Wacław Świerzawski
Mysticism rooted in the liturgy :
based on the spiritual experiences of
St Teresa of Jesus
Collectanea Theologica 56/Fasciculus specialis, 93-111
C o lle c ta n e a T h eo lo g ica 56 (1986) fasc. sp ecialis
W A CŁA W SW IERZA W SK I, K RA K Ó W
MYSTICISM ROOTED IN THE LITURGY Based on the spiritual experiences
of St Teresa of Jesus
"F or m an y th in g s d e p e n d on o u r u n d e rs ta n d ing a n d k n o w le d g e of th e s e m a tte rs, because, w h e n w e re c e iv e H o ly C om m union, g re a t m y s te rie s o ccu r w ith in o u r soul."
St T e re sa of A vila, T h e R ela tio n 57
The topic of th e following article is intended to be a transposi tion and com pletion of th e ancient and v en erab le saying Legem
credendi le x statuat supplicandi1, w hich has beeil circulating in
a w ell-know n abbreviated form: Lex orandi — lex credendi. Liturgy is th e source of faith. Faith, ingrained in th e soil of grace bestow ed in liturgy, is th e root of m ysticism 2, th a t m ysterious divine-hum an plenitude w ithin a m an who, b y th e to tal offering up of himself, has opened himself to receive the love of Triune God, has accepted it and allow ed it to conquer and transform him. M ysticism, then, is the fullness of faith. The lack of it indicates an incom plete im mature faith, w eak and infirm belief w hich m ight alm ost im ply un-belief. In th e histo ry of th e C hurch you can come across both of th e above- -m entioned phenom ena, w hich occur in both th e individual and social aspect. In certain periods th e living faith can be felt pulsat ing in th e veins of th e Church, w hile in others th e crisis of faith appears to be a serious disaster.
1 In d ic u lu s i,D e gratia D ei", D en zin g er 246.
2 L. B o u y e i , M y s tiq u e , essa i sur l'h isto ire d 'u n m o t, La V ie S p iritu elle, Suppl. 9(1949)3—24. T he a d je c tiv a l e x p re s sio n fo r m y stic a l e x p e rie n c e (m y s tik o s ) has b e e n c h a n g e d in to th e n o m in al o n e b y J. G ö r r e s ( î 1848). S ince th e n "m y sticism " h as d e n o te d TH EO RIA a n d PR A X IS=T E C H N E, i.e., th e v e ry e x p e rie n c e of G od an d th e re fle c tio n u p o n th a t e x p e rie n c e , p h ilo so p h y o r th e o lo g y of m ysticism . In th e re la te d b ra n c h th e s itu a tio n is te rm in o lo g ic a lly b e tte r, w h e re a sc e tism re fe rs to th e p ra c tic a l e x p e rie n c e a n d a sc e tic a l th e o lo g y d eals w ith th e th e o ry of th a t e x p e rie n c e . W e a re also fam iliar w ith e a rly C h ris tia n litu rg ic a l te rm s TA MYSTYKA, in d ic a tin g e ith e r th e rite itself o r th e ritu a l o b je c ts, an d Ό Ι M Y STIKO I — in itia tio n in to rites, w h ich is s u b o rd in a te d to th e p ro cess of m y stag o g y . N o w a d a y s, som e a tte m p ts of te rm in o lo g ic a l s y s te m a tiz a tio n h a v e b e e n m ad e, g iv in g rise to th e fo llo w in g term s: M YSTICISM — a n ex p e rie n c e , MYSTOLOGY (m y sto g rap h y ) — a re fle c tio n o r d escrip tio n , M Y STAG OG Y — th e o r e tic a l a n d p ra c tic a l in itia tio n in to m y s tic a l e x p e rie n c e . Cf. I. В e h n, S pa
In order to support th e Church during a great collapse of belief, St Teresa of Avila, w ho undertook th e reform of th e Carm elite Order, considered th at th e most efficient rem edy consisted in th e renew al of th e real spiritual life. The M ater spiritualium not only herself, under th e inspiration of th e H oly Spirit, m atured as ripe fruit in th e garden of th e Church, but "under th e special guidance of God she w as called to explain th e secrets of m ystical theology" (Benedict XIII) and "w ith th e crown of holiness she interw eaved th e crown of w isdom" (Benedict XV). She saw her mission as point ing out th at th e C hristian faith should b e dynamic, full of light and power, th a t it must ascend m ystical summits. She also used to share her experiences. She had a direct influence upon her spiritual daughters in th e Carm elite Order, w hich developed so much owing to th e reform she introduced. This influence has continued due to her presence in th e Communion of th e Saints and due to her n u m erous treatises w hich hav e been read for over 400 years since her death. W hat w ere roots of her ripe fruit? From w hat soil and w hat spring did th at stream of living w ater flow, th e stream w hich she had dream ed of since her childhood like th e Sam aritan w om an of th e Gospels, and w hich accom plished th e m iracle of divinization in her? How did Teresa achieve m ature m ysticism th a t brought about in her "this polyphonic, constantly rising song of glory to God in the Trinity, th e Creator, Redeemer and M aster"? (E. Stein).
In th e hom ily prom ulgating St Teresa th e Doctor of th e Church (27 September, 1970), Pope Paul VI said: "She comes to us at a mo m ent of trem endous effort of carrying out th e reform and renew al of liturgical prayer". It seems a truism to say after th e Pope's w ords th at her mysticism, as an y m ysticism in th e Church, w as ingrained in th e liturgy. But th e suggestive rem ark m ade b y th e Pope arose perhaps from the aw areness th at th e question is not so obvious. The problem is w ell know n to th e experts of m ystical theology dealing w ith 16th and 17th century Spanish m ystical w orks. They realize th at such a form ulation of th e topic leads to a v ery serious theolo gical problem. It refers to th e v ery n atu re of spiritual life, in p ar ticular th e link betw een th ese peaks of m ature faith and sanctity. If w e now quote th e w ell-know n contem porary theologian K. Rahner, th at "the faithful of th e future m ust be m ystics; otherw ise th e y will lose their faith", our problem acquires a fundam ental im portance.
However, m any theologians do not agree w ith th e statem ent th a t St T eresa's m ysticism is rooted in th e liturgy3. There has been
3 F or sim ilar o p in io n see: A. S t o l z , Theolo gie der M y s tik , R eg en sb u rg 1936, 190; L. C o g n e t, La Spiritualité moderne, I. L'essor: 1500— 1650, P aris 1966, w ho say s: „ C e n tré e s u r l'e x p e rie n c e m y stiq u e, la s p iritu a lité th é r e s ie n n e te n d à se ré a lis e r d 'a b o rd d an s la v ie d 'o ra iso n , et elle a c c o rd e p eu d 'a tte n tio n à d 'a u tre s form es de pieté, p a r ex em p le à la litu rg ie ". H . F i s c h e r (M y s t i k in Sacra
men tum Mundi, F reib u rg , III, 1969, 658) blam es S p an ish m y sticism fo r n a rro w in g
alm ost nothing w ritten from th e academ ic point of view th a t could support th e claim th a t St Teresa herself considered th e liturgy as th e source of her m ystical experience and, hence, that she advised others to continue th e inquiry in this direction.
Therefore, this seem ingly individual problem, exam ined on the m aterial of her own w orks, achieves a symbolic aspect. It implies a w ider sense of th e question, nam ely: is all C hristian m ysticism of every period, inspired b y th e liturgy? Do m ystical treatises allow us to m ake such assumptions? In order to provide an ad eq u ate ans wer, w e m ust first of all explain th e basic term s of our thesis, because, as has already been shown by experience, m isunderstand ings often originate in th e field of term inology. Subsequently, I should like to p resent th e problem using th e m ystical th eology of St Teresa as an example.
1. Mysticism — mystery — liturgy
M ysticism is not a biblical term. It simply does not appear in the Scriptures. This does not mean, how ever, th at one cannot come across anything that refers to the n atu re of mysticism. The whole Bible is perm eated w ith m ystical in terpretation4. God is described an-thé O ne w ho leaving man full freedom has given him th e possibi lity of m eeting God personally, experiencing Him, and, consequent ly, unveiling th e m ystery. The w ord and th e act of God become attrib utes of th e Person Incarnate, His Thou, revealing Himself to His friends. The w hole Bible is a description of this divine theo- phany.
The tru e theology of m ysticism has started w ith th e first man, Adam. In the paradise God is close to th e m an created in His image and after His likeness (Gen 1:27). The encounter of m an and God achieves its apogee in th e C ovenant (Gen 15:18), w hich becom es
consortium serm onis Dei (cf. Exod 34:29; 2 Pet 1:4). M ystical traces
can be observed in th e encounter of God and A braham (Gen 12:22), in Jacob's vision (Gen 32:25—31), in th e revelation of JHW H: I AM THAT I AM (Exod 3:14), in th e dialogue betw een God and M oses (Exod 33:7— 11), in th e further com m unication of th e W ord (Deut 1—6), in the Lord's w ords to Elijah (Kgs 19:8— 14), in theophanies of JH W H to the prophets, in the Psalms or in th e C anticle of Can ticles, w hich w ith its poetic form has becom e th e favourite motif of th e bride-m ysticism (Brautm ystik).
In the N ew Testam ent w hat w as only a shadow becom es tran s formed into reality. The epiphany of th e Incarnate Logos is a ful filment of the experience of the union w ith God in faith. This is foretold by th e scenes in w hich C hrist m eets N icodem us and th e
Sam aritan w oman and by His constant referring to "I AM", Ego EIMI (Jn 4:26; 8:24,28,58; 13:19; 15:1) w hich calls for an answ er from His partners. The summit of th e m ystical encounter w ith God is revealed b y Jesu s in th e words: "I am th e bread of life, th e light of th e world, th e resurrection, th e way, the tru th and th e life" (cf. Jn 6:35; 8:12; 11:25; 14:6).
The experience of G od's self-im parting m ust take place in a thanksgiving hum ble acceptance and constant readiness. Synop tics w rote about know ing in ignorance, seeing in not seeing, finding in losing. "A nyone who finds his life will lose it", says th e Lord; "anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt 10:39). Anyway, th e essential thing is to distinguish betw een th e transient and th a t w hich "rem ains for ever" (1 Pet 1:23—25), to choose and to decide. O ne m ust come to know th e secret of th e Kingdom (Mk 4:11) hidden in the symbol of a letter, an image or a parable. And above all, one m ust recognize, w ith the living faith, th e King and Lord Himself. Faith understood as know ledge w ould be m ere in formation unable to cause conversion (metanoia) w hich results from th e encounter w ith th e Risen Lord. That m eeting of H is Person can be called an experience of faith through love. In other words, it is mysticism.
St P aul's teaching of th e m ystery has contributed to th e in troduction of th a t term to C hristianity5. H e w as also th e first to outline the shape of tru e mysticism, in w hich th e notion "m ystical", referring to hum an experience, was to acquire its m eaning in accord ance w ith the "m ystery" conceived as the w ork of God. St Paul's
m ysteiio n m eans th e fulfilment of God's design, w hich form erly w as
concealed, then in Christ revealed to people and during th e times of th e Church hidden again until th e apocalyptic fulfilment of times. The goal and task of this design is to create close bonds between people and God through Jesu s Christ in th e H oly Spirit. The desire of God meets the desire of people. W hen they are eager to cooper ate w ith Him, God enlightens and strengthens them w ith faith forming in them a response of gratitude — thanksgiving, w hile active C hristlike love is being aw aken in them. H ere is th e encoun ter of Christ and His C hurch in th e living faith th at incorporates the m ystery into the interior of man, bringing about th e continuous p as sage w ith Christ through death into the sphere of God.
C hristian m aturity, as p resented in th e Bible, has been m ore specified by th e Fathers of th e Church. The term m ystiko s — m y sticus alw ays appears as a co rrelate of th e m y stery and has its source in the econom y of salvation perform ed by C hrist in the
mys-6 L. C e r f a u x , M y s tiq u e p a u lin ien n e, La V ie S p iritu elle, Suppl. 23(1952) 413—426; J. C o p p e n s , Le ,/M yste re " dans la th é o lo g ie p a u lin ie n n e et se s pa-
ra lèlles Q u m ia n ie n s, in: A. D e s c a m p s , L itté ia tu r e et th é o lo g ie p a u lin ien n es,
tery of Passover, which, for Him and for us, is a clim actical ex perience6. W hat is more, th e possibility of being brought closer to the mystery, is explicitly connected w ith th e liturgy of th e Eucharist. That m y stery is alw ays m ade present during th e celebration of the Eucharist, and this w as not y et to be found in th e teaching of St Paul. O. C asel (î 1948)7, a m onk of th e Benedictine Order, has brought th a t teaching to light from th e tradition of th e C hurch and officially it w as done by th e Second V atican Council: "C hrist is alw ays present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebra tions. H e is present in th e sacrifice of th e Mass, not only in the person of His m inister, «the same one now offering, through the m inistry of priests, w ho form erly offered himself on th e cross», but especially under th e Eucharistie species. By His pow er H e is present in th e sacram ents, so th a t w hen a m an baptizes it is really Christ Himself w ho baptizes. H e is present in His w ord since it is He Himself who speaks w hen the holy Scriptures are read in the church. H e is present, finally, w hen th e C hurch prays and sings, for He promised: «W here tw o or th re e are gathered together for my sake, there am I in th e m idst of them» (Mt 18:20). Christ indeed alw ays associates th e Church w ith Himself in th e tru ly great w ork of giving perfect praise to God and m aking men holy. The Church is His dearly beloved Bride w ho calls to h er Lord, and through Him offers w orship to th e Eternal Father" (SC 7).
For m any theologians of th e patristic age, m ystery is associated w ith the spiritual sense of th e Bible, th e word of God. In biblical exegesis this m eans a tran situs from th e literal sense, also accessible to the nonbelievers, to th e grasp of th e m ystery of Christ. It is, first of all, litu rg y th a t deals w ith th e spiritual exegesis; in th e liturgy Christ reveals His presence through the w ords uttered. In the m y sticism so defined, the dom inant role falls to th e theology, dogma and kerygm a elicited from th e biblical history of salvation. This objective dim ension of th e m y stery m odels our faith being th e object of faith as w ell as th e norm and dynam ic principle of its full m aturity.
Pseudo-Dionisios A reopagite (505) w as th e first to speak of m y stical theology as a synonym to mysticism. H e em phasized the m ystical ch aracter of theology, dem anding thus that theologians should be involved in love and contem plation, beside intellectual cognition8. The shift of focus from the objective to th e subjective
6 L. B o u y e r , M ysterion, La V ie S p iritu e lle , Suppl. 23(1952)397— 413. 7 O. C a s e l OSB, Das christliche K u ltm ysterium , R eg en sb u rg 1960, a n d Die
Liturgie als M ysterien îeier, F re ib u rg in Br. 1923, a n d Glaube, Gnosis, M yste rium ,
M ü n s te r 1941. T his s u b je c t w as w o rk e d o n b y A. M a y e r — B, N e u n h e u s e r ,
Vom. christlichen M ys teriu m , D ü sseld o rf 1951.
8 H. d e L u b a c , Corp us M ysticu m , L'Eucharistie et l'Église au M o y e n
A g e , P aris 1949. Cf. a lso W . S w i e r z a w s k i , M y s te riu m Christi, K ra k ó w 1975,
223—229.
had considerable consequences —■ in th e M iddle Ages and later on —■ for the understanding of m ystical experience. The testim onies of m ystics contain few er and few er descriptions of the object of m ystical experience. Since St A ugustine, who coined the term docta
ignorantia, the know ledge of God is understood as incom prehensible
unity achieved by the silence of mind and loving confidence. M y stics do not tell who God is, but record their experiences and leave the m ysterious person of Ineffable God to theologians who, as a tool for their research, introduce philosophy.
The following résum é may, as any rough summary, have a num ber of blanks and is incapable of grasping th e w hole truth. O ne should not forget, how ever, th a t th e golden period of th e M iddle Ages prolonged th e continuity of th e biblical theology w ith its profoundly elaborated m ysticism based on St Paul's theology of th e m y stery 9. W e can come across organic syntheses of such a view in Summa aurea by W illiam of A uxerre (1231), in De Sanctissimo
corpore Christi by St B onaventure (1274), Sum ma theologica and C om pendium Theologiae b y St Thomas Aquinas, in Opus Tertium
and Philosophia M oralis b y Roger Bacon (1294). T hey treat th e Eucharist as th e source of all m ystical experiences, w hich often occur during th e H oly Mass, especially in th e v e ry act of Commu nion. "During th e H oly M ass in N aples”, K. M ichalski, CM, w rote about St Thom as A quinas' experience, "he had, as it were, pierced w ith his thought th e border-line betw een th e tw o worlds, so th at th ereafter he rather belonged to th e other one"10. The biographies of his contem poraries — theologians and m ystics — contain a large num ber of such accounts.
N evertheless, starting w ith the late M iddle Ages the views began to change, especially under th e influence of non-C hristian mysticism, popular in the Renaissance, such as: Greek, Jew ish, A ra bic or th a t of th e Far East — "christened" by theologians, though not quite consequently. M ysticism becam e cognitio Dei experim en-
talis — the em pirical know ledge of God. The stress is put on the
transform ation of th e soul opened to th e action of God. However, instead of reading th e Bible, people got fascinated by th at learned ignorance, docta ignorantia. In the h isto ry of th e spiritual life, there
9 It is w o rth re m in d in g h e re th a t th e w o rd "m y sticism " o rig in a te s from th e G reek M YEIN — i.e., to sh u t o n e 's e y e s a n d m o u th in o rd e r to a c h ie v e a p ro p e r d is ta n c e to th e e x te rn a l p h e n o m e n a an d be ab le to focus th e in n e r sig h t on th e p e rs o n of C h rist liv in g in o n e 's h eart.
10 E. L o n g p r ê , E u ch a ristie et e x p é rie n c e m y s tiq u e , in: D ictio n n a ire d e
S p iritu a lité , IV, 1960, 1586— 1621. Cf. also St T hom as A q u i n a s a b o u t th e M y
s te ry in: M. J. d e G u i 11 o u, Le C hrist e t l'E glise. T h é o lo g ie du M y s tè re , P aris 1963, a n d W . S w i e r z a w s k i , "G o d a nd th e M y s te r y oi H is W is d o m in tfie
P auline C o m m en ta ries oi Saint T h o m a s A q u in a s" , D ivus T h o m as (P iacenza)
are such m ystical m asterpieces and their interpretations according to w hich it is not necessary to begin w ith reading and understand ing th e Bible in order to achieve a spiritual change resulting in the divinization of man. They suggest just th e opposite, nam ely, that owing to th e spiritual experience o n e obtains the com prehension of the W ord of God. Is Teresa not said to have know n th e Bible from liturgical readings only? Indeed, you can b e immersed in th e m y stery of death and resurrection by hum ility and th e p o v erty of obedience as deep as by great theology, but on one condition: th a t you tak e th e W ord of God and th e presence of Christ in th e Eucharist from th e hands of th e Church as a real fact.
H ere w e h av e arrived at th e gist of th e m atter. True Christian m ysticism is built on th e Gospel and th e eucharistie liturgy, and that is w hy it is alw ays closely connected w ith th e congregation of th e Church and th e Communion of Saints. Did, then, th e Spanish mysticism of the 16th century, by scrutinizing th e inner life of the individuals, narrow th e evangelic and theological outlook dow n to the individualistic model rather than th e com munitarian, w hich it has been accused of by some theologians, e.g., A. Stolz OSB, L. Co- gnet, H. Fischer? Even though, th e y claim, this experience consists in m eeting Christ, th e place of th e encounter seems to b e th e soul of an individual rather than th e com m unity of th e Church. On the other hand, can w e say th a t m aking such a clear-cut border-line and antinom y betw een th e theology of m ysticism and m ystical theology has contributed to th e grasping of real mysticism? To approach it properly, another distinction should b e made, i.e., th at betw een th e theology of m ysticism and the psychology of m ysti cism. The subject of th e psychology of m ysticism is experience, while, in theology it is th e history of salvation w ith its crucial event of th e Paschal M ystery of Christ. Exaggeration in exam ining th e psychological side can be disastrous, since it m ay shadow th e evan gelic sense of m eeting God.
M odern theology of m ysticism is unanim ous in adm itting th at perfection on th e w ay from faith to its m ystical com pletion can be m easured not b y th e experience of being united to God but by obedience, w hich m aintains the unity even in the state of being apparently abandoned by God. In addition, th e theology claims th a t th e natu re of m ystical experience goes beyond th e psychological dim ension and can be neither described nor explained by m eans of the phenom enological method. It rem ains unexpressed and unex plained11. It is w orth m entioning here that the followers of the M as ter have not been prom ised m ystical experience. The Church and every C hristian w ithin her body participate in C hrist's lot. A ny
11 W . B e i e r w a l t e s — H. U. v o n B a l t h a s a r — A. M. H a a s , G rund
m em ber of th e C hurch is crucified w ith Christ, buried w ith Him, со-risen from th e dead and lives w ith Him th e life of heaven (cf. Rom 6:4—5; 1 Cor 11:26). The acceptance of God's will is then the essential criterion of C hristian perfection.
Ail exaggerated forms in th e descriptions of m ystical experien ce and th e reflections upon it, so much popularized due to th e in fluence of Plato, Plotyn, his disciples and Filo, and introduced to th e theology of m ysticism b y Orygenes, St G regory of N yssa and Pseudo-Dionisios, m ight w ell be questioned then. W e should be also critical about certain suggestions of Carm elite theologians th at a really perfect m an m ust die in the ecstasy of love. Bernanos in his
Dialogues des Carmelites, as it w as m entioned by H. Urs von Bal
thasar, w rote th a t a m ystic might also die in fear. Since th e Chris tian n ever has his cross behind himself, h e cannot be sure w hether the dark night of th e spirit will not come and th reaten him w ith despair — "deathsickness", as K ierkegaard w ould say.
The ideal of C hristian perfection involves constant vigilance12. This m eans readiness to accept th e will of th e F ather by following Christ and being open to th e inspiration of th e H oly Spirit. The shift of th e em phasis from experience to readiness is responsible for a slight change in th e character of mysticism. First of all, from this view point th e phenom enon of experience is ascribed relativ e value to, or rath er it is handled w ith m ore precision. This is w hat Thomas Aquinas, th e great m ystic and theologian, m anaged to do. He re m inded us that a m an of faith who follows Christ, receives th e gifts of th e H oly Spirit and collaborates w ith them achieves th e em pirical know ledge of God, especially through the gift of wisdom, perfect ing all other gifts (sapere — to taste). M aturity so conceived m eans th e love of God and brothers, w ithout w hich everything is like „sounding brass" (cf. 1 Cor 13:1); it m eans pure intention expressed in action or contem plation, it also m eans th e prim acy of th e m y stery, into w hich w e are introduced by th e gifts of know ledge and understanding and w hich transform s th e readiness of our faith into a specific experience of participation in th e m y stery of th e Cross, R esurrection and Pentecost.
Such m ysticism develops according to th e logic of faith. It lives on food other th an analyses of hum an interior life. It lives on th e m ystery — no t only th a t expressed in words, but chiefly th a t based on experience. Hence, tru e m ysticism requires liturgy, w hereas p ar ticipation in liturg y requires m ystical depth. H ere is th e core of the problem. A uthentic m ysticism alw ays acquires a trin itarian aspect. Therefore it is also christological, pneum atological and sacram ental
•— built up on th e liturgical life13. Extra-sacram ental influence of th e H oly Spirit w ithout im plantation in th e eucharistie and ecclesial Body of Christ is im possible in th e Church, because th e actual re lationship betw een God and man is not obtained b y thinking about Him, creating intellectual or em otional constructions, even poems or psalms, but by ontological union w ith Christ, w ho rem ains in th e Son's obedience to th e Father. M ysticism then is rooted in th e Eu charist. However, m ysticism is not only to induce in m an praise and thanksgiving, it should also create and p rep are people for th e mo m ent w hen in N ew Jerusalem "w e shall rest and w atch, w atch and love, we shall love and adore. That is w h at shall be in th e end but w ithout end. Since w e have no other end as to reach th e Kingdom that has no en d"14.
M ysticism, then, is a kind of "transpsychological experience" of being immersed in the stream of G od’s life owing to the sacra ments, especially th e Eucharist15. E verybody m ay desire such an experience of God, because m ysticism is not an extraordinary w ay to san ctity reserved only for a few chosen persons. As w e read in the docum ents of th e Second V atican Council (Constitution on the
Church 11), perfect san ctity is th e destination of all th e baptized,
w hich im plies th at th e m ature faith m ust be based on sacram ental and liturgical grounds and it m ust be organically connected w ith active love embodied in ev ery d ay life. The love constitutes a n ec essary com pletion of the partaking in the Body of the Eucharist.
The essential peculiarity of th e m ature faith, e.i., mysticism, lies in stressing neither th e advantage of th e com munication w ith Christ nor th e w ay it is experienced, but th e im portant fact is w hether He will find in man w hat H e w ants to find — th e fulfilment of G od's will. M y stiko s becom es ingrained in th e objective m yste-
rion, from w hich in ta k es its origin. As a stream of living w ater
flowing w ith trem endous en erg y out of the hidden source, it b e comes th e principle of life — this was p articularly distinct in the life of th e Blessed V irgin M ary, th e arch ety p e of any m ature faith. She is w holly th e answ er given to God. W ith H er immense hum ility and sim plicity She is a figure beyond H egel's system of logic. This ty p e of m ysticism is expressed in the language of th e Incarnation, th e Cross, the Descension to the inferos, th e Ascension, th e sending of th e H oly Spirit and eschatology; th e language of God's revelation — of G od's W ord, w hich comes so close to silence! (Cf. th e prayer of the Lord's sage —- W is 18:14— 15.) This is the outline of our prob lem, w hich can be summed up: mysticism rooted in th e liturgy.
13 H. U. v o n B a l t h a s a r , Z ur O rtsb e stim m u n g c h ristlic h e r M y s tik , in:
G rundfragen d er M y s tik , op. cit., 39—71. H. d e L u b a c, In tro d u c tio n to th e
m o n o g ra p h y b y A. R a v i e r , La M y s tiq u e et le s m y s tiq u e s , P aris 1965, 21—27. 14 St A u g u s t i n e , De C iv ita te D ei XX, 30, 4.
Does th e Spanish m ysticism of th e 16th and 17th centuries, particu la rly that of St Teresa of Avila, conform to such a framework? Does it m eet th e above m entioned criteria? This is th e subject m atter of th e second p art of th e argument, w hich is based on th e w ritings of St Teresa and some com m entaries of th e C arm elite school.
2. The liturgy as the source
of St Teresa's mystical experience
In the 16th century, to which St Teresa belongs, liturgy was understood in accordance w ith the Trent tradition. It w as synchro nized in a way, w ith the contem porary concept of spiritual life. Still not long before th at time mysticism had been regarded as the most am biguous and instable term in theology16. A similar opinion concerning liturgy existed in m any circles. In order to m aintain th at liturgy w as th e source of T eresa's m ystical experience, w e must, w ith all possible caution, highlight th e actual contents of her w rit ings. W e should not, then, expect to find in her w orks a dynam ic aspect of liturgy, as the one presented by the Second V atican Council. W hat w e can see here is rather a static model, m ore like a h eav y altar retab le of th e baroque churches th an like a modern table of one Bread — facing the people in front of it. However, this is not y et the point.
The living faith is th e gate to mysticism, i.e., th e experience of God's intimacy. For Teresa faith is a spiritual and personal encoun ter w ith Jesu s Christ. H er m ysticism is christologically oriented, but, as she understands it, also eucharistocentric and trinitarian. W e adm it th a t th e topic of our investigation could be lim ited to the eucharistocentric dimension, ju st because of the kind of th e data collected from her w ritings. The subject w ould be as follows: Holy Communion as th e source of St Teresa of Jesu s' m ystical experience. The reason of m y going beyond this frame lies in th e fact th at Te resa, in her m ystical experience, acknow ledged not only th e im portance of th e Eucharist but also th a t of th e Liturgy of th e Hours. The Carm elite and th e Benedictine traditions alike, not only place
opus Dei in the focus of each d ay but also regard it as a school of
zealous prayer. Teresa herself described the event w hen ,,after the M atins the brothers did not leave to have a rest but stayed until the Prime so deeply im m ersed in prayer that w hen they w ere leav ing for the Prime, their frocks w ere all covered w ith snow, although th ey did not even notice th a t''17.
14 M. G r a b m a n n , W e s e n und Grundlagen der kath olis chen M y s tik , M ü n c h e n 1923, 20. K. R a h n e r , Die e w ig e Bedeutung der M enschheit Jesu für unser
G ottesverh ältn iss, in: Schriften zur Theo lo gie, III, E in sied eln 1961, 47— 61.
17 F 14,7 (II, 437). T e re s a ’s te x ts a re q u o te d from th e tw o -v o lu m e c o llectio n tr a n s la te d b y B ishop H. P. K o s s o w s k i , K rak ó w 1962, a n d m a rk e d acco rd in g
In her autobiography we read: "It was during saying the Hours w hen You, Lord, answ ered me: «Be M y servant and do n o t care for o th e rsI» These w ere th e first w ords I heard from You and this w as th e first tim e I heard You speak to m e"18. During th e liturgical pray er C hrist w ould speak to T eresa19 and come into her sight. W ith His im age before her eyes she often received H oly Commu nion: "This vision, I assu re you, brought m e great ad vantage then and it still does — w henever I look back on it, especially after H oly Comm union"20. Hence, the Pope Paul VI in his A postolic Letter of Septem ber 27, 1970 — th e d ay of her proclam ation as Doctor of th e Church — w rote: "Christ is th e centre of her spiritual teaching — He w ho reveals th e Father and joins us to Him and m akes us one w ith Himself. The union w ith Christ is achieved at th e tab le of the W ord of God through constant m editation on the Gospel and at th e table of C hrist's Body and Blood during th e sacrificial meal of th e Eucharist. At those tw o tables th e hum anity of Christ introduces a man w ho gives himself u tterly to Christ into th e m ystery of death, resurrection and glorious life w ith th e Father. For this reason the holy H um anity of C hrist is all our good and salvation. The highest perfection is reached only by a man w ho is able to say: To m e to live is C hrist".
Before w e immerse ourselves in th e detailed presentation of Te resian m aterial, let us retu rn to th e reproach m entioned in th e first part of this essay. If A. Stolz, OSB, puts in opposition th e Spanish introspective m ysticism of 16th and 17th century21 and th e sacra m ental mysticism, and V. Breton is surprised that theoreticians of contem plation do not ap p reciate th e im portance of th e Eucharist as th e w ay to contem plation22 and union w ith God ·— on w hat grounds are their assum ptions made? Indeed, St John of th e Cross did not w rite about th e influence of th e Eucharist upon m ystical experience, even though he had great devotion for the Blessed Sacram ent and used to spend hours before th e altar23. N evertheless, th e m ystical itin erary of St Teresa begins w ith her belief in the presence of C hrist's H um anity in th e Blessed Sacram ent and w ith her union w ith Christ in th e Eucharist. The itin erary is com pleted by th e union w ith th e Trinity, the Living God, but this alw ays through th e W ord
to th e k e y u se d th e re : L — Life, R — S p iritu a l R ela tio n s, W — T h e W a y ol
P erfectio n , I — T h e In te rio r C astle, С — C o n c e p tio n s on th e L ove o l God, E ·— E xcla m a tio n s ol th e S o u l to G od, F — B o o k ol F oundations.
18 L 19,9 (I, 221). 19 L 34,2 (I, 397). 20 L 40,5 (I, 485).
21 A. S t o l z , T h e o lo g ie der M y s tik , op. cit., 190. 22 V. В r e t ο n, La v ie d e p rière, P aris 1948, 106.
28 St. Je a n de la C roix. Q u e lq u e s tra its d e sa v ie d'après le té m o ig n a g e de
Incarnate: m an should becom e one w ith Christ in order to retu rn to th e F ather in the H oly Spirit.
Even rough introductory acquaintance w ith St T eresa's w ritings proves th a t ap art from th e rich m aterial regarding this subject in every book of hers, from her Life, Spiritual Relations (a treatise on graces and enlightenm ents), The W a y of Perfection (an ascetic treatise), The Interior Castle (mystical treatise), C onceptions on the
L ove of God up to th e Book of Foundations, ap p arently th e m ost
distant from our subject, she w rote a separate treatise, Exclam ations
of the Soul to God, which is a series of m ediations inspired by Holy
Communion (1579).
Her great adventure of having intim ate contact with her Beloved takes place m ainly before, during of after Holy Communion. She w rote: "The Eucharistie daily Bread is to give us strength for a more generous life, and th e m om ent of H oly Communion is th e most p re cious occasion for entering close and intim ate friendship w ith God"24. The m ost essential point, w hich sets th e m ystical experience in an objective light, is th e living faith in th e presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacram ent. It is H e w ho leads m an to sanctity — He coming in Holy Communion and presen t there. "I have seen the Lord in the Blessed Sacram ent living among u s"25. "W hen on receiving th e Eucharist I rem em ber th a t th e same m agnificent M ajesty whom I have seen is presen t there, in th e Eucharist, or w hen th e Lord — w hich often happens — deigns to appear to m y eyes in the Host, I am terrified and I feel as if I did not exist. A nd w hen I see such grand M ajesty hidden in such a tin y thing as th e Host, then m y soul really stops in adm iration for wisdom so im m ense"28.
This vivid aw areness of Christ being present in th e Eucharist is expressed m ost explicitly in th e following words: "God has given her (Teresa is speaking about herself) such an intense faith that, w hen she sometimes heard others express th eir w ish to h av e lived in th e tim es of Christ, she smiled at that, because having th e Lord in th e Eucharist as tru e as w hen he w as still in his m ortal body, she could not im agine w hat else m ight still be desired"27. H ere is th e cornerstone of T eresa's experience. All th a t she experienced and w rote down for th e future generations w as no t only a tru th about her but it w as also gazing upon th e O ne w ho w as all to her. "H e Himself, in His divine grace, w as a real book for m e in w hich I saw His tru th s recorded. Blessed b e th at book w hich engraves in th e
24 From T e re s a 's m e d ita tio n on "G ive u s th is d a y o u r d a ily b re a d " . W 33, 34,35 (I, 752— 764).
26 L 36,6 (I, 423). ** L 3 8-1-9—21 (I, 458). 27 W 34,6 (I, 760).
soul th e know ledge of w hat to read and w h at to do so d eeply that w hat w as once acquired cannot be forg o tten ''28.
Speaking about Christ presen t in the Eucharist and revealed through faith, St Teresa clearly emphasized: "Almost ev ery time I saw Jesu s as th e risen Lord; H e appeared as such in th e H ost as well. O ccasionally, to strengthen me w hen I w as in tribulation, He showed His w ounds to me; sometimes, b u t seldom, I saw Him on th e cross, in G ethsem ane, w earing a crow n of thorns; several times, but alw ays — as I said — for supporting m e in m y needs or for th e consolation of other souls, H e stood in front of m e w ith the burden of His cross; each time, how ever, He appeared in th e risen glorified b o dy"29. "H ere you h av e Him", she w rote, "free of torm ent, full of glory, giving m ight to some and stim ulating others before His Ascension. You h av e Him here, in th e Blessed Sacram ent, since He has m ade Himself our companion, as if unable, so to say, to bear being aw ay for a single m om ent"30.
As w e can see in th e tex ts quoted above, to Teresa th e Eucha rist w as all: it w as th e burning centre of her fervent engagem ent. "Everything only through th e hands of this holy H um anity (...), through this gate w e are to en ter (...), along this w ay y ou can pro ceed safely (...), study His life (...)"S1. It should also be said, how ever, th a t Teresa considered th e Eucharist to be th e place of C hrist's and our sacrifice —· to be a presence dynam ic and, consequently, closer to th e organic un ity of C hrist's presence at Mass, at Communion and in th e soul. "Once, after Communion, I w as revealed how our Father receives th e sacrifice of C hrist's holiest Body in our souls. As far as I could com prehend and see, th e Three Persons of th e T rinity are present th ere and th e sacrifice of His Son is un u tterab ly p leasan t to the Father; He rejoices in Him and H e has a delight in Him here, on earth, since then not only His H um anity but also His D ivinity is living in our souls. Therefore this sacrifice is so pleasing and delight ful to Him th at He w orks such m arvels for u s"82. "In order th a t th e Lord could com e to th e soul and m ake it one w ith Himself, th e soul should — w ith all her courage — try to becom e similar to Him and, after Him, read y to m ake a sacrifice of herself in m any things, d en y ing her righ ts"33.
Thus, th e static aspect of th e Eucharist referring to adoration is com pleted b y Teresa w ith th e dynam ic process. The starting point
28 L 26,5 (I, 302). 29 L 29,4 (I, 331).
30 L 22,6 (I, 254). J e s u s ' H u m a n ity se e n by St T e re sa in th e E u ch arist w as re v e a le d to h e r as th e g lo rifie d b o d y : "D u rin g th e H o ly M ass o n th e d a y of St P au l I saw th e b le sse d H u m a n ity of C h rist as it is re p r e s e n te d o n p ic tu re s — risen , full of u n u tte ra b le g ra c e an d m a je s ty ”. L 28,3 (I, 318).
81 L 22,6 (I, 255). « R 57 (I, 582). 33 L 31,22 (I, 368).
łs th e lov e of th e Lord present in the Eucharist34. This aw areness arising from the deeper and deeper know ledge of th e m utual bridal relatio n w ith Christ tak es on th e form of an appeal to man for offer ing oneself as a sacrifice. Teresa knew very w ell th a t tru e perfection consists in devotion full of readiness. The proof of love is to follow Christ the Lord in His torm ent and selfsacrifice. O ne m ust give oneself up to th e Lord offering Himself to us; give one's part, but accept His as well. To give oneself up w ithout retaining anything m eans to desire suffering and to accept it. "As long as th ere is still a little life left, w hich for some of us m ay be even shorter than w e expect, let us do our best in offering a sacrifice up to th e Lord w ith our soul and body. And th e Lord w ill join it to th e great sacrifice which He offered for us to the Father on the cross — in order that our sacrifice m ay acquire full value and m erit thereby, not accord ing to th e scantiness of our deeds but due to th e good w ill and love w hich u n d erlay our sacrifice"35. H elpless by w ay of p o verty and hum ility, Teresa says: "W hat else can I do, о Lord, than offer You this H oly Bread — and having received it from You, give it back to You?"36. These texts begin to expose th e basic thread connecting th e Eucharist w ith th e passive m ystical states. In th e feeling of the soul's passivity Teresa saw the essential feature of contem plation. M aking an outline of th e proper area of m ysticism th e Saint applied a psychological — an em pirical — test: thus, contem plation is the state of p rayer in w hich th e soul to tally open and read y is experienc ing G od's action.
Such a state of being open to th e w ord of God and accepting it is just the main act of th e Church's liturgy, in w hich tw o phases can be distinguished in this respect: receiving th e W ord as th e w ord and receiving th e W ord th a t has becom e th e Body. The first occurs in the Liturgy of th e Word, w hich consists of readings from the Scrip tures, and th e second takes place during Communion. The central and most im portant function of th e H oly Mass, i.e. of th e m emory of our Lord (memoria, anamnesis) — not only th e m em ory of His Pas sion but also th e m em ory of His w hole life and existence consists in the fact that all w e describe as the paschal m ystery, though this is not called so by Teresa, is m ade present not only objectively on th e altar but also su b jectiv ely w ithin our souls. If "th ere is a p repa ration such as required for proper receiving of H im "37 — if, then,
84 "I can see th is c le a rly a n d c a n n o t d e n y th a t You, m y B eloved, a re all g iv e n to me. You cam e to th e w o rld fo r m e, fo r m e Y ou h a v e gone th ro u g h su c h to il an d p ain , fo r m e You h a v e g iv e n Y o u rself to su ch a c ru e l to rm e n t, for m e Y ou h a v e re m a in e d to liv e in th e B lessed S a c ra m e n t a n d n o w You im p art so u n u tte ra b le a d elig h t to m e!" I 4,10 (II, 284).
85 I 4,15 (II, 235). 36 W 35,5 (I, 767). « W 34,5 (I, 757).
a proper reception of th e Lord occurs, th e Eucharist becomes a sa cram ent of C hrist's interior revelation.
St Teresa saw a v ery im portant problem: not everyone of those w ho receiv e Communion is aw are of this inconceivable m iracle of m eeting th e Living God, th e Bridegroom. "And although You, my Lord, are living in th e Blessed Sacram ent in Your w hole M ajesty, they, lacking th e living faith, cannot see You but in the hum iliation of the species of bread, and You do not speak to them, since they are not w orthy of hearing Your w ords"38. She suffered w hen she saw th e fruitless Communions received frigidly, b y routine: "O m iserable world", she wrote, "veiling the eyes of your inhabitants so much th at th e y cannot see th e riches for w hich th ey could obtain eternal treasures"39.
The living faith as an obvious criterion of th e authen ticity of a m ystical experience is th e m eeting point of th e objective presence of Christ in th e Eucharist and th e subjective perception of Him in th e soul of th e faithful. Such a faith is th e beginning of all th at is d one in a man receiving Christ. "I also know", Teresa w rote, "about the soul w ho for m any years, though she w as not so perfect yet, at the mom ent of receiving H oly Communion felt th e presence of the coming Christ so vividly as if she had Him before her eyes. A w ak ing deep faith she greeted Him who w as descending into a poor dw elling of her soul and, having abandoned all external things, she hid herself w ith Him in her heart. There, v ery much collected, she gathered all her senses in order th at th ey could also feel the great good and w ould not disturb th e soul in its enjoym ent. She knelt and w ept at the Lord's feet as M agdalene had done, as if she could see Him w ith her bodily eyes in th e house of th e Pharisee. And even though she could not feel piety, her faith was telling her th at her comfort w as th e re "40.
For Teresa, th e Eucharist becam e th e school of th at profound "understanding w ithout understanding"41, th e Biblia pauperum , the source of interior life ascending th e summits. O nce she understood that ,,since the moment of His Ascension, He (Christ) has never descended to th e earth and im parted Himself to anybody but in the
38 С 1,10— 11 (II, 248). 39 С 3,13 (II, 277). 40 W 34,7 (I, 760).
41 L 18, 14 (I, 2 Î 3). T e re sa w ro te a lo t a b o u t th e in flu en ce of th e E ucharist on o n e 's u n d e rs ta n d in g of faith. Cf. also: "A fter C om m union to d a y th e L ord has g iv e n m e a g ra c e of th is k in d of p ra y e r (p ra y e r of rest) and, as it w e re , H e lo c k e d m e w ith in it so th a t I co u ld not p ro c e e d a n y fu rth e r. H e g a v e m e the id e a of th o se co m p ariso n s, ta u g h t m e h o w to e x p re ss th e m an d w h a t th e soul s h o u ld do th e n , so th a t I got su rp ris e d a n d te rrifie d th a t I c o u ld co m p re h e n d all th is in o n e m om ent". L 16,2 (I, 196). W e m a y p re su p p o se h e re th e in flu en ce of St T hom as A q u in as, w h o m she m a y h a v e k n o w n being u n d e r s p iritu a l g u id an ce of F a th e r Banez, a w e ll-k n o w n th e o lo g ia n a n d tom ist.
Blessed Sacram ent"42, th e tim e of th e H oly M ass or of the Liturgy of th e H ours becam e not only a gate to heaven for her but even "the open heaven"43. That is w h y she proclaim ed w ith such a great em phasis th a t "th e holiest H um anity of C hrist should on no account he considered as an obstacle for contem plation"44. She taught her sisters: "W hen you have received H oly Communion and h av e th e Lord really in your soul, try to close your bodily eyes and open th e eyes of your soul — look at Him living in your heart. I h av e already told you and I repeat this and shall be constantly repeating that if you acquire this holy custom to cling to Christ w henever you receive Him in th e Eucharist and if you are eager to have such a pure conscience th a t w ill allow y ou to rejo ice in this holiest gift frequently, be sure that the Divine Bridegroom will not come hidden so much th at He w ould not be recognizable to you in some w ay or other, in accordance w ith th e ardour of your desire to see Him. And even more, your desire can increase to such an extent th a t He w ill show Himself to you w ithout a v eil"45.
Entering th e deeper and deeper intim acy w ith Christ received in the Eucharist, w hich is so much like entering heaven, Teresa ex periences closer un ity w ith Him. "M y soul is becom ing one w ith th e H oliest Body of th e Lord, whom I have really seen w ith m y eyes. This has v ery m uch affected m e and has caused great spiritual progress"46. Even her spiritual father's advice to receive th e Eu charist less frequently (sometimes once a fortnight only) did not w orry her; for the sake of obedience she w illingly confined herself to spiritual communion47. That even intensified her spiritual desires, m ultiplied her longings and also contributed to T eresa's constantly accom panying her Beloved, already present in her soul. The Lord living in heaven, present in th e tabernacle, present in th e H ost is now present in man. The aw areness of th e "new location" of Christ brings about th e phenom enon called introspective mysticism, w hich focuses its attention on th e object of know ledge hidden in th e sub ject pursuing th e know ledge, th a t is on God living in man. "In the spiritual communion th e love of Jesus is being em bedded unusually deep in th e soul and w henever y ou p repare yourself to receive Him, He w ill not fail to bestow His graces and gifts by various means, incom prehensible for us.
42 R 15 (I, 551). 43 L 39,22 (I, 479).
44 L 22,8 (I, 256). M ore o n th is su b je c t: M. B u i s s o n , La prés en ce du
Christ dans I1 oeu vre et la m y s ti q u e de sainte Thérèse, P aris 1963 a n d E. d e l
S a g r a d o C o r a z o n , D octrina y v e v e n c i a de santa Teresa sobr e eJ m y s te rio
de Cristo, R e v ista de e s p iritu a lid a d 22(1963)773— 812.
46 W 34,12 (I, 763). « R 49 (I, 578). 47 F 6,22 (II, 391).
O ur Lord is like a fire, w hich though big and strong, will not warm you if you keep far from it, and you will get cold, though perhaps less than if you could not see it at all; but w hen you come n ear and hold out your hands tow ards it, th e cold will cease: you will be refreshed and pervaded w ith dilightful warmth. Thus, Jesus the Lord is a great fire spreading th e w arm th of His love around, but only one who approaches that fire closely will be w arm ed by it. W hen th e soul is w ell prepared by th e desire to receiv e Him and achieve union w ith Him, a single spark of th a t fire falling upon her w ill light her all and a single mom ent spent w ith Him w ill leave th e soul fervent for long hours"48.
The Eucharist is also th e spring from w hich th e m ystical river of T eresa's unusual param ystical experience flows out, more con nected w ith m atter, picture and im agination — and also controver sial in evaluation. Some, such as Butler and Saudreau, regard these phenom ena as a norm al stage in th e developm ent of spiritual life. O thers, e.g., Poulain or Richstätter, see a difference betw een the developm ent of grace and ex traordinary experience. Teresa did not know such argum ents. In th e eucharistie encounter w ith Christ she simply becam e enriched w ith th e experience of faith pregnant w ith love; through this experience she could participate in th e m ystery of th e Cross, Resurrection, P entecost and also in th e interior life of the H oly Trinity. She described this in th e following words: "Per haps only one w ho d elib erately w ants to be blind and deprives oneself of one's reason cannot see the obvious tru th that this is not only creating a p ictu re of th e Lord in one's im agination, as when, for example, w e im agine Him crucified or in other m ysteries of His Passion, but th a t H e really lives in us after Communion and we need not look for Him in an y d istant place. So, if w e know that, as long as our n atu ral body w arm th does n o t consum e th e sacram ental species, sw eetest Jesu s is w ith us, do not let us th en w aste those precious m om ents but let us try to becom e one w ith Him as much as possible.
If during H is life on th e earth a m ere touch of His cloak cured th e sick, w ho can doubt that, if w e only believe, He w ill w ork m arvels in us and, in tu rn for it th a t w e h ave received Him in our house, He w ill give us ev erything th a t w e ask for. For H is Divine M ajesty is never stingy in paying for our inn w hen He finds cordial reception th e re ''49.
Among the m iracles th at God perform s in us w e m ay probably also count th e im aginary visions of Christ. There are th re e kinds of visions and supernatural voices distinguished in m ystical theology, nam ely: th o se addressed to th e senses, to th e im agination and to
48 W 35,1 (I, 765). 49 W 34,8 (I, 760).
th e mind, i.e., intellectual, p urely spiritual ones. They intensify our love for the Present One. "A fter this vision th e soul rem ains tran s formed and, as it were, constantly perm eated w ith God. It begins
to love God anew — w ith a v ery intense living lo v e"50. A bout her vision of Christ of th e second kind Teresa said: "If th e im age appears, this is an image of a living man and not a lifeless picture. This is living Jesus Christ, w ho is m an and God at th e same time, not as He w as in the g rave but as H e is after th e Resurrection. He sometimes comes w ith such dignity th at it is h ard ly possible to doubt th a t it is He, th e Lord Himself. This happens especially after Communion, w hen faith alone assures us of His presence in us. Then H e proves to be th e Lord of H is mansion in such a w ay th at th e soul, as it w ere, becom es annihilated before Him and feels all absorbed in C hrist”51.
A fter H oly Communion she once reached th e climax of m ystical experience: an intellectual vision of th e H oly Trinity. "A fter Com munion on St A ugustine's day", Teresa w rote, "in a w ay w hich is beyond m y pow er to express (I only know th at it w as an intellectual vision and it disappeared in a moment) I w as given an insight into th e w ay in w hich th e Three Persons of th e H oly Trinity, w hose image is ingraved in m y soul, are one being. This know ledge came to me in such an extraordinary image and in light so brilliant th a t th e impact of this vision w as qu ite different from th e know ledge given by faith. Since then I have never been able to think about one of the I b r e e Persons and not see Them all in one spirit. After such a vision", says th e saint, "th e soul gets m ore advantage — neither know ing nor understanding how it happens —- than after years of m editation"52. She ascribed these enlightenm ents to the pow er of th e W ord of God, w ho not only p enetrates th e soul w ith His voice but also enlightens th e mind to enable it to know th e tru th and instigate th e w ill to eager actio n "53. T eresa's activ ity found its ex pression in contem plation — on th e w ays of prayer, described in
The Interior Castle — and also in num erous foundations for religious
com m unities54.
This was the w ay in w hich she was grow ing to th e accom plish m ent of m ystical m aturity. Seeing Christ w ith th e eyes of faith she allow ed the Lord to lead her to the highest summits of sanctity. Looking at th e H ost and, later, at th e Face of th e Beloved in her soul w ith th e same disposition, immersed in light and Love, she was
50 L 28,9 (I, 323). A bout th e re la tio n of th e E u ch arist to s p iritu a l v isio n s, see: P. d e J u v i g n y , Sainte Thérè se de Jesus à l'école du Christ, P aris 1947; M. L e p é e, Sainte Thérè se d'Avila. Le réalism e chrétien, P aris 1947.
61 L 28,2 (I, 322).
52 R 47 (G races a n d E n lig h ten m en ts) (I, 576— 577). 53 F 28,15— 16 (II, 563).
gradually becom ing th e O ne whom she received. She w rote her w orks m inded in this way. "Since to d ay 's Communion I have had th e feeling as if it w ere not me w ho utters th e w ords I w rite; it seems to m e I see in a dream w hat I see and I w ish I could see around me only such people who suffer from the same disease th at I am now affected by. I entreat you", she w rote to her spiritual son Garcia of Toledo, "let us all be fools for th e love of Him who, for us, let others ta k e Him for a fool"55.
Carm elite theologians responded to St T eresa's appeal: influenc ed by her m aterial, th e y w orked out theories of m ystical experience as connected w ith th e Eucharist and, in a w ider sense, w ith th e liturgy. To th o se belong, first of all, Philip of th e H oly T rinity (f 1671) and A nthony of th e H oly Spirit (Ï 1674). The former, w ho had not only deep know ledge of theology but also good acquaintance w ith m ystical phenom ena, in his w ork Summa Theologiae M ystica e, attem pted to present a synthesis of m ysticism rooted in th e liturgy, and he dilated upon the role of th e Eucharist, during w hich "cele bratur m atrim onium spirituale"56. The latter, in his Directorium m y
sticum, w rote upon th is m atter similarly: "Bibunt nam que amici,
sed solum charissim i inebriabuntur"57.
Today, following th e w ords of Paul VI u ttered w hen he pro claimed St Teresa of Jesu s Doctor of th e Church: "She is coming to us at a mom ent of trem endous effort of carrying out th e reform and renew al of liturgical prayer", w e should p ay m ore attention to the m utual relations betw een liturgy and mysticism. The Church needs their organic synthesis, in which, due to contem plation, the liturgy acquires spiritual depth, and its spirit, th e spirit of p rayer arising from the dynam ic m ystery of th e Present Lord, can be em bodied in everybody's life m ore easily, confessing, in th e heart of th e world, that Jesus is God.
55 L 16,6 (I, 199).
“ P h i l i p o f t h e H o l y T r i n i t y , S u m m a T h eo lo g ia e M ystica e ,
F re ib u rg in Br. 1874, III, 326— 364.
57 A n t h o n y o f t h e H o l y S p i r i t , D irectorium m y stic u m , V en ezia 1679, 99— 102, T ract. 4, n. 518— 540.
