In our practical mysticism session this coming Saturday, we are going to be looking at the stages of prayer through the lens of Teresa of Avila’s teaching.
Teresa was a 16th century Spanish mystic who led an astonishing life. She was a prolific writer, a powerful leader, a musician and poet, an engaging conversationalist and was utterly captivating. Theresa wrote a number of books, reformed a religious order of men with her great friend St John of the Cross, and some 400 years after her death was made a Doctor of the church; significant achievements indeed even by today’s standards never mind those of a 16th century nun.
But she also knew much pain and suffering throughout her life. She made many mistakes and confesses to have failed at many things, yet she never shies away from telling of these struggles and this is what makes her so relatable.
One of her greatest gifts to the church was her writing on prayer. This work can be found in her books ‘The way of Perfection’ and ‘The interior Castle’. Teresa never actually prescribes a method of prayer but rather explores the stages of prayer from the outset of the contemplative path through to the prayer of union. What is so engaging about her writing is how honest she is about her own struggles with prayer, describing how she abandoned her prayer life completely at one point for some 18 years, giving hope to anyone who has ever encountered difficulty with prayer.
This coming Saturday we will be diving into a practical exploration of Theresa’s hints and tips for stepping into a deep, enriching and contemplative approach to prayer.
This session will take place at Prinknash Abbey conference room, Saturday 11th November at 10.30am – all are welcome.
Lavish Wisdom 