Thoughts on Teresa

Since reading the life and letters of Teresa Higginson, the hermit has prayed and pondered the devotion she had desired others embrace: Devotion to the Sacred Head, as Seat of Wisdom, His Holy Soul. From this reading, the understanding is that Teresa's private revelations were that the Sacred Head of Christ, the Intellect and Will, informed the Heart. Since reading this, the hermit has concurrently been reading other books in which, without intending, explain with clarity and theological soundness, that it is the Heart of Christ--the Heart and Its Love, which informs the intellect and will. St. John's Ist Letter supports this.

Another classic writer of the spiritual life, Dom Augustine Baker's book Holy Wisdom, has a preface poem in honor of his writings which expresses this beautifully:

In sable lines laid o're a silver ground
The face of that mysteirous Man [Christ] is found,
Whose [Dom Baker] secret life and published writings prove,
To Pray is not to talk, or thinke, but love....

The other references wisely, theologically, and clearly substantiate that Love is God and God is Love, and Charity is the greatest, and would perdure the Sacred Heart as over (for lack of better terms of a mysterious topic, at best) the Sacred Head. These supportive writings are found in The Interior Life and They Speak in Silences, as well as in Ancient Devotions to the Sacred Heart. This topic could be illuminated by many other long-standing and reputable spiritual guides and authors.

However, it is not a major issue, for either the Church will approve Teresa's revelations or not approve. The hermit senses it best to consider the Sacred Heart as that which in Love informs all else. As a practical exercise, the hermit considered that all impulses from one's mind, head, intellect and will remain such; but it is love that makes them holy or good; love forms the impulses into good, into glorifying God, or not. Love is eternal; the impulses are not. Love is God, the thoughts of the intellect and will are not; but when Love permeates the intellect and will, then the totality is a consuming Love. When Jesus willed to suffer and die, He did so for love of us. The thought of doing it, the intellectual impulses did not die for us. It is Love.

The confessor this morning also pointed out that in early times, the heart was considered the seat of reason.
Anyway, the hermit is trying to express the thoughts of the last week or so regarding the devotion of the Sacred Head, and for self is writing out some personal obstacles based upon reading and reasoning. But the desires adoration and love of Christ in all His Incarnate and Divine attributes--Head, Heart, Words, Touch. Just seems reasonable and Scriptural and theological and traditional that Love informs all else--and that is perhaps why the revelations of St. Gertrude and St. Margaret Mary and St. Faustina and so many saints beyond listing have given credence to the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Teresa's communication is rather alone in some aspects as she writes of it, and it is not easily explained, nor clearly, and perhaps a bit questionable in these aspects.

I guess it is all right to think through these things, to discern, and once more to personally follow the general stance adopted by this hermit: go with what the Church has approved. What is not approved can be lovely for future generations. Ponder what is good of others' devotions; and as my confessor said, "Do not become out of balance on the devotion itself" [or the person who propagates it].

Am still asking Teresa to pray for the priest who has a brilliant intellect, for his health and a longer life, unless God has other plans for him! Other aspects of Teresa's holy and devoted life of love of Christ and much suffering, remain meritorious in my consideration; and of course, it is always good if my reservations are proven wrong. They are simply reservations, something just not quite falling into place, personally.
For one thing, her spiritual director was not successful at least while alive, in promoting the devotion as Teresa had suggested he would be. There was something edgy about her pronouncement of Jesus' ire and what would befall those who did not embrace the devotion. I'm not sure, off-hand, that other mystics of major revelations from Jesus reported a kind of doom to those who did not adhere to the wishes--but then, Our Lady at Fatima did say that if we did not pray and turn from sin, the world would suffer consequences. But it wasn't that bad would happen if we did not follow a certain devotion. So these are sticking points to me in what I read, and I may have misinterpreted or misread. Yes, that can happen.