Contemplative Haven: Third Mansions 
Third Mansions
Those who enter the Third Mansions are on "the straight road to salvation," says St. Teresa, unless they deliberately turn back. A person can feel "secure" in this, "unless he strays from the path on which he has set out." St. Teresa does not really like the word "secure" in relation to not falling into sin, since even in the higher Mansions it is possible. However, she uses it to convey the idea that a person can have some sense of security that he is in a good place, spiritually.
She sums up the characteristics of people in the Third Mansions as follows: "...they are most desirous not to offend His Majesty; they avoid committing even venial sins; they love doing penance; they spend hours in recollection; they use their time well; they practise works of charity toward their neighbours; and they are very careful in their speech and dress and in the government of their household if they have one."
At this stage, the person is to demonstrate love of God through good works, not that "God has any need of our works; what He needs is the resoluteness of our will." St. Teresa reiterates that we should not be seeking spiritual "favours". The Third Mansions can be a place of ongoing aridity in prayer, but St. Teresa feels that people who make a big fuss over this are lacking in humility, because they seem to be expecting "favours" that none of us deserve.
In the Third Mansions the soul undergoes testing with regard to sin, and St. Teresa notes two common reactions to falling. One type of person responds by becoming "restless and depressed in spirit." They "brood over their woes" and "make up their minds that they are suffering for God's sake, and thus never really understand that it is all due to their own imperfection." The other type of person admits to failure, doesn't dwell on it, asks for/receives forgiveness and carries on. In this way, "they gain a clear perception of their shortcomings" and in turn they "gain a great deal in humility." She advises that we should test ourselves, "before we are tested by the Lord."
St. Teresa describes some people as being overly-cautious - they are afraid to do penances, afraid to move forward spiritually too quickly, afraid to do anything which might (in their own minds) possibly harm their health. If we stunt our growth in this way, with imagined detrimental side-effects based on groundless fears, St. Teresa states that we will end up staying in the Third Mansions all our lives. She tells us that, if souls are here, "they are on the point of rising still higher," and calls our attention to the importance of obedience as well as spiritual direction: "...it would be a great thing for them to have someone to whom they could go, as many people do, so that they might not be following their own will in anything..."
She gives us a little hint of things to come, when she explains why those in the Third Mansions, if not vigilant, may turn around and head back to the First. St. Teresa tells us that for those in the Third Mansions, "their fortitude is not built upon solid ground like that of souls who are already practised in suffering." Well. I bet you can guess where she's headed...
She sums up the characteristics of people in the Third Mansions as follows: "...they are most desirous not to offend His Majesty; they avoid committing even venial sins; they love doing penance; they spend hours in recollection; they use their time well; they practise works of charity toward their neighbours; and they are very careful in their speech and dress and in the government of their household if they have one."
At this stage, the person is to demonstrate love of God through good works, not that "God has any need of our works; what He needs is the resoluteness of our will." St. Teresa reiterates that we should not be seeking spiritual "favours". The Third Mansions can be a place of ongoing aridity in prayer, but St. Teresa feels that people who make a big fuss over this are lacking in humility, because they seem to be expecting "favours" that none of us deserve.
In the Third Mansions the soul undergoes testing with regard to sin, and St. Teresa notes two common reactions to falling. One type of person responds by becoming "restless and depressed in spirit." They "brood over their woes" and "make up their minds that they are suffering for God's sake, and thus never really understand that it is all due to their own imperfection." The other type of person admits to failure, doesn't dwell on it, asks for/receives forgiveness and carries on. In this way, "they gain a clear perception of their shortcomings" and in turn they "gain a great deal in humility." She advises that we should test ourselves, "before we are tested by the Lord."
St. Teresa describes some people as being overly-cautious - they are afraid to do penances, afraid to move forward spiritually too quickly, afraid to do anything which might (in their own minds) possibly harm their health. If we stunt our growth in this way, with imagined detrimental side-effects based on groundless fears, St. Teresa states that we will end up staying in the Third Mansions all our lives. She tells us that, if souls are here, "they are on the point of rising still higher," and calls our attention to the importance of obedience as well as spiritual direction: "...it would be a great thing for them to have someone to whom they could go, as many people do, so that they might not be following their own will in anything..."
She gives us a little hint of things to come, when she explains why those in the Third Mansions, if not vigilant, may turn around and head back to the First. St. Teresa tells us that for those in the Third Mansions, "their fortitude is not built upon solid ground like that of souls who are already practised in suffering." Well. I bet you can guess where she's headed...
posted by Gabrielle at 1:05 AM
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