Be not worried of anything worldly, so we could easily affirm that we are detached.Â
We should not be much concerned about tangible devotion, the experience of sweetness or tears, but rather that we should be mentally united with God within ourselves by a good will in our intellect. For, what pleases God above everything is a mind free from imaginations, that is images, ideas and the representations of created things. It befits a one to be indifferent to everything created so that he can turn easily and barely to God alone within himself, be empty for Him and cleave to Him.
For this reason deny yourself so that you can follow Christ, the Lord your God, in nakedness, who was himself poor, obedient, chaste, humble and suffering, and in whose life and death many were scandalised, as is clear from the Gospel accounts.
After all, a soul which is separated from the body pays no attention to what is done to its abandoned body – whether it is burned, hanged, or reviled, and is in no way saddened by the afflictions imposed on the body, but thinks only of the Now of eternity and the One Thing which the Lord calls necessary in the Gospel. So you too should treat your body as if you were no longer in the body, but think always of the eternity of your soul in God, and direct your thoughts carefully to that One Thing of which Christ said, For one thing is necessary (Luke 10.42). You will experience because of it great grace, helping you towards the acquisition of nakedness of mind and simplicity of heart.
Indeed this One thing is very much present with you if you have made yourself bare of imaginations and all other entanglements, and you will soon experience that this is so – namely when you can be empty and cleave to God with a naked and resolute mind. In this way you will remain unconquered in whatever may be inflicted on you, like the holy martyrs, fathers, the elect, and indeed all the saints who despised everything and only thought of their souls’ security and eternity in God.
Consider from this how much a good will united with God is capable of, when by means of its pressing towards God the soul is effectively separated the body in spirit and looks on its outward man as it were from a distance, and as not belonging to it.
In this way it despises everything that is inflicted on itself or on its flesh as if they were happening to someone else, or not to a human being at all. For he that is united with the Lord is one Spirit, (1 Corinthians 6.17) that is with Him.
So you should never dare to think or imagine anything before the Lord your God that you would blush to be heard or seen in before men, since your respect for God should be even greater than for them.
– – – written by St. Albert the Great
Thank you for this, Georgy!! What an awesome way to start my weekend. I have always loved the teachings of St. Albert and this is a great reminder of the importance of prayer!!! God bless.
I wonder if you, or your readers, might help me though. I’m always confused at to what the best way to actually pray is. My uncle always taught me that prayers are best heard when said aloud, while kneeling at ones own bedside, making sure that your hair was perfectly combed.
But what about when I’m not near my bed, or I’m in a situation where it would be inappropriate to pray aloud; like at a dance recital or a live tournament of some sort?
Is there anything in the bible that tells how best to pray so that God might hear our prayers? Can I just “think” them or do I need to say them?? Sometimes, for example, when I have really important prayers, I stand on a chair and say them very loud because it makes me feel closer to God. Does that make a difference?
Please let me know if there are teachings you can point me to on this.
God bless!!!
Great prayer information here. Thank you for blessing us with it!
good