Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

In the second and last chapter on the third dwelling, Teresa describes souls she has known who have come to the point in their spiritual maturity when they are tempted to rest in their own virtue and strength and God tests them in order to right their perspectives on their own strength and their dependence on Him. The instances she describes are the ones in which the soul being tested reacts dramatically out of proportion to what is necessary to endure the trial. They mope and sigh and put on a show of their distress, and she comments that there is little anyone can say to reason with a person who has reacted in this way.

She points out that a soul rightly handling this trial would quickly recognize in which categories their attachments were still too entwined with temporary earthly...