The Interior Castle (Complete Edition). St. Teresa of Avila
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and, ‘He that seeth Me seeth the Father also.’83
20. If we never look up at Him and reflect on what we owe Him for having died for us, I do not understand how we can know Him, or perform good deeds in His service. What value is there in faith without works? and what are they worth if they are not united to the merits of Jesus Christ, our only good? What would incite us to love our Lord unless we thought of Him? May He give us grace to understand how much we cost Him; that ‘the servant is not above his lord’84 ; that we must toil for Him if we would enjoy His glory; and prayer is a necessity to prevent us from constantly falling into temptation.85
64. Life, ch. xi-xiii. Way of Perf. ch. xx.-xxix.
65. ’How many, thinking to live long, have been deceived and unexpectedly have been snatched away! How often hast thou heard that such a one was slain by the sword; another drowned; another, falling from on high, broke his neck; this man died at the table; that other came to his death while he was at play. . . . Thus death is the end of all; and man’s life passeth suddenly like a shadow’ (Imitation, bk. 1. ch. xxiii. 7). The edition of the Imitation known to St. Teresa under the title of Contemptus Mundi was translated by Luis de Granada, printed at Seville in 1536, at Lisbon in 1542, and at Alcalá in 1548. See Life, ch. xxxix. 21, note.
66. St. Luke xv. 16: ‘Et cupiebat implere ventrem suum de siliquis quas porci manducabant.’
67. Life, ch. vii. 33-37; xvi. 1 2; XXX. 6. Way of Perfection, ch. vi. 1; Vii. 4.
68. With Gedeon. Jud. vii. 5: ‘Qui lingua lambuerint aquas, sicut solent canes lambere, separabis eos seorsum.’
69. Life, ch. xi 16.
70. St. Matt. vii. 26, 27: ‘Qui ædificavit domum suam super arenam . . . et fuit ruina illius magna.’
71. Ps. lxxvii. 24: ‘Pluit illis manna ad manducandum.’ Way of Perf. ch. x. 4.
72. Life, ch. xii. 5.
73. Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 6; xxiii. 1.
74. St. Matt. xx. 22: ‘Nescitis quid petatis.’
75. Way of Perf. ch. xvi. 2. Found. ch. v. 2, 3. Life, ch. iv. II; xi. 20.
76. A drug greatly in vogue until recent times. It was composed of all the essences supposed to contain life-giving and life-preserving qualities of animals and plants.
77. St. Luke xxiv. 36. St. John xx. 19.
78. Life, ch. xi. and xix. 8. Way of Perfection, ch. xxiii. 3.
79. Way of Perf. ch. xix. 3.
80. Way of Perf. ch. xxiii. 3.
81. Ecclus. iii. 27: ‘Qui amat periculum, in illo peribit.’
82. St. John xiv. 6: ‘Nemo venit ad Patrem, nisi per Me.’
83. St. John xiv. 9. ‘Qui videt me, videt et Patrem.’
84. St. Matt. x. 24: ‘Nec servus super dominum suum.’
85. St. Matt. xxvi. 41: ‘Orate ut non intretis in tentationem.’
The Third Mansions
Chapter 1.
Fear of God
TREATS OF THE INSECURITY OF LIFE IN THIS EXILE, HOWEVER HIGH WE MAY BE RAISED, AND OF HOW WE MUST ALWAYS WALK IN FEAR. CONTAINS SOME GOOD POINTS.
1. Souls in the Third Mansions. 2. Insecurity of this life. 3. Our danger of falling from grace. 4. The Saint bewails her past life. 5. Our Lady’s patronage. 6. Fear necessary even for religious. 7. St. Teresa’s contrition. 8. Characteristics of those in the Third Mansions. 9. The rich young man in the Gospel. 10. Reason of aridities in prayer. 11. Humility. 12. Tepidity. 13. We must give all to God. 14. Our debt. 15. Consolations and aridities.
1. As for those who, by the mercy of God, have vanquished in these combats and persevered until they reached the third mansions, what can we say to them but ‘Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord’?86 It is no small favour from God that I should be able to translate this verse into Spanish so as to explain its meaning, considering how dense I usually am in such matters. We may well call these souls blessed, for, as far as we can tell, unless they turn back in their course they are on the safe road to salvation. Now, my sisters, you see how important it is for them to conquer in their former struggles, for I am convinced that our Lord will henceforth never cease to keep them in security of conscience, which is no small boon.
2. I am wrong in saying ‘security,’ for there is no security in this life; understand that in such cases I always imply: ‘If they do not cease to continue as they have begun.’ What misery to live in this world! We are like men whose enemies are at the door, who must not lay aside their arms, even while sleeping or eating, and are always in dread lest the foe should enter the fortress by some breach in the walls. O my Lord and my all! How canst Thou wish us to prize such a wretched existence? We could not desist from longing and begging Thee to take us from it, were it not for the hope of losing it for Thy sake or devoting it entirely to Thy service—and above all because we know it is Thy will that we should live. Since it is so, ‘Let us die with Thee!’87 as St. Thomas said, for to be away from Thee is but to die again and again, haunted as we are by the dread of losing Thee for ever!
3. This is why I say, daughters, that we ought to ask our Lord as our boon to grant us one day to dwell in safety with the Saints, for with such fears, what pleasure can she enjoy whose only pleasure is to please God? Remember,