The Teaching Church

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 32, Issue 7, 1 September 1941, Page 5

The Teaching Church

St Teresa of Jew&

" Suppose "a "person desiring to play the piano who was content to play nothing but scales, or suppose something even more intolerable, being condemned to listen unceasingly to a learner .upon the violin. Either supposition is unbearable, and' yet it is not unfair to say that this describes the condition of a great many people who profess and, call themselves Christians. It illustrates the laziness we exhibit on the active side 1 and the torture we endure and compel others to endure on the passive side. The evil is cause through lack of realisation that the Christian life, ought to be a progress towards perfection. The masters of the spiritual life are at one m their teaching that a constant desire and attempt to advance is the only condition of health. One of them is commemorated m the Church on the Feast of St. Michael' and All Angels— St. Teresa of Jesus. The Spanish Saint would attract bur attention — if for no other reason— for her saying, "God deliver us from sour-faced saints." Her life (1515 — 1582) is a record of unceasing toil founding and, caring for convents of the Carmelite order; her influence m her own day was tremendous and her importance for all who really desire to learn to pray cannot be exaggerated. She left many works,, including "The Way .of Perfection," which was written m responseMo the request of her sisters; and, though originally addressed to nuns of the Carmelite order, the teaching re--mains of eternal value to all who seek to walk m the way of prayer. This work has probably a wider appeal than her other more mystical works. The quotations m this paper are all irom that work, and it is hoped that they will indicate something of the value of the book, because St. Teresa always goes to the heart of all difficulties and never quails when she laces the conditions that are so adverse to our progress. We are told that the name of the book was suggested by a passage m the "Imitation of Christ." "Hence it happens that I know the way of perfection, and

see clearly what -I ought to do; but, , weighed down by my own corruption . Ido not rise to higher things." . Devotion. The heart of St. Teresa is shown m the following sentence: "Yet as I am but a woman, feeble and faulty, it was impossible for me to serve God m the way I wished — indeed, all I cared for then as I do now, was that as the enemies of God are so many and his friends so few, these latter might at least be good ones." She has much to say upon the-vir-tue of poverty m her order and the whole of this springs from her intense devotion to God. We badly need this spirit to-day, for the thought of St. Teresa shows much of>the life of the Church to'be tawdry and vulgar. The following wor ; ds illustrate that thought: - "What are kings and lords to me if I do not want their money, nor seek to please them if by doing so I should displease God* m the very least? What care I for their honours, if I know that the honour of a poor man consists m true poverty? It seems to me that honours and riches nearly always go together: he who loves honour never > hates riches, while he who hates riches seeks no honours." Humility. Everyone who has made the slightest attempt to walk m the way of per-" fection has learned that the^ beginning, middle and end of that way is humility. St. Teresa is at one with all the saints as the following passages will show: "Be most watchful over your secret feelings, especially such as concern precedence. God deliver us, for the sake of His Passion, from saying, or from deliberately thinking, 'I am her senior m the Order,' 'I am older than she,' 'I have done more work,' 'She is better treated than I am.' " "But rest assured of this — people may desire honours or possessions m monasteries as well as outside them (yet the sin is greater as the temptation is less), but such souls, although they have spent years m

I prayer, or rather m speculations (for perfect prayer eventually destroys these vices), will never make great progress nor enjoy the real fruit of .. prayer." Who would find, it hard to learn from one, who can speak as follows: "Not to exculpate ourselves when unjustly accused is a sublime virtue, and very edifying and meritorious; but, although I have often taught it you, and by the mercy of God you practise it, yet His Majesty has never given me the grace to do so myself — may He grant that I do before I die!" It happens that the rest of this chapter shows perfectly plainly the sairitfs tremendous achievements! , Intelligence. So' often the worlding thinks the saint a fool. Let him pause and reconsider" that notion m the light of the following: — "If she is wanting m sense, on no account receive her, for she will not know why she nor will her' Superiors ever be able to teach her afterwards. As a rule, those who are defective m this way think they know better than the wisest, what is good fQr them. I believe this ill is incurable, for it -is seldom without some malice." Ilibeva says m his life of St. TeresaT "She was singularly fond ot intelligent people. Next to their having a vocation, what she cared for' most m those she received as novices, . even if : only lay sisters, was a good understanding. People who knew her holiness and love of prayer were careful to praise the fervour and . prayerfulness of the candidates they brought her, thinking this would make her accept them. But she only seemed to care to know whether they were sensible and apt. I myself was among the number, and being greatly ~ surprised, I asked her the reason. She answered: 'Father, our Lord will give her devotion when she enters, and we will , teach her prayer. As for those who have practised prayer outside, we very often have to teach them to forget all. They have learnt — but as for intelligence, we cannot give it to them. Besides, a devout," good nun, if she has no brains, is only of use to herself. - But I can put a sensible nun at the head' of the house and trust her' with any of the offices.' "— S. F. N. W. . .- . ■