Excerpts from the writings of
ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Doctor of the Church.
The nun to whom it seems, she is herself the least of all, should consider herself the most blessed of all. Let us imitate in some way the great humility of the Blessed Virgin, Whose Habit we wear. However much it seems to us that we humble ourselves, we fall far short of being the daughters of such a Mother and the brides of such a Spouse. This house is another heaven, if it be possible to have heaven upon earth. Anyone whose sole pleasure lies in pleasing God and who cares nothing for her own pleasure, will find our life a very good one.If she wants anything more she will lose everything, for there is nothing more that she can have. For although we allow time for the attainment of complete detachment and mortification in interior matters, in externals this has to be practiced immediately. I do not say that a nun must be as perfect as the rest, but she must be sure that her soul is gradually growing.
ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Doctor of the Church.
BOOKMARK OF ST. TERESA
LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU,
NOTHING FRIGHTEN YOU.
ALL THINGS ARE PASSING,
GOD NEVER CHANGES.
PATIENCE OBTAINS ALL THINGS.
NOTHING IS WANTING,
TO ONE WHO POSSESSES GOD
GOD ALONE SUFFICES.
This last line is the catchphrase of every Discalced Carmelite Nun: daughter of St. Teresa whose life testifies to this all the time!
THE REASON WHY ST.
What we have to ask God - in Prayer - is that, in this little castle of ours, inhabited as it is by good christians, none of us may go over to the enemy. We must ask God too, to make the captains in this castle or city - that is the preachers and theologians - highly proficient in the way of the Lord. And as most of these are Religious, we must pray that they may advance in perfection, and in the fulfillment of their vocation, for it is very needful. For it is the ecclesisatical and not the secular arm which must defend us.
As we can do nothing by either of these means to help our King, let us strive to live in such a way that our prayers may be of avail to help these servants of God, who at the cost of so much toil have fortified themselves with learning and virtuous living, and have laboured to help the Lord. I beg you to try to live in such a way as to be worthy to obtain two things from God. First that there may be many of these very learned and religious men who have the qualifications for their task and that the Lord may prepare those who are not completely prepared already, and who lack anything, for a single one who is perfect, will do more than many who are not. Secondly that after they have entered upon this struggle, the Lord may have them in His Hand so that they may be delivered from all dangers that are in the world.
If we can prevail with God in the smallest degree about this, we shall be fighting His battle even while living a cloistered life and I shall consider as well spent, all the trouble to which I have gone, in founding this retreat. Make no account of any pain which has an end, if by means of it any greater service can be rendered to Him Who bore such pains for us. Always try to find out wherein lies the greatest perfection.
The more favours the Lord grants you in prayer, the more needful is it that your good work and your prayer should have a sure foundation. You already know that the first stone of this foundation must be a good conscience and that you must make every effort to free yourselves from even venial sins and follow the greatest possible perfection. Everything depends on our having true light to keep the law of God perfectly. This is a firm basis for prayer.
There are people whose nature it is to be very much cast down by small things. If you are not like this, do not neglect to have compassion on others. It may be that Our Lord wishes to spare us these sufferings, and will give us sufferings of another kind which may seem heavy to us, though to the person already mentioned, they may seem light. In these matters then, we must not judge others by ourselves, nor think of ourselves as we have been at some time when, perhaps without any effort on our part, the Lord has made us stronger than they; Let us think of what we were like at the times when we have been weakest.
If we care nothing for any created thing, but embrace the Creator alone, His Majesty will infuse the virtues into us, in such a way that, provided we labour to the best of our abilities day by day, we shall not have to wage war much longer, for the Lord will take our defense in hand against the devils and against the whole world. Do you suppose daughters, that it is a small benefit to obtain for ourselves this blessing of giving ourselves wholly to Him and keeping nothing for ourselves? How many people do I know who are better than myself who would gladly take this place of mine, yet the Lord has granted it to me, who so ill deserve it.
You know there is no worse thief than one who lives in the house. Unless we take great care and each of us looks well to it that she renounces her self will, which is the most important business of all, there will be many things to deprive us of the holy freedom of spirit which our souls seek in order to soar to their Maker. His majesty will help us to do this. He has granted us the great favour of providing that in this house, most of it is done already; but it remains for us to become detached from our own selves, and it is a hard thing to withdraw from ourselves and oppose ourselves, because we are very close to ourselves and love ourselves very dearly.
Once we begin to work, God too works in our souls and bestows such favours on them that the most we can do in this life seems to us very little...Why then do we shrink from interior mortification, since this is the means by which every other kind of mortification may become much more meritorious and perfect, so that it can thus be practised with greater tranquility and ease? This is acquired by gradual progress and by never indulging our own will and desire , even in small things until we have succeeded in subduing the body to the spirit... If you are very careful about your prayer, you will soon find yourselves gradually reaching the summit of the mountain without knowing how. How harsh it sounds to say that we must take pleasure in nothing, unless we also say what consolations and delights this renunciation brings in its train, and what a great gain it is, even in this life! What security it gives us!
My intent is to suggest a few remedies for a number of small temptations which come from the devil, and which, because they are so slight are apt to pass unnoticed.I shall also write of other things, according as the Lord reveals them to me and as they come to my mind; since i do not know what I am going to say, I cannot set it down in suitable order; and I think it is better for me not to do so, for it is quite unsuitable that i should be writing in this way at all. may the Lord lay His Hand on all that I do, so that it may be in accordance with His holy Will; this is always my desire.
.......Meditation is the first step to be taken toward the acquisition of the virtues and the very life of all Christians depends upon their beginning it. The Lord does not allow Himself to be taken except by by one who who surrenders wholly to Him. The King of glory will not come to our souls - that is so as to be united with them - unless we strive to gain the greatest virtues.
Contemplation is a Divine union in which the Lord takes His delight in the soul and the soul takes its delight in Him.
.....There are many souls whom God tests in this way and few who prepare themselves to enjoy this favour. When the Lord does this and we ourselves leave nothing undone either, I think it is certain that He never ceases from giving until He has brought us to a very high degree of prayer.
God deliver us Sisters from saying, "we are not angels" or "we are not saints" whenever we commit some imperfection. We mat not be; but what a good thing it is for us to reflect that we can be if we will only try and if God gives us His Hand. Do not be afraid that He will fail to do His part if we do not fail to do our part. and since we have come here for no other reason... let there be nothing we known of, which it would be of service to the Lord for us to do, and which with His help, we would not venture to take in hand.
....Contemplation is something given by God and it is not necessary for our salvation. I myself spent over 14 years without ever being able to meditate except while reading. There must be many people like this, and others who cannot meditate even after reading, but can only recite vocal prayers. Some find their thoughts wandering so much that they cannot concentrate upon the same thing, but are always restless, to such an extent that if they try to fix their thoughts upon God, they are attacked by a thousand foolish ideas and scruples and thoughts concerning their Faith. tears though good, are not invariably signs of perfection; there is always greater safety in humility, mortification, detachment and other virtues. There is no reason for fear, you must not be afraid that you will fail to attain the perfection of the greatest contemplatives.
.....St. Martha was holy, but we are not told that she was a contemplative. What more do you want than to be able like that blessed woman, who was worthy to receive Christ Our Lord so often in her house, and to prepare meals for Him...Now remember that little community is St. Martha's house and that there must be people of all kinds here. True humility consists in being ready for what the Lord desires to do with you and happy that He should do it, and in always considering yourself unworthy to be called His servants.
Practice mental prayer Sisters or if any of you cannot do that, vocal prayer, reading and colloquies with God. Do not neglect the hours of prayer...you never know when the Spouse will call you. Contemplatives have to bear aloft the standard of humility and must suffer all the blows which are aimed at them without striking any themselves. Their duty is to suffer as Christ did, to raise the cross on high, not to allow it to leave their hands, whatever the perils in which they find themselves, and not to let themselves be found backward in suffering.
Progress has nothing to do with enjoying the greatest number of consolations in prayer, or with raptures, visions or favours given by the Lord, the value of which we cannot estimate until we reach the world to come. It consists in the great virtues of humility, mortification and an obedience so extremely strict that we never go an inch beyond the superior's orders, knowing that these orders come from God since she is in His place. it seems to me that anyone who does not have it, is not a nun at all.
Practice mental prayer Sisters or if any of you cannot do that, vocal prayer, reading and colloquies with God. Do not neglect the hours of prayer...you never know when the Spouse will call you. Contemplatives have to bear aloft the standard of humility and must suffer all the blows which are aimed at them without striking any themselves. Their duty is to suffer as Christ did, to raise the cross on high, not to allow it to leave their hands, whatever the perils in which they find themselves, and not to let themselves be found backward in suffering.
Progress has nothing to do with enjoying the greatest number of consolations in prayer, or with raptures, visions or favours given by the Lord, the value of which we cannot estimate until we reach the world to come. It consists in the great virtues of humility, mortification and an obedience so extremely strict that we never go an inch beyond the superior's orders, knowing that these orders come from God since she is in His place. it seems to me that anyone who does not have it, is not a nun at all.
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