"With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts." – 1 Kings 19:10
Tune in is as Fr. Jedidiah Tritle joins author and host Julia Monnin for this 5-part Lenten Series in which they take a thematic look at certain aspects of the Christian life while witnessing to their own personal experiences and the experiences of some of the Carmelite Saints. On this fourth episode, Julia and Fr. Jedidiah center their discussion around the theme of "Mysticism."
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Show Quotes:
"So there are many holy persons who have never received one of these favors; and others who receive them but are not holy." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Sixth Dwelling Places, Ch. 9, No. 16)
"[I]t is in the effects and deeds following afterward that one discerns the true value of prayer; there is no better crucible for testing prayer." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Fourth Dwelling Places, Ch. 2, No. 8)
"[H]ow many there must be, like Judas, whom the Lord calls to the apostolate by communing with them, and like Saul, whom He calls to be king, who afterward through their own fault go astray! Thus we can conclude, Sisters, that, in order to merit more and more and avoid getting lost like such persons, our security lies in obedience and refusal to deviate from God's law." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Fifth Dwelling Places, Ch. 3, No. 2)
"If the locutions contain words of favor and consolation from the Lord, let the soul look attentively to see if it thinks that because of them it is better than others. The more it hears words of favor the more humble it should be left; if it isn't, let it believe that the spirit is not from God. One thing very certain is that when the spirit is from God the soul esteems itself less, the greater the favor granted, and it has more awareness of its sins and is more forgetful of its own gain, and its will and memory are employed more in seeking only the honor of God, nor does it think about its own profit, and it walks with greater fear lest its will deviate in anything, and with greater certitude that it never deserved any of those favors but deserved hell." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Sixth Dwelling Places, Ch. 3, No. 17)
"To always be withdrawn from corporeal things and enkindled in love is the trait of angelic spirits not of those who live in mortal bodies. It's necessary that we speak to, think about, and become the companions of those who having had a mortal body accomplished such great feats for God. How much more is it necessary not to withdraw through one's own efforts from all our good and help which is the most sacred humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Sixth Dwelling Places, Ch. 7, No. 6)
"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 a companion for us to turn away from Him and His most blessed Mother, and He is very pleased that we grieve over His sufferings even though we sometimes leave aside our own consolation and delight." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Sixth Dwelling Places, Ch. 7, No. 13)
"I want to tell you again here lest someone think that the reason [the Lord grants so many favors] is solely for the sake of giving delight to these souls; that thought would be a serious error. His Majesty couldn't grant us a greater favor than to give us a life that would be an imitation of the life His beloved Son lived. Thus I hold for certain that theses favors are meant to fortify our weakness, as I have said here at times, that we may be able to imitate Him in His great sufferings." - St. Teresa of Jesus (The Interior Castle: The Seventh Dwelling Places, Ch. 4, No. 4)
