Today the Church honors St. Teresa of Avila, one of the doctors of the Church. I’ve always admired St. John of the Cross whom Teresa called her spiritual father. As a result, Teresa has been like the neighbor who comes over a few times a year for a visit.
One quote from Teresa stands out for me, “The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes."
At first blush, this might make you think that your prayers ought to be simple, the holier you become. Be direct. Be honest. Be brief. Be grateful. All of these are good and I would argue make good sense when it comes to prayer.
But look again at Teresa’s quote, “…the simpler one becomes”. She is leading us beyond simple strategies within prayer and into simplicity itself.
A holy AND simple person understands his utter neediness for God. He recognizes his sinfulness and savors God’s mercy. He goes to prayer because he cannot go without it.
May we pray simply and in so doing, like Teresa, become more simple.
One quote from Teresa stands out for me, “The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes."
At first blush, this might make you think that your prayers ought to be simple, the holier you become. Be direct. Be honest. Be brief. Be grateful. All of these are good and I would argue make good sense when it comes to prayer.
But look again at Teresa’s quote, “…the simpler one becomes”. She is leading us beyond simple strategies within prayer and into simplicity itself.
A holy AND simple person understands his utter neediness for God. He recognizes his sinfulness and savors God’s mercy. He goes to prayer because he cannot go without it.
May we pray simply and in so doing, like Teresa, become more simple.