BTP-LOT10 - Into the Heart of Conversion - The Life of St. Teresa of Avila - Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

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Into the Heart of Conversion – The Life of St. Teresa of Avila – Beginning to Pray with Dr. Anthony Lilles

Dr. Anthony Lilles and Kris McGregor explore Chapter 8 of St. Teresa of Avila’s autobiography, delving into her struggles with prayer and sin. The conversation emphasizes the courage required to persevere in prayer despite personal sinfulness, with St. Teresa stressing the transformative power of trusting in the Lord’s mercy for a profound conversion.

Dr. Lilles notes St. Teresa’s early articulation of themes found in later works, praising her unique writing style. They discuss the intrinsic link between prayer and sin, the significance of facing sins in God’s presence, and conclude by highlighting the transformative power of contemplative prayer amid life’s challenges.

For more episodes in this series: The Life of St. Teresa of Avila; with Dr. Anthony Lilles

For an audio version of the book “The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus” by St. Teresa of Avila

For other audio recordings of various spiritual classics, you can visit the Discerning Hearts Spiritual Classics page.

Discerning Hearts reflection questions for this episode:

Prayer and Transformation: Reflect on how your personal prayer life has led to transformation in your own life, similar to St. Teresa of Avila’s experience.
Sin and Prayer: How do you balance the awareness of your sinfulness with the call to deeper prayer, as St. Teresa did?
Fear in Prayer: Have you experienced fear or reluctance in approaching prayer, and how have you overcome it?
The Role of Silence: Consider the role of silence in your prayer life. How does silence help you connect more deeply with God?
Friendship with Jesus: Reflect on the concept of mental prayer as “friendly intercourse” with Jesus. How does this perspective change your approach to prayer?
Perseverance in Prayer: Reflect on times when you found it challenging to persevere in prayer. What motivated you to continue?
Eucharistic Adoration: How does Eucharistic adoration fit into your spiritual life, and what fruits have you experienced from this devotion?
Confronting Sin through Prayer: How does prayer help you confront and deal with sin in your life?
The Impact of Homilies: Consider how homilies and teachings at Mass have influenced your prayer life and spiritual growth.
Seeing Jesus in Need: Reflect on the practice of visualizing Jesus in poverty and need, as suggested by St. Teresa. How does this affect your relationship with Him?

An excerpt from Chapter 8, discussed in this episode:

“It is not without reason that I have dwelt so long on this portion of my life. I see clearly that it will give no one pleasure to see anything so base; and certainly I wish those who may read this to have me in abhorrence, as a soul so obstinate and so ungrateful to Him Who did so much for me. I could wish, too, I had permission to say how often at this time I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer. I passed nearly twenty years on this stormy sea, falling and rising, but rising to no good purpose, seeing that I went and fell again. My life was one of perfection; but it was so mean, that I scarcely made any account whatever of venial sins; and though of mortal sins I was afraid, I was not so afraid of them as I ought to have been, because I did not avoid the perilous occasions of them. I may say that it was the most painful life that can be imagined, because I had no sweetness in God, and no pleasure in the world.

When I was in the midst of the pleasures of the world, the remembrance of what I owed to God made me sad; and when I was praying to God, my worldly affections disturbed me. This is so painful a struggle, that I know not how I could have borne it for a month, let alone for so many years. Nevertheless, I can trace distinctly the great mercy of our Lord to me, while thus immersed in the world, in that I had still the courage to pray. I say courage, because I know of nothing in the whole world which requires greater courage than plotting treason against the King, knowing that He knows it, and yet never withdrawing from His presence; for, granting that we are always in the presence of God, yet it seems to me that those who pray arc in His presence in a very different sense; for they, as it were, see that He is looking upon them; while others may be for days together without even once recollecting that God sees them.”

Excerpt from Chapter 8 from “The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus of The Order of Our Lady of Carmel”

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.