A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer by St. Peter Alacantara

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CHAPTER VI. OF HIS FERVENT PRAYERS AND RAPTURES, AND OF HIS SPIRIT OF PROPHECY

Almighty God was always present with him, and he with God. His soul was like a fiery furnace, made hot with the fuel of the cross of Christ. It was not in his own power to contain himself, but what thing soever he either saw, or heard, which might delight his beloved Jesus, though it were but afar off, his heart-strings would begin to tremble, and his vital spirits leave him, and frequently fall into ecstasy. He was accustomed for a whole hour together, to say his prayers with his arms stretched out in the manner of a cross, sighing and weeping, till at last he would be beside himself, elevated from the ground, and united only to his God. He was oftentimes in this manner rapt, when he was in the choir at matins. But his devotion was much more augmented at the altar, when he celebrated the dreadful sacrifice, then would rivers of tears gush in abundance from his venerable eyes, that would move the most stony and obdurate heart of any of the standers by unto compunction. After mass he would withdraw himself into his cell, where he hath been often heard to have had grievous conflicts 'with devils; who oftentimes appearing in a visible shape, would follow him up and down with terrible fury.

In talking of Almighty God his soul would be presently inebriated with divine sweetness, and ascending by degrees from one word to another, as, what! was God incarnated for me? was God made man for me? was God vested with human flesh for me? and the like. He would forthwith break into exclamations, and hurrying himself into his cell, would for the space of above three hours together, lose the use of his senses. One day, a brother that was newly made Priest, practicing in the garden to sing Mass, when he heard him sing these words of St. John's gospel, (Et verbum caro factum est,) he became enraptured, and remained for a long time in ecstasy.

This, therefore, was ordinary to the friend of God, that when he heard any thing of the humanity of our blessed Saviour, or any devout word of the holy Scripture, it would cause him raptures. Neither could he help them, though he did strive much against them, especially in the presence of others, but his heart would become like melting wax in the midst of his bowels. He was often, in seeing the crucifix, moved with such compassion, that his arms would be rapt across, with little clouds glittering about his head.

He would sometimes prophesy, to some the loss of honors, to others sudden death, to others purgatory; which would fall out the very day and hour he told them.

The first time he saw St. Theresa, he told her what contradictions, and afflictions, she suffered from her ghostly fathers, and other spiritual persons, who would needs persuade her, that she was seduced; and, moreover, that she was to suffer much more in the same kind. He likewise foretold what should be the success in the Indies.