The Interior Castle or The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
Mansion 5 Chapter 3
|
Mansion 5 Chapter 3
Chapter Contents
This Chapter
• Continues The Same Subject
• And Speaks Of Another Kind Of Union
Which The Soul Can Obtain
With The Help Of God.
• The Importance Of Love
Of Our Neighbour In This Matter.
This Is Very Useful To Read.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
1. Zeal for souls left by divine union.
2. The soul may fall from such a state.
3. How divine union
may always be obtained.
4. Union with the will of God
the basis of all supernatural union.
5. Advantage of union
gained by self-mortification.
6. Defects which hinder this union.
7. Divine union obtained by perfect love
of God and our neighbour.
8. Love for God and our neighbour
are proportionate.
9. Real and imaginary virtues.
10. Illusionary good resolutions.
11. Works, not feelings, procure union.
12. Fraternal charity will certainly
gain this union.
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Mansion 5 Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
1. Zeal for souls left by divine union.
1.
LET us now
return to our little dove
and
see what graces God gives it in this state.
This implies
that the soul endeavours to advance
in the service of our Lord
and
in self-knowledge.
If it receives the grace of union
and
then does no more,
thinking itself safe,
and so leads a careless life,
wandering off the road to heaven
(that is,
the keeping of the commandments)
it will share the fate of the butterfly
that comes from the silkworm,
which lays some eggs
that produce more of its kind
and
then dies for ever.
I say it leaves some eggs,
for I believe
God will not allow so great a favour
to be lost
but that if the recipient does not profit by it,
others will.
For while it keeps to the right path,
this soul,
with its ardent desires and great virtues,
helps others
and
kindles their fervour with its own.
Yet even after having lost this,
it may still
long to benefit others
and
delight to make known the mercies
shown by God to those
who love and serve Him. [185]
2. The soul may fall from such a state.
2.
I knew a person
to whom this happened.
Although greatly erring,
she
- longed that others should profit
by the favours God had bestowed on her
and
- taught the way of prayer
to people ignorant of it,
thus helping them immensely.
God afterwards
bestowed fresh light upon her;
indeed, the prayer of union had not
hitherto produced the above effects in her.
How many people there must be
to whom our Lord communicates Himself,
who, like Judas, are
called to the Apostleship
and
made kings by Him,
as was Saul,
yet who afterwards lose everything
by their own fault!
We should learn from this, sisters,
that if we would
merit fresh favours
and
avoid losing those we already possess,
our only safety lies
in obedience
and
in following the law of God.
This I say, both
to those who have received these graces
and
to those who have not. [186]
3. How divine union
may always be obtained.
3.
In spite of all I have written,
there still seems some difficulty
in understanding this mansion.
The advantage of entering is so great,
that it is well
that none should despair of doing so
because God does not give them
the supernatural gifts described above.
With the help of divine grace,
true union can always be attained
• by forcing ourselves
to renounce our own will
and
• by following the will of God
in all things. [187]
4. Union with the will of God
the basis of all supernatural union.
4.
Oh, how many of us
affirm that we do this,
and
believe we seek nothing else
--indeed we would die for the truth
of what we say!
If this be the case,
I can only declare,
as I fancy I did before,
and
I shall again and again,
that we have already obtained this grace
from God.
Therefore,
we need not wish
for that other delightful union
described above,
for its chief value lies
in the resignation of our will
to that of God
without which it could not be reached.
[188]
Oh, how desirable is this union!
The happy soul,
which has attained it,
will live
in this world
and
in the next
without care of any sort.
No earthly events can trouble it,
unless it
- should see itself in danger
of losing God
or
- should witness any offence
offered Him.
Neither sickness, poverty,
nor the loss of any one by death,
affect it,
except that of persons useful
to the Church of God,
for the soul realizes thoroughly
that God's disposal is wiser
than its own desires.
5. Advantage of union
gained by self-mortification.
5.
You must know
that there are different kinds of sorrow:
there are both griefs and joys rising
from an impulse of nature
or
from a charity
which makes us pity our neighbour,
like that felt by our Saviour
when He raised Lazarus from the dead.
[189]
These feelings
do not destroy
union with the will of God
nor do they disturb the soul
by a restless, turbulent,
and lasting passion.
They soon pass away,
for as I said of sweetness in prayer, [190]
they do not affect the depths of the soul
but only its senses and faculties.
They are found in the former mansions,
but do not enter the last of all.
Is it necessary,
in order to attain
to this kind of divine union,
for the powers of the soul to be suspended?
No;
God has many ways of
enriching the soul
and
bringing it to these mansions
besides what might be called a 'short cut.'
besides what might be called a 'short cut.'
But, be sure of this, my daughters:
in any case
the silkworm must die
and
it will cost you more in this way.
In the former manner,
this death is facilitated
by finding ourselves introduced
into a new life;
Here, on the contrary,
we must give ourselves the death-blow.
I own that the work will be much harder,
but then it will be of higher value
so that your reward will be greater
if you come forth victorious; [191]
Yet there is no doubt
it is possible for you to
attain this true union with the will of God.
6. Defects which hinder this union.
6.
This is the union
(that) I have longed for
all my life
and
that I beg our Lord to grant me;
It is
the most certain
and
the safest.
But alas,
how few of us ever obtain it!
Those
who are careful not to offend God,
and
who enter the religious state,
think there is nothing more to do.
How many maggots remain in hiding
until,
like the worm
which gnawed at Jonas's ivy, [192
they have destroyed our virtues.
These pests are such evils as
- self-love,
- self-esteem,
- rash judgment of others
even in small matters,
and
- a want of charity
in not loving our neighbour
quite as much as ourselves.
Although perforce
we satisfy our obligations sufficiently
to avoid sin,
yet we fall far short of what must be done
in order to obtain perfect union
with the will of God.
7. Divine union obtained by perfect love
of God and our neighbour.
7.
What do you think, daughters,
is His will?
That we may become quite perfect
and so
be made one
with Him
and
with His Father
as He prayed we might be. [193]
Observe, then,
what is wanting in us to obtain this.
I assure you
it is most painful for me
to write on this subject,
for I see how far I am,
from having attained perfection
through my own fault.
There is no need for us
to receive special consolations
from God
from God
in order to arrive at
conformity with His will;
conformity with His will;
He has done enough
in giving us His Son to teach the way.
This does not mean
- that we must so submit to the will of God
as not to sorrow at such troubles
as the death of a father or brother,
or
- that we must bear crosses and sickness
with joy. [194]
This is well,
but it sometimes comes from common sense
which, as we cannot help ourselves,
makes a virtue of necessity.
How often the great wisdom
of the heathen philosophers
led them to act thus in trials of this kind!
Our Lord asks but two things of us:
Love,
• for Him
and
• for our neighbour:
These are what we must strive to obtain.
If we practise both these virtues perfectly
we shall be doing His will
and so
shall be united to Him.
shall be united to Him.
But, as I said,
we are very far from obeying
and serving our great Master perfectly
in these two matters:
May His Majesty give us the grace
to merit union with Him;
It is in our power to gain it
if we will.
8. Love for God and our neighbour
are proportionate.
8.
I think the most certain sign
that we keep these two commandments
is that we have a genuine love for others.
We cannot know
whether we love God
although there may be strong reasons
for thinking so,
but there can be no doubt about
whether we love our neighbour or no.
[195]
Be sure that in proportion
as you advance in fraternal charity,
you are increasing in your love of God,
[196]
for His Majesty bears
so tender an affection for us
that I cannot doubt He will repay
our love for others
by augmenting,
in a thousand different ways,
that which we bear for Him.
We should watch most carefully
over ourselves in this matter,
for if we are faultless on this point
we have done all.
I believe human nature is so evil
that we could not feel a perfect charity
for our neighbour
unless it were rooted in the love of God.
9. Real and imaginary virtues.
9.
In this most important matter, sisters,
we should
be most vigilant in little things,
taking no notice of the great works
we plan during prayer
which we imagine
that we would perform
for other people,
even perhaps for the sake
of saving a single soul.
If our actions afterwards
belie these grand schemes,
there is no reason
to imagine that we should
do anything of the sort.
I say the same of humility
and the other virtues.
The devil's wiles are many;
He would turn hell upside down
a thousand times
to make us think ourselves
better than we are.
He has good reason for it,
for such fancies are most injurious;
Sham virtues springing from this root
are always accompanied
by a vainglory
never found in those of divine origin,
which are free from pride.
10. Illusionary good resolutions.
10.
It is amusing to see souls
who,
while they are at prayer,
fancy they are willing
to be despised and publicly insulted
for the love of God,
yet afterwards do all they can
to hide their small defects;
if any one unjustly accuses them
of a fault,
God deliver us from their outcries!
Let those
who cannot bear such things
take no notice of the splendid plans
they made when alone,
which could have been
no genuine determination of the will
but only some trick of the imagination,
or
the results would have been
very different.
The devil assaults and deceives people
in this way,
often doing great harm
to women and others
too ignorant to understand
the difference between
the powers of the soul
and
the imagination,
and a thousand other matters of the sort.
O sisters!
How easy it is to know
which of you have attained
to a sincere love of your neighbour,
and
which of you are far from it.
If you knew the importance of this virtue,
your only care would be to gain it.
11. Works, not feelings, procure union.
11.
When I see people very anxious to know
what sort of prayer they practise,
covering their faces and
afraid to move or think
lest they should lose
any slight tenderness and devotion they feel,
I know how little they understand
how to attain union with God
since they think
it consists in such things as these.
No, sisters, no;
Our Lord expects works from us.
If you see a sick sister
whom you can relieve, [197]
never fear losing your devotion;
Compassionate her;
If she is in pain,
- feel for it as if it were your own
and,
when there is need,
- fast, so that she may eat,
not so much for her sake
as because you know
your Lord asks it of you.
This is the true union of our will
with the will of God.
If some one else is well spoken of,
be more pleased than if it were yourself;
this is easy enough,
for if you were really humble,
it would vex you to be praised.
It is a great good
to rejoice at your sister's virtues
being known
and
to feel as sorry for the fault
you see in her
as if it were yours,
hiding it from the sight of others.
12. Fraternal charity will certainly
gain this union.
12.
I have often spoken
on this subject elsewhere, [198]
because, my sisters,
if we fail in this
I know that all is lost:
Please God this may never be our case.
If you possess fraternal charity,
I assure you
that you will certainly obtain the union
I have described.
If you are conscious
that you are wanting in this charity,
although you may feel
devotion and sweetness
and
a short absorption in the prayer of quiet
(which makes you think
you have attained to union with God),
believe me
you have not yet reached it.
Beg our Lord to grant you
perfect love for your neighbour,
and
leave the rest to Him.
He will give you more than you know
how to desire
if you
constrain yourselves
and
strive with all your power to gain it,
forcing your will as far as possible
to comply in all things
with your sisters' wishes
although you may sometimes forfeit
your own rights by so doing.
Forget your self-interests for theirs,
how ever much nature may rebel;
When opportunity occurs
take some burden upon yourself
to ease your neighbour of it.
Do not fancy
(that) it will cost you nothing
and
that you will find it all done for you:
Think what the love He bore for us
cost our Spouse,
Who,
to free us from death,
Himself, suffered the most painful death
of all -- the death of the Cross.
____________________
Foot Notes:
[185]
Life, ch. vii. 18.
Way of Perf. xli. 8.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #1 above:
"...God will not allow so great a favour
to be lost
but that if the recipient
does not profit by it,
others will."
Life, ch. vii. 16.
(Translated by D. Lewis)
16. ....before I knew
how to be of use to myself,
I had a very strong desire
to further the progress of others:
a most common temptation of beginners.
With me, however, it had good results.
Loving my father so much,
I longed to see him in the possession
of that good
which I seemed to derive myself
from prayer.
...
and by roundabout ways...
I contrived make him enter upon it;
I gave him books for that end.
As he was so good, I said so before,
this exercise took such a hold upon him,
that in five or six years, I think it was,
he made so great a progress...
[ Life: Ch. 7: # 16 ]
17. And now that I had become so dissipated,
and had ceased to pray,
and yet saw that he still thought
I was what I used to be... .
I had been a year and more
without praying,
thinking it an act of greater humility
to abstain.
This...was the greatest temptation
I ever had,
because it very nearly wrought my utter ruin
[ Life: Ch. 7: # 17 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. xli. 8.
Translation: Benedictines of Stanbrook
Try, then, sisters,
to be as pleasant as you can,
without offending God...
with those you have to deal with...
that they may wish to imitate
your life and manners...
instead of being deterred from virtue....
[ WofP: Ch.41: # 8 ]
___________________________
[186]
Life. ch, vii. 21.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note Regarding Paragraph #2
" ...our only safety lies
in obedience
and
in following the law of God."
Life. ch, vii. 21.
My father was not the only person
whom I prevailed upon
to practise prayer,
though I was walking in vanity myself.
When I saw persons fond
of reciting their prayers, I
- showed them how to make a meditation,
and
- helped them and
- gave them books;
for from the time I began myself to pray,
as I said before,
I always had a desire
that others should serve God.
I thought, now
- that I did not, myself, serve our Lord
according to the light I had,
- that the knowledge
His Majesty had given me
ought not to be lost,
and
- that others should serve Him for me.
I say this in order to explain
the great blindness I was in:
going to ruin myself,
and labouring to save others.
[ Life: Ch. 7: #21 ]
___________________________
[187]
Found. ch. v. 10.
'These shall not attain
to the true liberty of a pure heart,
nor
to the grace of a delightful familiarity
with Me,
unless they first
- resign themselves and
- offer themselves a daily sacrifice to Me:
for without this,
divine union
neither is
nor will be obtained.'
(Imitation, book iii. ch. xxxvii. 4.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot note regarding Paragraph #3::
"With the help of divine grace,
true union can always be attained
• by forcing ourselves
to renounce our own will
and
• by following the will of God
in all things. " [187]
Found. ch. v. 10.
10. The sum of perfection
10. I believe myself
that when Satan sees
there is no road
that leads more quickly
to the highest perfection
than this of obedience,
he suggests many difficulties
under the colour of some good,
and makes it distasteful...
Wherein lies the highest perfection ?
It is clear
that it does
not lie in interior delights,
not in great raptures,
not in visions,
not in the spirit of prophecy,
but in the conformity
of our will
to the will of God,
so that there shall be nothing
that we know that He wills
that we do not
- will ourselves
with our whole will,
and
- accept the bitter as joyfully
as the sweet,
knowing it to be His Majesty's will.
This seems to be very hard to do;
not the mere doing of it,
but the being pleased
in the doing of that which,
according to our nature,
is wholly and in every way
against our will;
and certainly so it is;
but love,
if perfect,
is strong enough to do it,
and
we forget our own pleasure
in order to please Him
Who loves us so much.
And truly it is so,
for our sufferings,
however great they may be,
are sweet
when we know
that we are giving pleasure unto God;
and it is in this way they love
who have attained to this state
by persecutions, by dishonour,
and by wrongs.
[Bk of Foundations: Ch. 5: #10 ]
__________________________
[188]
Philippus a SS. Trinitate,
l.c., p. iii. tr. i, disc. ii. art. 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Refers to "Summa Theologiae Mysticae"
of the Carmelite, Philip of the Holy Trinity
___________________________
[189]
St. John xi. 35, 36:
Et lacrymatus est Jesus.
Dixerunt ergo Judaei:
Ecce quomodo amabat cum.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
And Jesus wept.
The Jews therefore said:
Behold how he loved him.
[ St. John xi. 35, 36 ]
___________________________
[190]
Fourth Mansions, ch. i. 5.
Fifth Mansions, ch. i. 7.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note 190 regarding Paragraph #5 above:
"...griefs and joys...
They soon pass away,
for as I said of sweetness in prayer, [190]
they do not affect the depths of the soul
but only its senses and faculties.
They are found in the former mansions,
but do not enter the last of all."
Fourth Mansions, ch. i. 5.
5. Sweetness in devotion.
5.
... I can perfectly distinguish
the difference between the two joys...
I remember a verse we say at Prime
at the end of the final Psalm;
the last words are:
'Cum dilatasti cor meum'
--When Thou didst dilate my heart:
To those with much experience,
this suffices to show
the difference between
sweetness in prayer
and
spiritual consolations...
The sensible devotion...
does not dilate the heart,
but generally appears to narrow it slightly;
Although joyful
at seeing herself work for God,
yet such a person sheds tears of sorrow
which seem partly produced by the passions.
...what comes
from the sensitive disposition
and
...what is natural,
[ Fourth Mansions, ch. i. 5. ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fifth Mansions, ch. i. 7.
...the one seems only
to touch the surface of the body,
while the other penetrates to the very marrow:
...
the difference
between divine union and any other
is very striking.
However, I will give you a clear proof
which cannot mislead you,
nor leave any doubt
whether the favour comes from God or no.
...
It appears to me to be an unmistakable sign.
You
• should serve Him
with a single heart
and
with humility,
and
• should praise Him
for His works and wonders.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 1: # 7 ]
Let us now speak of the sign
which proves the prayer of union
to have been genuine...
God visits the soul in a manner
which prevents its doubting,
on returning to itself,
that it dwelt in Him
and
that He was within it...
so firmly is it convinced of this truth...
The conviction felt by the soul
is the main point.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 1: # 8 ]
Assurance left in the soul.
...but by a certitude
which remains in the heart
which God alone could give.
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 1: # 9 ]
___________________________
[191]
Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 2.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note #191 RegardingParagraph #5
above:
"Is it necessary,
in order to attain
to this kind of divine union,
for the powers of the soul to be suspended?
No…"
Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 2.
Thus it does not follow,
because all the nuns in this convent
practise prayer,
that they must all be contemplatives.
...contemplation is a gift of God
which is
not necessary for salvation
nor for earning our eternal reward,
nor does any one here require us
to possess it.
She who is without it,
yet who follows the counsels I have given,
will attain great perfection.
It may be that she will gain far more merit,
as she has to work harder
on her own account;
Our Lord is
treating her like a valiant woman
and
keeping until hereafter
all the happiness she has missed in this life.
...For more than fourteen years
I could not meditate without a book.
[ Way of Perfection: Ch 17: #2 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perfection: Ch 17: #6
6. You may be sure,
if we
do all we can
and
prepare ourselves for contemplation
with all the perfection I have described,
that if He does not grant it to us,
(though I believe, if our humility
and detachment are sincere,
He is sure to bestow this gift),
- He is keeping back these consolations
in reserve only to give them to us all
at once in heaven...
- He wishes to treat us as valiant women,
giving us the cross
(which) His Majesty ever bore Himself.
What truer friendship can He show
than to choose for us
what He chose for Himself?
- Besides,
perhaps we should not have gained
so rich a reward by contemplation.
His judgments are His own.
We have no right to interfere with them.
It is well
(that) the decision does not rest with us,
for, thinking it a more peaceful way,
we should all immediately
become contemplatives!
...God never permits the truly mortified soul
to lose aught save for its greater gain !
[ Way of Perfection: Ch 17: #6 ]
Translation: Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
How much is gained
by preparing ourselves for contemplation
and
the bad result of making our own choice.
[ Escorial, ch. xxviii. ]
___________________________
[192]
Jonas iv. 6, 7:
And the Lord God prepared an ivy,
and
it came up over the head of Jonas,
to be a shadow over his head,
and
to cover him,
for he was fatigued;
and
Jonas was exceeding glad of the ivy.
But God prepared a worm,
when the morning arose
on the following day:
and
it struck the ivy and it withered.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note 192 regarding Paragraph #6 above:
"Those who are careful not to offend God,
...think there is nothing more to do.
How many maggots remain in hiding
until,
like the worm
which gnawed at Jonas's ivy, [192
they have destroyed our virtues.
These pests are such evils as
- self-love,
- self-esteem,
- rash judgment of others...and
- a want of charity"
Jonas iv. 6, 7:
6 And the Lord God prepared an ivy,
and it came up over the head of Jonas,
to be a shadow over his head, and
to cover him (for he was fatigued),
and Jonas was exceeding glad of the ivy.
7 But God prepared a worm,
when the morning arose ...
and it struck the ivy and it withered.
8And when the sun was risen, the Lord
commanded a hot and burning wind: and
the sun beat upon the head of Jonas, and
he broiled with the heat: and
he desired for his soul that he might die,
and said:
It is better for me to die than to live.
9 And the Lord said to Jonas:
Dost thou think thou hast reason to be
angry, for the ivy?
And he said: I am angry with reason
even unto death.
10 And the Lord said:
Thou art grieved for the ivy,
for which thou hast not laboured,
nor made it to grow,
which in one night came up,
and in one night perished.
___________________________
[193]
St. John xvii. 22, 23:
'Ut sint unum,
sicut et nos unum sumus.
Ego in eis, et tu in me:
ut sint consummati in unum.'
Way of Perf. ch. xxxii. 6.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note #193 Regarding Paragraph #7
above:
"What do you think...is His will?
That we may become quite perfect
and so
be made one
with Him
and
with His Father
as He prayed we might be. [193]
St. John xvii. 22, 23:
20And not for them only do I pray,
but for them also who through their word
shall believe in me;
21That they all may be one,
as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee;
that they also may be one in us;
that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou hast given me,
I have given to them;
that they may be one, as we also are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me;
that they may be made perfect in one:
and the world may know
that thou
hast sent me,
and
hast loved them,
as thou hast also loved me.
26And I have made known thy name to them,
and will make it known;
that the love
wherewith thou hast loved me,
may be in them, and I in them.
[Jn 17: 20-23, 26 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. ch. xxxii. 6.
I wish to remind you
what is the will of God,
so that you
may know with Whom you have to deal
...and
may realise what the good Jesus
is offering to the Father on your behalf.
Know that when you say:
'Thy will be done',
you are begging
that God's will may be carried out in you,
...Would you like to see
how He treats those
who make this petition unreservedly?
Ask His glorious Son...
See whether the will of God
was not accomplished in the trials,
the sufferings, the insults,
and the persecutions sent Him,
until at last His life was ended on the cross.
Thus you see...
what God gave to Him He loved best:
this shows what His will means.
For fervent love can suffer much for Him,
while tepidity will endure but little.
For my part, I believe
that our love is the measure of the cross
we can bear.
( Sister Dorothy of the Cross says
that whenever any of her daughters
asked the Saint
how to advance in virtue, she answered:
By perfect obedience to the Rule )
[ Way of Perf: Ch 32: #6
Translated by Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
___________________________
[194] Way of Perf. ch. ix. i, 2.
___________________________
[195]
1 St. John iv. 20:
'Qui enim non diligit fratrem
suum quem videt,
Deum quem non videt
quomodo potest diligere?'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
1 St. John iv. 20:
20 If any man say,
I love God, and hateth his brother;
he is a liar.
For he that loveth not his brother,
whom he seeth,
how can he love God,
whom he seeth not?
[ 1 St. John: 4: 20 ]
___________________________
[196]
Way of Perf. ch. xviii. 5.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note #196 Regarding Paragraph #8
above:
"Be sure that in proportion
as you advance in fraternal charity,
you are increasing in your love of God..."
[196]
Way of Perf. ch. xviii. 5.
...let us leave all to our Lord,
Who knows us better than we know ourselves
...
The best sign
that any one has made progress is
that she
- thinks herself the last of all
and
- proves it by her behaviour,
and that she
- aims at the well-being and good
of others in all that she does.
This is the true test"
not sweetness in prayer, ecstasies, visions,
and other divine favours of the same kind.
...
I speak of great humility and mortification,
and implicit obedience...
[ Way of Perf: Ch 18: #5
Translated by Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
___________________________
[197]
Way of Perf. ch. vii. 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note #197 Regarding Paragraph #11
above:
"If you see a sick sister
whom you can relieve, [197]
never fear losing your devotion;
Compassionate her"
Way of Perf. ch. vii. 4.
This is the kind of affection
I wish we all possessed.
Although in the beginning
our love may be defective,
yet our Lord will correct it.
Let us consider the way
to obtain perfect love.
Although at first
we mingle some tenderness with it,
no harm will be done
as long as it does not amount to particular friendship.
...
we must sympathise with many
of our sisters' trials and weaknesses,
insignificant as they may be.
Sometimes a trifling matter gives
as much pain
to one person
as a heavy cross
would cause another...
[ Way of Perf: Ch7: #4
Translated by Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
___________________________
[198]
Way of Perf. ch. iv. 3;
Way of Perf. ch vii. 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Foot Note #198 Regarding Paragraph #12
above:
"If you possess fraternal charity,
I assure you
that you will certainly obtain the union"
Way of Perf. ch. iv. 3
I will explain three matters only,
which are in our Constitutions:
it is essential for us to understand
how much they help us to preserve
that peace, both interior and exterior,
which our Lord so strongly enjoined.
The first of these is
love for one another:
the second,
detachment from all created things:
the other is
true humility
...chief of all and includes the rest.
The first matter, that is,
fervent mutual charity, is most important,
for there is no annoyance
that cannot easily be borne
by those who love one another:
[ Way of Perf: Ch 4: #3
Translated by Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. ch vii. 4.
See above foot note # 197
|
End of
of Mansion 5 Chapter 3
The Interior Castle
or
The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
|
