The Interior Castle or The Mansions
S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
St. Teresa of Avila
Mansion 7 Chapter 1
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Mansion 7 Chapter 1
Chapter Contents
Treats
• Of The Sublime Favours
God Bestows On Souls
Which Have Entered
The Seventh Mansions.
• The Author Shows The Difference
She Believes To Exist
Between Soul And Spirit
Although They Are Both One.
This Chapter Contains
Some Noteworthy Things.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
1. Sublime mysteries of these mansions.
2. St. Teresa abashed
at treating such subjects.
3. Our Lord introduces His bride
into His presence chamber.
4. Darkness of a soul in mortal sin.
5. Intercession for sinners.
6. The soul an interior world.
7. The spiritual nuptials.
8. Former favours differ
from spiritual nuptials.
9. The Blessed Trinity revealed
to the soul.
10. Permanence of Its presence
in the soul.
11. The effects.
12. This presence is not always
equally realized.
13. It is beyond the soul's control.
14. The centre of the soul remains calm.
15. The soul and the spirit
distinct though united.
16. The soul and its faculties not identical.
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Mansion 7 Chapter 1
CHAPTER I
1. Sublime mysteries of these mansions.
1.
You may think, sisters,
that so much has been said
of this spiritual journey
that nothing remains to be added.
That would be a great mistake:
God's immensity has no limits,
neither have His works;
Therefore, who can recount
His mercies and His greatness? [392]
It is impossible,
so do not be amazed
at what I write about them
which is but a cipher
of what remains untold concerning God.
He has shown great mercy
in communicating these mysteries to one
who could recount them to us,
For as we learn more
of His intercourse with creatures,
we ought
to praise Him more fervently
and
to esteem more highly the soul
in which He so delights.
Each of us possesses a soul
but we do not realize its value
as made in the image of God,
therefore we fail to understand
the important secrets it contains.
May His Majesty be pleased
to guide my pen
and
to teach me to say somewhat
of the much there is to tell
of His revelations to the souls
He leads into this mansion.
I have begged Him earnestly to help me,
since He sees that my object
is to reveal His mercies
for the praise and glory of His name.
I hope He will grant this favour,
if not for my own sake,
at least for yours, sisters--
so that you may discover
how vital it is for you
to put no obstacle in the way
of the Spiritual Marriage
of the Bridegroom with your soul
which brings,
as you will learn,
such signal blessings with it.
2. St. Teresa abashed
at treating such subjects.
2.
O great God!
Surely such a miserable creature as myself
should tremble at the thought of speaking
on such a subject so far beyond anything
I deserve to understand.
Indeed I felt abashed and doubted
whether it would not be better
to finish writing about this Mansion
in a few words,
lest people might imagine
that I am recounting my personal experience.
I was overwhelmed with shame
for, knowing what I am,
it is a terrible undertaking.
On the other hand,
this fear seemed
but a temptation and weakness:
Even if I should be misjudged,
so long as God is
but a little better praised and known,
let all the world revile me.
Besides,
I may be dead before this book is seen.
May He Who
lives
and
shall live to all eternity be praised!
Amen.
3. Our Lord introduces His bride
into His presence chamber.
3.
When our Lord is pleased
to take pity on the sufferings,
both past and present,
endured through her longing for Him
by this soul
which He has spiritually taken
for His bride,
He,
before consummating
the celestial marriage,
brings her into this His mansion
or presence chamber.
This is the Seventh Mansion,
for as He has a dwelling-place in heaven,
so has He in the soul,
where none but He may abide
and
which may be termed a second heaven.
4. Darkness of a soul in mortal sin.
4.
It is important, sisters,
that we should not fancy
the soul to be in darkness.
As we are accustomed to believe
there is no light
but that which is exterior,
we imagine that the soul is wrapt in obscurity.
This is indeed the case
with a soul out of the state of grace, [393]
not, however,
through any defer in the Sun of Justice
which remains within it
and gives it being,
but the soul itself is incapable
of receiving the light,
as I think I said in speaking
of the first Mansion. [394]
A certain person was given to understand
that such unfortunate souls are,
as it were,
imprisoned in a gloomy dungeon,
chained hand and foot
and
unable to perform any meritorious action:
they are also both blind and dumb.
Well may we pity them
when we reflect
- that we ourselves were once
in the same state
and
- that God may show them mercy also.
5. Intercession for sinners.
5.
Let us, then, sisters,
be most zealous in interceding for them
and
never neglect it.
To pray for a soul in mortal sin
is a far more profitable form of almsgiving
than it would be to help a Christian
whom we saw
with hands strongly fettered
behind his back,
tied to a post
and
dying of hunger--
not for want of food,
because plenty of the choicest delicacies
lay near him,
but because he was unable
to put them into his mouth,
although he was extremely exhausted
and
on the point of dying,
and
that not a temporal death,
but an eternal one.
Would it not be extremely cruel of us
to stand looking at him,
and give him nothing to eat?
What if by your prayers
you could loose his bonds?
Now you understand.
6. The soul an interior world.
6.
For the love of God,
I implore you
constantly to remember in your prayers
souls in a like case.
We are not speaking now of them
but of others who, by the mercy of God,
have done penance for their sins
and
are in a state of grace.
You must not think of the soul
as insignificant and petty
but as an interior world
containing the number of beautiful mansions
you have seen;
as indeed it should,
since in the centre of the soul
there is a mansion reserved
for God Himself.
7. The spiritual nuptials.
7.
When His Majesty deigns to bestow
on the soul
the grace of these divine nuptials,
He
- brings it into His presence chamber
and
- does not treat it as before,
when He put it into a trance.
I believe He then united it to Himself,
as also during the prayer of union;
But then
- only the superior part was affected
and
- the soul did not feel called
to enter its own centre
as it does in this mansion.
Here it matters little
whether it is in the one way or the other.
8. Former favours differ
from spiritual nuptials.
8.
In the former favours,
our Lord
- unites the spirit to Himself
and
- makes it both blind and dumb
like St. Paul after his conversion, [395]
thus preventing its knowing
whence or how it enjoys this grace,
for the supreme delight of the spirit is
to realize its nearness to God.
During the actual moment of divine union,
the soul feels nothing,
all its powers being entirely lost.
But now, He acts differently:
Our pitiful God
- removes the scales from its eyes [396]
- letting it see and understand somewhat
of the grace received
in a strange and wonderful manner
in this mansion
by means of intellectual vision.
9. The Blessed Trinity revealed to the soul.
9.
By some mysterious manifestation
of the truth,
the three Persons
of the most Blessed Trinity
reveal themselves,
preceded by an illumination
which shines on the spirit
like a most dazzling cloud of light. [397]
The three Persons are distinct
from one another;
A sublime knowledge is infused into the soul,
imbuing it with a certainty of the truth
that the Three
- are of one
substance, power, and knowledge
and
- are one God.
Thus that which we hold
as a doctrine of faith,
the soul now, so to speak,
understands by sight,
though it beholds the Blessed Trinity
neither by the eyes of the body
nor of the soul,
this being no imaginary vision.
All the Three Persons here
- communicate Themselves to the soul,
- speak to it
and
- make it understand the words of our Lord
in the Gospel
that He and the Father and the Holy Ghost
will come and make their abode
with the soul which
loves Him
and
keeps His commandments. [398]
10. Permanence of Its presence
in the soul.
10.
O my God,
how different from
merely hearing and believing these words
is it to realize their truth in this way!
Day by day a growing astonishment
takes possession of this soul,
for the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity
seem never to depart;
It sees with certainty,
in the way I have described,
that They dwell
far within its own centre and depths;
Though for want of learning
it cannot describe
how, it is conscious of the indwelling
of these divine Companions.
11. The effects.
11.
You may fancy
You may fancy
- that such a person is beside herself
and
- that her mind is too inebriated
to care for anything else.
On the contrary,
she is far more active than before
in all that concerns God's service,
and
when at leisure,
she enjoys this blessed companionship.
Unless she first deserts God,
I believe He will never cease
to make her clearly sensible
of His presence:
of His presence:
She feels confident,
as indeed she may,
that He will never so fail her
as to allow her to lose this favour
after once bestowing it;
At the same time,
she is more careful than before
to avoid offending Him in any way.
12. This presence is not always
equally realized.
12.
This presence is not always
so entirely realized,
that is, so distinctly manifest,
as at first,
or
as it is at times
when God renews this favour,
otherwise the recipient could
not possibly attend to anything else
nor live in society.
not possibly attend to anything else
nor live in society.
Although not always seen
by so clear a light,
yet whenever she reflects on it
she feels the companionship
of the Blessed Trinity.
This is as if,
when we were with other people
in a very well lighted room,
some one were to darken it
by closing the shutters;
We should feel certain
that the others were still there,
though we were unable to see them.
[399]
[399]
13. It is beyond the soul's control.
13.
You may ask:
'Could she not bring back the light
and see them again?' [400]
This is not in her power;
When our Lord chooses,
He will open the shutters
of the understanding:
He shows her great mercy
in never quitting her
and
in making her realize it so clearly.
His divine Majesty seems
to be preparing His bride
for greater things
by this divine companionship
which clearly
- helps perfection in every way
and
- makes her lose the fear
she sometimes felt
she sometimes felt
when other graces were granted her.
14. The centre of the soul remains calm.
14.
A certain person so favoured
found she had improved in all virtues:
Whatever were her trials or labours,
the centre of her soul seemed
never moved from its resting-place.
Thus,
in a manner her soul appeared divided:
A short time after God had done her
this favour,
while undergoing great sufferings,
she complained of her soul
as Martha did of Mary, [401]
reproaching it with enjoying solitary peace
while leaving her so full
of troubles and occupations
that she could not keep it company.
15. The soul and the spirit
distinct though united.
15.
This may seem extravagant to you, daughters,
yet though the soul is known to be undivided,
it is fact and no fancy and often happens.
Interior effects show for certain
that there is a positive difference
between the soul and the spirit,
although they are one with each other. [402]
There is an extremely subtle distinction
between them,
so that sometimes they seem to act
in a different manner from one another,
as does the knowledge given to them by God.
16. The soul and its faculties not identical.
16.
It also appears to me
that the soul and its faculties are not identical.
There are so many and such transcendental
mysteries within us,
that it would be presumption for me
to attempt to explain them.
If by God's mercy we enter heaven,
we shall understand these secrets.
Foot Notes:
[392]
Ps. cxliv. 3:
Magnitudinis ejus non est finis.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #1's
Footnote reference #392
"God's immensity has no limits,
neither have His works;
Therefore, who can recount
His mercies and His greatness? [392] "
Ps. cxliv. 3
Magnitudinis ejus non est finis
Great is the Lord, and
greatly to be praised:
and of his greatness there is no end.
[ Psalm 144 (145): 3 )
_____________________
[393]
See the Saint's description of a soul
in the state of sin,
Rel, iii. 13. (towards the end).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #4's
Footnote reference #393
"we imagine that the soul
is wrapt in obscurity.
(darkness)
This is indeed the case
with a soul out of the state of grace, [393]"
Rel, iii. 13
He showed me also
the condition of a soul in sin,
utterly powerless,
like a person tied and bound and blindfold,
who, though anxious to see,
yet cannot,
being unable to walk or to hear, and
in grievous obscurity.
I was so exceedingly sorry
for such souls,
that to deliver only one,
any trouble seemed to me light.
I thought it impossible for any one
who saw this as I saw it,
- and I can hardly explain it,-
willingly to forfeit so great a good or
continue in so evil a state.
[ Relation 3: #13 ]
_____________________
[394] Supra, M. i, ch. ii. 1.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #4's
Footnote reference #394
"not, however,
through any defer in the Sun of Justice
which remains within it
and gives it being,
but the soul itself is incapable
of receiving the light,
as I think I said in speaking
of the first Mansion. [394]"
Supra, M. i, ch. ii. 1
I wish you to consider the state
to which mortal sin brings...
Suffice it to say
that the sun
in the centre of the soul,
which gave it such
splendour and beauty,
is totally eclipsed...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 1: Ch2: # 1]
While the soul is in mortal sin,
nothing can profit it;
none of its good works merit
an eternal reward,
since they do not proceed from God
as their first principle,
and
by Him alone
is our virtue real virtue.
The soul, separated from Him,
is no longer pleasing in His eyes,
because by committing a mortal sin,
instead of seeking to please God,
it prefers to gratify the devil,
the prince of darkness...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 1: Ch2: # 2]
_____________________
[395]
Acts ix. 8:
Surrexit autem Saulus de terra,
apertisque oculis nihil videbat.'
There is, however, nothing to imply
that he was dumb as well as blind.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #8's
Footnote reference #395
"In the former favours,
our Lord
- unites the spirit to Himself
and
- makes it both blind and dumb
like St. Paul after his conversion,
[395]
thus preventing its knowing
whence or how it enjoys this grace,
for the supreme delight of the spirit is
to realize its nearness to God.
Acts ix. 8
Surrexit autem Saulus de terra,
apertisque oculis nihil videbat.'
And Saul arose from the ground;
and when his eyes were opened,
he saw nothing.
[ Acts 9: 8 ]
3 And as he went on his journey...and
suddenly a light from heaven shined
round about him.
4 And falling on the ground,
he heard a voice saying to him:
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 Who said: Who art thou, Lord?
And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
6 And he trembling and astonished, said:
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
7 And the Lord said to him:
Arise, and go into the city, and there it
shall be told thee what thou must do...
8And Saul arose from the ground;
and when his eyes were opened,
he saw nothing.
[ Acts 9: 3-8 ]
_____________________
[396]
Acts ix. 18:
Et confestim ceciderunt ab oculis ejus
tamquam squamae, et visum recepit.'
Way of Perf.. ch. xxviii. 11.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #8's
Footnote reference #396
"But now, He acts differently:
our pitiful God
- removes the scales from its eyes [396]
- letting it see and understand somewhat
of the grace received"
Acts ix. 18:
Et confestim ceciderunt ab oculis ejus
tamquam squamae,
et visum recepit.'
And immediately there fell from his eyes
as it were scales,
and he received his sight;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf.. ch. xxviii. 11.
11. How wonderful it is
that He Who by His immensity
could fill a thousand worlds
should enclose Himself
within so narrow a compass!"
...
At first, lest the soul should feel dismayed
at seeing that a thing so petty as itself
can contain One Who is infinite,
He does not manifest Himself
until, by degrees, He has dilated it
as far as is requisite for it to contain all
that He intends to infuse into it.
[Way of Perfection: Ch. 28: #11]
_____________________
[397]
Rel. iii. 6;
v. 6-8;
Rel. viii. 20, 21;
Rel. ix. 12, 17, 19.
Deposition by Fr. Giles Gonzalez, S.J.,
Provincial of Old Castile,
afterwards Assistant--General in Rome:
While the holy Mother lived at the convent
of the Incarnation of Avila [as prioress],
I often spoke with her,
and once I remember she asked me:
"What am I to do, Father?
Whenever I recollect myself I realize
that already in this life the Three Persons
of the Blessed Trinity may be seen,
and that They accompany me and
assist me in the management
of my affairs."
(Fuente, Obras, vol. vi. p. 280.)
'Dona Maria Enriquez, Duchess of Alva,
said that St. Teresa made known to her
many revelations she had received
from our Lord, and
that she (the duchess) held
in her possession
three paintings of the Blessed Trinity
made according to the description
of the holy Mother,
who, while they were being done,
effaced with her own hand
those portions which the painter failed
to design conformably to the vision
she had had.'
(Fuente, l.c. p. 297.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #9's
Footnote reference #397
"By some mysterious manifestation
of the truth,
the three Persons
of the most Blessed Trinity
reveal themselves,
preceded by an illumination
which shines on the spirit
like a most dazzling cloud of light. [397]"
Rel. iii. 6;
The fire began to kindle in my soul, and
I saw, as it seemed to me,
the most Holy Trinity
distinctly present
in an intellectual vision,
whereby my soul understood
through a certain representation,
as a figure of the truth,
so far as my dullness could understand,
how God is Three and One;
and thus it seemed to me
that all the Three Persons spoke to me,
that They were distinctly present
in my soul,
saying unto me
"that from that day forth
I should see
- that my soul had grown better
in three ways,
and
- that each one of the Three Persons
had bestowed on me a distinct grace,
--in charity,
in suffering joyfully,
in a sense of that charity
in my soul,
accompanied with fervour."
I learnt the meaning of those words
of our Lord,
that the Three Divine Persons
will dwell in the soul
that is in a state of grace.
[ Relation 3: # 6 ]
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. v. 6-8;
after seeing in a vision
the most Holy Trinity, and
how It is present in a soul
in a state of grace.
I understood the mystery most clearly,
in such a way
that, after a certain fashion and comparisons,
I saw It in an imaginary vision.
And though at other times
I have seen the most Holy Trinity
in an intellectual vision,
[ Relation 5: # 6 ]
Three distinct Persons
each one
by Himself visible, and
by Himself speaking. [674]
And afterwards I have been thinking
that the Son alone took human flesh,
whereby this truth is known.
The Persons
love,
communicate, and
know
Themselves.
Then,
if each one is by Himself,
how can we say
that the Three are one Essence,
and so believe?
That is a most deep truth,
and I would die for it a thousand times.
In the Three Persons
there is but
one will and
one power and
one might;
neither can One be without Another:
so that of all created things
there is but one sole Creator.
Could the Son create an ant
without the Father?
No; because the power is all one.
The same is to be said
of the Holy Ghost.
Thus,
there is one God Almighty, and
the Three Persons are one Majesty.
Is it possible
to love the Father
without loving
the Son and the Holy Ghost?
No;
for he who shall
please One of the Three
pleases the Three Persons;
and he who shall offend One
offends All.
Can the Father be
without the Son and
without the Holy Ghost?
No;
for They are one substance, and
where One is
there are the Three;
for they cannot be divided.
How, then, is it
that we see
the Three Persons distinct? and
how is it that the Son,
not the Father,
nor the Holy Ghost,
took human flesh?
This is what I have never understood;
theologians know it.
[ Relation 5: # 8 ]
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. viii. 20, 21;
I see clearly
that the Persons are distinct...
only I
saw nothing, and
heard nothing...
But there is a strange certainty about it,
though the eyes of the soul see nothing;
and when the presence is withdrawn,
that withdrawal is felt.
[ Relation 8: # 20 ]
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. ix. 12, 17, 19.
"the Three Persons
of the most Holy Trinity,
whom I have always imprinted
in my soul,
are One.
This was revealed
in a representation so strange, and
in a light so clear,
that the impression made upon me
was very different
from that which I have by faith.
From that time forth
I have never been able to think
of One of the Three Divine Persons
without thinking of the Three;
so that to-day, when I was considering
how,
the Three being One,
the Son alone took our flesh upon Him,
our Lord showed me how, though
They are One,
They are also distinct.
[ Relation 9: # 12 ]
I was once recollected
in that companionship
which I ever have in my soul,
and it seemed to me
that God was present therein
in such a way
that I remembered how St. Peter said:
"Thou art Christ,
the Son of the living God;"
for the living God was in my soul.
This is not like other visions,
for it overpowers faith;
so that
it is impossible to doubt
of the indwelling of the Trinity
in our souls,
by presence, power, and essence.
[ Relation 9: # 17 ]
Once, with that presence
of the Three Persons
which I have in my soul,
I was in light so clear
that no doubt of the presence
of the true and living God
was possible;
and
I then came to the knowledge of things
which afterwards I could not speak of.
One of these things was,
how the person of the Son only
took human flesh.
[ Relation 9: # 19 ]
_____________________
[398]
St. John xiv. 23:
Si quis diligit me,
sermonem meum servabit,
et Pater meus diliget eum,
et ad eum veniemus,
et mansionem apud eum faciemus.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #9's
Footnote reference #398
"All the Three Persons here
- communicate Themselves to the soul,
- speak to it
and
- make it understand the words of our Lord
in the Gospel
that He and the Father
and the Holy Ghost
will come and make their abode
with the soul which
loves Him
and
keeps His commandments. [398]"
St. John xiv. 23:
Si quis diligit me,
sermonem meum servabit,
et Pater meus diliget eum,
et ad eum veniemus,
et mansionem apud eum faciemus.'
If any one love me,
he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him,
and will make our abode with him.
[ John: 14: 23 ]
_____________________
[399]
One of the Saint's favourite comparisons.
See Life, ch. xxvii. 7.
Castle, M. vi. ch. viii. 3.
Rel. vii. 26.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #12's
Footnote reference #399
"...she feels the companionship
of the Blessed Trinity.
"This is as if,
when we were with other people
in a very well lighted room,
some one were to darken it
by closing the shutters;
We should feel certain
that the others were still there,
though we were unable to see them.
[399] "
Life, ch. xxvii. 7.
...If a person
whom I had never seen,
but of whom I had heard,
came to speak to me,
and I were blind or in the dark, and
told me who he was,
I should believe him;
...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:
not so much even;
for very often there arises a suspicion
that we have imagined things
we think we see;
but here,
though there may be a suspicion
in the first instant,
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...
[ Life: Ch. 27: #7 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Castle, M. vi. ch. viii. 3.
3... her confessor...asked her
how, if she saw nothing,
she knew that our Lord was near her...
She said that she
was unable to do so,
nor could she see His face
nor tell more than she had already done,
but that she was sure
- it was the fact
that it was He Who spoke to her
and
- it was no trick of her imagination
...she found it impossible
to disbelieve in it,
especially when she heard the words:
It is I, be not afraid'
4...She felt much encouraged
and
rejoiced at being in such good company,
seeing that this favour greatly helped her to
a constant recollection of God
and
an extreme care not to displease
in any way Him
Who seemed ever by her side,
watching her.
Whenever she desired to speak
to His Majesty in prayer,
or even at other times,
He seemed so close
that He could not fail to hear her
though He did not speak to her
whenever she wished,
but unexpectedly,
when necessity arose.
She was conscious of His being
at her right hand,
although not in the way
we know an ordinary person
to be beside us
but in a more subtle manner
which cannot be described.
Yet this presence is quite
as evident and certain...
[ Interior Castle: Mansion 6: Ch. 8: #3]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. vii. 26.
As for the vision....
she sees nothing
either outwardly or inwardly,
for the vision is not imaginary:
but, without seeing anything,
she understands
what it is, and
where it is,
more clearly than if she saw it,
only nothing in particular
presents itself to her.
She is like a person
who feels that another
is close beside her;
but because she is in the dark s
he sees him not,
yet is certain
that he is there present.
Still, this comparison is not exact;
for he, who is in the dark...
through
hearing a noise or
having seen that person before,
knows he is there,
or knew it before;
but here
there is nothing of the kind,
for without a word,
inward or outward,
the soul clearly perceives
who it is,
where he is, and occasionally
what he means.
[ Relation 7: #26 ]
_____________________
[400]
'Though the soul be always
in the high estate of marriage
since God has placed it there,
nevertheless, actual union in all its powers
is not continuous,
though the substantial union is.
In this substantial union,
the powers of the soul
are most frequently in union, and
drink of His cellar,
the understanding by knowledge,
the will by love, etc.
We are not therefore to suppose
that the soul,
when saying it went out,
has ceased from its substantial or essential
union with God,
but only from the union of its faculties,
which is not, and cannot be,
permanent in this life.'
(St. John of the Cross,
Spiritual Canticle,
stanza xxvi. 9.
On the words:
In the inner cellar of my Beloved
have I drunk, and
when I went forth').
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #13's
Footnote reference #400
"You may ask:
'Could she not bring back the light
and see them again?' [400]
This is not in her power;
When our Lord chooses,
He will open the shutters
of the understanding: "
_____________________
[401]
St. Luke x. 40.
Excl. v. 2, 3.
Way of Perf. ch. xv. 4;
xxxi. 4.
Rel. viii. 6.
Concept. ch. vii. 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #14's
Footnote reference #401
"Whatever were her trials or labours,
the centre of her soul seemed
never moved from its resting-place.
Thus,
in a manner her soul appeared divided:
A short time after God had done her
this favour,
while undergoing great sufferings,
she complained of her soul
as Martha did of Mary, [401]
reproaching it with enjoying solitary peace
while leaving her so full
of troubles and occupations
that she could not keep it company."
St. Luke x. 40.
38 "...a certain woman named Martha,
received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary,
who sitting also at the Lord's feet,
heard his word.
40 But Martha was busy about much
serving. Who stood and said:
Lord, hast thou no care that my sister
hath left me alone to serve?
speak to her therefore, that she help me.
41 And the Lord answering, said to her:
Martha, Martha, thou art careful,
and art troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is necessary.
Mary hath chosen the best part,
which shall not be taken away from her.
[ Luke 10:40 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Excl. v. 2, 3.
2. Sometimes I think of the holy woman,
Martha's complaint ;
she was not merely blaming her sister,
but I am convinced that
what she felt most keenly
was the thought that Thou didst
not care for her labours,
nor wish to have her near Thee.
Perhaps she thought Thou hadst less love
for her than for her sister,
which would have tried her more
than labouring for the Lord
Who was so dear that work for Him was
but a pleasure.
This seems clear, since she addressed Thee,
and not her sister Mary :
but, Lord, her love emboldened her to ask
Thee why Thou hadst no care for her.
3.Thine answer shows
that love alone gives value to our actions
— that "the one thing necessary"
is to possess a love so strong
that it cannot leave Thee.
But, my God,
how can we obtain a love worthy
of our Beloved,
unless Thy love for us be united to it ?
Shall I make the same complaint
as this saintly woman ?
4.Ah, I have no cause for that,
having ever found in my God
greater and stronger proofs of tenderness
than I have known how to ask
or even to desire.
— Were I to complain, it could only be
that Thy mercy has borne with me too long.
— What request can so miserable a wretch
as myself make of Thee,
save that of St. Augustine:
" that Thou wilt give me
what to give to Thee,"
to repay somewhat of the heavy debt
I owe Thee :
that Thou
wilt remember I am the work
of Thy hands,
and
wilt teach me to know Thee,
my Creator,
so that I may love Thee.
[ Minor Works Of St. Teresa
Exclamations, Maxims And Poems
Of Saint Teresa Of Jesus
Exclamations, or Meditations
of the Soul on its God: 5: #2-3-4
Translation:
The Benedictines Of Stanbrook ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. ch. xv. 4;
We shall never reach
the summit of perfection
unless we come to understand
what is the great reality,
and
what is of no account.
Were there no other gain
but the shame felt by your accuser
at seeing that you permit yourselves
to be unjustly condemned,
it would be very great...
We must all strive to preach by our deeds
since the Apostle and our own incapacity
forbid our doing so, by .word of mouth.
....And can you fancy
that if you do not defend yourselves,
no one else will take your part?
See how our Lord answered...
when her sister blamed her.
He will not treat you with such rigour
as He kept for Himself.
He did not permit even the thief
to speak in His defence
until He hung upon the cross.
When there is need,
His Majesty will find you an advocate:
if not, it will be
because you do not require one.
[ Way of Perfection: Ch. 15: # 4
Translation: Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way of Perf. ch xxxi. 4.
Occasionally during
the prayer of quiet God
bestows on the soul another grace ...
When the quiet is great and lasts long,
I think the will must be held fast...
or such peace could not be protracted.
...it lasts for one or two days.
...They are conscious
that their attention is not entirely given
to what ever they may be doing,
but that the chief factor
that is, the will is wanting.
I believe that it is united to God,
leaving the other powers
(Intellect, memory/imagination)
free to attend to His service.
The latter are more apt than ever for this
but are dull and at times even
imbecile concerning worldly affairs.
God grants a great favour to these souls,
for the contemplative and active life
are here combined.
Thus the whole being serves Him,
for the will, while rapt in contemplation,
works without knowing how,
and
the other two powers
share Martha's labour;
thus Martha and Mary toil together.
...
From the soul's feeling
such entire satisfaction
I believe that during most of the time
the prayer of quiet lasts,
the will must be united to Him
Who alone can satisfy it.
[ Way of Perfection: Ch. 31: # 4
Translation: Benedictines of Stanbrook ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rel. viii. 6.
Sometimes, and even often,
the soul is aware
that the will alone is in union;
...The will is wholly intent upon God...
and at the same time
the two other faculties
are at liberty
to attend to other matters
of the service of God,
--in a word,
Martha and Mary are together...
[ Relation 8: #6 ]
When all the faculties of the soul
are in union,
it is a very different state of things;
for they can then do nothing whatever,
because
the understanding is surprised...
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, if it be real, is, in my opinion,
the greatest grace
wrought by our Lord
on this spiritual road,
-- at least, it is one of the greates
[ Relation 8: #7 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concept. ch. vii. 4.
Regarding the Canticle of Canticles:
"...Draw me:
we will run after thee to the odour
of thy ointments.
The king hath brought me
into his storerooms
[ Canticle of Canticles 1: 4 ]
4 He brought me into the cellar of wine,
he set in order charity in me.
5 Stay me up with flowers,
compass me about with apples:
because I languish with love.
[ Canticle of Canticles 2: 4-5 ]
~ ~
3. "...'Stay me up with flowers ! '
These blossoms have a very different
perfume from those of the world.
4. I understand by this
that the Bride is begging
that she may perform great works
in the service of God and her neighbour,
for the sake of which she gladly forfeits
her own joys and consolations.
This appears proper rather to the active
than to the contemplative life, and
apparently she would lose rather than gain
by her prayer being granted ;
yet when the soul has reached this state,
Martha and Mary always act together ...
For the soul takes its part
in the outward actions
which seem merely exterior,
and
which, when they spring from this root,
are lovely, odoriferous flowers growing
on the tree of a love for God
solely for His own sake,
unmixed with self-interest.
The perfume of these blossoms
is wafted to a distance,
blessing many souls, and it is lasting,
for it does not pass away
without working great good."
[ Minor Works of St. Teresa
Exclamations, Maxims And Poems
Of Saint Teresa Of Jesus
Conceptions Of The Love Of God
Ch. 7: #3- 4
Translation:
The Benedictines Of Stanbrook ]
_____________________
[402]
Life, ch. xviii. 4.
The distinction between soul and spirit,
to be found in the
Epistle to the Hebrews, iv. 12,
according to Cornelius a Lapide (ad loc.)
consists in this,
that the term, soul, comprises the
faculties,
senses, and
passions,
whereas the term, spirit, denotes the
substance of the soul
independently of its powers.
In the inferior degrees of the Mystical life,
God operates through the faculties,
while in the Mystical marriage,
He acts directly
on the substance of the soul.
St. Teresa is not quite consistent
in the use of these terms,
which is not surprising,
as she owns that she does not
quite understand this subtle distinction.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blog Addition:
Regarding Paragraph #15's
Footnote reference #402
"Interior effects show for certain
that there is a positive difference
between the soul and the spirit,
although they are one with each other.
[402]
There is an extremely subtle distinction
between them,
so that sometimes they seem to act
in a different manner from one another,
as does the knowledge given to them
by God."
Life, ch. xviii. 4.
How this, which we call union,
is effected, and
what it is, I cannot tell.
Mystical theology explains it, and
- I do not know the terms of that science;
- nor can I understand what the mind is,
nor how it differs from the soul
or the spirit either:
all three seem to me but one;
though I do know that
the soul sometimes leaps forth
out of itself,
like a fire that is burning
and is become a flame;
and occasionally this fire
increases violently--
the flame ascends high above the fire;
but it is not therefore a different thing:
it is still the same flame of the same fire...
[ Life: Ch. 18: #4 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This Foot Note seems to refer to:
"The Great Commentary"
by Cornelius A. Lapide
a many-volumed Bible Commentary.
Epistle to the Hebrews, iv. 12,
Let us hasten therefore
to enter into that rest;
lest any man fall into the same example
of unbelief.
12
For the word of God
is
living and effectual, and
more piercing than any two edged sword;
and reaching unto the division
of the soul and the spirit,
of the joints also and the marrow,
and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart.
[Hebrews 4: 11-12 ]
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End of
Mansion 7 Chapter 1
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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