Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582)
During the prayer of calm, the soul should delight and not create noise. I call noise that which seeks many words and thoughts with reason to thank God for such grace, and mixes again a heap of its sins and faults to feel its own unworthiness. These things create confusion, for the reason strives after images and memory to recall. (...)
The will should act calmly and wisely; it should be convinced that one does not deal with God with rolled-up sleeves. Such considerations would resemble large logs thrown haphazardly onto a small spark to extinguish it. (...)
It often happens that the will experiences calm and connection with God, while the mind is in a whirlwind of distractions. At such times, it is better to leave it be and not chase after it; to remain and experience that grace and be deeply gathered like cautious bees. If no bee entered the hive and they chased each other outside, how could they produce honey?
If the soul does not act this way, it loses much, especially if it has a refined mind, for the mind will begin to seek reasons and weave little ideas; and hardly finding that they are somewhat reasonable, it believes that it can accomplish something worthwhile. However, here the mind should do nothing but assure itself that there is no reason for which we could claim to deserve such great favor, but that everything comes from God's goodness. Therefore, let it think that it is very close to Him, let it ask for graces, let it pray for the Church, for those who recommend themselves to its prayers, and for the souls in purgatory: not with a clamor of words, but with a great desire to be heard. Such a prayer encompasses many things and achieves more than with overstretched exercise of the mind.
Let the will (...) come alive in love. However, as I said, let it not try to stir up the mind to seek unusual reasons. For our love to flame, some blades that I gather with humility are worth more than all the wood we could pile up with refined thoughts, for they would smother everything during a single Credo. This warning is remarkably beneficial for those learned individuals who commanded me to write, for they have come this far with God's help, but perhaps they are wasting time on references to Holy Scripture. If education is a great aid before prayer and after it, then during prayer, as it seems to me, it should not help much; at most it weakens the will, for then the mind is close to the light and is immersed in such great brightness that even I believe I am different, despite my wretchedness.
(Life 15,6n)
