Saint Teresa's Pater Noster : a treatise on prayer

Front matter

SAINT TERESA’S PATER NOSTER :

A TREATISE ON PR A YER.

^iltil (Dbsiftt.

Author's Preface

so easy and so attractive, that he is forced, in a certain sense, to adopt it.

Having observed, however, that Saint Teresa’s commentary and meditations on the Lord’s Prayer are not easily within reach of all ; that they might prove more useful to some less experienced souls if they were further developed; and that they would accomplish their object all the better by being contained in a single volume, I came to the conclusion that I should be per¬ forming a work of some usefulness in collecting and arranging, in a series of chapters, all that the Saint has written on this most divine and most excellent of prayers. And, since some of Saint Teresa’s instructions and reflections have reference to the subject of prayer generally, while others have a special application to the Petitions of the Lords Prayer in particular, this little work, in like manner, will be divided into two parts.

Contents

PAGE

Translator’s Preface . v

Author’s Preface . ' . ix

CHAPTER I. Of the firm resolution with which a Christian

OUGHT TO APPLY HIMSELF TO THE HOLY EXERCISE

OF PRAYER . . I

§ i. The necessity of prayer . i

§ 2. On the necessity of resolving to practise prayer 2 § 3. All the danger lies in fearing the danger . 4

§ 4. Reasons why we should adopt this resolution . 6

§ 5. Exhortations to irresolute souls ... 8

Chapter II

Of the importance of commencing the holy exercise of prayer in some manner or

other . 10

§ x. Wonderful discretion of Saint Teresa . . 10

§ 2. Even though our resolution should be imperfect, nevertheless we ought to begin the exercise of

prayer . . .12

§ 3. An additional motive for making a beginning . 15

§ 4. Reasonableness of this doctrine . . . 1 7

Xll

Contents.

PAGE

§ 5. Concluding remarks of Saint Teresa . . 19

Chapter III. Of The Kind Of Prayer To Which We Ought To

APPLY OURSELVES . 21

§ i. Of the amount of prayer which we ought to

make . 21

§ 2. Of the kind of prayer to be practised . . 23

§ 3. Of those who can, and of those who cannot,

meditate . 24

§ 4. Sufficiency of vocal prayer . . . .25

§ 5. We must not force ourselves to make mental

prayer . 27

§ 6. This doctrine is confirmed by Saint John of the

Cross . 29

CHAPTER IV. What Saint Teresa means when she says that

MENTAL PRAYER IS NOT NECESSARY . . . 30

§ 1. There are two kinds of mental prayer . . 30

§ 2. Sufficiency of the last-mentioned kind of medi¬ tation . 33

§ 3. Of the sense in which we must understand

many passages which speak of meditation . 35

§ 4. Practical conclusion . 36

Chapter V

Of the mental prayer which ought to AC¬ COMPANY VOCAL PRAYER . 37

§ 1. Of the interior attention required in prayer . 37 § 2. Saint Teresa combats the contrary opinion . 39

§ 3. How vocal and mental prayer should be united 40

Contents.

xm

PAGE

§ 4. Prayer made with interior attention is prayer

well made . 43

§ 5. This doctrine is confirmed by Saint John of the

CHAPTER VI. Some additional instructions of Saint Teresa

REGARDING VOCAL PRAYER . . . .47

§ i. On understanding the meaning of the words . 47

§ 2. Of attention to the divine presence . . .48

§ 3. Of the solitude suitable to prayer . . .49

§ 4. Fruit to be derived from the foregoing teaching 51 § 5. Consoling thoughts for those who suffer from

involuntary distractions . . . .53

§ 6. Caution against over-much self-love . . 56

Chapter VII

Method of keeping ourselves in the presence of the Divine Master while we are engaged

in prayer . 58

§ 1. Of reviving our faith in God’s presence . . 58

§ 2. How we may easily accustom ourselves to the

practise of realising the Divine Presence . 60

§3. Of the various ways in which we may represent

to ourselves the Divine Master . . .62

§ 4. How we may assist ourselves in thus represent¬ ing to our minds the Divine Master . . 67

§ 5. We must not do violence to ourselves in en¬ deavouring to realise the presence of the Divine Master . . 71

CHAPTER VIII. On the intimacy of our union with God . . 73 •

XIV

Contents .

PAGE

§ i. Of the real presence of God in our soul . . 73

§ 2. We must distinguish three kinds of the presence

§ 3. This teaching is made still clearer by a passage

from Saint John of the Cross . . .77

§ 4. Encouragement and consolation to be drawn

from this teaching . 80

§ 5. Exhortation to the soul to seek God within -* itself ........ S2

§ 6. Fruit to be gathered from the teaching con¬ tained in this chapter . 83

Chapter IX

How WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP OURSELVES IN REA¬ LISING THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITHIN OUR SOULS,

BY MEANS OF SOME PIOUS REFLECTIONS . . .84

§ 1. The soul the house of God . . . .85

§ 2. The soul the garden of God . . . . 89

§ 3. The soul God’s firmament . . . . 91

§ 4. The soul the temple of God . . . .93

§ 5. God the heart of the soul . . . .94

§ 6. How we may make practical use of these con¬ siderations . 95

Chapter X

OF THE MEANS WHICH MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING A SENSE OF THE DIVINE

PRESENCE IN OUR SOULS . 9 7

§ 1. The memory must be exercised in recalling to

mind God’s presence . 97

§ 2. One ought not to be discouraged should he find

the foregoing doctrine obscure . . . 102

§ 3. Purity of conscience . 107

Co?itents.

xv

PAGE

§ 4. We should ordinarily pray with our eyes shut . 109 CHAPTER XI.

Of the advantages resulting from this method

of prayer . no

§ 1. It prevents distractions . no

§ 2. Familiarity with God is more easily acquired . m § 3. We make more progress in less time . . 113

§ 4. How easy it is to acquire the gift of recollection 116 § 5. The fire of divine love is thus easily kindled in

the soul . 1 19

§ 6. Special advantage which ignorant people may

derive from this kind of prayer . . .120

§ 7. Whether this method of prayer is suitable only

to those who cannot make formal meditation, 122

Part II. ON THE SEVEN PETITIONS OF THE LORD’S

PRAYER.

CHAPTER I. On the First Petition : Our Father, who art in

HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME . . . 126

§ i. Astonishment of Saint Teresa at the first words

of the Lord’s Prayer . 127

§ 2. Excellence and reality of the grace of being

children of God . 128

§ 3. Three kinds of divine filiation .... 130 § 4. Qualities of divine filiation . . . .131

CHAPTER II. The First Petition continued . . . . iqa

XVI

Contents .

PAGK

§ i. Of the perfection with which we must desire to

correspond with the grace of divine filiation . 134 §‘ 2. Of the confidence with which, in union with Jesus Christ, we ought to pray to our Heavenly

Father . 139

§ 3. Who this Heavenly Father is . . . . 140

§ 4. Consoling conclusion drawn by Saint Teresa . 143

Chapter III

The First Petition continued .... 145 § 1. Substance of this Petition . . . 145

§ 2. Sentiments of sorrow and of joy which ought

to accompany the recital of this Petition . 146 § 3. Exercise of faith, and desires for the sanctifica¬ tion of souls . 149

§ 4. Prayer of the Book of Ecclesiasticus . . 151

§ 5. Conclusion of Saint Teresa .... 152 § 6. Parable of the Prodigal Son .... 153

Chapter IV

On the Second Petition : Thy kingdom come . 157 § 1. Substance of the Second Petition . . . 159

§ 2. What our chief anxiety ought to be . . 161

§ 3. Our special obligations towards our Supreme

§ 4. Of the disinterestedness with which we ought

to serve God . 166

§ 5. Manner in which Saint Teresa concludes this

meditation . 171

CHAPTER V. The Second Petition continued

. 172

Contents.

XVII

PAGE

§ i. Consummate perfection is God’s kingdom on earth . 172

§ 2. The Prayer of Quiet . 176

§ 3. Some counsels regarding this prayer . .183

CHAPTER VI. Of the Third Petition : Thy will be done on

EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN ..... 184 § 1. God the spouse of the soul .... 185 § 2. Duties incumbent on the soul as the spouse of

CHAPTER VII. The Third Petition continued . . . .192

§ 1. Reflections to be made by the soul as the spouse of God . . 193

§ 2. Self-knowledge . 193

§ 3. Knowledge of the gifts of God .... 198 § 4. The love that befits a soul espoused by God . 200 § 5. How far the soul that is espoused by God may

desire spiritual delights .... 203 § 6. Conclusion of the meditation .... 204

Chapter VIII

The Third Petition continued .... 205 § 1. The soul’s offering to her Divine Spouse . . 205

§ 2. How the offering of one’s will is to be made . 207 § 3. Earth changed into heaven .... 209 § 4. The grace of suffering is God’s will . , . 211

§ 5. How confidently we may ask for this favour . 213 § 6. Necessity of resignation . 215

Chapter IX

The Third Petition continued .... 218 § 1. The offering of our will must be irrevocable . 218

b

Contents .

PAGE

§ 2. Advantages of this irrevocable oblation . • . 220

§ 3. Benefits resulting from union with God . . 226

CHAPTER X. On the Fourth Petition : Give us this day our

§ 1. God the Shepherd of souls .... 232

§2. Nature of the bread which we ask from the

Good Shepherd . 234

§ 3. Qualities of the Good Shepherd . . . 236

§ 4. The Good Shepherd become a lamb . . 239

Chapter XI

The Fourth Petition continued .... 243 § 1. Excellence of the blessed sacrament . . 243

§ 2. Reciprocity of love . . . . . . 247

§ 3. Why God gave us this great gift . . . 249

§ 4. Our ingratitude for so great a favour . . 253

CHAPTER XII. The Fourth Petition continued .... 256

§ 1. Trustfulness with which we should receive the

Good Shepherd ...... 256

§ 2. Singular advantages of this trustfulness . . 257

§ 3. The Good Shepherd disguises Himself for our

advantage . 262

§ 4. How He discovers Himself to some . . 263

§ 5. Practice of interior recollection . . . 266

§ 6. Ejaculatory Prayer to the Eternal Father . 271

Chapter XIII

On the Fifth Petition : Forgive us our tres¬ passes AS WE FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS

AGAINST US . . . 273

§ i. God our Redeemer ...... 273

Contents.

xix

PAGE

§ 2. In what sense we ask God to forgive us . , . 274

§ 3. Substance of this. Petition .... • . 275

CHAPTER XIV. The Fifth Petition continued . . . .281

§ 1. On punctiliousness in matters affecting our per¬ sonal dignity ...... 281

§ 2. On forgiveness of injuries .... 287

§ 3. The love of their enemies is found in a perfect

degree in true contemplatives . . . 289

CHAPTER XV. On the Sixth: Petition : And lead us not into

TEMPTATION . 295

§ 1. God our Physician . 295

§ 2. What it is that we ask of this Physician . . 296

§ 3. Difference between earthly physicians and the

Heavenly Physician of souls .... 298 § 4. Reflection upon the five wounds of o-ur Lord . 301

Chapter XVI

The Sixth Petition continued .... 304 § 1. Of manifest temptations ..... 304 § 2. Of some hidden temptations that are less

dangerous . . . 306

§ 3. When it is that we may doubt whether certain

favours may not be temptations of the devil . 309

§ 4. Example of Saint Teresa . 310

§ 5. Very remarkable doctrine of Saint John of the

Cross . 314

Chapter XVII

The Sixth Petition continued .... 315 • §. 1. Hidden temptations that are very dangerous . 315

XX

Contents .

PAGE

§ 2. The temptation to consider ourselves rich in

§ 3. Remedy against this temptation . . . 317

§ 4. The temptation of false humility . . . 319

§ 5. Of the temptations of indiscretion in penances,

and security against relapsing . . . 323

§ 6. Security of the spiritual life .... 324

CHAPTER XVIII.- The Sixth Petition continued

§ 1. Holy 'love and fear render the path spiritual life more secure § 2. Signs of the love of God .

§ 3. The love of God in contemplatives .

. . 328

of the . . 328

. 329 • 332

Chapter XIX

The Sixth Petition continued .... 336 § 1. Of the holy fear of God ..... 336 § 2. Precautions to be adopted in order to acquire

this holy fear . 338

§ 3. The liberty consistent with the holy fear of God, 341 § 4. Evil consequences resulting from timidity . 343

Chapter XX

On the Seventh Petition : Deliver us from evil.

§ 1. Of the evils from which we pray to be delivered, 346

§ 2. A reflection to be made in this Petition . . 347

§ 3. Some counsels of Saint Teresa . . . 349

CHAPTER XXI. The Seventh Petition continued. . . . 352

§ 1. The longing for death . 353

§ 2. The longing for death in Contemplatives . 359 § 3. This desire would be suitable to all . . .361

Conclusion . . 364

TREATISE ON PRAYER.

PART I.

Of Prayer in General.

_

—

Chapter I

Of the firm resolution with which a Christian ought to apply himself to the holy exercise of prayer.

“ Prayer is the royal road to heaven : by travelling along this road, we ac- § x. The necesquire a great treasure ; nor ought we Slty of prayerto be concerned because it seems to us that this involves great trouble, for the time will come when we shall understand what a mere nothing is every effort of ours in this life to gain so great a reward.” (Saint Teresa, Way of Perfection , chap. 21.)*

“A soul without prayer is like a paralyzed and crippled body, which, though having hands, is

* “ C amino de Perfecion ” — The Way of Perfection — a treatise on prayer composed by Saint Teresa in 1563, at the request of her nuns.

— Translator.

nevertheless unable to use them.” ( Mansions , I., chap, i.)*

These quotations from Saint Teresa are suffi¬ cient to point out the importance and the ne¬ cessity of prayer — a matter, indeed, which is already so evident that it cannot be questioned by any Christian.

Yet there are many Christians who, though anxious to apply themselves to the exercise of prayer, since they know that it will prove to them an abun¬ dant source of spiritual blessings, are, nevertheless, unable to resolve on making a beginning; so that, even to their old age, they pray but seldom and badly, to the great loss and peril of their souls.

Now should we happen to belong to this class of persons, we must persuade ourselves that it is our duty to enter upon the path of prayer, and firmly to resolve to persevere therein. Let us listen to Saint Teresa, who writes as follows on this subject ( Way of Perfection, chap. 21): “I affirm that it is very important — nay that it is everything — to commence with a strong and firm determination never to rest until we shall have secured this gift (i.e., the heavenly consolations

* “ Las moradasf or “The Mansions” — a work on prayer composed by Saint Teresa in 157 7, and so called because it is divided into seven mansions , in which the Saint places various souls, according to the degree of per¬ fection in prayer to which they have attained.

— Translator.

§ 2. On the necessity of resolving to practise prayer.

Part /., Chap. Sec. 2.

bestowed in prayer). To this resolution we must firmly cling, let what will come, let what may happen, no matter what the cost may be, no matter who finds fault with us, no matter whether we reach the goal, or die on the way, or fail in courage to support the trials which we may have to endure, or even though the world itself should sink beneath us. For we are frequently told that ‘ there are dangers 5 ; that such a one was ruined by adopting this course; that another became the victim of illusions ; that such another fell, though he prayed often ; that it is injurious to health ; that it is not fit for women, since they may fall into delusions, and might occupy themselves more profitably by attending to their spinning,” &c.

It is thus the Saint expresses herself in order to give us to understand what manner of resolu¬ tion we must have when entering on the exercise of prayer, in which we shall have so much opposition to encounter from our own corrupt and evil inclinations, as well as from the world and the devil. Wherefore she would have us give ourselves up to prayer, so to speak, with desperate resolve, allowing nothing to frighten us, or to withdraw us from it. We must make light of the labour which it involves because of the aridity, the spiritual desolation, and the disgusts which we may have to endure in the time of prayer. We must not heed the evil tongues of the irreligious, or of those silly babblers who may censure our conduct. We must not

Treatise on Prayer.

turn back, though the devil should represent to us the road we have to travel as so long, that our entire life-time would not suffice to accom¬ plish the journey. We must not stop short because we may feel that we have little courage to face the opposition which we shall have to en¬ counter from our enemies. We must not be frightened even though the world itself should seem on the brink of ruin, as sometimes appears to be the case to those who devote themselves to a life of contemplation and prayer ; for fre¬ quently in such cases every one wishes to give his opinion on the subject, and we hear rela¬ tives, friends, and acquaintances prophesying, threatening, and predicting all kinds of misfor¬ tunes, and especially the loss of bodily health, which, to their thinking, must inevitably be ruined by a life of retirement and prayer.

“ But,” Saint Teresa continues to say, “pay

no heed to the fears with which you dan ger Hesf in may be inspired, or to the dangers fearing the which may be held up before you. .

. . Should any one tell you that

there is danger in giving yourself up to a life of prayer, look upon that person as a real danger and avoid him. Do not forget that possibly you may have need of this advice. No doubt it would be extremely dangerous to be wanting in humility and in the other virtues ; but God forbid that we should ever regard the path of prayer as a path of danger.”

From these words we know that Saint Teresa

Part /., Chap. /., Sec. j.

was painfully aware of the fact that, amongst those whose duty it is to encourage souls in the practice of prayer, we not unfrequently find some who, under one pretext or another, withdraw them from it. Wherefore she warns these souls that they may occasionally have a need to re¬ member her advice, which is to shun those persons who speak of such dangers and would create such fears in their minds. Then, ad¬ dressing her Divine Spouse, she implores Him to counteract the great evil which such bad counsellors are capable of effecting. “ O my dear Lord,” she says, “ do Thou defend Thy own cause : Thou seest that these false coun¬ sellors misinterpret Thy words : do not permit such weaknesses as these to exist in Thy ser¬ vants.” And the Saint spoke thus because some persons would wish, by distorting the meaning of the Holy Scriptures, to invoke its authority in support of their own prejudices against the spiritual life, and against the practice of prayer, which enters into it so largely.

Again, in her Life (chap. 8), Saint Teresa thus addresses the Lord : “ O Life of all lives, Thou never destroyest any one of those who put their trust in Thee ; but while giving health to the soul, thou dost at the same time sustain the life of the body with more abundant health. I do not know what it is that those fear who have not the courage to begin to make mental prayer, nor can I understand what may be the object of their dread. The devil never wearies of doing

Treatise on Prayer.

us harm ; and he succeeds when, by exciting vain fears, he induces us not to meditate on the offences which we have committed against God, nor on the many favours which we have received from Him, nor on the existence of a heaven or a hell, nor on the immense labours and sufferings which Christ our Lord has endured for us.”

Wherefore should we fall in with a spiritual director, who, instead of encouraging and guiding us in the path of prayer, should turn us away from it, we ought to withdraw ourselves from his direction as being really dangerous to us, and likely to end badly in our regard.

In the 23rd chapter of the Way of Perfection,

Saint Teresa mentions three reasons thy wTshouid why a soul should persevere in the adopt this resolution to practise prayer, without

resolution *■ l j *

being deterred therefrom by any difficulty whatever. The first reason is, that when we resolve to consecrate to God our faculty of meditating — that is to say, our loving and trusting attention for the purpose of occupying ourselves with Him in prayer — we ought not to give it as a loan, and as a something to be taken back again, but we ought rather to give it to Him as a perpetual, irrevocable gift, remem¬ bering how many priceless gifts we, on our part, have received from Him ; “ just as a wife who receives from her husband many precious jewels, gives him in return at least a ring, not because of its intrinsic value (for everything that she

Part /., Chap. Sec. 4.

possesses is already his), but as a pledge that she will be faithful to him until death ” And there¬ fore the Saint remarks that we ought not any longer to regard as our own the time that we have determined to spend in conversing with God in prayer, except, indeed, we should happen to be prevented from attending to our devotions for one or a few days , through press of business or through illness.

The second reason is, that the devil is not so powerful to tempt very determined souls ; nay, rather, “he is extremely afraid of resolute souls, since he knows by experience that they do him great mischief, and whatever he may invent to injure them eventually turns out to their benefit and that of others, so that he comes off the loser.

. . . But if the devil sees any one fickle,

inconstant in virtue, and not earnestly resolved to persevere, he will give him no peace day or night, but will inspire him with fears and suggest inconveniences without end.”

The third reason is, that this determination is of great assistance to encounter and overcome all the obstacles that may present themselves ; and Saint Teresa illustrates this by the example of a soldier who, knowing that his only hope of life rests in conquering his enemy, is resolved to fight to the last drop of his blood. “Such a one,” she says, “ does not fear the blows so much, because he knows how important the victory is, and that his life depends upon it.”

From the foregoing teaching and exhortations

Treatise on Prayer .

of the Saint, we learn that we must take up this exercise of prayer with a most resolute determina¬ tion never to abandon it to the end of our lives.

Do you, therefore, Christian souls, who by § s Exhorta- God’s grace already know the vanity tions to irreso- and the misery of this world’s goods, who already understand in some slight degree how sweet and good it is to converse in your hearts with God by means of prayer, and who hear His loving voice inviting and urging you to do so, resolve, once for all, to give yourselves up to a life of recollection and prayer, which shall be for you no less consoling than profitable. But let this resolution involve the entire surrender of yourselves to an exercise so sweet and salutary ; so that you may never again look back, but may persevere therein constantly, until the Divine Spouse, who now invites you to an intimate union with Himself by faith, may summon you to a perfect union with Him in glory.

But if you should still be irresolute or cowardly through vain and false apprehensions, mark well the following passage from Saint Teresa, in which she speaks in general of the courage and resolution which one ought to have in reducing to practice holy inspirations : “ I have already proved many times by experience/’ she says, “ that if in the beginning I help myself by re¬ solving to perform the good work solely in order to give pleasure to God (for, that our merit may be the more abundant, it is His will that the

Part /., Chap. I., Sec. 5. 9

soul should feel dismayed only in the beginning of a good work, and the greater the difficulty in overcoming this feeling the greater is our merit, and the more pleasant becomes the task we have set ourselves to accomplish), His Divine Majesty gives a recompense even in this life, by some means which can be understood only by those who have experienced them. This, as I have said, I know by practical experience in many affairs of considerable difficulty ; and therefore, if I were in a position to give counsel in such a matter, I should never advise that when a good resolution comes, it should be allowed to pass unheeded through fear of putting it into execu¬ tion. For if we act solely for God alone, there is no fear that the matter will turn out badly in the end, since He is omnipotent ” (Life, chap. 4). In conformity with this principle, she gives it as her opinion, in the 13th chapter of the same work, “ that Saint Peter lost nothing when throwing himself into the sea, although he was afterwards afraid,” for his fear proceeded from weakness of faith, which the Lord, nevertheless, mercifully supplied. The resolution to embrace an entirely holy and spiritual life likewise caused fear at first to Blessed Henry Suso, and the devil availed of this fear to withhold him from carrying out his resolution ; but the holy man replied to the tempter : God invites me to give myself up entirely to Him : if, then , I fling my¬ self into His arms, is it possible that He will withdraw Himself from me so that I fall ?

IO

Treatise on Prayer.

Again, Saint Teresa, speaking expressly of prayer in the 13th chapter just quoted, says : “ Almighty God is the friend of courageous souls, provided they proceed with humility and are utterly distrustful of themselves. I have never yet seen any of these left behind in the race, nor have I seen a cowardly soul, even though humble, make the same progress in many years that these more courageous ones make in a few days. I am astonished at the wonderful help it brings to one in this race to dare great things. For though the soul should not have strength all at once, nevertheless it makes a noble effort to fly, and actually makes considerable progress, though it immediately grows weary and stops, like a little bird whose wings are not yet full grown.” How¬ ever, to adopt the Saint’s comparison, once the first attempt to fly has been made, a second and a third will follow, until at length, when the wings shall have attained their full development, it will know not weariness, and will stop no more.

Chapter II

Of the importance of commencing the holy exercise of prayer in some manner or other .

We find such wonderful discretion in the works » of Saint Teresa, that while her

discretion of teaching is calculated to stimulate Saint Teresa. those wh0 are strong and resolute in

Part I., Chap . If., Sec. i. n

God’s service to attempt the greatest things for Him, yet it never frightens or discourages those who are weak and faint-hearted : on the contrary, it helps them very much to commence to do what little they can, so that they may afterwards gradually advance, in proportion as they make progress in acquiring virtue. Notwithstanding the arguments and exhortations contained in the preceding pages, it is possible that persons of this latter class, seeing that, on the one hand, the Saint requires of them to take up the exercise of prayer with a resolution so full, and firm, and constant, that nothing shall deter them from carrying it into execution, and, on the other hand, not feeling themselves sufficiently strong, and prompt, and courageous for this task, may be tempted to despair of ever becoming men of prayer, and so may fail even to commence this salutary practice.