Contemplative Haven: Sin and Truth (A Snippet from the 6th) 
Sin and Truth (A Snippet from the 6th)
In Chapter 10 of the Sixth Mansions, St. Teresa speaks of two very important points.
The first is that God will sometimes, in an intellectual vision, communicate secret things to the soul which it, “seems to see within God Himself.” It is revealed to the soul, “how all things are seen in God, and how within Himself He contains them all.”
St. Teresa goes directly to the heart of the matter, to the deepest ramifications of this truth, the horror of sin. For if all things are contained within God, then, she says, this is, “showing us clearly how wrongly we are acting when we offend God, since it is within God Himself – because we dwell within Him.”
Although God cannot sin, although He can be in the midst of sin yet be untouched by it, all of the sins we commit are committed within Him. Since all things are contained in God, it is impossible to go away from Him while we are committing sin. St. Teresa tells us that if we really, truly understood this reality of sinning within God, “I do not think we could possibly be so presumptuous.” It is certainly a horrific thing upon which to meditate, and would do much to spur us on in trying to practise virtuous lives, if we dwell on St. Teresa’s words: “these abominations and dishonourable actions and evil deeds which we sinners commit are done within the palace itself – that is, within God.”
The second point is that God will sometimes very suddenly, “reveal a truth that is in Himself and that makes any truth to be found in the creatures seem like thick darkness.” Here St. Teresa is speaking of the Lord revealing one, or more, of His Divine Attributes. We see this also, for example, in the Diary of St. Faustina, where she tells us that one time, during Advent, her “spirit rushed toward God with all its might. During that time, the Lord gave me much light to know His attributes.” Sr. Faustina, at that time, was given knowledge of God in four of His Divine Attributes: Holiness, Justice, Love and Mercy.
St. Teresa, in the Sixth Mansions, goes on to tell us that not only will God reveal truths that are in Himself, but that, “He will also manifest very clearly that He alone is truth and cannot lie.”
St. Teresa recounts, “I remember that story about Pilate, who asked Our Lord so many questions, and at the time of His Passion said to Him: ‘What is truth?’ And then I reflect how little we understand of this Sovereign Truth here on earth.”
The first is that God will sometimes, in an intellectual vision, communicate secret things to the soul which it, “seems to see within God Himself.” It is revealed to the soul, “how all things are seen in God, and how within Himself He contains them all.”
St. Teresa goes directly to the heart of the matter, to the deepest ramifications of this truth, the horror of sin. For if all things are contained within God, then, she says, this is, “showing us clearly how wrongly we are acting when we offend God, since it is within God Himself – because we dwell within Him.”
Although God cannot sin, although He can be in the midst of sin yet be untouched by it, all of the sins we commit are committed within Him. Since all things are contained in God, it is impossible to go away from Him while we are committing sin. St. Teresa tells us that if we really, truly understood this reality of sinning within God, “I do not think we could possibly be so presumptuous.” It is certainly a horrific thing upon which to meditate, and would do much to spur us on in trying to practise virtuous lives, if we dwell on St. Teresa’s words: “these abominations and dishonourable actions and evil deeds which we sinners commit are done within the palace itself – that is, within God.”
The second point is that God will sometimes very suddenly, “reveal a truth that is in Himself and that makes any truth to be found in the creatures seem like thick darkness.” Here St. Teresa is speaking of the Lord revealing one, or more, of His Divine Attributes. We see this also, for example, in the Diary of St. Faustina, where she tells us that one time, during Advent, her “spirit rushed toward God with all its might. During that time, the Lord gave me much light to know His attributes.” Sr. Faustina, at that time, was given knowledge of God in four of His Divine Attributes: Holiness, Justice, Love and Mercy.
St. Teresa, in the Sixth Mansions, goes on to tell us that not only will God reveal truths that are in Himself, but that, “He will also manifest very clearly that He alone is truth and cannot lie.”
St. Teresa recounts, “I remember that story about Pilate, who asked Our Lord so many questions, and at the time of His Passion said to Him: ‘What is truth?’ And then I reflect how little we understand of this Sovereign Truth here on earth.”
posted by Gabrielle at 10:35 PM
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