The Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation


3: The Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation”

Ideally, our priests should be models of the devout life. Often, they need the rest of the Church to help them to encounter God. (photo P. Smith)

                While the last chapter of De Sales’ book focuses on mindfully considering the presence of God and knowing that God is working through all things, this chapter discusses the need to ask God for His assistance in actually saying those prayers we need in order to grow in the devout life. He tells us to prostrate our soul and implore “his grace in order to serve and adore him properly”. This sort of prayer can be difficult, but luckily God gives us each other, the Saints, and the Angels to help us. De Sales tells us to invoke each other and, especially, the Saints and our Guardian Angels in the pursuit of deep, mental prayer before God. As teachers, we walk with our students in this pursuit. We should never forget that our students can be the means by which God helps us to invoke His presence.

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