Carmelite Book Studies ~ The Book of the Foundations ~ St. Teresa of Avila ~ Teresa of Jesus: The Book of the Foundations - Discussion of Chapter 24 - St. Teresa of Avila

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Book of the Foundations - Discussion of Chapter 24 - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus

The Book of the Foundations

of S. Teresa of Jesus

of the Order of our Lady of Carmel

Discussion of Chapter 24

          Chapter 24 Contents

   The Foundation

   Of S. Joseph Of Carmel

   In The City Of  Seville

   1. The Saint's joy

   in Fray Jerome's visit. —

   2. He is made visitor of the Order. —

   3. The Saint leaves Veas for Seville. —

   4. Ill on the road. —

   5. Suffering from fever. —

   6. Risk in crossing a river. —

   7. Difficulty of entering Cordova. —

   8. Church full of people. —

   9. Difficulties in Seville. —

10. More difficulties. —

11. Destitute condition of the nuns. —

12. The Saint nearly leaves Seville. —

13. But waits. —

14. The archbishop relents.

[ 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 ]

The site of the Carmelite Convent in Seville

drawn as it was in approximately 1866

Discussion of Chapter 24

█ The Foundation at Seville on May 29, 1575

on May 29, 1575

on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity:

▀ Background and origin of this foundation

St. Teresa is delayed and waits in Beas

▀ Fr. Jerome envisions a Foundation

for Seville

▀ The Difficulties of the Journey

▀ Eventually obtaining

the Archbishop's consent

■ The necessity of the Bishop's permission

■ Presumption of the Archbishop's approval

■ Lack of Permission of the Archbishop

■ St. Teresa's Perspective

■ The Archbishop finally Consents

█ The Foundation at Seville

• Father Fray Mariano hired a house

in Seville

"reaching the house in Seville,

which the Father Fray Mariano

had hired for us

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3 ]

• St. Teresa and her company arrived there

from Beas

"On Thursday, 26th May 1575,

within the octave of Pentecost."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #17 ]

"yet we reached Seville

only on the Thursday

before the feast

of the Most Holy Trinity,

26th May 1575."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3

and Foot note # 12 ]

• The Foundation of S. Joseph of Carmel

in the City of Seville

The first Mass of the Foundation of Seville

was offered on May 29, 1575

on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity:

"The archbishop allowed us,

but it must have been

after urgent pressing

on the part of Father Mariano,

to have Mass said

on the feast

of the Most Holy Trinity,

and that was the first. "

...29th May 1575...

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #12

and Foot note #20 ]

"Mass had been said

with the archbishop's leave...

It was one of his chaplains

whom he had sent

to say the first mass.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #13 ]

• At Seville her companions included:

"we (went) to Seville

with my good companions

Father Julian of Avila,

Antonio Gaytan"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3 ]

and

"Gregory Nazianzen.

(who) had received the habit

in Veas from Fray Jerome

Soon after he was made

master of novices

in Seville,

where he was professed

27th March 1576.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #11 ]

Mary of S. Joseph,

Isabel of S. Francis,

Mary of the Holy Ghost,

Isabel of S. Jerome,

Leonor of S. Gabriel, and

Anne of S. Albert.

The last was not to remain

in Seville,

for the Saint intended her to be

the prioress of Caravaca

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #10]

"and Father Mariano begged some

for furnishing the house;

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #11 ]

▀ Background

St. Teresa is delayed and waits in Beas:

St. Teresa was delayed

at the Foundation at Beas (Veas),

while she awaited the arrangements

for a foundation in Caravaca.

"they obtained the licence

for making a foundation in Caravaca,

but (the license) was not such

as I required for my purpose;

....thus it became necessary

to apply to the court again"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #2 ]

( According to Ch. 24: Foot note #6,

the account of the foundation

at Caravaca

is provided in chapter 27. )

Beas

Beas de Segura is a municipality

in the Province of Jaen

Beas is in the southern part of Spain

It lies central to Caravaca and Seville.

Caravaca

Caravaca de la Cruz is a municipality

in the province of Murcia

in southeastern Spain.

It is east of Beas de Segura.

Seville

Sevilla is a municipality

within the province of Seville.

It lies west of Beas to the south.

"It was very inconvenient for me

to remain there so long,

and I wished to return to Castille;

but...Father Fray Jerome,

(who) was there at the time...

thought that if I were once gone

there would be an end

of the foundation of Caravaca"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #2 ]

▀ Fr. Jerome envisions a Foundation for Seville

"Father Fray Jerome,

...was commissary over

the whole province of Castille

was there at the time,

...I could do nothing

without his consent...

He thought

that it would be greatly

for the service of God

to found a house in Seville"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #2 ]

"Fray Jerome...commanded the Saint

to ask our Lord

whether the foundation

in Madrid

or that in Seville

should be the next.

The Saint obeyed,

and the answer was Madrid.

Thereupon Fray Jerome bade her

prepare for that of Seville,

and the Saint began at once

to make her arrangements."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #8 ]

"when I saw

that it was the will of my superior

I yielded at once,

for our Lord has given me the grace

to think that my superiors

are always in the right.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #2 ]

...Fray Jerome asked her

why she obeyed

him...

rather than our Lord,

Who had revealed to her

that He wished her to go to Madrid.

She replied that

- she could not be so sure

of any revelation

- she was of his (Carmelite) Order...

it was her duty to obey him

as her immediate superior.

He ordered her to pray once more,

and then our Lord bade her

go to Seville."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #8 ]

▀ The Difficulties of the Journey

■ Lengthy Journey and preparations

"The Saint leaves Veas for Seville"

( east through Cardoba)

"intended to leave Veas

16th May 1575,

but did so only on the 18th,

Wednesday before Pentecost,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #10 ]

"We made all haste we could,

yet we reached Seville

only on the Thursday

before the feast

of the Most Holy Trinity,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3 ]

26th May 1575.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #12 ]

■ The Heat of the journey

"...suffered on the road

from the heat,

which was very great;

...as the sun in its strength

struck the carriages,

to go into them

was like going into Purgatory.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3 ]

"the heat there

is not like that of Castille,

being much more oppressive."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #4 ]

■ The hazardous travel

"Risk in crossing a river.

...no slight danger

when crossing the Guadalquivir

in a boat.

When they had to ferry

the carriages across

...those who held the rope

either let it go

or lost it,

...and the boat went off

with the carriages

away from the rope

and without oars,

...with all their might

were holding on to it;

the force of the current, however,

was too much for them, and

some...were even thrown down..."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #6 ]

"We should have found it

very hard to recover our road,

because it was now night,

if one who had come

from the castle

had not become our guide.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #6 ]

"the six sisters who were with me

had such courage"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #3 ]

Further on in the journey

"...the carriages could not pass

through the gate of the bridge;

it was found necessary

to use the saw..."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #7 ]

■ Illness

"One day before Pentecost

...my falling

into a very violent fever....

It was so violent

that I seem to have fallen

into a lethargy,

so unconscious was I.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #4 ]

"a very violent pain in one side,

...in changing my (position)...

I had another pain as violent

in the other:

It was the good pleasure

of our Lord

that its extreme violence

did not last more than one day."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #5 ]

■ Poor shelter

"I cannot help telling you

of the poor lodging

we had in this our need;

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #4 ]

"they gave us a small room

like a shed,

which had no window"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #4 ]

"there was no place near

where we could take our rest

at noon:

we found it under a bridge."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #8 ]

▀ Eventually obtaining the Archbishop's consent

"Don Christobal de Rojas y Sandoval,

...was promoted to the archbishopric...

of Seville (1571).

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #9 ]

■ The necessity of the Bishop's permission

"for in founding

the other monasteries

the first thing I sought

was the sanction of the ordinary,

according to the decree

of the council."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

Council of Trent: Session 25

On Regulars And Nuns

Seventh Decree; Chapter 3

"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."

[ based on Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #19 ]

■ Presumption of the Archbishop's approval

It seemed that the Fathers anticipated

the approval of the Archbishop

because of his previous good relationship

with the Discalced Carmelites.

Father Mariano had even obtained a house

prior to the arrival of St. Teresa and

prior to the obtaining

of the authorization of the Archbishop,

with the expectation

of his favor and endorsement.

"we not only took it for granted

but looked on the monastery

as a great service done

to the archbishop,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

"The Archbishop of Seville, too,

was so well disposed

towards the order

that he (Fr Jerome) believed

he would be greatly pleased,

and accordingly it was agreed

that the prioress and the nuns...

should go to Seville.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #2 ]

"...the Father Commissary

and Father Mariano,

most fully persuaded

- that he would give it,

- that my coming would be

a very great pleasure to him,

and

- that they were doing him

a very great service

in bringing me,

said nothing to him beforehand,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

St. Teresa, herself, was unaware

of the failure to obtain the authorization:

"I thought everything was done;

for...the archbishop

was very favourable

to the barefooted Carmelites,

and had occasionally written

to myself

showing me great affection..."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9]

■ Lack of Permission of the Archbishop

"Having reached the house

hired for us...

I meant to take possession at once,

as I was in the habit of doing,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #10 ]

"but Father Mariano

began to suggest delay...

I saw where the difficulty lay

— no permission had been given"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #10 ]

▪ The Archbishop's Perspective

"At last (Fr. Mariano) told me

- that the archbishop was not disposed

to sanction a monastery of nuns

- that he had never sanctioned one

since he became archbishop,

nor even during the many years

he had been here and in Cordova,

great servant of God as he is;

- still less would he sanction

a monastery founded in poverty,

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #10 ]

"The archbishop is a great enemy

of all monasteries of nuns

founded in poverty,

and he has his reasons."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

"The archbishop wished the nuns

to come to Seville from the first,

but he did not wish them

to have a separate monastery

of their own order.

His purpose was to distribute them

among the several monasteries

within his jurisdiction,

in order that by their fervour

and good example

those monasteries might

be reformed and made better."

[ Foundations: Ch. 24:

Foot note #22 ]

■ St. Teresa's Perspective

From this chapter, it seems that

St.Teresa did not initiate

the preparations and arrangements

for the foundation at Seville.

But she did express her perspective

on some issues as they arose:

▪ Would the foundation at Seville,

be an endowed convent ?

"Father Mariano...asked me

to allow the monastery

to be endowed...

At last he told me

- that the arch-bishop

was not disposed

to sanction a monastery of nuns...

- still less would he sanction

a monastery founded in poverty"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #10 ]

St. Teresa wrote that:

She had founded

endowed convents in the past

only "because there were

no other means of sustaining them.

"in those parts of the country...

in small villages

where they must have been

so founded,

or not at all"

( foundations which required

an endowment because

of the poverty of the people

or the distance from resources. )

But, in the case of Seville, she wrote,

"it would have been very sad for me

to do this in the city of Seville"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #11 ]

▪ Regarding the fact that

the Archbishop was not advised and

his permission was not obtained

before arranging for the house in

and trip to Seville

St. Teresa wrote:

"for if they had told him all

before I had set out on my journey

I am certain he never would

have given his consent.

they might have committed

a great mistake

if they had told him,

thinking they were doing right"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

▪ Regarding her distress at the lack

of the Archbishop's permission

"The sources of that pain...

were not in anything I or my nuns

had to suffer,

but in the distress

of the Father-Commissary,

who was much afflicted

because he had ordered me

to go thither"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #13 ]

■ The Archbishop finally Consents

It seems the Archbishop did allow

the first Mass to be said

at the house by his Chaplain

"The archbishop allowed us,

but it must have been

after urgent pressing

on the part of Father Mariano,

to have Mass said"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #12 ]

but he did not give authorization

to the establishment of the convent at first.

"Father Mariano would never

let me write to the archbishop,

but he won him over

by degrees himself,

and

by the help of letters

of the Father-Commissary

from Madrid.

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #12 ]

"It pleased God at last

that he came to see us,

when I spoke to him

of the harm he was doing us.

In the end he told me to do

what I liked,

and

as I liked"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #14 ]

"... the monastery

a great service done to the archbishop

as indeed it was,

and as he acknowledged afterwards"

[ Foundations: Ch. 24: #9 ]

End of the Discussion

of Chapter 24

of the

Book of the Foundations

of S. Teresa of Jesus

of the Order of our Lady of Carmel

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Book of the Foundations - Discussion of Chapter 24 - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus

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