How should a person behave when he enters the fourth mansions? How should he act throughout the day? How should he pray? First, let’s look at our behavior during prayer. As I have said (some might say ad nausuem) contemplative … Continued
The prayer of quiet is the second type of contemplative prayer God gives in St. Teresa’s fourth mansions. Here is Teresa’s description of the prayer of quiet from Way of Perfection: This is a supernatural state, and, however hard … Continued
After a few weeks’ break, we return to the Interior Castle today to study what St. Teresa of Avila says about the prayer of infused recollection. There are two types of infused (meaning God-given) contemplation souls experience in … Continued
Before we dig into St. Teresa’s of Avila’s teaching about silence in prayer, I want to clarify something important from last week’s post on sitting quietly in prayer. I originally planned to write only one post. As it grew … Continued
Last week I wrote about St. Teresa’s of Avila’s method of mental prayer. Today I want to discuss misunderstandings about prayer from a different angle. Since we desire contemplation, should we sit still in prayer and wait for it? Should … Continued
Last winter on social media, I came across another Catholic author who was promoting yoga. Not as an exercise program, but for spiritual growth. I was shocked. I asked her why she wasn’t promoting prayer instead. She answered, “Meditation … Continued