of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
Discussion of Chapter 22
Chapter 22 Contents
Treats Of The Foundation Of
The Glorious S. Joseph Del Salvador
In Beas,
On The Feast Of S. Matthias,
In The Year 1575
1. The Saint invited to Beas. —
2. She hesitates at first. —
3. The Visitor consents. —
4. Origin of the foundation. —
5. Dona Catalina Godinez. —
6. Her conversion. —
7. Grace the free gift of God. —
8. Satan's rage at the conversion. —
9. Fury of Satan. —
10. Perseverance of Dona Catalina. —
11. Her austerities. —
12. Her illnesses. —
13. Her trials. —
14. Her courage and confidence. —
15. Miraculously healed. —
16. Her great sufferings. —
17. Wished to conceal the miracle. —
18. Received the last Sacraments twice. —
19. The monastery founded. —
20. The two sisters take the habit. —
21. A vision of Dona Catalina. —
22. And its fulfilment. —
23. Her great confidence in God. —
24. The two sisters become nuns.
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[The above Drawing is from:
"St Teresa of Jesus of the Order
of Our Lady of Mt Carmel
embracing The Life , Relations,
Maxims, and Foundations"
Edited by John J. Burke, C.S.P.
from www.books.google.com
|
Discussion of Chapter 22
█ Summary
The Monastery of the Blessed S. Joseph
in the town of Beas
was founded on S. Matthias' day,
( February 24th )
in the year 1575.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #4 ]
▀ The Postulation of a Foundation at Beas
■ St. Teresa's response and deliberations
▀ The Founders of the Monastery.
■ Dona Catalina's desired to be a nun
■ Her desire to found a monastery
■ Choosing the Carmelite Order
■ Further obstacles for Dona Catalina
▀ The Monastery of S. Joseph of the Redeemer
at Beas on February 24th 1575.
■ The Sisters as Nuns
▀ The Postulation of a Foundation at Beas
St. Teresa, while in Salamanca,
received a letter
asking her to establish a Foundation in Beas.
"At the time
of which I have been speaking,
when they sent me
from the Incarnation to Salamanca,
there came to me,
when I was in (Salamanca)
a messenger from the town of Beas
with letters from
a lady there,
the parish priest, and
other persons,
all asking me to
go thither
and
found a monastery,
for they had a house ready"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #1 ]
"This was in 1573"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #1 ]
• This letter was perhaps received
while she was in Salamanca
between August 1573 and January 1574:
"The Saint returns to Salamanca
in August 1573"
[ Foundations; Ch19: #7, 8 ]
"1573. In July of that year
she was sent to Salamanca,
where she lived for six months,
[ Minor Works of St. Teresa:
Introduction
Translation: Benedictines
of Stanbrook ]
■ St. Teresa's response and deliberations:
▪ Obedience to her Superiors and
the needed Authorization regarding
Founding new monasteries
"I must have an order
from the apostolic commissary,
who disliked,
or at least did not like,
my making any more foundations".
"as the commissary was then
in Salamanca,
it would not be right..
without having his opinion,
because of the commandment
I had received
from...our father-general,
not to omit making a foundation
if occasion offered."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #2 ]
Regarding the City of Beas:
▪ Location and Climate
"for it is very pleasant,
and the climate is good.
But when I considered
- the many leagues
that were between
that place and this,
I thought it a folly"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #2 ]
▪ Governance under military jurisdiction
"As the place belonged
to a commandery
of the knights of S. James,
a licence from the council
of the orders
was necessary"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #9 ]
"Beas was subject to the jurisdiction
of a military order,
that of the knights of S. James;
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #2 ]
Regarding this, the Apostolic Visitor
advised St. Teresa that
"permission would not be given"
by the knights' council
"for he had heard
of the knights by other ways,
and people had not been able
for many years
to obtain their consent"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #3 ]
▪ Providence
"when our Lord wills anything,
though we will it not,
it happens without our knowledge
that we become the means
of doing it;
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #3 ]
When the monastery
came to be founded
it was plain
that she (Dona Catalina Godinez)
(the foundress )
had treated the matter with God,
for the superiors,
though so far away, and
the revenue so scanty,
were ready to accept it.
What His Majesty wills
must be done without fail.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #19 ]
"Accordingly,
when the permission was obtained
(from the knights' council)
he (the Apostolic Visitor)
could not withhold his own,
and the house was founded
in that way.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #3 ]
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▀ The Founders of the Monastery.
Dona Catalina Godinez
and
Dona Maria de Sandova,
her younger sister
They were the daughters of
"Sancho Rodriguez de Sandoval
a nobleman of ancient descent
and wealthy
and...
Dona Catalina Godinez".
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #4 ]
■ Dona Catalina Godinez
At about 14 years of age,
the elder sister, Dona Catalina Godinez
had a conversion experience:
"in a moment,,,
Our Lord changed her heart..."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #5 ]
"The elder was fourteen years of age
when our Lord called her
unto His service.
Until then she was very far
from giving up the world"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #4 ]
"neither did she know
whence her pride arose.
Our Lord knew how to cure it,
blessed be His compassion ! "
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #5 ]
"Accordingly,
while she was reading the title
...on the upper part
of the...crucifix (Paragraph #5 )
a light seemed to have entered her soul,
as the sun enters into a dark room,
whereby she saw the truth.
In that light she fixed her eyes
on our Lord nailed to the cross
shedding His blood,
and thought
of the ill-treatment He received
and
of His great humility,
and
then how differently
she was demeaning herself
in her pride".
"having most earnest desires
for penance,
which she afterwards carried into act".
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #6 ]
"All these virtues have been so lasting
that it is plain
they were a supernatural gift
of our Lord, ...
who in a moment undoest a soul
and then createst it anew ! "
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #7 ]
■ Dona Maria de Sandova
Her younger sister,
Dona Maria de Sandova,
as she matured,
also grew in detachment and charity
"and her sister,
being fourteen years old,
though very fond of show,
- dressed herself simply
a year after her sister
made the change,
and
- began also to grive herself
unto prayer"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #12]
"I am persuaded myself
that our Lord never grants
a grace so great
without communicating it
also to other persons besides.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #9]
_________________________________
■ Dona Catalina's desired to be a nun
But because her parents withheld their consent
and also because of her illnesses,
she was unable to become a nun:
"she had a very strong desire
to enter religion,
and frequently asked her parents
for their consent;
they would never give it.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #9]
"At the end of three years,
during which she had often
asked their consent,
seeing
that they would never give way,
- she dressed herself very simply"
"During those three years
she used
- to set aside certain hours
for prayer,
and
- to mortify herself
in every way she could,
as our Lord taught her.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #10]
"She passed nearly four years
in these practices,
when our Lord
— for she had to render Him
other and higher services —
began to send her most
grievous and painful sicknesses"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #10]
"In short, her illnesses lasted
about seventeen years,
and she was scarcely ever well."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #12]
■ Her desire to found a monastery
Her father died.
"It was in August 1560. "
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #11 ]
"Five years after the father's death,
the mother also died,
and Dona Catalina,
as her vocation had always been
that of a nun
— only she could not obtain
her father's consent —
wished to become one at once"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #13 ]
"Her kindred advised her,
as there was no monastery
in Beas,
that, having means sufficient
for a foundation,
the sisters should
found a monastery
in their own place,
which would be a greater service
to our Lord."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #13]
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▀ Choosing the Carmelite Order
▪ "about twenty years before..."
St. Teresa wrote:
"The sister told me...
that, about twenty years before,
she went to rest one night
anxious to find
the most perfect order in the world,
that she might become a nun in it...
she began to dream...
she saw a barefooted friar,
who said to her,
'Sister, come with me.'
...
The friar took her to a house
wherein were a great many nuns...
....the prioress took her by the hand
and said to her,
'Child, I want you here,'
and showed her
the constitutions and the rule.
When she awoke from her dream
she was very joyous,
for it seemed to her
that she had been in heaven,
and wrote down
what she remembered of the rule.
... nobody could tell her
what order that was.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #21]
▪ Then, later
When "A father of the society,
came to the place
she showed him the paper,
saying that
if she could find that order
she should be happy,
for she would enter it at once."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #22]
This was (** see footnote)
"Father Bartholomew Bustamante"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #20]
"The father knew our monasteries,
and so he told her
that it was the Rule of the Order
of our Lady of Carmel;
... that it was the rule
of the monasteries
(that St. Teresa) was founding"
"and thus it came about that
she sent me a messenger,
as I said before."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #22]
▪ Current to the time
of the writing of this account
"On seeing
Fray Juan de la Miseria,
a lay brother of the order,
who came to Beas
when (St. Teresa) was there,
she said
that he seemed to be
the very person she had seen"
( in her dream).
"She assures me
that she then saw the faces
of the very sisters
she has seen here"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #21]
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■ Further obstacles for Dona Catalina
▪ Difficulty in Obtaining the License
"As the place belonged
to a commandery
of the knights of S. James,
a licence from the council
of the orders
was necessary,
and so she began
to make efforts
to obtain it.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #13]
It was so difficult to get
that four years went by
in much labour and expense,
and nothing was done
till a petition
was drawn up and
presented to the king".
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #13]
"She then presented her petition
to the king,
who, when he saw it related
to the barefooted nuns
of Carmel,
ordered it to be granted
forthwith.
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #18]
▪ The Persistence of her illnesses
St. Teresa wrote that
"When my answer was received
(Dona Catalina) was so ill
She was very much distressed...
and, turning to our Lord... said,
'O my Lord and my God,
I know by faith
that Thou canst do all things;
then, O life of my soul,
either take away from me
these desires
or give to me the means
of carrying them into effect.'
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #22]
"She heard a voice saying
within herself:
'Arise, thou art cured,
go and ask for the permission
(to found a convent),
for thou wilt obtain it.' "
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #15]
"she was completely assured
that she would be well in time
to go to the court in Lent
for the license."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #17]
"And all at once she felt so well
as if she had never been ill."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #15]
"On the vigil of S. Sebastian,
which was a Saturday,
our Lord restored her
to health so completely"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #15]
"This was 19th January 1572"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #15]
[ Blog note
St. Teresa seems to have
received the letter in
the latter part of 1573,
saying that Dona Catalina
was ill at that time
but foot note #15 indicates
that Dona Catalina was cured
by 1572. ]
"but it should be borne in mind
that the dates relative
to Catherine of Jesus
( Catalina de Jesus )
present many difficulties"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #15]
"She had now a greater joy
in her health,
because it enabled her
to prosecute the affair
of the monastery,
than she had had in suffering"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #15]
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▀ The Monastery of S. Joseph of the Redeemer
at Beas
"Accordingly the nuns arrived
in the beginning of Lent, 1575
the people came forth
in procession
to receive them
with solemn rejoicings.
The monastery,
under the invocation of
S. Joseph of the Redeemer,
was founded in Lent
on the feast of S. Mathias."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #19]
( February 24th, 1575 )
"On the same day
the two sisters,
to their great joy,
received the habit
The health of Dona Catalina
improved still."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22: #20]
"The final arrangements
for the foundation in Beas
were made
when the Saint was prioress
of her own house in Avila".
Later she returned
"and took with her (from Toledo)
Mary, of S. Joseph and
Isabel of S. Francis,
afterwards prioress
in Lisbon and Seville."
"She also sent for Anne of Jesus
from Salamanca.
From Toledo she went to Malagon,
and from that monastery took with her
Mary of the Visitation,
Isabel of S. Jerome,
Leonor of S. Gabriel,
Beatrix of S. Michael,
Anne of S. Michael and
Mary of the Holy Ghost.
Anne of Jesus
was made prioress,
and the sub-prioress was
Mary of the Visitation"
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #22]
"The nuns were dispersed
in the civil wars, and
the convent became suppressed
the only foundation of S. Teresa
that suffered such a fate.
But it was restored in 1899."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #17]
■ The Sisters as Nuns
"Dona Catalina was in religion
Catherine of Jesus,
and her sister,
Maria of Jesus;
both made their profession
11th September 1576.
Catherine of Jesus was
afterwards prioress
of the house,
dying 23rd February 1586.
The younger sister
(Maria of Jesus)
who became befriended with
S.John of the Cross
from whom she received
two letters (no. xii and xv),
was chosen for the foundation
at Cordova
where she became prioress,
and died l0th August 1604."
[ Foundations: Ch. 22:
Foot note #18]
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Foot Notes
**
"Father Bartholomew Bustamante"
was a Jesuit Father,
Theologian and Architect.
His nephew was married
to Dona Luise La Cerda
According to
"The Complete Works of St. Teresa"
Volume 3 - Translated by E.Alison Peers
"This makes it clear
how (he) knew so much
about the Discalced Carmelites"
(Recall Dona Luise La Cerda from Ch 9
who donated much to the cause
of the Foundation at Malagon.)
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End of the Discussion
of Chapter 22
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
|
