Many souls live in the courtyard of the building where the sentinels stand, neither caring to enter farther, nor to know who dwells in that most delightful place, what is in it and what rooms it contains. (1M 1,7)
The Spanish mystic and Discalced Carmelite Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) wrote her masterpiece, The Interior Castle, at the age of sixty-two, during an extraordinarily dramatic period of her life and in the remarkably short span of about two months. Yet it remains an exceptional and coherent description of the spiritual journey, one that deeply reflects her own lived experience.
The soul, portrayed as a crystal-clear castle with seven mansions and God present at its deepest center, reveals not only the beauty of the human person but also an essential truth: that through the human being one can glimpse God, who abides within.
The image of the castle also suggests that the inner world of a person is something alluringly mysterious — an invitation to be explored. This month, the church’s interior invites you to begin this exploration…
1st chambers: AWAKENING & SELF-KNOWLEDGE
Self-knowledge is of such consequence that I would not have you careless of it, though you may be lifted to heaven in prayer. But I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God. (1H 2,9)
To desire to go within, to have the courage to explore the unknown, to move forward on the path, to come to know oneself and God, to leave behind certainties and calm waters, and to set out onto the sea with all its challenges.
What have you learned about yourself over the past year?
2nd chambers: STRUGGLE FOR PERSEVERANCE
Therefore if you occasionally lapse into sin, do not lose heart and cease trying to advance, for God will draw good even out of our falls, like the merchant who sells theriac, who first takes poison, then the theriac, to prove the power of his elixir. (2H 1,16)
There are so many ways we can fill our lives—we tell ourselves there’s so much we must not miss. Prayer and meditation can seem like a waste of time. But to embark on the spiritual path means that, in the end, I will come to know the world more fully and truthfully. And that I will find my true life’s fulfillment.
How much time do you give to what truly matters to you?
3rd chambers: AN ORDERED LIFE
Humility is the ointment for our wounds; if we have it, although perhaps He may defer His coming for a time, God, Who is our Physician, will come and heal us. (3M 2,8)
Every day we face things not going according to our plans—and perhaps that‘s how it will always be. There are days when we fall asleep with love, joy, and a sense of fulfillment. And there are days when we wake up with fear, anger, or helplessness. And there is no other way through but humility – the virtue that Teresa identifies with truth.
What is hard for you to let go of control over?
4th chambers: PRAYER OF QUIET
The heart is dilated. This joy does not appear to me to originate in the heart, but in some more interior part and, as it were, in the depths of our being. I think this must be the centre of the soul.(4M 2,5)
Everyone wants to be loved, accepted. Our hearts open so much when we remember this. To look at others through the eyes of a loving God doesn’t mean staying silent in the face of injustice. It means not judging, but cooperating, taking part, helping. And letting ourselves be guided by the heart, that is love.
In what situation did you experience a joy that flowed from the depths of your soul?
5th chambers: INNER UNION
Now let us see what becomes of the ‘silkworm,’: it comes forth like a lovely little white butterfly! …its wings have grown and it can fly; could it be content to crawl? (5M, 6–7)
Prayer leads a person to transformation—a transformation that can be compared to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Sometimes, under the weight of failure, setbacks, or the judgment of others, we come close to giving up on great things. Teresa reminds us that one day, we too will have wings.
Who are the people in your life that help you move in a good direction and believe in yourself?
6th chambers: TRIALS AND TRANSFORMATIONS
Despite all these difficulties yet there remains so lively a spark of certainty in the mind (I know not whence it comes) that, although all other hopes die out, it cannot, if it would, quench this ardent spark of confidence. (6M 3,13)
Terrifying news weighs on us. And not just news, but reality itself. War, cancer, abandonment, death, tyranny, grief. The words alone are frightening. Despair feels like sailing through a storm in the deep ocean. And yet—after every storm, the sun rises again, and after every night, day comes.
Where in your life do you most need a spark of hope?
7th chambers: SPIRITUAL WEDDING
The soul always remains in its centre with its God like rain falling from heaven into a river or stream, becoming one and the same liquid; This is the end and aim of prayer, my daughters; this is the reason of the spiritual marriage whose children are always good works. (7M 2,5 and 4,10)
The spiritual path according to St. Teresa does not mean cutting oneself off from the world and living only for oneself. At the deepest center of the soul, this journey does not end but begins. Union with God awakens a person to act for the world.
What is the work that you feel deeply moved toward?
Quotes: The Interior Castle (St. Teresa of Avila)
English translation: The Benedictines of Stanbrook (1921)
Commentary: The Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague