Discussion of Chapter 12 The Way of Perfection |
Recall in chapter 10, St. Teresa said:
"Once we have detached ourselves from the world
... it must look as if we have done everything…"
But there is more to do.
And here in chapter 12,
St. Teresa exhorts interior mortification:
the need for further "warring against ourselves"
St. Teresa exhorts interior mortification:
the need for further "warring against ourselves"
in order to "gradually reach…
the summit of the mountain"
the summit of the mountain"
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She describes the benefits of interior mortification:
◊ One disposes oneself to God's graces
"But once we begin to work,
God, too,
- works in our souls and
- bestows such favors on them"
"what consolations and delights,
this renunciation brings in its train,...
what a great gain it is, even in this life"
Without detachment and humility,
"they will never
- make great progress or...
- enjoy the real fruit of prayer.
◊ It increases the merit and
facilitates the frequency and ease
facilitates the frequency and ease
of further acts of mortification.
"this is the means
by which every other kind of mortification
may become much more meritorious and perfect,
so that it can then be practiced
with greater tranquillity and ease
by which every other kind of mortification
may become much more meritorious and perfect,
so that it can then be practiced
with greater tranquillity and ease
St. Teresa describes
How to acquire interior mortification:
"This...is acquired
- by gradual progress and
- by never indulging our own will and desire,
even in small things,
until we have succeeded
-- in subduing the body to the spirit…
-- ceasing to care about
ourselves and our own pleasures…
-- "to subdue our wills in everything;
-- to "surrender...(our) will to Him
-- in subduing the body to the spirit…
-- ceasing to care about
ourselves and our own pleasures…
-- "to subdue our wills in everything;
-- to "surrender...(our) will to Him
-- "we must take pleasure in nothing"
- being "very careful about your prayer"
- "Be very careful about your interior thoughts,
especially if they have to do with precedence"
For us, in the world,
St. Teresa's practical examples are applicable and valuable:
Thoughts about precedence appear in the guise of :
comparisons,
competition,
comparisons,
competition,
claims of unfairness,
sensitivity to insult, or
readiness to feel slighted.
sensitivity to insult, or
readiness to feel slighted.
"May God…keep us from dwelling upon,
such thoughts as these:
such thoughts as these:
'But I have worked harder' (than she);
'But (she) is...better treated than I am'
To those who think
'But (she) is...better treated than I am'
To those who think
"that these are little things which
- have to do with human nature and
- are not worth troubling about"
She warns:
"there is no small matter
so extremely dangerous...
so fatal to perfection...as are:
- punctiliousness about honour and
- sensitiveness to insult.
- punctiliousness about honour and
- sensitiveness to insult.
If we offer up the 'fancied injustices'
but remain attached to
'our rights' and
what we think we deserve,
'our rights' and
what we think we deserve,
"We will imagine we are doing something virtuous, and
begin to feel sorry for ourselves"
"The devil (also can) put...his deceitfulness
into our mouth"
when we "think it a real charity...to show pity
for another (for) these fancied insults"
"if you allow yourselves to dwell on them",
they will reinforce the disturbance in peace".
into our mouth"
when we "think it a real charity...to show pity
for another (for) these fancied insults"
"if you allow yourselves to dwell on them",
they will reinforce the disturbance in peace".
Instead, She extolls Humility and Detachment.
And by her acknowledgement
of the difficulty of living in the world,
of the difficulty of living in the world,
she gives special encouragement to us.
◊ The soul “will find detachment
harder in the world,
harder in the world,
however, for worldly trappings
will be a great impediment to it”.
◊ "the soul that is perfect
can be detached and humble anywhere.
◊ Let each of you ask herself
how much humility she has
how much humility she has
and she will see what progress she has made.
What She recommends
regarding temptations to precedence:
regarding temptations to precedence:
(Her advice regarding desires for recognition,
status, and being esteemed)
status, and being esteemed)
◊ Humility "cannot fail to bring her
more fortitude and greater profit"
more fortitude and greater profit"
◊ "to look into (one's) life
to compare the services
(one) has rendered the Lord
(one) has rendered the Lord
with what (one) owes Him and
with the marvelous way
in which He abased Himself
in which He abased Himself
to give us an example of humility, and
to think over her sins and
remember where she deserves to be
on account of them".
on account of them".
◊ “If you want to...free yourselves
more quickly from temptation,
- do some such thing, as best you can,
on our own initiative,
- studying as you do it
how to bend your will
to perform tasks you dislike”
more quickly from temptation,
- do some such thing, as best you can,
on our own initiative,
- studying as you do it
how to bend your will
to perform tasks you dislike”
End of Discussion of Chapter 12 |