Cor Vitae Formators Program Closing Retreat – October 15, 2024
Readings:
o Galatians 5:1-6 It is faith not the law that justifies us
o Luke 11:37-41 “You clean the outside of the cup and plate, while inside you yourselves are filled with extortion and wickedness. Did not he who made the outside make the inside too?”
o Reflection on Union with Jesus: Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila – The journey into the Interior Mansions.
Reflection:
In today’s readings from Galatians 5:1-6 and Luke 11:37-41, we are reminded of the centrality of faith and the need for inner transformation. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, emphasizes that it is faith, not adherence to external laws, that justifies us before God: “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). This speaks to the deep truth that our relationship with God is not about external rituals or appearances, but about a living, active faith that flows from the heart.
Jesus, in the Gospel of Luke, confronts the Pharisees for their focus on external purity while neglecting the inner life. He says, “You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39). Jesus challenges us to examine the state of our hearts, recognizing that true holiness begins within. It is not enough to look good on the outside or to follow rules outwardly; what truly matters is the condition of our soul, the interior life that only God sees.
This call to interior transformation resonates deeply with St. Teresa of Avila’s teachings on the Interior Mansions. In her spiritual masterpiece, The Interior Castle, she describes the soul as a beautiful castle with many rooms, or “mansions,” leading to the innermost chamber where union with God takes place. For Teresa, the journey toward union with Christ is one of deepening the inner life, stripping away the attachments, distractions, and superficial concerns that keep us from fully entering into His presence.
Here is a diagram representing St. Teresa of Avila’s concept of the Interior Mansions from The Interior Castle. Each mansion symbolizes a stage of the soul’s journey toward deeper union with God, progressing from outer distractions to the radiant, glowing central union with Christ.
St. Teresa teaches that we must journey inward, purifying not only our actions but our motivations and desires. Just as Jesus calls the Pharisees to cleanse the inside of the cup, Teresa encourages us to focus on our inner life, to seek a deeper relationship with Christ within the “interior mansions” of our soul. This journey is not about external perfection but about an ever-deepening union with Jesus, which comes through humility, prayer, and surrender.
Faith, as Paul says, is what justifies us, but it is a faith that works through love—a love that grows as we draw closer to Christ within us. In this union, the external law is fulfilled not through rigid adherence, but through the transformation of our hearts. As we journey deeper into the interior mansions, we realize that it is only through intimate union with Christ that we are truly purified, freed, and able to live out the fullness of faith in love.
Today’s readings remind us that the Christian life is about allowing God to transform us from the inside out. When our faith becomes an interior reality, purified and alive in Christ, then we truly fulfill the call to love and live in the freedom of the Spirit.