Inner castle teresa of avila biography

In 1577, Spanish mystic and Carmelite nun Teresa of Avila sat down in the Spanish town of Toledo, to write a treatise on prayer. Struck by a wondrous mystical vision of the human soul in a state of grace, what followed was the completion of an astounding literary work titled The Interior Castle. Although initially written for Teresa’s fellow Carmelite sisters, nuns who had taken strict vows to renounce the world in pursuit of inner union with God, The Interior Castle went on to profoundly shape the landscape of mystical theology, and is still highly regarded as one of the most influential Christian mystical writings today.

Given the plethora of writings by Christian mystics through the ages, why has The Interior Castle made such a dent in history?

According to Thomas Merton, timing is partially responsible. Spanish mystics like St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross wrote their works during ‘the golden age’ of Spanish mysticism; a time of “official reform, unity, centralization, authority, strict control, national expansion, and prosperity.” (Merton, 161).

Merton also comments on the likeability of Teresa’s personality, who was said to be humorous and frank with a “good sense”. Then there is the fact that Teresa of Avila, unlike many mystics before her, was regarded as an authoritative figure within the Carmelite monastic school and wider Catholic community. Rather than be deemed a heretic for her mystical experiences, her written works were held in high esteem and widely circulated at the behest of those in positions of religious power and authority (although these works would not be accessed by laypeople until much later).

Perhaps the greatest reason for the sheer influence of The Interior Castle, however, lies in its simplicity and accessibility.

It is said to be the most organized of all of St. Teresa’s written works, unified by the simple yet profound metaphoric imagery of the human soul as a magnificent crystal castle. Within this

Roman Catholic saint (1515–1582)

For other people with a similar name, see List of saints named Teresa.

Teresa of ÁvilaOCD (born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada; 28 March 1515 – 4 or 15 October 1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Carmelite nun and prominent Spanish mystic and religious reformer.

Active during the Counter-Reformation, Teresa became the central figure of a movement of spiritual and monastic renewal, reforming the Carmelite Orders of both women and men. The movement was later joined by the younger Carmelite friar and mystic Saint John of the Cross, with whom she established the Discalced Carmelites. A formal papal decree adopting the split from

Alexis Dallara-Marsh recaps the powerful message in Saint Teresa of Avila's spiritual classic.

Yesterday I attempted reading the TAN Classics edition of Saint Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle (or The Mansions) on a plane ride. It was not an easy read, and I wonder what reading level it would be graded as. It was noted at one point that it was translated, which I have often found can be an added barrier to one's understanding of fine literature. Despite my limitations at times in understanding her writing, there were powerful messages throughout Saint Teresa’s teachings. The Christian must persevere, be valiant, practice humility, take up their Cross, and associate with others who through their own spirituality will draw one into further rooms in the mansion.

One of the main messages that stood out to me was that she quoted the final sentence of the Psalms: we must ask God to dilate our hearts. As a poor sinner, I am in desperate need of this. I am nothing but a victim of a hard heart. Saint Teresa also emphasized the importance of prayer through various means. The Christian must persevere, be valiant, practice humility, take up their cross, and associate with others who through their own spirituality will draw one into further rooms in the mansion.

Prayer for me has never come easily, but it is an exercise I must steadily work on. By entering into prayer, one can escape worldly desires and enter into spiritual existence with the Lord. Going deeper is the essence of the Mansions of the Interior Castle.

Saint Teresa vividly goes on to describe seven mansions, starting from the lowest in which those are either in Mortal Sin (the first Mansion), or preoccupied by earthly riches, honors and affairs (the Second Mansion). So many of us sinners often fail by concentrating all on our bodies, and "only to realize vaguely that we have souls." Yet God has given the soul great dignity, permittin

Introduction

St. Teresa of Avila wrote Interior Castle under “the power of obedience” (xxiii) towards the end of her life, starting the book on June 2, 1577, and finishing it on November 29th of the same year.

The origin of St. Teresa’s Interior Castlecame after she received a vision from Christ, picturing “the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of a very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions” (1). In the centre of crystal castle is the Sun, or the King, who gives all the splendour and beauty to the rest of the castle. The closer we approach the centre, the greater the light. Note that this vision bears remarkable similarities to the final vision in the New Testament: chapter 21 of the book of Revelation (private and public revelation matchup). Also, note that the 7 mansions are more of a continuity (a gradual and imperceptible growth) rather than separate rooms. It is NOT like a video game where we jump from one level to the next.

Fr. Thomas Dubay had this to say: “The saint’s Interior Castle is not only her most mature work; it is also the all-time classic on the question of the development of prayer from its incipient beginnings to its mature fullness in the transforming union… Interior Castle is a book on the maturing process we find both in prayer and in the rest of life, for the two cannot be separated” (Fire Within, 73, 81).

Q. Why read this book?

1. Self-knowledge: By knowing all of the stages of growth in prayer, we come to know almost automatically where we are on the journey – something St. Teresa insisted on. With this knowledge, we will how the best way to approach prayer (since we pray differently according to the stage one’s prayer has reached).

2. Encouragement: When we understand the sacrifices and difficulties that are a normal part of the