The Interior Castle or The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
THE THIRD MANSIONS
CHAPTER I
▪ Treats
▫ Of The Insecurity Of Life
In This Exile,
However High We May Be Raised,
And
▫ Of How We Must Always Walk In Fear.
▪ Contains Some Good Points.
__________________
Chapter Contents
1. Souls in the Third Mansions.
2. Insecurity of this life.
3. Our danger of falling from grace.
4. The Saint bewails her past life.
5. Our Lady's patronage.
6. Fear necessary even for religious.
7. St. Teresa's contrition.
8. Characteristics of those
in the Third Mansions.
9. The rich young man in the Gospel.
10. Reason of aridities in prayer.
11. Humility.
12. Tepidity.
13. We must give all to God.
14. Our debt.
15. Consolations and aridities.
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THE THIRD MANSIONS
CHAPTER I.
1. Souls in the Third Mansions.
1.
As for those who have,
by the mercy of God,
vanquished in these combats
and
persevered until they reached
the third mansions,
what can we say to them
but
'Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord' ?
[86]
It is no small favour from God
that I should be able
to translate this verse into Spanish
so as to explain its meaning,
considering how dense
I usually am in such matters.
We may well call these souls, 'blessed',
for, as far as we can tell,
unless they turn back in their course
they are on the safe road to salvation.
Now, my sisters, you see
how important it is for them
to conquer in their former struggles,
for I am convinced
that our Lord will henceforth
never cease to keep them
in security of conscience,
which is no small boon.
2. Insecurity of this life.
2.
I am wrong in saying security,
'for there is no security in this life' ;
Understand that in such cases
I always imply:
'If they do not cease to continue
as they have begun.'
What misery to live in this world!
We are like men
whose enemies are at the door,
who must not lay aside their arms,
even while sleeping or eating,
and
(who) are always in dread
lest the foe should enter the fortress
by some breach in the walls.
O my Lord and my all!
How canst Thou wish us to prize
such a wretched existence?
We could not desist
from longing and begging Thee
to take us from it,
were it not for the hope of
▪ losing it for Thy sake
or
▪ devoting it entirely to Thy service
--and above all
because we know
▪ it is Thy will that we should live.
Since it is so,
Let us die with Thee!' [87]
as St. Thomas said,
for to be away from Thee
is but to die again and again,
haunted as we are
by the dread of losing Thee for ever!
3. Our danger of falling from grace.
3.
This is why I say, daughters,
that we ought to ask our Lord
as our boon
to grant us one day
to dwell in safety with the Saints,
for with such fears,
what pleasure can she enjoy
whose only pleasure is to please God?
Remember,
many Saints
have felt this as we do,
and
were even far more fervent,
yet fell into grave sin,
and
we cannot be sure
that God would stretch forth His hand
to raise us from sin again
to do such penance as they performed.
This applies to extraordinary grace. [88]
Truly, my daughters,
I feel such terror as I tell you this,
that I know
not how to write it,
nor even how to go on living,
when I reflect upon it
as I very often do.
Beg of His Majesty, my daughters,
to abide within me,
for otherwise,
what security could I feel,
after a life so badly spent
as mine has been?
4. The Saint bewails her past life.
4.
Do not grieve at knowing this.
I have often seen you troubled
when I spoke about it,
for you wish that my past
had been a very holy one,
in which you are right--
indeed, I wish the same myself.
But what can be done,
now that I have wasted it entirely
through my own fault?
I have no right to complain
that God withheld the aid I needed
to fulfil your wishes.
It is impossible for me to write this
without tears and great shame,
when I see
that I am explaining these matters
to those capable of teaching me.
What a hard task
has obedience laid, upon me!
God grant that,
as I do it for Him,
it may be of some service to you;
Therefore
beg Him to pardon me
for my miserable presumption.
5. Our Lady's patronage.
5.
His Majesty knows
that I have nothing to rely upon
but His mercy;
As I cannot cancel the past,
I have no other remedy
but
▪ to flee to Him,
and
▪ to confide in the merits
of His Son
and
of His Virgin Mother,
whose habit, unworthy as I am,
I wear as you do also.
Praise Him, then, my daughters,
for making you truly daughters of our Lady,
so that you need not blush
so that you need not blush
for my wickedness
as you have such a good Mother.
Imitate her;
Think
▪ how great she must be
and
▪ what a blessing it is for you
to have her for a Patroness,
since my sins and evil character
have brought no tarnish
on the lustre of our holy Order.
6. Fear necessary even for religious.
6.
Still I must give you one warning:
▪ Be not too confident
because you are
nuns
and
the daughters of such a Mother.
David was very holy,
yet you know what Solomon became. [89]
Therefore do not rely
on your enclosure,
on your penitential life,
nor
on your continual exercise of prayer
and constant communion with God,
nor trust in having left the world
or in the idea
that you hold its ways in horror.
All this is good,
but is not enough,
as I have already said,
to remove all fear;
therefore
▪ meditate on this text
and
▪ often recall it:
'Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.'
[90]
7. St. Teresa's contrition.
7.
I do not recollect
what I was saying,
and have digressed very much:
For when I think of myself,
my mind cannot soar
to higher things
but is like a bird with broken wings;
So I will leave this subject
for the present.
8. Characteristics of those
in the Third Mansions.
8.
To return to
what I began to explain about the souls
which have entered the third mansions.
God has shown them
no small favour,
but a very great one,
in enabling them to pass
through the first difficulties.
Thanks to His mercy
I believe there are many such people
in the world:
They are very desirous
not to offend His Majesty
even by venial sins,
they love penance and
spend hours in meditation,
they employ their time well,
exercise themselves
in works of charity to their neighbours,
are well-ordered
in their conversation and dress,
and
those who own a household
govern it well.
This is certainly to be desired,
and
there appears no reason to forbid
their entrance to the last mansions;
nor will our Lord deny it them
if they desire it,
for this is the right disposition
for receiving all His favours.
9. The rich young man in the Gospel.
9.
O Jesus!
Can any one declare
that he does not desire
this great blessing,
especially after he has passed
through the chief difficulties?
No; no one can!
We all say we desire it,
but there is need of more than that
for the Lord to possess entire dominion
over the soul.
It is not enough to say so,
any more than it was enough
for the young man
when our Lord told him
what he must do
if he desired to be perfect. [91]
Since I began to speak
of these dwelling-rooms,
I have him constantly before my mind,
for we are exactly like him;
This very frequently produces
the great dryness we feel in prayer,
though sometimes it proceeds
from other causes as well.
I am not speaking
of certain interior sufferings
which give intolerable pain
to many devout souls
through no fault of their own;
From these trials, however,
our Lord always delivers them
with much profit to themselves.
I also except people
who suffer from melancholy
and other infirmities.
But in these cases, as in all others,
we must leave aside the judgments of God.
10. Reason of aridities in prayer.
10.
I hold that these effects usually result
from the first cause I mentioned;
such souls know
that nothing would induce them
to commit a sin
(many of them would not even commit
a venial sin advertently),
and
that they employ their life and riches well.
They cannot, therefore, patiently endure
to be excluded
from the presence of our King,
Whose vassals they consider themselves,
as indeed they are.
An earthly king may have many subjects
yet all do not enter his court.
▪ Enter then, enter, my daughters,
into your interior;
▪ Pass beyond the thought
of your own petty works,
which are
no more,
nor even as much,
as Christians are bound to perform:
Let it suffice that you are God's servants,
Do not pursue so much
as to catch nothing. [92]
Think of the saints,
who have entered the Divine Presence,
and
you will see the difference
between them and ourselves.
11. Humility.
11.
Do not ask for
what you do not deserve,
what you do not deserve,
nor should we ever think,
however much we may
have done for God,
that we merit the reward of the saints,
for we have offended Him.
Oh, humility, humility!
I know not why,
but I am always tempted to think
that persons who complain
so much of aridities
must be a little wanting in this virtue.
However, I am not speaking
of severe interior sufferings,
which are far worse
than a want of devotion.
12. Tepidity.
12.
Let us try ourselves, my sisters,
or let our Lord try us;
He knows well how to do so
(although we often pretend
to misunderstand Him).
We will now speak
of these well-ordered souls.
Let us consider
what they do for God
and
we shall see at once
what little right we have
to murmur against His Majesty.
to murmur against His Majesty.
If we turn our backs on Him
and go away sorrowfully
like the youth in the Gospel [93]
when He tells us
what to do
to be perfect,
what can God do?
for He must proportion the reward
to our love for Him.
This love, my daughters,
must not be the fabric of our imagination;
we must prove it by our works.
Yet do not suppose
that our Lord has need
of any works of ours;
He only expects us
to manifest our goodwill. [94]
13. We must give all to God.
13.
It seems to us
we have done everything by
- taking the religious habit
of our own will,
and
- renouncing worldly things
and all our possessions for God
(although they may have been
but the nets of St. Peter, [95]
yet they seemed much to us,
for they were our all).
This is an excellent disposition:
If we continue in it and do not return,
even in desire,
to the company of the reptiles
of the first rooms,
doubtless,
by persevering in this
poverty
poverty
and
detachment of soul,
detachment of soul,
we shall obtain all for which we strive.
But, mark this
-- it must be on one condition --
▪ that we hold ourselves
'for unprofitable servants,' [96]
as we are told
either by St. Paul or by Christ,
and
▪ that we do not consider
that our Lord is bound
to grant us any favours,
▪ but that, as we have received
more from Him,
we are the deeper in His debt.
14. Our debt.
14.
How little
is all we can do
for so generous a God,
Who died for us,
Who created us,
Who gives us being,
that we should not think ourselves
happy to be able to acquit ourselves
of part of the debt we owe Him
for having served us,
without asking Him
for fresh mercies and favours?
I am loath to use this expression,
yet so it is,
for He did nothing else
during the whole time He lived
in this world
but serve us.
15. Consolations and aridities.
15.
Think well my daughters,
over some of the points I have treated,
although confusedly,
for I do not know
how to explain them better.
Our Lord will make you understand them,
that you may reap humility
that you may reap humility
from your dryness,
instead of the disquietude the devil
strives to cause by it.
I believe
that where true humility exists,
although God should never
bestow consolations,
yet He gives a peace and resignation
which make the soul happier
than are others with sensible devotion.
These consolations,
as you have read,
are often given by the Divine Majesty
to the weakest souls
who, I suppose, would not exchange them
for the fortitude of Christians
serving God in aridities:
we love consolations
better than the cross!
Do Thou, O Lord,
Who knowest all truth,
so prove us
that we may know ourselves.
Foot Notes:
[86]
Ps. cxi: 1.
Beatus vir qui timet Dominum.'
_________________
[87]
St. John xi. 16:
Eamus et nos ut moriamur cum eo.'
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[88]
These last words, in the margin,
but in the handwriting of the Saint,
were scored through
by one of the censors,
but Fr. Luis de Leon wrote underneath,
(as he did in other cases)
'Nothing to be crossed out.'
_________________
[89]
St. Teresa wrote 'Solomon';
Father Gracian corrected Absalom,'
and
Fr. Luis de Leon restored the original text.
_________________
[90]
Ps. cxi. 1.
_________________
[91]
Matt. xix. 21.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
"Jesus saith to him:
'If thou wilt be perfect,
go sell what thou hast, and
give to the poor, and
thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and
come follow me.' "
[ Matt. xix. 21]
_________________
[92]
Proverbially, like having too many irons
in the fire.'
_________________
[93]
St. Mark. x. 22.
Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 5.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
"...a certain man running up and kneeling
before him, asked him,
'Good Master, what shall I do
that I may receive life everlasting?'
And Jesus said to him...
'Thou knowest the commandments:
Do not commit adultery, do not kill,
do not steal, bear not false witness,
do no fraud,
honour thy father and mother.'
But he answering, said to him:
'Master, all these things
I have observed from my youth.'
And Jesus looking on him, loved him,
and said to him:
'One thing is wanting unto thee:
go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and
give to the poor,
and
thou shalt have treasure in heaven;
and
come, follow me.
Who
being struck sad at that saying,
went away sorrowful:
for he had great possessions.
[ Mark 10: 17- 22 ]
"And Peter began to say unto him:
'Behold, we have left all things,
and have followed thee.' "
[ Mark 10: 28 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Reflect that true humility consists...in
- being ready for
what the Lord desires to do with you
and
- happy that He should do it,
and in always
- considering yourselves unworthy
to be called His servants.
If contemplation and mental
and vocal prayer and tending the sick
and serving in the house
and working at even the lowliest tasks
are of service to (God )...
what should it matter to us
if we do one of these things
rather than another?
I do not mean that it is for us to say
what we shall do,
but that we must do our best
in everything,
for the choice is
not ours
but the Lord's.
If after many years
He is pleased to give each of us
her office,
it will be a curious kind of humility
for you to wish to choose;
let the Lord of the house do that,
for He
is wise and powerful
and
knows what is fitting
for you and
for Himself as well.
Be sure that,
if you
do what lies in your power
and
prepare yourself
for high contemplation...,
then, if He does not grant it you
(and I think He will not fail to do so
if you have true
detachment and humility),
it will be
because He has laid up this joy
for you so as to give it
(to) you in Heaven, and
because... He is pleased to
- treat you like people
who are strong and
- give you a cross to bear on earth
like that
which His Majesty Himself
always bore.
What better sign of friendship is there
than for Him to give you
what He gave Himself?...
His judgments are His own;
we must not meddle in them.
It is indeed a good thing
that the choice is not ours;
for, if it were,
we should think it the more restful life
and all become great contemplatives.
Oh, how much we gain
if we
- have no desire to gain
what seems to us best
and so
- have no fear of losing,
since God never permits
a truly mortified person
to lose anything
except when such loss will bring him
greater gain!
[ Way of Perfection: Ch. 17: #6, 7, 8 ]
_________________
[94]
Rel. ix. 15.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
"Once, having a desire
to render some service to our Lord,
I considered
that I could serve Him but poorly,
and said to myself:
"Why, O Lord,
dost Thou desire my works?"
And He answered:
"To see thy good will, My child."
[ Relations: Ch 9: #15
Life: Translated by D. Lewis ]
_________________
[95]
St. Matt. iv. 20:
Relictis retibus secuti sunt eum.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
"And he saith to them:
'Come ye after me,
and
I will make you to be fishers of men.'
And they immediately
leaving their nets,
followed him."
[Mt. 4: 19-20]
_________________
[96]
St. Luke xvii. 10:
Servi inutiles sumus:
quod debuimus facere fecimus.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
"Doth he thank that servant,
for doing the things
which he commanded him?
I think not.
So you also,
when you shall have done all these things
that are commanded you,
say:
'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done
that which we ought to do.' "
[ St. Luke 17: 9 - 10 ]
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End of
Mansion 3 Chapter 1
The Interior Castle
or
The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
