Relation III
or
Manifestations of her Spiritual State
which St. Teresa Submitted to Her Confessors
or
Spiritual Testimonies
or
Relations of the Spirit
.
Of Various Graces Granted to the Saint
from the Year 1568 to 1571 Inclusive.
. |
Discussion Topics / Questions
1). St. Teresa spoke of a vision of
Christ with a "crown of great splendour".
What was was her response?
What did Our Lord request of her?
[ Relations 3: # 2 ]
2) What were St. Teresa's concerns
regarding business transactions ?
How did Our Lord counsel her
in this regard?
[ Relations 3: # 4 ]
3). St. Teresa, while praying
after Communion,
"complained of our poor nature
to our Lord".
She then was graced with a vision
of the Holy Trinity
and Spiritual wisdom.
How did she describe this gift of God?
[ Relations 3: # 6, 9 ]
4). St. Teresa states she was previously
accustom to being aware
of the presence of Our Lord.
Later, she experienced the
continual presence
of the Holy Trinity.
How did she explain this ?
[ Relations 3: # 9 ]
5). These graces and gifts
that were granted to St. Teresa
made her more and more aware
of God's mercy and forgiveness
and of her own faults.
What did she say regarding this ?
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
6). What did St. Teresa learn
from Our Lord regarding
of what "true gain" consists?
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
7). St. Teresa encountered some
disapproval from those who thought
that rather than" going out
to make new foundations"
she should "occupy...(herself)
always with prayer".
She considered this question with care
What counsel did she receive ?
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
8). How did St. Teresa illustrate the
the importance of obedience?
[ Relations 3: # 12 ]
9). How did St. Teresa describe
her intellectual visions regarding
the different states of a soul ?
[ Relations 3: # 13 ]
10). What reference did St. Teresa
provide regarding
Spiritual Marriage ?
[ Relations 3: # 20 ]
11). On what does merit depend ?
[ Relations 3: # 21 ]
|
1). St. Teresa spoke of a vision of
Christ with a "crown of great splendour".
What was was her response?
What did Our Lord request of her?
[ Relations 3: # 2 ]
St. Teresa stated:
"our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me
...He had on His head,
...instead of the crown of thorns,
a crown of great splendour,
over the part
where the wounds of that crown
must have been".
Her response:
"And as I have a great devotion
to the crowning with thorns,
- I was exceedingly consoled,
- and began
-- to think
how great the pain must have been
because of the many wounds, and
-- to be sorrowful".
"Our Lord told me
not to be sad
because of those wounds,
but for the many wounds
which men inflict upon Him now.
- "I asked Him
what I could do by way of reparation;
for I was resolved to do anything".
...I resolved to execute His commands".
[ Relations 3: # 2 ]
Our Lord's request:
"He replied:
- "This is not the time for rest;"
- that I must hasten on the foundations,
for He would take His rest
with the souls
which entered the monasteries;
- that I must admit
all who offered themselves,
because there were many souls
that did not serve Him
because they had no place
wherein to do it"
- Among directions regarding the
administration and care of the
unendowed/unfounded
monasteries to be founded,
was included:
-- "take care that anxieties
about means
of bodily maintenance
did not destroy interior peace,
for He would help us,
so that we should never be
in want of food".
- "I was to write the history
of the foundation
of the monasteries"
[ Relations 3: # 2 ]
_____________________________
2). What were St. Teresa's concerns
regarding business transactions ?
How did Our Lord counsel her
in this regard?
[ Relations 3: # 4 ]
Regarding involvement
in transacting business,
St. Teresa seemed to be
concerned regarding
the commercial/ acquisitive nature
of the negotiations
and her possible mistakes, faults,
or poor management:
" how much more purely they live
who withdraw themselves
from all business, and
how ill it goes with me, and
how many faults I must be guilty of,
when I have business to transact"
[ Relations 3: # 4 ]
(" how badly I always get on and
how many mistakes I make
in business matters"
-Peer's translation:
Spiritual Relations XI )
Our Lord's Counsel:
"It cannot be otherwise, My daughter;
but
- strive thou always after
-- a good intention in all things, and
-- detachment;
- lift up thine eyes to Me, and
- see that all thine actions
may resemble Mine."
[ Relations 3: # 4 ]
("Strive thou always
- to have a right intention and
- to be detached in everything, and
- look to Me,
so that all thine actions
may be in accordance with Mine."
- Peer's translation
Spiritual Relations XI )
________________________
3). St. Teresa, while praying
after Communion,
"complained of our poor nature
to our Lord".
She then was graced with a vision
of the Holy Trinity
and Spiritual wisdom.
How did she describe this gift of God?
[ Relations 3: # 6, 9 ]
St. Teresa said:
"The fire began to kindle in my soul"
Vision:
"I saw...the most Holy Trinity
distinctly present
in an intellectual vision..."
The vision
of the Three Divine Persons - One God
made so profound an impression
on my soul,
that if it had continued
it would have been impossible for me
not to be recollected
in so divine a company.
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
"I retain to this day...
the presence of the Three Persons
they are present almost continually
in my soul.
[ Relations 3: # 9 ]
It seemed to me
that I saw the Three Persons
within my soul, and
communicating Themselves
to all creatures abundantly
without ceasing to be with me.
[ Relations 3: # 9 ]
Spiritual Wisdom:
"...whereby my soul understood
through a certain representation,
as a figure of the truth,
so far as my dulness could understand,
how God is Three and One;
and thus it seemed to me
that all the Three Persons
spoke to me,
that They were
distinctly present in my soul,
saying unto me
'that from that day forth
I should see
- that my soul had grown better
in three ways, and
- that each one of the Three Persons
had bestowed on me
a distinct grace,
-- in charity,
-- in suffering joyfully,
-- in a sense of that charity
in my soul,
accompanied with fervour."
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
( a consciousness
of that charity,
with an enkindled soul.
- Peer's translation
Spiritual Relations XVI )
I learnt the meaning of those words
of our Lord,
that the Three Divine Persons
will dwell in the soul
that is in a state of grace.
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
________________________
4). St. Teresa states she was previously
accustom to being aware
of the presence of Our Lord.
Later, she experienced the
continual presence
of the Holy Trinity.
How did she explain this ?
[ Relations 3: # 9 ]
St. Teresa said:
I, being accustomed
to the presence of Jesus Christ only,
always thought that the vision
of the Three Persons
was in some degree a hindrance,
though I know
the Three Persons are but One God.
| Bloggers' poor translation y como yo estaba mostrada a traer sólo
a Jesu Cristo siempre,
parece me hacÃa algún impedimento
ver tres Personas
Since I was shown to have only
Jesus Christ always,
[and as I was always shown to have only
(the presence of) Jesus Christ ]
it seems I had some disability/impediment
to see Three Persons |
our Lord said to me
"that I was wrong in imagining
that those things which
are peculiar to the soul
can be represented by those of the body;
I was to understand
that they were very different, and
that the soul had a capacity
for great fruition."
It seemed to me as if
this were shown to me thus:
as water penetrates and is drunk in
by the sponge,
so, it seemed to me,
did the Divinity fill my soul,
which in a certain sense
had the fruition and possession
of the Three Persons.
And I heard Him say also:
"Labour thou not to hold Me
within thyself enclosed,
but enclose thou thyself within Me."
It seemed to me
that I saw the Three Persons
within my soul, and
communicating Themselves
to all creatures abundantly
without ceasing to be with me.
[ Relations 3: # 9 ]
___________________________
5). These graces and gifts
that were granted to St. Teresa
made her more and more aware
of God's mercy and forgiveness
and of her own faults.
What did she say regarding this ?
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
St. Teresa said:
"Afterwards
giving thanks to our Lord
for so great a mercy, and
finding myself
utterly unworthy of it,
I asked His Majesty
with great earnestness
how it was that He,
after showing such mercies to me,
let me go out of His hand, and
allowed me to become so wicked;
for on the previous day
I had been in great distress
on account of my sins,
which I had set before me.
I saw clearly then
how much our Lord on His part
had done,
ever since my infancy,
to draw me to Himself
by means most effectual, and
yet, that all had failed.
Then I had a clear perception
of the surpassing love of God for us,
in that He forgives us all this
when we turn to Him,
and for me
more than for any other,
for many reasons.
[ Relations 3: # 6 ]
__________________
6). What did St. Teresa learn
from Our Lord regarding
of what "true gain" consists?
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
St. Teresa said that
she heard Our Lord say to her:
"During this life,
the true gain consists
- not in striving
after greater joy in Me,
- but in doing My will."
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
________________________
7). St. Teresa encountered some
disapproval from those who thought
that rather than" going out
to make new foundations"
she should "occupy...(herself)
always with prayer".
She considered this question with care
What counsel did she receive ?
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
St. Teresa said:
"thinking
whether they were right
who disapproved of my going out
to make new foundations, and
whether it would not be better for me
if I occupied myself
always with prayer,
I heard this:
"During this life,
the true gain consists
- not in striving
after greater joy in Me,
- but in doing My will."
It seemed to me, considering
what St. Paul says about women,
how they should stay at home,
[ Titus 2:5
"Sobrias, domus curam habentes."
"(To be....) sober,
having a care of the house,
(gentle, obedient...) ]
it might be the will of God
I should do so too.
(Our Lord) said to me:
"Tell them
they are not to follow
one part of the Scripture
by itself,
without looking
to the other parts also;
perhaps, if they could,
they would like to tie My hands."
[ Relations 3: # 10 ]
_________________________
8). How did St. Teresa illustrate the
the importance of obedience?
[ Relations 3: # 12 ]
St. Teresa described how she learned
that obdience to her Confessors
was more valuable to God
than to do acts of Penance for Him
that were prohibited by her Confessors.
"Once, when thinking
of the great penance
practised by Dona Catalina de Cardona,
and how I might have done more,
considering the desires
which our Lord had given me at times,
if it had not been for my obedience
to my confessors,
I asked myself
whether it would not be as well
if I disobeyed them for the future
in this matter.
Our Lord said to me:
"No, My daughter;
thou art on the sound and safe road.
Seest thou all her penance?
I think more of thy obedience."
[ Relations 3: # 12 ]
__________________________
9). How did St. Teresa describe
her intellectual visions regarding
the different states of a soul ?
[ Relations 3: # 13 ]
St. Teresa described
the soul in the state of grace
as having the companionship
of the holy Trinity:
"a certain kind of intellectual vision,
(by which she saw) the condition
of a soul in a state of grace"
"in (this soul's) company,
I saw by intellectual vision
the most Holy Trinity,
from whose companionship
the soul derived a power
which was a dominion
over the whole earth.
I understood the meaning
of those words in the Canticle:
"Let my Beloved come
into His garden and eat."
- - - - -
St. Teresa described
the soul in the state of sin:
"He showed me also
the condition of a soul in sin,
utterly powerless,
like a person
tied and bound and blindfold,
who, though anxious to see,
yet cannot,
being unable
to walk or
to hear, and
in grievous obscurity.
I was so exceedingly sorry
for such souls,
that, to deliver only one,
any trouble seemed to me light.
I thought it impossible for any one...
willingly to forfeit so great a good or
continue in so evil a state.
[ Relations 3: # 13 ]
______________________
10). What reference did St. Teresa
provide regarding
Spiritual Marriage ?
[ Relations 3: # 20 ]
St. Teresa said:
"appearing to me...
in an imaginary vision, most interiorly,
He held out His right hand and said:
'Behold this nail!
it is the pledge of thy being My bride
from this day forth.
Until now thou hadst not merited it;
from henceforth thou shalt
regard My honour,
not only as of one
who is Thy Creator, King, and God,
but as thine, My veritable bride;
My honour is thine, and thine is Mine.'
This grace had such an effect on me,
that I could not contain myself:
I became as one that is foolish,
and said to our Lord:
"Either ennoble my vileness
or cease to bestow such mercies on me,
for certainly I do not think
that nature can bear them."
I remained thus the whole day,
as one utterly beside herself.
Afterwards I became conscious of
great progress, and
greater shame and distress to see
that I did nothing in return
for graces so great.
[ Relations 3: # 20 ]
______________________
11). On what does merit depend ?
[ Relations 3: # 21 ]
St. Teresa stated:
"Our Lord said...to me...:
'Thinkest thou, My daughter,
that meriting lies in fruition?
No;
Merit lies only
in doing,
in suffering, and
in loving.
You never heard
that St. Paul had the fruition
of heavenly joys more than once;
while he was often in sufferings.
Thou seest how My whole life
was full of dolors, and
only on Mount Tabor
hast thou heard of Me in glory.
Do not suppose,
when thou seest My Mother
hold Me in her arms,
that she had that joy
unmixed with heavy sorrows.
From the time
that Simeon spoke to her,
My Father made her see in clear light
all I had to suffer.
The grand Saints of the desert,
as they were led by God,
so also did they
undergo heavy penances;
besides, they waged serious war
with the devil and
with themselves,
and much of their time passed away
without any spiritual consolation
whatever.
Believe Me, My daughter,
his trials are the heaviest
whom My Father loves most;
trials are the measure of His love.
How can I show My love for thee
better than by desiring for thee
what I desired for Myself?
Consider My wounds;
thy pains will never reach to them.
This is the way of truth;
thus shalt thou help Me
to weep over the ruin of those
who are in the world,
for thou knowest how
all their desires, anxieties, and thoughts
tend the other way."
Our Lord said to me:
"Behold now, the reward of suffering.
...I spoke to thee and comforted thee.'
My joy was so great as to be indescribable
...I had a longing for suffering.
He also told me to keep in mind
the words He said to His Apostles:
"The servant is not greater than his Lord."
[ Relations 3: # 21 ]
| . - End of Discussion of Relations III - . |
