← [[session-10-f1a|Eucharist — Sacramental and Spiritual Communion]] | [[formation-I-a-handbook|Table of Contents]] | [[session-12-f1a|Continual Search for Divine Union]] → # God's Merciful Love — Effects of Prayer “Silence is precious; by keeping silence and knowing how to listen to God, the soul grows in wisdom and God teaches it what it cannot learn from men.” — Blessed Anne of St Bartholomew “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive...” Required Reading: The Way of Perfection chapters 36, 37 Explanatory note: St Teresa recalled that the first petitions of the Our Father afforded her an opportunity to discuss all the degrees of prayer from meditation to the prayer of union, the fountain of living water: “Up to now the Lord has taught us the whole way of prayer and of high contemplation, from the beginning stages to mental prayer, to the prayer of quiet, and to that of union... From here on, the Lord begins to teach us about the effects of His favors…” (37:1). Essential Points to Discuss: • The quality of forgiveness is a guarantee that one is living a life of prayer and is on the right road. St Teresa speaks of the pardoning of offenses as a great act of love (see 36:1-2). • She gives this as the reason: one growing in union with God becomes more and more aware of both God’s mercy and one’s own littleness. This helps one acquire a merciful attitude toward others. “Help us understand, my God, that we do not know ourselves and that we come to You with empty hands; and pardon us through Your mercy” (36:6). • The soul that God brings to perfect contemplation is not touched by any injury however grave. Such a soul will pardon an offense when the occasion arises. “...for when among the favors God grants in the prayer of perfect contemplation that I mentioned, [if] there doesn’t arise in the soul a very resolute desire to pardon any injury however grave it may be … do not trust much in that soul’s prayer” (36:8). • “Self-esteem is far removed from these persons. They like others to know about their sins and like to tell about them when they see themselves esteemed” (36:10). Assigned Meditative Reading: • Mt 18:21-35 – the unmerciful servant • 1 Cor 13:1-8 – “If I speak in the tongues of angels but do not have love...” • Luke 6:32-36 – “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?" • St Therese’ Act of Oblation to Merciful Love (Appendix J) --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation I Year A: The Way of Perfection* (US National Formation Program, 2024).