Spiritual Exercises

The fifth exercise is a meditation on Hell It contains, after the preparatory prayer and two preludes, five points and a colloquy The first prelude, the composition of place Here it will be to see in imagination the length, breadth, and depth of Hell To see with my own eyes the huge fires and the souls within the bodies full of fire I will hear the wailing, the shrieking, the cries, and the blasphemies against our Lord and all his saints I will perceive the smoke, the sulfur, the filth, and the rotting things I will taste the bitter flavors of Hell: tears, sadness, and the worm of conscience I will feel how the flames touch the souls and burn them Only the bored have need of illusion Beautiful eyes, always a little filled with tears The more we keep ourselves alone and secluded, the more fit do we make ourselves to approach and attain to our Creator and Lord Spiritual exercises To overcome oneself and to order one's life Fear and trembling Sickness unto death Stranger Nothingness Sickness Loneliness Dread Nausea No way out I wake screaming Seven works of mercy Seven acts of mercy