The Interior Castle or The Mansions
S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
Discussion of Mansion 5 - Chapter 4
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Discussion of Mansion 5 - Chapter 4
▀ Disposition of the Dove; The Butterfly
▀ The Advanced Mansions Likened to
the Sacrament of Matrimony
■ The Prayer of Union:
Preliminary to the Betrothal
▪ Visiting and Acquainting
■ Regarding a Betrothal
▪ The Soul gains Spiritual Knowledge
▪ The Soul Receives Graces; Growth in Virtue
▪ Preview to the Sixth Mansions
"the espousals
which take place in the next mansion."
[ Paragraph # 3 ]
▀ St. Teresa's Advice and Cautions
■ Two Points/Questions regarding Temptations
at this stage
■ St. Teresa's Reassurance
▀ Regarding St. Teresa's Writing of this Book
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▀ Disposition of the Dove; The Butterfly
The dove is
still striving and longing and searching
"what has become of the little dove
...she can find...her rest...
neither in spiritual consolations
nor in earthly pleasures
but takes a higher flight.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #1 ]
"the little butterfly...can find no true repose,
yet always... doing good both to itself and others.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #1 ]
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▀ The Advanced Mansions Likened to
the Sacrament of Matrimony
"...that God spiritually espouses souls
...thus humbling Himself so utterly...
I can find nothing better
to express my meaning
than the Sacrament of Matrimony
although the two things are very different.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #1 ]
■ The Marriage is a Spiritual Marriage
"In divine union, everything is
spiritual
and
far removed from anything corporal"
"all the joys our Lord gives
and
the mutual delight felt in it
(are) celestial"
"and very unlike human marriage,
which it excels a thousand times."
Here all is love united to love;
Its operations are more
pure, refined, and sweet...
though our Lord knows
how to make the soul sensible of them."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #1 ]
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▀ St. Teresa's Advice and Cautions
■ Prayer
"We must beg God constantly
in our prayers
to uphold us by His hand"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #8 ]
■ Humility and Carefulness
"We should keep ever in our minds
the truth that
if He leaves us,
most certainly we shall fall at once
into the abyss,
for we must never be so foolish
as to trust in ourselves."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #8 ]
■ Detachment and Perseverence
Ever Thankful and Not Neglectful
"Should it
grow neglectful
and
set its affections on anything
except our Lord,
it will forfeit everything:
This loss is as great
as are the favours
the soul has continually received,
which are precious beyond description."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #2 ]
"there is even more urgent need now
for persons to prepare for such favours,
since there are fewer
who care for His honour.
We love ourselves too much
and
are too prudent
to give up any of our rights.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #4 ]
"You will then see
how little in comparison
is all that we can do or suffer in His service
to prepare ourselves
for the reception of such immense favours.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #11 ]
"but I wish them
to know what they ought to be,
and
to try to mortify themselves in every way,
otherwise they will stop here.
They should not ask for so precious a gift
as if it were worthless,
and
if God grants it them,
let them not throw it back at Him."
[Way of Perfection: Ch. 31: #10
Translation: Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
■ Watchfulness as to
whether we are growing in virtue
"...the greatest safeguard is
to be very careful
and
to watch how we advance in virtue;
We must notice
▪ whether we are
making progress
or
falling back in it,
especially as regards the love
of our neighbour,
▪ the desire to be thought the least of all
and
▪ how we perform our ordinary,
everyday duties.
If we
attend to this
and
beg Our Lord to enlighten us,
we shall at once perceive our gain or loss."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #8 ]
"let us strive to make constant progress:
we ought to feel great alarm
if we do not find ourselves advancing,
for without doubt
the evil one must be planning
to injure us in some way;
it is impossible for a soul
that has come to this state
not to go still farther,
for love is never idle.
Therefore,
it is a very bad sign
when one comes to a stand-still in virtue.
She who
aspires to become the spouse
of God Himself,
and
has treated with His Majesty
and
come to such an understanding with Him,
must not leave off and go to sleep."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #10 ]
■ Avoid all occasions of sin
"I implore you for His dear sake
not to grow careless,
but to avoid all occasions of sin;
You are not strong enough yet
to undergo temptation,
as you will be
after the espousals
which take place in the next mansion.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #3 ]
Here the betrothed are,
as they say,
only acquainted by sight,
and
the devil will spare no pains
to oppose and prevent their nuptials.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #3 ]
________________
■ Two Points/Questions regarding Temptations
at this stage
"You may question or be in doubt on two point:"
"Firstly:
if the soul is entirely united
with the will of God, ...
how can it be deceived...?
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #5 ]
St. Teresa's response was:
"The evil one, however,
comes with his keen subtlety
and,
under the pretext of good,
leads it astray in some trivial matter
and
causes it to commit small defects
which he makes it believe are harmless.
Thus, little by little,
the reason is obscured
and
the will is weakened
while the devil fosters his victim's self-love,
until, by degrees, he
- succeeds in withdrawing it
from union with the will of God
and
- makes it follow its own will."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #6 ]
"...people far advanced
in the spiritual life
who had reached this state of prayer
yet whom the devil reclaimed
by his subtlety and wiles...
...all hell leagues together
against such souls
because the loss of one of them
entails the perdition of many more,
as Satan is well aware."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #4 ]
"Secondly,
How can the devil enter
...as to destroy your soul ?"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #5 ]
"No enclosure can be too strict
for Satan to enter
nor any desert too remote
for him to visit."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #7 ]
Even among the Apostles
who were in Jesus' company,
the devil entered:
"Judas was amongst the Apostles
and... held constant intercourse
with God Himself,
to Whose words he listened..."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #5 ]
"Besides,
God may permit him to tempt the soul
to prove its virtue;
for as He intends it
to enlighten others,
it is better for it to fail in the beginning
than when it might do them great harm."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #7 ]
______________________ ■ St. Teresa's Reassurance
"Do not suppose
that after advancing the soul to such a state,
God abandons it so easily
that it is light work for the devil to regain it.
When His Majesty sees it leaving Him,
He feels the loss so keenly
that He gives it
in many a way
a thousand secret warnings
which reveal to it
the hidden danger."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #9 ]
"...if...a soul is always faithful
to the will of God,
it cannot be lost"
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #6 ]
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▀ Regarding St. Teresa's Writing of this Book
■ She Prays for Inspiration and Guidance
"May He enable me
to explain some of these difficult matters;
if our Lord and the Holy Ghost
do not guide my pen,
I know the task will prove impossible.
I beg Him to prevent my saying anything
unless it will profit you."
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #12 ]
■ Her Wish to Glorify God
"His Majesty knows that,
as far as I can judge,
I have no other wish
but
that His Name may be glorified
and
that we may strive to serve a Lord
Who thus recompenses our efforts
even in this world.
What, then, will be our joy in heaven
where it will be continuous,
without the interruptions,
labours, and dangers
of this tempestuous sea of life?
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #12 ]
■ Her Wish to help her Nuns
"...no doubt it will be
- very disconnected
and
- full of repetitions:
however,
as it is only for my sisters,
that will matter little.
Yet I should like
to express myself more fully
about the prayer of union
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #1 ]
■ Benefit of her Writing
"Perhaps our Lord decreed
that I should write this
in order that the knowledge
of the great reward to come,
and
of His infinite mercy in seeking
to give
and
to manifest Himself
to such worms as we are,
might make us
- forget our wretched, petty, earthly pleasures
and
- run on our way with eyes fixed
on His grandeur,
inflamed with love for Him.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 4: #11 ]
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End of the Discussion
of Mansion 5 Chapter 4
of
The Interior Castle
or
The Mansions
S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
|
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