Sarah147 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I have trouble telling from the Interior Castle book where I am... Can y'all give a breakdown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StClare_OraProNobis Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Try reading "Fire Within" by Thomas Dubay, (may God rest his soul.) His book is a good synthesis of the spiritual life and he does discuss Teresa's mansions. REALLY GOOD BOOK! It changed my life- forever!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 [quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1330808296' post='2395787'] I have trouble telling from the Interior Castle book where I am... Can y'all give a breakdown? [/quote] When a person tries to judge their own spiritual state, they risk falling into the sin of spiritual pride. Just as one can move from one room in a house into another, where one 'is' within their own 'Interior Castle' is not necessarily permanent and fixed. If you are simply wanting to understand your inner life a bit more, I recommend discussing these thing with a spiritual director, who will be a in much better position to help you understand what is happening to you. Too much focus on 'self' leads one away from God. Much better then to focus on Him. When you have reached St Teresa's level of sanctity, then it will be time to look back at where you have been, not to admire your own progress but in order to help others. But a hint: if you can't recognise a particular Mansion, then you probably haven't reach it yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatitude Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 There was a [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/116643-st-teresas-7-mansions/"]topic on this[/url] in VS back in November. These were my own thoughts at the time: [quote]In her book [i]The Way of Perfection[/i] (writtens as advice to her nuns, but useful to anyone), St Teresa warns against trying to guess where you are in your prayer life. Her metaphor of the mansions is pure beauty, and I enjoyed it, but I have never tried to work out where I stand in relation to those descriptions - it serves us no purpose. I'm a Christian. I want to go to God. I believe he has given me the grace I need to reach him. I don't need anything else, and it doesn't matter what anyone else has - I've got what's right for me. There's a risk of starting to talk about our soul's intimate journey as though it's a competitive video game with the mansions as levels if we think too much about this. Personally, I think those descriptions are simply there to inspire us to pray, and to remind us of the 'wonder of our being' (Psalm 139).[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StClare_OraProNobis Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Sometimes it is important to know where you are in the spiritual life- because prayer can be so different. For instance, for those in the dark night it is really helpful to have a spiritual director who understands what the Lord is trying to do with that soul. It is not good from a purely curious or vain standpoint to want to know, but sometimes it can help to have a general idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I recall asking a close friend and contemplative superior years ago "What exactly IS the Dark Night?" "You are in it" "That's not much help?" "I know" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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