CARMELITE SAINT OF THE DAY

CARMELITE SAINT OF THE DAY:
St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

Photo: R. Massaro (C)2017 Spirit Singing- Regina Health Center Richfield, Ohio

 In sum, my Sisters, what I conclude with is that we shouldn't build castles in the air. The Lord doesn't look so much at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done. And if we do what we can, His Majesty will enable us each day to do more and more, provided that we do not quickly tire. But during the little while this life lasts--and perhaps it will last a shorter time than each one thinks--let us offer the Lord interiorly and exteriorly the sacrifice we can. His Majesty will join it with that which He offered on the cross to the Father for us. Thus even though our works are small they will have the value our love for Him would have merited had they been great.

May it please His Majesty, my Sisters and daughters, that we all reach that place where we may every praise Him. Through the merits of His Son who lives and reign forever and ever, may He give me the grace to carry out something of what I tell you, amen.  
The Interior Castle, Seventh Mansion, Chapter 4, No: 15-16.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Spiritual Direction with St. Teresa of Jesus

In this post we will consider the qualities of the person who has entered the third dwelling place of the interior castle. Keep in mind, that this is still far from the seventh mansion where the soul enjoys perfect contemplation and union with God as is attainable in this our earthly life with God.

Concerning souls in the third dwelling place, St. Teresa has this to say:

...They long not to offend His Majesty, even guarding themselves against venial sins; they are fond of doing penance and setting aside periods for recollection; they spend their time well, practicing works of charity toward their neighbors; and are very balanced in their use of speech and dress and in governing their households.
Way of Perfection, Chap. I, No. 5

Do you see yourself in this description?  Do you know someone who fits this description?  I certainly do, and I am humbled when I consider the holy lives they lead. They are true spiritual inspirations to help one keep the course on the way of perfection.

I attended a retreat once in which the priest said that most people who are trying to be good and please God are in the third dwelling place. He said many good Christians, many good Catholics are in this dwelling place. The problem is that most people remain in this dwelling place without seeking to advance in the spiritual life.  They become complacent and settled in their ways, settling for the spiritual life they enjoy at this point. They haven't yet embraced the cross and cultivated a desire to be united with the Crucified and Risen One in the spiritual marriage. 

The soul in the third dwelling place seems just about perfect. Right? They try to avoid venial sins, they perform works of charity, are very modest and balanced people; all this goodness in just the third mansion!  We can only imagine what it must be like to live with or know someone in the higher mansions. 

Let us get back to the lesson at-hand today and consider that the soul who is "stuck" in the third mansion is one who is afraid to leave their spiritual comfort zone. They enjoy a wealth of blessings from the Lord and are not eager to leave this dwelling place. St. Teresa teaches us that the soul in this state is like the rich young man whom the Lord disappointed when he said he must leave his wealth behind to follow him and be perfect. This is the comparison St. Teresa makes about the soul and the rich young man:

We all say that we want this good. But since there is need of still more in order that the soul possess the Lord completely, it is not enough to say we want it; just as this was not enough for the young man whom the Lord told what one must do in order to be perfect. From the time I began to speak of these dwelling places I have had this young man in mind. For we are literally like him; and ordinarily the great dryness in prayer comes from this, although it also has other causes. 
Way of Perfection, Chap. 3, No. 6

Now, St. Teresa begins to speak of the dryness that a soul may experience because one does not want to leave behind the spiritual consolation he is enjoying.  The soul in this state believes he is entitled to entry into the higher mansions. St. Teresa describes this person's attitude:

They cannot accept patiently that the door of entry to the place where our King dwells be closed to them who consider themselves His vassals.
Way of Perfection, Chap. I, No. 6

Then she instructs her nuns:

Enter, enter, my daughters, into the interior rooms; pass on from your little works. By the mere fact that you are Christians you must do all these things and much more. It is enough for you to be God's vassals...Behold the saints who entered this King's chamber, and you will see the difference between them and us.
Way of Perfection, Chap. I, No. 6

During this Advent season, when the entire Church is on retreat, let us take this opportunity to pray for ourselves and each other. Let us pray for the gift of humility that allows our heart to be satisfied with being true servants of the Lord without any desire for a reward. 

May he give us true self-knowledge that comes from prayer and recollection; self-knowledge that lets us see ourselves as we are before him. May he give us the desire to be one with him; to return love for love.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie of the hearts of Jesus and Mary, ocds

CARMELITE QUOTE

ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
From the "Living Flame of Love"

St. John explains how the soul called to union with God is purified through His love. John of the Cross uses the symbol of a flame to speak of God's love for the soul. Although this flame of purgation is painful, resembling the pain of the suffering souls in purgatory, at times, this pain is mixed with spiritual delight. St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) teaches us in the sixth and seventh mansions of her Interior Castle that the devil is not capable of combining pain and spiritual delight.  He may give the soul a sense of delight, but in no way can he combine the two. This is a point of discernment for the soul experiencing this high level of purgation.


The soul, feeling that this living flame of love is vividly communicating to it every good, since this divine love carries all things with it, exclaims: "O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul." 

This flame of itself is extremely loving, and the will of itself is excessively dry and hard. When the flame tenderly and lovingly assails the will, hardness is felt beside the tenderness, and dryness beside the love...Because this flame is immense and far-reaching, and the will is narrow and restricted, the will feels its confinement and narrowness in the measure that the flame attacks it. It feels this until the flame, penetrating within it, enlarges, widen, and makes it capable of receiving the flame itself.

This flame previously oppressed the soul in an indescribable way, since contraries were battling contraries: God, who is all perfect, against all their imperfections of the soul. God does this so, by transforming the soul into himself, he might soften, pacify, and illumine it, as does fire when it penetrates the log of wood.

Not many people undergo so strong a purgation, only those whom God wishes to elevate to the highest degree of union. For he prepares individuals by a purification more or less severe in accordance with the degree to which he wishes to raise them, and also according to their impurity and imperfections.

This suffering resembles that of purgatory. Just as the spirits suffer purgation there so as to be able to see God through clear vision in the next life, souls in their own way suffer purgation here on earth so as to be able  to be transformed in him through love in this life.
The Living Flame of Love, Stanza I, No.17, 23-24. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Seven Mansions and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit a Meditation Series on the Interior Castle

As I have mentioned before, the Order of Carmel is preparing to celebrate the 5th centenary of St. Teresa's birth in 2015. Therefore, all Carmelites in this year of 2013 are reading and studying the Interior Castle, her classic work on the spiritual life.  Soon, our community will be hearing about the Third Mansion.  If you would like to follow along in our study, I'll post these articles I wrote a few years ago.  Please click on the "Interior Castle" label at the end of the post to read Mansions 1 and 2.  In the Interior Castle, St. Teresa does not reflect on a gift of the Holy Spirit for each mansion, this is my own personal reflection on her writings.

Photo: R. Massaro (C)Spirit Singing-Sorrowful Mother Shrine-Bellevue, Ohio

The Third Dwelling Place

We are considering in this meditation series what St. John of the Cross teaches; that we must possess all the gifts of the Spirit before we enter the last of the "Wine Cellars" (Seventh Mansion according to St. Teresa). In the third mansion we are learning how the gift of the Fear of the Lord helps the soul to make progress into the higher mansions.

In the inner wine cellar

I drank of my Beloved, and, when I went abroad through

all this valley

I no longer knew anything,

and lost the herd which I was following

St. John of the Cross-Spiritual Canticle-Stanza 26

St. Teresa tells us that we must be on constant guard so that we do not fall back into sin, since we are still so close to the first mansion, we may very easily return there. We must be humble and fearful of our human weakness and rely on God's help for perseverance in the spiritual life.

The characteristics of the soul in this mansion:

*Desire not to offend "His Majesty"
*Are well-ordered souls who like to be in control

*They like to meditate

*They spend their time well

*They perform works of charity

*They may complain about dryness and lack of consolations

*Their penitential life is well-balanced

*They judge their spiritual progress according to spiritual consolations

In this mansion we reflect on the Spirit's gift of:

Fear of the Lord

This gift fills the soul with a sovereign respect for God,and makes it dread, above all things, to offend Him.

We recall when discussing the Sacrament of Penance that there are two types of contrition: perfect and imperfect.  The person who possesses imperfect contrition is afraid of the pains of hell, more so than offending God.  The person who possesses perfect contrition is sorrowful that he has offended God.  We could also apply this type of thinking to "Fear of the Lord."

There are souls who suffer from a type of spiritual neurosis called scrupulosity. This is a self-centered fear in which the soul concentrates on self and the fear that they are not truly forgiven by God. The truly humble soul who possesses true Fear of the Lord, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is one who knows that they can do nothing without God's help.  They know they are sinners and readily accept his mercy and forgiveness. They have a great love for God that is translated into a great, yet holy and pure fear of not wanting to offend him.

In this third mansion, St. Teresa stresses the need for great humility. Let us pray that we not fall into a sense of false-pride when we experience consolations, and thereby come to expect them.  We can test ourselves by our reaction when the Lord denies them to us. Do we become angry, irritable, sulky--not wanting to approach prayer? We must ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to pray. Let us seek the Lord for himself and not his gifts.  Remember, we have entered Carmel, a penitential order.  As St. Teresa tells us, a little dryness in prayer is nothing to complain about.  It is necessary for our purification and spiritual growth.  Let us truly accept the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and discover the joy in accepting all that he sends us.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

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Sunday with the Saints

ST. TERESA OF JESUS (AVILA)

Teresa was born at Avila in Spain in 1515. She entered the Carmelites and made great progress in the way of perfection and was granted mystical revelations. Wishing to share in the spiritual renewal of the Church of her time, she began to live her religious life more ardently and soon attracted many companions, to whom she was like a mother. She also helped in the reform of the friars, and in this had to endure great trials. she wrote books which are renowned for their depth of doctrine and which showed her own spiritual experiences. She died at Alba in 1582.
From the Carmelite Proper









READ THE INTERIOR CASTLE ONLINE


Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

CARMELITE QUOTE

From St. Teresa of Jesus' Interior Castle

(Chap. 10,No. 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 whithin 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.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Seven Mansions-A Meditation Series on the Interior Castle

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.

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):

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

Read the Interior Castle Online

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
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The Seven Mansions-A Meditation Series on the Interior Castle

The Fifth Dwelling Place

We discussed previously that the Fourth Dwelling Place is a period of transition, because the soul is being led from meditation to contemplation.  The Fifth Dwelling Place can be described in a word: preparation. We may ask, "preparation for what?" Preparation to receive wonderful gifts from the Beloved!

The fifth mansion is an important period for the soul as well, because God is preparing her for the gift of Spiritual Betrothal in the Sixth Mansion and Spiritual Marriage in the Seventh Mansion.

St. Teresa teaches us that this dwelling place is a meeting-of-sorts between the soul and the Beloved.

The practice of the virtues will lead us into the depths of the

fifth dwelling place.

An important test, according to St. Teresa, to tell if one is experiencing true union in prayer is this: If we are giving little, there is doubt that we are experiencing true union.  We must give all in order to receive this gift. No shortcuts!

The prayer of union usually lasts a short period of time, perhaps a half-hour. The person experiences captivation and suspension of the faculties.  The hands and feet may not stir at all during prayer. The person appears not to be breathing. St. Teresa describes this soul as one dead to this world.

Signs to discern if the union is from God:

*The soul experiences great confidence that it was in God and God was in it (very important sign!)

*There are no doubts or hesitation about the experience

*Cannot be produced by human effort

*The experience is sealed on the memory. Many years may pass, but the soul cannot forget the experience and knows for certain that it experienced union with God.

Effects of the soul in union with God:

*Desire to suffer great trials

*Desire for penance-has the strength to carry them out

*Desire for solitude

*Desire that all may know and love God

*Experiences great pain when God is offended

Other effects of this union:

*Attachments to relatives, friends or wealth disappear

*Things of the world weary the soul

*The soul cannot find rest in anything but God--yet experiences deep peace.

Ways that Satan tries to prevent the Spiritual Betrothal:

*The soul grows slack through "little things"-"shortcuts"

*He darkens the intellect little by little

*The will becomes weak

*Self-love grows

*We begin to follow our own will and not God's will

St. Teresa's Admonition to the soul in this dwelling place:

*Strive always to advance-especially in charity

*Be very fearful if we are not advancing

*Love is never idle

Read the Interior Castle online

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

_________________

The Seven Mansions and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit-A Meditation Series on the Interior Castle

The Fourth Dwelling Place

In this chapter St. Teresa focuses on distractions in prayer and the difference between consolations and spiritual delight. She also begins to speak of the Prayer of Quiet. Please refer to my previous post on consolations. You can access the article on the sidebar under "Spiritual Life Dictionary."

In this fourth mansion the soul begins to travel the road of infused (supernatural) prayer. This infused prayer of recollection (Prayer of Quiet),is a prerequisite-of-sorts that opens the soul to receive divine consolations. The Prayer of Quiet is the doorway to the deeper mystical prayer gifts of simple union and spiritual marriage that take place in the higher mansions. It is the first of the supernatural prayer experiences. St. Teresa explains what the soul may experience in this holy recollection.

In my own words, I would say that she is speaking of the type of prayer that wells up within a person sometimes when one least expects it. It is a peaceful experience of our interior thoughts being absorbed in God, although we are going about our daily activities. 

Perhaps you've experienced this type of prayer on the way to Mass, before praying the Divine Office, before going to Adoration, or before receiving Holy Communion. The soul is anxious to be alone with the Lord and as soon as one is able to sit down and pray the eyes close without effort (at this point it would take great effort to open them) and one is totally absorbed in God. St. Teresa says that the senses lose their hold on us during this prayer of recollection. One may shed tears without effort. These tears do not cause distress but are spiritually refreshing and comforting. There are no major distractions during this prayer. Maybe you've experienced this as well. You are in church praying quietly and the sounds and distractions of people coming and going do not disturb you. The soul in this state does not care about the world and the pressing matters one may have to attend to. The soul's one desire is to remain in the company of the Beloved. And if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit we will not be moved to go about our business until He releases his hold on us.

We must remember that we cannot produce this prayer through our own efforts. The Holy Spirit prepares our heart for the Lord's coming by the gradual, peaceful, recollection that takes place within us before he captivates the soul in prayer.

When a soul is given this gift of absorption in prayer, St. Teresa warns that people become afraid to move and to breathe, fearful that the Spirit and the experience may leave them. She finds this foolish thinking because God is in control, not us. In fact, St. Therese and many other saints recount a similar experience in which they were given the prayer of recollection that lasted for days at a time. We know that St. Therese in the midst of this experience went about her daily activities in the monastery although she was amazed at how she could do this and be so absorbed in God.

The fourth dwelling place is a time of spiritual transition. The soul may experience distractions and wanderings of the mind. St. Teresa tells us to pay no attention to these distractions, because as long as we live in the body we will have them. Satan tries to discourage beginners and people in this transition period to focus on the distractions and lose heart over them, and thus give up prayer. This is the great deception. St. Teresa warns us to NEVER, EVER give up prayer. In this stage she tells us to:

*Keep praying


*Seek greater solitude without neglecting one's duties


*Detach ourselves from worldly pleasures


In this dwelling place we need the Holy Spirit and his gift of:

KNOWLEDGE

The gift of knowledge is the Spirit's gift of interior light that illumines our mind and helps us to understand truth. This is the gift that helps us to see ourselves as we truly are.  St. Teresa teaches us that when one begins to pray, the Lord begins to teach us about ourselves and our many attachments, faults, and failings. This self-knowledge can be extremely painful!  This knowledge is the gift that the holy and perfect possess-the gift that surpasses all understanding.

Let us pray that if the Lord has brought us to this dwelling place where mystical prayer begins, that we keep the door of our hearts open to him at all times. This holy dwelling place is none other than our heart-may he purify it and possess it forever!

O Mildest Comforter, Holy Spirit, come to me. My soul sighs for you! My heart thirsts for you! You alone can satisfy my longing; you alone can make me happy. Despise not, O Divine Bridegroom, the dwelling of my poor heart.





Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
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The Seven Mansions and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit-A Meditation Series on the Interior Castle

The Second Dwelling Place

Beginners on the road of prayer still have desires for worldly pleasures that need to be purified. However, in this dwelling place, they experience more intensely the Lord calling them to a deeper prayer life. They feel sorrow that they do not respond immediately to his call.

Characteristics of the soul in this dwelling place:

*Feel sorrow for their lack of perseverance in prayer

*Attracted to worldly pleasures

*Are spiritually moved by sermons

*Are inspired by words of encouragement

*Expect spiritual consolations and judge spiritual progress by them

What a farce it is! Here are we, with a thousand obstacles, drawbacks, and imperfections within ourselves, our virtues so newly born that they have scarcely the strength to act (and God grant that they exist at all!) yet we are not ashamed to expect sweetness in prayer and to complain of feeling dryness.

IC, Chapt. 2, No. 14

St. Teresa teaches that these souls should:

*Associate with spiritual persons

*Remain calm during distractions

*Pray for perseverance in prayer

*Be courageous in the face of temptation

*Embrace the cross

*Do not be discouraged by weakness

One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. (Psalm 27)

The Psalmist reflects the heartfelt desire of the pure of heart, they have only one desire; God alone. We know from the lives of the saints that they had a deep longing for God alone. They worked tirelessly for the Kingdom at the expense of neglecting their physical needs and wants. They kept the goal of heaven ever before them.  We need the light and the grace of the Holy Spirit to help us keep our goal of heaven ever before us. Today we reflect on the gift of:

UNDERSTANDING

The Gift of Understanding helps us to grasp the truths of our Catholic Faith so that we may truly live them. When we recite the Creed, we need to pray it with our whole heart, mind, and soul.I BELIEVE IN GOD...I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT...I BELIEVE IN THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS... When the Creed takes root in our heart it's as if we no longer just believe but come to know the truths in our heart, then our lives reflect this holy knowledge. Only by the grace of the Holy Spirit does this come about. And we should be most humbly grateful for so great a gift, the gift of Faith.

It is written that in her final days, when St. Therese was experiencing doubts about the existence of heaven, she wrote out the Creed with a pen filled with her own blood.

Therese confided her temptations against the faith to Fr. Godefroid Madelaine,who was preaching the community retreat in Carmel, October 8-15, 1896. The preacher advised her to carry the Credo on her heart always. Therese decided to write the text of the Creed in her own blood at the end of the Gospel, to show God that she was ready to shed all her blood for each of the articles of the Apostles' Creed, in particular for the last two: "I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting."

(From Therese and Lisieux by Pierre Descouvemont and Helmuth Nils Loose)

We can see that true faith that has taken root in the soul is a perpetual light that burns in the heart of those in union with God.  Even though we do not experience the sensible presence of God with our emotions. St. Therese teaches us that she walked by the dark night of faith even when she experienced the feeling of abandonment by God.

On that glad night,

in secret, for no one saw me,

nor did I look at anything,

with no other light or guide

than the one that burned in my heart.

St. John of the Cross

If we never look up at Him and reflect on what we owe Him for having died for us, I do not understand how we can know Him, or perform good deeds in His service. What value is there in faith without works? and what are they worth if they are not united to the merits of Jesus Christ, our only good? What would incite us to love our Lord unless we thought of Him?

IC, Chap.2,No. 20

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten us with the gift of Understanding. That we who believe will be quick to answer the call of the Lord who desires to spend time with us in prayer. St. Teresa teaches us a great truth also: What value is there in faith without works?  Prayer gives us strength to serve our neighbor in charity. Although the Secular Carmelite is called to a life of intimate prayer, we know we cannot neglect our daily duties. Any consolations we receive are not for our own personal enjoyment but are given to help the soul serve his neighbor, especially when it is difficult. 

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

_______________________

The Seven Mansions and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit-A Meditation Series on St. Teresa's Interior Castle

The First Dwelling Place

The soul is still occupied with the things of the world and the pleasures that come with it.  The grace of the Holy Spirit has led him to this threshold, to turn his heart from worldly things and to begin the life of prayer.

Putting a hand to the door to enter, the beginner tends to look back on the things he is about to give up.  His heart may be sad or fearful at this prospect.

"...the door of entry to this castle is prayer and reflection."

St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

 The characteristics of the person in the First Mansion:

*They are concerned with worldly matters and pleasures
*They are unaware of the beauty and wealth of the interior life
*They are not consistent in prayer
*They rely on vocal prayers or use devotional books
*They are good people who attend church
*They notice the faults of others
*They are focused on self instead of others
*They do not mortify themselves or practice self-renunciation

Even if one has entered deeper into the Interior Castle, we can still see that we travel in and out of these dwelling places.  Perhaps we still possess some of the traits of the beginner noted above. We do not enter the interior mansions in a perfect step-by-step path until we reach the "holy of holies." Because of our human nature we will travel in and out of these spiritual pathways.

Not long ago a very learned man told me that souls who do not practice prayer are like people with paralysed or crippled bodies; even though they have hands and feet they cannot give orders to these hands and feet.

IC,I:1,6

In the above quote St. Teresa is speaking of people who are preoccupied with the things of the world.  She even goes so far to state that there may not be a remedy for these souls who are so unacustomed to prayer.  That is why we should have a great devotion to the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that we cannot even utter "Jesus is Lord" without the help of the Holy Spirit. We need the light of the Holy Spirit and his gifts to guide us on our journey. In the first mansion we reflect on the gift of:

 Wisdom

It is the gift of the Holy Spirit whereby the Divine Spirit raises up our intellect and our heart to rest in God alone. It detaches our heart from the goods of this world.

You may wonder why we begin with the gift of wisdom, as it is the crowning glory of the other gifts?  Because, unless we have this gift and the grace it provides to detach ourselves from the things of this world, we will never persevere in prayer.  We need this precious gift in the beginning, along the road of perfection and to the summit of Mt. Carmel, Christ our Lord.

Open to me the gates of holiness. I will enter and give thanks.

Psalm 118

Let us pray for each other that the Lord will indeed open the gate of holiness to us: the door to the Interior Castle. May we reach the center where we will abide in union with the Most Holy Trinity. 

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

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Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term: Spiritual Betrothal

1. Also called spiritual espousal, it is a symbolic term for an elevated degree of union that takes place in the illuminative way. In it there is a fluctuating between the feeling of God's nearness, the sweetness of his communication, and the experience both of his absence and of other painful trials of purification by which the sensory part is gradually accommodated to the spirit. The coming to completion of the espousal brought about by Christ through the cross and baptism.

2. Sometimes used to refer to a full union of love, like the spiritual marriage.

(From the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, translated byKieran Kavanugh, OCD)


According to St. Teresa in her Interior Castle, the spiritual betrothal and marriage take place in the seventh mansion. This is a high degree of love and union between the soul and the Holy Trinity. When reading about these mansions we should not get caught up in wondering what mansion we are in. We need to ask God to purify our intentions and give us a great desire to serve him in charity in our brothers and sisters with whom we meet each day.
Let us pray to our Lady, spouse of the Holy Spirit, that she may obtain for us the holy union with God we desire.



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
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Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term: The Gift of Tears

The early Church fathers have written that the gift of tears is likened to another baptism, for true tears from the Spirit are cleansing, healing and refreshing to the soul. These early fathers speak of different gifts of tears such as tears of repentance, compunction and sorrow for one's sins. Today we are mainly speaking of the gift of tears that the soul experiences in the prayer of the quiet.

In her writings, St. Teresa helps us to discern the true gift of tears. She warns her nuns that there are certain persons whose weakness causes them to cry over every little trouble. This is not the gift of tears.
"It is easy to know when tears come from this source (God), for they are soothing and gentle rather than stormy and rarely do any harm."
She also warns that this gift does not mean one has true virtue. "Let us not fancy that if we cry a great deal we have done all that is needed-rather we must work hard and practice the virtues: that is essential--leaving tears to fall when God sends them, without trying to force ourselves to shed them."

We must also keep in mind that the tears she is describing take place when the soul is experiencing the prayer of the quiet, an advanced state of prayer that is infused. This type of prayer brings delight that can spill over into the senses. This prayer, as she states, requires no effort on our part because it is total gift of God.

If God gives the gift of tears, one must not dwell on it, because she warns if you dwell on it, the gift will surely disappear as quickly as it was bestowed on the soul.

Her final thoughts on the subject: Therefore, sisters, I think it best for us to place ourselves in the presence of God, contemplate His mercy and grandeur and our own vileness and leave him to give us what He will, whether water or drought, for He knows best what is good for us; thus we enjoy peace and the devil will have less chance to deceive us.
If the Lord has brought us to the blessed state of the prayer of the quiet, let us thank Him and humble ourselves before Him. May he bestow on us the highest gift of all: perfect charity.
All quotes taken from the Interior Castle, Sixth Mansion

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS