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 10
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Mansion 6 Chapter 10
Chapter Contents
Speaks
■ Of Various Other Graces
God Bestows On The Soul
In Different Ways,
And
■ Of The Great Benefits
Conferred By Them.
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1. Reasons for speaking
of these supernatural favours.
2. An intellectual vision.
3. God compared to a palace
in which His creatures dwell.
4. Forgive as we are forgiven.
5. The vision shows God to be Truth itself.
6. We should imitate God by truthfulness.
7. Why God reveals these truths.
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Mansion 6 Chapter 10
CHAPTER X.
1. Reasons for speaking
of these supernatural favours.
1.
OUR Lord communicates with the soul
by means of these apparitions
on many occasions --
sometimes
when it is afflicted,
at other times
when it is about
to receive some heavy cross,
and again
for the sake of the mutual delight
Himself and His beloved.
There is
no need for me to specify
each different case
nor do I intend to do so.
I only wish to teach you
( as far as I am acquainted
with them myself)
what are the different favours
God shows a soul in this state
so that you may understand
- their characteristics
and
- the effects they produce.
Thus
- you will not mistake every idle fancy
for a vision
and
- if you really see one,
knowing that such a thing is possible,
you will
not be disturbed,
nor unhappy.
The devil, who gains greatly by it,
is delighted to see
a soul troubled and distressed,
knowing how this hinders it
from employing itself wholly
in loving and serving God.
2. An intellectual vision.
2.
His Majesty has far higher ways
of communicating Himself to the soul;
They are less dangerous
for I do not think
the evil spirit can imitate them.
They are more difficult to explain,
being more abstruse;
therefore imaginary visions
are easier to describe.
God is sometimes pleased,
while a person is
engaged in prayer
and
in perfect possession of her senses,
to suspend them
and
to discover sublime mysteries to her
which she appears
to see within God Himself.
This is
no vision of the most sacred Humanity
nor can I rightly say the soul 'sees',
for it sees nothing;
This is no imaginary vision
but a highly intellectual one,
wherein is manifested
- how all things are beheld in God
and
- how He contains them within Himself.
[375]
It is of great value,
for although passing in an instant,
it remains deeply engraved in the memory,
producing a feeling of great shame
in the mind
which perceives more clearly
the malice of offences against God,
since these most heinous sins are committed
within His very being
since we dwell within Him.
I will try to explain this truth to you
by a comparison,
for although it is obvious
and has been often told us,
we
either never reflect upon it
or do not wish to understand it.
If we realized it,
we could not possibly behave
with such audacity.
3. God compared to a palace
in which His creatures dwell.
3.
Let us
- Compare God to a very
spacious and magnificent mansion or palace
and
- Remember that this edifice is God Himself.
Can the sinner withdraw from it
in order to carry out his crimes?
No, certainly not,
for within this very palace,
that is, within God Himself,
are perpetrated all
the abominations, impurities and evil deeds
that sinners commit.
Oh awful thought,
well worthy to be pondered over!
What profit it would bring to us,
who
know so little
and
understand these truths but partially
or
how could we possibly be so reckless
in our daring?
Let us, sisters, meditate
on the infinite mercy and patience of God
in not casting us down to hell at once
and
let us render Him hearty thanks.
Surely we should be ashamed
of resenting anything
done or said against us
--we who are the scum of the earth--
when we see
what outrages are offered to God our Creator
within His very being,
by us, His creatures;
Yet we are wounded
whenever we hear of an unkind word
having been spoken of us in our absence,
although perhaps with no evil intention.
4. Forgive as we are forgiven.
4.
Oh misery of mankind!
When, daughters,
shall we imitate Almighty God in any way?
Oh, let us not think we are doing great things
if we suffer injuries patiently:
Rather let us bear them with alacrity;
Let us love our enemies,
since this great God
has not ceased to love us
has not ceased to love us
in spite of our many sins!
This is indeed the chief reason
that all should forgive any harm done them.
I assure you, daughters,
that though this vision
passes very quickly,
our Lord has bestowed signal grace
on her to whom He grants it,
if she seeks to profit
by keeping it constantly in mind.
5. The vision shows God to be Truth itself.
5.
Short as the time lasts,
yet, in a manner impossible to describe,
God also manifests
that in Him there is a verity
which makes all truth in creatures
seem obscure.
He convinces the soul
that He alone is that Truth
which cannot lie,
thus demonstrating the meaning
of David's words in the psalm:
'Every man is a liar,' [376]
which could never be thus realized
by any other means,
however often we might hear
that God is truth infallible.
As I recall Pilate
and
how he besought our Lord in His Passion
to answer his question:
What is truth?' [377]
I realize how little mortals know
of that sublime veracity.
6. We should imitate God by truthfulness.
6.
I wish I could explain this better
but am unable to do so.
Let us learn from it, sisters,
that if we would bear any resemblance
to our God and our Spouse,
we must strive to walk ever in the truth.
I do not merely mean
that we should not tell falsehoods
-- Thank God,
I see that in these convents,
you are most careful
never to do so on any account --
but I desire
▪ that, as far as possible,
we should act with perfect truth
before God and man
and above all
▪ that we should not wish
to be thought better than we are;
▪ that in all our deeds, we should
- ascribe to God
what is His
and
- attribute what is ours to ourselves,
and
▪ that we should seek for verity in all things.
Thus we shall care little for this world,
which is but deception and falsehood,
and
therefore cannot last.
Once, while I was wondering
why our Lord so dearly loves
the virtue of humility,
the thought suddenly struck me,
without previous reflection,
that it is because
- God is the supreme Truth
and
- Humility is the truth,
for it is most true
that we have nothing good of ourselves
but only misery and nothingness:
Whoever ignores this,
lives a life of falsehood.
They that realize this fact most deeply
are the most pleasing to God,
the supreme Truth,
for they walk in the truth.
God grant, sisters,
that we may have the grace
never to lose this self-knowledge!
Amen.
7. Why God reveals these truths.
7.
Our Lord shows the soul these favours
because she is now indeed His bride,
resolute to do His will in all things;
Therefore He wishes to give her some idea
how
to accomplish it
and
to manifest to her
some of His divine attributes.
I need say no more about it,
but I believe the two points
above mentioned
will prove very useful.
These favours should cause no fear
but lead us to praise God
for bestowing these graces.
I think
neither the devil,
nor our own imaginations
can have much to do with them,
therefore the soul may rest in perfect peace.
Foot Notes:
[375]
Life, ch. xl. 13-16.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #2's
Footnote reference #375
"This is no imaginary vision
but a highly intellectual one,
wherein is manifested
- how all things are beheld in God
and
- how He contains them within Himself.
[375]"
Life, ch. xl. 13-16.
"Once, when in prayer,
I had a vision, for a moment,
-- I saw nothing distinctly,
but the vision was most clear,--
- how all things are seen in God
and
- how all things are comprehended
in Him.
I cannot in any way explain it,
but the vision
remains most deeply impressed
on my soul, and
is one of those grand graces
which our Lord wrought in me, and
(is) one of those which put me
to the greatest shame and confusion
whenever I call my sins to remembrance.
... so subtile and delicate
that the understanding is
unable to reach it,
or I am so ignorant in all
that relates to these visions,
which seem to be not imaginary.
[ Life: Ch 40: # 13 ]
Let us suppose the Godhead to be
a most brilliant diamond...
a mirror like that to which
I compared the soul in a former vision,
...
and that all our actions are seen
in that diamond...
It was
a fearful thing for me to see...
so many things together
in that brilliant diamond, and
a most piteous thing too...
to see such foul things as my sins
present in the pure brilliancy
of that light.
[ Life: Ch 40: # 14 ]
...
I was then so ashamed of myself
that I knew not where to hide myself.
Oh, that some one could make this plain
to those
who commit most foul and filthy sins,
that they may remember
- their sins are not secret, and
- that God most justly resents them,
seeing that they are wrought
in the very presence of His Majesty, and
that we are demeaning ourselves
so irreverently before Him!
In this we see more and more
of His mercifulness,
who, though we all know His hatred of sin,
yet suffers us to live.
[ Life: Ch 40: # 15 ]
_____________________
[376]
Ps. cxv. 11.
Omnis homo mendax.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #5's
Footnote reference #376
"He convinces the soul
that He alone is that Truth
which cannot lie,
thus demonstrating the meaning
of David's words in the psalm:
'Every man is a liar,' [376]"
Ps. cxv. 11.
Omnis homo mendax.'
1 I have loved, because the Lord will hear
the voice of my prayer.
5 The Lord is merciful and just,
and our God sheweth mercy.
6 The Lord is the keeper of little ones:
I was little and he delivered me.
7 Turn, O my soul, into thy rest:
for the Lord hath been bountiful to thee.
8 For he hath delivered my soul from death:
my eyes from tears, my feet from falling.
10 I have believed, therefore have I spoken;
but I have been humbled exceedingly.
11 I said in my excess:
Every man is a liar.
12 What shall I render to the Lord,
for all the things he hath rendered
unto me?
13 I will take the chalice of salvation;
and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
before all his people
[ Psalm 116 ]
_____________________
[377]
St. John xviii. 38:
Quid est veritas?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #5's
Footnote reference #377
"As I recall Pilate
and
how he besought our Lord in His Passion
to answer his question:
What is truth?' [377]
I realize how little mortals know
of that sublime veracity."
St. John xviii. 38:
Quid est veritas?
35 Pilate answered:
...what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered:
My kingdom is not of this world.
If my kingdom were of this world,
my servants would certainly strive
that I should not be delivered...
but now my kingdom is not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said to him:
Art thou a king then?
Jesus answered:
Thou sayest that I am a king.
For this was I born, and for this came
I into the world;
that I should give testimony to the truth.
Every one that is of the truth,
heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith to him: What is truth?
And when he said this, he went out again
...and saith to them: I find no cause in him
[ John 18 ]
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End of
Mansion 6 Chapter 10
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.
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