desired to be perfect (cf. Mt 19:21). Since I began to speak of these dwelling-rooms I have him constantly before my mind, for we are exactly like him; this very frequently produces the great dryness we feel in prayer, though sometimes it proceeds from other causes as well. I am not speaking of certain interior sufferings which give intolerable pain to many devout souls through no fault of their own; from these trials, however, our Lord always delivers them with much profit to themselves. I also exempt people who suffer from melancholy and other infirmities. But in these cases, as in all others, we must leave aside the judgments of God.
10. I hold that these effects usually result from the first cause I mentioned; such souls know that nothing would induce them to commit a sin (many of them would not even commit a venial sin advertently), and that they employ their life and riches well. They cannot, therefore, patiently endure to be excluded from the presence of our King, Whose vassals they consider themselves, as indeed they are. An earthly king may have many subjects yet all do not enter his court. Enter then, enter, my daughters, into your interior; pass beyond the thought of your own petty works, which are no more, nor even as much, as Christians are bound to perform: let it suffice that you are God’s servants, do not pursue so much as to catch nothing.19 Think of the saints, who have entered the Divine Presence, and you will see the difference between them and ourselves.
11. Do not ask for what you do not deserve, nor should we ever think, however much we may have done for God, that we merit the reward of the saints, for we have offended Him. Oh, humility, humility! I know not why, but I am always tempted to think that persons who complain so much of dryness must be a little wanting in this virtue. However, I am not speaking of severe interior sufferings, which are far worse than a want of devotion.
12. Let us try ourselves, my sisters, or let our Lord try us; He knows well how to do so (although we often pretend to misunderstand Him). We will now speak of these well-ordered souls. Let us consider what they do for God and we shall see at once what little right we have to complain against His Majesty. If we turn our backs on Him and go away sorrowfully like the youth in the Gospel (Mk 10:22), when He tells us what to do to be perfect, what can God do? for He must proportion the reward to our love for Him. This love, my daughters, must not be the fabric of our imagination; we must prove it by our works. Yet do not suppose that our Lord has need of any works of ours; He only expels us to manifest our goodwill.
13. It seems to us we have done everything by taking the religious habit of our own will, and renouncing worldly things and all our possessions for God (although they may have been but the nets of Saint Peter [cf. Mt 4:20], yet they seemed much to us, for they were our all). This is an excellent disposition: if we continue in it and do not return, even in desire, to the company of the reptiles of the first rooms, doubtless, by persevering in this poverty and detachment of soul, we shall obtain all for which we strive. But, mark this — it must be on one condition — that we hold ourselves for “unprofitable servants” (cf. Lk 17:10), as we are told either by Saint Paul or by Christ, and that we do not consider that our Lord is bound to grant us any favors, but that, as we have received more from Him, we are the deeper in His debt.
14. How little is all we can do for so generous a God, Who died for us, Who created us, Who gives us being, that we should not think ourselves happy to be able to acquit ourselves of part of the debt we owe Him for having served us, without asking Him for fresh mercies and favors? I am loath to use this expression, yet so it is, for He did nothing else during the whole time He lived in this world but serve us.
15. Think well my daughters, over some of the points I have treated, although confusedly, for I do not know how to explain them better. Our Lord will make you understand them, that you may reap humility from your dryness, instead of the anxiety the devil strives to cause by it. I believe that where true humility exists, although God should never bestow consolations, yet He gives a peace and resignation which make the soul happier than are others with sensible devotion. These consolations, as you have read, are often given by the Divine Majesty to the weakest souls who, I suppose would not exchange them for the fortitude of Christians serving God in dryness: we love consolations better than the Cross! O Lord, Who knows all truth, test us so that we may know ourselves.
Chapter II
Continues the same subject and speaks of dryness in prayer and results: Of the necessity of trying ourselves and how our Lord proves those who are in these mansions.
1. Imperfections of dwellers in the first three mansions
2. Our trials show us our weakness
3. Humility learned by our faults
4. Love of money
5. Liberty of spirit
6. On bearing contempt
7. Detachment proved by trials
8. Virtue and humility are the essentials
9. Perfection requires detachment
10. We should try to make rapid progress
11. Leave our cares in God’s hands
12. Humility more necessary than bodily penances
13. Consolations rarely received until the fourth mansions
14. Advantages of hearing of them
15. Perfection consists in love, not in reward
16. Saint Teresa’s joy at seeing other souls favored
17. These graces should be striven for
18. Obedience and direction
19. Misguided zeal for others
1. I have known some, in fact, I may say numerous souls, who have reached this state, and for many years lived, apparently, a regular and well-ordered life, both of body and mind. It would seem that they must have gained the mastery over this world, or at least be extremely detached from it, yet if His Majesty sends very moderate trials they become so disturbed and disheartened as not only to astonish but to make me anxious about them. Advice is useless; having practiced virtue for so long they think themselves capable of teaching it, and believe that they have abundant reason to feel miserable.
2. The only way to help them is to sympathize with their troubles;20 indeed, one cannot but feel sorry at seeing people in such an unhappy state. They must not be argued with, for they are convinced they suffer only for God’s sake, and cannot be made to understand they are acting imperfectly, which is a further error in persons so far advanced. No wonder that they should feel these trials for a time, but I think they ought speedily to overcome their concern about such matters. God, wishing His chosen ones to realize their own misery, often temporarily withdraws His favors: no more is needed to prove to us in a very short time what we really are.
3. Souls soon learn in this way; they perceive their faults very clearly, and sometimes the discovery of how quickly they are overcome by but slight earthly trials is more painful than the subtraction of God’s sensible favors. I consider that God thus shows them great mercy, for though their behavior may be faulty, still they gain greatly in humility. Not so with the people of whom I first spoke; they believe their conduct is saintly, and wish others to agree with them. I will give you some examples which will help us to understand and to test ourselves, without waiting for God to test us, since it would be far better to have prepared and examined ourselves beforehand.
4. A rich man, without son or heir, loses part of his property, but still has more than enough to keep himself and his household. If this misfortune saddens and worries him as though he were left to beg his bread, how can our Lord ask him to give up all things for His sake? This man will tell you he regrets losing his money because he wished to bestow it on the poor.
5. I believe His Majesty would prefer me to conform to His will, and keep peace of soul while attending to my interests, to such charity as this. Well and good if this person cannot resign himself because God has not raised him so high in virtue: let him know that he is wanting in freedom of spirit; let him beg our Lord to grant it him, and be rightly disposed to receive it. Another person has more than sufficient means to live on, when an opportunity occurs for acquiring more property: