The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila

Today, we focused our attention on The Interior Castle, the spiritual masterpiece written by St. Teresa of Avila in 1577.
In this work, St. Teresa describes the human soul as a radiant castle made of crystal or diamond, within which God Himself dwells. Each person carries this divine beauty inside, yet many live outside the castle walls, unaware of the treasures within.

The Interior Castle, the spiritual masterpiece

The spiritual life, she explains, is a journey inward, passing through seven mansions or stages that lead the soul into deeper prayer, self-knowledge, and union with God.

St. Teresa’s mystical vision adds a divine dimension to later writings like Abraham Maslowand Carl Rogers. Unlike, the later writers, St. Teresa believes that the journey is not only toward self-realisation but toward God-realisation. True fulfilment is not just discovering who we are, but who we are in God.

Where Maslow and Rogers focus on the flourishing of the human self, Teresa leads us further to the transformation of the self through love and grace of God.

The Seven Mansions

1. Awakening: 
This is where the spiritual life begins. The soul “wakes up” to the reality of God. You start to pray more consciously, to seek meaning, and to recognise sin for what it is. It’s like realising there’s more to life than comfort or success. Small habits of prayer, reading Scripture, or joining Mass with sincerity begin here.

2. Struggle: Now the battle begins. Distractions, temptations, and spiritual dryness set in. You may doubt your progress or even God’s closeness. The key here is perseverance, showing up to prayer even when it feels empty, trusting that God is working quietly beneath the surface.

3. Virtue: 
Through persistence, discipline begins to grow. You become more consistent in prayer, patient with others, and detached from what used to control you. This stage is about living what you pray, showing kindness, humility, and service in everyday life.

4. Illumination: 
Here, the soul begins to feel the light of God’s presence more tangibly. There’s a deeper peace, joy, and clarity about life. You begin to notice God’s action in daily events, answers to prayer, comfort in pain, guidance through the Word. It’s not about emotion but a quiet awareness of God “within.”

5. Union of Will:
Now prayer deepens into surrender. You no longer chase feelings or blessings; your main desire is that God’s will be done. You start letting go of control, forgiving easily, and accepting life as it unfolds. This is the beginning of real spiritual maturity, when love becomes natural and obedience joyful.

6. Purification:
This is the stage of deep refinement. God allows suffering, misunderstanding, or loss to purify love of self-interest. Old attachments are stripped away, and trust is tested. Yet, through the pain, your love becomes purer — not based on what God gives, but on who He is.

7. Divine Union:
The soul now lives in complete friendship with God. Fear, pride, and striving fade away. Every action flows from love and peace. This is a foretaste of heaven -where the will of the person and the will of God are one. The soul becomes what it was created to be: a dwelling place of divine love.
It’s a journey from knowing about God → to knowing God → to becoming one with God.
Each mansion invites us deeper: from prayer by words to prayer by heart, from duty to delight, from striving to surrender.

St. Teresa’s image teaches that the soul is not empty but inhabited by God. The spiritual life isn’t about running after God outside of us, but discovering Him dwelling within. The more we pray and purify our hearts, the deeper we move into this inner castle, toward the room where the King Himself waits.

She writes:

“It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without first entering our own souls.”
and
“The door to enter this castle is prayer and meditation.”

The “Interior Castle” is your inner spiritual world, where God and the soul meet. Each time you pray sincerely, forgive, or surrender, you step further into that castle. And at its centre, beyond all fears and distractions, waits the light of Christ-constant, radiant and deeply personal.

Lord, draw us inward to the castle of our souls where You dwell. Grant us perseverance through each stage of growth, that we may move from self-awareness to divine union. May our hearts become Your dwelling place, shining with Your love.

Amen.