The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of CarmelTeresa, of Avila, Saint
Religion
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
Teresa, of Avila, Saint
Avila (Spain) -- Biography; Christian saints -- Spain -- Avila -- Biography; Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582
27. "Other will . . . Lord's will." These words--in Spanish,
"Otra voluntad, sino hacer la de nuestro Señor"--are not in the
handwriting of the Saint; perhaps it was Father Bañes who wrote
them. The MS. is blurred, and the original text seems to have
been, "libre alvedrio ni guerra" (De la Fuente).
28. St. Vincent. Ferrer, Instruct. de Vit. Spirit. c. xiv. p. 14:
"Si dicerent tibi aliquid quod sit contra fidem, et contra
Scripturam Sacram, aut contra bonos mores, ahhorreas earum
visionem et judicia, tanquam stultas dementias, et earum raptus,
sicut rabiamenta"--which word the Saint translates
by "rabiamientos."
29. Psalm liv. 7: "Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbæ?"
30. Job iv. 17: "Numquid homo Dei comparatione justificabitur?"
Chapter XXI.
Conclusion of the Subject. Pain of the Awakening.
Light Against Delusions.
1. To bring this matter to an end, I say that it is not necessary
for the soul to give its consent here; it is already given: the
soul knows that it has given up its will into His hands, [1] and
that it cannot deceive Him, because He knoweth all things. It is
not here as it is in the world, where all life is full of deceit
and double-dealing. When you think you have gained one man's
good will, because of the outward show he makes, you afterwards
learn that all was a lie. No one can live in the midst of so
much scheming, particularly if there be any interests at stake.
2. Blessed, then, is that soul which our Lord draws on to the
understanding of the truth! Oh, what a state for kings!
How much better it would be for them if they strove for this,
rather than for great dominions! How justice would prevail under
their rule! What evils would be prevented, and might have been
prevented already! Here no man fears to lose life or honour for
the love of God. What a grand thing this would be to him who is
more bound than those beneath him to regard the honour of our
Lord!--for it is kings whom the crowd must follow. To make one
step in the propagation of the faith, and to give one ray of
light to heretics, I would forfeit a thousand kingdoms. And with
good reason: for it is another thing altogether to gain a kingdom
that shall never end, because one drop of the water of that
kingdom, if the soul but tastes it, renders the things of this
world utterly loathsome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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