Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Way of Perfection - Discussion of Chapter 28 - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus

                               .   
               Discussion of 
              CHAPTER 28
         The Way of Perfection                 
  
 - Describes the nature 
          of the Prayer of Recollection and
 - sets down some of the means 
          by which we can make it a habit.     
                              .

St. Teresa continues to teach regarding prayer.
She said that especially 
  "for minds which wander 
  it is of great importance 
      not only to have a right belief about this 
      but to try to learn it by experience, 
           •...What Heaven is
           •   Where you must seek 
          your most holy Father...
       for it is one of the best ways of
             - concentrating the mind and 
             - effecting recollection in the soul".

    "that God is everywhere"
    "wherever God is, 
                there is Heaven...
                there is fullness of glory"
  God is present within the soul
        "the Lord is within us and 
          that we should be there with Him"
          
         "we need no wings 
               to go in search of Him 
           but have only to find a place 
               where we can be alone and 
              look upon Him present within us"
         "He is so near that He will hear us"
         "Saint Augustine tells us  about his 
                seeking God in many places and 
                finding Him eventually within himself"
         "in order to speak 
                to its Eternal Father and 
                to take its delight in Him, 
          (one)  has no need 
                to go to Heaven 
                        or 
                to speak in a loud voice"
         "For, hidden there within itself
           (one)  can 
               ◦ think about the Passion, and 
               ◦  picture the Son, and 
               ◦ offer Him to the Father, 
            without wearying the mind 
               by going to seek Him 
                  on Mount Calvary, or 
                  in the Garden, or 
                  at the Column"
        "within this little Heaven of the soul
             wherein dwells the Maker 
                   of Heaven and earth"
        "Imagine 
          that within the palace (of the soul)
              dwells this great King, 
          Who has vouchsafed 
              to become your Father
                     and 
          Who is seated 
             upon a throne of supreme price-
              namely, your heart.
        "How wonderful it is 
          that He 
           Whose greatness could fill 
               a thousand worlds...
            should confine Himself 
               within so small a space
            just as He was pleased to dwell 
               within the womb 
           of His most holy Mother!"
 

               .
               St. Teresa Advises:
 ■ Prayer:
 "we must 
   - talk to Him very humbly, 
            as we should to our father,
   - ask Him for things 
            as we should ask a father, 
   - tell Him our troubles,
   - beg Him to put them right, and 
   - yet realize 
            that we are not worthy 
         to be called His children.
  - Avoid being bashful with God, 
         as some people are, 
       in the belief 
         that they are being humble. 
 It would not be humility on your part
    if the King were to do you a favour and   
    you refused to accept it; 
 but you would be showing humility by 
   - taking it, and 
   - being pleased with it, 
   - yet realizing how far you are 
         from deserving it" 
 ■ Strive for Detachment:
 ▪ "...making an effort
      not to look at things of the world"
    "Those 
        - who are able 
            to shut themselves up in this way 
               within this little Heaven of the soul
               wherein dwells the Maker 
                  of Heaven and earth, 
                    and
        - who have formed the habit of
           ◦ looking at nothing and 
           ◦ staying in no place 
              which will distract
                these outward senses, 
       may be sure  that they 
           ◦ are  walking on an excellent road, and 
           ◦ will come without fail 
              to drink of the water of the fountain
         for they will journey 
              a long way  in a short time".
 ▪ "they do what they can 
          to get away from it (the world)...     
      by recollecting their senses. 
      "What does an animal do 
           beyond satisfying his hunger 
       by seizing whatever attracts him
           when he sees it? 
       There should surely be a great difference 
            between the brute beasts and ourselves, 
        as we have such a Father".
 ▪ "When no hindrance comes to it from outside, 
     the soul 
           remains alone with its God 
                and 
           is thoroughly prepared 
                to become enkindled (with love of God)...
    
                to help us realize 
                that we actually have something within us    
                        incomparably more precious 
                        than anything we see outside".
           "Do not let us suppose 
                  that the interior of the soul is empty; 
             If we took care always to remember 
                 what a Guest we have within us
             I think it would be impossible for us 
                  to abandon ourselves to 
                  vanities and things of the world, 
              for we should see 
                  how worthless they are 
              by comparison with those 
                  which we have within us"
 ▪ "I did not understand 
          What that soul merited, 
                   or 
           Who dwelt within it,

        until I closed my eyes 
            to the vanities of this world 
                   in order to see it. 

     ...If I had understood then,  as I do now, 
        how this great King really dwells 
            within this little palace of my soul
        I should not have left Him alone so often,
        but should have 
           stayed with Him 
                and 
           never have allowed His dwelling-place 
                to get so dirty".
 ▪ "The important point is 
     that we 
       - should be absolutely resolved 
            to give (ourself) to Him 
                   for His own and 
       - should empty (ourself)
            so that He
                may take out and 
                put in just what He likes, 
            as He would 
               with something of His own. 
      but (He) does not give Himself wholly 
      until He sees 
          that we are giving ourselves 
             wholly to Him".
      "Nor does He work within the soul
             as He does 
       when it         
             is wholly His and 
              keeps nothing back. 
       If we fill the palace  
         with vulgar people and  all kinds of junk, 
       how can the Lord and His Court occupy it?"
 ■  Humility, Acknowledgement 
            and Gratitude 
       for the blessings received from God
        "It would not be humility on your part
          if the King were to do you a favour and   
               you refused to accept it; 
          but you would be showing humility by 
               - taking it, and 
               - being pleased with it, 
               - yet realizing how far you are 
                     from deserving it. 
          St. Teresa says to remain with Him
                 and not leave Him alone.
     
 ■  Persevere continuously
     Striving in prayer, detachment, good works,
       and imitating virtue with the help of God
    "it is very important 
     that we should not travel too slowly
     ... get accustomed to these good habits
  ▪ To Persevere even though the body 
        may feel discomfort or encounter difficulty 
     at the beginning; 

          "Gradually the sense will come
                  to obey the soul 
          when given a sign by the soul 
                  that it wants to be recollected".  
    
   To offer all to Him; to hold nothing back  
         "...for there is no building so beautiful 
           as a soul 
             that is pure and full of virtues, 
                   and,
           the greater these virtues are, 
           the more brilliantly do the stones shine"
     "Souls who do so 
        are more secure 
        from many occasions of sin,
              and 
        the fire of Divine love is
           is the more readily enkindled in them"
                                     .
  


                                          .
                               Benefits:
 ♦  God "will teach you 
         what you must do to please Him"
     "He fashions Himself to our measure.
     When a soul sets out upon this path, 
      (God)  does not reveal Himself to it,
           lest it should feel dismayed 
                      at seeing  
           that its littleness can contain such greatness; 
       but gradually He enlarges it 
           to the extent requisite
       for what He has to set within it.
  
       ...He has power 
             to make the whole of this  (soul)
                great"
 ♦ Advancement toward Genuine Detachment
     "If we 
       ˚ cultivate the habit (of detachment)
       ˚ make the necessary effort and 
       ˚ practise the exercises for several days,
     the benefits will reveal themselves"
     "..it produces certain effects"
    
     "...the soul ....sees 
      that worldly things 
                 are nothing but toys
      so in due course 
                it rises above them

       "It withdraws the senses 
           from all outward things...  
          
        the soul's spiritual sight becomes clear"
    
      "For it is the Lord's will 
        that, in return for the time 
              which their efforts have cost them,
         the soul and the will should be given 
             this power over the senses
   
       "They will only have 
            to make a sign to show 
          that they wish to enter into recollection 
                     and 
          the senses will obey 
            and allow themselves to be recollected"
 ♦ Advancement in Prayer 
   • "When we begin to pray 
      we shall realize
        that the bees are 
            coming to the hive and 
            entering it to make the honey
                   and 
        all without any effort of ours" 
   
   • Recollection
      If one prays in this way,
        the prayer may be only vocal, 
      but the mind 
        will be recollected much sooner; 
      "It is called recollection 
       because the soul 
         collects together all the faculties and 
         enters within itself to be with its God.
       "this is a prayer 
        which brings with it many blessings
  • Disposes the soul if God wills it 
      to the  Prayer of Quiet
      and further progress in prayer.
      "Its Divine Master comes more speedily
              to teach it, and 
              to grant it the Prayer of Quiet
        than in any other way"
      When the will calls them afresh
            they respond more quickly,
        until, after they have entered the soul 
             many times, 
        the Lord is pleased
        that they should remain there altogether 
              in perfect contemplation".
        They...
            ◦ are  walking on an excellent road, and 
            ◦ will come without fail 
              to drink of the water of the fountain
            for they will journey 
              a long way  in a short time".                            
                                         .
                 ___________________

                      .
     End of Discussion
         of Chapter 28
  The Way of Perfection    
                      .