The Interior Castle

URTHER EXPLANATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT; EXPLAINS THIS PRAYER. THE
IMPORTANCE OF BEING ON ONE'S GUARD, AS THE DEVIL EAGERLY DESIRES TO
TURN SOULS BACK FROM THE RIGHT PATH.

1. The spiritual espousals. 2. The prayer of union resembles a
betrothal. 3. Before the spiritual nuptials temptations are dangerous.
4. The great good done by souls faithful to these graces. 5. Religious
subject to the devil's deceptions. 6. Satan's strata-gems. 7. Why they
are permitted. 8. Prayer and watchfulness our safeguards. 9. God's
watchfulness over such souls. 10. Progress in virtue. 11.
Insignificance of our actions compared with their reward. 12. St.
Teresa's motives for writing on prayer.

1. You appear anxious to know what has become of the little dove and
where she obtains rest, since obviously she can find it neither in
spiritual consolations nor in earthly pleasures but takes a higher
flight. I cannot tell you until we come to the last mansion: God grant
I may remember or have leisure to write it. It is nearly five months
since I began this work, and as my head is too weak to read it again,
no doubt it will be very disconnected and full of repetitions: however,
as it is only for my sisters, that will matter little. Yet I should
like to express myself more fully about the prayer of union and will
make use, to the best of my scanty wits, of a comparison. Later on we
will speak of the little butterfly, which is never still, for it can
find no true repose, yet always fertile, doing good both to itself and
others. [199] You have often heard that God spiritually espouses
souls: may He be praised for His mercy in thus humbling Himself so
utterly. Though but a homely comparison, yet I can find nothing better
to express my meaning than the Sacrament of Matrimony although the two
things are very different. In divine union everything is spiritual and
far removed from anything corporal, all the joys our Lord gives and the
mutual delight felt in it being celestial and very unlike human
marriage, which it excels a thousand times. Here all is love united to
love; its operations are more pure, refined, and sweet than can be
described, though our Lord knows how to make the soul sensible of them.

2. I think this union does not attain as far as the spiritual espousals
but resembles the preliminaries that take place when two people are
contemplating a betrothal. Their suitability and willingness for the
alliance are first discussed; then they may be allowed to see one
another sometimes so as to come to a decision. Thus it is in the
spiritual espousals: when the preliminary agreement has been made and
the soul thoroughly understands what great advantages she will gain,
having resolved to fulfil the will of her Spouse in all things and to
do all she can to please Him, His Majesty Who knows well whether this
is so in reality, wishes in return to gratify His bride. He therefore
bestows this favour upon her, visits her and draws her into His
presence, as He wishes her to know Him better. We might compare the
prayer of union to a visit, for it lasts but a very little while. [200]
There is no longer any question of deliberation, but the soul in a
secret manner sees to what a Bridegroom it is betrothed; the senses and
faculties could not, in a thousand years, gain the knowledge thus
imparted in a very short time. The Spouse, being Who He is, leaves the
soul far more deserving of completing the espousals, as we may call
them; the enamoured soul in its love for Him makes every effort to
prevent their being frustrated. Should it grow neglectful and set its
affections on anything except our Lord, it will forfeit everything:
this loss is as great as are the favours the soul has continually
received, which are precious beyond description. [201]

3. O Christian souls! you whom God has brought thus far! I implore you
for His dear sake not to grow careless, but to avoid all occasions of
sin; you are not strong enough yet to undergo temptation, as you will
be after the espousals which take place in the next mansion. Here the
betrothed are, as they say, only acquainted by sight, [202] and the
devil will spare no pains to oppose and prevent their nuptials.
Afterwards, when he sees the Bride is wholly given to her Bridegroom,
he is afraid to interfere, having learnt by experience that if he
molests her, while he loses much, she will gain greatly in merit.

4. I can assure you, my daughters, [203] that I have known people far
advanced in the spiritual life who had reached this state of prayer yet
whom the devil reclaimed by his subtlety and wiles: as I have often
said, all hell leagues together against such souls because the loss of
one of them entails the perdition of many more, as Satan is well aware.
If we considered how many men God draws to Himself by means of one, we
should praise Him fervently. Think of the multitudes converted by the
martyrs or by one young maiden like St. Ursula! Again, of how many
victims the evil one was deprived by St. Dominic, St. Francis, and
other founders of religious orders. How many more he loses, even now,
through Father Ignatius [Loyola], who founded the Company [of Jesus]!
As we read their lives, we learn that they received such graces from
God. How was this great good done except by their efforts not to
forfeit, through any fault of theirs, these divine espousals? Oh, my
daughters, how willing our Lord is to grant us the same graces! In
fact, there is even more urgent need now for persons to prepare for
such favours, since there are fewer who care for His honour. We love
ourselves too much and are too prudent to give up any of our rights.
What a deception! May God in His mercy give us light, lest we sink into
such darkness.

5. You may question or be in doubt on two points. Firstly: if the soul
is entirely united with the will of God, as I have stated, how can it
be deceived, since it ever seeks to follow His pleasure? Secondly, how
can the devil enter and work such havoc as to destroy your soul while
you are so utterly withdrawn from the world and constantly frequent the
Sacraments? [204] At the same time you enjoy the society of angels
(as we might call them) and by the mercy of God you desire nothing but
to serve and please Him in all things? [205] It is not surprising
that people in the world should run such risks. I admit you have the
right to say this, for God has shown us signal mercy; but, as I said
above, knowing as I do that Judas was amongst the Apostles and that he
held constant intercourse with God Himself, to Whose words he listened,
I learn that the state of religion does not make us safe.

6. To your first question I reply that doubtless if such a soul is
always faithful to the will of God, it cannot be lost; the evil one,
however, comes with his keen subtlety and, under the pretext of good,
leads it astray in some trivial matter and causes it to commit small
defects which he makes it believe are harmless. Thus, little by little,
the reason is obscured and the will is weakened while the devil fosters
his victim's self-love, until, by degrees, he succeeds in withdrawing
it from union with the will of God and makes it follow its own will.

7. The answer to your first inquiry will serve for the second. No
enclosure can be too strict for Satan to enter nor any desert too
remote for him to visit. Besides, God may permit him to tempt the soul
to prove its virtue; for as He intends it to enlighten others, it is
better for it to fail in the beginning than when it might do them great
harm.

8. We must beg God constantly in our prayers to uphold us by His hand;
we should keep ever in our minds the truth that if He leaves us, most
certainly we shall fall at once into the abyss, for we must never be so
foolish as to trust in ourselves. After this I think the greatest
safeguard is to be very careful and to watch how we advance in virtue;
we must notice whether we are making progress or falling back in it,
especially as regards the love of our neighbour, the desire to be
thought the least of all and how we perform our ordinary, everyday
duties. If we attend to this and beg Our Lord to enlighten us, we shall
at once perceive our gain or loss.

9. Do not suppose that after advancing the soul to such a state God
abandons it so easily that it is light work for the devil to regain it.
When His Majesty sees it leaving Him, He feels the loss so keenly that
He gives it in many a way a thousand secret warnings which reveal to it
the hidden danger. [206]

10. In conclusion, let us strive to make constant progress: we ought to
feel great alarm if we do not find ourselves advancing, for without
doubt the evil one must be planning to injure us in some way; it is
impossible for a soul that has come to this state not to go still
farther, for love is never idle. Therefore it is a very bad sign when
one comes to a stand-still in virtue. She who aspires to become the
spouse of God Himself, and has treated with His Majesty and come to
such an understanding with Him, must not leave off and go to sleep.
[207]

11. To show you, my daughters, how Christ treats the souls He takes for
His brides, I will now speak of the sixth mansions. You will then see
how little in comparison is all that we can do or suffer in His service
to prepare ourselves for the reception of such immense favours. Perhaps
our Lord decreed that I should write this in order that the knowledge
of the great reward to come, and of His infinite mercy in seeking to
give and to manifest Himself to such worms as we are, might make us
forget our wretched, petty, earthly pleasures and run on our way with
eyes fixed on His grandeur, inflamed with love for Him.

12. May He enable me to explain some of these difficult matters; if our
Lord and the Holy Ghost do not guide my pen, I know the task will prove
impossible. 1 beg Him to prevent my saying anything unless it will
profit you. His Majesty knows that, as far as I can judge, I have no
other wish but that His Name may be glorified and that we may strive to
serve a Lord Who thus recompenses our efforts even in this world. What,
then, will be our joy in heaven where it will be continuous, without
the interruptions, labours, and dangers of this tempestuous sea of
life? Were it not for the fear of losing or offending Him, we should
wish to live until the end of the world [208] in order to work for so
great a God--our Lord and our Spouse. May His Majesty enable us to
render Him some service free from the many faults we always commit,
even in good works! Amen.
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[199] Compare: habebit fructum in respectione animarum sanctarum'
(Breviar. Rom. Ant. ad Laudes de Com. Virg.); quasi apis argumentosa
Domino deservisti' (Ibid. Feast of St. Cæcilia.)

[200] Life, ch. xviii.

[201] Way of Perf. ch. xxxi. 10.

[202] Phil. a SS. Trinit. l.c. p. iii. tract. i. disc. ii. art. 2.

[203] Contrast with this paragraph what the Saint says in her Life, ch.
xix. § 8.

[204] Life, ch, xxxvi. 26; xxxix. 14. Found. ch. i. 1-4.

[205] Way of Perf. ch. i, 2; xiii. 3. Found. ch. i. 3.

[206] Life, ch. xix. 9.

[207] Life, ch. xix. 7.

[208] Rel. ix. 19.
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THE SIXTH MANSIONS
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