Podcasts about The Interior Castle

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Fifth Week of Easter Lectionary: 290The Saint of the day is Saint Mary Magdalene de PazziSaint Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi's Story Mystical ecstasy is the elevation of the spirit to God in such a way that the person is aware of this union with God while both internal and external senses are detached from the sensible world. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi was so generously given this special gift of God that she is called the “ecstatic saint.” Catherine de' Pazzi was born into a noble family in Florence in 1566. The normal course would have been for her to have married into wealth and enjoyed comfort, but Catherine chose to follow her own path. At 9, she learned to meditate from the family confessor. She made her first Communion at the then-early age of 10, and made a vow of virginity one month later. At 16, Catherine entered the Carmelite convent in Florence because she could receive Communion daily there. Catherine had taken the name Mary Magdalene and had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Death seemed near, so her superiors let her make her profession of vows in a private ceremony from a cot in the chapel. Immediately after, Mary Magdalene fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated after Communion on the following 40 mornings. These ecstasies were rich experiences of union with God and contained marvelous insights into divine truths. As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, her confessor asked Mary Magdalene to dictate her experiences to sister secretaries. Over the next six years, five large volumes were filled. The first three books record ecstasies from May of 1584 through Pentecost week the following year. This week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial. The fourth book records that trial and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, Admonitions, is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women religious. The extraordinary was ordinary for this saint. She read the thoughts of others and predicted future events. During her lifetime, Mary Magdalene appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. It would be easy to dwell on the ecstasies and pretend that Mary Magdalene only had spiritual highs. This is far from true. It seems that God permitted her this special closeness to prepare her for the five years of desolation that followed when she experienced spiritual dryness. She was plunged into a state of darkness in which she saw nothing but what was horrible in herself and all around her. She had violent temptations and endured great physical suffering. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi died in 1607 at age 41, and was canonized in 1669. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on May 25. Reflection Intimate union, God's gift to mystics, is a reminder to all of us of the eternal happiness of union he wishes to give us. The cause of mystical ecstasy in this life is the Holy Spirit, working through spiritual gifts. The ecstasy occurs because of the weakness of the body and its powers to withstand the divine illumination, but as the body is purified and strengthened, ecstasy no longer occurs. See Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, and John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul, for more about various aspects of ecstasies. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

This is the first of a two-part episode in which we explore Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 4. In part 1, Saint Teresa explains the difference between spiritual betrothal and the Christian covenant of matrimony. As the soul goes deeper in its relationship with God, it will encounter severe trials and warfare from the devil.Timeline:00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 200:00:33 Introduction - Welcome00:02:07 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions (Fourth Water)00:08:56 Fifth Mansions Chapter 400:09:18 Paragraph 1. The Spiritual Espousals.00:12:25 Paragraph 2. The Prayer of Union Resembles a Betrothal.00:17:46 Paragraph 3. Before the Spiritual Nuptials Temptations are Dangerous. 00:21:43 Paragraph 4. The Great Good Done by Souls Faithful to These Graces.00:30:29 Paragraph 5. Religious Subject to the Devil's Deceptions. 00:38:22 Paragraph 6. satan's Strata-gems.00:45:03 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation00:51:28 Conclusion

We are exploring Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fifth Mansions - Chapter 3. The Fifth Mansion is the prayer stage of spiritual betrothal. Saint Teresa explains that the Prayer of Union is dependent on the soul practicing the two commandments: love God and love the neighbor!Timeline:00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 200:01:10 Introduction - Welcome00:06:10 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions (Third Water)00:13:52 Paragraph 1. Zeal for the souls left by divine union.00:26:30 Paragraph 2. The soul may fall from such a state.00:28:30 Paragraph 3. How divine union may always be obtained. 00:29:13 Paragraph 4. Union with the will of good - supernatural union.00:30:25 Paragraph 5. Advantage of union gained by self-mortification. 00:37:26 Paragraph 6. Defects which hinder this union.00:40:05 Paragraph 7. Divine union obtained by perfect love of God and our neighbor.00:44:04 Paragraph 8. Love for God and our neighbor are proportionate.00:46:53 Paragraph 9. Real and imaginary virtues.00:47:58 Paragraph 10. Illusionary good resolutions.00:52:36 Paragraph 11. Works, not feelings, procure union.00:55:28 Paragraph 12. Fraternal charity will certainly gain this union.01:00:16 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation01:12:46 Conclusion

MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-21Today we hear from Rev. Laurel Mathewson on the practice of prayer in St. Teresa of Avila's “Interior Castle,” and how we can deepen our prayers in the season of Lent.

Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fifth Mansions - Chapter 2. The Fifth Mansion is the prayer stage of spiritual betrothal. Saint Teresa explains the stages of prayer development from ascetical to mystical through her classic analogy of the silkworm becoming the butterfly.Timeline:00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 200:01:10 Introduction - Welcome00:03:37 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions (Third Water)00:08:40 Paragraph 1. The soul compared to a butterfly. 00:14:21 Paragraph 2. The grandeurs of creation.00:16:15 Paragraph 3. Symbol of the soul and the silkworm. 00:17:48 Paragraph 4. Preparation of the soul for God's indwelling.00:19:02 Paragraph 5. Mystic death of the silkworm. 00:25:46 Paragraph 6. Effects of the union.00:29:38 Paragraph 7. Increase of fervor and detachment.00:34:17 Paragraph 8. Trials succeeding the prayer of union.00:38:32 Paragraph 9. Longing for death and zeal for God's honor.00:40:23 Paragraph 10. This zeal supernatural.00:40:53 Paragraph 11. God alone works this grace.00:43:20 Paragraph 12. The same zeal as that felt by our Lord on earth.00:44:43 Paragraph 13. Christ's keenest suffering.00:47:09 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation00:57:50 Conclusion

In this week's episode we explore Teresa of Avila and engage some of her thinking. Teresa is among the great mystics who value intimacy with God. Steve and Tim discuss spiritual growth, intimacy with God, and the role of mysticism in spirituality, drawing from the teachings of Teresa of Avila. They explore the ‘Interior Castle' metaphor and the importance of personal experience in spiritual development. Here's the key quote from the episode: "It is as if the soul were a garden in which the Lord Himself delights to walk, and He enters it not by steps, but at a single bound, and takes possession of the will, which is the gate by which He enters. And how He enters, I cannot explain. But the soul is very well aware of His presence. It is not a vision; there is neither image nor form. But the soul feels Him so clearly that it cannot possibly doubt that He is there. It is a presence so certain that it is impossible to describe it in words." From The Interior Castle on the Fourth Mansion, by Teresa of Avila. Support Urban Mystic Website | FaceBook| YouTube | PayPal

Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fifth Mansions - Chapter 1. The Fifth Mansion continues the spark from the prayer of union lightly experienced in the Fourth Mansions. In the Teresan nature of explaining mystical experiences, the spark intensifies in the Fifth Mansions. Saint Teresa has a hard time explaining this interior prayer experience. She says the soul is in a swoon, a dream-like state. She says the soul is beginning a serious relationship with the indwelling bridegroom Jesus Christ.Timeline:00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fifth Mansions Chapter 100:00:47 Introduction - Welcome00:06:11 Introduction to the Fifth Mansions00:14:03 Paragraph 1. Graces of the fifth mansions.00:16:38 Paragraph 2. Contemplation to be striven for.00:19:15 Paragraph 3. Physical effects of the Prayer of union.00:22:15 Paragraph 4. Amazement of the intellect.00:23:54 Paragraph 5. The Prayer of union and of quiet contrasted.00:25:46 Paragraph 6. Divine and earthly union. .00:27:38 Paragraph 7. Competent directors in these matters.00:34:17 Paragraph 8. Proof of union.00:36:41 Paragraph 9. Assurance left in the soul.00:41:24 Paragraph 10. Divine union beyond our Power to obtain.00:45:04 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplate the Authority of Jesus00:52:00 Conclusion

Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fourth Mansions - Chapter 3. The Fourth Mansions are the transitionary stages of prayer into the mystical experiences. Saint Teresa introduces the Prayer of Recollection, where the soul is supernaturally pulled into the presence of Jesus. Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Opener - Interior Castle Fourth Mansions Chapter 3 P7 00:00:42 Introduction - Interior Castle Fourth Mansions Chapter 3 00:01:43 Introduction to the Fourth Mansions 00:09:43 Quick Review on Recollection 00:15:34 Paragraph 1. The Prayer of recollection compared to the inhabitants of the castle. 00:20:02 Paragraph 2. The Shepherd recalls His flock into the castle. 00:21:18 Paragraph 3. This recollection supernatural. 00:26:53 Paragraph 4. It prepares us for higher favors. 00:28:49 Paragraph 5. The mind must act until God calls it to recollection by love. 00:31:26 Paragraph 6. The soul should here abandon itself into God's hands. 00:35:36 Paragraph 7. The prayer of recollection, and distractions in Prayer. 00:40:15 Paragraph 8. Liberty of spirit gained by consolations. 00:46:39 Paragraph 9. The soul must be watchful. 00:47:36 Paragraph 10. The devil specially tempts such souls. 00:49:13 Paragraph 11. False trances and raptures. 00:55:33 Paragraph 12. How to treat those deluded in this way. 01:00:17 Paragraph 13. Risks of delusion in this mansion. 01:01:46 Spiritual Exercises - Teresan Recollection 01:09:02 Conclusion

Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fourth Mansions. The Fourth Mansions are the transitionary stages of prayer into the mystical experiences. Saint Teresa introduces the Prayer of Quiet, where we feel the presence of Jesus. Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Opener - Life Chapter XIV - The Second State of Prayer 00:00:55 Introduction - Interior Castle Fourth Mansions Chapter 2 00:02:34. Introduction to the Fourth Mansions 00:07:48 Paragraph 1. Physical results of sensible devotion. 00:11:05 Paragraph 2. Effects of divine consolations. 00:14:29 Paragraph 3. The two fountains. 00:17:19 Paragraph 4.They symbolize two kinds of prayer. 00:22:07 Paragraph 5. Divine consolations shared by body and soul. 00:26:09 Paragraph 6. The incense within the soul. 00:31:57 Paragraph 7. Graces received in this prayer. 00:32:46 Paragraph 8. Such favors not to be sought after. 00:39:57 Spiritual Exercises - Teresan Recollection 00:46:55 Conclusion

Diving into Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, the Fourth Mansions. The Fourth Mansions are the transitionary stages of prayer into the mystical experiences. Saint Teresa explains the differences between consolation and spiritual sweetness in prayer. Timeline: 00:01:15 Show Intro - The Interior Castle Fourth Mansions Chapter 1 00:01:26 Brief Intro to the Fourth Mansions 00:02:27 Paragraph 01. Graces received in this mansion. 00:06:19 Paragraph 02. Mystic favors. 00:07:17 Paragraph 03. Temptations bring humility and merit. 00:11:11 Paragraph 04. Sensible devotion and natural joys. 00:16:12 Paragraph 05. Sweetness in devotion. 00:18:55 Paragraph 06. Saint Teresa's experience of it. 00:20:40 Paragraph 07. Love of God, and how to foster it. 00:23:38 Paragraph 08. Distractions. 00:25:35 Paragraph 09. They do not destroy divine union. 00:28:11 Paragraph 10. Saint Teresa's physical distractions. 00:30:14 Paragraph 11. How to treat distractions. 00:32:59 Paragraph 12. They should be disregarded. 00:34:34 Paragraph 13. Self-knowledge necessary. 00:35:48 Spiritual Exercises - Contemplation Matthew 1 00:42:48 Conclusion Fourth Mansions Chapter 1

The holiday season, while often filled with joy and celebration, can also amplify feelings of loneliness, grief, and overwhelm. In those moments, it's easy to feel as though we're navigating life's challenges alone, carrying burdens too heavy to bear. But what if the very struggles we face are opportunities to connect with a deeper source of strength? In this episode, Rev. Lizzie reminds us that through spirituality, we can find a wellspring of resilience and hope. Whether we're juggling endless to-do lists or grieving a profound loss, Lizzie shares how God's presence and love offer us the courage to endure, grow, and heal—even in life's most trying seasons.Rev. Lizzie McManus Dail has lived all over the world with her boots now rooted in Austin, Texas, where she is living her dream as the founder of Jubilee Episcopal Church. Lizzie is passionate about the evangelism of a God who makes each of us for joy, which is why you might see her doing silly dances and talking about church history on Instagram and TikTok with her 80K followers. As a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, Lizzie brought a passion for intersectional feminism and queer theology to her studies at Duke Divinity School and Seminary of the Southwest. It was her time in both Massachusetts and North Carolina that brought her into the Episcopal church, where she was ordained in 2020. While grateful for her academic formation, she still swears most things she learned about being a priest she learned from 5 plus years of working in the service industry and access to the arts in her public high school.  Tune in!What You Will Learn:[00:01] Intro and a bit about our guest today, Rev. Lizzie[04:53] What spirituality is and how it differs from religion [06:57] How spirituality helps build emotional resilience during challenging times[0942] How spiritual communities offer emotional strength and support [16:14] Spiritual practices to build trust and manage difficult emotions[28:26] Two Advent practices to cultivate peace and trust this holiday season [34:06] Rev. Lizzie's upcoming book and its message on emotional resilience[43:22] How God calls us to walk and transform us through a refining fire  [47:18] What inspired Rev Lizzie to write her book, and how it will support readers [53:48] One key takeaway from Rev Lizzie to apply to your life this holiday season[54:56] Wrap up and end of the showStandout Quotes:“To know God is to go deep within ourselves; we have to learn to trust and listen deep within ourselves to hear how God is speaking to us and giving us everything we need to endure.” [07:57]“Taking some deliberate quiet time in the hustle and bustle of holiday season can be really significant.” [30:25]“You don't have to do anything to deserve and receive the bigness of God's love; it's just given to you.” [54:29]Resources MentionedThe Mystics Would Like a Word by Shannon K. Evans: https://www.amazon.com/Mystics-Would-Like-Word-Spirituality/dp/0593727274.Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila: https://www.amazon.com/Interior-Castle-St-Teresa-Avila/dp/1619491001Let's ConnectChandler StroudWebsite: https://healingheroespodcast.com/Mixing, editing and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

You made it through the first three mansions of the Interior Castle. Your soul has persevered through all the reptiles and trials. In the Third Mansions chapter, part 2, Saint Teresa discusses the importance of renunciation and why we shouldn't ask for spiritual consolations and favors in prayer. Timeline: 00:00:36 Show Intro - The Interior Castle Third Mansions Chapter 2 Part Deux 00:01:13 Brief Intro to the Third Mansions Chapter 2 00:11:43 Source Material Notes 00:13:39 Paragraph 11. Leave our cares in God's hands 00:16:37 Paragraph 12. Humility more necessary than corporal penances. 00:22:28 Paragraph 13. Consolations rarely received until the fourth mansions. 00:25:52 Paragraph 14. Advantages of hearing them. 00:27:50 Paragraph 15. Perfection consists in love, not in reward. 00:29:32 Paragraph 16. St. Teresa's joy at seeing other souls favored. 00:30:29 Paragraph 17. These graces should be striven for. 00:31:53 Paragraph 18. Obedience and direction. 00:36:53 Paragraph 19. Misguided zeal for others. 00:39:44 Spiritual Exercises - Dan Burke Practicing Discovery Prayer 00:46:12 Conclusion and Review of the Third Mansions Chapter 2 Part 2

St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a sixteenth-century Spanish nun and one of the most influential mystics in all of Church history, writing two spiritual classics still read today: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. Her autobiography (more accurately, a confession to Spanish Inquisitors) is The Life of St. Teresa of Avila, detailing her spiritual experiences of the love of God.In this episode, Evan Rosa welcomes Carlos Eire (T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University) for a discussion of how to read St. Teresa of Ávila, exploring the historical, cultural, philosophical, and theological aspects of her life and writing, and offering insights and close readings of several selections from her classic confession-slash-autobiography, known as La Vida, or The Life.About Carlos EireCarlos Eire is T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University. All of his books are banned in Cuba, where he has been proclaimed an enemy of the state. He was awarded the 2024 Harwood F. Byrnes/Richard B. Sewall Teaching Prize by Yale College, received his PhD from Yale in 1979. He specializes in the social, intellectual, religious, and cultural history of late medieval and early modern Europe, with a focus on both the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the history of popular piety; the history of the supernatural, and the history of death. Before joining the Yale faculty in 1996, he taught at St. John's University in Minnesota and the University of Virginia, and was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He is the author of War Against the Idols (1986); From Madrid to Purgatory (1995); A Very Brief History of Eternity (2010); Reformations: The Early Modern World (2016); The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila: A Biography (2019); and They Flew: A History of the Impossible (2023). He is also co-author of Jews, Christians, Muslims: An Introduction to Monotheistic Religions (1997); and ventured into the twentieth century and the Cuban Revolution in the memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana (2003), which won the National Book Award in Nonfiction in the United States and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. His second memoir, Learning to Die in Miami (2010), explores the exile experience. A past president of the Society for Reformation Research, he is currently researching various topics in the history of the supernatural. His book Reformations won the R.R. Hawkins Prize for Best Book of the Year from the American Publishers Association, as well as the award for Best Book in the Humanities in 2017. It was also awarded the Jaroslav Pelikan Prize by Yale University Press. The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Carlos Eire (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691164939/the-life-of-saint-teresa-of-avila )The Book of My Life by Teresa of Ávila (https://www.icspublications.org/products/the-collected-works-of-st-teresa-of-avila-vol-1 or https://www.shambhala.com/teresa-of-avila-1518.html )A long confession to the Inquisition which had placed her under investigation and read by those who were curious and believed her mysticism might be a fraudThe Spanish Inquisition in the 16th CenturyAutobiography v. Auto-hagiographyThe chief virtue of sainthood was humilityMedieval mysticism in the asceticism of monastic communitiesThe Reformation's rejection of monastic communities and their practices“You can fast as much as you want, and you can punish yourself as much as you want. That's not going to, uh, make God love you any more than he already does. And it's not going to wipe out your sins. Christ has wiped out your sins. So, all of this, uh, Oh, self obsession and posturing, uh, the very concept of holiness is redefined.”Direct experience of the divine in mysticism: purgation (cleansing), feedback from God (illumination), and union with the divine.On Loving God by Bernard of Clairvaux (https://litpress.org/Products/CF013B/On-Loving-God)Surrendering of the self in order to find oneself, and in turn GodInterior Castle by Teresa of Ávila (https://www.icspublications.org/products/st-teresa-of-avila-the-interior-castle-study-edition)Recogimiento - a prayer in which one lets go of their senses; a form a prayer in which you are just in a chat with a friendThe Cloud of Unknowing by Anonymous (https://paracletepress.com/products/the-cloud-of-unknowing )Meaning that is found without words - recollection and recogimientoFrancisco Jiménez de Cisneros, Archbishop of Toledo - translation of Rhineland mysticism into SpanishStaged approach and a development of spirituality“You're doing some transforming of your own, of course, by, you know, being engaged in this, but it's, it's really a gift from God progress and progress. Uh, progress and progress, or, uh, pretty much like an athlete whose skills become better and better and better. Or any artist whose skills improve and improve and improve and improve.Except in this case, there's someone else involved. You're not just working out or rehearsing. It's the other party involved in, in this, uh, phenomenon of prayer.”The Four Waters as an image for the progression of prayerThe irony of Teresa's writing and her nods to the inquisition found within her writingsThe experience of mysticism and God cannot be understood - it is beyond languageRepetition in prayer and meditationEdith Stein was inspired by Teresa of ÁvilaMonastic life was very isolated and was filled with hard workThe doubt of her confessors that her visions of Jesus were realResponding to the devil with crudenessMystical marriage with ChristThe Life of Catherine of Siena by Raymond of Capua ( https://tanbooks.com/products/books/the-life-of-saint-catherine-of-siena-the-classic-on-her-life-and-accomplishments-as-recorded-by-her-spiritual-director/ )Physical visions and intellectual visionsHer visions were beyond her controlTransverberation - a vision of an angel with a spear that she is struck with; pain and bliss simultaneously in the woundingGod as a very clear diamondTeresa of Ávila and the Rhetoric of Femininity by Alison Weber (https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691027449/teresa-of-avila-and-the-rhetoric-of-femininity) - Constant self-humbling of TeresaDevotion to heart imagery in mysticism, Catholicism, and Teresa's spiritualityThey Flew: A History of the Impossible by Carlos Eire (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300280074/they-flew/)The bodily effects and physical nature of Teresa's mysticismmysticism for the masses and books for the laityMysticism is a double edged sword - this is also what makes Jesus threatening in the gospelsSteven Ozment (Mysticism and Dissent: Religious Ideology and Social Protest in the Sixteenth Century?) https://archive.org/details/mysticismdissent0000ozme/page/n295/mode/2upHuman nature and our potentialGreat detail and charming in her writingProduction NotesThis podcast featured Carlos EireEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Alexa Rollow, Emily Brookfield, Kacie Barrett, & Zoë HalabanA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

In this episode of the Art of Catholic, Matthew Leonard is joined by author Kevin Wells, who shares the powerful story of his wife Krista's battle with alcoholism, the impact it had on his spiritual life - and the incredible redemption God brought through the figure of a saintly priest.

Welcome, Catholic Pilgrims, to our 100th episode of Season Four! It's really amazing if you think about it. So, since it's our 100th episode and that's quite a milestone, I thought I'd share with you who I am reading for Season Five.  But, you'll have to hear about that after our reading. I know, I know, I'm terrible, aren't I? Today's reading is the longest one we've had. Because it is so long, I am just going to read it and not offer a reflection.  It's on spiritual consolations and if you listened to me read St. Teresa's Interior Castle last season, a lot of this is going to sound familiar to you.  Now, just because it's long doesn't mean it's not worth listening to and giving it our time and attention.  So, with that, let's open to Chapter Thirteen of the Fourth Part. https://catholictreehouse.com/products/letters-from-the-voyages-of-st-frances-cabrini/

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 468The Saint of the day is Saint Teresa of AvilaSaint Teresa of Avila's Story Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social, and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform. She was born before the Protestant Reformation and died almost 20 years after the closing of the Council of Trent. The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer. As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man's world of her time. She was “her own woman,” entering the Carmelites despite strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer; a holy woman, a womanly woman. Teresa was a woman “for God,” a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, and opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical, and graceful. She was a woman of prayer; a woman for God. Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In herself, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life. Her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers. In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored. Reflection Ours is a time of turmoil, a time of reform, and a time of liberation. Modern women have in Teresa a challenging example. Promoters of renewal, promoters of prayer, all have in Teresa a woman to reckon with, one whom they can admire and imitate. Saint Teresa of Avila is the Patron Saint of: Relief from headaches Learn more about Saint Teresa of Avila! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582; a woman, a contemplative, and an active reformer; she was a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion; she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule; her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers; although she died before it officially came into being, Teresa, along with St. John of the Cross, is considered a co-founder of the Discalced Carmelite order Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/15/24 Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

St. Theresa's Interior Castle by Divine Mercy Radio

A continuation from the previous sermon, Pastor Kong Hee shares out of Teresa of Avila's book, The Interior Castle, a vision of the human soul in its spiritual growth and on its journey towards union with God. The castle of the human soul has seven mansions. With each mansion, the soul comes closer and closer to God. Each mansion is a greater detachment from something that hinders our union with God. As we allow the Holy Spirit to bring about greater detachment in our lives, we will come into a deeper union with God.

How does the soul know it has entered the Second Mansions stage of prayer life? What kind of struggles and warfare does the soul embrace as it tries to move deeper into Jesus? Over the last three episodes of The Interior Castle, we acquired our fundamental knowledge of prayer life and the practice of His presence, and we are invited to move into the Second Mansions. Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Intro - Growing in Prayer to the Second Mansions 00:01:15 Recap on the First Mansions 00:01:59 Second Mansions Chapter 1 Introduction 00:05:10 Second Mansions Chapter 1 Overview 00:14:03 Paragraph 1 - Saint Teresa wrote elsewhere on this subject 00:15:04 Paragraph 2 00:15:45 Paragraph 3 00:18:52 Paragraph 4 - Self-Knowledge in the Second Mansions 00:21:05 Paragraph 5 - How God speaks to us in the Second Mansions 00:21:42 Paragraph 6 - Persevering and waiting on the Holy Spirit 00:22:37 Paragraph 7 - The faculties of the soul and spiritual warfare 00:23:32 Paragraph 8 - Spiritual warfare on the soul in the Second Mansions 00:24:57 Paragraph 9 - The will and the love for Jesus 00:25:33 Paragraph 10 - The soul begins a relationship with Jesus 00:27:32 Paragraph 11 - Trials in the Second Mansions 00:28:25 Paragraph 12 - Associate with people who are farther in the castle 00:29:17 Paragraph 13 - Do not petition Jesus for spiritual favors! 00:32:11 Paragraph 14 - Spiritual desires leads to a weak foundation in prayer! 00:32:51 Paragraph 15 - Submitting to Jesus' will builds a strong foundation! 00:38:02 Paragraph 17 - Place your trust in the mercy of God! 00:39:41 Spiritual Exercises - Practicing Second Mansions Teresan Prayer 00:41:27 Conclusion and Review of the Second Mansions

In this sermon, Pastor Kong Hee shares out of Teresa of Avila's book, The Interior Castle, a vision God gave to her about the human soul in its spiritual growth and on its journey towards union with God. There is nothing more important in life than growing in our love for God and entering into His intimate embrace, becoming one with Him in divine union.

We're diving into Saint Teresa's fascinating treatise on prayer - The Interior Castle. As we wrap up the First Mansions chapters 1 and 2, we take a slight but necessary detour into Saint Teresa's other books, Life and Way of Perfection, to identify a method of prayer she calls recollection. The soul must understand and implement the prayer of recollection to progress from the First Mansions into the Second Mansions. Timeline: 00:00:00 Show Intro - Growing in Prayer to the Second Mansions 00:01:56 Recap on Prayer in the First Mansions 00:03:30 Prayer Life in the Second Mansions 00:06:55 Saint Teresa refers back to her earlier writings in Life and Way 00:09:43 What is the ascetical prayer of recollection? 00:21:08 Implementing the prayer of recollection 00:27:24 Spiritual Exercises I. Where's Jesus? 00:31:10 Spiritual Exercises II. Meeting Jesus at the Fountain 00:35:40 Spiritual Exercises III. Meeting Jesus at the Breakroom Watercooler 00:37:51 Teresan Recollection Comments and Review 00:48:09 Conclusion

Discover how to go deeper in your prayer life with Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle. In the First Mansions Chapter 2, Teresa emphasizes the need for self-knowledge, humility, and a fear of offending God in our prayer life. Following the discussion is a spiritual exercise to use self-knowledge in your prayer time with Jesus. Timeline: 00:00:00 James 1 v14-15 00:00:32 Introduction 00:02:20 The Interior Castle First Mansions Chapter 1 Recap 00:03:27 The Interior Castle First Mansions Chapter 2 Overview 00:05:33 Some Quick Comments on Mansions and Your Comments 00:19:50 Introduction to Sin - Mortal, Venial, and Occasions of Sin 00:27:34 Our Objectives for First Mansions Chapter 2 00:30:08 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 1 00:31:42 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 2 00:34:10 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 3 - Darkness in the soul 00:36:31 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 4 - The soul in mortal sin 00:39:06 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 5 - Fear of offending God 00:41:46 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 8 - Self-knowledge in prayer 00:47:04 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 9 - Humility comes from self-knowledge 00:54:05 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 10 - The importance of self-knowledge 00:55:42 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 13 - Many ways the soul can enter the rooms 00:57:56 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 15 - Sin and the demonic blind the soul 01:01:50 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 16 - The soul must abandon worldly desires 01:03:55 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 20 - Perfection - love of God and our neighbors 01:05:00 First Mansions Chapter 2 Paragraph 21 - Refrain from indiscreet zeal 01:07:02 Spiritual Exercises - Implementing self-knowledge in our beginning prayer 01:17:07 Conclusion

Emma has released four studio albums, one of them be an album of ambient music and her latest single ‘Firing range' is out today. Her music has taken her on multiple tours across Canada, New Zealand, England, with her band Interior Castle and many tours across Australia in her dance-pop band Heaps Good Friends. A couple of years ago, Emma and her husband David Kruse started a Catholic record label called Enemy Love Records. They do ministry to Catholic musicians as well as help discover Indie Catholic artists/ bands and assist them in producing and promoting their music, with a focus on gigging. Show Sponsor: Strive 21: https://strive21.com/matt Exodus90: https://exodus90.com/matt Hallow: https://hallow.com/mattfradd Emma's Links: https://www.instagram.com/emmafradd?igsh=bDR6dDVreG9kMmNn&utm_source=qr https://open.spotify.com/artist/14IHpyybyxSIWAfdZ0cJry?si=7dgydASWSoiD74spHt05ig https://www.instagram.com/enemyloverecords?igsh=ejdsYnMzdHBuY2N0&utm_source=qr http://www.enemyloverecords.com/ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6gDMo76iALiofMGtmhoZLl?si=KgLVasrsTkOOcz_8wh5-TQ&pi=u-lLwB7rVjSeyb  

In this episode I share the introduction from Mirabai Starr's translation of the Interior Castle by St Teresa of Avila

A 19-minute audio guided meditation with text from Mirabai Starr's translation of The Interior Castle.   In this meditation I invite you to pray with the wisdom of St Teresa of Avila. Listening prayerfully to the text, you are invited to ask: How is the Lord speaking to me in these words? Teresa was given a […] The post The Interior Castle: The First Dwelling: Lectio Divina appeared first on Contemplative at Home.

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the intriguing intersection of ascetical and mystical stages of prayer in building a deepening prayer life. Mike delves into the fascinating information in Saint Teresa of Avila's treatise on prayer, The Interior Castle, and unpacks the various forms of prayer she instructs us to use to develop a life-changing, deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's enter the First Mansions Chapter as we learn how to begin to pray! Timeline: 00:00:00 Matthew 25 v1-13 00:01:43 Introduction 00:04:50 What are our objectives? 00:12:24 What is The Interior Castle? 00:30:12 Ascetical Prayer - First through the Third Mansions 00:31:48 Mystical Prayer - Fourth through the Seventh Mansions 00:37:25 Saint Teresa's autobiography - Life of Teresa 00:39:10 The Four Waters of Prayer 00:42:39 How do we Enter The Interior Castle? 00:50:36 Prayer 00:55:12 Christian Meditation 00:58:13 Vocal Prayer 00:59:26 Mental Prayer 01:05:06 Spiritual Exercises - Beginning to pray The Our Father 01:11:04 Conclusion

A selection of key points for prayer and meditation from St Teresa of Avila's teachings. Excerpts taken from numerous sources, including: "The Way of Perfection", "Collected Works" and "Interior Castle." St Teresa of Ávila (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) was a prominent Carmelite nun and Spanish mystic. St Teresa had many mystical experiences she tried to reflect in poems. She took an active role in the Carmelite order and was later canonised a saint by the Roman Catholic church.

Today David is joined by Author Extraordinaire The Rev. Laurel Mathewson, Co-Rector of St. Luke's in North Park.  We hear about her new books, An Intimate Good and a new edition of The Interior Castle, available wherever fine books are sold.  Then both wonder about what's needed to embrace God into our lives.Follow Laurel on Instagram using @real_life_religiousFaith to Go is a ministry of The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. Click here to learn more about EDSD's great work in our region and how you can support this ministry.Remember to get in contact with us!Email: faithtogo@edsd.orgInstagram: @faithtogo

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 345The Saint of the day is Saint Mary Magdalene de PazziSaint Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi's Story Mystical ecstasy is the elevation of the spirit to God in such a way that the person is aware of this union with God while both internal and external senses are detached from the sensible world. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi was so generously given this special gift of God that she is called the “ecstatic saint.” Catherine de' Pazzi was born into a noble family in Florence in 1566. The normal course would have been for her to have married into wealth and enjoyed comfort, but Catherine chose to follow her own path. At 9, she learned to meditate from the family confessor. She made her first Communion at the then-early age of 10, and made a vow of virginity one month later. At 16, Catherine entered the Carmelite convent in Florence because she could receive Communion daily there. Catherine had taken the name Mary Magdalene and had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Death seemed near, so her superiors let her make her profession of vows in a private ceremony from a cot in the chapel. Immediately after, Mary Magdalene fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated after Communion on the following 40 mornings. These ecstasies were rich experiences of union with God and contained marvelous insights into divine truths. As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, her confessor asked Mary Magdalene to dictate her experiences to sister secretaries. Over the next six years, five large volumes were filled. The first three books record ecstasies from May of 1584 through Pentecost week the following year. This week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial. The fourth book records that trial and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, Admonitions, is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women religious. The extraordinary was ordinary for this saint. She read the thoughts of others and predicted future events. During her lifetime, Mary Magdalene appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. It would be easy to dwell on the ecstasies and pretend that Mary Magdalene only had spiritual highs. This is far from true. It seems that God permitted her this special closeness to prepare her for the five years of desolation that followed when she experienced spiritual dryness. She was plunged into a state of darkness in which she saw nothing but what was horrible in herself and all around her. She had violent temptations and endured great physical suffering. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi died in 1607 at age 41, and was canonized in 1669. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on May 25. Reflection Intimate union, God's gift to mystics, is a reminder to all of us of the eternal happiness of union he wishes to give us. The cause of mystical ecstasy in this life is the Holy Spirit, working through spiritual gifts. The ecstasy occurs because of the weakness of the body and its powers to withstand the divine illumination, but as the body is purified and strengthened, ecstasy no longer occurs. See Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, and John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul, for more about various aspects of ecstasies. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Several years ago I published a paper which compared the plot of 'The Matrix' to the Seven Degrees of initiation into the Mystery religions. Nobody else had done that before. For a second edition, I include 'The Interior Castle' by Teresa of Avila for further analysis. Writing in the 16th century, she too perfectly describes the Seven Degrees of 'The Matrix', only she's doing it with Medieval architecture and the Kingdom Mysteries.

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so that each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is the final discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so that each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so that each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so that each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A Personal Retreat Companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A personal retreat companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Happy 2024! We start off the new year with the first podcast in the Female Christian Mystics series by looking at St. Teresa of Jesus, better known as Teresa of Avila. Teresa died in 1582 and was canonized a saint in 1622; she was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. Teresa was a celibate nun, but had a deep erotic current that ran through her external and internal life, making her unintentionally a kind of Tantric saint. She is particularly remembered for a mystical event known as the transverberation, immortalized in art by Bernini as "the Ecstasy of St. Teresa." We look at Teresa's very unconventional life, the threatening combination of mystical experience and poverty, and that experience discussed in the Fourth Dwelling of her book The Interior Castle known as "The Prayer of Quiet."

What is like to enter into the 7th Dwelling Place?  What was it like for St. Teresa?  Then we turn to a discussion about spiritual marriage.  We focus on what this experience/union with God was like for St. Teresa.  These chapters truly help us to have Holy Amazement!   RESOURCES:  “Interior Castle, Study Guide, 2nd Edition” by St. Teresa of Avila; Translated and Prepared by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD; ICS Publications. “The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila,” Vol. 1 (includes “The Book of Her Life, Spiritual Testimonies, Soliloquies”) by St. Teresa of Avila, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD; ICS Publications. “The Ordinary Path to Holiness” by R. Thomas Richard, PhD; St. Pauls, 2003. “Journey into Divine Intimacy with St. Teresa of Avila” by Sr. Leslie Lund, OCDH; Carmelite Sisters of Mary Publishers, 2019. “The Interior Journey Toward God:  Reflections from Saint Teresa of Avila,” by John Paul Thomas; My Catholic Life! Inc., 2022. “I Want to See God” by P. Marie Eugene, OCD; Christian Classics. “The Spiritual Life:  A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology” by Adolph Tanquerey, SS, DD; Tan Books. “Divine Intimacy” by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD; Tan Books.    

The heavens or higher planes are not located in some abstract 'elsewhere' countless light-years away, but rather they are within us, accessed within temple of the human body, are within all human beings... thus meditation... thus the need to discover the complete meditation practice by which we may access these realms, the Kingdom of God within (Inner Space.)   References, Subjects, and Sources Include: Carl Sagan, String Theory, Michio Kaku, Julian P. Johnson, Path of the Masters, multiple dimensions, bubble universes, cosmic foam, creation, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, George Arnsby Jones, The Pilgrimage of James - An Odyssey of Inner Space, Audible Life Stream, Sound Current, Divine Sound, Hinduism, Shamanism, Buddhism, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Christian Mysticism, Sufism, Santmat, schools of spirituality, Tree of Life, Gnostic universe, charts of the heavens, Dead Sea Scrolls, Ethiopian Bible, Book of Enoch, Marsanes, Mar Sanes the Syrian, Nag Hammadi Library, Gospel of Thomas, The Unknown Silent One, Nameless One, Soundless One, Anami Purush, Plotinus, The Many and the One, Ocean of Love, Anurag Sagar, Surat Shabd Yoga, Inner Light and Sound Meditation, Ajna Chakra, Third Eye, Seat of the Soul, Rumi, Kabir, Kaivalya, Nirvana, Sat Lok, Sach Khand, Saint Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Param Poojya Shahi Swami, Maharshi Mehi Paramhans, Sant Ram Singh Ji Maharaj, If We Do Our Devotion, Then We Need Not Get Disheartened - God Almighty Will Always Send The Saints To Awaken Us, Without Satsang, Sant Mat Is A Very Difficult Path To Tread On, Bhakti, Prem, Spiritual love and devotion, Simran, Dhyan, Bhajan, Enchanted Land: A Journey With the Saints of India, Yogani Mataji, Radhasoami Mat Prakash, Hazur Maharaj Rai Saligram, The Life of Baba Somanath - Saint and Sage of South India, Book of Mirdad; (Peace)   In Divine Love (Bhakti), Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters, Radhasoami James Bean Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts Sant Mat Radhasoami A Satsang Without Walls https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com    

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A personal retreat companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.   In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is: http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologetics We ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people. This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed. skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

In this week's episode, Teresa Yerkes of the Christian Meditation Center shares about the practice of Christian Meditation and its role in the spiritual life. Teresa Yerkes is the Founder of Christian Meditation Center, has been a Christian since 1983 and has practiced Christian meditation since 2000. She is the author of three books, Come Closer: The Practice of Christian Meditation, God Within You: The Case for Christian Meditation, and Making Love: The Spiritual Act of Love. She teaches and leads Christian meditation training and facilitates sessions. She is a public speaker, facilitates book clubs, and leads retreats. Teresa is a Certified Lay Speaker and Lay Counselor. She brings nearly forty years of her own personal discovery, along with highly specialized spiritual direction training provided by the Shalem Institute. www.Christianmeditationcenter.org   Teresa's books: Come Closer: The Practice of Christian Meditation https://amzn.to/4aazrRa God Within You: The Case for Christian Meditation https://amzn.to/3NdwN2U Making Love: The Spiritual Act of Love https://amzn.to/3RxagAE Books Recommended by Teresa: Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart https://amzn.to/41d3fZc ——Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation https://amzn.to/3R9SKB9 Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle https://amzn.to/46Mzkbl Schucman, A Course in Miracles, https://amzn.to/3Td9Kck Brian's Website: www.Brianrussellphd.com Brian Russell's Books Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation https://amzn.to/3OKecg8 Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God's Presence Can Change Your Life https://amzn.to/2S0AcIZ (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World (Cascade): https://amzn.to/3PU5RqE Invitation: A Bible Study to Begin With (Seedbed) https://my.seedbed.com/product/oneboo... Connecting with Brian: Website: www.brianrussellphd.com Twitter: @briandrussell Instagram: @yourprofessorforlife Interested in coaching or inviting Brian to speak or teach for your community of faith or group? Email: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A personal retreat companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A personal retreat companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

Welcome to Catholic Apologetics, led by Dr. Jim Dobbins, Author of Take My Hand: A personal retreat companion.  Just finished an RCIA program?  This is the next stop on your faith journey.  In these classes, we look at the different truths of Catholic doctrine and why we know they are true. We also discuss apologetics, spiritual growth, examine the liturgy of the Catholic Mass, and do scripture studies.  Please encourage your friends to listen. I also encourage you to leave a comment about our podcasts.  If you want the slides or any other documents for any class, just e-mail me at jhdphd@gmail.com and I will reply with the documents attached.  If you wish, I will also add you to the class materials distribution list so each time I send anything out for the class you will get it.  If you are getting the podcast files from iTunes and would like to see the full set of available classes for download, you can see and download them all at http://yorked.podomatic.com.  Older podcasts are now stored at a free podcast site at Podcast.com.  The link to the podcasts there is:http://poddirectory.com/podcast/86506/dr-james-dobbins-catholic-apologeticsWe ask you to also consider going to http://yorked.podomatic.com and becoming a subscriber. It is free, helps our ratings, and thus helps us reach and help more people.This session is part of our discussion of the book Interior Castle,  by St. Teresa of Avila. Please also let me know if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed.skvEapm1rLLW8foJsII1 

A selection of key points for prayer and meditation from St Teresa of Avila's teachings. Excerpts taken from numerous sources, including: "The Way of Perfection", "Collected Works" and "Interior Castle." St Teresa of Ávila (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) was a prominent Carmelite nun and Spanish mystic. St Teresa had many mystical experiences she tried to reflect in poems. She took an active role in the Carmelite order and was later canonised a saint by the Roman Catholic church.

Full Text of ReadingsTwenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 142The Saint of the day is Saint Teresa of AvilaSaint Teresa of Avila's Story Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social, and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform. She was born before the Protestant Reformation and died almost 20 years after the closing of the Council of Trent. The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer. As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man's world of her time. She was “her own woman,” entering the Carmelites despite strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer; a holy woman, a womanly woman. Teresa was a woman “for God,” a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her ongoing conversion was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, and opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical, and graceful. She was a woman of prayer; a woman for God. Teresa was a woman “for others.” Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life. Her writings, especially the Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, have helped generations of believers. In 1970, the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored. Reflection Ours is a time of turmoil, a time of reform, and a time of liberation. Modern women have in Teresa a challenging example. Promoters of renewal, promoters of prayer, all have in Teresa a woman to reckon with, one whom they can admire and imitate. Saint Teresa of Avila is the Patron Saint of: Relief from headaches Learn more about Saint Teresa of Avila! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Friends of the Rosary: Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic. Together with her close collaborator, the priest and writer later canonized as Saint John of the Cross, she founded the Order of Discalced Carmelites – “discalced,” meaning barefoot, symbolizing a life of poverty, contemplation, and simplicity. The reform met with fierce opposition but resulted in the founding of 30 monasteries during her life. Her most well-known works include "The Interior Castle" and "The Way of Perfection," both of which are classics of Christian spirituality. In her writings, she focused on the importance of prayer, contemplation, and the mystical experience of God. As a child, Teresa felt captivated by the thought of eternity and the vision of God granted to the saints in heaven.  Teresa had always been accustomed to contemplate Christ's presence within her after receiving him in the sacrament of Holy Communion. Teresa had always bad health. She accepted her dramatic final illness as God's chosen means of calling her into his presence forever. “O my Lord, and my spouse, the desired hour is now come,” she stated. “The hour is at last come, wherein I shall pass out of this exile, and my soul shall enjoy in thy company what it hath so earnestly longed for.” St. Teresa of Avila died on Oct. 15, 1582. She was canonized in 1622, along with three of her greatest contemporaries: St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Philip Neri. In 1970, Pope St. Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa as one of the first two woman Doctors of the Church, along with 14th-century Dominican St. Catherine of Siena. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for Us! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠October 15, 2023, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET  

“I want to pray but I'm not sure how.” This is a challenge many people face when it comes to the spiritual life. How do you start? Using examples from The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila, Dr. Edward Sri explains how to progress in the spiritual life. Snippet from the Show If we don't have daily meditation, we cannot progress in our spiritual lives. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.