CHAPTER XXV.^

That great profit is reaped by the soul from praying
vocally with perfection, and that God then sometimes
raises it to a supernatural state.

1. Difference between vocal and menial prayer and contemplation. 2. Mental and
vocal prayer. 3. Contemplation is a gift from God.

1. To prove to you that vocal prayer, made perfectly,
brings with it no small profit, I may tell you that it is
1 Valladolid edition, ch. xxvii. ; Escorial, ch. xli.

CHAP. XXV.] DEFINITIONS. l6l

quite possible, while you are reciting the Pater Noster or
some other prayer (if you say it well), that God may
raise you to perfect contemplation.^ His Majesty thus
shows that He is listening to His handmaid and speaks
to her in return, suspending the understanding and
stopping the thoughts — one might say, taking the words
out of her mouth — so that speech becomes impossible^
or at least requires a strong effort. The soul under-
stands that the divine Master is teaching it without the
sound of words. He suspends the faculties,® which by their
action would hinder rather than favour contemplation.
They are happy, without knowing why : the soul is
inflamed with love without comprehending how it loves :
it feels that it enjoys the Beloved, yet how it does so it
cannot tell. It realises that this delight can never be
gained through any desire of the mind itself : the will
embraces its joy without apprehending how, yet it dimly
perceives that every good work mankind could perform
in this world would not merit such a reward, for it is
the gift of the Lord of heaven and earth. Who gives
it in the manner befitting His Godhead.

2. This, daughters, is perfect contemplation. Now you
can see how it differs from mental prayer, which, as
I explained to you, consists in thinking over and realising

2 Concep. ch. iv. i, sqq.

3 Life, ch. xviii. 1-3, 14-19. Rel. i. i ; viii, 7. Castle, M. v.
ch. i. 5, sqq.

II

i62 the way of perfection. [chap. XXV.

what, and with Whom, we speak, and who we are that
presume to address this great Sovereign. To consider
these and other matters, such as how little we serve Him,
and how greatly we should do so, is mental prayer. Do
not fancy that it is some “ shibboleth,” nor take fright
at the word. To recite the “ Our Father,” or the ” Hail,
Mary,” or any other petition is vocal prayer — you see
what discord this would make without the accompani-
ment of mental prayer : even the words would go wrong
sometimes.

3. With the assistance of God’s grace, we can help
ourselves to a certain extent in these two matters ; not
so in contemplation ^ : this is beyond our natural powers,
and He does all, for it is His work. In the history of
my life, which was written by their command for my
confessors, I have spoken at length about contemplation
and explained it to the full extent of my knowledge, so
I will only touch upon it here. If those of you whom
God has so blessed as to lead into this state of prayer
(and, as I have said, several of you are among the
number) can obtain this book, you will find certain
points and advice contained in it which will afford
you great comfort, for our Lord was pleased to enable
me to make the matter clear — at least, so it appears
to me and to others who have read it, and who
always keep the book by them because of their high

* Castle, M. v. ch. ii, 4, 5.

CHAP. XXVI.] A GIFT OF GOD. 163

opinion of it. How ashamed I feel at telling you that
they have a high opinion of me ! God knows how con-
fused I am at writing on some of these sublime sub-
jects : may He be praised for His patience in bearing
with me ! Those of you who have reached a super-
natural state of prayer should procure the volume after
my death ; the others have no need of it : only let
them try to practise what I have taught them here
and to advance by all the means in their power. Let
them make every effort to obtain this grace from God,
begging Him fervently to grant it them : let them
help one another and then leave the rest in His hands.
The gift is His : He will not refuse it if you do not
linger on the road, but force yourselves to persevere
to the end and to keep up the struggle, as I told you.