Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term:

Spiritual Marriage (Transforming Union)

A mutual, total surrender of love between the soul and God. In frequent actual unions, God communicates his secrets and love to the soul in a direct manner. Being so united with Christ she enters into and shares the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity.

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. Pg. 775

What is this holy person like? Fr. Thomas Dubay gives us some idea of what this person experiences:

*Complete self-forgetfulness


* Rejoices when ill-treated


* Great desire for the will of God to be done


* No fear of death


* No aridity in prayer


* No raptures (perhaps occasionally)


* Interior peace and calm
The Fire Within, Seventh Mansions, Pgs. 106-107
Our sister in Carmel, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, wrote extensively on the holy Indwelling of the Trinity in our soul and the Indwelling that she experienced in the spiritual marriage. If you are familiar with her writings you know that she desired to be a "Praise of Glory." Many people are intrigued by this concept and find it hard to understand. Below is her statement that describes it very simply. To be a "Praise of Glory" is to imitate Christ. Referring to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel she says:

"This Mother of grace will form my soul so that her little child will be a living, "striking" image of her first-born, the son of the Eternal, He who was the perfect praise of his Father's glory."

I began this post with a definition of Spiritual Marriage. A union in which the soul experiences a deep intimate life of the Blessed Trinity. This interior life of union with the Trinity is not hindered by fulfilling one's daily obligations. St. Teresa teaches us that the soul, although it does not understand how, is able to attend to the duties of business while remaining in complete union with the Trinity. Nothing disturbs this soul whom the Lord has brought to the beautiful and glorious seventh mansion.

The Lord gave our holy mother St. Teresa of Jesus the desire of her heart-Him alone! We may ask ourselves: How desperate am I for the Lord and His will, alone? As Secular Carmelites let us pray for each other and remain faithful to prayer, that the Lord may bless us with a deeper friendship. A friendship that reveals the secrets of the Beloved: his great love for each of us.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us!

Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS