Prayer: Contemplative Prayer: The Interior Castle

Teresa of Avila described the soul as a castle with many rooms, at the center of which dwells God Himself. In "The Interior Castle" she wrote: "I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions." The journey of prayer, Teresa taught, is a journey inward through these rooms toward union with God.

The early mansions involve vocal prayer and meditation. The middle mansions bring the prayer of recollection, where the soul begins to quiet itself and attend to God's presence. The deeper mansions involve infused contemplation -- prayer that God Himself initiates in the soul. "In the prayer of quiet, the soul begins to be recollected and comes upon something supernatural. It cannot acquire this state by any efforts of its own."

Practical application: Begin each prayer time with a brief period of silence, letting go of distractions. Imagine yourself entering a beautiful interior space where God waits. Do not rush to speak; simply be present. Over time, this practice develops the capacity for deeper, more receptive prayer.