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St. Teresa of Avila
The Way of Perfection
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The Way of Perfection
CHAPTER 28 - Describes the nature of the Prayer of Recollection and sets down some of the means by which we can make it a habit.
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CHAPTER
28
-
Describes
the
nature
of the
Prayer
of
Recollection
and
sets
down some of the
means
by which we can make it a
habit
.
Consider
now what your
Master
says
next: "Who
art
in the
Heavens
." Do you
suppose
it
matters
little
what
Heaven
is and where you must
seek
your most
holy
Father
? I
assure
you that 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
, for it is one of the
best
ways
of
concentrating
the
mind
and
effecting
recollection
in the
soul
.
You
know
that
God
is everywhere; and this is a
great
truth
, for, of
course
, wherever the
king
is, or so they
say
, the
court
is too: that is to
say
, wherever
God
is, there is
Heaven
. No
doubt
you can
believe
that, in any
place
where His
Majesty
is, there is
fulness
of
glory
.
Remember
how
Saint
Augustine
tells
us about his
seeking
God
in many
places
and
eventually
finding
Him within himself. Do you
suppose
it is of
little
importance
that a
soul
which is often
distracted
should
come
to
understand
this
truth
and to
find
that, in
order
to
speak
to its
Eternal
Father
and to
take
its
delight
in Him, it has no
need
to
go
to
Heaven
or to
speak
in a
loud
voice
? However
quietly
we
speak
, He is so
near
that He will
hear
us: 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. Nor
need
we
feel
strange
in the
presence
of so
kind
a
Guest
; 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. A
fine
humility
it would be if I had the
Emperor
of
Heaven
and
earth
in my
house
,
coming
to it to do me a
favour
and to
delight
in my
company
, and I were so
humble
that I would not
answer
His
questions
, nor
remain
with Him, nor
accept
what He
gave
me, but
left
Him alone. Or if He were to
speak
to me and
beg
me to
ask
for what I
wanted
, and I were so
humble
that I
preferred
to
remain
poor
and even let Him
go
away, so that He would
see
I had not
sufficient
resolution
.
Have nothing to do with that
kind
of
humility
,
daughters
, but
speak
with Him as with a
Father
, a
Brother
, a
Lord
and a
Spouse
-- and, sometimes in one
way
and sometimes in another, He will
teach
you what you must do to
please
Him. Do not be
foolish
;
ask
Him to let you
speak
to Him, and, as He is your
Spouse
, to
treat
you as His
brides
.
Remember
how
important
it is for you to have
understood
this
truth
-- that the
Lord
is within us and that we should be there with Him.
If one
prays
in this
way
, the
prayer
may
be only
vocal
, but the
mind
will be
recollected
much
sooner
; and this is a
prayer
which
brings
with it many
blessings
. It is
called
recollection
because the
soul
collects
together all the
faculties
and
enters
within itself to be with its
God
. Its
Divine
Master
comes
more
speedily
to
teach
it, and to
grant
it the
Prayer
of
Quiet
, than in any other
way
. For,
hidden
there within itself, it 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
.
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 are like one who
travels
in a
ship
, and, if he has a
little
good
wind
,
reaches
the end of his
voyage
in a few
days
, while those who
go
by
land
take
much
longer
.
These
souls
have already, as we
may
say
,
put
out to
sea
; though they have not
sailed
quite
out of
sight
of
land
, they do what they can to
get
away from it, in the
time
at their
disposal
, by
recollecting
their
senses
. If their
recollection
is
genuine
, the
fact
becomes very
evident
, for it
produces
certain
effects
which I do not
know
how to
explain
but which anyone will
recognize
who has
experience
of them. It is as if the
soul
were
rising
from
play
, for it
sees
that
worldly
things
are nothing but
toys
; so in
due
course
it
rises
above them, like a
person
entering
a
strong
castle
, in
order
that it
may
have nothing more to
fear
from its
enemies
. It
withdraws
the
senses
from all
outward
things
and
spurns
them so
completely
that, without its
understanding
how, its
eyes
close
and it cannot
see
them and the
soul
's
spiritual
sight
becomes
clear
. Those who
walk
along this
path
almost
invariably
close
their
eyes
when they
say
their
prayers
; this, for many
reasons
, is an
admirable
custom
, since it
means
that they are
making
an
effort
not to
look
at
things
of the
world
. The
effort
has to be made only at the beginning; later it becomes
unnecessary
:
eventually
, in
fact
, it would
cost
a
greater
effort
to
open
the
eyes
during
prayer
than to
close
them. The
soul
seems to
gather
up its
strength
and to
master
itself at the
expense
of the
body
, which it
leaves
weakened
and alone: in this
way
it becomes
stronger
for the
fight
against it.
This
may
not be
evident
at first, if the
recollection
is not very
profound
-- for at this
stage
it is sometimes more so and sometimes less. At first it
may
cause
a
good
deal
of
trouble
, for the
body
insists
on its
rights
, not
understanding
that if it
refuses
to
admit
defeat
it is, as it were,
cutting
off its own
head
. But if we
cultivate
the
habit
, make the
necessary
effort
and
practise
the
exercises
for several
days
, the
benefits
will
reveal
themselves, and 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. 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
. Later they
may
come
out again, but it is a
great
thing
that they should ever have
surrendered
, for if they
come
out it is as
captives
and
slaves
and they do none of the
harm
that they might have done before. 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
.
What has been
said
should be
noted
with
great
care
, for, though it seems
obscure
, it will be
understood
by anyone
desirous
of
putting
it into
practice
. The
sea-voyage
, then, can be made; and, as it is very
important
that we should not
travel
too
slowly
, let us
just
consider
how we can
get
accustomed
to these
good
habits
.
Souls
who do so are more
secure
from many
occasions
of
sin
, and the
fire
of
Divine
love
is the more
readily
enkindled
in them; for they are so
near
that
fire
that, however
little
the
blaze
has been
fanned
with the
understanding
, any
small
spark
that
flies
out at them will
cause
them to
burst
into
flame
. When no
hindrance
comes
to it from
outside
, the
soul
remains
alone with its
God
and is
thoroughly
prepared
to become
enkindled
.
And now let us
imagine
that we have within us a
palace
of
priceless
worth
,
built
entirely
of
gold
and
precious
stones
-- a
palace
, in
short
,
fit
for so
great
a
Lord
.
Imagine
that it is
partly
your
doing
that this
palace
should be what it is -- and this is
really
true
, 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
.
Imagine
that within the
palace
dwells
this
great
King
, Who has
vouchsafed
to become your
Father
and Who is
seated
upon a
throne
of
supreme
price
-- namely, your
heart
.
At first you will
think
this
irrelevant
-- I
mean
the
use
of this
figure
to
explain
my
point
-- but it
may
prove
very
useful
,
especially
to
persons
like yourselves. For, as we
women
are not
learned
or
fine-witted
, we
need
all these
things
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
;
God
grant
that only
women
may
be so
thoughtless
as to
suppose
that. 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. 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
.
Perhaps you will
laugh
at me and
say
that this is
obvious
enough; and you will be
right
, though it was some
time
before I
came
to
see
it. I
knew
perfectly
well that I had a
soul
, but 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. I
think
, 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
. How
wonderful
it is that He Whose
greatness
could
fill
a
thousand
worlds
, and very many more, should
confine
Himself within so
small
a
space
,
just
as He was
pleased
to
dwell
within the
womb
of His most
holy
Mother
!
Being
the
Lord
, He has, of
course
,
perfect
freedom
, and, as He
loves
us, He
fashions
Himself to our
measure
.
When a
soul
sets
out upon this
path
, He 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. It is for this
reason
that I
say
He has
perfect
freedom
, since He has
power
to make the whole of this
palace
great
. The
important
point
is that we should be
absolutely
resolved
to
give
it to Him for His own and should
empty
it so that He
may
take
out and
put
in
just
what He
likes
, as He would with something of His own. His
Majesty
is
right
in
demanding
this; let us not
deny
it to Him. And, as He
refuses
to
force
our will, He
takes
what we
give
Him but does not
give
Himself
wholly
until He
sees
that we are
giving
ourselves
wholly
to Him. This is
certain
, and, as it is of such
importance
, I often
remind
you of it. Nor does He
work
within the
soul
as He does when it is
wholly
His and
keeps
nothing
back
. I do not
see
how He can do so, since He
likes
everything to be done in
order
. If we
fill
the
palace
with
vulgar
people
and all
kinds
of
junk
, how can the
Lord
and His
Court
occupy
it? When such a
crowd
is there it would be a
great
thing
if He were to
remain
for even a
short
time
.
Do you
suppose
,
daughters
, that He is alone when He
comes
to us? Do you not
see
that His most
holy
Son
says
: "Who
art
in the
Heavens
"?
Surely
such a
King
would not be
abandoned
by His
courtiers
. They
stay
with Him and
pray
to Him on our
behalf
and for our
welfare
, for they are
full
of
charity
. Do not
imagine
that
Heaven
is like this
earth
, where, if a
lord
or
prelate
shows
anyone
favours
, whether for some
particular
reason
or
simply
because he
likes
him,
people
at once become
envious
, and, though the
poor
man
has done nothing to them, he is
maliciously
treated
, so that his
favours
cost
him
dear
.
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