This is what I want us to strive for, my sisters; let us desire and be occupied in prayer, not for the sake of our enjoyment but so as to have this strength to serve. ~ St Teresa of Avila
Teresa of Avila, whose feast Carmelites celebrate today, is - among other things - rightly famous for her mystical experiences and her deep, contemplative union with God. But her prayer wasn't all about ecstasies and visions; there were also many hours, along the way, spent in boredom and inner restlessness. And there is the account - which I love - of Teresa shaking her hourglass, in a vain attempt at making her time of prayer go faster!
Yes, she shook her hourglass, and no doubt sighed and fidgeted - interiorly if not physically. But the important thing is that she remained at prayer until after the very last grain of sand had landed. Teresa remained: she desired and was occupied in prayer, not for the sake of her own enjoyment, but because this time with God - even when dry and distracted - was the centre of her life and the source of her much-needed strength.
And at those times when I sit in prayer metaphorically shaking my hourglass, it can sometimes help to remember and be heartened by the example, from Teresa and countless others, of perseverance and fidelity to a commitment made. At other times I smilingly recall some advice from St Madeleine Sophie to one of her sisters: Love God, and if you cannot meditate you can always say: "My God, I love you". It is a reminder of that simple truth, that prayer is nothing more than spending time with the One we love; the One who loves and has loved us first, and is delighted to have us spend this time with him... even when we're busily shaking our hourglass...
Yes, she shook her hourglass, and no doubt sighed and fidgeted - interiorly if not physically. But the important thing is that she remained at prayer until after the very last grain of sand had landed. Teresa remained: she desired and was occupied in prayer, not for the sake of her own enjoyment, but because this time with God - even when dry and distracted - was the centre of her life and the source of her much-needed strength.
And at those times when I sit in prayer metaphorically shaking my hourglass, it can sometimes help to remember and be heartened by the example, from Teresa and countless others, of perseverance and fidelity to a commitment made. At other times I smilingly recall some advice from St Madeleine Sophie to one of her sisters: Love God, and if you cannot meditate you can always say: "My God, I love you". It is a reminder of that simple truth, that prayer is nothing more than spending time with the One we love; the One who loves and has loved us first, and is delighted to have us spend this time with him... even when we're busily shaking our hourglass...
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