Spiritual Direction with St. Teresa of Jesus

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES

Feast Day: February 11

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Photo: R. Massaro (C) SpiritSinging 2013

St. Teresa of Avila, Cadiz, Ohio

Continuing our series describing the prayer life of the soul according to St. Teresa's, today, we turn to her teaching on rapture and suspension.

"Rapture and suspension, in my opinion, are both the same. But I am used to saying suspension in order to avoid saying rapture, a word that frightens.  And indeed the union just described ( we covered this in the previous post) can also be called suspension.  The difference between rapture and union is this: the rapture lasts longer and is felt more exteriorly, for your breathing diminishes in such a way that you are unable to speak or open your eyes. Although this diminishing of these bodily powers occurs in union, it takes place in this prayer with greater force, because the natural heat leaves the body, going I don't know where. When the rapture is intense (for in all these kinds of prayer there is more and a less), when it is greater, as I say, the hands are frozen and sometimes stretched out like sticks, and the body remains as it is, either standing or kneeling. And the soul is so occupied with rejoicing in what the Lord represents t it that it seemingly forgets to animate the body and leaves the body abandoned; and if the suspension lasts, the nerves are left aching.
Spiritual Testimonies, 59, No. 7


Here is a video of the late Fr. Thomas Dubay, the great teacher on Carmelite spirituality.  I had the privilege of meeting and talking with him one-on-one in the early eighties.  A moment I will never forget!  What a beautiful soul!  I'll be sharing more of his teaching as we continue this series on prayer.






Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

Stained Glass Flowers-Little Accounts of the Miraculous



Photo: R. Massaro St. Teresa of Avila Church Sheffield Lake, Ohio

 From the life of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila):

While at the Incarnation in the second year that I was prioress, on the octave of the feast of St. Martin, when I was receiving Communion, Father John of the Cross who was giving me the Blessed Sacrament broke the host to provide for another Sister. I thought there was no lack of hosts but that he wanted to mortify me...His Majesty said to me: "Don't fear, daughter, for no one will be a party to separating you from Me." making me thereby understand that what just happened didn't matter. Then He appeared to me in an imaginative vision, as at other times, very interiorly, and He gave me His right hand and said: "Behold this nail; it is a sign you will be My bride from today on. Until now you have not merited this; from now on not only will you look after My honor as being the honor of your Creator, King, and God, but you will look after it as My true bride. My honor is yours, and yours Mine." This favor produced such an effect in me I couldn't contain myself, and I remained as though entranced...Throughout the whole day I remained thus very absorbed. Afterward I felt great pain, and greater confusion and affliction at seeing I don't render any service in exchange for such amazing favors.
Spiritual Testimonies, No. 31

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds