What Pierces the Heart

But who, however much experience he may have, is able to give a full account of the varieties and reasons and grounds of a pierced heart, by which the mind is kindled and set on fire and stirred up to pure and most fervent prayers? We will now set out a few of them as examples, as far as we can remember them by God’s enlightenment. Sometimes a verse of one of the Psalms, while we are singing, gives us the occasion for ardent prayer. Sometimes the harmonious tune of a brother’s voice stirs up the minds of the dull to intense supplication. We know too that the clear delivery and the reverence of the one chanting add greatly to the fervor of those who stand by. Again, the encouragement of a perfect man and a spiritual conference have often raised the feelings of those present to the richest prayer. We know as well that we are carried away no less to a fully pierced heart by the death of a brother or of someone dear to us. The memory of our own coldness and carelessness has also sometimes roused in us a healthy fervor of spirit. And so no one can doubt that there is no lack of countless opportunities by which, through God’s grace, the coldness and sleepiness of our minds can be shaken off. [a]