The "Interior Castle" or "The Mansions" of S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel Discussion of The Prologue █ Summary ▀ A Book about Prayer ▀ St. Teresa prays for the grace to be able to explain to others ▀ She begins to write the "Interior Castle" ▀ Written for her Carmelite Nuns ▀ She has written of prayer before ▀ She writes under Humility and Obedience |
▀ A Book about Prayer:
"a task as this
of writing about prayer"
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
"she was commanded to write
a treatise on prayer,
of which
she had much personal experience."
[ Interior Castle: Introduction ]
"While ostensibly dealing with general facts,
St. Teresa in reality
records her personal experiences."
[ Interior Castle: Introduction ]
________________________________
▀ St. Teresa prays for the grace
to be able to explain to others:
"May He,
Who has helped me
in other more difficult matters,
aid me with His grace in this..."
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
"for it is one grace
that our Lord gives grace;
and
it is another grace
to understand
what grace and
what gift it is;
and
it is another and further grace
to have the power to
describe and
explain it to others.
Though it does not seem
that more than the first of these
--the giving of grace--
is necessary,
it is
a great advantage and
a great grace
to understand it."
"...shortly before the foundation
of St. Joseph's convent
( Avila: 24 August, 1562 )
she received the last of the three graces
mentioned above,
the Gift of Wisdom..."
[ The Relations: Introduction ]
__________________________
▀ She begins to write the "Interior Castle":
▪ "Begun: June 2, 1577
on Trinity Sunday"
[ Interior Castle: Introduction ]
▪ "So I begin this work
on the Feast of the Blessed Trinity
in the year 1577,
in the Convent of St. Joseph of Carmel
at Toledo,
where I am living,"
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
__________________________
▀ Written for her Carmelite Nuns
"For her sisters and daughters,
the Discalced Carmelite Nuns."
"He
who bids me write this,
tells me
that the nuns of these convents
of our Lady of Carmel
need some one to solve
their difficulties about prayer:
...
therefore it is important for me
to explain the subject
clearly to them.
Thus I am writing
only to my sisters;
the idea
that any one else could benefit
by what I say
would be absurd.
Our Lord will be doing me a great favour
if He enables me
to help but one of the nuns
to praise Him a little better;
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
__________________________
▀ She has written of prayer before:
"I think I have but little to say
that has not already been put forth
in my other works
written under obedience;
in fact, I fear
this will be but repetition of them.
I am like a parrot which has learnt to talk;
only knowing what it
has been taught or
has heard,
it repeats the same thing
over and over again.
If God wishes me to write anything new,
He will
teach it me,
or
bring back to my memory
what I have said elsewhere.
I should be content even with this...
lest they should be altogether lost.
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
"1565
(? December).
Greater part of the second and final version
of the "Life" written.
Completes "The Life"...
At about this time,
begins the "Way of Perfection"
NOTE. -- The date of the
"Exclamations of the Soul to God"
is probably 1569.
1576
November 14.
Completes Chapter XXVII of Foundations
[ Complete Works St. Teresa of Avila
Volume 1
'An outline of the Life of St. Teresa'
Transl by Edgar Allison Peers"
Regarding "The Relations"
which was a group of letters/papers
autobiographical and spiritual
in content,
Relation I was thought to be dated
approximately 1562.
[ The Life: Introduction
Translated by D. Lewis
Introduction by
Fr. B. Zimmerman, O.C.D. ]
▪ "it will be seen from the parallel passages
that they cover much the same ground
as her
"Life"
and
"The Relations".
...
Although "The Interior Castle"
contains little
that we do not already know
from her other works,
it is superior to them
by reason of
- its logical order
and
- the masterly treatment
of the most recondite matters
of mystical theology.
While ostensibly dealing with general facts,
St. Teresa in reality
records her personal experiences."
[ Interior Castle: Introduction ]
__________________________
▀ She writes under Humility and Obedience
■ Humility
▪ "If anything is to the point...
- it does not originate from me
and
- there is no reason to attribute it to me,
as with my scant understanding and skill
I could write nothing of the sort,
unless God, in His mercy,
enabled me to do so."
■ Obedience
▪ "she was commanded to write...
from her superiors...
Father Jerome Gracian,
Superior of the Discalced Carmelites
of the Provinces of Andalusia and Castille,
and
Don Alonso Velasquez,
Canon of Toledo,
afterwards bishop of Osma."
[ Interior Castle: Introduction ]
▪ "...The power obedience has
of making things easy
which seem impossible"
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
▪ "I submit all my writings
to the judgment of those learned men
by whose commands I undertake them.
That it will be the fault
of ignorance,
not malice,
if I say anything contrary to the doctrine
of the Holy Roman Catholic Church,
may be held as certain.
By God's goodness
I am, and
always shall be,
faithful to the Church,
as I have been in the past.
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
"by striving to obey,
I shall gain in merit,
though my words should be useless
to any one. "
[ Interior Castle: Prologue ]
End of the Discussion of The Prologue of The Interior Castle or The Mansions of S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel |
