The Interior Castle or The Mansions
S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
Mansion 6 Chapter 3
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Mansion 6 Chapter 3
Chapter Contents
█ INTRODUCTORY NOTE
TO CHAPTER 3
BY THE EDITOR
▀ 1. A CORPORAL VISION
▀ 2. AN IMAGINARY VISION
OR LOCUTION
▀ 3. AN INTELLECTUAL VISION
OR LOCUTION
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
█ Mansion 6 Chapter 3
Chapter III Treats
▀ Of The Same Subject
And
▀ Of The Way God Is Sometimes Pleased
To Speak To The Soul.
▀ How We Should Behave
In Such A Case,
In Which We Must Not
Follow Our Own Opinion.
▀ Gives Signs To Show
How To Discover
Whether This Favour Is A Deception
Or Not:
This Is Very Noteworthy.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
1. Locutions.
2. Sometimes caused by melancholia.
3. Caution needed at first.
4. Locutions frequently
occur during prayer.
5. Resist those containing false doctrine.
6. First sign of genuine locutions.
7. Effect of the words: 'Be not troubled.'
8. 'It is I, be not afraid.'
9. 'Be at Peace.'
10. Second sign.
11. Third sign.
12. The devil suggests doubts
about true locutions.
13. Confidence of the soul rewarded.
14. Its joy at seeing God's words verified.
15. Its zeal for God's honour.
16. Locutions coining from the fancy.
17. Imaginary answers given to prayer.
18. A confessor should be consulted
about locutions.
19. Interior locutions.
20. First sign of genuine interior locutions.
21. Second sign.
22. Third sign.
23. Fourth sign.
24. Fifth sign.
25. Results of true locutions.
26. They should remove alarm.
27. Answer to an objection.
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INTRODUCTORY NOTE
TO CHAPTER III.
BY THE EDITOR
THE readers,
especially those not well acquainted
with Scholastic philosophy,
will, perhaps, be glad to find here
a short explanation of the various kinds
of Vision and Locution, Corporal,
Imaginary, and Intellectual.
The senses of Taste, Touch, and Smell
are not so often affected
by mystical phenomena,
but what we are about to say
in respect of Sight and Hearing
applies, mutatis mutandis, to these also.
[ Blog Note:
'mutatis mutandis'
"with those things having been changed
which need to be changed"
1. A CORPORAL VISION
1.
A Corporal Vision is
when one sees a bodily object.
A Corporal Locution is
when one hears words uttered
by a human tongue.
In both cases
the respective senses are exercising
their normal function,
and
the phenomenon differs
from ordinary seeing or hearing
merely by the fact that in the latter
the object seen is a real body,
the words perceived come
from a real tongue,
whereas in the Vision or Locution
the object is
either
only apparent
or at any rate
is not such as it seems to be.
Thus,
when young Tobias set out on a journey,
his companion, Azarias,
was not a real human being,
but an archangel in human form.
Tobias did really see and hear him,
and felt the grip of his hand;
Sara and her parents,
as well as Tobias's parents,
saw and heard him too,
but all the time the archangel
made himself visible and audible
by means
of an assumed body,
or perhaps
of an apparent body.
It would be more correct
to describe such a phenomenon
as an APPARITION
than as a Vision,
and
in fact the apparitions of our Risen Lord
to the holy women and the apostles
belong to this category.
For, though His was a real body,
it was glorified and
therefore no longer subject to the same laws
which govern purely human things.
(St. Thomas, Summa theol. III.,
qu. 54, art. I-3).
St. Teresa tells us more than once
that she
never beheld a Corporal Vision,
nor heard a Corporal Locution.
2. AN IMAGINARY VISION
OR LOCUTION
II.
An Imaginary Vision or Locution
is one where nothing is seen or heard
by the senses of seeing or hearing,
but where the same impression is received
that would be produced
upon the imagination by the senses
if some real object were perceived by them.
For, according to the Scholastics,
the Imagination
stands half-way
between the senses and the intellect,
receiving impressions from the former
and
transmitting them to the latter.
This is the reason
why imaginary Visions and Locutions
are so dangerous
that, according to
St. Teresa, St. John of the Cross,
and other spiritual writers,
they should not only never be sought for,
but as much as possible
shunned and under all circumstances
discountenanced.
For the Imagination is closely connected
with the Memory,
so that it is frequently impossible to ascertain
whether a Vision, etc., is not perhaps
a semi-conscious or unconscious
reproduction of scenes witnessed.
It is here also that deception,
wilful or unwilful, self-deception
or deception by a higher agency,
is to be feared.
Hence the general rule
that such Visions or Locutions
should only be trusted
upon the strongest grounds.
According to St.Thomas Aquinas,
(Summa Theologica . IIa IIae, gu. 175,
art. 3 ad q.)
the visions of
Isaias, St. John in the Apocalypse etc.,
were Imaginary.
As an example of Imaginary Visions
we may mention
- St. Stephen, who saw
the heavens opened,
and
the Son of Man standing
on the right hand of God';
or
- St. Peter, who saw
the heaven opened,
and
a certain vessel descending,
as it were a great linen sheet,
let down by the four corners
from heaven to the earth . . .
and
there came a voice to him:
Arise, Peter, kill and eat.'
(Acts, vii. 55; X. 11-13).
These Visions, Locutions, etc.,
are not hallucinations.
The latter are due to physical disorder which
- affects the memory
and
- causes it to represent impressions
formerly received by it,
in a disorderly and often grotesque
manner.
The Imaginary Vision
- takes place independently
of a morbid state,
- is caused by an extraneous power,
good or evil,
and
- has for its object,
things of which the memory
neither has
nor ever has
had cognizance.
3. AN INTELLECTUAL VISION
OR LOCUTION
III.
An Intellectual Vision Or Locution
is one
- where nothing is seen or heard
by the eyes and ears,
and
- where no sensation is received
by the imagination.
But the impression
which would be delivered
by the imagination to the intellect,
had it come through the senses and
been handed on to the imagination,
is directly imprinted upon the intellect.
To understand this
it is necessary to bear in mind
that the impressions we receive
through the senses
must undergo a transformation
--must be spiritualized--
before they reach the intellect.
This is one of the most difficult problems
of psychology;
None of the solutions offered
by various schools of philosophy
seem to render it entirely free from obscurity.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas,
the impression received by the eye
(Species sensibilis)
- is spiritualized by a faculty
called Intellectus agens
by means of abstraction
(Species impressa),
and
- is treasured up in the memory,
like lantern slides, available at demand.
The mind,
identifying itself with the Species impressa,
produces the 'Word of the mind'
(Verbum mentis),
wherein consists the act of Understanding
or Mental Conception.
In the Intellectual Vision or Locution,
God, without co-operation on the part of
the senses, the imagination,
or the memory,
produces directly on the mind
the Species impressa.
As this is supernatural
with regard to its origin,
and often also
with respect to its object,
it stands to reason that it is too exalted
for the memory to receive it,
so that such Visions and Locutions are
frequently only imperfectly remembered
and
sometimes altogether forgotten,
as St. Teresa tells us.
On the other hand
they are far less dangerous
than Corporal or Imaginary Visions
and Locutions,
because
- the senses and imagination
have nothing to do with them,
- whilst evil spirits are unable
to act directly upon the mind,
and
- self-deception is altogether excluded
for the reasons stated by St. Teresa.
An instance of such a vision is mentioned
by St. Paul:
"I know a man in Christ
above fourteen years ago
(whether in the body, I know not,
or out of the body I know not:
God knoweth),
such an one rapt even to the third heaven.
And I know such a man
(whether in the body or out of the body,
I know not: God knoweth):
that he was caught up into paradise,
and heard secret words,
which it is not granted to man to utter'
(2 Cor. xii. 2-4).
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Mansion 6 Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
1. Locutions.
1.
GOD arouses the soul in another manner
which, though in some ways
apparently a greater favour
than the above mentioned,
yet may prove more dangerous,
therefore I will give some particulars
about it.
He does this
by means of words addressed to the soul
in many different ways;
Sometimes they appear to come
from without;
At other times
from the inner depths of the soul;
or again,
from its superior part;
while other speeches are so exterior
as to be heard by the ears
like a real voice.
2. Sometimes caused by melancholia.
2.
At times, indeed very often,
this may be only a fancy;
especially with persons
of a lively imagination
or
who are afflicted with melancholy
to any marked extent.
I think that no attention should be paid
to either class of people
when they say they see, hear, or learn
anything supernaturally.
Do not disturb them by saying
that it comes from the devil, [238]
but listen to them
as if they were sick persons.
Let the prioress or confessor
to whom they tell their story
bid them think no more of it
as such matters are not essential
in the service of God:
The devil has deceived many Christians thus,
although perhaps it is not so in their case;
therefore
therefore
they need not trouble themselves about it.
Thus we must accomodate ourselves
to their humour:
If we tell them their fancies
proceed from melancholia,
there will be no end to the matter,
for they will persist in maintaining
they have seen and heard these things,
for so it seems to them.
3. Caution needed at first.
3.
The truth is,
care should be taken
- to keep such people
from too much prayer
and
- to persuade them, as far as possible,
to take no notice of their fancies:
The devil makes use of these weak souls
to injure others,
even if they, themselves, escape unhurt.
There is need for caution
both with feeble and strong souls at first,
until it is certain from what spirit
these things proceed.
I maintain that,
in the beginning,
it is always wiser
to resist these communications;
If they come from God,
this is the best way to receive more,
for they increase when discouraged.
At the same time the soul should not be
too strictly controlled or disquieted,
for it cannot help itself in the matter.
4. Locutions frequently
occur during prayer.
4.
To return to discuss the words
addressed to the soul:
Any kind I mentioned,
may come either from
God,
the devil,
or
the imagination.
By the help of God,
I will endeavour to describe
- the signs distinguishing
the one from the other,
and
- when these locutions are dangerous,
for they occur to many persons
who praise (practice ?) prayer.
I do not wish you to think, sisters,
that there is any harm
either in believing
or in disregarding them.
When they only console you,
or warn you of your faults,
it matters not
whence they come
or
whether they are only fancies.
5. Resist those containing false doctrine.
5.
I caution you on one point
-- although they may come from God,
you must
not esteem yourself more highly,
for He often spoke to the Pharisees -- [239]
all the good consists
in profiting by His words.
Take no more notice
of any speeches you hear
which disagree with the Holy Scriptures
than if you heard them from Satan himself
Though they may only rise
from your vivid imagination,
look upon them as a temptation
against the faith.
Always resist them;
then they will leave you, and cease,
for they have little strength of their own.
[240]
6. First sign of genuine locutions.
6.
Now let us return to the first point
--whether these communications come
from the inferior or the superior part
of the soul,
or
from without,
does not affect their originating from God.
7. Effect of the words: 'Be not troubled.'
7.
In my opinion, these are
the most certain signs
of their being divine.
The first and truest is
the power and authority
they carry with them,
for these words are operative. [241]
For example:
a soul is suffering all the sorrow and disquiet
I have described:
the mind is darkened and dry;
but it is
set at peace,
freed from all trouble
and
filled with light
merely by hearing the words:
'Be not troubled.'
These deliver it from all its pains,
although it felt as though,
if the whole world and all its theologians
had united in trying to persuade it
there was no cause for grief,
it could not,
in spite of all their efforts,
have been delivered from its affliction.
[242]
8. 'It is I, be not afraid.'
8.
Again,
a person is troubled and greatly terrified
at being told
by her confessor and other people
that her soul is under the influence
of the evil one:
She hears a single sentence which says,
'It is I, be not afraid,' [243]
and is at once
freed from all fears
and
filled with consolation;
Indeed, she believes
it would be impossible for any one
to disturb her confidence. [244]
9. 'Be at Peace.'
9.
Again, when exceedingly anxious
about important business,
not knowing whether or not
it will be successful,
on hearing words bidding her,
'Be at peace; all will go well,'
she feels reassured and free from all care
in the matter. [245]
Many other instances of the same sort
could be mentioned.
10. Second sign.
10.
The second sign is
- a great calm
and
- a devout and peaceful recollection
which dwell in the soul
together with
- a desire to praise God.
They say that communications,
at any rate in this mansion,
are not uttered directly by God
but are transmitted by an angel. [246]
Then, O my God,
if a word sent to us by Thee
through Thy messenger
has such force,
what effects wilt Thou not leave in the soul
united to Thee in a mutual bond of love?
[247]
11. Third sign.
11.
The third proof
is that these words
do not pass from the memory
but remain there for a very long time;
Sometimes they are never forgotten.
This is not the case
with what men may utter,
which, however grave and learned
they may be,
is not thus impressed on our memory.
Neither,
if they prophesy of things to come,
do we believe them
as we do these divine locutions
which leave us so convinced of their truth
that, although their fulfilment
sometimes seems utterly impossible
and
we vacillate and doubt about them,
there still remains in the soul
a certainty of their verity
which cannot be destroyed.
Perhaps everything may seem to militate
against what was heard and years pass by,
yet the spirit never loses its belief
- that God will make use
of means unknown to men
for the purpose
and
- that finally what was foretold
must surely happen;
as indeed it does. [248]
12. The devil suggests doubts
about true locutions.
12.
Still, as I said,
the soul is troubled
at seeing many obstacles in the way
of the accomplishment of the prophecy.
The words, their effects, and the assurance
they carry with them,
convinced the soul at the moment
that they came from God.
Afterwards, however, doubts arise
as to whether the locutions came
from the devil
or
from the imagination,
although while hearing them
the person would have died
to defend their truth. [249]
But, as I said,
these misgivings must be suggested
by the evil one
to afflict and intimidate her,
especially
if by carrying out a command thus given
- great good will result to souls
and
- some work be done conducing notably
to the honour and service of God,
concerning which
great difficulties have to be overcome.
In such cases,
where will Satan stop short?
At (the very) least,
he weakens faith,
and
it is a terrible evil to doubt
that God has power to work in a way
far beyond our understanding.
13. Confidence of the soul rewarded.
13.
Despite all these difficulties
and
although the confessors consulted
on these matters
say the words were but fancies,
while events take
such an unfavourable turn
as to make the realization
of these predictions
seem impossible,
yet
there remains so lively a spark of certainty
in the mind
(I know not whence it comes)
that,
although all other hopes die out,
it cannot, if it would,
quench this ardent spark of confidence.
At last, as I said,
our Lord's words are accomplished,
at which the soul
is so satisfied and joyful
that it can do nothing
but praise His Majesty
--more because it sees
His words prove true
than on account of the thing itself,
even though it may be of consequence
to the person concerned.
14. Its joy at seeing God's words verified.
14.
I know not
why the soul attaches such importance
to these communications being verified.
I think
that if the person herself were detected
in telling falsehoods,
she would not be so grieved
as at these locutions proving untrue
--as if she could do anything in the matter
beyond repeating
what has been said to her!
A certain person was frequently reminded
in such a case of the Prophet Jonas,
when he found
Ninive was not to be destroyed. [250]
15. Its zeal for God's honour.
15.
In fact,
as these words come from the Spirit of God,
it is right thus
to trust them
and
to desire
that He Who is supreme truth
should not be thought a deceiver.
Justly, therefore,
does their hearer rejoice
when, after a thousand
delays and enormous difficulties,
they are accomplished.
Although this success may entail
great suffering on herself,
she prefers it to the nonfulfilment
of what she knows
our Lord most certainly foretold.
Possibly every one is not so weak as this,
if indeed it is a weakness,
though I cannot, myself,
condemn it as an evil.
16. Locutions coining from the fancy.
16.
If these locutions proceed
from the imagination [251]
they show no such signs,
they show no such signs,
bringing
neither conviction, peace,
nor interior joy
with them.
But in some cases I have come across,
on account of
a very weak constitution
or
vivid imagination
or of
other causes I do not know,
persons while absorbed
in the prayer of quiet and
in spiritual slumber
are so entirely carried out of themselves
by their deep state of recollection
as to be unconscious of anything external.
All their senses being thus dormant,
as if asleep
--as indeed, at times they really are--
they thus, in a sort of dream,
fancy they
are spoken to
or
see things
they imagine come from God,
but which leave no more effect
than dreams.
17. Imaginary answers given to prayer.
17.
Again, one who very lovingly
asks something of our Lord
may fancy that an answer comes from Him.
[252]
This often occurs,
but I think
that no one accustomed
to receive divine communications
could be deceived on this point
by the imagination.
18. A confessor should be consulted
about locutions.
18.
The devil's deceptions are more dangerous;
but if the foregoing signs are present,
we may feel fairly confident
that these locutions are from God,
though not so certain
but that,
if they refer to some weighty matter
in which we are called upon to act
or
if they concern a third person,
we should consult some confessor
who is both
learned and a servant of God,
before attempting or thinking
of acting on them,
although we
may have heard them
repeated several times
and
are convinced
of their truth and divine origin. [253]
His Majesty wishes us to take this course;
It is not disobedience to His commands,
for He has bidden us
(to) hold our confessor as His representative
even where there is no doubt
that the communications come from Him:
Thus we shall gain courage
if the matter is a very difficult one.
Our Lord will reassure our confessor,
whom,
when He so chooses,
He will inspire with faith
that these locutions
are from the Holy Ghost. [254]
If not,
we are freed from all further obligations
in the matter.
I think it would be very dangerous
to act against our confessor's advice
and
to prefer our own opinions
in such a matter.
Therefore, sisters, I admonish you
in the name of our Lord,
never to do anything of the sort.
19. Interior locutions.
19.
God speaks to the soul
in another way
by a certain intellectual vision
which I think undoubtedly
proceeds from Him;
it will be described later on. [255]
It takes place
far within the innermost depths of the soul
which appears to hear distinctly
in a most mysterious manner,
with its spiritual hearing,
the words spoken to it
by our Lord Himself.
The way
in which the spirit perceives these words
and
the results
produced by them,
convince us
that they cannot in any way come
from the devil.
Their powerful aftereffects
force us to admit this
and
plainly show
they do not spring from the imagination.
[256]
Careful consideration will assure us of this
for the following reasons;
20. First sign of genuine interior locutions.
20.
Firstly,
the clearness of the language varies
in the different kinds of locutions.
Those that are divine are so distinct
that the hearer remembers
- if there were a syllable missing,
and
- what words were made use of
even though a whole sentence was spoken.
But if the speech were only a freak of fancy,
it would
not be so audible
nor would the words be so distinct
but would be only half articulated. [257]
21. Second sign.
21.
The second reason is
that often the person was not thinking
of what is heard;
Sometimes the locution
even comes unexpectedly
during conversation,
though at times it refers
to some thought that passed quickly
through the mind
or
to a subject, it was before engaged upon.
Frequently it concerns things
of whose existence the hearer
knew nothing
nor even imagined such events
could ever come to pass;
Therefore it is impossible
for the imagination to have
framed such speeches
and
deceived the mind by fancies
about what it had
never wished,
nor sought for,
nor even thought about. [258]
22. Third sign.
22.
The third reason
is that in a genuine case
the soul seems to listen to the words,
whereas when the imagination is at work,
little by little,
it composes
what the person wishes to hear. [259]
23. Fourth sign.
23.
The fourth reason is
because divine locutions
differ immensely from others,
a single word comprises
a depth of meaning
which our understanding could not thus
quickly condense into one phrase.
[260]
24. Fifth sign.
24.
Fifthly
because,
in a manner I cannot explain,
these communications,
without any further explanations,
frequently give us
to understand far more
than is implied by the words themselves.
I shall speak farther on
of this way of understanding hidden things
which is
very subtle
and
a favour for which we should thank God.
Some people are exceedingly suspicious
about these
and
other communications of the same kind.
I speak particularly of some one [261]
who experienced them herself,
though there may be others
who cannot understand them.
I know that she has considered the subject
very carefully,
God having often bestowed this grace on her.
Her principal difficulty was to discover
whether the locutions were merely fancied.
It is easier to know
when they come from the devil
although being so wily,
he can with facility,
imitate the spirit of light.
However,
he would do this in a form of words
pronounced so distinctly
that there would be no more doubt
as to their reality
than if they came from the spirit of truth,
while those coming from the imagination
leave us uncertain
whether we heard the words or not.
But Satan could never counterfeit the effects
I spoke of; [262]
he leaves
neither peace
nor light
in the soul,
only anxiety and confusion.
In any case,
he can do little or no harm to one
who is humble
and
who, as I advised,
does not act on what is heard.
25. Results of true locutions.
25.
If the soul receives favours and caresses
from our Lord,
let it examine carefully
whether it rates itself more highly
in consequence;
Unless self-abasement increases
with God's expressions of love,
they do not come from the Holy Spirit.
Inevitably, when they are divine,
the greater the favours,
the less the soul esteems itself
and
the more keenly it remembers its sins. [263]
It becomes more oblivious of self-interest:
The will and memory grow more fervent
in seeking solely God's honour
with no thought of self.
It also
- becomes unceasingly careful
not to deviate deliberately
from the will of God
and
- feels a keener conviction
that instead of meriting such favours,
it deserves hell.
26. They should remove alarm.
26.
When these results follow,
no graces or gifts
received during prayer
need alarm the soul
which should rather trust
in the mercy of God,
Who is faithful and will not allow the devil
to deceive it;
but it is always well
to be on one's guard.
27. Answer to an objection.
27.
Those
(whom) our Lord does not lead by this path
may suppose
that the soul can avoid listening
to these locutions
and
that even if they are interior,
it is at least possible
to distract the attention from them
so as
not to hear them
and
thus escape danger.
This cannot be done:
I am not speaking of freaks of fancy
which may be prevented
by ceasing to desire certain things
or
by paying no attention to its inventions.
This is not feasible
when these communications come
from the Holy Ghost
Who,
when He speaks,
stops all other thoughts
and
compels the mind to listen. [264]
Mark this:
that I believe it would be easier
for a person with very keen ears
to avoid hearing a loud voice,
for he could occupy his thoughts and mind
in other things.
Not so here;
The soul can do nothing,
nor has it ears to stop,
nor power to think of aught
but what is said to it.
For He Who could stay the sun on its course
(at the prayer of Josue, I believe) [265]
can so quiet
the faculties and
the interior of the spirit
as to make it perceive
that another and a stronger Lord than itself
governs this castle;
It is thus affected
with profound devotion and humility,
seeing that it cannot but listen.
May the divine Majesty vouchsafe
that,
forgetting ourselves,
our only aim may be to please Him,
as I said.
Amen.
God grant
that I have succeeded in explaining
what I wished
and
that it may be some guide to those
who may experience such favours.
_______________
Foot Notes:
[238]
Life, ch. xxiii. 14.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #2's
Footnote reference #238
"especially with persons
of a lively imagination
or
who are afflicted with melancholy
to any marked extent...
Do not disturb them by saying
that it comes from the devil, [238]
but listen to them
as if they were sick persons."
Life, ch. xxiii. 14.
for our weakness is great,
and much evil may be the result
of telling them very distinctly
that the devil is busy with them;
[ Life: Ch. 23: #14 ]
_______________________________
[239]
Antonius a Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 323.
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxvii.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #5's
Footnote reference #239
"although they may come from God,
you must
not esteem yourself more highly,
for He often spoke to the Pharisees [239]"
Antonius a Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 323.
Probably refers to
Antonii a Spirtu Sancto's
"Directorium Mysticum"
(approx 1677)
by Antony of the Holy Spirit, OCD,
a Discalced Carmelite Friar,
which includes: prayer, active and passive
purification, contemplation, etc
It is said to be an abridgement of the
"Summa Theologiae Mysticae"
of Philip of the Holy Trinity,
the French Carmelite Friar.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxvii.
But there is much difference between
these visions that are caused by the devil
and those that are of God.
For the effects produced in the soul
by the devil’s visions...produce
aridity of spirit
as to communion with God
and
an inclination to esteem oneself highly,
...in no wise do they produce
the gentleness of humility and love of God.
[ Ascent of Mount Carmel: Ch. xxiv: # 7
St. John of the Cross; Translation: Peers ]
_______________________________
[240]
Life, ch. xxv. 13, 18.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #5's
Footnote reference #240
"Take no more notice
of any speeches you hear
which disagree with the Holy Scriptures
than if you heard them from Satan himself
Though they may only rise
from your vivid imagination,
look upon them as a temptation
against the faith.
Always resist them;
then they will leave you, and cease,
for they have little strength of their own."
[240]
Life, ch. xxv.
"that the devil will never deceive, and
that God will not suffer him to deceive,
the soul
which has no confidence
whatever in itself;
which is strong in faith, and
which is resolved to undergo
a thousand deaths
for any one article of the creed;
which, in its love of the faith,
infused of God once for all,
a faith living and strong,
always labours,
seeking for further light...
to mould itself
on the teaching of the Church,
as one already deeply grounded
in the truth.
No imaginable revelations,
not even if it saw the heavens open,
could make that soul swerve
in any degree
from the doctrine of the Church.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #16
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[241]
Ps. cxlviii. 5:
Ipse dixit et facta sunt.'
Life, ch. xxv. 5.
Anton. a Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 353.
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi.
calls these substantial words.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #7's
Footnote reference #241
"the most certain signs
of (locutions) being divine.
The first and truest is
the power and authority
they carry with them,
for these words are operative. [241]
For example:
a soul is suffering...
but it is set at peace,
...by hearing the words: 'Be not troubled.'
Ps. cxlviii. 5:
'Ipse dixit et facta sunt.'
'He spoke, and they were made'
[ Psalm 148:5 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxv. 5.
but, when our Lord speaks,
- it is at once word and work;
...the words
- dispose a soul at once,
- strengthen it,
- make it tender,
- give it light,
- console and calm it;
and if it should be
in dryness, or
in trouble and uneasiness,
- all is removed,
as if by the action of a hand,
and even better;
for it seems as if our Lord
would have the soul understand
- that He is all-powerful, and
- that His words are deeds.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #5
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Anton. a Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 353.
(See Foot Note 239)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi.
calls these substantial words.'
"The third kind of interior words...
is called substantial.
These substantial word... are impressed
upon the soul in a definitely formal way,
..produce vivid and substantial effects
upon the soul,
It is as if Our Lord were to say formally
to the soul:
‘Be thou good’;
it would then be substantially good.
Or as if He were to say to it:
‘Love thou Me’;
it would then have and feel within itself
the substance of love for God.
Or as if it feared greatly and
He said to it:
‘Fear thou not’;
it would at once feel within itself
great fortitude and tranquility.
For the saying of God, and His word,
is full of power;
and thus that which He says to the soul,
He produces substantially within it.
...And this is the power of His word
in the Gospel,
wherewith He healed the sick, raised the
dead, etc., by no more than a word.
...
2. With respect to these words,
the soul should do nothing.
It should neither desire them
nor refrain from desiring them;
it should neither reject them nor fear them.
It should do nothing in the way
of executing what these words express,
for these substantial words
are never pronounced by God
in order that the soul may translate them
into action,
but that He may so translate them
within the soul...
[ Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi.: #1,2
St. John of the Cross,
Translation: Peers ]
_______________________________
[242]
Life, ch. xxvi. 6;
xxx. 17.
Rel. i. 26.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph 7's
Footnote reference #242
"but it is set at peace...
merely by hearing the words:
'Be not troubled.'
These deliver it from all its pains...
[242]"
Life, ch. xxvi. 6;
When we were
deprived of many books
written in Spanish, and
forbidden to read them,
I felt it deeply,
- for some of these books
were a great comfort to me,...
our Lord said to me,
"Be not troubled;
I will give thee a living book."
...
our Lord dealt so lovingly with me,
in teaching me in so many ways,
that I had little or no need
whatever of books.
His Majesty has been to me,
a veritable Book,
in which I saw all truth.
Blessed be such a Book,
which leaves behind an impression
of what is read therein, and
in such a way that it cannot be forgotten!
[ Life: Ch. 26: #6
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxx. 17.
if our Lord spoke to me
but one word, saying only,
"Be not distressed, have no fear,"...
I was made whole at once;
[ Life: Ch. 30: #17
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. i. 26.
"while I am in this state,
through
a single word...
or
a single vision, or
a little self-recollection,
I find
my soul and body
so calm, so sound,
the understanding
so clear, and
myself possessing
all the strength and
all the good desires I usually have.
[ Relations 1: #26
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[243]
St. Luke xxiv. 36.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #8's
Footnote reference #243
"a person is troubled and greatly terrified
She hears a single sentence which says,
'It is I, be not afraid,' 243]
and is at once
freed from all fears
and
filled with consolation"
St. Luke xxiv. 36.
"...whilst they were speaking these things,
Jesus stood in the midst of them,
and saith to them:
'Peace be to you;
it is I,
fear not ' "
______________________________
[244]
Life, ch. xxv. 22;
xxxiii. 10.
Rel. vii. 22.
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi. 1.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #8's
Footnote reference #244
"Indeed, she believes
it would be impossible for any one
to disturb her confidence. [244]"
Life, ch. xxv. 22
"...these Thy words alone
were enough to
remove it, and
give me perfect peace:
"Be not afraid, my daughter:
it is I;
and I will not abandon thee.
Fear not."
[ Life: Ch. 25: #22
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch xxxiii. 10.
"One day, when in great distress,
...
our Lord said to me,
'Be not troubled;
this suffering will soon be over. '
...never again had I any reason
to be distressed."
[ Life: Ch. 33: #10
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. vii. 22.
"Being thus in distress...
at the mere hearing interiorly
these words,
'It is I, be not afraid,'
her soul became so calm,
courageous, and confident,
that she could not understand
whence so great a blessing had come"
[ Relations 7: #22
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi. 1.
Or as if it feared greatly and
He said to it:
‘Fear thou not’;
it would at once feel within itself
great fortitude and tranquility.
For the saying of God, and His word,
is full of power;
[ Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxxi.: #1
St. John of the Cross,
Translation: Peers ]
_______________________________
[245]
Life, ch. xxxv. 7.
Rel. ix. 6.
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. iii. ch. ii. 7.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #9's
Footnote reference #245
"...when exceedingly anxious
about important business,
...on hearing words bidding her,
'Be at peace; all will go well,'
she feels reassured and free from all care
in the matter." [245]
Life, ch. xxxv. 7.
"...when I was very earnestly
commending the matter to God,
our Lord told me
that I must by no means
give up my purpose...
it was
His will, and
the will of His Father:
He would help me.
...the effects were such,
that I could have no doubt
(that) it came from God.
[ Life: Ch. 35: #7
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. ix. 6.
"when I was thinking
how people sought
to destroy this monastery...
I heard:
'they will never see it done,
but very much the reverse.' "
[ Relations 9: #6
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. iii. ch. ii.
"For the Spirit of God teaches them
that which they ought to know,
[ Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. 3. ch.2: #9
St. John of the Cross,
Translation: Peers ]
_______________________________
[246]
Rel. v. 14.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #10's
Footnote reference #246
"They say that communications,
at any rate in this mansion,
are not uttered directly by God
but are transmitted by an angel. [246]"
Rel. v. 14.
"when the faculties are suspended,
it is to be understood
that certain matters are suggested
to the soul,
to be by it recommended to God
that an angel suggests them,
of whom it is said in the Scriptures "
[ Relations 5: #14
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[247]
Life, ch. xxv. 23-25.
See also Schram,
Instit. theol. myst.
528 schol.;
529 schol. ii. and iii.;
531 schol. ii.;
532 schol. ii.
Exterior locutions may proceed
direct from God,
but generally are due
to the ministry of angels;
the same holds good
with regard to the imaginary ones.
Intellectual locutions,
in which the words are merely
impressed upon the substance of the soul
without intervention of the imagination,
can only proceed from God,
Who alone is able to act
upon the substance of the soul.
See also
Life, ch. xxvii.
7 (end), 8, 9, and 10,
and
the corresponding chapters
in St. John's Ascent of Mount Carmel.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #10's
Footnote reference #247
"Then, O my God,
if a word sent to us by Thee
through Thy messenger
has such force,
what effects wilt Thou not leave in the soul
united to Thee in a mutual bond of love?
[247]"
Life, ch. xxv. 23
"I found myself,
through these words alone,
tranquil and strong,
courageous and confident,
at rest and enlightened;
in a moment,
- my soul seemed changed, and
- I felt I could maintain
against all the world
that my prayer was the work of God
...
His words are deeds. O my God!
So I said to myself:
"Who is He,
that all my faculties should
thus obey Him?
Who is He,
that gives light in such darkness
in a moment;
who softens a heart
that seemed to be made of stone;
who gives the waters of sweet tears,
where for a long time great dryness
seems to have prevailed"
[ Life: Ch. 25: #23
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxvii. 7 (end)
"But in this vision I could do so,
because so clear a knowledge
is impressed on the soul
that all doubt seems impossible,
though He is not seen.
Our Lord wills
that this knowledge be so graven
on the understanding,
that we can
no more question
His presence
than we can question
that which we see with our eyes..."
[ Life: Ch. 27: # 7
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[248]
Life, ch. xxv. 3, 10.
Rel. ii. 17.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #11's
Footnote reference #248
"a certainty of their verity
which cannot be destroyed.
...
yet the spirit never loses its belief...
- that finally what was foretold
must surely happen;
as indeed it does. [248]
Life, ch. xxv. 3, 10.
"I have been told things
two or three years beforehand,
which have all come to pass;
and in none of them
have I been hitherto deceived."
[ Life: Ch. 25: #3
Translation: David Lewis ]
"But as to prophetic words,
they are never forgotten...
I have never forgotten any, and
yet my memory is weak."
[ Life: Ch. 25: # 10
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. ii. 17.
"Everything that I have learnt in prayer...
I have seen fulfilled."
[ Relations 2: #17
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[249]
Ibid, ch. xxv. 10.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #12's
Footnote reference #249
"Afterwards, however, doubts arise
as to whether the locutions came
from the devil
or
from the imagination,
although while hearing them
the person would have died
to defend their truth. [249]"
Ibid, ch. xxv. 10.
It has often happened to me,
when I had doubts,
to distrust what I had heard, and
to think that it was all imagination,
but this I did afterwards:
for at the moment
that is impossible,
and at a later time
to see the whole fulfilled;
[ Life: Ch. 25: # 10
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[250]
Jonas iv. 1:
'Et afflictus est Jonas afflictione magna
et iratus est;
et oravit ad Dominum et dixit:
Obsecro, Domine, numquid non hoc
est verbum meum cum adhuc essem
in terra mea?'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #14's
Footnote reference #250
"I know not
why the soul attaches such importance
to these communications being verified.
I think
that if the person herself were detected
in telling falsehoods,
she would not be so grieved
as at these locutions proving untrue
...
A certain person was frequently reminded
in such a case of the Prophet Jonas,
when he found
Ninive was not to be destroyed. [250]"
Jonas 3. 10:
And God saw their works,
that they were turned from their evil way
and God had mercy with regard to the evil
which he had said
that he would do to them,
and he did it not.
Jonas4. 1:
And Jonas was exceedingly troubled,
and was angry:
2 And he prayed to the Lord, and said:
I beseech thee, O Lord, is not this
what I said, when I was yet
in my own country?
_______________________________
[251]
Life, ch. xxv.
4 (end) and
5 (beginning).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #16's
Footnote reference #251
"If these locutions proceed
from the imagination [251]
they show no such signs,
bringing
neither conviction, peace,
nor interior joy
with them."
Life, ch. xxv. 4 (end)
"the words it forms are
something indistinct,
fantastic, and
not clear
[ Life: Ch. 25: #4
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxv. 5 (beginning).
The words formed by the understanding
effect nothing;
[ Life: Ch. 25: #5
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[252]
Ibid. ch. xxv. 4 (beginning).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #17's
Footnote reference #252
"one who very lovingly
asks something of our Lord
may fancy
that an answer comes from Him.
[252]"
Ibid. ch. xxv. 4 (beginning).
"a person commending a matter to God
with great love and earnestness
may think that he hears
in some way or other
whether his prayer will be granted or not,
and this is quite possible;
but he who has heard the divine locution
will see clearly enough what this is,
because there is a great difference
between the two."
[ Life: Ch. 25: #4
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[253]
Way of Perf. ch. xxxix. 6.
Life, ch. xxvi. 4, 5.
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxii. 14-18.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #18's
Footnote reference #253
"but if the foregoing signs are present,
we may feel fairly confident
that these locutions are from God...
if they refer to some weighty matter
in which we are called upon to act
or
if they concern a third person,
we should consult some confessor ...
before attempting or thinking
of acting on them,
although we...are convinced
of their truth and divine origin. [253]"
Way of Perf. ch. xxxix. 6.
"Be sure to mention these favours
to some one who is able to counsel you :
hide nothing from him.
Always begin and finish your prayer
with the thought
of your own nothingness,
however sublime your
contemplation may be,
If this contemplation comes from God,
...for such prayer produces humility
and leaves us with a greater knowledge
of our own unworthiness.
Be cautious and consult some one
who understands such matters"
[ Way of Perf: Ch. 39: #6
Translation: Benedictines Of Stanbrook]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxvi. 4, 5.
"The safest course in these things is to
- declare, without fail,
-- the whole state of the soul,
-- together with the graces
our Lord gives me,
to a confessor who is learned, and
- obey him."
[ Life: Ch. 26: #4
Translation: David Lewis ]
"I ought never to hide
from my confessor;
for I should find great security
if I told everything;
and if I did otherwise,
I might at any time
fall into delusions."
[ Life: Ch. 26: #5
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. John of the Cross,
Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk. ii. ch. xxii. 14-18.
16...anything, of whatsoever kind,
received by the soul
through supernatural means, must clearly...
be at once communicated
to the spiritual director....
for three causes.
First, because...God communicates many
things, the effect, power, light and certainty
whereof He confirms not wholly
in the soul,
until, as we have said,
the soul consults him whom God has given
to it as a spiritual judge,
...who, after discussing them with the
proper persons, experience a new
satisfaction, power, light and certainty;
...until they have communicated them
to the director,
whereupon they are given to them anew.
17. The second cause
is that the soul habitually needs instruction
upon the things that come to pass within it,
so that it may be led by that means
to spiritual poverty and detachment,
which is the dark night.
For if it begins to relinquish this instruction
...it will gradually, without realizing it,
become callous...and draw near again
to the road of sense...
18. The third cause is that,
for the sake of the humility and submission
and mortification of the soul,
it is well to relate everything
to the director..."
[ Ascent of Mount Carmel,
bk.2. ch.2: #16,17,18
St. John of the Cross,
Translation: Peers ]
_______________________________
[254]
Rel. vii. 15.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #18's
Footnote reference #254
"Our Lord will reassure our confessor,
whom,
when He so chooses,
He will inspire with faith
that these locutions
are from the Holy Ghost. [254]"
Rel. vii.
Now and then
she took comfort in thinking
that
-- though she herself,
because of her sins,
deserved to fall
into delusions --
our Lord would not suffer
so many good men,
anxious to give her light,
to be led into error.
[ Relations 7: #10
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[255]
Infra, ch. viii.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #19's
Footnote reference #255
"God speaks to the soul
in another way
by a certain intellectual vision
which I think undoubtedly
proceeds from Him;
it will be described later on. [255]"
(See Mansion 6: Chapter 8)
_______________________________
[256]
Life, ch. xxvii, 8.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #19's
Footnote reference #256
"Their powerful aftereffects
force us to admit this
and
plainly show
they do not spring from the imagination.
[256]"
Life, ch. xxvii, 8.
"so clear a knowledge
is impressed on the soul
that all doubt seems impossible,
though He is not seen.
Our Lord wills
that this knowledge be so graven
on the understanding,
that we can
no more question
His presence
than we can question
that which we see with our eyes...
there remains a certainty so great,
that the doubt has no force whatever.
So also is it
when God
teaches the soul
in another way, and
speaks to it without speaking,
in the way I have described.
[ Life: Ch. 27: #7
Translation: David Lewis ]
Our Lord impresses
in the innermost soul
that which He wills that soul
to understand;
and He manifests it there
without images or formal words...
...this way in which God works,
in order that the soul may understand
what He means
His great truths and mysteries;
[ Life: Ch. 27: #8
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[257]
Life, ch. xxv. 6 and 10 (end).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #20's
Footnote reference #257
"...First sign of genuine interior locutions.
Firstly, Those that are divine
are so distinct...
But if the speech were only a freak of fancy,
it would not be so audible...nor...distinct
but would be only half articulated. [257]
Life, ch. xxv. 6
but the divine locution is a voice
- so clear
that not a syllable of its utterance is lost.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #6
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life, ch. xxv. 10 (end).
"the divine locutions
- instruct us without loss of time, and
- we understand matters
which seem to require a month
on our part to arrange.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #12
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[258]
Ibid. ch. xxv. 9, 16.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #21's
Footnote reference #258
"Therefore it is impossible
for the imagination to have
framed such speeches
and
deceived the mind by fancies
about what it had
never wished,
nor sought for,
nor even thought about. [258]"
Ibid. ch. xxv. 9
"...are uttered so rapidly,
that much time must have been spent
in arranging them,
if we formed them ourselves;
and so it seems to me
that we cannot possibly be ignorant
at the time
that we have never formed,
ourselves, at all.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #9
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[259]
Ibid. ch. xxv. 4, 6.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #221's
Footnote reference #259
"Third sign.
The third reason
is that in a genuine case
the soul seems to listen to the words,
whereas when the imagination is at work,
...it composes
what the person wishes to hear. [259]"
Ibid. ch. xxv. 4, 6.
If it be anything
which the understanding has fashioned,
however cunningly
it may have done so,
he sees
- that it is the understanding
which has arranged that locution, and
- that it is speaking of itself.
...the understanding will see
that it has not been listening only,
but also forming the words;
and the words it forms are
something indistinct,
fantastic, and
not clear
like the divine locutions.
[ Life: Ch. 25: #4
Translation: David Lewis ]
for when I speak...
I go on with my understanding
arranging what I am saying;
but if I am spoken to by others,
I do nothing else but listen,
without any labour...
The human locution is as something
which we cannot well make out,
as if we were half asleep;
[ Life: Ch. 25: # 6
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[260]
Ibid, ch. xxv. 12 (beginning).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #23's
Footnote reference #260
"23. Fourth sign.
...a single word comprises
a depth of meaning
which our understanding could not thus
quickly condense into one phrase.
[260]"
Ibid, ch. xxv. 12 (beginning)
"the divine locutions
- instruct us without loss of time, and
- we understand matters
which seem to require a month
on our part to arrange.
- The understanding itself, and the soul,
stand amazed at some of the things
we understand. "
[ Life: Ch. 25: #12
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[261]
The whole of this chapter
as well as chapter xxv. of the Life
prove clearly
that the Saint speaks about herself and
that she investigated the subject
with the greatest care.
_______________________________
[262]
Life, ch. xxv. 15.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #24's
Footnote reference #262
"But Satan could never counterfeit
the effects I spoke of; [262]
he leaves
neither peace
nor light
in the soul,
only anxiety and confusion."
Life, ch. xxv. 15.
"After these locutions of the evil one,
the soul is never gentle,
but is...terrified, and greatly disgusted."
[ Life: Ch. 25: #15
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[263]
Life, ch. xii. 5:
The nearer we draw unto God
the more this virtue (humility)
should grow';
Life xv. 16;
xix. 2;
xx. 38.
Rel. ii. 15;
vii. 17;
viii. 7, 9.
Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 3.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #25's
Footnote reference #263
"Inevitably, when they are divine,
the greater the favours,
the less the soul esteems itself
and
the more keenly it remembers its sins.
[263]"
Life, ch. xii. 5:
The nearer we draw unto God
the more this virtue (humility)
should grow';
[ Life: Ch. 12: #5
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life: Ch. xv. 16;
"and here, in all things relating
to prayer and sweetness, we must be very careful to endeavour to make ourselves humble,-- Satan will not often repeat his work, when he sees that he loses by it."
[ Life: Ch. 15: #16
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life: Ch. xix. 2;
The soul
- makes greater and higher progress
than it ever made before
in the previous states of prayer; and
- grows in humility more and more,
because it sees clearly
that (not)...ever been able to do,
anything of itself.
It looks upon itself as most unworthy
...
self-conceit is so far away,
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life: Ch.xx. 38.
Humility that will
never say any good of self,
nor suffer others to do so.
...
all the good it has,
it refers to God;
[ Life: Ch. 20: #38
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. ii. 15;
I do not see
how I could imagine
any one of my virtues to be mine,
...
I am good for nothing in myself. ...
I place myself in the hands of God
[ Relations 2: #15
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. viii. 7, 9.
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, if it be real, is...
the greatest grace
wrought by our Lord
on this spiritual road,
-- at least, it is one of the greatest.
[ Relations 8: #7
Translation: David Lewis ]
-- a forgetfulness of self,
through the longing it has
that God our Lord,
who is so high,
may be known and praised.
[ Relations 8: #9
Translation: David Lewis ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 3.
"...humility, which is most requisite...
because it is the principal aid to prayer.
...it is very necessary for you to know
how to practise humility on every
occasion : this is one of the chief points,
and most essential for persons
given to prayer.
[ Way of Perf: Ch. 27: #3
Translation: Benedictines Of Stanbrook]
_______________________________
[264]
Life, ch. xxv. 21.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #27's
Footnote reference #264
"I am not speaking of freaks of fancy
which may be prevented
by ceasing to desire certain things
or
by paying no attention to its inventions.
This is not feasible
when these communications come
from the Holy Ghost
Who,
when He speaks,
stops all other thoughts
and
compels the mind to listen. [264]"
Life, ch. xxv. 21.
"Now that I was never alone for prayer,
our Lord made me recollected
even during conversation:
He spoke what He (God) pleased,
I could not avoid it; and,
though it distressed me,
I was forced to listen. "
[ Life: Ch. 25: #21
Translation: David Lewis ]
_______________________________
[265]
Josue x. 12. 13:
Tunc locutus est Josue: . . .
sol contra Gabaon ne movearis;
steteruntque sol et luna.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #27's
Footnote reference #265
"For He Who could stay the sun on its course
(at the prayer of Josue, I believe)
[265]
can so quiet
the faculties and
the interior of the spirit
as to make it perceive
that another and a stronger Lord
than itself
governs this castle;
It is thus affected
with profound devotion and humility,
seeing that it cannot but listen."
Josue x. 12. 13
12 Then Josue spoke to the Lord,
in the day that he delivered the Amorrhite
in the sight of the children of Israel,
and he said before them:
Move not, O sun, toward Gabaon,
nor thou, O moon,
toward the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun and the moon stood still,
till the people revenged themselves
of their enemies"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tunc locutus est Josue: . . .
sol contra Gabaon ne movearis;
steterunt que sol et luna.'
Then Josue spoke to the Lord...
Move not, O sun, toward Gabaon...
And the sun and the moon stood still...
|
End of
Mansion 6 Chapter 3
The Interior Castle
or
The Mansions
S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
|
Note:
Attempt was made to display the quotes
of the other books being cited
by the editor's foot notes.
But, they may not be the actual intended passages
that were cited by the editor
since the editions/translations used by the editor
may have different paragraph numbering than those
available to this blog.
|
