Discussion of Ch. 6 - The Autobiography of St.Teresa of Avila - The Life of Teresa of Jesus

THE LIFE OF THE HOLY MOTHER
       TERESA OF JESUS

The Life of St. Teresa of Avila

The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus
 of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel

      CHAPTER 6   

Describes:
- Of the great debt she owes God
    for giving her conformity of her will
    (with His) in her trials,
- and how she turned towards the
    glorious St. Joseph
      as her helper and advocate,
- and how much she profited thereby.
  She Takes St. Joseph for Her Patron
 
Discussion   Questions    

1a). How did St. Teresa describe her penitence ?
       How did it affect her prayer?
        [ Life: Ch 6: #5, 6 ]

1b). Where did she think "the whole trouble lay"?
         [ Life: Ch 6: #6, 7 ]

2). What does St. Teresa say is "our delusion"?
         [ Life: Ch 6: #8 ]

3a). To which Saint
          does St. Teresa recommend us to pray
          and Why?
            [ Life: Ch 6: #12, 11, 9 ]

3b). To what fault does St. Teresa admit when she
         had celebrated this saint's feast in the past?
           [ Life: Ch 6: #10 ]

4).   St Teresa describes
          the mercies of God and
          the graces that He granted to her:

        "... it seems to me, too, by Thy grace and mercy,

         I may say with St. Paul,
             though not so truly as he did:

                'It is not I who live now,
                 but Thou, my Creator, livest in me.'

         For some years past, so it seems to me,
            Thou hast held me by the hand..."

       How does she go on to describe in humility,
       her constant dependence on God ?
         [ Life: Ch 6: #15, 16 ]
_____________________________________

1a). How did St. Teresa describe her penitence ?
         How did it affect her prayer? )
           [ Life: Ch 6: #5, 6 ]

St. Teresa stated she was "deeply penitent":
   so much so
that she often "did not dare to pray"
   because of the great distress
she would experience in prayer
   from the realization of having offended God.

This was not an experience of fear but
  - the realization of the goodness and mercy of God and
  - rememberance of the favors that he granted her.
  - while she felt her resolutions were not successful
     and that she did not improve.

  "I was most deeply penitent
      for having offended God; and
   I remember that very often
      I did not dare to pray,
   because I was afraid of that most bitter anguish
      which I felt for having offended God...

  This grew upon me afterwards to so great a degree,
       that I know of no torment wherewith to compare it
  and yet it was neither more nor less
       because of any fear I had

  ...it came upon me only when I remembered
     - the consolations of our Lord
             which He gave me in prayer,
     - the great debt I owed Him,
     - the evil return I made:
        I could not bear it.
        ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 5 ]

  - All these tokens of the fear of God
        came to me through prayer;
    and the greatest of them was this,
        that fear was swallowed up of love
    for I never thought of chastisement.
     ...[ Life: Ch 6: #7 ]

    - I was also extremely angry with myself
         on account of the many tears
              I shed for my faults,
      when I saw how little I improved,
         seeing that
              neither my good resolutions,
              nor the pains I took,
      were sufficient to keep me from falling
         whenever I had the opportunity.

     I looked on my tears as a delusion;
         and my faults...
         I regarded as the more grievous,
    because I saw the great goodness of our Lord to me
         in the shedding of those tears, and
    together with them such deep compunction.
    ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 5 ]

   I took care to go to confession as soon as I could;
        and, as I think, did all that was possible on my part
   to return to a state of grace.
   ... [ Life: Ch 6: #6 ]

1b). Where did she think "the whole evil lay"?
          [ Life: Ch 6: #6, 7 ]

 But the whole evil lay
   - in my not thoroughly avoiding the occasions of sin,
     and
   - in my confessors, who helped me so little.

     If they had told me
     -- that I was travelling on a dangerous road, and
     -- that I was bound to abstain
              from those conversations,
        ...the matter would have been remedied,
        because I could not bear to remain even for one day
              in mortal sin, if I knew it.
              ...[ Life: Ch 6: #6 ]

         All the time I was so ill,
              my strict watch over my conscience
         reached to all that is mortal sin.
         ...[ Life: Ch 6: #7 ]
_____________________________________
2). What does St. Teresa say is
          "our delusion"?
          [ Life: Ch 6: #8 ]

St. Teresa said, "This is our delusion;
   we do not resign ourselves absolutely
         to the disposition of our Lord,
   Who knows best what is for our good.
    ...[ Life: Ch 6: #8 ]

   St. Teresa gives herself as an example of this:
        - I wished for health,
             that I might serve (God) better;
           that was the cause of all my ruin.

           For when I saw
              how helpless I was through paralysis,
           ...I determined to ask those of heaven to heal me

        - I thought I might serve God much better
               if I were well".

           ...Yet, she realized, " if I recovered my health,
                     and yet were lost for ever,
          I was better as I was.
           ...[ Life: Ch 6: #8 ]
______________________________________
3a). To which Saint
            does St. Teresa recommend us to pray
            and Why?
             [ Life: Ch 6: #12, 11, 9 ]

St. Teresa recommends that we pray to St. Joseph.

Regarding St. Joseph, she teaches that:

- He is "a master...to teach one how to pray"

     "He who cannot find any one
            to teach him how to pray,
      let him take this glorious Saint for his master,
            and he will not wander out of the way"
            ...[ Life: Ch 6: #12 ]

      Would that I could persuade all men
           to be devout to this glorious Saint;
       for I know by long experience what blessings
           he can obtain for us from God.

 - In heaven, Our Lord performs all that St. Joseph asks:

       Since the time when St. Joseph was
           the foster father of Jesus and
           the spouse of Mary on earth,
       the Lord continues to listen to him in heaven.

       "...Our Lord would have us understand that as...
           He was Himself subject to (St. Joseph) upon earth
        for St. Joseph having the title of father,
           and being His guardian,
        could command Him
           so now in heaven (Jesus) performs all his petitions
           ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 9 ]

- He will help one in all their needs
   (not just "in some of our necessities").

       "To other Saints, our Lord seems to have given grace
           to succour men in some special necessity;
       but to this glorious Saint, to help us in all:
       ...I know by experience...
        ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 9 ]

       I have never known any one
           who was really devout to him,
       and who honoured him by particular services,
           who did not visibly grow
                   more and more in virtue;

       for he helps in a special way
           those souls who commend themselves to him.

       It is now some years
           since I have always on his feast
       asked him for something,
           and I always have it.

       If the petition be in any way amiss,
           he directs it aright for my greater good.
           ...[ Life: Ch 6: #11 ]

      I took for my patron and lord
           the glorious St. Joseph,
      and recommended myself earnestly to him.

      I saw clearly that both
          out of this my present trouble, and
          out of others of greater importance,
                  relating to
                      my honour and
                      the loss of my soul,
      this my father and lord delivered me, and
           rendered me greater services than
      I knew how to ask for.

      I cannot call to mind that
         I have ever asked him at any time
      for anything which he has not granted;

      and I am filled with amazement when I consider
          -- the great favours which God hath given me
                   through this blessed Saint;
          -- the dangers from which he hath delivered me,
                   both of body and of soul.
                   ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 9 ]

3b). To what fault does St. Teresa admit
         when she had celebrated this saint's feast
         in the past?
          [ Life: Ch 6: #10 ]

 St. Teresa said that in the past,
    when celebrating the feast of St. Joseph,
her intentions were good
    but she observed the feast
"with more vanity than spirituality".

" I used to keep his feast
  - with all the solemnity I could,
      but with more vanity than spirituality,
      seeking rather too much splendour and effect,

  - and yet with good intentions.

I had this evil in me,
    that if our Lord gave me grace to do any good,
that good became full of imperfections
    and of many faults;

but as for doing wrong,
    the indulgence of curiosity and vanity,
I was very skilful and active therein.
...[ Life: Ch 6: #10 ]
________________________________________
4). St Teresa describes
       the mercies of God and
       the graces that He granted to her:
     
        "... it seems to me, too, by Thy grace and mercy,
            I may say with St. Paul,
         though not so truly as he did:

             'For it is not I now
                 who live,
              but Thou,  my Creator,
                 livest in me'.  [Gal 2:20]

              "Vivo autem, jam non ego;
                vivit vero in me Christus." Galat.2; 20

          For some years past, so it seems to me,
          Thou hast held me by the hand..."

 How does she go on to describe in humility,
       her constant dependence on God ?
        [ Life: Ch 6: #15, 16 ]

St. Teresa describes in humility,
    her constant dependence on God.

St. Teresa said:
   "...for I know now
       how far my strength and little virtue can reach,
   if Thou be not ever at hand to supply them,
       and to help me never to forsake Thee.

   May His Majesty grant that I be not forsaken of Thee
      even now...
      ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 15 ]

   Once...I thought it impossible
      to forsake Thee so utterly;

    and now that I have forsaken Thee so often,
       I cannot help being afraid;
    for when Thou didst withdraw but a little from me,
       I fell down to the ground at once
       ...[ Life: Ch 6: # 16 ]

   Though I have forsaken Thee,
      Thou hast not forsaken me so utterly
   but that Thou hast come again and raised me up,
     giving me Thy hand always.

   Very often, O Lord, I would not take it:
     very often I would not listen
   when Thou wert calling me again...
     ... [ Life: Ch 6: #16 ]
     _____________________________________