Dr. Lilles begins the spiritual explorations of the Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. In this episode we discuss letter 111 as described below:
[April 7, 1902]1
Dijon Carmel, April 7
J. M. + J. T.
Dear Monsieur le Chanoine,
If you only knew how good it is to spend Lent, Holy Week, and Easter in Carmel—it is something unique! With what joy I sang Alleluia, wrapped in the white mantle, clothed in the dear habit that I have so longed to wear. It was quite wonderful, I assure you, to spend Holy Thursday close to Him, and I would have spent the night as well, but the Master wanted me to rest. But that does not matter, does it? We find Him in our sleep just as we do in prayer, since He is in everything, everywhere, and always! At 2 o’clock I went down to choir; you can guess what a glorious time I had, and also what I said on your behalf! More and more I love the dear grilles that make me His prisoner of love. It is so good to think that we are prisoners, in chains for each other; more than that, that we are but one victim, offered to the Father for souls, so that they may be wholly consummated in Unity.
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
When you think of your little Carmelite, thank Him who has given her so beautiful a part. Sometimes I think that it is an anticipated Heaven: the horizon is so beautiful, it is He! Oh! what will it be like above since here below He already makes our union so intimate? You know my homesickness for Heaven, it does not diminish, for I already live in that Heaven, since I carry it within me; in Carmel it seems that we are already so near. Won’t you come to see me some day and continue through the grille the fine conversations you used to have with your little Elizabeth? Do you remember the first time I confided my secret to you in the cloister of Saint-Hilaire? I spent some happy moments with you and I am asking God to reward you for the good you have done me. I still remember my joy when I was able to have a little conference with you and entrust my great secret to you. I was only a child, but you never doubted the divine call!
I have not seen my dear Mama yet; I am expecting her at the first opportunity. My little Guite came last week. It had been nearly two months since we had seen each other, so you can guess what a meeting it was! I am overjoyed to see all the good God is doing in the souls of my darlings. He has taken me in order to give Himself more, and I can see I am doing them much more good in my dear Carmel than when I was near them; oh, how good God is! I am leaving you to go to prayer where we have the Blessed Sacrament exposed every Sunday. I only have time to ask your blessing; I know it is a fatherly one for your little Carmelite.
M. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Thank you very much for your pretty holy card. Please give my greetings to my dear Marie-Louise. Tell her she has certainly not been forgotten!
Catez, Elizabeth of the Trinity. The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel (pp. 42-43). ICS Publications. Kindle Edition.
Special thanks to Miriam Gutierrez for her readings of St. Elizabeth’s letters
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Which treats of the purgation of the active night of the memory and will. Gives instruction how the soul is to behave with respect to the apprehensions of these two faculties, that it may come to union with God, according to the two faculties aforementioned, in perfect hope and charity.
Chapter 29
The fifth kind of goods, in which the Will has Joy: the Supernatural. Their nature, and the difference between them and Spiritual Goods.How Joy in them is to be directed unto God.
Chapter 30
The evils resulting from the will’s rejoicing in this kind of goods.
Chapter 31
The benefits of self-denial in the Joy of Supernatural graces.
Chapter 32
The sixth kind of goods in which the will rejoices. Their nature.The first division of them.
Chapter 33
Of the Spiritual Goods distinctly cognizable by the Intellect and the memory. The conduct of the will with respect to joy in them.
Dr. Anthony Lilles joins Kris McGregor to give a brief introduction Book 3 to the spiritual classic “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” by St. John of the Cross. We hope this will be a helpful support to those who are choosing to enter into this rich spiritual work.
Dr. Anthony Lilles joins Kris McGregor to give a brief introduction Book 2 to the spiritual classic “The Ascent of Mt. Carmel” by St. John of the Cross. We hope this will be a helpful support to those who are choosing to enter into this rich spiritual work.
The nature of the obscure night, the necessity of passing through it in order to attain to the divine union: and especially the obscure night of sense and desire, with the evils which these inflict on the soul.
STANZA I.
In an obscure night,
With anxious love inflamed,
0, happy lot!
Forth unobserved I went,
My house being now at rest.
Chapter 7
THE DESIRES TORMENT THE SOUL. PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Chapter 8
THE DESIRES DARKEN THE SOUL. PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
The nature of the obscure night, the necessity of passing through it in order to attain to the divine union: and especially the obscure night of sense and desire, with the evils which these inflict on the soul.
STANZA I.
In an obscure night,
With anxious love inflamed,
0, happy lot!
Forth unobserved I went,
My house being now at rest.
Chapter 1
There are two kinds of this night, corresponding with the division of the soul into higher and lower.
Chapter 2
The nature and cause of the obscure night.
Chapter 3
The first cause, the privation of the desire in all things and gives the reason for which is called night.
Chapter 4
The necessity of passing truly through the obscure night of sense, which is mortification of the desire in order that it may journey to union with God.
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Dr. Lilles talks about the nature of vocal prayer, the prayer of meditation, and the prayer of recollection.
Saint Teresa Painting Convento de Santa Teresa Avila Castile Spain.
CHAPTER 20 – Begins to treat of prayer. Addresses souls who cannot reason with the understanding.
CHAPTER 21 – Describes the great importance of setting out upon the practice of prayer with firm resolution and of heeding no difficulties put in the way by the devil
CHAPTER 22 – Explains the meaning of mental prayer
CHAPTER 23 – Describes the importance of not turning back when one has set out upon the way of prayer. Repeats how necessary it is to be resolute
CHAPTER 24 – Describes how vocal prayer may be practised with perfection and how closely allied it is to mental prayer
CHAPTER 25 – Describes the great gain which comes to a soul when it practises vocal prayer perfectly. Shows how God may raise it thence to things supernatural
CHAPTER 26 – Continues the description of a method for recollecting the thoughts. Describes means of doing this. This chapter is very profitable for those who are beginning prayer
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Dr. Lilles continues the discussion of the “Living Water”, as well as the nature of “spiritual thirst” and the Woman at the Well as described by St. Teresa of Avila. We also discuss the danger of spiritual gluttony and envy in prayer.
CHAPTER 19 –
Begins to treat of prayer. Addresses souls who cannot reason with the understanding.
Saint Teresa Painting Convento de Santa Teresa Avila Castile Spain.
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. is an associate professor and the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo as well as the academic advisor for Juan Diego House of Priestly Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For over twenty years he served the Church in Northern Colorado where he joined and eventually served as dean of the founding faculty of Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Through the years, clergy, seminarians, religious and lay faithful have benefited from his lectures and retreat conferences on the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the writings of St. Elisabeth of the Trinity.
Dr. Lilles begins the spiritual explorations of the Letters of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. In this episode we discuss letter 111 as described below:
