Mansions of incipient union (Christianity)
Description
In these mansions it is strength of the soul and not of the body that is important. The soul needs to keep back nothing for God will have it all.
Here everything goes to sleep to the world and to ourselves. Thought is not possible and there is no need to find ways of suspending thought. The soul is drawn from the body, a kind of delectable death is experienced. The mind becomes dumbfounded, the body does not move and even breathing is not noticed. This is one type of union with God and is quite different from the transports of the devil over vanities of this world. The joy is greater. The delights, satisfaction and peace is different. One seems to effect the gross parts of the body and the other penetrates the marrow of the bones. This difference is obvious to those who have had the experience. The experience is not being able to see, hear or understand for a short period of time during which God and ourselves are implanted into our souls in such a way that it cannot be forgotten and there is no doubt that God had been there.
These mansions are like the life of a silk worm. In the spring warmth, it feeds on leaves, spins a cocoon, dies and emerges as a butterfly. In the heat of the love of the Holy Spirit the soul uses confession, good books, sermons and good meditations to grow in strength. It then begins to build a house in God by renouncing self-love, self-will and attachments to earthly things, by practising prayer, penance, mortification and obedience and by letting the worm die. It then enters these mansions as a butterfly for never more than a half hour. The soul cannot understand how it merits this blessing. It desperately desires to please God, longs to suffer great trials and desires to do penances and have solitude and for all to know God. The butterfly knows not where to settle. Everything of the earth is unsatisfactory. It desires to do more than it can for God. Seeming weakness when doing penances are now strengths. It is no longer bound by relationships, friendships or property and it grieves to fulfil these obligations out of fear to offend God. Everything wearies it.
While there is rest even in the knowledge of the source of this suffering, this state has new and more profound trials. The soul is not resigned to the will of God. It does conform to God's will but with many tears and sorrow at being unable to do more. It is besieged with grief at offenses against God and with the loss of souls. In this God has blessed the soul with some of the suffering of Christ.
This experience is a gift and cannot be acquired through an act of will.
Thinking this is the end of the journey is foolish and will close the door to further mansions. A person who has reached these mansions and does nothing else or even strays from this path will benefit others. But true union with God is not possible without submission to the will of God. A person must continue living this life, die to their own free will and never doubt the possibility of true union. Being unoffensive to God and leading a religious life is not enough. Self love, self esteem, censoriousness of neighbours and failure to love neighbours eat away at any real virtues and keep the soul far away from union. God's will is for the soul to be perfect, to love God and to love the neighbour. The best way of knowing the soul is doing this is to be sure of loving the neighbour because being sure of loving God is not possible. Avoid wish dreaming about loving the neighbour but act on the neighbour's behalf. Avoid false humility and being so concerned about the experience of prayer that the neighbour is neglected. The soul needs to do violence to its own will that it serve the neighbour and love God.
In this state it is still possible to go astray and follow the devil. Even this close to God the soul can be deceived by believing it is doing good when it is actually, gradually reasserting its own will. In spite of the level of detachment from worldly things, the soul can be lured back to earthly pleasures. To guard against these dangers, the soul prays to be in God's hands, never has confidence in itself, is ever vigilant and watches for progress in virtue. The soul knows not advancing in virtue is a bad sign.