September 27
Our Soul Is The Garden Of God
Preparation. - Our soul is not only a field, but also a flower-garden, in which God takes delight. We shall meditate, first, on the nature of this garden, and secondly, on how to cultivate it. We shall then resolve to watch over our heart, so as to keep it free from every fault and attachment, and to make it as an enclosed garden for Jesus. “My spouse is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed” (Cant. 4. 12).
I. Our Soul Is God’s Garden
“The soul, My sister,” says Jesus Christ, “that is, she is spiritually related to Me, she that participates, through habitual grace, in My wisdom, My holiness and My very divine nature, that soul, My spouse through innocence and charity, is ‘My sister, My spouse’; I consider her as My garden, closed to the world and to sin, ‘an enclosed garden.’ From her very baptism I have made her My delightful abode, and have enriched her with heavenly gifts and adorned her with the flowers of all the virtues. Wherefore, I will that she be wholly reserved to Me.” Thus speaks our amiable Redeemer.
He claims as wholly His the flower-garden of our soul; and is He not right? Does she not belong to Him by every title? He created her with His breath. He redeemed her with His blood, one drop of which is of greater value than the universe. His rights over her are, therefore, incontestable, absolute, universal and eternal. We have, moreover, promised at the baptismal fount, ever to remain His own. We thereby belong to God so completely, that we may not, without robbery, deprive Him of a single one of our thoughts, intentions and affections. And nevertheless, how often have we not wholly delivered our mind, our heart, our very soul to the enemies of Jesus, who laid it waste!
O my amiable Saviour, I am deeply grieved for having so often offended Thee, for having thus disregarded Thy sacred rights over my heart, by profaning it through guilty attachments, or at least, attachments foreign to Thy love. Repentant I now return to Thee and anew consecrate to Thee alone the wretched property of my soul, beseeching Thee to accept it and take full possession of it. “O North wind, hurtful and cold wind of earthly affection, flee from me, and come, thou soft warm breeze of the sacred love of the Holy Spirit, which comes from the Heart of my Jesus! Do thou alone reign in my soul, which Jesus has chosen for His garden of delights” (St. Alph.).
O my Redeemer, deign to indicate to me what displeases Thee in my sentiments and my conduct. Is it tepidity or inconstancy? Is it self esteem, vanity, dissipation of mind or attachment to trifles? Is it diffidence, despondency or the want of fidelity to Thy graces? Speak, O Lord, for I am ready to remove from my heart whatever displeases Thee therein. “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready” (Ps. 107. 2).
II. How To Cultivate The Garden Of Our Soul
That we may make our soul an abode ever more and more pleasing to the divine Spouse, we ought to cultivate it without ceasing and promote therein the growth of the virtues. But how can we succeed in doing so? By fervently and constantly imploring the assistance of the sanctifying Spirit. As a balmy breeze reanimating and keeping up in us a lively faith, He causes us to pray, says St. Paul, “with unspeakable groanings” (Rom. 8. 26). As an inexhaustible fountain watering by day and by night the hearts of the faithful, He provides us the pure and fertile waters of grace, without which we should be ever barren. If we but corresponded with the love of mental prayer, with which He inspires us, then would fountains of living water spring from our heart! We would no longer be so dry in our holy Communions, so little fervent in our pious exercises, so languid and indifferent in doing good.
But as the flowers of virtue are cultivated only by dint of care, it behooves us to unite a strict watch over ourselves in mental prayer. Wherefore we ought to strive to correct in our conduct whatever displeases our Saviour or offends His divine looks, and, consequently we should be faithful to His light and inspirations. Unless we watch over our whole life, we shall be unable to extirpate pride from our mind, and to cultivate the virtue of humility, which St. Bernard compares to the violet, which conceals itself, but spreads about its perfume. Without watchfulness we shall find it impossible to cause the lily of purity and the roses of charity to grow in our soul, for these virtues requires mortification of the senses and the heart, and this cannot be practiced without recollection and unceasing prayer.
O my loving Mother Mary, from thee I expect fidelity in the practice of mental prayer, not only in the morning, but throughout the day, by means of pious reflections and aspirations. Preserve me from the pestiferous breeze of the world and my passions, which sometimes destroys in a single moment the fruit of long and difficult labors. Purify and sanctify my soul; make it a garden closed to vice, and one of the privileged flower-plots of Jesus. May my good desires be not always mere flowers and blossoms, but gradually, with the help of grace, become delicious fruits of virtue. I am resolved to strive to spread especially the sweet odors of humility by means of self-contempt, of chastity, by means of modesty, and finally of charity, by practicing condescension and benevolence towards all.
