Monthly Osuna: The Tilde

Final Thoughts and Farewell

This is a monthly series on Francisco de Osuna’s The Third Spiritual Alphabet.¹ In each post, we reflect on one letter from his Alphabet. The Alphabet was written as an aid to recollection. Recollection (being recollected in God) is both a form of prayer and a way of being in the world.

This Final Treatise Speaks of the Perseverance with Which We Are to Follow Recollection, Saying: The Tilde Signifies Your Fear Not to Forsake What You Have Begun.

Perseverance

“At the beginning, contemplation is like a narrow path, but with perseverance it widens until the soul as the bride of the Lord wishes to see him at midday, which is the brightly lit and perfect love wherein God reposes.” (SA 600)

“Recollection cannot be perfected in this life, but it can be begun.” (SA 600)

“The one who perseveres always obeys the command, “Ask and you shall receive.” (SA 601)

It is fitting that Osuna closes his Alphabet by encouraging the contemplative to persevere. In a sense, keeping a steady practice is the most important aspect of recollection. Not every time we sit in stillness and silence will be the same. At times, the desire of our heart will be focused, and we will know what cannot be articulated, and at other times, it will seem we are constitutionally incapable of focusing. It doesn’t matter so long as we sit and seek with our hearts.

Eternal love is always present and at work. Sometimes, the difficulties or dry spells we experience during recollection are more productive than when we effortlessly fall into a recollected state. If we encounter periods when we are unable to recollect or if it seems that God is not present, then we can rest in our longing to be so recollected. God is always present, especially in our good desires. Our longing to abide in a recollected state is a reminder that divine love is present and at work even in that desire. Whatever the case, if we persevere, we will enjoy “the brightly lit and perfect love wherein God reposes.”

Final Thoughts

There is some irony in the fact that I have said so much, perhaps too much, about recollection in this series. This practice is very simple. To sit still for twenty minutes or so with the desire of our heart focused on the ubiquitous, divine presence is not a complicated thing to do; although, it does take practice. But more than anything, the practice of recollection is primarily a matter of experiencing the presence of the God who loves us, and this experience goes beyond what anyone might say about it.

Finally, no matter who you are, this spiritual practice of contemplative prayer is for you. So, I will close this series as it began by iterating the fact that anyone can know the divine presence through their own experience by using this method.

“For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt 7:7 NRSV)

“God does not discriminate, this communion is just as available to you, whoever you are, as to other people, for you are no less made in the image of God than others, nor do I think you desire this good fortune less than they.” (SA 47)

Farewell

With this closing post, I will also hang up my podcasting equipment and bid you all farewell. I am so grateful to Charlotte Elia for inviting me to share in The Heavenly Banquet podcast. It has been both interesting and great fun! I am grateful for the opportunity to write about the practice of recollection, and I hope the Osuna series has been helpful to those who are interested. I thank all of you who have taken the time to listen and read, and I wish you all the very best. May the peace of Christ be with you always.

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NRSV)

1. Francisco de Osuna The Third Spiritual Alphabet (Trans. Mary E. Giles; Preface Kieran Kavanaugh; Paulist Press, 1981)