A Word In Season , Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours, Augustine Press 2001
 |
St. Teresa of Avila: Why you can't seem to progress in the spiritual life? |
In our Night Office Second
Reading (Alternative), Lent 2nd Week, Wednesday, brought up an
introduction to St. Teresa’s ‘Soliloquies’.
This soliloquy escaped my
hearing, another reading stayed opaque. After the evening, St. Teresa could not
ring a bell with me. Next morning, after the Mass, the soliloquy at last made
the perfect sense; as 'on different days according in the spirit our Lord gave her after Communion.'
References edited in.
The experiment proves to be an
experience, an encounter with the live Teresa.
The translator, Kieran Kavanough,
OCD, comments on the Soliloquies, “The style of these meditations, however,
greatly resembles that found in the solilies that come down to us under that
found under the name of St. Augustine.”
Soliloquy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A soliloquy (from
Latin: "talking by oneself") is a device often used in drama when a
character speaks to himself or herself, relating thoughts and feelings, thereby
also sharing them with the audience. Other characters, however, are not aware
of what is being said.[1][2] A
soliloquy is distinct from a monologue or
an aside:
a monologue is a speech where one character addresses other characters; an
aside is a (usually short) comment by one character towards the audience.
SECOND WEEK OF LENT
Alternative
Reading
From
the writings of Saint Teresa of Jesus (Collected Works, Vol 1, Institute of
Carmeite Studies, Washington. D.C.1987, Soliloquy 8, pp. 450-451)
We
are your handiwork
O
Lord, my God, how you possess the words of eternal life,*Jn. 6:67-68, where all
mortals will find what they desire if they want to seek it! But what a strange
thing, my God, that we forget your words in the madness and sickness our evil
deeds cause! O my God, God, God, author of all creation! And what is creation
if you, Lord, should desire to create more? You are almighty; your works are
incomprehensible. *Rm. 11:33;Jb. 9:10. Bring it about, then, Lord, that my
thoughts not withdraw from your words.
2.
You say: Come to me, all who labour and are burdened, for I will comfort you.*Mt. 11:28 What
more do we want, Lord? What are we asking for? What do we seek? Why are those
in the world so unhappy if not because of seeking rest: God, help me! Oh, God,
help me! What is this, Lord? Oh, what a pity! Oh, what great blindness that we
seek rest where it is impossible to find it! Have mercy, creator, on these your
creatures. Behold, we do not understand or know what we desire, nor how we
obtain what we ask for. Lord, give us light; behold, the need is greater than
with the man born blind, for he wanted to see the light and could not.*4 Now,
Lord, there is no desire to see. Oh, how incurable an illness! Here, my God, is
where your power must be demonstrated; here, your mercy.
3.
Oh, what a difficult thing I ask you, my true God: that you love someone who
does not love you, that you open to one who does not knock, that you give health
to one who likes to be sick and goes about looking for sickness. You say, my
Lord, that you come to seek sinners;*Pr. 8:17; Mt. 7:7; 9:13, these, Lord, are real
sinners. Do not look at our blindness, my God, but at all the blood your Son
shed for us. Let your mercy shine upon evil that has so increased; behold, Lord,
we are your handiwork. May your goodness and mercy help us.
Responsory
Ps 68:26; 96:1
Bless God in your
assemblies; + all you people of Israel, praise the Lord. V/ Sing to the Lord a new
song; let all the earth sing to the Lord: + All you people ...
Teresa of Avila
(c) A link to the text of Volume 1 of Peers' Complete Works of Saint Teresa of Jesus, ...16 "exclamations" (the Soliloquies); 7 meditations ("conceptions") on some ...
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