The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of CarmelTeresa, of Avila, Saint
Religion
The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
Teresa, of Avila, Saint
Avila (Spain) -- Biography; Christian saints -- Spain -- Avila -- Biography; Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582
2. The Provincial sent me an order, charging me in virtue of my
obedience to go immediately, with one companion. I knew of it on
Christmas night. It caused me some trouble and much suffering to
see that they sent for me because they thought there was some
good in me; I, knowing myself to be so wicked, could not bear it.
I commended myself earnestly to God, and during Matins, or the
greater part of them, was lost in a profound trance. Our Lord
told me I must go without fail, and give no heed to the opinions
of people, for they were few who would not be rash in their
counsel; and though I should have troubles, yet God would be
served greatly: as to the monastery, it was expedient I should be
absent till the Brief came, because Satan had contrived a great
plot against the coming of the Provincial; that I was to have no
fear,--He would help me. I repeated this to the rector, and he
told me that I must go by all means, though others were saying I
ought not to go, that it was a trick of Satan to bring some evil
upon me there, and that I ought to send word to the Provincial.
3. I obeyed the rector, and went without fear, because of what I
had understood in prayer, though in the greatest confusion when I
thought of the reasons why they sent for me, and how very much
they were deceived. It made me more and more importunate with
our Lord that He would not abandon me. It was a great comfort
that there was a house of the Society of Jesus there whither I
was going, and so I thought I should be in some degree safe under
the direction of those fathers, as I had been here.
4. It was the good pleasure of our Lord that the lady who sent
for me should be so much consoled that a visible improvement was
the immediate result she was comforted every day more and more.
This was very remarkable, because, as I said before, her
suffering had reduced her to great straits. Our Lord must have
done this in answer to the many prayers which the good people of
my acquaintance made for me, that I might prosper in my work.
She had a profound fear of God, and was so good, that her great
devotion supplied my deficiencies. She conceived a great
affection for me--I, too, for her, because of her goodness; but
all was as it were a cross for me; for the comforts of her house
were a great torment, and her making so much of me made me
afraid. I kept my soul continually recollected--I did not dare
to be careless: nor was our Lord careless of me; for while I was
there, He bestowed the greatest graces upon me, and those graces
made me so free, and filled me with such contempt for all I
saw,--and the more I saw, the greater my contempt,--that I never
failed to treat those ladies, whom to serve would have been a
great honour for me, with as much freedom as if I had been
their equal.
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