Teresa of Jesus
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel.
Discussion of Chapter 25
- Of the manner in which Locutions of God
are perceived by the soul
without being actually heard;
- and of some deceits
that might take place in this matter,
- and how one is to know which is which.
This is most profitable for those who are
in this degree of prayer,
because it is very well explained,
and contains excellent doctrine.
- Divine Locutions.
- Discussions on That Subject.
________________________
Topics/ Questions
1). How does St. Teresa describe
locutions of God?
[ Life: Ch25: # 2,5,6,8,9,
12,22,23 ]
2) From where can locutions arise?
[ Life: Ch25: #1,2,3 ]
3). How does St. Teresa describe a
human or natural locution?
[ Life: Ch25: # 3,4,5,6,8,10,11,12 ]
4). "There is another test
more decisive still" for
4). "There is another test
more decisive still" for
distinguishing between
divine locutions and human locutions.
What does St. Teresa say is this test?
[ Life: Ch25: # 5]
5). How does St. Teresa describe a
locution from satan?
[ Life: Ch25: #13,14,15, 17]
6). What encouragement does
St. Teresa give regarding
locutions from satan?
[ Life: Ch25: # 16,24,25,26,27 ]
7). What recommendations
and precautions does
St. Teresa give regarding
locutions from satan?
[Life: Ch25:#16,17,18,23,24,26]
8). According to St. Teresa,
If God did "subject those
who love (Him) to a severe trial,
why would this be done?
[ Life: Ch25: # 22 ]
________________________
1). How does St. Teresa describe
locutions of God?
[ Life: Ch25: # 2,5,6,8,9,
12,22,23 ]
St. Teresa describes locutions of God as:
~ Words or ideas received by the person
~ Received supernaturally from God
~ Without the use of the sense of hearing
Not heard by the ears
"The words...
- but by the bodily ear
they are not heard"
[ Life: Ch25: # 2]
~ The words/ ideas are heard clearly
"The words
- are very distinctly formed"
[ Life: Ch25: # 2]
"the divine locution is a voice
- so clear
that not a syllable of its utterance
is lost".
[ Life: Ch25: # 6]
~ The meaning of the words/ideas
are clearly understood
- "much more clearly understood
than they would be
if they were heard by the ear.
- It is impossible
not to understand them,
whatever resistance we may offer".
[ Life: Ch25: # 2]
~ Rapid Understanding of
"the divine locutions
- instruct us without loss of time, and
- we understand matters
which seem to require a month
on our part to arrange.
- The understanding itself,
and the soul,
stand amazed at some of the things
we understand".
[ Life: Ch25: # 12]
~ Irresistable:
"there is no escape,
for in spite of ourselves
we must listen;
the understanding
must apply itself
so thoroughly
to the comprehension
of that which God wills
we should hear,
that it is nothing to the purpose
whether we will it or not";
(whether we want
to hear it or not)
"for it is His will,
Who can do all things.
We should understand that
- His will must be done; and
- He reveals Himself
as our true Lord,
having dominion over us".
[ Life: Ch25: # 2]
~ Certainty of Truth:
- "it must admit
the (divine locution)
whether we like it or not"
[ Life: Ch25: #8]
- "we listen to that
as we do
to a person of
great holiness,
learning, or
authority,
whom we know to be incapable
of uttering a falsehood"
"...these locutions proceed occasionally
-- in such great majesty
that, without our recollecting
who it is that utters them,
they make us
--- tremble
if they be words of reproof,
and
--- die of love
if words of love".
[ Life: Ch25: #9]
"I felt I could maintain
against all the world
that my prayer was
the work of God".
[ Life: Ch25: # 23 ]
~ Rememberance
"...our Lord makes the words
dwell in the memory
so that they cannot be forgotten.
...the divine locution is a work done;
and though some of it
may be forgotten,
and time have lapsed,
yet is not so wholly forgotten
that the memory loses all traces
of what was once spoken,
unless, indeed, after very long time,
or
unless the locution were words
of grace or
of instruction.
But as to prophetic words,
they are never forgotten"
[ Life: Ch25: #10]
~ Produces Effective Results:
"when our Lord speaks,
- it is, at once, word and work";
[ Life: Ch25: #5]
"His words are deeds"
[ Life: Ch25: #23]
"though the words may not be meant
to stir up our devotion,
but are rather words of reproof,
they
- dispose a soul at once,
- strengthen it,
- make it tender,
- give it light,
- console and calm it;
and if it should be
in dryness, or
in trouble and uneasiness,
- all is removed,
as if by the action of a hand,
and even better;
for it seems as if our Lord
would have the soul understand
- that He is all-powerful, and
- that His words are deeds".
[ Life: Ch25; #5]
"and at the first word,
change it utterly".
[ Life: Ch25; #6]
"in a moment,
-- my soul seemed changed…"
"in the state I was in then,
many hours would have
been necessary
to calm me, and
that no one could have done it.
Yet I found myself,
through these words alone,
tranquil and strong,
courageous and confident,
at rest and enlightened"
[ Life: Ch25: # 23 ]
~ Received supernaturally from God
without any work
of the human faculties
The soul is passive.
- "the memory
has not the least recollection
- (the) expressions
are uttered so rapidly...
(Yet are) so full...
that much time must have been spent
in arranging them,
if we formed them ourselves;
and so it seems to me
that we cannot possibly be ignorant
at the time
that we have never formed,
ourselves, at all."
[ Life: Ch25; #9]
- "...yet grand sentences,
perfectly arranged,
are uttered..."
These sentences are beyond the
capability of the person:
"sentences...such as the soul in
its most recollected state
never could have formed"
"when the understanding
and the soul are
so troubled and distracted
that they cannot form
one sentence correctly";
[ Life: Ch25: # 6]
- May occur after suspension
of the faculties:
"when the faculties of the soul
are suspended;
...how should the soul then
comprehend anything,
when it remembers nothing? ...
how can it remember them then,
when the memory
can hardly do anything at all,
and the imagination is,
as it were, suspended"
[ Life: Ch25; #6]
"but when this instant is passed,
the soul continuing still entranced,
then is the time
of which I am speaking;
for the faculties,
though not completely suspended,
are so disposed"
[ Life: Ch25; #7]
~ Occurs when God wills it / grants it;
not when one desires it:
- "...with the divine locutions:
for many days
I may desire to hear them,
and I cannot; and
at other times...
even when I would not hear them,
(don't want to hear them )
I must".
[ Life: Ch25; #12]
~ St. Teresa provided
an example of a divine locution:
"In this distress...
these Thy words alone
were enough to
- remove it, and
- give me perfect peace:
Be not afraid, my daughter:
it is I;
and I will not abandon thee.
Fear not."
[ Life: Ch25: # 22]
____________________________
2) From where can locutions arise?
[ Life: Ch25: #1,2,3 ]
St. Teresa stated that locutions can arise
from:
- God
- ourselves and the
- devil
[ Life: Ch25: #1,2,3 ]
_________________________
3). How does St. Teresa describe a
human or natural locution?
[ Life: Ch25: # 3,4,5,6,8,10,11,12 ]
~ Source:
"they may be
- but an apprehension
of the understanding,
for that is possible,
- or even words which the mind
addressed to itself.
[ Life: Ch25; # 3 ]
- "the understanding
which has arranged that locution,
that it is speaking of itself.
This is nothing else
but a word
uttered by one, and
listened to by another":
[ Life: Ch25; # 4]
"in that case,
the understanding will see
that it has
not only...been listening,
but also forming the words";
[ Life: Ch25; # 4]
~ Indistinct Content / Meaning:
"the words it forms are
something indistinct,
fantastic, and
not clear
like the divine locutions"
[ Life: Ch25; # 4]
"The human locution
is as something
which we cannot well make out,
as if we were half asleep";
[ Life: Ch25; # 6]
~ Resistable:
"When we wish not to hear anything
in this world,
we can
stop our ears, or
give attention to something else:
so that,
even if we do hear,
at least we can refuse to understand".
[ Life: Ch25; # 2]
"It is in our power
to turn away our attention
from these locutions of our own,
just as we can be silent
when we are speaking;
but, with respect to the former
(locutions from God)
that cannot be done"
[ Life: Ch25; # 4]
~ Lack of Authenticity:
- "neither does the soul accept it…
nor does it believe it;
nor does it believe it;
On the contrary,
- it is known to be a delusion
of the understanding, and
- is therefore put away
as we would put away
the ravings of a lunatic".
[ Life: Ch25; #8]
- St. Teresa stated that only
"wickedness" would cause a soul
to delude itself regarding the
authenticity of a locution".
"unless a soul be so wicked
as to
-- pretend that it has these locutions
which would be a great sin,
-- say that it hears divine words
when it hears nothing of the kind,
it cannot possibly fail to see clearly
that itself
arranges the words, and
utters them to itself"
[ Life: Ch25; #11 ]
- Lack of experience of a divine locution
can contribute to the delusion though:
"That seems to me
altogether impossible
for any soul
that has ever known
the Spirit of God.
If it has not, it may
continue all its life long
in this delusion, and
imagine that it
hears and
understands,
though I know not how that can be"
[ Life: Ch25; #11 ]
~ Ineffectual:
"The words formed
by the understanding
effect nothing"
[ Life: Ch25; #5]
"the human locution
produces no effect"
[ Life: Ch25; #8]
~ Forgetable
"Now, that which comes forth
from our understanding is...
the first movement of thought,
which passes away and
is forgotten"
[ Life: Ch25; # 10 ]
~ Summonable / Accessible
- "...we may hear the locutions
that proceed
from the understanding
whenever we like, and
think that we hear them
whenever we pray
[ Life: Ch25; #12]
- "...any one disposed to deceive people
by saying that he heard from God
that which he has invented himself,
might as easily say
that he heard it with his bodily ears"
[ Life: Ch25; #12]
~ St. Teresa provides an example:
"It seems to me
that a person commending
a matter to God
with great love and earnestness
may think that he hears
in some way or other
whether his prayer will be
granted or not,
and this is quite possible;
[ Life: Ch25; # 4 ]
___________________________
4). "There is another test
more decisive still" for
5). How does St. Teresa describe a
4). "There is another test
more decisive still" for
distinguishing between
divine locutions and human locutions.
What does St. Teresa say is this test?
[ Life: Ch25: # 5]
St. Teresa stated that "decisive" test
as to whether a locution is from God
are the effects it produces.
"The words formed
by the understanding
effect nothing;
but, when our Lord speaks,
it is at once word and work;
[ Life: Ch25: # 5]
_______________________
5). How does St. Teresa describe a
locution from satan?
[ Life: Ch25: #13,14,15, 17]
~ Without good effects;
Having bad effects:
- "not only do not leave
any good effects behind,
- but do leave evil effects"
"For though at first
the soul is conscious of no harm,
great harm may by degrees ensue"
[ Life: Ch25: # 17]
-- "the great aridity
which remains in the soul
after these evil locutions,
-- there is also a certain disquiet...
yet this disquiet is such
that I know not whence it comes
only the soul
seems to resist,
is troubled and distressed,
without knowing why;
for the words of Satan
are good,
and not evil.
I am thinking whether
this may not be so because
one spirit is conscious
of the presence of another".
[ Life: Ch25: # 13 ]
"After these locutions of the evil one,
the soul
is never gentle,
but is,
terrified, and greatly disgusted".
[ Life: Ch25: # 15]
"all good seems
to be lost out of sight, and
to have fled from the soul,
when the devil has spoken to it;
the soul
-- is thrown into a state of disgust...
-- is troubled,
-- able to do
no good thing whatever
-- if it conceives good desires,
they are not strong;
-- its humility is
fictitious,
disturbed, and
without sweetness".
[ Life: Ch25: # 17]
~ False sweetness and joy
- "The sweetness and joy
which Satan gives
are...of a very different kind"
(than that of divine locutions).
"By means of these sweetnesses
he may deceive any one
who does not, or
who never did,
taste of the sweetness of God...
Those little, fervid bursts of tears,
and other slight emotions,
for at the first breath of persecution
these flowers wither…"
[ Life: Ch25: # 14 ]
_______________________
6). What encouragement does
St. Teresa give regarding
locutions from satan?
[ Life: Ch25: # 16,24,25,26,27 ]
St. Teresa assures that it is
"...a most certain truth,
-- that the devil will never deceive
-- that God will not suffer him
to deceive,
the soul
which has no confidence
whatever in itself;
which is strong in faith, and
which is resolved to undergo
a thousand deaths
for any one article of the creed
which, in its love of the faith...
always labours,
seeking for further light
to mould itself
on the teaching of the Church…"
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
"Seeing, then,
that our Lord is so powerful...
that the evil spirits are His slaves,
of which there can be no doubt,
because
it is of faith, and
I a servant of this our Lord...
What harm can Satan do unto me?
I took up the cross in my hand,
I was changed in a moment
into another person,
...God had really given me
courage enough
not to be afraid of encountering
all the evil spirits.
It seemed to me that I could,
with the cross,
easily defeat them altogether".
[ Life: Ch25: # 24]
"These enemies have not the courage
to assail any
but those whom they see
ready to give in to them,
or when God permits them to do so,
for the greater good
of His servants..."
[ Life: Ch25: # 25]
(Satan) "...will have nothing to do
with those who walk in the truth"
[ Life: Ch25: # 26]
"I do not understand those terrors
which make us cry out, Satan, Satan!
when we may say, God, God!
and make Satan tremble.
Do we not know
that he cannot stir
without the permission of God?"
[ Life: Ch25: # 27]
_______________________
7). What recommendations
and precautions does
St. Teresa give regarding
locutions from satan?
[Life: Ch25:#16,17,18,23,24,26]
~ To Pray and Strive as much as can for
- Faith in God
"which, in its love of the faith...
always labours,
seeking for further light
to mould itself
on the teaching of the Church…"
[ Life: Ch25: # 16 ]
"As He strengthens our faith,
love grows".
[ Life: Ch25: # 23 ]
- Humility
-- Lack of confidence in oneself
"which has no confidence
whatever in itself"
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
-- Look upon oneself as unsafe
"If the soul does not discern
this great strength in itself, and
if the particular devotion or vision
help it not onwards,
then it must not look upon it
as safe".
[ Life: Ch25: # 17 ]
"Satan has many devices"
"it is safer to
-- be afraid, and
-- always on our guard,
-- under a learned director,
from whom nothing
is concealed.
If we do this,
no harm can befall us..."
[ Life: Ch25: # 18]
- Obedience and Adherence to the
Church and its Doctrine:
"to mould itself on
the teaching of the Church"
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
-- Divine locutions would not deviate
from Church teaching.
"No imaginable revelations,
not even if it saw
the heavens open
could make that soul swerve
in any degree
from the doctrine of the Church".
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
"...that which purports
to come from God
is received only in so far
as it corresponds
with the sacred writings;
but if it varies therefrom
ever so little,
I am incomparably more convinced
that it comes from Satan
than I am now convinced
it comes from God,
however deep
that conviction may be".
[ Life: Ch25: # 17]
"...this varying is so clear a sign
of the devil's presence,
that if all the world
were to assure me
that it came from God,
I would not believe it".
[ Life: Ch25: # 17]
-- St. Teresa stated that such
"first" thoughts and rationale
are temptations which
should be recognized
and confronted at once.
"If, however,
it should at any time find itself
wavering even in thought
on this point, or
stopping to say to itself,
'If God says this to me,
it may be true,
as well as
what He said to the Saints'
the soul must not be sure of it".
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
"I do not mean
that it so believes,
only that Satan has taken
the first step
towards tempting it;
and the giving way to the
first movements of a thought
like this
is evidently most wrong.
I believe, however,
that these first movements
will not take place
- if the soul is so strong
in the matter
as that soul is
to whom our Lord
sends these graces
that it seems as if
it could crush
the evil spirits
in defence of the very least
of the truths
which the Church holds".
[ Life: Ch25: # 16]
- Detachment and Self-denial:
"I aim at nothing else
but His pleasure;
I seek
no joy,
no rest,
no other good than
that of doing His will.
...I had no other desire"
[ Life: Ch25: # 23]
-- "The evil spirits keep us in terror,
because we expose ourselves
to the assaults of terror
by our attachments to
honours,
possessions, and
pleasures.
-- For then the evil spirits,
uniting themselves with us,
□ we become our own enemies
when we love and seek
what we ought to hate,
□ do us great harm".
[ Life: Ch25: # 26]
"We ourselves put weapons
into their hands,
that they may assail us;
those very weapons
with which we should defend
ourselves.
But if, for the love of God, we
- hated all this, and
- embraced the cross, and
- set about His service in earnest,
Satan would fly away
before such realities,
as from the plague.
if he sees...any one
seeking peace in vanities,
for all the things of this world
are so utterly vanity...
he sees at once
that such a one is a child;
he treats him as a child, and
ventures to wrestle with him
not once, but often".
[ Life: Ch25: # 26]
"I took up the cross in my hand,
I was changed in a moment
into another person,
...God had really given me
courage enough not to be afraid
of encountering all the evil spirits.
It seemed to me that I could,
with the cross,
easily defeat them altogether".
[ Life: Ch25: # 24]
- Avoiding sin
and the near occasion of sin
"understand that one venial sin
can do us more harm
than all hell together;
for that is the truth".
[ Life: Ch25: # 26]
Fear of the Lord
"fear Him whom we ought to fear"
[ Life: Ch25: # 26]
_______________________
8). According to St. Teresa,
If God did "subject those
who love (Him) to a severe trial,
why would this be done?
[ Life: Ch25: # 22 ]
St. Teresa said:
"It seems as if
Thou didst subject those
who love Thee
to a severe trial:
...in order that they may learn,
in the depths of that trial,
the depths of Thy love".
[ Life: Ch25: # 22 ]
___________________________
