TERESA OF JESUS
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
See CHAPTER 3 below.
Discussion Questions / Topics to keep in mind
as we read along:
1). How did Teresa benefit from good companionship ?
[Life: Ch 3: #1]
2a). At her uncle's home, what made an impression
on her heart ?
[ Life: Ch 3: #6 ]
2b). What did Teresa begin to understand there?
[ Life: Ch 3: #6 ]
3). Teresa, spoke of faults which she observed
in herself.
What were these faults?
[ Life: Ch 3: #2, 5 ]
4). What book does St. Teresa report that inspired her?
[ Life: Ch 3: #8 ]
5). When Teresa looks back on her life,
what were the providential events by which
God prepared her for her future state in life?
[Life: Ch 3: #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 )
6). After her experience at her uncle's home,
what prompted Teresa's decision
to enter religious life?
[ Life: Ch 3: #6, 7, 8, 9 ]
______________________________________
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus,
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
CHAPTER 3
Describes:
In which she sets forth
- how good company was the means
of her resuming good intentions, and
- in what manner God began to give her some light
on the deception to which she was subjected.
- The Blessing of Being with Good People.
- How Certain Illusions Were Removed.
1. I began gradually to like
the good and holy conversation of this nun.
How well she used to speak of God!
for she was a person of great discretion and sanctity.
I listened to her with delight.
I think there never was a time
when I was not glad to listen to her.
She began by telling me how she came to be a nun
through the mere reading of the words of the Gospel
'Many are called, and few are chosen.'
'Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.'
[MT 20:16]
She would speak of the reward
which our Lord gives to those
which our Lord gives to those
who forsake all things for His sake.
This good companionship began
- to root out the habits
which bad companionship had formed, and
- to bring my thoughts
back to the desire of eternal things,
back to the desire of eternal things,
as well as
- to banish in some measure
the great dislike I had to be a nun,
the great dislike I had to be a nun,
which had been very great;
and if I saw any one weep in prayer,
or devout in any other way,
or devout in any other way,
I envied her very much;
for my heart was now so hard,
that I could not shed a tear,
even if I read the Passion through.
even if I read the Passion through.
This was a grief to me.
...( Life: Ch 3: #1)
2. I remained in the monastery a year and a half, and was very much the better for it.
I began to say many vocal prayers, and
to ask all the nuns to pray for me,
that God would place me in that state
wherein I was to serve Him;
but, for all this, I wished
- not to be a nun, and
- that God would not be pleased I should be one,
though at the same time I was afraid of marriage.
At the end of my stay there,
I had a greater inclination to be a nun,
yet not in that house,
on account of certain devotional practices
which I understood prevailed there, and
which I thought overstrained.
Some of the younger ones encouraged me in this my wish;
and if all had been of one mind,
I might have profited by it.
I had also a great friend in another monastery;
and this made me resolve,
if I was to be a nun,
not to be one in any other house than where she was.
I looked more to the pleasure of sense and vanity
than to the good of my soul.
than to the good of my soul.
These good thoughts of being a nun came to me
from time to time.
They left me very soon;
and I could not persuade myself to become one.
...( Life: Ch 3: #2)and I could not persuade myself to become one.
3. At this time,
though I was not careless about my own good,
Our Lord was much more careful to dispose me
for that state of life which was best for me.
He sent me a serious illness,
so that I was obliged to return to my father's house.
...( Life: Ch 3: #3)
4. When I became well again,
they took me to see my sister in her house
in the country village where she dwelt.
Her love for me was so great,
that, if she had had her will,
I should never have left her.
Her husband also had a great affection for me -
at least, he showed me all kindness.
This, too, I owe rather to our Lord,
for I have received kindness everywhere; and
all my service in return is, that I am what I am.
...( Life: Ch 3: #4)
5. On the road lived a brother of my father
a prudent and most excellent man,
then a widower.
Him, too, Our Lord was preparing for Himself.
In his old age, he left all his possessions
and became a religious.
He so finished his course,
that I believe him to have the vision of God.
He would have me stay with him some days.
His practice was to read good books in Spanish;
and his ordinary conversation was
about God
and the vanity of the world.
These books he made me read to him;
and, though I did not much like them,
I appeared as if I did;
for in giving pleasure to others I have been most particular,
though it might be painful to myself
so much so,
that what in others might have been a virtue
was in me a great fault,
because I was often extremely indiscreet.
O my God,
in how many ways
did His Majesty prepare me for the state
did His Majesty prepare me for the state
wherein it was His will I should serve Him!
how, against my own will,
He constrained me to do violence to myself!
He constrained me to do violence to myself!
May He be blessed for ever! Amen.
...( Life: Ch 3: #5)
6. Though I remained here but a few days,
yet, through the impression made on my heart
by the words of God both heard and read, and
by the good conversation of my uncle,
I came to understand the truth
I had heard in my childhood,
I had heard in my childhood,
that all things are as nothing,
the world vanity, and passing rapidly away.
I also began to be afraid that,
if I were then to die,
if I were then to die,
I should go down to hell.
Though I could not bend my will to be a nun,
I saw that the religious state
was the best and the safest.
was the best and the safest.
And thus, by little and little,
I resolved to force myself into it.
...( Life: Ch 3: #6)
7. The struggle lasted three months.
I used to press this reason against myself:
- The trials and sufferings of living as a nun
cannot be greater than those of purgatory,
- and I have well deserved to be in hell.
- It is not much to spend the rest of my life
as if I were in purgatory,
and then go straight to Heaven
which was what I desired.
I was more influenced by servile fear, I think,
than by love, to enter religion.
...( Life: Ch 3: #7 )
8. The devil put before me that
I could not endure the trials
of the religious life,
of the religious life,
because of my delicate nurture.
I defended myself against him
by alleging
- the trials which Christ endured,
- the trials which Christ endured,
- and that it was not much for me
to suffer something for His sake;
to suffer something for His sake;
- besides, He would help me to bear it.
I must have thought so,
but I do not remember this consideration.
but I do not remember this consideration.
I endured many temptations during these days.
I was subject to fainting-fits, attended with fever,
for my health was always weak.
I had become by this time fond of good books,
and that gave me life.
and that gave me life.
I read the Epistles of St. Jerome,
which filled me with so much courage,
that I resolved to tell my father of my purpose,
which was almost like taking the habit;
for I was so jealous of my word,
that I would never, for any consideration,
recede from a promise
when once my word had been given.
when once my word had been given.
...( Life: Ch 3: #8 )
9. My father's love for me was so great,
that I could never obtain his consent;
nor could the prayers of others,
whom I persuaded to speak to him,
be of any avail.
The utmost I could get from him
was that I might do as I pleased
after his death.
after his death.
I now began to be afraid of myself,
and of my own weakness
for I might go back.
for I might go back.
So, considering that such waiting
was not safe for me,
was not safe for me,
I obtained my end in another way,
as I shall now relate.
...( Life: Ch 3: #9 )
