of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
Discussion of Chapter 13
Chapter 13 Contents
Treats Of The Foundation
And The Founder
Of The First House
Of Friars Under The Primitive Rule,
A.D. 1568
1. The Friars of the Order. —
2. Don Rafael Mejia Velasquez. —
3. The Saint's journey to Duruelo. —
4. Fray Antonio. —
5. S. John of the Cross. —
6. Consent of the Provincial. —
7. The Saint's thanksgiving.
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Discussion of Chapter 13
■ The first foundation for
friars under the primitive rule.
■ St. John of the Cross observes
St. Terese following the primitive rule.
▀ The first foundation for
friars under the primitive rule.
St. Teresa begins the account
of the first foundation
of the Carmelite Discalced Friars,
which was at Dueruelo
on November 28, 1568.
Don Rafael Mejia Velasquez.
"came to (St. Teresa) to offer as a gift
a house that he had"
[ Foundations: Ch.13: #2 ]
"The offer was made
in June, 1568, in Avila"
where the Saint had returned
after founding the monastery of Malagon"
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: Footnote: #2 ]
(The monastery (for nuns) at Malagon
was founded on April 11, 1568)
So on the way to another foundation ,
she set off to see this house.
"I left Avila in June..."
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #2 ]
After a laborious journey,
St. Teresa and her companions
found the house to be
- very small
and
- in poor condition
with an "exceeding absence of cleanliness".
[Foundations: Ch. 13: #3 ]
Reactions to the site:
St. Teresa writes that her companions
did not feel the site was suitable:
- Sister Antonia of the Holy Ghost
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: Footnote: #3 ]
who was herself,
"very much given to penance"
said to me,
'Certainly, Mother,
there is nobody,
however great his spirituality,
who can bear this
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #3 ]
- Father Julian of Avila,
who was the chaplain of
the foundation in Avila,
the Monastery of St. Joseph
"though of the same mind
with my companion the nun,
did not oppose me
when I told him of my purpose.
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #4]
But, as in the previous foundations,
St. Teresa could envision the advantage of the site,
as she later said to Fray Antonio of Jesus:
- that since the consent "must be had"
of the present and former Carmelite Provincials
they "neither...would ever give us leave
if we were seen living
in a large house;
- besides, there was no help for it,
and
- if they were settled in that little... house
neither...would take any thought about them".
- that God would soon help him,
and
- that to begin was everything.
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #4 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .
In the past, she had made plans
with two Carmelite friars
- to found a monastery
for Discalced Carmelite Friars
under the Primitive Rule.
- "that they were to be the first to enter,
if we could found a monastery"
Both friars were of the mitigated Carmelite rule
but they observed the primitive rule
These two friars were:
- Fray Antonio of Jesus,
who was then
the "Prior of the Monastery of S. Anne,
in Medina,
of the order of Carmel".
This was a Carmelite monastery
of the mitigated rule.
- Fray John of the Cross,
"though he was living
among the fathers of the mitigated rule,
he always led a perfect and religious life."
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #1 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
When she returned to Medina,
she spoke to Fray Antonio of Jesus
"he answered
that he would live not only there
but even in a pigstye"
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #4 ]
"Fray John of the Cross
was of the same mind".
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #5]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. Teresa concludes this chapter
with praise and thanksgiving to God.
"What things I have seen
in these foundations
that seemed impossible,
and
How easily His Majesty
overcame the difficulties !
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #7]
▪ The work of "repairing the house" was seen to.
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #5]
▪ The consent of the Provinical Fathers
was obtained:
"Dona Maria de Mendoza arrived,
and her brother, the Bishop of Avila,
( Don Alvaro de Mendoza)
who has always
helped and defended us,
and they obtained his consent at last...
( Fray Alonso Gonzalez...
"the provincial of our order" )
with that of the late provincial,
Fray Angel de Salazar"
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #6 ]
[ The Bishop of Avila assisted with the
first foundation in Avila
and his sister assisted with the
foundation at Valladolid. ]
"...what we creatures did
in these foundations
is as nothing.
Our Lord directed all
from beginnings so mean (meager)
that only His Majesty
could have raised them
to the state they are in now.
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #7]
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▀ St. John of the Cross observes
St. Terese and the nuns
following the primitive rule.
While, at this time, Fray John of the Cross
learned much from St. Teresa,
She speaks of his goodness
and how she would learn from him:
Fray John of the Cross observed
how St. Teresa and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns
followed the primitive rule.
"Fray John of the Cross had the means
of learning our way of life,
so that he might clearly
understand everything,
- both the mortifications we practise
and
- the sisterly affection
with which we treat one another,
and
- how we all come to recreation together,
which is so modestly carried on
that it
◦ helps us to discover
the shortcomings of the sisters,
and
◦ is some slight comfort to ourselves,
enabling us to endure
the severity of the rule".
He was so good
that I...might have learned
much more from him
than he from me.
But I did not do so.
I only showed him the way
in which the sisters live.
[ Foundations: Ch. 13: #5 ]
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End of the Discussion
of Chapter 13
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
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