St. Teresa emphasizes
the importance of prayer
for the Church and
for its Priests and Religious,
especially those "in the world"
that they may grow in
virtue and
attachment to God and
detachment from the world's objects.
She teaches:
"Let those, who are to come, remember
that, if they have a prelate who is holy,
those under him will be holy too,
and let them realize how important it is
to bring him continually before the Lord"
(to pray for him / them)
"We must ask God
to make the... the preachers
and theologians--
highly proficient in the way
of the Lord.
And as most of these are religious,
we must pray
that they may advance
- in perfection, and
- in the fulfilment of their vocation,
for this is very needful".
"... that the Lord may prepare those
who are not completely prepared
already and
who lack anything,
(that) Lord may (keeep) them in His hand
so that they may be delivered
from all the dangers
that are in the world, and,
while sailing on this perilous sea,
may shut their ears
to the song of the sirens"
"Do you think, my daughters,
that it is an easy matter to have
to do business with the world,
to live in the world,
to engage in the affairs
of the world,
and...to live as worldly men do, and
yet inwardly
to be
strangers to the world, and
enemies of the world,
like persons who are in exile--
to be, in short,
not men but angels?
..realizing the great importance
of spurning everything
beneath their feet and
by being
detached from things
which come to an end on earth, and
attached to things eternal"
She so valued the counsel and direction
which she received from holy and prudent
Confessors and Consultants.
She prayed that they, too, would receive
grace and gifts from God
to assist them in their own lives since:
"it is the ecclesiastical and
not the secular arm
which must defend us"
Much like today,
the Church and its Priests and Religious
are the primary force to lead us
and we help by persevering to pray for them.
Our Prayer can assist the members of the church,
the Mystical Body of Christ,
in their respective vocations.
Through prayer, all vocations can assist
in the work of all other vocations.
"let us strive to live in such a way
that our prayers may be of avail
to help these servants of God,
who, at the cost of so much toil,
have fortified themselves with
learning and
virtuous living and
have laboured to help the Lord."
End of Discussion of Chapter 3 |
