Book Excerpt

Before The Beginning

When she began to feel the first stirrings of holy love, she judged that the
passing scene of worldly pride should be condemned, being taught by the
unction of the Spirit to place a worthless price upon worthless things.
—The Lady, 282

As we enter into a maturity of being, our awareness of how we wish to live becomes more acute. We have learnt from past experience things we do not wish to repeat and situations we choose not to entertain. There is wisdom in foreseeing an entanglement that is not desirable for the soul’s growth, and even greater wisdom in following this understanding. Clare, at a young age, had a “holy knowing” of how she wished to live her life and a definite resolve about what she did not want to do.

She reminds us in the Second Letter to Agnes (Early Docs, 40), to“always remember your resolution and be conscious of your beginning.” How often do we decide on a new way of behavior and then, while the resolve is still fresh upon our lips, find ourselves once more living that same old pattern? Remember your resolution and walk away. Be conscious of your beginning; that is, return to your purity of thought, word, and action. Return to the very sacredness of your being. How easily we fall into our lower nature, and yet this nature is a mere shadow of our spiritual potential, and it provides only temporary satisfaction. Read more (PDF)

Book Excerpt

Silent Times

Do not wonder at all or think that the fire
of love for you glows with less delight … No,
this is the difficulty: the lack of messengers
and the obvious dangers of the road.
—The Lady, 54

“Speech is of time; silence is of eternity.” These are the words of an anonymous contemporary Poor Clare sister. She also writes, “Silence is the ever-available but seldom-possessed treasure of those who are wise enough and humble enough to receive it” (Interior Prayer, Archival Material, Little Portion Friary, Long Island, NY). Through this wisdom and humility, we are taken into the eternal silence, into the infinite spaciousness, where no form or image exists. This is the place of deep rest. Only as we return to time and place, must shapes and colors and words appear, to reflect, ever so dimly, our experience.

In the letter quoted at the opening of this chapter, Clare reassures Agnes that the infrequency of her correspondence does not indicate a lack of love. She points to the common hindrance in those times of unreliable modes of delivery. I, however, invite an internal, metaphorical reading of the second sentence of this passage: that is, we may be encountering an internal danger of wandering from the Spirit, and the soul may need to be taken into its core of self-knowledge and healing. Alternatively, we may be entering the eternal depths of space.... Read more (PDF)

Published by New World Library www.newworldlibrary.com

Meditations with Teresa of Avila: A Journey into the Sacred (previously published as Falling Into the Arms of God) makes the life and work of Saint Teresa of Avila accessible to a contemporary audience. Simply written, it allows deep spiritual truths to be accessed and incorporated into daily living, with particular emphasis on integrating contemplative and active practices. It begins with a brief introduction to Teresa's life, including biographical information drawn from Megan Don's studies and travels to the monastery in Spain. The body of the book contains chapters divided into "seven dwellings," as described in Teresa's mystical writings. Teresa described the soul as a crystal castle with many rooms, or dwellings, to be entered as one seeks the inner mansion, the dwelling place of the Beloved. Each passage is accompanied by an explanation of the lessons it may hold for today's reader, and a guided meditation. See excerpts below. Available through: Amazon.com For Australian Readers www.johngarratt.com.au www.brumbybooks.com

THE MYSTICAL REALITY-- Book Excerpt 1

“Oh children of the earth! How long will you
be hard of heart?” (CW vol.I, 445)

These words were spoken to Teresa by the Beloved when she was questioning the authenticity of her mystical experiences. In probing the nature of reality, we tend to gravitate towards the theory that the common experience should dictate our own: “After all, this is what the majority of people are living and experiencing, therefore it must be true.” But what of the rare mystical experience? The validity of such an encounter needs to be recognized for what it is: a divine gift of love, which expands the human soul, enabling it to comprehend a greater reality. Read More (PDF)

TRUE LOVE -- Book Excerpt 2

“… those whom the Beloved brings to a certain clear knowledge
love very differently… this clear knowledge is about the
nature of the world, that there is another world… that the
one is eternal and the other a dream…” (CW vol.II, 62)

Our world is besotted with love. No matter where we turn – to popular or religious culture, or to psychological or new age theories – love is the key factor. We are all searching and yearning for love, whether to replace a love lost or to find a love never before felt. Most people have a place deep within that is aching to be loved. Some acknowledge this, some bury it in their work or addictions, while others are disappointed with the love they are experiencing. Love entices us all, and yet it seems to elude us just as quickly. What is this thing called love? Where is the true love that many of us instinctively know exists? For most, it has been relegated to an unrealistic dream world, as practicality and dependency have overshadowed the realm of magic and aliveness felt when we first glimpse another’s soul. Could it be that we have confused dream and reality and have settled for an illusory state of love? According to Teresa, this is so, and she reached out to remind us of the clarity of being that is necessary to understand the true and perfect love. Read More (PDF)