Discussion of:
Relation 7
or
Manifestations of her Spiritual State
which St. Teresa Submitted
to Her Confessors
or
Spiritual Testimonies
or
Relations of the Spirit
.
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Discussion Topics / Questions
1). How did St. Teresa
describe her daily
active prayer?
[ Relations 7: #1, 2 ]
2). When did St. Teresa experience
aridity in prayer?
Did she desire consolation
in prayer?
[ Relations 7: #3 ]
3). Approximately when did
St. Teresa begin to
occasionally experience
locutions, visions
and revelations interiorly.
[ Relations 7: #4 ]
4). What was her response to these
supernatural graces?
[ Relations 7:
# 5,7,10,15,19,
20,23,24,25,26 ]
5a). Why did St. Teresa approach
an inquisitor?
[ Relations 7: #8,10 ]
5b). What did he advise her to do?
[ Relations 7: #9]
Include:
How her written account
led to her later book,
The Way of Perfection?
[ Relations 7: #9 ]
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1). How did St. Teresa
describe her daily
active prayer?
[ Relations 7: #1, 2 ]
St. Teresa said that she
"took the habit
forty years ago, and
from the first began
to reflect
on the mysteries
of the Passion
of Christ our Lord, and
on her own sins,
for some time every day,
without thinking at all
of anything supernatural,
but only
of created things, or
of such subjects
as suggested to her
- how soon the end of all things
must come,
- discerning in creatures
the greatness of God and
- His love for us".
[ Relations 7: #1 ]
"This made her
much more willing to serve Him"
She "had always a great desire
to see
God honoured, and
His glory increased.
To that end
were all her prayers directed,
without making any for herself;
for she thought
that it mattered little
if she had to suffer in purgatory
in exchange for
the increase of His glory
even in the slightest degree".
[ Relations 7: #2 ]
_______________________
2). When did St. Teresa experience
aridity in prayer?
Did she desire consolation
in prayer?
[ Relations 7: #3 ]
St. Teresa said "she spent
about two-and-twenty years
in great aridities, and
never did it enter
into her thoughts
to desire anything else;
for she regarded herself
as one who, she thought,
did not deserve
even to think about God,
except that His Majesty
was very merciful to her
in allowing her
to remain in His presence,
saying her prayers,
reading also in good books.
[ Relations 7: #3 ]
__________________________
3). Approximately when did
St. Teresa begin to
occasionally experience
locutions, visions
and revelations interiorly.
[ Relations 7: #4 ]
In 1575 or 1576
"in Avila,
three or two years before...
she began to think
that she occasionally
heard interior locutions, and
had visions and revelations
interiorly.
She saw
with the eyes of the soul,
for she
never saw anything
with her bodily eyes,
nor heard anything
with her bodily ears;
[ Relations 7: #4 ]
_____________________
4). What was her response to these
supernatural graces?
[ Relations 7:
# 5,7,10,15,19,
20,23,24,25,26 ]
~ She was fearful that it was
a delusion of the devil:
"in very great distress, afraid
that it was a delusion of Satan"
[ Relations 7: #5 ]
"She never undertook anything
merely because it came to her
in prayer"
[ Relations 7: #15 ]
"She used to strive
with all her might
never in any way
to offend God,
and was always obedient;
and by these means
she thought she might
obtain her deliverance,
by the help of God,
even if Satan were the cause.
[ Relations 7: #19 ]
~ She consulted with Confessors
and learned men regarding the
state of her soul
"and began to consult
spiritual men
of the Society of Jesus about it"
[ Relations 7: #5 ]
At the advice of some,
she tried to resist the raptures,etc
but often was unsuccessful
since they were not
within her control or power.
"And as she could not escape
from these visitations,
though she tried
with all her might"
[ Relations 7: #5]
"Now and then
she took comfort in thinking
that
-- though she herself,
because of her sins,
deserved to fall
into delusions --
our Lord would not suffer
so many good men,
anxious to give her light,
to be led into error."
[ Relations 7: #10 ]
"She used to say that
if any of these things
tended to lead her
against
the Catholic faith and
the law of God,
she would not need to seek
for learned men
nor tests,
because she would see
at once
that they came from Satan.
[ Relations 7: #15 ]
~ The effects of these experiences
was advancement in virtue.
"though in everything
relating to the state of her soul
she was very much better,
and a great difference
was visible,
there was no vainglory,
nor had she any temptation
...(to vainglory)
nor to pride;
on the contrary,
she was very much
ashamed and confounded
when she saw
that people knew of her state"
[ Relations 7: #7 ]
"though it did seem to her
that they were spiritually safe,
because
of the effects thereof, and
of the great graces
which she at times received;
but she always desired virtues
more than anything else;
and this it is
that she has charged her nuns
to desire,
saying to them
that the most
humble and mortified
will be the most spiritual.
[ Relations 7: #15 ]
"Ever since she became subject
to these supernatural visitations,
her spirit is always inclined
to seek after that
which is most perfect, and
she had almost always
a great desire to suffer
[ Relations 7: #20 ]
"Hence the desire she has
for the good of souls; and
and from considering
how vile are the things
of this world, and
how precious
are interior things..
she has attained to a contempt
of the world".
[ Relations 7: #25 ]
"with most earnest desires for
the honour of God and
the good of souls,
willing to suffer death
many times
for one of them.
[ Relations 7: #8 ]
"Through these effects,
and others like them,
she began to find peace,
thinking that a spirit
which could leave her
with these virtues
could not be an evil one,
and they who had
the charge of her soul
said so;
[ Relations 7: #20 ]
"for she utterly neglects
the body
and never thinks of it,
being wholly intent upon God.
[ Relations 7: #23 ]
She is also living
in great fear
about
sinning against God, and
doing His will in all things;
this is her continual prayer.
And she is...so determined
never to swerve from this,
that there is nothing
her confessors might enjoin her,
...for the greater honour
of our Lord,
that she would not
undertake and perform,
by the help of our Lord.
And confident
that His Majesty helps those
who have resolved
to advance His service
and glory,
she thinks no more
of herself and
of her own progress...
[ Relations 7: #24 ]
"that he, in whom
God works these graces
- despises himself, and
- becomes more humble
than he was ever before,
for he sees
that this is a gift of God
that he can
neither add to it
nor take from it.
The love and the desire
become greater
of serving our Lord,
who is so mighty
[ Relations 7: #26]
_______________________
5a). Why did St. Teresa approach
an inquisitor?
[ Relations 7: #8,10 ]
5b). What did he advise her to do?
[ Relations 7: #9]
Include:
How her written account
led to her later book,
The Way of Perfection?
[ Relations 7: #9 ]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5a). Why did St. Teresa approach
an inquisitor?
[ Relations 7: #8,10 ]
"She contrived to have
a conference with him
- for her greater security...
[ Relations 7: #8 ]
- for she had no other desire
but that of knowing
whether what she experienced
was in conformity
with the sacred writings or not
[ Relations 7: #10 ]
She said:
"About thirteen years ago...
came the present Bishop
of Salamanca, Inquisitor,
I think, of Toledo,
previously of Seville,
Soto by name. [687]
She contrived to have
a conference with him
for her greater security, and
told him everything.
He replied,
that there was nothing
in all this
that concerned his office,
because everything
that she saw and heard
confirmed her the more
in the Catholic faith,
in which she
always was, and is, firm,
with most earnest desires for
the honour of God and
the good of souls,
willing to suffer death
many times
for one of them.
[ Relations 7: #8 ]
[687] Don Francisco de Soto y Salazar
was a native of Bonilli de la Sierra,
and Vicar-General of the Bishops of
Astorga and Avila,
and Canon of Avila;
Inquisitor of Cordova, Seville, and Toledo;
Bishop, successively, of Albarracin,
Segorve, and Salamanca...
"She went to the Inquisitor,
Don Francisco Soto de Salazar - he was
afterwards Bishop of Salamanca-
and said to him:
'My lord, I am subject
to certain extraordinary processes in prayer,
such as ecstasies, raptures, and revelations,
and do not wish to be deluded or deceived by Satan,
or to do anything that is not absolutely safe.
I give myself up to the Inquisition to try me,
and examine my ways of going on,
submitting myself to its orders.'
...
The Inquisitor replied:
'Senora, the business of the Inquisition
is not to try the spirit,
nor to examine ways of prayer,
but to correct heretics.
...
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...for she had no other desire
but that of knowing
whether what she experienced
was in conformity
with the sacred writings or not
[ Relations 7: #10 ]
___________________
5b). What did he advise her to do?
[ Relations 7: #9]
Include:
How her written account
led to her later book,
The Way of Perfection?
[ Relations 7: #9 ]
"He told her,
when he saw
how distressed she was,
- to give an account
of it all, and
of her whole life,
without omitting anything,
to the Master Avila,
who was a man
of great learning
in the way of prayer, and
- to rest content
with the answer he should give.
She did so, and described
her sins and
her life.
He wrote to her and comforted her,
giving her great security.
[ Relations 7: #9 ]
[687]
Don Francisco de Soto y Salazar...
...The Inquisitor replied:
...Do you, then,
commit your experience to writing,
in all simplicity and truth,
and send it to the Father-Master Avila,
who is a man of great spirituality and learning,
and extremely conversant with matters of prayer;
and when you shall have his answer,
you may be sure there is nothing to be afraid of'"
(Jerome Gratian, Lucidario, cap. iii.).
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"The account I gave
was such
that all those learned men
who saw it
--they were my confessors --
said that it was very profitable
for instruction in spiritual things;
and they commanded her to
- make copies of it, and
- write another little book [688]
for her daughters,
--she was prioress,--
wherein she might give them
some instructions.
[ Relations 7: #9 ]
[688]
This book is
the Way of Perfection,
written by direction
of Fr. Banes.
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~ End of Discussion ~
of Chapter VII
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