St. Teresa of Avila - The Collected Letters of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 2

Translated by

Kierran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.

Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 2007

ICS Publications
2131 Lincoln Road NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-1199
800-832-8489
www.icspublications.org

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582

[Correspondence, English]

The collected letters of St. Teresa of Avila / translated by Kieran Kavanaugh.

p.cm..

Includes biblographical references and index.

ISBN 0-935216-27-8

1. Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582 -- Correspondence.

2. Christian saints -- Spain -- Avila -- Correspondence.

1. Kavanaugh, Kieran, 1928- II. Title.

BX4700.T4 A31 2001

282'.092--dc21

[B]

Abbreviations

References to St. Teresa's other writings are from The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila , trans. Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., 3 vols. (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1976-85). The following abbreviations will be used in referring to her works:

Other abbreviations:

Letter / Written to:

Padre Jernimo Gracin

Don Teutonio de Braganza, Evora

Padre Jernimo Gracin (?)

Padre Juan Surez, Madrid

Padre Gonzalo Dvila, Avila

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Pastrana

Padre Jernimo Gracin

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Padre Jernimo Gracin

Don Luis de Cepeda, Torrijos

Doa Mara de Mendoza, Valladolid

Madre Mara de San Jos, Seville

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Gaspar de Villanueva in Malagn

Doa Juana Dantisco, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, in Alcal

Madre Ana de San Alberto, Caravaca

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal

Madre Mara de San Jos, Seville

Padre Gonzalo Dvila, Avila

Padre Domingo Bez, Salamanca

Sister Mara de Jess, Toledo

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Pearanda (?)

Doa Juana de Ahumada, Alba

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Pearanda (?)

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid

M. Anne of Jesus, Beas

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid

Defense of Gracin Against Felipe Sega's Brief

Sister Mara de Jess, Toledo

Madre Mara de San Jos, Toledo

Doa Ins y Doa Isabel Osorio, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid (?)

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Alcal de Henares

Padre Pablo Hernndez, Madrid

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

A Memorial for Father General Juan Bautista Rubeo

Padre Jernimo Gracin

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Mara de San Jos, Seville

Mother Anne of Jesus and the Community in Beas

Doa Mara Enrquez, Duchess of Alba

Padre Jernimo Gracin, Madrid (?)

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Roque de Huerta, Madrid

Doa Juana Dantisco, Madrid

Avila, January 1578 (?)

A fragment preserved because of the praise given to the Carmelite nuns.

****

I love them tenderly, and so I rejoice when you praise them and express your gratitude to me as though I were the one who had done something.

, Evora

Avila, 16 January 1578

Responding to two of his letters, Teresa gives Don the news he sought about the persecutions her nuns and friars were undergoing. He had told her in secret of his appointment to the episcopal see of Evora in Portugal, spoken of his love for the Society of Jesus, and proposed a Teresian foundation in his diocese. He had also mentioned some difficulties in his spiritual life. Teresa rejoices in the news of his new appointment, but regretfully explains why she cannot make a foundation in Portugal.

****

have been undergoing since August. I wanted to send you some news, as you requested in your letter, but was waiting before doing so. However, up to the present things have been getting worse by the day, as I will explain later.

brought me. And this, even though I had received very clear news about you more than three weeks ago, and afterward the same news from another source. So I don't know how you could think that something of that sort would be kept secret. May it please the Divine Majesty that this redound to his greater honor and glory and help you grow very much in holiness, as I think it will. Believe that God will not fail to hear such fervent petitions made by souls who in their prayers desire nothing more than that he be served. And I, although miserable, pray continually for this, and so do all these servants of yours in all these monasteries. Each day I find in them souls that certainly put me to shame. It definitely seems that our Lord himself is choosing them, bringing them to these houses from places where I do not know how they could have heard of us.

3. You must take heart and not even let the thought cross your mind that this was not ordained by God -- I am certain it was. His Majesty is now giving you the chance to put into practice the desire you have had to serve him. You have been idle for a long time and our Lord is in great need of someone who will favor virtue. We poor and lowly people, however much we want only what is for his service, can do little if God does not awaken someone to defend us. And so he chooses one who he knows can help him. For malice has reached such a point, and ambition and the pursuit of honor have been so canonized by many of those who should have trampled them underfoot, that even the Lord himself seems to want the help of his creatures, although he is powerful enough for virtue to win the victory without them. Since those he has selected to defend virtue disappoint him, he has chosen those he knows can help him.

brought me much joy, for that affair caused me a good deal of distress and worry until I learned of how well things turned out. May God be praised. As often as the Lord gives such a multiplicity of trials together, he usually causes good results. Since he knows we are so weak and does everything for our good, he measures out suffering in conformity with our strength. I think these storms that are lasting so long have to happen to us. If I were not certain that these discalced friars and nuns are striving to keep their rule in uprightness and truth, I would sometimes fear that the calced friars might succeed -- considering the devil's wiles -- in achieving their goal, which is to put an end to this beginning that the Blessed Virgin has initiated. God has given the devil the leeway to work toward this end.