On the Indwelling and the Mansions

From Interior Castle:

My comments are in normal type, and St. Teresa's are in italics.

2. I thought of the soul as resembling a castle, [31] formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal, [32] and containing many rooms, just as in heaven there are many mansions. [33] If we reflect, sisters, we shall see that the soul of the just man is but a paradise, in which, God tells us, He takes His delight. [34] What, do you imagine, must that dwelling be in which a King so mighty, so wise, and so pure, containing in Himself all good, can delight to rest? Nothing can be compared to the great beauty and capabilities of a soul; however keen our intellects may be, they are as unable to comprehend them as to comprehend God, for, as He has told us, He created us in His own image and likeness. [35] 

 With these words, the great saint and Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Avila, begins her description of the interior castle. God allowed her through grace to see Himself within her. This Indwelling of the Trinity beings with baptism. That we are made in God's image and, as St. Bernard has said, lost the likeness, which is grace, through sin, creates a situation where one must cooperate with grace and work on the interior life. This work must be the priority of each one of us in our daily lives.


3. As this is so, we need not tire ourselves by trying to realize all the beauty of this castle, although, being His creature, there is all the difference between the soul and God that there is between the creature and the Creator; the fact that it is made in God's image teaches us how great are its dignity and loveliness. It is no small misfortune and disgrace that, through our own fault, we neither understand our nature nor our origin. Would it not be gross ignorance, my daughters, if, when a man was questioned about his name, or country, or parents, he could not answer? Stupid as this would be, it is unspeakably more foolish to care to learn nothing of our nature except that we possess bodies, and only to realize vaguely that we have souls, because people say so and it is a doctrine of faith. Rarely do we reflect upon what gifts our souls may possess, Who dwells within them, or how extremely precious they are. Therefore we do little to preserve their beauty; all our care is concentrated on our bodies, which are but the coarse setting of the diamond, or the outer walls of the castle. [36] 

 Note that St. Teresa takes the blame onto herself and each one of us for not realizing the beauty of the soul and the Presence of God Within. To merely state that the doctrine of the Church is that we each have a soul cannot be compared with the personal realization of this truth. Yes, we are too concerned about the exterior, the body and not the soul. But, to understand that God is present to each one of us in sanctifying grace can be seen as the foundation for growth. In this celebratory year of St. Teresa's birth, let us look closely at her words.


4. Let us imagine, as I said, that there are many rooms in this castle, of which some are above, some below, others at the side; in the centre, in the very midst of them all, is the principal chamber in which God and the soul hold their most secret intercourse. [37] Think over this comparison very carefully; God grant it may enlighten you about the different kinds of graces He is pleased to bestow upon the soul. No one can know all about them, much less a person so ignorant as I am. The knowledge that such things are possible will console you greatly should our Lord ever grant you any of these favours; people themselves deprived of them can then at least praise Him for His great goodness in bestowing them on others. The thought of heaven and the happiness of the saints does us no harm, but cheers and urges us to win this joy for ourselves, nor will it injure us to know that during this exile God can communicate Himself to us loathsome worms; it will rather make us love Him for such immense goodness and infinite mercy. 

For those of us who have not experienced the great graces, but desire to do so, God will not ignore us. We all have an unique way to God, and not all of us will experience graces in the same manner, but St. Teresa speaks to the universal experience of the God Within, as do many of the saints, such as Augustine, Bernard, and Elizabeth of the Trinity, just a few among many. 

 5. I feel sure that vexation at thinking that during our life on earth God can bestow these graces on the souls of others shows a want of humility and charity for one's neighbour, for why should we not feel glad at a brother's receiving divine favours which do not deprive us of our own share? Should we not rather rejoice at His Majesty's thus manifesting His greatness wherever He chooses? [38] 

Sometimes our Lord acts thus solely for the sake of showing His power, as He declared when the Apostles questioned whether the blind man whom He cured had been suffering for his own or his parents' sins. [39] God does not bestow these favours on certain souls because they are more holy than others who do not receive them, but to manifest His greatness, as in the case of St. Paul and St. Mary Magdalen, and that we may glorify Him in His creatures. 

We tend to think that those who are holier than we are have been given such gifts. Not so. No one earns or deserves any of the favors from God. St. Teresa is very aware in her writings of her own venial sins and tendencies towards sin, which God freed her from over the course of time. As one who is older than she was when she died, I marvel at how quickly she cooperated with grace to reach such heights of illumination and union with God. But, one cannot compare one's spiritual life at all. This is silly, as we are all different. 

 6. People may say such things appear impossible and it is best not to scandalize the weak in faith by speaking about them. But it is better that the latter should disbelieve us, than that we should desist from enlightening souls which receive these graces, that they may rejoice and may endeavour to love God better for His favours, seeing He is so mighty and so great. There is no danger here of shocking those for whom I write by treating of such matters, for they know and believe that God gives even greater proofs of His love. I am certain that if any one of you doubts the truth of this, God will never allow her to learn it by experience, for He desires that no limits should be set to His work: therefore, never discredit them because you are not thus led yourselves. 

One can and should feel and think one's self unworthy, as we all are. Worthiness cannot be earned. The leading is cooperation, as Garrigou-Lagrange, like St. Francis de Sales writes at length, as I pointed out in the perfection series, that we are all called to this illuminative and unitive state-all. It is only the lack of faith, and the lack of commitment which hold us back. God determines the how and when. But, do not stand in the courtyard wishing for more. Be bold and beg for the graces if none seem forthcoming. St. Teresa herself prayed for these graces, knowing that there was so much more to life than what she was experiencing. She wanted the more. 

 7. Now let us return to our beautiful and charming castle and discover how to enter it. This appears incongruous: if this castle is the soul, clearly no one can have to enter it, for it is the person himself: one might as well tell some one to go into a room he is already in! There are, however, very different ways of being in this castle; many souls live in the courtyard of the building where the sentinels stand, neither caring to enter farther, nor to know who dwells in that most delightful place, what is in it and what rooms it contains.


8. Certain books on prayer that you have read advise the soul to enter into itself, [40] and this is what I mean. I was recently told by a great theologian that souls without prayer are like bodies, palsied and lame, having hands and feet they cannot use. Just so, there are souls so infirm and accustomed to think of nothing but earthly matters, that there seems no cure for them. It appears impossible for them to retire into their own hearts; accustomed as they are to be with the reptiles and other creatures which live outside the castle, they have come at last to imitate their habits. Though these souls are by their nature so richly endowed, capable of communion even with God Himself, yet their case seems hopeless. Unless they endeavour to understand and remedy their most miserable plight, their minds will become, as it were, bereft of movement, just as Lot's wife became a pillar of salt for looking backwards in disobedience to God's command. [41] 

 Here, the great saint refers to those others, like Augustine and Bernard, who have written on the same progress of the soul. What Teresa describes startles one-many caught up in the material worldliness of this century miss out on graces because of the lack of prayer. And, I have a confession to make at this point. Because I wasted so much time in my youth and even in middle age seeking things which were not important, I am now suffering a purgatory on earth for this wasted time. Now, I must seek and work much harder for what God wanted to give me earlier in less stressful times. Finally, I understood the great physical suffering of injuries and itinerant times as punishment for passing up opportunities for grace in the past. What changed my focus was facing cancer in 2009. After that time, I became much more serious about the interior life, which I had known all my life but did not take the time to develop early on. This was my lack of focus, not the lack of God's graces. I stood in the courtyard, too busy, too taken up with trivia to move in further. The image of Lot's wife should stir all of us. She perished for looking back to happier days of wealth and comfort, instead of the hard, unknown road ahead presented to her to obey and follow. She did not obey. She did not hear the word of God in her heart, which must have already been like salt, hard and brittle at the same time. It is God's mercy that He gives us plenty of opportunities to find Him within. The nasty creatures described by Teresa are both sins and demons, straining to take one off the road to the mansions within. This ignoring of the beasts must be one of the greatest trials for modern men and women. There seem to be too many distractions. God has taken away most distractions, except for the necessities of life in my case. Food, shelter, clothing have become issues, but God provides, and I am waiting for His next provision, which is still not clear to me. He does not want me to panic or distrust. Again, my punishment for not paying attention in younger days is now to pay attention under duress. This I must do. 

 9. As far as I can understand, the gate by which to enter this castle is prayer and meditation. I do not allude more to mental than to vocal prayer, for if it is prayer at all, the mind must take part in it. If a person neither considers to Whom he is addressing himself, what he asks, nor what he is who ventures to speak to God, although his lips may utter many words, I do not call it prayer. [42]

Sometimes, indeed, one may pray devoutly without making all these considerations through having practised them at other times. The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave--caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition--cannot be called prayer: God grant that no Christian may address Him in this manner. I trust His Majesty will prevent any of you, sisters, from doing so. Our habit in this Order of conversing about spiritual matters is a good preservative against such evil ways. 

 Prayer can be the Divine Mercy chaplet, novenas, the rosary, third order prayers and so on. The prayers of the Mass can be most powerful. Prayer can be both vocal and mental. Meditation must be a daily occurrence, as I wrote yesterday and before. Meditate on the Gospel of the day. Meditate on these words of Teresa. Meditate on the mysteries of the rosary. Some people have gifts of meditation for one type of lectio divina than others. What I like in this section is the call to respect. Too many times I have cried out to God in disrespect and stress instead of in trust and faith. But, to concentrate may be difficult for some, and the young should learn these types of prayer-skills early so as to be able to continue these in old age, when it is much harder to begin new habits of any sort. 

10. Let us speak no more of these crippled souls, who are in a most miserable and dangerous state, unless our Lord bid them rise, as He did the palsied man who had waited more than thirty years at the pool of Bethsaida. [43] We will now think of the others who at last enter the precincts of the castle; they are still very worldly, yet have some desire to do right, and at times, though rarely, commend themselves to God's care. They think about their souls every now and then; although very busy, they pray a few times a month, with minds generally filled with a thousand other matters, for where their treasure is, there is their heart also. [44] 

Still, occasionally they cast aside these cares; it is a great boon for them to realize to some extent the state of their souls, and to see that they will never reach the gate by the road they are following. This paragraph, sadly, describes the state of most Catholics. They need to set aside cares and trust, as I am learning to do. If I can, you can. 11. At length they enter the first rooms in the basement of the castle, accompanied by numerous reptiles [45] which disturb their peace, and prevent their seeing the beauty of the building; still, it is a great gain that these persons should have found their way in at all. 

 It does not matter that one sees one's sins and failings. The Dark Night will purge one. The peace to be gained is not to concentrate on the “uglies” but on Christ Himself. 12. You may think, my daughters, that all this does not concern you, because, by God's grace, you are farther advanced; still, you must be patient with me, for I can explain myself on some spiritual matters concerning prayer in no other way. May our Lord enable me to speak to the point; the subject is most difficult to understand without personal experience of such graces. Any one who has received them will know how impossible it is to avoid touching on subjects which, by the mercy of God, will never apply to us. St. Teresa, thankfully, is being very patient with us newbies. Now, I shall repeat in another context what I wrote this past week on mortal sin from Teresa's description. I merely repeat these first paragraphs to emphasize the great need to break away from sin.


1. BEFORE going farther, I wish you to consider the state to which mortal sin [46] brings this magnificent and beautiful castle, this pearl of the East, this tree of life, planted beside the living waters of life [47] which symbolize God Himself. No night can be so dark, no gloom nor blackness can compare to its obscurity. Suffice it to say that the sun in the centre of the soul, which gave it such splendour and beauty, is totally eclipsed, though the spirit is as fitted to enjoy God's presence as is the crystal to reflect the sun. [48] 2. While the soul is in mortal sin nothing can profit it; none of its good works merit an eternal reward, since they do not proceed from God as their first principle, and by Him alone is our virtue real virtue. The soul separated from Him is no longer pleasing in His eyes, because by committing a mortal sin, instead of seeking to please God, it prefers to gratify the devil, the prince of darkness, and so comes to share his blackness. I knew a person to whom our Lord revealed the result of a mortal sin [49] and who said she thought no one who realized its effects could ever commit it, but would suffer unimaginable torments to avoid it. This vision made her very desirous for all to grasp this truth, therefore I beg you, my daughters, to pray fervently to God for sinners, who live in blindness and do deeds of darkness. 

3. In a state of grace the soul is like a well of limpid water, from which flow only streams of clearest crystal. Its works are pleasing both to God and man, rising from the River of Life, beside which it is rooted like a tree. Otherwise it would produce neither leaves nor fruit, for the waters of grace nourish it, keep it from withering from drought, and cause it to bring forth good fruit. But the soul by sinning withdraws from this stream of life, and growing beside a black and fetid pool, can produce nothing but disgusting and unwholesome fruit. We, therefore, please God by staying in sanctifying grace, with His aid and in His will. Grace leads to more grace. Sin leads to more sin. Notice that it is not the fountain and the brilliant sun which lose their splendour and beauty, for they are placed in the very centre of the soul and cannot be deprived of their lustre. The soul is like a crystal in the sunshine over which a thick black cloth has been thrown, so that however brightly the sun may shine the crystal can never reflect it. 

 Some priests do not like this description of mortal sin as a black cloth. But, St. Teresa tries to show us that mortal sin obscures the light of God within us, keeping us in darkness. The dead soul cannot perceive God without the grace of conversion. 4. O souls, redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ, take these things to heart; have mercy on yourselves! If you realize your pitiable condition, how can you refrain from trying to remove the darkness from the crystal of your souls? Remember, if death should take you now, you would never again enjoy the light of this Sun. O Jesus! how sad a sight must be a soul deprived of light! What a terrible state the chambers of this castle are in! How disorderly must be the senses--the inhabitants of the castle--the powers of the soul its magistrates, governors, and stewards--blind and uncontrolled as they are! In short, as the soil in which the tree is now planted is in the devil's domain, how can its fruit be anything but evil? Disorder comes directly from sin, as Garrigou-Lagrange reminded us the other day here. One of the greatest weaknesses of Catholics who undergo the first conversion is that they give up when having to work at cleaning up the senses and the spirit in the Dark Night. Too many Catholics do not want to work with grace, persist in purgation. Teresa continues with this--A man of great spiritual insight once told me he was not so much surprised at such a soul's wicked deeds as astonished that it did not commit even worse sins. May God in His mercy keep us from such great evil, for nothing in this life merits the name of evil in comparison with this, which delivers us over to evil which is eternal.

I meet people frequently who have given up following the road to purgation, as it is “work”, the work of God in the soul. But, the consequences of not pursuing holiness is not some comfortable state of being in moderation, in neutral territory, which does not exist, but finding one's self in hell. 

 5. This is what we must dread and pray God to deliver us from, for we are weakness itself, and unless He guards the city, in vain shall we labour to defend it. [50] The person of whom I spoke [51] said that she had learnt two things from the vision granted her. The first was, a great fear of offending God; seeing how terrible were the consequences, she constantly begged Him to preserve her from falling into sin. Secondly, it was a mirror to teach her humility, for she saw that nothing good in us springs from ourselves but comes from the waters of grace near which the soul remains like a tree planted beside a river, and from that Sun which gives life to our works. She realized this so vividly that on seeing any good deed performed by herself or by other people she at once turned to God as to its fountain head--without whose help she knew well we can do nothing--and broke out into songs of praise to Him. Generally she forgot all about herself and only thought of God when she did any meritorious action. 

 Many Catholics do fear the consequences of sin. But, too few take the next step into a state of being humble. Humility seems to be the illusive virtue for many. Again, the ego gets in the way and makes one believe that good works come from the self, when in reality, all goodness comes from God alone. 6. The time which has been spent in reading or writing on this subject will not have been lost if it has taught us these two truths; for though learned, clever men know them perfectly, women's wits are dull and need help in every way. Perhaps this is why our Lord has suggested these comparisons to me; may He give us grace to profit by them! The clever spurn knowledge from the lowly. This I know personally. Some people have said to me what right do I have to write this blog, or do spiritual direction? I have no right, only what God gives orleads me to share. I have limited resources, as you all know, none in fact, and few gifts, but like the boy with the basket of five loaves and two fish, I give the little I have and God's multiplies it for others. The key is not to get in the way of God's message. The ego must go. Must...... 7. So obscure are these spiritual matters that to explain them an ignorant person like myself must say much that is superfluous, and even alien to the subject, before coming to the point. My readers must be patient with me, as I am with myself while writing what I do not understand; indeed, I often take up the paper like a dunce, not knowing what to say, nor how to begin. Doubtless there is need for me to do my best to explain these spiritual subjects to you, for we often hear how beneficial prayer is for our souls; our Constitutions oblige us to pray so many hours a day, yet tell us nothing of what part we ourselves can take in it and very little of the work God does in the soul by its means. [52] It will be helpful, in setting it before you in various ways, to consider this heavenly edifice within us, so little understood by men, near as they often come to it. Our Lord gave me grace to understand something of such matters when I wrote on them before, yet I think I have more light now, especially on the more difficult questions. Unfortunately I am too ignorant to treat of such subjects without saying much that is already well known. 

 If St. Teresa, a Doctor of the Church and teacher of millions of Catholics, considered herself a dunce, how can we say we have any gifts at all? Back to the castle with the many mansions....


8. Now let us turn at last to our castle with its many mansions. You must not think of a suite of rooms placed in succession, but fix your eyes on the keep, the court inhabited by the King. [53] Like the kernel of the palmito, [54] from which several rinds must be removed before coming to the eatable part, this principal chamber is surrounded by many others. However large, magnificent, and spacious you imagine this castle to be, you cannot exaggerate it; the capacity of the soul is beyond all our understanding, and the Sun within this palace enlightens every part of it. Do not limit your imagination regarding the soul. 

9. A soul which gives itself to prayer, either much or little, should on no account be kept within narrow bounds. Since God has given it such great dignity, permit it to wander at will through the rooms of the castle, from the lowest to the highest. Let it not force itself to remain for very long in the same mansion, even that of self-knowledge. Mark well, however, that self-knowledge is indispensable, even for those whom God takes to dwell in the same mansion with Himself. Nothing else, however elevated, perfects the soul which must never seek to forget its own nothingness. Let humility be always at work, like the bee at the honeycomb, or all will be lost. But, remember, the bee leaves its hive to fly in search of flowers and the soul should sometimes cease thinking of itself to rise in meditation on the grandeur and majesty of its God. It will learn its own baseness better thus than by self-contemplation, and will be freer from the reptiles which enter the first room where self-knowledge is acquired. Although it is a great grace from God to practise self-examination, yet too much is as bad as too little,' as they say; believe me, by God's help, we shall advance more by contemplating the Divinity than by keeping our eyes fixed on ourselves, poor creatures of earth that we are. 

All I can say to this is “amen”. When one concentrates on sin, one cannot get away from self-love. By concentrating on Christ and the Attributes of God (see my posts on these), one grows to love God and hate self. This process keeps one humble. I think gratitude can keep one from falling into too much self-gazing. Years ago, a spiritual director told me that I should let go more in prayer. This frightened me, as I did not know that God was within. Once one realizes this, this letting go brings one closer to Christ and His love, His loveliness. 

 10. I do not know whether I have put this clearly; self-knowledge is of such consequence that I would not have you careless of it, though you may be lifted to heaven in prayer, because while on earth nothing is more needful than humility. Therefore, I repeat, not only a good way, but the best of all ways, is to endeavour to enter first by the room where humility is practised, which is far better than at once rushing on to the others. This is the right road;--if we know how easy and safe it is to walk by it, why ask for wings with which to fly? Let us rather try to learn how to advance quickly. I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble. 

 When I pray for humility, God puts me in situations where I make mistakes, publicly, and where I fall back into venial sin, to remind me how imperfect I am. But, He does not want me to stay in these sins and imperfections, showing these to me so that I can beg Him for help to overcome my self and become more like Him. I am so far from being humble that God has to drag me again and again through difficult situations as those I am facing today, in order to remind me that He is in control, not me. And that all I can do is to trust in Him, not myself. If I was concentrating on myself at this point, I would be panicking, but God states “Trust in Me, totally” and thus, I am kept lowly in the eyes of the world, which includes some readers of this blog who do not understand that God treats His beloved as they need to be made holy and not in conformity with middle-class values. Confidence in God means that one has finally given up confidence in one's self. This is true self-abasement. Thankfully, God is faithful if we are and helps us on our way to Him. What I did not learn when I had the leisure to do so, in graduate school, when married, I now have to learn under stress. This is a sign for all who will undergo persecution and tribulation. These terrible things happen not only for punishment, but for our own purification and salvation. What we refuse to learn when we are comfortable and secure, we shall learn when we are uncomfortable and insecure. For then, the road through the mansions becomes more clear. Today, in the early hours of the morning, a strange natural phenomenon occurred here. From the back window, in the rain, I could see clearly the other houses in the neighborhood to the east and south, as usual. But, in the front of the house, to the north and west, a fog hid the houses from my view. How odd that within a few hundred feet, clarity was on one side and obscurity on the other side. Always, the east, the dawn represents Christ and His Resurrection. To look at Christ gives one clarity. To look at the darkness makes one's mind and heart murky. 

 11. Two advantages are gained by this practice. First, it is clear that white looks far whiter when placed near something black, and on the contrary, black never looks so dark as when seen beside something white. Secondly, our understanding and will become more noble and capable of good in every way when we turn from ourselves to God: it is very injurious never to raise our minds above the mire of our own faults. I described how murky and fetid are the streams that spring from the source of a soul in mortal sin. [55] Thus (although the case is not really the same, God forbid! this is only a comparison), while we are continually absorbed in contemplating the weakness of our earthly nature, the springs of our actions will never flow free from the mire of timid, weak, and cowardly thoughts, such as: I wonder whether people are noticing me or not! If I follow this course, will harm come to me? Dare I begin this work? Would it not be presumptuous? Is it right for any one as faulty as myself to speak on sublime spiritual subjects? [56] Will not people think too well of me, if I make myself singular? Extremes are bad, even in virtue; sinful as I am I shall only fall the lower. Perhaps I shall fail and be a source of scandal to good people; such a person as I am has no need of peculiarities.' 

I think of dropping the blog as I do not want to be “singular”, but God will tell me the day and time. All those questions of Teresa which she has going through her mind go through mine as well-the devil desires to bind us up in such negativity, instead of concentrating on the beauty of Truth, Who is A Person. 

12. Alas, my daughters, what loss the devil must have caused to many a soul by such thoughts as these! It thinks such ideas and many others of the same sort I could mention arise from humility. This comes from not understanding our own nature; self-knowledge becomes so warped that, unless we take our thoughts off ourselves, I am not surprised that these and many worse fears should threaten us. Therefore I maintain, my daughters, that we should fix our eyes on Christ our only good, and on His saints; there we shall learn true humility, and our minds will be ennobled, so that self-knowledge will not make us base and cowardly. Although only the first, this mansion contains great riches and such treasures that if the soul only manages to elude the reptiles dwelling here, it cannot fail to advance farther. Terrible are the wiles and stratagems the devil uses to hinder people from realizing their weakness and detecting his snares. 

 The opposite problem can occur, however, which is when a person forgets his sinful past and weaknesses and acts as if he is purified already, running about wanting to do good works out of need rather than acting out of ego, rather than humble call. In fact, I am convinced that this problem is more common than scrupulosity or over-awareness of one's sinfulness. More people forget their real position before God and enter into “ministries”, thinking that actions make them holy, which is not the case. 

 13. From personal experience I could give you much information as to what happens in these first mansions. I will only say that you must not imagine there are only a few, but a number of rooms, for souls enter them by many different ways, and always with a good intention. The devil is so angry at this that he keeps legions of evil spirits hidden in each room to stop the progress of Christians, whom, being ignorant of this, he entraps in a thousand ways. He cannot so easily deceive souls which dwell nearer to the King as he can beginners still absorbed in the world, immersed in its pleasures, and eager for its honours and distinctions. As the vassals of their souls, the senses and powers bestowed on them by God, are weak, such people are easily vanquished, although desirous not to offend God.

As I wrote yesterday, the sacraments strengthen us and now is the time to pursue sacramental grace.

To be continued.... 

On suffering, again.

What saved us then, what made our real despair still a conditional despair was precisely our suffering. That almost unconscious dignity of the mind saved our minds through the presence of an element which could not be reduced to the absurdity into which everything seemed to be trying to lead us.

I thought I was leaving the Maritains, but the times make me return to one phrase from a later book by Raissa We Have Been Friends Together, which I have.

The above phrase jolted me, jumped out of a page yesterday and gripped my heart. Suffering saves us from despair. This may sound the opposite to what psychologists tell the modern world. The world wants to avoid suffering, but as one sees to clearly today, suffering not only surrounds us, but conditions which will create intense suffering for the remnant have increased the risk of suffering.

How, then, can suffering keep one from despair? When one realizes the dignity of the individual human being, the capacity of humans to create great beauty and culture, the possibilities for love among men and women in a society, even in the darkest of days, one must see that life is not absurd.

Suffering causes one to focus intensely on the spiritual side of man. If one denies the soul, one is denying the very essence of a human being. A human cannot live without a soul and this soul, even in tremendous suffering, is alive because of one reason.

God.

Without God holding the soul, keeping the soul alive in His Providence and care, one dies.

As long as one lives, even in great suffering, and I can attest to this type of suffering, one is given chances for growth in this life. A long time ago, a Jewish-Catholic said to me that without God my life made no sense.

One's life does not make sense without God, and intense suffering brings one back daily to the mystery of God's own suffering, God, the Second Person of the Trinity, whose Passion and Death reveal the greatest love one can imagine.

Last week, I was accused of being a liar four times by a person who does not know me. I realized three things in this unfair, unjust accusation which impacted my life. I pray for him now. He only sees evil and cannot see good anymore. How sad. But, I learned three things in this encounter.

The first was that, as a sinner before God, even though I had not lied, I am not totally innocent, totally pure of sin. Therefore, I deserved, in some strange way, the accusation of evil although I had not committed any evil for which I was being accused. I was peaceful, but firm, calm and clear. However, God allowed this event to occur.

Only Christ could stand before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod as the only completely Pure, Innocent Victim of complete injustice. Only Christ stands before evil without a shadow of sin.

Second, I realized that this is one reason why God wants me and all of us to endure the Dark Night and become pure. How can we stand before those who will persecute us, listening to the words of God, remaining peaceful, even loving, not wanting or even thinking of retaliation unless we are pure of heart?

One cannot respond to evil without anger or revenge unless one is pure of heart.

Third, God allows evil to come into one's life in order to purify us. The dignity of the soul and the human person remains hidden until suffering, which usually brings out the true state of the heart, imagination and soul. One wills, then, to forgive, to pray for one's enemies, to join with Christ on the Cross.

When one's own people turn against a person, one can only think of Christ's rejection by His Own, Beloved People, the Jews.

Raissa's comments draw me back into the mystery of suffering. Indeed, suffering is a crucible, but one in which the soul and mind are purified in order for one to become a saint. One finds the true dignity of being human, which is union with God.

There is no other way.

I think that this is what St. John of the Cross learned when he was imprisoned by his own order for nine months.

In those months, he moved through the two parts of the Dark Night into Illumination and Union.

Suffering opens the heart and mind for grace.

Moving Beyond Affection Perfection Series VIII Part VIII

Raissa and Jacques had a Josephite marriage, made under spiritual direction. One can read about that here.

One of the sufferings God asked Raissa to endure was the setting aside of earthly, human affection. But, she explains that one must love God first, and then love people as God so desires them to be loved.

Loving another person in and through God takes great courage, as this state involves great suffering. From July 21st, 1918:

I have given to God, with the truly extraordinary help of his grace, things I loved more than myself (for my love was disordered). I must begin to give myself; this is indeed much easier.

I have learnt to love men more for God--and to esteem them much less in themselves. Their judgement matters little to me, at least fairly little. What matters to me from now on is to be with my God, and to learn to love him truly. To make his Love and his Mercy known, by becoming kind and merciful myself, by living only on his Love.

I understand this movement of the heart and mind totally. God has taken away all my closest and dearest family members, friends, and more-than-friends. This has been His Will for me, and it is painful to realize that one's love is disordered.

To come to the knowledge that all loves must start and end in God Alone may be easier for some than others. This journey of the heart and mind (as true love is in the will) has been painful for me. As St. Alphonsus wrote, his greatest fault was loving people too much.

To allow God to enter into those relationships and burn away all selfishness, desires, and even good intentions in order for Him to be loved first and totally has been for me a great trial.

I know many married women who have told me that they experienced this in their marriage. I did as well.

To love for the sake of God must be the priority of anyone who wants to be united to God. Raissa also admitted in another section, which I read years ago and remembered (1983 to be exact was the time this sunk in...) that it was harder for her to keep the oath of celibacy than for Jacques. That God gives different loves and graces to people may be one of the greatest mysteries of all.

But, to be a saint, to become objective lovers, we must move beyond affections which keep us from loving God first.

to be continued...

Perfection Series VIII Part VI Advanced Prayer

In the last post in this series, I noted that oraison could be called acquired contemplation. This phrase means that the person who is involved in oraison, or acquired contemplation, is entering into the prayer with the will. The person praying takes the initiative.

In the next stage, which is infused contemplation, which Raissa calls recueillement, God takes over and takes the initiative.

But, the French word is more exact than the English in that the position of the soul is in rest, not in activity; that is, a completely passive position.

I am going to bullet point some of the editor's comments, plus Jacques' interpretations, to make this state of prayer more easy to understand. I did write about this in the perfection series on the Unitive State under the name of infused contemplation, but Raissa's words and the comments are simpler to understand.

• Recueillement is a deep interior state
• It is not based on concentration, as in oraison, due to "voluntary effort"
• It is sheer gift from God
• It involves a "quiet absorption" of the soul with a deep activity of unity with God
• Phrases like "mental prayer" do not convey the correct meaning
• One can move in and out of this state through the grace of God daily
• One can stay in this state for minutes or hours depending on God's initiative
• Sometimes it involves deep suffering
• Daily and more than once daily seems to be the call for deepening the relationship with God in recueillement.
• one can move back and forth between oraison and recueillement

I prefer the French terms as liberal nuns and priests, as well as New Age followers, have used the term "mental prayer" and "contemplation" incorrectly.

That Raissa reached such a high level of prayer at such an early age is astounding. Few saints reach this point in their early thirties. 

Again, one does not have to have all the virtues perfected to enter into this prayer, especially oraison, as prayer can aid in the perfection of the virtues, which Raissa, like other mystics, saints, and Doctors of the Church teach is the call of all Catholics. But, one would most likely be through the Dark Night and in the Illuminative State.

I do think that the perfection of the virtues, which happens after purgation, accompanies deeper prayer, such as acquired contemplation and infused contemplation. Raissa says the same thing. She compares one working on the perfection of the virtues without contemplation like expecting a plant to have leaves and fruit without soil. However, I doubt whether the Unitive State happens until the virtues are perfected. Recueillement is a sign of the Illuminative State and the beginning of the
Unitive State. 

Back to her later today...

There are other posts on prayer...just follow the tags.

to be continued..

The Hardest Lesson To Learn

Young people choose good or bad friends. These influences may lead a person to heaven or to hell.

Speaking with a friend of mine here in Malta last week, we were both grateful and aware of the fact that great Catholics had come into our lives in the past and helped us on our way.

"In Him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike."

Sometimes, God surprises a person by bringing a mature, spiritual person into one's life just at the right time, when there is a great need.

"When we have run with patience the race, we shall know the joy of Jesus."

Both my friend and I expressed gratitude for this gift of past influences.

"Clear Son of Righteousness shine on my path and show me the way to the Father."

But, one thing we had to learn was that some people just want to go to hell. For a long time I could not see why some I knew would consistently chose lying, cheating, committing adultery, incest, drunkenness and dissipation, manipulation of others, homosexual sins, over the love of God. Some people choose darkness with their own wills still being free.

No amount of witnessing or caring or prayers would deter them from the paths of seeking power and status over pursuing the love of God.

The hardest lesson for me to learn was that some people choose to be against God.

A friend of mine who has been in combat twice in Iraq explained to me earlier this summer that he met so many people who choose hell. They choose murder, hatred, and ignorance even when rational explanations and apologetics concerning Christ were presented to them.

In Western, civilized cultures, people have a hard time understanding why some groups choose darkness over light.

In the face of darkness, we must continue to spread the Gospel. Christ is the Light of the World. This is our duty, to let all we meet know this is some manner.

But, sometimes, we must stop and realize that some people just choose hell. They want a life without God. They choose a life without God.

Do we pray for these people? Of course, and we love them as much as we are able. Too often, such people are closed to Catholic, hard love. Catholics give real love, not mushy love.

John 8:12 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition 

 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Only in Christ can one walk in the light. 

"The star of my life is Jesus."

I repeat a song I put on this blog this past summer, but another version. Choose the light. Look towards the Light, Who is Christ.

Also look here....Friday, 22 August 2014

Perfection Series IV: Part Twenty; The Star of Love and Simplicity in Unity; II

Posted by Supertradmum

I want to end this section on the Unitive State by referring to a chapter, (41) from Garrigou-Lagrange. As usual, the priest's insights are extremely clear. In a chapter on the Unitive State and "holy childhood", the Dominican notes this:  The simplicity, or the absence of duplicity, of a child is wholly spontaneous; in him there is no labored refinement, no affectation. He generally says what he thinks and expresses what he desires without subterfuge, without fear of what people will say. As a rule he does not pose; he shows himself as he is. Conscious of his weakness, for he can do nothing of himself, he depends in everything on his father and mother, from whom he should receive everything. This awareness of his weakness is the seed of humility, which leads him to practice the three theological virtues, often in a profoundly simple manner. One of the signs of someone in the Unitive State is a childlike dependence on God, a complete trusting in God the Father, a complete realization that without Christ nothing is possible, and that one needs the Holy Ghost in order to live the Christian life. Most of us love the Little Flower for her great simplicity and love. She was raised by loving and faithful parents, which allowed her to make great strides in perfection at a very young age.  Garrogue-Lagrange understands the virtues of childhood grow quickly in "good soil."  St. Teresa of the Child Jesus reminds us that the principal virtues of the child of God are those in which are reproduced in an eminent degree the innate qualities of the child, minus his defects. Consequently the way of spiritual childhood will teach us to be supernaturally ourselves minus our defects. The child of God should, first of all, be simple and upright, without duplicity; he should exclude hypocrisy and falsehood from his life, and not seek to pass for what he is not, as our Lord declares in the Sermon on the Mount: "If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome": (2) that is, if the gaze of your spirit is honest, if your intention is upright, your whole life will be illumined. The child of God should preserve the consciousness of his weakness and indigence; he should constantly recall that God our Father freely created him from nothing, and that without God's grace he can do absolutely nothing in the order of sanctification and salvation. If the child of God grows in this humility, he will have an ever deeper faith in the divine word, greater even than little children have in the words of their parents. He will have a faith devoid of human respect, he will be proud of his faith; and from time to time it will become in him penetrating and sweet, above all reasoning. He will truly live by the mysteries of salvation and will taste them; he will contemplate them with admiration, as a little child looks into the eyes of his beloved father.  Why are characteristics of the loving, trusting child indicative of a state of union? A child always loves, without the cost and without strings attached. A child is not jaded and wonders at the beauty of life. This simplicity of love and awe grows out of abandonment to God's Perfect Will. I have highlighted some passages for emphasis. These characteristics of the child are the same as those of the trusting bride one sees illumined in the sermons of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Those who trust are able to love. If the child of God does not go astray, he will see his hope grow stronger from day to day and become transformed into trusting abandonment to Providence.In proportion to his fidelity to the duty of the moment, to the signified divine will, will be his abandonment to the divine good pleasure as yet unknown. The arms of the Lord are, says St. Teresa Of the Child Jesus, like a divine elevator that lifts man up to God. Finally, the child of God grows steadily in the love of his Father. He loves Him for Himself and not simply for His benefits, as a little child loves his mother more than the caresses he receives from her. The child of God loves his Father in trial as in joy; when life is difficult, he remembers that he should love the Lord with all his strength and even with all his mind, and be always united to Him in the higher part of his soul as an adorer "in spirit and in truth." This last characteristic shows that the way of spiritual childhood often demands courage in trial, the virtue of Christian fortitude united to the gift of fortitude. This is especially evident toward the end of the life of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus (3) when she had to pass through the tunnel, which St. John of the Cross calls the night of the spirit. She passed through this profound darkness with admirable faith, praying for unbelievers, with perfect abandonment and most pure and ardent charity, which led her to the transforming union, the immediate prelude of eternal life. But, here is the mystery. One becomes childlike while retaining the virtues of strength and even martyrdom. Garrigou-Lagrange does a good job in showing us that this seemingly contradiction is based on Christ's very words.
The way of childhood thus understood wonderfully harmonizes several seemingly contradictory virtues: meekness and fortitude, and also simplicity and prudence, to which Jesus referred when He said to His apostles: "Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves." We must be prudent with the world, which is often perverse; we must also be strong, at times even to martyrdom, as in Spain and Mexico in recent years. But to have this superior prudence and fortitude, we need the gifts of counsel and fortitude, and to have them we must be increasingly simple and childlike toward God, our Lord, and the Blessed Virgin. The less we should be children in our dealings with men, the more we should become children of God. From Him alone can come the fortitude and prudence we need in the struggles of today: we must hope in God and divine grace more than in the strength of popular movements; and should this force stray farther and farther into the way of atheistic communism, we should continue to resist even to martyrdom, placing our trust in God like a little child in the goodness of his father. Father H. Petitot, O.P., in his book, St. Teresa of Lisieux: a Spiritual Renascence, emphasizes this intimate union of virtues so contrary in appearance in St. Teresa of Lisieux. After the time of purification, one is again regaining lost innocence. Humility brings trust and self-knowledge. A child knows he cannot do anything without his parents' help. But, he also knows he CAN do things and he begins to understand his own capabilities. Another point of capital importance is that when well understood the way of spiritual childhood wonderfully harmonizes also true humility with the desire for the loving contemplation of the mysteries of salvation. Thereby we see that this contemplation, which proceeds from living faith illumined by the gifts of understanding and wisdom, is in the normal way of sanctity. This penetrating and at times sweet contemplation of the mysteries of faith is not something extraordinary like visions, revelations, and the stigmata, extrinsic favors, so to speak, which we do not find in the life of St. Teresa of Lisieux; it is, on the contrary, the normal fruit of sanctifying grace, called the grace of the virtues and the gifts and the seed of glory. It is the normal prelude of eternal life. This point of doctrine stands out clearly in the writings of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. She makes us desire and ask the Lord for this loving contemplation of the mysteries of the Incarnation, the redemption, the Eucharist, the Mass, and the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in our souls. "Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps." The saint comes to the threshold of eternal life like a little lamb.  The virtue of obedience is key at this state, and a sign of a saint, one in the Unitive State is complete obedience to Holy Mother Church. Obedience reveals humility and simplicity. Maybe someday I can write more about this wonderful state of being one with God. I pray that God in His mercy and love will guide all of us on this blog, both me and readers, to become true children of Light.  I can say no more at this time about the Unitive State, but encourage my readers to read Garrigou-Lagrange's book found here. We also have the saints, that "cloud of witnesses", the Church Triumphant, which tell us how to move on the road to perfection. What wonderful truths in the lives of the saints may be found in the readings from their feast days, the readings in the Divine Office, and the myriad biographies and autobiographies. There are no reasons, but our own reluctance and sin, in becoming the saint God wants each one of us to be. I want to end with a song from my youth. St. Therese called Jesus her "Star of Love", echoed here in this song. The words are underneath this video of the Notre Dame Liturgical Alumni Choir.
I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world; The star of my life is Jesus. Refrain In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God; Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. I want to see the brightness of God; I want to look at Jesus. Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path, And show me the way to the Father. Refrain I’m looking for the coming of Christ; I want to be with Jesus. When we have run with patience the race, We shall know the joy of Jesus. Refrain

On Reparation, Final Posting in Mini-Series Perfection Series VI: XIV

The excellent priest I asked about making reparation before one is in the Illuminative State answered me with a wise and simple answer.

Two parts: one, yes one can make reparation while not through the purification process, such as when one is in the Dark Night, but it depends for what the reparation is being made...and I add that most likely, reparation before purification is mostly for our own sins rather than for other people or situations. One could not, for example, make reparation for serious situations beyond the merit one has gained through the early stages of one's own purification.

Two: the reparation made before the Illuminative State is less efficacious, and the example the priest gave me is the comparison between imperfect and perfect contrition.

If one is sorry for sins because one does not want to go to hell, or purgatory, that motivation does constitute contrition but imperfectly done. Perfect contrition is the sorrow for sin because one has offended God and because one loves God and is sorry out of love, not fear. Likewise, reparation done in the Dark Night is imperfect, as one is still imperfect.

Therefore, for one to make the most efficacious reparation for the sins of others or in intercessory prayer, one must be in the Illuminative or Unitive State.

These facts add to the impetus to allow God to purify one.

To Love The Church

When I first was re-converted, in 1971, I clearly was given a gift of a great love of the Church. The Church is my love along with Christ my Bridegroom. But, God warned me, saying, "The Bride of Christ is the Whore of Babylon." I was shocked but soon learned that I had to love the good and the bad, the faults and the virtues of those in the Church. I have never forgotten those words.

One reason I love even "fallen clergy" is that God has given me His love for these men. I love those who have fallen because I fell and there but God's grace go I. They must fact justice, but also mercy. The Church must be preserved in love and in truth.

Perhaps, some of my little sufferings can be reparation when I am finally perfected and not merely suffering for my own sins. But, I have suffered from bad monks, bad nuns, bad priests, which are all in stories involving those who betrayed me and abandoned me when I stood up for truth at a famous university, a famous seminary, a high school, an elementary school and other places. I suffered the hatred of those who hate the real Church because I love Her. Most who hated me and the truth were clergymen and nuns, as well as supposedly Catholic laity. Some people have said to me, "I am surprised you stayed Catholic after...." 

I know where God is. I know where the Truth is. I know wherein is my salvation.

I have lost patience with those Catholic journalists both on and off the Net who are caught up in the adversarial spirit, which is not from God. One must transcend hatred and failure and love.

When all falls apart, we only have ourselves to blame, not others. 

Here is Garrigou-Lagrange on St. Catherine:

One of the characteristics of heroic charity is to bear with great generosity the sufferings that come from those one loves. Thus saints who, like St. Catherine of Siena and St. Joan of Arc, had a great love for the Church, have also had to suffer particularly from the faults of churchmen. This suffering was in the nature of reparation.

God may ask some of you to suffer in, with, for the Church. I have said yes to this many times, but I still pray that I have the courage and strength to face the last battle.

Garrigou-Lagrange on St. Catherine and St. Joan's Hope

When she offered herself for the reformation of the Church, the Lord gave her the following counsel for herself and her spiritual children: "You ought to offer to Me the vessel of many fatiguing actions, in whatever way I send them to you, choosing, after your own fashion, neither place, nor time, nor actions. Therefore the vessel should be full, that is, you should endure all those fatigues with affection of love and true patience, supporting the defects of your neighbor, with hatred and displeasure of sin. . . . So, endure manfully, even unto death, and this will be a sign to Me that you love Me; and you should not turn your faces away and look askance at the plough, through fear of any creature or of any tribulation; rather, in such tribulations should you rejoice. . . . After your sorrow I will give you most sustaining consolation, with much substance in the reformation of the holy Church." (24)

The Lord sustains the hope of His saints by words like those He addressed to Joan of Arc in her prison: "Do not fail to esteem your martyrdom; as a result of it, you will finally come to the kingdom of paradise." The saints place their trust more and more in helpful omnipotence, saying to themselves: "God is stronger than all"; and their immolation itself is a triumph which configures them to our Savior. With Him they thus win the victory over sin and the devil. To persevere in the struggle, they ask the Lord to give them the sincere desire to share in His sacred humiliations, and in this desire to find strength, peace, and occasionally joy that they may revive the courage of those about them.

In the same proportion as charity grows, the fear of suffering diminishes and that of sin increases without weakening trust. The more closely we are united to God by charity, the more we fear sin, which would separate us from Him, and the more we trust in Him who loves us and draws us to Himself.(25)

More from Garrigou-Lagrange: Signs of The Unitive State

In The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, the Lord says: "This true and holy hope is more or less perfect, according to the degree of love which the soul has for Me, and it is in the same measure that it tastes My Providence." (19) This spiritual taste is greatly superior to sensible consolations. In fact, not only does the perfect soul believe in Providence, but more and more discovers its manifestations where it least expected them. It tastes Providence by the gift of wisdom which shows it all things in God, even painful and unforeseen events, making it foresee the higher good for which He permits them. In the same chapter of The Dialogue we read: "Those who serve Me disinterestedly, with the sole hope of pleasing Me, taste My Providence more than those who expect a recompense for their service in the joy which they find in Me. . . . Perfect and imperfect are the object of My attentions; I shall not fail any, provided they have not the presumption to hope in themselves." (20) The more disinterested we are, the more we taste Providence see it in the course of our life, abandon ourselves to it and to the direction of our two great Mediators, who do not cease to watch over us. With trust in our Lord grows that in Mary, universal Mediatrix. She, who at the foot of the cross made the greatest act of hope when all seemed lost, merited to be called Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We know that frequent recourse to her is a special sign of predestination. THE HEROIC CONFIDENCE OF THE SAINTS RESTORES HOPE IN THEIR COMPANIONS That the heroic confidence of the saints revives the hope of their companions is particularly evident in the lives of the founders of religious orders. When they had neither money nor human support, when vocations were lacking or slow in coming, when they met with scarcely anything but mistrust and contradiction, they placed their confidence in God and lifted up the hope of their first sons, who remained faithful. (21) On more than one occasion miracles have rewarded their trust. When there was only a loaf of bread for the brethren of the convent of Bologna, St. Dominic gave the loaf to a poor man asking for alms. The saint put his trust in God, and angels came from heaven to bring the necessary bread to the religious. Blessed Raymond of Capua relates that St. Catherine of Siena "was accustomed to say to us when some one of my brethren and I feared some peril: 'Why do you concern yourselves? Let divine Providence act. When your fears are greatest, it is always watching over you and will not cease to provide for your salvation.'" (22) Such is perfect, entirely trustful abandonment, united to sustained fidelity to daily duty. The Lord Himself said to St. Catherine of Siena during very trying times: "My daughter, think of Me; if thou dost so, I shall unceasingly think of thee." (23) This trust in God enabled the saint to restore the courage of her companions during the exceptional mission entrusted to her of bringing the pope from Avignon to Rome, a mission which she accomplished in the midst of the greatest difficulties. The Sovereign Pontiff's entourage did everything possible to discredit the saint; in spite of this almost incredible opposition, the daughter of the dyer of Siena, trusting implicitly in our Lord, succeeded perfectly in her task.

From Garrigou-Lagrange: What We Need Now

The story is told that one day St. Philip Neri went through the cloisters of his monastery exclaiming in a loud voice: "I am in despair, I am in despair." His spiritual sons, astonished, said to him: "Is it possible, you, Father, who so many times have restored our trust?" Leaping joyfully, St. Philip replied in his characteristic way: "Yes, left to myself, I am hopeless; but by the grace of our Lord, I still have confidence." He had doubtless had a very strong temptation to discouragement, which he overcame in this fashion. He thus experienced the truth that one must be crushed in order to grow, to be configured to Him of whom Isaias says: "He was wounded for our iniquities." (10) St. Paul of the Cross had the same experience over a long period of years when he had to suffer in order to unify the Order of Passionists which he had founded, an order that was to bear especially the marks of our Savior's passion.(11)

TRUSTING ABANDONMENT AND UNWAVERING FIDELITY

Heroic hope manifests itself not only by its firmness, but by trusting abandonment to Providence and to the omnipotent goodness of God. Perfect abandonment differs from quietism because it is accompanied by hope and unwavering fidelity to duty, even in little things, from moment to moment, according to our Lord's words: "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in that which is greater." (12) He will receive the divine help to undergo martyrdom if necessary. Unwavering fidelity to the will of God signified in the duty of the present moment prepares the soul to abandon itself with entire confidence to the as yet unrevealed divine will of good pleasure, on which depend its future and eternity. The more faithful the soul is to the divine light received, the more it can abandon itself wholly to Providence, to divine mercy and omnipotence. Thus are harmonized in the soul the activity of fidelity and the passivity of abandonment, above restless, fruitless agitation and slothful quiet. At those times when all may seem lost, the soul repeats with the Psalmist: "The Lord ruleth me; and I shall want nothing. . . . For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they have comforted me." (13)

In its greatest difficulties, the tried soul remembers the holy man Job, who, after losing all he possessed, exclaimed: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. As it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done. Blessed be the name of the Lord." (14) The tried soul should also repeat the words of the Book of Proverbs: "Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on Him, and He will direct thy steps." (15) The Psalmist likewise says: "In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded." (16) When all seemed lost, St. Teresa used to say: "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou canst do all, and Thou lovest me." To give oneself up to His love and in advance to accept all from this love rests the soul and makes it victorious over temptations to murmur. This temptation is sometimes formulated as follows: "O Lord, why dost Thou not come to my help?" We should remember that nothing escapes Providence, that the Lord watches over us, that there is a precious grace in the cross which He sends us, and that "His commiserations have not failed." (17) St. John of the Cross used often to say: "O heavenly hope, which obtains as much as it hopes for!"

Heroic hope, moreover, rests more and more on the infinite merits of our Savior, on the value of the blood He shed for us. No matter what happens, even though the world should crumble, we should hope in the good Shepherd, who gave His life for His sheep, and in God the Father, who, after having given us His own Son, cannot refuse to come to the aid of those who have recourse to Him.(18)