Quote of the day, 31 January: St. Teresa of Avila

The grace of the Holy Spirit be with your charities, my daughters and sisters. You should know that I have never loved you as much as I do now, nor have you ever been so obliged to serve the Lord, for he has given you the great favor of being able to taste something of his cross and share in the terrible abandonment that he endured on it. Happy the day you entered that house where such a fortunate event was reserved for you!

I envy you very much, and indeed when I learned of all those changes — for everything was carefully communicated to me — and that they wanted to expel you from that house and about other details, I felt the greatest interior joy. I saw that, without your having crossed the sea, our Lord revealed to you mines containing eternal treasures.

Through these, I hope in the Lord, you will be left very rich and able to share with those of us who are here. For I believe that he will enable you to bear all without your offending him in any way. Don’t be afflicted that you feel it very much, for the Lord would want you to understand that you are not capable of as much as you thought when you were once so desirous of suffering.

Courage, courage, my daughters. Remember that God does not give anyone more trials than can be suffered and that His Majesty is with the afflicted. For this is certain, there is no reason to fear but to hope in his mercy. He will reveal the whole truth; and some machinations, which the devil kept hidden so as to create a disturbance, will be made known.

This was more painful for me than all that is happening now. Prayer, prayer, my sisters, and now let humility shine forth — and obedience in such a way that no one practices it more toward the appointed vicaress.

Oh, what a good time it is for gathering fruit from the resolutions you made to serve our Lord. Consider that often he desires to have proof that our works are in conformity with our resolutions and words.

Bring honor to the daughters of the Blessed Virgin, your sisters, in this great persecution, for if you help one another, the good Jesus will help you. Even though he sleeps at sea, when the storm gathers strength he calms the winds. He wants us to ask of him, and he loves us so much that he is always looking for ways to be of benefit to us.

May his name be blessed forever, amen, amen, amen.

Saint Teresa of Avila

Letter 284, 31 January 1579

Note: According to translators and editors Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez, the Carmelite community in Seville was undergoing a serious crisis. Father Jerónimo Gracián had been stripped of his authority as visitator and subjected to a trial initiated by the provincial of Andalusia, with the aim of discrediting him and deposing the prioress, María de San José Salazar; a new vicaress was then appointed against the will of the community. Saint Teresa of Jesus, fully aware of these events, sent this letter discreetly through a trusted intermediary, exhorting the sisters—accustomed to rehearsing for martyrdom—to live this real persecution with prayer, humility, and obedience.

Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Saint Teresa “the Vagabond” is seen in this 20th c. statue by Spanish sculptor Fernando Cruz Solís (1923–2003) which graces the entry of the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in Avila. Image credit: Raquel / Adobe Stock (Stock photo)

#FatherJerónimoGraciánOfTheMotherOfGod #MariaDeSanJoséSalazar #martyrdom #StTeresaOfAvila #suffering