Monday, 4 March 2013

Soliloquy St. Teresa's Communion Meditations.

Aside; In the Monastic Lectionary, St. Teresa's 'Soliloquy' has three occurrences during Lent - this one about the middle of Lent.
I ask if the Carmelite writer, Sr. Ruth Burrows, includes commentary on the Minor Work, 'Soliloquies'?

Full text of "Minor works of StTeresa; conceptions of the love of God ...

www.archive.org/.../minorworksofstte00tere/minorworksofstte...
The Minor Writings of StTeresa, — Minor because they occupy but little space in print,..... Although not a commentary on the Canticle of Canticles, the Conceptions do ......According to the legend, Catherine saw in a vision the Blessed Virgin ask ..... not because he does not understand Thee " [St. Augustine's Soliloquies. [Allison Peers]

The contemporary reader most often has two complaints about the text of St. Teresa's Life. The first is that her literary style is diffuse and digressive. As Fr. Kieran Kavanaugh, one of the modern translators of the Life, has remarked: "As though her thoughts were jostling with each other for position, her sentences often become highly involved with parentheses and digressions, causing her sometimes to lose the thread -- which never prevents her from leaping forward quickly and easily to a new thought."(2) A second complaint has to do with St. Teresa's focus on, and minute analysis of, supernatural favors and phenomena in the LifeThe author of a recent essay on St. Teresa puts it this way: "Her record of raptures and visions answers to nothing in the experience of most Christians."(3)   http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/843631chorpenning.html 

Quote: St. Teresa of Ávila urged her daughters not to rush out after Mass but to treasure the opportunity for thanksgiving:" Let us detain ourselves lovingly with Jesus," she said, "and not waste the hour that follows Communion." St Teresa says that during communion Jesus remains in the soul as on a throne of grace, and says to the soul: "What do you want that I should do to you?" As if saying: "O Christian soul, I am come for the express purpose of giving you my graces. Ask what you wish and you shall obtain it".
Favourite Prayrer of the Fatima Children.:
 Eucharistic Prayer
Most Holy Trinity, I adore you! My God,
my God, I love you in the Most Blessed Sacrament.



Monday, 04 March 2013


Monday of the Third week of Lent

Night Office.
The ‘Soliloquy’ of St. Teresa failed to give light. The Holy Spirit may give grace.
The ‘Soliloquy 2, ICS, Kavanaugh,-Rodriguez, ‘Exclamation’ II, Stanbrook, ‘Exlamation of Soul of God’ II, Allison Peers, was presented as St. Teresa’s meditation in the hour after Holy Communion.
So far the hurdles clear the bars for cognition.
The ‘Soliloquies’ are a complement to the ‘Life’.
Await to understand the genre.
Soliloquies - 9, 2: K. KAVANAUGH and O. RODRIGUES, The Collected Works of St Teresa of Avila vol. I, ICS, Washington 1976, p. 382.
Works ICS. Kavanaugh, Rodriguez, Word In Season, Augustine Press 74           THIRD WEEK OF LENT MONDAY Second Reading From the writings of Saint Teresa of Jesus (Book of Psalms, Soliloquy 93,1-2)  Solitude and thirst for souls
80 MINOR WORKS OF ST. TERESA. Stanbrook Exclamations – compare with Soliloquy  
‘Exclamations’ II

I often reflect, my Lord, that if there is something by which life can endure being separated from you, it is solitude. For the soul rests in the quiet of solitude; yet, since it is not com­pletely free for the enjoyment of solitude, the torment is often doubled. But the torment arising from the obligation to deal with creatures and from not being allowed to be alone with one's creator makes the soul consider that first torment a delight. But why is this, my God, that quiet tires the soul that aims only at pleasing you?

Oh, powerful love of God, how different are your effects from those of the world's love! This latter love does not want company since company would seem to oblige it to give what it possesses. in the case of the love of my God, the more lovers that love knows there are, the more it increases; and so its joys are tempered by seeing that not all enjoy that good.

 O my God, what is this that happens: in the greatest favours and consolations coming from you, the memory grieves over the many there are who do not want these consolations and over those who will lose them forever!
So the soul looks for ways to find company, and willingly sets aside its joy when it thinks it can be of some help that others might strive to enjoy it. But, my heavenly Father, would it not be more worthwhile to leave aside these desires until a time when the soul has less experience of your favours, and now be completely occupied in enjoying you?

O, my Jesus, how great is the love you bear the children of men, for the greatest service one can render you is to leave you for their sake and their benefit - and then you are possessed more completely. For although the will is not so satisfied through enjoyment, the soul rejoices because it is pleasing you. And it sees that while we live this mortal life, earthly joys are uncertain, even when they seem to be given by you, if they are not accompanied by love of neigh­bor. Whoever fails to love his neighbor fails to love you, my Lord, since we see you showed the very great love you have for the children of Adam by shedding so much blood.

1. Often do I think, O my Lord, that if aught can
soothe a life apart from Thee it is solitude, wherein the
soul rests with Him Who is its true repose. Yet, unable
as it is to enjoy Thee with full liberty, its torment often
redoubles. Yet this is a delight compared with that of
being forced to deal with creatures, and thus deprived of
holding converse alone with the Creator. But how is
it, my God, that rest wearies the soul which only seeks
to please Thee ?

2. O sovereign love of God, how different are thine
effects from those of earthly love, which seeks no com-
panion, fearing lest it should lose what it possesses ! Love
for my God increases on learning that others love Him,
and its joys diminish at seeing that all men do not share
its happiness.

3. Therefore, O my only Good, during Thy tenderest
caresses and consolations, I grieve at remembering the
many hearts which do not desire these joys, and still
others who will lose them for ever. Thus my soul seeks
company, gladly leaving its own delight, moved by the
hope that it may incite souls to strive to attain it. But,
O my heavenly Father ! were it not better to defer this
care for others until the soul enjoys less of Thy favours,
and to yield myself now wholly to enjoying Thee ?

4. Oh, my Jesus ! how deep is Thy love for the children
of men ! The greatest service we can render Thee is
to leave Thee, for the sake of loving and aiding them.
Then do we possess Thee most entirely, for, though our
will enjoy Thee less, yet love delights to please Thee a
During this mortal life, all worldly delights are found to
be uncertain even though they seem to come from Thee,
unless the love of our neighbour bear them company.
Who loves not his brethren, loves not Thee, my Lord,
for Thy blood, shed for us, bears witness to Thy boundless
love for the sons of Adam.


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