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 39
She continues
- the same subject,
- mentioning great graces granted her by God;
- how He promised to hear her requests
on behalf of persons for whom she should pray.
- Some remarkable instances
in which His Majesty thus favoured her.
- Other Graces Bestowed on the Saint.
- The Promises of Our Lord to Her.
- Divine Locutions and Visions.
______________________
Discussion Topics/ Questions
1). St. Teresa prayed
for the physical and spiritual
welfare of others.
On one occasion, she said,
"I was...afraid our Lord
would not hear me
because of my sins."
What reassurances from God
did she receive?
[ Life: Ch. 39: # 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 ]
2). What did St. Teresa say was
"the chief reason"
"that our Lord did these things"
( bodily and spiritual healings) ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #5, 7, 11 ]
3). What did St. Teresa say about
the "two ways of praying" ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #8, 9, 10, 18 ]
4). St. Teresa extolled the
virtue of detachment.
4a). When St. Teresa recalled her stay
at the home of
Dona Luisa de la Cerda,
she emphasized the need
for detachment.
What did she say about this ?
What did she say about this ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #11 ]
4b). What else did she say
regarding detachment ?
[Life: Ch. 39: # 25, 26, 27, 28, 32]
5). St. Teresa counseled against
judging "spiritual things,
by our own understanding"
thereby distorting their true meaning.
She then discussed the error of
thinking "we may measure
our (spiritual) progress
by the years which we have given
to the exercise of prayer".
What did she teach regarding this?
[Life: Ch. 39:
#12,13,15,17,18,
19,21,22,23,28,33 ]
6). While examining her past good
intentions and efforts,
St. Teresa acknowledged
her "faults and imperfections".
What did she say regarding this?
[Life: Ch. 39: #20 ]
7). What did St. Teresa say
regarding her own doubts
as to the source of her visions?
[Life: Ch. 39: #34, 35 ]
8). What other benefits
(in addition to detachment,
Humility and growth in virtue)
did St. Teresa specify
that she received
from the visions ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #36, 37 ]
____________________________
1). St. Teresa prayed
for the physical and spiritual
welfare of others.
On one occasion, she said,
"I was...afraid our Lord
would not hear me
because of my sins."
What reassurances from God
did she receive?
[ Life: Ch. 39: # 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 ]
St. Teresa said:
~ Regarding a person who was
"almost wholly blind",
Our Lord appeared to her
and said to her:
- "He...would still more readily
grant what I asked Him, and
- that I was not to have
any doubts about it."
"He promised me
- there was nothing I should ask
that He would not grant;
- that He knew I should ask
nothing
that was not for His glory, and
- that He would grant me
what I was now praying for.
Even during the time
when I did not serve Him...
I had asked nothing
that He had not granted
in an ampler manner…
- how much more amply still
would He grant what I asked
for, now
that He knew I loved Him!
- I was not to doubt.
[Life: Ch. 39: #1 ]
~ Regarding a person who
"was about to commit an act
highly offensive to God":
"In my distress,
I went to a...lonely hermitage...
in which there is a picture
of Christ bound to the pillar;
...as I was imploring our Lord...
I heard a voice
of exceeding gentleness,
speaking...in a whisper. .
[Life: Ch. 39: #3]
When my fears had subsided...
I became conscious of
an inward calmness,
a joy and delight,
I saw by this
that my prayer was granted;
and so it was;"
[Life: Ch. 39: #4 ]
~ Regarding conversion
of a sinner:
"... I did...pray to God
for his conversion.
One day, when I was in prayer,
I saw a devil...in a great rage,
tearing to pieces some paper
which he had in his hands.
That sight consoled me greatly,
because it seemed
that my prayer had been heard.
So it was...
that person made his confession
with great contrition, and
returned to God so sincerely"
[Life: Ch. 39: #5 ]
"In answer to my prayers,
our Lord has very often
rescued souls from mortal sins and
led others on to greater perfection.
[Life: Ch. 39: #6]
________________________
2). What did St. Teresa say was
"the chief reason"
"that our Lord did these things"
( bodily and spiritual healings) ?
[ Life: Ch. 39: # 7, 11
Ch. 36: # 5 ]
Ch. 36: # 5 ]
St. Teresa said
that the chief reason was because
of "His pure Compassion".
She seems to say
that she worried at first
with scrupulosity
because God granted her prayers
by these healings.
Perhaps she worried regarding
a want of humility (?)
Later, she acknowledges
that because of these mercies,
she is farther in God's debt.
"At first it made me scrupulous,
because I could not help thinking
that our Lord did these things
in answer to my prayer;
I say nothing
of the chief reason of all
His pure compassion".
[ apart, of course,
from the chief reason,
which is His pure goodness.
- Peer's translation" ]
I bless His Majesty,
and abase myself,
because I am still more deeply
in His debt; and
...He makes
my desire
to serve Him grow, and
my love revive".
[Life: Ch. 39: #7 ]
"there is no other good in me
but only that
which our Lord gave me
when I was so far from
deserving it:
[Life: Ch. 39: #11 ]
Previously she has expressed
her humility so beautifully:
"But it was a great joy to me
when I saw His Majesty
make use of me,
who am so worthless,
as His instrument
in so grand a work".
[Life: Ch. 36: #5 ]
_______________________
3). What did St. Teresa say about
the "two ways of praying" ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #8, 9, 10, 18 ]
St. Teresa said:
◊ There is a great difference between
these two ways of praying,
[ Es grande la diferencia de estas dos maneras de pedir "There is a great difference between these two ways of asking" ] (related: supplication praying to God ) - "La Vida de la Madre Teresa de Jesús escrita de su misma mano, con una aprobación del P. Maestro fr. Domingo Báñez su confesor y cathedrático de prima en Salamanca". "The Life of Mother Teresa of Jesus written in her same hand with the approval of Fr Domingo Banez, her confessor..." |
◊ 1st way of praying:
- like Vocal Prayer;
[Life: Ch. 39: # 10 ]
- when I pray for those graces
which God doesn't mean to grant,
- even though they concern me
very nearly
- like one whose tongue is tied;
who...would speak, yet cannot;
- or, if he speaks..
people do not listen to him.
- And yet I do not fail
to force myself to pray,
- though not conscious
of that fervour
which I have when praying
for those graces
which our Lord intends to give.
[Life: Ch. 39: # 9 ]
- however much I may wish
to pray for those graces
which our Lord sees
not to be expedient,
I cannot do it;
and if I try,
I do so with little
earnestness, force, and spirit:
it is impossible to do more,
even if I would.
[Life: Ch. 39: #8 ]
◊ 2nd way of praying:
- "Prayer of Contemplation
so high
that our Lord shows Himself
in such a way as to make us feel
- (that) He hears us, and
- that He delights in our prayer,
- that He is about
to grant our petition.
[Life: Ch. 39: # 10 ]
- like one who speaks
clearly and intelligibly
- to a willing listener.
[Life: Ch. 39: # 9 ]
"But it is not so as to those
which His Majesty intends to grant.
These I can pray for constantly,
and with great importunity;
though I do not carry them
in my memory,
they seem to present themselves
to me at once.
[Life: Ch. 39: #8 ]
◊ "I wish... to express my preference
for the prayer
that in a short time
results in these great effects,
which show themselves at once;
- to please God
- accompanied with a vehement love.
I would rather have that prayer
than that
which lasted many years, but...
never issued in a resolution
to do anything for God,
with the exception
of some trifling services..."
[Life: Ch. 39: # 18 ]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"There is a great difference between
these two ways of praying,
As to the first,
when I pray for those graces
which our Lord
does not mean to grant,
--even though they
concern me very nearly,--
I am like one whose tongue is tied;
who, though he would speak,
yet cannot;
or, if he speaks, sees
that people do not listen to him.
And yet I do not fail
to force myself to pray,
though not conscious
of that fervour
which I have when praying
for those graces
which our Lord intends to give.
In the second case,
I am like one
who speaks clearly and intelligibly
to another,
whom he sees to be
a willing listener.
[Life: Ch. 39: #9 ]
The prayer
that is not to be heard is,
so to speak,
like vocal prayer;
the other is
a prayer of contemplation
so high
that our Lord shows Himself
in such a way as to make us feel
- (that) He hears us, and
- that He delights in our prayer, and
- that He is about
to grant our petition.
[Life: Ch. 39: #10 ]
__________________________
4). St. Teresa extolled the
virtue of detachment.
4a). When St. Teresa recalled her stay
at the home of
Dona Luisa de la Cerda,
she emphasized the need
for detachment.
What did she say about this ?
What did she say about this ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #11 ]
4b). What else did she say
regarding detachment ?
[Life: Ch. 39: # 25, 26, 27, 28, 32]
______________________
4a). When St. Teresa recalled her stay
at the home of
Dona Luisa de la Cerda,
she emphasized the need
for detachment.
What did she say about this ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #11 ]
St. Teresa said:
"When I was staying
in the house of that lady...
it was necessary for me
- to be very watchful over myself, and
- keep continually in mind
the intrinsic vanity
of all the things of this life,
because
of the great esteem I was held in, and
of the praises bestowed on me.
There was much there to which
I might have become attached,
if I had looked only to myself;
but I looked to Him
who sees things as they really are,
not to let me go out of His hand.
I remember how great a trial
it is for those
to whom God has granted a true insight
into the things of earth…
I know
there is no other good in me
but only that
which our Lord gave me
when I was so far from deserving it:
[Life: Ch. 39: #11 ]
________________________
4b). What else did she say
regarding detachment ?
[Life: Ch. 39: # 25, 26, 27, 28, 32]
St. Teresa said:
~ Regarding a vision of Christ
"...holding out His hand to me,
and there protecting me"
from the multitude with their
"weapons of war":
[Life: Ch. 39: #25 ]
- " the vision represented the world,
because everything in it
takes up arms against the poor soul.
"... that the soul,
if it be not watchful,
will find itself caught in a net,
all these things
(honours, possessions, pleasures)
labour to ensnare it;
more than this,
so also
do friends and relatives, and
-- what frightens me most --
even good people.
I found myself afterwards
so beset on all sides,
good people thinking
they were doing good,
and I knowing
not how to defend myself,
nor what to do.
[Life: Ch. 39: #26 ]
what a warning
I should be giving to men
to hate the whole world utterly!
...what I had seen in the vision,
helped me greatly
not to trust much in any one,
for there is no one
that can be relied on
except God.
In all my great trials,
our Lord always sent some one
on His part
to hold out his hand to help me,
so that I might attach myself
to nothing,
but only please our Lord;
and this has been enough
to sustain
the little virtue I have
in desiring to serve Thee
[Life: Ch. 39: #27 ]
- that we were never safe
while living in the flesh.
[Life: Ch. 39: #28 ]
~ Regarding a vision of heavenly throne
where the "Godhead dwelt":
St. Teresa said:
"everything man can desire
was all there together,
how everything was nothing
in comparison with that.
my soul afterwards was vexed to see
that it could rest
on any created thing:
how much more, then,
if it had any affection thereto;
for everything seemed to me
but an ant-hill.
[Life: Ch. 39: #32 ]
________________________
5). St. Teresa counseled against
judging "spiritual things,
by our own understanding"
thereby distorting their true meaning.
She then discussed the error of
thinking "we may measure
our (spiritual) progress
by the years which we have given
to the exercise of prayer".
What did she teach regarding this?
[Life: Ch. 39:
#12,13,15,17,18,
19,21,22,23,28,33 ]
Regarding spiritual progress, St. Teresa said:
◊ God, who grants graces
according to His will and pleasure,
Who knows what is best for each one.
"for though I might
long for it,
labour for it, and
annihilate myself
in the effort to obtain it,
I can do nothing towards procuring
a single spark of it myself,
because it all comes
of the good pleasure
of His Majesty,
[Life: Ch. 39: #33 ]
◊ Progress can nor be merited
by one's effort
"I do not mean that
there is no merit in it at all,
nor that it will not
be well rewarded;
yet if any spiritual person thinks,
because he has given himself
to prayer for many years,
that he deserves
any spiritual consolations,
I am sure he will never attain
to spiritual perfection.
[Life: Ch. 39: #21 ]
◊ One can strive to dispose themselves
for graces
through prayer and good works.
through prayer and good works.
- Not by the amount of years,
that one has practiced prayer.
"our Lord gives to
whom He will,
particularly to him
who is best disposed".
[Life: Ch. 39: #13 ]
"It was given me to understand
how this fighting and struggling
are profitable to us,
because of the reward"
[Life: Ch. 39: #28]
"He would never abandon me,
but it was necessary
I should do all
that I could myself.
[Life: Ch. 39: #28]
"that thou mayest always labour
to advance."
[Life: Ch. 39: #33 ]
◊ Humility is needed
- so that one doesn't attempt to
"prescribe limits to Him".
- "to ascertain our own shortcomings"
________________________
~ Regarding Gauging Progress in prayer
Progress can be gauged:
- "by the fruits,
- by the good resolutions and love"
- advancement in virtue
- "not (by) the years
they may have spent in prayer"
[Life: Ch. 39: #13]
"It seems to burn up the old man,
with his faults,
his lukewarmness,
and misery;
so that it is like the phoenix,
of which I have read
that it comes forth...
out of its own ashes
into a new life.
Thus it is with the soul:
it is changed into another,
whose desires are different, and
whose strength is great.
It seems to be no longer
what it was before, and
begins to walk renewed in purity
in the ways of our Lord.
[Life: Ch. 39: #33 ]
~ Regarding the progress of others:
- St. Teresa warns us not to compare
our progress with that of others.
"Comparisons are always bad,
even in earthly things;
what, then, must they be
in that, the knowledge of
which God has reserved
to Himself?
His Majesty showed this
clearly enough,
when those who came late and
those who came early
to His vineyard
received the same wages.
( Mt. 20: 9 - 14)
[ Life: Ch. 39: #23 ]
"for, by this seeming regard
to their progress,
we
- hinder our own, and
- miss the opportunity
our Lord gives us
-- to humble ourselves,
-- to ascertain
our own shortcomings,
and
-- (to) learn how much
more detached and
more near to God
these souls must be
than we are,
seeing that His Majesty
draws so near to them,
Himself.
[Life: Ch. 39: #17 ]
~ Regarding expecting progress in prayer
according to the length of years
of the practice of prayer:
"We think we may
measure our progress
by the years which we have given
to the exercise of prayer;
we even think
we can prescribe limits to Him
who bestows His gifts
not by measure when He wills,
and who in six months can give
to one
more than
to another
in many years.
[Life: Ch. 39: #12 ]
What His Majesty
has not been able
to accomplish in me
in so many years…
He accomplished in them
in three months,
and in some of them
even in three days,
though he gives them
much fewer graces
than He gave to me"
[Life: Ch. 39: #15 ]
"there is danger
in counting the years
we have given to prayer;
for, granting that
there is nothing in it
against humility,
it seems... to imply...
that we have merited,
in some degree,
by the service rendered.
Is it not enough
that a man has merited
the protection of God,
which keeps him
from committing those sins
into which he fell
before he began to pray,
but he must also...
sue God for His own money?
[Life: Ch. 39: #21 ]
This does not seem to me
to be deep humility...
I look on it as great boldness"
[Life: Ch. 39: #22 ]
"I do not mean
that the soul makes
no progress in time, or
that God will not reward it,
if its prayer has been humble;
but I do mean
that we should forget
the number of years
we have been praying,
because all that we can do
is utterly worthless
in comparison
with one drop of blood
out of those which our Lord
shed for us.
And if
the more we serve Him,
the more we become
His debtors,
what is it, then,
we are asking for?
for, if we pay one farthing
of the debt,
He gives us back
a thousand ducats.
For the love of God,
let us leave
these questions alone,
for they belong to Him.
[Life: Ch. 39: #23 ]
St. Teresa gave similar advice regarding
our services which we offer to God:
"... that we are making much
of certain services
which we render our Lord,
but
which are too pitiable to be considered,
even if they were many in number?
I do not mean
that His Majesty will not make much
of them Himself,
for He is good;
but I wish I made no account
of them myself,
or even perceived that I did them,
for they are nothing worth.
[Life: Ch. 39: #18 ]
But, O my Lord,
do Thou forgive me, and blame me not,
if I try to console myself a little
with the little I do,
seeing that I do not serve Thee at all;
for if I rendered Thee any great services,
I should not think of these trifles.
[Life: Ch. 39: #19 ]
_____________________________
6). While examining her past
good intentions and efforts,
St. Teresa acknowledged
her "faults and imperfections".
What did she say regarding this?
[Life: Ch. 39: #20 ]
St. Teresa said:
"...in every one of my actions,
which I thought were of some service,
I traced so many
faults and imperfections,
now and then
but little courage,
very frequently a want of faith;
for until this moment,
when I see everything accomplished,
I never absolutely believed;
neither, however, on the other hand,
could I doubt
what our Lord said to me
about the foundation of this house.
In short, I find
that our Lord Himself, on His part,
did all the good that was done,
while I did all the evil.
I therefore ceased to think
of the matter,
and wished never to be reminded
of it again,
lest I should do myself some harm
by dwelling on my many faults.
Blessed be He
who, when He pleases,
draws good out of all my failings!
Amen.
[Life: Ch. 39: #20 ]
_______________________
7). What did St. Teresa say
regarding her own doubts
as to the source of her visions?
[Life: Ch. 39: #34, 35 ]
St. Teresa said:
"Once, when I was doubting...
whether these visions came
from God
or not,
our Lord...said to me:
"O children of men,
how long will you remain hard of heart!"
~ I was to examine myself carefully on...
whether I had given myself up
wholly to Him, or not.
If I had...
I was to believe
that He would not suffer me to perish.
~ for I should see by this...
- for He knew already
-- that, so far as it lay in my power,
I would not fail in anything
that was for His service;
-- that He Himself would do
what I wished,
and so He did grant
what I was then praying for;
-- that I was to consider
my love for Him,
which was daily growing in me,
- that these visions did not come
from Satan;
- that I must not imagine
that God would ever allow the devil
to have so much power
over the souls of His servants
as to give them
such clearness of understanding and
such peace as I had.
[Life: Ch. 39: #34 ]
~ He gave me also to understand
that, when such and so many persons
had told me
(that) the visions were from God,
I should do wrong
if I did not believe them.
[Life: Ch. 39: #35 ]
____________________________
8). What other benefits
(in addition to Detachment,
Humility and growth in virtue)
did St. Teresa specify
that she received
from the visions ?
[Life: Ch. 39: #36, 37 ]
St. Teresa received:
~ Spiritual Wisdom:
"Once, when I was reciting
the psalm Quicumque vult
I was given to understand
the mystery
of One God and Three Persons
with so much clearness…
This was of the greatest help to me,
for it enabled me to know more
of the greatness and marvels of God;
...when I think of the most Holy Trinity,
...I seem to understand the mystery,
and a great joy it is.
[Life: Ch. 39: #36 ]
~ Perseverance
Desire to suffer for God
Growth in Love of God and our Lady
( "On the Feast of the Assumption
our Lord ...made me behold...
our Lady...going up to heaven,
and... her reception there,
as well as the place where she now is" )
"The effects of the vision were great;
it made me long
to endure still greater trials:
and I had a vehement desire
to serve our Lady,
because of her great merits.
[Life: Ch. 39: #37 ]
~ End of Discussion of Chapter 39 ~ |
