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Contemplatives |
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Spirituality
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Prayer ~
From Paul of the Cross' Letters and Teresa of Avila's Way of PerfectionFrom Paul of the Cross' Letter
"...when you feel drawn to a repose in God, lose yourself in the Immense Good. Leave off vocal prayer for mental prayer... no need whatever to concern yourself about distractions and temptations that occur during holy prayer. Simply withdraw into the deepest part of your spirit, and there enter into the sanctuary to treat with God in spirit and in truth, mocking the exterior uproar of the enemy, who makes a clamor around the soul but cannot enter within. If you are humble, God will make you understand what I am saying here..." ~Paul of the Cross to Agnes Grazi (15th letter on October 28, 1734 in Vol. 1 on Page 102)
Teresa of Avila's Book
"...If we do not give ourselves to His Majesty as resolutely as He gives Himself to us, He will be doing more than enough for us if He leaves us in mental prayer and from time to time visits us as He would visit servants in His vineyard. But these others are His beloved ..., whom He would never want to banish from His side; and, as they have no desire to leave Him, He never does so. He seats them at His table, and feeds them with His own food, almost taking the food from His mouth in order to give it them..." ~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 16
From Paul of the Cross' Letter
~Paul of the Cross to Francis Appiani (2nd letter on March 23, 1736 in Vol. 1 on Page 125)"...True preparation, whether for prayer or Communion, is a living faith, a profound humility, from which comes a great knowledge of God and of our own nothingness. Have no doubt that God will teach you, especially when you are here. After all, the great master of prayer is the Holy Spirit... Take an hour for mental prayer in the morning and about an hour in the evening before dinner — if you can, do it in church. During the day stay in the Divine Presence, read a bit, make use of ejaculatory prayers, but gently, walk in the country a bit to refresh yourself out of love for God..."
Teresa of Avila's Book
~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 18"...So practice mental prayer... cannot do that, vocal prayer, reading and colloquies with God, as I shall explain to you later. Do not neglect the hours of prayer... you never know when the Spouse will call you (do not let what happened to the foolish virgins happen to you) and if He will give you fresh trials under the disguise of consolations. If He does not, you may be sure that you are not fit for them and that what you are doing is suitable for you. That is where both merit and humility come in, when you really think that you are not fit for what you are doing..."
From Paul of the Cross' Letter
"...Make your mental prayer, morning and evening, and your accustomed Communion as well as study in accord with your state. Do not load yourself down with so many vocal prayers, but recite the ones you use well. Help yourself with ejaculatory prayers. Rest your spirit with some licit recreation and take the necessary sleep. When you take your solitary walks, listen to the sermons of the flowers, the trees, the bushes, the heavens, the sun, and all the world. You will find they preach of love and praise of God, and invite you to magnify the greatness of the Sovereign Artist, who gave them being..." ~Paul of the Cross to Francis Appiani (13th letter on July 16, 1738 in Vol. 1 on Page 235)
Teresa of Avila's Book
"...If they tell you that you should practice only vocal prayer, ask whether your mind and heart ought not to be in what you say. If they answer “Yes”—and they cannot do otherwise—you see they are admitting that you are bound to practice mental prayer, and even contemplation, if God should grant it you..." ~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 21
From Paul of the Cross' Letter
"...Every morning in your room make at least a half-hour of mental prayer on the Passion of Jesus Christ.... Every evening, after you have taken care of your household tasks and before supper, as often as you can, make another half-hour of mental prayer..." ~Paul of the Cross to Lucrezia Bastiani (1st letter on January 9, 1760 in Vol. 3 on Page 45)
Teresa of Avila's Book
~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 22"...whether or no you are practicing mental prayer has nothing to do with keeping the lips closed. If, while I am speaking with God, I have a clear realization and full consciousness that I am doing so, and if this is more real to me than the words I am uttering, then I am combining mental and vocal prayer..."
From Paul of the Cross' Letter
As regards your prayer, it could not go better, so continue to remain in pure faith in your interior, allowing your soul to rest on the bosom of God, and do so in Communion. In vocal prayer, when God draws your soul to this peace and quiet of interior recollection and you sense that your soul wants to remain in God in a sacred silence of faith and love, then leave off the vocal prayers and continue with your mental prayer in that holy recollection of love in which the soul is enriched with every good. ~Paul of the Cross to Teresa Palozzi (12th letter on March 9, 1760 in Vol. 3 on Page 53)
Teresa of Avila's Book
"...I know a nun who could never practice anything but vocal prayer but who kept to this and found she had everything else; yet if she omitted saying her prayers her mind wandered so much that she could not endure it. May we all practice such mental prayer as that..." ~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 30
From Paul of the Cross' Letter
Behold what the Most High desires of you at this time! Give your attention, first of all, to mental prayer, now is the time to give yourself specifically. I say the same thing for spiritual reading and being withdrawn in accord with your state, etc. Doing this, the Lord will give you holy lights to bring up your children in a Christian manner in the fear of God, and your soul will go on growing in holy divine love. ~Paul of the Cross to John Francis Sancez (22nd letter on August 15, 1760 in Vol. 3 on Page 68)
Teresa of Avila's Book
"...Lord has taught us the whole method of prayer and of high contemplation, from the very beginnings of mental prayer, to Quiet and Union. With so true a foundation to build upon, I could write a great book on prayer if only I knew how to express myself. As you have seen, Our Lord is beginning here to explain to us the effects which it produces, when the favors come from Him..." ~Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection Chapter 37
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