Tens of thousands of prayers a day
How to live the practice of the presence of God...in the trenches of World War I
(This is another post connected to my major post on what to do before starting spiritual direction.)
I’ve been looking for writings that highlight the practice of the presence of God, or recollection. I came across a wonderful site dedicated to the cause of Fr. Willie Doyle, an Irish Jesuit who was a chaplain during World War I. Fr. Doyle had developed the practice of saying very many short prayers known as aspirations (among some writers of an earlier era more familiar with Latin, where it doesn’t sound so weird, they’re also known as ejaculations):
The use of aspirations was an important part of Fr Doyle’s spiritual life. Those under a certain age may be unfamiliar with aspirations and may even be unaware of what they mean. Aspirations are simple, short prayers of just a sentence or even a few words. They can be repeated in times of trial or temptation, or like many of the saints, on a regular or indeed constant basis in order to deepen our union with Christ.
In his diary Fr Doyle writes that constantly repeating aspirations was the penance of his life. Those who know something about Fr Doyle’s inner life will realise what a big claim that is!
Amazingly his diary records him saying tens of thousands of aspirations each day. It’s not quite clear how he managed this; in practice it probably means that his mind was always continually focused on God and that he lived St Paul’s recommendation that we pray without ceasing. He also records how saying some aspirations helped him in moments of temptation and weakness; he also used to pray aspirations to give him the strength to get out of bed on time. Perhaps we can all learn from that!
Here’s an example of his resolutions, taken from his diary:
During a visit our Lord seemed to urge me not to wait till the end of the war, but to begin my life of reparation at once, in some things at least. I have begun to keep a book of acts done with this intention. He asked me for these sacrifices, (1) To rise at night in reparation for priests who lie in bed instead of saying Mass. (2) At all costs to make the 50,000 aspirations. (3) To give up illustrated papers. (4) To kiss floor of churches (5) Breviary always kneeling. (6) Mass with intense devotion. The Blessed Cure d’ Ars used to kneel without support while saying the Office. Could not I?
He encouraged others to keep count of the small prayers they’d make:
There is nothing better than the practice of aspirations, steadily growing in number. Keep a little book and enter them once a day… . I would like you to keep count of these little acts like the aspirations, but don’t go too fast; build up and do not pull down.
What a wonderful, cheerful, priest! (His cause of canonization has recently been opened.)
