SR
← Third Spiritual Alphabet (Tercer Abecedario Espiritual)/Book 1 · Tercer Abecedario Espiritual: Sexto Tratado (del recogimiento del ánima)
Chapter 5AbecTercRecog.1.5

Capítulo V. Que nos amonesta recogernos y frecuentar el recogimiento

The Call to Interior Gathering

The soul is invited to practice recollection as a means of gathering the heart and casting off useless distractions.

You've seen, brother, how focused recollection is—not so that you lose your strength or falter in following it, but so that you gird yourself with fortitude and strengthen your arm, which is firm resolve. Put your hand to strong things and let your fingers take the spindle, whose work is to gather and press the flax into itself and take up the threads. That is what this exercise does by gathering you back to yourself and to your desires, as you've seen; and therefore it speaks to you that word of the Lord: Whoever does not gather with me, scatters.12 The same spiritual work has a chief property of gathering the heart, and this is the best sign or trace that grace received by this path leaves in the soul. From the soul it drives out and casts away every needless care and useless thought that used to scatter a person and throw him out of his house; yet this recollection restores him and settles him in deep peace. But it also wants you to take care to practice it often, as our letter says, by every careful means you can, paying close attention not to go against the inclination that recollection works in your soul—which for the most part will be to gather yourself still more into the interior of the desert—because, as it is written, from within comes the glory, and to that glory the soul would want to be drawn as to a center of quiet and rest.34 Don't set yourself against it by failing to support its inclination. On this point, it tells you again to pay attention, because by simply not supporting it, you'll spill a great deal of flour, meddling in things worth very little compared to what you lose.5

The Craft of Constant Practice

Recollection is a spiritual craft that requires diligent practice and perseverance to reach maturity.

For greater clarity, you should realize that no one becomes a master of any craft without a great deal of practice; the more someone practices and makes a habit of it, the sooner they succeed. Don't be so careless that you fail to keep, in this exercise and art, what you see kept in all the other trades; and there are two things. The first is that you learn it so as to become a master in it, not contenting yourself with being a beginner all your life—which is the way of crude and faint-hearted people who take no care of their affairs; and such people are always learning and never quite arrive at the knowledge of the truth, and they are like the one of whom it is said: This man began to build and could not finish.6 It would be great ignorance in a man who had a house to build not to keep his eyes fixed on finishing it as soon as he could, so he could enjoy the fruit of his work all the sooner; and if, through his own negligence, he took many years building it, people would not call him negligent but a fool, seeing him busy his whole life with something from which he draws no profit for himself—only harm, expense, and toil.✦ Brother, if you want to build for your soul the house of recollection, hold this intention—it will help you greatly—and set your mind on seeing it through, as someone learning carpentry does, whose aim is to become a carpenter; because afterward he will put his craft to use as he sees it serves him; once he has the trade, ordering it well will be easy. So, since you want to learn recollection, make sure you actually become recollected—not just in a casual sense, but in the strict degrees and ways you’ve seen. If you can recollect yourself deeply enough to climb to the narrow summit of the mountain and taste higher things, remember that on the mountain of Bethel, which means 'house of God,' there are many mansions, as the Lord says, and the lowest of them all is yours.7 You must not stop, though; rather give thanks with holy Job and say: In my little nest I will die a precious death; like the palm I will multiply my days; my root is near the waters, open so as to enjoy them better, and the dew dwelled on my inheritance; my glory will always be renewed, and my bow in my house will be restored.✦89

Habit and the Freedom of the Spirit

Through consistent practice, recollection becomes a natural habit that empowers the soul to remain united with God in all circumstances.

The way you'll come to carry out this exercise as you desire is by using it; for because David had not used the weapons, he could not move freely in them and was forced to leave them, sensing that what was help to those practiced in them, and gave boldness for fighting, would be a hindrance to him in battle. So it goes with this exercise for many who are not used to it; for they think it is nothing but a waste of time and a hindrance to saying their devotions, though in truth it is a divine thing on earth, which gives all who are practiced in it help and boldness for great things; and the greater it is in itself, the smaller it seems in eyes that look at it poorly—which you will know if you use it as much as a holy old man who told a special friend of his that recollection alone was the remedy for all his ills and sicknesses; and that was because, as was known of him, he was already well practiced in using it.10 Don't say that anyone is practicing recollection who, all day or most of the day, doesn't stay on watch keeping the heart; and don't say that anyone has recollection in regular use who is distracted and drawn away from God by a slight occasion; because those who are practiced at it, even in ordinary household handwork, are as recollected and set with God as beginners are when they are deep on their knees in a private place. And it happens that such people feel great labor in bodily exercises, because, not willing or not able to ease off inwardly in prayer and recollection, and not stopping outwardly the hard work of their hands, they are pressed from both sides—and so bodily exercise should be saved for when a person feels less devotion.1112 Saint Bonaventure says that the intention to focus on recollection—so you can form the habit of centering yourself wherever you are—is the best one to have. It's the best, first, because it brings us to perfection more quickly, and second, because it doesn't conflict with any other specific good intention you might have. Anyone who makes a habit of practicing virtue gains a great deal: first, they do it with delight, finding joy in the work; second, they deserve to be counted among the elders and are always ready to earn still more, because they act freely and are safer from falling into the vice contrary to the virtue they practice. So, through habit, they gain strength and ease, and little by little they become like an angel, to whom it is given to pray in every place; what's more, the habit of prayer almost becomes second nature and is more angelic than human. Those who devote themselves to the exercise of the sacred Passion must also take careful notice of the practice already spoken of; because, according to St. Bonaventure's teaching, no one who does not spend most of the day contemplating it by one path or another should in any way be called practiced in the sacred Passion; so it's a shame for us to call ourselves recollected or given to the Passion without cause, since we lack the practice.

Read the original Latin

Viste, hermano, cuán recogido es el recogimiento, no para que pierdas las fuerzas ni desmayes en lo seguir, sino para que te ciñas de fortaleza y esfuerces tu brazo, que es el firme propósito y eches tu mano a las cosas fuertes y tus dedos tomen el huso, cuyo oficio es coger y apretar el lino en sí mismo y coger las hebras; lo cual hace este ejercicio recogiéndote a ti y a tus deseos, según viste; y por tanto te dice aquello del Señor: El que no coge conmigo, derrama.

El mismo negocio espiritual tiene propriedad muy principal de recoger el corazón, y es ésta la mejor señal o rastro que la gracia por esta vía recibida deja en el ánima, de la cual ahuyenta y lanza todo cuidado superfluo e inútiles cogitaciones que solían derramar al hombre y echarlo de su casa; empero este recogimiento lo restituye y lo quieta en gran sosiego; mas quiere que tú también tengas cuidado de lo frecuentar, según dice nuestra letra, con todas las maneras solícitas que pudieres, parando mientes con gran atención que no vayas contra la inclinación que el recogimiento obra en tu ánima; la cual por la mayor parte será de se recoger más a lo interior del desierto; porque, según está escrito, de dentro sale la gloria, a la cual gloria se querría el ánima reducir como a centro de quietud y holganza. Tú no seas contra ella, cesando de favorecer su inclinación; en lo cual te torna a decir que pares mientes, porque en sólo no favorecer derramarás mucha harina, entremetiéndote en cosas que valen muy poco en comparación de las que pierdes.

Para mayor declaración debes mirar que ninguno sale maestro en alguna arte sin frecuentarlo mucho, y cuanto más la frecuenta y acostumbra, tanto más presto sale con ella. No seas tú mal mirado que no guardes en este ejercicio y arte lo que veas guardarse en los otros oficios todos, y son dos cosas: La primera, que lo aprendas por salir maestro en él, no contentándote con ser toda tu vida principiante, lo cual es de hombres rudos y descorazonados que no tienen aviso en sus cosas, y los tales aprenden siempre y nunca acaban de llegar a la ciencia de la verdad, y son como aquel del cual se dice: Este hombre comenzó a edificar y no pudo acabar.

De gran ignorancia sería el hombre que, habiendo de edificar casa, no tuviese los ojos puestos en la acabar lo más presto que pudiese, para más presto gozar de su trabajo; y si tardaba muchos años en la edificar por negligencia suya, no lo tendrían los hombres por negligente, sino por loco, viéndolo ocupado toda su vida en cosa de que para sí ningún provecho saca, sino daño y gasto y trabajo.

Tú, hermano, si quieres edificar para tu ánima la casa del recogimiento, ten este intento, que te aprovechará mucho, y sea que pienses de salir con ello, como hace el que aprende carpintería, cuyo intento es de salir carpintero; porque después él se aprovechará de su arte según viere que le cumple; habido el oficio, fácil cosa será ordenarlo bien. De esta manera, pues que tú quieres aprender el recogimiento, sea para salir recogido, no en baja significación del nombre, sino en los grados y maneras muy estrechas que viste; y si pudieres tanto recogerte que subas a la estrecha cumbre del monte gustando cosas altas, piensa que en el monte de Betel, que quiere decir casa de Dios, hay muchas mansiones, según dice el Señor, y que la más baja de todas es la tuya. No debes, empero, cesar, mas decir en hacimiento de gracias con el santo Job: En mi pequeño nido moriré muerte preciosa; así como palma multiplicaré días; mi raíz está cerca de las aguas abierta para mejor gozar (le ellas, y el rocío moraba en mi heredad; mi gloria siempre será innovada, y mi arco en mi casa será instaurado.

La manera con que alcanzarás la ejecución de este ejercicio según tu deseo es usándolo, ca por no haber David usado las armas, no pudo andar con ellas sueltamente y fue constreñido a las dejar, sintiendo que le serían impedimiento para la batalla las que a los ejercitados en ellas eran favor y daban osadía para pelear. Así acaece en este ejercicio a muchos no usados en él; ca piensan que no es sino perder el tiempo e impedimiento de rezar sus devociones, como según de verdad él sea cosa divina en la tierra, que a todos los ejercitados en él da favor y osadía para grandes cosas; y tanto es él mayor en sí, cuanto en los ojos mal mirados parece menor; lo cual tú conocerás si lo usas tanto como un santo viejo, que dijo a un su especial amigo ser sólo el recogimiento remedio de todos sus males y enfermedades, y esto era porque, según de él se conocía, estaba ya muy ensayado en su uso.

No diga que sigue el recogimiento quien todo el día o la mayor parte de él no anda sobre el aviso guardando el corazón; ni se diga que tiene el recogimiento en uso el que con pequeña ocasión se distrae y aparta de Dios; porque los ejercitados, aun en las obras manuales de por casa están tan recogidos y puestos con Dios como los nuevos cuando están muy de rodillas en secreto lugar; lo cual acontece que en los ejercicios corporales sienten los tales mucho trabajo; porque no queriendo o no pudiendo aflojar en lo de dentro la oración y recogimiento, y no cesando en lo que fuera la obra penosa de manos, son de entrambas partes combatidos, y por tanto se debe guardar el ejercicio corporal para cuando el hombre sienta menos devoción.

Esta intención que se debe el hombre dar al recogimiento, que es por quedar con el uso de se recoger en todo lugar, dice San Buenaventura que es lo mejor que podemos tener; lo uno, porque nos llevará más presto a la perfección, y lo otro, porque no contradice a cualquiera otra buena intención particular que te agrade.

El que, por uso y buena costumbre que tiene, obra alguna cosa de virtud, gana mucho: lo uno, que la obra con delectación, gozándose en su obra; lo otro, que merece ser contado entre los ancianos y está siempre aparejado para más merecer, porque obra muy libremente y está más seguro de caer en el vicio contrario de la virtud que ejercita. Así con el uso gana fortaleza y facilidad, y poco a poco se torna como ángel, al cual es dado orar en todo lugar, y también que el uso de la oración se torna casi en naturaleza y es más de ángel que de hombre.

También han de parar mientes en el uso ya dicho los que se dan al ejercicio de la sacra pasión; porque, según la doctrina de San Buenaventura, en ninguna manera se debe llamar ejercitado en la sacra pasión el que lo más del día no la anda contemplando por una vía o por otra; así que vergüenza es llamarnos recogidos o dados a la pasión sin haber por qué, pues carecemos del uso.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Luke.14.28-Luke.14.30 — For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Luke.14.29 — so that after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him Luke.14.30 — saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
  2. ↩Job.29.18-Job.29.20 — I said, "I shall die in my nest, and like the sand I shall multiply my days." Job.29.19 — My root was spread open to the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branches. Job.29.20 — My glory was fresh upon me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Spanish recogimiento is the technical term for interior recollection (gathering the soul's powers inward). Recogido here plays on that sense: how concentrated, inward, and tightly drawn recollection is—not merely how 'quiet' it feels.
  2. 2 ↩Coger / derrama carry the double force of gathering vs. scattering (scriptural colligere/dispergere) and of the spindle gathering flax; the final maxim keeps that gathering/scattering antithesis rather than a softer modern paraphrase.
  3. 3 ↩recogimiento is rendered as recollection, Osuna's technical term for the interior gathering of the soul and its desires toward God.
  4. 4 ↩nuestra letra points to the alphabet maxim of this treatise, not to a biblical verse alone.
  5. 5 ↩derramarás mucha harina keeps Osuna's flour-spilling image for waste of spiritual substance through distraction; it continues the gather/scatter motif of the chapter.
  6. 6 ↩mal mirado rendered as 'careless' (heedless/ill-advised); older Spanish can also carry 'imprudent' force.
  7. 7 ↩"Recogido / recogimiento" is kept as recollected / recollection (interior gathering of the soul before God), not mere quiet or privacy. "Estrechas" is rendered "strict" / "narrow" to preserve both the ascetical exactness of the degrees and the mountain-summit image.
  8. 8 ↩Normalized source reads "gozar (le ellas"; translated as the obvious intended "gozar de ellas" ("enjoy them").
  9. 9 ↩The Job citation follows the Spanish witness, including "muerte preciosa" and "mi arco en mi casa" (not the Vulgate's "in manu mea").
  10. 10 ↩recogimiento rendered as 'recollection', Osuna's technical term for the interior gathering of the soul before God, not mere memory.
  11. 11 ↩recogimiento is the technical Franciscan term for interior recollection (gathering the soul inward with God); kept as “recollection” throughout.
  12. 12 ↩guardar el ejercicio corporal: “guardar” here means reserve/save for later, not merely protect—i.e., schedule hard bodily work for times of drier devotion so interior prayer is not strained from both sides at once.

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) →