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The Collected Letters of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 1
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December 28, 2024
The REAL Teresa comes through in her letters. They are alternately: joking, comforting, advising, lamenting, soothing, teaching, encouraging, beseeching, scolding, empathizing and complaining, especially about having to write so many letters—and yet she wrote beautifully, vibrantly and informatively never losing her deep sense of humility. ‘Humility is Truth’ is one of her famous quotes and she lived it, above all in her letters which she wrote to those who could read in all walks of life.
She could be a bit stern at times, reminding her fellow Christians of their responsibilities to God and each other. I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of one of her fierier letters, which she addressed just as often to men as women, clergy as family. And yet, you couldn’t help sensing her abiding love for whoever it was she writing to, a balm which would have made the ‘reminders’ that much more difficult to ignore. She certainly had her problem children!
Interestingly, we learn that though she could write sometimes such strong letters to her friars and sisters, she would never act punitively. She often bent over backwards to excuse and overlook infractions, sometimes even to the detriment of a particular monastery. She was a mother to all!
I have highlighted a number of passages for those who want to check them out; they are far too numerous to include in a review, and they are also significant to understanding her. I am going to make a list of them for those who are going through formation in our community because they ‘fill-in’ what is not in the more popular books which people typically read by her, The Way of Perfection and Interior Castle. This is also true of her book, Teresa of Avila: The Book of Her Foundations: A Study Guide; there is much there which parallels this book which many people never read.
If you are considering reading this book, I would highly recommend it. There is so much to commend it. Here are just a few of the things Teresa advises in these letters:
1) get much sleep (not less than six hours);
2) do not overdo physical penances;
3) keep holy water nearby;
4) be obedient;
5) praise God always;
6) do not think of having a long life and realize whatever we are going through now, will quickly pass;
7) serve God as he wishes and not as we wish;
8) to take action at the wrong time never turns out well;
9) where there are no studies, do manual work;
10) in prayer, the greater the disturbance, the less attention you should pay to it, for it clearly proceeds from a weak imagination and bad humor;
11) eat well, and don't remain alone thinking about nothing
12) and remember that it is always better to look after the common good than a particular good.
She has some other humorous quirky 16th century remedies for illnesses which somehow seemed to have actually helped or not hurt anyway. This is a delightful read. If only we had the rest of her letters. The greatest loss are all of her letters to St. John of the Cross, which sadly he burned. I can just imagine that she advised him to eat, sleep and take better care of himself. Carmelites call John, the Saint of Nothing (nada) and Teresa, the Saint of Everything/All (todo) and yet they complemented each other perfectly!
Yet even without her letters to St. John, what have come down to us and are gathered here, are a treasure trove of wisdom and joy! And this is ONLY Volume I!
St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us!
P.S. My friend, Christopher, in a comment below, reminded me of the marvelous Biographies at the end of this book. I commented on it in one of my updates, but it needs to be included here as well. For the most part, they are not just one or two sentence biographies, but quite detailed, especially for anyone who was intimately involved in Teresa’s life, such as Padre Gracian, or her brother, Lorenzo or some of the nuns, like Bl. Anne of St. Bartholmew and Bl. Anne of Jesus. Even lesser figures who figured in her foundations were included. The bios are also alphabetical and cross referenced which is a delight if you have the Kindle version.
She could be a bit stern at times, reminding her fellow Christians of their responsibilities to God and each other. I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of one of her fierier letters, which she addressed just as often to men as women, clergy as family. And yet, you couldn’t help sensing her abiding love for whoever it was she writing to, a balm which would have made the ‘reminders’ that much more difficult to ignore. She certainly had her problem children!
Interestingly, we learn that though she could write sometimes such strong letters to her friars and sisters, she would never act punitively. She often bent over backwards to excuse and overlook infractions, sometimes even to the detriment of a particular monastery. She was a mother to all!
I have highlighted a number of passages for those who want to check them out; they are far too numerous to include in a review, and they are also significant to understanding her. I am going to make a list of them for those who are going through formation in our community because they ‘fill-in’ what is not in the more popular books which people typically read by her, The Way of Perfection and Interior Castle. This is also true of her book, Teresa of Avila: The Book of Her Foundations: A Study Guide; there is much there which parallels this book which many people never read.
If you are considering reading this book, I would highly recommend it. There is so much to commend it. Here are just a few of the things Teresa advises in these letters:
1) get much sleep (not less than six hours);
2) do not overdo physical penances;
3) keep holy water nearby;
4) be obedient;
5) praise God always;
6) do not think of having a long life and realize whatever we are going through now, will quickly pass;
7) serve God as he wishes and not as we wish;
8) to take action at the wrong time never turns out well;
9) where there are no studies, do manual work;
10) in prayer, the greater the disturbance, the less attention you should pay to it, for it clearly proceeds from a weak imagination and bad humor;
11) eat well, and don't remain alone thinking about nothing
12) and remember that it is always better to look after the common good than a particular good.
She has some other humorous quirky 16th century remedies for illnesses which somehow seemed to have actually helped or not hurt anyway. This is a delightful read. If only we had the rest of her letters. The greatest loss are all of her letters to St. John of the Cross, which sadly he burned. I can just imagine that she advised him to eat, sleep and take better care of himself. Carmelites call John, the Saint of Nothing (nada) and Teresa, the Saint of Everything/All (todo) and yet they complemented each other perfectly!
Yet even without her letters to St. John, what have come down to us and are gathered here, are a treasure trove of wisdom and joy! And this is ONLY Volume I!
St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us!
P.S. My friend, Christopher, in a comment below, reminded me of the marvelous Biographies at the end of this book. I commented on it in one of my updates, but it needs to be included here as well. For the most part, they are not just one or two sentence biographies, but quite detailed, especially for anyone who was intimately involved in Teresa’s life, such as Padre Gracian, or her brother, Lorenzo or some of the nuns, like Bl. Anne of St. Bartholmew and Bl. Anne of Jesus. Even lesser figures who figured in her foundations were included. The bios are also alphabetical and cross referenced which is a delight if you have the Kindle version.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review