The Way of Perfection, Meditations on the Song of Songs, and The Interior Castle
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
This volume contains two of Teresa’s most popular works: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. Shortly after writing The Book of Her Life for her confessor, St. Teresa wrote The Way of Perfection at the request of her nuns who were eager to learn about prayer and contemplation. Throughout this work she teaches her nuns about prayer and also teaches us. Toward the end of her life, after she had experienced both the spiritual betrothal and spiritual marriage, Teresa wrote The Interior Castle, her own panoramic view of her relationship with God, from the lowest stages to the highest. Teresa here demonstrates her great gift for writing about that relationship and attracting us to explore the possibility of pursuing it. Along with these two classics, Volume Two also includes one of Teresa’s minor works, her Meditations on the Song of Songs. Includes general and biblical index.
Top Highlights
“for we must desire to observe poverty in every way: in houses, clothing, words, and most of all in thought” (Page 46)
“Let us observe, Sisters, that He doesn’t say ‘as we will forgive.’ We can thereby understand that whoever asks for a gift as great as the one last mentioned and whoever has already surrendered his will to God’s will should have already forgiven. So, He says, ‘as we forgive.’ Thus, whoever may have said sincerely to the Lord fiat voluntas tua should have done that will entirely; at least have had the resolve to.” (Page 177)
“It seems to me a sin is very deliberate when, for example, one says: ‘Lord, although this grieves You, I will do it; I’m already aware that You see it, and I know You do not want it, and I understand this; but I want to follow my whim and appetite more than Your will.’ It doesn’t seem to me possible that something like this can be called little, however light the fault; but it’s serious, very serious.” (Page 197)
“Mental prayer consists of what was explained: being aware and knowing that we are speaking, with whom we are speaking, and who we ourselves are who dare to speak so much with so great a Lord. To think about this and other similar things, of how little we have served Him and how much we are obliged to serve Him, is mental prayer.” (Pages 131–132)
“ indeed we have heaven within ourselves since the Lord of heaven is there.]” (Page 147)