The Way of Perfection · 42 of 46

Chapter 42: On the words, "deliver us from evil."

METHINKS our good Jesus has reason to desire His Father to deliver us from evil (that is, from the dangers and troubles of this life), both for our own interest, because, while we live, we are exposed to great danger; and for His own interest, since we already see how weary He was of this life, when at His last supper He said to His apostles, "With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you:" since we see how sweet death was to Him. But now, those who are a hundred years old are not weary of life, but always desire to live: but we do not lead so miserable a life, nor endure such sufferings and such poverty as His Majesty did. What was His whole life but a continual death, as He always had before His eyes that cruel death His enemies were one day to make Him suffer? And yet this was the least part of His sorrow, when compared with the innumerable offences which He saw would be committed against His Father, and with the immense multitude of souls that would be lost. If this consideration be to one of us in this world so great a torment, provided we have any love, what must it have been to the boundless and immense love of our Lord! What great reason, then, had He to beg of His Father to deliver Him now from so many afflictions and evils, and to grant Him eternal repose in His Kingdom, since He was the lawful Heir thereof? Hence it was that He added "Amen;" in which, because by this word all prayers usually end, I think our Lord besought His Father that we might be delivered from all evil for ever: and so I beseech our Lord to deliver me from all evil, since by living longer I do not discharge what I owe; but it may be, I plunge myself deeper every day. And what is not to be endured, O Lord! is this, that I cannot know for certain I love you, or whether my desires are pleasing to you.

O my Lord and my God, deliver me now from all evil, and be pleased to conduct me there, where all good things are. What do those expect here in this world, to whom you have given some knowledge of what a nothing this world is, and who have a lively faith of that glory which their heavenly Father has reserved for them? To ask for this with an intense desire, and a firm resolution to enjoy God, is a sure sign for "Contemplatives" to know, that the favours which they receive in prayer come from God. Hence, let those who have it value it highly. When I ask it, I do not do so in this manner (I mean, it is not to be understood in this sense); but as I have lived so ill, I am now afraid to live any longer, and am weary of so many crosses.

No wonder that those who receive Divine consolations long to be there, where they receive them not by drops; and that they do not wish to remain in a world, where so many obstacles prevent them from enjoying so great a good; and that they desire to be there, where the Sun of Justice never sets. Everything will look dark and obscure to them, when they have seen earthly joys: and hence, I wonder how they can live. He cannot surely live with any pleasure, who has begun to enjoy God, and who has already received here the promise of His kingdom, wherein he is to live – not after his own will, but according to the will of his King.

O! what a different kind of life must this be, where death is not wished for! How differently inclined is our will here, from God's will! His will wishes us to love the truth, and we love a lie; it wishes us to love the Eternal, and we love things which pass away; it wishes us to love objects which are noble and sublime, and we love things which are base and earthly; it wishes us to seek what is certain, and we love here what is doubtful. All is vanity, daughters, except to beseech God to deliver us for ever from all evil; and though we may not express this desire with very great perfection, yet let us force ourselves to make our demand. And what does it cost us to ask much, since we ask One who is powerful? It would be a shame to ask a great emperor for a farthing. But in order that we may succeed, let us give up our will to His, since we have already surrendered it to our superiors. May His name be always hallowed in heaven and on earth, and may His will always be done in me. Amen.

See now, sisters, how our Lord has relieved me of the trouble, since He Himself teaches both you and me, the "way" which I began to show you; and He has made me understand what great things we ask, when we say this heavenly prayer. May He be blessed for ever, since it is certain I never imagined this prayer comprised such great mysteries. You have already seen how it includes in itself the whole way of perfection, from the very commencement, till God engulfs the soul in Himself, and makes her drink abundantly of the fountain of Living Water, which flows at the end of the road: and it is true, that as I have come out of this fountain (I mean this prayer), I am now unable to go any further. It seems our Lord was pleased to make us, sisters, understand the great consolations which are contained therein, and that this prayer is exceedingly useful for persons who cannot read: did they understand it well they might gain much instruction from it, and much comfort to themselves.

Let us profit then, sisters, by the humility with which our good Master teaches us; let us also beseech Him to pardon me for having presumed to speak on such sublime subjects, since I did so through obedience. His Majesty knows well, that I was not capable of writing on the subject, had He not taught me what I have said. Thank Him for it, you my sisters, since He has certainly assisted me, being moved by the humility wherewith you requested me to write, and desired to be instructed by so miserable a creature. If the Rev. Dr. Bañez, my confessor (to whom I shall deliver the manuscript before you see it), should perceive that it will promote your good, and shall allow you to read it, I shall receive comfort from your consolation. But should the manuscript be unfit for any one's perusal, you will accept my good-will inasmuch as I have endeavoured to comply with your request; and I shall consider myself sufficiently rewarded for the trouble I have taken in writing (not certainly in practising) what I have said. May God be eternally blessed and praised, from whom cometh all the good we speak, and think, and do. Amen, Amen.

CONCEPTIONS OF DIVINE LOVE.

FATHER GRACIAN informs us that, among the various books which St. Teresa wrote by the express command of her superiors, one was composed by her, consisting of very sublime meditations on Divine Love, on Prayer, and other heroic virtues, in which certain words of the Book of Canticles were explained; hence the title, "Conceptions of Divine Love on some Words of the Book of Canticles," The Saint herself, at the end of the seventh Chapter, gives us the reason why she composed the book. "My design when I began," she says, "was to let you understand, daughters, how you might delight yourselves when you hear any words of the Canticles, and that you might meditate on the great mysteries contained in them, though in your own opinion they may seem obscure," &c.

Unfortunately, only seven Chapters remain of this work, which, judging from the four Chapters I have translated, must in every respect have equalled her other admirable books. When the Saint had finished the work, she showed it to one of her confessors, who, thinking it a dangerous thing for a woman especially to write on so difficult a part of the Holy Scripture, commanded her instantly to commit the book to the flames. St. Teresa did so, with her usual heroic obedience and humility. But our Lord was pleased that a certain nun should previously copy the seven first chapters, which we now possess.

However good may have been the motives of the confessor, who commanded the Saint to burn the work; yet I think he was bound first to have perused the whole of the book, before he pronounced judgment upon it. He would then have seen that it was not a Commentary but only an Explanation of certain words in the Canticles, which she had either heard in sermons, or read in her Breviary. Deeply, then, do we deplore the loss of such a book, and sincerely do we regret that the confessor gave such a rash command to the Saint.

The manuscript of the seven Chapters came into the hands of Father Gracian, who published them at Brussels, in 1612. Another edition appeared at Valentia the following year, and a third was published at Madrid in 1615.

The Saint seems to have composed the book about the year 1517; because in it she refers to the "Castle of the Soul," which was written in the same year. (See Bollandists, p. 454.)

D'Andilly expresses his highest admiration for the fragment we possess. It certainly abounds in most noble and sublime sentiments, which cannot but excite the reader's affections, and enkindle the love of God in his heart.