The name of Fr. Erich Przywara will be chiefly familiar to English readers through his “Augustine Synthesis” and “Newman Synthesis.” In “Majestas Divina” he has attempted what may be described as an interpretation of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. Many people find the Spiritual Exercises a baffling work. Even those who are familiar with the practice of making retreats may fall into a literalism in their study of the text which prevents their seeing the movement of thought and feeling which makes the book of the Exercises the powerful instrument that it can be. It seems to be the great merit of Fr. Przywara’s work that it brings out the pattern woven by the words of St. Ignatius, and by linking up the language of the Exercises with St. Ignatius’s other writings—his Constitutions and Letters in particular—clarifies that often misunderstood thing, “Ignatian Spirituality.”

In this first section, the author is concerned to underline the general dispositions of mind and heart that are required of one who would learn aright the lessons that St Ignatius is seeking to teach. The section is entitled “Solitude” because a certain solitude of spirit, expressed in the practice of silence and withdrawal characteristic of a retreat, is fundamental if the exercitant is to draw near to God.

The translator has adopted the device of printing his version in short phrases simply in order to make it possible for the English reader to cope with the massive German sentences of the original.

Some twenty years ago Pius XI pointed out how important is the role of the contemplative in the Church. He said that they who assiduously fulfil the duty of prayer and penance contribute much more to the increase of the Church and the welfare of mankind than those who labour in tilling the Master’s field; for unless the former drew down from heaven a shower of divine graces to water the field that is being tilled, the evangelical labourers would reap indeed from their toil a more scanty crop. It is true that his words were addressed to cloistered religious, but they are none the less of universal application.

Signs are not wanting that the truth of the Pope s words is beginning to be understood outside the cloister. It is surely not without significance, too, that Pius XI should, just a year after writing the words quoted above have canonized St Theresa of Lisieux and made her Patroness of Missions, and a year afterwards declared St John of the Cross a Doctor of the Church. St Theresa was a Carmelite nun living in the direct tradition of the two great Carmelite teachers, St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, and the Little Way that she describes in her Histoire d’une âme interprets to modern readers the essence of the teaching of these Carmelite masters, and points out its application to modern needs and conditions. In this she is important as they in their day, no less than in our own, were important for another reason—namely, that living as they did in full flood of the counter-reformation they yet carried on the traditional in their teaching on the spiritual life and prayer.

What love can be compared with this, that Thou, seeing that I was condemned to burn in eternal flames, moved by the compassion of Thy heart, shouldst descend from heaven to the prison of this world and taking the likeness of a sinner, shouldst stand in my place and be sentenced to death for my debts? What plea of charity urged Thee so far, and was to urge Thee much farther, were it needful?

O Jesus, our Redemption, our Love and our whole desire, what was the pity that moved Thee to take such a burden on Thee? How could I not love Him who showed me such clear testimonies of His intense love? He would be more senseless than the beasts, more cruel than tigers, harder than the rocks and iron, who would not let himself be conquered by such love.

Not only our love but our confidence is strengthened by this blessing. For how should I not hope for grace and glory and forgiveness of my sins when I have such payment and such a Paymaster, who came forth from the presence of God for them. If it was just that the innocent should he so punished and the treasure should be so cheapened because He wished to pay the debts of sinners, would it not be just that the guilty, for whom He paid, should be delivered from their evil doings and justified before God? Would it be right for justice to enter the bouse of the saint who owed nothing and execute on him such a terrifying rigour of justice and yet not have the mercy to visit the guilty, release him from his misdeeds and free him from penalties? It is more marvellous that God should be judged, condemned, publicly disgraced, and should die on the cross than that His enemy should be treated as a friend, and the traitor adopted as son after he had repented of his past treachery and turned to God; and since the greater action has been performed there is no reason for doubting of the lesser.