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ST. TERESA S OWN WORDS
St. Teresa s Own Words :
Or, Instructions on
The Prayer of Recollection
Arranged from Chapters 28 and
29 of her Way of Perfection for
the use of the Sisters of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel,
Darlington, by
JAMES,
BISHOP OF HEXHAM & NEWCASTLE
RLGIS
BffiL. MAJ.
COLLEGE
LONDON : BURNS 6r OATES \ /
NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHIGAGO I
BENZIGER BROTHERS 5>C
igiO
Coil. Chiisii Regis S.J. ! T
Bibl. Phil. O U
St. Teresa s Own Words.
i.
Nature and Definition of the Prayer
of Recollection.
IT is called the Prayer of Recollec
tion because in it the soul collects, or
gathers together, all her powers, and
enters into her own interior with God.
I wish I knew how to describe to
you this holy intercourse which, with
out disturbing in the least her perfect
solitude, is carried on between the
soul and her Divine Spouse and
Companion, the Holy of Holies, and
which takes place as often as ever
she pleases to enter into this interior
paradise in company with her God,
and to shut the gate to all the world
6 St. Teresa s Own Words
besides. I say, as often as she pleases ;
for you must understand that this is
not altogether a supernatural thing,
but is quite within our own power,
and we can do it whenever we chose ;
I mean, of course, with God s help,
for without this we can do nothing at
all, not so much as have a single good
thought. For you must observe that
this recollection is not a suspension of
the powers of the soul, but only a
shutting them up, as it were, within
ourselves.
II.
The Truth or Foundation on which the
Prayer of Recollection rests.
You know that God is everywhere
(therefore He is in our interior.) Now
it is clear that wherever the King is,
there the Court is too ; therefore,
wherever God is, there is heaven ;
and you can readily, believe that
wherever this Divine Majesty is, all
glory is with Him. Then consider
St. Teresa s Own Words 7
what St. Augustine says : that he
" sought God in many places, and
found Him at last within himself."
It is, then, of the utmost importance
to bear this truth in mind, that our
Lord is within us, and that we ought
to strive to be there with him.
On a certain occasion, when I was
assisting at the Divine Office with the
rest of the Sisters, I became, on a
sudden, thus recollected within my
self: and here my own soul was pre
sented before me, and it seemed to
me to resemble a bright mirror, in
which there was no darkness nor
shadow, either behind or on either
side, or above or below but all clear
and resplendent ; and in the midst of
it there appeared Christ our Lord, in
the form under which I am accustomed
to see Him. It seemed to me that His
Image was shining forth from every
part of my soul, as though reflected
in the mirror ; and then, by a wonder
ful communication of love, which I
know not how to describe, this same
mirror of my soul seemed to be re
produced and again represented, in a
8 St. Teresa s Own Words
wondrous manner, within the Form of
my Divine Redeemer.
[Again], on a certain occasion, it was
shown to me that my soul was like a
sponge in the midst of the ocean of
the Divinity, and that it drank in this
heavenly substance, so as, in a manner,
to embrace within it the Three Divine
Persons. But, at the same time, I
was admonished that though I had
the Divinity within my soul, yet I
myself was much more contained in
Him than He in me. Thus, whilst I
beheld, as it were, hidden within me
the Three Divine Persons, I saw that
They, at the same time, communicated
Themselves to all created things,
without ceasing for an instant to
abide in me.
On another occasion I was made
to understand this truth with great
clearness that all things are seen
in God, and that He contains every
thing within Himself. I do not
know how to describe this ; but it has
remained deeply impressed upon my
mind, and is one of the greatest
favours our Lord has ever granted me,
St. Teresa sOwn Words 9
and one that has filled me, more than
any other, with confusion at the re
membrance of my sins. If it had
pleased our Lord to let me see this
before I had sinned, or if others, who
offend Him, could only have seen it,
I believe that neither they nor I would
have ever had the boldness to commit
sin. No words that I can use can
convey any idea of this sublime truth.
The only notion I can give of it is
this :/J beheld the Divinity like a most
brilliant diamond, far greater than the
whole world, and containing everything
within itself ; and in this diamond was
reflected, as it were, everything that
is done here below.] Wonderful it
was, indeed, to behold in so short a
time, within this glorious mirror,
such a multitude of things assembled
together ! But to see represented in
this pure and unsullied brightness
such foul abominations as my sins
was a spectacle that fills me with the
deepest sorrow whenever I call it to
mind. In truth, when I reflect upon it,
I know not how I can bear the
thought ; and at the time when I beheld
io St. Teresa sOwn Words
it, I was so covered with confusion that
I did not know which way to turn.
Now it seems to me that this vision
may be of much profit to those who
are practising this Prayer of Recollec
tion, to teach them to consider our Lord
in the interior of their own souls ; for,
to repeat what I have so often said
before, this consideration fixes the
attention far better, and is far more
profitable, than to represent Him in
any other way. If, instead of this, we
direct our thoughts to God in heaven,
or if, in fine, we turn to any spot beyond
ourselves, we do but weary our minds
and distract our souls, and, after all,
lose much of the fruit of our labour.
[In another place,^ the Saint says] :
The soul of the just man is nothing
less than a paradise, in which God
finds His delight. And what sort of
an abode must that be in which a
King so powerful, so wise, so bright
and stainless, so rich in every good,
delights to dwell !
I can find nothing to which I can
compare the great beauty and immense
* Castle of the Soul, chap. i.
St. Teresa sOwn Words 1 1
capacity of a soul. And, indeed, since
God has made our souls, as He tells us,
to His own image and likeness, it is not
to be expected that our minds, however
gifted, should be able to understand
the beauty of a soul, any more than we
can understand God himself. To try
to do so would be labour in vain ;
for though there be an immense
difference between the Soul and God
the soul being a creature and God
her Creator still, since His Divine
Majesty has made the soul to His own
image, how great must be its dignity,
how surpassing its beauty !
It is a sad pity, and a shame as well,
that we do not know ourselves and
what we are. Would it not be thought
strange ignorance if, when a man were
asked his name or the name of his
father or mother, or the land of his
birth, he should know nothing about it?
But it is a stupidity greater than this
beyond comparison to be ignorant of
what we are ourselves to know
nothing about it, beyond a general
notion that we are living in a body, and
that we have a soul; and to think but
12 St. Teresa s Own Words
little of the goods this soul may possess,
or Him who dwells within it, and of its
exceeding value ; and, hence, to take
such little pains to preserve its beauty.
O, that I could teach this truth to
those who commit so many foul and
shameful sins, that so they might re
member that they are not hidden nor
out of sight when they do such things !
For, since we are in the immediate
presence of His Divine Majesty, He
clearly beholds whatever we do ; and
yet we presume to behave with such
insulting irreverence before His eyes !
I saw how richly hell is deserved for
any one single mortal sin ; for it is an
evil, great beyond all comprehension,
to commit such things in the very
Presence of such a Majesty, and it is
impossible for any one to understand
how opposed they are to His adorable
purity.
I was given to understand that,
when a soul is in mortal sin, this
mirror [see page 6] is, as it were,
covered with a thick cloud, and
becomes so black that the image of
our Lord can neither be represented
St. Teresa s Own Words 1 3
nor seen in it, although He is still
present within the soul, giving her life
and being. And when a soul is in
heresy, it is as though the mirror were
shattered to pieces, which is far worse
than being darkened and obscured.
But there is a great difference between
seeing all this and expressing it in
words ; for it is very difficult to
describe. However, it has been of
great advantage to me, and has made
me think with a deep sorrow upon the
time when, by my sins, I so obscured
my soul that I could see my Divine
Master there no more.
In how clear a light does it display
His infinite mercy, that He should
bear with us although, knowing this
truth, we still offend Him! And if
the mere sight of what I have de
scribed filled my soul with such con
sternation, I cannot but reflect how
terrible the Day of Judgment will be
when this Sovereign Majesty will
reveal Himself to our eyes, and we
shall see clearly the sins whereby we
have offended Him.
Good God ! into what blindness had
14 St. Teresa s Own Words
I fallen when I sinned against Thee !
Many a time have I trembled with
terror while writing these lines. And
no wonder ! The wonder rather is
that I should not die at once when I
call to mind the things that I have
seen, and look upon the life I have
led. Blessed be He for evermore
who has borne with me so long !
III.
Method and Practice of the Prayer
of Recollection.
And now we must see how we can
enter into this beautiful and delightful
dwelling. It may, perhaps, seem
foolish to talk of entering into it ; for,
if this dwelling be our own souls, we
cannot enter into what is, in fact,
ourselves, just as it would be folly to
tell a person to enter a room when he
was inside it already. But we must
understand that there are more ways
than one of being inside our souls.
There are many, indeed, who do no
St. Teresa sOwn Words i 5
more than, like a troop of guards,
walk round this castle of their souls,
and never care to enter it at all, and
know nothing about what it contains.
Now the gate whereby we have to
enter this precious dwelling of our
souls is by prayer and consideration.
I do not say mental prayer only, but
vocal as well, provided it be accom
panied with consideration or attention
of the mind ; since, without this, it
would not be prayer. For if a person
does not think who it is that he is
speaking to, or what he is asking, or
who he is that is praying, or to whom
he prays, I certainly do not call that
a prayer, how much soever the man
may move his lips.^
i. Well, then, you must begin by
fixing this truth in your minds : that
there is within you a palace of sur
passing splendour, whose whole struc
ture is composed of gold and most
precious stones such, indeed, as is
fitting for the great King who resides
within it ; and that the beauty of your
own soul is, in part, the cause why
* Castle of the Sottl, chap. i.
1 6 St. Teresa sOwn Words
this palace is so beautiful. For it
is most true that no building can
be compared, in beauty and magnifi
cence, with a soul that is pure and
filled with virtues ; and the higher
these virtues are, the larger and more
resplendent are the jewels that adorn
her interior dwelling. And in the
midst of this palace dwells the great
King who deigns to be your constant
guest, and here He sits upon a throne
of priceless value, and this throne is
in your own heart.
2. But here comes the great point
of all. We, on our part, must, with a
full and hearty determination, make
over to Him entirely this interior
palace, that so He may find no diffi
culty in dealing with it just as with
His own property, turning out and
putting in whatever He pleases. He
has made this an essential condition
to the bargain, and certainly His
Divine Majesty is quite in the right
to do so. Let us not, then, refuse Him
what He asks. At the same time He
does not force our wills, but He will
deign to receive as much as we choose
St. Teresa sOwn Words 1 7
to give Him ; only remember,,. // will
nevej-_give Himself entirely to us until
we have given ourselves entirely to
TTirn. This is as certain as any thing-
can be, and so important too, that it
is for this reason I so often put you in
mind of it. Without this He never
works those effects in the soul which
He does when she is entirely His,
without any reserve or obstacle. Nor,
indeed, do I well see how He can, for
He is a special friend to order and
propriety. So that if we fill this
palace with all sorts of rabble, and
instead of ornament, disfigure it with
trifles and worthless trinkets, how is it
possible that our Lord can dwell there
with all His Court? I am sure it is
as much as we can expect if He stays
there ever so short a time, in the
midst of such confusion.
3. I beseech you, for the love of
God, to make no account of earthly
favours. Let each one try to do her
duty, and if her Superior gives no
sign of approbation of her conduct,
let her rest assured that our Lord will
approve and repay her well. Did we
1 8 St. Teresa s Own Words
come into the world to seek our
reward in this life ? Let our thoughts
be ever fixed upon the things that
last, and let us make no account of
the things here below, for they do not
last even for the short space of our
lives.
Give no place to thoughts of what
others may think of you, for though
they may seem but a slight matter at
first, yet by degrees they will come
to give you much disquiet. Banish
them, therefore, at once, remembering
that your kingdom is not of this world,
and that all visible things will very
soon have an end. Endeavour to rise
above this, and be content that men
should continue to think as they do ;
remain humble and despised, and be
glad to remain so, for the love of your
Lord who dwells within you.
Cast your eyes upon yourselves,
and not upon others, and look into
your own interior in the manner I
have described, and there you will
find your Heavenly Master, who will
never desert you. And the less
external consolation you find, the
St. Teresa sOwn Words 1 9
greater will be the tenderness with
which He will treat you. He is most
tender and compassionate, and never
abandons those who are afflicted and
despised, if they will but trust in Him
alone. Hence the Royal Prophet says
"that the Lord is with those who are
in affliction." I )o you believe this, or
not ? _If_ you do so, why do you
torment yourselves ?
O, God of my heart, if we only knew
Thee truly and indeed, nothing in the
world could distress or trouble us, for
Thou art liberal beyond expression to
those who wish to put their trust in
Thee. Believe me, it is a great point
to understand this truth, and to see
that all favours and honours here
below are nothing but deceit when
they turn away the soul from this
interior recollection. Good God ! who
shall be able to teach you to under
stand this truth as you ought ? Cer
tainly not I ; for though no one is
more bound to understand it than I
am, still I have not yet learnt it as it
ought to be learnt.
4. We should try to disengage our-
2O St. Teresa sOwn Words
selves, as far as may be, from exterior
occupations, that we may occupy our
selves more easily with God in our
own interior.
5. And even when engaged with
these occupations, we should often
turn our thoughts within ourselves, if
it be only for a single moment. The
mere act of calling to mind what a
Companion we have within us, is of
great importance.
6. We must try to use our external
senses so as to promote the interests
of our interior. For example, if we
speak to any one, let us call to mind
that there is One with whom we may
converse in the interior of our souls.
If we hear others speak of us, let us
remember that there is One to whom
we may listen, who speaks to us far
more clearly and intimately. Shut
yourselves up within this little heaven
of your souls, where He ever dwells
who made both the heaven within them
and the earth without, and accustom
yourselves to take off your eyes, and to
withdraw from those things by which
your external senses are distracted.
St. Teresa sOwn Words 21
7. But, above all things, I want to
impress upon you that, when we are
speaking to Him we should look at
Him and remain in His presence, and
not turn our backs upon him ; for it
seems to me that this is just what we do
if, while we are speaking to Him, we
are thinking of a thousand absurdities.
The whole mischief lies here, that we
do not fully understand how near He
is to us, but represent Him as far away.
And far enough off indeed He would
be if we had to go to heaven to see
Him. O God, is there, then, so little
beauty in Thy countenance that it is
not worth looking at when Thou art
so near us ? When we speak to men
we think they are not listening to us
if we do not see that their eyes are
upon us ; and shall we be so blind as
not to see that Thou art looking upon
us when we are speaking to Thee ?
How, then, can we know whether
Thou hast heard what we have said to
Thee ? It is, then, of no small im
portance for a distracted soul to
understand this truth, and to see that,
in order to speak to her Eternal
22 St. Teresa sOwn Words
Father, and to enjoy His company,
there is no need of going up to
heaven, or of raising her voice, as
though He were afar off. No ; how
ever low we speak, so near He is that
He is sure to hear us ; nor is there
any need of wings to fly and seek
Him. Nothing more is required than
to place ourselves in solitude, to look
at Him within ourselves, and be care
ful not to turn our eyes away from so
amiable a Guest to collect all our
external senses together, to turn them
within ourselves, and to give them
something to occupy them there.
Let us be convinced that, if we
please, we need never be separated
from His sweet company. And let us
think over with sorrow how, time after
time, we have left our Father in His
dwelling alone and forgotten this
Father on whose tender support we
entirely depend. Let us do this, if
we can, many times in the day ; if
not so often, at least now and then ;
but whether seldom or often, if we do
but try we shall find the fruit of it
sooner or later.
St. Teresa s Own Words 2 3
Speak to Him as to a father, ask
Him favours as from a father ; let us
tell Him all our troubles, and beg of
Him to relieve us, all the while bear
ing in mind that we are not worthy to
be His children. Treat with Him as
with your father, your brother, your
Lord, and your spouse sometimes in
one way, sometimes in another, for
He will teach you what you must do
to please Him. Do not act foolishly
(with levity) towards Him ; but ask
Him with confidence to keep the
promises He has made you, and, as
He is your Spouse, beg Him to treat
you as such. He will soon become
so familiar with us as to understand
us, as they say, by signs ; so that if
we have to say a number of " Our
Fathers," He will let us know that
He has heard us by the time we have
got through a single one. He is
always very glad to lessen our labours ;
so that if, during a whole hour, we
were to say but one "Our Father,"
yet, provided we (a) bear in mind that
we are with Him, and (<$) remember
that we are asking for Him, and (c)
Coll. Christi Re,
24 St. Teresa sOwn Words
how glad He is to give us what we
ask, and (d) how delighted He is to
be ^ in our company, He is quite
satisfied, and does not wish us to
split our heads by trying to make long
discourses.
8. The soul thus recollected within
herself can also think of the Passion,
and represent the Son of God as pre
sent within her, and offer Him there
to His Father, without wearying her
understanding by going and seeking
Him on Mount Calvary, or in the
Garden, or fastened to the pillar.
v 9, We can use the method of Prayer
of Recollection in praying also to the
Saints ; for do you suppose that when
He comes, He comes by Himself?
No ; I can be bold to say that His
courtiers never leave Him alone, but
are with Him wherever He resides,
and moreover, are ever making inter
cession with Him for us, for they are
full of charity.
10. Whoever wishes to acquire this
habit for, as I said before, it is
entirely within our power let him
not fail to exercise himself daily in
St. Teresa sOwn Words 25
the way I have described. It will
give him, little by little, a perfect
command over himself. He must
give himself wholly to God, it is true ;
but this sacrifice is not made for
nothing, for in return he receives an
entire control over himself and all his
faculties. Labour, as nothing worth
having is got without it. Persevere
in spite of trouble.
ii. At the same time we must never
lose sight of this truth : that the whole
of our perfection must be based on
humility, and if this humility be not
true and sincere, our Lord will never
permit the edifice to rise very high.
And this in reality is all the better for
us, for it would only rise to fall again
to the ground ; and the higher it had
risen the greater would be the fall.
In order, therefore, to build on this
solid foundation, let each one try to
look upon herself as below her com
panions rather than above them in
point of virtue and excellence. More
over, let each one be ever on the
watch for opportunities to do any
little service she can to those around
26 St. Teresa s Own Words
her, bearing in mind that, in thus
serving others, she is doing herself
a far greater service than she is
rendering to them. For she is thus
laying down stones for the foundation
of a building, that no danger or
temptation will be able to shake.
IV.
Advantages of Using the Prayer of
Recollection.
1. It is a great help to a distracted
soul (as said before) ; for in order to
speak to her Eternal Father and to
enjoy His company, there is no need
of going up to heaven or of raising
her voice, as though He were afar off.
2. This method of prayer, though
it be vocal, enables the mind to keep
recollected far more easily than in any
other way, and brings along with it
many excellent fruits.
3. Her (the soul s) Divine Master
forms and teaches her far more
quickly by this method than if she
followed any other way.
St. Teresa s Own Words 27
4. And leads her much sooner to
the prayer of quiet.
5. Those who practise it may rest
assured that they are following an
excellent way, and that at last they
will be allowed to drink at the fount
of perfect contemplation.
6. For they will advance much in a
very short time. It is like sailing in a
ship to one s journey s end. If the
wind and weather be favourable, he
who travels by water reaches the end
of his voyage in a very few days,
while he who goes by land is a long
time on the way. In the same
manner, those who use the Prayer of
Recollection are embarked, so to
speak, on the sea, and though they
have not yet altogether quitted the
shore, yet by this recollection of their
senses they are doing their best to
leave it behind them.
7. Admirable indeed it is, for they
who travel by this path are very
secure from the dangers which sur
round them.
8. And the fire of Divine love is
easily enkindled within them ; for they
28 St. Teresa sOwn Words
are so very near this heavenly fire
that, if their understanding do but
breathe upon it, the least spark that
touches them inflames their whole
souls at once. For since they are not
embarrassed by any external thing, but
the soul is here alone with her God,
they are fully prepared to receive the
communication of this Divine fire.
9. In this manner we shall be able
to pray vocally with great peace and
recollection, and thus be freed from a
vast amount of trouble we should
otherwise have.
10. For my part, I (St. Teresa)
acknowledge that I never knew what
it was to pray with satisfaction till our
Lord taught me this method ; and the
great profit I have always found from
this habit of recollecting myself in
my own interior has induced me to
speak of it so much at length.
11. When our Lord shall have
given us this habit of prayer, we
shall see so clearly its inestimable
value that we shall not be willing to
exchange it for all the treasures of
the world.
St. Teresa s Own Words 29
12. I know for certain that, if you
will only persevere, in the course of a
year, or perhaps in six months, by
God s help, you will obtain what you
desire. See how short a time is
required for obtaining so immense a
good !
13. It is no less than laying a solid
foundation, upon which the highest
perfection of virtue may be built.
I beseech you, therefore, to consider
as well spent whatever labour or
trouble you may employ upon this
great object.
V.
Notanda Regarding the Prayer of
Recollection.
Let me warn you not to imagine
that prayer alone, whether vocal or
mental, will serve as a foundation
for your spiritual edifice. For unless
with this you obtain solid virtues and
practise them, you will never advance
towards perfection. And would to
30 St. Teresa sOwn Words
God your not advancing were the
only evil ! But you surely know that
he that does not advance is sure
to go back, for I do not conceive
it possible that love should continue
in the same degree without either
increasing or growing cold. Unite,
therefore, the practice of solid virtue
with this interior recollection, so that,
if God wishes to raise you to great
things, He will find you well pre
pared, being already so closely united
to Himself.
And here let me caution you against
a certain false modesty which some
people have, and think it humility.
Truly it is no humility to refuse a
favour which a king offers us ! On
the contrary, true humility would
receive it with an acknowledgment
that it is more than we deserve, and
be very glad to have got it. A fine
sort of humility, when the Lord of
heaven and earth has come into my
house, with the intention of offering me
favours and of taking pleasure in my
company, to refuse to answer Him a
word, or to stay with Him at all, or to
St. Teresa sOwn Words 3 1
receive what He offers me, and leave
Him quite by Himself! Nay, and
when He tells me, and even implores
me, to ask Him favours, to choose,
through humility, forsooth, to remain
poor, and even to let Him go away
altogether, because He sees that I
cannot make up my mind to say any
thing to Him ! Pray, have nothing
to do with such humility as this.
Perhaps some persons may think
it foolish to explain this matter by
such a comparison [as that of the
interior mansion.] But I assure you
it may help you very much. And
more particularly for those who are
unlearned, all this is quite necessary
to make them understand that there
is something within them incomparably
more precious than they can see with
out. Let us not then imagine that we
are empty in our own interior. But
would to God that there were none
but the ignorant who forget this great
truth ; for if all of us were careful to
bear in mind what a Guest we have
residing within us, I hold it to be
impossible that we should give our-
3 2 St. Teresa sOwn Words
selves up as much as we do to the
things of the world, since we should
clearly see how contemptible they are
when compared with what we possess
within ourselves. For if we are ever
running after things that gratify our
external senses, what else do brute
beasts do ? When they see an object
that pleases their eyes, they seize and
devour it to satisfy their hunger. Is
there, then, to be no difference between
them and us ?
Now perhaps there are some people
who will laugh at me for being so
particular in insisting upon all this,
and say, 4 1 1 is all clear enough. " Well,
they are quite right ; so it is ; but yet
there was a time when it was very
obscure to me. I knew very well that
I had got a soul ; but as to the value
of this soul, and who it was that dwelt
within it, about this I knew nothing
at all. I had so blinded my eyes with
the vanities of the world that I could
not see these truths. It seems to me
that if I had understood then, as I do
now, that so great a King resided in
this palace of my soul, I should not
St. Teresa sOwn Words 33
have left Him alone so very often, but
should have sometimes kept Him
company, and should have tried more
to purify my soul. For what could
possibly excite in a soul such wonder
and admiration as this that He whose
greatness would fill a thousand worlds
should shut Himself up in so small
and mean a dwelling? It was even
thus that He was pleased to take up
His abode in the womb of His most
holy Mother! But as He is the
Lord of all, He is free to do whatever
He will; and so, because He loves us,
He accommodates Himself to our
littleness. Thus, when a soul is but
beginning, in order that she may not
be disturbed by seeing how very
little she is to contain One who
is so great, He does not allow her,
at first, to understand all this, till,
little by little, He has enlarged
and expanded the soul, according
to the measure of those gifts which
He designs to bestow upon her.
For this reason, I said that He is
free to do whatsoever He will,
for He has the power to enlarge this
34 St. Teresa s Own Words
palace in which He is pleased to
dwell.
Now, if this recollection be real and
genuine, it soon shows itself very
clearly, for then a certain effect is
produced in the soul, which I do not
know exactly how to describe, but
which is easily understood by one who
has felt it. The soul sees that all the
things of this world are a mere game,
an idle pastime, and joyfully abandons
the distracting scene, and then, like
one who retires into a strong castle to
be out of the reach of his enemies,
she withdraws her senses from these
external things, and so completely
turns her back upon them that, with
out thinking of it, the eyes of the body
close of themselves, that she may see
them no longer, but may be better
able to attend to what is going on in
her own interior. Hence it is that
whosoever practises this method almost
always has his eyes shut when he is
saying his prayers ; and this is an
excellent custom for many reasons,
since it implies the doing some violence
to oneself thus to turn away our eyes
St. Teresa sOwn Words 35
from these earthly things. However,
this effort is only required in the
beginning ; afterwards there is no
need of it, for after a little practice
it would be necessary to do oneself a
great deal more violence to open the
eyes during prayer than to keep them
shut. Thus the soul gathers strength
and force at the expense of the body.
She leaves it, as it were, alone and
helpless, and thereby acquires fresh
power to govern it and oppose its
desires.
Now you must understand that
there are various degrees in this
recollection ; so although, at the be
ginning, all that I have described may
not be clearly felt, yet let us only
persevere, in spite of the trouble it
may cost us at first, and we shall soon
see the advantage of it. I say it will
cost us some trouble at first, because
the body will try for a time to insist
on its rights, not knowing that, by
refusing to yield at once, it is its own
greater enemy ; but if we only per
severe for a few days, and do ourselves
a little violence, we shall soon perceive
3 6 St. Teresa s Own Words
the fruit of our exertions. We shall
find, as soon as we begin to pray, that
the bees will all flock into the hive
and set to work to make the honey,
and this without any trouble on our
part. For it has pleased our Lord to
ordain that, in reward for the little
trouble we take at the beginning,
our understanding and our will re
ceive so complete a mastery over
all our powers that if they merely
give a sign that they wish to be
recollected, the senses obey them at
once, and become recollected along
with them.
And although, after this, they may
again try to run away, yet it is a great
point gained to have made them
surrender at first ; for then they can
only steal off like so many captives
and conquered subjects, and cannot do
us the harm they would have done
before; and when the will turns round
and calls them all in again, they come
back much more quickly. And, at
last, after they have thus many times
deserted and been brought back again
to their post, it pleases our Lord to
St. Teresa s Own Words 3 7
appoint that they remain at rest for
good and all in perfect contemplation.
I would have you clearly to under
stand what I have said. Although it
may seem obscure at first, every one
will soon comprehend it if he will only
try to practise it. I pray His Divine
Majesty never to permit us to withdraw
ourselves from His holy presence.
Amen.
PARTICULAR EXAMEN
As to how we Use the Prayer of
Recollection*
1. Do I, when commencing, make
an act of lively Faith in the presence
of God in my interior?
2. Do I humble myself before Him
and ask His help ?
3. Do I make efforts to collect the
powers of my soul, to take off my
exterior senses, and to turn both one
and the other on our Lord in my
interior, by looking at and listening to
* By Bishop Chadwick.
38 St. Teresa sOwn Words
Him, and by believing that He is both
looking at and listening to me, and
that He is close at hand?
4. Have I seated Him on His
throne in my interior, i.e., on my heart,
viz., my will and affections ?
5. Have I often declared to Him
that I desire to give myself entirely to
Him, and do I so give myself?
6. Do I treat Him familiarly, but
without levity, styling Him Father,
Brother, Spouse, &c., making known
to Him my wants, declaring that I
am His spouse, and that He is to
treat me as such, bearing in mind
that I am with Him, and He with
me, that He is glad to give me what
I ask, and that He delights to be
with me ?
7. Do I ask Him for what I stand
in need of, and speak to Him with
faith, desire, confidence, humility, per
severance, declaring on my part that
I will do all He requires in order that
I may obtain what I ask ?
8. Do I make practical resolutions ?
What are they, and do I beg His
blessing on them ?
St. Teresa s Own Words 3 9
9. Do I practise Prayer of Recollec
tion daily ?
10. Do I give way to distractions ?
If so, what are the sources of them?
Am I resolved to cut these sources
off?
11. Do I thank our Lord before
rising from prayer, and take care not
to dissipate my interior by wilful
negligence ?
12. Is my prayer fruitful? i.e. :
(a) Do I increase in a desire to advance
in solid virtue and in perfection ? (b]
Do I endeavour, in great peace, to
lessen the number of my faults and
imperfections? (c] Do I endeavour
to practise the solid virtues? (d] Is
my desire for sincere humility on the
increase ?
13. Do I, from time to time, read
and ponder over St. Teresa s instruc
tions on the Prayer of Recollection ?
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