The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel. Saint of Avila Teresa
1. Fr. Anton. a St. Joseph, in his note on letter 16, but letter 41, vol. iv. ed. Doblado.
2. Reforma de los Descalços. lib. i. ch. vii. § 3.
3. Ch. iii. § 2.
4. Ch. iii. § 9.
5. Ch. i. § 3.
6. Ch. xxiii. § 2.
7. Ch. xxiii. § 8.
8. Id. § 12.
9. Ch. xxiv. § 1.
10. Id. § 4.
11. Ch. xxix. § 4.
12. Ch. xxxiii. § 6.
13. The Saint held him in great reverence, and in one of her letters--lett. 355, but lett. 100, vol. ii. ed. Doblado--calls him a founder of her Order, because of the great services he had rendered her, and told her nuns of Seville that they need not be veiled in his presence, though they must be so in the presence of everybody else, and even the friars of the Reform.
14. See Life, ch. xxix. § 6.
15. Rel. vii. § 9.
16. Reforma de los Descalços, lib. ii. c. xxviii. § 6.
17. Introduccion al libro de la Vida, vol. i. p. 3.
18. Jerome Gratian, Lucidario, c. iv.
19. Life, ch. xxxvi. § 15.
20. The Saint says of herself, Rel. vii. § 18, that "she took the greatest pains not to submit the state of her soul to any one who she thought would believe that these things came from God, for she was instantly afraid that the devil would deceive them both."
21. Rel. vii. § 16.
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 Bañes, to examine the "Life."
25. This took place in the year 1580, according to the Chronicler of the Order (Reforma de los Descalços, lib. v. c. xxxv. § 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 Descalços, lib. v. c. xxxiv. § 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 Cañada, 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 Hell [ch. xxxii. § 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 Doña Juana comes to Avila from Alba de Tormes to help the Saint in the new foundation [ch. xxxiii. § 13]. Restores her nephew to Life [ch. xxxv. § 14, note]. Fra Ibañez 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 Doña Luisa de la Cerda, and finishes the account of her Life. Makes the acquaintance of Fra Bañes, afterwards her principal director, and Fra Garcia of Toledo, both Dominicans. Receives a visit from Maria of Jesus. Has a revelation that her sister, Doña Maria, will die suddenly [ch. xxxiv. § 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