“…contemplatives have to bear aloft the standard of humility and must suffer all the blows which are aimed at them without striking any themselves. Their duty is to suffer as Christ did, to raise the Cross on high, not to allow it to leave their hands, whatever the perils in which they find themselves, and not to let themselves be found backward in suffering. It is for this reason that they are given such an honorable duty. Let the contemplative consider what he is doing; for, if he lets the standard fall, the battle will be lost.”1
By the grace of God, for the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa of Jesus, we held a formation meeting dedicated to deepening our understanding of the doctrine of the Spanish Doctor of the Church.
We began a few months ago to prepare the expositions to present during these days, which served as a great personal advantage for each of us.
As a base, we made use of some texts from “The Way of Perfection”, in which the saint teaches the way to arrive at contemplative prayer: love of neighbor, detachment from creatures, humility and interior detachment, and finally contemplative prayer.
Thanks to the modern means of communication, we were able to partake in a conference given by our Spiritual Father, Fr. Alberto Barattero, about a more philosophical aspect of the election of the interior life, which one must freely and voluntarily renew each day. There was time for questions, and our sisters from the Monastery “Ecce Homo” in Holland were able to participate.
We give thanks to God for the benefits with which He has blessed us during these days, and we ask Him to give us the grace, following the example of St. Teresa, to be true contemplatives and loving spouses of the Heart of Christ.