SR
← Third Spiritual Alphabet (Tercer Abecedario Espiritual)/Book 1 · Tercer Abecedario Espiritual: Sexto Tratado (del recogimiento del ánima)
Chapter 4AbecTercRecog.1.4

Capítulo IV. De otras maneras de recogimiento

The Fruits of Recollection

Recollection gathers the soul from worldly distractions, brings the senses under the rule of reason, and invites the practitioner to seek solitude.

The second reason this exercise should be called recollection is that it gathers the person back into himself—speaking of the exterior—because it's clear that a person is in some way broken into as many pieces as he has affairs, and those affairs are like brambles that tear at the poor man as at a lamb, even to the point of drawing blood; and when people begin to taste something of recollection, as I have often seen, they begin to gather in their way of living and leave the distracting affairs, and to shrink them greatly and moderate them in such a way that with little care they can be recollected. Preachers who follow this holy exercise, once the labor of Lent is past, stop giving so many sermons in order to gather up their cares and draw closer to God—not to rest or refresh the body, but to give nourishment to their soul. The soul is like a table steward who feeds the knights while he himself remains hungry. May God grant that he at least eats after he rests, rather than contenting himself with the little bites he has already had.1 Third, this exercise brings the sensual nature under the command of reason—which before used to run somewhat out of hand and not so subject—and this holy exercise goes out to meet it, as the angel did to Hagar, and advises it to return under the hand of Sarah, its mistress, who is reason.2 The fourth thing this exercise gathers is that it invites the very one who practices it to withdraw to secret places—like Isaac, who used to go out into the field to meditate, and like Elijah, who used to go into the mountains and flee from people.✦ This practice leads a person to withdraw from the bustle of crowds and noisy places, to dwell in seclusion, and to go out only rarely. If they do go out, they return to their retirement hungry to recollect themselves, just as eager as they were at the start—feeling as uncomfortable outside as an eel that slips through your hands to race back to the water.3 In light of these things that are truly found in the true lovers of this holy exercise, a temptation is almost certain among many beginners: they would like to make themselves hermits for a few days, and they try to change their way of life with that intention—to whom we say only that each one should consider the quality of his own person and state of life, as is fitting.4

Custody of the Senses and Body

True recollection involves withdrawing the senses from external stimuli and quieting the body, even to the point of physical stillness.

The fifth reason this exercise should be called recollection is that it also gathers the senses inward; and so those who are recollected take no pleasure in news and empty chatter, nor in hearing anything that would urge them toward anything but turning back to the heart. They also draw back their eyes and keep them low, taking no delight in looking at anything.5 They want to see God with the heart. Then it seems they put a bit in their mouths, and silence pleases them, because speaking feels like hard work; and to gather the senses completely, they love dark places and shut the windows of their retreat so they will not scatter their eyes.✦ The sixth thing this holy exercise gathers in is the bodily members, for it is a marvelous thing to see someone who only yesterday was dissolute—his limbs loose, his feet ready to go wandering, his hands very free for fencing, his head never at rest and turning every which way, and his whole body in such vigorous motion that it never settles: now he sits down, then he stands up; now he looks up high, now he notes what time it is, now what the weather is like; now you find him in one place, and in a short while he is somewhere else—yet within two days of taking a liking to this exercise, he is so recollected, so quieted, so corrected by this alone that he is a praise of God.6 It is also worth noting here, for those practiced in this work, that sometimes, when the soul enters into the truest recollection, it forcibly draws the head after it, and it seems to shrink the body far toward the chest, and the limbs somehow lose their strength through the soul's deep recollection; and it also often happens that people find themselves immobilized for a while, so that they cannot command their limbs or rise from where they are—and then one should recollect all the more and not try to move, nor care about the body, but leave it as if forgotten; for if one then wants to shift or command the limbs, it becomes a hindrance. This showed itself by example in a poor little man who earned his daily food by his labor, who was richly provided with spiritual food and deeply given to this holy exercise; and when one day in church he was in this way immobilized and fallen on the ground, some people came to him, moved with compassion to lift him up, and when after a while he came back to himself, he said: Leave me alone—you're hurting me, as if you had a bird by the wings and wouldn't let it go. This man was an unlettered, simple person, but he was not without this wisdom we are talking about.

Virtue and Interior Union

Recollection naturally draws virtues to the soul and leads it into a deep, transformative union with God, where the soul becomes His dwelling place.

The seventh thing this exercise gathers is the virtues to the person who gives himself to it; and on this account the Wise Man says that he did not know she was the mother of all good things; and he says he did not know why, after the sole care someone puts into recollecting himself, without thinking of anything else at all, the virtues come home to him without labor.7 So, one can truly say what the Wise Man said: that all good things came to him along with her. He says 'along with' because, even without focusing specifically on the virtues, this same exercise brings them along, as I will explain more fully elsewhere. The eighth thing this exercise gathers is a person's senses into the interior of the heart, where the glory of the king's daughter is — that is, the Catholic soul; and so a recollected person can very well be compared to the hedgehog, which draws entirely into itself and withdraws inside itself, paying no heed to what is outside; so this exercise, which is a rock of the firmest kind, is, as the psalm says, a refuge for the hedgehogs, who, when they are recollected in themselves, suffer nothing within, because they do not even think ill against those who offend them.8 The ninth is to gather the powers of the soul into synderesis, that very high part of the soul where the image of God is imprinted—what is called the spirit of the just, and the spirit that with groaning makes its plea. There, when the soul has risen above itself, wholly recollected in the upper room above, it is intent on one thing alone, the thing that has lifted it to the highest peak and height of the mountain of God.✦✦✦✦9 All that remains now is the tenth way of gathering God and the soul into one—the very reason the soul has been gathering itself so deeply within. This truly happens when divine clarity, as in a glass window or crystalline stone, is poured into the soul, sending ahead like the sun the rays of its love and grace, which penetrate the heart after first being received in the highest part of the spirit. From this follows the most perfect recollection, which joins and gathers God with the soul and the soul with God; and the soul's participation is in the Lord himself, in whom it is wholly gathered. It rises like another Jacob to Bethel, which means house of God, because there God gathers the soul to himself as his own house. As if he had no heavens in which to dwell, he descends upon the mountain of Bethel to gather to himself the one who takes refuge in him alone. He is no less eager to gather himself to his house than his house is to gather itself wholly to him alone, admitting no one else.10 There on that height of the mountain God appears, working the highest things, descending upon the altar of the heart that is built there, the stones already joined together—which are all its powers—and the earth or dust, which are its thoughts; there He changes Jacob's name, because the interior struggle ceases, every imagination cast aside; there He gives him the new name Israel, which means one who prevails in the victory he won over himself, gathering by force and leading his army up like a man to the height of the mountain; and it also means the one who, with God, holds dominion—which is what the human spirit does when it gathers itself so fully to God and unites with Him that it can do all things through the One who strengthens it and promises it and gives it, as to another Jacob, great things.1112

Read the original Latin

Lo segundo por que este ejercicio se debe llamar recogimiento es porque recoge el mismo hombre a sí mismo, hablando de lo exterior, porque claro está estar el hombre en alguna manera hecho tantos pedazos como negocios tiene, los cuales son como zarzas que repelan al triste del hombre como a cordero aun hasta le sacar la sangre, y en comenzando a gustar algo del recogimiento, según muchas veces he visto, comienzan a recoger su manera de vivir y dejar los negocios distractivos y apocarlos mucho y moderarlos en tal manera, que con poco cuidado puedan ser recogidos. Y los predicadores que siguen este santo ejercicio, después de pasado el trabajo de la cuaresma, cesan de tantos sermones por coger sus cuidados y poder más estrechamente llegarse a Dios, no por descansar ni recrear el cuerpo, sino por dar mantenimiento a su ánima, a la cual acaece como al maestresala que da de comer a los caballeros, y él tiene hambre, y plega a Dios que siquiera coma después de reposo, no contentándose con los bocadillos pasados.

Lo tercero, este ejercicio recoge la sensualidad debajo del mando de la razón cual antes andaba algo desmandada y no tan sujeta, a la cual sale a recibir este santo ejercicio, como el ángel a Agar, y él aconseja que se torne debajo de la mano de Sara, su señora, que es la razón.

Lo cuarto que recoge este ejercicio es convidar al mismo que lo tiene a que se aparte a lugares secretos, como Isaac, que se iba al campo a meditar, y como Elías, que se iba a los montes y huía de las gentes. Donde luego este ejercicio induce al hombre a se recoger del tráfago de la gente y de los lugares bulliciosos y morar en las partes más retraídas y salir muy de tarde en tarde; y si salen, volver al retraimiento codiciosos de se recoger, y tan de voluntad como en sus principios, hallándose tan mal fuera como el anguila que se resbala de entre las manos para se tornar corriendo al agua.

Según estas cosas que verdaderamente se hallan en los verdaderos amadores de este santo ejercicio, es casi cierta en muchos principiantes una tentación; y es que se querrían hacer ermitaños por algunos días, y procuran de mudar bisiesto con esta intención, a los cuales no decimos sino que mire cada uno de la cualidad de su persona y estado según conviene.

La quinta razón por que este ejercicio se debe llamar recogimiento es porque también hace que se recojan los sentidos; donde a los recogidos no aplacen las nuevas y parlas vanas, ni oír cosa que les amoneste otra cosa sino que se tornen al corazón. Luego también retraen sus ojos y los humillan no deleitándose en ver cosa alguna, C. desean ver con el corazón a Dios. Luego parece que se echan un freno en la boca, y les aplace el callar, sintiendo en hablar trabajo; y por del todo recoger los sentidos, aman los lugares oscuros y cierran las ventanas de su retraimiento por no derramar sus ojos.

Lo sexto que recoge este santo ejercicio es los miembros corporales, ca es cosa maravillosa de ver a uno que ayer era disoluto, sus miembros sueltos, prestos los pies para andar, las manos para esgremir muy sueltas, la cabeza sin reposo movible a cada parte, y todo el cuerpo de tan recio movimiento que no sosiega; ahora se asienta, luego se levanta, ya mira en alto, ya para mientes qué hora es, ya qué tiempo hace, ya lo halláis en una parte, en poco espacio está en otra; empero, desde a dos días que tome afición a este ejercicio, está tan recogido, tan amortiguado, tan corregido de solo él, que es una alabanza de Dios.

Es también aquí de notar, a los ejercitados en este negocio, que acaece algunas veces, entrando el ánima al más verdadero recogimiento, que lleva por fuerza tras sí la cabeza, y parece que encoge el cuerpo mucho hacia el pecho, y pierden los miembros en alguna manera las fuerzas por el mucho recogimiento del ánima; y acaece también hartas veces hallarse tullidos por algún rato que no pueden mandar los miembros, ni levantarse de un lugar, y entonces débese más recoger y no probar a menearse, ni curar del cuerpo, sino dejarlo como olvidado; ca si entonces se quiere mudar o mandar los miembros, es impedimento. Lo cual pareció por ejemplo en un hombre pobrecillo que por su trabajo ganaba cada día de comer, el cual era muy abastado en el manjar espiritual y muy dado a este santo ejercicio; y como en la iglesia un día estuviese de esta manera tullido y caído en tierra, llegaron a él unas personas que se movieron a compasión para lo levantar, y como dende un rato tornase en sí, dijo: Dejadme, que me dais pena, como si tuvieseis las alas a una ave y no la dejásedes ir. Este hombre era idiota sin letras, mas no sin esta sabiduría de que hablamos.

Lo séptimo que hace recoger este ejercicio es las virtudes al hombre que se da a él; y según esto dice el Sabio que él no sabía cómo era madre de todos los bienes; y dice no sabía por qué tras el solo cuidado que pone alguno en se recoger, sin pensar en otra cosa alguna, se le vienen las virtudes a casa sin trabajo. Donde se puede muy bien decir lo que dijo el Sabio, y fue: que le habían venido con ella juntamente todos los bienes; y dice juntamente, porque sin especial cuidado de las virtudes las trae consigo el mismo ejercicio, como en otra parte más largamente diré.

Lo octavo que este ejercicio recoge es los sentidos del hombre a lo interior del corazón, donde está la gloria de la hija del rey, que es el ánima católica; y así muy bien se puede comparar el hombre recogido al erizo, que todo se reduce a sí mismo y se retrae dentro en sí, no curando de lo de fuera; así que este ejercicio, que es piedra firmísima, es, según dice el salmo, refugio para los erizos, que, estando recogidos en sí, ninguna cosa padecen dentro, porque aun no piensan mal contra los ofensores.

Lo noveno es recoger las potencias del ánima a la sindéresis y muy alta parte de ella, donde la imagen de Dios está imprimida, que se llama espíritu de los justos, y espíritu que con gemido demanda; adonde cuando el ánima está subida sobre sí, toda recogida en el cenáculo superior, intenta a una sola cosa que la ha levantado hasta lo más alto de la cumbre y alteza del monte de Dios.

Ya no queda sino la décima manera de recoger en uno a Dios y al ánima, que por esto se ha venido tanto a recoger en sí; lo cual de verdad se hace cuando la divina claridad, como en vidriera o piedra cristalina, se infunde en el ánima, enviando delante como sol los rayos de su amor y gracia, que penetran en el corazón, siendo en lo más alto del espíritu primero recibidos. A lo cual se sigue el perfectísimo recogimiento que junta y recoge a Dios con el ánima y al ánima con Dios; y la participación de ella es en el mismo Señor, en el cual está recogida toda; y sube como otro Jacob a Betel, que quiere decir casa de Dios, porque allí se recoge Dios al ánima como a casa propria; y como si no tuviese cielos en que morar, desciende sobre el monte de Betel a se recoger al que se acoge a él solo; y no menos es solicito en recogerse a su casa que su casa en recogerse toda a él solo, no admitiendo a otro alguno.

Allí en aquella altura del monte aparece Dios obrando altísimas cosas, descendiendo sobre el altar del corazón, que allí se edifica, juntas ya las piedras, que son sus fuerzas todas, y la tierra o polvo (le sus cogitaciones; allí muda el nombre a Jacob, porque cesa la lucha interior, desechada toda imaginación; allí le pone nombre nuevo de Israel, que quiere decir prevalecedor en la victoria que hubo de sí mismo, recogiendo por fuerza y subiendo su ejército así como un varón a lo alto del monte; y quiere también decir el que con Dios se enseñorea, lo cual hace el espíritu humano cuando se recoge tanto a Dios y se junta con Él, que puede todas las cosas aquel que lo conforta y le promete y le da, como a otro Jacob, grandes cosas.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.24.63 — And Isaac went out to walk in the field toward evening, and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming.
  2. ↩Ps.39.1;Jas.3.2-Jas.3.3;Ps.32.9 — For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. Jas.3.2 — For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Jas.3.3 — Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we also guide their whole body. Ps.32.9 — Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle — or it will not come near you.
  3. ↩Rom.8.26 — In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
  4. ↩Gen.1.26-Gen.1.27 — Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Gen.1.27 — So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
  5. ↩Acts.1.13 — And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
  6. ↩Ps.27.4 — One thing I have asked of the LORD, and this I will seek: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩maestresala: household table steward / master of the hall who serves others first; rendered as 'table steward'.
  2. 2 ↩Spanish sensualidad here is the sensitive/sensual appetite (the lower powers of the soul), not modern 'sensuality' in a merely erotic sense; it is the part that must be gathered back under reason.
  3. 3 ↩"Donde luego" is a discourse connector ("and so / whereupon"), not a literal place-relative "where." "Codiciosos de se recoger" is eagerness for recollection, not moral greed.
  4. 4 ↩Spanish 'mudar bisiesto' is an obscure Golden Age idiom (literally 'to change leap year / the bissextile'). Rendered here as a temporary or irregular change of way of life, which fits the beginners' urge to become hermits for a few days; sense is not fully certain.
  5. 5 ↩Source ends with a stranded ', C.' after 'alguna'; treated as a non-translatable citation/print fragment rather than part of the sentence.
  6. 6 ↩In this recollection context, amortiguado names the body’s restlessness muted and subdued, not literal numbness or mere emotional dampening.
  7. 7 ↩el Sabio / she (madre de todos los bienes): Osuna echoes Wisdom literature on Wisdom as mother of all goods (cf. Wis 7:11–12); the feminine referent is Wisdom, applied here to the fruit of recollection.
  8. 8 ↩Spanish erizo (hedgehog) follows the Vulgate herinacius in the psalm allegory of the rock-refuge; the image is traditional in medieval spiritual commentary, not a zoological aside.
  9. 9 ↩Spanish sindéresis is the Scholastic term for the soul's highest practical spark (synderesis), not ordinary conscience (conciencia). Kept as the established English technical term.
  10. 10 ↩Spanish 'propria' is the historical spelling of 'propia' (own); rendered as 'his own house' without emendation of sense.
  11. 11 ↩Source has a corrupt span at «y la tierra o polvo (le sus cogitaciones». Parallel structure with «las piedras, que son sus fuerzas todas» supports reading the earth/dust as the soul's thoughts (cogitaciones); translated accordingly. «(le» looks like a typesetting or witness fault for a relative/copular link (e.g. que sonle / de).
  12. 12 ↩«puede todas las cosas aquel que lo conforta» closely echoes Phil 4:13 (omnia possum in eo qui me confortat). Rendered as the human spirit able to do all things through the One who strengthens it; an alternative parse would make God the grammatical subject of «puede».

Third Spiritual Alphabet (Tercer Abecedario Espiritual) companion

A prayer for every moment, already on your phone

Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.

Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.

  • One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
  • Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
  • Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →