How did she come to the point of conversion? Let us go back a step to that second period of her life and a look at the Fourth Mansion. The third period, marking her soul’s entrance into the final three mansions and supernatural union with God, comes soon after her conversion in 1554. This period was marked by “intense ascetical struggle” and entrance into the fourth mansion. The second period occurred between 1535-1544, and includes her initial years as a Carmelite nun, a serious and painful illness, and her return to prayer after her father’s death in 1543. This took her in and out of the First, Second, and Third Mansions. In this first stage of her life, she experienced many highs-and-lows and notable breakdowns. The first period was her childhood and youth until entrance into religious life between the years 1515-1535. Teresa’s spiritual life can be separated into three distinct stages. In her own movement through the mansions, St. We continue our study of St Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle after a beautiful preaching last month on the first three mansions, which focused on states of prayer “achievable through active or human efforts and the ordinary help of grace” and we venture into the Fourth and Fifth Mansions, or dwelling places, the first two of the final four mansions, all of which illuminate for us the stages of prayer characterized by passive or mystical elements of the spiritual life.

Using the Study Addition, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.

Here is the summary of the 4th and 5th Mansions in the Interior Castle that was presented at the February meeting.

St teresa of avila mansions