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object: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.
book class:The Way of Perfection
author class:Saint Teresa of Avila
class:chapter

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

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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

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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

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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

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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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CHAPTER_28_-_Describes_the_nature_of_the_Prayer_of_Recollection_and_sets_down, #The Way of Perfection, #Saint Teresa of Avila, #Christianity
  object: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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