October 15th is Saint Teresa of Avila’s feast day. In her book, The Interior Castle, she compares the soul with an analogy of a great castle with seven mansions. They represent seven different stages of the prayer life that we journey through.

The Souls in the First, Second, and Third Mansions are in the Purgative Stage, where we are still attached to sin and have to actively work to purify ourselves. We ask God and the saints to help us in this fight.

1. The First Mansion: These souls are very worldly, but they pray a few times a month. They need to understand that they are in danger and that God is calling them to a greater holiness.
2. The Second Mansion: These souls have gained that understanding. They need perseverance in the warfare of temptation; they need to make a committed decision to choose God and give up things of the world and occasions of sin.
3. The Third Mansion: These souls have gained that perseverance and are now leading holy, well-ordered lives, rarely committing venial sins and doing many works of charity, penance, and meditation. They need to have humility to realize they are far from perfect and that they are not entitled to any grace or sweetness in prayer from God.

The souls in the Fourth and Fifth Mansions are in the Illuminative Stage, where God works in us, purifying and enlightening us. He sends supernatural grace unlike anything we could obtain by our own works.

Not everyone will receive supernatural gifts, and we shouldn’t look for them. We trust our loving God knows what is best for us, whether it be crosses or consolations.

4. The Fourth Mansion: These souls have gained that humility that prepares them for the gift of the Prayer of Quiet, which is a supernatural joy and mysterious delight that flows directly from God. Although this divine experience greatly enlarges their hearts, they cannot stop prayer after this; they need to continue and avoid every single thing that offends God.
5. The Fifth Mansion: These souls have gained that state of giving all they are to God. In the Prayer of Union, they seem to leave their thoughts, understanding, and senses behind as God immerses their souls in Himself and completely transforms them, like how a silkworm turns into a silkmoth. Afterwards, the souls need to continue to conform their wills entirely to God by showing perfect love to neighbor, which is proof of their love of God; their virtue must always increase.

The souls in the Sixth and Seventh Mansions are in the Unitive Stage, where our wills are completely united to God’s will, and the mystical relationship between God and our souls can be compared to the betrothal and wedding of a couple.

In her book, St. Teresa describes different mystical experiences, and teaches us how to distinguish if they are truly from God. Some general signs are the conviction of the soul and the producing of good fruits.

6. The Sixth Mansion: These souls have gained that deep love of God and are betrothed to Him. He may visit them many times in visions and and mystical experiences, such as trances, raptures, and flights of the spirit. These souls suffer an immense and increasing longing for God. But they need to be patient, because before they enter the center of the castle where God dwells, He tests their love for Him with severe trials of spirit.
7. The Seventh Mansion: These souls have gained that patience and have proved their love and faithfulness to the Bridegroom in good times and in bad. These souls now enter the innermost chamber where they become one with God in a spiritual marriage. Their only desire is to glorify Him and bring others to Him. This mansion is termed a “second heaven” because the souls are so united to the Holy Trinity that they feel an almost constant, divine presence and a great peace.

© 2021 Vy Nguyen

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