I’m continuing my series on The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Ávila, and we’re finally leaving Mansion 1, where our spiritual journey begins with a lingering desire to know God and find deeper meaning in our lives. We are now entering Mansion 2, where that desire begins to turn into active participation and intentional engagement in our spiritual lives.

This mansion represents a stage of spiritual awakening. Some of us may have experienced a moment of profound clarity, when the rose colored glasses suddenly fell off and we began seeing ourselves, our lives, and our relationship with God differently. That awakening may have stirred within us a desire to become more intentional about our spiritual growth. But not everyone experiences an extraordinary moment of clarity, and Teresa makes it clear that extraordinary spiritual experiences are not necessary for a soul to seek closeness with God. What matters here is that we are beginning to act on our desire to know Him.

In this mansion, we discover a newfound craving and motivation for spiritual things. We begin moving beyond occasional prayer or simply thinking about God from time to time and toward a more consistent spiritual life. We might find ourselves craving more time alone with God, spending time in Adoration, reading spiritual books, reflecting on spiritual questions, or wanting to attend church more frequently. These practices begin to satisfy a growing desire within us to move closer to the center of the castle, where God dwells.

Prayer is especially important in this mansion. The more we engage in prayer, the more we allow God to illuminate our hearts and minds. It’s almost as though the foggy glasses we’ve been wearing are gradually being wiped clean, allowing us to see ourselves and our attachments with greater clarity. But with this newfound awareness comes a particular danger: spiritual pride. We must be careful not to assume that because we’ve begun praying more, reading spiritual books, or experiencing greater clarity, we’ve somehow figured everything out.

St. Teresa reminds us that the soul in this mansion is still far from perfect. Although the soul has begun moving away from some of the dangers associated with the First Mansion, it remains vulnerable to temptation, distraction, and sin. Old habits are not suddenly erased simply because we’ve become more spiritually aware. The difference is that we’re beginning to recognize those habits and understand the dangers of remaining spiritually asleep. And sometimes, that awareness can be painful and uncomfortable.

One of the things Teresa says about the Second Mansion that has stayed with me is that the soul can experience particularly intense suffering here because it finds itself caught between two worlds. On one side is the desire to grow closer to God. On the other are the attachments, influences, habits, and familiar ways of living that still have a powerful hold on us. We may genuinely want to change, but that doesn’t mean we’re immediately ready to surrender everything that keeps us from growing.

And I think this is something many of us can relate to. Sometimes, becoming more conscious of ourselves and our behavior brings immense discomfort. We begin recognizing things we previously overlooked, whether that’s our pride, our insecurities, our attachments, or the ways we respond to other people. It’s not always pleasant when those rose colored glasses finally come off. We might discover that some of the things we once considered harmless are actually keeping us from experiencing greater peace. And like any meaningful change, spiritual growth can involve resistance, grief, and the difficult process of letting go.

But something I think is important to remember is that there is no need to rush from one mansion to the next. Spiritual growth is a gradual journey that requires patience, maturity, prayer, and an openness to God’s grace. Our goal isn’t to collect spiritual achievements or prove that we’ve reached a particular level of holiness. Our goal is to continue moving toward the center of the castle, toward deeper union with God.

And entering a mansion doesn’t mean we’re permanently established there. We can make progress and still fall back into old habits. We can experience moments of clarity and still struggle to put what we’ve learned into practice. That’s part of why this mansion can be so difficult. Our old way of living still has a pull on us, even as our hearts begin longing for something greater. We may remain in this stage for a long time, whether that’s years or even our entire lives, and our progress depends not simply on our efforts, but on how we cooperate with the grace God offers us. The important thing is not how quickly we advance, but whether we continue responding to God’s invitation with sincerity and perseverance.

Every soul is invited toward the center of the castle, toward union with God. That doesn’t mean everyone will experience all seven mansions in the same way or reach the same depths of contemplative prayer. Each stage of spiritual growth, however, can deepen our relationship with God and transform the quality of our interior lives.

So join me as we begin exploring the Second Mansion and the challenges that come with turning our desire for God into active participation in our spiritual lives. And as always, I like to mix what I’m learning with my own personal stories and reflections. These videos and written posts are part of my own spiritual journey, too. I’m trying to understand these teachings and apply them to my everyday life, even when doing so challenges me to confront my own imperfections.

I’m far from perfect, and I’m certainly no spiritual expert. I’m just a very curious lady, still learning, still growing, and trying to develop a deeper relationship with God. And as always, I hope you leave feeling a little more inspired. 💗

Episode 5: The Interior Castle | Entering Mansion 2: Turning Active Desire Into Active Participation

Catch the full episode on Spotify —linked here!

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