Discussion of Chapter 7 of the Conceptions of The Love of God S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel St. Teresa of Avila From the Book, "Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions Of The Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems" |
Conceptions of The Love of God Discussion of Chapter 7 Summary or Highlights █ The Soul Languishes with Love Desiring to Leave Life in order to See God ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ █ The Bride Prays for Strength to Follow God's Will "Stay me up with flowers, Comfort me with apples: because I languish with love." [Canticles 2: 5 ] ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ █ Now, Desiring to Labor and Suffer for God ▀ Desiring to Help Others for God ■ St. Teresa Differentiates Between Works performed solely for God's Sake and Works mixed with Self-Interst ▪ Works performed solely for God's Sake ▪ Good works mixed with self-interest ▫ Concern for Esteem or Reward ▫ Concern for Security or Outcome Equivocation in the name of Prudence. ▫ Concern when others are not following in our footsteps ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ █ The Life of Love and Labor for God: The Contemplative and Active Life Joined ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ █ St. Teresa's Intention for this Book |
█ The Soul Languishes with Love Desiring to Leave Life in order to See God "...She sees herself still far away from God... As, year by year her yearning after Him gradually becomes keener, she experiences the bitter suffering" [Interior Castle: Mansion 6: Ch.11: #1 ] "Alas, alas, Lord ! How long this exile lasts ! What torture does it give me from my yearning to possess my God ! Ah, Jesus, how long is mortal life... ...very long and weary to the soul that desires to be in God's presence !" [Exclamations Or Meditations " Of The Soul On Its God. Ch. 14: # 1, 2 ] "...No life so bitter, none so sad as mine while exiled from my Lord... For though to love be sweet, yet hope deferred Is wearisome: From life's long banishment, God, relieve me ! ..." So that I die because I do not die. ... [Poem 2: The Soul's Desire. Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions of the Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems ] "it complains of the continuance of its bodily life, by which the spiritual life is delayed..." "the grief felt by the soul at its separation from God." [ Notes for Poem #2 Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions of the Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems ] "...My God ! How long must I languish for Thy presence ? ... Oh tedious, oh painful, oh dying life ! What lonely solitude ! ... How long, Lord, how long shall it endure ? ... Shall I desire not to desire Thee? [ Exclamations Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God." Ch. 6: # 1, 2 ] "My Jesus is not here ! ... Love and desire of Thee Are of my life the breath ; Let me but look on Thee, Then send me death ! ... Whilst far Thou art from me ; Life is but living death, I live not, save with Thee. When will that day draw near Which ends my exile here ? O Thou all good and sweet, Jesus of Nazareth ! Let me but look on Thee, Then send me death ! " [Poem 36: The Soul's Desire. Before The Crucifix. By Isabel Of Jesus Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions of the Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems ] "Sometimes love is so strong as to dominate over the powers of nature." "she was at the point of death in consequence of - her extreme longing to see God, and - the excessive sweetness experienced by her at feeling herself caressed by Him and melted by love for Him. While plunged in this delight, her soul desired never to emerge from it, and death was no longer painful, but most delicious, for she lived by longing to die." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 2] "to end your life at once. And indeed, when the soul has reached this state, it has no dearer wish." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 1] "death...would bring it great joy, since it is for this that it longs. How blest the death inflicted by such love ! " [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 3] |
█ The Bride Prays for Strength to Follow God's Will "Stay me up with flowers, Comfort me with apples: because I languish with love." [Canticles 2: 5 ] "....His Majesty at times bestow the light to see that it is well to live... Thus, to be delivered from this overwhelming boon, the soul petitions for another grace, crying: "Stay me up with flowers !" [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 3] "Sometimes they long to die and be in safety, but then their love at once makes them wish to live in order to serve God... Therefore they commit all that concerns them to His mercy. [Interior Castle: Mansion 7: Ch. 3: # 14 ] "O my soul, submit to the will of thy God: [ Exclamations Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God." Ch. 6: # 5 ] "the soul's longings for death do not abate meanwhile nor can its sorrows be stilled or allayed until God brings it comfort. ...the true Comforter consoles and strengthens the heart, which thus becomes resigned to live as long as He wills. [ Interior Castle: Mansion 6: Ch. 11: # 9 ] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "I was thinking how hard it was to remain alive, seeing that it was living on that robbed us of that marvellous companionship; and so I said to myself: 'O Lord, show me some way whereby I may bear this life!' He said unto me: 'Think, my child, when life is over, thou canst not - serve Me as thou art serving Me now, and - eat for Me, and - sleep for Me. Whatsoever thou doest, let it be done for Me as if thou wert no longer living, but I; for that is what St. Paul said." [ Relation 9: #19] "Vivo autem, jam non ego: vivit vero in me Christus." And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me. [Galat 2: 20] |
█ Now, Desiring to Labor and Suffer for God "Stay me up with flowers !" [Canticles 2: 5 ] "The flowers symbolise good work" "I understand by this that the Bride is begging that she may perform great works in the service of God and her neighbour, for the sake of which she gladly forfeits her own joys and consolations. [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #4] "But rather to seek for life that you may render some service to Him to Whom you are conscious you owe so vast a debt. [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 1] "Yes, for I desire to preserve my life in order to serve God and to suffer for Him." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #4] "she is petitioning for an intention of seeking solely for the honour and glory of God in all things. ...oblivious of their own loss or gain. [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #6] "Forgetting themselves for the sake of God in order to please Him better" [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #6] Their one thought is to serve and please God, ...leaving their own comfort... to gratify Him by helping and teaching their neighbour in order that they may profit his soul... and they will even lose their lives if need be, as did many of the martyrs." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #6] "after having been in intimate converse with His Majesty for several years, now that they receive caresses and consolations from Him, do not hesitate to undergo fatiguing labours for Him even at the cost of these delights and joys." In my opinion these flowers are good works, springing from and produced as they are by the tree of fervent love" [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #8] "These are the apples of which the Bride cries: 'Compass me about with apples! Send me crosses, Lord! Send me persecutions!' Indeed, she sincerely desires them... For as she no longer cares for her own pleasure, but solely for pleasing God, she delights in imitating, in some degree, that most painful life led by Christ. I believe that the apple tree signifies the Tree of the cross, [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #9] "This is the end and aim of prayer... This is the reason of the spiritual marriage whose children are always good works. Works are the unmistakable sign which shows these favours come from God..." [ Interior Castle: Mansion 7: Ch. 4: # 10 ] "If His Majesty proved His love for us by such stupendous labours and sufferings, how can you seek to please Him by words alone?" [ Interior Castle: Mansion 7: Ch. 4: # 11] ▀ Desiring to Help Others for God "to see souls helped by our means must be one of the greatest joys in this world; Then it is, as it appears to me, that we eat the most delicious fruit of these flowers." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: #7] "my soul... gladly leaving its own delight, moved by the hope that it may incite souls to strive to attain (God)." [Exclamations Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God. Ch. 2: #3 ] "The greatest service we can render Thee is to leave Thee, for the sake of loving and aiding them. Then do we possess Thee most entirely, for, though our will enjoy Thee less, yet love delights to please Thee." [ Exclamations Or Meditations Of The Soul On Its God. Ch. 2: # 4] "as they - advance farther in this prayer and - receive more consolations from our Lord, they become more anxious about the happiness and salvation of their neighbour, especially as regards his soul, for...they would sacrifice their lives again and again to rescue one soul from mortal sin. " [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 10] "Our Lord asks but two things of us: love, for Him and for our neighbour" [ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 3: # 7] "The most certain sign that we keep these two commandments is that we have a genuine love for others. We cannot know whether we love God... but there can be no doubt about whether we love our neighbour or no. Be sure that in proportion as you advance in fraternal charity, you are increasing in your love of God... ...we could not feel a perfect charity for our neighbour unless it were rooted in the love of God." [ Interior Castle: Mansion 5: Ch. 3: # 8 ]
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█ The Life of Love and Labor for God: The Contemplative and Active Life Joined "When the soul has reached this state, Martha and Mary always act together". [ Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 4] "The soul is living the active and contemplative life at once, and able to apply itself to works of charity and the affairs of its state..." [ Life: Ch. 17: #6] "God grants a great favour to these souls, for the contemplative and active life are here combined. Thus the whole being serves Him, for the Will, while rapt in contemplation, works without knowing how, and the other two powers (intellect and imagination/memory) share Martha's labour thus Martha and Mary toil together. [ Way of Perfection: Ch. 31: #4] "I would have us strive... to offer our petitions and to practise prayer, not for our own enjoyment but to gain strength to serve God. ... Both Martha and Mary must entertain our Lord and keep Him as their Guest, nor must they be so inhospitable as to offer Him no food. How can Mary do this while she sits at His feet, if her sister does not help her? [ Interior Castle: Mansion 7: Ch. 4: # 17, 18 ] His food is that in every possible way we should draw souls to Him so that they may be saved and may praise Him for ever. ... [ Interior Castle: Mansion 7: Ch. 4: # 17, 18 ] |
█ St. Teresa's Intention for this Book My intention, when I began to write the present book, was to show you ▪ how to enjoy the words of the Canticle of Canticles when you hear them, and ▪ the way to meditate on the great mysteries which they contain, obscure as they may seem to you." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 12] ▪ That it may serve God "May it all tend to serve His Majesty !" ■ She attributes its source to God; Not to her own understanding "If there is anything good in these writings you may be sure it is not my own, as the sisters here can bear witness, for they know how hurriedly I have written it, because of my many duties. [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 13] ■ She Asks for Prayers "Beg His Majesty to teach me to understand it by experience. Let any one among you who thinks that she has received some of these favours, - thank our Lord for them and - ask Him to grant them to me, so that she may not be the only one who profits. May our Master uphold us with His hand, and teach us ever to fulfil His will ! Amen." [Conceptions: Ch. 7: # 13] |
End of the Discussion of Conceptions of The Love of God Chapter 7 ( The Last Chapter) S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of our Lady of Carmel St. Teresa of Avila From the Book, "Minor Works Of St. Teresa Conceptions Of The Love Of God Exclamations, Maxims And Poems" |
