Sinking away in God’s gaze

Abstract

Teresa of Jesus is presenting in The Way of Perfection an introduction to the contemplative life and prayer. The Carmelite life  advocated by Teresa should be a life lived purely out of love of Christ or God. The perfection all Carmelites, both nuns and brethren,  have to strive for is therefore not to be sought in faultless conduct, but in the unconditionality of their surrender to divine love.  However, prayer remains empty when it is not put into practice in life as it is concretely lived, day and night as the Carmelite Rule outlines.