teresa revisions humility: a matter of justice

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Max Huot de Longchamp

rmaissance, elle laisse la volonte sans force, alors que l' oraison do tner principalement a l'embraser en amour de Dieu et a l'unir

Pour resumer cette matiere, le meme saint avertit le contemplatif: pour que la contemplation soit utile et que 1'entendement re\(oivecomme en un miroir divin !'image de Dieu,. il faut qu'il le re

de tres pres. En effet, si ce que I 'on •place devant un miroir1 est represente avec d'.autant mains de tessemblance que la disst grande, et avec. une ressemblance d'autant plus pleine et p a r ~1e la distance .est petite, il en. va de IIieme pour ce qui est11te dans l'entendementi comprenant non pas une distance locale nimtite materielk quand il s'agit de la representation de Dieu, ·mais;tance d'aptitude et une quantite virtuelle. Et a ce propos, saint

mentionne ce que dit saint Denys, a savoir que. les realites pro-

Dieu sont d'autant plus illuminees et divinisees, qu'elles partici: plus pres a sa communication et a sa force.

. c / ) / M ~ ~ ( ! _ ~ w n - U - - r nK ? ~ · )Cffjl

Teresa rev1s1ons humility:

a matter of justice

VILMA 5EELAUS, O.C.D.

CONTEMPORARY TIIINKING hardly connects humility with justice.Justice has our attention while humility is categorized with

past unhealthy spiritual practices. Teresa of Avila, our guide irtthis study of humility, dearly demonstrates the significance of

humility for us. Teresa discovered the many layers of humility'smeaning. Jtistice issues from a heart grounded in humility.

Justice has a broad understanding. I t gives to another what.is due. In the Hebrew Scriptures, justice · is a style of action · n

a relation of. fellowship b ~ t w e e n partners. The relationship between the justice required of one another and the justice of God

is vital (Dt 33:21). Justice is riot an attribute of God, rather Godopens up a cosmic sphere of power in which the just are in-

cluded. Justice is the sphere of salvation bestowed by God. In

fact, believers become the justice ·o f God in Christ (2 Cor S:21r

Further, justice is attained through faith. We do not belong to

ourselves but to God. Justice is giving God what is God's due.God is creator whose love ·binds the human family in solidarity.A duty of justice, therefore, is to work . or the common good.

The cultivation of justice means. giving what is due nationally·an d internationally as well as in ou r personal lives. The scriptures

show this taking place within the cosmic sphere of power which

includes the just. For us as human, the cosmic sphere of power

is life as we know it on our planet earth.The human experience is one of ambivalence. We move from

joy to sorrow, from delight to pain. We feel the urge toward

transcendence, yet the limits of human finitude encapsule us. Theinconstancy of the human condition has been transformed by the

life, death arid resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the gift of

the Spirit, the Christian invitation is to walk in Christ's footprintsas his body through time and history. Justice now takes on adeeper meaning. No longer ca n we look at another person without consideration of the mystery of human God-relatedness. Godenvelops the entire human family in. this mystery which bonds us



338 Vilma Seelaus

more truly than ties of blood. The mystery of human-Godrelatedness connects us one to the other. 1

Increasingly today's scientists realize the interconnectedness ofall that is. The field of energy which connects mat ter within . hecosmos is a paradigm of human . nterconnectedness. ,We· actualizejustice within the sphere of human/global interconnectedness. Sogiving .what· is due is being in right relationship w ith other .persons · and.· also with earth and its. environment.· Such an· under-

stan·.in.g ~ f . ~ usti···ce . · · l ~ . . · it. ":l. h··· h. u m i l i . ~ . · In. f a c t . ~ on.e's ·abili·t:y·· .cu1ttvate_ JUStice.as nght_ relationships relies essentially on huti:Wity.

. , Humility is diffiCll}t to g r a s p ~ _ Its meanirig evadeS _us.;Humilitysuggests being. unobtrusive. Its ..caricature . is· the. person ·who 'actslike ;a ;_doonnat.- i .our .competitive,; success-oriented; societj-... h i ~ f ' is

. x e p e l l i D g ~ · F$e ideas of: humility:include p u t t i r i g · o ~ e l f d o ~ , not

spealdng. i l ~ ; truth ,in:order . <t please, masking anger with: a .sx¢!e:~ u c h IIUSConceptions point· to the importance, .of · self-kp.owledgewhich is iritegral to hu'mili : · :- . . · - ·. · .. .· · ····- ·: :\''.- ·;.

' '· Like: ;;Ur the. Iliystics; TZesi:of·Avik ~ ; - . ;Jntf'' l i s ~ ~ q m : .. n i . ~ ~ t y · ' : S h ~ : J e h g a g e s it''in' a l l ~ _ o r " h e r _ W l i t i r i g $ ~ T h f i ' ~ : p a r t i C : U J ~ I ytrt,le· inthe'lnteri6r'Castk,·•the··mam·.:foeus•.of·this· ess:ay>Here we.·firid;,o'Ver· . h i r t Y ~ t w o . · r e f e ~ n c e s . t o . : t h e : i m . p o r t a n c l { O f L h t n l i l l i t y f : t f o ~ .an' ~ ' ! i t h e n t i c ; f r e J a 4 o n s h i p . ~ t w i t b ; •·God.·: self ~ d !.Q.thm:cThe}JnteiiOrC f : ! S t l e , ~ c o n ~ ,theJull :riches _ o C ~ e r e s a ~ s , p r a , ~ ~ e ; x : p e r : i e n ¢ : a l ~

· · . ~ ~ l l i ! i ~ ~ ~ ~ s 1 1 W ~ ~ f ~ . t h F n i o ~ ~ ~ ' · : g z ~ : · . ~ ~ · · . : ~ ~ e e ~ t ( ~ . < > c · ·. · . ~ ~ . : ; ~. _ , : : . ~ . / s. ~ ~ ~ ~ · ~- . - ~ . : : . ~ . f . · · . , ~ f n d . · . · ~ ~ ~ . ~ . ~ . - . " .l . ' . , ~ .. ~ L o # ; r d ~ c . · . : . _ ~ ; j i i ; . · . : ~ . - . - . ~ . - . ~ · ~ · - .. . ~ . · ~ - ~ ~ . ' r ' ; ~ . ; . } u ~ . - .. ~ h . ~ · ~ . - . " . ~ ?........• ,.• -:--.... . •• .. n .e ; •w .... pon enng ...J', •our.:. .. was · 5 9 · - ~ o n . . . . _ _ o .·u,w> .V;irtue .

·• . ; . .;of. hW;nility . and, his.· thou"'l.(came to me - in ·my {opinion no t as~ > ' ' i ( f e s u l i ' , o f r c l l ~ i ; i ~ l m t : ~ d d e D i y : iS;; J > e c a ~ · · : God ;.-iS":'Sripl'!!me· ':'

1.·••. J ~ t h f ~ d - ~ f O ' ~ · h w n b i ! ! . ' i S ' l O . ' : w a t k ' ' i i f t r u t b ; f o r · i t · i S ' ~ a v e r y ' ' ~

- - ~ ~ · · : , . : ~ t r u t h ·tJiat::of-:otirselves.•.we·: have·.:nothing··good·but.·only:miserytandi:·,.:: nothingJ;J.eSS• <Whoever . ~ · no t understand . this ·,:Wa.Ucs: in. falsehoOd.·. The. anyone understands Jt the more he pleases· the ~ ~ e· · ··"Truth ~ i i S e he is •walking in truth. ·Please God;· Sisters,·we will

· . · be" gqmted the' favot neVer' to,leaye this path· of • e H - k n o w l e d g e ~A m e n ; : : ' · ~ · •.: ·.:·.;·d:·.':• ::.•. ·.·,;:; : > · · ~ . · .- ....,.;'·''' •::c::; ·;; .• . ·;:.•;·

'i Our. Lord grants these favors to the s_oul. because; as to :one: t0whom He. is truly. betrothed, :.one who is already_ del:ermined . o d,o.... , His will in eVerything. He {iesires to give it s o m e . k . n m v ~ e d g ~ _ o f ho:w ·

. to do His will 'and of His · g r a n d e u r s ~ . . The deVil, mmy opinion,'and= ¢Yen one's'·_'own "imagination have little ea:Patity 'a t this 'level,and so the soui::is left with·:profound satisfaction (6J0.7-8).- : . · ~ · : . ~In ~ d ~ ~ i u r i g ·place T ~ r e ~ a · ~ r i n s i d e r s · botli · l i ~ · lriili· rid t i l ~

favors e x p e r i ~ n c e d by, the soul. This particular p a s ~ a g e grqunds' . . . . . . . . . . _- - _.. .:

1 K. BERGER and ·J. M. DfEZ-ALEGIUA, Justice, in Sacramentum Mundi:An Encyclopedia of Theology, ed. Karl Rahner with Cornelius Ernst andKevin Smyth; 6 vols, New York 1969, III, 231-238.

Teresa revisions humility 33 '

humility within the soil of Teresa's understanding of herself ashuman person. She says in effect:

. .1) Of o u r s ~ l v e . S we have only misery and nothingness. Wereceive our . bemg . from God, . thus we are finite - hence fragileand contingent. •This . is. our truth.

. . 2) God is supreme Truth.' God's truth is that God desiresto ' communicate with us, as ~ e r e s a demonstrateS throughout the

~ ~ ~ < ·;:_·: ··, ' . ,:_:·" . . . ; ' ...· . . • .. ·. . . ......, · , ~ . - ~ ; 3 ) We:·aeteri:riliie: to do. God's -:Will. hi. e v e r y u n n g ~ a·c)d ·givesJ O : i ? " : " l ~ d g ~ h ~ \ \ ' } ~ do tll!S· A c c e p ~ c e . o f ~ o d and _God's giftof:clivme m ~ c y lS rmportant to doing'.God's will. In this we aie

. ~ · ~ ' - ~ ~ - . ~ ~ ~ ? ~ ~ . . . . _':;c .• . . . . < . . . " · .· · . . •

:.:J:: ' h f o i i g h < ? u t ~ her .wri?figs_ T e r e s ~ reftect5 ·the mystery of theh ~ · J>C:rsol!;m. ' ~ ? e a u t i f u l - s y t ; t h o l i c )anguage. . . · the, fruit: of _herreligious··expenencei'She tells .us that the .soul .is like" a ciStle With

. ~ . · a t ~ th,e c ~ e p . ~ ~ - ( 1 . 1 . 3 ) . "The . Lord .governs; the:Castle.·and secrete x ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ ; P ~ c e ~ .: ef:veen;:God'> and·:· t h ~ · . ·sow :-(6.3.18).: . Goo

. d e s r r e s < ; t o . ~ · ~ ~ l . ! I D c a t e . :With: uss ( 6 ~ 8 ~ 1 ) . - ' ~ ! I ' h r o u g h ~ t h i s · , divine . com-. D!unication - = · w e ~ } r e c e i v e . ·gentle. .and ;:penetniting{ touche.S!•of ~ . G o d ~ slove;;_:God:":contilitiaJ.Iy · dra.ws, : its -into • the::Jullnessf'of

: o U r . ~ !huina:n~ ~ J ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ 0 . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ J b ~ : ; ; : s ~ J ; ~ ~ ; r i i h l J ~ ~ ~ ~ J f . ~ ~ ~ D : ~

Within =the_ " i j 3 f i t j : ~ of' h1.1i:rlail']inittidei;··wetaret i i i i t e r · : · l i r i r l t e d ~ andth#e(o re· iriipeifect.::;"#e· itot'owil()mselves; we',arei:GOd's'·!Uilidi-

.work.L u r t h e r ; ~ we rrelate''to ·a ·GOd :we ·cannot see ;and ;whose loveisitofteri-'' e l p - " ~ - ~ ':leaves: tis·: feeling :. inSecure:: and ·tempted·· toself-doubt.-;,We.+finddt hard- to: believe c:in. op.rselve$;:andqin theGOd/mystecy . which· · defines : Teresa .understands ;. the ·;·hunianstniggle•and(She,insists on :'the hann done t o i u . S , . b f · . o ~ A a i l u r eto understand· .well.this humility and self-knowledge•. _1.2.13). Shetoo<struggled :With: doubts about her true worth. Self-knowledgemeans accepting .both · God's' love and .ou r human .. limi.tations.

· ~ · · : · <·Self-doubtlkeep$ a person <stuck within· the limits of finitUdeand psychologically disconnected from God. On . he feeling level,God seems Ja r away and uncaring; Here the t e m p ~ t i o n is to relyon.-.oneself a .sense of self-worth which is not: forthcoming.,Self:-worth evades>us because we are out. of our,:triith as God-related.:·· · '·' :. · · · ; "- · ,

· ~ ~ ~ - . ~ r \ ; e g e _ e ~ f f i ~ ~ ! g i s s ~ : t i ~ r i l i : ~ ~ ~ ! ~ ~ ~ c l f · ~ ~ ~ i l i ~child's Iovablerie.Ss. The mystics tell ·us that God ultl.niatdy .·:mirrorsour worth at ·a depth others are unable to r e a c h ~ Christ is themirror who reftects Teresa to herself (Life, 40.5.10). So .fu succumbing to s e l f ~ d o u b t we do an injustice not only to ourselves butalso to God.



340 Vilma Seelaus

Thus we see that our creatureliness, the very finitude whichconnects us to God, has its shadow side in self-doubt. Because of

self-doubt, we pu t ourselves down or we put others down. We canhardly bear for others to be acceptable and secure in themselveswhen we feel so insecure and incompetent. Consequently, givingand receiving praise also becomes difficult. Could original sin beour tendency not to . believe we are worth all that much? Isself-doubt not being able to accept ourselves as mirrored in God'simage?

Self-doubt is untruth. Truth is in recognizing and acceptingour being from G o d ~ God's indwelling Spirit activates faith, hopeand love which opens us to receive God's self-communication. TheSpirit affirms us in the truth of our being as beloved of God. zHuman finitude, then, is only partial reality. We can respond toGod's self-communication which transcends the limits of finitude.As an openness to God, our inner urge is· toward transcendence.The deepest longing of the heart is for pnion with God.

As finitude has its shadow side, so too does transcendence.Teresa names it "pride and · vainglory" from . which "may Goddeliver you!" She offers .us examples of pride and vainglory suchas the following: simulating states of prayer, which is being carried away by foolishness. an d wearing down one's health, (4.3.11);:lemariding favors from ·GOd in .prayer and . being unable to bear3. little . dryness (3.1.8); .. becoming disturb.ed an d afilicted when1ll,ngs go wrong (3.2.1); having excessive_: fears regarding one's1.eruth ·(3.2.8): · · .

. What Teresa names pride and:vainglory,·in today's world are· ~ h i n g s like .the· compulsive demand .. for. excellence, .the drive toward perfection often ingrained in ~ a r l y childhoOd, the need to.-1chieve · goals regardle ss of . consequences' •·

Compulsion· U:Udergirds the competitive·environment in whichwe live. .Our ·society places heavy demands on us to excel, toout-do everyone else. 3 As a result, persons need to dominate so'fhey can feel in control and on top of things. Addiction to per-1ection is often · the root cause of addiction to foOd, alcohol or

drugs. 4

z John of the Cross describes this dynamic in powerful love imagery

1n his HSpiritual Canticle" and other poems. See The Collected Works o{

St. John of the Cross, tr. Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez, New ·'ork 1964. . .··.·. .. ·

3 · See ANNE WILSON ScHAEF and DIANE FASSEL, The Addictive Organi-(2tion, San Francisco 1988. . . . .

4 The· writings of MARION WooDMAN, especially Addiction to Perfection:fhe Still Unravished Bride, Toronto [c. 1982], deal from a Jungian per-

1J'ective with the problems of obesity and anorexia and other · compul

~ ~ P n s .

Teresa revisions humility 341

I once met a person who feels guilty when someone elsesucceeds even in areas in which he has no interest. His inner

demand is that no one be better than himself in any area of l ikIf someone else is elected president of the United States, he feelsguilty and a failure. I suspect ·we are all somewhere along the

continuum of such· neurotic pressure. We feel guilty if someone

else succeeds. Putting forth ou r own best effort isn't enough.Instead we compare ourselves with others. In doing so either weput ourselves down out of feelings of inadequacy or we pu t the

other·. person down so we can feel better about ourselves.Teresa had he r own experience . of put-down. In some in

.stances she seems to be putting herself down, or she is put .downby o t h e r s ~ Frequently her confessors and advisors doubt and rid-icule · her religious experiences. ·

. The need to look goOd in the eyes of others was integral tothe honor system of sixteenth-century Old Castile. This need ha deven greater importance than personal integrity. We can sympa-thize with Teresa's self-justifying comments in the face of thedenigrating gossip entertained about her. Those she considered he rfriends turn away from her; "they are the ones who take . thelargest and most painful bite at her." Teresa contends with gossiplike the following: she's trying to inake out she's a saint; she goes

to extremes to deceive the world and bring others to ruin; thereate other better Christians · who don't put on all this outwards h o w ~ (Ai:td it's worth noting that she is not putting on anyoutward show bu t just striving to fulfill well he r state in life)(6.1.3). No wonder Teresa found it hard at times to believe shewas ·worth much. How could. she when others so doubted her?

The pull of ·transcendence against the gravity of finitude andsin is the human dynamic. The gravity of finitude operates as astruggle with self-doubt. We put ourselves down out of feelings of

inadequacy, or others put us down to feel better about themselves.At the same time, our transcendent potential divorced from Godhas its own negative impulse. We demand achievement, successand excellence of ourselves and others beyond what is reasonable.

The freedom of humility is that it is grounded in truth. Westand in ou r own space, to travel ou r own jolirney without theneed to compare ourselves with others. Humility places us in ou rcenter ·of truth. Here we are open to God who transforms us intothe fullness .·of ourselves. God is supreme truth, says Teresa

( 6 ~ 1 0 . 7 ) , When we accept God's offer of love and friendship thetruth of GOd is alive in us. Thus humility opens us to GOd whoinvites us beyond the limited horizon of human finitude.

At the same time, because humility is truth, it keeps us sensitized to being a creature of planet earth. We are in a processof inner transformation, but we are not God. Fragility and imperfection are inevitable in the human condition. Humility enables



l42 Vilma Seelaus

as to put forth our best effort, however imperfect it might appear

ro others. To compare and compete is to be untrue to oneself.

H u m i ~ i t y enables growth in s ~ l f - k n o w l e d g e . I t puts us in

fouch with the stirring of self-doubt and "the mud of ou r fears,faintheartedness and cowardice" (1.2.10). Teresa believes these

Fears are the effects of pride and of not understanding ourselves

~ . : : o m p l e t e l y (1.2.10). They distort self-knowledge, "and I'm not sur-(>rised," says Teresa, "if· we never get free f rom ourselves, .·for this·ack of freedom from o.urselves, an d even more, is what can be

~ e a r e d . " "[S]elf knowledge will not make one base and cowardly"1.2.11). . .

. Humility is living in the truth of ourselves as finite an d fal-lible yet as loved by God. We believe this even in the midst of

'.Jur fears. Such grounding in truth . enables self-acceptance and;,.mconditional acceptance of others. We give eac:h other what isdue. Human liberation and the cultivation of justice is in humility.Humility sees human greatness within the context of human fin-i ~ ~ . . .

The first dimension of humility, then,· is the ability. to stand

in our own tnith before God. We neither doubt ou r value norp l ~ c e ~ e a l expectations on ourselves to be m ~ r ~ than we can be.

, a gtven moment. As we grow; older, humibty enables us to

i:e-shape the hopes, an d dreams which motivate us. -:r:he agingl>rocess brings it own limitations. We .need not . e s p ~ of ouritopes . instead, we re-fashion them. to our. present real1ty.

Humility has still more to offer us. It echoes from a yetdeeper truth of. ou r b e i n g ~ When Christ invites Teresa into the

'.iCVenth dwelling places, humility in all its completeness opens up!!efore her. She . experiences a profound union with Christ cruci,;ied . A great desire to be .for others now invades the quiet of he r~ o u l . To he r daughters she writes: '

. Keep in mind that I could not exaggerate the importance ofthis. Fix your eyes on the Crucified and everything will becomesmall for you. I f His Majesty showed us His love by means of such

works and frightful torments, how is. it you want to p l e a s ~ . Hi.r:tonly with words? Do· you know what It means· to be truly spmtual:'

It means becoming th e slaves of God. Marked with His brand,which is thaf of th e cross, spiritual persons, because now they havegiven Him their liberty, can be sold by Him as slaves of everyone,as He. was. He doesn't thereby do them any harm or grant them

a small favor. And if souls aren't determined about becoming Hisslaves, le t them be convinced that they are not making much

progress, for thi s whole building, ·as I have said, has humility as itsfoundation. I f humility is not genuinely present, for your own sake

the Lord will not construct a high building lest that building fall to

the ground. Thus Sisters, that you might build on good foundations,strive to be the least and the slaves of all, looking at how or where

Teresa· revisions humility 343

you can please and serve them. What you do in this matter you domore for yourself than for them an d lay stones so firmly that thecastle will not. fall (7.4.8).

From the center of her castle soul, Teresa discovers not he rown, bu t Christ's humility as its foundation. Christ showed· His

love in deeds by accepting the frightful torments of His passion.We too please God not by words but by the deed of surrender.We give Christ our liberty and allow Christ to mark us as a slavewith His brand which is the cross.

What a frightening concept. We give ou r liberty to Christ andbecome a slave of God. Furthermore, we strive to be the least

and slave of all. Today's psychological sensitivity might well sense

danger. Not so, however, if we remember the perspective fromwhich Teresa. is writing.. Her consciousness has been radically .transformed by · Christ. Teresa knows humility is not in depen-dence and servility.

The totality of the slave's dependence on master or mistressis a symbol of human-God-relatedness within a long biblical tra-dition. Psalm 123 is a vivid example of such imagery: "Behold, as

the eyes of slaves are on the hand of their master, like the eyesof servants on the hand of their mistress, so our eyes are on you,Yahweh, our God, till you show us your mercy." The eyes ofIsrael are to be on their God and not on the beckoning · enticements of pagan neighbors. The prophet Elijah exemplifies fidelityto Yahweh: "'The Lord of hosts lives, whom I serve." An alternatetranslation, "The Lord God lives, in whose sight I · stand," moreclearly demonstrates the position of slave to master. Literally itmeans that the. master expects the slave to have his eyes continually on the master's hand. Subtle movements of the handshow the master's will to the slave. In like manner Elijah keepshis eyes fixed On the hand of Yahweh to know the divine intent.The hand, then, is an important symbol in the relationship between slave ·and his/her master or mistress. The hand is also

significant in Teresa's life. Her first imaginative vision is the handof Christ: "One day, while I was in prayer, the Lord desired to

show me only His hands" (Life, 28.1). · Christ sensitizes Teresa tohis will for her. She becomes in spiritual marriage and soTeresa also becomes a slave of his Father.

In the Castilian culture. of sixteenth-century Spain, the wife,for all practical purposes, was the slave of her husband. In theWay o f Perfection, speaking of married women, Teresa observes: "Iknow of some who are persons of high station who have seriousillnesses and heavy trials but for fear of annoying their husbandsdare not complain" (11.3). "They say that for a woman to be agood wife toward he r husband she must be sa d when he is sad,and joyful when he is joyful, even though she may not be so. (Seewhat subjection you have been freed from, Sisters!)" (26.4).



Vilma Seelaus

To be a slave of God is no threat to Teresa. She identifieswith Christ. Christ is not a demanding, domineering husband butthe Beloved with whom Teresa shares a single life. "He is the onewho submits, and He wants you to be the lady with authority torule; He submits to your will" (26.4).

The Interior Castle continues the theme of mutuality with Godin Christ. The soul's weakness is joined to . Christ's greatne ss insublime communication (6.9.7). To be a slave of God is to live inChrist. It is to love others as Christ loves them to the point ofgiving one's life. The slave is one who no claim on h i s ~ I ? - e rtife since it belongs to another. The one who belongs to Chnst,:shares a mutual belonging ·to God. Christ is the slave of Godwhose brand is· the cross. The truly spiritual person gives Christ;'ler/his Iibert:}) and becomes a slave, but a slave of love (7.4.8).

. Teresa's love relationship with Christ is ·one of mutuality3 ·significant theme ·in the Interior Castle. What belongs to · Christ

· ~ - , e l o n g s to Teresa:

· The Crucified, Himself, in consoling her told her He ·had givenher all the sufferings and trials He had undergone in His Passion ·so that she could have them as her own to offer His _Father (6.5.6),

Again speaking of herself in the third person:

,. The Lord represented himself to her ... a.S He was after Hisresurrection and told her that now it was time "that she consider asher own what belonged to Him and that he ·v.:ould ·take care ofwhat was hers ... (7.2.1;. also· 7.3.2).

Teresa's experience of God in spiritual nuirriage. is different: : ~ o m the societal expectations of married women. All that is God's\elongs 'to Teresa. Love creates equality. ·

. The parabl e of the prodigal son in Luke reveals more than(!"'.e image of a forgiving Father. Both sons stand in need ofl".)rgiveness - for his squandered life and the other for self

~ ; g h t e o u s condemnation_ of his younger brother. Jesus uses theelder son's complaint to unveil the face of God: "All I have is

1ours." The fullness of divine life 'i s ours in Christ - not becauseol!e are worthy but because God is all love. Christ frees us· from .

fl'le constraint of a demanding god. At the same time He chalk1.1"1 f::>

\nges us to be · for others the Compassion of God. United withchrist, we can relate to others in m1,ltuality, forgiveness and com

yassion. . .. . ·. · · . . _.

Such freedom to love is the issue of an inner transformation,;vot without pain and suffering. Leammg to live justly, ·in truep\.IIIlility, means in Teresa's imagery that the silkworm must die.

· Therefore, courage, my daughters! Let's be quick to do thiswork and weave this little cocoon by getting rid of our self-love andself-will, our attachments to any earthly thing ... Let it die; let this

Teresa revisions humility 34:

silkworm die, as it does in completing what it was created to do!And you will see how we see God, as well as ourselves placedinside His greatness, as is this little silkworm within it s cocoon(5.2.6).

To realize life in Christ, even the butterfly must die (7.2.5).Today the insights of psychology support the language of classicalmysticism. Addiction and co-dependence are widespread societal

. problems. These r esult in loss of morality and other symptomstraditionally seen as obstacles in the spiritual journey. Anne Wilson Schaef gives the following indicators that a person is back

into the disease process of some addiction: dishonesty, obsessiveself-justification, manipulative and controlling behavior, arrogance,self-neglect, comparing oneself With others, blaming others, nottaking ·responsibility for· oneself, jealousy. s ·

. The pain of growth through psychological unfreedom to

greater wholeness is like the life cycle of the egg, the silkworm,the cocoon ·and the . butterfly. 6 Teresa describes the intensity ofhe r own pain: . .

The Lord, it seems, gives the devil license so that the soul. mightbe tried and even be made to think it is rejected by God. Many arethe things that war against it with an interior oppression so keenand unbearable that I don't know what to compare this experienceto if not to the oppression of those that suffer in hell, for noconsolation is allowed in the midst of this tempest (6.1.9).

The one consolation she offers us is faith in Christ whosuffers. with Teresa. Christ companions Teresa through the deepwaters of the ii:mer world toward both individuation and divinetransformation. Within the mystical tradition, she is insistent on

the place of Christ in the human/spiritual j ~ u r n e y (see . s p e c i ~ l y6.7.5-6). In the end, the fragile self becomes tdentified wtth Chnst.Christ breaks the bonds of finitude and is the selfs transcendentfulfillment. In Christ, unselfishly, Teresa can be for others withoutdanger of burn-out. Martha and Mary have joined. Prayer is not

for the sak:e' of enjoyment but to have the strength to serve(7.4.12). All.its concern is taken up with how to please Him moreand how or where it will show Him the love it bears Him (7.4.6).

Humility is the foundation of the building constructed byChrist. Teresa, the slave of Christ, is now sold by Him as ev-

5 ScHAEF, The Addictive Organization. Of special interest is Chapter 2,~ T h e Addictive System - Terms and Characteristics," 57-76.

6 John Welch develops the symbol of the butterfly and inner healingin his book Spiritual Pilgrims, New York 1982, ch. 6; see esp. 151.



Vilma Seelaus

G.:ryone's slave as He was (7.4.8). The rich soil of her life in Christ,s readied to enrich the lives of others. 7 ·

Thus humility, today. as always, is .critical to the human/spir;fual journey. It is standing in one's own truth before God. We,j o not compare ourselves with others no r walk in someone else's·,;hoes. Both self-doubt and self-exaggeration give way in · the sur

~ ~ n d e r of one's life to God. In surrender we receive the ALL ofGod. A relationship of mutuality with God and compassionate

:_, olidarity in Christ enables one to truly be for others'.Now we are free of the compulsion to put ourselves or others

down. We can relate eye to .eye, heart to heart, knowing that we!' 11 share a common pain as well as a common hope. We haveP c o m e the justice of God in Christ (2Co r 5:21). Both the fragilitycr: finitude. and the pull of transcendence are our heritage; this isne cosmic sphere of power in which God includes the just. This1s the human condition in which life,. death and resurrection con-

1n1ually happen as true humility struggles to take its hold on us.fhis is also the ambience' in which justice flourishes as we allowcu.ch other the space to struggle and grow - not as competitors

t ~ - t in loving, compassionate solidarity.

b ' ~ l

7VILMA SBELAUS, Fragmentation and Divine Transformation: Meditation .

the Compost Heap, in The Way 28 (1988) 301-312. This article develo ps Int.potential for fruitfulness in life's break-downs under the symbol of the.pOSLheap. ·

\_V•'\)t'sr

"Pioneers of Humanity":from Lucy to John of the Cross

jOHN WELCH, O.CARM.

E VELYN UNDERHILL in her 1911 study of mysticism referred tothe mystics as "pioneers of humanity." 1 Led by the· Spirit, .

these men and women lived at the front of the human columnarid· reported . back the possibilities of ou r common humanity. Theylived in the fa r regions of the human spirit where God's Spiritand our spirits ·touch. They related what happened to their hu-manity under the impact of God's love. Their claim was that theseexperiences were not theirs alone bu t were the potential of allpeople.

John of the Cross, sixteenth-century Carmelite mystic, wasamong the most energetic of these. explorers. He ventured intorealms of the hti:inan where few people had been. No maps were

available· for much of the journey. He charted an unknown land,led . ever. deeper by the S p i ~ t . The maps he drew, the n a m e ~ hegave to··. the ·land, the expenences he recounted were every hit asengaging ·and gripping and, at times, as tedious ~ Charles Dar-win's Voyage of the Beagle, or John. Stephens' Inculents of Travelin Y u c a t a n ~ Yet, writes Underhill, the mystic is "no exploringalien, but a· returned exile ... " 2

· The initial charting of John's experiences can be found in histhree. major poems, "The Dark Night," "The Spiritual Canticle,"and "The Living Flame of Love." 3 John says that his poetry is thebest, most complete expression of his religious experience. Hispoetry tells· 'Of the impact of Mystery on himself. The poems areprofound expressions of human yearning. They describe the pilgrimage of the human spirit as it longs for fulfillment. The p o ~ m salso speak of the ineffable richness of that f u l f i l l m e ~ t . The Imagery is a language of the heart, a language of desrre.

John uses no overtly religious language. He tells a love storyset in a primordial landscape. The setting is night, fire, cave,mountain, valley, breezes and winds. Only such "earthy" language

1 Mysticism, New York 1961, 414.2 Ibid., 420.3 Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, tr. Kieran Kavanaugh an d

Otilio Rodriguez, Washington DC 1973.

teresa revisions humility: a matter of justice

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