Our secular Carmelite community recently finished our study of St. Teresa' s Interior Castle. For those of you that have been following the series, here is the final installment. I hope you were blessed by the posts.
In previous chapters, St. Teresa emphasized that love is not idle, and that consolation in prayer is given to the soul to strengthen it for service to God and neighbor.
According to mystical theologians, spiritual marriage or transforming union is the final goal of mystical union, which prepares the soul for the Beatific Vision.
The chief characteristics of spiritual marriage according to Fr. Tanquerey in the Spirtual Life (Pg. 691):
1. Intimacy-Persons who are united in marriage no longer have any secrets; there is a blending of two lives.
2. Serenity-Few ecstasies or raptures. The soul experiences deep interior peace. The peace experienced by married persons who are certain of each other’s love.
3. Indissolubility-The union is permanent, just like the bond of Christian marriage.
The saints were not idle in this transforming union. St. Therese is a good example of this. Even though she lived in a monastery and never left the cloister, she wanted to be a missionary to spread the Gospel to all parts of the world. This is not the desire of an idle heart! The saints experience deep, passionate love of God and neighbor and they needed to find an outlet for this deep love.
We are in the “Year for Priests.” And this brings to mind the great contemplative: St. John Vianney. Many people may not think of him as a contemplative, but he had a great desire for constant prayer that was always hindered by pilgrims flocking to him. He spent 17 hours a day in the confessional. He had to say Mass and teach catechism, little time was left for sleeping or eating. If he wanted to spend time in prayer, he rose very early in the morning to be alone with Jesus before the tabernacle.
As Carmelites who are called to quiet prayer, we must challenge ourselves to ask how much time we are
wasting on other activities instead of choosing God in prayer. The minimum required of us is ½ hour.
How do we spend the rest of our waking hours? Remember, the symbolism of the nightingale-a bird that sings at night? Are we ready to give up a little sleep to spend time with God like St. John Vianney, like St. John of the Cross or St. Teresa? Are we ready to give up any other distraction or pleasure to spend extra time in quiet prayer? Let us pray for each other that we become detached from earthly pleasures and and have a great desire for prayer.
Our desire or lack of desire for holiness is the key. If we desire holiness, but are weak in our efforts to pray,we must sincerely ask God to increase in us a great desire to pray. We can turn to Our Lady to obtain this favor for us.
Extraordinary Phenomena:
Locutions: (see previous post) Scroll down to labels, click on "locutions"
Flight of the Spirit
*Cannot be resisted
*Body may accompany soul and be carried away
*It’s a powerful impulse from God
*May frighten the soul
Corporeal Visions:
*Seen with the eyes-through the senses
*Least reliable of all visions
*St. Teresa never experienced this type of vision
Imaginative Visions
*Superior to corporeal visions
*Not produced by human effort
*Not “imagined” by the person-perceived by the inner senses
*Gives Particular knowledge of God
*Image is “alive”
*Image appears like lightning
-when you try to gaze on image longer, the vision disappears
no control over the vision
*When vision ceases, soul feels alone
*Vision may be of Jesus, BVM, or some saint
*Prepares the soul to become better servant
Intellectual Visions
*Superior to other visions
*Vision does not come through senses which are easily deceived.
*Seen by intellect alone
*May come unannounced
*Soul does not desire them
*Soul may “feel” Our Lord near them
*No doubt about this vision
*Does not pass quickly-may last days or years
*Ecstasy may accompany vision
*Helps soul to constantly remember God
Admonition from St. Teresa: If you have reached the higher mansions-Do not grow careless or become too confident
Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
_____________________
Sixth and Seventh Mansions
Near the end of the 7th Mansion, St. Teresa makes a statement that sums up what she has been telling us all along: This is the reason for prayer, my daughters, the purpose of this spiritual marriage; the birth always of good works, good works.
In previous chapters, St. Teresa emphasized that love is not idle, and that consolation in prayer is given to the soul to strengthen it for service to God and neighbor.
According to mystical theologians, spiritual marriage or transforming union is the final goal of mystical union, which prepares the soul for the Beatific Vision.
The chief characteristics of spiritual marriage according to Fr. Tanquerey in the Spirtual Life (Pg. 691):
2. Serenity-Few ecstasies or raptures. The soul experiences deep interior peace. The peace experienced by married persons who are certain of each other’s love.
3. Indissolubility-The union is permanent, just like the bond of Christian marriage.
The saints were not idle in this transforming union. St. Therese is a good example of this. Even though she lived in a monastery and never left the cloister, she wanted to be a missionary to spread the Gospel to all parts of the world. This is not the desire of an idle heart! The saints experience deep, passionate love of God and neighbor and they needed to find an outlet for this deep love.
We are in the “Year for Priests.” And this brings to mind the great contemplative: St. John Vianney. Many people may not think of him as a contemplative, but he had a great desire for constant prayer that was always hindered by pilgrims flocking to him. He spent 17 hours a day in the confessional. He had to say Mass and teach catechism, little time was left for sleeping or eating. If he wanted to spend time in prayer, he rose very early in the morning to be alone with Jesus before the tabernacle.
As Carmelites who are called to quiet prayer, we must challenge ourselves to ask how much time we are
wasting on other activities instead of choosing God in prayer. The minimum required of us is ½ hour.
How do we spend the rest of our waking hours? Remember, the symbolism of the nightingale-a bird that sings at night? Are we ready to give up a little sleep to spend time with God like St. John Vianney, like St. John of the Cross or St. Teresa? Are we ready to give up any other distraction or pleasure to spend extra time in quiet prayer? Let us pray for each other that we become detached from earthly pleasures and and have a great desire for prayer.
Our desire or lack of desire for holiness is the key. If we desire holiness, but are weak in our efforts to pray,we must sincerely ask God to increase in us a great desire to pray. We can turn to Our Lady to obtain this favor for us.
Extraordinary Phenomena:
Locutions: (see previous post) Scroll down to labels, click on "locutions"
Flight of the Spirit
*Cannot be resisted
*Body may accompany soul and be carried away
*It’s a powerful impulse from God
*May frighten the soul
Corporeal Visions:
*Seen with the eyes-through the senses
*Least reliable of all visions
*St. Teresa never experienced this type of vision
Imaginative Visions
*Superior to corporeal visions
*Not produced by human effort
*Not “imagined” by the person-perceived by the inner senses
*Gives Particular knowledge of God
*Image is “alive”
*Image appears like lightning
-when you try to gaze on image longer, the vision disappears
no control over the vision
*When vision ceases, soul feels alone
*Vision may be of Jesus, BVM, or some saint
*Prepares the soul to become better servant
Intellectual Visions
*Superior to other visions
*Vision does not come through senses which are easily deceived.
*Seen by intellect alone
*May come unannounced
*Soul does not desire them
*Soul may “feel” Our Lord near them
*No doubt about this vision
*Does not pass quickly-may last days or years
*Ecstasy may accompany vision
*Helps soul to constantly remember God
Admonition from St. Teresa: If you have reached the higher mansions-Do not grow careless or become too confident
Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
_____________________
