Locutions are another means by which God awakens the soul, and there are many different kinds. Some come from outside the soul, St. Teresa tells us, some from the innermost depths of the soul, some from the higher part, and others so completely outside the soul that they are audible.
St. Teresa says that locutions may appear to be a great favour, but that they are also, “more perilous”. It is important to emphasize here that we are discussing locutions as experienced by people of sound mental health, and St. Teresa herself wishes to be clear about this: “Sometimes – often, indeed – this may be a fancy, especially in persons who are melancholy – I mean, are affected by real melancholy – or have feeble imaginations.”
A footnote in Interior Castle, which contains a description of various kinds of locutions, may help us to distinguish among them. This quotation is from Médula mystica, written by P. Francisco de Santo Tomas, OCD:
“Some are corporeal, some imaginary and some spiritual or intellectual. Corporeal locutions are those actually heard by the physical powers of hearing….Imaginary locutions are not heard in that way but the impression apprehended and received by the imaginative faculty is the same as though they had been….In spiritual or intellectual locutions God imprints what He is about to say in the depth of the spirit: there is no sound, or voice, or either corporeal or imaginary representation of such, but an expression of (certain) concepts in the depth of the spirit and in the faculty of the understanding…”
St. Teresa explains that locutions are generally given, “to comfort you or to warn you of your faults.” Of any locution, St. Teresa warns us that unless it, “agrees strictly with the Scriptures, take no more notice of it than you would if it came from the devil himself.” And it can, so here are a few tips on how to know if they are really coming from God:
- “The first and truest is the sense of power and authority which they bear with them, both in themselves and in the actions which follow them”;
- “The second sign is that a great tranquillity dwells in the soul, which becomes peacefully and devoutly recollected, and ready to sing praises to God”;
- “The third sign is that these words do not vanish from the memory for a very long time; some, indeed, never vanish at all”.
Locutions are often short and simple in nature, but the power they bear and the results they effect are immeasurable. They may be as uncomplicated as, “Be not troubled”, or, “It is I, fear not”, but these straightforward words can alleviate distress, darkness, fear or doubt in a way that, “all the learned men in the world” could not accomplish in us.
The veracity of a locution fills the soul with a, “certainty which cannot be overcome.” Even if it seems impossible that something told to us in a locution could come true, even if years go by without its coming into effect, even if our understanding is weak, we are certain that, “in the end what He has said will come true; as in fact it does.” For a soul in love with the Lord, the fulfillment of a locution brings great joy, not because the soul felt foolish for believing it for so long, but because the word of the Lord has been shown to have been true.
When should a locution be shared with a confessor or a spiritual director? St. Teresa tells us it is necessary to discuss it with, “a learned confessor, a man of clear insight and a servant of God”, if it is something of great importance and requires some action on the part of the hearer, or if it involves a third party.
St. Teresa gives us five indicators which help us to distinguish a genuine locution from one that is coming purely from the imagination:
- locutions from God are extremely clear, even if they are lengthy, but with one from the imagination, “the voice will be less clear and the words less distinct; they will be like something heard in a half-dream”;
- locutions from God often come unexpectedly, even in the middle of a conversation, and although they are sometimes in reference to something the person has been speaking about or thinking, often they pertain to something of which the soul has never had any knowledge;
- with locutions from God, the soul seems to hear something, but if it is a locution from one’s imagination, it is as if, “someone is composing bit by bit what the soul wishes to hear”;
- with locutions from God, one word can contain so much meaning that our human language could never properly express it;
- locutions from God reveal not only the meaning of the words to the hearer, but far more than the words themselves say.
St. Teresa also gives us a way of telling whether or not locutions are coming from the devil. The devil can, and does, counterfeit the spirit of light. He accomplishes this, she says, by, “pronouncing his words very clearly, so that there will be no more doubt about their being understood than if they were being spoken by the spirit of truth. But he will not be able to…leave in the soul this peace or light, but only restlessness and turmoil.” If the locution, or any consolation or favour, comes from the devil, the soul will begin to grow in pride, thinking well of itself for having received this “gift”, and it will, “suffer increasing confusion”. However, when the gift is from God, the soul grows to care less for self, is more mindful of its sin, seeks the honour of God, and desires only to do the will of the Lord.
St. Teresa tells us that many times, people who have not received locutions express the thought that they should be ignored, and that people should, “turn their attention elsewhere”, so as to avoid possible danger. She responds that this is impossible. The soul, she says, “cannot do other than listen: it has no other choice.”
In her usual forthright way, St. Teresa doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to locutions, and so I pass her message along:
“But of one thing I will warn you: do not think that, even if your locutions come from God, you will for that reason be any the better. After all, He talked a great deal with the Pharisees…”
Ah, St. Teresa. You just gotta love her.
Excerpts from her Diary, May 1937:
