Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen wrote, “The foundation of interior prayer is the presence of God in us. First of all the presence of immensity by which God is present with his action in all his creatures … Moreover, there is the presence of friendship which is realized only in the faithful in the state of grace.”
The saints recommended and practised the holy exercise of the presence of God.
According to Father Alban Butler, Our Lord taught St. Catherine to build in her soul a private closet, strongly vaulted with the divine providence, and to keep herself always close and retired there; he assured her that by this means she should find peace and perpetual repose in her soul, which no storm or tribulation could disturb or interrupt.
St. John of the Cross exclaimed: “Be joyful and gladdened in your interior recollection with him, for you have him so close to you! Desire him there, adore him there. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself. You will only become distracted and wearied thereby and you shall not find him … nor have him more intimately than by seeking him within you.”
St. Teresa of Avila said, “Do you think that it matters little for a soul with a wandering mind to understand this truth and see that there is no need to go to heaven in order to speak with one’s heavenly Father or find delight in him? Nor is there any need to shout. However softly we speak, he is near enough to hear us. Neither is there any need for wings to go to find him. All one need do is go into solitude and look at him within oneself.”
St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “Make use of those holy ‘human devices’ I’ve recommended to keep you from losing the presence of God: ejaculations, acts of love and reparation, spiritual communions, ‘glances’ at a picture of our Lady.”
Father Adolphe Tanqueray clearly articulated the advantages of the holy exercise of the presence of God:
- It makes us carefully avoid sin. St. Augustine said: “If you are determined to commit sin, seek first a place where God will not see you and then do what you please.” And St. Josemaria said: “Let us always act in the presence of God in such a way that we never have to hide anything from men.”
- It stimulates our zeal for perfection. St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) made this recommendation: “Be careful not to lose sight of the divine presence in any of your actions. Never undertake any work or activity without first having lifted your mind to God and committing that activity to him with holy intentions. Do the same when you offer thanks for the outcome of all your actions. Always examine whether things unfolded in accord with the right intentions you had at the outset, and if you find anything defective, humbly ask the Lord for forgiveness with a firm resolution to amend your failings.”
- It inspires great trust in us. Father Tanqueray explained: “Whatever may be our trials, our temptations, our weariness and our weakness, are we not assured of final victory, when we recall that he, who is all-powerful, whom nothing can resist, dwells within us and invests us with his power?” St. Josemaria said, “If you had presence of God you would remedy many things that have apparently ‘no remedy.’”
- “Lastly,” Father Tanqueray wrote, “what a joy for us is the thought that he who is the Joy of the Elect, and whom we shall see one day face to face, is even now our portion, whose presence and conversation we may enjoy all day long! The knowledge and the habitual thought of God are, therefore, most sanctifying. The same is true of the knowledge of self.”
天主的臨在啟發信賴和喜樂
聖衣會，瑪利亞、瑪達肋納的佳播神父寫道：『內在祈禱的基礎是天主在我們中的臨在。首先，祂廣大的臨在，天主以祂的工作臨在於祂所有的受造物中…再者，尚有友誼的臨在，這只會發生當信眾是在寵愛的情况下』
聖人們推薦和履行天主臨在的神業。
根據Alban Butler神父，吾主教導聖加大肋納在她靈魂內建立一私人的密室，讓她能隨時入內休息,與天主談話；祂向她保證按此她會找到靈魂內的平安和長久的休憇，那裡沒有暴風或艱難會干擾或中斷她。
十字聖若望呼喊說：『在你内在收心地與祂一起時，歡欣喜悅吧，因為祂與你是這般的接近！渴望祂，朝拜祂。不要在你以外追尋祂。你只會分心和疲累，找不到祂…沒有比在你內尋找祂能更與祂親近。』
聖女大德蘭說：『你以為這是不大重要嗎，讓一個徘徊的心神去明瞭真理並看到要跟天父說話和在祂內找到喜樂是無需要走到天堂去？不需要大聲呼叫。我們説話有多柔弱，祂是夠接近來聽到的。我們也不需要翅膀去找尋祂。我們只要在獨處中，在自己內找尋祂。』
聖施禮華寫道：『利用這些神聖「人性的方法」我建議不要失落天主的臨在：短誦，補贖，神領聖體，「看一看」聖母聖相。』
Adolphe Tanqueray神父清楚地表達了天主臨在神業的好處：
- 它讓我們小心地躲避罪過。聖奧斯定說：『如果你決定要犯罪，首先找一個天主看不見你的地方然後你可以為所欲為。』聖施禮華說：『讓我們所行所為都時常在天主臨在之下，這樣我們永不需要隱藏什麼。』
- 它激勵我們熱愛成全。聖畢奧作這推薦：『小心不要在你一切行為中忽略至聖的存在。在沒有首先把你的思想提升至上主前，不要做任何的工作或活動，並將這活動配合祂的聖意。當你為此奉上感恩時也作同樣的配合。時常檢視所做的是否具正確的意向，如果發現任何過失，謙遜地請求上主原諒並決意補償你的失誤。』
- 它賦與我們碩大的信賴。Tanqueray神父解釋說：『無論我們遇到任何的考驗、誘惑、煩惱和軟弱，我們不是已經肯定我們最後的勝利，當我們回想到祂，祂是全能的，無法對抗的，祂住在我們內並以祂的力量投放在我們內？』聖施禮華說：『如果天主臨在你內，你可修補明顯上不能「修補」的一切。』
- 『最後，』Tanqueray神父寫道：『為我們這會是何等的喜樂，當我們明白祂是選民的喜樂，祂是我們有一天會面對面見到的，在現今情况下，祂的臨在和對話，都讓我們一整天喜樂！這份對天主的知識和思想，因此是至聖化的。同樣對自己的認知也是如此。』
