The Prayer

of
Reminders Works of St. Teresa of Avila The Prayer
Recollection
of

Recollection
Make Time for Regular Periods for further reading
of Mental Prayer
“Mental prayer … means taking time frequently to
The Book of Her Life, chapter 12, par. 2-4
be alone with Him who we know loves us” (The The Way of Perfection, chapter 28, par. 4-8
trial you are going through now. Just speak to the Book of Her Life, 8.5). Teresa speaks of “the hour The Interior Castle, “The Fourth Dwelling Place,”
Lord however your heart moves you to speak. I had determined to spend in prayer” (The Book of
Saint Teresa of Avila
chapter 1, par. 7
If you do not feel moved to speak to him, just Her Life, 8.7). “I should consider the time of prayer
remain quietly with Jesus, looking at him with as not belonging to me and think that He can ask it
eyes of faith and love. Come to him as you are. of me in justice when I do not want to give it wholly Acknowledgements
to Him” (The Way of Perfection, 23.2).
If you are joyful, look at him as risen; if you are Cover photo © 2012 by Sarah Maruca Stoddard,
in pain, look at him in his suffering (The Way
of Perfection, 26.4-5). No matter what you are
Distractions Are Normal Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, Ohio;
used with permission
feeling, you will find the Lord looking at you Distractions are “unavoidable … and should not be a
Painting of St. Teresa of Avila (detail)
with understanding and love. disturbance or affliction for you … Pay no attention by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)
to these thoughts … and let’s not blame the soul for
At times, you may experience a deep peace, or what a weak imagination, human nature, and the Sculpture of “Christ and the Samaritan Woman
recollection, or communion with Jesus. Rest in devil cause” (Interior Castle, IV.1.13-14). “I consider at Jacob’s Well” by Ivan Mestrovic, 1957,
this deep communion as long as it lasts. When it [distractions] an incurable disease” (Letters, October University of Notre Dame
passes, let it go. Do not cling to it. With eyes of 9, 1581). Photo of sculpture by Ruth Councell;
faith and love bring your attention back to the used with permission
Lord present within you. Be Prepared for Dryness Graphic production by jwsgraphics,
Dayton, Ohio
If your mind wanders again, say to yourself “As for … dryness, it seems to me that the Lord is
nonjudgmentally, “Oh, my mind is wandering now treating you as one who is strong. He wants to
again,” and gently bring your attention back to try you in order to know the love you have for Him,
whether it is present in dryness as well as in spiritual
Jesus within you. With eyes of faith and love look
delights. Take it as a very great favor from God. Don’t
at him who is looking at you, and allow your
let it cause you any grief, for perfection does not
heart to express whatever your love desires to say consist in delight but in the virtues. When you least
to the Lord. expect, devotion will return” (Letters, August 7, 1580).

Conclusion Pray Always Prepared and distributed by

“The true lover loves everywhere and is always The Institute of Carmelite Studies
Remain in this prayer for at least 30 minutes. thinking of the Beloved! It would be a thing hard to 2131 Lincoln Road, Northeast
As your time of prayer draws to a close, open bear if we were able to pray only when off in some Washington, DC 20002-1199
your eyes. Continue to sit comfortably for a few corner” (The Book of Her Foundations, 5.16). “If you
more minutes, gradually becoming aware of your grow accustomed to having Him present at your side, For additional copies and quantity pricing,
surroundings. and He sees that you do so with love and that you go visit the website at www.icspublications.org “Prayer… means
You may wish to conclude your time of prayer about striving to please Him, you will not be able — or phone toll-free 800-832-8489 taking time frequently
by saying slowly and reflectively the Our Father, as they say — to get away from Him; He will never fail or FAX (202) 832-8967 to be alone with the
the Hail Mary, or some other prayer (The Way of
you; He will help you in all your trials; you will find Him One who we know
everywhere” (The Way of Perfection, 26.1). © 2012 Washington Province of
Perfection, 25.3). Discalced Carmelite Friars, Inc. loves us.”
Saint Teresa of Avila “This prayer is called ‘recollection,’ because
the soul collects its faculties together and
To remain
attentive
St. Teresa of Jesus was born in enters within itself to be with its God.” to Jesus’
Avila, Spain, in 1515. At the age
of 20 she entered the Carmelite
—The Way of Perfection, 28.4 presence,
convent of the Incarnation in her
native Avila. After 26 years in the
Incarnation, she was inspired by
God to found the convent of St. from the
Joseph in Avila that would be
Gospel, like
devoted to a life of contemplative
prayer. Before her death in Jesus with
1582 she founded 17 convents,
which formed the beginnings of the Order of Discalced
Carmelites. Today Discalced Carmelites number about
Preparation
12,000 cloistered women in 98 countries, nearly 4,000 You may
mendicant friars in 82 countries, and some 40,000 lay Choose a quiet place where you are not likely before the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s
to be interrupted. Sit comfortably in a chair with well or with Mary in the garden want to
Carmelites throughout the world.
your feet placed separately on the floor in front after his resurrection. Look at ask for that
Teresa believed the purpose of her new order was to
pray for the needs of the church. During the course of of you, your hands joined on your lap or placed our Lord Jesus present within. “living
separately on your thighs. If you are accustomed In place of these passages,
her life she wrote several books and left other writings water” he
that teach the way of contemplative prayer for those to praying in another position, for example on a you might wish to use other
prayer bench, assume this position. promised
who follow in her footsteps. In 1970, Pope Paul VI New Testament accounts
declared St. Teresa the first woman doctor of the Close your eyes. Then take a deep breath, and of Jesus’ encounters with the
church, primarily for her teaching on prayer. individuals, for example:
slowly exhale. Repeat this deep breathing several Samaritan
Teresa, however, did not always find prayer easy. In the times. Gradually relax your whole body. Jesus and the rich young man
woman.
earlier years of her religious life, she was not able to
Next, quiet your mind. Acknowledge any (Mk 10:17-22); at the Last
follow the traditional methods of discursive meditation,
thoughts, or preoccupations, or worries, or Supper with the disciple whom
or prayerfully calling to mind and reflecting on specific he loved (Jn 13:23-26); on the
religious thoughts and images. Finally she discovered anxieties. Whatever concerns you may have for
your family, or your work, or your daily activities, cross, with the good thief
“the prayer of recollection,” which she said the Lord (Lk 22:39-43); Jesus after his
himself taught her. “I confess that I never knew what it simply surrender them to God.
resurrection, with the apostle
was to pray with satisfaction until the Lord taught me
Thomas in his disbelief (Jn 20:24-29);
this method” (The Way of Perfection, 29.7). It involved
or other texts.
simply meeting Jesus Christ, true God and true man, Meeting the Lord Intimate Sharing
in the deepest center of her being. She wrote: “I tried When you notice your mind wandering,
as hard as I could to keep Jesus Christ, our God and Now recall that you are in God’s presence. immediately bring your attention back to the Lord As you look in faith at Jesus present within
our Lord, present within me, and that was my way of Recall, too, that Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, true present within you. You don’t have to think about you, you may feel moved to speak to him. You
prayer” (The Book of Her Life, 4.7). God and true man, is within you. Quietly sit with him, you don’t have to reason about him, you may want to speak to him as father, or brother,
Enthusiastically, she taught this way of prayer to others,
Jesus, aware of his presence within. don’t have to form an image of him. Simply look at as spouse, or friend (The Way of Perfection, 28.3;
assuring them that this method “is not something To remain attentive to Jesus’ presence, recall him with eyes of faith. And in faith be aware that The Book of Her Life, 37.5). You may want to ask
supernatural, but is something we can desire and a passage from the Gospel, like Jesus with the he is looking at you. Looking at a picture or icon for the “living water” he promised the Samaritan
achieve ourselves with the help of God” (The Way of woman at the well, or the risen Jesus with Mary of Jesus or repeating his name or a phrase like “My woman. You may want to tell him that you love
Perfection, 29.4). It is a method she found “beneficial” of Magdala. Recall that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Lord and my God,” or “Come, Lord Jesus,” may him or to thank him for his many gifts to you. You
in all stages of the spiritual journey (The Book of Her God, is present within you just as he was present help you look in faith at Jesus within you. may want to ask a favor of him, for strength in a
Life, 12.3).