To overcome lukewarmness, St. Alphonse Liguori says (The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ) we must first desire perfection, then resolve to attain perfection, and then meditate. 

In this life, all men need light to see and walk safely.  If we walk in darkness, we will lose our way or trip and fall; this is true of the natural or the supernatural life.  As a lamp to the eyes of the body so does meditation make visible the truths of faith.  St. Alphonsus says, “truths of faith are not seen by the eyes of the body, but by the eyes of the soul when we meditate.”   If we do not mediate, we will walk in darkness; we will love only the world of this present darkness and, having set our eyes upon its pleasures, we shall one day be repulsed by eternal things altogether.

And what things our meditation will reveal!  St. Theresa says, “Although it seems to us that we have no imperfections, yet when God opens the eyes of the soul, as He is wont to do in prayer, then they plainly appear.”   Seeing so many imperfections, the soul will begin to root them out. 

Meditation moves the friends of God to ‘set their house in order;’ inspires them to properly order their affections.  St. Bernard says that meditation on eternal realities bonds us with heaven; without meditation our affections will cling to temporal concerns.  If our affections cling to earth, we remain only friends of this world; and our natural affections will turn our lives into chaos.  St. Theresa of Avila says those who quit prayer “soon become either a beast or a devil.”

Meditation preserves us in holy love.  St. Catherine of Bologna says that anyone who stops praying separates themselves from God… then comes the devil who, finding a soul cold in divine love, “easily induces her to eat the poisoned apple.”  Against this, St. Teresa says the soul who perseveres in prayer, no matter the devils accusations, will obtain heaven.

Much good comes to us by prayer. St. Alphonsus says the prayer of meditation rouses us to conceive many holy thoughts and to feel devout affections; it stirs us to fashion great desires and to make the firm resolution to give ourselves completely to God.   “In my meditation a fire shall flame out…” (Ps. 38:4)

In our prayer, St. Alphonsus warns us against seeking consolation.  All prayer, whether vocal or contemplative, must aim first to please God; that is to say, our prayer must seek to learn what God would have us do and then request the help we need to do it.

Some souls stop praying if they get nothing out of it; if no good feelings come they quit.   Of these St. Teresa says, “When souls give up prayer, it is as if they were flinging themselves into hell without any need of devils.”

True lovers of Christ will practice prayer rain or shine.  St. Teresa says, “The true lover is always mindful of the beloved.”

The person who meditates will desire to flee the world to converse with her God; this will help keep the soul recollected even while doing necessary duties.  St. Alphonsus defines “necessary duties” as those associated with one’s vocation.  He says further, “A person of prayer must love solitude, and not become lost in willful and useless affairs.  Otherwise, the spirit of recollection will be lost.” 

“A garden locked is my sister, my bride.” (Cant. 4:12)   St. Alphonsus says the soul wedded to Christ must be “a garden closed off;” she must preserve her heart from all godless thoughts or affairs.

Prayer must be preferred even to the study of God.  St. Alphonsus says, “those who abandon prayer for study show they are not seeking God in their study but themselves.  Those who seek God put their studies aside, unless they are necessary just then so as not to leave off prayer.”

St. Alphonsus says without mental prayer, we do not pray at all… and this is the worst thing.

Those who do not meditate will neglect the needs of their soul; they will belittle the dangers to their eternal salvation, nor concern themselves with combating temptations.  St Alphonsus says that those who do not realize the necessity of prayer will abandon prayer and will surely be lost.

Finally, as to the subject matter for our meditations, St. Alphonsus says nothing is more salutary than the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.

It is especially enlivening to meditate on death… and “to image ourselves on our deathbed holding a crucifix and on the point of entering into eternity.”

Above all, however, St. Alphonsus says the true lover of Jesus Christ and he who really desires to advance in divine love, will meditate often on the sufferings of Christ.   St. Francis de Sales called Mount Calvary, “the mountain of lovers.”  Atop this hill, we meet our greatest friend and benefactor at the moment of His greatest act of love… “greater love than this no man hath, that he lay down his life for a friend.”   Here, in His death agony, we witness the great proof of Divine love; nor can men who see this love refrain from loving in return.  And although our love be shallow at first, it will grow with every climb we take up this holy mountain in meditation. 

St. Alphonsus says, “Happy are those in this life who are continually climbing up Calvary.” 

May God find us often meditating atop this lofty mountain where we come closer to heaven, closer to God, and further away from all lukewarmness.

After desiring perfection, resolving to attain it, and meditating on the eternal truths, St. Alphonsus next says we must receive the Holy Eucharist frequently to combat lukewarmness.  This will be our next topic.