The Interior Castle or The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
THE FIFTH MANSIONS CHAPTER I
|
Mansion 5 Chapter 1
Chapter Contents
Begins To Treat Of
• The Union Of The Soul With God
In Prayer.
• How To Be Sure
That We Are Not Deceived
In This Matter.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
1. Graces of the Fifth Mansions.
2. Contemplation to be striven for.
3. Physical effects of the Prayer of Union.
4. Amazement of the intellect.
5. The Prayer of Union and of Quiet
contrasted.
6. Divine and earthly union.
7. Competent directors in these matters.
8. Proof of Union.
9. Assurance left in the soul.
10. Divine Union
beyond our Power to obtain.
|
Mansion 5 Chapter 1
1. Graces of the Fifth Mansions.
1.
OH, my sisters,
how shall I describe
the riches, treasures, and joys
contained in the fifth mansions!
Would it not be better
to say nothing about them?
They are
impossible to depict,
nor can the mind conceive,
nor any comparisons portray them,
all earthly things being too vile
to serve the purpose.
Send me, O my Lord,
light from heaven
that I may give some to these Thy servants,
some of whom by Thy good will
often enjoy these delights,
lest the devil
in the guise of an angel of light
should deceive those
whose only desire is to please Thee.
2. Contemplation to be striven for.
2.
I said 'some,'
but in reality there are [154]
very few who never enter this mansion:
some more and some less,
but most of them may be said
at least to gain admittance
into these rooms.
I think that certain graces
I am about to describe
are bestowed on only a few of the nuns,
but if the rest only arrive at the portal,
they receive a great boon from God,
'for many are called,
but few are chosen.' [155]
All we
who wear the holy habit of the Carmelites
are called to prayer and contemplation.
This was the object of our Order, [156]
to this lineage we belong.
Our holy Fathers of Mount Carmel sought
in perfect solitude
and
utter contempt of the world
for this treasure, this precious pearl, [157]
of which we speak,
and
we are their descendants.
How little do most of us care
to prepare our souls,
that our Lord may reveal this jewel to us!
Outwardly we may appear
to practise the requisite virtues,
but we have far more to do than this
before it is possible
to attain to contemplation,
to gain
which we should neglect no means,
either small or great.
Rouse yourselves, my sisters,
and
since some foretaste of heaven
may be had on earth,
◦ beg our Lord to give us grace
not to miss it through our own fault.
◦ Ask Him to show us where to find it
--ask Him to give us strength of soul
to dig until we find this hidden treasure,
which lies buried within our hearts,
as I wish to show you
if it please God to enable me.
I said, 'strength of soul,'
that you might understand
that strength of body is not indispensable
when our Lord God chooses to withhold it.
He makes it impossible for no one
to gain these riches,
but is content that each should do his best.
Blessed be so just a God!
3. Physical effects of the Prayer of Union.
3.
But, daughters,
if you would purchase this treasure
of which we are speaking,
God would have you keep back nothing
from Him, little or great.
He will have it all; [158]
In proportion to
what you know you have given,
will your reward be great or small.
There is no more certain sign
whether or not we have reached
the prayer of union.
Do not imagine
that this state of prayer is,
like the one preceding it,
a sort of drowsiness
(I call it 'drowsiness'
because the soul seems to slumber,
being neither quite asleep
nor wholly awake).
In the prayer of union
the soul is asleep, fast asleep,
as regards the world and itself:
In fact,
during the short time this state lasts,
it is deprived of all feeling whatever,
being unable to think on any subject,
even if it wished.
No effort is needed here
to suspend the thoughts:
if the soul can love
it knows
not how,
nor whom it loves,
nor what it desires.
In fact,
it has died entirely to this world,
to live more truly than ever in God.
This is a delicious death,
for the soul is deprived of the faculties
(which) it exercised while in the body:
[159]
'delicious' because,
(although not really the case),
it seems to have left its mortal covering
to abide more entirely in God.
So completely does this take place,
that I know not
whether the body retains sufficient life
to continue breathing;
On consideration, I believe it does not;
At any rate, if it still breathes,
it does so unconsciously.
4. Amazement of the intellect.
4.
The mind entirely concentrates itself
on trying to understand
what is happening,
which is beyond its power;
It is so astounded
that, if consciousness is not completely lost,
at least no movement is possible:
The person may be compared to one
who falls into a dead faint with dismay.
[160]
5. The Prayer of Union and of Quiet
contrasted.
5.
Oh, mighty secrets of God!
Never should I weary
of trying to explain them
if I thought it possible to succeed!
I would write a thousand foolish things
that one might be to the point,
if only it might make us praise God more.
I said this prayer produced
no drowsiness in the mind;
on the other hand,
in the Prayer (of Quiet)
described in the last mansion, (4th mansion)
until the soul has gained much experience,
it doubts what really happened to it.
Was it nothing but fancy,
or
Was it a sleep?
Did it come
from God
or
from the devil,
disguised as an angel of light?'
The mind feels a thousand misgivings,
and well for it
that it should,
because, at I said,
nature may sometimes deceive us
in this case.
Although there is little chance
of the poisonous reptiles entering here,
yet agile little lizards will try to slip in,
though they can do no harm,
especially if they remain unnoticed.
These, as I said,
are trivial fancies of the imagination,
which are often very troublesome.
However active these small lizards may be,
they cannot enter the fifth mansion,
for
neither the imagination,
(nor the ) the understanding,
nor the memory
has power to hinder
the graces bestowed on it.
6. Divine and earthly union.
6.
I dare venture to assert that,
if this is genuine union with God,
the devil
cannot interfere
nor do any harm,
for His Majesty is so joined and united
with the essence of the soul,
that the evil one dare not approach,
nor can he even understand this mystery.
This is certain,
for it is said
that the devil does not know our thoughts,
much less can he penetrate a secret
so profound that God does not reveal it
even to us. [161]
Oh, blessed state,
in which this cursed one
cannot injure us!
What riches we receive
while God so works in us
that neither we ourselves
nor any one else
can impede Him!
What will He not bestow,
Who is so eager to give,
and
Who can give us all He desires!
You may perhaps have been puzzled
at my saying
'if this is genuine union with God,'
as if there might be other unions.
There are indeed
-- not with God,
but with vanities --
when the devil transports the soul
passionately addicted to them,
but
- the union differs
from that which is divine
and
- the mind misses the delight and
satisfaction, peace and happiness
of divine union.
These heavenly consolations are
above all earthly joys, pleasure,
and satisfaction.
As great a difference exists
between
their origin
and
that of worldly pleasures
as between their opposite effects,
as you know by experience.
7. Competent directors in these matters.
7.
I said somewhere [162]
that the one seems only
to touch the surface of the body,
while the other penetrates to the very marrow:
I believe this is correct, and
I cannot express myself better.
I fancy that you are not yet satisfied
on this question,
but are afraid of deception,
for spiritual matters are very hard to explain.
Enough, however, has been said for those
who have received this grace,
as 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.
His Majesty brought it back to my memory
this very day;
this very day;
It appears to me to be an unmistakable sign.
In difficult questions,
although I
think I understand them
and
am speaking the truth,
I always say,
' it appears to me';
for, in case my opinion is wrong,
I am most willing to submit
to the judgment of theologians.
Although they may not have
had personal experience in such matters,
yet in some way (which) I do not understand,
God, Who sets them
to give light to His Church
enables them to recognize the truth
when it is put before them.
If they are not thoughtless and indevout,
but (are) servants of God,
they
are never dismayed
at His mighty works,
knowing perfectly well
that it is in His power to perform
far greater wonders.
If some of the marvels told
are new to them,
yet they have read of others
of the same kind,
showing the former to be possible.
I have had great experience as to this
and have also met
with timid, half-instructed people
whose ignorance has cost me very dear.
[163]
I am convinced that those
who refuse to believe
that God can do far more than this,
and
that He is pleased now,
as in the past,
to communicate Himself to His creatures,
shut fast their hearts against receiving
such favours themselves.
Do not imitate them, sisters:
Be convinced that it is possible for God
to perform still greater wonders.
Do not concern yourselves as to
whether those who receive these graces
are good or wicked;
as I said,
He knows best
and
it is no business of yours:
You
• should serve Him
with a single heart
and
with humility,
and
• should praise Him
for His works and wonders. [164]
8. Proof of union.
8.
Let us now speak of the sign
which proves the Prayer of Union
to have been genuine.
As you have seen,
God then deprives the soul of all its senses
that He may the better imprint in it
true wisdom:
It neither sees, hears,
nor understands anything
while this state lasts,
which is never more
than a very brief time; [165]
It appears to the soul
to be much shorter than it really is.
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,
and
so firmly is it convinced of this truth
that,
although years may pass
before this favour recurs,
the soul can
never forget it
nor doubt the fact, [166]
setting aside the effects
left by this prayer,
to which I will refer later on.
The conviction felt by the soul
is the main point.
9. Assurance left in the soul.
9.
But, you may ask,
'How can a person
who is incapable of sight and hearing,
see or know these things?' [167]
I do not say
that she saw it at the time,
but that she perceives it clearly afterwards,
not by any vision
but by a certitude
which remains in the heart
which God alone could give.
I know of some one
who was unaware of God's being
in all things
by presence, power and essence,
yet was firmly convinced of it
by a divine favour of this sort. [168]
She asked an ill-instructed priest
of the kind I mentioned
to tell her
in what way God dwelt within us:
He was as ignorant on the subject
as she had been
before our Lord revealed to her the truth,
and ( the 'ill-instructed priest')
answered that the Almighty
was only present in us by grace. [169]
Yet so strong
was her conviction of the truth
learnt during her prayer
that she
did not believe him
and
questioned other spiritual persons
on the subject,
who confirmed her in the true doctrine,
much to her joy.
Do not mistake and imagine that
this certainty of God's having visited the soul
concerns any corporal presence
such as that of our Lord Jesus Christ
Who dwells in the Blessed Sacrament,
although we do not see Him:
It relates solely to the Divinity.
If we did not see it,
how can we feel so sure of it?
That I do not know:
It is the work of the Almighty
and
I am certain
that what I say is the fact.
I maintain that a soul
which does not feel this assurance
- has not been united to God entirely,
but only by one of its powers,
or
- has received one
of the many other favours
God is accustomed to bestow on men.
In all such matters
we must not seek to know
how things happened:
Our understanding could not grasp them,
therefore why trouble ourselves on the subject?
therefore why trouble ourselves on the subject?
It is enough to know
that it is He,
the all-powerful God,
Who has performed the work.
We can do nothing on our own part
to gain this favour;
It comes from God alone;
Therefore
let us not strive to understand it.
10. Divine Union
beyond our Power to obtain.
10.
Concerning my words:
'We can do nothing on our own part',
I was struck by the words of the Bride
in the Canticles,
which you will remember to have heard:
'The King brought me
into the cellar of wine,' [170]
(or placed me' I think she says):
She does not say
(that) she went of her own accord,
although telling us
how she wandered up and down
seeking her Beloved. [171]
I think the Prayer of Union
is the 'cellar'
in which our Lord places us
when and how He chooses,
but we cannot enter it
through any effort of our own.
His Majesty alone
- can bring us there
and
- come into the centre of our souls.
In order to declare His wondrous works
more clearly,
He will leave us no share in them
except
- complete conformity
of our wills to His
and
- abandonment of all things:
He does not require the faculties or senses
to open the door to Him;
They are all asleep.
He enters the innermost depths of our souls
without a door,
as He entered the room
where the disciples sat,
saying Pax vobis,' [172]
and
as He emerged from the sepulchre
without removing the stone
that closed the entrance.
You will see
farther on, in the seventh mansion,
far better than here,
how God makes the soul enjoy His presence
in its very centre.
O daughters,
what wonders shall we see,
if we
• keep ever before our eyes
our own baseness and frailty
and
• recognize how unworthy we are
to be the handmaids
of so great a Lord,
Whose marvels are
beyond our comprehension!
May He be for ever praised!
Amen.
beyond our comprehension!
May He be for ever praised!
Amen.
Foot Notes:
[154] Found. ch. iv. 8.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Found. ch. iv. 8.
Speaking of her nuns, St. Teresa wrote:
Many "are advancing by the way
of perfect contemplation...
to others, our Lord gives His grace
in a different way...
nor is it my intention
merely to tell this in their praise,
but rather to show
that the instructions I wish to give
are not without a purpose.
[ Bk of Found: Ch. 4: #8 ]
___________________________
[155]
St. Matt. xx. 16:
Multi enim sunt vocati,
pauci vero electi.'
___________________________
[156]
Maneant singuli in cellulis suis,
vel juxta eas,
die ac nocte in lege Domini meditantes
et in orationibus vigilantes.'
(Carmelite Rule).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
'Each is to stay in his own cell
or nearby,
day and night pondering the law of the Lord
and keeping watch at his prayers'
___________________________
[157]
St. Matt, xiii. 46.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Who when he had found
one pearl of great price,
went his way, and sold all that he had,
and bought it.
[ Mt: 13:46 ]
44 The kingdom of heaven is like
unto a treasure hidden in a field.
Which a man having found, hid it,
and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all
that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like
to a merchant seeking good pearls.
46 Who when he had found
one pearl of great price,
went his way, and sold all that he had,
and bought it.
___________________________
[158]
'The reason
why there are so few contemplatives
is that there are so few persons
who wholly withdraw themselves
from transitory and created things'
(Imitation, bk. iii. ch. xxxi. 1).
See also
Way of Perf. ch. xvi. 5.
Life, ch. xi. 2-4;
xxii. 18, 19.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Way of Perf. ch. xvi. 5.
for this King does not allow Himself to
be taken except by one
who surrenders wholly to Him.
....I mean that the King of glory
will not come to our souls
--that is, so as to be united with them--
unless we strive to gain the greatest virtues.
....
For that is a Divine union,
in which
the Lord takes His delight in the soul
and
the soul takes its delight in Him;
and
there is no way
in which (He) can take pleasure
in a soul that is unclean,
nor... have delight in that
which is not His own"
[ Way of Perfection: Ch. 16: 5- 7 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xi. 2-4;
1.... to resolve to follow Him
in the way of prayer,
O Lord of my soul, and my good,
How is it that, when a soul is determined to love Thee— doing all it can, by forsaking all things, in order that it may the better occupy itself with the love of God— it is not Thy will (that) it should have the joy of ascending at once
to the possession of perfect love?
...I ought to have said, and my complaint should have been, why is it we do not? for the fault is wholly our own... 2. We - think so much of ourselves, and - are so dilatory in giving ourselves
wholly to God,
...neither do we
perfectly prepare ourselves for it.
.... If, however, we - did what we could, - not clinging to anything upon earth, - but having all our thoughts and
conversation in Heaven,
I believe that this blessing would quickly be given us, provided we perfectly prepared ourselves for it at once, as some of the saints have done. We think we are giving all to God; but, in fact, we are offering only the revenue...
while we retain the...land
in our own possession.
(offering the interest
but keeping the principal)
5. A pleasant way this, of seeking the love of God! we retain our own affections, and yet will have that love... by handfuls. We make no efforts to bring our desires to good effect, or to raise them resolutely above the earth; and yet, with all this, we must have many spiritual consolations. This is not well, and we are seeking things that are incompatible one with the other. So, because we - do not give ourselves up wholly and - do not give at once, this treasure is - not given wholly and - not given at once to us... 6. ... God withholds Himself from no one who perseveres. [Life: Ch. 11: # 1-6 ]
___________________________
[159]
Way of Perf. ch. xxv. 1.
Life, ch. xvi.
Rel. I. i;
viii. 7.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Way of Perf. ch. xxv. 1.
... it is quite possible for the Lord
to grant you perfect contemplation.
In this way His Majesty shows
that He is listening...by
suspending the understanding,
putting a stop to all thought,
Such a person understands that,
without any sound of words,
she is being taught by this Divine Master,
Who is suspending her faculties...
The faculties rejoice
without knowing how they rejoice;
The soul is enkindled in love
without understanding how it loves...
It is well aware that this is not a joy which
can be attained by the understanding...
It perceives that this is a blessing
which could not be gained by the merits
of all the trials suffered....
It is a gift of the Lord of earth and Heaven...
This, daughters, is perfect contemplation.
[ Way of Perf: Ch. 25: #1-2 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xvi.
1. In this state
- our Lord ....Himself, doing all the work. It is a - sleep of the powers of the soul, - which are not wholly lost, - nor yet understanding
how they are at work.
The pleasure, sweetness, and delight are incomparably greater than in the former state of prayer; and . . . It is rejoicing in this agony with unutterable joy; to me it seems to be nothing else but - a death, as it were, to all the things of this world, and - a fruition of God. ...wherein true wisdom is acquired; and to the soul a kind of fruition most full of delight. [2] [ Life: Ch. 16: # 1 ] 3. ...for, in fact, the faculties are almost all completely in union, yet not so absorbed that they do not act. 4. The faculties of the soul now - retain only the power of occupying themselves wholly with God; - Many words are then uttered in praise of God--but disorderly, unless it be that our Lord orders them himself. At least, the understanding is utterly powerless here; the soul longs to send forth words of praise, but it has no control over itself,-- it is in a state of sweet restlessness. The flowers are already opening; they are beginning to send forth their fragrance. [ ife: Ch. 16: # 1-4]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. I. i;
...when I am in prayer,
it is very rarely
that I can use the understanding,
because the soul becomes
- at once recollected,
- remains in repose,
or
- falls into a trance,
so that I cannot in any way have
the use of the faculties and the senses,
- so much so, -
that the hearing alone is left;
but then it does not help me
to understand anything.
[ Relations 1: #1 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. viii. 7.
7.
When all the faculties of the soul
are in union,
.... they can then do nothing whatever,
because
the understanding is surprised,
as it were.
The will loves
more than
the understanding knows;
but the understanding
does not know
that the will loves,
nor what it is doing,
so as to be able in any way
to speak of it.
As to the memory,
the soul, I think, has none then,
nor any power of thinking,
nor are the senses awake,
but rather as lost,
so that the soul
may be the more occupied
with the object of its fruition:
so it seems to me.
They are lost but for a brief interval;
it passes quickly away.
By the wealth of humility,
and other virtues and desires,
left in the soul after this
may be learnt
how great the blessing is
that flows from this grace,
This... is, in my opinion,
the greatest grace
wrought by our Lord
on this spiritual road,
-- at least, it is one of the greatest.
[ Relations 8: #7 ]
___________________________
[160]
Life, ch. xvii. 2.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Life, ch. xvii. 2.
2....in a state of prayer, so high as this,
the soul understands that God
is doing His work
without any fatiguing of the
(person's) understanding,
It is as if amazed in beholding our Lord
- taking upon Himself
the work of the good gardener,
- refusing to let the soul
undergo any labour whatever,
but that of taking its pleasure
in the flowers
beginning to send forth their fragrance
[ Life: Ch. 17: #2 ]
___________________________
[161]
According to St. Thomas, angels
--whether good or bad--
do not know the thoughts of man
unless they become manifest
by some exterior sign.
S. Theol. I. q. lvii. art. 4.
See also
St. John of the Cross,
Dark Night, bk. II, ch. xxiii. 2, 5.
___________________________
[162]
Mansion iv. ch. i, 5.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Mansion iv. ch. i, 5.
... the difference between
sweetness in prayer
and
spiritual consolations;
The sensible devotion...
does not dilate the heart...
Although joyful
at seeing herself work for God,
yet such a person sheds tears of sorrow
which seem partly produced
by the passions.
[Interior Castle: Mansion 4: Ch. 1: #5 ]
___________________________
[163]
Life, ch. viii. 15.
___________________________
[164]
Life, ch. xviii. 16.
_________________________
[165]
Life, ch. xx. 13, 24.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Life, ch. xx. 15
15. Now, the succour it receives
from heaven...
is a most marvellous knowledge of God,
... the desire then so grows,
that its intense painfulness now and then
robs the soul of all sensation;
only, it lasts but for a short time
after the senses are suspended.
It seems as if it were the point of death;
It is a sharp martyrdom,
full of sweetness;
for if any earthly thing
be then offered to the soul,
...the soul will have none of it;
The soul sees distinctly
that it seeks nothing but God;
yet its love dwells not
on any attribute of Him in particular;
it seeks Him as He is, and
knows not what it seeks.
I say that it knows not,
because the imagination
forms no representation whatever;
and, indeed, as I think,
during much of that time
the faculties are at rest.
Pain suspends them then,
as joy suspends them
in union and in a trance.
[ Life: Ch. 20: #15]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xx. 24.
24. but, as I said of the previous
prayer of union,
this utter transformation of the soul in God
continues only for an instant;
yet while it continues
no faculty of the soul
- is aware of it, or
- knows what is passing there.
Nor can it be understood
while we are living on the earth--
[ Life: Ch. 20: #24 ]
___________________________
[166]
Philippus a SS. Trinitate,
l.c., pars iii. tr. i. disc. iv. art, 2,
where he adds some further signs.
Anton. a Sp. S., l.c., tract. i.
no. 116 and 117.
___________________________
[167]
'The soul does not see the good Master
Who teaches it,
although clearly conscious
of His presence.'
(Concept. ch. iv. 3.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
(Concept. ch. iv. 3.)
Still, it is left with
greatly increased knowledge
and
such growth and strength of virtue
as to be unable to recognise its former self.
The one desire of such a person
is to praise God, and
while in this excess of delight
she is so inebriated and absorbed
as to appear beside herself.
...she seems in a state of divine intoxication,
and
does not know what she wants, or says,
or for what she asks.
In short, she is unconscious of self,
and yet not so absorbed
but that she understands something
of what is happening.
[ Conceptions of the Love of God:
Ch. 4: #3 ]
___________________________
[168]
'There are three ways
in which God is present in the soul.
The first is
His presence in essence,
not in holy souls only,
but in wretched and sinful souls as well,
and also
in all created things;
for it is by this presence
that He gives life and being,
and were it withdrawn at once
all things would return to nothing.
This presence never fails in the soul.
The second is
His presence by grace,
whereby He dwells in the soul,
pleased and satisfied with it.
This presence is not in all souls;
for those,
who fall into mortal sin,
lose it,
and
no soul can know in a natural way
whether it has it or not.
The third is
His presence by spiritual affection.
God is wont to show His presence
in many devout souls
in divers ways,
in refreshment, joy and gladness.'
(St. John of the Cross,
Spiritual Canticle, stanza xi. 2.)
'In every soul,
even that of the greatest sinner
in the world,
God dwells and is substantially present.
This way of union or presence of God,
in the order of nature,
subsists between
Him and all His creatures;
by this He preserves them in being,
and
if He withdraws it,
they immediately perish
and cease to be.
And so,
when I speak
of the union of the soul with God,
I do not mean this substantial presence
which is in every creature,
but that union and transformation
of the soul in God by love
which is only then accomplished
when there subsists the likeness
which love begets.'
(St. John of the Cross,
Ascent, bk. ii. ch. v. 3.)
[ Fr. Gracian,
"Peregrinacion de Anastasio"
(Burgos, 1905), p. 171. ]
___________________________
[169]
Life, ch. xviii. 20.
Rel. ix. 17;
xi. 8.
St. Teresa was so deeply impressed
by the ignorance of this priest
that she very frequently referred to it.
___________________________
[170]
Cant. i. 3:
Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua.'
Way of Perf. ch. xviii. I.
Concep. ch. iv. 4-8;
v. 5;
vi. 7;
vii. 2-5.
Life, ch. xviii. 17.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
[ Cantice 1:4 ]
4 Draw me:
we will run after thee
to the odour of thy ointments.
The king hath brought me
into his storerooms:
we will be glad and rejoice in thee
[ Cantice 1:4 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concep. ch. iv. 4-8;
4. When, however, this most wealthy
Bridegroom wishes to enrich and caress
her still more,
He so draws her to Him
that she is like a person fainting
with extreme joy and pleasure.
The soul appears to itself to be upheld
in those divine arms
It only knows how to enjoy,
sustained as it is by the divine milk
with which its Spouse continues
to nourish it,
and
to increase its virtues
that He may caress it more, and
that it may deserve daily
to receive new favours from Him.
On awaking from this slumber
and heavenly inebriation,
it feels amazed and confused....
[ Conceptions of the Love of God:
Ch. 4: #4 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xviii. 17.
17. In this way,
some hours may be, and are,
passed in prayer;
for when the two faculties begin
to drink deep, and
to perceive the taste of this divine wine,
they give themselves up
with great readiness,
in order to be the more absorbed:
they follow the will, and
the three rejoice together.
But this state of complete absorption,
together with the utter rest
of the imagination,--
for I believe that even the imagination
is then wholly at rest,--
lasts only for a short time;
though the faculties do not
so completely recover themselves
as not to be for some hours afterwards
as if in disorder:
God, from time to time,
drawing them to Himself.
[ Life: Ch. 18: # 17 ]
___________________________
[171]
Cant. iii. 2:
Per vicos et plateas
quaeram
quem diligit anima mea.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
in the streets and the broad ways
I will seek him
whom my soul loveth:
[ Canticle: 3:2 ]
___________________________
[172]
St. John, xx. 19.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
19 Now when it was late that same day,
the first of the week,
and the doors were shut,
where the disciples were gathered....
Jesus came and stood in the midst,
and said to them:
'Peace be to you.'
20 And when he had said this,
he shewed them his hands and his side.
The disciples therefore were glad,
when they saw the Lord.
21 He said therefore to them again:
Peace be to you
[ Jn: 20:19-21 ]
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End of
Mansion 5 Chapter 1
The Interior Castle
or
The Mansions
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
|
