The Interior Castle or The Mansions of S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel St. Teresa of Avila Discussion of Mansion 2 - Chapter 1 (The only chapter ) |
Discussion of Mansion 2 ▀ The Souls of the Second Mansions ■ Development of Prayer and Desire to advance ■ Worldly attachments & Occasions of Sin ■ Able to "Hear Our Lord Calling Them" ▪ God here speaks to souls ■ Temptations ■ Benefits of Temptation and Struggles ■ The Faculties: their involvement and struggle ▀ St. Teresa's Recommendations ■ Prayer and Recollection ▪ Pray and our daily work ▪ Meditation kindles love. ■ Perseverance ■ Recognition and Thanksgiving for graces ■ Faith ■ Consultation ■ Good Companions ■ Detachment from rewards, consolations ▪ "His Majesty knows best what is good for us ■ Embrace the Cross and the Will of God |
▀ The Souls of the Second Mansions
■ Development of Prayer
and
Desire to advance
▪ "souls which have begun
to practise prayer...
▪ they realize the importance
of their not remaining
in the first mansions..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #2 ]
▪ "these souls suffer
a great deal more
than those in the first mansions...
- although not in such danger...
- they begin to understand their peril
and
- there are great hopes
of their entering farther into the castle"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #3 ]
"the poor soul is disconsolate
at being unable
to follow His bidding at once"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #4 ]
■ Worldly attachments & Occasions of Sin
▪ "...they may still be engaged in
the amusements and business,
the pleasures and vanities of this world."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #4 ]
▪ "often lack determination
to quit their present condition
by avoiding occasions of sin,
which is a very perilous state to be in."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #2 ]
▪ "continually fall into sin and rise again,
for the creatures
amongst whom we dwell
are so....dangerous,
that it is almost impossible
to avoid being tripped up by them."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #4 ]
▪ "tepid as they may be
in seeking Him,
yet God holds them very dear."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #5 ]
■ Able to "Hear Our Lord Calling Them"
▪ "These souls hear our Lord calling them,
for as they approach nearer
to where His Majesty dwells
He proves a loving Neighbour"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #4 ]
"Yet such are the pity and compassion
of this Lord of ours,
So desirous is He
that we should seek Him...
He never ceases calling us to Him...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #4 ]
▪ God here speaks to souls
- through words uttered by pious people...
- by sermons or good books..
- by means of sickness or troubles,
- by some truth He teaches them
during prayer...
and
- in many other such ways.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #5 ]
▪ this first grace
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #6 ]
▪ this first grace
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #6 ]
■ Temptations
"...the evil spirits place
a thousand impediments in the way."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #7 ]
"those venomous thoughts...
which, unless we are very careful,
will deform the soul..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #10 ]
▪ Temptations of attachments
- "thoughts about the world and its joys
which they picture as unending"
▪ Temptations of pride; against Humility
- "of the high esteem
men held us in"
▪ Temptations to foil our good resolutions
- "how the penances
which souls in this mansion
always begin to wish to perform
would injure our health"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #7 ]
■ Benefits of Temptation and Struggles
"The bad thoughts and aridities...
are often permitted by God
to assail and torment us...
to teach us...
▪ to be more on our guard in the future...
▪ to see whether we grieve much
at offending Him.
▪ to amend our habits...
and....
▪ show us the injury
we receive from a life of dissipation.
▪ for God will draw good
even out of our falls..."
"Our falls should raise us higher"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #16 ]
■ The Faculties:
their involvement and struggle:
The soul "cannot avoid hearing the fighting
and cannonading around us.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #7 ]
▪ the powers more on the alert...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #7 ]
▪ the Understanding being more vigilant...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #7 ]
▪ The Understanding aids by showing
- that...no one could ever wish
for a better friend
than God;
- that the world is full of falsehood,
and
- that the worldly pleasures
pictured by the devil to the mind
were but troubles and cares
and annoyances in disguise...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #9 ]
▪ Reason shows it the delusion
of overrating worldly things...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #8 ]
▪ Reason convinces the soul
that as outside its interior castle
are found neither peace nor security,
it should cease to seek
another home abroad,
... possesses all he needs
within his own dwelling,
and such a Host,
Who will give it all it can desire,
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #10 ]
Like St.John of the Cross
( Ascent of Mt Carmel Bk2 ch 9)
St. Teresa speaks
of the purification of the Intellect by Faith
so that it can transcend the visible world
and strive toward attachment to God.
Faith teaches
what alone can satisfy its cravings.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #8 ]
▪ Memory reminds the soul
how all earthly joys end..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #8 ]
▪ The Will
- inclines to love Our Lord
and
- longs to make some return to Him...
Who has given so many proofs
of His love,
especially by His constant presence
with the soul..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #9 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Surely these arguments are strong enough
to defeat the devil's wiles!
But, O my God, how
the force of worldly habits
and
the example of others
who practise them
ruin everything!"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #10 ]
"What peace can we hope to find elsewhere,
if we have none within us?
What friends or kindred can be
so close and intimate
as the powers of our soul,
which, whether we will or no,
must ever bear us company?
These seem to wage war on us
as if they knew the harm
our vices had wrought them.
if we neither possess nor strive
to obtain this peace at home,
we shall never find it abroad.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #16 ]
▀ St. Teresa's Recommendations
■ Prayer and Recollection
"the door
by which we must enter this castle
is prayer.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #19 ]
"it would be madness to think
we could....get to heaven...
without sometimes
retiring into our souls
retiring into our souls
so as to
- know ourselves,
- think...
of our failings
and
of what we owe to God,
- frequently implore... His mercy."
Our Lord also says,
'No man cometh to the Father
but by Me'
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #19 ]
"The habit of recollection
is not to be gained
by force of arms,
but with calmness"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #18 ]
"The only remedy for having given up
a habit of recollection
is to recommence it"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #18 ]
"prayer is a necessity
to prevent us from constantly falling
into temptation."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #20 ]
▪ Pray and our daily work
Don't "imagine
that you are injuring yourselves
by leaving your prayer
to perform any necessary duties."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #18 ]
What value is there in faith without works?
and
what are they worth
if they are not united to the merits
of Jesus Christ, our only good?
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #20 ]
▪ Meditation kindles love.
"If we never
look up at Him
and
reflect on what we owe Him
for having died for us,
I do not understand
how we can
know Him,
or
perform good deeds in His service.
What would incite us to love our Lord
unless we thought of Him?"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #20 ]
■ Perseverance
"the devils now fiercely assault the soul
in a thousand different ways"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #6 ]
"The soul should firmly resolve
never to submit to defeat,
for if the devil sees it staunchly determined
to lose life and comfort
and all that he can offer,
rather than return to the first mansion,
he will the sooner leave it alone.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #12 ]
Let us endeavour to do our best...
if you occasionally lapse into sin,
do not
lose heart and
cease trying to advance,
for God will draw good
even out of our falls..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #16 ]
"I implore those
who have not yet begun
to enter into themselves,
to stop this warfare:
I beg those
already started in the right path,
not to let the combat turn them
back from it.
Let them
- reflect that a relapse
is worse than a fall,
and
- see what ruin it would bring.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #17 ]
■ Recognition and Thanksgiving of graces
"Do not think lightly...of this first grace...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #6 ]
nor be downcast
if you have not responded immediately
to Our Lord's voice,
for His Majesty is willing
to wait for us...
especially when He sees perseverance
and good desires in our hearts.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #6 ]
■ Faith
▪ Faith teaches
what alone can satisfy its cravings.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #8 ]
Our faith is so dead
that we trust
less to its teaching
than to what is visible,
though, indeed, we see
that worldly lives bring nothing
but unhappiness."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #10 ]
▪ "They should confide in God's mercy,
trusting nothing in themselves...
His Majesty
- will lead them
from one mansion to another,
and
- will set them in a place
where these wild beasts can
no more touch or annoy them,
but will be entirely at their mercy
and merely objects of ridicule.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #17 ]
■ Consultation
"I think it very helpful
for those of you
who are beginners to consult
persons experienced in such matters"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #18 ]
"Our Lord will direct such things
to our profit,
although we may have no one
to counsel us.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #18 ]
■ Good Companions
"It is of the utmost importance
for the beginner
to associate with those
who lead a spiritual life
and not only with those
in the same mansion as herself,
but with others
- who have travelled farther
into the castle,
- who will aid her greatly
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #12 ]
■ Detachment from rewards, consolations
St. Teresa warns against the
"Presumption of expecting spiritual consolations"
"let no one think on starting
of the reward to be reaped:
this would be a very ignoble way
of commencing
such a large and stately building...
it would soon fall down.
Souls who acted thus
would continually suffer
from discouragement and temptations,
for in these mansions no manna rains;
farther on,
the soul is pleased with all that comes,
because it desires nothing
but what God wills.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #13 ]
"with a thousand obstacles,
drawbacks, and imperfections
within ourselves,
our virtues so newly born...
yet we are not ashamed
to expect sweetness in prayer
and
to complain of feeling dryness."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #14 ]
▪ "His Majesty knows best
what is good for us;
It is not for us
to advise Him
how to treat us,
for He has the right to tell us
that we know not what we ask.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #15 ]
■ Embrace the Cross and the Will of God
"In the Cross is strength.
"Embrace the cross your Spouse bore
on His shoulders;
Know that your motto should be:
'Most happy she who suffers most
if it be for Christ!'...
if our Lord give it you,
render Him grateful thanks...
▪ The sole aim
of one beginning to practise prayer
should be
- to endure trials,
and
- to resolve and strive to the utmost
of her power
to conform her own will
to the will of God.
Be certain that
in this consists all the greatest perfection
to be attained in the spiritual life...
She who practises this most perfectly
- will receive from God
the highest reward
and
- is the farthest advanced on the right road...
Our whole welfare consists
in doing the will of God.
If we start with the false principle
of wishing God
to follow our will
and
and
to lead us in the way we think best,
upon what firm foundation
can this spiritual edifice rest?
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 2: Ch 1: #15 ]
End of the Discussion of Mansion 2 - Chapter 1 [ the only chapter ] The Interior Castle or The Mansions of S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel |
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