“. . . spiritual matters are very hard
to explain. . . . I am convinced that those who
refuse to believe that God can do far more than this, and that He is pleased
now, as in the past, to communicate Himself to His creatures, shut fast their
hearts against receiving such favours themselves. Do not imitate them, sisters:
be convinced that it is possible for God to perform still greater wonders. Do
not concern yourselves as to whether those who receive these graces are good or
wicked; as I said, He knows best and it is no business of yours: you should
serve Him with a single heart and with humility, and should praise Him for His
works and wonders.–
Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle
The Interior Castle
by Teresa of Avila
is a classic of spiritual literature. Teresa is a humble and devout follower of
Jesus who experienced a great many spiritual manifestations. She saw miracles,
experienced communication from God, and had physical experiences that both
comforted her and caused her to repent of sin. Yet, she always found it
difficult to explain her spiritual experiences to others and often repeated the
sentiment that “spiritual matters are very hard to explain.” I would concur
with this idea. The way that God communicates with each of us can be very
unique and difficult to explain to someone else who may be wired quite differently
from ourselves. Some of my own most intimate moments with God have left me
overwhelmed and encouraged by His presence but when I try to explain them to
even my closest friend (my wife), I am left speechless. When I share my journal
writings with her she must sometimes wonder if I am having a schizophrenic
break.
by Teresa of Avila
is a classic of spiritual literature. Teresa is a humble and devout follower of
Jesus who experienced a great many spiritual manifestations. She saw miracles,
experienced communication from God, and had physical experiences that both
comforted her and caused her to repent of sin. Yet, she always found it
difficult to explain her spiritual experiences to others and often repeated the
sentiment that “spiritual matters are very hard to explain.” I would concur
with this idea. The way that God communicates with each of us can be very
unique and difficult to explain to someone else who may be wired quite differently
from ourselves. Some of my own most intimate moments with God have left me
overwhelmed and encouraged by His presence but when I try to explain them to
even my closest friend (my wife), I am left speechless. When I share my journal
writings with her she must sometimes wonder if I am having a schizophrenic
break.
Yet, Teresa of Avila continues to encourage
us to trust that God can do far more than one typically sees in the world and
to never “shut fast our hearts against receiving such favours” ourselves. She
says, “be convinced that it is possible for God to perform still greater
wonders.” What wonders might we be missing because we have shut the door to
miracles and manifestations of our God? How might He communicate with us if we
truly opened ourselves to His presence?
us to trust that God can do far more than one typically sees in the world and
to never “shut fast our hearts against receiving such favours” ourselves. She
says, “be convinced that it is possible for God to perform still greater
wonders.” What wonders might we be missing because we have shut the door to
miracles and manifestations of our God? How might He communicate with us if we
truly opened ourselves to His presence?
Yet Teresa is also quick to direct us away
from putting too much emphasis on the miracles of God. She reminds us that we
are not to focus upon miracles nor only seek the spectacular in our
relationship with Jesus. She says that we should simply, “serve Him with a
single heart and with humility, and . . . praise Him for His works and wonders.”
This too is good advice and I highly recommend reading The Interior Castle for a greater explanation of these matters.
from putting too much emphasis on the miracles of God. She reminds us that we
are not to focus upon miracles nor only seek the spectacular in our
relationship with Jesus. She says that we should simply, “serve Him with a
single heart and with humility, and . . . praise Him for His works and wonders.”
This too is good advice and I highly recommend reading The Interior Castle for a greater explanation of these matters.