 Welcome to The Commentaries, a podcast series from Tan in which you'll learn how to read and understand history's greatest Catholic works from today's greatest Catholic scholars. In every series of The Commentaries, your expert host will be your personal guide to not just read the book, but to live the book, shining the light of its eternal truths into our modern darkness. Tan commentaries.com to get your copy of the book and to subscribe for access to all the great reading plans, new episodes, bonus content, and exclusive deals for listeners of The Commentaries. Welcome back to The Commentaries series on St. Teresa of Avila's interior castle. I'm Father Timothy Reed from Charlotte, North Carolina, and today is day 15 in our series. And today we're continuing our look into the fascinating six mansions of the interior castle. Having looked at chapters 5, 6, and 7 last time and St. Teresa's discussion of a particular form of rapture known as Flight of the Spirit, today we will examine both intellectual and imaginary visions in chapters 8 and 9. So let's get to it. St. Teresa begins the 8th chapter with another spiritual maxim, namely that the further a soul advances, the more it is accompanied by Jesus. What a tremendous consolation. As we grow in the spiritual life, our relationship with Jesus improves and deepens, and we draw closer to that union with Him that will reach its perfection in the eternity of Heaven. Indeed, at times, Jesus accompanies us by means of an intellectual vision, which happens when a soul feels our Lord Jesus beside it in an indubitable way, without seeing Him with either the eyes of the body or the eyes of the soul. And while this may naturally cause fear in the one who receives this gift, Teresa tells us that we mustn't worry if this gift is given to us but simply be grateful for such a gift. Referring to her own experiences with intellectual visions, St. Teresa gives some of the hallmarks of these visions, namely that they are much longer lasting than imaginative or imaginary visions, lasting for many days even to more than a year. She says if they are authentic, they cannot be doubted by the recipient, and she tells us that they are a great help in walking with habitual remembrance of God and avoiding anything displeasing to Him. In referring to herself and her own experiences, St. Teresa tells us in paragraph 4, she was conscious of Him, Jesus, being at her right hand, although not in the way we know an ordinary person to be beside us but in a more subtle manner which cannot be described. Yet this presence is quite as evident and certain, and indeed far more so than the ordinary presence of other people about which we may be deceived. Not so in this, for it brings with it graces and spiritual effects which could not come from melancholia, nor could the devil thus fill the soul with peace, with a constant desire to please God and with such utter contempt of all that does not lead to Him. As time went on, my friend recognized that this was no work of the evil one, as our Lord showed her more and more clearly. Now, like other spiritual phenomena in the Six Mansions, St. Teresa tells us that the devil cannot or would not reproduce them because he would never produce the great good that is left in the soul, and nor is our imagination capable of producing such a thing. St. Teresa herself was left with intense confusion and humility because this is a favor from God, because it allows the recipient to know that this is an unmerited gift from the Lord. Indeed, Teresa says this gift brings with it a special knowledge of God, a most tender love for Him, results from being constantly in His company. She says that it gives one a desire to devote oneself totally to God's service and to a great purity of conscience. St. Teresa continues, although we know that God sees all we do, yet nature inclines us to grow careless and forgetful of it. This is impossible here since our Lord makes the soul conscious that He is close at hand, thus preparing it to receive the other grace as mentioned by constantly making acts of love to Him whom it sees or feels at its side. In short, the benefits caused by this grace prove how great and how valuable it is. The soul thanks our Lord for bestowing it on one unworthy of it, but who would refuse to exchange it for any earthly riches or delight. Wow, it's incredible. Can you imagine rising to such union with God that you are constantly conscious of His presence, knowing without a doubt that He is right beside you? I mean, truly, our good Saint from Avalon is giving us something to strive for and hope for in the spiritual life. Now, Teresa mentions too that sometimes an intellectual vision is received of our Lady or of a Saint. And while the soul will be at a loss at how it knows who it is, that soul still has certitude. We're just simply incapable of understanding these matters while here on earth. Saint Teresa says, the one who receives these visions should marvel at and praise God's mercy because such great graces are given to its soul and one should strive to serve God even better. With regard to the humility left in the soul, Saint Teresa says that one who receives these intellectual visions does not consider himself to be any greater than others, but actually more obligated to God. And any faults or sins committed pain this person terribly. Now, as with the other gifts of the six mansions, these visions can be a great trial if one does not have a learned spiritual confessor. And if you don't have such a confessor, Teresa counsels seeking out others who do have learning about this stuff or who have had these experiences themselves. But even if a confessor or spiritual director condemns these experiences, one mustn't fear them. Teresa says that these experiences eventually authenticate themselves by the good fruits they produce. As a final note in this chapter, Saint Teresa mentions that one need not be a great saint to experience these visions, for God sometimes leads the weakest along this very path. So for this reason we cannot esteem or condemn anyone who receives this gift. Saint Teresa concludes chapter eight with this very wise admonition. She says, we must look to the virtues. She who is most mortified, humble, and single-minded in serving God is the most holy. However, we can never feel very certain about such matters until the true judge rewards each one according to his merits. Then we shall be surprised to find how very different is his judgment from that of this world. May he be forever praise, amen. Very wise words and deeds, are they not? This chapter eight, it really fills us with great hope. But let's move on to chapter nine and Saint Teresa's discussion of imaginary visions. Now while imaginary visions can seem more beneficial to a soul than intellectual ones, Teresa states that the devil actually meddles more with imaginary visions. And yet when imaginary visions are truly divine, they are extremely beneficial to the soul. Now to explain the differences between these two types of visions, Saint Teresa gives an analogy of a precious stone held within a golden locket that can only be opened by the owner. With the intellectual visions, we are sure we're confident of the presence of the stone within the locket, although we can't see it and we benefit from the healing powers of the stone whenever we wear this locket. Yet an imaginary vision is like when the Lord decides to open the locket for us to see the stone. Teresa writes in paragraph two, this may be compared to what happens when our Lord is pleased to caress the soul. He shows it in vision, his most sacred humanity under whatever form he chooses, either as he was during his life on earth or after his resurrection. This vision passes as quickly as a flash of lightning, yet this most glorious picture makes an impression on the imagination that I believe can never be effaced until the soul at last sees Christ to enjoy him forever. Now these visions, which come through an interior rather than exterior senses, necessarily pass quickly because of their intensity, which she likens to looking at the sun. So Teresa continues in paragraph three, the splendor of him who is revealed in the vision resembles an infused light, like that of the sun covered with a veil as transparent as a diamond, if such a texture could be woven while his raiment looks like fine linen. The soul to whom God grants this vision almost always falls into an ecstasy, nature being too weak to bear so dread a sight. I say dread, though this apparition is more lovely and delightful than anything that could be imagined, for it far surpasses our limited imagination and understanding. Yet the presence of such surpassing majesty inspires the soul with great fear. Now let's just pause there for a moment, for in this discussion of imaginary visions, we are reminded of the fact that we will someday have to see God face to face. And if a soul in the six mansions is inspired with great fear by a brief glimpse like this, what must a lesser soul experience on the day of judgment? Truly my friends, may God give us the grace to prepare ourselves well for our death. Now comparing these imaginary visions to St. Paul's experience on the road to Damascus, Teresa says that these visions cause great interior stirring, even causing great fear and tumult in the faculties and senses, but there is a perfect calm afterwards. Yet meanwhile, she says certain sublime truths have been so impressed on the mind that it needs no other master. For with no effort of its own, wisdom himself has enlightened its former ignorance. St. Teresa goes on to teach us that the devil may try to induce the soul to doubt an imaginary vision, but the soul will prevail over him through its certitude of how much it has benefited from the vision. Now confessors and spiritual directors will naturally proceed cautiously when one mentions such a thing to him and rightly so. Yet if the vision was devilish, that will eventually become apparent. Teresa counsels that one should just proceed patiently, looking for the fruits of humility and fortitude, and a confessor who has had this experience himself will recognize this quickly. What matters most, says St. Teresa, is that one is perfectly candid and straightforward with one's confessor about these matters. As she says, our Lord desires that we should be as truthful and open with those who stand in his place as we should with himself, that we should wish them to know not only our thoughts, but especially all relating to our actions, however insignificant. Now as good and beneficial, as these imaginative visions are, our good saint cautions us that one should not desire them. And this is for many reasons. First, the desire these imagine a vision shows a lack of humility. Second, through desire, one can be easily deceived by Satan. Third, one's imagination may make one see what one wants to see. Fourth, Teresa tells us that it is presumptuous and bold to choose such a path when God alone should choose for us. Five, many trials are given to those who do get this gift. And six, one may actually lose rather than gain. Finally, St. Teresa cautions us in paragraph 19. Know that for having received many favors of this kind, you will not merit more glory, but will be the more stringently obliged to serve since you have received more. And thus, Teresa concludes that the safest way to proceed is to desire only God's will. While imaginative visions can help us gain virtue, the person who gains virtue by his own labor is more meritorious. Those who desire to serve our Lord without graces like these visions prove that they love God more. Now, in these chapters that we just went over, we learn about a decisive moment in the spiritual life of our saint, which was the intellectual vision of our Lord's humanity that Teresa received, which we know took place in 1560. Now, this event was the decisive moment that propelled her toward the legacy for which we know St. Teresa. It was only after this event that St. Teresa began writing, that she began founding monasteries, and that she actually changed her name to Teresa of Jesus, like St. Paul, whose life changed drastically after the events on the road to Damascus. St. Teresa sees this event as a decisive moment in her life. And as proof of her deep sanctity, she knows that as good and beneficial as the visions of Jesus are, she must not desire them for the truest and deepest lover of Christ is the one who loves him without any desire for reward. That completes our podcast for day 15. Stay tuned next time as we finish up the six mansions, and until then, let us pray with St. Teresa. Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. Amen. May God bless you, and may St. Teresa of Avila intercede for you. This has been an episode of The Commentaries, a podcast brought to you by Tan. To follow the show, study more of the greatest Catholic classics, and to support the commentaries and other great free content from Tan. Visit tancommentaries.com to subscribe and use coupon code COM25 to get 25% off your next order, including the soul of the apostolate, and countless more spiritual works to deepen your interior life and guide you to heaven.