Download Christian Spirituality

On Prayer
Deacon D. Gannon, J.D., M.A.
Course Outline (high level)
Prayer In the Son and Spirit 2598-2649
 Universal call to prayer & holiness 2566 - 2597
 Necessity of prayer
 Prayer Indispensable for holiness
 Presuppositions, (Wellsprings) to Prayer 2652 -
2662
 What is Prayer 2559 - 2565
 Types of Prayer 2626 - 2649
 Jesus and Prayer 2598 – 2616
 Method
Course Outline (cont’d)
Ways and Guides of Prayer
 The Way of Prayer 2663 - 2682
 Guides to Prayer 2683 – 2696
 The Three Ages of the Interior Life
 Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive Way
 St. Teresa of Avila - Mansions
 St. John of the Cross – Dark Night
 St. Therese – Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
 Abandonment to Divine Providence
Sources & Recommended
Readings
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Abandonment to Divine Providence – Caussade
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Christian Perfection and Contemplation – Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
Collected Works of St. John of the Cross
Collected Works of St. Teresa of Jesus
Complete Spiritual Doctrine of St. Therese - Jamart
Difficulties in Mental Prayer – Rev. Eugene Boylan
Divine Mercy – Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska
Fire Within – Rev. Thomas Dubay
The Imitation of Christ – Thomas a’ Kempis
I Want To See God / I Am a Daughter of the Church – P. Marie-Eugene, O.C.D.
Introduction to the Devout Life – St. Francis de Sales
Life of Christ – Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Meeting God in the Heart – Douglas Bushman
Summa Theologica – St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Jane de Chantal – On Prayer
Story of a Soul – St. Therese of Lisieux
The Three Ages of the Interior Life – Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
Various works from Dom Hubert VanZeller
Various Church Encyclicals by Pope John Paul II
Tonight …
Prayer In the Son and Spirit
 Universal call to prayer & holiness 2566 - 2597
 Necessity of prayer
 Prayer Indispensable for holiness
 Presuppositions, (Wellsprings) to Prayer 2652 2662
 What is Prayer 2559 - 2565
 Types of Prayer 2626 - 2649
 Jesus and Prayer 2598 – 2616
 Method
Universal Call to Prayer
The Holy Father has addressed the leaders of all Catholic
evangelized laity at the Vatican in these words:
"Holiness has at its core the contemplation of the
Lord Jesus, and all our millennium planning must
seek to lead people to a deeper awareness of the
One Who is the only Savior of the world. This
requires mature and faithful prayer. Let your
communities and movements become genuine
'schools' of prayer where the meeting with Jesus is
expressed not just in imploring help, but also in
praise, thanksgiving, adoration, contemplation,
listening and ardent devotion, until the heart
truely 'falls in love' (Novo Millennio Incunte, 33).
"Put out into the deep of prayer in
order to put out into the deep of
mission." - Pope John Paul II, April 2001
“Operatio Sequitur
Esse”
… Actions flow from being.
Transverberation of St. Teresa
What is first in intention is last in execution
First three CCC pillars: Creed/Revelation & Sacramental life &
Moral Life … ordered to UNION with God…
Universal Call to Holiness
Pope John Paul II
… in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio
Ineunte points to holiness as the
cornerstone of the disciple’s life saying:
"It is necessary…to rediscover the full practical
significance of chapter 5 of the Dogmatic Constitution on
the Church Lumen Gentium, dedicated to the
‘universal call to holiness….This…objective gift of
holiness is offered to all the baptized”.
Universal Call to Holiness
St. John of the Cross
Here it ought to be pointed out why there are so few who
reach this high state of perfect union with God. It should
be known that the reason is not because God wishes
that there be only a few of these spirits so elevated.; He
would rather want all to be perfect, but He finds few
vessels that will endure so lofty and sublime a work.”
The Living Flame of Love, st.2, no.27
Universal Call to Holiness
St. Teresa of Avila
“…the Lord invites us all; and, since He is Truth Itself,
we cannot doubt Him … As He said we were all to come,
without making this condition, I feel sure that none will
fail to receive this living water unless they cannot keep
to the path.”
(The Way, end of Chapter 19)
“He did not say: ‘Some must come by this way and
others by that’ His mercy is so great that He has
forbidden none to strive to come and drink of this
fountain of life.”
(The Way, Chapter 17)
… can an ordinary person like me
become HOLY??
Two words: Mary & Joseph
 No miracles
 No visions
 Ordinary family struggles
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searched for Jesus
complied with Mosaic laws
fled from tyrrany
 Lived in simplicity and poverty
 Hidden and unknown lives!
Sound like anyone you know???
Yet … we know …
Caussade on Mary …
Mary and Joseph attained the pinnacle of prayer
and holiness above all human beings…
 In context of marriage & family
 Amidst a community that probably didn’t
understand or accept them very well
 In hiddeness & obscurity
 Their lives were ordinary, even mundane
 In faith and abandonment to God’s
Necessity of Prayer
Prayer integrates one's life
"A Christian who does not pray is like a man who neither
thinks nor wills--a mere animal in the spiritual life."
Father Eugene Boylan in DIFFICULTIES IN
MENTAL PRAYER--preface (pp. x-xi):
"A short time ago I was told by a very learned man that souls
without prayer are like people whose bodies or limbs are
paralyzed: they possess feet and hands but they cannot control
them. In the same way, there are souls so infirm and so
accustomed to busying themselves with outside affairs that
nothing can be done for them, and it seems as though they are
incapable of entering within themselves at all.“
- St. Teresa of Avila THE INTERIOR CASTLE
(First Mansions, chapter 1, p. 31)
Necessity of Prayer
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
Apostolic Letter of the Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II
August 28, 1986
The doctrine of the necessity of the divine grace
becomes the doctrine of the necessity of
prayer, on which Augustine insists so much,
because, as he writes, "it is certain that God
has prepared some gifts even for those who
do not pray, such as the beginning of faith; but
other gifts only for those who pray, such as
final perseverance.“ De dono persev. 16,39: PL 45,1017
Necessity of Prayer
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
Apostolic Letter of the Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II
August 28, 1986
"Your desire is itself
your prayer; and if your
desire is continuous,
then your prayer too is
continuous.”
Necessity of Prayer
Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic
Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte
Common to the life of every disciple of Jesus, regardless of his or her individual
vocation, is the necessity of prayer and witness. Pope John Paul II in the
same Apostolic Letter states: "This training in holiness calls for a Christian life
distinguished above all in the art of prayer….Prayer develops that
conversation with Christ which makes us his intimate friends….This
reciprocity is the very substance and soul of the Christian life…"
Necessity of Prayer
St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
Let us also reflect on the
necessity of prayer. St.
Chrysostom says that, as the
body without the soul is
dead, so the soul is dead
without prayer. He also
teaches that, as water is
necessary to prevent the
decay of plants, so prayer is
necessary to preserve us
from perdition. God wills that
all men be saved.
Preparation for Death or "Considerations on the
(1Tim 2:4)
Eternal Truths" by St. Alphonsus de Liguori,
Redemptorist Fathers, NY (1926) pp. 304-306.
Necessity of Prayer
St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
Ask, and you shall receive. He who asks, receives;
then, says St. Teresa, he who does not ask, does not
receive. And before her, St. James said the same
thing. You have not, because you ask not. (James 4:2)
Prayer is particularly necessary to obtain the virtue of
continence. And said the wise man, as I knew that I could
not otherwise be continent, except God gave it, . . . I went
to the Lord, and besought Him. Let us conclude this point.
He who prays, is certainly saved; he who does not
pray, is certainly lost. All the elect are saved by prayer;
all the damned are lost by neglect of prayer, and their
greatest despair is, and will be forever, caused by the
conviction, that they had it in their power to save their
souls so easily by prayer, and that now the time of
salvation is no more.
Prayer Indispensable for Holiness
"The pursuit of perfection is
utterly impossible
without mental prayer -which, of course, may be
made quite unconsciously.
In fact, it may be said that
if a man does not pray he
cannot save his soul."
Father Eugene Boylan, DIFFICULTIES IN
MENTAL PRAYER, the preface (pp. x-xi):
Prayer Indispensable for Holiness
Later in the same preface, he says:
"Nor do we think that even lay-people by their
life are debarred for hoping for such progress in
prayer as we indicate in this book. Anyone who
is prepared to serve God with good-will, and
devote sufficient time daily to spiritual reading
and to prayer, may reasonably expect to grow
in friendship with God, which is, to progress in
prayer. The difficulties of the laity in the interior
life need more detailed treatment than can be
given in this book but they are not insuperable,
and need not prevent any lay person of good
will from trying to lead an interior life of prayer
even in the world" (pp. xi-xii).
Hence … we are all called …
 To perfection
 To holiness
 To love
Prayer and holiness in action
is for YOU and ME!
Wellsprings of Prayer –
Presuppositions 2652 to 2662
Word of God
Liturgy
Theological Virtues – grace in
the soul
“Today” – ‘Sacrament’ of the
Present Moment
CONVERSION
Presuppositions for Prayer
“Remote Dispositions for Prayer”:
 One must believe and trust that an intimate
relationship with God is possible.
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existence and love of God implied here
 One's conscience must be at peace.
 One must surrender oneself totally to God's
will in one's life.
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to the extent one does not, one does not
progress
 One must have a desire to get in touch with
God - often happens with pain or suffering
Presuppositions for Prayer
Let’s elaborate on these dispositions …
Presuppositions for Prayer
Important:
When analyzing the life of prayer and how one
is disposed…
Understand this is not a “linear” path
Prayer disposes our active life and vice-versa
Active life
Prayer life
Presuppositions for Prayer
I
One must believe and trust that an intimate relationship with
God is possible.
Support for this belief and trust:
From St. John's Gospel
"Anyone who loves me will be true to
my word, and my Father will love him;
we will come to him and make our
dwelling place with him"
(Jn. 14:23)
From St. John's First Epistle
"We have come to know and to believe
in the love God has for us"
(1 Jn 4:16).
Presuppositions for Prayer
I
One must believe and trust that an intimate relationship with
God is possible.
From St. Teresa of Avila (INTERIOR CASTLE,
Mansions One [Image edition, pp. 30-31]):
"where the most secret things pass between
God and the soul" (p. 29),
St. Teresa says:
"I am sure that, if any one of you does not
believe this, she will never learn it by
experience. For God's will is that no bounds
should be set to His works" (pp. 30-31)
Presuppositions for Prayer
I
One must believe and trust that an intimate relationship with
God is possible.
 Existence of God
 Proofs for God’s existence
 Revelation of God to Man
 So God exists, but has he said
anything to us?
 Crucifixion Second Person of
Blessed Trinity
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Redemption
God’s merciful love
Presuppositions for Prayer
II
One's conscience must be at peace
Our Source for this disposition is St. Jane
Chantal
(On Prayer, p. 14):
"Remote preparation consists in nothing more
than this: peace of conscience, watchfulness
over our senses, a normal awareness of God,
a familiar conversation with the Divine Majesty
in one's soul, and above all the liberation of the
soul from all ungoverned affections and
passions. The fact is that we must strip
ourselves of anything which can trouble our
minds or conscience and which can prevent us
from maintaining ourselves in a spirit of
recollection and interior liberty."
Presuppositions for
Prayer
II
One's conscience must be at peace
What does this mean?
(1) ONE'S CONSCIENCE MUST BE CLEAR:
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Authenticity in relationship
(2) IF ONE'S CONSCIENCE IS NOT CLEAR, THEN ONE
MUST GET IT CLEAN. HOW?
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by sorrow, by conversion in one's heart.
by reconciliation with God in the Sacrament of Penance.
One then manifests one's sorrow publicly and one is given
the assurance that forgiveness is given.
Freedom of spirit, freedom from burdens, then follows.
Presuppositions for
Prayer
II
One's conscience must be at peace
"More does God desire of you
the least degree of purity of
conscience than all the
works you can do"
(SPIR. MAX.12, p. 220 in Peers, vol. 3).
Presuppositions for Prayer
III
Total surrender to God’s will in one’s
life
Our Source for this disposition is St. John of the Cross:
"Any one of these imperfections, if the soul has
become attached and habituated to it, is of as
great harm to its growth and progress in virtue
as though it were to fall daily into many other
imperfections and casual venial sins.....For as
long as it has this there is no possibility that it
will make progress in perfection, even though
the imperfection be extremely slight”
(ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL, Book 1,
chap. xi, no. 4.[p. 145 in Image edition]):
Chains of St. Peter
Presuppositions for Prayer
III
Total surrender to God’s will in one’s
life
… then he makes an analogy which is often cited:
"For it comes to the same thing whether a bird be
held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even
if it be slender, the bird will be well held as though it
were stout, for so long as it breaks it not and flies not
away. It is true that the slender one is the easier to
break; still, easy though it be, the bird will not fly away
if it be not broken. And thus the soul that has
attachment to anything, however much virtue it
possess, will not attain to the liberty of Divine union."
(ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL, Book I, chapter
xi, no. 4, pp. 145-146 in Image edition)
Presuppositions for
Prayer
III
Total surrender to God’s will in one’s
life
St. Matthew (19:29):
"Moreover, everyone who has given up home, brothers or sisters,
father or mother, wife or children or property for my sake will receive
many times as much and inherit everlasting life.“
St. John (12:24-25): DEATH TO SELF …
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the
ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it
produces much fruit.
…Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in
this world will preserve it for eternal life.” (Mt 10:39)
Presuppositions for Prayer
III
Total surrender to God’s will in one’s
life
What does this mean?
To surrender ourselves to God by a total abandonment of self, and
to lose ourselves in the abyss of our nothingness so as to find
ourselves again only in God, is to perform the most excellent act of
which we are capable, and which contains in itself the substance of all
the other virtues. This is the one thing necessary which our Lord
recommends in His Gospel. - Abandonment p. 440
The more we banish from ourselves all that is not God, the more we
shall be filled with God… the practice of perfect self-annihilation
consists in having no other care but to die wholly to self in order to
make room for God to live and work in us. - Ibid p. 440
Presuppositions for
Prayer
III
Total surrender to God’s will in one’s
life
What does this mean?
2611 The prayer of faith consists not only in saying
"Lord, Lord," but in disposing the heart to do the
will of the Father.
Jesus calls his disciples to bring into their prayer
this concern for cooperating with the divine plan.
Presuppositions for Prayer
IV
The desire to get in touch with God
 Our Source for this disposition is Father Hubert
Van Zeller, a contemporary spiritual writer--now
dead. He says in a book entitled Approach to Prayer :
"While there are many dispositions for
prayer, the one condition of prayer is the
desire to get in touch with God" (p. 1)
Presuppositions for Prayer
IV
The desire to get in touch with God
 There is a consolation in this whole
scenario. It is this: God wants that
communication more than we do!
 St. John of the Cross says:
"First, it must be known that, if a soul is seeking
God, its Beloved is seeking it much more." (Living
Flame of Love, stanza 3, no. 27, p. 66 in Vol. 3 of Peers complete works).
Presuppositions for Prayer
IV
The desire to get in touch with God
 This desire often intensifies as
we undergo trials and
sufferings
 Anything that causes
questioning … “why?”
 Surrender / Abandonment
come when one finds no
consolation or help in self or
the world
What Prayer is NOT …
 Associated with feeling or mere “thinking”…
 Concomitant with extraordinary phenomena
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levitation, visions, ecstasy, etc.
What is Prayer?
 What we do in church, or before meals or
when we need something…?
 Formulas we speak to God?
 Something clergy does?
 Feelings, emotions …
St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church:
“Mental prayer, in my view, is nothing but friendly
intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with
Him Who we know loves us.”
Life, viii; Peers, I, 50
… Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes Teresa,
above in its definition of contemplative prayer…
What is Prayer - Definitions
Broad Sense:
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God…”
St. John Damascene, De fide orth. 3, 24:PG 94, 1089C
"It is not easy to give a brief, satisfactory definition of prayer. The verb `to
pray' means literally to ask for something--and yet prayer is much more
than just asking God for something. Any definition of prayer must show that
it is more than an activity of the intellect. A person's will, affections, and
activities are all to be lifted up to God, bringing about an intimate personal
relationship with Him.“
Rev. Ronald Lawler – The Teaching of Christ
What is Prayer – Narrow Sense
(2626 to 2643)
2628,29 
Adoration: Which is essentially a gaze at the wonderfulness
of God, his majesty, his transcendence, his goodness, etc.
2637 
Thanksgiving: Which is essentially a manifestation of
gratitude to God for what he has given to us and to others,
the world, grace, his Son, our life, faith, grace, etc.
2631 
Contrition: Which is essentially an expression of sorrow for
our sins and transgressions. Implied therein is a request for
God's forgiveness and mercy (e.g. Psalm 50, the Miserere).
2629 
Petition: Which is essentially a begging for help. This, as
mentioned, is the precise theological meaning of prayer,
pleading to God for his help, grace and sustenance.
Two Kinds of Prayer
Vocal Prayer
Mental Prayer
Types of Prayer
Catechism sets out these
expressions of prayer at
2700 - 2724
 Vocal – Pater Noster
 Meditation – Rosary, Stations of the Cross
 Contemplative – yearning, gazing,
pondering, loving … mostly wordless …
Types of Prayer
Vocal
“In case you should think there is little gain to be derived
from practicing vocal prayer perfectly, I must tell you
that, while you are repeating the Pater Noster or some
other vocal prayer, it is quite possible for the Lord to
grant you perfect contemplation.”
St. Teresa of Avila - The Way of Pefection, xxv; 104
The saint wants liturgical prayer, like every other vocal prayer, to be
vivified by interior prayer. - P.Marie-Eugene, I Want To See God p.191
Types of Prayer
Meditation
“Meditation consists in making reflections or
considerations on a subject chosen in advance, to arrive
at a fruitful conviction or resolution.”- P.Marie-Eugene, IWTSG, p.
194
“I only want you to be warned that, if you would progress
a long way on this road and ascend to the Mansions of
your desire, the important thing is not to think much, but
to love much.” - St. Teresa, IV Mansions, i
Types of Prayer
Contemplation
CCC 2709 - 2724
The Catechism leads with St. Teresa’s description:
“Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is
nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it
means taking time frequently to be alone with him who
we know loves us.”
St. Teresa of Avila – CCC 2709
Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. “I look
at Him and he looks at me”.
- CCC 2715
Types of Prayer
Mental
There is no question of reserving the term
‘contemplation’ to the supernatural or infused
contemplation of which St. Teresa speaks,
beginning with the Fourth Mansions. Any act of
knowledge and simple gaze on truth under
the influence of love is genuine contemplation.
Rev. P.Marie-Eugene, I Want to See God p.459
Types of Prayer
Mental
"By mental prayer we here understand that form of
prayer in which one endeavors to originate the thought
in one's own mind, and so to get the will to move in
some way toward God. In practice, it makes no
difference to the existence of `mental' prayer whether
this interior action manifests itself in external words or
not; if the prayer originates interiorly, it is for
practical purposes mental prayer."
Boylan, The Spiritual Life of the Priest, p. 24
Types of Prayer
Mental
Two Basic Aspects:
• Intellectual (Faith phase) – mind or
imagination is considering something
• Volitional (Charity phase) – the will makes
acts of love
• Prayer must include these acts of the will,
otherwise we are a ‘clanging symbol’ as noted
earlier – remember, prayer is not necessarily ‘felt’
Types of Prayer
Mental
 Mental prayer paves the way for contemplation
(viz. supernatural or infused prayer)
 Mental prayer is often used in connection with the
gift of infused prayer or contemplation.
 So right now, we’re talking about mental prayer
as disposing oneself for contemplation (infused
prayer)
Jesus and Prayer 2598 to 2616
 2598 The drama of prayer is fully revealed to
us in the Word who became flesh and dwells
among us.
 2599 Filial prayer of Jesus to His Father
Jesus and Prayer
2598 to 2616
Perfect Prayer
 Jesus is our model for all things, including
prayer – one person, two natures
 Jesus prayed in silence, alone, usually at
night on a mountain
 Jesus prayed before important events
 Our Father, the answer to: “Lord, teach us to
pray”
Jesus and
Prayer
Where and When ?
Cf. 2602
Rising early the next morning,
he went off to a lonely place in
the desert; there he was
absorbed in prayer …
Mk 1:35
He often retired to deserted places and prayed.
Lk 5:16
Jesus and Prayer
Important Events
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
then returned from the Jordan
and was conducted by the
Spirit into the desert for forty
days, where he was tempted
by the devil. During that time
he ate nothing… Lk 4:1-2
Jesus and Prayer
Important Events
2600-2605
 Before Father’s witness to him in baptism and
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transfiguration
Before his ministry begins – 40 days
Before selecting the Twelve
Before raising Lazarus
Last Supper before offering himself
Agony in the Garden of Olives
From the Cross of crucifixion
Jesus and Prayer
From the Sermon on the
Mount onwards, Jesus
insists on conversion of
heart … once committed to
conversion, the heart
learns to pray in faith…
2608
Whatever you ask in prayer, believe
that you receive it, and you will”
2610 Mk 11:24
Three principal parables on prayer
in St. Luke’s Gospel: 2613
Jesus and Prayer
Our Father … the perfect prayer
CCC 2759 - 2855
Jesus was praying at a certain place, and when he
ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us
to pray as John taught his disciples…”
Lk 11:1
Cf. 2601
 Lord’s Prayer is summary of the whole Gospel
Jesus and Prayer
Lord’s
Prayer
St. Thomas Aquinas
Run through all the words of the holy
prayers [in Scripture] and I do not think
that you will find anything in them that
is not contained and included in the
Lord’s Prayer…
Jesus and Prayer
Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is the most
perfect of prayers … in it we ask,
not only for all the things we can
rightly desire, but also in the
sequence that they should be
desired. This prayer not only
teaches us to ask for things, but
also in what order we should desire
them.
St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church
CCC 2763
Mary’s Prayer 2617 to 2619
 "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it
be [done] to me according to your word."
"Fiat ".
 Mary intercedes for us – Cana
 “He has looked with favor on his lowly
servant”
Tonight
Ways and Guides of Prayer
 The Way of Prayer 2663 - 2682
 Guides to Prayer 2683 – 2696
 The Three Ages of the Interior Life (Stages of
Prayer)
 Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive Way
 St. Teresa of Avila - Mansions
 St. John of the Cross – Dark Night
 St. Therese – Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
 Abandonment to Divine Providence
‘Method’ and Prayer
Two modes of operation at prayer:
 With method
 Without method
‘Method’ and Prayer
But first, two comments:
1. What we do at prayer is determined according to our attraction.
Actually it is grace which is moving us to pray in a certain fashion. This
sounds as if prayer is determined by whim or that prayer has no
objective base, but is determined by one's relative or subjective state.
Experience and direction will correct this abuse if it is found. - Lepak
"What we do in prayer must be determined according to
our attraction, whether it be by meditation or by a
simple gazing upon God, according as He may lead us"
St. Jane DeChantal, Prayer, p. 19. See also p. 59
‘Method’ and Prayer
"If during vocal prayer you feel your
heart drawn and invited to mental
prayer, do not refuse to take it up. Let
your mind turn gently that way, without
being concerned at not finishing the
vocal prayers you intended to say. The
choice you have made is more pleasing
to God and more profitable to your soul.
I except the Divine Office, if you are
obliged to say it. In that case you must
fulfill your obligation.“
St. Francis De Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life
(2nd Part, chapter I, no. 8; p. 79 in Image edition)
‘Method’ and Prayer
Second comment
Let the Holy Spirit dictate your prayer. Use as
little method as possible.
"There are books and books of `methodized' prayer, which are of
great help to some, but to others only a hindrance, for prayer is an
individual thing, and methods purely means toward an end. All we
have to say about the choice is, that if one must err, err on the side
of simplicity. We go to prayer to pray--to talk to God. The first step
then is to make contact with Him"
Also: "Let us say that each one should use just as much or just as
little method as he finds helpful" p. 27
Father Eugene Boylan (The Spiritual Life of the Priest)
‘Method’ and Prayer
Prayer Without Method
God takes the initiative …
cooperate with Him !
"The great method for mental prayer is simply this: that there
is none when the Holy Spirit has taken charge of the
person who is meditating, for then He does with the soul as it
pleases Him, and all rules and methods vanish away." St. Chantal
on Prayer, p.16
She also says that the person should then become :
1) like clay in the hands of a potter
2) like wax receptive to an impression of a seal
3) like a blank sheet upon which the Holy Spirit writes his will.
Growth in the Spiritual Life
 Genuinely simple and pure Christian souls
have always been acquainted with completely
spontaneous and intimate prayer.

“I look at the Lord and he looks at me”
 Lagrange says to keep methods simple, at
best – it is a means to an end (p. 445 3 Ages)
 Notes prayer depends principally on Grace of
God …
A person prepares for [prayer] far less by processes thant would
remain mechanical … than by HUMILITY: “God giveth grace to the
humble” Jas. 4:16
‘Method’ and Prayer
 My gloss: The real “method” is






disposing oneself for prayer by
imitating Christ.
Confession
Mass
Ordering/Mortification of Passions
Spiritual Reading
Corporal/Spiritual Works of Mercy
Living the Beatitudes
Active life
Prayer life
The Way of Prayer 2663 to 2679
 Prayer to the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit
 To Jesus, through Mary, perfect models of
faith and prayer
Guides for Prayer 2683 to 2691
“Cloud of Witnesses”
 2684 In the communion of saints, many and
varied spiritualities have been developed
throughout the history of the churches…
 Tonight … we will take the three great
Carmelite Doctors as our “witnesses”…
Growth in the Spiritual Life
Purgative,
Illuminative,
Unitive Way
Saints and Theologians
throughout the ages have
referred to growth in the
spiritual life as comprised of
“3 Ages” as GarrigouLagrange sets out…
Rev. Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Growth in the Spiritual Life
Purgative Way
Meditation
I, II, III
Proficients
Inspired prayer
Mental Prayer
Dark Night of the Spirit
Discursive prayer
Dark Night of the Senses
Beginners
Unitive Way
Illuminative Way
“Perfect”
Inspired prayer
Infused Contemplation
IV, V
Teresian Mansions
VI, VII
Degrees of
Charity
Beginners
(Purgative
Way)
Ascetical Life
Proficients
(Illuminative
Way)
Threshold of
Mystical Life
Virtues
Gifts
Purifications
Initial virtues,
first degree of
charity,
temperance,
chastity,
patience, first
degress of
humility
Gifts of the Holy Ghost
rather latent,
inspirations at rare
intervals, slight aptitude
as yet to profit by them.
The soul is especially
conscious of its activity
Solid virtues,
second degree
of charity,
obedience,
more profound
humility, spirit
of the counsels
The gifts of the Holy
Ghost begin to manifest
themselves, especially
the tree inferior gifts of
fear, knowledge and
piety. The soul, more
docile now, profits more
from inspirations and
interior illuminations.
Active
purification of the
senses and of the
spirit, or exterior
and interior
mortification
Eminent and
heroic virtues,
third degree of
charity, perfect
humility, great
spirit of faith,
abandonment,
almost
unalterable
patience.
Acquired prayer:
vocal prayer, discursive
prayer affective prayer,
which becomes more
and more simple, called
the prayer of active
Teresa’
s
Mansion
First and
Second
Mansion
recollection.
Dark Night of the Senses
Passive
purification of the
senses, under the
influence especially
of the gifts of fear
and knowledge.
Concomitant trials.
Entrance into the
illuminative way.
Dark Night of the Spirit
The Perfect
(Unitive Way)
Mystical Life
Prayers
The higher gifts
manifest themselves
more notably and
frequently. The soul is
dominated by the Holy
Ghost. Great passivity
in His regard, which
does not exclude the
activity of the virtues.
Initial infused prayer,
isolated acts of infused
contemplation in the
course of the acquired
prayer of recollection;
then, prayers of
supernatural
recollection and of arid
or consoled quiet. The
gift of piety
Purification of the
spirit under the
Infused prayers of
simple union, of
influence especially
of the gift of
understanding.
Concomitant trials in
which are
manifested the gifts
of fortitude and
counsel. Entrance
into the perfect
unitive way
complete union
(sometimes ecstatic) of
transforming union ,
under the more and
more marked influence
of the gift of wisdom.
Concomitant favors.
Third
and
Fourth
Mansion
Fifth,
Sixth
and
Seventh
Mansion
Growth in the Spiritual Life
 Genuinely simple and pure Christian souls
have always been acquainted with completely
spontaneous and intimate prayer.

“I look at the Lord and he looks at me”
 Lagrange says to keep methods simple, at
best – it is a means to an end (3A Vol I, p. 445)
 Notes prayer depends principally on Grace of
God …
A person prepares for [prayer] far less by processes that would remain
mechanical … than by HUMILITY: “God giveth grace to the humble” Jas.
4:6; 3A Vol. 1, p. 446
Growth in the Spiritual Life
Preparation for growth in prayer …
Prayer must be prepared for by an act of
HUMILITY and proceed from the three
theological virtues … the generous soul
FLIES, so to speak, like a bird by the effort
of its wings, but the breath of the Holy Spirit
sustains this effort and rather often bears
the soul farther aloft than it could go by its
own virtues.
3A p. 448
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Two conversions
ordinarily occur in the
majority of the saints
and in religious who
become perfect; one,
by which they devote
themselves to the
service of God; the
other, by which they
give themselves
entirely to perfection.
Lagrange, 3A, v.2, p. 23 quoting
Rev. Lallemant
Second Conversion …
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Second Conversion …
 Why is it necessary?
 Christ commanded it – “Be
perfect as your heavenly
Father is perfect” Matt.
5:48
 Roots of sin are still firmly
implanted
 Inattentiveness to venial
sins
 Humility very important
Under the pretext of prudence, they
begin to consider the little aspects of
great things and to see less and less the
great aspect of the daily duties of
Christian life and the value of fidelity in
little things.
Lagrange, 3A, v.2, p.27
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Second Conversion …
 What are its fruits?
The true means of acquiring the science of
the saints… is to have recourse not so
much to books as to interior humility,
purity of heart, recollection, and
prayer… when a soul has attained to
entire purity of heart, God Himself instructs
it …
Lagrange, 3A, v.2, p.28
An interior man will make more impression on hearts by a single word
that is animated by the spirit of God than another by an entire discourse
… thus intimate conversation with God, which is the basis of the
interior life, will gradually take the place of conversation with
ourselves.
Lagrange, 3A, v.2, p.29
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Second Conversion …
 What have the saints said of it?
 St. Catherine of Sienna:
… these weak ones … relax their energy, impatiently turning backwards,
and sometimes abandon, under color of virtue, many of their exercises,
saying to themselves: This labor does not profit me. All this they do
because they feel themselves deprived of mental consolation. Such a soul
acts imperfectly, for she has not yet unwound the bandage of spiritual
self-love, for had she unwound it, she would see that, in truth, everything
proceeds from Me that no leaf of a tree falls to the ground without My
providence …
Lagrange, 3A, v.2,
p.31 (quoting The Dialogue)
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Second Conversion …
 What have the saints said of it?
 St. Peter’s denial and subsequent
conversion
 Wept bitterly
 Prayed
 Holy Spirit came
 He then imitated Christ to the
Cross
The imperfect soul which loves the Lord with a love that is still mercenary,
ought to follow Peter’s example after his denial of Christ.
Lagrange, 3A, v.2, p.32
Second Phase
God intervenes with
particular help.
First Phase
God intervenes with
general help.
Action of God
Activity of Soul
1st
Mansions
No manifestation
Avoids mortal sin
2nd
Mansions
Sensible consolations and
aridities.
Applies itself to prayer, to
recollection , to the correction of
faults … sustained by sp reading,
direction (meditation)
3rd
Mansions
Facility in recollection.
In a well organized life of piety, it
carefully avoids sin, and practices
the prayer of simplicity.
4th
Mansions
Interior presence of God
manifested by a blinding light
(Night) by a sweet captivation
(passive recollection, quiet)
Respects action of God in prayer;
peace, silence, moderated activity.
Energetic asceticism to destroy
spiritual capital sins.
5th
Mansions
Habitual captivation of the will,
sometimes after mystical grace
of union.
Fidelity to the Law; obedience.
6th
Mansions
God purifies and enriches by
His touches in the soul
Surrender and silent patience.
Poverty and hope.
7th
Mansions
Divine conquest completed;
utilization for the Church.
Perfect chastity and charity. In the
service of the Church.
Teresian Mansions
I
 First Three mansions





Teresa says little about the first 3
mansions
Discursive meditation and vocal prayers
Soul trying to emerge from several petty
faults
 Perform good works … BUT …
Still absorbed in worldly matters …
 “still puffed up with worldly honors and
ambitions”
Here, “the important thing is not to think
much, but to love much”… IC 4, Ch.1,
p.76
Teresian Mansions
I
 First Three mansions (cont’d)
“Because they are free from serious sin the King does dwell in
their castle, but they have only a tenuous relationship with Him,
and they scarcely see his light, so submerged are they in things of
this world”
IC mans 1, Ch. 2 pp 40-1; Fire Within, Dubay pp. 82-3
As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the
ones who have heard, but as they go along, they
are choked by the anxieties and riches and
pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature
fruit.
Lk 8:14
Teresian Mansions
II
 Second Mansions



A battleground where the
conflict between the world
and the divine call is being
waged … there is a tug of
war
The virtues are “young” …
and “have not yet learned
to walk”
Must be generous, willed
welcome to hardships and
dryness in prayer
“First Water”: Pulling water
from the well bucket … by
bucket…
Teresian Mansions
 Third Mansions
 Teresa curiously notes that
there are “many such souls
in the world” (viz. lay folks)
that reach this stage.
 Careful not to offend God
 Ordinarily, people spend a
long time in this mansion
 Discursive prayer still
occurring in this mansion, but
more “affective” and
“simplified” prayer – mental
prayer emerging (lapsing in
and out)
III
Teresian Mansions
III
Third Mansions
A good test as to where you are?
“They avoid committing even venial sins; they
love doing penance; they spend hours in
recollection; they use their time well; they practice
works of charity toward their neighbors; they are
very careful in their speech and dress and in the
government of their household … “
IC Mans 3, Ch. 1, p. 59
Suggests focusing on indwelling presence of God here
Teresian Mansions
 DARK NIGHT of SENSES


Active
Passive
IV
Teresian Mansions
IV
 Fourth Mansions





Teresa expounds deeply on this and subsequent
mansions (30/70 rule)
Beginning of infused contemplation
 Mingling of human and divine modes of prayer
 Transition between the two is a snagging point
No images, no ideas, no concepts, no visions
Loving attention; dry desire; strong thirsting or yearning…
 Not the result of reasoning or reading
 They are given … infusion is serene purifying
 Can be delicate or as one advanced in this mansion
… burning, powerful, prolonged
TRANSFORMATIVE of the person – gradually, usually
Teresian Mansions
IV
 Fourth Mansions
 Distinguishes ‘discursive’ meditation from this
‘infused’ prayer
 Teresa calls this the ‘suspension of the
faculties’
 God takes the initiative, taking over the will,
intellect and imagination
The intellect ceases to work because God suspends it, as I shall
explain afterwards if I know how … He Himself gives it that which
holds its attention and makes it marvel; and without reflection it
understands more in the space of a creed than we can understand
with all our earthly diligence in many years. Trying to keep the
soul’s faculties busy and thinking you can make them be quiet is
foolish.
Life, Ch. 12, No. 5, p 87
Teresian Mansions
 Fourth Mansions
 This is a divine absorption in
knowing and loving and seeking
 Distinguishes two kinds of
infused prayer:
 Initial “recollection” – infused
and gentle awareness given by
God; sense begin to lose their
hold upon the person; “with a
call so gentle that even they
can hardly recognize it” FW,
Dubay, p. 87
 Prayer of Quiet …
IV
“Second Water”:
Transporting water via
“numerous conduits”
Teresian Mansions
IV
Fourth Mansions
Prayer of Quiet
The soul is so satisfied with God that as long as the
recollection lasts the quiet and calm are not lost since
the will is united with God even through the two
faculties are distracted; in fact, little by little the will
brings the intellect and the memory back to
recollection. Even though the will may not be totally
absorbed, it is so well occupied, without knowing
how, that no matter what efforts the other two
faculties make, they cannot take away its
contentment and joy.
Life, Ch. 15, No. 1, p. 102; FW, Dubay, p.88
Teresian Mansions
Fourth Mansions
Prayer of Quiet
 Avoid placing obstacles – learn receptivity
IV
 Infused contemplation cannot be acquired
 Habitual practice of prayer necessary!
This prayer is a little spark fo the Lord’s true love
which he begins to enkindle in our soul … it is
impossible NOT to understand soon that this little
spark cannot be acquired.
Life, Ch. 15, No. 4, p. 103
Teresian Mansions
IV
Fourth Mansions
Prayer of Quiet
 However, all activity of mind and will ought not cease,
unless God causes it …
 Distractions occur here, as the infusion is faint and
fragile … St. Teresa notes the mind is as wild as a
madman, “wandering off after the most ridiculous
things in the world”.
The most one should do is occasionally, and quite simply to utter a
single word, like a person giving a little puff to a candle, when he sees it
has almost gone out, so as to make it burn again
Way, Ch. 31, p. 204
Moving from Meditation to
Contemplation …
Active Recollection
“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.”
“It is called recollection because the soul
collects together all the faculties (i.e. the
will, the memory, and the understanding)
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... “
Way of Perfection, xxviii
Moving from Meditation to
Contemplation …
Active Recollection
“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.”
Way of Perfection, xxviii
Moving from Meditation to
Contemplation …
Active Recollection
“… you must understand that this is
not a supernatural state but depends
upon our volition, and that, by God's
favour, we can enter it of our own
accord... For this is not a silence of the
faculties: it is a shutting-up of the
faculties within itself by the soul.
...We must cast aside everything else,
they say, in order to approach God
inwardly and we must retire within
ourselves even during our ordinary
occupations.”
Way of Perfection, xxix
Moving from Meditation to
Contemplation …
Active Recollection
This is not a supernatural or mystical
prayer. It's just plain work. Time and again
the individual becomes distracted and falls
away from his prayer.
But whenever he realizes that he has let his
mind drift, he brings it back to God once
again. The work comes to an end
(temporarily at least) when God bestows
contemplation.
Fr. Roy Lepak, S.T.D.
The soul must put
forth energetic
effort…
Teresian Mansions
V
 Fifth Mansions




GROWTH!
Full union – prayer of union
Distractions STOP
Short in duration – never more than half an hour –
but makes up via intensity and certitude of God’
presence – viz. indwelling


People who receive this remember the day and the
hour it happened years later
No longer satisfied with worldly pleasures, as they
are incomparable to this joy and experience
Teresian Mansions
V
Fifth Mansions


Soul absorbed in deep delight
Distinguished from “Rapture”, which is felt
exteriorly as well as interiorly … and lasts
longer
The faculties are almost totally united with God to be
occupied completely with God … the consolation,
sweetness, delight are incomparably greater than that
experienced in the previous prayer … this prayer is glorious
foolishness, a heavenly madness”
IC, Mans 5, Ch. 1, p.99; Life, Ch 16, No 2-3, p.109
Teresian Mansions
VI
Sixth Mansions


Are we there yet? No!
Different advanced experiences of
God in mansion VI:





Ecstasy
Rapture
Transport
Spiritual betrothal
Levitation (yes, I said “levitation”)
Fourth Water: rain
Note: we are in the normal progression of deepening
communion with the Trinity; not “extraordinary” … though
uncommon because of people’s lack of generosity to God.
Teresian Mansions
VI
Sixth Mansions (cont’d)


Resistance is futile !
Can occur very often …
“The soul really seems to have left the body.
he feels as if he has been in another world …
and has been shown a fresh light there, so
much unlike any to be found in this life that, if
he had been imagining it … all his life long, it
would have been impossible for him to obtain
any idea of them … great things are revealed
…”
IC, Mans. 6, Ch 5, pp. 160-1
St. Joseph of Cupertino
“The flying monk”
Read various passages from Dubay, p. 97 et seq.
Teresian Mansions
VI
Sixth Mansions (cont’d)



Dryness and emptiness can still
occur
Called a ‘sober inebriation’ by
saints
Surprisingly, as one advances
beyond
this, raptures cease!
“… the person continues to advance in God-centeredness and
in living the specifics of the Gospel message … one’s will is
left “completely absorbed” and one’s mind can be entirely
transported for a day or even for several days … there are no
attachments to anything created, no pleasure seeking in
worldly things.”
Dubay, FW, p. 102
Read Dubay, FW, p. 103 quote …
Teresian Mansions
VII
Seventh Mansions







Culmination of contemplation on earth – beatific
vision is only next step towards God
Spiritual Marriage
Intellectual vision of the Blessed Trinity
Transforming union – permanent indwelling of
the Lord
Dual awareness: person can carry on ordinary
business of life while attending to the indwelling
of the Holy Trinity
No fear of death
Instrument for the good of the Church
Teresian Mansions
VII
Seventh Mansions (cont’d)
“The spirit becomes enkindled and is illumined as it
were, by a cloud of the greatest brightness. It sees
these Three Persons, individually, and yet, by a
wonderful kind of knowledge which is given to it, the
soul realizes that most certainly and truly all these
three Persons are one Substance and one Power
and one Knowledge and one God alone; so that what
we hold by faith the soul may be aid here to grasp by
sight, although nothing is seen by the eyes, either of
the body or of the soul, for it is no ordinary vision”
IC, Mans. 7, Ch 1, pp. 209-10
Degrees of Contemplative Prayer
 Prayer of Quiet
 Prayer of Incipient Union
(rapture or ecstatic prayer)
 Prayer of Spiritual Marriage
(union with God)
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
Dark Night of the Senses
 Active purification



Spiritual pride, gluttony and sloth
7 capital sins – roots are still deep
Energetic asceticism/mortification

external and interior
 Passive purification


Active purification not enough to pull the roots out – “God shall have
to lead it into the passive purgation of the dark night
The cross sent by God to purify us must complete the work of
mortification which we impose on ourselves
Entry into the Dark Night of the Soul
(senses)
 We’ve spoken a lot about how
one takes steps to prepare
oneself …
 How does God act upon us in the
passive purification of the
senses?
 How do we know if this
purification is happening to
us?

Are there any signs by which
we might discern this?
Growth in the Spiritual Life
Purgative Way
Meditation
I, II, III
Proficients
Inspired prayer
Mental Prayer
Dark Night of the Spirit
Discursive prayer
Dark Night of the Senses
Beginners
Unitive Way
Illuminative Way
“Perfect”
Inspired prayer
Infused Contemplation
IV, V
Teresian Mansions
VI, VII
Entry into the Dark Night of the
Senses
 St. John of the Cross describes three
signs as follows:
I
We find no comfort in the things of God,
nor in created things …
For when God brings the soul into the dark night in order to wean it from
sweetness and to purge the desire of sense, He does not allow it to find
sweetness or comfort anywhere. It is then probable, in such a case, that this
dryness is not the result of sins or of imperfections recently committed; for if it
were, we should feel some inclination or desire for other things than those of
God …
JC, DN Bk.I, Ch.9
Entry into the Dark Night of the
Senses
II
The memory dwells ordinarily upon God
with a painful anxiety and carefulness,
the soul thinks it is not serving God,
but going backwards…
… because it is no longer conscious of any sweetness in the things of God …
but the spirit is, nevertheless, ready and strong… Now, if they who are in this
state knew how to be quiet, … they would have, in this tranquility, a most
delicious sense of this interior food [which is the commencement of
contemplation]
JC, DN, Bk.1, Ch. 9
Entry into the Dark Night of the
Senses
II
More …
This food is so delicate that, in general, it
eludes our perceptions if we make any
special effort to feel it; it is like the air
which vanishes when we shut our hands
to grasp it. For this is God’s way of
bringing the soul into this state… all the
soul can do of itself ends… the peace and
the work of God in the spirit amid the
dryness of sense.
JC, DN, Bk.1, Ch. 9
Entry into the Dark Night of the
Senses
III
The inability to meditate and make reflections
and to excite the imagination, as before,
notwithstanding all the efforts we may make
… for God begins now to communicate Himself, no longer through the channel
of sense, as formerly, in consecutive reflections by which we arranged and
divided our knowledge, but in pure spirit, which admits not of successive
reflections, and in the act of pure contemplation( to which the special
inspiration of the Holy Ghost gives rise in us).
JC, DN, Bk.1, Ch. 9
Conduct in the Dark Night of the
Senses
Garrigou Lagrange sets out 4 Rules of conduct:
 Docility to a spiritual director
 Trust in God
 Simple and loving gaze on God
 Abstaining from seeking to feel consolation
• To reach satisfaction in all – desire satisfaction in nothing.
• To come to the knowledge of all – desire the knowledge of
nothing.
• To come to possess all – desire the possession of nothing.
• To arrive at being all – desire to be nothing.
• To come to enjoy what you have not – you must go by a
way in which you enjoy not.
• To come to the knowledge you have not – you must go by a
way in which you know not.
• To come to the possession you have not – you must go by a
way in which you possess not.
• To come to be what you are not – you must go by a way in
which you are not.
• In this nakedness, the spirit finds its quietude and rest …
St. John of the Cross
Abandonment to Divine Providence
 Jean Pierre de Caussade 1675-1751
 Great spiritual writer; spiritual director of
visitation nuns at Nancy.
 “Sacrament of the present moment” – a
practical ‘how to’ for the Little Way of
Spiritual Childhood of St. Therese
 Therese may have read Caussade
 Spiritual letters and Abandonment to
Divine Providence key works.
Abandonment to Divine Providence
 Acceptance of ordinary, daily
experiences as God’s will.
 Self “annihilation” … death to self
(will).
 Perseverance in prayer despite
no consolation or even feeling
devotion or love.
 Prayer of faith – surrender of
whole self to God – “naked faith”
described by John of the Cross.
Abandonment to Divine Providence
 Prayer leads to abandonment.
It is the way, the door that
opens us to a relationship with
God … of trust based on
theological virtues.
 Naked faith; unsupported; no
consolation sought or
received…
Teresa of Calcutta “I have not experienced
feeling-wise the love of Christ for years.”
… Communicating via His absence.
Abandonment to Divine Providence
“… you consistently stop to examine your
doubts and fears instead of disregarding them
in order to cast yourself blindly into God’s
hands and headlong upon his bosom. In other
words, you wish in every case to be given a
firm guarantee to make your self
abandonment easier.”
“… complete distrust of self combined with utter
trust in him which is born of self abandonment
are the two great props of the spiritual life.”
Abandonment to Divine Providence
We progress in abandonment by
self-forgetfulness, casting even our
concern for our spiritual state and
sanctity in God’s hands, not relying
on self (Pelagius) … this “most
nearly ensures salvation”.
Abandonment to Divine Providence
“Do you know that almost the whole of the
interior life is embraced in going your ways
before him with your head bowed and your
mood one in which self is obliterated? It is
merely a question of learning how to do this in
submissive peace and trusting selfabandonment. This then is my word to you: do
but so live and you will have achieved
everything.; all the rest God will perform,
though what he accomplishes you may
well neither see nor feel.”
Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
Two Characteristics
Everything is a grace – childlike trust and absolute
confidence in God’s providence and love. Perfection
of Christian life consists not in doing great things, but
little things with great love for Jesus. Faith to see
God’s will in ordinary life events.
Abandonment and naked faith; surrender
to perceived darkness and dryness in
one’s soul
- Experienced especially at the end of her life
Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
“Unless you be converted and become
like little children, you shall not enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt. 18:3)
“You know well enough that Our Lord
does not look so much at the
greatness of our actions, nor even at
their difficulty, but at the love with
which we do them.”
Therese: “It is in conformity with the spirit of
the little way not to desire to see anything.”
Little Way of Spiritual Childhood
Empty Hands…
When comes the evening of life, I shall
stand before Thee with empty hands,
because I do not ask Thee, My God, to
take account of my works. All our works
of justice are blemished in Thine Eyes. I
wish therefore to be robed with Thine
own Justice, and to receive from Thy
Love the everlasting gift of Thyself. I
desire no other Throne, no other Crown
but Thee, O my Beloved.”
Thank you!
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