Meditation on God and Short Prayers Nourish the Feelings of the Heart

Striving to maintain the thought of God, do not hold it bare, but connect with it all known concepts of God, his divine attributes and actions, plunging your mind now into one, now into another. Reflect more on God’s creation and providence, on the incarnation of God the Word and the work of our salvation accomplished by him, on his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the establishment of the holy Church, keeper of truth and grace, and the preparation of heavenly dwellings for all who believe in the Kingdom of Heaven—and for yourselves. Add reflection on God’s attributes—his unspeakable goodness, wisdom, omnipotence, justice, omnipresence, almightiness, omniscience, all-blessedness, and greatness. Do all this during prayer, and better yet apart, in reading. When you have reflected on all and see it clearly, then in your thought of God you will have not a bare thought, but a thought accompanied and drawing with it a multitude of saving meditations, acting on the heart and arousing the energy of the spirit. You can compose for yourself a short prayer of praise to God, in which all this would be contained. For example, in some such form: “Glory to you, O God, worshipped in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Glory to you, who created all things! Glory to you, who honored us with your image! Glory to you, who did not abandon us in our fall! Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, who came, became incarnate, suffered, died for us, rose again, ascended into heaven, and sent us the Most Holy Spirit, established your Church for our salvation, and prepared for us the Kingdom of Heaven! Glory to you, Lord, who in a wondrous manner accomplish salvation both of each person and of entire peoples. Glory to you, Lord, drawing me too toward salvation.” (2, 181–182)