of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
CHAPTER 20 XX
Chapter 20 Contents
On The Foundation Of The Monastery
Of Our Lady Of The Annunciation,
At Alba De Tormes,
In The Year 1571
1. Alba de Tormes. —
2. Birth of Teresa de Layz. —
3. Blindness of parents. —
4. Miraculous speech of the infant. —
5. Piety of Teresa de Layz. —
6. She removes to Salamanca. —
7. Prays for children. —
8. The foundation of a monastery
resolved on. —
9. Returns to Alba de Tormes. —
10. Difficulties suggested. —
11. And miraculously removed. —
12. Teresa de Layz goes to the Saint. —
13. Why some omissions are made. —
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CHAPTER 20
1. Alba de Tormes.
1.
Two months had not passed
since I took possession,
on All Souls' Day [1]
of the house in Salamanca,
when I was urged,
on the part of the steward
of the duke of Alba and his wife, [2]
to found a monastery in that town.
I was not very willing to do so,
for
- it would be necessary,
because it was a small place,
to have an endowment,
and
- my inclination was never to have any.
The Father Master,
Fray Domingo Banez,
my confessor,
of whom I spoke in the beginning
of the history of these foundations,
being then in Salamanca,
rebuked me,
and
said [3]
- that, as the council allowed endowments,
it would not be well
if I refrained
from founding a monastery
for that reason
- that I did not understand the matter,
for an endowment need not hinder
the nuns from being poor
and most perfect.
Before I say more I will tell
who the foundress was,
and
how our Lord made her
the foundress of this house.
IHS [4]
2. Birth of Teresa de Layz.
2.
Teresa de Layz,
the foundress of the monastery
of the Annunciation of our Lady
of Alba de Tormes,
was the daughter of parents
of noble birth, ancient lineage,
and honoured ancestry,
who, because they were
not so wealthy
as they were well-born,
had settled in a place called Tordillos,
some two leagues from Alba.
It is very sad,
because so much vanity
is in the world,
that people should willingly undergo
the loss
of instruction, and
of many other things
which help to give light to the soul,
which is inseparable
from dwelling in small villages,
rather than give up
one of those distinctions which
that which men call their honour
carries with it.
They had four daughters already
when Teresa was born,
and were much distressed
when they saw that she, too, was a girl.
3. Blindness of parents.
3.
It certainly is a thing
much to be lamented
that mortal men
- not knowing what is best for them,
as persons wholly ignorant
of the judgments of God,
- discerning
neither what great blessings
may come by daughters
nor what great evils by sons,
should seem so unwilling
to leave it in His hands
to whom everything is known
and
by whom all things are made,
but must fret themselves to death
about that in which they
should rather rejoice.
As people whose faith is asleep,
they will not
seriously consider nor remember
that it is God who thus ordains
— that they may leave it all
in His hands;
and now,
when they are so blind
as not to do so,
it is a great ignorance
not to understand
how little they gain by their fretting.
O my God,
in what a different light
shall we look on our ignorances
in that day
when the truth of all things
shall be made known !
How many fathers will have to go to hell
because of their sons,
and again
how many mothers will go to heaven
by the help of their daughters !
4. Miraculous speech of the infant.
4.
To go back to what I was saying,
things came to this pass,
that, as if the infant's life
was of no importance to them,
she was left alone on the third day
after she was born,
and nobody thought of her
from morning till night.
One good thing they had done
— they had had her baptised by a priest
as soon as she was born.
When night came a woman,
who had the charge of her, and
who knew what had happened,
ran to see if she was dead,
and with her some others
who had come to visit the mother, and
who were witnesses
of what I am going to say.
The woman, in tears,
took the child into her arms
and said,
'How, my child ?
Are you not a Christian ? '
as much as to say
that she had been cruelly dealt with.
The child raised its head
and said,
'Yes, I am.'
She never spoke again
till she had reached the age
at which children usually speak.
They who knew her
were amazed,
and her mother
then began to cherish and caress her,
and used often to say
she should like to live to see
what God would do with the child.
She brought her children up most admirably,
teaching them all the practice of virtue.
5. Piety of Teresa de Layz.
5.
When the time had come
they wanted her to marry;
she refused, having no wish to do so;
but when she found
that it was Francis Velasquez,
founder also of this house,
and now her husband,
who sought her in marriage,
though she had never seen him
in all her life,
yet, merely on hearing his name spoken,
she made up her mind to be married
if they would let her marry him.
Our Lord saw
that this was necessary
for the doing of that good work
which they have done together
for the service of His Majesty.
Francis Velasquez is
not only a wealthy and good man,
but he is one
who so loves his wife
that he does her pleasure in everything,
and for good reasons,
because whatever may be required
in a wife
our Lord has most abundantly supplied.
She is
not only careful of his house,
but is also exceedingly good,
for when her husband took her to Alba,
his native place,
and the quarter-masters of the duke
assigned a lodging in her house
to a young knight,
she felt it so much
that she hated the place,
for, being young and very beautiful,
evil might have happened
if she had not been so good,
seeing that Satan began
to suggest evil thoughts to the knight.
6. She removes to Salamanca.
6.
She, perceiving this,
but without saying anything about it
to her husband,
asked him to take her elsewhere;
he did so,
and brought her to Salamanca,
where they lived in great happiness
and worldly prosperity,
for he held an office [5]
on account of which
everybody wished much
to satisfy and please them.
One trouble only they had
— our Lord left them childless.
She used to
practise many devotions
and
make many prayers
to obtain children of our Lord,
and never begged anything else from Him
but children
who when she was dead
were to praise His Majesty;
for she thought it hard
that all should end with her,
and
that when her time was come
she should leave none behind
to praise God.
She told me herself
that she had no other reason
for desiring children,
and she is a woman of great truthfulness;
she is
so pious and
so good a Christian,
as I have already said,
that she makes me give thanks to God
when I
see her good works,
and
consider how anxious she is always
to please Him, and
to spend all her time
unceasingly in His service.
7. Prays for children.
7.
She passed many years
having this desire, '
praying also to S. Andrew,
who she was told would intercecie
for her in her trouble.
One night,
after her many other devotions were over
which she used habitually to make,
she heard a voice,
when she had laid down to sleep,
saying,
'Do not wish for children:
why damn thyself?'
She was very much astonished and alarmed,
but for all this
the wish to have children never left her;
for, as the end she had in view
was so good,
she could not see
why she should be damned for it,
and so she went on
praying to our Lord for children,
and
making special prayers to S. Andrew
in particular.
On one occasion,
entertaining this desire,
she does not know
whether she was awake or asleep
— be that as it may,
she knows by the results,
it was a good vision —
she seemed to be
in a certain house
in the court of which,
beneath the gallery,
was a well,
and there she saw a meadow
frcsh and green,
covered with white flowers
in such great beauty
that she cannot describe what she saw.
Close to the well
she beheld S. Andrew
in a most venerable
and beautiful form,
so that it was a great joy
to look upon him:
he said to her,
'These children are different
from those
whom thou desirest.'
She wished the great joy
she had in that place
might not come to an end,
but it did not last.
She saw distinctly
- it was S. Andrew,
without being told so by anybody,
and also
- that it was our Lord's will
that she should found a monastery;
whereby we may see
that the vision was
as much intellectual as imaginary —
- that it could not be fancy
or an illusion of Satan.
8. The foundation of a monastery
resolved on.
8.
In the first place,
it was no fancy,
because of the great results
that flowed from it,
for from that moment
she never again wished for children:
she was so persuaded in her heart
that it was the will ot God
that she
neither asked
nor even desired
to have children any more,
on the contrary
she began to think of the means
of carrying out our Lord's wish.
Next it is clear also
that the voice came not from Satan,
because of the effects of it;
for nothing that comes from him
can do any good,
as the founding of a monastery is,
wherein our Lord is greatly served.
And, again,
it could not be from Satan,
because
- it took place more than six years
before the monastery was founded,
and
- Satan cannot know what is coming.
Being much amazed at the vision,
she said to her husband
that they might as well found a monastery,
seeing that it was not God's will
(that) they should have children.
As he was so good,
and loved her so much,
her husband was delighted at it,
and they began to consider
where they should make a foundation.
She was for the place
where she was born:
he suggested to her
many good reasons against it,
in order that she might see
It would not do to build it there.
9. Returns to Alba de Tormes.
9.
While they were discussing the matter
the duchess of Alba sent for the husband,
and when he had come
asked him to return to Alba,
and there undertake a charge and office
she gave him in her household.
He,
when he saw what she required of him
and had spoken to him about,
accepted it,
though much less profitable
than his office in Salamanca.
His wife when she heard of it
was much distressed,
because, as I said before,
she hated the place;
but on being assured by him
that no lodgers would be admitted
into the house
she was somewhat satisfied,
though still very sorry,
because she liked Salamanca better.
He bought a house and sent for her;
she came in great grief,
and was more grieved still
when she saw the house,
for, though it was
in a very good situation
and
large,
yet it had not many rooms,
and so she passed the night
in very great sadness.
The next morning,
on entering the court,
she saw on that very side of it
the well beside which
she had seen S. Andrew;
everything was precisely
as she had seen it in the vision
— neither more or less —
I mean the place itself —
but she did not see the Saint,
or the meadow, or the flowers,
though then
and always
present to her imagination.
On seeing this she
was troubled,
and
made up her mind
to found a monastery on the spot.
She was now comforted and in peace,
without any wish
to go elsewhere to live,
and they began to buy other houses near,
till they had acquired ground enough.
10. Difficulties suggested.
10.
She was very anxious
to find out
what order it should belong to,
her wish being
that the nuns should be few,
and the enclosure strict.
In discussing the matter
with two religious of different orders,
very good and learned men,
she was recommended by both
to do some other good work
in preference,
because nuns,
for the most part,
are discontented people.
Many other things of that kind
they said to her;
for, as Satan hated the work,
he wished to hinder it,
and so he made them consider
the reasons they were giving
as very weighty.
As they insisted so much upon it
that there was no good
in founding a monastery,
and
as Satan too,
who had a greater interest in hindering it,
made her afraid and uneasy,
she
resolved not to go on with her work,
and
said so to her husband;
and then, as people of that kind
told them
it was not right,
and as they had no other object
but that of serving our Lord,
they thought it right
to forgo their purpose.
Accordingly, they agreed
to marry a nephew of hers,
a child of her sister
whom she loved much,
to a niece of her husband,
and
to give them a great portion
of their property,
and with the remainder
to make provision for their own souls:
the nephew was
very good and very young.
11. And miraculously removed.
11.
They were both bent on this,
and perfeetly satisfied with their plan.
But, as our Lord had other designs,
their agreement was of little worth,
for within a fortnight
the nephew became so ill
that in a few days
our Lord took him to Himself.
To her it was a most bitter sorrow:
the resolution
they had come to,
of giving up that which God wished them
to do,
in order to enrich the nephew,
had been the occasion of his death,
and she fell into a great fear.
She called to mind
what had happened to the prophet Jonas
because he would not obey God, [6]
because he would not obey God, [6]
for it seemed as if
God was chastising her
by taking from her a nephew
whom she loved so much.
From that day forth
she was resolved to let nothing hinder
the founding of the monastery,
and so was her husband,
though they did not know
how to compass their end.
God put into her heart
— so it seems —
that which is now done;
and they
to whom she spoke
and described the kind of monastery
she wished to have
— in particular her confessor,
a Franciscan triar,
a learned and distinguished man —
ridiculed it,
for they thought she would never find
what she was seeking.
She was in very great trouble.
12. Teresa de Layz goes to the Saint.
12.
This friar happened to go,
about this time,
to a certain place
where he was told
of these monasteries
of these monasteries
of our Lady of Carmel
which were being then established.
Having obtained much information
about them,
he returned and told her
that he had now learnt that
- she could found her monastery,
- and in the way she wished.
He told her
what had happened,
and recommended her
to find means of speaking to me.
She did so.
We had a great deal of trouble
in making the arrangement
for I have always laboured
to have the monasteries
which are endowed
- sufficiently furnished,
so that there shall be no need
for the nuns to apply to their kindred
or to anybody else,
- that they shall have in the house
whatever is necessary
in food and raiment,
and
- that the sick shall be well cared for,
because many inconveniences result
because many inconveniences result
from the want of what is necessary.
I have never been without
the courage and
the confidence
necessary for founding monasteries
without revenues,
for I was certain
God would never fail them;
but I have no heart
for founding monasteries
to be endowed
and that scantily;
I think it better not to found them at all.
At last they became reasonable,
and assigned a sufficient endowment
for the number of nuns; [7]
they also did that
which I thought much of
— they left their own house
and gave it to us,
going themselves to live in one
that was in a wretched state.
The Most Holy Sacrament was reserved
and the foundation made
and the foundation made
on the feast of the Conversion of S. Paul,
in the year 1571,
to the honour and glory of God;
and in that house,
I believeHis Majesty is well served.
May it please Him ever to prosper it ! " [8]
13. Why some omissions are made.
13.
I began
by giving some account
of particular sisters
in these monasteries,
thinking
that when people came to read
what I am writing
those sisters would not be then alive:
my purpose was to encourage those
who came to us
to go onwards
according to such a good beginning
Afterwards I considered
that there might be found some one
who would do it better,
and more in detail,
and without the fear that troubles me,
for I have been thinking
that I shall be considered
as an interested person.
I have therefore omitted many things
which they
who have seen and known them
cannot help regarding as miraculous,
because (these many things are) supernatural.
I will
not speak on this subject,
neither will I speak of those things
which our Lord visibly granted
to their prayers.
In the dates of the foundations
I suspect I am occasionally in error,
though I am as careful
as I can be
to refresh my memory.
As it is not a matter of much importance,
and
the correction can be made hereafter,
I speak to the best of my recollection:
it will make but little difference
if there should be some mistakes.
_________________
Foot Notes:
[1]
[ Foundations: Ch. xix. 2. ]
__________
[2]
Francis Velasquez and Teresa de Layz
obtained the help
of Don Juan de Ovalle and his wife,
the Saint's sister Juana,
in this negotiation
[ Ribera, ii. 17 ].
The first steps towards the establishment
of this convent
had been taken in 1568,
and S. Teresa had actually left Medina
with some nuns for this foundation,
when difficulties arose
which caused the postponment
of the project.
[ Oeuvres, iii. 262, note.]
_______________
[3]
See Foundations ch. ix. 3, note (5).
From Chapter 9:Foot note #5
Concedit sancta synodus omnibus monasterlis
et domibus, tam virorum
quam mulierum et mendicantium
exceptis domibus
fratrum Sancti Francisci Cappucinorum
et coram qui Minorum de observantia vocantur —
etiam quibus aut ex constitutionibus
suis erat prohibitum,
aut ex privilegio Apostolico non erat concessum,
ut deinceps bona immobilia eis possidere liceat
[ Concil. Trident., session. 25, de Regular, chap. 3)
__________
Blog Note:
CHAPTER III.
....
The holy Synod permits
that henceforth real property
may be possessed
by all monasteries and houses,
both of men and women,
and of mendicants,
even by those who were forbidden
by their constitutions to possess it,
or who had not received permission
to that effect by apostolic privilege,-
with the exception, however,
of the houses of the brethren
of St. Francis (called) Capuchins,
and those called Minor Observants:
and if any of the aforesaid places,
to which it has been granted
by apostolic authority
to possess such property,
have been stripped thereof,
It ordains that the same
shall be wholly restored unto them.
But, in the aforesaid monasteries
amid houses, as well of men as of women,
whether they possess, or do not possess,
real property,
such a number of inmates only
shall be fixed upon
and be for the future retained,
as can be conveniently supported,
either out of the proper revenues
of those monasteries,
or out of the customary alms;
nor shall any such places
be henceforth erected,
without the permission of the bishop,
in whose diocese they are to be erected,
being first obtained.
[ Foundations: Chapter 9:Foot note #5
which referenced Chapter 9: #3]
______________
[4]
Thus in the original MS.
______________
[ 5]
Ribera, ii. 17,
says he knew Velasquez in Salamanca,
where he was treasurer of the University,
having the care of its property',
and the duty of paying their salaries
to the professors and regents.
________________
[6]
Jonah I and II
____________________
[7]
The contract
between the founders and the nuns,
the authorizations
of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities,
and the patent of the General
are kept like relics
at the cathedral of Salamanca.
[ Ouevres iii. 272, note. ]
_________________
[8]
The Saint went from Alba to Salamanca,
having made
Juana of the Holy Ghost,
prioress,
and
Maria of the Blessed Sacrament
sub-prioress
[ Ribera, 11. ch. xvii ] .
|
End of Chapter 20
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
