I. Now let me address myself to those souls I mentioned

who can neither recollect themselves, nor concentrate
their minds on mental prayer, nor can they meditate.
We must not mention either of these words before them,
for they will not hear of such things. In fact, many
people are terrified at the mere name of mental prayer
or meditation, yet perhaps some such persons may
enter this convent, for as I said, all are not led by the

1 Valladolid edition, ch. xxvi ; Escorial, continuation of
ch. xxxix.

CHAP. XXIV.]

RECOLLECTION.

157

same way. What I will advise you about, or I may
say, teach you (for as Prioress, I am your Mother, and
have the right to do so), is how to pray vocally, because
you ought to understand the words you utter. Since
long prayers may tire one who cannot fix her mind on
God, I will not speak of them, but only of those which,
as Christians, we are bound to repeat — namely the Pater
Noster and the Ave Maria.®

2. Clearly, we ought to attend to how we say our
prayers ; then no one can say we speak without under-
standing our own words. Perhaps we think it is enough
for us to pray as a matter of habit and that it suffices
if we simply pronounce the words. Whether it suffices
or no, is not for me to say : I leave the decision to theo-
logians : God will give them light to guide those who
consult them, and as to those who do not belong to our
state of life, it is no business of mine. But, my daughters,
I do not wish us to content ourselves with this. When
I recite, in the Credo, “ I believe . . . ” it seems to me
that I ought to know and to understand what it is that
“ I believe.” If I say, ” Our Father,” love requires
that I should know Who is ” our Father,” and Who the
Master That teaches us this prayer, for there is an im-
mense difference between one master and another. If
you tell me that it is enough to know this once for all
and to think no more about it, you might as well sa}^
2 Escorial edition, ch. xl.

158 THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XXIV.

that it is enough to recite the prayer itself once in a
life-time. It is shameful to forget even our human
teachers, especially if they were very holy and were
our spiritual guides : we could not do so if we were
faithful pupils. We should preserve a strong affection
and respect for them, and should often speak of them.
God forbid, then, that whenever we say this prayer
we should not think of such a Master, so loving and
desirous of our good. Still, human nature is so frail
that we may often forget Him.

3. You know that His Majesty taught us that the
first point is that prayer should be made in solitude.®
He practised this Himself ; not because it was requisite
for Him, but for the sake of our instruction. I have
already explained that we cannot speak both to God and
to the world at the same time. Yet what else are we
doing if, while we pray, we listen to other people’s con-
versation or let our thoughts dwell unchecked on what-
ever subject occurs to them ? I am not alluding to times
when people are out of health (especially if they suffer
from melancholia), or when their brains are tired, for
then no effort will control the attention. On other
occasions, God permits a tempest of difficulties to assault
His servants for their greater good : then, though the
soul may grieve at its distractions and try to stop them,

3 St. Matt. vi. 6 : “ Tu autem, cum oraveris, intra incubiculum
tuum, et clause ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito.”

CHAP. XXIV.] DiSTRACTtONS. 159

this is found to be impossible. Such a person cannot
attend to what she is saying, strive as she may, nor can
she fix her thoughts on any other subject : indeed she
seems bereft of reason and her wits wander — still the pain
this state causes her proves her to be blameless in the
matter. She should not trouble herself about it ; this
would only increase the evil : let her not tire herself by
trying to reduce her mind to reason, of which, in such a
state, it is incapable. Let her pray as best she can, or
leave off praying and rest her brain as if she were ill,
occupying herself with some other good work. This
advice applies to persons who watch carefully over them-
selves and who grasp the truth that they cannot speak
both to God and to the world at the same time.

4. On our part, we can endeavour to be alone — God
grant this may suffice to make us realise in Whose Presence
we are, and how He answers our petitions. Do you
suppose He is silent, though we cannot hear Him ? He I
speaks to our hearts when our hearts speak to Him. It
would be good for us to believe that He teaches this
prayer to each one of us in particular. This Master is
never so far off that His scholars need raise their voices
to make Him hear : He keeps very close to them. I
want to show you that to say the Pater Noster well, you
must not leave the side of the Tutor Who teaches it you.
Perhaps you will say that this is meditation, and that you
cannot pray except vocally, nor do you wish to do so.

l6o THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XXV.

Some people are impatient and self-indulgent, and find
it difficult to collect their thoughts when they begin to
pray, being unused to the habit ; therefore to avoid some
little trouble, they say they do not know how, nor can they
do more than pray vocally. You are right in calling
that which I am speaking of “ mental prayer,” but I
assure you that vocal prayers, properly recited, cannot
be separated from it, if we are to realise with Whom
we are speaking. We are bound to pray with attention,
and may God grant that, with the aid of all these
means, we may succeed in saying the Pater Noster well,
without wandering thoughts. I sometimes suffer from
them, and I find that the best remedy is to keep my
mind fixed on Him to Whom my words are addressed.
You must be patient, and try to accustom yourselves to
this most necessary practice, which for nuns — and, in
my opinion, for all good Christians — is indispensable.