Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and the Gospel-On Prayer

Father Dubay begins this book by speaking about a hunger people have--something he has found people hungering to hear. He learned this from decades of preaching, giving retreats and seminars, and the reaction of people to all of it. He says he regularly and repeatedly encounters people who are yearning to hear the message of: "the universal call to holiness and to a deep prayer life." In chapter one, he gives two brief examples that he uses. First, he says, Saint Paul told his hearers, laymen and laywomen for the most part, that they should aspire to be "filled with the utter fullness of God" (Eph 3:19). Second, Saint Teresa of Avila, expressly writing of generous married people seriously living their gospel obligations, forthrightly said that there is no reason why people in the world should not attain to the very highest mansions of prayer growth, to the "transforming union." This is an idea he says is so attractive and so lofty that many people assume that it is something they cannot realize in their own lives. Using the gospel, Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross especially, two saints who have been declared Doctors of the Church, precisely for what they have to say about this type of spiritual growth and how to reach it, he says, "These two Carmelites have been to the summit of the mountain: they know what it is like and how to get there. Unlike oriental gurus who promise much but produce at best an apersonal state of awareness, or at worst immoral chaos, these two saints point to nothing but what the Gospel already promises: 'A joy so glorious that it cannot be described.' A delight that is complete such that 'hearts will be full of joy' that no one can take away" (see 1 Pt 1:8, Jn 15:11; 16:22). Not bad!--as far as gifts are concerned. That's what they are--take 'em or leave 'em! If you leave them, that's a personal choice. It may even result in an eternal choice. If you want to take them, then you'll find: it's for those who want these gifts, that Father Dubay wrote this book. It is not written for contemplatives, although anyone who reads it will profit from it. Father synthesized the pages of this book from the works of Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross for everyday people, who are hungering to hear these saints and what they teach. He sees this as his mission. He says, "Because we are all without exception called to the heights of holiness, this volume is emphatically intended, also without exception, for all men and women in every way of life. When later we examine the inner reasons why this must be so, it shall become clear why our two saints are accurate in their assessment and fully in accord both with Scripture and the mind of the Church." And so, it's a safe book, in case you're worried! Although the call is "without exception for all," Father indicates, at least indirectly, that not "all" can answer it. As Father was certain of the accuracy with which these saints depict the elements of this spiritual journey, he was also clear as to the determination necessary for those who wish to drink in their doctrine and follow them to the summit of the mountain. In one example, he uses Saint Teresa. In doing so, he says, "Faintheartedness was not one of the saint's traits, and it may not be a trait of anyone who embarks on a contemplative life with the all-holy God." For those who wish to embark on a life of serious prayer, Saint Teresa says, "It is most important--all-important, indeed--that they should begin well by making an earnest and most determined resolve not to halt until they reach their goal, whatever may come, whatever may happen to them, however hard they may have to labour, whoever may complain of them, whether they reach their goal or die on the road or have no heart to confront the trials which they meet, whether the very world dissolves before them." Surprisingly, you do not read or hear about people who followed these saints and were sorry. All must have been more than pleased at what they found. Jesus himself tells us that the payoff is quite substantial! He assures anyone who is interested, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand" (Jn 10:28). Saint Teresa givers us an additional insight about this life. She says the payoff is here! We need not wait for the next life.This is probably the most comprehensive book on the spiritual life in print. The cover says it's about prayer. It is, but it's also about the many dimensions of prayer: experiencing God, freedom, spiritual growth, conditions for growth, the purification process, holiness of life, transformation and all that entails, right down to the mystical experiences that these two saints encountered, experienced and explained. It's filled with advice that is rarely found in one source, between one front and back cover. I had it on my shelf for quite some time before I actually read it. I also had several false starts. That's not uncommon. This is a giant step. We all have excuses. Sooner or later, however, it should go without saying to those who know Saint Teresa--that she did not have much interest in, or pay much attention to, the excuses people might dredge-up in this regard. I guess she heard them all. In the  The Way of Perfection  pg 136, from which the above quote comes, and immediately after speaking about her literal "determined determination," she comes up with her litany, "Again and again people will say to us: "It is dangerous", "So-and-so was lost through doing this", "Someone else got into wrong ways", "Some other person, who was always praying, fell just the same", "It is bad for virtue", "It is not meant for women; it may lead them into delusions", "They would do better to stick to their spinning", "These subtleties are of no use to them", "It is quite enough for them to say their Paternoster and Ave Maria." I guess today she would simply say, "Give me a break!" Or in Brooklyn, simply "fuggedaboutit!"Since you are already on the website reading about this, now might be as good a time as any!

So far I’m enjoying this book a lot but it does take a little focus since it is written in older verbiage but definitely is inspiring

The writings of both saints, St. John and Teresa, are not easy to study. To understand their thoughts on any particular aspect of deep prayer and the spiritual life requires the reading of all that they have written. For example, Teresa often digresses and strayes from her immediate subject; although these literary wanderings are always very valuable, it implies that her complete views on some topic is not found in any one paragraph.As a synthesis of the teachings of the two great saints the book is thus quite valuable.The trying part of the book is found in some of the comments added by Dubay, who is a marist priest. Especially for non-Catholic readers (and likely for some Catholics as well) his own views often go astray from those of the two saints.For example, concerning spiritual direction he writes:"We have in both Old and New Testament many examples of this providential disposition [i.e. spiritual direction] by which God deals with His people through selected individuals: Abraham, Moses, the prophets, the apostles and most of all Mary." (page 292)Most of all Mary! -- this makes me cringe. There is nothing of the sort to be found in the writings of either saint. I greatly honor and respect Mary, but her calling was quite another (and a much higher one)!Regarding John's authority as a spiritual director Dubay writes:"He [John] is a missioned person, one sent by the Church, who in turn has been sent by Christ, Who was sent by the Father. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21). Therefore, the sanjuanist director is speaking in the name of God because he is functioning in the name of the Church sent by the incarnate Son." (page 291)Again, neither John nor Teresa make any such statements.Regarding obedience:"We obey our leaders in the Church, for when we listen to them, we listen to Jesus, and if we reject them, we reject Him and His Father." (page 109)Here (and many more times throughout the book) he refers to Luke 10:16 where we read of the seventy disciples appointed and sent out in pairs by Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God. Dubay believes that the clergy of the RCC has the same authority as those disciples of Luke 10 -- what confusion!There are many more such instances of typical RC errors (for example: scripture directed to Israel falsely applied to the church) distributed all through the book; and most of them were added by Dubay and are not found in the writings of the saints. Of course, John and Teresa were Catholics and not immune from doctrinal errors, but their writings are surprisingly error-free, especially when considering the culture in which they lived (16th century Spain) -- the Inquisition was everywhere.Nevertheless, much of what Dubay added to the writings of the two saints is quite helpful.This book is recommended even to non-Catholic readers -- it is a good summary of John's and Teresa's important writings -- but discernment is necessary to filter out the RC bias. The serious student needs to read the saint's complete writings however.-----Recommended:1-- The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume 1Contains The Book of Her Life, Spiritual Testimonies, Soliloquies2-- The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume 2Contains Way of Perfection, Interior Castle, and Meditations on the Song of Songs3-- The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume 3Contains Book of Her Foundations and Minor Works.4-- The Collected Works of St. John of the CrossIncluded are: St. John's poetry, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love, as well as his letters and other counsels.All volumes:Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD, and Otilio Rodriguez, OCDICS Publications-----Added note concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her being seen as a mediator in the RCC :Please consider:For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1_Timothy 2:5)....the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26)....Christ Jesus is He ... who also intercedes for us (Romans 8:34).The Letter to the Hebrews also declares who ALONE is the eternal High Priest and mediator between God and men:Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Heb 3:1).Nowhere in all of Scripture is Mary said to be a mediator (or co-mediator) for man. The worship of any thing or any creature is in fact idolatry.Whatever is claimed to be the truth, but is found to contradict Scripture, must be utterly rejected as being a lie.

My book arrived well within the time stated and in good condition. It is an excellent book, well written and informative by an acknowledged master.

Everything you need to know in readable form and written with infectious enthusiasm. A major contribution.

Gives a clearer Undersranding of ss Teresa and John writings....

Helpful on the subject of Teresa but a bit elementary.

Brilliant book