← [[session-03-f1a|Foundation of Prayer and the Atmosphere Favorable to Meditation and Contemplation]] | [[formation-I-a-handbook|Table of Contents]] | [[session-05-f1a|Fundamental Attitudes and Convictions Necessary for Growth in Prayer]] → # Foundation of Prayer (continued) Detachment and Humility: “Prayer ought to be humble, fervent, resigned, persevering, and accompanied with great reverence. One should consider that he stands in the presence of a God and speaks with a Lord before whom the angels tremble from awe and fear.” — St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Required Reading: The Way of Perfection, chapters 10-15. Additional Reading: WP Study Edition Glossary: Detachment, pg. 503; Humility, pg. 507. Essential Points to Discuss: • “...do not feel secure or let yourselves go to sleep! By feeling secure you would resemble someone who very tranquilly lies down after having locked his doors for fear of thieves while allowing the thieves to remain inside the house. And you already know that there is no worse thief than we ourselves!” (10:1). • “A great aid to going against your will is to bear in mind continually how all is vanity and how quickly everything comes to an end” (10:2). • “When we begin to become attached to something, we should strive to turn our thoughts from it and bring them back to God – and His Majesty helps” (10:2). • “…true humility … and the virtue of detachment it seems to me always go together. They are two inseparable sisters” (10:3). • “...if there is any vain esteem of honor or wealth... you will never grow very much or come to enjoy the true fruit of prayer” (12:5). • Let us imitate the humility of the Blessed Virgin. (see 13:3). • “Indeed, it calls for great humility to be silent at seeing oneself condemned without fault” (15:1). • “We must all try to be preachers through our deeds...” (15:6). Note: Teresa’s discussion of the foundation of prayer ends in chapter 15. Chapter 16 serves as a transitional chapter. Here Teresa is setting a stage to explain the growth in prayer in subsequent chapters. The following explanatory note is essential to understand Teresa’s shift in her thoughts in chapter 16. Progression in Prayer Required Reading: The Way of Perfection chapter 16 (not required for discussion in the formation session, but the formator might refer to it briefly if time permits.) Explanatory note: Teresa employs the game of chess to explain the growth in prayer. What she said so far (foundation of prayer) is like setting up the game of chess. Now is the time to move 13 the pieces. “Now realize that anyone who doesn’t know how to set up the pieces for a game of chess won’t know how to play well. And without knowing how to check the king, one won’t know how to checkmate it either” (16:1). “Therefore, daughters, if you desire that I tell you about the way that leads to contemplation, you will have to bear with me… And if you don’t want to hear about them or put them into practice, stay with your mental prayer for your whole life...” (16:5). “I say that the King of Glory will not come to our soul – I mean to be united with it – if we do not make the effort to gain the great virtues” (16:6). Teresa’s explanation up to this point has been merely a placing of the “chess pieces,” but now it is time to move them; that is, it is not enough to simply desire virtue, we must apply ourselves. Assigned Meditative Reading (choose one per week): • Luke 18:9-14 – the publican and the Pharisee • Luke 18:15-17 – the little children • Luke 18:18-29 – the rich young man • Matthew 5:44-48 – be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect • Philippians 2:1-11 – Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation I Year A: The Way of Perfection* (US National Formation Program, 2024).