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 19
- She continues the same subject, and
- begins to explain the effects on the soul
of this degree of prayer.
- She earnestly exhorts
-- not to turn back
-- nor to give up prayer
even if, after having received this favour,
one should fall.
- She shows the damage that would result
(from the neglect of this advice).
- This is most noteworthy and consoling
for the weak and
for sinners.
- The Effects of This Fourth State of Prayer.
- Earnest Exhortations to Those
Who Have Attained to It
-- Not to Go Back,
--Nor to Cease from Prayer,
Even If They Fall.
- The Great Calamity of Going Back.
_____________________
Discussion Topics
1a). What are the effects / benefits
in the soul from the 4th degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2, 4]
in the soul from the 4th degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2, 4]
1b). She continued to describe the benefits
of the 4th State of Prayer
(which she, one who fell into err, )
was given by the goodness of God.
What were these benefits?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9, 10 ]
2). How does St. Teresa describe
what she sometimes experienced as the
duration of the 4th degree of prayer ended?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #1, 2]
3). What did St. Teresa mean
when she said
"... Tears gain everything..." ?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10, 5, 6, 3 ]
4). What was "one of the reasons"
why St Teresa
...under obedience (wrote) this,
and (gave) an account
- of (her) wretched life, and
- of the graces our Lord
has wrought in (her)" ?
[Life: Ch. 19: # 6,7,8,15,16,17,
18,20,22,23,24]
18,20,22,23,24]
5). a). What was the significance of Psalm 18
to St. Teresa?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10,11,12, 13]
b). What was the 1st words that
she heard God say to her?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13, 14 ]
_______________________________
1a). What are the effects / benefits in the soul
from the 4th degree of prayer?
from the 4th degree of prayer?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2, 4]
Regarding the effects which
"the soul that has experienced this prayer
and this union",
and this union",
St. Teresa described:
~ Union with God
- The soul "is abiding alone with Him"
"what has it to do
but to love Him?"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Growth in Humility
- The soul "grows in humility more and more"
- "It looks upon itself as most unworthy"
- "self-conceit is so far away"
- "it sees clearly
that neither for obtaining
nor for retaining this grace...
has it ever done,
or ever been able to do anything, of itself"
- "for now its own eyes behold
- how very little
it could ever do,
it could ever do,
or rather,
- that it never did anything,
- that it hardly gave even its own consent,
but that it rather seemed as if
the doors of the senses were closed
against its will
in order that it might
have more abundantly
have more abundantly
the fruition of our Lord"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Growth in Self-Knowledge:
- "for in a room into which the sunlight enters strongly,
not a cobweb can be hid"
- "it sees its own misery"
- "the most clear perception of its vanity"
- It sees..
that it has deserved hell, and
that its punishment is bliss.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Growth in Love
It undoes itself in the praises of God
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Growth in Courage
The soul remains possessed
of so much courage,
of so much courage,
that if it were now hewn in pieces for God,
it would be a great consolation to it.
This is the time
of resolutions,
of heroic determinations,
of the living energy of good desires,
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Growth in Detachment
This is the time....
of the beginning of hatred of the world
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Progress in Prayer
The soul
- makes greater and higher progress
than it ever made before
in the previous states of prayer
- "it is not necessary for it to go forth
to hunt with the understanding,
because what it has to eat and ruminate upon,
it sees now ready prepared.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
~ Others benefit by association and by example:
from the virtues of one who has been brought
to the 4th degree of prayer
- "Now that it clearly apprehends
that the fruit is not its own,
-- the soul can begin to share it with others,
-- and that without any loss to itself.
It begins
- to show signs of its being a soul
that is guarding the treasures of heaven, and
- to be desirous of communicating them to others,
and
- to pray to God that itself may not be the only soul
that is rich in them.
It begins
- to benefit its neighbours, as it were,
without
-- being aware of it, or
-- doing anything consciously:
its neighbours understand the matter,
because the odour of the flowers
has grown so strong
has grown so strong
as to make them eager to approach them.
They understand that this soul is full of virtue:
they see the fruit, how delicious it is, and
they wish to help that soul to eat it.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #4 ]
_____________________________
1b). She continued to describe the benefits
of the 4th State of Prayer
(which she, one who fell into err, )
was given by the goodness of God.
What were these benefits?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9, 10 ]
St. Teresa emphasizes these benefits
for those, such as herself, who
after "falling into sin"
were "raised up again
by (God)...who, in (His) mercy,
stretchest forth Thine hand to save":
~ The Consciousness of God's Mercy
and the soul's unworthiness
"How such a soul confesses
-- Thy greatness and compassion and
-- its own wretchedness!"
"It really looks on itself as nothingness, and
confesses Thy power.
"Thou seemest now
to be too bountiful in Thy gifts,
because it feels itself to be unworthy
of the earth it treads on."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9 ]
- The recognition of the Mercy and
Compassion of God
"It praises Thee
because Thou hast left us
such medicines and ointment
for our wounds, which
for our wounds, which
not only heal them on the surface,
but remove all traces whatever of them"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9 ]
"compassion so great and
mercy so surpassing,
after treason so foul and so hateful"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10 ]
~ The growth in Humility and Self-knowledge
"It dares not lift up its eyes"
"it raises them, indeed,
but it is to acknowledge how much
it oweth unto Thee."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9 ]
~ Devotion to the Blessed Mother
praying for her intercession
"It becomes devout to the Queen of Heaven,
that she may propitiate Thee"
~ Devotion to the saints,
especially to those who once were sinners,
that they might also intercede on
especially to those who once were sinners,
that they might also intercede on
the soul's behalf
"it invokes the Saints, who fell
after Thou hadst called them,
for succour."
~ Growth in Faith
"It has recourse
- to the Sacraments,
- to a quickened faith,
which abides in it
at the contemplation of the power
which Thou hast lodged in them.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9 ]
~ Growth in Perfection; The Correcting of faults
"for our wounds, which (God will)
not only heal them on the surface,
but remove all traces whatever of them"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #9 ]
____________________________
2). How does St. Teresa describe
what she sometimes experienced as the
duration of the 4th degree of prayer ended?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #1, 2]
St. Teresa described the end of an occurrence
of the 4th degree of prayer in this way:
"There remains in the soul,
when the prayer of union is over..."
~ Great tenderness;
- "an exceedingly great tenderness;
so much so, that it would undo itself
not from pain,
but through tears of joy"
~ Tears of joy
"it finds itself bathed therein,
- without being aware of it, and
- it knows not how or when it wept them."
"But to behold the violence of the fire
subdued by the water,
which yet makes it burn the more,
gives it great delight.
It seems as if
I were speaking an unknown language.
I were speaking an unknown language.
So it is, however.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #1 ]
"It has happened to me occasionally,
when this prayer was over,
to be so beside myself
as not to know
- whether I had been dreaming, or
- whether the bliss I felt
had really been mine;
and, on finding myself in a flood of tears
which had painlessly flowed,
with such violence and rapidity
that it seemed as if
a cloud from heaven had shed them
to perceive that it was no dream.
Thus it was with me in the beginning,
when it passed quickly away".
[ Life: Ch. 19: #2 ]
____________________________
3). What did St. Teresa mean when she said
"... Tears gain everything..." ?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10, 5, 6, 3 ]
"...Tears gain everything, and
one drop of water attracts another."
St. Teresa teaches that:
St. Teresa teaches that:
The soul's tearful repentance and gratitude
dispose it to graces / favors.
"With these scanty tears
which I am now weeping,
but yet Thy gift,
water out of a well..."
The tears and conversion of heart,
for which we may strive,
is actually a gift from God.
She is talking about the grace of this tenderness
of devotion, thankfulness, and self-reproach
"at compassion so great and
mercy so surpassing,
after treason so foul and so hateful"
I know not how it is
that my heart does not break...
for I am wicked".
"...Thou, O Lord,
make my tears available;
purify the water which is so muddy...
I seem to make Thee some recompense
for treachery so great as mine..."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10 ]
St. Teresa was counseling especially those
who had been brought by God
to the 4th degree of prayer but
- had fallen, or
- became "parched" again
due to carelessness,
- "if... ungrateful" or,
- "if the occasions of sin be not avoided..."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #5]
She advised theses souls:
- to persevere in prayer.
- that prayer, thankfulness for the mercies of God
and sorrow for offending God a
will help dispose the soul for further graces.
I write this
- for the comfort of souls
which are weak, as I am,
- that they may
never despair,
nor cease to trust in the power of God;
- even if they should fall
after our Lord has raised them
to so high a degree of prayer as this is,
they must not be discouraged,
unless they would lose themselves utterly.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #6 ]
"Thou, O my Lord,
who, out of a pool
so filthy as I am,
bringest forth water so clean
as to be meet for Thy table!
Praised be Thou, O Joy of the Angels,
who hast been thus pleased
to exalt so vile a worm!
[ Life: Ch. 19: #3 ]
______________________
4). What was "one of the reasons"
why St Teresa
...under obedience (wrote) this,
and (gave) an account
- of (her) wretched life, and
- of the graces our Lord
has wrought in (her)" ?
[Life: Ch. 19: #6,7,8,15,16,17,18,20,22,23,24]
St. Teresa, under obedience to her Confessors,
wrote this account in order to provide:
~ Warning not to neglect prayer
especially related to reasons of false humility.
She wanted to help others avoid her own failings
"under the disguise of humility",
she ceased to pray because of her wickedness.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #16 ]
She said that she resolved to return to prayer
"but I was waiting to be very free from sin first".
"I do not think I ever gave up my purpose
of resuming my prayer"
But, because of her unworthiness and ongoing sin,
she felt that she would be compounding
her offense through prayer
that was not accompanied by goodness.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #17 ]
"Satan deceived (her)
by tempting (her) to give up prayer,
through that false humility..."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #23 ]
"I thought
it showed but little humility
if I persevered in prayer
(while) I was so wicked..."
This could not have been...anything else
but to throw myself down into hell;
there was no need of any devils
to drag me thither.
...was there ever blindness so great as this?"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #8 ]
"Was there ever blindness so great as mine?
Where could I think
I should find help but in Thee?
What folly to run away from the light,
to be for ever stumbling!
What a proud humility was that
which Satan devised for me,
when I ceased to lean upon the pillar, and
threw the staff away which supported me,
in order that my fall might not be great"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #15 ]
"...so great a danger
as this device of Satan,
which he would have imposed upon me
in the disguise of humility"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #16 ]
"when I was neglecting (prayer)
my life was much worse
than it had ever been"
than it had ever been"
(due to following) the excellent help and
the pleasant humility
which Satan provided for me:
...how could my spirit be quiet?
it was a grave interior disquietude
It was going away in its misery
from its true rest.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #17
St. Teresa described how she progressed:
"I began to be converted,
though I did not cease to offend our Lord
all at once:
however, as I had not lost my way,
I walked on in it, though slowly,
falling and rising again;
[ Life: Ch. 19: #17 ]
~ Comfort
"I write this
- for the comfort of souls which are weak, as I am,
- that they may
-- never despair,
-- nor cease to trust in the power of God"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #6 ]
God " is never weary of giving,
nor can His compassion be exhausted.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #24 ]
~ Advice
- Perseverence in prayer
- Continual reliance on God
- Distrust in itself;
- Continual reliance on God
- Distrust in itself;
- Acknowledgement that
"of itself, (the soul)...can do no good thing;"
"of itself, (the soul)...can do no good thing;"
- Avoidance of risk and occasions of sin
So, in writing of her own mistake,
she cautioned that one:
- should persevere in prayer
- should persevere in prayer
even if they feel discouraged or have sinned.
"even if they should fall
after our Lord has raised them
to so high a degree of prayer as this is,
they must not be discouraged
unless they would lose themselves utterly"
unless they would lose themselves utterly"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #6 ]
"let no one
who has begun to give himself to prayer
be discouraged, and say:
If I fall into sin, it will be worse for me
if I go on now with the practice of prayer.
...but if he does not give up prayer,
let him be assured of this prayer
will bring him to the haven of light.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #7 ]
"But when that soul as I said falls,
let it look to it again and again,
for the love of our Lord..."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #23 ]
- must never rely on itself,
because it may fall
- nor expose itself in any way whatever
to any risks of sin.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #20 ]
- "prayer and...spiritual reading,
[ Life: Ch. 19: #18 ]
- "we have great need
-- of a director, and
-- of conference with spiritual persons".
[ Life: Ch. 19: #23
St. Teresa advises:
- perseverence in prayer
- continual reliance on God
- that the soul should have distrust in itself;
- acknowledgement that
"of itself , (the soul)...can do no good thing;"
"of itself , (the soul)...can do no good thing;"
St. Teresa said that she admitted
"I was not reverential enough,
and made too little of the mercies of God"
But she warns against giving up because
we are unworthy...
"There was no harm in these thoughts
and feelings in themselves;
but to act upon them,
that was an exceedingly great wickedness"
Satan did not dare to tempt me so openly.
But he might have led me by little and little,
.....to the...pit of destruction"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #16 ]
- Avoidance of risk and occasions of sin
Even "when a soul sees itself so near unto God,
when it sees the difference there is between
the things of heaven and
those of earth, and
when it sees the love which our Lord bears it,
(and) there grows out of that love
a certain trust and confidence,
the soul should follow this advice
in order to avoid:
- "expos(ing) itself to dangers, and
- thinking that now it has no reason
to be afraid for itself.
- excessive confidence in God,
without discretion"
"because the virtues are not strong, and
itself has
- no experience wherewith
to discern the dangers;
- nor is it aware of the evil
which trusting to itself may do it.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #22 ]
"This it was that ruined me."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #23 ]
__________________________
5a). What was the significance of the Psalm 18
to St. Teresa?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10,11,12, 13]
"Thou art just, O Lord, and
Thy judgment is right." [ Psalm 18:137]
"Thou art just, O Lord, and
Thy judgment is right." [ Psalm 18:137]
St. Teresa spoke about the questions in her mind
regarding the justness of God's decision
in granting of favors to those
who seem unworthy
while He "dost...pass by most holy persons,
who have always served (Him)"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #10 ]
Already, throughout her writings, she
- that God's graces and favor can not be
-- earned by merit or
-- acquired through one's effort
- that God grants graces and favor
-- according to his will, goodness, and mercy
-- according to His knowledge of
what is beneficial for each particular soul.
In her case, she, in Paragraph #11, acknowledged
that God granted her graces because:
- "my weakness has need of these succour"
"Thou, of Thy goodness, hadst kept me back
from offending Thee so much"
- while others, by their strength and detachment
were able to "serve Thee without them"
"Thou dealest with them as with a strong race,
free from all self-interest".
[ Life: Ch. 19: #11 ]
Then, in Paragraph #13, she goes on to describe
her observations of her own personal experience
and she puts forward the question of justice:
"I was thinking
how it could be just in Thee
to allow so many,
who...are Thy most faithful servants,
to remain without those consolations
and graces
which Thou hast given to me,
who am what I am..."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13
She acknowledged:
1). her unworthiness of the special graces and favors
which she now received from God
"It seemed as if
Thou wert looking for nothing else
Thou wert looking for nothing else
but that I should be
willing and ready to receive them"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #11 ]
2). her observance that many others, who had
consistently led lives of holiness,
did not receive these favors from God
3). Others, who also knew
of her past indiscretions and errors,
did not believe her to be advanced in prayer
of her past indiscretions and errors,
did not believe her to be advanced in prayer
and so they openly criticized her.
"They said
that I wished to be a saint, and
that I invented novelties;
but I had not then attained in many things
even to the observance of my rule;
nor had I come near
those excellent and holy nuns"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #12 ]
4). She did not blame them for their criticism of her
because she felt it was fair and deserved.
Although she underwent
"calumny and persecution",
"calumny and persecution",
she thought it was done "for good reason".
"making excuses for those
who murmured against me;
for I thought they had reason on their side.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #11 ]
"Thus it was that they were blameless,
when they blamed me."
"but made my supplications to Thee,
imploring Thee to consider
the grounds they had.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #12 ]
Then she stated that
Then she stated that
while praying the Psalm 18:137
she was inspired with this truth:
"Thou art just, O Lord, and
Thy judgment is right."
Thy judgment is right."
Her additional insights seem to include:
1) that her wonderings were a temptation
to question the goodness, mercy,
and compassion of God:
to question the goodness, mercy,
and compassion of God:
"I had had this temptation for some time, and
when I came to these words,
when I came to these words,
"Justus es, Domine, et rectum judicium tuum,"
"You are just, O Lord:
and your judgment is right"
and your judgment is right"
"I began to think what a deep truth it was"
Satan never was strong enough
to tempt me in any way
to doubt
of Thy goodness, or
of any article of the faith"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13 ]
2). that we with our limited capacity
can only think like men and
can not understand the way of God
As Jesus "said to Peter,
'Get behind me, Satan!
You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does,
but as human beings do.' "
[ New American Bible Matthew 16:23]
3). that this wondering is a
- lack of humility and
- distraction and obstacle to our prayer
"Then, as I was thinking
how it could be just in Thee
to allow so many,
who...are Thy most faithful servants,
to remain
without those consolations and graces
which Thou hast given to me,
who am what I am,
Thou, O my Lord, didst answer me:
Serve thou Me, and meddle not with this.
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13 ]
St. Teresa was advised directly by God
that her attention was to be put
- in serving Him
- not in speculation, theorizing, or deliberating
or comparing her state with that of others
Psalm 18 137 You are just, O Lord: and your judgment is right. 138 You have commanded justice your testimonies: and your truth exceedingly. 139 My zeal has made me pine away: because my enemies forgot your words. 140 Your word is exceedingly refined: and your servant has loved it. 141 I am very young and despised; but I forget not your justifications. 142 Your justice is justice for ever: and your law is the truth. 143 Trouble and anguish have found me: your commandments are my meditation. 144 Your testimonies are justice for ever: give me understanding, and I shall live. |
___________________________
5b). What was the 1st words that
she heard God say to her?
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13, 14 ]
St. Teresa said:
"This was the first word
which I ever heard Thee speak to me".
[ Life: Ch. 19: #14 ]
"Serve thou Me, and meddle not with this".
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13 ]
St. Teresa said she heard these words
by a different "way of hearing"
which she plans to describe in a later chapter.
She heard God's words in response
to her wondering why
she, a sinner, was granted by God,
so much mercy, graces and favors
while others who were very observant
of prayer and good works
did not receive these gifts.
"Then, as I was thinking
how it could be just
in Thee
to allow so many,
who...are Thy most faithful servants,
to remain without those consolations
and graces
which Thou hast given to me,
who am what I am,
Thou, O my Lord, didst answer me:
Serve thou Me, and meddle not with this."
[ Life: Ch. 19: #13 ]
This was the first word
which I ever heard Thee speak to me,
and it made me greatly afraid.
But as I shall speak hereafter
of this way of hearing,
and of other matters,
I say nothing here"
[ Life: Ch. 19: #14 ]
[See also Question #5a ]
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