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I Want to See God: A Practical Synthesis of Carmelite Spirituality
Following the footsteps of the Masters of Carmel, Fr. Marie-Eugene opens up the paths of contemplation and holiness to all, in the midst of ordinary life. This is a classic for all interested in Carmelite spirituality.
552 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 10, 2026
July 10, 2026: Have finally reached THE FIRST STAGES, p. 151, ‘Entrance to the Mansion’. Up till now have been reading PERSPECTIVES, which I did with my community. Sadly, I will have to do the next bit on my own as I am taking a year’s family leave, but hopefully I will be able to watch classes on video.
CHAPTER 1 - The First Mansions:
- Only those in a state of grace can enter the castle. Most souls have good intentions, but are ‘anemic’, i.e., absorbed in the affairs of the world.
- Attached/preoccupied with worldly concerns, it is difficult for the Christian life to grow in such souls. These souls rarely turn to God, Who although present in the soul is so hidden and cannot be seen or felt as the soul remains in such darkness.
- The devil, however, can wander freely in the first Mansions luring weak souls into serious sin.
- Mortal Sin haunts Teresa and she does all she can in her writings to make us aware of its dangers to our soul. A soul in mortal sin is literally dead and ‘none of the good works it may do will be of any avail to win it glory. More eloquently than all the speeches and all visions, the drama of Gethsemane discloses the destructive power of sin’. This is why we must meditate on the Passion of Christ.
- Finally, we are given Teresa’s own vision of Hell which she described in The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Herself. This vision arouses immense pity in the heart of Teresa and probably most who read it. p.165
CHAPTER 2 - At the Point of Departure:
January 27, 2026: In Chapter 3, Knowledge of Self, Marie-Eugene says much the same that Fr. Basil W. Maturin wrote in his book, Christian Self-Mastery: How to Govern Your Thoughts, Discipline Your Will, and Achieve Balance in Your Spiritual Life which I just finished. When I run across the same exact guidance from spiritual authorities who come from diverse backgrounds, countries, timeframes, orders, etc. I KNOW I am on to something crucial. Knowing yourself, your weaknesses, primary sins, and also your strengths must be a lifelong effort, and it is primarily achieved through comparison of self to Jesus, not to any other fallible human being(s).
January 1, 2026: Reading this in Definitive Formation over the next two years.
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February 16, 2025: According to my record here, this is my third read through and in spite of making careful notes, highlights and allowing time for prayerful pondering and meditation, I still don’t feel I have gone very deep with this book. One would need to be well-versed with Teresa’s Interior Castle and the repertoire of John of the Cross to fully appreciate this. I have read Interior Castle twice but not recently and as for St. John, all I can say is I finally got through The Ascent of Mount Carmel after three attempts but am far from feeling comfortable with it. However, since making my First Promise as a Secular Carmelite, I’ll begin studying him now in-depth and hopefully that will change.
Had thought I would go on to the P. Marie-Eugène’s sequel, I Am a Daughter of the Church, but instead I turn to some books to assist me with understanding John of the Cross. Will come back to this. Highly recommended to all Carmelites and anyone truly serious about the spiritual life and willing to work.
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January 5, 2018: Slowly, ever so slowly, I read a few pages of this, set it down and then come back to it a week (or more) later. It is not hard to pick up again. In fact, it is easier that way. To read too much in too short a time makes it too difficult to absorb, like too much rainfall in a small area. The ground cannot absorb it and the water rolls away.
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November 9, 2017: ‘When the soul journeys in its vestment of faith, the devil can neither see it nor succeed in harming it, since it is well protected by faith—more so than by all the other virtues—against the devil, who is at once the strongest and the most cunning of enemies.’ St. John of the Cross Faith lifts the soul above the domain of the senses, over which the devil can exercise power, and introduces it into the supernatural world, into which he cannot enter. p.118
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August 25, 2017: I have already read this ... but it was many years ago and long before I was a Secular Carmelite. It was one of the most challenging books (then) I had ever read and yet, I remember thinking it yielded the most reward for the effort. Looking forward to returning to it now and then going on the sequel which I have not read, I Am a Daughter of the Church.
CHAPTER 1 - The First Mansions:
- Only those in a state of grace can enter the castle. Most souls have good intentions, but are ‘anemic’, i.e., absorbed in the affairs of the world.
- Attached/preoccupied with worldly concerns, it is difficult for the Christian life to grow in such souls. These souls rarely turn to God, Who although present in the soul is so hidden and cannot be seen or felt as the soul remains in such darkness.
- The devil, however, can wander freely in the first Mansions luring weak souls into serious sin.
- Mortal Sin haunts Teresa and she does all she can in her writings to make us aware of its dangers to our soul. A soul in mortal sin is literally dead and ‘none of the good works it may do will be of any avail to win it glory. More eloquently than all the speeches and all visions, the drama of Gethsemane discloses the destructive power of sin’. This is why we must meditate on the Passion of Christ.
- Finally, we are given Teresa’s own vision of Hell which she described in The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Herself. This vision arouses immense pity in the heart of Teresa and probably most who read it. p.165
CHAPTER 2 - At the Point of Departure:
January 27, 2026: In Chapter 3, Knowledge of Self, Marie-Eugene says much the same that Fr. Basil W. Maturin wrote in his book, Christian Self-Mastery: How to Govern Your Thoughts, Discipline Your Will, and Achieve Balance in Your Spiritual Life which I just finished. When I run across the same exact guidance from spiritual authorities who come from diverse backgrounds, countries, timeframes, orders, etc. I KNOW I am on to something crucial. Knowing yourself, your weaknesses, primary sins, and also your strengths must be a lifelong effort, and it is primarily achieved through comparison of self to Jesus, not to any other fallible human being(s).
January 1, 2026: Reading this in Definitive Formation over the next two years.
<><><><><><><><><><>
February 16, 2025: According to my record here, this is my third read through and in spite of making careful notes, highlights and allowing time for prayerful pondering and meditation, I still don’t feel I have gone very deep with this book. One would need to be well-versed with Teresa’s Interior Castle and the repertoire of John of the Cross to fully appreciate this. I have read Interior Castle twice but not recently and as for St. John, all I can say is I finally got through The Ascent of Mount Carmel after three attempts but am far from feeling comfortable with it. However, since making my First Promise as a Secular Carmelite, I’ll begin studying him now in-depth and hopefully that will change.
Had thought I would go on to the P. Marie-Eugène’s sequel, I Am a Daughter of the Church, but instead I turn to some books to assist me with understanding John of the Cross. Will come back to this. Highly recommended to all Carmelites and anyone truly serious about the spiritual life and willing to work.
<><><><><><><><><><>
January 5, 2018: Slowly, ever so slowly, I read a few pages of this, set it down and then come back to it a week (or more) later. It is not hard to pick up again. In fact, it is easier that way. To read too much in too short a time makes it too difficult to absorb, like too much rainfall in a small area. The ground cannot absorb it and the water rolls away.
<><><><><><><><><><>
November 9, 2017: ‘When the soul journeys in its vestment of faith, the devil can neither see it nor succeed in harming it, since it is well protected by faith—more so than by all the other virtues—against the devil, who is at once the strongest and the most cunning of enemies.’ St. John of the Cross Faith lifts the soul above the domain of the senses, over which the devil can exercise power, and introduces it into the supernatural world, into which he cannot enter. p.118
<><><><><><><><><><>
August 25, 2017: I have already read this ... but it was many years ago and long before I was a Secular Carmelite. It was one of the most challenging books (then) I had ever read and yet, I remember thinking it yielded the most reward for the effort. Looking forward to returning to it now and then going on the sequel which I have not read, I Am a Daughter of the Church.
April 21, 2026
I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy or even make it through this dense volume when I began (don't pay attention to my dates read on here). The tone felt too scholastic, the viewpoint too close to French ultramontanism. I didn't feel drawn to the project of practically synthesizing Carmelite spirituality, which feels to me uniquely spontaneous and resistant to systematization. But I am always interested in learning more about the Carmelite tradition, which I find so inspiring. At first, I found the quotations from St. Teresa of Avila to be so much livelier than P. Marie-Eugène's prose. But then the volume began to become more of a dialogue between two complementary voices. More characters were introduced: St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity; other, less familiar Carmelite thinkers like the scholastics of Salamanca; and other non-Carmelites like St. Thomas Aquinas and some special favorites of mine like St. Angela of Foligno and St. Gertrude of Helfta. And so, even as the text proceeds through a series of the stultifying format of numbered sections and subsections, I Want to See God ends up remarkably lively, not to mention informative and inspirational. My mind was even truly blown a few times (as in the final section concerning faith). I wouldn't recommend this as a first foray into Carmelite spirituality, synthetic though it may be, unless you are coming from a more scholastic/theological background. For that I would recommend either Peter Slattery's Springs of Carmel for a survey or St. Thérèse's Story of a Soul for a truly incredible "case study." But if you are looking to deepen your understanding of Carmelite spirituality, to synthesize impressions from various experiences and sources, or even to ground your prayer life in the rich Carmelite tradition, this volume is well worth the read. After 550 pages, I am genuinely excited to start the next volume!
April 1, 2025
I regularly reference this book and it has significantly helped my understanding of the Carmelite Saints. My personal highlights are the sections on:
-God's presence in our souls
-Self knowledge
-The Good Jesus
-Teresian Asceticism
-Gift of Self
-Humility
-Interior Silence
-God's presence in our souls
-Self knowledge
-The Good Jesus
-Teresian Asceticism
-Gift of Self
-Humility
-Interior Silence
June 3, 2007
Wonderful synthesis of Carmelite spirituality ~ it touches on everything that I love about the Carmelite way. Very easy read, though the book is somewhat lengthy.
February 7, 2014
This is a very profound book. It goes into depth on the mystery of God's presence in us. One will never want to sin after reading this book! This grace of His presence is too great!
February 2, 2026
A great resource book to have. There are certain chapters particularly that on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which would be very helpful to have and make regular reference to and to pray with in one’s life. The author at times will go on diatribes with extensive examples to try to make his point. Also, the last quarter of the book is very heavily dependent on St. John of the cross way more than Saint Teresa. In this section, you could tell he’s focusing moron the “spirituality of the reform” then on Teresa Avila herself.
Currently Reading
November 27, 2023Pre-read note: Our local small class with my oblate master is starting this book, having just finished "Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI. Not a Benedictine work, and I was a little surprised to see it win out over Bl. Columba Marmion in the voting, but there is a deep devotion to many of the Carmelite saints at the abbey. St. Elisabeth of the Trinity is my own oblate patron, so I'm looking forward to learning more about the spirituality that shaped her.
February 23, 2021
I think this thing took me two whole years to finish. But time well spent. This is probably the only theology-centric book that I'll ever read in my lifetime, especially as it's the most (if not the only) comprehensive tome on Carmelite spirituality and mysticism. It's impossible to consume this book in a month because each page is so meaty with insights, historical references and footnotes. It's very enriching spiritually.
September 3, 2022
Incredibly profound book on the Catholic faith and Carmelite spirituality. This one needs multiple reads as the first only scratches the surface.
January 24, 2019
This is a very practical book about the process, difficulties and hopes for a contemplative vocation. The title comes from the words of young Teresa of Avila running off to be killed by moors, but it encapsulates the calling of every human. Things that seemed to me to be unique in this book were: specific advice on spiritual warfare (hide in virtue until Mansion 6), that the soul will be purified over time before being charged with a task, and that prayer fruitful in understanding must eventually give way to simply spending time with him. Helpful: Rest in the other works of mercy. Challenging: the final loss of all realizations and images as the soul gets caught up in simple contemplation.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews