13. She continues to speak of this first stage, and gives advice concerning certain temptations that the devil sends at times.

[John]

13. She continues to speak of this first stage, and gives advice concerning certain temptations that the devil sends at times. This chapter is very useful

[Sheila]

Continues to encourage beginners to hang in there, despite distractions and obstructions. Soul's safety--wow-- is contingent on ceasing to be anxious. In the spiritual life, as in other things, we may find ourselves suddenly back at Square One. No harm, no fowl; it is what it is. Pray for those who help us progress.

[Jill]

'Self-knowledge with regard to sin is the bread which must be eaten with food of every kind, however dainty."

[John]

I noted that quote as well, Jill, though my translation puts it a little differently: "the questions of sin and self-knowledge are the bread which we must eat with even the most delicate dish on this road of prayer."

I guess that's a slightly different meaning.

Manuel, which of these is most accurate in your view? Or would you translate the passage differently?

Also:

"learned men are of little use to beginners, unless they also practise prayer."

"Those who take the path of prayer have great need of learning; and the more spiritual they are, the greater the need."

"Let him rather remain without a director until he finds the right one, whom the Lord will provide if his life is founded in humility, and if he has the desire to succeed."

And this following one, which reminded me that the Church has faced storms and crises before and that we can take comfort from knowing how the story ends: "We should pray most regularly for those who give us light. What would become of us without them amid these mighty storms that now beset the Church? If some of them have been wicked, the good will shine with greater brightness."

[Manuel]

John wrote: "I noted that quote as well, Jill, though my translation puts it a little differently... Manuel, which of these is most accurate in your view? Or would you translate the passage differently?

This is a controversial paragraph, for St.Teresa wrote it a little un-syntactically. My own more or less literal translation would be:

...and in this matter of sins and self-knowledge, this is the bread with which every delicacy must be eaten, however dainty, in this path of prayer, and without this bread they wouldn't remain standing.

Which for me means that whatever delicacies God grants us along the way of prayer, we must never lose from our sight our sins and self-knowledge.

Both translations you have quoted seem to me possible, although a little shortened.

Curiously enough, this paragraph was considered heretic by one of the readers of St.Teresa's manuscript, who wrote (by hand) a marginal note in this sense. He probably interpreted the phrase to mean that nobody can remain in grace without considering our own sins, but this is clearly not what Teresa meant.