In chapter 71, the Soul reveals that her actions are no longer driven by human effort or will, but entirely by God’s initiative. She neither works for God, herself, nor others, because true work-divine work-is solely God’s doing. This realization leads her into a state of profound detachment and peace, where she is drawn out of herself by a ray of divine understanding and united with God’s being. Her existence and love are absorbed into God’s own life, making her being indistinguishable from the divine “Being.” The text contrasts human labor, which is bound by self-interest and limited understanding, with the ineffable and sovereign work of divine charity, which God alone accomplishes. Ultimately, the Soul teaches that true union with God transcends human effort, resting entirely on surrender and the free movement of divine love.
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1. “This Soul, says Love, does not do any work for God’s sake, nor for her own, nor for her neighbors’ either, as was said above. But God does it, if He wills, [He] who is able to do it. And if He does not will, it does not matter to her one way or the other; she is always in one state.”
This passage underscores the Soul’s complete detachment from the illusion of autonomous action. She recognizes that she herself does nothing for God, for herself, or for others. Instead, everything that is accomplished is done by God’s own will. The Soul’s state is one of absolute surrender and stability; she is no longer moved by human desires or concerns, whether of religious duty, self-interest, or social obligation. Her peace is unshakable, rooted in divine providence rather than personal striving.
2. “Therefore there is in this soul the ray of divine understanding which draws her from herself without herself into an inexpressible divine peace, carried by one elevation of flowing love from the most high Jealous One, who gives sovereign freeness to her in all places.”
Here, the text describes the Soul’s transformation by a direct infusion of divine wisdom. This “ray of divine understanding” transports her beyond herself into the infinite peace of God. The term “without herself” conveys her utter self-emptying, as she no longer operates from ego or self-consciousness. The description of God as the “most high Jealous One” emphasizes His possessive love, which has stripped her of self and claimed her entirely. His love not only elevates her but also liberates her in a supreme and sovereign way.
3. “Jealous? says this Soul. Jealous He is truly! He shows it by His works, which have stripped me of myself completely and have placed me in divine pleasure without myself. And such a union of full peace joins me and conjoins me through the supreme height of the creation with the splendor of divine being, by which I have being which is Being.”
The Soul acknowledges God’s divine jealousy, not in a human, possessive sense, but as a purifying and unifying force. God’s jealousy has freed her from all self-centeredness and placed her in a state of divine ecstasy and peace, where she experiences union with His Being. Her very existence has become one with God’s own life, the “Being which is Being,” echoing the biblical “I AM WHO AM.” The Soul experiences herself as wholly integrated into God’s self-sufficient reality.
4. “When this Soul, says Love, is thus drawn by Him without herself, by God for her sake, this is divine work. A work of charity was never accomplished by a human body. The ones who accomplish such a work could not accomplish it [by themselves].”
This passage draws a clear line between divine and human action. True charity-the pure, perfect love that transforms-is not a product of human effort. It is a divine work, initiated and completed by God alone. The Soul recognizes that no amount of human striving can achieve this level of union and charity; it is a work that transcends human capability. By highlighting this, the text humbles human ambition and elevates the grace of God as the sole source of genuine charity and spiritual transformation.
5. “Grasp carefully, says this Soul, the two meanings of Love, for they are difficult to grasp [for] whoever has the intention of glossing this.”
The Soul hints at a deeper, layered understanding of Love. There is the human understanding of love, tied to duty and works, and the divine Love that is ungraspable and unglossable-a mystery that cannot be fully explained or taught by human means. This serves as a caution against oversimplifying or intellectualizing divine love, urging the reader to enter into the mystery through experience rather than through theory.
6. “The work of a creature (that is, the work done by human effort) cannot be compared to the divine work done by God in the creature by His goodness for the sake of the creature.”
This concluding reflection encapsulates the central teaching: the human soul, no matter how virtuous or zealous, cannot achieve the level of divine charity and transformation by its own efforts. Only God, through His infinite goodness, can accomplish this within the soul. The Soul stands as a living witness to this truth, fully surrendered to God’s action in her, with no trace of pride or self-reliance.
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1. Why does the Soul claim not to do any work for God, herself, or her neighbors?
The Soul claims not to do any work because she recognizes that all true work is done by God alone. She is no longer driven by her own will or sense of duty, but rests in complete surrender to divine action. Whether or not something is accomplished depends entirely on God’s will, not on her efforts.
2. What role does the “ray of divine understanding” play in the Soul’s experience?
The “ray of divine understanding” lifts the Soul out of herself into divine peace. It draws her beyond ego and self-will into the mystery of God’s love, resulting in a state of complete detachment and union with God. This understanding is not of her own making but a gift of God’s grace.
3. Why does the text describe God as “the most high Jealous One”?
God is called “the most high Jealous One” because His love for the Soul is so exclusive and all-consuming that it strips her of all attachments and self-interest. This jealousy is not possessive in a negative sense but represents God’s desire to draw the Soul wholly into Himself, free from any distractions or self-will.
4. What does the Soul mean when she says, “I have being which is Being”?
The Soul expresses that her entire existence has been subsumed into God’s own being, the “Being which is Being” (echoing Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO AM”). Her life and identity are now fully united with God’s divine existence, beyond any human or creaturely reality.
5. How does the chapter distinguish between human work and divine work?
The chapter emphasizes that human work, no matter how noble, cannot compare to divine work. Divine work is initiated and completed by God alone, and true charity is a result of God’s action in the soul, not of human effort. The Soul’s transformation into love is entirely a work of God’s goodness and grace.
6. Why does the Soul caution against “glossing” the meaning of Love?
The Soul warns that Love has two meanings-one understood by human reasoning and one by divine reality-which are difficult to fully grasp or explain. She cautions that intellectualizing or reducing Love to concepts risks missing its deeper, experiential truth, which can only be known through surrender and union with God.
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In chapter 72, the text contrasts the state of souls bound by willful self-interest, termed “the land of the sad ones,” with the liberated state of spiritual peace and freeness, “the land of freeness.” The soul retains will because it still lives in the spirit, yet it must learn to surrender this will to divine grace. Love explains that the highest spiritual transformation occurs when the body is mortified and the will embraces dishonor, poverty, and tribulations, thus purifying the soul’s conscience, affections, and intellect. Through this transformation, the soul moves from being merely “soul,” which denotes life in grace and obedience to commandments, to fully “spirit,” signifying a complete union with divine love and being. This chapter emphasizes that spiritual maturity involves both renouncing self-will and embracing divine freedom.
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1. “Grasp carefully, says this Soul, the two meanings of Love, for they are beyond the land of the sad ones in the land of freeness filled with peace, where the established ones remain.”
The Soul sets the scene by contrasting two realms: one of sorrow and bondage (“the land of the sad ones”), and the other of divine freedom and peace (“the land of freeness”). This highlights the transformative journey from attachment and suffering to a state of divine liberation, where Love is fully realized. The “two meanings of Love” suggest a deeper mystery that transcends ordinary understanding and invites contemplation.
2. “When the divine Trinity created the angels… those who were evil through their perverse choice gave themselves over to the evil will of Lucifer, who willed to have by his nature what he could not have except by divine grace.”
Love recounts the fall of the angels, underscoring the pivotal role of will. Lucifer’s pride-seeking divinity through his own nature rather than grace-led to loss of being and eternal separation from God. This reinforces the idea that a self-centered will results in spiritual ruin, while surrender to divine grace leads to union with God.
3. “Alas, alas! says Truth. Why, Souls, do you love will so much, since such a loss is accomplished by will?”
Truth laments humanity’s attachment to its own will, emphasizing that it is precisely this clinging to personal desire that leads to separation from God. The exclamation conveys deep sorrow over the self-destructive nature of willfulness, contrasting starkly with the freedom found in surrender to God.
4. “I will tell you, says Love, why the Soul has will: because she still lives in spirit, and the life of spirit is still the will.”
Love clarifies that the Soul retains will because she continues to live within the realm of spirit. This suggests that even in a state of grace, the will remains active, though it must be rightly ordered-directed away from self-interest and aligned with divine love. The will is not inherently evil but must be transformed.
5. “Ah, for God’s sake, Lady Love, says Reason, tell me why you have named this chosen Soul, so beloved by you, ‘soul’ from the beginning of this book… which is a shorter name than the name ‘spirit.'”
Reason raises a profound question about the Soul’s identity, pondering why she is called “soul” rather than “spirit.” This distinction points to the different stages of spiritual growth: “soul” indicates the life of grace (rooted in obedience to commandments), while “spirit” signifies a deeper transformation and union with God, which transcends mere moral adherence.
6. “When the body is completely mortified and the will delights in dishonor, in poverty, and in tribulations, then it is completely spirit, and not otherwise. Therefore such spiritual creatures have purity in conscience, peace in affection, and intellect in reason.”
Love provides the key to becoming “completely spirit”: through radical detachment from bodily comfort and self-interest, embracing suffering, and allowing the will to rest in God’s purposes. This marks the highest stage of spiritual maturity, where the soul becomes wholly spirit, characterized by purity, peace, and divine intellect.
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1. What two “lands” are contrasted in this chapter, and what do they symbolize?
The chapter contrasts “the land of the sad ones” and “the land of freeness filled with peace.” The “land of the sad ones” represents souls who remain bound by their will and live in a state of spiritual sadness or imperfection, while the “land of freeness” symbolizes the realm of peace and spiritual liberty where souls are established in God’s love and grace.
2. Why did Lucifer and some angels lose the beatific vision and fall into hell?
Lucifer and his followers willed to attain by their own nature what could only be received through divine grace. This perverse choice led them to lose their “being from goodness,” resulting in their eternal separation from God and the loss of the vision of Him.
3. According to Love, why does the soul still possess will?
Love explains that the soul possesses will because she still lives in the spirit, and the life of the spirit involves the activity of will. The will remains necessary for spiritual growth and movement toward God, but it must be transformed and purified.
4. Why does Reason ask why the soul is called “soul” and not “spirit,” and what is Love’s response?
Reason questions why the chosen soul is referred to simply as “soul” instead of the higher name “spirit.” Love responds that those who live a life of grace through obedience to God’s commandments are rightly called “soul,” while “spirit” refers to those who have undergone a deeper transformation through complete detachment and mortification of the body and self-will.
5. What does Love say is required for the soul to become completely “spirit”?
Love states that the soul becomes completely spirit when the body is fully mortified and the will delights in dishonor, poverty, and tribulation. Only then does the soul possess purity in conscience, peace in affection, and intellect in reason, fully embodying the life of the spirit.
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Chapter 73’s main teaching centers on the necessity of the complete death of the spirit’s self-will for the soul to enter into perfect union with God. Divine Love explains that as long as the soul clings to its own will-even the spiritual will-it cannot experience the sufficiency of divine life. Only by fully renouncing the self-through what Love calls the death of the spirit-does the soul become an empty vessel ready to be filled with God’s own pleasure. In this state, the soul transcends any concern for honor or dishonor, sin or virtue, surrendering entirely to God’s will and living only for His pleasure. This surrender enables the soul to enter into the paradoxical state of “Farnearness,” where God’s intimate presence is made manifest through His divine election and grace.
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1. “Ah, for the sake of God, says Reason, Lady Love, I pray that you tell me why the spirit must die before one loses the will.”
Reason’s plea highlights a deep question: why must the spirit undergo a form of death before the will can be relinquished? This sets up the entire chapter’s focus on the spiritual necessity of dying to self-will before divine sufficiency can be received.
2. “Because, says Love, the spirit is completely filled with spiritual will, and no one can live the divine life as long as he has will, neither can he have sufficiency unless he has lost the will.”
Love explains that the human spirit is by nature consumed with its own spiritual will, even when this will seems noble. True divine life is impossible without losing this self-generated will. The surrender of will is a precondition for receiving divine sufficiency.
3. “When the spirit is perfectly dead, then he has lost the sense of his love and killed the will which gives life to [this sense], and in this loss the will is perfectly filled by the sufficiency of divine pleasure.”
This passage teaches that spiritual death involves losing even the sense of personal love and will. Paradoxically, this loss creates the space for divine sufficiency and supreme spiritual life to take root. It’s a dying that leads to a higher, unencumbered, glorious existence.
4. “No one is my beloved, says Divine Love, who fears to lose or to gain, but only the one who loves for the sake of my pleasure; for otherwise she would be for her own sake, and not for my sake and with me.”
Divine Love asserts that true love for God must be utterly disinterested in personal loss or gain. The soul’s desire must be wholly for God’s sake, not for her own benefit. This challenges even seemingly virtuous motives, urging total abandonment to God’s pleasure.
5. “And if she had committed as many sins as the whole world ever did, and as many good deeds as all those who are in paradise…such a Soul…would have neither dishonor nor honor for her own sake, nor the will to hide or conceal her evils.”
Here we see the radical humility of the soul in divine love. Even if her sins or good deeds were exposed to all, she would feel no dishonor or pride. This state reflects complete detachment from self-concern and a profound trust in God’s will.
6. “They leave it to the concern of their Master, who hides or shows their sins according to His will. And in this way these Souls…behave, [those] who are vessels by such election.”
This passage underlines the soul’s utter surrender to God’s will regarding her reputation and destiny. The “Farnearness” (a beautiful paradox of proximity and distance) symbolizes the divine intimacy that accompanies this complete surrender, where the soul’s self-effacement becomes the vessel of divine life.
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1. Why does Love say that the spirit must die before one can lose the will?
Because the spirit is filled with spiritual will, and no one can live the divine life as long as they cling to their own will. When the spirit dies-meaning it gives up this self-will-it creates the emptiness necessary to be filled by the sufficiency of divine pleasure. This death to the will leads to the birth of the supreme, unencumbered, and glorious life in God.
2. How does Divine Love describe the kind of soul that is fit to be in union with Him?
Divine Love describes this soul as one who loves only for God’s pleasure, without seeking gain or fearing loss. This soul is not motivated by self-interest but is entirely given over to God’s will, whether that involves personal honor or dishonor.
3. What does Love say about the soul’s attitude toward her sins and virtues?
Love explains that even if the soul had committed all the sins of the world or performed all possible good deeds, she would neither feel dishonor nor pride for her own sake. She would have no desire to hide her faults or show her virtues because she lives entirely for God’s sake and not her own. Her sins and virtues are left to God’s discretion.
4. How does Truth describe the souls who reach this state of complete surrender?
Truth says that such souls leave everything-whether the revelation or concealment of their sins-to their Master’s will. These souls are described as vessels chosen by God’s election, living in a state called the “Farnearness,” where God’s intimate presence makes them open to His noble gift of grace.
5. What is meant by the “Farnearness” mentioned at the end of the chapter?
“Farnearness” is a paradox expressing the soul’s deep connection to God. It suggests that though God seems distant in His transcendence, He is intimately present in the soul’s complete surrender. This term captures the mystery of divine union in which the soul, by losing itself, is brought into intimate nearness with God.
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In chapter 74, Love reveals the true and exalted identity of the soul, which far surpasses the simple name “soul” often used to describe her. While this simple name serves as a point of entry for Reason’s limited understanding, the soul’s true nature is deeply noble, characterized by purity, celestial grandeur, and profound peace. She is a “spouse of peace,” united with divine love in a secure, impregnable place where no intermediary disturbs her communion with God. From her humble position in the “valley,” she perceives both her own lowliness and God’s greatness. This union with divine love nourishes and fortifies her in the glorious land where her Beloved dwells. In contrast, Love highlights that souls preoccupied with worldly cares, like Martha, remain distracted and unable to access this life of profound peace and union with God.
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1. “Reason, says Love, on account of your rudeness I have named her many times by her surname.”
Love gently chastises Reason for its limited understanding, explaining that her use of the term “soul” is a concession to Reason’s rough and incomplete grasp of deeper realities. Love suggests that Reason can only approach these profound mysteries through simple categories and labels, such as “soul,” which only hint at the soul’s true dignity.
2. “Her right name is perfectly noble. She has the name ‘pure,’ ‘celestial,’ and ‘spouse of peace.'”
Love reveals the deeper identity of this soul, whose true nature transcends the simplistic label “soul.” These noble names-“pure,” “celestial,” and “spouse of peace”-express the soul’s intimate union with God, her participation in divine purity and heavenly life, and her role as the beloved of peace.
3. “For she is seated in the bottom of the valley, from which she sees the height of the mountain, and from which she sees the mountain from the height as well.”
This paradoxical image portrays the soul’s simultaneous humility and exaltation. By being “seated in the bottom of the valley,” she achieves a vantage point where she can perceive the divine heights of God, and from those heights, she perceives the depths of her own humility. The soul’s identity is marked by this reciprocal vision.
4. “No intermediary can penetrate her. And for security the wise man places his treasure there, that is, the gift of unity of divine love.”
This statement emphasizes the soul’s impenetrable union with God-no created thing can intrude into this secret chamber of divine intimacy. Love describes this space as a secure treasure-house where divine love’s unity is entrusted to the soul. This highlights her role as a vessel uniquely chosen to bear the fullness of God’s love.
4. “This is the nourishment of my chosen bride; this is ‘Mary of peace,’ and so she is ‘married by peace,’ because Fine Love makes her peaceful in this land.”
The soul is likened to “Mary of peace,” a symbol of divine union and tranquility. The phrase “married by peace” suggests that the soul has entered into a spiritual marriage with God, characterized by peace and nourished by divine love. This sets her apart from souls like “Martha,” who remain distracted by earthly cares and cannot partake of this sublime life.
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1. Why does Love call this Soul by such a small name as “soul”?
Love explains that the name “soul” is used because Reason’s understanding is too rough and limited to grasp the soul’s true nobility. The simple name serves as a gloss or category that helps Reason begin to approach the deeper reality, though the soul’s real identity is far more exalted.
2. What are the more fitting names that describe the soul’s true nature?
The soul is called “pure,” “celestial,” and “spouse of peace,” highlighting her perfect purity, her participation in the heavenly life, and her intimate union with divine peace and love.
3. How does the soul’s position in the valley relate to her spiritual vision?
The soul’s humility, represented by her position “in the bottom of the valley,” allows her to see both the height of the mountain (God’s grandeur) and from the mountain the depth of her own lowliness. This reciprocal vision emphasizes her grounded yet exalted state.
4. What does Love say about the soul’s security and the treasure she holds?
Love describes the soul’s secure state where no intermediary can penetrate her. The wise one (God) places the “treasure” of divine love’s unity in her, making her the dwelling of this priceless spiritual gift.
5. How does Love contrast the soul’s peaceful life with that of Martha?
Love explains that the soul enjoys a life of divine peace because of her union with Love, while Martha, symbolizing an active and distracted soul, remains troubled and distant from such a life. Martha’s cares and preoccupations prevent her from entering into this profound spiritual marriage.
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Chapter 75 teaches that the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration reveals the soul’s journey into divine mysteries. Only a few, the specially chosen and spiritually prepared, are granted the grace to witness the brilliance of divine truth. The mountain signifies the soul’s elevation above worldly distractions, and the command to remain silent points to the need for humility and secrecy to prevent spiritual pride. Those who genuinely possess divine insight have no desire to hide or display it, as they are detached from personal ambition and wholly devoted to God. Through this, the Soul emphasizes that divine illumination is reserved for those who are pure, humble, and fully open to God’s will.
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1. “We perceive, they say, that Jesus Christ was transfigured on Mount Tabor, where there were only three of his disciples. He told them that they must neither speak about it nor say anything about it until His resurrection.”
The Soul recounts the familiar Gospel story of the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed His divine glory to Peter, James, and John, instructing them not to disclose this vision until after His resurrection. This historical event becomes a spiritual exemplar, emphasizing both the exclusivity of divine revelations and the necessity of discretion in sharing them.
2. “Ah, sheep! says this Soul, how your intellect is bestial! You leave the kernel and take the chaff.”
The Soul criticizes those who focus on superficial interpretations of divine mysteries. These people interpret Christ’s command to conceal the Transfiguration as a justification for their own secrecy and prideful concealment, missing the deeper spiritual lesson. The Soul contrasts this with the true spiritual understanding, showing how the bestial intellect clings to appearances rather than essence.
3. “He did it so that you might know that few folk will see the brightness of His transfiguration, and that He shows this only to His special friends, and for this reason there were only three.”
The Soul reveals that the limitation of witnesses at the Transfiguration signifies that God’s deepest revelations are reserved for those specially prepared or chosen, the “special friends” of God. The number three symbolizes the rarity and selectiveness of such divine illumination, available only to those in intimate friendship with Him.
4. “This was in demonstrating and in signifying that no one can see the divine things as long as he mixes himself or mingles with temporal things, that is, with anything less than God.”
The mountain setting of the Transfiguration serves as a metaphor for the elevation of the soul above temporal distractions. Only those who detach themselves from earthly concerns can ascend to the clarity and brilliance of divine mysteries. The mountain thus represents the spiritual ascent needed for vision and understanding.
5. “This was to demonstrate that you cannot say a word about the divine secrets lest you take vainglory from them.”
The instruction to maintain silence about the vision until after the resurrection highlights the danger of spiritual pride and vainglory. Sharing divine secrets for personal prestige corrupts their purity. True spiritual humility refrains from seeking recognition, leaving the timing and revelation of such secrets to God’s will.
6. “For thus I swear to you, says this Soul, that whoever has something to conceal or hide, he has something to show; but whoever has nothing to show, he has nothing to hide.”
This paradoxical statement uncovers a profound truth: those who possess genuine divine experiences do not need to hide them, for they are humble and without pride. In contrast, those who hide or conceal likely have something to prove or show off, driven by their own ego rather than by God. The truly illuminated soul is transparent, open, and has no need for concealment.
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1. Why were only three disciples present at the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor?
The Soul explains that the three disciples symbolize how few people are granted the privilege to witness divine mysteries. The Transfiguration was shown only to Christ’s “special friends,” demonstrating that such deep revelations are reserved for those specially chosen or prepared by God.
2. Why was the Transfiguration revealed on a mountain?
The mountain signifies the necessity of spiritual elevation and detachment from worldly distractions. Only those who rise above temporal concerns-who separate themselves from anything less than God-can perceive the divine mysteries. The height of the mountain represents the soul’s ascent to purity and clarity.
3. Why did Jesus command His disciples to remain silent about the Transfiguration until after His resurrection?
This command highlights the danger of pride and vainglory. Speaking of divine secrets too soon could lead to self-exaltation and misuse of spiritual gifts. Silence preserves the humility and integrity of the experience, ensuring that glory is given to God alone, not to human ambition.
4. How does the Soul criticize those who conceal their spiritual experiences?
The Soul points out that those who hide or conceal something often do so because they desire to show or prove something later, driven by ego. In contrast, the truly illuminated soul, who has nothing to prove, has nothing to hide. This soul’s humility and transparency reveal a detachment from self-interest.
5. What deeper meaning does the Soul draw from the Transfiguration story?
The Soul interprets the Transfiguration as an allegory of the soul’s ascent to divine knowledge, showing that only those free from earthly attachments and personal ambition are granted this vision. It also teaches the importance of humility and silence in the face of divine revelation, allowing God to reveal what He wills, when He wills.
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In Chapter 76, the Soul explains that those who are truly transformed by divine love, such as Mary Magdalene, Saint Peter, and Saint John the Evangelist, have no concern for worldly shame or honor. Mary Magdalene’s sins were publicly known, yet her love for God and the Lord’s praise made her indifferent to human judgments. Similarly, Peter and John’s moments of failure did not prevent them from being instruments of God’s miraculous works and revelations. The Soul teaches that once a person is overtaken by divine grace, personal failings lose their sting, and one’s reputation, whether good or bad, becomes irrelevant. God’s actions through the soul-whether seen or hidden-are His alone, and the mature soul no longer seeks to hide its past nor claim honor for divine works. This chapter emphasizes spiritual freedom from human opinions, centering on God’s transformative love.
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1. “Ah, for the sake of God, behold the repentant sinner. She had no dishonor because of what Jesus Christ said to her, that she had chosen the better part and the most sure, and, what is greater, that it would never be taken from her.”
This introduces Mary Magdalene as a model of the soul completely detached from worldly shame and concerns. Her recognition by Jesus signifies that repentance and divine love transcend earthly judgment. The “better part” she chose is pure devotion to Christ, an irrevocable spiritual union untouched by public opinion.
2. “She had no dishonor from the fact that her sins might be made known before all people, through the witness of the Gospel itself, which says, in the hearing of all, that God delivered seven enemies from her.”
Here, Love teaches that even public acknowledgment of sin-symbolized by the “seven enemies”-cannot shame the soul who is truly forgiven and transformed. This suggests that spiritual identity and divine union are not marred by one’s past, as long as one stands in God’s grace.
3. “What dishonor would Saint Peter have, since God resuscitated the dead in his shadow even after he denied God three times?”
Peter’s denial, a public and grave failing, did not ultimately disqualify him from God’s favor or miraculous power. This illustrates that divine election and grace operate beyond human failings, and that the soul’s true worth is found in God’s purpose, not in its past.
4. “What shame and what glory did Saint John the Evangelist have, since God wrote through him the true apocalypse even after he had fled from the capture by which Jesus Christ was taken?”
John’s moment of fear and flight contrasts with his later role as the seer of Revelation, showing that God’s working through a soul is not hindered by past failures. This affirms the soul’s detachment from the human preoccupation with honor or shame.
5. “I maintain, says this Soul, that he and the others had neither dishonor from this nor honor, nor the wish to hide or conceal themselves, and that it is of no concern to them that God might accomplish something through them, and for their sake and for the people, since it would be a divine work.”
The Soul declares that once the ego is dead, the soul has no attachment to either shame or honor. The focus shifts entirely to God’s will and action, rendering human judgments irrelevant. Divine work transcends personal reputation, and humility allows the soul to become a pure vessel.
6. “These examples are sufficient for those who have intellect to grasp what remains to be said. This book is not written for the others.”
This final assertion emphasizes that the text is intended for those spiritually mature enough to comprehend this radical teaching of self-abandonment and divine sufficiency. The soul’s union with God leads to complete indifference toward personal gain or loss, as the divine work speaks for itself.
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1. Why does the Soul claim that the repentant sinner (Mary Magdalene) has no dishonor?
The Soul explains that Mary Magdalene’s repentance and devotion to Jesus bring her no dishonor, despite her sins being publicly known through the Gospel, which recounts how she was freed from seven demons. Instead, Jesus praised her by saying she had “chosen the better part,” a path of loving union with God that no one could take from her. Her complete surrender to divine love makes her indifferent to human judgment. She cares for nothing but God, which lifts her above shame and worldly perceptions. Her story demonstrates that divine grace transforms even public sinfulness into a testimony of God’s mercy.
2. How does the Soul use the example of Saint Peter to illustrate the teaching?
The Soul points to Saint Peter, who denied Jesus three times-a public and grave failure. Yet God worked miracles through him afterward, including raising the dead by his mere shadow. This indicates that Peter’s earlier denial did not leave a stain of dishonor on his soul; rather, his repentance and restored love allowed him to become a conduit of divine power. Peter’s example shows that one’s sins, when repented of and forgiven, cannot limit God’s grace or reduce the soul’s dignity in His eyes.
3. What does the Soul say about Saint John the Evangelist’s moment of weakness?
The Soul recalls that Saint John fled when Jesus was captured-a moment of weakness and fear. However, this did not stop God from choosing him as the writer of the Apocalypse, the revelation of divine mysteries. This demonstrates that even after personal failure, the soul can be entrusted with profound divine truths and missions. John’s weakness did not cause lasting dishonor, nor did his later spiritual responsibility bring him vainglory. His story teaches that honor and shame are irrelevant in the face of God’s purposes.
4. What is the Soul’s overall attitude toward honor and shame?
The Soul expresses a complete indifference to human judgments of honor and shame. It neither claims personal honor for what God accomplishes through it nor feels shame for its past failings. The Soul insists that the works are purely divine and should not be attributed to human merit. It teaches that spiritual maturity involves transcending concern for personal reputation, recognizing that both failures and successes are caught up in God’s providence and mercy.
5. What point does the Soul make by saying the book is “not written for the others”?
By stating that the book is “not written for the others,” the Soul acknowledges that this teaching is for those with the spiritual capacity and intellect to grasp the deeper truths of divine love and humility. The message-that human honor and shame are irrelevant and that true transformation comes through surrender to God-is profound and requires a mature spiritual perspective. This comment serves as a boundary, marking the text as guidance for those willing to move beyond superficial understandings of sin and virtue.
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The main teaching of Chapter 77 of The Mirror of Simple Souls reveals that God’s gifts and love are limitless, always available and ever-flowing for those ready to receive them. Love’s generosity cannot be diminished, but the soul’s capacity to receive depends on its readiness and willingness to respond to divine calls. When Love calls through messengers-virtues, graces, and inner promptings-the soul must not refuse, or it risks remaining burdened and self-enclosed, deprived of the spiritual freedom Love offers. This chapter emphasizes vigilance, humility, and surrender, illustrating that refusal of divine invitations leads to spiritual stagnation, while obedient and receptive souls are drawn into deeper union with God’s unbounded goodness.
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1. Soul: “Ah, for the sake of God! says this Soul. Since God has accomplished this grace for them, is [grace] still as large for giving as it was? Has He now set end and limit to the gifts of His goodness?”
The Soul poses a profound question: Does God’s generosity ever run dry? It reflects the human tendency to wonder whether God’s love and grace are limited. This question sets the stage for Love’s response, highlighting that divine generosity knows no bounds and that God’s gifts are inexhaustible for those willing to receive them.
2. Courtesy: “Without fail, not at all, says Courtesy, His divine goodness could not suffer it. He retains what He also gives, that is, the great gifts which He has to give are the same things which were never given, nor spoken by a mouth, nor pondered by a heart, if one might desire or know how to dispose oneself.”
Courtesy emphasizes that God’s gifts are limitless and eternal. The “great gifts” of divine love are so profound that they transcend human comprehension and expression. The divine generosity is not confined by human understanding or desire but is always greater than we can imagine.
3. Soul: ” …if Love asks of them something of what she has furnished them, that they not refuse her because of anything which might happen, at whatever hour it be, nor because of any Virtue which Love sends to be the messenger.”
Here the Soul warns those still on the journey to be ready and willing to respond when Love calls. Divine Love sends messengers-virtues and graces-that ask the soul to surrender further. The refusal of these calls leads to spiritual stagnation and inner turmoil.
4. Love: “No one knows it, says Love, except me, I alone. I sent you Thrones to purify you and adorn you, the Cherubim to illumine you, the Seraphim to enflame you … And I swear, says Love, I leave you in your own blind protection in saving yourselves.”
Love reveals that divine messengers-symbolized by Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim-are constantly sent to the soul to purify, enlighten, and inflame it with divine love. However, if the soul refuses these graces, Love allows it to struggle in its own blindness, trapped in self-reliance and encumbrance. This passage echoes the idea that divine grace must be met with human receptivity.
5. Love: “Ah Soul, says Love, how you are encumbered with yourself!”
Love laments the soul’s self-imposed burdens. This line captures the heart of the chapter: the soul’s resistance, fear, and attachment to self hinder it from freely receiving and cooperating with divine love. Encumbered by ego and self-protection, the soul blocks the very graces that would free it.
6. Soul: “Truly, says this Soul, my body is feeble and my soul is fearful. For often I am burdened, whether I want to be or not, with these two natures, which the unencumbered neither have, nor are able to have.”
The Soul acknowledges its struggle with bodily weakness and spiritual fear. This tension between divine calling and human frailty creates an inner conflict that prevents complete surrender. The Soul contrasts its experience with that of the “unencumbered,” those who have transcended self and live freely in divine love.
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1. Why does the Soul ask if God has set a limit to His gifts?
The Soul, reflecting on God’s abundant grace given to those fully surrendered to Him, wonders whether this generosity has any bounds. The question arises from the soul’s awareness of its own limitations and its desire to know whether God’s outpouring of goodness ever diminishes. This expresses a deep longing for reassurance that divine love and grace are infinite and continuous for those who are receptive.
2. How does Courtesy respond to the Soul’s question about the limits of God’s gifts?
Courtesy firmly assures the Soul that God’s goodness knows no limits. Divine generosity retains what it gives-meaning that God’s gifts are never exhausted but continually offered. Courtesy emphasizes that the gifts are so immense they transcend human comprehension, never having been “spoken by a mouth nor pondered by a heart.” In essence, God’s capacity to give remains infinite, conditioned only by human readiness to receive.
3. What warning does the Soul offer to those still journeying toward God?
The Soul warns those who are still “not in being” (not yet fully transformed) to be vigilant and ready to respond when Love calls. Love sends messengers-virtues and graces-that may ask for sacrifices or deeper surrender. If these calls are ignored, the soul risks spiritual stagnation, confusion, and encumbrance. The warning underlines the importance of attentiveness and responsiveness to divine invitations, regardless of personal fear or obstacles.
4. What imagery does Love use to describe how she calls the Soul?
Love describes sending the Thrones to purify and adorn, the Cherubim to illumine, and the Seraphim to enflame the Soul. These images evoke the grandeur and layered nature of divine calling. Love explains that these messengers come to communicate her will and call the soul to higher stages of being. However, Love also laments that the soul has ignored these messengers and remains self-absorbed and spiritually burdened.
5. Why does Love say that she leaves the Soul in its “own blind protection”?
Love explains that despite sending messengers and graces to help free the soul, the soul’s refusal to obey and respond has left it trapped in self-reliance and blindness. Love respects the soul’s free will, but this leaves the soul encumbered and in a state of spiritual heaviness. The phrase “blind protection” highlights the soul’s false sense of safety in its self-centeredness, which ultimately prevents it from attaining the freeness Love desires to give.
6. What contrast does the Soul draw between itself and the “unencumbered”?
The Soul acknowledges its own frailty, burdened by both body and soul, in contrast to the unencumbered who are free from such constraints. This contrast emphasizes the difference between souls still struggling with attachments and fears, and those who have fully surrendered to divine love and live in a state of spiritual freedom. The “unencumbered” experience a lightness and peace that the struggling soul has not yet attained.
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In Chapter 78 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, Love reveals the tragic condition of souls who, despite being invited by divine Love through the Virtues, refuse to surrender their self-will and embrace the teachings of perfection. These souls remain entangled in themselves, encumbered both in body and spirit, because they resist the freeing guidance of Love and remain focused on their own efforts rather than divine surrender. True freedom, both physical and spiritual, is offered through simple obedience to Love’s counsel and the Virtues’ guidance, but those who cling to self-driven striving, no matter how ardent, remain trapped in self-centered servitude. Only those illuminated by the “true Sun” and who yield fully to God’s will achieve the “annihilation” of self that leads to divine delight and ultimate freedom.
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1. “Ah, Soul enchained, says Love, how you have such pain and so little gain! And all because you have not obeyed the teachings of perfection, about which I disputed with you in order to unencumber you in the flower of your youth.”
Love laments the soul’s stubbornness in refusing the call to perfection. The soul’s suffering, paired with minimal spiritual progress, is portrayed as a direct result of resisting the transformative teachings offered by Love. This reflects the consequences of missed opportunities for surrender and spiritual freedom.
2. “Nevertheless, you have never willed to change, and you have not willed to do anything. Instead you always refused my calls about what I would have you know through such noble messengers, as you have heard before. Such folk, says Love, live encumbered with themselves until they die.”
Here, Love highlights the soul’s persistent refusal to heed divine messengers (Virtues, interior inspirations), which leads to a lifelong entrapment in the self. This shows how the refusal of divine will results in a self-imposed spiritual bondage, persisting until death.
3. “Ah, without fail, says Love, if they would will it, they could be delivered from that to which they are and will be in great servitude for so little profit, from which, if they had willed it, they might have been delivered in return for so small a thing.”
Love reveals that liberation from self-encumbrance is accessible, and the cost-complete surrender to God’s will-is small compared to the weight of persistent servitude to the self. This points to God’s readiness to free souls if only they would yield.
4. “I say, says Love, they could be completely free both in soul and in body if they had followed my counsel by the Virtues, who tell them my will… And because they would not do it, they are all living, as you heard, with themselves.”
This underscores the role of the Virtues as channels of God’s will. The soul’s failure to obey these promptings keeps it trapped in a narrow, self-focused existence. Love contrasts this with the potential for total freedom through obedience.
5. “The annihilated free ones, adorned by delights, know this, for they see through themselves the servitude of the others. Because the true Sun shines in their illumination, they see the little specks in the rays of the Sun by means of the splendor of the Sun and of the rays.”
Here, Love contrasts the “free ones”-souls fully surrendered to God’s love-with those still encumbered by themselves. The image of the “true Sun” illuminating hidden flaws symbolizes how divine light exposes imperfections, while also empowering and freeing those who surrender.
6. “For the true Sun of Justice never healed any soul without healing the body when He did His miracles on earth. And often still it is so, but He does not do this for anyone who has no faith in Him.”
This shows the intimate link between faith, healing, and liberation. Divine justice and love heal not only the soul but also the body, but only in those open to trust and surrender. This reinforces the need for faith and willingness.
7. “I have said, says Love, that those with whom I disputed through their interior life concerning obedience to the Virtues and who did nothing… will live encumbered with themselves until they die.”
Love reiterates the fate of the disobedient souls: a lifelong burden of self-centeredness, resulting from their refusal to heed the Virtues. This starkly contrasts with the promised freedom for those who cooperate with divine will.
8. “And again I say that even if they drive themselves each day with themselves to enlarge upon the perfection of the apostles by the effort of the will, they will not be unencumbered from themselves… for rudeness and the disputes about the interior life do not give deliverance.”
Love warns that external efforts, no matter how fervent, are futile without inner surrender and the “fiery ardor” of the interior life. Mere willpower and harsh self-discipline, disconnected from divine inspiration, cannot free the soul.
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1. What does Love accuse the soul of at the beginning of the chapter?
Love accuses the soul of being “enchained” and suffering greatly with little spiritual gain because it refused to obey the teachings of perfection. Love points out that this disobedience resulted in the soul’s being encumbered with itself throughout life.
2. How does Love explain the soul’s resistance to the teachings of perfection?
Love explains that despite noble messengers and repeated divine invitations through the Virtues, the soul persistently refused to change and refused Love’s calls, choosing instead to remain attached to self-will and self-focus.
3. According to Love, what is the result of ignoring the Virtues and Love’s counsel?
The result is that such souls remain trapped in servitude to themselves, encumbered by self-centeredness and spiritual blindness. This state persists throughout life, leaving them weighed down in both body and soul.
4. How does Love describe the possibility of deliverance for these souls?
Love emphasizes that deliverance is possible and could be achieved for “so small a thing”-that is, by surrendering fully to God’s will, as shown through the Virtues. This surrender brings both spiritual and bodily freedom, but the soul must will it.
5. What is the contrast between the encumbered souls and the “annihilated free ones”?
The “annihilated free ones” are those who have surrendered fully to God and live adorned by divine delights. They are illuminated by the “true Sun,” seeing both their own flaws and the servitude of those still trapped in themselves. In contrast, the encumbered souls remain self-focused and blind to divine freedom.
6. How does the “true Sun” (Christ) function in this chapter’s imagery?
The “true Sun” represents Christ, whose illumination reveals imperfections (symbolized by “little specks in the rays”) and brings healing and strength. Love highlights that Christ’s healing extends to both soul and body but requires faith and surrender.
7. Why does Love insist that even effortful striving cannot deliver the encumbered souls?
Love warns that external efforts, even if they mimic the perfection of the apostles, will not deliver souls if they are driven by self-will rather than divine inspiration. Without the “whirling fiery ardor” of interior love and surrender, all such striving remains self-focused and futile.
8. What is the overall warning that Love gives in this chapter?
The warning is that souls who resist Love’s invitations and refuse to obey the Virtues will live and die encumbered with themselves. Deliverance is possible but requires humble surrender, and without it, no amount of personal effort or discipline will bring true freedom.
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In Chapter 79, the Unencumbered Soul advises those pursuing perfection to remain attentive to the ardent calls of the spirit’s will, as this path leads to union with the “Freeness of Willing Nothing,” where the soul is fully satisfied in God’s presence. Love emphasizes that this life serves as a preparatory servant for the soul’s divine union, and that those who align their judgments and desires perfectly with the spirit’s prompting will attain proximity to the divine being. The text underscores that true spiritual love requires detachment from worldly and bodily attachments, mirroring the humility and purity of Jesus Christ, and highlights the example of John the Baptist as one who embodied this unencumbered strength. Ultimately, Love is revealed not as a destroyer but as a nurturing and deeply satisfying presence, sustaining those faithful to her in their spiritual journey.
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1. “Therefore I say, says this Unencumbered Soul, to all those who live in the effort of the life of perfection, that they take care that they do not refuse the calls of the ardor of the desire of the will of the spirit, that they hold dearly to the attaining of the better thing after this life which one calls the sad life and the life of the spirit.”
The Unencumbered Soul urges those on the path of perfection to be vigilant and responsive to the deep desires of the spirit’s will. This highlights the importance of recognizing and following divine inspiration, which propels the soul beyond the limitations of this temporal, “sad” life into spiritual fulfillment. It emphasizes an active openness and cooperation with the calls of grace.
2. “This life is the handmaid and servant who prepares the place for the arrival and lodging of the great being of the Freeness of Willing Nothing, by which the Soul is in all points satisfied. That is, [the Soul is satisfied] by this nothingness which gives all things. For the one who gives all, possesses all, and not otherwise.”
Love reveals that earthly life serves as preparation for the soul’s eventual union with the state of “Freeness of Willing Nothing,” a radical detachment that paradoxically satisfies all desires. By surrendering everything-including self-will and attachments-the soul becomes truly fulfilled. This echoes a central theme of The Mirror: divine fullness is attained only through self-emptying.
3. “Ah, again, says this Soul, I would say to those who are sad that the one who guards the peace and satisfies perfectly the will of the ardor of desire piercing the work of his spirit… such a one will attain, as the rightful heir, worthy proximity to this being of which we speak.”
The Unencumbered Soul counsels that inner peace, combined with an unwavering commitment to divine will, leads to spiritual inheritance. Those who align their entire being with the ardor of the spirit’s desire are drawn into the very presence of the divine. This offers a path from spiritual sadness to joyful proximity with God.
4. “She has no emptiness in her which would not be completely filled by me, which is why she cannot host either care or memory, and so she possesses no semblance of them. And yet, says Love, piety and courtesy are not departed from such a Soul, as long as there is time and place.”
Love describes the soul’s transformation into a vessel entirely filled with divine presence, leaving no room for worldly concerns or anxieties. Yet this fullness does not breed indifference; rather, the soul retains gentleness, compassion, and appropriate social grace. This reflects a delicate balance between total detachment and gracious engagement with the world.
5. “And whoever would be courteous would never love except what he ought. One never loves the Humanity who loves temporality. One never loves divinely who loves something corporally.”
This teaching connects courtesy with the proper ordering of love. True courtesy springs from divine love, which cannot coexist with attachment to temporal, bodily things. The text insists on purity of affection: only those free from worldly attachments can fully love Christ’s humanity and divinity, with a clear hierarchy of love centered on God.
6. “Ah, says Reason, how strong such souls are shows in the Baptizer!”
Reason highlights the example of John the Baptist as a model of the strong, unencumbered soul. This evokes an ideal of prophetic strength, unwavering loyalty to divine will, and a life dedicated to spiritual truth. It affirms that detachment from self and the world cultivates a strength exemplified by such holy figures.
7. “Love does not destroy but instead instructs and nourishes and sustains those who pledge faithful loyalty to her, for she is satisfying and deep and a richly flowing sea.”
This closing insight underscores the nurturing aspect of divine Love. Far from annihilating the soul’s essence, Love enriches and sustains it in profound ways. Love’s depth and abundance provide both strength and fulfillment to those who faithfully follow her call, suggesting an image of divine care and inexhaustible grace.
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1. What does the Unencumbered Soul advise those striving for perfection?
The Unencumbered Soul advises all those pursuing a life of perfection to remain open and responsive to the calls of the spirit’s will. It warns against refusing these calls, emphasizing that true spiritual progress requires surrender to the ardent desire of the spirit. This receptivity leads them toward “the better thing” – union with God beyond this earthly, sorrowful existence. The soul’s progress depends on aligning its will with the divine will, which prepares it for complete fulfillment in the “Freeness of Willing Nothing,” where it receives everything from God.
2. How does Love describe the purpose of earthly life in relation to the soul’s perfection?
Love presents earthly life as a “handmaid and servant” that prepares the soul for union with God. This life is not an end but a necessary stage, meant to ready the soul for the arrival of the divine presence – the Freeness of Willing Nothing. This “nothingness” paradoxically grants the soul everything, as total surrender and detachment from self enable complete possession of God. Love stresses that one who gives all (including self-will) gains all, revealing the transformative paradox at the heart of spiritual perfection.
3. What is the connection between piety, courtesy, and the perfect soul?
The text teaches that piety and courtesy are integral to the soul’s perfection and must never be abandoned. Even the most glorified soul, such as Jesus Christ’s human soul, maintained perfect piety and courtesy, serving as an example for all. This means that even in advanced spiritual stages, humility, kindness, and proper regard for others remain essential virtues. A soul truly united with God retains these virtues, as they reflect the Divine nature itself and ensure the soul’s love is rightly ordered.
4. How does Love warn against the danger of attachment to the body or temporal things?
Love cautions that one cannot truly love God while remaining attached to corporeal or temporal things. Those who focus on the material or bodily realm will not experience divine love, as they remain entangled in what passes away. True spiritual love requires transcending the physical and detaching from the ego. The text highlights that those who love temporal things cannot love God in His fullness, and those who love Divinity deeply will feel little attachment to material concerns. This radical detachment is essential for union with God.
5. What role does John the Baptist play as an example in this chapter?
Reason points to John the Baptist as an example of a soul living unencumbered by the self. His life illustrates the strength and freedom that come from complete surrender to God. John the Baptist embodies the virtues of detachment, humility, and unwavering fidelity to divine will. His example serves as a powerful model for readers, showing that even in this life, one can live in profound spiritual freedom, unshackled from the distractions of self-interest or worldly attachment.
6. How is Love portrayed in this chapter?
Love is portrayed not as a harsh or destructive force but as a nurturing, instructive presence. Love teaches, nourishes, and sustains those who are loyal and faithful. It is depicted as a vast, satisfying sea, rich with depth and sustenance, offering the soul all it needs when it is receptive and open. This depiction contrasts with any harsh notions of renunciation by highlighting that Love is itself the fulfillment of desire and the deepest satisfaction for the soul that surrenders to it.
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In chapter 80, the Soul, having crossed the sea of detachment and immersed herself fully into God’s will, sings and chants to guide others still encumbered by selfhood. Her song is not self-serving but a charitable act that testifies to the freeness and divine union she now enjoys. Through vivid imagery, the Soul confesses her absolute indebtedness to God for every moment of self-will and recognizes that it is only through God’s infinite Love that this debt is canceled. The union between her surrender and God’s generosity merges into a single, boundless embrace. This transformative Love, embodied by the “Ravishing Most High,” dissolves the Soul into divine Love, rendering her unable to speak of its mysteries except through silence. Her total relinquishment of all selfhood leads to a continuous flow of divine understanding and praise, as she becomes a wellspring of love and knowledge radiating from union with God.
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1. “I sing, says this Soul, one hour singing, another chanting, and all for those who are not yet unencumbered, so that they might hear something about freeness, and whatever else is necessary until they arrive at this stage.”
The Soul’s song is not merely for self-expression or personal delight but a mission of love and instruction. By singing and chanting, she reaches out to souls still bound by self-will and worldly attachments. Her melodies transmit hints of the “freeness” she has tasted – the radical freedom of the soul surrendered to God. This demonstrates the Soul’s charity, as she seeks to guide others into this profound union with the divine.
2. “This Soul has perceived by divine light the being of the land of which she must be. And [she] has crossed the sea in order to suck the marrow of the high cedar.”
Here, the Soul’s journey is described as a crossing of a metaphorical sea, moving from selfhood into the land of divine union. The “marrow of the high cedar” symbolizes the innermost life of God, rich and nourishing. The crossing signifies total surrender-only by plunging into the sea of divine will can one reach this profound intimacy with God. The imagery suggests both the difficulty and the reward of this journey.
3. “Such a Soul has fallen from me into nothingness, moreover, into less than nothingness without limit. For as God is incomprehensible with regard to His power, so also is this Soul indebted by her incomprehensible nothingness by even one hour of time that she had possessed a will contrary to Him.”
The Soul acknowledges her utter poverty and unworthiness before God. She recognizes that even a single moment of self-will places her in infinite debt to God, for whom her own will is nothing. This radical self-emptying and recognition of her “less than nothingness” paradoxically prepare her for union with God. The passage highlights the contrast between God’s infinite power and the soul’s profound dependence.
4. “Ah, dear Lord, You Yourself will pay it. For Your full goodness overflowing with courtesy could not allow that I not be freed of it by the gift of Love by whom You caused to pay in one moment all my debts.”
The Soul rejoices in the divine generosity that erases her debts. God’s infinite love and mercy compensate for her inability to repay Him. This reflects the theology of grace: the soul cannot attain perfection by effort alone but must rely on God’s initiative and the gift of Love, embodied in Christ, to reconcile her debts. The phrase “one moment” indicates the instant of divine grace that transforms the soul.
5. “These two debts continue, one contrary to the other, and are made completely one from now on. And I completely consent to it, for it is the counsel of my nearest one.”
The paradox of the soul’s infinite debt and God’s infinite generosity is reconciled in Love. The debts, though opposites, merge into a single mystery of union: the soul offers her nothingness, and God offers His fullness. This merging reflects the deepest mystical union, where opposites are reconciled, and the soul consents to this dynamic of love and grace.
6. “The Ravishing Most High who overtakes me and joins me to the center of the marrow of divine Love in whom I am melted, says this Soul.”
The “Ravishing Most High” represents God’s irresistible love that draws the soul into the heart of divine life. The imagery of being “melted” signifies total dissolution of the self in God’s love, leaving no room for self-will. This is the climax of mystical union: the soul no longer acts independently but is wholly infused and animated by divine love.
7. “It is necessary to be silent about this being, says this Soul, for one cannot say anything about it.”
The ineffability of this union is underscored here. The soul recognizes that words fall short of describing the depths of her experience of divine love. Silence becomes the only fitting response, acknowledging both the majesty of God and the limits of human language. This recalls apophatic (negative) theology, which affirms God’s presence through what cannot be said.
8. “No, truly, says Love, no more than one could enclose the sun in a dwelling could this Soul say anything about this life, compared to what is there, to speak the truth.”
Love amplifies the Soul’s statement by using a vivid image: trying to capture the sun in a room. The life of union with God is too vast and radiant to be contained in human words or concepts. This highlights the infinite distance between divine reality and human expression, while also conveying the glory and light of this life.
9. “Ah, Lady Soul, says Astonishment, you are a well-spring of divine Love, from which well-spring of divine Love is born the fount of divine Understanding; from which well-spring of divine Love and from which fount of divine Understanding is born the flow of divine Praise.”
Astonishment marvels at the Soul’s transformation into a source of divine love and understanding. The image of a wellspring suggests abundance and unceasing flow, as the soul, filled with divine love, becomes a source of spiritual understanding and praise. This progression from love to understanding to praise highlights the natural fruitfulness of mystical union.
10. “I relinquish everything, says this one confirmed in nothingness, perfectly in the divine will.”
The Soul’s final statement encapsulates her complete surrender. Having embraced nothingness and renounced all self-will, she rests in perfect harmony with God’s will. This total relinquishment is not loss but fulfillment – a profound union where the soul receives everything in return for giving everything up.
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1. Why does the Soul sing and chant in this chapter?
The Soul sings and chants as an act of charity and service for those who are still encumbered by attachments and self-will. Her song is not for personal delight but to communicate the experience of “freeness” and the transformative journey she has undergone. By doing so, she offers others a glimpse into the life of union with God and encourages them to embark on the path of surrender and detachment. The Soul becomes a bridge for others, drawing them toward divine freedom.
2. What does it mean for the Soul to have ‘crossed the sea’ to reach the ‘marrow of the high cedar’?
The imagery of crossing the sea symbolizes the Soul’s transition from the realm of selfhood into the realm of divine union. This sea represents the deep and often turbulent journey of surrendering personal will, ego, and attachments. The ‘marrow of the high cedar’ signifies the innermost richness of God’s being – the very substance of divine love and wisdom. Only by immersing oneself in the depths of divine will (symbolized by the sea) can the Soul access this intimate and nourishing union with God.
3. How does the Soul describe her sense of indebtedness to God, and what theological insight does this provide?
The Soul acknowledges that even a single moment of possessing a will contrary to God places her in an infinite debt to Him. She confesses her “nothingness,” and even “less than nothingness,” recognizing her complete dependence on divine mercy. This reflects a deep theological understanding: human efforts are utterly insufficient to repay God for the gift of life and love. The Soul’s indebtedness is contrasted with God’s infinite generosity and the mystery of grace, wherein God Himself pays the debt through the gift of His Love.
4. What is the ‘gift of Love’ mentioned in the Soul’s response, and how does it resolve her indebtedness?
The ‘gift of Love’ refers to God’s overwhelming mercy and generosity, expressed through the divine initiative that reconciles the soul to Himself. The Soul realizes that she cannot repay her debt, but God, in His infinite courtesy and fullness of goodness, cancels it through Love. This evokes the Christian understanding of Christ’s redemptive work and the grace that enables human beings to be united with God. The “one moment” by which Love cancels all debts symbolizes the instantaneous and total sufficiency of divine grace.
5. What is the significance of the merging of the Soul’s debt and God’s generosity into ‘one debt’ in this chapter?
The merging of the two debts – the Soul’s infinite obligation and God’s infinite giving – illustrates the paradoxical nature of divine union. The Soul consents to this mystery, recognizing that what she owes God (everything) and what God gives her (everything) are reconciled in love. This reflects the mystical teaching that in divine union, opposites are overcome: human insufficiency is embraced by divine fullness, and the soul’s offering of her nothingness is met by God’s infinite generosity.
6. Who is the ‘nearest one’ that the Soul refers to, and what role does He play in her transformation?
The ‘nearest one’ is identified as the “Ravishing Most High” – God Himself – who overtakes the Soul and joins her to the core of divine Love. His ravishing presence transforms the Soul, melting her into the divine will and freeing her from all selfhood. This imagery conveys the totality of divine embrace and the dissolution of the soul’s independent will into God’s perfect will, marking the apex of mystical union.
7. Why does the Soul declare it is necessary to be silent about her experience?
The Soul realizes that her experience of union with God is ineffable – beyond the capacity of human words to express. Just as one cannot capture the brilliance of the sun within a house, so too can the soul not articulate the vastness of divine love and union. This silence is a recognition of the limits of language and a reverence for the mystery of God’s presence. It points to apophatic theology, which acknowledges that God’s essence transcends all human understanding.
8. What connection does Astonishment make between the Soul’s love and understanding?
Astonishment marvels at the Soul’s transformation, declaring her a wellspring of divine Love, from which arises divine Understanding, and from there the flow of divine Praise. This connection highlights a natural progression: Love leads to deeper insight into God (Understanding), which in turn inspires a spontaneous outpouring of praise and worship. It illustrates the fruitfulness of mystical union, where love generates knowledge, and knowledge leads to glorification of God.
9. How does the Soul’s final declaration, “I relinquish everything,” encapsulate the teaching of this chapter?
The Soul’s final statement expresses total surrender and alignment with the divine will. Her relinquishment of all selfhood and attachments is not loss but gain, as it leads to her being fully united with God. This total giving of oneself epitomizes the mystical path described in this chapter: through detachment, surrender, and embracing one’s nothingness, the soul is filled with divine love and drawn into perfect union. It’s the culmination of her journey across the metaphorical sea into the ‘marrow’ of God’s life.