Relation 4
or
Manifestations of her Spiritual State
which St. Teresa Submitted to Her Confessors
or
Spiritual Testimonies
or
Relations of the Spirit
Of the Graces the Saint Received
in Salamanca at the End of Lent, 1571 .
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Discussion Topics / Questions
1). St. Teresa wrote of a
"profound trance" or deep rapture
in which Our Lord appeared
and spoke to her.
Does this call to mind
the Gospel passage of John:17?
How did she describe this rapture ?
[ Relations 4: # 2 ]
2). St. Teresa spoke of the desolation
that she experienced
when her Confessor had
"went away" and was unavailable
because of his many urgent duties.
"...it is impossible for me to have
recourse to you for comfort
even when necessary..."
Then she began to fear that
her need for comfort
was a lack of detachment.
How did she describe this concern?
How was it resolved?
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
3). St. Teresa received many different
types of graces/gifts from God
at different times.
Is there a "fixed rule" regarding
how/when these special graces
are granted?
What did she say about this?
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
4). What did St. Teresa say regarding
the sorrows of Our Lady?
[ Relations 4: # 4, 1 ]
5). What did St. Teresa say
regarding her prayers and services
which were pleasing to God?
[ Relations 4: # 5 ]
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1). St. Teresa wrote of a
"profound trance" or deep rapture
in which Our Lord appeared
and spoke to her.
Does this call to mind
the Gospel passage of John:17?
How did she describe this rapture ?
[ Relations 4: # 2 ]
St. Teresa wrote:
"I was in this great pain
till this morning;
and, being in prayer,
I fell into a profound trance;
and it seemed to me
that our Lord had
taken me up in spirit to His Father, and
said to Him:
"Whom Thou hast given to Me,
I give to Thee"
He seemed to draw me near to Himself.
...He kept me by Him for some time".
[ Relations 4: # 2 ]
John 17: 9-10
[9] I pray for them:
I pray not for the world,
but for them whom thou hast given me:
because they are thine:
[10] And all my things are thine,
and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
John 17: 16-26
[16]They are not of the world,
as I also am not of the world.
[17] Sanctify them in truth.
Thy word is truth.
[18] As thou hast sent me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world.
[19] And for them do I sanctify myself,
that they also may be sanctified in truth.
[20] And not for them only do I pray,
but for them also who through their word
shall believe in me;
[21] That they all may be one,
as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee;
that they also may be one in us;
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
[22] And the glory which thou hast given me,
I have given to them; that they may be one,
as we also are one:
[23] I in them, and thou in me;
that they may be made perfect in one:
and the world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.
[24] Father, I will that where I am,
they also whom thou hast given me
may be with me;
that they may see my glory
which thou hast given me,
because thou hast loved me
before the creation of the world.
[25] Just Father, the world hath not known thee;
but I have known thee:
and these have known that thou hast sent me.
[26] And I have made known thy name to them,
and will make it known;
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me,
may be in them, and I in them.
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______________________________
2). St. Teresa spoke of the desolation
that she experienced
when her Confessor had
"went away" and was unavailable
because of his many urgent duties.
"...it is impossible for me to have
recourse to you for comfort
even when necessary..."
Then she began to fear that
her need for comfort
was a lack of detachment.
How did she describe this concern?
How was it resolved?
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
St. Teresa wrote regarding:
~ Her concern regarding
lack of detachment:
Since, she derived wisdom, comfort,
and reassurance from his counsel,
St. Teresa experienced
loneliness and desolation
when her Confessor was unavailable
for consultation.
She feared
that she was losing her detachment,
her freedom of spirit,
by developing an attachment to this solace.
Our Lord, then, counseled her
and expelled her doubts
by explaining that the soul seeks
to communicate spiritual matters
to one who is able to understand.
St. Teresa wrote:
"As you, my father,
went away yesterday so soon,
and I consider the many affairs
which detain you,
so that it is impossible for me
to have recourse to you for comfort
even when necessary,
for I see
that your occupations are most urgent,
I was for some time
in pain and sadness.
As I was then in desolation,
-- as I said before,--
that helped me; and
as nothing on earth, I thought,
had any attractions for me,
I had a scruple, and feared
I was beginning to lose that liberty.
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
( and as I believe
there is no createdthing on earth
to which I am bound by attachment,
I began
to have some scruples about this,
and feared I was beginning
to lose this freedom.
- Spiritual Relations (IV) XV
Peer's translation )
Como yo tenía la soledad que he dicho, ayudaba;
y como criatura de la tierra no
me parece me tiene asida,
dio me algún escrúpulo,
temiendo no comenzase a perder esta libertad.
Blogger's poor translation:
Since I had been (in) desolation/loneliness
(as I said) that had been helped
and since in my thought/opinion,
no creature of the earth
has any help for me,
this gave me many scruples,
fearing that i was beginning
to lose this freedom (detachment).
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~ Regarding How her concern
was Answered:
St. Teresa wrote:
"...our Lord answered my doubt,
and said to me
"that I was not to be surprised;
for as men seek for companions
with whom they may speak
of their sensual satisfactions,
so the soul
when there is any one
who understands it
seeks those
to whom it may communicate
its pleasures and its pains, and
is sad and mourns
when it can find none."
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
_______________________________
3). St. Teresa received many different
types of graces/gifts from God
at different times.
Is there a "fixed rule" regarding
how/when these special graces
are granted?
What did she say about this?
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
St. Teresa, in her writings, often stated
that God grants His graces
according to His will,
according to His goodness,
knowing what will benefit
a particulatr soul
at a particular time.
Here, she stated
that Our Lord spoke to her regarding
the different graces and visions
which she was granted:
He said to me
"that there was a difference
between these and
the imaginary visions, and
that there could not be
an invariable law
concerning the graces
He bestowed on us;
for it was expedient to give them
now in one way,
now in another."
[ Relations 4: # 3 ]
( and that there could be
no fixed rule
about the graces
that He bestowed upon us;
it was well
that they should be granted
now in one way and
now in another.
- Spiritual Relations (IV) XV
Peer's translation )
______________________________
4). What did St. Teresa say regarding
the sorrows of Our Lady?
[ Relations 4: # 4, 1 ]
Regarding the Sorrows of Our Lady,
St. Teresa wrote:
Our Lord " said to me,
that when He rose again
He showed Himself to our Lady,
because she was in great trouble;
for sorrow had so pierced her soul
that she did not even recover herself
at once in order to have
the fruition of that joy.
By this I saw
how different was my piercing.
But what must that
of the Virgin have been?
He remained long with her then
because it was necessary to console her.
[ Relations 4: # 4 ]
and I understand more of that piercing
which our Lady suffered;
[ Relations 4: # 1 ]
_________________________
5). What did St. Teresa say
regarding her prayers and services
which were pleasing to God?
[ Relations 4: # 5 ]
St. Teresa stated
that her regular reception
of Communion (on Palm Sunday)
as well as,
always striving for a good preparation
for Communion
in addition to,
her meditation of the life
and Passion of Christ
pleased God.
She said:
- that Our Lord said to her,
"I reward thee well
for the pleasure
thou gavest me to-day."
- "He said this
because I have been in the habit
-- of going to Communion,
if possible, on this day
for more than thirty years, and
-- of labouring to prepare my soul
to be the host of our Lord;
-- and I used to picture Him
as remaining with me,
and truly in a poor lodging,
as I see now.
( "I used to think of Him
as staying with me
in a poor enough inn...
- Spiritual Relations (IV) XXVI
Peer's translation )
And thus
I used to have
such foolish thoughts
they must have been acceptable
to our Lord,
for this was one of the visions
which I regard as most certain;
and, accordingly
it has been a great blessing to me
in the matter of Communion.
[ Relations 4: # 5 ]
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~ End of Discussion of Relation IV ~
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