Q&A: What's good about being a video gamer? What's good about being a Catholic or Christian gamer?

jay_ar31 on Steam: “As many of us probably know, gaming tends to usually be viewed in a negatively light. Whether it’s concerning gaming addiction, or the notion that one is wasting his/her time playing a fantasy game and earning digital rewards, or making friends online who you will likely won’t meet in person - the list goes on.
           “I would just like to hear your thoughts on how being a gamer can be a good thing in light of our Catholic faith.” [I will also add my own thoughts in this post in order to express my heart.]

“I believe being a catholic gamer can bring the word of God to those who wouldn’t normally experience it. with Youtube and ‘Let’s Plays’ currently trending among gamers, We can use this medium to bring the word of Christ to a fresh light, and make it relevant to the current generation.” -- DieuGirl on Steam

Jerome: Being a gamer is a good thing since it gives us love and happiness in life, and also companionship and friendship both in real life, through the internet, and also in the game, like with the companion and follower Lydia in the love-beauty game Skyrim, whom I love and see as St. Gemma Galgani!

Also, people should not be afraid to play games that makes them happy and that makes them feel good and good in their conscience and heart and when they see a beauty in it and have a peace of mind, and if this is the case with a game, go for it and play it with a good conscience. For God and the Virgin Mary and the Saints can even be seen there in the game and in the nature, in animals, in the other characters, in the beauty etc.

And even if a game contains violence, this is no problem or a “no” to play it, since fictionally hurting others, or eliminating or killing them can be seen as a necessity or as a game of fun and not really about hurting anyone (like with Fortnite), but when it is seen as justice (as with the game Skyrim where you are defending others by attacking or defending against criminals who attack you and others) this is not a crime or “offense” against conscience, heaven or law. And even it there is no justice involved through moral choices, such as in fighting games or Counter Strike, this must be seen as pure fun and as entertainment, and I also play Counter Strike 1.6 and when I do, I sometimes see the other characters as those I love, like the white character the Virgin Mary, the Black Saint Gemma Galgani, and the terrorist outfit as the Virgin Bird Mary, as I also see her as a bird in life and in nature whom I also see fitting in this outfit since we like to battle in this life and also in Heaven, and I also love her as a bird for a fact, since I hold her as a little or large bird in my hand or bosom in the thought of my mind, and I do love her as a bird and so in this way can she be loved even as a bird (an animal) by me and even by you, if you only try!

If you don’t feel good about a game and it makes you feel bad, try not to play it, since if you do play it with a bad conscience, this will give you feelings and images that is not good for you, both bodily and spiritually and also in your soul and mind. Better to play a game that gives you happiness, feelings of love and atmosphere and suspense or even a scare. You can always try a game later, so do not force yourself to play any game that do not give you the peace and love you are after.

Also, try to love the characters and things in a game as those you love in life, the people, the angels and the saints etc! If you love a Saint or the Virgin Mary or Jesus, see them as one of the characters (also do this in whatever it is you are doing in life, whether watching movies, anime or playing video games or taking a walk or even holding an item in your hand, which could be them for you and in your mind!), and hence will you have the opportunity to hang out with them at this moment and to think of them and even caress them as a small animal; or if playing a game, hanging out with them or playing with them for pleasure and fun and with a thought of love for them! Think the same with everyone one you love and know and care about!, with God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the Angels and Saints, and even the human people and souls on earth or in heaven you love and that you wish to hang out with, for if you do, you will have the chance to be with them in your mind and in life, and through the animated characters, and you will have an opportunity to think of them and play a game with them even in this life!, and this will also lead you to love them more and gain a greater friendship and relationship with them, since you will love them while being in their presence and hence desire them more!, both in the game, and in your mind and in your life but most of all, in your thought processes or mind!

Skyrim is a game of love and beauty and companionship, and of justice, moral choices, animals, nature and great beauty with great enhancing mod capabilities to make everything even better, and also it is a game of love and companionship that I recommend everyone to play in order to experience this love and beauty in life!, since this game will make you a better person not only because it teaches you morality, beauty and love in life - much like what Half-Life 2 did with Alyx, its great graphics, atmosphere and characters! - but also because it gives you the opportunity to find followers and companions that will hang out with you in this game of beauty for the rest of the game, and they will even be marriageable to you when the relationship grows, and hence if you think of a person you love, he or she will be present there with you. If you only dared to believed in this, i.e., that you can hang out with the people you love in every character you come across (even real human beings, a saint, Virgin Mary etc. in a game, or even a series, move or anime) you would see it for yourself and experience this joy! If you truly love a Saint, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God or the Virgin Mary with true relationship and deeper friendship, love or even spousal love in a game character like in the game Skyrim, who can act and move and talk by themselves, and you try to interact with them and think of them who is now also in Heaven and provided you show your love for them and truly think of them, you will notice that the real person who is now in Heaven and that is present in this character through our united faith will give subtle signs of there presence though the nature and natural signs and also by the signs of the character present that you love, for our comfort, love, friendship and joy!

I prefer games of love like Skyrim above Counter Strike and other games but I do also love Fortnite since this is also a game where you can see your loved ones, and explore and love the nature and surroundings and find treasures of them you love to take into you and even farm them with love so that they enter into you!, but also that we can see them as the characters we use or see and as the weapons and colors in the game that are in our inventory and mind! Having love meaning in games - when loving and choosing love in life before publicit skill “winning” games like Counter Strike - this is what is making your life truly happy, because love is above the need to just win or succeed in some corporeal undertaking! True, both can make a woman and man happy of course, but without love, you will not be as happy as you could be in this life.

Both in game and in real life, those I love I see as colors. St. Gemma is Black and Purple to me (because she wore a black dress and had black hair and also for other reasons and this color if very common!); St. Theresa of Lisieux is Gold and Yellow and Brown, because I see her as Noble and Divine; the Virgin Mary I see as blue, red, white but also as gold when for personal or unknown reasons I see her in this color (and this also happens with the others I love dearly); Rose of Lima I see as Pink and Orange, and I love her as a little child but also as a teenager and grown up (as I do with all of them!) and I often hold her in my hands and mind as a little child!; St. Birgitta of Sweden I see as Green, because, I started to love her in the Green Scapular and therefore, she received this color, but not without reason, since she is a good, noble and lovable woman that desires us good!

God is see sometimes as Gold and sometimes as Yellow; and Jesus I see sometimes as Orange when Rose of Lima does not take this place, and also previously as Red before I gave the Virgin Mary this color; and the Holy Spirit I sometimes see as White and previously as Blue, but seldom think about her in this place anymore, since the Virgin Mary always gets this place now which is more fitting! I do not think much of these before mentioned (i.e., God), but this is also for a reason, since they have chosen to be unjust in life by condemning our beloved brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and children to eternal torments! But I do not worry about this, because forgiveness and Heaven will be open for everyone, even the damned, and God was just testing us to see who wanted to be truly just in wanting their forgiveness, love and happiness - and I have chosen this path in life that also Vatican II has started to be open to and embrace, i.e., to love everyone, even the damned, devils and demons and criminals, and no one is rejected by me or the Church or by the true and just God nor will anyone who is currently obstinate or evil be justly hated for the evil he do forever, but only despised temporally for his evil deeds for a time so that he may be converted. Others also holds this position in Vatican II, but not everyone does so, but we who hold this position and who are accepted by the Church will in the future will be the majority, and this will happen when people finally realizes and wakes up to the true justice of morality, forgiveness and love for everyone, including our enemies! And this is also the way the current Church and also the World is heading towards not only though the media, but also the Church teachings!, since they always show a message of love and acceptance for everyone, whoever you are or whatever faith you have or whatever gender, color or sexual preferences you have in life, whether it be in real life, or through the media, or in the Church!

P.S.
Remember to live a good life to its fullest in love and happiness, that you spread love and happiness to everyone but especially those most in need, that you think good thoughts about yourself and others but especially your enemies that can become your beloved friends again, and that you are kind and charitable to the oppressed and poor people and everyone else, for if you do so, you will receive great love and happy eternal rewards from God, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the whole of Heaven in the next life, where we also will meet our beloved dead once again and everyone else that has ever lived! Pray, live your life in goodness and happy thoughts, have faith and hope in love and goodness, and be good, and do not worry about anything!

Are you familiar with Saint Bridget of Sweden and her Revelations, and have you read them? If not, Please visit the link below or search for them with the title: “The Revelations and Prophecies of Saint Bridget (Saint Birgitta) of Sweden” or “St. Bridget Prophecies about the End Times and birth of Antichrist” so that you may read this treasure online and if needed, receive a book for free before you die.

http://www.catholic-saints.net/saints/st-bridget/st-bridget-of-sweden.php

Signed,
unknown (aka Jerome)

Very Important Short Morning and Evening Prayers: "A Prayer For Daily Neglects" and "A Prayer for Perfection" (Pray Daily)

Kindly pray these prayers below every day before going to bed. These prayers truly show the power of prayer and how God can and will do things for us if only we ask. It is amazing to think that a simple prayer can turn our daily imperfections into perfections, and that all our daily neglects and accumulated debts can be fixed and payed by simply asking through prayer.

If you do not pray these very short but powerful prayers every day, you are missing out tremendously.

The prayers below can be found in this documented:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nYjWxhQzif7JomLj_M8PLwyBHWvYGqjZ

A Prayer For Daily Neglects

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its love, all its sufferings and all its merits:

First – To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life.

(Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.)

Second – To purify the good I have done badly this day and during all my life.

(Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.)

Third – To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and during all my life.

(Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.)

A Poor Clare nun who had just died, appeared to her Abbess, who was praying for her, and said to her, "I went straight to Heaven, for, by means of this prayer, recited every evening, I paid all my debts."

A Prayer for Perfection

“A young girl from Scheepsdaele complained to Father Paul that she had very little time for her devotions, and even the few prayers she did say were said with many distractions. “Oh! in that case,” Father Paul replied, “you can remedy the matter by saying, in the evening:

‘May all my imperfections of this day be changed into perfections!’”

Also say after waking up and before going to bed and often during the day:

“All that I shall do today/tonight, I shall do for the love of God, so that all my actions may be actions of love. I unite myself today/tonight, with all the acts of love made to God, both in heaven and on earth.”

“All I do I do for love of Thee, Jesus and Mary!” (say often during the day before doing anything, such as opening a door)

“I want to suffer it for the love of Jesus and Mary, just as Jesus and Mary has suffered all for love of me.” (say often)

Prayers to Saints of the Catholic Church † St. Therese, St. Benedict, St. Joseph, St. Philomena, St. Francis Solanus etc.

It is recommended that you pray these prayers everyday (print them out and pray everyday!) for guidance and light in your daily life. They are very powerful and you may be assured of quickly gaining the help you are looking for - both spiritually, corporeally and materially. I can attest to this from personal experience.

Download the prayers as a ready made doc to print (4 pages):

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nYjWxhQzif7JomLj_M8PLwyBHWvYGqjZ

Prayer to saints is very important. It’s very important and effective to say prayers to certain saints.

Here are some great saints to have a devotion to:

• Prayer to St. Therese
• Prayers to St. Benedict
• Prayers to St. Joseph
• Prayer to St. Philomena
• Prayer to St. Francis Solanus, Apostle to South America [Also interesting quotes on his miracles]

Prayer to St. Therese

This prayer is very powerful for both temporal and spiritual petitions. Those to whom we have recommended it have been amazed by its efficacy as well. We encourage people to say it every day.

Prayer to St. Therese

“O Glorious St. Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and counsel mankind, I implore your miraculous intercession. So powerful are you in obtaining from God favors and graces that Holy Mother Church has called you ‘the greatest saint of modern times.’ Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition:

(specify petition)

And to carry out your promises of spending heaven doing good upon earth, and of ever letting fall from heaven a shower of roses. Henceforth, dear little flower, I will fulfill your plea to be made known everywhere, and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen.”

Prayers to St. Benedict

The following two prayers to St. Benedict are highly recommended. St. Benedict is an extremely powerful intercessor for us in Heaven.  Born in the year 480, St. Benedict was the founder of western monasticism and is renowned for his power against the Devil. St. Benedict was also a great miracle worker, as many books document.  In particular, we recommend The Life of St. Benedict by Pope St. Gregory the Great. He is a powerful patron that we need today when impurity, apostasy and infidelity inundate the earth. St. Benedict died March 21, 543, as he stood before the altar of Monte Cassino immediately after receiving Holy Communion. St. Benedict is easily one of the greatest saints of all time.

Prayer to St. Benedict for a Happy Death

“O holy Father, St. Benedict, blessed by God both in grace and in name, who, while standing in prayer, with hands raised to heaven, didst most happily yield thy angelic spirit into the hands of thy Creator, and hast promised zealously to defend against all the snares of the enemy in the last struggle of death, those who shall daily remind thee of thy glorious departure and heavenly joys; protect me, I beseech thee, O glorious Father, this day and every day, by thy holy blessings, that I may never be separated from our dear Lord, from the society of thyself, and of all the blessed. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”

St. Benedict himself revealed to St. Gertrude – also one of the greatest saints in the history of the Catholic Church, and herself a Benedictine nun – that “whoever reminds me of the extraordinary privilege with which God deigned to glorify my last moments, shall experience my particular assistance in his final combat. I will be a faithful protector against the assaults of the enemy. Fortified by my presence, he will escape the snares of the evil one and safely attain eternal happiness.”

Novena to St. Benedict

“O Glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God’s grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessings be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids and avoid the occasions of sin.”

“Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, and mercy towards those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession in the confident hope that thou will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God and the welfare of my soul.”

“Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.”

Prayers to St. Joseph

Prayers to St. Joseph

“St. Joseph, father and guardian of virgins, into whose faithful keeping were entrusted innocency itself, Christ Jesus, and Mary, the Virgin of virgins, I pray and beseech thee through Jesus and Mary, those pledges so dear to thee, to keep me from all uncleanness, and to grant that my mind may be untainted, my heart pure, and my body chaste; help me always to serve Jesus and Mary in perfect chastity. Amen.”

The prayer below was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. This prayer is very powerful and highly recommended.

“Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

“Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls – Pray for me.”

Here’s another one:

“Remember, O most illustrious Patriarch St. Joseph, on the testimony of St. Theresa, thy devoted client, never has it been heard that anyone who invoked thy protection or sought thy mediation has not obtained relief. In this confidence I come before thee, my loving protector, chaste spouse of Mary, foster-father of the Savior of men and dispenser of the treasures of His Sacred Heart. Despise not my earnest prayer, but graciously hear and obtain my petition…. (Here mention your request)

Let us pray.

O God, Who by Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose St. Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant, we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven, Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.”

Prayer to St. Philomena

St. Philomena is a powerful intercessor in Heaven, a great saint to whom one could have a devotion. St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, had a special devotion to St. Philomena. He enthusiastically encouraged others to pray to her, and often spoke of the profound effects of such prayers.

Prayer to St. Philomena

O faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee … (Here mention your petition.) I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His saints. Amen.

St. Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us.

St. Francis Solanus (Apostle to South America)

St. Francis Solanus lived from 1549 to 1610.  He was a Spanish Franciscan missionary to South America.  Although St. Francis is not well-known in the United States, he is indeed to be classified among the extraordinary saints.  St. Francis was gifted with an abundance of miracles.   St. Francis converted and baptized many natives and explored uncultivated regions.

The Prayer to St. Francis

“O powerful St. Francis Solanus, thou who explored and evangelized in the wilds of South America, please assist me in the wilds of this world and obtain for me, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the grace I ask of thee.  Amen.”

(Specify your petition and then say one Hail Mary in honor of St. Francis Solanus)

St. Francis Solanus miraculously heals the mangled face of a five-year-old girl and raises her to life: “…the five year-old Maria Monroy had fallen from the second story of her parents’ home.  An iron latticework, which she had dragged down with her in the fall, had put out one of the nina’s eyes, destroyed her face, and split her skull.  When picked up, she was dead.  The desperate screams of the grief-crazed mother immediately brought the entire neighborhood to the scene; but nothing anyone could do or say served to console the woman or assuage the shock incurred when she had first glimpsed the ruin of her baby’s head and features.

“Above the bed of the dead child there hung a likeness of Fray Francisco [St. Francis Solanus].  Only when the mother’s eyes lifted to this picture was she somewhat calmed.  Beginning to pray before it, she experienced a sudden wild hope.  Loudly she demanded that someone bring her oil from Padre Solano’s lamps – at once!  It must have seemed quite hopeless to the numerous onlookers, but to pacify the poor mother, this was done, and the oil was applied to the broken little face and head.  The miracle which followed worked instantaneously!  The eye returned to its orbit, the break in the head closed, and little Maria returned to life with the exclamation, ‘Jesus, remain with me!’” (Fanchon Royer, St. Francis Solanus – Apostle to America, St. Anthony Guild Press, Patterson, N.J., 1955, p. 187.)

St. Francis Solanus miraculously crosses a river: “The river was wide and there was no boat to carry him to the opposite shore.  How happy were his Indians in their belief that, for this reason, they would have their padre with them a little longer.  But he, it seems, was hearing the voices which cried to him from the other side.  For a last time he exhorted his dear Indios to persevere in seeking God’s grace, in the Faith, and in love of neighbor; and he gave them his blessing.  Then, lifting up his eyes to heaven, he was elevated to ecstasy.  He now spread his mantle upon the water and embarked upon it without fear, and thus passed over to the opposite shore, leaving those who had accompanied him as far as the river in the extreme of astonishment.” (Fanchon Royer, St. Francis Solanus – Apostle to America, St. Anthony Guild Press, Patterson, N.J., 1955, p. 117.)

St. Francis’ extraordinary travels: “The diligent apostle did not content himself with ministering to his own converts, the Christian thousands about Socotonio and Magdalena.  As soon as he was confident that their feet were firmly placed upon the Christian path of life, he set his own to another immense tour which, owing to the rigors of the terrain which he chose to penetrate, was to prove a classic chapter in the marvelous epic of record-breaking travel and spiritual adventure… while evangelizing and instructing the natives he might encounter in the great wastes that stretched between the heroically founded stations.  But this tour was so largely devoted to the Gran Chaco that one imagines he must have known from the start that this vast, still almost completely unexplored region was the prize for which he would contest – alone and totally unsupplied with provisions of any sort.” (Fanchon Royer, St. Francis Solanus – Apostle to America, St. Anthony Guild Press, Patterson, N.J., 1955, p. 111.)

Witnesses to his miracles: “…eight hundred witnesses had presented themselves to testify under oath to St. Francis prodigies.  Among these, five hundred and twenty were Limenos.  The list included prelates, savants, physicians, army officers of high rank, religious, and ladies of prominent social standing.  Also a witness was the temporal ruler of them all, the Marques de Montesclaros, Viceroy of Peru.” (Ibid, p. 183.)

St. Francis Solanus believed that no man is saved without Baptism.  In his life, there is a story about a ship on which St. Francis was traveling which came upon a terrible storm.  This ship contained many religious, as well as natives who had received some instruction from him but had not yet been baptized.  “They ran head into a violent hurricane.  Almost immediately the cumbersome wooden ship went out of control, to become a mere chip on the frantically churning seas… Water was now passing freely through the hold.  In the midst of the tempest’s fury, the ship was falling to pieces beneath them; and as there was but a single lifeboat aboard, the disaster could only mean death for the majority of the company… the Captain made all haste to get the Franciscans and some of the more prominent passengers over the side, that they might be given this one last slim chance of survival [on a lifeboat].  Seeing that Fray Franciso made no move to join his brothers in the boat, Juan de Morgana implored him to hurry.  There was space for but one more.  But the missionary had already decided that he could not leave his stricken Negritos [the natives] to die abandoned in their agony.  Who could say that he might not be granted the time to administer Baptism to some of them?… [He said]: ‘God will not allow me to save myself by leaving my poor brothers to lose not only the life of the body, but also that of the soul, which is eternal.’” (Ibid, p. 71.)

Thus, St. Francis clearly believed that they would not be saved without Baptism, despite the knowledge or “desire” they had.  So he risked his life to stay, to make sure they were convinced of the faith and baptized.  He immediately went to work.  “… imploring [God] for the time to complete his holy mission, the priest immediately went to work.  There were so many to whom he must administer the Sacrament [of Baptism], and under circumstances which almost anyone else would have found quite impossible!”  (Ibid, p. 73.)

As St. Francis continued to baptize, the ship was actually broken into two by the hurricane.  “When the vessel had cleft in twain, Fray Francisco [St. Francis] was hastily baptizing his Negritos.  He barely looked up as he heard the noise… Quite naturally there were many who were still hysterical from fright and the misery of their half-submerged positions.  But Fray Francisco was perfectly calm; and as the fragment of the ship miraculously continued to stay afloat, one by one, the frightened men edged into their places before him and the crucifix still held high by an arm which should by now have broken beneath it.  In this manner the hours dragged on, and finally the Sacrament had actually been administered to all who wished to receive it.”  After days of struggling on the seas in the face of the hurricane, God intervened with a number of extraordinary events which allowed the vessels to survive.  (Ibid, pp. 70-77.)

Without solitude and silence it is impossible to preserve recollection and union with God

From "The Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation"; or,

"The School of Christian Perfection"

By St. Alphonsus Liguori,

Doctor of the Church

"Having dismissed the multitude, 

He went into a mountain alone to pray."

---Matthew 14:23 

To preserve recollection of spirit or the constant union of the soul with God, three things are necessary: solitude, silence and the recollection of the presence of God. It was these three things which the Angel of God referred to when, addressing St. Arsenius, he said: "Flee, be silent and rest." In other words: seek solitude, practice silence, and rest in God by keeping the thought of His presence ever before you. 

Souls that love God feel a strong attraction for solitude, for they know that God converses familiarly with those who shun the noise and distractions of the world. "O blessed solitude," exclaims St. Jerome, "in which God with loving condescension deals familiarly with chosen souls!" God does not speak in those places where time is squandered in loud laughter and idle talk. "The Lord is not in the earthquake" (3 Kgs. 19: 11), but He says, on the contrary, in the words of the prophet Osee: "I will lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart." (Osee 2:14). God speaks to the soul in solitude, and by His words the heart is inflamed with Divine love. "My soul melted when my beloved spoke," said the spouse in the Canticle (5:6).

St. Eucherius relates that a person who desired to be perfect once asked a spiritual director what he had to do, and this was the answer he received: "Solitude is the place where man finds God. In solitude, virtue is easily preserved; in intercourse with the world it is easily lost." St. Bernard tells us that he learned more about God and Divine things in solitude under the oaks and beeches than from the books and schools of the learned. For this reason the Saints felt an irresistible yearning to leave the noise and bustle of the world and retire into solitude; for this reason the mountains and forests and caves were inexpressibly dear to them. In the prophecy of Isaias we read: "The land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily. It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it; the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God." (Is. 35:1). In other words, for interior souls, solitude is the source of abundant delights, for it is there they look upon and contemplate the majesty and beauty of God.

THE THOUGHT OF GOD 

In order to remain united to God, we must endeavor to keep alive within us a vivid recollection of Him and of the immeasurable goods He bestows on them that love Him. By constant intercourse with the world, these spiritual truths are apt to become obscured in the maze of earthly thoughts and considerations, and piety vanishes from the heart. Worldly-minded people shun solitude, and it is quite natural for them to do so; for it is in retirement that they are troubled with qualms of conscience. They seek the society and excitement of the world so that the voice of conscience may be drowned in the noise that reigns there. Those, on the contrary, whose conscience is at rest, love solitude and retirement; and when at times they are obliged by circumstances to appear in the noisy world, they are ill at ease and feel altogether out of their element.

It is true, man naturally loves the society of his fellow man; but what can be found more beautiful than the society of God? "His conversation hath no bitterness," says Holy Scripture, "and his company no tediousness, but joy and gladness." (Wis. 8:16). A life of solitude is not a life of sadness; it is rather a foretaste of Heaven; it is the beginning of the life of the blessed whose sole happiness is found in the love and praise of God. This is what St. Jerome said when he fled from the society of Rome and hid himself in the grotto of Bethlehem: "Solitude is my Heaven," he wrote. In solitude the Saints seem to be entirely alone, but this is not so. St. Bernard said: "Never am I less alone than when alone"; for when I am alone I am with God, Who gives me greater joy than the society of all creatures could afford. If the Saints seem to be sad, in reality they are not so. Because the world sees them deprived of all earthly joys and pleasures, it regards them as most unhappy; and yet the very opposite is the case.

According to the words of the Apostle, they enjoy a constant and immeasurable peace. (2 Thess. 3:16). Now, in order to find this delightful solitude it is not necessary to withdraw into a desert and live in a cave; you can find it in your home and in the midst of your family. Busy yourself with the outside world only in as far as the duties of your state, obedience, or charity require, and you will be living in that solitude that best accords with your circumstances and that God requires of you. In the midst of the weightiest affairs of state, King David knew how to find a solitude: "Behold I fled away and dwelt in solitude." (Ps. 54:8). 

St. Philip Neri for some time entertained the desire to retire into a desert, but the Lord commanded him not to leave the city of Rome, and to live there as if he were in a hermitage. 

SOLITUDE OF THE SPIRIT

Hitherto we have spoken of the solitude and retirement of the body; there is also a solitude of the soul, and the latter is more necessary than the former, for St. Gregory says: "Of what use is the solitude of the body without the solitude of the spirit?" Of what benefit is it, the Saint wishes to say, to live in a desert if the soul clings to the things of this earth? "A soul that is free from earthly attachments," says St. Peter Chrysologus, "finds solitude even on the streets and in public places." Of what advantage is it to remain quiet at home or in church if our heart is centered on the things of earth, and the noise of these earthly things prevents us from hearing the voice of God? One day the Lord said to St. Teresa: "Oh, how gladly would I speak to many souls! But the world makes so much noise in their hearts that they cannot hear My voice. Would that they might retire a little from the world!" In what does solitude of the heart consist? It consists in banishing from the heart all desires and inclinations that are not for God, and in performing our actions simply with God's good pleasure in view. The Psalmist expresses this truth in the following words: "What have I in Heaven, and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever." (Ps. 72:25-26). In one word, the solitude of the heart consists in being able to say: "My God, Thee alone do I desire and nothing else." 

HOW TO FIND GOD

Many complain that they are unable to find God, but to such St. Teresa replies: "Tear your heart away from everything else; then seek God and you will surely find Him." If a crystal vase is filled with earth, the rays of the sun cannot penetrate it. The light of God cannot illumine a heart that is full of attachments for the joys, the pleasures and the honors of this world. "When thou shalt pray," says Our Lord, "enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret." (Matt. 6:6). In other words, to be united to God in prayer, man must enter into his own heart --- which St. Augustine says is the chamber mentioned by Our Lord --- and shut out all earthly attachments and inclinations. It is not to be supposed that solitude and retirement are synonymous with idleness. Many live in retirement, but it is an inactive and useless retirement of which they shall have to render an account. Devout souls, on the contrary, are like bees that are never tired preparing honey for their cells. No time must be lost, but every moment employed in praying, in reading or in performing the duties of your state of life.

"Idleness is the mother of vice," says the proverb, and the foundation of this proverb is the words of Holy Scripture: "Idleness hath taught much evil." (Ecclus. 33:29). According to St. Bonaventure, the idle man is tortured by a thousand temptations, while the man that is busily occupied has comparatively few. We cannot pray all the time; therefore, we must devote ourselves to work. In the life of St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi it is said that she did more work than four lay sisters together. 

It would be an error to suppose that work is injurious to health; on the contrary, it is very conducive to our bodily welfare. Work is moreover an effective remedy against temptations. One day St. Anthony the hermit was assailed by numerous temptations and with a sudden aversion for his solitude; he scarcely knew which way to turn. An Angel appeared and led him into the garden; thereupon he picked up a hoe and began to cultivate the ground. Afterwards he prayed for a while, and then returned to work. From this the Saint learned how he was to act, and the subsequent interchange of prayer and labor made his solitude very agreeable, while at the same time it protected him from many temptations. 

But even labor need not prevent us from prayer. One day St. Bernard saw a monk praying while doing his work. "Continue in this way, my brother," said he, "and after death you will have no Purgatory." While our hands are occupied with external occupations, our heart can be fixed on God. The good intention we make in performing our labors sanctifies them in the sight of God and even makes of labor a prayer, for prayer has been called "the raising of the mind and heart to God." 

SILENCE

Silence is one of the principal means to attain the spirit of prayer and to fit oneself for uninterrupted intercourse with God. It is hard to find a truly pious person who talks much. But they who have the spirit of prayer love silence, which has deservedly been called a protectress of innocence, a shield against temptations and a fruitful source of prayer. Silence promotes recollection and awakens good thoughts in the heart. According to St. Bernard, it forces the soul, as it were, to think of God and heavenly things. For this reason the Saints of God were great lovers of Silence. In the prophecy of Isaias we read: "The work of justice shall be peace, and the service of justice quietness, and security forever." (Is. 32:17). On the one hand, silence preserves us from many sins by removing the occasion of uncharitable talk, rancor and curiosity; on the other it aids us in the attainment of many virtues. For example: What an excellent opportunity we have for the practice of humility by modestly keeping silence while others speak! How well we may practice mortification by refraining from relating something we very much desire to tell! What a splendid chance to exercise meekness by not replying to unjust accusations and insults! 

Unrestrained and immoderate talking, on the other hand, has many disastrous consequences. If devotion is preserved by silence, it is certainly lost by much talking. A person may be ever so recollected at meditation; if afterwards he does not restrain his tongue, he will be as distracted as if he had made no meditation at all. 

If you open the doors of a furnace, the heat will escape. "Guard against much talking," says St. Dorotheus, "for it puts to flight devout thoughts and recollection in God." It is certain that a person who talks much with creatures, will converse little with God, and on His part God will speak little to such a one, for He says: "I will lead her into the wilderness and will speak to her heart." (Osee 2:14). "In the multitude of words," says the Holy Ghost, "there shall not want sin, but he that refraineth his lips is most wise." (Prov. 10:19). St. James says that "the tongue is a world of iniquity" (James 3:6), for as a learned author remarks, very many sins are occasioned by talking or listening to the talk of others. 

Ah, how many souls will be lost on judgment day because they have not watched over their tongue! "The man full of tongue," says the Psalmist, "shall wander about without a guide" (Ps. 139), and go into a thousand and one byways with no hope of returning. "He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his soul," says the Wise Man, "but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils." (Prov. 13:3). And St. James writes: "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." (James 3:2). For he who for the love of God keeps silence will likewise be given to meditation, spiritual reading and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. It is impossible, says St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, for one who does not love silence to take pleasure in Divine things; before long he will throw himself into the very midst of the pleasures of the world. 

THE VALUE OF SILENCE 

The virtue of silence does not consist in never speaking, but in keeping silent when there is no good reason to speak. Solomon says: "There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak." (Eccles. 3:7). In reference to these words, St. Gregory of Nyssa remarks: "The time to keep silence is mentioned first, because by silence we learn the art of speaking well." When therefore should a Christian, who desires to become holy, be silent, and when should he speak? He should be silent when it is not necessary to speak and he should speak when necessity or charity requires it. St. Chrysostom gives the following rule: "Speak only when it is more useful to speak than to be silent."

St. Arsenius acknowledges that he often regretted having spoken, but never, having kept silence. St. Ephrem says: "Speak much with God but little with men." If in your presence unbecoming and sinful language is used, leave the company if it is possible to do so. At least cast down your eyes and remain silent, or lead the conversation to some other topic, thus making a silent protest against such unsavory talk. Be not over eager to hear the news; curiosity leads to many faults. The Abbot John used to say: "He who would hold his tongue in check, must close his ears by suppressing the desire to hear the news." And when you do speak, weigh well what you intend to say. "Put your words in the balance," says the Holy Ghost. (Ecclus. 28:29). St. Francis de Sales quaintly remarked: "To avoid faults in speech we must have the lips buttoned together, so that while unbuttoning them we may think of what we are going to say."

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

A powerful aid in preserving recollection is the remembrance of the presence of God. Not only does it conduce to recollection of spirit, but it is also one of the most effective means of advancing in the spiritual life; it helps us to avoid sin; it spurs us on in the practice of virtue, and it brings about an intimate union of the soul with God. 

There is no more excellent means of quieting the passions and of resisting the temptation to sin than the thought of the presence of God. St. Thomas says: "If we thought of the presence of God at all times we would never, or very seldom, do anything to displease Him." According to St. Jerome, the recollection of God's presence closes the door on all sins. For, if in the presence of our rulers, our parents or superiors, we do not care to transgress their commands, how could we violate the commandments of God if we remembered that His eyes were upon us? St. Ambrose tells us that during a sacrifice which Alexander the Great was offering in the temple, a certain page who held a lighted torch allowed it to burn his hand rather than be guilty of irreverence by letting it fall. And the holy doctor adds: If respect for the presence of the king could overcome the impulse of nature itself in this boy, how much more ought not the thought of the presence of God to prevail with a faithful soul in overcoming temptations and in suffering every imaginable torture rather than offend God before His very eyes. 
Men fall into sin because they lose sight of the presence of God. "The cause of all evil," says St. Teresa," lies in the fact that we do not think of the presence of God, but imagine Him far away from us." A man who loses sight of the presence of God will easily become a prey to sinful and sensual desires and have no strength to resist them. 

On the other hand, by the thought of God's ever vigilant eye upon them, the Saints have had strength to resist and overcome all the attacks of the evil one. It was this thought that gave the chaste Susanna courage to spurn the wicked advances of the men who tried to seduce her and even threatened her with death. "It is better for me," she said, "to fall into your hands without doing evil, than to sin in the sight of the Lord." (Dan. 13:23). The same thought converted a wicked woman who dared to tempt St. Ephrem to sin. The Saint replied that if she wished to sin, she would have to go with him into the public square. "But," she inquired, "how is it possible to commit sin in the presence of so many people?" "And how is it possible," rejoined the Saint, "to commit sin in the presence of God, Who sees us everywhere?" At these words the poor sinner broke out into tears, threw herself at his feet and begged the Saint's pardon, beseeching him to lead her into the way of salvation. The Saint secured her admission into a convent, where she led an edifying life and bewailed her sins to her dying day.

Something similar is narrated in the life of the Abbot Paphnutius. A certain sinful woman named Thais thought she might induce him to do wrong by saying that no one but God would be a witness to the deed. The Saint replied in a very earnest tone: "You believe, then, that God really sees you, and nevertheless you wish to sin?" These words made such an impression on her that she began to conceive a horror of her wicked life. She brought all the jewels and clothing she had secured by a life of sin, heaped them together in the public marketplace, and set them on fire. Then she entered a convent and fasted for three years on bread and water, constantly repeating the following words: "Thou Who hast created me, have mercy on me." At the end of three years she died a holy death. It was shortly after revealed to a disciple of the Abbot Anthony that the happy penitent had merited a crown of glory among the Saints. Therefore St. Chrysostom says: "If we keep ourselves in the presence of God we shall neither think nor say nor do what is wrong, convinced as we are that God is the witness of all our thoughts and words and actions." 

A GREAT INCENTIVE 

As far as the practice of the Christian virtues is concerned, the recollection of God's presence affords us a powerful stimulus. How bravely will not soldiers fight in the presence of their general! The thought that his eyes are upon them, and that he will either reward or punish them, animates their courage and strength in a high degree. If we, too, would bear in mind that in all us to admire the wisdom and beauty and sanctity of God and return Him thanks for permitting His creatures to share in His holy attributes. 

The most perfect method, however, of keeping alive the thought of God's presence consists in beholding God within our very selves. It is not necessary to ascend to Heaven to find the Lord God; we need only to recollect ourselves, and we shall find Him within us. He who, at prayer, pictures the Lord at a great distance from him is preparing for himself a source of abundant distractions. St. Teresa says: "I never really knew what it meant to pray well until the Lord Himself taught me the proper way to converse with Him. I entered within my very self and found this practice exceedingly profitable for my soul." 

God is within us in a different manner from what He is in other creatures; in us He dwells as the Lord in His temple and in His house. "Know you not," says St. Paul, "that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16). And our Divine Saviour Himself has said: "If anyone love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." (John 14:23). Endeavor, therefore, to reanimate your faith in this consoling truth. Humble yourself profoundly before so exalted a Majesty Who deigns to dwell within you. Excite yourself to frequent acts of confidence, of oblation and of love towards the boundless goodness of God. St. Catherine of Siena tells us that she built a little cell in the innermost part of her soul; there she entertained herself in loving converse with her God. Once, when speaking of this presence of God in our heart, St. Teresa said: "Those who withdraw into the little heaven of their soul, where He Who created them is enthroned, can be certain that in a brief space of time they will have advanced far on the road to perfection."

The happiness of the elect in Heaven consists in seeing and loving God. Our happiness here on earth must likewise consist in loving and seeing Our Lord, not indeed face to face as the Saints and Angels do, but by means of the light of faith. Thus we begin in this valley of tears, this earthly exile, the life of the blessed in Heaven, a life of endless joy in the fruition of the vision of God.

Read the full book:

The School of Christian Perfection, By Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

https://archive.org/details/TheSchoolOfChristianPerfectionBySaintAlphonsusDeLiguori