Prayers of the Women Mystics

by Ronda Chervin

Edited by Ronda De Sola Chervin Journey in prayer with great women mystics and, through the prism of mystical prayer, glimpse their profound intimacy with God. Gertrude the Great, Birgitta of Sweden, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, and fourteen more mystics are included. Each chapter on a particular mystic includes commentary on her life and spirituality and a selection of prayers organized by key themes. A Servant Book.

Genres: Catholic, Nonfiction

255 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

Ronda Chervin received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University and an MA in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Apostolic Institute. She is a widow, mother, and grandmother.

Ronda converted to the Catholic Faith from a Jewish, though atheistic, background and has been a Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Loyola Marymount University, the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is an international speaker and author of some fifty books about Catholic thought, practice and spirituality.

Dr. Ronda is currently teaching philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Walter Wittwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to use as either a devotional or for deep meditation into the mystery of God. Chervin includes 19 mystics, some well known, some not so well known, at least as far as my knowledge goes. She gives biographical detail about each and then provides prayers from their writings.



Chervin notes that balance is required in assessing true mystical prayer, to separate that which may be under the control of evil spiritual forces from the which is authentic and God-centered. The latter draws us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters. “The fruit of true mystical prayer is heroic virtue and not the ecstatic experiences themselves.”



Let me give you a taste of some of my favorites:



Saint Gertrude the Great, 1256-1301: O eternal sweetness of my soul, thou who alone art the Beloved of my heart, Thy face is all lovely and Thy heart all inviting; but my thoughts, alas! go wandering far from Thee. Come, O God of my heart, gather together my scattered mental powers and fixed them upon Thyself. O my Beloved, by the pure intention of Thy most holy thoughts and the ardent love of Thy transpierced Heart, wash away all the guilt my evil thoughts and my sinful heart.



Saint Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582: How sad a pity! How blind of us to seek repose where it cannot possibly be found! Have mercy, Creator, on these Thy creatures. Reflect that we do not understand ourselves, or know what we desire, nor are we able to ask as we should. Give us light, Lord….I ask Thee to love one who loves Thee not, to open to one who has not called upon Thee, to give health to one who prefers to be sick and who even goes about in search of sickness….Look not upon our blindness, my God, but upon all the blood that was shed for us by Thy Son. Let Thy mercy shine out amid such tremendous wickedness. Behold, Lord we are the works of Thy hands. Help us by Thy goodness and mercy.



Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (Conchita), 1862-1937: O Jesus, Jesus, what shall I do to find You? Ah, I know. Not to find myself, who am the cause of my own unhappiness. I must disappear, diminish, descend, and be reduced to nothing, in order that You must grow, and reign, and occupy in my heart the place which I have prepared for You!...You must be All in the heart of Your poor child.



Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, 1880-1906: Remain in me. It is the Word of God who gives this order, expresses this wish. Remain in Me, not just for a few moments, a few hours which must pass away, but ‘remain’ permanently, habitually. Remain in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffering in Me, work and act in Me. Remain in Me so that you may be able to encounter anyone or anything; penetrate further still into these depths. This is truly the solitude into which God wants to allure the soul that He may speak to it.



Raissa Maritain, 1883-1960: God, my God, have pity on me, allow me to live in Your presence, with an upright soul, wholly lifted toward You; a sincere soul, drinking in your sweet Veracity; a very humble soul, looking only to You for all its good. But a soul that has also great confidence in its Father's goodness, and receives the manifestations of Your love as simply as a child.



Adrienne von Speyr, 1902-1967: Lord, you know that I want to serve you but am always still hanging on to my work and opinion; that again and again I hastily crawl back into myself in order to consider everything from my point of view: that I do this, in order to avoid that, wish this and abhor that. But, in your whole life on earth and especially on the cross, you have shown us what it means to do the will of another. For you, this other person was the Father, a Father so perfect that, from the beginning and without forming your own opinion, you considered and accepted each of his decisions as perfect….Give us your filial strength; grant that we learn to love the Father as you love him. Grant that we reach him through you and your attitude, that we become obedient by your perfect obedience.



I hope that these brief samples draw you deeper into love with God. And get the book! I believe it will bless you and your prayer time.

Walter J

[Summer Kinard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I return to this short volume of excerpts, which contains one of my favorite lines from Hildegard, "he bleached the agony out of his clothes."

[Jane George · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want to know what prayer is? Read this.