The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel Part 3

22. "Como hombre criado toda mi vida en leer y disputar" (De la Fuente, ii. p. 376).

23. 2 Cor. xi. 14: "Ipse enim Satanas transfigurat se in angelum lucis."

24. The other theologian appointed by the Inquisition, with Fra Banes, to examine the "Life."

25. This took place in the year 1580, according to the Chronicler of the Order (Reforma de los Descalcos, lib. v. c. x.x.xv. -- 4); and the Bollandists (n. 1536) accept his statement. Fra Jerome says he was Provincial of his Order at the time; and as he was elected only on the 4th of March, 1581, according to the Chronicler and the Bollandists, it is more likely that the audience granted to them by the Cardinal took place in 1581.

26. Reforma de los Descalcos, lib. v. c. x.x.xiv. -- 4: "Relaciones de su espiritu."

27. Rel. ii. -- 18.

Annals of the Saint's Life.

By Don Vicente de la Fuente.

These are substantially the same with those drawn up by the Bollandists, but they are fuller and more minute, and furnish a more detailed history of the Saint.

1515. St. Teresa is born in Avila, March 28th. [1]

1522. She desires martyrdom, and leaves her father's house with one of her brothers.

1527. [2] Death of her mother.

1529. Writes romances of chivalry, and is misled by a thoughtless cousin.

1531. Her sister Maria's marriage, and her removal from home to the Augustinian monastery, where she remains till the autumn of next year.

1533. [3] Nov. 2, enters the monastery of the Incarnation.

1534. Nov. 3, makes her profession.

1535. Goes to Castellanos de la Canada, to her sister's house, where she remains till the spring of 1536, when she goes to Bezadas.

1537. Returns to Avila on Palm Sunday. In July seriously ill, and in a trance for four days, when in her father's house.

Paralysed for more than two years.

1539. Is cured of her paralysis by St. Joseph.

1541. Begins to grow lukewarm, and gives up mental prayer.

1542. Our Lord appears to her in the parlour of the monastery, "stern and grave " [ch. vii. -- 11, see note there].

1555. Ceases to converse with secular people, moved thereto by the sight of a picture of our Lord on the cross [ch. ix. -- 1].

The Jesuits come to Avila and the Saint confesses to F. Juan de Padranos.

1556. Beginning of the supernatural visitations.

1557. St. Francis de Borja comes to Avila, and approves of the spirit of the Saint.

1558. First rapture of the Saint [ch. xxiv. -- 7]. The vision of h.e.l.l [ch. x.x.xii. -- 1]. Father Alvarez ordained priest.

1559. She takes F. Alvarez for her confessor. The transpiercing of her heart [ch. xxix. -- 17]. Vision of our Lord risen from the dead [ch. xxvii. -- 3, ch. xxviii. -- 2].

1560. The vow of greater perfection. St. Peter of Alcantara approves of her spirit, and St. Luis Beltran encourages her to proceed with her plan of founding a new monastery.

1561. F. Gaspar de Salazar, S.J., comes to Avila; her sister Dona Juana comes to Avila from Alba de Tormes to help the Saint in the new foundation [ch. x.x.xiii. -- 13]. Restores her nephew to Life [ch. x.x.xv. -- 14, note]. Fra Ibanez bids her write her Life.

Receives a sum of money from her brother in Peru, which enables her to go on with the building of the new house.

1562. Goes to Toledo, to the house of Dona Luisa de la Cerda, and finishes the account of her Life. Makes the acquaintance of Fra Banes, afterwards her princ.i.p.al director, and Fra Garcia of Toledo, both Dominicans. Receives a visit from Maria of Jesus.

Has a revelation that her sister, Dona Maria, will die suddenly [ch. x.x.xiv. -- 24]. Returns to Avila and takes possession of the new monastery, August 24. Troubles in Avila. The Saint ordered back to the monastery of the Incarnation. Is commanded by Fra Garcia of Toledo to write the history of the foundation of St. Joseph.

1. In the same year St. Philip was born in Florence. St. Teresa died in 1582, and St. Philip in 1595; but they were canonised on the same day, with St. Isidore, St. Ignatius, and St. Francis Xavier. The three latter were joined together in the three final consistories held before the solemn proclamation of their sanct.i.ty, and St. Teresa and St. Philip were joined together in the same way in the final consistories held specially, as usual, for them.

2. This must be an error. See ch. i. -- 7, note 7.

3. There is a difficulty about this. The Bollandists maintain that she went to the monastery of the Incarnation in the year 1533. On the other hand Ribera, her most accurate biographer--with whom Fra Jerome agrees,--says that she left her father's house in 1535, when she was more than twenty years of age; Yepes, that she was not yet twenty; and the Second Relation of the Rota, that she was in her twentieth year. The Bull of Canonisation and the Office in the Breviary also say that she was in her twentieth year, that is, A.D. 1534. The Chronicler of the Order differs from all and a.s.signs the year 1536 as the year in which she entered the monastery.

The Life of the Holy Mother Teresa of Jesus.

Written by Herself.

Prologue.

As I have been commanded and left at liberty to describe at length my way of prayer, and the workings of the grace of our Lord within me, I could wish that I had been allowed at the same time to speak distinctly and in detail of my grievous sins and wicked life. But it has not been so willed; on the contrary, I am laid herein under great restraint; and therefore, for the love of our Lord, I beg of every one who shall read this story of my life [1] to keep in mind how wicked it has been; and how, among the Saints who were converted to G.o.d, I have never found one in whom I can have any comfort. For I see that they, after our Lord had called them, never fell into sin again; I not only became worse, but, as it seems to me, deliberately withstood the graces of His Majesty, because I saw that I was thereby bound to serve Him more earnestly, knowing, at the same time, that of myself I could not pay the least portion of my debt.

May He be blessed for ever Who waited for me so long! I implore Him with my whole heart to send me His grace, so that in all clearness and truth I may give this account of myself which my confessors command me to give; and even our Lord Himself, I know it, has also willed it should be given for some time past, but I had not the courage to attempt it. And I pray it may be to His praise and glory, and a help to my confessors; who, knowing me better, may succour my weakness, so that I may render to our Lord some portion of the service I owe Him. May all creatures praise Him for ever! Amen.

1. The Saint, in a letter written November 19, 1581, to Don Pedro de Castro, then canon of Avila, speaking of this book, calls it the book "Of the compa.s.sions of G.o.d"--Y ansi int.i.tule ese libro De las Misericordias de Dios. That letter is the 358th in the edition of Don Vicente de la Fuente, and the 8th of the fourth volume of the Doblado edition of Madrid. "Vitam igitur suam internam et supernaturalem magis pandit quam narrat actiones suas mere humanas" (Bollandists, n. 2).

Chapter I.

Childhood and Early Impressions. The Blessing of Pious Parents.

Desire of Martyrdom. Death of the Saint's Mother.