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Carmelite Quotes @[email protected] · 2026-05-29 · 17:01 UTC

Quote of the day, 30 May: St. Teresa of Avila

What I tried to explain in the previous chapters—although I digressed a great deal in speaking of other things since mentioning them seemed to me very necessary—was the work we can do through our own efforts and how in obtaining this initial devotion we can help ourselves in some way.

For in thinking about and carefully examining what the Lord suffered for us, we are moved to compassion; and this sorrow and the resulting tears bring delight. In thinking about the glory we hope for, the love the Lord bore us, and His resurrection, we are moved to a joy that is neither entirely spiritual nor entirely of the senses.

But the joy is virtuous and the sorrow very meritorious. Virtue and merit are found in all the things that cause the devotion acquired partly by the intellect, even though this devotion could not be merited or obtained if God did not give it.

The soul can place itself in the presence of Christ and grow accustomed to being inflamed with love for His sacred humanity. It can keep Him ever-present and speak with Him, asking for its needs and complaining of its labors, being glad with Him in its enjoyments and not forgetting Him because of them, trying to speak to Him, not through written prayers but with words that conform to its desires and needs.

This is an excellent way of making progress and in a very short time. I consider that soul advanced who strives to remain in this precious company and to profit very much by it, and who truly comes to love this Lord to whom we owe so much.

As a result, we shouldn’t care at all about not having devotion—as I have said—but we ought to thank the Lord who allows us to be desirous of pleasing Him, even though our works may be weak.

This method of keeping Christ present with us is beneficial in all stages and is a very safe means of advancing in the first degree of prayer, of reaching in a short time the second degree, and of walking secure against the dangers the devil can set up in the last degrees.

Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, Chapter 12

Note: Saint Teresa’s counsel corresponds beautifully to the Rosary, which teaches the soul to keep Christ present by contemplating the mysteries of his sacred humanity with the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Rosary, sorrow becomes compassion, joy becomes hope, and even dry prayer remains a faithful effort to remain in the precious company of the Lord.

Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Christopher Riggs captured this image of a woman praying the Holy Rosary. Image credit: xopheriggs / Unsplash (Stock photo)

#mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod #Rosary #sacredHumanity #StTeresaOfAvila

#stteresaofavila #sacredhumanity #rosary #presenceofgod #mentalprayer

Feral Strumpet @[email protected] · 2025-08-25 · 14:22 UTC

This elegant, rustic Joan of Arc necklace feels aged and brave. The medal of Joan of Arc is cast in pewter, while the design incorporates an asymmetrical length of beads from an antique, faceted amber glass rosary fragment.

https://feralstrumpet.com/products/rustic-joan-of-arc-medal-necklace

#JoanOfArc #handmade #jewellery #rosary

#joanofarc #handmade #jewellery #rosary

Camellia Tea Ceremony @[email protected] · 2025-03-21 · 04:46 UTC

On the east side of Kiyomizu-dera's main hall, on a beam below the latticed shutters, is a long, deep scratch (堂々巡り筋痕).

It was created by the countless rosary beads rubbed against the wood so that worshippers could feel their way around the hall when darkness fell.

#清水寺 #Kyoto #Kiyomizudera #pilgrims #rosary #pilgrimage

#清水寺 #kyoto #kiyomizudera #pilgrims #rosary #pilgrimage

Camellia Tea Ceremony @[email protected] · 2025-03-21 · 04:46 UTC

On the east side of Kiyomizu-dera's main hall, on a beam below the latticed shutters, is a long, deep scratch (堂々巡り筋痕).

It was created by the countless rosary beads rubbed against the wood so that worshippers could feel their way around the hall when darkness fell.

#清水寺 #Kyoto #Kiyomizudera #pilgrims #rosary #pilgrimage

#清水寺 #kyoto #kiyomizudera #pilgrims #rosary #pilgrimage

Carmelite Quotes @[email protected] · 2025-01-13 · 21:56 UTC

Quote of the day, 14 January: Brother Lawrence

Reverend and Dear Mother,

I received from Miss N. the rosaries that you gave her. I am surprised you haven’t let me know what you think of the book I sent you. You must have received it. Put it diligently into practice in your later days. Better late than never.

I cannot understand how religious people can remain content without the practice of the presence of God. As for me, I keep myself recollected in him in the depth and center of my soul as much as possible, and when I am thus with him I fear nothing, though the least deviation is hell for me.

This exercise does not hurt the body. It is nonetheless appropriate to deprive it occasionally, and even with some frequency, of some innocent, permissible, little consolations. For God will not permit a soul desirous of being entirely his to find consolation other than with him, and that is more than reasonable!

I do not say we must put ourselves to a great deal of trouble to do this; no, we must serve God in holy freedom. We must work faithfully, without turmoil or anxiety, gently and peacefully bringing our minds back to God as often as we find ourselves distracted.

We must, however, place all our trust in God and let go of all our cares, including a multitude of private devotions, very good in themselves but often carried out for the wrong reason, for these devotions are nothing more than the means to arrive at the end. If, then, we are with the one who is our end by this practice of the presence of God, it is certainly useless to return to the means. We can continue our loving exchange with him, remaining in his holy presence sometimes by an act of adoration, praise, or desire, other times by acts of oblation, thanksgiving, or anything else that our minds can devise.

Do not be discouraged by the repugnance you feel on the side of nature. You must do it violence. In the beginning you may often think you are wasting your time; nonetheless, you must continually resolve to persevere until death in spite of all the difficulties. I commend myself to the prayers of your holy community and to yours in particular and I am in Our Lord,

Yours,

From Paris, November 3, 1685

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.

Letter 4, to the same nun as Letter 3
Saturday, 3 November 1685

Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God, translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Mark Notari captures this image of pots and pans on a stove in a commercial kitchen within a market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Image credit: notarim / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #freedom #innerPeace #prayer #presenceOfGod #recollection #Rosary #selfDenial #trust

#trust #selfdenial #rosary #recollection #presenceofgod #prayer

Carmelite Quotes @[email protected] · 2024-06-24 · 23:02 UTC

What is this, Christians, that you say mental prayer isn’t necessary? Do you understand yourselves? Indeed, I don’t think you do, and so you desire that we all be misled.

You don’t know what mental prayer is, or how vocal prayer should be recited, or what contemplation is, for if you did you wouldn’t on the one hand condemn what on the other hand you praise.

I shall always have to join mental prayer to vocal prayer—when I remember—so that others don’t frighten you, daughters. I know how this criticism of mental prayer will end up, for I have suffered some trials in this matter, and thus I wouldn’t want anyone to disturb you.

It is harmful to walk on this road with fear. It is very important for you to know that you are on the right road. When a traveler is told that he has made a mistake and lost his way, he is made to go from one end to another, and all his searching for the way tires him, and he wastes time and arrives late.

Who can say that it is wrong when we begin to recite the Hours or the rosary, to consider whom we are going to speak with, and who we are, so as to know how to speak with Him?

Now I tell you, Sisters, if before you begin your vocal prayer you do the great deal that must be done in order to understand these two points well, you will be spending a good amount of time in mental prayer.

Yes, indeed, for we must not approach a conversation with a prince as negligently as we do one with a farm worker, or with some poor thing like ourselves for whom any manner of address is all right.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Way of Perfection, chap. 22, nos. 2–3

Note: Translator and editor Father Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. mentions that in the first redaction of The Way of Perfection, St. Teresa wrote: “Do you understand yourselves? For, though being what I am, I would like to shout and argue with those who say mental prayer is not necessary.”

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Photographer Jeffrey Bruno captured this image of religious women who attended the Beatification of Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark, New Jersey on 4 October 2014. Image credit: Jeffrey Bruno / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/06/24/stj-way22n2/

#contemplation #conversation #fear #LiturgyOfTheHours #mentalPrayer #prayer #Rosary #StTeresaOfAvila #vocalPrayer