{"id":1970,"date":"2007-10-15T17:13:00","date_gmt":"2007-10-15T17:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2007\/10\/ecstasy.html"},"modified":"2007-10-15T17:13:00","modified_gmt":"2007-10-15T17:13:00","slug":"ecstasy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2007\/10\/ecstasy.html","title":{"rendered":"Ecstasy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since this is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila<\/a> — “Big Teresa,” as she is sometimes known — I thought it worth posting what may be the most stunning image of her: the breathtaking sculpture by Bernini that manages to be both sensual and spiritual. <\/p>\n

<\/a>
St. Teresa described this moment this way: <\/p>\n

I saw an angel close by me, on my left side in bodily form. This I am not accustomed to see unless very rarely. Though I have visions of angels frequently, yet I see them only by an intellectual vision, such as I have spoken of before. It was our Lord’s will that in this vision I should see the angel in this wise. He was not large, but small of stature, and most beautiful – his face burning, as if he were one of the highest angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Cherubim\u2026I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it, even a large one. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of his goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since this is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila — “Big Teresa,” as she is sometimes known — I thought it worth posting what may be the most stunning image of her: the breathtaking sculpture by Bernini that manages to be both sensual and spiritual. St. Teresa described this moment this way: I saw…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hanging-with-saints"],"yoast_head":"\nEcstasy - The Deacon's Bench<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2007\/10\/ecstasy.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ecstasy - The Deacon's Bench\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since this is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila — “Big Teresa,” as she is sometimes known — I thought it worth posting what may be the most stunning image of her: the breathtaking sculpture by Bernini that manages to be both sensual and spiritual. 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