The Interior Castle

Or the Mansions

,

• Publisher: TAN Books
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9780895559364
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila presents a remarkable description of the entire spiritual life from the first release from mortal sin into Sanctifying Grace through the Mystical Marriage of the soul with Christ as a journey through what she called The Interior Castle. She sees the soul as a magnificent castle full of spacious and well-lit rooms or mansions each of which leads deeper into the heart of the castle to the seat of the King. However, St. Teresa laments that most people give all their attention to the outer wall of the castle the body ignoring the beauty of the soul within.St. Teresa gives practical advice regarding the early struggles and the temptations to turn back which beset the beginner. She describes each of the seven mansions and urges us forward to love and serve the Divine Majesty, imparting her absolute conviction that progress toward God through prayer is worth vastly more than all the treasures of this earth.

CATHOLIC
PRAYERS

Compiled From Traditional Sources

By

Thomas A. Nelson

“If you abide in me and my
words abide in you, you shall ask
whatever you will, and it shall be
done unto you.”

—John 15:7

TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina

Imprimatur: Rev. Msgr. David D. Kagan, J.C.L.
Vicar General
Rockford, Illinois
July 3, 2007

The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free from doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat or Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed.

Copyright © 2006 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-89555-912-8
89555-912-9

Cover illustration and frontispiece: Painting by Heinrich Kaiser (1813-1900); photo by Victoria Ambrosetti. Photo ©; 2007 TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina
2006

Dedicated to
The Blessed Virgin Mary,
Our Model in Prayer

Some Notes On Prayer

Prayer is “a raising of the mind and heart to God.” Prayer is made for four basic reasons: 1) to adore and praise God, 2) to thank Him for blessings received, 3) to ask pardon for and expiate (or “make up for”) our sins, and 4) to petition Him for all our needs. To be effective, prayer must be 1) humble, 2) confident, 3) persevering, 4) focused (not wilfully distracted) and 5) penitent (with sorrow for our sins). There are two types of prayer, mental and vocal. Mental prayer is meditation on spiritual truths; vocal prayer consists of repeating set words. All vocal prayer has some mental prayer built in. Catholic Prayers is a book of vocal prayer. St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870) found vocal prayer much easier than mental prayer and felt Our Lord’s sensible presence more in vocal prayer;¹he became so holy that toward the end of his life he received the grace that the Blessed Sacrament was always conserved in his breast.²

Everyone is obliged to pray, for without prayer— as St. Alphonsus teaches—we shall not receive the actual graces necessary to save our souls. We must ask for them.³ We cannot say, “God knows what I need; I don’t need to remind Him!” Rather, Scripture admonishes us, “in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6). The Saints concur with St. John Chrysostom (347-407) that “It is simply impossible, without prayer, to lead a virtuous life.”⁴ Therefore, we should “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17).

1. The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Louis Joseph Moore, C.M.F., Trans., 1945; TAN, 1985, p. 197.

2. Ibid., pp. 180, 181.

3. St. A. de Liguori, The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection, Part I, Ch. I, Sec. I.

4. Cf. Voice of the Saints, Sel. & Arr. by Francis W. Johnston, 1965; rpt. TAN, 1986, p. 35.

Table of Contents

— Part One —

BELOVED PRAYERS

The Sign of the Cross

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory Be

The Apostles’ Creed

The Act of Faith

The Act of Hope

The Act of Charity

The Act of Contrition

The Confiteor

The Hail, Holy Queen

The Memorare

Prayer After the Rosary

Prayer to St. Michael The Archangel

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Come, Holy Ghost

Morning Offering

Angel of God

Another Morning Offering

Grace Before Meals

Grace After Meals

Eternal Rest Grant

The Angelus

The Regina Coeli

O Sacrament Most Holy

Jesus, Mary and Joseph

O My Jesus

Sacrifice Prayer

— Part Two —

POWERFUL PRAYERS

The Golden Arrow

Powerful Prayer To The Infant Jesus

Powerful Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—A Favorite of Padre Pio

Pour Forth Thy Grace

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Good Remedy

Memorare to St. Joseph

Prayer to St. Joseph to Obtain a Special Favor

Prayer to St. Joseph In a Difficult Problem

An Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph

Prayer to St. Anne

Prayer to St. Jude

Prayer to St. Anthony of Padua

Miraculous Prayer to The Little Flower of Jesus

Novena Prayer to St. Philomena

Prayer to St. Rita

Prayer to St. Martin de Porres

Prayer of St. Gertrude The Great

Prayer to All the Angels For a Special Favor

Prayers in Honor of the Seven Sorrows Of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to St. Expeditus

A Most Efficacious Prayer To Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

— Part Three —

FAVORITE PRAYERS

A Daily Consecration To the Holy Spirit

Dedication Prayer of St. Colette

A Morning Offering

A Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola

An Act of Oblation

Prayer to Mary, Mistress of the Angels

Indulgenced Prayer to Mary, “Mother of Good Counsel”

Blessed Be the Hour

A Short Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Chaplet of the Divine Mercy

Salutations to Mary

Novena of Confidence To the Sacred Heart

Offering of St. Ignatius Loyola

Memorare to Our Lady of The Sacred Heart

Prayer to One’s Patron Saint

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Prayer to Christ The King

An Act of Consecration of the Human Race to The Sacred Heart of Jesus

An Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Magnificat

The Litany of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to St. Joseph

Litany of St. Joseph

The Te Deum

Morning Prayers

An Act of Faith in the Presence of God

An Act of Adoration and Thanksgiving

An Act of Faith

An Act of Hope

An Act of Charity

An Act of Contrition, With Good Resolutions

To Our Guardian Angel

Evening Prayers

Anima Christi

The Divine Praises

Prayer Before a Crucifix

The Five Fatima Prayers

The Pardon Prayer

The Angel’s Prayer

Blessed Sacrament Prayer

Sacrifice Prayer

O My Jesus

How to Pray the Rosary

The Mysteries of the Rosary

Prayer after the Rosary

— Part Four —

SPECIAL PRAYERS

Prayer for the Seven Gifts Of the Holy Ghost

Prayer for Direction in the Choice of a State of Life

A Prayer for Priests

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe For the Conversion of the Americas And of the World

A Morning Offering

Novena Rose Prayer

Prayer to Our Lady of Mental Peace

Night Prayer for Daily Neglects

Prayer for Detachment From Earthly Goods

Prayer to St. Joseph for Purity

Prayer to St. Aloysius for Purity

Prayer to Overcome Sloth And Lukewarmness

Prayer to Overcome Bad Habits

Prayer to Overcome a Vice

Prayer Against Evil Thoughts

A Prayer for Grace

Prayer to St. Joseph for a Happy Death

Acceptance of Death

Prayer for Those in Their Agony

Prayer to Our Lord on The Cross for a Happy Hour of Death

Prayer for a Dec...

Table of contents

• FRONT COVER
• HALF TITLE PAGE
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• DEDICATION
• CONTENTS
• NOTE
• INTRODUCTION
• THE INTERIOR CASTLE
• THE FIRST MANSIONS
• THE SECOND MANSIONS
• THE THIRD MANSIONS
• THE FOURTH MANSIONS
• THE FIFTH MANSIONS
• THE SIXTH MANSIONS
• THE SEVENTH MANSIONS
• CONCLUSION
• NOTES
• BACK COVER
• A COLLECTION OF CLASSIC ARTWORK
• CATHOLIC PRAYERS
• TAN CLASSICS
• BECOME A TAN MISSIONARY!
• SHARE THE FAITH WITH TAN BOOKS!
• TAN BOOKS