CARMELITE QUOTE

St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila):

I have often told you, Sisters, and now I want to leave it in writing here so that you will not forget it, that in this house--and even in the case of any person seeking perfection--you should run a thousand miles from such expressions as: "I was right." "They had no reason for doing this to me." "The one who did this to me was wrong." God deliver us from this poor way of reasoning. Does it seem to have been right that our good Jesus suffered so many insults and was made to undergo so much injustice? I don't know why the nun who doesn't want to carry the cross, except the one that seems to her reasonable, is in the monastery. Let her return to the world, although even there they will not respect such reasonings. Could you by chance suffer as much as you deserve? What kind of reasoning is this? I certainly don't understand it.

Let us reason in such a way when some honor is paid to us, or when we are given some comfort or receive good treatment; for certainly it isn't right that we be so treated in this life. When wrongs are done--that's what they call them without there being any wrong done to us--I don't know what there is to talk about. Either we are brides of so great a King or we are not. If we are, what honorable woman is there who does not share in the dishonors done to her spouse even though she does not will them? In fact, both spouses share the honor and the dishonor Now, then, to enjoy a part in His kingdom and want no part in His dishonors and trials is nonsense.
The Way of Perfection Chap. 13, No. 1-2


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Peace be with you!
Rosemarie of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, ocds

The Letters of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

To the Most Illustrious Lord Don Alonso Valasquez, Bishop of Osma. 

The Saint teaches this great prelate a method of prayer. Palafox says, "that he considers this letter to be the most spiritual of all the Saint's letters, as well as the most important for every one, especially for bishops." Date, 1581. 

JESUS. Most Reverend Father of my Soul.
One of the greatest favours for which I feel myself indebted to our Lord is, that His Majesty has given me a desire to be obedient, for in this virtue I experience great pleasure and consolation, being a duty which our Lord has recommended to us more than any other.

Your Lordship commanded me the other day, to recommend you to God: I am careful in doing so, and your Lordship's command has increased this solicitude. I have done so, not considering my own littleness, but because it is a matter imposed on me by you; and with this belief I trust in the goodness of your Lordship, that you will receive with a willing mind what I may think proper to represent to your Lordship: accept my will, since it proceeds from obedience.

Representing, then, to our Lord the favours which He has shown you (which I know), in having bestowed upon you humility, charity, and a zeal for souls, and for the Divine honour; and being aware also of this your desire, I asked our Lord for an increase of all virtues and perfections, that so you might become as perfect as the dignity requires, in which our Lord has placed you. It was made known to me, that your Lordship failed in what was principally required for these virtues; and being wanting in the most important, which is the foundation, the building soon falls, because it is not firm. You are deficient in prayer, with a burning lamp, which is the light of faith, and in perseverance in prayer with courage: thus you break the bond of union which is the unction of the Holy Spirit, and through want of this arises all that dryness and disunion which the soul experiences.

It is necessary to bear patiently the importunity of a multitude of thoughts and imaginations, and the violence of natural motions, both as well in the soul by the dryness and disunion she feels, as in the body, for want of that subjection which it ought to yield to the spirit. And though we may think these are no imperfections in us, yet when God opens the eyes of the soul, as He is accustomed to do in prayer, these imperfections then clearly appear.

That which was shown me respecting the order your Lordship is to observe in prayer, is this. First, make the sign of the cross; accuse yourself of all the faults committed since your last confession; strip yourself of all things, as if you were to die that hour; have a true sorrow for your sins, and recite the psalm "Miserere," as a penance for them. After this you may say, "I come to Thee, O Lord! to learn in Thy school, and not to teach. I will speak with thy Majesty, though I am dust and ashes, and a miserable worm of the earth." Offer yourself at the same time to God, as a perpetual sacrifice and holocaust, representing before the eyes of your understanding Jesus Christ crucified, on whom with tranquillity and affection of soul, ponder and consider part by part.

Consider, in the first place, the divine nature of the Eternal Word, of the Father united with the human nature, which of itself had no being till God gave it one. Consider also the ineffable love and profound humility with which God annihilated Himself, man becoming God, and God becoming man. Consider that magnificence and bounty with which He exercised His power, by manifesting Himself to men, and making them partakers of His glory, His power, and His greatness.

And if this consideration shall excite in your soul the admiration it is accustomed to produce, dwell upon it, and contemplate a sublimity so low, and a lowliness so sublime.

Behold His head crowned with thorns, and then consider the dullness and blindness of our understanding. Beg of our Lord that He would be pleased to open the eyes of the soul, and enlighten our understanding with the light of faith, that so we may with humility learn who God is, and what we are; and that by this humble knowledge, we may be able to observe His commandments and counsels, and do in all things His will. Behold also His hands nailed, and consider His liberality and our poverty, by comparing His gifts with ours.

View His feet nailed, considering the diligence with which He seeks us, and the sloth with which we endeavour to seek Him. Cast your eyes on that side opened with a lance, which shows us His heart, and the intense love wherewith He hath loved us, when He was pleased to become our harbour and refuge, that so by this gate we might enter the ark, when the deluge of our temptations and tribulations shall come. Beg of Him, that as He was pleased to have His side opened in testimony of the love He bore us, so He would command ours also to be opened, that we might make our necessities known, and obtain a remedy for them.

Your Lordship should approach to prayer with submission and humility, and a readiness to walk along the path by which God may conduct you, relying with security on His Majesty. Listen attentively to the lessons He shall read to you. Sometimes He turns away from you, and at other times He comes before you, either by shutting the gate and leaving you outside, or taking you by the hand, and leading you into His chamber. Everything should be received with an equality of mind: and when He shall reprove you, you must acknowledge His right and just judgment by humbling yourself...

To remain in prayer without obtaining any advantage is not lost time, but a season of great gain, because then we labour without interest, and only for the glory of God. And though at first it may seem as if we laboured in vain, it is not so; but it is like what happens to sons who work on their father's estate, and who, though at night they receive not wages for the day's work, yet at the end of the year they receive everything.

This is very like the prayer in the Garden, in which our Lord Jesus Christ requested–that the bitterness and difficulty He experienced in overcoming His human nature might be removed. He did not ask that His pains might be removed, but only the dislike with which He suffered them; and what He asked for the inferior part of man was, that the strength of the Spirit might be given to the flesh, that so its weakness might be strengthened. He was told that it was not expedient, but that He must drink the chalice–that is, overcome the cowardice and weakness of the flesh. And so we may understand that as He was truly God, so He was truly man, since even He felt those pains which other men did.

He that approaches to prayer, must needs be a man of labour, and must never grow weary during all the summer and fine weather, in providing provisions (like the ant) for the winter and the floods, that so he may not perish with hunger as other animals do, who are unprovided: he must look forward to the dreadful deluge of death and judgment.

In going to prayer, we should put on a wedding garment–that is, of rest, not of labour; and for such festal days, every one endeavours to procure costly garments; and to honour the feast, every one is accustomed to incur great expense; and they think all well bestowed when the feast goes off as well as they wished. One cannot be a learned man nor a courtier, without great expense and labour. Now to become a courtier of heaven, and to possess spiritual knowledge, cannot be effected without spending some time, and enduring some affliction of spirit.

I cannot now say any more to your Lordship; and I beg your pardon for the presumption I have used, in representing these truths to you. But however full this letter may be of defects and indiscretions, I am not wanting in the zeal I owe to you, as a loving servant of your Lordship, to whose holy prayers I commend myself. May our Lord preserve your Lordship, and enrich you with a manifold increase of His Grace. Amen.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Letters of St. Teresa of Jesus

No. LIX.
To Mother Maria de San Joseph, Prioress of Seville.

JESUS. The Holy Spirit be with your Reverence.

My mother,–It seems our Lord does not wish me to remain long without afflictions, for you must know that He has been pleased to call to Himself His good friend and servant, Lorenzo de Cepeda. He was seized so violently with the "bloody-flux," that he died under it in less than six hours. Two days before, he had received the Most Blessed Sacrament. He died in his perfect senses, recommending himself very devoutly to our Lord. I hope in the goodness of God that he is now in the enjoyment of eternal glory, for he always lived in such a way as to have no other care but to serve Him: everything else soon tired him; and on this account he retired to his country house, which was about a league from Avila, in order to avoid the noise and gaiety of the world.

His prayer was continual, for he always kept himself in the presence of God: hence, His Majesty filled his soul with so many graces and favours, that sometimes I have been quite astonished at them. He was very fond of doing penance: he even did more than ever I wished him to do. He gave me an account of all his interior life, and it was wonderful to see the attention he paid to whatever I said: this I think arose from the great affection which he had for me. I now return such affection by rejoicing that he has left this miserable life, and is now in a place of repose. This I say not for the sake of saying it: but I assure you, when I think of his happiness I feel great joy.¹ I feel much for his children: but I hope God will help them, through the prayers of their father.
I have given your Reverence this exact account, because I know you will be grieved to hear of his death, and this account may help to console you all; for he certainly deserves to be regretted by the sisters. It was wonderful to see what he felt, on hearing of your afflictions, for great was the love he had for your house. Now is the time to repay that love, by commending his soul to God: on condition, however, that if he should not stand in need of your prayers (as I think he does not, considering the life he led), they may be applied to those souls who have greater need of them, in order that they may find some relief from them.

I must tell you that a short time before his death, he wrote to me at St. Joseph's convent in Segovia, where I now am, and which is eleven leagues from Avila. In that letter he said many things with regard to the shortness of life, which quite astonished me. And then, my daughter, it is certain everything passes quickly away, we ought continually to be thinking how to die a good death, rather than of the means how we are to live. Since I must still remain in this world, God grant it may be that I may serve Him in something. I am four years older than my brother was, and yet God has been pleased I should survive him. I have now quite recovered from my late illness, though I still have my usual indispositions, especially a pain in my head.

Tell my father Rodrigo Alvarez that his letter just came when I wanted it, for it speaks of the great advantage of afflictions. Tell him also that I think God works miracles through him, even during his life: what then will He not do after his death?

I have just heard that the Moors of Seville are conspiring together to get possession of the city. What a fine opportunity you will all have of becoming martyrs! Inquire if the report be true, and order the mother sub-prioress to send me an account of every particular. I was very pleased to hear you were in good health, as I was grieved before to hear you were ill. For the love of God, take great care of yourself. I have been told a good remedy for your disease, viz., dog-roses beaten to powder, when they are dry, and about half an ounce should be taken every morning. But ask the doctor about it. Let me beg of you not to be so long again, without writing to me.

Remember me very kindly to all the sisters, and to San Francisco. Mother-prioress and all the community here send their regards. It must seem to you very delightful to be among standards and the tumults of war,² if you only knew how to profit and to draw spiritual reflections from all the strange things you must see in that place. It is very necessary, however, for you to be on your guard, in order not to be distracted. I am very anxious you should all become saints.

What should you say if the Foundation of Portugal were made? Don Teutonio, archbishop of Evora, informs me that the town is not more than forty leagues from this place. I should feel great comfort were the foundation commenced. Since God spares my life, I desire to do something for His honour and glory; and as I have not long to live, I will not spend my time so idly as I have hitherto done in past years during which I suffered so much in my interior. As to other things, what I have done is not worth speaking about. Beg of our Lord to give me strength, that I may employ my time in doing something for His glory.

I have already told you, you may show this letter to Father Gregorio: I hope he will consider it as addressed to himself, for I certainly do love him in our Lord, and I have a great desire to see him. My brother died on the Sunday after the Feast of St. John. May His Majesty watch over you, and make you what I desire you to be.

Your Reverence's Servant,

TERESA DE JESUS.

July 4th, 1579.

¹ It seems as if the Saint had a revelation of his happiness.² The Saint alludes to the rumoured insurrection of the Moors.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Letters of St. Teresa of Avila

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

The Letters of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

Note:  In 2013/2014 the entire Carmelite Order is studying the letters of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) in preparation for her centenary in 2015.  Here is a letter to one of the nuns at the Carmel of St. Joseph at Avila. Teresa always begins her letters by addressing Jesus. The letter was written in 1582.

St. Joseph Monastery at Avila

READ HER LETTERS ONLINE

JESUS. The Grace of the Holy Spirit be ever with you, my daughter.

Your letter gave me great pleasure, and I am glad to hear that mine produced the same effect: this ought to comfort us both exceedingly, since we cannot live together.

With regard to the aridities you speak of, it seems to me that our Lord deals with you as if he considered you one of the strong, since he wishes to try you, in order to see how much you love him, and whether your love is the same in aridities, as when you abound in consolations. Consider, then, those aridities as very great favors from our Lord. Do not allow them to trouble you, for perfection does not consist in having delights, but in possessing virtue. And besides, your devotion will return when you least expect it.
Respecting what you say of the sister, endeavor to drive away such a thought from her mind, that so she may think no more about it. Do not suppose that when such a thought comes into the mind, it is always sinful; even should it be more evil than what you mention, still it would be nothing (unless wilfully indulged in.) I wish she had the same aridities that you have, because I doubt if she knows what she does, and we may desire such trials for her greater good. When any bad thought presents itself, make the sign of the cross, recite the "Our Father," or strike your breast, and try to turn your thoughts to something else: the more you resist, the more merit you will have.

I should have sent an answer to Isabel de San Pablo had I time to write. Giver her my kind regards, for she knows well you ought to be the most beloved. Don Francisco is well, and leads the life of an angel; he and all his household communicated yesterday. To-morrow we leave for Valladolid, and from there he will write to you: I have not as yet given him any information about the bearer of this letter. May God preserve you, my daughter, and make you a great saint: this is what I pray for. Amen. Remember me to all the sisters.

This is the Feast of St. Albert.

TERESA DE JESUS



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds