In Chapter 101 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, Marguerite Porete presents the Soul’s state of total union with God, where self-will and self-interest have been utterly annihilated. The Soul, now illuminated by divine Love, no longer seeks, ponders, or acts because she recognizes that God Himself lacks nothing, seeks nothing, and contemplates nothing outside His own fullness. In this profound state of unity, the Soul possesses only as much being as God is willing to manifest in her, embracing a complete self-emptying in which she no longer claims possession or desire for anything. This surrender leads to overwhelming peace, transcending human understanding and rendering the Soul’s entire existence a reflection of divine perfection. The chapter powerfully conveys the Soul’s complete identification with the divine will and the sublime tranquility that flows from such a state.
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1. “Ah, for the sake of God, why would I do something which my Lover does not do? Nothing is lacking to Him, why, therefore, would anything be lacking to me?”
Here the Soul voices a radical identification with her Lover-God. Because God is complete, lacking nothing, the Soul recognizes her own participation in this completeness. Her perfection stems not from her own striving but from her union with the One who lacks nothing. This establishes a profound metaphysical humility, where self-will dissolves in divine will.
2. “This point takes love of myself from me and gives me to Him, without a mediary and without holding back.”
This moment describes the mystical self-emptying, or annihilation of self-love, which allows the soul to belong fully to God. There is no intermediary-no self-interest, no personal agenda-only the direct relationship between soul and God, a union grounded in perfect surrender.
3. “I will do nothing, Reason, says this Soul annihilated and clarified through the lack of love of herself.”
The Soul, having transcended Reason, embraces total passivity-not as sloth or indifference, but as participation in the divine life where God alone acts. Her annihilation is “clarified,” or illuminated, through abandoning self-will, highlighting the paradoxical power found in spiritual poverty and detachment.
4. “Since the time, says the Soul, that Love opened her book to me.”
This “book” symbolizes the revelation of divine wisdom and love to the soul. The opening of Love’s book is a moment of mystical illumination, where the soul comes to comprehend divine mysteries. The soul’s knowledge and possession of “all things” comes from this inward vision, not from reason or effort.
5. “Thus I have only as much being as He is able to be of Himself in me.”
This expresses a deeply mystical insight: the soul’s existence depends entirely on God’s presence within her. Her being is not her own but God’s being manifested in her. The soul has renounced any independent identity, living wholly in the divine.
6. “Ah, for the sake of God, says this Soul, consider what He did, and what He does, and what He will do, and then you will have peace, both moderation and the height, and peace from peace, such overwhelming peace…”
The Soul invites the reader to contemplate the eternal action of God across past, present, and future. This contemplation leads to profound peace-not merely emotional calm but a transformative, overwhelming peace rooted in union with God. This peace transcends human understanding and stabilizes the soul in divine being.
This analysis captures the chapter’s core theme of annihilation of self-will and complete union with God, where the Soul does nothing except exist in God’s fullness. It invites readers into a contemplative space of peace through surrender and divine participation.
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1. Why does the Soul say she does nothing and seeks nothing?
The Soul declares that she does nothing and seeks nothing because she is wholly united with her Lover-God-who Himself lacks nothing and seeks nothing. Since nothing is lacking to God, nothing is lacking to her. This profound union removes all self-interest and self-will, leading her into a state of total surrender. She reflects the completeness of God’s own being, thus having no desire or need beyond what is divinely given.
2. What role does “Love’s book” play in the Soul’s transformation?
“Love’s book” represents the revelation of divine truth and wisdom to the Soul. When Love opens this book to her, the Soul attains immediate understanding of all things. This knowledge leads her to recognize her nothingness and God’s fullness, resulting in the perfect fulfillment of divine work in her. This illumination grants her possession of all things through God, and she accepts her total dependence on Him for her being and action.
3. How does the Soul describe her relationship with Reason?
The Soul distinguishes herself from Reason, which represents the rational mind or the desire to control and calculate. She tells Reason that she (the Soul) has been freed from Reason’s influence since Love opened her book. Reason continues to seek and act, but the Soul no longer has to, for she lives entirely in God’s will. Her enlightenment liberates her from the need to do or understand, as God Himself encompasses her whole being and activity.
4. What is the significance of the statement, “Thus I have only as much being as He is able to be of Himself in me”?
This statement captures the mystical insight that the Soul’s existence is entirely dependent on God’s indwelling presence. Her “being” is not an independent self but is constituted by how much God can manifest His own being within her. This radical self-emptying, or annihilation of self, means the Soul is no longer a separate entity but a vessel through which God’s own life flows.
5. What does the Soul suggest about seeking and possessing?
The Soul asserts that seeking implies a lack, and possessing implies separation. Since God lacks nothing and seeks nothing, and since she is one with God, she too lacks nothing and seeks nothing. Possession in this mystical sense is not about having or holding but about being-allowing God’s fullness to fill her. This leads to a profound peace and rest, for she recognizes that any seeking would mean she has herself and is not fully in God.
6. What kind of peace does the Soul describe at the end of the chapter?
The Soul speaks of “overwhelming peace,” a peace that encompasses both moderation and exaltation, and which surpasses ordinary understanding. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a divine tranquility that comes from total union with God. It stabilizes her in her nothingness and God’s fullness, rendering the corruptible nature of human existence powerless to disturb this peace.
7. How does the Soul’s realization parallel the creation of the world?
The Soul draws a parallel between her own transformation and the act of creation, stating that just as God created all things by His divine goodness, power, and wisdom in an instant, so too does her transformation into divine being occur in a single moment of grace. This analogy emphasizes that her union with God is an act of divine will, not human effort.
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In Chapter 102, The Mirror of Simple Souls presents the profound lament of the Intellect of the Annihilated Soul, who grieves the soul’s continued captivity in corruption, even after being enlightened by divine love. The soul recognizes that both the body and spirit, though created good and sanctified by baptism, remain prone to defects that displease God, no matter how small they seem. The Understanding by Divine Light warns that minimizing these faults reveals a lack of true illumination and repentance, underscoring the grave danger of spiritual complacency. The chapter teaches that even the smallest imperfections can disrupt the soul’s union with God, and that correction and surrender to divine discipline are essential for overcoming corruption. It conveys a sobering yet hopeful message: to live in overwhelming peace with God, one must acknowledge one’s defects, reject self-will, and trust entirely in God’s restoring grace.
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1. “Ah, for God’s sake! says Intellect of the Annihilated Soul, am I not still in the captivity of corruption, where I must be whether I want to or not, if I am not lodged in the prison of correction?”
The Intellect of the Annihilated Soul laments the human condition, recognizing that even those deeply united with God remain in the limitations of corrupted human nature. This “captivity of corruption” speaks to the ongoing struggle against sin and imperfection that persists in mortal life, unless one surrenders fully to divine correction. The phrase highlights the tension between spiritual ascent and the unavoidable imperfections of the human state.
2. “Ah, God! what a pity it is, when wretchedness has the victory over goodness.”
This expression of sorrow captures the tragedy of sin and moral failure, even in souls called to holiness. It reflects Porete’s sensitivity to the pervasive effects of corruption, not just as a personal failing but as a communal and existential reality. The lament underscores the importance of vigilance and reliance on divine grace to prevent “wretchedness” from dominating “goodness.”
3. “The spirit has been created by God, and the body has been formed by God. Now these two natures-joined together in corruption, by nature and by justice-are in the font of baptism without reproach.”
This passage affirms the inherent goodness of both body and spirit, as created by God, and the redemptive power of baptism. Yet it also acknowledges that, even though these natures are good and baptism purifies them from original sin, they remain susceptible to corruption. This statement balances optimism about creation’s inherent goodness with realism about its fragility and the ongoing battle against sin.
4. “Therefore we are distressed in bitterness, and we strive to force against ourselves what this creature does not will.”
This line reflects the internal conflict between the higher will, enlightened by God, and the lower, corrupted inclinations of the creature. The Soul experiences distress as it battles its own unwillingness and defects, illustrating the painful but necessary struggle of conforming to divine will against fallen nature’s resistance.
5. “Ah, God, says Understanding by Divine Light, who would dare to call this small? I maintain that whoever names it small was never well illumined, nor will he ever be, if he does not repent of it.”
Here, Understanding by Divine Light vehemently rejects the notion that any defect or sin can be considered “small.” The intensity of this statement reflects a deep awareness of God’s holiness and the seriousness of all sin, no matter how minor it may seem. The warning underscores the need for ongoing repentance and vigilance, emphasizing that any complacency in this regard is spiritually dangerous.
6. “There is much to say to him about the kind of servant who serves his Lord in all the ways he understands would best please the will of his Lord!”
This concluding statement shifts from lament to exhortation. It calls for total, active commitment to serving God, urging the reader to pursue the divine will with full knowledge and dedication. This is not about passive compliance but a loving, intelligent response to God’s goodness, which entails rejecting even the smallest defects and fully aligning one’s life with divine desire.
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1. What is the central concern expressed by the Intellect of the Annihilated Soul in this chapter?
The Intellect of the Annihilated Soul expresses profound sorrow over the persistent captivity of the human soul in corruption. Despite spiritual annihilation and union with God, the soul remains constrained by the corrupted nature of the human body and spirit. This duality causes tension and distress because even the soul’s best efforts are hampered by residual wretchedness. The chapter highlights the soul’s helplessness unless fully surrendered to divine correction.
2. How does the Soul describe the relationship between the body and spirit, and what role does baptism play?
The Soul explains that both the body and spirit were created good by God and united in a natural and just harmony. Baptism sanctifies this dual nature, removing original reproach and making the soul and body blameless in divine justice. However, despite this initial purification, the inherent capacity for corruption remains, and any defect-even minor-disrupts the balance. Thus, baptism is a foundational grace, but the struggle against sin continues.
3. Why does the Soul argue that no defect, no matter how small, is truly small?
The Soul insists that any defect displeases God’s perfect will and therefore cannot be considered “small.” The Understanding by Divine Light asserts that labeling a defect as minor shows a lack of divine illumination and repentance. Even seemingly insignificant failings disrupt the soul’s alignment with God, and complacency in this regard is spiritually perilous. This teaching emphasizes the seriousness of sin and the need for constant vigilance and humility.
4. What is the significance of the phrase, “wretchedness has the victory over goodness”?
This phrase captures the deep sorrow felt when the soul’s corrupted tendencies prevail over the good will and desires instilled by God. It acknowledges the tragedy of human weakness, where sin and imperfection overpower the soul’s aspiration for goodness. The phrase also reflects the reality of spiritual struggle in which human limitations, if not surrendered to God’s grace, can undermine the work of holiness.
5. How does the Soul describe the role of divine correction in overcoming corruption?
The Soul recognizes that while the human constitution is inherently susceptible to corruption, the “prison of correction”-a metaphor for divine discipline and transformation-offers hope. Only by embracing God’s correction and surrendering fully to His will can the soul be freed from the captivity of its defects. This “correction” is not punitive but restorative, leading the soul into deeper union with God.
6. What practical spiritual lesson does the chapter convey through its lament and exhortation?
The chapter conveys that true spiritual growth involves acknowledging even the smallest faults and defects as obstacles to holiness. It calls the soul to vigilance, repentance, and a wholehearted desire to please God in every detail. The “Intellect of the Annihilated Soul” and the “Understanding by Divine Light” model a deep reverence for God’s holiness and a serious attitude toward sin, encouraging readers to reject spiritual complacency and to strive for perfection.
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Chapter 103 explores the profound relationship between human free will, divine goodness, and the nature of sin. The Soul clarifies that falling into sin is not an unavoidable consequence of human frailty or the body’s corrupt nature but results from the will’s consent to defect. By distinguishing between physical corruption and voluntary sin, the text defends the essential dignity and freedom granted to the human will by God. It affirms that God’s power, though absolute, does not violate this freedom, which is a gift of divine love. The chapter emphasizes that neither God’s power nor any external compulsion can force the soul to sin against its will, reinforcing that sin requires deliberate assent. Ultimately, it underscores the noble and inviolable freedom that divine love bestows upon the soul, echoing God’s own inability to sin and highlighting the soul’s participation in divine nobility through its free will.
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1. “Now there are some, says this Soul, who are helped by what Scripture says, that the just man falls seven times each day. But those are indeed donkeys who interpret this to be any course of correction. Correction occurs when one falls into defect by the consent of one’s will. Corruption is the heaviness of the constitution of our body.”
The Soul criticizes simplistic interpretations of the biblical idea that a just person falls seven times daily. This “fall” is not merely a matter of bodily weakness or human nature (corruption) but relates to willful choices. True correction happens when a person assents to defect-when the fall is chosen rather than imposed. The Soul distinguishes between unavoidable human frailty and moral failure born of consent.
2. “According to this account, it would seem that we would have no free will if it were necessary for us to sin against our will seven times each day. It is not so, says this Soul, thanks be to God! For God would not be God if virtue were taken from me in spite of myself!”
The Soul firmly rejects the idea that human beings are fated to sin. If sin were inevitable, it would contradict both divine justice and human free will. God’s nature, as Goodness itself, ensures that virtue cannot be taken away from us involuntarily. This emphasizes that the will is free and responsible for choosing virtue or sin.
3. “For no more than God can sin, who cannot will it, can I sin if my will does not will it.”
The Soul draws a bold parallel: just as God cannot sin because His will is pure, so too a human soul, if it wills purely and resists consenting to sin, cannot sin. This underscores the Soul’s union with divine will, and the power of a will fully aligned with Love and Goodness. It highlights the intimate link between divine freedom and human freedom.
4. “My Lover has given me such freeness by His goodness through love. And so if I will something, why would not He allow it? If He would not allow it, His power would take freeness from me.”
Here, the Soul rejoices in the gift of freedom from her Lover (God). Divine love bestows upon her a will that remains inviolable. If God’s power were to override this freedom, it would contradict His own nature of generous love and goodness. The Soul trusts that her free will, given by Love, cannot be forcibly compromised.
5. “The supreme height of Love has given me such nobility by her Goodness through love that she can never take from me the freeness of my will if I do not will it.”
The Soul culminates with a powerful declaration: divine Love, in its highest and most noble form, has granted her such dignity that her free will is unassailable. This reflects a profound theological insight: divine love elevates human dignity by respecting and preserving the freedom of the will. The Soul stands in radical liberty, capable of choosing union with God or turning away, but never coerced.
This chapter affirms that human free will, granted by divine love, is inviolable. The “seven falls” of the just are not forced errors but arise when one consents to defect. The Soul’s freedom to will or not to will defect stands at the heart of the human-divine relationship.
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1. What is the Soul’s interpretation of the biblical phrase “the just man falls seven times each day”?
The Soul critiques the simplistic interpretation that the just man’s falls are inevitable or due merely to human frailty. Instead, it clarifies that these falls involve a willed consent to defect. Correction only occurs when one consciously assents to sin, not through the natural heaviness or corruption of the body. Therefore, the seven falls represent instances where the will deliberately chooses what is contrary to God’s will, not mere human weakness.
2. How does the Soul explain the role of free will in relation to these “falls”?
The Soul emphasizes that free will is essential and inviolable. It argues that no one is forced to sin, and sin cannot happen against one’s will. If it were necessary to sin, even unwillingly, this would imply a loss of free will, which contradicts both God’s justice and goodness. The Soul affirms that as long as the will does not consent to defect, sin is impossible. God’s goodness grants the soul the freedom to choose, and His power never overrides this freedom.
3. Why does the Soul reject the idea that corruption or human frailty necessarily leads to sin?
The Soul distinguishes between the natural heaviness of the body, which can incline one toward imperfection, and the act of consenting to defect, which constitutes sin. While human frailty (corruption) can lead to weaknesses or errors, these are not sins unless accompanied by the will’s consent. This distinction safeguards the integrity of free will and personal responsibility for sin.
4. How does the Soul describe the relationship between God’s power, goodness, and human freedom?
The Soul explains that God’s power is not opposed to His goodness. His power cannot and does not take away the freedom He has granted. To do so would contradict His own nature of generous love and justice. God, as Love and Goodness itself, has given the soul the nobility of free will, which He never retracts unless the soul itself consents. Divine power respects human freedom, and thus, no external force can compel sin.
5. What is the significance of the Soul’s comparison between itself and God regarding sin and will?
The Soul draws a daring parallel, asserting that just as God cannot sin because He cannot will it, so too the soul, when fully aligned with divine will and Love, cannot sin unless it wills to. This elevates the soul’s dignity, suggesting that in its union with God, it shares in the inviolability of divine will concerning sin. The soul’s freedom is thus not only protected but sanctified by Love.
6. What broader theological truth does this chapter highlight about human dignity and divine love?
This chapter highlights the profound connection between divine love and human dignity. It teaches that God’s love bestows upon the soul a noble freedom that cannot be violated, even by divine power, unless the soul itself consents. This freedom affirms the dignity of the human person and reveals God’s respect for human will as an essential aspect of love. It portrays the soul’s relationship with God not as one of coercion but as a mutual gift of love and freedom.
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Chapter 104 of The Mirror of Simple Souls emphasizes that God’s gift of free will to the soul is complete, irrevocable, and grounded in pure love. The Soul corrects a misunderstanding that she has received “nothing more” than free will, explaining that free will itself is a pathway to receiving “all things” from God, provided her will aligns with His. Love affirms that God’s generosity is total, while Fear raises doubts that are answered by the Soul’s assertion of her complete self-offering to God. The chapter reaffirms that virtue cannot be taken from the soul against her will, as this would violate both God’s justice and her freedom. In essence, the chapter highlights the reciprocal relationship of love and freedom between God and the soul, underscoring that the soul’s willing union with God unlocks the fullness of divine gifts.
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1. “You see how He has freely given me my free will. I have said above, says the Soul, that He has given me nothing more. But in saying this, one could interpret this to mean that He had not given me all things, or that He has not given me anything except free will, or prepared the other things for me. Certainly this would be a bad interpretation, for He has given me all things. He could not have held anything back from me.”
The Soul clarifies that although she earlier said God had given her “nothing more” than free will, this should not be misunderstood as God withholding other gifts. In fact, her free will is the gateway to receiving “all things” from God. This highlights the generosity and completeness of God’s love and providence. The Soul’s free will allows her to actively participate in God’s goodness, which implies that the entire divine bounty is available to her, contingent on her will aligning with God’s will.
2. “And Love confirms this, who says that such a thing would not be love from a lover if it were so. For insofar as He has given me free will by His pure goodness, He has given me all things, if my will wills: He does not withhold otherwise, of this I am certain.”
The voice of Love confirms the Soul’s reflection, emphasizing that divine love is complete and lacks no generosity. God’s giving of free will is an act of pure love, and if the soul’s will aligns with His, all divine gifts are granted. Love itself testifies that it would be contrary to love’s nature for a lover (God) to withhold anything from the beloved (soul).
3. “Fear: And how, for God’s sake, Lady Soul, has He given you all things? says Fear.”
The figure of Fear questions how the Soul can claim to have received “all things,” introducing a voice of caution or doubt. This interjection reflects the natural human hesitation to accept the radical nature of divine generosity and the Soul’s lofty claim.
4. “Soul: In this, says the Soul, that I have freely given Him my will, nakedly, without holding anything back, for the sake of His goodness and for the sake of His will alone, in the same way He gave it to me by His divine will for the sake of my profit, by His divine goodness.”
The Soul responds to Fear by explaining that she has given her will entirely and without reservation to God, mirroring how God gave her free will for her benefit. This mutual exchange-God giving free will and the Soul giving it back-creates a complete union of wills. It is not merely a transaction but a profound sharing of divine and human freedom.
5. “Now I have said, says this Soul, that God would not be God if virtue is taken from me in spite of myself. This is true. There is no more certain thing than that God is, and no more untrue thing than that virtue is taken from me if my will does not will it.”
The Soul reiterates a core teaching: God’s gift of free will cannot be forcibly overridden, even by divine power. Just as God’s being is an absolute certainty, it is equally certain that virtue or grace cannot be taken from the soul against her will. This assertion preserves both divine integrity and human freedom.
6. “And this is far from what Scripture says, that the just man falls in the course of correction seven times each day.”
The Soul distances her teaching from a misinterpretation of Scripture. While the “fall” of the just man is often understood as inevitable sinfulness, she insists that true sin comes from the consent of the will. God does not compel the soul to fall; falls occur when the soul’s will assents to defect. This reinforces her earlier teaching from Chapter 103.
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1. What key misunderstanding about free will does the Soul correct in this chapter?
The Soul clarifies that her earlier statement-God has given her “nothing more” than free will-should not be misinterpreted to mean that He has withheld other gifts. In fact, God’s gift of free will is a complete and generous gift that opens the way for the soul to receive all things. If her will aligns with His, nothing is withheld from her. Thus, free will is both a sign of God’s love and the channel through which divine blessings flow.
2. How does the voice of Love reinforce the Soul’s point?
Love confirms the Soul’s insight by affirming that true love cannot withhold any good thing from the beloved. Since God has given the Soul free will by His pure goodness, this gift encompasses all things, provided the soul’s will chooses to align with God’s. Love makes it clear that God’s generosity is boundless and that His giving is not partial but complete.
3. How does the figure of Fear challenge the Soul’s assertion?
Fear questions how the Soul can claim to have been given “all things.” This represents a natural human hesitation or doubt about the radical nature of God’s generosity. Fear’s challenge invites a deeper clarification from the Soul about the relationship between divine gifts and human free will.
4. How does the Soul respond to Fear’s question?
The Soul explains that she has freely and completely given her will back to God, holding nothing back. This act mirrors God’s initial gift of free will, which He gave for her benefit. Because of this mutual self-giving-God to the soul, and the soul to God-there is nothing withheld, and the Soul receives “all things.” This exchange is rooted in pure love and the total freedom of the will.
5. Why does the Soul say it is impossible for God to take virtue away from her against her will?
The Soul teaches that just as God’s existence is certain and unchanging, so too is the principle that virtue or grace cannot be taken from the soul against her will. If her will does not consent to sin, she retains virtue. This upholds both God’s justice and the integrity of human freedom. It also contradicts the misinterpretation that the just man’s inevitable “fall” each day means God forces sin upon him.
6. How does this chapter continue the discussion from Chapter 103?
In Chapter 103, the Soul rejected the idea that Scripture’s statement about the just man falling seven times a day implies forced sinfulness. Chapter 104 builds on this by emphasizing that God’s gift of free will is irrevocable and that sin or virtue depends on the soul’s own will. This deepens the theological reflection on free will, grace, and divine generosity.
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Chapter 105 of The Mirror of Simple Souls teaches that the saying “the just man falls seven times each day” refers not to moral failings but to the natural inclinations and weaknesses of the human body, affected by the fall of Adam. While the body may drag one down to lesser attentions, the just man’s will, steadfastly united to God, refuses consent to sin. These “falls” are thus not guilt-inducing but rather opportunities for virtue, as they reveal the soul’s perseverance and continual ascent to God. The soul’s peace remains intact because it lives in a state of union with divine goodness, beyond the reach of mere Virtues and human limitations, grounded in the supreme generosity of God.
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1. “I will tell you what it means, says Truth, that the just man falls seven times each day. It means that insofar as the will of the just man is completely given over to the contemplation of the divine goodness without any impediment, the body is feeble and tends toward defect because of the nourishment of the sin of Adam and thus is inclined often to give attention to lesser things than the goodness of God.”
Truth reveals that the “fall” of the just man is not a moral failing or sinful consent, but rather the natural pull of the weak human body, still nourished by Adam’s sin. This inclination to distraction or lesser things happens even when the will is fully given over to God, highlighting the tension between the spiritual focus of the soul and the corporeal limitations of the body. The concept reframes “falling” as a mark of human nature rather than a defect in the will.
2. “But the will of the just man is kept from consenting to the defect, which could grow from such an inclination. So such a fall, by which the just man falls through the above said inclination, is more virtuous for him than vice, because of his will, which remains free through the refusal of all defect, as has been said.”
Here, the distinction is made between inclination (which is natural and involuntary) and consent (which is a free act of will). The just man’s refusal to consent to these bodily inclinations not only preserves his righteousness but is actually virtuous. The soul’s steadfastness in choosing God despite these distractions deepens the soul’s virtue, showing that resistance is itself a source of spiritual growth.
3. “Since the just man falls seven times each day, it is necessary that he be lifted seven times, else he could not fall seven times. That one is blessed who often falls, for it follows that he came from the place where no one goes if he does not have, by righteousness, the name of ‘just.'”
This paradox highlights that the more a soul “falls,” the more it must be lifted up by grace. Each fall signals not moral collapse but the soul’s return from a high state of contemplation, necessitated by the body’s limitations. Falling, then, is evidence of the soul’s high spiritual standing, because it indicates a return from heights only attainable by the just. It points to an ongoing rhythm of ascent and descent in spiritual life.
4. “However, the one is the most blessed who always remains there. No one is able to always be there as long as the soul is accompanied by this wretched body in this world; but this fall does not cause the loss of peace through guilt or remorse of conscience, for the Soul lives by the peace of the gifts given to her above the Virtues-not contrary to the Virtues, but above.”
This passage affirms that perfect constancy in contemplation is impossible in this life due to the body’s limitations. However, the falls of the just do not disturb inner peace or cause guilt, because the soul lives in a peace granted by God’s grace that transcends even the Virtues. The soul’s union with God elevates her above external moral norms, not in opposition to them, but in fulfillment of them. This teaching underscores a mystical elevation where the soul’s union with God grants a stability that bodily weaknesses cannot undermine.
5. “If this could not be, then God would be subject to His Virtues, and the Virtues would be contrary to the Soul, [Virtues] who have their being from their Lord, for the sake of the profit of [the Soul].”
Truth concludes by asserting the supremacy of God’s love and grace over even the Virtues. Virtue serves the soul, and both exist for God’s glory. The soul’s elevation through grace above the Virtues is not an abolition of virtue but its fulfillment, where God’s generosity grants peace that transcends moral striving.
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1. What does Truth explain about the meaning of the just man falling seven times each day?
Truth explains that the phrase refers to the natural inclination of the human body toward defect and distraction, not to voluntary sin. Even when the just man’s will is fully united to God’s goodness and contemplation, the body-affected by the sin of Adam-inevitably drags him down into lesser attentions or weaknesses. This “fall” is not a moral failing but a natural aspect of human embodiment.
2. How does the just man’s will respond to these inclinations, and why is this response considered virtuous?
The just man’s will does not consent to these bodily inclinations. His refusal to give in preserves his virtue and is itself an act of virtue. This resistance demonstrates the free and steadfast nature of his will, which clings to God despite bodily distractions. Thus, the “fall” becomes a proof of the soul’s spiritual strength and alignment with divine will.
3. Why does Truth consider it blessed to fall often?
Truth notes that falling often implies being lifted often, which is possible only for those who dwell in the heights of contemplation-the “just.” Frequent falls, therefore, are evidence of spiritual elevation, since only those who have ascended to union with God can experience these necessary descents. Falling is a mark of spiritual progress and of one’s standing in the realm of righteousness.
4. Who is “most blessed” according to Truth, and why is it difficult to attain this state?
The one who is most blessed is the soul who remains continually in the heights of divine contemplation without falling. However, this is impossible while the soul remains in the body, since the body’s natural weaknesses inevitably pull it down. Absolute constancy is reserved for a state beyond this life, but the repeated cycles of falling and rising are themselves part of the journey.
5. Does falling cause guilt or remorse of conscience for the just man? Why or why not?
No, these falls do not cause guilt or remorse because the just man’s will never consents to sin. His soul lives in a peace given by God’s grace, which is above even the natural Virtues. This peace is not opposed to virtue but transcends it, signifying a union with God that renders the soul’s peace unshakeable, despite bodily weakness.
6. What does Truth teach about the relationship between God, Virtues, and the Soul’s state?
Truth teaches that God is not subject to His own Virtues; rather, the Virtues serve the soul and ultimately exist for God’s glory. When the soul is elevated in grace, she transcends the Virtues-not by rejecting them but by fulfilling their ultimate purpose. This shows that God’s generosity and love are supreme, and the soul’s peace in Him surpasses mere moral striving.
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In Chapter 106 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, the Soul reveals that the true goal of her petitions is beyond her knowledge or desire, originating instead from God’s divine initiative and pure love. These petitions are formed within her by the drawing power of divine love, surpassing the understanding of any created being, including angels and saints. This love, grounded in God’s goodness and accomplished without the Soul’s active work, draws her into a union with the Trinity itself-One in Deity and Three in Persons. The Soul thus confesses her radical dependence on God’s grace, recognizing that only He knows the depths of her true desire, which she cannot even articulate or comprehend.
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1. “Now, says this Soul, I will state the goal of my petitions; in such petitions the request would be to accomplish the goal. Not, says this Soul, for the purpose of something which I might know how to ask for, or which I might wish to ask for, for none of the orders of angels, or any of the men or women saints who are in these orders, know how to ask for it.”
The Soul expresses a profound humility and an awareness of her own limitations in understanding or formulating requests. She acknowledges that even the highest angelic orders and saints cannot grasp the full magnitude of her petitions. This sets the stage for a deeper teaching: that the soul’s desire and petitions transcend conscious articulation and are rooted in a mystery beyond created comprehension.
2. “God does it!”
This simple yet profound declaration signifies that it is God alone who initiates and fulfills the petitions of the soul. The soul recognizes that her own efforts, understanding, or desires are secondary to the divine initiative. This shifts the focus from the soul’s active striving to God’s gratuitous action within her.
3. “She is able to know it well, says Love, through the divine nature of the drawing power of her love, which forms her petitions in her, without her knowing it. And her petitions are beyond any country where the creature can have understanding.”
Love clarifies that the soul’s petitions arise from the divine love within her, a love that transcends her own conscious awareness. This “drawing power” suggests a deep, almost gravitational pull of divine love that generates petitions from within the soul’s depths. The petitions are thus not products of human reason or volition but of divine love itself.
4. “Why would anyone know it except Him whose I am or of whom I am, who is Himself in me? This is secret Love, who is beyond peace; there my love is established without myself.”
Here the Soul affirms that true knowledge of her petitions belongs solely to God, who dwells within her. The “secret Love” transcends even the peace that is often associated with union with God, indicating a deeper, hidden union where the soul is moved and formed by God’s love, beyond her own effort or comprehension. Her love is thus “established without herself”-an acknowledgment of the primacy of divine action.
5. “But about what He is of Himself in me for my sake, or about what I ask, without asking of myself, about the drawing power of His pure nature I can know nothing, says this Soul. None of those in glory do this except for One alone who is one in Deity and three in Persons.”
The Soul admits her inability to grasp the full reality of what God is within her or of what her petitions, formed by divine love, actually entail. This is a profound expression of the unknowability of God’s inner workings and a recognition of the unique mystery of the Trinity-the one God in three Persons-as the source of her life and petitions.
6. “But, says Love, in this she has said that she will say what is the goal of her petitions, that is, she will say what it is that she has. In truth, she has what no one can say or ponder except God, who always works His work in her, without her work, by His divine goodness, that is, without the work of the Soul.”
Love reveals that the goal of the Soul’s petitions is nothing other than the possession of God Himself. What she “has” is beyond human or angelic comprehension; it is something only God can fully know and bring about. Importantly, God works this in her without her own effort-it is a pure gift of divine goodness and grace. The Soul, in a state of receptive humility, simply receives.
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1. What does the Soul state as the goal of her petitions?
The Soul declares that the goal of her petitions is not based on her own knowledge or desires, nor on anything she can ask or wish for. Instead, the petitions are formed by divine love within her, beyond her understanding or that of any angel or saint. The ultimate goal is God Himself, who alone can fully know and bring about what she truly needs and desires.
2. Why does the Soul say she cannot know what she asks for?
The Soul acknowledges that she cannot know what she asks for because the petitions are formed by the divine love within her, operating beyond the scope of her understanding. Even the highest orders of angels and saints cannot comprehend this love or these petitions. It is God alone, in His mystery and goodness, who knows and accomplishes what she truly seeks.
3. How does Love explain the formation of the Soul’s petitions?
Love explains that the petitions arise from the divine “drawing power” of love, which forms the requests within the Soul without her knowing it. This drawing power is the pure nature of God’s love, moving the Soul toward God Himself. The petitions are therefore not products of human or created understanding, but of divine initiative.
4. Why is the Soul’s love said to be “established without herself”?
The Soul’s love is described as “established without herself” because it is formed and sustained by God’s action alone, not by her own effort or knowledge. Her union with God in love is so profound and hidden that it transcends even her conscious awareness. It is an expression of God’s gratuitous gift and the primacy of His grace over any creaturely work.
5. What does the Soul recognize about the mystery of God’s work in her?
The Soul recognizes that the full reality of God’s work in her is beyond her comprehension and cannot be articulated by anyone except God Himself. This work is grounded in God’s divine goodness, accomplished without any contribution from the Soul. It points to the unique mystery of the Trinity-one God in three Persons-as the source and goal of her petitions and of her entire spiritual life.
6. How does this chapter illustrate the theme of divine initiative versus human effort?
This chapter underscores that true spiritual petitions and union with God are not the result of human effort or understanding but are entirely the work of divine love. The Soul’s petitions are formed within her by God’s love, without her conscious effort or comprehension. This highlights the radical dependence of the soul on God’s grace and the primacy of His initiative in the spiritual journey.
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In Chapter 107, the Soul’s petitions reveal her profound humility and deep desire for self-knowledge. First, she asks to always see herself in the state of nothingness from which she was created, acknowledging her complete dependence on God’s goodness and guarding against pride. Second, she seeks to understand the gravity of her misuse of free will, recognizing that even a moment of consent to sin separates her from God’s will and aligns her with what is contrary to divine goodness. These petitions show her striving for complete union with God, awareness of her nothingness apart from Him, and a sincere longing to align her will entirely with His.
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1. “The first thing which she asks is that she see herself always (if she is to see anything) where she was when God made all things from nothing, so that she might be certain that she is not other than this -when she is of herself- nor will she be eternally [other than this] because she had rebelled against the divine goodness.”
In her first petition, the Soul asks to maintain a clear and continual vision of her ontological poverty-the fact that she was created from nothing and remains nothing in herself apart from God. This self-awareness keeps her grounded in humility and dependent upon divine goodness. The Soul’s desire to remember her origin guards her from spiritual pride, reminding her that any existence or goodness she possesses is purely by divine gift, and that even rebellion or sin does not change her essential nothingness apart from God. This echoes the deep mystical insight that spiritual progress requires a continual recognition of one’s own nothingness in relation to God’s all-sufficiency.
2. “The second petition is that she see what she has done with her free will, which God has given to her, so that she might see that she has removed her will from God Himself in one sole moment of consent to sin. This means that God hates all sin, and whoever consents to do sin removes his will from God. This is true, for he does what God does not will and what is against His divine goodness.”
In her second petition, the Soul pleads to see the consequences of her misuse of free will: how even a single moment of consent to sin is a profound rupture from God’s will and goodness. This petition reveals her deep desire for self-knowledge and repentance. It acknowledges that free will is a sacred gift, but when misused-when one wills something contrary to God’s will-it constitutes a real estrangement from divine goodness. By recognizing this truth, the Soul aligns her will more perfectly with God’s, seeking not only forgiveness but also a restoration of union. This insight into the gravity of even minor consent to sin underlines the radical seriousness of the Soul’s journey and her yearning for complete reintegration into God’s love.
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1. What is the first petition that the Soul makes in this chapter?
The Soul’s first petition is to see herself always-if she is to see anything-where she was when God made all things from nothing. This is so she may remain certain that she is essentially “nothing” when she is of herself, and that even in eternity she will not be anything different except by God’s grace. This petition reveals her desire for deep humility and ongoing awareness of her absolute dependence on divine goodness.
2. Why does the Soul wish to see herself in this way?
The Soul desires to maintain a constant recognition of her own nothingness, both in her creation from nothing and in her potential rebellion. This self-knowledge prevents pride and grounds her in humility and truth, ensuring that her identity is rooted not in herself but in God’s creative and sustaining love. She acknowledges that her essence, apart from divine goodness, is nothing.
3. What is the second petition the Soul makes?
The second petition is that the Soul may see how she has used her free will, which God has given her. Specifically, she wants to see that she has removed her will from God by even a single moment of consent to sin. This petition reveals her desire for self-knowledge and awareness of how even the smallest sin represents a departure from God’s divine goodness and will.
4. What does the Soul’s second petition reveal about her understanding of sin?
The Soul understands that sin, even in a single moment of consent, is a rejection of God’s will and an alignment with something contrary to His divine goodness. She recognizes that God’s hatred of sin stems from its opposition to His perfect will. Her desire to see this clearly demonstrates her longing to reject all sin and to live in continual union with God’s goodness.
5. How do these petitions reflect the Soul’s spiritual maturity?
These petitions reflect profound spiritual maturity: first, the Soul’s acknowledgment of her own nothingness fosters true humility, and second, her desire to see the effects of her misuse of free will shows her longing for conversion and continual purification. Her petitions move beyond seeking personal benefit; instead, they aim for complete alignment with God’s will and truth. This highlights a depth of detachment from self and a singular focus on union with God.
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In Chapter 108, the Soul is called to a profound awareness of her own nothingness and the incomprehensible debt she owes to God for even a single sin. Through a meditation on the nature of God’s will-united in the divine Trinity-the Soul recognizes that any act of self-will constitutes a breach against God’s infinite goodness, and this realization magnifies her sense of culpability. She acknowledges that her sins are countless, far beyond human reckoning, and that even the repayment of all her debts would still be God’s due, for everything she possesses comes from Him. This chapter highlights the unfathomable gravity of sin, the utter poverty of the Soul apart from God, and the need for complete reliance on divine justice and mercy.
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1. “Now must the Soul consider the debt of one sole sin, in order to see how much she owes for two sins if she falls two times.”
This sets the tone for the chapter, emphasizing the gravity of a single sin and inviting the Soul to consider the exponential weight of each additional sin. It underlines the seriousness of even the smallest act of disobedience against God’s will.
2. “Truly, no more than one could number how many times I have taken a breath, no more, or rather even less, could anyone number how many times I have removed my will from God.”
The Light of the Soul admits to countless acts of self-will, highlighting the human tendency to stray from God. It conveys an overwhelming sense of human frailty and the necessity for grace.
3. “For, whoever does well, should he see a greater good which he can do, if it is asked of him and he does not do it, he sins.”
This introduces the idea of omission, suggesting that failure to choose a greater good constitutes a sin. It reinforces the demand for perfection and attentiveness to divine promptings.
4. “Consider then what you owe from one of your defects and you will find that you owe as much to God for one of your defects as His will is worth which you have taken from Him in doing your will.”
The magnitude of the debt owed for a single defect is compared to the infinite worth of God’s will. This frames sin not merely as a personal failing, but as an offense against the divine majesty and order.
5. “Now consider, to grasp it better, what kind of thing is the will of God. It is the whole Trinity, who is one will. Thus the will of God is one divine nature in Trinity. All this the Soul owes to God from one sole defect.”
The will of God is identified with the entire Trinity, making the soul’s deviation from it a direct offense against the very nature of God. This perspective intensifies the gravity of sin, framing it as cosmic and divine in scope.
6. “This Soul who is nothing was once as rich as God is. If she willed to be freed of her debt … she would have remained completely nothing. Thus she would have remained in nothingness, because of herself she was not nothing, but instead she would have had of her nature what God has, except that she willed to carry out one sin.”
Here the text uses a vivid metaphor, imagining the Soul as initially sharing in God’s richness, but by sinning, reducing herself to nothingness. This draws attention to the utter futility and loss incurred by sin.
7. “Ah, Soul, says this Soul to herself, if you had everything which is described here, still you would give nothing to Him, instead it would be His through debt before you were freed of it.”
The Soul reflects on the impossibility of repaying her debt, even if she gave everything. This evokes a deep humility and a realization of her utter dependence on God’s mercy.
8. “And God gave me will to do His will, to gain Him from Himself. Alas, I have added to my poverty, the great poverty of sin, but sins no one knows except for Truth alone.”
The Soul recognizes that her free will was given by God for the purpose of uniting with Him. Her lament reveals a profound awareness of her failure to respond to this gift, culminating in “the great poverty of sin,” which only Truth can fully comprehend.
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1. Why is the Soul urged to consider the debt of a single sin?
The Soul is urged to consider the debt of a single sin to grasp the gravity of its offense against God’s infinite goodness and to understand how much she owes even for one defect. This reflection helps the Soul realize that if a single sin incurs such a vast debt, then multiple sins-being incalculable-incur an unfathomable debt. The consideration is meant to foster humility and a profound recognition of the need for divine mercy.
2. What realization does the Light of the Soul express about her own sins?
The Light of the Soul admits that she cannot count the number of times she has turned her will from God-just as one cannot count the number of breaths taken. This acknowledgment reflects an awareness of continual disobedience and an inherent inclination to act according to her own will rather than God’s.
3. How does the text link sin to the nature of God’s will?
The text asserts that the will of God is one with the divine Trinity, and therefore each act of self-will or sin is a direct offense against the divine nature. A single defect removes the Soul from participation in God’s infinite will and divine unity. This connection amplifies the seriousness of sin, presenting it as not just a personal failing but a cosmic rupture against the divine order.
4. Why is the Soul’s natural poverty highlighted in this chapter?
The Soul is described as ‘nothing’ in herself and only ‘rich’ because of what she receives from God. By sinning, she effectively reverts to her natural poverty and nothingness. Even if she were to repay everything, it would not erase the debt, since all her goodness and existence derive from God’s gift. This underscores her utter dependence on divine mercy and grace for salvation.
5. What role does Truth play in the Soul’s realization of her sins?
Truth-personified as divine righteousness and justice-alone knows the full extent and gravity of the Soul’s sins. While the Soul can acknowledge her countless sins and her inability to repay the debt, only Truth fully comprehends the enormity of her failings. This serves to humble the Soul, reminding her that human comprehension is limited and that only divine justice sees the full truth.
6. How does this chapter reinforce the call to avoid sin?
By emphasizing the incalculable debt incurred by even a single sin, the text impresses upon the Soul the need to avoid sin altogether. It highlights the impossibility of repaying God, the sheer poverty of the Soul’s natural state, and the immense gravity of offending divine goodness. This serves as a powerful motivator for vigilance, repentance, and a deeper reliance on God’s grace.
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In chapter 109, Porete presents the Soul’s anguished recognition of her utter incapacity to repay the debt of sin incurred by deviating from God’s will. The Soul sees herself as “less than nothing,” having fallen through self-will, and acknowledges that no created thing can restore her to innocence. Yet, in this despair she discovers peace-not through self-reliance, but by surrendering wholly to God’s will, whether it manifests as justice or mercy. This detachment from outcomes reflects the model of Christ, who obeyed the Father with no other concern than fulfilling divine will. The Soul, following Christ’s example, finds that true union with God lies in willing only what God wills; in this state, sin becomes impossible, not because of the Soul’s power, but because her will is fully possessed by God’s.
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1. “Ah, ah, God! says this Soul, who am I now, since I was nothing before I owed something? Who am I, since I was no thing before I owed to my God some thing, through the work of my own will.”
The Soul laments the catastrophic shift from a state of nothingness to indebtedness through sin. She recognizes that before acting contrary to God’s will, she was nothing-purely dependent on His grace. The movement from ‘nothing’ to ‘owing something’ highlights how self-will and sin create a burden that the Soul cannot carry. This expresses profound humility and the existential realization of total dependence on God’s mercy.
2. “Truth: You were nothing, says Truth, as long as you had abandoned nothing of what I gave to you. Now you are another thing, for you are less than nothing by however many times, says Truth, you have willed something other than my will.”
Truth responds with a striking revelation: sin not only corrupts but diminishes the Soul’s true nature. The Soul, by willing apart from God’s will, becomes “less than nothing,” a poetic expression of spiritual ruin and estrangement. This reveals the gravity of sin-not merely as error but as the undoing of the Soul’s very essence, which was originally a gift from God.
3. “But if you are righteous Truth, says this sin-filled Soul, and Justice firm and rigorous, yet Kindness and Mercy, your blood-sisters sweet and courteous, remain on my side opposing you for the sake of all my debts, and in this, says this Soul, I calm myself.”
Here the Soul, despite recognizing the weight of justice and truth, places her hope in God’s mercy and kindness. The familial image of Kindness and Mercy as Truth’s “blood-sisters” shows the Soul’s faith in the harmony of divine attributes. Though justice demands reparation, the Soul’s comfort lies in God’s own balancing of justice with mercy. This highlights the Soul’s trust in God’s saving power, even while acknowledging her guilt.
4. “Whichever of these sisters aids me, whether Justice, or Mercy, or Truth, or Kindness, it does not matter to me, this is fully my will. It does not matter to me on which side of these two I fall, all is one to me, and without joy and without fear.”
The Soul exhibits profound detachment and surrender, abandoning self-interest entirely. Whether she is judged or pardoned, it is all the same to her because her desire aligns completely with God’s will. This marks a turning point from anxiety over sin to a deep peace in divine providence, echoing the attitude of Christ, whose sole concern was to fulfill His Father’s will.
5. “The Son of God the Father is my mirror of this, for God the Father gave to us His Son in saving us. He had no other concern in giving this gift to us than the concern of our salvation alone. And the Son ransomed us in dying, in accomplishing obedience to His Father. He had no other concern in doing this than the will of God His Father alone.”
Christ becomes the Soul’s model of perfect union with God’s will. Both Father and Son act out of pure love and obedience, revealing the nature of salvation itself. This passage invites the Soul-and the reader-to imitate Christ’s selflessness and complete surrender, emphasizing that true freedom and peace are found in conformity to the divine will.
6. “Ah, God, how this is a sweet consideration! He has, by doing this, placed us in possession: not that it would be impossible that I could sin if I will; but that it is impossible that I sin, if my will does not will it.”
This insight reveals the transformative power of grace. Though human weakness and free will allow for sin, if the Soul’s will is united to God’s, sin becomes impossible. This echoes a theology of cooperation with divine grace, where the human will becomes the site of God’s action, and sin ceases as long as the will remains directed toward God.
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1. Why does the Soul lament that she was “nothing” before she owed something?
The Soul realizes that she originally existed in a state of pure dependence on God, possessing nothing of her own. It was only through her own will, by deviating from God’s will, that she incurred a “debt” through sin. Thus, she moved from a state of “nothingness” (total reliance on God’s gift) to a state of “owing something” (indebtedness caused by her disobedience). This lament highlights the gravity of sin, which creates a burden that cannot be repaid by human effort alone.
2. What does Truth reveal about the Soul’s condition after sinning?
Truth reveals that the Soul has become “less than nothing” because she has repeatedly willed something contrary to God’s will. This metaphor expresses the profound impact of sin-not just a fall from grace but an ontological diminishment. The Soul’s very being is undone to the extent that she departs from the divine will, showing the seriousness of self-will and disobedience in spiritual terms.
3. How does the Soul find hope despite recognizing her deep guilt?
Despite acknowledging her guilt and helplessness to repay her debts, the Soul finds solace in God’s mercy and kindness, described metaphorically as the “blood-sisters” of Truth and Justice. She trusts that, while justice demands punishment, mercy and kindness oppose it on her behalf. This interplay of divine attributes reassures the Soul that she is not abandoned to condemnation but has hope in God’s compassionate love.
4. Why does the Soul express indifference toward whether justice or mercy is applied to her case?
The Soul expresses profound detachment and surrender to God’s will. She is indifferent to whether justice or mercy prevails because her desire is wholly aligned with God’s will, not her own comfort or salvation. This signifies spiritual maturity, where the Soul’s concern for herself dissolves into a trustful abandonment to divine providence. In this state, joy or fear no longer arise from the outcome, as the Soul seeks only God’s will.
5. How does the example of Jesus Christ shape the Soul’s understanding of her situation?
The Soul reflects on how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, perfectly fulfilled His Father’s will in saving humanity. The Father gave the Son for our salvation, and the Son, in obedience, accomplished His Father’s will without any personal motive. This perfect unity of will is the model for the Soul’s own attitude. By contemplating Christ’s selfless obedience, the Soul learns that true spiritual freedom and peace come from seeking and fulfilling God’s will alone.
6. What insight does the Soul gain about her capacity for sin and union with God’s will?
The Soul realizes that while it is always possible for her to sin if she wills it, it is impossible to sin if her will remains steadfastly united to God’s. This insight reveals the transformative power of grace: sin is not simply an external act but arises from the will’s deviation from God’s. If the Soul’s will aligns fully with the divine will, she attains spiritual possession, where sin cannot enter. This truth deepens her understanding of the relationship between will, grace, and sanctity.
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In Chapter 110, Marguerite Porete describes the “skill” in a creature as a subtle, natural ability inherent in the soul’s substance that generates intellect and elevates understanding beyond mere speech. This ability is divinely infused, enabling the soul to interpret truth more profoundly than even the speaker’s intent. Love reveals that true understanding rests in stillness and nobility, free from the labor of effortful thought. As the soul surrenders to Love, she transcends natural perceptions and meditations, relinquishing her will and entering into “nothingness,” where she abides not in her own love but in God’s Love alone. This consummate union marks the soul’s highest stage, beyond her own thoughts and senses, in complete receptivity to divine grace, fulfilling her spiritual journey in total annihilation of self.
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1. “What, then, is a skill in a creature?”
This question introduces the chapter’s theme: the nature of spiritual and intellectual skill, not merely as human accomplishment, but as something inherent and gifted in the soul by God. It sets up a contrast between ordinary understanding and deeper, divinely-infused knowledge.
2. “It is a subtle natural ability from which intellect is born, which gives understanding in the Soul to interpret what someone says more perfectly than the one who says it himself, even though the speaker understands what he says.”
Here, Porete highlights a paradox of mystical understanding: the soul’s divinely given capacity can perceive spiritual truths more perfectly than a speaker articulates them. This ‘skill’ comes from the natural soul’s depth, from which intellect emerges, surpassing even articulate expression.
3. “Because intelligence reposes, and speaking labors; and understanding cannot undertake labor lest she be less noble.”
This aphoristic line suggests that true understanding is effortless, born from rest and contemplation rather than struggle or intellectual toil. For Porete, labor diminishes the nobility of divine understanding, whereas stillness and receptivity elevate it.
4. “This subtle ability is the substance of the Soul; and the intellect is the operation of the soul; and the understanding is the height of the Soul; and such understanding is from substance and from intellect.”
Porete describes a mystical anthropology: ‘skill’ or subtle ability is the soul’s very being; intellect is its activity; and understanding is its highest expression. This elegant hierarchy shows the soul as layered, with divine insight culminating from its depths.
5. “Thus Love, who gives her this being, remains in her and she remains in nothingness, but not in love. For as long as the Soul is with herself, she remains in love.”
Love-understood as divine Love or the Holy Spirit-bestows this subtle capacity and sustains the soul in nothingness. However, when the soul clings to her own selfhood, she experiences only natural love. Porete points to the movement beyond selfhood into the fullness of divine Love.
6. “She has lost the use of her senses-not her senses, but the use. For Love has carried her from the place where she was, in leaving her senses in peace, and so has seized their use.”
This mystical passage suggests that divine Love lifts the soul into a state of detachment from her own faculties. She doesn’t lose the senses themselves but their active control; this signals a transition from personal striving to complete surrender in divine Love.
7. “This is the completion of her pilgrimage, and the annihilation by her rendering of her will, which is dissolved in [Love].”
The soul’s journey culminates in the annihilation of the will, not through violence but through complete surrender to Love. This passage encapsulates Porete’s vision of mystical union: the soul’s will dissolves into divine will, bringing her into true spiritual freedom.
8. “This is the captivity of the high sea, for she lives without her will and so she is in being above her deliberation.”
Porete uses the metaphor of the “high sea” to suggest a paradoxical freedom: captivity in Love’s vastness, yet liberation from self-will. Living beyond deliberation, the soul rests in the flow of divine will, a state of radical dependence and mystical union.
9. “Otherwise she would be reproached by the sovereign who places her there without herself, and so she would have war against Love, who is the Holy Spirit, and she would be reproached by the Father, and judged by the Son.”
Porete warns of the danger of resistance to divine Love: clinging to one’s own will invites spiritual conflict and judgment. Only complete surrender aligns the soul with the triune God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-and leads to peace.
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1. What is meant by a “skill” in a creature, according to Love?
A skill in a creature, as described by Love, is a subtle natural ability within the soul. It is not merely an acquired intellectual skill, but rather a spiritual faculty that gives rise to intellect and understanding. This ability allows the soul to perceive and interpret truths beyond the comprehension of mere words, even exceeding the speaker’s own understanding. It is innate to the soul’s substance, flowing from her very being.
2. Why does Love suggest that “understanding cannot undertake labor lest she be less noble”?
Love explains that true understanding rests in stillness and nobility. Labor and striving diminish its nobility, as they represent a form of self-effort and control. Divine understanding transcends intellectual work and arises effortlessly when the soul is surrendered to Love. This is why intelligence reposes while speaking labors-the highest understanding comes not from human effort but from divine grace.
3. How does Porete describe the relationship between skill, intellect, and understanding within the soul?
Porete delineates a hierarchy within the soul:
* The “skill” or subtle ability is the substance of the soul, her very being.
* The intellect is the operation of the soul, the active capacity for knowledge.
* Understanding is the height of the soul, a lofty realization born from the union of substance and intellect.
This triad suggests a dynamic flow from being to action to realization, culminating in the soul’s comprehension of divine truth.
4. What happens to the soul as she progresses toward spiritual union?
As the soul advances, she experiences a gradual detachment from herself. She “loses the use of her senses”-not the senses themselves, but her active engagement with them. Love lifts her beyond the self’s natural operations, including thoughts and meditations, into a state of nothingness where the soul remains in God alone. This is the completion of her spiritual pilgrimage, marked by the annihilation of her own will and the total surrender to divine Love.
5. What does it mean that the soul “remains in nothingness, but not in love”?
This phrase illustrates a key paradox: the soul, in her highest state, is emptied of herself and all self-generated love. In this nothingness, she abides not in her own love but in Love itself, which is God. When she was attached to herself, she remained in natural love, prone to pride and enchantment. But in nothingness, she transcends self-love and fully surrenders to divine Love.
6. How does Porete describe the soul’s final state of surrender and union with God?
The soul’s final state is likened to a “captivity of the high sea”-a paradoxical image of boundless surrender. She lives without her own will, above deliberation, in perfect peace and rest. Her journey culminates in the complete annihilation of her personal will, rendering her totally receptive to divine Love. In this state, the soul no longer resists but fully consents to the sovereignty of God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
7. What spiritual danger does Porete warn against in this chapter?
Porete warns that if the soul resists this total surrender-if she clings to her own will and refuses the annihilation of self-she risks spiritual conflict. Such resistance leads to reproach from God the Father, conflict with Love (the Holy Spirit), and judgment from the Son. The only path to peace and divine union is the surrender of self-will and a complete resting in Love.