Daily Archives: August 8, 2015

ST TERESA OF AVILA PRAYERS share

DAY TWENTY-ONE

After reading this Prayer, I know why I love St Teresa – it is because she speaks to me of all the states that I am experiencing, both the treacherous and exasperating states as well as the good times and the delightful moments of rapture.  She hides nothing from me and talks to me frankly, openly and disingenuously about how hard is the path to God and how many times I will, and I do, stumble and fall, and how I should never give up, although so often I am tempted to because I doubt my own strength and capacity to endure suffering.  She keeps alive in me the hope and the joy in my heart that one day, soon or maybe far away, that I will reach that garden where the Lord dwells.    Bharti

PRAYER:   Our Lord, in order to console me,

once told me not to be distressed by the fact

that the life of the spirit

does not continue on an even path.

At one time I am fervent,

at another I am not.

At one moment I am disquieted,

a moment later I am at peace.

At still another I am tempted.

But I must, God reminded me,

hope and not fear.

But what shall I do, Lord,

if for a long time

there is no consolation in my prayers

and I find it almost impossible to seek you out?

I believe that the best course

is to be absolutely resigned,

confessing that we can do nothing,

and to apply ourselves to other

good and meritorious deeds.

Maybe our Lord takes away from our souls

the grace to pray easily,

so that we can learn how little it is

that we can accomplish

with only our own strength. 

Rejoice and take comfort

and consider how great a privilege it is

to work in the garden of so great a Lord.

MANTRA:   It is all right to feel helpless. 

EVENING PRAYER:  The life of the spirit

is not an even path.

We do not know what is good for us,

what we should ask for on any given day,

at any given moment.

Whether we are fervent or disquieted,

at peace or thrown about by temptation,

caught up in prayer or speechless,

matters not at all.

What matters is,

however my day has gone,

however I find myself as darkness comes,

that I should without ceasing

hope in you and fear not.