Contemplative Haven: Fifth Mansions (Part 3 of 4) 
Fifth Mansions (Part 3 of 4)
"...the silkworm has of necessity to die; and it is this which will cost you most; for death comes more easily when one can see oneself living a new life, whereas our duty now is to continue living this present life, and yet to die of our own free will."
If a soul does not attain the Prayer of Union, which is a supernatural gift of the Lord, do not give up hope, St. Teresa insists. There is "another" union, which is achieved "by not following our own will but submitting it to whatever is the will of God." This is true union with the Lord, and the Prayer of Union, if it occurs at all, proceeds from it. St. Teresa writes: "This is the union which I have desired all my life; it is for this that I continually beseech Our Lord; it is this which is the most genuine and the safest."
St. Teresa instructs us to "try to advance in the service of Our Lord and in self-knowledge." She gives examples of what to guard against as we try to progress in the virtues: self-love, self-esteem, censoriousness concerning our neighbours, lack of charity towards them, and failure to love them as we love ourselves.
Only two things are asked of us, St. Teresa says - love for God and love for our neighbour: "It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing His will and so shall be united with Him."
Putting the emphasis on love of neighbour is the wisest choice, she tells us, for we can see more clearly whether we are really doing that or not. The more we love our neighbour, the more God increases our love for Him; love for neighbour has its root in the love of God.
Sometimes in prayer, St. Teresa remarks, souls have grandiose ideas of how they will serve the Lord, or how much they wish to suffer for Him. True union means we will practise what we promise, for there is no use imagining all these wonderful things in prayer if we turn around the next moment and rise up against the smallest of trials and offences.
Knowing where we are on the path to union with the Lord is necessary, and thus requires self-knowledge. However, this is not something which should be entered into during our actual time of prayer, for then, St. Teresa cautions, prayer ultimately becomes nothing but self-absorption.
The Lord, she tells us, desires works, and we should never be afraid to interrupt our prayer for the benefit of others. We should, for example, "tend to the sick first", without being afraid of "losing any sense of devotion."
Some general counsels given by St. Teresa for souls in the Fifth Mansions are: take pleasure in hearing someone praised; be sorry for peoples' faults and try to conceal them from others; do violence to your own will; in everything possible, where it involves no sin, do the will of others; give up your own rights, and try to take on another's burden.
In short, St. Teresa instructs us, imitate Christ.
If a soul does not attain the Prayer of Union, which is a supernatural gift of the Lord, do not give up hope, St. Teresa insists. There is "another" union, which is achieved "by not following our own will but submitting it to whatever is the will of God." This is true union with the Lord, and the Prayer of Union, if it occurs at all, proceeds from it. St. Teresa writes: "This is the union which I have desired all my life; it is for this that I continually beseech Our Lord; it is this which is the most genuine and the safest."
St. Teresa instructs us to "try to advance in the service of Our Lord and in self-knowledge." She gives examples of what to guard against as we try to progress in the virtues: self-love, self-esteem, censoriousness concerning our neighbours, lack of charity towards them, and failure to love them as we love ourselves.
Only two things are asked of us, St. Teresa says - love for God and love for our neighbour: "It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing His will and so shall be united with Him."
Putting the emphasis on love of neighbour is the wisest choice, she tells us, for we can see more clearly whether we are really doing that or not. The more we love our neighbour, the more God increases our love for Him; love for neighbour has its root in the love of God.
Sometimes in prayer, St. Teresa remarks, souls have grandiose ideas of how they will serve the Lord, or how much they wish to suffer for Him. True union means we will practise what we promise, for there is no use imagining all these wonderful things in prayer if we turn around the next moment and rise up against the smallest of trials and offences.
Knowing where we are on the path to union with the Lord is necessary, and thus requires self-knowledge. However, this is not something which should be entered into during our actual time of prayer, for then, St. Teresa cautions, prayer ultimately becomes nothing but self-absorption.
The Lord, she tells us, desires works, and we should never be afraid to interrupt our prayer for the benefit of others. We should, for example, "tend to the sick first", without being afraid of "losing any sense of devotion."
Some general counsels given by St. Teresa for souls in the Fifth Mansions are: take pleasure in hearing someone praised; be sorry for peoples' faults and try to conceal them from others; do violence to your own will; in everything possible, where it involves no sin, do the will of others; give up your own rights, and try to take on another's burden.
In short, St. Teresa instructs us, imitate Christ.
posted by Gabrielle at 8:42 AM
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