Discussion of Chapter 2
█ Summary / Highlights
| CHAPTER 2
HOW OUR FATHER GENERAL
CAME TO AVILA AND
WHAT HAPPENED IN CONSEQUENCE
OF HIS VISIT
1. The General of the Carmelites
arrives in Spain. —
2. Is friendly to the Saint. —
3. Authorises her
to found more monasteries. —
4. The bishop of Avila. —
5. Authority for the foundation
of two monasteries for men. —
6. Difficulty of finding friars
to begin the Reform. —
7. Generosity of God.
|
Discussion of Chapter 2
█ Summary
In chapter 1, St. Teresa described the
virtues and fruits
of prayer and the primitive rule
in her nuns
(who once entered her convent
as worldly women ) [2]
These fruits (among others) were:
Faith, Obedience, Detachment / Poverty of Spirit
Zeal to help souls, Love of Solitude and prayer
In chapter 2, St. Teresa relates the visit to Avila
and to the Monastery of St. Joseph
of the Father-General of the Carmelite Order,
Fr. John Baptist Rubeo (Rossi) of Ravenna.
By her description,
we see the practical integraction of
those virtues in her life and actions:
- her Faith in the Providence of God,
- her Obedience, and
- her Zeal to help souls
St. Teresa often said
- that a virtue does not exist alone;
- that when a person, with the help of God,
strives to practice one virtue
(e.g. Humility, Detachment)
that virtue will bring
all the other virtues "in its train". [1]
Here, in Chapter 2,
in her description of the events,
- we see this intgration and interaction
of all the virtues
in St. Teresa's intentions and actions.
- We see concrete practical examples of
-- these fruits of these virtues and
-- how the virtues "fortify" eachother [1]
▀ Obedience to her superiors
"for they stand in the place of God".
When opposition and obstacles hindered the
founding of the Monastery of St. Joseph,
it was through the Bishop that she was
ultimately permitted to establish this monastery
and so, it became under his jurisdiction.
But now, at the visit of the Father General
of her Order, the Carmelite Order,
she was distressed.
She would need to explain those circusmstances
why the Carmelite Monastery of St Joseph
was "not under the jurisdiction of the friars.'' [3]
"When he arrived in Avila
I contrived he should come to S. Joseph's,
and the Bishop was pleased
that all reverence should be shown him
as to himself in person.
"I told him everything
in all simplicity and truth,
for my inclination is
to be simple and truthful
with my superiors,
come what may,
for they stand in the place of God".
I am so with my confessors,
and if I were not
I should not think my soul was safe"
[ Foundations: Ch 2: Paragraph #2 ]
▀ Faith in the Providence of the Lord
St. Teresa stated
that no Carmelite Father-General of the Order
had ever come directly to Castille before.
"but, as there is nothing impossible
if our Lord wills it,
His Majesty ordained that
what had never been done before
should be done now."
[ Foundations: Ch 2: Paragraph #1 ]
But instead of the general being "angry"
with the circumstances of the Monastery
"not under the jurisdiction of the friars...
...he regarded it as a good work"
('the observance...of the primitive rule').
"It cheered him
to see our way of life,
a picture, however imperfect,
of the commencement of our order,
of the observance in all rigour
of the primitive rule,
"He,
being well pleased
that a work thus begun
should be carried on,
- gave me the fullest authority
in writing
to found more monasteries"
[ Foundations: Ch 2: Paragraph #2 ]
A way was even found to return
the Monastery of St. Joseph
to the jurisdiction of the General
and, as would be, subsequent foundations.
"Our Lord disposed it all
far better than I thought."
[ Foundations: Ch 2: Paragraph #1 ]
"The Love of God and Faith
make that possible
which is not possible
according to natural reason,
"and so
I, knowing how much
our most reverend general desired
the founding of more monasteries,
thought I saw them already built,
Remembering the words
our Lord had spoken to me.
[ Foundations: Ch 2: Paragraph #3 ]
'Wait a little, my child,
and thou shalt see great things.'
[ Foundations: Ch. 1: #7 ]
Also, the Bishop, Don Alvaro de Mendoza,
even after the Monastery of St Joseph
was no longer under his jurisdiction,
requested from the Father-General
that Carmelite Monasteries of Discalced Friars
be founded in Avila in his diocese.
"the Bishop,
Don Alvaro de Mendoza,
- who is extremely fond
of helping those
whom he sees striving to serve God
in greater perfection,
- obtained his consent for the foundation
in his diocese of monasteries
of barefooted friars
of the primitive rule".
[ Foundations: Ch. 2: #4 ]
Regarding this matter and others,
St. Teresa said she
"put the matter earnestly
before our Lord..."
[ Foundations: Ch. 2: #4 ]
Her Faith in the Providence of God
gave her Courage and Hope
against fears and doubts:
"There was I,
a poor barefooted nun,
without any help whatever
except in our Lord,
having nothing but
- the licence of the general and
- my good desires, and
- with no means whatever
of carrying them into effect.
Neither courage nor hope failed me,
for as our Lord had given one thing
He would also send the other.
Everything seemed to me possible now,
and so I began the work".
[ Foundations: Ch. 2: #6 ]
"Oh, the greatness of God !
How Thou dost manifest Thy power
in giving courage to an ant !
Now, O my Lord,
the fault
- is not Thine
that those who love Thee
do not do great things,
- but in our cowardice
and littleness of mind !
How we never make good resolutions
without being filled with
- a thousand fears and
- considerations of human prudence !
so, then, that is the reason,
O my God,
why Thou dost not show
Thy greatness and Thy wonders.
Is there any one more willing
- to give to any one
that will receive,
or
- to accept services
tendered at his own cost,
than Thou art ?
[ Foundations: Ch. 2: #7]
▀ Zeal for souls:
Zeal to help souls progress to God
"I had great longings
to help any soul whatever
to draw nearer unto God".
This Zeal for the welfare of souls is
- the selfless Love for others
- praying and working for the good of others.
This Zeal for the welfare of souls is
- the selfless Love for others
- praying and working for the good of others.
The founding of monasteries
of nuns and friars
of the primitive rule
was a fruit of her zeal for souls
in that the foundations not only helped
the nuns and friars progress to God,
but also the people whom they ministered
and for whom they prayed.
Her Obedience and Faith fortified
the fruit of her Zeal to help souls.
__________________________
Foot Notes:
[1]
From: "The Way of Perfection": Ch. 38
"For when the Lord
really gives one of these solid virtues,
it seems to bring all the rest
in its train:
that is a very well-known fact.
But I advise you once more,
even if you think you possess it,
to suspect that you may be mistaken;
for the person who is truly humble
is always doubtful about his own virtues;
very often they seem
more genuine and of greater worth
when he sees them in his neighbours"
...
"as regards both the virtue I have spoken of
and all the rest;
for when we really have
one of these solid virtues,
it brings all the rest in its train:
that is a very well-known fact".
Bloggers' Note:
Also, among those "solid virtues",
of which she often spoke, were:
Poverty of Spirit and Detachment
( not just lack of possessions
but the detachment and freedom
from the desire
for possessions, honor, and control.
Also, at other times, among other virtues,
she included the virtue of Love.
_________________
From: "The Way of Perfection" Ch. 2
"for, as Saint Clare said,
the walls of poverty are very strong.
...with these walls...and
with those of humility,
that she wished to surround her convents;
and assuredly,
if the rule of poverty is truly kept,
both chastity and all the other virtues
are fortified"
___________________________
[2]
From: The Foundations: Ch 1: Paragraph #1
"During that time certain young persons
entered it as religious,
whose years were not many,
but whom,
the world...had already made its own,
if we might judge of them
by their outward manners and dress.
Our Lord very quickly
- set them free from their vanities,
- drew them into His own house, and
- endowed them with a perfection so great"
___________________________
[3]
From: "The Life": Ch, 33: Paragraph 18,19
"it was painful to me
not to subject the monastery
to the Order, and
our Lord had told me
that it was inexpedient to do so.
He told me the reasons
why it was in no wise convenient
that I should do it
but I must send to Rome
in a certain way,
which He also explained;
He would take care
that I found help there:
and so I did.
I sent to Rome,
as our Lord directed me,
-- for we should never
have succeeded otherwise, --
and most favourable was the result.
19. And as to subsequent events,
it was very convenient
to be under the Bishop, [495]
but at that time
I did not know him,
nor did I know what kind
of a superior he might be.
It pleased our Lord
that he should be
as good and favourable
to this house
as it was necessary he should be
on account of the great opposition
it met with at the beginning,
as I shall show hereafter,
and also for the sake
of bringing it to the condition
it is now in."
See also "The Way of Perfection": Ch. v. # 10
|
