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Chapter XX

Shows how, in one way or another, prayer always brings us consolation. The sisters are advised to speak to one another constantly on this subject.1

1. Consolations of prayer. 2. Advantages of mental prayer. 3. The society of seculars. 4. How to hold intercourse with them.

  1. The last chapter seems to contradict what I said, when in order to console those who were not contemplatives I told them that God had made many ways of reaching Him, just as He has made 'many mansions.'2 I repeat that, His Majesty being God, knows our weakness and has provided for us. He did not say: 'Let some men come to Me by drinking this water, but let others come by some other means.' His mercy is so great that He hinders no one from drinking of the fountain of life. May He be for ever praised! What good reasons there were for His forbidding it to me! Yet, as He did not order me to refrain from it when first I approached it, but plunged me into its very depths, decidedly He will stop no one else. Indeed, He calls us loudly and publicly to do so. He is so good that He will not force us to drink it, but He gives it in many ways to those who try to follow Him, so that none may go away disconsolate or die of thirst. For from this overflowing river spring many rivulets, some large, others small, while there are little pools for children — enough for them as they would be frightened at much water — by ' children' I mean beginners, unformed in virtue. You see, sisters, there is no fear you will die of drought on the way of prayer. The waters of comfort are never so utterly wanting that thirst becomes unbearable. Then take my advice; do not loiter on the road, but struggle manfully until you perish in the attempt, for you only came here for battle. Resolve firmly to die rather than miss the end of your journey. If at times our Lord lets you feel parched and arid during this life — in eternity He will give you abundance of water with no fear of its ever failing through any fault of yours. God grant that we may never fail Him! Amen.

2.3 Let us now consider how to start on this journey. This is most important, or we might wander off the right track from the very first: indeed I believe everything depends upon it. I do not mean that no one who is not firmly resolved to persevere in prayer ought to begin to practise it, for our Lord will gradually lead her on to perfection. Prayer has such virtue that she need never fear to lose by it: if she takes but one step she will be richly rewarded, for it brings us many graces, great and small. It is like an indulgenced chaplet4 — one bead earns a certain indulgence and several beads gain many more, yet if we never used the chaplet but kept it shut up in a box, it would be better for us to be without it. Thus, though many people do not persevere in prayer, any little progress they have made in it will give them light for other things, and the further they have advanced, the more light they will have. In short, they will certainly not harm themselves by beginning to practise it: good never brings forth evil. If you perceive a disposition or wish for prayer in people you see, try to remove any fear they may feel of beginning. I ask you, for the love of God, always to make your conversation helpful to your visitors. Your prayers are for the good of souls,5 for whom you are bound to intercede continually with God, and it seems wrong not to try to help them in every other possible way. If you would be a good kinswoman, this is genuine affection: if you would wish to be a true friend, this is the only feasible way. Let the truth grow as it ought in your hearts by meditation and you will know what sort of love we should bear for our neighbours.

  1. This is no time for child's-play; and worldly friendship, even when innocent, seems nothing else. Neither with your relations nor with any one else must you indulge in such foolish talk as: 'Do you love me? Do you not like me?' unless it serves some real end by benefiting a soul. To persuade your kindred, or a brother, or any other person to listen to and to admit the truth, some such words and signs of affection, which are always grateful to the senses, may be needed. Perhaps he will be better pleased by one kind word, as he would call it, than by a great deal you might say about God: afterwards, however, it will make him more inclined to talk about religion. I do not forbid your using such endearments for a good end; otherwise they are useless and may do harm without your knowing it.

  2. Every one knows you are nuns and that prayer is your business. Never say to yourselves: ' I do not wish to be thought good.' People will receive either profit or harm from what they see in you. It is very blameworthy of you, who are bound to speak solely on religious subjects,6 to refrain from doing so, unless sometimes greater good may be done in this way. Your intercourse and character must be devout. Let those acquire it who wish to talk to you, but beware of learning worldly ways —they would be a hell to you. Never mind if you are considered ill-bred — still less if you are taken for a hypocrite — this would be an advantage. No one would wish to see you unless they spoke your language, for if one cannot understand Arabic one does not want to talk to a person who knows no other tongue: thus the world would neither weary you nor hurt you, for to spend all your time in learning a new dialect would be no small hurt. Not having had my experience, you cannot understand as I do how this injures the soul, which forgets one thing while learning another. It is a perpetual source of worry; this must by all means be avoided, for peace and quiet of mind are essential for the prayer of which I am about to speak. If your acquaintances ask to learn your language,7 although it is not for you to teach it to them, yet you can tell them what great graces are gained by it. Never tire of doing this kindly, lovingly, prayerfully, in order to help your friends, so that, realising its value, they may seek some master to teach it them. Our Lord would be doing you no small favour if He enabled you to persuade some one to practise prayer. When once one begins to speak of this way of prayer how many matters there are to discuss, even by one as faulty as I am! Alas! I ought to write with both hands in order not to omit one subject for another. May it please our Lord to teach it you, sisters, better than I have hitherto done. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Valladolid edition, ch. xxii.; Escorial, ch. xxxiii. ↩

  2. St. John xiv. 2: 'In domo Patris mei mansiones multae sunt.' Castle, Introd. p. xxviii. M. i. ch. i. 2. ↩

  3. Escorial edition, ch. xxxiv. Advice to the sisters to encourage people to practise prayer. ↩

  4. Cuenta de perdones — beads strung together, blessed by the Pope, who attached to them certain indulgences on condition of reciting the prescribed prayers. Don Vicente de Fuente says he saw two which are kept in St. Christopher's church, Salamanca. ↩

  5. Way of Perf. ch. iii. 3-5; iv. 1, 2. ↩

  6. In most of the Carmelite convents in Spain the following lines are painted in the lobby: 'Hermana, uno de dos: / O callar ó hablar con Dios; / Que en la casa de Teresa / Esta ciencia se profesa.' ↩

  7. Const. 14. ↩

Chapter 21 of 43