Exclamation 5 - Exclamations, or Meditations of the Soul on Its God - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus

Exclamations,                               Or      Meditations of The Soul on Its God                        Exclamation V                    S. Teresa of Jesus      of the Order of our Lady of Carmel                                   St. Teresa of Avila                      ░░░░░░░░░░░░ "Written By     The Holy Mother Teresa Of Jesus    On Different Occasions,    According To The Devotion      Imparted To Her By Our Lord    After Holy ComMunion.    A.D. 1569."                     ░░░░░░░░░░░░     From the Book,      "Minor Works Of St. Teresa       Conceptions Of The Love Of God       Exclamations, Maxims And Poems"

Exclamations,                              Or     Meditations of The Soul on Its God                       Exclamation 5

       Exclamation  V  

1. 

O my Lord ! 

After having 

    served Thee so ill 

         and 

    known so little 

        how to preserve past graces, 

how dare I ask for more ? 

How canst Thou trust one 

who has so often proved a traitor ? 

What then shall I do, 

    Consoler of the disconsolate 

              and 

    Refuge of all those 

who come to Thee for help ? 

Is it better to say nothing of my wants 

    in the hope of Thy relieving them ? 

Not so, 

for Thou, my Lord and my joy,

     knowing 

        how numerous would be our needs 

            and 

        what solace we should find

            in confiding them to Thee, 

didst bid us pray to Thee, 

    for Thou wouldst not fail to give. 

2. 

Sometimes I think 

    of the holy woman Martha's complaint; 

    

She was  not merely blaming her sister, 

but I am convinced 

    that what she felt most keenly 

was the thought 

    that Thou didst not care for her labours, 

nor wish to have her near Thee. 

Perhaps she thought 

that Thou hadst less love for her 

    than for her sister, 

which would have tried her more 

    than labouring for the Lord 

         Who was so dear 

    that work for Him was but a pleasure. 

This seems clear, 

    since she addressed Thee, 

          and 

    not her sister Mary : 

but, Lord, 
her love emboldened her 

    to ask Thee 

why Thou hadst no care for her. 

3. 

Thine answer shows        [1] 

    that love alone gives value 

       to our actions 

    — that "the one thing necessary" 

         is to possess a love so strong 

             that it cannot leave Thee. 

But, my God, 

how can we obtain a love worthy 

    of our Beloved, 

unless Thy love for us be united to it ? 

Shall I make the same complaint 

    as this saintly woman ? 

4. 

Ah, I have no cause for that, 

having ever found in my God 

    greater and stronger proofs of tenderness 

than I have known 

    how to ask or even to desire. 

— Were I to complain, 

     it could only be 

         that Thy mercy has borne with me 

          too long. — 

What request 

    can so miserable a wretch as myself 

make of Thee, 

    save that of St. Augustine: 

    "that Thou wilt give me 

      what to give to Thee,"                   [2]

    to repay somewhat of the heavy debt

        I owe Thee : 

   that Thou 

        wilt remember 
              I am the work of Thy hands,

                            and 

        wilt teach me to know Thee, my Creator, 

             so that I may love Thee. 

Foot Notes: [1] St. Luke, x. 41, 42:       Martha, Martha,           sollicita es,        et turbaris erga plurima.      Porro unum est necessarinm.      Maria optimam partem elegit,       quae non auferetur ab ea,     Castle, M. vii. ch. iv. 17,   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          Blog Addition:    Regarding  Footnote reference #1     Martha, Martha,        you are anxious,      and troubled about many things.      But one thing is a necessity.       Mary hath chosen that good part,           will not be taken from her,         Castle, M. vii. ch. iv. 17   ...Believe me,    both Martha and Mary must      entertain our Lord             and      keep Him as their Guest,    nor must they be so inhospitable      as to offer Him no food.    How can Mary do this      while she sits at His feet,    if her sister does not help her?              [ Interior Castle: Mansion 6:        Ch. 4: # 17 ]  His food is that in every possible way      we should draw souls to Him  so that they      may be saved               and      may praise Him for ever.  ...      [ Interior Castle: Mansion 6:        Ch. 4: # 18 ] ______________________________ [2]   Confessions of Saint Aug.,    Bk. xi. ch. ii: "    Give me somewhat to offer to Thee,    for I am poor and needy,    whilst Thou art rich to all       who call upon Thee."   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          Blog Addition:    Regarding  Footnote reference #1   St. Augustine:      "that Thou wilt give me        what to give to Thee,"                   [2]

End of                       Exclamation V                       Exclamations,                               Or               Meditations Of The Soul                          On Its God                                      S. Teresa of Jesus       of the Order of our Lady of Carmel                                   St. Teresa of Avila                  From the Book,       "Minor Works Of St. Teresa        Conceptions Of The Love Of God        Exclamations, Maxims And Poems"

Note:   Attempt was made to  display the quotes      of the other books being cited   by the editor's foot notes.  But, they may not be the actual intended passages        that were cited by the editor  since the editions/translations used by the editor       may have different paragraph numbering   than those available to this blog.