Life
Since early childhood Roberts had a number of experiences which she interprets as revelations of God — as present in nature, as within her, and as entirely transcendent. She entered the Carmelite order in her early teens. Soon afterwards, she experienced the spiritual deepening of the "dark nights" described by Saint John of the Cross. She recounts that when she was 18, a new novice mistress asked her about her prayer life, "so I told her: I do nothing; there is just silence. This astounded and upset her" (Path to No-Self, p. 57). Her superior believed Bernadette to be deceived, possibly even to be under the influence of Satan and falling into the heresy of Quietism. But her reading of John of the Cross convinced her that her experiences were valid, and that she could trust in the journey so carefully described by the saint. Roberts distinguishes between the mystic's journey to God and the contemplative path, saying of Teresa of Ávila, "she was a mystic and I, a common contemplative". Teresa of Ávila's writings did not resonate as much with Roberts as the writings of John of the Cross who emphasized the path of naked faith, and warned contemplatives to be wary of mystical visions and revelations.
After spending 10 years as a cloistered nun, Bernadette left the Carmelite order, with permission from her superiors. She married, raised four children, and lived an ordinary life with God "in the marketplace". She remarks that this particular stage of life is characterized most of all by the intense and outward leap of the "living flame" within.
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