Discussion of Chapter 16
of the
Way of Perfection
of the
Way of Perfection
Describes - the difference between perfection in the lives of contemplatives and in the lives of those who are content with mental prayer. Explains - how it is sometimes possible for God to raise a distracted soul to perfect contemplation and - the reason for this. This chapter and that which comes next are to be noted carefully. |
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Discussion
Discussion
St. Teresa begins
"to explain the nature
"to explain the nature
of mental prayer and contemplation"
▀ The importance of Humility, Love,
and Detachment
- Their interdependence on eachother.
- Virtue as a requisite for the gift
of Contemplation
St. Teresa states that her nuns asked her
to teach them about contemplation.
"you want me to tell you
only about contemplation"
She describes Contemplation
as "giv(ing)
checkmate to this Divine King!"
checkmate to this Divine King!"
And in the game of chess,
the queen is the powerful player.
"There is no queen
who can beat this King
as well as humility can".
She says
that Humility is the queen of virtues.
that Humility is the queen of virtues.
"with humility
we can draw Him into our souls"
"for humility brought Him
down from Heaven
into the Virgin's womb"
The more humility
that one prays and strives for,
that one prays and strives for,
the more humility will be granted by God.
"Be sure that He will give
most humility
to him who has most already and
least
to him who has least (humility)."
Humility can't exist without Love;
Love can not exist without Humility;
Both Humility and Love can't exist
without Detachment from temporal things.
without Detachment from temporal things.
"I cannot understand
how humility exists,
how humility exists,
or can exist,
without love,
or love without humility,
and it is impossible
for these two virtues to exist
save where there is great detachment
from all created things."
▀ She distinguishes Meditation
from Contemplation
■ Regarding Meditation:
◊ Meditation (mental prayer)
helps dispose the soul to the acquisition of virtue.
- It is the way to virtue and
- one doesn't have to be advanced in virtue
in order to practice meditation
"to practise it,
even if you do not possess the virtues."
"For this is
- the first step to be taken
- the first step to be taken
towards the acquisition of the virtues and
- the very life of all Christians
depends upon their beginning it"
■ Regarding Contemplation:
◊ Contemplation
"is a Divine union,
in which
the Lord takes His delight
in the soul and
the soul takes its delight
in Him;
◊ The virtues are necessary for Contemplation.
"...virtues...in such a high degree
as they are for contemplation"
"...the rare virtues
which a great contemplative is bound to possess"
"...the King of glory
will not come to our souls--
that is, so as to be united with them--
unless we strive
to gain the greatest virtues".
to gain the greatest virtues".
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▀ God's loving and merciful help
to those
to those
who do not possess virtue
God may grants graces
to those who do not possesse virtue
in order that they return to Him.
"God is sometimes pleased
to show great favour to persons
who are in an evil state
[and to raise them to perfect contemplation],
so that by this means
He may snatch them
out of the hands of the devil".
"seeing that they are completely lost,
His Majesty wants to leave
no stone unturned to help them"
(To these souls who are)
"...lacking in virtues,
"...lacking in virtues,
He gives them consolations,
favours and emotions"
"occasionally even brings them
to a state of contemplation,
though rarely and not for long at a time"
"It must be understood,
that such persons
- will not be in mortal sin at the time.
- They may be in an evil state, and
yet the Lord will allow them
to see a vision, even a very good one,
in order to draw them back to Himself.
"But I cannot believe
that He would grant them contemplation."
Blog Note: When reading this translation, there may be clarification needed on what St. Teresa finally concluded regarding God's granting contemplation to one in serious sin: - the extent of the sinful state (whether it could be as serious as mortal sin) and - the quality of the contemplation (whether it can be true perfect contemplation) In other of her writings, (and also here in chapter 16, it can be inferred as her writing progresses) she emphasizes: - that there were great saints, who were once sinners, such as St. Paul, who did receive the greatest of graces and favors from God. - that there is no limit to the mercy of God - that he dispenses graces according to His will - that He knows what is best for each individual |
▀ The Importance of persevering and cooperating
with God's graces
◊ Regarding Responding
to God's merciful love and graces:
This is the way to advancement
in prayer toward God
"this King does not allow Himself
to be taken
except by one
who surrenders wholly to Him"
"When
the Lord does this
and
we ourselves leave nothing undone either,
I think it is certain
that He never ceases from giving
until He has brought us
to a very high degree of prayer."
"as they have no desire to leave Him,
He never does so.
He seats them at His table,
and feeds them with His own food,
almost taking the food from His mouth
in order to give it them".
◊ Regarding a Lack of cooperation with graces:
St. Teresa ascribes such loss to the soul
if after receiving graces,
one doesn't strive to grow
one doesn't strive to grow
in virtue and detachment:
"for it is a dreadful thing
that a soul
whom Thou hast brought
near to Thyself
near to Thyself
- should approach any earthly thing and
- become attached to it".
"If we do not give ourselves
to His Majesty
as resolutely as
He gives Himself to us,
He will be doing
more than enough for us
if He leaves us in mental prayer
and from time to time visits us
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▀ St. Teresa's Advice:
● To pray for virtue
● To dispose oneself to virtue
by prayer
by striving to imitate these virtues
as much as possible and
by prayer
by striving to imitate these virtues
as much as possible and
by good works
● The importance of the role of Humility
in divesting oneself of
pride and
attachment to the self (Detachment)
so that we can become
- focused on God,
- more open to receive His graces, and
- to grow in virtue and the capacity to Love.
◦ Humility:
St. Teresa teaches that Humility encompasses:
not only striving against
- Pride;
Disregard for
the world's esteem and
"matters of precedence or
"points of honor"
but also striving toward
- Self-examination and Self-knowledge;
Not making excuses for one's mistakes
"God deliver us, sisters, from saying...
'We are not saints',
whenever we commit some imperfection"
- Knowing that without the grace of God,
one can do nothing.
So, our intention and effort is needed
with trust and dependence on the will of God.
"We may not be...saints...
but what a good thing it is
for us to reflect
that we can be (saints)
if we will only try and
if God gives us His hand!
"Consider that
He can do all things, and
we can do nothing here below
save as He enables us".
- Not hesitating or being fearful to strive
"We must have a holy boldness,
for God helps the strong...and
He will give courage to you and to me"
"And what is it
that we do for Thee, O Lord...?
We do hardly anything [at all]--
just make some poor weak resolution.
And,
if His Majesty is pleased
that by doing a mere nothing
we should win everything,
let us not be so foolish as to fail to do it"
Do not be afraid
that He will fail to do His part
if we do not fail to do ours"
"Let there be nothing...
which, with His help,
we would not venture to take in hand
...a service for the Lord for us to do...
I should like that kind of venturesomeness
to be found in this house,
as it always increases humility"
◦ Love: Attachment to God:
- "having our eyes fixed upon Thee".
"All our trouble comes to us from
not having our eyes
fixed upon Thee".
"we stumble and fall a thousand times and
stray from the way
because
we do not set our eyes on the true Way".
"One would think
that no one had ever trodden it before,
so new is (the way) to us.
"it hardly seems...
that we have ever in our lives
read about the Passion"
◦ Detachment:
"...by leaving these few, petty things
we can arrive at so high an estate! "
"this King does not allow Himself
to be taken
except by one
who surrenders wholly to Him
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End of Discussion of Chapter 16 The Way of Perfection |
