I'm reading The Autobiography of St Teresa of Avila. When I read a book, I usually keep notes in a text editor or emails to myself. This time, I thought that I would use a blog instead. Perhaps someone will find it interesting.
St Teresa is described on Wikipedia in the article Teresa of Avila.
Here are some links to photos of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's sculpture The Ecstacy of Saint Teresa: Wikipedia, photo of aedicula, closeup photo.
Ends and means.
One must never do the smallest thing that is wrong in order to do good, however great. -pg 29
For it is not I now who live, but Thou, my Creator, livist in me. -pg 36
Vanities. Interesting discussion of vanities and maintaining the appearance of being virtuous. See page 37.
The failings of organized religion.
Oh, what terrible harm, what terrible harm is wrought in religious (I am referring now as much to men as to women) when the religious life is not properly observed; when of the two paths that can be followed in a religious house--one leading to virtue and the observance of the Rule and the other leading away from the Rule--both are frequented almost equally! No, I am wrong: they are not frequented equally, for our sins cause the more imperfect road to be the more commonly taken; being the broader, it is the more generally favoured. The way of true religion is frequented so little that, if the friar and the nun are to begin to follow their vocation truly, they need to be more afraid of the religious in their own house than of all the devils. They must observe greater caution and dissimulation when speaking of the friendship which they would have with God than in speaking of other friendships and affections promoted in religious houses by the devil. I cannot think why we should be astonished by all the evils which exist in the Church, when those who ought to be models on which all may pattern their virtues are annulling the work wrought in the religious Orders by the spirit of the saints of old. May His Divine Majesty be pleased to find a remedy for this, as He sees needful. Amen. -pp 39-40
No comments:
Post a Comment