St. Teresa of Avila

While I was beseeching Our Lord today…I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions. — St. Teresa of AvilaA masterpiece of spiritual literature, this sixteenth-century work was inspired by a mystical vision that came upon the revered St. Teresa of Avila, one of the most gifted and beloved religious figures in history. St. Teresa's vision was of a...

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, was written by St. Teresa of Ávila, the Spanish Discalced Carmelite nun and famed mystic, in 1577 as a guide for spiritual development through service and prayer. Inspired by her vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, she interpreted life as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with...

St. Teresa of Avila is not a lofty, inaccessible saint; she’s a companion, and has been taking Christians on a journey through their own interior “castles” for hundreds of years. Honest, humorous, and insightful, her devotional and spiritual reflections show readers how to open up themselves to God in new ways. This journey through Teresa’s life and writings will engage readers for a full year, with carefully chosen daily selections from the broad range of her writings—letters, poems,...