Creator; instead of uniting myself to You by love and service, I have made myself altogether a rebel by my inordinate affections, separating and withdrawing myself from You, in order to attach myself to sin, giving You no more honor than if You had not been my Creator.

4. Cast yourself down before God. O my soul, know that the Lord is your God; He made you, and you did not make yourself. O God, I am the work of Your hands.

5. Therefore, I do not wish any longer to take pleasure in myself, who for my part am nothing. Why do you do glorify yourself, O dust and ashes? Yes rather, O true nothingness, why do you lift yourself up? And, in order to humble myself, I will do such or such thing, bear with such or such contempt. I will change my life and henceforth follow my Creator, and glory in that condition of being which He has given me, making use of it entirely in obedience to His will, by such means as shall be taught me, and concerning which I will enquire of my spiritual Father.

Conclusion

1. Thanksgiving. -  Give thanks to God. Bless your God, O my soul, and let all who are with me bless His Holy Name; for His goodness has drawn me forth from nothingness, and His mercy has created me.

2. Oblation. - O my God, I offer You the being which You have given me, with all my heart; I dedicate and consecrate it to You.

3. Petition. -  O God, strengthen me in these affections and resolutions; O holy Virgin recommend them to the mercy of Your Son, with all those for whom I ought to pray, etc. 

Pater Noster, Ave.

At the conclusion of your prayer walk about a little and gather a bouquet of devotion, from the considerations which you have made, in order to inhale its perfume throughout the day.