The Interior CastleWritten in 1577 and first published in English in 1852, The Interior Castle is considered one of the greatest works of Catholic spiritual prose. A painting of the spirit within a Renaissance landscape, this allegory of the soul as a castle is both poetic and didactic. Written in address of women, this work describes the seven concentric groups of mansions within the soul, each aligned to one of the seven heavens, and here is the map which gently, and with love and prayer, leads the female spirit through war, fear, and humility, into the ultimate destination-the central court and a spiritual "marriage" to God. The works of Spanish nun SAINT TERESA OF AVILA (1515-1582) rank among the most extraordinary mystical writings of Roman Catholicism and among the classics of all religious traditions. Her writings include The Way of Perfection and her autobiography, The Life of Saint Teresa of Jesus. |
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Page xviii
... body are enlivened and strengthened by the Power established in the centre , whence comes all our good , so that we have but a small share in our virtuous works . All the good she did , she from this moment referred to God as its ...
... body are enlivened and strengthened by the Power established in the centre , whence comes all our good , so that we have but a small share in our virtuous works . All the good she did , she from this moment referred to God as its ...
Page xxiv
... body lose all strength for the time being . It will be noticed that the first two Mansions belong to the purgative life , the third and fourth to the illuminative , and the remaining three to the unitive life . Compared with similar ...
... body lose all strength for the time being . It will be noticed that the first two Mansions belong to the purgative life , the third and fourth to the illuminative , and the remaining three to the unitive life . Compared with similar ...
Page 5
... bodies , and only to realize vaguely that we have souls , because people say so heart . Osuna even speaks of the heart as a castle in which God resides . ( Tract . IV , ch . III . ) A version of this book in English , by the translator ...
... bodies , and only to realize vaguely that we have souls , because people say so heart . Osuna even speaks of the heart as a castle in which God resides . ( Tract . IV , ch . III . ) A version of this book in English , by the translator ...
Page 6
... bodies , which are but the coarse setting ( of the diamond ) , or the outer walls of the castle . 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 ...
... bodies , which are but the coarse setting ( of the diamond ) , or the outer walls of the castle . 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 ...
Contents
| 1 | |
| 11 | |
| 23 | |
THE THIRD MANSIONS | 33 |
Aridity in Prayer | 40 |
Sweetness in Prayer | 49 |
Prayer of Union | 78 |
Preparation for Spiritual Marriage | 111 |
Raptures | 141 |
The Flight of the Spirit | 152 |
Spiritual Jubilation | 160 |
The Humanity of our Lord | 169 |
肇事 | 188 |
The Dart of Love | 203 |
THE SEVENTH MANSIONS | 211 |
Conclusion | 235 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alban Butler Amen Ascent of Mount believe bestow blessed body Bridegroom cause CHAPTER Christ confessor consolations creatures Cross daughters delight described desire devil divine dwell earthly effects enjoy enter evil explain faculties fancy Father favours fear feel felt fourth mansion gain give God's grace grant heaven holy humility imaginary vision imagination intellectual Interior Castle Interior locutions Jesus John John xiv leave live locutions Lord Majesty matters means meditation melancholia mercy mind mortal sin Mount Carmel mysteries never offend ourselves pain peace Perf perfect person Peter of Alcantara practise praise prayer of quiet prayer of union Prioress raptures realize reason received recollection Saint seems seventh mansion silkworm sins sisters soul speak spiritual spiritual marriage suffer tell Teresa Thee things Thou thought told trials truth understand viii virtues wish words write xviii
Popular passages
Page 130 - I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell ; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth ;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Page 238 - Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
Page 62 - This is a gathering together of the faculties of the soul within itself, in order that it may have the fruition of that contentment in greater sweetness ; but the faculties are not lost, neither are they asleep : the will alone is occupied in such a way that, without knowing how it has become a captive, it gives a simple consent to become the prisoner of God ; for it knows well what it is to be the captive of Him it loves.
Page 222 - ... cannot be divided; or it resembles a streamlet flowing into the ocean, which cannot afterwards be disunited from it. This marriage may also be likened to a room into which a bright light enters through two windows — though divided when it enters, the light becomes one and the same.
Page xviii - I reckon, that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us.
Page 233 - I, too, am astonished at seeing that when the soul arrives at this state it does not go into ecstasies except perhaps on rare occasions — even then they are not like the former trances and the flight of the spirit and seldom take place in public as they did before.
Page 201 - God is sometimes pleased, while a person is engaged in prayer and in perfect possession of her senses, to suspend them and to discover sublime mysteries to her which she appears to see within God Himself. This is no vision of the most sacred Humanity nor can I rightly say the soul 'sees...
Page 85 - In every soul, even that of the greatest sinner in the world, God dwells and is substantially present. This way of union or presence of God, in the order of nature, subsists between Him and all His creatures; by this He preserves them in being, and if He withdraws it they immediately perish and cease to be.