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 31
She speaks of
- some exterior temptations and
apparitions of Satan, and
how he ill-treated her.
She mentions, moreover,
- some very good things by way of advice to persons
who are walking on the way of perfection.
- Of Certain Outward Temptations and
- Appearances of Satan.
- Of the Sufferings Thereby Occasioned.
- Counsels for Those Who Go on Unto Perfection.
______________________
Topics/ Questions
1a). How did St. Teresa respond to
temptations, interior troubles,
and apparitions of the devil?
[Life: Ch.31: # 2,3,4,8,9,10,11,12]
1b). What benefits of Holy Water
did she describe ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4, 10 ]
2). What kind of occasion,
according to St. Teresa,
would often incite
a disturbance by the devil?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 6,4,8,9,10 ]
3). How did St. Teresa feel about
being persecuted by others?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13]
4). What did St. Teresa say regarding
"being made much" by others
and Humility
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13,14,15,16,17,18]
5). What did St. Teresa say
"seems good...in the world" ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19 ]
6). What did St. Teresa say about
the striving for perfection ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19,20,25,27 ]
7). What did St. Teresa say about
those would fly
before God gives them wings ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 20, 21 ]
8). What advice or encouragement
does she provide?
[Life: Ch.31: # 21,22,23,24,25,
26,27 ]
____________________________
1a). How did St. Teresa respond to
temptations, interior troubles,
and apparitions of the devil?
[Life: Ch.31: # 2,3,4,8,9,10,11,12]
1b). What benefits of Holy Water
did she describe ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4, 10 ]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1a). How did St. Teresa respond to
temptations, interior troubles,
and apparitions of the devil?
[Life: Ch.31: # 2,3,4,8,9,10,11,12]
St. Teresa responded with prayer:
- She asked God for patience and strength
to withstand her suffering and trials.
At times, she made the Sign of the Cross and also
found Holy Water to be very efficacious.
- She also prayed for others who were undergoingthese interior struggles.
- She also asked her Nuns to pray for them also.
- She consulted with her Confessor.
- She was given the understanding that
the devils have "little power" and
"their strength is as nothing".
Prayer for strength and deliverance:
"I...make...interior acts,
as well as I can,
imploring our Lord,
if it be His will,
to give me patience, and then
to let me suffer on,
[ Life: Ch.31: # 3 ]
The Sign of the Cross:
"I was in great terror,
made the sign of the cross
and then the form vanished--
but it reappeared instantly"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 2 ]
Holy Water:
"there was some holy water at hand;
I took some, and
threw it in the direction
of the figure,
and then Satan never returned".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 2 ]
Prayer of Intercession for others:
She prayed for others
who were tormented by temptations;
"I implored His Majesty
to put an end to
these torments and temptations, and
to let the evil spirits torment me
instead,
provided I did not offend our Lord.
Thus it was that for one month
I was most grievously tormented"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 8 ]
She asked her Nuns to pray for others:
"I promised him that I
would pray to God
for his amendment, and
get others who were better than I
to do the same.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 8 ]
"I recommended him to my sisters,
through whose prayers
I must have obtained this mercy
from our Lord"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 8 ]
"for the prayers of those
who serve Him
can do great things;
and I believe the sisters of this house
do serve Him.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 9 ]
Consultation with her Confessor:
"during the temptations
it seemed to me
as if all my vanity and weakness
in times past
had become alive again within me;
Then I was tormented by the thought
that, as these things came back
to my memory,
I must be utterly
in the power of Satan,
until my confessor consoled me;
for I imagined
that even the first movement
towards an evil thought
ought not to have come near one
who had received from our Lord
such great graces as I had.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 12 ]
Courage; Disdain of the devil:
St. Teresa stated regarding the devil
- that much is "not in his power" and
- that he can do nothing except
"by our Lord's permission".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4 ]
"These cursed spirits have tormented me
so often,
and I am now so little afraid of them,
because...they cannot stir
without our Lord's permission"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 9 ]
"May this I have written be of use
to the true servant of God,
who ought to despise these terrors,
which Satan sends only
to make him afraid!
Let him understand that each time
we despise those terrors,
their force is lessened, and
the soul gains power over them".
"There is always some great good
obtained"(from resisting the devil).
[ Life: Ch.31: # 10 ]
"The fact is,
I know now how little power
the evil spirits have,
provided I am not out
of the grace of God"
I have scarcely any fear of them
at all,
for their strength is as nothing,
if they do not find
( that) the souls they assail,
give up the contest,
and become cowards;
-- it is in this case
(only when the assailed souls give up
and become cowards)
that they (the devils) show their power.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 11 ]
___________________________
1b). What special benefits
of Holy Water
did she describe ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4, 10 ]
St. Teresa stated:
"I know by frequent experience
that there is nothing
which puts the devils to flight
like holy water".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4 ]
"They run away
before the sign of the cross also,
but they return immediately:
great, then, must be
the power of holy water".
"my soul is conscious
of a special and
most distinct consolation
whenever I take it.
"I feel almost always
a certain refreshing,
which I cannot describe,
together with an inward joy,
which comforts my whole soul.
This is
no fancy,
nor a thing
which has occurred once only;
for it has happened very often, and
I have watched it very carefully"
"...his whole being is refreshed".
"I consider that everything
ordained by the Church
is very important;
and I have a joy in reflecting
that the words of the Church
are so mighty,
that they endow water with power,
so that there shall be
so great a difference
between holy water
and water
that has never been blessed"
"Then, as my pains did not cease...
I would ask for some holy water.
They brought me some,
and sprinkled me with it;
but I was no better.
I then threw some myself
in the direction of the (devil)
...he fled in a moment.
All my sufferings ceased".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4 ]
"I made the sign of the cross,
and (the devil) went away.
I then returned to my prayer,
and he, too, came back;
he did so, I believe, three times and
I was not able to finish the prayer
without throwing holy water at him"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 10 ]
_________________________
2). What kind of occasion,
according to St. Teresa,
would often incite
a disturbance by the devil?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 6,4,8,9,10 ]
St. Teresa said that when she strived
with God's help,
to help another to advance in prayer,
especially one who was a sinner,
the devil would create a disturance
and cause her much sufferings.
"This (disturbance by the devil)
took place almost always
when our Lord was pleased
that some soul or other,
persuaded by me,
advanced in the spiritual life".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 6 ]
St. Teresa prayed often to God
for herself and others
in order to resist the devil because:
"if, by our Lord's permission, Satan
- can do so much evil
to a soul and body
(that is) not in his power,
- he can do much more
when he has them
in his possession".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 4 ]
"I implored His Majesty
to put an end to
these torments and temptations, and
to let the evil spirits torment me
instead (of the other person)
provided I did not offend our Lord.
Thus it was that for one month
I was most grievously tormented;
and then it was
that these two assaults of Satan,
took place.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 8 ]
"The devils must have been
more angry with me only
because I asked them (the Nuns)
to pray (for one who was being tempted), and
because our Lord permitted it
on account of my sins.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 9 ]
"I saw certain souls at that moment
come forth out of purgatory
--they must have been
near their deliverance,
and I thought that Satan might
in this way have been trying
to hinder their release".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 10 ]
_______________________
3). How did St. Teresa feel about being
persecuted by others?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13]
St. Teresa said:
"when I am persecuted
then my soul is so conscious of strength,
though the body suffers, and
though I am in other ways afflicted...
my soul seems then
to be a queen in its kingdom,
having everything under its feet.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13 ]
____________________________
4). What did St. Teresa say regarding
"being made much" by others
and Humility
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13,14,15,16,17,18]
St. Teresa said:
"I was much tormented
and even now I am tormented
when I saw people
make much of me,
particularly great people, and
when they spake well of me.
I think at once of the life
of Christ and
of the Saints...
for they received nothing
but contempt and ill-treatment.
and then my life seems
the reverse of theirs".
All this makes me afraid;
I dare not lift up my head, and
I wish nobody saw me at all"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 13 ]
When I considered that the graces
which our Lord had bestowed
upon me
might come to the knowledge
of the public,
my sufferings became so excessive
as to greatly to disturb my soul.
They went so far,
that I made up my mind,
while thinking of it,
that I would
rather be buried alive
than have these things known.
And so, when I began
to be profoundly recollected, or
to fall into a trance,
which I could not resist
even in public,
I was so ashamed of myself,
that I would not appear
where people might see me.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 14]
Once, when I was
much distressed at this,
our Lord said to me,
What was I afraid of?
one of two things must happen
--people would
either speak ill of me,
or give glory to Him.
He made me understand by this,
- that those who believed in the truth
of what was going on in me
would glorify Him;and
- that those who did not
would condemn me without cause:
in both ways I should be the gainer,
and I was therefore
not to distress myself.
This made me quite calm, and
it comforts me
whenever I think of it.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 15 ]
This temptation
became so excessive,
that I wished to
leave...to another monastery,
where enclosure was
more strictly observed...
where I was not known
These fears deprived me
in a great measure
of all liberty of spirit"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 16 ]
I fell, too, into another extreme.
I begged of God...
that it might please His Majesty,
- whenever any one
saw any good in me
- that such a one might also
become acquainted
with my sins
in order that he might see that
His graces were bestowed on me
without any merit on my part
if I saw that any one
thought well of me,
I used...to contrive
he should know of my sins:
But they have made me
very scrupulous on this point.
It seemed to me
that I was deceiving everybody
though, in truth,
they deceived themselves,
by thinking that there was
any good in me
I did not wish to deceive them,
nor did I ever attempt it,
only our Lord permitted it
for some end"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 17 ]
Regarding Humility:
"I regarded it as a sign
of virtue and
of humility;
but I see clearly now
it was nothing else
but a temptation
A Dominican friar, of great learning,
showed it to me very plainly.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 14 ]
"and I understood afterwards
that this was not true humility,
because it disturbed me so much.
And our Lord taught me this truth;
if I was convinced,
and certainly persuaded,
that all that was good in me
came wholly and only from God
if it did not distress me
to hear the praises of others...
if I was pleased and comforted
when I saw
that God was working in them,
then neither should I be distressed
if He showed forth His works
in me.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 16 ]
"if I saw that any one
thought well of me,
I used...to contrive
he should know of my sins:
But they have made me
very scrupulous on this point.
This...was not an effect
of humility,
but oftentimes the result
of temptation
[ Life: Ch.31: # 17 ]
"All these little
fears and
distresses, and
semblance of humility,
I now see clearly
were mere imperfections,
and the result
of my unmortified life;
for a soul left in the hands of God
cares nothing
about evil or good report,
if it clearly comprehends,
when our Lord is pleased
to bestow upon it His grace,
that it has nothing of its own.
Let it
- trust the Giver;
it will know hereafter
why He reveals His gifts, and
- prepare itself for persecution,
which...is sure to come,
when it is our Lord's will
it should be known of any one
that He bestows upon him
graces such as these...
I was therefore not humble,
but a coward;
for a soul which God permits
to be thus seen of men
may well prepare itself
to be the world's martyr--
because, if it will not die
to the world voluntarily,
that very world will kill it.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 18 ]
________________________
5). What did St. Teresa say
"seems good...in the world" ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19 ]
St. Teresa said:
"Certainly, I see nothing in the world
that seems to me good
except this,
that (the world)
- tolerates no faults in good people and
- helps them to perfection
by dint of complaints against them"
"the world,
when it sees any one
beginning to travel on that road,
insists on his becoming
perfect at once,
and a thousand leagues off
detects in him a fault,
which after all may be a virtue".
"great courage is necessary here
for, though the poor soul
has not yet begun to walk,
the world will have it fly"
and, though its passions
be not wholly overcome,
men will have it
that they must be under restraint,
even upon trying occasions,
as those of the Saints..."
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19 ]
____________________________
6). What did St. Teresa say about
the striving for perfection ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19,20,25,27 ]
St. Teresa said:
- "it requires greater courage
in one not yet perfect
to walk in the way of perfection
than to undergo
an instant martyrdom;
for perfection is
not attained to at once,
unless our Lord grant that grace
by a special privilege"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 19 ]
- "very many go backwards
who, poor souls, know not
how to help themselves;
and I too, I believe,
would have gone back also,
if our Lord had not so mercifully
on His part
done everything for me.
And until He, of His goodness,
had done all,
nothing was done by me,
beyond falling and rising again.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 20 ]
Are we striving
after union with God ? and
Do we wish to follow
the counsels of Christ,
Our Lord comes to the soul
when we
do violence to ourselves, and
(force ourselves to sacrifice our attachments)
strive to give up our rights
in many things.
"Our Lord will never suffer any one
who has made
so good a resolution as this
to miss so great a blessing.
His Majesty will make
so many arrangements for him,
whereby he may acquire
this virtue.
Let him put his hand to the work.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 25 ]
By trifles such as these,
which are nothing...
by little and little,
doing such actions, and
by such slight performances,
they become of worth
because done for God,
His Majesty helps us on
towards greater things;
and so it happened to me
in the matter of humility".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 27 ]
__________________________
7 ). What did St. Teresa say about
those who would fly
"before God gives them wings" ?
[ Life: Ch.31: # 20, 21 ]
St. Teresa said:
"...many souls, I believe,
delude themselves in this matter;
they would fly
before God gives them wings".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 20 ]
- "WHEN these souls begin,
with great
fervour,
courage, and
desire,
to advance in virtue,
- WHEN they see in others,
more advanced than themselves,
in greater fruits of virtue
-- given them by our Lord,
for we cannot acquire
these of ourselves --
- WHEN they see in all the books written
on prayer and
on contemplation
an account of
what we have to do
in order to attain thereto,
but which they cannot
accomplish themselves,--
THEY lose heart.
For instance, they read
that we must
- not be troubled
when men speak ill of us,
that we are to be then
- more pleased
than when they speak well of us;
that we must
- despise our own good name,
- be detached"
they may feel disheartened
and distressed.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 21 ]
___________________________
8). What advice or encouragement
does she provide?
[Life: Ch.31: # 21,22,23,24,25,
26,27 ]
St. Teresa said:
Regarding Trust
rather than Discouragement:
"Let them not distress themselves"
because of their shortcomings.
"The disposition to practise
(humility and detachment)
must be the gift of God
for it seems to me
a supernatural good,
contrary to our natural inclinations"
These virtues are
"given them by our Lord,
for we cannot acquire these
of ourselves"
"Let them trust in our Lord"
"What they now desire,
His Majesty will enable them
to attain to
by prayer, and
by doing what they can themselves;
for it is very necessary
for our weak nature
that we should have great confidence,
that we should
not be fainthearted,
nor suppose that,
if we do our best,
we shall fail to obtain
the victory at last".
[ Life: Ch.31: # 21 ]
Regarding Self-knowledge:
"do not think
that a virtue is acquired
when we have not tested it
by its opposing vice:
we must always
be suspicious of ourselves, and
never neglient while we live;
(because)
- for much evil clings to us
if grace be not given
to us
to understand fully what everything is:
- and in this life there is nothing
without great risks.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 21 ]
Regarding Avoiding dangerous
occasions and circumstances:
From her own experiences
she advises:
"that it was necessary...
to flee from dangerous occasions
in order that the virtue
which our Lord had begun
to implant...might grow"
(since) "I was
not so detached
as I thought, and
[ Life: Ch.31: # 22 ]
Regarding Detachment:
She specifically emphasizes
the subtle dangers of attachment to:
honor, self-esteem, and self-respect.
"we are not all of us detached,
though we think we are"
it is necessary for us
never to be careless on this point.
If any one
detects in himself any tenderness
about his good name, and
yet wishes to advance
in the spiritual life,
let him...throw this embarrassment
behind his back"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 23 ]
It seems to me to be
a hindrance on the road, and
I am astonished at the harm it does.
Why has ( a holy person) not arrived
at the summit of perfection?...
What keeps him back
who does so much for God?...
--self-respect!
and the worst of it is,
that these persons will not admit
that they have it...
because Satan convinces them
that they are under an obligation
to observe it.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 23 ]
our self-respect...is a thing
which hurts the soul
exceedingly in every way,
but it is a pestilence
in the way of prayer.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 24 ]
This miserable self-esteem
took from me the power of doing
that which I regarded as an honour
[ Life: Ch.31: # 26 ]
"do we wish to follow
the counsels of Christ,
--who was loaded with reproaches
and falsely accused,--
and, at the same time,
to keep our own reputation
and credit untouched?
We cannot succeed,
for these things are inconsistent
one with another.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 25 ]
"only the help of God,
obtained by
- prayer and
- much striving on his part
can do it.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 23 ]
Regarding Perseverence:
"If our Lord bestows any virtue
upon us,
we must
- make much of it, and
- by no means run the risk of losing it"
[ Life: Ch.31: # 23 ]
Are we striving
after union with God? and
do we wish to follow
the counsels of Christ,
Our Lord comes to the soul
when we
do violence to ourselves, and
strive to give up our rights
in many things.
"Our Lord will never suffer any one
who has made
so good a resolution as this
to miss so great a blessing.
His Majesty will make
so many arrangements for him,
whereby he may acquire
this virtue
Let him put his hand to the work.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 25 ]
By trifles such as these,
which are nothing...
by little and little,
doing such actions, and
by such slight performances,
they become of worth
because done for God,
His Majesty helps us on
towards greater things;
and so it happened to me
in the matter of humility.
[ Life: Ch.31: # 27 ]
___________________________
