# Interior Castle Handbook Awakening to God (continued from Session Eight) **Required Reading: The Interior Castle: Study Edition, _the_ _Sixth_ _Dwelling_ _Places,_ ch. 6-11** Additional Reading: Interpretive notes; _Gaudium et Spes_, 22 **([[pursuits-texts/04-formation-and-liturgy/handbooks/formation-II-b-handbook/tj-ic-guide-apx-a|Appendix A]])**;** St. Teresa of Avila - 100 Themes, nos. 46 ([[pursuits-texts/04-formation-and-liturgy/handbooks/formation-II-b-handbook/tj-ic-guide-apx-b|Appendix B]]) and 98 ([[pursuits-texts/04-formation-and-liturgy/handbooks/formation-II-b-handbook/tj-ic-guide-apx-c|Appendix C]])** **Explanatory note**: The progressive shift in the soul’s reality is to understand how the soul experiences a radical transformation of its known personhood and a gradual union with God, which the soul will celebrate in the seventh dwelling places. This change is accomplished gradually by means of revelations and ecstasy, what we could call intellectual, emotional and physical experiences of the subjective reality of God. All of these experiences are ways in which a final purification of the soul’s desire for union is effected in the soul (see Entering Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, pg. 89). **Humanity of Christ**: In chapter 7 of the Sixth Dwelling Places Teresa discusses the vital importance of frequent meditation on the sacred humanity of Christ. “When speaking of the intellectual and imaginative visions of Christ, Teresa pauses to make some firm assertions about the human and divine Christ present throughout one’s spiritual pilgrimage. He is the one through whom all blessings come. No state is so sublime that a person must always be occupied with divinity and thus obliged to empty the mind of all reference to the human Christ. ‘**Life** **is long, and there are in it many trials, and we need to look at Christ our model, how he suffered them, and also at his apostles and saints, so as to bear these trials with perfection**. Jesus is too good of a companion for us to turn away from Him’ [VI, 7:13]. …The inability of contemplative souls to engage in discursive thought about the mysteries of the Passion and Life of Christ in their prayer is very common, she holds. **But contemplating these mysteries, ‘dwelling on them with a simple** **gaze,’ in Teresa’s words, ‘will not impede the most sublime prayer**’ [VI. 7: 6,7,11,12]” (General Introduction, p. 20, second edition, pg. XXXIV). (emphasis added) _“In Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest. ‘Full of grace and truth,’ He came as the ‘light of the world,’ He is the Truth. ‘Whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness.’ The disciple of Jesus continues in His word so_ _as_ _to_ _know_ _‘the_ _Truth_ _[that]_ _will_ _make_ _you_ _free’_ _and_ _that_ _sanctifies._ _To_ _follow_ _Jesus_ _is_ _to_ _live_ _in_ _‘the_ _Spirit_ _of_ _Truth,’_ _Whom_ _the_ _Father_ _sends_ _in_ _His_ _name_ _and_ _Who leads ‘into all the Truth.’ To His disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of Truth: ‘Let what you say be simply “Yes or No”’_ (CCC 2466)” (Interpretive notes, pg. 369; second edition, pg. 240). [capitalization added] •       After explaining her extraordinary experiences in detail, Teresa reminds the readers of the immediate and important task at hand. “Let’s not think that everything is accomplished through much weeping but set our hands to the task of hard work and virtue… I consider it better for us to place ourselves in the presence of the Lord and look at his mercy and grandeur and at our own lowliness, and let him give us what he wants, whether water or dryness. He knows best what is suitable for us. With such an attitude we shall go about refreshed, and the devil will not have so much chance to play tricks on us” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 6:9]]). •       Teresa goes on to explain yet another kind of ecstasy. “In the midst of the experiences that are both painful and delightful together, our Lord sometimes gives the soul feelings of **jubilation** and a strange prayer… It is in my opinion, a deep union of the faculties” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 6:10]]). (emphasis added) •       The joy of this form of prayer is “so excessive that the soul wouldn’t want to enjoy it alone but wants to tell everyone about it…” Thus, the soul radiates this love outward and draws people to it as if in a communal celebration. “It seems it has found itself and that, like the father of the prodigal son, it would want to prepare a festival and invite all” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 6:10]]). This jubilation of prayer has the ultimate effect of allowing the love of God to enter the world. • These lofty prayers and experiences did not deter Teresa from continuously seeking out the most sacred humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Contrary to the prevailing practice of her time (to flee from corporeal things when passed beyond the beginning stages), Teresa affirms: “the Lord Himself says that He is the way…, the light and no one can go to the Father but through Him, and ‘anyone who sees Me sees My Father’” (see [[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 7:6]]). • Teresa explains the difference between meditation (discursive reflection) and another way of keeping in mind the humanity of Christ. She says that at a certain point many persons will no longer be able to engage in detailed thoughts about Christ’s life. However, they can still dwell on these mysteries of Christ’s life. These thoughts are living sparks that will enkindle more love for our Lord (see [[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 7:10]]-[[tj-ic-ccel-07|13]]). •       Teresa describes the effects of such a habit of contemplation: the soul actually moves into the presence of the incarnate God. “... The further a soul advances the more it is accompanied by the good Jesus” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 8:1]]). “...it [the soul] will feel Jesus Christ, our Lord, beside it. Yet, it [the soul] does not see him, either with the eyes of the body or with those of the soul. This is called an intellectual vision...” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 8:2]]). “...this favor [intellectual vision] bears with it a particular knowledge of God” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 8:4]]). •       “…the vision is represented through knowledge given to the soul that is clearer than sunlight. I don’t mean that you see the sun or brightness, but that a light, without your seeing light, illumines the intellect so that the soul may enjoy such a great good. The vision bears with it wonderful blessings” (Life 27.3) (Interpretive Notes: pg. 344; second edition, pg. 316.) •       However, Teresa points out that persons who have these experiences are not necessarily holier than persons who do not. The important things are practicing virtues and serving God: “One should consider the virtues and who it is who serves our Lord with greater mortification, humility, and purity of conscience; this is the one who will be the holiest” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 8:10]]). •       As Teresa approaches the last dwelling places, she experiences the omnipresence of God. “How all things are seen in God and how God has them all in Himself” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 10:2]]). This theological reality remains imprinted in the soul and is recognized as an expression of ultimate Truth; indeed, it is accompanied by the knowledge that “God alone is Truth, unable to lie” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 10:5]]). •       As Teresa moves into the last pages of the sixth dwelling places, she realizes the importance of “Truth.” The Truth will set you free. Recalling the episode in the gospels where Pilate questions Jesus: “What is Truth?” God is everlasting Truth ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 10:5]]). “Once I was pondering why our Lord was so fond of this virtue of humility, and this thought came to me—in my opinion not as a result of reflection but suddenly: It is because God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in truth, for it is a very deep truth that of ourselves we have nothing good but only misery and nothingness. Whoever does not understand this walks in falsehood. The more anyone understands it the more he pleases the supreme Truth because he is walking in truth…we will be granted the favor never to leave this **path of self-knowledge**…” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 10:7]]). **Side note:** The experiences of the sixth dwelling places form a stage in the soul’s **growth** **in self-knowledge**. “In its unitive encounters, the soul is taught more about itself; previously unknown aspects of its life or its nature are revealed to it by a source deeper than itself. While the soul profits tremendously from such insights, it also realizes a deeper human truth: we cannot fully know ourselves on our own; it takes relationality [relationship with God, Jesus] to move us into the fullest forms of self-knowledge…” (Entering Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, pg. 87). • At the end of the sixth dwelling places, Teresa returns to the butterfly image (of the soul) recalling its dilemma: how much it wishes to use its wings to soar toward God and how, even though it may have been receiving these favors for many years, it still sees itself very distant and far from enjoying God (see [[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 11:1]]). The soul realizes that only the “Creator can console and satisfy it” ([[tj-ic-ccel-07|VI, 11:10]]). --- # Links [[tj-ic-guide-10|Union — Trinitarian Life (continued in Session Eleven)]] --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation II Year B: The Interior Castle (The Seven Dwelling Places)* (US National Formation Program, 2024).