The Life of Holy Mother
Teresa of Jesus
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel.
Discussion of CHAPTER 17
- Continues to declare matters
concerning the third degree of prayer and
- completes the explanation of its effects.
- She also treats of the impediment
caused by the imagination and the memory.
___________________________
Discussion Topics
1). What general description is given
regarding third degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1,2,3,4,5,6, 14 ]
2). What does St. Teresa say about the
faculties in this 3rd degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17:5,8,9,10,11,12,13 ]
3). What advice and "remedy" does
St. Teresa give to the soul
who is brought by God
to the third degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1,6,9,12 ]
4). What does St. Teresa say
regarding the soul's virtue
in the 3rd degree of prayer ?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 3,4,14]
5). How does the Third state of Prayer
differ from the "Prayer of Quiet"
of the second state of prayer?
[ Life: Ch17 #5,6,14 ]
6). St Teresa talks about
"another kind of union"
What did she say regarding this?
[ Life: Ch17 #7 ]
7). What is it that the soul, in the Third
state of Prayer, desires?
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6,9 ]
____________________________
1). What general description is given
regarding third degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1,2,3,4,5,6, 14 ]
St. Teresa describes the Third degree of prayer as:
~ Union of the soul and its faculties
with God
- "a most distinct union
of the whole soul with God"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
- "His Majesty may do with (this soul)
as with His own property
- the soul no longer belongs to itself,
it has been given wholly
to our Lord"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #1 ]
~ God is more Active
than in the second state of prayer
- "...He...now takes upon Himself
the gardener's work
- "the Creator of the water,--
pours the water without stint;
[ Life: Ch. 17: #3 ]
- "God is doing His work
without any fatiguing of the
(person's) understanding,
it is as if (the soul is)
- amazed in beholding our Lord
-- taking upon Himself
the work of the good gardener,
-- refusing to let the soul
undergo any labour whatever,
but that of taking its pleasure
in the flowers
beginning to send forth
their fragrance;
[ Life: Ch. 17: #2 ]
~ The person's prayer is more passive
- God "will have the soul take its ease"
- " except that the (person's) will
is consenting to
-- the graces,
-- the fruition of which it has
-- it must resign itself to all
that the True Wisdom would
accomplish in it
[ Life: Ch. 17: #1 ]
~ Consolation
- "the joy is so great,
that the soul seems now and then
to be on the very point
of going forth out of the body:
[ Life: Ch. 17: #1 ]
- "a state...that ministers great joy
and contentment"
- "the soul has no satisfaction
in the world, and
seeks no pleasure in it then;
because it has in itself
that which gives it a
-- greater satisfaction,
-- greater joys in God,
-- longings for the satisfaction
of its longing to have a deeper joy
in being with Him--
this is what the soul seeks.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6 ]
- "so great is the bliss and repose
of the soul, that
even the body most distinctly shares
in its joy and delight
[ Life: Ch. 17: #14 ]
~ Growth of Virtue:
-"...the heavenly Gardener accomplishes...
causing the fruit both to grow and ripen
[ Life: Ch. 17: #3 ]
- "the virtues continue to grow,
[ Life: Ch. 17: #14]
- "the virtues are now stronger
than they were during the preceding
prayer of quiet"
- "it being our Lord's will
that the flowers should open,
in order that the soul may believe itself
to be in possession of virtue"
Humility
- "...the humility of the soul is
much greater and deeper
than it was before;
because it sees more clearly that it
-- did neither much nor little, beyond
--- giving its consent
that our Lord might work
those graces in it, and
--- then accepting them willingly.
-- that it cannot, and never could,
acquire them
(by its own effort or merit)
in many years, and
-- that the heavenly Gardener has
given them to it in that instant.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #4 ]
~ Growth of Good Works
- "it is beginning to do great things
in the odour
which the flowers send forth;
[ Life: Ch. 17: #4 ]
~ Active and Contemplative Life
- "the soul is...living the
active and contemplative life
at (one and the same time)".
- The soul can remain in a prayerful
state attending to the presence of God
while "able to apply itself to
-- works of charity and the
-- affairs of its state, and to
-- spiritual reading"
- "They are not wholly masters
of themselves,
and are well aware
that the better part of the soul
is elsewhere.
It is as if we were speaking
to one person,
and another speaking to us
at the same time,
while we ourselves are not perfectly
attentive either
to the one or the other"
- "delighting in the holy repose of Mary;
...but....it can be like Martha also...
in this (3rd state of) prayer"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6 ]
[ Luke 10:38-42 (Douay-Rheims) 38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain town: and 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. ] |
- "...the will being in union" (often)
"the will is a captive and in joy...
the will alone is abiding
in great peace,--
while, on the other hand,
the understanding and the memory
are so free,
that they can
be employed in affairs and
be occupied in works of charity.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
__________________________
2). What does St. Teresa say about the
faculties in this 3rd degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17:5,8,9,10,11,12,13 ]
St. Teresa said regarding:
~ The the soul and its faculties:
"This state of prayer seems to me
- to be a most distinct union
of the whole soul with God,
- The faculties seem to have been given
the ability to notice the greater
fulfillment of the graces taking place
in them:
-- "His Majesty appears
to give the faculties
leave to
-- be intent upon, and
-- have the fruition of,
the great work He is doing then.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
~ The Will:
- "...the will being in union (often)
the soul...aware of it,
the Will is a captive and in joy,
the Will alone is abiding
in great peace..."
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
- "He constrains the Will"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #8 ]
~ The Understanding / Intellect
- "the Understanding (is) so free,
...can be employed in affairs and
be occupied in works of charity"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
- He constrains...
even the Understanding...
-- it makes no reflections,
-- but is occupied in the fruition of God:
like a person who
looks on, and
sees so many things,
that he knows not where to look--
one object puts another out of sight,
and none of them leaves
any impression behind.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #8 ]
- "...The understanding
gives no help (to the problem of
the distractions caused by the
restless memory and Imagination)
[ Life: Ch. 17: #10 ]
~ The Memory/ Imagination
- "the Memory (is) so free,
...can be employed in affairs and
be occupied in works of charity"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
- "The Memory remains free...
together with the imagination;
and so, when it finds itself alone,
it is marvellous to behold
-- what war it makes on the soul...
-- how it labours to throw everything
into disorder.
"...distraction,
....dissipated in this way,
unable to control itself!"
"unable to be always occupied in God
[ Life: Ch. 17: #9 ]
"to see my soul tear itself,
in order to find itself there
where the greater part of it is,
and to see, at the same time,
that it is impossible:
because the memory
and the imagination
assail it with such force,
that it cannot prevail against them;
- (Although) the other faculties
give them no assistance,
they (the memory and imagination)
are not able to do (the soul)
any harm, none whatever;
(The memory and imagination)
do enough (harm)
when they trouble (the soul's) rest.
(But) "they (the memory
and imagination)
cannot really hurt (the soul)
-- because they have
not strength enough, and
-- because they are
too discursive.
- they never rest anywhere,
but hurry to and fro...
troublesome and unquiet...
they go about from one subject
to another.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #10 ]
- " the Memory and the Imagination,
though they
-- have no power to do any harm,
-- are very troublesome"
"the faculty which is free
hurts and wearies us so much;
while the others,
occupied with His Majesty,
give us rest.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #11 ]
- it is a slave here.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #12]
it remains a slave;
... do what it will,
it cannot drag the other faculties
in its train;
on the contrary, they (the other faculties)
without taking any trouble,
compel it to follow after them.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #13]
Recall from Ch 14 #4,5 when St. Teresa discusses the Second state of prayer: 4. The other two faculties help the will, that it may render itself capable of the fruition of so great a good; nevertheless, it occasionally happens, even when the will is in union, that they hinder it very much: but then it (the will) - should never heed them at all, - simply abiding in its fruition and quiet. For if it tried to make them recollected, it would miss its way together with them... And so the memory and understanding come and go, seeking whether the will is going to give them that into the fruition of which it has entered itself. 5. ...now and then the memory or the imagination, seeking to represent to it that of which it has the fruition, does it harm. The will, therefore, should be careful to deal with them...". |
_________________________
3). What advice and "remedy"
does St. Teresa give to the soul
who is brought by God
to the third degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1,6,9,12 ]
St. Teresa gives the following advice:
~ Abandonment to mercy and Love of God
and to the Will of God
"...for the soul's good--
- to abandon itself
into the arms of God altogether;
-- if He will take it to heaven,
let it go;
-- if to hell,
no matter,
as it is going thither
with its sovereign Good.
-- If life is to come to an end for ever,
so it wills;
-- if it is to last a thousand years,
it wills that also:
-- Majesty may do with it
as with His own property,--
-- the soul no longer belongs to itself,
it has been given wholly
to our Lord;
let it cast all care utterly away.
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1 ]
- ...consenting to the graces,
the fruition of which it has, and that
- it must resign itself to all
that the True Wisdom would
accomplish in it--
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 1 ]
~ Solitude and Prayer
by observing times
of solitude, or
of freedom from business,
for the attainment
of the most tranquil quietude.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6 ]
~ Disregard the distractions of
the Imagination and the Memory
"The only remedy I have found,
after many years of weariness is...
- "to make no more account of it
than of a madman,
- but let it go with its subject;
for God alone can take it from it,--
in short, it is a slave here.
We must bear patiently with it...
for our Lord showeth us mercy
enough"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #12 ]
... let it do what it will,
it cannot drag the other faculties
in its train;
Sometimes God is pleased
to take pity on it,
when He sees it so lost and so unquiet,
through the longing it has
to be united with the other faculties
His Majesty consents
to its burning itself
in the flame of that divine candle...
reduced to ashes, and their nature lost,
...supernaturally in the fruition
of blessings so great.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #12 ]
Blog Note: The main idea seems to be that although the will is quietly loving God, the other faculties, ( e.g the imagination, memory, and even the Understanding/intellect) may be active and restless, thereby disturbing the soul's peace. At these times, the soul should not pay attention or try to control these ideas, thoughts or images. In fact, the soul can not control them, rather it is their slave. If the soul tries to suppress the ideas, the result will be that the soul will be led away by the compelling and restless thoughts, rather than the thoughts quieted. She advises the soul to - "abandon itself into the arms of God", - offer the disturbance to God, for God alone can suspend the activity of the faculties. |
~ Prayer
Regarding distractions from
the memory and imagination:
"As for me,
I am wearied by it, and I hate it;
- very often do I implore
our Lord to deprive me of it
on these occasions,
if I am to be so much troubled by it.
Now and then, I say to Him:
'O my God,
when shall my soul praise Thee
without distraction,
not dissipated in this way,
unable to control itself!' "
[ Life: Ch. 17: #9 ]
________________________________
4). What does St. Teresa say regarding
the soul's virtue in the
3rd degree of prayer ?
[ Life: Ch. 17: # 3,4,14]
St. Teresa stated that the soul grows in virtue.
-"...the heavenly Gardener accomplishes...
causing the fruit both to grow and ripen
[ Life: Ch. 17: #3 ]
- "the virtues continue to grow
[ Life: Ch. 17: #14]
- "the virtues are now stronger
than they were during the preceding
prayer of quiet"
- "it being our Lord's will
that the flowers should open,
in order that the soul may believe itself
to be in possession of virtue"
Humility
- "...the humility of the soul is
much greater and deeper
than it was before;
because it sees more clearly that it
-- did neither much nor little, beyond
--- giving its consent
that our Lord might work
those graces in it, and
--- then accepting them willingly.
-- that it cannot, and never could,
acquire them
(by its own effort or merit)
in many years, and
-- that the heavenly Gardener has
given them to it in that instant.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #4 ]
_______________________________
5). How does the Third state of Prayer
differ from the "Prayer of Quiet"
of the second state of prayer?
[ Life: Ch17 #5,6,14 ]
St. Teresa stated that there is a difference
between the third and second states of prayer
although both are very similar.
"It differs from the prayer of quiet..
though it does seem
as if it were all one with it.
~ Union of the Faculties in God:
Second State of Prayer:
In the Prayer of Quiet
of the Second State of Prayer
the Will is united in God while
the Understanding / Intellect and
the Memory and Imagination
come and go.
Third State of Prayer:
"a most distinct union
of the whole soul with God"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
"the Will being in union...
- see that the will is a captive and in joy
- the understanding and the memory
are so free"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
~ Active and Contemplative Dimensions
Second State of Prayer:
The soul is enjoying the contemplative
gifts and graces of this passive prayer.
It values its solitude and inactivity in
order not to disturb its enjoyment of
this quiet.
"In that Prayer (of Quiet), the soul,
- which would willingly
neither stir nor move,
- is delighting in the holy repose
of Mary"
Third State of Prayer:
"but in this (3rd state of) prayer
- it can be like Martha also"
(in addition to "the holy repose
of Mary"
"Accordingly, the soul is...
- living the
-- active and
-- contemplative
life (together) at once, and
- is able to apply itself to
-- works of charity and the
-- affairs of its state, and to
-- spiritual reading.
Still, those who arrive at this state,
- are not wholly masters
of themselves,
and are well aware
- that the better part of the soul
is elsewhere.
It is as if we were speaking
to one person,
and another speaking to us
at the same time,
while we ourselves are not perfectly
attentive either
to the one or the other.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6 ]
"the Will being in union...
- see that the will is a captive and in joy,
- that the will alone is abiding
in great peace,--
while, on the other hand,
- the understanding and the memory
are so free,
that they can
be employed in affairs and
be occupied in works of charity.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #5 ]
~ The expansion of the fruits of prayer:
Those souls,
who have been brought by
God to the Third State of Prayer,
experience greater growth of virtues
and detachment, as well as, the joys.
It is a state that is
- most easily ascertained, and
one, when attained to,
- that ministers great joy and
contentment, and
- that prepares the soul
in the highest degree,
by observing times
of solitude, or
of freedom from business,
for the attainment
of the most tranquil quietude.
So the soul
- has no satisfaction in the world, and
- seeks no pleasure in it then;
because it has in itself
that which gives it a
-- greater satisfaction,
-- greater joys in God,
-- longings for the satisfaction
of its longing to have a deeper joy
in being with Him--
this is what the soul seeks.
[ Life: Ch17 #6 ]
Regarding "this last method
of drawing the water out of the well,
- so great is the bliss and repose
of the soul, that
- even the body most distinctly shares
in its joy and delight
- and the virtues continue to grow"
[ Life: Ch17 #14 ]
___________________________
6). St Teresa talks about
"another kind of union"
What did she say regarding this?
[ Life: Ch17 #7 ]
St. Teresa stated that there is
another prayer state between the
Second state of prayer and the Third state:
It is a state of Union with God that includes
a closer Union than the second state but less than the Third state.
"There is another kind of union,
which, though not a perfect union,
is yet more so
than the one
( Prayer of Quiet
of the Second State of Prayer )
of which I have just spoken;
but not so much so as this spoken of
as the third water".
She also spoke of three graces:
- "for it is one grace
that our Lord gives grace; and
- it is another grace
to understand
-- what grace and
-- what gift it is; and
- it is another and further grace
to have the power
-- to describe and explain it to others.
Though it does not seem
that more than the first of these--
- the giving of the grace
is necessary
-- to enable the soul to advance
without confusion and fear, and
-- to walk with the greater courage
in the way of our Lord,
trampling under foot
all the things of this world,
it is a great advantage
- and a great grace to understand it"
[ Life: Ch17 #7 ]
_____________________
7). What is it that the soul, in the Third
state of Prayer, desires?
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6,9 ]
St. Teresa states the soul desires:
- "to be always occupied in God"
[ Life: Ch. 17: #9 ]
- "longing to have a deeper joy
in being with Him..."
"So the soul
- has no satisfaction in the world, and
- seeks no pleasure in it then;
because it has in itself
that which gives it a
-- greater satisfaction,
-- greater joys in God,
-- longings for
the satisfaction of its longing
to have a deeper joy
in being with Him--
this is what the soul seeks.
[ Life: Ch. 17: #6 ]
____________________________
