In my first year with a spiritual director, one of the things we talked and prayed through was what kind of spirituality I’m drawn to.
There are many reasons the Church has different religious orders. One is that there are different ways of living out the faith, even across vocations.
In the broadest strokes:
+ Benedictines: living a life of work and prayer
+ Dominicans: preaching and proclaiming the Word
+ Franciscans: embracing poverty and simplicity to follow Christ
+ Carmelites: pursuing the Lord through a deep, contemplative life of prayer
And many more.
As laypeople, our spiritual lives can fit into one of these traditions too, even if we never join a religious order.
For me, what (or rather who) drew me in was St. Teresa of Avila. Her teaching on mental prayer just made sense to me. I had never seen prayer approached that way before. She gives practical, concrete guidance for entering into prayer.
But she also knew from experience that while a plan is good, sometimes in prayer (and in life) you throw out the plan and follow where God leads.
Prayer isn’t just a formula. It isn’t unstructured chaos either. In a way, it’s both. A method we return to every day, and a willingness to be led by the Spirit.
St. Teresa shows us both sides of that coin: a practice to start with each day, and then being swept up in the love of the Lord.
Whether or not you’re in the Carmelite camp, there’s a lot to learn from her.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we ask through the intercession of St. Teresa of Avila for a deeper prayer life. For a greater desire to draw ever closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
